100 Proof Murder Page 23

  ‘I look forward to it. No way should your new partner send your old partner home without a proper celebration.’

  FIFTEEN

  A Thursday seemed like an odd day for a person to return to work after a vacation, but Jill didn’t press Nick into taking more time off. After all, he wouldn’t approve of what she planned for the afternoon, despite Michael being her bodyguard all day. Jill appreciated Nick’s concern, and it wasn’t that she didn’t consider Ross Lacey a threat. But she couldn’t let fear hobble her ability to do a job. And now that the article on Louisville bourbon was done, Jill considered solving William Scott’s murder her job. Or perhaps her obsession? Either way, she wasn’t leaving Louisville until his murderer was behind bars.

  Her first order of business was the temporary restraining order against Lacey. After they finished breakfast, Michael drove her to the courthouse, kept an eye on her until she was safely inside, and then jogged around the neighborhood until she was done. When she handed in the paperwork, a helpful clerk explained the process. Her request would be set for a hearing before a judge, who would determine if her complaint held merit or not. Since Nick planned to testify about Lacey’s threatening behavior and collection of photographs at the hearing, most likely her request would be granted.

  When Jill emerged from the courthouse an hour later, Michael was waiting at the curb for her. ‘Where to now, partner?’ he asked. ‘Scenic ride on a riverboat? Watch the ponies race at Churchill Downs? Or maybe you’d like to learn how to play golf?’ He mimed the follow-through of a golf swing.

  Jill climbed in behind the wheel and turned the key. ‘You’re giving lessons after playing the game twice?’

  ‘Some people turn out to be naturals at the sport.’ Michael winked impishly. ‘Or would you like to help me pack up to go home?’

  Instead of pulling into traffic, Jill shifted the car back into park. ‘You’re leaving already?’

  ‘Already? In case you haven’t checked email in a while, the boss wants to know what’s taking us so long. Mr Fleming won’t keep paying expenses while you hang out with Nick, Alexis, or her new whacko brother.’

  Jill made a face. ‘Kevin Scott isn’t a whacko. I think he’s nice. And if possible, I want to mend the rift between him and Alexis.’

  ‘You do what you must, Jill, but I’m heading to Chicago tomorrow. I don’t want to get fired and I’m too young to retire.’

  Jill hadn’t planned to have this conversation while in a hot car on a busy city street, but she couldn’t put off telling him the truth any longer. She swiveled around to face him. ‘You know you’ll always be my best friend, besides the best partner a person ever had, but I’m hoping I won’t return to Chicago. Not tomorrow, not ever. I hope you don’t hate me.’

  Michael’s eyes rolled back in his head. ‘Jill, Jill. No matter how long we’ve known each other, you still underestimate me. I figured you would stay in Louisville after the assignment. You love Nick; he loves you, and now your crazy grandmother lives here with your crazy aunt. Plus they get less snow in Kentucky than up north.’ He reached over to muss her hair. ‘Once you signed that restraining order against Lacey, I knew for sure. You wouldn’t need one of those in Chicago. Nobody stalks that far from home.’

  Jill blew out her breath. ‘Whew, I’m glad that’s over with. I was afraid you’d think I’m crazy.’

  ‘I’ll always think that no matter where you live, but at least now I’ll have a cool place to visit on long weekends. Now, which of my three suggestions did you pick – riverboat ride, horserace, or golf course for the rest of the day?’

  ‘None of the above. We’re heading to Parker Estate so I can chat with Rose Parker Scott. I’m convinced she’s behind her husband’s death. She wanted Robert out of the way before he had a chance to change his will.’

  ‘What about the attempt on Rossi’s life?’

  Jill hesitated. ‘Who knows? Anyone could have doctored Rossi’s inhaler. Maybe Rose found someone who’s more pliable to her bidding.’

  Michael slapped the dashboard with an open palm. ‘This is a bad idea. Nick trusts me to keep you safe until the TRO is served.’

  Jill pulled into traffic. ‘Is that what he asked you to do today?’

  ‘Maybe. The guy worries about you. He knows how you go off half-cocked, sticking your head into one hornet’s nest after another.’

