100 Proof Murder Page 24

  ‘Don’t drink that,’ Rose shouted.

  ‘It’s OK, Mrs Scott. I’ve kept my eye on him. He didn’t put anything in my glass this time.’

  ‘My father just admitted to killing my husband, so let’s not take a chance.’ Rose batted the glass from Jill’s fingers. Unfortunately, the snifter missed the thick rug and shattered on the tile.

  ‘Such a waste of perfectly good whiskey, daughter,’ Parker said, clucking his tongue. ‘The toxin wasn’t in the decanter. It was dried on the inside of the glass, my glass. I would never harm a pretty young lady like Jill, even if she was a busybody.’ Parker lifted his snifter in toast and downed the contents. Within a few moments he swayed, reached unsuccessfully for the table, and fell to the floor.

  ‘Dad, what have you done?’ Rose dropped to her knees and picked up his hand.

  ‘Let’s just say I reserved the special snifter for myself,’ he mumbled before passing out.

  Jill punched in 9-1-1. But even if the ambulance had wings it would have been too late. Mr Robert Parker was dead before she hung up the phone.

  By the time Nick finished his first day back to work as an investigator, Jill had already recited the events in the solarium three times – first to the officers who arrived with the paramedics, then to Detective Grimes, who wasn’t pleased to see her, and finally to Alexis, who had been summoned by one of the maids. By the time Alexis arrived, Rose Scott was inconsolable with grief, not only from her father’s death, but by the fact he had murdered her husband. When Nick walked into the solarium, Jill knew it was time to abandon her friend, Alexis, and deal with her maybe-fiancé. And judging by the expression on his face, she knew a fourth recitation would be mandatory.

  ‘Hi, Nick. Let’s talk where it’s quiet.’ Jill took his hand and led him to the living room, away from the dead body, two grieving women, and the forensic techs.

  ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ Nick hissed between his teeth. ‘You were supposed to file a restraining order at the courthouse and hang out with Michael all day.’ He pointed at her partner, who sat dejectedly in a corner listening to what transpired.

  ‘My bodyguard needed more pictures for the article, and while we were photographing the exterior we ran into Mr Parker. He invited us inside the house, but then made Michael wait outside.’ Jill stretched up on tiptoes. ‘Who called you about the suicide?’

  ‘Detective Grimes texted me the moment your name was mentioned as the nine-one-one caller. How do you know it was suicide?’ Nick gazed down from his impressive height.

  ‘After Mr Parker confessed to killing his son-in-law, he explained that the toxin was dried on the bottom of his glass, not mine. Don’t worry. I didn’t plan on drinking anything. How did your first day back to work go?’

  Nick exchanged a scowl with Grimes, who had followed them to the living room. ‘We’re not talking about my day right now. You’ve already told your story to Detective Grimes, but please go over it again for my benefit.’ Nick maneuvered her to the sofa. ‘Leave out no details.’

  Jill went through the story step-by-step, exactly like before. When she finished, Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ‘This mess with Mrs Parker Scott could’ve gotten you killed. Do you know how unhappy that would have made me?’ He lifted her chin with one finger.

  Grimes stepped forward and took over. ‘My department was closing in on Mr Parker. On the night Rossi was named master distiller, Nick had a security guard collect a sample of your vomit and send it to the lab. He suspected you had been drugged and the most likely source was Grandpa Parker since he was the last person you talked to. We finally got the results back and were waiting on the search warrant when the nine-one-one came in. In other words, you didn’t have to risk your life, Miss Curtis.’

  Jill rubbed her face with her hands. ‘You mean after I gave him Alexis’s plate of meatballs that sweet old guy tried to poison me?’

  ‘Pretty much. We only found traces of the toxin used to kill William Scott in your vomit. So most likely Grandpa only wanted you out of the picture or he would’ve given you a stronger dose.’

  Jill pressed her fingertips to her temples, trying to make sense of everything. ‘But what about Anthony Rossi? Who tried to poison him with fentanyl?’

  ‘That would be also Grandpa. Rossi told us Mr Parker visited his office earlier that day. He spotted the inhaler in Rossi’s pocket and asked to see it. He said he wanted to compare ingredients with the one he uses.’

