Murder With All the Trimmings (24 page)

“Surely she can see that,” Josie said.

“She’s out for blood,” Elsie said. “She was counting on half of her mother’s fifty-thousand-dollar prize money.”

“Ouch,” Alyce said.

“Doreen’s store wasn’t closing at the time of the murders,” Josie said. “Your Elf House was so successful, your customers were parking in her lot. Maybe Doreen thought if she put you out of business, her store would do better.”

“Look, she’s a witch,” Elsie said, “but even I can’t accuse the woman of killing my customers. She tried to make peace with me. She even gave me this poinsettia.”

The peace offering was still blooming on the counter.

“Pretty color,” Alyce said.

“They are pretty,” Elsie said. “But Doreen doesn’t belong in retail. She doesn’t like people and doesn’t have the personality for sales. I’m just sorry Mike was one of her investors.”

“You know Mike?” Josie asked.

“Know him? Honey, I used to date him. He dropped me for Doreen.”

Josie looked at Elsie. Her face was chapped and swollen from her cold, but she was a pretty woman and a lot more pleasant than Doreen.

“You’re kidding,” Josie said.

“When he knocked Doreen up, Mike did the right thing and supported the kid,” Elsie said. “I admire him for that. He told me he was sorry about Doreen and wanted to go back with me, but I told him no. I knew once Doreen had her hooks in that man, she’d never let go. She’d be worse than a vindictive ex-wife.

“Then there’s the daughter, Heather. That kid is heading for juvie, but her doting daddy believes she can do no wrong. Can I ask you something? Are you dating Mike?”

“Yes,” Josie said.

“Well, let me give you a little advice, honey. He’s a sweet man, but sometimes Mike shows poor judgment when it comes to women.”

“Uh, you mean me?” Josie said.

“No, I’m talking about the night he got drunk and fell into bed with Doreen. There are some things you can’t fix, and Doreen is one of them. Mike’s a smart guy, until he has a few beers. Then he can get real stupid. He also has commitment issues. If you see him with another woman, turn a blind eye. He doesn’t like it if he thinks you’re possessive. He’ll tell you it’s just business.”

Uh-oh. Josie remembered the night Mike was with the blonde at the bookstore, supposedly talking about kitchens. He’d been cool toward Josie ever since. Maybe that woman was the reason.

Elsie had another sneezing fit. “Sorry,” she said. “I saw him with Doreen in a bar and asked him about her. He said he was working on her plumbing. He sure was. Too bad he forgot the condom.”

Alyce’s eyes widened in surprise, but Elsie kept talking.

“You want to hear the sad part? I wanted a kid with Mike. He said he wasn’t ready for marriage. I told him I didn’t want to get married. I hope I’m not shocking you, ladies, but sometimes a man gets in the way if you’re not the marrying kind, and I’m definitely not.”

“I understand,” Josie said. Boy, did she.

“Mike said he didn’t want a kid, and it didn’t matter whether he was married or unmarried. I should have gone ahead and gotten pregnant. Instead, I respected his wishes, and turned my energies toward planning for this store. It took more than a decade to get it going, and one day to kill it. Now I don’t have anything.”

“I’m so sorry,” Josie said.

“Not as sorry as I am,” Elsie said. “My biological clock is ticking away. All I have to show for it is two dead customers and a looming lawsuit. I keep racking my brains to figure out who would kill those poor people, but I come up blank. I can’t sleep at night, it’s upset me so much. It’s so sad. I didn’t even know them and they’re dead because of me.”

Elsie wiped away a tear.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Josie said. “We want this solved as much as you do. Here’s my cell phone number. Call me if you think of anything.”

“Promise,” Elsie said, and sneezed again.

On the walk to the car, Alyce said, “I think Doreen is the killer. She did it to ruin her enemy, Elsie. She poured antifreeze in that chocolate sauce.”

“Right,” Josie said. “Doreen, who doesn’t speak to Elsie, waltzed over to the Elf House with a jug of antifreeze and poured it into the chocolate sauce. Somehow Elsie didn’t notice. And how did one of the dead customers just happen to be Nate? He’s the last person who would buy a snowman cake.”

