Candy Canes & Corpses

by Abby L. Vandiver

  Al studied the piece of paper DeeDee gave him and made some mental notes, while she fixed the coffee. When she rejoined him at the table, he began to voice what was on his mind.

  “I need to ask ya’ some questions. A lil’ birdie already tol’ me the chief of police indicated Dana was stabbed with a front entry type of thrust. The chief thought she probably knew the person. Let’s start there, shall we?”

  DeeDee hesitated. “Sure, but wouldn’t Dana have known everyone, since she’s the one who invited all of them to the party? There were a lot of well-known people there that I recognized from TV and magazines.”

  Al scratched his chin. “Good point, but I reckon she woulda’ known some better than others. Them media parties, there’s certain people on every guest list. Don’t mean they’re all buddies, or even get along. Dana probably had a few people she had to invite, fer one reason or another.”

  Running down the list, Al and DeeDee discussed some of the names. “I saw a few people leave right after the fireworks display,” DeeDee said. “I’m pretty sure the two news readers left, along with the comedian, that guy,” she pointed at the paper, “who isn’t funny at all.”

  Al rolled his eyes. “I’m with ya’ on that one. When I was livin’ here with Vinny, we weren’t fans of him either.” He drew a line through several names. “Problem is, that’s still leavin’ us with a very long list. We gotta whittle it down. Nail some suspects, people who mighta had a reason to kill Dana. Ya’ know what I mean?”

  DeeDee looked up at Al with a glum smile. “I sure do. Seems like I’ve been doing this quite a lot, lately.”

  “Okay,” Al said as he slurped his coffee. “Smart money always goes first fer the people who knew her best, or hated her. Let’s start there. How about her husband? I don’t know him.”

  “Mickey Donnelly,” DeeDee said. “Dana was wrapped around him all night. I’m supposed to go to his office tomorrow and pick up the remainder of my fee. Thing is, I feel bad about that now.”

  “How so? Ya’ can’t feel bad ‘bout askin’ for the money, just cuz’ his wife’s been done in. Ain’t yer’ fault ya’ gotta earn some dough.” Al reached down to stroke Balto, who had been glued to Al’s side ever since his arrival.

  “I know, and the arrangement was that he and Dana were going to split it, because both of them wanted to offset the catering fee as a business entertainment expense for tax purposes. Dana already paid me her half, plus a very generous bonus. Mickey seems like a nice guy, but I overheard some talk at the party that he was having financial problems.”

  “Hmm. That’s interestin’. I’d say ya’ go and meet him as planned, and see what ya’ can find out while yer’ there. If yer’ goin’ to his office, it’s probably pretty safe. Where is it, in Seattle?”

  DeeDee shook her head. “No. He works as an international banking consultant, but he has his own office right here on Bainbridge Island.”

  “Right. Let’s put him at the top of the list. It’s always the husband, huh?” Al said, winking at DeeDee, as he wrote Mickey Donnelly’s name down on a separate piece of paper. Looking back at DeeDee’s list of names, his pen hovered over one that was half way down. “We’re warmin’ up. I recognize this dame, Sonia McNulty. She’s the weekend version of Dana Donnelly, right?”

  DeeDee nodded. “Yes, she covered weekends and holidays when Dana was off. She’s a bit too phony, in my opinion. There’s a hardness about her that seems to turn people off. She doesn’t come across as genuine, like Dana did.”

  “Yeah, I’d agree with ya’ there. Do we know anythin’ else ‘bout her?”

  “Not really, but she did come into the kitchen during the party and tell me how much she enjoyed the meal. She asked me for my business card.” DeeDee’s eyes widened. “I just remembered something else kind of stupid.”

  “Go on.”

  “She freaked out a little when she was in the kitchen. She broke a nail and said she’d have to get it repaired. I asked what nail salon she went to, because her nails were beautifully done.” Al saw DeeDee clasp her own hands together, trying to hide her nails from view. “She gave me the name of the salon, Nails By Nikki, I think it was. I thought I might make an appointment for myself.”

  Al scrawled Sonia’s name underneath Mickey Donnelly’s. “Why don’tcha make an appointment with Nikki Nails and see what ya’ can find out about Sonia?” He set the pen down, and rubbed his eyes with balled up fists.

