Frankencat

by Kathi Daley

  “Have a seat at the table. You can just shove the crayons aside.”

  Tara gathered up the discarded coloring sticks while I stacked the coloring books into a pile. We set everything on one end of the table and then sat down at the other.

  “First, I want to say how very sorry I am about Paula,” Alice said as she set large glasses of iced tea in front of us. “I was so upset when I heard. Who would do such a horrible thing?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” I answered. “We’re speaking to everyone who was at book club last night so we can put together a map of sorts.”

  “Of course. It makes sense to figure out who was with whom and who might have seen the killer enter the hallway. How can I help?”

  I rested my arms on the table and made eye contact with Alice before asking my first question. “Do you remember what you did and who you saw or talked to after we decided to take that break?”

  Alice took a minute to consider. “I had to use the ladies’ room, so I headed there first. There was already someone inside and Barbara was in line, so I got behind her. Stephanie got behind me and we talked about the book for a minute.”

  “Do you remember seeing Paula?”

  “Yes. She was going into your office just as I was coming out of the ladies’ room. She was alone and seemed to have something on her mind. I didn’t speak to her. After I went back to the group I spoke with Martha and Barbara until the lights went out and everyone began to panic.”

  I sat forward slightly. “You said Stephanie was in line behind you. Was anyone else in line by the time you came out of the ladies’ room?”

  “I didn’t see anyone. I do kind of remember Rachael heading in that direction after I went back into the main room. It was such an odd sort of evening. We’d been discussing a spooky book and Tara had done such a good job with the decorations that the room had a spooky feel. And there was all that thunder and lightning and the wind was about as bad as I’ve ever seen it. I remember thinking there was a feeling of electricity in the room, almost as if my senses were buzzing. When the lights went out I began to panic. It was a good thing Martha was nearby to steady me.”

  “Can you think of anything that occurred last night that could be relevant? Was someone acting odd or did any of the women in the building seem to be bickering?”

  Alice shook her head. “No. Everyone seemed perfectly normal. I guess maybe it was a little odd that Gwen joined our group when the lights went out instead of making sure Sarah was okay. The two sisters seem to be so close, more like good friends.”

  “Do you know where Sarah was?” Tara asked.

  “I didn’t see her. Of course, it was dark and everyone was scared. When we all huddled together Barbara started praying so loud it hurt my ears. Looking back, I suppose we all should have been praying. It was a pretty serious situation, being out there on the wharf, with the waves crashing against the pilings while the wind blew so hard it felt like the building was going to blow down, and the lightning was right on top of our heads. I don’t know if I’ve ever been that scared.”

  “Do you remember if you saw Giselle at any point after we called for the break?” I asked.

  Alice thought about it, then shook her head. “I don’t specifically remember seeing her. I’m sure she must have been there, though. We all were.”

  “Except for Paula.”

  “Yeah, I guess it is odd that I didn’t realize she wasn’t with us.”

  “It was a confusing and rather nerve-racking time,” Tara comforted her. “Everyone we’ve spoken to so far has mentioned the fact that they hadn’t realized Paula was missing and only specifically remembered seeing a few others they could identify.”

  Alice bent and unbent the corner of a napkin in what looked to be a nervous gesture. “I guess that makes me feel better, but I still feel bad I didn’t notice Paula’s absence. Maybe we could have helped her if we’d realized she wasn’t with us.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” I agreed. “Do you know if Paula had a problem or argument with anyone in the group?”

  Alice shook her head. “Not that she or anyone else ever mentioned to me. We weren’t close friends and only spoke during the book discussions. She seemed like she got along all right with the others as far as I could tell.”

  “Did Paula ever mention anyone named Amber to you?”

  Alice frowned. “I don’t think so. Is someone named Amber involved in this?”

  “We aren’t sure. It’s just a name that came up.”

