The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  Kenny’s eyes suddenly shifted. “I was in jail after the fight with Flint,” he said slowly. “I didn’t like it one bit. Nasty and damp. I never want to go back.”

  “Yes, and we have to get Michelle out.”

  “Michelle didn’t do it,” Kenny said. “The police have to let her out.”

  Nora sighed. Clearly Kenny didn’t understand just how serious the situation was. “Kenny, is there a chance you saw something? Last night?”

  “I didn’t see anything,” Kenny said.

  Kenny’s grandma came out of the other room suddenly. Nora had a feeling she’d been listening all along. Funny, since she’d acted as though she were deaf. There was an alertness about her body and she put a protective arm around Kenny’s shoulders. Scowling at Nora, she said, “My Kenny doesn’t want to get mixed up in any of this. You best leave.”

  “I’m just asking where he—“

  “He was here at home with me since 8pm last night,” Kenny’s grandmother said. “We had a pork chop and peas for dinner. Didn’t we, Kenny?”

  “Yes, Grandma.” Kenny smiled.

  “Now, go away,” she said to Nora. “I don’t want you poking around here anymore.”

  “But—“ Nora glanced at Kenny, but his grandmother shook a finger at him.

  “She’s a stranger, Kenny. Don’t trust her,” she told him.

  “But—Michelle—“

  “Never mind Michelle. She’ll find a way out of her own mess. Now, I want some peace and quiet. And I want to watch my TV! Out!” With a sweeping gesture, she pointed to the door.

  Nora, giving up, got up and gathered her coat and scarf. Pausing in the doorway, she looked around. Kenny was fiddling with his thumb, shooting glances at his granny once in a while. His grandmother was already watching TV with a stern and fixed expression on her face.

  Sighing, Nora turned to open the door and caught sight, once more, of the grey trench coat hanging by it. It was five minutes later, when Nora was in her car driving back home, that the memory of that coat finally came back to her. She felt an electric shiver go down her back. She remembered where she’d seen that coat before — she could conjure it up perfectly in her mind. When Jake had stormed out of the bookstore after his fight with Michelle, he’d bumped into a man in a trench coat just outside the bookstore. She’d caught a brief glance of him through the swinging door.

  It was Kenny! He’d been outside the bookstore last night!

  *****

  Chapter 11

  Home and Hearth

  By the time Nora was back home, the sun had set. In the living room, Kaylee sat on the sofa with Bubbles on her lap and her feet on the coffee table. Tom and Jerry was playing loudly on the TV, and both Bubbles and Kaylee seemed really engrossed in the game of cat and mouse — even if they probably supported different teams.

  Grace was in the study with her hair up in a ponytail and glasses halfway down her nose. She was frowning down at a large Excel spreadsheet on her computer. “Hey, Mom,” she said without looking up. “I need to work on this for a while.”

  “I’ll make dinner,” Nora said. “Spag bol okay with you?”

  Grace grunted and gave her a thumbs up. Then, considering, she looked up. “You should ask Kaylee, actually. I never know what she’s going to refuse to eat these days. She’s become so picky since her last birthday.”

  “It’s just a phase,” Nora said. “Remember when Hazel turned twelve and refused anything with eggs in it?”

  “Oh, yeah! And she never ate her food if the veggies were touching the meat.” Grace grinned and then rolled her eyes. “Lucky for you, I never gave you any problems like that.”

  “Oh, I’ve got plenty of stories from when you were a baby,” Nora said, smiling. “But I won’t keep you any longer. Go ahead and work.”

  Grace frowned. “Mom?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Is everything okay? You look kind of tense.”

  “Me? I’m fine,” Nora said.

  “It’s about your friend, isn’t it?” Grace asked. “I mean, I know it was hard on you to see her arrested like that.”

  “Poor Michelle,” Nora said. “I wonder how she’s doing.”

  “Not too good, I’m sure,” Grace said. “I can’t imagine spending a night in jail.”

  “I can,” Nora said. “I did, once upon a time.”

  “You?” Grace stared at her mother, wonder in her eyes. “What did you do, murder a chef for over-salting your food?”

  “Oh, hush.” Nora laughed. “As it turns out, I was falsely accused and your father and Aunt Tina helped get me out.”

