Invitation to Murder (Book 1 in the Candlemaking Mysteries)

by Tim Myers

  Beth greeted us at our table without making eye contact. “Welcome to Hurley’s,” she said automatically. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “Hi, Beth,” I said, putting as much warmth into my voice as I could. “We’d love a couple of iced teas.”

  “Oh, hi, Jennifer,” she said. “I’ll go grab them.”

  While she was gone, Lillian said, “Dear, I know this is your investigation, but would you mind terribly if I interrogated her myself?”

  “Be my guest,” I said. “But you know Jack’s going to get mad if we upset Beth.”

  “Trust me, my child,” Lillian said as Beth returned with our drinks.

  As she slid them in front of us, she. asked, “Are you ready to order, or would you like a few minutes?”

  “What would you recommend?” Lillian asked.

  “The soup’s good today. It’s cream of broccoli. That’s what I had for lunch.”

  “Then I’m sure you’re right. It sounds delicious.”

  Beth nodded her agreement, looking pleased with Lillian’s affirmation. “How about you?”

  I was willing to appease our waitress, but there was no way I was eating at Hurley’s and just getting soup. “I’ll have a Jack Stack Burger,” I said, not even looking at the menu. Jack had created his own hamburgers by throwing everything in the kitchen on it, and being Jack, he had named it after himself.

  Beth nodded and left to place our orders with the kitchen.

  “I thought you were going to interrogate her,” I asked after I took a sip of sweet tea.

  “In due time,” Lillian said. We spent our time waiting chatting about some of Lillian’s other card ideas. They were witty and dry, and some of them were just a little mean. In other words, we would probably manage to sell quite a few of them. I’d have to be careful how we displayed them, and I certainly didn’t want Lillian’s humor to be on the first cards to greet our customers. Maybe I’d tuck them into one of the back corners and direct any folks with a wicked twinkle in their eyes to them.

  We were still chatting when Beth returned with our food. Lillian again stroked her ego, but Beth was gone before she’d asked a single question about her alibi.

  “You’re not much of an investigator, are you?”

  “I’m getting around to it,” Lillian said as she tasted the soup. “She’s right, you know. This is excellent.”

  I looked at my burger with a smile. “I’m sure this is, too.” I considered picking it up to eat it, but there was no way I could manage it without walking out of there with half the thing on my shirt. Taking the knife; I cut it into sections, making it much easier to handle. Even if Lillian didn’t get a single answer out of on waitress, it had been worth the trip.

  Beth came by to check on us a little later, and Lillian asked for the bill. As Beth handed it to her, Lillian “You know, you look awfully familiar to me.”

  “I’ve been here forever.” Beth said as she waited for the money.

  “No, this wasn’t where I saw you. Let me think. I’ve got it. Last Tuesday night I saw you at the video store arguing with the manager. You were complaining that he was charging you for a late fee you didn’t deserve.”

  “No. it wasn’t me,” Beth said.

  “My dear, I’m positive. I thought you were fully justified in complaining. They’ve done the same thing to me. What movie was it, by the way?”

  “I’m telling you, you’re mistaken. I was here working a double shift from noon to midnight.”

  “Surely they give you time for a break,” Lillian said. “At least enough to dash out and return a tape.”

  “Are you kidding me? Two other waitresses called in sick. I had to handle everything myself. Jack even had to back me up. I didn’t have time to go to the bathroom, let alone take a tape back.”

  “My mistake, then. I’m sorry I said anything.”

  “It’s no problem, really. Those video guys are relentless, aren’t they?”

  “They can be,” Lillian said as she paid the bill. “Keep the change. It was delightful.”

  When Beth saw the size of her tip, she brightened immediately. “Come back any time.”

  “We will, I assure you,” Lillian replied.

  On our way out, Lillian hesitated at Jack’s station up front. “Can I help you?” he asked.

  “We tried to come by on Tuesday afternoon, but someone met us outside and told us the service was horrid.”

