Chili con corpses, p.21
Chili Con Corpses, page 21
When Dolly appeared to check on their progress, Murphy pushed away her dinner plate and ordered three slices of chocolate cake and coffees all around.
“The bit about Parker rang true to me,” Kinsley answered and then smirked, “but it’s pretty clear that I couldn’t tell if someone was lying unless their damned nose started growing!”
“I know you’ve been through a lot, Kinsley.” Murphy placed a hand on the distressed woman’s forearm. “We’re here to help you in any way, and if you want my advice, I would tell you to find out exactly what kind of person the man you married is.”
Kinsley’s eyes widened as Dolly placed three cake slices on their table. Each one could have served four people.
“Dolly!” James blurted. “These pieces are a trifle big!”
Dolly shrugged and her massive bosom moved up and down along with her shoulders. “Seems like you folks could use a dose of sugar tonight.” She gave her wide hip a slap. “Always makes me feel better when I’m workin’ out some kind of problem.”
“You’re a wise woman,” Murphy said, smiling at the proprietor who slowly ambled off, humming loudly as she paused to refill coffee cups throughout the diner.
Kinsley swiped a pinkie across the top of her cake and then sucked the icing from her finger. She squared her shoulders and picked up a fresh fork. “The first thing I’m going to do is call a woman who mentored me when I started at Solmes. She’ll tell me all about the front running.”
“And after that?” Murphy persisted.
Kinsley looked crestfallen, but anger surged through her voice like a wave breaking on the shore as she said, “You mean, am I going to find out whether my new husband—the man that I’ve fallen in love with all over again—stole drugs from a local vet, tried to poison me, murdered my sister, and then pinned all the crimes on an old roommate?”
Murphy looked abashed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t—”
“Of course I want to know the truth about him! But how?” Kinsley gazed at James and Murphy with appeal in her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” Murphy answered with assurance. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” James asked Murphy for the third time. “I really think the police should be hiding in Kinsley’s pantry instead of us.”
Murphy chewed on a pretzel twist. “Lucy’s here. She’s practically a deputy.”
“And she’s the one who came up with our hiding spots?”
“Yes. Except that I insisted on being in here with you instead of her, so she and Bennett are in the coat closet. Lindy and Gillian are in an upstairs bedroom with their cell phones charged and ready. They’re the 9-1-1 team. If things seem to be getting ugly, those two will call for help.” Murphy offered James a pretzel. “These are honey mustard. Delicious. Oh, but you’d better stick to these dried apple slices instead. Pretzels are way too salty for you.”
James frowned as he bit into a rubbery apple slice. “This is ridiculous! We’re standing in Kinsley’s pantry, eating her food, and waiting for her to start a scene with Gary so that we can be witnesses to a confession?”
“You got it,” Murphy said happily. “We are going to nail the louse, and I’m going to have the best front page story of my entire career. Shoot, I might even write a book about this. Lucy will get offers from a dozen different law enforcement agencies—hopefully very far away from Quincy’s Gap—and your other friends will be town heroes. We’ve got nothing to lose.”
“When did Kinsley agree to all of this?”
Murphy shrugged. “On the phone last night, right after she talked to her friend from Solmes and found out that Gary had been fired for front running. First, I had to settle Kinsley down, and then we figured out how we could ambush her new husband to see if he’s involved with Dwight.”
James was befuddled. “So you think Gary and Dwight are partners in crime?”
“Of course. They must have been planning this for months. With Parker gone, Dwight gets the practice, and now that they’ve been legally wed, Kinsley’s death would mean that Gary would get a least a portion of Kinsley’s millions. Gary probably promised to pay Dwight off in exchange for the part he’s played.” She chomped on another pretzel. “What’s a few years in jail compared to a lifetime of wealth?” she asked rhetorically.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of the garage door being opened. Murphy snapped off the pantry light and eased the door closed. “I’ve got tape recorders stashed in four rooms,” she whispered in
excitement. “So even if we miss parts of the newlyweds’ conversation, we’ll have something to hold over Gary’s head later on.”
