“So, you no longer have the dress or any of its fabric?” Heather clarified.
“Right,” Betsy said.
“Were any of the other bridesmaids from Hillside?” Amy asked.
“No,” said Betsy. “It was my sister’s friends from Austin, me and our cousin from Virginia.”
“Was your sister angry about the dress?” Heather asked.
“She thought it was hysterical. It was probably the best wedding present I could have given.”
“Do you happen to know where your sister was two days ago?” asked Heather.
“She’s on a trip to Europe,” Betsy said. “Do you think she’s a suspect?”
“We need to rule out all possibilities,” Heather said.
“Well, I’m not a possibility,” Betsy said. “I didn’t kill anybody. Rule me out too.”
“Where were you two nights ago?”
“I went to bingo,” said Betsy. “It takes up most of the evening.”
“We’ll check on that,” Heather said. “Thank you for your time. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”
Heather and Amy walked away from the house and wondered about the woman they had just questioned.
“I could understand her getting rid of the ugly dress,” Heather said.
“After seeing, yes, defininitely,” agreed Amy.
“But she might have kept it to use to kill Sheila Lordlittle and then lied about when she got rid of it.”
“The dress was blue and might match the killer shade,” said Amy.
“She also mentioned the something blue saying,” Heather commented.
“Something definitely smells fishy,” said Amy.
Chapter 13
June Grady was much quieter than any of the other suspects that she had questioned. She had admitted the private investigators without a fuss and waited for their questions.
“Thank you for speaking with us,” Heather said.
Amy echoed the sentiments and took out the tablet to take notes.
“This is about Sheila Lordlittle?” June asked.
“Yes,” Heather admitted. “We’re assisting the police in investigating her murder.”
“I’m not sure what I can tell you,” June said. “But I’ll try my best.”
“How well did you know Ms. Lordlittle?” Heather asked.
“Not that well,” said June. “I bought my wedding dress there. I spent more than I should have. Even more obviously now.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Heather.
“I suppose I should just say it,” June said. “It’s difficult for me to admit it. I don’t like having to say it out loud. They say it will get easier in time.”
“What are you confessing to?” Amy asked. “Is it the murder? Is our job that easy?”
“I didn’t kill anyone,” June said.
“Then what are you talking about?”
“I made all these wedding preparations, but I never got married,” June said. “I was left at the altar.”
“That’s terrible,” Amy said.
“Was is Ms. Lordlittle’s fault?” Heather asked.
“We heard she ruined some other weddings,” Amy said.
“No,” June said. “It was all my fault. I drove my groom away.”
“How?” Heather asked, hoping to get her talking and that it might lead to clues in the case.
“As soon as I got that ring on my finger, I really did become another person. I became obsessed with my wedding. I wanted everything to be perfect. But I started to forget about people and feelings. I became crazy. I fought with Sheila Lordlittle about the dress, even though it was beautiful and was what I bought. Because I was a bride, I felt I was entitled to more. I made my bridesmaids cry. In the end, I told my fiancé that I didn’t want his brother in the wedding party because of a haircut he got. It wasn’t even that bad of a haircut. My fiancé said he didn’t recognize me anymore. I was about to get nitpicky when we made our vows, and he realized it. He left me instead of saying his.”
“Wow,” Amy said. “That’s terrible.”
“The terrible thing is that I know it was my fault,” said June. “I should have been trying to make our two families come together and not make my groom choose between his family and me. Especially for a stupid reason.”
“But Ms. Lordlittle had nothing to do with the issues at your wedding?” Heather asked.
“No. Just my own obsession,” she said. “I was supposed to be a June bride.”
Amy refrained from making a comment.
“But you did say you fought with her at the boutique?” asked Heather.
“I was making unreasonable demands,” June said. “I kept coming in for fittings and adjustments. The staff learned to fear when June Grady was entering the shop. I think they called me a “Grady A Nightmare” behind my back. I probably was.”
“There’s no ill feelings towards them now?”
“No,” June said. “I realize now that the flaws were all mine. I need to focus on myself now to see who I want to be. Maybe then I can talk to my former fiancé again, or I can look for love somewhere new.”
“That seems very big of you,” Heather said. “I do have to ask where you were two night ago.”
“I was with a friend,” June said. “Actually, she was one of my bridesmaids. The one I didn’t scare away. We had dinner and drinks.”
“What color were your bridesmaid dresses?” Amy asked.
