The Glitter End, page 21
Noel sat down beside Tilly. “He just wanted a better life, Mom. He told me he had done his time and now it was payday. He even said it had been promised to him.”
“Promised?” Jonas asked sharply.
“Yes.” Noel looked at him. “I asked how he meant that, but he wouldn’t say.”
Delta stared ahead. “When we piece together what he said to Tilly and to Noel, what does that tell us? He was going to meet someone, it was risky, he needed help or backup doing it. It had to do with the missing money and a promise made to him that he would get his share.”
“Only the other party wasn’t too eager to share…” Jonas spoke slowly. “They lured him outside the motel, to discuss the deal, perhaps, and then stabbed him.”
“But why take the trouble to get the key to go into Wanted and add the murdered prospector to the scene?” Delta asked.
Tilly said, “To strike fear in me. Or make me look suspect. I don’t know. But I do know that someone wanted it to look like I was involved. Why else kill him in the town where I’m exhibiting?”
“Yes.” Jonas pointed a finger at her. “That is a very good question. Why here? Was Tundish somehow related to his crimes? I heard he was here years ago, with you.”
“He did run a con here in the past. He claimed to be the owner of a luxury cottage in the mountains and got several people to give him a down payment for a stay there. By the time they found out the cottage wasn’t his and the website advertising it was offline, he was long gone. It was always that sort of thing. Amateurish and embarrassing. It had nothing to do with the pyramid scheme. Once he was caught for that, I couldn’t believe he had set it up. It wasn’t his style at all.” Tilly’s forehead scrunched up as she thought hard. “I can’t think of any connection to Tundish. You?” She looked at Noel.
He also shook his head and said, “Dad never told me much about the scheme, but the victims were all well-to-do people from the East Coast. I don’t see a direct link with this town or even Montana in general.”
“So why here?” Jonas paced the room. “Could a clue to the money’s whereabouts be hidden around here? West has been asking at banks about safety deposit boxes. Do you own one? Or did your ex have one?”
Tilly shook her head. “I always had the impression the money was transferred abroad into a numbered account. I thought Bob knew how to get into it once he’d be free. I had no idea he needed someone else for it.”
“But someone did ransack your van,” Mrs. Cassidy pointed out. “That suggests you have something related to Weatherspoon’s murder and the missing money.”
“Yes,” Jonas said slowly, “but what if the ransacking happened for another reason?” He stood and spread his arms as if he was encompassing a theory. Everyone looked at him expectantly. “Tilly’s ex Bob Weatherspoon was asked to come here to Tundish, allegedly to get his share in the fortune he had been to jail for. The killer knew that Tilly was exhibiting here and hoped that her name would be connected to the murder and she would be the most likely suspect. Indeed, her ex contacted her, and they argued in the street. The killer stabbed Bob outside the motel and placed the prospector with the tiny mattock in his back in the display at Wanted. So far so good. But then the killer became antsy about the brief contact between Bob and Tilly. He feared that his victim might have told Tilly something that could connect him to it. That Bob might have handed her something, for safekeeping, that could prove his involvement. To be sure, he searched the van and came to this house to look at Buddy’s dog bed.”
“But, because I hadn’t gone to bridge as I usually do, he didn’t get near the bed.” Mrs. Cassidy nodded. “It all makes sense. If the killer invited Bob Weatherspoon here, it must have been someone staying at the motel during the same time.”
Jonas shook his head. “No, it is far more logical to assume the killer was not staying there. That would be a lot safer. Come in, stab, get out. Quickly.”
“So we’re looking for someone staying in a place other than the motel.” Jane waved around her. “That means a dozen places. Hotels, cottages, B&Bs. At a tourist hot spot like Tundish, you have too many places to take into account. Even in November, most places are at least partially booked. How can you determine who might have been involved?”
Jonas stood with his head down, thinking hard, judging by the frown on his face. Spud came over and pressed his head against his leg, whining low. Jonas rubbed him absentmindedly.
