Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com
“Hey, Lorea, can you pick up some posters I ordered for the art festival at the copy shop?”
“Sure. You look like you have a lot on your mind.”
“Yeah, I can’t get my mind off Lily.” I didn’t tell her about my run-in with Vickie at Tim’s office, but my mind was on that as well.
Lorea leaned forward. “I know what you mean. I was talking to Tony the other night, and he said something that got me to thinking. Don’t worry, it wasn’t anything about the case,” she reassured me. “But it made a light bulb go off in my brain.”
“What did he say already? You’re killing me here.”
“He said sometimes the best clues are like geodes. On the outside they look like a rock, but crack them open—” She snapped her fingers. “—and you find the real treasure. The inside of the geode is like the details that line the most obvious clues. You know the flashy suspicions. The first hunch or jump to a conclusion. Tony said that he solves cases by looking inside those clues, deep inside, and then tearing them apart and putting them back together.”
I drummed my fingers on the countertop, considering her metaphor. “And this led to what great revelation?”
“I think Tim and Phil are both involved in Lily’s murder.”
“Not Tim.” I shook my head. “I already told you, there’s no way he’s involved.”
“Adri, I’m going to tread on thin ice for a minute.” Lorea lowered her voice. “We both know people from our past who were incredibly talented at hiding the truth. People who appeared to be completely different than what they really were. Dangerous people.”
I held up my hands. “Okay. I get what you’re saying.” I blew out a breath. “I’ve been wrong in the past. We’ve all been wrong. But I’m not wrong this time. It’s not Tim.”
“Prove it.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Maybe I will.” I nearly told her right then about my visit to Tim’s clinic, but I held back. She was determined to have her opinions, and I had mine. The only way to change her mind was to uncover a clue that pointed away from Tim.
About thirty minutes later, Lorea came stomping out from the back room. “Why do you think you’re the only one who can figure things out?” Lorea snapped.
I felt like she’d just stepped on my toes hard—or maybe I’d stepped on hers. “I don’t.”
“You’re so sure that Tim didn’t have anything to do with this that you’re willing to undermine Tony’s investigation to prove your point.”
“Hey, that’s not true,” I protested, holding my hands up. “Where is all this coming from?”
“It’s coming from a place where I trust the police to do their job. Tony just texted me and said that he got a complaint from the animal clinic that you’ve been bothering Tim. Did you go there today?”
I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess, was the complaint from someone named Vickie?”
“I don’t know, but Adri did you go talk to Tim today?”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “Yes. I just asked him why he didn’t tell me about the second life insurance policy when I talked to him before. And just so you know, his assistant is a witch. She all but threatened me for talking to him. I can’t believe that she called the police. Why would she do that?”
“You talked to him before?” Lorea threw up her hands. “Adri, he’s a murder suspect.”
“But he didn’t kill Lily.”
Lorea was usually even-keeled, but now she was fuming. “You shouldn’t be talking to Tim—definitely not going to his clinic! The police arrested Tim for good reason, and now, just because he has a great lawyer, he thinks he can get away with it.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t believe it.” I was starting to sound like a recording, but every time I defended Tim, it felt right. He didn’t kill Lily. I couldn’t be wrong again, not on this one. I’d thought Lorea agreed with me on that hunch, but something had changed her mind.
Lorea pulled out her phone and sent a text. “I’m asking Tony about that Vickie person.”
“I promise that Tim didn’t mind at all. He thanked me for helping him.”
Lorea waved her hand at me and sent another text.
“Have you ever wondered if it was some kind of mistake?” I asked. “What if Lily wasn’t supposed to die? Maybe there was some kind of mix-up and this is bigger than anyone’s thought of?”
Lorea scoffed. “She had a needle full of poison injected into her body. I don’t see how anyone could make that big of a mistake.”
I lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “There are just lots of things that don’t make sense in this case.”
“Only if you’re trying to make things more difficult than they really are. Tim and Phil colluded to murder Lily for almost three million dollars of life insurance money. That makes sense.”
I shook my head. “It’s too easy. Fits together like a puzzle. Murder is messy.”
Lorea ran her fingertips through the hair at the nape of her neck. “Just let Tony do his job.”
“I am.” It was all I could do to keep my tone even. I hadn’t even snooped around that much with this case. Tony was a great detective, so I decided to let it go. Lorea was obviously in love; there was no other way to explain her strange behavior.
As the day went on, I still felt uneasy about the semi-argument Lorea had instigated about Tim and Phil’s guilt. What was the driving force behind her certainty that they had killed Lily? She’d mentioned some kind of clue, but nothing I’d heard or thought of was so clear cut.
At ten minutes to five, I got a text from Luke.
Luke: Bad news. Lost the Benavidez case.
Me: Oh, I’m so sorry. Really, that is terrible news.
Luke: Sucks to lose.
Me: What can I do for you? Can I make you dinner?
Luke: I’m thinking of wallowing in my sorrow, but I got two new cases today and I’ll be up until midnight working.
Me: Sorry! :( Maybe tomorrow?
Luke: Yes.
Me: My place at six for dinner?
Luke: I’ll be there.
