“And yet you are still here.”
“Well, of course.” He puffed out his chest. “Someone has to guide Dolores through all the financial complexities of Willis’s business interests.”
“Oh, I see.” I nodded in pretend agreement. Why would he expect Dolores to rely on him? I was sure she would have accountants and lawyers of her own choosing who could review Willis’s holdings and report their findings to her.
Marla Mae came in. “Good morning, Mrs. Fletcher. Deputy Lascomb called. He can meet you at the Coroner’s Office at ten thirty, if that is convenient.”
“That’s perfect. Dolores and I will be ready in plenty of time. Please let Elton know. Oh, and tell him it could be a very busy day. We have several stops to make.”
Norman gave me a withering look. “Hasn’t Dolores been through enough? Can’t you spare her the ordeal of a visit to the coroner?”
“Stop badgering Jessica, Norman. It was my idea. I want to see Willis one last time.” Dolores’s voice wafted into the room. “Jess, I’ll be right in. I want to check my car. I may need gas. And do we have the address so I can put it in the GPS?”
“Don’t worry about the car. Come in and sit down,” I said. “Have something to eat. I’ve arranged for Marla Mae’s brother, Elton, to bring a car, and he will be our driver for today. I thought that would be less stressful for you.”
“That is genius. I never gave a thought to transportation. Who knows how I will feel . . . later? And I always forget that you don’t drive.” Dressed in a stunning navy blue suit and prim white blouse, Dolores looked like a society matron on her way to an upscale luncheon. She stopped at the breakfront to pour herself a cup of coffee. “I don’t feel like eating, but I do need caffeine.”
“Try some grapes. Break off a bunch and I’ll share it with you.”
Before she got to the table, Norman sprang up to pull out a chair nearer to him than to me. “Sit here, Dolores. I’ve been so sorry not to have seen much of you since the unfortunate . . . Anyway, I wanted to tell you again how sorry I am.”
“Thank you, Norman.” Dolores gave him a tight obligatory smile.
“It’s important that you know I will stand by you financially until you are comfortable managing your own affairs. Take all the time you need. It’s the least I can do for my old partner and friend.”
Dolores pressed her lips together, then swiveled in her seat and said, “Have some grapes, Jessica.” She set the plate of fruit between us.
“Norman,” I said while reaching for some grapes, “the Blomquists were here yesterday and mentioned they are expecting some funding so they can update Jessamine House. Since they are part of your social circle I can’t help wondering if that money will come from your firm.”
He grunted and squirmed, discomfort oozing from every pore. “Actually, that was a project Willis and I discussed at length. Willis was extremely supportive but we never finalized dollar amounts or whether we would prefer a percent of ownership or a low-interest-loan repayment. Of course now you will be party to the negotiations, Dolores.”
“Please, Norman, no business talk, especially at the breakfast table. As you very well know, that was one of Willis’s hard and fast rules: no business at mealtime.”
“Of course, of course. So sorry, but”—Norman gave me an acerbic look—“Jessica did ask. I was merely being polite.”
He excused himself and left the room.
Dolores slumped back in her chair. “Jess, I dread having to work with that man. He’s so infuriating. Whenever he is around I fully understand that old saw ‘He sets my teeth on edge.’”
Marla Mae came to the doorway. “Miss Dolores, Elton is in the kitchen having some muffins and coffee. He wanted me to let you know that he will be ready to leave whenever you ladies say.”
“Twenty minutes or so. I have one last chore to do. Oh, and would you please call the Harrold Brothers Funeral Home and let them know I will be stopping by later today . . . to make arrangements?” Dolores said; then, without missing a beat, she looked at me. “Jess, wait here. I will be right back.”
I took a final bite of my muffin and had barely swallowed it when Dolores was back. She was waving her cell phone. “Come with me, please. I need you to witness something.”
I dropped my napkin on my chair and followed her to Willis’s office.
“Jess, I want this room locked up so tight that Houdini himself couldn’t escape. Would you check the French doors, please?”
