Death in the Mirror

by Beth Byers

  Chapter 13

  GEORGETTE DOROTHY AARON

  “Joseph didn’t come to dinner,” Marian said in a hushed voice as night approached. “Or church. The trains aren’t running, so he must be at our—the—cottage.”

  “I know,” Georgette replied as quietly, lifting her brows. “What should we do about that?”

  “I need to talk to him.”

  Georgette nodded.

  “Will you walk with me? Maybe shove me a little if I start to cry?”

  “Are you going to break him?”

  Marian shook her head.

  “Because he said I was the matriarch of this family.”

  Marian laughed a watery noise. “Is that why you shouted that at Katherine? To remind her that she was the matriarch?”

  “Yes,” Georgette agreed, taking a torch from the top of her closet and leading the way outside. “Of course. As the matriarch, I will have to do something. As I don’t know how to be a matriarch, it will probably be the wrong thing.”

  Marian tucked her arm through Georgette’s, laying her head against Georgette’s shoulder as they started towards the back garden. Marian paused at the turn to Joseph’s cottage and hesitated.

  She nudged Georgette the other way. “I need to work it out in my head. I might sick up. I’m so nervous. I feel so bad. Why am I so stupid?”

  “You aren’t.”

  “I—”

  “When I was marrying Charles,” Georgette cut in, letting Marian tug her down the path and through the woods. Dusk had come and gone and it was late to be wandering the wood, but they were together and they had come to know this portion of the wood well. “I was a pendulum of peace and needing to sick up myself. It was terrifying even well past the wedding date. I think I didn’t truly calm down and stay calm until a couple of weeks past our wedding. I even made Charles give me space on our honeymoon because being around him all the time was suffocating me.”

  “Really?” Marian asked, sounding as though she’d seen an unexpected light in the darkness.

  “Really,” Georgette said. “Charles keeps track of whether I have enough space and makes sure I get it. It’s why Janey is at school. She was spending so much time next to me, and I was starting to suffocate again. That, and of course, we’d send our own child to school.”

  “I didn’t realize—”

  Before Marian could finish, they realized that there was shouting at the Lynd house.

  “I wouldn’t have thought Katherine’s family was so volatile,” Georgette whispered, tucking the torch behind her back. “She’s so calm.”

  The lights were on in the house, shining onto the lawn where the three Lynd brothers were shouting at each other. Georgette was shocked to see that John was shouting as much as his younger brothers.

  Katherine came out and saw Georgette and Marian. She hissed something to her sons. All three of them fell silent and then disappeared. Katherine crossed to Georgette and Marian as though each step were painful. Georgette rushed forward when Katherine stumbled.

  Georgette grabbed Katherine and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her older friend was trembling.

  “I’m sorry,” Georgette said. “We were avoiding our own troubles. We didn’t mean to intrude on yours.”

  Katherine started to speak, shook her head, tried again, and then finally croaked out, “I need you to get Detective Aaron. There’s been a terrible accident.”

  Georgette felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. “What happened?”

  “Lizette is dead,” Katherine cried. “She’s dead. Oh my heavens, Georgette, she’s dead.”

  Georgette’s stomach dropped, and her eyes closed with dismay.

  “You need Joseph,” Marian said precisely. “Georgette, give me the torch. I’ll go.”

  Georgette shook her head. There was no way they were separating when someone had died. Georgette grabbed Marian’s wrist tightly and directed the torch at the path. Katherine didn’t have a telephone, so the nearest point of contact was either Joseph’s snug cottage or Georgette’s home or to the Mustly’s once again. Marian started and Georgette pushed herself to keep up. Marian was certainly more spry, but neither of them were willing to let the other go.

  It took too long, what felt like forever, to reach Joseph’s cottage. They darted towards the door, ignoring their surroundings in their hurry.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Marian screamed and Georgette would have but for being out of breath. They both turned to the corner of the little porch and realized that Joseph and Robert were sitting on rocking chairs, smoking in the dark.

  “Are you all right?” Robert asked, moving quickly towards them. Georgette shook her head, still gasping while Marian ignored Joseph’s anger to throw herself in his arms.

