She paused and looked up at him. “You have?” she asked, secretly delighted.
Somebody outside the restaurant suddenly coughed.
Liana jumped in surprise. Then she turned and squinted.
A lone figure was standing in the shadows only a few feet away.
As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Liana recognized the brunette server from before. The young woman was leaning against the wall, one hand shoved in the pocket of her black slacks. The other hand held a lit cigarette.
“Don’t mind me,” she said apologetically before coughing again. “Pretend I’m not even here.” It seemed she was well aware that she had interrupted a private moment.
“Your name is Kay, right?” Liana asked, walking over to where the woman stood. All Liana really wanted was to continue her conversation with Luke, but a perfect opportunity had presented itself. She wasn’t about to let it slip away.
“Yeah,” Kay nodded.
“You’ve worked here for a while, haven’t you?” Liana asked, hoping the question wouldn’t seem peculiar. Then she hastily explained, “Nelson mentioned something about that when we were talking to him inside.”
“Ah,” Kay nodded. “Nelson is a sweetheart. He’s the reason why I’ve stayed at the restaurant for as long as I have. I could probably get better tips working at one of the bars downtown, but I can’t stand the thought of abandoning the old geezer.”
“He’s a nice guy, huh? I hope his back will be okay,” Liana remarked. “He seemed to be in a lot of pain But I understand that isn’t exactly new for him. He said he’s been having issues with his back for years…”
Liana trailed off, hoping Kay would either confirm or deny Nelson’s claim. Though it seemed unlikely the aging chef was lying, it didn’t hurt to double check. Thankfully, Kay seemed more than willing to chat.
“Nelson has had a bad back for as long as I’ve known him. It really interferes with his life,” Kay said. “Sometimes he even has to sit on a stool in the kitchen when he’s cooking. Being on his feet hunched over the counter for too long can really exacerbate his problems.”
“It’s remarkable he’s still able to do his job at all,” Luke commented.
“It’s hard on him. He puts on a brave face, but he’s not a young man anymore. The job takes a toll on him.,” Kay said. “If Nelson was in a position to retire, I expect he would. But I don’t think he has much choice in the matter.”
“Money problems?” Liana asked, even though she knew very well that finances were the issue. Sometimes feigning ignorance was a great way to find out new information.
Kay hesitated. “I don’t think it’s my place to talk about that,” she finally said. “But Nelson is also a workaholic,” she added. “I can’t even remember the last time he had a day off.”
“It’s been that long?” Liana asked, her heart sinking. If Nelson was working long hours at the restaurant every day and he didn’t drive, then it seemed extremely unlikely he was Chester’s killer. The facts simply didn’t add up.
Kay nodded and took a final drag. Then she tossed her cigarette on the ground and snuffed it out with the bottom of her shoe. “I really ought to quit,” she sighed. “I just can’t seem to kick the habit. I’ve already tried twice.”
“Third time’s a charm,” Liana replied. “Hey, not to change the subject but did you happen to work here when Chester Atkins was part owner?”
Kay’s face darkened. “I did,” she confirmed.
“What was he like?” Liana asked curiously. “I’ve heard...a lot of things.”
“At first, Chester was alright. He also liked to joke around. Then he lost a bunch of weight - and his sense of humor.” Kay shook her head in disgust. “I still can’t believe what he did to Nelson. If he wanted to get out of the restaurant business, he should have done it properly. He should have acted like a grownup, sat down with Nelson and come up with an exit strategy.”
Liana nodded in agreement. “Nelson is still angry about what happened, isn’t he?”
“Well yeah...wouldn’t you be? I’m only an employee here and I’m furious on Nelson’s behalf.” Kay pulled out another cigarette and stared at it thoughtfully. Then she seemed to reconsider and put it away. “I heard Chester died.”
“He did,” Liana confirmed matter-of-factly. Then she decided to drop a bomb, solely to see what would happen. She took a deep breath. Then she blurted out, “I’ve heard that the circumstances of Chester’s death were suspicious. Apparently he was poisoned.”
