Murder on Wheels (18 page)

“She loved that stupid club. I kept telling her just to quit, that we had enough going on without spending time tramping around the woods.” He walked toward the door. “Call Ginny over at the bathroom place. She and Kacey were close.”

Ginny, the woman who worked for Jen. Well, maybe she still worked for Jen. The last time I'd visited, Ginny had been late, again. I'd heard the sigh in my friend's voice when she talked to her about her hours. Too committed to the geo club to make sure she got to work on time or sometimes at all. I made a mental note to visit Linens and Loots tomorrow. Austin was almost to the door, so I called out, “Anyone else you can think of?”

He turned and stared at me. “I may not know a lot of my wife's friends, but I do know she didn't like that man who kept trying to get her to step down as president.” He smiled a little sadly. “She said he would be president of the club over her dead body. I guess she got her wish.”

I watched Austin leave the shop and shuffle down the street. I knew he was only in his fifties, but right now, he looked older than Aunt Jackie, Harrold, or even Josh. I took out my notebook and put a note in to talk to Taylor on Sunday. With Greg and Justin around, maybe he wouldn't seem as creepy and they could help me decipher his cryptic answers. Of course, I'd have to be a little cryptic myself or I'd show my hand to Greg and get a lecture about staying out of his investigations. I also put visiting Linens and Loots on my to-do list for tomorrow.

That done, I put the notebook away and glanced at the clock. Seven thirty. Technically, I had an hour and a half before I could close the doors, but I might just fudge the closing hours since my traffic had been little to none all night. I went over to the sideboard in the dining room where Toby had set up a water station. I'd have to mention that it wasn't our policy to have a water station again. Sometimes being a boss was like being a kindergarten teacher. You had to keep saying the same things, over and over, until the kids got it and stopped running in the halls. Or setting up water stations for the customers.

I took the half-full pitcher, and after filling a glass for myself, poured it out into the sink, setting the empty container way back in the cabinet where maybe Toby wouldn't see it tomorrow. My mind turned to my aunt and her night out.

She and Harrold were going to a play that Aunt Jackie had wanted to see for months. The production was getting ready to close up shop here and move on to Salt Lake, I believed. I'd done some research a few weeks ago, planning on giving her tickets for her birthday, but Harrold had beat me to the punch.

He was good for her. She was getting out more, having more fun with him than she had since she moved to South Cove. Or at least she talked about it more. I knew she and Josh had done some antiquing trips, but he was more interested in his own hobbies and activities than what my aunt wanted to do.

I sipped my water and when I turned around a face was peeking around the side of the building, trying to see into the shop. The street lamps were on, but the corner of the building was too dark to see clearly. When I looked that way, the shadowed figure jerked back. With shaking hands, I set down my glass and picked up my cell.

“Hey, Toby.” I was glad he answered. I would have felt embarrassed calling this in to the 911 number. “Are you patrolling?”

“I'm sitting out here by your house waiting for speeders, actually. What's up?” He turned the music down in the car.

“Can you drive by the shop? There's someone lurking around the west side of the building, and they're looking into the shop trying to see who's here.” I kept my eyes on the window, wondering if the man was still there.

“Go lock the front door. Don't hesitate, just walk over like you're cleaning off a table, then throw the dead bolt. I'll come down the alley without lights and see if I can catch him.” Toby paused. “Are you walking?”

I groaned inside. “Yes, I've got the phone in one hand and a wash towel in the other.” I paused at the door and turned the locks, not looking over at the side of the building as I did it.

“Fine. I'll be right there.” I heard a
click
, then my phone rang back.

“This is Jill.” I kept my back turned to the window so no one could see how white my face must be. I'd caught a bit of my reflections in the window and I looked scared to death.

“You do have the back door locked, right?” Toby asked. He knew it was a rule that when only one person was working, the back door stayed locked. A rule I'd made and one I forgot to implement on most days I worked.

