Shelley Freydont - Celebration Bay 03 - Independence Slay (17 page)

He continued on, and Liv noticed Janine beginning to fidget. She glanced down at the agenda. Traffic was next, and then Liv would give the security report from A.K. and his team. A.K. Pierce was there, though he didn’t need to be; Liv could have given his statistics. But she was glad to see him. And that made her wonder why Chaz
wasn’t
there. He should have been there to report on the proceedings.

Haynes sat down to applause and a few shouts of “Hear, hear!”

And Janine made her move. “I would just like to ask how we think this was so successful when a man was killed in front of our eyes and the eyes of nearly a thousand tourists.” She’d stood and delivered the question to the audience, then turned to Liv as if expecting an answer.

“Get ’em, tiger,” Ted said under his breath.

Liv gave her back look for look. “I’m sure anything you need to know will be forthcoming from the Sheriff’s Office.”
Party of the first part
rang in her head
.
She could have used Chaz’s nonsense tonight. She was dead tired, and it took everything not to lash out at Janine. That would be so unprofessional… but so satisfying.

“Well, if you ask me, it’s about time you took some responsibility for all the murders that are occurring around here.”

“Nobody asked you,” came from the back of the room.

Liv was pretty sure it was Dexter Kent of Kent Landscaping and Nursery, who also was a member of the Fireworks Committee.

“Well, someone needs to be held accountable. And since we never had this kind of problem before Liv came to town, I can only believe—”

“Janine, give it a rest. We know what you think.”

Janine shot an angry look toward the voice and then at the mayor, clearly expecting him to back her up.

He stood wearily. What on earth did Janine hold over his head?

“I think—” He cleared his throat. “I think there are questions that need some answers.”

“And I suggest we have Liv answer them,” Janine said. “It’s all her fault.”

The room erupted in opinions, yells, and catcalls.

Liv didn’t bother to quiet them. Once they’d run down, she would do her usual rational argument about the success of the security team and the lowering statistics of violence with each new event.

But help came from an unexpected quarter. A.K. Pierce rose from his seat.
Like a colossus
, Liv thought.

The room became quiet.

“Whew,” Ted whispered. “A marvel to behold.”

“I believe you all were given a copy of the security report at the beginning of the meeting. We pride ourselves at Bayside Security on our efficiency and success rate. And to be able to accomplish this with a very low-key presence.”

There was a smattering of applause.

“That’s all well and good, but—”

He smiled coldly at Janine. “And your county police always do an admirable job of crowd control.”

Liv saw Janine’s hand clench.
Don’t do it, Janine
,
she thought.

But Janine couldn’t help herself. “Ever since she’s come here—”

“Some people,” A.K. said, “should worry less about the event coordinator and more about being sued for slander. Now I believe Ms. Montgomery would like to continue with the agenda in an orderly fashion.”

Janine opened her mouth. Didn’t seem to find what she meant to say and sat down rather quickly for a woman in a tight dress.

“Thank you,” A.K. said in his commanding voice. “Ms. Montgomery?” He sat.

“Thank you, Mr. Pierce,” Liv said, feeling a little overwhelmed. “Since you all have the statistics before you, I’d like to move to our last committee report. Fred, would you report on traffic, please?”

Fred stood. “Thank you, Liv. We hired ten extra…”

“Hmm,” Ted said under his breath. “Looks like the tide has turned on Janine.”

“Unfortunately, I have a feeling it will only encourage her to be more vindictive.”

“Someday I’ll tell you how she got back at her ex-husband.” Ted sucked in air between his teeth, a sound that set off major foreboding in Liv’s mind.

Fred finished his report. Liv thanked everyone for coming and reminded them that their written reports and financial tallies would be due by the following Monday.

Talking broke out as everyone collected their things and headed for the door.

Liv kept her fingers crossed that they would all make it to the street before they started speculating.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Daniel Haynes approach the mayor, and the two men left the room together, Janine following close behind them. And Bill hobbled more slowly after her.

A.K. came to stand by Liv’s side until everyone had filed out of the meeting room. No one stopped to ask her questions. Though she didn’t need his protection, it was flattering and comforting to have a big strong man…
Gack.
What was she thinking?

She needed a big dose of a SoHo singles’ bar to banish those kinds of thoughts. Besides… She made a cursory glance of the room. Chaz hadn’t deigned to come. He often didn’t, but usually he did manage to rouse himself to report the successes of the festivals.

She stamped down on the niggle of disappointment she felt. She turned to A.K. “Thanks.”

