Mark of the Loon (Gen Delacourt Mystery Book 1)

by Molly Greene

  Madison heard the whine of the Porsche coming up the drive. “I think Frank can take it from here,” she said.

  “You have another visitor, dear?”

  Genny glanced over her shoulder. “It’s her boyfriend.”

  Evelyn craned her neck to get a look. “You haven’t mentioned a suitor.”

  “It’s a gorgeous day,” Madison replied. “Just a friend, here to plant vegetables,” she said.

  “Oh, lettuce be thankful,” Genny said.

  “I’ll be back.” Madison waved and jogged to the car, then grabbed Cole and hustled him out of sight.

  He pulled her close and kissed her. His lips lingered, making her feel like her body was one big cartwheel. She pulled back when they came up for air. “What a great surprise.”

  “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” he said, and kissed the top of her head. “Be with you and dig in the dirt. Oh, and I brought lunch.”

  “What did I do to deserve you?” She hugged him with her left hand and scribbled in the air with her right. “Rhetorical question.”

  He grinned. “I need to get started if I’m going to finish this today. Will you put the food in the fridge? I’ll get my tools and the seeds and the six-packs I want to get in the ground.”

  “Isn’t it early for tender little plants?”

  “Not some things. Peas like cool weather, they should do well. And broccoli, and spinach.”

  “Genny will be sad. So many fresh veggies and she won’t be around to eat them.”

  “Gen won’t miss a thing,” he said. “She’ll visit. We’ll send things home with her. If we plan well, we’ll have a year-round supply and always something homegrown in season. A garden is a long-term commitment.”

  He handed her a bag of groceries. Madison marveled at his casual reference to the seasonal management of their produce. She hoped it meant he was here for the long haul, as well.

  * * *

  By mid-afternoon, Evelyn and Frank had lumbered away in the loaded van and Cole and Madison were returning to the garage. “Maybe I could build a shed close to the garden,” he mused as they stowed the tools inside. “Much more convenient to get the shovels. It would help unclutter your workroom.”

  He stood at the bare wall where the magazines were. “Impressive, all that gone.” He scratched at the plaster, then picked at it again with the tip of a spade.

  “See anything here?” He ran his fingers over the pitted surface.

  “Yeah. A future paint project.”

  “Will you turn on the light?”

  Madison switched on a table lamp.

  Cole ran his hand up and down the wall, then thrust the tip of an old putty knife into a tiny chink. He looked at Madison. “Okay if I do a little damage?”

  “Sure,” she said. “But I don’t see anything.”

  “Looks like a little seam. Something patched over a long time ago.”

  Dried caulk spattered out as he dug in. A crack appeared. “It seems I’m right,” he said. “It looks like a panel textured and painted the same as the plaster, then tacked up and caulked. Well disguised, too. I could barely make it out.”

  “Okay, Eagle Eye,” Madison said. “I have to get Gen. She’ll kill us if we find something without her.”

  “Why?” Cole called to her retreating back.

  Madison ran to the house and caught Genny’s hand. “You have to come back out with me. Cole’s found something.”

  “What? More keys? More money? Pictures? An explanation of what this is all about?”

  “I’m not sure,” Madison replied. “Just come. I’ll never hear the end of it if it’s important and you miss out.”

  “One day you’re deep into the mystery, the next you couldn’t care less,” Gen said. “What gives?”

  “I don’t know,” Madison replied. “But I care about you. And I care about Mallory.”

  “What’s it going to take to convince you? I think you’re in denial.”

  They hurried back to the garage. “Go ahead,” Madison said.

  Cole grasped the edge of the panel and pulled. It came away with a snap and a rain of patching compound. A small door was revealed, indented into the wall.

  Madison rattled the knob. “Locked,” she said.

  “A hobbit-sized hidden door,” Genny said. “This just keeps getting better and better. All this time the secret was covered by those magazines, and we just thought Mallory was a hoarder.”

