“Did Gemma tell you that Darius was blackmailing her?” I asked. I had taken over the questioning.
“Yeah. That’s why she moved back here. I don’t think that he ever did actually blackmail her. He tried to but she said that she took the wind out of his sail.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“That means whatever it was he had against her, she fixed it so he couldn’t use it against her anymore,” Miss Vivee said. “That makes me think that whatever he was trying to blackmail her about was the reason she left Euclid Park Elementary School.”
“She taught second grade there,” Koryn said. “She loved that job. I felt so bad when she left it. I didn’t want her to do that for me.”
“I don’t think she did it for you, Koryn,” Miss Vivee said. “I think she did it to keep her promise to the principal there. Jill Sterba.” Miss Vivee, with lips pulled tight, stared at me for a long minute.
I nodded at Miss Vivee. “Koryn, do you know Darius’ last name?” I asked. “Gemma only told Miss Vivee his first name. And I’m sure the Sheriff would want to talk to him.”
Miss Vivee’s lying must be contagious.
“It’s Hamilton,” Koryn said.
“Darius Hamilton,” Miss Vivee said. She seemed to be committing the name to memory.
“And he lives in South Carolina now. Right across the Savannah River Gemma told me,” Koryn was talking fast. She seemed ready to share all the information she knew. “I remember her saying that now it didn’t matter, wherever he lived, he couldn’t hurt her anymore.”
“Do you know where in South Carolina?” Miss Vivee asked.
“No. She never told me. I know that that’s where he grew up, though. She said he was running home to his daddy. I think his father was pretty famous in whatever city it is where they lived.” She looked at Miss Vivee. “You think that’ll help the Sheriff?”
“Oh. I know it will,” she said. She stood up. “C’mon, Logan. We’ve got to find Sheriff Haynes right away and give him the information that Koryn has given us.” Miss Vivee stood and that prompted Koryn to get up, too.”
“I’m so glad I could help,” she said her eyes beaming. “Gemma was so nice to me. She hardly knew me and she offered to help me.” She looked back toward the house and put her hands in her short’s back pocket. “I really don’t know what I’m going to do now.”
“We’ll figure out something,” Miss Vivee said. “We’ll stop in and see you again before too long.” Miss Vivee patted Koryn on the arm and headed down the steps. “C’mon Cat,” she said. The dog had gone back to Koryn for more patting before leaving.
“I love your dog, Miss Vivee.” Koryn smiled. “Cat. Such a crazy name for a dog.”
“She likes it,” Miss Vivee said, holding onto the banister.
“Bye,” I said. “And thanks for talking to us.”
“No problem,” Koryn said and waved.
I got Miss Vivee and Cat in the car. Coming around to the driver’s side, I glanced back up at the house. Koryn had gone inside. Her book lying open, face down to save her page. The glass of iced tea sitting by the chair.
I kind of felt sorry for her. Having to be on the run. All of her help gone. She’d probably have to move soon. No more Shepard’s pie Saturdays at the Jellybean Café for her.
I got in the car, put my seatbelt on and looked at Miss Vivee. “Well.” I reached over and buckled her in. “What do we do now? Darius Hamilton is in South Carolina and we can’t go there.” I tried to enforce that fact right away. “And we still don’t know where Jeffrey or Miranda Beck are, so . . .”
While I talked, Miss Vivee pulled out her notebook and wrote something down. A time or two, she looked back up at the house and then would write something else. Finally, she put the notebook back and pulled out her sunglasses and said. “C’mon. Let’s go.”
“Okay,” I said starting the car. “Where to?”
“Home,” she said put on her sunglasses. “We have to tell Lloyd Haynes what we found out.”
“Oh,” I said almost in shock. “You really are going to tell the sheriff?”
“What do you want to do?” She turned and looked at me. “Grab a couple of guns, a six pack of beer, ride to South Carolina and have a shoot-out?”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Miss Vivee didn’t even want to wait to get back to the Maypop before we called the Sheriff. She had me call him from my iPhone and told him to meet us at the bed and breakfast as soon as he could.