Mrs. Cassidy said to Noel, “You must want some coffee.”
“And a cupcake,” Jane added.
As they fussed to give the new arrival some treats, Delta took Jonas aside. “Noel just said that the pyramid scheme mainly involved rich people from the East Coast. That it had no direct link to Montana. But Buckmore is a specialist on Montana gold rush history. Is it likely he has friends touched by the pyramid scheme? Does this new information strengthen our suspicions that he’s lying and wants to know more about Weatherspoon for another reason? Could he have been involved with him?” She took a deep breath. “Is it even possible that Weatherspoon came here to meet Buckmore and get his share from him?”
Jonas held her gaze. “And that Buckmore killed him to keep everything to himself?”
Delta’s stomach churned. Buckmore had befriended Gran on the very day Tilly Tay had come to town for the exhibition. Had it all been carefully planned, to implicate Tilly in the murder and then be close to a source of information about the investigation?
How natural it was for Buckmore to pretend he had heard about the murder and the link with Wanted and get Gran to share what she knew about the case. About what the police had against Tilly. That way Buckmore could ensure he was first to know relevant developments and could even act on them if he had to. For instance, by coming to Mrs. Cassidy’s house to look at Buddy’s dog bed.
It all fit.
And it chilled Delta to the bone.
At first she had been worried her grandmother had fallen in with a con man. Now she wondered if he might be a cold-blooded killer as well.
Chapter Eighteen
Hazel was as worried as Delta when she heard about Gran and Major Buckmore, especially the latter’s none-too-friendly words when he had accompanied Jonas and Delta to the car. “I tried to convince myself he wasn’t a bad person after all, but this threat of his can’t be ignored.” Hazel wrapped an arm around Delta’s shoulders and added, “You have to talk to your grandmother as soon as she’s back in town. Go and spend the night at her cottage and then have a chat. Tell her you’re afraid she’s being used. You need not tell her that you suspect him of involvement in the murder. She won’t believe that, I’d guess. But his behavior to you and Jonas was really odd, she will have to admit.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. She adores him.” Delta swallowed. “To be honest, I’m worried she’ll defend him against me, and I’ll feel like she’s choosing his side. She practically raised me, and I love her as much as I love Mom and Dad. I don’t want to lose my connection to her.”
“I understand that. But, if your bond is that strong, it won’t be broken by one conversation you have. You need not outright accuse him either. Just say it’s going fast and you wonder how well she knows him. Raise some doubts in her mind. Let’s be fair: if you were dating a guy and moving quickly, your gran would have questions about that as well.”
“I guess so.” Delta felt relief seeping through her. “Thanks, Hazel. You always cheer me up.”
Hazel smiled at her. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
The shop’s bell jangled, and customers came in looking for scrapbooking materials. Hazel pointed out the new patterned papers and ribbons they had in stock while Delta demonstrated a gel pen to two sisters who wanted to do a scrapbooking workshop at one of their daughters’ birthday party. Outside, rain splattered on the sidewalk, and, every now and then, thunder growled in the distance. Delta wondered briefly if Jonas was out with a group, and, imagining the businesspeople’s disgruntled looks as they trudged through the mud for what was supposed to be relaxation, she had to laugh.
“If you take these pens…” She pointed at the five different colors she had shown them. “I can offer you a packet of blank cards and some sticker sheets for a special price.”
“That would be fabulous. Can we maybe choose the stickers, or did you have something in mind already?”
“Oh, no, you can choose any stickers you like from that basket over there. Two sheets. Or, if you choose the smaller sheets, three.” Delta glanced at Hazel to see if she perked up as she was making this offer, but her friend was busy and didn’t seem to listen at all. Delta still didn’t feel completely confident when she proposed business transactions, although she had discovered that Hazel usually agreed with them. She needed to feel more self-assured. But that was hard with her doubts about Gran’s relationship with the major and her own relationship with Jonas gnawing at her. Why hadn’t she had the nerve to tell him how she felt? The moments at the cabin with the mulled wine had been perfect for it.
