The Sweet Taste of Murder: An Angel Lake Mystery (13 page)

Sylvia grimaced and clutched at her back. “Look, I know you want to figure out who killed Cameron. But, all I wish is that things could go back to the way they once were. Before I made that horrible mistake. My marriage wasn’t perfect, but Frank and I… we had good times. That’s all gone now.” Her eyes welled up and she angrily wiped at them. “Can I go now?”

When Brad nodded, she shuffled out of the break room and back to her station.

“Well, that’s interesting,” Brad mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. They started for the door.

“What’s interesting? You think Lavina cares that she’s soon going to have a brother?”

“I think it’s interesting that your friend was the only child heir of his estate until recently. And now the other competition for the inheritance is one of the main suspects.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, come on, Brad. You know Lavina. Why in the world would she ever need money? She’s totally a success in herself. She could have claimed to be his daughter at any time and reaped the rewards. But she didn’t. She didn’t want anyone to know.”

“Exactly.” They’d reached her car now.

Elise twiddled her keys. “Exactly what? Quit talking in riddles.”

“She didn’t want anyone to know. Pretty curious, don’t you think?”

“No. I absolutely don’t think it’s curious that you don’t want it known that your dad is the local scum lord of the town. If it were me, I’d keep it a secret too.” She felt heat rise in her face at his insinuations.

“A secret that seems to have paid off in spades.” He glanced at her and casually leaned against her car. “I’m just saying, Elise. Maybe you’re too close to this.”

“Brad. She is not the killer. Stop thinking about her that way. It’s been horrible. Everyone’s whispering that she poisoned him. I’m seriously worried about her having a breakdown. You have no idea how terrible this has been for her. Why hasn’t everyone been going after Frank like this? He had the same motive.”

“You’re right about people being freaked about the poison. We’re hearing rumblings of it from weird places. This town is about to combust. And, by the way, Frank and Lavina’s motives are not exactly the same. There wasn’t financial gain for Frank. In fact, it makes less sense for him to have done it because he kicked Sylvia out. If he wanted Cameron dead, you’d think he would have played nice with Sylvia since it was her child that stood to inherit all that money.”

“He doesn’t have the brains to think through details like that. Remember, Frank attacked Cameron in front of a bar, for crying out loud. And there was a gun involved!”

“You never know, Elise. People continue to astound me all the time.” Brad glanced at her with a sad smile. “I know this isn’t easy. But, at the end of the day, I have a job to do. And that’s to bring some justice to whoever killed Cameron.” He reached for her shoulder. “Even, if at the end, it’s going to make you hate me.”

“You’re wrong, Brad, that’s all I can say. I’ll see you later.” Her eyebrows rumpled in hurt and confusion. She climbed in her car with a brief wave out the window in his direction, before backing out and heading home.

CHAPTER 22

E
lise set her bowl of granola on the counter and pulled the laptop closer. She logged into Facebook and searched for Cameron McMahon.

He came up as the first person she might know. She clicked his profile and took a bite of cereal. Crunching, she scrolled through his pictures.

Max bumped her feet with his head. “I know, it makes me feel like a stalker too.”

With a loud meow, Max stretched up on her leg. “Ow, ow, ow!” she yelled as his nails made their little pinpricks of annoyance at not being fed. She brushed him down and opened a can of food.

Then, she jumped back on the computer. The third picture in one of his folders made her pause. There was Cameron sprawled out on his boat, his normally greased back hair falling forward in a natural wave. At his feet was a little dachshund with a white star on his forehead.

“Herman,” Elise whispered.

After a moment, she began searching the words “pet finder, missing dogs.” Several animal shelters popped up. She pulled her bowl over and took bites as she scrolled through the pictures of dogs.

The shelters close to her had a few small dogs, but none that looked like Herman. On a whim, she searched the farthest shelter, nearly two hours away.

And there he was. Under a broad blue flag that said, “Adopt me.”

“Lavina, will you come with me? To see if this dog is Herman?”

“Hush your mouth! You think you found him?”

“I’m hoping I did. It’s a long shot but it seems too coincidental to ignore. I just hope he’s still there. When I called the animal services, they weren’t able to give me any information about him.”

