The Flapper Caper

by Victoria L K Williams

  Taking the papers from her hand Aiden walked over to the couch he put in his office for those evenings when he worked late. He patted the seat next to him for Megan to sit with him. Both dogs joined them in the office and were curled up in the oversized dog bed that replaced the fluffy little pink one that Gypsy first used. Aiden had been thrilled for an excuse to get rid of the fluffy pink bed. Its girly appearance stuck out like a sore thumb in his masculine office, a constant reminder that his dog was more feminine than masculine in appearance. He remembered how he'd been opposed to having Gypsy for a pet when they first found her at a murder scene, an abandoned puppy looking for love. But Gypsy had won him over and he couldn't imagine having any other dog.

  As Megan settled herself close to him, his attention drifted from the paperwork at hand. It took him a few moments to concentrate on the reason they were really in his office. Then they went over each packet of information. The more Megan read, the more uncomfortable she felt.

  “Aiden, should we have access to all of this information? I think I know more about this person than their closest family member would.”

  “It’s all out there. Some people just don’t advertise all their deepest secrets.”

  “And with good reason. I had no idea that Charlotte had been arrested in her youth!”

  “It was only for a peaceful demonstration – she seems to have been a bit of a tree hugger.” Glancing over at the papers in her hand, Aiden read the details quickly. “I would bet if you asked her about this she would tell you all about it – proudly, too.”

  “But that’s my point. She’s kept it quiet, so I assume it is not something she wants everyone to know. And I’m sure there are things in these reports that others would not be too happy to find out we know about them.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s part of an investigation. We need the background of anyone connected to the murder. And that list puts these people in the spotlight. At least the information will stay confidential. It will go no further than you and me, unless we need it to catch a killer.”

  Aiden took the paperwork from her hand and gave her a pad of paper instead.

  “Let’s just note the basic facts about each person on the list and see if we can determine how they relate to the museum. If we need to go into more detail, then we can come back to this. But remember, Detective Carson has access to the same information, and he may not be so discreet about it.”

  Megan nodded her head in agreement. Discretion wasn’t a trait she expected from the detective.

  “You’re right. It’s better that we explore the possibilities and question these folks before he gets started on them. We’ll take the list only with us to the Colonel’s. The others might have a few ideas too.”

  They worked steady until it was time to make their way over to Colonel Heart’s. There they would compare notes with the others and enjoy a good meal. Megan anticipated it would be a delicious feast because Charlotte's cook was preparing it. And Ruth Carter was the best cook in town. Her recipes were sought after by local caterers and restaurant owners alike.

  Megan and Aiden were the last to arrive. Charlotte and Mrs. Purdy had arrived early to help Ruth set up in the kitchen. They were surprised to find Kim already in an apron, ready to help Ruth. She sent the older ladies out on the porch to visit with her grandfather. The conversation was about general things, like the coming and goings of the Colonel’s young neighbors and their six children – three sets of twins, all under the age of ten. The older neighbors were amazed at the boundless amount of energy the parents seemed to have.

  “I bet they sleep soundly once they hit the bed,” laughed Adele Purdy as she remembered her own years raising 3 boys.

  The others joined in her laughter and then welcomed Aiden and Megan as they walked up the stairs to the front porch. Ice tea was poured for them as they took two of the empty seats, returning the warm welcome. Kim heard their arrival, and was soon walking out to join them all, announcing that they would eat shortly.

  The conversation was deliberately kept general all talk of murder left for after dinner. Instead they spoke of what life in the early days of Citrus Beach must have been like. It seemed that the introduction of all those antique cars had stirred up a longing in many of the attendees for life in a simpler time. A few well-placed questions by Aiden, who genuinely wanted to learn about his new home, and Charlotte was on a roll. She soon had them all chuckling at her stories, and when the colonel added his tales, chuckles turned to full-belly laughter. The conversation continued through dinner, and they were relaxed and in good spirits by the end of the meal.

  The colonel led the group out to his back terrace, which overlooked the Citrus River. All eyes were on a passing boat as they took seats around a round table. The group sobered up, and as much as they disliked having to ruin a nice evening, discussed the murder of Lisa Fox. Megan thanked Kim for the pictures she provided and then told them about their findings on the clipboard. The next half hour was spent going over much of the same information that Aiden and Megan had rehashed earlier.

  They were becoming repetitive with the facts as they saw them, when Mrs. Purdy spoke up, suggesting a new point of view.

  “Maybe we are looking at this from the wrong direction. This list may be of people that had nothing to do with the murder. Maybe they are a list of people that the murderer wanted something from. I’m not explaining myself very well. I think we need to think of these people as potential victims rather than being guilty of something.”

  Everyone looked at Mrs. Purdy. Her muddled thoughts made sense. Kim spoke up first.

  “Adele, that’s a possibility. In other words – could the list be of potential victims of a crime? Possibly a little blackmail?”

  “I’ll agree that they might be victims. But Kim you know most of these people as well as I do, can you think of anything they could be blackmailed for?” At the shrug from the younger woman, Megan continued.

