Drowning in Dahlias (Lily Bloom Cozy Mystery Series Book 4) Page 3

  “Of course it’s a murder. No one liked that woman except that saint of a husband. Who was there?”

  Lily went through the list of people in the house; Nicole and Julius Hopkins, Gwen and Kristy Brooks, and Walter.

  Iris rubbed her hands together. “This will be fun. There’s a lot of dirt around that group.

  “Really? How do you know about them?”

  Iris chuckled. “Walter and I go way back. We chat over coffee once in a while, when he can get away from Harriet. He’s told me quite a bit about the conflicts going on.”

  Lily smiled to herself thinking that her gut instinct was headed in the right direction about problems at the Lyman Estate with the Nash family and friends.

  Chapter 4

  The three women were startled when Ryan walked in the backdoor followed by Rosie and Poppy. He looked at each one and shook his head. “I’m not sure if I want to know what you three are cooking up in here.”

  Iris put on her best innocent look. “Whatever could you be talking about, Mr. Steele? We’re just keeping Lily company until her dinner date shows up. And now that you’re here, I think it’s time for Daisy to give me and Poppy a ride home.” She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled, then looked at Daisy. “Ready to go now?” Iris yawned and patted her open mouth. “It’s getting close to my bedtime.” She picked up her tired puppy and winked at Lily. “You two have a nice time tonight. Lily cooked you up a real tasty dinner.” She waved as she followed Daisy out the door.

  Ryan made himself comfortable at the kitchen table. “Interesting day.” He watched Lily heat the veggies and add the orange sauce to the pan. The smell made his stomach growl. Lily handed him an ice cold beer after she refilled her wine glass. She was conscious of his eyes following her every move. She liked it and was glad Daisy had such good taste in clothes and brought over the sexy shirt. Lily had no fashion sense and Daisy always came to her rescue. The silk felt cool and soft against her skin.

  “A penny for your thoughts? You’ve been humming to yourself. Want to share?”

  She smiled. “I’m thinking how nice it is that you’re here. And, about your interesting day comment. I’m hoping you’ll tell me what happened to Harriet.”

  “I like the first part of what you just said, can’t we leave it at that for tonight? Just you and me and leave the rest of the world outside for now?”

  She turned the stove off and turned around. “Come on, Ryan. Can’t you tell me anything? At least tell me if it’s been ruled an accident or a murder,” she pleaded with him.

  Ryan sighed. “What were Daisy and Iris doing here?”

  Lily scooped the veggies and grilled apple sausage onto a platter and put that and the quinoa salad on the table. “They came over for some cheese and crackers since you were going to be late. We were telling Iris about our day. You know how she likes to be included in everything.”

  “And?”

  “And nothing. Really. Iris said she knows dirt on all the people who were there. Apparently, she’s been friends with Walter for a long time and they have coffee together once in a while. She didn’t get to the details because that’s when you walked in.” Lily sat down across from Ryan. “Help yourself before it gets cold.”

  “This smells fantastic. Beats stopping at a fast food joint and having another greasy burger with fries.”

  They both dug into the food, enjoying the comfortable silence that surrounded them while they ate.

  Lily watched as Ryan just about licked his plate clean. “There’s more if you want seconds.”

  “Maybe a little more.” He helped himself to another scoop, finished it, sat back, put his hands behind his head and sighed with contentment.

  “Now that your stomach is full—”

  Ryan gave Lily a resigned look. “Five minutes. I’ll give you five minutes to satisfy your curiosity.”

  “Murder?”

  “Not sure yet.”

  “Let’s assume it is murder. Harriet has a ton of money. I heard Nicole and Julius arguing. Gwen was all over Walter and I get the feeling that Kristy has no use for Nicole.”

  Ryan leaned forward. “You got all that tonight?”

  Lily shrugged. “Yeah. I watch and I listen. And I ask a few questions.”

  “What about Walter?”

  Lily’s mouth dropped open. “Walter? You’re joking. He’s such a sweet, kind man. There’s no way it was him.”

