HAMMERED (Mrs. Fix It Mysteries Book 1) (8 page)

Her boys ended up not being hikers or fishermen, but they’d never moved out of this house. Kate wasn’t ready to move from the home she had made for them. What if Greg came back and found them gone?

“Hello.”

What flirting will he try tonight? A tired Kate might fall for his charms even if she made it clear the other night that they were friends and nothing more.

“Kate, good news.”

“You’ve found the love of your life and you’re going to stop flirting with me?”

He chuckled. Any other man would be insulted. Not Scott. He was too sure of himself. “Funny. No, the autopsy came back. I have an alibi for the time of death. Not only do I have an alibi, but those who saw me were cops.”

“It doesn’t get any better than that. So you go back to work tomorrow.”

“Yep and I can stop climbing the walls. You want to come by and help me celebrate?”

“No can do. I have a date with a bathtub and a glass of wine.”

“I could join you in both of those things,” he said.

She sighed. He was incorrigible. “We talked about this, Scott. We agreed.”

“You talked. I listened. I never agreed.”

Now that she thought about the conversation, he hadn’t agreed. Damn him. He’d made it sound like he was agreeing, but he wasn’t.

Then she had a thought. Carly was probably the last person to see Jackie alive. She might have information that she had no idea she had.

“I have to go, Scott.”

“You can’t avoid me forever.”

“I can try.”

He was chuckling as she hung up. She drove her truck the rest of the way down her driveway, getting that warm, safe feeling when she viewed her house. It wasn’t a big house. I had two stories and four bedrooms. The first floor had a kitchen that she and Greg had renovated not long before he disappeared. They both liked to cook so they’d splurged.

Still sitting in the truck, Kate called Carly.

“Hey, girl,” Carly said. “I was just thinking about you.”

“How would you like to come over for dinner?”

If she plied Carly with wine, she might remember something.

“That sounds great. I’m ready to get out of this apartment. I’d love to come over. I’ll bring dessert.”

“Sounds good. I need an hour.”

An hour later, Kate had showered and had a salad made when Carly knocked then entered. They had that kind of friendship. They knew the layout of each other’s kitchen and could just walk into each other’s spaces.

Kate pulled a chilled bottle of chardonnay out of the refrigerator, then poured two glasses.

“I heard Scott’s off the hook,” Carly said.

“The grapevine in this town never ceases to amaze me.”

Carly laughed then drank some wine. “I’m surprised you aren’t celebrating with Scott.”

“He asked.”

She leaned on her granite countertop. All she had to do was grill some chicken to top the salad with and they’d have dinner. She’d picked up some fresh vegetables the day before from the farmer’s market.

“Then why are you here with me? That man wants you so badly.”

“How do you know?”

Carly sighed. “He’s seen you on the street. He stares at you as if the sun rose and set with you.”

“When?”

“Oh, Kate. He is usually on his way to work when you’re coming out of the hardware store. I have a great view of that part of Main Street.”

“He hasn’t been in town that long.”

“Still.”

Kate waved a hand. “I’m still a married woman.”

“You know my theory on where Greg is, and he’s not keeping his wedding vows.”

Kate didn’t want to go down that road. She’d invited Carly over to talk about Jackie, not Scott.

“So since Scott is cleared and I’m cleared, you were the last person to see her alive. Have you remembered anything else about that day?”

“I’m not a suspect, am I?”

“Did you have a reason to kill someone who is a perfect stranger to you?”

“Not perfect. I hadn’t met her, but my dad had some dealings with her. He wasn’t a fan, but you know my dad. He doesn’t really get mad. He probably had more reason to kill her than I did. What he lost in her deal had no effect on me. I turned down the opportunity. Glad I did.”

“In hindsight, it was a good decision.”

“The shop wasn’t doing well at that moment, so I didn’t have any cash to spare,” Carly said.

“You said you saw Larry’s chief’s truck there?”

“Yes.”

