Thin Crust Killers

by Chris Cavender

  “Do you really think we need the chief of police with us just to ask a dance teacher a few questions?”

  Maddy shook her head. “We can’t afford to underestimate her. If we’re even close to being right, she may have already killed two people. I don’t think it makes sense to take her for granted.”

  “You’re right.” I pulled my phone out as Maddy drove, and got Kevin at his desk. “I need some help.”

  “I’m not moving any furniture for you, Eleanor,” the chief of police said.

  “Why, would that be too undignified for a man of your stature? I could always get your son to help.”

  He seemed surprised by my answer. “Is that really the reason you called?”

  “Of course it isn’t,” I said. “Maddy and I are going to go speak with Missy Plum, and we’d like you there to back us up.”

  “Forget it. I won’t be your dance partner, either.”

  “No worries there; I’ve seen you dance before, remember? There are a few dozen men in town I’d call before your name would come up if I wanted to dance.”

  “Then why should I meet you at Missy’s studio?”

  I took a deep breath, then said, “We think she might have had something to do with Hank and Steve’s deaths.”

  The other end of the line grew silent, until a few seconds later, he said softly, “How did you know it was Steve in the fire? I just found out from the FBI myself. They managed to track down his dental records in California, and they were a perfect match to the body we found in the explosion.”

  I’d done it now, and there was no way to undo it. “Trent came by my house.”

  That got his attention. “When did you see him? Is he still there? The FBI is extremely eager to talk to him. Eleanor, I know you don’t always respect my opinion, but trust me when I say you don’t want to mess with these guys. They can ruin you seven ways to Sunday.”

  “I have no idea where he is right now. He came by my place last night, and that’s when he told me about Steve. This morning he wanted to see what Steve was hiding in that shoe box we dug out of his sedan.”

  “So there weren’t family pictures in there after all?”

  I was digging myself into a hole deeper by the minute, but it was not the time to hold back on Kevin now. “There weren’t any photos there until I planted them myself. I had to tell you something. You never would have let me look otherwise.”

  “But the box was empty,” he said.

  “That’s not entirely true, either,” I admitted.

  “Eleanor, maybe it would be easier if you just told me anything that you’ve said to me in the last month that was actually true.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lie to you, but you wouldn’t believe me.” Maddy pulled up in front of Missy’s studio. “We’re here. Should we wait for you before we go in?”

  “Eleanor, listen to me carefully. Don’t take one step toward that door. I’ll be there in one minute. Have you got that?”

  “I understand,” I said. “We’ll wait for you out front.”

  Maddy looked at me with an expression of awe. “I can’t believe you told him how many times you’ve held back or outright lied to him just now. You’re a braver woman than I thought you were.”

  “We can’t take any more chances, can we? If Missy’s a murderer, we need him here with us, and I couldn’t figure out any other way to get him to come.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when he gets here.”

  “I’m not exactly thrilled about it myself,” I said, “but I’ll deal with it. This is too important.”

  Kevin Hurley was as good as his word. He slammed the cruiser into Park as he pulled in beside us.

  “Thanks for not using the lights and siren,” I said as Maddy and I got out. “We wouldn’t want to scare her off.”

  “Trust me, that’s the only reason I’m not dragging you both out of the car and throwing you in the back of my squad car. You and I need to have a talk, Eleanor.”

  I nodded. “I understand that you’re angry with me, and I can’t honestly say that I blame you, but let’s talk to Missy first.”

  He held out a hand. “It will wait. I want to see those two photos Maddy mentioned before we do anything else.”

  I reached into my purse, moved the IOUs to one side, and then retrieved both pictures. Kevin took them from me, studied each of them for a few seconds, and then he put them in the shirt pocket of his uniform.

  “You told him about them?” I asked.

  “Sorry,” Maddy said, and then she turned to Kevin and said, “Hey, we want those back!”

