Murder at Castle Rock

by Anne Marie Stoddard

  Watching Bobby throw back his drinks gave me an idea. Now that I knew someone had struck Parker before he fell, I was thinking of Stone's argument with my boss in a different light. Perhaps it wasn't just a small contractual disagreement after all. If I could keep Bobby drinking, maybe I could get him talking and find out what he knew about what had transpired between them.

  I hailed Andy back to our table and ordered everyone another round of drinks—and another three shots of bourbon for Bobby. "You're my kind of woman, Miss Grace," Bobby said. "To you." He held up shot number four and tossed it back.

  "Don't mention it," I gave a dismissive wave of my hand. "How is Mr. Stone fairing after last night?" I asked him, feigning concern. "He seemed a bit upset when we spoke on the phone this morning. Is he alright?"

  "Whaddya mean, love?" Bobby slurped the last drops of liquor from one of the shot glasses.

  I shrugged. "I don't know. I thought he must be upset about what happened to Parker. Maybe he felt a little guilty for arguing with him all afternoon before…before Parker died." I searched Bobby's face for any hidden reaction.

  Bobby flicked a sideways glance at Jared, and for a moment he looked stone sober. Sober and afraid. The look was gone a second later. Bobby shrugged. "That was a tough blow for you and yours, I'm sure," he admitted. He lifted his next shot high in the air. "To Parker."

  "To Parker," Tony and I echoed, taking sips of our own drinks. Candy was busy snorting another line under the table. I lifted my gaze to Jared and flinched. The bass player was staring at me, his expression severe. I was pushing my luck. Time to drop the subject. I gave Tony a gentle poke in the ribs, motioning for him to get up and let me out of the booth so I could head for the ladies' room. I really just wanted to escape Jared's evil eye.

  I stared into the mirror in the restroom for several moments, collecting my thoughts. Glitter knew something about what happened between Shawn and Parker, but he was afraid to talk about it—at least, while Jared was around. Jared had followed them yesterday. Maybe he was supposed to keep Bobby quiet about something. But what? Perhaps I could approach Bobby again when Jared wasn't around. For now, though, I'd have to back off.

  I leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on my face. Once I felt calm and collected, I exited the restroom—and nearly slammed into Jared Flynn in the hallway. I jumped with a start, flattening my back against the wall. He didn't look happy. Jared pressed his forearm on the wall above my head and leaned in close, so that his face was mere inches from mine.

  "You need to drop it," he warned. His emerald eyes bore into me. My pulse quickened. He was leaning so close that I could smell the mixture of sweat and aftershave on his neck. Though he gave off a dangerous vibe, I found his scent intoxicating. I swallowed hard, struggling to keep my wits about me.

  I decided to play dumb. "Huh? Drop what?"

  "You know damn well what I'm talking about, Amelia," he said, his voice a low growl. "What happened between Stone and Parker doesn't concern you—and it's nothing you want to be a part of." His face softened a smidge when he saw the alarm flash in my eyes. "Look, I'm only saying this to keep you safe," he whispered more gently. "The less you know, the better. Just trust me, okay?"

  I nodded, too stunned to say anything. I wasn't sure I could trust him, but at that moment I would say anything to get him off me. My heart was thundering in my chest, and I was beginning to feel light-headed.

  Jared tilted his head to the side. "Relax. I would never hurt you." His breath tickled my ear. "Just please, please drop it." He sauntered back down the hall, leaving me wide-eyed and panting against the wall. I remained there for a few moments, my chest heaving as I waited for my breathing to return to normal. He managed to frighten and excite me at the same time. I was suddenly feeling very sober, very confused, and very tired.

  Upon returning to the booth, I found Jared standing with one arm slung over Candy's shoulders. He threw down some money on the table for his drinks. Candy bounced on the balls of her feet. "I wanna go dancing!" she shrieked. "Jared, baby, take me dancing!" Her whole body was trembling, probably from too much blow.

  Tony coaxed a sloppy Bobby Glitter out of the booth. Together we migrated down the stairs and to the parking lot, where a cab was already waiting to take the band and Candy back to their hotel. "Get some rest, Bobby," I said as the singer nearly tripped over his own feet. "You've got another big show tomorrow."

