Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter
Fifty-Five
“I wish this party wasn’t happening,” I confessed as Jemma and I approached the open door to Rosario’s apartment.
“Everyone wants to show their appreciation,” my friend said. “Plus, Agnes’s bakery is supplying the food, so we definitely don’t want to miss out.”
She took my arm and propelled me into the apartment, where big band music played and several of my neighbors had already gathered.
With Yolanda under arrest for Freddie’s murder, Mr. Nagy and I were both in the clear.
Callahan had canceled my visit to the police station, and with Livy at a friend’s house, I was free to mix and mingle.
Yet, despite my relief at no longer being a murder suspect, I didn’t feel at all in a partying mood.
“Emersyn!” Agnes exclaimed when she saw me.
She grabbed my hand and pulled me farther into the room, alerting the others to my arrival. The next thing I knew, Mrs. Nagy had wrapped me in an embrace.
I returned the hug, pouring all my love and gratitude into it. This woman had done so much for me and Livy. I hadn’t done nearly enough to repay her.
“Thank you, Emersyn,” she said. “Thank you for helping my Zoltán.”
I blinked away tears as I stepped back. “I’m not sure how much I really helped, but I’m glad his name is cleared.”
“It’s such a weight off his shoulders.” She smiled lovingly across the room at her husband, who was over in the kitchen, chatting and laughing with Rosario and Carmen.
The counter had been turned into a makeshift bar. As at the previous party in the building, Bodie mixed and shook cocktails, keeping everyone’s glasses full. Jemma was already there, talking with Bodie while he prepared a drink for her.
I chatted with Mrs. Nagy and Agnes for another minute or two, and then Jemma came over to join me, carrying two peachy-colored drinks. She handed one to me.
I thanked her, relieved that I didn’t need to approach Bodie myself.
My feelings for Wyatt might still be in a jumble, but I knew now that they were stronger than what I felt for the hot bartender.
At some point, I’d have to tell Bodie that I had no intention of taking our relationship any further, but this was so not the time or place.
Not that telling him that would mean I was ready to move forward with Wyatt. I still suspected that staying single was the wisest option for me at the moment.
Jemma might not agree, but I wanted clarity and stability in my life, not confusion and the potential for heartbreak.
Then there was the whole guardianship dispute with my mother.
That would require my full attention going forward.
My mom had granted me a reprieve of sorts, but I was basically on probation.
One wrong step, and she’d take up her crusade again.
Jemma and I sampled some of the food from Agnes’s bakery and chatted with the building’s residents. The whole time, I kept glancing toward the door. I knew Agnes had invited Wyatt to the party, but he’d yet to make an appearance. Despite my confused feelings, I really wanted to see him.
During one such glance at the entrance, I spotted Minnie out in the hallway, hovering with a haunted expression on her face.
The petit four I’d eaten sat heavily in my stomach.
I excused myself from my current conversation and stepped out into the hall.
“Minnie…” I started, trying to find a way to put my feelings into words. “I’m so sorry. This wasn’t the outcome I was hoping for.”
Minnie’s eyes were bloodshot, with dark rings beneath them. “Yolanda didn’t do it. She couldn’t have.” She blinked back tears. “She must have confessed because she thinks I did it and she wants to protect me.”
“You really think she believes you could have killed Freddie?” I asked.
I suspected that Yolanda had confessed so readily to prevent any further wrongful accusations against Minnie, but I didn’t doubt the veracity of the confession.
“I didn’t tell the entire truth when I said playing darts cured me of my anger,” Minnie said, wringing her hands. “I got angry all over again when Yolanda told me about Freddie taking the trophy from the speakeasy.”
“So you knew about the secret room too.”
She nodded. “I never paid any attention to the liquor behind the bar, but the speakeasy and everything in it means so much to Yolanda. She knows I was angry on her behalf. She must think that I killed Freddie, so she confessed to protect me.”
“But she was angry too,” I said as gently as I could. “And the gold leaf on Freddie’s body must have transferred from Yolanda. She probably got it on her when she was moving your artwork that day.”
