Death Before Diamonds (Sky High Pies Cozy Mysteries Book 10) (13 page)

CHAPTER
26

Food Town was having a sale on
Charmin, Cheerios and Yoplait, so I decided to stop on the way home from Eugene
Crisp’s office. As soon as I made it inside and grabbed a shopping cart, I saw
Sheila Mooney huddled over a table loaded with day-old bakery items. I wheeled
my cart in her direction and called her name. When she looked up, her eyes were
red from crying and there was confetti trapped in the curls on one side of her
head.

“Oh, hey,” she murmured. “How’s it
going, Katie?”

I reached over and brushed away the
specks of colored paper.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Just some confetti,” I said. “You
must’ve been celebrating something earlier.”

She sighed sadly. “A coworker’s
birthday.” She sounded morose and distant, like someone carrying the weight of
the world on their shoulders. “They had balloons and confetti and noise
makers.”

“That’s nice. Are you shopping for
dinner?”

She shook her head. “I stopped in
here for a few minutes so that I wouldn’t be home alone all night. Pete’s still
sleeping in the RV at Herb and Marion’s place.”

I knew about the temporary living
quarters from the grapevine. I’d also heard that the trial separation was due
to Pete’s midlife crisis. Since he and Sheila were both forty-five, I figured
there might be some truth to the rumors.

“I’m sorry to hear about what
you’re going through,” I said. “How are you holding up?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know what
happened. We went to bed one night and everything was fine. The next morning,
Pete said he needed some space to pursue his dream of being a rock star. I
mean, have you
ever
heard anything so idiotic in all your days? A grown
man who walks away from twenty-odd years building a solid reputation as a
plumber to give Elvis Presley a run for his money?”

I nodded, but didn’t say a word.

“Have you ever heard such a thing,
Katie?” Sheila continued. “I mean, if you need some space, go outside. Or put
an addition on the house. But to just throw away a marriage that’s endured as
much as we have? His back surgery. My job troubles. The car wreck in Montana on
our summer vacation a few years ago.” She paused long enough to refill her
lungs. “Did you know that Pete was in the ICU for six days after that crash?”

“No, I’m sorry,” I said. “That
happened when I was living in Chicago.”

She pressed her lips together,
fighting the tears that were beginning to fill her eyes.

“Oh, sure. I keep forgetting that
you haven’t been here this whole time.”

I reached over and put one hand on
her shoulder. “Is there anything I can do for you, Sheila?”

She clenched her teeth. “Maybe talk
some sense into my husband?”

I laughed. “Okay, if I happen to run
into him.”

“I should let you go,” she said.
“You don’t need to listen to me whine and complain.”

“Nonsense!” I grabbed her hand and held
it tightly for a few seconds. “You’re not whining
or
complaining, okay?
You’re in the middle of something difficult and it can be helpful to talk about
how you feel.”

“I hope so,” she agreed. “We have
an appointment tomorrow with a marriage counselor.”

There was a glimmer of optimism in
her eyes, a tiny spark that maybe a remedy was just around the corner.

“Good luck!” I said. “Come in and
see us at Sky High sometime soon. I know that Julia and Harper would love to
see you!”

After she promised to stop by and I
offered another encouraging smile, I grabbed my cart and set off in search of toilet
paper, breakfast cereal and yogurt. As I rolled past the bread aisle, I saw Trent
standing with two cellophane-wrapped packages in his hands. He was glaring and
muttering as his eyes shifted from one loaf of bread to the other.

“Didn’t I just talk to you?” I
said, gliding toward him.

“Hey, Katie.” He barely glanced
away from the diligent analysis he was conducting. “What the heck is sprouted
grain?”

I laughed. “Some people would tell
you that it’s healthier,” I said. “They believe grains that have just started
to sprout—meaning that they’re somewhere between a seed and a new plant—offer
more vitamins and minerals than their counterparts.”

He stared at me. “What was that
about plants?”

Since it had been a long day and
his eyes were already glazed over, I thought it would be best to skip ahead.

“Are you trying to choose between
those two loaves?” I asked.

“What was your first clue,
Sherlock?”

“Hey, now. There’s no need to get
lippy.”

“Sorry,” Trent mumbled. “I’m beat
and there’s not much at home. I figured that I’d stop and get some grub.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said. “Did
the sprouted grains throw you for a loop?”

He nodded. “One of these has seven
grains,” he answered. “And the other has twelve.”

“I’ve got an idea,” I said,
smiling. “Why don’t you buy both and compare? Then you can decide which one you
prefer.”