  “You still find ways to surprise me.” Grace shook her head in disbelief. “So, do you have a gang tattoo from when you were inside? Did you get a prison nickname? I’m guessing it was ‘Nosy Nora’.”

  “Grace Nathaniel, you’re asking for a spanking.” Nora laughed.

  “Jokes aside, Mom, did you consider that maybe Michelle is guilty?” Grace asked. “I mean, the body was found in her basement, and several people did witness her threatening him.”

  Nora shook her head. “I don’t think so. I can see no reason for it.”

  “Well, maybe you just don’t know,” Grace countered. “I’m just saying, Mom, keep an open mind. Just because she’s your friend doesn’t mean she isn’t capable of murder. Actually, is she even really your friend? How long have you known her?”

  “Er…since last night,” Nora said.

  Grace stared at her like she’d gone mad. “Twenty-four hours? Mom, I thought I only had one ten-year-old in my life. Turns out I’ve got two. Are you nuts? You can’t go around befriending people and then defending them when they get arrested the very next day! For all we know, she’s a serial killer or something.”

  “It’s not like that,” Nora said. “I’m keeping an open mind. I’m just…”

  The doorbell rang and, thankful that she could extricate herself from an uncomfortable conversation, Nora went to open it. Tina was outside with a stack of Tupperware nestled in her arms. She smiled widely and dumped them into Nora’s arms, striding inside.

  “We’ve had a busy day at the diner. You won’t believe the things I heard! We’ve got so much to talk about!”

  “What’s all this?” Nora gestured with her chin at the Tupperware.

  “That? That’s dinner. I figured I’d just bring leftovers. You’re okay with chili, right? Got some foil-wrapped baked potatoes, too.”

  “Will there be enough for four? Grace and Kaylee are visiting.”

  “Don’t worry about that, there’s probably enough for eight. Now, come on. We need to talk.” Grabbing Nora by the elbow, Tina dragged her into the kitchen and seated her at the table.

  “So,” Tina said, “big news. Apparently, Jake Tipper wasn’t just a reporter.” She paused dramatically, taking a deep breath. “He was a blackmailer, too.”

  “Ah,” Nora said.

  “That’s it? ‘Ah’? I thought that news warranted a ‘wow’ at least,” Tina said. She narrowed her eyes. “You knew already. Didn’t you? It’s no fun telling you anything.”

  “No, please go on,” Nora said. “Tell me all the gossip you’ve heard today. I’m sure the diner was buzzing.”

  “Rumor around town is that Jake was blackmailing Michelle and that’s why she killed him,” Tina said.

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Nora said. “If he was blackmailing her, do you think she’d have fought with him the way she did? Seemed to me like they were pretty much strangers.”

  “Hmmm. Fine.” Tina mulled it over. Then she snapped her fingers. “Got it! Jake was furious when he left the bookstore, right? What if he returned later that night with some sort of information that he could blackmail Michelle with? She got scared and bopped him on the head. Then she panicked and set the place on fire to cover it up.”

  “And then she called 911 before the fire could really spread?” Nora asked. “That makes no sense.”

  “Well, maybe she thought better o
f it and tried to save her bookstore,” Tina said.

  “That’s ridiculous. If Michelle were the murderer, the logical thing for her to do would have been to hide the body somewhere else and carry on as though nothing had happened. Setting fire to her own store, calling the firemen and guaranteeing that the body would be found, is simply crazy.”

  “Ugh. Fine…what if….” Tina tapped her chin with her index finger. “No, you know what, I’m out of theories. Maybe Michelle didn’t do it.”

  “Does everyone in town think she did?” Nora asked.

  “It’s about 50/50 at the moment,” Tina said. “But you know who didn’t look happy at all? Flint and Betty.”

  “They came to the diner?”

  “For coffee.” Tina nodded. “Flint looks as though he’s aged ten years in a day. Betty isn’t much better. A lot of folks, me included, think Flint’s story about being in his basement is absolute hokey.”

  “It is,” Nora said. “A total lie.”

  “Well, your turn, then!” Tina exclaimed. “Tell me everything.”

  “Flint and Betty were being blackmailed by Jake,” Nora said. “Don’t ask me why. I don’t want to spill all their secrets.”

