Murder Actually Read online

  I was three chapters into The Cupcake Chronicles, and thought I could probably bang out another thousand words if I made a second pot of coffee. I’d only been working a few minutes when there was a knock at my kitchen door.

  “Good morning, early bird,” Julia chirped. She looked fresh and pretty in a yellow sundress and matching shrug, and I glanced down at my stained T-shirt and gray sweats in dissatisfaction. Blue jumped down from the table and began nosing through her tote bag.

  “Good morning,” I grumbled. “What are you doing here?”

  She got out a mug and poured herself a cup of coffee. “I wanted to hear about your date.”

  “I had the duck. It was a little dry.”

  “Not what you had to eat! I want to hear about Jasper Ware.”

  I filled Julia in on the details from Sergeant Jack and my observations from the studio. “My guess is that Alex Ware was in financial trouble over Ware Realty and Jasper’s death was very convenient for him. Sergeant Jack told me that under the terms of Jasper’s will Alex inherits half a million dollars and an interest in future royalties from Jasper’s books.”

  Julia whistled. “According to my sources, money is usually the motive for murder,” she said importantly.

  “Your sources?”

  “Ms. Weebles, Mrs. Murphy, Diesel the Cat, Koko, Yum-Yum…”

  Her voice trailed away as I put down my cup. “I can’t pretend to share your expertise, but I think passion might’ve been the motive. As much as it pains me to imagine Jasper in bed with anyone, he was missing for six hours the afternoon before he died and I found that hotel receipt in his studio. I think he was with a woman.”

  Julia’s eyes widened. “Another woman? Besides Violet? The man was a machine. Maybe I underestimated him.” She reached into her handbag and pulled out her pink and green notebook. “While you were out cavorting with Hunky Jack, I was interviewing suspects. I’ve noticed that it’s always the tiny, inconsequential detail that Ms. Weebles uses to solve the crime, so I tried to write down things just as people told me.”

  I leafed through Julia’s collection of notes and lists, which read like Agatha Christie’s yearbook: Most Likely to Kill; Least Believable Alibi; Person Who Looks Most Like a Serial Killer... I stopped and observed Julia.

  “Didn’t you find it a little embarrassing, interrogating our friends?”

  Julia stuck her gum on a rough diagram of Inkwell and shook her head. “You can’t look at it that way, Betts. It’s business. Just be direct about it and you’d be surprised what people will tell you.”

  “I’ll do my best. Is there any method to your madness?”

  “Well, you know our suspects. I asked them the last time they saw Jasper and Violet and where they were when the lights went out at Inkwell.”

  I opened the notebook and started reading. The first statement was from Rose Elliott.

  Isn’t this exciting? And horrible, of course, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be part of a murder investigation. Provided I wasn’t the murderer, which I’m not. Anyway, the night of the book reading I last saw Jasper Ware sometime around seven-thirty. He was talking with Violet near the front door. They appeared to be arguing but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I wish now I’d been closer! It was a little after that when the lights went out. I was standing at the front of the store talking to Sabrina when someone pushed me and I cut my head. It bled a lot but I don’t think it will leave a scar. We left a little after eight and went straight home. I’d just gotten into bed when Charlotte Whipple called and said Jasper Ware had been murdered! I couldn’t believe it. Sabrina didn’t seem too surprised, but then, she knew Jasper much better than I did…

  I lowered the notebook. Blue had rolled over and Julia was rubbing his belly briskly. He was so ecstatic he almost fell off the table.

  “Don’t you think it’s strange Rose didn’t mention Jasper’s engagement?” I asked. “Up until Jasper’s murder it was the most interesting part of my reading.”

  “Maybe the murder wiped it from her memory.” Julia pushed Blue aside and he jumped down from the table with an aggrieved expression.

  “Go outside, Blue,” I commanded.

  He sat back on his haunches and looked at me and then slowly sauntered from the room. Julia looked after him and shook her head.

  “He’s too fat, Elspeth.”

  “Aren’t we all?”

  “Even by our standards he’s too fat.”

  I sighed and got another cup of coffee. “I know. He’s on a diet but what good does it do when he steals food all the time?”

  I gestured towards Rose’s statement. “Not much we didn’t already know.”

  Julia smiled. “Hmmm, keep reading.”

  “What am I looking for?”

  She looked smug. “You’ll know it when you see it.”

  The next statement was from Sabrina Elliott.

  I had a feeling something bad was going to happen at that book reading. Didn’t you feel it, Julia? Foreshadowing is what we call it in the literary world. Anyway, I think I last saw Jasper Ware around seven-thirty and saw Violet about the same time. They were near the front of the shop arguing about one of Jasper’s books; something about Violet having her name on the cover…

  I put down the notebook. “Why would Violet have her name on the cover of one of Jasper’s books? Granted she probably did most of the technical work, but Jasper did all the creative stuff.”

  Julia nodded. “I thought it was strange myself. It’s good to know we’re both so uniquely observant.”

  As a fiction writer I found this description interesting. I hoped the rest of my deductions would meet our surprisingly high standards.

