A Fatal Chapter Read online

  Not that she didn’t see her assistant, Pixie Poe, and her part-time employee, Mr. Everett, on a regular basis. Angelica had been extremely kind to both of them by employing them either at her cookbook store, the Cookery; the little retro café she owned, Booked for Lunch; or the Chamber. Pixie usually waited on tables for part of the day and then put in a few hours in the Chamber office. She’d brushed up on her secretarial skills, and Tricia was half-afraid Pixie might decide that office work was more to her liking—and that she might find a clerical job that paid more or had more prestige. Still, Pixie seemed as pleased with the situation as one could be under the circumstances.

  Tricia took her seat and woke her computer from its slumber. One of the first things she’d done after joining the Chamber’s staff was take over the monthly newsletter, a task she rather enjoyed. It was considerably bigger than the one she produced for her store, and she’d learned a thing or two about graphics that were sure to give her own newsletter more pizazz when she finally sent one out at the time of her grand reopening—whenever that might be.

  “Ange, have you written your column for the newsletter?” she called.

  Angelica looked up from the paper she’d been reading. “Yes. I’ll e-mail it to you when I get home. It’s on my laptop.” She looked at her watch. “Goodness, I need to get going.”

  “I thought you didn’t have to be in Manchester until lunchtime.”

  “I don’t, but I’m going to talk to a prospective new member.”

  “I can do that for you,” Tricia offered.

  “You’re already doing far too much. And besides, Mama needs a new pair of shoes. That could take an hour,” Angelica said, and waggled her eyebrows playfully, reminding Tricia of Pete.

  Tricia shook her head and shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

  “Before I go, I’ll take Sarge for a you-know-what around the park. Later this afternoon, would you mind taking him for—” She paused and looked down at the dog. “W-a-l-k-i-e-s,” she spelled, but Sarge could spell, too—at least that word—and he looked up from his little doggy bed, cocking his head to let her know it.

  “Sure. Leave him here and I’d be glad to,” Tricia said.

  Angelica handed the paper back to Mariana. “I probably won’t be back today, so we can go over the schedule for the rest of the month tomorrow.”

  “I’ll have it updated and ready to go,” Mariana promised.

  Angelica walked over to her desk, retrieved Sarge’s leash, and said the magic word. “Walkies!” Sarge shot out of his little bed and gave a happy bark. She turned back to Tricia. “If I think of anything else, I’ll call or text you later.”

  “I’m going to see you again in less than ten minutes,” Tricia said, and laughed.

  “Sorry. My head is filled with so much clutter, I can barely think straight,” Angelica said, and headed out the door.

  Mariana shook her head. “I don’t know how she juggles so many things, but I sure wish I had that ability—and her energy.”

  “It’s sheer willpower on her part,” Tricia said, turning back to her computer.

  A few minutes later, Angelica dropped Sarge off and left for her shoe-buying and meeting expeditions. Tricia found enough to do to keep her occupied for hours. Mariana went to lunch, and by the time she came back, Pixie had arrived to put in her four-hour stint.

  “Greetings, all,” she called happily. She was dressed in her vintage waitress togs and an impossibly high pair of red heels, clutching a shopping bag, and a big alligator purse. She opened the purse, taking out a small bundle. Sarge welcomed her like an old friend as she slipped him a huge hunk of sliced ham from a napkin.

  “Oh, Pixie, please tell me you didn’t wait on tables in those shoes,” Tricia said.

  “Not to worry. I wore sensible flats for my shift at Booked for Lunch. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have style when I come to work here. Or at least I will when I change.” She dumped her purse and a creased newspaper on her desk before heading for the first-floor bathroom. A few minutes later, she returned, her hair no longer restrained by a hairnet, her makeup refreshed, and dressed in a silk dress that was a riot of magenta and orange flowers. No doubt about it, Pixie could make an entrance. “Isn’t this just the best day?” she called cheerfully as she strutted across the room to her desk with a hopeful Sarge trotting along behind her.

  “So far so good,” Tricia agreed.

