“Are you talking about the carnelian ring?”
Both children stared at her. “Not that we know of,” Lois’s son replied with a meaningful glance at his sister. “The most valuable piece is Uncle Silas’s diamond pinky ring. You know, it was handed down from your side of the family. The Mullises have no excuse for keeping it.”
Peggy’s hopes were dashed. She hadn’t found a diamond pinky ring. “What about the carved carnelian ring? That has historical family value.”
“We’re not sure about that piece,” the daughter said, “although now that you mention it, Mother did talk about an heirloom ring from the Civil War. I don’t know if she had it at the house. If so, Cousin Arnold has that, too.”
“We’ll add that to our list,” Lois’s son said. “Thanks for your help, Aunt Matilda. Do you need a ride to the cemetery?”
“Oh, no. I’m here with the historical society. We’ll all ride over together.”
“Mother loved them like family.” The woman wiped away tears that mingled with the rain on her thin face. “I know they’ll miss her.”
Peggy agreed, then hugged both adult children and the little boy before leaving them at the limousine. It wasn’t such a terrible masquerade after all. Nothing to report on as far as the ring was concerned. Why was it such a mystery? If Lois knew it was hers, why had it been in the museum? And if it had been that valuable, why didn’t her children know about it?
There was one missed call on her cell phone, which had been turned off during the funeral service. It was from Mai, no doubt wondering where the yew branches were. Peggy didn’t bother answering. She’d just stop in and give her a progress report.
Glad she had driven to the funeral, Peggy made her way out of the procession headed for the cemetery. Lois’s coffin had been taken to the hearse waiting to receive it. She was glad this part was over for the family. It probably wouldn’t have helped the ME’s office to keep her any longer. The family needed closure.
She remembered how terrible the wait had been after John had been killed. She didn’t know if they were ever going to finish their work on his body. It was stupid, really. What had made John Lee special was gone forever. Burying him was just an afterthought. Yet it was all she could think of in the days that followed his death. The relief the phone call from Al brought when he’d called to say the funeral home had picked up John’s body was like spring after winter. The details of observing life and death rituals could go on.
Peggy had never looked at the terrible marks left behind by the autopsy they’d done on John. She’d gone through the motions of laying him to rest without asking for more information than she could process. She’d known he’d been shot twice in the chest, one bullet nicking his heart, causing him to bleed to death before they could get him to the hospital. She didn’t need to know more than that. Even that information had kept her from sleeping for weeks after he was gone.
Peggy decided to call Hunter, Sam’s sister, and suggest Lois’s children might be in need of a good lawyer. Hunter was on the attack as soon as she saw Peggy’s number on her cell phone. “You know the police are railroading that poor man,” Hunter complained. “I can’t believe you’d be a part of that.”
“I’m not part of anything except the botanical part of the investigation into what happened to Lois at the lake. I was there when they questioned your client because I knew some information about what had happened.”
“That makes you part of the problem, Peggy.”
“Hunter, that man has gone to jail several times for stealing historic artifacts, including skulls he dug up in cemeteries. That’s about as low-down as someone can get. You can’t blame the police for thinking he could hurt Lois.”
“But I can tell from your voice you don’t believe it,” Hunter said. “So, what gives? Tell me the superawful secret waiting to be discovered.”
“If there is one, I haven’t found it.” Peggy considered Chief Mullis’s behavior at the funeral. “Or at least I don’t think I’ve found it.”
“And you’re not going to tell me any more than that?”
“No, not right now. Maybe when I know a little more. But I have another case you might be interested in.” She told her about Lois’s children. “Maybe you could help them.”
“I think that might be a conflict of interest, since I’m representing the man the police believe killed their mother. But thanks for looking out for me. How’s Sam doing with those rainwater things he’s making? He’s really enthusiastic about them.”
“He seems to be doing very well. I suppose it’s one way of looking positively at the drought.”
“You mean there’s always money to be made from any misfortune.” Hunter laughed. “Spoken like a true capitalist.”
Peggy had another call waiting, and told Hunter she’d talk to her later. She looked at the number on her cell phone and almost didn’t answer. It was her mother, doubtless complaining about her not going into the chief’s house to look for historic artifacts. Finally she relented and pressed Talk.
“Margaret? This is your mother. I need your help.” Lilla’s voice was a frightened whisper on the phone.
“What’s wrong? Where are you?”
“I’m at Lois Mullis’s house. And before you start lecturing me about not being here, it’s too late. I’m here, and there’s no way to change that.”
Peggy took a deep breath and caught hold of her temper. “All right. You’re there, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve done some stupid things myself. What do you want me to do?”
“Get me out of here!” Lilla sounded frantic. “I’m stuck in a closet in Lois’s bedroom. The ladies were supposed to distract Chief Mullis in case he came here, but we thought it would be unlikely, since he should be at the cemetery right now. I mean, who wouldn’t be there for the rest of the service? She was his aunt. He shouldn’t be here at all.”
Peggy closed her eyes. Even though her mother was obviously scared and worried, her voice stayed low and modulated. “Okay. Calm down. Take a deep breath.”
