Violet Tendencies, page 9
part #2 of Rose City Mystery Series
He led me out the back entrance. “Yeah. If there was even a slight chance of an explosive they would have cleared a five-mile radius.”
“That’s a relief.” I zipped up my jacket. My pulse had returned to normal.
“It doesn’t mean you’re out of danger, Britta.” Tomo glanced around us. “I wouldn’t put it past DF to vandalize the floats tonight. I’m sure we’ll have a team here twenty-four-seven from now on, but be careful and stay vigilant, okay?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” I checked behind us and spotted Pete huddled with a group of his colleagues. “What’s the deal with Detective Fletcher?”
Tomo shrugged. “I think he’s mad at me. He thinks I’m too connected because of what happened at the Happy Spoon. The man is a conundrum. Sometimes I think he thinks I’m rocking it, and other times I think he thinks I’m an idiot. But you know, he is from LA.” The path was dimly lit by glowing yellow street lamps, but I didn’t have to see Tomo’s face to know that he was rolling his eyes. California transplants had been a bone of contention with Northwest natives for many years. Many Portlanders resented the fact that Californians had moved north, scooping up property, sending housing costs soaring, and contributing to overcrowded freeways and schools. Much like everything else in life, it was a complicated issue, and just one facet of Portland’s current growing pains.
I didn’t care where Pete was from, but I was bothered by his 180-degree shift in personality. Was he worried about Tomo’s attachment to the investigation, or was he upset with me?
We arrived at the base of the Hawthorne Bridge. “Where’s your car?” Tomo asked.
“My aunt took the Jeep. I’m going to catch the streetcar.” Since I’d returned to Portland I hadn’t seen a need to invest in a car. Riverplace Village was walkable, and Elin’s house was conveniently located just a couple blocks away from a streetcar stop. Portland’s public transportation system was inexpensive and easy to navigate. Between the streetcar, Max trains, buses, and miles and miles of biking trails, a car wasn’t necessary.
“Are you sure?” Even in the dim light I could see Tomo’s eyes cloud. “I don’t think Detective Fletcher will be cool with that. I can go grab the squad car and give you a ride.”
“No, that’s not necessary. I know you have your hands full tonight. I enjoy walking over the bridge.” I pointed above us where a few cars and buses rolled overhead. “It’s not that late.”
Tomo hesitated. “I don’t know, Britta. Are you sure? It’s late and things are pretty tense down here.”
“I’ll be fine.” I pointed to a group of twentysomethings who were dressed like they were ready for a night of bar-hopping. “I’ll follow them.”
“Okay, but promise me that if you see anyone who looks like they’re associated with DF that you’ll ignore them and keep walking.”
“Will do.” He didn’t need to warn me. After what had just transpired, there was no chance I would initiate contact with any of the anarchists. I waved and followed after the partygoers before Tomo could change his mind.
“Be careful, Britta,” Tomo cautioned.
The twentysomethings were completely oblivious that anything was amiss in our fair city. They linked arms and laughed.
I was struck by the contrast. Portland was alive with activity. Tourists in town for Rose Festival packed into pubs and queued up at dance clubs. There was a vibrant energy mixed into the crisp night air. This was how things were supposed to be. Dark Fusion might have been successful in their attempt to unsettle the volunteers and Rose Festival insiders, but no one else in the city was any the wiser.
I took relief in the thought as I parted ways with the group of pub-hoppers and climbed aboard the streetcar. It rolled past the waterfront village, where kids with giant wands of cotton candy, up way past their bedtimes, raced through a maze of carnival games. A band played on the main stage, serenading hundreds of people dancing to its vibrant beat. Teenagers screamed from the top of roller coasters. How strange that two sides of the river could have such different vibes.
When the streetcar arrived at my stop, I prayed internally that Pete, Tomo, and the rest of the police force could contain Dark Fusion’s negativity.