I headed to the back office. “I'm checking. I think I do.”

“Stay on the line with me. I'm coming up on the alley entrance now. I'll be there in two minutes tops.” Toby sounded concerned.

I got to the back and jiggled the door, locked. Then I went to the door that led to the inside hallway between my aunt's apartment and the shop and locked it, too. “There, I'm locked in. Now what?”

“Wait for me to knock on your door. Stay in the back, there's more cover there.”

What Toby hadn't said was if the guy had a gun, he couldn't see me to shoot me if I was hiding in the back. I could read subtext, even when I was shaking like a leaf. “No problem here.”

I heard the tires crunch on the gravel, then heard, “Seriously?” The line went dead. I peeked out the back window, but all I could see was Toby's squad car with the driver's door still open. The car was still running. I opened the swinging door to the shop and tried to see Toby through the front, but apparently he was still on the side where I couldn't put eyes on him. Well, I could, but I'd have to unlock the stairwell and run up to the second floor landing where the windows looked out over the parking lot and Josh's building.

I figured Toby would consider that not staying put, so I kept pacing between the two doors, wondering which one he'd knock on when it was safe. I was peeking out the back door into the gathering darkness when I heard the knock on the front of the shop.

“Jill, come open up. It's safe,” Toby called out and I skittered toward the front. When I saw who was standing next to Toby, I stopped in my tracks.

Shaking my head, I walked the rest of the way and unlocked the door. Josh came inside first with Toby following. “What in the world is going on?”

Josh didn't look at me until Toby nudged him. “Tell her.”

He glared at Toby, then looked at me. “I'm sorry I scared you. I was just trying to see if Jackie was working tonight.”

“I thought she told you she wasn't going to be here.” I met eyes with Toby, who had a wide smile on his face. “
Not funny
,” I mouthed to him.

He held up a hand with his thumb and forefinger separated a bit, signaling he thought it was a little funny.

Josh didn't see our exchange as his gaze was still on where his feet might be if he could see over his gut. “I know what she said, but I thought maybe she was just trying to make me jealous.”

And right then, for just a second, my heart ached for Josh. He adored my aunt, and now that Harrold was in the picture, even he knew his days were numbered. Then he opened his mouth again. “Or maybe you were trying to break us up and sent Jackie off on some wild goose chase to make me think she wanted to end it.”

Delusional. That was all I had to say. Of course, I didn't say it aloud. “Well, the next time you want to see if Jackie's working, just come in the shop.”

This time he did lift his head. “I am sorry I scared you. It was never my intention to be seen.”

“Now that I believe.” I glanced at the clock. “It's time for me to close up for the night—for real this time.”

Josh turned to the front door. “Have a good evening.” And then he disappeared into the night.

Well, really he walked to his building and climbed the stairs to his apartment. I was reading way too many mysteries. My brain saw danger even when it was just Josh and his stalker persona.

“You okay?” Toby looked around the shop. “Need me to help with anything?”

I waved him toward the door. “Just leave so I can lock up. And no, before you ask, I don't want a ride home.”

Toby chuckled. “But I cleaned out the backseat just in case you needed an escort.”

“For the first time since when?”

He started walking toward the door and I followed so I could lock it again. “Last month, but I've only had three DUIs since then, and most of those haven't been pukers.”

“Charming.” I motioned him outside, but he paused before I could close the door.

“Do me a favor and text me when you get to the house. That way I won't worry.” Toby looked at his cell. “And I'm off to the winery to break up a fight. The fun never ends around here.”

“Be safe, and yes, I'll text.” I closed and locked the door behind him and turned off the main shop lights. As I moved to the back, I thought about my aunt and hoped her date was worth all the trouble it was causing around here.

The thought might have been totally unfair, but the way I felt tonight, I didn't even try to take it back.