We hadn’t been back more than fifteen minutes when he showed up. Bay Colquett came in right after.
Who called him?
We were all in the foyer. Miss Vivee and I sat in our usual place – on the tufted bench. Brie sat behind the counter and Renmar stood next to it.
The sheriff took off his hat when he came through the door. He looked around the room, nodded his head and ran his fingers through his hair that had fell in his face.
“We got the autopsy report back,” he said. He looked over at Miss Vivee and snorted in a breath. He paused, not saying anything for a long minute. His silence made my heart skip a beat.
So how did she die? The question was on a loop in my brain the whole time we waited for him to say.
Sheriff Haynes swung his eyes to Renmar. “Gemma wasn’t poisoned,” he announced finally.
As soon as he said it, Miss Vivee hit me on my knee and pushed a grin through the wrinkles in her face. Renmar must have been holding her breath because she let out a long sigh.
“Miss Vivee,” the Sheriff said. “I might as well let you be the one to say it. Just got the report over the fax right when you called me. But you seemed to know what it would say even before we took Gemma’s body up to Augusta.”
“What is he talking about, Mother?” Renmar said.
“Gemma Burke dry drowned,” Miss Vivee said. She seemed beside herself with joy over being right. “More than likely the autopsy showed that the right side of her diaphragm was ruptured.”
Everyone looked at the Sheriff to see if he was going to confirm.
“Yes it was,” he said. “That’s why she was coughing and complained of chest pains. The ME said it probably happened about an hour before she died.” He licked his lips and looked at Miss Vivee. “I’m guessing you got something else? That’s why you called?”
“I may have the name of the murderer.”
“Mother!” Renmar said at the same time Brie said, “Momma!”
Brie came over and wiggled her hips to sit on the end of our bench. Miss Vivee moved over to let her in. She smiled at Miss Vivee.
“How do you know this, Momma?” Brie said.
Miss Vivee looked at me and then up at the Sheriff. “Koryn Razner told me.”
“Who is that?” Renmar and Brie said almost in unison.
“Who is it, Grandmother? What’s the name of the person that Koryn Razner gave you?” Bay spoke for the first time, interrupting Renmar and Brie’s questioning.
“His name is Darius Hamilton,” she said. “He lives in South Carolina. Don’t know what city, but I’m thinking it’s not far. His father may be a politician or prominent citizen. That might make him easier to find. And I think there may have been previous episodes of violence between him and Gemma Burke.”
“Momma!” Brie said. “What in the world!” She was grinning ear to ear. But Renmar seemed upset.
“Mother. What have you been doing? Is this what all this running around with Logan was all about? Getting information on Gemma’s death?”
Miss Vivee sucked her teeth. “Don’t be silly, Renmar. Of course it wasn’t. You think Logan would let me do something like that?” Renmar eyed me. “She took me to church, the cemetery and to the diner, just like I told you, stuffing me to the brim with Viola Rose’s horrid egg salad every time we went. And,” Miss Vivee put her head down and lowered her voice. I could feel an Oscar worthy performance coming on. “I didn’t want anyone to know, but she took me to see Mac.”
“Ma
c?” Brie clapped her hands. “That’s so good, Momma! I’m so glad you’re getting out and spending time with your friends. Renmar, isn’t that good?” Brie took Miss Vivee’s hand. “We were getting so worried about you wasting away in this house.”
Renmar stood with her mouth opened. She put her hands on her hips. “I thought you loved Viola Rose’s egg salad.”
“No one makes it like you, Renmar.” Miss Vivee said smiling.
