Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot

by Sarah Osborne

  “How do you know all this about my brother—that he did work for Sandler’s?”

  “From Lurleen’s friend Marie Vanderling—before I got pulled from the case. While I’m not sure she told me everything she knows, she did mention that Tommy Brown was a friend of Ellie’s and a lawyer who did contract work for the corporation—usually in matters requiring discretion or heavy legal persuasion.”

  “Hmm. Maybe Lurleen and I should have another lunch with Marie.”

  “I don’t want you anywhere near Sandler’s or the people who work there. Promise me you won’t do that.”

  Before I had to give him an answer, Eddie appeared at the back door. If we didn’t hurry, breakfast would be cold.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Everyone else was seated around the farmhouse table when Mason and I joined them. Eddie had done herself proud with lemon and blueberry pancakes, made from scratch, scrambled eggs with heavy cream and a hint of thyme, fresh-squeezed orange juice, which had been Lucie’s task, and crisp bacon just the way I liked it. We barely spoke. Even Jason sat quietly munching.

  I did my best to focus on breakfast and keep thoughts of Marie Vanderling from my mind. But Marie was our inside man—or woman in this case. I didn’t want to go against Mason’s wishes by contacting her. I would never do anything to get in the way of his investigation. Except that it wasn’t his investigation any longer. And I wasn’t an innocent bystander. A childhood friend killed. Her children under my watch. And a brother who just might be involved with all of it.

  It was Lurleen who finally broke the silence.

  “Ah, ma chere Eddie. If I didn’t know you two had just met I would have sworn you were Ditie’s mother. Never have I seen cooks as perfect as the two of you. I think you may have to adopt her unless Detective Mason has his own ideas.”

  Eddie smiled and asked for more maple syrup. I turned red and Mason focused on his last bite of pancake. When I could, I shot her a look, but Lurleen just smiled sweetly back at me and twisted her hair into a chignon that she fixed with a clip in the shape of a peacock. “Don’t you just love this little bauble,” she said to me as if I’d asked her a question. “It was my Aunt Therese who sent this to me not two weeks ago.”

  “Your Aunt Therese,” I said with an evil glint in my eye. “Funny how you’ve never mentioned her before.”

  “Silly you. I’ve talked about her dozens of time. Probably called her Terry. She always hated the name Therese, although I find it quite beautiful. You forgot, with all you’ve had on your mind.”

  I gave up. Never would I catch Lurleen in a lie and normally I didn’t want to. Her fantasy world gave me as much pleasure as it seemed to give her, and who knew, maybe there was an Aunt Therese. Maybe someday we’d all summer in the south of France. That would be fun, particularly with Mason and Eddie and the kids at my side. I was happy to be as lost in fantasy as Lurleen was.

  But not for long. My cell phone rang with a number I didn’t recognize. I stepped out of the kitchen to answer it.

  “Hi, Ditie. A voice from your past. It’s Phil here. I’m down here planning for the Civil War reenactment—the Battle of Atlanta in the summer. I hope we can get together.”

  I tried to breathe the way you’re supposed to when you need to calm down. “Phil, we haven’t talked in seven years.”

  “I know. I know. I’ve been a lousy friend.”

  I wanted to say, “You were a lot more than a friend to me,” but I kept my mouth shut. I let the silence linger.

  “You did get my rose? I didn’t sign my name because I wasn’t sure how you’d respond.”

  I remained silent.

  “What? You still haven’t forgiven me? Maybe you’ll be happy to know I’m getting a divorce. I’m actually thinking of moving back here. My father’s going to retire, and I might take over his practice.”

  “I’m not happy about your divorce,” I said. “I’m never happy about that, although I know sometimes it’s for the best.”

  “Good Lord, Ditie, you’re still the same. Wishing everyone the best.”

  “I didn’t wish you the best, Phil. It took me years to get over you.”

  “But I never promised you anything, Ditie. I loved you in my own way, but we never talked about a future.”

  “I know, Phil. You can count yourself blameless. I’m the one who had hopes for the future. So why are you calling me now?”

