by Rosie Sams
Alvin led her to the sofa, they sat one at either end with Smudge at their feet in between them. Melody perched on the edge and felt uncomfortable as she waited for Rochelle to return.
In front of them was an old-fashioned coffee table. It was dusty and scattered with hair and beauty magazines, envelopes, and bills. Melody noticed that some of the bills were final demands. There was one from the phone company she was about to lean forward and look through, when a cup was put on the table in front of her.
Melody sat back and smiled her thanks, as Rochelle placed a coffee in front of Alvin then took her own to the other side of the table where she sat in a chair that matched the sofa.
“Can I ask why you’re here?” Rochelle asked.
Once more, Melody was about to blurt out that she must know, but Alvin spoke first.
“Rochelle, I’m sorry to have to inform you that Nancy Evans was killed earlier tonight.
The look of shock that crossed Rochelle’s face would have been hard to fake. The coffee cup in her hand shook, and hot liquid splashed on her legs. The color drained from her face, and her mouth hung open.
“Oh, my God,” she said as glassy eyes stared straight ahead. “How, why, what happened?”
Before they could say anything else, Smudge began to growl. At first, it was low, hardly audible, but it grew in volume. The Frenchie stood, the hackles on her back were up, making the blue-gray of her fur look darker as it stood on end.
“Can you tell us where you’ve been this evening?” Alvin asked.
Rochelle shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, but she was staring at Smudge. “I… I was here. I don’t have an alibi, I was all alone.”
Smudge continued to growl, it was growing in volume.
Melody was searching the room, trying to work out what was upsetting the pup while Alvin stayed calm and conducted the interview.
“What makes you think you need an alibi?” Alvin asked.
“Oh, I don’t know… I just thought, well, because we fought, I just thought you would think it was me.” Rochelle’s eyes went from Alvin to Smudge, and there was a growing sense of panic in her demeanor. “What is wrong with that dog? Why is it so angry?”
“Well, that is the question, isn’t it?” Melody asked.
Rochelle put her cup down and threw her hands in the air. For a moment, Melody thought she was going to run, not that there was anywhere she could go. Instead, she leaned back in the chair and seemed to deflate. That was when Melody realized that Rochelle’s appearance was as jaded as that of her house. She looked exhausted, dated even. As if no one had taken any care of her for many years.
Smudge had stopped growling and was now leaning against Melody’s leg, as calm as if they were just on a visit. The change in the dog and Rochelle’s appearance made Melody feel a bit sorry for her. It didn’t matter, this was the best lead they had, and they had to follow it.
Rochelle sighed and wrung her hands in her lap. “I know there was no love lost between Nancy and me, but I had no reason to kill her.”
“It was just yesterday that you told me you wanted her to disappear,” Melody said.
“You don’t understand, I didn’t mean that literally… that’s not true… I did wish she would disappear literally… but to another salon… I didn’t want her dead.”
Melody looked at Al, and he nodded for her to continue. “Maybe you didn’t, maybe you just went around to ask her to stop, and maybe things got out of hand? If that’s the case, we can help you, come clean now and this will all be over.”
“I swear the last time I saw Nancy was at the salon. She argued with another customer and just walked out for the day.” Rochelle’s face changed, her eyes were more alert, and she sat upright. “How did you find out?”
“Find out what?” Alvin asked.
“How did you find out she was dead?” Rochelle asked. “She lives alone, she has no friends to mention, and she wouldn’t be missed until tomorrow morning. So, who told you she was dead? Maybe they had a motive to kill her!”
Melody felt a touch of heat hit her cheeks. Though she had no reason to be embarrassed, she was, and she didn’t want to admit that she was going for another haircut.
“I see,” Rochelle said. “Nancy had been seeing clients on the side… clients with no taste, I guess you were one of them.”
Melody felt her blood boil, her fingers running through her barely cut hair. How dare Rochelle say she had no taste? But before she could say anything, Alvin squeezed her hand once more.
