That’s how I ended up behind Chief Baca’s desk with Candace and her legal pad across from me. It was the most comfortable I’d felt since all the trouble started.
She said, “You should know that Wayne Jeffrey has spilled his guts, so we know the whole convoluted story. What a sorry two Millicent and Wayne are. I mean, seniors are supposed to be sweet and gentle and wise. Not them. No way.”
“Can you fill me in? Because Millicent said a few things to me back at Birdie’s house—like how she needed money. But not much else. And here I thought she was well-off.”
“She is flat broke. About to lose her fancy house. And she and Mr. Jeffrey were far from a loving brother and sister. Mr. Jeffrey despised her lavish lifestyle and was angry that she refused to follow his advice about her finances. They were estranged and that’s why she never came here to Mercy to visit. But she was friendly with Wayne. When he told her that he’d had a blowup with Mr. Jeffrey about a loan and confided that both he and Millicent were about to be cut out of the will, the two of them concocted a plan.”
“So,” I said, “they murdered Mr. Jeffrey before he could change the will?”
Candace fiddled with the pencil in front of her, spinning it one way and then the other. “Nope, though they planned to. Thing is, Buford heard the whole argument between Wayne and Mr. Jeffrey. When the old guy immediately called up his attorney, Buford considered this an opportunity to maybe make a few bucks. He called Wayne up and asked for money and in exchange he’d give Wayne inside information concerning Mr. Jeffrey’s actions. When Buford was recruited to witness the new will, Wayne probably felt like everything was lining up just right.”
I said, “Wait a minute. Buford figured Wayne could pay him for information after he’d just ask Mr. Jeffrey for a loan? That doesn’t make sense.”
“I told you it was complicated. Let’s take this step by step. Wayne was furious once he learned about the change. Tonight he told me his idea was to kill the old man just for spite. But Millicent talked him out of it. She convinced him there might still be time to get Mr. Jeffrey to change the will back to the way it was.”
I closed my eyes. “Figures. She is such a manipulator.”
“Their original plan was to eliminate poor Clyde first and then get rid of a completely unsuspecting Theo. See, Millicent was certain she could talk Dirk into sharing how much money was involved—because Dirk was next in line once the cat and Theo were out of the way. Like you said, she’s a manipulator and knew how to get Dirk to talk. Her first task was to convince him to give her Clyde. For some dumb reason, he agreed. Wayne said Millicent planned to take a boat out and throw the cat in the ocean, but Clyde knew what was about to happen and scratched her up pretty good the minute they walked out the door. He escaped. She and Wayne figured it was fine, that Clyde was out of the picture and that’s all that mattered. Then the waiting began—for Mr. Jeffrey to go downhill. Once he was near the end, Theo would have a subway accident or become a tragic victim of a mugging gone wrong way up north in New York City. But a couple months passed and Buford got antsy. See, Wayne convinced him he’d be paid for everything he told them about Mr. Jeffrey, his will, his activities, and how soon he might succumb to the cancer. The cat was taken care of, but Theo would have to have his little accident before Mr. Jeffrey died or his ‘accident’ might draw unwanted scrutiny. So Buford was told he would have to wait for his payday until the poor man died.”
I said, “I get it now. Buford became their inside man.”
“Right. An impatient and untrustworthy inside man. In other words, their criminal conspirator.”
“Pretty foolish of Wayne and Millicent to trust a druggie.” I shifted my weight, wishing I had a cloud to sit on. “Do you have an aspirin by chance?”
“The drawer to your left. Chief Baca has a little first aid kit in there.” She stood. “Let me get you some water.” She left the room briefly and returned with a bottle.
Two aspirins and several healthy swigs of water later I said, “Okay, did Buford get antsy because he was being pressured?”
“Oh yes. Remember those drugs and the gun we found?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Seems the folks he was doing business with wanted their money from the cocaine he’d been selling for them. Trouble was, he had spent everything he’d earned and though he offered to give them back what was left of their product, they told him he’d better sell what was left for twice as much. Otherwise, he was a dead man.”
