Meringue and Murder

by Wendy Meadows

  “But you liked him?” asked Margaret.

  “Like I said, he was good with Booboo; and anyone who treats my dog that well deserves my respect.”

  “Thank you, sir,” said David. He and Margaret went back to his car. They drove to the next client name on the list.

  This house was out in the country. Margaret helped David navigate to the address. As they were pulling up a dirt driveway, about five dogs ran to greet them. They were a bit dusty but well kept. David got out of the car first and the dogs jumped around him playfully. Margaret could tell they were nice dogs so she got out too. An older woman came around the house from the back.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “Yes ma’am,” said David. “Are you Mrs. Snider?”

  “Yes, I am,” said the woman, tilting her head curiously.

  “We were wondering if we could talk to you about Mr. Stewart,” said David.

  Mrs. Snider made a face like she had eaten a lemon.

  “I suppose,” she said.

  “Did you take your dogs to Mr. Stewart’s grooming business?” asked David.

  “I did but then I stopped. He raised his prices and I couldn’t afford to take them anymore,” said Mrs. Snider.

  “You had an appointment on the day Mr. Stewart died,” said Margaret.

  “That is because he would not take no for an answer,” said Mrs. Snider. “He insisted on making another appointment for me in case I changed my mind. I told him not to bother. I told Mr. Stewart that I could care for my own dogs and have money left over.”

  “How did he take that?” asked Margaret.

  “He wasn’t happy. He had one way of doing things and if you deviated from that he got nasty,” said Mrs. Snider. “He told me my dogs would look like mutts without his monthly grooming. I told him he was wrong. He didn’t like that.”

  “Do you know of anyone else who might have a negative opinion about Mr. Stewart?” asked Margaret.

  “Many people in this town,” said Mrs. Snider. “You might want to check with the woman who runs the nail salon beside him. She was always in his business and people in her store love to gossip.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Snider. Also, where were you on the day that Mr. Stewart died?” asked David.

  “I was with my sister at her place,” said Mrs. Snider. “Helping her with her grandchildren.”

  “Okay, thank you, Mrs. Snider,” said David. He and Margaret went back to the car. Margaret suggested they go back to town.

  “If Maria was in his business, she might know who this Rocky person is,” she suggested. David agreed.

  “I would like to check on Ariel too,” David said.

  “Okay,” said Margaret. She texted Zach and he replied that he and Ariel were at the local park.

  “They’re at the park,” said Margaret. “We could swing by there before we go to the nail salon.”

  “Good idea,” said David. They drove back into town and went to the park. David got out and Margaret saw Zach pushing Ariel on a swing. She smiled. He was a very responsible young man, and he made her proud.

  David walked over to Zach and Ariel. Ariel smiled and nodded, and David came back to the car.

  “Is everything good?” Margaret asked.

  “Yes. Ariel is having a blast with Zach. I need to hire him full time,” laughed David.

  As they drove into town, David and Margaret talked about Ariel and how David and his daughter were growing closer.

  “I still can’t believe she’s mine,” said David. “Don’t get me wrong. I know she is. I just can’t believe how lucky I am that she is in my life.”

  “I understand,” said Margaret. “I can’t imagine my life without Zach.”

  “It is amazing how much joy she fills me with. Even when she’s not behaving as well as I would like her to, I know she is just going through something and she will be better soon,” said David.

  “Those are wise words,” said Margaret. “You are a great father.”

  “Thank you, Margaret. That means a lot coming from you. If I could be half the parent you are to Zach, I feel I will be doing my job,” said David.

  Margaret blushed a bit. “Thank you.”

  Margaret looked at the buildings as they approached the town. She was happy thinking about the community she was a part of. Everyone looked out for one another and everyone cared about each other. Margaret was glad she had ended up here. She watched the seagulls flying around in the sky. She looked at David and was happy to see him happy. This was a hard time for Margaret, but with her friends and family around, it had been a little easier. Margaret sat back in her seat and sighed.

