The Sweet Taste of Murder: An Angel Lake Mystery (12 page)

“Elise Sanders.”

He gave her car a hard look, even peering into the back seat before he reentered the booth. His face creased into a deep snarl like she was a drug lord about to drop a hit on his boss.

She watched him pick up the phone with her heart beating in her throat. Frowning, she leaned back in the seat and told herself to knock it off.

A moment later there was a clank, and the gate rumbled back on its track. His arm waved out the window telling her to go through. Elise let off the brake and rolled forward.

Old growth maple trees edged the driveway leading up to the house. Their leafy boughs arching overhead shielded the pavement from the sun.

The house itself was magnificent and nearly took her breath away. Large and white, it had been built with typical Southern heritage.

She slowed to a stop and eyed the building. A small movement drew her attention to the far left window where she made out a tall figure standing there. The curtain dropped.

Elise parked the car by the portico. With an uncomfortable feeling, she thought about Brad and hoped he wouldn’t be too mad when he discovered what she’d done.

She took the white marble steps lightly, her head swiveling, completely impressed with the massive pillars that held up the roof. Nervously, she slid her finger under the Fitbit and gave it a small twirl before stabbing at the doorbell.

The heavy oak door opened silently. A young woman stood at the entryway wearing a prim blouse and black skirt. It took Elise a moment to place her—Mr. Davis’s assistant. She was shorter than Elise remembered, and something about her looked different, but Elise couldn’t put her finger on why.

“Come in. Mr. Davis is expecting you.” She spun on her high heels and led Elise through the hallway with smooth, gliding steps. After a moment, the young woman paused and waved her hand toward the library.

Elise’s gaze dropped to see Mr. Davis in his chair just inside the doorway. The same plaid blanket covered his thin legs.

Mr. Davis coolly eyed Elise. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed the wheelchair back from the door. “I’m surprised you accepted my invitation after you were so rude as to drop by unannounced yesterday.”

Elise felt her insides shrivel at his harsh demeanor, but she thrust back her shoulders. With a smile pasted on her face, she stepped over the threshold.

“I’m truly thankful you made time for me, Mr. Davis. What a beautiful place you have here,” she murmured, craning her head back as her gaze traced a painted trail of flowers swirling along the archway.

“Follow me,” Mr. Davis said pushing himself farther into the room. His wheelchair wheels hissed against the marble floor. “That was Estelle at the door.”

“Estelle?” Elise dragged her gaze from the artwork to cut him a questioning look.

“My niece. Also my nurse and personal assistant. She’s lived with me for the last ten years.” He indicated his chair with a hand and a small shrug. “Truly the most loyal person I’ve ever met. She’s been indispensable to me during my recovery. ”

“I heard. You look like you are doing very well.”

“I am improving all the time. Some days are better than others.”

Velvet covered arching couches and stuffed chairs, their padding tacked down with button latches, filled the room.

Mr. Davis rolled over to a walnut sideboard. Crystal decanters covered the glossy surface.

“Would you care for a drink?”

She was taken aback and resisted the urge to look at her watch. Wasn’t it only eleven? “No, thank you.”

“What was I thinking?” He smiled and rolled toward the couch. With a firm movement, he gestured for her to sit down. “My sleeping schedule has been quite off. I occasionally get the times mixed up.”

“Oh, that’s awful. I understand.” She perched on the edge of the stiff sofa and glanced around.

The painted flowers extended into a full fresco that spread out across the far wall. A naked woman stood beside a waterfall. Her sad face stared down at a young man bleeding at her feet.

“Wow, that’s intriguing,” she said.

He stared at her, ignoring the art even as he answered. “Persophone and Cupid.”

“I don’t remember the story quite like that.”

“Call it a fanciful interpretation….Perhaps my own interpretation. So.…” He tipped his head back and continued to study her. His eyes glittered behind the wire-rimmed glasses. “You are here about the flowers.”

“Well, yes.” Elise felt a flicker of surprise. “How did you know?”

He chuckled softly. “This is a small town. Hard to keep little whisperings quiet in a small town.”

“I was just curious. Especially after….” She pressed her lips together, unsure of how to continue.

“After the death of my son and the lawsuit?’

Elise nodded.

