Chapter 14
The color drained from Floyd’s face. “I might’ve talked to Deanna a few times when I first had my eye on the property over on Cash Creek Road. The house needs a lot of work, and I didn’t think it was fair to lay the burden of fixing the place up on my wife, so I was trying to be pro-active and line someone up to help.”
The state police officer rocked back on his heels, eyeing Floyd skeptically. “So it took several phone calls to line up a time to schedule an appointment for Deanna Andretti to see the place?”
“I can’t rightly recall how many times we chatted. I do believe I called her once and then she kept calling me back, asking a lot of questions.” Floyd pointed out that if the officer verified what he’d said, he would discover Deanna was the one who made the calls .
“Your relationship with Ms. Andretti was strictly business?”
“Absolutely. She may have had other ideas, but I can assure you it was one-sided.”
The officer asked a few more questions, pointed questions about how long Floyd had known Deanna along with details about their conversations. Finally, he left.
An uncomfortable silence ensued as Liz stewed over the fact that, although Floyd hadn’t been untruthful, he also hadn’t been completely forthright in how much he and Deanna had chatted.
She wanted to believe there was nothing to it, but couldn’t ignore the fact Andretti had maintained contact with Floyd, even if only to secure a big job—a hundred thousand dollar deal at that. And her husband had money, more than enough to pay what Liz deemed an outrageous amount, considering it was only for the design fee .
“I’m sorry, sugar lips. Looking back, I suppose Deanna was making excuses to contact me, but I can assure you it was all on her end, not on mine.”
“Unfortunately, it appears we’re both on the investigator’s radar now. You because of your alleged relationship with her and mine because one of her lovely colleagues threw me under the bus.” Liz’s level of aggravation grew but she wisely let it go. Picking a fight would only make matters worse.
Floyd was either lying or telling Liz the truth. It was up to her to decide, or trust her husband was being forthright. The only problem was, she had a hunch there was more to come. More questioning by the police.
After all, the Rasmussen family had a history of less than stellar behavior…Floyd’s brother, Floyd’s niece. Perhaps the authorities thought there was at least one more bad apple in the bunch—her husband .
“Duchess and I are going to the house.” Liz placed the puppy in the carrier she’d lined with a soft cotton blanket. “What are your plans?”
“I want to head over to the hardware store to pick up some surveillance cameras. If someone is messing around the property, I want to catch them. If you run into the neighbor across the street, maybe you could ask her if she saw anything suspicious last night.”
“I will.” Liz impulsively hugged her husband as he held the door. “I love you, Floyd. I know there was nothing going on between you and Deanna.”
Floyd attempted a half-hearted smile. “I guess I’m a numbskull and she was reading more into me calling her than I realized.”
“We women can be conniving and creative when we want something.” Liz chuckled. “Although I wouldn’t say our relationship started out that way.”
“You were trying to get away from me and this farm just as fast as you could,” Floyd said. “I was intrigued from the moment I laid eyes on you when you strolled into the office dressed for an afternoon of shopping on Park Avenue instead of a day in the milking parlor.”
“I was under duress, all because of Gloria, who pressured me into taking the job.” Liz shuddered. “Those were the bad old days, before my handsome knight in shining armor rescued me.”
“So why did you give an old farmer a second glance?” Floyd asked.
“Because you were, you are different. You love all of this, yet you’re educated and well-traveled. You enjoy nice things, yet you’re down to earth. In other words, you’re the complete package, and I can’t imagine my life without you.” Liz tilted her head, her eyes meeting Floyd’s. “When did you decide I was the one?”
The smile on Floyd’s face widened. “The moment Betty whacked you in the face with her tail. You went back for a second round. I knew right then I had found a beautiful woman who also had spunk. ”
“I suppose I have some spunk.”
“More than you give yourself credit for,” Floyd said. “I see the look of determination in your eyes. Our new home is going to be a chateau fit for a queen by the time we’re done.”
“I hope you’re right.” Liz checked to make sure Duchess was safely inside the crate and slid behind the wheel. “If you don’t mind, I would like to give Gloria a call. She has a knack for solving mysteries and may have picked up on something.”
After Floyd left, Liz sat in her SUV and texted her sister. As luck would have it, Gloria promptly replied she was hosting the Garden Girl’s weekly breakfast and invited Liz to join them.
“I’m on my way. I have something exciting to show you.”
“Exciting as in good or bad?” Gloria texted back.
“Good. For once, I have a pleasant surprise. ”
It had been several months since Liz’s last visit to her sister’s farm, and if one thing could be said about Gloria’s place and the small town of Belhaven, it was that nothing ever changed.
She passed by the same fields, small ranch homes and sprawling farmhouses. Life in Belhaven moved at a slower pace. Anyone new to the area would be shocked to discover the place was a virtual hotbed of criminal activity, something Liz’s sister somehow found herself continually embroiled in the middle of.
Reaching Gloria and Paul’s place, Liz squeezed in between Lucy’s Jeep and Ruth’s spymobile. She cast a quick glance in the backseat where Duchess sat staring, itching to be released from her confines.
“I’m sure Mally will love meeting you.” Liz gathered up her purse, slinging it over her shoulder as she released the latch on Duchess’s crate. She scooped the small pup up and carefully made her way around the vehicles to the back porch steps .
Gloria met her at the door. “Who is this adorable beauty?”
“Duchess. Remember Echo’s new puppy? This is Teddy’s sibling. I got her this morning.”
