by Krista Davis
“Sneak it into the conversation? Sure.”
“It’s beginning to look like Cindy might be behind Hollis’s death, but I still can’t help wondering about Parker.”
His eyes narrowed. “Other than an insurance motive, do you have any leads? Any reason to think Parker was involved with the deaths?”
“No,” I said glumly.
“Any gossip about Angus’s death yet?”
“You’re worried that Kelsey will be blamed?”
“Sure I am. Chances are that Angus’s death was completely unrelated to Hollis’s demise, but any reasonable person would have to question it. Not only because they were murdered so close together in time, but because Angus worked for Hollis.”
“There’s a good possibility that Kelsey was giving blood when Angus was killed. The time frame between seeing him alive and finding him dead is fairly narrow. I’ve asked Wolf to find out if Kelsey gave blood like she said she would.”
Alex tilted his head and glared at me. “Gee, thanks.”
“What’s wrong?”
“What if she wasn’t giving blood just then? And what was she doing running around giving blood when her husband just died and she’s under suspicion for his murder?” He looked away and muttered, “Who does that?”
A sigh shuddered out of me. “The not-so-ugly stepmother of a child who was injured and has an exceedingly rare blood type that she shares with him but not with his father.”
His gaze whipped back to me. “What?”
“She gave blood for Gavin, who it turns out is not Hollis’s biological kid.”
He very slowly massaged a spot over his left eyebrow and a grin grew on his face. “Does Gavin know this?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Poor kid. So who is the dad?”
“Gavin is about fourteen. I guess you’d have to ask Cindy.”
“Whoa.”
I could almost see the cogs turning in Alex’s brain. “Let me guess. If they indict Kelsey, then you’ll throw this news in their faces to cast doubt in the minds of the jury?”
“Maybe. That’s a whopper of a tidbit. Cindy is always so soft-spoken and quiet. I never imagined she could have a wild side.”
“Before you get too excited, Jay Charles mentioned that she might have been inseminated. Could be that Hollis couldn’t have children.”
He grimaced. “Good point. I should not jump to conclusions.” He grinned again. “But this does have potential.”
When I left Alex’s office, he had forgotten all about the remaining chicken salad. I stopped in the doorway to look back at him. He sat at his desk, staring at the chair I had occupied and tapping his right forefinger on the desktop.
I strolled back and spent a quiet evening at home. But Hollis and Angus were always in my thoughts.
* * *
Just before two in the morning, Mochie woke me by jumping over me. He sprang from my bed to the floor. I groaned and turned over. My eyes closed, I became aware of a faint tapping sound, not unlike a dripping faucet. I wasn’t one for sleeping with a pillow over my head to block out sounds and lights. Grumpily, I shuffled into the bathroom. The faucets weren’t dripping and the pinging continued.
I returned to the hallway and looked around. Where had Mochie gone? He knew where that annoying noise was coming from. The old stairs creaked under my feet as I walked down to the first floor. Yawning, I stumbled into the kitchen and checked the sink. Nothing dripping there. I peered out the window. Everything seemed quiet out on the street.
The sound stopped and Mochie mewed. I followed his voice into the sunroom. A dark figure stood at the door looking in.
Chapter 26
Dear Sophie,
What’s a repass? My cousin died and everyone is talking about a repass.
Clueless in Little Hope, Texas
Dear Clueless,
Your relatives’ accents may have led you astray. The correct spelling is repast with a T. It is a gathering of friends and family after a funeral or a memorial service. However, in the South, it is well-known as a repass. The T is dropped.
Sophie
I shrieked, more from surprise than fear.
“Sophie! It’s me, Kelsey!”
I flicked on the lights and unlocked the door. “Is something wrong? Are you okay?”
She thrust an envelope at me. “I have to leave. Will you look after the house for me?”
“Where are you going?”
“It’s better if you don’t know.”
“I don’t understand.”
