“What is it?” Ariel asked.
“This man.” Kelly held up the piece of paper.
“DJ Brown. He lost fifty thousand dollars to Maxine. It cost him his marriage. His wife was convinced Maxine wasn’t just doing readings with DJ, if you get my drift.”
“But he said his name was Evan Fletcher.”
“When?”
“At Bernadette’s house. After I found Maxine’s body, he showed up.”
“Wait! Is he here in Lucky Cove? Where? I need to interview him.”
“I doubt he’ll give you an interview because now he has a motive for murder.” And he’d slammed the door on Kelly earlier when she attempted to talk to him about Maxine’s murder. “Can I get a copy of this?”
“You’re not going to scoop me, are you?”
“No. I promise. It’s for my own investigation.”
“Good. You’re being proactive. I’ll make a copy after we eat. The lasagna should be set now, and I’m starving.”
“So am I.” Kelly followed Ariel back to the kitchen and, over heaping servings of lasagna and salad and a generous glass of wine, they caught up on life, laughed at their memories of high school, and made a promise to each other to not dwell on the past. As Kelly slipped into her jacket and shoved the copy of the article Ariel had made for her into her tote bag, she hoped she could live up to the promise she’d made. Letting go of all of the guilt she’d carried for years wasn’t an easy thing to do, but she would give it her best shot. Just like tracking down Maxine’s killer.
Thanks to the large mug of coffee she drank to counteract the wine she enjoyed while she ate dinner, Kelly was wide awake and had nowhere but home to go to. Lucky Cove, especially during the off-season, didn’t have a hopping nightlife. She could work on another article for Budget Chic, or she could do something she’d been dreading for weeks—clear out her granny’s belongings at the cottage she had rented.
The small, one-bedroom cottage was just a couple blocks from the boutique, and she could pop in to take a look at how big of a job waited for her. The one good thing was the cottage came furnished, so she didn’t have to worry about moving out furniture, just personal belongings, but she wasn’t sure how much at home Granny had made herself in the cottage.
With the decision made to check out the cottage, she drove past the boutique and turned on Pine Street, and halfway down the quiet street she found the cottage. Lights from the houses were dimmed through drawn curtains. The residents of Pine Street were tucked in for the night. Kelly should follow suit, but since she was caffeinated, sleep wouldn’t come easy.
She pulled her SUV into the driveway and then made her way to the front door of the blue cottage. She unlocked the door and closed it behind her. She fumbled for a light switch and found one. After flipping on the light in the tiny entry space, she stepped forward into the living room. She detected a slight musty odor of the closed-up house. Sadness swept through Kelly. Granny had begun her last day like any other. Just like Kelly had. Never in a million years did she think she’d get a phone call with such terrible news.
She stepped farther into the living room. The sofa and armchairs were slipcovered, and oak accent furniture filled the rest of the space. She searched for another light switch but didn’t find one. She eased her way over to a lamp on an end table and switched it on. The soft light brought her eyes into focus. The room was tidy and clean. While her granny had difficulty climbing stairs, she didn’t have difficulty in using a vacuum.
Kelly didn’t see much in the room that belonged to Granny except a collection of family photos on the fireplace mantel. She crossed the room and picked up one of the framed photographs. A smile touched her lips. Granny posed with her and Caroline at a family wedding. Back then life was simple. Her fingers touched the glass. Why was life as an adult so complicated?
She stared at Caroline’s face. She looked to be about ten years old in the photograph. When they were kids, they fought like sisters did, but they always made up. She wondered, since she was able to rebuild her relationship with Ariel, would it be possible to do the same with Caroline?
A sound dragged Kelly from her thoughts. Her ears perked up and she heard the sound again. The cottage was small, just a few hundred square feet, the kitchen wasn’t far away, and it sounded as if someone was trying to open the back door. She set the photograph back on the mantel. Who would be trying to get in through the back door? Why not use the front door?
She looked around the room for a weapon because her instinct kicked in to protect herself. Unfortunately, the room was light on weapons. The only thing close to a weapon was the chunky shabby-chic candlestick holder on the mantel. She grabbed it and eased her tote bag from her shoulder to the floor.
As she crept along the wall, her heartbeat kicked up and her palms began to sweat. She made her way to the entry of the kitchen. All was quiet until the sound of shattering glass broke the silence. She pressed her back into the wall so hard she was certain she was leaving an imprint.
Whoever was outside was now about to enter the house.
She sucked in a deep breath, hoping to steady her frayed nerves, as she braced herself for a confrontation, because heavy footsteps were approaching from the kitchen. Her heart thumped against her chest as she lifted the candlestick holder over her head with both hands. The footsteps stopped. An uncomfortable quietness settled in the house until the footsteps started again, but now they seemed to be going in a different direction. Was the intruder retreating? Leaving the house? Had something scared him or her off?
Kelly pulled herself away from the wall and made her way to one of the living room windows. She swept back a lace curtain, and a beam of light blinded her and she screamed bloody murder.
The light bounced across the garden bed, and then a pounding at the front door shocked Kelly out of her screaming fit. What was going on? Who was peeping into the window with a flashlight? Who was at the front door?
