Page 9

Darla Taylor showed up at the house around nine on Wednesday morning. She brought coffee from the bookstore as well as a dozen of Sadie’s snowflake cookies. I’d already taken Emma running and Amanda was up and making birdseed packets. We’d stopped at a garden supply store and bought the seed on the way home yesterday.

Greg hadn’t made it home for dinner, but he’d promised he’d be here tonight since Jim and Beth were coming for family dinner. We were grilling steaks, and I was making mac and cheese to go with it along with a salad. Simple, but filling. I’d put off picking up my dress until tomorrow because Amanda wanted to take Beth to Santa Barbara for the day. We had two more days to fit in all the tourist stops Amanda wanted to hit before the wedding. Friday was busy with the rehearsal dinner and Saturday was all about the wedding. Greg and I had a room in a nearby upscale hotel on the beach for Saturday night and he’d promised we’d have brunch together Sunday morning. Then life would go back to normal, which was actually crazy, until the honeymoon. Maybe Amanda and I would have more time then.

Or whenever Greg found out who killed Kane. The guy was dead and he was still messing with my life. At least he wouldn’t be attending any more of the business-to-business meetings. But now I had to deal with his brother, Roger.

“So, Jill, what have you heard about Kane’s death? Is it going to affect you having the wedding at the mission?” Darla directed a question to me after opening with a few conversational questions for Amanda. Darla never showed up without an agenda. She was my friend, but she also was the local newspaper reporter. And when Darla was on an assignment, she didn’t let go until she found out what she needed to know. “I know the two of you we ren’t friends.”

“I barely knew him. Go interview the mayor. He and Kane were buddy-buddy. Or they were until the mayor found out Kane was filing for a religious exemption on the property.” I broke a cookie in half and nibbled on one side. I would eat the whole thing, but maybe this would keep me from eatin g two. Or more.

“Wouldn’t that be a thing? Maybe the mayor killed Kane for failing to add to his tax base.” Darla giggled. “Of course, he wouldn’t have killed him. It would have been Tina. Tina always does the wet work in that relationship.”

“I take it Tina’s his wife?” Amanda sipped her coffee, clearly amused by the conve rsational turn.

“For better or worse. Tina’s in it for the long haul. I think she believes that someday Baylor might take her to the top of the California political heap, at least.” Darla explained our mayor and his wife’s agenda. Then she turned back to me. “So you’re telling me you haven’t been investigating after finding Kane’s b ody on Sunday?”

“Darla, I’ve been a little busy,” I tr ied to explain.

Amanda held up her hand. “I’m afraid I’m keeping Jill too busy to get involved with Greg’s investigation. Well, me and the wedding. Do you want to help us make birdseed packets while we chat?”

The look on Darla’s face was priceless. There was nothing she would more hate to do more when she had on her reporter hat. “Sorry, I need to go check out my next lead. Jill, please just think of me if you hear anything. I need to put this story to bed by Thursday night. Especially since we have the rehear sal on Friday.”

I smiled at Amanda. “Darla’s one of m y bridesmaids.”

“Oh, fun. So we’ll have lots of time to chat. My other son Jim and his girlfriend are arriving today. I’m sure Beth will be able to help me finish these up in no time.”

Darla stood and motioned me to follow her to the front door. “I didn’t think you wanted all the trappings of a tradit ional wedding.”

“It makes her happy.” I shrugged. “As long as we don’t have candlelighters and ten sets of groomsmen and bridesmaids, I’m fine with a little birdseed. Besides, it’s outdoors and the birds will appreciate it.”

“Just remember, it’s your day. Well, yours and Greg’s.” Darla pulled me into a quick hug. “I can’t believe you two are getting mar ried. Finally.”

“Don’t hold your breath until I walk down the aisle on Saturday. Lots could go wrong between now and then.” I glanced over at Amanda, who was counting out her packets and making piles of ten. “I don’t wa nt to jinx it.”

