Be Mine, Dead Valentine, page 9
part #2 of Crescent Falls Series
“Adelaide McBride, meet Andrew Wallace,” James said formally. Turning to Andrew, he added, “Adelaide is in charge of the annual Christmas bazaar. She’s also active in the UMW and has served on the church board in many capacities through the years.”
Adelaide shook the young man’s hand. His grip was firm and dry. “That’s just James’s kind way of saying I’m one of the old war horses around here.” She smiled up at him and he smiled back.
“You don’t look old and you certainly don’t resemble a horse, Mrs. McBride,” Andrew said.
James moved close to Adelaide’s side. “Did you want to see me about something?”
She could smell his aftershave, which reminded her of the kiss the other night. Suddenly she felt ill at ease in his presence and had the overwhelming desire to leave. “I just wanted to welcome Reverend Wallace, that’s all.”
James laid a hand on Adelaide’s arm. “I know you must be upset about what happened to Gayle Nelson. If you want to talk I have some free time.”
She moved away, heading for the door. “No. I have some errands.” She turned her attention back to Andrew Wallace. “Welcome to our church. We’re very glad to have you.” The phone on Marsha’s desk rang, so she just waved her goodbye to the woman.
James caught up with her at the front door. He took hold of her elbow and guided her to her car which was parked at the curb. “I don’t want things to be tense between us, Adelaide. I can see that you are uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”
She stopped beside her car and faced him. “Really, James, there’s no need to apologize about what happened—”
He interrupted her. “Oh, I’m not apologizing for the kiss, Adelaide. I’m only saying I’m sorry my behavior upset you. In fact, I’d kiss you again right now if I could.” Without waiting for a reply, he caressed her cheek then turned and walked back inside the church.
Adelaide just stood there watching him go, unable to even think of what she would have said if given the chance.
* * * *
Daniel studied Mark Cardosa carefully. In spite of the fact that his fiancée now lay in the morgue, the attorney looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of GQ. The neatly pressed navy blue suit was obviously custom made, the white shirt wrinkle free and the silk tie held in place by a diamond tie clip. His dark hair looked newly trimmed. The fatigue showed only in the man’s brown eyes, which were slightly red-rimmed.
“I want to know what is being done to catch the sick bastard who killed Gayle,” Mark demanded the moment he sat down in one of the chairs opposite Daniel’s desk. He tossed the equally expensive looking overcoat he’d just taken off onto the back of the empty chair.
Luke stood just inside the closed door of the office. Daniel had asked that he witness the interview, as he often did with suspects. The tape recorder sat on his desk. He turned it on, stating the time and date as well as those present. Mark didn’t protest.
“I know there’s a theme to these two murders. I know about the Valentines. I heard about that on the news. So, let’s cut to the chase,” Mark said. He glanced over his shoulder at Luke.
Luke met the attorney’s gaze but said nothing.
Fatigue pulled at Daniel from all directions. The quick shower, meant to refresh him, had done little to take away the muscle aches, and his mother’s delicious breakfast now lay like a rock in his stomach. “I agree. We need to get down to business. So, where did you go after you dropped Gayle off at her apartment?” He stared across the desk, noting with some satisfaction the look of surprise on Mark’s face.
Mark looked ready to bolt from his chair. Instead he leaned forward, his gaze intense. “Are you seriously asking me to account for my time last night? You can’t really think I did that to Gayle. Of all the ignorant…” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Why don’t you question Gayle’s former boyfriend. They were together for six years. He was abusive. It was a bad breakup. He’s a cop in Rosewood. Name is Roy Baines.”
“He’s on the list,” Daniel told Mark. Gayle’s mother had mentioned the man last night. In fact, Ed Lucas was on his way to Rosewood to talk to Baines now.
Mark squared his shoulders. “Well I don’t belong on your damned list. I came here as a courtesy, to help you find whoever did this. I don’t have to answer any of your questions.” He got up and snatched his topcoat off the chair then turned around, coming face to face with Luke. “Out of my way, unless you want a lawsuit.”
