The Case of the Salubrious Soft Coated Wheaten Page 2

  “Since Billy and Geraldine are coming in for the wedding, we thought we’d have a family dinner at our place tomorrow night,” Mary said. “Why don’t you guys stop by? It will be a good chance for you to catch up with some folks you haven’t seen in a while.”

  “Sounds great, Mary,” I said. “And tomorrow night is open.”

  “Perfect. It should be fun,” Mary said. Her comment got a snort out of Jim. Mary glared at her husband. “Stop. It’s going to be fine. Everyone has promised to be on their best behavior.”

  “And you believed them?” Jim said.

  “Knock it off,” Mary said, stifling a laugh. “Josie, why don’t you and Chef Claire come along?” Mary said. “You’ve never met most of my family.”

  “No, I’ve only met you and Charlie,” Josie said. “Sure, it sounds like fun.”

  “Perfect,” Jim said. “Any time after six is great.”

  “Casual, right?” I said.

  “I’d go with a referee’s shirt,” Jim said, grinning at his wife. “And don’t forget your whistle.”

  “You’re really not funny, Jim,” Mary said, shaking her head.

  “Are you guys going to be able to make it to the wedding?” I said. “My mom has you down as a maybe.”

  “We were able to move some stuff around. We’re definitely going to be there,” Jim said.

  Jim and Mary are the caretakers at Twilight Island, home of Dancer Castle, a medieval-looking structure of around forty rooms and, according to local folklore, filled with hidden entrances to secret passageways. The castle had recently undergone renovations and during the day now offered visitor tours. It was also possible to rent the castle’s wedding suite for overnight stays. When my mother first suggested Max and I spent our wedding night there, I wondered if she’d lost her mind. But after talking it over, we came around to the idea.

  After the wedding reception, we’ll head to the island by boat, spend the evening there, then be picked up at the island the next morning by a private yacht. The boat, equipped with a captain, a chef, and a handful of other crew members will take us on a leisurely tour down the St. Lawrence River to Montreal. Our plan is to spend a few days in the city, one of our favorites, before flying off to Paris for ten days.

  I had to give my mother credit. She’s put together a great itinerary for us, and we’re looking forward to our honeymoon. Not to mention the rest of our lives together.

  “When are you and Chef Claire moving in?” Jim said, rubbing Luna’s head.

  “We’ve already started moving some of our things in,” Josie said, then glanced at Mary. “Your uncle said he was getting the last of his stuff out today.”

  “Yeah, he is,” she said. “We stopped by before we came here. He said he was almost done. We offered to help him, but he’s stubborn. What a shock, huh?” She laughed. “When we left, he was about to head up to the attic to pack the last of his memorabilia. And he won’t let anybody touch his stuff.”

  “He’s in the attic?” Josie said. “What the heck is he thinking? The guy’s in his nineties.”

  “I know,” Jim said. “But he’s adamant it’s something he needs to do.”

  “At least he agreed not to carry any boxes down the stairs,” Mary said. “He promised to leave them for the movers.”

  “He’s going into assisted living?” I said.

  “He is,” Mary said. “He’s still not thrilled about it, but it’s too hard for him to live in the house by himself. Especially in the winter. But he did say he’s happy you bought the house. Says it relaxes him knowing it’s going to be in good hands.”

  “Chef Claire and I will take good care of it,” Josie said.

  “Is there anything special you and Max would like at the island?” Jim said. “I can’t imagine you’re going to be hungry after the reception.”

  “Not so fast, Jim,” Josie said.

  “Don’t start,” I said, laughing. “I can’t think of anything, Jim. I think my mom had a couple bottles of champagne delivered.”

  “She did. They’re in the fridge at the castle,” Mary said. “And she also ordered some stuff to snack on.”

  “I love your mom,” Josie said, grinning. “She thinks of everything.”

  “It’s a little hard for her to forget food and drink,” I said. “Especially with you nagging her.”