“Lucky Cove Police! Open up!”
Gabe?
Kelly rushed to the door and opened it. “What are you doing here? You nearly scared me to death.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Did you see him? Or her? Someone broke in through the back door. I heard the glass shatter and I heard footsteps. Then he or she left. That’s when I looked out the window and you blinded me.”
“Stay right here.”
Gabe raced through the house and into the kitchen. A moment later he returned to the living room. “Yeah, there was a break-in.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”
“I’m not a captain… Oh, not funny, Kell.”
She smirked. Yeah, it was good to be home. And it was nice to have a moment of lightness as she calmed down. “Why were you looking into the window?”
“I saw the light on, and no one is supposed to be here.”
“Didn’t you see your mother’s car in the driveway? Never mind.” Kelly went to retrieve her tote bag. “I guess whoever broke in thought the house was empty and easy pickings.”
“Probably. You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”
“I was on my way home, and I thought I’d stop by to check out how much stuff I needed to move out of here. I think I’ll come by when there’s daylight. What are we going to do about the back door?”
Gabe arched an eyebrow. “We?”
“You’re the police.”
“I’m not a handyman.”
“Neither am I. Besides, this isn’t even my house.” Kelly supposed she’d have to call the homeowner and inform her of the break-in. Great. One more unpleasant thing on her to-do list.
Gabe shook his head. “I’ll board it. You should head home. You’ll have to stop by the police department tomorrow to sign the report.”
Kelly sighed. “Can’t you bring it to me? I don’t want to run into Detective Wolman.”
“No can do. Policy.”
Kelly slung the tote bag over her shoulder. “The house has been empty for weeks, so why hasn’t someone tried to break in before? Why wait until I show up in the middle of the night?”
“What are you saying? Do you think someone followed you here and broke in because of you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“I know I’m going to regret asking, but why do you think someone followed you here and broke in?”
“It’s just a feeling I have. And after finding the threatening flyer tacked in one of the changing rooms—”
“Whoa. What threatening flyer?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Kelly thought she’d told him. She recalled the conversation with Liv about reporting the incident to the police, and she remembered she didn’t think the police would be interested. “Oh, no, I didn’t tell you. Someone wrote in red marker on one of the flyers I made for the boutique ‘Murder Dress. Does it fit you, Kelly?’ I found the flyer tacked onto a wall.” The words were etched in her brain. She’d never forget them or the surge of fear she felt when she found the flyer.
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” Gabe demanded.
“There wasn’t anything you could’ve done about it, but now I think someone is trying to scare me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve been dragged into Maxine’s murder.”
“You think the killer is after you?” He gave Kelly a dubious look.
Kelly sighed. “I’m serious. And since it’s your sworn duty to protect the citizens of Lucky Cove, I think you should start doing your job.”
“Then let me start by following you home to make sure you arrive safely and the bogeyman doesn’t get to you.”
“Ha ha.” Kelly started walking to the front door with Gabe behind her. “Oh, I think Uncle Ralph was behind Bernadette’s performance at my boutique.”
“Do I dare ask? What makes you think that?”
“He owns the cottage she rents. They have a connection, and he never wanted me to keep the building.”
“Not much of a case you’ve built against him.”
Cold air greeted Kelly as she stepped outside, and when Gabe was by her side, she pulled the door closed and made sure it was locked. “It’s a theory. And I feel it in my bones that he’s behind all the craziness going on. You heard about the séance, right?”
Gabe nodded. “Everybody has. Come on. Let’s get you home. I’ll come back and board up the back door. You’ll need to contact the landlord tomorrow and let them know what happened.”
Kelly climbed into her vehicle and cranked up the heat after she started the ignition. She waited until Gabe was in his police cruiser. She used the time to replay the events in the cottage. The shattering of the glass, the click of the knob turning, and the heavy footsteps. Was it a random intruder as Gabe suggested, or was it Maxine’s killer coming for Kelly?
Gabe started to pull his vehicle from the driveway, and Kelly shifted her car into reverse, backed out of the driveway, and headed to the stop sign with Gabe behind her. Her nerves settled down, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what could have happened if her friend hadn’t shown up.
Would Kelly have come face-to-face with a murderer?
* * * *
Another yawned escaped Kelly’s lips as she waited for her triple-shot, extra-tall, caffeinated drink in Doug’s Variety Store. When she climbed out of bed after barely sleeping a wink, she knew her home-brewed pumpkin spice coffee wouldn’t cut it. After showering and dressing, she reached for her go-to animal-print leggings and black cashmere sweater, filled Howard’s bowl, and dashed across the street.
Even off-season, Doug’s was filled with customers desperate for their caffeine fix. Because he did so much business with coffee orders, he set up a small coffee-to-go section, and the line was long when Kelly arrived.
“Hey, Kell.” Gabe approached her from the main order section of the store and had a cup of coffee in one hand and a half-eaten old-fashioned donut in the other. “How are you doing this morning?”
“Okay, I suppose, for someone who was targeted by a murderer last night.”
“You’re being a bit dramatic.”
“I know. I’m tired. I didn’t sleep well. Listen, I found out something you should know. Evan Fletcher is lying about his name. His real name is DJ Brown.”
