Till Death Do Us Bark (34 page)

Pulling Vanessa and Arlene closer to him, Evan continued as if he hadn’t heard. “Martin Kent was a friend, a neighbor, and a physician who thought he was doing his best to help his fellow man. We say farewell to him now, and ask that you stand silent for a minute while the sea carries him to a better place.”

Impressed with Evan’s simple words, Ellie waited as the foamy water washed in, inching its way to the sand castle. Several women in the crowd sobbed quietly, while a few clustered to provide commentary. When the first wave touched the monument, she locked gazes with Viv. They were almost ready for the next act.

Detective Wheeling tipped his head to Evan once a minute had passed, and the senior McCready said, “My daughter Arlene would like you all to—”

“If you don’t mind,” came a voice from the center of the murmuring throng. The mob parted as Michael Forrest, better known as Uncle Mickey, muscled his way to the front. Evan stood strong, his arms still around his wife and daughter, but Uncle Mickey simply placed himself ahead of them.

“Sorry to interrupt the party. I know it wasn’t planned that I talk, but Martin Kent was my friend. And he asked me to be the best man at his wedding, so I guess that gives me the right to speak here.”

Detective Wheeling took a step nearer the activity, as did Julio, but Ellie and Viv held their ground. If Michael Forrest was planning to out himself as the killer, this was an odd way to do it.

He held up a ham-sized hand, and the crowd fell silent. “I’m here to say good-bye to a man who cared about his friends. In the future, you might hear some things about him that aren’t so nice, but I’d like you to forget what you hear and remember him as he was.” Uncle Mickey hung his head. “I can’t imagine anyone trying to hurt him, but they did, and that was a damned shame, because Marty Kent was a man who did what he could to help his community.” He sniffed back a tear. “And I’ll miss him.”

Then he stepped aside. “Sorry for the interruption, Mr. McCready, but I felt compelled to say my piece.”

Viv shrugged, and Ellie knew what she was thinking. The pharmacist had the right to speak, even if he was the one who killed the deceased, but it was a strange thing to do.

Next came the second part of the evening. Wheeling’s officers kept the attendees moving, and didn’t allow anyone to veer toward the cottage or parking lot. When they reached the terrace steps, Ellie saw Tomas standing guard at the door leading to the kitchen. The catering staff had set up a bar on both ends of the deck, while a variety of canapés were waiting in trays on the main table.

People could stay on the deck, stand on the steps, or sit at the smaller tables arranged on the grassy area in front of the dog pens. Evan, Vanessa, Arlene, Ellie, and Viv were the last to reach the stairs. Rosa and the caterers were dispensing food up top, while Julio looked on.

“I’m glad this is almost over.” Viv landed in a chair facing one of the tables. “This is tough work.”

“The toughest is yet to come,” Ellie reminded her. Taking a seat, she smiled at the Boston Terriers, Twink and Rudy, lined up behind the fence and staring at her. “Don’t drop out on me now. You have to stay sharp and help me see this through to the end.”

“How did things go at the service?”
Rudy asked, his nose pushing against the screening.

As if she were taking a break, Ellie laid her head on her arm and whispered, “Fine, but Uncle Mickey stuck his three cents in after Evan’s eulogy. He shed a tear, and told everyone how much he was going to miss the doc. It was weird.”

“I was thinking the same—”

“Are you talking to yourself again?” asked Viv. “Because trouble is coming our way.”

Ellie looked up and saw Wheeling edging toward them with his partner, Detective Levy, at his side. She put on a cheerful grin, hoping to ward off his questions, but, like Myron, there was no guarantee he’d cooperate.

“Okay, ladies. We’ve done things your way and nothing’s happened,” he said, stopping at their table. “What are we waiting for?”

“Except for the family members and personal friends who were here at the prewedding party, we’re waiting for everyone to leave,” Ellie explained, though she’d already given him the drill. “I expect your men to help Julio escort the extra baggage out, say in another fifteen minutes or so. When the last nonguest leaves, we’ll go inside, where Tomas is setting up the living room.”

“Good thing, because I’m freezing,” said Viv. “I can’t believe it’s the middle of July and there’s such a chill in the air.”

“How about if you send a couple of your men inside to help Tomas start the fire?” Ellie asked Wheeling. “That will warm things up and give people a reason to stay. We’re going to tell the family Arlene has a personal message for them and ask them to remain as a show of respect.”

Wheeling tipped his head at Levy, and the detective took off to do, Ellie hoped, what she asked.

“Okay, now what?” Wheeling ground out.

“Jeez, put a lid on it, will you?” ordered Viv. “This isn’t going to be easy for any of us. Ellie has a plan, which she’s told you about, but there’s no guarantee it will work.”

“Since it’s about the most ridiculous plan I’ve ever heard, there’s definitely no guarantee it will work.” The detective loomed over them, his large frame standing firm against the Atlantic wind. “Look, Ms. Engleman. I’m going along with this dog and pony show for one simple reason: because Captain Carmody told Agent Bond you were an okay sort who knew what she was doing. That’s the only stamp of approval you have here, and it’s fading fast. Let’s get a move on, and not waste any more of my force’s time.”

Ellie smothered a snarky comment and gazed up at the crowd on the terrace, where she saw women hugging their jackets close, while men circled around them as if protecting them from the wind. If they stayed out here any longer, someone was sure to invite themselves inside. When that happened, the entire throng would troop through the door and she’d never get to act three.

“Okay, fine,” she said, standing. She opened the gate to the dog pen and released the five dogs. “You guys know what to do,” she whispered, bending down to scratch her boy’s ears. “Take your places.”

The dogs scampered up the steps, moving guests out of the way. Rosa saw the canine commotion and nodded to the caterers, who began clearing trays and dismantling the bar. Julio and Tomas stood in the doorway and refused anyone who wasn’t one of the select few to come into the house.

