1 Bless Her Dead Little Heart

by Miranda James

  Diesel warbled loudly as they climbed the steps to the back porch. Benjy paused to rub the cat’s head. When he spoke, his voice sounded thick with emotion. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have anyone much to count on.”

  Dickce squeezed his shoulder gently. “I’m glad we can be friends.”

  Benjy nodded and opened the door for her. Inside they found Clementine back at the stove, and Antoinette was at the oven basting the roast.

  “Sure smells good,” Benjy said. Diesel chirped in agreement as he padded over to Antoinette. He sat at her feet and stared up at her. Antoinette grinned at him and shook her head to let him know he wasn’t getting any roast.

  “Miss An’gel’s looking for you again, Miss Dickce,” Clementine said.

  “Seems like An’gel’s always looking for me,” Dickce said. “Y’all excuse me. I’d better go see what she wants.”

  When Dickce walked into the parlor, she noticed that Junior was still evidently with Kanesha, because everyone else was present. Wade was sitting in the outside corner of the room at the front of the house. Dickce wondered if that had been his own idea, or had Rosabelle suggested it? Either way it was probably just as well he stayed as far away from his mother as possible for the time being.

  No one spoke upon her return, but An’gel motioned for her to take her former seat. As she did so, An’gel edged her own chair closer to Dickce’s.

  “I presume you talked to Benjy.” An’gel spoke in a low tone.

  “Yes,” Dickce said. She really didn’t want to discuss what Benjy told her right now. An’gel might get annoyed with her, and the last thing they needed was to have an argument here in front of Rosabelle and her family. An’gel was a bit hotheaded, and her temper might get the better of her.

  “I’ll tell you all about it later,” Dickce whispered. She could tell her reluctance to talk didn’t sit well with her sister, but she refused to be drawn into conversation. It wouldn’t do An’gel’s temper any good, but she didn’t always need to get her way over everything.

  The afternoon wore on, and once a person left to talk to Kanesha, he or she did not return. Bernice was called next after Junior, then Wade and Juanita. Rosabelle followed, and that left Antonio with An’gel and Dickce.

  An’gel suddenly got up and went over to the sofa and took the spot Rosabelle had vacated moments before. Dickce wondered what her sister was up to.

  “Have you decided whether you will stay here with us tonight?” An’gel asked. “I suddenly realized that you had no bags with you when you arrived. Nor did you appear to have a vehicle.”

  Antonio smiled. “Ah, yes, I perhaps should have mentioned that I have a car and driver. We went first to the charming Farrington House when we arrived in Athena. I have reserved a room there because I was not certain, you understand, of my reception from my dear wife, even though she summoned me. She is a whimsical creature, but that is part of her charm.” He laughed. “Now that I know she really needs me, I of course will call the driver and have him bring what is necessary. He will remain at the hotel because I realize you do not have room for my man.”

  “I’m afraid that’s correct,” An’gel said. “We would have to bed him down on the sofa in the library, but of course he would be welcome to do that if you prefer to have him near you.”

  “No, no, that is not necessary,” Antonio said. “He will stay at the hotel.”

  Was it her imagination, Dickce wondered, or did Antonio seem a little uneasy over the idea of having his manservant in the house?

  CHAPTER 33

  An’gel wondered whether it was her imagination, or was Antonio protesting a bit too much about his manservant? What reason could he have for not wanting the man to stay here at Riverhill? True, it would be somewhat inconvenient in terms of sleeping arrangements, but on the other hand, having another able-bodied man in the house in case of trouble wouldn’t be a bad thing. Kanesha might prefer not to add a new person to the mix, she realized, and she decided to let the matter drop. Her curiosity over the manner of Antonio’s arrival was finally settled.

  “Signor Mingione, would you come with me, please?”

  An’gel turned to see a deputy standing nearby.

  “If you will excuse me, ladies,” Antonio said with the flash of a smile. “Yes, Officer, I will come.”