  We spoke to Alice for a while longer, then headed out to Tara’s car. She had a date to have dinner with Parker and Amy that evening and was going to drop me off, then go home to get ready. I had choir practice and then planned to head home to get a good night’s rest. I missed Cody when he was away, but I was especially feeling his absence with a murder mystery to solve and a choir to lead by myself.

  “I think we can eliminate Martha, Alice, Jane, and Barbara from our suspect list,” I said as Tara drove. “They all seemed to have been with someone who had since corroborated that fact.”

  “I agree, except for Jane. She said she chatted with Gwen, so I’d like to speak to her before we eliminate her from the list.”

  “I might stop by to speak to Gwen after choir practice. She’s in class during the day, so it would be easier to catch her in the evening.”

  “If you want to do that we’ll try to track down Sarah, Rachael, and Stephanie tomorrow. We might want to speak to Joy as well. Maybe by this time tomorrow we’ll have things figured out.”

  I really hoped so, though my gut told me it wasn’t going to be that easy.

  Chapter 8

  When I arrived home Cassie called and asked me if I wanted to grab some dinner with her. I loved my little sister and was happy to spend time with her, but she’s a senior in high school with a slew of friends of her own, so I wondered why she wanted to spend time with me. Until recently, she hadn’t given me the time of day unless she needed me to run interference with our mom, but we’d bonded over the summer, when a girl her age had come to Madrona Island to visit Cody and the four of us had gotten mixed up in a complicated murder investigation.

  I did have choir practice and I wanted to meet with Gwen, who’d said she could meet whenever, so I figured I’d see her before choir and then arrange to meet Cassie afterward. It would be a late dinner, but Cassie didn’t seem to mind.

  Gwen was a fifty-three-year-old widow who taught math at the high school and lived just down the street from her sister Sarah, also a widow. She was waiting for me when I arrived. She showed me in and offered me a beverage, which I declined. I explained that I had to get to choir practice and didn’t have a lot of time. I also mentioned I planned to have dinner with Cassie after choir and Gwen expressed her opinion that my sister had blossomed this year after almost flunking out of math as a sophomore. She wondered if Cassie had finally begun to grow into the woman we all knew she was capable of becoming.

  “Cassie seemed to turn a corner when our family home burned down and our mother and I almost died in the blaze,” I explained. “I think she realized life is fragile and doesn’t come with any sort of guarantee. It was as if she matured overnight. She’s doing well in school now, helping out at the church, getting along with Mom, and generally has become a pleasant person to be around.”

  “I’m so very happy to hear that.”

  “The main reason I’m here,” I went on, “is to ask you about your memory of what occurred last night before everyone left.”

  “I’m happy to help if I can. I can’t believe poor Paula is dead. It seems almost surreal when I consider that she was murdered while we were all in the next room and no one says they heard anything. If someone attacked me in the dark I’d be screaming like a banshee.”

  “The storeroom is somewhat removed from the room where the group meets and there was a lot of noise from the wind and thunder, but I agree, it does seem someone should have heard something.”

  “I
suppose she could have frozen when she realized someone was in the room with her. I spoke to Jane, who told me the whole thing happened at about the time the lights went out.”

  I nodded. “Yes, it was about then. When we decided to take the break Paula asked to use the phone in the office. That’s the last anyone seems to have seen of her. Do you remember seeing her at all after that point?”

  “No, I’m afraid I didn’t see a thing.”

  “Can you tell me exactly what you did and who you spoke to after we broke?”

  Gwen adjusted her position before she began speaking. She appeared to be uncomfortable. Not that I blamed her; this was an uncomfortable situation. “After the break was called I spoke to Sarah for a while. We saw Paula walk by, and she told me she wanted to ask Paula a question about the accounting firm she works for. I saw Jane coming from the ladies’ room and I chatted with her until the lights went out and we all gathered in the cat lounge.”

  “Okay; who do you remember seeing in the cat lounge?”

  “I remember Alice, Barbara, Jane, and Martha being there. I know there were others, but it was dark and we were all crammed in together.”