“Enough about egg salad,” Bay said, his voice stern. He probably knew that none of what Miss Vivee said was true, but he didn’t say anything. “We’re going to have to find this Darius Hamilton and have a talk with him. Whatever was speculated before,” he looked at the Sheriff and then his mother, “that autopsy report made it clear. Gemma Burke’s cause of death has been officially classified as homicide.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Thursday Evening, AGD
I was sitting on the front porch minding my own business and for once, since first coming to Yasamee, not involved in any crimes or untruths when the FBI guy cornered me.
“What have you been doing with my grandmother?” he asked me.
“What?” I said my eyes big. “Haven’t we gone over this before? I’m not doing anything with her.” I scooted over as he muscled his way onto the swing where I was sitting. “And if you think that I’ve been manipulating Vivienne Pennywell,” I continued visibly irritated. “You don’t know your grandmother very well. She doesn’t let anyone do anything to her. She is always in control.”
He didn’t say anything for a while. Then he looked at me. “What is it between you and my grandmother? She took to you like a moth to a flame.”
“I haven’t any idea why she decided she liked me. It might have had something to do with her liking the idea that my mother thinks people are from Mars.” I gave him a sideways glance. “Believe me, though. I did not encourage her taking to me.”
“Your mother thinks what?”
Thank goodness he didn’t know anything about that.
“Nothing,” I said and licked my lips. “Your grandmother told me I had to help her. So I really didn’t have any choice. Even though at that time I didn’t know her very well, I was afraid to say no to her,” I lowered my head and glanced at him through the corner of my eye. “Plus,” I fiddled with my fingers, “I was afraid she would turn me over to you if I didn’t.”
“Turn you over?” His eyes lit up. “Oh. Have me turn you in. Because it was you-”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said waving him off. “Whatever I’ve done in the past, I have more than made amends by being nice to that little old lady in there,” I pointed toward the inside of the house. “Even if I did enjoy it. And,” I emphasized, “by helping solve a crime.”
“Speaking of which, I just got off of a call with Sheriff Haynes. He found Darius Hamilton. He lives in Melborne, South Carolina. Just across the border from Augusta. And it looks like he’s got a record. Not much of one, but still he looks more and more like our guy.”
“You found that out quickly,” I said. “So, he’s going to pick him up?”
“He can’t pick him up, yet. We don’t know if he did anything or not. Sheriff just wants to talk to him. Actually,” Bay said, “he wants me to talk to him. Lloyd doesn’t have any experience with this kind of stuff. People don’t get murdered in Yasamee.”
“Oh and do you have experience with that kind of ‘stuff’?” I asked. “Talking to murderers?”
“I have experience interrogating all kinds of criminals,” he said and winked.
“Oh,” I squeaked out in a cough. I shifted my body on the swing and inched down away from Bay. “I guess we should talk about that . . .”
“Don’t worry about it. You’re cool.”
“Really?” I said. Then I furrowed my brow. “You’re just going to forget about it?”
“About what?” he said, a mischievous smile crossed his face.
“Nothing.”
He said don’t worry about it so I was going to drop it. Let sleeping dogs lie, like my grandmother used to always say. I drew my lips in tight and held them.
“My grandmother likes you,” Bay said. “I know I said this before, but you helped her. That means a lot to me.” His eyes locked with mine and I could feel a small army of butterflies try to take flight in my stomach. “Miss Vivee is very special to me,” he said, his voice soft and low. “And anyone that’s okay with her is okay with me.”
“Thanks” I said and averted my eyes away from his. “I think.”
“And . . .” he said, drawing out the word. “I’m also letting it slide because you’re riding with me up to Melborne.”
“No I’m not!” I screeched. “Uh-uh. No way.” I folded my arms across my chest.
Why in the world would he think I’d go somewhere with him?
“Why not?”
“For one thing Darius Hamilton is a psycho-killer. I go up there and there might be a shoot-out. I’m not trying to be in the middle of that.”
“We’re just going to talk to him. There is not going to be any shoot out.” He grinned. “And if there was, I could protect you.”
“Please. Isn’t it against the rules or something for the FBI to take civilians while trailing a killer?”
