“Sure, I didn’t mean to imprison you here. Are you sure you will be okay out at the farm by yourself?” Tabby asked as she turned off the alarm.
“I will be fine. And before I go, I am telling you that you need to find somewhere else to hold your foolish Halloween celebration. I do not want strangers wandering all over my property,” Isabella insisted. “I know my husband said you could use the Peletroni farmhouse, but I am in charge now, and I say no.”
“Oh, okay. I will need to go and clear out the decorations we have already put in the house. There is nothing I can say to change your mind? It’s going to be awful hard to find another place on such short notice,” Tabby asked.
“No, I think not,” Isabella said sternly, as she went out the door without so much as a thank you to her hostess.
Well, that was a total turnaround; from lamb to lion overnight.
Tabby made a pot of coffee, poured herself a cup, and sat in the recliner staring out the front window. She was back to square one when it came to the haunted house for the Haunt-A-Thon Weekend. She fed the cats, tidied up the kitchen, got dressed, and left for the Tilted Cup to meet her boyfriend.
Greg was seated at the long counter talking to Donald Twittle when Tabby walked into the Cup. As she walked by Gladys who was sitting in her usual place on the first stool next to the register, Tabby heard her whisper to the man seated beside her, “She’s the one. Everywhere she goes, people turn up dead.”
Tabby turned on a dime and advanced toward “The Mouth.” Donald knew his wife was causing trouble again. He jumped out of his seat and quickly stood in between Gladys and Tabby. Greg ventured over and stood next to Donald.
“What have you said now, Gladys?” her husband demanded to know.
“That’s it; take her side automatically,” his wife shrieked defensively.
“Tabby, what did she say?”
“She informed the gentleman sitting next to her that I was the one, and everywhere I go, people turn up dead,” Tabby answered furiously. “I’m getting really tired of your lies and accusations, Gladys.”
“Well, it’s true,” she insisted rather loudly to everyone who was listening. “They found two dead people in her shop, Mr. Keyes died when I saw you near the bookstore, and let’s not forget Mr. Capri who you happened to find dead last night. I’d say it’s pretty suspicious to me.”
You could have heard a pin drop in the Cup and all eyes were trained on Tabby waiting for her to respond. Gladys sat, eyes fixed on her latest victim of local gossip, a slight smile on her face, waiting for the young woman to defend herself so she could sling more mud her way. Tears welled up in Tabby’s eyes. She had nothing more to say to Gladys, ever again.
“It’s not true; none of it’s true,” Tabby cried out as she ran from the coffee house.
Greg ran out the door after his distraught girlfriend. Wes, one of the owners of the Cup, walked up to Gladys. He stood with his arms crossed and glared daggers at the town gossip.
“I will not put up with you bad mouthing one of the finest young ladies in this community. I don’t know what your problem is Gladys, and nor do I want to know,” Wes preached in an extremely loud voice. “You are not welcome in this establishment anymore. You have had your last cup of regular coffee at the Tilted Coffee Cup. Please, leave now!”
The purple haired woman sat there stunned. Now, all eyes were on her for a very different reason, and she didn’t like it one little bit. No one had ever had the nerve to call her out on her gossiping before now.
“Did you hear me, Gladys? I asked you to leave,” Wes demanded. “And don’t come back until you’re ready to apologize to Tabby in public.”
“I heard you,” she snapped, wiggling down off the stool. “You all take that little troublemaker’s side. Mark my words, the sheriff will find out that she did it and you all will come crawling back to me with the ultimate apology.”
“Give it up already, Gladys. Fink and Miss Carson’s murders have already been solved, and Tabby had nothing to do with either one. In my opinion, you don’t like the fact that that young girl has the gumption to stand up to you, so you are going to make her life as miserable as possible. Well, not in my store you’re not,” Wes said, pointing to the door.
Gladys opened her mouth to say something else, and for the first time, Donald Twittle spoke up in public.