  "Not to worry, love." He grinned. "The prince is always ready to rock." I rolled my eyes.

  Jared poured Candy and Bobby into the back of the cab. He looked up and met my gaze one last time before climbing in behind them. His eyes burned into me. "Be safe, Amelia." He ducked into the cab and closed the door behind him.

  Tony walked me to my car. "Nice going back there, Detective," he said as we stopped beside my Jetta. "Do you interrogate all your drinking buddies?"

  I shrugged. "I was just making conversation," I said, leaning against my car. A gust of icy wind clawed at my exposed skin. I pulled my black pea coat more tightly around me.

  "Are you cold? Maybe I could warm you up." He sidled up to me so that we were standing mere inches apart and then waggled his eyebrows. He leaned forward, his face dangerously close to mine…and I balked.

  "Not tonight, big guy." I gave a nervous laugh. I turned quickly and rooted through my purse to find my keys, bent on getting in the car before he could see my garnet complexion. "I've got to get home and get some rest. Big day tomorrow." I climbed in my car and started the engine, then rolled down my window just a tad. "See you around," I squeaked. I shot out of the parking space before I could change my mind.

  "See you around," he called after me. I glanced in my review to see him staring after me with a puzzled expression.

  I crawled into bed that night with question after question swirling through my mind. What were Shawn and Parker arguing about? What does Bobby know about it? How is Jared involved? Why didn't I let Tony kiss me? Exhausted, I forced myself to think happier thoughts—like how much fun I'd had tonight with Tony, dancing, playing pool, standing this close…

  I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "It won't last forever," I told my three kitties as they pawed curiously at the window, staring out at the torrential downpour flooding my balcony.It had been raining when I woke up, so I'd spent most of the gloomy Wednesday morning sipping coffee in the comfort of my living room. I'd lounged on the couch with the Game Show Network on mute as I listened to the raindrops pelt rhythmically against the balcony window. The steady beating gave me the feeling of serenity that I so desperately needed. Still, I hoped that the rain would stop before we had to unload the rental equipment for the night's show. Flipping the channel, I was happy to see that the weatherman predicted sunny skies by early afternoon.

  Well, the weatherman was full of it. The rain poured down all afternoon and showed no sign of letting up as I locked my apartment and headed for work. To make matters worse, as I slid into my Jetta and turned the key in the ignition, I heard a faint click! click! click!…and then nothing. Damn! I'd been meaning to replace my battery for a few weeks now, but I'd been so busy lately that it kept slipping my mind. Now I was paying for procrastinating in a bad way.

  My eyes darted around the parking deck in search of someone who could lend me a hand and some jumper cables, but the deck was deserted. Perfect. With a heavy sigh, I gave up and decided to take the bus to work and catch a ride home with Kat or Reese after the show. The chirping of my car lock echoed throughout the empty parking garage as I walked over to the elevator lobby. I stepped out on the ground floor and opened my umbrella, then made my way across the street to the MARTA bus station.

  Several stagehands and some of Bobby's roadies trudged through gravel and mud as they moved the rental equipment from the Rockin' Rentals truck to the Dungeon. The loading dock was currently sealed off as part of the crime scene, and I was horrified to realize they were tracking mud all over the red carp
et in the front hall. I'd have to get Reese or Bronwyn to clean the area before the doors opened for show time.

  I spent the next hour cleaning up the Dungeon green room and prepping it for the band's arrival. Bronwyn wandered in carrying bags full of Hungry Hero's Sandwiches that the caterer had dropped off. "Where do you want these?" she asked, lugging the bags over to the nearest table.

  "Over there should be fine. We'll set them up on these platters, buffet-style." I motioned to the stack of serving platters I'd placed at the end of the table. Bronwyn and I set to work arranging the sandwiches and side dishes and worked for a while in companionable silence.

  Once our work on the green room was complete, Bronwyn gave me a sideways glance and said, "I heard about Kat and Parker. My dad isn't very careful about taking his work calls in private when he's home."

  "Did you have even the slightest idea that they were together all this time?"

  "No way!" She shook her head. "I can still hardly believe it. To think they'd been hooking up right under our noses this whole time…" Bron's genuine shock made me feel a little better. If it hadn't been obvious to anyone else, I couldn't be so hard on myself for not figuring it out.