“Darius Hamilton’s father is the former mayor of Melborne and is now a lawyer. His grandfather was a state senator. Lloyd told me that when he talked to the law enforcement officers over there they were very helpful. They said that Darius’ family would be helpful too, and that there wouldn’t be any problems.”
I shook my head the entire time he was talking. Even if he wasn’t going to turn me in for trespassing at Track Rock Gap, and no one was going to shoot anyone over in Melborne, I did not want to go anywhere with him. Ever.
“My grandmother wants you to go with me,” he said.
“She does not.” Bay must of inherited Miss Vivee proclivity for lying.
“Yes she does. And she told me not to take ‘No’ as an answer from you.”
“Is lying in your family’s genes? They just roll off of Miss Vivee’s tongue. Your mother . . .” I eyed him. “I don’t mean anything disrespectful about your mother. But she seems to not like telling the truth either, and now you.”
“You don’t like my family?”
“Yes. I like your family. I’m just saying.”
“C’mon,” he bumped his shoulder against mine. “Go with me. It’ll be fun.”
“My idea of fun is not hunting down killers. I like digging in dirt.”
“I could help you get permission to dig over at the Island,” he said. “It’s part of the federal-”
“I know what it’s a part of. And I already have help. Thanks.”
“What about this?” He pushed out his bottom lip and made puppy dog eyes then pointed to his face. “It always worked with my grandmother. I made this face. I got my way.”
I laughed. “I don’t believe Miss Vivee would ever fall for anything that pathetic.”
“My grandmother’s a push over. And we’re very close.” He eyed me. “Nothing she wouldn’t do for me. When I was little I spent all my time with her. She taught me all about her voodoo herbs.”
“Did she now?”
“Yeah. So if I wanted to, I could make you go to Melborne with me. In fact I could make you break out in boils. Even throw up frogs.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “All I’d have to do is go back to her greenhouse and whip up a quick little potion.”
“You are scaring me.” I laughed.
“So you’ll go?”
I started shaking my head again. “No. No, I won’t go. Nope. No way. No.” I pointed my finger at him “And here’s another one for you just for good measure. No.”
“Fine. You leave me no alternative.” His voice switched to a low, slow southern drawl. “I’mma go and fetch my handcuffs from inside.” He jerked his thumb toward the house and gave a nod. “And then me and you are gonna take a ride up to Gainesville.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Friday Morning, AGD
Miss Vivee was extra nice to me (not that she’d ever been even a little nice to me before) when she found out I was going with Bay to South Carolina. She tried to tell me what to wear and how to comb my hair.
“Miss Vivee,” I said. “We’re going to catch a killer not to prom. I don’t have to get all made up.”
We were sitting in the dining room. I was waiting for Bay and the Sheriff. They had decided to take two cars. The Sheriff would take his car in case they were bringing Darius back to put him in jail. And Bay would take his car for the two of us. I was not looking forward to riding with Bay for the hour or so there and then that same time back.
“Well you look like you’re on your way to hike up a hill. I was thinking you could charm a confession out of that Darius Hamilton,” Miss Vivee said. She puckered up her lips. “You’d need on a little lipstick for that.” She held up her tube of the pink she’d worn to the strip club.
I waved her hand away. “I don’t know what you’re up to Miss Vivee, but we both know that I’m not going to be doing any talking. I’m just going because your grandson, officer of the law that he is, blackmailed me into it.”
“He did no such thing,” she said.
“He did too. He told me if I didn’t go he’d take me back to Gainesville, toss me in jail, and throw away the key.”
She laughed.
I don’t know how she thought that was funny.
“It’s not funny,” I said. “You and your family are a bunch of criminals.”
Bay walked in. “And who are you calling a criminal,” he said.
“I didn’t mean for you to hear me say that,” I said.
“Leave her alone, Bay.” Miss Vivee stood up. “Give your old grandmother a hug.”
Bed & Breakfast Bedlam (A Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery Book 1) Page 14