Caramel Canvas

by Jessica Beck

  “My life is an open book,” she said, though I doubted it was true. “If you’re retired, why should I talk to you at all?”

  “I might not be on the force anymore,” Phillip said coolly, “but I’m sure I could make your life interesting if I put my mind to it. It’s fine with me either way. Your call.”

  She studied him a moment, and then she threw her hands into the air. “It’s too hot to play cat and mouse with you, especially when I have nothing to hide. As a matter of fact, I was with a patron of the arts on both occasions.”

  “He can confirm this?” Phillip asked.

  “It’s a she, and yes, she can if she has to,” Galen said. “I won’t give you her name without a court order, though.”

  “That’s your decision,” Phillip said.

  “It’s fine. I’ll call Benjamin myself,” Momma said as she reached for her phone.

  “Wait,” Galen said, suddenly squirming in discomfort, though it had nothing to do with the heat. “How did you know about us?”

  “I thought you said you were seeing a woman,” I said.

  “If you’ll think about it, that’s not what I said at all,” Galen answered. “I just didn’t see any satisfaction in telling you the truth.” She turned back to Momma. “I want to know how you found out.”

  “My dear, your secret is safe with us. Benjamin and I are on a few boards together. We’ve known each other for years, and a few weeks ago, we were at a cocktail party and he’d had a little too much to drink. He described you quite eloquently, said he hadn’t felt so young and alive in years thanks to you, and then he realized that he’d said too much. One phone call is all it will take to confirm that you’re telling the truth.”

  To my surprise, Galen crumpled and began to cry. “If you call him, he’ll end it with me. He warned me that if it ever happened, it would be the last I ever saw of him, and that he’d deny we’d ever met.”

  Even more of a shock, Momma moved to her and put her arms around the artist. Galen seemed to resist it at first, but the person who could willingly keep out of my mother’s embrace hadn’t been born yet, at least as far as I was concerned. “He’s a cad, my dear, and I’m certain you can do better.”

  “I thought you said that you were friends,” Galen told her, wiping away a few tears.

  “I said we’d known each other for years, but friendship? Not hardly. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No, ma’am, I’ll be okay,” she said as she pulled away. “Maybe you’re right. It could be that it’s time I stood on my own two feet.”

  “I know it is,” Momma said reassuringly. She pulled out a card and held it out to Galen. “If you need to talk, call me.”

  I hadn’t seen her do that more than half a dozen times in my entire life. After I recovered, I said, “We won’t bother you anymore.”

  “Do you promise that you won’t call him?” Galen asked, almost pathetically. The hard and icy exterior had suddenly been replaced by the insecure young girl that seemed to live just beneath the surface.

  “We promise,” Momma said. “And no matter what it takes, get this heat situation fixed.”

  “I’ve tried, but Benjamin thinks it’s funny,” Galen said.

  “As I said, he’s unworthy of you,” Momma replied.

  Once we were outside again climbing down the stairs, I felt the relief from the cold as the sweat crystalized on my face. “How did you know about her and that man?” I asked her.

  “Please, Suzanne. The young woman is distinctive if nothing else, especially around here. From the moment I saw her, I knew that she was Benjamin’s secret paramour.”

  “So, we aren’t going to call to confirm her alibi?” Phillip asked grudgingly. “That breakdown may have been a little too convenient, if you know what I mean.”

  Momma waited until we were back on the ground before she turned to her husband. “If our other leads don’t pan out, we may have to call him yet, but honestly, I believe her, and I don’t want to be the reason that relationship implodes, if that’s what you can call what they are having.” She paused a moment and then smiled. “I must say, your restraint was admirable, dear.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Phillip said hastily.

  “I’m sure you don’t,” Momma said with a twinkle in her eye.

  At that moment, my cell phone rang. Was Trish calling me with another update? She was busier than I was on the case.

  Better yet, it was Jake!

  Chapter 21

  “How’s your drive so far?” I asked him.

  “Honestly, I’m making better time than I expected,” he admitted.

  “I wasn’t sure your old truck could even go over the speed limit,” I answered with a laugh. I knew that I was in the middle of a serious investigation, but I was downright giddy about the prospect of Jake making it back home to me.

  “I know I told you I’d be home this evening, but I’m almost to Union Square. Is that enough notice for you, or should I kill a little time before I drive the rest of the way home?”

  “I’m in Union Square with Momma and Phillip!” I squealed.

  “Where, exactly?”

  “Tell you what. Meet us in Napoli’s parking lot. I can’t wait to see you.”

  “Suzanne, I haven’t been gone that long,” Jake answered.

  “I know, but it feels like forever to me.”

  “Me, too,” he said. “See you soon.”

  After I hung up, Momma started driving. “We’re meeting Jake at Napoli’s, right?”

  “Yes, he really made good time.”

  “I’ll wager he’s been ignoring the speed limit,” Momma said.

  “Can you blame him, if he’s coming to see me?” I asked her with a grin.

  “No cop’s going to pull him over,” Phillip said.

  “Because he used to be a state police investigator?” I asked him.

