1 Chocolate Worth Dying For (12 page)

It was two now. She could drop into Carly's boutique quickly and see if she could shed any light on what Sharon had said. She was sure it was innocent. But she needed to do everything she could to find out what happened. Crossing Carly off the list would allow her to get one step closer faster. And really wasn't that what they all wanted?

Minutes later she pulled into a small space in front of Carly's. As she entered she noted Carly was talking to a couple of women who were shopping for a dress so she browsed through the shop as she waited. And, as she had so many times, she couldn't help noticing her sense of style and fun. The displays were put together with such an eye to detail and artist's sense it always made her want to buy the whole outfit from top to bottom. But the prices were way out of her range.

She herself, had put off buying new clothes, until she got the shop going. She fingered the soft silken material the sundress she was looking at was made of.

"It would be perfect for you," Carly said warmly and Maxine looked up, surprised.

"It's a bit out of my budget," I'm afraid, she said, sighing wistfully.

Carly looked her over carefully. "It wouldn't hurt to try it on. I can put it away for you if you'd like. And while you're trying that on I've got a few items on my sale rack that would look gorgeous on you."

She had Maxine in a dressing room before she knew what hit her. No wonder her shop was a success. She paused looking at the dress. It truly was beautiful. And when in Rome… She shucked her top and yoga pants quickly letting the soft, silken fabric fall over her in a swirl of green and gold.

It wasn't as if she had to buy it. And it gave her the perfect excuse to talk to Carly. She had a cream pair of shoes that would go perfectly.

"Let me see," Carly said, as she came back carrying a handful of dresses and tops. Maxine stepped out of the dressing room and Carly stepped back with a small gasp. "It's perfect for you. Really. Come on. There's a mirror right down here."

Maxine followed her in stocking feet. She twirled around in the mirror, seeing the dress from the side mirrors as well. "It really is perfect," she said wistfully.

"I'll give you a discount," Carly, said impulsively. "What are friends for?"

Maxine smiled a sad smile, remembering what had brought her in. "True. You know I was over at Heath's place and I ran into a neighbor. She swears she saw you there."

"Heath's place," Carly said in surprise, but a guarded look seemed to come into her eyes. "Maybe I was visiting a friend in the building. Where does he live?"

She told her, watching her eyes carefully as she said. "The Branston Building."

Carly's movements were careful, controlled, her smile glued on, more plastic than real. "I must have been delivering a dress there."

Maxine gave her a small smile in return. "I knew there was a good reason. Although this neighbor did say you came out of Heath's apartment."

Carly shook her head. "I barely knew Heath. Certainly not to visit and hang out."

"She must've been mistaken," Maxine said. But she was almost sure Carly was lying. She was going to have to check with Heath. "It just feels wrong to buy a party dress with everything that's happened," she said. "Another time."

"Another time," Carly said brightly as Maxine left.

Wendy had hit the nail on the head when she called Carly terminally nice. And Rae-Ann was her friend. What possible motive could she have for doing something so cold-blooded and callous? She shook her head. Obviously Sharon had been mistaken. So who had she seen going into Heath's apartment? And why was Carly lying?

She gave a groan of frustration. Why was it every time she thought she had the answer something else came up and she seemed farther away than ever, from solving this case?

Her grandma was in the garden deadheading roses as she pulled into the driveway. She stood up as Maxine got out shading her eyes with her hand which seemed unnecessary since she was wearing a sun hat and sunglasses. Maxine wasn't going to tell her that though. "So. Have you figured out who the killer is?"

"Grandma!" She looked around and saw Mrs. Bradford from across the street looking at her. She waved at her. "You don't have to tell the whole neighbourhood."

"They pretty much all know," she said nonchalantly.

"Why?" Maxine asked with a rising sense of frustration. "This isn't exactly something you want spread around."

"It's not really a secret anyway," Grandma Ellie said serenely. "This way if I'm not around and some no goodnick tries to break in when you're there alone someone will see something and call the police."

Maxine rolled her eyes. "Guess I better warn the paperboy," she said.

"Laugh if you want but you'll thank me for it someday. Anyway what did you find?"

"I'm not sharing it with the whole neighbourhood."

