Purrder She Wrote

by Cate Conte

  “Their mother has ties to the area. They have a place in the Back Bay. And Heather works in some high-powered job in finance up in Boston. So of course it’s big news in their high society circles.”

  “Did Holly work up there too?”

  “I don’t think Holly worked at all, but she lived up there part of the year,” Becky said.

  “Where’d she live the rest of the time? Here?”

  “That I don’t know. Hang on.” She rose and opened the door to the conference room. “Jodi!” she yelled, leaning out the door. “My society-page person,” she explained. “She’s been doing a lot of legwork on this, given Holly’s standing.” She rolled her eyes at the term, clearly not hers.

  A woman with red hair wrapped in a bun and more freckles than I’d ever seen appeared a moment later. “Yeah?” She glanced at me suspiciously.

  “Come on in. This is my friend Maddie. The fight with Holly and the cat woman happened at her place.”

  “The cat woman?” I shook my head.

  Becky shrugged. “It’s kind of what Adele’s known for. Anyway. Jodi. Remind me what Holly’s ties to Boston are?”

  Jodi came in and sat in the chair next to me. “She has a town house in Beacon Hill but doesn’t use it year-round. Lives—lived—off her trust fund. Couldn’t be bothered to work. Her sister is the one who wants to be investment banker of the year or some crap like that. But they both do the whole party scene up there. And the parents have a place too. So they’re part-time old-money Bostonians and part-time Daybreakers. The Boston media loves them because they’re always having some kind of brawl.”

  “You’re kidding,” I said.

  Jodi shook her head. “Those two sisters hated each other. Like, with a passion,” she said. “Their parents try to make them like each other. It’s why they share that house here. Neither of them would be allowed to use it if they don’t spend some time there together over the summer.”

  “So what happens if one of them is gone?”

  Jodi shrugged. “I guess the other would own it free and clear.”

  “Is it the same deal in Boston?”

  “No. They have separate places. Heather is married. But they always end up at the same parties because, really, they hang around with the same people. There was one party last year where Holly apparently thought Heather was hitting on some guy she wanted to take home that night. Even though Heather is married. Though I’m not sure that matters much. Anyway, Holly threw her drink at her sister and started calling her nasty names. Of course it got caught on camera. Our very own Kardashians.” She smirked.

  It must have been her husband who dragged her away from the Swiss-chard assault. “Wow. They do that in public?” I asked. “Were the parents there?”

  Jodi shook her head. “No, it wasn’t a party for the parents. But someone actually got a shot of the drink getting thrown. I guess she gave enough warning that she was about to lose her mind and the cameras were at the ready.”

  I glanced at Becky. “Why haven’t they arrested her sister, for crying out loud? How badly does she want that summer house?”

  Becky raised her hands, palms up. “Who knows. Jodi, did you hear anything more about what kind of party was going on over there that night?”

  Jodi nodded. “Some end-of-the-season party. They do it every year.”

  “Were the Tanners invited?” I asked casually.

  “I haven’t seen the guest list, but I assume so,” Jodi said. “The Hawthornes and the Tanners have been competing for years, but they pretend to be friendly so they can keep an eye on each other.”

  “So they weren’t friends?”

  “The parents weren’t. The sons and daughters are friendly.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get back. Got a phone call with one of Holly’s neighbors in a few minutes.”

  Becky nodded. “No worries. Keep me posted.” After Jodi left she focused on me, and I could tell she wanted to say something.

  Chapter 29

  “What?” I said.

  “Did you ask about the Tanners because Cole called in the body?”

  So much for my slim hope that hadn’t made its way entirely around the island. “I guess that’s pretty well known at this point, huh?”

  She shot me a look. “You think? How’s Val holding up?”

  “She’s staying with me and Grandpa. That piece of crap hasn’t even been in touch with her since he was brought in to talk to the police.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  I shook my head. “And I saw him last night. At the ice-cream place. With Heather.”

