The Secret Ingredient to Murder, page 22
“The odd thing is, the recipe hasn’t turned up yet. Do you know if your Uncle Tyler has been contacted by anyone about it?”
“My uncle’s not talking to me. He says he doesn’t remember anything. He’s lying.”
“We had him checked out by a physician who said the condition is real. What makes you so certain that the doctor’s wrong?”
Veronica’s expression softened, her determination giving way to sadness. “Because I’ve known him all my life. Uncle Tyler was good to me before Mom died. He was never forgetful. He always had a sharp memory, especially when it came to what people liked and didn’t like. A customer could come into the store, and he’d remember their name and their order until they came back.” The sadness parted, giving way to a reminiscent smile. “He remembered birthdays and holidays, and he always made me feel special.”
“And now?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t need the recipe. And I don’t need him.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I remembered it!” Her green eyes flared in defiance. “I can’t believe I forgot it for so long, but I finally remembered it. And now, I don’t need anyone, including my Uncle Tyler, anymore.”
“You do realize that you’re still underage, and you can’t just take off on your own. Don’t you?”
“I’ll sue for emancipation. I have someone who can help me.”
It wasn’t exactly a bombshell. He’d been expecting something like that. He’d also bet anything Quincy was the someone. So much for not needing anyone. Her confidence also made him wonder which one of the two was taking advantage of the other. “Do you have an attorney?” Rick asked nonchalantly.
Veronica set her jaw and stared out at the ocean. “I don’t have to answer your questions. You’re not a cop.”
Rick paused for a minute, letting her outburst dissipate on the wind. When he saw a slight softening in her jawline, he said quietly, “You have a lot of anger inside. Don’t you?”
“Someone killed my mother! And they never found the person who did it!” Her eyes flared with emotion. “At least I can do something about that now.”
Rick’s heart ached for her. He’d seen firsthand how the pain of losing a loved one could eat away at those left behind. “I understand your need for closure, but don’t let it consume you, Veronica. Sometimes, things are just out of our control.”
Veronica ignored Rick, her eyes now fixed on some unseen point near the horizon. Considering the weight of her burden, Rick felt it was only a matter of time before she exploded with emotion again. And all that would do is to delay the inevitable.
“I know you’re feeling angry. I also know you blame your Uncle Tyler for much of what’s happened. Running away isn’t going to solve your problems. My guess is you’d need help with that. And that could put whoever helps you in jeopardy. You should be aware that there could be severe consequences for the person who helps you.”
Veronica whipped around to face him. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m going to be blunt, Veronica. You think Quincy Knox is going to help you solve all your problems. Don’t you?”
Veronica’s jaw dropped, but then she shook her head and laughed. She reached out and playfully slapped Rick’s arm. “Don’t be silly. Quincy? He works for his aunt in a pet shop. He can barely take care of himself, let alone help me find justice for my mother.”
Rick raised an eyebrow. “Then why have you been spending so much time with him?”
Veronica’s smile faded, and she looked away. “I don’t know. I guess it’s just nice to have someone around who knows what it feels like to lose a parent. But you’re right. He can’t solve my problems for me.”
Nodding as though he understood, Rick began ticking through the possibilities. From the first meeting at the B&B, he’d sensed that there was something not right with Veronica Campbell. Now, he was sure of it. On top of solving Styles’s murder, now he had to stop this girl from ruining a young man’s life.
Rick reached out and placed a hand on Veronica’s shoulder. For now, he had to let her think she was still in control. “Good. I’m glad we understand each other. Look, I’ve got to get back to solving a murder case. Adam’s following up on some information about Penny Feeney.”
The look of shock on Veronica’s face was unmistakable. Somehow, Veronica knew Penny. How could that be? And how well did they know each other? Was she the one Veronica thought would help her? Not Quincy?
“You look surprised,” Rick said.
“I didn’t know you already had a suspect. That’s all. So you don’t think my Uncle Tyler had anything to do with the killing? You think it was this woman? What was her name? Penny Feeney?”