“They’re going to arrest me. Please?” She waggled the envelope. “There are things you don’t know.”
“You mean about you killing Wayne?”
Her eyes opened wide. “If you know about that, then the cops have found out, too.”
“Maybe not. They might not know that you had an aunt named Delilah Jean.”
She sucked in the cool night air and released it. “It’s not just that. They’ll murder me, too, if I stay.”
“Who?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Come inside, Kelsey. I’ll make you a cup of tea and we’ll talk.”
She glanced around. “I can’t. Please help me out?” She shoved the envelope at me again. “They’re following me. I’ve heard them. I know they’re out there.”
Reluctantly I took the envelope. “They? You think there’s more than one person?”
“It sounds like it to me. I’ve heard them.”
“Heard them?”
She nodded. “They’re watching me.”
“Kelsey, why do you think someone wants to murder you, too?”
“You’re a smart woman, Sophie. It’s very simple. The two men in my life were murdered, Hollis and Angus. I’m certain that I’m next. Whoever murdered Hollis probably thought I was in the house, lying in bed right next to him that night. How do I know that I wasn’t the intended target?”
That thought hadn’t even occurred to me. “But when the lights were out, you weren’t afraid to be home alone.”
“I was so devastated by Hollis’s death that I hadn’t thought it through. At that time, I didn’t want to live without him. That kind of despair clouds your mind and erases fear and logic.”
I felt for her. She had been all alone in anguish in that big house with no electricity. “Do you have an admirer? Someone who might think if he got rid of them that you would be available?”
“Not really. Parker has been coming around a lot, but I think that’s because he feels an obligation, being Hollis’s partner and all.”
Chills ran down my spine. Trula had been worried about Parker falling for Kelsey. “Please come inside. Let’s talk about this.”
She hugged me ferociously. “I’ll be back. Don’t worry about me. I know how to disappear. It’s not the first time I’ve had to do it.”
She let go of me and ran into the darkness of my yard. “Kelsey!” I shouted in a whisper.
But she was gone.
I locked the door and returned to the kitchen. In the darkness, I put on the kettle for tea. While it cooked, I peered out the bay window at the street. Everything seemed calm. No one lurked outside, not that I could see anyway. The crickets chirped, happy that it was summer and that I had planted a garden for them to feast upon.
I flicked on a soft light. Poor Kelsey. The problem was that she didn’t have any great alibis for Hollis’s death. She could easily have set off the foggers before she left the house. That’s what the prosecution would say. I could just hear it. “The defendant set off the bug bombs, then left the house to see her lover, hoping to use him as an alibi.” Now that the finger of guilt had swung in Cindy’s direction, I had expected Kelsey to be more confident. But Kelsey had said something that threw the entire situation in another direction.
I was lifting the kettle to pour water into my mug when I heard tapping on the glass door. Kelsey! She had changed her mind and come back. I decided against turning on the outside light, lest she be
running from someone who was following her.
I peered out the window. “Nina?” Unlocking the door, I asked, “What are you doing here?”
She pulled her silk robe tighter. “Couldn’t sleep. I saw your light on and thought you might be eating something good.”
“Tea?”
“Peach schnapps for me.” Nina disappeared into the dining room for a couple of minutes and returned with an etched cordial glass that contained a clear liquid. “Anything to nosh?”
“Leftover chocolate truffle tart.”
“Oh, perfect for a snack in the wee hours. Got any extra whipped cream?”
“You bet.” I cut two slices and placed them on Marlborough Sprays dessert plates. I spooned whipped cream into a small crystal bowl and set it on the table, along with the tart, forks, and napkins.
“What’s that?” Nina eyed the envelope Kelsey had given me.
I sat down and sipped my tea. “Kelsey ran away. She stopped by and gave me this envelope before she ran off into the night.”
“You’re kidding me! What’s in it?”
“Haven’t opened it yet.” I picked it up and pried the seal open. A stack of cash was the first thing I noticed.