  “Sure. More coffee, Al? You look tired.”

  Al gave DeeDee a grateful nod. “You could say that, fer sure, and yeah, I would like some more. Thanks.”

  His thoughts strayed to Cassie while DeeDee made a fresh pot of coffee. He hadn’t tried to put a move on Cassie, which would have been inappropriate, but nothing was going to stop him from seeing her again. That was something else he’d have to figure out, when he could think straight with the aid of caffeine. The next hit of coffee brought him back to reality with a jolt, and he pushed his idle thoughts of wooing Cassie to the back of his mind. Until later.

  “Dino and Gia Argyros?” Returning to the task at hand, the names jumped out at Al, and he raised his eyebrows. “I talked to Dino ‘bout Vinny’s cousin’s wife, Theresa. Seems like I ‘member somethin’ ‘bout him and Dana. Vinny musta’ mentioned it. Kinda think I even seen somethin’ recently in Page Six sounded like they were up to no good. Know anythin’ ‘bout that?”

  “Not really, just that Dino and Gia live next door to the Donnellys. Like you, I’ve heard whispers about Dino and Dana, but I never even saw them speak to each other on the night of the party. In fact, come to think of it, I’d go as far as to say Dana was avoiding him.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “I saw Dino looking at Dana, in a way that was more than just friends, if you know what I mean. And his wife, Gia, had a face that looked like a thundercloud the whole evening, but every time Dino moved in Dana’s direction, she went the opposite way.”

  Al stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “I ‘member Dino and Vinny was friends. Think Vinny was the one said it, that for a smart guy Dino was actin’ pretty dumb because of the television broad. Since I’ve already talked to him, I’ll follow up on him, and his wife as well.” The pen made a scratching noise as Al wrote the names of Gia and Dino Argyros on the piece of paper, before he continued to tap the pen on the table. “I’m missin’ a trick here. Somethin’s swirlin’ ‘round in my brain, but I can’t quite nail it. Lemme think for a minute.”

  He looked at the guest list for a while longer, head in his hands, before raising his gaze to DeeDee with a triumphant grin. “That’s it. Vinny liked to watch Dana’s show, and sometimes I’d watch it with him. This guy, Jerry McGee, was on her show, then he upped and stormed off the set. Said he was ill and had to leave, but he knocked over a cameraman on the way out.” Al circled a name on the page.

  “Yes, I remember that too. Didn’t Dana say something that upset him?”

  “There ya’ go, she sure did. It was right in the middle of her interview and here’s the interestin’ part. It happened right after she nailed him on his background, kinda sayin’ he wasn’t bein’ truthful to his fans ‘bout his past. Mind you, she made it sound like he was some sorta hero from the ghetto, but like Vinny said, the guy had egg all over his face.”

  DeeDee chipped in. “Yes, it was all over the papers the next day, and I remember that the cameraman he pushed fell and broke his ankle. They canceled Four Kids and a Dad after that, which was a shame. I loved that show.”

  “Ima definitely gonna put him on the list. I’ll handle him.” Al wrote down the name, Jerry McGee, before noticing that DeeDee was getting up from the table where they were sitting.

  “Al, sorry, but I’m exhausted. It’s been a rough day, and I need to get some sleep.”

  “You go right ahead. I’ll take the dogs out for a walk.”

  “Thanks, Al. I can tell Balto’s pleased you’re here. I think he misses Jake.”

  Al w
atched DeeDee’s face tighten as she mentioned Jake’s name. Not wanting to dwell on it further, he swiftly changed the subject. “Listen up. Don’t wantcha goin’ anywhere without me, and I wantcha to have yer’ piece with ya’ all the time.” He nodded toward the gun sitting on the table. “Got it? Stay inside and keep away from the windows.” Al rose and walked with Balto to the kitchen door. “We’ll go out this way and get Red. I’ll take the back door key, and the front’s already locked.”

  “Thanks Al, goodnight.” DeeDee picked up the gun before going out into the hallway and turning to climb the stairs.

  By the time Al returned, it was after midnight. He spent some time checking to make sure the house was secure, before going to his room where he called Jake in a quiet voice.

  “Yo. Ima here.”

