Down the Hatch Read online

  I looked at him, and he shrugged.

  “You’re talking about me,” I said. “I’m your only lead.”

  “Up till now, I’ve steered people away from you. After all, all we have is that one altercation, and that doesn’t amount to much. But that’s going to change. The spotlight will move to you. I know that doesn’t bother you too much, as you’re innocent. But I wanted to give you a heads up.”

  “I appreciate it. And, while I know you asked me not to investigate on my own, I have managed to drum up a couple of viable suspects.”

  “Oh? Who?”

  “Jennifer, of course. She had multiple motives to do away with her husband. First, there is the insurance payoff. It’s substantial, more than enough to kill for. Two, I think that either she or Thomas was having a serious affair. Either way, it was a motive to kill him. After all, a woman scorned is—”

  “A dangerous thing.”

  “Yes, and a woman who can cash in on her husband’s death might be even more dangerous. Jennifer has some love letters that talk about a future where divorce will allow him to marry.”

  “I hear you. And I’ll put Jennifer under a microscope. Who knows, maybe, she’ll slip up, make that telltale mistake. But we can’t depend on that. You know, as well as I do, that relying on a criminal to make a mistake is not a good strategy. You said more than one suspect?”

  “Eric, who works at the flower shop.”

  “Eric? He didn’t have a relationship with Thomas, did he?”

  “Do you know what Eric is?”

  “He’s not a ghost. I can tell you that.”

  I laughed. Jacob was referring to his high school days, when his ability to see ghosts scared him to death.

  “No, no, not a ghost. He’s a fey spirit, a Cupid.”

  “A cupid?”

  “Yes, and as a Cupid, he does what Cupids do. He puts people together. Well, since he frequents NOBODY’S INN, he was in a position to put Thomas with a number of women. Thomas was a flirt, so it wasn’t exactly difficult. In any case, Eric was unhappy that Thomas never followed through on the infatuations Eric created. For Eric, it was terribly frustrating. Now, was that enough to kill Thomas? I don’t know, but as a Cupid, he is familiar with bows and arrows. I’m certain he has the wherewithal to put an arrow in the middle of Thomas’ chest.”

  “That’s interesting. I hadn’t considered that angle. Of course, a Cupid would be a suspect, simply because of the arrow angle. I’ll place his name right under Jennifer. But I’m wondering just how I might arrest a Cupid.”

  “Don’t ask me,” I said. “I’m guessing that if you tried, he would transform into a spirit and leave, never to be seen again.”

  “I was afraid of that. So, tell me, ever hear of a Cupid killing someone?”

  “A non-spirit? In fact, I’ve never heard of it. But I’m betting it’s happened. Spirits are not saints. Well, not all of them.”

  He laughed. “That’s what I like about you, Helga, you manage to instill a bit of humor into almost everything.”

  “If you can’t laugh, you’re in a world of hurt,” I said.

  “Well, I can tell you that I’m going to continue to turn the search away from you.”

  “Why don’t you just let me work with you?”

  “Nothing I would enjoy more, but you’re a suspect. I can’t allow you to have access to clues or close-held information. You understand. You’ll just have to rely upon me and the other police to find the killer.”

  “I do trust you, Jacob, but it’s my business and my life here. I get arrested, and everything goes to hell in a hand basket.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

  We had walked around the block, past a bunch of shops and bars, and I was certain more than a few people noted the police’s ace detective strolling along with one of the suspects in Thomas’ murder. I hoped those people thought Jacob was giving me a gentle interrogation, getting information from me in a non-threatening location.

  I hoped.

  I was afraid they would think we were colluding.

  We stopped at my SUV.

  “Look,” Jacob said. “I’m in your corner. I know it wasn’t you. You’re not an archer, are you?”

  I punched his arm. “You know I’m not, but I can hit.”

  “Ow. Hey, you can’t attack a police officer. That’s some kind of crime.”

  “Arrest me, Dudley Doright.”

