I picked up my laptop and Googled poisonous wildflowers and plants. Sure enough, Bun was correct. Stunned, I dialed Jack’s cell number. He mumbled hello and I interrupted with, “lilies of the valley poisoned Della.”
“How do you know?”
“I was doing a Google search on plants I want to add to the farm when I read how poisonous those are.” I went on to explain how they leech their poison into a container of water and what happens when someone drinks it.
“I’ll call the coroner. He’s been looking for barbiturates rather than plant poison. Thanks, Juliette.”
I hung up and nearly Snoopy-danced. Bun sat at my feet and asked, “It’s a clue, right?”
“It sure is. In the morning, we’re going to visit Della’s house. It isn’t far from here and shouldn’t take us long to see how she lived and whatnot.”
“I hope she doesn’t live in an enormous house like the one in our last murder case. That was terrifying for me.”
“It was an overwhelming place. I don’t think Della had that kind of income. She seemed to live like an average person. But then, you never know. I wouldn’t have thought Alvin was filthy wealthy, but he is, and it’s old family money, too.”
“I’m so excited. I don’t know if I can sleep tonight. Just thinking we’re going to make headway in Della’s death thrills me.”
That said, Bun rubbed his head against my ankle and wandered off to his room murmuring a soft goodnight. I said the same and called Jessica.
Her voice groggy, I realized it was later than I’d thought. “Sorry to call so late, but I have a question. Was Della living on Mulberry Lane?”
“Yeah, she had a sweet cottage there. I want a home like that. I was never inside it, but the outside was adorable, kind of like those in kids’ storybooks. Maybe it’s for sale. Can you look into it for me?”
Jess had gone from groggy to wide awake in a New York heartbeat. I said I would, but wanted the house number if she could remember it. She gave it and said goodbye before I could utter my thanks.
I jotted down the house number and Googled driving directions. Mulberry Lane wasn’t too far from the farm, which was a relief. Jason would be here after school, as would Molly. Since Jessica was interested in the house, she probably wouldn’t mind checking on the rabbits between pet appointments.
What would I find at Della’s home? Unsure, since I didn’t know what to look for, I figured I might come across an important clue or two. At least her home was a humble cottage instead of a gargantuan house that had caused me no end of trouble in my last investigation. Anxious to see what the house looked like, I searched in the Windermere Real Estate category.
A slew of listings popped up on the screen. I entered Mulberry Lane in the search box and was surprised to find three homes for sale. Only one was a cottage and the house number matched Della’s. I’d hoped for a virtual tour, where the Realtor would record the inside and outside of the home, but there were only a few photos of the exterior of the place, front and back yards, and a photo of the one-car garage. A white picket fence surrounded the property, which I found whimsical. Della hadn’t struck me as whimsical or flighty, but hard-nosed, bossy, and a bully. I guess you never know about folks.
Chapter 16
Rain, blown by the wind, pelted the bedroom windows and awakened me. I opened my eyes, glanced out the nearest window, and then noticed Bun had entered the room.
“What are you doing up here? Is everything all right?”
“Of course. I was just wondering if you were awake yet.” He bounded across the room onto a chair near the window. With his paws on the windowsill, he peered out and then flip-flopped his ears.
“Crummy day, Jules. I wonder if it will clear up enough for us to go to Della’s. I’m not interested in getting soaked to the skin or freezing my bones. It looks pretty chilly and blustery out there.”
“I’ll check the weather station once I’m organized. Has Jess arrived yet?” I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. It was six in the morning, late enough to put me behind on chores—good thing I didn’t have as many rabbits as in the past. I tossed the covers aside, got out of bed, and told Bun that I’d be downstairs shortly.
He hopped away and I prepared for another busy day.
I’d made coffee and put sliced bread in the toaster when Jessica walked in. Without even a hello, she said, “Della’s house is for sale. I looked it up on the internet this morning, that’s why I’m late. Not too pricey, either. Will you scout around there today?”
