Chapter 27
“Where is he?” Adrenaline pumped through me.
“Opposite side of the street. He’s back a bit. Let’s test him.”
My first instinct was to protect Veronica. She had no idea what she was walking into. I should have warned her. But I followed her lead when she stopped walking and pretended to have a pebble in her shoe.
I positioned myself sideways, head down as though I was helping her, but I gazed back and saw the man on the other side. He had quit walking and just stood on the sidewalk, as if waiting for us to resume our pace. In spite of the streetlights, I couldn’t make out his face.
I should never have put her in this situation. “Veronica, there are a few things I should have mentioned to you. But for now, let’s just walk really fast. We’re almost at the mansion.”
We picked up speed, striding so fast it was just short of a jog.
Veronica looked back. “He’s still there!”
We turned up the driveway at a run. “Felipe!” I shouted.
Jonquille and another guy were outside. They jogged toward us.
“We’re being followed.” My breath was ragged.
“I see him,” said Jonquille, who dashed toward the sidewalk, a few steps ahead of his buddy.
“Police!” Jonquille shouted. “Hands in the air!”
The guy on the sidewalk complied immediately.
Jonquille exchanged words with him for a moment. “Florrie! Do you know someone named Goldblum?”
I hurried back toward them. Sure enough, poor Professor Goldblum’s little round face peered at me in the dark. “I am so sorry! What are you doing following us? You scared me half to death.”
“You can lower your arms,” said Jonquille.
“I wasn’t going to let you walk home alone after someone tried to kill you,” said Goldblum.
Veronica shrieked. “Is that true? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I have two chickens and a ton of side dishes,” I said. “Why don’t we all go inside and have some dinner?”
“You are just like Dad,” hissed Veronica. “Let’s have a nice dinner, and oh, by the way, did I mention that someone shot at me?”
“No one shot at me.”
Jonquille and I both bent to check the status of the straw in the front door of the carriage house. We grinned at each other because it was still there.
“Is this some kind of house-entering custom that I don’t know about?” asked Veronica.
Jonquille’s buddy explained the straw method to her while we all entered the carriage house.
“Wow. I never heard of that.” Goldblum was impressed. He crossed the room and checked each of the French doors. “They’re all intact! No one has been here.”
Veronica and Jonquille helped me carry the food out to the dining table in the garden. I wished I had taken the time to put up fairy lights. Candles would have to do. I fed Peaches and Frodo and brought cold drinks outside to the others gathered at the table.
I couldn’t help noticing that Veronica had discarded her impossibly high-heeled shoes in the house. Not that I blamed her. I wouldn’t have lasted half an hour in those things.
Jonquille introduced his buddy, Cody Williamson. “Cody used to be on the force with me but he started his own security firm.”
While we ate, we told them the story of the burglar, the crossed wires on the refrigerator, and the plan for surveillance.
Goldblum held a chicken leg in his hand. “Surely this can’t all be related to the murder at Color Me Read?”
“Jonquille and I have different opinions about that, but I think he’s beginning to see it my way. I always thought there was a connection between the burglary and Delbert’s death.” I savored the piquant sauce on the smoky chicken.
Veronica shot me a frightened look. “Why would anyone want to kill you?”
“I truly don’t know. Delbert’s mother seems to think her son’s death is my fault because I moved into the carriage house. But I can’t imagine that she would want to kill me for that.”
Goldblum licked his fingers with smacking noises. “It’s because you’re getting too close to the truth!”
“That can’t be the reason,” I said. “We have nothing to go on. I’m at a total loss. Delbert hurt so many people that there’s a decent field of suspects, but so far, we haven’t been able to tie any of them to the murder.”
“The burglary sounds like someone was looking for something,” said Cody. “But the refrigerator ruins that theory. Unless it was two different people with two different objectives.”
“The person who crossed the wires must have been watching the houses because he knew there was a guard. He sent a pizza to distract the guard so he could enter the carriage house,” said Jonquille.
The way he put it chilled me to the bone. I shivered in spite of the warm summer night.
“Florrie,” said Veronica, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me all this. I’ve been yammering at you about my petty problems, and all the while you’ve been going through sheer terror.”