“Just so you know, counselor, we’re not buying the late meeting story you tried to pawn off on Gayle and later on one of my officers,” Daniel said.
Mark spun around. “I’ll have your job for this, McBride.”
Daniel flipped off the recorder and stood up. “You want it? I doubt it. You’d actually have to do an honest day’s work.”
Luke stepped aside, opening the door wide in the process. “We’ll find out where you really were, you know. We always get to the truth.”
Mark left the office without responding.
Daniel sat down again, his mind whirling with thoughts. Although he’d made a wisecrack in response to Mark’s threat, he knew that the man was tight with Lloyd Fletcher.
Lloyd’s been looking for a good reason to convince town council to fire me since I got this job. If I don’t solve these murders quickly, he might finally get his way.
When Daniel looked up and realized that Luke was still standing near the doorway he said, “Today is Patty Regan’s funeral. Call Judy Hess and Ray Butler in off of patrol and tell them to attend. I think it’s at one o’clock this afternoon at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Let’s see if anyone shows up who seems out of place or acts suspicious. Tell them to mingle, talk to people, not just observe. I’m particularly interested in Bob Jackson’s behavior…how he interacts with family members. Also how they react to him. You know, both Gayle and Patty belonged to that church, although Patty didn’t attend regularly according to her mother. But, it is another connection between our victims.”
Luke nodded. “I’m heading over to the ME’s office to put some pressure on them. We need the results of Gayle’s autopsy in a hurry. I’ve also got the lab sifting through the fingerprints I collected. We got samples from the residents for comparison. I ran all the prints through AFIS, but no hits. I’ll swing by the lab and pick up the murder weapon and the Valentine, too. Oh, and there’s still no word on Pete Hicks’ whereabouts.”
Daniel kneaded the bridge of his nose with two fingers. His shoulders throbbed with tension. “You didn’t expect this to be easy, did you?”
“It never is, boss,” Luke said before leaving the office.
Chapter Fourteen
It was starting to snow when Adelaide walked into St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. The parking lot was packed and she’d secured one of the last spots. Along with her own church, this was one of the oldest in town, having been built in the early 1900s. She’d always thought of it as stately, with its dark brick exterior and narrow bell tower that rose up the front of the building.
The small foyer was empty. By looking into the cozy sanctuary, she could tell that the service was about to begin. She found a seat near the back and settled into the pew. It was a closed casket. An enlarged picture of a smiling Patty Regan sat next to it in front of the altar. Flowers overflowed the area, some spilling over to an area along one wall. Adelaide had foregone the flowers, as she usually did. She intended to talk to Patty’s parents, Julie and Bill, about making a donation to charity in Patty’s name. She only needed to know if the girl had any favorite causes. It would also give Adelaide a chance to talk to them about Patty and discover if anything had been bothering the young woman in the days or weeks before her murder. For, as she’d dressed for this sad occasion, today choosing black slacks, an off white blouse and black blazer, Adelaide had reaffirmed her earlier decision. She was definitely going to start her own investigation into Patty and Gayle’s murders. There was no way she was going to let an innocent man like Bob Jackson be accused and possibly arrested for these crimes.
She glanced around as the muted organ music continued to play. Spotting Officers Judy Hess and Ray Butler standing at opposite sides of the sanctuary didn’t surprise her. Daniel had obviously sent them to the funeral to be on the lookout for anyone acting suspicious. Judy looked very nice in a tastefully tailored navy blue dress. Ray wore a tan suit, pale blue shirt and dark blue tie. She continued to watch as the two officers casually walked around the back and sides of the sanctuary, observing the mourners. It flitted through her mind that Daniel seemed to be developing personal feelings for Judy. She obviously liked him, and Adelaide had seen the way he looked at her. But of course Daniel was very aware of the police force policy that forbid romantic involvements between officers and would honor that, even if it meant giving up his own happiness.