  “Do you specifically remember seeing Sarah?”

  “Not at first. She did mention needing to use the ladies’ room too, so she may have stopped off there after speaking to Paula. I did see Sarah later, after things began to calm down a bit.”

  “Do you know what Sarah wanted to speak to Paula about?” I asked.

  “Not specifically,” Gwen answered. “You know Sarah works for an accounting firm in Harthaven, and Paula had been subbing for an accounting firm in Pelican Bay. It seemed to me there was a customer who was transferring between one firm and the other. I’m not sure which firm he was leaving and which he was changing to, but it seemed there was a question or issue Sarah thought Paula could help her with.”

  “I know Paula’s husband is an accountant. Was that the firm Paula was subbing for?”

  “No. It was a different one. Henry works for Calvin and Coleman. Paula was subbing for a small company, with only one accountant.”

  It sounded as if Gwen had an alibi but Sarah, not so much. I really hoped she wouldn’t end up being the killer. I stayed on for a few minutes with Gwen, but she didn’t seem to know much more, so I asked her about Amber before I left.

  “No,” Gwen shook her head, “I don’t remember Paula mentioning an Amber. There are several Ambers at the high school, but I can’t imagine she was involved with any of them. Could it be someone she knew before moving to the island?”

  “Probably,” I answered. “I’m not sure if the name is relevant, but it seemed it might be a clue, so I’m asking everyone about it. If you think of something that might help us figure out who killed Paula, please give me a call.”

  “I will, dear. And have fun dining with your sister.”

  I headed to church and choir practice. I was alone tonight without so much as a pianist, so I asked Sister Mary if she’d be willing to help. She was happy to. When rehearsal was over and the kids had all left I took the opportunity to ask her about her meetings with Tara.

  “I’m happy she feels comfortable enough to ask me the things she has on her mind,” Sister Mary said. “I’ve had a lot of years to reconcile the fact that I was born Maryellen Thornton, into a wealthy but cold family, and that I lived for more than a decade as Jane Farmington, wife of Jim Farmington, the man who killed my parents and kidnapped and raped me. I’ve made peace with the fact that I gave my baby daughter away to protect her and fled to a convent, where I became Sister Mary. It hasn’t always been easy to keep the various phases of my life compartmentalized but somehow, with God’s help, I’ve done it. Poor Tara hasn’t had time to process everything. She doesn’t even seem to know what it is she wants and needs to understand. I think in the beginning acceptance of the situation was easier than it is now. I’m not sure how much our talks are helping, but I do what I can. All I want for her—all I’ve ever wanted for her—was to be happy and have a normal life.”

  I put my hand on Sister Mary’s. “I know that and I think she does as well. My take on things is that her emotional distress has more to do with the fact that her father was a monster than anything else. I know she loves you. She loved you before she knew you were her mother. And I know she respects that you’ve been able to move on with your life, leaving all the ugliness behind. I have a feeling she’ll be okay in the long run. She has a wonderful support system and a woman she admires to help her along the way.”

  Sister Mary’s eyes were filled with concern. “I hope you’re right.”

  “I’ve known Tara my whole life. She’s strong and she’s a fighter. She’ll figure things out.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m meeting Cassie for dinner. Thanks for helping with choir practice. I really appreciate it.”

  “Of course, dear. Thank you for all you do for the church and the families who attend.”

  I arrived at Antonio’s to find Cassie already there at a table. She was sipping a soda and I ordered myself a glass of wine. We both chose spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and once our order was placed, I asked how she’d been and what she’d been up to.

  “I’ve been good. I’m doing better in school and have even decided to go to college, which is what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “That’s wonderful.” I grinned. “But if you want to know about colleges you should talk to Siobhan. She’s your only sibling who went.”

  “I don’t need advice about colleges, at least not yet. What I wanted to talk about is Mom.”

  “Mom?”

  “If I go away to college she’ll be alone. That worries me.”

