The Body in the Attic

by Judi Lynn

“It couldn’t have been you. Cal was home then. He was waiting for Noah to get to his house. Someone called him and told him there was an emergency. When Cal left, that person met Noah, gave him some excuse to check the furnace in the basement, and killed him there.”

  Wade rubbed his forehead, agitated. “Then why are you asking me about running to get parts? I wouldn’t even be gone that long.”

  “But when one of you is working alone, in a room, like you are now, no one really knows for sure where you are, do they?”

  “I guess not.” Wade sounded worried.

  Gaff turned to Will. “That means no one can actually swear that you were here, working, when Noah was killed on the twenty-seventh. That’s how you did it. You came to work, told the supervisor you needed something for your project, and left. No one thought a thing about it.”

  Will’s hands balled into fists. “I suppose that could happen, but it didn’t. I was here working, and you can’t prove differently.”

  Gaff turned to Jazzi. He couldn’t prove it, and they all knew it.

  “My grandma can.” Jazzi was telling a flat-out lie, but Will wouldn’t know that. “She went to visit Cal, saw you digging a hole, but didn’t realize what you were doing, so she left.” That part was true.

  Will shook his head. “She must have seen Wade. The privet hedge is high enough, she couldn’t see much. We’d look about the same.”

  Gaff gave him a hard stare. “How did you know the grave was behind the hedge?”

  “I must have heard or read about it somewhere.”

  “We didn’t give out that information. Only a few people knew. It wasn’t on the news.”

  Will’s face drained of color.

  Gaff grabbed his arm and started for the door. “I’m taking you in for questioning.”

  Wade let out a long breath. He looked shell-shocked. “You can’t really think my brother killed Noah.”

  Jazzi raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I can. And if you think about it, you can too. Who else would Noah threaten but you and Will? If Cal changed his will, you’d get nothing. Hadn’t you counted on that money too?”

  “Not really. I mean, Cal was only in his sixties. Doctors can treat a lot more than they used to. I remembered him as a nice person. I was hoping he’d stick around.”

  Gaff gave a brief smile. “I believe you, but the rest of your family was waiting for the day he dropped over.”

  Wade shook his head, trying to take it in. “My brother killed Noah?”

  “And tried to make it look like you did it.” Jazzi wanted that part of the conversation to sink in. “He tried really hard to frame you, Wade. Your brother’s a jerk. Are you going to be okay?”

  He looked around, dazed. “I didn’t see this coming. I’m taking the rest of today off. I won’t be worth crap.”

  “What are you going to do?” Jazzi didn’t think he should be alone. “Do you have a friend you can stay with?”

  “Honestly? All I want right now is a drink. Boy, I wish I hadn’t given it up.”

  If he left here, alone, he’d be sitting on a bar stool soon. He’d worked too hard to stay sober. She didn’t want to see that destroyed. “Call Doug. If he’s busy, you’re spending the day with me.”

  Doug picked up right away. When Wade told him what had happened, Doug said he’d meet him at the motel Wade was staying in. They’d talk and then maybe go out to eat. Doug was a mentor. He’d know what to say and do. He’d handle this a lot better than she could.

  Jazzi called Ansel for a ride back to Lake Avenue, then walked to Wade’s van with him. The rain had turned to a drizzle, so she saw him off and waited under her umbrella for Ansel. She didn’t want to go back in the building. The dreary day fit her mood.

  Ansel studied her when she got in the van. “You okay?”

  “I think so. I’m just upset.”

  He nodded. “Why wouldn’t you be? It’s a short drive to Lake Street. Jerod and I both want to hear what happened.”

  It was lunchtime when they settled around the two coolers they’d brought. She shared the morning’s events while they ate their sandwiches.

  Jerod shook his head when she finished. “You took a chance telling him that Grandma saw him.”

  She knew that. “Yeah, if he’d ever met her, he wouldn’t have worried about it.”

  “His own fault.” Jerod reached for another roast beef on sourdough. “If they weren’t such snobs and had gotten to know us a little better, he’d know Grandma couldn’t testify.”

