Death at the Day Lily Cafe (24 page)

“When did you last see the money?” Doris said.

Lori looked warily at Doris. Ever since Lori had showed us where she thought the money had been hidden, Doris had been giving her sister the cold shoulder, her eyes sharp with accusation. “The only time I saw it was when Carl James showed it to me. Then he put it in the floor and closed it up.”

“Says you,” the sheriff said. “For all I know you messed up this house yourself. It's a good cover. The thing is, I'm smarter than you. Always have been.”

“It was Butch Wells,” Lori said. “I swear to it.” She lifted up the sleeve of her top. “Look.” Red marks encircled her upper arm. “This is where he grabbed me.”

“And how many witnesses saw him here? Hmm, let me guess. None? Zip? Zero?”

Glenn frowned at me. The sheriff was making a good case, and we both knew it.

“Lori,” I said, and cleared my throat. “Did anyone else know where the money was hidden?”

She shook her head. “I don't think so.”

“CJ was a braggart,” Doris said. “He could have told anyone after a couple of whiskeys.”

“How many days after he showed you the money did he die?” Glenn said.

Lori brushed a strand of hair from her face. “No more than a week.”

“Excuse me,” the sheriff said in a thundering voice. “Did I miss something, or am I the one with the badge?”

Lori's shoulders fell.

“Put some shoes on, Mrs. Fiddler. You're coming with me.”

“Sheriff, maybe you should tell the college CJ took the money,” I said. “Then everyone can get back to work.”

“You hard of hearing, Hart?” He looked at Lori. “Move.”

“Slow down,” Jamie said.

The sheriff looked over at Jamie. “What?”

“There's something I need my mother to say first. I think you need to hear it, too, sheriff.”

Joe Wilgus's mouth twitched. I squeezed my hands together. The tension in the room prickled like static electricity.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Jamie said through gritted teeth.

Lori sat back in her chair. “I never knew for sure.”

“Knew what?” Doris said.

“I think you did,” Jamie said.

“No, I never found out because I didn't want to destroy our family.” She looked over at Jamie. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Your father and I loved you with all our hearts, Carl James Junior.”

“My name is Jamie.” He tossed the folder on the table and roared, “And Carl James is not my father.” He looked at the sheriff and stabbed a finger at him. “He is!”

“Oh no,” Doris said. “Lori, for goodness' sake. What is he saying?”

The sheriff's eyes searched the room. His lips trembled with emotion. He stood quickly and gazed down at Lori. “I have to get out of here.” His boots thudded on the gleaming hardwood floors. He jostled Jamie as he brushed past him. In seconds his engine roared to life, and his tires squealed as he drove away.

 

F
ORTY

Glenn and I offered to help straighten up the house, but it was clear that Lori, Jamie, and Doris had much to discuss. Neither of us spoke for the first half of the ride.

“How did you know where the money was hidden, Rosalie?”

I gripped the steering wheel. “Crystal. She was telling me about her dreams.”

“Did Crystal have some sort of vision?”

“No.” I glanced over at Glenn and smiled. “I don't think she's clairvoyant. At least not yet. But she was having disturbing dreams about something being buried under her floor and it scared her. You know, like “The Tell-Tale Heart”?”

“Good Lord, that story is certainly frightening. I wouldn't want to be having dreams like that.”

“I know, right? But it made me think: floors. Why would CJ install a new floor when he'd lived in that house for so long?”

“And
that's
how you figured it out?” Glenn leaned back against the headrest and adjusted his seat.

“When she told me about her dream, it triggered the idea. So when I went upstairs and stood in Lori's room, I looked at the new floors and thought, that's it. I didn't know for sure, so I called Lori's bluff. I almost choked when she willingly walked up the steps.”

“So where is the money, Rosalie?”

“Lori is certain Butch didn't find it. Mainly because he was still furious.” I stopped at a red light, my blinker flashing so I could turn into the alley where Glenn's Prius was parked. “Remember, CJ called Butch and told him someone was after him. Maybe CJ took the money out of the floor and put it in his truck for safekeeping. And so when the murderer confronted CJ, he or she somehow got the gun out of his hands.”

