The Mystery Sisters series Box Set Read online

  A tap at the door preceded Lil’s voice. “Max? We’re leaving for church in about 45 minutes. Are you going?”

  Max opened the door, pushing her hair back behind one ear with the other hand. “No. Probably not. I don’t—“ She looked at the disappointment on Lil’s face. “Forget it. Sure, I’ll go. We need to put up a united front.”

  Lil brightened. “Carol’s got fruit and rolls downstairs.” She grinned. “And strong coffee, of course. You look like you need it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be down in a minute.” She closed the door and grabbed her toiletry bag to head to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she had scrubbed her face, brushed her hair and teeth, and donned black cotton slacks with a black-and-white striped top. A quick glance in the hall mirror told her she met her fairly low appearance standards.

  So it was doubly gratifying to reach the kitchen and have Bob glance up from the Sunday paper with a low whistle. “Lookin’ pretty sharp, there.” He grinned and then added, “For an old lady.”

  She swatted his shoulder as she passed to get her coffee. “I’m only one year older than you. Not even that. Where are the girls?”

  “Girls? The other old ladies you’re referring to are out on the patio.” He then covered his head with the paper and continued chuckling.

  “Honestly. Men! No wonder I got divorced.” Max took her coffee outside. The sunny patio glimpsed through the side porch windows lost some of its appeal when she opened the door into a steamy, sultry morning.

  “Whoa,” she said.

  “Yeah, not as pleasant as yesterday.” Carol pulled another chair up to the umbrella table. “Looks like there might be storms brewing over in the Dakotas.”

  Lil tore chunks off a large cinnamon roll, licking her fingers after each bite. “You didn’t get a roll? These are fantastic! Carol must have gotten all of Mom’s baking talent.”

  Max raised her cup. “I will in a minute. Don’t rush me. This is all I need right now.” She shifted in her chair and groaned.

  Lil couldn’t repress a little smile. “Haven’t been doing your breaking-and-entering exercises lately?”

  “Shut up. The worst part is that I don’t know if we learned much from that manuscript. Maybe his murder was about something else.”

  “Annie called this morning,” Carol said. “She stopped to visit Donnie earlier. The lawyer did see him last night and is going to try to raise bail by tomorrow.”

  “Good. He probably hasn’t learned anything but it may be too late for that. I’ll stop and see him after church.”

  Lil grew serious. “We need to talk to Donnie’s friends and find out what transpired that night. Especially, how did Donnie get into town?” She stood and picked up her cup and plate. “I need to go finish getting ready.”

  Max followed her in to get a bowl of fruit and a roll. The humid morning was not the best time to eat a frosted roll outside, but it tasted great and the fruit hit the spot. She was putting her dishes in the dishwasher and washing her hands when Carol came back in the kitchen. Max heard the walker clomping across the floor.

  “Bob and I would like to put up Donnie’s bail. I don’t know what the lawyer has in mind, but you know Mom and Dad would be disappointed in us for letting him sit there.”

  Max sighed. “If they had been more disappointed in him and done something about it, he wouldn’t be in this fix. But I understand—it’s probably gone on long enough.”

  Carol put her hand on Max’s shoulder. “I know you mean well and he is spoiled rotten, but he might have learned something.”

  Max smiled at her. “Let’s hope. So, are we coming back here before the picnic?”

  “Sure. We’ll have time and we don’t have to take anything. The Band Parents are providing all the food for $10 apiece. I want to change clothes and we should throw in the lawn chairs, I guess.”

  “Great.”

  St. John’s Lutheran Church was a plain brick building with white trim and a slim steeple. A decade or so earlier, it had replaced the old gray green board-and-batten structure that Max and her siblings had attended as children. Max and Bob got on either side of Carol to help her up the wide steps.

  “I miss the old place,” Max said. “It was so … quaint.”

  “This is air-conditioned,” Bob said.

  “And there’re no mice,” Carol added.

  “I suppose.”

