Deadly Vintage: A Molly Doyle Mystery (9 page)

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Authors: Elaine Flinn

BOOK: Deadly Vintage: A Molly Doyle Mystery
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“Some other time,” Molly said. “Over a few Jack Daniel’s maybe.”
“Well, get in line, Molly. There’re a few people ahead of you who’d like to kill Todd. By the way, that little to-do was the highlight of the evening. Even my father thought so. And that is saying a whole lot. In fact, he said to be sure to invite you to his birthday party on Sunday. It’s at my house in the Highlands. No fancy dress. It’s a barbeque.” Patting Randall on the shoulder, she added, “He especially would love to have you come, too. Daria already has her invite, so I’ll expect you all.”
“I won’t be able to make it, Carla,” Daria said. “I’ve got to go up to the City to interview chefs. Julio is returning to Florence in a few weeks. Give your dad a kiss for me.”
“We’ll miss you. But business comes before pleasure, right?” Turning to leave, she said, “It goes without saying, no gifts. The man has everything he wants.” She paused, then added, “Except a son-in-law he likes.” She gave them a wave.
“Ciao!”
“How the hell does she manage?” Molly asked.
Randall snorted, “Just don’t say,
‘Men,’
okay? Like we’re all bastards.”
Daria leaned over and pinched his cheek. “Oh, not you! You’re just a sweetheart.”
Molly laughed. “Yeah, right.” When she saw Randall squint, she said, “I mean it, okay? You’re a prince. I tell everyone I know that.”
Randall rose. “Sure you do.” He winked at Daria. “She lies well, doesn’t she? But hey, it comes with the job. Antiques dealers are all—”
“Don’t say it,” Molly said.
Randall hitched up his slacks, turned to scan the shop, then said, “Okay. I won’t say it. Shop looks good.” He meandered down the main aisle, and then stopped in front of a ship model. “Nice work.” He glanced at the tag, and then nodded. “Good price. I’ll think about it. You sure it’s
The America,
the racing yacht?”
“I double-checked. There’s a picture of it in
Miller’s,”
Molly said. “If you really want it, better grab it now. A man was in the other day and he was interested.”
Randall winked at Daria. “There she goes. Right into her dealer spiel. I hate hard sells, don’t you?”
“It’s the truth! But go away, Randall. Please?” Molly said. “Go catch a bad guy, or something.”
Randall was facing her now. “That’s why I’m here.” He walked to the door, then turned. “Watch your back, Molly. Jessop isn’t going to take what you did to him lying down. His type can’t handle public humiliation You still got me on your speed dial?”
Molly’s jaw dropped. “You’re serious?”
When Randall just looked at her, she said, “Uh, yes. You’re there.”
“Good. Keep your cell with you.”
After Randall left, Daria said, “He’s right, Molly. Be careful.”
“I can’t believe Todd Jessop would do anything stupid.” Then she remembered Carla’s bruised face the other night. “But I’ll be careful.”
“We still on for dinner tonight?” Daria asked. “Roast duck, risotto and mushrooms?”
Molly smiled. “I’m never going to learn how to cook if I keep taking advantage of your hospitality.”
“Just find me more silver. You can always learn later.” Picking up her bag, she said, ”Got to go. Got a new waiter to check out. Seven, okay?”
“We’ll be there. Oh, Bitsy is coming in on Saturday, so Emma and I will hit the garage sales. Silver will be my top priority.”
 
