Northwest Cozy Mysteries #1

by Dianne Harman

  “No, but I’m on my way to the Police Department to meet a friend of mine, so I’ll see what I can find out,” Jake said. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because according to Dino Argyros, Theresa Larkin was packin’ a .22 pistol,” Al said, “but I don’t think she did it. She went fer a ride with Dino in his new car, and then he saw her and her husband leave together. She woulda had to leave him, shoot Vinny, and come back in cool as a cucumber. I jes’ don’t see it happenin’ that way.”

  “I agree that it sounds unlikely,” Jake said. “I just met Sean Meade, and think we can rule him out as well. There are a few more things I want to find out, so I’ll fill you in tomorrow.”

  “Sure,” Al said, walking back to his car. “I’ve got several more visits to make myself.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Three dive bars and two hours later, Al showed one of his bar managers, Bill Lewis, a picture on his phone of John Denton from his professional profile page on LinkedIn.

  “Ya’ know this guy, Bill?”

  “Let me see that,” Bill said, taking the device from Al and squinting at the handset through his horn-rimmed glasses. “Yes, he comes in here from time to time.” He motioned to a table in the corner. “Let’s go sit down.”

  Al followed Bill through the crowded bar to a table that was empty due to its obscured view of the stage, where two topless dancers were strutting their stuff. “The dancers look like they’re getting’ younger, Bill,” he said when they were seated. “Ya’ sure they’re not underage?”

  Bill, a collegiate-looking young man wearing a casual shirt and chinos, shook his head. “No way. I check all their paperwork myself.”

  “Good,” Al said, nodding in approval. Vinny had told Al to always hire managers that looked as squeaky clean as possible, and Bill looked the part as well as being smart. The policy was one reason why the bars’ illegal activities had pretty much gone unnoticed by the Seattle Police Department. Al drummed his thickset fingers on the tabletop. “So whaddaya know about this cop, John Denton?”

  Bill tilted his head to the side while he thought for a moment. “As I said, he comes in every now and then, and sits at the bar with a Coca-Cola. He keeps his back to the stage when there’s a performance on, but the rest of the time he looks around a lot, like he’s trying to memorize people’s faces. Not the girls though, he never looks them in the eye. He’s kind of, holy I guess, to put it nicely. He talks about religion a lot.”

  “So he’s not leerin’ at the girls, and he ain’t doin’ shots. Do ya’ think he’s jes’ snoopin’ around?”

  Bill made a face. “He did ask one time about who owned the bar, and I said that you give the orders, like you told me to. He seems weird but harmless. Bit crazy if you ask me.”

  “In what way?”

  “Like he’s trying to save people. Says he hears voices. He once told me the reason he doesn’t drink is that one day when he was drunk he’d heard a voice telling him to give up alcohol. The voice had said his father wouldn’t be proud of him, and his wife was getting ready to leave him if he didn’t give it up. Said he was pretty sure the voice had come from…” Bill raised his eyes, “up there. Ever since then, not only has he never had another drink, he’s become very active in a church not far from his home.”

  “Do ya’ know where he lives?” Al asked, slicking his hair back with his palm. “Think Ima gonna pay John a visit.”

  “No, but he prays at The Living Light Church. I remember the name, because he told me he’d be happy to take me if I ever wanted to go. Someone there might know where he lives.”

  “Bill,” Al said, standing up. “I’ll take it from here. Keep up the good work, son. You’d better get back behind the bar, those girls are makin’ the drinkers work up a thirst.” He slapped Bill on the back as he passed the younger man’s chair, and squeezed his burly frame through the customers standing four deep near the stage.

  Outside in his car, Al called Rob and asked him if he could get a residential address for John Denton. Rob impressed Al yet again by calling back with the address within minutes. Al figured it was a pity he hadn’t known about Rob when Vinny was alive. They could have made good use of a man with Rob’s skills.

  It was a leisurely drive to the address in Renton, about eleven miles southeast of Seattle. As well as being home to John Denton, it was also the home of the Boeing empire. Al could see that while parts of the town were in the process of being gentrified, the address that Rob had given him for John was in a lower middle-class neighborhood that looked to be a ways from gentrification.

