Better Off Thread, page 9
“I don’t think so. I know that Manu has been pressured to make arrests before.” She shook her head. “In fact, every time you have a murder, there’s pressure from the public, from the owners of the place where the body was found, from the victim’s family. But the point is, that doesn’t force Manu to give up. He has to make sure within himself that the person is guilty.”
“And you believe the other detectives hold themselves to the same standards?”
“I hope they do. Granted, they’ll be looking at evidence that justifies their arresting Captain Moe at this stage, but they can’t ignore something that points to another suspect.”
“Okay.”
“Captain Moe will be all right,” she said. “Riley is a wonderful attorney.”
“And, on top of that, she’s calling in Cam Whitting.”
“Well, there you go. Plus, all the evidence against Captain Moe is circumstantial. Everything will be fine.”
I desperately hoped so.
* * *
I was waiting on a customer when my phone rang. I finished checking out my customer’s purchases before calling the number back.
“Tallulah County General Hospital. Head Nurse Monahan speaking.”
“Hi. This is Marcy Singer. I just got a call from your number.”
“Yes, that was me—Carrie. I’m over the pediatric ward. We spoke last night?”
“Of course. How are you?”
“I’m just great. I did find out about your costume. We rented it from a local shop. They understood about the extenuating circumstances and told me we could keep it for a few more days at no extra charge.”
“Oh, that’s good. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
“That would be fine. I was actually hoping that when you bring it, you could wear it and read to the children one more time. They enjoyed having you here so much.”
“Um, all right. Sure.” How could I say no? “What time would you like for me to be there?”
“Could you be here at six thirty tomorrow evening?”
“I can. I’ll look forward to seeing you—and the kids—then.”
I made a mental note to call Reggie and ask if I could borrow the Christmas books again. Maybe she had another funny book she could recommend.
I had an older customer come in looking for spiral-eye needles.
“My eyesight just isn’t what it used to be,” she said. “And it’s so darn hard to thread a needle anymore. A friend told me to look into these spiral-eye needles.”
I took her over to the needles and showed her the various sizes of spiral-eye needles I had in stock.
“If you need a different size, I’ll be happy to order it for you.”
“I think one of these will be good to get me started. I want to try them out before I invest too much in them.” She squinted at the needle. “I can’t see how the thread keeps from coming out after you put it in there.”
“It’s the spiral design that keeps the thread from moving back out the side once it’s in the needle. Would you like to try it out?”
“No. I’ll take this one. May I return it if it doesn’t work for me?”
The bells over the door heralded Vera’s arrival as I assured my customer that she could return the needle if she didn’t like it. She paid for her purchase and left.
I joined Vera on the sofa, where she was patting Angus’s head.
“How are you today?” I asked.
“I’m doing fantastic, and I’m a virtual font of knowledge.”
“Wow. Speak, oh, wise one.”
She leaned toward me. “Well, I found out the name of that construction company that beat out your customer’s husband and ran him out of town.”
“Let me guess: Martin Brothers Construction.”
She huffed. “How’d you know?”
“Ted found out. He passed the name along to his friend on the Tallulah County Police force to see what he could find out about the company and whether or not it has any ties to Sandra Vincent.”
“Well, do you know the three finalists who were up for Sandra Vincent’s job when she was hired this past June?”
“No.”
Vera immediately brightened. “They were Sandra Vincent, of course, Carrie Monahan, and Melanie Carstairs.”
“Melanie Carstairs? The doctor’s wife?”
“The very same.”
“If her husband is on the board, I wonder why she didn’t get the job,” I mused.
“Maybe he didn’t want her to have it. Or maybe he was the only board member who did want her to have it.”
“Interesting. Ted’s mom is having lunch with Dr. Carstairs’s parents today. I’ll let her know what we’ve found out. Maybe she can find a way to ask them about it.”
“If she does, let me know what they say,” said Vera.
“I will. By the way, Carrie Monahan . . . She’s a nurse, isn’t she?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“There’s a Carrie Monahan who is over in the pediatric ward at the hospital. She called me this morning and asked me to come read to the children again.”
“Then I imagine she’s the one who was a finalist for the job. I wonder if they’ll give it to her now that Ms. Vincent is dead.”
“I’m going there tomorrow. I’ll see what I can learn.” I patted Vera’s shoulder. “Thanks for doing all this digging. You’re a regular Nancy Drew.”
“Aw, I’m a little old to be Nancy Drew. I’m more like her older, more sophisticated sister.”
After Vera left, I called Veronica.
“Hi, darling,” she said. “Do you have news about the case?”
“Possibly.” I told her about Vera’s findings.
“So, Melanie Carstairs was a finalist for the hospital administrator position but she didn’t get the job. How can I finagle the reason out of Mr. and Mrs. Carstairs?”
“I have no idea how you could inconspicuously broach that subject. When is your lunch?”