I
woke to a rapping downstairs and Emma barking at the side of my bed. I leaned over and looked at the alarm clock next to my bed. Six thirty. I was going to kill someone. I dragged myself out of bed, threw a robe over my pajamas, and headed downstairs, Emma in front of me. Instead of heading to the front door, she swerved into the kitchen. Either she wanted to go out, or Toby was our morning visitor.

It turned out to be both. Emma quickly greeted him, sniffing at the Diamond Lille's bag in his hand, and then raced to the yard to check for any stray bunnies or groundhogs in her yard. Once, she'd brought a dead snake up to the porch. I'd about had a heart attack before I realized it was already deceased.

Toby pushed past me and headed to the coffeepot. He took two cups out of the cabinet and poured the coffee I'd set to brew last night before going to bed. Handing me a cup, he raised his eyebrows. “You miss out on sleep last night? Don't tell me that Josh's little stunt had you worried.”

I ran my hand over my hair. “I slept fine, thank you.” Of course, I'd read long past my bedtime thinking I'd sleep in this morning as Jackie was handling my opening shift. I took a sip of my coffee and motioned to the table. “Sit and I'll be back in a few minutes after I get dressed.”

“Works for me. You look a little too comfortable in those shortie pj's. I'd hate to have Greg walk in on our breakfast strategy meeting.” He grinned and held up the bag. “I brought muffins from Lille's.”

“Another reason to run this morning,” I grumbled, but my stomach gave me away with a large growl in response to the sweet smell. “There better be a blueberry crumble in there when I get back.”

I climbed back up the stairs and dressed. The shower could wait until after I took Emma for our run. I smoothed hair that looked like I'd put my finger in a light socket sometime during the night and twisted it into a ponytail. After brushing my teeth, I called it good and headed back downstairs for my muffin. Before I sat down, I took my notebook out of my tote along with a pen.

“Eat before we start. You'll be in a better mood.” He nodded to the plate with the blueberry crumble muffin set in the middle. He stood to refill my coffee cup.

“Thanks.” I unwrapped the muffin and took a big bite, savoring the sweet, moist cakelike texture. I opened my notebook. “I talked to Austin last night.”

Toby sat across from me. “He find your note?”

Shaking my head, I sipped the dark coffee. “I don't think so. He was there to talk to Aunt Jackie about Coffee, Books, and More purchasing the food truck from him. I guess the gluten-free dessert business is done.”

“I got the feeling that was more Kacey's dream than Austin's.” Toby took another muffin out of the bag and broke it in half, spreading butter on both sides. “But doesn't it seem a little quick to be selling off the parts?”

“Maybe seeing it parked in front of his rental shop brings back bad memories. I didn't ask.” I stood and let Emma into the kitchen. “I was too annoyed about him thinking he needed to talk to Jackie instead of me. Sometimes I think everyone believes it's her shop.”

His eyebrows raised. “It's not? She hired me, not you. She runs most of the staff meetings, and she's always making changes in what we're doing.”

“That reminds me, I saw you set up the water station yesterday.” I waited to hear his response before bringing down the hammer. I could be the bad cop in the business relationship, not just Aunt Jackie.

Toby shrugged. “I had a lot of kids in yesterday doing homework before the weekend started. They kept asking for water, so I set up a station. I was too busy to wait on them all the time.”

“I get it, I do. But until this drought is over, we've committed to doing our part to conserve, and I dumped a half of a pitcher down the drain last night.” I smiled. “I'll let Aunt Jackie give you the next warning.”

“I'm so scared.” Toby polished off the last of his muffin. “Enough of the small talk. I want to know what you found out from Austin, or was it just about the food truck?”

I told him about asking about Kacey's friends and getting Ginny's name. “I'm heading in to Bakerstown to Linens and Loots to try to talk to the woman. At least, I should be able to get her address or phone number out of Jen.”

“Sounds like a good lead.” Toby sipped his coffee as he considered my information. “Greg told me they went to the nursing home and interviewed MJ.”

“How did that go?”

