“So how did he end up in the apple press?” Liv asked.
All eyes turned to Liv.
“Sorry.”
“How did he turn up in the apple press?” Bill asked.
“We put him in the truck, drove him farther out from town. But as we passed Joss’s farm, I began to think. If we left him by the side of the road, everyone would think it was an accident and feel sorry for him. I couldn’t stand that. He was a bad man.
“He was so anxious to get to his brother, I took him there. To his family to do with him as they would. I knew the door to the shop would be open because he told us so.”
“It was my idea to leave him in the apple press,” Serge said proudly. “See no evil, speak no evil, and never do evil ever again.” He nodded sharply.
Beside him, Georgi gave an echoing nod.
Anton leaned in and looked intently at Bill. “Fate brought Pete Waterbury to us; fate took him to his grave. He hurt Junior; he will never hurt again.”
Liv wasn’t sure, but she thought she wasn’t the only person at that table whose eyes misted over during that speech.
Anton stood up and held out his hands, wrists together. “I will go willingly.”
“Sit down, Mr. Zoldosky. So you left Pete in the apple press.” Bill paused to shake his head. Liv thought he might be suppressing a desire to laugh. It sounded so absurd. “And then what did you do?”
“We returned to the farm and told Andy it had been taken care of.”
“Andy?”
“He did. I didn’t sleep all that night. Just listened to the police scanner waiting to hear that his body had been discovered. But there was nothing. Not until I heard the call to send units over to Joss’s. I went over to see. I thought maybe I’d dozed off and missed the discovery. But I hadn’t.” Andy shot his fingers through his corn-silk hair. “When I saw Pete in the apple press, I didn’t know whether to laugh or be sick.”
Liv remembered Andy’s face that morning. As ashen as his hair. If he’d just called the police, he would have spared them all this trouble and anxiety.
“Where do you fit into all this, Joss?”
“Andy came to me that night and told me what had happened. I told him to sit tight and wait. So we did.”
“I wanted to confess right then and there, but Anton said to trust Joss. They would have no evidence against him. And he was right. They let him go. I would never have let him go to jail.”
“Is that all?”
The three men nodded. Bill looked at Ted, then Liv. “Nothing more to add?”
“Nothing.”
“Do you want to press charges, Liv?”
Serge and Georgi tensed.
Wearily, she shook her head. “It was just a practical joke.” She looked at Andy and smiled. “The maze is going to be a huge success.”
Bill stood and looked at Anton and Andy. “I’ll have to take you both into the station. Just to confirm your statements.”
“And then?” Serge asked apprehensively.
“I suspect the judge will let them both out on their own recognizance. He didn’t like Pete Waterbury, either.”
“Bill,” Liv said, shocked.
“Relax, Liv. It’ll all be by the book. And the timing is perfect. Those two numbskull detectives are probably back in Albany by now. And if Victor isn’t free and waiting for us in the station canteen, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.”
“The detectives were recalled?”
“Yep. And you can thank Mayor Worley for that.”
“And Victor will go free?” Anton asked.
Bill nodded. “Yep. Now, let’s get going.”
“We are coming, too,” Serge said.
“I think I’ll go along in case there’s a question of bail,” Joss said. He followed the others out. Ted took a few minutes to lock up Andy’s house; then he and Chaz walked Liv outside. There was a brief scuffle over who would drive Liv back to town.
Ted finally bowed out, saying that he would get all the details from Liv tomorrow. “I’ll just go on down to the station, just to kibitz. And say hello to my nephew.”
Chaz and Liv were left alone. Chaz hadn’t said one word since he’d walked into the kitchen, and he was silent on the way to town.
Finally, Liv said, “Thanks for coming to the rescue.”
“Just part of the parade.”
“I still appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
They reached Liv’s carriage house and Chaz pulled into the driveway.
“You were right about not getting involved in the investigation.”
“A little late. But better late than never.”
“But you were wrong about there not being anything anyone could do about it.”