  He didn’t even answer. Kevin just stared at her until she broke eye contact. I myself wouldn’t even have had the guts to ask, but then again, Maddy was known for her bold behavior, even when it wasn’t in her best interests.

  “Now, why don’t you two wait right here while I go talk to Missy.”

  “Forget it. You wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for us. We’re going in with you,” I said.

  “Eleanor, don’t make me get tough with you.”

  “Say anything you want to,” I said, “but we’ve at least earned that much. If Missy did it, we should be there when you bust her for it.”

  “Nobody’s getting busted based on the flimsy evidence you’ve given me so far.” He studied me a second, then Kevin asked pointedly, “You two aren’t holding back on me, are you?”

  “Maddy and I told you everything we know,” I said.

  “Is that true?” he asked my sister.

  “I’d swear it on your life.”

  “You mean your life, don’t you?”

  She shrugged. “No, I was pretty careful about the way I phrased it. Are we going to stay out here debating something you know you can’t possibly win, or are we going to go talk to Missy?”

  “I meant what I said. You both are going to stay here, or I’ll arrest you and lock you up.”

  “On what charge?” I asked.

  “Obstruction of Justice sounds like a good place to start. Stay,” he commanded.

  Maddy started to protest when I put a hand on her arm.

  “We’ll stay,” I said.

  “Both of you?”

  Maddy nodded, and then Kevin said, “Why don’t I feel good about this? I’ll be back shortly.”

  “What do we do now?” Maddy asked me once he was gone.

  “We wait,” I said.

  “Some plan.”

  “Sorry, but it’s all we’ve got.”

  Chief Hurley was back in thirty seconds.

  “What happened? Did you change your mind about including us?” Maddy asked.

  “No, that’s not it. She’s gone.”

  “What do you mean, gone? Are you talking away from the studio, or is she dead?” An image of her dead body sprawled out on the floor of her studio injected itself into my mind, and I couldn’t get rid of it.

  “I meant that she’s not there. Come on, you might as well see for yourself.”

  Maddy and I followed Kevin into the dance studio and found a sign posted on the front door.

  We are closed for business as of today. It has been my privilege to serve the Timber Ridge community over the past years. Thank you for your patronage.

  Missy Plum.

  “That’s kind of abrupt, isn’t it?” I asked.

  “Businesses go under and shut down all of the time,” Kevin said. “That might be all that it means.”

  I couldn’t believe it. “You don’t honestly think this is a coincidence, do you?”

  Kevin grinned at me. “I don’t trust coincidences, and you know that. I’m going to go by her apartment to see if she’s really left town yet.”

  “We’ll follow you in my car,” Maddy said.

  “You’ll stay right here,” Kevin answered.

  “You can’t stop us,” she countered.

  “Maddy, would you like to know how many ways that’s not true?”

  I stepped in between them. “Fine, we’re d
one arguing about it. Maddy and I are going to go to work pretty soon, but could you at least let us know if you find her?”

  “Eleanor, I’m not giving up that easily,” Maddy protested.

  I took her shoulders in my hands and forced her to face me. “Maddy, enough already. We need to let Kevin do his job.”

  “I’m glad at least one of you still has a little common sense,” he said.

  I turned to him and snapped, “If you don’t keep us updated, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your natural-born life. I can promise you that.”

  “Goodness knows I wouldn’t want to jeopardize our friendship by intentionally misleading you or not keeping you informed,” Kevin said.

  “Save your sarcasm,” I said. “Just be sure you call me.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” he said. He got into his cruiser, and I noticed he lingered at the stop sign for a few moments to be certain we weren’t tailing him.

  Maddy must have noticed the same thing. “Good, he’s gone. Let’s see if we can get to Missy’s before anything good happens.”

  “We’re not going,” I said.

  “Where are we going then? Surely we’re not going to go make pizza. If ever there was a time to use your reserve of frozen crust, this is it. We’ve got plenty of time before we need to be there. Eleanor, this is too important.”

  “I agree with you.”

