Scrambled to Death: A Sage and Dash Cozy Mystery (3 page)

Rosie sifted through the links, but nothing connected them. Other than the victims living in the same county, she couldn’t find anything that tied them together. It didn’t make sense. There had to be an answer, a reason, anything. The busier she stayed, the better for everyone. Her mother’s little secret that everyone knew before Rosie twisted in her brain. Is that why she didn’t mention the incident at Patterson’s Family Restaurant? Was she covering for John? And just how much did her mother know?

After her shower, Libby found herself face to face with Rosemary, and it was time to offer an explanation. She glanced away, not sure how she wanted to handle the delicate situation. How could her daughter understand her desperate need for variety, when Rosie was happy without change and liked a solid routine. On top of which, she was barely interested in a relationship?

Sure, maybe it was Libby’s fault, she knew she hadn’t given her daughter the most stable environment growing up, but she’d gotten better. And well, when John asked to spend time with her, she couldn’t resist. She sighed. Maybe she needed approval, or to be desired after learning her husband cheated on her with multiple women. He’d come home and take his issues out on her. The painful bruises to her face, and blows to her dignity grew old. She finally got the courage to get out. Maybe having a man in her pocket let her feel good about herself. It was one of the few things she held on to. Men loved her flirty, charming personality. She was fun, adventurous, and always a laugh. She lured them in, casting her line, setting the bait, and then when they got too close she’d cut them loose. She didn’t want another husband. She simply wanted a little companionship once in a while. Wasn’t that understandable? She knew her daughter judged her with good reason. Libby had let one too many callers parade through their home when Rosie was younger. But this was different; she was older and wiser now.

“We need to make a list, Mom,” Rosie started. “Let’s try to focus on this for now, and figure out who was around during – well, you know.”

Rosemary’s phone buzzed. A text message from her friend Alyssa came through. She’d been working at the small, local post office, and boy did she hear a dose of gossip that might be worth sharing. She asked Rosie to stop by later. Rosie sent a quick message back, thanking her.

“Who was that?” Her mother pried.

“It was Alyssa. She said she heard a bit of news I might be interested in. I’m going to run over and see her. There must be a reason she didn’t call and tell me over the phone.” Rosie pulled her hair back into a ponytail and threw on a sweatshirt. “I’ll be back shortly. Wait for me, and we’ll go over to Patterson’s together.”

Libby nodded and went to dry her hair. Dash followed behind and jumped onto the ledge of the bathtub, waiting for Libby to finish. He was ready for a good ear scratching. He liked the days when Libby let the faucet dribble for him. A cold drink of water from the faucet was a nice change of pace. It shook things up in his world, kept them fresh. Never a dull moment…okay, one too many, but being a cat he took it in stride.

The small brick building that housed the local post office was adorned with white letters that read the town's name and held the standard USPS logo. Over in bigger towns, they were fancier, but with such a small population they didn't feel the need to update this building as often. It was low on the priority list and looked the same as it did back when it was first built. The parking lot was tiny, the postal boxes they rented inside were few, and the counter was short. Either way, it got the job done. Rosie walked the block and a half to the post office.

Alyssa was already chomping at the bit and started to ramble on seeing her best friend. “How are you doing? I would have called last night, but I didn’t get a chance. Wow, is there stuff going on. Did you hear any news?”

“Not too much,” she answered. “What’s going on? Why didn’t you call?”

Alyssa glanced over her shoulder and whispered, overly paranoid. “You never know who’s listening.”

“Is somebody here?” Rosie was confused.

“Listen,” Alyssa said as she leaned in closer. “Apparently, Chris and Dora Banks had one of their massive arguments the night before he died. A big fight, then he winds up dead the very next day. Word is that
she
might have bumped him off. They shouted and screamed at one another in front of Harley's. Somebody mentioned it was about alimony,
again
. I heard they may take a closer look at her as a suspect.”

