“Yes, I’m sure she does. She’s been doing it for a while. I called her parents a couple of times when she was taking piano from me,” Jean said. “I used to notice fresh cuts on her inner arms. She tried to conceal them, but every once in a while, her sleeves would crawl up and expose them. She did complain to me about an injured arm, something about her having an argument with Hal before the funeral. She made mention of it in the note, remember?”
“Yes, that bandaged arm bothered me. She has too much respect for you to burden you with her admissions,” Meg said, preparing her umbrella. “She told me that.”
“Bless her heart.” Jean wiped a tear from her cheek. “I guess you never know who might need a kind word.
“It’s so sad.” Jean eased into Brian’s driveway and put the car in Park.
“Here, take these,” Jean said, handing Meg a plate of muffins from the back seat. “We can have those when we take a break later in the morning. Offer Brian some.”
“Sure will. I’ll see you later.” Meg struggled to exit the car with her hands full and a half-opened umbrella, but she managed to get to the front porch and ring the bell. Brian answered promptly and assisted her in getting inside.
“Sorry I have to rush out, Meg. I’ll show you how to go out through the garage using the keypad so you won’t have to worry about locking up.”
Meg put her things on the kitchen table, wondering if the meeting he would be attending was anything like the ones Miranda had described.
Brian couldn’t stay long enough to even sample a muffin, dashing out after showing Meg the closets. He had no desire to keep costume jewelry or anything else belonging to his deceased wife, assuring Meg he had placed all the expensive jewelry in his safety deposit box.
Most of the items were in the master bedroom, but there was a walk-in closet off the hall that held most of the coats and outerwear. Nothing in the master bedroom belonged to Brian. He had stacked plastic bins at the foot of the bed for Meg to use for the things in the dresser, as well as shoes.
She listened as the garage door closed and saw Brian backing down the driveway in the Range Rover.
She glanced in the bedroom across the hall, sure it must have been his. The décor was masculine, and there was a leather recliner in the enormous room, directly in front of a large television.
Lena’s room was mostly white, the furniture was sleek and upholstered in an off-white linen. The wooden dressers on either side of the bed were large and coated with a light gray wash. Meg liked the light and openness of the space. White roman shades were drawn to the tops of the windows layered with floor-to-ceiling draperies, opened to allow natural light into the room. The suite had a fresh feel.
There was enough natural light that Meg didn’t think it was necessary to turn on the tall glass lamps with white drum shades or the overhead light. Meg suspected the room was much the same as the last time Lena had stepped out of it.
She took a deep breath and gripped the large glass knobs of the double closet doors. A light came on automatically when the doors swung open, illuminating a space the size of a guest bedroom. She went to the chest at the far end of the closet to search the drawers, finding gloves, headbands, clutch purses, socks, tights, and lace camisoles, but no scarves. She turned to a stack of shelves with boxes, but they contained photos, certificates, cards, and small handbags.
I’ll start with shoes, Meg decided. Since many of them were already in clear boxes, they were easy to stack in the totes. She emptied the shoe caddies of the loose pairs and filled three totes, stacking them against the wall next to the oversized chair and placing the boxed shoes on top of the bins.
Holding her arm high in the air to keep the fabric from tripping her, Meg carried several formal dresses to the bed and laid them flat. After several trips back and forth, there was no more room on the bed to take out more clothing. She opened the drawers of the chests on each side of the bed. Meg found the drawers where scarves and wraps were stored. However, she didn’t see the black and white scarf she was searching for.
She decided to take a break until Jean came back and they could take a trip to the resale shop to make their first delivery.
As she closed the closet doors, Meg heard the garage door go up. She looked down the drive, thinking Brian might be returning, but it was a white Mercedes. Wayne and Nell.
THIRTY TWO
MEG’S MIND RACED. What are they doing? The car pulled into the garage and Meg heard the door going down. She picked up her stainless tumbler and stepped into Lena’s closet, closing the door behind her and crouching in the corner behind several full-length furs.
Her heart sank when she realized her purse and umbrella were on the counter in the kitchen. Meg opened the closet door and ran down the hall, grabbed her things and sprinted back to the closet. Wayne’s voice pierced the air as she squatted, leaning against Lena’s furs. She hoped the Landrys left before Jean returned, and prayed they didn’t open the closet door.
Meg could hear muffled voices but couldn’t tell what was being said. They got louder, coming down the hall toward the bedroom.
“I told Hal this wasn’t a good idea. You know Meg saw me with it on the other day. She kept looking at it.”
Meg shuddered. She couldn’t believe Nell mentioned her by name. She’s talking about the scarf.
“She probably recognized it was expensive,” Wayne’s voice boomed.
“She wouldn’t recognize Hermés if it bit her,” Nell laughed. “Are you sure Brian’s not going to come back and catch us in here?”
“He’s gone to Dallas to the conference meeting so he’ll be gone all day. Don’t worry about him. Hal said he might even spend the night. You know how those guys get.”
“Oh look, Brian’s already started going through Lena’s things. I need to mention to him that I’d like to have some of her furs. We could offer to pay him for them, couldn’t we?”