“In half an hour, so I’ll have to think quickly. Don’t worry, though. I’ll come up with something.”
“I have confidence in you. If anyone can charm this information out of Mr. and Mrs. Carstairs, it’s you.”
“Thank you. By the way, Tiffany, Mark, and Jackson are coming to town and would like to know if you’re available for lunch. Tiffany has already called and left a message on Ted’s phone.”
“Okay. I’m sure he’ll call me when he gets the message, then.”
“So you’re free?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. Then hopefully, it’s all set. Even if Ted can’t make it, I’ll tell Tiffany that you can. I know it’s easiest for you to meet at MacKenzies’ Mochas like we did the other day. And it’s a charming place.”
“Right.”
“Don’t sound so disconsolate, darling. Mark and Jackson will be there, even if Ted can’t make it. They both like you very much.”
“Gee, thanks.”
She laughed. “And Tiffany is getting there. Just give her a little more time.”
Chapter Twelve
Ted walked into the Seven-Year Stitch at one o’clock with a dental bone for Angus. He thought maybe the bone would keep the dog happy while he and I were down the street at MacKenzies’ Mochas. Angus immediately took the bone over to his favorite spot in front of the window and began chewing on it.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Thank you. I know being under Tiffany’s scrutiny isn’t easy for you, and I appreciate your continuing to make the effort to get to know her better.”
“I just hope she’ll come to realize that I’m nothing like . . . people from your past.”
He pulled me to him and gave me a thorough kiss. “You aren’t like anyone I’ve ever known.”
I smiled. “Ditto.”
The bells over the door jingled.
“Get a room!” yelled Mark.
Blushing, I took a step backward.
“I got woom!” Jackson laughed and ran to Ted with his arms outstretched.
Ted swooped him off the ground and spun around with him.
Angus watched disinterestedly from his spot by the window. Then he resumed gnawing on his bone.
The little boy giggled. “More!”
Ted spun him again. “We’d better stop now, pal, or we’ll both be dizzy.”
“Dizzy.”
Tiffany wandered around the shop. “This is nice. I like that you have a conversation area set apart from the merchandise.”
“Thank you,” I said. “It gives people a place to hang out and work on their needlecraft projects or chat. And sometimes I help people learn particular stitches—things like that.”
“Marcy also teaches classes here three evenings a week,” Ted said.
“I typically have classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings,” I said. “But I pared down to one class for the months of November and December.”
“What class are you currently teaching?” she asked.
“Crewel embroidery.”
“Sounds cool,” Tiffany said.
“Are any of your classes available online?” Mark asked.
“No. I actually hadn’t considered that.”
“You should think about it. It’s a good passive-income builder.” Mark smiled. “I love passive income.”
“I’ll look into it,” I said. “Thanks.”
“We’d better go on to lunch,” Ted said. “I need to get back to work soon.”
“Big case?” asked Mark.
Ted shrugged. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
I wondered what Ted was working on. He hadn’t mentioned anything to me. But, then, all our time talking about investigations had centered on Captain Moe and his predicament.
I locked up the Stitch, and we all walked down the street to MacKenzies’ Mochas. Sadie was delighted to see Jackson again, and so was Blake. They’d been trying to have a baby. I truly wished they could.
“Tell me your name again, handsome fella,” Sadie said.
“Jackson,” he answered her.
“Well, you certainly are precious. Isn’t he, Blake?”
“I’ll say. You wouldn’t steal my wife away from me, would you, buddy?”
“Steal!” yelled Jackson.
We laughed.
“After lunch, come back up here to the counter, and I’ll give you a cookie,” said Blake. “Do you like cookies?”
Jackson nodded.
Sadie showed us to a table, and we sat down.
“They seem like a nice couple,” Tiffany said.
“They are. I’ve known them since Sadie and I were in college together.”
“This is a really nice coffee shop, too,” she said.
“It was a bar until Blake and Sadie converted it,” said Ted. “That’s why the counter is, well, a bar.”
“I like this town,” Mark said. “I mean, we’ve visited before, but we’ve been able to spend more time here than usual.”
“Would you think of moving here?” Ted asked, looking at his sister rather than at Mark.
“We aren’t sure. It’d be great to live closer to Mom. Mark would like to switch jobs, but I love the school I’m at.” She and her husband exchanged glances. “We’re going to talk more about it over the Christmas holidays.”
The waitress arrived and took our orders. After she left, no one was willing to pick back up the discussion of Tiffany and Mark possibly moving to Tallulah Falls.
“Mark, do you have any brothers or sisters?” I asked.
“I have an older brother. He’s a dentist in San Antonio.”
“Is that where you’re from—Texas?”
“My family is actually from Oklahoma,” he said. “Now we’re scattered hither and yon. What about you, Marcy? Ted tells us you moved here from San Francisco.”
“I did. I worked in an accounting office, and then Sadie urged me to come here and open the Seven-Year Stitch. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.” I smiled at Ted. “In more ways than one.”
