Crumb Cake, Corpses and the Run of the Mill Read online

  “No,” Juniper said, her voice sounding scratchy and far away. “That is definitely not a raccoon.”

  Chapter Nine

  “G

  ood morning, Ms. Palmer. We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Police Captain Cody Lumos said at the sight of her standing on the porch with the others.

  Juniper smirked. She’d first met Cody in a similar situation when she’d discovered a body in the trunk of her attic. It figured she’d been the one to spot the bones here, too.

  “Morning. Congratulations on the promotion,” Juniper said, deciding to keep the conversation as cordial as possible—since she was most likely a suspect at the moment. But, then, who was to say this was a crime scene? A skeleton didn’t necessarily mean someone had been murdered, right? Maybe someone had passed away peacefully in his or her sleep—while stuffed inside the flour roller of Pike’s remote, empty mill. Who was she kidding? This was very much a crime scene.

  Good thing Cody was a reasonable person. Tall, blond, muscular, with kind eyes. He was kind of hard not to befriend, and they’d bonded since neither of them were Boho natives —unlike everyone else in town. Cody was still considered a newcomer to Bohemian Lake, having only just moved to town a year ago. He’d began as a detective but recently moved into the role of Captain when Bruce Stone retired. They’d been on a date once—October of last year—before she and Jack rekindled their romance, and Cody fell for the town’s favorite feisty reporter, Penny Trubble.

  Cody glanced at Jack. “You know we’ll have to halt the rehab you were planning until we clear this up.”

  “No problem,” Jack said, sounding strangely buoyant. “Of course, I’ll let you explain that to Pike. I wouldn’t want her spitting in my coffee.”

  Cody smiled. “Well played, Young,” Everyone loved café owner Pike Hart and no one ever wanted to disappoint her. “Alright. Well, let’s meet in the middle. No work today but, you can work on the main house starting tomorrow. Just stay out of the mill until further notice.”

  “You know they’re connected right?” Jack said.

  “Yes, I have eyes. We’ll put up a boundary line, just don’t cross it. So, where are these bones?”

  “Inside the roller on the main floor,” Jack said. “The grist mill equipment is still intact. Pike arranged for someone to come clear it out today. You want me to show you where?”

  “Yeah.” Cody glanced at the four of them. “Which one of you found them?”

  Jack gave Juniper a contrite smile.

  “I found the bones when I looked inside the roller,” Juniper explained. “I didn’t touch them and all of us were together.”

  Another cruiser bounded around the curve and came to a bouncing stop at the edge of the lawn. It was Jack’s cousin, Detective Kaden Bones, who’d moved to the area right before Christmas. He’d been working undercover on a special assignment involving the Vianu’s Caravan Manor, although none of them had known that until recently.

  Kaden Bones was at least 6-feet tall, in his mid-thirties, and looked very much like his cousin Jack. He was Bohemian Lake’s most eligible bachelor at the moment but she’d heard from Jack that he had a thing for Mallory Vianu. Too bad Mallory just started seeing ghostbuster Daemon Wraith. Tough call between those two guys; Juniper didn’t envy Mallory having to make a decision.

  “Hey, guys,” Kaden shouted from the car before he slammed the door shut and jogged over to the porch. With a broad grin, he said, “Hey, Junie.”

  “Hi, Kaden.” Juniper was one of Kaden’s biggest fans. Contrary to his ominous-sounding name, he was loyal and even-tempered, like an adorable black lab—always happy and friendly. It didn’t hurt that he looked just like Jack. Most people took him for one of Jack’s older brothers.

  “Hey, Cap, I heard from the sheriff on my way over.” Kaden climbed the steps. “It’ll be at least two hours before one of his guys can get out here.”

  In their area, the Bohemian County sheriff served as coroner and could declare somebody officially dead. But if the death was suspicious and necessitated a more detailed forensic examination or pathology services—or other autopsy-related services— he would call the forensic medical group.

  Cody frowned and rubbed his neck. “I don’t suppose they’re in a huge hurry,”

  “Doubtful,” Kaden replied, “since those bones have probably been there for a while.”