“Do you really need more furs?”
Meg’s heart rate quickened. She didn’t want them to open the door and start swiping through the furs.
“You can’t have too many. This dresser here is where she kept her scarves. I spent many a day in here, allowing Lena to brag about her purchases. I won’t have to bear that scene again. I should probably put it on the bottom, don’t you think? I can’t believe there were photos of one of the girls wearing this on social media. Those cops are probably too stupid to put that together, but if anyone ever starts looking, it’s going to turn up. Maybe Hal could talk to Geneva and get her to take them down.”
“Taking it down will look suspicious. Hal’s got a problem with the girls. He called me early this morning. I told him he needs to solve it or else.”
Meg was certain he was referring to Giselle leaving the condo.
“What is it?” Nell sounded alarmed.
“Don’t worry about it. He has too much skin in this to let it get out of hand. It’ll be his head on the block if it doesn’t get solved, not ours.”
“People are talking about his problems with the Steampunk deal. He may have some charges filed against again. We may need to cut our losses with him, but then what about the twins?”
“Don’t you dare think I’m going to be a step-mother. No sir.”
“Cool your jets, Nell. I’m well aware you’re not the mothering type.”
Wayne’s voice irritated Meg as the memory of him being raised in his white robes in the center of the altar of the church flashed in front of her. How could he, as the father of the twins on their birth certificate be so flip?
“We have to put this scarf back so we’re not implicated in any way. I can’t risk having the church involved in another scandal.” It sounded like he was moving around. “It’s already sketchy with that situation over in Tyler. I’ve been expecting to get a call from that detective any day.”
Meg leaned toward the door. It sounded as though Wayne was walking out into the hall and she wanted to be sure to hear what he was saying.
“I sure
wish you hadn’t brought those things home with you. We’re not obligated to those people anymore, Wayne. You’re going to have to stop taking their calls.” Nell’s voice was less confident, as though she sounded worried.
“They know what I did, Nell. They threaten me with exposure. They’ll always have that situation to hold over my head. We might be able to get rid of one person, but I don’t think we can kill six without it being noticed. I’m always going to be beholden to those guys.”
Meg swallowed hard. Did he just admit they’ve killed others?
“It’s constantly on my mind. I can’t relax as long as all those things are on our property,” Nell said. “Okay, it’s at the bottom of the drawer. That’s all we can do.
“I still say it’s a risk having those guns and that vehicle out in the tractor shed. Meg drove right up to the front door the other day. Rhonda told her it’d be okay to drop by and pick up that stuff for those little foster kids. I was caught off guard. Suppose the shed door had been left open? Anyone driving up can get a glimpse in there.”
Meg knew the shed. She’d seen it the day she picked up the packages, and Nell had been nervous, anxious to get her inside.
That’s the deal. They’re hiding evidence from Tyler on the church’s property here.
“I know, I know. I’ll try to figure something out. In the meantime, just make sure all the lawn stuff is kept in the barn. There’s no need for anyone to be opening those doors” Wayne’s voice boomed once more, close to the closet.
“It just makes me nervous. But I guess that fabulous house and all the other stuff is worth it.” Nell let out a shrill giggle. “You want to do it on Lena’s formals?”
“Are you kidding? Brian will get suspicious. We need to get out of here before you get any bright ideas. Besides, I don’t have my pills.”
“I bet Brian has some. You’re no fun lately, Wayne.”
Meg closed her eyes, praying Wayne could convince Nell they needed to leave. She didn’t think she could stomach the audio version of anything they were planning to do.
She listened to their voices growing fainter and finally heard the garage door open and close. She rolled her neck to loosen the tension in her shoulders.
I need to tell Tom about this. There’s something in that shed out there at the parsonage.
THIRTY-THREE
MEG AND JEAN loaded Jean’s car, making several trips with Lena’s shoes and some of the clothing. Two cars would speed up the process. After the first run, Jean dropped Meg off to pick up her car.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes, Jean. I’m going to run in and check my answering machine. I’ll be right behind you.”
There were several messages, but Meg didn’t recognize the numbers so she didn’t listen. The rain had stopped, and she was relieved they wouldn’t have to make more hauls in the damp.
Meg dialed Crawford before she started her car.
“Meg, I’m glad you called. We have the full story on Lena and will be filing charges before lunch. Giselle was the key. I don’t know what we’d have done without her.”
“I’ll be anxious to hear about it. I have some news I need to share with Tom. Is he there, by any chance?”
“He just left with the chief to arrange some protection for Giselle. I’ll have him call you when he gets back.”
“Okay. It’s important, Detective. It’s about the Tyler connection.”
Meg was anxious to hear the details and put the pieces together. She was thrilled that Giselle could come forward and provide the information needed to arrest someone. What she’d overheard would be important to help Tom link the Landrys to the other case. It was going to be a long tiring day for her and Jean, but it would all be over soon. She was satisfied that she and Jean had accomplished a lot.
They made several trips back and forth, even though the Career Closet was able to contact a few volunteers to help with pickup.