“Turned out he was a dead man anyway,” I said. “Did the drug dealers kill Buford, then?”
“Nope. Here’s where everything turned upside down for Millicent and Wayne. Buford overdosed Mr. Jeffrey, thinking it would be considered a natural death—or even a suicide. He thought Millicent and Wayne would be thrilled and pay him handsomely for getting rid of Mr. Jeffrey—and of course Buford would get the cash they owed him right away. He was wrong. They were furious, worried Mr. Jeffrey’s death would look suspicious since he still had months to live. Buford messed everything up.”
“So they killed him,” I said softly.
She nodded. “Wayne copped to that murder. Buford demanded money and said he’d implicate Wayne and Millicent for conspiracy if they didn’t come up with cash right away. Seems Buford had been smart enough to tape his conversations with Wayne about taking out Theo—but not smart enough to know he was dealing with people far more evil than he was.”
I sighed. “It all makes sense now. Or at least I understand—because killing people for money will never make sense. What’s scary is that if Buford hadn’t messed things up, they could have gotten away with murdering Theo. And it’s no wonder they were after Clyde. Bet they never planned on a cat traveling all that way to return to his true home.”
Candace smiled. “I guess Clyde helped solve this just by being so determined to get home.”
“He’s a smart boy,” I said.
Candace straightened the legal pad in front of her and poised her pencil over the paper. “Now, I’ve heard secondhand what happened at Birdie’s house, thanks to Morris and Lois, but I need to hear it from you.”
So I told her everything, including how we’d made a mistake ourselves by thinking the GPS tracker had been Emily’s doing. And what a fortuitous mistake it had been.
Thirty-two
I awoke the next morning in Kara’s guest bedroom to see strips of sunshine coming through the blinds. The rain had swept through overnight. Four cats surrounded me, but Pulitzer and Prize were nowhere in sight. They were probably happy to be hanging out with Kara. Chablis was curled up next to me. Her usual spot in the morning was on my chest, but since I couldn’t lie on my back, she was happy to accommodate me. Clyde, Tom and I had returned to Kara’s house after I gave my statement, while Kara went to the newspaper office to write her story for the Messenger. Tom checked all the doors and windows and then set the alarm system before he tucked me into bed. I could tell he was still beating himself up over the break-in at my house. Even though the bad guys were locked up, he apparently didn’t want to take any chances. He said I could find him on the couch if I needed anything.
A glass of water sat on the bedside table along with the Motrin bottle—courtesy of either Kara or Tom. I sat up carefully and took another pill. I plumped my pillow and lay back down to give the medicine time to work.
I still had questions that hadn’t been completely answered last night. I understood that Millicent probably manipulated Dirk into letting her keep Clyde. But why didn’t he know just how awful his mother was? I mean, he’d grown up with her, lived with her for years. When I’d taken Clyde from his arms last night, he’d seemed so devastated by what had happened, I understood it was not the time to question his decisions concerning her.
Maybe I could talk to him soon, but I wanted to get out of this bed and check on Theo. I was concerned about Birdie, too, worried about how she’d fared after getting so physical taking Millicent down. Was she as achy as I felt?
I moved Chablis out of t
he way and eased out of bed. The information we got last night about Theo was that he had been in shock by the time he’d arrived at the county hospital. The good news was they’d stabilized him quickly and he then went to surgery to have the bullet removed.
After a long shower that did wonders for my back, I made my way to the kitchen.
Kara sat at the breakfast bar with her coffee and smiled at me. “Tom went home to shower and change. Cats are fed and now they’re frisky.”
As if on cue, Syrah raced out of the mudroom and tore by me, with Clyde on his heels. Merlot followed at a much more leisurely pace. Meanwhile, Pulitzer and Prize wrestled on the living room floor. Chablis was the only one who was by no means frisky. She was sunning herself in the bay window overlooking Kara’s huge backyard.
“Where will you be most comfortable sitting?” Kara had slid off the stool and was headed for the coffeepot.
