Look Both Ways

Book 3: Witch City Mystery

by Carol J. Perry

Genres: Cozy Mystery; Female Sleuths; General Fiction

Synopsis

When Lee Barrett spots the same style oak bureau she once had as a child on the WICH-TV show Shopping Salem, she rushes to the antiques shop and buys the piece. Just like the beloved bureau she lost in a fire, this one has secret compartments. It also comes with an intriguing history: it was purchased in an estate sale from a home where a famous local murder took place.



The day after the bureau is delivered, Lee returns to the antiques shop and finds the owner dead. The police suspect the shop owner's unscrupulous business partner, but Lee wonders if the murder is connected to her new furniture. At least part of the answer may be revealed through a mirror in the bureau; it's tarnished and blackened, allowing Lee to tap into her psychic visions. Using this bureau of investigation, Lee may be able to furnish her policeman beau with the evidence needed to catch the killer-before the next one to be shut up is her.

Release date: November 1, 2015

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 352

Sample

“Maralee, come here. You won’t believe this!”

I hurried from my sparsely furnished bedroom to the kitchen, where Aunt Ibby sat on an unpainted and slightly wobbly wooden stool. She pointed to the new TV, which was propped against a carton of books on the granite countertop.

“Look,” she said. “It’s exactly the same, isn’t it?”

I pulled up a faded folding beach chair and peered at the screen. “You’re right,” I said, watching as a tall, gray-haired woman opened and closed the top drawer of an oak bureau. “It looks just like mine. What show is this?”

“Shopping Salem,” she said. “It’s new. The WICH-TV reporter goes around the city, interviewing shop owners. You should go right over there and buy that bureau before somebody else grabs it. Lord knows, you need furniture. Sitting out there on the new fire escape would be more comfortable than this thing.” She rocked back and forth on the wobbly stool.

I sighed. “I know.”

My sixty-something, ball-of-fire aunt had recently turned the third floor of the old family home on Salem’s historic Winter Street into an apartment for me. I was delighted to have the private space, but selecting furnishings had become an unexpected challenge. Who knew that deciding between red and blue, modern and traditional, oak and walnut could be so bewildering?

So far all I’d bought for my spacious new digs was a king-size bed, the television set, a coffeemaker, and a scratching post for our resident cat, O’Ryan—supplemented with assorted temporary seating brought up from the cellar.

I’m Lee Barrett, née Maralee Kowalski, aged thirty-one, red-haired, and Salem born. I was orphaned early, married once, and widowed young. I was raised by my librarian aunt, Isobel Russell, in this house, and I returned home, to my roots, nearly a year ago.

“You’d better get going,” Aunt Ibby said. “A handsome bureau like that will get snapped up in no time. The shop’s called Tolliver’s Antiques and Uniques. It’s on Bridge Street. Won’t take you but a minute to drive over there.” She tossed her paper coffee cup into the recycling bag next to the sink. “And you might pick up some proper coffee cups while you’re there.”

I had a special reason—besides my obvious dearth of furnishings—to want this particular piece. An identical one had long ago adorned my childhood bedroom and had later been relegated to the attic. Sadly, it had been destroyed by a fire that pretty much ruined the top two floors of our house. The damage to the structure had been nicely repaired, but the contents of the rooms, including my bureau, had proven pretty much irreplaceable.

“Do you suppose hers has little secret compartments like mine did?” I wondered aloud.

“It does,” she said. “The shop owner said that it has six and that she’ll give whoever buys it directions on how to open them.”

“It’s been a while, but I think I can remember all of them,” I said. “But maybe that one is different.”

“Only one way to find out,” she said, and within minutes I was driving along Bridge Street, convertible top down, enjoying the bright June morning and looking forward to adding one more piece of furniture to my apartment, and reclaiming a happy childhood memory at the same time.

Tolliver’s Antiques and Uniques wasn’t hard to find. The shop’s weathered silvery-gray exterior featured a purple door. Bright pink petunias in purple window boxes added more color, and the lavender shield-shaped sign suspended over the doorway spelled out the name of the place in black Olde English lettering. I parked on a hot-top driveway next to the building and hurried inside. A bell over the door jingled a welcome, and the gray-haired woman I’d seen on television stepped from behind beaded curtains, right hand extended.

“Hello. I’m Shea Tolliver,” she said, “Welcome to my shop.” Her handshake was firm, her smile genuine, and the gray hair clearly of the premature variety.

“Hello,” I said. “I’m Lee Barrett. I saw you on television this morning. I’m interested in that five-drawer bureau.”

