Drowning in Dahlias (Lily Bloom Cozy Mystery Series Book 4) Page 2

  Lily and Daisy looked down at the body, then back to Walter. “Ah, Mr. Nash?”

  “Yes Lily?” His soft friendly face beamed at them.

  “Maybe you should come over here. It looks like something happened to Mrs. Nash.”

  The color drained from Walter’s face as he looked down at Harriet and then up at Lily. “Did she slip and fall?”

  “I don’t know. She was like this when we got here. I’ve already called the police.” Lily cocked her head to one side. “I think I hear the sirens now.

  Walter stood wringing his hands. “Oh dear. Oh dear. She wasn’t even supposed to be home. That’s why I had you deliver now. Something is terribly wrong.”

  Lily thought to herself, That’s for sure. Your wife is dead. Something is very wrong. She took Walter’s arm and led him to the couch and gently encouraged him to sit down. “Can I get you a drink of water?” Lily felt like she had to do something while they waited.

  He looked at Lily as if she was speaking another language. “Okay.”

  Daisy sat with Walter, waiting with him until Ryan arrived.

  Lily walked out of the sunroom in search of a bathroom for her and a glass of water for Walter. There was no point following the hall back to the front door so she turned a corner and just about bumped into Nicole. Lily almost jumped out of her skin. This girl is seriously spooky, she thought.

  “Why are you still here?” Nicole said angrily to Lily.

  “What? We’re waiting with Walter until the police arrive.”

  “Police?

  “It looks like your mother had an accident.” Lily took her time to examine Nicole carefully. About five foot six inches, a few inches taller than Lily. Red curly hair that looked like it was hard to control unless it was pulled back into a ponytail. Which it wasn’t. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that fit her perfectly and displayed her figure well. Her face would be attractive if she replaced the constant scowl with a smile.

  “You called the police?”

  Lily shook her head, trying to focus on the conversation. “Of course. That’s what you do when someone is discovered dead.” Lily tried to keep her voice calm but was having difficulty being polite to this incredibly rude woman. “Could you tell me where the bathroom is?”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “No.” Lily stared back at Nicole wondering if she was referring to her mother being dead or the request for the bathroom.

  Nicole shrugged. “The door behind you. Don’t steal anything.”

  Lily was speechless as she watched Nicole stomp away on bare feet. Easier to sneak around quietly? The bathroom looked like it had never been used. Maybe these rich people don’t ever have to pee like us normal folk. Lily chuckled at that thought and sighed as she finally got a chance to relieve her bladder. She washed her hands and filled the crystal glass—crystal? really? In a bathroom?—with water for Walter.

  By the time Lily got back to the sunroom it was anything but deserted.

  The investigation crew was taking photos and gathering evidence. Police Chief Ryan Steele and his deputy, Wade Quinn, were questioning Daisy. Detective Adam May was watching everyone and taking notes.

  Lily brought the glass of water to Walter who was sitting on the couch by himself. She absentmindedly patted his arm as she replayed the scene in her head, trying to remember every detail. The fountain gurgling, the sun streaming in, Harriet dead on the floor, the puddle of water, flower petals, pieces of glass. Did Harriet slip on the puddle, fall and hit her head? Did someone hit her over the head and she dropped a glass of water? What did the pieces of glass come from? A weapon? Was this an accident or a murder?

  Lily focused on the people in the room. Harriet’s body was on the stretcher being wheeled out. She saw Nicole talking to an older man off in a corner. He was a bit taller than Nicole, stocky, gray haired, at least fifteen years older than her. Why wasn’t she comforting her father, and who was that man? A short, overweight woman accompanied by an attractive girl in her mid-twenties were walking toward Walter.

  Lily stood and moved away from Walter a little but she stayed close enough to still hear the conversation. “Oh, Walter. What happened?” Lily heard the older woman ask as she leaned toward Walter looking very concerned.

  Walter looked up with tears in his eyes. “Gwen? Kristy? There’s been some kind of terrible accident.”

  The older woman sat close to Walter and hugged him tightly to her chest. “Don’t worry. We’ll help you through this.”

  Nicole finally approached her dad. She looked from the older woman to the younger one. “You two must be happy now.”

