by Sofie Kelly
“Good.” She looked over at Maggie’s open studio door, and then shifted her attention back to me. “None of this makes any sense. What was Jaeger doing in the co-op basement? How did he get down there, anyway? I saw Maggie lock the door and put the keys in her pocket.”
She had the same questions Maggie had been asking and I still didn’t have any answers. I shrugged. “I don’t know. The police are going to have to figure all of that out.”
Ruby made a face, her mouth twisting to one side. “I wish I could remember where I know Jaeger from. I have the feeling it’s important.”
I couldn’t see how Ruby figuring out where she may have seen Jaeger Merrill before was going to turn out to be important, especially now that he was dead.
“I need to put these in Maggie’s studio,” I said, picking up the brown paper and bubble wrap again.
Ruby had been staring off into space, but she looked at me when I spoke. “Yeah, okay,” she said. “There’s something I need to check out on the computer, anyway.” She indicated her own open studio door. “Tell Maggie I’m here if she needs anything.”
“I will,” I said.
Mags had put the two boxes on her big worktable in the center of the room. She was just taking the last figure from a carved, wooden chess set out of the smaller of the two cartons.
I set the paper and bubble wrap on the end of the table.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll just go get the other couple of boxes.”
While Maggie went downstairs I put some water in her kettle and plugged it in. I waffled for a moment between the box of peppermint tea bags and the canister of dark chocolate cocoa mix. The chocolate won.
“Are you making tea?” Maggie asked when she came back in with the last three cartons.
“I was going to make hot chocolate,” I said. “But I can make tea if that’s what you’d like.”
She set the boxes on the table and rolled her head slowly from one side to the other. “No. I want chocolate,” she said. “Lots and lots of chocolate.” She stopped in mid-neck roll. “Look in there, on the bottom at the back.” She pointed to the old pie safe where she kept the mugs and the tea and the electric kettle. “I think I have some marshmallows.”
The marshmallows were in a little snap-top plastic container. I could smell vanilla when I popped the lid. “Hey, did you buy these at the market?” I asked.
She had one arm behind her head, stretching, pulling down gently with her other hand. Maggie was very flexible. “Dina made them,” she said.
“Dina?” I said. The water was boiling. I filled both cups. “The Jam Lady?”
“Uh huh.”
I’d been a little homesick and a lot heartsick when I’d arrived in Mayville Heights just over a year ago. I’d eaten a lot of toast smothered in The Jam Lady’s strawberry rhubarb preserves in those first few lonely weeks. And a fair number of brownies too. If it weren’t for all the walking I’d have ended up looking like the Pillsbury Doughboy. And I probably wouldn’t have Hercules and Owen either.
Maggie emptied the boxes and when the water boiled I made the hot chocolate and added marshmallows to both cups. I gave one to Maggie. She took a long sip and then smiled at me over the mug. “Ummm, that’s good. Thank you.”
I took a drink from my own cup. The mix of dark chocolate and vanilla tasted as good as it smelled.
Maggie pulled her hand over her hair again. “I can’t believe Jaeger’s dead,” she said, her expression troubled.
“It’s not your fault.”
“I know,” she said, but there was something in her voice that told me she wasn’t completely convinced. I looked at her, without saying anything else, until she lifted her head and met my gaze.
“What?”
“Jaeger’s not dead because he wanted to bring in a corporate sponsor for the co-op and you didn’t. It’s not your fault he was in the basement. It’s not your fault the stairs were wet.”
“I know. I do. I just keep thinking if we hadn’t had the meeting today maybe he wouldn’t have gone back down to the basement.”
“Then you would have had it another day. And Jaeger could still have been down in the basement this morning. Or this afternoon, or next Tuesday.”
I leaned against the worktable to take the weight off my ankle “It was an accident, Mags. An awful, stupid accident.”
“Why are you always so sensible and logical?” she said, the beginnings of a smile pulling at her mouth.
