by Abigail Keam
“Whom did you say is the benefactor of this exhibit again?”
Teddy gave a whisper of a smile. “I didn’t.”
“Forgive me, but I thought you did.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m afraid the information is confidential. Nice try, though. Any special reason you need to know?”
“I don’t like secrets. That’s all.”
Teddy smiled until his dimples showed. “I don’t think that’s quite true, Josiah. May I call you by your Christian name? I believe you have lots of secrets. It’s other people’s secrets that you don’t appreciate. I hear you’re very good at rooting them out.”
“Moi?” I gently rested a hand on my chest, trying to present a picture of innocence. “What secrets could I possibly have? I’m an open book.”
“Lying doesn’t suit you. I thought we were closer than that,” Teddy replied, looking intently into my eyes as he sidled closer to me.
I detected cologne, soap, peppermint mouthwash, and the slight tinge of sweat. My heart starting beating faster.
For a moment I thought he was going to bend down and kiss me. Instead, he breathed in my hair and made his way slowly down my neck and shoulders, blowing softly on my skin. Oh, dear!
“I always thought lying suited me quite well,” I replied laughing. Uh-oh. Be careful, Josiah. This man could charm the bloomers off a nun. “If we’re so close, you should call me Josiah.”
“Unusual name for a woman–that of a Hebrew king.”
“I see you’ve read your Bible.”
“King James version,” he replied with a wry smile.
“Of course.”
Teddy peered into the ballroom. “I’m so sorry, but I should welcome new guests, so you must excuse me. But before I go, I would like to ask if I might see you–socially.”
“I don’t know,” I answered, somewhat dazed. I wasn’t expecting this kind of interest from such a handsome and debonair man and, as usual, acted like a complete dolt.
“I shall come for you tomorrow. Around one o’clock, I should think. If I’m going to be later, I’ll ring.”
“Let me give you my number.”
“I know your number, dear lady, and where you live. You’re not the only one with connections.” Teddy picked up my hand and lightly kissed it. “Au revoir.”
I think I curtsied or something equally stupid. Oh, why couldn’t I be a sophisticated dame like Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame instead of Mammy Yokum from Li’l Abner?
I watched Teddy saunter into the soft light of the ballroom. Finding a chair, I sat down until I composed my fluttering heart. This was so silly at my age, but I was exhilarated to learn I could still feel . . . you know, feel that spark that goes down to your loins. I thought that after Jake left, that would be the end of that, but now I might have a reprieve.
There is no aphrodisiac like hope.
23
The gala was winding down. I was worn out, but I went into the kitchen to help Eunice clean up. Luckily she had everything under control and shooed me away.
I was wondering where to go when Shaneika strolled in wearing a glittering Chanel sheath with matching headpiece highlighted with ostrich feathers. “Mom, someone spilled their drink on my dress,” Shaneika whined.
“Here, baby, let me put this on it,” replied Eunice reaching for club soda. “You’re the fourth woman tonight to get a spill on your dress.”
“Everyone is getting soused and sloppy,” complained Shaneika, taking in the kitchen. “Oh, hello Josiah,” she said as she laid eyes on me. “Didn’t see you when I came in.”
“You look marvelous,” I gushed. “Just like you stepped out of the Roaring Twenties or an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.”
Shaneika beamed. “This is my great-great grandmother’s. Mom is the real owner.” She added, “Hurry, Mom, Mike is waiting.”
Eunice looked up from patting club soda on Shaneika’s dress. “I never liked that era of clothing, so I gave it to Shaneika. I’m too bosomy for that style.”
“And your great, great grandmother would be?” I asked, hoping to get an answer.
Shaneika laughed and her mother grinned, but neither said a word.
Darn it. When were those two going to spill about their ancestors?
It had to wait, though, since my left leg was starting to tremble. I had been standing for several hours, and now was going to have to find a seat somewhere, and quickly. Fortunately for me, Liam retrieved a chair, and I gratefully planted my bum on it, while Malcolm brought me a glass of ice water and a small plate of leftover hors d’oeuvres. There weren’t many left, but Eunice divided what was left, putting them in Reynolds Wrap and sharing with the staff. There was a happy buzz among the employees while cleaning up.
That is until Walter Neff walked through the swinging kitchen door with a worried look on his face and became a killjoy.
“Toots, is Bunny back here?”
“Bunny still hasn’t made contact? Hey, Eunice, have you seen Bunny Witt recently?”
“The President of the United States could have come through and I wouldn’t have noticed. I was too busy,” Eunice replied, stacking trays.
“Anyone?” called out Walter, anxiously scanning the kitchen staff. “Anyone see a woman in a red dress come through here, or see her anywhere else in this joint?”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked questioningly at each other.
“I saw a woman in a red dress with you,” asserted Malcolm.
“That was around a little before nine o’clock?”
“I don’t know, man. I was too busy to look at the time.”
“Did you seen her again, by herself or with someone?” asked Walter.
“Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I can’t say that I did. Besides, there were lots of women in red dresses here tonight.”
An alarm bell started to go off in my head. I put my hands on the arms of the chair and lifted myself up.
Walter looked expectantly at the staff, but no one said anything else.