“Good morning to you, too,” I said with a wry grin. “I had thought Bun and I would do some sleuthing there after I finished the chores. I don’t look forward to doing that in this rain, though. Why do you ask?”
“It’s going to clear up this afternoon. At least that’s what the weatherman predicts. My mom will call the Realtor who has listed the house to see if I can look at it. It has one of those combination lockbox things on the door, so I’ll need the code for it. My mom knows the man and said she’d ask for me. Interested in snooping legally, yet?”
“Well, heck, yeah. It’s much easier than picking a lock or to search for a key in daylight. From the looks of Mulberry Lane, the homes aren’t very far apart, so there’s a good chance of being seen.”
“My last appointment of the day is at one this afternoon. It would have been later, but Fred Allen had to change the one he’d set up for Jackson. Fred and his wife have a funeral to attend. You’ll never guess whose it is.”
“I haven’t seen a newspaper in ages and you’re teasing me, so it must be Della. Frank’s parents have made arrangements to bring his body to their hometown for burial.”
“It’s Della’s funeral. Fred said he and his wife heard about it from the council secretary. I can ask questions about their friendship when he brings Jackson in tomorrow if you’d like.”
“That would be super. I’d never considered the scope of people you and Molly deal with before now. It’s great to be able to tap into those acquaintances, don’t you think?”
With a nod, Jessica gulped a mouthful of coffee, snatched the last slice of toast, and made for the door. She glanced back and said, “I’ll let you know what my mother says.”
“Okay. See you later.”
After Bun was fed, I started the barn chores. Hungry, the rabbits greedily accepted their breakfast. Even Petra and the kits perked up when I reached their cage to tuck a food bundle inside.
Halfway through the daily work, Jessica popped into the barn. “We’re all set for one-thirty this afternoon. My mother gave me the combination to the lock. The Realtor said I could call him with questions I might have.”
“Okay. Jason will be here by one o’clock. Are you eating lunch with me?”
“Sure. Oh, my mother isn’t at work today. I hope she didn’t make you nervous at lunch the other day.”
“She seemed uncomfortable at first. I have no idea why. Did she mention it to you afterward?”
“Mom was just surprised that you asked her to lunch. She’d never been treated like that in her old job.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I’ll finish up here and we’ll eat before we head out.”
Her next appointment on their way into the clinic, Jess hurried off.
A half-hour later, I’d finished up the chores. Some of the rabbits were in the barn playpen, the others in the inside run. I scrubbed my hands and followed Bun into the house to prepare lunch.
“Will you take me along this afternoon?”
“I planned on it, but if you’d rather stay here with your friends, it’s okay.”
“I wouldn’t miss this in a million lifetimes. You won’t be able to chat with me, but if I see anything you should check out, I’ll let you know.”
“That works for me. You often notice more than I do.” I pulled a couple of cans of tomato soup from the cupboard, peeled the tab-top lids back and dumped the contents into a casserole bowl. I didn’t have cold cuts on hand, just sliced cheese. Grilled cheese sand
wiches always went well with a bowl of tomato soup. The sandwiches were ready to grill, and I set them aside until Jess came in.
“Have you heard whether Molly got any information from that antique collector she knows from school?”
“Not yet. I’m sure she’ll have news for us soon. Professors don’t always teach every day. Molly might not have been able to meet with him.”
“Maybe today, then.”
“Keen to learn what he has to say, aren’t you?”
“If it matches what Eve told you or is more than she said, then yeah, I’m interested. Aren’t you?”
I heard Jess’s footsteps in the breezeway and whispered, “I am.”
Bun silently huddled on the rug at the front door while I microwaved the soup and grilled the sandwiches. Jessica came in and set the table.
She sniffed the air and said, “I do enjoy a hot meal on a day like this. It looks like the rain is lighter than before. The clouds aren’t quite as dark, either. Tomato soup and grilled cheese, huh?”