“Well, this day just went from bad to worse,” I muttered as I swept up in the back room.
“What happened?” Lorea put down her needle and thread and looked up at me.
“Luke lost the case against Rose Benavidez.”
“Oh no! He’s been working his guts out on that case, hasn’t he?”
“Yes, and it really dragged on because of the delays with Lily’s funeral.” I put the broom in the closet and leaned against the door. “I feel so bad for Luke.”
“What will happen with the dad?”
“I’m not sure, but I think it means they’ll have shared custody. Or maybe not? I wasn’t clear on that.”
There was an ache right in the lining of my heart whenever I thought of little Jasmine Benavidez and the fierce custody battle her parents had fought. Luke lost, which meant Jasmine would still spend time with her mother, Rose. I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not. Poor Luke. I had no doubt that he would stay up late working, but part of me wondered if he was burying himself and his pride in his work.
I made up my mind to do something for him. He’d shown me he cared in lots of little ways. It was my turn. “Hey, Lorea. I’m closing up early so I can run to the store,” I said. “See you in the morning?”
“Wait. I’m sorry about earlier.” Lorea stood next to the desk with her hands behind her back. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
“It’s okay. You’re right. We both need to be careful and let the police do their job.” I ducked my head. “I know Tony is an excellent detective.”
“Thanks, Adri. Sounds like you have something planned for Luke. Good luck.”
I smiled. She was good at reading me, but I hoped she wouldn’t blow up again if something about this mystery sidelined me on my way home from work. I flipped the sign to “Closed,” turned off the showroom lights, and waved at Lorea on my way out
.
I was almost to my car when I remembered I needed to check the drip system on the hanging plants I’d ordered earlier that summer. They hung in front of my shop, and when I’d looked out the window earlier, I’d noticed they appeared a bit wilted. In the dry desert heat of Sun Valley, they would shrivel up within a couple days if not tended to.
Dark purple petunias cascaded over the side of one of the hanging plants, accompanied by a scattering of white alyssum, purple asters, and bright-blue Salvia. It made me happy to see the flowers blooming so beautifully in the chosen array of my company’s design colors. They were a nice accent to the flowing script on my shop window—Adrielle Pyper’s Dream Weddings, Where Happily Ever After is Your Destination.
I poked my finger into the soil and found it to be slightly damp, but a bit too dry to combat the July heat, so I fiddled with the nozzle of the drip system to allow more water to slowly irrigate the flowers. With one more look at the front of my shop, I wiped my hands on my pants and headed for my car.
I walked around the corner and ran into Tony, coming out of Walter Mayfield’s ring shop. “Oh, hi. Coming to see Lorea?” I teased.
To my surprise, Tony blushed. “Uh, no. Actually I was just, uh—meeting with Walter—er, going over some details on a case.” He stopped and moved his hand behind his back, but not before I saw a clear bag with “Mayfield Jeweler’s” printed on the front. And inside the bag was a velvet green ring box.
I gaped. “Is that a ring—”
“No,” Tony interrupted me. “Walter didn’t want anyone to know about this, so please don’t say anything. It should be an open-and-shut case.”
I eyed the sack, then Tony. “... Okay?”
“Not a word to anyone, Adrielle Pyper. I can arrest you for interfering with a police investigation.” His voice was stern, but I detected a hint of nervousness behind his police bravado.
“Got it.” I patted him on the shoulder, noting that he was dressed casually—not on duty. “Good luck. I’ll talk to you later.” He was up to something, and I wasn’t sure it actually was police business, but I’d give him his space—at least until I found out otherwise. I bit the edge of my cheek so he wouldn’t see the grin begging to be released.
He hurried on his way, and I waited until I was in my car to let out a giggle. Police business? I didn’t think so. I’d missed a chance to grill him about the investigation or share anything that I might have learned, but Tony had been very preoccupied. Maybe I could try to catch him tomorrow.
SPINACH SALAD WITH HONEY MAPLE DRESSING
Toss 3 cups spinach, 1 cup shredded red cabbage, ½ cup chopped celery, 2 sliced carrots, 2 diced tomatoes, ¼ cup golden raisins, and ¼ cup pumpkin seeds in a large salad bowl.
Dressing:
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
Blend ingredients and incorporate into salad mixture. Serves 6.
Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com
As I started my car, my thoughts returned to Luke and what might lift his spirits on a day where the sun beat down, intent on melting everything and everyone. The asphalt shimmered with heat as I pulled out of the parking lot and drove to my condo. My fingers had a smudge of dirt on them, which gave me an idea. I remembered over a year ago, finding Luke with a hose, nearly killing the flowers in his front yard. I’d given him a lesson on how to care for the plants, and since then he’d tried hard to keep his yard looking nice.
My mother had been born with a green thumb—her garden was one of the best in Rupert—and she’d taught me everything I knew about keeping flowers alive in the sandy desert soil. It was time I used some of my hard-earned skills. Luke’s flowerbed would probably be the perfect place to perform an act of service.
First, I needed sustenance. My stomach gurgled with hunger, so I opened the fridge, trying to decide what I could eat that was both quick and refreshing. A summer salad was my go-to meal, so I made myself a spinach salad with chopped apples, walnuts, and my favorite honey maple dressing.
