On the Lamb

by Tina Kashian

  Funerals in Ocean Crest were well-attended, especially when one of their own was the deceased. A murder was big news, and the town would be abuzz. Lucy had hated funerals ever since her grandmother died several winters ago. She had been devastated by the loss, and she still had bad memories of watching the coffin being lowered into the cold ground while she stood shivering by her mother’s side.

  “Bill has to work Tuesdays,” Katie said. “Let’s go together.”

  Before Lucy could express her gratitude, her cell phone rang. She dug into her purse to pull it out and glanced at the screen. She didn’t recognize the number, but it had a local area code. “Hello?”

  “Lucy, it’s Melanie.”

  “Melanie? Where are you?”

  “I’m at work. I just got a phone call from Detective Clemmons. He wants me to come in to the police station for more questioning.”

  Lucy’s grip tightened on her phone. She’d expected this, but she still felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. The evidence pointed to Melanie, and Clemmons was doing his job. But she also knew the crafty detective could easily wheedle information out of Melanie that could incriminate her enough to slap a pair of handcuffs on her right then and there in the station.

  Melanie was out of her league.

  “You need to call an attorney. Clyde Winters handles criminal cases in town. He’s old but still on his game.” Azad had used Mr. Winters in the past, and the attorney had served him well.

  Melanie’s voice was strained. “No. I don’t want an attorney. I’m innocent and have nothing to hide.”

  Lucy tamped down her frustration and struggled to keep a calm tone. “Melanie, I don’t think that’s wise. Just reach out to him and—”

  “The reason I called you was because I need you to let Sarah into the candy store. I like Sarah, but she’s a part-time college student and is sometimes forgetful. I don’t trust anyone with the key, but I trust you. Will you do it?”

  This wasn’t what Lucy expected and she was caught off guard. How could she refuse? “Okay.”

  “The spare key is hidden in a ceramic seagull just outside the back door.”

  Seriously?

  “I know it’s not exactly a fake rock with a key, but close. Will you do it?” Melanie asked.

  “Of course. I can be there in twenty minutes,” Lucy said. “But Melanie?”

  “Yes.”

  “Be very careful of what you say to the detective.”

  * * *

  As soon as Lucy hung up the phone with Melanie, she called home and asked her parents to stay at Kebab Kitchen to help until she could return. She then dropped Katie off at the town hall and headed straight for Haven Candies. Each boardwalk shop had back stairs that led to a storage room. This way, business owners could receive deliveries and come and go without having to enter their stores from the crowded boardwalk. To secure the shops from the boardwalk entrance at the end of the day, the owners would lower rolling security gates.

  Lucy arrived at Haven Candies and began to climb the flight of stairs that led to the back storage room. At the landing, she spotted the ceramic seagull. She picked it up and turned it over to discover a small compartment in the belly of the seagull. Sliding the little door open, she found the key. Melanie was right. It wasn’t exactly a fake rock, but close. It was also perfect for Ocean Crest because almost every house had shells, crabs, fish, or seagull lawn ornaments.

  She’d have to wait until Sarah arrived for her shift. Meanwhile, she could help. Lucy found an apron emblazoned with HAVEN CANDIES, tied it around her waist, then fetched the trays of fudge from the back room that Melanie had prepared the previous day.

  She was in the middle of the task when Sarah showed up. “Lucy? What are you doing here?”

  “Hi, Sarah. Melanie had to run an errand,” Lucy fibbed. “She asked me to open the shop until you arrived.”

  Sarah stared at Lucy blankly. “An errand? She never misses a day of work. What kind of errand could be that important?”

  Lucy’s mind whirled as she thought of an excuse. She knew Melanie wouldn’t want to reveal the truth to Sarah. Pressed for a response, Lucy blurted out the words before she could think. “Um. She got a call from her sister.”

  “Rhonda?” Sarah’s brow wrinkled. “I didn’t even know they were on speaking terms.”

  Lucy’s initial anxiety was quickly replaced with curiosity. Her father had mentioned that Melanie had an older sister. Lucy had thought Melanie was keeping something from her regarding Gilbert’s murder, but she didn’t know if it had anything to do with her sibling. Now was the time to learn a bit more.

