The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  “I heard that she and Tina had a shouting match yesterday,” Mrs. Mullally said. “Is that true?”

  Nora groaned. Her partner Tina had been trying to expand their diner, and add in a bakery selection but it hadn’t really worked out, as of now. But that didn’t mean Tina hated Mia! “The gossip in this town! Next they’ll be saying Tina and Mia had a fistfight. Nothing really happened. Tina was down at Burrell’s Grocery, and she took the last packet of fresh vanilla pods. Mia objected, saying she had sighted it first, and that Tina should hand it over.”

  “That’s not what I heard,” Mrs. Mullally said. “I heard they had a proper screaming match and that Tony Burrell had to come out himself to handle it.”

  Nora felt a pinprick of doubt. That wasn’t the story Tina had told her but she knew her partner tended to have a hot temper, and she could completely imagine her having it out with somebody who’d insulted her. “In any case, I don’t think Tina’s the kind to start fights. Mia must have done something to irritate her.”

  “Sure.” Mrs. Mullally agreed. “People aren’t really fond of Mia anyway but you have to agree that she’s an excellent baker! Here, have one of her cupcakes.” She thrust a plate forward, and Nora hesitated slightly before picking out a blue cupcake with sprinkles and yellow frosting. “They are delicious,” she admitted. “No wonder the town prefers her to us!”

  “Oh, but the diner is still the most loved restaurant in town. A good cupcake or two won’t change that,” Mrs. Mullally chimed in loyally.

  *****

  As she drove down to the diner, Nora was still thinking about what Mrs. Mullally said. Maybe she needed to have a talk with Tina- it wouldn’t do to have her partner feuding with another entrepreneur. She checked her watch—six thirty a.m—just in time to help Tina with the prework and set up the day’s menu. She’d planned a lunch special that she loved making—burgers with caramelized Coca-Cola onions and stir-fried mushrooms. Humming to herself as she parked, she walked toward the diner and stopped in shock as she saw the sheriff’s car parked near the door, lights flashing.

  Tina and Sean both stood outside, discussing something. Sean was scribbling down notes as Tina gesticulated wildly. Nora ran toward them, pulling up abruptly.

  The diner was her pride and joy—the product of years of sweat, blood and tears. More than just the place she worked at, it represented a dream to her. And now, there was a large crack spreading right through the center of it.

  The large window she religiously polished each day now had a brick sitting right at its center, and a spiderweb of cracks all around it. A few pieces of broken glass lay scattered on the concrete in front of it. It was obvious where the brick came from. They’d been building a new pizza oven in the back of the diner, and a heap of bricks lay there, along with a wheelbarrow full of concrete mix and some plywood. Someone had grabbed one, and hefted it through the window. A petty, meaningless act and one that would cost Nora and Tina a great deal of time and effort to fix.

  “And I think you know perfectly well who’s done this, Sean!” Tina exclaimed. “Mia Madford is absolutely mad. I’ve never met a more unpleasant woman in my life! She thinks she can get away with vandalizing our—”

  “Now, Tina, do you really believe Mia Madford, of all people, snuck out at night and threw a brick at your window?” Sean asked. “Be reasonable.”

  “I’m telling you, she did it!” Tina exclaimed.

  “Is there anything missing from the diner?” Sean asked, “Cash, or equipment?”

  “It’s vandalism, not a robbery,” Tina said. “Nothing’s missing. Well, except for your good judgment when it comes to Mia. Sean, she’s an absolutely horrible woman.”

  Sean gave Nora a look that clearly said, “Save me.”

  Nora stepped in. “When did you find this, Tina?”

  “I arrived fifteen minutes ago, and it was like this,” Tina said. She continued her tirade, “Mia yelled at me yesterday in Burrell’s Grocery, you know. The woman’s unhinged! I put a pack of vanilla pods in my cart, and all of a sudden, she’s in my face screaming at me, claiming I’d deliberately stolen those. Tony had to step in to calm her down.”

  Sean rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Actually, I spoke to Tony about the incident and he said that both of you were screaming at each other.”

  “Well!” Tina’s face began to turn purple. “She screamed at me first, what do you expect I’d do, just take it lying down? I told her that she could go to—”

  “Okay, Tina, why don’t we just go get some coffee and let Sean continue his investigation.” Nora took her by the shoulders and led her aside. “Sean, you’ll call us if you need us, right?”

