“Pizza,” Hazel said firmly. “You need time off from the kitchen, and I need some junk food. Win-win.”
Nora tried to protest but Hazel shook her head. “I’ve already asked Dad to pick some up. He’ll be home soon. Now come on, let’s invite the guys in.”
Sean had parked the car and got out, treading carefully so as not to slip on the slushy ground. Austin, with his hood pulled over his head and his hands stuck deep in his pockets, refused to make eye contact.
“Come on in,” Nora said weakly. Her eyes kept flitting to Austin. There was a sea-change in him, she noticed. His eyes looked dim and his face was totally closed off. Just the way he moved made her think of a boxer going into the ring - pure rage - ready to knock the head off anyone in front of him.
Instead of the living room, Sean and Austin headed to the kitchen and sat at the dining table. Hazel rummaged in the fridge and drew out some milk, whipped cream, and baking chocolate.
“Cocoa for everyone,” she declared. “Mom, you can sit and talk to Sean in the meanwhile.”
“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Nora asked, hovering around Hazel’s shoulder.
“Mom, I’ve made this the same way since I was 12.” Hazel laughed. “Sit. Chill. I’ll figure it out.”
She added all the ingredients to a saucepan and began whisking them together on a medium flame. She added in some cornstarch, and when the mixture thickened into an almost pudding-like consistency, she poured it into cups.
“Enjoy.” She placed it in front of the three and added whipped cream on top. “Nothing’s ever so bad that cocoa can’t cure it.”
Sure enough, the weariness and worry on the three faces dropped away. With a cup of hot cocoa in their hands, warmth flowed through them. Nora took a sip, making an appreciative growl in her throat.
“Just right,” she said.
Hazel drew out a chair, turned it around and sat on it, hugging the back. “Well? Who’s going first? I guess we’ve all got stories to tell.”
Sean nodded. “Mine’s shortest. It took some time, but Sheriff Ellerton agreed to let Austin go free. He doesn’t have enough evidence to press charges yet, mostly thanks to you and Nora bearing witness that Austin was in the house.”
“Thank you,” Austin said heavily. “If I’d been alone in my room as I usually am, I don’t think the sheriff would have believed my story.”
Honestly, Nora thought she wouldn’t have believed it, either. Yes, it was certainly very lucky that Austin had an incredibly tight alibi.
“Don’t thank me, it’s your own doing.” Hazel smiled. “You came over to drop off the chicken soup, and your good deed gave you some good karma.”
Austin gave her a lopsided grin. “Sure, if you call being stuck for hours in the police station good karma.”
“Better than being stuck there for days,” Hazel said. “Chin up, Austin. We’ll catch the real killer, see if we don’t. When Mom’s on the case, even Professor Moriarty can’t outdo her.”
“Hazel,” Nora chided. “Don’t embarrass me.”
“It’s true, though. Uncle Sean will agree, won’t you?”
“I can testify to that.” Sean smiled. “I wouldn’t want to be the killer if Nora was bent on tracking me down. This time, though…” His voice trailed off and he shook his head. “I don’t see a way forward. The killer’s been careful. And, after all, he’s gotten away with one crime for twenty years already.”
“True,” Nora said. “The killer’s a wily man. Or woman.”
“Wily, but not infallible,” Austin said. “Come on, we all know who it is. We just don’t want to say it.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions, remember?” Nora asked.
Austin nodded.
“So what happened between you and Johnny that day?” Nora asked.
“He invited me over for a chat,” Austin said. “I said I’d meet him after my shift only, when I got to his house, Anita, Tucker and Irene were there, too. Johnny didn’t seem to want to talk with them around, but Anita insisted we go to the study and have ‘our little chat’, as she put it.”
“What then?”
Austin shrugged. “Johnny’s a weird guy. I can tell you that. Right from the start, I got the sense that he was really nervous to have me around. I mean, when you introduced us at the diner, he’d turned totally pale, remember? He said he recognized me immediately. That I look just like my mom.”
Sean and Nora exchanged glances. “Then?”
