Organized for Homicide (Organized Mysteries Book 2) (26 page)

Still, there was one thing to consider.

"Has Gil heard anything to make it sound like Sydney isn't the chief suspect any longer?" Kate asked. "

Meg picked a blueberry donut from the bag. The pastries would serve as their stash for the day. Kate knew Meg would be on the run this morning so would likely skip lunch to hurry back to work. And besides, her partner may ask for one donut, but with an active sweet tooth and a high metabolism, one was never enough.

"No," Meg said. She broke the moist donut into two halves, the insides filled with more tiny blueberries. "But mother told me a certain bat-crazy woman we all know and despise has decided she's marked for murder and hired a bodyguard."

"
Yes, Lee Ann told me that yesterday. I planned to share the info with you in a minute."

"
And I stole your thunder."

"
No worries," Kate said. Then she frowned. "However, it is kind of annoying how everyone knows what's going on in this town but us. How come?"

"
Well, for the time being it's because we've been trapped in this house, working our butts off to make sure everything is ready to roll when the moving truck arrives."

Kate chewed the left corner of her lower lip.
"Okay, I'll go for that. But just the same, I'm thinking I need to join some clubs or something. Expand my ability to gain information. I think I'm turning into a boring person."

"
I went through that phase a couple of years ago," Meg said, smiling. "Felt I was just the boys' mom and Gil's wife. That I could turn into part of the wallpaper and no one would notice until they needed a ride somewhere or a shirt found."

"
Yeah, exactly what I mean. What did you do?"

"
Overstressed myself by joining up with every group who would have me. Until I nearly wore myself out trying to keep up with it all."

Kate sipped her hazelnut coffee, thoughtful.
"You're the pro then. What do I do?"

"
Relax. Find one thing you want to learn more about. Or start finally writing the newsletter you've been promising to do to expand your business."

She glared at Meg.
"You and Saree. I'll have you know I have started my first issue. I have no idea when I'll have it completed, however."

"
Which proves you already lead a full life and don't need to add a slew of new activities."

"
Good point." Kate frowned first, then smiled. "You're a good friend. Thanks."

"
I'm just a little farther along the mom-spectrum, so I've already made the mistakes. Feel free to learn from my bad experiences."

"
As if I don't have enough of my own."

"
Now you're getting it."

Kate slipped the last bite of glazed donut into her mouth, then picked up her cup and turned to view the great room.
"Should we start in here? I can give you the rest of my update as we work."

"
May as well. We'll use up half the plastic rolls in this room alone. Gives us plenty of time to talk."

"
What was the first revelation?" Meg asked.

"
Let me think." Kate rubbed her fingernail along the plastic roll, finally catching the edge. She got on one side of the massive carved coffee table, and Meg stood on the other so they could tag team the roll around the furniture. She quickly told Meg about the phantom voice at the funeral home.

Meg dropped the roll. "No way!"

Kate nodded. 

"Do you have any idea who it was?"

"I wish I did."  Kate took a bite from her donut, chewing on this thought.    "I guess the fact that as much as I like Lee Ann, she would make the best suspect for Lila's killer."

"Really?"

"
Yes, really. She has the best motive, hands down. But she would have had to hire a hit man because she's too short." Kate wiggled her fingers so Meg would pass the roll back toward her. "Blaine and Lila Collier kept her from Sydney until Lee Ann now thinks it's too late. She moved to Hazelton a year ago simply because she wanted to reconnect with her daughter. And she even worked for Erin just to have a good-paying job here for that reason. Now that Sydney is leaving, Lee Ann is moving back to Montpelier. Look at it any way you want, but I'm thinking major disappointment and motive."

"
Are you suggesting she hoped Sydney would live with her instead of Lila?"

"
Only if she's the killer. I said she made the best suspect. I didn't say she was the only suspect."

Meg dropped to sit on the fireplace hearth.
"Anyone else look as good for a suspect as Lee Ann?"

"
Morgan Jackson or April Stephens. Then, of course, Erin Parker, too. They all work the angle of real estate connections."

"
Do I need to ask how?"

Kate smiled. She loved when she scooped Meg on anything. It happened so seldom.
"According to Lee Ann, Lila was wrapping the governmental red tape tight, to strangle Morgan Jackson's real estate endeavors. Both Erin and April had counted on him for this business. April seems to be in the lead now, but I wouldn't count Erin out by any means. Regardless, all the snaggly red tape that originally slowed the project to a crawl has apparently started falling free after Lila's death."

Leaning against the wall, Kate frowned for a second before adding,
"But I have no idea who tried to warn me off in the funeral home. I'm hoping the lieutenant calls if the video shows anything or anyone."

*  *  *

After all the revelations were thoroughly explored, and despite extensive discussions over how Meg would not let Kate go anywhere solo again, progress went well on the large items. They worked steadily to mummify the first floor and then moved on upstairs by early afternoon. The bathrooms were started already, so they decided to finish any leftover packing before dismantling and wrapping what they needed to of the bedroom sets.

"
I'll have a couple of plastic rolls here the day the movers arrive, so anything too heavy for us can be wrapped then loaded directly into the truck," Kate explained. She and Meg each headed for one of the kids' bathrooms, intending to meet up and work together again on the final push for the master bath. However, as they met in the hall again, the doorbell rang.

