Chapter 5
Liz’s eyes lit. “Treece has decided he isn’t moving in after all, and we’re staying here until we’ve finished renovating the chateau.”
“No. Someone murdered Deanna last night. They found her body in the back of her store.”
Liz blinked rapidly, staring at her husband in disbelief. “Murdered?”
“Rumor has it she was strangled with a pair of curtains, although I’m not sure if this is true.”
Liz stumbled to the kitchen table. She slumped down in the chair and placed her head in her hands. “This is awful.”
“It’s a terrible tragedy. Deanna and I go way back, and I can’t believe she’s gone, but you hardly knew her. Besides, you weren’t going to use Designer Diva anyway, sugar lips.”
“No. Not that. I was there last night.”
“Where?” Floyd shook his head, confused.
“At her storeroom. I swung by there to look around. I even walked up to the front window and peeked inside.” Liz clutched her throat, reeling at the news. “If she had surveillance cameras, I’m on them.”
“Oh no.”
“I was in town and curious to find out what I might be missing. I could’ve sworn I saw someone moving around in the back, so I slipped off to the side. We didn’t exactly part on amicable terms when I told her to leave. Her colleagues witnessed it. Gloria witnessed it. Gloria.” Liz snatched her cell phone off the counter. She dialed her sister’s number, praying she would answer.
“Good morning, Liz. You’re up early. ”
“Deanna Andretti is dead,” Liz blurted out.
“Dead?”
“Floyd said someone strangled her in her showroom last night.”
“She wasn’t the pleasantest of people, but I chalked it up to her being upset about whatever trouble you caused at Dreamwood. Hang on.” There was a muffled sound on the other end of the line, and Liz could tell her sister was on the move. “I pulled up the local online news. The police have started an investigation.”
“And they’ll be on my doorstep any moment.” Liz felt a light hand on her shoulder and turned to find Floyd standing behind her. “I’m freaking out.”
“You need to take a deep breath,” Gloria replied in a calm, even voice. “Admittedly, you sent the woman packing, but you didn’t kill her.”
Liz briefly filled her sister in on her trip to town and her decision to swing by Designer Diva’s store. “ If it’s true and there are surveillance cameras, I’m on them.”
“This could be problematic.”
“Problematic?” Liz shrieked. “I can’t go to jail again. I won’t survive.”
“We were in jail for less than twenty-four hours,” Gloria chided. “So you had words, and you were probably one of the last people to see her alive, if that was even her in the back.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel better, you’re failing miserably.”
“After you stopped by Deanna’s store, did you go anywhere else?” Gloria asked.
“I stopped by Hometown Designs and met with the woman who handed you her card. We discussed her giving me a quote. I picked up a few groceries and then came home. What should I do?”
“If the police show up, tell them what happened. They’re going to talk to Deanna’s colleagues, go over where she’d been and what she’d done. They’ll find out soon enough you two got into it. Having said that, a little tit-for-tat doesn’t mean you killed the woman.”
“Other than we argued, she was flirting with my husband and called me some not so nice names, not to mention she planned to resurrect a bogus judgment.”
“Again, it wasn’t a reason to kill her.”
Gloria’s voice grew muffled. “Lucy’s here. Are you going over to your new place? We might stop by today or tomorrow.”
“I’ll be there every day trying to get it cleaned up, so if you’re inclined to lend a hand, I can use all the help I can get.”
Gloria promised she would see what she could do and then ended the call. Liz set the phone aside. She folded her hands and placed her cheek on the table’s cool granite. It was one of her favorite pieces of furniture and something she’d splurged on, unable to resist.
“Are you all right?” Floyd’s voice was close, so close she could feel his warm breath on her neck and she burst into tears.
“I wish I had never met with Deanna,” Liz sobbed. “Why did I have to argue with her?”
Floyd patted her shoulder. “The truth will come out and the police will quickly clear your name.”
“Why did I have to be all nosy and drive over there last night?” Liz didn’t wait for an answer. “Because I was jealous. There. You have it. I thought the woman was chasing after my husband and it ticked me off. Although her frivolous lawsuit over some alleged damage to the clubhouse was also annoying.”
Despite Floyd’s assurances that Liz would quickly be cleared of suspicion, all she could envision was being locked up. “I can’t go back to jail. ”
“I heard you mention it to Gloria. When were you in jail?”
“Gloria, Margaret and I were up in the Smoky Mountains, tracking down a long-lost relative. Aunt Ethel died, and we ended up getting arrested. It was a huge misunderstanding.”
“I never heard such a thing.”
“Because I’ve kept it buried in the recesses of my mind until now.” Liz slowly stood. “I’m sorry Deanna is dead.”
“Deep down she was a good person,” Floyd said. “I hope the police catch her killer.”
“Me too.” Liz grabbed some old clothes and headed to the bathroom. While she showered, she wondered about the condition of the county’s jail cells and if they would force her to wear a drab orange jumpsuit. Granted, she could stand to lose a few pounds since she and Floyd had been indulging in gourmet meals out, but it was a horrible way to get back on track .
She finished getting ready and found Floyd waiting for her in the kitchen. He hovered over her, and it was clear to see he was concerned about his wife’s mental state. “I finished my morning chores. I figured we could ride over to the house together.”
During the drive, Floyd attempted to keep up a conversation, but Liz, still stressed out over Deanna’s death, had trouble focusing.
They reached the property, and Liz’s heart plummeted. The place was in even worse condition than she remembered.
He helped Liz carry the cleaning supplies inside and headed back out. Floyd returned a short time later carrying a plastic grocery bag. “What’s that?”
“Some small bones. I found them out behind the silo. I have someone who might be able to tell me where they came from.”
“An archaeologist?” Liz asked.
“No. It’s someone you haven’t met. She’s coming by later, after she’s done working. ”
The morning flew by as Liz tackled the foyer’s steps. She was still working on them when Floyd tracked her down. “It’s time.”
“Time to go home?” Liz let out a low groan as she grabbed hold of a spindle and pulled herself to her feet.
“No. Time for your surprise.”
“I don’t…”
Floyd ignored his wife’s protests as he whisked her out of the house.
Liz braced herself as she glimpsed a vehicle rounding the bend, wondering how many more surprises she could handle.