She watched Kay’s reaction carefully.
“Huh.” Kay took a moment to let the news sink in. Then she said, “I’m not saying I’m happy the guy croaked. That would be morbid. But sometimes I can’t help but think karma is for real, you know? Chester got what he had coming.”
“It still sucks for Chester’s family, though,” Luke piped up.
“Oh, yes. Of course,” Kay nodded. Then she tilted her head to the side as she considered the statement. “Actually,” she said, “I can’t see his family being that distraught. I saw Chester’s relationship with his son deteriorate right before my eyes.”
Luke grimaced. “That must have been rough.”
“It was awful,” Kay said. “I lost all respect for Chester when I saw the terrible way he treated that kid. Mikey suddenly wasn’t good enough...wasn’t thin enough, wasn’t fit enough, wasn’t talented enough. My heart went out to him.”
“What do you think came over Chester?” Liana asked curiously.
Kay shrugged. “It’s anyone’s guess. I think he got arrogant once he lost weight. For the first time in his life, he felt confident and attractive. He let it go to his head in a huge way. And once he felt like he could coast through life on his looks, he decided he didn’t have to act like a decent person anymore.”
“Wow,” Liana breathed. “What a jerk.”
“Chester’s wife was heartbroken,” Kay confided.
“Because their marriage was falling apart?” Liana guessed.
“No,” Kay corrected her. “Once Addy saw Chester’s true colors, she was done with him. I expect it was very easy for her to fall out of love with him. What she was heartbroken over was the way Chester treated their son.”
“Ah,” Liana nodded. She hadn’t considered that until then, but it made perfect sense. “Addy and Chester were separated when he died, weren’t they?” Liana asked.
“Yes. Eventually, Addy decided she’d had enough. She decided there was no getting through to Chester, so she gave up. If you ask me, she did the right thing. In fact, I think she should have walked away sooner. Addy and Mikey are both better off without Chester,” Kay declared.
That got Liana’s full attention. “What makes you say that?”
“Addy used to beg Chester to go to Mikey’s football games,” Kay recalled. “But he always had something better to do. Usually he said he had to go to the gym. It was really pathetic. I felt so bad for Addy - and for Mikey, of course. No kid deserves a father like that.”
“That must have been difficult for Addy,” Liana mused, the wheels in her head turning.
“Oh, it was. She spent a lot of time at the restaurant back before she and Chester split up, so I saw a lot of stuff firsthand,” Kay explained. “Addy alternated between being heartbroken and enraged. She couldn’t believe the man she had married could be so cruel.”
“Enraged, hmm?” Liana stroked her chin thoughtfully.
“Yes. But my break is over. I should get back inside,” Kay said. “Have a good night.”
“You too.”
Liana and Luke walked to her car in silence. Then, once they were sure no one was around to overhear them, they began to excitedly discuss the new possibility that had presented itself. Now that it had occurred to her, Liana didn’t know why she hadn’t considered it sooner.
“It makes perfect sense that Addy would want Chester dead!” Liana exclaimed. “He was being a lousy parent to their son and she couldn’t stand it. So the easiest thing to do was take
Chester right out of the picture.”
“I’ll bet Addy was in Sugarcomb Lake the day Chester’s body was found, too,” Luke added. “I’ll bet you anything she was a spectator at Mikey’s football game that day.”
“Mikey rode the bus into Sugarcomb Lake with his teammates,” Liana remembered. “If Addy drove in on her own, she would have had plenty of time to dump Chester’s body before heading over to watch the game.”
“So she murdered her estranged husband and then went to watch her kid’s football game?” Luke shook his head in disbelief. “That’s callous.”
“But it would have given her the perfect alibi,” Liana pointed out. “Tons of people would have seen her at the game. When you think about it, doesn’t it seem like the perfect crime? Well, near-perfect, anyway.”
