She opened the door and climbed out none too quickly. “All that yellow tape. I just hate to see today’s newspaper.”
“Olivia. We’ll get through this,” I said. “Come on.” I nudged her towards the door.
We found Aunt Dean in the keeping room. She was in the chair, which seemed to be her spot, facing the fireplace. Her back was to us as we entered the room.
“Aunt Dean?” Olivia spoke gently.
She didn’t respond. Her silver head didn’t move.
I moved to the sofa and sat on the corner closest to Miss Dean. Olivia pulled a chair closer to her aunt. Miss Dean’s hands lay crossed in her lap. She stared at them.
Olivia reached for one of her hands. She took it between her own and rubbed. “Aunt Dean, are you all right?”
Miss Dean looked up at Olivia. “No,” she said. “Everyone’s gone. I don’t understand.”
I felt a pang of guilt. I should’ve made arrangements for someone to see about Miss Dean yesterday morning when she woke to an empty house. I’d simply not thought about it. What kind of a person was I?
Olivia said, “Aunt Dean, you know the guests are all students. They’ve gone home for the holidays. But I don’t think they’re coming back next semester. We’ll work something out.”
“But where is Seth?” Miss Dean’s eyes never moved from Olivia. Her hands grasped Olivia’s now.
Olivia’s eyes held pain for her aunt. “Seth has done some very bad things. I’m very much afraid Seth is going to jail.”
“What on earth?” said Miss Dean.
My highly suspicious nature reared its head. Miss Dean had been through a great deal, yes. But she’d been functional enough to discuss body removal with Seth just two nights ago. “Miss Dean,” I said, “do you recall me coming over on Tuesday night?”
She turned to look at me.
“You’re Olivia’s friend.”
“That’s right,” I said. “We discussed what Olivia saw on Monday night.”
“You did this,” she said, her voice rising in indignation. “You went to the police with your outrageous accusations about our Seth and now look what’s happened. Every bit of this is your fault.”
“Now, Aunt Dean—” Olivia said.
“Oh, no ma’am,” I said. “I can’t take all the credit. I didn’t kill anyone, and I didn’t remove any bodies. But everyone who did is going to jail. And those of us who know something, we’d best tell it so we don’t go to jail too.”
Miss Dean looked at Olivia. “Child, tell me you didn’t kill that man. I couldn’t bear it if you went to jail, too.”
Olivia looked like she’d seen a snake. “Me? Why on earth would I kill Thurston Middleton? I barely knew him. When I saw the body, I thought it was Robert.”
Miss Dean studied her carefully. “Maybe everything will be all right then.”
I said, “Miss Dean, do you honestly not have any idea who killed Thurston?”
She shook her head. “It’s been years since he paid for a room here. He must’ve been looking for my ledger. But why anyone would kill him—it’s beyond me.”
I said, “Let’s talk for a moment about the young ladies in the flowerbeds.” Apparently, cadaver dogs have trouble with bodies under concrete and chlorinated water.
Miss Dean stared at the fireplace. “Her name was Roxanne, but I don’t recall her last name. I knew her as a Rutledge. William Rutledge’s niece. William killed the poor girl. It was an accident. He adored her. Seth did, too. He couldn’t bear to have her sent off to Ohio and buried. So he created a memorial for her out back. I thought it was a lovely gesture.”
I took a deep breath. “Miss Dean, do you know who the other girl was?”
She met my gaze, clear-eyed, and shook her head. “I don’t have the slightest idea.”
Olivia patted her hand.
I said, “Can you recall any young ladies a few years back who left abruptly?”
“That does happen occasionally. I could check my ledger, but they took it.”
Olivia said, “Think hard, Aunt Dean. Some poor girl’s family doesn’t know where she is.”
Miss Dean stared at the fireplace some more. “Two come to mind that surprised me. I thought they were happy. One was one of Arthur’s nieces. He has a gracious plenty.” She looked at her hands.
“Do you know what her name was?” I asked.
Miss Dean shook her head. “I can’t recall. But they all have red hair. I believe she was from around here.”
If that was the case, there should be a missing person’s report if she was the girl discovered in the flowerbed behind the garage. “Who was the other girl who surprised you when she left?”
“One of William Calhoun’s nieces. He is such a dear man. Such a nice smile. He dotes on his girls. All of them have dark hair like our Amber. This girl’s name was Victoria. She left in the middle of the night, just like Arthur’s niece. It was right about the same time.” She put a finger to her temple. “Victoria left first.”
“Was she from around here too?” I asked.
“I don’t recall. William could tell you.”
I pondered the odds on that.
Olivia said, “Aunt Dean, I’m going to help you get some things together. I want you to come stay with Robert and me for a while. You can spend some time with Campbell and Shelby. Won’t that be nice?”
“Oh, no dear. Thank you.” Miss Dean patted Olivia’s hand. “I’m an old woman. I like being in my own home. Bring the children over to see me, why don’t you?”