Rick drew on Adam’s standard line, an impassive look and a polite, “Sorry, but I can’t talk about an ongoing investigation.” He stood, gave Veronica a parting smile, and said, “I’ll see you around.”
Without waiting for her to reply, Rick turned and walked away. He had so many thoughts rushing through his head that he barely noticed Joe Gray still sitting on the deck of his houseboat, taking in the scene. Rick dismissed Joe from his thoughts and reached for his phone. He had so many ideas to share and talk through with Adam. He dialed Adam’s number as he headed for the roundabout.
“I don’t think Veronica Campbell’s as much of a victim as we thought she was,” Rick said when Adam answered.
There was a short pause on the other end of the line before Adam responded. “What do you mean?”
Rick recapped his conversation with Veronica. When he finished, he said, “To top it off, she seemed shocked when I mentioned Penny Feeney’s name. I think they know each other.”
“Look, buddy, there’s no way Veronica’s our killer. She was never alone during the time of the murder.”
“I understand that. But you remember how she had a complete meltdown when she thought she’d lost the recipe, right? Well, now, she’s claiming that she remembered it and doesn’t need the stolen copy. There are too many inconsistencies, Adam.”
“Okay, buddy, but I think we need more than some accusations to crack Ms. Feeney.”
“I agree. That’s why I’m going back to Isabelle’s Pet Shoppe. Quincy should be off work now, and I want to see what Isabelle can tell me about him.”
Rick ended the call as he climbed the stairs to the shop’s front door. This time, when he entered, he got an entirely different greeting. As he’d learned the very first time they met, Isabelle Murdoch was not one to ignore her customers.
45
Alex
The classroom is a sea of empty desks, except for mine. I’m sitting in the back, feeling like a lone island. A totally lone island. I’m gonna be in big trouble when Mom gets here, all because I told Miss Redmond about Veronica wanting to run away. After that, she called my dad, who told her to call my mom, and then Miss Redmond made me sit here while she grades papers. The only sounds in the room are the hum of the overhead lights and the scratch-scratch-scratch of Miss Redmond’s pen on paper.
The door swings open, and my mom spots me sitting in the back row. She gives me what I call her Mom Look. I’m so dead. I only get that stare when I’m in huge trouble. She’s got Baby Jack on her hip. She’s all confidence and color, her brown hair tied back with a bright red scrunchie. Yup. I’m in so deep.
“Hey, Frankie,” Mom says casually as she approaches Miss Redmond’s desk.
Frankie? My mom knows Miss Redmond? My brain explodes ‘cause I had no idea they were friends.
Miss Redmond looks up. Her face opens up with a bright smile. “Marquetta. It’s been too long.” She stands, smooths her dress, and approaches my mom. She holds out a finger for Baby Jack, and her voice goes up a little. “Is this the little guy? Isn’t he adorable?”
“Frankie, meet Baby Jack. The man who keeps me awake at night.”
My mom and Miss Redmond giggle as something I never thought I never saw coming happens. Miss Redmond goes all gaga over Baby Jack. While my teacher coos and tells my little brother what a strong grip he has, I sit in the back feeling kinda jealous. Baby Jack’s getting all the good attention. Wait’ll it’s my turn. I bet Miss Redmond isn’t gonna be all goo-goo, gaga then.
Finally, it happens. Miss Redmond seems to realize this isn’t just a social call. She clears her throat and says, “Marquetta, thanks for coming in. I talked to Rick, and he suggested I call you so we could talk about Alex’s involvement with Veronica Campbell.”
Oh, man, there it is. My life is over. I’m gonna be grounded until I get married, maybe even longer.
“He called me, too,” Mom says. “He’s concerned about Veronica’s involvement with Isabelle Murdoch’s nephew, Quincy. Rick went to the shop and spoke to Isabelle. Apparently, Isabelle is worried, too. She’s noticed a change in her nephew’s behavior recently.”
“Quincy always cracked under pressure. Do you remember how it took him months to get over that disaster during the science fair?”
Mom shakes her head and winces. “I felt so bad for him. Poor guy.”
