over the head with a blunt object the night before Jeremy was contacted about the job. I’m not a hundred percent certain, but it appears that no one, with the possible exception of the attorney, realizes the man was murdered.”
“So why are you investigating?” Levi asked.
“I needed a distraction,” I explained. “Besides, I never can resist a good mystery.”
“I guess that’s true,” Levi acknowledged.
“So who are the suspects?”
I filled him in on the whole complicated affair, listing all the players in the most logical order I could come up with.
“You realize this sounds like a cheesy movie?” Levi laughed. “Guy dies and leaves four children by three women, as well as a mistress and a love child.”
“Holly is Dolly’s daughter and unrelated to Charles, so therefore not a love child,” I corrected, “but otherwise you’re spot-on. It does seem like the plot for a cheesy movie.”
“Okay, so who was eliminated and who remains?” Levi asked.
“Zak eliminated Holly, who arrived after the death. Leroy never married, so we eliminated his wife. W e also eliminated Peggy’s husband and Brent’s mother, both of whom are dead. Lola lives in Los Angeles and Penelope in Florida.”
“How are you keeping all of this straight?” Levi wondered.
“I wrote everything down.” I showed him my notebook. I passed it across the counter for his consideration. There were a lot of suspects, which made the task of investigating each for motive and alibi complicated, so I’d decided to group them into those who were heirs, those who were on the property but were not heirs, and those who were related in some way but were neither heirs nor present at the time of Charles’s death.
“Do these people know you’re investigating them?” Levi wondered.
“No. Zak is pretending to be a prospective buyer for the farm. So far no one seems to suspect that there’s anything more than that going on. In fact I don’t think anyone is paying much attention to any of us. The group that has assembled seems preoccupied with their own parts in the drama. Zak and Jeremy have both been wandering around talking to people and no one has said a word about it.”
“Speaking of Zak, he just pulled up, and the mushrooms are done.” Ellie removed a tray of sizzling appetizers from the oven.
“Those look fantastic.” Levi tried to pick one up off the cookie sheet, but Ellie slapped his hand.
“You’re going to burn yourself. Wait until I can put them on a serving plate.”
“Did you think to bring horseradish?” Levi asked.
“I did.”
“A woman after my own heart.” Levi grinned, and Ellie smiled shyly.
It’s really odd for me to see Ellie acting so tentative around Levi. Like I said before, the three of us have been best friends since kindergarten. Ellie has always treated Levi like a brother. As strange as it is for me to watch her awkwardness around the boy she used to throw snowballs at, it must be really strange for her.
“Let me help you with that.” Levi took the hot tray from Ellie. “You’ve been slaving away since I’ve been here. Pour yourself a glass of wine and relax.”
Ellie actually blushed as Levi took her by the shoulders, turned her around, and gave her a friendly swat on the butt as he pointed her toward the living area.
“As long as you’re both here,” Levi began as he slid the mushrooms onto a serving platter, “I’ve been meaning to ask you about Thanksgiving. I thought I’d ask Barbie to join us, if you don’t mind.”
Ellie’s smile faded and I was saved having to reply as Zak walked through the front door bearing wine I was sure would cost more than my weekly grocery budget. Every year my dad, grandfather, and me, Ellie and her mom, and Levi, who has no family in town, get together to prepare a giant feast. In all of the years we’ve been doing it, none of us has ever brought a date, even though many of the times one or more of us has been involved in a
“So why are you investigating?” Levi asked.
“I needed a distraction,” I explained. “Besides, I never can resist a good mystery.”
“I guess that’s true,” Levi acknowledged.
“So who are the suspects?”
I filled him in on the whole complicated affair, listing all the players in the most logical order I could come up with.
“You realize this sounds like a cheesy movie?” Levi laughed. “Guy dies and leaves four children by three women, as well as a mistress and a love child.”
“Holly is Dolly’s daughter and unrelated to Charles, so therefore not a love child,” I corrected, “but otherwise you’re spot-on. It does seem like the plot for a cheesy movie.”
“Okay, so who was eliminated and who remains?” Levi asked.
“Zak eliminated Holly, who arrived after the death. Leroy never married, so we eliminated his wife. W e also eliminated Peggy’s husband and Brent’s mother, both of whom are dead. Lola lives in Los Angeles and Penelope in Florida.”
“How are you keeping all of this straight?” Levi wondered.
“I wrote everything down.” I showed him my notebook. I passed it across the counter for his consideration. There were a lot of suspects, which made the task of investigating each for motive and alibi complicated, so I’d decided to group them into those who were heirs, those who were on the property but were not heirs, and those who were related in some way but were neither heirs nor present at the time of Charles’s death.
“Do these people know you’re investigating them?” Levi wondered.
“No. Zak is pretending to be a prospective buyer for the farm. So far no one seems to suspect that there’s anything more than that going on. In fact I don’t think anyone is paying much attention to any of us. The group that has assembled seems preoccupied with their own parts in the drama. Zak and Jeremy have both been wandering around talking to people and no one has said a word about it.”
“Speaking of Zak, he just pulled up, and the mushrooms are done.” Ellie removed a tray of sizzling appetizers from the oven.
“Those look fantastic.” Levi tried to pick one up off the cookie sheet, but Ellie slapped his hand.
“You’re going to burn yourself. Wait until I can put them on a serving plate.”
“Did you think to bring horseradish?” Levi asked.
“I did.”
“A woman after my own heart.” Levi grinned, and Ellie smiled shyly.
It’s really odd for me to see Ellie acting so tentative around Levi. Like I said before, the three of us have been best friends since kindergarten. Ellie has always treated Levi like a brother. As strange as it is for me to watch her awkwardness around the boy she used to throw snowballs at, it must be really strange for her.
“Let me help you with that.” Levi took the hot tray from Ellie. “You’ve been slaving away since I’ve been here. Pour yourself a glass of wine and relax.”
Ellie actually blushed as Levi took her by the shoulders, turned her around, and gave her a friendly swat on the butt as he pointed her toward the living area.
“As long as you’re both here,” Levi began as he slid the mushrooms onto a serving platter, “I’ve been meaning to ask you about Thanksgiving. I thought I’d ask Barbie to join us, if you don’t mind.”
Ellie’s smile faded and I was saved having to reply as Zak walked through the front door bearing wine I was sure would cost more than my weekly grocery budget. Every year my dad, grandfather, and me, Ellie and her mom, and Levi, who has no family in town, get together to prepare a giant feast. In all of the years we’ve been doing it, none of us has ever brought a date, even though many of the times one or more of us has been involved in a
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