Marriage and Murder (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Book 4) Read online

  “Knowing Celia, that doesn’t surprise me. I’m sure my husband will want to talk to you about where you were around noon today. He’ll probably be here tomorrow.”

  “I’m leaving for Portland tomorrow morning, so if he wants to talk to me he’ll have to do it before I leave. Now that this has happened, I’m not sure I even want to come here anymore. Jesse was everything I ever hoped to find. Without him…” she stopped speaking in mid-sentence, sobbing uncontrollably.

  Kelly got up from the couch and walked down the hall, trying to find a bathroom and some tissues. Good grief. This has to be the most beautiful home I’ve ever been in. I don’t know anything about art, but these paintings look like the real deal to me. And those glass sculptures in that display case next to the front door are stunning. I remember seeing some French art glass pieces in a magazine that were beautiful, and these are every bit as beautiful. Everywhere I look there’s an incredible painting or art object. Wonder where all her money comes from. Ex-husband? Probably need to look her up on the Internet.

  She returned from the bathroom with several tissues and handed them to Sophie. “Again, Sophie, I’m so sorry to be the one to bring you this sad news. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “All I want to do is get out of here. Everywhere I look I see something that reminds me of him. I don’t know if you’re aware that Jesse had a master’s degree in art history. He was torn between working in the world of art or in the world of wine. His father insisted he pursue a career in wine sales since so many new vineyards were being opened here in Oregon. He told me his father had been a very good father to him, and I think that’s why he decided to open The Crush rather than go into art as a career.”

  “Well, you just never know about people. And you, what is your background, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I worked in a fashion house in Paris and met my ex-husband through friends. He was the managing partner of an international banking company that sent him to the United States, actually to Portland, to head up the growing office there. His family owned the largest perfume company in France, but he chose to work in banking instead of going into the family business. We were married for ten years when he decided that women who worked in the movie industry were more interesting than I was. He’d been traveling back and forth between Los Angeles and Portland. He met a starlet, divorced me, and married her. He managed to immediately get transferred to the Los Angeles headquarters of the banking company. It may have been guilt money, but I received a very large settlement from him, as you can see,” Sophie said, gesturing broadly at the surrounding house and its contents.

  “Yes, this house and everything in it is simply beautiful. You have excellent taste.”

  “Non. Many of the things were chosen by Jesse. We used to spend a lot of our time together looking at auction catalogs. He was very knowledgeable about French art glass. The Daum and Lalique works in the cabinet near the front door were chosen by him. Mon Dieu, I’m going to miss him so much,” she said, starting again to softly cry.

  “I’m so sorry. Would you like me to call someone for you?”

  “Non. Thank you. I want to be alone. I’ll leave tomorrow morning, and I don’t think I’ll be back. I can have someone come and pack up the things in the house. Thank you, Kelly, for coming and telling me. I know it must have been hard,” she said, standing up and walking to the front door with Kelly.

  “Not as hard as it is for you. Here’s my business card if you need anything and oh, would you write your telephone number on this one, so I can give it to Mike? As I said, I’m sure he’s going to want to talk to you. Again, I’m sorry.”

  Kelly took the card from Sophie and then spontaneously put her arms around her and hugged her gently. “I’m sorry we didn’t meet before. I would have liked to have gotten to know you. Please feel free to call me. I hope we meet again.”

  “You are very kind, mon amie, thank you.”

  Kelly and Lady got in her minivan and drove back down the road to the highway. Poor thing. How hard it must be to find love, to have a second chance, and then, in the blink of an eye, lose it. I really feel for her, and I meant it when I said I wished we’d met earlier. I like her. I don’t know why Celia hates her so much. Maybe Jesse’s ex-wife poisoned the well and made Sophie out as a bad person.

  “Lady, time to go home. It’s been quite a weekend and tomorrow we have to get back to work.”

  CHAPTER 6

  The next morning it was still dark when Kelly woke up. She looked over at Mike, her husband of two days and still couldn’t believe they were married. Even more, she couldn’t believe that less than a day after their marriage they’d discovered Jesse Allen’s body in his wine shop.