  Pixie sat down, but Sarge walked up to Tricia’s desk, looked her in the eye, and cocked his head, gazing at her woefully.

  “I suppose you want to go walkies,” she said. Sarge’s little tail happily thumped the floor. “I guess I could stand to stretch my legs, too,” she said, and got up from her chair.

  “I’ll say. Did you even stop for lunch?” Mariana asked.

  Tricia’s stomach rumbled. “I guess I forgot. I’ll grab something when I get back.”

  “I’ll get started on labeling those envelopes for the new-member mailings,” Pixie said, already pulling a box out from under her desk.

  “And I’ll be back in about ten minutes,” Tricia said. “C’mon, boy.”

  Walking Sarge was never a chore, and he and Tricia headed down the sidewalk toward the town park, which was a perfect square, to do their usual two circuits. The lilac blooms and their lovely scent were long past, but thanks to the Board of Selectmen and Nigela Ricita Associates, there were stone containers filled with flowers at every corner, and on every street lamp hung a basket heavy with blossoms. All the benches had been painted, and now that the gazebo had been fully restored, the park was once again a destination. But on that afternoon there were no other people walking their dogs or strolling with baby carriages around the square.

  Tricia hated to admit it, but her fondness for the picturesque Victorian gazebo had faded after the tragedy that had claimed her friend Deborah Black’s life and killed the pilot of the plane who had crashed into the structure. She tried not to think about it, but if she was honest, she usually avoided going near the stone shelter, and even tried to avoid looking at it during her walks with Sarge.

  She looked down at the dog, whose little tail wagged with joy as they rounded the corner and started up the walk on the park’s western boundary. No such thoughts bothered Sarge, despite the fact that it had been his original owner who had caused the disaster.

  While Sarge enjoyed his constitutional, Tricia thought about what Pixie had said. The weather was indeed sensational, and except for their encounter with that curmudgeon Earl Winkler, it had been a good day. If there was a man alive who had a more sour disposition than Earl, she had never met him. What was wrong with him? He represented the people of Stoneham. Couldn’t he be happy for all that had happened in the village? She did a mental comparison of him to Pete Renquist. What a nice man—and fun, too. Not that she was attracted to him, though he made no secret of the fact he was available. He certainly seemed to flirt with every woman he came into contact with. Tricia had been doing her best to stop thinking of men and romance. It was a dead-end street, at least with the two men who seemed intent to pursue her: her ex-husband, Christopher Benson, and the local chief of police, Grant Baker. Instead, she thought about what Angelica had said before she’d left for her meeting. In the future, did she want to do other things besides just run her mystery bookstore?

  Since the day after Haven’t Got a Clue burned, Tricia had been buying up mysteries and had even rented a storage unit, which was quickly being filled. Some days she missed the store and her former life there so much that she’d break down in tears—but only late at night, when no one but her cat, Miss Marple, was around to witness it. But then there were days when she felt restless and eager to find something else to do with her life, no doubt exacerbated by the failure of her insurance company to settle her claim. Angelica was a crusading entrepreneur with her fingers in so many pies it made Tricia feel dizzy. Mariana had been right—it w
as a juggling act, but somehow Angelica made it all seem easy. And what other kind of business could Tricia run in addition to her beloved bookstore?

  Open a restaurant? Heavens no! It was too much work with high overhead and low profits.

  A day spa? Hands-on personal care wasn’t her thing.

  A cat rescue? Now there was an idea, but what if she became attached to her temporary charges? Crazy Cat Lady wasn’t a title she aspired to.

  Perhaps sticking to bookselling was her best bet.

  They turned the corner heading east. At the first lamppost, Tricia noted the hanging basket had almost no blooms. She could have sworn the last time she and Sarge had walked around the park that the baskets had been exploding with colorful flowers. The leaves looked healthy enough, but where was the color? She’d have to mention it to Angelica. Perhaps she could arrange to have the baskets given a dose of fertilizer or—worst-case scenario—replaced.

