by V. M. Burns
Dixie sighed. “John eight, thirty-two.”
David stopped pacing and looked as though he wanted to argue but took a deep breath and then nodded.
Stephanie hugged me.
I was getting teary and this wasn’t the time. Once the police got that will, things might get more challenging. Albert had, perhaps unwittingly, made my position even more precarious. We needed to get busy and figure out who killed Albert, and quickly. I took a long drink of water and steadied my nerves.
Dixie squeezed my hand in a show of support.
“Thank you for the pastries and for thinking about Marianne and the nurses. I’m sure they will appreciate them. Please tell Marianne I’ll swing by to see her later.”
Dixie nodded. “I thought you might want to take the third box to the car dealership.”
“I can drop them off for you,” David said. “Maybe I’ll nose around the place and see if I hear anything that might be useful. I should have plenty of time on my hands today. My assignment won’t start until later. Places like the Purple Panther aren’t exactly morning hangouts.” He winked at me.
“Good idea. When you’re at the dealership, maybe you can check into the dealership registration for the yellow Corvette your father gave Bambi. She called last night and said it was stolen.”
“She called you?” Dixie nearly choked on her coffee. “That little tart sure has nerve. You gotta hand her that.”
I nodded. “Well, she was upset and accused me of taking it.”
Stephanie loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. “The nerve of that little gold digger. You gave her a car, and she had the audacity to accuse you of stealing a car that rightfully belongs to you.” She slammed the door and pushed the button to start the cycle.
“I’m going to chalk it up to stress, but she also mentioned the car had been broken into.” I looked at Stephanie. “Do you think you could check with Officer Harrison and find out if she actually filed a police report like I told her to. Also, if she reported the previous break in.”
Stephanie colored slightly but nodded.
“Great. I’m going to tackle Albert’s books and see if there’s anything in them that someone would want to kill over.”
It had been years since I’d done any serious accounting work, but I read accounting journals and attended the required educational classes needed to maintain my license. Similar to teachers and lawyers, CPAs were required to take a certain number of educational classes every year or so to keep their licenses. I was thankful Albert’s software wasn’t complicated. I’d actually set the system up when he first opened the business and was grateful to see he hadn’t changed much, including the password.
Albert’s laptop on the kitchen table and Aggie curled up in a dog bed nearby was reassuring. Once I successfully logged in to the system and started navigating around, it was like riding a bicycle. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. My stomach growled. I scanned the cabinets and found the options left much to be desired. For months I’d shopped for one. Now there were four of us again, and I needed to readjust my shopping routine and cooking habits. However, deep down inside, I knew this wouldn’t last long. Before long, David and Stephanie would have to leave, and Dixie would need to get back to her husband and her life in Chattanooga.
I pulled a few cans of tuna out of the cabinet and made myself a tuna fish sandwich and a cup of tea and got back to work. Two hours later, Aggie’s whimpering alerted me to trouble. I looked up in time to see her walking in a circle and sniffing in a way which meant danger ahead.
“Eh,” I said in the loud, authoritative manner Dixie taught me.
It always surprised me when she stopped whatever bad behavior she was up to and looked at me with her large, innocent brown eyes.
I picked her up, grabbed a leash, and hurried outside. I snapped the leash onto her pink and white plaid harness designed to look like a dress and put her down on the grass. She immediate squatted and took care of business. I praised her as if she’d just unearthed buried treasure, which caused her to prance around as though she’d just won the top prize at Westminster.
When our celebrations were completed, I looked around. The tape the police had used to surround Bradley Hurston’s house and protect whatever evidence the killer left had been removed. The grass which I’d mowed a week ago—had it only been a week?—looked long and unkempt. In fact, my own lawn wasn’t looking so great either. I looked at my watch and decided cutting the grass would be one less thing Marianne or Bradley’s son, Mike, would have to worry about. Having just gone through funeral preparations myself, I was anxious to do something helpful.
When Aggie seemed more concerned with pouncing on a twig she found in the grass than anything else, I figured it was safe to take her inside. As a further measure of safety, I secured her in her crate with a yummy treat that smelled like rotten flesh, but she loved along with a stuffed toy called Snuggle Puppy Dixie brought her. Snuggle Puppy was a stuffed animal with a Velcro belly where you placed a heat pack and a battery-operated plastic heart that thumped. The purpose was to simulate being in a litter. Whoever invented this was a genius. Aggie had worn herself out napping and pouncing on twigs. So, after just a few minutes, she curled up with her Snuggle Puppy.
I went outside and got the lawn mower out. Mowing the grass wasn’t my favorite thing to do around the house, but I considered it penance for the two strawberry tarts I ate earlier and marched with a good attitude. Actually, the even lines were somewhat hypnotic. Like most housework, I was able to engage my body while my mind was free to wander.
