Bassets and Blackmail Page 7

  “Cafferty?”

  “Thomas Cafferty. He’s the guest who fell down the basement steps. Hal thinks the guy may have been hit on the head causing his fall.”

  Bruce scowled. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “One of the weapons from the game was found by the body.”

  “Weapons!”

  “Carved wooden replicas of a knife, a gun, a bottle, and a wrench. I saw the bottle lying at the dead man’s feet.”

  Bruce crossed his arms. “You saw the body?”

  “Just a glimpse.” I glanced at the mulch pile. “And a bottle of wine William showed us last night at dinner is missing. Paw found it in the mulch.” I nodded to behind me.

  “Woof!”

  Bruce smirked at Paw. “Of course, he found it.”

  Bruce scratched his jaw. “Continuing the game could be dangerous. The killer may strike again.”

  “I know, but we don’t know if there is a killer. Harry wants to keep the guests busy while he investigates.”

  “You plan to investigate too.”

  I nodded. “And I'd like your help.”

  Bruce turned and stared at the house. A frown marred his face indicating he was deep in thought. He turned back to me. “All right. We'll do this. But,” he pointed a finger at me, “you won't take any risks. If you even suspect who the murderer is, you tell me. No confrontations.”

  I refrained from rolling my eyes. I could have reminded him that I never intentionally confronted a criminal, but Bruce would have listed off all the times I had been in danger.

  Instead, I hugged him, saying, “Thank you.”

  Paw wedged himself between us with a “woof!”

  Bruce gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and took Paw's leash. Under his breath, I heard him say, “I'm going to regret this.”

  I let it go, and we walked back to the B&B.

  We crossed through the back door, out the kitchen, and into the foyer. I didn't see Harry or his police officers.

  Bruce and I needed to find Shelbee and Jac to plan how we would use the mystery game to draw out a possible killer. That is if the rest of the guests were willing to participate. Plus, we needed to get Patricia and William's okay. Perhaps they wouldn't feel it appropriate to conduct the game after Cafferty's death.

  From the foyer, I heard Patricia and William's raised voices in the living room.

  “William, that was a stupid thing to do. You should have told him the truth.”

  “And risk being accused of Cafferty’s death? No way!”

  Bruce glanced at me, placing a finger to his lips. Together we edged closer to the foyer.

  Patricia cursed.

  I was so shocked I stopped walking. Patricia was the one person I knew who remained calm and serene.

  “Easy, Patty. It will be okay. We didn't kill the guy.”

  “But what if the Chief thinks otherwise.”

  “Then I'll convince him.”

  I heard William's heavier footsteps heading toward the door.

  Before we could move, William bolted out the living room door then stopped when he saw us. He glared at Bruce. “You a cop?”

  Bruce stretched up to his full height. “No, but I am a private detective, and I think you should explain the conversation we just heard.”

  “That's none of your business.”

  “It is my business,” Bruce said, “if a crime was committed.”

  Patricia rushed out to defend William. “He didn't commit any crime.”

  Paw turned his head, glancing at each of us. He shifted, restless, as he sensed the tension amongst us.

  I stroked his head to soothe him and he licked my hand. I addressed William. “But you are afraid of being accused of murder.”

  Patricia answered. “We're all afraid of it. Cafferty was a wicked man.”

  “Patty,” William warned in a growl.

  Bruce took a different approach. “Do you have an alibi for the time of death.”

  “We were together.” William hugged Patricia.

  “How do you know what time he died?” I only had a guesstimate based on Hal's observations.

  “We don't,” Patricia said, “but from the time you left until Madeline screamed, we were in our apartment. Jac can attest to the fact that both William and I left our room to meet her in the hallway when we heard the scream.”

  “You could have slipped out sometime in between.” Bruce's face was stony.

  “Then you'll have to take our word for it.” William glared back at Bruce. “Now, if you'll excuse us, we have work to do.”

  Together they stepped around us and walked toward the kitchen areas.

