Movie Night Murder

by Leslie Langtry

  "I don't know the other anchor," I mumbled. "He must not be from around here." I wondered if I ran into Lucinda, if she'd remember me. Probably not. That was a long time ago.

  "Firefighters across the county came together today…" Short Anchor Guy said.

  The image of a farm on fire came onto the screen. Lucinda winced a little. I guess she would remember me after all.

  "…Mr. Seamus Bailey was found dead…"

  Riley and I sat up straight, our eyes trained on the screen.

  "…in what appears to be an act of arson. Local firefighters wouldn't comment with the investigation pending, but sources tell us the Bailey farm was deliberately set on fire."

  Oh no…

  The fire chief came on screen. "We found some suspicious activity. It wasn't consistent with what was going on at the farm at the time."

  Riley and I glanced at each other for a split second before turning back to the TV.

  "Mr. Bailey's body has been sent to the coroner's office for examination. Stay tuned for updates…" Lucinda's voice faded out as I realized what had just happened.

  "Do you think…?" Riley asked, but I already had my cell out with my fingers finding the favorites in my contact list.

  "Rex," I said when he answered. "We just saw it on the news." I hit the speaker so Riley would hear.

  "I was just about to call you." My boyfriend sounded tired.

  "How is Seamus's family?" Seamus had been a nice guy. This was so wrong.

  "They're okay," Rex said. "They weren't there. His wife and kids were visiting her father in Winterset when it happened."

  "That's good," I said.

  "It's definitely deliberate, Merry." Rex sighed. "I'm going to stay here until the fire marshal is done. Then I'm heading to the morgue to see what Dr. Body found out."

  "Okay. Let us know."

  "It'll probably be tomorrow morning," Rex said. We exchanged goodbyes, and I hung up.

  "Riley," I started to say, but my mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

  "I think so too." His face was grim.

  "Just because he saw the truck and horse trailer…" I said.

  Riley said nothing. We just stared at each other. And that's when I'd decided that these killers had just signed their death warrant. Because now, I was bringing the wrath of, well…Wrath.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  I didn't sleep well. A reel kept spooling over and over with Seamus talking to us, the fire at the farm, and the look on Riley's face when he realized it was due to Evelyn's disappearance. Oh, and occasionally I would see Lucinda's head on fire, but that wasn't every time. I'm not a monster.

  What I was torturing myself with was the fact that Seamus's wife and kids were now without a husband and father. And no matter how I spun it, I couldn't help thinking it was my fault. Riley had poured us both a healthy belt of Scotch after the news hit. I didn't even know I'd had Scotch. And this was thirty-year-old Oban. Thank you, Scotch Fairy.

  Were the killers going to come after me? I hoped so, because I looked forward to killing them…slowly…with a lighter and rusty nail clippers. There's a reason TSA won't let you take them on a plane—and it's not what you think. Normal people don't know how to kill someone with manicure implements, but I do.

  With the way things were going, I worried that Kelly and her family or the girls in the troop may become targets. That made me toss and turn.

  Since I clearly wasn't going to sleep at four a.m., I got up, showered, dressed, and fed the cats—who were clearly confused to be eating breakfast while it was still dark outside. They didn't argue, though.

  I sat in the living room with a cup of tea and my laptop—scanning for updated news. There wasn't any. This wasn't the big city with twenty-four-hour news feeds. At five a.m., Riley joined me, also showered and fully dressed.

  "Anything new?" Riley asked sitting down with a cup of coffee. I didn't even know I owned a coffee maker. Was he buying appliances for my house?

  Four cats came flying to him as if he was magnetized. Was he giving them coffee too? I'd need to talk to him about that. The last thing I needed was nervous, wide-eyed felines vibrating in place.

  "Nothing." I turned off the television and turned toward him. "Do you think they'll be back?"

  I hoped so. While I was getting ready, I found a rusty nail file by the tub and added it to my torture tools. The killers were so doomed.

  "The body snatchers? I don't know. I didn't think they'd come back." Riley put the kittens on the couch between us but kept Philby.