“Is there anything that goes better with either one of those things?” I grinned, set the plate of sandwiches on the table, checked the time, and dug in.
“I’m glad we’re going to see the cottage today. I showed the pictures to my parents. I’ll need their help if I decide it’s a perfect place for me. Small, but not too much so, and sweet from what I read online.”
“I see you’ve already made up your mind.”
She began to deny it, then shrugged and said, “I hope I’m not disappointed. The pictures didn’t show as much as I’d hoped, and the neighborhood looks decent. You know, no junk cars lined up in yards or on the street, along with discarded furniture and such.”
“Indeed, I thought much the same. Windermere stays on top of that, so it doesn’t become an issue.”
We finished lunch, cleaned up, and were about to leave when Molly and Jason arrived. “I thought Molly wouldn’t be here until later,” I said and watched them run through the raindrops onto the front porch.
Bun leaped away from the door as Molly opened it.
“Are we interrupting you?” Molly asked.
“We were getting ready to leave. Is something wrong?”
“No. I spoke with the professor this morning.”
She went on to tell me almost the same as I’d learned from Eve. When she drew a breath, I asked, “Is there more? By the look of you, I’d say you’ve saved the best for last.”
Her eyes wide, Molly said, “The medallion came down through the centuries and was only awarded to women, not to men. It was a symbol of favor to the man who received it from a woman.”
“And?”
“The name of the clan was McDonough. The professor said the clan was redheaded and extremely fair, like the Irish. Does that bring anyone particular to mind?”
I gasped, my brain running at top speed. “But her name is Brandt, not McDonough.”
“I know, but it could have been her grandmother’s or mother’s maiden name. The necklace would only have been passed down from one female to the next. Only firstborn girls received it.”
“You’ve done well. Thank you for taking the time to dig up this information.”
“I have to get going. I wanted to tell you what I found out and give Jason a ride. No need to get soaked by the rain.”
Jason nodded and left for the barn. Molly went out the front door, followed by Jessica, Bun, and me.
In the car, Jess said, “I wonder what Eve’s maiden name is.”
“It isn’t McDonough. She knows Felicia, though. Eve didn’t want to tell me that tidbit, and I didn’t insist. She became vague and said she’d call me if she remembered. I doubt that will ever happen.”
We rode through town as the sun peeked through the clouds. We took a left onto Mulberry Lane.
“This is an omen. I can feel it in my lucky foot,” Bun remarked.
I opened my mouth to repeat that to Jess, when she took a sharp turn into a driveway and said, “It’s as if I’m supposed to have this place. The sun is out, the day is going to be marvelous, and we’ll find evidence to give the sheriff.”
I left the car with Bun in the sling that hung off my shoulder.
“You could be right.” I watched Jess finagle with the lockbox, then retrieve Della’s house key to open the door.
Inside, we stopped dead, looked around, and both said in unison, “This is adorable.”
I said, “I’d never have thought Della would live in such a darling place. She was such a negative and rude person. I would have thought a cave might suit her better.”
“Wow, that was mean.”
“Very much like her, though. She had a mean streak and had no consideration for the feelings of those she insulted. This home is her saving grace as far as I’m concerned. Let’s check it out.”
Jess went in one direction, Bun and I took another. The house had five rooms, two of which were open to each other with a set of sliding doors that could separate them should there be a need. An oak desk, with a comfy-looking chair, faced windows that overlooked the tiny yard. The house and garage seemed set on a postage-stamp-sized piece of property, compared to the farm, but had a homey atmosphere.
A large area rug covered hardwood floors that gleamed in the sunlight. Pictures filled the painted walls. Nothing fancy about the place, simple and clean, with a sense of grace about it all. The rest of the rooms had the same feel to them. The house itself gave me pause to rethink my opinion of Della. There was more to her than what she projected to others. Maybe she’d used that attitude as a protection device. Hmm. Food for thought.
“It’s a terrific house, just what I hoped to find. I’ll be out in the backyard.” She peered through the window and said, “Perfect little yard, sweet like the house.”
