Home Sweet Murder

by Eliza Brookes

  “Oh no,” Allegra said quickly, taking another sip, “this is great.”

  “You were always nicer to me than Ashlee. She was always yelling at me,” Ellie continued, a dreamy look in her eyes. Allegra nodded, and pulled her phone out of her pocket, tapping at the screen. She was beginning to feel drowsy, but felt it was too rude to ask Ellie to leave. “My mom too, it was tough. Living with them. You and my dad made it bearable though.”

  “I’m sorry they were always yelling at you,” Allegra commented, her mouth was itching so she took another sip of tea to make it better. Unfortunately, the liquid made it worse. She frowned at the cup, wondering if she was allergic.

  “Like I said,” Ellie said with a haunted look in her eyes, “my dad always made it better. He stood up for me, you know. When they got divorced, I asked him to take me with him. Do you remember the divorce? It happened during your last summer.”

  “I remember,’ Allegra said, wincing as her head began to pound. The heat in the room was making her feel dizzy. She wondered if it would be insensitive if she got up to go get a glass of water. But her limbs felt heavy, she really wanted a nap, but Ellie wouldn’t stop talking.

  “He did take me with him,” Ellie said, smiling fondly.

  “I’m sorry,” Allegra said again.

  Ellie’s father had taken her, in the middle of the day, when Ashlee was supposed to be watching her. Ashlee took them to the beach to swim and let her play in the sand while she went to go get the two some ice cream. When she got back, her sister was gone. Ellie’s mother went ballistic trying to find her daughter, and had the police search the coast and nearby houses.

  Only Allegra thought to look at the father, who was supposed to be on a business trip. She remembered how much Mr. Smith loved fishing. That’s when she led her friends to the cabin and found Ellie. The town called her a hero. But she never forgot the look of betrayal on Ellie’s face.

  “You should be,” Ellie snapped, losing her dreamy smile, “he was going to take me with him. Thanks to you, he lost custody and nearly went to jail!”

  “What he did was wrong,” Allegra said gently, trying to sit forward, but feeling too dizzy to do so.

  “He was trying to take me with him! My life would have been better. Instead, the court said he was only allowed supervised visits. Do you know what it was like? Growing up in that house with Ashlee and my mother?”

  Allegra grimaced, the reality of how Ellie probably spent her teenage years making her feel sad for her old friend.

  “I was never good enough! She never wanted me! She wanted to win!”

  “Your dad could have appealed the decision,” Allegra protested, fighting to keep her eyes open. Her pounding headache was turning into a migraine, but Ellie was on a roll.

  “He tried,” Ellie said angrily, “but she won again. Eventually, he gave up. He got another wife, and child. He forgot about me, and it’s all because you made him go away.” Ellie was starting to become agitated, her face contorting into a mask of anger and resentment.

  “Ellie…” Allegra gasped, her head resting against the back of the couch.

  “I hated you,” Ellie told her, getting up and leaning over Allegra, “I promised I would take something from you too.”

  “Dot,” Allegra gasped, the pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place.

  Ellie nodded, her expression hateful and angry. This was something that had stewed inside of her for years. She had never let go of what happened and now she was full of a poisonous hatred.

  “Ellie,” Allegra said with difficulty, “did you kill her?”

  “I gave her a chance,” Ellie defended, straightening up and folding her arms over her chest. Allegra took the opportunity to press a button on her phone while she was preoccupied. “I did so much for her. I listened to her stories, laughed at her jokes, I spent all my free time with the lonely old bat. But all she ever spoke about was you.”

  Allegra coughed suddenly, a painful cough that wrenched through her whole body. The force of her coughs caused her to double over in pain.

  “Allegra this, Allegra that,” Ellie ranted angrily, looking unsurprised at Allegra’s sudden coughing fit, “Everyone in town always reminded me of the great and wonderful Allegra. I really could not get away from you. One day, I had enough, so I decided to give Dot one last chance. A whole month. Do you know what she did?” Ellie asked incredulously.

