Dressed Up 4 Murder, page 8
“Um, he does have a point. I mean, Cameron’s body was shoved under the grill and covered with their tarp. I can understand her not wanting to reuse the tarp, but the grill? That’s going a little overboard, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know what to think. Janet’s a basket case. She kept saying, ‘The sheriff’s office took the tarp for evidence; why can’t they take the damn grill?’”
“After Thanksgiving, huh? You think it has something to do with the murder?”
“Of course it does. She’s scared to come back. I’m telling you, Streetman and I still have nightmares about some crazed killer poking around the yard behind ours. And now that they’ve removed the yellow crime scene tape, it’s open season once more.”
Hats off to you, Janet Galbraith, for getting my mother all riled up again. “I’m sure Cameron Tully’s case will be solved soon. Nate and Marshall are interviewing everyone who did business with Cameron. If something’s the least bit off, they’ll figure it out. Stop worrying. I’m sure no one will be in the Galbraiths’ backyard anymore. Except the Galbraiths. And that won’t be for another month. Relax, will you?”
My mother groaned, so I changed the subject. “Uh, you mentioned Streetman’s acorn outfit. What did you have in mind?”
“Swarovski crystals.”
“What?”
“I already talked with Shirley and we have it all worked out.”
The uptick in my mother’s voice was a good sign, so I let her continue. “By the time Shirley is done, Streetman won’t look like an ordinary acorn. His hat will be rimmed in shades of orange, yellow, olive, and topaz. And the stalk will be a blend of greens and yellows. As for the body itself, well, Shirley will fuse some of the colors together to create an overall dazzling effect. When Streetman takes the runway, every eye will be on him.”
I pictured one of those street thugs decked out in enough bling to blind someone. All the dog needed was a solid gold chain around his neck. I tried to get the image out of my mind, but it was impossible.
“So, uh, Swarovski crystals, huh? Aren’t they a tad expensive?”
“My little man is worth it. And I’ll be gosh darned if that Sir Breckenthall tries to upstage him.”
Ah-hah. The real reason behind the lunacy. “It’s going to be awfully hard to upstage Industrial Light and Magic.”
“Industrial what? What are you talking about?”
“It’s a visual effects company that specializes in spectacular graphics. George Lucas was the founder. You know, Star Wars?”
“I don’t know what any of this has to do with Streetman.”
“Forget it. It was an exaggeration. I was comparing your dog’s outfit to the stuff that company does. Anyhow, I really should be going. Marshall will be back any second.” Another exaggeration.
“Before you hang up, have you heard anything about Elaine Meschow? Was she really poisoned?”
I should’ve known my mother wouldn’t let this go. “They’re still waiting for a toxicology report.”
“They can run those things in twenty minutes on Elementary or Hawaii Five-O.”
“I’ll be sure to remind Nate and Marshall of that. Listen, if I do hear anything, I’ll call you. Promise.”
“Mark your calendar for the Friday before Thanksgiving. At the dog park.”
“I did already. Same for December. Love you, Mom.”
My head was spinning by the time I got off the phone, and I had to do a few neck rolls and stretches before I felt human again. The TV receiver said four forty-one, and I knew Marshall would be coming in the door at any minute. I changed into something less frumpy and was giving my cheeks a bit of blush when I heard him.
“I’m back, hon, and you’re not going to believe this. Jocelyn Amaro, the restaurant owner at La Mar Maravillosa in Tempe, used to date Cameron. And I’m not talking ancient history. I mean recently. Can you hear me okay from the bedroom?”
“Loud and clear. I’ll be right there.” I put down the blush and walked into the living room.
Marshall was still talking. “He ditched her a few weeks ago. No explanation. No nothing. And worse than that, he dropped her restaurant’s account at Coldwater Seafood.”
“Can he do that?”
“I guess so. Because he did. She found another seafood distributor and said everything was hunky dory. Her words.”
“Hmm. Think she could be responsible for his death?”
