by K. M. Morgan
“Ok. Just write down the amount and I’ll try to get to it before lunch,” Jackson replied, annoyed.
“I need it now,” Max insisted.
Jackson sighed. He moved his stack of papers to the side and put on a fake smile for Max.
“Coming right up then,” Jackson groaned.
Jackson put his work aside and cut a check for Daisy so she could get started redecorating. Daisy was happy that Max stuck around during the process. It kept Jackson’s grumpiness at bay.
With the check for the job in hand, Daisy then went out shopping for supplies and accent pieces to spruce up the office. First she had to get some chocolate to soothe her soul after the stress she had just witnessed. Brownie? Cookies? Cupcake? Didn’t matter. She had to get something comforting fast.
Chapter Five
It was a relief to be out of there. As a freelance redecorator, Daisy had seen a wide assortment of living and work situations. Few were quite that tense. The whole place seemed like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
Luckily she was now able to move on to her favorite part of her job—shopping. Every woman she knew loved to shop, but she got to do it for a living. Granted, she didn’t get to keep anything she bought, but there were far worse ways to make a living.
Whenever Daisy was on a job, she always made Fiona’s Favorites her first stop. Fiona’s had the most eclectic selection in town. Not to mention the prices were downright hard to beat. They were so good in fact that Daisy went to Fiona’s in her spare time to pick up décor for her own apartment.
Daisy was always at her happiest when shopping. She browsed the aisles eager to see what treasures and rare finds awaited around every corner. Suddenly she felt completely at peace. It was as if the tensions of the morning had melted away.
Like usual, Daisy found just what she was looking for at Fiona’s. She was very happy with her finds—not to mention coming in just under budget. Now she only had to make one quick stop at the home improvement store before heading back to the office.
***
Daisy couldn’t wait to see the look on Max’s face when he saw the great accent pieces she’d picked up. Most would come in a truck later, but she had loaded in some pieces in her car to drive to the office herself. Unfortunately, she wasn’t even able to unload her car without drama meeting her in the parking lot. As Daisy grabbed some of the recent buys from her trunk, she heard the bookkeeper Jackson and legal assistant Chloe having a heated conversation in the parking lot.
Daisy shut her trunk quietly and hid out of sight between two cars. She listened in to Chloe and Jackson’s conversation.
Chloe was exasperated. “Jackson, why are you doing this?”
“Because I love you. I always have and I always will,” Jackson replied.
Chloe grimaced. “Please stop saying that. It’s over. We broke up months ago.”
“What do you mean ‘we’? You were the one that left me. I’m begging you to reconsider.”
“Sorry, but I’ve moved on.”
Jackson wasn’t about to give up that easy. “He’s no good for you.”
“How do you know that?”
“First of all, he’s married.”
“Not for much longer.”
Jackson was confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I heard his wife say today that she’s going to divorce him.”
“You were listening in on Max’s conversation?”
“No. I didn’t have to. It was loud enough that I thought everyone in the office heard it.”
“Well, I was working. He’s got me doing the jobs of three people in there,” Jackson complained.
“Anyway, this divorce could be just the thing we need to finally get our relationship out in the open.”
Jackson shook his head. “This is going to end badly. I just know it.”
Chloe disagreed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. His wife was the only obstacle in the way. Now she’ll be gone. If anything, things are finally looking up.”
“Chloe, listen to me. You should get as far away from Max Cash as you can. If you stay with him, you’re just going to get hurt.”
“Jackson, I know what you’re trying to do--”
“You mean look out for you?”
“Save your breath. I can look out for myself. Besides, Max loves me. And I love him,” Chloe revealed.
“You’re making a big mistake,” Jackson insisted.
Chloe changed the subject. “I really have to be getting back to work.”
Chloe then walked towards the entrance, leaving Jackson fuming.
Jackson clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes.
***
When Jackson and Chloe were finally both back inside the office, Daisy unloaded her car and started bringing her purchases in. Then she got to work. The new couch and chairs and tables she ordered wouldn’t arrive for a couple of days, but a lot of the little stuff could be done such as putting out the new accent pieces and hanging the artwork she bought on the walls.
In the middle of redecorating the waiting room, the receptionist Amber grabbed her attention.
“Max wants to see you in his office,” Amber said.
Daisy grimaced. She didn’t like showing off her work until it was ready. There was still a lot of work to be done. Maybe Max just wanted a status update.
Ironically, Daisy was forced to play a game of hurry up and wait as when she got to Max’s office, he was already in a meeting with someone.
It was Peter Simpson, Esquire—Max’s protégé. Peter was in his mid-thirties. He was headstrong and ambitious. The kind of man that didn’t like being made to wait for something like a promotion.
Peter was a complete shark. No wonder Max had recruited him out of law school to join the practice. But Peter was at the point where he felt like he’d already paid his dues, and he wasn’t afraid to speak candidly about his feelings.
