by Tim Myers
Bradford stopped her dead in her tracks. “Where are you going?”
“I have to help clean up,” Beth explained.
Bradford shook his head. “I’m afraid they’ll have to get along without you for now. I need you here.”
“I already told you what I saw,” Beth said.
“Have a seat,” he said, pointing to an empty table in front. “I’m not finished with you yet.”
Beth didn’t look happy about the command, but she followed it nonetheless. My brother was a hard man for most folks to say no to, though I hadn’t had much trouble over the years. Still, I could see how he could be intimidating with that cold stare and booming voice.
I could see him glance between Sara Lynn and Lillian, so I wasn’t really surprised when he tapped my sister first. “Come on, Sis.”
Sara Lynn followed him, and I started after him when Lillian touched my arm. “Let your brother do his job,” she said to me.
Bradford looked startled by the defense as he nodded his thanks. “It will go faster if you wait right here, Jennifer.”
I reluctantly agreed as I watched my brother escort my sister off for questioning in a murder case. It was not a scene I’d ever imagined I’d witness.
I turned to Lillian after they were gone. “What exactly did you say to Eliza when she started toward us before dinner?”
Lillian shook her head, refusing to answer.
“Come on,” I said. “You’re not going to tell me?”
“Jennifer, I don’t want to get you into trouble with your brother. Besides, it was nothing.”
I knew better than that. Lillian had scored a direct hit with Eliza; the stricken look on the woman’s face testified to that.
“You’re going to have to tell Bradford. Why not tell me?”
Lillian frowned. “Do you think I’m all that proud of the fact that one of the last things that woman heard in her life was my snippy remark about her low morals? Jennifer, I was wrong to confront her. It wasn’t my fight, but I had to step in and be clever, and now I couldn’t take it back even if I wanted to.”
I knew Lillian had a certain sensitivity about her, but her brash nature usually made it hard to remember that all the time. “Listen, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you on it.”
When Lillian looked at me, I could see a tear tracking down her left cheek. “Jennifer, it’s fine, but I really don’t want to talk about it right now, all right?”
“Certainly,” I said, looking at the other witnesses gathered around the front of the room. Addie Mason, a tall, reedy woman with flaming red hair, was there. As Eliza’s partner at Heaven Scent, it was understandable why she’d talked to the woman that evening. It kind of surprised me to see Luke Penwright there, though. Luke and Eliza had been married ten years before, but it had lasted less than six months before they’d split up. From what I’d heard around town, Luke had been trying unsuccessfully for years to get her back. He was good-looking enough in his own way, but there was something about his heavy eyebrows and constant scowl that always gave me the creeps. Polly Blackburn was waiting to speak with Bradford as well. I knew some folks in town called her Jolly Polly, but it wasn’t from her disposition. The woman was nearly as wide as she was tall, and she had a tongue that could scorch the paint off the side of a barn from thirty feet. The only one left was Kaye Jansen. I didn’t have a clue she’d even known Eliza.
I touched my aunt’s arm, and whispered, “Did Kaye know Eliza very well?”
Lillian frowned, then said, “She knew her well enough to sue her for slander. Nothing ever came of it, but they weren’t big fans of one another. I heard that it didn’t help matters when Kaye’s father-in-law hired Eliza to do their books. I can’t imagine what they had to talk about tonight.”
“Eliza and Polly didn’t get along either, did they?”
Lillian said, “No, Polly always complained bitterly that she should be the chamber’s president, but Eliza kept getting reelected year after year. From what I’ve heard, there were accusations of stuffed ballot boxes during more than one election.”
I was about to ask about the others, since my aunt knew most of the skeletons hanging in Rebel Forge’s closets, but Bradford broke up our conversation when he returned with Sara Lynn. “Lillian, I’ll see you now.” He turned to me and added, “Jennifer, do you mind taking Sis home with you? Sara Lynn doesn’t need to be alone tonight.”
“I’ll do it,” I said.
“I don’t need a babysitter,” my sister insisted.
“And you’re not getting one. To be honest with you, I’m not crazy about staying home alone tonight myself.”
