A Palette for Murder Read online

  Chapter 8

  “Dawn wants you to investigate, huh? Where do we start?” Liz said over the speaker on Rory’s cell phone.

  Rory sat in her desk chair and typed as she talked. “I was going to ask my neighbors if they saw anything that could help, but now I’m not so sure. If the police had found anything that pointed to someone else, they wouldn’t be focusing on Dawn.”

  “What about Granny G?”

  “She saw Chief Marshall visit Willow that night.”

  “Our Chief Marshall? What was he doing there?”

  “Willow’s boyfriend thinks they were having an affair.”

  “You know, there have been rumors,” Liz said.

  “About an affair?”

  “Not exactly. Just something going on with him. Poor Chief M. To find someone after all these years only to have her die such a violent death like—Oh, sorry.”

  “That’s okay. I’ve made my peace with what my birth parents did and the chief doesn’t seem to blame me anymore.”

  Although he still had trouble looking at her, Rory thought. Not surprising since she was the spitting image of her birth mother who, along with her birth father, had set the fire that killed the chief’s family almost thirty years ago.

  “Did Dawn say why the police suspect her?” Liz said.

  “First strike against her, she had an argument with Willow during our run-through on Friday.”

  “And a few hours later, Willow’s dead.”

  “Plus, she was at Willow’s house that night. Found the body, but didn’t call the police.”

  Liz whistled. “Way to bury the lead! Do the police know about that?”

  “She left a shoe print, and a neighbor saw her pounding on the front door of the house, then go around to the back. That’s why they started investigating her in the first place.” Rory typed on the keyboard. “Okay, try connecting now.”

  Moments later, Liz appeared in a window on Rory’s display and waved.

  “I can see you. Can you see me?”

  “Yep. I’m hanging up the phone.”

  Liz tapped on her own cell phone, then addressed the screen. “What do you want me to do now?”

  “Just talk. I want to make sure the recording function is still working properly. Thanks for helping me test this out. I only made a few tweaks so everything should be okay, but I like to make sure. Sometimes little changes can cause big problems.”

  “Happy to help.” Liz leaned forward and frowned. “What’s up with your hair? It looks weird.”

  “I took a cold shower. Wet hair helps keep me cool.” Rory studied Liz more closely. “Wait a minute. What about you? Why are you wearing long sleeves? It’s in the mid-nineties. Did you get air conditioning?”

  Liz grinned. “They installed it yesterday while I was working.”

  Rory could almost feel the cool air washing over her. “After we finish, I’m coming over to your place. I need a break from this heat.”

  “Let’s get back to Dawn. I didn’t hear any of the argument on Friday. You were at her place. How much did you hear?”

  “Only a few words. ‘Never’ and ‘forgive.’ She said something else as she shoved Willow out the door, but I don’t remember what it was. Dawn told me Willow was telling her how to teach her painting classes, sending out critical emails to her students, stuff like that, but I can’t tell you if that’s what the argument was about or not.”

  Liz pursed her lips in thought. “You recorded Friday’s test, right?”

  “I see where you’re going. I have the file from that session. I’ll play it and see if I can get more of their conversation from it.”

  “You can tell me what you find out when you come over. What else are we going to do on the Dawn front?”

  Rory sat back in her desk chair and considered the question. “We need to find out more about Willow. Isn’t that what the police would do, find out about the victim? How about I check out her store tomorrow and ask some of her employees?”

  “Ooh, that sounds good. And I can ask some of the other business owners in town. See what dirt they have on Wispy Willow. Maybe they know something about those tenant issues.” Liz shuddered. “All this murder talk is giving me the jitters. Let’s talk about something more pleasant. Have you heard from Tripp?”

  “Saw him in church. Dad threatened to have a talk with him.”

  Liz giggled. “Your dad’s funny. Wait, he was kidding, wasn’t he?”

  “I think so.”

  Liz closed her eyes and swayed as if in a trance. In a dreamy voice she said, “I predict he’ll give you a call soon.”

  “What, are you psychic now?”

  Liz opened her eyes.

  “I told you your horoscope said it’s a good time to start a romantic relationship. Just in time for your birthday too. We’re still going out, right?”

  “I’m having lunch with my parents, but other than that, you’ve got me for the whole day. You never told me what we’re going to do. I need to know what to wear.”

  Liz waggled her finger in an uh-uh-uh gesture. “It’s all a surprise. Morning will be casual. Shorts and a tank are fine. You need to dress up for the evening though. What you wore on Saturday will work.”

  “I’m going to stop the recording now, but we should still stay connected.” Rory selected the Stop button on the software and made sure the file was saved. “I’ll check the recording out after we finish.”

  “Do you need me for anything else right now?”

  “No, we’re done. Do you have a house to show or something? Don’t you usually work on Sunday?”

  “I showed a couple this morning. I’ve got the rest of the day off, so I’m hanging out in air-conditioned splendor right now.” Liz swept her arms around the living room of her condo in a dramatic gesture.

  “I’ll check out the recordings. It shouldn’t take long. I’ll call right before I come over.”

