Bound To Be Dead: Cozy Mystery Bookshop Series Book 3 Read online

  “Good for you.” I give my aunt one last squeeze before I release her. “I hear this lawyer is as ruthless as Uncle Frank. No offense, but I hope she annihilates him.”

  “Me too, Sawyer.” My aunt looks down at the paper in her hand and nods. “Me too.”

  With my good deed done for the day, I head back to my store to meet with the Admiral and Madge. We need to go over what we know and eliminate those we can from the suspect list. I wish one of those names was my dad’s, but he’s not in the clear yet. I’m afraid he won’t be until we find the real killer because there’s so much circumstantial evidence stacked against him. It’s times like this I’m glad Dylan is the sheriff. He knows my dad and will give him the benefit of the doubt unless the evidence screams otherwise. Hopefully, that will happen soon.

  I’m just outside my store when my phone rings. The name on caller ID makes my heart instantly warmer. “Hey, Brittany. How are you?”

  Brittany grunts. “I just registered for school. I got lame classes because it’s so late in the year. My mom said I could wait until January, but that didn’t make sense. I might have lost credits.”

  “Right.” Brittany is still more responsible than her mother. That doesn’t sit well in my craw. “When do you start?”

  “Monday. But I forgot to return my books there. Can you run them over whenever you get a chance? They’re all piled up on my bed.”

  “Sure. How are things going otherwise?”

  “Okay.” Brittany is quiet for a moment. “With Mica here, it’s not the same as it was before. He’s kinda bossy.”

  “Bossy to you or your mom?” If he lays a hand on Brittany, I’ll put an end to this experiment in a heartbeat.

  “My mom. But weirdly, she doesn’t seem to mind. And she waits on him hand and foot. When I asked her why she’d put up with that, she said she likes her new life just the way it is. And not to rock the boat.”

  I’m not sure how to respond. “Relationships can be complicated.”

  “I guess.” Gum popping and chewing sounds happen for a moment until she says, “You’d never let Dylan boss you around like that. Would you?”

  “No, but I don’t mind his input on things. We actually work pretty well together…most of the time.”

  Brittany laughs. “Except for the times you’re snooping into his cases, which is pretty much most of the time.”

  I can’t help my smile. The kid is too perceptive for her age. “What’s your point, smarty—”

  “Mom’s yelling for me. Gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Wait.” The line goes dead, so I shake my head and put my phone back into my purse. I miss Brittany so much, but maybe it’s better she isn’t here for all the drama with my uncle and getting kicked out of our house. Hopefully, she’ll get tired of living with her mom and come home, wherever that might be.

  However, I need to prepare myself if that doesn’t happen.

  I tug on the bookstore’s door and am nearly bowled over by Cooper. “You’d think we hadn’t seen each other for days rather than an hour ago, you goofball.” I kneel to pet Coop, hoping his omnipresent love will fill the hole in my heart talking to Brittany just left.

  After a good rub all over my pooch, I lift a hand. “Hey, Nan. Everything under control?”

  “Yep.” Nan turns and goes right back to her dusting. “Slow as always.”

  Sadly, that’s not going to be my problem much longer, so I head for the kitchen area to get ready for our eleven o’clock book club meeting. I grab a plate and some cookies from the tin and lay things out.

  Just as I sit down with a much-needed mug of caffeine, Madge rumbles through the front door, slips into the chair opposite me, and says, “Brought us some lunch. Figured you had enough going on without having to worry about our stomachs too.”

  “Thanks. But I just had four sugar cookies at my aunt’s house.”

  “Oh.” Madge’s face falls. “I guess you can stash your sandwich in the fridge and have it later, then. Even though it won’t be nearly as good. On account of it’s still crispy from the toaster oven at work.”

  “Well, in that case.” I don’t want to disappoint Madge, so I take the sandwich and unwrap it. “Wouldn’t want to spoil all your hard work.” I take a bite filled with Thousand Island dressing, sauerkraut, melty swiss cheese, and salty corned beef. “Great Reuben!”

  “Thanks.” The front of Madge’s Christmas sweater puffs up a bit.

