Mission to Murder (18 page)

Greg smiled. “Just keeping you on your toes. No, Josh has an air-tight alibi for the night Craig was killed. When you gave me those receipts, I decided to take a second look. He was at an estate auction up north. He stayed over and I even have him on camera in the hotel at exactly the same time as we estimate the murder occurred. We cleared him days ago.”

“You’re mean.” But I mulled Josh’s alibi around in my head. Why couldn’t I have been somewhere a camera could have proved I wasn’t the killer?

Greg punched a new address into the GPS and Dora quickly routed him. He sighed and searched my face for something. “I don’t think you take this seriously sometimes. It’s not one of your books, Jill. People do bad things. And when they think they’re going to get caught, they do more bad things to hide their guilt.”

I peeked up from the ring I’d been twisting. “I get it. I’m to stay in the car. Even if I have to pee.”

That made Greg laugh. “If that happens, go to the nearest police officer on duty and ask to be escorted to a convenience store in the area. I won’t make you suffer.”

“Thanks.” I watched the road pass by as we drove closer to the docks. I knew we were close when the lights from the police cars started brightening the darkening night. Then Dora instructed Greg to turn right, and we were at our destination.

G
reg had only been gone twenty minutes and it felt like hours. If this was a quick stop in, how did they get through stakeouts? No wonder Toby had fallen asleep the first time he’d played guard dog for me when everything was blowing up around Miss Emily’s death. I took the fake rock out of my purse and fingered the key, wondering if I should mention Jackie and I visiting the crate yesterday. But I knew exactly how Greg felt about me getting involved in police investigations, and besides, we hadn’t actually found anything that would point toward Craig’s killer.

I’d read the new manual that came with the car, learning the new options including the fact I didn’t have to keep track of oil change time anymore, my car would tell me. And it would tell me if I was running low on gas. A handy feature since I didn’t like stopping and filling the tank. It was the one thing I missed about being married. My ex had been a fanatic about keeping the tank at least half full at all times.

I watched the red and blue lights flashing on and off and thought of the ocean. I imagined waves coming in with every flash.

Greg’s hand shook my arm, and when I opened my eyes, I didn’t see the flashing lights anymore. We were sitting in my driveway, the rock in my hands. I scooted up in the seat. “Wow, I guess I was tired.”

“The SF cops were calling you Sleeping Beauty.” He nodded to the house. “You want me to walk you in?”

“If I make coffee, will you tell me what we were doing there?” I stretched.

Greg smiled and pushed a wayward curl out of my face. “Do you have cheesecake? Someone ate mine from dinner.”

“And it was amazing, but yeah, I brought some home from the shop today.” I leaned my head on the headrest and watched him. “I thought maybe you’d want some for breakfast.”

He chuckled. “Not tonight. I’m heading straight to the office after coffee and cheesecake. I think we finally have a lead.”

That made me wake up. I opened my door and grabbed my purse. Crossing over to the fence, I opened the gate and stared at Greg, still sitting in the car. “What are you waiting for? Let’s get brewing.”

He climbed out of the Jeep, grinning. “I don’t know whether to be insulted or proud.”

Confused, I stared at him. “What?”

He pulled me close and kissed my forehead. “You tossed aside the idea of a night alone with me for solving a murder case. You’re either the perfect match for a local cop, or a crime junkie.”

Pushing aside the compliment—at least I thought it was a compliment—I unlocked the front door. An envelope fell to the floor when I opened the door.

Greg reached down and peeked inside.

“Hey, what if it’s a love note from my other boyfriend?” I teased as I clicked on lights and put my purse and keys on the front table. Greg absently turned the locks on the door and followed me into the kitchen, still reading.

“You don’t have time for another boyfriend. Between being the South Cove primary crime stopper and seeing me, your days are pretty filled.” He tossed the letter onto the kitchen table and greeted Emma, who bounded into the living room, ready for human company after chasing rabbits and other wildlife out of the yard for the last few hours. “Besides, Emma wouldn’t like it if you brought someone else over. She’s bonded to me.”

Pouring water into the coffeemaker, I laughed. “That dog can be bought with a dog treat. I’m sure she’d trade me in for two.”

“Sad, but probably true.” He scratched Emma behind the ears. “You want me to help with the cheesecake?”

“Stay there. I’m perfectly capable of dishing up two slices without brute force.” I grabbed two small plates with the rose design from my cabinet. Greg might complain about the tea party feel, but I loved this china and used it every chance I got. I set a fork and plate in front of him and then slipped into my seat. “What’s this?”

“You said it was a love letter.” Greg started eating, not looking up at me.