“Yes, a lovely piece. It was made by a little known Salem cabinetmaker back in . . .” She stopped mid-sentence and looked at me intently. “I’ve seen you on television, too. You were the psychic medium on that Nightshades show before it got canceled.”

She was right. I’d worked in television, one way or another, ever since I graduated from Emerson College. I smiled and held up both hands in protest. “That was me,” I admitted. “But I promise I’m not a psychic—just played one on TV. These days I’m teaching TV Production 101 at the Tabitha Trumbull Academy of the Arts—better known around here as the Tabby.”

She laughed. “Quite a switch. From soothsayer to schoolmarm.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “But teachers get the summer off, and I’m planning to spend some of this one furnishing a new apartment.”

“Well, you couldn’t go wrong with that bureau,” she said. “Good looking, useful, and secret compartments to boot.”

“I know. I had one exactly like it when I was a kid. Mine burned up in a fire.”

“No kidding. What a shame. The cabinetmaker made only three . . . that we know of. If yours is gone, there may be only two left—mine and one I saw in a New York shop, where the dealer showed me how it worked. I’d never have figured it out by myself.” She parted the beaded curtains. “I found this one at an estate sale, and I don’t think the owner even knew about the secret spaces. Come on back here and take a look.”

I followed her into a back room. What a nostalgia rush! It was as though my own bureau had been magically restored, every curlicue and drawer pull exactly as I remembered. I reached out and stroked the polished top.

“This is it,” I said. “How much?”

The price she quoted was steep, but not unreasonable.

“If you’ll throw in those white ironstone coffee mugs over there,” I said, remembering Aunt Ibby’s plea, “you’ve got a deal. Is a credit card okay?”

“It’s a deal, and a credit card is fine.”

“Will you hold on to the bureau for a day or so, while I round up a truck and some extra muscle to help me get it home?”

I wasn’t sure where the truck was going to come from, but I knew police detective Pete Mondello would be ready and willing to lend the muscle. Pete and I had become kind of a steady item since I’d come home, and I was pretty sure he was looking forward to me having a place of my own as much as I was!

“No worries about that,” she said. “My delivery guy is due here any minute. You’ll have your bureau by this afternoon, no extra charge. You’re sure you remember where all the compartments are?”

“I think so.” I touched each spot that I thought might hide a tiny compartment. “That’s where mine were. Is it the same?”

“Sure is.” She handed me a blank index card. “Just write down your address. And in case you forget, I’ll put the directions for opening all of them in the top drawer.”

“Perfect,” I said. I did as she asked and handed back the index card. She tucked it into the cash register drawer.

I swiped my credit card while she wrapped four mugs in lavender tissue, put them in a purple bag, and handed it to me. “Come back again soon, Lee.”

“You can count on it, Shea.”

“I will.” She smiled. “By the way, there is one thing I guess I should tell you.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“The estate your bureau came from . . . A kind of famous murder happened there. That doesn’t bother you, does it?”

“Murder?”

Shea dropped her voice. “The Helena Trent murder.”

I shrugged. “Sorry,” I said. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? It was all over the news. In the papers for months.”

“I’ve been away from Salem for quite a long time,” I said. “Like about ten years.”

“Oh. That would explain it. Anyway, they caught the guy. It was her husband, Tommy Trent. I just thought you should know your bureau came from a house where somebody got killed. That’s all.”

“I’ll ask my aunt to fill me in about that murder,” I said. “She’s a reference librarian, and she knows something about darned near everything. But it won’t affect my love for the bureau,” I promised. “Was there anything interesting in the secret compartments?”

She grinned. “Naturally, I opened them all as soon as I got it into the shop.”

“And?”

“Nothing valuable, but sort of interesting. You’ll see. I left everything just the way it was so the new owner—I guess that’s you—can enjoy the discovery.” Shea walked with me to the purple door. “I just wanted to be sure you don’t mind about . . . you know . . . the murder, what with all the psychic stuff you did on TV.”

“It was just a job,” I said. “No big deal.” I took another look around the store, noticing a Tiffany-style lamp, a pair of Victorian brass candlesticks, and a really pretty cut-glass punch bowl. “I’ll definitely be back soon to shop some more.”

“Good,” she said. “I can use the business.”

“Slow, is it?”

“Not too bad.” She shrugged. “Tourist season hasn’t really started yet. It’ll get better. It’s just that I had a partner who kind of took off with a chunk of our joint bank account.”

