Murder by Kindness

by Barbara Graham

  “I couldn’t believe he was standing there waiting for us as we got back to the school. I barely parked the school’s van when he and Wade came up and opened the door for me. I was afraid something had happened to you.”

  Theo gave her a hug. “I’m sorry about all of this.”

  “My father never liked him,” Nina whispered.

  Theo hadn’t liked him either. But she didn’t say so. “Why?” Theo dropped the one-word question she never asked directly before. It was both a question about her father’s attitude and Nina’s own decision. There was often no apparent reason that two people married, surprising family members on both sides.

  Nina stared unseeingly at the hole. “He was handsome, and he had a devil’s smile, but he was well mannered.” She shrugged. “By the time I realized what I had gotten myself for life, we were married and I was pregnant.”

  “And you thought he’d change?”

  “Yes.” Nina sighed deeply. “I believed that fantasy for years.”

  “What will you tell the kids?” Theo could imagine very little more difficult than Nina having to tell her children about their father’s death.

  “The truth. We don’t know what happened. Or why.” Nina began to shiver. Now the shivers were getting worse. Nina didn’t protest when Theo took a lap quilt from the sofa and wrapped it around her shoulders. Theo pushed Nina toward the door. “Let’s go inside and get some overnight bags packed.”

  “Why was he down in there? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “You know you can’t stay here.” Theo had arranged for a reservation at the Riverview motel for Nina and her family. Theo looked up to see the children on the stairs. “You kiddos ought to go up and pack some clothes and stuff.”

  “Wait.” Pale and shaking, Nina kept moving her head from side to side, but her eyes were trained on her children. “I have to give you some bad news. Some really bad news. About your dad.”

  Theo watched as Nina gathered her children together until the three of them formed a small knot wrapped together in one small quilt. They stood together for a long time whispering to each other. Theo left them to themselves and, without a plan, returned to the front window, the one overlooking the boxlike shelter. The porch light reflected from the yellow crime-scene tape. It had become dark outside, and the box had disappeared.

  Echoing her thoughts, Nina’s voice came from just behind her. “You remember how we always called it ‘The Box.’” Nina took Theo’s arm like a blind woman might.

  “Yes.” Theo smiled at the memory. “Your dad told wonderful stories about it, but they never contained any of the same facts.”

  Theo remembered some of the stories about The Box told to them as children. At that time, Nina’s grandparents, Sib and Freddie Ledbetter, still lived in this spot, in a ramshackle frame house that had a major sag in the roof. The sag had made an impression on Theo. She was always a little afraid the whole building would collapse inward while they were visiting. The Ledbetters were friends of Theo’s grandparents, and Nina and her parents lived in a still smaller, even more ancient house, not far away on the same piece of poor land.

  The story most often told was of a high-ranking officer of the Confederacy who hid on the property during “the War of Northern Aggression.” He had paid handsomely for his makeshift chamber. Confederate money. Worth little in the old days, especially in this area that contained mostly union sympathies, the present family had hoped the bills could be sold to collectors. Ruined by the damp and mildew, they had received a pittance.

  Other stories, for Nina’s grandfather was a grand teller of tales, suggested the soldier had brought gold. A few stories implied that the old officer had joined the family and was related to Nina. Others insisted no officer had ever existed at all. Coins? No coins. Jewels? No jewels. The truth would most likely never be known.

  When the old house was dismantled and the newer one constructed, there had been no sign of money in paper or coin, jewels, or even a brass belt buckle.

  THE GIFT QUILT—MYSTERY QUILT THE SECOND BODY OF CLUES

  Begin with the 48 squares 3-7/8″ of fabrics (A) and fabric (B).

  Mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the lighter of the two fabrics.

  Sew a line, a scant 1/4″ from both sides of the line. Cut on the line. Open and press to darker fabric, making 96 half-square triangle blocks. Trim off “ears.” If needed, trim to 3-1/2″.