  ‘Oh, that is so sweet,’ she drawled, her words dripping with scorn. ‘Two strong men protecting the helpless blonde from the bad men in the world.’

  Michael ignored her sarcasm. ‘Not just bad men; women can be just as evil. Considering what you told me about Alexis’s mother, she fits the description perfectly.’

  ‘That’s why I must get to the bottom of this before they railroad Kevin into one count of murder, plus another count of attempted. If you’re afraid to tag along, I’ll drop you off at the hotel. What do you say, Emerson?’

  Michael flexed his bicep. ‘I’m in, but what should I tell Nick? I’m a little scared of him.’

  ‘You leave Nick to me. I’ve got him wrapped around my finger.’ Jill wiggled her pinkie and headed for the country, no longer needing GPS to direct her. ‘When we get there, we’ll simply tell the truth – we have no photos of the estate or the family matriarch for our segment on Parker Distillery. That should get us through the front door.’

  ‘But all I have with me is one digital thirty-five-millimeter. I left the rest of my equipment at the hotel.’

  ‘All we need is one camera to get the job done. This doesn’t have to be high-tech. Stop worrying and let me do the talking.’

  Despite Jill’s perfect explanation, the maid who answered the front door refused to let them in. ‘I’m sorry,’ she murmured, not sounding the least bit sorry. ‘Neither Mrs Scott nor Miss Alexis are home. I can’t let you wander around taking pictures without permission.’

  As the door began to close, Jill inserted her foot. ‘What if I call Alexis and you could talk to her?’

  The maid considered this. ‘Miss Alexis could grant permission to enter her apartment, but not the main house. Good day, Miss Curtis. I’ll tell Mrs Scott you stopped by.’ She closed the door in their faces.

  ‘What now, fearless leader?’ Michal leaned his shoulder against a pillar. ‘Sneak in through an underground tunnel built during Prohibition?’

  ‘Something like that.’ Jill stomped down the steps. ‘Mrs Scott might have told the maid to say she wasn’t home. Let’s see if she’s napping with an open book on her lap. Follow me.’ She led him on a circuitous path around the house, ducking beneath windows, until they reached the glass-walled solarium in the back of the house. When Jill parted the bushes and peeked inside, she spotted Grandpa Parker not Mrs Scott. With his back to the windows, Grandpa’s focus was on an array of cards spread across the table.

  Michael craned his neck to see around her. ‘What’s that old guy doing?’

  ‘I have no idea, but let’s ask to photograph him while we’re here. After all, he is the patriarch of a distillery family, even though he squandered the profits. He’s been very sweet to me in the past.’

  ‘What?’ Michael asked.

  ‘Never mind, you didn’t hear about my visit with Alexis’s new brother and potential heir. Just follow my lead, but remember, Mr Parker suffers from possible dementia, though the extent of his memory loss is unknown. So be patient with him and prepared to repeat simple directions.’

  ‘Thank you, Dr Curtis. When did you become a medical expert?’ Michael asked.

  ‘I’m no expert, but I’m learning,’ she whispered under her breath. ‘Nick’s mom suffers from Alzheimer’s.’

  ‘Sorry to hear that. There’s a lot you haven’t been telling me.’

  ‘I know, but we don’t have time right now.’ Jill backed from the shrubbery and headed up the flagstone path. She rapped lightly on the door, then pasted on a smile as though first place in a beauty pageant was at stake. ‘Hello, Mr Parker?’ she called. ‘It’s Jill Curtis. Do y
ou remember me? I’m a friend of your granddaughter’s.’

  The wizened, white-haired gentleman in a cardigan sweater and cloth slippers pulled open the door, his dog at his side. ‘Of course I remember you. I met you that afternoon with Alexis and saw you again the night they installed Rossi as new master distiller. Come in and have a seat.’ He gestured toward the loveseat, then limped back to his table. ‘Who’s that with you?’

  Jill was astounded that the old-timer correctly recalled both events. ‘This, sir, is Michael Emerson, my videographer. I think you’ll like the footage he took inside Parker Estate Distillery.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, sir.’ When Michael stepped forward to shake hands, Grandpa’s dog issued a low growl from deep in his throat. Michael took a step back. ‘I see you’re in the middle of a game of Solitaire. Would you like a little help?’

