Before I could leave for my mission, Taryn hurried into the room and waved an envelope in the air. I sat back down and waited for her to come to me.
When she got to me, she thrust the envelope into my hands. “Here are the pictures from last year. I thought you’d like to see them and maybe get a few ideas.”
I didn’t know what difference they could make now that we were well on our way with the decorating, but I took them. May as well see what they looked like.
“Thank you, Taryn. Let’s look at them over on that empty table.” I managed to hold on to the envelope and make it to the table. There we spread the pictures out and examined them.
Most of them were of tables filled with our people, all smiling and happy for the camera. I noticed a few close-ups and picked up a few. I couldn’t stop my grin at the one of Ben and me at our table. We did make a fine-looking couple. I shoved it aside to keep from going down that rabbit trail and picked up the next one.
My mouth dropped open, and a gasp escaped before I could capture it and hold it back.
“Are you okay, Abigail?”
I blinked my eyes and cleared my throat. “I’m fine.” I grasped the picture. “Do you mind if I borrow a few of these? I want to look at more, but I’m tired and need to go back to my cottage. I’ll bring them back this evening.”
“No that’s fine.” She quirked an eyebrow at me, but I had nothing more to say.
I gathered a few of the pictures in a way that wouldn’t give her a clue as to the one I was really interested in examining further.
I spotted Ben finally arriving and motioned for him to come to me. When he reached me, I handed him the pictures. “Take these and walk back with me to my place. I need to check something.”
Ben furrowed his brow and took the pictures from me. He waved at Harry. “I’m walking Abby back home. We’ll see you when you finish.”
I grinned and shook my head. “That ought to whet his curiosity.”
Ben followed me out the door. “Okay, what’s up? I can tell by the look in your eye that you’re on to something.
“I think I may have just figured out who killed Pete."
Chapter 20
Ben stopped short and stared at me. “You did what?”
“I think I figured out who killed Pete. Now let’s get to my cottage where we’ll have some privacy. I’ll tell you about it when we get there.”
“It must have something to do with these pictures. I saw Taryn bring them in to you.”
“Yes, but hush until we’re inside.” I picked up speed and made it to my door without him asking more questions.
Ben followed me. “Abby Billings, you’re almost as fast on those crutches as you are walking. Slow down.”
“Not until we’re inside.” I clomped up onto the porch and unlocked my door. Once inside, I made it over to the table and plopped down in a chair, worn out from the walk. “Ben, let Mitzi out. She should be okay, but she doesn’t need to be cooped up in her box.”
He shook his head, but went to her box and opened it. I heard him telling her to behave because I was too tired to take care of her. I had to chuckle at how he was talking to her now like I did. Ben had finally accepted Mitzi, and she responded to him now even better than she had before. Maybe the two of them would get along after all.
While I waited for Ben to return, I spread the pictures out, and then pulled the earring from the drawer. I held it in my closed fist when he came back to the table.
“Look at these pictures and see if you see the same thing I did.”
He bent over and perused them for a few minutes before shaking his head and straightening up. “I just see our friends and some of the staff having a good time at last year’s dinner.”
I pointed to the one that had attracted my attention. “Look closely at this one.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure, but . . .” He picked up the picture to examine it more closely. “She’s wearing an earring that looks like the one you found.”
“Yes! That’s it!” I opened my fist. “Here, see, it’s one and the same.”
He studied them both again. “You’re right. We have to let the police know about this for sure now.” He laid the picture with the rest. “I’m going back to get Harry and Noreen. They both need to know about this. They can help us decide what to do with the information.”
Before I could respond, he was through the door and on his way back up to the dining hall. I started thinking about all the other signs of something being wrong since Pete’s death. This new suspect had been on the list of women Pete had been involved with in the past, and her behavior had been a little odd on more than one occasion since then.
We did need to let the detective know, but it would spoil the excitement of tonight. On the other hand, if we didn’t, our suspect may disappear. I was sure glad I didn’t have to make that decision alone.
In five minutes Ben returned with Harry and Noreen in tow. Harry blew out his breath and shook his head. “Now tell us what this is all about. Ben wouldn’t tell us anything except you knew who killed Pete.”
“Is that true, Abby? Do you really know who killed him?”
“I can’t say for sure, Noreen, but Ben and I both agree it’s suspicious. I just need to know what to do with the information.”
I showed them both the picture and the earring and explained how I came to have the earring.
“Oh my, no wonder you had so many questions about mine like that. I remember now seeing her wear them to work before.” Noreen chewed on her bottom lip. “This isn’t good at all, but it looks like you’re right.”
“Okay, so what are we going to do about it? I sure don’t want to spoil the fun for everyone tonight, but we do need to tell Detective Forester about it don’t you think?”
Harry snapped his fingers. “Yes, we do, and I’ll take care of that. I’ll go down to the station now and explain to him what we suspect and know and tell him about the dinner tonight. Most likely he’ll wait or do some investigating on his own before making any arrests.”
“If he does, then the dinner can go off without a hitch. The only thing I’m worried about is her getting away. With this being the weekend and all, if the police start questions again, she might up and disappear.” I wasn’t sure that would happen with this woman, but we had to think of every possibility.