Olivia’s eyes got bigger. I highly doubted she’d be bringing her children over here. “Aunt Dean, it’s not safe here. Until they catch Thurston’s killer, you really can’t stay here alone. I hear you had a prowler Tuesday night.”
“That’s what the police said. I have a gun, you know.”
“Yes, I know,” said Olivia. “All the same. Please come stay with us for a while, won’t you?”
“You’re a sweet child to ask me. But I want to stay here, in my home. This is where I belong.”
I said, “Miss Dean, without Seth here to look after you, it really isn’t a good idea.”
“You girls run along now,” said Aunt Dean. “I need a nap.”
I looked at Olivia. She gave me a helpless look, shrugged.
I said, “Miss Dean, if anything unusual happens, call 911 first, then call Olivia or me, all right?”
“All right then,” she said.
Twenty-Three
Of all the men associated with the best little whorehouse in Charleston, James Huger seemed the most normal. His taste in bedroom entertainment maybe should’ve given me pause, but I don’t judge. As long as folks weren’t asking me what I do in mine, I couldn’t give a tinker’s damn what consenting adults did behind closed doors. There were just some things I didn’t want to know about.
I called and he agreed to see me right away, shocking his secretary yet again.
“Miss Talbot, what a pleasure,” he said. He led me to the seating area where he, Nate, and I had spoken the day before. “What can I do for you?”
“You may have heard what all was found at the house on Church Street.”
“Yes. I think they finished up too late to make the print newspapers, but we live in a twenty-four hour news cycle, don’t we? I sometimes lament that circumstance.”
“I spoke with Miss Dean this morning.”
“How is she? I’ve been quite concerned.”
“She seems in shock. Olivia is trying to get her to come stay with them for a while, but she’s resistant. Perhaps you could speak to her? I think she respects your counsel a great deal.”
“I’ll do that very thing,” he said. “Perhaps I can get her to see reason. She has no business being in that big old house by herself
.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I wonder if I could ask you to search your memory a bit.”
“Certainly.”
“Do you recall a couple of young ladies—former residents—who moved out three years or so ago? One was a redhead, and the other a black-haired girl named Victoria.”
“You’re thinking these are the women found buried in the yard?”
“One of them. The other has been tentatively identified.”
“Arthur’s redheads tend to run together in one’s mind. He has a type, I guess you could say. All local girls. He loves that Charleston accent. Can’t abide anything else. I’m afraid I don’t recall much about that particular girl except that she did leave rather abruptly.”
“And the other girl?”
“Ah. Victoria. Yes, I do remember her. Striking young woman. William has discerning taste. His wife is a blonde. Former Miss Georgia. Finicky sort. He says she’s frigid, but what do I know?”
James seemed awfully chatty today.
He gave me a rueful smile. “This is all coming out in the newspaper tomorrow. Most of it anyway. The gossips will feast on it for months. There’ll very likely be a movie—you wait and see. I’m happy to tell you anything that proves helpful in identifying that unfortunate young woman.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded. “If memory serves, the lovely Victoria had a falling out with William. I don’t recall the particulars. Only that she left in the middle of the night and no one heard from her again. Now, I’m not suggesting anything here. Make of it what you will.”
“How long have you known William Calhoun?”
“All my life. We grew up together.”
“Are you close friends?”
“I wouldn’t say that, no. We’ve always run in the same social circles. We’re friendly. But I wouldn’t invite him over for a dinner party. My wife and his don’t get on well.”
“Have you ever known him to be violent?” I’d only known him since Tuesday, and I knew he was violent. I wanted to know how forthcoming James was actually being.
He paused for a long moment. “I have reason to suspect he has that tendency.”
I nodded. “Do you know anything about Victoria? Where she went to school? If she was local? What her real name might’ve been?”
“William has a type as well. He likes very bright women, often in financial studies. Several of his alums are now successful investment bankers. She may or may not have been from Charleston, but she went to school here, likely at the College of Charleston.”
“That’s a start. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He didn’t stand.
“Can you think of anything else I should know?”
He was quiet for a moment.
I waited.
Presently, he said, “Be careful, Liz. May I call you Liz?”
“Yes, of course. Be careful of what—of whom?”
“This whole thing began as a way to help two spinster sisters keep their family home. Everyone had the best of intentions. Property values here—I don’t have to tell you. Folks moving in from all over pay top dollar for trophy houses they live in a month out of the year, if at all. Now that’s not to say there aren’t perfectly nice new folks buying here as well. But the nouveau riche, as it were, they’ll pay anything for a historic Charleston home. It makes it difficult for the families who’ve lived here for generations to stay. Property values rise, and with them taxes. And it costs a fortune to maintain these historic mansions—not to mention heat and cool them. It’s a shame, really. Parts of this city—South of Broad in particular—have very few children anymore because young families can’t afford to live here. Everyone’s moving to West Ashley, Johns Island, Daniel Island.”
“I don’t understand,” I said. “I mean, of course I understand what you’re saying, and I agree—it’s a problem. But how does that connect to why I should be careful?”