  “No, it’s because they’d be too embarrassed to flag that old truck of his for speeding,” my stepfather answered with a grin.

  Evidently we were closer to Napoli’s than Jake was, because he wasn’t in the parking lot yet. I looked at Momma and Phillip and said, “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you both working on this with me.”

  “But we’re fired now, right?” Phillip asked with a grin.

  “Let’s just say that your temporary duty has been completed. It sounds so much nicer that way,” I answered, hoping that I wasn’t hurting their feelings. They were good helpers, but when it came to dealing with murder, either Jake or Grace would be my first choice, and if I was being one hundred percent honest about it, Jake would edge out my best friend, though just by a hair. I’d had more experience working with Grace on murder investigations, but there was something really complementary about the way my husband and I worked together, though I’d never admit it to anyone else.

  “We’re not offended, dear,” Momma said with a smile. “The truth is that it felt good to be included, if only for a bit. Do you have any idea what you two are going to do next?”

  “I think we have to track Kerry Minter down,” I said. “Something tells me she might hold the key to this whole thing. If she’s hiding from someone, she might be hard to find, but between Jake and me, I feel as though we at least have a shot at it.”

  “I’m sure you do,” Momma said. “If you need us, remember, we’re never more than a phone call away.”

  “I know, and I greatly appreciate it,” I said as I spotted Jake’s beat-up old pickup truck. “Thanks again,” I said as I jumped out.

  I barely waited for his truck to stop rolling before I jumped into the passenger seat and gave him the best hug I could manage. I looked up to see Momma and Phillip waving, and as they drove off, presumably back to April Springs, I realized yet again how lucky I was to have both of them in my lives. If I had anyth
ing in this world, I had people who loved me, and that meant more to me than any untold riches ever could.

  “Where to?” he asked as he looked at me expectantly. “I assume we’re going to keep working on Annabeth’s murder together, though you never formally asked me.”

  “Jake Bishop, would you do me the honor of serving as my co-investigator into Annabeth Kline’s murder?” I asked with every bit of pomp and circumstance I could muster.

  “Sure, why not?” he asked with a grin. “I’m all yours. Bring me up to speed.”

  “We’ve got it narrowed down to two main suspects,” I explained. “One of them has no alibi for either the rendezvous with Annabeth behind the library or the time of her murder.”

  “Which one might that be?”

  “Chris Langer, though he likes to be referred to as Christopho,” I said.

  “Sounds nice and pretentious. What about the other one?”

  “It’s Kerry Minter.”

  “What does she have to say for herself?” Jake asked me.

  “I don’t know. We couldn’t find her to ask,” I admitted.

  After explaining about the note we’d found on her shop’s door claiming that she had inventory though no one was there, I said, “My thought is we need to find her, no matter what it takes.”

  “I’m good with that,” Jake said. “Let me make a few phone calls.”

  “Jake, I don’t have to remind you that you aren’t working in any official capacity on this, do I? Phillip has already made a few calls himself.”

  “Suzanne, when I was the April Springs chief of police, I banked enough favors around the area to use for years to come,” he said.

  “Why would they reciprocate if you’re not in office anymore?” I asked him.

  “It’s a matter of pride with them—and with me, too. Don’t worry. I’ll get to the bottom of this in record time.”

  Before he could make the first phone call, I put a hand on his arm. “Jake, I’m sorry about the way things ended up with Tommy.”

  “No worries, Suzanne. I did everything I could, but since nobody wanted my help or my advice, leaving was the best thing I could do.”

  “Well, I for one welcome your assistance,” I told him solemnly.

  “I’m glad,” he said. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to step out of the truck while I make these calls.”

  “I don’t mind a bit,” I replied. I was used to Jake needing privacy on the phone, especially when he was calling in old favors. It gave me time to wonder what on earth Kerry Minter was thinking, bolting like she did. While it was barely possible that her inventory explanation had been the truth, I sincerely doubted it. Either she was running away because she was afraid, or she was guilty of murder, and at that point, I had no idea which one it might be.

  Jake got back into the truck and started driving. “She’s at her best friend’s house—at least she was as of twenty minutes ago.”

  “How on earth did you discover that so quickly?” I asked as I fastened my seat belt.

  “Kerry’s housesitting for a friend of the police chief here, and he’s the one who just got her settled in. If we hurry, we should be able to catch her there.”

  The only problem was that she wasn’t there when we got to the address in question.

  “This doesn’t make any sense,” Jake said. “I thought for sure she’d be here.”

  “Let’s try someplace else,” I said. I gave him Kerry’s address, and we drove there without much hope of finding her.

  To my surprise, there was a car out front of the house.

  A red car, to be exact.

  “Be careful, Jake. She might be dangerous,” I whispered.

  “I’m always careful,” he said as we approached the door. I noticed that he pulled out his weapon, which was fine by me. Better to be safe than sorry.

  As I started to knock, Kerry nearly ran me down. She was clutching two suitcases, one in each hand, and she looked as though she’d seen a ghost.

