by Liz Turner
“Listen to me, Chef Koche,” he jeered. “My daughter does not have contact with anyone without my approval. She is home-schooled, has all her recreation here, and does not go anywhere without either my wife or me with her. I will not have her life turned upside down because a man decided to get himself killed. And we have no use for your food. Now, kindly step off my property.”
Veronica continued to stare at him curiously. A man decided to get himself killed? We never mentioned that Leo was murdered.
Amber, who had been standing next to Veronica this whole time, started to whine. Louis’ head snapped down to look at her, and his face darkened even further.
“And take the dog with you. It better not do anything to my yard.”
Amber squeaked again, and Veronica bent down to comfort her. “Amber wouldn’t do anything like that.”
“I could stay out here with her,” Sakura suggested. Veronica mentally applauded her for keeping her voice stable. “Then Detective Bernard and Chef Koche could talk with Naomi inside.”
“Have you not listened to a word I have said?” Louis' voice was starting to rise to a yell. “You will leave right now, or I will call the police.”
“Louis, don’t be so crass to our guests.” The new voice came from Amy Edwards as she exited the house through the front door. She walked around her husband so she could look him in the eye. “They are investigating a death. That is the most important thing right now.”
“Amy, I will not let these people do anything to hurt our daughter,” Louis argued.
“And they won’t. I’ll make sure of it,” Amy debated back. “I’ll be in the room the entire time. I’ve already spoken with Chef Koche numerous times, and she is a very sensitive individual. She won’t do anything to hurt Naomi.”
“How can you know that for sure?” Louis’ voice had decreased in volume, but it was obvious he was no less angry.
“Mister Edwards, a murder has occurred, and every second is precious,” Veronica announced. Louis stared at her. “The more time is wasted, the harder it will be to find evidence that leads to the killer being brought to justice.”
“Veronica’s right,” Max declared. “If Naomi can help us find a clue to who did this, then it is imperative we speak with her.”
Louis glanced back and forth between Amy and the investigators. From the look on his face, which honestly hadn’t changed much since they first arrived, he was not at all convinced of their benevolence. After taking one final glance at Amy before stomping off to his car in a huff, he opened the door to the driver’s seat and sat there with his arms crossed and glaring at the team.
“Please excuse him,” Amy said, her demeanor much more cheerful. “He’s just an overprotective father.”
“You’re telling me,” Sakura joked, but it came out only half-hearted. She stayed on the ground with Amber, scratching the whimpering puppy. “I think I’ll stay out here with Amber. Louis already said he doesn’t want her inside.”
“That might be for the best,” Amy agreed. She stepped aside and waved her hand for the others to head for the door. “Please follow me.”
As the group entered the residence, Veronica noticed how the inside of the house was slightly livelier than the outside. Although the walls were still bare, like the outside, there were a couple of very formal photographs of a family of three, apparently the Edwards. Only Amy seemed to be genuinely smiling in any of them. Louis and Naomi's faces were either strained grins or indifferently passive. All the furniture was pure white, with no patterns or different features, making them blend into the white carpet perfectly. Veronica had to strain her eyes to see the couch, with all the clean white in the background.The only colors present in the house were the potted flowers, which varied from red roses to yellow tulips, and were scattered around the living room on small tables. Veronica looked at each flower for a second as she and the others walked to the couches so they could sit. She trailed behind a little to touch one of the rose pedals.
Silk, she realized, and pulled her hand away.
“I don’t think we’ll eat now, but I do appreciate you bringing lunch,” Amy said, taking the plates from Veronica with a smile. “You really go above and beyond, Chef Koche.”
“Oh it’s nothing,” Veronica reassured her.
Amy headed through one of the doors to the side, presumably to the kitchen. The door was white as well, and Veronica was able to spy it was actually the dining room with similar décor as the living room.
“Naomi? Please come with me?” The investigators heard Amy request. “Detective Bernard would like to ask you a few things.”
Mother and daughter returned to the living room, where the trio of sleuths had made themselves comfortable on the white furniture. Veronica didn’t think it was possible, but Naomi’s eyes were wider and glassier than earlier in the park. She had changed out of her party dress and into a pair of black denim jeans and a white shirt, giving her a casual appearance. Her brown hair was loose, tied back into a ponytail. She carried a book under her arm, but she put it down next to one of the fake flower vases before she arrived at the closer couch and sat down.
“Hi Chef Koche,” she greeted with a minuscule smile. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Nice to see you too, Naomi,” Veronica returned. She pointed to Max. “This is Detective Max Bernard, who works with the Meloda PD.”
“And you want to talk about what happened to Leo Amato?” Naomi asked. “I figured someone would. Word gets around quickly in this neighborhood.”
“If you feel comfortable talking about it,” Max said, and Naomi gave a tiny nod. Max pulled out his notepad again. “I understand he has been acting strangely around you for some time.”
“Yeah, acting strangely is one way of putting it,” Naomi answered, biting her lip. “He’s always hanging around the park nearby. The one we were at earlier for the party?”
“We know the one,” Veronica said with a smile, trying to cheer the girl up. “Lots of people say he would take photos there.”