“I hope you ladies know what you’re doing,” James murmured. “If Gary is guilty, then there’s no telling how he’s going to act.”
Murphy shushed him as Kinsley entered the kitchen from the garage, noisily flinging her car keys and purse onto the counter.
“I’m glad you were willing to rent Wall Street,” Kinsley said cheerfully. “I haven’t watched it in ages, and I thought it would be fun to see what we’re missing.”
“High stress, five-dollar coffees, long hours, and rude customers,” Gary replied. “We’ve got it much better now. Did you get a chance to look at those Florida Keys brochures, baby?” His voice practically purred as he spoke. “We could spend the whole winter on the beach drinking cocktails.”
“Oh, Gary!” Kinsley laughed. “You know I promised to go back to Blue Ridge High next week. I’m really psyched about teaching. We can go somewhere for Spring Break.”
“But it’s cold now, babe.” Gary continued to plead his case. “How about Mexico? We could go and come back real quick and you’d only miss a week or two of school. Think about the margaritas.”
“I think I’d like to take a break from Mexican food for a while. I was just poisoned, you know,” she reminded him. “Here, take your sesame chicken before it congeals any further. Boy, do I wish there were more restaurants in this town.” Kinsley sniffed. “Even this dim sum is only so-so. Remember that incredible Chinese place across from Solmes? What was that called?”
“Lu Lu’s Lo Mein Palace,” Gary responded with his mouth full. “How could you ever forget that name?”
“I don’t know,” Kinsley answered and then stopped to chew. “But I’ve been thinking about our life there a lot lately. I even called Elaine Salinsky to catch up on all the gossip. Do you remember her?”
There was a lengthy pause before Gary finally spoke. “Kinda,” he said, and then asked lightly, “What did she have to say? Did she mention me?”
“Why don’t you tell me why she might have?” Kinsley’s tone was firm. “And think carefully about how you answer this, because a lot rides on what you say.”
Gary laughed nervously. “What is this? You Judge Judy or something? I quit, babe, and Solmes got pretty bitter about it. The big cheeses knew they were losing their best trader, so they did their damned best to blackball me. Made up some shit about front running. It’s a good thing I gave up that life.” He snorted. “No one would hire me now.”
There was no reply from Kinsley. James could almost hear Murphy silently screaming, Don’t fall for that lame explanation!
Kinsley rattled a few more bags, which James assumed contained more take-out, and the smells of soy sauce, fried rice, and crispy fried won tons seeped into the pantry. As his stomach gurgled in expectation, James ruefully thought that he’d probably never be able to eat Chinese food again, unless they found some way to cook it without sodium. And then it wouldn’t taste like Chinese food, he imagined.
“Elaine said you were living high on the hog at the time you … left Solmes.” James noted that Kinsley decided not to pin Gary down about whether he was fired or chose to leave on his own accord.
The sound of a pair of cheap, wooden chopsticks being snapped apart echoed in the kitchen. “Pieces of crap! Look at all these
splinters!” Gary complained. “Well, I wasn’t using these kinds of chopsticks, that’s for sure. I made enough to buy a pair of those nice glass ones.”
Kinsley pursued her line of questioning. “Elaine said you moved to a pretty swank place on the Upper West Side. Did you get some kind of special bonus from Solmes that I wasn’t privy to?”
“Listen to you,” Gary chuckled. “‘Privy to,’ la te da!” he mocked her, his voice carrying more and more suppressed anger as he growled, “Old Elaine’s been saying lots of stuff about me. You two had a real nice girl’s chat, didn’t ya?”
“I just don’t want any secrets between us, Gary,” Kinsley answered honestly. “Can you tell me that you haven’t kept anything from me?”
“No, I haven’t.” Gary slapped his chopsticks on the counter. “Now, can we watch the movie?”
