A Body in the Bargain: A Kate & Kylie Mystery Read online

  She rolled over and sat up.

  “You know, Kate, we really do need your help with the publicity. With her being the way she is it could be worse than last year, and Josh Miller just waits for people to bring him everything.”

  I must have looked surprised.

  “He’s a good guy,” Kylie said, “And I think he’s really good on the business side of things. I guess we were spoiled with old Mrs. Hazelton when she was editor. She put everything on her calendar and made sure there were stories in time. Of course, Maxie Lewis always puts little things about the festival in her column, but not everybody reads that, and she might think that somebody’s daughter’s engagement shower that she got invited to is way more important than the Flood Festival.”

  “Or one of her poems,” I said with a smile.

  “Yeah,” Kylie said. “You know we asked her a couple of years ago if she’d write the words for a song about the river for Janie Way to set to music, and she said she only wrote from inspiration. I know Josh is just going to pay you to write city council and crime stories, but…”

  “I’ll be glad to help,” I said. “I live here now, and I ought to volunteer some of my time.”

  “Would you be on the committee?” she asked.

  “No, please, no!” I said. “I hate committees. You just get me the information or tell me who I need to talk to, and I’ll get it done. I’ll even talk to Sheena Queen of the Jungle.”

  “I shouldn’t have said that,” Kylie laughed. “I think she wants to do a good job, but she’s in over her head.”

  “She’s our age?” I asked.

  “Older,” Kylie said. “Buddy thinks she’s got her eye on Josh Miller, and they may have gone out a couple of times, but don’t worry about that. Buddy doesn’t think Josh is that interested. She’s older than he is and she’s been married before. She has a real cute little girl the same age as the twins.”

  “Why do you think I’d be worried about that?” I asked. “Josh Miller seems like a nice guy, but I’m working for him, and that’s the only relationship I want with him.”

  “Oh, come on!” Kylie said. “Don’t you think he’s good looking?”

  “You know, Kylie, I do think he’s good looking. I’m just not interested in him that way. I can think a man is handsome without being interested in him.”

  “We’ll see,” she said with this older-and-wiser look she gets sometimes. “Besides, I think Daniel O’Reilly is the one who’s right for her. More the right age, anyway.”

  “Have you ever read ‘Emma’?” I asked Kylie.

  “No, Smarty,” she said, “But I saw it on television, and I am not like that woman. Well, I really would like to see you as happy with somebody as I am with Buddy, but I’m not going to interfere.”

  We sat in silence for a full minute. I was trying not to laugh, and she was thinking things through.

  Finally, she said, “If you don’t want to be on the committee, how about at least coming to the next meeting, so you’ll meet everybody? It’s next Wednesday at noon. I’ll call Sheena and let her know you’ve volunteered, and she’ll probably be relieved.”

  “Let me write it down,” I said, looking around for my purse for my date book.

  It was fortunate that I looked.

  “Yikes!” I said, “Mom’s birthday is Saturday!”

  “Flowers,” Kylie said. “And don’t waste your time with Bitsy’s Bouquets, because they won’t send them by wire. Flip Tarver doesn’t keep any fresh flowers at his gift shop, but he can handle wire orders. I guess they’ve got it divided up pretty well.”

  My first thought would have been to send an e-mail gift certificate, but my mom does like flowers, and how could I pass up an excuse to talk with Miss Merkle’s only family member?

  I passed up the work session and arrived in time for the official River Valley City Council meeting, which was held in the courtroom of the Public Safety building. It would have been the dullest thing I ever sat through if it hadn’t been for the fact that Chief Daniel O’Reilly and Sheena “Queen of the Jungle” Latrelle were both in attendance. He was sitting in the back row near the door as if he wanted to be prepared for a quick exit.

  She was sitting on the front row.

  Sheena had striped hair—by which I mean streaked, but very dramatically in broad bands of blond, brown and platinum. There was a great deal of it. She was wearing a zebra striped dress that seemed to have been melted and poured onto her.

  Chief O’Reilly reported briefly that the death of Miss Meredith Merkle was the subject of an ongoing investigation, and that his department was receiving support from the Beauregard County Sheriff’s Office. No mention was made of David Dabney.

  Councilman Dave Dabney looked as if his collar was an inch too tight.

  Mayor Rosa May Hill kept things moving through the agenda at a rapid pace.

  She was a retired elementary school principal, and ran a funeral home with her husband, and she had a good sense of protocol. The City Manager kept a low profile at the meeting, other than to answer an occasional question.

  Mayor Hill read a resolution regarding a sign ordinance, which was apparently designed to place strict limits on the signs businesses could display. There would be a public hearing before the final vote. A recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Board to allow commercial rezoning on Fuller Street was approved following a time at which the public was invited to speak but nobody stood up.

  The mayor invited Sheena to talk about plans for the Flood Festival, and she read the names of the committee members and brought up the subject of street closings for the festival.

  Chief O’Reilly was consulted and said that he hadn’t received the request for two streets to be closed off in the downtown area for the hours of the festival, but the festival committee would have his department’s full cooperation if someone would contact him. Sheena turned and gave him a bright smile.