Evan McCready hugged Arlene, then clapped his hands. “We’d like to thank you all for coming. Please follow the police escort down the stairs and around to your cars. The kitchen entrance is for the family only.”

People on the deck grumbled a variety of complaints. Some needed to get warm, others wanted a restroom, and a few were just plain rude, but Tomas and Julio held firm and, with the help of the officers, managed to get the nonguests moving in the right direction.

Dr. Bordowski and Uncle Mickey, who’d been huddled near a bar setup, headed toward the stairs, but Terry and Maria blocked their escape. “Ms. Millman wants you both to stay. She considers you family,” said Terry.

The doctor and pharmacist appeared confused, but did as they were told and followed almost-aunts Connie and Elsie through the terrace door with Rudy, T, and the Bostons on their heels.

Ellie followed the group into the living room. Once the dogs had settled into a five-pooch throw rug in front of the fireplace, she gave the nod and the girls blocked the exits with the police close behind.

“I have more men outside making sure the gawkers leave, just like you asked. They’ll wait in their cars until something interesting happens,” said Wheeling, walking behind her. “And ‘interesting’ better happen soon.”

“Give me a minute,” Ellie told him, scanning the room. The impressive fireplace, with its brightly burning gas logs, took up almost one entire wall. Tomas sat on the hearth, guarding Myron, who perched on his stand like a king surveying his subjects. Viv stood on the opposite side of the fireplace, chatting with Mickey and Dr. Bordowski as if they were old friends.

The four R cousins huddled on the sofa, with Aunt Miriam and Aunt Connie sitting across from them on rattan chairs. Uncle Scott, Faith, Christian, and Aunt Elsie were clustered near the foyer doorway to the right of Ellie and Wheeling. And she found Detective Levy posted in a far corner, taking everything in.

“Excuse me.” Cousin Faith, a tall, thin blonde wearing Donna Karan, sneaked up on her from the side. “We really need to be going. What’s so important that Arlene can’t say it in a phone call or a text message?”

“Give her a chance to gather her thoughts. This won’t take long,” Ellie assured her.

Aunt Elsie trundled over with Coco in her arms. “Here’s my darling,” she said, holding the dog to her cheek. “She can’t wait to be included in your daily walking schedule.”

Cupping the dog’s chin, Ellie grinned at the snowwhite teacup Poodle. “Coco is a cutie.” She spotted Aunt Connie. “But what about Greta?”

“Be thankful Connie left her at home. That dog is a menace. She spent the day jumping on the kitchen counters to look for food.” Elsie gave her Poodle a kiss. “Coco was so traumatized she had accidents all day long.”

Ellie held back an eye roll. She was going to have her hands full with—

“Ms. Engleman? I believe you have something important to do right now,” Wheeling said, breaking into the conversation.

She graced the detective with a frown. “Sorry, Elsie. We’ll talk later. Why don’t you take a seat and get comfortable? This should be quick.” Turning, she said to Wheeling, “Where is Agent Bond? Viv left a message on his cell, telling him to be here.”

“He’s here. You just don’t see him,” Wheeling said, his tone snarky. “Now let’s get this show on the road.”

Ellie scoured the room for Arlene, whom she found standing near the entry to the back hall with Vanessa, Evan, and Rosa. “Wait here, and please don’t do anything until I give the signal.”

She aimed for the McCreadys with her fingers crossed. “Are you ready to play your part?” she asked Arlene when she reached them.

“I’ll do my best.” Arlene looked at her parents. “Can you stand nearby for moral support?”

“We’ll do whatever you need us to,” said Vanessa, taking her daughter’s hand. “Come on. Let’s get you settled. Then we’ll move out of the way.”

Ellie heaved a deep breath. Things were taking shape, just as she planned, and her time to act was drawing near. She’d tried to talk Viv into handling this end of it, but couldn’t get her to agree. After checking her pocket for M&Ms, she crossed the room with the McCreadys and took her spot next to Myron.

Arlene stood ready on the other side of the parrot’s perch and Evan clapped his hands. “Excuse me, everyone, but my daughter would like a few minutes of your time.”

Arlene cleared her throat and glanced at the family crowd. Most of the group had closed ranks, while Viv followed the plan and edged Dr. Bordowski and Uncle Mickey to the center of the room.

“I’d like to thank all of you for coming tonight. I know the weather’s been lousy and traffic is terrible this time of year, so if anyone wants to stay over, please feel free to do so.”

“Elsie and I can’t, dear,” Aunt Connie announced. “There’s no one home to take care of Greta, but thank you for offering.”

Arlene tossed her a smile, then said, “I’ve asked you here because I need your help. I’ve thought and thought about the night Martin was murdered, and since all of you were here, I assume you’ve been thinking about it, too. It was an epic event for our family, and when I learned the truth of Martin’s business dealings, well, there was no way I could leave things as they were.”

“No one here thinks you took part in his illegal activities,” said Miriam. “We’d never believe that of you.”

Arlene inhaled a breath. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but there’s more. When the police decided the killer was someone at the party, I simply couldn’t accept it. Who here would want Martin dead?” She glanced at Detective Wheeling. “The officers gathered evidence as best they could, but when they arrested Tomas, I felt positive they had the wrong man. And that’s why I asked for assistance from another source.”

She focused on Ellie. “Ms. Engleman has become a friend and a confidante, and she kindly offered to put my mind at ease by performing her own investigation of that night.”

“I thought you said she was a dog walker,” cousin Christian reminded them. “Now you’re saying she works with the police?”

“Not exactly, but she does have investigative experience, and a lot of good ideas about how to find the real killer.” She gave a nod. “I’ll leave the rest of this talk to her.”