Kinsley waited a bit and then said, “Sure. I’m sorry, hon. I guess I’m just feeling lonely in this isolated valley without Parker. When we were together, it seemed like a beautiful place, but now …”
“And what am I, chopped liver?” Gary spluttered, and then he quickly cheered up. “Hey! Let’s move back to New York! I’d love that!” He clapped his hands together in glee. “Just think of the food, the bars, the shows. Let’s do it!”
“Um, I was thinking more along the lines of Kansas,” Kinsley responded timidly. “I miss my family, now more than ever.”
“Sorry, babe,” Gary answered without much sympathy. “I know you’re hurtin’, but I can’t do Kansas. We’ll head to a big city, maybe L.A., get a cool place, something really modern and hip, maybe with a sweet pool, and then kick back and enjoy life.”
When Kinsley next spoke, her voice was more muffled and James realized that she must have moved into the living room while Gary was busy picturing a life of leisure.
Kinsley had rented a small house in one of the town’s older sections. Just two blocks off Main Street, its current owners, Missy and Bobby Greenwood, had modernized the cottage. The Greenwoods had added on a garage and updated the kitchen so that the three-bedroom home could serve as the perfect place to raise a family. However, the young couple served in the military and had been sent to Germany for a year’s term. As a result, the Greenwoods’ first child would be born on foreign soil and Kinsley would take loving care of their charming house until she decided where to take up a more permanent residence.
“Gary, I want to live more simply!” Kinsley declared from the living room. “I want to give to a community—to be a part of a town. I want people to know me when I go out for groceries or rent a movie, and I don’t want to be anchored down by constantly thinking about money. In fact, I’ve already talked to the local ASPCA about donating all of Parker’s money to their charity so they can build a beautiful new facility.”
“What!” Gary roared. “Why didn’t you talk to me first? Have you signed any papers?”
James heard Kinsley turn on the television instead of replying. “Just so you know, I may give them mine as well,” he heard her taunt, and then Gary said something too low to be heard from inside the pantry.
“I can do whatever I want!” Kinsley shouted back. “I’m moving home to Kansas, and I’m giving away every penny except what I’ll need to buy a small house with.” Her voice escalated with every word. “Why don’t you take all that money you earned front running and invest it?”
“I already did and I lost it all. Satisfied now, you bitch!” Gary hollered in return, and then a silence descended upon the house, interrupted only by the sound of an exercise show on the television. Judging from the tempo of the music, James assumed that the show’s participants were engaged in a vigorous aerobic workout.
“You lied to me,” Kinsley hissed. “You didn’t quit your job to comfort me! You got fired and came here to offer your shoulder for me to cry on so that you could sucker me into marrying you!” She stomped across the hardwood floors. “Well, I’m calling our family lawyer. I’m sure he can arrange for an annulment,” she snapped her fingers, “just like that!”
Gary’s footsteps followed her to where she stood. “Don’t you dare!”
“Or what, you little leech?” she said with a sharp edge to her voice. “You’ll kill me?”
The air became charged with rage.
“I wouldn’t test me on that one, babe,” Gary stated evenly. “You’re my wife and if anything should happen to you, then I get every dollar that you’re so hell-bent on pissing away.”
James felt himself go rigid. The antagonism between the couple was speeding to a crescendo that was likely to end in violence. With both hands clenched around the stem of a baseball bat, James felt wound like a spring. At the slightest hint of alarm from Kinsley, he planned to jump to her aid, but sitting there in the dark, it was hard to judge whether he could act in time. He shifted his weight to make certain that his limbs hadn’t fallen asleep after crouching in the narrow pantry.
“Don’t do anything,” Murphy whispered. “She’s going for the jugular now.”
Apparently, Murphy was right. “I’m not afraid of you,” Kinsley mocked her husband, which seemed to James like a dangerous tactic to take. “You’re a deceitful, greedy louse,” she continued, “but you don’t have the guts to kill anyone.”
Gary snorted, a sound he seemed fond of making. “I don’t need to do the dirty work. I’ve got someone else to do that for me.”
James heard the sound of metal scraping on metal.
