Diva Wraps It Up, The (17 page)

In the morning, I woke to the smell of coffee. Mochie was nowhere to be seen. Since I had company in the house, I threw on a white turtleneck and stretchy jeans, and ran a brush through my hair before going downstairs.

Someone knocked on the door before I made it to the kitchen. Alex already? I glanced in the hall mirror. No makeup, but my hair still looked fairly decent from the night before.

I swung open the front door wearing a big grin—only to see Wolf. “You’re out early.”

He sniffed the air. “Coffee. At least I didn’t wake you. I understand all the Lawrences are staying here?”

I nodded. “Come on in.”

He followed me into the kitchen. Claudine and Twiggy greeted us cheerfully.

“I hope you don’t mind,” said Claudine. “We thought making breakfast was the least we could do to repay you for letting us bunk here. Do you like banana pancakes?”

Twiggy handed me a mug of coffee. “Jonah left already to receive an early delivery.” She pulled me aside and whispered, “Mom and I have been discussing whether it’s better to send Kat to school today or to take her to the store.”

I spooned sugar into my coffee and offered Wolf milk for his. “School might keep her busy. As long as none of the other kids say anything about her mom.”

“That’s what worries us. There’s no telling what they might have overheard from their parents.”

Little Kat sat at the table, eating pancakes with Mochie next to her.

“The pancakes smell delicious,” said Wolf. “I’d love some if you’re sure you have enough.”

“I’m guessing this isn’t a social visit,” Claudine said politely. “Perhaps you could wait until the little one is upstairs before you mention the recent event?”

Wolf nodded in agreement. “Of course.” He ventured to the table. “How are you, Kat? Do you remember meeting me yesterday?”

She seemed like a normal child, not a bereaved one, when she said, “Wolf. Grrr.”

“I see Mochie likes you.”

“All kitties like me, but my mom won’t let me have one.” Her face fell.

“That’s too bad. Do you have a stuffed kitty cat?”

“Uh-huh. Four of them.”

Twiggy swooped down on her. “Time to clean up and get dressed. I brought your tiara for you to wear today!”

Kat raced up the stairs almost as fast as Mochie. Twiggy followed at a slower pace.

Wolf and I sat down at the table, our plates heaped with pancakes and turkey sausages that smelled divine.

Claudine joined us. “These have been Jonah’s favorite breakfast since he was a little boy.”

“Thank you for cooking, Claudine. This is such a treat. My mother is the only one who ever makes breakfast for me anymore.” I sipped the rich coffee, savoring the warmth.

“Claudine, would you mind if I asked you a few questions while we eat?” asked Wolf.

“Sure, that’s okay. I don’t know much. I just arrived a month ago so I didn’t really know Gwen—just to say hi, that kind of thing.”

“Did you ever notice anyone hanging around the garage?”

“Mars and Natasha were in and out. Honestly, though, it’s been so busy at the store that we leave early and come home late. This is the kids’ first Christmas at the store. It’s kind of make-or-break time for them, you know? They’re working so hard to make a go of Rocking Horse Toys. That’s why I was upset with Mrs. Scroggins when she didn’t want to pay full price for that little mouse. Like two extra dollars mean that much to her?”

“Horace’s wife?” asked Wolf.

“She’s quite an unpleasant person, I must say.”

I glanced at Wolf and guessed I shouldn’t mention the mouse in front of Claudine.

“Were any of you home in the late afternoon or early evening day before yesterday?”

I enjoyed my pancakes quietly. Instead of slicing cold bananas over the pancakes, Claudine had cooked the pancakes with banana slices inside them. The warm bananas with a bit of pancake and sweet maple syrup over top were delicious.

“The day of the cookie swap?”

“Yes,” said Wolf.

“That was a crazy day. Twiggy went to the cookie swap. She was back at the store earlier than expected. I understand the swap fell apart when there was a squabble between Natasha and Gwen. Since Twiggy was back early, Jonah left to make some deliveries, and when he came back, I took a break and did a little shopping before picking up takeout for us to eat at the store.”

“Did you go home during your break?”

“No.”

“I guess you wrap a lot of gifts at the store?”

“Oh yes! Lots of folks want their presents wrapped before they take them home so their children won’t know what’s in them. Jonah is so clever. On Christmas Eve, he’s going to be open until one in the morning so people can stop by to pick up bicycles they bought and other big gifts like that beautiful sailboat in the window. Have you seen it? A dad purchased it for his son but asked us to leave it in the window because his little boy goes by every day to see if it has been bought yet! Won’t he be surprised?”

Wolf’s poker face broke into a sunny smile. “I like that. What a great dad.”