“Oh dear, that may be why she’s taken off the past few days. We need to let that detective know soon as possible. She’s supposed to be back at work on Monday, but that doesn’t mean she will.” Noreen jumped up from her chair. “I’ve got to get back and make sure everything’s running smoothly for tonight. I also have an idea as to how to get her here.”
“I’m leaving as well to head straight for the station.” Harry picked up the picture and the earring. “I’m taking these with me to show Forester. He can decide what to do with them from there.”
Ben patted my arm. “If you’re sure you’ll be okay, I’m going on back to help the ladies finish up. Don’t want them to think I’m shirking my duties.”
They all left me at the table still garnering my thoughts into a clearer picture. I patted Mitzi’s head. “What could have made a woman so angry that she had to kill Pete? The only thing I could think of was jealousy. She probably didn’t intend to kill him, but that’s what happened, and whether or not it would make a difference was up to the police to decide.
Mitzi tilted her head and stared at me as though she knew she’d had a part in solving this mystery.
The question now was when and where would Detective Forester make the arrest. I sure didn’t want the dinner tonight to be overshadowed by it. I had to trust Harry to do and say whatever would bring the best results.
After a quick nap, I dressed for the dinner. No word had come from Harry or Ben as to what would be done about Pete’s murder. All kinds of scenarios ran through my mind, and none of them were very good. Then I had to remember, our suspect may not even be at the dinner tonight. It wasn’t a requirement for h
er, and she’d been off a few days, so whatever happened with any arrests or confrontations may be nowhere near Spring Hills.
Ben arrived promptly at seven, ready to wheel me to our destination. After I settled in the chair, I was ready for some answers. “Do you know what Harry and Forester decided for tonight?”
He pushed me to the porch and turned to lock the door. “No. All Harry said was that it was all taken care of, and I trust him with that. So, let’s go enjoy dinner with our friends.”
Noreen Jensen met us at the door. “I’m glad to see you two. I wanted you to know she’ll be here tonight. I asked Steve to do me a favor and ask her as a date. He did, and she accepted. I don’t think she knows we’re suspicious.”
I pressed my hand to my chest. “That’s good, but won’t her arrest ruin the party?”
“No, Harry and that detective worked it out with me. You’ll see. It’ll be fine.”
At this point all I could do was trust her and the others. Ben wheeled me into the dining room and over to our table. After I sat in my chair beside Bessie, Ben stored the wheelchair out of the way and joined us.
Oh how I wanted to quiz Harry as to what had happened at the police station, but with the others sitting there, I kept my mouth shut. A tiny miracle for me with all that was going on behind the scenes.
Conversation ranged from the Bridge tournament coming up soon to who would be our new Harvest King and Queen. With everything else going on, I prayed it wouldn’t be Ben or me.
I noticed Carrie was there, and she sat with some of the other staff members at a table on the other side of the room. She didn’t look very happy even though those around her seemed to be enjoying the festivities.
After the comedian presented his program filled with jokes to which we could all relate. Taryn took to the microphone. All conversation ceased, and we waited for the big announcement. Four men and four women had been nominated, but Taryn didn’t waste time with runners-up. After thanking the committee for the work they’d done and the staff for their part, she finally held up an envelope.
“Here are the names of our Harvest King and Queen for this year.” She grinned and waved it around for a moment before opening it and pulling out the sheet. “This year’s Harvest King and Queen are Oren Hudson and Elizabeth Greene.”
I clapped hard right along with the rest of them with my heart thanking the Lord I hadn’t been named. Elizabeth was quiet, but well loved by everyone, and I was happy for her and for Oren.
Ben didn’t look all that pleased, so I poked him with my elbow. “We don’t have time for this right now, so it’s a good thing we weren’t elected.”
“I suppose you’re right.” He glanced over at Harry as people began preparing to leave and return to their apartments or cottages. “Time to get our show on the road.”
Harry stood and leaned toward me. “Follow me to Noreen’s office.”
Ben nodded, retrieved the chair and wheeled me to the office. Curiosity as to how this was all going to go down set my heart to pounding and nerves tangling. When we entered Noreen’s office, she asked us to take our places around the room.
In the next moment, the door opened, and Steve entered with Carrie. At the sight of us in the room, her face blanched, and she stepped backward against Steve.
Carrie clutched her hands so that her knuckles turned white, but she took a seat by Noreen’s desk. This whole thing didn’t seem right, but I didn’t exactly know for sure about proper procedures. I decided to sit quietly by and see what happened.
Noreen laid the earring on the desk. “Do you recognize this piece of jewelry, Carrie?”
Carrie pressed her hands into her lap and swallowed. She shook her head. “No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.”
My mouth dropped open. Who was she trying to kid? I had proof the earring was hers.
Chapter 21
Harry glanced at me and our gazes locked. She was lying, and we knew it. However, he kept his face as blank as a fresh sheet of paper. That must be why he was such a good cop. He let the detective do his job.
Noreen turned the picture over. “Then how did you happen to be wearing them at last years’ fall dinner?”