  “No, I think they are targets, but of what? I haven’t got a clue.”

  Chapter 14

  Monday

  Megan woke up the next morning to an ungodly ruckus. It took a few moments to wake up enough to realize what was going on in her room. And when she did, she laughed out loud. The phone by her bed was ringing insistently, demanding to be answered. Barney was furious about being woken up, and he stood by the dresser looking at the phone, howling as only a beagle can.

  "Okay, okay, Barney, enough already. You'd better not pull this stunt when Aiden moves in with us. There's no way he will appreciate being woken up like this."

  Mumbling while she untangled herself from the sheets, Megan reached over for the phone.

  "Hello? Darn, I missed them," frustrated she hung up the phone.

  With a yawn, she stretched her arms over her head and looked at her dog that was waiting anxiously to be complimented on the good job of waking her. Deciding she couldn't stay mad at Barney for doing his job, she reached down and gave him a pat behind the ears and then dragged herself out of bed. She was up now she may as well start her day. Before she could get two feet in front of her, the phone rang again. This time she picked it up on the second ring.

  "Hello?"

  "Megan, it’s Lynn. I'm so sorry to wake you this early in the morning but I need to talk to you. It's important." Megan heard the urgency in the photographer's voice and was instantly wide awake, wondering what was going on now. Lynn lost no time in telling her why she had called.

  "I didn't know who to call, but I remembered you've helped out other people in trouble in the past and I was hoping you could help me."

  "What is going on? What kind of trouble are you in?" Megan asked concerned about the panic she heard and the younger girl’s voice.

  "That's just it – I don't know. I got a phone call from the new detective, asking me all kinds of questions about the photos I took during the gala. I answered him as best I could. And I promised him I would forward all the pictures that I took to the police station. But he d
idn't seem satisfied with that. The last thing he said before he hung up with me was that I needed to come and make a statement. I was the last person to see the victim alive. He made it sound like I was a suspect. What am I supposed to do?"

  Megan was surprised to hear they had already narrowed down who had seen the victim last. The detective must have worked long into the night going over the statements he’d taken after the murder. She needed to calm down her friend and, if possible, find out why Detective Carson thought Lynn was a suspect.

  "The first thing, Lynn, is to stay calm. He hasn't actually accused you of anything or he would have already brought you in for questioning. Give me half an hour and I can be at your studio. Let's look over those pictures you took together and see if we can find something that will clear you and help pinpoint just what happened on that night."

  Lynn agreed with Megan’s suggestion and promised her she would be at the studio waiting for her.

  "Well Barney, looks like we will make a pit stop before we swing into Lucy's shop.” The dog barked at her, as if he understood every word she said.

  Grabbing clothes out of her dresser drawer, Megan hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower. Since she had so little time, she pulled her long auburn curls back into a simple French braid. With the barest amount of makeup to her face, she swiped a pink lipstick across her lips. A second look in a mirror and she decided enough was enough and, calling to the dog, she raced downstairs. There, Megan fed the dog and the two cats that are already waiting by their food dish. Thankfully, she had slipped over to the office yesterday and taken care of any questions that Janice might have when she came in to start the Monday morning routine. Texting a quick note to Janice, Megan let her know if she would be out for the morning. A second text went to Aiden, making him aware of the change in her plans. Then Megan grabbed her keys, ready to go.

  Barney’s pitiful whine made her decide to wait a few seconds for him to eat his breakfast and then they were out the door together.

  Traffic was light, so they made good time getting downtown. Megan made such good time that she stopped at the diner and grabbed two cups of coffee to go. One for her and one for Lynn. By the time the promised 30 minutes were up, Megan was pulling into the parking lot of Lynn’s Photography Studio.

  Lynn must've been watching for Megan's arrival, and she had the front door to the studio open before Megan even got out of her car. Barney followed behind and slipped inside while the two girls hugged in greeting. The dog lost no time in searching out the basket of toys that Lynn kept for her for clients who came to have their pictures taken with their pets. Barney was familiar with the studio; having recently been Lynn's subject of a charity calendar she was putting together. Barney and Bingo, Lynn’s St. Bernard, were the featured animals in the calendar. That meant that Barney had spent many afternoons in Lynn's company having his pictures taken.

  "Here, I got you a coffee to help settle your nerves. Now, let's go over everything that happened at the gala and then we'll talk about Detective Carson." Handing her the Styrofoam cup filled with the rich-smelling coffee, Megan led Lynn over to the seating area in her reception room.

  Lynn took a deep swallow of the coffee and thanked her friend for bringing it. She seemed to use the coffee to gather her thoughts as she stared down into the cup. She took a few seconds but then she looked up and was ready to go into the details with Megan.

  "Well, as you know, I spent most of the evening taking candid shots of the costumes and of people dancing. I had already taken the more serious stills of the cars and had filmed a quick little video of the mechanics behind the showroom. Everybody seemed to be having such a great time, and each person was eager to have their picture taken to show off their costume. Even the wait staff were caught up in the mood of the evening. I remember talking to the girl who was killed—"

  "Lisa Fox," Megan supplied the name.