  “We’d better go take a look.”

  Jack led the way back into the house, and Cody and Kaden followed. Juniper sat on the steps with her crew and started prioritizing the jobs that would have to be done once the house was available.

  She checked her phone. Cody and the others had been inside for about a half hour. Juniper couldn’t sit around a minute longer, she pushed herself up from the steps and said, “I’m going to go find out if they need us all to wait. If not, you guys can go off to another jobsite and get a good day’s work in.”

  “Great idea, boss,” Jason said. Juniper just noticed he’d been scraping old paint from the porch. Jason was someone who liked to keep busy, and Juniper couldn’t ask for a better quality in an employee.

  At that moment, Juniper heard heavy footsteps approaching from inside the house. The front door swung open and Captain Lumos stepped outside, followed by a somber Jack and Kaden.

  “Do you know who it is?” Juniper asked.

  “We might’ve found a clue,” Jack said, earning a narrow look from Cody.

  The captain seemed to argue with himself for a moment, then held something up in his gloved hand. “Do any of you recognize this?”

  The three of them had to get close up to see the silver broach affixed to a black velvet choker length band.

  Jason stopped scraping away the chipping paint and stepped forward.

  Cody focused on him. “You recognize it?”

  “I—I.”

  “It’s vintage,” Juniper said. “Did it belong to . . .” Juniper hesitated, wondering what to call the bones. A body? A human? A victim? “Was it found in the rollers too?”

  Cody moved the broach this way and that so they could get a better look.

  Bear squinted at the necklace. “What’s on the back?”

  Jason whispered, practically to himself, “Initials. B. B.”

  Cody nodded.

  “Are you okay?” Juniper asked.

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Who is B.B?” Cody asked.

  Juniper grabbed Jason’s arm. “Come over here. Sit down.” Dragging him to the front steps, Juniper practically pushed him to a sitting position, his elbows resting on his knees. “If you think you’re going to pass out, put your head between your knees and try to breathe.”

  He took in a whopping gulp of air and let it out, but didn’t speak. Looking at the expression of shock and fear in his eyes, Juniper wasn’t sure he could.

  “Jason,” Jack whispered. “You need to tell Cody. He doesn’t know . . .”

  He sniffled, then whispered, “It was Belinda’s.”

  “Who’s Belinda?” Cody demanded.

  Jack answered for him, “Belinda Battams was Jason’s older sister, and she disappeared twenty-eight years ago.”

  Chapter Ten

  A few feet away, Jack, Juniper, Kaden and Cody leaned against the porch rail, silently observing Jason as he threw stones in the river. Bear and Arlo had gone off to another jobsite to work for the rest of the day.

  She turned to Cody, “Look, I know you’re a captain now, and there’s a lot on your shoulders, but how about a little compassion? He’s mourning his sister. Why don’t you just interview him tomorrow?”

  Cody folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against one of the porch pillars. “I’d prefer to do it now. He might remember something that will blow the investigation wide open.”

  “No offence, Cody, but he was fifteen years old when his sister went missing. I highly doubt anything he knows is going to blow it wide open,” Jack stated. “And to find out she never left town? That sh
e was here all along? Dead, shoved inside a flour roller in the old mill not five minutes away?”

  Juniper rubbed her arms from the sudden chill. “That’s got to be torturing him. My goodness, what was she even doing out here? Who was she with?” Her mind flashed on the image of those bones she’d seen through the flour roller. “Do you think she was already dead when someone put her in the roller? Or did she die once she got inside? Maybe she was hiding from someone. Could she have suffocated? Oh God.” Juniper had to rub away more chills from her arms. The thought of suffocating in there . . .

  “Stop it, Junie,” Kaden warned. “Don’t start painting scenarios. After all, you could be right about her hiding in there. Maybe she got stuck and couldn’t get out.”

  “Oh, that’s horrible.”

  Kaden seemed to regret planting that image in her head. “Look, anything could’ve happened. Don’t go dreaming up theories and motives on your own.”