“Why, we all need to forgive in order to move forward, like the bible says, right? After all, death will rise to greet us all most unexpectedly one day.” He laughed again, sounding cold. Elise felt goosebumps rise on her arms.

She rubbed at them self-consciously. “I’m not sure everyone would be able to forgive in this case. I mean,” she cleared her throat, “rumor has it the brakes were sabotaged?”

He shook his head. “Couldn’t be proven. You should know better and investigate these things before you burst in with questions. All in all, our fine Angel Lake police force concluded that it was probably a rat chewing through the cables to make a nest for winter.” He looked at her again, this time, his eyes hidden as the glasses reflected the window behind her. “We know how those rats are.”

“So, you’re saying you didn’t have a problem with Cameron? After the loss of your son?”

“I’m saying that after my accident, I had to either move forward or let myself die. I was tempted to die. I’ll admit. My niece gave me a reason to move forward. She’s an orphan you know.” He turned his head, and the reflection disappeared. His eyes were dark and sorrowful. “And I was still grieving my son. We needed each other, I think.”

Elise nodded.

“As for the flowers, well I sent twenty-nine of them.” He clapped his hands together. “And if you are as smart as you think you are, I’m sure you’ll figure out why.”

“Why the Delphinium?”

“Ah,” he nodded. “That shouldn’t be too hard to figure out either. Now, it’s time for you to go. Let me show you the way out.” He rolled to the door. As he turned to see if she was following, something small hit the floor and rattled away. A prescription bottle. For the first time, he looked flustered as he pushed the chair after the bottle.

It rolled to Elise’s feet, and she scooped it up. Spinning it slightly, she tried to read the bottle, even as she handed it back. He snatched it from her hand and transferred it beneath the lap blanket.

Elise smiled and twisted the door handle. The heavy carved door opened easily on smooth hinges and allowed a rectangle of sunshine to fall upon the green marble. “One more thing,” she said as she stepped out. “Where were you on the day of the 27
^th
?”

“I was with my niece doing physical therapy in Tallahassee. I have the receipt from the hotel we stayed at. Be careful, Elise. You’re playing with the big kids now.” Once again, he planted a confident grin across his face and closed the door.

CHAPTER 21

A
fter her visit with Mr. Davis, Elise pulled into the RiteAid parking lot. This business housed a pharmacy, along with every odd-and-end item from hair care products, toys, to seasonal items. There was even a cooler in the back to pick up milk.

A few minutes later, Brad knocked on her car window. She jerked in surprise before opening the door. “You’re always scaring me.”

“Such an easy target. And, fancy meeting you here.”

Elise laughed. “I read your mind. Or your text.”

“Sorry I’m late,” he said. Sweat trickled down his brow. “Turns out the jog was a bit farther than I expected from the courthouse.”

Elise’s ears perked up. Jogging? Potential jogging partner maybe? Her gaze fell to his muscular legs under long shorts, and then up to his rippled abs exposed as he used the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face. Her mouth went dry.

“Right?” His voice startled her, and she glanced up meeting his eyes crinkled with amusement.

“It is pretty far,” she murmured back.

“I just can’t let you think I can’t keep up with you. Speaking of that, when were you going to tell me you went to Mr. Davis’s?” He raised an eyebrow.

She felt the heat flood her face and decided that changing the subject was the best course of action. “Has Mrs. McMahon ever been considered a suspect?”

“At this point, everyone near Cameron is considered a suspect until we can rule them out.”

“So, has she been ruled out yet?”

He grinned mischievously. “So far, only I’ve been ruled out. And you are still one of my top contenders.”

“That’s not even funny.”

“What can I say? I think you might look pretty cute in handcuffs.”

She gave him a punch in the arm. “Start with that.”

“Yeah, assaulting an officer. I know there were some earlier ones…. Oh yeah, messing with witnesses.”

“Oh, brother.” Elise smiled and glanced down at her Fitbit. She stifled a groan. Two thousand more steps needed today.

“Let me think of what else. Tampering with an investigation. Illegal parking. You’re just racking up crimes.” He gestured to where her car sat outside the convenience store.

“That’s not illegal.”

“Customers only.” He mimicked the owner and pointed to the sign that stood tilted after a previous customer backed into it.