He gave that quirk of eyebrow that on most people would be a shrug. “Shall I walk you out?”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Part of the job description?”

“No. Because I’d like to.”

Flustered, she nodded.

They started down the hall, Liv listening for sounds of conversation. She hesitated when they passed the mayor’s office, but A.K. steered her away and toward her own office.

She unlocked the door and pushed it open for her but didn’t come inside.

“Are you going to kibitz the meeting in the mayor’s office?”

He didn’t pretend not to understand. “I’ll offer my services.”

“And then you’ll come and tell me what happened?”

A quirk of lips and eyebrow. Was it a smile?

“No.”

Liv slumped in disappointment.

He touched her chin with one finger. “Buck up. I’m sure Ted will.”

And he was gone. She hadn’t noticed Ted slipping out behind Janine. A.K. had.

The man knew what he was doing. She’d hired the right security firm. She had no doubt. She just wasn’t sure she could keep from succumbing to the power of their boss.

As the door shut behind A.K., Whiskey came padding out from Liv’s office, stopped at her feet, and looked up at her. He was ready to go home. So was she. But no way was she going to leave without talking to Bill and finding out what was going on in the mayor’s office.

“Sorry buddy, just a little while longer.”

It was twenty minutes later when she heard the outer door open and close. Ted was reaching for the light switch when she reached his office.

“Oh no you don’t.”

He nearly dropped his jacket, but recovered quickly. “I thought it was odd that you didn’t lock up before you left.”

“As you can see, I didn’t.”

“Waiting to pump me for information?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Hang on for a second.” He opened the outer door. Stuck his head out. Called, “Hey, Bill, she’s in here.”

Liv winced and went back to her office to face the music.

Bill hobbled in a minute later, followed by A.K.

Oh goody
, thought Liv.
He’s brought a friend.

A.K. stopped just inside the door, crossed his arms, and leaned against the jamb.

Did he think she might try to escape?

Ted pulled up a chair, and Bill sat down. Ted perched on the edge of Liv’s desk. A.K. stayed put.

Bill reached into his pocket, and Liv decided to take the offense. “So what happened in the mayor’s office?”

Bill pulled out a voice recorder. Put it on the desk in front of her. Pressed the button.

“Every detail,” he said, shifted his weight, and waited.

She told him about the way Grossman had acted at the mansion. How she’d talked to Hildy, and how she’d seen Grossman in the backyard when she put her cup away.

Then she told him about sneaking back into the yard, though she was careful not to call it sneaking. About how she’d made her way close to the boathouse. where Grossman and Frank Gallantine met.

As she talked, Bill’s frown increased. Ted’s eyes began to sparkle with amusement. Even A.K.’s lips once quirked up into a brief smile, which had the effect of making Liv forget what she was talking about.

She told Bill about Leo’s fight and what he’d told her about looking for treasure.

When she finally wound down, nobody said a word, nobody moved.

She huffed out a sigh. “Well?”

No response.

“Doesn’t it seem suspicious that all these people are suddenly interested in Gallantine’s mansion? He disappears. Rundle takes his place. Rundle is murdered.”

Still nothing.

“Rundle is murdered. Why? Because someone thought he was Gallantine? And why at that particular time?”

Okay, they were beginning to get her angry.

“Then who gave the SOS? A.K. said Rundle probably bled out in a matter of seconds. So who? The killer?”

Bill sighed.

“Or if not the killer… Leo? It was Leo, wasn’t it? And don’t tell me it’s confidential,” Liv said.

“You’d better tell her,” Ted said. “You wouldn’t like her when she’s angry.”

“Not funny.”

Bill shook his head. “Leo did. Chaz taught him.”

“Chaz?” Wonders never ceased. Not only had the less-than-enthusiastic—and these days downright unapproachable—newspaper editor taken Leo fishing more than once, he’d taught him Morse code. What other secrets were hidden deep inside the enigmatic newspaperman?

“Leo says it was so, if he needed help, Chaz could find him.”

“Only Chaz wasn’t at the reenactment,” Liv said with an edge of disgust. She couldn’t help herself. Not that Chaz could have prevented Rundle’s death. He was dead by the time they’d reached the roof.

“He couldn’t have reacted faster than you and Ted did.”

“I know.” But he might have been with Leo and prevented the teenager from becoming a murder suspect. She stopped, horrified at the turn her thoughts had taken. It wasn’t Chaz’s fault. But in one of those “aha moments,” Liv began to understand why Chaz didn’t want to get involved.