  Sean gave her a look of thanks, and nodded. “I’ll handle this, Tina, don’t worry.”

  Tina still looked annoyed, though. “He isn’t taking me seriously,” she said, getting into her Chevy and starting the engine. “He’s acting like I’m ridiculous for suggesting Mia had anything to do with it!”

  “Tina, you are acting ridiculous,” Nora said. “I don’t like Mia either, but I don’t think she’s a vandal, for heaven’s sake! It’s more likely that some bored teenager did this.” She put a hand up to her forehead, and pressed it. “Will our insurance cover this? If not, we’re going to need to spend a lot of money replacing that window.”

  “I hadn’t even thought about that,” Tina said, looking a little guilty. She floored the gas on the car as she spoke.

  “No, you were too busy in your one-woman witch-hunt,” Nora said. “Come on, let’s get you some coffee and…wait a minute!” Tina took a right turn on Maple Street and began heading down Willow Avenue.

  “Tina!” Nora exclaimed. “Are you heading to Bellewood?”

  “Maybe I am,” Tina said defiantly, “so what?”

  “So are you seriously planning to show up at Mia’s doorstep and accuse her of throwing a brick through our window?” Nora asked. “I love you, girl, but this is crazy.”

  “I just want to talk to her,” Tina said, “I’ll be perfectly reasonable.”

  “So will the cops when Mia calls them,” Nora muttered. “Tina, you’re acting nuts.”

  “Come on, Nora,” Tina said, “a tiny part of you has to know that I’m probably right. We’ve been operating this diner for years now, and we’ve never had any trouble with vandals. I have one fight with Mia and all of a sudden…crash!”

  “Well…” Nora hesitated. Maybe some tiny part of her did lend credence to Tina’s views. But another, more mature part of her knew that Tina was probably just reeling from the shock of seeing the broken window. The diner was a second home to the two of them, and an attack on it felt like an attack on themselves. But for a grown woman, and a business owner at that, to throw a brick through their window seemed far too ridiculous for Nora to stomach.

  “Let’s just go ask her a few questions, I know Sean won’t even bother,” Tina said, “but if she lies to us, at least you’ll know. Right, Nora? You’ll be able to see the lie in her eyes.”

  “See the lie in her eyes? Tina, I’m not psychic, you know,” Nora said.

  “Sometimes, I think you might be.”

  They drove on, ignoring the snow-capped Teutons standing guard over meadows of bursting wheat, and gentle rivers snaking through green grass while men with pants rolled up to the knees struggled with fish in the waters. Nora had her head on the windowsill, staring out at it all, but not really seeing it. Tina, on the other hand, was completely focused on the road, her hands gripping the steering wheel tight.

  Halfway there, Tina gave a little yelp of surprise. Behind them, two squad cars were going full speed, lights blazing and sirens on.

  “Are they headed out to Bellewood, too?” Nora sat up straight, and looked at Tina.

  “Looks like they took my suggestion a little too seriously,” Tina said. “I wonder why. Maybe they found some clue at the diner that Mia did it after all?”

  “Two squad cars, lights on?” Nora gaped out the window as the cars s
ped by. She caught sight of Sean in one, his eyes narrowed and focused on the road ahead. “Something’s up, Tina, and I think it might be a lot more serious than our broken window!”

  *****

  Chapter 2

  The Body In The Kitchen

  Sean sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm as Patrick Madford sobbed desolately in front of him. Patrick was a skinny man with thinning blonde hair and sharp cheekbones that seemed to emphasize the hollows under his eyes. There was something childlike about him now, as his entire six-foot body was curled up in a bright pink armchair.

  “I can’t believe my Mia is gone!” he said. “I can’t—I—I—” He dissolved into sobs again, and Sean stepped forward, wondering whether a comforting hand was what Patrick needed, or simply just to be left alone. His thoughts were broken as Nora and Tina came rushing in, making little exclamations and asking questions. Sean held up a hand.

  “Tina, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t start any drama right now.”

  “Please, Sean. We found out that Mia—” Tina looked down at the sobbing Patrick, and gave a little wince. “We found out what happened.”