  “I’d like to see you again. No promises, but you never know. You were the one person who got me, all of me. Could we have lunch, dinner?”

  “I’m involved with someone right now,” I said. It was close enough to the truth to get Phil out of my life.

  “Then let’s just see each other for old time’s sake. I’m glad if you’re happy, but I’ve really missed you. I finally understand what you offered me when I was too stupid to take advantage of it.”

  “You did hear the part about my being involved with someone, right?”

  “Yeah, yeah, but you know me—I never take no for an answer. It’s just lunch.”

  I thought about that. Maybe meeting with Phil would bring me some closure. I’d never loved anyone else so deeply besides my father.

  “Okay,” I said, knowing it might not be okay.

  “Great. I’ll call you when I get my schedule straight.”

  I hung up and Mason joined me in the hallway outside the kitchen.

  “Who was that?” Mason asked.

  “An old friend. The sender of the rose. He wants to have lunch and I agreed.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “That’s probably more honesty than I wanted from you, Ditie. Who is this guy and how do you know him?”

  I filled him in on Philip Brockton IV. “He can trace his heritage back to the Civil War and is proud of the fact his great-great-great-grandfather was a colonel in the war. He comes from a line of doctors almost that long. We met during our residencies—his in oncology, mine in pediatrics. He loved books and history and I loved him.”

  “Why?” Mason asked.

  I paused. Why had I loved Phil with all my heart when he loved me only a little? I shook my head. “I don’t know why. I’m going to have to sort that out. He was smart and I liked that. He read and talked about books the way my father did.” I shrugged and gave up trying to explain what I didn’t understand myself.

  “Thanks for telling me, Ditie. I’m not happy about it, but I’m glad to know what I’m up against.”

  “I don’t think you’re up against anything except a case your boss won’t let you solve.”

  Mason left for work shortly after our conversation. We had a quiet day. In retrospect maybe it was too quiet. The children and I played outside most of the day. Dan hovered nearby. Lurleen was inside, giving herself a spa day—something she offered to share with Lucie, but Lucie wanted to be outside with us. Hermione was in heaven, chasing balls and children to her heart’s content. Even the weather was obliging. It was a perfect spring day. It gave me time to catch my breath and I did.

  Perhaps Charlie Flack would stay away from us, give up on his quest to get whatever it was that Ellie had hidden away. Maybe the cops had scared him off for good. Maybe he wouldn’t figure out where we were living now. It was a lot of wishful thinking, and I knew it was unlikely. But for one day I wanted to believe it was true. I wanted the children and me to have a normal life.

  Eddie called us in for lunch—deli sandwiches on home-made bread. Ice cream for dessert. She insisted I take some time for myself after lunch—a nap or a good read. I took her up on it. First with a bath and then an hour to myself. Time to think about something other than the murders.

  Of course, what came to mind was Phil.

  Why had I loved Phil? Did I love him still? He had my father’s intelligence but not his gentleness. What I took for gentleness w
as actually a passivity, a wish not to rock the boat. He seemed content to be with me, but he was never completely satisfied with who I was. Couldn’t I exercise a little more, fix my hair, lose some weight? Why was I always baking? Couldn’t I do something more worthwhile with my time? He hurt me in a thousand familiar ways. Always wanting to change me as my mother did.

  My mother!

  Did I love Phil because he was similar not just to my dad but my mother as well? They say you marry your mother. The thought made me sigh. I’d been running away from my mother most of my life. Had I run straight into her arms when I fell in love with Phil?

  I sat up in bed. Now I wasn’t about to sleep. I went downstairs to see if I might help with dinner. Dan had taken over the role of kid supervisor. I found Eddie in the kitchen.

  “Did you sleep, dear? You must be exhausted from all you’ve been through.”

  “I rested. Now I’m ready to help with dinner.”