  “All right, all right.” This wasn’t the first time she’d heard him lecture her on this point. He’d been on the case at Christmas time when she’d found the bodies in the Inn’s wine cellar.

  “Hey Jack. Why don’t you tell us more about Jason’s relationship with Belinda since you grew up around here,” Kaden said. He pulled out a spiral notepad and pen and turned to a blank page.

  Jack nodded, “Okay, well, there were three kids in the Battams family. Belinda, Jason and his twin sister, Fern. You know Fern Baron; she’s our neighbor. Well, they were always really close. I think it’s because their father was such a deadbeat. The three kids protected each other.”

  “Where was their mother?”

  Jack hesitated, then admitted, “Tiff was mostly working. She had to support them somehow. Their father was always drinking, gambling, or in jail.”

  Cody had been listening silently, but now he jumped into the conversation. “How old were you when all this was going on?”

  “I was just a kid. Belinda was a senior, same grade as my oldest brother, which is how I know everything. Most people in town thought Belinda ran away because her father used to beat her.”

  “Did he?” Kaden asked. “Did he beat his children?”

  Jack winced. “It sure seemed like it. Everybody thought so.”

  “If he did,” Cody said, “then it’s reasonable to suspect she ran away.”

  Kaden wrote it all down, then looked at his cousin. “Do you know the father’s name?”

  “Chase Battams.” Jack scowled. “Unfortunately, he’s dead, or I’d be happy to take you to him.”

  “How’d he die?” Cody asked.

  “Drug overdose.”

  Juniper looked out at the silhouette of Jason sitting on the rocks. The sun had all but disappeared and a phalanx of dark clouds formed the background. “He doesn’t deserve this.”

  Jack nodded and followed her gaze. “Poor guy. The local police didn’t give Belinda’s disappearance much attention.”

  “Because they thought she ran away.” Juniper said.

  “Right. But still, they could’ve searched harder. I remember my parents talking about it.”

  “Do you know who was questioned?” Cody asked.

  “Nah. I was just a kid. Although I do recall someone saying she dated Frank Patone. Jason or Fern would know or you could always ask Eve Banter. She sees and knows all.”

  Kaden smirked. “Ain’t that the bloody truth. I’ll talk to all of them. Is his mother still around?”

  “Who, Tiff? She doesn’t live in the area anymore. I don’t think she could take the heat of the judgement but I see her every now and then next door at her daughter’s place.”

  Juniper cleared her throat “Actually, I just saw Fern yesterday, and she said her mom is coming to visit with her great aunt. Maybe you could finally get some answers.” She gazed out at Jason and shivered. What had been a beautiful day had turned grim and menacing. Those dark clouds were closing in.

  Chapter Eleven

  I t was pouring rain by the time they left the police station. Juniper dropped Jason off next door at Fern’s. Before he jumped out of the truck, he turned to her, wearing a sheepish look. “I don’t suppose you want to come in and help me break it to her.”

  “I’m sorry, Jason. I don’t think it’s my place. I’ll be right next door. If it turns out you need me then just shoot me a text. Okay?”

  He shrugged. “Okay, and Jack’s cousin seems like a good guy, so I’ll call him if I think of anything that might help with the case.”

  Juniper smiled.

  As she backed out of the driveway, she remembered they were out of her favorite wine at the Inn and she badly needed a glass. Instead of pulling into the Inn’s driveway next door, she headed up the street, found a parking spot, and turned off the engine. She had to sit there for a minute. It was painful to think about a teenager disappearing like that, and the poor girl had been in town all this time. It was so hard to believe that no one had ever thought to search inside the deserted old mill. Could she have been saved? Even if someone had thought to search for her in the mill, would they have found her curled up inside the roller? As soon as Juniper pictured it, she had to shake off the image of Belinda inside that cramped space. She jumped out of the car and ran through the rain into the store.

  As Juniper reached the California red section, she heard a man say her name. “Well, well. Junie Palmer.”