  ‘And he switched it.’ Jill filled in the blanks.

  ‘The police found Rossi’s rightful inhaler in the trash,’ Nick said, pulling her to her feet. ‘You were very lucky, Jill, but now it’s time to find Michael and get out of here. I have a pot roast in the crockpot and I don’t want it ruined like the jambalaya.’

  ‘What?’ Grimes said to Nick. ‘You know how to cook? You’d better hurry and marry this guy, Jill, or I will.’

  Jill tightened her grip on Nick’s hand. ‘Nick said you’ve already got a husband, Detective, and only one per customer in Kentucky.’

  That night the soon-to-be ex-partners ate plenty of food and talked long into the night with the man who’d soon be Jill’s new partner, hopefully for the rest of their lives. Nick’s dinner of tender roast beef, red-skinned potatoes and carrots in mushroom gravy was delicious. Jill also made plans to fly to Chicago before month’s end to pack up her apartment and retrieve her old, but reliable, car. She would also clean out her desk at work and thank her boss, Mr Fleming, for his patience.

  The hardest conversation would be with her parents. They wouldn’t like her decision of a wedding in Kentucky instead of Chicago where their friends and business contacts were. After all, this was her mom’s big chance to shine as mother of the bride. But a wedding at the Roseville Episcopal Church with a reception in Aunt Dot’s B & B made more sense. The location was convenient for Nick’s relatives and the Louisville post of fellow troopers. But she would cross that bridge soon enough.

  ‘This is our last night at the Thurman House,’ Jill said to Michael on their way back to the hotel. ‘With you going home tomorrow, I can’t afford that place without an expense account.’

  ‘About that …’ Michael grinned. ‘I did some thinking while the cops kept me from the crime scene. Since the boss doesn’t expect me until Monday, I decided to drive back on Saturday and paid for the suite for another night. Tomorrow we will celebrate your engagement in style in the hotel dining room. I already checked with Nick.’

  ‘Have you lost your mind? Have you seen the prices on their menu?’

  ‘What’s money for if not to splurge on your friends? I’m happy for you, Jilly.’

  ‘That’s very nice of you, Emerson, but you still can’t call me Jilly.’

  Michael hooted. ‘After you see how much money I shell out, you’ll let me call you anything I want.’

  After spending the day catching up on paperwork and packing Michael’s car, Jill and Michael wandered into the bar at five thirty and ordered a round of drinks. Nick wasn’t expected until six because unlike them, he didn’t have the day off. But surprisingly, Nick walked into the bar before Ray had poured the first round. And he wasn’t smiling.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Jill asked. ‘Did something happen?’

  ‘You could say that.’ Nick sliced a finger across his throat to cancel their drinks. ‘I just got a call from Jeff Adkins.’

  ‘The sheriff of Roseville?’ Michael asked, wide-eyed. ‘This can’t be good.’

  ‘No!’ Jill muttered. ‘Don’t tell me he’s arrested those crazy ladies again!’

  Nick slicked a hand through his hair. ‘I don’t know what they’ve done this time. Adkins just called and said to come to Roseville on the double.’

  ‘No … way! Let them rot in jail for one night. Call the sheriff and say we’ll bail them out tomorrow.’ Jill motioned to Ray to bring their drinks. ‘Michael planned a special evening for us, and we’re not disappointing him.’ She patted him on the arm.
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br />   ‘You can’t do that,’ Michael argued. ‘Not if you want your wedding reception at their bed and breakfast.’

  Jill shrugged. ‘Then we’ll have the reception at the VFW Hall. It’s the only way those two lawbreakers will learn.’

  ‘I didn’t make myself clear.’ Nick placed both hands on her shoulders. ‘Jeff Adkins didn’t say he’d arrested your relatives, only that we needed to come as soon as possible. Apparently, the ladies called an impromptu meeting of the Bourbon and Books Club. That’s all he would say on the phone.’

  A chin ran up her spine. ‘As in one of them might be sick or injured or … worse?’ Jill couldn’t vocalize the third possibility.

  ‘I don’t know. Let’s go find out.’ Nick put money on the bar to cover the tab, along with a generous tip, but pushed the drinks away. ‘Thanks, Ray. See if you can find these a home with our compliments. Sorry we messed up your plans for an engagement celebration,’ he said to Michael. ‘Maybe we can have breakfast with you tomorrow before you leave?’