“Wait a minute. We’re driving two hours on a hunch this might be the dog, and you don’t even know if he’s still there or not?”

“He was there as of last night because his picture was on the website as available.”

Lavina had hesitated only a second before she answered, “Well, honey, I just need to find my scarf since we’ll be taking my convertible. The top is definitely coming down! I’ll see you in ten minutes to pick you up.”

Despite herself, Elise laughed as she hung up. As usual, Lavina was always there for her.

Lavina pulled up as promised in her white Camaro. The horn honked twice to let Elise know she’d arrived. Quickly, Elise locked the door and ran out to the driveway. The top was indeed down, and Lavina glanced over at her with jeweled sunglasses that sparkled in the sunlight. “Come on, slow poke. We have a dog to rescue.”

“You are the best!” Elise clambered into the seat, wincing slightly at the heat of the leather against her bare legs under her shorts. She looked over at her friend, dressed to the nines in a pink fitted dress.

Lavina checked the knot of the blue scarf tied at the base of her neck to make sure her hair was secure. “Honey, you ready for an adventure?”

“Let’s go!”

Stomping on the gas, Lavina chirped all four tires leaving black marks in the driveway.

“Lavina! Be careful!”

“Relax! Don’t be such a control freak.”

“I don’t think.…”

“Elise, you don’t even like being a passenger in a car. I’ve seen you stomp the imaginary brakes at an intersection. We’re in a Camaro.” She smiled, flashing white teeth. “That’s the way you do it.” Without waiting for a response, she reached for the volume to blast Adele’s newest CD.

Elise leaned back in the seat and watched the trees flash green overhead. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Such a beautiful day.

Two hours later, they pulled up to the town of Northgate’s animal shelter. “Here we go,” Lavina said, grabbing her white purse. She shut the door and minced in her Louboutins up the front steps of the building, belying the way the car had squealed into the parking lot.

Fluorescent bulbs brilliantly lit the inside. A woman at the counter looked up from her book as they entered.

Elise wrinkled her nose. A strong stench of animal urine permeated even the front room. From the back came an insistent bark that reverberated over and over, punctuated by soft yips.

Sorrow wash over her.

Next to her, Lavina gave her a small nudge towards the counter.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked. Her hair was threaded with silver and pulled severely back into a ponytail at the base of her neck.

“Hello. I called about a dog earlier today.”

The lady’s lips quirked into an ironic grin. “We get a lot of phone calls about dogs.”

“Oh, yes.” Elise shook her head, slightly embarrassed. “It was a male dachshund. He was a little older, brown, with a white patch right about here.” Elise pointed to her forehead.

“Oh, yes. Actually, we did have one matching that description, but he’s gone now.”

Her heart sank. “Is he….”

“Oh, sugar. No. This is a no-kill shelter. We have a very high adoptive rate here, and we are rather proud of our record. And, with him being a pure breed. Well, that’s everyone’s first choice. We don’t keep those kinds of dogs long around here. He left just yesterday.”

Elise’s chest burned with disappointment. So close.

The woman opened a drawer and rifled through folders. She smiled wryly up at them. “Our system is pretty archaic. Let me see if I can find where he was sent. I have a feeling….” She pulled out a folder and flopped it open on the counter. Licking her fingers, she flicked through the papers then stopped to study one before peeling it from the pile. “Yes, it’s like I thought. He did leave yesterday. Went to the dachshund rescue.” She slid the paper across the counter to them. “This look like your dog?”

Elise studied the paper and the tiny black and white photo of the dachshund. Her brow wrinkled. There was the white star. She glanced at the address. The rescue was in Fort Orchard, the next town over. “You think we could head over there and see him?”

“Let me call and find out.” She picked up the phone and began dialing. With her hand over the mouthpiece, she continued, “There will be the standard fee if this dog does indeed turn out to be yours. Although he came in good health, we automatically immunize them. Oh. Hello?” Her voice raised as the call was answered. “I’m calling about that little dachshund you picked up yesterday. Yes, yes, that’s him. I have the owners here looking for him.”

Elise shifted uneasily at being referred to as the owner.

“You still have him? Oh? Really? Okay. Okay.”