  "I just feel so horrible for Kat," she said. "It must really suck to have to hide your marriage from all your friends. Plus Parker's death must be hitting her worse than the rest of us."

  I sighed. "Kat's tough, but I know this is really hard on her. I begged her to take a few days off, but she insisted on coming in anyway—she said that she needs to keep herself distracted."

  Bronwyn slumped into one of the green room chairs and sat quietly for a moment, lost in thought. "Reese was parking when Daddy dropped me off," she said finally. "I haven't talked to him since Monday night before…everything. I wonder how he's holding up."

  I still hadn't spoken to Reese either. "Come on," I said, motioning for Bronwyn to follow me. We found Reese sitting at the bar in the back of the Dungeon. His elbows were propped on the counter, and he held his head in his hands. He was a mess. "How's it going, buddy?" I asked gently. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and sat down on the stool next to him. Bronwyn lingered behind me, gazing at him hopefully.

  Reese raised his curly head and looked at me with mournful green eyes. "Been better," he mumbled. "I haven't spoken to Laura since Monday night…I haven't been able to face her after what I heard—and after what happened to Parker. I don't really know what to say." His face hardened. "Dixon questioned me again yesterday afternoon. I thought Laura might be running around on me, so I confronted her about it at lunch on Monday. She said nothing was going on. According to Bron, I must have just missed catching her with Parker later that day." Bitterness crept into his voice. "I dropped her off here after lunch while I ran to the gas station to grab a pack of smokes before my shift. The minute my taillights faded she must've shot straight into his office."

  "I'm so sorry." I squeezed his arm.

  Reese rubbed his hand over his face then turned his sad eyes back to me. "I know Dixon thinks I was mad enough to beat Parker's face in, but I'm telling you, Ame—I didn't do it. I know I've got a temper when it comes to my girl, and my blood was definitely boiling after Bron told me,"—he shifted his eyes to Bronwyn—"but I didn't push Parker out of the tower."

  I bit my lip. I didn't know what to say to make him feel better. I didn't want to believe he had anything to do with Parker's death. "Just hang in there," I said. I hopped over the bar and grabbed a beer for Reese and me—and a Coke for Bronwyn—and took a seat next to him. The three of us sat in silence as we watched Shawn Stone directed the crew in setting up the rental equipment.

  After a few minutes, I heard the grumbling of a grouchy Bobby Glitter in the hallway. Here we go again. I braced myself for the tongue-lashing he'd unleash on the crew and me for not being able to grab his guitar from upstairs. I thanked my lucky stars that the majority of Bobby's wardrobe was stored on his tour bus the first night and therefore still accessible.

  The old rocker staggered into the room, seemingly still hung over at four o'clock in the afternoon. "What're you lookin' at?" he snarled at one of our stagehands. Stone left the stage to meet Bobby, steering him in my direction. I hopped down from my bar stool to greet them. I could smell the liquor on Bobby's breath before he even spoke. Great. He wasn't hung over from the night before; he was still drunk.

  "Afternoon, love," he mumbled, nearly falling over while stooping to kiss my hand.

  I wanted to pull away from him but managed to keep my composure. "I'm so sorry we couldn't move your equipment down to the Dungeon. As soon as we get clearance from the Atlanta Police Department, we'll get you set up back in High Court and reunited with your guitar."

  "It's shitty," Bobby groused. "I'm out of blow, and I can't even lay my hands on my sweet Whiskey."

  Stone shook my hand awkwardly as he once again offered his condolences for Parker. He slid his business card into my palm. "I used to work for my cousin at a venue in Las Vegas. If you need any help running Castle Rock without Parker, perhaps I can be of assistance."

  "That's very kind of you." I pocketed the card. Jared, Cliff, and Candy waltzed in and made their way over to us. My conversation with Jared in the hallway of The Cavern the night before floated back into my mind. He'd warned me not to get caught up in whatever was going on with Stone—that he was dangerous. I subtly looked Shawn up and down. Today he was wearing a faded brown suit with a wrinkled, white shirt and green tie. His face was scruffy with a five o'clock shadow, and judging from the dark circles under his eyes, I figured he must've been too tired to shave the whiskers this morning. He looked a bit haggardbut certainly not dangerous. I supposed looks could be deceiving. If Jared knew so much about what was going on between Stone and Parker, didn't that make him dangerous, too? He'd certainly seemed that way last night.