"I don't give them details," Ellie said. "I just make sure they know we're working on a case and they should keep an eye on the place when you're here on your own."

"As opposed to when you're here to perform kung fu," Maxine said good naturedly.

"You mock me now but I know some tricks. I could teach you a few," her grandma said hopefully, her eyes lighting up at the thought.

"Better yet I need a way to see in people's minds."

"I'm putting a pot of tea on," Ellie said, shucking her gardening gloves. "I'll have it ready in ten minutes. And then I want details."

Other people her age were married. They had husbands and children at home waiting for them. She was chasing criminals and hanging out with her granny. Someday she had to get a normal life.

"So I'm back at square one," she declared dramatically dropping the photographs on the card table.

"Maybe it's Carly," Grandma Ellie observed pouring a cup of tea and stirring in some milk and honey.

Maxine just snorted. "I don't think so. Wendy's right. She's got a case of terminal niceness."

"Perfect cover."

"Mm. Well I'm going over to see Heath. Carly's about as likely to kill someone as I am to take up … knitting" she finished triumphantly. "But she's hiding something. Talking to Heath and making sure she wasn't over there on something totally unrelated ties up one loose end."

Heath wasn't able to shed any light on it. "What would I be doing hanging out with the owner of a dress shop?" he'd said, as puzzled as she was.

"I didn't know you had anything to do with Rae-Ann," she pointed out. "I figured I'd check with you anyway." She sighed in frustration. "If it was almost anyone else I'd think we'd found our killer. But what would Carly gain?"

"What would I gain?" Heath said sourly. "Next time you're going to do something like that let me know. I don't want you putting yourself at risk."

She hugged him. "I appreciate that, I really do. But I thought maybe they'd be more likely to talk to me than a normal policeman and, she shrugged her shoulders. "I had some free time."

"The police give you any idea of how much longer they were going to keep the shop closed?"

"I forgot to ask Patrick when I talked to him," she said airily as if it were no big deal. "And I don't want you worrying about it. It gives me more time to figure out who's behind these," she shuddered slightly, "murders. And I want to know just as badly as you do."

"Right now I'm coming up empty," he said gloomily. "I thought I'd go over and see if there wasn't something I could do for Bernice. Take my mind off my own problems for at least a little while."

"That's a great idea," Maxine said enthusiastically. "I'll come with you."

He just looked at her. "Why do I get the feeling you're not going so you can do some gardening for her?"

"Well, maybe not. I've got some pictures I'd like her to look at. And if I grab some groceries I can make up a nice meal for her. Besides I promised the social worker I'd keep an eye on her."

Bernice, however had found better things to do. She was nowhere in sight. Asking the neighbors was clearly not an option since she had none.

"We shoulda called first," Heath said.

"I tried, remember?" She had tried once on her cell phone. Usually if she hadn't been able to get in touch with someone she'd have tried texting them. Bernice came from a pre-cell phone era. But she was also limited to an area she could reach by scooter. "We could drive around for a few minutes," she said slowly.

Heath rolled his eyes at her. "Now we're stalking little old ladies."

"Now we're showing concern for a fellow human being. One we both care about," she said sweetly.

"Why don't you drive around for a few minutes. I'll start weeding her flower garden. By the time you've checked out the neighborhood I'll be done."

"Genius," she said to him as he unfolded himself from her smart car. "Don't you need gardening tools?"

"I can check the shed if I need anymore. But," he pulled a plastic bag out of his pockets. "For now this should be enough."

She looked at him in confusion. "You're planning on suffocating them?"

He gave an evil laugh. "You're on to me. But seriously it gives me somewhere to put the weeds."

"Oh. I should've known that."

He shrugged. "Somehow I don't see you as a gardener."

She left him weeding the flowers they'd planted so eagerly the week before and drove slowly up and down the streets. She shivered slightly. It didn't feel right having Bernice living out here all alone. But it was what she wanted.

She stopped at the corner store two streets up. "Have you seen an older lady with a scooter?" she asked the middle-aged lady behind the counter.

The woman looked at her with tired, dis-interested eyes. "Which one? It's bingo at the Legion – I've seen at least half a dozen go by."

Maxine just looked at her. "You can't have that many scooters going by on a regular basis."

