Persephone Cole and the Christmas Killings Conundrum

by Heather Haven

  Opening the door, Percy took it all in. Mother was washing dishes but had her head thrown back in outright laughter, something Percy rarely saw her do. Pop and Oliver were playing checkers at one end of the table, while Sera and Lily’s heads leaned into one another, one blond, one brunette, deep in conversation about the merits of the red polish on their fingernails. Everyone was giggling or gabbing in a light-hearted, familial way. The heavenly smells of pot roast and mashed potatoes wafted toward her. Percy was so hungry, her stomach grumbled.

  Oliver was the first to notice her standing in the doorway. “Mommy!”

  Her son jumped up from the table, nearly upsetting the game, and rushed over. Pop laughed and waved. Both girls looked up and smiled their greetings, seemingly already fast friends.

  Norman Rockwell step aside, Percy thought. Meet the Coles.

  Oliver gave her a quick hug, but when she bent down to return it, he tugged on her hand.

  “Come on, Mommy, we saved you some dinner. It’s in the oven.” He rattled on. “Tomorrow Lily says she’s going to get us a Christmas tree that goes all the way up to the ceiling.” He dragged her over to the stove.

  “Now Oliver, you know Santa brings us the tree on Christmas eve along with your presents! We don’t want to hurt his feelings, do we?” Oliver shook his head ‘no’ as she bent down. Percy grabbed her son in a bear hug then turned to Lily. “But thanks, anyway. I mean it.”

  Embarrassed, Lily smiled and began to move around the salt and pepper shakers, using up what looked like nervous energy.

  Mother folded the dishtowel, set it down and joined her daughter and grandson by the stove.

  “Hello, Persephone, my dear child,” she said after planting a kiss on Percy’s cheek. Stunned by the display, Percy gave her a faint smile. Mother went on, “You look tired. You go sit down now. Our sweet Lily, and her name is not Lillian as I first suspected but really, truly Lily, has made a delicious dinner for us this evening and we’ve saved you some.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Cole, it was nothing,” Lily protested from the table, waving the compliment away.

  “Oh, yes it was,” Sera replied before Mother could say another word. “It was simply the most delish meal I ever ate.”

  Percy watched Mother think for a moment then say, “Oh, dear. And here I thought I’ve made a decent meal or two…”

  “Oh, sure, Mother, ‘decent’ but this was actually good,” Sera interrupted.

  “Serendipity, you apologize to your mother for being so rude.” Pop’s tone was harsher than usual. “She’s had to make do with sparse ingredients and still turns out many a fine meal.” He looked at his wife with a wide smile.

  “Why, thank you, Father. I’m certain Lily could give me a lesson or two, though.”

  “Oh no, Mrs. Cole,” Lily offered in a quick, deferential manner. “I’m sure I could learn many things about cooking from you.”

  “Could you, my dear?” Mother thought again. “Well, I am known throughout the neighborhood for my split pea soup.” With that, Mother turned away, picked up a potholder, bent down, and opened the oven door.

  Simultaneously, Percy and Pop, sitting on opposite sides of Sera, took the opportunity to smack her on each side of her head when Mother wasn’t looking. Oliver and Lily bit back laughter.

  “Ow!” Sera stuck her tongue out at Percy but turned and smiled apologetically at her father. “Sorry, Pop.” She turned around in her chair to her mother. “I’m sorry, Mother. I got carried away. And I just love your split pea soup,” she said, crossing her eyes and making a face.

  Pop shot her a warning glance. Sera got up from the chair so fast she almost knocked it over. “Why don’t I go into the parlor and listen to Our Gal Sal there? Want to come, Lily?”

  “No, no,” Percy said with haste before Lily could reply. “I need to talk to Lily while I eat.”

  “Okee-dokey.” Sera kicked the door open with her foot and dashed out of the kitchen.

  “And don’t kick the door, Serendipity,” Pop said to himself after she left, with a resigned sigh. He turned to his grandson. “I’ve been telling her that for years for all the good it does me.”