The house was dark and cold, fitting after what I had just experienced. Elin had texted that she and Eric were having a cocktail and not to wait up. I wasn’t sure that I would be able to sleep, but I must have crashed the minute my head hit the pillow, because the next thing I knew my alarm was sounding. I fumbled in the dark bedroom to find the off switch.
What time was it? It felt like the middle of the night, but my alarm read seven a.m. I bolted upright. I really must have crashed, because I had slept in my clothes. I tossed off the covers and hurried to take a quick shower. The hot water revived my senses. Last night felt like a blur. I wondered what today would hold. We had so much to finish—or did we? Would the parade even go on?
I dressed in a rush, tossed a change of clothes into my bag, and headed downstairs. The house was quiet. Elin must have overslept too, I thought. I started a pot of coffee. Then I went to wake her.
“Elin.” I knocked on her bedroom door. “It’s after seven. We need to go.”
No answer.
I knocked again.
“Elin?”
On the third attempt, I opened the door a crack. Elin’s bed was still made. The pillows and sheets hadn’t been disturbed.
She must have stayed at Eric’s hotel.
I returned to the kitchen, guzzled a cup of coffee, and went to catch a train. Portland was in a sleepy, dusky haze. The train rumbled along the waterfront and came to a stop not far from the Hawthorne Bridge. Unlike last night when the streets had been packed with people, at this early morning hour it was like a ghost town.
A thin layer of fog hung above the river, giving it an eerie, otherworldly glow. I quickened my pace. Every few minutes a car or bus would pass through the middle of the bridge, but otherwise there weren’t even any early morning joggers out yet. Twice I stopped and checked behind me because I could have sworn I heard footsteps.
Stop, Britta, I chided myself.
When I arrived at the float barn there was a single police car parked in front of the entrance to the parking lot. Otherwise the place was deserted. Tomo had said that the police were going to stay to protect the floats all night. I was surprised that they’d only left one squad car. I continued on to the front doors, which were unlocked.
“Hello! Am I the first one here?” I called. My voice echoed in the empty space.
Nicki must be here. Otherwise how were the doors unlocked?
An uneasy sensation swelled through my body as I walked with trepidation toward our float. Something about the huge, cavernous space felt foreboding.
“Hello!” I called again.
The only answer was the sound of my own voice bouncing off the walls.
Shouldn’t the other decorators and volunteers be here by now? We were supposed to report by seven thirty for the morning meeting. Had I missed a message? Was the parade canceled?
I thought about turning around, but I willed myself forward.
Bad choice.
When I made it to our float I looked up in horror. Our float had been destroyed. The arbor and grapevines that we had meticulously secured had been torn apart and were scattered in broken pieces throughout the floor.
I stepped forward and let out a scream.
Sham’s body was sprawled among the ruins. A noose of purple violets twisted around his lifeless neck.
Chapter Ten
I screamed again and dropped my bag on the ground. This couldn’t be happening. Was it some sort of a prank? Was Dark Fusion trying to scare us?
Through one eye I glanced at the floor again. Sham’s head hung to one side like a rag doll.
I covered my mouth with my hand. I knew I should move, but I stood there frozen, unable to act.
“Britta!” a woman yelled behind me.
It felt like I was swimming upstream as I turned toward the sound of her voice. It was Nicki. She raced toward me with a look of concern. “How did you get in?”
Words wouldn’t form in my mouth. I managed to mumble something incomprehensible and point to the float.
“How did you get inside?” Nicki repeated, without looking at the float.
I swallowed hard. “Sham.” I point again in the direction of his body.
Nicki scowled. “What has he done now?” Then her eyes finally landed on the floor. She recoiled. “Oh my God! Oh my God! Is he dead?”
“I think so.” I nodded, finding my voice.
“What happened? I don’t understand. How did you get in here?”
“The door was unlocked. I got here a few minutes ago. I thought it was weird that no one was here, and then I came back to get started on the float and found Sham, like that.”
Nicki blinked twice as if trying to un-see Sham’s body. “Where are the police?”
“I don’t know. I only saw one car in the parking lot.”