  “Well, tell me all the ones you can spill, then,” Tina said.

  Nora told Tina everything she’d learned so far, including a detailed account of her conversation with Kenny Muir.

  “Oooh. He sounds like a total creep,” Tina said. “What a weird obsession with Michelle. Plus, we know he’s lying. I remember that grey trench coat, too. Kenny was definitely at the book launch. So you think he did it?”

  “I don’t know,” Nora said unhappily. “In any case, I definitely need to talk to Sheriff Ellerton tomorrow. Tell him everything I know.”

  Tina pulled a face. “Why? He’s just going to yell at you for interfering and then take all the credit himself.”

  Nora shrugged. “It’s not about me, is it? The town has a killer running loose and the sooner he or she is put away, the better.”

  “You’ve got a point.” Tina sighed. “Then why not just call the sheriff right now?”

  The doorbell rang and both Tina and Nora jumped.

  “I’ll get it!” Kaylee called from the living room. Seconds later she yelled, “It’s your friend, Grandma. She’s come to take Bubbles home.”

  Nora and Tina gave each other a look, then raced to the living room.

  *****

  Chapter 12

  The Love Interest

  In the living room, Bubbles and Michelle were having a joyful reunion. Michelle had lifted the fluffball high into the air and then hugged him to her. Bubbles was now licking Michelle all over her face, purring continuously. Kaylee was watching with a smile from the couch. Grace had come out of the study and was leaning on a wall with a suspicious eye on Michelle.

  Michelle placed Bubbles on the floor as Nora and Tina came in. “Thanks for everything,” she said fervently to Nora. “I followed your advice and got a lawyer. You wouldn’t believe how fast he got me out of the sheriff’s clutches. I should have hired him right away.”

  “So you’re out on bail?”

  “For now.” Michelle sighed. “I’m forbidden to leave town, though. Plus the sheriff’s deputies are tailing me. Honestly, I’m glad they are. It’s like having my own private security force.”

  “I’m glad you came over,” Nora said.

  “Thanks. I’m glad, too. I don’t think I can stand being alone tonight.” Michelle shivered.

  “You’re always welcome to stay over, then,” Nora said.

  “Come on, Kaylee,” Grace said with a slight frown. “Let’s go get dinner.”

  “I’ve got some chili heating on the stove,” Tina said.

  “Thanks, but I think we’ll go out for some pizza instead.”

  “But I wanna stay and say bye to Bubbles!” Kaylee exclaimed.

  “Let your grandma and her friends have some privacy, Kaylee.”

  “Really, it’s no problem,” Nora said.

  “Mom, can I talk to you alone for a sec?” Grace asked.

  Nora sighed. She let herself be led into the other room by Grace. From the look on Grace’s face, she was struggling with something. Grace tapped her feet, took a deep breath, then ran a hand through her hair. All gestures that Nora knew too well. She smiled as she thought how much Grace looked like Harvey sometimes. She really was her father’s daughter. This was exactly how Harvey would act when he was stressed.

  “Mom, I know I can’t stop you, and I know you have experience with this kind of thing…but I’m not comfortable with Kaylee hanging around an accused murderer. OK? Call me when she’s gone.” Grace said the words all at once, refusing to look Nora in the eye.

  “Sweetheart, you’re being judgmental,” Nora said. “Give Michelle a chance.”

  “I’m being protective,” Grace said. “Michelle can have her chances, but not at Kaylee’s expense. Kaylee’s been through a lot. Have you forgotten? I don’t even want to risk her getting hurt in the slightest. Sorry, Mom, but we’re going out to dinner. And if your friend stays over, we’re staying in a motel.”

  “Grace! Really, that’s so rude. I already offered to let her stay.”

  “It is what it is.” Grace shrugged. “You decide.”

  “Is everything okay?” Michelle asked as Grace and Kaylee left the house five minutes later.

  Maybe Grace had slammed the door a little too hard before leaving, or maybe Michelle had just sensed the tension. Either way, Nora’s mind was on Grace’s ultimatum. On the one hand, she certainly didn’t want her daughter spending the night at a motel. On the other hand, she’d already invited Michelle and it would be far too rude to rescind the invitation. To Michelle she said aloud, “Everything’s ok. Grace just isn’t a big fan of chili.”

