CHAPTER 21
I was so intent on trying to figure out who the murderer was that I nearly forgot the groceries. I was almost home when I remembered. So I turned around and headed back. New Bison was so small that everything was still within easy distance, so it wasn’t a major time waster.
The grocery store was located on a road that ran parallel to the lake, so I was able to watch the waves crashing across the rocks while I waited for a young, pimply-faced teen to load the cartons into the back of the SUV. When he finished, I drove home.
Leroy and Baby came out to help unload the boxes.
“How’s Michael? I’ll bet he’s a horrible patient. They say doctors are.”
“He’s fine. They didn’t even admit him, just dug the bullet out and slapped a bandage on.”
“Wow. I knew he was tough, but that sounds painful.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”
Baby heard the car pull up before either of us and was at the back door with his rear wagging before the doorbell rang.
“Come in,” I yelled.
April came through the door, dragging a suitcase and two garbage bags. Leroy hurried to help, but she declined. “I’ve got it, but thanks.”
He headed for the door. “I can help bring in the rest of your things.”
“No need. This is it.”
“You’re joking, right?” I asked.
“Nope. I did a major purge and realized that most of the stuff I owned was crap. The halfway decent crap I hauled to the Goodwill. Everything else went into a dumpster.” She flopped down into a chair. “It was eye-opening. My schedule is so sporadic that I barely keep food in the house. It was a studio, and hardly big enough to swing a cat around in.”
“How much space do you need to swing a cat?”
“Not much.” April had to fend off Baby, who was standing on his hind legs with his paws on her shoulders.
Leroy took out a large bone, which got his attention. Baby took his treat and curled up in a dog bed in the corner.
“Thanks,” April said. “God knows I love that dog, but he is definitely a handful.”
I sat down across from April. “So, you’re done? This is everything?”
“Yep. It was actually quite freeing. I mean, I feel like I’m starting a new life.” She gazed at me. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”
“Of course not, but I haven’t had time to get a rental contract, but I can go get something off the Internet.” I rose, but April waved me back down.
“I knew you’d be knocked out after last night. So I found a standard rental contract, and I figured we could add or subtract whatever we needed.” She pulled a document from her purse.
I looked it over. “This amount for the monthly rent is more than we agreed to last night.” Was it only last night? It felt as if a lifetime had passed.
“I figured I should pay more for utilities.”
I crossed out the amount and wrote in the figure we’d previously agreed on. “No changing things. I’d have to pay the utilities whether you lived here or not.”
“But they’ll be higher with two people staying here.”
She reached for the pen, but I slapped away her hand. “You can pay utilities by helping Leroy teach me to cook or by parking your patrol car outside. I’ve heard that helps deter criminals. Plus, you can help Leroy with some of the baking. It would be faster if we used the kitchen downstairs and the kitchen up here. And you can help with Baby.”
She stared. “Are you serious?”
“Is that too much?”
“No, but I’d watch Baby and help Leroy bake for free. Plus, if I’m living here, then my patrol car will have to be parked outside.”
“Oh, good. I’ve signed and initialed all of the changes. I think if you do the same, then we’re in business.” I slid the contract across.
She stared for a few seconds, but then picked up the pen and signed. “You drive a hard deal, but you’re driving in the wrong direction.”
I pulled a key off the keyring and handed it over. “Great. Now, let’s get your stuff downstairs and moved in.”
Leroy had already taken her things downstairs while we were negotiating.
April hung her things in the closet, put her toiletries in the bathroom, and was completely moved in within less than an hour. She smiled and looked around. “I feel like I need to pinch myself. I can’t believe I get to live here.” She stared out at Lake Michigan. “And wake up to that every day.”
I sniffed. “Is something burning?”
“The croissants,” Leroy said, and rushed upstairs.
April and I sat on the sofa and looked out at the waves. After a few moments, April turned to me. “Okay, what’s bothering you?”
“How’d you know anything was bothering me?”
“You keep sighing.”
I told her about what I’d heard in Jackson Abernathy’s office, although after a few hours, it all seemed very vague and ridiculous. “It was probably nothing. I don’t even know who the man was.”
“No, but you thought you recognized something about his voice, and you don’t know many people around here.” She stared harder at me. “What else is bothering you?”
I told her that I felt I needed to put some distance between Michael and myself.
“Why?”
“He got shot because of me. I don’t want anything to happen to him.”
She put her hand on mine. “Michael’s a big boy. He’s also tough and well able to take care of himself. If I were in trouble, there’s no one else I’d rather have guarding my back.”
“I was thinking maybe we could figure out who the killer is and then you could arrest them.”
“That’s the plan, but . . . Miss Octavia had the brains. She was the one who helped solve things. The Baker Street Irregulars did the legwork.”
“Actually, I think you’re underestimating yourself. You figured out that Garrett Kelley didn’t commit suicide.”
“That was easy. Anyone would have figured out he couldn’t have gotten up there by himself and then started taking potshots at you.”
I pulled out a piece of paper from my back pocket. “I started working on this while I was at the grocery store. I think we need to find out who else Garrett Kelley called last night. Maybe that can help us determine who knew he was going to Baby Cakes.”
“I’m working on a subpoena to get his cell phone records, but that could take some time.”
“Why? Don’t tell me there’s a huge crime ring in New Bison that’s clogging up the court system.”
“Hardly. Two murders is more than we get in a year. Winter is generally pretty slow, crime wise. So the one judge takes his annual fishing trip to Florida. I have to go to Berrien County, and that could take time. But . . .”
“What?”
“Luke Carter works at the phone company. I’ll bet he’d let you get a glance at the records if you were to cozy up to him.”
“What! You can’t be suggesting that I flirt with someone to get information? That’s sexist and underhanded . . . and . . .”
“I didn’t say anything about flirting. Heck, you’ve never met Luke Carter. He’s about six feet eight and a hundred and fifty pounds dripping wet and dumb as a bag of hammers. Personally, I think he must have a tapeworm because he eats all the time and never gains an ounce. All you’ve got to do is to take him some of that chocolate cake.”
“Really?”
“I’d do it, but that would be breaking the law. But if you were to ask him real nice, smile, and wave that cake under his nose . . . Miss Octavia said he’d sell his soul for a doughnut.”
“Good thing I bought extra chocolate.”
“I think we need to be cautious, though. You’re sure it was a man’s voice you heard?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think we need to work on this alone. I don’t think we should tell any of the guys, Tyler, Leroy, or Michael.”
I started to protest but April held up a hand to stop me. “Look, I know what you’re going to say. You trust them. So do I. So did Miss Octavia. She trusted them, but she knew someone had betrayed her. I’m not saying it’s one of them, and I pray to God it’s not. But until we know for sure, I think we need to play it safe. Until we can completely rule them out, we don’t lay out all of our cards.”