  ‘Absolutely, but I’m tagging along tonight.’ Michael followed them out the door. ‘I want to see for myself what mischief those two are in.’

  So the three piled into Nick’s SUV and headed to Roseville, but the closer they got, the more Jill’s stomach churned. Finally she couldn’t sit still another minute. ‘Give me your phone, Nick. I’m calling Adkins to find out what happened. Are Granny and Aunt Dot at the police station? Or in the hospital? Or the morgue? Or did you plan to drive around town aimlessly?’ Her voice had risen to near-hysteria level.

  ‘Calm yourself, my sweet.’ Nick patted her hand. ‘The sheriff said to come to Sweet Dream’s because that’s where they’re being held.’

  ‘Being held?’ she cried, clutching her throat.

  Michael leaned in between the front seats. ‘Maybe a few crazy club members are holding them hostage until Dot agrees to allow bourbon again. You know some books need a bit of incentive to reach the end.’

  ‘Sit back, Emerson,’ Nick ordered, using his cop voice. ‘You’re not helping. We’re almost there, Jill. Try to relax.’ He used a softer tone with her.

  A lump the size of a tennis ball lodged in her throat, rendering speech impossible. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, even though she felt chilled to the bone. What if Granny or Aunt Dot had suffered a heart attack? Or they’d died in a car accident together? Every possible dire circumstance ran through her brain like a news banner.

  Jill felt Michael grip her shoulder but she ignored him.

  She heard Nick murmur words of encouragement, but she ignored those too.

  Instead she concentrated on not dissolving into tears. After all, she had no idea what she was crying about. Was all this emotion due to yesterday’s events with Alexis’s dysfunctional family? Or was it because she’d officially talked to her boss that morning? Mr Fleming was quite pleased with what he’d seen on the bourbon tour article so far. He wanted her and Michael to do another in another Kentucky city. And the best part? He could remain in Kentucky until details of the assignment were lined up. Most likely her tears were because she couldn’t stand the idea of losing Granny or Aunt Dot. Not after finally discovering one and reconnecting with the other. Could life be this cruel? If her new best friend, Alexis, was any indication, Jill knew it could.

  The moment Nick stopped in the driveway of Sweet Dreams, Jill jumped out of the car. She heard pleas to ‘hang on’ and ‘wait for me’, but she paid no attention. Sprinting up the steps, Jill threw open the front door and saw the tanned, leathery face of Sheriff Jeff Adkins.

  ‘Hi, Jill. You seem out of breath.’ Adkins turned to the person on his left. ‘I don’t think you’ve ever met my better half. This is my wife, Jenny Adkins. Jenny, this is Jill Curtis, Dot’s favorite niece.’

  Being thrust into a social introduction had the same effect as a board applied to the side of her head. ‘Pleased to meet you, ma’am,’ Jill stuttered, forcing her lips to smile. ‘What has happened, Sheriff? Where are my aunt and grandmother?’

  ‘We’re right here, honey.’

  She heard Granny’s voice from somewhere over Adkins’s shoulder. Stepping around the larger-than-life lawman, Jill found her grandmother sitting on the couch with Aunt Dot. Granny had on her favorite Sunday dress, the one with tiny violets.

  ‘Come sit with us, dear.’ Dot patted the spot between them. ‘Tonight you’re the book club’s guest of honor, you and that handsome Nick Harris.’

  ‘You two haven’t been arrested?’ Jill squeaked like a mouse.

  ‘Goodness, no. Is that what those men led you to believe to get you here? Look around.’ Granny waved her hand through the air. ‘This is your bridal shower and everyone in the club wanted to take part.’

  Jill moved to the center and gazed around the room. Colorful helium balloons, streamers stretched from wall-to-wall, and a giant poster with: Best wishes Jill and Nick from the Roseville gang. Gang being an appropriate description for bourbon-loving rabble-rousers. One end of the dining table was filled with colorfully wrapped presents and gift bags. At the other end were several platters of canapes and a three-tier frosted cake.

