Death Wore Brown Shorts (Happy Holloway Mystery Book 1) Read online

  “How about some bacon and eggs?” Stacy said. “I haven’t eaten yet, but I have scones and cream, or biscuits if you prefer.”

  Annie’s stomach growled. She’d grabbed a bowl of instant oatmeal. Time of year never mattered to her when it came to what she craved. “No thanks, Stacy, but I was wondering if you’ve seen anything strange around the neighborhood lately.”

  “Strange how?” Stacy furrowed her brow. “You mean like people we don’t know lurking about?”

  Annie thought about it. The killer might have come from somewhere else. There were no guarantees one of her friends or the people she had known for years were involved. “It could be strangers, like you said, movement at night. After all, poor Paul was attacked at night, and it happened on your block. Have you noticed anything unexplained, Stacy?”

  The glass she held shattered on the floor at Stacy’s feet. Her fingers trembled, and she buried them in her dress. “Oh crud muffin.”

  Flynn looked at Annie, but she kept her gaze on Stacy. “Are you okay, Stacy?”

  “I’m fine. Let me get the broom to sweep this up. Mind your step.”

  Flynn jumped to his feet. “I’ll grab the broom for you. This way, right?”

  “No, don’t bother,” Stacy tried.

  He kept walking and called over his shoulder, “Annie, you can help her to gather the bigger pieces of glass.”

  Annie knew what he was doing. Surely, Evie didn’t walk all the way through the house to hide the box in the kitchen. More likely, she would choose the living room off from the front door.

  Stacy’s china closet included mostly glass doors from top to bottom. A box couldn’t be hidden there. Unless Stacy stuffed the box behind a couch or under it, another room was a better choice.

  Annie crouched beside Stacy to help gather the bigger pieces of glass as Flynn suggested. She kept her tone casual and her gaze on her hands.

  “Stacy, something seems to be bothering you. I’d like to help if I can. You know I’m not going to spread your secrets around.”

  She braced herself, realizing Stacy had spread her secrets around—what few she knew. Yet, Stacy didn’t appear to be offended. Her bearing told Annie before she even spoke that they were going to circle the tree a few times.

  “Nothing bothering me,” she claimed, waving a hand in the air. “Just the usual, you know bills, life, et cetera.”

  Annie was as stubborn as they came, and she halfway forgot the fear she suffered when she ventured outside. If she didn’t ask any questions, she couldn’t learn the truth.

  “So that wasn’t you I saw following Robert the other night?”

  Stacy paled. “M-me? Um, uh, I… No. That is…”

  Annie watched her, hands fluttering about, first tugging on a lock of hair and then yanking it hard enough to sting. Sympathy washed over Annie at putting her friend in this position.

  “I’m sorry, Stacy. I shouldn’t have put it like that. Anyone would feel the same about Robert.” If Annie had seen him driving out at three in the morning, and she hadn’t been hiding in the trees, she would have followed, too.

  “About Robert?” Stacy repeated, still dumbfounded.

  “Yes, driving out at night, heading who knows where. I would have followed if I could have.”

  Stacy rocked so much on her heels she toppled over and landed on her butt. With Stacy’s love of historical romance, Annie couldn’t help thinking the woman had a case of the vapors just then. She almost wanted to tell her she would get the smelling salts.

  Does she have smelling salts? I bet she does.

  “Stacy, are you okay?” Annie touched the backs of her fingers to Stacy’s forehead. Stacy dragged the hand away and chuckled, a shaky sound at best.

  “I’m fine. Low blood sugar probably. I just need something to eat. Don’t concern yourself, Annie. You said you followed Robert the other night?”

  “No.” Annie narrowed her eyes at her. “I didn’t. You did though. Where did he end up at that time of night?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Annie held her breath for more, but Stacy went back to busying herself with cleaning up the glass. The longer she worked the more color entered her cheeks. She lowered her eyelids, so Annie couldn’t guess what she thought. Stacy had pulled herself together by the time Flynn returned to the room.