The door opened, and someone stepped in, shaking the water off a red umbrella before closing it and turning into the shop. It was Ray, dressed casually in denim and a leather jacket. He waved at her. “Real downpour out there.”
As her customers were busy with the sticker sheet selection, Delta went over to Ray for a moment. “What brings you here?”
He patted his breast pocket. “I’ve got tickets to an antique fair. And Hazel can protest all she wants, but, this time, I’m taking her.”
Delta smiled at his firm tone. “That would be lovely. She has been working so hard, staying at the store while I’m sleuthing to find out who killed the man at the motel, to clear Tilly Tay’s name. Her visit here hasn’t exactly provided the good press I was after when I invited her.”
“I can imagine. But that’s over soon.” Ray nodded at the miniature display. “You’ll be rid of it in no time.”
“Rid of it? How come?” Delta frowned in puzzlement. “Tilly agreed to have it on display here for two weeks.”
“That might have been the intention, but I heard plans have changed. At least, that’s what Rosalyn told me. She agreed to it with Mrs. VanderHurst. Having heard of all the high-society events she and her investment banker husband go to, Rosalyn was deeply impressed, and, when Mrs. VanderHurst asked her, she agreed at once.”
“Agreed to what?” Delta still didn’t fully understand.
“To have the display transferred to the Lodge. It will be set up in the boardroom, and our hotel guests can look at it.”
“What? But why?” Delta was shocked. Mr. VanderHurst had asked them if they intended to keep the display at the store, but she hadn’t guessed he or his wife were actually going to take steps to take over. She looked for a way to express, in a friendly manner, that she felt boxed out of this decision, when she realized something else. “Does Tilly even know about this? She has only recently been released from the police station.”
“I don’t know. I guess so. I mean, her sister wouldn’t make such decisions over her head.”
Ray said it confidently, but Delta had her doubts. “I think she might. She does seem to feel like she knows everything better.” She sighed. “Her husband also contacted the lawyer Mrs. Cassidy got for Tilly and offered to pay her fee to take charge of how the case is handled. They seem to be quite domineering.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I had no idea. Rosalyn must have thought it was their decision to make or she would not have agreed. And she also assumed it would take a hassle off your hands. After what happened…”
Delta fought a sense of embarrassment at the idea Rosalyn knew that the shopkeepers wanted her to give back her honorary title, but then the incongruity of it all struck her. She tilted her head. “Rosalyn always minds the Lodge’s good name so much. Isn’t she worried about taking in this display connected to a murder?”
“Oh, Rosalyn knows all about it.” Ray rolled his eyes. “That’s why I mentioned the investment-banker husband. Rosalyn is duly impressed with all the influential people he knows and confident they will now all flock to the Lodge to train their horses in our beautiful countryside. The sinister sides to the display mean nothing to her if she can attract wealthier clientele.”
“Yes, Tabitha VanderHurst did mention to me she came here especially for her horse,” Delta said. “I assume they are regulars at your hotel?”
Ray shook his head. “This is their first time out here, I gathered.”
“How odd. I thought they came here because they knew the area.”
“They could have stayed somewhere else before. But Rosalyn is determined to make them fans of the Lodge now. Them and all of their friends and acquaintances.”
Delta frowned. Jonas had told her that the VanderHursts were getting divorced. But Tabitha was acting like there was no such thing as a breach impending, using her husband’s status to secure transfer of Tilly’s display to the hotel.
Then again, the VanderHursts were in therapy, Jonas had said, so maybe Tabitha was confident their marriage would survive?
Ray said apologetically, “You know how Rosalyn gets when status is concerned. I do hope you’re not angry. She has arranged for some van to pull up in front of Wanted and transfer the whole thing tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow morning?! Like I said, I don’t know if Tilly even knows about it.” Delta noticed that her customers had selected the sticker sheets they wanted and had come to the cash register. “Sorry, have to help them first.”
