Laina Turner - Presley Thurman 08 - Vows & Victims (4 page)

“Are you going to be around tomorrow?” she asked.

“Some. I’m meeting Katy at some point and I wanted to run some errands. Why?”

“I want to shampoo the carpets in the living room and was hoping you could help me move the furniture. Your dad has plans,” she said, giving him a dirty look, which I knew was her being playful. They liked to bicker.

“Hey, I told you I could do it later in the day.”

“It needs to be done in the morning for the carpet to dry so we can put the room back together in the evening. I don’t want to leave it all ripped apart for days.”

“One day, Sue,” he said smiling.

“Whatever. Presley, can you help?”

“Make me some waffles and it’s a deal.” I loved my mom’s waffles. First of all, they were made from scratch, so that was already a step above the ones I ate, which were frozen and popped in the toaster. Second, I didn’t know her secret, but her waffles were always crispy on the outside and soft and tasty on the inside. They were by far my favorite thing. Which just gave me an idea.

“Actually, Mom, I need to photograph your waffles, and maybe some of the prep that goes into it.” I had just thought what a great idea for my food writing debut.

“You want to take pictures of me making waffles? What on earth for?”

“I have a job writing a food blog, and I need to have something submitted by Friday. I think your waffles would be perfect.”

“You? Writing a food blog?” she said, eyebrows raised. “Do they know you can’t cook?”

“I know it’s far–fetched, but I really like the concept of the online magazine, and this was the only spot left open.”

“No offense, honey, but food? They didn’t have a fashion or entertainment spot open? The only area less suited to you than food would be sports,” my dad said.

“Trust me, Dad, I know. But like I said, food was all that was left. So I’ll just have to learn.”

My dad started laughing. “OK, I have faith in you.”

I started laughing, too. My lack of expertise in anything regarding food, besides the eating of it, was well known.

“Well then, you’re not going to be able to sleep in,” my mom said.

“That’s fine. And my cue to head to bed.”

We said our good nights and I headed to my room. I tossed and turned forever, tired but not able to fall asleep. My mind kept thinking about how Bethany Granville’s dead body got into the salon and why someone would put her there.

It seemed like I had just gotten to sleep when I heard my mom yell up the stairs for me to get up, bringing up memories of childhood and her yelling up the stairs to wake me up for school. Funny how some things just never changed.

“Coming,” I yelled and grabbed my sweatshirt. I threw it over my head, pulled my hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of my face and out of mom’s waffles, and then headed downstairs.

My mother was an early riser and had a pot of coffee brewing and all the ingredients laid out.

“I didn’t want to start until you got down here. Wasn’t sure what you wanted or needed. ”

Pouring myself a cup of coffee, I remembered I needed to take pictures. I sat the coffee down and said, “I’ll be right back, need to grab the camera.”

I came right back down after getting the camera from my room and started by taking pictures of the ingredients and then told my mom to just start doing her thing.

The time quickly passed and I was pleasantly surprised we were having fun. Both of us really got into the photo shoot, if you could call it that, and my mom even gave me some great ideas on how to write about it. It was one of the best bonding experiences we had had in a long time.

When I got finished helping her move furniture, with the solemn promise I would help her move it all back tonight if my dad didn’t, I took a shower, got ready, and headed into town.

I decided to visit Tobey. I knew with a little coaxing I could get him interested in finding out more about this murder. I knew I should probably forget about it, but how could I when it affected one of my best friends?

Chapter 6

E
veryone has enemies,” I said to Tobey, taking a sip of the coffee he had brought me from the newspaper break room. I tried to hold back a grimace. It was what my grandpa would have called ‘grow hair on your chest’ strong.

Tobey noticed my face. “Sorry, it’s probably been sitting for a while. I guess I’m used to it.”

I waved away his concern, caring more about the conversation than coffee. “So you can’t find any reason why someone would want to kill her?”