I took another drink of my hot chocolate. “Probably because my mom and dad are masters of drama.” I set the cup down. “Right before I came here my father broke his ankle. Can you guess what he was doing?”
“Probably not taking out the garbage.”
I shook my head. “Uh uh. He was doing the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. My father. On the fire escape. In January.” I sighed. “No wonder I’m sensible. It was the only form of teenage rebellion left.”
Maggie laughed. She’d never met my family in person, but she’d heard a lot of my stories about them.
“Seriously Mags, I know you feel bad. But it’s been raining for a week. You’re tired. You’re wet and if you’re like me, there are probably some funky mold spores growing in your boots.” I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, wincing when I inadvertently touched the edge of my scraped forehead again.
“I’m sorry about Jaeger,” I said. “I really am. But it’s not your fault.” I hugged her and I could feel some of the tension seep out of her body.
“I should get these parcels packed,” Maggie said, breaking out of the hug.
“And I need to check on things at the library.” I grabbed my cup and drained the last of the cocoa. “You’re still coming for supper?”
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to disappoint Owen.”
“You’ll be the highlight of his little kitty day,” I said. “Call me if anything changes.”
Maggie was already unrolling the bubble wrap. She waved over her shoulder in my direction.
I stopped in the hall to pull out my keys and glanced through the open door to Ruby’s studio. She was on the floor, underneath one of the tall windows, her back to the door, chin propped on one hand, surrounded by books, engrossed in whatever she was reading.
It had seemed pretty obvious when Ruby told me she had something to check on her computer that what she was planning to do was stick Jaeger Merrill’s name in a search engine. I was happy to see that she’d given up on trying to figure out where she’d first seen him. It didn’t matter now, anyway.
Of course I was wrong.
On both counts.
7
I ended up having to park the truck on a side street near the library. Even though that whole block of Old Main Street was on higher ground than where the artists’ co-op was located, because of the slope of the land and drainage problems, the section of street in front of the library was still covered with water, blocked off by three town sawhorses and a large yellow caution sign, but at least the level had dropped a couple more inches.
Inside the library, the pump Oren Kenyon had installed the previous fall seemed to be easily handling what little water had seeped into the basement. I went down the steps only as far as I needed to see that the cellar was staying dry. And I held on to the railing with both hands.
The main floor of the building was eerily quiet without Abigail leading story time and Susan shelving books, her dark hair up on her head with a couple of pencils or a crochet hook stuck in the topknot, steering readers to the latest science fiction as well as her favorite classics from Ray Bradbury and John Wyndham.
I emptied the book drop, checked in the returned books and reshelved everything. Then I called Lita, Everett Henderson’s assistant.
Everett had funded the library renovations—his gift to Mayville Heights—and he was president of the library board. I knew Lita would be able to find out when the building could reopen a lot faster than I would. It seemed as though she knew every single person in Ma
yville Heights, plus she was related in one way or another to most of the town as well.
“It’s going to be another day at least, Kathleen,” Lita said. “Probably two. Right now it all depends on how much rain we get. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know.”
I thanked her and hung up. Everything in Mayville depended on how much rain we got. I rubbed my left wrist. It was a bit sore from falling down the embankment, but it didn’t have the bone-deep ache that usually meant rain.
I turned on the computer at the front desk and signed in to the system. I’d been keeping up with e-mail from my laptop at home so there wasn’t much to deal with. Then, because I was curious, I pulled up the archives for the Mayville Heights Chronicle and read the article about the disappearance of Roma’s father.
It wasn’t much of a story. Thomas Karlsson’s car had been found abandoned and out of gas. There was no sign of foul play. There were more lines in the brief article about his glory days playing high school baseball than there were about him going missing.
Since there wasn’t really anything else I needed to do at the library, I decided to walk over to Eric’s Place and get some coffee and something to eat. Breakfast had been a long time ago.
