Chapter 21
We were almost back in South Cove when I realized something. “Beth, did Dom say where Gunter was at?”
“Gunter?” She turned down the Christmas carols on the station she’d found. Christmas twenty-four seven.
“His bodyguard? The guy he couldn’t even go to a book club without?”
Beth blinked and said, “Huh.”
“What’s huh?” A pit was forming in the bottom of my stomach. This was important but I didn’t know why or how.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Gunter in days. He was waiting for Dom in Lille’s parking lot that night Dom walked me home from working at the bookstore. And since then, Dom’s been around, but no Gunter. Maybe Dom thought he couldn’t keep a secret.”
“What secret?”
“Oh no. You’re not tricking me into telling you,” Beth said, but she looked worried. She got out her phone. “I’m going to ask Dom where he’s been. And before you say anything, I should be able to tell you what’s going on sometime tomorrow.”
“After the bombing happens?”
Beth looked up from her text. “What bombing?”
“Just a joke.” I turned off the highway onto the road to South Cove and my house. “Maybe not funny but you’re being so secretive.”
Beth just smiled. “Tomorrow.”
We dragged all the packages inside and then sat at the table. “Do we want to work on these tonight? Or just do everything tomorrow?”
“Why don’t you set up your staff gifts in the office, then we’ll add to each one. I’ll start getting the cocoa mix ready to put into the jars.”
“And tomorrow we’ll make cookies?” I rolled my head back. “Maybe we should have started this on Monday.”
“We’ll be fine.” Beth picked up her buzzing phone. “Okay, to answer your Gunter question, Dom doesn’t know where he is. He took off a couple of days ago and hasn’t checked in. Dom says he doesn’t need a bodyguard anyway.”
“Weird. The guy was all freaked out about Dom’s safety, then he just rabbits?” I picked up my phone and called Greg. “Did you take Dom off your suspect list?”
“Did Lille corner you at the diner and ask?”
I laughed. “No, but we ate in Bakerstown. Has she been hounding you?” I mouthed the word Lille to Beth and she rolled her eyes.
“Not since noon. Why did you ask about Dom?”
I heard the other unasked question as well. Why are you asking me about my investigation?
“His bodyguard has disappeared. Gunter.”
There was no response on the other end of the line.
“Greg? Are you still there?”
“Sorry, I just pulled up the interview from Dom, but I don’t think anyone interviewed Gunter. He was at the dart tournament, wasn’t he?”
“A lot of people were there, but yes, Gunter came with Dom and a few of the guys. He brought a date. I was surprised. How’s Matty?” Emma wanted out, so I opened the door and went out on the porch to talk.
“Oh no. The quick conversation switch trick isn’t going to trip me up today. Although her store’s robbery is a Bakerstown issue, since they were covering.” He paused and then added, “I just got off the phone with the hospital. She’s out of surgery and doing okay, I guess. Not awake yet.”
“Greg, was it an accident?”
This time the pause was longer. “I can’t prove it yet, but I don’t believe it was an accident. She’s still out, so I’m debating on driving to Bakerstown tonight to talk to her or waiting until the morning. What are you two doing tonight? Are you home?”
“We are home,” I said and went on to tell him our plans for the next couple of days.
He chuckled. “I like having Beth around. I don’t have to worry about you during the day while I’m working.”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to worry anyway.” I pointed out the flaw in his theory.
“Honey, I’ve been worried about you since the day we met so many years ago,” he said, but then he sighed. “I get it. You’re a big girl. I can’t help but worry because I know how you fall into these things.”
“I’ll admit, some of the situations have been a little scary.
Nothing to worry about here. Like I said, Beth and I are setting up a mini Santa’s workshop here for tomorrow.
I’m going to miss having her around.” I paused, looking inside the kitchen.
Beth was mixing up the cocoa and sugar. “Is Dom still on your suspect list? He and Beth have gotten close this trip.”
“Great. That’s going to please my brother. I can just hear the lecture now about me not protecting her from a known malcontent.”
I giggled. “That’s not the word I’d use to describe Dom, but it does fit Jim’s vocabulary. Anyway, she told me something big was happening and I should know everything tomorrow.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“I know, right?”