“How do you know that?”
Of course he’d want to know how she came across the information. She didn’t want to drag Ariel into the investigation unless she absolutely had to. “That’s not important. When I saw him yesterday, he refused to talk to me about the murder.”
“Wait. You talked to him yesterday?”
“Yes. Before I knew he was using an alias. I asked if he saw anyone else around Bernadette’s house or perhaps knew what happened to the laptop in the study.”
“What laptop?”
“The missing one. Bernadette said Maxine had a laptop, and I did notice the day of the murder there was a power cord plugged in but no computer.”
“You talked to Bernadette since the murder?”
“Gabe, I talk to a lot of people.”
“You shouldn’t be talking to people who are associated with this murder investigation. We don’t know who the killer is yet. You could be putting yourself in danger.”
Like last night? “Thanks for your concern, but I’m a big girl.”
“We’re the police. Let us do our job.”
“Three shots, extra tall!” Doug called out from the counter. Kelly’s coffee was ready.
“Fine. I’ll let you do your job, Officer Donovan. Enjoy your donut.” She spun around and hurried to the counter to get her lifesaving beverage. She took a grateful sip as Gabe passed by her, mumbling. Maybe the donut crack was too much. She smiled. Nah. Even exhausted she was still on top of her game.
Around eleven, Frankie texted Kelly to come over to his restaurant for lunch. He was preparing a special meal for her. Even though she was still a little annoyed with her cousin, she couldn’t pass up his cooking. When noon rolled around, she was out the door and on her way over to Frankie’s Seafood Shack.
She tucked her legs under the picnic table after dropping her tote bag on the bench next to her. Eating outdoors on a cold, autumn day was something she, Caroline, and Frankie used to do when they were kids. Kelly’s mom made a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup and brought the tray out to the picnic table. Kelly bundled up in a hat, a big, thick crocheted scarf from Granny, and a heavy coat. The three of them ate the meal, laughing and joking, and then ended the meal with big cups of hot cocoa. Today, Kelly didn’t have to bundle up. The weather wasn’t as cold as it had been, and a leather jacket draped over her shoulders seemed to stave off the chill of the afternoon.
She unfolded the paper napkin and draped it over her lap as Frankie set a plate of scallops in front of her on the picnic table. Her mouth watered. The lunch was definitely an upgrade from the grilled cheese sandwiches. Pan-sautéed in butter and fresh herbs, the scallops were cooked perfectly because, even though her cousin was a pain in the butt, he was an excellent chef.
“Your favorite.” Frankie scooted around to the other side of the table and slung his legs over the bench and sat. He also had a plate of scallops and a beer.
She eyed him, still leery of his motivation for their impromptu lunch. She then turned her attention back to her food. Whatever the reason, she was going to enjoy her gourmet meal. She picked up her fork and pierced one of the scallops. She bit into the delicacy and savored the mild sweetness and silkiness.
“You like?”
Kelly glanced at Frankie and found him looking expectantly at her. Seriously, he had to ask her? He was a trained chef who studied a year in Paris and worked his way up the culinary ladder to become the head chef at one of the most exclusive res
taurants in New York City before turning his back on it all and opening Frankie’s Seafood Shack. What was there not to like?
She swallowed her bite. “This is fabulous. But you know that. I could eat this every day and not get bored.”
Frankie laughed. Tiny lines creased around his medium-brown eyes. “I know. Your jam is scallops while Caroline can’t get enough of shrimp.”
“You’ve seen her recently?” Kelly took a sip of the artisan beer Frankie poured for her. His restaurant was known for its commitment to using local ingredients and locally produced beverages.
“Sure. We had dinner last week. When was the last time you two saw each other?” Frankie broke his sourdough roll in half and soaked up the juice on his plate then popped the bread in his mouth.
Envy stabbed at her heart. Frankie and Caroline were close. They had dinners together, they texted each other, and they probably were spending Thanksgiving together.
Kelly blew out a regretful sigh. “Granny’s funeral.”
Frankie stopped chewing and gave his cousin a sorrowful look.
“I know. I know. I tried reaching out, but she’s incapable of understanding my side of the story.” Kelly set her fork down because, all of a sudden, she’d lost her appetite. “I’m going to try again. Soon.”
Frankie finished chewing his bread and swallowed. “How soon?”
“The next few days. I need her help.”
“With what?”
A crunching noise drew her attention away from her cousin for a minute. They weren’t the only ones eating alfresco. She spotted a squirrel sitting on top of a heap of leaves eating a nut. “A lawyer recommendation.” Now she’d completely lost her appetite. “I think I’m a suspect in Maxine Lemoyne’s murder.”
Frankie let out a laugh. “That’s ridiculous. You couldn’t kill anyone.”
“Tell that to Detective Wolman. I think she’s building a case against me.”
“Why on earth would you murder Maxine Lemoyne?”
“Because her cousin’s performance in my boutique the other day has cost me business and Wolman thinks I killed Maxine by mistake because I meant to kill Bernadette. The detective thinks that’s a good enough motive.”
Murder Wears a Little Black Dress Page 12