Meg waved a hand toward the stairs.
"You go and get that. It's probably April and Valerie again."

Instead, Timothy stood smiling on the porch. He was dressed casually, in khakis and a white polo shirt, and the golden tips of his hair sh
one in the sunshine.

"
Oh, hi," Kate said. "What can I do for you, Timothy?"

He offered a kind of sheepish grin, then waved some papers in his right hand.
"Sorry. Am I bothering you? I wanted to talk to you about a couple of cities, and—"

"
Of course, the job interviews." Kate stepped aside and made a sweeping motion to invite him in. "Do we need to sit down? Most everything is packed, but there are chairs in the media room."

When Timothy responded with a couple of half mumbles, Kate moved to the hall
, and he followed.

"
I would give you a tour," she added. "But a house isn't at its best when everything is packed for moving."

"
That's okay. I don't want to take too much of your time."

Most of the media room inventory went with the sale of the house, since everything had been designed and placed in the room for maximum entertainment comfort. Kate led the way to one of the couches and waited for Timothy to give an idea of what he wanted to know.

"I'm a little hesitant about moving to a big city," he explained, "but that seems to be my best hope for a job in my current pay scale." He held out one of the pages. "This one is for Portland, Oregon, and another that looks promising is in Seattle. I've always heard good things about the northwestern area of the country, but…"

Kate smiled. She completely understood his discomfort and could relate to the way she
'd felt the first time Keith was traded to a bigger city. But at least Timothy was starting in an area she definitely knew a little about. "I lived in Portland for a number of years, and I loved it. The people are friendly and helpful. I never felt like I was just another cog in a big city."

"
And Seattle?"

"
Seattle is exciting and fast and very different from Portland. Neither is better, just different. However, you absolutely have to not mind rain. I swear it was like living in a terrarium sometimes."

Timothy nodded, seemed to try to smile for a second, then his expression turned thoughtful.
"That's good to know."'

Kate
's phone dinged to signal a text. "Oh, this is from Meg. I left her upstairs in the master bedroom, and she has a question."

His gaze shot upward toward the corner of the house that held the Collier
's suite. He jumped up. "I'm sorry. You're busy. I'll—"

"
No, no." Kate waved him down and finished the quick text. "There." She hit the send button. "Finished. No worries. We've found on big jobs it's easier to text each other than stop and search for someone."

"
I get it." Timothy gave a shaky laugh. "Oh, but you know." He glanced at his watch. "I just remembered I have to meet someone today. A…a…recruiter. For a new…um…employer in Hazelton. I shouldn't have interrupted you."

As he started to bolt from the room, Kate laid a hand on his arm.
"Slow down, Timothy. Relax. You'll do fine, don't worry."

"
I shouldn't have bothered you."

He double
-timed it down the hall, and Kate was concerned about him getting behind the wheel. She tried a new line of dialogue, "A new employer, you say. Is it something to do with Morgan Jackson?"

"
No. I mean…yes. I…how do you know him?" Timothy didn't stop until he reached the front door, pausing on the porch to hear Kate's answer.

She grasped the doorknob
and smiled, trying to figure out why he was suddenly so tense.
Job interview jitters? He'd better snap out of it, or Jackson will eat him alive.
"I met him at the library book sale. Meg and I were volunteers there, remember?"

"
Oh, right. Yes. When I saw you Saturday." He waved as he hurried down the front walk. "Well, thank you."

"
Any time," Kate called. Meg came up behind her.

"
Was that Collier's assistant?"

"
Yeah."

Kate closed the door and locked the deadbolt. Timothy had always acted a bit nervy, but today was over the top even for him.

"What did he want?" Meg asked.

"
I'm honestly not sure." Kate rubbed her forehead. There was something she knew but didn't know. She couldn't quite get it to the front of her mind. A migraine was starting, and she might not even remember later whatever was skipping too fast in her memory now. It had been too many things to do lately, with not enough rest. Hopefully she could knock the pain out before the headache became severe enough to put her to bed. "But his coming here reminded me I still haven't returned those Green Mountain Boards papers. I need to do that today before I forget again."

Meg stood in what Kate always called her Wonder Woman stance, with fists on her hips. She said,
"You also need to go home and rest. A headache is starting. Right?"

"
Yes. But we still have—"

"
Tomorrow. The furniture upstairs is mostly stuff we're going to have to have the movers' brute force to help us with, anyway. I'll stay until time for school pickup and wrap what I can. Then I'll take all the kids with me. I only have a couple of errands, and it will actually be easier with a group. My boys won't whine if your girls are there, too."

Kate tried
not to chuckle but lost. "Like my kids won't whine."

"
And show they're sissy girls? Absolutely not. At least Sam won't." Meg opened the closet door and pulled out Kate's purse.

"
I can't keep doing this. For the past week I've been pawning my kids off on you and Jane and Keith. I'm going to owe all of you big time when this job is finished."

"
That's what friends and family are for," Meg said. "It's the payoff for all the times we push your buttons one time too often. Besides it was doctor's orders last month, remember. Go before it gets too bad for you to drive. Take the papers to Collier's office, then go home, curl up with your cat on the couch, and take a nap."

"
Oh, no, I forgot the cat."

Meg smiled.
"He'll be waiting for you. Don't worry."

* * *