Cozy Suburbs Mystery Box Set

by Lisa B. Thomas

  “That sounds like something any of us would say. I’ve told my husband I’d kill him a thousand times if he didn’t put his socks in the hamper. He knows I’m not serious. What makes you think Wendy was serious?”

  “Because of the way she said it. She seemed really mad.”

  Deena thought for a minute. Could she be telling the truth? Could Wendy have been mad enough to kill Ray? “What did you see after that? What did Ray say?”

  “He just seemed to laugh and walk away. I think that made her even more mad. Anyway, that’s what I thought.”

  “Was there anyone else around who might have heard this?”

  “No, it was just me. Everyone else had left.”

  “What about Charlie?”

  “What about him?” Stephanie seemed to ruffle at the question.

  “Was Charlie still there when you left?”

  “No, he left before I did.”

  That seemed unlikely based on what Deena had just witnessed between the two. “By the way, did you happen to see Charlie’s mother there at the church?”

  “No. I mean, yes. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

  Why was Stephanie getting so flustered? That was usually a sign that someone was lying. “You don’t remember seeing her there at the church when you left around noon? What about later when you got back to the church for the carnival?”

  Stephanie jumped to her feet. “I don’t know if she was there or not. I need to go.”

  Deena stood up and brushed off the back of her slacks. “Oh, sorry. Are you working tonight?”

  “No, I quit.”

  “But I thought...college...”

  Stephanie turned and walked toward the front door. “See ya, Mrs. Sharpe.”

  Deena called out one more question before the front door closed. “By the way, whose car is that? It’s a beauty.”

  “Actually, it’s mine.” And with that, Stephanie disappeared inside the house, taking the rest of her answers and her secrets with her.

  Chapter 20

  Sylvia checked her face in the mirror one last time. More lipstick. You can never have too much lipstick. Maybe a little more rouge. That’s it, she thought and smoothed down the front of her frock.

  She looked down at the boot on her foot and frowned. Nothing much I can do about that. Wearing heels was out of the question, obviously, but she did have a nice pair of flats that would have to do. She debated carrying the cane. It would be hard enough to carry the cake, let alone the cake and the cane, so she left it behind.

  It was colder than she expected when she pulled the front door closed behind her. Luckily, she was only going next door. She traversed the lawn without a misstep. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell and waited.

  The door opened slowly as if on its own. Edwin peered around the door with raised eyebrows. Seeing Sylvia, a smile crept across his well-worn face.

  “My lands, Sylvia. Get yourself in here out of that cold.”

  She did as instructed.

  “Is that a cake I see? You haven’t come to smash me in the face with it, have you?”

  “Of course not, silly,” she giggled. “I made it just for you.”

  “Why, that’s the most beautiful cake I’ve ever seen.” He took it from her and cocked his arm to escort her into the den.

  The house was warm and cold at the same time. It seemed everything had a little residue of sadness on it.

  “I wasn’t expecting company today or I’d have fixed myself up,” he said, brushing back the hair from his face.

  “You look just fine, don’t you worry. I just wanted to bring over this peace offering.”

  Edwin grinned. “You didn’t have to do that, but I’m mighty glad you did. Why don’t you come in and sit a spell.”

  “That would be just fine.” He settled her onto the sofa and took a seat in the adjoining club chair.

  “Your house is just lovely,” Sylvia lied. “Although, it could use a woman’s touch.”

  “I’m afraid I’ve lived here alone so long that everything’s just gone to seed.”

  Sylvia crossed her ankles with her good foot in front of the boot. “So, are those pictures of your wife?”

  “Yes. I was married to the greatest woman in the world. Theresa and I were married forty-one years before the cancer got her. After she passed, I moved here to be closer to my son and his wife. They lived in the house where you are now. Wasn’t but a year later my boy got transferred out to California.”

  “What made you stay here then?”

  “Moving is hard on the person. Besides, by that time I realized that life would never be the same no matter where I was, so I’d just as soon be here as anywhere.”