Celia had said the same thing. Kate couldn’t figure out why that was significant, but she’d ask Larry next time she saw him. He’d been absent from her life for a few days. Odd for him, but with Scott badgering her she welcomed the relief of not fending off two men.

First world problems, for sure.

“I don’t remember any houses for sale near Scott’s.”

“Maybe he was just checking something for someone. You know Larry. He’s a good guy. Takes his work as fire chief seriously.”

“That might be.”

That explanation didn’t sit right with Kate. She didn’t know why. She couldn’t imagine Larry hurting a fly. He’d been sweet and patient with her. He wasn’t pushy and demanding like Scott. He was nothing like Scott.

Where Scott was all ego and charm, Larry was gentle and loving. If she had to make a choice, it should be Larry. He’d treat her like a queen. No doubt.

Larry sadly didn’t get her motor running.

Didn’t matter. She was still a married woman. She couldn’t forget that. She had two sons to be a role model for. Sons that she’d raised to do the right thing. Which was what she was doing.

“So, Jackie looked okay when you saw her?”

“She wasn’t staggering, just walking on those impossibly high heels that some women call maneuver on.”

“I’m not one of them,” Kate said.

A kitten heel was enough for her.

Carly sipped her wine. “Why don’t you let the cops figure all of this out?”

“Spoken like a cop’s daughter,” Kate said.

“Well, if my dad said it to you, then he had a point.”

“Did he bring in the state cops?”

“He did. I wonder if Scott is going to send them away. He was a detective in Philly.”

“A homicide detective?”

“Yes, he was. How do I know that and you don’t?”

“Because your father wanted to know his competition, and I’m doing my best to avoid Scott,” Kate said.

Carly laughed. “How is that working for you?”

“Not so well, I’m afraid.”

Chapter Eight

Kate and Carly had eaten in silence for a few minutes. The silence of a long friendship.

“Do you have feelings for Scott?” Carly said finally.

“I don’t. I still love Greg.”

Or did she? She didn’t really know. She’d gone through some of the stages of grief since he’d left, but she wasn’t sure she’d completely gotten over him.

“Even though he left you? Even though you have no idea where he is? Aren’t you mad at him? He should have been here to raise your boys with you.”

They’d had this conversation more than once, and Kate was too tired for it tonight. “Carly, he’s my husband. I vowed to love and honor him.”

“He isn’t loving and honoring you.”

“Maybe he died somewhere, and his body hasn’t been found.”

“This part of Pennsylvania isn’t that remote.”

That was a good point, and as far as Kate knew, Greg had been on his way home from work at the college when he disappeared. He had to pass through town and not on any country roads until right before the house. His car had not been found.

On the other hand, there were game lands on the edge of town. Someone could die out there and never be found. How would she feel if she found out that Greg had been nearby all this time? She didn’t know.

“I’m really not up for this conversation tonight, Carls.”

Carly sighed. “Fine, but I think you have two fine men after you, and you should take advantage of the opportunities. I can’t get one man to look at me and I’m single.”

Carly left and Kate was finally able to look at the folder she’d taken from the mayor’s file cabinet. No one had shown up on her doorstep demanding it back, so Dudley didn’t know it was gone yet.

Or he did and he wasn’t willing to admit that he had such a file?

She poured herself some more wine then sat out on her back deck. The light was waning; she lit a candle so she could see the folder. Worked, sort of.

That only lasted a few minutes then she had to go inside. The mosquitos were eating her alive.

Sitting on her large chair in the living room, she curled her legs under her and set out to read what notes the mayor had taken.

He’d been doing business with Jackie for some time. He must have mistrusted her, otherwise he wouldn’t have kept this file. If you thought the person you did business with was honest, you had no reason to keep such a detailed file on that person.

“He has names and dates.”

He had transaction records, but no account numbers.

“She’d made him a lot of money over the years.”

Jackie York was worth more to the mayor alive than she was dead. He was no longer a suspect in her mind. Still, she had the folder. She might as well look at it. Maybe she’d get some tips on investing money if she ever had any extra cash.