  “I just might do that.”

  He waved as he walked away and I hopped into my vehicle. The interior smelled marvelous, and I had Eric to thank for that. Of course, he might have been nothing more than a killer with a nose for aromas.

  By the time I reached the shop, I thought I needed a break from the jasmine. I was pretty sure the store was large enough to dissipate the odor. And, if the smell was too much, I would simply reduce the number of plants. My house could use a smell makeover too.

  I found Penelope behind the counter, which surprised me.

  “Gwen had an appointment,” Penelope said as explanation.

  “I’m guessing you do too,” I said.

  “I have ten minutes, which is plenty of time. Besides, it’s just old lady Hutchins. If I’m ten minutes late, she won’t even notice.”

  “Well, get going. She might decide a late hair stylist doesn’t deserve a tip.”

  “I’m going. And it’s not as if you really need someone here. There have been exactly two lookers since I took over. You need some better publicity, Helga.”

  “I’m doing the best I can. So, to that end, talk up the place.”

  “I do, I do. It doesn’t seem to be working.”

  “Then, make up some lies.”

  Penelope laughed. “I do that too. You wouldn’t believe how many people think you’re a real wit. I tell them they’re half right.”

  “Ha, ha,” I said. “You should have your own comedy show.”

  With a wave, Penelope was out the door. I looked around the store. It was empty. I shook my head.

  And Roxanne SCREAMED.

  Chapter 10

  I marched to the door and locked it, adding the CLOSED sign. Behind me, Roxanne wailed. That was more than I could take. If I was going to solve the murder, I needed time to think and consider. I couldn’t do that with Roxanne crying and carrying on. I had tried to talk her out of her tears more than once, so that route was clearly not going to lead to the solution I needed. So, if I couldn’t reason with her, I would enlist her help. Was that going to work? I wasn’t hopeful, but it was worth a try.

  Walking to the back of the store, I wondered just how observant the ghosts were. I was hoping they had kept their eyes and ears open. Many people who thought they were alone never realized that there were ghosts who were listening. In New Orleans, someone might never be truly alone.

  “Hello, Orchid,” I said.

  Orchid and Zephyr were sitting on a nineteenth century settee that had once belonged to a sea captain. It was an elegant piece that I would be unhappy to sell. But that wouldn’t keep me from selling it. In a chair by herself, Roxanne cried. She was truly inconsolable.

  “Helga, how are you holding up?” Orchid asked. “You would be amazed by how many people discuss your predicament.”

  “That many?” I asked.

  “Truly, more than I thought possible,” Orchid said.

  “And they’re not all on your side,” Zephyr added.

  “That does not surprise me,” I said. “People like to think the worst of everyone.”

  “I’m afraid that’s easy to do,” Zephyr said. “Most people live down to their reputations.”

  We all laughed—except for Roxanne.

  “Roxanne,” I said, “Roxanne, I need to talk to you.”

  “Me?” Roxanne wiped her eyes. “Why would you want to talk to me?”

  “You’re here all day. You hear as much as Orchid and Zephyr. Have you heard anything about the murder?”

  “I have heard a thing or two,” Roxanne said.
“It seems some of the women truly miss Mr. Jamison. He was a pest at times, but no one really thought he was dangerous.”

  “He wasn’t, not really,” I said. “I was simply too angry to put up with his antics when I threw him out of the store. What else have you heard.”

  “Well, the few men I have listened to will not miss Mr. Jamison at all. They were of the opinion that their wives would not be badgered now.”

  “That makes sense,” I said.

  “It’s all speculation,” Orchid said. “No one really knows anything. In fact, one woman thought Thomas Jamison had been shot by three arrows.”

  “Another knew for certain that Thomas had been covered by black lipstick kisses that spelled out the word, “CHEATER”. That made me laugh.”

  I was beginning to think that the ghosts, while meaning well, knew next to nothing about the murder. If I got any meaningful information from them, I would be exceedingly lucky.