I made sure the doors were secure, and when I turned back around I saw Dolores opening mahogany cabinets and snapping pictures of the tabs of the file folders inside. She kept moving from cabinet to cabinet, tapping her phone feverishly. “Now the windows. Make sure they are locked. And please close the drapes.”
At last Dolores stood in front of Willis’s desk and surveyed the room. “Okay, we’re good.”
She closed the heavy oak door, took a key from her pocket, and turned the lock. “There. Now we can go.”
* * *
* * *
Elton was waiting by the car. Today’s bow tie was a subdued black and white checkerboard pattern. He offered his condolences to Dolores, and then settled us each in a captain’s chair in the second row of the Escalade. He pointed to the area behind our seats to let us know we were well prepared for a long day.
“We have a cooler filled with bottles of water and sweet tea. Miss Lucinda was kind enough to pack some fruit, which I put on ice, and she boxed up some muffins. They are right on top of the cooler. Now, tell me, is the Coroner’s Office still our first stop?”
“It is,” I said, “and it was very thoughtful of you and Lucinda to provide refreshments.”
“Sure ’nuff. I am not one to pass up Lucinda’s baked goods, and that’s a fact.” Elton started the engine, and we were on our way.
“Thanks for coming with me, Jess. Although I know plenty of people in this part of South Carolina—not to mention that once I married Willis, my social circle greatly increased—it occurred to me this morning that I don’t have one true friend I can count on who is living nearby.”
“I’m glad that my being here gives you some comfort.” I tried to lighten the conversation. “I must say I enjoyed our little caper this morning, although I am curious as to why we did it.”
Dolores was mystified. “Caper? You make us sound like Thelma and Louise. What are you talking about?”
“Just before we left the house, I was running around locking up the office while you were photographing everything in sight. I followed your orders, boss lady, but I wasn’t sure what was on your mind.”
“To be honest, Willis wasn’t a man who liked to share his financial information, even with me. Take the koi pond. I asked if we could place one along the driveway, and Willis said that it sounded like a terrific idea. When I asked if we could afford it, he just laughed and told me not to worry, that we could afford to buy the house and alter it and the property any way we wanted. Either he was rich as Croesus, or I am now a widow in hock up to her ears.”
I was surprised Dolores even considered that Willis might have been living above his means. It never occurred to me that Willis was pretending to be wealthy, not with everyone around him kowtowing to his every wish and whim.
Dolores continued. “I don’t want anyone—not Clancy, not Norman, not even some expensive accountant—to go through Willis’s papers before I have had a chance to look at them. I can’t handle any more shocks.”
“Surely that can wait. There will be plenty of time in the weeks ahead . . .”
“No. It can’t wait. Evil hubby number one and evil hubby number two each left me penniless. For my own sanity I need to make sure that whatever Willis left, he left in good order. And there’s Abby to consider. Her financial future.”
Abby! I mentally reviewed the conversation between Willis and Clancy I had overheard a c
ouple of nights ago. I had no idea if Willis really intended to make Dolores the trustee of Abby’s trust fund. For all I knew, he was merely tormenting Clancy, as Marjory suggested he was inclined to do.
“Dolores, did you know that Willis had already set up a trust fund for Abby?”
“No, I didn’t. That’s such a relief. She’ll be taken care of. How do you know about the trust and I don’t?”
“I overheard a conversation, but never mind that. What’s important is that you confirm the terms of the trust and the name of the trustee.”
“Wait. Who is her trustee? Clancy, I suppose. Of course it would be. He’s her father.”
I sighed. “That may be so, but the other night Willis was telling Clancy that he was about to be removed as trustee.”
“Removed? Could Willis do that?”
“Well, he seemed absolutely sure he could, and he told Clancy that he wanted to put you in charge of the trust. Clancy vehemently objected and stormed off. I went to the library to pick out a bedtime read, and that was that.”