  “Hi, Al. Welcome to Bainbridge Island. Everything go okay on your trip over?”

  “Yeah, fine. I’m at DeeDee’s and we jes’ went through the guest list. She and I are gonna pay a visit to a coupla people, but I’d like yer’ man Rob to do a little research fer me. Need everythin’ you can find out ‘bout a guy named Jerry McGee, and I’d like it ASAP. I’ll call ya’ to get it, cuz I don’t want DeeDee to know us two are talkin’.”

  “No problem. I’ll call Rob first thing in the morning. Isn’t that the guy that walked out of his interview with Dana Donnelly when they were on live TV? I remember something about that.”

  “That’s the one.” Al’s gruff tones were a low mumble. “I’m with DeeDee pretty much 24/7, and she has her gun with her. Think she’s fine fer now. Don’tcha worry none. We’ll get this wrapped up and then you and DeeDee can take another crack at being an item of yer’ own. How does that grab ya’?”

  Al heard a sigh at the other end of the line before Jake responded. “Not going to happen, man. I’ve seen her streak of stubbornness a couple of times over the last six months, but I never thought it would be directed towards me. Once DeeDee gets something in her head, that’s it.”

  “Well, Jake, one thing I’ve learned in all these years, ain’t nobody perfect.” The bed sagged as Al laid down on it and made himself comfortable, still fully clothed, including the night vision sunglasses he’d worn on his midnight stroll with Red and Balto. “Sometimes ya’ gotta take the bad with the good, particularly when the bad is jes’ a small part. Think Vinny woulda taken that bad if he was still around,” Al said. He wasn’t sure if Jake would pick up on him referring to the fact that Vinny had been very taken with DeeDee and was hoping to develop a relationship with her.

  Apparently, Jake was on the ball. “I’m sorry what happened to Vinny. I’m not sure about my chances of winning DeeDee’s heart if he’d been actively involved. Not that it matters now.”

  The bedroom door creaked, the slit of light from the landing widening as Balto padded into the room and jumped onto the bed beside Al. “Ain’t gonna give my thoughts on that one. Talk to ya’ in the morning.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Al woke the next morning to the sound of pans crashing in the kitchen, and a giant, sopping wet tongue licking his face. He opened his eyes and tried to figure out where he was. Instead of bright sunlight straining through the windows of his home in the Cayman Islands, his view was of a spectacular cloud formation hovering over Puget Sound, and slowly his muddled brain began to click into gear.

  “Balto, what the…” Al jumped up, grabbed his revolver from the bedside table, and rushed down the stairs to rescue DeeDee from whoever was attacking her. There were no screams, but judging by the commotion, she was putting up a good fight.

  “Freeze or I’ll shoot,” he yelled, kicking the kitchen door open with his foot and hurtling inside, ready to pounce on the would-be attacker. Instead he found DeeDee, dressed in a robe and fluffy slippers, facing him with both of her hands held up in the air. Every available surface area in the kitchen was covered with food or cooking utensils, including the floor.

  “Where are they?” Al growled, swinging his gun around the room. “Are ya’ all right, DeeDee?”

  Balto had rushed into the room behind him, and started sniffing near the stove. DeeDee’s face was white with shock, or possibly, flour. A wooden kitchen spoon hovering over her head appeared to be dripping some sort of sauce.

  Al reassessed the situation, and his body started to shake. Great, heaving roars of laughter rang through the house, and both DeeDee and Balto looked at him with amusement.

  DeeDee lowered her arms and set the spoon in the sink. “I thought you were going to kill me,” she said, when his roars subsided. At this point, Al was doubled over, holding his rather large stomach.

  “And I thought ya’ was bein’ attacked,” Al gasped with a snort, straightening up and wiping his brow. “I mean, look at this place.” He pointed at the open cabinets, their contents strewn everywhere.

  DeeDee followed his gaze. “Oh.” A glimmer of a smile appeared on her face. “I see what you mean. Sorry if I was being noisy. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just thought I’d clear out some cupboards, and then I had the idea to make a couple of pies. You know how it is.”

  Al’s eyes crinkled. “Not sure as I do. But so long as yer’ safe, that’s fine by me. Carry on, and I’ll get out of yer’ way.”