  “I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

  “You heard me. We need to talk to Bailey. I want to wave these IOUs under his nose and see what he has to say.”

  “You told Kevin we were going to go work.”

  “I said soon, I didn’t say immediately. Besides, don’t you think our investigation is work, too? Sometimes there’s more to life than making pizza. I need to see Bailey’s face when we show him those IOUs.”

  Maddy grinned. “You’re right. That could be fun.”

  “Have I ever told you that you have the oddest ideas about what’s fun?” I asked as we drove toward Bailey’s office.

  “I like to think that it’s part of my charm,” she said.

  “If that helps you get to sleep at night, then I’m all for it,” I said.

  “What do you think Bailey’s going to say when he sees those markers?”

  “I’m not sure. Do you have any idea?”

  “No, but I’m all aquiver with anticipation. Maybe we should both call in sick today. I’ve got a feeling things are coming to a full boil soon.”

  I glanced at my watch and saw that we had plenty of time before we had to be at the pizzeria. “We don’t have to make that decision just yet. Let’s go see Bailey.”

  Chapter 13

  “What do you two want?” Bailey asked as he poked his head out of his office. His secretary was nowhere to be seen yet again, and I was beginning to wonder if Bailey had laid her off. “Don’t you have a pizza joint to run? I’m kind of busy right now.”

  “This can’t wait,” I said. “Maddy and I have something we need to show you.”

  “I doubt that it’s more important than the Petersons losing their car in a wreck last night. If I don’t file their claim, Suzanne’s going to be walking to work for the next few weeks.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I just told you. They had a wreck,” he repeated. “You two are going to have to wait your turn if you want to talk to me.”

  “You might want to rethink that,” I said as I took the IOUs out of my purse.

  He glanced at them, and then he said, “I don’t know where you got those, but they’re old news.”

  “Are you actually going to stand there and deny that you owe this money?” Maddy asked.

  “I don’t owe any of it anymore. I haven’t gambled in a long time, and I paid off those last two debts weeks ago. I’m not sure, but I think someone’s messing with you.”

  “How can we confirm that you paid them?” I asked.

  “Track Steve down and ask him. He’ll tell you that I gave him a fistful of cash to settle both of those debts the day he came back into town. Eleanor, you should get your facts straight before you and Maddy barge in here with these wild accusations. All you had to do was talk to Steve. He’ll confirm everything I’m saying.”

  “I can’t do that,” I said.

  “Why not? Don’t tell me he still hasn’t turned up.”

  “Steve turned up, all right. As a matter of fact, he was never missing.”

  Bailey looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “Have you been hiding him at your house or something?”

  “No, Steve was in the newspaper office when it exploded. He’s dead,” I said abruptly.

  That got Bailey’s immediate attention. “What are you talking about? Eleanor, what would make you say something like that? Everybody in town knows that was Trent. Steve wasn’t there when it exploded. He just left town.”

  “It was all a mistake,” I said. “The FBI has identified his body.”

  Before I could say anything else, Maddy added, “That makes it kind of convenient for you, doesn’t it?”

  “What wild theory are you two batting around now? I never had anything against Steve. Believe it or not, we were friends a long time ago.”

  “Whether you were or not isn’t really the point, is it?” I asked. “All I know is that the two men who held these markers are dead. That takes you off the hook.”

  He shook his head. “I told you, I already paid them both off. I wouldn’t kill a man for ten thousand dollars, or even fifteen. Why would I want either man dead? This works against me as much as it does in my favor. But trust me, I paid them off.” His telephone started to ring, and he answered it, completely ignoring us.

  “Hi, Suzanne. I’ve almost got it filed. I’ll call as soon as I get my confirmation, and you’ll get your check.” He looked at us for a second, and then said, “You both need to leave. I’ve got work to do.”

  “We’re not finished with you yet,” Maddy said.

  “Then make an appointment like everyone else does.” Bailey walked us to his door, and then he nearly slammed it in our faces once we were outside.