“She said she didn’t have any animosity toward him, in spite of his behavior. Said she found out about the homicide from the local news sources and was shocked. Told me Cameron was one of those guys who got along with everyone. Even-tempered. Hardworking. Her only issue with him was his roving eyes. Followed by his—”
“I get it. I get it. He was a womanizer. What about the other restauranteurs?”
“All men and none of them had issues with him. But, in all four inquiries, including my conversation with Jocelyn, I got the feeling they were hiding something. One of them even went so far as to say, ‘If you need to look over our accounts, I’ll have to put you in touch with our restaurant’s legal firm.’ Phee, I never even mentioned the accounts for the seafood. Now I’m beginning to wonder if there isn’t something going on.”
“Like what? Price wrangling?”
“I don’t have the authority to look into their accounts. And neither does law enforcement. There’s nothing whatsoever that would point them in that direction. Not yet anyway.”
“So now what?”
“Well, Nate and I will share what we find and look for possible connections. Oh yeah, one more thing. Two of the restaurants, the ones in Phoenix, had sago palms in their lobbies. Strange, but I never gave those things a second thought until now. Yikes, those things are more plentiful around here than the hanging peppers we see in every Mexican restaurant.”
“Maybe one of those things was more than a decoration. You told me there isn’t a part of that plant that’s not toxic. The leaves, the seeds, the roots, everything. A good chef would know how to add a dash of palm poisoning into someone’s food.”
“Yeah, if they worked for the Borgia family, maybe. It’s not exactly a skill they teach in culinary school. And no chef in his or her right mind would risk poisoning customers. I seriously doubt the sago palm concoction originated in a restaurant.”
“Maybe not the restaurant,” I said, “but that doesn’t exonerate one of those chefs or the restaurant owners, for that matter.”
“They would need a motive. A darned good motive. And if I take Jocelyn at her word, we don’t have one. Not yet anyway.”
I shrugged. “Give it time. Anyway, I made us stir-fry for dinner. All I need to do is boil up some rice.”
“And all I need to do is kiss the cook and offer to wash the dishes.”
It was one of those warm, cozy evenings at home, followed by a full morning of hiking at White Tanks Mountain. We picked up takeout chicken on the way home and got ready for a slew of trick-or-treaters.
“We’d better portion out the candy slowly,” I said, “or we’ll run out.”
“Then we can shut the lights, hide in the bedroom, and hope no one eggs the house.”
The trick-or-treaters began to arrive shortly after five. Toddlers and little kids accompanied by their parents or older siblings. By seven, the marauders were older—ten and up, judging from their costumes. We still had a full bowl of candy, but if the pace didn’t slow down, I would be forced to rummage through the kitchen for granola and yogurt bars. Somehow, I always had a bountiful supply of those.
It wasn’t until eight thirty when we caught a breath between the knocking on the door and the sound of the doorbell. We decided to call it a night at nine fifteen, but a few minutes later three groups of older kids arrived. No costumes. Just kids holding out pillowcases, demanding we fill them with goodies. I was half-tempted to find a fiber bar, but Marshall talked me out of it.
“They know where we live. Might as well part with those Hershey miniatures.”
“I can’t believe I’m actually extolling the virtues of Sun City West, but they don’t have trick-or-treaters. It’s a boon that comes with living in a senior development.”
Marshall froze and I laughed. “It’s also home to Shirley, Lucinda, Cecilia, Louise, and Myrna. Oh, and let’s not forget Herb.” I laughed again. “Need I say more?”
“How’d your aunt Ina get out of living there?”
“She and Louis fell in love with a house in Sun City Grand. And that house is only a stone’s throw from my mother’s place, so it’s kind of the same thing when you think of it.”
At the end of the evening we were left with ten Hershey miniatures, three Kit Kat bars, and two Nestlé Crunch miniatures. The fiber bars would be safe after all.
“You know, the condo pool is still open,” I said. “They don’t close it until eleven and it’s heated. What do you think?”
“I think I can get my swimsuit on quicker than you. Let’s do it.”