He shrugged. “Good night, Liv.”
“Good night and thanks again.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Three weeks later, Celebration Bay threw a very special party. Victor Gibson had returned from the dead. The state detectives had been recalled. And a speedy investigation aided by Anton and Andy had ended in a verdict of accidental death.
The party was held on the village green and was attended by hundreds of people. Later that night a smaller group met at Andy’s house for a private send-off. Liv was gratified and flattered that she—and Whiskey—had been invited.
The men had gravitated to the parlor, laughing and enjoying a round or two of some of Joss’s home-brewed hard cider. The women bustled around the steamy kitchen, preparing a feast under the direction of Amanda Waterbury, who had made the most delicious-looking lasagna Liv had ever seen. Dolly had outdone herself with a going-away cake that was hidden away in the pantry.
Liv was tossing salad, the extent of her culinary skills, when Roseanne walked over and handed her a jelly glass of some dark amber liquid.
“Dad said to give you this. It’s hard cider. I think it’s pretty nasty, but he wanted you to try it.”
Liv took a sip. The inside of her mouth puckered and for a second she couldn’t get her breath.
Roseanne watched her closely, then smiled. “See what I mean.”
“Definitely an acquired taste. Like brandy,” Liv added. “Thank him for me.”
“I will.” Roseanne moved a little closer. “I’m so glad it’s all over; aren’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
“But I feel bad for Junior—I mean Victor. To have to go through life looking like that because of what my uncle did. I wish he weren’t my uncle.”
“One rotten apple,” Amanda Waterbury said, coming up to them. “It has nothing to do with us. You just look at your father and know what a fine family the rest of the Waterburys are.”
She continued into the dining room with a huge bowl of steaming vegetables. Everyone gathered around the long farm table. Joss said a quick but heartfelt blessing and everyone dug in.
As soon as dinner was over, the men returned to the parlor and the women took all the food back to the kitchen. When the dishes were washed and put away, the women joined the men in the parlor. Liv wandered over to where Ted, Andy, and Joss were talking to Anton and Victor.
“Your mother paid on that insurance policy all her life. She wanted you to have it,” Ted was saying. “I put it in a savings account. I didn’t think you would come back, but I didn’t have the heart to spend it myself. It’s yours.”
Victor looked at Anton.
“It is up to you, Junior. You are a wealthy man. You can have surgery, stay here among your old friends.”
“I’d love to have you stay at the farm,” Andy said.
“Or with us,” Joss said.
“I have a space over my garage that would make a great apartment,” Ted said.
Junior smiled, the half of his face that was unscarred looking almost joyous.
“Thanks, Ted. And Andy and Joss. And everybody. I appreciate it. It was good to see everybody as myself and not just someone passing through, but Anton and Serge and Georgi are my family now.” Victor turned to
Andy. “I never got a chance to thank you for what you did. You saved me from Pete twice.”
Andy blushed. “Anybody would have done the same.”
“No, they wouldn’t. And not just for that, but also for being my friend.”
“I’d do it again. But, Victor, why didn’t you come back, at least let us know you were alive?”
“I couldn’t.” He looked around the crowd, then lowered his eyes. “Andy tried to hold them off while I got away. I ran as far as the lake before they caught up with me. They started hitting me and I said I knew what they did and they’d better stop or I’d tell.
“It was a stupid thing to do because then Pete said if I told, he’d kill me and then he’d come after Ma. They just kept beating me until I couldn’t fight back and they threw me in a boat that was moored there. I tried to get out, but Pete grabbed one of the oars and swung it at my head.
“That’s the last thing I remember, until Anton found me. And I didn’t remember that much for a long time. I never knew Pete had left town. Never knew it was safe to come home. And now I have a new home. But I’ll always remember you, Andy, Uncle Ted, all of you.”
Anton rested his hand on Victor’s shoulder, affectionate and proprietary and strong. “Come, Victor. We must get to bed if we are to have an early start tomorrow.”
