A Twist In The Tail

‘She probably thinks that casting a cloud on the work here would dissuade people from hiring me. Plus, she knows I’m attached to this place because of Aunt Millie. But I think she’s just crotchety in general. She doesn’t like that I came back here after a career in the Navy and started taking up carpentry. Thinks it’s suspicious.’

Now that he mentioned it, it was a little suspicious. Why would a Navy guy be doing carpentry?

As if reading my thoughts, Mike continued, ‘I always liked working with my hands and now that I’m retired, it gives me something to do. It’s not about the money. I really just wanted to help out Aunt Millie.’ His gaze drifted and locked on mine. ‘And now you.’

Footsteps sounded the hallway. ‘Hey look, this door is cracked open, I thought Josie was supposed to keep this wing locked.’

The door swung in and we looked over our shoulders to see my mother and Millie. Their eyes scanned the room, then widened as they fell on Mike and me kneeling on her hands and knees before the staircase. Millie’s eyes widened. ‘Oh sorry. We didn’t mean to interrupt.’ They backed out and Millie started to pull the door shut behind them.

I leaped up. ‘You’re not interrupting anything.’

They stopped and looked at us skeptically.

‘We weren’t?’ Mom’s left brow was quirked up as she nodded toward the stairs. ‘Looked like you were doing something to me.’

‘Yeah, you young people, one never knows what you’re getting up to. You do things differently than when we were young,’ Millie added.

Mike stood and brushed the dust of his hands. ‘We weren’t up to anything. We were looking at the staircase. Someone sabotaged it so that it would be unstable.’

‘Oh really?’ Millie hurried over and plopped down onto her knees. I was surprised she could do it so easily. ‘Let me see.’

My mother joined her. Maybe they took yoga or something? The two of them seemed to have no problem getting around on all fours.

‘Oh, I see. Right there, Millie.’ Mom pointed to the part of the treads that had been sawn.

Millie looked back over her shoulder at Mike. ‘What do you make of it?’

‘Someone wanted to cover up the murder.’ Mike stated the obvious.

Millie smiled proudly and glanced at me. ‘My Mike was an investigator in the Navy. He knows about this stuff. You should listen to him.’

‘I’ll try to keep that in mind,’ I said. I probably wasn’t going to listen to him though, in fact, I was counting the days until he wouldn’t even be around.

‘Well, well, well. I guess your suspicions were right after all, Mike.’ Millie stood. ‘So we have the chef’s clog, the missing cookbook, the torn review, and now the sabotage.’

‘And don’t forget the illicit affair,’ Mom added.

‘Affair? Cookbook?’ Mike’s eyes darted from Millie to Mom. ‘You ladies wouldn’t happen to be investigating again would you?’

‘Who us? No. We’re just little old ladies with too much time on our hands. One has to have a hobby, you know.’

Mike crossed his arms over his chest, disapproval radiating from his velvety brown eyes. ‘Investigating is not a hobby. It can be dangerous. You ladies should not be meddling in a murder case.’

‘Don’t be silly, dear.’ Millie waved her hand. ‘We’re not meddling.’

Mike looked to me for support. ‘Don’t you agree, Josie?’

I glanced at Mom and Millie. I actually did agree, they shouldn’t be meddling. But Seth Chamberlain had me at the top of his suspect list so someone other than the police had to investigate. I knew they weren’t going to stop meddling, so I figured it was best if I got in on the ground floor. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they don’t get into trouble.’

Mike looked skeptical.

‘That’s right. You don’t have anything to worry about,’ Millie said.

We all stood around and looked at each other for a few beats, then Millie continued. ‘Well, don’t you have some work to be doing. I’m not paying you to stand around.’

Mike rolled his eyes and sighed. ‘Okay, fine.’ He gave me a pointed look. ‘But I’m counting on you to keep them in line.’

He kissed Millie on the top of the head as he left.

‘He’s a dear boy, but such a killjoy sometimes. Honestly, you young people seem to think we’re doddering old fools who can’t take care of ourselves.’ Millie brushed dust off the front of her shirt.

‘Indeed. I think they forget who raised them,’ Mom glanced at me. ‘So, what’s going on, Josie? I can tell by the look on your face that there’s something else. Spill it.’

I looked out the door to make sure Mike wasn’t lurking around in the hall before speaking. ‘I did find something else out last night. Charles Prescott wrote a bad review last year about the Marinara Mariner.’

Millie’s brows inched up. ‘He did? Now that is interesting. And if I’m not mistaken Tony Murano is one to hold a grudge.’

Mom nodded vigorously. ‘Yes, he is. Remember last year how he almost got into a fight with Vinnie from Vinnie’s Pizza because he thought Vinnie stole his marinara recipe?’

Millie nodded. ‘Who could forget? And even when it turned out he was wrong, Tony wouldn’t even apologize.’