“Whoa!” Nina seized the money and started to count.
Meanwhile, I took out a letter written in a precisely controlled, girlish handwriting. I read aloud.
Dear Sophie,
I want to thank you for standing by me in my time of need. You’ll never know how much I appreciate your friendship. Unfortunately, everything seems to be stacked against me. I understand how bad my situation appears. I did not murder Hollis. He was the best thing that ever happened to me. Without him, I feel like life will never be happy again. I have no choice but to leave. I hope to return soon, but sometimes murders go unsolved for years. I hope that won’t be the case for Hollis or Angus. I didn’t kill Angus, either, nor do I know who did. But you can surely understand why it would be dangerous for me to remain in Old Town at this time. I don’t know who is after me. I’m enclosing some money. Please pay Alex whatever he needs to continue my representation. The key to the house is also enclosed. I would be so appreciative if you kept an eye on things during my absence. When the killer of Hollis and Angus is arrested, please tie a white scarf onto the back of the bench just outside the mock lighthouse at the marina to let me know it is safe to return. Thank you for believing in me.
Hugs,
Kelsey
PS. Please water the plants.
“The plants?” yelped Nina. “She’s on the run from the cops and a killer, and she’s worried about watering the plants?”
“It’s funny, but I think it indicates two things. One, she really is planning to return. Otherwise, she wouldn’t care about the plants. And two, she’s telling the truth. If she had spent a lot of time making up a story, her mind wouldn’t have been on withering plants.”
Nina spewed schnapps and grabbed a napkin. In a mockingly placid tone, she said, “Why, of course. Because murderers don’t like plants. We can do away with juries. We’ll put defendants on the stand and pretend that we’re going to hurt a plant. If they protest, they’re innocent!”
“Very funny. I still think she’s telling the truth. Think about it, Nina. She could have disappeared the night Hollis died.”
“But if she disappeared, she wouldn’t have inherited the money.”
“She pointed out that the two men in her life had been killed, so I asked if she had any admirers.” I leaned toward Nina. “She said Parker had been hanging around. At the underground dinner, Trula asked me how to get rid of a strumpet without getting caught.”
“She was just joking.”
“That’s what I thought, too. But now I wonder . . .”
“If she meant to kill Kelsey, then she’s not much of a murderer because she killed the wrong person twice.”
“But what if it were Parker who was jealous of Hollis?”
Nina took a big bite of tart. She wasn’t laughing anymore. She swallowed and waved her fork as she spoke. “So Parker killed both Hollis and Angus so he could be with Kelsey? In that case, Kelsey has nothing to fear. Trula would be next.
“Or maybe Trula meant to get rid of Kelsey by killing Hollis and framing Kelsey,” said Nina. “Maybe she saw Hollis as collateral damage. Or maybe she didn’t like him for some reason.”
“She’s very judgmental. Sometimes she’s worse than Natasha. Trula has been spending a lot of time in the library, too. She could have planted the foggers there.”
“Bssst.” Nina made a buzzer sound as though I had gotten the wrong answer. “But then she would have been framing the wrong person.” Nina picked up the envelope and shook out the key. Her eyes met mine. “I suppose we really ought to check on the house in the morning.”
“That would be the friendly thing to do.”
“After all, who knows what kind of condition those plants are in?”
* * *
At eight in the morning, Nina showed up at my kitchen door dressed entirely in black. She wore a scoop neck T-shirt with black golf shorts and black sneakers.
“You do realize that black is for nighttime surveillance?”
She poured herself a mug of coffee and doctored it with sugar and milk. “Seemed appropriate anyway. Are you ready to go?”
Mochie had eaten his breakfast of chicken stew for cats and was engaged in cleaning his fur. Leaving him to his morning bath, we left. I took care to lock the door behind us.