Twiggy returned and poured herself a cup of coffee. “Kat is so in love with Mochie! And I think it’s mutual. She’s pulling a string along the floor, and he’s chasing it.” She joined us at the table.

Wolf asked her the same questions.

“I took the cookies home after the cookie swap broke up. No point in lugging them to the store.” She bit her lower lip. “Natasha was in her workroom having a hissy fit.” Twiggy shrank back and frowned. “I’m sorry. I hate to rat on her like this, but it’s true. She was so upset with Gwen. She was in and out, hauling out black and silver stuff, racing around in a big huff.”

“What time was that?”

“It was dark. Jonah set the lights on the outside of the carriage house to turn on at six, and they were on when I left, so definitely after six.”

“Did you see Gwen or anyone else in the alley after that?”

Twiggy thought for a moment. “No. Gwen had taken to letting Sugar pick up Kat at the store, and Sugar ran late that night. When do you think we can get back into our apartment?” She paled. “Not that it isn’t wonderful here with you, Sophie! I didn’t mean to sound unappreciative.”

“Don’t apologize. We all know there’s no place like home.”

“Gwen’s body was taken to the medical examiner’s late last night. I suspect they’ll be through with the rest in a couple of days.”

“Days!” Twiggy winced.

“There isn’t an outside entrance to your place, is there?” asked Wolf.

“No. Couldn’t you rope off a little entryway for us to get in and out? We’ll keep the doors locked, and there’s no reason for us to go into the garage at all.”

I finally spoke up. “Do you know how Gwen died yet?”

Wolf shot a sidelong glance at me. “If I don’t tell you, your pal Humphrey will weasel it out of someone at the medical examiner’s office. It’s not official, but it looks like a nasty blow to the head. I’ve seen enough of them in my career to bet on it.”

Claudine and Twiggy looked slightly sick at the thought.

The front door knocker sounded. I excused myself and hurried to the foyer to open the door.

Alex and Nina stood outside.

Nina winked at me as she entered. “I smell breakfast! Need coffee now!”

Alex bent to give me a kiss. “Good morning. Does that breakfast invitation still stand?”

“Absolutely.”

But the moment we stepped into my kitchen, the air grew unbearably thick. Everyone greeted one another.

Wolf uttered a terse, “Counselor.”

Alex responded with an equally cold, “Sergeant.”

Wolf stood to take his leave, and thanked Claudine for breakfast.

“Did I miss something?” she asked. “You don’t have to rush off. Maybe you’d like another cup of coffee?”

Nina was pouring coffee. She set down the coffeepot, chuckling. “Sophie used to date him”—she pointed at Wolf with the forefinger of her right hand—“and now she’s dating him.” She pointed at Alex with the forefinger of her left hand and an expression of amusement.

“Oh dear,” said Claudine. “I didn’t realize.”

I wanted to fall through the floor. The tension was silly and unnecessary, but the awkwardness made me itch all over.

I saw Wolf to the door.

“Thanks for not mentioning the mouse. Do you still have it?”

“No. I returned it to Mrs. Scroggins. Someone has been pinching things from her house.”

Wolf’s head snapped up. “And you didn’t think that was important enough to mention to me?”

“You didn’t care about the mouse! You can ask Wong. She knows all about it. I’m sure it has nothing to do with Gwen’s murder.” Maybe.

By the time I returned to the kitchen, Claudine had started another batch of pancakes. “The trick,” she said, “is to make the pancakes thick and fluffy and slice the banana thin. After you pour the batter, you quickly press the bananas into each pancake before the top starts setting up. Then you flip, cook, and”—she slipped a spatula underneath a pancake—“voilà! They’re done!”

About the time Nina and Alex started to eat, Twiggy left to take Kat to school, and Claudine disappeared upstairs. I sipped a second cup of coffee and nearly spewed it when Alex asked, “What was Wolf doing here?”

“He came by to ask questions of Claudine and Twiggy.”

“What kind of questions?”

“Nothing fancy—did they notice anyone hanging around the garage? Where were they after the cookie swap?”

Nina leaned forward. “Rumor has it Gwen was bludgeoned.”

“Amazing how fast news spreads. That’s what I understand, too.” I gazed at Alex but, like Wolf, his face didn’t register anything. How did I always end up with men who could hide their reactions so well? “Have you seen Baxter yet this morning?”

“I stopped by the house,” said Alex. “Patty told me he left early for the mortuary to make funeral arrangements. What do you know about Patty?”

A chill ran over my arms. “Not much. She seems nice. Are you implying that she might have killed Gwen?”

Alex nodded casually. “Ex-wives aren’t always happy with new wives. Wouldn’t be the first time an ex-wife murdered her replacement.”