  “What did you put in my tea?” Allegra asked weakly, clutching her phone to her chest.

  “Don’t be rude,” Ellie snapped, “this is my moment. Now, do you know what she did?”

  Allegra tried to get to her feet, but her head spun, and she lost her balance, pulling the tea tray with her to the ground. The pot splashed boiling water everywhere, and Ellie jumped back in time to miss the deluge. Allegra lay there, unable to move, as the water seeped into the carpet around her. She gasped as the pain moved through her shoulder.

  “Oh, your poor phone,” Ellie said apathetically, watching it turn off due to the water that was now seeping into the device. “Don’t worry, you won’t need it anymore,” she told Allegra. She smiled to herself and stomped down viciously with her heel, cracking the screen. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she said gleefully.

  Allegra gasped again, struggling to pull air into her lungs. It felt like her entire chest was on fire, and the air could not get through her throat to her lungs.

  “Now,” Ellie continued, taking a seat again, “oh yes, Dot did something unforgivable. She made her will. Instead of appreciating me, for all that I did for her, she left everything to you. She hadn’t seen you in ten years! But still, you got everything. I did all that work, tried so hard, but once again, I was left with nothing.”

  She smiled when another vicious round of coughing overtook Allegra. Allegra groaned, she was in excruciating pain and the edges of her vision were beginning to go black. She lost her focus as Ellie began to sound very far away. Everything inside of her wanted to fight, but there was no strength left inside of her.

  “Instead of learning her lesson, she made it worse. Really, it was her fault. She should have appreciated what she had. Imagine my surprise when you actually showed up for the funeral. Who knew you still cared, Gypsy? Unfortunately, you couldn’t leave well enough alone. Everything was fine until you decided to cause trouble again. When will you learn? Mind your own business!”

  Ellie rolled her eyes at a barely responsive Allegra.

  “I guess you’ll learn now,” Ellie said wryly, “it’s the last thing you’ll ever learn. Oh well, it really is your own fault.” Allegra used the last of her strength to lift her head. What she saw sent a dull feeling of terror through her muddled brain. Ellie was pulling the grate out of the fire, causing hot coals to spill all over the floor. She hopped back and began kicking them around the room with her closed shoes.

  “I never really liked this house anyway,” Ellie told her. Allegra’s vision began to swim, and it sounded like she was under water. Despite her efforts, she could not keep her eyes open for much longer. The room went quiet, and suddenly there wasn’t much pain anymore.

  She felt warm, like she was snuggled in her bed on a cold winter’s morning. It was comforting, like getting a hug from Grumpy Dot. In the distance, she could hear a loud bang, and maybe a scream. It didn’t matter anymore. None of it really mattered anymore. She wondered vaguely if this is what it felt like to be home. To feel safe and protected. Almost as if she were swaddled in a cocoon of comfort.

  It was nice, she decided, finally drifting off.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Allegra woke up to the sounds of beeping. And then arguing. She groaned as the pain came rushing through her body, it felt like she had been hit, and then dragged by a bus.

  “Good,” a shrill voice called out, “now we can ask her.”

  She groaned again, trying to open her eyes, but they seemed to be stuck together.

  “There we go,” the shrill voice said again, “like a bab
y duck. Come on, open your eyes.”

  “Like a baby duck?” a deep voice asked incredulously.

  “You know,” the other voice said defensively, “when they hatch open and stuff.”

  A tiny bit of light filtered through and Allegra pulled harder, finally getting her eyes to open. She immediately closed them again when a bright light assaulted them.

  “Is she awake?” a little boy asked, and Allegra felt the side of her body tilting slightly. Probably from the weight of someone climbing onto her bed.

  “Do you want some water?” the male voice asked kindly.

  She nodded her head, frowning as the pain rolled through her. Her throat felt raw and parched, and so when someone tipped a little of water in her mouth, the relief was so overwhelming that she nearly cried.

  “What happened?” she asked, opening her eyes slightly.

  “Does she have Asia?”

  “Amnesia, darling, and no. She is probably just feeling a bit confused.”

