The pressure to close this case in a hurry trickled down from the mayor to Chief Spencer to Captain Walker and inevitably to Mitch and me. I sometimes wondered if they even cared who went to jail, as long as someone did. Well, I refused to let that happen. As two of our most well-respected, contributing members of the community, Jo and Cole deserved more than that from all of us.
With Winterfest came an increase in tourist activity and vendors from all over, which only complicated matters when it came to investigating a crime of any kind. With so many new faces milling about, it was hard to keep track of suspects and motives and new leads. It was only going to get worse as the festival grew closer.
After popping into A Cut Above and ordering a fancy spread for my mother, I stepped outside to head over to Smokey Jo’s to meet up with Jo and Zoe. We were trying to take Jo’s mind off her worries, and head out to the inn to help my mother get ready to open. It started to snow, so I tightened my coat and squinted to keep the flakes from blurring my vision. I picked up the pace and held my treasured goods tighter. My toe caught on a piece of ice and off I went, slipping and sliding, until finally falling on my backside. I hit my head and saw stars as pain rocketed through my brain, but I managed to save the food.
Rubbing my head until the throbbing subsided, I gingerly sat up, bracing myself against the biting chill in the air. I stared straight ahead and sucked in a breath. Wait a minute. I blinked to clear my vision, thinking I must have a concussion. I couldn’t have seen what I thought I did, could I? I searched the entire area, but the couple was gone. I could have sworn I just saw Ray Simone and Kristen Peters, but that didn’t make any sense. What on earth were they doing in Divinity, and more importantly…
Why were they together?
Gingerly hoisting myself to my feet, I trudged through the slushy snow until I reached Smokey Jo’s, only to stop short. What on earth was happening today? Detective Fuller was standing on the street, inspecting the broken window.
I came to a stop by Jo and Zoe. “Are you guys okay?”
“We’re both fine.” Jo waved away my concern and focused on what Fuller was saying to her, her expression growing angrier with every word.
“What happened?” I asked Zoe.
“Someone had the gall to break into Smokey Jo’s.” Zoe shook her head. “I pity the fool when Jo finds out who it is.”
“No kidding. Even pregnant, Joanne Burnham West is a force to be reckoned with.” I scanned the area and peeked inside. “Did they take anything?”
“That’s the funny thing. They didn’t steal anything—just smashed the front window and some glasses. Almost as if they wanted to make a statement. I would guess it was the Rebel Riders, but how can that be? Gunther’s dead.”
“His second-in-command, Ray Simone, isn’t. I thought I was seeing things earlier. When I came out of the deli, I could have sworn I saw Ray with Ralph Peter’s wife, Kristen, based on the pictures I’ve seen from our research.”
“Do you honestly think he would return to Divinity and finish what they started, when he could be a suspect in his former boss’s murder?”
“From what I gather, he’s pretty ballsy. I wouldn’t put anything past him. I just can’t figure out why Kristen Peters was with him.”
“I have no clue, but you might want to start with this guy.” Zoe pointed to a middle-aged man with blonde hair and a mustache. “He’s one of the craft vendors who just arrived in town for the festival, and he’s been setting up his stand right outside of Smokey Jo’s all morning. Maybe he saw something.”
“Good idea.” I walked over to the curb and stepped under the tent he’d rigged up. “Excuse me.” I smiled politely and held out my hand. “My name is Sunshine Meadows.”
The man blinked pale blue eyes in surprise, but quickly smiled in return. “I’m Wayne Emerson. It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Meadows.”
“Please, call me Sunny. Welcome to Divinity.”
“Why, thank you, Sunny.” He glanced at the gray sky full of fat flakes. “Hopefully the weather turns around for the festival.”
“Oh, believe me, snow will only add to Winterfest.”
He chuckled. “That’s true. Don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Is this your first time here? I don’t remember seeing you last year.”
“It sure is. I just started woodworking and discovered I have a knack for it, so I thought it would be worth trying to sell some of my pieces.”
He hadn’t unpacked any products yet so I couldn’t see the quality, but he sounded pretty confident. “Well, good luck to you. I’m sure you’ll do great.”
“Thank you. I sure hope so.” He turned around to start working on his tent again.
“Wayne?”
He kept pulling the tarp down with his back to me.
“Hey, Wayne?” I repeated. “Do you mind if I ask you a question.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He said after turning around and seeing me still standing there. “I didn’t realize you were talking to me. What did you ask?”
“I was just wondering if you happened to see anything last night or this morning? I’m sure you’ve heard by now that someone broke into my friend’s bar and did a fair amount of damage.”
He rubbed his jaw and stared off in concentration. “It’s a downright shame what happened to her place of business. Makes me worry it might happen to some of us vendors. I almost didn’t come to Divinity after I heard about the recent murder, but I figured if Winterfest was still on, then everything must be okay.” He glanced at Smokey Jo’s with concern. “Maybe I was wrong.”
“I’m sure everything will be fine. Do you remember seeing anything at all that seemed out of place or suspicious?”
“Can’t say that I do. Sorry, Sunny. I really wish I could help.”