“I need to bring Baxter and the kids some food. Mac and cheese? Everyone likes mac and cheese, don’t they?” I asked.

“They don’t need cookies. That’s for sure.” Nina swirled the last bit of pancake through the maple syrup on her plate. “I’m having Bernie make them a cold-cut platter for sandwiches.”

Patty banged on the kitchen door yelling something garbled. I unlocked the door and opened it.

She nearly fell into the house. “Alex, help! The police arrived with a search warrant. Baxter’s not home, and I don’t know what to do!”

Dear Sophie,

I would love to have a cookie swap. But most of my friends are on diets or will be going away for the holidays and don’t need a hundred cookies. Still, it seems like so much fun.

Cruising for the Holiday in North Pole, Idaho

Dear Cruising,

Bake the cookies and have a lovely evening or afternoon sharing them. Then pack up the rest and take them to a homeless shelter or a senior center where they will be much appreciated.

Sophie

Alex loped out the door and the rest of us followed.

Unlike Patty, who flitted like a nervous bee, Alex was the consummate professional. He walked into the Babineaux house the picture of composure.

Patty watched with us. “I bet they’re going to kick him out!”

“Does anyone else think he’s sexy when he’s in control like that?” asked Nina. “I think it’s the military stance with the shoulders back and chin up.”

“The kids are still asleep!” Patty flung her hands back and forth when she talked. “They’ll be terrified when the cops barge into their rooms.”

“Patty!” I exclaimed. “Go tell Alex that right now.”

Nina and I hung back on the sidewalk.

“It’s cold out here.” My turtleneck was far too thin for hanging around outside. I was about to suggest we go home when someone screamed.

Nina and I flew to the doorstep in a flash. Wearing what appeared to be a man’s pajama top with a cartoonish moose print on it, Sugar ran past us from the living room to the dining room. When we heard a second scream, Nina and I ventured inside.

Sugar held clenched fists in midair and stared at the table, still decorated with the orange tablecloth.

Wolf bounded in. “Who’s screaming?” His gaze flicked my way. “What are you doing here?”

Alex raced into the dining room and came to a halt.

“It’s gone!” Sugar’s voice quavered. “The sterling silver sleigh is gone. And the reindeer candleholders are missing, too.”

“When did you see them last?” asked Wolf.

“I don’t know.” Tears ran down Sugar’s face. “I don’t remember! With everything that happened, I didn’t notice them until just now.”

Alex stepped over to Sugar and placed an arm around her. “It’s okay. Take a few minutes to think about it.”

She turned and buried her face in his suit.

Nina elbowed me. What did she expect me to do? It wasn’t like I could separate them. Though I was a little annoyed by the sight of those long, bare legs. At least the shirt covered her derriere.

Sugar sniffled. “Someone must have stolen them. They were worth a lot of money! I bet that’s why Mom was murdered. She was so proud of them. I mean, they were sterling and everything.” Sugar gazed toward Nina and me. “You were here for the cookie swap. Weren’t they beautiful?”

Wolf eyed me. “You saw them?”

I nodded. “They were amazing. Very detailed.”

Alex gently pried Sugar off his suit. “Think back to last night. Do you remember seeing them then?”

Sugar leaned her head against Alex’s chest and placed one hand on his suit jacket. “It’s all such a muddle. We were in the kitchen mostly. Patty . . .” Sugar screeched. “Do you think Patty took them? You know, out of jealousy? For the money?”

Patty emerged from the kitchen. “Oh, very nice, Sugar. After all I’ve done for you guys? You can search my car. That sleigh was huge. It’s not like I could have slipped it under my coat and snuck it out of here.”

“Patty has a good point,” I said. “Someone would have had to make a couple of trips to carry all the pieces out.”

Patty flashed me a grateful smile.

I looked around. Baxter and Elvin were noticeably absent from a house in which so much was happening.

Alex stepped away from Sugar and sidled over to me. “Did anyone take pictures of this incredible sleigh?”

Sugar turned toward him. “You’re so smart! I bet Gwen put them up on Facebook. Or has pictures in her camera.”

Wolf frowned. “Camera? Where is it?” He followed Sugar and Patty toward the kitchen.

“I owe you dinner,” said Alex. “Several, in fact. Lunch today?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll call you.” He hurried off to the kitchen.

Nina and I showed ourselves out. The front door closed with a snap behind us.

Nina said, “Elvin’s sleigh could hold the big silver one.”

“Bet it’s not in the alley anymore.”

“Me, too. We should check.”

We dashed down the street and through Nina’s yard to her gate. One look told the story. It wasn’t as though Elvin could hide his big camper anywhere. It was gone.