  Flynn held the broom out to Stacy with one hand. The other he kept behind his back. Annie figured out in an instant that he’d found the box. His expression, calm and cool, gave nothing away, but a tight nod of his head told her so.

  “Thanks, Flynn. I appreciate it.” Stacy swept up the last of the mess and straightened. When she rubbed an arm over her forehead to wipe away moisture, the bell rang. All three of them looked in its direction.

  Annie tensed.

  “Should I get that?” Flynn asked. He stood near the fireplace, leaning an elbow on the mantel.

  “No, stay put.” Stacy set aside the broom and dustpan full of glass and rushed from the room.

  Flynn covered the space between himself and Annie in a couple long strides. He produced the small box. “Stuff this in that big bag of everything you have. Quick.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re not going to tell her?”

  “It has nothing to do with her if Evie had to sneak it into the house. Put it away. We can decide later what to do with it.”

  Annie hesitated, but at the sound of voices in the hall, she made a snap decision. Her purse held the box without a problem, and she stuffed it deep before slapping the handle onto her shoulder and dropping into a chair.

  When Detective Lawson strode into the room, Annie felt like she could use a snort of the smelling salts. He eyed her with suspicion. Her handbag suddenly weighed two tons. What she should do was hand the box over to him, but she sat there mute.

  “What are you two doing here?” he demanded.

  Annie blinked. Her tongue refused to work.

  “Visiting,” Flynn supplied.

  Annie dared to glance at Flynn. Zero fear of the police or getting into trouble. Maybe she should suspect him. Sure, she was the one who told him about the box and Evie, but that proved nothing. Evie might be another nosy neighbor like Stacy who saw something suspicious and acted on it.

  Flynn being Paul’s cousin and close to him might have partnered with him on the eBay selling scheme. That might not even be what was happening. She had Flynn’s word and nothing else to go on.

  Detective Lawson dismissed Flynn and Annie and focused on Stacy. “I received a tip saying you received a particular package from Paul Granger the day before he died, Ms. Dover. Care to comment on that?”

  Annie peeked at Flynn again, and he raised one eyebrow at her. She suspected he knew she started to doubt him. She clutched her bag tighter in one hand. The squeak from her grip should have alerted the law officer if not the downpour at her temples and upper lip.

  Stacy’s mouth fell open. “Me? A package? I don’t know what you’re talking about. The last box I got was a shipment of used books. That was three weeks ago. I haven’t read through them all yet.”

  “Mind if I take a look around?” he asked.

  Flynn straightened. “Do you have a warrant?”

  Lawson scowled at him. “I’m speaking to Ms. Dover, or maybe you have a reason I shouldn’t look around her house?”

  “Sure,” Flynn shot back, “and maybe I tried to kill myself.”

  Lawson shrugged. “That’s between you and your therapist, but I haven’t ruled out a crime ring that involves several people. A falling out that ended in murder isn’t unheard of.”

  Annie stirred from her fear enough to speak. “A crime ring? In Amberlon?”

  The detective bristled. “I’m going to have to ask the two of you to leave while I conduct my interview with Ms. Dover. If you have a problem with that, we can discuss it down at the station.”

  Annie didn’t need to be asked twice. She flew to the door with a muttered good-bye to Stacy. Flynn followed at a more leisurel
y pace. When they were out on the walk, she turned to him. “Did you—”

  He took her arm and let go right away. “Don’t talk. Get in the car.”

  “Flynn!”

  “Annie, he might be watching from the window. You don’t want to look suspicious. Get in.”

  She realized he was right and climbed into the rental. “I live around the corner.”

  “We’ll drive somewhere we can feel safe to check the contents of that box. Paul’s apartment is as good as any.”

  “Weren’t you nervous about him being there and us having the box?”

  “A little.”

  “I don’t flout the law, Flynn. I don’t know what you do when you’re not putting out fires.”

  He grinned. “I lay around on my back and watch TV. When I’m not doing that I exercise. Other times, I deal with an on and off relationship with my girlfriend.”