I thought Marshall and I would be the only crazy ones in an outdoor swimming pool on Halloween, but as it turned out, I was wrong. We were met by two other couples who swore they’d never have children and another guy who told us he was counting the days until he turned fifty-five so he could move to Sun City.
Surprisingly, the air mattress actually felt good an hour or so later when I stretched out and closed my eyes. Good for all of three or four minutes. Then the phone rang and every muscle in my body cramped up.
Marshall picked up the call, but all I heard him say was, “You’re sure? . . . Okay. Stay put. We’re on our way.”
“What? What was that all about? And who? Who called us so late?”
He winced before the words could form in his mouth, and I knew right away it was my mother.
“What happened? Is she—”
“She’s fine. As she was leaving the kitchen, she looked outside and there were lights on at the Galbraiths’ house. Someone’s inside.”
“Did she call the sheriff’s office?”
“Uh-huh. After she changed out of her housedress. That’s too much information, if you ask me. Anyway, the sheriff’s office is sending a car over right now, but we’d better get moving, too. I’ll drive.”
I threw on a sweatshirt and my old jeans and slipped into some sneaks, and I was ready to go. It wasn’t a fashion show, although I had to admit Marshall looked a heck of a lot better in his pale blue button-down shirt and khakis.
We were racing so fast I didn’t even remember buckling up my seat belt.
“Geez,” I said, “you don’t suppose it’s the same person who was snooping around the last time, do you?”
“Not after your mother unleashed that Screamer device on the guy. I imagine he’s waiting to regain his hearing. If it’s a he. I don’t want to sound sexist. Truthfully, I think it was an ordinary break-in. Bowman told me a while back that there’ve been a number of burglaries in the Sun Cities. Mostly electronics and small appliances. Easy stuff to grab and fence. Some of those homes have expensive artwork, but it wasn’t touched. Whoever’s stealing the stuff is dealing with a younger market. Look, it doesn’t take a mastermind to figure out which houses are empty. Even if the flyers and newspapers are picked up. Some of those snowbirds are pretty lax when it comes to lawn maintenance.”
“The Galbraiths’ place looks pretty good, though.”
“Good for a robbery. That house got so much publicity as a result of Cameron’s body on the back patio that every thief and petty criminal from here to Yuma knows the place is empty. It was all but advertised. And once the crime tape was removed and the deputies moved on, it was only a matter of time before a burglar would seize the opportunity.”
“You really think that’s what it is? A robbery?” I asked.
“Uh-huh. Up until now, no one knew its owners were gone. Nothing had been touched in that house when the forensic team went through it. That thin layer of red dust on the tile didn’t so much as yield a footprint. The place was undisturbed.”
“Ugh. That red dust. The stuff is everywhere. I used to drive myself crazy wiping the sliders on the windows, but now, not so much.”
“That’s good to know. I was beginning to think compulsive cleaning was a family trait.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. It is. It most definitely is. Only Aunt Ina uses an extended family—her cleaning service.”
Marshall had exited the 303 onto Grand Avenue. From there he signaled to make a left-hand turn when blue and red flashing lights shone from the car behind his.
“That must be the sheriff’s car. I can’t believe we made better time than they did. Not unusual, with all the calls they get. I’ll pull over and let them pass. Whoa. Looks like there are two cars.”
“Two cars. That’s not sounding good.”
“Could be protocol. Could be—”
“Look! They’re not turning on my mother’s block. And now there’s a third car coming from that intersection ahead. That’s right near Louise Munson’s house. Across from the golf course. Maybe they caught the thieves and it’s down to a chase.”
“Um, about Louise Munson. Isn’t that her over there by the light pole? The woman with the long robe and curlers?”
“It’s hard to tell in the dark, but yeah, it sure looks like her.”
“I’m pulling over. We might as well make this a real night to remember and see what’s going on.”
