Foul Play at the Fair (22 page)

“Dolly, you have to help.”

Dolly pulled her hand away, looked at the clock, took a deep breath. “Let me get Mary to mind the cash register.”

She disappeared through the curtain, and for a minute Liv was afraid she had bolted. But she returned a couple of minutes later with a young woman whom Liv had seen around town a few times.

“Liv and I will be in back if you need me.” Dolly held the curtain for Liv, then led her past huge ovens and mixers and baking racks to a corner office, barely large enough for a battered desk and three hand-me-down chairs.

“Sit down, Liv. I guess I have something you should see.”

Liv sat.

Dolly pulled a key from her apron pocket and opened her desk drawer. She rummaged inside, brought out a box, and opened it. When she sat down next to Liv, she was holding a crumpled piece of paper.

She ran her tongue over her lips. “I didn’t recognize the Peeping Tom. Well, not until the next morning. Then I knew who it was.”

Liv had guessed as much, and if she had guessed, so could anyone else, including the state detectives.

“It was Pete. But I didn’t kill him. I swear.”

“Of course not. But why did you guess it the next morning?”

“After Fred left for the festival, I took out the trash that I’d been meaning to take out the night before. And there it was.”

“What?”

“This.” She thrust the paper at Liv with trembling fingers. “He left it on top of the trash can with a rock holding it down.”

Liv took the paper and read the print.
Bring ten thousand dollars to the old place just like before. I’m back and I’ll tell.

“Tell what? What old place?”

“In the woods down by the lake. There’s a hollow where we all used to hang out. It’s also where I was supposed to take the money, like the last time.”

Blackmail. Holy cow. Talk about a motive for murder. “Are you saying Pete Waterbury blackmailed you before?”

Dolly nodded slowly. “In high school.”

“But you were a teenager then. How could anything he held over your head then possibly matter thirty years later?”

Dolly’s face crumpled. “I’m so ashamed.”

Oh Lord,
Liv thought.
What have I gotten myself into?
“Dolly, if this is really serious, maybe you should tell this to Bill?”

“I can’t, not Bill of all people. I’ll tell you if you think it will help Joss, but you can’t tell anyone.”

“Oh, Dolly, I can’t promise that.” Liv was getting a really bad feeling. She was afraid to hear what Dolly might say and afraid not to hear it and let it seal the fate of the future of Celebration Bay. She tried one last time. “If not Bill, what about the detectives?”

“No. I can’t. I won’t. If you tell them, I’ll deny it.”

Liv sighed and plunged ahead. “Then tell me.”

Head lowered, Dolly fingered her apron. “Fred and I were sweethearts all of high school. Other guys flirted with me, in a fun way. But not Pete. He used to come on to me, always
standing too close, saying really disgusting things. Joss overheard him one day and told him he’d give him the beating of his life if he didn’t leave me alone.”

“And did he leave you alone?”

“Nothing could stop Pete when he wanted something. Fred fought him a few times. I thought it was really stupid. But that’s the way they were brought up. Settle things with your fists.” A reminiscent smile played across her face. “You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but Fred was athletic in those days. Played varsity ball and…

“Anyway, he was also in the ROTC reserves. They’d go off for maneuvers about four times a year. The last time was when…” She heaved a sigh, spread out the creases she’d made in her apron. “He was gone and there was a dance. I was meeting some girls before, but I couldn’t decide what to wear. Stupid. If I’d just worn my pink dress like I intended, I would have been on time and none of this would have happened.”

“Dolly,” Liv said gently, pulling her back on topic.

“When I finally got to Charlene’s house, they’d already left for the dance, so I had to walk to the high school by myself. Pete must have been on the lookout, because he stopped me.” She shuddered. “He grabbed me and kissed me; his hands were all over me. I tried to get away but he ripped my sleeve and my top fell off and he could see my bra and everything. Then he tried—so I screamed and kneed him; then I ran like crazy.”

“And Joss found out?”

Dolly looked bewildered. “Joss? I don’t know. No, I don’t think so.”

“I don’t understand. Why did Pete try to blackmail you? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Dolly’s lip trembled; a tear rolled down her cheek. “Bill.”

Liv closed her eyes. If it weren’t so tragic, it would be comical. But it
was
tragic.