  I remember an old saying that went something like, “from the sublime to the ridiculous,” but yesterday was more like, “from being ecstatic to being devastated.” I can’t imagine who would want Jesse dead. Wonder if Mike found out anything, but I don’t want to wake him. I looked at the clock when he came to bed last night, and it was after midnight. It’s only 5:30 now, and he needs more sleep than that. I’ll have to wait to find out.

  She gestured to Rebel and Lady to follow her to the kitchen. She let them out into the back yard while she made a cup of coffee. After she was dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, she looked over at Mike, silently saying goodbye, and that she’d see him later in the day. While she was looking at him, she noticed Rebel had gotten up on the king-size bed and was lying next to Mike, sound asleep.

  Good grief. Rebel’s never done that before. Mike must let him get in bed with him after I’ve left for the coffee shop. So much for training the dogs to stay off the furniture. Oh well, a wise woman I know once told me to choose my battles wisely. Guess this is one I’ll let go.

  She and Lady walked out to her minivan, and once they were inside, she turned to the growing puppy that was sitting in the back seat and said, “Lady, don’t even think about it. You are not to get on the bed. We’ll pretend we didn’t see that. Deal?” She could swear that Lady nodded her head in agreement.

  In just a few minutes they arrived at the parking lot next to the pier where Kelly’s Koffee Shop was located. She and her late husband had taken it over from her parents when they retired and moved to the Phoenix area. She got out of the van and stood for a moment looking at the coffee shop. Memories of her grandmother teaching her to cook when Kelly was a little girl, her husband, Mark, who had died at an early age from a rare form of cancer, the lumbermen who used to patronize the coffee shop when the lumber business was good, were just a few of the fleeting thoughts that swept through her mind as she gazed at it.

  She knew a lot of people wouldn’t be able to understand how someone could love a coffee shop, but she did. It had been a lifesaver for her when Mark died, and provided her with the means to support herself and her two children. She particularly loved the people she’d hired and considered to be an extended family. There was Roxie, who had been with her for over ten years, and was everyone’s favorite waitress. Charlie, the son of Chief Many Trees, was the best short order cook who had ever worked in the coffee shop. Although he could be short-tempered when it came to issues regarding Native Americans and how he thought the government had ruined them, he never let it interfere with his work at the coffee shop. Madison was a relatively new addition to the staff and would soon be leaving to work at Wanda’s Beauty Salon in town. She’d be sorry to see Madison leave, but she was glad Madison was staying in Cedar Bay.

  Roxie, who had just arrived and parked her car nearby, walked up to Kelly and said, “Woolgathering? Isn’t it a little early in the morning for that?”

  “Probably is, but this coffee shop and I go way back. I was reminiscing more than woolgathering. You know my grandparents started it with just a couple of tables and a tiny kitchen. I think Nana would be proud as punch that what she started so many years ago has lasted and grown. Anyway, enough of that, we better get started. Good, here come Charlie and Madison,” she said, as
she unlocked the door of the coffee shop.

  “Understood from Mike that you and he were going to have a one day stay-at-home honeymoon, but from what I hear, it didn’t even last half a day,” Roxie said, hanging up her coat.

  “Yeah, probably has to be one of the shortest honeymoons on record. I assume you’re talking about Jesse’s death,” Kelly answered.

  “I am, and it makes me so sad to think we were with him just the day before he was killed. Does Mike have any idea who did it?”

  She started to answer when Charlie walked in. “Mornin’ boss. Hear you discovered another body. Know who did it?”

  “Hi, Charlie, and to answer both of your questions, the answer is no. Mike didn’t get home until late last night, and I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about it. And Charlie, as far as me discovering another body, I don’t know what’s happening in this town. I sure hope this doesn’t happen again. I’m absolutely certain we’re going to be just as busy as we were the day after Amber, Jeff, and Scott were murdered. People seem to need a place where they can go and talk about a tragedy and see what everyone else knows about it. Looks like Kelly’s Koffee Shop is the place to go when a resident wants to find out what’s happening in our sleepy little town.”