“Good-bye, Uncle Ted. Thank you for taking care of my mother. Good-bye, Andy.” He knelt down and scratched Whiskey’s ears. “Good-bye, little dog.”
“Where will you go next?” Andy asked.
“Florida,” Anton said. “Our parents have a house there and they are eagerly awaiting our return.” He stopped to shake Ted’s hand and Liv saw Ted slip him what looked like a bankbook.
“Our mother will see that he gets the surgery. She has always meant to, but there was no insurance and never enough money until now.”
They all followed the Zoldoskys out into the yard and watched them walk back to the trailer parked near the trees.
The next morning Liv and Dolly were standing at the bakery door when the silver Airstream drove past on its way out of town. At Liv’s feet, Whiskey dropped his pumpkin-shaped dog biscuit and yipped at the face peering out of the trailer’s window. Victor smiled and raised his hand in farewell.
Several people stopped to wave good-bye. The residents were no longer blaming their ills on the outsiders, but they were definitely relieved to see them go.
“Well,” said Dolly. “All this hoopla. It should be a lesson to us all. Not to be so quick to judge. Why, I saw that Ruth Benedict talking to the one with the broken arm at the Price Chopper yesterday like they were bosom buddies.”
“Is that the Ruth who was giving you the hard time about hiring Victor at the bakery?”
“One and the same.” She sighed. “Poor boy. I guess I should say ‘man,’ but Victor just seems like a boy to me. I’m sorry for him, but I think it was wrong of him not to come home sooner, even if he was scared of Pete. We would have protected him.”
Liv had no doubt of Dolly’s words. Celebration Bay was a special place. They took care of their own.
“But I’m glad he’s found a family. One that loves him and takes care of him.”
They watched the silver Airstream make its way past the park. The roof glinted in the sun before it rounded the corner and passed from view.
“I’d better get to work,” Liv said.
“Me, too,” Dolly said. “Sold every one of those orange-frosted cupcakes yesterday. I’m going to try some with a licorice icing today.”
Whiskey retrieved his biscuit and trotted alongside Liv to the Buttercup, where she picked up her morning order from BeBe, then headed to town hall.
“Well,” she said, handing the drinks to Ted. “Things are rapidly returning to normal. The whole town is preparing for the weekend.”
“And with the Zoldoskys gone, everyone is more than satisfied to bicker among themselves.”
“Are you sorry that Victor chose to go with Anton?”
“A little sad. Mainly because Eleanor didn’t live to know he was alive.”
“Maybe she did know…in her heart. I know that sounds corny, but I think mothers sometimes do.”
“Not corny at all. But speaking of corn. Somebody stole all the decorative cornstalks from Dexter Kent’s nursery last night.”
“Oh dear.”
“Seems they showed up at the Delarosas’ farm stand for a dollar cheaper. Evidently Benny D and Dexter had a fight over the price last week. Dexter is accusing Benny of stealing them. Benny is refusing to give them back.” Ted chuckled. “Says it’s impossible to tell whose cornstalks are whose. That’s just like Benny. He’ll end up giving them back but not before he gives Dex the runaround.”
“Bill, I suppose, is caught in the middle.”
“You betcha. Life as we know it.”
Yes, thought Liv. Life as we know it.
“Ted?”
“Yeah?”
“There aren’t any other missing persons that might show up dead anytime soon?”
Ted grinned. “Not that I know of.” He leaned over. “Now, who’s my favorite dawg?”
Liv smiled as she walked into her office. Haunted October was running very successfully. Preparations were under way for Thanksgiving.
They had a lot to be thankful for. It had been a near thing, but it had all worked out. And with the hiring of the new security team, they’d never have to worry about murder again.
Liv pulled up her Christmas folder. Time to get cracking. December was just around the corner. Maybe Ted could teach Whiskey to sing “Jingle Bells.”
“Bring it on,” she said out loud. “Deck the halls with…”
Foul Play at the Fair Page 28