“Apparently not well. The woman has early onset Alzheimer's, so most of what she talked about was how her Quaker family had disowned her due to her radical views against the war. She really railed about their hypocrisy. She told Greg that change doesn't come from speaking out against an immoral war, change comes from destruction and blood.” Toby let that statement hang in the air.

“So the story Austin told Sadie was probably true. Mary Jane was the driving force behind the bombings on campus and he was just trying to keep her safe.” I scribbled some notes on a new page in my notebook.

“She told Greg that she duped some guy who was in love with her into driving the getaway car. She seemed pretty proud of the way she used him.” He shook his head. “I even felt for the guy. Here he's gone into hiding for the woman, dedicating his future to her, and she's just not that into him.”

“No wonder women like Kacey and Sadie were attractive to him. They're both kind and attentive.” I focused on Toby. “Do you think he killed Kacey?”

“Austin?” He shook his head. “The guy's a lover, not a killer. I don't even think he knew about the bombings until after they happened.”

“That's what I think, too.” I darkened the line through Austin's name. “But now, the only other suspect we have is Sadie. And I know she couldn't kill anyone.”

“No, Sadie's just the only one we know about right now. Nothing's ever done until someone is in jail.” He pointed to my notebook. “Anyway, you have a great lead. Women tell their best friends everything. Maybe someone was bothering Kacey.”

“Austin said something about Taylor being upset when she kept getting elected to run that geo club.” I stared at Toby. “You don't think he was really that upset, do you?”

Toby stood, refilled his coffee cup, and put the last muffin on the table in front of me. He threw away the bag and the muffin wrappers. “I've heard of people killed for stupid reasons. This could be the reason.”

“Seems petty.” I didn't like Taylor, but I didn't think anyone would kill to get control over a group of hobbyists. That was like killing the winner of the blue ribbon in quilting so your creation would stop taking second place every year.

“See what Ginny has to say. Maybe she's got some insight we haven't thought of.” Toby opened the back door. “And Greg hasn't gotten any information about Kacey's friends, so we're ahead of the investigation with this lead.”

Somehow that didn't make me feel any better.

After Toby left, I made my shopping list. The cupboard was bare, and Greg had already made our plans for Sunday. Besides, I needed a good excuse to go to Bakerstown besides talking to Ginny. After the list was complete, I started a load of laundry, changed into my running clothes and took a long run, trying not to think about anything but the way the salt air tasted in my mouth and the sound of the seagulls as they flew over the waves.

Driving in to town later that morning, I planned my day. First I'd hit the Pet Palace for chew toys for Emma, then Linens and Loots to talk to Ginny. Jen had complained about needing all her employees to work on the weekends, and since I knew the club had an event tomorrow, I was betting Ginny would be on-site today. Finally, I'd hit the grocery store and top the trip off with a quick stop at a locally owned drive-in that served the best fish tacos in the area. The place was a dive, but clean, and the food, amazing.

First stop done, and I found myself in the parking lot for Linens and Loots. I decided to splurge on the grill pans Greg and I'd been talking about so we could cook fresh veggies over the grill easier. And a grill brush cleaner tool.

My cover purchase decided, I locked the Jeep and strolled into the store. Jen hadn't been kidding, the place was packed. Women pushed undersized plastic carts through the narrow aisles, filled with bedsheets, towels, and kitchen equipment. I saw Jen at one of the registers and waved. I didn't see Ginny on a register, so I wandered back through the store. I found her folding towels in the bath section. I ran my hand along one of the towels and pretended to consider it, but then was shocked at how plush and soft it felt.

Ginny must have seen the reaction on my face because she laughed. “They are the best we carry. If I could afford to, I'd replace every towel I owned with these. I buy one a month. That's all I can do on my salary.”

I looked at the price tag. She wasn't kidding. But then I felt the fabric again and sighed. “I might just have to eat peanut butter sandwiches for a month to afford these.”

