A Timely Vision mpm-1

by Joyce Lavene

  “Are you going to stand up there on the porch all night,” Gramps asked, “or are you going to come down and hand me those potatoes?”

  I went down to help him. We had a few lights in the back, but they were mostly for show, party lights. They illuminated the swing and the pier going down to the sound but weren’t there for practical considerations. “Lots of supper guests.”

  He laughed. “Nice, isn’t it? Your grandmother loved to cook for big crowds. We were both sorry we couldn’t have a large family. But we loved your mother. Lucky for us, we always had plenty of friends. Hand me that corn now.”

  The big grill, converted by Gramps from the old tank they’d used for heating oil when I was a child, was full of food. The smell was delicious, probably drifting out to neighbors, inviting them over. I expected to find several more people waiting for supper when I went back inside.

  “What’s with Mary Lou acting like she lives here?” I hoped that hadn’t come out as bad as it sounded to me.

  He glanced up from his basting. “Why? Have you got something against Mary Lou?”

  “No. Not unless she’s looking for somewhere else to live—like here. I don’t think I could live with Mary Lou.”

  “In other words, I’m supposed to be alone the rest of my life?”

  “Not alone.” I scuffed my foot on the sandy grass. “You have me.”

  He stood up straight and hugged me (still holding the basting brush). “And someday, you’ll meet someone and leave me. What will I do then?”

  I hugged him back fiercely. “I’ll never leave you. You know that. Me and you, right?”

  “That’s right, Dae. I’ll never leave you either. But we could both do with some companionship from the opposite sex. This house was built for a big family. Don’t forget, I came from six brothers and two sisters. I think we could both meet special people, and we could all live here. Unless, of course, you’d rather live at the Blue Whale.”

  I was totally amazed that he would even tease me about something like that. “You may think Kevin likes me that way, but believe me, he wants to be with Shayla.”

  “Maybe for now. But I’m a good judge of people after being sheriff for so long. Kevin Brickman is looking for stability in his life. He’s not going to find that from Shayla.”

  “Lucky there are plenty of other women in town.”

  “Because you can do so much better?” He laughed. “Oh. That’s right. I forgot about Tim.”

  I nudged him hard. “Despite what anyone thinks, Tim and I aren’t going to end up together.”

  We heard the back door squeak open and both looked up at the porch. I was surprised to see Kevin’s tall, broad-shouldered form silhouetted against the lights from the house. “Dae? Chief Michaels is here with Agent Walker. They need to speak with you about Miss Mildred.”

  Chapter 10

  Kevin sounded so formal. I knew it wasn’t good news. I could imagine him, back in his FBI days, using the same tone to tell someone their child had been kidnapped or something of equal horror. I glanced at Gramps. He nodded as I headed inside.

  The number of people in the house had doubled since I’d gone out back. But the chief and Agent Walker stood out in the otherwise casual crowd. The chief’s uniform looked a little wrinkled for him. Tough day, I guessed. Agent Walker was dressed in a dark suit and tie.

  “Can we go in the next room and talk for a minute?” The chief raised his voice above the din.

  “In here.” I led the way into the dining room and was glad to notice Kevin accompanying us. I figured it would be good to have someone there who wasn’t actively involved in what was going on. “What is it, Chief?”

  He removed his uniform hat and spent a few seconds looking at the worn carpet before his eyes met mine. “Mayor, I thought you should know right away. They had to hospitalize Millie. She got crazy acting, then they found out she was dehydrated. The doctor said it seems like she hasn’t been eating. She’s still in police custody, you understand. But you could go visit her, if you like. I gave orders to the officer at the door that he was to let you in.”

  A few moments passed in uncomfortable silence as I fought to get my emotions under control. When I could finally speak, I said, “Thank you, Chief. I’d like to see her. What will happen now?”