Even as her eyes welled up with tears, Dolores’s smile was radiant. “Oh, Jess, do you know what this means? Willis loved me and trusted me enough to know I would take care of Abby with all the love in my heart.”
I dug around in my purse and passed her a packet of tissues. “That is pretty much what he said. He was adamant when he told Clancy that you would always have Abby’s best interest at heart. He trusted you, and yes, I do believe he must have loved you very much.”
Elton turned into a long driveway past a bright blue and white sign announcing we were at the county Coroner’s Office. As he pulled into a parking spot, Dolores took out a compact and began fussing with her hair and makeup. “I don’t want to embarrass Willis by showing up tearstained and disheveled. He would want me to look good, to show off the lady he married—his doll. That’s why I wore this outfit. He always said his doll looked extra classy in navy blue.”
When Elton opened the car door he was wearing a dark gray jacket. He helped me out of the car, and then offered his arm to Dolores. “I don’t want to intrude, but I do think, ma’am, it might be useful if I came along inside.”
Dolores slipped her arm through his and walked resolutely toward the building. I had to admire how she held herself erect when she was about to face one of the worst moments of her life.
Chapter Ten
Deputy Lascomb was waiting in the vestibule. “Sheriff Halvorson sends regards. He hopes this won’t be too difficult for you, Mrs. Nickens. I took the liberty of signing us in. An escort will be here in a jiffy. Why don’t we have a seat in the lobby while we wait?”
Dolores’s “Thank you” was barely a whisper.
Lascomb ushered us to an austere but immaculate waiting area, and after Dolores and I were seated he turned his attention to Elton. “And you, sir? Are you a relative? I know Mr. Nickens had a son-in-law. Would that be you?”
I would guess Elton’s age to be somewhere in the twenty-to-twenty-five range, so I wasn’t at all surprised when he giggled nervously. Being a son-in-law would mean he’d have to have a wife somewhere, and he undoubtedly wasn’t ready for that. “No, sir, I’m not family to Miss Dolores. I’m brother to Marla Mae.”
“Marla Mae? The housemaid?” That seemed to confuse the deputy. “Then why—”
I cut in. “Since I don’t have a driver’s license, I hired Elton to ferry me around while I’m in town. With all that’s happened, it seemed like a wise choice”—I nodded slightly toward Dolores—“to ask him to drive us today.”
“Makes perfect sense. I wish more families would think the way you do when they have to deal with, er, something like this.” His own words made him uncomfortable. He brushed his hands together lightly, as if he was shaking off cookie crumbs, then walked to the edge of the room and peered down the hallway, but didn’t see anyone coming to his rescue.
He was moving back toward us when we all heard a door closing, and then quick footsteps coming nearer. A petite woman with wavy black hair in a stylish blunt cut walked into the room. There was a hint of a sunny disposition behind her somber professional face. Her deep brown eyes moved from Dolores to me and back again. She looked at the folder in her hands, then back at the two of us.
“Mrs. Nickens?”
Dolores looked up and nodded.
“I’m Evelyn Young”—she pointed to the emblem on her gray golf shirt—“deputy coroner. I am so sorry for your loss. My job is to make the process of identification as painless as possible for you and your family.”
Lascomb opened his mouth, perhaps to correct her assumption that Elton and I were family, but then he closed it without speaking.
Evelyn pulled a chair closer to Dolores. “I am going to explain our process to you, and then when you are ready to see your husband, you let me know. There is no hurry.”
I was sure Dolores found Evelyn’s soothing demeanor as comforting as I did, because by the time Evelyn had completed her explanation, Dolores had released my hand from her viselike grip.
We sat in silence for a few moments, and then Dolores stood. Elton was by her side in a flash, and she took his arm. Deputy Lascomb and I fell in behind them. Evelyn led us to a small room with light blue walls and one wide window, with white drapery on the far side of the glass.
