Death Loved A Woman (Happy Holloway Mystery Book 2) (4 page)

“
D
o
you think she did it?” Stacy poured Annie a glass of iced tea, and Annie raised the glass to her lips. She looked into the depths of the glass, wondering about Barbara Jean. Could she have laced the drink or the food with poison?

“I don’t know to be honest. I mean Flynn believes she’s innocent.”

Stacy punched a throw pillow at her side and pouted. “I was sure you two would be an item by now. Nothing stirs a man’s heart like a damsel in distress.”

Annie sipped the tea and sat back in Stacy’s living room. “He does seem to love her.”

“But you two were getting along, and Frannie told me she saw Flynn’s new car parked all night in your driveway. That’s got to mean something.”

Annie rolled her eyes. “He’s my friend, Stacy.”

“Bah. If she goes to jail, that will get rid of the competition.”

“Stacy!”

“I’m serious, Annie.”

“Well, I’m not looking for a man, so please, let it go. Besides, Flynn has vowed to investigate the case and find the killer.”

“You’re okay with that?”

Annie thought about it. “I don’t have enough facts.”

“Well, if he asks you to help, then you can work side by side with him like last time. Then you two can get closer. Oh, I can see it now, a wedding next spring.”

“You’re moving a little fast, aren’t you? I’m not going to get married.”

“Not what I heard. My favorite is Flynn, of course, but it’s in the grapevine that Omen has plans to ask you out, and he’s serious.”

“You know Omen? Oh, that’s right. He came to Jane’s cookout that day.”

“I know his mother better. She’s big into charity work.”

“What about you? Are you still seeing Robert?”

“I’m thinking of breaking it off with him.”

“Why? I thought you were getting over the age difference.”

Stacy stood to pace. “I care about him, but no one wants to see us together.”

“So what. You have to live your life to the fullest, Stacy. That’s what it’s all about.”

She frowned. “I wish I could be as carefree as you are, Annie.”

“I’m not carefree.”

“You are. Bad things have happened, but you still smile. I love that about you, and you bring sunshine to the rest of us mortals.”

Annie chuckled. “I’m mortal, too, you know. Stacy, don’t give up on Robert. It seems odd for me of all people to say. I’ve just been complaining about being match-made with a man, after all. If the reason you’re thinking of breaking it off is because of what other people think, you shouldn’t give in to it.”

“I’m going to level with you.” Stacy dropped into the seat beside Annie and hooked her arm through Annie’s. “You remember that night you thought I followed Robert, suspecting him of killing Paul?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“Well, we planned it that way, the way we left separately. I was going to meet him somewhere, and we were going to ride out to his family’s home in Gaston County.”

“Did something else happen instead?”

“His buddy from the army took sick, and Robert stayed by his side all night. Near morning, he passed away. Robert took it very hard.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You didn’t want to say anything because you weren’t ready to talk about your relationship?”

“Yes, and…” Stacy twisted her hands together.

“And?”

“There are other complications.”

“Well, that’s your business, Stacy. If you don’t feel comfortable, I won’t push you.”

Stacy relaxed a bit. “Thank you, but how are you doing, Annie? With Jane gone. I haven’t had the chance to talk to you much, but I know it must be hard. We all miss her and, well, I can’t believe—”

“I know.” Annie waved her hands. “Please, I can’t talk about her now.”

“Of course.”

Annie’s cell phone rang, and she pulled it from her pocket. She didn’t recognize the number and answered. “Hello?”

“Annie Holloway?”

“Yes.”

“This is Sheriff Appleton. We met a couple days ago.”

“I remember, sheriff. What can I do for you?”

“I’d like to talk to you about Flynn Aikens.”

Her heartbeat kicked up, and she looked at Stacy, who tried to hear the other end of the conversation without shame. “What about Flynn?”

“I’d rather speak in person. You can either come in to the station, or I can come to your house.”

The thought of a policeman coming to her house again made the hair stand up on Annie’s neck and arms. Her throat closed so much she almost panted. She tried to breathe deep.

“Have you heard of Sam’s Coffee Shop?” she asked quickly. “If it’s okay, I’d prefer if we meet there.”

“All right. That’s fine. An hour?”

He meant business. Annie had no choice. “Okay.”

She disconnected and made excuses with Stacy then left her house. First Annie went home and cleaned up the kitchen a little. She used the excuse of a spot or two to coat the entire counter with liquid bleach spray.

Afterward, she sniffed her arm. Sheriff Appleton might pass out from the aroma of bleach she gave off, not to mention half the customers at the coffee shop. As she stepped into the shower, Annie almost laughed at the other thought that popped into her head—that the sheriff would think she’d just been getting rid of evidence.

Once she was dressed and smelling less like a lab accident, Annie phoned Flynn. She hadn’t talked to him since the day Barbara Jean was arrested. She assumed he had gotten his ex off on bail or managed to get the charges dropped. With all that had happened, she hadn’t returned to the firehouse.