I watched her saunter out back to inspect the yard. About to turn away, I noticed a young girl in the yard next door. She watched Jessica from beyond the picket fence, until she called to Jess. The two of them talked as Bun asked, “Would you like to rifle the drawers and file cabinet while I check under the beds and in any nooks and crannies that I might find?”
I agreed and got started as Bun did his thing. In the past, when Bun searched under beds, he’d found evidence that proved useful to us and the sheriff. I walked the room, stared at a snapshot of Della and the girl next door. There was one picture of them with a few other people I didn’t recognize, propped on a shelf with odd bits of memorabilia. I removed that picture from the frame and tucked it into my jeans pocket.
All but one of the desk drawers were empty. The last drawer I opened caught halfway, as if it was somehow stuck. I gave it a good tug, but the drawer didn’t budge. I knelt on the floor to look underneath for the reason I couldn’t get it open. Nothing blocked it from beneath. I stuck my arm inside the drawer as far as I could and touched what felt like a large binder. I peered in at a huge, black, hardcovered notebook wedged in place.
I leaned back on my legs, wiggled closer to the desk, and ran my fingers over the interior walls of the drawer. Impatient, I almost gave up. Being a tenacious sort, I ran my fingertips over the entire inside again and felt a small indentation that I had initially taken as a flaw in the wood. I pushed my fingertip into the dent and heard a faint click before the notebook sprung free.
Bun came in as I tossed the notebook onto the desktop.
“I found nothing, not even a dust bunny. Why are dust balls called dust bunnies? They don’t look like bunnies, but like tumbleweeds. It’s rather insulting to bunnies, you know.”
Okay, Bun was rambling. Why? He was undoubtedly disappointed, since he found nothing, not even a dust bunny. I pointed to my find. “This notebook was secured into the bottom drawer. It took some doing to get it out, and it might be of importance.”
“Well, let’s have a look, then.”
I heard voices as the kitchen door opened. Jessica and another person had entered the house. I slid the notebook onto the desk chair.
“How does the yard look
? Any flower gardens or rows of blooms? Did you check out the garage?”
Jessica nodded and said, “I peeked in the windows and saw a Volkswagen Beetle. It doesn’t look new, but it’s clean, just like this house is.”
The teenage girl nodded and added her two cents’ worth. “Della was a fanatic about this place and her belongings. She told me once that it was all she had and kept it in perfect condition.” She reached out her hand and shook mine. “I’m Valerie, by the way. I live over there.” She thumbed to the house next door.
I introduced myself and Bun. She leaned over and stroked his ears, which won her a spot of favor at the top of his likeable-people list.
“I was sad to hear Della died. She was a nice person.”
I didn’t disagree out loud. “Did you have many dealings with her?”
“Oh, yeah. Della used to watch me when I was younger, so my mom could go to work. My dad died when I was little, so it’s just Mom and me. Della was really nice to us. She even spent Christmas Day at our house.”
An eye-opener, for sure. I mentioned how wonderful that was for her and her mother, and also good for Della, since she was alone.
“Oh, she wasn’t alone; she liked to spend the day with us. Della had friends at the local college. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you.”
“The subject never came up. Ours was more of a business association. You were quite lucky to have a neighbor like that. Did she ever mention who she was friends with at the college? Jess and I might know some of the same folks.”
Valerie’s eyebrows drew together as she thought hard. “I can’t remember exactly, but one day when I was mowing the lawn, a tall woman with a huge amount of auburn hair came to visit.”
Ah, Felicia Brandt. The woman got around. What exactly was her connection to Della? Interested enough to find out, I would dig deeper into Della’s life as I’d done on other suspects. The internet had turned into a place where one could find out just about anything they wanted to know. I said goodbye as Valerie turned to leave.
She stopped and stared at Jess. “Will you buy this cottage? I hope so, ‘cause I like you.” With that said, she zoomed out the door before Jess could answer.
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