Darla stepped out onto the porch. “The one thing I’ve found out is that Roger Matthews has a bit of a rap sheet. He’s not the angel his brother was. Or maybe Roger was always the brawn and Kane was the brain.”

“Why would he kill his brother? That would be like killing the golden goose, right?” I thought about the open house. The security the compound had set up was over-the-top. “And if Roger was in charge of security, he could play to his strengths, not pretend to be in touch with some higher power. Kane was off-the-charts charisma tic. Is Roger?”

“That’s a good question. I don’t know. But you can be sure I’ll find out.” Darla pulled out her phone and texted a note.

“Just be careful,” I called as she walked out to her vehicle. “I don’t want to have to replace a bridesmai d last minute.”

“I love you too,” Darla responded as she held a hand above her head to wave at me.

As I closed the door, I realized I was worried about Darla pushing the wrong buttons with the New Hope group. I’d seen firsthand yesterday the power they had over their people. If Darla got in their way, she could be thrown into one of those vans and disappear. Just like Carlie and the other woman taken in by the police, who were now in the local hospital’s mental ward on a seventy-two-hour hold. They’d both reacted violently to seeing their family member. The Bakerstown police chief suspected they had some kind of drug in their system, so he had them tested and kept safe until he could be sure he was getting the full story.

Greg had been called to Bakerstown last night to help with Molly. Vince was pushing her to “claim” her daughter and take her out of there. Greg told Molly if she took Carlie now, her daughter would just run back to New Hope. At least with the medical hold, she’d be drug-free when she made her choice. And maybe Molly could help Carlie make th e right choice.

Greg had told me all this as we sat and ate warmed-up pizza after he’d finally come home last night. He didn’t think Molly was involved in Kane’s death, but he hadn’t been able to ru le her out yet.

When I came back to the kitchen, Amanda looked up. “Anything you want to talk about?”

I shook my head. “Darla’s always looking for a story. Even when there isn’t one yet. Greg will find out who killed Kane Matthews, not only because he’s good at investigating, but because he wants justice to win. Sometimes the press wants quick results when it’s really a lot more than a paragraph on page one w ith a picture.”

“And yet, you’re friends with her ,” Amanda said.

I smiled as I moved the cookies out of my reach and grabbed an apple to cut up. “She’s a fierce friend and I’m luck y to have her.”

Amanda smiled at that description but didn’t respond.

After our coffee was gone, I opened my laptop. “So, what else is on you r to-see list?”

She shut my laptop. “Let’s hang around the house today. I need a break. When Beth and Jim arrive, they’re going to be a lot. If you need to do anything for the wedding or go shopping, that’s fine. I’ll just hang out h ere with Emma.”

I wanted to chat with Amy and see whatever paperwork the New Hope group had put in when they opened their compound. I also wanted to run to the library at the college and see if I could find out anything about Kane, his brother, or the church itself. Then I wanted to stop at the mortuary, where our county coroner lived and worked. Doc Ames loved to chat about his cases and I could pretend that I was there to see if he and Carrie were coming to the wedding.

All things I couldn’t do with Amanda. Not without Greg finding out. I tucked my laptop into a tote. “This works out great. I need to check in at the shop, then run to Bakerstown and pick up some things for dinner. I’ll be back no later than four. Jim and Beth are due in at six, right?”

“That’s what they said. Jim’s usually early, so I’d expect them around five,” Amanda warned as she moved to the couch. “I’d love to relax with a movie. Seeing Vince the other day, well, he’s draining. Even on his best behavior.”

Man, I understood that. I’d been in relationships like that, where it was all about the other guy. Walking on eggshells and trying not to cause a scene. “Do you want me to bring you back anything?”

“I wouldn’t say no to a bag of peanut M&M’s.” Amanda turned on the television. “Anything special I need t o do for Emma?”