Not surprising, my thoughts were dominated by numbers. Something about the books wasn’t right. The accounts didn’t reconcile. Month after month, large adjustments were made to force the figures to balance. There was also a large number of disbursements to a vendor I’d never heard of. Of course, I hadn’t been actively involved in the car dealership in quite some time, but the sums paid to one vendor seemed excessive. If my calculations were correct, and I’d gone over them three times, close to three million dollars had been paid to one vendor, MN Holdings. I needed to go to the dealership and check the invoices against the payments. I had no idea why an import car dealership was working with a Minnesota holding company, but I supposed it could be related to car parts or accessories. I hadn’t been able to find out much information through my Internet searches, but lawyers had access to databases that went much deeper than anything the public could find. When Stephanie came home, I’d ask her to look in to it.
I looked up and realized I’d finished cutting both front yards and was about to tackle the backs when I heard a car behind me. I looked around and saw David pulling into the driveway.
He came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Why don’t you let me finish this?”
I started to protest, but he simply patted his stomach. “I could do with the exercise.”
I nodded and went inside. One look in the mirror showed I had dirt, sweat, and grass clippings in my hair and all over my body. I recognized the odor that wafted to my nostrils every now and again and knew I needed a shower. I peeled my sweat-soaked clothes off and hopped in the shower for a thorough wash.
By the time I was cleaned up, David had finished the yard. I passed him on my way downstairs.
“Hope you left me some hot water. I have to get ready for my rendezvous.” He smiled as he went into his room.
I went downstairs and heard Stephanie and Dixie talking in the kitchen before I saw them. Dixie’s voice had the pride I’d noticed whenever she talked about her dogs.
“The girls were awesome. They visited with everyone on the ward where Marianne was resting.”
“I’m surprised the hospital permits dogs. I mean, they’re always so concerned about germs and things.” Stephanie must have noticed something in Dixie’s eyes, because she hurriedly added, “Not that your dogs have germs. They’re so beautiful and clean
.”
She need not have worried.
Dixie merely laughed. “Oh, I understand what you’re saying. Many people don’t take very good care of their dogs, and they could bring fleas and ticks into the hospitals. Plus, a lot of people, like your father, are allergic to dogs. I always make sure the dogs are bathed and have their nails trimmed before we make any therapy visits. That was one of the reasons I left so early. Normally, I’d wash them myself, but one of the ladies I met at a dog show lives about thirty miles from here. She has beautiful poodles, so I dropped the girls off and she gave them baths.”
“I can’t believe you cut all of their hair off,” Stephanie said.
“You what?” I hurried around the corner into the kitchen. Sure enough, the two poodles were standing in the middle of the kitchen without their colorful bands and looked practically naked without the extra hair.
“I’ve been thinking about retiring the girls from showing for quite some time. Maintaining a poodle in full show coat can be a lot of work. Two poodles multiplied the work exponentially.” She looked lovingly at the dogs. “So, first thing this morning, I shaved their coats and dropped them off for baths.”
“Oh, Dixie, are you sure? I hope you didn’t do this because of me—”
She laughed. “Rest assured, the decision was completely my own.” She petted Chyna, who I could tell from Leia by her blue harness and ribbons in her ears. “I think the girls are happy too.”
Chyna wagged her tail like a fan, as though to confirm the statement.
We laughed.
“The coat is hot and summers in Chattanooga are extremely humid. Now they can enjoy their lives as pets, rather than show dogs.
I sat down at the table. “What’s that amazing smell?” I looked around and noticed the large bag on the counter.
Stephanie smiled. “I passed Adamo’s on my way from Charles Nelson’s house and stopped and picked up a lasagna, garlic bread, and salad.”
Adamo’s was a wonderful authentic Italian restaurant near the beach and everything was delicious.
“Is that all?” I raised an eyebrow and stared at my daughter.
She grinned. “Of course not. I also picked up a cheesecake.”
“That’s my girl.”
David finished his shower and came downstairs just as we finished setting the food out on the table. “Yum, that smells fantastic.”
I noticed there was one extra plate on the table and looked at Stephanie.
“I invited Officer Harrison to join us for dinner. He should be here soon.” She lowered her head, so her hair covered the slight flush I’d noticed come up her neck.
The doorbell rang, and she jumped up. “That’ll be him now.”
Within moments, Officer Harrison, Stephanie, and Turbo arrived.
Turbo joined the poodles in the kitchen at the dog bowls, while Officer Harrison sat down at the empty seat.
“Thanks for inviting me to dinner,” he said.
“We’re glad you could come,” I said.
Initially, we ate in silence with comments about how tasty the food was, but nothing of substance. By the time the main course was finished, and Stephanie brought out the cheesecake and a pot of coffee, we were ready to get down to business.
“Who wants to go first?” I looked around the table.
Dixie raised her hand. “Well, I didn’t find out much, so my report will be short.” She ate a bite of cheesecake, shuddered with pleasure and then put down her fork. “Marianne has no idea who killed her brother. She was asleep in the back room. She said her brother liked to stay up looking outside and listening to the police radio and often went to bed late or slept in his recliner in the living room.”
“She didn’t hear anything?” I asked.
Dixie shook her head.
“I could have told you that,” Officer Harrison said.