“I ran; I didn’t care where. I felt disgusting. I could still
taste the beer he’d been drinking. I stopped by the lake and cried. And Bill found me. And put his arm around me and told me everything would be fine. And he started rubbing my back—”

“I think I’m getting the picture,” Liv said.

“It was just that one time. I don’t know how it happened. I was just scared and alone and so lonely. It never happened again. Fred and I weren’t married yet, but still, I wasn’t one of those fast girls. I mean, I know it was old-fashioned, but I was saving myself for Fred, but I—I didn’t.”

“And Pete found out.”

“He followed us and saw. He stopped me in school the next Monday, said he’d seen us and that he’d tell Fred and my father if I didn’t pay.”

What could a small-town girl of seventeen possibly have to pay?

“I had inherited five thousand dollars from my grandmother. I gave it all to him.”

“Oh no, Dolly.”

“I know, and of course when the bank statements came, my father saw that it was missing. Bill told my father everything and insisted it was his fault. He promised to pay the money back and he saved all that summer. But Dad wouldn’t take the money. He just said the less talked about, the better, which meant not to tell anyone, and we didn’t.

“I felt awful and almost told Fred I couldn’t marry him, but I loved him so much.”

Liv thought about Fred, stocky, round, and bald, and she was just a little envious of that kind of love.

“You never told him?”

Dolly shook her head. “I couldn’t stand it if he knew. He would be so hurt.”

“So did you take ten thousand to the hollow?”

“That’s most of our savings. I couldn’t do it. I was sure he would retaliate and tell Fred, but he didn’t. I guess because someone killed him.”

“I guess.” Liv wasn’t sure what to believe. She was certain Dolly hadn’t killed him; she couldn’t have lifted him into the apple press. But Fred? Bill? Joss?

“Liv, please don’t tell. I know I should have confessed years ago. But so much time has gone by. I hardly ever thought about it until Pete came back stirring it all up again. Now I feel worse than ever.”

“Have you ever considered just telling Fred? I mean, after twenty-five years of marriage, he should know how much you love him. He might be upset, but he’ll come around. Then you won’t have to worry about it anymore. I think you’ll feel better if you do.”

“I actually do feel a little better just telling you.”

“Then think about telling Fred.” Liv hoped she was advising the right thing; she didn’t know beans about sustaining a relationship. She should be getting advice from Dolly, not giving it, not that she had a relationship to seek advice about.

“I will, and, Liv, don’t worry about the food concessions. I’ll get started today. We’ve done this for years. It’ll come together. You’ll see.”

Liv stood up. “I’d better get going, but I have one more question. Who else got blackmail letters?”

“No one. At least, I don’t know of anyone.” Dolly’s mouth opened. “Do you think he did this to other people in town?”

“Considering how much he made from you, I’d say it’s a good bet he was doing the same to a lot of people. A very lucrative after-school job.”

Liv reached the office before Ted, which was just as well. She had lots to think about. She left the bag of muffins and Ted’s tea on his desk and took her latte into her office.

She spent the next few minutes going over the schedule for the coming weekend and the rest of the month.

Food was way behind, but she was confident that Dolly and Genny could pull it together in plenty of time. Andy
Miller’s maze had looked good from the outside when she was out there last, but she hadn’t talked to Andy at all. That was something she needed to do.

She’d go today, take a look at the maze, get an update on the hayrides, and if the Zoldoskys were home, she’d check on Junior. The neighborly thing to do.

She called Bill. He didn’t answer. She left a message telling him about her plan to hire a security service. Gave him several names she’d researched and asked his advice.

Maybe he’d get back to her. If not, she would hire whichever one she could afford. But first she’d have to clear it with the council and the mayor at the next meeting.

The outer door opened and Ted walked in. “You’re early,” he said, lifting his eyebrows.

“I’m getting anxious about the weekend.”

“Hmm.”

“Did you hear about Bill?”

“That he’s been taken off the case?”

“Yes. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just found out last night when I went over there to see if he was okay, since nobody has seen him or heard from him in days.”

“Was he okay?”

“No. He looked like—pardon the expression—shit.”

“He must be pretty upset.”