  “I bet one of the keys will fit.” Madison raced into the house and back, breathing hard, and slotted a key into the deadbolt. She turned the knob. The door swung open so easily it almost knocked her down. She laughed and staggered backward. The door opened into an excavation in the hill, then turned toward the house. The passage was about four feet wide.

  “The key we found in the attic,” she said, and grinned at them.

  Cole crossed his arms. “Want to bring me up to speed?”

  “Don’t you know?” Genny asked.

  “Apparently not. Keys? Secrets?”

  “Uh, yeah,” Genny replied. “I’ll defer to Madison.”

  “Gen, it’s not like you to be reticent.”

  “I don’t want to get in trouble.”

  Genny snatched up a flashlight, then pushed past Madison into the opening. She switched on the beam. “Last one in is a rotten egg,” she cried, then whispered in Madison’s ear. “As your lawyer, I advise you to come clean.”

  Cole stared. Madison stuttered.

  “Uh, surprise. We’ve been finding things since I moved in. Gen’s made a game of it, and … and it kept her occupied, so I encouraged her. Lately, well, things have taken a weird turn. We think the Blackburnes were counterfeiters.”

  “What?” Cole’s chin dropped. “And what makes you think that?”

  Genny burst back into the garage. “It’s bricked up. Wherever it leads, the way is blocked.”

  Cole crossed his arms. “You were saying?”

  “First let’s have a look.” Madison pointed at the tunnel. “Then I’ll tell you everything.”

  They ducked through the door and walked single-file down the burrow until they reached a masonry wall.

  They examined it. When they found a weak spot, Cole returned for a chisel, then picked at the brick until he knocked out a small hole.

  He thrust the light through.

  The warren extended deeper into the earth.

  The light was swallowed by darkness, with no end in sight. They gave up and returned to the house.

  * * *

  They drank iced tea while they told Cole the story. Genny explained Velasco’s threats, their suspicions about Ryan and Seeley, and what Taegan had uncovered in the elderberry grove.

  Madison was careful to avoid any reference to the probate sale.

  “What do you think we should do?” she asked.

  “Call the Secret Service,” Cole replied. “Tell them the facts. Be honest.”

  “What does this have to do with them?” Madison asked.

  “The Secret Service protects our money.”

  Madison tried for humor. “Genny thinks we should roll in it, then burn it.”

  “There’s a thought,” Cole replied.

  “So,” Madison said. “Any other suggestions?”

  “Tell the truth,” he replied. “Other than that, I can’t advise you. I’ll support whatever you decide, as long you don’t spend it.”

  “Great, Madison,” Genny said. “You just had to find a man who won’t tell you what to do.” She sighed and pushed away from the kitchen counter. “I’m heading for the shower.”

  “’Bye, Gen. I’ll be taking off in a few minutes.”

  “See you later, Cole.”

  When Gen’s door closed, he spoke. “I know it’s late in the day and we’re tired, but I need to get something off my chest.”

  Madison frowned and fiddled with her glass. “I already don’t like where this is going.”

  “I’ve been thinking about the story yo
u just told me. From the sounds of it, real issues developed out here months ago, yet you haven’t breathed a word to me before today. I can’t help but wonder why.”

  “It never came up.”

  “Oh, come on. Stacks of fake money? Suspicious ministers? Angry attorneys screaming threats? It sounds serious. Serious enough to share.”

  “Well, maybe it’s a bit odd.”

  “Odd? Good lord, Madison. Have you considered that you and Genny might be in real danger?”

  “Oh, please.” Madison drummed her nails on the table. “I think you’re blowing things out of proportion. We’re fine. What could happen?”

  “I hate to even consider. Again, I’m confused as to why you haven’t told me about this. It’s not like I haven’t been around.”

  “Because I don’t believe there’s anything to it.”

  “If you didn’t think there was anything to it, you would have mentioned what was going on. More likely you didn’t want me to know. The question is, why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “If you did know, what would the answer be?”

  “That’s it.” Madison scraped back her chair and whirled away to stand at the sink. “Spare me the psychobabble.”