  Jack frowned. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. We were jammed with customers, and Beth was my only waitress. I thought she was going to quit on me, I worked her so hard.”

  “Well, today’s fare was delicious,” Lillian said.

  “Thanks,” Jack said. “I appreciate that.”

  I waited until we were out on the sidewalk before

  I applauded. “Neither one of them even knew what hit them. I’m the first to admit it; I was wrong. Not only did you get an alibi from Beth, but you confirmed it right on the spot. I’m impressed.”

  “Please, it wasn’t all that difficult,” Lillian said, despite the slight smile. I could tell she was pleased with the praise, but she deserved it. I was definitely going to school on my aunt’s techniques for dealing with people.

  “At least we can cross one name off our list,” I said.

  “Yes, but I hate losing our best suspect.”

  The rest of the day was uneventful, and we were thirty minutes away from locking up for the night when I saw my brother’s squad car drive up.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked the second I saw his face.

  “We still have something to talk about,” he said.

  I turned to Lillian as I blocked Bradford’s view to the inside. “Can you handle things here for a little bit?” There was no way I wanted my brother to see that marker board with our musings scribbled all over it. He would probably lock us both up if he did.

  “I’d be happy to,” she said.

  “I shouldn’t be long,” I said as I steered my brother outside. As Bradford and I started walking, he said “Listen, I’m sorry I ran off like that before, but I had to go.”

  “I know that. I’m not completely unreasonable,” I said, though I had to admit that at times I could be the slightest bit difficult to deal with.

  If he had a response, he kept it to himself, a sure sign that something was troubling my big brother. I grabbed his arm and stopped him in front of The Apothecary, a drugstore that carried a little of everything a tourist could want. “What is it?”

  “I shouldn’t tell you this, but I don’t want you finding out from somebody else, either. Jennifer, if I tell you something that’s confidential, do you swear not to breathe a word of it to anyone, at least not until it is common knowledge?”

  I didn’t even have to think about it. “No, I can’t swear that to you.”

  He looked surprised. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I’m not. Bradford, if it involves Tina Mast’s murder, and I’m pretty sure it does, I’m not promising anything I can’t keep. I’m sorry, but I won’t lie to you.”

  He thought about it a few seconds, then said, “You drive me nuts; you know that, don’t you?”

  “Hey, everybody’s good at something.”

  “Okay, I’m going to tell you anyway. It’s going to be all around town in a day or two, so I’m not sure how much damage you can do. One thing, though. If you tell anyone where you heard this, I’ll deny it. Do we understand each other?”

  “I can live with that,” I said, dying to hear what he had to say.

  “I’ve known about this since last night. They finished the autopsy on Tina Mast.”

  “You mean she wasn’t killed the way we thought she was?” I didn’t even want to think about what that might mean.

  “No, her death was directly due to the blunt trauma she suffered, all right. That wasn’t the interesting part, though.

  “Tina Mast was pregnant when she was murdered.”

  Chapter 19

  “Do you have any
idea who the father was?” I blurt out. This put an entirely different spin on her murder.

  “We don’t know, and none of her friends are talking. Listen, that’s all I know at the moment. I just thought you’d like to hear it from me before everybody else in town finds out.”

  He started to walk off when I thought of another question. “How far along was she?”

  Bradford hurried back to me. “Keep your voice down, Jennifer.”

  “I’m sorry. Did the report say?”

  “She was just four weeks,” he said. “She might not have even known she was pregnant herself. Sometime I think I should have gone into some other line of work.”

  “You’re doing exactly what you should be doing,” I said, gently touching my brother’s shoulder. “There’s no one else in the world I’d rather have as sheriff of Rebel Forge.”

  “It didn’t do Tina Mast or her baby much good, did it?”

  “Bradford, you can’t save everybody.”

  He sighed. “No, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I could.”

  My brother walked me back to the shop, then left. I found Lillian working at the table, no doubt coming up with another acerbic card for her new collection. “Get out your board,” I said. “I just learned something that could change everything.”