At quarter to seven that night Emma was still on the computer. “Hey, we’ve got to go,” Molly said.
They raced down the stairs and headed into the alley where Molly’s El Camino was parked. Molly did a double-take when she reached the door. The entire side of the pickup looked as if someone had run a key across it. And not just once, but several times. Emma saw her face, and said, “Wait until you see this side. The new paint job is history.”
Molly went around to where Emma stood. “I don’t believe it. This is Carmel. These things don’t happen here.”
“Time to call the gendarmes?” Emma asked.
Molly hadn’t told Emma about Randall’s warnings. After Randall and Daria left earlier, she started thinking about what Randall had said. She thought he was just being a cop and overreacting. But now, she wondered if he was right. “No. Just get in. We’ll tell Randall when we see him at Daria’s.” On the way to the restaurant, Molly decided to tell Emma about Randall’s warning.
“Maybe we ought to listen to him? Michelle said Mr. Jessop has a really bad temper. He even kicked her cat once when it got in his way. She hates him and wishes her mother would get rid of him.”
“I don’t think Mr. Jessop did this. Kids do this kind of stuff. But, we’ll be careful just the same. Alarm on at night from now on, okay?”
“I’ll remind you.” Emma laughed.
“What would I do without you?”
“Oh,
puleeese!
You say that all the time.”
 
Inside Daria’s private back room, Molly found Randall already there and reading. She’d discovered that he and Loomis were dyed-in-the-wool mystery fans. Last Christmas, she and Daria and Emma had found two Sherlock Holmes-type hats and long-stemmed pipes and put them under the huge tree at Bitsy’s. It was, Loomis had said, the best gift he had ever received. Randall, however, wondered if he might trade it for a train conductor’s hat. They all knew he was an astute collector of trains. Emma agreed it was the best Christmas she had ever had, too.
“What are you reading now?” Molly asked.
Emma gently poked her in the ribs. “Tell him!”
Randall set down the book. “Tell me what?”
“Uh, well, I seem to have a problem with the El Camino.”
“Okay.”
“Well, what I mean is—”
“Some jerk keyed it pretty bad,” Emma blurted.
“Let’s take a look,” Randall said.
Molly shook her head and sat down. “Don’t bother. I’ll get it fixed. I just thought you should know.”
Randall’s eyes flicked to Emma. “Or Emma did. You have a habit of forgetting to tell me things.”
Molly’s face flushed. She knew Randall was referring to major elements she’d held back a bit longer than necessary in the last two cases she’d helped him solve. “That’s a low blow.”
Randall ignored that. “Did you call it in? Report it, like good citizens do?”
Molly could tell Randall was gearing up for one of his lectures, and she wasn’t in the mood. “No. I didn’t think Forensics would be interested,” Molly said.
“That’s not funny.”
“I don’t think much is funny today, okay?”
“While you two kids kibbitz, I’ll tell Manuel we’re ready to eat. Come on, Emma, keep me company,” Daria said.
Randall waited until they left, then said, “Look, Molly, I’m not trying to be a hard-ass, but trust me, huh? Todd Jessop is a control freak. When things don’t go the way people like that want, they act out. Maybe he didn’t key your pickup, but if he did, what’s next?”
“I set the alarm before we left,” Molly said with a touch of pride.
“Good. Just keep doing it, and keep your eyes open. Listen, about that invite to her father’s birthday party. I don’t care much about going, but because she’s now a client, I guess you’re stuck. I’ll accept, but only to keep an eye on you.”
Molly smiled. “That’s very gallant. I’m touched.”
“Hell, can’t I do something nice without you giving me heat?”
“I’m serious! I really am.”
Daria and Emma were in the open doorway and saw Molly reach over and kiss Randall on the cheek. Emma nudged Daria, and whispered, “Isn’t that cute?”
Daria leaned down and whispered back, “For God’s sakes, don’t let them hear that!”
Chapter 8
 
