The Feed Store Floozy (The Penelope Pembroke Cozy Mystery Series) (7 page)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The
Bugle
reported the murder of Wally Powers on the front page. His picture, sourced to the AP, took up more space than the copy, ending with the statement that
Detective Bradley Pembroke of the Amaryllis Police Department says the investigation is on-going and cautions residents not to believe rumors.
The paper gave no official explanation of why the Sunday photo special edition hadn’t been printed. Everyone knew anyway.

****

On Saturday, Penelope made it a point to attend the grand opening of Brice Dolan’s Antique Arcade, though not entirely out of loyalty to a hometown boy. She admitted to herself without shame that she wanted to see if Jill Jerome was still in evidence. She was.

The sparse turnout spoke to the blame laid at Brice’s feet for bringing Wally
Powers to Amaryllis. Though the Chamber of Commerce did the obligatory ribbon-cutting, Hal Greene didn’t take pictures of the event, so Jill Jerome filled in. Penelope doubted the event would get a mention on the back page of the paper.

As mayor, Harry Hargrove put in the obligatory appearance—a very brief one. He posed
for Jill with Brice, announced that Amaryllis had another excellent business to be proud of, and departed without further pleasantries. Penelope lingered for the refreshments catered by the Daisy Café. Over a cucumber sandwich, she asked Brice flat out if he had plans for the second floor.

“Somebody said you might turn it into a tourist attraction. Give tours and all that.”

“I’ve thought about it.”

“I see.”

“It would bring in people.”

Penelope finished the last bite of her finger sandwich. “It would also embarrass Harry Hargrove.”

“Too bad.”

“You didn’t have much of a turnout today, you know.”

“I’m not depending on this town to keep the store in business. Most people have their own antiques. Sometimes I think this whole town is one giant antique.”

“Why do you feel that way? It’s your hometown, the same as it’s mine.”

“It’s not really the same, Penelope. You know I came from the wrong side of the tracks.”

“You did not. There’s no such thing in this town. Never was.”

“Figuratively speaking.”

“Oh.”

Brice glanced at the three people still browsing among his treasures. “But I did all right for myself.”

“I’d say so.”

“Wally Powers was a so-and-so, but he’d have written a story that would’ve turned this town on its ear.”

“The question is, why would you want to turn your hometown on its ear?”

Brice looked at her for a long moment before he said, “Because I can.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Brice, but I wish you success with your business. I’ll make sure to mention it to the guests who stay at the B&B.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now I have to go.” Penelope looked around for Jill and found her at the jewelry case with a customer. “Is Jill staying around?”

“She might,” Brice snapped. “Is it any of your business?”

“No, it’s none of my business, Brice. None at all.”

****

Shana had just locked the front door when Penelope showed up at the library. “Come around back,” she mouthed through the glass before she pulled the shade. “How was Brice Dolan’s opening?” she asked when she let Penelope in through the storeroom door.

“Pathetic. I felt sorry for him.”

“Fall Festival is coming up. Maybe he’ll do some business with the tourists.”

“I hope so. Are you seeing Peter and Tabby this weekend?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“That’s what I said.” Shana began to shut down the computer at the circulation desk.

“Okay, what’s up?”

“The grandparents. They’re threatening a custody suit.”

“On what grounds?”

“Negligence.”

“Tell me how she’s neglected.”

“You know she’s not, but they say they can prove it. Mainly, I’m still in the picture. Peter says they wouldn’t like anybody he was interested in, and that may be so, but I’ve got three strikes against me.”

“How do you figure?”

“I shacked up with Travis Pembroke, I was on the run from drug dealers with you, and Tabby’s already referring to me as her almost-mommy.”

“Oh, boy.”

“They almost came unglued when she let that slip during their supervised visitation.”

“Shana, I’m sorry.”

“I am, too, Penelope, but it’s Tabby I’m thinking about. I told Peter we should cool it for a while.”

“What did he say to that?”

“He said absolutely not, but I convinced him.”

“How?”

“I reminded him we weren’t even engaged and his first responsibility was to Tabby. He asked if I needed a ring to make it official, and I said no, I didn’t want one and wouldn’t take one as long as it could mean he might lose Tabby.”

“Surely no judge would…”

“The Bainbridges have a lot of money, Penelope, and money buys a lot.”

“Surely not a judge!”

