Dear Sophie,
As much as I would love to pour a glass of wine and spend some time having fun with my friends at a cookie swap, my husband always complains about being “thrown out of the house.” Is there a way to include husbands that wouldn’t be a lot more work?
Harried Mom in Christmasville, Tennessee
Dear Harried Mom,
Make it a family affair. Invite your friends, their spouses, and their kids. Instead of asking everyone to share a dozen cookies that day, maybe they can all bring two dozen. Set up two tables, one with cookies and drinks for children and one for the adults. Be smart and hire a couple of high school kids to entertain the children!
Sophie
“Why would Claudine want to murder Gwen?” I asked.
Natasha gave me a look like she thought I was too stupid to live. “Obviously, Gwen was a despicable person. The fact that she posted those hateful photos proves that. She thought nothing of ruining the career I’ve worked so hard to establish. And, by the way, I’m a little miffed at you because you’re the one who told me to play nice.” She shifted her focus to Mars. “And you, too! You nagged me until I went to that cookie swap.” She switched to a nasty little tone of voice. “You must be nice to the neighbors or they’ll think you’re a snob. Look where that got me!”
It got me out of their house about as fast as I could go. Mars barreled after me, attaching Daisy’s leash as they went. “Where to, Sherlock?” He handed me the leash and pulled on a brown leather jacket as we walked.
“Mars, what possesses you to stay with her?”
“That’s what we’re going to talk about now? Don’t you think that’s better suited to a glass of wine by the fire?”
Actually, I didn’t think so at all. In fact, it sounded too cozy and romantic for me. Like a complete chicken, I changed the subject. “Yesterday morning, Baxter asked me if Gwen was having an affair.”
“Whoa-ho!” Mars chuckled. “Why am I not surprised? Gwen liked attention.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t look at me that way. If she was seeing someone, it wasn’t me. But she liked to dress to show off her figure. You know what I mean. And she was good at flirting and being seductive. Sugar is like that, too. The Babineaux men must like that type.”
“Like mother, like daughter.”
“Huh?” He stopped walking. “You’re kidding!”
“I wish I were. I don’t know why they kept it quiet. Turns out Baxter is broke, too. There was a lot going on under their roof that no one knew about.”
“How can he be broke? They bought that house less than a year ago.”
“I guess they overextended. Didn’t Gwen do a lot of renovating?”
“I know they redid the kitchen, because Natasha was so jealous that she wanted to rip ours out again.”
“Why? Natasha acts like she has the perfect kitchen.”
“She says stainless steel is out.”
“Then what’s the new trend?”
“Please,” Mars groaned. “Like I listened to her that long? I said no more renovating. She chose what she put in our house and now she has to live with it.”
“Natasha and Gwen were a little bit alike. I have a feeling that Gwen might have been extravagant. She bought some incredible candleholders and the most amazing sleigh. They’re sterling silver. They would have cost a bundle.”
“Living beyond their means, eh? So what do we do next? Interview Claudine?”
I shot Mars a skeptical glance as we walked. “Seems like there could be other, more likely candidates. What do we know for sure? Gwen was killed after the cookie swap and before the next evening. It would help if we knew exactly when. It seemed to me that Wolf was most interested in the evening before I found her. Who had a motive?”
“Baxter, for one.” We paused so Daisy could sniff a gate. “If Gwen was running through their money, it’s a good bet they had some major fights. Maybe one got out of hand. What about Baxter’s ex-wife, Patty?”
We walked again, and I drew in a deep breath. “She seems very nice. But if anyone was angry with Gwen, it was Patty. She feels like Gwen stole her children. Apparently Gwen wasn’t very generous about sharing them. And there’s one other thing.” It pained me to say it. “Patty slipped out of the house that night. I have no idea where she went, but it doesn’t look good for her.”
Mars stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. “That’s it! You’re brilliant! It was Patty. Let’s call Wolf and tell him.”
“Slow down, Mars. We don’t know that. Besides, I’m sure he interviewed her. After all, she spent the night at Baxter’s . . .”