  "So they saw Seamus as they were leaving town and decided to finish him off?"

  Riley's mouth formed a tight line. "It looks like that."

  I shook my head. "But that doesn't make any sense. They were gone. In the clear. No one knew who they were or where they were going. And they had to know the police would interview Seamus. Why kill him after he described them?"

  "Criminals make mistakes," he said. "It happens all the time."

  A realization came over me and made me grumpy. "I guess this puts the case back under Rex's jurisdiction." That meant Riley would stay.

  "That's true," Riley agreed. "You know what this means, don't you?"

  I tensed up, fearing the worst. "What?"

  "We need to go shopping and get some groceries for the long haul."

  "The long haul?" I asked. "Does it have to be a long haul? I mean, Rex is perfectly capable of handling this."

  "You forget—" Riley gave me a look I couldn't read "—that the Agency sent me here to recover Evelyn's body. That's my mission. I'm supposed to return with it. So like it or not, Wrath," he said with a toothy grin. "I'm not going anywhere until this is over."

  He winked at me. Fantastic.

  We got two carts at the store because he was going to look for healthy food, and I was hitting all my staples, which included Pizza Rolls, three cheese ranch dressing, Oreos, and Hostess everything. We separated, primarily because the aisles we were looking for were separated by paper products and laundry detergent.

  I was lifting a heavy box of cat food off the shelves when Kelly turned into my lane. Finn cooed adorably from her car seat in the front of the cart.

  "I just saw Riley." Kelly threw her thumb over her right shoulder. Looking into her cart, I could see why. She had a nice, balanced set of fruits and vegetables. Show off.

  "Yeah." I wiped my forehead. "I guess he's staying with me for a while."

  Kelly looked at me for a moment. "What's going on?"

  This was it. The moment of truth. I'd have to tell Kelly about Evelyn being a rogue assassin. She wasn't going to like it and it would undo all that work I've done to reestablish myself as a responsible adult in her eyes. How much could I tell her without telling her everything?

  "Riley's here on an investigation that happens to be tied to that fire at the Bailey farm last night."

  Kelly's face crumbled. "That was horrible. I saw that on the news. Poor Seamus."

  "I saw it too. I couldn't believe it. He was such a nice guy back in high school."

  "That's why I'm here," Kelly said. "I'm going to make a casserole for the family. I guess they're staying with Seamus's cousin."

  Ah…Kelly's famous tuna noodle casserole. My mouth began to water. Maybe if I pouted, she'd make me one.

  "How is that tied to a CIA investigation?" she asked quietly. Finn had fallen asleep.

  It was the moment of truth. I'd have to tell her sooner or later.

  I chose later. "No idea. He's working with Rex, and I'm sitting this one out. Hey! Did you see Lucinda flinch when she saw the fire?"

  A slight grin crossed my best friend's features. "I did. I think she was wearing extensions. So dangerous. Very flammable."

  I'm not embarrassed to say I laughed out loud.

  "I've got to get back," Kelly said as she looked at her watch.

  "How's maternity leave going?" I asked.

  For a second, I thought I saw something in her eyes. Kelly was an emergency room nur
se at the hospital. I wouldn't be surprised if she said she missed it.

  "Great. I stopped by there this morning to show off the baby. I guess they've got a new coroner now."

  I steeled myself. "Dr. Soo Jin Body. We've met."

  Kelly looked at me with interest. "What's wrong with her?"

  I shook my head. "Nothing's wrong with her. That's the problem."

  Kelly narrowed her eyes. "Spill it. You can't hide things from me."

  Well, so far I'd been keeping the news about Evelyn quiet…

  "You got me." I let out a rush of air as if I'd been holding my breath. "She seems a bit familiar with Rex. And she was flirting with Riley too."

  "Rex is into you, and no one else. And Ri…wait…"

  Uh-oh.

  "Why did Riley meet her?" This time she folded her arms.

  My mind scrambled, trying to come up with a reason, but I had nothing. I was much quicker in my spy days. But Kelly would've made an excellent spy. And human lie detector. There wasn't any point in avoiding it any more.