"And what's it to you?" The lady took a drag on the cigarette she was smoking and Maxine tried not to cough. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been in a store or anywhere else, really, in Victoria where someone had been smoking. This didn't seem a good time to bring that up.

"I'm just looking for a friend of mine and she's not at home so I was hoping if I drove around a bit I could find her."

"Like I said. Bingo. I'd put money on it."

She ended up doing a drive by of the bingo parlour. Like the lady said there was a good chance Bernice was here. One of the scooters looked just like hers but since there were two other ones there which looked close she couldn't be sure. Evidently Bernice had picked a popular model.

She went back to Bernice's' to find Heath had finished most of the weeding and looked as if he could use a glass of lemonade or something cool.

"No luck?" he said looking worried.

"I think she's at Bingo. That's what the lady at the store thought and I saw a few scooters that could have been hers there."

He grinned. "So she does have some friends."

"People to play bingo with anyway."

"Somehow I can see Bernice there at the Bingo tables. Probably wears a funny hat and has half a dozen of those big bingo markers."

Maxine laughed at the image that came to mind. "It does sound like her doesn't it?"

"We can check back in another day or two but if Bernice is out playing Bingo I'd say she's feeling OK."

"West Shore Development still seems to be closed down though."

"What did Tracey say about that?" Heath asked curiously as he took off his gardener's gloves and looked in the back to see if there was a compost heap to add the weeds too.

"She doesn't seem too worried. She says it's normal for developments to have growing pains."

She shrugged. "Especially when they've lost a major partner. She doesn't want them rushing into anything that's going to cause problems down the road." Heath just gave her a look and she found herself rushing to Tracey's defence.

"She seemed genuine. I believe her." Which, for some reason, felt disloyal. "OK," she admitted. "I might be wrong. When this first started I was sure she was the guilty party…but the more I talk to her, the more I see of her. I don't think it's her."

Heath kicked a piece of dirt with his running shoe. "So if every time we find a suspect you rule that out where does that leave us?"

"I know that's how it seems," she said but I've still got leads to look into. I'm going to ask around and see if I hear anything more about Tracey having an affair. Maybe I'll learn something that will change my mind. Kathleen's mom wanted me to come over and go over her stuff. I could find something there."

"Maybe that shed has a compost bin in it," Heath said going over to a small garden shed in the back corner of the yard. He tried to open it only to find the door shut firmly although there was no lock in sight. A muffled noise came from the inside, the sound of someone moving around.

"Is someone in there?" Heath called out.

The sound of someone moving intensified, the muffled noise louder even if he still couldn't understand it. "I'm coming in," he yelled, gesturing for Maxine to stand back.

When the door wouldn't give way to his attempts to yank it open he threw all his weight into it, throwing himself against the door repeatedly until it gave way and he crashed through shoulder first. He staggered slightly regaining his balance and rubbing his injured shoulders as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. He heard more than saw a noise on the floor in front of him.

His eyes were drawn down to Bernice on the floor before him, duct tape covering her mouth with her hands and feet tied behind her. He cursed as he dropped down on the floor beside her taking her into his arms.

"It's going to be all right. Just give me a minute and I'll get you free." He held her frail, bony body is his arms, furious at whoever had done this as Maxine who'd followed him, dropped down beside him, horrified.

She worked quickly to untie the piece of fabric that had been used to tie Bernice's arms together, then moved down to untie her legs. Tears mixed with anger at whoever had done this to Bernice. What if they hadn't come along when they did? Would anyone else have come along before it was too late?

"We'll have you free in just a minute," Maxine said. She looked at the duct tape. "But it might hurt a little."

"A little," Heath said in disbelief.

She looked at him. "Have you got a way to remove it painlessly?"

Bernice started tearing at it herself seemingly oblivious to the pain. Heath grabbed her arms.

"Stop! You're hurting yourself. My brother once duct-taped me…to a pole in the back-yard. Don't ask. But my mother found something that worked to help remove it."

"Really? What?" Maxine asked excitedly.

He just glowered at her. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

She just looked at him. "Your secret is safe with me. Spill."

"A hairdryer and Skin So Soft massaged in around the edges."

"You're kidding."

"Do I look as if I'm kidding?"