Beth looked up and saw me watching her through the screen door. She waved.
“Look, I’ve got to go. Take care of yourself, please. I’d hate to have Christmas ruined forever if something happened to you.”
“You’d hate that. I’ll try not to be inconsiderate and get myself killed around a major holiday. Hopefully, it will be a boring day in June if it occurs.” Greg chuckled. “If you find out what’s happening, would you call me? I don’t want to be clueless here.”
“June is a lovely month. Why would you want to spoil it for me?” I smiled, even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “Talk to you soon?”
“I’ll touch base in the morning at the latest.”
We said goodbye and Emma and I went back into the kitchen. She’d been sitting at the open screen door and sniffing for the last few minutes. I had a feeling she was going to be in dog heaven for the next day or so, at least until her Aunt Beth left for the airport.
My phone rang as soon as I tried to set it down. It was Carrie. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Just checking in to see if Beth will be here for book club, or if she’ll be home to Zoom in with Amanda,” Carrie asked.
“I’m making treats, so I’m getting a roll call.
I can’t reach Gunter but Dom’s in for Monday.
He’s so nice. I don’t think I’ve heard him say this many words since he started dating Lille. She kept him outside of the diner.”
“Yes, Dom is very nice.” I smiled at Beth and she had the grace to blush. “How long have he and Lille been dating?”
“Four years now? I think it’s getting serious, at least that’s what the rumors are saying. I can’t see anyone marrying Lille. She has a heart of stone, that one.”
“Maybe not for Dom.” I covered the mouthpiece and asked, “Will you be available for book club?”
Beth shook her head. “Probably not. I think Jim and I will be having dinner, but if I happen to be alone that night, I’ll attend. Have Carrie send me the Zoom link.”
I relayed the message. “So why the treats? Early Christmas baking?”
“No, we’re celebrating Chris getting off the hook for Chip’s murder.
She let a friend’s sister and her husband stay at her place and they were up talking with this sister until late.
Joanie, the friend, is dating a jerk and everyone including Chris and her sister is worried.
Joanie’s sister didn’t get the message that Greg was trying to reach her until yesterday.
She dropped her phone while they were traveling back home outside San Diego.
Then she had to order a new one. Cell phones are a pain.
” Carrie summed it up. “Okay, so one more invite for Zoom and one less to consume the treats. See you Monday.”
I hung up and started washing the jars Beth had sitting out on the table. “Chris is off the hook. She was with us all night at the dart tournament and Chip was still alive when we all left. Then she had a friend’s sister alibi her today. Carrie’s making treats for book club.”
“I’m sorry I’m going to miss out.” Beth grabbed a clean jar and started drying. “You all are a tightly knit community. I’m going to miss that when I get home.”
“You and Jim have the church.” I washed another jar.
Beth shrugged. “Maybe. I’m beginning to think that my pastor isn’t on my side and he’s got a vested interest in me staying at my secretary job.”
“You were too good at it.” I smiled as I finished washing the last jar.
“Whatever. But today and tomorrow are all about Christmas, family, and friends. I hope Greg can be here for dinner because I’m cooking.” Beth counted the washed jars.
“I’ll let him know in the morning.” I let the water out of the sink and dried my hands on a towel. “If we’re baking all day, are you sure you want to make dinner too? We could go out to that seafood place you like.”
Beth hit me with the towel she’d been using. “Stop tempting me. I want to cook to thank you for letting me stay for an extra couple of weeks. You didn’t have to let me crash here.”
“You’re family,” I said. “Now let’s get those packages done for the staff. I still want to watch a cooking show before I crash for the night.”
* * *
I didn’t dream of sugar plums, candy canes, or even Santa’s reindeer that night, but I wish I would have.
It would have been better dreams than the ones I had with poor Chip tied to his chair, begging for his life.
When I finally climbed out of bed, I wasn’t in the mood for the Christmas carols and making too many cookies.
But I figured if I drank enough coffee, I could get there.
Besides, I heard Greg’s laughter downstairs and realized I was the only one still in bed. I hurried downstairs to see a pancake flying in the air.
