Marriage and Murder (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Book 4) (13 page)

Kelly forcefully laid her hand on Lady, sending her a
signal to stop growling. She reached for the gun on the nightstand with her
other hand, all the while straining her ears to see if she could hear what had
caused Lady to growl. She thought she heard soft footsteps and a creak in the
wood floor in the hallway. Lady left her side and went around the bed,
positioning herself next to the closed door.

It’s not my imagination,
she thought
, someone is
definitely coming down the hall towards my room.
She used every bit of mind
focus she had ever learned while taking yoga and meditation classes at the
White Cloud Retreat Center to remain calm, willing Lady to be silent and stay
where she was. She slid out of bed as quietly as she could, flattened herself
on the floor, and then began inching her way under the bed. She could just make
out Lady’s paws in the darkened room and saw that the dog wasn’t moving.
Stay,
Lady, stay. Please don’t move,
she thought, certain whoever it was in the
hallway could hear her heart pounding in her chest. There was no mistaking the sound
of footsteps as the person neared the door to her room.

The next thing Kelly knew
the door flew open, and a gunshot was fired at the bed, narrowly missing her in
her hidden position under the bed. Lady, snarling and barking, leaped at
whoever had fired the shot. Kelly heard a strange voice cry out in pain, and
then a gun skittered across the wooden floor, landing just outside of her reach.
Kelly yelled, “Lady, Guard.” She was attempting to inch her way out from
underneath the bed when she heard Mike say in a loud commanding voice, “Don’t
move. Stay where you are. Kelly, are you in here?”

“I’m under the bed. I’m so
glad you’re here,” she said in a shaky voice.

“Rebel, Lady, Guard,” Mike
said to the two dogs, while he lifted the end of the bed up, allowing Kelly to
roll out from under it. She stood up and saw Celia lying on the floor with the
two dogs standing over her, keeping her in a prone position. She was holding
her arm, and a faint trickle of blood was beginning to show on the sleeve of
her blouse where Lady had clamped down on her arm. Mike rolled Celia over and
quickly secured her hands in handcuffs behind her back.

“Rebel, Lady, Stand Down.
That’s all.” The quivering dogs walked over to Kelly and Mike, sensing that their
masters were no longer in danger. “Kelly, tell me what happened.”

She briefly told him what
had happened from the time Lady woke her by growling to when he came into the
room. Mike got out his phone and called Rich, his chief deputy. “I need you at
my house. Now. I have an intruder cuffed, and she shot a bullet into the bed
where Kelly had been sleeping just moments earlier, probably thinking Kelly was
in it. Luckily Lady alerted her by growling. Kelly heard footsteps coming down
the hallway towards the bedroom and managed to hide under the bed. Thankfully
the bullet missed her. That’s attempted murder for one charge. I’ll see what
else I can find out.”

“Celia, why are you here?”
he asked after he’d ended the call.

Something was niggling at
Kelly about Celia. She looked Celia up and down, trying to figure out what it
was. “Mike, I just remembered something.” She walked over to the closet, opened
the door, and took her purse from the top shelf.

“Kelly, can’t this wait?
I’d like to figure out what Celia’s doing here and why she just tried to kill
you.”

“Give me a minute. Yes,
here it is.” She reached into her purse and took out the small decorative pin
from the inside zipper pouch where she’d put it the previous Sunday when she’d
found it outside the door of The Crush after she and Mike had discovered
Jesse’s body. The clasp of the pin had come off of the back of it, but the
Arabic numerals “07” were displayed on the pin in small red, white, and blue rhinestones.
        

“Mike, when I left The
Crush with the young deputy who took me home, I found this small pin right
outside the door. I picked it up and stuck it in my purse. I’d planned on
trying to find something out about it, so I could return it to the owner, but
with everything that’s happened in the last few days, it slipped my mind.
Yesterday, as I told you, Celia came to the coffee shop, and when she was
leaving, her purse flew open, and a bunch of things fell out on the floor. When
I helped her pick them up, I noticed that a business card of hers had the words
‘Cedar Bay Historical Society – Established in 1907’ on it. The ‘07’ on her
business card was written in a distinctive sort of slanted print, the same way
the ‘07’ appears on this pin I found.

“I’m certain the distinctive
way the number appears on the pin and the number ‘07’ on her business card are
an exact match. I bet if you look in her purse you’ll find business cards, and
you can see for yourself. Plus, look at her. She’s wearing a blouse with a
decorative pin on it indicating she’s president of The Historical Society, the
same number is on the pin, and it’s formed by red, white, and blue rhinestones.
When I found the pin, it was completely dry. There was no moisture at all on
it, yet, it had been foggy and misting earlier that morning. You and I even
commented on the way to The Crush how glad we were that the day before, our
wedding day, had been sunny and nice, but it was foggy and misting the next day
when we discovered Jesse’s body. Because the pin was perfectly dry when it
should have been covered with moisture, it means it could only have been laying
there on the ground for a few minutes. Otherwise it would have been wet from
the morning mist.