Evelyn had a phone in her hand. “Now, Mrs. Nickens, you tell me when you are ready, and I will tell Clarice to open the curtain. As I said before, Mr. Nickens will be lying on his back and a sheet will cover him from feet to shoulders. You will be able see his face clearly.”
“I’m ready.” Dolores’s voice was surprisingly strong. Elton stood at her side, with one arm around her so his hands were lending support to both of her arms.
Evelyn put the phone to her ear. “Clarice, we are ready.”
The white curtains slowly began to open. The only thing we could see was a white sheet draped over the center of Willis’s lifeless body. All at once the curtains jerked completely open and Willis’s head came into view.
Dolores sobbed and her knees buckled, but Elton had a secure grasp and he kept her steady. Deputy Lascomb pulled a folding chair from the corner of the room, and he and Evelyn helped Dolores sit. Elton took a bottle of water out of his pocket and insisted Dolores take a drink.
While everyone was distracted, I moved to the window for a closer look at Willis. The left side of Willis’s body was facing the window. His eyes were closed and his face was ashen, his florid color long gone. I leaned against the window and stood on my toes. I was sure I saw a slight discoloration under his right eye, but no matter how I stretched or strained I couldn’t see the right side of his face. Was it only a shadow? Or was it a bruise? And if it was a bruise, how did it get there?
“Jess, you’re in my way.” Dolores sounded drained.
I moved away from the window and stood against the far wall, deep in thought. If Willis had a bruise . . . Well, there was the heavy white river rock that didn’t belong in the koi pond. I was becoming more and more convinced that Willis Nickens’s death was no accident.
I caught Evelyn studying me. I gave a tentative smile and she came right to my side. “Are you all right, ma’am? Do you need a chair or perhaps some fresh air?”
Bingo! If I could get her alone and ask a few questions . . . “I am a bit light-headed. Perhaps I could go back to the waiting area . . .” I took a step toward the door.
Evelyn immediately said, “Why don’t I walk with you?”
She signaled Lascomb, and then she and I walked down the hall. I sat in a chair while Evelyn hovered around me, offering water and even a cup of tea.
She looked relieved when, after a few minutes, I told her that I was feeling much better.
“Would you like to go back and say your good-byes to Mr. Nickens?”
I shook my head. “I think I will let Dolores say a private good-bye. One thing
though: In the car on the way here, she repeatedly hoped that you would be able to tell us the actual cause of death. Did he have a heart attack, or—”
Evelyn cut me right off. “I am sorry, ma’am. The coroner’s report is not finalized, and when it is it will have to go through proper channels. I wish I could help but I can’t.”
She pulled out her cell phone and said, “Clarice, it’s time to close the curtains.”
Elton had Dolores firmly in his grip and Deputy Lascomb was right behind them. Dolores held her emotions in check just enough that she was able to thank both Evelyn and Lascomb for their kindness without bursting into tears.
Elton got us settled in the car and promptly handed us each a bottle of water and opened one for himself.
“You were such a huge help, Elton. I am extremely glad you are with us today,” Dolores said.
“It’s completely my honor. Would either of you ladies like some fruit or a muffin?”
When we declined, he took off his jacket, folded it carefully, and placed it on the front passenger seat. Then he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “We don’t need to be heading out anywhere just yet, but I thought some air-conditioning might be the cooling off we all could use.”
After a while Dolores said, “I guess it was the shock of seeing Willis lying there so still. In life he was a dynamo—always go, go, go. That was the reason Willis insisted we have separate bedrooms. Even in his sleep he would flail and roll from one side of the bed to the other all night long. Did you ever hear of anything like that?”
“Oh yes. In fact, back in Cabot Cove, Micah Wilson had to have rails put on his bed after one night, while sound asleep, he tumbled out of the bed and broke his shoulder.”
“Willis was afraid that while he was asleep he would punch me with a thrashing arm or kick me with a flailing leg. I was willing to risk it, but he said he would never forgive himself if he injured me even by accident.”
Killing in a Koi Pond Page 8