  He turned to leave, but DeeDee called him back. “Thanks for checking on me, Al. That’s really thoughtful. I was just going to clean up and then make some breakfast. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds great, thanks,” Al said dubiously. He wasn’t sure how DeeDee was going to clean up a mess of the magnitude in front of him short of lunchtime, but he knew better than to argue with a woman who had a large wooden kitchen spoon in her hand. When he was a little boy, his mother had left a wooden spoon at the bottom of the stairs, and any of her children who stirred after bedtime felt its sting on the back of their legs. It wasn’t an experience Al was fond of remembering. “I’ll get the paper, and leave ya’ to it.”

  Al walked down the hall, followed by Balto. When he opened the front door, Balto ran out to get the paper from the porch. Something caught Al’s eye that caused him to turn around and make sure DeeDee was still at the back of the house in the kitchen, before he closed the door behind him and walked down the steps to where DeeDee’s SUV was parked in the driveway. Reaching for the handkerchief in the pocket of his pajamas, he used it to carefully lift the note that had been slipped underneath the windshield wiper. It was something he’d learned early on from his days with the Mob. Never leave a fingerprint on anything. For that reason, he carried a clean handkerchief at all times.

  The note read, “Just a reminder to keep your mouth shut. Death is not pretty. Remember that.”

  Al folded the note inside the handkerchief and put both of them in his pocket before going back inside. There was no point worrying DeeDee about a little matter like another death threat. Al had been expecting it, and would have been surprised if there hadn’t been another one, and possibly more still to come. DeeDee, on the other hand, might not be so calm about it.

  “DeeDee,” he shouted down the hallway. “Ya’ probably better call and see if Mickey Donnelly is gonna be in his office this mornin’. Given that his wife died, he may be takin’ some time off. Ima gonna’ get dressed and be back down in a little while.”

  DeeDee’s head appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Good point. I’ll call at nine. The office may not open until then. Oh, and Al?”

  He grinned. “That’s my name.”

  “Don’t be long. Breakfast is almost ready.”

  “Yes ma’am,” he said, giving her a mock salute.

  Al was astounded when he entered the pristine kitchen, showered and dressed, thirty minutes later. The table was set with a floral tablecloth and white china, and laid out on it were a variety of breads, toast, and small jars of jams and marmalade. Assorted boxes of cereal and a jar of homemade granola flanked a bowl of fresh fruit and a jug of what looked like freshly squeezed orange juice. To top it off, the smell of bacon coming from the stove along with t
he eggs and tomatoes sizzling in the pan indicated the feast that was about to follow would satisfy any appetite, even one as healthy as Al’s.

  Al poured two cups of tea from the tarnished silver teapot in the center of the table, and wondered where to begin. If every meal was like this at DeeDee’s, Al’s commiserations went out to Jake more than ever. Losing a girlfriend the guy was crazy about was bad enough, but losing a girlfriend who could cook like this was nothing short of a disaster.

  When they’d finished breakfast, Al sat back while DeeDee made the phone call to Mickey Donnelly’s office. She put the call on speakerphone so Al could hear what was said.

  “Hello,” DeeDee said in her best telephone voice. “May I please speak to Mickey Donnelly?”

  “Just one moment. I’ll see if he’s available. May I tell him who’s calling?” asked the young woman on the other end of the line.

  “Tell him it’s DeeDee Wilson. I’m the one who catered his New Year’s Eve party.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Wilson. Just one moment.”

  The sound of music came over the line. Al closed his eyes, and after a few seconds, the music stopped and a male voice came on the line. “Hello, DeeDee, this is Mickey. I imagine you want the rest of your fee.”

  “Mr. Donnelly, I’m only calling because you asked me to stop by your office and pick it up today.”

  Al opened one eye, and saw DeeDee shift uncomfortably in her chair.

  “Given what’s happened, I wasn’t sure if you’d be in your office today,” DeeDee went on. “If you’d prefer, I can come to your home at a time that would be convenient for you.”

  Al shook his head. He reached across the table and wrote something on the pad of paper that was sitting there from the previous evening, holding it up for DeeDee to read. It said “Better make it today.”

  DeeDee’s eyes widened, and she nodded before continuing. “Although if there is any way you could see me today, that would be better for me.”