“One question,” Luke said, his excitement quickly subsiding. “How did Addy administer the rat poison? She and Chester weren’t living together anymore, so it isn’t like she could have slipped it into his morning coffee.”
“Hmm, that’s a good point,” Liana admitted. “I guess we don’t quite have this thing figured out yet, do we? But it feels like we’re getting close. We know the who and the why. Now we need to figure out the how.”
“You make it sound so simple,” Luke teased.
“What can I say? I’m an optimist,” Liana retorted with a smile. “Is that so bad?”
“No,” Luke grinned. “It isn’t bad at all. I quite like it.”
Liana was beaming as she pulled out of the parking lot.
When she passed the road to the highway and kept right on driving, Luke clued in.
“We’re going to pay Addy Atkins a visit, aren’t we?” he guessed.
“Do you mind?” Liana asked. “It shouldn’t take long.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
***
“I can’t believe she wasn’t home,” Liana grumbled a short time later.
She and Luke were on their way back to Sugarcomb Lake. They hadn’t been able to pay Addy a visit after all. Her house had been dark and her driveway had been empty. Liana was annoyed, especially since it felt like they had been right on the cusp of solving Chester’s murder.
“So we’ll come back another time,” Luke said. “How about tomorrow?”
“Actually,” Liana suddenly remembered, “I think I heard there’s a football game in Sugarcomb Lake tomorrow afternoon. Some of my customers were talking about it at the coffee shop last week...it had slipped my mind until now. It’s the local team versus the team Mikey plays on.”
“A football game? I thought the season already wrapped up?” Luke asked in confusion.
“Technically, it did. But a few schools in this division decided to informally extend their season. They’re really, really passionate about their football,” Liana explained. “I’m supposed to work tomorrow, but I’ll see if I can get the new girl to come in for a few hours. I want to go to the game. I expect Mikey will be playing.”
“And that means his mom will likely be in the stands cheering him on!” Luke added. “That’s perfect! We’ll be able to strike up a conversation and try to get some information. Hopefully we’ll be able to fill in the missing piece of the puzzle. And Addy will be none the wiser!”
“So you’ll come with me?” Liana asked hopefully.
“Of course,” Luke replied immediately. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my afternoon.”
Chapter 16
“I think spring is around the corner. I can feel it in the air!”
Liana smiled to herself as she climbed onto the bleachers. Folks in Sugarcomb Lake never got tired of talking about the weather. There was something oddly comforting about it. No matter how much life changed, some things always stayed the same.
The sun was shining brightly and the weather had certainly started to warm up. Winter already seemed like a distant memory. It was a great day to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air.
Normally, Liana would never go to a football game. She had never taken much of an interest in sports. But she was glad she was there. With any luck, she was going to get some dirt on Addy Atkins. Even better, she was going to see Luke. She felt like it was going to be a good day.
Luke was nowhere in sight, but Liana expected he would be along shortly. She scanned the bleachers for Addy Atkins and spotted her near the back. She was sitting alone. Liana quickly made her way over and sat down right in front of her.
Before Liana could say anything, Addy’s cell phone started ringing.
“Hello?” Addy said as Liana eavesdropped. After a brief pause she said, “I can’t come over to visit today, Mom. Mikey and I are actually in Sugarcomb Lake this afternoon.”
Apparently Addy’s mother didn’t like that answer.
“We’re here for a football game,” Addy explained. It seemed her mother was grilling her for details. In a way, Liana could sympathize. Her own mother, though well-meaning, tended to ask a lot of questions too.
As the conversation went on, Addy’s demeanor began to change. She pursed her lips as she listened to what her mother had to say. It was clear from the expression on her face that she was getting annoyed. She began to tap her foot in agitation.
“No Mom, I don’t think it’s inappropriate for Mikey to be playing football so soon after his father died,” Addy snapped. “To tell you the truth, I am past the point of caring what people think. People are going to be judgmental no matter what I do, so I am done worrying about it!”