  “You’re in the hospital,” the male said, “because a crazy woman tried to kill you.”

  Allegra heard the sound of a dull thwack and the male voice yelped.

  “Really, Jason?”

  “That’s what happened!” Jason said defensively.

  Allegra shifted uncomfortably as the memories came racing back, she opened her eyes when she remembered what had happened. She sat up suddenly, causing the needles in her arm to move painfully.

  “Easy now,” Greta chided, laying a hand on her shoulder and pushing her back into the bed.

  “Greta!” Allegra gasped, feeling frantic, “Ellie confessed!”

  “I know,” Greta said soothingly, stroking Allegra’s hair back, “We got her, don’t worry about a thing. Just rest now, okay?”

  “How?” Allegra rasped, her throat was still raw and painful. She tried to swallow, but the action caused her an excruciating amount of pain.

  “You sent me a weird text,” Greta answered, “When I tried calling, you weren’t picking up, so I decided to see what was wrong.”

  “I was already at the newspaper building,” Jason interjected, “so I came with.”

  “Then he tackled the crazy lady to the ground,” Eric finished excitedly. Greta gave him a stern look and he smiled widely, showing off his missing tooth.

  “Why do I feel like I got hit by a bus?” she asked, frowning at her prostrate body. She was hooked up to an I.V and wearing an unflattering nightgown, which she tugged at with her available hand.

  “She gave you a massive dose of Xosyn Sirtunade,” Greta winced, “The doctors have been treating you all weekend.”

  “All weekend?’ she gasped.

  “The more important questions why you didn’t spit out that tea?”

  “Tea always tastes bad,” Allegra defended sheepishly, her cheeks flushing. ‘And I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”

  “Yeah,” Jason quipped, “no more tea for you.”

  ***

  A few days later, Allegra was sitting in Dot’s slightly charred living room, a blanket wrapped around her legs and a glass of water within arm’s reach.

  “This is really too much,” she told Eleanor as the older woman shoved a pillow between her back and the couch.

  “You were almost murdered,” Eleanor reminded her, “you need to rest.”

  “I agree,” Allegra said, laughing at Eleanor’s fussing, “but that doesn’t mean you need to mother me.”

  “Everyone needs a little mothering from time to time,” Eleanor countered, moving some hair from out of her face.

  Allegra stayed silent. The truth was that it felt nice to be fussed over for once. It reminded her of the time she got the flu one summer. Dot spent the whole week fussing over her grand-niece, making sure that she had the most comfortable recovery. Allegra faked it a few more days just to enjoy the extra attention. Although, she always suspected that Dot knew the truth but played along for the sake of it. On the third day of faking, she was kicked out of bed and told to go find an adventure. She would have spent her whole summer in that bed if she could.

  “I agree,” Greta said loudly, munching through a bag of chips. Eleanor gave her a stern look when she tried her luck by holding out the empty bag. Greta blushed sheepishly and folded the bag neatly on her lap.

  “So, have you decided what you want to do yet?”

  “I don’t know,” Allegra admitted tiredly, “we can’t find the real will. Ellie says that she never destroyed it, but we can’t exactly trust her.”

  “Crazy lady,” Greta muttered under her breath.

  “So, the house is supposed to be closed, and I have no job.”

  “Would you stay if you had a job?” Greta asked slowly, playing with the neatly folded packet on her lap.

  “That depends on the job,” Allegra answered, smiling at Greta’s behavior.

  “Well,” Greta said, drawing the word out nervously, “Bud does need more help with the newspaper, and he is willing to give you a trial period.”

  “But I’m a teacher,” Allegra pointed out.

  “Who has always wanted to be a writer,” Greta countered, “Besides, you were an English major.”

  Allegra said nothing but stared at the burnt patch on the carpet. She was going to have to replace that at some point. Greta made a fair point, but was she willing to stay in this small town?

  “What do you say?” Greta asked tentatively, watching her friend carefully.

  “I’m not the most reliable person,” Allegra said softly, flexing her fingers, “what if I get bored and leave?”