His mouth swooped up. “Man, that’s
a great idea! If I wasn’t so tired, I probably would’ve come up with it on my
own.”

I patted him on the back. “No doubt
about it, Deputy Chief Walsh.”

“Thanks, Katie. What’re you up to?”

“Just buying a few things,” I said.
“I need to get a little more bookkeeping done tonight, so this was my chance
for some fresh air.”

“How’s business?” he asked.

“It’s good,” I answered. “Really
good. I’m in the early stages of planning a new series of cooking classes.
Maybe you could take one and learn a few basics.”

He grumbled. “Will it involve
sprouted grains?”

“Possibly,” I said. “But there will
be plenty of other yummy options, too.”

“Ooey Gooey Butter Cake?” His smile
was wide and dazzling. “I think that would make an excellent class.”

“I’ll keep it in mind, big guy.”

“Have you been back to the hospital
to see your little friend?”

“You mean Rex Greer?”

He answered with a faint grin.
“Dina said he kept blabbing about how Sky High must be involved in his brother’s
disappearance.”

“Really? Because of the picture Theo
took on our front porch?”

The grin widened even more. “Got
me, Katie. The guy’s thick as two short planks. Dina and Tyler have both
interviewed him, but they keep coming up with the same mumbo-jumbo.”

“Does Rex still claim that his brother
came to Crescent Creek to find someone responsible for a jewelry heist?”

Trent nodded. “And a murder,” he
said. “The trouble is, the kid’s got no evidence and he can’t provide anything
meaningful.”

“Cut him some slack,” I suggested.
“He was zapped with a Taser and dumped on the sidewalk.”

“Yeah, I know. But we can’t do much
with one picture of his brother, a bunch of flyers and some half-baked story
about stolen diamonds being sold overseas by a criminal mastermind who decided
that Crescent Creek was a good hideout for going off the grid.”

“Well, that part of it actually
makes sense,” I said.

“Which part—laying low here?”

“Yes,” I said. “It’s quiet, far
from the beaten path and most people mind their own business.”

He raised one eyebrow. “You kidding
me?”

“What?”

“Name three people in town who mind
their own beeswax,” he said. “And don’t even think about including yourself on
that list.”

I laughed at the taunt. “I can mind
my own business quite well, thank you very much!”

Trent snorted. “Bull,” he said with
a rumbling chuckle. “You love gossip almost as much as you love making pies and
cakes.”

“True,” I said. “But…well, okay. How
about Ron Claypool, Gillian Prentiss and Leonard Shattuck?”

He laughed again. “Leonard’s been
dead for going on six years. Care to try again?”

“Well, you said three people,” I
replied. “You didn’t specify that they had to be alive.”

“Whatever you think, Katie.”

“C’mon, big guy. You have to admit
that I’m right.”

“I don’t have to admit anything,”
he said.

“That’s also true,” I admitted.
“I’ll give you that.”

He smiled and puffed out his chest.
“Thank you, Katie!”

“So…anyway,” I said. “What about
Rex Greer’s case? Any leads on his brother?”

Trent shrugged. “Nothing yet,” he
said. “Tyler is going down to Denver to talk to Raymond Block about the stolen
car. I guess he knows Rex Greer from back in Philadelphia, so maybe he’ll tell
us something helpful about the guy’s history.”

He shook his head, dropped both
loaves of bread into his basket and checked his watch.

“As much fun as it is to hang out
with you at Food Town,” he said, “I’ve got a bucketful of case files to get
through before bed.”

“Good luck with that,” I said,
pushing my cart toward the cereal aisle. “And let me know how you make out with
the sprouted grain taste test.”

CHAPTER
27

When I walked into the Sky High
kitchen the next morning, Julia was waiting by the backdoor. She had both arms crossed,
a sly expression on her face and one foot was tapping at irregular intervals on
the tile floor.

“When were you going to tell me?”
she asked.

I dropped my purse on the counter
and started toward the coffee pot, but she snagged my arm with one hand.

“Not so fast!” Her voice fizzed
with the same undercurrent that accompanied her attempts to tell jokes, so I
didn’t think it was anything especially serious. “I want to talk about
something before you get cranked up on caffeine.”

I whimpered sadly and pointed at
the fresh-brewed java.

“No way, José,” Julia teased.

I smiled. “How about as soon as I
get a sip of coffee?”

She loosened her grip and offered
to pour it for me. I followed her across the kitchen and plopped down on a
stool.