He leaned towards me. “Because that house is worth a great deal of money. In many neighborhoods, all this scandal—bodies buried in the yard, for heaven’s sake—why, that might make it difficult to sell a home. But this is Charleston. Spirits are a given. Ghost tours are big business. Don’t encourage Olivia to sell that property. It’s a goldmine, to be sure. But if she’s of a mind, it would be lovely to have a family with children live there.”
“Oh…I…”
“You thought I was about to caution you concerning your personal safety?”
“I did.” I smiled.
He looked at me very seriously. “You’re a professional investigator. Bodies and secrets are being dug up all around you. I figure you already know you’re in grave danger, as are Olivia and Miss Willowdean. Here’s my card. It has my cellphone number. Call me at any time for any reason.”
Twenty-Four
I made a stop by George C. Birlant Antiques & Gifts on King Street to look for something for Daddy. The silver antique hound dog statue that looked just like Chumley, Daddy’s basset, would’ve been cute enough. The fact that it was also an open salt server with a spoon would appeal to his love of the unusual. Thank heavens that completed my Christmas shopping.
Sonny called and asked me to meet him for lunch at Closed for Business, a pub on King Street that he knew I particularly liked. He was there when I walked in, and motioned me over to a table by the wall. He’d already ordered my iced tea. I had a bad feeling. The kind you get when a guy takes you out to break up with you so you can’t make a scene.
“Hey.” I slid into a chair facing the wall.
“I don’t have much time,” said Sonny. “I took the liberty of ordering your usual.”
“Thanks.” I loved the Southern fried chicken sandwich with a side of fried green beans.
“I have bad news,” he said.
“I figured. Just tell me.”
“Seth is talking. Once he found out we were charging him with William Rutledge’s murder, he started trying to make all kinds of deals.”
“So the rug you found Rutledge in—”
“We don’t have the tests back. But all we had to do was mention that rug and he tripped himself up. His attorney—high dollar, sharp lady from the Savage firm—like to’ve choked him to get him to shut up.”
“The Savage firm?” I hated like hell to be on the opposite side of anything from them. Nate and I wanted to grow that relationship.
“Yeah. Anyway, she wants to negotiate a deal. Seth can give us Thurston Middleton’s killer.”
I felt sick on my stomach. “No. He’ll say anything to save his sorry ass.”
“Liz, he says he saw Olivia leaving the room right before he found the body. He believes Olivia killed Thurston. And the solicitor is considering making a deal.”
“There’s just no way Olivia did this.”
The waitress put food in front of us. I didn’t touch mine.
“I understand she’s your friend. She’s my friend, too. And Robert. This makes me sick.”
I shook my head. “All you have is the word of a known killer. And not just William Rutledge. You wait. I’ll bet you anything he killed those girls too.”
“The solicitor will certainly take that into consideration. But understand. I can’t refuse to arrest her. And right now, I have a witness. Olivia has motive. She—”
“Wait. What motive? What motive could she possibly have to kill Thurston Middleton?”
Sonny sighed. “You know that’s a brothel, right?”
“We’ve covered that.”
“Olivia owns half of it and stands to inherit the other half.”
“Yes, but she didn’t want it. Seth was blackmailing her. She wanted to sell the house, but her aunt wouldn’t agree to it.”
“And her attorney can bring all of that up in court. But the way Seth
tells it, Thurston was likely looking for that ledger. He was getting ready to run for office. And he was going to make a big public deal out of closing that place down. Everyone with anything to do with it would’ve been in the newspapers. And Olivia owns half. She was trying to keep it quiet. Thurston was going to bring it all crashing down.”
“That is all twisted around.”
“Maybe so. But her fingerprints are on the murder weapon.”
“Sonny, was there blood on the murder weapon?”
“No. Could’ve been wiped off.”
“And fingerprints left behind? I saw her pick that pineapple up Monday night. She was showing me what had been on the floor beside a body she was convinced was Robert’s. I thought she was hallucinating. But she picked it up to show me.”
“That doesn’t mean she hadn’t picked it up earlier and smashed Thurston’s head in.”
“Could she even have done that?”
“Was she wearing heels?”
I thought back. Damnation. “Yes. But. She. Did. Not. Do. This.”
“I don’t want to believe it either. I hope she didn’t. Maybe we’ll find another piece of evidence. But as of right now, I have to pick her up for questioning, and unless she has some very good answers, I’m going to have to arrest her.”
“Oh God. Sonny, no. Please don’t do this.”
“I don’t have a choice. Where is she? I thought she was with you.”
“You son of a bitch. You asked me to bring her over here knowing you were going to arrest her.”
“That’s not exactly true.”
“Find her yourself. I’ve done enough of your work for one week. I will not do your dirty work too.” I stood up so fast my chair fell over. I didn’t stop on my way out to pick it up.
Twenty-Five
It was hard to say what upset Mamma more: One of my bridesmaids being arrested for murder two days before my wedding, the fact that said bridesmaid was half owner of a bordello, or the presence of courtesans at the family Christmas party. But Mamma was definitely unhappy.
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