Apple Turnover Murder (19 page)

“I’ve been hiding out here while Bill does the obligatory glad-hand thing,” Andrea explained. “I just couldn’t say another,
Oh my, how wonderful it is to see you again!
”

“But you’re so good at that.”

“Not tonight. I’m too worried about Bill’s latest offer.”

“From Tachyon?”

“Who else? It’s a brand new luxury car and it’s free. He can use it for work
and
for personal driving. They’re going to give him a gas card and pick up all expenses, including parking.”

“You were right. They really do want him.”

“I know. I’m just scared to death he’ll accept. The kids and I will have to move and … and …” Andrea stopped, struggling to blink back tears. “I’ll be down there in Fort Lauderdale with the bugs and the crocodiles … and you’ll have to deal with Mother all by yourself!”

“Alligators,” Hannah corrected her automatically. “And what do you mean,
I’ll have to deal with Mother
?”

“I mean you’ll have to …” Andrea stopped and stared at Hannah. “You didn’t see her?” she asked.

“I saw her. She was playing Blackjack with Doc Knight.”

“Well, they weren’t playing when I saw them.” Andrea stopped and frowned. “Or maybe they
were
playing. It all depends on how you look at it. All I know is they were sharing one of your apple turnovers the same way Lady shared that strand of spaghetti with the Tramp!”

Hannah’s eyes widened. “You mean they were actually holding it in their mouths and eating it from opposite corners?”

“No. I was just using a meta … what do you call that?”

“Metaphor?”

“Yes. I was just using a metaphor. They didn’t have it in their mouths, but they were eating bites of it with their forks. Mother was forking from one corner, and Doc was forking from the other. I … well … I didn’t stick around to see what happened when they got to the middle.”

Hannah couldn’t help it. She laughed. And that earned her a scowl from Andrea.

“I don’t think this is one bit funny,” Andrea said.

“I do.” Hannah knew she had to come up with an explanation that Andrea would accept, and she glommed onto her sister’s reference to the Disney movie. “I was thinking about Lady and the Tramp,” she explained. “I just love that scene with the spaghetti. It’s funny, but it’s so sweet … you know?”

Andrea smiled. “I
do
know. I feel the same way. It’s my favorite part of the movie, even better than the ending with the baby and the puppies. Tracey loves it, too.” Hannah watched as Andrea stopped speaking and began to look worried again. “What do you think we should do about Mother?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing yet. Carrie’s wedding seems to have inspired all the eligible men in Lake Eden, and Mother’s simply enjoying all the attention.”

“Then you don’t think she’s serious about Doc?”

“I don’t think so, not when I happen to know that she had dinner with Bud Hauge last night.”

“Really?”

“That’s what she said. And then they went to the talent show together.” Hannah gave her sister a reassuring smile. “I really don’t think we have to worry about Mother unless she dates the same man a couple times in a row.”

“
Dates
?” Andrea picked up on Hannah’s word choice. “Then you think Mother’s
dating
?”

From the horrified expression on Andrea’s face, Hannah knew she had to backtrack fast. “Not dating exactly,” she said. “It’s more like renewing old acquaintances with everyone she knew years ago when she went to Jordan High.”

“Oh.” Andrea looked relieved. “Well … I guess that’s all right then. It’s good to keep in touch with old friends.”

Andrea stopped speaking and nudged Hannah. “Here comes Norman and he looks upset.”

Hannah looked up. Norman was still half a basketball court away, but he did look upset. “He went outside to take a phone call. I hope it wasn’t bad news.”

Both sisters watched Norman bob and weave around stationary people. He was making good progress even though the auditorium was crowded with human obstacles. When he arrived at their sides, he gave a sigh of relief. “Why do people always stop in the middle of the aisle to talk? They do it in grocery stores, too.”

“I don’t know,” Andrea said.

“Me either,” Hannah concurred. “Just one of the peculiarities of human behavior, I guess.”