“Sorry, Jules,” I said. “It was a
super short night again.”

She filled a mug, added a splash of
cream and delivered to me with one eyebrow raised.

“Okay,” she said. “One sip, but
then I ask my question.”

I made the moment last as long as
possible. When her foot started tapping again, I knew that the best way to stop
the erratic drumming was to hear the query.

“What’s on your mind?” I said.

Her arms crossed again. “When were
you going to tell me that the guy the police found downtown is the one that was
in here looking for his brother?” she said. “I was mortified when Bitsy told me
about what happened.”

“How do you know her?”

Julia frowned. “Yoga class. Why?”

“And how did she hear about it?”

Julia shook her head. “I didn’t
ask. Mainly because I was dumbfounded that you didn’t tell Harper or me yesterday.”

I took another sip of coffee. Then
I started to get off the stool, but Julia scowled so sharply that I knew we’d
have to finish the conversation before the day could begin.

“I was going to tell you,” I offered.
“But I guess it slipped my mind.”

Her eyes widened. “Slipped your
mind? How on earth does something like that slip your mind? You could’ve at
least sent us a quick text last night.”

“Why are you so upset?” I asked.
“It doesn’t seem like anything you’d—”

“Because I was
worried
about
you!” Her voice was beginning to bristle with frustration. “Because I
care
about you! And because I don’t want anything
bad
to happen to you!”

By the time she finished, her
cheeks were scarlet and the veins in her neck thumped with emotion. I waited to
let her catch her breath before I apologized again.

“The last thing I would
ever
want to do is get you upset,” I said. “I guess that after working as a PI,
things like that don’t seem so…” I tried to find the right word, hoping that my
choice wouldn’t set her off again. “I guess that they don’t seem so alarming,”
I finished. “Because…well, here I am! And I’m fine!”

She scowled. “Yeah, here you are,”
she said. “And you’re fine. But how was I supposed to know? I left a bunch of
messages on your phone, Katie. And you never called me back. I was terrified
that you’d been…I don’t know, hurt or kidnapped or…”

Her eyes quivered as they filled
with tears. “…or something worse,” she murmured. “Something like being murdered
by that wild-eyed lunatic looking for his brother.”

I got up and wrapped her in my
arms. “I’m fine, Jules.” I stepped back, keeping both hands on her shoulders.
“Why are you so emotional this morning?”

As I waited for her answer, she
swallowed hard and swiped at the tears. Then she plucked a paper towel from the
dispenser and covered her face.

“Are you okay?” I said gently.

She mumbled something.

“Sorry?” I said. “I didn’t catch
that, sweetie.”

The towel came down and she was
smiling again.

“I’m such a drama queen,” she said.
“I don’t know what that was all about, Katie. I guess maybe it was Bitsy
telling me that the guy had your phone number written on his hand when the
police found him all bloody and everything.”

Since it was the second reference
to Bitsy Curlew, I asked if Julia knew how the yoga instructor had heard about
the incident involving Rex Greer. I also made a mental note; the police hadn’t
released any details about the incident, so it was highly suspicious that Bitsy
was aware of the phone number on Rex’s hand.

“She called me,” Julia said. “After
her yoga class last night.”

“No, not how
you
found out,”
I said, realizing that she’d misunderstood the question. “How did Bitsy hear
about Rex being assaulted?”

Julia’s mouth drifted into a lazy
grin while she considered the question.

“I don’t know,” she said after a
moment or two. “I didn’t think to ask her because I went into an instant panic
about whether or not you were okay.”

I smiled. “We’ve already covered
that; I’m fine. But I’m still a bit confused.”

“About what?” asked Julia.

“Well, the yoga class finishes at seven,
right?”

She shook her head. “Six-thirty.
With the regular session and closing meditation, it’s ninety minutes and they
start at five o’clock.”

While Julia waited for my response,
I hurried over to where I’d left my purse.

“What?” she said.

“I need to get in touch with Trent,”
I told her.

“About what?”

I found my phone and sent a quick
text asking Dina to call me as soon as possible.

“Katie?” Julia’s voice trembled
slightly. “What’s going on? You’re sort of freaking me out right now.”

“That makes two of us.” I shuddered
briefly as a chill ran down my back. “You just said that Bitsy Curlew told you
after your yoga class that Rex had been attacked.”

She nodded. “That’s right.”

“Well, that makes her either
clairvoyant or somehow involved,” I said. “Because the first responders found
Rex at around seven o’clock on the other side of town.”