Sell Low, Sweet Harriet

Book 8: Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery

by Sherry Harris

Genres: Amateur Sleuth; Cozy Mystery; Female Sleuths

Synopsis

Sarah Winston's garage-sale business has a new client: the daughter of a couple who recently died in a tragic accident while away on a trip to Africa. Their house is full of exotic items from around the world that need to be sold off. When Sarah learns that the deceased were retired CIA agents, the job becomes more intriguing — but when an intruder breaks in and a hidden camera is found, it also becomes more dangerous. And Sarah has enough on her plate right now — especially since she's investigating a murder on the side at the nearby Air Force base, where her status as a former military spouse gives her a special kind of accfess.

With so much work piling up, Sarah decides to hire some help, and her new assistant, a former FBI hostage negotiator, ends up being perfect. She has a rare talent for salesmanship, which is good — because Sarah may need help haggling for her life.

Release date: December 31, 2019

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 308

Sample

From the back of the base chapel I could see the large photo resting on an easel at the front of the church. Golden light from a stained glass window shone on a picture of a smiling, auburn-haired young woman, dead, murdered right here on Fitch Air Force Base.

I sat on a pew after a couple scooted over for me. The church was packed, standing room only even on a Tuesday morning. I wasn’t sure if it was because they knew Alicia Arbas or were horrified at how she had died. Maybe it was a combination of both. When a tragedy hit a base, especially a smaller one like Fitch, military people pulled together.

I studied the picture of Alicia, her bright smile. She wasn’t me, but she could have been. That’s why her death hit so close to home. Why I was sitting back here listening to the prayers, eulogies, and singing hymns even though I hadn’t known her all that well.

Thirty minutes later the service for Alicia was almost over. There had been a lot of laughter as people shared funny stories, but more tears because Alicia died at the hands of an unknown killer. Someone who lived on base or had, at the very least, been on base. People glanced at each other more often than normal. Were they trying to suss out if their neighbor could have been the one who committed a murder? I worried about what would happen to people, to a community such as this, when they couldn’t trust each other.

We sang the last hymn as the casket was carried out. Alicia’s husband, a young captain, followed, pale and uncomfortable looking in his black suit. The pain in his face seared my soul.

A few minutes later I stepped out of the church. The January wind slashed at my tights-covered legs and pulled at my coat. I scraped at the blond hairs that slapped my face, so I could see where I was going. Lunch was to be served in the church basement, but I was headed to DiNapoli’s Roast Beef and Pizza for food and comfort. I didn’t know Alicia well enough to console anyone. I had paid my respects, said my prayers, so it was time for me to go.

I crossed the parking lot to my car.

“Sarah Winston.”

I turned at the voice. Squinted my eyes in the sun. Scott Pellner, a police officer for the Ellington Police Department, called to me. I almost didn’t recognize him out of uniform and in a suit. He was broad and muscled, a few inches taller than me. His dimpled face grim.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. I had scanned the crowd at the funeral, curious about who’d be there. There had been a large group from the base Spouses’ Club, an OSI agent—the Office of Special Investigations—who I knew, lots of military folks in their uniforms. A few of my friends, but they were too far away to join. I hadn’t spotted Pellner.

“Working the case,” Pellner said.

The base and the town of Ellington, Massachusetts, had memorandums of agreement. When a crime was committed on base but involved a dependent—the spouse or child of the military member—they worked together.

“Do police really go to funerals to see if the killer shows up?” I asked.

“They do in this case,” Pellner said. His voice was as serious as I’d ever heard it.

“No suspects?”

“There’s suspects. But no proof.”

From what I’d heard, at some point in the night almost a week ago, Alicia had gotten up to take their new Labrador puppy out to do its business. We’d had a terrible ice storm that day and a thick coat of ice caked everything. The house I lived in looked like it had been wrapped in glass. And when I’d gone to bed that night I had heard tree branches across the street on the town common, snapping under the weight of the ice. Later chunks fell off the house as a warm front swept through from the south and I was grateful to be snug in my bed.