  “Sarah, what do you know about Rhonda?” Lucy asked.

  Sarah had reached for her own apron, and then began cutting the fudge and placing it in small boxes which would be displayed for sale. “Rhonda’s about ten years older than Melanie. She came to the candy store a few times. I asked Melanie why she ended up running the candy store and not Rhonda.”

  “What’d she say?”

  Sarah shrugged, then stacked boxes of chocolate fudge in one pile and chocolate nut in another. “Rhonda had no interest and married some rich salesman. They live on Sandstone Street, the fancy new homes in town. She likes her stuff and doesn’t want to work. She also said Rhonda never felt an emotional connection to the family business and wanted to sell it.”

  This sounded somewhat similar to Lucy’s own family. When Lucy had left the city law firm and first returned home to Ocean Crest, her parents had wanted to sell Kebab Kitchen. Lucy, who hadn’t wanted to stay home, had been shocked and felt a stab of regret at the news. But Emma had agreed that their parents should sell. Her sister’s acquiescence had surprised Lucy almost as much as her parents’ announcement. If Lucy hadn’t come around to decide to manage the place, would Emma have been happy to see the restaurant sold off?

  Sarah wiped her hands on a towel and met Lucy’s gaze. “They also fought a lot in the past. To tell you the truth, I’m glad Rhonda stopped coming around. It was upsetting.”

  “Did they fight about the candy store?”

  “No. They never fought about this place.”

  “Then what?” Lucy asked.

  “Something to do with Rhonda’s husband.”

  Her husband?

  “How do you know it was her husband?” And not her lover?

  “His name is Noah. He came in here once or twice and was friendly. When the sisters fought, his name always came up.”

  Lucy thought about everything she’d learned. What could the sisters have been fighting over? Did Melanie dislike Rhonda’s husband, or was it the other way around?

  And, more importantly, did the sisters’ bickering have anything to do with Gilbert’s murder?

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Catholic church on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Shell Street was crowded. The family had decided to hold the funeral directly after the viewing, and many townsfolk showed up to pay their respects for one of their own. Gilbert’s family consisted of Eloisa, his wife Sophia, and distant cousins who had traveled from out of town.

  The funeral hadn’t yet begun, and Lucy and Katie were near the end of the condolence line at Gilbert’s viewing. Lucy spotted Eloisa, standing next to Gilbert’s casket, her head slightly bowed. Her blue eyes were watery, her powdered skin looked as fragile as old parchment, and for the first time since Lucy met her, she looked her age. She’d dressed in a simple black dress that fell to her knees and low-heeled pumps. No lace, frills, or sequins. The only accessory that expressed her usual flamboyant style was a black feather boa draped around her neck.

  Sophia stood beside her aunt-in-law. Gilbert’s widow was dressed in the height of fashion in a low-cut black dress with a wide slit up her thigh. Her bleached-blond hair was loose and contrasted against the black, and her full lips glistened with the same shimmering lip gloss she’d worn in yoga class.

  Sophia was first in line, and Lucy and Katie approached Gilbert’s widow together.

  “We
’re sorry for your loss,” Lucy said.

  Sophia’s heavily mascaraed lashes widened. “I recognize you two. You’re from the Yoga Palace.”

  Katie didn’t miss a beat. “We told you we were Gilbert’s friends.”

  Sophia’s painted lips curled in a knowing smile. “Right. The whole town is here. Have you asked anyone else questions like you asked me?”

  “We didn’t plan on asking questions. We wanted to do yoga,” Lucy said.

  “Hard to believe because I haven’t seen either of you at the Yoga Palace since that morning. I also asked the receptionist. You never joined after your free trial.”

  Lucy tried not to grimace. “It was harder than we thought.” By the look on Sophia’s face, she wasn’t buying any of their story now, just as she’d come to suspect their intentions on the day of yoga class.

  Sophia looked beyond Lucy’s shoulder. “That detective is here. Maybe I’ll ask him about you two.”

  Lucy glanced at the pews to see Detective Clemmons seated a few rows back. Thankfully, he was talking to Ben Hawkins, the town barber, and wasn’t paying attention to them.