“Sorry.” Dixie took a drink of coffee. “The only thing she said was she thought she heard the back door squeak.”
“She didn’t mention the squeaking in her statement.” Officer Harrison frowned. “Did she say what time that was?”
“She thought it was around two, but she didn’t bother putting her glasses on, so she can’t be sure.”
“Good job, Dixie. Their screen door does squeak. I’ve been meaning to spray it with WD40 the next time I mow, but I keep forgetting.”
Dixie smiled and Officer Harrison pulled out a notepad and took notes.
“I’ll go next, since I have very little to report too,” David said. “I dropped the pastries off at the dealership. I talked to Chip Nelson. I thought he was just a salesman, but he was at a desk. He said he’s the Assistant Manager and bookkeeper.”
I nearly spit out my coffee. “Chip Nelson is the one who’s been doing your father’s books?”
David nodded. “He was a bit miffed when he found out you’d taken the books and the laptop.”
“I’ll bet he was. Anything else?”
“He wants to know if you’re going to sell the dealership. He wants to buy the dealership and is willing to make an offer right away. He seems to think he has a right to it. Says he’s the one that got Dad involved importing cars and not just going around to local auctions. The way he talks, he’s been running things for quite some time.”
“You don’t say?” I drummed my fingers on the table. “Is that all?”
“Oh, and I think he’s been seeing Bambi.” He grinned. “He seemed a little nervous when I told him I was going back to the Purple Panther tonight.”
“Why the little weasel. How dare he make a move on your father’s tart right under his nose.” Dixie pounded the table. “Wait, what am I saying?”
We all laughed.
“I’ll go next.” Stephanie took a sip of coffee. “I had a rather interesting visit with Charles Nelson. When I went to his office, he was super apologetic. ‘I’m so sorry for your loss. Your father will be missed.’ He claimed, the business hadn’t been doing well and there really wasn’t much left. In fact, according to him, Dad had already changed his will to leave everything to Bambi.”
“But, what about—”
A gleam in Stephanie’s eyes stopped me. “That’s when I told him about the new will he’d left.”
“Ha! I’ll bet that cooked his goose.” Dixie pounded the table again.
“He looked as though he was going to have a stroke. He started to turn purple and couldn’t talk without stuttering.” Stephanie smiled. “I got up and poured him a glass of water and asked if he wanted me to call nine-one-one.”
“What did he do then?” I asked.
“At first he said it was a forgery. He claimed it couldn’t be valid.” She sipped her coffee. “I assured him it was in my father’s own handwriting and properly witnessed. Then he wanted to see it.”
“You didn’t give it to him?”
I should have known better, but Stephanie’s smile reassured me.
“Of course not. I told him I’d taken it to the police station because it was evidence in a murder investigation but that I’d make sure it got filed in probate once the murderer was arrested.”
“You shouldn’t have baited him like that. It was dangerous,” Officer Harrison said.
“I’m a big girl and fully capable of taking care of myself.” Stephanie gave the detective a frosty stare.
I guess things weren’t totally okay between the two of them, but something told me they’d work it out. “I guess that just leaves me.” I paused for several seconds to collect my thoughts. “I think someone’s been embezzling money from the car dealership.”
After everyone got over the shock, they started firing questions at me. How? Who? How much money?
I held up a hand to fend off the questions. “I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I think someone is filing fake invoices. There’s a company, MN Holdings
, that’s been paid over three million dollars in the past year.”
David whistled. “Did you say, three million dollars?”
Stephanie looked puzzled. “Are you sure?”
I tried not to show the hurt those words caused. “Well, it’s been a while since I’ve done any public accounting, but there are red flags that any CPA would recognize.”
Stephanie reached out and squeezed my hand. “I’m not doubting your ability or your accuracy. I just don’t understand how it’s possible Dad sold cars worth more than three million dollars. I mean, even if he sold a car to everyone in Lighthouse Dunes, I don’t see how he could have made that kind of money.”
Dixie nodded. “I see what you’re saying. There couldn’t have been more than twenty cars on the lot when we were there the other day.”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Albert with more than that.” I paused. “Plus, it’s not like he’s selling Rolls-Royces and Bentleys,” I said. “Although, he did give Bambi that Corvette.”
David snorted. “Corvettes don’t come close to what he’d need to sell. He’d have to be selling the most expensive cars on the market—Bugattis, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris,”
“I’ve never seen anything like that in Lighthouse Dunes, let alone at your father’s dealership.”
“Could your husband have been involved in anything illegal?” Officer Harrison asked.
I bristled at the idea that my husband could have been involved in anything illegal. However, the reality was the man I married wasn’t the same man who left me for Bambi. He’d changed a lot over the years. In all honesty, I didn’t know Albert anymore. I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Stephanie stared at Officer Harrison. “You know something. Spill it.” How she could read his stony face and tell he was concealing information, I had no idea.
Officer Harrison paused for several moments, but we waited. “We have reason to believe there’s an illegal drug ring operating in Lighthouse Dunes. But we haven’t been able to figure out how they’re smuggling the drugs into the city.”