  “Allegra,” Greta sighed, “you are one of the most reliable people I know. You stuck it out here, even though the people didn’t want you here. You made a promise, and you did everything to keep it. You found Dot’s murderer!”

  “I don’t know,” Allegra admitted, still not sure about what she wanted to do.

  “Fine,” Greta said, sitting back again, “at least stay for the funeral.”

  Allegra gave her a strange look and she held up her hands in surrender. The funeral was planned for the next day. This time, she allowed Ashlee to arrange it. It turned out that the older sister had nothing to do with the murder. She was as shocked as everyone else. She was now fueling all her shock and pain into planning all sorts of town activities. Allegra heard that she was even taking on more shifts at Cherry On Top.

  For once in her life, she felt a twinge of respect for Ashlee. They might never get along, but it was nice of her to offer to plan the funeral. She nearly fell out of her bed when Ashlee came to the hospital. Before she could call for the nurses, Ashlee did something that Allegra never expected. She apologized.

  No one blamed Ashlee for the murder, except Ashlee. Allegra dreaded what would happen when she ran out of things to do and hoped that she would not be around to witness the meltdown.

  “Come on,” Greta said suddenly, “let’s get you up to your room.”

  “But I’m not sleepy,” Allegra yawned.

  “Come on,” Greta repeated, ignoring her feeble protests.

  “This is very embarrassing, you know,” Allegra said as Ashlee helped her up the stairs. Greta chuckled as they took one step at a time, careful not to put too much strain on Allegra.

  “I’m not going to carry you to the bed,” Greta said warningly when Allegra suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong?” she asked when she looked up and saw Allegra’s face.

  She was turned to a closed door, an apprehensive look on her face.

  “I haven’t been in her room yet,” Allegra whispered, staring at Dot’s closed bedroom door.

  “Oh honey,” Greta said sympathetically, “you can do it any time.”

  “I want to do it now,” Allegra told her, taking a small step toward the room.

  “You don’t have to,” Greta told her, taking her arm for support.

  Allegra ignored her and reached for the handle with a shaky hand. She pushed down and swung the door open. Dot’s room had changed in the last few years
. She had rearranged the furniture and changed the bed spread. But it still smelled like her.

  She stared at the room with wide eyes, scarcely daring to breathe.

  “It’s not that bad,” Greta whispered, “I’ll take the first step if you want.” Allegra nodded, and Greta walked into the room.

  “See,” she said, “you can do it.”

  Allegra nodded again and took a small step into the room. Then another, and another. Finally, she found herself in the middle of the room, looking at Dot’s most private space. She stepped back and sat down on Dot’s bed, closing her eyes. It was all over.

  When she opened them, her eyes scanned her surroundings, looking for hints of Dot. Any sort of reminder. What her eyes found, was a pile of old papers, fixed together in a ring binder. The edges of the pages were faded, an indication of regular use. She reached forward and picked it up. Her eyes filled with tears when she read the title page.

  The Mad Aunt

  It was the very first book she had written. Allegra felt a lump form in her throat, and a few tears escaped her lids, dropping onto the paper.

  “Look,” she said, her voice rasping, “she kept it.”

  Allegra held the book out to Greta, who reached out, but dropped it right before she could get a proper hold of it. The book fell to the ground with a crash.

  “I’m so sorry,” Greta apologized profusely, bending to pick it up. Allegra shrugged lightly. As Greta picked it up, a brown envelope fell to the ground. Greta looked up, her eyes wide. Allegra struggled to find air, so she held her hand out, and Greta handed her the envelope.

  They looked at each other for a second, before ripping it open to see what was inside.

  “Is that…” Greta gasped, her eyes nearly bulging for their sockets.

  “Her will,” Allegra finished, scanning through Dot’s familiar scrawl. “She really did leave everything to me,” she said breathlessly, an overwhelming sense of love filled her heart, and she had to keep herself from hugging the will to her chest. One of the pages was a little different from the rest. It was a note written on a piece of flowery stationery and Allegra read through it eagerly.