by Jane Tesh
That’s not going to happen to my daughter, I vowed. She’s going to play outside, make mud pies, ride her bike. She’s going to do all the things I never got to do.
Peaceful Meadow spread down to the woods, woods that connected somewhere in the leafy depths to Nathan’s property. Amanda had said she’d seen the Darkrose Coven in the woods near the commune. Hoping to find a trace of the old coven or possibly signs of the new one, I walked a little ways into the forest, keeping the meadow in sight. After a while, I realized I’d have to go deeper in than I wanted to go. This was an activity I’d better share with Jerry. And where was he, anyway? I hadn’t heard back from him.
***
I returned to the main road and stopped at the first little convenience store I found, the Speedy Spot. I finally had a little luck. The woman behind the counter, who was much older than her long curly permed hair and generous amounts of eye shadow first suggested, said she knew all about the commune.
She leaned her arms on the counter between the register and stacks of lottery cards. She popped her chewing gum. “Heck, I lived there for ten years. Lots of fun. What you wanna know?”
“Did you know Megan and Amanda Underwood?”
“Oh, yeah. Megan and I used to play together. Mandy, now, she wouldn’t have anything to do with us. She was real fussy.”
“Would you say the sisters didn’t get along?”
“Megan wanted to, but there were plenty of other kids to play with, so after a while, we quit asking Mandy.”
“She went by Mandy?”
“Yup. Hear she calls herself Amanda now. Oh, and she wasn’t an Underwood. I don’t know who her father was. Everybody swapped around, if you know what I mean.” She paused to add another stick of gum to the wad she was chewing. “Isn’t she doing some big something in town?”
“She’s planning an outdoor drama.”
The woman laughed. “Don’t that beat all! As much as she hated being outdoors.”
A man came in and bought a pack of cigarettes. I stood aside as he chatted with the woman, bringing her up to date on someone’s operation and reminding her of a church picnic.
After he’d gone, I asked her if she had known about Megan’s engagement to Harold Stover.
“Yeah, Megan was a flirt. I was, too. Still am. You learn a lot when you’re brought up with all that swapping going on. Nothing ever came of her and Harold, though. He came out to visit all the time, but he didn’t want to live in a tent.”
“Was there ever anything between Harold and Amanda?”
“No, Mandy always bragged how she was going to marry the richest man in the world. Don’t think Harold had that much.”
Amanda would be surprised to learn how wealthy Harold became. “When did you last see Megan?”
Her answer surprised me. “Yesterday.”
“Here at your store?”
“Yeah, she stops in every now and then. We talk about the good old days. She’d like to get the old place up and running again, but that ain’t gonna happen.”
I had to wait while she helped another customer and then asked about the coven. “Did you ever hear of the Darkrose Coven? They used to meet in the woods near the meadow.”
“Saw ’em once or twice. Lot of nonsense, if you ask me. And now these young girls are fooling around out there.”
“Have you seen them in the woods?”
“Nah, but they stop here on the way sometimes. Usually, one of ’em with that boy that was found in the vineyard.”
“Eric Levin?”
“Yeah, I recognized him from the paper. They didn’t show the body, of course, but they ran a photo of him once the police figured out who he was. He’d always have a girl with him when he came by here, always cutting up and taking pictures of themselves. You know how the kids can’t breathe without their phones.”
“Did you ever see him with a girl with long dark hair dyed purple on the ends?”
She thought about it, popping her gum as if it might jog her memory. “You know, usually the girls was blond, but he did have a young brunette with him last time I saw him. As I recall, she did have purple in her hair. Hard not to notice. Guess it’s the style nowadays.”
“When was this?”
“Couple of months ago. I remember ’cause he was so busy filming her with that phone of his, he knocked over the potato chip rack.”
I was beginning to get a very good picture of my own. If Eric Levin was the player he was reputed to be, he might enjoy taking young women to the woods and filming their activities. In the heat of the moment, Britney Garrett, the pastor’s daughter, might not have considered how such a little movie might ruin her future. If the convenience store owner had seen them a couple of months ago, and he hadn’t bothered with a condom, that was enough time for Britney to realize a baby was on board. Not only did she have to get rid of Eric, she had to get rid of the baby, too.
The woman poked my arm. “You okay?”
I came out of my gloomy thoughts. “You’ve been very helpful, thank you.” I gave the woman one of my cards. “The next time Megan stops in, would you please give me a call?”
“Sure thing.”
I bought a soda and a bag of chips and sat in my car, munching and thinking.
If Eric made a sex tape, he could’ve used it to extort money from Britney. Did Britney act alone, or did she convince her coven to help her get rid of him and retrieve his phone?
More importantly, why hadn’t I heard from Jerry?
Chapter Eighteen
By the time I got home, I was really concerned. When Austin and Denisha arrived, I asked if they’d seen Jerry at camp.
Austin used the edge of his camp shirt to wipe a spot of dirt off the four-wheeler’s fender. “Yeah, we had relays today. Our team won. Go, Bears!”