  “Do you believe them?” I looked down at Paw who was sniffing the foyer floor. No one was around, so I unhooked his leash. He followed a scent trail to the stairs.

  “No. Do you?”

  I sighed. “I want to. They've been wonderful to Jac and the rest of us. I hate to think one of them is a murderer.”

  “Or both,” Bruce added.

  Paw stood staring up the stairs.

  “What motive would they have for killing Cafferty?”

  Bruce shrugged. “That's something we'll have to find out.”

  Paw started up the steps.

  “Paw. No.” I ran to catch him, but he put on a burst of speed.

  “Come back here, Paw!”

  He ignored me. He reached the top of the stairs, turned left, and ran out of view.

  I puffed my way to the top with Bruce on my heels. Of course, he was in top athletic shape.

  We turned left at the top into a hallway with guest room doors on both sides. Paw crouched in front of one, scratching at the bottom of the door.

  I opened my mouth to call Paw, but Bruce placed a hand on my arm and shook his head. The doorknob rattled, and the door swung inward. Madeline Wells stepped into the doorway, looking down at Paw.

  “What are you doing there?” She crooned. Madeline stretched out her hand and Paw raised his head to sniff her fingers.

  Bruce patted my back and tilted his head toward Madeline. His way of telling me to continue toward them.

  I hurried down the hall, saying, “I'm so sorry. Is he bothering you?”

  Madeline smiled up at me as she stroked Paw's back. “Not at all. He's a sweetheart.”

  Madeline appeared to have regained her composure from her early morning discovery. She wore a soft pink sweater with gray pants. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a chignon, and she wore a light dab of cosmetics.

  “My name is Clarissa Hayes, and this is my boyfriend, Bruce Sever.” I motioned to Paw with my hand. “And this is Paw. His full name is Paudius Pernivious.”

  “What a cute nickname. Paw. I like it.” She crooned to him. “I like you, big sweetie.”

  Paw grinned and woofed his thanks.

  All three of us laughed.

  Madeline did a quick up down of Bruce. “Are you here for the murder mystery game?”

  “I've been roped into playing a part by Clarissa.” He winked.

  I huffed, but fortunately neither Madeline nor Bruce heard me. Bruce was overprotective and a bit jealous. He didn't like me talking with other good-looking men. And yet, now he was pouring on the charm to Madeline, who was lapping it up.

  “Oh, I love mystery party games. Karen, that's my friend, you'll meet her later on, always goes with me.”

  Bruce subtly shifted into private eye mode. “Is that why you chose to stay at Peaceful Dreams?”

  “Definitely. I'm sure the town is nice, although I haven't explored it yet, but the game is our main attraction.” Madeline giggled. “I've solved most of the murder mysteries I've participated in.”

  I wondered if the game had something to do with her late-night visit to the kitchen. Perhaps she hadn't been going for milk but was searching for mystery clues when she found Cafferty's body.

  Bruce nudged my foot with his own, signaling me to join the conversation. Since he was playing a version of good cop, I decided t
o be bad cop.

  “Is that why you were in the hall in the middle of the night? You did find Cafferty, right?”

  Madeline stopped laughing, mid-giggle and glared at me. “I went for some milk though it's none of your business.”

  I lifted my chin. “You could have been searching for clues before the official game time started.”

  She unclenched her jaw and said, “I don't cheat.”

  Hmm. I wondered if that were true.

  Bruce jumped into the conversation. “You found the body? You must have been terrified.”

  Madeline turned to Bruce with tears in her eyes. I doubted they were real. She touched Bruce's arm. “You have no idea. It was horrible. That poor man was crumpled at the foot of the stairs. All I could do was scream because I was frozen with terror.”

  Bruce patted her hand with sympathy.

  I looked down to gauge Paw's reaction, but he wasn't there. Where had he gone? I tried to glance behind Madeline into her room without catching her attention. Paw was in the room with his head stuck under one of the beds.

  The guest room contained twin beds with a central nightstand between them. To the left, I could see the edge of a chair under a window.