She snorted at that idea. Her profits went either to her sons or back into her business. They’d bought the house for cash. She’d questioned how they had that kind of money, but Greg had explained that he’d saved it up since college.

A professor didn’t make that much money. Even a single one living frugally. She should have questioned him. Now, everything he did and said to her was suspect. Had he even loved her?

She shook off the morose thoughts. She had to concentrate on finding a killer. Let Scott try to find her lost husband. Not that she expected the chief to make any more progress than anyone else. Even if he did have a personal reason for wanting to find Greg.

Her thoughts veered to Scott, but she didn’t want to go there. He was a fly in her ointment. His persistence was unnerving. She was just her. Not some supermodel. Just Kate.

She sighed. The mayor had noted lots of dollar amounts, but none of them meant much to Kate. Still, she read on.

Then she discovered that Clark Stadt, owner of Grayson’s hardware, had once been an investment banker. In Philadelphia. “Hm.”

Kate booted up her laptop, waiting for the cranky machine to start. She needed to replace this, but there were tuition bills to deal with first. And truck repairs.

Finally, she was able to open a search engine and put in Clark Stadt’s name. He had been a banker. He’d done investments and he’d worked closely with Jackie York. Kate stopped on the picture of Jackie. She was a beauty but didn’t dress conservatively at all.

What had Scott seen in her? Was she dazzling in person? Did she enjoy sex a lot? What was it? Such an odd combination. A cop and someone as high-powered as Jackie seemed to be.

“Oh well.”

She’d never figure out men. Ever. Two men wanted her while she was unavailable, and no one seemed to want Carly who was available and not bitter from her divorce.

As she read on and found more articles, she realized the Clark’s career had crashed and burned. He’d given advice to many of his clients to invest in something of Jackie’s. Must have been the one that failed.

Many people invested their life savings. Never a good idea. Nothing was a sure thing. Ever.

Clark had been barred from the industry.

“Not only had he lost money, but he lost other people’s money. And he lost his career. That must have made him bitter.”

In all of her dealings with Clark, he’d never come across as anything but affable and likeable. He had great knowledge of his hardware store and had taught her many things to help her with her business.

She never would have guessed that he’d had such a spectacular downfall before he came to Rock Ridge. He probably moved here because of Larry, who had settled here with his wife years ago.

She’d died and he’d stayed.

Now the two bachelors lived in a townhouse not far from here.

Clark would have a very good reason to kill Jackie. As revenge, but this had happened a few years ago. Why kill her now? Had he just not had a chance?

Seemed strange and at odds with the man who had been so good to her when she started her business. He’d been kind and had extended her credit. She couldn’t see him hurting a fly. He was an older version of Larry.

She pondered this as she brushed her teeth. Was it important enough to tell Scott? She wouldn’t bother him now. Maybe in the morning.

She stared at her reflection and had her very rare pity party. He knew she wasn’t the beauty she’d once been, but had she not been enough for her husband? So much so that he had to run away?

Couldn’t he have just divorced her? She’d thought back to those days and weeks before he disappeared. She didn’t see any sign that he was cheating. In fact, he seemed to have a renewed interest in her.

They’d made love more. He would call her during the day once in a while. He’d been more affectionate than usual. In fact, it might have been one of the best years of their marriage.

And then he was gone. Without a trace. No note. No phone call. He texted her that he was leaving the campus late. That was the last time he’d gotten in touch with her. His phone had been disconnected later that night.

She sighed. Maybe she just needed to go to bed and start fresh in the morning.

***

When Kate woke the next morning she was refreshed. Her pity party of last night was gone from her mind. The birds sang as she lay in her queen-sized bed. If only they did housework. She’d never have to do it.

She didn’t have a job until later in the morning, so she put some laundry in to wash. She wiped down her kitchen then vacuumed what little carpeting she had. Feeling energized, she left the house. She whistled as she walked to her truck.

Before she climbed in, she saw a piece of paper on her windshield. Odd.

She took it off and read it.