  “How are you here so quickly?” Sean asked, a little intrigued.

  “You passed us, actually,” Tina said. “I was convinced you wouldn’t ask Mia about the window, so I—”

  “Window?” Patrick’s mind must have seized upon this as a distraction. He rose up, sitting straight on the chair, and wiped away his tears. “What window?”

  Nora and Tina looked at each other. Nora gave a subtle, but definite shake of her head.

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” Tina said. “Patrick, we’re so sorry to hear about what happened to Mia.”

  “I don’t know what happened myself!” Patrick exclaimed. “I overslept today. I never oversleep! Never!” He buried his face in his hands, and shook it vigorously. “This must be a dream.”

  Sean bit his lip. No matter how many times he’d visited the scene of a crime, it struck him that there was always someone wishing it was all a dream.

  “We all live neat, ordered lives,” Sean said. “Something like this always seems like it must be a dream—a fantastic sort of mirage—that can happen to some distant stranger but not to ourselves. I’m really sorry, Patrick, it’s not a dream.”

  There was a knock on the door, and a burly man with a thick, well-maintained beard and huge brown eyes peeked in. “Sheriff?” he said, “I don’t want to interrupt but the deputies were asking for you.” The man looked around the room shyly, then down at his hands. Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped his hands against it, leaving a trail of dirt and sweat on the cloth, before stuffing it back into his jeans.

  “Thanks Burton.” Sean nodded. “I’ll be right there.” He stepped forward, and put a hand on Patrick’s shoulder, gripping it tight. “I know you’re feeling nothing but grief right now, but we’ll need you to recount as many details of last night as possible, okay Patrick? Gather yourself together. I’ll be back in a little bit.” Nodding to Nora, he left, following the bearded man to the kitchen.

  Patrick stopped crying almost as soon as Sean left, but he seemed to sink into a deep reverie. His hands were gripped tight around his elbows, coiled around his body.

  “Pat,” Tina said hesitantly, “can we get you something? A glass of water?”

  He ignored her, still in his own world.

  Nora took Tina aside, and spoke in a low voice, “I think he just needs us to be here, but not speak to him.”

  Tina nodded, her face full of sadness. “I know. I remember that Sam reacted this way when his sister died. It was so horrible. My heart goes out to poor Patrick.”

  Nora nodded. The presence of grief so strong always took her back to her own dark days, when she’d lost her best friend Raquel. It was a feeling she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy; the feeling of the solid world suddenly being yanked out from under your feet, and replaced with a cavernous, unending hole of sadness.

  “I almost feel guilty,” Tina said, her voice still a whisper. “I mean—to think—just half an hour ago, I was accusing Mia of breaking our window. But now she’s found dead on the floor of her own kitchen.”

  “Did the deputy give you any details?” Nora asked.

  Tina nodded. “You’ve worked with Burton before, right? Burton’s the handyman here at Bellewood. He lives here at the B and B. He’s the one who found Mia this morning, around six thirty a.m. He went to the kitchen for coffee, and found her on the floor, with a half-eaten croissant in her hand. He ran to Patrick’s room, and shook him awake. Then they called the police.”

  Nora nodded. “Now here we are. It’s only seven thirty, too.”

  “So what do you think it was? A heart attack? Poor Mia!”

  From across the room, Patrick must have heard this, because he sprang out of his chair, outraged. “This was no heart attack,” he said, “Mia was fit as an athlete! She worked out religiously every single day, and she’d had her regular checkup just last month. She was healthy, I tell you. I can’t understand it.”

  Nora exchanged a troubled glance with Tina, then looked back at Patrick. “Patrick, are you sure of what you’re saying?”

  “Bellewood is cursed,” Patrick said, wiping a tear. “I told Mia—I told Mia it was a stupid idea to buy it. But she wouldn’t listen! She never listened to me. She just pooh-poohed the idea.”

  “What do you mean Bellewood is cursed?” Nora asked.

  “Before we bought it, Bellewood was known as the Legrand Mans,” Patrick said. “I’m sure you know that already, right Nora?”

  Nora nodded. Of course she knew it. She’d been planning to get married at Legrand Manse, until an unexpected murder had put her plans in the trash. “So you and Mia knew about the murder that took place here?”