Reality was beginning to dawn on me. One of us needed to go get help.
“That doesn’t make sense. They’ve been here all night. Multiple teams. Multiple sweeps of the barn.” She stuffed both of her pinkies into her mouth and gnawed on her fingernails. “This is impossible. Impossible. How could this have happened?”
“We need to get the police,” I said, starting to move.
Nicki grabbed my arm. “Wait.”
“What?”
She walked closer to the float.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“There could be a bomb. Maybe Dark Fusion rigged the entire float.”
“Why would they do that?” I stared at her in disbelief. “And all the more reason to get the police. We shouldn’t touch anything.”
She paused in mid-stride. “You’re probably right.”
“I’m going to get the police.” I left, but checked over my shoulder. Nicki was acting strange. She paced back and forth in front of the float, chewing on her fingernails like they were candy.
I ran to the parked police car and rapped on the driver’s side. “Come quick. There’s a body in there.”
Two officers sat in the parked car. The officer sitting in the driver’s seat looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.
“A man is dead inside,” I repeated with as much composure as I could muster. “I think he’s been murdered, but maybe it’s a suicide.”
His partner got out of the car. “Miss, we’ve been here all night.”
“Well, there’s a dead body in the float barn. I don’t how long he’s been there, but he’s definitely dead.”
The two officers looked at each other and shrugged. I could tell they didn’t believe me. It didn’t take long to change their minds. Everything happened in a blur once they confirmed that Sham was indeed dead. They called in reinforcements, cleared me and Nicki out of the barn, and began assessing the crime scene.
Swarms of police cars and an ambulance arrived. I kept hoping that I would wake up. The Grand Floral Parade was doomed.
“Do you think it was murder?” I asked Nicki.
She paced in a small circle. Creating a ring in the gravel. “It had to be. Did you see how the vines around his neck were tied like a noose? No one could have done that to themselves.”
“But who would want to kill him?” I regretted the words the minute they escaped my lips. Nearly everyone involved in the Rose Festival had a motive to kill Sham.
“Who?” Nicki’s face flamed with color. “Where should I start? I can rattle off a list of about a hundred people who would be happy to hear that that criminal is dead. Everyone at the party he ruined last night. Ted, for sure.”
Yes, Dark Fusion had disrupted our parade preparations and made things stressful for the organizers, but that didn’t make me happy that Sham was dead. I hoped that Nicki hadn’t considered her words in the shock of the moment. I agreed with her that it appeared that Sham had been murdered, and with our imported African violets. My body let out a shudder. A feeling similar to what I had experienced last night began to well inside. Keep it together, Britta.
Who could have killed Sham? He was a big guy. It would have taken strength and power to bring him down. My mind immediately flashed to Ted. He was a strong man. Could he have killed Sham? Nicki was right. He had been fuming about Dark Fusion’s protests and threats. Not once, but twice I had watched him have it out with Sham. The Grand Floral Parade was his pride and joy. Had he taken matters into his own hands last night? What if he had stuck around after the drumming incident? Could he have lured Sham into the float barn and then murdered him?
My mouth felt dry.
Ted was a former mayor and a revered member of Portland’s business community. Would he risk that for murder? Then again he was the parade’s staunchest supporter, and Dark Fusion had threatened to destroy it. That could be motive for murder.
I licked my lips and tried to swallow. My throat was scratchy and rough like sandpaper. Volunteers and designers began to arrive. They congregated in the parking lot. Everyone assumed that the police presence was because of Dark Fusion. When word spread of Sham’s death, a strange lull came over the crowd.
Time passed in a fuzzy haze. I couldn’t believe that Sham was dead. Yes, he and his band of anarchists had stirred up trouble, but he didn’t deserve to die.
Had Ted killed him? I didn’t want to consider the former mayor as a possible suspect, but after their altercation last night and Ted’s parting threat, it was hard to rule him out either.
Nicki’s sole focus was on the parade. She kept pestering the police for an update and answers.