“I’m certain the pin I
found is Celia’s pin, and it must have fallen off her blouse, probably as she
was rushing out the back door of The Crush. Remember you got a tip from an
anonymous witness who said he heard people in the store arguing? I bet it was
Celia and Jessie arguing, and somehow during the argument it turned physical,
and they began struggling. Jesse must have broken the latch on Celia’s pin
during that struggle. I’m sure she’s the one who killed Jesse. I think the
broken pin proves it.”

Mike swung his eyes from
Kelly to Celia. “Well, Celia, what do you have to say for yourself? You might
as well tell me because from what the fire investigators have discovered, it
looks like the fire at Sophie Marchant’s home was intentionally set. Plus,
they’ve located a gasoline can that was discarded not too far from the fire,
and from the quick dusting they did on it for fingerprints, they were pretty sure
there would be some on it that they could tie to the fire. I’d be willing to
bet they’re your fingerprints.”

“I’m placing you under
arrest. Before you say anything, I’m going to read you your rights.” He took a
card out of his wallet and began reading Celia her Miranda rights.

“I want a lawyer,” she
said. “I know I’m entitled to one.”

“That you are, but between
charges of arson and attempted murder, you might be a lot better off telling me
everything, and I could request a more lenient sentence for you if you came
clean.”

“Mike, excuse me, but I need
to talk to Celia.” Kelly turned toward Celia and said, “You need to know that Sophie
will testify in court that she overheard you tell Jesse, when the two of you were
talking in the back room of The Crush, that Sophie’s house should be burned
down. You’ll be seeing that beautiful French woman win a case against you. I
can only imagine how that will make you feel. Sophie may have lost Jesse, but
ultimately she’ll win. Yes, Sophie is going to beat you.”

“That’s why I killed him,”
Celia blurted out. “He couldn’t help himself when she started sashaying and
swishing around him in that high falutin  French way. If he’d married her it would
have ruined him and the town. I couldn’t let him do that. It would tarnish the
Allen name to have that hussy carrying it, to say nothing of having more
foreigners in Cedar Bay. We don’t want or need the likes of her around and we
didn’t need that house...” She stopped, realizing what she’d said.

“Mike, you told me once you
always carry a recorder in your pocket, just in case. Hope this was a just in
case time.”

“Sweetheart, you’ve got a
good memory. Yes, I recorded all of it. Celia just made a spontaneous and
voluntary confession to having killed Jesse and pretty much admitted to having
started the fire at Sophie’s house. I’m sure she came here to kill you because
she realized she’d told you that the house should be burned down, and she was
afraid you would connect her with the fire.”

“Mike, I’m here,” they
heard Rich shout out as he opened the front door.

“Come down the hall and
into the bedroom. Got someone we need to take to jail. I just got a full
confession on the Jesse Allen murder case. I imagine the prints on the gas can
that was found out at the site of tonight’s big fire will match hers as well,
so we can add arson along with the attempted murder of Kelly to the charges.”

Rich gasped when he walked
into the room and saw Celia Parsons neé Allen handcuffed and sitting on the
floor. Involuntarily he said, “Celia, what is going on?” She turned her eyes
away from him and began sobbing.

He turned to look at Mike,
“I’ve known Celia since I was a kid. We grew up together, and our families were
always very close. Can’t tell you how many times I ate dinner at the Allen home.
I don’t doubt you Mike, but are you sure it’s Celia?”

“Yes, in her demented
mind, she was determined to keep Cedar Bay pure from outside influences.
Unfortunately it involved killing her own brother and probably starting the
fire out at the Marchant house tonight. She also tried to kill Kelly, probably
in an attempt to cover up her involvement in setting Sophie Marchant’s house on
fire. See if you can recover the bullet she fired into the bed. Put the bullet
and Celia’s gun in an evidence bag. I can see it’s a .38, and I was told that
Celia kept a .38 hidden in her nightstand. Five will get you ten the ballistics
tests will also show that the bullet that killed Jesse was fired from that gun.
Kelly, you didn’t touch the gun, did you?”

“No, if you remember, I was
in the embarrassing situation of being stuck under the bed. Thank heavens Lady alerted
me, or I don’t know what would have happened. By the way, how did you and Rebel
know that someone was here, and I was in danger?”

“The light on the hood over
the stove wasn’t on. We’ve always had an agreement that you’d turn it on when
you went to bed if I had to be out late, so I’d know not to wake you up when I
got home. I knew you’d be in bed by now, so the light should have been on. I
guess Celia turned it off when she snuck into the house, hoping it might conceal
her movements. That was a red flag for me, but before I even noticed that the
light wasn’t on, Rebel was sniffing the ground like crazy, and as soon as we
got to the front door, his body was quivering, and every guard hair he has on
his back was up. I knew something was very, very wrong, and I was right. I’m
just glad we got here when we did. Rich and I will take Celia to jail and do
the necessary paperwork, so I’ll be gone for several hours. I’ll take Rebel
with me, and while I don’t expect any problems with Celia, never hurts to have
him with me, plus I probably need to give him a couple of special treats.”