“Go home, Gladys,” he demanded sternly. “I’ll deal with you when I’m done with my breakfast; not that I even have an appetite anymore, thanks to you.”
Gladys strutted to the door, holding her head high like she was the only one right and everyone else was dead wrong. She didn’t realize just how many more people she had alienated that morning. She didn’t go home, she headed straight across the street to the Whipper Will Diner which was her second favorite spot to sit and gossip. The only problem was, they weren’t open yet. Having nowhere else to go to spout her opinions, she begrudgingly headed for home.
Greg had caught up to Tabby and walked her to his house where his car was parked. She had been crying since she left the coffee shop and Greg was doing his best to calm her down. He even made a joke about Donald telling his wife what to do for the first time in public which made her smile through the tears.
She was even happier upon finding out that Gladys had been banned from the Cup and her prized stool permanently, or at least until she publicly apologized to Tabby. It made the young woman happy inside that the locals were willing to stick up for her and set the record straight in front of people she didn’t even know. She would have to thank Wes later for what he did.
The drive to Larsen to visit Jen at the hospital was a quiet one. Jen’s mother had been staying at Greg’s house at night and with her daughter at the hospital during the day. She would be ready to come home in a few days after Doc Holden had completed all the tests he wanted to run and when he was confident that she was strong enough to stay by herself and that she was eating okay.
The locals had come together, once again, to clean up Jen’s bookstore after the murder and take away all Alex’s belongings out of the apartment so she wouldn’t have to face the ugly memories. Alex’s personal effects were stored in the basement of the police station and marked as evidence in a murder case. When Jen returned from the hospital, her apartment and bookstore would be just like it had been a year ago before she met Alex Keyes.
Tabby couldn’t wait to see her best friend. She was still harboring guilty feelings about not seeing what was happening to Jen and stepping in earlier to prevent it. She vowed to herself that she would never let her business get in the way of their friendship again.
They entered the hospital and stopped at the front desk to ask the number of the room their friend was staying in. Jen was sitting up eating her lunch. She smiled when Greg and Tabby entered the room. The sparkle was back in her eyes, and she looked so much better than the last time Tabby had seen her crossing the street clinging to the sheriff’s arm.
The two friends hugged. Tabby started crying and repeatedly apologized for not being there for her best friend when she needed her the most. Jen blew it off and told her she was there when it really counted. Greg was next to hug Jen. They pulled up chairs to the side of the bed and talked while Jen ate. Bea excused herself to go and get a cup of coffee from the cafeteria.
“Bea, hold up, I’ll go with you. Tabby and I didn’t have a chance to get coffee this morning, and I could use some caffeine right now,” Greg stated.
“What happened to you, Jen? How did Alex take over like he did?”
“Truthfully, I don’t really know what happened. One minute I was happy with a new boyfriend and the next, I was sick and being threatened. It was like he was two different people,” Jen answered.
“What did he want?”
“I think he wanted the bookstore or at least the income from the bookstore. Tabs, I’m going to tell you something, but you must promise never to breathe a word of what I say to my mother. Alex is dead, so it doesn’t matter now, but
I still don’t ever want my mother to find out what I went through or did to protect her. Promise me.”
“You should know that your mother was a wreck. She didn’t know how to help you. She was afraid of Alex and afraid he would hurt you if she did try to help you in any way. I will keep your secret because she doesn’t need any more added stress now that this is over,” Tabby said. “What did that monster do to control you?”
9
As Jen opened her mouth to tell Tabby her story, Doc Holden rapped on the open door. Standing in the door were Doc and Sheriff Puckett waiting to be told they could enter. Jen waved them in.
“Tabby, I’m glad you’re here. You need to hear this as well as Jen. Where is Bea?” the sheriff asked.
“She went to get coffee with Greg. They should be back any minute now,” Jen answered.
“You are looking much better, young lady, I have to say,” the sheriff said with a smile. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better, thank you,” Jen said with a smile. “Have you found something? Do you know why I was so sick?”