“Is that how you got through being trapped in a coffin that time? Your father told me all about it.”
“You’re not making this any easier, Mom. Why are you in the closet?”
“I heard someone come in the house, and thought I should hide. I think whoever it is might still be here. But it doesn’t matter, because the door to the closet is stuck, and I can’t push it open.”
“It might be better if someone is still there,” Peggy said. “I can’t break into the house. You have the key and the alarm code. There’s not a lot I can do besides calling the police.”
“Well, for heaven’s sake, call Paul if you have to call someone. At least we can trust him to keep this a secret. I don’t want your father to know, either. He’s always going on about the historical society being a bad influence.”
“In this case, I don’t blame him.” Peggy had started her truck and was turning toward Central Avenue. “But we can’t call Paul.”
“Why not? He’s my grandson. I know he wouldn’t mind coming over and getting me out.”
“Because he’s on duty and he’d have to log the call. We don’t want him to get into any more trouble with the chief, do we?”
There was silence on the other end for a long moment before Lilla agreed she didn’t want Paul to get into trouble. “But there has to be another way out.”
Peggy frowned, thinking about it. If the chief was still there, he could charge her mother with trespassing, but that wouldn’t be so bad. If he was gone, that option left with him. She could call the police and hope that during the confusion, she’d be able to sneak in and get her mother out of the house. But that was a long shot. “Start yelling and pounding on the door. If the chief is still there, he’ll come and get you out.”
“And arrest me!” Lilla was quite huffy on that matter. “Is something wrong with your brain today, Margaret? I don’t want to go to jail.”
“The most it would be is a misde
meanor. You can explain it to the judge, who’ll probably be lenient since it’s your first time.”
“I’m attempting to be a good, upstanding member of my new community,” her mother said. “I don’t think a trespassing charge, even if it is a misdemeanor, will contribute to that.”
“You should’ve thought of that before you did something so crazy!” Peggy almost bit her tongue talking to her mother that way, even if it was the truth. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll see what I can do. But this is why I wouldn’t do it myself. The ladies didn’t want to get their hands dirty with it, either. Maybe Dad is right.”
There was no answer, and an instant later her phone said the call had been dropped. Peggy closed her cell phone and put her foot down a little harder on the accelerator. Unfortunately, one of the problems with an electric truck was that it didn’t take off the way an internal combustion engine would have. She had to poke down the Charlotte streets until she reached Central Avenue and the Plaza.
Anything could’ve happened, she considered as she wound her way to Lois’s estate. Chief Mullis might’ve found her mother. That would be the best thing. Maybe Lilla finally managed to get out of the closet by herself. That would be equally good.
Peggy hoped her mother didn’t call her father after talking to her, and she’d have to face him at the house as well. Ranson wasn’t known for being subtle. He might get riled if he knew Chief Mullis was going to arrest his wife. It was almost enough to make her call Paul and take her chances. But she didn’t want him involved unless there wasn’t any other option.
Come on, Peggy, she urged her reluctant brain. Think!
She turned onto Lois’s street and scanned the large house and drive for any signs of someone being there, but she didn’t see even her mother’s car. Lilla must’ve parked elsewhere and walked in. She was surprised her mother could be so devious.
But who had Lilla heard in the house? Peggy didn’t think Chief Mullis would park up the street and walk back to check for intruders. The garage door was closed, but she knew the garage was filled with Lois’s vehicles. Where was everyone?
She crept past the curve of the road. She could still see the house without being seen behind some barberry trees. It was unusual to find them in the city. Someone had to know their medicinal value. She tried again to call her mother. There was no answer. Frustrated, Peggy considered that maybe her mother got out by herself and left. But that notion went away quickly as she saw her mother’s car parked about two blocks down.
She tried her mother’s number again. Still no response. As a possibility, she called her father and asked him if he’d heard from her mother.
“No. She’s at that woman’s funeral today, Sweet Pea,” he replied. “I’m at the senior center playing chess. Is there a problem?”
“No, Dad. I was just going to ask her if she wanted Thai food for dinner on Tuesday. Steve and I found this great new place over on South Boulevard.”
“You know your mother, Margaret Ann. She likes her rice and beans with a little Tabasco, but she’s not much for Asian food.”
“That’s what I thought. I’ll talk to you later, Dad.” Peggy was eager to get off the phone with him. “Say hi to Mom if she calls.”
“I will,” Ranson began. “You know, something funny happened this morning . . .”
Peggy hated to do it, but she hung up. She clutched the cell phone in her hand as she tried to think what she should do next. Her mother still seemed to be trapped in the house, even though whoever had been there was gone. Maybe she had her phone turned off for fear the ring would give her away. There seemed to be no solution except to break into the house and get her mother out. She’d have to take her chances on getting caught.
Then something else came to mind. Just last week, someone had reported seeing a fire in the house two doors down from her. The older couple who lived there were in Barbados, and couldn’t be reached. The fire department had to break in and make sure everything was all right.