  “I don’t nag,” Josie said, reaching for Luna. “I remind. Okay, Luna. Say goodbye to your mama and papa, and we’ll go get you settled in.” She cuddled the Wheaten in her arms. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow night. And I’ll also see you at the wedding. I’ll be the one holding the bride up to keep her from fainting.”

  “Funny,” I said.

  Chapter 2

  I set the box I was carrying down in the middle of the living room then sprawled out in one of the overstuffed chairs next to the fireplace. Josie sat down in a chair next to me and took a long pull from a bottle of cold water.

  “I think that’s enough for now,” Josie said, glancing around the room. “I’ll start unboxing all this crap tomorrow.”

  A loud round of clangs and bangs came from the kitchen, and we both laughed.

  “She said she was going to get started on the kitchen,” Josie said, then called out. “Hey, Chef Claire.”

  Moments later, Chef Claire wearing shorts and a tee shirt and a bandana wrapped around her head appeared in the doorway.

  “Am I being too loud?” she said.

  “Maybe a little,” Josie said. “C’mon, take a break. It’s gonna take us days to get settled in.”

  “Well, you know me,” Chef Claire said. “I need my kitchen.”

  “Yes, we know,” Josie said. “And we are all the better for that. But have a seat and relax.”

  “I’ll sit down in a few minutes,” Chef Claire said. “I want to head upstairs and check to see how Charlie is doing.

  “I haven’t heard a peep out of him since we got here,” I said. “What’s he still doing up there?”

  “He said he has a few more things to box up,” Chef Claire said. “I think the idea of leaving the house has finally hit him.”

  “After sixty years, it has to be,” I said.

  “I hate the thought of him going up and down that ladder and rummaging around the attic,” Chef Claire said.

  “He’s pretty spry. What is he, ninety-one?” Josie said.

  “Ninety-two,” Chef Claire said, heading for the stairs. “I’m going to check on him. I’ll be right back.”

  “It’s a great house,” I said, glancing around.

  “Yeah, I like it,” Josie said. “It won’t be the same, but it’s still good, right?”

  “I guess,” I said.

  A blood-curdling scream came from the second floor, and we scrambled out of our chairs and up the stairs. We found Chef Claire standing over the body of Charlie Merrihew. He was sprawled out at the bottom of a collapsible ladder. A collection of war memorabilia was scattered around the floor. A pool of blood had formed, and he had a cut on his neck. Chef Claire knelt down next to the body, checked for signs of a pulse then shook her head in despair. She sat down next to him and began to sob.

  “I didn’t hear a peep out of him,” Chef Claire said. “I was making a racket in the kitchen. I’m so sorry, Charlie.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up. It’s not your fault,” I said. “We didn’t hear anything either, and we were sitting a lot closer to the stairs.” I frowned. “It seems odd we didn’t hear him fall.”

  “Maybe he fell earlier while we were carrying in all the boxes,” Josie said.

  “Yeah, I suppose it’s possible,” I said, leaning close but not touching the body.

  “Oh, Charlie. You poor guy,” Chef Claire finally managed. “He must have fallen off the ladder, and something in the box fell out and stabbed him.”

  “It was probably that thing,” Josie said, pointing at what looked like a bayonet. “Yeah, there’s definitely blood on it.”

  I grabbed my phone and made a call.
r />   “Hey, Chief,” I said. “Look, I hate to ruin your afternoon, but we have a problem over here. No, not the Inn. The Merrihew place. It’s Charlie.” I listened and nodded. “Yeah, he’s gone. You’ll see when you get here…No, we haven’t touched anything. Chef Claire checked for a pulse, but nothing else. Okay, see you soon.”

  I slid my phone back into my shorts and grimaced as I stared down at the dead man’s face. I’d known Charlie since I was a little girl and he was what many people referred to as colorful. Friendly, but prone to turning cranky in a hurry, especially with members of his family. He loved to chat but often fell silent when the conversation veered into what he considered overly personal. Overall, he was a good guy who deserved to go out in a better way than falling off a ladder and getting stabbed in the neck by a piece of war memorabilia.