  Annie turned away from him to watch the passing scenery. “I didn’t ask for details.”

  “Off at the moment.”

  “Still not asking.”

  He laughed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Annie handed the box cutter over to Flynn when they arrived, but she stood closer to him, peering past his arm to watch him open the box. If he had something to hide, she intended to see it.

  “You don’t trust me, do you, Annie?”

  “I don’t know you.”

  “Fair enough, but we’ve been working together so far. If I had nefarious plans, I would have executed them by now, and I wouldn’t have let you into this apartment.”

  He pulled out a tablet from the box and held it up. Another piece of electronics in packaging that was unmarked. Annie shook off her nerves and approached the computer. She hovered a finger above it and then backed up a step.

  “Can you do a search?”

  He sat down and brought up Google. “What are you looking for?”

  “This brand and shopping.”

  He did, and Annie noted the price of the device new. Flynn followed her line of thinking and checked the auction site.

  “The range varies, but he could sell it for as low as one fifty and up to almost three hundred dollars.” She shook her head in wonder. “Used and still that much? How in the world?”

  “My guess is overseas customers have more trouble getting American made products at reasonable prices.”

  “Three hundred is reasonable?”

  He shrugged.

  “Evie’s the partner. I’m sure of it. I just can’t believe she would do this. Jane is going to be so upset when she hears.”

  He sat down on the bed. “Sounds like you’re pretty upset yourself.”

  “Wouldn’t you be to find out people you know, people who have attended your sister’s barbeques and laughed with you face-to-face, are involved in something like this?”

  “I would, but we’re talking thievery. They’re in every family.”

  “Paul—”

  “I’m not sure Evie killed Paul.”

  He was right. Hard as the stealing was for Annie to accept, murder from Evie was harder to believe. “It could have been an accident, and she’s scared to come forward with the truth. You remember how she freaked out.”

  He mumbled an agreement, deep in thought.

  “That reminds me that Stacy behaved the same way today.”

  He focused on her. “What do you mean?”

  “I asked her about following Robert. She all but fainted and stumbled over her words.”

  “But she didn’t blink an eye when Detective Lawson asked about the package. My guess is she doesn’t know about the stealing, Annie.”

  “I don’t think so either. Evie could have been trying to pin it on her, even if they were all partners, but Stacy is an awful actress and very emotional. If she thought Evie betrayed her or the police were onto her crimes, she would break down.”

  “Unless of course the bad acting and emotional thing is also an act.”

  Annie moaned. “Stop. This has become a merry-go-round. The best bet is to talk to Evie directly.”

  She removed her cell phone from her purse and dialed Evie. The phone rang a few times and went to voicemail. Annie left a message and disconnected.

  “Don’t talk to her without me.” Flynn stood. “I have to take care of a few things back home tomorrow, but I will be here by late afternoon.”

  “I’m sure I can take care of myself, and it’s Evie we’re talking about.”

  “Annie, you’re behaving as if the entire world is a happy place with all good people.”

  She hugged her arms. “I know that’s not the case.”

  He eyed her with curiosity. “It doesn’t stop you from seeing the best in everybody. Well, except me.”

  She bristled. “I never said I suspected you.”

  He grinned. “You didn’t have to. Your face is easy to read.”

  “Hah! If it were then Detective Lawson would have seen the guilt written all over my face.”

  Flynn snorted. “That kid who was here last time has more chance of solving this case than he does. Nevertheless, he’s the law, and I’m going to turn over what we’ve uncovered so far.”

  “Please, not until we talk to Evie. I’ll wait until you come back.”

  “Swear it?”

  She held up a hand. “I promise.”

  He accepted her word and drove her home. Annie watched him drive away and made herself a sandwich from rotisserie chicken she had purchased from the grocery store already cooked. She popped a slice into her mouth and paused long enough to let the tender meat and its delicious juices soothe her nerves.