  “Lizette Lynd is dead.”

  Both of the brothers cursed, and Joseph snapped, “Robert, take them to Charles, send for the doctor and the constable.” Robert nodded and then Joseph cursed again. “No, put them in the auto. It’ll take a moment to drop you at the house while I circle round to Katherine’s home.”

  The car was silent for the few minutes drive. It wasn’t all that much quicker than walking through the wood, but Georgette was still a bit winded. She laughed, still out of air, so it was more of a huffing croak.

  “Your—your faces.” She laughed into Marian’s shoulder and then realized that she’d started to cry. “Oh g-g-goodness.”

  Marian wrapped Georgette tightly and whispered to the alarmed Joseph and Robert, “It’s just the baby.”

  If anything, their alarm escalated.

  “No! No! The baby is fine, it just makes her emotions run the full gamut of possibility. Georgette loves Katherine.”

  Georgette nodded, wiping away a tear and fighting for her voice. “She’s so sad. She was trembling. Her sons were fighting. It was awful. It was so, so awful. I want Charles.”

  They had reached her house and Joseph laid on the horn while nudging Robert and Marian from the auto. “I have to rush. Robert, make the calls.”

  Robert nodded and tugged Georgette towards the house, but Charles came rushing out. He was followed by Eunice in her nightdress and robe, and Lucy.

  “Are you all right?” Charles asked.

  “Just winded,” Georgette admitted. “I’m fine.”

  “Lizette Lynd is dead,” Robert told Charles, who cursed. “We need the doctor and the constables.”

  “I can do that,” Lucy said immediately, her gaze lingering on Georgette and Marian before she spun and ran inside.

  Georgette let Charles lead her inside because he seemed to calm when his hands were on her and he could feel that she was all right.

  “What was it?” Charles asked. He wasn’t asking if it was murder, but they were all wondering. Had Lizette had a complication from her wound? Had she done something to herself. Had someone ended her life? Georgette couldn’t answer.

  They made their way to the parlor and Eunice came in with tea, but she didn’t leave. It was late, but they all wanted to know. They heard an auto go by and then another. The quickest route to Katherine’s house was by Georgette and Charles’s home. A few minutes later, Barnaby and Anna knocked on the door and Charles brought them in. They’d obviously dressed hastily.

  In the silence of the parlor, they drank their tea and worried. It was oppressive until Barnaby said, “It must be murder.”

  “Or complications from the injury,” his wife added, frowning deeply.

  Georgette refilled her tea as Robert said, “I think that would make it murder still.”

  “I wonder if they’ll refuse to talk,” Lucy said and then blushed deeply when everyone looked at her. Her voice had fallen in volume, but she added, “If Eddie or Janey had killed someone—especially someone I didn’t like—I might not help them be found.”

  Georgette’s brows rose and Lucy flushed even more deeply, turning a shocking red. Robert, however, nodded. “I understand. Joseph or Charles kills some blight on huma
nity and I’m not going to help the constables. They’re family.”

  Georgette rubbed the back of her neck. She was both morally opposed to everything they were saying and also entirely in agreement. If Charles—not that he would—murdered someone, would she turn him in? A part of her liked to think that her morals would rule, but Georgette wasn’t sure that they would. Choose between Charles or anyone else? She would choose Charles every time.

  “We might all be monsters,” Georgette muttered. “I’m not sure I’d behave any differently. Sorry Barnaby and Anna, I would probably let you get caught.”

  “Same,” Barnaby said with a laugh, letting Charles fill the bourbon Barnaby had taken over the tea.

  “But anyone else in here? I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

  “We’ve become calloused,” Charles said. “We’ve seen too much terrible.”

  Barnaby frowned. “What happened with Dr. Fowler was bad, but I think you can hang on.”

  The rest of them, except Lucy, paused. If only it were just Dr. Fowler, Georgette thought. She laughed without amusement and then took a deep sip of her tea.

  “You know what we need?” Eunice asked. “Cake.”

  Robert shifted.

  “It’s unfortunate that the one I slaved over yesterday disappeared.”