“Brat.” I took a bite of the cheesecake and the vanilla swirl hit my tongue. Heaven. Sadie Michaels was a genius. I started reading the letter. Looking up, I said, “This is from Justin.”

“Yep.” Greg took another bite, but now he was watching my face.

Sometimes the strong, silent type only goes so far. I kept reading. Then I froze. I reread a paragraph.

Greg polished off my slice of cheesecake, too. The guy could eat through anything. “Someone could have planted the censer to throw us off track.”

I grabbed the letter. “If Justin could put this together in what, a day, then the mayor’s going to be asking you what your malfunction is and why you haven’t arrested me.”

Greg stood and reached for a to-go cup. “He already asks me that every day. Why should this evidence make it any different?”

“Because this says Emma’s new chew toy was discovered missing from The Castle.” I shook the letter. “Then it winds up in my yard?”

Greg set a cup of coffee in front of me, then pulled his chair closer so he could hold my hand after he pried the letter out of my grip. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

I frowned. His question confused me. “No.”

“I’d have to be pretty dense to see this as anything but a frame job. If you killed Craig”—he held his hand up to stop me from talking—“I said
if.
Why would you bring a souvenir from the crime scene, then give it to your dog to play with? That doesn’t make a bit of sense.”

I thought about his logic for a few minutes. “But it does mean someone is trying to make me the fall guy for this. And the person who’s trying, isn’t thinking things through.”

“Or is dumber than a box of rocks.” Greg smiled. “So do you want to know what was in the crate?”

“I’d assumed Craig’s antiques?” I tried to sound casual, hoping something I owned hadn’t fallen out of my purse while I’d been sneaking around.

He nodded. “The only unit broken into belonged to Craig Morgan. The harbor master verified the ownership before we entered the box. And yes, it had antiques.”

I waited, but Greg seemed to be waiting for me to guess. “And what? Antiques, and what?”

“That’s just it, nothing. What was there wasn’t as important as what was missing.”

I sipped my coffee, but my body was beginning to betray me. I needed sleep. I covered a yawn, then asked, “What was missing?”

“The drug dogs say cocaine from their reaction. Although how the trainer tells the difference based on yips and barks, I’ll never know.”

I felt stunned. “Craig was importing cocaine?”

“That’s what it looks like. Which adds a whole ’nother line of questioning to the witness interviews.” He glanced at his watch. “The crime techs from the scene are showing up at the station in ten minutes. I’ve got to get down there.”

I followed him to the front door. “Look, be careful.”

“I’m working with the geek squad, I think I’m fine.” He put a finger under my chin. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Back door is already locked. Front will be as soon as you leave. Besides, why kill your best patsy?” I put my hands on my hips and posed.

Greg laughed and pulled me into a hug. “Because you wouldn’t look like a murder. If this was my playbook, you’d be committing suicide or having an accident to keep you out of the picture.”

My eyes widened as I studied this man I’d thought I’d known. “Sometimes you scare me.”

“In a totally good and sexy way, right?” He kissed me again and then stepped out of the hug. “Stay inside. Tomorrow we’ll take the case apart piece by piece. Just you and me.”

“Promises, promises.” I pushed him toward the door.

He stopped inside the doorway. “I mean it, Jill. Stay inside.”

I watched him pull away from the house and for once, I felt alone, vulnerable. But if I’d said that, Toby would be camped out on my doorstop and the last time that happened we both wound up in the hospital. Emma whined next to me.

I bent down and wrapped my arms around the big golden retriever. Listening to her heartbeat made my own slow a bit. Wiping the back of my hand across my eyes, I stood and checked the locks again. “Let’s go to bed.”

Emma trotted up the stairs behind me. When I reached my bedroom, I put the cell phone on my nightstand, propped a chair under the doorknob blocking the door, and turned on the shower.

Half-expecting to be a leading lady in the
Psycho
movie, the warm water failed to do any magic on my tense muscles. If anything, when I got out and climbed into pajama pants and a tank, I felt more wound up. I opened the soda I’d brought with me and slipped between the covers. There was no way I would fall asleep anytime soon, so I reached for a gothic mystery and got lost in the creepy goodness.

The phone woke me to a sunny Saturday. Bleary-eyed, I glanced at the clock and jumped out of bed, knocking the half-read book off my chest. I’d slept through my alarm and in ten minutes I was supposed to open the shop.

I clicked the phone on, using the speaker function. “Hello?”

“I thought you might still be asleep.” Aunt Jackie chuckled. “No need to hurry in, I’ve already opened the shop and made coffee. Snuggle back with that hunk of yours.”

