Corpse in the Crystal Ball (15 page)

Chuck’s shoulders slumped and he let out a huge burst of air, looking guilty as all get-out. “I really did do everything I said. I even bought the patch kit from Gary. The only thing I didn’t do was patch the wall myself. I hired Cole, then went home to get drunk. Damned alcohol. Damned Isabel. She made me so mad, I was stupid. And now I can’t remember what I did after that.”

“Chuckie, Chuckie, Chuckie …why lie?” Jo asked. “You just make yourself look that much guiltier, sugar.”

“I got scared you’d all think I was the one who killed her. She made me mad as hell, but I’m no killer.” He looked at me with pleading eyes. “You have to believe me.”

“Unfortunately, you can’t prove that to the police or even yourself. I’m sorry to say that puts you back on our suspect list. Don’t leave town until the case is solved, Mr. Webb. Detective Fuller wouldn’t like it. Am I clear?”

He nodded, gave Johnny a hard frown, and then sulked slowly back to his office.

“Don’t worry, Johnny.” I patted the squirming boy’s shoulder. “You had no choice but to answer our questions truthfully. He can’t fire you for that. If he does, he’ll be in even more trouble.”

“I sure hope so. I can’t afford to lose this intern job. My mom would kill me.”

“Don’t you worry, Johnny,” Jo said. “My mom is in the same bridge club as yours. No one’s getting into trouble over one lying drunk’s mistake. Why don’t you take the rest of
the day off?” Jo smiled at him. “Go have a beer on me down at Smokey Jo’s. Tell Sean I said it’s okay. You need to loosen up. You do know how to have fun, don’t you?”

He nodded quickly, shooting a glance at the closed office door and then bolting out the front all too eagerly.

“Why’d you send him home? What if Webb really does fire him now?” I asked.

“You let me handle Webb. He’s sweating bullets about now, trying to think of a way out of this mess. He’s not about to tick you off any more than he already has. I’ll make sure he knows firing Johnny would do exactly that. In the meantime, why don’t you check in with Fuller? Tell him what you’ve found.”

I blew out a breath. “Okay. Good idea. Thanks, Jo.”

“Anytime.” She winked. “After all, that’s what partners in crime are made for. And I have to admit, this has been kind of fun.”

“Only you would think so.” I shook my head, chuckling, and then exited the hotel. Fuller would not be happy that I investigated more on my own, but hey, at least I hadn’t been alone this time. Crime didn’t take vacation days, and it didn’t much care that it was the weekend. Like it or not, he couldn’t deny I’d uncovered some valuable new information.

Later that evening I was on my way to Gretta’s house. She’d called and wanted me to come over so we could talk. Detective Fuller had really upset her, so she wanted me to come alone.

That shouldn’t be a problem since I’d been trying to get Fuller on the phone all afternoon, but he refused to answer his cell. I knew I was interrupting his family time—more
likely a meal—but still. I’d left message after message, updating him on what I’d found out.

The nature of the messages warranted a call in my book.

As if reading my thoughts, my phone buzzed on the dashboard of my bug. I plugged in my hands-free earpiece and answered. “Sunny Meadows here, how can I help you?”

“For one, you can quit calling my cell. I got the gist of what you wanted with your first ten calls.”

“Fuller! Finally. So what do you think?”

“I think you work way too hard.”

“Given the nature of the case, don’t you think we both should be?”

“You know what they say when you assume something.” His tone turned a bit harder.

“I’m listening.”

“Just because I’m home doesn’t mean I’m not working.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, chagrined. “I thought your daughter said—”

“That I was at Nikko’s for lunch? I was. You’re not the only one who can multitask, Miss Meadows.”

“Touché.”

“I took my wife out for her birthday brunch, if it’s all the same to you.”

“I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to judge. It’s just so much is riding on this case. A sister’s grief. A town’s faith. A man’s career. My
sanity
.” I paused, then added softly, “I-I need to know Mitch is innocent.”

“So do I, Miss Meadows. We’re talking about one of my brothers here.”

I knew he meant the brotherhood, not his blood brother.
All for one and one for all. Cops stuck together to the end …or until they turned bad. Fuller had just as much invested in this case as I did.

“So what did you find out?”