  “Do you believe him?” I asked Maddy.

  “I don’t know. Do you?”

  “I want to, but there’s something about his story that just doesn’t feel right.”

  “Then we need to keep digging and see what else turns up,” Maddy said. She glanced at her watch, then said, “In the meantime, since we’re getting a late start, we’ve still got a little time before we have to be at the Slice, don’t you think?”

  I saw that we still had twenty minutes before we had to unlock our doors for lunch. “What did you have in mind?”

  Maddy said, “I have a few quick errands to run before we open. You’re welcome to tag along with me.”

  Running errands with my sister was on my list of things I’m willing to do, but it falls just below dental work and right above major surgery. “Thanks, but if you’ll drop me at my place, I can pick up my car and take care of a few things myself. That way I can have my car if I need it and you won’t have to bring me back home tonight.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely,” I said.

  After Maddy dropped me off at my place, I waved good-bye to her and walked inside. As I came in, I noticed that in our rush to get out of there, we’d left the front hall closet door open. I started to close it, but then I realized that it was probably time to start letting go of some of my late husband’s things. I didn’t have to donate everything to charity. I’d keep a few of my favorites, but the rest I’d give away. It was starting to get cold out, and I knew there were folks who could use some of his jackets more than I needed them.

  The third jacket I pulled out of the closet was heavier than it had any right to be. When I checked its bulging pockets, I was stunned to find twenty thousand dollars in hundred-dollar bills jammed inside, neatly banded into twenty individual packets. Where had it come from? Had my husband been squirreling money away over the years wi
thout telling me? No, there was no way Joe could get his hands on this kind of cash without me knowing about it. After all, we worked together all day long at the Slice, and then we came home together every night.

  This had to have come from Steve’s stash. The money would have easily fit inside the shoebox I’d found in his car, and evidently he considered my closet a safer place to hide it than in his rust trap of a car.

  But what was I going to do with it? I’d have to discuss it with Maddy, and maybe talk to Bob Lemon as well.

  Until I could get it into my safe at work, I stuffed the cash into my purse, though it made it bulge out under its size.

  And that’s when I heard someone come into the house behind me.

  “Missy, what are you doing here?” I couldn’t believe she’d just walked right into my living room like that. I must have forgotten to lock the door behind me when I’d come in. I’d been planning to leave as soon as I grabbed my car keys, but the open closet door had distracted me.

  And now it looked like I was going to pay for it.

  “I’m furious with you,” Missy said as she backed me two steps closer to the closet. There was a look of pure hatred in her eyes, a madness there that I’d never seen before.

  “You can’t just walk into someone’s house uninvited,” I lashed out at her. Why hadn’t Kevin stopped her at her place? A wave of dread swept through me. Could she have done something to him when he’d tried? If Missy had hurt Kevin, or done something worse to him, it would be my fault. I’d sent him there on my suspicions, so I had to bear the responsibility for whatever happened to him.

  If Missy had yelled at me just then, it would have certainly spooked me, but not as much as her soft laughter did. “Eleanor, I can do whatever I want to, and nobody’s going to stop me.”

  I’d tried to be forceful with her, but it had only triggered her insanity. Maybe it was time to try something else. I had to find out if she’d done anything to Kevin. Not knowing his fate was more terrible than suspecting the worst, and I didn’t want to die thinking I had his blood on my hands. “Kevin Hurley is on his way over here. You can take it up with him, if you’d like to hang around for a minute or two.”

  She laughed again, a sound that had no humor or warmth in it. “That’s a nice try, but I saw him driving out of town on my way over here. He looked like he was heading off to some kind of emergency, so we don’t have to worry about him interrupting us, do we?” Missy’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Why couldn’t you keep your nose out of my business, Eleanor? Do you honestly think I don’t know what you and that nosy sister of yours have been doing? Everyone in town knows what you’ve been up to.”