  With a glance toward his eldest daughter, he said, “Oliver, why don’t you and I join your aunt in the parlor and continue playing checkers?” He winked at Percy, folded the board in two, and began gathering up the checker pieces. “The Green Lantern comes on after Our Gal Sal. Maybe your mother will let us listen to that together, even though it’s on past your bedtime.”

  Oliver’s face lit up and he looked at his mother, who nodded approval.

  “Just this once, Oliver,” Percy said. “A special treat. Then go straight to bed. I’ll come and tuck you in later.” She watched her son push Pop’s wheelchair out the door and turn back with a wave. Mother put a plate laden with food on the table.

  “You watch out for this dish, Persephone,” her mother said. “It’s straight from the oven and very hot.”

  “I will, Mother, and thanks. I’ll wash up and finish drying the dishes when I’m done. Why don’t you join everybody else in the parlor?”

  Mother nodded and removed her apron, taking in the thinly veiled order with a smile. Both Percy and Lily watched her leave.

  Lily was the first to speak. “I’m sorry about the tree, Miss Cole. I didn’t mean --”

  Percy waved it away. “That’s quite all right. We have our traditions, just like everyone else, I imagine.”

  “We never did. Everything stopped when my mother died. Father was always away on a lot of trips buying diamonds and grandfather was…he was….” Her face hardened. She looked over at Percy, anticipating a remark. “Never mind. I know. Poor little rich girl.”

  “Doesn’t sound like you had much of a family life.”

  “You have no idea.”

  Percy studied Lily for a moment. There was more to this subject, but Percy decided to let it ride. She sat down and took a large mouthful of mashed potatoes oozing with butter.

  “Mmmmm. I haven’t had this much butter in almost a year.” She took an appreciative bite of the roast, which came apart at the fork’s least insistence. She lifted a second forkful and looked at Lily, who had become quiet and withdrawn.

  Nervous, very nervous. Or guilty about something? I’m sure it ain’t about the Christmas tree.

  “You know Connie was married, Lily?”

  A grim look overtook the nervous tic on Lily’s young and unmade-up face. “He was legally separated. Maggie started fooling around practically the day after they got married. The only reason Connie didn’t get a divorce was because she said she’d drag the kids into court if he filed. He didn’t want to hurt them. As long as he sent her money every month, she lived her life and he lived his.”

  “How civilized. So, Lily, another question. Who’s Danny?” Percy watched for the girl’s reaction with sharp eyes. If she’d been looking for a strong response, she wasn’t to be disappointed.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A quick intake of breath, a knocked over glass of water, followed by a not so fast recovery, said more than a volume of words. Although Lily tried to keep her body language casual as she mopped up the spilled water, when she finally spoke, her voice was high pitched and shaky. “Danny? You mean Danny Deluca?”

  “Apparently, I do.”

  “Danny doesn’t have a thing to do with any of this, not Danny. I mean, what about him? Is he back? He can’t be back!” She buried her face in her hands, similar to the way she had at the Long Island mansion.

  “Where’d he go?”

  “He’s at Riker’s Island awaiting trial.” Lily mumbled. “He’s been there since last spring.”

  “What’d he do?”

  Highly agitated, Lily rose from the table, wringing her hands and shaking her head.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Too bad. What’d he do?”

  “He can’t be mixed up in this. He can’t be. He’s in jail on Rikers Island. Unless he got out. Oh, my
God! Did he get out?” Lily dropped back in the chair, but didn’t say any more.

  “Don’t make me keep repeating myself. What’d he do to wind up at Rikers, this Danny Deluca?”

  Lily wriggled in the chair as if she was sitting in a hot seat. When Lily saw Percy open her mouth to speak again, the girl leapt in with hurried words. “It happened the last time we were out together. Danny was wild, I knew that, but I didn’t think…”

  Lily’s speech slowed then came to a halt. Percy leaned over with her fork and poked the girl on the arm. Lily looked over with a start.

  “I eat and you talk,” Percy warned, shaking the fork in the girl’s face.

  “All right, all right.” Lily rubbed her arm. “It’s just so awful.”

  “I can handle awful.”