  “I know what you mean. I lost my husband a year and a half ago.”

  They fell into an awkward silence.

  Finally, Edwin picked up the remote control. “It’s about time for Wheel of Fortune. How about we watch it together?”

  “It’s like you read my mind,” Sylvia said cheerfully. She shifted her weight on the sofa trying to get more comfortable. Something squealed beneath her. “What in tarnation?”

  Edwin came out of the chair. “You must’ve found one of Buster’s old toys.” He leaned down and reached under the cushion next to her. Their faces were dangerously close to one another. For a moment, he froze. Then, he pulled out a squeaky toy in the shape of a hamburger.

  Edwin carried the toy back to his chair, studying it reverently as though it were a precious treasure. “My boy got Buster for me after I moved here, thinking he would keep me company. That old dog and I became best friends. After he died, I swore I’d never get another one. It’s just too hard to lose things you love.”

  She wasn’t sure if she saw tears in Edwin’s eyes, so she quickly turned her attention to the TV. As she pretended to watch, she thought about Edwin and Hurley. She wasn’t used to feeling guilty, but she knew that was the cause of the knot forming in her mid-section.

  For the next half hour, they watched the show, calling out guesses for all the puzzles. Edwin was surprisingly good at the game.

  When the show ended, Edwin muted the television. “Where’s my manners? I didn’t even offer you something to drink. How about I make us a cup of coffee and we have a slice of that delicious-looking cake.”

  “I have a better idea,” Sylvia said. “How about you come over for supper, and we’ll have that cake for dessert. What do you say?”

  “I’d say that sounds like a fine idea. Why don’t I escort you home and then come back here to get ready. I need to shave and put on a clean shirt.”

  “Well okay then.” Sylvia held out her hand for Edwin to help her up.

  “Well okay then,” he said. “It’s a date.”

  Chapter 21

  Something just wasn’t adding up. One day Stephanie was slaving away at the restaurant trying to earn money for college, and a few days later, she was driving around in a brand-new sports car. Something fishy was going on, and Deena was determined to figure out what it was. She needed a quiet place to sort things out. Home was out of the question. Who knew what Sylvia would be up to.

  She was heading downtown when her cell phone rang. It was Julius Dunbar. He sounded pleasant enough and asked to meet her at the same café where she had talked to Detective Guttman a few days earlier. Curious to know what he had to say now that Wendy Fairmont had been arrested, Deena agreed to meet with him. Maybe he could offer some new information to help clear Wendy’s name.

  “Thanks for agreeing to meet me,” Julius said, pulling back Deena’s chair as though they were on a date.

  Deena stifled a chuckle and sat down at the grubby table in the little hole-in-the-wall smack in the middle of downtown Maycroft. “Of course. Such a shame. I’m sure your boss, Mr. O’Malley, was devastated when Wendy Fairmont was arrested.”

  “Devastated. Well, not exactly. It really wasn’t all that surprising, after all,” Julius said.

  The waitress appeared and they b
oth ordered coffee.

  Deena wasn’t sure what to make of that comment. “What do you mean it wasn’t surprising?”

  “Well,” he said, dragging out the word. “Just look where the woman comes from. That should be the first clue.”

  Shooting a quick glance around the café, Deena furrowed her brow and asked, “Do you mean Maycroft? What’s wrong with Maycroft?”

  “It’s not just that, look at her family. Who are they? They’re nobodies from nowhere-ville. I’m surprised David was ever interested in her in the first place.”

  Before Deena could bite into her host like a grizzly bear, the waitress appeared in front of them.

  Dunbar made a bit of small talk with the woman while Deena fumed.

  “Before you say anything,” he said to Deena, “you have to look at it from the perspective of Mr. O’Malley. It’s not just business, it’s his legacy he’s passing on to his son. He doesn’t want some gold digger coming in and soiling the family name.”