  Halfway down the walk, Sarge tugged on the leash. Angelica had trained him to do his business only in certain areas of the park, and of course, Tricia was prepared with a plastic bag to clean up after the little guy. And for that, she was glad Sarge was a bichon frise and not an Irish wolfhound.

  With that taken care of, Tricia headed for the nearest trash barrel, which was located near the stone gazebo. Suddenly, Sarge began to pull at the leash and bark. Tricia held her ground, looking around for the squirrel the dog had no doubt seen but which she couldn’t locate. Sarge barked even louder and fought to pull her toward the gazebo.

  “Oh, all right. You can have a look. But when there’s nothing there, you’re going to feel pretty foolish,” she admonished the dog.

  But she’d been wrong. There was something in the center of the edifice.

  Tricia halted, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the pair of rather worn leather loafers attached to a pair of jeans-clad legs. She hurried up the steps to see a man lying facedown. Crouching beside him, she held out a hand and forced herself to touch him. His skin was still warm. She stared at his chest and noticed he was still breathing. She grasped his wrist and found a weak pulse.

  She let out a breath. Thank goodness this one was alive. She’d found more than her fair share of corpses during her tenure in Stoneham. Sarge had stopped barking and did what dogs do best—held a sniffathon, his nose taking in as much of the fallen fellow as possible, considering how tightly Tricia held the leash. She thought she recognized the clothes and the hair, and she scooted around the still form until she could see that it was indeed Pete Renquist. What on earth was he doing lying unconscious in the gazebo on such a lovely summer’s day? He didn’t seem to be bleeding. As far as she knew, he didn’t suffer from seizures, but he obviously needed medical attention. Tricia pulled her cell phone from her slacks pocket and punched in 911. Seconds later, a voice spoke in her ear.

  “Hillsborough County 911. Please state your name and the nature of the emergency.”

  “My name is Tricia Miles. I’d like to report an accident in Stoneham Square. A man’s been hurt.”

  “Hurt how?” the dispatcher asked.

  “I’m not really sure. He’s lying in the gazebo and he’s unconscious. He seems to be having trouble breathing. Heart attack maybe? His pulse is rather weak.”

  “Do you know his name?”

  “Peter Renquist. He lives here in Stoneham.”

  “Do you know how to perform CPR?”

  “I’ve never had to do it, but I think I could if necessary,” Tricia said, her fear escalating.

  “The Stoneham Fire Department’s rescue squad has been dispatched.” Sure enough, Tricia could already hear the squad’s siren. “Please stay with the victim until they arrive.”

  The word victim made her shudder. “Of course I will.”

  She ended the call and spoke to the man beside her. “Pete? Can you hear me? It’s me, Tricia. Help is on the way. I’m sure everything will be all right. Just hang on.” She said the words with what she hoped was reassurance, crossing her fingers they’d be true.

  Pete’s eyes shot open, startling Tricia. His arm jerked up, and he grasped Tricia’s arm with what could only be described as a death grip.

  His lips moved, and she bent down to listen, but she couldn’t hear what he was trying to say. “I don’t understand,” she said.

  She bent lower so that her ear was close to his mouth.

  “I never missed my little boy,” he said, gasping. His eyes closed, and his grasp on her arm slackened as he fell into unconsciousness.

  The rescue squad pulled up to the sidewalk, and the EMTs practically spilled from the vehicle. They paused to grab their gear before jogging to the gazebo.

  Sarge’s barking went back into overdrive. “Hush!” Tricia said, but she didn’t have the same kind of control over the dog that her sister did. Sarge strained at the leash, and Tricia hurried down the steps to intercept the EMTs. She scooped up Sarge and his barking quieted; instead, he began to growl at the newcomers. “Hush!” Tricia told him again, still without results.

  Tricia recognized one of the EMTs as Danny Sutton. “It’s Pete Renquist,” she told him. “I think he might have had a heart attack.”

  He nodded. “We’ve got it,” he said, and he and his partner hurried up the stone steps to attend to their patient.

