Usually she walked to Glenna’s Surprisingly Vintage, however the dawn was creeping in and the moon was just dipping behind the mountain. Even the breeze had a bite. She’d drive.
As she pulled into the store’s parking lot, she noticed the lights were ablaze in the shop. Odd, electricity was not cheap. In fact there was a reminder on an antique cork board by the switch for the last person out to shut off the lights.
With a feeling of unease, she unlocked the back door into the shop. A wave of something rotting hit her like a solid wall. She immediately covered her nose with her hand. She tossed the keys onto the office desk and went in search of the stench. By the time she reached the showroom it was all she could do not to toss her cookies or more precisely, her coffee.
Everything looked fine. The glass counters that ran around the room gleamed as if Alex had just used glass cleaner. Nothing to note on the shelves. No windows were broken. As she stepped around the counter the full force of rotting flesh hit her.
In the center of the room lay her assistant. The body had clearly been there for longer than a day. Glenna couldn’t hold on any longer, she lost the coffee and biscotti, adding to the already overwhelming smell.
She backed her way into the office to call nine one one. She stayed in her office until the officers knocked on the front door.
“Come to the back please,” she called from that door.
The two officers came around the side of the building, one had a steaming cup of some kind of brew in his hand.
“You may want to put your mug on my desk before you go in there.”
The two officers looked at each other and promptly covered their noses, the mug hit the desk with a thunk. They both stopped at the edge of the counter.
The tall cop, clearly more experienced of the two, turned to her. “Do you know the victim?”
“Yes, she’s my assistant Alexis Hansen. She lives in Yountville.”
He ushered his partner and Glenna toward the office. He gestured for her to have a seat at her desk. He settled into the chair on the opposite side.
“Karl I’ll call it in and get the medical examiner out here.” The other officer didn’t wait for an answer. He opened the door letting the early morning breeze in for a moment before it shut behind him.
“I’m Officer Karl Beckworth, and he…” He nodded his head toward the door where his partner had left. “…is my partner, Dane Jones.”
He pulled a small electronic device out of his pocket, it looked like a cross between a phone and an eReader. From a side band he pulled a stylus out and poised it over the screen, then gave his attention to her. “You called this in?” He glanced toward the business license hanging next to the desk. “You’re the proprietor?”
Was this a trait of the law enforcement profession? Asking questions in a row instead of waiting for an answer before moving to the next question? When she didn’t answer he ducked his head and looked at her through his lashes as if he were dissecting her.
She cleared her throat. “Yes, to both questions.”
“I’m not a medical examiner, but even I can see she’s been there for a while.”
She wasn’t sure if that was an accusation or a statement. He wrote something in his little tablet, then leaned back in his chair so he could see through to the show room. “I’ll be right back.”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond. She thought he was going back to look at the body, but instead he went out the door and disappeared. She was about ready to go find him when he returned. He settled onto the chair, scribbled something and then without looking up asked a question.
“What I want to know is this, why didn’t anyone call it in before this? The lights are blazing you can clearly see the body from the windows, especially the front door.”
On the last word he finally looked up and pinned her with a stare as if she knew the answer. If he wanted to disconcert her with his interrogation style it was working.
“I would like to know the same thing.”
“And why are you just calling it in?” He finally asked the question she’d been waiting for since the officers arrived.
“The examiner is on the way and so is the CSI team,” Officer Jones announced as he returned to the room. “Why didn’t anyone call this in before now? You can see the body from the front.”
“That seems to be the question of the day,” Glenna couldn’t help the dry comment. Both officers glared for a moment. Then Officer Beckworth returned to business.
“Well? Why didn’t you called it in earlier?” he repeated.
“I have been at my family’s home in Brooklyn. I got home last evening. As soon as I discovered Alex…” She refused to call her friend the body. “I called nine one one.”
“And you can back up your alibi?” This from Jones.
“May I?” She nodded toward her purse.
When neither protested, she dug through and found the receipts she’d left in her purse. Anything financial she kept in the shop office. She handed the papers to Beckworth. He took his time reading the dates, with Jones reading just as thoroughly from his vantage point, over his partner’s shoulder.
“You’ve been gone for over a week. When was the last time you talked to your assistant?”
Glenna swallowed down her guilt as she realized she hadn’t even checked on the shop since she’d called to ask about Lance on her wedding day.
“September 29th,” she said. “It was around two in the afternoon. About noon here.”
“That was shortly after you left and you didn’t check on your business?” She didn’t blame him for his skepticism.
Jones squinted at her, after a moment he asked. “How did you know the exact date and time? That was a week ago.”
Damn, she hadn’t really wanted to discuss why she’d been at her parents’. There didn’t seem to be any way around the subject. Might as well get it over with, it wasn’t going to get any easier.
“That was supposed to have been my wedding day.”
Officer Beckworth lowered his brow at her, but remained silent. A good tactic to encourage people to talk—Tyler had once told her that little tidbit of information.
“I called Alex to find out if she’d seen my fiancé.”
