“I suppose that David was a bit upset when he received the divorce papers.”
“You have no idea what that did to him. He went wild. He cursed and swore and carried on, as if she had stolen ‘his’ money. You see, he had forgotten that it was Betty who made all the money. It was hers. If he had had an ounce of sense, he would have never gone all about town, chasing women. He thought he could do what he wanted, and she would sit at home, like his mother. That was how he treated her, like his mother. No wife wants to be treated that way.”
Annie and I chatted a bit longer, but she had nothing more to add to the discussion, nothing that I could use.
What Annie had given me was another reason to suspect David. Because I guessed he had borrowed the money he gave Annie, borrowed it against the insurance he needed to collect. He was counting on the money. Had he killed to collect it?
I had no answer to my question. I returned home with Gus and Emmy, and they didn’t have a solution either. I was safe in my workshop, when George White called.
“Tomorrow,” George said. “You remember?”
CHAPTER 26
“Yes,” I said, “I remember exactly. What time am I supposed to meet with you?”
“An hour before opening. We’re interviewing the band.”
“Oh, yes, I remember now. Of course, I’ll be there. Anything else?”
“After the band, we’re chatting with the caterer. I want this to be first-class, Elle, first-class.”
“It will be George. We’ll make it a reopening to remember.”
It had been George’s idea to have a reopening after Betty’s murder. We had already been open and doing business, but he thought it would be a fabulous opportunity to have an “official” reopening. Balloons, a band, hot dogs, lemonade, apple pie, all the things that labeled the Farmer’s Market an American enterprise. He was right, of course. The festival would draw in a crowd, and crowds benefited all of us. He had enlisted my help, because my mother had managed the market for many years before she retired to Florida. He knew that adding my name to the list of planners would make the effort legitimate.
We talked a bit longer before George ended the conversation. I promised to be on time, and George promised to listen to my opinions. I doubted he would do that. George liked to ride roughshod over people like me. Nevertheless, I was happy to help, as I represented the other vendors.
“If you need help with him,” Gus said, “I can show him my pearly whites from time to time.”
I laughed. “That would serve him right, but no thank you. I can handle him.”
“I can help too,” Emmy said. “I’ll whisper in his ear and scare him to death.”
“No, you won’t,” I said. “We will work with George and make the reopening a huge success.”
Morning found me slipping into the market an hour before the other vendors were due. George met me just in front of the main gate, where the band was assembling. They had brought instruments but no speakers or amplifiers. They were going to sing a song or two, just to show us their style. Lucky for us, they were not a group of punk rockers. I was handed a list of their favorite songs, which included several of mine. I was surprised that George had had the good taste to pick such a band.
“Well,” George said, as the band began to play, “how do you like them?”
“I think they’ll do nicely,” I said. “Just the right mix of old and new.”
“Exactly. The stage will be in the far corner. That way, people will have to pass by the booths in order to get to the food and entertainment.”
“That works for me,” I said. “All the other vendors will appreciate it.”
“Exactly. And it’s your job to help convince them that it will all work.”
“Of course.”
George had maneuvered me into the position of first cheerleader. My job was to recruit the other vendors to our cause. Luckily for George, it wasn’t going to be a difficult job.
“Elle, hey,” someone called.
I turned and found Thomas walking toward me. I was about to ask him how he got inside, but I knew that was a stupid question. It didn’t matter. He was there, and he wanted to talk. That was all that mattered.
“Hello, Thomas,” I said. “Rather early for you, isn’t it?”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you before the market opened, and you got busy. I thought you might have made some progress in my mother’s murder. Anything you can tell me?”
“Not really,” I said.
“You see,” he went on, “I really need the money from the life insurance. I...I’m not doing well. And I wanted to start rehab. I think I can make it this time, if I have something to fall back on. I think it’s always the fear of having nothing that makes me turn to drugs.”
“I understand, I really do. And I wish I could help, but frankly, there hasn’t been any real breakthroughs. We’re pretty much at a standstill.”
Thomas’ face soured. His lips thinned, and his voice became a kind of a hiss.
“Don’t kid me,” he said. “We both know David did it. Everyone knows he did it. Blind people know he did it. Deaf people know he did it. Half the dead in the graveyard know he did it. I don’t know what’s keeping you and that deadhead deputy from arresting my stepfather. Any moron could do it.”
“Thomas, it isn’t that simple. We have to have evidence before we can make an arrest. And we don’t have evidence at the moment. To arrest now would lead to an acquittal. That would be disastrous.”
“Liar! You’re protecting him, just like all the rest. You’re just working against me, making it impossible for me to get what’s coming to me. Well, let me clue you in on something, Elle. You need to take care of our mutual problem now. If you don’t...”
He sputtered to a close and then rushed by, half knocking me over with his shoulder. The message was clear. If he didn’t get his way, he would resort to something physical. I stared after him, half a mind to chase him down and subject him to a painful spell.
“Are you all right?”