“All right, all right, I’ll move my car. I need to get to Lavina’s anyway.” She tipped her head. “After we talk to Sylvia of course.”

“We?” he asked, fanning the front of his t-shirt to cool himself off.

“You. I mean you. Now can we go?”

He tipped his head like he was considering it. Flipping her hair off her shoulder, she ignored him and walked into the convenience store.

Sylvia was at the cash register, looking harried and very pregnant. Her face was flushed, and her blonde hair plastered back in a sweaty ponytail.

“Can I help you?” she asked as they came in.

Brad walked over to the register. “Hi, Sylvia. I’m Brad Carter from Angel Lake PD. Do you think you have a few minutes to talk to us?”

She licked her chapped lips and glanced in the far corner where the pharmacy was located. The pharmacist stared sternly at them before tapping his wrist and holding up five fingers.

“Yeah, I guess I have a few minutes.” She lumbered from behind the counter, looking even bigger than just a few days earlier when Elise had seen her. They followed her to the back of the building. “Break room’s in there.” She gestured and walked over to the fan blowing in the corner. The fan’s dirty blades made a whirring noise as she tipped her head and held the collar of her shirt open in front of it.

An old Coke machine stood against the wall. Brad jangled some coins in his pocket. “Want a drink?” he offered Sylvia.

She looked at him dully before nodding.

He inserted the coins. “What would you like?” She shrugged, uninterested.

“Right.” He nodded and pressed the keys. A bottle of water popped out below with a clunk against the clear door. Twisting the lid, he handed it over to her. “So, we’ve been asking a few questions about your whereabouts on the afternoon of the 27
^th
.”

“I heard,” she said in the same tired voice.

“Yeah. Well, there’s something kind of weird going on with the dental appointment you said you were at on that day. Mind telling us what happened, in your words?”

She closed her eyes and took a long chug of the water, the plastic bottle crinkling as it emptied. It seemed to refresh her because her blue eyes were brighter when she opened them. “I made the appointment at noon. I know this because I timed it so I could go during my lunch break. At my old job. Before I got fired.” She slumped against the wall as the last few words seemed to drain her again.

“And…?” Brad prompted. He pulled out a chair at the break room table.

“And, when I came in they said, ‘No, you made this appointment at 11:15. Only there’s no way I would have made it at that time. It was a Thursday. That was payroll day. I had to make it at noon because Cameron wouldn’t let me take time off earlier than that.”

Brad nodded. “Any idea why they had the wrong time?”

She shook her head. “But I have proof I made it at noon.”

“Really?” Brad sat straighter in his chair. “What proof is that?”

“I went home and found the card. It was in with the rest of my stuff jammed in plastic bags. Out in the front yard.”

“Your stuff was sitting in the yard in plastic bags?” Elise couldn’t help herself. Brad shook his head warningly.

“Yeah. That was the day Frank kicked me out.” She put her hand on her belly. “He said he wasn’t taking care of no drug dealer’s baby and to get out.”

“Drug dealer? Isn’t it Cameron’s baby?” Again the words came out before Elise realized. This time, Brad cleared his throat.

“Yeah, it’s Cameron’s. Frank always called him that.” Sylvia looked up at the clock and then back at Brad. “Look, I need to be getting back to work. Is there anything else?”

“Just one more thing. Were you on your two weeks notice at that time?”

She sighed. “Yeah. Good ol’ Cameron was feeling generous and said I could finish out the month before he let me go.” Her eyes darted to Elise. “He was being very sweet.”

Elise felt the rebuke for her earlier attempts at encouragement. She nodded.

“Now, if there isn’t anything else, I need to go before I lose this job, too.”

“No, there’s nothing more right now. Thank you for your time.” Brad smiled. “By the way, when are you due?”

“Two more months.” She groaned and grabbed her back. “And he is a kicker.”

“He?”

“Yeah, a boy. Cameron’s first son.”

“Do you know if Cameron had any other kids?”

“Nope, not that I knew of. Until the letter came out about your friend.” She nodded towards Elise. “I guess that lady knew she was his daughter. Probably thought she was going to get all that money without having to share. But I guess heir number two put a kink in that plan.”