  Time to move on.

  Katie didn’t seem perturbed. She squared her shoulders and met Sophia eye-to-eye. “You can speak to whomever you like. We are just paying our respects.”

  Katie tugged on Lucy’s arm, and together they moved down the line.

  Lucy lowered her voice to a whisper. “Why antagonize her?”

  “I wanted to see her reaction. She doesn’t seem upset, just mad.”

  “Probably because she claims to have an alibi,” Lucy said.

  They stopped talking as they came to Eloisa. Rather than say the customary “I’m sorry for your loss,” Lucy met her landlady’s gaze and said, “How are you holding up?”

  “I didn’t think it would be this sappy, but Gilbert’s lying there in the casket and all I can think about is his last demand to oust me from my home. He claimed I had dementia.” She blew her nose in a tissue.

  Lucy squeezed her hand. She couldn’t figure out if she was relieved or sad. Grief did strange things to people. But for the first time, Eloisa seemed frail. Lucy didn’t like it. She wanted her feisty landlady back. “Now that Gilbert’s gone, you don’t have to worry about anyone trying to evict you from your home anymore.”

  “I know this sounds crazy, but I’ll miss the bastard. He was my only nephew.” She turned to gaze at the casket and then blew her nose once again. “Do you think the police will figure out who killed him?”

  “Detective Clemmons won’t stop until he has a suspect arrested,” Katie said.

  I only hope it’s the right suspect, Lucy thought. don’t

  “Bah! I know I’m on that detective’s list. I don’t trust the police, but you two seem to have your heads on your shoulders. How close are you to finding the real killer?” Eloisa said.

  Lucy stared. “Mrs. Lubinski . . . we’re not the police—”

  Eloisa waved a hand and lowered her voice as she lifted her head to stare at the pews. “It could be anyone here.”

  Lucy followed her gaze to the townsfolk who crowded the church pews. Katie had been right. When one of their own passed, the citizens of Ocean Crest showed up en masse.

  Lucy spotted Melanie four rows away. Lucy was surprised she was here. She was one of the main suspects and Detective Clemmons was in attendance. Or did Melanie think it would look even worse if she didn’t come? Sort of an admission of guilt?

  Melanie wore black slacks, a black silk blouse, and a small black hat, but it was her face that drew attention. She looked like she was going to burst into tears at the slightest provocation. Why? She hadn’t liked Gilbert. She had no reason to grieve his loss so deeply unless she feared she would be arrested any minute for his murder. Lucy never had had a good opportunity to ask Melanie how her questioning had gone in Detective Clemmons’s office. Lucy had let Sarah into the candy shop, then had to return to Kebab Kitchen to work. The questioning couldn’t have been too bad. If it had, Melanie would have been dragged away in handcuffs or arrested by now.

  So why did she look so forlorn?

  Lucy’s gut tightened with the all-too-familiar feeling that Melanie was hiding something—something important that had to do with Gilbert’s murder.

  Lucy spotted Kevin Crowley, the boardwalk tramcar owner. His presence wasn’t unusual, but her gaze lingered on his expression. He checked his watch twice and appeared impatient.

  His words sprang to mind: All business owners are familiar with one another. It’s a small town.

  But was there more familiarity there? Had Gilbert loaned money to him and Kevin couldn’t pay the entirety back plus the exorbitant interest? Alongside Katie, Lucy had searched his boardwalk trailer for evidence of loan documents, and they hadn’t found anything. But a rushed twenty-minute search wasn’t all-encompassing.

  Michael sat in the back pew with Pumpkin and Craig. She liked both of Michael’s friends and didn’t want to think of either of them as killers, but each had a possible motive. Craig hated his former business partner and had publicly fought with him, enough for the police to come and break up their fight. He wasn’t as mild-mannered as she’d thought. Then there was Pumpkin. Did he lose his temper when Gilbert failed to pay for his landscaping services and decide to take it out on Gilbert once and for all?

