Chapter 12
Liz’s heart skipped a beat. “Why doesn’t Hank think we’ll be safe living here?”
“He and his group set up a temporary camp near the creek before finding their current location. The reason they left was because someone was roaming around after dark, firing a gun. It happened more than once. After the second time, they decided to move.”
Gloria’s eyes widened. “How awful. Was anyone hurt?”
“Thankfully, no.” Dot told them Hank figured it was someone trying to scare them off. “I thought I should warn you.”
Liz thanked Dot and asked her to thank Hank before ending the call. “What if the shooter wasn’t trying to scare the homeless people away? What if Christi is right and someone is messing around back here? I need to warn Echo.”
They made a fast track back to the front and found Echo and Paige giving the mobile home a top-to-bottom cleaning.
“Dot called. According to one of the homeless men she knows, someone has been shooting guns after dark,” Liz said. “The neighbor, Christi, is also convinced someone has been hanging around. I don’t know if it’s safe to stay here, at least not alone.”
“My friend left for an out-of-town trip, so I can’t go back there.” Echo cast an anxious glance out the window. “I don’t have anywhere to go.”
“You can stay with me,” Paige offered.
“As soon as we figure out what’s going on, you can move in,” Liz promised. “We’ll adjust your rental agreement to the actual move-in date.”
Teddy pranced around their feet, and Echo scooped him up. “What will I do with Teddy? ”
“He can come with you,” Paige said.
“We’ll figure this out as soon as possible. I would feel terrible if something happened.” Liz led the way out of the mobile home and back to the main house. She helped her sister and friends finish loading Ruth’s spymobile and stood in the driveway waving goodbye as they headed out. Paige and Echo weren’t far behind, leaving Floyd and Liz alone.
“Dot called.” Liz briefly filled him in on what Hank, the homeless man, had said. “I asked Echo not to move in until we could figure out what’s going on.”
“Could be anything. Could be someone trying to scare the homeless people off or hunters out at dusk,” Floyd said. “Shoot, I hear gunfire out at our other house sometimes.”
The couple went from room to room, throwing out ideas for the changes they planned to make and discussing Deanna Andretti’s death. “Hopefully, Sheriff Nelson and the investigators will be able to figure out who murdered her. I wish I could turn back time. I never would’ve gone anywhere near her store.”
“But you did and now all we can do is wait to see what shakes out.”
Liz and Floyd meandered to the back porch to watch the sunset, and she posed the question that had been lingering in the back of her mind since the day she met Deanna. “Were you ever attracted to Deanna?”
Floyd shot his wife a side glance. “No. She wasn’t my type. I met her through her ex-husband, Eric. He loved farming, but Deanna hated it. She nagged him until he finally sold the place. As soon as it sold, she bought the store downtown, opened her business and divorced him.”
“He sold to keep her happy and then she left him.” Liz grew quiet as she contemplated the new information. “Do you know anything about the women who were with her the other day? ”
Floyd shook his head. “Not much. Those three were among the last to see Deanna alive. I’m sure the authorities have already talked to them, or at least plan to.”
Liz leaned her elbows on the railing, staring out into the open field. “Motive and opportunity,” she whispered under her breath.
“What did you say?”
“Motive and opportunity. Deanna’s death wasn’t a random murder. Someone took her out for a reason. I’m trying to figure out who had a motive. Maybe it was Becky. If Deanna and Designer Diva were out of the way, she could swoop in and steal her customers.” Liz snapped her fingers. “Voila! Instant business.”
“True,” Floyd agreed. “I can’t be certain, but I think I heard at one time that Tammi O’Toole and Deanna were partners.”
“Hmm. Deanna didn’t introduce her as a partner, only as a colleague. ”
“I could be wrong,” Floyd cautioned. “I’m sure the investigators are chatting with Eric as another person of interest.”
“Carol Wright, the third colleague, is flying under the radar,” Liz said. “I think it’s time to pull a Gloria and start doing some digging around.”
On the way home, the couple swung by a pet supply store where Liz promptly purchased bags of toys, food recommended by the store’s in-house vet, hair bows and anything else she thought the new family member might need.
Back at the farm, Floyd excused himself to check on the milking system’s repairs while Liz showered and then logged onto the computer. She searched for updates on Deanna’s death but found only vague information, how the police had determined she’d been murdered and were still investigating.
Eric Andretti was quoted as saying he was deeply saddened by his ex-wife’s death .
Liz finished filtering through the current news clips and then pulled up Designer Diva’s website. The woman had a flair for style, similar to Liz’s. There was a handful of glowing testimonials with photographs of her work.
She clicked on the “about us” section and read Becky Kiefer’s credentials, both impressive and extensive. Could it be she was desperate to get her business off the ground and took Deanna out after witnessing the confrontation between her and Liz?
Up next was Tammi O’Toole. Tammi’s portfolio was equally impressive. She’d worked for a high-end designer in New York City before moving to Grand Rapids, where she’d “collaborated” with Deanna. There was no mention of a partnership.