I turned. Jason was standing a few feet away.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Good. Because I’m going to collar that ill-bred fool and arrest him for assault. He doesn’t get to knock you over and get away with it.”
“He hardly knocked me over. And I can take care of myself, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“I notice everything about you.”
I blushed, but then, so did he. We looked sheepishly at each other, as if we were in Junior High.
“Well, if you’re not hurt,” he began.
“No, I’m fine. Besides, if Thomas is the murderer, you’ll have ample time to arrest him. If he’s not the murderer, we’ll just have to let it go.”
“You make sense, Elle. But watch out. Users are always unpredictable. Mainly, because they never have complete control of themselves. A moment might come when they simply break.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Jason left, and I wandered back to my booth. I knew I was going to get a bruise from the bump. That bothered me. Still, I opened my booth. Gus and Emmy arrived. I didn’t bother telling them about Thomas. It wasn’t that big a deal. All went well, as well as could be expected—until Delilah smiled her way to my table.
CHAPTER 27
“Elle,” Delilah said. “How good to see you. What a glorious day. You know, I’ve been running Betty’s booth for a few days, and well, it’s done well. David asked me to check with you and make sure I wasn’t violating any rules. You know, I wouldn’t want to be accused of acting out of place.”
“Why me?” I asked.
“Well, because, you work with George White, the manager. You’re on the reopening committee, aren’t you?”
“I am. And if David wants you to reopen the booth, well, I don’t think anyone will protest that.”
“Oh good, I’ll be taking Betty’s place.”
I frowned, as I couldn’t possibly accept Delilah in Betty’s place.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Delilah said. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought you should know that it was David who wants me to run the booth.”
“I understand,” I said. “I didn’t mean to take it the wrong way. What a pretty necklace.” I tried to change the subject, as talking about Betty was not what I wanted to do.
“You like it?” Delilah asked. “David gave it to me.”
“It looks expensive,” I said.
“It is, it is. David has such good taste. I’ve never had anything like it. Oh, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not that. He said I deserved it because I was doing so well at the shop and booth. And I have been working hard. Everyone thought Betty was as neat as a pin, but that’s hardly the truth. I’ve had a time getting all the accounts in order. And when you add the duties here at the market, well, it’s been a struggle, a real struggle.”
“You look as if you’re holding up,” I said.
“I am, but only because I have reserves of energy, large reserves. I sleep well. That’s the secret, Elle. If you can sleep well, you can do anything. It’s the worry that gets to most people. They simply can’t recharge their engines.”
Delilah chattered on for another ten minutes, while I politely listened. In that ten minutes, Delilah took more credit than could possibly be dished out. It was enough to make me cringe. She might have gone on for another ten minutes, if Gus hadn’t run up and brushed against her leg. That made her jump.
“Oh, hey, he doesn’t bite, does he?” Delilah asked.
“Not unless he has to,” I replied.
She looked at me and laughed. “I hear you. Well, I’m going to the booth. If I’m doing anything wrong, you’ll tell me, won’t you?”
“I will,” I said. “Enjoy the day.”
“Oh, I will, I will.”
I watched Delilah walk away, and I was puzzled. On the one hand, she seemed thoroughly engaged with the flower shop and the booth. She enjoyed the work. More, she was obviously pretty competent. On the other hand, she sported more than a little bling she had been given by David. What did that mean? Was the shop making that much money? Or had David borrowed an enormous sum against the insurance money? I couldn’t answer the questions, and I told myself I was wasting time. I didn’t need to worry about Delilah. She seemed to be doing just fine.
Toward the end of the day, Millie dropped by. She wanted to know about the reopening celebration and the band and the setup. I told her all I knew, promising that George would be sending out messages as the event neared. Millie was fine with that. She assured me that she and the other vendors were ready to do their part. At that point, she turned the conversation to another topic—Delilah.
“I don’t know if you’re aware of it,” Millie said. “But Delilah is little more than a tart. Before she hooked up with David, she liked to visit the Abbot Pub, where it is said she could drink any of them men under the table. It was also rumored that she went home with the man she fancied. It was a matter of money. She picked the ones who might be flush that night. Oh, I’m sorry. I’m gossiping, aren’t I?”
“You are, but it’s not a mean gossip,” I said. “You think she’s something of a gold digger?”
“That’s a kind way of putting it. I think she thinks first, last, and constantly about Delilah. Women like that can’t be trusted, if you ask me.”
Millie hung around a few more minutes before she said goodbye. I closed up my booth, watching Gus and Emmy skip out, knowing they were going for a romp about town before they came home.
I worked slowly, as I was processing what I had learned about Delilah and David. According to Annie, Delilah was just one of David’s women. According to Delilah, she was merely the manager of the flower shop and booth. Millie painted Delilah as a money-crazed tart, who could find joy with almost any man. What was I to think?
On the way home, I concentrated on the David-Delilah relationship. What if there was something more to it than employer and employee? Given Delilah’s love of money and David’s wastrel ways, could they possibly get along? I didn’t see it. They were too different. And I guessed, where money was concerned, Delilah wasn’t about to condone David’s spending. I guessed she wasn’t about to tie herself to a loser. She would leave him to the other women he slept with. Women like Delilah looked out for number one.