  "Hey Kelly!" Riley turned the corner and upon seeing Kelly, hugged her warmly. "And Finn! My two favorite ladies!"

  Kelly smiled at him and nodded at the baby. Riley gently stroked the two-month-old's cheek without waking her up. He looked into her cart.

  "Is that…?" His eyes locked onto the canned tuna. "Are you making your fabulous tuna noodle casserole?" Riley, who never ate anything from a can, was smitten with Kelly's casserole.

  "Yes, but it's not for you. It's for the Bailey family," Kelly said, slapping his hand as he reached for the pasta.

  Riley poured on his ten thousand watt smile—a smile that melted the panties off of many a super model.

  "It's so good to see you both!" he said smoothly. "Hey Wrath, we've got to go. This stuff is fresh and it won't keep much longer." He pointed to his cart, which was filled with things I had no idea even existed.

  "I'll call you!" I shouted over my shoulder as we made our getaway. Kelly didn't respond.

  "How did you know she was about to pounce on me?" I mumbled to Riley in the checkout line.

  He pretended to look wounded. "I am a spy."

  "Well your timing was perfect," I said as we started unloading his cart onto the conveyor belt.

  "You can't hide the truth from her forever," Riley said quietly as he looked around to make sure we weren't overheard.

  I nodded. "I know that. But every moment that I can put it off makes life easier for me."

  Once the groceries were bagged, we rolled them to the car and unloaded them into the trunk. I didn't relax until we were in the car and on our way back home.

  "Just have her come over so you can tell her face to face. And maybe ask her to bring a casserole…" Riley said, keeping his eyes on the road.

  "She probably realized two seconds after we'd left that she'd been played." I scrunched down into my seat, as if that would make me invisible. Wouldn't it be great if shrinking in your seat really did render you transparent?

  Riley scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know about that. Women who've just had babies tend to be distracted for months afterward. All of her attention is going to the kid now."

  I stared at him. "How do you know that?" I didn't know that!

  "It's evolution. A mother's body is hardwired to focus only on her child at this time. Her only role in life is to keep Finn alive and healthy."

  "How do you know that?" I repeated.

  He continued as if I hadn't spoken. "It's mother nature dictating her priorities. She can't help it."

  I punched him in the arm. "Riley—how do you know this stuff?"

  He gave me a curious look. "I've been reading up since Kelly asked me to be Finn's godfather."

  "You? You've been reading up on babies. You."

  To be perfectly honest, this announcement shocked me more than that time when I caught a Chechen terrorist practicing ballet positions when he was supposed to be guarding an armory. He'd even made himself a little camouflage tutu.

  "Yes, Wrath," Riley said a bit defensively. "I studied up. That's what we do in our line of work. Get prepared for anything the job throws at us."

  "You're weird," was my mature reply, and I turned my head to look out the window.

  We didn't speak until all the groceries were brought in and sitting on the counter, under the supervisory eye of Philby. When she realized Riley hadn't bought any meat, she gave him a withering look.

  "What is this?" I held up a container of tofu. I hated tofu.

  "We were stationed in Japan, so I know you know what tofu is." Riley took it from my hands and put it away.

  "I have no idea how to cook half of this stuff. Let me rephrase that—your half of this stuff."

  "You won't have to," Riley said as he put bundles of fresh veggies in the crisper. "I'll do the cooking."

  I threw my hands up. "I don't get what it is about my house that makes you think it's yours. Why aren't you staying in a hotel now that Rex knows why you're here?"

  Riley flashed a quick smile. "And miss out on this scintillating conversation and—" he held up a can of SpaghettiOs "—the joy of your eclectic taste in food?"

  I snatched the can from him. "I should charge you rent."

  "Okay," Riley said as he put the last of his weird food away. "As it is almost lunchtime and in an attempt to pay you back, I'll take you to lunch. Your choice. Anywhere you want."

  "It's a deal." And he was totally going to regret it.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  I grabbed the keys and led him out to the car. There wasn't any point in telling him where we were going. He'd just find a way to fight me on it, and I've incapacitated him before—I could sure as hell do it again. I was just too lazy to carry his inert body to the driveway.