  Al found the house easily. John’s place was the same as all the other one story homes on the street, except for the pink balloons and streamers hanging from the doors and windows. The big pink sign hung on the garage, “Welcome Home, Baby Sarah,” looked like it was brand new. Al parked on the opposite side of the street, and as he was getting out of his car, a man came out of the house next to where it was parked.

  Al greeted him, and tipped his head toward the sign. “Is there some kinda party goin’ on? I stopped by to see John Denton, but I don’t wanna interrupt if they’re havin’ a bash.”

  The man stopped and smiled. “John and his wife just had a baby girl, last night.”

  “Oh, I didn’t realize that, or I woulda’ brought a gift.”

  “They’re still at the hospital,” the man beamed. “Baby Sarah was two weeks early. The Dentons attend the same church as our family, and everyone is so happy that John and his wife’s prayers have finally been answered. They’ve wanted a baby for a long time.”

  “That’s real nice,” Al said. He was a sucker when it came to babies. He thought of them as cute little cuddly things with gummy smiles. They got him in the heart every time. “Is it The Living Light Church that ya’ go to? I ain’t been down there for a while.”

  “That’s right,” the man said. “I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but I can tell you’re troubled.”

  “Really?” Al said. If only you knew how much, he thought to himself.

  The man reached across to Al and squeezed his arm. “You know, you’ll always be welcomed back into the fold. Don’t be afraid, my friend, to ask for forgiveness. Redemption is always there for the taking.”

  “Thanks,” Al muttered. “But I think it might be a bit too late for me. When’s the family expected home? I should come back with a card and a teddy bear fer the little one.”

  “It’s never too late,” the man said. “John reached out for help when he needed it and look at him now.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been hearin’ him on the radio. He’s kinda famous, I guess.”

  “That’s not what’s important. John is surrounded by love. When Mrs. Denton went into labor, John was so happy to share the news. He called several of his friends to tell them, and they all met at the hospital to support him. It was a long, hard labor, but Baby Sarah was born last night, around 10:00 p.m., and John’s been at his wife’s bedside the entire time.”

  Al tapped his foot. “So when did ya’ say they were comin’ home again?”

  “They should be back later his evening. All the church members are going to be here with food and presents when they arrive. Even Pastor Brian.”

  “I see,” Al said. “That’s kind of him, seein’ as how Pastor Brian must be a busy man and all.”

  The man nodded solemnly. “He is. Between you and me, he might not stay long, but he kind of has to stop by since John is a reverend in the church now.”

  Al scratched his head. “Well. There ya’ go. I guess I’ll come back a little later then. Good to meet ya’, er…”

  The man beamed an evangelical smile. “Gary. I hope you will remember what I said.”

  “I sure will, Gary, and thanks.” Al jumped into his car and drove away with a screech of tires. Mentally scratching John off the list of suspects, he turned the car in the direction of home.

  For Al, home was a separate guest residence on the grounds of Vinny’s mansion, but now that Vinny was go
ne, he knew it was time to make his own arrangements for the future. He had a few ideas going around in his head, but his main priority was finding Vinny’s killer.

  With Vinny dead, there were still a lot of people he needed to call in Chicago. He wondered if Vinny’s attorney, Dom Langello, knew about his death, and decided to get in touch with him in the morning. His own personal affairs were pretty straightforward, and could wait until after that.

  CHAPTER 15

  DeeDee kicked the sand with her bare feet as she unclipped the leash from Balto’s collar and let him run loose on the beach.

  “Don’t go too far,” she called after him, her hands cupping the sides of her mouth to make the sound of her voice travel farther, but it was lost on Balto, a combination of the husky’s speed when off leash and the bracing December wind.