“She’ll tell you when she needs to go outside. Just don’t leave her out alone. And only in the backyard. We have too much traffic for her to be out front. There are wild animals that like to hunt local pets. Although most of them are smaller than Emma. I just don’t want to take a ch ance with her.”

“I’m a good babysitter, I promise.” She patted the couch and Emma came up to lie beside her. My dog could be bribed with a movie. Or a treat. Or a rub on the head. Basically, any kin d of attention.

I grabbed my keys. “I’ll see you i n a few, then.”

I headed to see Amy first. If I ran into Greg, I could explain it away with wedding banter. Just like Amanda had at the fabric store. I just hoped Greg was busy enough to be as gullible as the Bakerstown off icers had been.

The mayor’s car wasn’t parked in his assigned spot, so I thought I might have lucked out. When I went in the front door of city hall, Amy was standing in the hallway, refilling her water bottle. “Hey, friend.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you were on tour guide duty all week?” Amy closed her pink bottle and hugged me. “Not that I’m complaining. Do you have t ime for lunch?”

“Not today, sorry. Greg’s brother is showing up for dinner tonight with his girlfriend. Amanda loves this girl, so I need to make sure the food is good to even be in the running for her attention.” I followed her into her office. “I wanted to know if you had the New Hope file close by and if I cou ld look at it.”

“You’re investigating?” Amy shook her head, incredulous. “You are getting married on Saturday, have your in-laws to entertain, and have a store to run. And you want to add in solving a murder? Are you crazy? I would have checked myself into a spa for the week.”

“And yet you didn’t,” I reminded her. “Anyway, I’m not investigating. I just don’t understand who Kane was or the structure of New Hope. I know I don’t need to know, but when has that ev er stopped me?”

“Well, if Greg asks, you found it on my desk. Open.” She pulled it out of a drawer. “You’re not the first to ask. Esmeralda made a copy of the file yesterday. That’s why it’s still here. I figured there might be others who wanted to see it. Besides, the mayor doesn’t like me to leave the desk unattended. Even for a trip back to the file room.”

“I promise I’ll keep you out of it.” I grabbed the file and sat in Amy’s visitor chair, taking a picture of each page as I flipped through. I’d read it later. A name jumped out at me. “Maryanne Matthews? That’s right, she said she was married to…” I couldn’t remember the guy’s name.

“She was Kane’s sister-in-law. She’s married to Roger. Or at least that’s the rumor. I don’t think there’s a legal marriage license in the bunch.” Amy leaned forward. “I hear they found ten girls hidden on the compound.”

“Close, but it was only two. And they were at the fabric store when the police stepped in. They didn’t look like they wanted to leave anytime soon.” I took a picture and turned the page. It was copies of three driver’s licenses. Kane, Roger, and Maryanne. I took another picture. Their licenses were from Oregon. “They aren’t local.”

“They had a compound in Oregon, but they were growing too big and that’s why they moved down here. They thought the political climate was m ore conducive.”

I looked up at Amy. “More conducive than Oregon? That a pretty liberal state.”

Amy shrugged. “That’s what they said. Anyway, that ’s all I have.”

“I guess if you were run out of your old town you wouldn’t tell your new town your troubles, right?” I finished taking pictures of the information in the file. Thank goodness Amy was my friend. If not, I’d have had to file actual paperwork to get the information and then Greg would find out. And right now, I’d rather not fight about me sticking my nose in his business. At least befo re the wedding.

I closed the file and handed it back to her. “Don’t you think it’s weird that two brothers were at the helm of this church? I can’t see both of them being ca lled to serve.”

“Sometimes it happens. The church becomes a family business.” Amy put the file in her drawer. “Do you believe that either Kane Matthews or his brother were called to lead a church? I’m probably not the best person to talk to about this. Have you talked to Pastor Bill? I know he had some strong feelings about New Hope’s addition to our community.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll go see him.” I glanced at my watch. There was no way I would get to Bakerstown and back if I went to see Bill. Besides, I’d see him Friday when he was at our wedding rehearsal. Maybe I could sneak in a conversation then. Or just before the wedding. Didn’t he do counseling for people getting married? I could say I wanted to talk abo ut the wedding.