Our street was quiet. I assumed most people were already in their offices. We ambled over to the Habermans’ house. A casserole had been left at the door. Nina swooped it up and sniffed. “King Ranch Chicken Casserole. Smells delicious.”
I unlocked the door, feeling more than a little bit odd to be entering someone else’s home.
Nina barged ahead. I found her in the kitchen, ready to stab a spoon into the casserole.
“You can’t eat that!”
“I don’t see why not. It’s not as though Kelsey will be eating it.”
“It wasn’t meant for you. Besides, how do you know that the killer didn’t prepare it?”
“The killer has excellent taste. This is the kind of casserole dish you would leave.”
I recognized the red ruffled edge. “It’s Emile Henry stoneware.”
“See?” Nina lifted the casserole and read the name appended to the bottom. “It’s from Bonnie and Barry Sel-tenfelder.”
“Do you know them?”
“No.”
“There you go. Put it in the fridge.”
She sounded a little miffed and took a very deep sniff of it before stashing it in the crowded refrigerator.
I was more interested in the fact that Kelsey had bothered to clean up the kitchen before she left. The counters were clear. I peeked in the dining room. The tablecloth had been changed, and the dishes were stacked as if ready for another onslaught of visitors.
In the light of day, it was a beautiful house. Not a hint of anything sinister caught my attention. I stepped onto the porch, where the bees had been. They hadn’t returned, but the wall and ceiling still needed a permanent repair.
I sucked in the fresh morning air and gazed around. What could have happened to scare Kelsey? I couldn’t help feeling that her departure had been very abrupt. And sort of late in the game. Of course, in the beginning, only Hollis had been murdered. So what was it about Angus’s death that had terrified Kelsey and made her believe she might be next?
“Sophie!” Nina’s voice held a note of excitement.
I returned to the kitchen and locked the door behind me. “Where are you?”
“In the living room.”
I walked through the dining room to what I imagined would have been called the parlor. Nina had opened a glass door and stood with her back to me.
As I neared her, she stepped aside so we could both see the narrow passage between the Haberman house and Jay Charles’s house. A brick wall separated the properties. Someone had
cleverly omitted some bricks in a diamond shape, probably for air circulation.
It was a small private garden. In the middle, red bricks were laid in a herringbone pattern. Comfy benches and an oversized outdoor chair offered seating. But two giant pots containing tree roses had been tipped over and broken. Soil had been scattered across the brick patio.
Chapter 27
Dear Natasha,
My aunt Beatrice was the official funeral maven. She was the first to show up and the last to leave. She helped with funeral arrangements, told people which foods to bring, washed dishes, selected the hymns, and wrote the obituaries. Are there people who do that for a living? It would make life so much easier.
Need Help in Monks Misery, Maryland
Dear Need Help,
There are funeral event planners, funeral consultants, and funeral event coordinators who can do exactly what you’re describing.
Natasha
“Ihope these aren’t the plants Kelsey was hoping we would water,” said Nina.
“Oy. Somebody made a mess out there.” I stepped outside. Whoever had done it had left a shoeprint in the middle of the dirt. “Guess we’d better notify Wolf.”
I called him on my cell phone. While we waited for him to arrive, Nina and I had a quick look around the house, but everything else was in order.
“Think Kelsey heard someone out there last night and that’s what spooked her?” asked Nina.
“That would be my guess.”
* * *
Wolf went through the house again and took a close look at the damage to the garden. “Don’t clean this up yet. I’d like to get someone over here to take photographs of that shoeprint. Is there any way you can get in touch with Kelsey?”
Bashfully, I told him about the white cloth I was supposed to tie on a bench.
To my surprise, Wolf smiled. “That Kelsey is one smart lady.”
“Are you going to put out an all-points bulletin on her to find her?” asked Nina.
Wolf gave her the look of a patient parent. “She’s not under arrest, Nina. I’m not happy that she skipped town. But it’s not illegal for her to leave. Not yet anyway.”