| |
WIPING MY HANDS ON my napkin, I picked up my phone and heard the familiar voice.
“Hello, Lisa. Issac Winn here.” He began, as if I didn’t know.
“Good morning, Detective Winn.” I decided that if I remained chipper, this phone call would also be cheery. “Have you caught the murderer?”
“Unfortunately, not. I need you to come to your store immediately. Hailey just found a dead body in your recital hall.” Detective Winn told me.
“Ugh, ok, be right there. Ugh, thank you!” I hung up and looked at Julie. I didn’t know what to do.
“Go, go! I’ll pay for breakfast! Want me to come down then?” Julie asked.
“Ugh, yes. Please.” I grabbed my bag and fled The Caffeine Machine. When I got to my car, I realized I hadn’t even eaten any of the crispy bacon!
It didn’t even take me ten minutes to get to the store. When I got there, it was surrounded by police cars and all the other kinds of vehicles you want to avoid having surrounding your business! Having the City Morgue van-thing in your parking lot does not exactly scream excellent customer service.
“Hi Lisa! You don’t know how sorry I am that I had to make that call this morning.” Detective Winn met me at the door. He must have seen me pull in and park.
“You don’t know how much I would have preferred not to have answered it!” I followed Detective Winn into the store. Hailey was crying, and clearly shaken, sitting in the corner with the kids’ rhythm instruments. Garrett was trying to comfort her.
“You can talk to Hailey soon. Currently, I hope you will identify the body,” Detective Winn steered me by the elbow toward the recital hall.
“Who is it? You haven’t said who it is. Who’s dead?” I was getting frantic. I hadn’t even realized that Detective Winn hadn’t told me who it was that Hailey had found.
“We don’t know. Neither Hailey nor Garrett recognized him. Don’t worry, his face wasn’t disfigured. We just don’t know who it is.” Detective Winn was trying to make me feel better, but it wasn’t working.
“Ok, I guess. Was another violin string noose with the body?” I was trying to think logically and stay emotionally unattached.
“Yes, there was another noose found beside the body.”
“How many strings did it have?” I hesitated to ask.
“Three.” Detective Winn answered as he opened the door of the recital hall for me. We both went in. I saw a group of people at the back of the hall. Obviously, that is where the body was.
“This is Lisa Todd, the owner of the store. Hopefully, she can identify who this is.” Detective Winn nodded to a woman who was wearing a white coat and gloves. The woman stepped forward and lifted the corner of the sheet that was over the body. I looked as quickly as I could, then looked away until she had covered his face back up.
“I know him. That is Doug Andres. He was running the lights in here for the recitals this weekend.” I looked at my shoes.
“Do you know why he might have been in here last night?” Detective Winn asked.
“He was probably just setting things up. He said there was a lot involved with the lights, hanging them, focusing them, connecting them to the computer program. I really know little about it. That is why I hired him.”
“Where did you find him? Where did he come from?” Detective Winn was taking notes.
“Fairview High School. He does the lights and manages the high school performing arts center. I think he’s only been doing it a few years.” If I kept talking, I wouldn’t have to think too hard about it.
“If he’s fairly new in town, that would be why nobody knew who he was.”
“Yes, I don’t know how either Hailey or Garrett would have known him. Nice man, though. He was very kind about answering all my questions about the lights and such.” Detective Winn directed me back up the aisle and out of the recital hall.
“Do you know if he was married? Had a family?” Detective Winn inquired.
“No. I had minimal contact with him. Only spoke to him in person three or four times.”
“And his name starts with a D.” Detective Winn looked at his notes. I hadn’t even thought of that! “Was his name in any programs or anything you posted online about the festival?”
“No. Nothing. That’s why he didn’t even come up when I made you that list. I was just going to add him to the final drafts of the program, with the other thank you’s. I don’t know how anyone even knew that he was here or helping with the festival.”
“I see.” Detective Winn was busy writing all this down. The next thought hit me like a ton of bricks falling right on the top of my head.
“Detective Winn! There’s one string left! Someone else will be killed!” I swayed and felt like I might pass out. Detective Winn grabbed my arms and lowered me into a chair.
“Yes, I hadn’t remembered that. Four strings on a violin, you said.” Detective Winn recalled out loud, while I put my head between my knees. “Ok, breathe deep. We will go on when you are ready.” Detective Winn awkwardly patted my back, like it was something he felt he should do, but really didn’t feel comfortable doing it. Just then, the door burst open.
“Lisa, are you alright?” It was Julie.
“She’s just feeling lightheaded, that’s all.” Detective Winn told her.
“Who was it? Whose body did Hailey find?” Julie asked. Evidently, she had overheard every word of my phone call.