  “Eunice,” Robert said, trying a charming grin. “Who would do such a thing?” Like Eunice, he answered his own question. “A monster. But, I believe I saw some biscuits in the pantry. I’ll get them, shall I?”

  He rose and hurried from the room.

  “I have cake,” Anna said.

  Barnaby laughed as he told his wife, “They’re changing the subject on us.”

  “Yes,” she said, “I know, darling. But my stomach is sour thinking of Katherine, so maybe a sweet will make things easier for our friends.”

  Georgette preferred her sweets when she was happy. When she was upset, she wanted nothing but tea. She rose and crossed to the window. It was late. “I don’t think we’re going to find out anything this evening. Night really.”

  The grandfather clock in the library rang to accent Georgette’s comments, and it seemed that each of them counted each chime of the clock. When it stopped after a single dong, Georgette had little doubt each of them had to agree. There was no way that Joseph would return and answer their questions.

  As a group, they started rustling and rising. Barnaby held out his arm to Anna, and she took it and then kissed Georgette on the cheek. “I’ll be checking on Katherine tomorrow.”

  Georgette nodded, glancing at Charles. She could already guess that he wasn’t going to be working in London tomorrow. Lucy and Eunice faded down the hall along with Marian while Charles and Georgette saw Anna and Barnaby to the door. Just as it shut, Robert appeared with a tin of butter biscuits.

  “Have they gone?” Robert asked.

  Charles nodded while Georgette sighed.

  “This is horrible,” she told them both. “I’m going to try to pretend it didn’t happen.”

  “Do you need the biscuits?” Robert already had the tin open, and he grinned before popping one into his mouth. “I’m a callous soul who’s glad this Lynd woman isn’t one of the people I care about. I believe I’ll sleep like a baby.”

  “Babies wake often, crying, in their own mess,” Georgette said as she took a biscuit. Thinking of babies made her think of her own little Frederick or Anna. The case would be over before the baby arrived and better days were ahead.

  Charles laughed at Robert’s expression as Georgette turned towards the bedroom and then said dryly, “You’re going to get several stones if you carry on as you are.”

  Chapter 14

  JOSEPH AARON

  Joseph would like to say that he was focused on the job, but he knew it was a lie. He was focused on what it meant that Marian threw herself into his arms the previous night. Was she simply afraid, and he had been a protector for her at one time? Did it mean more? Was Georgette’s theory that he didn’t have the full information correct?

  He didn’t know. He took the auto back to the Lynd house. Lizette had been taken away late the previous night after Dr. West said that she’d ‘certainly’ been smothered. Joseph had nodded and then ordered the constables to send her body to one of the Yard doctors. Dr. West might be entirely right. Joseph’s instincts had agreed. But the man looked like a pimply-faced schoolboy and Joseph wanted the support of someone who was an accepted professional. Even if Dr. West was the most learned doctor in England, it was hard to take the poor man seriously.

  Joseph slowly got out of his auto and faced the house. He approached as the duo of Lynd brothers once again stepped outside. “Now’s not a good time, Detective. We’re a family in mourning.”

  Jedediah didn’t say a word, but his expression was intractable.

  “You’re a family harboring a murderer,” Joseph replied flatly. “The options of not answering questions is past.”

  The brothers were entirely unbothered. Was Joseph going to have to pull the entire family into Scotland Yard and question them ruthlessly?

  “You’re digging yourselves a hole here,” Joseph snapped. “The next time I come back, you won’t like the result if you continue to block the investigation. This is a murder, and it’s not going to stand.”

  Mitchell lifted a brow and Jedediah cursed and walked back into the house. Joseph wondered just what it would take for them to answer questions? A member of this house had murdered another member and the result was that they were avoiding questions to protect a killer.

  Joseph returned to the police station, waiting for the constables to come in. He thought it would work better to bring in the family members one-by-one. Why let them stand together? Joseph rubbed the back of his neck and dug through the desk until he found a bottle of aspirin.

  “Higgins,” Joseph said as the man entered. “Go get John Lynd. Don’t take no for an answer.”