“That ties it up even tighter. Maybe they killed her together.”
There was a horrible thought that hadn’t crossed my mind. “It’s possible. But I think she felt everyone was in shock and she needed to help out, especially with the children.”
“You don’t have to make her out as a nice person, Sophie. She obviously murdered Gwen.”
“Mars,” I said casually, “what time did you finish working on my roof and go home that night?”
“You suspect me?” He snickered.
“No. But answer the question.”
“I knew Natasha was at the cookie swap, so I went down to The Laughing Hound with Bernie for a beer. There were loads of witnesses in the bar.”
I smiled at him. He didn’t realize where I was going with my questions. “What time did you get home?”
“Natasha had prepared a pumpkin, blue cheese, and radish quichelike thing for dinner, so I was in no hurry to go home. I split a pizza with Bernie, then hung around because he asked the chef to whip up crepes filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with a chocolate hazelnut sauce. Have you tried them? I could eat them every day. Why can’t Natasha cook things like that? But to answer your question, I wasn’t home until ten. And I can give you the names of witnesses.”
Did he really think I suspected him? I was a lot more interested in knowing just how much time Natasha had in the privacy of her workshop and garage. Not that I thought Natasha would intentionally kill anyone. Still, it was worth ruling her out. The garage and workshop were detached from their house. If Natasha had been inside their home decorating for extended periods of time, anyone could have slipped into the garage or workshop to steal the wrapping paper and hide Gwen’s body. Including, unfortunately, Natasha.
“Did you notice anything different in your garage? See anyone hanging out in the alley?”
“No on both counts.”
“This is the store where Gwen bought the sleigh . . .” I blinked. Silver reindeer pranced before a sleigh full of glitzy round white Christmas ornaments. Either they had another one just like the one Gwen had bought or it was back. I handed the leash to Mars. “I’ll just be a second.”
I entered the store and approached a bald man with a precisely trimmed mustache who was polishing a deer-head candlestick exactly like the ones that had graced Gwen’s mantel. “Excuse me. The sleigh in the window—did you have two of them?”
He had the nerve to look me over top to bottom. “You must have had your eye on it to notice. Someone bought it, but it was returned to the store.”
“When?”
He raised an eyebrow critically. “I’m quite sure that’s none of your business.”
“Is it sterling?” I asked.
“Are you interested in purchasing it?”
What a pill! “Yes,” I lied.
He forced a smile, showing pointy little teeth. “It is indeed sterling silver. We have these coordinating buck antler candlesticks that go with it.”
“How much for the set?”
When he told me the five figure number, my knees nearly buckled. I could renovate both of my bathrooms for that kind of money. I thanked him and hurried out of the store, making a mental note not to patronize it. Not that I had that kind of excess cash anyway.
“It was returned,” I said to Mars. “It costs a small fortune.”
He didn’t appear interested. “Guess who’s next door working at Rocking Horse Toys.”
“Claudine? Will you let that go? Unless we ferret out a reason for her to have wanted to kill Gwen, you’re wasting your time on her.”
“What about Gwen’s brother-in-law, Elvin?”
“He’s working at the toy store?” We edged over to the store window and peered inside.
The buttons on a Christmas red vest threatened to pop off of Elvin’s tummy. He wore jaunty pointed elf ears and a green elf hat with red accents in the shapes of stars. Elvin laughed with a customer while he wrapped a gift.
“I wonder if he knew Gwen was Sugar’s mom. There must be more to that story, don’t you think? Why would they hide their relationship?”
“We can add Sugar to the list of suspects, too.” Mars cringed. “Although I can’t imagine killing a family member. How are we going to find out what the deal is with Sugar?”
“I guess we’ll have to ask her. But maybe we should start with Elvin. He probably knows something about what was going on in that household.”
All smiles, Elvin’s customer left.
Mars started for the door.
“Wait! How are we going to bring it up?”
Mars tilted his head at me. “Sophie. I deal with slick politicians all the time. Do you really think I don’t know how to weasel information out of someone?”