“Where did you hear-”

“Shush, I can’t tell you. They might know I talked.” She lowered her voice even more. “What about your guy? Does anyone have any insight?”

Rosie sighed. “Possibly poisoning, but I don’t know the details. The police report doesn’t mention much while they’re still doing the investigation. I’m scared. What if they think I did it?”

“Why would you? You have no motive, and a dead guy at your eatery isn’t exactly good for business.” She surmised the situation, and then in an afterthought added, “Unless…”

Rosie arched her eyebrow and shot Alyssa a look. “Unless what?”

Alyssa glanced over her shoulder again. “Maybe Dora and Nancy were working together. Two bitter ex-wives, two dead husbands. It could happen.”

“I’d think with Christopher being a lawyer and all, he would have made sure she didn’t get a penny if something happened to him, don’t you think?” She contemplated it for a second, before adding, “Though, Dora did ruffle his feathers a few times. It’s not the first time she’s made a scene. Maybe she found a loophole. I don’t know. Legal stuff is not my strong point.”

“Hey, can I stop by tonight? Are you doing anything?”

“Yeah, sure, come by after work. I need to run. Mom and I are heading to Patterson’s for breakfast. Let’s hope we survive the meal,” she said with a wink.

“Don’t even joke like that!” Alyssa said, and then settled onto a stool behind the post office counter.

“Okay, I’ll see you later,” Rosie said with a wave, and then headed back home.

Dora and Christopher, they were a story in and of themselves. Word was that things got ugly at the local gas station and convenience store. Harley's Gas and Go sat in the center of town. If they been in a shouting match, plenty of people would have seen it. And what was Dora doing back in town anyway? After they split up, she moved over to Sugar Hollow until things settled. It seemed the woman needed to get in his face on a regular basis. She was still angry over the fact that she was duped when they first got hitched.

She’d met him at the casinos and thought he was a big roller. A fancy lawyer, he called himself, from over yonder. Well, she got suckered in, they got married in a quickie ceremony, and she was ready to live the good life. She thought her gold-digging ways paid off and that she’d landed a big one. Only, when it came out he was an average lawyer in a tiny town, and wasn't as wealthy as he'd led her to believe, she felt snookered. Regardless, she gave things a chance, but the lifestyle she was expected to live was hardly enough for her. Dora was a diva ready to live in the lap of luxury, and instead she was stuck in a doo-hickey town with nothing to do.

Dora Banks wasn't meant for small town life. There was nobody local to take care of her roots, and her platinum blonde hair was showing brass. She pictured a wardrobe of designer gowns and handbags, and what she got was no-name brand knock-offs at the local box store. Christopher Banks played her good. He won arm candy, a trophy wife, and all she won was a one-way ticket to a sleepy little town.

Libby was good and ready to head over to Patterson’s. While keeping the restaurant closed hurt business, the rare day off was nice. Sunday was their only official day off. It’s not that they closed, but Betsy Beamer of the Coffee Bean came in and did a nice brunch, which gave them a break. In return, Libby filled in at the Coffee Bean from time to time to allow Betsy to run errands.

Libby and John had just started dating. Well, if you could call it that. They’d been out once or twice on the down-low, but she wasn’t committing to anything yet. Besides, she knew Owen Masters was sweet on her, and it never hurt to have a retired police officer in your back pocket. Libby liked to keep her options open, though it’s not like there were many options in this part of town. Regardless, she knew John Patterson was a showy man, so she mentioned him on Facebook to keep him happy.

When Rosie returned from the post office, Libby was practically out the door to greet her. Together, they locked up and then went to Patterson’s for breakfast. Amazingly, the man shut down for nothing. He was open in blizzards, on holidays, and apparently even after a guy died in his restaurant. Rosie didn’t want to risk anybody else getting hurt. Until she knew what caused the man’s death, she refused to take a chance and kept her doors closed.

