Costume Catastrophe (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 21) (10 page)

“Maybe we should think about more indoor activities in the future,” Zak suggested.

“Like a haunted house?” I teased.

“I guess you have a point about that. In spite of all the deaths, the haunted house does seem to serve a purpose. I should start dinner. Do you want to stay?” Zak asked Ellie.

“I’d like to. Thanks.”

After Zak headed to the kitchen I asked Alex about her costume. I was glad she’d decided to go to the dance. She seemed superexcited about it now that she’d made the decision.

“I’m going as a pirate.” Alex grinned. “Ellie helped me sew an awesome outfit. I even have a hat and a parrot for my shoulder, although I’ll have to take the parrot off to dance because he’s pretty big.”

Alex’s outfit consisted of a purple silk blouse with a black vest and black wader pants. She had a purple sash and purple knee socks with short black boots. The pirate hat Ellie had in her closet from a previous Halloween, along with the sword strapped to her side, made her look like the real deal. After I oohed and aahed over the effort, Alex headed upstairs to feed the baby otter before dinner.

“Have you found anything new about the shootings?” Ellie asked when we were alone.

“Not a lot, although it looks like Joey didn’t even arrive at the house until after four-thirty, which is odd because he specifically hadn’t wanted to wait for Levi, who got off at five.”

“His plans could have changed after he picked up the key. Do you have any new leads?”

“No. Though we did get a heads-up about speaking to a witch who lives in the area.”

“A witch?”

I explained about the woman who lived in the woods and her neighbor’s assertion that she was a witch.

“Honestly, I hope she
is
a witch and I hope she knows something. I’m really worried about Levi. He is, after all, the third leg of the unstoppable trio, and I can’t help but worry that he’s next.”

“I tried to get him to lay low, but he refused. You know how stubborn Levi can be.”

“Perhaps if we can get him here in the flesh we can convince him that he might very well be in real danger,” Ellie suggested.

“I agree a face-to-face conversation could help. Let’s call him and invite him over. Zak is making pasta and Levi loves his pasta. I bet I can talk him into coming over.”

“Tell him to bring Karloff.” Karloff was Levi’s dog. “He’s more apt to stay longer if Karloff is with him.”

Ellie headed to the powder room while I called Levi, who was happy to be invited to dinner. He informed me that his plans for the evening had been a frozen dinner that had been in the back of his freezer for an indeterminate amount of time. I teased him about his lack of a healthy diet and he countered that he doubted he’d be done in by frozen enchiladas. I imagined he was right about the enchiladas, but I hoped we’d be able to convince him that the possible threat to his health from the shooter was very real indeed.

“Is he coming?” Ellie asked when she returned to the room.

“He’s on his way now.”

“Have you heard anything new from Salinger?”

“No. I thought I’d call him to check in after dinner. I’ve handed him several leads he promised to follow up on. If there are names to cross off or add to my suspect list, I’d like to regroup before getting back to work tomorrow.”

Ellie walked over and stood in front of the fire. I could tell she was trying to keep a lid on her emotions, but she still appeared to be fidgety and anxious. “Do you think if Levi is an intended victim the killer will go after him before the game on Saturday?”

“I have no idea,” I answered her. “We just need to be sure the killer doesn’t have the opportunity to go after him at all.”

Ellie and I sat quietly, each with our own thoughts. I noticed she spent most of that time rubbing her stomach, as if trying to comfort her unborn child.

“It sounds like Levi is here,” Ellie commented as a car could be heard from the driveway at the front of the house.

“Let’s eat before we gang up on him,” I suggested.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. He’s usually a lot more amenable when he has a full stomach.”

Zak made a delicious meal of spaghetti, meatballs, salad, and buttery garlic bread that seemed to melt in our mouths. We opened a bottle of wine for the adults while Ellie opted for milk with the kids. I couldn’t help but notice the contemplative way Levi watched Ellie when she turned down the wine, but he didn’t say anything.