“So, you were jealous of Nancy and the money she was earning on the side,” Alvin said. “That gives you a motive to want to be rid of her. She was damaging your income, damaging your business, people have killed for a lot less. Now, once more, where were you this evening?”
“Like I said, I was here, I was alone, I have no one to vouch for me, but I didn’t kill her.”
Smudge began to growl again, she was pulling on her lead as if she wanted to get to Rochelle.
Rochelle shrank back in the chair. “What is wrong with that dog?”
“I don’t know,” Melody said, “maybe she can smell something that we can’t.”
“We need to go through your timeline, Rochelle,” Alvin said. “I think I should take you to the station.”
“No, no, I don’t see why I should come, and I’m not going anywhere with that mutt,” Rochelle protested.
Alvin let out a sigh and smiled at his wife. “You want me to drop you at home with Smudge while I take this suspect in?”
“It’s not far, we can walk… unless you want us there?” Melody wanted to keep an eye on Rochelle. Smudge knew something was wrong, and the woman looked guilty. Or maybe she just looked scared.
“You know I always want you there, but Smudge is making the suspect nervous. I’ll see you later.”
Melody took one last look at Rochelle, taking in everything she could, from the nervous tic in her eye to the way her fingernails were bitten down to the quick. Rochelle was hiding something, she just didn’t know what.
“Come on, Smudge, let’s go home.” With a last look at Alvin, Melody guided the bulldog out of the house and set off for home. It was only a 15-minute walk, but it would soon be dark, so she hurried along, trying to make sense of what had happened and why Smudge was so agitated. “If only you could talk to me, you little scamp,” Melody said.
Smudge simply wagged her butt and her tiny stump of a tail as she trotted along home.
Chapter Two Hundred Forty-One
Melody walked into the house, her mind still buzzing as she tried to put all the pieces together. Rochelle had a motive, she had no alibi, and Smudge didn’t like her, she had to be the killer!
Smudge was lying in her bed on her back. Her little paws wagged in the air as she begged for a belly rub.
“I guess you deserve one,” Melody said as she bent down to oblige. Cuddling, the little Frenchie relaxed her, and she began to let go of the murder. Only, somehow she couldn’t let it go completely.
Grabbing a glass of wine, she retired to the sofa. With her shoes kicked off and her feet curled under her, she tried to relax. A squeaky frog landed in her lap, followed by Smudge.
“It’s a good job I put my glass down,” Melody said as she started to giggle. With the little dog in the house, it was never boring.
Smudge curled up on her knee, while Melody gently stroked between her ears. As much as she tried to let go of the case, she couldn’t. Perhaps Rochelle was too obvious a suspect. The more Melody thought about it, the more she doubted it was something the woman would do. Rochelle was not proactive. Looking at her house and at the way she looked after herself, she was one of those people that let life come to her. Melody doubted it very much if she would have the gumption to take things into her own hands in such a drastic manner. Whoever committed this crime had been ruthless and calculating. Though the forensics hadn’t come back, Melody doubted there would be any evidence.
Reaching for her glass of wine
, she hoped the drink would help her relax until Alvin got home. Smudge pushed at her arm, almost knocking the glass over. “Okay, tummy rubs coming up. Smudge whined and looked at the glass, then reached out with her nose and pushed it a little farther away. Melody laughed. “I guess you want me all to yourself.
Leaning back, she hugged the little dog close and tried to turn the case over in her mind, her phone rang.
“Hey, Mel,” Alvin said.
“It’s good to hear from you, has she confessed?”
Alvin laughed, his voice a deep rumble even down the phone line making Melody’s insides all warm and gooey.
“Just look at you, still working the case. As much as I’d love to say I got a confession, Rochelle lawyered up. I won’t be getting anything else out of her tonight. We pulled Eloise in as well, she has an alibi. I have a few more bits of paperwork to do, and then I’ll be on my way home. With a bit of luck, the lab will have something tomorrow. All we have now is that the murder weapon was probably a pair of high-end scissors. I think Rochelle is looking good for this.”