“They won’t tell me anything. What am I going to do? I have volunteers waiting to get in. The Royal Court and our corporate sponsors will be arriving any minute. They are expecting to see the floats.” She yanked a strand of hair from her head.
Ouch. Instinctively, I rubbed my scalp.
“Try to relax.” I was going to say more, but she threw her arms in the air.
“Relax? We have thousands of people arriving. As we speak, tourists are pouring into the city. They’ll be expecting to start staking their spots for the parade. The princesses and corporate sponsors are going to show up and I don’t have a single float to show them. How can I relax?” Her voice was shrill.
“I know.” I reached for her arm. “I understand the gravity of the situation, but a man has died. The police have to close off the space until they’ve completed their search.”
“They should be able to make an exception. This is the biggest event of the year in Portland. The Grand Floral Parade brings in millions of dollars, and if we don’t get in there now, we’ll never get everything done. My God, imagine the disaster if we have to cancel the parade.”
I considered telling her that I didn’t think there were any exceptions made for murder, but given her fervid attitude and constant pacing, I was fairly confident that she wouldn’t respond well.
In addition to the volunteers and growing crowd of spectators, more police continued to arrive on the scene, as did members of Dark Fusion. Zigs bellowed profanity through a megaphone. He had obviously learned of Sham’s murder, because he was on a warpath, vowing to avenge their leader’s death and blow up the entire city if necessary.
I wondered if the police would call in reinforcements.
“Britta, what’s happened?” Elin’s voice pulled me away from the mayhem. She looked confused and worried.
“Elin.” I kissed her on the cheeks. “You have no idea. I don’t even know where to start.”
She peered from me and then back to the police. “What is it? Did Dark Fusion make good on their threats?” She held on to my arms and studied my face.
I filled her in on everything that had happened last night, and then told her about finding Sham’s body. She scooped me into a huge hug. “Oh, my, lilla gumman. I’m so sorry. I should have been here.”
“It’s not your fault.” I brushed a tear from my eye.
“Yes, but had I been here, at least you wouldn’t have had to go through something so awful alone.”
I pulled away. “Elin, I’m fine. I’m just shaken, that’s all.”
She frowned. “Britta, I know you. Finding a dead body has to have you more than shaken.”
I couldn’t argue with that, so I changed the subject. “How was the reunion with Eric?”
“Good.” She pressed her lips together. I knew that she wanted to say more about Sham’s body, but there was nothing else to say at the moment. Talking about it wasn’t going to erase the image of his neck wrapped with our lovely violets. I wondered if I would ever be able to see a violet in the same way again or if they would forever be tainted.
Elin must have sensed my unease. She shifted the conversation, speaking in a gentle, calm tone. “Should I tell you about Eric?”
“Yes, please. Any distraction would be most welcome.”
She wrapped her hand over mine. “We had a wonderful dinner. Then we went for a moonlight stroll along the river. It was magical to see so many families camping out. It was very festive. Then we ended up at a midnight dance party and danced until after two a.m. I can’t remember the last time I was up that late, let alone out that late.”
I kissed her cheek. “I’m so happy.”
“Me too.” She returned my smile. “It’s as if no time has passed. I feel like I’m twenty again. I hate to say this in light of the tragedy here, but I feel as if I’m as light as a bunch of fluffy cotton. And Eric can’t wait to meet you. I gushed on and on about how wonderful it’s been to have you home again and about everything you’re doing for Blomma.”
“Is he coming today?” I was glad that she was floating on air, and equally glad for any distraction from seeing Sham’s body again and again.
Elin looked to the float barn. “Will they let us inside?”
I shrugged. “Good question. If Nicki has her way she’s going to force the police out, but I don’t know.”
At that moment, Detective Fletcher walked over to greet us. “Miss Johnston, we need to stop bumping into each other like this.” He winked, but his face was heavy. The scar running the length of his cheek appeared deeper than usual. Dark circles masked his eyes, and yet there was something in his smile that made my stomach flop.