  Before he could answer, Agent Walker replied, “She’ll be evaluated to see if she’s fit to stand trial. Many times in these circumstances, we realize the person who’s been charged with a crime isn’t able to face a judge in a courtroom. We aren’t without some semblance of mercy, Mayor O’Donnell, no matter what you think.”

  “You mean she wouldn’t have to go to jail?” I felt a little ray of sunshine warm my heart.

  “He means she’d be found guilty without a trial and sentenced to spend the rest of her life in an institution.” Kevin’s voice was dark when he spoke.

  “Is that true?” I asked Chief Michaels.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “No! That’s not fair! How much life do you think a ninety-two-year-old woman has left to live in the first place? Couldn’t you let her live out her life with one of those electronic bracelets on her ankle? Whatever she’s done, it may not be anything she’d do again.”

  “If we could do something like that, Mayor, you know we would,” Agent Walker assured me. “But let’s not forget that the evidence appears to support the theory that Mildred Mason murdered her sister, then tried to hide the evidence. Would you want her to live out the rest of her life as though nothing happened? What about justice for Elizabeth Simpson?”

  There was no good or easy answer for that. My heart told me that Miss Mildred was not dangerous and surely hadn’t killed her sister. The evidence seemed to be overwhelmingly against her, but it didn’t seem real to me.

  “I’m sorry, Mayor.” The chief patted me awkwardly on the shoulder. “We’ll do the best we can for her.”

  I felt numb. It was like watching this happen to someone in a dream. It couldn’t be happening in real life. Years of growing up and being reminded to watch my manners forced a smile on my lips. “I know you will. You’ll stay for supper, won’t you? Gramps has a bunch of food on the grill.”

  The chief hitched up his pants and nodded. “You know, I’d like that. Where’s Horace?”

  “He’s in back. Maybe you could help him bring all that food inside.”

  Agent Walker opened the dining room door, the noise from the other rooms spilling in. “I’ll head on out and see you all tomorrow.”

  “Stay for supper,” I extended the invitation. “Really, there’s so much. We need all the mouths we can get. I’m sure you’d enjoy having a home-cooked meal after eating out so much while you’ve been here.”

  “Well, yes. I’d like that. Not to say anything bad about your local restaurants, but some home cooking sounds great. Thanks.” He smiled for the first time, and I went out the door before the three men.

  I let them go out and help Gramps with the grilled food while I went into the kitchen to help Mary Lou and several other female neighbors who’d turned up for the meal. They’d brought banana pudding, slaw, peaches and a pie or two. I mashed a huge pot of potatoes (there would never be enough grilled potatoes for this crowd) and warmed up some leftover butter beans.

  I didn’t feel like eating. I wanted to be alone to think about everything that had happened and try to make some sense of it. I waited until Gramps came in with the grilled food before quietly escaping out the back door. It wasn’t too hard not to be noticed. There had to be at least thirty people there.

  It was cool and dark in the backyard. I walked out to the end of the pier and sat on the old fishing bench. I couldn’t count the number of times I’d come out here for solace after my mother died. It had become my thinking place.

  I looked out at the stars over the Currituck Sound, the light gleaming off the water. I could see the Bodie Island Lighthouse, warning ships at sea of the dangers along the Outer Banks. The light came and went as it swept from shore
to shore. It had stood there for more than one hundred years. It had inspired me my whole life. I hoped it would work for me now.

  I felt the vibration of footsteps on the pier behind me before I heard them. I thought it might be Gramps, until Kevin said, “I noticed you walked out without a plate. I loaded up a bunch of food for you. You’ll have to eat it to keep me from cleaning both our plates.”

  “Thanks.” I was touched by his thoughtfulness. I stood up and took a plate from him, then scooted over so he could sit down too. “I don’t know if I can eat anything after finding out about Miss Mildred.”

  “It won’t do you any good to starve. You have to keep up your strength so you can help her.”