At home, I pushed the David-Delilah problem out of my mind. I had other things to think about. Since I hadn’t heard from Tabitha or any of the other dark witches, I considered myself mostly out of the woods. What had been done could not be undone, so there was no reason to come after me. I felt better about that. Sleep came quickly.
The next day was a shop day. I opened with Gus and Emmy by my side. I hadn’t been open long before the door opened.
“Hello, David,” I said.
CHAPTER 28
Contrition was not something easily faked, at least not in my estimation. So, David’s stooped posture and lowered gaze rang true to me. He approached the counter and forced a small smile.
“I’m sorry, Elle,” he began.
“For what?” I asked.
“For my life,” he answered. “I’ve made a mess of things, and I need to tell someone about it.”
“Go on.” I wasn’t sure why he had chosen me as confessor, but I was willing to listen, although I knew full well I couldn’t absolve him of his sins. That act was reserved for some higher power.
“I’ve been truly stupid,” he continued. “I had a very good wife, and I treated her badly. I’m not sure why I’m the way I am. It seems I have a need to be with women who are not my wife. It’s a failing. I’ve finally come to realize that it’s a fault, not a feature. I don’t need to chase women. I...well, I know now that I need to change.”
“Tell me,” I said, “how many mistresses did you have. Because, I know that Annie is gone. That leaves who?”
“I had two mistresses,” he said and looked at the floor. “Betty knew about Annie, even though we tried to be discreet. It was when Betty found out about my other mistress that everything went to hell. That was when she decided to divorce me. I had no idea she even knew. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“Who was it?”
“Delilah. And that was the real kicker. She worked for Betty, who took the affair as a personal affront. Delilah wasn’t supposed to betray her boss. I shouldn’t have started it. I was so stupid.”
“So, it was the second mistress, Delilah, that caused Betty to file for divorce and cut off the money?”
David nodded. “That was a shock. I thought I was going to get away with it forever.”
Looking at David’s hang-dog expression, I suddenly knew who the killer was.
“David, I have to leave,” I said. “A meeting. But before I go, I want you to remember this confession. You’re not absolved of your bad behavior, but you do have a chance to change. You can become the person you need to become.”
“I’m going to change, Elle, I really am. I’m sorry it took a murder for me to see the damage I’ve caused.”
David left, and I turned to Gus and Emmy. “Hold down the fort,” I said. “I have business.”
“Need help?” Gus asked.
“No, I can handle this.”
I grabbed my phone and ran out the door. As I hurried, I called Jason and asked him to meet me at the flower shop. I didn’t tell him why. He said he would meet me. Then, I called Delilah and told her I needed to see Betty’s office.
“Why?” Delilah asked.
“I believe there’s some evidence there that will prove Thomas is the killer.”
“Of course, you can take a look,” Delilah said. “I’ve just opened, but that shouldn’t prove a problem.”
Delilah, in a blue smock, greeted me as I entered the shop. The flower scents welcomed me, and I remembered the pleasant times I had spent with Betty. Flowers were nature’s way of calming the nerves.
“The office is open,” Delilah said.
I walked past her and in
to the workroom.
“That’s not the office,” Delilah said.
“I know.” I looked around the room, at the tape that matched what had sealed the plastic bag over Betty’s head.
“You know,” I said. “You should have been more discreet.”
“What are you talking about?”
“How did Betty discover that you were David’s other mistress?”
“I wasn’t. That’s just some silly rumor.”
“It’s not.” I looked Delilah in the eyes. “David admitted to that not fifteen minutes ago. He told me that you were the reason Betty filed for divorce. You were the reason Betty was cutting off the money.”
Delilah’s face changed. The “wonder” look disappeared, and she wore the mien of a cunning fox.
“You’re too good, Elle. I didn’t think you could get that stupid David to admit to the affair. He’s such an idiot. He was the reason Betty found out. The ever-wooing David left a card here in the shop. He thought Betty was stuck at the Farmer’s Market, and she was...until it rained. She came back early, found the card, and well, Betty was no dunce.”
“So, you killed her. Why?”
“For the money. Why else?” Delilah moved to the worktable, sharp shears within easy reach. “The problem with having money is that you get used to it. Once you’re used to it, you find you can’t live without it. I didn’t need David. I did need the money. I knew that once Betty was out of the way, I could get David to do anything I wanted. He’s not all that bright.”
“Did you give her any warning at all?” I asked.
Delilah shrugged. “No, not really. She was in the middle of firing me, of telling me I was going to be poor again, when I simply grabbed the plastic bag and well, you know the rest.”
“You put her in the port-a-potty to throw off everyone,” I said.
“I did.” Delilah picked up the shears. “I don’t think I’ll take your body to the market. A nice drive in the country will be good enough for you.”
Third Crime's a Charm (A Farmer's Market Witch Mystery Series Book 2) Page 10