“Sorry,” I said, stepping out into the sunshine and pausing on the top step. “Someone you really trusted, I suppose.”

“Yep. That’s the worst of it. But I’ll land on my feet. Always have.”

“Just like a cat,” I said, thinking of O’Ryan, our big, yellow-striped boy. “Well, good luck. I’ll head for home and wait for my bureau.”

I parked the convertible in the garage behind the house, picked up the purple bag, and headed through the garden to the back door. Low bushes of “almost ready for picking” blueberries lined the path, and the thought of Aunt Ibby’s famous blueberry pies and muffins reminded me that I’d skipped breakfast. I let myself into the back hall and was welcomed by a big, soft cat doing figure eights around my ankles.

“Is that you, Maralee?” My aunt’s voice came from the kitchen. “Did you get it?”

I bent to pat O’Ryan and pushed the kitchen door open. “Sure did. It’ll be delivered today. You were right. It’s exactly like mine, and in even better condition.”

“I can hardly wait to see it,” she said. “You know, I’ve always been surprised by how clean and modern the lines are, and how cleverly the compartments are disguised.”

“Shea Tolliver—that’s the owner’s name—says there may be only two of them left in the world. This one, and one in New York. The cabinetmaker made only three that she knows of. Of course, we know what happened to the third one.”

“The fire. What a shame.” A momentary look of sadness crossed her face, and then she smiled. “But what luck that you are blessed to own two of the three.”

“Lucky for sure,” I agreed. “Guess I’ll call Pete and invite him over to see it. He doesn’t know about the secret compartments. I’m going to wait until he’s here to open them.”

“Any idea what’s in them?”

“Not really. Shea says it’s nothing valuable, but she left them as they were when she bought it. It’ll be fun, anyway. Besides, Pete will be glad I’ve finally bought a piece of furniture. He thought I’d never get started.”

“Can’t blame him for thinking that,” she said. “Have you had anything to eat, Maralee? You ran off without breakfast. Want an English muffin?”

“Love one,” I said as I punched in Pete’s number. “And look.” I put the purple bag on the counter. “I got some coffee mugs.”

She smiled her approval and popped an English muffin into the toaster.

Pete answered on the first ring. “Hi, Lee. I was just thinking about you.”

“Good,” I said. “What were you thinking?”

“Just wondering how the furniture shopping is going.”

“You’ll be proud of me. I bought a bureau this morning.”

“Good for you.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “I have tonight off. Can I come over and see it?”

“Absolutely. I was calling to invite you to dinner.”

“Great. I’ll be there. Around six?”

“Yep. I’ll cook dinner on my new stove.”

“Got dishes yet?”

“Nope! I’ll figure something out.” O’Ryan streaked past me toward the front door. “Oh, oh, there goes O’Ryan. The deliveryman must be here already.” The cat always knows when someone is coming—and which door they’re coming to. I heard the chime. “Gotta go. See you tonight.”

There are two entrances to our house. The front door opens onto Winter Street, and there’s a back door facing Oliver Street. The latter one opens onto a narrow hall, with one door leading to Aunt Ibby’s kitchen and another leading to a stairway that goes up two flights to my apartment.

I headed for the front hall, while Aunt Ibby ladled homemade strawberry jam onto the hot English muffin. I opened the door and signed a slip, then dashed back into the kitchen and took a couple of bites of my belated breakfast while two very large men hefted the quilt-covered bureau from a truck marked BOB’S MOVING AND DELIVERY. They lifted it onto a dolly, placed a wooden ramp over the front steps, then wheeled it into the foyer.

“That was fast,” I said. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Ms. Tolliver said to make this my first stop,” said the taller of the two. “Where do you want it?”

“I hate to tell you this, but it’s going to the third floor.”

If the news of the two flights of stairs bothered them, neither one showed it.

“Want to lead the way, miss?” The tall mover had “Bob” embroidered on his shirt pocket.

I hurried upstairs, with O’Ryan racing ahead of me, opened the door to my apartment, and waited for the men to catch up. After carefully removing and folding the quilt, one man taped the drawers shut, while the other ran a piece of tape across the top, securing a center panel that, if I remembered correctly, lifted to reveal a small mirror. Then, without the slightest grunt or groan, they started up the stairs, one man at the base of the bureau and the other at the upper end.

It took the men only a few minutes to wrestle my bureau up the stairs, through the almost empty kitchen, and into my bedroom, where they placed it carefully in the spot I’d reserved. Tape removed, it looked even better than I’d expected. The movers and I stood there for a brief moment, admiring it.