  The younger woman, who was about the same age as Nicole, maybe a bit younger, and had the same build, bristled at that comment. “Well, isn’t the pot calling the kettle black. I’ve never heard you say one kind word to, or about, your mother.”

  The older woman pulled them both away from Walter. She hissed through clenched teeth. “Girls. This is not the time or place to be having a cat fight. Control yourselves.” She turned back to Walter.

  Ryan tapped Lily on her shoulder, making her jump. “I need your version of events. Daisy told me what she remembers. You two were the ones to find Harriet?”

  “Yes. We were delivering flowers and a cake for a surprise birthday party Walter had planned for Harriet.” Lily pulled Ryan away from the others. “Was she murdered?”

  Ryan lowered his voice. “You know I can’t tell you that Ms. Bloom.” The corner of his lip twitched as he tried to suppress a grin. “What I can say, is that nothing is ruled out until all the evidence is gathered.”

  “What about the broken glass?”

  Ryan was puzzled. “Broken glass? There wasn’t any broken glass.”

  Now Lily felt confused. “I’m sure I saw glass around the floor where she fell. Maybe someone cleaned it up?”

  Ryan took Lily’s arm and guided her over to where the body had been. “Show me what you’re talking about. The only thing we’ve moved so far is the body.”

  Lily looked at the floor. “It’s gone. The flower petals are still floating in the puddle but the glass is gone. It was scattered around this whole area.” She looked up at Ryan, hoping he had an explanation for why it was gone.

  “There was no glass when we got here. Who was in the room when you walked out?”

  “Just Daisy and Walter. They were sitting over on the couch. Maybe Daisy saw someone else come in.” Lily whispered to Ryan. “Who are these other people?”

  “You know Walter. The older woman is the family lawyer, Gwen Brooks. The redhead is Nicole Nash Hopkins, Harriet and Walter’s daughter—”

  Lily interrupted, “I met her. She came in right after we saw Harriet on the floor. Very rude and unfriendly.”

  Ryan jotted some more notes down. “The man with Nicole is her husband, Julius Hopkins and the blond girl is Gwen’s daughter, Kristy Brooks.”

  Kristy and Nicole were standing next to each other, facing away from Lily and Ryan. From the back, except for the color of their hair, they looked quite similar. “Why are they all here?”

  Ryan looked at Lily like she had two heads. “For the birthday party.”

  “I know that. Why are they all here now? Have they all been in the house all along? Even when she died?”

  “Yes. That’s what they all told me.”

  Lily mumbled. “Lots of suspects.”

  “What did you say?”

  “Ah, pots of sunflowers. Over there.” Lily pointed to a pot filled with ten inch tall sunflowers in full bloom.”

  He looked at her skeptically. “Sure. It sounded like something else to me. What about the flowers in the puddle where she fell?”

  Lily bent closer. “Looks like dahlias.” She looked around the room. “There’s lots of beautiful flowers in here but the only dahlias are in the arrangement I delivered when we found her body.” She pointed to the flowers on the table. “Those dahlias are still right there.”

  “Strange.”

&nbs
p; Lily nodded. “Yes. Strange indeed.”

  Chapter 3

  Lily looked at her watch. “Do you still want to come over for dinner?” Her stomach growled.

  Ryan grinned. “It doesn’t sound like you can wait much longer to eat.”

  “I’ll manage.”

  “Okay, I’d love to but how late can you wait for me?”

  “I’ll have everything ready for whenever you show up. Any idea when you’ll be done with this?”

  “I should be done by eight thirty or nine. See you then?”

  “Can’t wait.” Lily smiled. She walked over to Walter. “Walter? How are you doing?”

  “I don’t know, Lily. This is such a shock.” His eyebrows squished together as his voice trailed off. “Have you met my friend Gwen? She’s going to stay and keep me company.”

  Lily looked at the woman and smiled. “Nice to meet you. Was Harriet a good friend of yours too?”

  “I’ve been the family lawyer for a number of years. I was working with Harriet on some projects recently. It’s a terrible shock.” She patted Walter’s leg as she spoke.

