by Jane Tesh
Besides little bags of what I hoped were only herbs, there were rocks, feathers, beads, an old spiral notebook, dog-eared and tattered with age, and a brand new pink baby rattle. This was so incongruous, I took it out and stared at it and was still staring when Megan hurried back in.
“Oh, good, you found my bag. I’m always leaving it behind. Thank you, Madeline.”
I handed her the bag and the baby rattle. “This fell out.”
She took both items with her customary unconcern. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“Is there a baby girl in your family?”
I expected her to say, “No, I use this to frighten away evil spirits,” but she smiled. “This is for the baby in the woods.”
Oh, my God. “What baby, Megan?”
“The poor little baby from long ago. I’m going to put this on its grave as soon as I find it, but it was so long ago.”
“You don’t remember where the women met?”
“No, I didn’t like to go where they were. Mandy said they were evil. She said one of them had a baby, but it was dead, and they buried it in the woods. I’ve been trying to find its grave so I can make sure its little spirit is at peace.”
When at night I go to sleep,
Fourteen angels watch do keep.
I was glad we were the only ones in the waiting room and the receptionist was on the phone. Megan’s story brought tears to my eyes. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“I’m sure I’ll find it someday. I’ll keep looking.”
“Is that why you were in the woods near Nathan’s camp?”
“Yes, but I didn’t find anything there.”
“When you were searching for the gravesite, did you ever see young women from town? There could’ve been a young man with them.”
“No. Are there more evil women? I hope there’s not another baby.”
I was spared from explaining this by the nurse calling my name.
Megan looked around. “I didn’t leave my walking stick here, too, did I?”
“Is it missing?”
“No matter. It will come back to me. It always does.” With that, she drifted out.
***
Kathleen assured me that the results showed a slight decrease in my estrogen levels, and she suggested I take another supplement.
“We’ll see if this helps.”
“You know I’m willing to try most anything.”
“We won’t go crazy with pills, trust me.” She was back to her cheerful self.
“Thanks. You look relaxed, Kathleen. Everything’s okay?”
“Yes, thank you. I’ve had time to think about what you said. I have made my own way, and I should be proud of myself instead of holding a grudge against Olivia. Would you say she’s happy and successful?”
“Successful, yes. I’m not sure about happy.”
“I’m not going to worry about her anymore.”
“Good. Now let me ask you a question or two about Megan Underwood. Does she often bring you herbs?”
“You mean this?” She reached to the shelf behind her and handed me a large Mason jar filled with weeds. “She claims this has medicinal properties, but it’s just grass and daisies. I always take what she brings me and thank her, but it’s nothing I would ever use.”
Thinking of the rhododendron leaves, I was glad Kathleen was cautious. “Did she ever see the photo of you in your wiccan outfit?”
“Do you mean does she think I’m one of her people? Even if she did see the picture, and I can’t imagine where, she’s never mentioned it. I hate to admit it, but whenever she comes around, I take the jar so she’ll leave.”
“Does she ask for payment?”
“No. She says she wants to help.”
I set the jar on the desk. “In your opinion, as a doctor, is she a threat to herself or others?”
“I’m not a psychiatrist. I think she’s slightly delusional, but she’s happy, and she believes she’s doing the right thing.”
***
I called Jerry and asked him to meet me at Joanie’s house. On the way, I thought about Megan’s missing stick. Anyone could have picked it up. But she’d said, “It always comes back to me.” Didn’t that sound like the murderer took it whenever he or she needed it and then returned it so Megan could “find” it again?
I tried out this theory on Jerry. I also told him about the baby rattle and how Megan was searching for the baby’s last resting place.
“That’s why we found her wandering in the woods.”
“Did she know whose baby it was?” Jerry asked.
“No, but I’m almost convinced it belonged to Constance.”
This time, Jerry found a side window that was open, and soon we were in Joanie’s living room.
“What are we looking for that the police could’ve overlooked?” he asked. “Although a better question is, how do we get past all these ruffles?”
“Megan isn’t the culprit. Someone used her walking stick, so look for something that might have fallen out of a dragon.”
“A tooth, maybe?”
“That would be ideal.”
Jerry got down on his hands and knees and looked under furniture while I checked the tops of the chairs, tables, and all the plates and spoons, being careful not to dislodge any rabbits.
“I don’t see how she moves in here.”
Jerry’s voice was muffled under the sofa. “Was there even room for Megan to bean her? And how did Joanie manage to miss everything when she fell?”
“You’re right. Maybe she was attacked somewhere else and stumbled and fell in here.”
A short hallway led to Joanie’s back door. “Jerry, look at these pictures.”
The row of framed photographs along one side of the hallway was perfectly straight, but the row on the other side was slightly askew.
“Do you suppose the EMTs dislodged them coming in to help Joanie?”
“Or her attacker came along here.”
The back door opened onto a stoop. “Joanie sees Megan at the door and has no reason not to open it. Megan takes a swing at her. Joanie stumbles back, tries to run, and gets hit. She makes it as far as the living room and falls.”