I could see the hope die in his face.
“Malcolm, go find Mr. McPherson and bring him here. If you see Liam, tell him I need him,” I ordered.
“He’s loading up Mrs. Todd’s car, but I’ll get him once I find this McPherson guy.” Malcolm rushed through the kitchen door.
Eunice brought over a glass of ice water for Walter. “Here, baby. Drink this. Sorry, but it’s all we have. Everything’s been packed, and the coffee machine is turned off.”
Walter gratefully accepted the water and took a long sip. “Thank you. I didn’t realize I was so thirsty.”
Eunice nodded and said, “Worry takes it out of a person. Always better to drink water when that happens. It fills up the empty places in a person that worry saps.”
“Walter, she probably had someone take her home,” I suggested.
“I hope that’s it, but I have a bad feeling about this. My elbow is twitching and that always means trouble. I knew my luck couldn’t last.”
“You’re such a drama queen,” I remarked. “Bunny is probably back at Ravensnest, in bed with a headache.”
At that moment, Teddy McPherson strode into the kitchen using the servants’ stairs with Malcolm following.
Teddy asked, “This young chap says there’s a problem. One of the guests can’t be found.”
Walter spoke up, “I came with Mrs. Bunny Witt, and I haven’t seen her for over a couple of hours.”
“Perhaps she is out in the parking lot chatting with other guests?”
“I checked. She’s not there,” disclosed Walter.
“Perhaps she went home with someone else. Sorry, old man, but that does happen,” replied Teddy.
“Possibly, but not likely. I want this house checked or I’m calling the police.”
Seeing that Walter was resolute, Teddy acquiesced. “Very well, then. Let’s check the garden first. She might have gone for a walk and stumbled. It’s not very well lit.” He turned his attention to the
staff, “Please continue packing. We are to vacate the premises by midnight or we all turn into pumpkins.”
There was a slight twitter among the young staff, but Eunice ordered everyone back to work.
In the meantime, Malcolm had found Liam. When Walter and Thaddeus started out the back door, I grabbed Walter’s arm. “Liam and I will search upstairs. If she’s up there, we’ll find her.”
Walter gave Liam a quick once-over and nodded. Apparently he recognized a fellow ne’er-do-well when he saw one.
“If this woman is in the building, I’ll find her, mate.” assured Liam.
Walter quickly muttered “thanks” before racing after Teddy, who was already out the back door.
I said to Liam, “This is so like the silly woman to put everyone to all this trouble. She’s at home watching reruns of Murder She Wrote.”
“Let’s make sure of that,” replied Liam, heading up the servants’ stairs with me following. He stopped suddenly. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going to help you,” I replied. “This is an enormous mansion.”
“Aye, t’is, but you’ll be of no use. Look at yourself with your leg twitching. You’ll just slow me down, colleen.”
I was feeling a little peaked and was glad someone smacked me down for once. “Malcolm, go with Liam,” I barked. “Make sure you check all the bathrooms, closets, and even under the beds. You could hide a brass band under those four-posters.”
Happy to be free of the drudgery of cleaning up, Malcolm practically danced up the stairs behind Liam.
I eased back into my chair and waited.
24
The upstairs was searched. No Bunny.
The exhibit rooms were searched. No Bunny.
The garden was searched. No Bunny.
The parking lot was searched. No Bunny.
The remaining cars were searched. No Bunny.
The trunks of the remaining cars were searched. No Bunny.
The cellar was searched. No Bunny.
Walter finally got hold of the farm manager, who went over to the Ravensnest mansion. No Bunny.
Where was Bunny Witt of the Philadelphia Witts?
25
I was becoming alarmed, although I tried not to show it. Chances were Bunny was in a bar, having a drink with a man she met at the gala. While I could applaud her for having the good sense to dump Walter Neff, I was going to brain her for panicking everyone, including Walter Neff.
I sat in my chair by the back door and watched Eunice efficiently restore the commercial kitchen to its former state of sparkling cleanliness, all the time wondering if we were destroying a crime scene.
I am not paranoid!!! Nasty things do happen to people.
Finally, everything was washed, dried, put up, stored, mopped, and disinfected. We had fifteen minutes to spare until midnight.
I went to find Teddy McPherson so he could lock up after us, and found him in the mansion’s office with Walter perusing a map of the estate.
“Should we call the police?” asked Teddy, looking strained.
Walter shook his head. “They’ll take a statement, but won’t start lookin’ for her until twenty-four hours is up.”
I knocked on the open door.
They both looked up.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but Mrs. Todd is finished and we would like to leave.”
“Of course,” replied Teddy, folding the map.
“Walter, Bunny will turn up. You’ll see,” I said.
“I hope so. I’ve never had a client just disappear on me,” replied Walter, tugging at his droopy bowtie. He looked rumpled and tired.
Teddy grabbed a key. “I’ll escort you all to your cars.”
“That would be appreciated,” I replied.
We met Eunice waiting by the back door. Everyone else had left.
Giving the kitchen one last glance, Teddy, Eunice, and I descended the back steps to the brick sidewalk, while Walter watched us from a window.