I pulled my pajamas off as I talked. “Greg isn’t here.”

“Oh. Well then, get your butt down here. I shouldn’t have to cover your shifts, too.” Aunt Jackie paused, then asked, “Did you get in a fight?”

“No. Greg and I are fine.” I shook my head at the phone, not caring she couldn’t see my action. With my aunt it was all or nothing. She made no bones about the fact she thought Greg should man up and ask me to marry him. Even though I’d told her time and again, I liked our situation right now. “Look, I’ll be down in a few minutes. We can talk then.”

I hung up the phone before she could respond. Sometimes conversations with Jackie were better handled with bluntness. That way I got my point across. At least half the time.

I pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, pulled my hair back into a ponytail, and finished my morning bathroom ritual. Emma was already sitting at the door, staring at the chair blocking her way.

“Better safe than sorry,” I said to my dog, who looked at me like I was the crazy one. As soon as the door opened, she bounded down the stairs and sat at the back door, waiting for me to let her out.

I filled her food and water dishes and then locked the back door. Emma loved staying outside while I worked. Looking longingly at the empty coffeepot, I grabbed my keys and purse and after locking the front door, half-jogged up to the shop.

The smell of cinnamon, spice, and strong coffee hit me as soon as I opened the door. Jackie stood at the counter, talking to Brenda.

“There she is.” Jackie smiled at me. “Your friend stopped by to see you. I told her you’d just be a minute.”

“Actually that was a half hour ago.” Brenda glanced at the clock. “Your aunt is entertaining.”

I kissed Jackie on the cheek as I buzzed by, stashing my purse in the back office before I returned to fill a cup with our dark blend. I held up my hand to stop any additional comments, then took five sips. Finally, with the caffeine starting to run through my body, I felt close to normal. I took a stool next to Brenda. “I didn’t expect to see you today. Don’t you have to get back to the city?”

Brenda’s smile widened. “No, actually. I’m thinking about staying. I took a short vacation. They think I’m broken up about Craig’s death, they didn’t even question my need for two weeks. I’m looking around for a place here in South Cove.”

I took another sip of coffee. The day was becoming much more interesting. “Wow. I thought you hated it here.”

Pain shot through Brenda’s eyes, and I wished I could have taken the words back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to question. Let’s forget what I said. How about, ‘Wow, you’ll love it here in South Cove’?”

“And I will. Especially with Craig not around to tell me how stupid I am or how fat.” Brenda held up her hand. “I know I shouldn’t have let him get to me, but when the man who says he loves you treats you like that, it’s hard to separate truth from fiction.”

“Well, you’re definitely not fat now. And you were never stupid.” I reached over and gave Brenda a quick hug. “What were the two of you huddling about when I came in?”

“Cloaked in Mystery. I was telling Brenda we already have over fifty people confirmed. I can’t believe it. We’ll have to take out the tables to make room for more chairs.” Jackie glanced around the coffee shop, already moving things around in her mind.

“I can’t believe it’s next week.” I finished my coffee and handed my cup to Jackie. “More, please.”

“You always were a polite child.” Jackie smiled as she refilled my cup and set it in front of me. “You want something to go with that?”

“I’ll grab a bite later.” I turned my attention back to Brenda. “So you’ll be here for the uncovering.”

She frowned at me. “What?”

“I think she means the uncloaking.” Jackie put a piece of pumpkin pie in front of me with a fork. The pie had been drowned in whipped cream, exactly the way I liked it. “Eat, your brain cells will thank us.”

Brenda nodded. “I’ve got some things to settle with Craig’s estate. The good news is, he never changed anything when we separated, and I still have access to our accounts. Tomorrow, I’m driving into Bakerstown to finalize things with Doc Ames and empty the safety deposit box.”

I’d been scarfing down the pie, but Brenda’s mention of a safety deposit box got me thinking about Craig’s hollowed-out books. “What did he keep there?”

Brenda shook her head. “No clue. The man never even told me we had one, and according to the paperwork I found, he’s had this since we moved here.”

I finished the pie and brushed my hands together. “Maybe you’re a wealthy merry widow.”

Brenda barked a laugh. “A life insurance policy would be amazing, but I’m hoping I’m not a broke widow. Do you think Craig had any clue he might die before me?”

She had a point there. With Craig’s arrogance, he probably thought he’d live forever. “Sorry, forgot who we were talking about.”

Brenda glanced at the clock. “Damn, I didn’t realize it was that late. Look, I need to ask you a favor.”

I almost said “anything” but thought better of it. “What do you need?”