Tobey shook his head. “Not that the police are saying. Though, of course, they don’t release everything and, as I said, Al handles the crime beat, so I’m not exactly privy to all the inside information.”

“Then we just need to figure this out ourselves.”

“I’m sure the police would love your help,” Tobey said. I knew he was being sarcastic, referring to how annoyed they were last time I’d “helped” them.

“Tobey, we owe it to Katy. Her salon is her livelihood and soon to be Chris‘s too. Until this is cleared up she can’t reopen. That’s the last stress a new couple needs. You know financial stress is the leading cause of divorce,” I said, trying to persuade him with reasoning that was very valid.

His response was to roll his eyes at me, which I just ignored.

“Come on, Tobey. Any relevant information we find out I promise we will turn over to the police.” I could tell he was wavering on helping me. After all, he was Katy’s friend and soon to be brother–in–law, and I knew he was just as curious as I was, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

“The only thing I can think of is Bethany didn’t grow up here. She moved here a few months ago. Maybe she had enemies from then. That’s the only thing that immediately comes to mind, and I know Al mentioned it, too.”

“What about her business? You said last night she was doing well. Seems more relevant that it would have to do with her present since she was killed here,” I said.

“Yeah, she was the top real estate agent in the entire county, two years running. Jonathan Mills wasn’t all too happy about that. But I don’t think he would kill her over it,” he quickly added. “He just doesn’t seem the type.”

“Do they ever?” I asked. I knew of Jonathan Mills the real estate broker but didn’t know him personally. However, I was pretty sure he was friends with my mom from one of her many charities. “Has anyone talked to him?”

Tobey shrugged. “Not that I know of. But I would assume the police have. They don’t tell the public everything, you know.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” I said, tossing my coffee in the trash and grabbing my purse. “Let’s go see what Jonathan knows.”

Tobey sighed as if resigned to accompany me, shut his computer down and followed me out the door, telling the receptionist he would be back later.

After stopping at McDonald’s for coffee that didn’t taste like tar, we headed over to Mills and Associates Realty.

Tobey gave me directions and we soon pulled up in front of a building that used to be an old house and had been transformed into office space.

“This is cute,” I said to Tobey, shutting the car off.

“He actually just moved here. His offices used to be across town in the Weber Building, but a few months ago, he downsized and moved here.”

“Was there a reason he downsized?”

“He told people the property management group wasn’t doing their job, but the gossip on the street was he couldn’t afford it. Some of his people left and went to work somewhere else.”

That got my interest. “Where did they go?”

Tobey thought for a minute. “Come to think of it, they went to work for Granville Group. Bethany had recently become a broker and left his company to start her own. She took some of his top associates, too. And that’s not gossip, it’s fact. We even wrote about it in the paper, it was such a scandal,” he added, smiling.

“See! And you say she doesn’t have enemies.”

“It’s business, Presley. If people killed people over business as a natural occurrence, we’d all be dead.”

“I know, but it does happen, and where else should we start looking? C’mon, let’s go talk to Jonathan.”

We walked in the front door, the tinkling of a bell announcing our arrival. A few seconds passed before Jonathan came out to greet us. It seemed as if he was the only one in the office. I recognized him because in true realtor fashion, his face was all over town in his marketing, so I already felt like I knew him. What Tobey said about him needing business rang more true with it being so quiet here.

“Hello, folks. Welcome to Mills & Associates. I’m Jonathan Mills,” he said, shaking our hands. We also introduced ourselves, and it didn’t take more than a few seconds pause for Jonathan to ask, “Are you two in the market for a house?”

The thought of him thinking Tobey and I were a couple was hilarious. “I’m sorry, no. We actually stopped by to ask you a few questions about Bethany Granville.”

His face fell but only for a second and he put the large smile back on his face. Ever the salesman. Never let them see you sweat. But he kept wringing his hands, which made me wonder if he was anxious or nervous.

“We’re friends with the owner of the salon where Bethany’s body was found.”

“Are you working with the police or something?” he asked suspiciously.