  I think this homemade knitted wonder is supposed to have Santa and an elf on the front, but it looks more like a red grinch and his scraggly dog.

  The Admiral joins us. “I hope there’s another one of those for me.”

  “Of course, there is.” Madge slides a wrapped sandwich toward him. “Figured we’d have a working lunch today. Things are starting to hop at the station, so I have to get back soon. Wouldn’t want to miss out on an arrest or anything.”

  “An arrest?” I stand and grab two cups of coffee and set them in front of my guests. “Did something new happen?”

  Madge sets her sandwich down and whispers, “Beth called Dylan this morning. Said she had another dream last night. You know, one of those ethereal types, or whatever.”

  I lean closer. “What was it about?”

  The Admiral says, “Did she see who killed Tina?”

  “Sort of.” Madge takes another bite and nods while she chews. Another of her annoying pregnant pauses. Then she takes a swig of coffee before she says, “Beth didn’t see her face, but it was definitely a woman.”

  “A woman?” A warm flash of joy fills me that my father will be off the hook before my heart sinks to my toes. I was so sure it was my uncle. But then, Beth works for my uncle. “What if she just said that to throw Dylan off the trail? Could Beth be covering for my uncle?”

  “Doubtful,” Madge says. “After all, Beth was the one who told your aunt about your uncle’s affair, right?”

  “That was supposed to be a secret.” I send Madge a stern look.

  “Ooops.” Madge’s hand covers her mouth. “Sorry.”

  The Admiral waves a hand. “Your secret is safe with me. And I agree with Madge. Beth has no motive to lie as far as I can see.”

  Madge takes another bite and mumbles, “But is Beth right?”

  The Admiral frowns. “I know I didn’t do it. And it’s doubtful your father did, Sawyer. Max is many things, but a killer isn’t one of them. Your uncle had the most motive, being the one in a secret relationship with Tina.”

  I nod as I sip my coffee. “I was thinking about that last night. My uncle was fully aware Pattie knew about his affair, so it was only a matter of time before the whole town found out. My uncle was under a lot of pressure, knowing how much he stood to lose if my aunt found out. I can’t take him off the list.”

  The Admiral says, “So we’ll keep him on the list. But let’s assume Beth is right. Which women would have a motive? Apparently, your aunt, based on what Madge just spilled.”

  I shake my head. “Aunt Carol gave Dylan permission to look at her credit cards. My aunt was shopping all day with my cousin’s daughter in San Francisco.”

  “Wait.” Madge raises a hand. “That explains what I overheard today. Dylan said to one of the deputies, ‘Her card might have been all those places, but was she? We need security footage from the toy store, restaurant, and the aquarium if possible,’ end quote.”

  “So Dylan still suspects my aunt.” I guess she could have given her credit card to my cousin and his wife and then returned to town to do the deed. My cousin can’t stand my uncle either. And both my cousins would do anything for my aunt.

  I can’t wrap my head around my soft-spoken aunt hurting anyone. But then, I can’t imagine my uncle actually killing a person either, even as mean as he can be. I’m just not a good judge of killer material, apparently.

  Madge adds, “And out of the show’s judges that day, there’s still Emily, whose husband was having an affair with Pattie. What if your uncle saw Joe and Pat
tie together that day when Pattie claims to have seen your uncle and Tina at The Blue Hippo? All four of them would know they just caught each other cheating. Maybe they made a pact?”

  “That’s a possibility.” The Admiral rubs his chin as if in thought. “That’s a fine possibility.”

  A memory has me blurting out, “Pattie threatened me while I was getting my hair cut. Sort of. She tugged my hair back and hissed at me about keeping things to myself, or someone else might be hurt like Tina was. Or something close to that.”

  “A foursome. Like in golf.” Madge slowly nods. “Both Joe and your uncle live and breathe golf. And Dylan was checking tee times for Frank too. This is starting to make more sense.”

  “If that’s true and Beth’s vision is reliable, then that would mean either Emily or Pattie could have done it.” The Admiral finishes off his sandwich in three bites. “But Carol still makes the most sense.”