During the course of the meal the conversation revolved around aspects of the upcoming Halloween celebration, which everyone was excited about in spite of everything else that was going on. I couldn’t help but revel in the sense of hominess as my friends and family enjoyed a meal prepared and served by my husband in a room the two of us had decorated together. I loved the way Zak had strung small orange and white lights from the ceiling and the seasonal centerpiece I’d purchased from the florist that included pumpkins along with fall-colored flowers, adding a warmth to the already cozy room.

“Tell me about this boy who’s taking you to the Halloween dance,” Levi said to Alex in a very parental and somewhat overly protective tone of voice.

“His name is Tony, he’s fourteen, he goes to my school, and we’re just friends.”

“I’ve used the just-friends thing a time or two myself.”

“Well, we really are just friends.” Alex looked at me for help.

“They really are,” I confirmed. “Besides, it’s a school dance and there’ll be plenty of chaperones, so there’s no need for you to worry about our girl.”

“What about you?” Levi asked Scooter. “Any datelike plans for Halloween?”

“Ew, no way. Me and Tucker are going to the Haunted Hamlet this weekend and then we’re going trick-or-treating on Monday.” Tucker was Scooter’s best friend.

“Sounds fun. Will you be here for the party on Halloween?”

“After we get back from trick-or-treating. Can Tucker spend the night on Halloween?”

“That will be fine,” I answered. “I’ll call his mom.”

Levi and Scooter engaged in a lively debate about the best Haunted Hamlet event while we finished our meal, and then the kids went upstairs to do their homework. I called Salinger while Zak did the dishes and Levi built a fire in the living room. Once we had all completed our tasks the adults settled in with their beverage of choice.

“What did Salinger have to say?” Zak asked me.

“He confirmed alibis for Margo Waverly, Todd Binder, and Clint Masterson, so we can cross them off the suspect list, at least for his death. Salinger doesn’t have alibis for Margo, Todd, or Clint for when Tommy was shot, but at this point he’s operating under the assumption that one person is responsible for shooting both men.”

“I agree with the single-shooter theory,” Zak said. “The incidents were too similar to have been carried out by different people.”

“Unless the second shooter is a copycat who took advantage of the fact that there’d been a recent murder in town,” I countered.

Zak looked at me. “Good point.”

“I still have five people on my suspect list,” I continued. “The random passerby, who I think we can pretty much eliminate because there were two shootings in two different locations; the woman who left the note for me, who we now assume left both notes; a random person bent on stopping the haunted house, who we can eliminate because that goal was accomplished with Joey’s death, so there would have been no reason to shoot Tommy; Kenny Brantley, who seems to be out of the picture also considering the advent of the second victim; and Albert Adams.”

“Why Kenny?” Levi asked.

“He was hired on full-time at the power company when Joey was fired. Joey thought Kenny was behind his being let go. I guess he was pretty vocal about it. The day Joey was shot Kenny and he got into a heated argument at the diner, where they both happened to go for lunch. Kenny threatened to use force to shut Joey up if he didn’t stop slandering him.”

Levi screwed up his face. “Seems like a long shot. My money is on Albert. He was mad when Joey, Tommy, and I made the varsity team and he’s still mad about it all these years later.”

“How do you know?” Zak asked.

“I spoke to him the other day after practice. He spent thirty minutes going on and on about how he’d had a bright future until we came along and ruined it for him.”

“You realize that if Albert is the shooter and there’s a third victim you’re the next to be shot,” Ellie pointed out.

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

“If you’re next on Albert’s list he’ll have to wait until you’re alone,” I said. “I suggest we prevent that from happening.”

“I live alone. I drive into work alone. I’m going to be alone for at least part of the time every day.”

“You can stay here and I’ll drive you to and from work until we get this sorted out,” Zak offered.

Levi looked as if he was going to argue when the doorbell rang. Zak got up to answer it.

“I really think you should take Zak up on his offer,” I seconded. “Wouldn’t it be better to be safe than sorry?”

Zak had a frown on his face when he returned to the room.

“Who was it?” I asked.

Zak handed me an envelope.

“Another note? You didn’t see anyone?”

“Not a soul. It’s odd. I got to the door pretty quick. You’d think I’d see headlights or hear the sound of a car leaving.”

“Maybe the person who delivered the note was on foot,” Ellie suggested.