He answered on the first ring. “Annie, I’m kind of in the middle of something right now.”

She frowned. “I just wanted to let you know I’m about to meet with Sheriff Appleton.”

“Why? Wesley’s death has nothing to do with you.”

His attitude irked her. “I suppose he felt I could share some insight about you.”

He said nothing.

“Flynn?”

“Annie, what do you plan to say to him?”

“The truth.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped. “You’re not foolish enough to think BJ killed Wesley, are you?”

“Foolish? I don’t know him or her. I can’t say what Barbara Jean did or didn’t do, so I doubt anything I tell the sheriff will help or harm his investigation. You on the other hand haven’t been level-headed since this happened.”

“What are you saying?”

Annie never imagined the two of them would argue. Yet, here they were. Flynn was definitely ticked off, and her ire rose at him behaving as if she and the rest of the world was the enemy.

“I’m saying if Barbara Jean is guilty, you can’t see it!”

Something in the background banged, and she assumed he slammed his fist against whatever it was. “She’s
not
guilty.”

“Can you prove it?”

“I will, and I was going to talk to you about it, but now I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Most women who meet Barbara Jean for the first time have a problem with her.”

“You’re saying I’m jealous of her and I would try to get her convicted of murder because of something that petty?”

“No, of course not. I just want to know what you’re going to say to the sheriff, Annie.”

“I’m sorry. I have to go, or I’ll be late meeting him.” Annie disconnected the call. Flynn called right back, but she let it go to voicemail. When he called twice more, she put her phone on vibrate and stuffed it into her bag. Then she left the house.

Her feelings were hurt. She’d thought Flynn knew she wasn’t the type of woman to do what he suggested. Especially with all she had suffered in the last few months and when she was a child.

Behind the wheel of her car, she gave a few moments to self-pity and then drew in a deep breath. Flynn was hurting all over again, so she decided to put his attitude down to just that and forgive him.

“But that doesn’t mean he’s getting off easy,” she muttered.

Annie started the car and shifted the gear into reverse. As far as she was concerned, Flynn had thrown out a challenge. He intended to investigate Wesley’s murder, and he didn’t want her involved. Well, he got her, whether he liked it or not. If she couldn’t work with him, then she would work alone.

Now where to start? She supposed she should begin with learning everything she could about Wesley and his family. Also, she needed to find out if Barbara Jean was the type to marry a man and then poison him. Asking Flynn was out of the question. Who else could she get to know?

A
nnie studied
the jeans lying across the bed. Now that the weather had turned cooler, she couldn’t get away with wearing just capris or shorts, although she loved them. The stretchy material felt better across her belly, hips and thighs. Denim on the other hand was a problem—both because of the weightier material and because she refused to buy too big a size so they were roomy enough.

“Here goes nothing, Shadow.”

The dog stirred on the area carpet and raised his head. He blinked at her. She had the impression, in the short while she had Shadow, he’d already figured out how nuts she was and accepted it.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she gently scolded him. “You know how hard it is to get these darn things on.”

Annie went through the ritual, hopping around the room barefoot while she jiggled the extra pounds into the jeans. At last, with moisture beading her forehead, she fell over on the bed and worked the button into place.

“I thought I wasn’t that vain, Shadow.”

The dog made a small noise.

“You’re saying I’m lying to myself?” She chuckled. “Fine. Being a little vain makes me feel normal, and that’s important for someone like me.”

This time the dog made no sound at all other than a snort as if he’d fallen asleep on the boring conversation. Annie sat up and bent to touch his head, thought better of it, and finished dressing.

She was still considering what to do with him. His owner was likely to be in jail for at least two years, and Annie didn’t want to send him to an animal shelter. She was the last person to keep a pet, what with all the hair. At least she’d gotten him on the tail end of summer, but what about next spring?

Quaking to think of the shedding, Annie pushed the thoughts from her mind. Next year could look after itself while she maintained sanity now. Besides, she looked at Shadow as another way to overcome her illness.

Annie fixed herself breakfast of toast, scrambled egg and cheese while letting Shadow outside for a while. Rather than having a fence, her property was surrounded by trees and bushes.

A dog could squeeze through anywhere, but Shadow was trained to do his business and not wander off. She was glad, although she sometimes thought she should put him on a leash and walk him properly for her own exercise. That hadn’t happened yet.

When she left the house for the day, she drove toward Mars Cove. Her talk the day before with Sheriff Appleton hadn’t done any good because after the man enjoyed his coffee, he sealed his lips better.

At the station, he freely shared information about the case. When he sat down with Annie, all he wanted to do was ask questions. Bummer. She hadn’t learned anything useful. So, she set out that morning to learn what she needed to on her own.