“Wasn’t he with you?” Officer Jones asked.
“If he had been I wouldn’t have called Alex.” Dumb ass, did he have to make things harder?
“So what happened? The guy leave you high and dry on your wedding day?” Jones chuckled.
No, she did not like the younger officer at all.
“Dane, try to be a little more sensitive.” The older officer admonished.
“Sorry,” Jones muttered without a trace of remorse and he still had a smirk riding his lips.
“Something like that.” She might as well answer the question, as he’d guess anyway. “Can we try to figure out what happened to poor Alex in there?”
“May I make copies of these papers?” Officer Beckworth asked.
Since they verified she was not in the vicinity at the time of the murder she didn’t see a reason to refuse. Through the open door, Glenna saw a patrol car and a black sedan pull into the parking lot.
During the next several moments, her little office was crowded with people. Officer Jones led the two Crime Scene Investigators into the show room.
“God someone hurled in here, and it’s fresh.” His voice grated down her spine.
She closed her eyes in mortification, heat burned in her stomach and she could feel her cheeks warm.
“Dane we do not need a commentary.” Officer Beckworth didn’t say anything to her but sent a look of apology for his partner.
Two hours later, she knew her prediction of a long day had been a gross understatement. It wasn’t even noon yet and she felt as if it had been days since she’d walked in and found Alex. She wasn’t sure what she felt. The only thing she knew was that she was numb.
Alex had been shot, but the official cause of death wouldn’t come unti
l after the autopsy. While the officers seemed to be otherwise occupied, she stepped out to the landing for fresh air.
“Don’t go far.” Beckworth’s voice echoed after her.
No sooner than she reached her car than she saw Effie sprint from her Bistro coffee shop. The parking lot serviced both their businesses. Glenna leaned her hip on the fender making sure she was in view of the window of the door. Not only did she want to see what was going on, but she wanted Officer Beckworth to see her.
“What the fuck is going on?” Somehow the F bomb didn’t sound strange coming out of the little woman that was more elfin than… normal human.
“Someone murdered Alex.”
“What?” Effie strode to the door, but the officer shooed her away.
“Who would hurt Alex, she was the nicest person I’ve ever met.”
“I don’t know, Effie. I feel terrible. I didn’t call her all week to check on her. What kind of person am I? Maybe if I’d not been so self-absorbed and called her over the week, I could have alerted someone when she didn’t answer. If she hadn’t been such a loner or lived alone, maybe someone would have raised an alert about her missing.”
Her chest tightened at the thought of Alex and confronting who had done this to her. She must have been so frightened. Before that moment, she’d had an entire life waiting for her, and now she’d never experience the joys of love, children, growing old. She would never see her family again.
Nor would her family ever see her again. The world had lost a beautiful soul. Glenna knew that Alex was in a beautiful place now, but she’d deserved to live her life.
“Glenna, there is no way you could have prevented this.”
“I know, however if I’d called she would have been found earlier. The body has been here for a few days. Alex wouldn’t have wanted anyone to see her like that.”
“That can’t be, I have been back in town for a few days and I’ve walked by the shop and didn’t notice anything.”
“Did you look in?”
Effie thought a moment. “I don’t think so. You know when you’re walking a familiar path you tend to take things for granted. Lost in your own thoughts. You just assume everything is the same.”
“One of the officer’s checked the front door, it’s locked. If there were any customers who tried the door, they either didn’t look in to see the body or worse they didn’t bother to call and report it.”
Effie made a face, which seemed so out of character that Glenna could only stare. She’d never seen Effie without a smile or at least a serene expression.
“I don’t think anyone would not call it in. I don’t think they noticed. The pedestrian traffic has been low this week. That has to be it Glen, otherwise I would lose faith in humankind.”
“I think you’re right. I would hope so anyway.”
“Why don’t you come over for a latte?” Effie started to walk, thinking Glenna would follow.
“I don’t think the officer wants me out of his sight.”
Effie turned and gazed past Glenna at the bustling shop. “How many guys are in there?”
Glenna frowned, why would she want to know? Then she realized. Effie was being Effie, taking care of everyone. “I think there’s, let see, two CSI guys, then there’s the medical examiner and then Beckworth and Jones.”
Effie started to turn, then looked over her shoulder. “White chocolate mocha?”
“Skinny as you can make it. Oh, I forgot the photographer. ”
“You got it, six coffees and a WCM, on the skinny.” And her friend was on her way.
What would she do without Effie? She would’ve never survived without her, not after what happened when she’d first moved to Calistoga when she’d graduated from Stanford.
The jingle on her cell for her brother Tyler interrupted her thoughts. She pulled the phone out of her back pocket to answer.
“How did you know I needed to talk to my big brother, that just so happens to be a fed?”
“What’s going on?” Tyler’s voice sounded like he was standing next to her.
“Do you remember my assistant?”
“Have I met her?” Guys were so literal sometimes.
“No, I meant just me mentioning her when I called the shop?”