“That’s a good question. How about nowhere? I’ll stand around for the next week or so.”
“Coffee?” But she was already pouring me a cup.
I leaned on the counter and watched her fix it just how I liked it. She put the mug in front of me and lifted a copy of today’s Mercy Messenger. The headline read TWO WOMEN DISARM ASSAILANT.
“You went with that?” I laughed. “Good thing it’s all written down for me to read later because this morning, how it all happened is pretty fuzzy. I only know I never want to cross Birdie. That lady is fierce.”
“I checked on her and Theo—I know a friend who works at the hospital. No details because of confidentiality issues, but apparently Theo is doing fine. He’s not even in ICU.”
“That’s great news. What a bad day for that poor man yesterday. First he finds out who his father is and that he will never get to meet him. Then the aunt he never knew about nearly kills him. Did you hear anything about Birdie? Did she stay with Theo last night?”
“They have recliners for relatives to spend the night and my friend tells me she never considered leaving his side. Maybe we can convince her she needs to get better rest than what a hospital recliner provides. Theo will be home soon and he’ll need his mom. Bet she’ll be a wonderful nurse to him.”
“Can we head over to the hospital today? You’ve got your big story written and—oh, that reminds me. Will Emily get her big story?”
Kara smiled. “Read the byline.”
Emily Nguyen had her name in print, sharing the byline with Kara.
She went on. “She came over to the newspaper office after she left the police station. She apologized, felt she was responsible for causing all sorts of trouble for you and me and I guess the entire world. I offered her a chance to prove she could be more responsible. We wrote the piece together and it’s already been picked up by the AP. She now has her toe in the door. But, I have to say, I sure will be happy to see her pursue her dream elsewhere.”
I laughed. “Me, too.”
“Breakfast? You know I’m still learning how to really use this kitchen, but I can scramble eggs and toast bread.”
I rubbed my tummy. “The Motrin seems to have upset my stomach. Maybe toast—and though I’d love this coffee, I’d better wait until my tummy settles down.”
We spent the rest of the morning playing with the cats and talking about what had been put on the back burner for the last week—my engagement. I told Kara that Tom would be selling his house and moving into mine with Finn. But though she pressed me, I couldn’t give her a timeline. Tom and I still hadn’t told his family we were getting married.
Around noon, Tom showed up with Dirk in tow.
What was this about? I wondered.
They refused the coffee Kara offered and took her up on her offer to sit in the living room. Before I had an answer to why Dirk was with Tom, my fiancé had a question for me—probably because I was still standing.
“When’s your doctor’s appointment, Jilly?”
“I didn’t make one. I feel a lot better today. I probably bruised my tailbone and it will just take time to heal.” I may not have felt a lot better, but I did believe what I said about the tailbone.
“But if it’s not better in a couple days, promise me you’ll make that appointment?”
“Deal.” I eased down into the wing chair by the fireplace.
“Did you get injured in the fight with my mother last night?” Dirk asked.
“No, I took a spill. Don’t worry about it.”
“But she held you at gunpoint. She shot Theo Roberts. She helped murder my uncle Norm.” He looked so upset—just as he had last night—but it was Clyde to the rescue again. He sauntered into the living room from wherever he’d been napping and immediately rubbed up against Dirk’s black khakis, leaving a generous amount of orange tabby hair behind.
Dirk almost smiled and scratched Clyde between his ears. “I want to visit Theo. He needs an explanation. You have a bond with his mother, and I was hoping you’d go with me and convince her to let me talk to him.”
“Today?” I said. “Can it wait?”
“The funeral for his father is tomorrow. I want to speak with him about my uncle Norm before he’s laid to rest. The terms of the will tell everyone just how much Theo meant to him—and how much he trusted him since that’s where he wants Clyde to live. He should hear that as soon as possible—and from a member of his family. I just wish my uncle had told me about Theo before he died. I never saw the will until I read it along with Deputy Carson and Tom.”
“I have a question that’s been bothering me, Dirk,” I said. “Your uncle didn’t care for your mother—something you probably knew all along. Why did you let her take Clyde when Mr. Jeffrey wanted you to care for the cat?”