Mark groaned. “Here we go with this again.”
“Go ’gin,” said Jackson.
* * *
When Ted and I got back to the shop, Angus appeared eager to go out.
“I’ll take him,” said Ted.
“Thanks.” I handed Ted the leash, and he snapped it onto Angus’s collar.
I noticed as they headed up the street that Ted had a much easier time making Angus heel than I did. I often felt that if the sidewalk was icy, Angus would have me practically skiing to the town square.
Before we’d left MacKenzies’ Mochas, I’d borrowed today’s Tallulah Falls Examiner from Sadie. I turned to the obituaries page and scanned the listings until I came to one that contained the phrases survived by daughter Danielle and granddaughter Nicole. The visitation by the family would take place on Friday evening.
When Ted and Angus returned, I asked Ted if he’d go with me to see Dani.
“I realize I don’t even know the woman—I’d only met her the one time she’d come to my shop—but I was there in the elevator right after her mother died, and I just want to pay my respects.”
“I know, and of course I’ll go with you.” He gave me a quick kiss.
Ted hadn’t been gone but half an hour when his mom called.
“Let me tell you, Marcy, the Carstairs don’t think highly of their daughter-in-law.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“I get the feeling it’s because she exists,” said Veronica. “The Carstairs wanted their darling Bellamy to marry a woman with both money and breeding. Melanie didn’t have much of either, but they made do with the fact that she was beautiful. At least, she was until caring full-time for an ill child took its toll.”
“I don’t think I’d like the Carstairs very much.”
“I didn’t. I snobbed it up with them over lunch, but I declined their invitation for bridge tomorrow. I told them I needed to spend time with my daughter and her family before they left town.”
“If Melanie cares for her son full-time, then why did she even apply for the hospital administrator position?” I asked.
“The Carstairs seemed to think she was using it as an excuse to get away for at least eight hours a day. She’d planned on taking the nanny on full-time rather than part-time. She’d told Bellamy that she’d wanted to be able to make decisions that could ultimately affect the life of their child and of others.”
“That seems very noble.”
“Well, of course that wasn’t true.” Veronica affected an outraged tone. “She merely wanted to play around all day while someone else took care of their grandchild. She couldn’t possibly have an altruistic motive, because the perfect Bellamy said so.”
“And I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the perfect Bellamy kept her from getting that job.”
“You’d be right on the money with that bet. The Carstairs laughed about how Bellamy had her application shot down by the board.”
“But how could he do that?” I asked. “If she was qualified and wound up being one of the final candidates, how did he persuade the board to choose Sandra Vincent over her?”
“He either had enough influence or enough dirt to make a majority of the board vote against her. He did vote for her, though, to make himself look good in her eyes.”
“What a jerk. If he doesn’t care for her any more than that, then why doesn’t he divorce her?”
“It would upset the child, darling. And Bellamy is perfect. He’d never do anything that would upset the child.”
“How did you get Mr. and Mrs. Carstairs to open up about Bellamy and his wife?”
“I can assure you it didn’t take much,” said Veronica. “All I had to do was ask how their poor son was dealing with someone on his staff having been murdered.”
“How is he dealing with it?”
“As well as can be expected. They said he didn’t know Ms. Vincent terribly well but that he was saddened by her loss. And the thought of someone killing her right there in his hospital was abominable.”
“Abominable?”
“As abominable as it gets, darling.”
“Did they know of anyone who might’ve wanted to harm Ms. Vincent?” I asked.
“No, but I joked that perhaps it was their daughter-in-law, and said I seemed to recall that she was one of the finalists for the position of hospital administrator. We all had a hearty laugh over that, and then they told me the story of Melanie’s quest for the position.”
“I feel sorry for Melanie.”
“So do I, Marcy. I hope she and her son can somehow find a way out of the gilded cage they’re in. But enough about that for now. Tell me about how your lunch went.”
* * *
I took Angus home and then I went to the library. The Tallulah Falls Public Library was located in a Victorian house with white rocking chairs on the front porch. It being December, however, the chairs were turned over and leaning against the wall. I went inside and spotted Reggie manning the front desk.
“Hi, there,” I said. “The hospital called, and they’d like for me to come back and read to the children again tomorrow evening. Do you have any other funny books they’d like?”
“I’m sure I do.” She led me into the large children’s area off the main library. “By the way, I spoke with Manu and he remembered that construction company. With the case he was working, Martin Brothers Construction had been underbid by an independent contractor. That contractor was later mugged and beaten so badly that he wound up in the hospital.”
“Oh, my gosh! Did Manu think Martin Brothers Construction had something to do with the mugging?”
“He thought they had everything to do with it, but there wasn’t enough evidence to prove it. Manu said they’re a shady crew and that he wouldn’t trust them to build a shed in our backyard, much less a hospital cancer ward.”