She shook her head, unwilling to accept my theory. “We were never apart for more than fifteen minutes. Wouldn’t she have had blood on her?”
I didn’t know what else to say, so I repeated my earlier words. “I’m so sorry.”
Minnie patted my arm. “I know you were just trying to help Mr. Nagy, Emersyn.”
Her forgiveness and understanding left me feeling worse than before.
She gave me a weak smile and wandered off down the hall, looking a little lost.
I returned to Rosario’s apartment, even less in the mood for a party now.
“This is delicious,” Bitty said as she sipped at her peachy cocktail.
“You might want to be careful,” Carmen advised. “There’s a lot of vodka in that thing.”
“Like my dear cousin Princess Diana once said, ‘Vodka is kind of a hobby.’ ” Bitty giggled and took another sip of her drink as she swayed off to talk to Mrs. Nagy.
“Wasn’t it Betty White who said that?” Jemma asked.
“It certainly was.” Leona joined our group, a red cocktail in hand. “Did I ever tell you about the time I gave Betty a ride to the airport when her—”
“Yes,” Carmen broke in loudly. “Many, many times.”
“What’s that cocktail you’ve got there?” I asked Leona in a desperate bid to keep the peace. She looked ready to gouge Carmen’s eyes out.
Fortunately, my attempt at distracting her worked.
“Bodie called it a sour cherry gin sling.” She took a sip. “It’s delicious. You should try one.”
Jemma elbowed me in the ribs. “Yes, Emersyn, go ask Bodie to make you one.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “And maybe ask for a little something more too.”
I rolled my eyes and didn’t budge.
“I’m popping back down to your place to use the washroom,” Jemma said.
“I’m sure you could use Rosario’s.” I glanced in that direction.
“Someone just went in there. I won’t be long.” Jemma set aside her empty glass and headed out of the apartment.
When I turned my attention back to my neighbors, the cherry garnish in Leona’s glass grabbed my attention.
The cherry shimmered with gold.
“Gold leaf?” My voice sounded vague, probably because my thoughts were so busy spinning.
Leona held up her glass so it caught the light streaming in through the nearby window. “Bodie said he uses it all the time when he works for that fancy catering company. People like bling in their cocktails. He sneaked a little bit home for us. Wasn’t that sweet?”
Her dangly diamond earrings sparkled in a beam of sunlight.
Two memories surfaced and clicked together.
I looked over Bodie’s way. He smiled at something Bitty said to him and then reached for his cocktail shaker. His gaze met mine from across the room. It took half a second, but then he grinned at me before getting back to mixing drinks.
I set my half-empty glass on a side table and slipped out of the apartment. My heart beat so fast that I felt dizzy and lightheaded. I leaned against the wall in the hallway to ensure I didn’t fall over.
When would Jemma get back?
And what about Wyatt?
He still hadn’t shown up.
I pushed off from the wall and hurried to the elevator on shaky legs.
I needed to check something.
I needed to be sure.
I clutched my phone tightly as the elevator deposited me in the lobby. I hurried across the deserted space, my footsteps loud against the marble floor. I slipped into the vintage phone booth and opened the secret door to the speakeasy.
My heart continued to pound like the galloping hooves of a runaway horse.
Breathe, Emersyn, I reminded myself as another wave of lightheadedness swept over me.
I nearly tripped down the steps but made it safely to the wall of photographs. I found the one of the band playing on the small stage in the corner. Peering closely at the picture, I saw that I was right.
My heart sank.
The earring I’d found in Bodie’s apartment was a match for the one the singer wore in the photograph.
It didn’t belong to his ex-girlfriend.
He must have found it here in the speakeasy. Probably in the lost and found basket.
Which meant he knew about the secret room and the booze.
Bodie knew his liquor. He probably realized right away that the old bottles would fetch a good price when sold to the right buyer.
The gold leaf on Freddie’s body hadn’t come from Yolanda. It had come from Bodie. He used gold leaf in his work. Some must have stuck to his clothes or skin, and when he fought with Freddie over the old liquor…
I needed to talk to Detective Callahan.
I rushed up the steps to the secret door.
And crashed right into Bodie.