“It’s still pouring rain. It seems unlikely that someone was walking around in this weather.”

Everyone turned their attention to me. I opened the envelope and read the note aloud. “
You have to know what to see.
”

“What does that mean?” Ellie asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea.”

“Are we thinking the person behind the notes is the killer?” Levi asked.

Did we? I wasn’t sure. If the person behind the notes was the killer it seemed likely that person was a woman, not Albert, who really made a good suspect.

“I think it’s best to keep an open mind and look seriously at all suspects at this point,” Zak commented. “I’d hate to focus on a single train of thought and then be wrong. In the meantime, I’d feel better if you both stayed with us.” He looked from Levi to Ellie.

“I agree,” I said firmly. “Karloff and Shep are already here. You can just run home to grab overnight bags.”

“We can’t stay here forever,” Levi pointed out.

“True,” I acknowledged. “But if the shooting is somehow football related, which is what I suspect at this point, whatever is going to go down will happen before the end of the weekend. Besides, won’t you feel better knowing Ellie is here and not home alone?”

It took a little more negotiating on my and Zak’s part, but eventually both Ellie and Levi agreed to stay with us through the weekend at least. I could see Ellie was concerned that it was going to be more difficult to keep her secret with Levi living in such close proximity, but the only way he would agree to stay was if Ellie did as well, and it was obvious her concern for his safety trumped any degree of discomfort she’d be forced to endure.

I went upstairs to check on the kids while Levi and Ellie were preparing to leave to pick up their things. Scooter had finished his homework and was watching a movie on his television and Alex, who had completed her assignments also, was busily writing in her journal.

“Levi and Ellie are going to be staying with us for a few days,” I told Alex.

“Because of the killer?”

“Yes, because of the person who’s been going around shooting people. I’m putting them in rooms on the first floor, so they shouldn’t bother you even if they stay up late or get up early.”

Alex stopped writing and closed her book, setting it on the bed next to her. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“It’s really not my business and it’s okay if you tell me so.”

“Okay. What’s on your mind?”

Alex bit her lip before she responded. “Is Ellie going to have a baby?”

To say I was shocked by the question was putting it mildly. I certainly hadn’t said anything that would cause Alex to think Ellie was expecting and I was certain Ellie hadn’t either.

“Why do you think she might be?”

“Today, when we were sewing, she kept putting her hand on her stomach. At first I thought maybe she wasn’t feeling well, but then I noticed she’d smile a tiny little smile every time she did it. I still wasn’t sure, but then her shirt hung open just a tiny bit when she bent down to pick up the scissors she dropped and I could see the top snap on her pants wasn’t fastened. It occurred to me that she might be pregnant, but I wasn’t sure and didn’t want to ask her.”

I was faced now, I realized, with a dilemma. I didn’t want to lie to Alex, but Ellie’s secret wasn’t mine to tell. I sat down on the edge of the bed as I formulated my response.

“Sometimes adults do things that cause them to find themselves in complicated situations they aren’t sure how to deal with. It’s usually best to let them work through the issue they face in their own way and on their own timeline. It’s also important to keep the confidence they may have afforded you as long as you’re asked to keep it.”

“So Ellie’s pregnant, but she’s too scared to talk about it and she made you pinky swear not to tell.”

“Basically. But now that you’ve guessed you can’t tell anyone either. Not even Scooter.”

“I won’t. I promise.” Alex cuddled the baby otter, which had been sleeping on her bed while she worked on her journal. I wasn’t sure where Alex’s cat had gone off to, but I’d need to remind her that the resident cats might hurt the baby, so she needed to be sure to keep it in its crate when she wasn’t feeding it.

“Has the baby finished his dinner?”

“Yes.”

“Then I think I’ll put him away where he’ll be safe.”

Alex handed me the tiny otter. “I know this is a dumb question, but how did Ellie get a baby when she isn’t even dating anyone?”

I kissed Alex on the top of her head. “That, my girl, is a question for mature audiences only.”

“I hope she’s going to be okay.”

I cuddled the otter to my chest. “Yeah, me too.”

Zak and I settled into our room after everyone else had settled into their own for the night.