Murder of a Bookstore Babe (29 page)

“That’s probably best.” Skye’s tone was sympathetic. Frannie was Xavier’s whole world, and he’d do anything to protect her. “I’m sorry we have to ask you some personal questions.”

Xavier bobbed his head, as if understanding her discomfort. “Go ahead.”

“Simon told me that you had invested in Tales and Treats, but that’s not the truth, is it?”

“Not exactly.” Xavier’s hands were clenched. “When I asked him for a loan, I wasn’t completely honest with him.”

“Why?” So that was how Simon found out about Xavier’s situation. Simon hadn’t mentioned he’d loaned Xavier money. “He would have given you the cash even if you told him you had lost yours in Risé’s firm’s scandal. Which is what happened, right?”

“Yes. That’s what happened.” Xavier’s expression was grim. “But I couldn’t take the chance that Simon might not help me. I had to replace the funds from my veterans’ group treasury. I promised them their capital would be safe. In the war, men trusted me with their lives; I couldn’t let these guys down any more than I could have left behind someone who was wounded on the battlefield.”

“What about Simon?” Skye was torn between understanding Xavier’s circumstances and feeling disgusted that he’d used his friend. “Simon trusted you, too.”

“I know.” Xavier’s rigid posture sagged. “One lie led to another.”

“They always do.” Skye spoke from experience. “But how do you plan to reimburse Simon?”

“If the store is successful, I’ll be able to repay the loan with interest.”

“I thought you said that you didn’t invest in Tales and Treats,” Wally interjected.

“Not directly.” Xavier met Wally’s stare. “But Risé and Orlando are giving me a third of the store’s profits until I get back all the money I invested with her.”

“The problem with that is that bookstores often don’t last very long.” Wally raised an eyebrow. “And the ones that do rarely earn enough to pay dividends.”

“Risé wouldn’t start a business she didn’t see a way of making money from.” Xavier took a deep breath and explained, “According to her plan, they’ll make most of their profit from the café and retail items. There’s a huge markup on the packaged gourmet foods and coffee they’re selling.”

“Really? Enough for them to live on and give you a cut?” Wally’s tone was doubtful.

“Yes.” Xavier nodded. “Because they went into the store with no debt, own the building, and live above the store, they’re in a good position. The reason so many small businesses fail is that the owners have to borrow so much capital to get started.”

“I see,” Wally acknowledged, then asked, “Is Risé reimbursing Troy Yates for his losses?”

“No.”

When Xavier didn’t elaborate, Skye said, “How did Troy know you had lost money?” While Yates hadn’t come right out and named Xavier, his comment about those who couldn’t afford to lose their investment had to have been about him.

“Risé didn’t like to do business with friends, so when she didn’t want me to invest in her firm, I asked Mr. Yates to intervene for me with her boss.”

Skye glanced at Wally. If that were true, then Xavier had no reason to want Risé dead. In fact, since she was giving him part of her profits, he had everything riding on her making a success of the shop.

Wally asked, “Is there anyone who can vouch for your whereabouts from eight fifteen until eleven last Saturday night?”

When Xavier didn’t respond, Skye said gently, “We’ll try to keep this as quiet as we can.”

Xavier groaned, losing his usual Zen-like calm. “This cannot get out. We knew it was wrong, and we ended it that night.” He implored Skye, “You have to make sure no one finds out. It would ruin her marriage and one of my oldest friendships.”

“Oh, my.” Skye turned to Wally. “Frannie told Simon that her father had been gone a lot lately, and either he wouldn’t say, or he lied about where he’d been.” She looked across at Xavier. “You were with Risé, weren’t you? You’ve been having an affair with her.”

O
nce Xavier confirmed Skye’s guess, Wally asked him to remain at the PD while they contacted Risé. Before leaving him alone, Skye assured Xavier that they would talk to his ex-lover without her husband being present. As she and Wally walked out of the interrogation room, Skye looked back. Xavier was sitting ramrod straight, as if waiting for the firing squad.

Once they were out of his hearing, Skye said to Wally, “Do you think it’s possible that Orlando already knows about the affair? Maybe he found out recently. Maybe he intended to kill his wife and struck Kayla by mistake.”