  I run everything we know about what happened backstage at the fall festival through my mind again. “Emily did a flower switch, and so did Frank. If the foursome theory is true, could this be like that Agatha Christie movie on the train where everyone claims to have killed that guy, making it impossible to find the real killer?”

  The Admiral laughs. “I don’t think the four of them are that smart. Let’s think. How could a rose kill Tina? Even if there were poison on a thorn, I can’t imagine it’d be enough to do any real damage. Wouldn’t the poison have to have come from Tina’s cup?”

  Madge stands and paces. “The cup Emily says she saw Max pour something into. Which we now know from Max was liquor that he drank with no ill effects. Unfortunately, I can’t get my hands on any of the lab reports to confirm because Dylan is keeping those hidden from everyone at the station.” Madge suddenly stops and spins around. “Sawyer, maybe you could go to Dylan’s house tonight, make up with him, and see if he’s got those reports on him?” She sends me a wry smile.

  I laugh. “I’ll probably do that when this is all over. But for now, I promised Dylan I’d keep my distance, so I will.” I rub my temples, hoping for some sort of inspiration to hit. “Maybe we need to go back in time a bit.” I glance up again. “We now know the poisonous plants that grow around here can kill in any time from one to several hours. Maybe we need to find out what Tina was doing before she met my father for lunch at the diner.” I turn to Madge. “Can you look through the notes Dylan has made available for his deputies to see?”

  “On it.” Madge taps a reminder in her phone. “I’ll look as soon as I get back to the station. But I have a question about your Aunt Carol. Frank was already in the process of trying to take everything from you because of Brittany’s adoption, right? Long before Tina was killed. Did your aunt know about that?”

  I shake my head. “My uncle doesn’t discuss any of his business affairs with my aunt. She said earlier today this was the first she’d heard of any of it. But she also said she’d been stashing cash away for a long time to leave him. Why do you ask?”

  Madge shrugs. “It just seems like if she was planning to leave him, she would have paid more attention to what was going on with your trust. Forgive me, but what if your aunt has known for a long time about your uncle’s cheating? Seems she’d have a very long time to plan Tina’s death, frame your uncle for it, send him to jail, take all their assets instead of a portion, and then have a tight-as-a-drum alibi ready to go. You know what they say. It’s always the quiet ones you have to look out for.”

  I blink at Madge as her words sink in. All this time, I’ve been sure it was my uncle who killed Tina, but could it have been my aunt?

  Dylan beating me to her house this morning probably wasn’t a coincidence.

  Chapter 16

  After Madge and the Admiral leave the bookstore, I grab my laptop and all the outstanding bills. The stack is a little overwhelming, so I stand and fill my mug with more coffee first while contemplating Madge’s thoughts about Aunt Carol being Tina’s killer.

  Could Madge be right?

  In my heart of hearts, I don’t want it to be true. But if it is, I’m sure it’s because of the verbal abuse and aggression Frank has always shown my aunt. Maybe she hit her breaking point and wanted revenge, but knew she couldn’t take out her behemoth-sized husband easily, so she settled for Tina? No. I still can’t see Aunt Carol hurting anyone, even Frank. She’s doing the right thing by leaving him.

  Armed with new liquid courage, I push my thoughts aside and start with the bill on top. I want to be sure all the invoices are paid in full when my uncle takes over the shop, even if that means I don’t get a paycheck. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of telling everyone I’m a deadbeat.

  Just as I’m finishing up, Nan sits down across from me at the small bistro table. “That was a lot of bills. Especially on payday.”

  “Yep. All part of something I really need to tell you.” I push her paycheck toward her. “I appreciate you so much, Nan, but my uncle is going to take the bookstore away from me soon. He’s eager to turn the space into something else, so you probably won’t have a job much longer. I’m really sorry.” The thought of my mom’s bookstore closing is breaking my heart. But I won’t cry. It’s Nan who’s losing her job right now.

  Nan pushes the check back. “I get a nice pension from the library. Just keep it.” Nan slowly stands and turns for the door.