  Becky’s eyes widened. She sat back in her chair. I could see her mind working its way through that. “Really,” she said finally.

  “Yep.”

  “What were they doing?”

  “Talking.”

  “He see you?”

  I shook my head. “Val was with me, so I didn’t want to call attention to him. What do you make of that?”

  Becky thought again. “Either they are friends, or they were in it together,” she said.

  I could’ve laughed if the situation wasn’t so dire. “Good to know we still share a brain. Hey, what do you know about Gigi Goodwin?” I asked.

  Becky shook her head. “Who’s that?”

  “She’s another one of my volunteers. She was there the day of my opening. The younger, slightly insane-looking girl?”

  “Oh right.” She nodded. “I remember.”

  “Apparently Adele is her … mentor.” I hesitated to use Mish’s words about crazy cat-lady-in-training. We weren’t all insane single ladies wearing cat sweatshirts and hoarding a hundred cats in our homes. Well, most of us weren’t that. The single part aside. “I heard she was part of the … altercations Adele had with Holly outside of what happened at the café.”

  “Hmmm. Good question.” Becky scribbled a note on her steno pad. “I’ll ask my cops reporter to do some digging. Hey, Miguel!” she called out the open door. “See what the cops will tell you about any history between Holly and a Gigi Goodwin. Has to do with the Barrows lady.”

  “Got it,” Miguel called over his shoulder from the cube nearest the conference room.

  “When was this?” she asked me.

  “It started a few years back, actually.”

  “Great. That’ll make it hard to find. It might be a needle in a haystack,” she called over to her reporter.

  Miguel raised a hand over his head in acknowledgment without turning around. Guess he was used to her crazy requests.

  “So tell me about Cole,” Becky said.

  “Not much to tell. I wish I knew what he was up to, but I’m guessing his father has him pretty insulated from the whole thing.”

  “Were they having trouble?” Becky asked.

  I shrugged. “Val never said. She wouldn’t have confided in me anyway, I don’t think. But she didn’t talk to anyone else in our family either.”

  She glanced at her watch. “I have a meeting in ten. What else?”

  “Isn’t this enough?” I shook my head. “Seriously, why does this stuff always have to happen around me?”

  “I have no idea, but our murder rate has doubled in the two months since you’ve been back to town,” Becky said. “Maybe I should do a story on that.”

  “Funny.”

  “How’s Lucas?” she asked.

  “Fine,” I said.

  “That sounded convincing. Have you been out lately?”

  “Last night. He came to get ice cream with me, Val, and Ethan.”

  “How many times have you actually been out? Are you guys, like, official?” she pressed.

  What was it with everyone needing this to be official? I liked Lucas. We had fun. I might want it to be official, but we just hadn’t gotten there yet.

  “We’ve been out a bunch of times,” I said, ticking the dates off in my mind. There was the night I’d gone to see his band play and sang with him, that ended with me in the hospital. I still liked to think of that as ou
r first date. Then we’d gone to a party at the beach that one of his friends threw. We’d had dinner a couple of times, and then we’d gone out with Ethan and Val last night. I wasn’t sure if all of those counted as dates.

  “Do you not like him, then? Why is this taking so long?”

  I frowned. “Of course I like him. Everything’s been so crazy—”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, Maddie. Come on. We’ve known each other since we were like, three. I know your MO.”

  “My MO?” I said skeptically.

  “Yup. You go after the jerks. And when they don’t treat you right you get upset and swear off men, then you do the same thing again six months later. The nice guy comes along, it’s not so interesting.”

  “That is so not true.” Well, mostly not true.

  “It so is. Lucas is hot. And if he’s nice and can rock, you should be all over that.”

  I squirmed in my chair. I didn’t want to admit Becky was right, but there was something I was holding back. I kept saying it was because of these murders, but now I wondered if that wasn’t just a foolish excuse.

  “Is it Craig?” Becky asked. She was nothing if not persistent.