  Ansel stared at his sandwich. “I feel sorry for Wade. We have to invite him over sometime. His own brother tried to send him to prison. I thought my family was bad, but his sucks.”

  A few hours later, Gaff called again. “Will confessed. When his mom told him that Cal meant to change his will, he flipped out. He’d already talked to his dad about going into business together when Cal died. His mom thought that would be sooner rather than later. He considered Cal’s money his, and he wasn’t about to lose it.”

  “Have you talked to Wade?”

  “He’s taking it pretty hard. He called his parents and told them what happened, but all they could talk about was poor Will, how they were trying to find a good lawyer for him.”

  “Figures.” Jazzi thought Katherine and Tim were about as bright as dim lightbulbs.

  “Doug invited him to stay at his place for a while, until he gets himself a little more together.”

  “That was nice of him.”

  “Wade could use some friends now.”

  “Ansel and I are on it.” She’d invite him for supper Friday night.

  Gaff hesitated. “You’ve been a big help, Jazzi. Thank you.”

  She hadn’t felt like a help. She’d felt as if she’d fumbled her way to an answer. “I’m glad this is over. I don’t envy you your job.”

  He chuckled. “Most people don’t. And thanks again.”

  Jerod looked at Jazzi’s face and he cleared his throat. “You know, I’ve had a big enough day. Let’s knock off early and hit it hard tomorrow.”

  They packed up their gear and headed in different directions. On the drive home, Ansel said, “Well, that takes care of one out of two.” When she frowned at him, he added, “You know who killed Noah now, but someone murdered your aunt Lynda, and it can’t be Will. He’d just be learning to walk when she died.”

  He was right. There was still another murder to go.

  Chapter 41

  Gaff called on Tuesday. She, Jerod, and Ansel were finishing the support posts before they gutted the first-floor kitchen. Then they knocked out the wall between the kitchen and what had once been the dining room before the owner converted it into apartments.

  “I wanted to let you know that I called Noah’s parents, and they’re happy Noah’s killer will be punished. You called your mom, right?”

  “I told her, and she passed on the news.”

  “Good, I still need to let Maury know. I’m going to his deli this afternoon. Care to come with me? It might make it easier for him. He feels comfortable around you.”

  She’d promised Maury she’d tell him about Noah. “Sure, when will you be here?”

  “Maury said two would be a good time. The lunch crowd’s gone by then.”

  “Okay, see you at two.”

  Over lunch, she told Jerod and Ansel about Gaff’s call.

  Jerod winced. “Glad it’s not me. Old Maury’s going to take it pretty badly.”

  “That’s why I’m going.” Jazzi wasn’t close to Maury, but Jerod’s uncles were. And she felt sorry for him. The Lynda-Noah case had been an ordeal for him.

  She kept sanding floors after lunch and didn’t stop until a little before two to knock the dust off herself. The heat had shot into the high eighties after the rain, but the humidity was more tolerable. She ran to Gaff’s car when he stopped in fr
ont of the house, and then they headed north to the deli.

  Customers still dotted tables, but Maury’s sons could handle them. Maury left the counter to lead them to his office. Once he closed the door behind him, he said, “You have news?”

  Gaff explained about Cal’s nephew Will killing Noah.

  Maury slumped back in his desk chair. “It’s better knowing. That helps, but not as much as I’d hoped. I still feel so much anger, so much of a sense of loss.”

  Gaff nodded. “Grief takes time.”

  Jazzi struggled to come up with something that would lift everyone’s moods. She nodded at Maury’s deep tan. “You’ve soaked up a lot of sun lately. Did you take a vacation?”

  Maury smiled. “The boys ran the deli. Gina and I just got back from visiting my parents in Tampa.”

  “Tampa?” Her heart felt like it stuttered. “How long have they lived there?”

  He visibly caught himself. “It’s been a while now.”

  “Lynda’s postcard came from Tampa.”

  “Did it? I don’t remember.”