The crunch of the apples and the tangy sweetness of the dressing against the walnuts were delicious. While I chewed, I mentally reviewed my list of suspects, crossing off Tim and moving Rose up a notch, if for no other reason than she seemed to be a very troubled individual. But then I thought of Phil’s business at Lost Trails Construction. Losing that company would be worth millions because of all the potential business he could have had. The company was his livelihood, and he had a beautiful mansion to maintain. I could imagine someone doing some desperate things to keep the lifestyle they were used to. I crossed Boris off my list as well, but wondered if there could be another worker from Lost Trails involved with the embezzling scheme that had been pinned on Drago.
Then I remembered Vickie. She had access to the animal clinic every day. It wasn’t far-fetched to think that she had something to do with the euthanizing agent, but what would her motive be? I chomped hard on the next few bites, wishing that I could ask Tony if the police considered her a suspect despite her alibi. I would have to trust that they’d investigated every angle before making their arrest, but that didn’t mean that I would cross Vickie off my list.
I finished my salad with more suspects on my list than when I started. I decided I probably should take a break from analyzing the case and focus on the preparations for the art festival, which was now only one day away. With a groan, I pulled out my checklist and spent a few minutes gathering my thoughts regarding the booth and everything we’d need to make the experience successful, then busied myself in arranging a few more bundles of greeting cards and affixing prices to everything.
When the clock chimed seven, I hurried to tidy up my kitchen and change my clothes to gardening digs. As I walked through the kitchen, I noted my stack of greeting cards that were prepped to sell at the festival. I sat down, pulled one from the stack, and wrote a note to Luke. Hopefully it would help lift his spirits. I tucked an old pair of gardening gloves in my sun hat, patted Tux on the head, and locked the door.
I drove to Luke’s house and spent the next hour in the waning heat of the day tending to his flowers and plants, which were strategically placed along the front walk of his house and in the flowerbeds. There wasn’t much traffic by his house, but every time I heard a car approaching, my heart jumped and it was all I could do to keep from whipping my head around to see if it might be Luke. Part of me felt silly, working in the dirt on his flowers. What if he didn’t think my idea was so great after all?
The more I thought about it, the more anxious I grew with the sound of every car driving down the street. I needn’t have worried, though, because I finished, swept the walk, and threw the weeds away, and still there was no sign of Luke. The card I had written earlier burned in the back of my pocket.
Luke,
I’m really sorry how things turned out with your case, but I want you to know that I admire you for working so hard. I care about you and I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you lately. Thanks for making time for me, and making this summer special.
Adri
I put a little heart by my name. It was definitely a forward move for me, but I placed the card in his mailbox. With one last glance at the freshly cultivated flowerbed, I walked toward the street.
A gray Silverado pickup pulled up behind me just as I was opening my car door; I turned to see Javier Benavidez hop down from the driver’s seat. Goose bumps raced across my arms, and I resisted the urge to look to see if anyone else was around.
He noticed me and glanced towards Luke’s house, and then back at me.
“Hi, Javier.” I decided to be bold and let him know that I knew his name.
He scrunched his eyebrows. “Is Luke at home?”
“No, he’s not.” I didn’t tell him that Luke was working late at the office, because I really hoped that he would show up. For some reason, Javier made me nervous. I recalled how angry he’d been at Gladys and H
ank’s wedding, and I held tighter to the door of my car. The way he stared at me made him move up a couple slots on my mental suspect list.
“I was hoping to talk to him for a minute.” His consonants sounded clipped, and I detected a slight Spanish accent as he continued to speak. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”
I shook my head. “I thought he’d be here by now, but I was just dropping something off for him. Why don’t you try calling him?”
Javier looked down at the street. “I, uh, did already.”
“He’s probably in the middle of something,” I said. “Can it wait until tomorrow?”
“No importa,” Javier muttered. He pushed a hand through his black hair and looked at me again, as if seeing me for the first time. “Are you Luke’s girl?” His eyes ran down the length of my body and then back up to my face, which I felt heating up under his scrutiny.
My heart was thumping in my chest, and my feet itched to run, but I held perfectly still and raised my chin a couple inches. “What kind of question is that?”
Javier arched one eyebrow. “You seem to know a lot about Luke. You’re very pretty, but you’re not with him.”
“Luke and I are dating,” I said. “Have a nice night.” I turned to get in my Mountaineer.
Javier was instantly at my side. He gripped my arm and leaned in close to my ear. “I’ve seen you around, asking too many questions. Luke should be more careful with you, because questions are dangerous.”
“Let go of me.” I yanked my arm free and stepped back against the open door of my vehicle.
Javier stepped back and held his hands in the air. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” His voice became softer, more soothing. “People know you, Adri the wedding planner. They know you’re trouble.”
I scowled at him. “I am not trouble. What people are you talking about?” My voice wobbled a little, even though I was trying to sound like I wasn’t scared at all.
“That murderer, the vet. I saw him watching you in the park the other day.”
Proposals and Poison Page 15