“They were teal,” June said. “And probably not very comfortable. I think I have a picture.”
June searched and found a picture of her friend modeling the dress. She also gave Heather her friend’s name and contact information to confirm her alibi. However, Heather and Amy were more focused on the dress. The color wasn’t quite right, but it had a sash on it in the same shape as the fabric used to strangle Sheila Lordlittle.
Chapter 14
Heather returned home with thoughts of the dresses swirling around her mind. There were ruined dresses at the crime scene that seemed to have been destroyed in anger. There was part of a dress that was used to kill the victim. Was what was used to kill Sheila Lordlittle from Betsy Gene’s dress that she claimed to have gotten rid of? Was it part of a sash like on June Grady’s bridesmaid dresses? Was it from a dress that was in the boutique? Or was it in someone’s possession before the killing?
“You look lost in thought,” Ryan said.
“Yes,” Heather said. “I’m thinking about the case and feeling lost.”
“I do have some good news,” said Ryan.
“They found DNA at the crime scene after all?”
“No. Nothing like a slam dunk for the case. But I picked up a pizza on my way home, and Eva and Leila are going to join us for dinner.”
Heather suddenly realized that she was ravenous. The smell of the pizza made her mouth water, and she knew how well her Chocolate Chocolate Donuts would go with it for dessert.
“You’re the best,” she said.
The smell of the pizza must have reached Dave’s nose too because he wandered into the room, looking for a snack. Heather wasn’t going to open the food until their guests arrived, so she made Dave be content with some tummy petting.
“I did look into the Lyle Clarke angle today,” Ryan said.
“And?”
“And nothing,” he said. “There doesn’t appear to be any connection at all to Lordlittle’s Lovely Gown and him. His businesses aren’t interested in the land, and I don’t believe he ever crossed paths with Sheila Lordlittle.”
“It was worth a try,” Heather said. “He’s involved in so many crimes in Hillside; it made sense to check whether he was involved with this.”
“How were your interviews?”
“The other unhappy customers seem to have alibis. It’s possible that Betsy Gene’s blue bridesmaid dress was where the murder weapon came from, but it’s impossible to tell for sure. We’re matching the color based on a photo, and she claims to have gotten rid o
f it long ago,” Heather said. “Forensics hasn’t discovered anything new with their tests?”
“Unfortunately not,” said Ryan. “The fabric didn’t hold much. This was a shop, so there was evidence from people that were there before, but nothing is a match for anything in the system. We found some hair that matches Ollie Evans and Abigail Browning at the crime scene, but that could have been there from before the murder because they worked there.”
“True,” Heather said. “We saw them in the changing rooms when we were there ourselves.”
“That’s all our something old for the case,” Ryan said.
“I’d like something new,” Heather said. “Like the solution.”
Ryan chuckled.
“I feel like I’m missing something with the fabric,” Heather said.
“The murder weapon or the dresses that were turned into one-foot shreds?” Ryan asked.
“Both,” she responded. “Could I look at them again tomorrow?”
“Of course,” Ryan said. “Do you know what’s bothering you about them?”
Before she could answer, they heard a knocking at the door. They opened it and greeted Eva and Leila. Lilly came over to meet them at the door too, fresh from working on a new story on her pink typewriter.
“We’re so happy to see you all,” Eva said.
“And to have some pizza and donuts,” said Leila.
They started towards the table and passed out the slices.
“We do have something we have to admit to the officer though,” Leila said.
“It’s true,” said Eva. “I hope you won’t think we were too much of a busybody, but it seemed right at the time.”
“What is it?” asked Heather.
“We ran into Rudolph Rodney, and so we told him to go to Donut Delights in the morning. We thought maybe you both should have an official meeting with him to get more details so you can make your decision,” Eva said. “I’m sorry if this was overstepping.”
“It’s all right,” Heather said. “I think a meeting with him is exactly what we need.”
“Really?” Lilly asked, smiling. “Because I think pizza and donuts are exactly what we need.”
Chapter 15
“I normally don’t like mixing business with pleasure,” Rudolph Rodney said. “But when it comes to these donuts, I just can’t help myself.”
“I understand the sentiment,” Heather said.
She was pleased that she was able to call in her reinforcements for the meeting so quickly. She joined Rudolph Rodney at the table with Ryan and Col. Lilly was in the shop, but was letting the adults have their important discussion. Instead, Lilly was helping Heather’s assistants Angelica and Maricela as they served up some more of the week’s special flavors.