“Well, Johnny started asking me how I was doing, and why I was in Milburn. I tried to be vague with my answers but, obviously, he guessed. He asked if I was trying to track down my mother’s killer.” Austin shrugged. “Well, I couldn’t really lie. There was no point. Plus, I was intrigued. All the while we talked, Johnny kept pacing around the room, fiddling with a pencil. Initially, he asked me if he could help with the investigation, and tried to pry out what I’d found so far.”
“Did you tell him?” Nora asked.
Austin smirked. “Well, I implied things. I said maybe I’d found proof that would help the police. I wanted to see how he’d react.”
“That was dangerous,” Sean said sharply. “You don’t go around trying to provoke a man you suspect of murder, Austin. He could have…”
“That wimp?” Austin snorted. “I can take him blindfolded. But I did make him sweat. You could tell he was practically a bundle of nerves. Finally, he got to the point. He told me that it was no use searching for closure, that I’d go years without finding the answer. ‘You’ll ruin your life if you keep obsessing over the past,’ he’d said. ‘Far better to cut your losses, accept that there are some things you’ll never know, and leave Milburn forever.’”
“Oh,” Nora said.
“Yeah.” Austin laughed. “As if. I told him I was here to stay until I figured out who killed my mom. He asked me…” Austin’s jaw clenched. “He asked me how much money I was making at the diner.”
“Oh,” Nora said.
“Yep.” Austin nodded. “You see where this is going. I, like an idiot, actually got confused. He was so smooth. He started saying how he’d always had a soft spot for me, and always wondered where I’d gotten to. Then he started saying that he thought of himself as an honorary uncle, and that I should accept a check from him and start a new life. He offered me $10,000 to get out of town, basically.”
“Wow,” Hazel said. “He’s really running scared.”
“I’m ashamed to say, I kind of lost my cool after that,” Austin said. “Just…the thought of this guy, trying to run me out of Milburn…it was more than I could bear. He was standing there looking holier-than-thou and I wanted to punch him in the face. I got really mad. I told him that no amount of money would make me leave town. I told him that, if he’d harmed my mother, I’d…well…” Austin looked embarrassed. “I guess I got a little graphic.”
Hazel reached over and put a hand on his. “It’s alright. I get it. I’d do the same if I were in your position.”
Sean, however, looked very disapproving. “You didn’t just lose your cool, Austin. You made a big mistake. If Johnny killed Lori - and I still can’t say he definitely did - then you’ve got to worry about him coming after you next.”
“Let him.” Austin tossed his hair back, raising his chin pugnaciously. “I’d like nothing better than a chance to get at him, man to man.”
“It’s not manhood talking but boyishness,” Sean said. “Real men settle things with their brains, not their fists. Trust me, I’ve been a sheriff more years than you’ve been alive. You want cool strategy in a situation like this, not hot-headedness.”
Austin still looked rebellious, but his face fell when Sean added, “Besides, did you ever think that you were putting Nora and her family in danger, too? Johnny knows you’re working with her on this, right?”
“I…I honestly didn’t think of that,” Austin said.
“Of course not,” Sean muttered. “What got into you, I’d like to know? And the gun - what a
bout the gun?”
“Oh, that.” Austin had a smirk on his face again. “Well, when I started threatening Johnny, he got a bit scared. He pulled out a gun from his drawer and waved it in my face, threatening me right back. I…well…I wasn’t myself. All I could think of was my mom, and how this…this pathetic excuse of a man had probably done something to her. I wanted to throttle him, honestly. I threw myself at him and snatched the gun from his hand. I…” Austin paused. “I wasn’t going to harm him, I just wanted to make him confess. But then Tucker, Irene and Anita burst in. I got scared so I brushed past them and ran out the front door.”
“Taking the gun with you?” Nora asked.
Austin shook his head. “I dropped the gun on the table next to the front door. I wasn’t really thinking straight, but even I knew I couldn’t just steal a gun and run away.”
Nora tapped her chin. “Well, that’s…interesting. You and Johnny certainly tell the same story very differently. In Johnny’s version, you threatened him for no reason, took his gun and ran away. He never told me the part about offering you money to leave town. Or the part where you left the gun on the hall table.”