  “Going somewhere?” I asked her. “I couldn’t help noticing your red car in the driveway. That was the same color of the one that nearly ran Annabeth down in front of Martin Lancaster’s gallery just before she died.”

  “I hadn’t heard about that,” she said, clearly distracted. “Anyway, that’s not mine. I just borrowed it from my sister. I didn’t want anyone to know what I was driving.”

  “What are you running from?” I asked her as Jake moved to block her exit. I noticed that he’d put his weapon into his jacket pocket, but I was sure that it was still accessible.

  “He’s after me,” Kerry said, looking wildly around to see if she could spot her hunter.

  “Who are you talking about?” Jake asked her.

  “Chris Langer. I can’t believe I had a crush on him once. The man is a sociopath.”

  “Why do you say that?” I asked her.

  She asked, “Can I put these in the car first?”

  Jake reached out both hands. “I’ll take care of those for you.” She couldn’t get away, but why take any chances? “What happened?”

  “I asked him out again this afternoon, and he went ballistic. He started screaming at me. ‘Why can I get what I don’t want, but I couldn’t have what I really wanted? She turned me down one too many times, and she paid for it.’ It was positively scary. Then he backed me up against the wall and pinned my wrists together. ‘This is the last time I’m telling you this. I don’t want you. Not now, not ever, so get it through your head before I have to teach you a lesson I guarantee you aren’t going to like.’ The way he looked into my eyes, I knew he wasn’t joking. He was going to kill me if I pushed him again, just like he did Annabeth.”

  “Did he actually say that?” I asked her.

  “Not in so many words, but the meaning was clear enough. Listen, I’ve gone overboard in the past about men in my life, but my therapist has helped me resolve all of those issues. I know when it’s time to cut my losses.”

  “That’s it, then? You’re just running away?” I asked her.

  “My store isn’t worth it, and neither is my time in Union Square. I’m getting as far away from here as fast as I can.”

  “You need to tell the police here what happened first,” Jake said. “They need to know.”

  “I’m stopping off at the station on my way out of town,” she admitted. “Do you think I want this guy to come after me? He told me that if he ever saw me again, he’d kill me!”

  “Why don’t I come with you to the station?” Jake offered.

  “Thanks, but I need to do this alone,” she said.

  “Aren’t you going to lock your front door?” I asked as she started to hurry toward her car.

  “If anyone wants anything I left behind, they’re welcome to it,” she said. “Good-bye.”

  “Be safe,” I said as we watched her drive away.

  “Should we follow her to be sure she goes to the station?” Jake asked me.

  “Maybe, but what I really want to do is go talk to Chris Langer,” I admitted. “It’s not that far, and I could go on foot if you want to tail Kerry.”

  “She can take her chances,” Jake said. “You’re the only one I have any interest in protecting.”

  “Then let’s go,” I said.

  Despite the heat I knew was radiating inside the studio, Langer’s door was closed, though I could see lights on inside.

  “Something’s wrong,” I told Jake as I headed for the entrance.

  “How do you know?” he asked me.

  “That studio is boiling hot. If he’s in there, he must be roasting.”

  Jake put a hand on my arm and pulled out his weapon. “Let me go first.”

  “Okay, but I’m right on your heels. Be careful.”

  “I will,” he said as he pulled out his handgun again.

 
As he pushed the door open, the place looked as though a struggle had gone on inside. Where it had once been neat and tidy, now it was a real mess, with easels and paintings strewn across the space and tubes of paint thrown everywhere, leaving a real mess.

  I was still taking the scene in when Jake said, “Suzanne. Over here.”

  I looked up to see Jake kneeling over a man’s body, clearly checking for a pulse.

  Evidently someone had decided that Christopho Langer had painted his last piece of artwork, too.

  It was starting to look like open season on artists in our area.

  “Is he dead?” I asked as I knelt beside him.

  “No, his pulse is still strong, but I’m guessing that somebody clobbered him with that chunk of rock,” Jake said as he pointed to the doorstop I’d seen on my earlier visit to his studio. It horrified me when I saw that some of the pieces of protruding quartz were now coated with blood.

  “Call an ambulance,” Jake said, but as I reached for my cell phone, another voice from behind us countered that order.

  “Put that down, Suzanne. Jake, drop that gun or I’m going to have to kill you both.”

  Evidently Kerry Minter hadn’t been running away from anything after all.

  Chapter 22

  “You followed us here,” I said as I hit the panic button on my phone before I dropped it. It was set to call 9-1-1. I just hoped they got it in time to stop this woman from killing us both.

  “Push it over here,” she ordered.

  I didn’t have much choice. I slid the phone toward her, hoping that she didn’t pick it up to see who I’d just called. Instead of leaning down, though, she lashed out with her heel and smashed it.

  Had the call gone through, or had she killed it just as completely as she’d evidently killed Annabeth Kline?

  “Jake, I’m not going to tell you again. If you still have that gun in your hand by the time I count to three, I’m going to shoot your wife.”

  He hesitated, and I whispered, “Don’t do it, Jake. She’s going to kill us anyway.”