She’d caught herself feeling the same way earlier. Tired and wanting some downtime, a vacation free of worry and responsibility. Maybe that was what Chaz was after when he returned to take over the paper.

“Liv? Did you think of something?”

“No. Sorry. Does any of this help?”

“Yes. Now go on home. Get some sleep.” Bill returned the recorder to his pocket and pushed himself to his feet. “Oh, and thanks for the heads-up about the nephew. We picked him up with a carload of stuff from Gallantine House.”

“Did you arrest him?”

“No. He said it was rightfully his. We had to let him go. But we confiscated the goods until Henry returns.”

“Well, that’s something.”

“Well, I’m for bed.” Ted pulled on his jacket.

Whiskey padded over and stood at the door.

“I guess we’ll be going to.”

“Want a ride?” Bill asked.

“Thanks, but Whiskey and I can both use the walk.”

The three men saw her out. She was too tired to even wonder what they talked about after she left.

She and Whiskey were both dragging by the time they walked up the driveway to home. Liv couldn’t wait to get into bed. She fell asleep almost immediately, oblivious that the ghost would make another appearance before dawn.

Liv slept late the next morning. Post-event exhaustion was setting in—in spades. She needed a few days off, just to go grocery shopping. Get by the Woofery. Her stores of nutritional doggie food were getting low. The only people food she had came in cans.

She needed to do laundry, clean her little house. For the moment, food and coffee would suffice.

Summer had started in earnest, and both the Apple of My Eye and the Buttercup would be crowded. Several people left the bakery as she entered, and there was a line ahead of her. That was okay. Liv wasn’t in a hurry this morning, but Whiskey pulled at the leash as they walked inside. Then Liv saw what had caught his attention. A small boy was standing with his parents, eating a donut.

“Don’t even think it,” Liv said.

Whiskey sat, calm but expectant. The kid saw him and slipped away from his parents to come closer. Whiskey was good with kids, something the rescue people had praised him for. They had been completely right. However, a kid with a donut might tempt his good manners.

“Elliot, you know you have to ask before you pet someone else’s dog.” The mother smiled at Liv.

Liv knelt down by Whiskey and took his collar. “It’s fine,” she said. “But he does like donuts.”

The boy pinched off a piece and held it out to Whiskey, who took it delicately from his fingers. Friends for life.

The father paid for their purchases.

Liv stepped up to the counter. “Morning, Dolly.”

“Morning. Whew, what a weekend. Have you, uh, heard anything more about”—she glanced over to the family, who had sat at one of the small tables and were obviously tourists—“the other thing?”

Liv had, but she didn’t think this was the time or the place. Before she could answer, the door opened, setting off the little bell that announced a customer, and three men walked in. Local workers who were probably on break from dismantling the parade stand.

They already had their coffee and were laughing at something one of them had said.

“Hey, Ms. Montgomery, heard you found the body the other night.”

Liv recognized Cliff Chalmers, one of the town rowdies, who Liv had run into before. Actually it was the other way around. She’d witnessed a fight, and when she came up to stop it, he tripped over her foot and happened to fall on her fist. Which meant the other two must be the Weaver brothers. Cliff was the ringleader, but the other two were always up for a fight.

Liv decided to ignore them. “Those muffins look good.”

Dolly glanced to where the two parents had stopped eating and were paying close attention. Then looked at Liv.

“Why don’t you guys go ahead,” Liv said, and stepped aside. “I know you don’t have long for your break.” She gave them her evil eye. Executives had quailed beneath that look. It seemed to have no effect on the laborers, except to make them crowd toward the counter.

Once there, they took their time about deciding. Liv saw the father edging forward. “Was there a problem at the fireworks? We came here because Celebration Bay advertises itself as a safe, family-friendly holiday town.”

“And it is,” said Dolly at her most jovial, grandmotherly self. “One of the patriot portrayers had an accident, that’s all.”

“If you call falling on your own bayonet an accident.” Cliff laughed at his own humor. Liv really didn’t like people who did that.

“Weren’t no accident,” one of the Weavers said.

Dolly shot a desperate look at Liv.

“Guys, can we move it? I have to get to work, and Dolly has other customers.”

Of course they didn’t take the hint. She hadn’t really expected them to. She knew these guys, hotheads and troublemakers, especially when they were together. At least it was too early for beer; that’s when they got really mean.

Nothing less than hitting them over the head and dragging them to the curb would stop them. And she was so tempted.

“Don’t mess with Ms. Montgomery,” the other Weaver said. “She licked you last time around.”

The father picked up the little boy and steered his wife out the door.