  “While we’re talking,” I said. “Can we look for Roxanne’s necklace?”

  “Why, that would be so gallant of you,” Roxanne said. “I would be forever grateful.”

  “We’ll start upstairs,” I said. “After all, most of the pieces down here have been pawed by a lot of customers.”

  “That makes perfect sense,” Roxanne said.

  “And there are many pieces upstairs that haven't been rigorously examined,” Orchid said.

  “Then, let’s get going,” I said.

  The ghosts met me on the second floor, in the midst of the hodgepodge that was the inventory of Richardson’s Antiques. It wasn’t everything. I had some pieces stored in a small warehouse. If all else failed, I would go there and search for the necklace. I was willing to do almost anything to rid the store of Roxanne.

  “Where shall we begin?” Zephyr asked.

  I pointed to a large armoire. “That looks promising. I’m sure there are some half-hidden compartments that might just hold our necklace.”

  “You have a fine eye,” Orchid said.

  I moved to the armoire and opened the doors. There were indeed a large number of drawers, and those were the ones I could see. In older times, before banks were trusted, many pieces of furniture came equipped with hidden drawers and cubbyholes. People hid money and jewels in their furniture. It wasn’t as if the drawers were absolutely safe. It was that a burglar or robber wouldn’t take the time to carefully search the piece. Most thieves were of the smash-and-grab variety.

  I started with the top drawers, pulling them all the way out and checking them underneath and behind. More than once, I had found an envelope of something taped to the underside. I also checked the depth of the drawer. A drawer that was considerably shorter than it’s neighbor might mean a hidey hole behind it.

  This drawer yielded absolutely nothing. I put it back.

  I grabbed the second drawer.

  “You know,” Orchid said. “You should invite Jacob over to help with the search.”

  “That’s right,” Zephyr said. “I’m sure he would love to assist in any way he could.”

  “He’s busy,” I said. “So am I.”

  “You know he looks at you with moon eyes,” Zephyr said. “I think he fancies you.”

  I shook my head and examined the second drawer.

  “Everyone can see it,” Orchid said. “And don’t let his position on the police force dissuade you. He’s a real catch.”

  “We’re friends,” I said. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “I think it’s terribly romantic,” Roxanne said. “You and a detective. It seems like something out of a novel.”

  “He looks like a detective,” Orchid said. “Like something from a Poe story. Straightforward and intelligent.”

  “And he’s not so difficult as some of those detectives from the dime novels I read. He seems absolutely gentle.”

  “He’s handsome,” Roxanne swooned. “Any woman can see that.”

  I replaced the second drawer and went to the third, trying my best to ignore the ghosts.

  “When you think about it,” Zephyr said, “Jacob is perfect for Helga. After all, he already knows she’s a witch.”

  “That makes it ever so much better,” Orchid said. “Think of the difficulties that would arise if Helga had to explain her witchcraft to him.”

  “It would be a wonderful wedding,” Roxanne said. “I think a garden in bloom would be the perfect setting.”

  “Oh, yes,” Orchid said. “The scents would be magnificent.”

  “Stop, stop, stop,” I said. “Jacob and I are not involved like that. We’re friends, good friends. We’ve been good friends since high school. That’s a good thing, a wonderful thing, and we’re not going to put it at risk by trying to make it more than what it is. So, if you don’t mind, can you stop all the talk about Jacob and me.”

  “Someone is overreacting,” Orchid said.

  “She doth protest too much,” Roxanne said.

  “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Zephyr added.

  I shook my head. “That’s it. If you’re going to continue to talk about Jacob, I’m going home.”

  “Oh no,” Roxanne said. “We’ll be quiet about that. We promise.”

  “We do?” Orchid said.

  “You better,” I said. “Because I mean what I said.”

  “Our lips are sealed,” Zephyr said. “About Jacob.”

  “Great. So, let me tell you about my suspects.”

  “Ooooh, yes,” Zephyr said. “I like this.”