“Yes, we have,” Doc answered. “Do you want to wait until your mother returns before we discuss this?”
“No, I would rather my mom not hear the details. She’s already frazzled over this whole mess as it is,” Jen stated.
“You would rather I not hear what?” Bea asked, entering the room in time to hear her daughter’s last comment. “Jen, I need to know what is going on as it is the only way I can put this behind me.”
“Are you sure, Mom?”
“Yes, I am. Fire away with any information you have,” Bea insisted.
“Sheriff, why don’t you start,” Doc Holden suggested.
“After you were successfully removed from your apartment and Alex was murdered that same day, we took the body and fingerprinted it at the morgue. We got a hit in AFIS immediately. Alex Keyes was really Alexander “Poison Man” Martinelli. He was a paid hit man for the Peletroni Mob out of Boston,” he started.
“He was a wanted criminal, a hit man?” Jen asked, shocked. “He seemed so nice.”
“Hitman was just one of his jobs. He also had an interesting side hobby,” Sheriff Puckett confirmed. “He liked to collect wives. He would marry them and slowly poison them to collect insurance money and whatever else he could get from the marriage.”
Jen stopped smiling. She turned pale white and looked like she was going to faint.
“Why would he bother with my Jen?” Bea asked. “They weren’t married, so what would he get?”
“We were married…secretly,” Jen whispered. “As I got weaker, he started to physically abuse me, and he threatened to hurt my mom if I didn’t marry him. He said he couldn’t run the business properly if he wasn’t my husband and his name wasn’t listed on all paperwork. I was too weak to fight him or get away, so I gave in to protect my mom.”
Bea started crying. Greg guided her in the direction of a chair and helped her to sit down. He stood next to her with his hand on her shoulder for reassurance.
“What did you say the mob family name was?” Tabby asked.
“Peletroni,” the sheriff stated. “Why?”
“Isabella mentioned that exact name this morning when she left my house. I thought she was just upset and made a mistake not saying Pelton,” Tabby explained. “I don’t think it was a mistake; I think it was a slip-up on her part.”
“Interesting. I have gone out to the farm several times to talk to Isabella, and she is never there,” the sheriff replied. “I guess I need to pay another call on our widow.”
“We need to find out how Alex and Isabella are related,” Tabby said, thinking out loud.
“Can we get back to my daughter’s situation, please,” Bea insisted. “Are you saying that Jen was being poisoned and that was why she was so sick?”
“Yes, Alex was giving Jen small doses of arsenic, probably in her food, so she wouldn’t notice,” Doc Holden confirmed. “Of the ones that we know of, Jen would have been wife number eleven to die at Poison Man’s hands. It is a very good thing Tabby and Greg acted when they did, or you could be dead by now, and Mr. Martinelli would have been long gone with your bookstore money and the insurance company’s money.”
“How did he end up here in this town?” Greg asked.
“That’s what we need to figure out. His last known address of residence was Springfield, Massachusetts. Why would he come to a small town like Whipper Will Junction? We have no mob ties locally that I know of, except, now, for the Capri family who just moved here recently,” he answered.
“It has to do with the bones,” Tabby mumbled to herself.
“We didn’t find any bones in the barn. We searched all over and found nothing,” the sheriff stated.
“Someone else knew about the skulls. Anthony was right; someone was watching him,” Tabby replied. “He told me we were the only two people who knew he found them or where they were hidden.
“Someone else definitely knew about them because they were gone by the time we searched for them,” he replied.
“Can we get back to the poison? Is my Jen going to be okay? Will there be any lasting effects?” Bea asked, concerned for her daughter’s health.
“We tested your daughter’s hair to estimate how long Alex had been poisoning her. He had been feeding Jen low doses for approximately two months. Does that sound about right, Jen? Do you remember when you started to feel ill?” Doc Holden asked.
“I think it was right after the Fourth of July that I started to not feel well on a regular basis,” Jen stated.
“That fits the timeline,” Doc said.