Even though the door to Max’s office was mostly shut, it was cracked open just enough for Daisy to hear what was going on.
Inside the office…
Peter aired his grievances.
“How long am I supposed to wait around for you to make me a partner?” Peter barked.
Peter and Max had a lot in common. They both had a killer instinct, not to mention oversized egos. When they clashed, it was two alpha’s arguing, and neither was the type to back down.
“Patience Peter. You have to earn your keep,” Max insisted.
“Max, all I do is win. Look at my record,” Peter replied.
“I know your record.”
“Then you can see why I’m tired of being patient. You can’t expect me to wait around forever.”
“What are you getting at?”
“I’m just saying, you aren’t the only game in town. If you’re not willing to appreciate what I bring to the table, I’m sure someone else will.”
Max narrowed his eyes. “Now don’t go doing something you’ll regret.”
“Who says I’d regret leaving this practice?” Peter laughed.
“I do. Let me tell you something. I built you up, and I could tear you down just as quickly.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No. I’m just telling you the truth. If you try to go somewhere else, I’ll ruin you. Understand?”
Peter stared Max down. Neither was about to give in. Finally Peter got up and left the office in a huff.
Daisy could see the fire in Peter’s eyes as he walked by her and down the hallway. She wanted to wait for Max to calm down before she entered his office. The last thing she needed was to bear the brunt of his frustration.
Max then caught sight of her out the corner of his eye.
“Daisy, sorry to keep you waiting. Why don’t you come in and have a seat?” he said.
She couldn’t believe how calm Max’s voice was. It was almost as if the heated conversation with Peter hadn’t happened. The man sure knew how to keep cool under pressure. She definitely c
ouldn’t disguise her feelings that well.
Luckily the conversation was congenial. Max just wanted to see how the progress was coming along. She told him everything was on schedule and that things would be done by the end of two weeks latest.
Max then ended the conversation so he could go back to work. Just as Daisy headed towards the doorway to exit, Chloe emerged from the hallway with a fresh cup of coffee.
“Keep up the good work,” Max said.
“I will,” Daisy replied.
Max then noticed Chloe in the doorway. “Can I help you with something?”
“Actually Max, I was wondering if we could talk,” Chloe said.
“Of course,” Max replied.
As Daisy entered the hallway, she noticed that Chloe closed the office door behind her.
***
Daisy couldn’t wait for the day to end. The drama wasn’t over quite yet however. As Daisy stepped into the restroom just before quitting time, she crossed paths with Chloe. The perky, happy face Daisy had seen on her before was now gone.
Chloe’s eyes were completely red. It was clear she’d been crying. She didn’t say a word to Daisy on her way out of the ladies’ room.
Daisy could only speculate what was going on, but it clearly wasn’t good. She tried to reach out to Chloe.
“Is everything alright?” Daisy asked.
Chloe averted her eyes, in no mood to make eye contact. “No.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
Chloe then darted out of the restroom.
Daisy wasn’t about to force the issue. It wasn’t her place to. All she knew was her head was spinning from all the drama of the day. At that point, Daisy just wanted to get home.
***
After the day she had, Daisy couldn’t resist her sweet tooth. She ended up having a warm brownie sundae while watching some reality shows. It was just enough chocolate and sugar to take the edge off the day. She was tempted to make herself a whole batch of cupcakes on top of having the sundae, but managed to resist at the last second.
As delicious as cupcakes were, she didn’t want to go too far overboard. The brownie and ice cream managed to hit the spot. Unfortunately, in a rush to get her sugar fix, she managed to leapfrog dinner in the process.
She couldn’t help herself. She’d had plenty of long days at work before. But never had she seen such dysfunction at an office. No one at that law firm was happy. Resentment, frustration, and misery had their run of the place.
Daisy couldn’t imagine having to go in there full time. There weren’t enough cupcakes in the world to subject herself to that. She was never happier to work for herself. Every once in a while she had to be reminded of that.
There was no telling what would happen on the job the next day. She decided to bring a couple of brownie squares with her just in case. It wouldn’t be enough. What awaited at the law firm was a surprise she never could have predicted.
Chapter Six
Daisy couldn’t believe her eyes. It was a shocking scene. It looked like the entire Cozy Creek police department was on site. Then Daisy realized why.
Max Cash was dead.
Her heart stopped for a second when she saw the Cozy Creek police carry his body out. She got a bitter taste in her mouth.
Daisy didn’t know Max well. They’d only had a few brief, albeit charismatic exchanges. It was such a shock to see him carted out completely lifeless.
Daisy’s heart sank. Less than twenty-four hours ago, Max was bossing people around acting like he was king of the universe. Now he’d never draw another breath again.
How could this have happened? Her mind started racing. Was it an accident? Heart attack? Stroke? Or possibly something else?
She wasn’t the only one at a loss for words. The employees of the law firm stood around with their jaws agape. Their eyes were wide open in shock. Something was noticeably missing however.