I’m super curious, so I ask, “What happened?” Whatever. I can’t get in any more trouble than I’m already in. Right?
Miss Redmond motions for me to join them, and I feel a lump in my stomach. Maybe I was wrong. I walk slowly, kinda feeling like the longer I take, the better this might get.
“Do you know what specific gravity is, Alex?” Miss Redmond asks.
Oh, man. Now we’re having a science test? This is so not fair. “Isn’t that like what makes a person able to float in the ocean?”
“Basically, yes. It’s a way to compare the density of one substance to another. Seawater has a higher specific gravity than tap water. Quincy was two years behind us. He was always trying to keep up, and so he set up an experiment to demonstrate specific gravity. The problem was that he kept calling it pacific gravity. Mrs. Dickinson, who didn’t realize Quincy was dyslexic, didn’t pull him aside and explain his mistake quietly but made an example of him in front of all the other kids and their parents.”
“Oh, man. And kids can be so mean.”
“Exactly. It took months for the commotion to settle down.”
“So Quincy’s dyslexic?” I ask. “You mean he like switches letters around? Is that why he plays cards?”
Miss Redmond shrugs. “It could be. Maybe he thinks it helps him. There are quite a few tools for dyslexics these days. And some card games can help them.”
My mom shifts Baby Jack on her hip. It looks like she’s getting kinda tired, and I’m about to ask if she wants me to hold him when Miss Redmond reaches out. “Here, let me. He’s so adorable.”
Baby Jack seems to love the whole trading-off thing. He smiles and coos like crazy.
“He likes you,” I say.
Miss Redmond beams at me. “I like him, too.”
“Frankie, what’s your impression of Veronica Campbell?” Mom asks.
“I don’t know very much about her. She’s new at school. I see her sometimes with other girls, but that’s about it. I talked to her when she first transferred here, but she was very quiet.”
“She’s super mad about her mom.” I tell them how she blames her Uncle Tyler for her mother’s death and add, “She’s totally down on her uncle. One time, she even said she thinks he had something to do with her mom’s murder.”
Miss Redmond’s face darkens. I can’t help but notice how she hugs Baby Jack a little tighter like he’s gonna ward off the bad stuff we’re talking about.
“None of that came out when we talked. I wish I’d have spent more time with her. Tried to get her to open up.”
“It wouldn’t have worked,” I say. “She can totally shut down when she wants to.”
Mom nods. “Alex is right. I wanted to talk to you in person because of something Rick told me after he talked to Isabelle. He’s convinced Veronica is manipulating Quincy. He thinks she’s using him to escape from her uncle.”
“And if she is that good at manipulating others, I might never have suspected it,” Miss Redmond says, her voice super heavy with concern.
Mom looks directly at me. “What do you think, Alex?”
What? She’s asking my opinion? Maybe this isn’t gonna be so bad after all. “He said she was cool, But he didn’t act like he was crushing on her or anything. It was just like the opposite. Like she was the one who was all into him. Mom, I was only trying to find out how he felt about her. I went to the pet shop to ask him about Veronica.”
Miss Redmond makes a face, then says, “Quincy never was a very good liar.”
“You’re right. I guess we’ll find out. Rick and Adam are going to call him in. I’m sure he’ll tell the truth if he’s still the same innocent boy he was in school.” All of a sudden, Mom’s eyes get wide. “Uh oh. Frankie, you’d better give him back to me. I think somebody needs a change.”
Miss Redmond blows out a small breath as she hands Baby Jack back to Mom. Then, she giggles, “What did you give him for lunch, Marquetta?”
Mom laughs. “Believe me. It doesn’t matter much what he eats. Can I take Alex home?”
“Sure. She’s done nothing wrong. Quite the opposite. Marquetta, you should be proud of her. She came to me when she discovered that Veronica was thinking of running away.”
“But…” I blurt. “But you made me sit at my desk.”
Miss Redmond gives me kind of a mock stern face. “That’s true. But do you remember what we talked about, Alex? Personal space.”