  I looked at him, barely able to make out his features in the dim light. His words made so much sense. Why hadn’t I seen it before? “You’re absolutely right, Kevin! I can help her. All I have to do is find evidence that contradicts the evidence they found at her house. It had to have been planted there. I know she didn’t kill Miss Elizabeth. And isn’t all of that evidence circumstantial anyway? She didn’t confess. No one saw her do it. Just because the purse and the murder weapon were at her house doesn’t mean she’s guilty.”

  “I meant so you could go see her at the hospital.” He put down what looked like a piece of chicken. “The chief and Agent Walker know what they’re doing, Dae. I know you don’t like what’s happening to your friend, but I’m afraid anyone could make this case against her. The purse and the weapon that killed Miss Elizabeth are a big deal, even without a confession. Believe me, they’ve convicted people with less.”

  But his dark, sensible words meant nothing to my sudden sense of euphoria. “I’m sure that’s true. But I think we should be able to prove it wasn’t her. All we have to do is find out who the real killer is.”

  “Wait a minute. We? I’m not in that game anymore. And I can’t tell you how much I hated civilians who thought they could interfere in the process. Bad things happen to those people. Ask your grandfather. He’ll tell you. The real killer could try to kill you.”

  “And that would reveal what we need to know.” I put my plate down on the pier between us. “I can probably do this without you, Kevin. But think how much safer I’d be if you helped me. Not to mention that you know the ins and outs of this sort of thing. I could pay you.”

  “You don’t have enough money to pay me to investigate Miss Elizabeth’s death.” His words sounded like a blunt refusal. Then he added, “But I suppose if you’re determined to do this, we could trade labor.”

  “What kind of labor?”

  “Did you notice how bad the paint looks on the outside of the Blue Whale?”

  I thought about it all night after everyone had gone home. It all made perfect sense to me. The next morning I was feeling full of myself. I had a plan and I was working it. It was going to set Miss Mildred free. I would have to trade a few hours of painting time at the Blue Whale, but I had to admit that having Kevin onboard made me feel a lot more optimistic.

  I got up, took a shower and put on a blue sundress dotted with daisies. I clipped my hair back out of my face and dabbed on a little pink lipstick. Gramps had agreed to open Missing Pieces for me while I went to see Miss Mildred in the hospital.

  I was worried the status of everything could change if she was found incompetent. I wanted to see her while I could. Her recollection of events wasn’t always crystal clear. I was hoping the hospital stay, some decent food and fluids had left her a bit more lucid with regard to Miss Elizabeth’s purse and how it got into her house.

  Kevin had kindly agreed to have breakfast with Chief Michaels and Agent Walker to find out whatever he could about the investigation. He thought it would be a good idea to learn a bit more about the alleged murder weapon, the mysterious shovel Chief Michaels had found in Miss Mildred’s shed. Though the chief had said the shovel was small, I was hoping it was still too big for someone Miss Mildred’s size and age to have possibly used. Nevertheless, there was also the discovery of the purse in her kitchen to contend with. Hedging my bets on who could come up with the most useful information seemed like the best way to handle the situation.

  It was too long a drive to the hospital in Kill Devil Hills for me to take the golf cart. I managed to hitch a ride with Tim. He was supposed to relieve the officer who’d been on duty at the hospital last night. I hoped he (and everyone else) didn’t read more into the ride than there was. And I really hoped being alone with him for thirty minutes wouldn’t encourage him to propose again.

  I was surprised to learn that Shayla had gone out with him the night before. “Yeah.” Tim backed out of the drive into traffic. “She liked the way I handled myself when we found Wild Johnny Simpson at the Blue Whale. Chicks dig a uniform, you know.”

  “That’s—nice.” I wasn’t sure what to say.

  “I can’t wait forever for you, Dae. A man has needs. I want to settle down, raise a family. Shayla wants that too.”

  I wondered if there was some other person named Shayla living in Duck. The Shayla I knew had never liked Tim, wasn’t planning on settling down and surely didn’t want to have a family. “I thought Shayla was interested in Kevin.”