  Yes, he did. Jazzi’s thoughts sped back to previous conversations she’d had with Maury. “You told me Lynda was wearing both of her engagement rings when she left River Bluffs. But she never left. How did you know that?”

  “I . . .”

  She didn’t wait for him to finish. “And you told my mom you saw Lynda get on the bus with her suitcases. She didn’t get on the bus.”

  “I must have . . .”

  She interrupted again. “You killed Lynda, didn’t you?”

  “No! Why would I?”

  “You sent the postcards from Tampa, the ones typed from Lynda. You probably sent the card from New York.”

  “I . . .”

  Gaff leaned forward. “We can start checking out dates and flights.”

  Maury put his elbows on the desk and buried his head in his hands. “It was an accident. I didn’t kill her.”

  Gaff reached for his notepad. “Maybe you should explain.”

  “When Lynda told Cal she had to go to New York, I knew she was going to hurt Cal like she did me. I knew she must be pregnant. Cal had left for Europe, so I went to his house to argue with her. Her suitcases were by the door downstairs. She was upstairs, packing her toiletries and makeup. I told her that I’d follow her to New York and track her down. I’d tell Cal that she was going to give away his child, like she had mine.”

  “What happened?” Gaff prodded.

  He scraped his hand through his tight, gray curls. “She laughed at me. She asked if I’d told Gina that I’d gotten her pregnant. She told me to keep out of her business. Then she started to leave. I went after her and grabbed her arm to have it out with her.” He looked down and rubbed his hand over his eyes. When he looked up, his complexion looked ashen. “She jerked away from me. We were at the top of the stairs, and she lost her balance. She fell.”

  He stopped talking, and Gaff waited for him to gain his composure.

  “I raced down to help her, but her neck was at an odd angle. I panicked. I’d come to Cal’s house to argue with her, and I knew it looked bad. People would think I pushed her. I couldn’t leave her on the floor and pretend I didn’t know what happened. Someone might have seen my car in the driveway. Gina had just had her second miscarriage. She needed me. My dad was working fewer and fewer hours so I was running the deli. I couldn’t let everyone down. I felt bad, but I carried Lynda upstairs and put her in Cal’s attic. I knew Cal would be gone for a year. I could move Lynda later. But I never did. I cleaned the floor where she fell and locked the house and never went back. I’ve had to live with that all these years.”

  Jazzi gripped the arms of her chair. “You’ve had to live with it? At least you knew what happened. Do you know how much my mom suffered thinking Lynda just disappeared? That her sister didn’t care about her? It ate at Grandma, too, messed her up. Now she’s confused most of the time. And Cal. I thought you were his friend. He never got completely over it.”

  Maury looked away, not meeting her eyes. “I’m sorry about that. I really am. I hated to watch Cal suffer, and I felt terrible about your mom, but what could I do?”

  “You could have grown some balls and told the truth!”

  “I had other people to worry about, other people who’d be hurt if I told anyone what happened.”

  She turned away from him. She didn’t want to look at him. “You sure wanted to know what happened to Noah. You wanted answers, justice. You, of all people, should know how Mom felt.”

  Gaff stood, interrupting them. He looked at Jazzi. “I’m sorry. I brought you here, but I have to take Maury to the station. I have to ask you to find another ride home again.”

  “I’ll call Ansel.” She couldn’t wait to get out of the deli, away from Maury.

  Maury pushed to his feet. “Will you give me time to talk to my sons, my Gina?”

  Gaff nodded. “But I’ll be there with you when you do it.”

  Maury sighed. “The boys can run the deli now. They’ll be all right. So will Gina.”

  Jazzi couldn’t complain about that. She hated it when innocent people suffered. She didn’t know what would happen to Maury and she didn’t much care. He’d used her to get information and gain sympathy while he left her mom and Cal to fight through grief and misery for years.

  She stalked out of the deli and walked three blocks away before she called Ansel. The minute he heard her voice, he said, “You can tell me later. Where are you? I’ll be there.”