“What are you talking about, Gary?” Kinsley’s wrath filled the house. “Are you referring to my sister’s murder? Are you trying to tell me you’re some kind of puppeteer and that you had her killed?”
There was no reply.
Kinsley’s footsteps moved with slow deliberation.
“Put that down, Kinsley. You’re being ridiculous.”
“You and that loser, Dwight, you’re in this whole scheme together. He gets Parker’s practice and you get my money. Is that it? Well, game’s over!” she raged. “Get out of my house!”
He snorted again. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to forget this whole conversation, and we’re going to go on a little trip. See? I’ve already rented a car and a nice suite of rooms down in the Keys. Our bags are packed, too.” He chuckled. “This isn’t an optional trip, sweetheart. You’re coming with me. Now put that poker down.”
James almost stopped breathing. What was Kinsley planning to do with that fireplace poker?
“Get out of my bag!” Gary shouted as James heard the sound of a zipper being opened.
“What are these vials?” Kinsley sounded dumbfounded. “Wildnil!” She stomped back to Gary. “What do you plan to do with these? Poison my cocktail while I’m sunning on the beach?” She crossed the room again. “I’m getting rid of you for good.”
“Put that phone down!” Gary roared, and when it was obvious that Kinsley wasn’t listening, his steps began to pick up speed as he neared his wife.
“Help me!” Kinsley screamed, and James burst out of the pantry with Murphy right on his heels.
A few seconds later, Kinsley stood with her back flattened against the living room wall, the phone clutched against her chest as though it would protect her. Lucy stood in front of her, but something was odd about her posture. She seemed to be sagging sideways, as though she were slowly losing her balance, and she wore a surprised expression on her face.
Gary was on the floor, struggling like a wild animal as Bennett attempted to pry the poker from his hands. James was shocked to see that the point of the tool was glistening with blood.
“Lucy!” James saw the wound in her thigh and stared in transfixed horror as blood flowed from the hole.
Torn between aiding Bennett and supporting Lucy as she crumpled toward the floor, James ran to Lucy. He cradled her head as he eased her to the floor and then turned, looking for a piece of cloth he could use to staunch the flow of blood. He dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a dishtowel, and as he applied pressure to Lucy’s wound, he saw Murphy rip the poker from Gary’s hands.
“Gillian! Lindy!” Murphy yelled. “Call for help!”
There was no answer from upstairs.
“There’s no dial tone,” Kinsley breathed. She held out the phone for everyone to see. Her face was white as flour and she stood immobile, staring at her husband as though he were a complete stranger.
On the floor, Gary began to laugh. “You idiots! You can’t do anything to me! You’ve got no proof! Nothing!”
Murphy raised the poker. “Shut up. Now put your hands in the air.”
“No,” said a low and deadly voice from the other side of the room. A masked man stepped out of the shadow at the base of the staircase and raised a gun. “You put your hands in the air. All of you.”
Gary scrambled away from Bennett’s clutches and stood just behind the man clothed all in black. “It’s about time you got here. How did you know this group of morons was coming after us?”
“Only you, Gary. And that’s fine with me. Someone’s got to deal with your dead body.” And then man raised his arm.
Gary’s eyes flew open in fear. “What—?”
The man fired two shots into Gary’s torso.
One of the women screamed as Gary’s body slid down the wall, leaving a path of bright blood on the stark white behind him.
Without another word, the man turned his gun on the rest of the group and backed toward the door. He reached his arm behind his hip and twisted the knob. Slipping outside like a ghost, he disappeared into the night.
Inside Kinsley’s living room, no one moved.
“My cell phone,” Lucy finally croaked from the floor while trying to reach inside her coat.
“I’ll get it. Don’t try to move.” Murphy gently retrieved the phone from an interior pocket of Lucy’s jacket. Her voice trembled violently as she spoke to the 9-1-1 operator.
James met Bennett’s eyes and the mail carrier snapped to life, springing up the stairs leading to the bedrooms two at a time. Kinsley was cowering on the floor, hugging her knees and hiding her face in her arms.