A short while later, Annie left South Carolina and entered North Carolina. Flynn’s town was just a blip on the state’s map, and when she reached the border of the town, it seemed like she scarcely drew in a breath before she arrived in the downtown area.

Cute little shops lined the street on both sides, and ornate signs hung over the doors all with similar almost historical script. The pharmacy at the corner of Main and Fourth was the most boring, with thick, blocky letters. No one would mistake it for anything other than what it was.

Annie started to continue on a few blocks to the firehouse, but she spotted a familiar face. She scanned the area for somewhere to park and discovered a lot where she could leave her vehicle all day for just fifty cents.

“How do they make a living?” she wondered as she climbed out of the car. She thought of how Flynn told her he couldn’t sustain an investigator’s job in this town. If everyone was used to paying such low fees, it was no wonder.

She hadn’t asked Flynn recently if he decided to start up his investigations yet. Even if he did, she doubted he charged Barbara Jean. Frowning, Annie hurried across Main Street to search for Mark. He as much as the others was someone she wanted to talk to, but first she needed to find out what he was up to.

Five minutes later, Annie caught sight of Mark on a street leading off the main road. She was glad of the size of the town. In Amberlon, she might have lost track of him. Zipping behind poles and display signs every so often, she tried to close the space between them.

Mark, dressed in jeans and a lightweight brown jacket, didn’t stick out in the crowd, but Annie prided herself on her observation skills. She especially found it interesting how Mark kept darting glances over his shoulder and craning his neck as he searched the faces of others on the street as if he looked for someone.

Who would he be meeting down here, and why choose downtown Mars Cove? Surely, he knew half if not all the townsfolk recognized him. Annie hadn’t missed how more than one gaze flitted in his direction and shifted away just as fast. Some nodded a greeting, but no one went out of their way to say good morning.

Does no one like him, or is it his family?

At the end of another street, Mark disappeared. She searched up and down the lane for a few minutes and grunted in annoyance at herself. Maybe he went into one of the shops. As she stood where she was, a few curious glances were cast her way. Annie smiled and received a few smiles in return.

When she decided to swing back the other direction, her gaze landed on the front of the pharmacy and she froze, staring at it. They had somehow made a complete circuit of the downtown area, and she was right back where she started. However, it wasn’t the route that surprised her, rather the sign.

“Witman Pharmacy,” she read. Next to the drug store was another, also with the Witman name. She hadn’t made the connection before. From the look of it, their family owned quite a few businesses in the town.

No wonder Wesley could get away with coming in to work late. Who was going to tell the son of the most influential man in Mars Cove he shirked his responsibilities? In fact, Annie started to see why Flynn was so worried about Barbara Jean getting fair treatment. If Mr. Witman decided she was guilty, then that was it.

Surely he wants to know, without a doubt, who killed his son so he can get justice.

She decided to believe Mr. Witman loved his son enough to want to be sure. Emotions were bound to be out of control the morning of learning about the tragedy. Now he should be a little calmer and thinking rationally.

As she began walking again, Annie thought of her own reaction to her dad being arrested when she was a child and about her sister Jane. She stopped walking again. Perhaps she projected her own way of thinking onto Mr. Witman. Everyone didn’t think the way she did.

Up ahead, Mark popped out of a storefront and seemed to look right at her. Several feet separated them. Then he turned in the opposite direction and started walking. Maybe he didn’t recognize her. She didn’t think she stood out that much either.

Mark darted around a corner, and Annie groaned then jogged to catch up. She reached the end of the street just in time to see him go into another shop.

Enough of the cat and mouse, mister!

She would corner the man and try to make friends so he would open up.

Annie reached the store entrance and started forward. The glass door opened, and a bell jingled. A woman exited, clutching a bag in her arm and holding the hand of a crying boy who looked about four.

“Maybe next time, sweetie,” the woman said to her son. “If you behave like a big boy today.”

The two disappeared down the street, and Annie started forward again, but her feet wouldn’t move far or very fast. She stared wide-eyed at the door, recalling the breeze that exited the store when the woman came out. She couldn’t do it. Going inside was impossible.

Zoe’s Pet Shop.

Annie had visited Wal-Mart to grab a giant bag of pet food and a doggie bed for Shadow. This pet shop was different. The scents, a mixture of the various animals that must be on sale inside, swirled about her head and stung her nose.

“Come on, Annie. You don’t have to touch anything.”

One step. The door opened, and she backpedaled to the curb. Several passersby cast her suspicious glances. She swallowed and tried to offer her usual smile. Her face froze in place. She had never imagined her issues went to this extent, but she had never needed to visit a pet shop before.

Sometimes when she visited various stores, she kept her hands to herself and didn’t touch many items. She carried wipes just in case the store didn’t have any available to clean her cart or no paper towels to grab her package of chicken in the grocery store.

