Smoked (The Alex Harris Mystery Series) Page 20

  “So what happened? Why are you not working there anymore?

  Nadine leaned forward and the sun caught her aubergine hair. I wondered how she kept it so shiny.

  “For one, I don’t have the time and the business itself is a bust. I knew that from the beginning. Too much competition. I also knew Maria and she would have moved on to something else after a while. All I wanted was my cut. I thought Ryan was buying cheap stuff, pocketing the rest of the money and I wanted a part of that.”

  “And you don’t want it anymore?” I asked.

  She shook her head vigorously. “I was unpacking boxes one afternoon.”

  “And?” I prompted.

  “There wasn’t much in them.”

  “Right. Just those hemp things.”

  “No. No. What I mean is each box was almost empty. Not much stuff in them. Why would they pack up stuff like that? They could have put the contents from four boxes in one. So I got to thinking there was other stuff in there and Ryan took it out before he gave me the boxes to inventory.”

  “What kind of stuff?”

  Nadine gave me a look. “What do you think? I’m figuring he’s bringing in drugs or something from China. Did you know this whole operation, the Vegan View, was his idea to begin with? He kind of planted it in Maria’s head. I think all along he was looking for someone to front an operation, any operation, really, but basically something that had the capability of importing stuff. Anyway, I never actually saw any drugs or guns or whatever was in those boxes before I got to them but I don’t want any part of that shit. You think I want to be involved with drug dealers? Forget it. I’m already thinking about packing up and leaving. I told Ryan I had too much to do at work and wanted to apply for another promotion. I hope he bought it. He seemed to, anyway, and I think he kind of hoped I would leave. I’m sure he didn’t want to share that kind of money with me or anyone. But you know, I was blackmailing him, kind of, and if he thinks I know too much about what he’s up to, which I don’t, and if he’s the one who killed Maria, then I’m probably next.”

  “And do you think he did kill Maria?” I asked.

  “Hell, I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. All I wanted was to find a better job with some potential for making some big bucks, you know. I don’t want to be mixed up with anything dangerous. If you see Ryan again, just tell him I’m doing great, keeping busy at the university 24/7 and I don’t have any time to be involved with the Vegan View.”

  I left a visibly shaken Nadine and wondered if her life really was in danger. I was almost to my car when I felt someone come up alongside me.

  “Alex, thank you so much for helping with the students. I can’t believe you got two interviews so quickly,” Deanna Moffet said. “Listen, I have to run, but I saw you and just wanted to say thanks. Let me know if anything else comes through.” She took off across the campus.

  Once again I was amazed at how some things just seemed to fall into place. I knew there was no direct money for Always Prepared in any of this but at the same time we were helping some young students find work. Hopefully they and Deanna would remember us if they ever found themselves in the need of some of our other services. As a matter of fact, I planned to send Deanna a packet of everything Always Prepared offered so that maybe she could distribute it to people at the university. They already used our services but it never hurt to keep our name in front of them and show them all we could do.

  I left the university and at the next intersection I saw a truck from Sergei’s shop heading onto the campus’ service road. It never dawned on me that Sergei supplied meat products for the school but then I remembered how he and Maria had met when she was a student.

  As I headed back to Indian Cove I wondered if there was any significance with Sergei’s butcher shop supplying the university with meat and the murders. I couldn’t think of how it could all be connected, especially since Maria hadn’t worked there for a while. I made a mental note to ask Ellery the next time I saw her.

  I had spent a good part of my day trying to come up with a killer in Ryan or George or Nadine because after my walk through the woods yesterday morning with Henry, I felt certain the murderer had to be Ellery and I didn’t want that to be true. So I set out to find something to knock my theory down and came up empty handed—except my suspicions of Ryan were right and I would have to let John know. Like Nadine, if the guy was involved in drug dealing, I wanted no part of it. These organized drug operations scared the crap out of me.

  I really needed to get back to the office and let my sister know I was still alive, but I wanted to tie up one more loose end—Frank and Carol Corliss. I knew deep down they had nothing to do with the murders but what kind of a detective would I be if I didn’t at least ask them about Nena Connick. And besides, after them the only two left on my list were Sergei and Ellery. One of them killed two women and I was grasping at straws hoping to find someone else before I had to finally settle on them.

  I exited the turnpike and headed for the Corliss home.

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Why do some people have good luck and for others life just seems to be full of potholes? I always considered myself one of the lucky ones. I was no smarter than the average person, I didn’t have an Ivy League education and I wasn’t born into a family with a lot of money and yet things always seemed to fall into place for me.

  Sure, I was a hard worker, was raised with good values and lived a quiet simple life devoid of big expenditures and a lot of stuff I didn’t need. But still. Maybe it was the Catholic guilt thing again that had been hanging over my head since my first Catechism class. It wasn’t that I felt I didn’t deserve what I had, I was just very cognizant of the fact I was lucky.

  Why did my business thrive—most of the time—while others, like the Corliss’ fail? I was comparing apples and oranges here and I knew there were no answers but I felt bad that Frank and Carol Corliss had a dream and it went to hell. Having to let go of a life-long wish could do strange things to people, maybe even turn them into killers.