  Together Eddie and I searched for the perfect menu—first in old cookbooks and later on the Internet. What would satisfy both the children in our life and the men? Lurleen would be pleased with whatever we came up with. We decided on oven-fried chicken, new potato salad with dill, and grilled asparagus. Eddie and I spent the afternoon together, chatting and chopping, dipping and frying. It was a joy for both of us. Lucie popped her head in and offered to help. We gave her the task of finding a tasty dessert in one of Eddie’s cookbooks for kids. She came up with lemon squares and assured us she could do the whole thing on her own. Which she did.

  Mason arrived home around six. He’d heard nothing more about Charlie Flack. Flack had apparently disappeared into the woodwork. Maybe he would stay gone. Mason’s captain was threatening him with a new assignment in south Georgia, but he would deal with that in the morning. In the meantime, he was quite content to enjoy the sumptuous meal we’d prepared. Lurleen and Dan ooh’d and ahh’d over our efforts. Even Jason asked for more chicken and a second lemon square.

  Eddie and I settled in the parlor while the rest of the crew cleaned up. Lucie wanted to help, so we let her. We’d run out of diversions and started talking about the case.

  “You are at the center of this, Ditie. What do you think is going on?” Eddie asked.

  “I think Ellie was in over her head. She was always looking for a way to strike it rich. Maybe she got involved with the wrong people—Billy Joe, Charlie Flack—and it cost her her life.”

  “She never gave them what they wanted,” Eddie said. “I wonder why not.”

  “Ellie always thought she could get away with more,” I said. “My guess is she either couldn’t get the information or, more likely, she was trying to sell it to the highest bidder.”

  “If she did get it, where is it?” Eddie said.

  “That’s the question, isn’t it? She hid it somewhere. Somewhere that she knew would be safe. Undetectable but safe.”

  The kids bounced into the room and our conversation ended. Dan, Mason, and Lurleen followed.

  We spent half an hour playing charades at Lurleen’s insistence. We did titles of children’s books. Lurleen relished any opportunity to be dramatic and had us in hysterics as she acted out Where the Wild Things Are. Then it was bedtime for all of us.

  Mason left early the next morning to sort things out with his captain. The rest of us remained at the kitchen table savoring hot scones and fresh coffee. Minutes later the landline rang.

  “Must be Mason,” Eddie said. “Probably forgot something.” She walked quickly to the phone while the rest of us cleared our dishes.

  “Hello. Who is this?” Eddie listened and her face hardened. “Lurleen doesn’t live here.” She listened some more. “I see. I don’t know where she is. I’ll try to reach Dr. Brown and see if she knows. Yes, I understand it’s urgent. I’ll do what I can.”

  She hung up the phone and looked at Lurleen. “That was Marie Vanderling.”

  She turned to the children. “Lucie, could you take Jason upstairs and entertain him for a while. I have a trunk full of games in your room. It’s in the closet. We’ll be up to join you in a few minutes.”

  “Of course, Miss Eddie,” she said. She looked almost as serious as Eddie did, but she didn’t ask a single question. “Come on, Jason. I’ll be your launch pad for Spider-Man and I’ll even be one of your bad guys.”

  That was all Jason needed. He yelled for Hermione to come and took off up the stairs. Lucie was two steps behind him.

  “So,” Eddie said, turning to Lurleen. “How is it Marie Vanderling knows where to find you?”

  Lurleen’s eyes looked like large shiny headlights. “I swear I never said a word to her. Not one word. About the house I mean. I did talk to her a little bit. I mean, she’s a friend of mine. She’s helped us out. I knew I could trust her. But I never said where we were going. I might have mentioned we were moving to a safer location. But never where. I swear.”

  Thankfully, she didn’t swear in the name of her Aunt Therese.

  I studied Lurleen. We all did, and no one said a word.

  “Okay, okay,” Lurleen said. This time large tears were streaming down her face. “Maybe I did say that Detective Garrett was rescuing us like a knight from the Round Table. And yes I know they were English not French, but I’ve never been an Anglophobe like some of my relatives. So maybe I did say that. But never where we were going.”

  “Oh, Lurleen.” It was all I could say, and it made Lurleen cry even harder.