  “You’re angry.”

  She turned to face him, arms folded across her chest. “Yes, because you’re grilling me about trivial things.”

  “I happen to think trust and communication are critical, not trivial.”

  “Is that what this is about?” Madison up threw her arms. “I trust you. I’m just not used to sharing my business with everyone.”

  “I didn’t know I was ‘just everyone.’ And I think it goes deeper than that.”

  She scrubbed a hand across her face, then picked up a pen and doodled furiously on Taegan’s notepad. “I wondered when it was going to start.”

  “What?” His voice was soft.

  “The analysis.”

  “I’m not analyzing your behavior. I’m asking why you chose not to confide in me.”

  “What’s the difference?” Madison threw down the pen and stalked toward the living room, avoiding his eyes. “When you figure out just how messed up I am and what you’re going to do to fix me, fill me in. Meanwhile, you can let yourself out.”

  She ran up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door.

  Minutes later, Madison heard the Porsche’s engine roar to life and move away down the drive. She threw herself on the bed and cried. When no more tears would come, she rinsed her face and went down to feed Jack and Finn.

  Gen came in and sat at the table.

  “We had an argument.” Madison swiped at her eyes.

  “I heard.”

  “He interrogated me about why I didn’t tell him what was going on. He’s probably taking notes about the session right now.”

  “I don’t think that’s fair,” Genny said. She plucked a tissue from the box on the counter and held it out.

  Madison took it and blew her nose.

  “So you didn’t tell Professor Welles a thing? Not a word?”

  Madison shrugged. “I told you I didn’t.”

  “You shushed me the last time he was here for dinner, but I was so wrapped up I wasn’t paying attention. Why didn’t you? You thought he’d disapprove because we found keys and counterfeit money?”

  “Who’s the psych geek now?” Madison began to cry again.

  “Madison.” Gen reached across the table and covered her hand. “What is it?”

  Madison pulled away. She dropped her head onto her arms and began to sob.

  Gen let her cry.

  When the tears subsided, Madison wriggled her fingers for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “It’s the way I bought the place,” she whispered. “It was underhanded.” She blew her nose. “I was afraid he’d think less of me if he knew. I brought Velasco and all the craziness down on us.”

  “It wasn’t underhanded. And he’s a better person than that. You need to give him more credit.” She patted Madison’s hand. “And yourself, too. Don’t believe everything you think.”

  Madison got up and threw the wadded tissues away. “You’re channeling him now.”

  “Okay, let’s change the subject. What’s for dinner?”

  The phone rang. Madison shook her head, so Genny answered.

  “Boone’s Farm. Oh, hi, Evelyn. Wow, how nice. That place is famous, how sweet of you. Yes, we’d love to go. I think dinner out might be just what the doctor ordered. You must’ve read our minds, we were just discussing food.” She listened for a moment. “No, he’s gone home so he won’t be joining us. Thanks again, it sounds like fun. We appreciate your generosity. Yes, I’ll tell her. Bye.”

  Madison raised her eyebrows. “What?” she asked.

  “The fabulous Dr. Udell stopped in Healdsburg on the way home and made dinner reservations for us at Eagle’s Nest. She paid the tab, including wine. She wanted to thank you for the gift. Said to order anything we want, but we must go tonight because they’re serving their world-renowned lapin.”

  “I’m not in the mood for rabbit.” Madison’s voice reflected the weariness she felt. “Some other time.”

  “Come on. It was a nice gesture. It’s been a long day. Quaint little Healdsburg suddenly sounds so inviting. When I close my eyes, I see expensive red wine and a paid bar tab. I see waiters bringing delicious food and cleaning up after us. I say we go.”

  “Finding that door must have spiked your appetite,” Madison replied. She felt her mood start to rally. “Not to mention all the boxes you pawed through before Frick and Frack hauled them away.”