  Lucy glanced at Sophia, who was standing beside Eloisa. The widow was receiving condolences from the current mayor, the town pharmacist, Theodore Magic. She sniffled and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. Lucy thought it a wonderful performance. She didn’t look like the same woman who’d threatened to summon Detective Clemmons, the woman who’d been in a heated divorce with her spouse. Had she offed Gilbert in order to gain his share of Jersey shore property?

  Or had another of Gilbert’s tenants killed him?

  Eloisa tilted her steel-gray curls toward Sophia and lowered her voice. “The murderer could be the person standing at the front of the line.”

  Lucy didn’t know what to say to that. Despite Sophia’s claims of innocence, she was on Lucy’s list of suspects until she could confirm Sophia’s alibi the night of the bonfire.

  The priest stepped up to the altar and the organist began playing. The viewing was ending and the funeral service was about to begin.

  “You two keep digging,” Eloisa said. “Find the real killer.”

  * * *

  An hour later, the services had concluded and Lucy and Katie were ready to leave the cemetery.

  “Mrs. Lubinski doesn’t look so hot,” Katie said.

  “She just buried her nephew,” Lucy said as she walked beside Katie. They passed rows of gravestones as they headed to Lucy’s car. A tall mausoleum stood between them and the parking lot. The gray stone facade appeared like a gloomy specter and made a shiver travel down her spine. Lucy’s beloved grandmother’s gravestone was located just beyond the mausoleum.

  At least it was spring and the weather was pleasant. A warm wind blew across the cemetery.

  “That’s not what I meant when I said Mrs. Lubinski doesn’t look great,” Katie said. “She obviously doesn’t get along with her niece-in-law. Sophia kept shooting her nasty glares.”

  Lucy sighed. “It’s sad, if you ask me. I’m growing to like my landlady more and more. If only Cupid and Gadoo would settle in.”

  Katie was silent as they rounded the edge of a tall gravestone. “There’s no luncheon to follow the service either. I’m hungry.”

  This was something Lucy could remedy. “Come to Kebab Kitchen. I’ll fix you a plate of shish kebab, pilaf, and hummus.”

  “You’ve convinced me.”

  They made it to the mausoleum and Lucy spotted the black hearse parked by the curb. Eloisa hadn’t wanted to arrive in the hearse and had driven to the church with Lucy and Katie, but she would be traveling back home with Sophia in the gloomy vehicle.

  As they rounded the corner, angry voices sounded. Lucy looked up to see Melanie arguing with a woman. Melanie
gestured wildly with her hands, her face screwed in an angry expression. The other woman had blond hair, much lighter than Melanie’s auburn curls, but their features were strikingly similar.

  Lucy grasped Katie’s arm and held her back. Thankfully, Katie understood and crept around the corner of the stone mausoleum and stayed out of sight.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Melanie said, her voice tight with anger.

  “Why wouldn’t I come?” the woman said.

  Melanie’s voice hardened. “Because it’s Gilbert’s funeral and you wanted him dead. Don’t you have any shame?”

  The blond woman rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. As if I’m the only one. You had no love for him either, and from what I’ve heard, his wife hated him with a passion, too.”

  Katie glanced around the corner of the mausoleum, then whispered to Lucy, “They look a lot alike. You don’t think she’s . . .”

  Lucy risked her own glance, then turned back to Katie. “It has to be Rhonda, Melanie’s sister.”

  When Katie opened her mouth to ask a question, Lucy pressed a finger against her lips and shook her head. Katie fell silent. Together, they peered around the corner and listened.

  “Where’s Noah?” Melanie asked.

  “He’s around,” Rhonda answered nonchalantly.

  “Will you ever tell him the truth about your online gambling problems and your loan from Gilbert?”

  Rhonda tapped her high heel. “No sense now. Gilbert’s dead.”

  “You have no conscience.”

  Rhonda smirked. “You should talk. You’re not the moral, upstanding person everyone thinks you are. Wasn’t it your taffy they pulled out of Gilbert’s throat?”

  Melanie’s eyes grew wide. “You can’t be serious?”

  Lucy’s heart pounded as she eavesdropped on the two women. She looked at Katie and whispered, “Oh, my gosh! Rhonda borrowed money from Gilbert.”