by Jessica Beck
“Isn’t that an awfully big coincidence?” she asked me after we’d put the chairs back in place and were once again safely inside behind locked doors.
“Not really. When you think about it, it almost makes sense that it’s two different people. After all, after killing Cecile, why would they still try to make you think you’re going mad slowly? It’s a bit subtle for someone who would take a marble rolling pin and hit your mother-in-law over the head.”
“So, does that mean that two people are after me?” she asked.
“The truth of the matter is that Cecile’s murder might not have anything to do with your situation,” I told her.
“But it might, right?”
“Yes, it’s a possibility. Listen, we’re not going to do either one of us any good by missing more sleep. We can talk about it in the morning, okay?”
“Okay,” she said reluctantly, “though I don’t know how I’m ever going to be able to get back to sleep after that.”
“Just close your eyes and see what happens,” I said. “Good night. Again.”
“Night,” she said.
I lay in my bed trying to will sleep to come, but it was reluctant to visit. I had that problem sometimes, but when counting donuts didn’t work, I’d learned a way to relax my muscles systematically, going from my toes to my scalp, and oftentimes by the time I finished the routine of tightening and then loosening muscle groups in a specific order, I was ready to sleep.
It must have worked again, because before I knew it, I was waking up.
I hadn’t been in the living room five minutes when Autumn came out. “Did you manage to fall back asleep at all?” she asked me as she stifled a yawn. At least she was already dressed, as was I.
“I did. How about you?”
“I slept, but it wasn’t very restful. I’d tell you my dream, but I haven’t eaten anything yet.”
“Do you still believe that?” I asked her with a smile.
“Sure I do. I know it’s just a silly superstition, but why risk it?” She grabbed a small bite of pie we’d bought at the store and then grinned at me. “Besides, it’s a perfect excuse to eat pie first thing in the morning.”
“What was your dream about?”
“That we caught the person who left the speaker,” she said. “We chased him through the woods, and I had just caught up to him when I grabbed his cloak and yanked it off his head.”
“He was wearing a cloak?” I asked, doing my best to suppress a smile. “For that matter, it was a he?”
“It was,” she said as she frowned.
“So, who was behind the cloak?”
Autumn shrugged. “I never got to see his face. That’s when I woke up, but I could swear I knew who it was for one split second before I came completely awake. Does it mean anything, or did I dream that because I want to know who’s been trying to drive me crazy?”
“Who knows? It could be a little bit of both,” I admitted. “Should we grab a quick bite here before we start digging again?”
“I’d like to go back to the Blue Ridge Café if it’s all the same to you,” Autumn said.
“More of those pancakes do sound awfully good to me.”
“It’s not just that,” she said. “I’d like to talk to Davis again. Maybe he’s been able to come up with something else to help us.”
As I stood, I asked, “Are you sure you’re up to the scrutiny you’re going to get if we go there? I’d be happy to whip up some cake donuts for us. It won’t take long at all.”
“As much as I’m sure I’d love them, no matter how much I’ve been protesting otherwise,” she said with a smile, “I don’t think we can pass up the opportunity to see what our only ally in town thinks.”
“It’s a deal,” I said. “I can always make you donuts before I leave.”
“I’m holding you to that,” she said.
We were just heading into the café when someone called Autumn’s name from behind us. It was a portly man with a mop of gray hair. He was dressed in a suit that was clearly nearing the edge of the girth it could contain, and there was a briefcase tucked under one arm that was stuffed with papers to the point that some of them were in very real danger of escaping his clutches.
“Mr. Lincoln, what can I do for you?” Autumn asked as he joined us.
“It’s Carter, Autumn. Mr. Lincoln was my father,” the attorney said with a smile. It was clearly a line he trotted out with some regularity. “And it’s what I can do for you. I need to speak with you about Cecile Marbury’s will.”
“Why on earth would you need to speak with me?” Autumn asked.
He looked around the square and frowned. “If we could just go to my office, this won’t take long.” He glanced at me. “I’m sure your friend won’t mind waiting for you.”
“If you have something to say to me, you can say it in front of her,” Autumn said firmly.
He frowned again. “And you are?”
“Suzanne Hart, donutmaker,” I said.
That got a smile. “Ah, a profession I can fully endorse. Where are you based, Ms. Hart?”
“It’s Suzanne,” I said. “Ms. Hart is my mother, and I live in April Springs.”
“Ah, very good,” he said. “And if I may ask, what is your relationship with Ms. Marbury?”
“This one?” I asked as I pointed to Autumn.
“Yes, of course.”
“We were roommates in college, and we’re still very good friends,” I answered, which Autumn acknowledged by smiling and nodding once.
“Very good. Shall we, ladies? As I said, my office isn’t far.”
“Of course,” I said as I looked longingly back at the Blue Ridge Café and those pancakes I was craving. I was certain they’d still have some when we finished up with the attorney.
At least I hoped so.
And besides, finding out about Cecile’s will was more important than breakfast.
