Foul Play at the Fair (6 page)

“But—”

“Now.”

The sound of another arriving vehicle pulled Bill’s concentration.

Bill’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. “And if that’s the crime scene van, tell ’em to park around back.”

“Sure thing, Bill. Anything I can do.” Andy herded everyone toward the door, but Liv hung back, absently staring at the body while her mind reeled off the implications of the crime as she made contingency plans for directing tourists away from the farm store.

“Ms. Montgomery? Liv?”

“What?”

“You really need to leave, too.”

“Oh, of course, but…Bill, at the risk of sounding callous, I need to do something about this.”

“You? Oh, you mean about the festival. Well, we can’t let people in here today. They’ll have to close.”

“I realize that, but I don’t want to have people panicking when they learn that a murder has been committed.”

Bill winced, but Liv wasn’t sure whether it was from pain or the idea of murder in his town. But she noticed he didn’t contradict her. Pete Waterbury had definitely been murdered.

“It could have disastrous results for the festival and everyone who depends on it for their livelihood.” The rumor that a murder had been committed on the premises might cause a full-blown panic, keeping visitors away in droves. Not to mention what it would do to Waterbury Farms’s reputation. But if a murderer was still running loose, it could have tragic results.

“I’ll have someone put up the chain across the entrance. There’s a Closed sign attached to the chain.”

Liv had noticed the two short posts on either side of the entrance. The chain and sign would be good enough to keep out cars, but what the hell was she going to do to stop the speculation?

She looked back at the body, trying to feel sad that a life had been lost, but mainly feeling angry that the Zoldoskys had brought this on the town.

“Bill—”

Several crime scene detectives came in. The head man gave Liv a look before turning to Bill. “Were you first on scene?”

Bill cleared his throat. “So to speak.”

“Body been moved?”

Bill glanced at Liv. “Yes. In an effort to ascertain if the victim was alive.”

The man turned to Liv. “Did you find the deceased?”

Liv shook her head. “No. I was just leaving.” She scurried out of the room.

She had to force herself not to skulk behind the open door and listen to what the detectives said. It wasn’t morbid fascination. She needed to get reassurance from the police that the murderer wouldn’t strike again.

As if anybody could predict that.

She walked up to the house, looking around her for God knew what. The murderer hiding behind the hay bales? A murder weapon? A note saying, This is the only person I’ll kill so don’t worry.

Stop it; you’re acting stupid. You need all your wits today.
Just because this is your first murder doesn’t mean you can lose it. You have a responsibility.
Liv let herself in the open back door and stepped into what she imagined was a typical farm kitchen, with colorful curtains and lots of counter space for making family meals. Only today there was no bustling activity, no cozy warmth. Everyone was sitting around the long farmhouse table silently watching Joss stalk up and down the room like a cornered moose.

Ted poured her a cup of coffee and motioned her to a chair.

Liv didn’t much feel like sitting down. She’d rather join Joss in his pacing. She knew she should say something, but after Joss’s reaction to his brother’s body, she was afraid that condolences would be out of line.

Amanda Waterbury watched her husband, her frown growing more intense as the minutes went by. Finally she broke her silence. “For heaven’s sake, Joss. Talk to me. Did you know Pete was here?”

Joss shook his head.

“I just don’t understand,” she persisted. “Why now? Are you sure it was him?”

Ted came to stand by her chair. He patted her shoulder. “It was Pete. No doubt about it. You and Joss need some family time, time to talk to the kids and help them through this. As much as I hate having to bring this up, we need to decide what to do about the store.”

“That’s what I came for,” Andy said. There was a shredded napkin on the table in front of him. “I wasn’t just being ghoulish. I didn’t even know.…”

“Of course not,” Amanda assured him.

“When I heard the police call, I was afraid Joss had
gotten hurt or somebody was sick. I thought I could help out. I know how much we all depend on this weekend, and I figured if for some reason you couldn’t open the store today, I’d come over to offer you space in my stand at the farmers’ market. I had no idea that it would be…this.”

He swallowed hard. “And that still goes. I’ll be glad to take cider and doughnuts and any goods you want, put ’em in my stand. It won’t be as good as having the store open, but you won’t lose out on everything.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you, Andy,” Amanda said.