The music stopped and a man Adelaide recognized as Reverend Larry Martin took the pulpit. She had met Reverend Martin soon after he took over the pastorate here two years ago, but had had very little contact with him since. He was a large man with a friendly smile and gentle eyes. She guessed his age to be around fifty-two or three.
As the minister spoke, Adelaide looked around at the other mourners. She could see that the first row was occupied by family. Several times she saw Julie Regan’s profile as she turned to say something to her husband. On the other side of Julie sat a man Adelaide assumed was Patty’s brother, Donald. She hadn’t seen him in years, but knew he was now an attorney in Columbus.
Feeling as though she was being watched, Adelaide glanced to her right and encountered the hateful glare of Zelda Jackson. Bob and Dick sat next to her. Bob’s head was bowed and his hands were clasped together on his lap as though he was praying. She could see Bob’s shoulders shaking slightly. Dick’s arm went around his brother’s shoulders, patting gently. Adelaide looked away, focusing her attention on what the preacher was saying.
After the service ended, Reverend Martin announced that there would be no graveside service, since it was Patty’s wish to be cremated. “There will, however, be a gathering of friends and family in the church social hall, so please feel free to attend.”
Adelaide knew there would probably be lots of food, also. Not that she had any appetite. But she did want to mingle. As she exited the sanctuary she nodded a greeting toward Marty Castro, owner of the pub, as he exited through a side door. Then she felt a hand touch her arm. She glanced over to find Julie Buckner Simpson, local reporter, walking next to her. Her long, blonde hair was gathered at the nape of her neck by a silk scarf. As always, her vivid green eyes looked a little too bright.
“Quite a turnout for a barmaid’s funeral, wouldn’t you say?” Julie said. “I hear Bob Jackson is the prime suspect.”
Adelaide shook off the woman’s hand. “I have no comment, Julie.” She would have loved to ditch to nosy reporter, but the crowd was thick and she was stuck.
Julie persisted. “I hear that Daniel’s job may depend on clearing up these murders in a hurry. What does he think the Valentine card angle means?”
Adelaide stopped and pulled the woman aside, bumping into several people in the process. She found a spot near a hallway that led to some Sunday school rooms and came to a halt. “How did you find out about the Valentine cards left with each body? That information was purposely being withheld by the police. Who told you about it?” She stared at the woman, waiting for a reply. When Julie tried to back away, Adelaide took hold of her arm, amazed at how thin it felt beneath the dark green blazer she wore.
“I can’t reveal my sources. You know that. Besides I’m the one asking the questions here,” Julie said. She yanked her arm free.
“Well, go ask someone else,” Adelaide said. She rejoined the throng of mourners on their way to the social hall in the basement.
She smelled the food before she even got to the bottom of the stairs. Tables were set up buffet-style along one wall and other long tables occupied the center of the room. She spotted Judy Hess talking with Patty’s parents in one corner. Ray was standing at one of the tables talking with the minister.
Adelaide saw Zelda standing alone near the doorway leading to the kitchen. She looked around for Bob and Dick but didn’t see them anywhere. She made a beeline for Zelda, thinking this might be her only chance to talk to the woman alone this afternoon. She needed to mend a fence and this was as good a time as any.
Zelda was watching her as she approached. Adelaide chose her words carefully. “I’m glad to see such a good turnout, aren’t you?”
“I’m here to support my son. He’s in mourning,” Zelda replied. She was eyeing Adelaide with a mixture of suspicion and disdain. “Why are you here? Spying for your son?”
“Daniel doesn’t need me to spy for him at funerals, Zelda. As you can see, Judy Hess and Ray Butler are in attendance.”
“Then why are you here? I don’t recall you being close to the Regans.”
“All right. You’ve got me. I am here to get some answers. Look, I don’t think for one minute that Bob harmed Patty. And he certainly had no reason to kill Gayle. I believe in your son’s innocence.” She met the woman’s gaze, finding a lot of skepticism lingering there.
Bob and Dick joined them just then. Bob looked war-weary and his eyes were red-rimmed. “Everything all right here?” he asked, looking from Adelaide to his mother, then back again.