“Well, my wife and I were having a delicious lunch. Did you know Nikko’s serves—”

“Detective …”

“Sorry. Anyway, in came a frazzled Chuck Webb. Turns out he’d been looking all over for me.”

Uh-oh
. “Oh, really? That’s interesting.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Fuller paused on the other end of the phone, and I squirmed. “Said he had some very disturbing visitors earlier, so he sought me out because he doesn’t want to have any further dealings with them. Can you imagine my surprise when I found out who they were?”

“In my defense, I wasn’t alone, and I did call you to fill you in on what we found out.”

“Miss Burnham isn’t any more trained as a detective than you are. You’re taking chances that I don’t think even the mayor would approve of, Miss Meadows. If you can’t follow the rules, I’ll be forced to insist I work alone.”

“It won’t happen again, I promise.” A horn blared from behind me, and a car peeled out and passed me. Apparently I was driving too slowly for the other driver’s liking.

“What was that? Where are you?”

“Um, running errands for Granny,” I said. No way would I tell him I was on my way to Gretta’s house or he’d insist on coming with me. Gretta would never talk if he came along.

“Well, finish up, and then go straight home. The streets still aren’t safe with a killer on the loose.”

“You got it,” I said, and meant it. I’d had quite enough
excitement for one day, thank you very much. “Anyway, what were you saying about Chuck Webb?”

“He came running in like a crazed maniac, waving around a receipt with a wild smile on his face. Scared my poor wife half to death.”

“A receipt? What on earth for?”

“Turns out he bought liquor in the next town over because he didn’t want the locals to know he was planning to get sloshed, given that he’s a recovering alcoholic. That liquor store is nowhere near the park.”

“What’s that mean?”

“There’s no way he can be the killer. The time and date stamped on the receipt give him an alibi.”

“Darnit!”

“I don’t much like it, either. I don’t want Ms. Frey to be guilty any more than you do. And then there’s Detective Stone.”

“There’s still Abigail Brook, right?”

“There is at that. And we’ll look into that real soon. In the meantime, you take care, Miss Meadows, and try to stay out of trouble. I’d like to enjoy the pot roast dinner at my mother-in-law’s if you don’t mind.”

“No worries, Detective. I promise you won’t hear a word from me for the rest of tonight.” That much was true. If I found out anything at all, I simply wouldn’t call him until after church tomorrow. In the meantime, I said a prayer for Gretta. Because at the moment, things weren’t looking good for her.

I pulled into Gretta’s driveway on Believers Trail around five thirty. I could only stay for a little while because Granny
had said dinner was at six thirty, and I didn’t want to keep her waiting. I’d been so busy trying to solve this case I hadn’t seen much of her lately.

Locking up my bug, I jogged up the front steps of Gretta Frey’s contemporary home—one of the few modern houses in town. It somehow fit Gretta, since she tried so hard to stay young. She’d had an old house when she first inherited the property from her grandmother, but she quickly tore that one down and hired Cole to build this new one. That hadn’t gone over well with her conservative neighbors, but Gretta didn’t give a hoot. The house was small, but it fit her personality perfectly.

Fit and trim and full of energy …and flowers all around the outside. I chuckled.

She answered on my first knock. “Sunny, I’m so glad you came. Please, come in.”

“Thanks, Gretta.”

We walked inside and just as I’d thought, the house was decorated much the same as her Mini-Mart. Modern appliances and furniture, with no antiques in sight. Just boatloads of flowers on the walls, in the drapes, on the cushions, and even in vases. It certainly was bright and sunny, but once again it made me dizzy.

“How are you holding up?” I focused on her back instead of the flowers that seemed to sway on the walls.

“I’m okay. Right this way.”

I followed her to the kitchen in the front of the house, whose large dining room window faced the road. “What a lovely room. So much light, and you can people watch the evening strollers if you so choose.” And I had something to look at that didn’t make me feel like I was going to faint.

“A girl after my own heart. I love to people watch. That’s one of the main reasons I had it built that way. Living alone can be downright lonesome. People strolling by makes me feel surrounded.” She handed me a cup of tea.

“I can understand that. Living out on Shadow Lane, I only see the woods and trees behind me. I sometimes miss people watching, but at least I have Morty. And Gran for now. Plus I do love the solitude of the woods around me.”