  Ryan raised an eyebrow. “It’s usually the spouse. Nice guys can be murderers too. Maybe he couldn’t take being bossed around anymore. Let’s say she slipped in a puddle, fell and killed herself. He’ll be a very, very wealthy man. A little push on that slippery floor?”

  “So, everyone is a suspect, if it’s murder.”

  “Yes, and your pesky questions worry me Lily. I try not to jump to conclusions until I have the facts but, like you said, if it’s murder, be careful with all your questions. I hate to admit it, but the whole thing looks more like murder than an accident. You’re right, the people involved all have motive and they were all at the house. But,” he paused and looked at Lily, “we haven’t found a murder weapon yet—if it is a murder, and I’m not saying it is.” He looked at his watch. “Five minutes are up. Did you leave room for dessert? Jennifer made something delicious.” He looked around the kitchen. “Did I bring it in?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “It must be in my car still. I’ll run out and get it.”

  Lily watched his muscular back and confident stride as he walked out the door. She sighed and wondered, How can I get this relationship moving a little faster, but what is it that I even want?

  Ryan returned with a box from the Sunflower Café and a strange look on his face. “Here’s the dessert.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Someone was lurking by your car but ran off when I went out. Maybe your poking around about Harriet’s death has already upset someone.”

  Lily shrugged. “Already? I mostly just listened to what those people wanted to get off their shoulders. It was probably just the kids that moved in down the street. They’re always hanging around outside at night but they haven’t caused any problems as far as I know.” She reached for the box. “What’s in here? I see it’s from your sister at the Sunflower Café. My mouth is watering.”

  Ryan snatched the box back. “You can only have it if you can guess what it is.” He held the box up out of her reach, laughing, as Lily tried to get it from him. She jumped and caught her foot on the rung of the chair, landing right against Ryan’s rock hard chest. He murmured. “Or, I guess that’s another way to get this sweet treat.”

  Lily let all her weight lean into Ryan. “Which sweet treat are you talking about?”

  He put the box on the table and gathered her up with his arms. She relaxed for a few seconds then spun around out of his arms and grabbed the box. “First things first.”

  “Hey. That’s not fair. You tricked me.” He wrapped his arms around her again with her back to his chest. “I don’t see why we can’t have two treats.”

  “Now you’re talking.” She turned to face him and his lips brushed her cheek.

  He whispered in her ear, “You’re the sweet treat I want.”

  A car alarm broke the silence and the mood. Lily tensed. “That’s my car.”

  Ryan ran out the door with his hand ready on his gun.

  Chapter 5

  Lily put the leash on Rosie and went out to see what was happening. She didn’t see anyone, not even Ryan. She pulled Rosie close and whispered, “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” Rosie sniffed the ground and growled as they walked around her minivan which had finally stopped screeching. “What do you smell?” Rosie tugged on the leash, pulling Lily into the dark backyard. Her motion sensor light came on, showing a big empty space. She started to breathe again until she felt a presence behind her. Rosie wagged her tail.

  “Ryan. You startled me.”

  He took her arm. “What are you doing out here? You should hav
e stayed inside.”

  “I have Rosie with me. She always protects me,” Lily answered with fake confidence. “Did you find anything?”

  They walked back into Lily’s house. “No. But I don’t like it. I’m glad I’m right next door. I’ll keep a close eye on who is hanging around.”

  Lily saw the unopened dessert box on her kitchen table. “Do you still feel like dessert?” She was hoping he wanted some to prolong his visit even though the flirting was over for now.

  “Sure,” he said distractedly.

  Lily got out two plates and two forks. Just as she was going to open the box, Ryan’s strong hand held it closed. His eyes got their twinkle back. “You didn’t guess what’s inside yet.”

  “Strawberry cheesecake.”

  “How did you know?” He sounded disappointed.

  “I bumped into your sister yesterday and she told me she was making several kinds of cheesecake. That seems to be her most popular dessert at the moment at the Sunflower Café. The strawberry part was a lucky guess. But I haven’t had any yet.” The box had two pieces on paper doilies, loaded with fresh strawberries. “This looks delicious. Let’s dig in.” Lily took one piece and gave the other to Ryan. Her fork cut into the smooth creaminess and her mouth watered with anticipation. “Yum,” was all she could manage to murmur.