  Divide the squares into two stacks of 48 block units (A+B), placing corner of fabric (A) on the far right. To the right of one of these stacks, place 48 squares 3-1/2″ of fabric (B). Being careful not to rotate the half-square triangle, flip a square of (B) right side down onto triangle block and sew together with 1/4″ seam along the right edge. Make 48. Press to solid square (B).

  Repeat the process using the remaining 48 half-square triangle units (A+B) and the 48 squares of fabric (C). Press to square (C).

  Place the (A+B) segments with square of (B) on the right edge. Rotate the (A+C) segments and stack above the (A+B) segments. The center points of triangle (A)’s should touch each other and form a butterfly. Sew all. Press to (A) + (B) + (C)’s. Block should measure 6 1/2″ square. Make 48.

  Set aside.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Tony’s morning activity of reading through some of his endless paperwork was interrupted by a call from Mayor Cashdollar, not requesting but actually commanding him to hotfoot it over to the funeral home. And the mayor insisted Tony should bring at least one deputy with him. No other details were given, and the call had been disconnected before Tony could ask for an explanation. The funeral home was only a few blocks away from his office and he was sure anything was better than reading the detailed reports from the jail staff.

  Daniel Crisp’s autopsy had not yet been completed so at least Tony didn’t have to read that cheerful document. Yet. He had delivered the unpleasant news of Daniel’s death, not only to Nina, but to the man’s parents, and his new wife, Nancy. The elder Crisps were devastated by the death and blindsided by the mention of Daniel’s new wife. Surprised the parents knew nothing of the marriage, Tony managed to stifle any comment.

  Now Tony stood in the funeral home office, the workplace of Mayor Calvin Cashdollar, and if Tony concentrated, he could hear, coming from the chapel, the sound of someone playing the piano. The sound was faint and he tried to focus on the music and block out the sounds around him. The pianist was not just banging out the notes of a hymn, practicing for a service, but played beautifully, the sound rippling through the building. The sheer beauty of it distracted him momentarily. He wondered who the musician was.

  In this small room, three female voices and one male were speaking at once. Tony wanted to silence all of the voices screeching around him so he could hear the music. It was as good an excuse for begging for silence as he could produce in the circumstances. The urge to stuff old dirty socks into the four voices plaguing him was powerful. Luckily, or maybe not, he had no supply of used socks except for the ones on his feet. He finally couldn’t take it any longer. “Quiet!” He spoke more loudly than he intended.

  The chatter around him ceased. Into the silence, the heavenly music swept through the room. No one but him seemed to notice it. Maybe his wishful thinking produced audible hallucinations.

  “Why are we here?” Tony looked at Calvin for an explanation since he was the one who had demanded Tony come. Wade stood silent at his back. Although they were not partners, whenever Tony went out on a call, Wade was often the deputy to accompany him.

  “Um, well, um.” Calvin swallowed hard. “I thought you might need to meet the wives. That is, Daniel Crisp’s wives.”

  “Wade and I have met his wife.” Tony saw the blond standing near two other young women. He nodded in her direction. “Nancy.”

  Calvin turned back to Tony. His blue eyes flickered nervously. His lanky frame trembled and his huge hands flapped as he whispered, “You don’t understand. She’s only one of the wives.”

  “Wiv
es?” Tony listened to the word bounce around in his brain. The piano music continued but was suddenly upstaged. His full attention now turned to the three women. The two women facing Nancy were totally unfamiliar. Without names, he mentally categorized the women as Small, Medium and Blondie. “Did I understand that all of you claim to be married to Daniel?”

  “Claim?” The smallest of the three women spoke. Her voice was barely audible. “I don’t know these other women. I’m his wife, Nannette.” Her brown eyes filled with tears.

  “No. I am.” Three words spoken in unison by the two other women. They each took a step toward the small woman, fingers tensed into talons.

  “Oh, no, no, no.” Tony and Wade inserted themselves into the situation. “No fighting, ladies.” Tony assigned each of the women a chair to sit on. No one was within arm’s reach of another. He wanted to turn the chairs to face away from each other but there wasn’t enough space. “Sit. Stay.”