  I must have shifted enough to catch Madeline's attention. She glared at me then glanced behind her to see what I had been observing.

  She saw Paw and rushed over to him. “No!” She grabbed for his collar, pulling him out from under the bed.

  Paw struggled in her grip, stepping on Madeline's foot.

  She yelped, released her grip, and sat down on the bed. “Get that mutt out of here!”

  Paw ran to me and leaned against my leg. I patted his side, whispering, “Good dog.”

  Bruce stepped in front of me. “Can I help you?” He bent on one knee and reached for her foot.

  She slapped his hand away. “No. Just get out.”

  Bruce gestured for me to leave the room.

  I led Paw into the hall with Bruce close behind me. The door slammed behind us.

  “That didn't go well,” I said as I led Paw to the stairs.

  “Maybe.” Bruce scratched his neck as he looked back over his shoulder. “But we've learned that Madeline Wells is competitive.”

  “Enough to commit murder?” I began to descend the stairs.

  Bruce didn't answer as he followed us down the steps.

  We reached the foyer to the sound of more raised voices. Now what?

  Chapter 8

  Lillian Hardcastle stood in the foyer with Saber clutched in her arms. She was arguing with William. “I must see Clarissa Hayes now!”

  Paw's hackles raised, and he rushed toward Saber who leaped from Lillian's arms and ran into the living room. Paw wrenched the leash from my hand and ran after him.

  “Paw, stop! Come back here!” I ran after him as Lillian pushed past William.

  “My poor darling,” Lillian cried. “Get that big lummox away from my baby.”

  “I'm trying,” I growled as I ran into the living room.

  Saber had climbed to the top of a curio cabinet and perched there, looking down at Paw who stood up against the cabinet. The cabinet was made of oak and appeared well-constructed. Saber hissed and growled at Paw who barked up at the cat.

  Behind me, I heard Patricia say, “My cabinet! Paw don't you dare scratch it. It's an antique.”

  Paw's feet were planted against the front of the curio, and I hoped he didn't damage the piece. I approached him from the side. “Easy, boy. Come here. Come on, Paw.”

  He turned his head to me with a confused look.

  “It's okay, boy. You know Saber. Now come here.”

  Paw glanced back up at the cat, reluctant to let down his guard. By now I was close enough to touch Paw, so I stroked his back with one hand while I grabbed hold of his collar with my other hand. Bruce came up beside us and held Paw's feet as we eased them off the curio.

  I examined the cabinet while Bruce held onto Paw. I breathed a sigh of relief. No scratches marred the surface.

  Patricia and Lillian appeared at my side. Patricia peered at her cabinet, then said, “Thank goodness he didn't scratch the finish.” She looked down at Paw. “Bad dog.”

  Paw backed up closer to Bruce.

  Patricia relented. “Well, no harm done. I suppose Henry has gotten into trouble at times and will in the future.”

  Lillian huffed. “What about my baby? He's frightened.”

  Patricia glanced up at the cat who glared down at us. “Lillian, that cat can take care of himself.”

  She turned and walked out of the room.

  Bruce handed Paw's leash to me. “Take him into the foyer. I'll help Lillian with Saber.”

  I led Paw from the room and met William just inside the foyer. He observed Bruce through the doorway as Bruce attempted to capture Saber.

  William shook his head. “Better him than me. Saber can be a sweetheart when he wants to be, but when he doesn't...”

  Bruce grunted, and Saber yowled. I glanced back and saw Bruce handing a wriggling Saber to Lillian. She cuddled him, and the cat settled contentedly in her arms. Bruce nursed scratches on his hand.

  Shelbee strolled in the front door. Bruce stopped next to me, dabbing at his bleeding hand. I grasped his hand and examined the scratches.

  Shelbee said, “Those need to be cleaned.”

  I nodded. “We'll go to the bathroom.” I gestured to the door next to the living room. I turned to Shelbee. “Can you take Paw for a while? He had an altercation with Saber.” I tilted my head to the living room.

  “No problem.” She took the leash from my hand. “Hey, big guy. Let's go see how Sammy is doing.”