  After every last crumb was gone, Ryan got up to leave. “Make sure you lock your doors. I have a funny feeling and I don’t want to worry about you all night.” He gave her a hug goodnight and a gentle kiss that left her wanting more, before he left and walked next door to his house.

  “Come on Rosie. It’s just you and me tonight.”

  Lily slept like a rock. Like a rock being crushed by something heavy. She opened her eyes and realized that the weight was Rosie. Was that her way of protecting me in my sleep? To lie on top of me? Something upset her last night. And Ryan, too. I have to find out what Mom knows about the Lyman Estate and all the people connected to Walter. There has to be a clue to help us figure out what happened to Harriet Nash.

  “Rosie. You’re squishing my bladder.” Lily rolled over and Rosie jumped off the bed waiting to find out what they were going to do today. “Let me throw on some clothes and we’ll take a quick walk around the block after I get the coffee maker going so there’s coffee ready when we get back.”

  Lily glanced at Ryan’s house when she walked out her back door. They continued down the driveway toward her minivan when she heard a deep growl come from Rosie’s throat. The short hairs on her back were standing up. “What’s wrong Rosie?” Lily stopped cold. The Beautiful Blooms sign on her minivan now said Beautiful Dooms.

  Ryan was suddenly at her side. “You’re up early. I heard your back door close.” His smile went to a frown when he saw the damage on her car. “This must have happened last night. Do you still think it’s the neighborhood kids?”

  “I don’t know what to think. Maybe someone is sending me a message? I wonder if someone at the Lyman Estate yesterday thinks I know something about Harriet’s death. Have you heard what the cause of death is yet?”

  Ryan walked with Lily and Rosie. “I just heard. She had two bruises on her head. One on the side and one on the back which we think is where her head hit the floor when she fell.”

  “So which one killed her?”

  “Keep this to yourself. The bruise on the side of her head caused massive head trauma and the one on the back was just a bump so it looks like that the whack on the side was the killer bruise.”

  “How about the murder weapon?”

  “Nothing. There are plenty of objects in the sunroom that would have been heavy enough, but nothing had any of Harriet’s skin or hair on it. So, either someone cleaned whatever they used really well or took it with them.”

  Lily walked silently behind Rosie. “She was murdered,” she said, not a question but a statement.

  “Yes. It looks like that. I’m still trying to figure out what happened to the broken glass you saw. Maybe a heavy vase or bowl, but we can’t find anything. Are you one hundred percent sure you saw glass?”

  Lily bristled. “I know what I saw. I can still see it in my mind now, just as I saw it yesterday. The glass was all sparkly from the reflecting sun.”

  “Sorry. I just had to be sure.”

  They walked up Main Street, walking in silence until they turned back onto Sugarbush Lane. Lily broke the silence. “Do you have suspects?”

  “Because of the time of death, everyone at the house is a suspect, including Jennifer.”

  “Jennifer? Your sister? Why?”

  “She was in the kitchen and dining room getting the food ready for most of the afternoon. You and Daisy didn’t arrive until after the time of death.”

  “Surely you don’t think Jennifer killed Harriet, do you?”

  They walked into Lily’s kitchen. “Of course not, but I still have to question her. Maybe she saw or heard something that will be helpful.” Ryan sat down.

  Lily glanced at her kitchen clock. It was still early. “Do you have time for a cup of coffee?”

  “A quick cup, then I have to get to the station. What are your plans for today?”

  “Trying to keep track of me, Mr. Police Chief?” Lily smiled. She didn’t mind the thought of being in the back of Ryan Steele’s mind all day. The only place better than that would be right with him all day. Maybe once this murder was solved they could have a fun day together.

  Lily realized that Ryan had said something to her but she had completely spaced out with her thoughts. “What?”