  I saw Violet leave and Jasper walk towards the rear of the store. It was a little after that when the lights went out. I was standing by the front desk with Rose. She fell and cut her head and we left soon after that. Charlotte called around eight-thirty and told us about the murder, so we got dressed and went back to the shop. Elspeth explained about Jasper’s arms, one pointing towards the Hudson and the other towards a stack of Bibles, and Rose remembered the scene from Deadly Harbor. Poor Jasper, he was a total prick but I really don’t see why she… nevermind, don’t write that last part, Julia…

  I lowered the notebook in surprise. “Sabrina thinks Nora did it.”

  “Duh, Betts, half the town thinks Nora did it.”

  Alex Ware’s statement was succinct.

  I last saw both Violet and Jasper just before eight. They were standing near the front door at Inkwell. The lights went out shortly after and Coco and I left once they came back on. I have no idea who could’ve done something like this.

  I put down the notebook again. “He rivals Hemingway. That’s the shortest statement ever.”

  Julia nodded. “I tried to get more out of him but he was very reluctant to talk to me, claimed he was late for a business meeting or something.”

  The next statement was from Coco Ware.

  Alex and I got to the book reading around six. I wanted to make sure I was on time since I was soliciting items for the St. Anne’s Rummage Sale and I needed to talk to Crispin Wickford about the society column. I think it’s so important to support the local arts, don’t you? I mean, an artist doesn’t have to be talented as long as they believe in what they’re doing. That’s the way I see it…

  I stopped and made a face at the notebook. Support the local arts, indeed. Like I was some kind of charity case. I noticed Julia grinning at me and kept reading.

  The reading seemed to go on for ages, but these things always do. I can’t remember when I last saw either Jasper or Violet, but I think it was around seven-thirty. Jasper was arguing with Crispin Wickford about the Gazette; something about a loan I think. Violet was making a nuisance of herself, as usual. She wanted to join the D.A.R.! Can you imagine? Someone like
that? It makes me shudder. I’m pretty sure her family is from Chicago; very Midwest, salt of the earth type, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I told her I’d think about it (I’ve found it’s always better to avoid a direct confrontation with those types of people) and then I went to get something to drink. The next thing I knew the lights went out. Alex and I were near the front desk and when the lights came back on I saw Rose Elliott lying on the floor. She’d cut her head on something, the poor dear. She’s always been so clumsy. I tried to help get her cleaned up but I’m afraid it was a lost cause. Alex came to get me and I think we left a little after eight. Nora called Alex around nine and told us Jasper had been killed. We didn’t find out Violet was dead until the next afternoon when the police interrogated us again. Questioning people in the midst of tragedy is in such poor taste, don’t you agree, Julia?

  I smiled at that last part of the statement. “Coco thinks you’re gauche.”

  Julia rolled her eyes. “She thinks everyone is gauche. At least I’m not from Chicago; apparently that’s a fate worse than being strangled.”

  “Who’s next?” I asked.

  Julia rifled through a messy stack of notes and pulled out a pink legal pad covered in purple ink. I cringed at her methodology and started to read the statement from Crispin Wickford.

  I got to the book reading early, around five-thirty, so I could take pictures of the guests as they arrived. Are you writing this down, Julia? Let me know if you need any of the big words spelled out. The reading itself was quick, but Charlotte is pretty good about offering people booze so they’ll stick around and shop. I had some of the champagne, it was nasty! My preferred drink is Pimm’s and diet lemon-lime soda, but no one offered me any and I was so busy taking pictures I really didn’t have time to socialize. I’m afraid I wasn’t paying much attention until Jasper and Violet made their big announcement! Engaged and still married! Typical Jasper. He thought because he was a big-shot bestseller he was above any moral code. Anyway, the last time I saw Jasper was near the front door. He and Rose Elliot were arguing about St. Anne’s, which I thought was a little strange since Jasper wasn’t a very church-y type of person. Sometime around seven-thirty, or maybe later, I noticed I was low on space on my memory card, so I ran across the street to the Gazette office to get my other camera. I was only gone a few minutes, but the party appeared to be winding down when I got back…

  “Crispin left the party!” I exclaimed. “He could’ve gone back to the Gazette and gotten the dagger and then come back and killed Jasper with no one the wiser.”

  Julia nodded. “As far as I can tell he’s the only person who left and then came back again. Keep reading, it gets more interesting.”

  I glanced at my watch and saw it was almost eight, and decided to use the restroom before I called it a night. I went in just as Alex Ware was coming out, and as soon as I stepped inside the lights went out! It was a bit awkward so I just sat and waited. When the lights came back on I said goodnight to Charlotte and went back to the Gazette to write up my article. I was there until almost two o’clock the next morning. Like I said, it’s very big news to have a murder in All Hallows. Imagine my shock the next day when I learned there was another! I don’t know what is happening to this town, but I blame the internet.

  I lowered the paper.

  “Well,” Julia demanded. “Did you see it?”

  I nodded. “Crispin said Alex Ware was leaving the men’s room when the lights went out, but he and Coco claim they were together at the front of the store. Did you ask Alex about it?”

  Julia shook her head. “I didn’t catch it at the time and I haven’t seen him since. I figured we can tackle him at the Bracebridge Festival.”