“I’m sorry that took so long,” Norman said to Hannah. And then he turned to Andrea. “I ran into Bill when I was outside. He was just leaving, and he asked me to find you and tell you he got called in.”

“Wonderful,” Andrea said in a tone that clearly said it wasn’t.

“Anyway,” Norman turned back to Hannah. “I’m afraid I have to leave. Something’s come up. Do you want me to give you a ride to The Cookie Jar to get your truck?”

Hannah shook her head. “No, I’ll stay here with Andrea for a while.”

“Okay then. Thanks for a fun evening and … I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”

Both Hannah and Andrea watched as Norman turned and headed for the exit. Once they lost sight of him in the crowd, Andrea turned to Hannah. “What was all
that
about?”

“I haven’t the foggiest idea. Something’s been bothering Norman ever since he came back from the Cities and he hasn’t told me what it is.”

Andrea looked concerned. “Do you think he’ll tell you?”

“I’m sure he will … eventually. But in the meantime, both of us are here without partners … right?”

“That’s right.”

“Good. Does Lake Eden Realty still handle rentals on that new apartment complex at the community college?”

“Yes. I rented a unit just the other day.”

“Is there a master key that will let you into all of the apartments?”

“Yes, but …” Andrea stopped and stared at Hannah in disbelief. “You want me to let you into Bradford Ramsey’s apartment?!”

“Bingo,” Hannah said. And smiled.

Chepter Twenty

“I
shouldn’t be doing this,” Andrea whispered as the elevator doors opened and they stepped in.

“Would you rather wait in the truck?” Hannah asked. “No. Bill told me he was a real ladies’ man. Is that true?”

“That’s what I heard,” Hannah replied, hoping Andrea didn’t ask her for details.

“Well, I want to see if he’s got one of those bachelor pads you read about in magazines, the ones with the round beds, and the mirrors on the ceiling, and fur bedspreads.”

Hannah was about to laugh when she remembered Bradford’s old apartment. There
had
been a fake fur bedspread.

The hallway was deserted, and the two sisters walked quickly to Bradford’s door. Andrea used the master key and pushed the door open. “Flashlights?” she asked, once they’d both stepped inside.

“Yes,” Hannah said, after one glance at the living room window. It faced a wooded area, but there was a patio
with tables and chairs next to the building. Any resident who stepped out on the patio could see the lights and they’d wonder why someone was in Bradford’s apartment on the night after his death. “Let me close the drapes before we turn them on.”

The moon shining in the large window made hulking shapes of the furniture. Hannah made her way cautiously past a large leather armchair and stepped around the corner of a massive wooden coffee table. It would be worse than embarrassing if she broke her ankle by stumbling over furniture in a place they weren’t authorized to enter. She’d tried to think of some excuse in case someone happened to catch them, but nothing seemed plausible. No one would believe that the sheriff’s wife was showing her older sister the apartment because Hannah thought she knew someone who might want to rent it.

After a close encounter with a leather-covered hassock, Hannah made it to the window and drew the drapes. “Okay,” she whispered. “You can turn on your flashlight.”

There was an audible click in the stillness and Andrea’s flashlight sent out a beam of yellow light. A split second later, Hannah’s did the same.

“Where shall we start?” Andrea asked. “And what are we looking for, anyway?”

“I’ll know it when I see it. Just point out anything that looks out of place.”

They started in the kitchen, a room so small Hannah would have called it a kitchenette. “If you were listing this place, what would you say about the kitchen?” she asked Andrea.

“I’d call it a cozy dream of a kitchen,” Andrea said.

“In real-estate-speak,
cozy
means
small
?”

“That’s right. And
spacious
means
medium-sized
.”

Andrea started with the refrigerator while Hannah
checked the cupboards. It was quickly evident that Bradford Ramsey hadn’t done much cooking since food supplies were almost nonexistent. Hannah found a box of crackers, several cans of soup, two boxes of natural grain, heart-healthy cereal, and a jar of instant coffee. “Anything?” she asked, turning to her sister.

“Not really.” Andrea shut the refrigerator door. “A dozen eggs, milk with an expired date, and some dried-out cheddar cheese.”