  As they entered, Lil pointed out the soft-toned stained glass windows to Max. “Those are the windows Dad paid for. Remember, you were doing that exchange thing in England when they had the dedication.”

  “Wow,” Max said. “They’re beautiful. The photos didn’t do them justice. But they’re not really religious, are they?”

  “Depends on your definition,” Carol said. “God’s creation.” The windows depicted Minnesota birds, trees, and flowers. In one, a loon, the state bird, floated among cattails. In another, a cardinal rested on a pine bough, and in a third a chickadee nestled in colorful winterberry branches.

  “They’re really breathtaking,” Max said.

  Carol pointed out Annie and the rest of the family in pews toward the front on the left side. They joined the group, just as the organist began playing.

  Max no longer attended church regularly but she found comfort in the old bits of ritual that persisted through time. She wondered what her parents would be saying about Donnie if they were still around. She wondered if Donnie ever would grow up. And she wondered who killed Dutch Schneider. However, by the time the service ended, she had regained a little balance and inner peace.

  As they filed out, people stopped her and the others or touched her arm to greet them or reintroduce themselves. A few gave sideways or scornful looks but most were warm and welcoming.

  Max fished in her bag for her keys. “I’m going to stop to see Donnie. I’ll tell him about Bob and Carol’s offer,” she said to Lil.

  “Do you want me to go with you?”

  “Not necessary. I won’t be long because I want to change clothes and the picnic starts at noon, doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah, Carol’s got our tickets so I’ll just wait for you at the house?”

  “Great.” Max got in her sporty little car and laid just enough tire to impress a couple of teenaged boys standing by the curb.

  Lil shook her head and shrugged at Carol. “She’ll never change either.”

  The last twenty-four hours had transformed Donnie. For one thing, he was now sober, and Max wasn’t sure when she had last seen him that way. Oddly, he looked more crestfallen and yet spoke with more confidence.

  “Thanks for coming, Max. I wouldn’t blame you for just—you know—throwing up your hands.”

  “Did the lawyer come last night?”

  He nodded. “About suppertime.”

  “Had he been able to find out anything about what evidence they have?”

  “Mainly that I was passed out in Dutch’s car. He was stabbed with part of an old antenna but that could belong to anybody.”

  “What about your friends? J.P or Pete? Have they been in to see you?”

  Donnie shook his head and his shoulders drooped. “Some friends, huh?”

  “Have the cops interviewed them?”

  “I dunno.”

  Max stood up. “Well, I’m going to track them down. Someone must have brought you back into town. Bob and Carol are going to post your bail. You should be out sometime this afternoon or tomorrow morning latest.”

  Relief flooded his face. “Thank you.” And he hung his head.

  Chapter Ten

  Century Park was at the north end of the main highway through Castleroll. It included the city pool, a couple of baseball diamonds, and a fairly new skate park in one corner. But towering maples and ash trees and ancient spreading oaks dominated the bulk of it.

  Two timber and stone shelters stood near the road, with more picnic tables scattered through the trees. A May pole in one clearing fluttered with ribbons.

  “I wonder if they still have
the Solstice Sweethearts dance around the pole.”

  Max felt sure that Lil was trying to remind her that she was the only Jacobsen daughter that hadn't been a Solstice Sweetheart. “Yeah, yeah. Who cares?”

  “I'm sorry. I didn't mean—” Lil looked so sorry that Max relented.

  “I know you didn’t. Just testy today I guess.”

  Lil didn’t respond to that but peered out the window at glimpses of the sky between the trees. “They might be lucky to pull this picnic off before it rains.”

  Max nodded. “Feels like serious stuff—the air’s so heavy.”

  Parking lots overflowed, but Max found a spot along side one of the park roads and slipped the Studebaker in. Access to the Midsummer Picnic area was controlled by a system of wooden sawhorses and snow fence with one opening, where three people took tickets at a long table.

  Everyone headed to a huge green-and-white striped tent in a clearing where a line of people snaked out into the grounds. Lil’s daughter Georgiann was already in line and waved at them.