  He must have gone over the speed limit, because he was there before she expected him. This time, Jerod came with him. He sat in the back and listened while Jazzi told them about Maury. When she finished, Ansel said, “Is your mom at work now?”

  Jazzi nodded.

  Jerod said, “I’ll call Olivia. They’re closing the shop today at five so Olivia and Thane can look at houses. When it’s time, Ansel and I will go with you to your parents’ place. We’ll stay with you when you tell them.”

  “Thank you.”

  They threw themselves into work when they got back to Lake Avenue. They needed something to keep their thoughts at bay. At five, they took separate vehicles to Jazzi’s parents’ house. Telling Mom was every bit as miserable as Jazzi thought it would be. In time, there’d be closure. It would be a relief to know what really happened. But for now, Mom reeled at the shock that Maury never hinted about what really happened. She felt betrayed. Again.

  When Mom calmed a little, Dad nodded that they could go. He’d be there for her, and she could cry and fuss and let some of it go. Jerod drove home to Franny and his kids. Olivia went home to Thane, and Ansel and Jazzi returned to Cal’s house.

  Once they entered the house, Ansel crushed her in a protective hug. Even George leaned his head against her leg. She soaked it all in.

  Finally, Ansel lifted her chin and bent to give her a gentle kiss. “This has been one miserable day, but from now on, things will only get better. Everything’s out in the open. Lynda would have had her baby and returned to River Bluffs to marry Cal. She’d have given lots of family parties here. We can do that for her. For her and Cal.”

  He’d put a nice spin on it. But he was right. They could finally put the past in the past. It was going to take a while, though.

  Chapter 42

  The next Sunday meal was subdued. The entire family knew about Maury and Lynda. The shock that it was Maury who’d stuffed her in the cedar chest hadn’t worn off. Jerod’s dad, Eli, had thought of Maury as a close friend. They all trusted and liked him.

  “This will be our mourning meal,” Ansel had told her. “We never had the big carry-in after Lynda’s funeral. Every passing deserves a moment of silence, a sharing of sadness. This will be it.”

  What did you cook for that? It was hot and humid outside, but Jazzi had decided on chicken and dumplings and ma
shed potatoes. She always thought of that as comfort food. And her family needed comforted right now.

  She must have chosen the right thing, because there wasn’t one scoop of food left when everyone started gathering their things to leave. Grandma came to give her a warm hug. “You’re a good girl, Sarah. I love you.”

  This had been too much stress. Jazzi hugged Grandma back. “I love you, too.”

  Ansel helped with cleanup when they were finally alone, and then they dropped on their couches in the living room to watch sports. “I think it’s time for a scary movie,” he told her. “A good scare chases everything else out of your head. I can hold you and keep you safe, and then we’ll chase all those fears away.”

  She rolled her eyes. “That’s your advice?”

  “It works for me every time.”

  “When did you test this out?”

  “When my parents packed my bags and told me to move out the morning after I graduated.”

  She stared. “That fast?”

  “They didn’t want me to get too comfortable working on the farm.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “So am I, but I drove to River Bluffs and rented a room for a week in a motel, and I was scared and mad.”

  “So then you slept with someone?”

  He flushed all the way to his hairline. “It was a one-night stand.”

  “Did it work?”

  “I still live in River Bluffs, don’t I?”

  She laughed. “No blood and gore. The movie has to earn its scares. No cheap thrills.”

  He nodded and went upstairs to dig through his stash of DVDs. He came back with The Shining.

  Doggone. She’d avoided that movie up until now. But it was a good one. And after he’d scared her, he took her to bed. And he was right. When he brought George upstairs, and they cuddled to fall asleep early, she was in a much better mood. The stress of last week and today had drained her energy. She spooned against Ansel and felt herself drift off.

  She woke in the middle of the night to snoring. Ansel had never done that before. She was about to tap him and tell him to roll over when she realized it was George, lying in his dog bed. She had to laugh at herself. She got up and patted George instead. When the pug rolled over, the snoring stopped.