  “Is what Craig?”

  “The reason you’re not jumping in with Lucas.”

  “Not at all. No way. Craig and I dated in high school, for God’s sake. That doesn’t mean we’re supposed to be together for life, just because that’s how half the people on this island think.” It was so infuriating. Most people who’d lived here forever thought they needed to marry the first person they dated, simply because the choices of those who actually wanted to live on the island forever could be kind of slim. It was an odd way to pick a mate, to my mind.

  “No, but he’s still totally in love with you,” Becky pointed out.

  “He is not, Beck.”

  “He is,” she insisted.

  “Well, heck of a way to show me,” I said, trying for brevity. “First trying to pin a murder on my grandpa, and now arresting one of my only volunteers.”

  She smiled wryly. “You know what they say. When boys want to get your attention they often do annoying things.”

  “Yeah, in fourth grade.”

  “Find me a man who doesn’t act like he’s still in fourth grade,” she said.

  Chapter 30

  I left the newspaper office a few minutes later, my spirits a bit higher, but as soon as I thought of Adele, probably still at the police station, they plummeted again. I remembered her sitting at her picnic table just yesterday, telling me that she’d be blamed because of who she was. That didn’t sound like a woman who was guilty. Or was that the booze talking? Had she convinced herself that she was innocent? Or maybe that Holly deserved it, and the only reason anyone cared was because she was rich and her family had big voices here?

  Or was something else going on?

  JJ scampered along at the end of his leash, waiting patiently when stopped by admirers. He always attracted attention. Partly because he was cute and partly because cats on harnesses running around the island weren’t the most common sight. Usually I loved it, but today I had to force myself not to be impatient. It wasn’t good for the café, plus no one should be denied a dose of JJ’s cuteness. But I seriously wasn’t in the mood.

  And to make matters worse, when I finally reached my car, a ticket sat under the left windshield wiper.

  “Oh for…” I kicked the tire in frustration.

  JJ looked up at me and squeaked, sensing my aggravation.

  “Yeah,” I said looking down at him. “I feel the same way.”

  Just then, Craig turned down the alley, heading back to the cruiser I just noticed parked farther down the alley. Craig. Of all people. Becky’s words played through my head, an annoying sound track that had become an ear worm. Deep down I knew she was right—Craig was still interested in me—but what exactly did that mean? I couldn’t figure out if he was hanging on to an old idea of us, or if he really thought that the people we’d both morphed into over the past decade would actually be compatible.

  I wasn’t so sure we would be. And I wasn’t interested in finding out. My gut told me Lucas and I could really have something. So why couldn’t I get my act together?

  He saw me and lifted his hand in a wave. “Hey, Maddie.”

  “Hi.” I lifted the ticket in a gesture imitating his wave.

  “What’s that?”

  “A ticket.”

  Craig winced. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Sorry about that. We have a couple new guys. They don’t know Leo’s truck.” Craig reached out and patted the hood as if to reassure it. “Here. Give it to me and I’ll take care of it.”

  I surrendered the ticket gratefully. “Thank you.”

  “No problem.” He left off the it’s the least I can do, but I saw it on his face. He pocketed the ticket, then leaned against the truck. The silence was awkward.

  “How’s Adele?” I asked finally.

  Craig lifted a shoulder. “I’m not sure, Maddie.”

  “Craig. I know you guys have your reasons for looking at Adele, but can you consider that there might be other people to look at too? Listen.” I leaned closer and put my hand on his arm. “I saw Cole and Heather all cozied up at the ice-cream place last night. Seems kind of odd, right, given the circumstances? Her twin’s dead, he’s not talking to his wife…” I trailed off, not wanting to give him too much info on Val’s situation.

  He didn’t look impressed by this news. “So they were having ice cream together?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I admit that I probably wouldn’t be out having ice cream if my sister had been murdered, but people deal with their grief differently. That’s not exactly an admission of anything, Mads. And what is it you think they did?”