“Yes, that scenario is plausible,” Glenn said.

I turned down the alley. “Or the money is still in the truck, and Jake killed CJ.”

“Yes.” Glenn frowned. “That, too.”

“I have another thought.”

“Please share.” Glenn adjusted his seat again.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“Oh, no. I'm quite comfy. I'm just having a little fun.” The small motor buzzed another time. “Oh, that's nice. Did you know you could adjust the firmness of your lower back support? Oh, Rosalie, does this car have a seat warmer?”

I tapped the icon of a chair with vertical wavy lines. It glowed orange. “Glenn, do you think Custer knows about the money? Butch certainly thinks he does. He said that's why CJ fired him.”

“Custer is an enigma to me. I like him very much. And I respect his work ethic. And he's talented, too. I don't know what we would do if he ever called in sick.”

“
Kina hora,
” I said. “Say it. Now.”

“
Kina hora.
”

“Whew. That was scary. Okay, you were saying?” I stopped in front of Glenn's car but left the motor running.

“I don't think he has the money.” Glenn unbuckled his seatbelt.

“But he could have had a confrontation with CJ. Maybe Custer pushed him to give it back. Maybe he threatened to tell, and CJ tried to shoot him but Custer retaliated in self defense.”

Glenn frowned. “Oh my. Yes. That's an excellent point.”

“His father is an awful man, Glenn. Who knows what Custer had to endure?”

“Yes. And that sort of experience can dig a crevice in your soul.”

“Exactly.” I sighed and looked over at Glenn. “What's our next move?”

“Can we find out if Jake was at the tavern the night CJ was killed? Would Chuck tell us?”

“Maybe. He said the other day that people have been acting a little crazy ever since CJ was murdered. He's ready for this to be solved.”

“I wonder if Gretchen likes martinis,” Glenn said.

“You're going to the tavern?”

“You said I needed to go out more. We need Chuck to tell us who was there that night.”

“That's so great. I would go, but I am really feeling out of touch with my family. Especially Annie. I've never seen her with Custer, and I need to make sure she's okay.”

“How long has it been since you last spent time with Tyler?”

“Without Bini? A while.”

“That's a relationship you need to maintain, too, my dear.” Glenn gazed over at me, his face serious.

“Glenn? You think…”

“Weren't you the one to tell me life is incomplete without love?” Glenn popped open the door. “That Tyler is a keeper. And I think he has feelings for you.” Glenn winked. “Just in case you hadn't noticed.” He climbed out of the car, shut the door, and gave the roof a tap, signaling it was okay for me to drive away.

 

F
ORTY
-
ONE

I invited Tyler, Annie, and Custer to join me for dinner that Friday. The day had been rainy, with intermittent thunderstorms, and the Day Lily had its first slow day. We closed early, allowing me time to pick up the ingredients for deep-dish pizzas, Caesar salad, and several bottles of Sangiovese chianti from the Yellow Labrador Winery.

Annie set the table while I topped one of the pizzas with mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and Kalamata olives. She had insisted on eating in the kitchen because she didn't want Custer to feel uncomfortable in the more formal dining room. She was dressed in white short-shorts and a flowing peasant top. Although she usually tamed her hair with a flat iron or a headband, that night it was a mass of loose brown curls. “You look cute,” I said. “My little hippie.”

“Thanks,” she said, and folded a paper napkin—something else she had insisted on. “I had a good run after work. I need to start getting back in shape for rugby.”

“Does Custer work out?”

“
Hello
? Have you noticed his arms? Oh, and he has a very nice set of abs.”

“Annie—”

“That I saw while we were swimming. So, Mom, how did you come up with this idea? I mean, getting the four of us together. It's a little strange, don't you think? It's like we're some weird blended family.”

“I guess because I don't get to see you or Tyler enough. I also thought it would be nice to spend time with Custer in a different environment. Especially now that you two are hanging out. Just about every day, I might add.” The rumble of Custer's motorcycle approached. Annie ran out to meet him.