Greg was going to kill me and I was going to hell for using my own wedding as a means to investigate Kane’s murder. It w as that simple.

As I walked to the door that led outside, Amy called after me. “No one would think anything of it if you just stayed out of this investigation. You’ve got a lot going on with your personal life. Like a wedding. No need to be at odds with your groom. Believe me, you’ll find plenty to fight about afte r the wedding.”

I knew Amy was right. I should stay out of this. I walked to the Jeep, but instead of getting in and going home, I crossed the street and went to the bookstore. I could still change my mind about going. But I needed at least a dozen cookies. Maybe two. One for the house and my additional visiting in-laws. And a doze n for Doc Ames.

Judith was manning the store this morning. She had her short gray hair dyed purple this month. She grinned as I came into the store. “Hey, boss, I’m glad I saw you before your big day. I told Deek and Evie that I’d work that Saturday since Tilly needed the hours. I’ll send my gift o ver with Deek.”

“You don’t have to give us a gift.” I slid onto a stool and glanced around the bookstore. People were sitting at a few of the tables, some over on the couch, reading. It felt very Zen. “You’ve got a nice group of people. It’s usually dead in here on Wednesdays.”

“Most of these people are from my yoga class. I told them I had additional hours this week. They try to get in and support me. It’s kind of sweet.” She smiled at the younger group in the shop. “And then there’s my hiking group, they come in on Saturdays when I work. I think they want to try to talk me into go ing with them.”

“You know you don’t have to work full-time if you don’t want to.” As we talked, I sipped the coffee she’d poured for me.

“I do if I’m going to Italy next year. I’m already trying recipes from an Italian cookbook and I’ve been taking a language class at the local college on Thursday nights. That’s why I can’t work then.” She lowered her voice. “So, are yo u here hiding?”

“Hiding?” Now I was confused.

“From your houseguest. I didn’t get along with my mother-in-law, but she’s gone now. She would have been so happy to hear that her precious son and I divorced a few years ago. But she didn’t live long enough to celebrate.”

I chuckled. “Actually, I like Amanda. I think she likes me, but who knows. Anyway, I need two boxes of a dozen cookies each. Can you just char ge my account?”

“Not marketing?” She grabbed a box from under the counter. When I shook my head, she pointed the tongs toward the case. “Anyt hing specific?”

“Whatever you have the most of. I don’t want to leave you short.” While Judith set up my cookies, I checked my email to make sure I wasn’t missing anything wedding-related. I had a reminder from the bridal shop for the appointment to pick up my dress tomorrow. Everything else was confirmations of the place and time. I had an email from an author looking for a place to hold a signing. I forwarded that to Deek. He was my au thor whisperer.

Judith put a bag holding the boxes on the counter in front of me. She glanced at my barely touched coffee. “Are you staying around to drink that or do you want a fresh one in a travel mug?”

“You can put this in a mug, then just add more coffee.” I handed her the cup, then put my phone away. “I’ll be happy to have everything back to nor mal next week.”

“Then you’ll go off on your honeymoon and have to reacclimate again. But traveling is so worth it. Do you know where he’s taking you yet?” She finished off the coffee and put a lid on top of it before ha nding it to me.

I took the coffee and grabbed the bag. “Not a clue, and it’s making me a little anxious. I don’t know how to pack. Or if I need to go shopping. He’s being tight-lipped around the location.”

“I’m sure you’ll love it, no matter where you wind up. You kids love each other, even a cynic like me can see that.” She waved up a new customer who was standing off to the side, not wanting to interrupt our conversation. “Have a wonderful weekend, Jill.”

As long as I got my sleuthing done without Greg finding out, I just might have a won derful weekend.

Jessica Fletcher never had these type s of conflicts.