  "Yes, that's how she introduced herself. She seemed like such a quiet little thing. But looking back on things I must admit, I felt that she seemed to watch everything."

  Megan took a swallow of her drink before she asked what Lynn meant. So far, she didn't have a clue what the murdered girl was like, and she hoped that Lynn might shed light on the subject. Lynn thought about her words for a moment before she answered.

  "It wasn't the kind of watching from somebody who is interested in the fun going on around them. It was more a watchfulness of somebody waiting for something or someone. She seemed nervous, but was careful to keep it hidden and put on a congenial face for all to see. We talked for a bit, and she asked a few questions about the guests."

  "What questions, Lynn? Any particular guest?" interrupted Megan.

  "You know, the questions were odd, they weren’t casual chitchat questions. They were actually pretty specific, and I thought they were a little on the nosy side."

  Megan gave her an odd look and Lynn hurried on to explain what she meant.

  "She had questions about whether the guests were happily married, what type business they were in, and if they were backers of the museum. I didn't give her any information; I kept my answers vague. It wasn't my place to give out that information about the guests at the gala."

  The two women exchange knowing looks. Due to their respective businesses, they were both in positions to know their customers well and consequently were more aware about the goings on in a customer's personal life than the average shopkeeper would be. Because of this they were very careful not to gossip about their customers.

  "Were there any guest in particular she asked about?"

  Lynn closed her eyes for a moment as if that would help her remember more specific answers. When she opened her eyes, she looked at Megan a bit confused.

  "This will sound strange, but it almost seemed as if she was checking names from our list. And she had this clipboard in her hands that she looked at every so often, like she was making sure she was getting all her answers she needed. Like I said, it was weird, and I tried my best not to give her specific answers. Yet, when she wasn't snooping, she seemed like a nice girl."

  "Can you remember anything else, Lynn?"

  Before Lynn answered her, she reached down to grab the toy that Barney had brought for her to play with. Giving it a couple of squeezes to make it squeak she tossed it across the studio for him to chase and then turned her attention back to Megan.

  "I think she was planning on meeting someone. And it was either going to be for a bit of romance or celebration."

  "What makes you say that?"

  "Well, she had two champagne glasses and a bottle of champagne with her. Just before I left to go take more pictures of the other guests I asked her if I could take a picture of her sitting in one of the cars. She seemed thrilled with the idea. There was a Rolls Royce coming off the line to go on the viewing platform and we decided that that would be a perfect picture. Joe had given me the code to get in the room for pictures earlier so I went ahead and used it again." She looked at Megan with a guilty expression before she continued, not sure if she should have taken advantage of her knowledge.

  Megan just patted her hand and smiled indicating it was okay and for her to continue.

  "The last picture I took of Lisa Fox, she was sitting in the backseat of a Rolls Royce. She had a bottle of champagne in her hand and two classes sitting on the platform waiting to be filled with the bubbly liquid."

  "And is this the same story you told Detective Carson?"

  Lynn nodded her head emphatically, positive she had left nothing out. Megan was quiet for a moment as she thought about the details Lynn had just given her. Then it was like a light bulb flipped on, and she looked up at her friend and grinned.

  "Do you remember what the next pictures you took were?"

  "Yes. I had gone out to the dance floor, and I got a great picture of Charlotte Potter and Colonel Heart dancing."

  "You're using a digital camera, right?" At Lynn's nod, Megan continued. "Then if you have the camera set up to show the date and
time stamp, we can prove that you had nothing to do with the murder of Lisa Fox."

  Lynn gave Megan a grin in amazement. How had she not thought of that herself? Such a simple solution and she let herself get all worked up. She blamed that on the detective and the way he had talked and questioned her. Reaching over, she gave her friend a hug of thanks.

  "I guess the next thing to do is to get those pictures and prove I'm innocent. Come on back to my office. I already have everything downloaded onto the computer."

  Jumping to her feet, Lynn led the way back to her office. Following their movements, Barney saw his two human friends were leaving the room. He gave a sharp bark in protest. When they didn't slow down to give him the attention he deserved, he picked up the toy he been playing with and followed them.

  It took Lynn no time at all to bring up the pictures on her computer. She used a huge monitor, making it easier for clients to pick up the pictures they liked from the screen. It took Megan a moment to focus on what she was supposed to be looking for in Lynn’s photographs. Lynn's photography skills were incredible, and she had managed to capture the movements of the costumes as the guests wandered around and the overall feeling of the night. Megan was thrilled with the results and anticipated they could use many of those pictures for promotional materials for the museum.

  With a shake of her head to focus, she looked closer at the pictures, making out Lisa Fox in quite a few of them. After few moments, she found the picture of Lisa in the car. The next picture was of Charlotte and Colonel Heart dancing. Megan smiled to herself at the sweet picture of the two old timers and thought once again there was a history there.