“I’m freezing.” Nina shuddered, and we headed back to my house.

In the kitchen, I pulled macaroni out of the cupboard and put on a large pot of salted water to boil.

“Where are your cookies?” asked Nina.

“In the dining room.”

She returned with an orange box tied with a pink ribbon. A tiny silver sleigh ornament hung on it. “Double Chocolate Caramel Bars,” she read. “That would hit the spot with a second cup of coffee.”

She slid off the ribbon and sampled one. “These are to die for. Seriously. Who made these?” She examined the box.

“Gwen.”

Nina choked. Coughing, she reached for her coffee. “That’s not funny,” she croaked.

“It’s an orange box with a pink ribbon, Nina. There are only two people with that strange Christmas color combo going—Natasha and Gwen. And Natasha made an herb cookie dipped in chocolate.”

Nina stared at the rest of the bar. “There’s something gross about eating a cookie that a dead person baked.”

I opened the fridge to look in my cheese drawer. Luckily I had an assortment of cheeses. A lovely triple cream, extra sharp cheddar, and Gouda. I set them on the counter in time to see Nina swallow the last bite of Gwen’s Christmas bar.

She gave me an innocent look. “What? They’re very good. Gwen wouldn’t want to see them go to waste!” She helped herself to another one while I poured the pasta into the boiling water and heated the milk. “Why would the police need a search warrant to see the victim’s home?”

“Because Alex told them they couldn’t go inside and look around.”

“Exactly. And why would he do that?”

We both said it at the exact same time, “Because that’s where the killer lives.”

“Baxter,” I said.

“Or Elvin.”

“Why would Elvin kill Gwen?”

“Probably for the same reasons as Baxter. Maybe he thinks he’s helping his brother by getting rid of her.”

“Yesterday, Sugar ran into the garage and, Nina, when she saw Gwen, I swear she screamed, ‘Mom’!”

“I thought I misunderstood her when we were over there a few minutes ago. You’re just telling me this now?”

“Hey, a lot has happened in the past twelve hours or so. It slipped my mind that you weren’t there. Do you think it’s possible?”

“Sugar must be right around thirty, don’t you think?” asked Nina. “A thirty-year-old daughter and a six-year-old daughter? I guess it could happen. Gwen met Baxter, already had an adult daughter from her first marriage, and then had Kat with Baxter.”

“So that would put Gwen at fifty-ish?”

“Something like that. If Sugar was her daughter, I hardly think she’d kill her. Maybe Gwen didn’t like her being with Elvin.” Nina wrinkled her nose. “That
is
kind of creepy. Imagine your husband’s brother sleeping with your daughter.” She stuck out her tongue. “Ick!”

I poured the macaroni into a colander and shook it to drain. While it cooled, I stirred the cheese, watching the colors melt into the hot milk. “I guess Natasha is glad she’s off the hook.”

“Are you kidding? They don’t eliminate anyone until they have the perpetrator. They could decide that it wasn’t a family member who killed Gwen.”

I poured the macaroni into the cheese, stirred it all together nicely, and dumped it into a long casserole dish. I preheated the oven and mixed panko bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese for a crusty crunch on top.

Minutes after I slid it into the oven, Nina took off for home. I spent the next fifty minutes taking care of work in my study, glad things were slow at the moment. When the timer dinged in the kitchen, I withdrew the golden cheesy wonder from the oven. The police might still be at the Babineaux house, but either way, the Babineauxs would probably appreciate something hot to eat for lunch.

I plopped a piece of aluminum foil over the top to keep the cold out, slid on a lush, white Polartec jacket, and carried the mac and cheese across the street.

Baxter opened the door, haggard and drawn, his skin the color of gray skies.

“I’m so terribly sorry, Baxter. I brought you something for lunch.”

He nodded lamely, as if he couldn’t function right yet. I stepped inside and followed him to the kitchen. It wasn’t as spotless as it had been when I’d seen it a few days before. The island counter brimmed with kitchen items. Foil, spoons, bowls. A few dirty dishes and an orange box like the one that held Gwen’s bars for the cookie swap. But the house was still. The police must have left.

I located a dish towel that I could use as a trivet and set the hot casserole atop it on the island. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

He rubbed his forehead with a fleshy hand in an odd jerking motion. “I don’t know what needs to be done. I’m just trying to get my footing.”

“Well, don’t worry about Kat. Twiggy and Jonah are taking good care of her.”

His eyes flicked. “Kat! How could I have forgotten about Kat? I don’t know what will happen to her now.”

“I don’t understand.”

He licked his lips. “I’m not her father.”