  “Miss Ducote,” the deputy said to An’gel, “Chief Deputy Berry asked me to let you know she’ll be ready to talk to you and your sister shortly.”

  “Thank you,” An’gel replied. When he left the room, she noticed the deputy who had remained in the room all this time went with him. She motioned for Dickce to join her on the sofa.

  “Now we can talk,” An’gel said. “Tell me about Benjy.”

  “All right,” Dickce replied. “Here’s what he told me.” She gave An’gel the details about the rubber spiders and repeated Benjy’s denial that he had anything to do with frightening Maudine to death with them. “I believe him,” she concluded.

  “I reckon I do, too,” An’gel said, “but it sure looks like someone is trying to implicate him in all this. He had no opportunity to squirt the water on the stairs, nor did Junior. Since neither of them could have set up the first accident, then I think we have to rule them out as being responsible for the second.”

  “I agree,” Dickce said. “Who was the target, though? Rosabelle was insistent that she was the intended victim the first time, and then she said she is just as terrified of spiders as Maudine was.”

  “I don’t know,” An’gel replied. “I keep going round and round with it, but I never come out with a clear answer. I found Wade’s accusation that Rosabelle is the murderer interesting. I have to confess I wondered myself if she wasn’t responsible.”

  “Me, too,” Dickce said. “I wouldn’t put anything past her now, not after the displays we’ve seen. Wade might be right. What he said about his father’s will could be important.”

  “Rosabelle told me that the trusts set up by her first and second husbands would dissolve with her death, and her three children would receive their shares to use as they see fit.” An’gel paused. “According to Wade, if one of the children dies before Rosabelle, that portion doesn’t pass to the grandchild and instead reverts to the estate.”

  “And to Rosabelle,” Dickce said. “She does love money, but do you think she would really murder her own children to get it?”

  “Let’s say she would. Why then would she want to murder Marla, her daughter-in-law? Marla would have no claim on the estate, even if she outlived Wade.”

  “Out of spite?” Dickce said. “Or a trial run maybe?”

  “Possibly,” An’gel replied. “But if Rosabelle died first, Wade would inherit his father’s money. Marla would benefit that way. And possibly Benjy as well, if he is in either Wade’s or Marla’s will.”

  “That’s really pushing it,” Dickce said. “Think instead about Bernice and Juanita. With Maudine gone before Rosabelle, Bernice’s share doubles because Junior gets nothing. What about that?”

  “If Bernice outlives her mother, then she inherits a considerable amount,” An’gel said. “Then Juanita inherits from her mother.”

  “I wonder what Rosabelle could do with the money if all three of her children predeceased her?” Dickce said. “Would she be able to will it to anyone she chose, since the beneficiaries of the trust were dead?”

  “It’s like a maze,” An’gel said. “So many potential routes to the answer. But which one is the right one?”

  “If there’s another murder, that would give us a clearer picture,” Dickce said.

  “Don’t say that, even in jest,” An’gel said sharply. “I can’t stand the thought of another murder in the house.”

  “I know,” Dickce said contritely. “It is horrible, isn’t it?”

  “I hope Kanesha figures this out soon. I want all these people out of our house, an
d I never want to see any of them again,” An’gel said. She glanced at her sister, expecting total agreement. Instead Dickce looked uneasy. “What is it?”

  “Oh, nothing, really,” Dickce said. “I hope it’s over soon, too.”

  An’gel wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but she knew that pressing Dickce about it wouldn’t get her anywhere. Dickce could be stubborn to the point of madness, and right now she didn’t have the energy to force the issue. She had a sneaking suspicion Dickce was hiding something from her, but whatever it was would have to wait.

  She checked her watch. Nearly six o’clock. She’d told Clementine earlier they would eat at seven. The food would be ready, but would everyone want to sit down to dinner together after what happened this afternoon?