There wasn’t a wet eye in the office. Usually when people found out that someone died, tears naturally followed. Looking around the office though, Daisy didn’t see a single tear drop.
How peculiar. Given what a shocking sight it was to see their boss dead, how was it possible that none of the employees were crying? Even Max’s wife had dry eyes.
If that wasn’t odd enough, everyone seemed to be quietly breathing a sigh of relief. As if Max had it coming. Like they wouldn’t even miss him.
Daisy knew Max made life difficult for his family and co-workers, but this was very suspicious behavior.
Daisy watched from the doorway as Deputy Drummond questioned people in the waiting room. Drummond started with Max’s wife first.
“Where were you between the hours of seven and nine last night?” Drummond asked.
“I was out window shopping,” Brooke Cash replied.
Drummond gave her a critical eye, wrote down her response, and then moved on to the bookkeeper Jackson Madsen.
“And you?” Drummond asked.
“I was at home watching hockey on television,” Jackson said.
“How about you?” Drummond continued.
“I was driving home after finishing dinner at Chez Magnifique,” Max Cash’s protégé Peter Simpson answered.
“What about you?” Drummond asked the receptionist.
“I had just arrived home after getting my nails done,” Amber Robertson replied.
“And you?” Drummond continued.
“I had just picked up some Chinese takeout food on the way home from work and running some errands,” the paralegal Jennifer Webster said.
Daisy’s mind started running as wild as a caffeinated cheetah as she heard these alibis.
Deputy Drummond then spotted Daisy out the corner of his eyes. He approached her looking like an overgrown boy scout. The deputy was a ‘by the book’ type.
“Miss, do you work here?” Drummond asked.
“Kind of,” Daisy answered.
The Deputy stared her down. “What do you mean, kind of?”
“Well, I’m working here this week--”
“Are you a temp or something?”
“No, I’m doing a redecorating job,” Daisy replied.
The Deputy stared her down again. “Detective Crumple is going to need to ask you some questions then too.”
***
Detective Chris Crumple dismissed the night maid Angela Franklin from the conference room and called Daisy in. Daisy took a seat across from him.
Chris looked like Santa Claus with his white beard and small circular-framed glasses. His cherubic rotund figure and suspenders only added to the effect. She wasn’t sure whether she would be questioned about death or what she wanted for Christmas.
Daisy couldn’t help but stare at a glob of red jelly on the detective’s beard left over from the donut he was just finishing. She wanted to reach over and dab the jelly herself, since the detective clearly didn’t notice it.
Crumple looked like he’d gotten up on the wrong side of the bed that morning however, so she kept quiet. The detective wiped his eyes, then took a huge slurp of his coffee. That was quickly followed by a burp.
“Gadzooks. What a morning, huh?” Crumple asked.
Daisy gave the detective a forced half smile, still distracted by the glob of jelly on his beard. Was this Cozy Creek’s finest? She knew there wasn’t much crime around these parts, but Crumple hardly seemed like a man in possession of keen detective skills.
“It’s not your average Wednesday alright,” Daisy replied.
Crumple furrowed his brow and scratched his head. “Is it Wednesday already?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, hump day. We’re halfway there. I can’t wait for the weekend—I’ve got some good fishing planned.”
“Uh huh. Is there something you wanted to ask me, or--”
“Oh…right. Where were you last night between the hours or seven and nine?”
“At home. Why?”
“Now hold on right there. I’m the o
ne asking the questions here. Do you have anyone who can vouch for your location?”
“No. Not really. I was just at home with my dog eating an ice cream sundae and watching reality shows,” Daisy explained.
“So you’re saying no one can vouch for your location but your dog?” Crumple said.
“Yeah, I guess. I mean, I was just at home. Why?”
“I’m afraid pooches don’t make for good material witnesses. Looks like you don’t have an alibi.”
Daisy bit the corner of her lip. “Alibi--for what?”
“The murder of Max Cash.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Murder? What makes you think he was murdered?”
“I told you, I’m the one asking questions here. And let me tell you, a man doesn’t just plop over at his desk like that unless there’s some kind of foul play involved.”
“He could have had a heart attack or stroke, couldn’t he?” Daisy argued.
“Ms. McDare, who is the detective here? Besides, you should be worried about that lack of alibi of yours. The way I see it, everyone who was in this office yesterday is under suspicion at this point.”
This was ridiculous. Daisy wasn’t going to stand for that kind of lazy assumption.
“Come on, you can’t possibly think I did it.”
“Why not?”
“Because—I just met the man a few days ago,” Daisy said.
“From what I can tell, he had a pretty caustic personality,” Crumple replied.
“First of all, you don’t even know that he was murdered. But if there was foul play, why would I have done it? I had no reason to.”
“Says you. It’s my job to try and rule things out. It doesn’t help that you don’t have an alibi.”
Just then, something dawned on Daisy. She pulled out her phone.