I was game to let him try. He must have learned something in his years as a political consultant. Mars held the door for Daisy and me. She led the way into the store.
Elvin couldn’t have been more jolly if he’d been Santa himself. “You’re Baxter’s neighbors. Right?” He placed a pudgy finger aside of his nose. “Sophie, you helped Baxter the day he fell off the roof. And I know Mars because he lives next door. What can I help you with today?”
Mars thought he was so clever. I let him handle that question.
He let it slide. “I didn’t expect to see you working here.”
“Aww, I’m just a big kid. If there are two things I know about, it’s kids and toys!” Elvin lowered his voice, his tone a bit less cheery. “Need to make a little money for Christmas presents. Now that Gwen is gone, Sugar and I are extending our trip to help take care of things around the house. Poor Baxter isn’t himself. It’s terrible to lose someone close to you, but at this time of year it’s twice as hard. Everyone wants to embrace the joy of the season. Instead, poor Baxter feels like nothing will ever be right again. We thought we’d be a comfort to the kids. Make things a little merrier, so the house doesn’t feel so empty without Gwen.” He gazed at the floor. “I guess I should have waited until after the funeral to start working, but we don’t know exactly when her body will be released.”
“Such a tragedy,” murmured Mars. “Do the police have any leads?”
I tried to act casual and picked up a baby doll.
Elvin’s lips twisted inward. “Not that I know of. Gwen seemed like a warm and loving person to me. I can’t imagine why anyone would do her in.”
Was that really how he felt? Gwen had said he couldn’t stay with them and had instructed Baxter to hide Elvin’s bus immediately. Hardly warm and loving.
“I heard she kicked the family out for the cookie swap.” Mars laughed.
Elvin grinned. “Guess she was afraid we’d eat all the goodies. Everyone except Sugar, that is. She got to stay because she’s a lady. Just for women is what I was told.”
Sugar! Sugar was the only person left in the house with Gwen after the cookie swap. She had the best opportunity of anyone to kill Gwen. They must have been alone together once the party broke up. Then again, anyone could have slipped inside after the guests left.
Mars leaned toward Elvin like he was confiding something. “Is it true that Sugar is Gwen’s daughter?”
Elvin’s eyes went wide, and he slapped his thigh. “Who’d have thought that? Came as a surprise to everyone. Sugar lost track of her mom a few years back. Gwen married Baxter and moved, and the name Gwen Babineaux didn’t mean anything to Sugar. Can you imagine their surprise when we drove up? I’m just glad they had a chance to see each other again before Gwen died.” He stared at the doll in my hands. “Funny how life works out sometimes.”
Lost track? Who loses touch with her mom? I chided myself immediately. Just because I was close to my mom didn’t mean everyone was. I thought back to Sugar’s arrival. Had Gwen and Sugar acted like long-lost mother and daughter? Gwen had hustled Sugar into the house very quickly. Why would she have done that? I tried to recall if they had hugged. I thought they had. Still, there had to be more to that story. Something didn’t smell right to me.
“Must be awkward having Patty around,” said Mars. “The ex-wife? Oof!”
I groaned inwardly. Mars had failed to read my mind and pursue questions about Sugar.
Elvin grinned from ear to ear. “It’s not like that at all. Patty’s a great gal. Baxter never should have dumped her the way he did. She’s the best. True-blue, you know?”
“Sounds like you have a soft spot for your former sister-in-law.” Mars winked at Elvin.
Eww! How creepy. Since when did Mars wink at people?
“It’s not like that.” He leaned toward Mars and whispered again. “But from what I hear, Gwen put the moves on most of the men in the neighborhood. At least Patty didn’t sleep around.” Elvin raised his palms. “I shouldn’t be speaking ill of the dead. Gwen’s gone and Baxter sure misses her.”
Mars asked him a question about a train set as though he were interested in purchasing it.
My phone rang and I stepped outside with Daisy to answer the call.
“This is Mrs. Horace Scroggins calling. May I speak with Ms. Winston?”