  With both of them back to work I wasn’t even sure I would find either of them home, but at least I could say I tried. A car was in the driveway when I got there and I walked up the path to their front door and rang the bell.

  “Ms. Harris. Didn’t think I’d see you again, and so soon. Come on in. Carol should be home in a couple of minutes.”

  I walked into the living room and took a seat.

  “So what can I do for you? Can I get you anything? I was just putting on a pot of coffee.”

  I suddenly remembered I never had lunch. I didn’t think the man’s offer extended to making me a sandwich, but I could definitely use some tea. “Sure. I would love a cup of tea.”

  A few minutes later Frank Corliss brought in a steaming mug and, bless his heart, a plate of cookies.

  “I haven’t had any time to read the papers in the last week and we were never much for TV news. Is there anything more going on there?”

  I shook my head while I swallowed the cookie I had practically inhaled. “No. Nothing new on her murder.”

  I heard a car door slam and a moment later Carol Corliss came in through the kitchen.

  “Alex, I thought that was your car? What’s going on? Do you have more questions for us?”

  Carol took a seat across from me and her husband brought in a cup of coffee and set it on a small table next to her.

  “Thanks, hon.”

  “I must say,” I began, “you two look much better than when we first met.”

  “Two paychecks coming in. Found someone to take over the lease on the restaurant this week and they wanted most of the equipment. Things are much better.” Frank looked over at his wife and smiled. “So what is this all about?”

  “Truth is we’re trying to put this all behind us. Now that we’re totally out of the restaurant business we just need to forget about it and return to our old lives, which weren’t bad by the way,” Carol said and then took a sip of her coffee. �
�Frank said you stopped by last week and he told you I’m getting into the catering business. Part time, and just for fun this time. No big expectations. Things are definitely looking better for us.”

  “I’m very glad to hear it. Hopefully after tonight, you won’t see me again but I need to ask you about the other murder. I’m not sure if they’re related or not but it’s just such a coincidence.”

  Carol and Frank exchanged looks.

  “What other murder?” Frank asked. “Did something else happen? I told you we haven’t had a chance to catch up on the news this week what with finalizing all the paperwork and stuff.”

  “It was over in Lodendale. A woman was killed.”

  Carol shook her head. “No, we didn’t hear anything about that. How does it figure into that Kravec woman getting killed?”

  “The police aren’t sure that it does. But the two women were vaguely connected so I thought I’d stop by and see if you knew her. She worked as a waitress at the truck stop here in Indian Cove. Her name was Nena Connick.”

  Carol Corliss brought a hand up to her heart. “Oh my God! Nena is dead? Murdered?

  Chapter Sixty

  “You knew her?” I asked. I mean what were the chances? And to think I almost didn’t stop by and talk them.

  “Sure, we’ve known Nena for years,” Frank said. “We like eating over at the truck stop. Good food, fair prices. You wouldn’t think they had vegetarian dishes but they had a real nice selection of stuff.”

  “Why would someone kill Nena?” Carol asked. Tears sprang to her eyes and her husband sat down next to her and wrapped her in his arms.

  I shrugged. “The police have no idea. The only reason I’m looking into it is like I said, there was a connection between Nena and Mrs. Kravec.”

  “What kind of connection? How did they know each other?” Carol asked.

  I didn’t want to besmirch their friend’s name so I just told them I wasn’t quite sure how they knew each other though once they turned on the news or picked up a paper they would figure it all out. “So you were good friends with Nena?” I pried instead, hoping maybe the Corliss’ already knew about Nena’s affair with Sergei.

  Carol waved her hand. “Oh, no, we just knew her from the restaurant and then when we opened up the Natural World, she came by a few times and even told some of her customers at the truck stop about us.”

  “She was a real nice lady,” Frank added.

  “Can you think of any reason why someone would kill her?”

  “Of course not!” Carol said. “I can’t even think why someone would kill Mrs. Kravec and she was nasty.”

  There didn’t seem to be anything else to ask so I left Frank and Carol to grieve for their friend.

  I was tired and hungry and just wanted to get home but I’d left my one and only pair of reading glasses at the office and I used them when I knit. I wanted to start on the scarf I had promised Mary-Beth and so I swung by the office expecting it to be all dark, but the light in the reception area was on and I could see Millie at her desk.

  “Millie, what are you still doing here?”

  “Ellery came to visit.” Millie rolled her eyes and pointed surreptitiously behind me.

  I turned around. “Ellery. Millie, why don’t you go on home and thank you.”

  “I need to talk with you,” Ellery said as she followed me into my office.

  Truth was she was the last person I wanted to see because I felt sure she killed two women. And did I just send Millie home only to leave myself alone, at night, with this murderess? But she was here and I didn’t see a syringe anywhere in sight so I might as well ask her some questions.

  “Okay. But first let me ask you something before I forget. Do you know if your father’s shop supplies meat to the university?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “For how long?”