  The next statement was from Bootsie Spright and I raised a brow at the frenzied scribbles Julia had made in her efforts to keep up.

  OMG!!! Where should I start? I still can’t believe something like this has happened in All Hallows! Especially after Elspeth was talking about daggers and stormy nights at her book reading! Then, BAM, Jasper winds up dead with a dagger in his back! Or was it his chest? I really don’t remember. What? Oh yeah, my statement. I got to Inkwell a little before seven. I was pissed off because Marshall wouldn’t come with me, but you know what men are, right? Totally. Anyway, I told him not to wait up, if he got my drift. So, I went into Inkwell and that weird little guy from the Gazette was there and got a really good photo of Elspeth and me…

  “Did you get to the part where she thinks you took a good photo?” Julia interrupted.

  I ignored her and continued.

  Hopefully, Elspeth will be able to sign it for me! Where was I? Right, the book reading. Charlotte throws really fun parties, doesn’t she? Except for the murder! That part wasn’t fun with the police asking me all those silly questions. I told them about a hundred times I had seen both Jasper and Alex Ware go upstairs even though it was clearly marked “private.” But Alex came right back down so he didn’t have time to kill Jasper! Besides, that was way before the lights went out. I remember I was talking to Penny Sparling about romance books at the time. We both agreed that Regencies are a total snooze! They never have any of the good, sweaty stuff. That’s the only reason people read romance books, anyway…

  I lowered the pad. “The case against Alex looks stronger and stronger. He might’ve been at the back of the store and he was the only person who went upstairs.”

  Julia took out another piece of gum. She told me it was a good way to avoid eating but complained loudly every time she bit her tongue. “Exactly. Maybe the police will have him in jail before Labor Day and we can move on to our next case.”

  “Do we have one?”

  “Not yet, but if we solve this one I bet people will be lined up to hire us.”

  I shook my head. “You know people in All Hallows never wait in line, ever, for anything…”

  “Just read,” she said grimly.

  What? Yes, the lights went out. I was totally freaked out and people kept pushing me. I was worried I was going to lose my book copy so I just found a spot near the counter and held on tight. There was a lot of yelling and I was sure someone was going to get hurt. And I was right! Jasper was dead that whole time and we had no idea! It makes me shiver, so gross. Rose told me about Deadly Harbor and it gave me the goose bumps. His arms were positioned northwest, NW. Hello, police? Nora Ware! Duh, and they waste time talking to me. I didn’t find out Violet had been killed until the next day. That’s when the police came by my house and questioned me. It took them long enough! If I was the murderer I would’ve had plenty of time to kill Violet, burn my clothes and make sure I had an iron-tight alibi.

  I handed the statement back to Julia. “Bootsie was chatty, huh?”

  Julia made a face. “She always is. Lucky for you I edited her statement. If I had to listen to her say OMG one more time, I would’ve killed her with an antique dagger. She reminds me of a cat with attention deficit issues, and not one of those cute LOL cats, either.”

  I got up to rinse out my cup. “I hate to say it but it looks like the only one with a motive to kill both Violet and Jasper was Nora. According to Sergeant Jack, Nora inherits the bulk of Jasper’s estate, around three million. If she and Jasper had gotten a divorce she would’ve only been entitled to half, at most. The police think she waited until Jasper went to the book reading, snuck in the backdoor at Inkwell, stabbed him, and then went back home and waited for Violet at the studio. Then she strangled Violet with the scarf, dragged the body into the bushes, and was in bed before the police called at eleven. It all fits. She was just incredibly lucky no one saw her at Inkwell.”

  Julia shook her head. “There’s a big flaw in that deduction, Betts. Nora has an alibi! Her housekeeper, Mrs. Jennings, saw her after she came home from her walk and said she went straight upstairs to bed. I’m sure if she was covered in blood Mrs. Jennings would’ve noticed.”

  I seized on the
part of the statement I found least credible. “She has a housekeeper? The place was filthy!”

  Julia shook her head. “I take it Mrs. Jennings is more of a companion than an employee. She’s on disability for her lumbago so there’s probably not a lot she can do around the house. I think Nora feels sorry for her.”

  “What if they’re lying about the alibi?”

  Julia sighed and put down her coffee mug. “I’m afraid we have a bigger problem.”

  I looked at her suspiciously. “Like what?”

  “Nora’s in jail.”

  Chapter 9

  Nora Ware looked tiny and helpless as I sat across from her in the visitor room at the All Hallows County lock-up. She started crying when she saw me.

  “Are you under arrest?”

  She shook her head. “No, they call it ‘detained for questioning’. Are there any leads on my case, Elspeth?”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she really didn’t have a case, so I countered with a question of my own. “When did the police bring you in?”

  “Late yesterday afternoon. Apparently, the scarf that was used to strangle Violet was an old one of mine! It had my initials on it...”

  “When did you last see it?”

  She shook her dark curls helplessly. “I have no idea. It was a present from Jasper, but I never really liked it so I donated it to charity. I guess I shouldn’t have given away a gift.”

  I thought a murder conviction a high price to pay for a questionable point of etiquette.

  “Do you remember who you gave it to?”