  Chapter 9

  When they arrived in town, David parked at the candy store. Margaret ran in to check on Patty and then came back out.

  “Patty is fine. It’s not too busy today. Are you ready to talk to Maria?” asked Margaret.

  “Yes, I am,” said David. They walked over to the nail salon. A bell rang when they entered the door. Maria appeared from the back room.

  “Hello, how can I help you? Are you here for a manicure, David?” Maria teased.

  “Maybe some other time,” David said with a smirk. “We are actually here to ask you some questions. Is now a good time?”

  “Yes. I don’t have any appointments for the next thirty minutes,” said Maria. “What would you like to know?”

  “Well, we heard you had some issues with Mr. Stewart,” said Margaret.

  “I hate to speak ill of the dead,” said Maria, “but he was a tyrant.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Margaret.

  “He was very particular about certain things,” said Maria. “He drove me crazy. He expected everyone to live by his rules, but he could just do whatever he wanted to.”

  “Could you be specific?” asked David.

  “Yes. He was always complaining about smells coming from my shop. He said the stray dogs and cats were suffering from eye conditions. I told him my shop didn’t smell and I asked him when he got his veterinarian’s degree. He didn’t like that. Also Mr. Stewart was very particular about the alley. If any of my garbage was near his bin he would have a fit. It didn’t matter if a stray dog had dragged it there. If the garbage was there it was my fault. Instead of just throwing the bag away he would dump it in front of my shop. I was livid.”

  “I understand,” said David. “Do you know any other people, maybe former customers, who were having problems with Mr. Stewart?”

  “How much time do you have?” asked Maria sarcastically. Margaret couldn’t help but smile a little bit. While she had liked Mr. Stewart, she knew he could rub people the wrong way.

  “How about anyone recently?” asked David.

  “Well, there was a man over by his shop the other day,” said Maria. “It was before Mr. Stewart opened. He and Mr. Stewart were arguing. I could tell the man was getting angry and Mr. Stewart just shooed him away with his hand. I thought the man was going to go ballistic. Mr. Stewart said something, and the man turned around and left the shop.”

  “Do you know the man’s name?” asked Margaret.

  “No, but someone in the shop told me the man had been married to Mr. Stewart’s sister,” said Maria.

  Margaret and David looked at each other.

  “Thank you,” said David. “Was there anyone else?”

  “I think he had a problem with one of his regular customers,” said Maria. “Simone was telling me about that. Don’t know the customer’s name, though.”

  “Okay, thank you,” said David. They left the nail salon.

  “She really had it in for Mr. Stewart,” said Margaret.

  “Yes, she did,” David agreed. “She is on the list of suspects now.”

  “So should we stop by Simone’s?” asked Margaret.

  “That seems like a good idea,” said David.

  Just then, they heard a noise from the alley between the nail salon and the dog groomer’s. David turned, and Margaret followed him. They looked down th
e alley. There was a man knocking loudly on the back door to the groomer’s. David called out to him and when the man turned and saw David, he ran. David ran after him. The man immediately stopped after David identified himself as a law officer.

  “Who are you and why are you running from me?” asked David.

  “My name is Samuel Rochester. I live a few towns over. I came here today to get my dog groomed but Mr. Stewart’s shop is closed. I thought he might answer the back door. I was trying to get his attention,” said Mr. Rochester.

  “That does not explain why you ran from me,” said David.

  “Well, you are a big guy and you yelled at me,” said Samuel. “I wasn’t sure who you were or why you were yelling. I thought it best to run just in case.”

  “You said you were here for an appointment?” asked Margaret.

  “Yes,” said Samuel. “I saw the police tape, but I wasn’t sure what was happening. I figured someone finally gave Mr. Stewart a taste of his own medicine.”

  Margaret felt herself go pale and David stepped up to Samuel.

  “Samuel, are you aware that Mr. Stewart died the other day?” asked David.

  Mr. Stewart blanched.

  “No, I wasn’t,” said Samuel. “What happened?”