“It’s really nice having a park so close,” the young teenager proclaimed. “I could play there whenever I wanted, as long as my father didn’t mind. He never likes me being outside the house.”
“But you did so anyway?” Veronica inquired.
“I insisted on it,” Amy contributed. “It’s not healthy for a child to be holed up in a house all day long.”
“I’m not allowed to do it as often now, but I still love being in that park, watching the birds…” Naomi trailed off for a second before composing herself. “Anyway. I remember that Leo would be there whenever I was. Usually taking pictures, with either his standard camera or his video camera. I always assumed he was there all the time.”
“Always assumed?” Max repeated. “As in past tense?”
Naomi shrugged. “It started to feel weird when I got older. Kind of uncomfortable, you know?”
“Did Leo ever speak to you?” Veronica questioned.
“Only when my mother or another adult was with me,” Naomi informed her. “He always kept his distance if I was by myself.”
“Except for Louis,” Amy intervened. “Leo never talked to us if Louis was with us.”
“But Father never lets me talk to anyone, not just Leo,” Naomi reminded her. “Leo was always friendly to me, though. Always asking how I was doing, what my hobbies were, how school was, that sort of thing.”
“You’re home-schooled, correct?” Max asked.
“She is,” Amy replied for her daughter. “Louis insisted, but it’s no problem for us.”
“And you started to become more uncomfortable around Leo as you got older?” the detective reiterated.
“It was weird because he would start to follow me around and watch what I was doing,” Naomi confirmed. “Father calls it stalking, but it never felt that extreme.”
“From the sounds of it, Leo and Louis didn’t get along very well,” Veronica observed.
“True, but Louis doesn’t get
along with a lot of people,” Amy added. “He’s a good man, just not very friendly to strangers.”
“You’d think he’d become friends with his neighbors at some point,” Naomi commented. “You’re friends with everyone, Mom.”
“Everyone’s different, dear.”
“Would it be safe to assume I won’t be able to interview Louis anytime soon?” Detective Bernard inquired, a sarcastic smirk on his face.
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Amy confessed, giving her own awkward smile. “He’s very upset right now. Better let him cool down a little before asking him anything.”
“That’s fine. I don’t have to interview him now,” Max concurred. “We can interview a few other witnesses in the meantime.”
“Can you think of anything that would make someone want to kill Leo?” Veronica asked as gently as she could. “Or anyone who might have a reason to hurt him?”
“I don’t know,” Naomi responded. “I mean, his watching me was weird, but if that was the worst thing he ever did it wasn’t a big enough deal to want him dead.”“I’m not sure either,” her mother agreed.
Veronica noticed her eyes dropping to her feet, something Amy had never done before. She was always confident in her speech and mannerisms, so it was odd she would be uneasy now.
“Well, we better not leave Sakura out there with Amber too long,” Max commented. “Who knows what Louis might think if Amber does something to the lawn.”
Naomi put her hand up to cover her mouth as she chuckled, and Amy finally looked up again as she stood.
“Let me walk you out,” she said.
Naomi stayed inside as the group walked back through the whitewashed fortress and returned to the front yard. The two investigators turned to Amy at the doorstep.
“Are you sure you can’t think of anything strange going on with Leo?” Veronica persisted. She was sure Amy knew something but didn’t want to share it. “Anything at all?”
Amy was silent for several minutes, biting her lip in a similar behavior as her daughter. “Well, I mean, I hate to point fingers…”
“I hate to say it this way, but a man has been murdered,” Detective Bernard insisted. “Pointing fingers may be the only thing that can solve this case.”
“I just don’t want to wrongly accuse someone of murder…” Amy paused before taking a breath. “Promise you’ll just look into it? Not arrest anyone?”
“I’ll only arrest someone if the evidence points to their guilt,” Max reassured her as best he could.
There was another long pause. “Leo was a good man. He often came to the house, when Louis wasn’t home and helped out with things that needed fixing. He was actually a pretty good handyman. But sometimes he would inadvertently make others angry.”
“We heard about the argument he had with Aileen Dolan,” Veronica recalled. “Was there someone else he had problems with?”
“I didn’t want to mention it in front of Naomi, but Leo did have a fight with Henry Mullins the other day,” the brunette woman described. “I don’t think it came to blows, but it was a big deal because it’s not a good start for the Mullins. They just moved here after all. That was part of the reason I wanted to throw the party so they could start fresh with the neighbors…”
“And then this happened,” Max realized.
“And then this happened,” Amy echoed. “Anyway, Leo liked to help me with things around the house, and Leo was doing the same favor for Denise. He was helping her move some of their heavier belongings out of the moving truck, but Henry wasn’t happy about it when he found Leo at his new house with his wife.”
“Do you have any idea what the fight was about?”
“I don’t, but with the way Henry was yelling it couldn’t have been anything good,” she answered.
“I think the Mullins are the next stop,” Max concluded. “They’re the only family we haven’t talked to yet.”
“Thanks for your help, Amy,” Veronica proclaimed. “And sorry if your food has become cold by now.”
Amy shook her head. “It’s okay. It’s wonderful you’re providing lunch for everyone even though the party was canceled.”