  “That night Danny… he…I was sitting in my car waiting for him to come out of this liquor store. I didn’t know what he was really doing in there. He said he was going in for a bottle of whiskey. He asked me to wait in the car; I was still underage. When I heard shots, I looked up and saw him through the plate glass window. He was holding a gun and this little old man fell to the floor.” Her face contorted at the memory. “Then I watched Danny open the cash register and clean out the drawer. I couldn’t believe it. I…I panicked. I floored the accelerator and drove away. I could hear Danny shouting after me but I didn’t stop; I didn’t look back. I was horrified. I mean, I knew he was unpredictable but...”

  “Unpredictable? Honey, that isn’t ‘unpredictable’ where I come from. ‘Unpredictable’ means when is my son going to lose his best jacket or will the Yankees win the pennant.” Percy chewed more food, deep in thought. “I remember reading about some punk killing an old guy in a liquor store over thirty-six bucks. So that was Danny?”

  Lily nodded then picked up one of the corners of the apron she’d been wearing to wipe teary, red eyes.

  Percy took a large forkful of string beans and shoved them in her mouth. “These are good. What did you season them with? Besides bacon grease?”

  Lily sat up straighter and began to talk, almost in rote. “Two tablespoons strained bacon fat and clarified butter, with a clove of minced garlic. After the beans are blanched in a little water --”

  “What’s that?” Percy interrupted.

  “Blanching? You drop vegetables in boiling water for a minute or two to help keep their color. Then you remove them. After that, you sauté the beans in the mixture for a few more minutes, throw on salt, pepper, crumbled bacon bits and bake the beans, covered, in a low heat oven for twenty minutes.”

  “You sound like you could teach a class in this cooking stuff.”

  Lily smiled but didn’t look up. “I guess.”

  “So, what happened after you drove off?”

  “I was told a squad car was rounding the corner right as I was leaving. The police didn’t see me but they saw Danny shouting on the sidewalk and waving the gun. They arrested him before he could get away.”

  “This Danny’s lucky they didn’t shoot him. Cops have been known to do that with less provocation. So you got off scot free?”

  “I wouldn’t say that. I still have nightmares over it.” Lily let out a deep sigh and looked away, hands shaking in her lap.

  “The upshot is,” Percy said, mopping up gravy with a piece of roll she snagged from a plate at the center of the table. “Danny Deluca is in jail awaiting trial for murder and the cops don’t know about you.”

  “They know. But they didn’t believe it when Danny said I was with him.”

  “And why was that?”

  “I denied it and my father said I was home all night. Dad even paid one of the servants to swear to it. I think Hanson suspected, but he didn’t say anything.”

  “Hanson?”

  “The butler. He’s been with us since I can remember. Our lawyer maintained Danny was lying because I’d broken up with him.”

  Percy let out a chuckle. “You wrapped that one up and tied it with a neat little bow.”

  “Danny said if he ever got out, he would pay me back for leaving him on the sidewalk. He said if I’d been there he wouldn’t have gotten caught.” She let out a strangled sob. “My life is such a mess.”

  “That it is, sister, and you’re not even out of your teens.” Percy picked up a whole roll, slathered it with butter, took a bite, and rolled her eyes. “God, I love butter. You make these rolls?”

  Lily nodded, wiping at her nose. Percy chewed thoughtfully.

  “I didn’t know a meal so good could come from this kitchen, but don’t mention that to Mother. I’m going to pass on the apple pie. I’d like to be able to roll over in the morning.” She brushed crumbs off her shirt and hands. “Okay, Lily. First, we need to find out if Danny’s still in jail. Although even if he’s free, why would he shoot Connie? Why not shoot you? You’re the one he’s got it in for.”

  “Danny was always the jealous type. He said if he caught me with another man, he’d kill the both of us. If he was out, maybe he saw us in the window last night.”

  “Honey, all of New York might of seen you in the window. But you’re thinking this might be Danny’s inventive way of getting back at you? From what you’ve been telling me, he doesn’t sound like a man with those kind of brains, but I’ll check it out.” She turned and leaned in to the girl sitting beside her.