Turns out, Patterson’s and The Breakfast Nook did use one particular distributor in sync, though it didn’t explain much. Charlie Staggs, owner of a nearby smokehouse sold them both breakfast meats. Only, Rosie’s customer only had coffee and a bagel. Breakfast meats were out. Bacon wasn’t to blame for the local tragedies.

John Patterson played it cool. He gave a casual wink to Libby, but wasn’t going to make a scene. He didn’t need the entire world knowing about his dalliance with the woman. Of course, she was less than subtle at times. He’d have to get used to that…maybe. And she thought he was the showy one! They were still feeling out this dating thing. There seemed to be a spark, and even though he’d known her for ages this particular time they developed a bit of chemistry.

John dropped by the table after making rounds, checking in with customers about their meal satisfaction. He was a warm man, but usually put his own needs high above the rest. The best at making you feel important, all while keeping himself first.

“I got word that they took Dora in for questioning. Everybody knows her and Christopher were going at it all the time. Why, just the other night, she lashed out at him right in front of Harley's. Word on the street is that she’s target number one,” he said, boasting of his knowledge. “Though, that doesn’t explain your bloke that kicked.”

Rosie cringed. While she wanted to speak softly about the deaths, he was speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. Rosie was about to answer him, when one Owen Masters walked into Patterson’s, waved at Libby and Rosie, and planted himself next to Libby.

John Patterson’s eyes popped open wider. Didn’t he know – well, not that he’d made it clear. John had a simple answer. “Libby, are we still on for dinner tomorrow night?”

Owen turned to look at Libby, and waited for her to answer. While he’d been sweet on her, he didn’t exactly make a move. Were they serious? He’d need to get a step ahead. “Oh, so that means you’re open tonight for dinner? Great! What do you say, do you want to get a bite to eat?”

John cleared his throat.

“Oh my,” Libby said. Stuck on display in the corner of the booth, she wasn’t able to escape the awkward situation.

Rosie looked amused. Normally, her mother was quick to finagle her way in and out of these things, but this time it was getting interesting.

Owen jumped in. “So, John, can I get a stack of pancakes? I’m going to be avoiding eggs for a while, now that we know that’s how Chris was poisoned at this very establishment.”

John scowled and walked away.

Libby had avoided answering. Owen nudged the woman beside him. “Is something going on between you two?”

“I’m not sure yet. We’re dabbling in the idea, but I’m not committed to anything.” She scrambled to save herself.

“Good, that means you can have dinner with me tonight.” It was a statement, rather than a question.

“So, eggs?” Rosie broke into the conversation. “You know, Dora can be a handful, but she’s hardly a stealth woman. That woman glitters and clangs everywhere she goes. Manipulator, sure, but sneaking into a kitchen while people are there, and poisoning the right breakfast plate – I don’t know how she’d pull that off.”

“I’m not privy to all the details, but I’m inclined to agree with you. That woman couldn’t be quiet if she tried. And coordinating it all? I don’t see her as a big player here. A bitter ex-wife, yeah, but I think that’s about it,” Owen answered.

“Can you excuse me for a moment,” Libby said. “I need to use the restroom.”

Owen slid over and got into a deep conversation with Rosie, while Libby snuck around the edges of the restaurant and headed for the back where the bathroom was. John wasn’t far behind her.

“Are we or aren’t we?” He asked her, his tone falling flat.

“Are we or aren’t we what?” She played coy.

He shook his head. “I saw your post. You said in a relationship. Are we? Maybe you need to make Owen know you’re spoken for.”

“Am I spoken for?” Libby arched an eyebrow.

John panicked. “I don’t know. I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“So, why don’t we keep it simple? We’re dating, but open to see other people until we’re certain?”

John pouted. “Does that mean you’ll be going out with that guy?”

Libby teased, “Jealous already?”

He turned away without answering. Libby frowned this time. Had she made a mistake playing them against one another? She’d always needed extra attention, but this time it would get messy.