I checked my watch. Tyler was late. That wasn't like him. Other than Glenn, he was the most punctual person I knew.

Annie was chattering away when she and Custer came through the front door. “And then he just walked out,” she said in an animated voice. “He complained I was hurting him, and he was going to tell the manager. But I was just doing the exercises. I swear he almost cried.”

They entered the kitchen. “You should lighten up on the guy, Wonder Woman.” Custer squeezed her bicep.

Annie laughed. “Hey, what do you call my mom, anyway?”

“Good question. I guess I call her
boss
.”

“I think you call me
yes, boss,
actually.”

“Really?” Annie grinned. “That's so cute. You never told me that, Mom. Hey, can we have some wine?”

“Hi, Custer,” I said.

“Long time no see.” He walked with Annie to the counter. She picked up the crystal wine decanter. “Hey,” Custer said, “Smitty's got tickets to that show tonight in Annapolis.”

“The one you wanted to see?” She filled two glasses with wine. “You want some, Mom?”

“Sure,” I said, feeling a little like the third wheel. Where was Tyler?

Annie and Custer picked up their glasses and headed out to the screened porch. “Why aren't you going with him?”

“'Cuz I was coming here.”

“Oh my gosh, Custer. You gave up that ticket to have dinner with us?” She kissed him on the cheek. “You're so awesome.” Their voices faded as they settled into Aunt Charlotte's old wicker furniture I had yet to replace.

I sipped my wine and checked my watch again. Maybe some music. What would the kids like? I started toward my computer but stopped when I heard the front door open. I went back into the kitchen and tried to act nonchalant when Tyler entered the room.

“Hey,” he said, his voice rough. He was freshly showered and wore a faded denim shirt and dark-wash jeans. The whites of his eyes looked like road maps. Dickens followed him inside and found his bed in the kitchen, flopped down hard, and exhaled a soft moan.

“Are you okay?” I said to Tyler.

“You drinking alone again?”

“Ha-ha. Annie and Custer are on the porch.” I filled the fourth glass for him. “Want to sit in the living room? When's the last time we did that?”

He followed me out, and we sat next to each other on the sofa. The evening sky blended in with the blue-gray of the river. An occasional flash of lightning shimmered high in the clouds.

Tyler sipped his wine. “This is good,” he said, and sipped again. He fell back into the sofa cushion with an
oof.

“Are you sure you're okay?”

“I never said I was okay.”

I turned sideways to face him. “Has something happened?”

He set his glass down on the end table. “I took Dickens to the vet this afternoon.”

“And?” I reached out and squeezed his hand.

“Those lumps you found? Lymphoma.” Tyler's voice hitched in his throat. “I knew he wasn't right. He was just sitting there looking at me with those big brown eyes like he was apologizing for something. What has that dog ever had to apologize for?”

“Oh, no.” My eyes filled like a flash flood. “Is there anything they can do?”

Tyler nodded stiffly. Pain creased his forehead. “They did blood work.” He rubbed an eye with his knuckle. “They're going to call me in the morning. They said something about chemo, but I don't want to put him through anything painful. Especially if it won't help.”

“I'm so sorry, Tyler.”

“Yeah, me too.” He picked his glass up again. “Sorry to ruin your dinner party.”

I brushed a loose tuft of hair from his forehead. “It's just a meal shared with friends. But if you're not up to it, I understand.”

“I'm just grateful I took him.” Our eyes met. “You knew something was wrong with him long before I did. I should have listened to you.”

“We're hungry,” Annie said, as she and Custer entered the room. “Hey, Tyler.” She stopped in her tracks. “What happened?”

“Dickens has been diagnosed with cancer,” I said.

“Oh no.” Annie slapped her hand over her mouth.

“Sorry to hear that, man,” Custer said.

“Thanks.”

*   *   *

Once the cheese had melted and started to brown, we filled our wineglasses and sat down to dinner. Tyler was on his third glass. His eyelids were heavy. He wasn't normally a big drinker. In fact, I rarely saw him consume any sort of alcohol other than an occasional beer.