  “We can have popcorn and watch a rom-com. Maybe Sleepless in Seattle, that’s a good one. You can tell me more about Tripp. What should I call him? Hunk of Burning Love? Or Tantalizing Tripp?”

  Rory rolled her eyes and disconnected the conferencing software. After reviewing the recording of the session she’d just had with Liz, she checked out the file from Friday. But even with the sound as loud as it would go, she couldn’t make out any more than she had in person. Audio software that separated the layers of sounds might make things clearer, but she wasn’t convinced the effort would give her any useful information in return. The conversation had been far enough away from the microphone, she doubted it had picked up any more than she heard herself.

  She was on her way out the door when Tripp called.

  “I had fun last night.” He cleared his throat. “I was wondering. Do you skate?”

  “Inline? I’ve never tried it, but I’m willing to learn.”

  “I was wondering if you had time to go skating tomorrow afternoon. It’s a rare day off for me. If you’re busy, I’ll understand.”

  Rory smiled into the phone. “I’d like that.”

  “It’s a date then.”

  After setting the time for her to meet Tripp at the skate rental place downtown, Rory headed out the door, grinning from ear to ear. She couldn’t wait to tell Liz her prediction had come true.

  The next morning, when Rory entered Beach Healing and Acupuncture, the store Willow owned down the block from Arika’s Scrap ’n Paint, she found a cluster of customers gathered around the only employee on the floor. The woman, who looked to be about college age, said to the group, “I’m sorry, but Ms. Bingen is no longer with us. You can make an appointment with our acupuncturist, who is also skilled in herbal healing.” Most of the customers turned away with disappointed looks on their faces, but two stayed behind to make new appointments.

  While Rory waited for the employe
e to become free, she perused the shelves of vitamins, herbs and books on wellness and natural healing. She was flipping through a paperback on sugar and its detrimental effects on the body when the last customer left the store.

  Rory put the book back on the shelf and walked over to the counter. “I wasn’t sure you would be open after Willow’s passing.”

  The employee threw her hands up in the air and draped herself over the countertop. “Thank God. Someone I don’t have to dance around the issue with.” She straightened up and gave Rory a sad smile.

  “Been quite a morning, huh?”

  “You have no idea. This is the first day we’ve been open since she was found. I had to call people to reschedule their appointments. I didn’t mention what happened to her, of course. Bad for business. But word’s gotten around and we’ve had our fair share of lookie-loos.” She peered more closely at Rory. “Wait, I know you. Rory, right? You’re that neighbor of Ms. Bingen’s, the one who found her, aren’t you? You poor thing. You must be so frazzled. That’s why you came in, isn’t it? I have just the thing to calm you down.”

  “But I didn’t…”

  She ignored Rory and walked over to a shelf, returning with a box of tea that she placed on the counter. “This is lemon balm. It’ll calm those jangled nerves and help with your digestion. I always have tummy problems when I’m stressed out. The tea helps me when I have a big exam.”

  “I’m not sure I need…”

  She placed the box in a paper bag and shoved it across the counter.

  “Take it, on the house. You deserve it after what you’ve been through.”

  Rory smiled. “Thanks. How did you know I found Willow?”

  “The press was waiting for me when I opened. That reporter with the nose ring, sort of punk looking. You know the one.”

  Veronica, Rory thought to herself, and nodded.

  “Anyway, she gave me the scoop and asked a bunch of questions.”

  “What kind of questions?”

  “Mostly stuff about Ms. Bingen’s personal life, but I didn’t say anything. Didn’t like her attitude.”

  “What did Willow do here? I know she was into herbal healing, but I don’t know much beyond that.”

  “At Beach Healing and Acupuncture we’re interested in the natural way to heal your body. Besides what you see here,” she swept her arm around the store, “we also do alternative treatments for all kinds of diseases. Migraines, bacterial infections, heart disease and, of course, the big C.”

  “Cancer?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Do you know anyone who’d want to harm Willow?”

  The employee squealed in delight. “I knew it! You’re investigating, aren’t you? Just like you did a couple months ago, that murder at the hotel. What can I do to help? I’m Asia, by the way.” She extended her hand and Rory shook it.

  “Did she have a run-in with any customers lately? Were there any problems with the store?”

  “No more than usual. You might ask Dr. W. He’s with a patient right now, but he should be available soon.”

  “Has he worked for Willow since the store opened? That was six months ago, right?”

  “He’s not an employee, he is—was—her partner. Owns half the business. She ran the herbal healing part of the store, made sure the shelves were stocked, suggested courses of treatment to customers, that sort of thing. He takes care of the acupuncture and acupressure patients. He studied in China and everything. He’s very good.”

  “Did they get along?”

  Asia lowered her voice and leaned across the counter until her face was so close Rory could smell her minty breath. “Honestly, I think he’s a little relieved. Ms. Bingen didn’t know a thing about acupuncture or acupressure, but she was constantly telling him about some new study or how he should be doing this or that. Got a little old after a while, if you know what I mean. Heck, even I felt like killing her once or twice.” She straightened up and covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, that’s probably not a wise thing to say, is it?”

