Green Living Can Be Deadly (A Blossom Valley Mystery) (19 page)

I settled down at the table to eat. Ashlee sat across from me, staring at me as I took each bite. I chewed slower and slower and watched her press her lips together to keep from saying anything. I may have smirked a little, because she slapped her hand on the table.

“Knock it off, Dana. We need to hurry or that apartment could be gone.”

“Funny, when I suggested we might want to sign the lease, you couldn’t be bothered until you’d done a single-male head count.”

“Well, now I’m ready.”

“Fine, I’m almost done.” I resumed chewing at regular speed and finished the sandwich. I put my plate in the dishwasher, washed my hands, and picked up my purse.

Ashlee grabbed her keys and darted for the door. “I’ll drive.”

I couldn’t have argued if I wanted. By the time I reached the driveway, she was buckled in. I got into the passenger side and watched the houses whiz by as Ashlee raced across town.

We told the woman in the rental office why we were there, and she escorted us to the apartment for a walk-through. We noted minor things that needed to be fixed, and then the rental agent walked us back to the office for the paperwork. According to the hours etched on the door, the rental office was open until seven, and the woman behind the desk seemed determined to keep us there until closing. She hummed to herself as she sorted through papers in a file folder, eventually pulling out a pair of forms. She chatted with us while we filled in the blanks, making it nearly impossible to concentrate. When we handed back the finished forms, she double-checked our information in case we’d missed anything.

As she chattered on about the potlucks and singles mixers they occasionally held, I kept an eye on the wall clock, watching as each tick brought me a second closer to half past six. Jason was picking me up at seven, and I was still in my scuzzy work clothes. Not good.

Another three minutes zipped by while the woman nattered on about the new gym equipment and landscaping improvements, as though we were still considering moving in, rather than filling out the paperwork to reserve a place.

“Yes, the place is lovely,” I interjected as she got ready to launch into a description of every machine in the gym. “What do we need to do, now that we’ve completed the paperwork?”

The woman shuffled the papers into a stack. “I’ll need the security deposit, and, of course, I’ll have to do a credit check, though you two seem like nice, honest girls.”

I knew a lot of nice, honest girls with poor credit, but I didn’t comment. Instead, I pulled out my checkbook and wrote out the specified amount. “You can pay me your half when we get home,” I told Ashlee.

“You bet, sis,” she answered, which was her way of saying I’d be chasing her all week for her share. I didn’t have time to argue with Ashlee right now. I needed to get home.

I tore the check out and handed it over. The woman paper-clipped it to our forms and shoved it in an already-brimming drawer. I had to wonder if the paperwork would actually get processed.

“How long until we can move in?” I asked.

“As soon as I get the results of your background check and our maintenance crew cleans the place,” the woman said. “I’ll give you a call when that’s done.”

I stood, and Ashlee matched my movements. “Thanks so much for your help,” I told the woman. I hustled through the exit and waited with one hand on the car door handle while Ashlee clicked the lock button on her remote. The good thing about Ashlee’s driving was that we made it home in record time, giving me precious extra minutes to shower and change. I was zipping up my dark blue jeans, which accompanied my V-necked blouse, when I heard the doorbell ring. I didn’t need to check the clock to know it was seven. Jason was never late.

When I entered the room, Jason smiled in a way that let me know he liked my outfit. He held out his arm, elbow bent, and I linked my arm through his. Ashlee was grinning all the while.

“Don’t wait up,” I told her.

She snickered. “Oh, please, you’ll be home by nine-thirty.”

Jason leaned toward me. “Just for that, I say we stop for coffee after the movie.”

“An excellent idea, sir.” I picked up my jacket, and we walked to his silver Volvo.

As we passed my rental car, Jason nodded at it. “Whose car is that?”

“Mine, temporarily. I’m getting some work done on my Honda.” No way was I telling Jason about the threatening scratches on my hood. He’d only get upset.

Jason held the door while I climbed inside and we drove to the theater. He parked in the half-f lot, and we walked to the ticket window, which was lit well in the dark. As we got into line, I noticed a couple near the front. They kept offering each other quick kisses. The guy’s hand appeared to feel some sort of magnetic pull toward the girl’s butt, but she kept brushing his hand away.
Man, am I glad Jason isn’t into public displays of affection.

The couple moved forward and closer to the light from the ticket window, giving me a clear view. The man was Wendy’s brother, Kurt. The girl he kept groping was Drew.

