“It’ll be fine. Molly’s students have eagerly worked to become great spinners and weavers. I wouldn’t dream of cancelling the event. Besides, the murders have nothing to do with the farm. Don’t worry, Jack, all will go according to plan.”
“If you say so,” Jack grudgingly remarked before he left.
As he drove off the property, I thought over the proposed schedule for the open studio. I jotted questions on a tablet from my desk. No doubt Molly had the entire day organized down to the finest detail, but it would do me good to see what activities she’d lined up during the event.
My cell phone beeped. A text from Jessica filled the screen. I clicked the phone open to read the entire message. I glanced at Bun’s room and listened for his tiny snore. About to text her, I went into the barn and called her instead.
She answered on the first ring. “I wasn’t sure you’d still be awake.”
“I had company. Sheriff Carver stopped by for a bit. What’s up?”
“I’m at Della’s—uh, my house. Can you come over?”
“What’s wrong?” I could tell by the sound of her voice something wasn’t right.
“Just come over.”
“I’ll be right there.”
I hurried into the house for car keys and a sweater.
I left the house lit and locked the doors as I tiptoed out. I wasn’t taking Bun with me. I backed up and drove helter-skelter away from the farm. It wasn’t long before I arrived at Jessica’s cottage.
Parked in front of the house, I noticed Jessica on the doorstep, standing under the old-fashioned lamp next to the front door. Her arms folded; she shook.
“What happened? Have you called the police? Are you all right?” The questions tumbled from my mouth, one after another, without allowing Jess time to answer any of them. I stopped talking and waited.
Tears rolled from her eyes, down over her cheeks. “Come inside.”
Cautiously, she opened the door. When she pointed to the small living room, I moved forward and halted not three feet from the body. I stared at Jessica and asked, “Did you look?”
She sniffled and shook her head.
Careful not to destroy the crime scene, I tiptoed over and gasped when I recognized who lay at my feet.
I took my cell phone from my jeans pocket and dialed Jack’s number, anxious for him to answer the call.
“This better be important.”
“I’m at a crime scene. You need to see this. We’re at Della’s house.” I disconnected the call and just as quickly, the phone rang.
Chapter 22
“Who is we?” Jack barked. I heard the engine of his cruiser rumble and knew he’d arrive shortly.
“Me and Jessica.”
“What’s this about?”
“There’s a body in the living room and you’d better call out the troops, Jack. I’m uncertain if the culprit is still in the vicinity.”
“For God’s sake, don’t touch anything. Get out of the house and lock yourselves in your car. I’m almost there.” He must have set the phone down because all I could hear was his police radio squawk a few times as Jack gave orders.
Jess and I followed Jack’s instructions. Locked in my car, I tried to console Jessica, to no avail, I might add. “You’ll be okay. Jack and his people are on their way.”
“You don’t understand. There’s a body in my soon-tobe living room. How can I buy this house now? The neighborhood isn’t safe. My parents will have a fit over this and probably refuse to close on the sale.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s deal with one thing at a time. Try not to get ahead of yourself. Just because there’s been an incident doesn’t mean the neighborhood isn’t a decent place to live. Look at what’s taken place at the farm in the past. It’s still a great place and a wonderful area.”
Saved from arguing by Jack’s police car’s flashing lights, followed by those of the emergency services truck and crew, and a barrage of other cops in cars, I breathed a slight sigh of relief. Enough police arrived to hopefully scare the rest of the neighborhood into staying indoors. Though, a few brave souls stood on their front lawns and porches. They were immediately ushered back indoors by officers.
We waited until Jack stood next to my car door and then got out to accompany him into the house. He sent officers around the back of the property in search of an intruder and to see if the house was forcibly entered.
Jack focused on Jessica. She explained how she’d found the house turned upside down upon her arrival. That’s when she mentioned the body on the living room floor and began to tremble. Jack beckoned to a paramedic. “Take this woman to the ambulance and stay with her.”
With a nod, he walked Jess to the vehicle and draped a blanket around her shoulders as she perched on the edge of the truck’s step. I accompanied Jack indoors, followed by a rescue team. I recognized it as the same team that had come to my aid a few times. Some of them nodded at me while others walked past without acknowledgment.
The crew chief offered a murmured hello and passed me as I stood at the corner of the living room entrance. He and Jack spoke in low tones while police officers did a room-to-room search and called them all clear. While I waited, a gurney was brought in without a body bag secured to it, which gave me pause.
I opened my mouth to ask where the bag was when the crew chief stepped forward. “Did you touch her?”
“No, I stayed away. Seeing all that blood, I thought she was dead.”
“She isn’t, but she’s badly injured. What do you know about this?”
“Nothing. Jessica called and asked me to come here. She never said why. I knew something was wrong and drove right over.”
The crew tended the victim gently and loaded her onto the gurney. She was rolled from the house and into the ambulance, then driven to the hospital. Still draped in a blanket, Jessica strode into the house and stood beside me.
Her eyes wide, Jess asked, “She isn’t dead?”
“No. I didn’t want to touch her because I thought she was dead.”
Having heard us, Jack left his group of officers and joined us. “You didn’t touch her, either?”