  “What did he say?” Lillian asked. “Tina Mast was pregnant.” My aunt’s face went white. “How horrible.”

  “It’s pretty tragic, isn’t it? I wonder if the murderer knew.”

  Lillian swept her cards aside and put the whiteboard pen top of the desk. “It’s something that finally makes sense. Somebody wanted to get rid of that baby.”

  I studied the list. “Do you honestly think it’s relevant? Why would a woman kill her because she was pregnant?”

  “Why does anyone commit murder?” Lillian asked. “If it’s not for love or greed, it could be that the killer was trying to protect something.”

  “Like her upcoming marriage,” I said, remembering how detached Donna had seemed when she’d talked about the wedding.

  It was Lillian’s turn to look surprised, but it only lasted for an instant. “You’re saying that Larry got both of them pregnant at nearly the same time?”

  “It makes sense,” I said, tapping her name on the ward. “Remember what Donna said? They had an argument a while back, but they managed to patch things up.”

  “So you think he found some solace in Tina’s arms. It’s an interesting theory, but how do we prove any of it?”

  I thought about it a few seconds. “We need to talk to Donna again. I want to see if she’s got an alibi that stands up.”

  “And if she doesn’t?” Lillian asked. “Then we tell Bradford what we know and let him Hart digging into it himself. I’m not arrogant enough to think that I can do this alone, but I think my Mother needs a nudge in the right direction. What do you think?”

  “Let’s go find Donna,” she said. I remembered my pledge to keep the shop open. “Lillian, I need to ask you a huge favor. You don’t have to do it, but it would mean a great deal to me. “Let me guess,” she said dryly. “You want me to stay here.”

  I touched her hand. “I’m trusting you to run m shop while I’m gone. It’s the most important thing my life besides my family. Will you do it for me?”

  She bit her lower lip, then said, “When you put that way, I don’t see how I can refuse you. Just be careful, Jennifer. If we’re right, she’s already killed once to protect her wedding. I doubt hurting you would even faze her.”

  “I’ll watch my step,” I said. “You can close up in twenty minutes.”

  “Don’t worry; I’ve got things under control here.” I left Lillian and went off in search of a woman who just might turn out to be the ultimate bridezilla of all time.

  Anne Albright answered the door when I rang

  “Jennifer, whatever in the world are you doing here?”

  “I was hoping to speak with your daughter for a few minutes,” I said. I should have come up with a reason for the visit on my drive over, but I’d been too nervous about the pending interview to create anything that even bordered on a rational excuse for questions I had.

  “May I ask what it is regarding?”

  “It’s about the wedding,” I said.

  “What about the wedding?”

  This woman was not about to let me in the house let alone talk to her daughter, unless I could come up with something good.

  “I’m thinking about getting married myself, and I hoped I could discuss it with her.”

  Mrs. Albright looked pleased by the news. “How delightful. I didn’t even realize you had a young man n your life.”

  “We’ve kept it quiet up until now,” I said, burying myself deeper and deeper in the lie. “Please, could I speak with her?” Mrs. Albright said, “I’m afraid she’s not here.” Why hadn’t she said something in the first place before forcing me to come up with a very bad lie? “Would you mind telling me where she is?”

  “She and Larry have been at the church for their first counseling session, and then she was going to pick her wedding dress up at A Clean Well-Lit Shop. Her dress is the same one I wore on my wedding day, you know.”

  “How delightful for you,” I said as I backed away. “I’ll catch up with her later, then.”

  “Congratulations, my dear. I recommend marriage or everyone.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. At least I hadn’t let her bully me into giving the name of my fictitious fiancé. I’d been about to blurt Greg’s name when she’d asked, and that had shocked me. I thought my feelings for him were long over, but his name had popped into my head like the answer to a question on Jeopardy! What in the world did that mean?