“It’s tricky, isn’t it?” Sean asked. “I read the statements from all four of the Teaks. Tucker, Irene, Anita and Johnny all say the same thing. Austin ran out of the study with the gun in his hand and, seconds later, they heard the front door slam shut. But if Austin did leave the gun behind, who picked it up?”
“The killer did,” Nora said. “Which proves what you’ve suspected all along - one of those four murdered Lori. And Mason.”
“I can tell you right now who it was,” Austin said. “The question is…how do we prove it?”
*****
Chapter 16
Diamonds and Rust
Nora took her time waking up the next day. She’d tossed and turned all night, her mind flashing back to her conversation with Johnny Teaks. The whole thing was still a mystery to her. What had Mason found out that got him killed? Who had given Lori her diamond earrings? And, most importantly, who had taken the missing gun from where Austin had dropped it?
Nora decided she had to figure this out one item at a time, starting with Mason. If she could trace what Mason had found out, maybe she could figure out who the killer was. As always, she headed to the first place that she went when she needed information: the library.
Milburn’s library had a history of its own, and one that Nora had been part of, at that. Years ago, a murderer had chased Nora down these halls and nearly succeeded in killing her. As she walked into the warm hall, however, Nora just felt the particular joy that every bookworm experiences when surrounded by the scent of old books.
“Hello, there.” Sloane, an artist friend of Nora’s, was currently on duty. She didn’t look the part, with her brightly-colored hair and multiple piercings, but Sloane was sharp as a tack and could always hunt down the most arcane data.
“Need help today?” Sloane asked as Nora walked over to the desk.
Nora hesitated. “Not exactly. I was wondering if you’d seen Mason around here recently.”
Sloane’s face fell. “Mason? It’s horrible what happened to him, isn’t it?”
“It is. He didn’t deserve to die,” Nora said. “I hope they catch the killer soon.”
Sloane’s eyes sparkled. “Is that what you’re trying to do? Hunt them down?”
Nora shrugged. “I’m just trying to find answers. I know Mason was a regular here. Hazel was remembering how he’d often have a story-hour for kids.”
“Sure. He was so good at it, too. The kids absolutely loved him and his dinosaur roars. Though the adults complained once in a while about his stories being too scary.” Sloane’s lip trembled a little. “Hard to imagine he’s never coming back. He loved the library. He was one of our biggest supporters, too. Such a good man.”
“Do you think you could tell me what Mason was looking up the last time he came?” Nora asked. “I mean…it may not be important but, then again…”
“The thing is…” Sloane said. “It’s perfectly illegal for me to give you someone else’s data. I’m sorry.”
“Oh,” Nora said. “Well, I understand. Thanks anyway, Sloane.” She turned away, but Sloane reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Hang on,” Sloane said. “The thing is, Sheriff Ellerton was looking for that information, too. I’m supposed to hunt it up for him anyway.”
“Oh?” Nora raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah. The sheriff warned me not to let anyone else interfere in official business. Only…” Sloane grinned. “Well, I still remember how you helped me and Dad out of a tight spot once, when the police were ready to chuck handcuffs on us. Dave Ellerton’s great, but he’s not the sharpest pencil in the pack. So I’m guessing that if someone’s going to find out who killed Mason, it’s you.”
“Now, I’m sure the sheriff is perfectly capable—“
“Yeah, yeah.” Sloane waved her off. “Look, if I happened to pull up some data, and if I wandered off for a few moments, and you took advantage of my disappearance to sneak a peek at my computer…well…there’s nothing I could do about that, is there?”
“Nothing at all.” A broad grin spread over Nora’s face.
“Exactly,” Sloane said. She tapped a few keys on her computer, then yawned and stretched. “I’m off to get some coffee in the pantry. I won’t blame you if you’re gone when I get back.” Winking, she walked away.
Looking around to make sure nobody saw her, Nora snuck behind the counter and began reading the screen. To her disappointment, Mason hadn’t taken out anything of note. There were only one book and one magazine checked out in the last few weeks. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote and a copy of an old Autocar magazine.