“Nice,” commented the one named Bob.

“Sturdy,” said the other man. “They don’t make ’em like that one anymore.”

“It’s a beauty,” I agreed, watching as O’Ryan judged the bureau’s height, then leaped and made a perfect soft landing on top of it.

“Big cat,” said Bob.

“Nice,” said the other mover. They turned and headed down the stairs, O’Ryan and I tagging along behind. I slipped Bob a generous tip, while O’Ryan sniffed at the folded quilt, then watched as the men headed back to the truck.

Aunt Ibby appeared in the bedroom doorway. “It’s even more beautiful than I remembered. The lines are so classic, and the raised panels between the drawers are so delicately carved. They look like tiny flowers, don’t they?”

“They do,” I agreed. “It looks perfect up there, and nobody would ever guess there are hiding places all over it. Shea Tolliver said she thought the person she bought it from didn’t even know they were there.”

“They’re well hidden,” she said. “If Grandmother Forbes hadn’t shown them to you when you were a little girl, you might never have found them, either.”

“Shea put the directions in the top drawer, in case I forget.”

“That was thoughtful,” she said. “Pete will get a kick out of the secret spaces.”

“I know. And I promised to cook him dinner, too.”

“You don’t have dishes yet,” she said. “Maybe you should have looked for some when you bought the nice mugs.”

“You’re right.” I looked at my watch. “It’s not too late. I think I’ll go do a little china shopping.”

“Good idea.”

“Oh, Aunt Ibby, remind me when I get back to ask you about a murder that happened while I was in Florida.”

“A murder? What murder?”

“Somebody named Trent. Shea mentioned it. I’ll tell you what she said later.”

It occurred to me as I backed out of the driveway that I’d much rather have vintage dishes than new ones. Maybe Shea Tolliver would have some nice old Fiesta-ware. Within minutes I was once again headed for Bridge Street. I parked the Corvette in the same space I’d used earlier, and headed for the purple door. I stepped aside quickly when the door burst open and a tall blond man rushed past, jostling my arm.

“Watch where you’re going!” I exclaimed, my redhead’s temper flaring for a moment.

“Sorry,” he said and broke into a run.

The bell over the door tinkled a welcome as I stepped inside.

“Shea? You here?” I called.

No reply, but I saw her.

At least, I saw her feet. Sensibly shod toes pointing up, they stuck out from behind the counter. I had a very bad feeling as I slowly rounded the corner. Sightless eyes stared upward, and a trickle of blood issued from her mouth.

It was Shea Tolliver, all right, and I didn’t need to touch her to know that she was dead.

I backed away, thoughts jumbled. Call 911.

Yes. Calling 911 was what people did in a case like this. With my eyes still focused on Shea’s feet, I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone.

Don’t touch anything.

Right. That’s important. I punched in the numbers.

A calm, unemotional voice answered. “What is your emergency?”

I glanced around, avoiding looking at those still feet. The cash register drawer stood open. It looked empty. “Emergency,” I repeated, hardly recognizing my own voice. “I found a dead woman. On the floor.”

“What’s your location please?”

Location? I don’t know the address.

“I’m . . . I’m on Bridge Street. It’s an antique shop. Tolliver’s Antiques and Uniques. There’s a purple door. The owner, Shea Tolliver, she’s the one who’s dead. On the floor.”

“Are you sure she’s dead? Did you check?”

“No. I didn’t touch anything. She . . . she looks dead.”

“All right. Help is on the way. What’s your name?”

“Lee Barrett. I’m a . . . customer.”

“All right, Ms. Barrett. Are you safe where you are now? Is there anyone else in the building?”

I looked around the room. I hadn’t thought about that. Could anyone else be here? Was someone hiding behind the beaded curtains?

“I . . . I don’t know, but I think I’ll get out of here.” As I moved quickly toward the entrance, I heard the wail of sirens. “The police are already here. Thank you.” I pushed the door open and stepped gratefully into the sunlight. In seconds there were three police cars, red, white, and blue lights flashing, in front of the building, along with an ambulance.

Two uniformed officers, guns drawn, ran toward me, shouting, “Police!”

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, so I put my hands up.

“Did you call 911?” asked one of the cops, while the other, gun still drawn, approached the shop. “Reporting a body?”

I dropped my hands, stepped aside, and pointed wordlessly to the purple door. Three more uniforms, followed by two EMTs, crowded into the place. One officer remained beside me, eyes watchful.