  “Being I’m practically old enough to be your mother…ah…mother’s younger best friend, I’m going to give you a piece of unsolicited advice. You want to reach thirty? Tame it down a little.” Percy stood up and carried her plate to the kitchen sink. “Thanks for the grub, kiddo. Soon I’ll be tipping the scale at two-hundred pounds if you stick around here much longer.” She said over her shoulder to Lily, “You want to bring me those dirty dishes?”

  “Sure.” Lily rose and began to clear the table. Her voice had a forced quality. “Speaking of sticking around, how long do you think I’ll have to stay here?”

  “Getting tired of us already?”

  Lily’s face registered surprise and embarrassment. “I didn’t mean…”

  “Never mind, kid. That’s just my sense of humor.”

  Lily gave Percy a little smile, more in acceptance than understanding. “You’re an odd woman, if you don’t mind my saying.”

  Percy let out a guffaw. She picked up a dishcloth and soap and reached into the soapy water in the sink. “I don’t mind. Take as good as you give, that’s my motto. I’ll wash, you dry.”

  Lily nodded.

  Percy went on, “In answer to your question, I’m not sure when we’ll wrap this up. Hopefully, in a few days, but this is the best place for you until then. But no more trying to buy us Christmas trees or anything like that, although the food is appreciated. Your father is paying for you to be stashed away. This just happens to be the place.” She stopped washing and turned to the girl. “And while you’re here--”

  “I know. I’m to stay in Oliver’s room, not use the phone, don’t write any letters, and don’t answer the door.”

  “Right.” Percy went back to washing dishes. “But you don’t have to stay in your room, unless you want to. The folks seem to like you and if you’re feeling sociable…” Percy stopped talking and shrugged her shoulders. “Your call.”

  They worked in silence for a few minutes. Lily turned to Percy in a tentative manner.

  “You don’t happen to know when or if I’ll get my evening bag back, do you? I’d just bought it a few hours before all this happened and it cost me four-hundred dollars. Not that the money --”

  “Four hundred bucks,” Percy interrupted. “For a ratty little purse?”

  Lily threw back her head and laughed. “It’s not ‘ratty’. The mesh is made of sterling silver and the clasp is covered with a piece of sixteenth century jade, museum quality. It was a Christmas present to myself. I found it at a Chinese art auction.”

  “The last purse I bought cost me a buck fifty-two. Black plastic with a Lucite clasp, found at the Five and Dime.”


  The smile faded from Lily’s face as recognition took its place. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like…” Her voice faded out, shame taking its place.

  “A privileged character?” Percy’s voice was even and non-judgmental. “Don’t worry about it. We are what we are. No point in feeling bad about something we can’t help.”

  Without looking up from the dishtowel, Lily said in a quiet voice, “I hate my life.”

  “So you say.”

  “Yes, I say.” The girl’s voice was small and childlike.

  “Then do something about it.”

  Lily sighed and wiped away a tear. “It’s easier said than done.”

  “Anything worthwhile is. I found that little ditty in a fortune cookie once. That’s been my foray into Chinese art.”

  Lily’s head snapped around and she stared at Percy openmouthed, astonishment written all over her face. Then she burst out laughing.

  Percy threw the dishrag on the back of the sink and dried her hands. “Finish up in here, will you? I’m going to visit with my son before he goes to sleep.”

  She crossed to the swinging door but stopped at the sound of Lily’s voice, now powerful and certain.

  “You’re lucky, you know that?” Percy turned around. Lily faced her from across the large kitchen, looking much older than her eighteen years. “You have a family that loves you. There aren’t any diamonds in the world that can match that.”

  Percy stared at her, appraisingly. Lily stared back, unwavering.

  “You kill that elf, Lily?” Percy asked in a soft voice.

  Lily pulled air into her lungs with a sound of shock and frustration. “I told you already. I’ll take an oath on a Bible if you want; I swear on my dead mother’s grave. No, I didn’t kill him. And his name is…was…Connie.” She glared at Percy much the way Sera did when she was exasperated with her older sister, just stopping short of sticking her tongue out in anger.

  Percy grinned. “Just checking. You can’t be too sure with an eight-year old in the house.”

  * * * *