Lady looked at Kelly with
an expectant look on her face. The word “treat” had not gone unnoticed by her.

“Well, Mrs. Reynolds, it’s been a week now. Are you
still glad you agreed to be my wife?” Mike said, pulling Kelly into his arms as
they lay in bed, relaxing on Saturday morning.

“I haven’t regretted it
for a minute, although I didn’t expect my first week of marriage to be one
where we’d solve a murder, I’d get shot at, or rather the bed where the person
thought I was sleeping in got shot at, and I’d find out that I’ll be a step grandmother
of not one, but two little girls. Wow! This really has been a week to remember.
Tell you what. Why don’t you relax for a few minutes while I fix a one week special
anniversary breakfast for the two of us.”

“Sounds good. I’ll let the
dogs out and get the paper while you start breakfast.”

*****

“Kelly, those omelets were fabulous. I like all three
meals of the day, but I’d have to say I think breakfast is my favorite,” Mike
said, as he spread the morning paper out in front of him. Kelly cleared the
table, and a few minutes later she heard him gasp.

“Mike, what is it?”

“Remember the guy you
followed from the AA meeting, Richard Larson, and the pictures I showed you of
his place? Looks like the poor guy just couldn’t handle the swings between his
alcoholism and trying to get sober. He committed suicide according to this article
in the paper. He missed a meeting at his office, and from what the story says,
his employer decided he’d had enough, and it was time to fire him. He went out
to his house to tell him and found him dead. It was obvious suicide. He left a
note saying that the devil alcohol had won. Poor guy.”

“If it hadn’t been for
Celia coming to our house, I probably would have tagged him as the person who
killed Jesse. We’ve been so busy with everything else the last couple of days I
don’t think you ever told me how Celia’s arraignment went.”

“Pretty much as expected.
She opted for a public defender and pled not guilty to the charge of first
degree murder and all the other charges pending against her. If her attorney makes
a deal with the district attorney, she might be able to plea bargain to a
lesser charge. Rich told me he went to see Mrs. Allen and tell her how sorry he
was about Celia. She told him that Sydney had asked her if she could come to
live with her. Evidently they were very close, even after the divorce. I
remember you telling me that Celia and Sydney were good friends.”

“Good grief. Mrs. Allen
and Sydney living together? Talk about truth being stranger than fiction! I
don’t think I’ve had a chance to tell you that Luke came to the coffee shop
yesterday.”

“No, you didn’t. What did
he have to say?”

“He hired a consultant and
is committed to making the quality pinot noir that his brother made before his
death. Luke told me he’d gone through all of the files Scott had on winemaking
and found what he thought was a formula for their best seller. Evidently the
consultant agreed that it seemed to be the right recipe for it. Luke also
contacted the Pellino brothers and told them in no uncertain terms he was not
selling the Center’s property, and if he ever found them or any of their
employees on his property, he would get a restraining order against them.”

“Good for him. Maybe that
will get their attention, because it doesn’t seem like anything else has. I
don’t think I’ve told you I got a call yesterday from the guy who worked for
the Pellino Brothers Vineyard.”

“No, what did he have to
say?”

“He told me he’d overheard
Luca telling Dante that he was glad the guy named Guido Salerno wouldn’t be
returning to the Pellino Brothers Vineyard. Dante said that was good news
because he really didn’t like the guy. Remember, he was the one I researched who
seemed to be a hit man for Angelo Rossi and the Mafia in Chicago. Maybe now things
will be a little easier for Luke.”

“I hope so. The poor guy’s
been through so much. I’ve been meaning to ask you if you’d called Sophie and
told her about Celia.”

“Yes. I talked to her
yesterday, after I received the initial report from the arson investigators.
Their report, plus the admission from Celia, is good enough for me. Sophie told
me it saddened her to think that Celia would do something like that, but she
wasn’t surprised. She said she’d already contacted her insurance company, and
she expected to receive the funds from the insurance she had on the property
within a month or so. She told me she was sorry we’d never met, because she had
really liked my wife, meaning you. The lady is a charmer.”

“That makes me feel good.
I told you I was sure she had nothing to do with Jesse’s death. If we can
believe everything we’ve heard, she’s a survivor. She’s a woman who needs a man,
and I’m sure if there’s not one in the wings, there will be shortly.”

Mike raised one eyebrow
and said, “A woman who needs a man? You say that like there’s something wrong
with a woman needing a man.”

“I think you
misinterpreted what I said, Sheriff Mike. It’s kind of like you needing a
little help from me with your investigations. I know I definitely need a man,
and I’m just fine with that. Actually, why don’t we go back to bed and act like
newlyweds?” she said, taking his hand and pulling him out of his chair.

“I think this man can
definitely arrange that, Mrs. Reynolds! But I do want you to remember one
thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m the sheriff. These
are my cases and you just get lucky once in a while. Deal?”

“Deal!”

Rebel and Lady looked at
one another, rolled over, and went back to sleep.