  “Tricia!” Russ Smith called, running across the grass toward her. He’d no doubt heard the call for the EMTs go out on his police scanner. He had his camera slung around his neck and held his ever-present steno pad and a pen in hand.

  Tricia stepped away from the gazebo, walking fast to close the space between them. “It’s Pete. I found him.”

  “He’s dead?” Russ asked, shocked.

  “No!” Tricia asserted.

  “Well, you’re not known for finding live bodies,” Russ said with irony.

  Tricia glared at him. “It looks like he might have suffered a heart attack.”

  Russ looked toward the gazebo. “Poor guy. Did he say anything to you?”

  “Nothing that made sense.”

  They turned their attention to the road, where an ambulance pulled up at the curb. Another set of EMTs hurried to join the firemen, hauling a gurney along with them.

  Tricia and Russ edged away, yet remained close enough that they could hear the EMTs.

  “He’s gone into cardiac arrest,” Danny said, and began CPR.

  “Oh, no,” Tricia said, feeling close to tears.

  “Well, at least he started out alive,” Russ said.

  “Hey, don’t count Pete out yet,” she grated, glaring at him.

  Russ just shrugged.

  They watched as the EMTs worked in a fluid motion to transfer Pete to the gurney and whisk him off to the ambulance. By then they noticed a bunch of rubberneckers that had gathered around the edges of the park and were watching the show. Poor Pete.

  Less than a minute later, the ambulance took off with its siren wailing. Sarge began to wiggle in Tricia’s arms, and she set him down on the ground. The firemen packed up their gear, stowed it in their vehicle, and left the scene.

  With the show now over, the gawkers began to drift away.

  “That’s it,” Russ said. He cocked his head and addressed Tricia. “What were you doing in the park, anyway?”

  She brandished Sarge’s leash. “What do you think?”

  He shrugged, looking back to the road, then at his watch. “Looks like Pete and I won’t get to talk about that article after all. I sure hope the poor guy makes it.”

  Heavy-hearted, Tricia looked toward the road, where the ambulance had receded from sight. “Yes. Me, too.”

  TWO

  Tricia returned Sarge to Angelica’s apartment, stopping long enough to say hello to the Cookery’s manager, Frannie Mae Armstrong, and Mr. Everett, who was working there part-time. Naturally, both asked about the ambulance and t
he ensuing commotion in the center of the village, and Tricia told them just the basics before she headed back to the Chamber office.

  Pixie and Mariana had just as many questions, and Tricia told them the bare minimum, too.

  “Boy, you’ve sure got the knack for finding stiffs,” Pixie muttered, shaking her head.

  “He wasn’t dead!” Tricia turned to Mariana, forcing herself to speak calmly. “Have we heard from Angelica yet?”

  Mariana shook her head. “She said she wasn’t planning on coming back to the Chamber office today—remember?”

  “Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry. I guess I’m feeling a little rattled.” Tricia settled into the chair in front of her desk, trying to decide if she was able to muster the enthusiasm needed to attack the pile of phone messages waiting for her attention. She’d catch up with her sister later. Angelica often came back to the Chamber office during the evenings to catch up with paperwork or make calls, sometimes bringing a makeshift dinner that she’d share with Tricia and Miss Marple.

  Tricia found it hard to concentrate during the rest of the afternoon. In her mind’s eye she saw poor Pete lying on the gazebo’s cold concrete floor, barely holding on to life. She wondered if she ought to call St. Joseph Hospital to check up on him, but would they have information on an emergency case who hadn’t actually been admitted?

  Pixie had moved on from putting labels on envelopes to actually stuffing them. For the most part, she worked quietly while soft rock issued from the radio on Mariana’s desk. Occasionally Pixie would sing along off-key, which caused Mariana to start clearing her throat as though she were choking on a bone. Though physically separated by the space between their desks, for the rest of the afternoon Pixie seemed to hover over Tricia, looking worried—even if she never moved from her chair.

  At one point, a shiver passed through Tricia, and she looked up and, as expected, found Pixie staring at her. “What?”