  “Tell the truth.” Michelle looked at her feet. “Your daughter thinks I’m a murderer. I don’t blame her. She barely knows me and she watched me be arrested earlier. Some first impression.”

  “It’s not like that…” Nora said. But she couldn’t complete the sentence. After all, it was like that.

  “Grace will come around,” Tina said. “Everyone will. But for that to happen, we need proof that you didn’t murder Jake. Plus, we need to find out who the real killer is. So, Michelle, it’s time to start talking. Tell us everything you know, and then tell us all your theories.”

  “Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it?” Michelle said. “I know nothing, and I don’t have any theories. I’m totally baffled. It’s like I’ve been struck by lightning and someone’s asking me to point out which cloud did it. I couldn’t tell you if I tried!”

  “I don’t think it’s that simple,” Nora said. “You know plenty, you just don’t know that you know.”

  “Huh?”

  “Kenny Muir,” Nora said. “Tell us all about him now.”

  “Kenny?” Michelle rolled her eyes. “He’s…well…he’s not all that bad. He’s a sweet soul, really. Just a little touched in the head.”

  “How did you meet him?”

  “He came to the hospital I worked in with complications related to a head injury he’d suffered abroad as a soldier,” Michelle said. “He was pretty serious when he came in, and at one point I had to give him CPR. He woke up, saw me and was convinced I was an angel for saving his life. Ever since, he developed a bigger and bigger crush on me.”

  “A crush? That’s putting it lightly.”

  Michelle nodded. “I was gentle with him, at first, because I felt sorry for him. He was so young, you know? But then…he started showing up outside my house all the time. Flint and I were married back then, and it made Flint really mad. I told Kenny several times that he wasn’t welcome and that he should leave me alone, but he just didn’t get the message. Then, Flint cheated on me…”

  Nora leaned forward. She’d heard two versions of this part of the story already. She wondered how Michelle’s version would differ.

  “When Flint cheated on me with
Betty, he and I started having really bad fights. I mean, a divorce was imminent, but we were at each other’s throats all the time. Have either of you ever been divorced?”

  Tina and Nora shook their heads.

  Michelle sighed. “You won’t get it then. A divorce is like a death, an earthquake and a madness all rolled up into one. Your entire life is crumbling, you hate the man, you still love the man, some foolish part of you still wants to reconcile, and another part of you wants to…kill him.”

  Nora shuddered. Michelle said the last words flatly, with no expression in her eyes. She looked up, caught sight of Nora’s face and hastily added, “Mind you, this was years ago. We’ve all moved on since. But at the time, Flint and I were having awful fights every day. One day, I said something really horrible about Betty to him, and he slapped me.”

  “Whoa,” Tina said.

  Michelle sighed. “In a way, I’m glad he did, because that absolutely cemented the fact that we were over. You know? We weren’t going to come back from that. In a situation that horrible, sometimes things only improve when you finally make a decision one way or another. I walked out of the house with a fresh bruise on my cheek, but it was the first step toward my new life.”

  “Kenny saw you, didn’t he?”

  Michelle nodded. “I didn’t know, but yeah. Kenny saw me. He saw the bruise on my cheek and guessed what happened. He flew into a rage and he got into a big fight with Flint. He broke Flint’s arm, if I recollect. Kenny may have a head injury, but he’s still a strong, tough man with a soldier’s training. He easily overpowered Flint.”

  “How did you feel about that?”

  “Honestly? I felt happy.” Michelle laughed. “I didn’t want anything to do with Kenny, but I thanked him anyway. That was a big mistake on my part.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he decided that was a sign that I loved him, and he started following me everywhere. Even when I moved away from Milburn and went to Chicago, he was there. When I tried to date other men, he was there. When I changed houses, he’d somehow find me. He never hurt me, but it was still scary having him follow me. So I got a restraining order. He wasn’t allowed within a hundred feet of me,” Michelle explained. “I know it’s weird, but I still do feel sorry for him. I don’t think he can really understand how badly he’s behaving. I think he’s just caught up in some fantasy world where he’ll end up marrying me and I’ll take care of him.”