“When did you get married? Greg asked.
“I think it was the beginning of August. He had a minister come to the apartment, and he married us in front of two witnesses I didn’t even know. I was so sick that I didn’t care at that point and I was more afraid for my mom than what was happening to me,”
“Do you have the wedding certificate or license?” Sheriff Puckett inquired.
“I never saw one,” Jen admitted.
“You were probably never legally married,” the sheriff muttered. “It was all part of the rouse he used. He just wanted you to think so because he needed access to all the bookstore’s bank accounts and records.”
“The first thing we need to do when you get home is too pull all your bank records and store records from the last eight months. If we can see how much money he stole, then maybe we can figure out what he did with the funds. I will help you go over the figures,” Greg offered.
“Money is just money; the important thing is I have my daughter back,” Bea replied.
“And, I have my best friend back,” Tabby said, smiling. “So, who are we going to get for our bowling team?”
Everyone laughed; the tension in the room was broken. Doc Holden promised to check in later to discuss Jen’s recovery at home, and Sheriff Puckett left to pay Isabella Capri another visit. Bea excused herself and went for a walk to get some fresh air. The three friends spent the next two hours together, laughing and making plans for the future.
Tabby watched Jen interact with Greg, giving him a hard time about being a handsome prince who came to her rescue. Her eyes were full of life, and her smile dazzled. Tabby knew she had her best friend back and she was so thankful to Greg who helped make it happen.
Now, she could concentrate on finding out who killed Alex Martinelli and Anthony Capri so she could clear her name in the town of Whipper Will Junction. Gladys Twittle was going to eat her words and apologize to Tabby for all the grief she had caused her. She had to find the connection between the two deaths. Maybe Sheriff Puckett couldn’t get Isabella to talk, but Tabby would.
“Earth to Tabby,” Greg said, waving his hand in the air in front of her face.
“I know that look,” Jen stated. “She’s trying to solve a mystery, or maybe a murder or two?”
“I thought I was the only one who recognized that look,” Greg said, sighing.
&nbs
p; “I’ve seen it a whole lot longer than you have; only my whole life,” Jen laughed.
“All right you two, I got the message. I just know that the bones found by Mr. Capri on the Pelton farm have something to with his death, maybe even Alex’s death,” Tabby replied. “I need my laptop to do some research on the Peletroni family of Boston.”
“She can’t even turn that detective mind of hers off long enough to visit a sick friend,” Jen said, closing her eyes and putting her hand on her forehead, feigning sickness.
“Real funny, Jones,” Tabby laughed.
Bea returned from her walk. Tabby and Greg got up to leave promising to see Jen when she got home. Greg said he would set aside the following Sunday to start going over the bookstore’s records if Jen felt up to it.
The couple stopped at the Outdoor Café on the outskirts of Whipper Will Junction on the way home. Neither of them had anything to eat all day except for a cup of coffee at the hospital. They enjoyed a quiet supper together, and there was no talk of murder or mysteries.
Their conversations centered around the upcoming holiday. Both had windows to decorate to compete in the Main Street Window Display Contest. Tabby would not give away any of her secrets of how she was going to decorate her store or her windows. She was going to win this year, and that meant beating Greg’s business window, too.
They also discussed needing a new place for the haunted house since Isabella reneged on Anthony’s offer of letting them use the Pelton farmhouse. This might be the first year that the town might not have a haunted house for its celebration.
The only other place that Tabby had thought of possibly using was the snack bar at the now-defunct Whipper Will Drive-In. The illegal sale of the property had been stalled in the court system, so the property technically still belonged to the Swanson family and not the condo developers. The buildings were still standing, abandoned.
Greg dropped Tabby off at her apartment. He had an early flower pick up in Larsen the next morning and didn’t want to be up late into the night. Tabby fed her fur babies and started making the two batches of jelly that needed to be delivered in the morning to the Whipper Will Diner.
Jam Up and Jelly Fright Page 8