Sara Lynn scowled. “You’re never alone, Jennifer. You’ve always got your roommates.”
“I doubt they’d be much comfort tonight.” That wasn’t fair to my cats, but I had to come up with an excuse to be with Sara Lynn. I doubted Oggie and Nash would even notice I was gone, as long as their meals came on time. I loved the little scoundrels, but there were times when I wondered if the feeling was mutual. “Let me just go by the apartment and feed them, then I’ll come home with you.”
Sara Lynn shook her head. “Jennifer, I have no desire to go back to my house tonight.” She hesitated, then added, “It’s too empty without Bailey there. I’ll gladly take your couch instead.”
“Nonsense, you can have the bed and I’ll sleep out on the couch. It will be like camping.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Jennifer, you’re nearly a foot taller than I am, and I barely fit on it. You would dangle over from both ends. I’ll be fine.”
We were still debating our sleeping arrangements when Lillian rejoined us. As Bradford called to Addie Mason, our aunt said, “Are you two still here?”
“We’re trying to decide where we’re going to sleep tonight,” I said.
“I thought it would be obvious. You two are going to be my guests tonight.” Lillian had a huge old house, and I knew she had plenty of room for guests, even though she’d converted one entire bedroom into a closet.
I could see Sara Lynn wasn’t crazy about the idea, so I had to plow ahead. “We’d love to. I just have to feed Oggie and Nash first.”
“By all means, bring them with you. You know how the rascals love to explore my house.”
That was usually a sticking point with Lillian whenever I dared bring them over, but I wasn’t about to argue with her. “They’ll love it. Come on, Sara Lynn, it will be fun.”
She raised an eyebrow, but she didn’t back out of the arrangement, so I considered it a victory.
As we walked out of Hurley’s, I noticed that Hank was watching us. My first reaction was to stick my tongue out at him, but I settled for an icy stare and an aloof manner. That would teach him to try to order me around. When I glanced back to see how my withering treatment had affected him, I realized he’d dismissed me and had moved on to the next person in his line. And I’d wasted a perfectly good freeze on him.
There was a chill in the mountain air with the sun long gone, and I wished for a moment I’d brought a sweater with me. Lillian chattered, “Let’s hurry, my Mustang’s in front of the shop. We can get your cars tomorrow.”
As we hurried back to Custom Card Creations, Sara Lynn said, “Thanks, but I’m going home to collect a few things first. I’ll need my car for that.”
“I can take you,” Lillian insisted.
“Blast it, woman, I’m not nine years old. I’m perfectly capable of going home alone.”
Lillian smiled, and Sara Lynn couldn’t let it go. “What are you grinning about?”
“I was afraid you’d lost your fire for a minute there, but I see you’ve found it.”
Sara Lynn chuckled softly. “Don’t kid yourself; I’m teetering on the edge.”
“That’s all the more reason you shouldn’t be alone tonight,” I said. “If you come with me to get my cats, I’ll follow you home. Then we can go to Lillian’s together.” I looked at my aunt and said, “Do you have any dessert in your ref
rigerator? I’ve got a craving for chocolate.”
“How about a pan of my famous double chocolate brownies?” Lillian asked.
“You’ve got some at home?” I said. “That would be perfect.”
“I don’t have them ready, but they will be by the time you two run your errands.”
Sara Lynn said, “I don’t want you to go to any trouble for us.”
“Speak for yourself, Sis,” I said. “Go to the trouble,” I told Lillian.
Lillian laughed. “You really should come out of your shell more, Jennifer.” “What can I say? I’m trying.” We split up in front of the card shop, and soon we were at my converted attic loft. I had the top space of a charming old Victorian, and it was my favorite place I’d had in years, despite the presence of a forgetful poltergeist.
There was a note taped to my door, and I wondered if one of my downstairs neighbors was trying to make peace with me again. We’d had good reason to argue in the past, and I was in no mood for their antics.