Early in the morning Alicia’s husband woke to the sound of the puppy barking and crying. He found the sweet thing scratching at the back door—shivering but otherwise okay. After calling for Alicia, he found her sprawled in the backyard with a head wound. Ice shattered around her. At first everyone had thought it was a terrible accident. But later the medical examiner discovered the wound might not have been an accident. When Alicia had first been found the scene wasn’t treated as a crime scene, so any evidence had melted away. No footprints, no nothing.

“Who are the suspects?” I asked. I assumed the husband. He had to be on the list as the last person to have seen her.

“Did you know her?” Pellner asked.

Of course he wasn’t going to answer my question. I shouldn’t have bothered asking. “We occasionally crossed paths at the base thrift shop.”

“Do you know who her friends are?”

I shook my head. “No. And I don’t know who doesn’t like her either.” That’s what he really wanted to know.

Car doors slammed. We turned to see the hearse pull away. Pellner shook his head. “I need to go.” His face still grim as he hurried off.

Forty minutes later I pushed my plate away from me. I’d polished off the better part of a small mushroom and sausage pizza, today’s special. Angelo DiNapoli, the proprietor and my dear friend, didn’t believe in pineapple on pizzas and sneered at toppings like kale. According to Angelo those weren’t real pizzas. He stuck to the traditional and was excellent at what he did. Me, on the other hand? Except for anchovies I’d eat almost anything on a pizza, especially if someone else made it.

I wished I could have a glass of wine to warm me, but I was meeting a client who was interested in having a garage sale. That was a rare thing in January in Massachusetts, so I needed the business. I was still cold from talking to Pellner in the parking lot. And every time someone opened the door the wind nipped at my ankles like an overenthusiastic puppy.

I shuddered thinking again of Alicia.

“You haven’t been in for a while,” Angelo said. His face was warm, his nose a little on the big side, and his hair way past receding, not that he cared. By a while he meant five days. I’d been huddled at home.

I looked around the restaurant. It was almost empty. The right side, where I sat, was lined with tables. To the left was the counter where you ordered and behind it the open kitchen. I’d been in such a swirl of thoughts I didn’t notice the lunch rush had left—back to wherever they had to go. That explained my cold ankles. Angelo DiNapoli pulled out a chair and sat down. He wore his white chef’s coat, a splash of marinara on the pocket.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

“I just left a funeral.”

“For the woman who was murdered on base?” Angelo asked as he crossed himself.

I nodded. “She was like me. A younger version. Only twenty-five.” Fourteen years younger than me.

“How so?”

“Active in the Spouses’ Club, volunteered at the thrift shop, didn’t have kids.”

“You see yourself in her?”

“Yes. I know what it’s like to have to move somewhere you don’t want to live and far from everyone you know and love. Then do it over and over.” I sighed. “I didn’t know anything about the military or military life when CJ and I met. And I was always afraid I’d do something that would hurt CJ’s career.” I had married my ex-husband, CJ, when I was only eighteen. “During our first assignment I asked a colonel’s wife out to lunch because she was so friendly. We went to the Officers Club and ate. Then there was this huge brouhaha that a lowly lieutenant’s wife was out with a colonel’s wife. She didn’t care. I didn’t care. But a lot of other people did.”

“That doesn’t sound easy,” Angelo said.

“It wasn’t at first. It’s hard enough to feel judged when it’s just you, but then worrying about tanking your husband’s career too? It feels like you’re walking a minefield of rules no one gave you.”

Angelo crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you reevaluating your life?”

“Maybe I have been. I’ve been a bit down since I heard the news of her death. It seemed like everyone loved her.” I wasn’t so sure everyone had loved me when I lived on base. CJ and I had lived on Fitch for a couple of years until we divorced two years ago. We had tried to work things out, but just couldn’t manage it and split up for good last spring. “If the eulogies are any indication.”

“They aren’t,” Angelo said, “any indication. Genghis Khan would sound like a saint at his own funeral. People gloss over. They forget that people are complex.”

“You’re right.” I knew that. It’s a lesson I’d learned over and over the past few years.

“Would you change the past?” Angelo asked.

I sat for a moment thinking over my decisions, how life had led me here. I’d moved to Ellington right after my divorce and had started my own business organizing garage sales. My friends buoyed me and I was in a great relationship. I was proud of what I’d accomplished, but always feared failure. It was part of what I’d been obsessing about for the last week. I shook my head. “I wouldn’t change much. Every decision made me who I am. Even though I’m still not sure who that is.”