“Yes, I remember you called to see if Bun Boy was there.” When she didn’t take offense to his reference he continued. “Why?”
“Someone murdered her in the shop while I was gone. I discovered her body this morning when I opened the shop…” She swallowed. She could feel the water works threatening. She drew air in through her mouth, out threw her nose.
“Glenna, are you okay?”
“No.”
“Dumb question, of course you’re not.”
“Why did you call, Tyler?”
“I was worried about you and my gut told me to call you.”
Their family had always been close, but she had a special connection with Tyler. He wasn’t just her big brother, he was her protector. He had a sixth sense when it came to Glenna. He had called during that dark time when she’d first moved. She’d only told him the partial truth about that terrible night. He’d still been on the next flight out.
“I don’t know what to think, Tyler. Do you think Lance’s disappearance has anything to do with Alex? She was the sweetest girl, no one would want to hurt her.”
“Was anything missing?”
She paused, she hadn’t even looked. “I don’t know. I haven’t really had time to look.”
“Didn’t the responding officers ask?”
“Not yet. But they’ve been pretty busy.”
“Idiots,” he muttered. “Look I have a few connections on the west coast. A friend of mine from my time at Quantico works out of the field office in San Francisco. I’ll give him a call.”
“Would you? Maybe he can figure out what is going on. I’m scared, Tyler. Do you think Lance could be involved? The more I think about it the more I think he sought my shop out for something. Even Alex said whenever he’d stop in he seemed to be searching for something. Yet, there is no way Lance murdered Alex, he genuinely liked her.”
“Don’t worry, I know someone who will figure this out. His name is Patrick McGinnis, expect a call from him.”
“Thank you Ty. I really appreciate it.”
They talked a few more minutes until Glenna spotted Effie carrying a tray of beverages from the Bistro.
“I need to go help Effie, thank you.” She hung up before he could protest.
She plucked her white chocolate mocha off the tray, no sense taking a chance that one of the officers wouldn’t snag it.
“Thank you, Effie, you’re the best.”
“Who was on the phone?” Her friend asked.
“Tyler.”
“I should have known. Are you sure he’s not your twin? I swear you two got the twin connection.”
“Reagan and I have the connection, it’s just different than mine and Tyler’s.” She sipped and let the warm liquid slide down her throat. “He’s going to call a friend to come and make sure we find who did this to Alex.”
Effie nodded toward the office door as they walked toward it. “Do they know that your brother is sending help?”
“No, and I’m not going to tell them.”
As they stepped through into the office, the smell of coffee drew the officers like cops to a donut shop. Though it had to have been more of a sixth sense. No way could they have actually smelled the brew. Once the coffees were divvied out, Glenna turned to Officer Beckworth.
“Do you want me to check to see if anything is missing? There has to be a reason my assistant was murdered.”
Beckworth turned his attention to her in surprise. Obviously he hadn’t thought she had a brain in her head.
“That would be helpful. As soon as the CSI and photographer are done, if you could go over your inventory and make a list of anything missing.”
She nodded and returned to her vigil by her car. Effie kept step with her as
best as her short legs would let her.
“Did Tyler say when this guy would call?”
“No, but he said to expect him soon.”
“Good.” She sipped her own beverage, which Glenna knew to be Chai. “Glen, you need to get your life back, it hasn’t been yours since Lance walked through the door.”
“You never liked Lance. Why?” Glenna had never really asked. She’d acknowledged, many times, her friend hadn’t liked her fiancé but she’d never confirmed it by asking.
“Since you’re ready to listen, first of all your brothers are right. He’s gay. In fact, I’ve seen the way he watches men. Usually we both follow their cute little asses with our eyes.”
She waited for Glenna to respond but Glenna just rolled her eyes at her friend. She had a feeling that everyone had been right on that subject. Not that it mattered, except that made it even more confusing that he’d asked her to marry him.
“Is that all?”
Effie laughed. “Oh, where to start? The list of reasons is so long.”
Glenna couldn’t resist another eye roll. “Just list them from top to bottom.”
“First, he never looked at you with love. A guy with love and romance on his mind, one who wants to sweep a woman away, gazes at her with adoration. Sure, he went through the motions—elaborate motions I know. I never heard one drop of adoration, unless it was for himself.”
Glenna thought about it for a moment. Countless times when they’d been at a restaurant, he’d sit across from her and whisper words of love, and now she realized how empty the words were. Looking back, she admitted to herself that his words and actions had all been scripted. The man had been playing a role and if she hadn’t been so caught up in it, she would have realized that it was fake.
He had romanced her with gestures and props but there had been no touching. In retrospect she couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed.
As if reading her thoughts Effie asked. “Did the man ever hold your hand? Did he ever throw his arm around your shoulders?”
“No to both. There are more and more things I’m remembering now. I think maybe I was too close and caught up in his grand scheme.” She leaned her head and rested it on the top of Effie’s.
Abandoned (The Beckett Series Book 6) Page 3