“Lisa identified him as Doug Andres.” Detective Winn read from his notes.
“Who?” Julie was dumbfounded as well.
“He’s the light guy,” I panted, looking up at Julie from my knees, “from the high school.”
“I’ve never heard of him. Who even knew about him? Someone else had heard of him?” Julie was truly stymied.
“Evidently. Our murderer got to him.” Detective Winn stated the obvious.
“Here.” Julie pulled a napkin from her bag. “I brought you your bacon. Eat your bacon, you’ll feel better.” Julie handed me the folded napkin of crispy bacon. This is why Julie is my best friend!
“Smelling salts might be better.” Detective Winn suggested.
“No, this is Lisa. The bacon will do the trick.” Julie reassured him as I munched away. Four strips of bacon later, and I was feeling so much better!
“I feel so much better!” I announced with an enthusiasm that was most inappropriate, considering we had just found another dead body. “Uh, sorry!” I realized my guffaw and hung my head like a puppy.
“Don’t get overly dramatic now, Lisa!” Julie lightly tapped me on top of the head.
“I, too, am glad you have regained your sea legs, but I need to know what letter that next string starts with. Your staff out there doesn’t seem to know anything about the violin.” Detective Winn gestures toward the store floor, where I had forgotten all about Hailey and Garrett.
“Neither one plays the violin.” Then I realized! “G! G is the next string! Garrett, Detective Winn, Garrett starts with G! Do something!”
“Don’t worry, right now, he’s safe. There are ten police officers on the premises. Now that I know it is a G, we can proceed. I had to wait until you ate your, uh, bacon.”
“What are you going to do?” Julie asked while I sulked about his bacon comment. It was truly yummy bacon! Very crisp, but not dry.
“He will always be accompanied by an officer. Since he is so close to the store, and is an instructor like Esther, I think he could be in danger.” Detective Winn was making notes again as he spoke.
“The opening recital for the festival is tomorrow night. Do you think Lisa should proceed?” Julie asked. I know she was trying to be helpful, but this question was not helping.
“Yes. Whoever is doing this seems to be aiming toward the festival. I think tomorrow night is our best chance to catch whoever is doing this. If Lisa were to cancel, I don’t know what the killer might do. Clearly, he or she has been building toward this event.” Detective Winn spoke to Julie, like I wasn’t there. Normally, I would have said something, but I really wanted the festival to continue! I felt a little guilty about it, since people were dying, but I had worked so hard. Ok, I am a terrible person. But the show must go on!
“So, how will tomorrow evening be handled?” I asked, standing up, feeling the strength of the bacon.
“We will post undercover officers throughout the building. I will speak to Detective Norman, who handles events like this. We will go over the building and have everything in place. Don’t you worry, Lisa!” Detective Winn nodded his head as he spoke. What does he mean, Detective Norman handles things like this? This is Fairview! Has this situation ever happened here before? Anything even remotely like it ever happened in Fairview before? How much experience could Detective Norman have? I felt it would be better not to burst anyone’s bubble and was about to say so, when another officer came back to where we were standing.
“I am going to accompany the store staff home, then will stay with Mr. Neil. Do you need me for anything else, Isaac?” The officer asked Detective Winn.
“No, I think we are getting everything finished up here. Lisa, I presume you will close the store for the rest of the day? Your staff really needs to go home. It has been traumatic for them.” Detective Winn informed me.
“Yes, of course. Who stays open after finding a body in their recital hall?” I gave a very hollow laugh and Julie, Detective Winn, and the other officer all looked at me like I was demented. I shrugged back at them.
“Lisa, if you trust us to lock up here, we’ve done it before, then you and Julie are free to leave. I’m sure you could use the rest of your day to get ready for tomorrow. I will call you if I have questions.” Detective Winn clearly wanted my unbalanced humor to leave his crime scene. Honestly, I really wanted to leave, so I wasn’t too offended by it.
“Can I go back to my place, or do I need to continue to stay with Julie?” I asked as I picked up my bag.
“I would prefer it if you stayed with Julie. It is just that your cottage is so isolated. I would feel much better having you safely in town and close by.”
“No problem. She can stay with me as long as she needs to.” Julie smiled, happy to be involved with the crime fighting process.
“Thank you, Julie. Talk to you soon, Lisa.” Detective Winn then turned and went back into the recital hall. Julie and I walked to our cars. I was relieved that the City Morgue vehicle had left the parking lot. I was going to have to do some major rebranding in the upcoming months!
Shrugging, I got into my car and hunted in my bag for my sunglasses. For a typically gray Pacific Northwest day, the sky was bright. I finally found my sunglasses and put them on. I was about to start the car when my phone rang. It was Mother.