  Mayor Hill reminded everyone of the Kiwanis Club Fish Fry, and introduced me, saying how happy they were to have me in attendance, and that my father had been a member of the City Council at one point.

  I took notes furiously on everything that was said regardless of whether it seemed important or not.

  I hoped to have a brief encounter with Chief O’Reilly on the way out, but when I got up and turned to leave, he was already gone. I decided that at subsequent meetings I would sit in the back.

  Sheena came up to introduce herself and welcome me back to River Valley and really was quite sweet.

  I went home and typed up my notes. I decided that the most important thing must be the sign ordinance if they had to have a public hearing before voting on it. I read my copy of the ordinance, and it looked to me like a nuisance for everybody, but what did I know? I decided to write it the next day and send it to Josh right away so he could read it and let me know if it was what he wanted.

  Then I wrote myself a note: Mom’s birthday!!!! Flowers!!!

  I taped it to my coffee pot.

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, I got up and wrote the City Council story, putting everything in. I e-mailed it to Josh at the paper and then put on my favorite pencil skirt with a low cut blouse and a short jacket. I added a bunch of beads. That’s the closest I get to Queen of the Jungle.

  At a little after nine, I was that the door of Tarver’s Gift Shoppe, which was in a narrow little corner building downtown.

  It was one of those shops so full of china and crystal that everything seems to ring when you walk in. I could hear a man’s voice in the back, and I proceeded carefully in that direction.

  Some of what I heard didn’t make sense, and some did.

  “Anyway, it’s definitely sandwich—blue tulip. Yes, I know. Believe me, I know. I’m seeing her lawyer this afternoon. Naturally, she’s been out of town right at the time she was most needed, and the new police c
hief is just carried away with himself and he won’t let anybody into the house. They’ve got this silly yellow tape over the ….”

  It was fascinating, but I didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping. I rang the bell on the counter firmly, twice, and heard, “Ooops. Got a customer. I’ll call you back.”

  Flip Tarver came out from a back room smiling. As soon as I saw him, I remembered him as one of those countless “grownups” I had seen at church and around town as a child. He also looked a bit like Meredith Merkle, with the same slight build and narrow features. The big difference was that he smiled, which made him look like a happy elf.

  “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so,” I said, “My mother’s birthday is tomorrow. And she’s in St. Augustine. I want to send flowers.”

  “Well, I can certainly help with that,” he said. “Roses?”

  “Can I get something for around $40?” I asked.

  He got a color brochure out from under the counter, and said, “Not roses, but I’m sure we can find something nice.”

  Then he gave me a curious look, and smiled again and said. “St. Augustine? Of course! You must be Elizabeth Marley’s daughter. You’re back here to live. Katie, isn’t it?”

  “Kate,” I said, extending my hand.

  “And call me Flip,” he said. “It’s Phillip, really, but I can’t bear that.”

  Then he turned serious.

  “You were one of the ones who found Meredith, weren’t you?”

  I nodded and said I was sorry for his loss.

  “Thank you,” he said. “It’s been a difficult week. Meredith and I didn’t spend a lot of time together, and some people seem to have thought we had differences, but she was just a solitary type who liked to keep to her own schedule.”

  He smiled a little and said, “I thought more than once that if I would just take up walking, we might spend more time together.”

  I was happy that Flip Tarver seemed to be his sister’s opposite when it came to social chatter, and that gave me an idea.

  “You know,” I said. “I’m going to be doing some writing for The Register, and the editor there has asked me to have a story on the crime and the investigation for next week. I’d love to have a picture of Miss Merkle to go with it, and maybe some comments from you if you feel up to it.”

  “I can tell you a few personal things that might help,” he said “And I do have a photo. I was just looking at it last night. It was taken for the high school yearbook the last year she taught,” he said. “Were you one of her English students?”

  “Oh, yes,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic, and he laughed.

  “I know. I know,” he said. “I hear she was a tyrant as a teacher. I’m afraid she wasn’t strong on people skills, but…”

  He stopped in mid-sentence as if searching for words, and said, “But don’t quote me on that, please. I’ll tell you what. I’ll try to jot a few ideas down, and if you drop by Monday you can pick that up here, and the photo, too.”

  I told him that would be fine, and he said, “Now, we need to send your lovely mother some birthday flowers. Let’s look at this brochure.”

  Another customer had come in, and we hurried through the decision about the flowers. I settled on daisies and snapdragons, paid for them with my credit card and said I’d be back Monday.

  I couldn’t help thinking as I left that Meredith Merkle could have used some of her brother’s easygoing social skills.

  My cell phone rang just as I was getting into my car. It was Kylie reminding me that she’d be picking me up a little before six to go to the Kiwanis Club Fish Fry.

  “And don’t worry about my trying to matchmake,” she said. “I’ll be taking the boys so I won’t have time! Buddy has to go early to cook, and Mom doesn’t want to go. She can’t stand catfish, but we’re supposed to bring her back a tray of hushpuppies and slaw. Don’t let me forget.”