On the stoop was a vase with a ruffled cover. The vase was filled with shiny little stones, the kind people use for decoration and to hold up flower arrangements. I dumped out the vase, and we searched through the stones.
Jerry found the odd-shaped piece. “Here it is.”
It was a tooth exactly like the teeth we’d seen in the dragon’s mouth in Megan’s stick.
“Lost it on that first swing,” Jerry said.
I examined the tooth. Something wasn’t right about this whole thing. “This seems awfully convenient.”
“Not awfully lucky?”
“Chief Brenner’s no slouch, and neither are his officers. They know about Megan and her walking stick. I don’t see how they could’ve overlooked this.”
“Are you saying someone planted it after the police had gone? That would suggest they wanted another person to find the clue.”
“Yes, me. Everyone knows I’m on the case. Amanda’s been griping about my technique ever since she hired me.”
“You think someone put the tooth here to incriminate Megan?”
I put the tooth in my pocket. “Let’s find out.”
***
The dented white pickup was parked next to Amanda’s car in the theater parking lot. The stage door was unlocked. When we stepped into the cool darkness of backstage, we heard two voices, Megan’s and Amanda’s. Megan sounded calm.
“I won’t let you destroy our home, Mandy.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, wake up and face reality! This is the only way to make you get out into the real world and be something other than a weird flakey tree-hugger!�
��
“I’ll find another way in,” Jerry said. “We might need a diversion.”
I kept in the shadows of the curtains. The sisters were on stage near the edge of the orchestra pit. Megan held her walking stick to her side, her hand resting on the now considerably battered dragon’s head.
“Peaceful Meadow is our home,” she said.
Amanda gave a short mirthless laugh. “Home! Maybe it seemed like home to you, but I hated it.”
“You didn’t have to live there. But you are going to leave it alone.”
“No, I’m not. I need it.”
Megan smiled a peaceful little smile. “Well, it’s mine, and I would do anything to protect it.”
Amanda gasped. “Did you kill Harold? Did you kill him and leave my purse there so the police would arrest me?”
“How would I get your purse, Mandy? I’ve never been in your house.”
“Stop calling me Mandy!”
How would Megan get Amanda’s purse? Aside from the people at her fundraiser, the only other person I’d ever seen at Amanda’s was Constance Tate. Would Constance set the sisters against each other?
“It doesn’t matter.” Megan raised her walking stick. “I wouldn’t hurt Harold or Joanie, but you have to go.”
I stepped forward. “Megan.”
She turned. “Hello.”
“Megan, that’s not a good idea.”
Amanda pointed a shaking finger at her half-sister. “She’s crazy. I’ve always known it. She’s completely out of her mind.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I think someone’s been taking advantage of her spacey reputation.” As long as Megan was talking, she wasn’t swinging that stick. “Amanda, why don’t you walk over here?”
Amanda cautiously edged her way around to me. I countered so that I was between Amanda and Megan. “Megan, did you hit Joanie?”
“I didn’t hit Joanie. I didn’t like her, though. She thought she could be Emmaline Ross. I am Emmaline Ross. She fought for her land, just as I fight for Peaceful Meadow.”
“But your commune was all about love and peace.”
Amanda’s patience was gone. “Why are you arguing with her? She’s insane.”
“No, I’m not,” Megan took a sudden swing. Amanda and I ducked as the stick whistled past our heads. “I must have Peaceful Meadow.”
I shoved Amanda toward the stage door. “Get out of here.”
As she ran for the door, I saw Jerry slowly making his way down the aisle. I countered again so that Megan’s back was to the auditorium.
“Megan, tell me your plans for Peaceful Meadow. Tell me what you want to do.”
Jerry reached the orchestra pit, climbed over the edge, and quietly dropped in. Megan must have sensed something because she turned her head, but he’d already hunkered down in the shadows. While she was distracted, I made a grab for the walking stick, but she was too quick. I ducked her next swing.
“Megan, calm down. We can work this out.”
“You don’t understand. You’re like all the others.”
“I want to understand. Did you go to Joanie’s house? Did you go to Harold’s?”
“I would never hurt Joanie or Harold.”
I moved to one side, maneuvering so she was closer to the edge of the pit. “I think someone’s using you, Megan. Someone wants you to take the blame.”
As Megan took another swing, Jerry reached up and grabbed her ankles. She struggled to regain her balance, but I gave her a push and toppled her into the pit. There was a cry and a crunch.
“Oops,” Jerry said. “I forgot about the drum.”
I looked over the edge. Megan was sprawled on top of the remains of a snare drum, her walking stick cracked in two. She groaned and opened her eyes.
“I want things to be like they were.”
Behind me, I heard footsteps and Amanda’s shrill voice.
“Constance! Thank goodness you’re here! Do you know what this crazy woman tried to do to me?”
As she proceeded to fill Constance’s ear, I watched the other woman’s face. Was there disappointment in her otherwise impassive face? Had she arrived hoping to find Amanda dead?