  She pushed a piece of her curly hair away from her face. “Forever.”

  “Was there ever any conflict because your mother was a professor there?”

  She shook her head. “No. My father’s shop sold them meat long before he and my mom got married. Besides, my father doesn’t do deliveries. At least not anymore. He has drivers for that. And my mom didn’t use her married name at work. So no one would ever put them together anyway.”

  “Your mother used her maiden name? Shruder?” I asked. Did this mean anything? I didn’t know but it was another bit of information I didn’t have and now that I did I had no idea what to do with it. “Listen, Ellery, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “Do you know Nena Connick was killed the other night?”

  “That’s actually why I stopped by. My dad told me. He was pretty upset about it. And then the police showed up and took him to the station again. They think he killed both of them. He didn’t!” She leaned forward and banged the desk with her fist. “And you need to hurry up and find out who did. Alex, please.”

  I leaned back in my chair and thought about the wisdom of asking my next question. Maybe I should pull out my cell and keep my finger on the speed dial button for John. “Remember what you said the other day when you showed up all upset? You said if Nena didn’t leave your dad alone you wouldn’t be responsible for your actions.”

  “Yeah, I guess. I was upset.” Ellery’s blue eyes widened. “Oh, no! You don’t think I killed her. You know I couldn’t do that. And besides, the police think the same person killed my mom and that lady. Do you think I killed my mother? Do you? Is this why you haven’t found anyone else because all this time you thought it was me?” Ellery got up to leave.

  “Ellery! Wait. Please, sit down.”

  Ellery sniffled and grabbed a tissue from the box on my desk and then sat back down.

  “You hired me to find your mother’s killer and I have to look at everyone and that includes you. And your father. And I have to be truthful, here. I have found a few people who may have had reasons to kill your mom, but not one of them knew anything about Nena. Only you and your father knew both women.”

  “Okay,” she said as she slumped back in the chair. “I guess I can see why you could think that, but it’s just not true so there’s got to be someone else. Don’t stop. You have to keep looking.”

  I sighed, took a handful of M&M’s and pushed the jar over to Ellery. “Well, all right, but I’m not sure what else I can do.”

  “Just keep looking. Someone else did this and you need to find them before my dad goes to prison.”

  “I will. I’ll keep looking. I promise.”

  Ellery started to leave but then sat back down again. “By the way, I took your advice,” she said as she popped another candy in her mouth, “to try online dating.”

  Did I tell Ellery to try online dating? I didn’t think I had but here she was all excited about it.

  “Well, good for you, Ellery.” I tried to keep my voice light and cheery. “But how about finding some good friends to do stuff with first and then maybe they can introduce you to someone.” Of course, Ellery’s new friends might be ones all wearing the same orange jumpsuit but on the off chance I was wrong I tried to remember she had just lost her mother and needed something to fill her life. I seriously doubted this online stuff would come to anything, given my past experiences, but then she surprised me.

  “I just signed up over the weekend and someone already contacted me! He thinks we should meet and everything. Here, read what he wrote me.” She pushed her cell phone at me and I took a look and read out loud.

  “Consider me if you want to experience the depth of intimacy and pleasures, not just superficial encounters. Tantric experiences respect each lover’s boundaries, and produce a deep, honest, and trusting connection. Let’s explore our possibilities.” I looked at Ellery and tried my hardest not to laugh. Could someone this naïve really have killed two people? It was hard to imagine but despite telling her I would continue to look for the killer I didn’t see my efforts leading to anyone else. I
t had to be either Ellery or her father. Or both of them together. Hmm. Now there was an interesting scenario.

  “So what do you think? He sounds romantic, huh?”

  “More like full of it. Look, trust me on this. If you haven’t already paid for the service, don’t. This…this,” I handed the phone back to her, “isn’t romantic. This is some guy trying to get, well, get you in bed. Ellery, make some friends. Go out with some of your colleagues after work for dinner or something. Take time to get over your mom and get your life on track. It will all work out. Really.” That is as long as she wasn’t a killer and headed for prison.

  Those Angelina Jolie lips of hers were in full pout but then she shrugged. “Okay. I guess you’re right. And what’s all that tantric stuff anyway?”

  I let the subject of this online lothario drop and I walked her out of the office all the while wondering if Ellery had just played me again.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  It had been two weeks since Maria Kravec was killed. According to cop shows on TV, if the killer isn’t found within the one-hour time limit of the program, what were the chances of finding the culprit ever? Okay, so this was real life but I think timing was just as crucial and I was way past the expiration date. But then so were the police so I didn’t feel so bad. I mean, if the professionals hadn’t been able to figure this whole thing out, how was I going to? But I made a promise, so I had an obligation. Besides, Mrs. Kravec was my neighbor; albeit one I didn’t know very well, but still.

  I drove past my house. It was totally dark which meant John was not home. I could just go in, make a salad and finish wrapping the gifts for John’s mother but I didn’t feel like being alone. I was just about to drive over to Meme’s when I noticed my other neighbor’s house. Mr. and Mrs. Ianoti lived across the street from me and their lights were on.