  I spent the next few hours enjoying my life of leisure with my camera and sketchbook. The dogwoods all over town had suddenly popped like popcorn and were covered with snowy white blossoms mixed with occasional pink. I could see wisteria growing wild and climbing up trees and over fences. I remembered a scene I had always meant to paint, and headed out of town through farmlands and woods to look for an old weathered barn I remembered as being a few miles past the river bridge.

  It was, blessedly, still there, and more tumble-down than ever, with vines covering one side. I stopped and took pictures with my zoom lens. I wished I could have gotten closer to see what the vines were—honeysuckle or morning glory maybe——but there’s no way I’m going to walk down into a ditch and climb over a barbed wire fence, even for art’s sake.

  I forgot lunch, and I was starving when I got home, but I settled for a salad since I knew that my next meal was going to be at the fish fry. It’s traditionally an all-you-can-eat deal, and I can really eat a lot of fried catfish and hushpuppies.

  I decided I’d take my camera and try to get some good pictures of the twins, or of Buddy frying hushpuppies. I love putting photos on Facebook.

  I wondered if Daniel O’Reilly would be there.

  As it turned out, Josh Miller was there, and he hadn’t brought his camera or his notebook. He was serving plates side-by-side with Sheena QOTJ.

  She had her voluminous hair pushed away from her face on one side to show off a big hoop earring. She was wearing a sequinned black shell with a shocking pink skirt. Her fingernails were long, perfect and polished to match her skirt.

  She also seemed to be more interested in making small talk with Josh and keeping her hair pushed back than with serving the cole slaw.

  Josh noticed me waiting and beamed.

  “Oh, Kate, I’m so glad you brought your camera. Please take some pictures for the paper. I forgot to bring mine! ”

  Josh was holding up the line talking to me. I had Kylie and two impatient boys behind me, so I smiled at Sheena and told Josh, “Let us get our plates filled and I’ll come back and get a picture of you two.”

  “Oh, please do!” Sheena said, putting one hand possessively on Josh’s shoulder.

  Kylie said, “Sheena, is Taffy here? You know she’s in the boys’ class at school.”

  “She’s with her dad this weekend,” Sheena said. “She hated missing this, but he spoils her rotten, so she’ll have fun.”

  I moved ahead and encountered City Manager Max Claxton serving corn on the cob out of a big kettle and brushing each ear with melted butter.

  “You’re looking lovely tonight, Miss Kate,” he said with a big smile. “That blue matches your eyes. I hope we didn’t put you to sleep with our meeting last night.”

  Two minutes later he was telling Kylie that she was looking lovely, and red brought out the roses in her cheeks.

  The man does have a way with words.

  Next was the dessert table, where Mayor Rosa May Hill and Chief Daniel O’Reilly were offering choices of lemon pound cake or brownies. I got out my camera before they saw me and took a picture of them smiling and handing out desserts.

  That ought to do for the paper, I thought. A nice unposed shot. Maybe I’d send Josh that one and one of one the team who were frying the fish and hushpuppies.

  Daniel gave me a quick smile when I asked for a brownie. He looked a little tired, and I thought that after the week he’d had, he might rather just be stretched out on a sofa reading.

  Mayor Hill said, “You know, Katie, your daddy and I were on city council together way back when. How are he and your mother doing? It was such a loss for us when they moved.”

  I told her they were fine and had big plans for my dad’s retirement.

  “Hey, look, Mom!” William said. “There’s a hair in my coleslaw.”

  “Hey, look how long it is,” Mark said, “Ewww!”

  Kylie shushed them both. I finished chatting with the
mayor, promised to send her best wishes to my parents, and we headed off to eat.

  Kylie whispered to me that if Sheena QOTJ was going to toss her hair all around, she ought to wear a hairnet to serve cole slaw. Then we got busy with our seating arrangments on the grass. She had brought a big picnic tablecloth that had matching cloth napkins buttoned to it. Actual buttons on the table cloth. Actual buttonholes on the napkins. Classic Kylie.

  “There aren’t enough picnic tables ever,” she said to me as we spread it on the grass. “And paper napkins just won’t do with all this fried food and buttered corn!”

  After we had eaten, I was glad to have the cloth napkin. I went off to get a picture of the fish-frying team before their work was all done.

  By the time I got back, Josh Miller had finished his turn serving catfish, gotten a plate, and made himself at home at Kylie’s tablecloth. The twins were feeling his muscles.

  “My dad’s got muscles, too,” Mark was saying. “Do you chop wood?

  “Nope,” Josh said, “But I don’t have a fireplace. I mostly just lift weights at home.”

  “I got a picture of the mayor and the Chief O’Reilly serving dessert,” I said to him,“and one of some of the men frying fish. I don’t know all their names, but I’ll leave that to you.”

  “How was the council meeting last night?” he asked me.

  “I sent you the story,” I said, and then I actually started to tell him about it, and got as far as the sign ordinance. He held up his hands and said, “I’ll read it!”

  “Well,” I said. “Do that, and let me know if it’s okay.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine,” he said. “I can’t believe you got it in so soon. Now, I just hope something happens with this murder so we can run that at the top of the page. Or maybe you could get a couple more pictures here, just in case we need them.”

  I looked around for options and caught Sheena looking our way with a slight pout.