“I don’t know. It all seems a bit easy, don’t you think?” Melody said.
Alvin laughed again. “That’s kind of the way I like my police work. The bad guy has a motive, the bad guy commits the crime, I arrest them, case closed. Obviously… When I say the guy I don’t mean, well, you know I’m not being sexist.”
Melody could hear the worry in Alvin’s voice. She knew he hadn’t meant anything, and she loved the way it embarrassed him to think he might’ve upset her.
“I know, Al. But don’t you think she’s too disorganized?”
The silence stretched between them for just a moment. “How much organization does it take to lose your temper and hurt someone? Besides, why else was Smudge growling if Rochelle is not the killer?”
Melody couldn’t doubt his logic, but she had a theory on that too. Putting the phone on speaker, she put it down. Then quickly, she tied her hair up into a bun and piled it on top of her head. Smudge jumped off her knee, spun around in a circle, and wagged her tail with approval.
Melody laughed.
“Come on, Mel, what am I missing?” Alvin asked.
“This may sound crazy, but I think Smudge was annoyed with Rochelle. I think she sensed that I didn’t like her bad haircut. I think she was sticking up for me.”
“Your hair looks amazing,” Alvin said. “You really have to stop worrying about it. There is nothing wrong with your hair.”
“Oh, Al, you are so sweet. It’s just that I wanted something bolder. I feel so out of sorts at the moment, and I think a new me would’ve helped.”
“All I can say is that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I love you how you are… but I will love you if you change too.”
“I love you too, Al. Let’s put my hair aside for the moment, I think I have another idea who the killer could be.”
“Who?”
“I need to think about it. I will tell you when it’s time.”
Melody could hear someone calling Al in the background, she thought maybe it was Wilbur, but she wasn’t quite sure. “Anyway, you get back to work, and we’ll talk later or tomorrow.”
“Okay, but don’t you go doing anything silly. Love you, Mel, kiss Smudge for me.”
With that, he was gone. Melody sat back down and reached for her wine, Smudge was back on her knee and knocked her hand away. Melody laughed. “What is it with you tonight? I don’t drink that much.”
In her lap, Smudge rolled on her back, her pink tongue lolling out as she begged for a belly rub.
“Okay,” Melody said and rubbed the little soft belly absentmindedly as she thought over the last few days. Smudge groaned and grunted to say that she was doing a good job, but Melody was too involved now. Were the clues right there in front of her? Did they already have the killer, or was it someone else? Melody was pretty sure she had worked it out, but there was nothing she could do for now, except drink her wine and stroke Smudge. Maybe tomorrow she would catch the killer. As she reached for the wine, Smudge bumped her arm and the glass tipped over and spilled on the table.
“Oh, Smudge,” Melody scolded, but she couldn’t be mad with the little dog. Cleaning up the wine, she went to pour another, but the bottle was empty. Maybe she should leave it until Alvin was here?
Chapter Two Hundred Forty-Two
The following morning Alvin tried to wheedle the new suspect out of Melody, but she was having none of it.
“I haven’t fully worked it out myself just yet, so I’m not telling you,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek and munched on a round of toast.
“You could at least give me a hint,” Alvin said with a sulky expression on his face.
Melody couldn’t help but laugh, but she shook her head, letting him know that she was determined. A night’s sleep hadn’t made anything clearer, and she didn’t want to share her ideas until she was sure.
“Are you due in at the bakery?” Alvin asked.
“No, not first thing. We are taking it in turns having one lie in a week. Today is my late start.”
“That’s a great idea,” Alvin said. “Next week, try to arrange it on a day I don’t have to be in early, and we can have a leisurely breakfast.” He winked, kissed her gently on the lips, grabbed his keys, and then walked for the door. “Unfortunately, today, I have to be in early. Let’s just hope that I get a confession, and we can put this one to bed.”
Melody kissed him back and nodded. Though she couldn’t help but feel that Rochelle wasn’t the one they wanted. She had an idea of how to flush the killer out. For a moment, she thought about telling Alvin, after all, how many times had she put herself in danger? But she would just do a bit more investigating first. It would be safe, wouldn’t it?