  When DeeDee and Balto had arrived home earlier that afternoon, the sight of the wedding paraphernalia from the day before had set DeeDee off into a flood of tears. There were florist buckets on the porch where the bridal bouquets and the buttonholes for Jake and Mitch had been stored in water until they all left for the church, unwashed champagne flutes from when they’d made a toast to Roz before she left the house to become a married woman, and DeeDee and Tink’s robes with a flash of pink on the back saying Matron of Honor and Maid of Honor, respectively. That Roz’s special day ended with the murder of Uncle Vinny was inconceivable, and the thought of Clark being charged for his murder even more so. But it was a real possibility.

  She had to get out of the house and clear her head, and the beach was her favorite place to do so. She watched Balto running in and out of the waves, then speeding towards her and turning in the other direction when he got close and veering back off into the distance.

  “If only real life was as simple as yours, Balto,” she said, throwing a stick for him to fetch. Her face and eyes were salty, a combination of the sea air and her tears. Balto approached her with the stick in his mouth and dropped it at her feet, but before she had a chance to throw it again, he was distracted by another dog on the beach and raced away.

  DeeDee strolled toward where Balto had started to play with a German shepherd puppy. He was showing the puppy the water, going in for a paddle and waiting for the puppy to catch up, then following the puppy out again every time it ran off, frightened by the waves. DeeDee smiled at the puppy’s owner, a man in his twenties, but she wasn’t in the mood for making small talk with someone. She sat in the sand and traced shapes with the stick, trying to make sense of the events of the day.

  Attempting to think of reasons why Vinny was murdered was making her head hurt, and after a while she let her mind become idle. If she’d never met Vinny, but had seen on the news that a mobster had been murdered, she didn’t think she would have cared. But meeting Vinny had thrown her preconceptions upside down, and DeeDee was having a hard time matching up the person she’d met with the dead mobster on the television. And as for Clark, his pain was obvious to see. She knew Jake was right and that staying at the hotel with Clark and Roz would have been futile, but all the same, she felt bad about leaving them. She decided to call Roz when she got home.

  DeeDee closed her eyes and let the gentle soothing sound of the waves wash over her. She understood Jake’s affinity with the ocean, and she admired that he swam most days in the Sound, year-round. DeeDee was strictly a fair-weather swimmer, and she’d agreed to allow Jake to give her surfing lessons when the weather improved in the Spring. Her fiftieth birthday was coming up soon, and the thought of learning to surf was both liberating and terrifying to her.

  A wet, panting, lump of black and white fur lay down on the sand beside her. “Have you had enough, Balto?” she smiled, opening her eyes and rolling Balto onto his back for a belly rub. The afternoon light was fading, and she noticed they were the only figures left on the beach. “Has your pal gone home? Time for us to go too, and see what we can fix for dinner.”

  Back at the house, DeeDee washed the sand off Balto’s paws. When she’d finished, he padded over to the refrigerator door and waited for her. DeeDee laughed and opened the door. “I know dinner’s on your mind, Balto, but I’ve already decided what we’re having. Let me just check to make sure that I’ve got everything.”

  The weather had turned cold and the thought of a stew felt warming and comforting under the circumstances. After peering inside the refrigerator to confirm that there was enough meat to make a stew, she closed the door. Along with a tossed salad and some French bread, she should be good to go.

  “Hey, Roz,” she said softly into the phone when her sister answered her call a short while later. “I’ve been thinking about this, and I’m feeling really positive about it all. With Jake and Al on Clark’s side, he’s got nothing to worry about. I’m sure the mystery of who killed Vinny will be solved within a day or so, and then you can go on your honeymoon.”

  Roz sounded somber, but not tearful. “I hope so, Sis. Clark’s going out of his mind. We called the hotel in the Caymans, and they can still accommodate us in the honeymoon suite even if we have to delay the trip for a few days, since they don’t have any other bookings.”

  “That’s something at least. What about the airline?”

  “I spoke to them myself and explained we missed the flight due to a death in the family. They said their policy is that they will waive the transfer fee and to call them when we know what the revised schedule will be.”

  DeeDee tucked her feet underneath her legs on the sofa. “And what’s the situation with Clark’s work?” she said. “Can they do without him for a while longer if necessary?”