Teddy offered to take the serving trays Eunice was carrying. She gratefully handed them over, as they were heavy.
He hurried to the parking lot, where there were only four cars left.
The sidewalk was badly lit, but the full moon was helpful in lighting the brick walkway. There was a slight breeze, and I thought I heard something.
“Did you hear that?” I asked Eunice.
“No. Let’s go. This place is creepy after dark.”
“It sounded like a shutter slamming against the house or a screen door bouncing on its hinges. Wait! There is goes again. Did you hear it this time, Eunice?”
Walter opened the back door and came out on the back stairs with a flashlight. “Something wrong, Toots?”
“I hear something banging,” I called back.
Walter quickly joined us. “Where?”
I pointed over to a group of buildings which included a carriage house, an ice house, and a root cellar.
“I checked those already,” confirmed Walter, looking disappointed.
“Did you actually go into them?” I asked.
“I flashed the light in. Just saw a bunch of moldy bricks and cobwebs.”
Teddy joined us minus the serving trays, which he must have stored by Eunice’s car. “What’s happening?”
Walter thumbed toward the group of buildings. “Josiah says she hears something banging. I don’t.”
“Let’s check it out,” suggested Teddy. “Mrs. Witt could be injured and signaling for help.”
We marched in a tight group over to the buildings. The wind had picked up, creating ominous shadows against the poorly lit pathway.
“There!” I exclaimed, pointing. “It’s the side door to the carriage house.”
Indeed, the side door was bouncing about on its rusty hinges.
Teddy leaned into the doorway of the carriage house and felt about for a light switch. Suddenly the building was flooded with light, which spilled outside onto the pea gravel path where we stood. Eunice and I quickly went inside the well-lit carriage house.
I now know why ancient man feared the dark. It’s menacing.
“Mrs. Witt,” called Teddy. “Mrs. Witt, are you here?”
Walter began looking inside a nineteenth-century hansom while Teddy checked underneath a 1954 Packard after looking inside.
There were some antique camelback chests in need of restoration parked in a corner. On impulse, I opened one wondering if I would find some handmade quilts or some forgotten treasure.
“Oh, God!” I squeaked.
“What is it?” asked Eunice, hurrying to my side. She peered down into the chest. “Oh, my Lord.”
“Walter!” I called. “Come over here. I just found Bunny Witt of the Philadelphia Witts–and she’s dead.”
26
“Haven’t you retired yet, Goetz?” I asked from the front seat of my car. Beyond Detective Goetz, I could see the coroner lift the bagged body of Bunny Witt into his van. I hadn’t much cared for Bunny, but she didn’t deserve to be murdered and stuffed into an old trunk.
“The job at the DA’s ain’t open yet. Waiting for another guy to retire, so I can take his place.”
I pursed my lips. “Don’t you think that taking this case amounts to a conflict of interest?”
“If I recused myself from every murder where I was acquainted with someone, nothing would ever get investigated. Lexington’s a small town.”
“You should make an exception where I’m concerned.”
“You sure got a big chip on your shoulder, lady. Get over it.”
“That’s because I’m worried you’re going to deep-six me, afraid I might tell that you killed O’nan, but I would never drop a dime on you. You should know that.”
“Listen to you. What a drama queen. I guess it never occurred to you that you’re in as deep as I am.”
“How do you figure?”
“’Cause you never went to the authorities with that information, so now you’re an accomplice after the
fact. Also, it apparently has never occurred to you that I would just say you paid me to kill him. If you squeal, you go to prison, too.”
It took a moment to dawn on me that Goetz was right.
“You know, you’re pretty lousy at being grateful to someone who saved your life,” he spat out.
“Oh, I’m grateful. I’m just lousy at trusting anyone, especially you.
“If I hadn’t taken O’nan out, your daughter would have sooner or later, only you would have been dead by then.”
Before I could respond, Walter wandered over and asked, “What are you two whispering about?” Poor Walter. He looked disheveled and bewildered.
“Goetz was asking questions about Mrs. Witt,” I replied, wondering if Walter had overheard anything.
“What about my Bunny?” asked Walter.
I stifled the urge to snicker and tried to look sincere. The operative word is “tried.”
“She’s dead,” replied Goetz, brutally.
“I know that,” growled Walter. “But how?”
“Won’t know until the coroner’s report. How was the body discovered?” Goetz got his little notebook and stubby pencil out of his shirt pocket.
“The women were leaving when Toots heard a noise. Mrs. Todd, Mr. McPherson, Toots, and me went to investigate. We found the side door to the carriage house open and banging in the wind.”
“Who is Toots?”
“I’m afraid I am,” I replied.
Goetz gave Walter a curious look. “Who actually discovered the body?”
“I’m afraid I did,” I admitted.
“What made you open the trunk?”
“I thought I might find an antique quilt. I don’t know. It was an impulse, I guess.”
“So you go looking for a missing person and you get sidetracked looking for an old quilt?”
“I know. It sounds terrible.”
“What happened after you found the body?”
“I slammed the lid of the trunk shut, and Mr. McPherson called the police.”
“If Bunny Witt was missing during the gala, why didn’t you call the police earlier?”