“Actually, I checked the pizza before we left and there’s only a couple of slices left, so I think you’d better pick up some takeout,” Jennifer suggested. “Anybody up for Chinese?”
“Oh, yeah,” Lisa said.
“Always.”
“Could you get Indian, too?” Greg asked, reaching for his wallet and pulling out some bills.
“Definitely.”
“Are we going to have heartburn tonight, or what?” Kelly predicted as she watched her friends toss cash into the center of the carpet.
Ten
“Give
it up, Carl. They’re too fast,” Kelly yelled to her dog, watching him chase after the fleet-footed squirrels that raced along the top of her chain-link backyard fence. Carl never seemed to weary of the chase, even though his nemesis Saucy Squirrel—or one of his relatives—always won the day. Or at least the race.
Saucy and friends leaped to the ground and skittered across the grass to the nearby cottonwood tree which provided the lion’s share of shade for the cottage and yard. Once atop a branch Saucy turned and chattered at Carl, then shook his tail in what Kelly took to be a rude gesture. Carl didn’t seem to care. He woofed up at Saucy like he always did when bested. A sort of “Wait till next time” bark. Saucy simply ignored Carl’s threats and scampered up the tree to higher realms.
She closed the glass patio door as the jangle of her cell phone sounded. Retrieving it, she strolled into the kitchen and checked the coffeepot. Empty.
Rats.
“Hey, Kelly,” Burt’s voice came over the line. “Did I get you before you burrowed into your accounts?”
“Perfect timing, Burt,” she said as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “I was about to get Eduardo to fill my mug and dig into the accounts. What’s up?”
“I need your help with some phone calls. Mimi and I are arranging a little casual get-together after the shop has closed tonight and everyone’s off work, so we can announce the engagement to close friends. We’ve already told our families, of course. Rosa and Connie were the first to notice.” He chuckled. “I heard you were going nuts up front trying to see something ‘new’ the other day. Rosa said Mimi had to wave the ring in your face.” This time, he laughed out loud.
“Yeah, she’s right. I felt so lame. Maybe I should turn in my junior detective badge, what do you think?”
“Don’t worry about it, Kelly. Listen, could you call up Curt and Jayleen, please? Ask them if they’d like to swing by Pete’s café this evening after five thirty. Since it’s Monday, Pete doesn’t have a catering job tonight, so Mimi and I grabbed him and sent him downstairs to start baking pies.”
“Oh, wow. Now I’ll be thinking about those pies all day.” Kelly could almost taste the succulent blueberry and cherry, yummy pecan and lemon custard. “I’ll call Steve and make sure he doesn’t work late. We can have pie for dinner. He’ll love it.”
“Great. I’ll call the rest of the crew. I’m heading out on errands now. Thanks, Kelly, I really appreciate your help.”
“Anytime, Burt.” She chose a clean mug from the dishwasher. Might as well get that fill-up and sniff those pies right away. Maybe it was still early enough to put in a request.
“Oh, by the way. I heard from my friend in Peterson’s department. Vern said the guy who was number one on Peterson’s list, that rancher named Bill . . . well, he’s been able to come up with a good alibi. Seems he was with his girlfriend all night. So, it looks like he’s off the list.”
“Really?” Kelly slipped the coffee mug into her shoulder bag and headed to her front door. “Well, so much for the medical examiner’s suspicions, right? So, are the police going back to accidental death?”
“Well, not yet. My friend said Peterson is going to start questioning everyone again. To see if they remember anything else.”
Uh-oh.
That meant Peterson would be questioning Jennifer, and he’d probably do it alone this time. Kelly felt a little squeeze on her heart. There would be no way for Jennifer to truthfully answer Detective Peterson’s probing questions without revealing how she had first met Everett. And the ugly rape that followed.
“That means he’ll be interviewing Jennifer, too,” Kelly said. “Damn.” She slammed the door behind her and sped down the concrete steps that led to the walkway through her cottage’s small front yard. The tulips she had planted last November had risen vibrant and healthy. Crimson reds and canary yellow. Daffodils dotted another planter, alternating with purple crocus. Spring flowers.
“Yeah, I thought about that, Kelly. I know you were trying to protect Jennifer, but you really can’t. You know that, don’t you?” Burt’s kind voice reminded.