“It’s okay, Wayne. I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me. If you think of anything at all, you can reach me here.” I handed him my business card. “I consult for the Divinity Police Department on the side.”
He stared at the card for a moment, then nodded once as his gaze met mine. “Will do.”
I started to walk back over to Jo and Zoe when Wayne’s words made me freeze.
“Hey, Sunny, I just thought of something that did seem a little off.”
I turned around to face him expectantly.
“There was this bear of a man this morning. Looked like a bald-headed giant with a beard longer than I’ve ever seen. Said he was looking for his wife and showed me a picture. She was a pretty thing. Can’t imagine what she sees in him, but that’s neither here nor there. It was probably nothing, he was just acting antsy and strange is all.”
“Thank you. That actually helps more than you know.” Looked like Ray and Kristen weren’t the only suspects who’d returned to Divinity…
Ralph Peters was here as well.
10
I raised my hand to knock on the door to my parents’ inn, but it swung open before I could.
“Where have you been, young lady?” my mother asked, her face puckered into a sour expression.
“Working, but I’m here now.” I bit back what I really wanted to say and handed her the basket of deli goods I’d bought.
“Who has time to eat with so much left to do?” She took the basket from me, barely glancing inside. “Well, get on in here. Better late than never I guess.”
My mother had never been the soft, supportive, comforting type. I knew that she loved me, and we’d come to a truce of sorts, but I still longed for things to be different at times. Her whole face brightened when she spotted Zoe and Jo, then lingered wistfully on Jo’s baby belly. A little piece of my heart squeezed tight in envy. I knew she didn’t mean anything by it, but seeing her so affectionate with them stung. I knew she wanted to be a grandmother. As her only child, the pressure was on me. Little did she know, for once we were on the same page. I just didn’t know if my fiancé was.
“There’s my darling daughter,” came a booming voice from behind me. I sp
un around and my father wrapped me in a bear hug, making me feel ten again. He still wasn’t a true believer in my fortune-telling abilities, but at least he accepted me for who I was now. He used to push me to do something more with my life, but he was getting soft now that he was retired and I was engaged. He probably figured I had Mitch to take care of me for the rest of our lives, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that might not be the case anymore.
“Good to see you, girl. I was just on my way out to join Harry. Your mother has us all running around in circles with to-do lists.” He dramatically rolled his eyes, my mother none the wiser as she fussed over Jo while she filled her in on the break-in. “People will sleep just as well here if the grounds aren’t in perfect shape. Harry and I can only work so fast. We have our own lists.” He patted his chest proudly. “We’re in charge of the ice fishing contest for Winterfest.”
“That’s great, Dad. I’m sure you guys will do a wonderful job.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, kiddo.” He winked and headed for the door the second my mother spotted him lollygagging.
She raised a brow at me as if it were somehow my fault. Hoisting her chin a notch, she marched over to me with Jo and Zoe following closely behind. “Mitch, Sean, Cole, and his friends all finished painting for me just about an hour ago, so be careful. The walls might still be wet.”
“It looks great, Mom,” I said, and meant it.
My mother had always had impeccable tastes. Rich, neutral earth tones with updated molding and accents adorned the walls. The hardwood floors had been refurbished, and new pieces of furniture had replaced the old, outdated ones. Frank had installed new heating and cooling units, while Sally made everything sparkle. Thank the Lord it was winter, because who knew what shape the yard was in with Harry and my dad in charge, but something smelled great coming from the kitchen.
“Thank you, I appreciate that. It sure hasn’t been easy,” she admitted in a rare moment of vulnerability, then she squared her shoulders and the moment was gone. “We’d better get this basket in the refrigerator.” She hesitated a moment before her eyes met mine. “Thank you, darling. I didn’t realize what you handed me earlier. It looks divine.”
It shouldn’t matter what I had handed her to prompt a thank you, but hey, I would take what I could get. And that was as close to an apology as I would ever expect to hear from her. “You’re welcome.”
She nodded once, then led the way.
We followed my mother into the kitchen, and I had to bite back a chuckle. The Tasty Trio was hard at work. Great-Grandma Tootsie was dressed in her usual polyester, with a checkered apron tied around her waist, cooking up a storm from memory, no recipe book in sight. She hummed a lively tune as she worked, then straightened as much as she could, as she held a wooden spoon and directed the kitchen like a maestro directs his symphony. Fiona was dressed in the latest fashion as she baked pies with perfectly manicured nails, and then there was Granny Gert, with her snow-white hair and flour sack aprons, baking cookies.
“Boys oh day, I think we have some winners, ladies.” Toots clapped her hands.
“I think you’re right,” Fiona replied. “You can’t go wrong with pie, and my lemon meringue is the best in the county.”
“Well, land sakes, I know she’s right,” Granny twittered. “Why, these here cookies are some of the best I’ve baked in a long time, and my Special K bars are show-stoppers.”
“Now listen here, you two. You’re both terrific bakers, and this isn’t a bakeoff. You’re both winners in my book, and that’s something to celebrate. At my age, I’ll take any reason to celebrate. It’s time for a rye and ginger, if I do say so myself.”