  Lily sympathized, “Yes. Tragic. Was that your daughter here also?”

  Gwen flinched a tiny bit but recovered quickly. “My daughter? Oh, Kristy. Yes. We were here for the birthday party. That makes this whole accident even more difficult. To die on your birthday.”

  Lily put her hand on Walter’s shoulder. “I’m going home now. I’m so sorry about all this.”

  “Thank you for the flowers, Lily. They are beautiful. I know Harriet would have loved them.” Walter looked around the sunroom. “She was so happy in this room with all of her lovely orchids. I just can’t figure out why she didn’t go to her hair appointment. She was supposed to be gone all afternoon, then come in when we were all together to surprise her.” His shoulders sagged under the weight of his grief.

  “Now, now Walter.” Gwen tried to cheer him up. “Harriet wouldn’t want you to be so glum. Pull yourself together. Maybe we should get everyone together in the dining room. You had all that wonderful food prepared. Someone might want to eat.”

  Walter brightened up a bit. “That’s a good idea. No sense letting the food go to waste. Can you tell everyone here to help themselves?”

  Gwen frowned slightly. “Everyone? Even the police?”

  “Of course. I’m sure they’re hungry too. And how about you, Lily? Would you like to get some food before you leave?”

  “Thank you. I think I will. Just something to hold me over until my dinner is ready. Everything is running late today.”

  Lily quietly walked over to get Daisy. “Walter is inviting everyone to get some food. Want to take a look?”

  “Do you really need to ask? By the looks of this place the food will be amazing.” They left the sunroom, following a few people, including Gwen, who was almost tugging Walter along.

  Lily whispered to Daisy, “Keep your ears open. Someone here must be the murderer.”

  Daisy looked shocked. “Are you sure it’s murder? Did Ryan tell you that?”

  “Not exactly. It’s just my gut feeling. There’s a lot of tension, distrust and anger going on between the people here for the birthday party. When you throw in the money that Harriet had, I think there could be motive in that mix.”

  “You got all that already?” Daisy shook her head.

  “Shhh. Looks like this must be the dining room.” She looked at the expansive room and thought, Fifty people could easily eat here.

  Gwen was hanging on Walter’s arm trying to get him to put food on his plate. She would put one or two choice appetizers on her plate and add one to Walter’s plate too. Lily wondered if Gwen would end up eating hers and Walter’s. Nicole and Julius were arguing again. Lily moved closer to eavesdrop.

  Nicole’s grating voice traveled well. She hissed as quietly as she could, “No. I most definitely am not going to your stuffy luncheon with all those donors.”

  “But Nicole, honey, I promised them you’d be there. Everyone is so interested to hear about Noah Lyman and his writing.”

  “That’s your problem, Julius. I won’t be there.” Nicole dropped her plate on the table causing everyone else to look at her as she turned and hurriedly walked from the room.

  Lily thought Kristy seemed to be enjoying Nicole’s bad behavior by the size of the grin on her face. She saw Lily watching her and nodded. Julius finished his food and left not much after Nicole had stormed out. Poor Walter, thought Lily. No one seemed to care about him at all, except Gwen. What’s her angle?

  Lily barely tasted the morsels she had on her plate. Too much was going through her head. She elbowed Daisy. “Ready to go?”

  Daisy stuffed the last bite of crispy spinach pie in her mouth and nodded.

  They left before anyone had time to corner them. Once they were back in Lily’s minivan, Lily asked, “Did you find out anything interesting?”

  Daisy rolled her window down. “Well, when I was sitting with Walter, he kept mumbling something about the library, but I couldn’t make any sense of it.”

  “The new library?”

  “I think so. Wasn’t Harriet trying to stop it from being built next to her precious property?”

  Lily turned onto Main Street. “Yes. She was. Mom was right about Noah Lyman rolling in his grave. If that woman managed to ruin his dream of that beautiful library, he probably would have come back to kill her himself.”

  “I also heard the redhead, Nicole, arguing with that man that was there.”

  “Ryan told me that’s her husband, Julius Hopkins.”

  Daisy whipped her head around to look at Lily. “That’s her husband? Julius Hopkins? He looks like he’s a lot older than Nicole. He’s the headmaster of the private school, Hilltop Academy.”