At least that’s what I told myself as we followed the attorney back to his office.
This law office was in stark contrast to Tom’s workplace. It was cluttered with files and paperwork, the furniture hadn’t been updated in many years, and there was an overall air of stuffiness to the place. It felt like a lived-in space and not some gallery display. “Excuse the mess,” he said automatically. “My secretary is out on maternity leave, and things tend to fall apart when she has another baby.”
“Does it happen often?” I asked as I studied the condition of the place.
“Oh, yes, there’s nothing she enjoys more than having little ones,” he said with a smile. “See that play area in the corner? If I didn’t let her bring her sweet little devils to work with her when she needed to, I’d never see her at all. They’re a pack of rascals, I’ll tell you,” he said as he smiled wistfully. It was pretty clear that he enjoyed every second of it and that he missed the kids just as much as he did his secretary.
“I don’t suppose there’s any reason you can’t hear this, Suzanne.” He then turned back to my friend. “If you’re sure you want her to.”
“I’m certain of it,” Autumn said.
“Very well. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, once the estate has been settled, you will receive one million dollars in cash when all is said and done.”
That certainly caught Autumn off guard. “Excuse me? Are you quite sure about that?”
“Mrs. Marbury was most specific,” he said.
“When did she make that bequest?” I asked.
He didn’t even have to consult his notes. “Three weeks ago.”
“After I moved out?” she asked him.
“I believe that was what motivated her to change her will,” he said. “She wanted to be certain that you were taken care of.”
“What would happen to the bequest if Autumn and Jeff divorced?” I asked on a hunch.
He looked startled by the question. “How did you know about that clause?”
“Know what?” she asked him.
“Were you and yo
ur husband to divorce, you would receive nothing. I’m not sure if that million was to be an incentive for you to stay married or not, but she insisted on it, and I wasn’t in any position to argue her out of it. My father was her father’s attorney, and she kept me on as an homage to both men, but I knew how close I was to being replaced every time she came into my office.”
“So, let’s say Autumn and Jeff did divorce,” I said. “What would happen to that money? Would it be divided equally between the two brothers, by any chance?”
“No, as a matter of fact, it would all go to Jefferson,” he said.
“What about Adam?”
He frowned a moment and then said, “I really shouldn’t be discussing this with you.”
“Carter, we both know that it’s going to be public knowledge soon enough. Are you sure you can’t tell us anything?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, and then he pushed the papers toward us. “Did you two hear that?”
“What? I didn’t hear anything,” Autumn said.
I had a feeling what he was doing. “You know, I believe I heard something, too,” I said.
“I’d better go check outside. We’ve had some cars broken into around here lately. I shouldn’t be gone more than three minutes,” he said as he stood and left us.
The moment the door closed, I flipped the document in question around and started scanning it.
“Suzanne, should you be doing that?” Autumn asked me. “You heard what he said.”
“Autumn, he practically invited us to read it. Wow,” I said as I looked up and put the will back where it belonged.
“What did it say?”
I was about to tell her when the door opened again. Soon Carter was back behind his desk. “Again, I’m sorry I can’t be of more help to you.”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “We understand completely.”
“Is that all?” Autumn asked.
“For now,” Carter acknowledged.
We got up and headed for the door, but before we could get there, he said, “There’s one more thing, Mrs. Marbury.”
“What’s that?” she stopped and asked.
“Nothing will be settled until whoever killed Cecile Marbury is caught and convicted. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing that can be done about that. The court needs to be certain that whoever killed her doesn’t profit from the crime.”
Autumn was about to say something when I headed her off. “She understands.”
As we were leaving, he said, “I’m not saying that’s what I believe to be the case. I’m just telling you how it must play out officially.”
“Thanks again,” I said, and then I got Autumn out of there.
As we walked back toward the café, Autumn stopped me and asked, “What exactly was in that will?”
“Adam gets an allowance for the rest of his natural life, but Jeff inherits the bulk of the estate,” I said. “She actually cut her older son out of the will, but there are a few conditions that might come into play.”
“What are those?”
“If you and your husband divorce, and then if something happens to Jeff, Adam gets everything.”
Chapter 23
“DOES THAT MEAN THAT he’s behind everything that’s been happening to me? He killed his own mother for money?” She said it with such disdain, so much contempt, but I knew it had happened before and would just as surely happen again. Some people were driven so hard by their lust for money that everything else fell by the wayside.
“Hang on. I know that it looks bad for Adam, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that he killed Cecile. Let me remind you that we have other suspects, too.”
“Do you still think that Jeff could have done it?” she asked me, clearly outraged by the very thought of it.
“Autumn, that will gives him every reason to want to see his mother dead,” I told her, “whether you like it or not.”
“If that’s true, why would he kill her before we got divorced?” she asked.
“That’s a good point. He stands to lose a million dollars as things stand right now. For that matter, why would Adam do it?” I countered.
“So we don’t know any more than we did last night?” she asked me, the pain clear in her question.