  In her office, she sank her teeth into the thick sandwich made with chicken, lettuce, tomato and fresh white bread. She had sprinkled a liberal amount of pepper over the mayo although the meat didn’t need it. Nothing worked food-wise without one of her standards, and that included pepper.

  Annie pulled up her latest book draft and prepared to work. She decided to phone Evie once more before delving into another world, but the phone went straight to voicemail again. The moment she disconnected, her phone rang. She hoped to see Evie’s name on the display, but it was Aunt Bridge instead.

  “Hello, Aunt Bridge.” One would do better to talk to her and get it over with rather than allow Aunt Bridge to leave a voicemail. “How are you?”

  “The funeral is tomorrow morning,” she said by way of greeting.

  “Paul’s?”

  Of course she should have realized. That’s why Flynn said he would be busy, and he didn’t discuss it because who attended their delivery man’s funeral?

  “You’re not going,” Aunt Bridge said. “I know that, and I’ve told Jane not to go. You all didn’t know him that well, so there’s no reason to pay your respects.”

  Annie thought her aunt’s words sounded like a command. Instead, Aunt Bridge knew Annie wouldn’t attend a funeral if her life depended on it. She had attended one, and that was enough for her entire life. Seeing her mother lay in that casket, a cold shell of her former self had almost broken Annie. Maybe it did break her.

  “Instead, I’m going to do something cheerful for you, Annie.”

  Annie bit down on her inner cheek and made a noise of inquiry. She didn’t want to know.

  “Tomorrow is a luncheon at the Amberlon Gardens. The Women’s Charity Works of Amberlon are hosting it, and it promises to be a spectacular event.”

  Is she reading this off an invitation?

  “I’m the chair for that organization, so I know what I’m talking about.”

  So Aunt Bridge wrote the invitation herself.

  “Anyway, I have two tickets, and you’re going with me. It’s at one p.m., and it’s formal, so wear something nice. Not tight or low cut!”

  Annie snapped her fingers. So the sleazy black mini with a split up to her hip was out. She almost snorted thinking of people’s reactions if she actually owned something that scandalous with her figure. To wear it would mean me she had lost her mind.
r />   “Aunt Bridge, I really didn’t expect to—”

  “Don’t you tell me you have to write, Annie. You can’t write all day, and how are you going to meet your future husband stuck in that monstrosity of a house?”

  “I don’t want to get married.”

  “Now, I’ll pick you up at noon. The venue isn’t far from your house, but I need to get there early to greet my personal guests when they arrive plus make sure everything runs smoothly. I wonder if Omen is feeling better. He was terribly sick with food poisoning. I guess we’ll see.”

  “I can drive myself, Aunt Bridge.” Why was she giving in, and was Aunt Bridge even listening to her?

  “I have it on good authority that some excellent bachelors are going to be there, and you being early can scope them out before all the other old maids.”

  Her aunt had just called her an old maid.

  “Thanks, Aunt Bridge.”

  “Oh, don’t thank me, sweetheart, until after you’ve said ‘I do.’ Now let me run down my suggestions about what you should wear. If you need me to come shopping with you, I will. Matter of fact, take a picture of all the dresses you have in your closet, and send them to my phone. I’ll make a decision then, and we can go from there.”

  Annie switched her cell from one ear to the other while she stared at her computer screen. Sighing, she pushed her chair back and stood. If she argued or delayed or resisted in any way, she would never hear the end of it.

  “I can’t send pictures until I let you go, Aunt Bridge.”

  “All right, but I’ll call you the minute I get the pictures. I’ll wait right here.”

  Annie dragged into her bedroom. If the luncheon were for any other reason than for her aunt to set her up, Annie would love to go. She enjoyed meeting and talking to people. Knowing the motive was matchmaking sucked the energy out of her.

  She swung her closet door wide and began taking random pictures. For fun, she threw in one of a dress that made her look like a pumpkin. She liked to pretend it was a Halloween costume, but the poor choice of buying—and wearing—it happened in May. Aunt Bridge dialed back seconds after she sent that one.