Chapter 10
Officer Joe Nelson exited his patrol car and approached the group of friends standing in Liz’s driveway. “Good afternoon, ladies.”
“Hello, Joe.” Gloria smiled. “How’s your new job as sheriff working out?”
“Busy. Montbay County and you gals are always keeping me on my toes.”
“We haven’t had trouble since Dot’s fundraiser,” Margaret said.
“True, and I had hoped to make it through the rest of the year without having another murder investigation on my hands. I guess it was too much to ask. ”
Liz swallowed hard and stepped forward. “I suppose this means you’re here to discuss Deanna Andretti’s death.”
“I am.” The sheriff reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad. “According to eyewitnesses, Ms. Andretti met with you on Tuesday to discuss a job.”
“She did.”
“And did Ms. Andretti provide you with a quote?”
“Yes.”
Nelson shifted his feet. “How would you describe your meeting?”
“It was fairly brief.”
“Friendly? Professional? Cordial?”
“None of the above. Ms. Andretti brought up a past issue that happened years ago when I lived in Dreamwood Retirement Community, not to mention she gave me a ridiculously high quote for her services. I told her to leave. She called me some unsavory names.”
“And then what happened?”
“She left.”
“On good terms?” the sheriff probed.
“No. She was spinning her tires and slinging rocks. Looking back, she may have also given me an unfriendly finger wave as she drove off,” Liz said.
“Did she threaten you?”
“No.”
“Did you threaten her?”
“I told her to leave. End of story.”
“And you never saw her again?” the sheriff asked.
“Never.”
“Where were you Tuesday evening?”
Liz’s heart skipped a beat. Here it was…the real reason the sheriff was on her doorstep. He knew. “I ha d dinner with my husband. Later that evening, I ran some errands.”
“Where did you go?”
“To Green Springs.”
“Did you see anyone?”
“I met with Becky Kiefer, the owner of Hometown Designs, who is also giving my husband and me a quote to renovate this place.”
“You never stopped by Designer Diva store on Tuesday evening?” The sheriff’s eyes met hers. “You know I already have the answer, Liz.”
“I…did. Look, I was driving past on my way through town. The lights were off, so I kind of peeked in the windows. I thought I saw someone moving around in the back and didn’t want Deanna to see me, considering our last words to each other weren’t exactly friendly. I left and drove to Hometown Designs, Becky Kiefer’s place, which was only a couple blocks away. In fact, she can vouch for me. ”
“Ms. Kiefer told us you stopped by her place. You met with her and went where?”
“To the grocery store. I have a receipt. You can verify the time. After shopping, I returned home.”
“Putting all of this into a timeline, how long would you estimate you were in Green Springs Tuesday evening?”
Liz grew quiet as she thought about it. “An hour and a half, maybe two hours. I was home by eight-thirty.”
“Two hours.” Nelson scribbled furiously. “What were you wearing that evening?”
“Clothes.”
The sheriff’s head snapped up. “This isn’t a joke.”
“I know it isn’t. I don’t know. Jeans, a button-down blouse and a pair of Dior espadrilles.”
“Espa what?” Nelson interrupted .
“Dior espadrilles. They’re designer slip-on shoes,” Liz said. “I had done some work around this place, so when I got home, I showered and changed. The dirty clothes are in my laundry basket. I can send you a picture if you want.”
“I’ll get back to you on that. Is Floyd around?”
“He’s over by the barns. Do you need me for anything else?”
“If you’re asking if I’m done questioning you, the answer is ‘no.’ I would like to speak to Floyd to find out what he remembers.”
“I’ll take you to him.” Gloria led the sheriff to the buildings out back.
Ruth waited until they were gone and let out a low whistle. “That went well.”
“You can see what’s happening,” Liz said. “I argued with Deanna. She was threatening me about some frivolous lawsuit and calling me names. There are eyewitnesses. She was ticked off enough to peel out of my driveway and make obscene gestures, and then I was dumb enough to stop by her place. What was I thinking?”
Gloria returned moments later. “Nelson seems to be doing a very thorough job of investigating Deanna’s death.”
“Unfortunately, it’s me he’s investigating,” Liz groaned.
In a short amount of time, Floyd and the sheriff appeared, making their way toward them.
“I have what I need for now,” the sheriff said. “You don’t plan on leaving town, do you?”
“No,” Liz said. “Surely, I’m not the only suspect.”
“We’re speaking with several persons of interest.”
“Including Ms. Andretti’s colleagues?” Gloria asked. “I was here at the same time as Ms. Andretti and able to observe the women she was with. Looking back, none of them struck me as particularly warm and fuzzy toward the deceased. ”
“Like I said, we’re chatting with others.” The sheriff tipped his hat, thanked them for their time, and returned to his patrol car. He sat there for several long moments before driving off.
“I wouldn’t get too freaked out yet, Liz.” Lucy finished her water and tossed the empty bottle in the recycle bin. “On a brighter note, I’ll go grab the rental agreement.”
Liz turned her attention to Echo. “Have you changed your mind about renting the mobile home?”
“Not at all. In fact, I was so excited, I barely slept last night.”
“Perhaps you should look at it first.” Liz placed a light hand on her aching back. “I don’t know if the locks work, but even if they do, they need to be replaced.”
“I have some extra locks in my van,” Ruth said. “It’s an easy breezy swap out. ”
“What are you doing riding around with sets of door locks?” Gloria waved dismissively. “Never mind. I probably don’t want to know.”
The women made the trek to the mobile home as Liz mulled over her conversation with their new neighbor, Christi Kravitz. What if someone was hanging around the property? Would Echo be safe living there alone until Floyd and Liz moved in? “Our neighbor, Christi, claims someone was over here, but she didn’t find anyone. I want you to feel safe.”
“I’ll be fine,” Echo said. “I appreciate your concern, but I own a gun and know how to use it.”
Knowing she wouldn’t be the one living there, Liz was able to view the home in a different light. On closer inspection, it wasn’t half bad. In fact, the interior was in better condition than the main house.
“I love it.” Echo clasped her hands and spun in a slow circle. “It’s perfect. ”
“Good. Lucy has the paperwork.”
Lucy turned to go, and Echo stopped her. “There is one other thing I should have mentioned earlier.”
“You have someone else moving in with you,” Liz guessed.
“Yes.” Echo and Paige exchanged a quick glance.
“We’ll need to add him or her to the lease,” Liz said. “All tenants must sign the lease.”
“That might be tricky.” Echo reached for the doorknob. “I’ll be right back.”
The others grew quiet as she darted out of the mobile home and jogged over to the barn where she had spent the last few hours working.
Liz pinned Paige with a stare. “Do you know what Echo’s talking about?”
“I do. I think it’s best that she shows you.”
Ruth gave a thumbs up. “I love surprises. ”
“Good ones,” Liz pointed out. “So far, none of them have been good, at least as far as this place is concerned.”
Gloria patted Paige’s arm. “Is it going to send Auntie Liz into a tizzy?”
“A Lizzie tizzy,” Margaret chuckled.
“Stop.” Liz held up a hand. “You aren’t helping.”
The door flew open. Echo reappeared. She wasn’t alone.