  “That is what we are trying to figure out. What did you mean when you said someone gave Mr. Stewart a taste of his own medicine?” asked David.

  “Well, I thought someone might have thrown a rock through his window or something,” said Samuel. “I have been coming here for years and Mr. Stewart and I have always butted heads.”

  “What was the problem?” asked Margaret.

  “Well, Mr. Stewart would feed stray dogs. Those mutts would be in this back alley all the time. They frazzled my dog. She would always shake when we came here,” said Samuel.

  “Why didn’t you go somewhere else?” asked Margaret.

  “I didn’t go anywhere else because Mr. Stewart was the best dog groomer around here. My baby loved him, once she got inside,” said Samuel.

  “She just didn’t like the strays,” said David.

  “Right,” said Samuel.

  “Well, let me get your information in case I have any other questions,” said David.

  “Okay,” said Samuel. He gave David his business card and left. David and Margaret walked toward Simone’s.

  “I can’t believe he didn’t know Mr. Stewart was dead,” said Margaret.

  “Well, he doesn’t live in this town,” David reminded her.

  They walked to the antiques shop. Simone was on the sidewalk in front, talking to an impeccably dressed woman. Simone stopped when she saw David and Margaret.

  “Good morning,” said Simone. “How can I help you?”

  “I was wondering if you knew anyone who may have had a problem with Mr. Stewart,” said David.

  “Wow,” said Simone. “We were just talking about him.”

  “Who is this?” asked David.

  “My name is Dia Webster,” said the woman.

  “Ms. Webster, I am Detective David Graham,” said David. “Do you mind if I ask you some questions?”

  “Certainly,” said Dia.

  “What problem did you have with Mr. Stewart?” asked David.

  “Well, I have show dogs,” said Dia. “I always took them to Mr. Stewart for grooming. This last time, though, he did a bad job. My dog lost the contest. I blame Mr. Stewart for that loss.”

  “What kind of dogs do you own?” asked Margaret.

  “Standard poodles,” said Dia.

  “And there was no other reason your dog would have lost the contest?” asked Margaret.

  “Absolutely not,” said Dia, enraged. “Are you implying that I don’t know how to train dogs? I’ll have you know my dogs are the top of their breed.”

  “I believe that,” said Simone. “Dia has shown me her dogs before. They know what is expected of them at a show.”

  “Okay,” said Margaret.

  Dia huffed. “I have to get back to my babies,” she said, air kissing Simone. She walked over to her van. The sun shone brightly off the gold paint.

  “Well, she does not seem that nice,” said Margaret.

  “She may not be nice, but she buys my antiques,” said Simone. Margaret laughed, and she and David said goodbye.

  “Would you like to stop by the café for a bite to eat?” David asked Margaret.

  “Sure,” said Margaret. They walked to the café. Stacy said they just missed Zach and Ariel.

  “He took her to see the dogs,” said Stacy.

  Margaret smiled. “I am sure they will have a great time.”

  “If there are dogs involved, Ariel will have a blast. She loves animals,” said David.

  While they were eating, a text came in for David.

  “It was the warden at the jail. He said that Mr. Stewart’s sister was in jail for attempted assault. He said we could meet with her in an hour,” David told Margaret.

  “That gives us just enough time to finish lunch,” Margaret said. They ate and discussed the case.

  After lunch, David and Margaret drove out to the jail. When they got there, the warden met them in the front office.

  “Thank you for letting us see Ms. Stewart,” said David.

  “You’re welcome,” said the warden. “Julie doesn’t get too many visitors. I told her about her brother’s death. She was upset. I have her set up in a private room. Follow me.” Margaret and David followed the warden to a room with a two-way mirror.

  “I’ll be right here if anything happens,” said the warden.

  “Thank you,” said David. Margaret and David walked into the room. Julie Stewart was handcuffed to the table. David and Margaret sat down across from her.

  “Good afternoon,” said David.

  “Hello,” said Ms. Stewart. “You can call me Julie.”

  “Hi, Julie, we are sorry about your loss,” said Margaret.