Even as she was thinking about it, Peggy was dialing 911. She gave the woman the information about Lois’s house, then parked her car near her mother’s and walked back to the estate. With any luck, she’d be able to slip inside while the fire department was checking for the fire, and get her mother out. Without any luck, her mother would have to be rescued by the fire department. She waited at the end of the driveway and hoped her luck was good that day.
Less than five minutes later, a fire department truck and a smaller vehicle came racing down the street, sirens and lights flashing. Peggy moved out of the way for them and directed the firemen to the spot in the house where she said she saw smoke. The firemen walked around the house, frowning when they couldn’t find any sign of fire.
“Where did you say you saw smoke?” the department commander asked.
“It was coming from the top and back of the house,” she told him. “Shouldn’t you hurry in there? There are a lot of valuable antiques in the house. I’d hate to see anything happen to them.”
“The house has an alarm system,” he continued. “If anything was wrong, it should’ve registered with the monitoring station.”
She tapped her foot impatiently. Why was this so difficult? They hadn’t stopped to ask so many questions at the Misenheimers’ house.
Before the commander could make a decision, Chief Mullis pulled up in his truck, demanding to know what was going on. The commander explained that Peggy had seen smoke coming from the house.
“Really?” The chief glared at her. “And what, exactly, are you doing here, Dr. Lee? It’s a little far from your neighborhood, isn’t it?”
22
Goatsbeard
Botanical: Aruncus dioicus
The Roman philosopher Pliny named this shrub. It is a member of the rose family and related to spirea and meadowsweet. Goatsbeard blooms early in warmer climates, later during summer in cooler ones. The plant has thick spikes of white flowers, four to six feet tall, that rise above the leaves.
PEGGY LOOKED HIM IN THE eye. “I have friends all over Charlotte. I was driving by to visit one of them when I thought I saw smoke coming from the house. I did what any citizen would, and called 911. Better safe than sorry, that’s what I always say.”
Chief Mullis looked at her as though he wanted to call her a liar, but had no proof to base the accusation on. “You’re a very good little citizen, aren’t you, Dr. Lee?”
The commander stepped in. “We appreciate citizens like you,” he told Peggy. “I don’t see anything out here, but it would be a good idea to go through the house to be certain.”
“That’s probably what she wants,” Mullis accused. “I caught her here once before with some friends of my aunt’s.”
“I don’t think she’s going to try anything with all of us here.” The commander’s words dripped with sarcasm. “In the meantime, if something is wrong in there, we’re wasting time.”
“I don’t want her inside.”
“That’s up to you, Chief. I just need you to open the door so we can go inside.” The commander shrugged beneath his heavy gear. “Or we can do it the hard way and I can have my boys break in the door.”
The chief moved to unlock the door without any further prodding from the fire department. He glanced at the alarm. “I thought that was on.”
Peggy started into the house behind the commander and two of the firefighters. Chief Mullis extended an arm to keep her out of the foyer. “I don’t think they need your help. And I’d feel better if you stay out here.”
“That’s fine. I was just curious. No need to be hostile.”
He rolled his eyes. “Hostile? You don’t know the half of it. Someone from that stupid historical group has called me fifty times a day since Aunt Lois died. They’ve accused me of everything from killing her to inherit the property to purposely stealing their little historical things. Like they matter to me.”
“You do inherit the property, Chief,” she reminded him. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone got anxio
us and didn’t want to wait for their inheritance.”
“Check with my cousins, if you like. Aunt Lois was all set up to move to a retirement community on the other side of town. There wasn’t any reason for me to get impatient. If she hadn’t died, we would’ve wrapped the whole thing up by now. Ask her kids. They hate me enough because of the estate. But they can’t deny the whole thing was about to change anyway.”
Maybe it was the way he was glaring at her. Maybe it was her involvement with the police that made her feel he was telling the truth. It would be easy enough to check. “What about the jewelry you’re keeping from Lois’s children? What about the historical artifacts that belong to the group?” She was surprised he’d bothered explaining at all. He didn’t have to. “Why are you being so stubborn about giving her friends and relatives what should rightfully be theirs?”
“Not that it’s any of your business,” he rasped, “but I loved Aunt Lois. I made a mistake taking her out to the lake like that, but you notice who she turned to when she needed a ride. Her kids were never around for her. I don’t think it’ll hurt them to wonder if they’ll get anything from her now that she’s dead.”
She nodded. “And the historical society?”
“Those ladies are crazy. Who can believe what they say belongs to them? I want someone responsible from the museum to come out and tell me what’s supposed to be theirs.”
Unfortunately, all of that sounded reasonable to her. Part of her brain was still concentrating on finding her mother and getting her out of the house. Maybe that was why it made sense. She didn’t like the chief’s attitude, but if what he said about Lois’s children was true, she could understand the hard feelings between them.
“I really believe someone killed your aunt out at the lake.” She shook her head as he began mentioning Snook. “Not him. He’s a convenient scapegoat. But I think what happened had something to do with a carnelian ring.”
A Corpse for Yew Page 24