Leaving the Designer Diva page open, Liz started a new search, this one focusing on Tammi O’Toole. There were various photos of the woman, along with press releases. What Liz found most interesting was the woman in the photos looked nothing like the one she’d met. The New York Tammi O’Toole was a fashionista, dressed in the latest styles and high-end couture.
Liz returned to Designer Diva’s website and clicked on Carol Wright’s information. Her bio was brief, only stating she had been working alongside Deanna for a few years.
She clicked away and returned to the main screen before opening her email account. Tucked in among the junk mail was a message from Becky:
“ Hello, Mrs. Rasmussen,
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to turn your chateau into a dream home. Working closely together and with a combined vision, along with my level of expertise, I’m confident we can make it happen. I use only pre-certified, licensed and vetted contractors and suppliers. Attached is a sample listing of both .”
The email gave a general timeline with the project broken down into segments. Although price was important, Liz’s primary concern was how long it would take, and her heart plummeted when Becky cautioned it could take up to two years to renovate the five thousand plus square foot home.
Liz didn’t have two years. She didn’t even have two months. A small note at the bottom included a second timeline, this one for the completion of the main living area, which Becky promised could be ready in roughly eight to ten weeks.
She was still going over the quote when Floyd arrived home. “I got the quote back from Becky Kiefer. She thinks she can have us living in the lower level in about eight weeks.”
“Eight weeks doesn’t sound too bad.” Floyd shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the hook near the door. “What do you think?”
“That maybe we should sign on the dotted line and get the ball rolling.”
“You have my blessing. How much is she charging?” Floyd leaned over Liz’s shoulder, briefly scanning the proposal and breakdown. “That sounds fairly reasonably priced.”
“And a great deal lower than the hundred thousand Deanna quoted us. I wonder how the authorities are doing on her murder investigation.” Liz told him what she’d found, how Tammi O’Toole had moved from New York to West Michigan and possessed an impressive background. “I checked Designer Diva’s website. There was no mention of a partnership.”
“I guess what I heard was wrong,” Floyd said.
“I’m torn about hiring Becky.” Liz swung around and faced her husband. “She should be at the top of the list of suspects. Think about it…she was in direct competition with Deanna. How convenient would it be for Designer Diva to be out of the picture and for Becky to swoop in and steal their clientele?”
“What about the third gal, Carol?” Floyd asked .
“Carol Wright. I wasn’t able to find out much about her. She’s a bit of a mystery woman.” Liz turned her attention back to the computer. “Let me fire off a reply to Becky to see if we can agree on a time to meet.”
“Don’t forget Tate’s bringing the mongrel by in the morning.”
“Mongrel?” Liz playfully wagged her finger. “Echo’s puppy is adorable, and so is the one we picked out. Besides, we could use a guard dog.”
“I’m teasing. I love dogs.” Floyd leaned in for a quick kiss. “I reckon we should figure out what’s for dinner.”
The evening passed uneventfully, with Liz jotting down some ideas she had for the chateau’s lower level. She and Floyd discussed installing surveillance cameras after hearing from the neighbor someone was lurking nearby, and then Hank’s story about how he and the others had been shot at. With a long day on tap, the couple turned in early .
Liz spent a restless night wondering what they would do if they couldn’t figure out who was hanging around and, even more concerning, if the authorities weren’t able to determine who had murdered Deanna.
Floyd slipped out of bed before Liz, and she found him in the kitchen making breakfast. They went over the day’s plans while he cooked and she loaded the dishwasher. After breakfast, she threw on some old clothes, eager for Tate and her new puppy’s arrival.
She couldn’t wait to fuss over her new little princess. In fact, if she were ever to come back as an animal, she wanted to come back as a Shih Tzu…spoiled, pampered and pretty.
Liz checked the bags of goodies she and Floyd had purchased the previous day and then headed to the barn to wait for Tate. He arrived a few minutes later carrying a small dog carrier.
Liz’s heart melted the moment she laid eyes on the puppy. Frightened at first, she cowered in the cage's corner, but Liz’s soft voice and gentle coaxing eventually lured her out.
Floyd hovered nearby, watching his wife and the small pup bond. “You two seem to be hitting it off.”
“She’s definitely a keeper.” Liz watched as the pup delicately nibbled the treat she offered. “I’ve already picked out her name.”
“Killer?” Floyd teased.
“Very funny. I’m naming her Duchess.” Liz stroked one of her ears and cuddled her close. “Isn’t she perfect?”
“It looks like you and our last little princess are gonna be best friends,” Tate drawled.
“We are. Thank you for bringing her to me,” Liz said. “Duchess and I are heading over to the new house.”
She wrote out a check, thanked Tate again, and made her way out of the barn’s office. Her heart skipped a beat as headlights flashed across the driveway and a car pulled in alongside her SUV. “Great. Now what?”