Jess shook her head.
“Why not?”
“I thought she was . . . uh . . . you know, dead.”
His expression softened as he stared at her. “I’m sorry, I should have realized how difficult this has been for you. What were you doing here?”
“After I finished my home visits tonight, I stopped by to measure the windows for curtains. Nobody was around when I arrived. I entered the house, flipped on the lights, and found this mess.” Jess swept her hand out to include the rest of the house and said, “Then I saw the body. I panicked, worried the intruder was still present, so I called Jules. I’m sorry, Sheriff Carver, I should have notified you first.”
“The back door was jimmied open. Forensics will dust for prints, along with everything that was overturned or torn apart. You did the right thing by not invading my crime scene, but if there should be a next time, call me first.”
With a slight tip of his head, Jack gave me a pointed look. I left Jessica watching officers do their jobs.
In the kitchen, Jack asked, “Who would have attacked Felicia Brandt?”
“It’s impossible to say. Some dislike Felicia, those who find her bossy and arrogant, and then there are students who follow her every wish and command. At least that’s what I’ve heard. You know, secondhand information and such.”
“Who told you all that?”
“One of Molly’s students.”
“I see. Did you find it credible?”
“She seemed very honest. I didn’t get the impression she held a grudge against Felicia. You know, I’m really curious as to what Felicia was doing here. Was she the one who jimmied the door, or was she with someone?”
“Good questions. I wish I had the answers. Maybe Felicia can tell us when she regains consciousness.”
“You might ask the teenager next door. Not much gets past h
er. She and Della were best buddies. When Jess and I first visited this house, she came over and greeted us like old friends. I’d say she knows more about what goes on around here than a neighborhood watch group would.”
“I hope she saw something helpful. I’ve got to get to the hospital, I want to be there should Felicia come around.”
“I won’t be far behind.”
“Why?”
“You might need me as a buffer between you and Dr. Sommers.” I snickered at the thought of the two of them blustering. It wouldn’t be the first time, or the last. Neither man cared much for the other. “I’ll send Jessica on her way home after I make sure she’s all right.”
“Very funny. I’ll see you later.” He strode off.
I started after Jessica, who had discarded the blanket as she headed out the door behind Jack.
I caught up with her and asked, “Where are you going?”
“There’s nothing I can do here tonight. I’m going home.”
“Would you feel better if you stayed at my house? You have had quite a shock.”
“That isn’t necessary. I’ll be fine now I know that woman isn’t dead.”
“I’m going to the hospital. Jack is on his way there now. The woman is Felicia Brandt and Jack isn’t sure she was alone. He’ll question Valerie later.”
As we stood on the walkway in front of the house, I saw Jessica’s eyes pop wide and her chin lift a tad as she motioned to something behind me. She murmured, “You and I can ask her right now if she saw anything unusual.”
I swung around with a smile on my face and greeted the teenager. “Hi, Valerie.”
“Wow, what’s going on? I saw the ambulance and all those cops.”
“We know you keep an eye on what goes on around here, and we’re so glad you do. Jessica and I have a mystery of sorts to solve. You know Jess is going to be your new neighbor, right?”
Valerie nodded.
“Well, it seems someone wanted to access the house without her knowing, to plan a surprise for her, or something of that sort. Anyway, I wondered if you saw who was here before Jessica arrived.”
We stood on the walk, a trio of amateur sleuths, with Valerie’s face to the lamplight. Her eyes sparkled as she grinned. “Oh, I love mysteries. My friends always say I’m nosy, but I’m simply curious.” Her ponytail bobbed up and down, as did her head, while she spoke.
“Two people came by. They weren’t together, though. The woman got here first, then about twenty minutes or so later, a man drove up, parked in front of my house, and then walked down the driveway to the back door. The woman was already inside. I think she had a key because she went in by the front door.” Valerie grew silent before continuing. “Anyway, I saw the man struggle with the door, as if it got stuck, you know? Then he went in. After that, I couldn’t see anything because the curtains were closed and not all the lights were on. A while later, he drove away. When I looked out the window, the house was completely dark.”
“You never saw the woman leave, then?”
“No, but I wasn’t watching for her, either. I thought maybe they left at the same time. What happened?”
“The couple had an altercation and the woman was injured.”
“She’s not dead, right? It would be creepy living next door to a house where a person died in it.” She shivered. I couldn’t tell if it was from the damp chill in the air, or if she was frightened by the thought that a death took place so close to home.
“Thanks, Valerie, you’ve been immensely helpful. If Sheriff Carver comes by, make sure you tell him what you saw.” About to leave, I stopped and asked, “Did you get a look at the man, by any chance?”
“The lighting wasn’t good. His clothes were dark, I think. I didn’t see his face, but he was slim and shorter than you. He wore a hat, too.”
“Okay, thanks again.”
Seeming happy that we took her seriously and listened to what she said, Valerie hurried along the driveway and crossed over to her yard. She waved from the doorway as she went inside.
“That was amazing. Valerie’s quite the watchdog.” Jessica peered at Valerie’s house before walking toward her car. “I don’t know if I would want to leave a child alone at night.”