  “No. Wait, please.” I hop up, waking up my snoozing dog, who thinks it’s time to play. “I appreciate the offer, but you earned this.” I reach down and pet Cooper, who is jumping on my leg to join in.

  Nan shakes her head. “While you and your pals were trying to solve Tina’s murder, Carol called and told me what Frank is doing to you. It’s just not right.” Nan leans down and ruffles Cooper’s ears. “And this little guy needs to eat. So if it’s all the same to you, I’d be grateful if you’d let me help out around here for free until you close. It’ll get my old bones out of the house.”

  “I don’t want to take advantage—”

  “Carol asked me to help you, Sawyer.” Nan pats Cooper one last time before straightening. “She used to hide out in the library a lot when she was a kid. Over the years, we became great friends. She’s done so many nice things for me, and this is my chance to return the favor. So no arguing. See you tomorrow.” Nan turns and opens the front door.

  “Thank you!” I call out to Nan’s back as she hits the sidewalk to make the short walk to her home.

  I sit on the couch next to Cooper, who’s still trying to figure out why no one is willing to play with him after being so rudely awakened. “Sorry, pal. Not in the mood to play.”

  At the word “play,” Cooper zooms off to find his ball. I guess I can muster the energy to throw it for him a few times. Even though I’d rather go home and pull the covers over my head.

  Throw after throw, my dog happily chases the ball and brings it right back. I should stop and get busy working again, but then, why? Soon, my uncle is just going to shut down everything my mom built.

  Instead, I continue to throw the ball as tourists pass up my shop on their way for ice cream or a T-shirt. I’m still staring out the window when two familiar men clad in khaki cross the park. Dylan’s strides are long and his forehead deeply creased as he walks beside Deputy Ben, sure signs Dylan’s not a happy camper. Something must be up.

  I stand and smooth out my slacks, happy to see Dylan but worried he’s bearing bad news. As they cross the street, I whisper, “Cross paws they’re not arresting Dad, Cooper.”

  My dog yelps when he sees his best buddy through the window. Sometimes I wonder who Cooper loves more, me or Dylan.

  Dylan lifts a hand in greeting before turning up the street, and Ben walks into my store.

  “Hey, Sawyer.” Ben kneels to pet Cooper, who’s still happy to have a visitor, even if it isn’t Dylan. “Got a minute? I need to ask you a few questions.”

  “Me?” I lean around Ben to see where Dylan went, but he’s gone. “Sure. But I don’t know what I have to offer
.”

  “Maybe more than you realize.” Ben holds out a hand toward the couch. “Have a seat, and we’ll get started.”

  A little peeved that Dylan sent Ben to do his dirty work, I have to remind myself that Dylan is trying to keep his distance from me. Particularly in front of the other men. After all, Dylan and I have officially broken up. “Okay. What can I help with?”

  Ben pulls out his phone. “What did you do on the morning of the show last Sunday? And when did Max leave the house?”

  Ah. They’re probably doing the same thing Madge, the Admiral, and I just decided to do. Go back in time before Tina had lunch with my father. “I woke up about seven, made coffee, fed the dog, drank my coffee, and messed around online until eight thirty or so. After my dad and Brittany appeared in the kitchen, I made us all some eggs. While we ate, my dad asked me to fill in as his assistant for his show because he was desperate. After trying to get out of it, but failing, I went upstairs and took a shower to get ready.”

  “How long did that take?”

  “I’m not sure. But Renee and I talked on the phone while I put on my makeup. Let me see what time that was.”

  I grab my phone, scroll through the call list, then hand it over to Ben. “There, on the bottom. Ten twenty-seven.”

  Ben studies the screen and then jots down the time. “How long do you suppose you talked?”

  I shake my head. “No idea. Probably a half hour or so. Then I finished pinning up my hair and squeezing into that stupid costume. When I went back downstairs, Dad and Brittany were both gone.”

  “I thought you looked nice in that outfit.” Ben’s cheeks flush red, and he clears his throat. “So, no way to know for sure what time your father left the house?”

  “Maybe Brittany knows.” I dial her number. When she answers, I poke the speaker button, “Hey. Deputy Ben is with me and has a question about the morning of the talent show.”