  Higgins’s eyes widened and he nodded.

  “We’re done being nice,” Joseph continued. “Bring him in shackled if necessary.”

  Joseph waited until John Lynd arrived and then took him to an uncomfortable chair and sat across from the fellow. He had dark circles under his eyes; the white of the eyes were bloodshot. The man shifted uncomfortably and coughed. Joseph leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest and stared, deliberately waiting long minutes.

  John Lynd didn’t seem to notice the passing of time. He stared at the wall, silent and seemingly lost.

  “Who hurt your wife?”

  John blinked rapidly as if surprised by the question that had finally come. His voice was a croak when he answered, “I don’t know.”

  “Why was she here last Thursday?”

  “I don’t know,” John said again. His gaze had returned to the wall. “I don’t know anything.”

  “Do you know that most women are murdered by their husbands, fathers, or brothers?”

  John didn’t answer. Joseph wasn’t entirely sure that John was aware of what was going on.

  “You do realize that your wife is dead.”

  John shook his head slightly and then propped his face into his hands. “I—I don’t feel well.” He gagged a little and then started heaving. Joseph cursed and thrust the waste bin at the man. He didn’t actually sick up, but he gagged horribly until Joseph’s stomach was roiling. When the man finally quieted, he was weeping into the bin and Joseph shook his head.

  “Call Dr. West,” he said to Higgins, “and take John to the cell bed. Go lie down man,” he told John. “We’ll get someone to help you.”

  Higgins cajoled John Lynd to the cell bed and then went for the doctor. When he returned, Joseph said, “Go get another Lynd. I don’t care which one.”

  Jedediah Lynd was the next to arrive, and he took the uncomfortable seat on the other side of the desk. “When was Lizette found?” Joseph demanded.

  Jedediah didn’t answer right away, so Joseph added, “Georgette Aaron noticed the ruckus outside of your ho
use around 9:00 p.m.” He’d kept Marian out of it on purpose, unable to say her name at the moment.

  “We hadn’t been outside long,” Jedediah said vaguely. “Not sure how long really. It was a bit of a mess. We’d realized she’d died in her sleep just before.”

  “She didn’t die in her sleep,” Joseph snapped. “She was murdered.”

  “I don’t know anything about that,” Jedediah said, firmly meeting Joseph’s gaze. “I can’t imagine someone would want to kill a country housewife.”

  “But someone did,” Joseph taunted. “Someone in your house.”

  “I don’t know anything about that,” Jedidiah said.

  “Why did your sister-in-law come to Harper’s Hollow? She must have known Katherine wouldn’t be at home.”

  “I don’t know,” Jedidiah said, shrugging.

  From that point on, every question Joseph asked was answered with either ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t know anything about that.’

  Joseph slammed from the small room a few minutes later and met Higgins’s gaze. “They’re stonewalling again.”

  The constable shrugged enough to tell Joseph that he wasn’t surprised.

  “Should we arrest them all?” Joseph demanded. “They’re conspiring together to cover up a murder.”

  Higgins answered slowly. “I don’t know. But—they can’t all be on the same page. I don’t think that Katherine Lynd would agree to what’s happening here. Known her since I was in short pants, and I can’t see it.”

  “So you’re saying we should pressure the ladies?” Joseph snarled. “Go get Mitchell Lynd. Once we have Mitchell, send Jedediah out and then follow him. Don’t be sneaky. Walk a few paces behind him and watch his every move. Have young Mattie watch their house. Again, stand in the open, watch the house, talk to the children, search the garden even though you know there’s nothing there to find, ask questions every time someone steps outside. Ask questions of everyone who approaches the door. Be overt and obnoxious.”

  Neither of them was pleased with the plan, but as long as the family refused to talk, what could they do? Joseph ran over the family members in his head. John Lynd, the husband. Mitchell Lynd, the defacto oldest, given John’s injury and passive personality. Jedediah Lynd, the farmer. Katherine Lynd. Emmanuline Lynd. The two wives, Margaret and Jane. Only the son, Brent, wasn’t involved, living too far away.