“There may be no choice in the matter. That could be why Della took her under her wing, as mystifying as that reason is to me.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow. My appointments begin early, so have breakfast ready, okay? It is your turn to make breakfast, you know.” She smiled a bit, and then got into her car.
I was certain Jess would be okay now that she knew Felicia was alive. Since we had an idea of what had happened, I set off for the hospital.
Jack’s car sat near the front entrance. I drove into the visitors’ parking area and scurried across the lot. The double doors slid open. Jack paced the hallway of the emergency room. Dr. Sommers was nowhere in sight when I joined Jack.
“Any word on Felicia?”
“No, Dr. Sommers is still with her. They’ve taken X-rays, but nobody has said a word to me.”
“Let’s sit in the waiting room. It looks like a slow night, so Dr. Sommers will probably be with us soon.”
“He doesn’t like me.”
“And you feel the same toward him. You and I both know it, as does he, I’m sure.”
With a harrumph, Jack stated, “It took you a while to get here.”
“Jessica and I were leaving the house when Valerie, the teenager next door, came out to talk to us.”
He rolled his eyes and said, “And, you couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that.”
“She’s expecting a visit from you. I said you’d be by to ask questions.”
“And? I know there’s more, so let’s have it.”
Within a few minutes, Jack was aware of what Valerie had shared and seemed pleased that she’d been so observant. Unfortunately for me, he didn’t feel the same way when I was observant.
“I’m looking for a man just shorter than you, then? She didn’t see his face, huh? Did she say if he was fat or thin? Did he limp or anything like that?”
“It wasn’t light enough for her to see his features and he wore a hat. He could have had his head turned away, too. She didn’t say that, though. Valerie did mention he was slim.” Geesh, did I have to ask her everything? Jack always insisted it was his job to make inquiries, not mine.
Dr. Sommers entered the room. He glanced at Jack and then greeted me. “Hello, Juliette. How are you after that thump on the head?”
We went to meet Dr. Sommers and Jack let me take the lead. “Fine, fine, no after effects. Thanks. How is Felicia?”
“She’s unconscious. I’ve called in a neurologist and a neurosurgeon to have a look at her.”
“She’s not in a coma, is she?”
“She shows no signs of needing assistance to breathe. I’ll have to wait for the Drs. Fielding to arrive and get their opinions.” He turned to Jack. “Please notify Ms. Brandt’s parents.”
“I will. Keep me informed of her condition, won’t you?”
“Certainly.” He turned away and then back. “It’s good to see you are well, Juliette. Stay that way.”
“I’ll certainly try.” I grinned and watched him amble from the room.
In a sly sounding tone, Jack murmured, “It seems to me that Dr. Sommers has a soft spot for you.”
“It seems to me that you might pay attention to police work and leave romantic conjecture out of the conversation.” I glanced at the wall clock and said, “I’m going home. Five o’clock comes around pretty fast and I need some rest. If you hear anything at all, you’d better call me.”
He didn’t say a word but gave me a slight nod, instead.
Chapter 23
The alarm clock blared. Seeking the top of it, I reached out and slapped the button to make the noise stop. Awake, I saw Bun sitting just inside the doorway and said, “Good morning. You’re up early.”
“I’m up and want an explanation of why you were out l
ast night and didn’t think to take me with you.”
Okay, his nose was out of joint because I didn’t take him. I hoped this didn’t set the tone for the entire day. Jessica and I would be at the college this evening to lecture, and a calm day would be nice.
“You were fast asleep; snoring, even. I didn’t have the heart to wake you. I’m sorry, Bun.”
I trotted into the bathroom, did what was necessary, and then went downstairs to make breakfast. Bun accompanied me, asking what was so important that I was out so late in the evening.
“Jess called. She found Felicia Brandt unconscious in the house she is buying. Poor Jess was frantic. I left right away to get to her. We called Jack and his crew did their thing. All I know is that Felicia is in the hospital.”
I popped bread in the toaster, made omelets for breakfast, and perked coffee. Bun yammered the entire time.
“I guess her attacker was absent by the time Jessica found Felicia?”
I nodded and buttered the toast.
“I could have been helpful, you know. I can smell better than you, hear better, and tune in better than any human can. I might have been able to identify the attacker by using any one, or all, of those attributes. Just think, an opportunity to solve that little mystery was missed because you didn’t want to wake me.”
Yup, he was rankled, all right.
“I said I was sorry. Can we move on?”
“Were there any witnesses?”
“Valerie, next door, saw a short, slim man enter the driveway and watched him break in through the rear entrance.”
“Jess was lucky he was gone when she arrived. She might have ended up in the bed next to Felicia. Valerie didn’t get a look at his face, huh?”
“It was too dark.”
The breezeway door opened and Jessica remarked, “Talking to Bun again, huh?”
“It helps to sort out the facts and events of the attack and break-in. Don’t you ever talk out loud when you want to figure something out?”
She snickered. “No, but maybe I ought to.”
I set the table while Jessica petted Bun. When I turned around, I could see how tired she was. My guess was she hadn’t slept well.
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