  As I checked drawers and the armoire for hidden spaces, I told the ghosts about Jennifer and Eric. I outlined Jennifer’s motives, the life insurance and a possible lover. Those items made the ghosts take notice.

  “I saw the same thing when I was on your side of things,” Orchid said. “A neighbor had an older, rich husband and a young, poor lover. It was only a matter of time before the back door was left unlocked, so the young lover could bludgeon the old husband. They thought they were clever and careful, but the police figured it out. They were both hanged.”

  “It was the opposite for me. A young husband and an old, rich woman. He didn’t have a lover, but he did have a yen for the night life. He paid his cousin to do the deed. When the police questioned the cousin, he folded like a cheap tent. Both of them were sent to the electric chair.” Zephyr folded her arms across her chest, smug and smiling.

  “It is the way of the heart,” Roxanne noted. “Love is both the best and the worst of being alive.”

  What the ghosts shared was not particularly helpful. Everyone knew of love triangles turned into twosomes via murder.

  “My other suspect is a fey spirit,” I said.

  “Oh, my,” Orchid said.

  “Dear, dear, dear,” Roxanne said.

  “That’s a rather rare thing,” Zephyr said.

  I shared what I knew about Eric and his attitude toward Thomas Jamison. The ghosts listened till the end, which was something that didn’t ordinarily happen.

  “I don’t know,” Zephyr said. “Cupids don’t generally get that upset. I think we need more information. Perhaps Eric and Thomas had other issues. Flirts sometimes baffle Cupids.”

  “I agree with Zephyr,” Orchid said. “I can’t offer sound advice without more information. You should talk to him again.”

  Roxanne shrugged. “I have little experience with such beings. I can offer little.”

  I knew the ghosts were correct. I didn’t know enough about Eric, or that bow and arrow I saw inside the flower shop. The question was whether or not I could find a way to gain more info. I supposed the only way to gather more intelligence was to visit the shop. I wasn’t going to learn anything from the second floor of my store. Yet, I needed to thoroughly search the armoire, or else, Roxanne would feel slighted. That would mean weeping and wailing. So, I went to great effort with the armoire. In the end, I found two buttons that had slipped behind a drawer and several cleaning tags that someone had simply dropped behind a drawer, rather than place them
in the trash. I was often amazed by what people put behind drawers. Love letters were a favorite.

  When I finished with the armoire, I told the ghosts that I had to get going. I let them know that I was headed for the flower shop. With any luck, I would learn more about the murder and Eric. Perhaps, I could solve the mystery. That would be something, although I would feed Jacob the information, so he could take the credit. That was fine with me. I would be in the clear. I could dance.

  The ghosts wished me luck, which I knew I would need. As I locked the front door, I spotted Andromeda coming around the corner.

  Want to take a walk?

  He looked at me. I like walks.

  That was enough. We didn’t need any more. Luckily, the flower shop was not far away.

  Unluckily, the shop was closed.

  I stood on the sidewalk and stared, hoping that some sort of magical feeling would greet me. I checked out the displays in the windows, but they were ordinary, the sort of thing that every flower shop used. There was a bridal display and an anniversary display and a birthday display. They were all tastefully done, and I was certain they would generate sales. What they didn’t generate was information for me. I needed something about Eric, about the Cupid who had no love for a murder victim.

  The building had an alley on one side, and I glanced down it, but there didn’t seem to be anything there. But when I touched the bricks, a buzz ran up my arm.

  Buzz?

  You felt it?

  I turned to Andromeda.

  As did you. I need to get inside.

  There is a way.

  Find it.

  It took Andromeda but a few minutes to find a window with a loose pane. I managed to move it aside and unlock the window. With a glance over my shoulder, I opened the window, hoping that I wouldn’t set off some sort of alarm. Nothing sounded, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a message being sent to the police. Even without an alarm, there was a good chance that a police vehicle would drive down the alley. I put the pane back in the window, but I was certain that any close examination would show what I had done.