  ‘No, I wouldn’t.’ Mr Parker swept the cards into a pile, but not before Jill noticed there were no mistakes in each column’s sequence. How could Grandpa play solitaire when abstract concepts like numbers were one of the first things to go?

  ‘What brings you to my humble abode today?’ His smile had slipped a notch.

  ‘We came to ask Mrs Scott a few questions.’

  ‘I’m not sure if my daughter is back from errands yet.’

  ‘In that case, we’d love to get a few photos of you relaxing in the solarium.’

  ‘We like to show the comfortable, human side of people.’ Michael glanced down at the man’s paisley slippers.

  Mr Parker lifted his chin and glared down his nose. ‘I prefer to be photographed in business attire, so I suggest you take photographs only of the house and the estate, Mr Emerson.’ Grandpa pointed at the door. ‘Outdoors,’ he added to prevent any misunderstanding. ‘My dog doesn’t seem to like you. And Buster has excellent judgement regarding people.’

  ‘Of course. Nice to meet you, sir.’ Michael and his camera beat a hasty retreat.

  Once the door closed behind him, Parker moved to the upholstered chair next to the loveseat. ‘What did you wish to ask my daughter? Maybe I can help.’

  Jill hesitated, not wishing to betray family secrets to someone with spotty recall. On the other hand, this might be the best way to learn how much Rose knew about William’s past. ‘I was curious if Mrs Scott knew about her husband’s previous relationships, including the one which produced Kevin. She seemed just as shocked as Alexis by Kevin Scott’s appearance.’

  ‘Of course she knew. William loved my daughter and she loved him. At first they told each other everything. He said he’d lived with a woman before they met, but neither had known about the son until much later. Once William found out, he wanted them to become one big, happy family.’ Mr Parker released a nasty laugh. ‘Could you imagine Rose going for that idea? For years she had put up with his indiscretions because she was infatuated with him, but William trying to establish a relationship with an illegitimate son? That was the beginning of the end of their marriage.’

  ‘Why do you think he stayed in the marriage?’

  ‘That’s easy. William stayed because he wanted control of my distillery. And slowly but surely he managed to just about get it.’

  ‘No one forced you to sell your shares or turn over control of the distillery.’

  ‘I realize that, Jill.’ Grandpa’s lip furled slightly. ‘At first, I overlooked William’s transgressions under the mistaken notion he would outgrow his roving eye and settle down, but he never did. William embarrassed my daughter over and over. He was a liar, besides a two-timer. He told Rose the boy was illegitimate and therefore no threat to the Parker Scott legacy. William and Rose agreed to pay the mother a stipend each month, barely enough to keep her and the son alive, in exchange for no nasty lawsuit that would create bad publicity for the brand. The arrangement went on for several years.’

  ‘So what upset the applecart?’ Jill prodded.

  ‘The woman found out she had cancer, so she told the boy exactly who his father was and gave him a copy of his birth certificate and their … marriage license. Turns out she had married William at eighteen and divorced him at twenty. That paper changed an unfortunate mistake from years ago into a legitimate heir.’

  ‘A baby is blameless and deserves better treatment.’

  ‘Apparently my son-in-law agreed with you after that upstart started visiting him and tugging on his heartstrings. Whoever thought William would develop a conscience after all these years?’

  ‘So your daughter tried to pay Kevin off to make him go away.’

  ‘But the creep wouldn’t take the money. Kevin demanded public acknowledgement and a position in the business. My business! The distillery started by my father!’ Parker crossed the room to an antique highboy, unlocked it with a key, and removed two snifters and a bottle of bourbon from the top shelf. It seemed like strong spirits were never far from reach no matter where you were in the house. He poured two fingers of bourbon into the first glass, then looked at Jill.

  She shook her head. ‘No, thank you, sir. It’s a little early for me.’

  Parker’s complexion darkened. ‘You refuse to have a drink after intruding on my privacy with your nosy questions? I don’t drink alone, Miss Curtis.’

  Playing solitaire accurately and now remembering her surname? Maybe Grandpa wasn’t the sweet old man like she thought or as cognitively challenged as he wanted people to believe. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,’ she said. ‘Perhaps, just a smidgen?’