“You never know, and it’s not worth taking a chance on Tabby being taken away from Peter. Once they got her, they’d do everything they could to turn her against him. Children are impressionable, and she’s young enough they just might succeed.”

“So you’re not going to see him again?”

“I suggested we put some space between the two of us for a while.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as it takes.”

“Which could blessed well be forever. What are you going to do—wait for them to die? If you are, it’s going to be a long wait. They’re around my age, I’ll bet.”

“A little older—early fifties.”

“Then they’ll be around a long time.”

“I don’t know, Penelope, but I’m crazy about Peter, and I adore Tabby, and the thought of anything hurting either one of them is more than I can stand.” Shana’s shoulders slumped. “The point is, I did what I did, and now I have to pay for it.”

“We all pay for our mistakes one way or the other but not forever. Look, come on over to the house and eat supper. I’ve got a raw vegetable platter with that dip you like so much, and we’ll make some ham and cheese croissants.”

“Thanks. I guess I don’t need to go home and mope, which is what I’ve been doing all week.”

“Want to spend the night in one of the guest rooms?”

“No, those are all ready for the next event. No point in me messing one up. I’ll just eat and hang out.”

“Okay. I’ll go on, and you come when you’ve finished up here.”

             
“Thanks, Penelope. Give me twenty minutes.”

****

Penelope had just dished up caramel fudge ice cream when Bradley came by. “There’s plenty of supper left,” Penelope said.

“I’ve eaten, Mother. I just came by to ask you something. Hey, Pawpaw. Hi, Shana.”

“What’s the question?”

Bradley chewed the inside of his lip. “Can we go in the other room?”

Penelope closed the door between the kitchen and the dining room. “What’s going on, Bradley?”

“Did that photographer come to see you the other day?”

“Yes, why?”

“What did she want?”

“I’d seen her in Brice’s store before he opened, and she wanted to make sure I didn’t think anything funny was going on between them. I told her it was none of my business anyway.”

“Was she friendly?”

“Do you mean did she get in my face? No, she didn’t, but I wouldn’t say she was exactly friendly either. She was on a mission, and once it was accomplished, she left.”

“Okay.”

“What’s all this about?”

“You know I can’t—oh, hell, Mother--sorry, heck--I’m going to tell you, but don’t repeat it, not even to Pawpaw.”

“You know I won’t.”

Bradley took a deep breath. “It seems somebody stole her film—all the pictures she’d taken of the upstairs for Wally
Powers’ article.”

“If they took all of it, they got the pictures she took of the crowd outside the store while you were in there investigating his murder.”

“Huh?”

“It was the day after the murder, actually. Daddy was there and said she was outside snapping pictures left and right, asking people for their names, getting releases signed, all that stuff.”

“She didn’t mention that.”

“But she said
all
her film?”

“That’s what she said. Said she had it in a special box to protect it.”

“So she hadn’t had it developed.”

“She said she was going home next week and do it.”

“So what does she think happened to it?”

Bradley squirmed. “She said the box was upstairs, and she saw you going up there.”

“I blessed did not! I was out front the whole time. Ask Brice Dolan.”

“Well, that’s the problem—I can’t find him.”

“Can’t…”

“I checked with his wife in Little Rock, and she hasn’t seen him since this morning when he left to come here for the store opening. Nobody else has seen him either.”

“I’ll be Jill Jerome has seen more of him than…”

“Mother.”
             

Bradley’s pained expression tickled Penelope, but she shoved her amusement aside. “So she came to the police department tonight to report her missing film?”

“About two hours ago. I’ve been hunting for Brice ever since.”

“Why would I want her film?”

“She thinks you and the Hargroves are in cahoots.”

“We are,
but not to steal film. What about Hal Greene? Those pictures would fill a special Sunday edition. Of course, Hal isn’t in the habit of filching film either.” Penelope’s tongue almost tripped over the alliteration. “Look, you and I both know I don’t have any reason to take her blessed film, but if she was taking pictures of a crowd outside the feed store while the police were inside investigating a murder, doesn’t it stand to reason that somebody might not have wanted his picture taken?”

Bradley’s eyes lit up with admiration. “You missed your calling, Mother.”

“No, you’d have figured it out already if she’d told you the truth.”

“I guess I would have. Now I guess I get to go back and see if she’ll tell it to me now.”