  "Pizza?" Riley said as he saw the blinking sign.

  "No," I said as I put the car into park. "Tony's Pizza—aka the greatest pizza in the universe. There's a difference."

  We sat down and ordered lunch. Tony's was one of those tiny Italian restaurants with dark wood walls and red and white checked tablecloths. Tony's wife waited tables while his son delivered pizza.

  "Merry!" Carla Vincente said as she set down two glasses of water in front of us. "The usual?"

  Riley's right eyebrow went up, but he said nothing.

  "Not today, Carla. We'll need a minute."

  Carla gave Riley the once-over. She usually saw me here with Rex. She said nothing but moved on. Carla was great, but a bit judgey. I had no doubt Kelly would be hearing about this soon. I handed Riley his menu, and he opened it. The smells of what pasta heaven must be like wafted from the kitchen.

  I already knew what I wanted, so I had a little time to think while Riley read through the options. I was a bit distracted over our current roommate situation and wasn't sure I wanted to discuss it. What was there to say? Nothing I'd said yet dislodged the man from my guest room. It was obvious I'd have to put up with us living together.

  Wait…living together? Where had that come from?

  "Ms. Wrath? Mr. Andrews?" Dr. Body was standing over us. She wasn't dressed in her work garb, instead looking ridiculously adorable in capris, a T-shirt, and sneakers. How I hated her.

  "Dr. Body!" Riley stood and pulled out a chair for her without asking me. "How nice to see you. And please, call me Riley."

  I wasn't surprised when the woman sat down. To be honest, I found myself a little dazzled in her presence. She was too flawless to be real. If only she had crooked teeth, or acne scars, or ugly clothes. Sadly, no matter what this woman did, she was still gorgeous.

  "Sorry about my appearance. I took the day off to get some work done in my new house. And please…call me Soo."

  Riley turned to glare at me. Oh, what the hell.

  "It's Merry. Please call me Merry," I gave my best undercover smile usually reserved for whomever I was just about to kill.

  "Thanks for letting me join you. Ted Dooley at the hospital recommended this place."


  "We're about to order a large pizza—feel free to join us on that," Riley said smoothly.

  Hey! This was my pizza! I didn't want to share it with a beautiful she-demon who was after my men!

  "Great idea," I managed. Well, I am a good actress.

  "Thank you!" Soo smiled, and I was pretty sure it turned the dark restaurant into day.

  Carla appeared, pad and pen in hand, and I ordered the Milano. Double pepperoni and sausage, it was my favorite. Riley and Soo Jin didn't protest.

  "So, how are you settling in?" I asked with a smile that didn't quite have the same wattage. It was more like a dim bulb.

  "Easily. Everything is so much easier here than it was in San Francisco. Just finding affordable housing in the Bay Area can take months."

  "Were you a medical examiner back there?" Riley asked. He may not have realized it, but he was definitely pumping her for intel. And that was the only thing I wanted him pumping.

  Soo nodded. "I was. You know, I thought things would be much quieter here. But in the last twenty-four hours, I've had two bodies—both homicides."

  "Seamus Bailey," I said softly. I felt a stab of remorse. Here I was cleverly imagining the doctor's hideous death, and Seamus was murdered for just being outside at the wrong time.

  "Did you know him?" Soo asked.

  "I went to school with him…back in the day." Geez, I sounded like one of those ancient farmers who hang out in the local diner at five in the morning.

  "I'm so sorry." Soo turned her soothing, brown eyes on me, and to my surprise I felt my sadness slipping away. Maybe she was an evil hypnotist.

  I waved her off. "It's okay. I haven't seen him since high school."

  Riley decided to change the subject. "Sounds like you're settling in okay."

  Soo seemed grateful for the diversion. "I am. Everyone has been so nice. Like you, Rex, Ted Dooley, everyone!"

  Hmmm…did she even realize she was only naming men?

  "I like it here. I don't think I'll ever go back to a big city environment."

  I spoke up, perhaps a smidge too enthusiastically. "Oh? You don't think you'll get bored here?"