The living room was next, and it yielded equally unsatisfying results. There was nothing but dust under the cushions of the couch and chair, and only books on the bookshelf. It was surprising how little evidence there was to indicate that a living, breathing, human being had called this home.

Hannah left Andrea to go through the second bookcase and went ahead to the bathroom. There wasn’t much to look at in the shower besides a bar of soap and a razor. The medicine cabinet didn’t yield much either, only a bottle of Pepto Bismol and a half-empty tin of throat lozenges. If Bradford had been dealing illicit drugs for extra cash, he certainly hadn’t stashed any in his medicine cabinet!

After the obligatory peek into the watery depths of the toilet tank simply because she’d once seen it in a movie, Hannah emerged from the room frowning. There was a matching frown on Andrea’s face. So far their search had been fruitless.

“The bedroom?” Andrea whispered.

“Yes. I’ll go in first and check out the windows.”

When Hannah entered the bedroom, she saw that the curtains were already drawn. She parted them enough to look out and realized the reason they’d been closed. The window looked out on an ivy-covered brick wall that
formed the side of the hallway leading to the indoor spa and swimming pool. The only view was of the wall, and although Bradford had probably kept the curtains open during the day for the sunlight that would shine in, it made sense to close them at night rather than look out at the darkness.

“If you shut the door, you can turn on the lights in here,” Hannah said, motioning Andrea into the room. This window faces a blank wall.”

Andrea flicked the wall switch and a large lamp on the dresser turned on. Hannah walked over to turn on the other two lamps, one on either side of the bed, and then she turned to find Andrea just staring at the room.

“What’s the matter?” Hannah asked her.

“It’s just a bedroom.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I am. I thought it would be more … exciting.”

Hannah was amused, but she didn’t dare show it. There were times when Andrea wasn’t very worldly, but that could be because she’d married Bill right out of high school and she’d never left Lake Eden for any length of time.

“Let’s see what we can find,” Hannah directed. “Why don’t you start with his dresser drawers.”

“Ooh! I love to go through people’s drawers. You never know what secrets you’ll find.”

Hannah laughed. Perhaps Andrea would find something. People did hide things in dresser drawers. “Have fun. While you’re doing that, I’ll check the closet.”

It was an eerie feeling going through a dead man’s clothing, especially a dead man you’d known. Hannah checked the upper shelf, but nothing was there. And the only thing on the floor was a large shoe tree with pairs of shoes neatly arranged on its tubular holders. The clothes
were neatly hung on hangers, and there was nothing of interest that she could see.

“Hannah?” Andrea called her softly from the bedroom.

“Yes?”

“Come out here quick! I think I found something!”

Hannah hurried out of the closet. She found Andrea sitting on the edge of Bradford’s bed holding something that glittered brightly in her hand. “What is it?”

“An earring. I think it’s sapphire with diamonds all around it. It’s not costume jewelry. I know the real thing when I see it.”

Hannah looked down at the earring that rested on her sister’s palm. “Where was it?” she asked.

“On the floor behind the headboard. I got down on the rug to look under the bed and I spotted it. Have you ever seen anything like it before?”

Hannah drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes,” she said. “I have.”

“Who do you think … what’s that?!” Andrea grabbed Hannah’s arm and pointed toward the living room.

There was a swishing sound as the outside door opened, and a click as it shut again. Someone had come into Bradford’s apartment!

“Quick! Under the bed!” Andrea whispered, but Hannah grabbed her arm and pulled her the other way.

“The closet,” she whispered, opening the door and shoving Andrea inside. A second later, she joined her sister in the walk-in closet and not a moment too soon, for they heard footfalls on the carpet coming toward the bedroom.

“The earring,” Andrea breathed, passing it to Hannah in a rush, almost like they’d done in the games of
Hot Potato
they used to play with their grandparents. The only difference was that this time there wasn’t any music …
only the sound of someone walking into the bedroom and stopping by the bed.