  “I’d love to keep track of you, Ms. Bloom. Haven’t you solved that mystery yet?” Ryan rinsed his cup and put it in the sink. Lily blushed three shades of pink carnations. If only he knew what she had been thinking about, she thought to herself.

  “I have to finish all the flowers for an event at the Hilltop Academy. I think it’s some kind of thank you to all the big donors. Probably hoping they’ll open their checkbooks and make some more donations.”

  Ryan stopped. “The Hilltop Academy?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Julius Hopkins is the headmaster. He was at the Lyman Estate yesterday.”

  “Oh yeah. I haven’t actually met him yet. Someone else came to the shop to order the flowers. Daisy told me that she heard him arguing with Nicole about money yesterday. Maybe he’s in money trouble.”

  “Please don’t do anything dumb, Lily.”

  “Of course not.” She lowered her eyelashes coyly.

  Ryan looked at Lily for longer than necessary, shook his head, then walked out.

  “Well, Rosie, I think Julius Hopkins is the first one on the suspect list. I’ll have to see if I can find anything out about him when I bring the flowers to the school. Let’s get to the shop and get to work.”

  Lily loved it when she got to Beautiful Blooms before she had to open. It was quiet and peaceful and she was surrounded by all the gorgeous flowers. She got to work finishing up the arrangements for Hilltop Academy. Four big arrangements with royal blue delphinium, white hydrangea and tall white snapdragon. The school colors were blue and white so they should be happy with those flowers, Lily thought as she worked. She also made two low arrangements in baskets for the buffet tables with the same flowers and six smaller centerpieces for the luncheon tables. She stepped back to survey her work and was pleased with the effect.

  A loud banging on her front door made her look up. Who could that be making all that racket, she wondered as she headed to the door with Rosie at her side. She unlocked the door since it was almost time to open anyway. She opened the door to see a very agitated Julius Hopkins.

  “Good morning. How can I help you?” Lily tried to hide the irritation she was feeling for being so rudely disturbed, but at the same time this might be the perfect opportunity to get some information.

  Julius stormed right past Lily and looked around the shop. “Do you have the flowers ready yet?”

  “I was told to deliver them at eleven. They wi
ll be ready then, no problem.”

  He seemed to relax a little. ”Oh thank goodness.” He looked down at a paper. “The note I was handed said you were delivering at five. That would have been a disaster. This is an important luncheon and I need everything to be perfect.”

  “Let me see that note.” He hesitated, then handed it to Lily. “This was referring to the flowers for Mrs. Nash’s birthday party. Yesterday.”

  He looked again. “Oh. You’re right. I’ve been so distraught with all that’s going on. You know, it’s hard to stay focused on events that can’t be cancelled after a trauma like we had yesterday.” He looked more closely at Lily. “You were there yesterday, weren’t you?”

  “Yes. Like your note says, I delivered flowers at five. My sister and I found Mrs. Nash on the floor and we’re the ones who called the police. Were you at the house too?” she asked innocently.

  Lily saw his jaw muscles tense. “There were quite a few people at the house. Why do you ask?”

  “I feel so sorry for Mr. Nash. He’s such a sweet man and it must be so difficult for him, especially since he planned a surprise birthday party.” Lily babbled on trying to sound like a concerned friend. “Someone must have heard something.”

  “Like what?” Lily felt he was being evasive with his answers. Was he hiding something?

  “Maybe a crash when she fell, or a scream. I don’t know. Something to help figure out what happened.” Lily paused. “Were you close to Mrs. Nash?”

  Julius coughed. “I don’t think anyone but Walter found her, shall I say, easy to be around. My wife only went for Walter’s sake. Harriet and Nicole didn’t get along at all.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Families can be the best support group when everyone gets along.”

  “I wouldn’t know about that, Ms. Bloom.” He looked around the shop. “This is quite nice. I will be sure to send all of our flower business your way. Thank you for clearing up the mistake for me and I’m looking forward to seeing your flowers later this morning. The flowers you brought for Harriet were lovely. Everyone commented on how much she would have loved them. You would have never heard it from her though.”