“I know you have to grieve for her. That’s why I must be the one to take care of business. Would you like for me to have Willard draft new wills for us?”
“No. I would not.” She’d been adamant. “I’ll take care of it in my own good time. I don’t want to hear any more about it tonight.”
Vernon hadn’t pressed her further. She’d spent another sleepless night beside him, arising at two in the morning to take one of her sleeping pills. Or had she taken two?
“Ms. Rebecca?” Wilma’s voice brought her back to the present. “Erica Redmond is on the telephone for you.” She put the phone on the table beside Rebecca.
“Thank you, Wilma.” Rebecca reached for it. “Erica! How good to hear from you. I thought you were still in Europe.”
“I was supposed to stay longer, but decided I’d spent enough of my time trying to order meals in restaurants where they didn’t know what in blazes I was talking about.” Without giving Rebecca time to comment, she went on, saying, “I just heard the tragic news about Mindy. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s awfully hard to accept.”
“I know. Are you seeing people? And if so, when may I come over?”
Rebecca smiled. Erica must be thinking back to when Rebecca had lost the baby. She wouldn’t allow any of her friends to visit for two weeks.
“It’s different this time, Erica. Though I’m not seeing a lot of people, you may come anytime you wish.” She shifted her position. “As a matter of fact, if you’re not suffering too much from jet lag, you could come today. I’d love to see a friend who really cares.”
“Name the time.”
“How about for lunch? We’ll have it at the pool. Bring your suit. We’ll swim later.”
“I’m on my way.”
Rebecca set the phone on the table. Seeing her friend would be good. Erica had been her best friend in high school and although they had gone to different colleges, they had remained close. When Erica married James Redmond just after graduation, Rebecca was her maid-of-honor. The two women didn’t see much of each other for several years after that, because immediately following the ceremony, James accepted a residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in California. After that, he took a position in San Francisco. They lived there until two years ago, when James decided Erica was no longer the love of his life. He left her and announced he was going to marry a woman twenty years his junior. Erica took her half of the community property, packed up twelve-year-old Mark and ten-year-old Kevin, and moved back to Winston-Salem. Without a thought, Erica and Rebecca resumed their close relationship.
Though Rebecca was delighted to have her friend back from Europe, she knew Vernon wouldn’t be. He didn’t think Erica was a good influence on his wife. Erica didn’t care for him, either. The two women did most of their visiting during the day except for an occasional social situation that threw them together.
Hard feelings had escalated between Erica and Vernon when she announced she was dating a waiter ten years her junior. Vernon came close to asking Rebecca not to see her friend anymore, but when he’d brought up the subject, Rebecca had told him not to ever mention it again. He’d given in and had said no more.
Though Rebecca didn’t care what the men Erica dated did for a living, Rebecca was secretly glad when her romance with the waiter fizzled and she headed to Europe to nurse her wounds. Now Rebecca hoped her friend would see that Vernon wasn’t the bad person she had thought him to be. With Mindy gone, Rebecca needed her friendship with Erica more than ever.
Chapter 24
Tess Carter broke into tears when Nick showed her the picture of her and Mindy Davidson in a compromising position.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Carter,” he said. “But I knew you were lying when you said you hardly knew Miss Davidson.”
“Okay.” Tess finally regained her composure. “We had a few encounters, but how did you get that picture?”
“It doesn’t matter. We also have pictures of her with a man. We think they were made on the same day. Do you happen to know who the man is?”
“Oh, no.” She dropped her head.
“Was Max Garvey with you when the pictures were made, Mrs. Carter?” Bernie spoke for the first time since they’d entered the Carter’s condo.
She nodded and began to cry. “Don’t tell my husband. He’ll kill us all if he finds out.”
“He may be upset, Mrs. Carter, but let’s hope he stops at that,” Bernie said.
“I’m serious. George can be violent. He’s very jealous of me. He once beat a man almost to death in a bar for making a pass at me.” She dabbed at her eyes.
Nick shot a glance at Bernie, but his warning was unnecessary. Bernie was already making a note in his book.
“If he reacts that way, do you think he could have found about your affair and killed Miss Davidson?” Nick asked.
“Oh, no. He’d never do that.” She had her emotions under control now.
“But I thought you said—” Bernie started.
“I said he’d kill me. I’m the one he’d go after. Me first, then maybe Max. He wouldn’t even bother with Mindy.”
“You’re sure about that?” Nick eyed her.
“I’m positive.” She blew her nose. “Does he have to know about this? Is there some way we can keep it from him?”
“None of this is public information, Mrs. Carter. We’re not going to make it public unless that becomes absolutely necessary.” Nick tried to reassure her.
“Thank you.”
“Now, do you want to tell us what’s going on in that picture?” Nick kept her voice gentle.
“It’s nothing that doesn’t go on in a lot of places. We play around a little during the day. Nobody gets hurt.”
“What do you mean by play around?” Bernie asked.
“You know. Sleep around with different people.”
“No, I don’t know. Maybe you’d better tell us how it all started,” Nick said.