  If they didn’t, she decided after brief reflection, they could fill their plates and take them to their rooms. She really didn’t care. It might even be less stressful for all of them. She didn’t relish another scene like the ones they had witnessed last night or today.

  “Ladies, would you come with me now?”

  Startled, An’gel realized the deputy had come to take them to Kanesha. “Of course.” She was more than ready.

  She and Dickce followed the deputy across the hall to the library and took their seats in front of the desk. An’gel thought Kanesha looked frustrated and tired, much as she herself probably looked to the chief deputy.

  “Have you made any progress?” An’gel asked.

  “Hard to tell,” Kanesha replied. “Not a single one of them saw anything that is useful. From what they’ve told me, they all might as well be invisible once they get up on the second floor.” She shook her head. “I thought surely, if I took them through their movements, one of them at least might have seen one of the others coming out of a room, going into one. Anything that could give me a break in this case. But not a single thing.”

  “Have you talked to Benjy Stephens yet?” Dickce asked, rather abruptly, An’gel thought.

  Kanesha nodded. “Yes, ma’am, before I talked to Signor Mingione. He told me about the water pistol and the rubber spiders.”

  “You’re not seriously considering him a suspect because they belonged to him, are you?”

  An’gel thought her sister sounded militant all of a sudden, almost as if Benjy were her son instead of someone else’s. What was going on in Dickce’s head? And more important, in her heart?

  “They do link him to both murders,” Kanesha said. She held up a hand as if to forestall another protest from Dickce. “I know it’s only circumstantial. According to Mr. Stephens, everyone knew about the water pistol and the rubber spiders. Everyone also had access to his room in California, and I see no reason to doubt that. I am sure he didn’t have the opportunity to go upstairs and set up the accident that killed his mother. I also strongly doubt that he had anything to do with putting those spiders in a towel for someone to find.”

  “That’s good,” Dickce said. “He’s a nice boy, and I’m sure he has nothing to do with all this. He simply has the misfortune to be connected to an ill-fated family.”

  An’gel thought that made Benjy sound like a Tybalt or a Mercutio, both of whom paid dearly for their membership in two feuding houses. She resisted the urge to snort at her sister’s hyperbole.

  “So what’s next?” An’gel asked.

  “My first concern is to stop another murder from happening,” Kanesha said.

  “Do you really think there will be another attempt on Rosabelle?” An’gel said.

  “It’s entirely possible,” Kanesha said. “I don’t think the murderer has achieved his complete purpose yet.”

  “Does that mean you think Rosabelle is the intended victim?” Dickce asked.

  “Eventually, yes,” Kanesha replied.

  “What do you mean by that?” An’gel asked, startled.

  Kanesha smiled grimly. “I’m almost certain that Mrs. Pittman was the intended victim today, and not her mother.”

  CHAPTER 34

  “How can you know that?” An’gel asked.

  “I asked them all when they took their baths,” Kanesha said. “I found out that they didn’t know about the water heaters, and none of them likes cold baths. So they discussed it and came up with their own schedule. Mr. Thurmond always showers at night, as does Miss Cameron. They set times an hour apart, although it wasn’t necessary from what you told me.”

  “I forgot to tell them about the hot water,” An’gel said. “Did you say anything, Sister?”

  “No, I didn’t think of it,” Dickce said.

  Kanesha continued with her list. “Mrs. Cameron likes to bathe first thing in the morning, and Mrs. Sultan, or rather, Mrs. Mingione, likes to sleep in. She had her bath shortly before her husband arrived, as it turns out. That left Mrs. Pittman, who decided to have hers after lunch.”

  “Antoinette cleaned up in that bathroom while they were all eating lunch,” An’gel said. “She put fresh towels in there.”

  “It wasn’t until after Antoinette put in those fresh towels,” Kanesha said, “that the killer hid the spiders inside the one on the top. Antoinette removed three towels from that bathroom and replaced them with four more.”

  An’gel considered what Kanesha shared with them and realized the chief deputy was right. Maudine Pittman was the target, not her mother. The evidence seemed clear.