 

At the sight of Kurt, my stomach sank. Had he gotten his anger out of his system when he scratched up my car, or would he freak out when he saw me?

Once the attendant handed over the tickets, Kurt didn’t so much as glance over his shoulder as they entered the theater, but I still edged behind Jason just in case. I nudged him. “Did you see that?”

Jason craned his neck to see around the guy in front of him. “See what?”

“Wendy’s brother and Wendy’s admin were making out up there.”

Jason stepped to the side for a better look. “Are you sure? She’s the one with the spiky hair, right?”

I eased past him. “I’m going to see which movie they’re here for.” I ran to the entrance and peered through the large window, knowing Kurt couldn’t see me outside in the dark. The lights inside illuminated the lobby like a stadium at a night game. Kurt and Drew were easy to spot in line at the snack bar. I returned to Jason.

“They’re getting food,” I told him.

“Did you want me to write about that in my next article?”

I poked his side, and he let out a grunt. “No, silly, I want to see what they’re up to. Besides watching a movie, obviously.”

Jason exhaled loudly. “I knew you were investigating. I knew you’d ignore my request that you stay out of this.”

Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about his lecture at dinner the other night. Good thing I hadn’t told him about my car. “Look, Wendy was my friend. We have to make sure the killer is caught. Especially now that the same person most likely killed Preston, too.”

“
We?
How about the police? Seriously, Dana, what if that person comes after you?”

I spread my hands. “All I’m doing is talking to people. And you can help. Let’s go find out where Drew and Kurt went.”

Jason tried again to change my mind. “What if they’re seeing that foreign romantic movie with the subtitles? I don’t want to sit through that.”

“They don’t strike me as fans of subtitles any more than we are.” The line moved forward. Now only one couple stood between us and our ticket purchase. “Don’t you want to know what they’re doing?”

“If they were making out, I’d guess they’re on a date.”

I tugged his sleeve. “But were they dating before Wendy was killed, or did they hook up after?”

Without answering, he pulled out his wallet, stepped up, and requested two tickets for the action movie. So much for buying tickets to whatever movie Kurt and Drew had selected. While he waited for his change, he said, “I’m not sure it makes a difference.”

“What if they were in cahoots? Maybe after they started dating, Kurt found out Drew worked for his sister and convinced her to help kill Wendy.”

Jason looked at his tickets. “Maybe we should go with a nice romantic comedy instead. These action movies are messing with your brain.”

I stamped my foot, feeling like a little girl. “There’s nothing wrong with my brain. It can’t be a coincidence that those two are dating. We need to follow them.”

“Watching them watch a movie won’t tell us anything. You need to talk to them, which you can’t do during a movie, unless you want to get thrown out.”

Besides the fact that I wasn’t sure I was ready to talk to Kurt yet—despite everything I’d told Jason about asking questions—Kurt scared the bejeezus out of me now. “We can sit behind them and eavesdrop. Maybe they’re the annoying types who talk through movies.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the usher at the door. He allowed me to drag him along, probably figuring it was easier than arguing all night.

Inside the lobby, a handful of people milled about the displays and snack area, but Drew and Kurt weren’t among them. “They must have gone inside already,” I said.

“We need to get to our auditorium, too. The movie’s about to start.”

I paused, torn between tracking down Kurt and enjoying my evening. “Fine. We probably wouldn’t have found out anything anyway.”

I checked my ticket stub and found the right entrance. Inside, the lights were still up as ads played on the enormous screen. “Let’s sit near the middle,” I said to Jason. I climbed the first three steps and brushed the leg of the person sitting in the aisle seat. “Excuse me,” I said automatically as I looked over.

Kurt looked back, and I saw his jaw clench. Next to him, Drew glanced at him nervously. I’d swear she looked guilty of something, but maybe it was the lighting.

“What are you doing here?” Kurt asked.

“We came to see a movie.” I felt Jason step up beside me, and his presence gave me a surge of courage. “I didn’t know you two knew each other,” I said, nodding toward Drew.

Kurt straightened in his chair, and Drew rearranged her shirt and wiped at her lips. They’d clearly been pawing each other before I interrupted.

“We do,” Kurt said. Short and to the point, much like the message on my hood.

“Have you known each other long?” I asked, locking eyes with Drew.

She licked her lips. “Sure. We’ve been seeing each other for months.”

Interesting. “That was before you started working for Wendy, right?”

Drew started to answer, but Kurt placed a hand on her knee, and she closed her mouth.

“Did Wendy know you two were dating?” Jason asked. I was glad to know he had my back.