She sighed. “I’m not sure. Max Garvey is at the pool a lot. He’s awfully sexy, and he flirts with everyone. He and Mindy were meeting, but they kept it well hidden. Nobody knew. I just happened to catch them in the recreation room one day when I went in there to get things for an association meeting that night. I’m on the of the homeowners’ board. Well, anyway, the door was closed, and I thought I had the only key. I didn’t knock or anything. I walked in and found them on the big rug in front of the fireplace.”
“What did you do?” Nick asked.
“Nothing. I was stunned, so I stood there for a minute. I couldn’t believe my eyes.” She avoided looking at Nick. “I’ll never forget what Mindy said.”
“What did she say?”
“She saw me before Max did. She just kind of smiled and said, ‘Hi, Tess. You can take off your clothes and join us. You can sit quietly by and watch. Or you can get the hell out of here. I don’t care. But not even a whisper of this had better get out. If it does, I’ll see to it that your husband knows you’re involved before tomorrow comes.’”
“How did you react, Mrs. Carter?” Bernie looked at her.
“I left.” She looked away from both of them. “The next day, Mindy came to see me. She told me how good Max was in bed and how she liked to be with him, but she had no intention of breaking up his marriage. She said she wasn’t ready to settle down with any one man. I assured her I’d never tell anyone. Not even George.”
“And you never told anyone?” Nick said.
“Not until right now.”
“Go on, Mrs. Carter. How did you get involved with Max?” Nick urged her to continue.
“He kept flirting with me at the pool, and I liked the attention. After a week or so, Mindy invited me to her place for lunch. Max was there when I arrived. We ate in front of the TV and watched some porno films. One thing led to another, and he walked me home. We spent some time together. The next time I went to Mindy’s house, the three of us played some intimate games. I had a good time and was able to let down all of my inhibitions. We didn’t
do it to hurt anyone.”
“I’m sure you didn’t. Was it always just the three of you, Mrs. Carter?” Nick couldn’t help wondering how a woman could get involved in such a seedy way of life.
“Most of the time. Occasionally, Mindy had a friend of hers there we didn’t know.”
“Do you know who took the pictures?” he asked.
“Probably the count. Max was always begging Mindy to let him take pictures of her, but she refused. She said her life had always been an embarrassment to her family, and she didn’t want hard evidence of her lifestyle to ever get back to her sister. She said she could trust the count, and he was the only one permitted to have a camera. Max kept nagging at her until she eventually let him have a copy of one of the count’s DVDs. It was one he’d made when Mindy had a group of her friends over and everyone had on those shiny wigs that look like pompoms. That time, we all wore masks. That was the only way she’d let him film us.”
“Do you know if Max has that DVD now?” Nick asked.
“I assume so. He keeps saying he’s going to let me see it, but he never has.”
“Who’s the count, Mrs. Carter?” Bernie asked.
“I don’t know. He always wears a purple mask that covers his entire head. He even wears it to group meets when everyone else is there without masks.”
“Group meets?” Bernie looked at her. “Do you mean an orgy?”
“That sounds so awful, but I guess that’s what you’d call it. We didn’t hold these very often, but when we did, the count and Mindy were in charge. They made the decisions and took care of the money.”
“Can you tell me anything else about the count?” Bernie looked directly at her.
“No. He didn’t do a lot of talking except to Mindy.”
“I have to ask, Mrs. Carter. Did you kill Mindy Davidson?” Nick asked.
“Of course not. I wouldn’t kill anybody.”
“Do you have any idea who did kill her?”
“No. I’ve tried to think about all the different people she had in and out, but they all seemed to be crazy about her. I can’t think of anyone who would want to hurt her.”
“I need a list of the people from the complex involved in the sex ring.” Nick said.
“You make it sound so awful.”
He ignored her statement. “Will you give me the names, please?”
“I honestly don’t know any except first names. The only people I knew well were Max Garvey and Mindy.”
“Just give me first names, then.”
“There was a Jerry and a Katie. I can’t think of anyone else.”
“I appreciate you being so candid with us. As I said before, we’ll keep this as quiet as possible. Maybe your husband won’t ever have to know.” Nick stood.
“Thank you, Mr. Quimbley. I know you have to ask questions, but please don’t mention my name.”
“I want to talk with your husband when he gets home.”
“No. Please don’t.”
“I have to. I promise I won’t say anything about what goes on around here during the day.”
She sighed. “I guess you’ll do what you have to do.”
He gave her a card and asked her to call him if she thought of anything else.
In the car, Bernie said, “I’ve heard it all now.”
“Can you believe all of that’s been going on right under our noses?”
“I thought the guys at the corner bar were rough, but these housewives have it all over them.”
“I wonder, Bernie…” Nick looked at his partner.
“About what?”
“If Max Garvey has that DVD, he could be more involved than we first thought.”
“I agree. I think we should talk with him again.”
“And the count,” Nick said. “We need to learn who he is. He could be our man.”
“Could be.”
“You sound doubtful.”
“Seems like he could be making money from all this. I’d think he might want to keep it going and not kill off his star player.”
“You’re probably right. I wonder how many copies he made of that DVD.”