  An’gel recalled her conversation with Dickce before they were asked to join Kanesha a few minutes ago. “Maudine was the target for the second murder, then. What about the first one? Do you think Rosabelle was the target, as she claims? Or was Marla the intended victim all along?”

  “That depends on the overall motive,” Kanesha said. “What would be the motive if Signora Mingione died before anyone else? The most obvious answer is money. But how much? I think the amount depends on the order in which they die. If the signora dies first, her three children get their money from their fathers’ wills, and then they can do whatever they want with it. Spend it all or leave it to their heirs. If she dies after any of the children, she benefits until her death. I’ve got a call in to her lawyer in California to discuss the situation with him. I don’t know whether I can get him to talk without getting the client involved, but I have to try.”

  “Dickce and I were discussing all the possibilities while we were waiting to talk to you,” An’gel said. “The variables make it so difficult to figure anything out.”

  “Yes, they do,” Kanesha said. “Ladies, I think I need to remind you that figuring this out is my job. I appreciate everything you’ve done to help, but I want you to be extremely careful. I have no reason to believe that the killer would go after either of you—unless you somehow stand in the way. Please do not do anything that would make the killer think that you are a significant obstacle.”

  An’gel appreciated the chief deputy’s concern for their welfare. She did not want to attract the murderer’s attention, nor did Dickce. Of that she was certain. The fact remained, however, that there was a killer in her house. One who had killed twice and, she was convinced, intended to kill again. She wanted it to stop.

  She realized Kanesha was waiting for a response. “We both understand.”

  “Yes, we do,” Dickce said tartly, with a slight stress on the pronoun.

  “I’m going to ask both of you the same thing I asked everyone else,” Kanesha said. “I want you to consider everything you’ve seen, every interaction you’ve had with your guests, and if the slightest thing seems odd, I want you to tell me. It doesn’t matter how trivial it might be. I want to know about it.”

  “I’ll do my best,” An’gel said, this time careful not to answer for her sibling. Dickce could be so touchy sometimes about being the younger sister.

  “I will, too,” Dickce said.

  “One more thing,” Kanesha said, “and then I think we’re done for the moment. I want to post two o
f my men in the house overnight, along with the off-duty man you’ve hired. I want to monitor everyone’s movements as much as possible. Once everyone has gone to bed, I’ll have my two men remain in the upstairs hall. Your man can patrol the first floor. Is that all right with you?”

  “I’m frankly relieved,” An’gel said. “Very pleased as well. Thank you.”

  “What about the garage apartment?” Dickce asked. “What if someone manages to slip out of the house and attacks Junior and Benjy?”

  “I don’t have another man to spare for that,” Kanesha said. “I’m liable to be shorthanded as it is, especially if there’s some kind of emergency. Perhaps it would be best if Mr. Pittman and Mr. Stephens spent the night here in the house.”

  “Is there possibly another off-duty deputy who could keep an eye on the area between the house and the garage?” An’gel asked. She thought Junior and Benjy would be safer if they weren’t in the house overnight, but she didn’t want to say that to Kanesha.

  “I’ll check for you,” Kanesha said. “I appreciate your willingness to keep them all here in your house, despite the reservations I have about the potential danger. If it weren’t for the fact that moving them to a hotel could make it more difficult for us to keep an eye on them, I would have moved them out tonight.”

  “I understand, but I don’t think anything will happen tonight with your men on duty in the house,” An’gel said. “I’ll simply have to hope that this will be the last night and that tomorrow you’ll have the killer in custody, and I can send them to a hotel if they have to remain in town for a while.”

  “Amen to that,” Dickce said.

  “I suggested they all go to their rooms and stay there until it’s time for dinner,” Kanesha said. “I have a deputy already on duty upstairs, and the other man will join him around eight P.M.” She rose from behind the desk. “If you need anything at all, call me. Use my personal cell number, not the sheriff’s department line.”