Carrie crumpled in her seat with tears filling her eyes.
Before either Ben or I could warn her, words spilled from her mouth. “I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t even know Pete was dead until y’all told me later.”
Noreen rose and went around the desk to kneel before Carrie. “Tell me what happened.” She handed Carrie a tissue.
Carrie sniffed back her tears, and I wanted to go and hug her myself. She wasn’t a bad person, and I did feel sorry for her. I wanted to hear her story as much as anyone right now.
“Pete broke up with me last spring. I thought he was getting serious and might ask me to marry him, but he left me instead. I started to quit my job so I wouldn’t have to see him, but decided I liked it here too much to do that. I was still mad at him, but since our jobs didn’t really bring us into contact, I decided to stay.”
Noreen patted her arm. “I can understand that, honey, but why did you argue with him that day?”
Her tissue was in shreds by now, but she continued to tear at it. “I overheard him talking and then arguing with Maria about money for her little girl. Pete had won all that money and now he wanted to give it to her. I was furious. Then when everyone was at breakfast, I went out to confront him and found him at the flowerbeds by your cottage, Mrs. Billings.”
I nodded and waited for her to continue.
“We got into an argument about what he was doing with his money, and he said it was none of my business. I said I didn’t want to see Maria hurt like he’d hurt me. He actually laughed at me and said he loved Maria and he’d never loved me. Then he turned around to work on your azaleas.”
The tears flowed freely now, and she had to stop to catch her breath before she continued. “That made me absolutely furious, so I picked up a rock from the flower bed and hit him from behind. He fell forward but I ran away and left him there. I thought he was alive and just stunned.”
Noreen hugged her. “I’m so sorry, Carrie, but we have to let Detective Forester know. I wish you had come forward at the time and explained this.”
“I couldn’t. I was so afraid no one would believe me that I kept my mouth shut.”
She looked at me, blinking back tears. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Billings, but I was so upset with you because you wouldn’t leave things alone. That’s why I finally had to take a few days off. When I found out about that thing in his stomach, it made me sick. I panicked because I knew y’all would think I did it.”
She was right. If we’d known right away she was that mystery woman, we’d have turned her in without hearing her story. Now I wasn’t so sure about anything.
Noreen rose to open the door and Forester entered. He glared at me, but then he smiled. “Thank you for giving us the last piece of evidence we needed for an arrest. I should be angry because you withheld it so long, and I was at first, but then Harry convinced me you couldn’t have known it meant anything since it could have come from anywhere.”
Just as well he didn’t know I’d suspected it to be a clue from the very beginning. Noreen hid her smile, and I remembered our conversation about that very earring only last week. She knew the truth, but she wouldn’t say anything.
Detective Forester approached Carrie with handcuffs. “Carrie Watkins, you’re under arrest for the murder of Pete Simpson.”
Carrie cringed and bowed her head. Detective Forester read her rights and said he was taking her down to the station for questioning.
Ben jumped up beside me. “Don’t say another word, Carrie. I’m going with you. You need a good lawyer.”
I gasped, and my mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe my ears, but Ben was right. She did need a good lawyer, and he’d been among the best. Maybe things would work out after all.
After they left, I confronted Noreen. “How did Forester get here so
quick?”
“He was already in the building. He arrived during the dinner saying he was here to see Carrie. We convinced him to wait until after the dinner so as not to alarm everyone and ruin their evening. He agreed to wait until now. I think he said something about other evidence, but I don’t know what that may be. I’m glad Ben will be there to help her.”
I was too. His reputation for being one to make sure the truth came out would be put to the test if this one went to trial.
I wheeled myself back to the dining room and our table. Bessie, Clara and Doris were all over me as soon as I arrived.
Bessie grabbed me by the arm. “We saw that detective guy leaving with Carrie and Ben. What happened? What’s going on?”
Clara and Doris pulled up chairs, their faces eager to hear the news themselves. I explained what had happened and why Ben was with Carrie.
“Oh, that poor girl, I feel so sorry for her. She’s not a cold-blooded killer.” Bessie crossed her arms over her ample bosom. “I’m glad Ben is going to look out for her. She’ll need a good attorney, and he’s exactly that.”
Doris pursed her lips and shook her head. “Well, I knew that gal was hiding something, but I never dreamed it was something like this. I guess we all assumed a man killed Pete.”
And they had assumed wrong. I learned early on that assumptions would almost always send me in the wrong direction. That’s why I had kept my eyes and ears open for the mystery woman.
“We’ll have to wait and see what happens now. In the meantime, let’s get this finished and get some rest. I’m worn out.” And I was, but not so much from cleaning up as I was from all that had happened today. What I needed most right now was some time with the Lord and a good night’s sleep.
I headed home and prepared for bed. I prayed for things to work out in a good way for Carrie, swallowed a pain pill, and turned over to sleep.
After a half-way decent night, I decided not to go up to the main building for breakfast. I also decided to go to my home church for services. I simply didn’t feel like fielding a bunch of questions from everyone around here.
Mulch Ado About Murder Page 13