Chapter 25
Rebecca folded her napkin and dropped it beside her plate. She smiled. “It’s good to have you back, Erica.”
“I’m glad to see you doing so well.” Erica returned her smile. “I don’t know what kind of condition I expected to find you in.”
Rebecca chuckled. “Probably in the middle of a breakdown.”
“You know me too well. That’s exactly what I thought. You took losing the baby and the surgery hard.”
“You know I loved Mindy dearly. I’d have done anything I could to prevent what has happened.” Rebecca sighed. “But I could never get through to her. Even when she lived in the house with us, she did as she pleased. Of course, she pulled most of her antics out of town. She finally moved out because she and Vernon couldn’t live under the same roof. The things she did drove him crazy.”
“I wondered why she chose a condo in that area,” Erica said, adding hastily, “not that there’s anything wrong with where she lived. I just thought she would want a different place.”
“I tried to get her to buy one of the places at Bermuda Run or Old Salem, but she refused. She said her friends wouldn’t come there like they’d never come to our house. She wanted to live where they’d feel comfortable visiting.”
“Rebecca, do you have any idea who killed her?”
“No. I wish I did. Nick...” She paused. “Do you remember Nick Quimbley from high school?”
“Nick Quimbley?” Erica turned her head and thought a minute. The sunlight caught on her tinted blonde hair and gave her kind of a Marilyn Monroe look. “I think I remember him. Didn’t he play football?”
“Yes.”
“I do remember him then. Good-looking guy. Why?”
“He has a private detective agency, and I’ve hired him to investigate Mindy’s death. He thinks we’ll put all the pieces together eventually.”
“Aren’t the police investigating?”
“Of course, but I hired Nick before they found Mindy’s body. I asked him to stay on the case until it’s solved. He’s working hard on it and says I just have to be patient.”
“He’s probably right.”
“Hello, ladies.” Millicent’s voice broke into the conversation as she came out onto the terrace.
“Ms. Davidson.” Erica stood. “You haven’t changed in all these years. I’m Erica Redmond. I was a Barrington before I married.”
“Erica. You were the skinny one with the freckles and the mousy brown hair, weren’t you?”
“Guilty.”
“What happened to your hair?”
“A good hair dresser and a bottle of bleach. What do you think of it?”
“You’re still pretty skinny, but your hair looks much better.”
Erica laughed and said, “Thanks. I like it better, too.”
“May I join you?” The older woman looked at Rebecca.
“Of course, Aunt Millicent.” Her niece smiled at her. “Where have you been anyway?”
“To see Willard Brookmeyer. I wanted to ask him some questions about the papers he gave me the other day.”
“Aunt Millicent, you didn’t.”
“I most certainly did. He said he’d have an accounting on everything in a day or two.”
“My aunt doesn’t trust my husband to run the company, Erica. She seems to think we’re going to be bankrupt in a short period of time. She’s convinced Vernon is stealing from us.”
“My niece will not open her eyes and realize what a bastard she married.”
Erica threw her head back and laughed. When she finished, she looked at Rebecca. “Sorry, my friend, but you know I don’t have a lot of use for Vernon, either.” Turning to Millicent, she said, “He turned up his nose at a waiter friend of mine. Wouldn’t even take the time to get to know the fellow, and he was a dear man.”
“Sounds like Vernon.” Aunt Mi
llicent sat back in her chair. “He’s a real snob, and he doesn’t have the background to play that game.”
“Will you two stop it? You’re talking about the man I married.”
“I’m sorry.” Erica straightened. “But you know good and well he can’t stand me, and he probably feels the same way about your aunt.”
Rebecca didn’t say anything. What could she say? Erica was right. Vernon didn’t like either of them. How could he be so blind? They’re two of the dearest people in the world. Someday maybe he’ll come to think of them that way.
Even as she thought it, she knew it was such a remote possibility that she could never count on it. Vernon was stubborn. She’d never known him to change his mind about any situation, and he probably wouldn’t change it about Erica or Aunt Millicent, either. Too bad.
In the end, they all lost.
Chapter 26
As the taxi pulled out of the driveway, Millicent leaned back and thought about Old Salem Tavern. She hadn’t eaten there in a long time, and she was looking forward to a quiet meal at the restaurant with Nick.
She closed her eyes and let the history of the area flow through her mind. She thought of the tenacity and determination of the first settlers.
Old Salem had been founded by Moravians, a denomination that broke away from the Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia. They were located in the town of Moravia and named themselves after the town. In 1724, they fled to Germany to avoid religious persecution, and in 1788 they came to America for the same reason. They settled mainly in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, where they are still concentrated.
In North Carolina, they founded the town of Salem just south of Winston. Though Winston had not been settled by the Moravians, the two towns decided to merge and become the city of Winston-Salem. The Moravians were a simple, peace loving, independent, and self-reliant people who believed in working hard and taking care of their neighbors. They were known for their unique way of preserving and preparing their food. Old Salem Tavern still featured many of the settlers’ old recipes.
* * * *
At exactly six-thirty, Nick walked into the Tavern. Millicent had already been seated, and she sipped from a glass of wine. He double-checked his watch to make sure he was on time.
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