RANDALL INSISTED on walking Molly and Emma to the pickup after dinner. Molly protested. After all, she said, they were parked only a few doors down from the restaurant. Randall ignored her.
The strong odor hit them the minute they stepped outside. Dolores Street was virtually empty. It was past serving time for many of the restaurants, and few cars remained. Molly’s eyes widened, Emma pulled the collar of her T-shirt up over her nose, and Randall said, “What the hell? Do you smell what I think I smell?”
Molly and Emma wrinkled their noses. “Smells like skunk,” Molly said.
Emma shrugged. “Is that what a skunk smells like?”
“It’s a damn skunk, all right.” Randall moved a few steps, then the grin on his face turned sour. “Stay here.” He approached Molly’s pickup, then stepped back. “Did you lock this thing?”
Molly had a feeling she was about to get another lecture. “Probably not. Don’t tell me—”
“You got it. It’s coming from the El Camino, and I can see the perpetrator from here.” He drew closer, then said, “Don’t move. You’ve also got four flat tires.” He pulled his cell out and called the station. “Get a towing service and Animal Control over to Daria’s. We’ve got a vandalized vehicle with a live skunk in it. Stop laughing and just send a damn patrol over to write this up. I’ll be waiting.”
“Don’t chew your nails, Aunt Molly,” Emma said.
“It’s better than screaming,” Molly said.
Emma asked Randall, “How come you didn’t say ‘perp’?”
“They only say that in mysteries. Real cops speak the King’s English. Especially here in Carmel.”
Emma laughed. “Baloney. You’re just trying to make jokes so Aunt Molly won’t pound her fists or throw things.”
“We’re outside,” Molly said. “There’s nothing to throw.” She leaned back against a storefront window and closed her eyes. She thought about last week when life was calm and good. When all she had to worry about was selling merch, making sure Emma did her homework, providing the cats with food, water, and a clean litter box, and hoping Carla Jessop liked her proposal. Did it all go to hell last Sunday? Yes, it was Sunday. And it started with Todd Jessop. Molly moved away from the shop and stood by Randall. She kept her voice low so Emma couldn’t hear. “What do you make of this?”
“If I were a dumb cop, I’d say it was kids pulling a prank. The M.O. is classic. And I’d say your pickup was a random choice.”
“But, since all and sundry know you’re not a dumb cop, what say you?”
“You want the truth, or the real truth?”
“Either one will do. Do you think it was Jessop?”
“The truth is yes and no. Yes, I think Jessop was behind it. No, he didn’t physically do it. He’s too smart for that, and he’s a city boy. He has no clue how to trap a skunk. The real truth is, it could be just vandalism.”
Carmel proper is a small village of three-thousand-plus inhabitants. The downtown area of approximately ten square city blocks is even smaller. It only took five minutes for a patrol unit to arrive. When the officer got out of his car, his head jerked back. “Whoa! What is that? Smells like a skunk. So, this is why you wanted Animal Control?”
“Excellent deduction, Wilkins,” Randall said. “I didn’t think you wanted to net the little critter.”
Officer Wilkins nodded to Molly. “Sorry about your pickup. Did you see who did this?”
“No,” Molly said. “But if I had, you’d be calling the M.E. now. The bastard would be dead meat.”
“Don’t put that in the report, okay?” Randall said.
Wilkins grinned. “If you say so.” He opened his notebook, took out a pen and made a tour of the pickup. “Pretty thorough key job, too. Someone’s got a bone to pick with you, huh? Sell him a phony antique, or something?”
That was all Molly needed. “That’s not funny, Wilkins. You need to work on your humor.”
“Stay here until the tow truck comes. I’m taking the ladies home,” Randall said.
“Where do you want it towed?”
“To the station. I want it dusted,” Randall replied.
“Huh?”
Randall turned so fast, the young officer had to step back. “Are you deaf?”
Molly was surprised to hear the harshness in Randall’s voice. She put her hand out to calm him, but he turned his back on her. She hoped her terse remark to Wilkins hadn’t set the stage for Randall’s anger. Molly felt bad for Wilkins. He was a nice young man and didn’t deserve this treatment. But she knew the best thing was to remain silent. She reached into her tote for her keys and handed them to the officer. “I think you might want these,” she said. She reached for Emma’s hand, then turned to Randall. “Should I go over to the station and fill something out?”
“No, didn’t you hear me tell Wilkins I was walking you home? You deaf, too?”
“Don’t snap at me! I heard you fine.”
“Good. Glad to know that. You can fill out a report later. If whoever did this is hanging around, I want him to see me walk you two home. I also want him to see me go in with you, okay? You’re gonna turn all the lights on and leave them on for an hour or so. I’ll leave by the back stairs and wait in the alley for a few minutes. Got all that?”

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