  “Since we’re going to be busy this morning, is there something special you want me to do?” Madison asked.

  “I’m going to make some bacon and cheese quiches. They’re always a hit whether they’re warm or cold. We’ll serve them for breakfast while they’re warm, and the ones that are left we can serve to the lunch crowd. Who can resist those? Plus I got in an order of oranges, so Madison, I’d like you to start squeezing oranges for the juice. Yumm, just thinking about fresh orange juice and warm cheesy bacony quiche makes my mouth water.

  “I was planning on coming in yesterday afternoon, since I haven’t been in here for a week because of the wedding, but with Jesse’s death, it didn’t work out. I need to get started on the quiches right away. Roxie, you take care of the coffee, and make sure the tables are set and ready for the customers. Charlie, I need you to set up for a busy morning. You’re probably going to have a lot of omelets and short orders. I’d use the term mise en place, but I well remember how you told me the one time I used that phrase that you weren’t French, so I should just speak plain old English. I think you told me to tell you to just get your stuff ready and forget the French words for ‘put in place.’ So, consider yourself told!”

  At 11:00, when the breakfast crowd had thinned, Kelly walked over to Roxie and said, “Mind if I step out for about half an hour? I want to personally thank Amanda for the beautiful flower arrangements and the bouquets she did for the wedding. I’ll be back in time for the lunch crowd. Okay?”

  “Absolutely, Madison told me her school’s on break this week, so she’ll be here and we’ll be fine. Take your time. Tell Amanda I agree, the flowers were absolutely beautiful.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Kelly took off her apron, walked down the pier, and crossed the street to where Amanda’s Flower Shop was located. The tinkling bell that rang when she opened the door of the shop alerted Amanda that a customer had entered her shop. “Be with you in a moment. Feel free to look around,” Amanda called out from the back room.

  Kelly was happy to have some time to enjoy the scents and the colors of the various floral arrangements. Brightly colored roses, orchids, and gladiolas were arranged in glass vases inside the floral cooler.

  Someone told me that Amanda has greenhouses on her property, and that’s how she’s able to have so many blooming flowers for sale. She probably uses warming lamps, because there’s no way anyone could grow all these orchids this time of year in this damp climate. Not to mention the more exotic sun-loving plants like the ginger and frangipani. They’re simply gorgeous. I’d like to take every one of them home with me.

  “Hi, Kelly, I didn’t know it was you. You know you’re always welcome to come into the back room,” the petite grey-haired woman in the white smock with the words “I Love Blooming Flowers” written in bright green on it said as she walked over to Kelly and gave her a friendly hug.

  “Actually, I enjoyed having a few minutes to soak up the ambience of your shop. The flowers and your arrangements are simply breathtaking.”

  “Thanks. I’ve been really lucky since I opened the shop a few years ago. Flowers have always been my passion, and after Rex died it gave me something to do. I just wish I’d had the courage to do it a long time ago. People come from all around the area to buy my flowers and arrangements. I’ve developed quite a clientele of people who request that I do flower arrangements for their weddings, special occasions, and some customers even like me to deliver a weekly arrangement to their home or business.”

  “That makes me jealous. I sure wish I could afford a weekly arrangement, but the reason I’m here is I want to thank you again for the lovely flowers you provided for my wedding, the bouquets you did for Julia and me, and the floral centerpieces for the reception. Each one was spectacular, truly a work of art.”

  “It was my pleasure, Kelly, but would you do me a favor? If you ever get married again, don’t have your wedding on Valentine’s Day. That’s my single busiest day of the year. I don’t think I slept for several days beforehand. I fell in bed Saturday night at 7:00, and the next thing I knew it was 5:00 last night. Can you believe it? I slept for almost twenty-four hours. I got up, had a bite of dinner, went right back to bed, and didn’t wake up until this morning. For the first time in several days, I feel almost normal.”