  “Geez,” Josie said, sitting down on the floor with her back pressed up against the wall. “What are the odds of that happening?”

  “Gotta be a million to one, right?” I said, sneaking a quick peek at Charlie’s wound. Then I worked my way across the floor on my knees and sat next to Josie.

  “What the heck was he thinking trying to carry the box down the ladder?” Chef Claire said.

  “Stubborn and independent,” Josie said. “Probably not a good combination when you’re in your nineties.”

  “I can’t believe it. Charlie’s gone. He was like an institution around town,” I said.

  “He told us some great stories while we were negotiating on the house,” Josie said. “He had a bunch of them about where he picked up some of his memorabilia.”

  “We couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like he got five-finger discounts on some of the stuff.”

  “He stole it?” I said, surprised.

  “Yeah, I think so,” Chef Claire said. “It sure sounded like it.”

  “It did,” Josie said, nodding. “He swore up and down most of his family weren’t getting squat.”

  “He called them vultures,” Chef Claire said, managing a small smile. “Birds of prey hanging around waiting for him to kick the bucket. He swore he was gonna outlive all of them.”

  We heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Chef Claire headed for the stairs.

  “That’ll be the Chief,” she said. “I’ll let him in.”

  She bounded down the stairs. Josie shook her head again at the body.

  “After everything he did in life, he goes out by falling off a ladder and getting stabbed in the neck by a bayonet,” she said, then glanced over at me. “You ever think about how you might die?”

  “Now, there’s a cheery thought,” I said. “Not really. But I hope it’s not a violent death. Maybe go in my sleep.”

  “No, not me,” Josie said. “I want to know when I’m going. Dying has to be the ultimate life experience, right?”

  “I guess it’s one way to look at it,” I said, frowning. “I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. How do you see it happening?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe a food overdose.”

  “One too many trips through the buffet line?”

  “There you go. Hey, Chief. Freddie.”

  “Good afternoon, ladies,” Chief Abrams said, immediately focused on Charlies’ body.

  “How are you doing?” Freddie, our local medical examiner, said to us before focusing on his work. He knelt down, checked for signs of a pulse then shook his head at our chief of police. “Ah, Charlie. Poor guy. What the heck happened?”

  “It looks like he was trying to carry the box down from the attic and fell off the ladder. There’s an old bayonet on the floor near the body. It must have stabbed him in the neck,” I said.

  “Talk about your bad luck,” Freddie said, studying the body and position of the bayonet.

  “I hate seeing this,” Chief Abrams said, shaking his head. “I always liked Charlie.”

  “It looks like it might have nicked his jugular,” Freddie said. “He would have bled out pretty quickly.”

  “And you guys didn’t hear anything?” Chief Abrams said.

  “No, we were downstairs unpacking boxes,” Josie said.

  “Okay,” the Chief said, getting to his feet. “Who in his family is still living in town?”

  “I think Mary Cummings is the only one who’s local,” I said. “Charlie was her uncle. But his kids are coming in for the wedding.”

  “Billy and Geraldine, right?” the Chief said.

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “I know he’s an actor,” the Chief said. “What does she do?”

  “She’s some sort of antiquities consultant,” I said. “I don’t have a clue what it means other than she deals with rare, old things.”

  “Then she’s gonna love you, Chief,” Freddie said, glancing over his shoulder at Chief Abrams with a grin.

  “Really?” the Chief said. “You’re taking a shot at me for being old?”

  “I was referring to the rare comment,” Freddie said, still grinning.

  “Yeah, I’m sure you were,” the Chief said. “Why don’t you do your thing so we can get him out of here.” Chief Abrams shook his head at the ME then his knees popped. He groaned when he got to his feet. “Not a word, Freddie.”

  “I rest my case,” Freddie said. “Okay, I think I’ve seen all I need to for the moment. I’ll get him back to my place for a closer look. But it’s definitely going down as accidental. Wrong place, wrong time, doing something dumb. But I’ll let you know if I find anything noteworthy.”

  “Thanks,” Chief Abrams said, then turned to me. “When are Charlie’s kids getting in?”