  I thought about bracing the couple at the church, but then I realized I might have better luck if I ambushed them at the dry cleaner’s. That way I could pretend to be out on an errand of my own. The story wouldn’t hold when Donna spoke to her mother, but it might help me to catch her off guard. All I had to do was find a way to cut Larry away from her so I could grill her without interruption.

  I drove to A Clean Well-Lit Shop and waited across the street Hopefully they hadn’t gotten there yet, but I was willing to give it some time. As I waited, I bought about the puzzle pieces of the crime, and considered them with Donna as the murderer. She certainly fit the description as a woman, and she’d had earrings along with everyone else. I wondered about the earrings she’d produced, but she could have easily had a spare pair, or she could have just stolen he fiancé’s single one left over. Who would have better access to it than the bride-to-be? Was she capable of a murder, though? I thought about the strength of will it would take to kill another human being and doubted I could ever bring myself to it, but not everyone was wired the way I was. I knew the urge to protect was strong in many women. So could Donna kill to protect her upcoming marriage? I didn’t have much doubt, if Larry was indeed the father of Tina’s baby. I was still thinking about the possibilities when I saw Donna get out of a car. Larry waved to her then drove off, no doubt taking care of an errand of his own. I raced across the street and walked in us as Donna was collecting her dress.

  “What a coincidence, running into you here,” I said. “Hi, Jennifer.” She held the dress up. “Isn’t it lovely?”

  “It’s beautiful,” I admitted. There were pearl beads on the bodice, and the silk of the dress had an old world sheen to it. “Could I talk to you a second?” “Certainly,” she said. Donna told the woman behind the counter, “Just put it on our bill, Angela.”

  “No charge, Donna. Think of it as an early wedding present.”

  Donna hugged her, then said, “Thanks so much! You did a great job.”

  “You’re very welcome,” the clerk said. “It will look even lovelier on you than it did on your mother. Tell her I said hello.”

  “I will.”

  As we walked outside, I asked, “That was your mother’s wedding dress?”

  She ad
mitted as much. “Angela and Mamma go way back. When Mamma suggested I use her dress for our wedding, I thought it was a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, I had to have it altered; I’m not nearly as top-heavy as Mamma is. But Angela did a great job. It looks magnificent.”

  “Donna, could I ask you something?”

  “Anything,” she said, admiring the dress in the sunlight.

  All of a sudden I didn’t know how to ask her for an alibi. She looked so pleased holding that dress up, as if it were her ultimate good-luck charm. So I chickened out. “How long did it take to have it altered?”

  “Let’s see. Angela worked on the fitting all Tuesday afternoon. It took her four hours to get it just right, and I have the pinpricks on my chest to prove it. She had to make sure it was perfect.”

  “When did you get started?” I held my breath as I waited for her answer.

  “She closed early, a little before three o’clock. I remember how hungry I was when we finished.” Donna added softly, “I’m watching what I eat before the ceremony. I want to look good for Larry.”

  “I think you look great just the way you are,” I said, suddenly deflated. If Donna was getting the dress altered when she said she was, that knocked another suspect off my list. “Your mother must have been so proud to see you wearing her dress.”

  Donna frowned for an instant. “She would have been if she were here with me.”

  “She didn’t come with you for the fitting?” Donna shrugged. “She had to interview caterers. It’s unbelievable how much work goes into a wedding. I’m just glad I’m only getting married once.”

  I wasn’t about to dispute that claim while the woman was holding her own wedding dress. There was a toot of a car horn behind us and I saw Larry blocking traffic. “Let’s go, Donna,” he said impatiently.

  I wouldn’t have minded a few words with him alone, but I didn’t see how I could talk to him without Donna hovering nearby, and that wouldn’t be a good time to ask him if he’d gotten another girl pregnant lately. If she was perturbed by his abrupt summons, she didn’t show it. “Thanks, Jennifer. It was good seeing you.” Before I could reply, she said to Larry, “Now don’t look at my dress. It’s bad luck for you to it.”