“I forgot all about the puppy. She’s a sweetheart.” Gloria took the small dog from her sister and held her up for a closer inspection. “I love her color.”
Ruth, Dot, Lucy and Margaret gathered around, all oohing and aahing over the small puppy. Liz set her on the floor and she pranced in a circle, soaking up all the attention.
Mally made her way over and cautiously sniffed the small pup. Giving her the Mally “seal of approval,” she crouched down on all fours and yipped excitedly.
“Duchess and Mally are going to be great friends. Have a seat.” Gloria patted an empty chair .
“Something smells heavenly.” Liz sniffed appreciatively. “I already ate breakfast, but I’m sure I can eat a little more.”
Gloria, with help from Lucy, carried platters of food, donuts and Danish, a large bowl of seasoned home fries, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, toast, orange juice, and mixed berries to the kitchen table.
Liz patted her stomach. “I’ve already gained five pounds just looking at all of this.”
“And now for the star of the show.” Gloria placed a covered dish in the center and lifted the lid. “Well?”
“There goes another five pounds,” Liz joked.
“It’s almost too pretty to eat,” Dot said.
“It’s a breakfast Bundt cake with cinnamon, pecans and something else.” Gloria expertly sliced several pieces and passed out small plates to her friends. “After we finish praying, you need to give me your honest feedback. ”
“Now this is a challenge I can sink my teeth into,” Lucy joked.
Gloria took her seat at the table. They bowed their heads, and she began praying, “Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful morning, for bringing all of us together to fellowship and encourage one another. Lord, we pray for the family of Deanna Andretti and lift Liz up. Please help the authorities catch whoever is responsible for the woman’s death and give my sister patience as she tackles her new home project. Thank you for Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
“Amen,” the women echoed.
“Dig in.” Gloria clapped her hands. “Try the Bundt cake first and tell me the secret ingredient.”
Ruth was the first to guess. “It’s not chocolate.”
“Nope.”
“Or vanilla,” Lucy chimed in .
“Caramel something.” Margaret scooped up a second bite of the rich topping.
“Close,” Gloria said.
“I know. It’s butterscotch,” Dot said.
“Ding, ding. Dot’s the winner,” Gloria joked.
“She’s also the expert,” Lucy laughed.
While the breakfast dishes made their rounds, Liz filled them in on the recent developments, starting with the state police officer’s visit that morning. “They have Deanna’s cell phone records. Apparently, Floyd contacted her prior to buying the property over on Cash Creek Road. As I suspected, Deanna had more than a professional interest in my husband and viewed him contacting her as an invitation to keep calling.”
“So he called her one time and the rest of the calls were ones she made to Floyd,” Ruth verified.
“Calls and texts. ”
“Which means the authorities are taking a closer look at him, too,” Lucy said.
“Possibly. At least one of Deanna’s colleagues who was with her that day told the investigators I threatened her.”
Gloria made a choking sound. “Threatened her. How?”
“I said something along the lines of she wouldn’t know the difference between California chic and Florida frumpy if it punched her in the face. I remember saying it now, but it wasn’t like I planned on actually hitting the woman.”
“The colleagues seemed to think the argument escalated to the level of physical violence.” Margaret tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Exactly who are these people?”
“This is where it gets interesting. Becky Kiefer was one of them. She has her own designer business.” Liz motioned to Gloria. “She’s the woman who handed you her business card right before they left.”
“Meaning she may have seized a golden opportunity to get rid of Deanna and steal all of her clients,” Ruth said.
“Tammi O’Toole is another. Floyd thought he heard she and Deanna were business partners, although Deanna didn’t introduce her as one.”
Gloria cut in. “If she was more than a colleague, don’t you think she would’ve corrected Deanna?”
“I know I would,” Lucy said.
“She was a designer who moved here from New York and began working with Deanna.”
“What about the third woman?” Gloria asked. “Her name was Carol.”
“Carol Wright. There’s not much information on her.”
Duchess, worn out from playtime with Mally, scampered over and pawed at Liz’s shoe. She picked her up and placed the pup on her lap. “I’m thinking one of those three women found an opportunity to get rid of Deanna after witnessing our small spat.”
“Maybe Deanna’s killer knew she was hot after Floyd and had been calling him. For all we know, she may have confided in one of them she was attracted to your husband,” Dot said.
Ruth picked up. “They arrived at the property, witnessed you arguing, and after you kicked her off the property, put a plan in motion to take her out.”
“Two of the three have potential motive,” Lucy added. “Becky Kiefer, who was in direct competition with Deanna and possibly Tammi O’Toole, if she was a business partner.”
“Is that enough motive to kill the woman?” Liz polished off the rest of her butterscotch Bundt cake. “This was delicious.”
“Thanks,” Gloria beamed. “It’s a new Missy’s Meals in Minutes recipe. ”
“You still watch her show?”
“Every week,” Gloria said. “Back to Deanna’s death. I’m with Liz. I believe taking a closer look at her colleagues is the next logical step.”
“We need a POA,” Margaret said.
“POA?” Liz asked.
“Plan of action. I’m up for some sleuthing,” Lucy said.
Dot tapped Liz’s arm. “Have you had any luck figuring out who’s snooping and shooting around your property?”
“No. I guess I have more than one crisis.” Liz sucked in a breath. “Figuring out who murdered Deanna and who might be targeting our property.”
“You’ve come to the right place for help,” Margaret said.
“The Garden Girls are officially on the case.” Gloria rubbed her hands together. “Now, let’s start working on that plan.”