  “Could you hear what they were arguing about?”

  “Money.”

  Lily waved to the owner of the Misty Valley Market when they drove by. “That argument continued in the dining room. Interesting. Nicole may be inheriting a good piece of change with Harriet dead.” Lily stopped in front of Beautiful Blooms. “That delivery was more than I expected, how about you?”

  Daisy laughed. “Just a tad more than usual. Are you going to tell mom or do you want me to? She’ll want to hear every last detail of this drama and she won’t forgive us if she hears about it from someone else first.”

  “Why don’t you go pick her up and come over to my house for some cheese and crackers? I’m making dinner for Ryan but he’ll be late.”

  “A late dinner? Will he be staying over?

  Lily felt her cheeks get hot. Was she ready for that next step yet? She didn’t even want to let herself think along those lines. “Just go get Mom.”

  Daisy chuckled and hopped out of the minivan. “We’ll be over in a bit.”

  Lily got to her house, unloaded her purchases from the farmer’s market and let Rosie out. “Sorry I’m so late getting home, Rosie. Had an unexpected event at my last delivery.” Rosie wagged her tail, always understanding and forgiving. She was the best dog Lily had ever had and she had saved Lily’s life three times so far. Rosie had an uncanny sense of what was going on in Lily’s life and managed to be there whenever Lily needed some extra help. “I’ll make it up to you. Your fur ball friend, Poppy, will be over soon to play with you. See if you can tire out that little ball of energy.” Rosie wagged her tail so hard Lily thought it might fly off.

  Lily took a quick shower, letting the drama of the day swirl down the drain. Clean t-shirt and jeans and she felt like a new person. Daisy and Iris were walking in the back door just as Lily was slicing the cheese and getting the crackers out. I don’t need this anymore after snacking at the Lyman Estate, but maybe Daisy and Mom are hungry. Rosie ran out in the backyard to play doggie tag with Poppy. “Anyone for a glass of wine?”

  Daisy plopped down in one of the kitchen chairs. “Do you actually need to ask after the day we had?” She scrutinized Lily. “Is that what you’re wearing for your date wi
th Ryan?”

  Lily poured three glasses. “It’s not a date. He’s my neighbor and I’m being neighborly.”

  Daisy took one of the glasses. “If you say so. But I do have a nicer shirt in my bag if you want to borrow it.”

  Lily looked down at her favorite, comfy t-shirt. “What’s wrong with this one?”

  Daisy shrugged. “Nothing, I guess.”

  “You just happened to have something in your bag? Really Daisy?” Lily put her hand out. “Let me see it.”

  Daisy held up a black silk t-shirt with a low scoop neck. Lily could tell it would hug her body in all the right places. “Okay. Good choice. I’ll go change.”

  Iris took a sip of her wine. “When are you going to fill me in? I can sense that something must have happened today that’s news worthy.” She lowered her voice so Lily wouldn’t hear. “Does it have something to do with Lily’s hot cop?”

  “Not in the way you’re thinking.”

  Lily returned just as her phone rang. “Hello?” She covered the mouthpiece and whispered to the others. “It’s Nina Baldwin from the paper.”

  Iris raised her eyebrows, dying of curiosity about what was going on.

  “Yes. Daisy and I were the first to find the body … No. I don’t know the cause of death … Sure, stop by tomorrow if you want. Bye.”

  “Body?” Iris said.

  Lily sipped her wine. “Harriet Nash. Dead on her sunroom floor when Daisy and I delivered the flowers and cake.”

  “What? That old witch? Serves her right. Who did it?”

  Daisy dug into the crackers and cheese. “What kind of cheese is this? It’s delicious.”

  “I got it at the farmer’s market. A soft brie—Hill Farm makes it.”

  Iris stuffed one in her mouth. “Get back to the body.”

  “Okay. There’s not much to tell. Harriet was lying in a puddle with flowers floating around, staring up at the ceiling. Well, I don’t know if staring is the right term, since those eyes weren’t seeing anything. Anyway, Walter planned a surprise party and all the guests were in the house so there are plenty of suspects if it’s a murder.”