Emma was watching too, probably hoping that Greg would miss the pan. No one looked at me as I came into the kitchen. “Good morning, family. I see breakfast is well on the way?”
“I think you just pretend to sleep in so you don’t have to cook.” Greg set the pan back on the stove and pulled me into a hug. “Did you sleep well?”
“Not really, but thanks for asking.” I kissed him and headed straight for the cup of coffee Beth had just poured me. “Oh, Carrie said you cleared Chris of killing Chip. Thanks. I know it was weighing on her.”
“I didn’t clear her because she was upset. She has an alibi. She couldn’t have done it.” He put the last pancake on the top of my plate, drizzled it with warm maple syrup, and set it in front of me at the table. “Now eat before you start getting grumpy.”
I’d argue with him, but not eating did make me moody.
“So if Chris and Dom are off your list, who’s still on it?” Beth asked, sipping coffee. Since Greg had turned off the stove, I assumed they’d both already eaten.
“Who said Dom was off the list?” His eyes twinkled and I could see he was messing with her.
“Lille,” Beth shot back. “Because she said if you put her boyfriend in jail she was going to close the restaurant.”
“She’s not closing the restaurant, but yes, Dom has been cleared.
” He turned to me. “Your uncle came forward and told me he had a late-night visitor at the Train Station the night Chip was killed. He said Dom stayed until three that morning when your aunt came down and broke up the boys’ club.
He said they had some things to discuss. ”
“What would Dom be chatting with Uncle Harrold until three in the morning for? Is Harrold becoming an investor in his new bar and grill?”
“Not that I know about.” Greg glanced over at Beth.
She shook her head. “I’m not talking. And you can’t make me, copper.”
After that, Greg left to go to the station. He often worked seven days a week, especially when there was an active investigation. I felt blessed that he had been able to take Thanksgiving off completely. Of course, that had wound up being an issue on its own with Matty’s robbery.
Beth and I were discussing what cookies to make when a knock on the door interrupted our conversation.
I went to the door and Andrew stood there, a package under his arm.
“Hey, sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but Jamal said you were looking for this. They made a copy for you. They have such amazing toys there at the library.”
I took the cylinder from him. Was this a copy of the original blueprints? “Thanks, Andrew. Are you working this morning?”
“Yes, I have a shift with Evie. She claims she’s going to put us on a shift alone next week. I hope she’s kidding.” Andrew waved and skipped down the stairs. “See you later.”
I closed the door and locked it. The kitchen table was covered with baking supplies. My office desk had partially completed Christmas presents on it and the coffee table was too small. “I’m running upstairs for a minute,” I called out to Beth.
I went into my bedroom and closed the door. I didn’t need Emma jumping in the middle of this and tearing the blueprints. I knew it was just a copy, but I wanted to see if my intuition was right.
As I scanned the blueprint, I compared it to the pictures I’d taken the other day when I was in the building with Chris. It didn’t take long, but as soon as I saw it, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it before.
A built-in door in a bookcase. It was cracked open. I wonder if Chip had tried to hide in there when the killer came.
As I studied the picture, I spotted something else.
A patch under the doorway. A jacket patch.
Usually, these were all sewn together so tightly that they wouldn’t come off.
But this club had changed a lot in the last few years.
Stopping activities, ending allegiances, and even removing patches.
They’d been taken off to indicate the loyalty had also been broken.
But when you remove one, it affects the others close to the separated patch.
And the killer had lost two in the last few days.
One here at the murder scene. And one in front of a jewelry store where he’d picked up the so-called stolen merchandise to take to Chip to hold. At least that was my theory.
Had Chip threatened to renege on their deal?
Or had the killer decided that he didn’t need help to fence the jewelry and wanted it all back?
Or had Matty tried to double-cross him? Was this the favor she’d needed from Josh?
To help her get her property from Chip while she threw steel tips at him to get him to talk?
I needed to talk to Josh. And then I’d go see Greg. Right now, all I had was suspicions and questions. I had a feeling that Josh could paint a little more between the lines. At least enough for Greg to bring in the killer for probable cause.
Besides, I needed to pick up Beth’s Christmas present before she left tomorrow. That way, she’d have something to do on the plane ride home. For an excuse to go into town, it was pretty good.