  “I don’t know.” I threw my hands up helplessly. “Look. I thought Cole and Holly were … together or something. But what if it was the opposite? Cole and Heather were? And Holly found out and threatened to out them?”

  “So they conspired to kill her? And couldn’t think of a better way than suffocating her with a cat toy? I think both of them are a little smarter than that.”

  “Okay, then what about Gigi? She made some comment about how what happened to Adele was all her fault. What do you think that means?”

  “I have no idea. I don’t know Gigi, but she looked a little unstable to me the other day.” Craig squeezed my hand. “Maddie. Let us figure this out, okay? I know you’re worried about Val and Adele, but we’ve got this under control.”

  I knew he was trying to be nice, but I never was much for the whole I’ve got it covered, little lady spiel. Still, I might need him over the next few days, so I held my tongue, told him I’d see him later and loaded JJ in the truck.

  I turned out of the alley onto Bicycle Street. The usual summer traffic clogged our main drag, causing me to inch along at about one-tenth of a mile per hour. I’d had enough of being out in the world today. But I also had a raging headache and wanted a cup of coffee. I didn’t feel like waiting until I got home. I stayed in the traffic until I reached Bean, the island’s hip new coffee shop. At the risk of getting another ticket, I pulled into a metered slot and fed the one quarter I could scrounge up from the center console. Which gave me about three minutes to get a coffee. I grabbed JJ and raced to the door.

  And almost bumped smack into Felicia Goodwin, who was exiting. Thank you, universe, I thought. Now I could cross off an item on my to-do list without having to remember to call her.

  “Felicia! Perfect. Just the person I needed to see,” I said.

  She looked startled to see me, almost like a deer in headlights. Maybe she was nervous I was going to try to let her down easy. “Yes. Hello,” she said.

  I smiled, trying to look warm and friendly. “I wanted to circle back on our conversation from yesterday. About catering for the café?”

  Warily, she nodded.

  “I spoke with my business partner, Ethan,
and we think it would be great if you could provide some food.”

  It seemed to take a second for that to sink in, but then she smiled, the guarded look lifting from her face. “Really?”

  “Really. Do you want to come by tomorrow and talk about menus?”

  “I would love that.”

  “Great. We close at four. Does that work?”

  “Perfect.” She reached out and clasped my hand. “Truly. Thank you, Maddie. This means a lot.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said, but she’d already turned and hurried away. Not before I saw that her eyes might be watering. I wondered what the deal was with the Goodwins. Did she need work that badly that my job made such a difference? Was her family having trouble? Maybe that was why Gigi was so neurotic.

  Ah, well. At least I could help her a little. I went inside and joined the line, keeping one eye on the street for cops or parking enforcement. My cell phone rang. I gritted my teeth and thought about ignoring it, but glanced at the caller ID. It was my dad. He never called in the middle of the day. I answered, setting JJ down so everyone clamoring around him could have full access.

  “Dad? What’s wrong? Is Mom okay?”

  “Hi, sweetheart. Yes, your mother is fine. Everyone’s fine.” He paused. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “No,” I lied. “What’s up?”

  “Are you available to come by my office today? There’s something I need your … advice on.”

  “My advice? Sure,” I said. “Is this about the gala?”

  Another pause. “What do you know about the gala?”

  “That it’s next week, and you’re stressed about it. Mom told me. At the café Saturday.”

  “Oh. Well, yes, it’s about the gala. Can you come over shortly? We can have lunch.”

  I thought about saying no. This couldn’t be good. But how could I turn down my father? “Sure,” I said, trying to work up some enthusiasm. “I’ll head over there in a few minutes.”

  “See you then. Thank you, Maddie.”

  I hung up, pressing my fingers to my temples. I’d just ordered my mocha with a triple shot when I saw the guy in the red shorts with his little red PARKING ENFORCEMENT cap, standing in front of my truck. Defeated, I turned back to the barista. “Better make it an extra shot,” I said.