“Solitude is good, but it won’t keep you warm at night,” she said, sounding sad.

“That’s true.” I thought of last night, snuggled up all warm and toasty as I’d spooned with Mitch. Being warm at night had been good …until cold reality had dawned the next morning when Mitch left me just as soon as Saint Selena had called. That was a chill that wouldn’t leave my bones anytime soon. Who needs a man? I’d choose my warm jammies and down comforter to stay warm next time, thank you very much.

“Any more progress on the case?” Gretta asked. “I can’t stand being left in limbo, waiting around for my name to clear. You should see the way people are looking at me.”

“I know it’s hard. I went through it myself not that long ago. Remember?”

She crossed her arms over her hot pink velour warm-up suit. “How’d you cope?”

“I held my head high and showed this town I had nothing to hide.”

“I don’t. I promise you, I really don’t.”

“I believe you, Gretta.” I squeezed her hand. “I really do. We just need to find some way to prove it is all.”

“You never answered me about the case. Any news?”

“I can’t discuss the details of the case with you, but I can
tell you, you’re not the only suspect. Hold on to that, okay? And hopefully, something will turn up to clear you.”

“It has to, because I can’t do jail. I just can’t.”

“Hang in there. I’ll be in touch the minute I know something. You do the same.”

She nodded, too worried to speak.

“Thanks for the tea.” I let myself out and headed back to my car. Glancing over my shoulder, I did a double take. Gretta sat at the table with a huge bowl of ice cream in front of her. She piled the whipped cream high and dug in.

She always claimed to be a health nut and to keep her figure up with hard work and dedication to eating right and exercising. After watching her polish off the enormous sundae and go in for seconds, I was beginning to think she’d lied about how she stayed so thin. Which brought up another question.

Had she lied about her whereabouts on the night of the murder?

Sunday morning the phone rang. Morty’s hackles shot up. He hissed loudly and then bolted up the stairs. That could only mean one thing.

My mother was calling.

“Mom?” Maybe she was calling to tell me Granny Gert’s basement was fixed. One could dream.

“Sylvia, darling.” She sounded surprised. “I thought you’d still be in bed.”

I was sure she did since lately she’d been avoiding my calls completely, only talking to Granny when I wasn’t around. Checking up on me, I was sure. “Oh, I’m up. Granny and I are about to head off to church.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Her voice turned all businesslike, as she went into lawyer mode.

“Nothing, I—”

“Donald, pick up the extension,” she pounced, ignoring me. “Sylvia’s in trouble again.”

“What the bloody devil have you done this time?” Dad asked through the receiver.

“I haven’t done anything. I’m simply—”

“I knew we should have gone to see her.” He kept talking, not listening to a word I said.

“Listen, you guys, you—”

“Vivian, call the airlines and book us a flight, stat. Trains and cars take too long. I’ll get Juanita to pack our bags.” Dad barked out his orders as though he were performing surgery in the cardiac ER where he worked.

“History has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that I handle the staff better.
You
call the airlines,” Mom countered as though she were in a courtroom, cross-examining a witness.

“Neither of you are going to call the airlines because you’re not going anywhere,” I stated calmly but firmly.

“Now, listen here, young lady—” Dad started to say.

“No, you listen.”

“But—” Mom tried to interject.

“Both of you,” I ground out, and they quieted down. “We made a deal. You promised not to interfere in my life anymore. To let me make it on my own this time.”

“Well, that didn’t work out very well, now did it? The second we were gone, you wound up in the middle of another murder investigation.” Mom harrumphed. “It seems to me you might need our help once more.”

“I’m not a suspect this time. I’m simply helping the police solve this case is all.”

“Yes, I heard Detective Stone is a suspect. I never did quite trust the young fellow. I don’t know why you bother. Your mother’s right. You need our help with this one.”

“You step one foot in Divinity to try to help me, and I’ll have you both arrested for interfering with justice.”

“You can’t be serious, darling,” Mom said.

“I’m dead serious.”

“Why, I never—” Dad started.

“And you won’t,” I finished. “We’ll see each other at Easter. That was the deal. It’s bad enough you sent Granny here to babysit me.”

“She’s your grandmother. I thought you’d want to spend some time with her.” Mom sniffed sharply. “I guess I misjudged you.”