  “Aunt Sharon has a couple of tables staked out for us on the other side of the tent.”

  “Great,” Lil said. “We’ll get in line. As I recall, ‘budging’ was never tolerated at this picnic. I don’t imagine that has changed.”

  Georgiann laughed. “Probably not.”

  The tent held long tables laden with farm and garden bounty. Three serving tables each held roasters of barbecued beef and chicken, huge vats of potato salad and coleslaw, fancy-cut watermelon halves filled with fruit, and relish trays.

  Volunteers, including Bonnie Johnson Webb, stood behind the tables, serving people and urging them to take more. Bonnie gave Max a brilliant smile and told her how glad she was to see her again.

  Some people are just too nice for their own good.

  On another table, a feast for the sweet-toothed waited with servings of pie and cake arranged on pastel paper plates. The line moved quickly through the main dishes but bottlenecked at the dessert table as people agonized between cherry and Dutch apple pie or ‘icebox dessert’ and ‘I’m sure those are Ardis Munson’s lemon bars.’

  Lil mumbled about her diet while they balanced plates, flatware, and drinks and wove their way through the boisterous crowd. Max told her to get over it; she’d been on the same diet for forty years and it hadn’t mattered.

  Georgiann stood at their table, waving them over. Sharon and Harold slid down to make room for them.

  Carol leaned across the table to yell over the din. “Did you see Donnie?”

  Max nodded. “He looked and acted a lot better than yesterday. I told him about your generous offer. I could tell he really appreciates it.”

  “There’s J.P. Prentiss,” Bob said, with a full mouth and pointing with his fork. He swallowed and wiped his mouth. “Should I go ask him if he knows anything about how Donnie got back to town Friday night?”

  “Yes!” Carol said. “He might be more likely to answer you than one of us.” She indicated her sisters.

  He grinned and got up. “You ladies are pretty scary.”

  They all watched as Bob waylaid a middle-aged man with a blond buzz cut and a small paunch under his Twins tee shirt. The men shook hands and exchanged a few comments. J.P. shook his head in answer to all of Bob’s questions. After a few more words, Bob slapped J.P. on the shoulder and let him continue to a table with his plate.

  “Didn’t look like that gained much,” Carol said, as he climbed back over the picnic table bench.

  Bob returned to his chicken. “He says when he left the lake Friday night, Donnie was still there. J.P. thought he was just going to crash on the couch in Pete’s trailer.”

  Max grabbed at her plate as a gust of wind tried to scoop it up. A faint rumble of thunder accompanied the wind. They looked up at the sky.

  “After we eat, I’m going to take a run out by the lake and see if I can find Pete Murphy. You haven’t seen him here today, have you?” Max asked Bob.

  “No, but you might get caught in a deluge. Your little toy car would just float away.”

  “You’re jealous and you know it. Do you know where his trailer is?”

  “In the old campground at the west end of the lake. It’s all permanent sites now. The county supervisors have tried to get rid of it without much luck. Pete’s trailer is painted bright pink.”

  “Pink?”

  “He had an argument with his neighbors about a political sign he had in his yard a couple of years back, so in retaliation he painted the trailer pink.”

  Lil put down the chicken leg she had been delicately picking at. “Is that a symbol of something?”

  Bob shook his head. “He said it was the gaudiest color the feed store had that would stick to his trailer. He has an old yellow VW parked next to it.”

  “Wow,” Max said. “Shouldn’t be hard to spot.”

  Annie got up from the table, collected the plastic silverware that Paige and Garth were using for a sword fight, and stacked their plates. “I’m going to take the kids over to the bouncy house before it storms. You be careful, Aunt Max!”

  Lil leaned over to whisper, “Good thing she doesn’t know what you were up to last night.”

  Max glared at her. “Hush.”

  “What were you up to last night?” Sharon asked.

  Max pretended she didn’t hear the question and concentrated on her lemon chiffon pie, raving about its qualities. She was just finishing the pie, keeping an eye on the sky, and an ear to the distant rumbles, when Tess walked by.