“Well, I was already paid, wasn’t I? I wasn’t about to take the money without completing the job,” Veronica declared. “I try to never take anything unless I’ve earned it.”
“That’s a good philosophy,” Amy said, her smile breaking wide.
“Thank you again for your help,” Max repeated. The three said their goodbyes and Amy closed the door. Max turned to Veronica. “Any idea what the fight between Leo and Henry was about?”
“No idea,” Veronica admitted. “But I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”
They walked down the pathway to the metal gate, behind which Sakura and Amber were waiting. Amber whined as her human approached, wagging her tail in excitement. Once Veronica was past the gate, she leaned down and gave Amber a hug.
“Sorry, that took so long, little one.”
“So what happened?” Sakura begged, nearly jumping up and down. “What did Naomi say? What’d she say?”
Max held up his hands to indicate for Sakura to calm down. “Relax. We’ll tell you on the way to the Mullins.”
“The Mullins? The party was for them, wasn’t it?” Sakura recalled. “What do they have to do with Leo’s murder? What was...”
“Sakura! Calm down!” Veronica announced. “We’ll tell you on the way, all right? Just take it easy, before you explode.”
“I hate being left out of murder investigations,” Sakura replied with a pout.
Chapter 6
Henry Mullins was already waiting outside his front door when Max, Veronica, Sakura and Amber arrived. He held his hands behind his back with a small smile as the team approached, each carrying a slightly larger portion of food than they had for the other families. Max initially thought this was strange since Henry and Denise were only a family of two compared to the ones of three, four and five, but Veronica insisted.
“Hello Henry,” Veronica greeted as they walked past the half-empty moving truck and to the front door. “How are you?”
“I’m doing all right, considering the circumstances. Thank you.” The man glanced at the containers of food. “I see you’ve brought us lunch as well.”
“Late lunch, but yes,” Veronica confirmed. “I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine,” Henry replied. “I’ve seen you go around all the neighborhood. You’ve been busy.”
“Well, a murder has happened,” Max said. “We were hoping we could speak to you and your wife about it.”
“I thought you would. Please come inside,” the new neighbor answered. “Please excuse the mess. We haven’t had the time to completely move in yet.”
Henry seemed to fumble a little with the front doorknob. Veronica watched with a little worry as he tried turning it in different directions to see if he could get it open. She would expect this was because this door was new to Henry and he had not yet figured out how to open it. But the way his hands were shaking made Veronica doubt it was simply unfamiliarity that was giving him trouble. Henry glanced back at them with an embarrassed sigh before clearing his throat and turning the doorknob again. This time, it opened.
The Mullins had clearly not been in their new home long enough to give it any personality. The walls were bare, the off-white carpet was perfectly clean, and there was not a cobweb in sight. The people who previously owned the house must have repaired it and kept it clean through the whole selling process. Boxes were piled high, but they seemed to be in a relatively organized fashion. Kitchen items were next to the doorway leading to the kitchen, living room items were in the living room, and Veronica spotted a few boxes in the nearby bathroom that were labeled for it. She presumed bedroom items had been moved upstairs.
The living room was the only place with furniture, with a couple of folding chairs and a single navy blue couch in the center. A little pathway had been made using the cardboard boxes so the sofa coul
d be accessed. Denise sat with her legs crossed, surrounded by a pile of open books. She had a big notepad on her knee, and every so often she would write something down on it with a pen. Denise would then stick the pen behind her ear before resuming reading her book. Next to her leg was a large bowl of ice cream, and she occasionally took a spoonful into her mouth.
She’s clearly more interested in whatever she’s reading than unpacking her belongings, Veronica joked to herself.
Denise glanced up from her books when she heard the group enter the living room. She had changed into her pajamas, but she didn’t seem even remotely embarrassed about it. In fact, she seemed much more comfortable than she had at the park party. Her deep brown eyes were clear and curious but still confused. She smiled a little awkwardly, and Veronica saw a bit of ice cream still on her lips.
“It was…Chef Koche, right?” she asked. “Sorry. I’m terrible with names.”
“Not that bad. But you can call me Veronica,” the chef replied. “This is my Executive Sous Chef Sakura, and this is Detective Max Bernard. We’re looking into Leo Amato’s death.”
“Yeah, Henry won’t shut up about watching you,” Denise teased, giving her husband a smile. “Right, honey?”
“Denise!” Henry shook his head and gave her a mocking glare, which she returned with her own. “That makes me sound like some kind of spy or something.”
“We brought you lunch,” Sakura interrupted, handing her plate to Denise. “We hope you enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
Before Denise could even uncover the plate, Henry grabbed it and looked at it for himself. He seemed satisfied. “This meat is fully cooked.”
“And I put in an extra helping of steak instead of fish,” Veronica reported, giving Denise a broad smile. “I remember you mentioning your preferences at the park.”
“Thank you,” Henry said, his tone a little quieter. “For keeping my wife’s needs in mind.”
By this point, Amber had made her way around the boxes and Max’s legs so she could reach Denise. She leaped onto the couch and laid down next to Denise, panting the whole way happily. Denise’s smile grew, and she cooed as she began to pet the four-month-old puppy.