Wally thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Surely he could distinguish his own wife’s backside from that of a nineteen-year-old.”

“True.” Skye nibbled her lip. “But we’re still going to check Orlando’s alibi, right?” At this point she didn’t trust anyone.

“Oh, yeah. No one gets a free pass.” Wally led Skye up the stairs to his office. “Orlando claims he got to his AA meeting at quarter to nine and it lasted until eleven. Since Laurel is a forty-five minute drive from Scumble River, that would jibe with him leaving the store at eight. Which would put him in the clear.”

“How can we check?” Skye tilted her head. “Those meetings are confidential.”

“I know the guy who’s in charge of that particular meeting. If I tell him I need the information to exonerate one of his participants, he’ll trust me enough to tell me if Erwin was there or not.” Wally flipped through a Rolodex, then picked up the phone and dialed. A few minutes later he hung up and said to Skye, “He’s in the clear. Do you want to call Risé to ask about Xavier?”

“No.” Skye made a wry face. “But I will.” Could this be more awkward?

It was not a pleasant conversation, and Skye hoped she’d never have to have a similar one again, but Risé did confirm Xavier’s alibi.

After Wally buzzed the dispatcher and instructed her to allow Xavier to leave, he sank back into his chair.

After a couple of minutes, Skye asked, “Are there any other leads?”

“No.” Wally laced his hands behind his neck and stared at the ceiling. “We talked to Kayla’s people, we looked into the burglary angle, and you’ve cleared everyone we know who has a grudge against Risé. We’ll have to expand our inquiry to nonlocal investors who lost money when her firm folded.” He shook his head in disgust. “We’ll also have to start over and reexamine all the evidence again.” He sighed. “I sure wish the crime scene guys would hurry up. They promised me some answers by Monday about those plastic pieces found in the vic’s hair.”

Several more minutes of silence went by before a voice rumbled out of the intercom, “Sorry to interrupt, Chief, but there’s been a multiple-car accident near the entrance ramp to I-55. Our ambulance is on its way, and I’ve called for backup from the Clay Center and Brooklyn EMTs. Do you want their officers, too?”

“I’ll let you know. Right now, get any of our men you can locate out to the scene ASAP.” Wally had already leaped to his feet. “I’m on my way.” He was halfway to the door when he turned to Skye and tossed her a set of keys attached to a sterling silver disc. “Take the Thunderbird. There’s no telling how long I’ll be.”

“Be careful,” Skye called after his retreating back. “I’ll come by and pick you up tomorrow after church.”

Skye’s head was spinning with conflicting emotions as she drove herself home. On one hand, she was relieved that Xavier had an alibi. She hadn’t let herself think how awful it would be if Frannie’s father was the killer. It was also great that Xavier had a decent chance of getting his and the veterans’ club’s money back eventually.

On the other hand, she was dismayed. With the exception of the men she’d dated in the past, Skye had always considered herself a good judge of character. But Xavier, someone she had grown to like and trust, had lied to his boss and had an affair with his best friend’s wife. Apparently he had fooled her, and she worried about whom else she might have misjudged.

Then there was the little annoying fact that Kayla’s murder investigation was stalled. They had completely run out of leads.

Skye parked the T-bird, wiggled out of the car, and dragged herself up the front steps of her house. When she opened the door, she heard the phone. Who in the world would be calling after midnight? As she dodged past Bingo, who had greeted her with his tail waving in the air and purring, the ringing stopped. She ran into the kitchen, hoping to catch whoever was calling while they were in the process of leaving a message, but the flashing light was already blinking.

She checked the number on caller ID, didn’t recognize it, and immediately hit REDIAL, but no one answered. Skye frowned. It had been less than a minute or two since the ringing had stopped. What had they done? Drop the phone and run away?

Bingo rubbed against her shins, and she scooped him up, cradling the furry comfort device. She pushed the button to hear her messages. The first trio were from her mother, each more hysterical and demanding than the last. Essentially it was the same old, same old. May wanted to know where Skye was and why she wasn’t answering her phone, where Vince was and why he wasn’t answering his phone, and why her ungrateful children were trying to give her a heart attack and kill her.