  “Clark spoke to his boss, Ted Brownsdale, at home. Clark told him what had happened and Ted said that because of the lack of early winter snows, the project is actually ahead of schedule. So if Clark is gone a few more days than planned, that should be fine. Oh, and DeeDee?”

  “Yes, Roz?”

  “I know we’re all meeting at Starbucks tomorrow afternoon, but could you and Jake come to Clark’s condo afterward for dinner, and bring Balto? We’re using it when we come back to Seattle from Whistler.”

  “Sure,” DeeDee laughed. “You know Balto loves any excuse for a ferry ride. I can see his ears pricking up right now. Any particular reason?”

  “I’m trying to convince Clark we need to get a dog,” Roz said.

  “Oh you definitely do,” DeeDee replied. “Everyone needs a dog. It should be the law. I think that will be fine with Jake, unless something regarding Clark comes up.”

  Roz hesitated. “How’s that going? Have you heard anything?”

  “I told you not to worry. Jake and Rob, plus Al, are all working on it right now. See you tomorrow, Roz. And take care of that husband of yours.”

  “Thanks, DeeDee, see you tomorrow.”

  While she had the phone in her hand, DeeDee decided to call Francesca to leave a message about arranging a meeting.

  “Hello, is that you, Francesca? This is DeeDee Wilson, Roz Blackstock’s sister.”

  “This is she,” Francesca said. “Hello, DeeDee.”

  There was an awkward pause. “I’m sorry for calling you on a Sunday,” DeeDee said. “I expected to get your voicemail.”

  “I need all the business I can get, so my phone is on 24/7. How can I help you?” Francesca’s tone was businesslike.

  “My daughter is getting married next summer,” DeeDee lied. “She loved everything you did for Roz’s wedding yesterday, so much that I was hoping to arrange a meeting to talk about hiring you to help plan her wedding.”

  “Oh, congratulations!” Francesca trilled. “You must be so excited, DeeDee. Tink looked beautiful yesterday. I’m sure she’ll be a radiant bride on her wedding day. I would be delighted to be of service in any way I can.”

  DeeDee marveled at how the dollar signs in front of Francesca’s eyes had given her an instant personality transplant. “Could we meet tomorrow?” DeeDee asked. “I’d like to get the ball rolling before the holidays, if possible, and that doesn
’t leave much time.”

  “No, it doesn’t.” Francesca sighed. “I could probably squeeze you in.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” DeeDee said. “I’ll be in downtown Seattle tomorrow afternoon. How about one in the afternoon at The Girl and the Fig restaurant. Are you familiar with it?”

  Francesca replied that she was, and when the appointment had been confirmed, DeeDee got up to fix dinner. Just as she was putting salad plates and forks in the refrigerator to chill, she heard a knock on the door.

  “I always know it’s you when Balto goes running to the door,” she smiled, letting Jake in.

  Jake opened his arms, and she buried herself in his embrace. She could have stayed like that for a very long time, but she figured he was probably tired and hungry, so she peeled herself away and led him by the hand to the great room.

  “I see you got the fire going,” Jake said as he walked over to the wood burning stove to get warm.

  DeeDee handed him a glass of wine, “Think we could both use this after today. Any luck this afternoon?”

  “Thank you,” Jake said. “I spoke to Sean Meade and a woman called Monica, who he said he spent last night with. He left the wedding early and Monica is his alibi. Apart from me checking a few details with his boss tomorrow morning, I think we can pretty much rule him out.”

  DeeDee took his coat. “Sit down, you look exhausted. What did Rob find out?”

  Jake sank into the sofa, and rubbed his forehead. “Rob found out quite a lot about everyone, but I’m so tired, I’ll just tell the whole group about it when we meet tomorrow.” He gave her a weary smile. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not. And Al?”

  Jake raised his eyebrows. “No idea. He won’t return my calls. I know he called Rob several times with requests for phone numbers and addresses, but apart from that I have no clue what’s going on with him.”

  “He’s probably grieving.” DeeDee sensed Jake’s frustration. “I think Al needs to feel that he’s doing something for his old friend. Forty years is a long time to be with someone. It must be like the end of a long marriage.”