“Yeah . . . I know,” Kelly admitted as she walked across the driveway toward the shop and café.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to worry. I can’t imagine Peterson would consider Jennifer a suspect. No matter what she felt about Everett, we all know Jennifer couldn’t murder someone.”
Kelly’s little buzzer went off inside.
I have to tell him.
She let out a breath as she slowly made her way through the breakfast crowd seated outside the café. Deliberately taking the flagstone path away from the tables, she said, “Yeah, Burt, we all know that. But the problem is Jennifer took a walk alone that night after we all left the campfire. Lisa and I went right to sleep in our cabin, so we don’t know how long Jen was out there alone. There’s a path that winds along the edge of the river, and it passes right by Everett’s ranch house.”
Burt was quiet for nearly a minute. “Ohhhh, my,” he said with a tired sigh. “That does change things, I’m afraid.”
Kelly paused by the small pond near the café’s front door. “It sure does, especially with an investigator as thorough as Detective Peterson. I’ve watched him work twice now. Once he learns that . . . well, I’m afraid he’ll put Jennifer at the top of his empty list of suspects.”
“Well, let’s not jump to conclusions yet, Kelly. Peterson’s a reasonable man and not a hothead.”
“I’ll try not to, Burt. But it’s not Peterson I’m worried about. It’s that medical examiner who’s so hot to turn this accidental death into a murder.”
“Whoooeeee,
I can sure smell those pies, but I can’t see ’em,” Jayleen announced in a loud voice as she entered the café. “Where’re you hiding them, Jennifer?”
“Pete’s bringing them up from the warming ovens in the basement,” Jennifer said as she set out silverware on the alcove tables.
“Grab a chair,” Kelly said as she set coffee mugs on the tables. “Megan’s outside playing with Carl, and Lisa and Greg are on their way.”
Curt Stackhouse followed Jayleen to a corner table. “I sure hope one of those pies is lemon custard. That is some kind of good,” he said as he dropped his Stetson to the table and settled his tall rancher’s frame into a chair. “Is my nephew dropping by? I haven’t seen him for nearly a month now.”
“He’s finishing up a big case,” Kelly said. “Megan said he’s been putting in some long hours. Jen, is more coffee brewing?” Kelly asked, glancing toward the coffee bar behind the counter.
“I’m on it,” Jennifer said, opening drawers.
“Don’t get close, I’m covered in dog slobber,” Megan said as she entered the café.
“Don’t tell me you rolled around with him in the yard like Steve does,” Kelly said.
“No, but I went inside the yard to pet him.”
“Big mistake,” Jennifer said.
“Oh, yeah.” Megan laughed. “Boy, he was all over me. I gotta wash up,” she said as she went down the hallway.
“Look who I found in the parking lot,” Steve said as he rounded the corner, pointing to Lisa and Greg behind him. “Boy, I’m starving, so I hope Pete made a lot of pies. Kelly said this was dinner.” He gave Kelly a kiss as he passed.
“Me, too, but I grabbed some pizza on the way over,” Greg said as he straddled a chair.
“We’re out of pizza,” Kelly said. “In fact, our fridge is looking kind of bare except for coffee.”
“Staple of life.”
Curt snorted. “I swear. Don’t you kids go shopping? You’re getting way too busy.”
“Well, you’re right about that,” Lisa said, holding out her mug so Jennifer could pour coffee. “Once we decided to move, we’ve been going a mile a minute.”
“How’s that going?” Jayleen asked. “Kelly told me you two were moving into one of Steve’s houses.”
“Smart decision,” Curt said with a nod. “For you kids and for Steve. Tight times require some juggling to make it through.”
“That’s for sure,” Steve said, nodding his head.
“Well, thanks to everyone’s help this past weekend, we got all the furniture moved and all of the boxes.”
“And managed to have a furious game of Speedy Trivia,” Megan added as she pulled out a chair beside Curt and Jayleen.
“Hey, don’t remind me. I haven’t had time to read up,” Greg said.
The sound of metal on countertops told Kelly that Pete had returned from the basement ovens. The aromas that wafted out of the café kitchen announced the pies.
Greg sat up straight and sniffed the air. “Pete, if that’s you in there, I’ll forgive you for busting my butt the other night if you’ll let me have first crack at those pies.”
“Not on your life,” Steve threatened over his cup. “You don’t know how hungry I am.”