Dolly came around the counter moving fast. “I’ll deal with you three later.” She opened the door and called out to the family. They stopped to talk, and Liv could see Dolly gesticulating and nodding back to the bakery.

Whatever she said seemed to have assuaged their fears, because the man smiled, Dolly smiled, the little boy waved good-bye, and they got in their minivan and drove away.

Then Dolly turned back to the bakery.

She opened the door with such violence that Liv was afraid the bell would fall from the door. “And just what do you three think you’re doing?”

“Trying to get something to eat on our break.”

“Well, you can get it over at the—no, never mind. Better you should get it here and not stop anywhere else in town. And I’ll thank you to keep your mouth shut about accidents and anything else that might scare people away.”

“Heck, Dolly, we can’t help if somebody run old Rundle through.”

“Well, you don’t have to talk about it. Especially in public.”

“It wasn’t somebody,” said Cliff. “It was that halfwit, Leo Morgan.”

The Weavers laughed.

“Guess that’s why the ghost is after him.”

“Okay, that’s it.” Dolly hurried behind the counter.

“I think I’ll have one of those—” one of the Weavers began.

But he never finished. Dolly snatched up a broom and stormed around the counter. “I don’t want to see you or your brother or friends in my bakery ever again. The only halfwits around here are you three. Now, get.” She brandished the broom at them, and the three men practically fell over one another getting out the door.

“And don’t come back.” Dolly gave one more flourish and nearly knocked over BeBe, who’d come to see what the ruckus was about.

A small crowd was forming: some people that Liv recognized, others who were probably visitors.

Dolly, bun loosened and strands of hair flying, her apron twisted across her fulsome figure, turned to the crowd. “Sometimes these boys need to be taken in hand.” She smiled at everyone, though Liv thought she looked slightly demented.

“It’s Celebration Bay’s promise to be a safe and friendly destination town, and sometimes our young folks need to be reminded of that,” Dolly announced.

A smattering of applause broke out, led by several of the locals.

Bless this town
. Liv loved it, warts and all.

“Have a good day,” Dolly said, and took a swipe at a piece of dirt on the sidewalk before going back inside.

BeBe and Liv followed her in. Liv closed the door behind Dolly. “You were magnificent.”

“Mercy me,” Dolly said, returning the broom to the corner and patting at her hair. “Those boys make me so mad. I’m afraid I lost my temper.”

“I’ll say you did,” BeBe said. “I was coming to warn you about those three. They just left the Buttercup. I wish I had reacted to them as quickly as you. I just let them gabble on and hoped the steam machine drowned their voices out.”

“Hopefully they won’t come back. I don’t need business that bad.” Dolly yanked at her apron until it was riding fairly straight across her hips. “Now, what would you like, Liv? Oh right, muffins.” Dolly added two more muffins to the bag she’d just filled before.

“These bear claws are nice. Oh, and I have some cinnamon bread. Should still be warm.”

“Dolly, stop. That’s more than enough.”

Dolly looked down at the bag brimming over with muffins and pastries. “Oh dear, I’m just that discombobulated. Let me get you some fresh ones.”

“They’re fine,” Liv said. “Just put them on my tab.”

“But—”

“I have to get to work. I’m sure Ted will be delighted with the extras.”

Dolly handed her the bag. Liv saw that her fingers were shaking slightly.

“Too much adrenaline,” Dolly said.

“Me, too,” Liv said.

“Well, come next door to the Buttercup. I’ll give you some caffeine to calm your nerves.”

Liv said good-bye to Dolly, and she and BeBe walked toward the door. But Whiskey sat down and refused to budge.

Liv gave him a look. “Dolly, do you have one of your famous treats for the dog?”

“Arf,” Whiskey said.

“Oh dear, yes. You can see just how upset I am.”

“Maybe you should come for a cup of coffee, too,” BeBe told her.

“I wish, but I gave the rest of the staff off today, since they had to work through the weekend.” She handed a cellophane bag with a leftover American flag dog biscuit in it.

Liv shoved it in her carryall, and she and BeBe went next door.

“Lord, summer seems to bring out all the vermin along with the tourists,” BeBe said.

“I’m guessing they came in to tear down the judge’s platform and will return to wherever they stay so we don’t have to deal with them. Sometimes I think they just like to cause trouble regardless of how they really feel.”

“I think you should call Bill and A.K. and tell them what’s going on. Maybe they need more of a presence in town until this blows over.” BeBe turned on the steamer, and for a minute they couldn’t talk.

“Would you like some of these pastries?”

“Not after what I ate all weekend.”