I had been hoping for less questions but decided honesty was the best policy in this case.

“Not exactly. Since she’s our friend, we were just curious. Her business is closed right now because of it and if it stays closed too long, her clients might go elsewhere, and that would hurt her financially. So that’s why we’re trying to help. I’m sure you understand that.”

“I sure do, being a businessman myself and recently going through some tough times because of Bethany Granville,” he finished almost angrily. I was right; this was his hot button.

“What did Bethany do?”

“I took her under my wing when she came to town. Taught her everything I knew and had hopes of her being a partner some day. She was a natural. One of the best realtors I’ve ever seen. Natural people person with an eye for how to stage a home to sell. She a head for business on how to price and market. And then she repays me by going out on her own and stealing my best employees away!”

His face had gotten red and he was visibly upset. I could tell he was not at all a fan of hers, and with what he had told me, completely understandable.

“But isn’t that the risk of doing business? Good people often want to branch out on their own, don’t they?”

“Not in the underhanded way she did. She led me along, telling me she wanted to be a partner in Mills & Associates. That she wanted to be my—” He stopped. Like he realized he was about to say something he maybe shouldn’t.

“Your what, Mr. Mills?” I gently prodded.

“Never mind that. She just lied to me and I trusted her and she screwed me over,” he said, voice rising.

“Can you think of anyone else who might have been upset with Bethany?” I asked.

Jonathan had a look on his face that I couldn’t really read, but then when he started talking again I was pretty sure his expression had been one of regret for saying as much as he did. He didn’t really seem the kind of guy prone to outbursts.

“I think you two should leave. I have an appointment due here soon and I need to get ready.”

“One more question, please, and we’ll leave. Did you know if Bethany was seeing anyone?”

At that question, his face turned really red. I worried that he was going to elevate his blood pressure too much and almost regretted asking, except my earlier thought about what he was about to say was validated.

“I wouldn’t know. Now, please leave!”

Tobey and I walked out the door just as someone walked in, so I guess he did have an appointment. I had half thought he was lying.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I said to Tobey.

“That Mr. Mills had a crush on Ms. Granville? And she probably didn’t feel the same way?”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. I mean, he got upset when telling us she stole his employees and clients, but I was afraid he was going to stroke out when I asked him who she was seeing. But on that note, do you know if she was seeing anyone?”

Tobey shrugged. “I have no idea.”

We got in the car and I started the engine. “I think we should check out one more place, if you have time.”

“I do, but where do you want to go?”

“Bethany’s real estate office. Maybe we can talk to some of her employees?”

“It can’t hurt. It’s on the other side of town, by the highway.”

“She wanted to be far away from Jonathan’s office, huh?” I said.

“It seems that way. I do find it a little strange that she became so successful so quickly,” Tobey said. “Real estate is a relationship business, and it doesn’t seem that it should have been that easy to steal those clients from Jonathan, who probably had relationships built with these people.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You know this town. It’s not that big and people have loyalties. Jonathan has been in business for a long time, and for her to take his business so easily, I don’t know, just doesn’t seem right.”

I thought about that for a minute and decided Tobey was right. In our town, folks were fiercely loyal and, unless Jonathan had done something outrageous, they would have needed a compelling reason to change alliances.

“Maybe her employees can shed some light on something we don’t know,” I said.

A few minutes later, we pulled into the Granville Group. In a newer section of town, it was definitely more opulent than the offices we had just come from.

“This is fancy,” I said.

“It was recently built. By the people that built that new section downtown. They are trying to give that old town feel with new construction.”

“I like it. I mean, the colors seem out of place at first, but I like the look.”

The buildings were connected, but instead of your regular rectangle strip mall, it was composed of units with completely different looks. Designed to look like different buildings that just happened to be connected. Each one was a different bright color and while it might seem obnoxious, it was actually a lot of fun to look at. If I were going to have an office in Alkon, this location would be my choice, just because of the atmosphere.