“Take it easy, guys.” Jennifer stood in front of the pies, knife in hand. “The engaged couple gets first cut. They can practice for cutting the wedding cake.”
“I’m not about to argue with a woman holding a knife,” Steve said.
Mimi and Burt came around the corner at the same time. “Hey, everyone’s here,” Mimi said, face flushed with obvious pleasure. “Well, almost everyone. We can wait.”
“Nope. No waiting,” Jennifer decreed, handing Mimi the knife. “You and Burt have the honors of first cut, pie of your choice. There’s lemon custard—”
“Now, you’re talkin’.”
“Strawberry, blueberry—”
“There goes my willpower.”
“And chocolate cream.”
“Oh, Lord.”
“Let me be the first to officially congratulate you two on your engagement,” Pete said with a broad smile.
“Why, thank you, Pete. You’re a sweetie,” Mimi said. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to fit into my new dress if I try all of these.”
“Don’t worry, Marty will be here in a few minutes,” Megan warned.
“Ohhhh, decisions, decisions.” Mimi hesitated before choosing the blueberry pie.
“Jayleen and Curt, you two go next,” Jennifer said, gesturing. “Then the rest of you hungries.”
“Age before beauty, right?” Jayleen joked.
“When are you folks tying the knot?” Curt asked as he followed Jayleen to the kitchen.
“We thought Sunday June first would be good.” Burt held out Mimi’s chair before he settled at a table. “Early summer weather should cooperate. If we’re lucky, we can hold the ceremony outside in Mimi’s backyard, and then have a small gathering with friends.”
“You mean a reception, right?” Lisa asked as she followed behind Greg to the pie line.
“Well, not really a big reception, just close friends and family.” Burt brought another forkful of chocolate cream decadence to his lips, then paused. “All of you folks are invited, of course.”
“Uh-oh.” Greg glanced to Lisa as they waited for Curt to make his selection. “No reception means no food.”
Mimi laughed. “Don’t worry, Greg. Pete will be catering, so there will be plenty of food.”
“Oh, good. My social calendar just cleared,” Greg said as he served himself a heaping portion of strawberry pie.
“Why don’t you let us help you with the reception,” Kelly suggested, following behind Steve. She had her eye on that strawberry pie, providing Greg left some.
“Oh, you girls don’t have to do that. Like Burt said, we’re not planning much. It’s going to be very low-key. Just our families and very close friends.”
“Still, Mimi, that adds up to a lot of people,” Megan added. “Have you made a list of guests yet?”
Mimi waited until she’d savored the strawberry pie before answering. “Well, I’ve started a list—”
“Why don’t you and I get together over coffee tomorrow morning and get that list completed? That way you’ll have an idea what size event this will turn out to be.”
“Better do as she says, Mimi,” Lisa said, settling at a table with a slice of blueberry pie. “Megan’s got her organizing hat on, I can tell. She can organize the daylights out of anything.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Megan gave a fake bow before choosing her pie.
“Well . . . maybe I should,” Mimi said.
“Not a bad idea, Mimi. That way we’ll know how many are coming, and Pete will have a better idea of what to make,” Burt added.
“I can help with setup,” Kelly volunteered. “I’m a whiz at arranging chairs, tables, all sorts of stuff. And I’m good at cleanup, too.”
Mimi and Burt looked at each other. “You know, we hadn’t even thought about all that. Maybe we do need to make some plans.”
Kelly savored the delectable flavors of fresh strawberries and delicate pie crust melting over her tongue.
Yum
. “Plans are good, Mimi.”
Curt rose from his chair and raised his coffee mug high. “To Mimi and Burt. Two of the nicest people I know. Who were also smart enough to find each other the second time around. To many more years of happiness together.”
Kelly and all her friends raised their mugs and echoed their congratulations while Burt beamed and Mimi teared up.
Dabbing at her eyes, she said, “Curt, that is so sweet. It was so romantic.”
“The next time we say a few words, it’ll be over champagne,” Curt said with a smile. “My treat.”
Eleven
“Kelly,
can you hand me that tangerine-colored yarn, please?” Mimi reached over the table where she was surrounded by students focused on their individual crochet projects.
Kelly looked into the bins behind her and found the vibrant wool and mohair yarn Mimi was seeking and handed it over.