Skye erased all three, feeling a little guilty, but she knew May’s penchant for exaggeration and was fairly certain an unanswered call would not put her mom in the hospital. Besides, Skye had no news, and she didn’t have the energy to spend an hour or more reiterating that fact or reassuring her mother that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were not stampeding down Basin Street. It was too late to phone her parents anyway.

The last message, the one she had apparently just missed, was from Vince. Skye sagged against the counter in relief that he was okay. “I’m fine. Talk to you in person tomorrow night. Come to Tales and Treats café at six, and tell Mom and Dad to be there at half past, since you know they’ll be at least fifteen minutes early. Make sure you arrive before they do.”

Son of a gun!
Skye’s mood darkened. What was her brother up to? The bookstore closed at four on Sunday, and obviously he hadn’t phoned their mother, which meant Skye would have to do it. Thank goodness it was past her parents’ bedtime.

Lights-out for May and Jed was ten thirty, as soon as the news was over. She could put off the call until tomorrow morning, when she was awake and alert. Skye had learned a long time ago that talking to her mom without being in full control of her faculties was never a good idea, especially when she had something to hide.

Before going to sleep, Skye needed to unwind, and she knew just the way. As she waited for the tub to fill, she stripped off her clothes, then twisted her hair into a knot on the top of her head. Looking around the newly enlarged and remodeled bathroom, she smiled contentedly.

It had been worth every cent she’d paid to bring the space into the twenty-first century—and heaven knows she’d spent a lot of pennies. Gone were the leaky pipes, dingy linoleum, and antiquated fixtures. Now there was a separate shower, oversize Jacuzzi, and built-in vanity. She had chosen shades of green for the tile and the paint, and as she slipped into the hot water and leaned back, she gazed at images of clouds rather than a cracked ceiling.

Stretching out, she let the bubbles flow through her fingers, willing her mind to stop whirring and relax. She had dozed off when she jerked awake. There, at the edge of her dream, was a clue, but as she concentrated, it slipped away. She knew she was overlooking something in the murder case, but what?

She reached out idly to stroke Bingo, who was curled up on the bath mat waiting patiently for her to go to bed. What was she missing? They had checked out all of the local people who might want Risé dead. The only ones left would be someone from her previous life, who might have tracked her to Scumble River. But was that really likely?

Risé had been cleared by the law, and her boss was in prison. Unhappy investors were more apt to go after him, weren’t they? So, where did that leave the investigation?

Suddenly, Skye sat straight up, splashing Bingo, who ran away with an indignant howl. What if she’d been mistaken all along? What if Risé wasn’t the intended target and Kayla was? What if the murderer had killed the woman he intended to kill?

Damn!
That would put them right back where they had started. Wally’s officers had looked into Kayla and hadn’t found any reason someone would want to kill her. So who had done it?

Skye toed open the drain and got out of the tub. She didn’t have an answer to that question, but she was pretty sure she knew where to find someone who might. Someone who wouldn’t have told the police anything. As Father Burns always said, the Lord would provide.

 

May was glad to hear that Vince was okay, but she was extremely displeased that he’d called his sister and not his mother. May was also unhappy that Skye had not gotten any details as to his whereabouts. But she agreed that she and Jed would be at the bookstore café as per Vince’s instructions. The only thing that had saved Skye from lengthy recriminations was that her mom had to get to six o’clock Mass.

Which was why she had called May at five forty a.m. Thank goodness Xenia attended a later service, since Skye wasn’t sure what her priority would have been if the teenager also went to the early Mass—avoiding May or talking to Xenia.

Skye didn’t know how long Xenia had been going to church, since Skye usually went at eight. But a few months ago, she’d had to attend the eleven o’clock Mass, and she’d been surprised to see the teenager there. Somehow the Goth-punk apparel didn’t seem to go with Catholicism, but Xenia was anything but predictable.

Now Skye kept an eye on her as Father Burns concluded the service, saying, “The Mass is ended. Go in peace.”

After the parishioners responded, “Thanks be to God,” Father Burns added, “Remember, a closed mind is usually accompanied by an open mouth.”