  Parker poured almost as much in the second glass as the first.

  ‘May I have a bit of ice, please?’ Jill took the glass from his hand, but when Parker turned his back to speak into the intercom, she set the glass on the table. ‘So when William began seeing his son on the sly, your daughter became furious, right?’

  ‘William could never acknowledge Kevin, not with the current wording of the will. Where would that leave Alexis?’

  ‘Alexis is a very capable woman. She would have landed on her feet, no matter what.’

  Parker began to pace the room. ‘Let me ask you a question. Do you have a family, Jill? Are you close to them?’

  This took her by surprise. ‘I have parents in Chicago, and a grandmother who just moved in with her cousin in Roseville about an hour away. I didn’t even know this Kentucky cousin existed until recently, but I already love her. I’d say I’m closer with Granny and my new Aunt Dot than my parents. Why do you ask?’

  The old man produced the saddest smile Jill had ever seen. ‘Then maybe you can understand. When you love your family, you would do anything for them.’

  ‘Even murder?’ An icy chill shot up her spine.

  ‘Yes, even murder.’

  ‘But William became part of the family when they got married. Rose was more worried about herself and that’s why she killed her husband.’

  ‘Rose? You think my daughter would lift a finger against William? She would rather cut off her hand.’ Parker cackled with malevolent glee.

  ‘If not Rose, then who? Alexis was at the distillery and you were at the doctor’s office. Rose was the only one home when Mr Scott died, other than the servants, and they have no motive.’

  ‘If I told you I went to the moon, would you have believed that too? You really are a little ninny, just like my daughter said.’ Parker took a gulp of his drink. ‘William came home to pick up some files he’d forgotten, so I had the perfect opportunity.’

  It took Jill a moment to process this. ‘But why did you try to kill the new master distiller? He had nothing to do with money or inheritance.’

  ‘Tony Rossi was Rose’s first choice for the job, not mine. He was too lenient with the employees and would’ve allowed that upstart, Kevin, to worm his way into the company.’

  ‘Here’s your ice, sir.’ A uniformed maid entered the room with an ice bucket.

  ‘Who are you talking to, Dad?’ Rose asked, following on the maid’s heels. When she saw Jill, all color drained from the woman’s cheeks, despite her carefully
applied make-up.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she shrieked. ‘I swear, Miss Curtis, you’re like a piece of gum stuck to my shoe.’

  ‘I stopped in to ask you a few questions, but apparently it’s your father who has all the answers.’ Jill turned her attention back to Grandpa, who was filling both glasses with ice.

  Rose rested both hands on her slender hips. ‘Daddy has a very vivid imagination. You should know nothing he says can be trusted and certainly wouldn’t hold up in a court of law.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that, because he just confessed to murdering your husband.’ Jill tried to discreetly locate her cell phone in her purse.

  Rose swiveled around to face her father. ‘Why on earth would you say something like that?’

  ‘Because it’s true, dear girl, and I couldn’t have this busybody thinking you were the murderer. Would you like a drink?’ He reached for a third glass and poured it half full.

  ‘No, I would not. Why on earth would you kill my husband?’ Rose began to wobble on her heels.

  ‘Simply because I hated him. First he coerced me to retire and hand over control of the distillery. Next he conned me into selling him every share of Parker stock I owned. Then, according to gossip, he wanted to give Alexis’s half of the estate to some ill-bred outsider because he’d married a woman on a lark? I couldn’t let that happen.’

  ‘William never would have cut Alexis out of his will. He loved her. And what did I care about the distillery as long as I keep the house, the condo, and our bank account? Alexis can have my shares if her shares end up going to Kevin.’ Rose grabbed her father’s lapels. ‘You swore to me William had a heart attack.’

  Something evil glinted in the old man’s eyes. ‘It sure looked like a heart attack. I just gave him something to help the inevitable along. Now that scoundrel will never make a fool of you again.’ Parker turned back to Jill. ‘Come, Miss Curtis. You agreed to have a drink with me if I answered your questions. I’d say you got more than you bargained for.’ He picked Jill’s glass up from the table.