  “Why didn’t she call you on your cell phone?” Eddie asked.

  “She probably tried. In all the moves, I didn’t bring my charger. It went dead days ago.”

  Eddie handed Lurleen a box of tissues. “No point crying over what can’t be undone. Let’s figure out what to do next. Marie sounded desperate. I think you need to call her back. Tell her you and Ditie are staying in a hotel but you’re not allowed to say where. I doubt she’ll believe that, but it’s worth a try. I’ll call Mason. Don’t make any plans with Marie. Just find out what she needs to tell you and say you’ll call her back. Use Ditie’s cell phone, so she won’t see this number.”

  I handed Lurleen my phone and sat beside her as she dialed Marie. She put her on speakerphone so we could all hear the conversation.

  “Hi, Marie. Mrs. Garrett called Ditie, and she told me you needed to talk to me.”

  “Where are you? I assumed you’d gone to stay with Detective Garrett, so I tracked down his home number and his mother’s.” Marie didn’t sound like her confident self. Her voice trembled.

  “He put us in a hotel under guard. I can’t say where. Why did you need to talk to me?”

  “I can’t discuss this over the phone. I don’t know who might be listening. We have to meet. You, me, and Ditie. Please.”

  Lurleen looked over at Eddie, who motioned that she hang up.

  “I’ll have to call you back, Marie. Are you safe?”

  “I don’t know. Please call me soon. Detective Garrett can’t come. There’s something screwy going on here, and I think the police may be involved. On the wrong side.”

  She hung up. Eddie called Mason and recapped the conversation. She listened to his response and then gave the phone to Dan.

  Dan listened for thirty seconds. “Got it,” he said. “I’m on it. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “So?” I said, barely able to stay in my seat.

  “You two are to go nowhere near Marie Vanderling.” He looked at Lurleen. “You are to call her back and introduce me over the phone. I’ll take it from there.”

  Lurleen took my phone again and redialed.

  No answer.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lurleen held the phone in her hand as if it might suddenly speak to her. She walked back and forth in the kitchen talking to anyone who would listen. “Marie’s in trouble. I know she’s in serious trouble. I could hear it in her voice.” Edd
ie took her arm and guided her into the front parlor. The rest of us followed.

  “Sit down,” Dan said, patting the sofa. “We’ll figure out what to do.”

  Dan tried to call Mason, but he didn’t pick up. Lurleen slumped onto the sofa next to him.

  “I’ve made a mess of everything. I’ve put the kids at risk and Marie as well.”

  I sat on the other side of her. “I like Marie,” I said. “But if she’s in trouble, it’s trouble of her own making. She likes to know everything, remember? Maybe she found out too much.” Or maybe she’s in the middle of too much, I wanted to add. But Lurleen was Marie’s fast friend. She didn’t doubt Marie’s honesty, so I kept my doubts to myself.

  “Okay,” Eddie said. “Enough moping around. I’m setting the alarm, so no one can come or go without letting me know.” We nodded our assent.

  “We’ll have to watch the kids like hawks,” I said. “I’ll explain to Lucie about the alarm, but keeping track of Jason is going to be a challenge.”

  “I’ll handle that,” Lurleen said. “We have a special bond—Jason thinks I’m the Femme Merveilleuse, a French superhero. He’ll be happy to spend the day with me. It’s the least I can do. I am so, so sorry. And now I’m so worried about Marie.”

  I patted her hand.

  “No crying over spilt milk,” Eddie said. “Where does Marie live?”

  Lurleen pulled a small leather notebook out of her purse. She wrote out the address, along with Marie’s cell number and work number. She ripped out the page and handed it to Eddie who passed it on to Dan.

  “You’ll have to track her down,” Eddie said to Dan. “Do what you can to see if she’s at work. Use one of your disguises.”

  “Disguises?” I asked.

  “I do a lot of work on heating and air systems.” He smiled. “People are always happy to see me if they think their system might be in trouble.”

  “I’ll keep things safe here,” Eddie said. “Mason will call when he can and we’ll figure out our next move.”