  It wasn’t a friendly greeting. Her stomach clenched as she turned to see Frank Patone standing near the spirits display. He was impeccably dressed as usual—hardly the look of a contractor.

  Frank had been the mayor of Bohemian Lake when Juniper first moved to town last October, but he’d resigned and moved away after the debacle with his wife. Then a few months ago he’d returned to town to open a construction company. Frank had always had his fingers in a lot of pies but Juniper couldn’t help but think this was personal. He had tried to poach their crews and thought nothing of drastically underbidding their jobs. It was infuriating and a little scary. The man had no integrity at all when it came to his professional dealings, not to mention his personal interactions. But why would Juniper expect him to?

  He clearly blamed her for his family’s demise.

  And staring at him now, Juniper remembered Jack saying that Frank had dated Belinda Battams during high school. Frank was a jerk of the highest order. Just look what he’d done to Lulu. He was definitely capable of sexual assault. Juniper wouldn’t be surprised to find out he’d been involved in Belinda’s death.

  Paying no attention to him, Juniper grabbed two bottles of red from the shelf. As she started to walk away, Frank took hold of her arm.

  “Hands off, pal,” Juniper said in her toughest voice.

  “What’s your problem, Juniper? Can’t be friendly?”

  Juniper wrenched her arm back.

  He moved closer. He was big and loathsome, a real bully, yet his breath was minty fresh. It was unexpected and creepy. Without warning, he grabbed her arm again and squeezed.

  Juniper struggled to pull away. “I told you to get your hands off me.”

  “When are you going to learn that it pays to be nice to me?” he said through clenched teeth. “Maybe once I’ve put you out of business.”

  He’d barely gotten the words out when he let out a holler. Eve Banter had come around the corner of the aisle and rammed a cart into his hip from behind. “I am just so sorry about that, Frank, dear,” she said continuing to push the cart over his polished leather shoe. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your accosting of this lovely young woman. Carry on. I’m sure she can join the #metoo movement later.”

  He growled, “Get away from me you blind old bat.”

  “Oh, now there’s no reason to be a grumpy bum.” She rammed him again, “I just can’t seem to steer this thing. I think it needs some grease. Frank, maybe you could lend me some from your hair.”

  Frank’s eyes were hard. He turned back to Juniper. “By the time I’m through destroying your little company, you’l
l be flat broke and begging for a job.” He stalked off to cash

  Eve patted Juniper’s shoulder after he walked away. Eve had been busily texting the moment before, “Don’t worry, dear, the only one who’s flat is him.

  “Huh?”

  “Never you mind, dear. That big fricking jerk will get what’s comin’ to him. Oh, that reminds me. We need to schedule a Big Fricking Committee meeting sometime soon. Pike is so forgetful lately when it come to the BFC and that carnival won’t plan itself.”

  Juniper nodded. The BFC, which actually stood for the Bohemian Festival Committee, was in charge of planning and execution. Last year Juniper had lent their newly acquired mansion as the venue for the Halloween event. Ever since then, Juniper had been a part of the committee which Pike headed up.

  “When were you thinking?”

  “Oh, I haven’t a clue. I’ll have Ellie set it up and call you.”

  Minutes later, after Juniper had paid and headed outside, she saw what Eve had been alluding to. Frank was having a meltdown and all four of his tires had been slashed.

  Chapter Twelve

  J uniper felt like a complete mess after the discovery of the bones and then dealing with that slimy Patone. She jumped into the shower to scrub herself clean, and when she’d dried herself off and put on fresh clothes, she heard Jack come home. He was just putting out a tray of munchies—hummus, red wine cheese, crackers, pistachios, some parmesan encrusted cured meats, and vegetable sticks when Kaden showed up. Apparently, they’d all been too lazy to cook a real meal after the horrific day’s find. Juniper placed napkins and small plates in the center.

  “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got bubbly water, soda, wine or beer?” Jack asked.

  “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

  Once he’d poured three glasses of wine, they all sat and began to munch. “You said you talked to the medical examiner.” Juniper prompted.