It was a shame Addy was most likely a killer. Liana felt a strange sense of solidarity as she listened to the older woman defend herself. Truer words had never been spoken. Certain folks derived a sick sense of satisfaction from judging other people. There was no escaping it.
As if right on cue, Barbara Norman and Patricia Porter climbed onto the bleachers.
They sat down directly in front of Liana. As usual, they were comically overdressed. Nobody else in Sugarcomb Lake wore expensive silk blouses and control top pantyhose to high school football games. Why would they? It was so impractical.
Although watching their antics was often amusing, Liana forced herself to ignore the two older women. She didn’t want to miss out on anything Addy was saying. She only hoped she would be able to hear over the two old biddies’ noisy chattering.
“Yes, I am well aware that my son’s father died,” Addy said angrily. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to make him sit at home pretending to mourn. If he wants to play football right now, then I’m going to let him play.”
Liana’s eyes widened. She held her breath, hoping the conversation would continue.
“Yes Mom, that’s right,” Addy hissed. “Mikey isn’t upset about his father - and why should he be? You know what Chester was like. Remember all those nights I called you in tears? To be perfectly blunt, Chester has been dead to both of us for a long time. I’m glad he’s gone.”
Liana audibly gasped.
Barbara and Patricia heard and both turned around.
Addy stood up abruptly and hurried away, her phone still pressed to her ear.
Liana wanted to follow Addy so she could continue eavesdropping. Unfortunately, there was no way to do so without being super obvious about it. And worse yet, Liana’s loud reaction to Addy’s words had captured some unwanted attention.
Liana was less than thrilled to find herself face-to-face with the two biggest gossips in town.
“Hello!” Barbara trilled, her pearl choker bobbing around on her neck as she spoke.
“Hi,” Liana replied, wishing the two women had sat somewhere else. Now they were probably going to grill her for details about her lovelife, her business and anything else they could think of. Their nosiness was relentless, and it knew no bounds.
“How’s your lovelife?” Patricia demanded.
Liana nearly burst out laughing.
The two gossips were positively shameless. In the past they used to act all sneaky whilst trying to coax information out of her. But these days they
didn’t even bother to be discreet. Instead, they simply blurted out exactly what it was they hoped to find out.
In a weird way, it was refreshing. The level of nosiness was still infuriating, sure. But at least when the two women weren’t subtle, it was easy to tell what they were up to. That meant Liana didn’t have to have her guard up quite so much.
“How’s your lovelife?” Liana replied, smiling sweetly.
“Oh honey, I’ve been married since dinosaurs roamed the earth,” Patricia said, throwing back her head and letting out a gale of laughter. “My idea of romance these days is when hubby unloads the dishwasher. But you’re still young! And single...or are you?” she asked with a gleam in her eye. “Have you met any nice young men lately?”
“Not lately,” Liana replied truthfully. When she thought of nice young men, Luke immediately came to mind. But she hadn’t met him recently. No, she had met him years and years ago, back when they had been in grade school. So technically, she wasn’t lying.
“Hey,” Luke said as he took a seat next to Liana. “Sorry I’m late. A work thing ran late.”
“It’s no problem,” Liana assured him.
The look Barbara and Patricia exchanged wasn’t lost on her. The two older women were turned right around, facing away from the game. They were shamelessly gawking. They were clearly going crazy over the revelation that Liana and Luke were attending a football game together.
Liana hoped the two snoops wouldn’t embarrass her too much.
But that was probably asking too much.
Patricia looked as smug as Fluffy did when he managed to catch his tail. She noisily cleared her throat. Then she leaned toward Liana and loudly confided, “You know, my first date was at a high school football game!”
Barbara raised an eyebrow. Then she elbowed her friend in the ribs. “I thought your husband took you to the movies on your first date.”
“I didn’t say it was my first date with my husband, did I?” Patricia tittered. “It was my first date with my high school boyfriend. His name was Eddie and he wore glasses.” She winked at Liana. “I just love a man in glasses, don’t you?”
Strawberry Shortcake to Die For (A Liana Campbell Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 11