“I’m feeling much better about it now. Did you get the cameras set up?” I asked Cody.
“This is the safest house in town that doesn’t have the Secret Service guarding it,” he bragged.
We cleared the table, Veronica served the flan, and Jonquille refilled drinks. When we reassembled, Cody turned on an iPad to show us where the monitors were and what was happening.
“Looks pretty quiet all around the property,” I observed.
“So why didn’t you see Professor Goldblum?” asked Veronica.
“That’s a slight problem because of the location of the mansion. Traffic and people go by on this street all the time. Most of them are completely innocent. We couldn’t tell that Goldblum had been following you, only that he was walking along the sidewalk. For all we knew, he might reside on this street or on the next block over.”
Goldblum helped himself to more flan. “I consider my inadvertent participation to be an excellent trial run, which pointed out this minor flaw in your system. But what if the guard is on the opposite side of the property when he sees someone sneaking up the driveway?”
“An excellent question, professor.” Cory grinned. “We’ve timed it from the farthest spot of the property. He can cut through the mansion and be on this side in two minutes.”
“What would have happened had I stopped and lurked across the street, observing the comings and goings at the house? I take it the guard would have noticed?” asked Goldblum.
“Exactly. And it will be taped. So if the person takes off, we’ll be able to watch the tape to see if we can identify him,” said Cody.
It was late and everyone was exhausted, so we called it a night.
Before they left, Goldblum teased, “Zsazsa will be furious that she missed this!”
And Veronica raised an eyebrow and whispered, “Is that Sergeant Jonquille’s overnight bag I saw?”
“It’s not the way it looks.”
She winked at me. “It never is.”
* * *
I woke the next morning, refreshed and determined more than ever to find Delbert’s killer. My sketch pad and pencils had landed on the floor during the night. I had fallen asleep wanting to draw but was too tired.
After a quick shower, I studied my closet. It would be a long day. Given all the bizarre things that had happened, I felt the need to look pulled together and in charge, even if I was squirming on the inside. I pulled on a blood orange dress. Flat white sandals, a gold necklace, and dangling earrings set with blood orange stones of coral completed the outfit. I sucked in a deep breath and loped down the stairs.
Eric was busy at the stove again.
“Good morning. Did your father teach you to cook?” I asked.
“Absolutely. My mother is so spoiled by leftovers from the restaurant that I don’t think she has cooked anything for decades. I hope it’s okay that I used some of your cheese and spinach leaves in a couple of omelets.”
“Of course it’s okay. It smells wonderful. I’m feeling very spoiled. We’re having a book signing at the store today. Usually I like to bake something to serve but I haven’t had time.” I opened the freezer. “There’s not even anything to warm up except two bagels.” I pulled them out and popped them into the oven.
“You’ve been a little bit busy. Florrie, I went by Pizza Man yesterday to ask some questions. They’re not sure they remember the pizza order but they recalled a kid coming in to buy a pizza. He paid from a little wad of cash in his hand. They thought his mom probably sent him in, but I suspect someone paid him to buy the pizza and deliver it here.”
“To divert the attention of the guard?”
“Sure. Do you know anyone who wouldn’t take the pizza into the mansion and stick around for a slice or two?”
“It’s so simple. Almost too easy. But if a kid brought a pizza to your door, wouldn’t you tell him there must be some mistake?”
“The perpetrator probably gave him some line to say. Something like, ‘Your boss sent it as thanks for your hard work.’ Or maybe he said it was from a neighbor for DuBois.”
I could see someone buying that explanation. “Any activity last night?” I asked.
“Not a thing.”
“Does that mean he gave up or that he thinks I’m dead?” I poured coffee for both of us.
Jonquille folded the omelets with a practiced hand. “Probably neither. It would be easy enough for him to find out if you went to work. I have a feeling our guy isn’t stupid. If he were, we’d have caught him already.”
“So you think he’ll try again?” I swallowed hard but tried to act nonchalant as I added the bagels to our plates.
We carried our breakfasts and mugs out to the garden table. It was so peaceful that I could hardly believe any of this was happening to me.
Jonquille looked me in the eyes. “I hope not, Florrie. I wish we could catch this creep. But we don’t really have anything to go on. You can’t remember arguing with anyone? Or ticking someone off?”