“I wouldn’t say that,” I replied. “The more information we have, the better.” I looked down the road near the café and saw Annie talking to someone who was sitting in his car. She was laughing at something he said, and she had her hand on his arm, stroking it lightly. “Is that Annie Greenway? Who is that she’s talking to?”
“That would be my husband,” Autumn said coolly as she started toward the car.
The moment Annie saw us heading her way, she started walking quickly in the opposite direction. It was pretty clear to me that Autumn wanted to go after her, but Jeff got out of the car and headed her off before I could.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Jeff said quickly.
“What, that we’re not even divorced yet and you’re already flirting with another woman?” Autumn asked him angrily.
“I didn’t encourage it,” Jeff said.
“Do you deny that she’s been throwing herself at you even before we got married? Why did you marry me instead of her?” Autumn asked him. “Clearly she’s better suited to be a Marbury than I ever was.”
“The problem was that I never loved her,” Jeff said. “At least not the way I love you. I know that I’ve been a fool these past few days, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. When are you coming back home, Autumn? I need you now, more than ever.”
“I was under the impression that you thought I might have killed your mother,” she said softly.
“That was Adam. I never said it.”
“You didn’t defend me, though,” she said fiercely.
“I was in shock! I’d just lost my mother,” he protested. “I love you, Autumn, and I want you in my life. What can I do to make things right between us again?”
“Throw your brother out of the house, for starters,” she said.
“He’s gone as soon as I can give him the news,” Jeff said. “What else?”
Autumn looked shocked by his ready agreement. “Do you mean that?”
“I do,” he said.
“How about the house? I don’t think I can ever live there again,” she said, clearly wavering.
“I can’t either, especially after what happened to my mother. We’ll sell it, so you don’t ever have to step foot in it again,” Jeff said. “We can buy another place together, or I can move in with you at the cottage, if you’ll let me. I’d live in a tent if it meant that I could be with you again.”
“I don’t know,” she said, clearly caught off guard by his change of attitude. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
“Losing my mother made me realize that I can’t lose you, too,” he said. “Do you want me to beg? Because I will, if that’s what it takes.” He followed through on his offer by getting down on his knees in front of her. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. About so many things. Please forgive me.”
“Get up, Jeff,” she said as she tugged at her estranged husband’s arm. “You’re making a scene.”
“I don’t care,” he said, and I believed him.
“By the way, she’s not going crazy. There really were voices,” I said. “I heard them, too, and this morning we found a speaker that had been planted outside our windows.”
“Where is it?” he asked.
It was a reasonable question. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a good answer for him. “Whoever planted it came back and got it without us seeing them,” I said, “but it was there.”
“I believe you,” he said as he finally stood. “Tell me what to do, Autumn.”
“Let me think about it,” she said.
Did I catch a glimmer of hope cross his expression? “Really? It’s at least a possibility?”
“Really,” she said with a smile.
Without invitation, he leaned forward and hugged her. It
surprised both of us, but what startled me even more was that she didn’t pull away. “A possibility, I said,” she added softly.
“I’ll take whatever I can get,” he said as he pulled away.
It was a sweet scene, the first step to a possible reconciliation, when it was interrupted by someone shouting at Autumn as he hurried forward.
Evidently I hadn’t been the only one to witness the reunion.
Lee Graham was hurrying toward us, and he didn’t look at all happy about the situation.
“Don’t get caught up in his lies, Autumn,” Lee said fiercely when he got to us.
I had to give Jeff credit. He was forty pounds heavier and at least fifteen years older than the strapping young handyman, but he didn’t flinch. “Stay out of this, Lee. It’s between Autumn and me.”
“He’s just using you,” Lee said. “Can’t you see that?”
“Lee, he’s my husband!” Autumn said fiercely. “Nothing is going to happen between us, especially after yesterday.”
She’d clearly meant the death of Cecile, but he interpreted it to be something else. A look of guilt crossed his face that couldn’t be denied. The handyman had dropped his mask for just a moment, and I’d seen it. He was terrified about something, so I played my hunch. “It’s all over. We saw you last night,” I said coldly. Autumn was about to say something, so I had to stop her before Lee spoke. “Let him talk. He deserves the right to explain himself.”
Autumn nodded, still clearly not understanding what was really going on, when Lee said, “You don’t understand. I had to do it.”
“Really?” I asked. “You had to?”
“Sure, maybe Adam paid me, but it was what I wanted anyway.”
“You killed my mother?” Jeff asked as he grabbed the younger man’s shirt and nearly lifted him off the ground.
“What? No!” he shouted as he broke Jeff Marbury’s grip. “Of course not! I set up the speaker at the cottage last night and then took it away after a few hours, just like I did every night at your house, but I didn’t have anything to do with killing Mrs. Marbury! I liked her. Why would I kill her?”
“Hold on a second,” Autumn said. “You were the one trying to drive me crazy? I thought you cared about me.”