Liv sighed and stored the bulging bakery bag in her carryall while BeBe poured Ted’s tea. “You know, the only food I ever carried around when I worked in Manhattan was maybe a granola bar. I never had time to eat it and would end up throwing it away once it crumbled into an inedible mess. I really need to start exercising.”

“You do exercise.”

“I mean serious, don’t-put-on-thirty-pounds kind of exercising.”

“Oh well, don’t come looking for me when you start again.” BeBe slid the tray of drinks over to Liv. The door opened behind Liv, and BeBe’s face lit up.

Liv tried not to turn around, but she couldn’t help it.

The man who had walked through the door was clean-cut and cute and was smiling back at BeBe in an even higher wattage than the barista’s smile.

“See you later,” Liv told BeBe, and gave her a look that said,
I expect every detail later
. She took her cardboard tray of drinks while the smiling new guy politely held the door for her.

“Thanks,” she said, and stepped into the heat of the morning. Winter had seemed to last so long that she’d had a hard time imagining it ever being hot again. And never this hot, because she assumed there would always be a breeze from the lake, similar to the cutting wind in the winter.

Today there wasn’t even a hint of a breeze, and the humidity was beginning to curl her hair. She could almost feel it frizzing like one of those old-time cartoons where the character’s hair suddenly
boing
ed into springs.

Miriam Krause was waiting by the door to A Stitch in Time. “I heard Dolly was giving that Cliff Chalmers what for. I ran out to see, but I was too late. Isn’t that just always the way?”

“Well, she did throw them out,” Liv said. “But other than that there was not much to see.”

“Maybe not. The Weavers aren’t all bad, but you just never know when they’re going to turn on you. Sometimes they’re fine and sometimes they get just plain mean. Mostly when they’re drinking and hanging out with Cliff Chalmers. He’s just plain no good.”

Liv knew it; she had seen them attack another man when they were drunk and spoiling for a fight.

“I wouldn’t put it past them to be the ones responsible for what happened over at the rectory last night.”

Liv had started to move away, but she stopped. “What happened?”

“Evidently there were a whole bunch of police cars there pretty late. Maeve Kingston lives nearby. All the sirens and lights woke her and her husband up, and he went out to see. Seems like ‘the ghost’ was looking in at the window. Gave poor Leo a fright.

“The police didn’t find anything or anybody, but it sounds just like something those boys would do. The sheriff oughta talk to those three. They might know more about what happened to Jacob Rundle than they let on.”

“How so?”

“Well, I’ve seen all their cars parked out at that bar on the county road. I drive by there on my way home from the store. Real rough types go there, so I’ve been told. It could have been some lowlife Jacob got involved with out there that killed him.”

“I’ll pass that on to Bill Gunnison,” Liv said. She was suddenly in a hurry to get to the office.

“He better move on it, before they start roiling up trouble. They’ll do it if they can. Just can’t seem not to.”

“I’ll ask him to keep a close watch on them.”

“You do that.”

Liv smiled and started to walk away.

“Luanne Dietz over at Bay-Berry Candles saw you and Chaz Bristow in the back of the sheriff’s car Sunday.”

Liv’s smile didn’t waver. “He was just giving us a ride home… from church. I wore these high heels that hurt—”

“Chaz Bristow hasn’t seen the inside of a church since he was a boy.”

“I just happened to run into him outside the rectory. Chaz lives practically next door.”

“Uh-huh. I just hope you two solve this soon. Don’t want rumors scaring away business. Have a nice day. Tell Chaz we’re all glad he’s back.” Miriam went inside, and Liv hurried down the sidewalk, head down, hopefully discouraging anyone else from stopping her to chat.

Things were not right in Celebration Bay, and Liv was worried. Even Whiskey seemed subdued as he trotted alongside her toward Town Hall.

• • •

Liv had coffee at her desk with Ted like always. She told him about the run-in with Chalmers and the Weaver brothers. Went into detail about Dolly and the broom, which Ted enjoyed immensely, before they both became serious again.

“Yeah, I heard about the rectory incident. Bill thinks it was a prank, but Phillip Schorr doesn’t feel like he can keep Leo safe while he goes about his parish duties. And he doesn’t want to leave Leo alone while he’s gone. I guess he’s been sitting at home doing what he can from his home office.”

“Isn’t there someone Leo could stay with permanently?”

“His mother won’t take him back, if that’s what you’re thinking. And he hasn’t finished high school, so he needs to be with someone who will see that he completes his schooling. Get him set up with the right programs to get some vocational training when the time comes.”