“Then what are you going to do? Sit around and feel sorry for yourself?”

I smiled at Angelo. He didn’t pull any punches. “That’s exactly what I’ve been doing.”

“What have you been doing?” Rosalie, Angelo’s lovely wife, joined us. Concern creased lines around her brown eyes. Her brown hair was cut short and suited her. Rosalie held three plates with pieces of tiramisu and passed them out. “We’ve missed you.”

I almost laughed. It would keep me from crying. Jeez, I was one big ball of emotions. “You two are the best.”

“At least someone recognizes that,” Angelo said.

“Oh, Angelo,” Rosalie said.

He held up both hands, palms up. “It’s the truth.”

We ate our dessert, chatted about things that didn’t have to do with Alicia. They entertained me with stories of the early years of their marriage living in a small apartment in the bad part of Cambridge.

“Did you always want to open a restaurant?” I asked them.

“Yes,” Angelo said. “My nonna and mama taught me everything I know about food. I loved cooking from the day I set foot in their kitchen when I was three.”

I turned to Rosalie. “And you?”

She smiled at Angelo. “I love him, so I supported his dream.”

“She’s a born hostess and a great partner,” Angelo said. He took Rosalie’s hand and kissed it. “Forty-five years almost, and I don’t regret a day.”

“Maybe one day?” Rosalie said with a wink. “Cooking is all about love for us.”

Maybe I should learn to cook a dish and surprise everyone by having them over for a meal. It’s not like I never cooked while CJ and I were married. It’s just that when I tried I always seemed to leave an ingredient out or overcook everything. I blanched when I remembered the episode of the undercooked chicken. That was one dinner party no one would ever forget.

Even when I’d tried using a slow cooker, I seemed to end up with mush. Now there were Instant Pots and air fryers and pressure cookers. New appliances with elaborate recipes to try to master. It was terrifying out there.

“Have you two heard any local gossip about the murder?” Lots of military and civilians who worked on base lived in Ellington. There wasn’t ever enough housing on base for all military personnel to live there, and for civilians it was a dream commute—only fifteen minutes depending on traffic. Even if they didn’t live in Ellington they filled DiNapoli’s at mealtime.

“Nothing here,” Angelo said.

I looked at Rosalie.

She shook her head. “I was at the hairdresser two days ago. There was a lot of speculation but no information.”

That was strange.

“You’re going to take that pizza home with you,” Angelo said, pointing to what I hadn’t eaten.

No one left food behind at DiNapoli’s. Angelo took it as a personal insult. Rosalie took the pizza, boxed it up, and brought it back over. After saying goodbye, I left DiNapoli’s and drove over to meet my new client, pondering the lack of gossip about Alicia’s death and what it meant.

A tall, thick-boned woman met me at the one-story ranch on a quiet side street in Ellington. The street wasn’t busy this time of day, but I knew at rush hour in the morning and evening it was used as a cut-through.

“I’m Jeannette Blevins.” She had bushy brown hair held back with a sparkly headband. I knew from some of the paperwork she’d already filled out that she was thirty-three.

“Sarah Winston,” I said. We shook hands. Her grip firm. We stood in a narrow hallway with a low ceiling that served as a foyer. What I presumed was a coat closet was to the right. We walked past it, took a left, and went into the living room. I was surprised to see a vaulted ceiling that made the room seem more spacious.

“Like I told you when I called, my parents died two months ago in Senegal. A tragic accident with a faulty gas line.” She paused and sucked in a shaky breath. “My brother and I need to get rid of all of this stuff.” She waved her hand around.

“I’m so sorry.” She wasn’t that old to have lost both her parents. Jeannette had contacted me through my website four days ago. Because of a past incident I now requested documentation proving the party had the right to sell the contents of the house. Since her brother was the executor and lived out of town, I’d also asked for and gotten a notarized letter from him saying Jeannette could oversee the sale. When I was satisfied that all was in order I agreed to meet with her.

“Is there anything that you want to keep?” I asked. There was so much left in here.