Amanda being Amanda, she was completely unsympathetic about her sister’s physical and mental state. While she railed at Megan from the edge of the pit, I called nine-one-one. Within a few moments, we could hear sirens.
Amanda smirked with triumph. “That’s it for you, Megan. You see where all that peace and love crap gets you? Now you can sit in Peaceful Penitentiary! Not much sunshine there, though.”
I really wanted to push Amanda into the pit, too. “Amanda, I think your sister’s been through enough.”
“She’s a murderer. She doesn’t deserve anything.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
With Jerry’s help, Megan was able to sit up. She clutched his hand. “My arm hurts.”
“We’ll get you to the hospital,” he said.
“You can share a room with Joanie Raines,” Amanda called down. “I’m sure the two of you will have plenty to talk about.”
While the EMS team examined Megan, I told Chief Brenner what had happened, interrupted constantly by Amanda. Constance stood off to one side, still expressionless.
“We’ll take care of things from here,” the chief told Amanda.
“I’m going to press charges. You make certain she’s prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
“Let us handle this right now.”
Megan was put on a stretcher and lifted from the pit. Amanda berated her sister all the way to the stage door and then abruptly turned and went back inside. Jerry and I followed the EMS team and the chief out to the ambulance.
I handed him the tooth Jerry and I had found at Joanie’s. “This is from her walking stick. We found it on Joanie’s back porch.”
His little eyes narrowed. “We went over every inch of that porch.”
“I think someone came along after you left.”
“Any idea who?”
I had absolutely no proof that Constance had anything to do with any of the crimes, just a strange gut feeling and the lack of emotion in her eyes. “No, unfortunately not. But jail’s not the place for Megan. She needs psychiatric help.”
“I know,” he said. “I’ll do my best to see she gets it.”
“There isn’t any way to blame this on Amanda, is there?” Jerry asked.
“As much as I’d like to, I’m afraid I can’t arrest people for being mean-spirited.”
Jerry and I watched the ambulance and patrol car drive away.
“I’m not going back into the auditorium,” I said. “I don’t care if she is my client, I can’t take anymore of Amanda right now.”
“She’s probably in there crying her eyes out.”
I gave him a look. He grinned.
“Or not. Probably pissed about the drum, though.”
I indicated Constance’s dark red Cadillac. “I’m wondering if it’s only a coincidence Constance came by at this particular time.”
“Are you thinking she had something to do with all this? Proper, socially conscious Constance?”
“If Constance did have something to do with this particular incident with Megan attacking Amanda on stage, she didn’t get what she wanted, which was to have Amanda out of the picture.”
“She might be in there killing her right now.”
I heaved a sigh. “Then we’d better go in.”
Amanda was still ranting about Megan’s attack, waving her arms and striding back and forth on the stage as if performing My Narrow Escape for a packed house. Constance, as always, stood to one side, tall and quiet, arms folded, expression neutral.
I’d seen her standing exactly like that many times. At the fundraiser, when Harold arrived to confront Amand
a. In Amanda’s kitchen, when I asked about Amanda’s potential enemies. At the theater when Megan auditioned for Emmaline and when Joanie announced her plans for a rival production. She knew what was happening every step of the way and easily deflected attention away from herself.
I imagined Constance casually picking up Amanda’s purse and a credit card to plant in Harold’s house, or taking Megan’s walking stick out of the white pickup. Was Constance capable of murder? If so, how was I going to prove it?
Constance turned her head and regarded me calmly. “How’s Megan?”
“Confused but not badly hurt.”
“Poor thing. It was only a matter of time before she snapped.”
Amanda jumped on this. “Don’t call her a poor thing! She knew exactly what she was doing.”
“Of course. You’re right.” Constance’s tone was even, but if Amanda hadn’t been so self absorbed, she would’ve seen what I did, a dangerous glint in Constance’s eyes. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with Evan.”
I gave Jerry a little tilt of my head toward Amanda, and he picked up on my cue. “Amanda, are you sure you’re okay? I didn’t get to hear everything that happened.”
Leaving Jerry to take one for the team, I followed Constance down the aisle toward Evan’s office. “Was there a meeting of the Improvement Society today? Since you and Amanda have issues, I was wondering why you came by the theater.”
Constance remained calm. “I may have issues with Amanda and her methods, but I really want Flower of the South to succeed. I wanted to check with Evan about using some of the theater’s costumes. I never thought I’d walk in on more drama. What were you and Jerry doing here?”
We pushed the doors open into the lobby and went up the stairs to Evan’s office. “We’d been in Joanie’s house, looking for clues, and we found a tooth off of Megan’s walking stick.”
“Good thinking.”
“The only problem is, the police had gone over the house very thoroughly, so I don’t see how they could’ve missed the tooth.”
Constance seemed to have forgotten her pointed comments about me and my agency. “That’s why your business is so successful, Madeline. You find things everyone else overlooks.”
Does that include you? I wanted to ask.