It was from Hester Taylor, my landlord. I opened it and read,
‘Jennifer, I’m sorry I missed you. I’m selling the house and grounds, so I’m afraid you’ll have to find somewhere else to live. I do apologize, but I have to do this. You can have one more week, but you’ve got to be gone by then.—Hester.’
“How do you like that?” I said as I handed Sara Lynn the note.
“She can’t do that,” Sara Lynn said. “The woman’s got to give you more notice than that.”
“You’re probably right, but I’ve never been keen on staying somewhere I’m not wanted. It looks like I’ll be moving again.”
“I’ve got an idea,” Sara Lynn said. “You can move in with me. Now that Bailey’s gone, I’d love the company.”
“If it were just me, I might take you up on your offer,” I said, lying with an innocent face. “But you know how the cats are. They would drive you nuts in no time.” It was certainly true that Oggie and Nash weren’t my sister’s biggest fans, but it was by no means the only reason I’d refused her offer. I’d struggled too hard and too long to be out on my own and out of my family’s formidable shadow, and I wasn’t about to let one of them suck me back in. As soon as Lillian and Bradford found out I’d been evicted, I knew they’d get in line to offer me housing, so 1 had to be firm in my resolve from the beginning.
“Well, you can think about it,” Sara Lynn said. “Just let me know if you change your mind.”
“Thanks for the offer. I truly do appreciate it, but I’m not going to take you up on it.”
As I walked in, the cats were sitting quietly on the sofa, one on either arm, as if they were statues awaiting my arrival. “Well, aren’t you two looking particularly fine tonight?”
I swear they both looked at me like I’d lost my mind, an expression I’d grown used to from them. “I’m guessing you’re ready for your snacks.”
As I gave them a few treats, I said, “Guess what? We’re going to stay at Lillian’s tonight.”
Oggie protested with a yowl and bolted from the room. I looked at Nash and asked, “Aren’t you going to follow suit?”
I was ignored once again, so I took advantage of it and gathered up a few of my own things before putting them in their carriers. By the time I was ready to go, Sara Lynn had undoubtedly reconsidered her offer.
“You’re probably right,” she said as we walked out of the house. “I don’t think your cats would enjoy my place.”
“They appreciate your offer, though,” I said. Lying to my sister was getting to be a habit tonight. My two bandits could not have cared less for my sister’s generosity.
After I got the cats situated in the backseat of my Gremlin, we were ready to go. When we got to Sara Lynn’s house, I hit the dome light and saw that both cats were sound asleep. Sometimes traveling in their carriers agitated them. When I was lucky, though, the motion of the car, coupled with the darkness, acted like a rocking bassinet on a baby and knocked them out cold. They were absolutely adorable, especially when they were sound asleep. I locked the car and joined Sara Lynn at her front door. It appeared that every light in her house was turned on, lighting it up like a luminary at Christmas.
“Wow, I’d hate to see your electric bill this month,” I said, then I looked at my sister. “Sara Lynn, what’s wrong?”
“When I left here tonight, every light in the house was turned off.”
Chapter 3
That was hard to imagine, given the current state of illumination. “Are you sure?”
She didn’t even offer me a withering look— something that spoke volumes. “I’m positive.”
“Could Bailey have come by after you two talked tonight at Hurley’s?”
“No, he gave me his keys yesterday when he left. That was part of our arrangement. He isn’t supposed to enter the house again unless I’m here.”
I couldn’t imagine Bailey defying her. My sister might have been petite, but she had a tongue sharp enough to wilt kudzu.
She hesitated, her key hovering near the lock. I put my hand on hers. “Listen, if you’re worried about it, we can call Bradford. I’m sure he’ll come right over.”
Sara Lynn paused a moment, then said, “No, he’s got enough to worry about tonight without trotting over here. I’m sure it’s all perfectly innocent.”
She unlocked her front door and pushed it in. I was right behind her, but I suddenly wished I’d brought my softball bat along with us for protection. It was amazing how the heft of that aluminum club could fill me with confidence. My sister wasn’t empty-handed, though. As soon as the door was unlocked, she dove into her handbag and pulled out a vial of pepper spray with one hand and a stun gun with the other. Maybe I wouldn’t need my bat after all.