  “Apparently, he dumped her. Stood her up when they were supposed to meet at the Curbside last night.”

  Last night? Had Kevin forgotten? Or was Shayla being too hopeful? “I guess that was good for you then, Tim. I don’t blame you for not waiting for me. If you and Shayla are good together, you should go for it.”

  He grinned at me. “Thanks, Dae. I appreciate that coming from an ex-girlfriend. I hope you realize this means my last marriage proposal is null and void.”

  “I completely understand. I appreciate you keeping me informed.” I looked out the window at the passing scenery and smiled. I could only hope it would be this easy.

  “I know you’re feeling a twinge or two of heartache right now,” he continued. “You’ll get over it. I know you’re going to find the right person for you someday.”

  To stem the tide of this conversation, I decided to change the subject. No reason not to pump him for information since Kevin was trying to squeeze something out of the chief and Agent Walker. “I suppose you had to turn over all the evidence to the SBI.”

  “No. They’re assisting us, but we’re the top dogs on this case. The chief wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “I’ve been wondering about the murder weapon.”

  “I can’t tell you anything about that shovel, Dae. Don’t even ask me.”

  “Of course. I’ll bet it has to be small and light for you to think Miss Mildred could use it against her sister.”

  “You could say it’s not your average garden shovel,” he agreed. “I can’t say anything else about it. The hair and blood we found on it went to the lab for identification. If it comes back a match to Miss Elizabeth’s, that’s all she wrote for Miss Mildred.”

  So they weren’t completely sure yet. It seemed unlikely Miss Mildred would have a shovel of any kind that had hair and blood on it, but as long as the proof wasn’t positive, we still had a chance. “I’m going to ask Miss Mildred about Wild Johnny Simpson while I’m at the hospital today,” I told him. “You never know. She might’ve killed him too.”

  His eyes almost bulged out. “You think so? That would be something.”

  “I guess you never know. Someone killed him, right?”

  “Someone sure did. Mind if I step in while you’re talking to her? It could go a long way toward a promotion if I found out who killed Johnny.”

  “I don’t mind, but you know you can’t get promoted until the chief retires. There’s nowhere else to go.”

  “I can rack up a whole lot of points until then,” he reasoned. “Then when the chief retires, people won’t try to look outside Duck for his replacement.”

  “That’s true. And you’ve got a long time to do it. The chief isn’t that old.”

  “True. And his family doesn’t die young, that’s for sure. His fath
er is really old and still living.”

  I was sure I remembered Gramps talking about Chief Michaels’s father. They’d worked together in the sheriff’s office years ago. But I was also sure his father had died before Gramps retired. “I don’t think the chief’s father is old or living, Tim.”

  “Yes, he is. I drove the chief up to Manteo the other day to see him in a rest home. He’s not in the best shape, but he’s definitely not dead.”

  I didn’t say anything else about it since we’d arrived at the hospital. It was probably a communication glitch between Tim and the chief. Not really worth arguing with him.

  Miss Mildred’s room was on the second floor. Tim walked up with me and tapped Officer Scott Randall on the shoulder, startling him out of his sound sleep. I supposed there wasn’t much to keep you awake when you were watching an old woman who probably couldn’t get out of bed.

  “Tim!” Scott stood up and nodded to me. “Mayor O’Donnell. The night was uneventful. No one tried to get in or out of the suspect’s room.”

  “Good.” Tim nodded. “I’ll take over now. Get some breakfast. Report to the chief when you get back to Duck.”

  “Yes, sir!” Scott smiled at me, a shy, sweet smile, then headed for the elevator. He was a quiet young man with dreamy eyes. He’d been a police officer for only a few months. He didn’t seem suited to it. I didn’t expect him to stay.

  I knocked softly at the door, then pushed it open a little when there was no response. “Hello? It’s Dae, Miss Mildred. I’m here to see you. I’ve brought you a few things.”

  “Dae?” a faint voice responded. “Come in. Don’t dawdle there by the door all day.”