Nora stared at the screen for a while, wishing there was more. Like, maybe a book titled Johnny Did It, for example. But that was wishful thinking, of course. Mason hadn’t found a thing. Well, at least Nora knew that Mason was reading true crime, and he had mentioned that he was thinking of writing a book about Lori. So she could sort of see the directions of his thoughts.
“Nora?” There was an astonished gasp and Nora looked up with a guilty start, quickly hitting escape and minimizing all windows on the computer screen. Anita had a pile of books in her hands and a confused look on her face.
“Anita, nice to see you again,” Nora said.
“Yes, well, I’d come to donate some books to the library. Where’s Sloane?” Anita’s eyes were moving suspiciously between Nora and the computer. Nora slid out from behind the reception desk, trying not to look too self-conscious.
“I came by your house the other day, but you were out,” Nora said. “I had a chat with Johnny instead.”
“Yes. He told me,” Anita said. “He was in a foul mood. Apparently you were asking him about Lori.” Her tone was flat and her eyes cold. “After I specifically told you he was sensitive about it.”
“Mason’s dead, Anita,” Nora said firmly.
“So what? That has nothing to do with us,” Anita said.
“Doesn’t it? Mason was very publicly in love with you for a long time. Johnny never liked that,” Nora said.
“Are you implying something?” Anita’s eyes glittered. “That was all behind us. You know it. Why are you doing this? Just let us live in peace, won’t you?”
“Mason didn’t get to live in peace,” Nora said. “I want to make sure the killer doesn’t either.”
“It was just a break in,” Anita said. “This whole investigation is stupid and pointless. Austin killed Mason.”
“Austin said he left the gun behind at your house,” Nora replied. “On the hall table by the front door.”
“He’s lying. It wasn’t there. I would have seen it.”
“Ah, but would you? You all testified that you saw Austin storm off and then heard the front door slam. What happened after that? Did you go to the front door immediately?”
Anita shrugged. “No. We called the police and s
poke to Sheriff Ellerton. He said it sounded like a civil dispute. He said he’d send some deputies by. The four of us sat in the living room for an hour, but nobody came. Tucker grew impatient. He said he wanted dinner and that he’d just give his statement later. So he and Irene left. I showed them to the door at that time, and I’m sure there was no gun on the table.”
“You were sitting for an hour?” Nora said. “Did anyone move around or leave the room?”
Anita shrugged. “I mean…we went to the kitchen, got some drinks. I suppose people used the bathroom. I don’t really remember. We were pretty shaken up by Austin’s behavior, you know.”
“Basically, any of you could have slipped the gun into a pocket or a purse,” Nora said. “The others wouldn’t have noticed.”
“Or maybe Austin is a big fat liar,” Anita said. “Maybe he came by your house just so he’d have an alibi, and he’d already committed the murder somehow. I don’t know!”
“Why would he murder Mason when it was Johnny he suspected?” Nora asked.
“The boy’s unhinged. Don’t look for logic there.” Anita was firm. “Nora, we’re your friends, remember? We’ve known you for years. Why won’t you believe us? Johnny’s innocent. He never killed Lori. He never would. He didn’t kill Mason, either.”
“Are you sure?” Nora asked. “Where was he between 7 and 8 on the night Mason was killed?”
“He…he went out to get some pizza for dinner,” Anita admitted. “He got back at about 8.”
That didn’t give him much of an alibi, Nora thought. It didn’t give Anita one, either, if she was alone in the house.
“Think what you like,” Anita said, looking hurt. “I’m just glad to know how little you trust me. I guess we were never friends after all.”
“Anita, that’s not it,” Nora said. “I’m just trying to find the truth. The same way Mason was. Did you talk to him, by the way? Did he ask you anything?”
Anita shook her head. “I bumped into him, but I don’t think he was thinking of Lori. We made small talk, that’s all. He asked me how the heater on my car was doing and whether I’d learned to drive Johnny’s truck yet. Anyway, you probably won’t believe me. You probably think I’m the murderer.”
The Milburn Big Box Set Page 149