  Once the women were seated, Tony spoke softly to Calvin. “Could you fill me in? What is going on?”

  Calvin’s eyes were wide, exposing the white surrounding the blue irises. He didn’t blink. His Adam’s apple moved up and down as he gulped air. “The last of them showed up about ten minutes ago. I don’t know where they came from or how they got here.”

  “Do you have Daniel’s body?” Tony couldn’t believe the pathologist in Knoxville would release the man’s remains to a funeral home without first notifying his own office of the results of the autopsy.

  “No. It’s still in Knoxville.” Calvin finally blinked and turned to Tony. “The curvy blond woman showed up first. She dropped by yesterday after you broke the news to her. I explained the process and the fact that we cannot make any plans until the body is released. She told me that since she’s the widow, she wants his remains cremated as soon as possible. She bought one of my finest urns. Paid cash.”

  The music stopped.

  While the words were spoken softly, the message carried in the silence. Small wife shot to her feet, glanced at the frown on Tony’s face, and sat again. “As his wife . . .” Nannette yelled the last word. Her voice was surprisingly deep for such a small woman. “I want him embalmed, placed in a nice casket and I want to take him home to bury him in our home-town cemetery.”

  “Don’t be so quick to steal my husband’s body,” the third voice joined in. Medium wife, a dishwater blond with enormous gray eyes, pounded on the lamp table next to her. The lamp wobbled and threatened to fall. She ignored it and the quick action taken by Calvin to protect his property. “No one even bothered to call and tell me of his passing. What kind of people don’t notify the next of kin?” Her glare was aimed directly at Tony. “I had to read it on the internet.”

  The blond twisted around, trying to see the other women. “As his wife,” she snarled, “I have the right to have him buried wherever I want to or have him dipped, battered and fried if I damn well please.”

  The commotion following that inflammatory statement must have been heard in space.

  Tony felt like Calvin looked. He hoped not to be caught in the crossfire.

  Wade whispered just loud enough for Tony to hear, “As much as I love Grace, I cannot begin to imagine juggling three wives like baseballs.”

  “It looks more like juggling chainsaws.” Tony thought his mouth might have fallen open during the revelation. “Who do you suppose is legally the widow?”

  “I think it’s the one he married first, unless they’re divorced. Can you get divorced without the other person signing something?” Wade coughed before whispering, “He isn’t still married to Nina, is he?”

  “No, no.” Tony was certain of the end of that marriage. Nina had shown him and Theo the final divorce papers. In fact, she had thrown an impromptu party with champagne and chocolate cake. But if Daniel had married any of these women before the divorce was final, it could change everything about her legal status.

  Hearing movement in the hallway, Tony looked up. He held his breath, hoping another wife wasn’t headed their way. The office door had been left open to accommodate the number of people inside. An older couple slowly approached the doorway. Tony recognized Daniel’s parents and thought he should somehow warn them of the current discussion but didn’t find a way before Calvin stepped forward. Whatever disagreements Tony had with the mayor from time to time, the man was good with people. Especially grief-stricken people.

  Calvin managed to intercept the couple. Tony heard Calvin’s diplomatic statement about the wife being in the room without giving any indication of which woman he referred to.

  “Isn’t Nina here?” the deceased’s mother asked. Her eyes searched the crowded room. She looked lost and bewildered. “Nina should be here.”

  “Now, now, dear.” Her husband patted her hand, with the one of his not already clutched in hers. “Nina’s not married to our Daniel any longer. There’s no reason for her to be part of the funeral planning.”

  “I want her and the children to sit with us at the service. He was my baby and I loved him.” Mrs. Crisp wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Still, as much as I hate to say it, she was better than he deserved.”

  Tony wondered what Mrs. Crisp might think about this new set of wives. He was not about to introduce them. It was not his job.

  Calvin suggested the couple return home until the body was released and then arrangements could be made. He mumbled something about needing to clear up a few things for some other people.