Chapter 9
“Oh my gosh! Phee and Marshall! What are you doing here?” Louise pulled the belt on her red chenille bathrobe and gave it an extra tug. “There are more sheriff cars around the corner, by the other side of the golf course. The lights woke up my poor bird, and he’s been squawking ever since.”
I suddenly remembered all about Louise’s African parrot. Up until I moved to Arizona, I never gave birds a second thought. Especially parrots. But my boss had acquired one, albeit on a temporary basis, and Louise Munson owned the most pernicious one imaginable. However, the thing did help solve a murder case when I first came out here, so far be it for me to say anything against them.
Marshall had rolled down the windows and Louise continued to talk as she leaned farther into the passenger side where I was seated.
“A naked man is running around the streets and on the golf course. They’re trying to catch him. The Pearlmutters from across the street saw him, but they went back inside to get jackets. It’s chilly out. Same for Mrs. Friekin. She went to get her coat, too. You see, I stepped out when I saw the first sheriff’s car. It was the Pearlmutters who phoned it in.”
A sharp shrill voice interrupted us and a heavyset woman in a hooded parka approached the car. I assumed it was Mrs. Friekin. “Louise, did you see him? Did you catch a glimpse of him?”
“No, darn it. He’s probably on the golf course again. What kind of lunatic runs around butt naked in the middle of the night?”
I tapped my teeth, a habit I was trying to break, and took a breath. “Are you sure it was a naked man? I mean, this is Halloween night. Maybe it’s a prankster all dressed up to look that way.”
Mrs. Friekin shook her head. “Not according to the Pearlmutters. Not enough stuffing to fill a butt that large.”
Marshall put the car in park and turned off the engine. “The first sheriff’s car? How many of them are out there chasing this guy?”
“Oh, I imagine quite a few,” Louise said. “We don’t get action like this all the time. Oh, look! Here come some more neighbors.”
Sure enough, Louise’s street was beginning to look like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route. At least eight or nine more people stepped outside.
“So,” Louise asked, “what brings you here?”
“I got a call from my mother. She saw lights on at the Galbraiths’ empty house. She called the sheriff’s office. That’s why we thought those cars were headed over there.”
“I’m afraid your mother will have to wait her turn.” Mrs. Friekin turned up the collar on her coat. “A man in his birthday suit is certainly cause for more attention.”
I looked at Marshall, but it was too dark to see his reaction in the car.
“Tell Harriet to call me later,” Louise said. “I’m going to be up for hours. Maybe that man will make an appearance on this block.”
“Um, sure,” I muttered as Marshall put the car in drive and we headed out.
“Have a nice evening!” he shouted, and I burst out laughing.
“‘Have a nice evening’? Honestly?”
“Well, what was I supposed to say? ‘Hope you see the naked guy’? Can you believe those women? I’m speechless. Truly speechless.”
“Yeah, it’s unbelievable, isn’t it?”
Unfortunately, Mrs. Friekin was right. When we got to my mother’s house, the sheriff’s deputies hadn’t arrived yet. Streetman took one look at Marshall, grabbed a gnawed-on chew toy, and made a beeline for the master bedroom.
“He’s become quite possessive about his toys,” my mother said, “especially if he hasn’t seen you in a while.”
Dear Lord. Is that her way of saying we’ll have to visit the dog more often? “We saw him at the pet parade.”
“That doesn’t count. He was preoccupied. Anyway, I’ve been watching the Galbraiths’ house and it’s pitch black over there. Whoever was inside turned off the lights when they left. No wonder those deputies can’t solve a crime around here, let alone a murder, they’re too slow. What’s taking them so long? Maybe I should call again.”
“No, Mom. No need to do that. They’re busy trying to apprehend someone.”
“The killer? They found him?”
“Uh, not the killer. A naked man. On Louise Munson’s street. We just got done speaking with her. She’s in front of her house with a bunch of her neighbors. They’re out there in case—”
“I know darned well why they’re out there. Louise simply has to be privy to a juicy piece of gossip. A naked man, huh? Did she say who it was? Does she know? Was it one of the neighbors?”