“Maybe Doreen saw him over at the store and wanted to get back at Mike by framing him for Nate’s murder,” Alyce said. “Unless Elsie knew Nate.”

“No, she said she didn’t know the two dead customers. I believe her. Don’t you think Doreen framing Mike for Nate’s death is a little convoluted?”

“Do you believe what Elsie said about Mike?” Alyce asked.

“Kinda sorta,” Josie said. “Mike’s been cool to me since I saw him with that blonde at the bookstore. They were supposed to be planning her kitchen.”

“Maybe they were,” Alyce said. “That bookstore is not a romantic spot.”

“That’s why it’s a safe place for a first date—or to meet a married woman,” Josie said. “I think I blew it, Alyce. I didn’t call Mike about the cops interviewing me until late yesterday. By then they’d already seen him. I forgot to call him. Forgot! What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing. You were worried about your daughter.”

“But Mike didn’t give me a chance to tell him that.”

“He will when he calms down,” Alyce said. “If he doesn’t, he’s not worth marrying.”

“I don’t think we’re going to marry,” Josie said. “I’ve got my doubts about a man who would sleep with Doreen.”

“Josie, didn’t you ever make any bad romantic choices?”

“Way too many, Alyce. That’s why I don’t want to make one more.”

Chapter 26

The men’s department of the West County Vandeventer store had manly dark paneling. The display shelves looked like they’d been beaten with chains—and so did the mannequins. One fellow with waves of yellow plaster hair had a chipped nose.

Gray trails were worn into the navy carpet. Two dusty holiday wreaths did nothing to spread Christmas cheer.

“It’s sad to see the Vandeventer stores in this shape,” Alyce said.

“They used to be so elegant,” Josie said. “When I was a kid, my mom took me downtown every Christmas to see the Vandeventer display windows. No wonder this chain is in trouble. The merchandise is tossed on the tables like a rummage sale.”

Three clerks leaned against a wall, laughing and talking. A fourth shouted into a cell phone, “I’m not coming to Christmas dinner at Aunt Karen’s. She’s a hundred years old.”

“My questionnaire asks if I was greeted by the sales staff when I entered the department,” Josie said, “and if I was shown the item I wanted. It wants to know if the department is neat and clean and the items properly presented. The staff is supposed to be folding stock. Instead, they’re holding a party. I’m going to have to give them a bad report. I hate doing that, especially at Christmas.”

“Won’t they lose their jobs?” Alyce said.

“My boss says the chain will probably close after the holidays, so they’ll lose them anyway,” Josie said.

“Where are their supervisors?” Alyce said. “I don’t see a single manager on duty. They should be out here helping, too.”

Josie yanked on the sleeve of a medium blue sweater and pulled it out of a jumble. It was cashmere, marked down to seventy dollars. “What do you think of this as a Christmas present for Mike? It’s the same color as his eyes.”

“A sweater?” Alyce said. “His mother can give him sweaters. Men hate clothes as gifts. It’s not very romantic.”

“Things aren’t romantic for us right now,” Josie said. “At least I’ll give him something warm.”

“I have a better suggestion,” Alyce said.

Josie looked at her watch. “It’s getting late. I’m going to have to break up the party over there. I’m getting cobwebs waiting for the staff to wait on me.”

Josie walked over to a man mountain with haystack hair and a FRED name tag.

“Excuse me,” she said.

Fred ignored her.

“Excuse me.” Josie stepped into the middle of the party. “I’d like to buy this sweater.” She held it up, retail exhibit A.

“Sorry, dudes,” Fred said, apologizing to his friends for the unexpected customer interruption. He ambled over to the cash register, mumbling to himself. He was charmless enough to be Heather’s older brother. Fred rang up the sweater and shoved it into a bag.

“Merry Christmas,” Josie said.

Fred ignored her.

Josie and Alyce walked outside to the empty parking lot.

“Anyone who thinks shopping for a living is glamorous has never worked this job,” Josie said. “Now we have to drive twenty-five miles to South County and return the same sweater. I’d better call Mom and ask her to pick up Amelia at school.”