“Go get ‘em, Tiger.”

Bradley leaned down and pecked his mother’s cheek. “You used to say that to me before every football or basketball g
ame I played.”

Penelope swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I’ll tell Daddy and Shana you wanted to ask me about the Pembroke jewelry. You
are
giving that to Rosabel, aren’t you?”

“She’s not much on jewelry, but I’ll let her look at it and see if anything catches her eye.”

“Right. You want to leave through the front?”

“Yeah, I’m parked by the curb anyway. Thanks, Mother.”

“Bring Rosabel next time you come.”

Bradley waved over his shoulder on his way to the door.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Shana went home just before ten, and Bradley called the B&B a few minutes later. “I just thought you might like to know Jill Jerome backed down.”

“She admitted she lied about me?”

“Not exactly, but when she realized I’d caught her in the lie about all the film, sh
e said the woman she saw going upstairs
looked
like you.”

“Uh-huh. What about Brice Dolan?”

“I still can’t find him, and Jill swears she left before he did. She’s staying at a hotel on the interstate.”

“So when did she discover
her film was gone?”

“According to her, she went upstairs to get it just before the shop closed—said she carries it with her everywhere for safekeeping—and it wasn’t there, so she came straight to the PD.”

“Without mentioning it to Brice?”

“She said he had a late customer.”

“When I left at five, there were three people in the shop and not a soul on the street.”

“She showed up at the PD around five-thirty. I’m more concerned about Brice than about Jill Jerome’s film.”

“Surely you don’t think something’s happened to him like happened to Wally Powers?”

“Parnell searched the store twice. He’s not there.”

“Did Jill describe the customer he was supposedly with?”

“She said it was a man, that’s all. She couldn’t tell me anything about him.”

“She knows you’re my son. She knows you’re not going to believe I stole her blessed film.”

“I don’t know what she knows, Mother. I think she’s a little strange, and I shouldn’t even be talking about to you about her.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“I appreciate it. Look, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s Sunday.”

“I’ll make Mass, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worrying.”

“Goodnight, Mother.”

****

When
Penelope came out of the bathroom in her night shirt, still toweling her hair, a familiar voice came out of the semi-darkness. “Hello, Nell.”

She dropped the towel and stifled a scream. “Darn you, Sam! I might’ve walked out of there stark naked!”

He grinned. “That would’ve been all right with me.”

“What are you doing here in my bedroom?”

“It’s what I’d like to do in here that counts.” He fingered the hem of her short gown. “Nice.”

Penelope slapped his hand away and picked up the robe she always kept handy at the foot of the bed. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you it wasn’t polite to barge into a lady’s bedroom?”

“I knocked, but you didn’t answer.”

“I was in the shower.”

“I know. Give me credit for the restraint it took not to join you.”

“Get out of here, Sam. I’m done with you already.”

His face twisted into a mask of abject sorrow, making her laugh in spite of herself.

“That’s better.”

“How long are you going to be here
this
time? I’m booked solid from Thursday through next Sunday. Somebody’s family reunion.”

“Couple of days. That all right with you?”

“I guess it’ll have to be. Are you hungry?”

“Only for you.”

“Be serious.”

“I’d dead serious.” He reached for her, but she sidestepped him and jumped into bed, pulling the sheet under
her chin. Laughing, he sat down on the end of the bed and massaged her covered toes. “What’s the scuttlebutt?”

“I thought you knew things.”

“I know about Wally Powers. In fact, I knew him in passing before he ever turned up in Amaryllis. Tell me the rest of it.”

By the time she finished filling in the details and bemoaning Shana’s decision not to see Peter for a while, it was midnight. “I just hope Bradley can turn up Brice Dolan, preferably alive.”

“I’ve funneled some information about Powers his way.”

“Why?”

“Because I know these things.” He leered at her.

“You sound like a broken record. Harry Hargrove didn’t kill him, I know that much.”

“I’d agree that’s not his style, but sometimes a person can do something totally out of character if he’s pushed hard enough for long enough.”

“Harry couldn’t. Everybody knows that.”

“Powers was a talented writer, but he rubbed people the wrong way.”

“Oh, I forgot to mention Miss Maude Pendleton.” Penelope told the story. “It would be funnier if you’d had her for a teacher.”

“Everybody’s had a Miss Maude Pendleton at some time or another.”