"No," she said looking at him. "You look dead serious. OK, nod if you have any Skin So Soft Bernice." She shook her head vehemently. "It has to be Skin So Soft?"

"I'm not sure he admitted. I know that's what Mom used for a reason but I don't know if something else would work too."

"Maybe we should just call an ambulance."

Bernice angrily shook her head, pointing towards the house.

"Or maybe not. Your doors locked though. Do you have a spare key?" She looked at Bernice nodding her head. Under the door mat?" Bernice shook her head. Where else would she put it? Close so it wouldn't be too hard for her to get to if she needed it. She closed her eyes picturing Bernice's porch. "The planter," she said hesitantly and watched Bernice shake her head. She thought again. "The frog," she said triumphantly remembering a small decorative frog perched on a ledge close to the door and Bernice nodded her head, her eyes lighting up. She gave her a big hug. "We'll have you free in no time."

She kneeled before Bernice. "Do you think you can make it to the house if we help?" Bernice nodded. Maxine gestured towards Heath to help her up. But even as they tried to get Bernice up it was clear the ordeal had taken a toll on her.

Heath grabbed Bernice as she wobbled, picking her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing. "It's OK, I've got you."

Maxine took a closer look at the frog on the porch noticing for the first time the frogs' mouth and opened it up finding the keys within triumphantly. She opened the door quickly and Heath strode in going straight through the kitchen and into the bedroom where he set Bernice gently down on the bed.

Maxine found a hair dryer in the bathroom and searched the cupboards finding some baby oil. Would that work, she wondered. And did they have a choice? She gathered up some towels as well. If there was going to be baby oil all over the place she didn't want Bernice's blankets and pillows messed up.

"Are you sure this will work?" she said anxiously as she joined them in the bedroom. "Maybe we should just call an ambulance."

Bernice reached for the hair dryer.

"Or we could see if this worked first," she said brightly. "There's a plug right there on the wall," she said plugging the hair dryer in as Bernice held it. "So do we just put baby oil all over," she said looking up at Heath as she opened up the bottle.

"It's been awhile," he said. "But I think she put it on a cloth." He looked at the pack of cotton balls Maxine had brought in. "Those would probably work too."

She soaked one with baby oil and applied it liberally over the duct tape and mouth area until Bernice started to shake her head. "Think that's enough?" she asked anxiously looking at Heath.

He shrugged. "We can always try more if that doesn't work." He looked at Bernice. "Should we turn it on high." She held the hair dryer tighter, shielding it from both of them and looking at Heath angrily.

"OK, maybe we should start with low?" Bernice relaxed visibly and Maxine fought an urge to laugh. Bernice was a tough old broad. It looked as if she'd be sticking around awhile longer.

Heath turned the dryer on low and tried it on one side. While he held the hair dryer warming up the duct tape she massaged the edges with baby oil. Slowly, carefully, she started to get under the edges and pull up the duct tape. It was a slow process but it seemed to be working.

She looked at Bernice carefully. "Are you OK? We can stop for a few minutes if you want?" Bernice shook her head angrily. "OK. But just let me know if you need a break."

Bernice shook her head. Even without being able to hear her voice Maxine was pretty sure she was telling them to hurry up and get the dammed duct tape off! It took another thirty minutes before she managed to get the rest of the duct tape off.

"That's it," she said pulling the last part off slowly. "You're free." She sat back watching as Bernice's eyes lit up and she spoke.

"I thought I was going to die in there."

"Do you know who did this?" Heath said with a growl.

"It was that lady who was investing for me." Bernice said triumphantly. "Let me call the police." But eager as she was her voice was cracked and the words were an effort for her.

"You stay where you are," Maxine said, worried. "I'll call Patrick while I make you some tea." She pulled out her cell phone and found Patrick's number. She could see Heath putting pillows around Bernice and doing everything he could to make her comfortable.

"Patrick!" She couldn't stop the rush of relief when he answered. "I'm over at Bernice's. Someone tied her up in the shed and left her, left her." Suddenly she felt herself over-whelmed by emotion, by the realization of how close Bernice had come to being left locked up until… "to die, I think. Oh Patrick."

"Maxine! Where are you? Have you called 911?" His voice was rough with emotion but as she looked up she let out a small gasp dropping the phone.