  “I think Billy is coming in today. And Jim and Mary headed up to Montreal this afternoon to pick Geraldine up at the airport.”

  “I’ll give Mary a call and ask her to break the news to the daughter. Hopefully, she has Billy’s number. They need to know what happened to their old man before they get here.”

  “Okay, Chief,” I said. “I should know the answer to this, but I can’t keep up. Are you coming to dinner tonight?”

  “You mean the pre-rehearsal-dinner dinner?” he said, laughing.

  “You got it,” I said, laughing along. “This one is pretty much friends and family. At least it was yesterday. How about you, Freddie?”

  “I’ll be there,” he said. “What are we having?”

  “Lots of good stuff,” Chef Claire said. “Come hungry.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Josie deadpanned.

  “Now there’s a surprise,” Chef Claire said. “And Freddie, since Josie will be there, you might want to come early.”

  Chapter 3

  I paused long enough from my dinner to lean over and give Max a quick kiss on the cheek. He squeezed my thigh then pulled me in close for a hug.

  “How’s your dinner?” I said, refocusing on my pasta.

  “Incredible. As always,” Max said, taking a sip of wine. “I’m going to gain a ton of weight if I keep eating like this. Will you still love me after I get fat?”

  “All you need to do is start hanging out at the Inn,” I said. “You’ll get plenty of exercise wrangling the dogs.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Oh, you caught that,” I said. “Yes, I think I’ll be able to deal with it.”

  “You sure you don’t some wine?” Max said.

  “No, thanks,” I said, shaking my head. “Wine doesn’t sound good tonight.”

  “More for me,” he said, laughing as he got up from the table. “I’ll be right back.”

  Max slid his chair back, somehow managed to get his pant leg caught on the bottom of the chair and toppled hard to the floor. There’s one thing you should know about my fiancé. He’s an even bigger klutz than I am. Max is constantly bumping his head, banging his knees and elbows, and bouncing off doorways. Somehow, especially when he gets excited, Max often finds a way to do damage to himself.

  “Are you okay?” I said, watching as he climbed to his feet.

  “Y
eah, I’m fine,” he said, red-faced. “How the heck did I manage that one?”

  “You need an escort to the bathroom?” I said. “You know, in case you get lost. Or fall in.”

  “Funny,” Max said, making a face at me before heading off.

  “He hurts himself a lot,” Freddie said as he watched Max’s departure. “Try to keep him safe and sound on the honeymoon.”

  “He does make me look like a ballerina,” I said. “Did you get a chance to take a good look at Charlie?”

  “Yeah,” Freddie said. “I still can’t believe he’s gone. He was a bit of a curmudgeon, but I loved the guy.”

  “Yeah, me too,” I said, slowly chewing a piece of chicken. “How long do you think he was up there before we found him.

  “It looks like he probably fell off the ladder an hour or two before you guys found him,” Freddie said. “The puncture wound was pretty deep. Hopefully, he went quick.”

  “Yeah, let’s hope so,” I said, then frowned. “Did you say the puncture wound was deep?”

  “I did,” Freddie said. “What about it?”

  I drifted off for a moment as I tried to recall what I’d seen earlier. I’d been kneeling down to take a close look at Charlie. But there was so much blood I hadn’t gotten a good look at the wound. A question bubbled inside my head and I frowned. All of a sudden something wasn’t gelling for me. I must have had an odd look on my face because Freddie stared at me. Chief Abrams, sitting across the table from me, also noticed.

  “What’s the matter?” Chief Abrams said.

  “I don’t know,” Freddie said. “But she’s got the look.”

  “It’s odd,” I said.

  “What’s odd?” Freddie said.

  “When I first saw Charlie’s body, I assumed his neck had been slit. And I could understand the bayonet doing all that damage if it sliced Charlie’s throat. But from what you said, it sounds like it was more of a stab wound.”

  “Yeah, it definitely went pretty deep. But the bayonet is sharp. I’m not following you, Suzy,” Freddie said as he continued to attack his dinner.