There was a black, extended cab pickup truck parked parallel to the yellow sawhorses out on the street when I came down the library steps. As I got closer to it the driver’s window rolled down and Burtis Chapman stuck his head out.
“Morning,” he said. “I’m lookin’ for Harry Junior. Don’t suppose he’s at the library?”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I haven’t seen him.”
Burtis was a big block of a man—with wide shoulders and a barrel chest. I had no idea how old he was; his face was lined and weathered and the few tufts of hair sticking out from under his Minnesota Twins cap were snow white. He was whip smart and extremely well read I knew. But he wasn’t above playing the hick from rural Minnesota if it suited his purposes.
“What happened to your head?” he asked, tipping his at mine.
Without thinking I put my hand up to my forehead and winced. When was I going to learn to not do that? “I was out at Wisteria Hill,” I said. “The bank let go underneath me.”
“Out behind the old carriage house, I’ll bet.”
I nodded. “How did you know?”
He gave a snort of laughter. “Spent some time in those woods in my younger days. Whole area’s swampy. Never did drain well. You’re lucky you didn’t break your neck.”
He reached over and started the truck. “Well, if you see Harry, tell him I’m lookin’ for him.”
“I will,” I said.
“You be careful out at the old house,” he said. “Real easy to get hurt in those woods.” He put the truck in gear, backed up and pulled away. I headed for the café.
I wondered why Burtis was looking for Harry Junior. Burtis was the kind of person who was always looking to make a deal of some kind. I’d heard hints that at one time he’d worked for Idris Blackthorne, Ruby’s grandfather who’d been the area bootlegger. He had at least half a dozen little businesses, everything from selling hardwood to renting commercial tents for weddings and parties. In another week or two Burtis would be selling fiddleheads out of the back of that truck of his.
Eric was in his usual spot behind the counter at the restaurant. The place was almost empty. Having half of the downtown blocked off couldn’t be good for his business. He picked up the coffeepot when he saw me come in and reached for a cup. I slid onto a stool and he set the mug in front of me.
“You read my mind, Eric,” I said. “Thank you.” I added cream and sugar. The coffee was hot and strong, just the way I liked it.
Eric studied my scabby forehead. “Have you been doing more rodent tossing or have you moved on to some other sport?”
I gave him a wry smile. “I was out at Wisteria Hill yesterday and the slope up behind the carriage house let go. The ground’s just so wet the water’s not draining away.”
“You’re okay?”
I nodded. “I am, thanks. I’m probably going to be one giant bruise for a while, though.”
“How about a brownie?” Eric asked. “Chocolate has medicinal qualities.”
I leaned my elbows on the counter. “Tempting. But I was thinking about a breakfast sandwich.” I looked at my watch. “Even though it’s not exactly breakfast time.”
He held up a finger. “Are you feeling adventurous?”
I smiled sweetly at him. “No.”
He gave me a bemused look and headed for the kitchen.
“What if I don’t like whatever you’re thinking about making?” I teased. There wasn’t much chance of that happening. Eric was an excellent cook.
“You will,” he said as the door swung shut behind him.
And I did. By the time I’d finished the sandwich Eric had made for me—fried tomatoes and bacon on toasted homemade sourdough bread—and had another cup of coffee I felt better. I wasn’t as damp, as sore, or as tired.
“That was good,” I said, pushing my plate away.
“I’m thinking of adding it to the menu,” Eric said. “Susan gave it a thumbs-up. Now you.”
Eric liked to tinker with the menu at the café. His wife, Susan, was always his first tester, and because she worked at the library, sometimes the rest of us were as well.
“Would you tell Susan it looks like at least another day before we reopen?” I said.
He nodded. “I will. The boys aren’t happy about the library being closed. So Abigail promised to come over and give them their own private story time.”
That sounded like Abigail, and it reminded me that I needed to call the rest of the staff and let them know we were going to be closed a little longer.
I paid Eric for my sandwich and coffee, getting a cup to go for myself and after a moment’s hesitation, one for Marcus.