  “I think there’s a city ordinance against this many Jacobsens in one place.”

  “No doubt. Did you get fed yet?”

  Tess rubbed her stomach. “I shouldn’t have to eat for a week.”

  “I’m just about to take a ride out to the lake to try to talk to Pete Murphy. Want to come?”

  She gave a sly smile. “Why not? I’ll just go tell Roger.”

  “Who’s Roger?”

  “My husband. I guess we didn’t talk much about that last night.” She winked. “Be right back.”

  Max finished her pie and glanced at Lil. Her sister’s expression said she was hurt at being left behind again. Oh, hell.

  “Do you want to come?”

  Lil brightened. “If you don’t care.”

  “Well, no breaking and entering this time.” She glanced around quickly to see if anyone was listening. It didn’t seem so. She got Carol’s attention and told her their plans.

  “We’re going to go see about getting Donnie out,” Carol said. “If we do, we’ll bring him back to the house. He can sleep on the couch. No going back to the motel.”

  “Good plan. We’ll see you later.”

  Tess came back and they headed for Max’s car. Thunder still rumbled in the distance, and the clouds hung heavy above them.

  Max wiped her forehead with a tissue. “I would welcome a storm if it would break this heat.” When they reached the car, she cranked up the air conditioning full blast.

  “Did this car come with AC?” Tess asked.

  “I had it installed. Lil and I use it a lot in the summer for trips and Lil doesn’t want her ‘do' to droop.”

  “That’s not fair,” Lil said. “You don’t like the heat either.”

  “Whatever.”

  They headed out of town on the blacktop leading to the lake. Cattail Lake was one of the ten thousand lakes that Minnesota license plates bragged about. It was small and popular with the local fishermen for fishing and teenagers for beer parties. The old campground—now trailer park—adjoined a small picnic area. About half way there, giant raindrops splattered the car with such force and suddenness that Max jumped. The thunder that had been threatening now crashed around them.

  “Holy Moly!” Max leaned forward to peer between the wiper slashes. “I can barely see the road. I’m going to pull over until this lets up.”

  She spotted a field turnout just ahead on the right and pulled the car over. They sat listening to the thunder and watc
hing the wipers fruitlessly trying to keep up with the deluge. Lightning cracked often enough that they quit jumping at the sound.

  Max said, “Tess, Bob talked to J. P. Prentiss today at the picnic. He claims that Donnie was still at Pete’s trailer when he went home Friday night. That he thought he was going to stay over night.”

  “I doubt if any of them were in any shape to give any reliable information,” Tess said.

  “Probably not.”

  The rain let up as quickly as it had started and Max pulled back out onto the road. Another crack of lightning came as she got up to speed, followed in a split second by a ping at the front driver’s side of the car.

  “What was that?” Lil asked. “Is it hailing?”

  Max peered out. “No. Something hit the bumper or the fender.” Another ping made her jump as the lightning had failed to do.

  Tess grabbed for the dashboard. “What the—?”

  “I think we’re being shot at,” Max said, between clenched teeth. One more ping seemed to come from the back end. Max sped up. Tess and Lil gripped their door handles and searched the passing area frantically.

  “Why would anyone shoot at us?” Lil gasped.

  “Why is any of this happening?” Max hunched over the steering wheel while the other two slid down in their seats. The rain continued, not as hard, and the rumbles of thunder came from the east as the storm moved on. The silence in the car increased the tension as they strained to hear any more pings on the car.

  The twists and dips in the road, shrouded by overhanging trees, required more vigilance. Bob was right. This was a dumb idea. Another one.

  They finally reached the lake, and Max drove slowly around the campground/trailer park. Even though the rain had lessened, it still dripped enough to discourage anyone from being outside.

  Lil pointed toward the lakeside. “I see it. Only pink trailer out here.”

  As Bob mentioned, a faded yellow VW bug sat outside the door.

  When Max had parked, she got out and walked around the front of her car. Tess and Lil followed, sneaking looks at their surroundings for anyone who might be a threat.