Andy looked down at the table, his face working. “Hell, you’d do the same for me. Have done. That’s what neighbors—friends—are for. Being there for each other when the going gets rough.”

Joss finally stopped pacing and turned to the others.

Liv’s breath caught at how much Pete Waterbury resembled his brother, even in death.

“I appreciate it, Andy, but I doubt if they’ll even let us back into the store, much less load anything out.” He heaved a sigh. “I thank you just the same.” He stared past them, a man utterly deflated; then he banged both fists on the table.

Everyone jumped; silverware and china rattled.

“Thirty years. Thirty years he’s never showed his face here, and when he finally comes back, he brings trouble with him.”

Roseanne burst into tears. Donnie bit his lip, looking as if he might explode. And looking very much like his father.

“We’ll get through this,” Andy said.

Liv looked at Ted. He nodded toward the door. She stood up.

She stopped by Amanda’s chair. “Bill is putting up the chain and the Closed sign. Would you like me to add something? Due to bereavement?”

“That’s a joke,” said Joss and leaned heavily on the table, his head drooping. “Damn him. Damn him to hell.”

“Whew,” Liv said when she and Ted were outside.

Ted didn’t comment, just looked toward the farm shop where the police photographer had arrived to take pictures.

“I guess he didn’t get the message to park around back,” Liv said.

“You’re not going to keep this from spreading.”

“Well, I can try.” Liv took out her cell phone. “Who is the least gossipy person we can rely on to put a strike-through on the posters?”

Ted frowned. “Besides you, me, and Joss, I guess that would have to be Fred Hunnicutt.”

Liv pressed a few keys and Fred’s number came up. It took a while for him to answer.

“Is there a problem?” he asked in a sleep-groggy voice.

Liv realized it was only six o’clock. “You might say so. I can’t explain now but the Waterbury store has to close for the day. I need you to get someone to strike out the venue on the posters. Just say, ‘Closed for family reasons.’”

“What’s wrong? I can’t remember a time when Joss closed the store. Even when he and Amanda went on their second honeymoon to Niagara Falls a few years back. Something happen to the store? Not a fire?”

“No, no. Nothing’s wrong with the store. It’s just a family issue. I’ll explain when I get to town, but can you just get this started for me?”

“Sure. I’ll round up a couple of teenagers to help.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

“Is everything all right? Where are you?”

“I’m on my way.” She hung up before he could ask any more questions. She turned to Ted.

“You’d better get back.” He nudged her toward her car. “Things will spread like wildfire. Andy isn’t the only person with a police scanner. I’d say every other house has one, and if they’re still listening, which I’m sure they are, they’ll know more about what’s happening than we do.”

Liv pressed her fingers to her forehead.

“Liv, if you can manage without me, I’ll stay here for a while. I imagine Bill will want to talk to me. Then I’ll help Andy load up his truck if Bill will release any of the goods. Otherwise, Joss will lose a bundle of money this weekend.”

“Sure. Take whatever time you need.” Liv hesitated.

Ted frowned at her. “What? If you need me in town, just say so.”

“You’re indispensable, but stay here and do what you can. I’ll manage.”

She had a sudden déjà vu. Ted telling her to go ahead without him and returning to the park to confront Pete Waterbury. Was he doing the same thing today? Getting rid of her because he had something specific to do that he didn’t want her to know about?

She gave herself a mental shake. Of course not; he just wanted to be there for his friends. This was what violence did. Made you doubt everyone, even your closest friends.

“Joss doesn’t seem to like his brother much. I get that, but why is he still so angry? The fight over Dolly was decades ago and Joss seems happily married; he has a great family.”

“People around here have long memories.”

That was something she didn’t want to contemplate. She’d been in Celebration Bay for only a few weeks, and already she was getting to know the people, considered some of them friends, and didn’t want any of them to turn out to be murderers.

And most of all, she didn’t want to have to admit that there was a serpent in her newly found Eden.

“I’ll see you in town.”

Ted started. “What? Oh, yes, I’ll try to move things along here and…Later.” He turned and strode back to the house.