“That’s an understatement. People were giving him a hard time before the state took over; now they’re accusing him of not doing anything.”

“That sucks.”

“It does. But Bill’s tough. He’ll get through it. What’s on the agenda for today?”

“We’re going full steam ahead, but if the council is going to balk, we need to get our deposit back on the tents and start triage.”

“I don’t think there’s going to be a problem with that.”

“The tents or the council?”

“Neither. I found out who called in the state police.”

“Not the mayor or Janine.”

“No. Rufus and Roscoe.”

“The councilmen?”

“Yes, dimwits that they are, they wanted to help speed things along. Instead, they’ve helped railroad Joss into jail. They’re feeling pretty contrite. I don’t think they’ll vote against us.”

“Good.” Liv sat back down. “Ted, come in and close the door.”

“Sounds serious.”

Liv nodded. “Maybe.” She picked up a pen and tapped it on the desk, wondering how she could ask Ted what he knew about the blackmailing attempt without breaking her promise to Dolly.

“Did—What kinds of things did Pete Waterbury do when he was younger that got him into such trouble? Besides what he did to Andy and Victor Gibson?”

“Why this sudden interest in Pete’s past?”

“If I’m going to save the festival, I need to understand what I’m dealing with.”

Ted perched one hip on her desk and looked down at her. “What do you want to know?”

“What was he involved in? Drinking? Drugs?”

“Check and check. Mainly he was just a conniving snake. The kind of kid who bullied smaller kids on the playground, stole their lunch money, told them he’d beat them up if they told. In high school he turned to bigger things. Stealing. Lying. Extorting money from anybody he could scare.”

“Blackmail?”

“Who have you been talking to?”

Tread very careful, Liv.
“What do you know?”

“Well, we have muffins and tea and coffee. You’ve been to Dolly’s and BeBe’s this morning. Since BeBe didn’t even
live here when Pete was carrying on, it must be Dolly. What did she tell you?”

Liv shrugged. “Just some stuff about Pete spying on and blackmailing people.”

“People? Or Dolly?”

Liv looked away. This was harder than she’d expected. She could lie. Hell, it had been part of the job description back in Manhattan, but she didn’t want to lie to Ted.

“Let me make it easy on you. Did she tell you about her and Bill?”

“I’m sworn to secrecy. How did you know?”

“Oh hell, Liv. It’s no secret what happened between them.”

“Dolly thinks it is. She’s afraid it will break Fred’s heart if he found out.”

Ted chuckled. “Not his heart, but Fred almost broke Bill’s jaw.”

“When?”

“When he got back from ROTC camp. Bill confessed and apologized. Fred let him have it. Fred was athletic in those days, and I don’t think Bill tried very hard. He was feeling pretty guilty.”

“And how did you know about it?”

“Oh please, this is Celebration Bay. Even in those days, guys talked. But they did swear me to secrecy. Much ado about nothing, if you ask me.”

“Men,” Liv said, disgusted. “Dolly’s been carrying around this guilt all these years. Why didn’t someone tell her?”

“Fred thought it would save Dolly embarrassment. Guess he was wrong.”

“Well, since you know that much, I don’t suppose it matters if I tell you Pete was up to his old tricks.”

Ted raised both eyebrows, which made his eyes pop. “Dolly didn’t pay him?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“But I think it was because she couldn’t figure out a way to come up with the money without Fred knowing.”

“Dolly, Dolly, Dolly.” Ted shook his head.

“She didn’t pay him, but I think it’s about time someone told her that her secret is no secret.”

“I think you’re right. What a fool Pete was. Did he actually think anyone would care about what happened thirty years ago?”

“Somebody did.”

“What? Are we giving up on the idea that one of the Zoldoskys killed him?”

“What do you think?” Liv said, not able to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

“I’m afraid that it’s looking more and more like a local matter. But, if we must investigate, can we stick to figuring out who stole the check and forged your signature?”

“Okay. If we discount you and me…”

“Which we do, in case you’re wondering.”

“I wasn’t wondering.” Though she had other questions she did want the answers to. “It had to be someone who had access to the checkbook, and who was savvy enough to take one out of order, so we wouldn’t realize it was gone until we got to it, which makes a really big window of opportunity. So who else besides Dolly was Pete blackmailing?”