  “Who didn’t? That case made the headlines, if I recall,” Patrick said. “Mia actually saw it as a business opportunity. She said it gave the place character! Can you believe it? She told me that maybe someday we could successfully market it as a haunted B and B!”

  “That... does sound incredible,” Tina said, “but in Mia’s defense, I know there’s a market for places like that. People are always intrigued by murders.”

  “Well they’re going to love Bellewood then,” Patrick said bitterly. “We’ve got not one but two murders here!”

  “Patrick, steady now.” Nora held out a hand. “You don’t think Mia’s been murdered?”

  “Of course she has! It’s poison that killed her,” Patrick said. “It’s the only reason she could be dead. Healthy folk don’t just fall like flies halfway through breakfast!” His voice was rising now, and his fists were in front of him, as though he were ready to take on an unseen enemy. “Somebody killed my wife!”

  “Patrick, I understand you’re grieving, but that’s a pretty serious allegation to make,” Nora said. “Did Mia have enemies here?”

  Patrick sighed. “My Mia had enemies everywhere she went. She wasn’t the most pleasant person to deal with.”

  The door flew open and a girl in her early twenties, wrapped up in a bathrobe, came barreling through. Her eyes were blind with tears, and her hair trailed behind her in messy curls. “Dad! Dad!”

  Patrick looked up, and his face softened. “Your dad’s with the Sheriff, Sloane. It’s okay.”

  Nora saw the resemblance almost instantly. The girl had the same large, melting chocolate eyes Burton possessed, and like her father, she was stout, with a thick chest and twiggy legs.

  “I don’t understand what’s happening,” Sloane’s tears leaked out. “Mr. Madford, I woke up and looked outside, and I saw the cops all over the place. I couldn’t find my dad and—”

  To his credit, Patrick put his own grief aside to comfort Sloane. “It’s all right,” he took her hand and patted it sympathetically, “your father’s fine, Sloane. It’s—it’s Mia. M—Mia’s gone. She’s dead.”

  Sloane withdrew her hand almost instantly, and stepped back. “What?” Sloa
ne looked up at him, her eyes wide, and suddenly clear. They were blazing with some emotion, so fierce that Patrick took an involuntary step backwards.

  “Are you sure?” Sloane blinked.

  “Your father found her in the kitchen an hour ago. She—” Patrick swallowed. “We’re not sure of the cause of death yet.”

  “No. No.” Sloane raised her hand, palm out. “Stop, hang on. This isn’t real, is it? You’re all pranking me.”

  “It’s real.” Patrick’s eyes welled up again. “I wish it wasn’t, but it is.”

  Sloane’s mouth opened and closed as though she wanted to say a million things and couldn’t find the words for any of them. “How…who…why…” was about all she managed to come up with. Patrick was on the pink armchair again, his head leaning on the back of the chair, eyes closed, ringed with exhaustion.

  “I need a cigarette,” Sloane muttered. She fumbled around in the pocket of her bathrobe, and drew out a red pack with Satin’s Superslim Strawberry Cigarettes written on it. With slightly shaking hands, she lit one up, and took a puff.

  The door opened and Sean walked in. He studied the room, taking in Sloane’s just rolled out of bed look, the cigarette in her hand, and Patrick’s closed eyes. With a motion of his head, he indicated to Tina and Nora that it was time for them to leave.

  “Patrick, we need to talk,” he said, his voice grim.

  *****

  Chapter 3

  Burton’s Discovery

  The Legrand Manse was a local legend. It was a regal estate house, built by one of the town’s founding fathers over a hundred years ago. With a magnificent wraparound porch, and a light blue trim across its five gable roofs, it stood on top of a slight slope that had once overlooked fifty acres of impeccably maintained gardens. Until very recently, it had attracted wedding parties from all over the state. After the murder on its premises, however, the Legrand Manse and its owners had fallen into hard times, having to sell off the land piece by piece, and eventually the inn itself. Mia Madford and her husband Patrick had swooped in when the inn went on sale, and renovated quite a bit of the house, including its oak ballroom. They’d renamed it Bellewood, and even began to clean out the small algae-filled pond that stood a few feet from the inn. Between that and the bakery, business had slowly begun picking up again. Nora wondered if all their work would now be in vain.