  “Thank you,” said Julie.

  “We have a few questions for you,” said David.

  “Well, I am not sure how much I can help, seeing as I am in jail,” said Julie.

  “Well, do you know someone named Rocky?” asked David.

  “Rocky?” said Julie, getting angry. “My ex-husband. He’s the reason I am in jail. Did he do this? I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  Margaret was astonished by Julie’s outburst. “What do you mean?”

  “I am in here because Rocky hurt me. My brother wanted me to leave him and when I tried to, Rocky came after me and said he’d strangle me. I hit him with a frying pan and he called the police. He told them I hit him for no reason and they arrested me.”

  “Oh wow,” said Margaret. “I am sorry to hear that.”

  “Well, Rocky is a jerk. If you find him, tell him I said so,” said Julie.

  “Where does he live?” asked David. Julie told him Rocky’s last known address. David thanked her, and he got up to leave.

  “I am sorry for your loss,” said Margaret.

  “Thank you,” said Julie.

  Before they left, David talked to the warden privately for a bit. He came back and told Margaret there was not enough evidence to arrest Rocky. Mr. Stewart had tried his hardest but Rocky remained free.

  “So Mr. Stewart wanted Rocky in jail?” asked Margaret.

  “It seems so,” said David.

  “That seems to be reason enough for Rocky to kill Mr. Stewart,” said Margaret.

  “Yes, it does,” said David. “I am going to stake out Rocky’s house tonight. If he doesn’t do anything suspicious, I’ll bring him in for questioning tomorrow.”

  “I’ll join you on the stakeout,” said Margaret. “I am sure Zach can keep Ariel busy.”

  “Okay,” David agreed. They left the jail and drove back to town. When they arrived at the candy store, Patty was there.

  “Zach took Ariel out to play with the dogs,” said Patty. “Also, Stacy stopped by and said she needed more raffle tickets. She brought her money and the entries
with her. I put them in the back.”

  “Thank you, Patty. This fundraiser is really kicking off,” said Margaret happily. Just then the door opened, and Zach and Ariel appeared. Ariel saw David and ran over to him.

  “Daddy! Daddy! Guess what? Zach took me to see some puppies! They were so cute. I got to pet them and play with them!” Ariel said excitedly.

  “So you’ve been having a good time?” David asked Ariel.

  “Yes!” she replied.

  “Well, maybe you can hang around here a bit longer. Would that be okay with you?” asked David.

  “Okay!” said Ariel.

  “I have to run and meet my friend, Mom,” Zach said. “Will you be able to watch Ariel?”

  “I’m going to be working with David,” said Margaret.

  “I can do it,” said Patty. “We can go to dinner together and then I can take her back to my place for a while.”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” said David.

  “It is my pleasure,” said Patty.

  “Thank you so much. Well, I have to run to the office and fill out some paperwork,” said David. “Are you okay here, kiddo?”

  “I’m fine, Daddy,” Ariel replied.

  “Ariel and I can make some chocolates while you finish your paperwork,” said Margaret.

  “Ooooh, okay!” said Ariel.

  “Great. I will call you when I am done, and we can meet at my office later,” said David.

  “Sounds good,” said Margaret. David left, and Margaret took Ariel to the kitchen. She put an apron on Ariel and stood her on a chair by the counter. Margaret decided to make some fall balls with Ariel. Ariel was a sweet child, and they had a good time making the candy together.

  Patty came back to the kitchen. “I just heard from my kids,” she said. “They won’t be coming home for Thanksgiving this year.”

  “Aw, I’m sorry to hear that,” said Margaret. “Do you have any other plans?”

  “Not really. My husband and I will probably stay home and eat takeout,” said Patty.

  Margaret stopped and turned to Patty.

  “You know what,” she said. “Let’s do Thanksgiving at my place.”

  “Really?” said Patty.

  “Yes. Zach can make the turkey and I can cook some sides. Believe it or not, I am pretty good with stuffing,” Margaret said.