The door to the closet was louvered and Hannah moved to a better position. She could barely make out a woman bent over at the waist, peering under the bed. She might not have known who it was if she hadn’t seen that outfit earlier.

“Can you see who it is?” Andrea whispered, close to Hannah’s ear.

“Stephanie Bascomb. Take a deep breath and stay right here. I’m going out to confront the first lady of Lake Eden.”

There was an audible gasp from Andrea, but Hannah didn’t worry about that. As Stephanie straightened up and whirled to face the closet, Hannah pushed the door open and stepped out, shutting it behind her so that Andrea would remain hidden.

“Hannah!” Stephanie exclaimed, her hand fluttering toward her throat. “What are you doing here?”

Hannah didn’t bother to answer. She just crossed the floor to Stephanie and held out her hand. Then she opened it so Stephanie could see the earring. “Looking for this?” she asked.

“Yes! But it’s not what you think. I lost it on Monday afternoon when Bradford and I met to discuss the talent show.”

Hannah raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

“We had to work out the order of the contestants, and how long he should speak, and things like that.”

Hannah had the urge to ask Stephanie how her earring had gotten into the bedroom if all they’d done was discuss the talent show, but she didn’t. It really wasn’t any business of hers.

“So …” Stephanie stopped and swallowed with difficulty. “Could I please have my earring now?”

“Of course.” Hannah waited until she visibly relaxed before she threw in the condition she’d decided should be invoked. “But first you have to tell me where you were between the time the curtain went down after the first act on Wednesday night and the time the police went backstage.”

Stephanie’s mouth dropped open. “Surely you don’t think that I would ever …”

“No, I don’t think you did,” Hannah interrupted her. “But I still need to know exactly where you were during intermission.”

Stephanie thought for a second. “I left my seat with Richard and we walked back to the lobby. We stood in line for coffee and turnovers, and then we joined Stan and Lolly Kramer, and Al and Sally Percy. They’re some of our biggest supporters, you know.”

“Were you with them until the gong sounded to signal the end of intermission?”

“Heavens, no! Richard and I made the rounds. We talked to your mother and Bud Hauge.” Stephanie paused and frowned slightly. “She’s not really interested in him … is she?”

“Bud’s an old friend, I think.”

“That’s what I thought, since I saw her with Doc Knight at the Blackjack table tonight. He’s a much better catch.”

“I don’t think Mother is looking to catch anything other than a good night’s sleep. Let’s get back to Wednesday night. Did you talk to anyone after you left Mother and Bud?”

“Hal and Rose MacDermott. And after we left them, we talked to Howie and Kitty Levine. Then we went on to George and Pam Baxter, Eleanor and Otis Cox, and Lorna Kusak.”

“Who else?”

“That was it. The gong rang and we went back in to sit down.”

“And you sat there with Mayor Bascomb until the authorities came?”

“That’s right. I never left my seat.” Stephanie gave an exasperated sigh. “Could I please have my earring back now?”

“Certainly.” Hannah held out her hand and Stephanie snatched up the earring. “By the way … how did you get into Bradford’s apartment tonight?”

“I still had his key.”

“You still had his key?”

The color fled from Stephanie’s face. She knew she’d incriminated herself, and Hannah could almost see the wheels turning in her mind, looking for the perfect excuse. “That’s right. He gave me his
extra
key,” she said. “I told him I thought I’d lost my earring in his apartment, and he told me to drive out and get it after the talent show was over. He said he was going out with friends and he wouldn’t be back until late.”

Quick thinking
, Hannah thought.
I almost believe you.
But all she said was, “I see.”

“Well … if there’s nothing else …” Stephanie took two steps toward the door, but then she turned. “I hope you won’t mention this to anyone.”

“I won’t,” Hannah said. And then when Stephanie had made a quick exit from the bedroom, she added under her breath, “Not if your alibi checks out.”

“I was so scared, I could barely breathe,” Andrea confided as they walked down the hallway and took the elevator
to the ground floor. “I thought for sure she’d seen me.”