Half an hour after Alvin had left, Melody clipped a lead on smudge and set off for Short Cuts. All night, she had run through her head the morning of her hair cut. She kept seeing the young Lulu and the disappointment on her face when Nancy had barged her out of the way. At the time, she had thought nothing of it. Maybe that was shock at how rude Nancy had behaved. Only now, she thought about how she would feel if one of the partners treated her that way. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be hurt and angry. If Nancy had been treating Lulu like this for a long time, then the anger and hurt would fester. Who is to say that Lulu hadn’t lost her temper?
At first, Melody had intended to go into the salon and talk to Lulu there, but as she walked, she changed her mind. Maybe it was the relaxing rhythm of the morning walk, or maybe it was because she was a little more awake now. Either way, she didn’t want to cause Amy any scandal. If she interrogated Lulu in front of her customers, then that was bound to happen.
Smudge seemed reluctant and was sniffing at every plant and gate post she came to. Maybe it was just because it was a beautiful morning or maybe she was trying to tell her something. Melody wished she knew what.
Soon they were close to the salon, Melody and Smudge waited a block away for Lulu to come by.
It wasn’t long before she saw Lulu walking up. The girl’s head was down, and she hadn’t noticed them waiting there.
“Morning, Lulu,” Melody said as the shampoo girl drew closer.
Lulu looked up with tears in her eyes and dark smudges beneath them. It was clear that she had been crying most of the night. How had she heard about the death? Were these tears of sorrow, or of guilt?
“Oh, morning, Mrs. M… Hennessy. I’m sorry I didn’t notice you there.”
“I guess you heard about Nancy,” Melody said, feeling a little mean as the young woman’s tears seemed genuine.
Lulu nodded and sniffed into a handkerchief. “Amy called me after the sheriff rang her.”
Smudge was nuzzling at Lulu’s ankles and pawing at her legs. To Melody, it looked like the pup was offering comfort.
Lulu reached down to stroke Smudge and ended up letting out a fresh batch of tears.
“I’m so sorry for
your loss,” Melody said. “Were you and Nancy close friends?”
Nancy shook her head. “I hate to admit it, but Nancy was hardly ever nice. It was like she had a problem with everyone. Like she was permanently angry. She was always pushing me around at the shop. Always belittling me and barging into me or making fun of me in front of customers.”
“Then why are you so sad?”
“I guess because I knew her… and I guess because she was helping me out. She was giving me lessons and charging me a lot less than a cosmetology school would. Despite what she was like, I really enjoyed the lessons. I know recently she had been blowing me off, but I learned a lot from her.”
Even though Smudge was leaning against Lulu’s leg and giving her as much support as she could, Melody felt a tingle of excitement. Could this be the reason Lulu had snapped? If Nancy treated her so badly, promised her she would teach her and then stopped… then that was motive.
“Tell me about it,” Melody said. “It might help you to talk about her.”
“When she first came to the salon, she was nicer. We got talking, I told her I wanted to train to be a stylist. She offered to help. We worked one or two nights, and she told me that I could be on a par with her if I tried hard and studied… and I did, I did everything she asked, read everything she gave me and practiced whenever I could.”
“When was your next lesson?” Melody asked.
Lulu shrugged. “Nancy had been putting me off as of late. She was focused on opening her own shop.” Almost instantaneously, Lulu’s sadness changed to anger. Her lips narrowed, her jaw tightened, and she clenched her fists set at her side. “How could she do that to me? How could she lead me along and then simply ignore me? We spoke about the shop, I even helped her find it, yet she was going to leave me. She was not going to take me along to share in her success. I’m not surprised she’s dead, if she treated everyone like that, then I’m just surprised it wasn’t sooner. Can I go now?”
Melody nodded, she was too shocked to speak following Lulu’s sudden outburst. It looked like her instincts were right. Lulu had more of a motive to murder Nancy than Rochelle did.