  Tony was relieved when the couple followed Calvin’s excellent advice and turned to leave. He wished he could leave, too. Pulling out his notebook and pen, he turned toward the still seated wives. This was not his first case of dealing with extra spouses. “I do need to ask each of you a few questions.”

  Medium wife frowned. “Can’t we do this another time?” Her gray eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears.

  As much as Tony would have enjoyed just letting them scatter, he couldn’t imagine a group more likely to have a vengeful wife among them. “Please, humor me. It will take less time for all of us in the long run. We can certainly begin with you.”

  Small wife and Blondie crossed their arms over their chests and glared at him. If he wasn’t bald, their expressions might have lit his hair on fire. He stepped away but didn’t turn his back on them.

  He moved closer to Medium wife. Wade stood next to him. “What is your full name and where do you live?”

  Medium’s voice was subdued. “Nora Douglas. I kept my maiden name.” She wiped her eyes on a tissue. “We live in Cleveland.”

  “Ohio?”

  “Tennessee.”

  That put her home southwest of them. “When did you marry Daniel?”

  “Three and a half years ago.”

  Tony didn’t say anything but he knew Nina’s divorce hadn’t become final until two years prior. His fingers tightened on his pen and he wrote down her answers. “How did you meet?”

  “I happened to be visiting my folks, and he was selling them a television dish.”

  “Any children?” Tony had to ask.

  “A boy, Daniel, Jr.” Her smile made her look younger than she had. “He’s two.”

  “Thank you.”

  Tony sent her back to her seat and signaled for Small to join them. Clearly reluctant to cooperate, she finally came forward, but the first time he asked for her name and home town, she simply stared at him and Wade. “I can stand here as long as it takes,” Tony said and asked again.

  She exhaled sharply. “My name is Nannette Crisp, and I live in Dalton, Georgia.”

  “When did you two marry?”

  Nannette’s head moved from side to side like she was listening to music from a game show. After about thirty seconds she gave in. “A year and a half ago.”

  “Any children?”

  “A little girl. Danielle.”

  “How did you meet?”

  “It was at church. He was visiting.” Calmer now, Nannette closed her eyes but it did not stop the tear
s leaking under the lids. “He tries to be a good father, but he has to travel so much it’s difficult for all of us.”

  When Tony signaled for Blondie, she flounced over like a teenager and draped herself on the chair and crossed her legs, letting the top one swing. “This is so lame.”

  “A few things have changed since we first talked.” Tony held up his notebook. “What is your name and where do you live?”

  “I’m Nancy Crisp.” Blondie flipped her golden curls. “Chattanooga’s where my dear departed husband and I live. Lived.”

  “How did you meet?”

  “We met in a bar.” She heaved her mighty bosom. “He was staying at a nearby hotel. You know him, always traveling for work.”

  “And when did you get married?” Tony flipped to a new page in his notebook. After their previous conversation about rings, he expected it to be only a matter of weeks. He was wrong.

  “Hmm, a year and a few months ago, maybe six.” She winked at Wade. “Numbers aren’t what I do best.”

  “Children?”

  “A precious little girl. Her name is Danielle.”

  Tony didn’t ask more but sent her back to her chair. He looked at Wade. “What do you think?”

  “I can’t believe it.” Wade blinked as if he’d just awakened from a deep trance. “What if these are not his only wives?”

  “You’re right, of course.” Tony stood. “We can’t assume anything. There could be a charter busload of them headed here now.”

  At that comment, Wade’s eyes rolled. “What a guy! Do you suppose it’s intentional they all have names that start with the letter N? Nora, Nannette and Nancy.”

  “Don’t forget ex-wife Nina.”

  Tony watched the angry wives head down the sidewalk. He had collected all of their phone numbers, home addresses, email addresses and work contacts. They might all be in the same boat, but they were not rowing as a team.

  Of the threesome, the center wife was the only one who walked like a normal person. He’d dubbed her Medium, now she was Nora. The one on the left, Nannette, moved in a precise line, placing one foot directly in front of the other, like a tightrope walker.