  Deena took several slow breaths, counting to ten like Gary always told her to do before letting her anger out. “Well, I can assure you Wendy is not guilty, and her attorney and I are going to do everything we can to see that these charges are dropped.” She decided to take the high road. After all, this smug stranger wasn’t worth it. He was a snob who would probably never change. “Mr. Dunbar, what is the purpose of this meeting? You came to me for help, and I helped you. What is it you want now?”

  He picked up his cup slowly, ignoring the steam, and took a long gulp.

  What was that? Was that some kind of show of strength? Maybe I’m supposed to be intimidated because he doesn’t mind burning his mouth on hot coffee. Deena picked up her cup to do the same. As soon as the near-boiling liquid touched her lips, she pulled back the cup with a gasp.

  “Actually, I’m here to return the favor.” He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out an envelope. “Mr. O’Malley wants to thank you for your help.” He slid the envelope across the table. “Perhaps this would be a good time for you and your husband to take a little vacation. It seems that your work on this case is done.”

  Was this a payoff? What was it that she had done? Deena had only seen this kind of thing on TV or in movies. She couldn’t believe it was actually happening. She picked up the envelope to look inside, and sure enough, there was a check. It was made out to her in the amount of five thousand dollars. Her mouth dropped open at the sight. “What is this for?”

  “It’s for a job well done. The guilty party has been charged, and it’s time for you to move on.”

  At last, Deena was beginning to see the writing on the wall. He doesn’t want me to keep investigating the case. He wants this murder pinned on Wendy. End of story. Case closed. “But Wendy didn’t do it. You get that, right?”

  “That’s for the courts to decide, not you and me.”

  Deena shoved the check back into the envelope and tossed it toward Dunbar. “I’m not accepting this nor am I dropping my investigation. Wendy Fairmont is innocent, and I’m going to prove it. And by the way, she’s as good a person as you’ll ever meet. Certainly better than you and your stuffed-shirt, overbearing, elitist boss and his family.”

  “Mr. O’Malley is willing to go higher. Name your price, Mrs. Sharpe. Everyone has a price.”

  Deena reached for her purse and pulled out her wallet. She laid a five-dollar bill on the table. “Well I don’t. And you can be sure Detective Guttman is going to hear about how you tried to interfere with an investigation.”

  Dunbar stood. This time when he spoke, he sounded more like the thug he was. “Don’t be stupid, Mrs. Sharpe. Maybe money doesn’t motivate you, but something will. By the way, give my regards to Sylvia and Gary. And I believe you have a brother in town. Russell.” He tossed a hundred-dollar bill on the table. “Like I said, everyone has a price.”

  As he hurried out of the café, Deena sat in numbed silence. The room began to spin as she realized she’d been holding her breath.

  “Are you okay, honey? You look downright ill. You ain’t having a heart attack or nothing, are you?”

  Deena shook her head. How dare he mention her husband and mother-in-law and brother. If he was trying to scare her, he succeeded. She walked slowly toward the exit.

  Behind her, the waitress gave a sharp whistle. “A hundred bucks! You tell your friend he can come back anytime.”

  My friend? Hardly. Julius Dunbar had just become enemy number one.

  THERE WAS ONLY ONE thing to do: go see Gary at his office. Deena felt vulnerable and angry. Gary was her rock and he would help her figure out what to do.

  She had faced danger before, but nothing quite like this. When she had been attacked in the past, she had adrenaline on her side. This was different. She tried to steady her breathing so she could focus on driving. Luckily, Gary’s office building was only a few blocks away.

  She charged past the receptionist and walked straight into Gary’s office.

  He was on the phone, but the look on her face must’ve told him the visit was anything but social. “Dave, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to call you back.” He hung up and rushed over to Deena. “What is it? What’s happened? Is it Mother?”

  “Your mother?” For some strange reason, she began to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. Her voice sounded maniacal even to her. Soon she began shaking and the laughter turned to tears.

  Gary grabbed her and held her as tight as he ever had. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, it will be okay.”