  I glanced up to find Jared regarding me with that smoldering look again. My gaze dropped to his full lips, and I recalled how they'd felt as they'd brushed against my ear…I turned away from him before I had to excuse myself to take a cold shower.

  Cliff wore his usual dark sunglasses and stoic expression. If his curly hair was just a few inches longer, he'd be a dead-ringer for Slash from Guns n' Roses. Candy was wearing a pair of black shorts so teeny that I had to avert my eyes before I got an accidental peep show. Her shirt wasn't much better—a skimpy green halter that bared her navel. Her skin was so orange from the tanning bed that I wondered if she was part Oompa Loompa. As always, her grip around Jared was so tight that she might as well have been wearing him too.

  I led the motley crew into the Dungeon's green room to get settled in before their sound check. Bobby immediately stalked over to the iced bucket of Stella Artois and grabbed two of the beer bottles. "Bloody breakfast of champions," he grumbled as he removed the caps and tilted both bottles to his lips. I glanced at my watch—four-thirty. It's five o'clock somewhere, I guess. I rolled my eyes. Jared locked gazes with me again. He cracked a half-smile, rolling his eyes to let me know he was thinking the same thing.

  Thirty minutes later, the rockers were in their places on the stage, preparing for sound check. I watched with bated breath as Bobby worked to tune his rental guitar. Becky had sent the only red Gibson electric guitar that Rockin' Rentals had in their inventory. As far as I could tell, it looked exactly like Bobby's. I was relieved when he murmured, "She's a beaut, just like my Whiskey. I'll have her purring in no time." I owed Becky big time!

  As the band began testing their rental gear, I spotted Stone walking back inside through the front entrance, tossing his cigarette butt behind him and pulling off his coat. I cringed as he shook the raindrops off right next to one of our expensive new speakers. I hurried over to grab his coat before he could do any damage. I reached the threshold into the entrance hall and nearly bowled someone over.

  "Oof! Sorry!" I looked up into Tim Scott's narrow face, and my anger from yesterday came flooding back. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice frosty.
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  Tim was unfazed by my hostility. "Good afternoon to you too, Miss Grace." He flashed me a politician's smile. "I'm here for my interview with Bobby—it was promised to me, remember?" Oh…right. I'd forgotten he was coming back to reschedule his interview with Glitter and the band. I secretly hoped that Bobby would send him packing again, for good this time. I wasn't in a very forgiving mood.

  At least Tim's arrival meant that Tony might be here too. As if on cue, he came strutting through the entrance. He walked up to where we stood and casually slung one muscular arm around my shoulders. I blushed. Tim looked from Tony to me, comprehension dawning on his face. He smirked, but I ignored him. I was glad to see Tony again.

  Stone came to lean in the doorway next to us, his wet khaki coat draped over his arm. A puddle began forming on the floor where his coat still dripped. Sigh. Yet another safety hazard.

  "Hey, Stone!" Tim greeted him. "I was just telling Miss Grace here that I'd really love to sit down with Bobby after sound check if possible. Think you could pencil me in?"

  Shawn sidestepped me to talk to Tim, and I called out to Reese and Bronwyn at the bar. "Would one of you mind grabbing a mop and getting this cleaned up, please?" Reese reached over the counter and grabbed a mop. He joined our circle and began sopping up the puddle as Bron smiled adoringly at him.

  Stone grimaced as he realized that he was the source of the mess. "Sorry about that."

  "It's fine, Shawn. We'll get it cleaned up. How about I find somewhere to put your coats?" I lead Tim, Tony, and Shawn to the back hallway. I opened the employee storage closet, which was halfway down the hall and across from Kat's office. Reese's tan trench coat was already placed on a hanger, with Bronwyn's and Kat's hoodies hanging on the metal rack next to it. "You can leave your coats here." I gestured to a few empty hangers. The men deposited their coats in the closet, and I led them back down the hallway and into the Dungeon.