“Just stupid, I guess. I know my mother’s faults. But did I know she’d do something criminal? Did I believe she’d harm Clyde? Maybe I was deluded, but I figured she was being kind when she said Clyde shouldn’t spend his days alone while I was at work. She said she could take care of him and I believed her. Obviously, I was wrong—wrong about everything.” He hung his head momentarily and then looked up at me again. “I’ll be candid. I owe you that much. My mother has lied and connived from as far back as I can remember. I never gave up the hope that she’d change—until now.”
He stared down again, but not before I saw his eyes glisten with tears. No matter how terrible a person a mother is, the children always want to believe in her. I totally understood where he was coming from.
“Your mother was in deep financial trouble,” Tom said. “Her bank and credit card statements came through yesterday. Deputy Carson and I were ready to bring her back in and question her further—but that’s when all hell broke loose in Mercy.”
“I didn’t know, but I’m not surprised,” Dirk said. “Her spending was out of control. But back to Theo and his mother. It might make their situation a little easier if they knew my uncle wanted them to be taken care of for the rest of their lives.”
Tom pulled a business-size white envelope from his shirt pocket. “We found this in the safe-deposit box. It’s addressed to Birdie. We’d like to give it to her.”
Kara said, “You sure you’re up for a hospital visit, Jillian?”
“Absolutely, especially now that I understand why we need to go today. But only if I can talk to Birdie in private first and make certain she wants to talk to Dirk.”
He nodded. “I’m fine with that.”
“I don’t want Birdie to think I’ll be listening in, ready to report on her private affairs,” Kara said. “I’ll stay here and play with the cats.”
A trip to the hospital felt like the right thing to do. Now, to find a pillow that would make the thirty-minute drive bearable.
As it turned out, Kara had a wonderful memory foam pillow that became my new best friend on the trip. I was sure it would be my constant companion in the days ahead.
Theo’s room was on the fourth floor. As I requested, Tom and Dirk stayed in a waiting area by the elevators while I went down the hallway and found Birdie
sitting by her son’s bed. I guess I’d expected to see Theo with tubes everywhere, maybe a unit of blood hanging from a pole by his bed, but it was nothing like that.
His eyes, clouded by pain and shock last night, had returned to their sparkling green-gold color. An IV still gave him fluids and his shoulder was bandaged with his arm secured against his chest, but that was it.
“My hero has arrived.” He reached out with his free hand and patted his mother’s arm. “My other hero, I should say.”
Birdie rose and though she was obviously tired, she had less fatigue in her step than I’d anticipated. She gave me a monstrous hug and kissed my cheek. “Nope, Theo. It’s all this lady right here. She’s the one who saved your life.”
He gave me a warm smile.
“Come on and sit with us a spell,” Birdie said. “They got a little kitchen across the hall with juice and soft drinks. Can I get you anything?”
“Nothing for me. I do have a request, though.”
“Anything, Miss Jillian.”
“Dirk Boatman wants to meet Theo, and my friend Tom has something to give you, Birdie.”
I couldn’t read her face, but she didn’t respond.
Theo said, “I’d like to meet Dirk. From what Deputy Carson told me when she came by this morning, he had no knowledge of what his mother and his uncle were up to aside from allowing his mother to take Clyde without Mr. Jeffrey—I mean, my father, knowing.”
“That’s true.” I glanced at Birdie and could tell she wasn’t as forgiving. “Birdie, Dirk’s devastated by what happened. He couldn’t fathom that his mother would end up behaving so heinously.”
“You’re saying the man is feeling what his mother isn’t capable of? She’s one reason I never did marry Norman. She and Ida Lynn talked so mean all the time. I never wanted my child raised anywhere near such poison.”
“My mother needs this meeting as much as I do,” Theo said. “I welcome his visit.”
Birdie nodded at me. “Okay. Go on and fetch them. My son needs to know he has kin who have good intentions.”
The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim: A Cats in Trouble Mystery Page 24