“My brother and I have gone through and taken what we want. I live in a two-family house and don’t have room or the desire to take much. He lives in New York City in a small place.”

I scanned the living room. This would be a huge job. Every bit of wall space seemed to have something hanging on it. Paintings, mosaic tiles, mirrors, samurai swords. It was an eclectic mix that gave me a bit of a headache to look at. I stepped closer to study the things hanging on the wall next to me. Everything seemed to be excellent quality, at least in this room.

“Let me show you the rest of the house.”

We walked through the three bedroom, two bath house. One of the bedrooms had been converted into a study. The house was filled with Japanese furniture, a Danish modern bedroom suite in the guest room, framed maps, and shelves filled with figurines. “Your parents must have traveled a lot,” I said. I snapped pictures with my phone as we went through the rooms. It would help me organize, estimate how many hours this project would take, and maybe I could even do some pricing from home.

“They did. We all did.” Jeannette stopped next to a family photo. Black and white, it looked like it had been taken in Egypt, since a pyramid and camel were in the background. She hesitated for a moment. “I guess it doesn’t matter now that they are gone.”

I wondered what was coming next.

“They were both in the CIA.”

My eyes widened. “That must have been an interesting way to grow up.”

“We didn’t know it. We thought Dad worked for the agricultural department and that Mom was a translator. We took all the moves for granted.”

“How did you end up here?” I asked.

“My dad was originally from Boston. They met in college at Georgetown. At least that was their story.” Jeannette grinned. “I think Mom was my dad’s handler, although they never admitted it.”

“Wow.” I thought about growing up in Pacific Grove, California. My childhood had been grounded, a bit boring even. It’s one of the reasons why I’d gotten married so young “Are you . . .” I stopped. It wasn’t any of my business if Jeannette was in the CIA or not. She wouldn’t tell me if she was.

“CIA?” She laughed. “Oh, no. I’m a teacher. I loved all the places we lived, but I wanted to settle in one place.”

Having moved all the time when I was married to CJ, I understood the need for roots. It’s why I stayed in Ellington when we split up.

“Did you have a favorite place where you lived?” I asked.

“Japan. I was ten and it all seemed so exotic and amazing. For some reason my mom had more free time there. We spent lots of time baking and exploring. It was great.” Jeannette took the photo off the wall. “I guess I should keep this. If you find anything else like this, will you let me know?”

I nodded.

“There’s so much stuff that it’s hard to spot everything.”

“No problem,” I said. “I’ll keep an eye out. Am I going to find any spy gadgets?” My voice held a little more hope in it than I’d intended. This might be a very interesting sale.

Jeannette laughed again. “I think spy gadgets are overrated. Most work was done talking to people one-on-one.”

Maybe I’d find a lapel pin with a camera or a pen with a poison dart. A girl could dream. Maybe I should be extra careful sorting things, though.

We discussed payment options. With a project this big I sometimes charged an hourly fee to price items, or I could take a larger than normal commission. The first option was better for me because there was no way to tell how much all of this would sell for. On the other hand I needed the business, so I was inclined to accept the larger commission. I’d toyed with the idea of starting an online auction site for this kind of sale. Maybe it was time to implement that. But before I offered it up as a solution, I wanted to double-check what kind of website I’d need to support it. And I would have to think about all the packing and shipping costs that would involve. It didn’t seem like the right time for this idea.

We settled on a larger commission and signed a contract agreeing that I do the sale in two weeks. “I’m going to start promoting this sale online right away because we want to attract as many customers as possible.”

“That’s a great idea. Thank you.” Jeannette gave me the keys to the house.

“I’ll be back tomorrow to work.”

Jeannette nodded. “The will stated that my brother gets eighty percent of everything.” Her voice sounded brisk.

The way the will was split seemed unusual, but it wasn’t my place to ask why.

“There was a reason, in the past, why they made that decision. I want to make sure we get top dollar for him.”

“That’s always my plan. And I’ve built a reputation for doing that.”

She smiled. “I know. That’s why I hired you.”

At three thirty I parked my car in the small lot next to my apartment. My landlady, Stella, had put up a sign with a stern warning saying the lot wa. . .