She continued to fold and stack the new shipment. When she saw me still standing by the towels, she paused. “Can I help you with something?”

“You're part of that geocache club, right?” I kept my hand on the top of one stack of towels, pretending to consider a purchase.

“How did you know?” Now I had her attention and she stopped folding.

“My boyfriend and I went to an event last month. I thought I saw you over by the food booth.” I shook my head. “I heard about that poor girl who died on the beach. It was so nice of the club to give her a memorial.”

Ginny snorted. “Well, the members owed her at least that. Kacey was the heart and soul of the Coastal Geocache Club. She built that group from just a few people who liked to get together on weekends to geocache.” She smiled at a memory. “That's how we met. I was her best friend, especially during her breakup with her jerk of a husband. She and I went everywhere together.”

“I'm sure you're going to miss her. So sad for a young woman to just die like that.” I knew I was pushing buttons, but that's what I was there for, right?

Her hands tightened on a towel, squeezing the softness out of the plush. “She didn't just die. She was murdered. And I know who did it.”

The overhead speaker buzzed, then Jen's voice came over. “Will all available associates come to the front to open more registers? Customer service alert.”

Ginny shook her head. “I've got to go up front. You should get the towels, you won't be disappointed.”

I watched her disappear, disappointed I hadn't heard her theory on who had killed Kacey. Of course, she could be in the “hang Austin” camp since she didn't seem to care for him at all. I decided I'd have another chance with her on Sunday. No way would she miss the monthly club activity. I picked up two of the bath towels in a powder blue that would match my current bathroom décor and decided against the grill accessories. I'd come back later.

By the time I got to the checkout line, I was three people back. Ginny's line was packed with people who had several carts filled to the brim and seemed to be redeeming gift cards. I looked at my watch and decided to stay in the line I was in. Jen paused by the cashier's station as I was checking out. She bagged my towels.

“I see you found the good stuff.” She squeezed each towel as she put it into the bag. “I adore this brand. If I had my way, it would be the only towel I sold.”

“Your associate, Ginny, told me how wonderful they were, so I decided to take a chance.” I handed the cashier a credit card.

Jen looked toward Ginny's line. “That's interesting. I didn't think she recommended anything we sold.” She flushed and glanced at the cashier, who was soaking in all the gossip. “Anyway, I'm serious about coming in to South Cove for a coffee date. Text me next week and we'll set up formal plans.” Jen nodded to Ginny and me, then walked toward a cashier who had been waving her over.

The cashier handed me my slip and credit card. “Here you go, thanks for visiting.” Then she leaned forward. “I didn't realize the boss had any friends. Glad to know she's human.”

I nodded and tried to act very friendly so maybe my own persona would make Jen seem more in tune with her employees. As I walked out of the store, I thought about the pressure to perform that corporate bosses put on managers like Jen. And for not the first time, I blessed my luck in owning my own business and being my own boss. Well, after Aunt Jackie.

As I headed to the grocery store, I rolled down the window to let the warm air into the car. It was a beautiful day. As I walked into the store, my phone rang. I answered without looking at the display. “Hello?”

“Hey, yourself. Are you home?” Greg's voice always contained a bit of honey, especially over the phone.

“Nope, I'm walking into the grocery store. What's up?” I took a cart and headed toward the produce section.

“Good, pick up something for dinner. The case has stalled and I'm declaring a night off.” Greg chuckled. “Unless you're going to grill me for information.”

“No grilling here except for meat on the porch. You want steak and corn on the cob?” I spied some out-of-season corn that some local farmer probably had delivered this week.

“Sounds like heaven. I'll stop at the shop and pick up one of Sadie's cheesecakes. You have much stock this week?”

I glanced at my watch. “Tell Toby to pull one out of the freezer. It will be thawed by the time we're ready. And we can invite Amy and Justin over for coffee tomorrow. Maybe it will sweeten things a bit between us.”