“Oh. I get it. I won’t interfere again.” I’m disappointed because Miss Redmond really is pretty cool. And the fact that she likes Barrington Rhymes makes it super hard not to get involved.
“Good girl.”
Mom cradles Baby Jack on her hip. “Hey, Frankie, you should come to dinner. It’d be fun to catch up.”
“It sounds delightful, but I don’t want to impose.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. We have a house filled with people all the time. It would be nice to have someone I’ve known for more than twenty-four hours to talk to. How about tonight? Lydia helped me get dinner on before I left to come down here. It’s nothing fancy, just roasted chicken with roasted vegetables. Believe me, there’s plenty. Especially if Rick works late with Adam.”
Miss Redmond smiles, and her cheeks get kinda pink. “It would be nice to have someone to talk to for dinner.”
“It’s settled, then. Stop by at about five. We’ll eat at five-thirty.”
“Should I bring something?”
“Your appetite. And if you want, a bottle of wine. But that’s not a requirement.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
On the drive home, Mom says, “As soon as we get home, I’ll change Baby Jack. You, young lady, your job is to find Mr. Rhymes and invite him to dinner.”
“What? But I just got in trouble for interfering in Miss Redmond’s love life.”
“You’re not interfering. You’re simply inviting Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious to our dinner table. I’m the one who’s meddling.”
“Uh, okay. I can invite him.”
“Good. And, by the way, Sweetie, I hope you were taking notes. That’s how matchmaking is done.”
I can’t keep the grin off my face for the rest of the drive home. If there’s one thing I’ve learned today, it’s that my mom is way cooler than I ever could have guessed.
46
Rick
Rick pushed open the door of the Seaside Cove police station, saw Deputy Kama sitting at her desk, and said hello. “Nice to see you back, Amy. Feeling better?”
“I felt fine yesterday, but you know how the doctors are. I’m glad to be back at work. The chief’s waiting for you. Go on back.”
Adam was at his desk, hunched over a yellow notepad filled with what looked like a chicken’s scratchings. He’d taped photos of their suspects and the victim on the wall behind the desk. It wasn’t something they’d done in the past, but Rick supposed a few visuals couldn’t hurt their process. Adam’s hair was sticking up in tufts as if he’d been running his fingers through it or maybe trying to tear it out. Definitely, visuals couldn’t hurt.
Adam looked up and motioned for Rick to join him. “What’s up?”
“I just finished talking with Isabelle Murdoch.”
Adam’s green eyes, though weary, were suddenly attentive. “What did you learn?”
Rick sat on the edge of the desk and gave his friend a knowing look. “We’ve got a murder board now?”
Looking over his shoulder, Adam snickered. “First class, right? Amazing what you can do with some tape, a few photos, and a wall. Why are you so upbeat?”
“We might have a new way of looking at things. From what Isabelle told me, it sounds like we had the roles backwards. I don’t think Quincy Knox was trying to take advantage of anyone. I think he might be more of a puppet than a mastermind.”
Adam rubbed his tired eyes, which were now bloodshot and weary. “You’re talking about the girl? Veronica Campbell?”
“Yes. It appears she’s more mature than we gave her credit for.”
“Meaning?” Adam grabbed the notepad and flipped to a clean page.
Rick sat, eager to share what might be an opportunity to change the lack of progress they’d seen so far. Even though they’d only worked the case for a few days, he wanted to move on and put this entire affair behind them. He looked up at the wall and said, “You’re kind of light on photos. All you have are Styles, Penny Feeney, and Tyler Winkle.”
“I’m working on a budget here, okay? Besides, Feeney and Winkle are our only suspects. So what did you find out at Isabelle’s?”
“Quincy was working when I got there. He denied having any interest in Veronica, but I couldn’t stop wondering why he was spending time with her if he was telling me the truth.”
“Logical question. I assume you asked him about it. What did he say?”
“That she was too young for him and that she was just a friend.” When Adam made a face, Rick continued, “I didn’t believe it either. So, when he told me he liked to go to the marina when he got off work, I decided to see if she was there.”