Annie loved wintertime. Not the cold but the chance to wear gloves. She particularly enjoyed keeping the gloves on inside the stores. No one looked at her askance even if they wondered if she was too warm.

The pet shop? No. In fact, moisture broke out under her arms, and a sense of panic rose in her belly, moving up to her chest.

Relax, Annie. You don’t have to go in.

She ducked her head, staring at the ground as she drew in deep breaths to calm down.

“Annie, right?”

She looked up. Mark leaned in the doorway of the pet shop, a sardonic smirk on his face.

“I wondered how long you would stay out here waiting for me.”

“You saw me?”

He left the doorway and walked toward her. “Yeah, how could I miss seeing you. You’re pretty awful at tailing a person.”

Annie laughed. “Well, darn. I thought I was doing pretty good keeping up with you and hiding. When did you notice me?”

He shook his head. “You parked in the lot down the street. Sky blue SUV, right?”

She groaned. “I should take a class.”

“How to trail people without being seen. I don’t think I’ve heard of anything like that, but I wasn’t looking for it.”

She chuckled. “I’d prefer the class that teaches me to be invisible like a superhero.”

His eyebrows rose.

“Kidding.” Annie touched his shoulder and then clasped her hands together. “So, you’re Mark Witman. We haven’t officially met, but I’m Annie Holloway, a friend of Flynn Aikens.”

“I remember you from the police station.” He tilted his head to the side as he studied her. “Are you switching your interest from Flynn to me?”

“You’re pretty direct. I like that. No, my interest in Flynn is as his friend. You, I’m just curious about. I write books, and I love getting to know all kinds of people. Learning about their personalities and such helps me to develop well-rounded characters.”

His eyes glittered with curiosity, just what she wanted. Annie had no problem telling anyone what she did for a living. The knowledge had gotten her into places and conversations she might not normally be privy to.

“What kind of books, romance?”

“Is that all women are good for?” she teased. “No, mystery.”

“Ah, so you’re interested in my brother’s death.”

“Your brother.” That was one solid answer.

“Half brother, actually. I would never claim Racine as my mother.”

Annie heard bitterness in his tone. “Flynn seems to think Barbara Jean is innocent. Can you think of anyone else that might want to hurt your brother? I can imagine a family such as yours might get a lot of jealousy thrown your way. Your name is everywhere.”

She gestured around them, but Mark didn’t look. He shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking along the street. Annie fell into step beside him.

“Yeah, my dad owns this town.”

“Literally?”

“Might as well.” He shrugged. “We have a lot of influence, so if you think Flynn’s other girlfriend is going to get off so easily, you’re wrong.”

Annie pressed her lips together. Mark grinned.

She didn’t like spreading gossip, but he kind of pressed her buttons, and she couldn’t help herself. “I heard Wesley was due to get an inheritance from your grandmother.
You
might not have wanted to share.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He stopped walking to face her. “I don’t have a motive.”

“Why not?”

“Because Wesley’s grandmother isn’t my grandmother.”

Annie’s mouth fell open. She should have thought that far, but why would she?

“Everyone knows, except you, I guess. Racine’s mother is the one that’s left Wesley money. No blood relation to me at all. And why should I care about her money when like I said, my dad is rich. I already know he’s going to leave me money. If I wanted to kill someone, it would be him.”

Annie winced at his speaking so casually about killing his father. Mark’s tone of voice was cold and heartless. When he spoke of his brother, he didn’t give off a shred of grief. Being a man, he might be hiding it, but she didn’t want to assume either way.

“If I was going to suspect anyone in my family, I’d put it to Racine,” Mark went on.

She gasped. “But she’s his mother. She looked like she was going to have a breakdown at the station.”

Mark shook his head. “An act. I’m not saying she didn’t love him. In her way, I’m sure she did. It’s just that Racine is all about herself and about reputation. Wesley broke the golden rule by getting seriously involved with someone like Barbara Jean Stanford. If Racine thought he would marry her, she would do something to stop it.”

“But she wouldn’t kill her own son.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, but it wouldn’t surprise me. If you keep poking your nose in our business, you’ll find out for yourself.”

“Are you threatening my life?”

He gaped. “No, I meant you’ll learn what kind of family we are.”

“We? So you include yourself in the description you gave of Mrs. Witman’s character.”

“I’m not pretending to be a good guy, Annie. I don’t mind showing the world who I am. My family is different in that respect. They like to put on airs, throw parties, and pretend we’re all this big loving family that just so happens to have money. My dad gives a small fortune to charity.”

“I know quite a few ladies who work with charities. They consider it their duty. My aunt for one. I think it’s become her full time job.”

His expression turned dark with disgust.

Annie still didn’t feel she had learned anything useful from Mark. He didn’t have a direct motive, but his explanation of Racine’s character didn’t convince her. She wouldn’t rule Mark out or his father, but she had nothing whatsoever to move forward on.