“If those recipes taste as good as they smell, I’ll join you,” my mother said, surprising me. She and Granny Gert had never been that close, but she’d seemed to have taken a shine to Great-Grandma Tootsie. I could relate, as I was much closer to my grandmother than my own mother. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along, Toots.” My mother gave the elderly woman a quick hug.
“Oh, go on with you now. You all would have done just fine without me, but I sure am glad to be needed for a change. I’m happy you like the smells, but the real test will be on the fellows sitting in the dining room.” She clapped her hands twice. “Chop chop, girls. Lend a hand and let’s serve those boys out there. They’ve been working awful hard.”
Jo, Zoe, and I, and even my mother hastened to do Toots’ bidding, while Fiona, Granny, and Toots brought up the rear. Mitch, Sean, Cole, Miles, and Zack sat at the table, looking hungry and ready to drool. Harry, Frank, and my father came in and joined them. And last but not least, Captain Walker took the seat at the head of the table, while Granny, Fiona, and Toots all rushed over to dote on him. I should be surprised, but I totally wasn’t.
“Captain Walker?” I asked. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I stopped in to see if these fine ladies needed any help.”
“And did you help?” I bit back a smile.
“He helped, all right.” Mitch chuckled. “He’s been their taste tester for the past hour. You’d think he would save some for the rest of us.”
Captain Walker puffed up his chest. “Just doing my civic duty and serving my town.” Then he gave in and rubbed his full belly.
“Convenient that it’s right at lunch time,” Mitch pointed out.
“Hey, a man’s gotta eat.” Captain Walker held up his hands and tried to look innocent, but no one was buying it.
“Well, say now, there’s plenty for everyone.” Toots scurried around the table, completely in her element taking care of her newfound family.
Everyone ate in silence, other than the occasional moan over how delicious everything was. After we all agreed the menu was a winner, Captain Walker and Mitch went back to work while Sean and Zoe went off to man the bar. Repairs on Smokey Jo’s were being done already, but for the most part, the bar was serviceable.
“I’m furious someone would target my business,” Jo said. “Why me?”
“It’s not just you,” Miles chimed in. “I heard Warm Beginnings and Cozy Endings café, and Sam’s Bakery got hit also. Sounds like whoever is doing this is going after the town’s businesses.”
“Doesn’t make me feel any better. It makes me even madder. It has to be the Rebel Riders. No one has the right to strong-arm businesses into paying for protection.”
“I saw Ray and Kristen in town together this morning. And then I talked to a vendor who said a man matching Ralph Peters’ description was in town looking for his wife. No sign of Officer Burrows yet, but there’s enough suspicion linked to the other three, I think it’s time to find them and question them. At the very least, tail them to make sure no one else’s business gets broken into. It can’t be a coincidence that they show up in town at the same time that these businesses were hit. I’ll talk to Mitch later and see what he thinks.”
“Sorry, Jo,” Zack said, not quite meeting her eyes. “You shouldn’t have to go through any of this.”
“No, she shouldn’t. This is all my fault.” Cole’s jaw worked overtime.
“Sometimes life sucks, and there isn’t anything we can do about it.” Miles stared off in the distance, lost in memories.
“Oh, there’s something we can do about it.” Cole squeezed Miles’ shoulder. “And you can bet I will.”
“You won’t be doing any such thing, Sasquatch.” Jo poked him in the chest and Cole dropped his hand to rub the spot. “I can take care of myself, but you are not going to abandon our babies by talking like that or doing something stupid.”
“I agree. Nothing good ever comes from revenge,” Zack said quietly, then sniffed and rubbed his nose.
“I’m sure justice will be served in the end,” Miles added. “Let the police handle this.” He turned to my mother. “Do you need us to do anything else before we leave, Mrs. Meadows?”
“No, thank you, Miles. You all were such a big help today. I hope you st
ay with us for free once the regular season opens.”
“If I ever need a place to stay, you can count on it.” He nodded, then looked at Zack. “I’m headed your way. You need a ride?”
“Sure,” Zack replied, without making eye contact as he limped to the door to grab his coat.
“Wait, I packed some left-over chicken soup for that cold of yours.” Toots handed the container to Zack, and Zack flinched. Squeezing his eyes closed for a second, he opened them and smiled slightly at her. “Thank you, ma’am.” He took the soup, careful not to touch her hand, and my heart broke for him. Cathy was right. He was hurting in more ways than one, and I wasn’t sure he would ever heal completely.
Just then Morty appeared from out of nowhere. Everyone except Zack jumped. In fact, he did the most remarkable thing. He picked up Morty, and shockingly, Morty let him. Zack took a moment to cuddle Morty and seemed to visibly relax with him in his arms. He whispered something to my cat who purred and rubbed against him before jumping out of his arms. And then Zack left.
Morty the therapy cat? What next?
The next morning, I knocked on the office door to West Construction.
“Did you bring the stuff?” Cole asked as he opened the door.
I patted my fringed satchel. “I’ve got you covered, my friend.”
He glanced around and then stepped back and motioned me inside. “You parked out back, right? Not too many people have a floral-painted VW Bug for a car. If anyone drove by, they’d know you were here, hanging out with a murderer.” He closed the door behind me.
Hazard in the Horoscope Page 9