For some reason I’d been expecting the living room to be trashed, as if the burglars had turned on every light in the house while they ransacked it. Instead, it was as neat as it had ever been, and I felt myself relax. Sara Lynn wasn’t quite so trusting though. I followed my older sister from room to room until we were both satisfied that nothing had been touched and no one was lurking in a corner for us. It was pretty clear she was still troubled by the lights, but since nothing else appeared to have been disturbed, I was ready to write it off as one of her senior moments of forgetfulness. She went through the house, flipping switches off as she neatly packed an overnight bag, and we were at the door ready to leave when she said, “I need to check one more thing before we go.”
“Sara Lynn, we looked under every bed and inside every closet. There’s nobody here.”
“Be patient, Jennifer, this will just take a second.” She walked into the kitchen, so I followed her, curious to see what place she felt we’d ignored in our search. She stopped at her pantry—really nothing more than a small closet that wouldn’t have hidden one of my cats, let alone the neatest burglar who’d ever hit Rebel Forge. Sara Lynn reached to the back of the top shelf and pulled out a cylinder of oatmeal.
“If you’re hungry,” I said, “Lillian’s making brownies, remember?”
She ignored me and pulled off the canister’s lid. To my surprise, Sara Lynn stuck her hand into the container, and after rooting around inside it for a few seconds, she pulled out a piece of paper. “Hey, I didn’t know those things came with prizes.”
Her face was grim as she read the paper, then she handed it to me. It was Bailey’s handwriting; there was no mistaking his sloppy printing.
“Sara Lynn, this is my IOU. I’ll pay it all back, hopefully before you even realize it’s gone. I’m sorry, about everything. —Bailey.”
I handed it back to her. “What’s this all about?”
“We’ve kept five hundred dollars in here for emergencies since we first got married. It was our agreement that we would never touch it unless there was a dire reason.”
“So maybe Bailey had an emergency,” I said, trying to ease my sister’s troubled mind.
“Jennifer, you don’t understand. We made it a ritual of each of us
putting in half. Neither one of us was ever to take more than their share. I can’t believe Bailey would be this petty.”
I shrugged. “I can’t explain it,” I said. “But it’s not going to do any good sitting here staring at the note. Let’s go to Lillian’s.”
She nodded absently, threw the note onto the counter, then changed her mind and put it in her purse. “So why did he leave all the lights on if he came here just to take money?”
“For that matter,” I said, “how did he get inside if he surrendered his keys to you?”
She shook her head. “I know one way.” I followed her out onto the porch and watched as she stuck her hand into a flowerpot. After a minute of rooting around, she retrieved a key. “I’d forgotten all about this. He must have used it tonight to get in and take our emergency fund.” “Then why leave the lights on?” I asked. “Who knows? Maybe he was in a hurry, or maybe he was leaving me some kind of message. I just don’t understand that man anymore.”
I put my arm around Sara Lynn’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s get out of here. You’ll feel better once we get to Lillian’s. Would you like to leave your car here and ride with me?” My sister was shaken up, something that I’d seen only a few times in my life, and it had me worried.
“No, I’ll be fine.” Outside on the front walk, she looked back at the house, now dark throughout, then turned to her car. “Let’s get out of here.”
I followed her to Lillian’s place, relieved once we were there. “Can I get one of the carriers for you?” Sara Lynn asked.
“No, they balance each other out. You could grab my bag for me, though.”
Lillian must have been waiting at the door for us. She threw it open just as we reached it. “Hello, ladies. Jennifer, you’re in the pink bedroom, and Sara Lynn, you’re in the lavender one.” For a relatively unconventional woman, my aunt enjoyed the softer color palettes when it came to decorating her house.
I put the carriers in the designated bedroom, then left their doors open, in case Oggie and Nash woke up and wanted a stretch. Lillian had set up a litter box in one corner, along with putting out some water and the treats both cats loved. I was impressed that my aunt had been so thorough, but then I realized that she was always the perfect hostess, no matter if her houseguests walked on two legs or four.