I figured there would be an officer at the door to the co-op, but as I got closer I saw Marcus himself, on the sidewalk beside his vehicle.
I held up the coffee and he smiled. “This is getting to be a habit,” he said, as I reached the SUV and handed him the paper cup.
When conductor Gregor Easton had been killed, Marcus and I had had more than one cup of coffee as he tried to figure out if I was involved in the conductor’s death. And we’d shared a fair number of thermoses of coffee and hot chocolate out at Wisteria Hill while feeding the cats.
He took a long drink. “A good habit, by the way. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said.
“You didn’t come to check up on things, did you?” he asked, gesturing at the building.
“Me?” I said, giving him a look that was all wide-eyed innocence. I took a sip from my own coffee.
He let that pass with nothing more than slightly raised eyebrows. “Since you’re here, you could answer a few questions for me,” he said.
“All right.” I shifted from one foot to the other.
Marcus’s eyes flicked down to my ankle. “Did you call your doctor yet?” he asked.
“Not yet. I will,” I said.
He exhaled a lot more loudly than he needed to. It sounded like a low growl in the back of his throat. Then he said, “Tell me about finding the body.”
I didn’t mind the change of subject. I closed my eyes for a moment and pulled out the image of the basement stairs and Jaeger’s partly submerged body. “Maggie unlocked the door. She saw him first. She started down the steps. They were wet. She slipped partway down. I grabbed her.”
“Then what?”
I explained about making my way down the stairs, feeling for a pulse, leaving the basement and calling 911.
“What time did you get down here?” Marcus asked.
I glanced at my watch and calculated backward in my head. “After ten thirty,” I said. “Probably more like ten forty-five.”
He nodded, sipping his coffee. Out of the corner of my eye I could see people moving around inside the co-op store. I couldn’t tell what
they were doing.
“When did you pick up Maggie?” he said.
I gave my head a little shake and focused all my attention on Marcus again. “I didn’t. The co-op members had a meeting first thing this morning. She was already here.”
“By herself.”
He said the words so casually, looking at his cup instead of at me, but I saw the slight tightening of his jaw.
“I don’t know,” I said, keeping my own voice equally casual. “You should ask her.”
“Did you see anyone when you got here?”
I took a long drink before I answered. I could feel a lump of annoyance pressing up in my chest and I couldn’t seem to swallow it down. “No I didn’t. The only person I saw was Maggie.” I pointed to a spot on the sidewalk a few feet away. “She was standing right there.”
“She wasn’t inside?”
“No.” Why did I feel that I’d said the wrong thing? I studied his face. There were no clues in his blue eyes to what he was thinking.
He drank the last of his coffee and set the empty takeout cup on the hood of the car, his hand over the top. “Okay. Maggie was waiting out here. You went inside. Then what?”
“Actually, we stood here talking for a minute,” I said. “Maggie noticed my head.” I lifted my hand toward my forehead, but didn’t actually touch it this time. “She wanted to know what happened. I told her. Then we went inside.”
I held up a finger before he had a chance to say anything. “We went upstairs. We loaded some boxes in my truck. Maggie wanted to check the basement. We found Jaeger. I called 911. That’s it.”
“Did she say why she wanted to check the basement?” Marcus asked, frowning.
“She just wanted to take one more look before we went down to River Arts.” I couldn’t keep the defensive tone out of my voice. It was as though Marcus and I were a couple of sumo wrestlers, circling, each waiting for the other to make a move. I reminded myself that he was just doing his job. He knew Maggie. He knew she wouldn’t push Jaeger or anyone else down those basement steps.
Still, I felt I had to say it out loud. “Maggie didn’t push Jaeger Merrill down the stairs.” I put a hand to my mouth to stifle a yawn. I was tired. My head ached. My jeans were damp from being down in the co-op basement, and what I really needed was to go soak in the bathtub for a while.