  “Frank was peculiar, wasn’t he? Didn’t you laugh out loud when he told you his name? And yes, I’m curious about the tunnel, but that wall is not coming down tonight. Meanwhile, I’m starved and I bet you are, too. All that digging and posting little vegetable pictures. What will you do if all those peas burst forth and multiply?”

  Madison smiled. “Well, for your information, there are several different kinds of peas. Chinese peas to eat in the pod, peas to shell and eat fresh, and peas to dry. A pea for all reasons.”

  Genevieve laughed. “Now I’m really hungry.”

  “Okay, you win. Meet you in the living room in half an hour.”

  “Last one ready is a rotten egg.”

  “There’s been a lot of talk about rotting eggs today.”

  “Okay if we hit the grocery store after dinner? I want to get a few things for my last week.”

  “Wow. You’re taking this cooking thing seriously.”

  “Thank the Food Network.”

  “As long as it’s not Paula Deen. ‘Now I want y’all to melt two cups of butter …’”

  * * *

  Madison was brushing her hair when Gen came in fifteen minutes later. “Can I wear your brown jacket?” she asked.

  “Sure, it’s hanging in the closet,” Madison replied. She tied a Pashmina loosely around her neck. “When did you say your appointment was to get that cast off?”

  “Tuesday. One more week.” Genny shook the cast in the air and jumped around gleefully. She slipped, dropped her foot, and came down hard on the floor.

  Something crunched beneath her foot.

  “What was that? Talk about a bull in a china shop.” Gen frowned as she bent over to stare at the rug. “Oh, cripes,” she cried. “The loon.” She pulled a gold fragment from the shag. “I squashed it.”

  Madison winced and kneeled beside the crushed trinket. “Oh, man. But it’s not your fault,” she said. “When I grabbed this scarf, it must have caught the necklace and swept it off the dresser.” She frowned. “Taegan will kill me.”

  “I am so sorry. I’m such a klutz.” Genevieve was close to tears. “That’s what I get for trying to be funny.”

  Madison picked it up. A severed piece fell with a tinkling sound. She stared at it. “Wait a minute. Am I losing it, or is this another key?”

  Genny wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She squinted at the bit of gold in Madison’s ha
nd. “Did you just get that off the floor?”

  Yeah,” Madison said. “Look at it, Gen, it’s like a miniature.”

  Gen offered her palm. Madison dropped the key into it and she moved to the table lamp. “Was it part of the necklace?”

  “I think so,” Madison said. “Part of it, or inside it. Mallory gave the loon to Taegan the day she died, maybe to keep it safe. We should have suspected it was hiding a secret.”

  “We’ve found a lot of keys and not many locks to fit them in,” Gen said. “Maybe our luck has changed.” She went into the closet and returned with the jacket. “I’m starved, let’s go. We can talk on the way.”

  Madison set the key on the bedside table and walked to the stairs. “I could use a glass of wine. Big city, bright lights, here we come.”

  * * *

  They were pulling up in front of the restaurant when Madison looked at Gen. “I’m such a dumbass.” She banged the steering wheel. “I’ll bet you a hundred bucks our luck really has changed.” She ground the wheel to the left and eased back into traffic.

  Gen reached out toward the open door of the eatery as it flashed by. “What’s gotten into you?” she cried.

  “The key in the necklace,” Madison said. She turned to look at Gen in the dark. Her face was illuminated by the headlights of a passing car. Her eyes were wide, and she felt color flood her cheeks.

  “The secret in the sitting room safe. The key we found tonight fits the box with the swallows on the lid.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Madison flew through the front door, jerking the scarf from her neck as she ran. Gen trailed behind, hampered by the cast. In her rush, the toe of her boot caught on the living room carpet. She stumbled, cursing like a longshoreman, and nearly went to her knees. The clatter woke Finnegan and Jack, and they followed the two upstairs.

  Madison made a beeline for the closet. “It’s on the nightstand.” She emerged with the box and held it out. “Try it.”

  “No,” Genny replied. “You figured it out. You do the honors.” She dropped the tiny key into Madison’s palm, then sat on the bed.