Zelda turned her back on Adelaide, facing her two sons. “Let’s go talk to Patty’s folks. Then, I think we should go.” She strode away, her sons following in her wake.
“I was afraid for a minute there I was going to have to break up a fight,” Judy Hess said.
Adelaide spun around and faced the young officer. “I was just trying to extend an olive branch. I got hit in the face with it in return.”
“Baby steps, Mrs. McBride. Zelda’s an angry woman. She’s not any happier with Daniel. I couldn’t help but overhear part of your conversation, being as I’m here spying and all. For what it’s worth, I don’t see Bob as a cold blooded killer either.” She smiled at Adelaide and walked on, keeping an eye on the various groups who were having conversations here and there.
Adelaide finally got a chance to talk to Patty’s parents. They were standing off to the side of one buffet tables, looking bewildered and exhausted. She and Bill Regan had been in the same high school graduating class, although they hadn’t run in the same social circle. As for Julie Regan, she was originally from Rosewood. They lived off Route Seven on the outskirts of town in a farmhouse that had been in Bill’s family for generations. They didn’t farm the land any longer since much of the acreage had been sold off years ago. Now Bill, like many others in town, was unemployed, thanks to L&C abrupt closure. In fact, the Regan’s were one of the families being carried by McBride’s Pharmacy, or had been until a generous donation from Harold Purcell around Christmas time sweetened the coffers. Adelaide and Vernon had agreed they would continue to supply even those who could not pay, but Harold’s gift had kept them in the black and taken a load off Adelaide’s mind.
Julie Regan grabbed Adelaide’s hand as she approached her and Bill. “Oh, I’m so glad you came. You’ve been so good to us…not charging for our medicine…” The woman broke down, crying into a lacy handkerchief she clutched in her other hand.
“I see that two officers are here,” Bill Regan said as he threw a protective arm over his wife’s heaving shoulders. “I want the animal caught who did this to my daughter. Are there any new leads? I know he consults you, Adelaide. You helped catch that crazy woman in December. Are you helping Daniel with this case? We don’t for one minute think Bob Jackson killed our daughter. He was crazy about her and she felt the same about him.”
“Daniel and every officer on the force are doing all they can to catch Patty and Gayle’s killer, please believe that. They will go where the evidence leads them.” Adelaide’s heart wrenched at the sound of Julie’s sobs.
“Poor Gayle Nelson. She was a lovely woman. She was a member here. We served on committees together,” Bill said.
Adelaide decided it was time to steer the conversation in another direction. “Tell me, Bill, did Patty indicate that she was having any sort of problem with anyone in particular in the weeks before she was…killed?”
“Pete Hicks was harassing her about the alimony he had to pay. But then, he did that periodically. Most of the time she just ignored him and he went away.”
Adelaide could see the man was trying to decide whether to say more. “But there was something else, wasn’t there?”
Julie Regan’s sobs subsided and she wiped at her eyes. After glancing up at her tall, balding husband she said, “Oh, we should have told Daniel this, I suppose, but we just thought it was that awful ex-husband of her’s. Like Bill said, he liked to bug her about that alimony, every so often.”
Bill took over. “A couple of weeks before she was…before this happened, she told us that she often got a creepy feeling when she was out running around. You know, on the way to work or when she was shopping. Like she was being watched. When we asked her if she saw who it might be, she said no. It was just a feeling.”
Julie dabbed at her eyes again. “But she only mentioned it that one time. We dismissed it from our minds. Until today. We got to talking about Patty on the way over here and it came up…that conversation we had with her.” She shook her head, the tears starting again. “Do you suppose…maybe if we’d pursued it…?” She couldn’t go on.
After assuring the Regans there was probably nothing they could have done to prevent their daughter’s murder, she asked them what charity she should make a donation to in Patty’s name. Without hesitation, Julie told her that their daughter favored St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. “She had a soft spot for kids. She wanted three or four…” The sobbing started again, this time louder than before.