“I guess so. She’s the stereotypical maiden-lady schoolteacher, although the rumor is she was engaged once, but he died or got killed. Something like that.”

“What about Brice Dolan? Could he have knocked off Powers?”

“He has a thing about this town—and Harry Hargrove. He came back for some sort of twisted revenge, and I don’t understand it.”

“And now he’s disappeared?”

“Well, Bradley can’t find him.”

“Oh, he’ll find him sooner or later. It’s the state he’ll find him in that makes a difference.”

Penelope shuddered. “Don’t say that. We’ve had enough murders around here, don’t you think?”

“Murder happens, Nell.”

“But not in my hometown. Not in Amaryllis. At least, not before you showed up.”

Sam shrugged. “I didn’t kill anybody. I’m going to bed unless, of course…” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Goodnight.” Penelope slid down and pulled the covers over her head. “And close the door on your way out.”

****

I could get used to waking up to this,
Penelope thought, hearing Sam’s laughter as she approached the kitchen the next morning.
But I’d never get used to him coming and going. I want more than that. I want something permanent.
She stepped into the kitchen. “Good morning, you two.”

“Morning, Nellie.”

“Sleep well, Nell?” Sam’s voice sent chills down Penelope’s spine.

“Yes, no…”
She stopped short of saying
no thanks to you.
“Yes, I did, thanks. What do you two want for breakfast?”

“Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a side of hash browns,” Jake said, glancing at Sam who nodded agreement.

“Fine.” Penelope went to the refrigerator. “How many eggs?”

“Three,” Jake and Sam said in unison.

“Peas in a pod,” Penelope said. “More’s the pity.”

“Brad was by earlier,” Jake said.

“It’s only seven-thirty.”

“He said he hadn’t been home at all last night.”

“But he found Brice Dolan,” Sam said.

Penelope froze. “Alive, I hope,” she managed to say.

“Dead drunk under the pool table at the Sit-n-Swill,” Jake said, guffawing again.

“What was he blessed doing there?”

“Not sure. Even Mike and Millie don’t know how he got there, or at least how he ended up under the pool table.”

Penelope broke eight eggs into a bowl and beat them with more force than necessary. “Does Brice know how he got there?”

“Well, he might when he sobers up,” Sam said. “Parnell Garrett hauled him in to the pokey to sleep it off. That was about two when the Dancers were closing up and discovered him. They said he came in about six-thirty, had two beers, and then left. Or they thought he left anyway.”

“So you talked to Bradley?”

Sam nodded. “It’s not the first time, Nell, but if you ask him, he doesn’t know me.”

“I see.”

“No, you don’t, not really, but it’ll have to do for now.” Sam got up and refilled his coffee mug. “Jake?”

“Half a cup.”

“Did Bradley mention Jill Jerome?”

Sam shook his head.

“I wish she’d leave town.”

“Aw, Nellie, she’s kind of cute.”

“Cute? Daddy, really, she’s my age. No, she’s older, because she went to college with Brice, and Brice was between Travis and me.”

“Well, she’s nice-looking then.” He dropped his voice. “Especially her legs.”

Sam roared with laughter, and Jake joined in. Penelope ignored them both.

****

Jake said he was going to dress for Mass. “And give you two some privacy.” He winked at Sam.

“I’d have a lot of privacy with you at the old folks home,” she retorted.

“Cheeky, cheeky,” he replied.

Penelope teared up. “I h
aven’t heard that since Mum died.”

Jake touched her arm. “I’d forgotten.”

Sam cleared the table and brought the dishes to the sink for Penelope to rinse. “I like your father more every time I see him.”

“He’s real special.”

“I bet your mother was, too.”

“They were a lot alike. He misses her.” She glanced up and saw Sam’s face harden.

“Yeah.” He dried his hands on the cup towel and tossed it on the cabinet. “I’ll be back tonight.”

“For dinner?”

“Probably.”

“I thought this was unofficial.”

“It is, but I thought I might nose around a little.”

Penelope closed the dishwasher and programmed the numbers. “It’s in your blood, isn’t it? Nosing around.”

“I guess it is.”

“How long have you been doing this sort of thing? Whatever sort of thing you do.”

“Long enough.”

“As in you’re ready to quit?”

He shook his head. “No, not yet. But when I am, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Thanks.”

He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck. “You’re real special, Nell.”