The lights in the theater dimmed as the ads on the screen faded to black.

Kurt shifted in his seat and faced forward. “Movie’s starting.”

The first preview appeared as music blasted from the speakers. Jason placed a hand on my back and guided me to the row behind Kurt and Drew. I plopped down in the seat and stared at the outline of Kurt’s head. He leaned over and whispered something in Drew’s ear. They both looked back at me. I lifted one hand in acknowledgment, but they didn’t wave back. Instead, they rose, stepped into the main aisle, and headed for the exit.

Either the preview for the latest horror movie had offended them, or else my presence had made them nervous.

 

When the movie let out, Jason and I walked back to his car. The night air was much cooler than when we’d gone in. Jason placed an arm around my shoulders, and I snuggled up against him while we crossed the lot. He popped the locks and held the car door while I climbed inside.

He went around to his side and slid behind the wheel. “How about that coffee?”

“Sounds perfect. Might help thaw me.”

Jason gave me a devilish grin. “I could help you with that.”

That remark alone shot my internal temperature up a good five degrees. “Let’s start with coffee and see where it goes.”

He drove a few blocks and pulled into the Daily Grind parking lot. Once inside, we placed our orders at the counter and found a corner table.

I removed my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. “I don’t think I told you that Ashlee and I placed a deposit on an apartment right before you picked me up. We’ll be moving in pretty quick.” I felt a slight tug at my heart when I said that. I hoped Mom wouldn’t be lonely.

Jason must have seen the indecision on my face. “Is your mom okay with the move?”

“She’s probably more ready than I am. With her new job and Lane, she’s clearly open to change.” I marveled at how I’d originally been reluctant to move back home, and now I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave. “By the way, Ashlee gave us permission to make out all the time in the new place.”

“She’s going to regret that offer.” He gave me a salacious wink. “I’ll be all over you.”

Our banter was interrupted by the barista calling Jason’s name. He hopped up to retrieve our drinks. After I’d sipped my white-chocolate mocha, I said, “I can’t get Kurt and Drew out of my mind. Drew must have been hired at Invisible Prints after she started dating Kurt. She mentioned a while back that she’d only worked there a couple of months.”

“You think Wendy hired Kurt’s girlfriend as a favor?” Jason asked. “They didn’t strike me as having the best sibling relationship.”

“I haven’t figured it out yet, but there must be a reason Drew chose Invisible Prints. Maybe she and Kurt had hatched a plan to kill Wendy, and the festival was their first opportunity.”

“Would Drew agree to such a thing? She has no reason to kill Wendy.”

“I know it’s pretty far-fetched, but why else would she work there? Even if she really needed a job, I can’t imagine she’d work for a woman who screwed over Kurt like that.” I swirled the coffee around in my cup. “I wonder if the police know about their relationship.”

Jason pulled his notebook out of his jacket pocket and jotted something down. “Detective Palmer hasn’t mentioned it.”

“Speaking of the good detective, has he told you anything new about Preston’s murder?”

“All I know is he was killed in his living room. Someone probably attacked him from behind.”

A chill ran up my back, and I clutched my coffee cup for warmth. Should have kept that jacket on. “So either someone snuck up behind him, or the killer was someone he knew well enough that he’d turn his back on them.” The coffee in my stomach churned. “Any suspects?”

“No new ones. Preston didn’t have much of a life outside of Wendy.”

“Did the neighbors see anything?”

“One neighbor saw a man enter Preston’s house not long before the murder. Police identified him as Marvin.”

I pushed my coffee away. “He mentioned he had an appointment with Preston and that the police think he was the last one to see him alive. Maybe Marvin murdered him on his way out the door.”

“That’s definitely something the police are considering.”

“But why would Marvin kill him? Preston was the last link to the missing money.”

Jason used a napkin to wipe up a few drops of coffee, which had leaked from his cup. “Agreed. If he’d killed him in a fury, I’d expect him to stab him repeatedly, not slit his throat.”

I realized that the folks two tables over were staring at us openmouthed. Our conversation must have been easy to overhear in the nearly deserted coffeehouse. I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring manner. “Our movie let out a bit ago. We’re trying to figure out the plot.”

They both busied themselves with stirring their coffee, obviously not convinced.

I faced Jason. “What are the cops planning to do next?”

“I asked, but they didn’t share their plan with this reporter.”

Whatever course of action the police had outlined, I still needed a plan of my own. Before the killer struck again.