“And speaking with you all is looking like it is going to be a real pleasure too,” said Rudolph. “Now should we get down to the nuts and bolts of the icing and sprinkles?”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Heather said.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Ryan said. “But I am a detective. I did a little digging on you. Everything seems to be in order.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Rudolph Rodney said. “And I did a little research on this place myself. I didn’t just let my taste buds guide my judgment. But it all just makes me more excited to make a deal.”
“We want to make sure that this business deal is in the best interest of Donut Delights,” Col said. “As well as for the Shepherds and their family.”
“I understand. I think we can find a deal that will be mutually beneficial,” Rudolph said, nodding. “As I mentioned before, I have a storefront on Duval Street. It is a prime location in Key West, and I have been waiting for the right business to set up there. I don’t believe it would be an issue to set up the kitchens or front of house in the space. My immediate thoughts on the deal would be that I provide the location and initial set up of the space. Heather will provide the recipes and training to the staff. Then we can find an agreeable way to split the profits, of which I’m sure there will be plenty to go around.”
“I like what we are both bringing to the table,” said Heather.
“I am preparing all aspects of the space,” Rudolph said. “But she is bringing the heart and soul. And I’d like to have her there for at least a year to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that it is a true Donut Delights there.”
“We’d have to discuss the online ordering aspect of the business,” Col said. “Both how filling the orders would be split between the two locations and how profits would be divided.”
“Col has already helped the online business grow as my joint venture partner,” Heather said.
“Perhaps we should discuss having some of your specialty teas at the new location,” Rudolph Rodney said. “If that’s beneficial to both of you. Of course, I’m going to have to taste it first.”
“You won’t be disappointed with any of the flavors from either of these two,” Ryan assured him.
Maricela brought over another dish of donuts for the table. She had a curious expression on her face. She knew something important was going on, but politely left after delivering the food and napkins. Heather felt sure that she was going to be bombarded with questions later and hoped that she would have good answers for them.
The business meeting paused for a moment as everyone took another donut.
“I’m so happy to become a part of this tasty business,” Rudolph Rodney said.
“Now you said you had houses too?” Heather prodded.
“Yes,” Rudolph said. “As part of my bribe to get you to move down there, I’m offering several properties for you to stay at. I’ll show you the options I have, and I would allow your family to have it rent free for the year. I’ve been very picky about who I let rent and have allowed them to stay empty for too long. I won’t be losing any money with this offer, especially as donut business picks up.”
“That is a wonderful perk,” Ryan said.
“We have to look into the area to make sure that other aspects of our lives will fit in there too,” Heather said. “But how about we finish this round of donuts, and then get into negotiations about profits?”
They all agreed that seemed like a sound plan. Heather reached for a napkin that she thought would be necessary with all the chocolate she was about to eat, but the napkin caught on the table and tore.
The others at the table had begun chatting again, but Heather became absorbed with the napkin. A thought occurred to her, and she tore it again. The rest of the business meeting turned to her as she grabbed another napkin and tore it to shreds. She looked at the uneven pieces that had fallen into her lap. She stood up quickly and let them fall to the floor.
“I’m sorry, Maricela, that you’ll have to clean that up,” Heather said. “I need to go.”
“Where?” Rudolph asked.
“Please continue this meeting,” Heather said. “You’re some of the people I trust the most, and I want to see this move forward. But I need to go and check something now. I think I just discovered who the murderer is.”
Chapter 16
Heather looked at the bagged fabric in evidence that Hoskins had allowed her to examine. It looked like her hunch was right.
“But is there enough evidence to prove it?” she asked herself.
“What was that?” Amy asked, joining her in the room.
“Ames, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Are you really?” she said, crossing her arms. “Because it seems like you’re leaving me out of the loop.”
“I called you as soon as I figured out this clue in the case,” Heather said.
“Not the case. You think I care about the case?” Amy said, “Well, maybe I do care about the case, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Your meeting with Roadkill’s uncle about moving away. Were you going to tell me about it?”
“Yes. I was trying to get more information to see if it’s worth going.”
“You alread
y know the answer,” Amy said. “Don’t go. Everything is here. Everyone is here.”
“Amy, if I did move, you know that you’d still be my best friend,” Heather started.
“You’re not acting like a best friend,” Amy snapped.
“Well, neither are you,” Heather said. “I might have been presented with an amazing opportunity. But all you’re doing is trying to belittle it and me.”
Chocolate Chocolate Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 56 Page 6