The black-and-white scarf had been placed in the top drawer, at the bottom of the stack, by Nell. Meg took a photo of it with her phone and left it in the drawer, then had Jean verify that it was indeed still in the drawer, unsure how to handle the chain of evidence she knew would be required if she removed it. She messaged the photo to Crawford.
Jean stood at Lena’s bedroom door, staring into the room. “It’s sad, isn’t it, Meg? She was such a beautiful woman, and she really cared about all the things we just hauled out of here. What would be the motive for someone to murder a person like Lena?”
“I hope Crawford will be able to enlighten us,” Meg said. She didn’t want to repeat what Tom had told her about testimony and waiting until after the facelift. What a waste.
“Brian will be surprised to see the difference in the closet. It’s completely bare now. I wonder if he’ll need to keep such a house, or if that massive closet will be a perk for courting a new wife,” Jean said.
“I don’t know, he seems pretty comfortable here. Though he could be moving to the jailhouse.”
“You may be right about that.” Jean turned off the hall lights as she headed toward the kitchen. “He’s always been my number one suspect. It’ll be interesting to hear what Giselle revealed. Hey, I’m starving. Are there any of those muffins left?”
Meg peeked in the kitchen. The muffins she had left on the table were gone and so was the plate. “I can’t believe it,” Meg said. “We’re going to need a margarita. How about Pollo Pollo for lunch? My treat.”
Jean was dumfounded when Meg told her that Wayne and Nell had taken the muffins. “That’s just incredible. Who does that?”
“There’s more,” Meg admitted. “The muffins are nothing compared to what I overheard. But I think if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.”
“Well don’t tell me, then. I still have Christmas shopping to do, and I don’t have time to be dead.”
They giggled, but Meg knew it was true. Neither of them had time to be dead. There was too much to do.
She did tell Jean about hiding in the closet and eaves dropping when Wayne and Nell brought the scarf to Lena’s bedroom.
“Why did Nell have it?” Jean asked.
Meg inhaled a deep breath, shaking her head, “I don’t know. I’m sure it was an expensive scarf and maybe that’s why she wanted it, but later they probably realized it was also a link to a crime scene.
When Meg returned home, all she wanted to do was put her feet up, but she knew she should listen to the messages on her answering machine. One was from Dorie, calling from a friend’s cell. She wanted Meg to save the date, December 23rd, for a dinner party and gift exchange. The other messages were all from Hal. There were a couple of apologies for his behavior at lunch, but the last message was threatening, as he suspected she might know Giselle was missing. She alerted Crawford that she’d need to listen to the messages.
The detective called after Meg was settled in her nightgown in front of the television, asking Meg to come to the police station the following morning for a debriefing. It would be like a kid waiting for Christmas morning, she thought, trying to fall asleep with such expectation would be difficult.
Yes, she had been able to establish a relationship with Giselle, but that was probably more LaRue than her. What did all the other business mean: her locket, the fragrance, Hal, the church involvement? She really didn’t understand, and she looked forward to the debriefing to try to make sense of it.
Meg located her jewelry cleaner under the kitchen sink and placed her locket on a paper towel as she brushed the cleaner over the locket with soft bristles. The piece began to sparkle under the light over the kitchen sink. The brilliance of the colors startled Meg. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought to clean it before, telling herself she didn’t want to spoil the patina. What she discovered under better than a century of grime were precious and semi-precious stones she’d never seen. It was a spectacular piece of jewelry and Meg suspected Lena had known exactly what it was worth. The value would’ve been nothing to Lena, only a beautiful piece of je
welry, but the locket was priceless to Meg.
The following morning, there was a long table covered with a red cloth in the break room of the police station, a centerpiece of evergreen and red poinsettias in the center. The table was covered with finger foods and sweets, a potluck from officers and staff, with a punch bowl at one end and a coffee urn at the other. When Detective Crawford led Meg into the room everyone began to applaud.
“What in the world?” Meg held her hand to her mouth, taken aback by the response.
Crawford took the lead. “I knew when I was interviewing you, I was either talking to a genius perpetrator or the person who would help me solve the crime. I’m so happy you turned out to be innocent.”
Meg laughed. “You don’t know how happy that makes me, Detective. I’ve watched enough television to know this could go either way. I wanted you to find the murderer.”
“Thanks to your approachable nature and knowledge of this community, we not only have the murder solved, leads for solving additional crimes, but we’ve doubled our support for the Blue Santa project.”
Jean walked into the room, smiling, and Meg pointed to her. “Couldn’t have done that without my friend.” Jean gave an abbreviated bow.
Agent Richards was nearby, listening to the speeches. He and Crawford took Meg into Crawford’s office after they shared food and drinks with the rest of the team and the celebration was open for all station employees.
Meg settled in front of Crawford’s desk with a fresh cup of punch, the two professionals no longer looking as pleasant as they had in the break room.
“First, let me say I’m humbled by the celebration and do not feel worthy of such attention,” Meg said, heat coming to her face in a blush.
A Dickens of a Crime Page 19