  Paw looked up at me.

  “It's okay.” I stroked his ear. “I'm not mad, and I'm sure Samuel misses you.”

  He slurped my cheek then followed Shelbee as she led him out of the foyer.

  Lillian came out of the living room. Saber purred in her arms. “Are you ready to find out about that bracelet?”

  I stared at her in confusion. “What bracelet?”

  “The one we found last night!” She grumbled to herself. “Young people. Got their minds on useless things.”

  I stiffened. “Lillian. What are you talking about?”

  “The bracelet we found around Saber's neck. We've got to find who put it on him.”

  Ah. Now I remembered.

  Bruce raised an eyebrow, and William coughed to get attention.

  “Care to explain that?” William asked.

  Lillian glared at him. “It's none of your business.”

  Instead of being insulted, William just shrugged. “Sounds like a mystery. I like mysteries.”

  “Meow.”

  “See.” William pointed to the cat. “He agrees with me.”

  William stretched out a hand to Saber. I drew in a quick breath because I was afraid Saber would scratch him. Instead, the cat sniffed his fingers then turned his head and rubbed against William's hand.

  If one thing could melt Lillian's cranky demeanor, it was Saber's approval of someone. Lillian stepped closer to William. “It happened last night...”

  I ignored Lillian's recap of our nighttime search for Saber and guided Bruce to the bathroom.

  The bathroom, a throwback to earlier years was a tight fit. Bruce and I took up all the room. The toilet butted against my legs while Bruce's back was to the door with barely an inch between us. Normally I wouldn't complain about being so close to him, but it left little room to clean his hand.

  “My hand's fine.” Bruce eased his arm around me. “But a kiss would help.”

  I smiled as I stood on tiptoes and brushed a kiss on his mouth.

  “I was hoping for a deeper kiss.”

  I gave him a playful shove. “I know you were, but anyone could come past.” He hadn't pushed the door shut. “Besides your hand needs some ointment.”

  “And you want to find out what Lillian is up to.” Bruce knew me very well.

  “She needs our help,” I
protested as I applied ointment to his hand.

  “Lillian Hardcastle can take care of herself.”

  “Not with this.” I recapped our search for Saber and the discovery of the diamond bracelet.

  Bruce waited for me to put bandages on before he said, “Anyone could have lost a bracelet in the park.”

  I pointed to his bandaged hand. “And put it on Saber's neck? The cat couldn’t have wrapped it around his neck and closed the clasp. Thank goodness it was loose enough not to choke him. Still, he could have gotten it caught on a branch and hung himself.”

  “That's animal cruelty.”

  “Yes. I want to find whoever did it and stop them.”

  When I finished putting away the bandages and the ointment Bruce backed out of the room. We returned to the foyer where Lillian and William were talking.

  She turned to me. “William agrees with me.”

  William put up his hands in a placating gesture then stepped back. “I hear Patty calling me.” He strode from the room with his head down.

  “Hmph.” Lillian pointed at Bruce. “Is he going to help us?”

  I grabbed his arm before he bolted. “He is.”

  Bruce's muscles tensed. “What do you want us to do, Lillian?”

  “Search the park of course.”

  “For what?” Bruce stepped back as Saber swiped at him.

  “Don't upset my baby!”

  I stepped between her and Bruce. “We'll help search, Lillian, but did you report this to Harry. This could be a case of animal cruelty, and Harry needs to know about that bracelet. It could be stolen.”

  “I tried but that Cheryl Hobbs was there.”

  Cheryl Hobbs was Harry's new dispatcher since Alma quit after she married Harry.

  Lillian huffed. “She wouldn't let me speak to Harry. Claimed he was out investigating a crime and couldn't be reached.”

  Since Harry had been here on a murder case, Cheryl was telling the truth. That hadn't appeased Lillian.

  “If Alma was still running things, she would have gotten hold of the chief right away.”

  I doubted that, but I didn't voice my opinions.

  I cleared my throat. “Did you give her the bracelet?”