Liv waited until he was inside. The door closed and Liv was stabbed by the knowledge that she was an outsider. Of course the others had known one another for years, and she had no desire to be catapulted into their private lives. Besides, they were depending on her to keep this under wraps and make the weekend a success. And the first thing she needed to do to make that happen was talk to Bill. She headed toward the parking lot.

Bill Gunnison was coming out of the farm store with another man. He was not in uniform, but considering he was wearing dark trousers and a sports shirt, Liv surmised he was a detective, not a neighboring farmer. The two men stood talking for a minute, then shook hands, and the detective walked around to the back of the building.

“Bill?”

Bill looked up with a frown. “Bad business, this,” he said.

“It is,” Liv agreed. “I know you must be busy, but I need to ask you some questions.”

“Liv, you know I can’t discuss—”

Liv held up her hand, stopping him. “I don’t want details, but I do need to know if you think it’s safe for people to be in Celebration Bay today.”

“Not much way of keeping them out. At least not without ruining a lot of folks’ weekends, not to mention the financial loss to the town.”

“And the town’s reputation,” Liv added. “But if there’s a murderer loose…”

Bill sighed heavily. Gritted his teeth. “Well, between you and me, it looks like a crime of passion, though I’d be beholden if you don’t pass that around.”

“It did seem rather symbolic, didn’t it? The scarf over the eyes, the apple in the mouth, like the monkeys.”

“Monkeys?”

“You know—see no evil; speak no evil.”

“Hmm.” He frowned at her. “Funny you picking up on that.”

She shrugged. “Attention to detail. It’s an event planner’s bête noire.”

“Come again?”

“It’s a pain in the butt, but I can’t help it. It comes with the territory.”

Bill nodded. “Well, if you notice anything else, please bring it to me before you say anything to anybody else.”

“Of course. But do you think people will be safe? Do you have enough staff to investigate the”—she swallowed— “murder and provide security for the festival? Should I ask the traffic volunteers to be extra vigilant?”

“Good God, no.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll handle it, but you’d best be getting into town. Things are bound to get out even if everyone’s sworn to secrecy. I’d appreciate it if you’d do what you can to keep it under wraps until tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, when most of the tourists would be gone. “Absolutely. I—”

He opened the car door for her. “And even then, no details. Mum’s the word. If we want to catch the killer.”

“Of course.” She suddenly had a hundred questions, but she could tell Bill was anxious for her to leave. Reluctantly
she climbed into the car. He shut her door and strode over to where a chain rested on the ground.

She would do what she could to staunch the gossip. It would be a disaster if Celebration Bay got the reputation of being a dangerous town.

Bill gave her a two-finger salute as she turned onto the road, then pulled the chain across the entrance behind her. As she drove away, she saw him heading for the house.

While Liv showered, her mind chewed at the events of the morning; the phone call, the shock of seeing Pete Waterbury pinned by the apple press. Joss’s reaction.

The man disappeared for thirty years and came back now? Of all days, of all weekends? Liv had a hard time not taking his reappearance personally, which she knew was ridiculous. There were people in town who might have real reasons to be upset by his return. She just hoped—hell, she prayed—that none of them had murdered the man.

To her mind, the most likely suspects were the Zoldosky brothers. All four of them looked perfectly capable of committing murder. But she’d watched enough
CSI
and
Criminal
Minds
to know that killers had a way of camouflaging themselves. Sometimes hiding away and sometimes hiding in full view until the geniuses of television prime time caught them.

As much as she liked Bill Gunnison, even without his sciatica, he just didn’t seem like the high-tech, high-IQ, sophisticated profiler that always caught those malefactors. And Bill and a few deputies and officers had to patrol the whole county and the festival as well as investigate. She’d have to look into hiring special security for future events.

Especially in light of what had happened.

She dried her hair while she tried to organize the coming day, but she just kept coming back to the murder. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Why? Why now? It
just kept nagging at her. It was the strength as well as the bane of event planners, the attention to detail, predicting problems and solving them before they arose, being able to anticipate complications and prepare for the road ahead. And in the worst case, dealing with problems beyond her control before the ramifications became too monumental to fix.