“Just wait right here, ma’am,” he said, his tone courteous but firm. I leaned against the rough clapboards of the shop. The gaily painted window boxes with their bright blossoms seemed out of place as the horror of what I’d just seen behind the counter crowded my senses.

I need to call Pete. Can I just reach into my purse and pull out the phone? Uh-uh. Bad idea.

I didn’t have to think about it for long. Pete’s unmarked Crown Vic pulled up right onto the sidewalk. Tall, broad shouldered, his dark hair curling just a little in Salem’s early summer humidity, his suit coat unbuttoned, Pete strode toward me.

“You okay, Lee?” he asked.

I gave a weak smile and nodded. Then, with what I always called his “cop face” firmly in place, he proceeded to take control of the situation.

“Escort Ms. Barrett to my car,” he told the officer. “The ME and the CSI team are right behind me.” The purple door stood open, and Pete went into the shop, barking orders as he entered. “Let’s get the crime-scene tape up while a couple of you search the building.”

Once inside the cruiser, I couldn’t hear his voice anymore. The officer stood respectfully, watchfully, beside the vehicle. Soon the EMTs left, and the ambulance pulled away—empty, confirming my certainty that Shea was dead. By then yards of yellow plastic tape announced that Tolliver’s Antiques and Uniques was officially the scene of a crime. Before long two men carrying a folded stretcher went inside, followed by the medical examiner, with his ever-present black bag. I recognized him. We’d met less than a year ago, when I was the one who’d discovered a body floating in Salem Harbor. It was the same day I’d met Pete Mondello.

More sirens. The CSI team arrived, strangely alien looking, masked and booted in shiny white jumpsuits. It seemed like hours before Pete emerged from the place, notebook and pen in hand, dismissed my vigilant guardian officer, and climbed into the backseat next to me.

“You discovered the body, Lee?” he asked, cop face still in place.

“Yes.”

“What time was that?”

“I don’t know exactly. I called 911 as soon as I saw her.”

“Okay. Was anyone else in the room?”

“No. But I saw a man leaving. He was in a hurry. Bumped into me before I opened the door.”

“Can you describe him?”

“I think so.” I searched my memory, trying to picture the man.

“Good. Begin with when you arrived at the store, and tell me exactly what happened. Don’t leave anything out.”

I closed my eyes. “I parked the Corvette in the driveway next to the shop,” I said. “I walked to the door. I’d just started to reach for the doorknob when a man came rushing out.” I frowned, remembering my annoyance when he bumped my arm. “I said something like ‘Watch it,’ and he said, ‘Sorry,’ and ran away.”

“Did you see where he went? Did he get into a car?”

“I don’t know,” I said, opening my eyes. “But he ran that way.” I pointed west. “Maybe toward the parking lot over there.”

“What did he look like?”

“Tall. A couple of inches taller than you,” I said. “Around forty, I’d guess. Thin. Dark blond hair. Receding hairline.”

“What was he wearing?”

“Jeans,” I said, eyes closed once more. “Faded jeans and a short-sleeved tan shirt. No hat. Sneakers, I think.”

“Carrying anything?”

“Not that I could see.”

“You know anything about this Shea Tolliver?” he asked. “Family? Enemies or anything like that?”

“Pete,” I said. “I just met her this morning. We spoke for a few minutes. That’s all. Mostly about the bureau I bought.”

“I understand,” he said. “But think about it. Did she say anything at all that might help us out?”

“Wait a minute. She said she had a partner who’d ripped off some money.”

“Any name mentioned?”

“No.”

“Anything else?”

“Well, the bureau’s already been delivered. Maybe the deliveryman saw something. The truck said Bob’s Moving and Delivery.”

Pete scribbled in the notebook. “Good observation, Lee,” he said.

I smiled at the compliment.

A wheeled gurney rolled past, and the techs lifted their stretchered burden onto it. Shea was mercifully encased in a blue body bag. I bowed my head as the men maneuvered the gurney past my window, followed by the ME.

“Excuse me, Lee,” Pete said, putting the notebook in his pocket. “I need to speak to the doc.” He climbed out of the car, leaving the door open, and spoke in low tones to the doctor, then turned to me. “Can you follow me down to the station in your car? We’ll finish up the official stuff, and then you can go along home.” He smiled. “Are we still on for dinner?”

I was glad to see that familiar smile. “Of course we are. How do you feel about paper plates?”

I followed Pete’s car, driving extra carefully, gripping the wheel more tightly than necessary. After all, it isn’t every day that I get summoned to the police station to talk about a dead body. I was entitle. . .