  I took a minute to consider that. “You are the last child left at home, but Mom has four other children living on the island. It’s not like she’ll be alone.”

  “I know that, but now that Aiden has his own place, if I go away to school she’ll be living alone. When I mentioned college to her she hugged me and said she was proud of me, but I could see that she was sad. She’s never lived alone before.”

  Cassie had a point. Mom probably would be sad when Cassie went away to school, but things had changed in the past year. She no longer lived in the huge Hart home where we all grew up, and she had Gabe, a man she’d met recently but had been dating steadily.

  “I think it’s awesome that you’re concerned about Mom, but I think she’ll be fine. It seems like her relationship with Gabe is progressing. I’m willing to bet she most likely won’t be living alone for long.”

  “You really think they’ll get married?” Cassie asked.

  “I don’t know for sure, but it seems like that’s the direction they’re headed. I realize Gabe needs to be sensitive to his daughter’s feelings now that he’s moved on after the death of his wife, but Mom has told me she’s prepared to wait. But I do think they’re working toward something permanent. Why don’t you talk to her about your concerns if you’re feeling uncertain?”

  Cassie didn’t answer, and I could see she was unsure about doing that.

  “So, what are you thinking of majoring in?” I asked after a moment.

  “You’re never going to believe it, but I’m thinking of mathematics. I know it wasn’t all that long ago that I was flunking out and insisted math was dumb and I’d never be able to figure it out, but once I started to understand how things fit together I realized it was kind of cool. I spoke to Ms. Peterman and she told me some of the professions you can go into with a degree in mathematics. I had no idea there were so many.”

  I placed my hand over Cassie’s. “That’s really wonderful. I’m happy you found something you’re passionate about. I know Mom will be happy as well. Talk to her. Tell her how you’re feeling. I imagine it might take some time for her to get used to the idea, but in the end I’m sure she’ll be thrilled with your decision. And she does have the rest of us to rely on. I’ll make more of an effort to spend time with her once you’re gone and I know Siobhan will as we
ll. And you’ll be home for holidays and summer break.”

  “That’s true. I guess I feel better. Thanks, Cait.”

  We paused the conversation as our salads and garlic bread arrived. Once we’d begun eating our entrées I brought up Cassie’s new friend who’d visited over the summer. I knew they kept in touch via email.

  “Have you heard from Alyson?”

  “Yeah. We chat every week. She’s doing great and is loving being a senior as much as I am. She told me that she’s involved in a haunted house thing this weekend with her friends. It sounded totally cool. I wish I could have gone for a visit, but I had too much homework to get caught up on.”

  “I hear the haunted house on the island is going to be scary this year. Maybe you and some of your friends can try it.”

  “I’m going on Friday night with this guy I’ve been seeing. His name is Jeremy and he’s really nice. Mom even likes him.”

  “I didn’t know you had a new boyfriend. I’d like to meet him.”

  “Maybe we can meet up at some point over the weekend. Jeremy’s into math like I am, although he’s into applied math. I think he wants to be an engineer, whereas I love the theoretical stuff.” Cassie, who was looking toward the door, waved at someone. “Oh look; Danny’s here.”

  The younger of my two brothers walked over and kissed Cassie on the cheek. “Hey, stranger,” he greeted her. “I haven’t seen you in a month.”

  “Been busy. Do you want to join us?”

  “Thanks, but I’m meeting someone. I’ll catch you both later.”

  I watched Cassie, whose eyes were on Danny as he walked away. She turned and looked at me. “Isn’t he still dating that girl he introduced us to a few months ago? It seemed like they were serious.”

  A woman I’d never met walked in and kissed Danny on the lips. “Apparently not.”

  “Why is it the men in our family can’t seem to settle down? Aiden has never had a really serious relationship and he’s thirty-five, and Danny seems to have a new relationship every time I see him. Siobhan is married and you have Cody. I’m only seventeen, but I’ve had longer-term relationships than either of our brothers.”