“You’re lucky your mom is available at a moment’s notice,” Alyce said.

“Mom can be cranky, but she really pitches in when I need her.”

Josie speed-dialed Jane on her cell. “Mom, I have to drive to South County. Can you pick up Amelia? Thanks. I was just telling Alyce how lucky I was to have you for a mom.

“I have a question: What do you know about that poor woman who was poisoned by antifreeze, Sheila Whuttner? She lived in Maplewood.”

Josie repeated what her mother told her for Alyce’s benefit.

“I figured you’d know her. Mrs. Whuttner was active in the St. Philomena Women’s Society. Retired from the phone company a year ago. She used to live in Dogtown. Really? That’s around the corner from Mike’s home. She moved to Maplewood and remarried a widower who went to our church. Was it a happy marriage? They were cuddling like teenagers and Mrs. Mueller was shocked by their behavior? Sounds happy to me.

“Your network is amazing, Mom. What about her daughter, Lorraine? No, I don’t think she lives in Maplewood. Right. Well, if anyone will know, it’s Mrs. Mueller. She’s our own private Neighborhood Watch program. No, Mom, I wasn’t making fun of her. I know she’s your friend.”

Josie hung up the phone. “Let’s return that sweater.”

“How’s Amelia?” Alyce said.

“She’s having a hard time,” Josie said. “She misses her father and she’s mad at me for lying. But her grandfather had a talk with her and I think he helped.”

“Death is tough for kids,” Alyce said.

“It’s not easy for grown-ups, either,” Josie said.

The visit to the second Vandeventer store in South County went smoothly. The store was so empty Josie’s and Alyce’s voices echoed in the vast space. No shoppers disturbed the neatly displayed stock. The return line had no customers. The staff rushed to their stations to help. Josie and Alyce were out in less than ten minutes.

“That was better,” Josie said, sighing with relief. “I can give this store a good report.”

On the walk to the car, her cell phone rang. Josie checked the display. “I have to take this. It’s Mike.”

Alyce hung back discreetly while Josie talked. Mike sounded distracted. “Uh, hi, Josie. Sorry I haven’t called. The cops have been here again, asking me about my antifreeze. I wished I’d listened to Heather. She wanted me to switch to the so-called safer antifreeze, because of my dog, Chudleigh. But I didn’t want the hassle of flushing my radiator. Besides, Chudleigh won’t drink antifreeze unless it comes in a can marked Alpo. He’s too smart, but I’m not. I should have done what my daughter asked. The police have a credit-card receipt proving I bought enough antifreeze to kill all the dogs in Dogtown.”

“When?” Josie asked.

“Two days before the Elf House poisoning.”

“I’m sorry, Mike.”

“Not as sorry as I am. I’ll probably have to get a lawyer. I’ve been meaning to call, but I’ve been busy.”

“Been working on that kitchen?” Josie said.

“Kitchen?” Mike sounded puzzled. “What kitchen? Oh, yeah, the kitchen.”

“Did you know that the lady who was poisoned the same day as Nate used to be your neighbor?”

“Who?” Mike said.

“Sheila Whuttner.”

“I guess so,” Mike said. “The neighborhood is full of indestructible ladies. Most of them are friends with my mom.”

“What about Heather? Are you getting her into an AA program for her drinking?”

“No,” Mike said. “She was just being a kid.”

“Mike, she’s fourteen and she was drunk and angry. That’s a bad combination.”

“Well, I’ll watch her. If I see anything wrong, I’ll take her to a counselor,” Mike said.

Josie was sure Mike would never see any faults in his daughter.

“Gotta go,” Mike said. “That’s my other cell phone. See you.” He hung up.

Josie stared at her cell phone and nearly wept. Mike didn’t have two cell phones. Or maybe he did. Some men kept another phone for their new lovers. Maybe he was doing more with that blonde than remodeling her kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” Alyce asked.

“I think Mike just gave me the brush-off,” Josie said. “He’s still mad because Mrs. Mueller reported him to the police. They’ve questioned him twice.”