  Suddenly Jill caught the scent of spicy aftershave behind her. ‘Did you know about this, Trooper?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, but only for the last few hours. Your grandmother called Michael yesterday to make sure he would still be in town tonight.’

  ‘That’s why I decided to stay another day,’ Michael said, walking up beside her. He pulled a festively wrapped package from behind his back. ‘You didn’t think I planned to spring for dinner at the hotel, did you? Not with those prices.’

  ‘Yes, I did, you little tightwad.’ Jill elbowed him in the ribs.

  ‘Hey, I bought you a nice shower gift.’ Michael added his package to the pile.

  ‘I hope you’re not giving that sweet young man grief,’ called Aunt Dot, coming to Michael’s defense. ‘Now it’s time for you to put on your corsage and open the gifts.’

  When her grandmother pinned a purple orchid to her dress, Jill’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Thanks, Granny. Thanks, Aunt Dot. Where would I be if not for you two?’

  ‘On your way back to Chicago and we couldn’t have that,’ said Granny. ‘Showers are joyous occasions, so dry your eyes and stop sniveling.’

  And so Jill did. She and Nick opened present after present, some from casual acquaintances like the clerk from the dress shop and the funeral director for Uncle Roger, but many were from people she didn’t know at all. These residents of Roseville seemed just as happy for her and Nick as lifelong friends. Jill gushed over each set of towels, kitchen appliance, or household gadget, even those she hadn’t a clue what to do with. Then the boisterous group of ladies consumed an enormous amount of food and cake and didn’t leave until dusk. But not a drop of bourbon.

  When the house was quiet at long last, Jill hugged each of the hostesses in turn. ‘I’ve never been to a better shower. How do I thank you two?’

  ‘You can start by never leaving Roseville,’ Granny suggested, never one to mince words.

  ‘Done,’ Jill said.

  ‘What?’ they both asked simultaneously.

  ‘When Jill agreed to marry me, she agreed to move to Kentucky.’ Nick smiled from ear to ear. ‘And we’d both rather live in a small town than a big city like Louisville.’

  Jill picked up the story. ‘So if it’s OK with you, I’d like to live here until the wedding. Then Nick and I will look for a small house to rent or buy in Roseville.’

  Granny looked ready to faint. ‘Of course, it’s OK.’

  ‘This is even better than we hoped,’ Dot added. ‘We’ve missed you at Sweet Dreams, and Jack will be overjoyed.’

  Jill looked under the table. ‘Where is that old beagle? After we help clean up, I’ll take him for a walk.’

  ‘Jack’s in the backyard. Go walk him now. You three aren’t cleaning up anything. Emma and I need to start planning your reception. You’re not having it anywhere but here.
’

  Thus Jill Curtis, her ex-business partner, and her husband-to-be followed Jack up and down the streets of Roseville. On a perfect moonlit night, under a sky filled with stars, each shared their dreams for the future.

  ‘I know one thing you must be happy about,’ Michael said to Jill. ‘With William Scott’s killer behind bars, you can forget about that crazy family and concentrate on freelance writing.’

  His statement generated no response whatsoever from Jill.

  ‘Go on, honey,’ Nick prodded. ‘Tell Michael how you’re washing your hands of Alexis’s drama.’

  Jill bent down to adjust Jack’s harness. ‘Well, I still need to convince Alexis that Kevin has good intentions.’

  Michael grabbed hold of her arm. ‘Tell me you’re kidding.’

  She looked him straight in the eye. ‘Kevin will be a great asset in the distillery once he’s fully trained. And with Rose willing to give up her shares, the two lawyers can work out an agreement in accordance with William’s wishes. Besides, Alexis always wanted a sibling.’

  Michael shook his head. ‘And here you are … still interfering?’

  ‘Go on, Jill, might as well tell him everything.’

  ‘Because I asked Alexis to be my maid of honor and she agreed.’

  Lifting his hands, Michael backed away from her. ‘I’m getting out of Kentucky. You left Chicago a relatively sane person and you haven’t been right in the head since. Good luck, Nick, and just make sure I’m in this wedding party, whenever it takes place.’ Michael winked and broke into a run all the way to the B & B, leaving Jill and Nick to walk Jack alone … on one perfect moonlit night.