Denisha picked up on my anxiety. “He’s probably running a little late today. Maybe he stopped by the grocery store or something.”
I didn’t want the kids to know I was afraid old Double-Dealing Derek had made a move. “You’re right. Want a snack? I can’t fix anything as fancy as pigs-in-blankets, but there are cookies around here somewhere.”
The kids were happy with the cookies, and since Jerry wasn’t there for them to play with, they soon left for home. I could not believe how relieved I was when about ten minutes later, Jerry’s red Jeep came up the driveway. He hopped out and came up the porch steps.
“Sorry I’m late. Nathan wanted me to pick up some more craft supplies.”
“You’d better check your phone. I left a message.”
Jerry pulled out his phone and turned it on. “Sometimes I don’t get a signal in the woods. Was there something important you needed to tell me?”
I steadied myself. I wasn’t going to admit I was afraid Derek might have snatched him off the street to take part in who knew what sort of highly illegal con game. “No, just keeping you up to date on the case. How’s Nathan doing?”
“He’s still jumpy. Amanda called again, and I’m surprised he didn’t toss his phone into the lake.”
I followed him into the kitchen where he plugged his phone into the charger. “I found the Peaceful Meadow commune today, or where it used to be. A woman at the local convenience store said she spent her childhood there, too. She and Megan were playmates, and they still keep in touch.”
“So we’ve finally got a lead on Megan.”
I leaned against the counter. “You know, usually I have a client I like. Someone I really want to clear. But this case! Why do I want the murderer to be Amanda? Why am I afraid it’s her spacey but likeable sister?”
“Why would you think it’s Megan?”
“Peaceful Meadow really is peaceful. If Megan loves it as much as I think she does, wouldn’t she be angry with her half-sister for wanting to park her outdoor drama there and destroying all that peace?”
/>
“Maybe. But I can’t see Megan acting on that, even if she got angry. I’m not sure she can get angry.”
“Here’s something a little more disturbing. The woman at the Speedy Spot remembers Eric Levin stopping by on his way to the woods with a series of young women, the latest being Britney Garrett. Eric was making little movies of her in the store, which leads me to believe he made little movies of her in the woods doing God knows what.”
“I know what, don’t you?”
“Yep, and Britney was no doubt being blackmailed.” I sat down at the kitchen table. Jerry fixed a glass of iced tea and handed it to me. “Thanks. I also talked with Roger Price today. Guess what he has? A big tough-looking walking stick.”
“Interesting. Does he have an alibi for Friday night?”
“He says he was working late. His secretary confirmed this.”
“Secretaries can lie for their employers, you know. What about a motive?”
“He says Harold didn’t help him out, but I think he’s too proud to admit he needed help. And Ernie Bates, the little man who lives across the street from Harold, could have seen Roger and not Nathan Friday night. Both men wear the same kind of glasses. But Ernie’s eyesight isn’t the best.”
Jerry looked in the fridge. “There’s leftover spaghetti.”
“That sounds good.”
He took out the plastic container. “Why would Roger visit Harold?”
“I don’t know. I thought there might be a problem with the will. You should have heard Lavinia’s TV-inspired theories on that. Harold’s will leaves all his money to his animal charities, but Roger is a wealthy man. I can’t see him killing Harold over Harold’s will.”
“Are the charities legit?”
“As far as I can tell. The Parkland Cat Shelter is.”
Jerry heated two plates of spaghetti in the microwave and brought the plates and a container of parmesan cheese to the table. “Big Mike has loads of dummy corporations to avoid paying taxes. My favorite is Consolidated Overseas National Industries.”
“CON Industries? Honestly?”
“Put it out front. Nobody blinks an eye. Oh, I liked S Oil, too. S Oil. Snake Oil, get it?”
“Big Mike is a barrel of laughs. Cheese, please.” He passed me the can.
Jerry wound another wad of spaghetti onto his fork. “Didn’t you say you went to the cat shelter? Why didn’t you bring me some cats?”
“Austin and Denisha are enough to look after right now.”
“Don’t forget Hortensia. Any stirrings?”
“Not yet.”
“Anything new on the Case of the Naughty Pictures?”
I pulled a stray noodle back onto my plate. “Every Delta Gamma gets a keepsake box when they pledge. I’m hoping that’s where Kathleen has stored Olivia’s photos.”
He brightened. “Would this involve getting into Dr. Wallace’s house while she’s away?”
“Possibly. I’m going to look in her office first.”
“You know if she turns out to be the bad guy, you’ll have to look for a new doctor.”
“Oh, no, I like her.” I had to laugh. “Along with Amanda and Eric Levin, my doctor may also be a blackmailer.”
“You said you visited Peaceful Meadow. Did you check out the woods?”
“I only went in a little way. I didn’t want to get lost. I need you along to blaze the trail.”
We finished supper and took our tea out to the porch. The sunset was a rich gold, the last rays touching the clouds and turning them a deep pink. A few little bats pinwheeled across the sky, making me think of Jerry’s eccentric uncle.
“There go Uncle Val’s pets.”