She gave them a special price, chatted about what they had in mind for the workshop, and then saw them off. As she shut the door, her mind focused again on what Ray had told her. She said to him, “I’ll give Rosalyn a call to ask what she agreed to exactly. I’m afraid I’ll have to explain to her that it wasn’t Mrs. VanderHurst’s decision to make after all.”
“Fine, but don’t mention that I told you. She’ll think I ran here to complain or something.” He leaned over closer and whispered, “She’s not a fan of Hazel as it is. You know she wasn’t happy, either, with Finn dating Isabel.”
Isabel was Ray and Rosalyn’s younger sister. Rosalyn had never supported Isabel’s relationship with Hazel’s brother Finn.
Ray confided, “Now that he’s out of town, she’s trying to get Isabel to break it off with him.”
“Explicitly?” Delta asked.
“No, more subtly. She points out that Finn could call or email more often. She introduces Isabel to nice men whom she thinks more suitable. That sort of thing.” Ray shrugged. “Anyway, she’s eager to erase Finn from the family, and I don’t think she’d be happy if his sister got into it now.”
“But you are determined that you want to know Hazel better?” Delta asked.
Ray held her gaze. “I don’t know exactly what I feel for Hazel. Maybe it’s just that she keeps turning me down. It intrigues me.”
Delta knew Ray usually pretended to take life easy, and he was deeper than he showed. “So it’s the thrill of the hunt?” she said with a raised eyebrow.
Ray laughed softly. “You know it’s more than that, Delta. Especially now with this trouble in town, the shop being maligned and all, I want to protect Hazel, offer her a shoulder to lean on. But she’s so independent she doesn’t seem to need it at all. Maybe I’m wasting my time. I want to have tried.” He looked past her. “I think she’s almost done with those customers.”
“Good. Then I’m going into the back to call Rosalyn.” Delta winked at him and disappeared. She took a deep breath while selecting the phone number. She and Rosalyn had never gotten along very well, and, although Rosalyn wasn’t the type to be openly hostile, she never missed an opportunity to let Delta feel she had come to Tundish recently and wasn’t really a part of the community yet. That she still had to earn her place.
“Lodge Hotel, the manager speaking.”
“Hi, Rosalyn, it’s me, Delta. I heard a rumor that you’re sending someone over to collect the display in the morning?”
“Yes. I wanted to call you about it. It’s better for all parties. With the display in town people will keep talking about it. If it’s here, the tension can evaporate. That’s how the VanderHursts feel, and I want to respect their opinion.”
“The VanderHursts?” Delta feigned confusion. “How would they be entitled to make this decision?”
“Tabitha is Tilly’s sister, and she always fought hard to give her a decent life. She can’t help it that Tilly is so eccentric. She only wants what is best for her.”
It sounded like words straight from Tabitha’s own mouth.
Delta countered, “The display belongs to Tilly. She’s entitled to decide where it is and who takes care of it. She agreed with me to have it on display here for two weeks.”
Rosalyn sighed. “Delta, you have to see the truth.” She didn’t say it in a harsh tone, more like a teacher explaining something to the kid in class who’s always last to catch on. “Wanted is under fire. People aren’t happy you got shopkeeper of the season and then were embroiled in murder.”
“You make it sound like I personally killed someone,” Delta protested, but Rosalyn kept talking as if she hadn’t even heard.
“They’re clamoring for you to return the title. That would be a tremendous loss of face. It would harm your business beyond belief. I don’t want you to go through that. I’m taking the thing off your hands. Also, for Hazel’s sake.” She sniffed. “After all, she’s the sister of the man my sister might marry.”
“I thought you never were in favor of the marriage between Finn and Isabel.” Delta couldn’t resist saying.
“People misunderstand my meaning. I’m not an emotional person. I tend to see things rationally and think about the long-term consequences. It’s very important to me that people I care for don’t make rash decisions and harm themselves. I’m only asking Isabel to test the depth of her feelings for Finn. To protect her from an impromptu alliance she will later regret. You don’t have sisters, Delta, so you don’t understand how that is.”