  When she stopped crying, he led her over to a chair and sat her down. Kneeling beside her, he took both of her hands in his. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Remember the man I told you about who came to the house on Halloween? He called me.” She went on to give the blow-by-blow account of their meeting at the café.

  Gary kept his composure, like the calm, level-headed CPA he was.

  When she finished, he stood up and walked around to sit behind his desk. He grabbed a pencil and a notepad. It was just like Gary to try to solve a problem like this with a flowchart. “So, this Dunbar creep doesn’t want you to exonerate Wendy. Why?”

  “Obviously, Terrance O’Malley doesn’t think she’s good enough for his son. This arrest might be the key to breaking off their engagement.”

  “Good. I agree.” Gary scribbled something on the pad. “Do you think O’Malley could’ve had Ray killed and tried to pin it on Wendy?”

  “Not really. It seems like a long way to go just to break up an engagement. Why wouldn’t they just have had Wendy killed?”

  “Good point, unless that would’ve been too obvious. For now, let’s assume they didn’t do it. Who are the other suspects, and what do you have on them?”

  Deena hesitated. “I’m not really supposed to tell you that.”

  “Okay, then without giving specifics, are there other suspects or do you secretly think Wendy is guilty?”

  “Yes, there are other suspects, but we have little in the way of evidence. I don’t think Wendy did it. I’m not sure that O’Malley and his goon believe she did either, otherwise, why would they be throwing money at me to end my investigation?”

  “Bribery. Like anyone would be stupid enough to take money to turn against an innocent person.”

  Deena jumped from her chair. “Oh my gosh! I’m not the only one they tried to bribe. I’ve got to go.”

  “Wait! Where are you going?”

  “You call Detective Guttman and tell him what happened with Dunbar. I’m going back to see Stephanie Gander. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done.”

  “Be careful,” Gary called after her.

  Maybe Dunbar was right. Everyone does have a price. It sounded like Terrance O’Malley just paid for a new car and a college education.

  Chapter 22

  Before she even hit the main road, an annoying beeping sound grabbed Deena’s attention. It was the alarm going off on her phone. She had forgotten all about her four o’clock meeting with Ian and Wendy at t
he office. Looked like her confrontation with Stephanie would have to wait.

  Wendy looked as though she had aged five years. Her eyes had lost their sparkle and her face was pale. Instead of her usual trendy slacks and layered plaid shirt and sweater, she had on an old pair of gray sweatpants and a navy-blue hoodie. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and not the cute messy kind.

  “How are you doing?” Deena asked, leaning down to give her a hug.

  “Not that great. Let’s see...as of today I have no job, no friends, no business, no money, no fiancé, and only three weeks left in my apartment. Besides that, I’m just peachy.”

  “No fiancé? What happened with David?” Deena took off her jacket and pulled up a chair next to Wendy’s.

  “He broke it off. I’m not surprised, but you’d at least think he’d have the nerve to do it in person. Can you believe he did it through a text?” She rubbed the finger where her engagement ring used to be. “I have half a mind to pawn my ring and use it to pay off the bail bond guy.”

  “You should,” Ian said. “David doesn’t deserve you.”

  “I wonder if they are hiring at the pawn shop?” Wendy asked, managing a faint smile.

  Deena pressed her lips together. “For a family that supposedly has so much class, that really was a low blow. David sounds just as slimy a worm as his father.”

  “Do you know his father?” Wendy asked, tilting her head at Deena.

  “No, not personally. But I have met Julius Dunbar. He’s the one who said David’s father was trying to help you.”

  “That creep. He’s one of Terrance O’Malley’s henchmen. Does most of his dirty work, from what I can tell. How do you know him? I wouldn’t think you’d hang around with that sort of family.”

  “And I wouldn’t think you’d want to marry into that sort of family.” Oops. Had she actually said that out loud?

  “Touché,” Wendy said. “I guess I deserve that.”

  “I’m so sorry. It’s just that—”