Jerry gave the little creatures a salute with his glass. “I could’ve been a batologist, or whatever you call somebody who studies bats. I guess that wasn’t my destiny.”
Destiny was a peculiar thing. It was odd how Megan and Amanda had taken such opposite paths. “Do you wonder what your life would’ve been like if you’d gone in another direction?”
“I know what it would’ve been like. I would’ve continued in the game until my luck ran out and I got caught and sent to jail. I’d be flipping pancakes in the prison cafeteria.”
“I guess I would’ve become Miss America.”
“Or, if I’d gone in a really different direction, I would’ve become a flamenco dancer.”
“I would’ve become a brain surgeon. I actually considered it for a while in fourth grade.”
He leaned over to give me a kiss. “I think you turned out perfect.”
***
Wednesday morning, I stopped by Kathleen’s office and asked the receptionist if Dr. Wallace was available for a moment.
She checked a note on her desk. “I’m sorry. She had to go by the hospital and won’t be back for about an hour. Did you need an appointment? I’m afraid we’re really busy this morning. Allergy season, you know.”
The waiting room was full of people coughing and sneezing as they stared listlessly at the TV in the corner or leafed through the ancient magazines. A young mother tried to corral her two toddlers as they enjoyed their own version of smash and grab with a stack of brochures on Signs You’re Having a Heart Attack. I could snoop around better if Kathleen wasn’t in her office, but how to get past the receptionist? Jerry would’ve created a diversion, but Jerry wasn’t here.
The toddlers, however, as they ran and shrieked might do the trick.
“May I use the restroom?” I asked the receptionist.
She nodded, her attention on the children bouncing on the chairs. “Ma’am, if you would ask your children to sit down, please?”
The bathroom, as I remembered from previous visits, was right inside the door that separated the waiting room from the short main hallway to Kathleen’s office. Up until now, I’d actually toyed with the idea of using Jerry’s special skills and special keys to have a look in Kathleen’s house, but now that I knew what I was looking for, I found it. Sitting among all the reference and medical text books was a fat pink and blue book with bronze trim. Kathleen’s Delta Gamma keepsake box. I took it down and quickly leafed through the pages. Near the back of the box was an envelope, and in the envelope were several photographs of Olivia Decker in all her glory. I put the envelope in my purse and made certain the box was back in its right place. Then I returned to the waiting room where I thanked the receptionist.
One of the toddlers had reached his limit and was screaming furiously as his sister whacked at him with her shoe. The Dark Side of Having Kids, I reminded myself as I hurried out. Don’t forget you’ll have to deal with that, too.
So, now it was back to Parkland with the photos for Olivia, who thanked me and gave me the photos of Kathleen.
I hoped all this nonsense was over. “Is this all? No negatives squirreled away?”
“That’s all. You have my word.” She took the photos of herself and fed them into the shredder by her desk. “What did she say?”
“Nothing. I liberated those from her keepsake box.”
“Well, aren’t you clever.”
“All this over scholarship money you didn’t need.”
She gave me a level gaze. “I don’t care what Kathleen Wallace thinks. I earned that scholarship. She always was a sore loser. She won’t thank you for stealing these pictures.”
“I want this silliness done so I can concentrate on a real case.”
“And what do you call a real case?”
“Murder.”
The shredder finished. Olivia sat back in her chair. “That pokey little town of yours is just full of surprises, isn’t it? What about that old house? Are you and Jerry still living in it?”
“It looks a lot different now.”
“That’s good,” she said with a complete lack of interest and turned back to her laptop. “Don’t let m
e keep you from your murder, Madeline.”
***
Since I had to run back and forth between towns, I was glad Parkland was only thirty minutes from Celosia. I met Kathleen in the parking lot as she was coming in from the hospital.
“Good news.” I handed her the photos. “From Olivia. She swears these are the only copies.”
Kathleen took a quick look and a relieved breath. “Thank you.”
“I had to make an exchange, you know.”
She paused, and I could see her thinking through what I’d said. “You found Olivia’s photos? How?”
“Your keepsake box.”
“You went into my office and took them out of my box?”
“Yes.”
“Damn it! That was my only leverage!” She realized she was shouting and lowered her voice to a furious undertone. “Madeline, you had no right to do that! You don’t know what Olivia Decker is capable of. Those photos were my only chance to keep her in line.”
“First of all, you hired me to get these pictures of you back, which I did. Second, I do know what Olivia is capable of. I also know she’ll keep her word. Maybe she did get that scholarship you thought you were entitled to. Maybe you feel she cheated. But that’s all in the past. You’re a grown woman with a successful medical practice. You don’t need Olivia Decker for anything.”
Her anger faded into bewilderment. “How did you know about that scholarship?”
“Because I’m a grown woman with a successful private investigation agency.”
Kathleen looked around as if the answer to her confusion was somewhere in the parking lot. “We were sorority sisters. We were supposed to look after each other. I felt so betrayed.”
“Yes, but that’s over.”
“She didn’t need the money. She took that scholarship and ran off with it, and never looked back. It’s taken me years to pay off my student loans.”