  When Amanda heard the little bell over the door tinkle, she turned to see who had come into the shop. “Hello, Sydney. How are you? I haven’t seen you for a long time. Sydney, do you know Kelly Conner, oops, Kelly Reynolds?”

  “Yes, I briefly met you a long time ago when I was in your coffee shop. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Thank you, and I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your last name.”

  “It’s Allen, my name is Sydney Allen,” the tall, stately looking brunette said, her gold bracelets jangling against one another. “I believe you were a good friend of my late ex-husband.”

  “What are you talking about?” Amanda said in a loud voice. “Your late ex-husband? What do you mean?”

  “I guess you haven’t heard that Jesse was murdered at The Crush yesterday. I came here today to pick something out to give to Mrs. Allen. She and Celia decided to have Jesse cremated rather than have a funeral,” she said, twisting a gold bracelet around her wrist.

  “Jesse’s dead? What are you talking about? Kelly, have you heard about it?”

  “She knows,” Sydney said. “From what Jesse’s sister told me, she was the one who discovered Jesse’s body, she and her husband, the sheriff.”

  Amanda turned to Kelly. “Is that true?”

  “Yes. Since you slept all day yesterday, you’re probably the only one in town who hasn’t heard about it.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Amanda said, sitting down heavily in a chair next to the counter. “Why would anyone want to kill Jesse? I’ve known him since we were in kindergarten together, and I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about him.”

  “Well,” Sydney said, turning and facing Kelly, “you might want to tell your husband he’d better start by talking to Sophie Marchant. From what I hear, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s done something like this.”

  “What do you mean? I’ve met her and thought she was quite lovely.”

  “Sure, she plays that fragile little French female role to the hilt. I heard she was interested in Jesse, so I had a private investigator see what he could find out about her. Seems her first husband was killed while she lived in France, and she was accused of murdering him. She got off because of a hung jury, and then she found some rich banker guy whose family owns the biggest perfumery in France. She convinced him to marry her and come to the United States where no one knew what had happened to her first husband. She got her just deserts, though. He left her and m
arried some Hollywood starlet. Serves her right. Yeah, you better tell your husband to start his search for my wonderful Jesse’s murderer with her. If a woman’s done it once, she’s certainly capable of doing it again,” she said bitterly.

  “That’s a pretty strong accusation,” Kelly said.

  “Sure is, and I’m sure it’s well-deserved. Jesse and I were talking about reconciling, probably even remarrying, until he met her. Mark my words, that woman either knows something about his death or she did it.”

  “Sydney,” Kelly said, “I can certainly understand why you’re upset, but what motive could she possibly have for wanting him dead? If they were seeing one another, it doesn’t make any sense for her to want to kill him.”

  “Talk is she’s been seeing a married man during the week when she’s staying at her other home up in Portland. Who knows? Jesse may have found out about it and gotten angry. Maybe they had words. She’s involved, somehow. I know it in my bones.”

  Kelly looked at her watch. “Amanda, Sydney, I have to leave and get back to the coffee shop. I’ve been gone long enough. Amanda, once again, thank you for everything. Sydney, I’m very sorry about Jesse, but I have to tell you, I’m having a hard time seeing Sophie as his murderer.” She opened the door and the little bell above the door tinkled as she left the shop.

  I wonder if Celia and Sydney spend every moment of the day talking about how horrible Sophie is. They must feed off of each other. I’ve learned over the years to trust my instincts and my instincts aren’t usually wrong. I sure hope they’re not this time, because I really did like Sophie and her grief seemed genuine.

  CHAPTER 8

  As Kelly crossed the street on her way back to the coffee shop, she saw Mike’s black and white patrol car pulling into the parking lot next to the pier with Rebel riding shotgun. She ran over and hugged Mike as he got out of the car followed by Rebel. “Hello, Sheriff Mike, how’s my husband today?” she asked, grinning.