  They heard the sound of a door closing in the back of the store. Asia glanced over her shoulder. “I think Dr. W is available now. Let me go see.” She went through the doorway into the treatment area and returned moments later. “I’m sorry. He’s not talking to anyone right now. The police were here earlier asking all kinds of questions. Disturbed his chi or something. Maybe if you have an acupuncture treatment…” She selected a brochure from a display on the counter. “Here are our prices. The first treatment is at a deep discount, a real bargain. Almost free, really. We had a cancellation so he can see you right away.”

  Rory glanced at the brochure and studied the prices. Asia’s idea of almost free and hers were vastly different, but this might be the only way to get Willow’s partner to talk. Still, the idea of being a human pincushion scared her a little.

  “I don’t know…”

  “It’ll do wonders for you. Shall I tell him you’re here? It’s the best chance you have to ask him questions.”

  Rory reluctantly nodded her approval. Asia led her into the back area of the store and pointed at a shoe rack on the floor. “Put your shoes here and put these on.” She handed Rory a pair of slippers. As soon as Rory exchanged her footwear, Asia led her down the short hallway past a partially open door into a softly lit room. Soft music came from inside the other treatment room as they passed by.

  Asia took a gown out of a small cupboard and handed it to Rory. “Put this on and lie down on your back on the table. You can leave your underwear on. The doctor will be with you shortly.”

  Rory changed, lay down on the table and stared at the ceiling tiles, wondering what she’d gotten herself into. Less than five minutes later, a short man wearing scrubs and exuding a calm air entered and introduced himself. After taking her blood pressure and conducting a short interview and examination, the doctor declared himself ready to begin.

  She braced herself for pricks of pain, but to her surprise, she felt nothing as he placed the needles. “I’m sorry about Willow.”

  Dr. Wagner turned his back on her briefly and returned with more needles. “I understand you found her.”

  “That’s right. Did you know each other long?”

  His lips tightened. “Long enough.”

  Rory searched her mind for some way to get him to say more. “She seemed concerned about people. She came over to my mom’s store the other day with some tea, worried about how my parents were.”

  “She was always concerned about her patients.” He stepped back and surveyed his work. “That’s it. Didn’t hurt at all, did it? Just relax and let the needles do their work. Someone will be back in twenty minutes to take them out. You can close your eyes and take a nap, but stay in the position you’re in right now.”

  Before Rory could ask any more questions, he turned the music up and shut the door. She closed her eyes and tried to let the soothing sounds lessen her anxiety, but the music failed to drown out the creaks and groans of the building. When she heard footsteps on the floor above her, all she could think about was what would happen if the ceiling caved in and fell on top of her, driving every one of the tiny needles into her body. She tried to push the thought out of her mind, but she kept on visualizing her body crushed under ceiling tiles, needles embedded in places they were never meant to be.

  An agonizing twenty minutes later, Asia opened the door slowly. “How are you doing?” she said in a soft voice. “I’ll be taking out the needles now.”

  As the woman worked, Rory said, “The doctor wasn’t very talkative.”

  “He gets that way sometimes. You know who you might try, Teresa Mut. She and Ms. Bingen were really tight. She used to come in here all the time. Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her in a while. Anyway, I’ve got her phone number somewhere if you want it.”

  “That’s okay. I know her.
We’ve taken painting classes together.”

  Asia worked in silence, carefully pulling out each needle. She ran her hand lightly over Rory’s body, checking to make sure she’d found all of them. “You’re all done. You can sit up now, not too fast. I’ll leave you to get dressed. No rush.”

  When Rory was in the store paying her bill a few minutes later, Asia said, “I hope you find out who killed Ms. Bingen. She might have been annoying, but she didn’t deserve to die like that. Let me know if I can be of any help.”

  “Thanks for everything.” Rory exited the store onto a street busier than usual for this time of day. Curious, she joined the stream of people heading down Main Street in the direction of City Hall.

  Chapter 9

  Rory slipped into the back of the crowd gathered in the plaza in front of City Hall. Reporters clustered around a podium set up near the entrance while residents stood behind them in groups, chatting among themselves.

  “What’s going on?” she asked the man standing beside her.

  “The mayor’s giving a press conference about city safety.”

  Liz slipped in beside Rory. “Did I miss anything?”

  Rory shook her head. “Hasn’t started yet. How did you hear about this?”

  “Another realtor in the office told me. Did you go by Willow’s store?”

  “It was an interesting visit. I’ll tell you about it after this is over.”

  Veronica elbowed her way through the crowd to claim a place directly in front of the podium. She’d barely settled into her spot when the mayor of Vista Beach stepped up to the microphone and raised her hand. Behind her stood the city’s chief of police, members of the city council and Detective Green.

  The crowd quieted down and focused their attention on the city official.

  “Thank you for coming. I know a lot of you are concerned about the spate of home invasions and burglaries that have occurred in neighboring cities. We’re here to assure the citizens of the great city of Vista Beach that we’re on top of this matter. Now, Police Chief Marshall will say a few words, then we’ll take some questions. Chief.”