I bit into the warm eggs and melting cheese. My mouth still full, I murmured, “So good!”
“I’m glad you like it. Seriously, isn’t there anyone who is upset with you?”
I sipped my coffee. “Delbert. But he’s gone. Delbert’s mother. I’m not the type to tell people off.”
“I heard you let Zielony have it yesterday morning.”
My mouth full of omelet, I blinked at him. I swallowed and said, “Oh. That. He was under the crazy impression that Maxwell and I are lovers. I had to clear that up!”
“So you’re not?”
“You thought that, too?”
He avoided my eyes. “I kind of hoped it wasn’t the case.”
I put down my fork. “I admire the professor. He has done fascinating things. You don’t meet people like him every day. I spend most of my time reading about places or drawing them. But he’s a real-life adventurer. He has an incredible mind. Most people just try to get through their days. They’re thinking about their jobs, or how to get a job, or what’s for dinner, or whether their kid flunked his math test. That’s life and it’s normal. But the professor speculates about whether ghosts exist, and what’s beyond the universe, and what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. I love him.” I hastened to add, “In a platonic way, because he’s so interesting. But I have no romantic interest in him. I suspect Delbert’s mother put that thought in Zielony’s head. I’m lucky he hasn’t arrested me yet.”
Jonquille didn’t even try to hide his amusement. “Zielony’s a stubborn guy. That’s for sure. And I’m sorry to say that he does have a compelling case against Maxwell. When the DNA tests come back, it may even be a strong case.”
“If Maxwell murdered Delbert, and a random professional thief burglarized the mansion believing no one was living there, then why did someone enter the carriage house to cross the wires on the refrigerator?”
Jonquille’s eyes met mine. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this, Florrie. I promise.”
* * *
Veronica pulled up at the carriage house just as Eric and I were leaving. We planted the straw in the hinge side of the door again. Such a silly thing, really, but it gave me such comfort!
“Good morning! Do you think the professor would mind if I parked here?” asked Veronica.
“Probably not.” I shrugged. “He’s not here anyway, so you have my official permission.”
We said goodbye to Jonquille and set off for the bookstore with Frodo and Peaches.
“No kiss goodbye?” asked Veronica.
“I told you. It’s not like that. He’s sleeping on the couch.”
“You’re kidding! I was already imagining a double wedding. You are coming to Mom’s cookout, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. I have to meet this special guy of yours.”
“He’s adorable and so good to me. You’ll love him.”
I was happy for Veronica. But I’d heard that before from her—more than once. She was quick to fall in love and just as fast to dump her beaus.
The store wasn’t open yet, so I left Veronica to pump up the social media about the store while I bought pastries.
The morning air was crisp and blessedly cool as I strode up the street to Heinrich’s Bakery. Through the glass window, I could see beautiful Sonja wrapping a box with a thin gold ribbon and handing it to a customer.
A bell on the door rang when I pushed it open. “Hi, Sonja. You’re up early for someone who worked into the wee hours of the morning.”
She looked up and gasped. “Florrie! I don’t go to bed on Friday nights because I have to be here at three in the morning on Saturdays to help my aunt start baking. It’s a very long day, but I’ll get a nap this afternoon before I tend bar again.” She tilted her head. “Do you believe in kismet?”
“A little bit, I guess.”
“This meeting was meant to be. I was thinking of you just yesterday. The girl you were asking about walked right by the window. Of course, by the time I ran out the door, she was gone. But it was definitely her.”
“The one who was so angry with Delbert?” I dug in my purse for something to draw on. I found an envelope that contained a bill I needed to pay, and an emerald-green crayon. “Can you describe her for me?”
She gestured toward her own features as she described the woman. “Long blond hair worn straight. It came halfway down her upper arms. Sort of a square face, I think. Her lower jaw was angular, emphasizing her cheekbones. A straight nose. Not too long but not pug or ski jump.”
I slowed down as I drew because the face was beginning to look all too familiar to me.
I handed her my drawing. “Imagine that she’s not actually green.” I held my breath.
“You have captured her quite well.”
I’d hoped I hadn’t. The face on the envelope bore an uncanny resemblance to Veronica.