Each pause and okay felt like rocks tumbling in Elise’s stomach. Did they or didn’t they? Just clarify it one way or the other!

The woman hung up the phone. “Looks like you are in luck. They do indeed have him, and he’s still with the main coordinator. They haven’t fostered him out yet.” She scribbled out an address. “Here you go. They’re expecting you.”

Back at the car, Elise sank into the passenger seat after a quick yelp of pain.

“Darlin', you must remember to bring a sweater.”

“What am I going to do if this ends up not being the right dog after all? And why on earth would I want a sweater in this heat?”

“To shield the seat, of course.” Lavina took the paper from Elise and studied it. Placing it in the center console, she said, “I have an idea. Let’s get a bite to eat. My Grandma always said everything is clearer with food in your stomach.”

At the restaurant, Lavina steeped a teabag while Elise tucked into a slice of apple pie.

Lavina lifted her cup for a sip. Unexpectedly, she wiped a tear trickling down her cheek. “I tell you, Elise. All of this is getting to me.”

Elise’s heart squeezed. “We’ll figure this out, Vi.”

“You don’t get it. I had two clients cancel on me last week. I’m getting the side-eye at the deli. You know how rumors go. People think I did it.”

Elise sighed. “I don’t know why they wouldn’t be supporting you.”

“Right? Maybe if he died of a gunshot. But somehow the fact that he died by poison makes people….” Her voice dropped to a whisper, “I think people are scared of me!”

“Don’t be silly, Vi.”

“I’m serious! I saw Manny dump his coffee out after I gave him a mug. And when I walk out to the counter to take an order, I’ve been greeted by some anxious faces. No one wants me to handle their food.”

“Are you sure you aren’t just interpreting this all through some general anxiety of the investigation. I mean, this is all a lot to take in.”

Lavina set the cup down on the counter and tapped her pink lacquered nail against the rim. She pursed her lips and looked out the window, her eyes focused on nothing. “Isn’t it weird how time changes everything? Just one event and nothing is the same again.”

“Don’t worry. It’s going to work out. They’re going to catch the killer.”

She batted heavily mascaraed eyelashes at Elise. “You have more confidence than I do in the efficiency of Angel Lake’s police force.”

“Brad seems to be doing okay.”

“Brad.”

“Lavina, please. We’ve known him since high school.”

“He certainly impresses you more now than he did back then.”

“I didn’t talk much to any guy back then.” Elise blushed. “Can you say wallflower? I was terrified of my own shadow.”

Lavina snorted. “You were as much of a wallflower as I was shy and demure. You just lacked confidence is all. So, when did you last talk with Brad?”

Elise shifted. This conversation was rapidly treading into uncomfortable territory. “Last week. We ran into each other at the coffee shop.”

Lavina arched an eyebrow, one she had to fill in after over-plucking. Elise never understood why Lavina would pluck her eyebrows only to redraw them on.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” Elise asked crossly.

“I just think it’s interesting,” Lavina drawled out.

“Well, interesting or not, let’s get going.”

That night both women were exhausted from the day driving around in the sun. But, at least one slept. Little Herman rested his starred head on Elise’s lap all the way home. She didn’t know yet how she was going to reintroduce the doxie back to Mrs. McMahon, but for now, she was content.

CHAPTER 23

T
he next morning, Elise spent nearly an hour trying to locate Max, who was clearly unhappy with the newest intruder. She finally found him squeezed behind the couch and tried to coax him out with a piece of lunch meat. She lay on the floor with her arm outstretched. “Come on, baby. It’s okay.”

His eyes glowed at her, and his ears flattened back. He’d clearly not forgiven her for allowing Herman to snuggle in under the covers in her bed to sleep the night before.

“Okay, then.” She pushed herself up and brushed her off hands. “You stay there and pout. He’s just going to be here for a little while. Try and play nice.”

In the kitchen, she filled a bowl with the dog food that had come home with them from the rescue. Herman happily dug into the food like a fat old bear in a honey pot. She gave him a scratch on his neck.

Looking at the time on her Fitbit, she realized she had to get out and walk the other dogs. She wasn’t ready to bring Herman with her yet, still not quite sure of how to announce she’d found him. “You guys be good,” she called from the door and thumbed up her jogging playlist.