Booty Bones: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery

by Carolyn Haines

  “How did you know that, Sarah Booth?” Tinkie shot me one long, suspicious look.

  “I don’t know.” I feigned innocence. “Maybe Madame Tomeeka isn’t the only psychic in Zinnia.”

  “So does Jitty tell you secrets when you talk to her?”

  I had to improvise and quickly. Once my partner was on a scent, she didn’t let go. “I read about the little girl in some of Alice’s letters in the attic. When I was researching the whole history of the Richmonds and Falcons. Jitty was bought from another plantation to be a playmate for Alice’s older sister, who later died of rheumatic fever.”

  “Isn’t that a strange coincidence? It’s almost as if you were led here to Dauphin Island,” Angela mused.

  I didn’t mention the fact that when I was looking for a place for Graf to recuperate, I’d walked away from my computer, only to find the Dauphin Island Web site had been pulled up when I returned. Jitty had no corporeal powers—at least I didn’t think so.

  “Everything happens for a reason,” Snill said. “Now the bad guys and gal are behind bars, Randy Chavis is going to be acting chief deputy until the governor can appoint a sheriff, and I have found a buyer for the Miss Adventure. Let’s see if we can find the treasure before life blows up again.”

  “Look!” Angela focused out the window with the spyglass. “I see where it would be. That’s where Dad indicated the shore used to be back in the day of Couteau.”

  Snill took the glass from her. “By damn, that would have been the perfect place to bring a treasure almost to shore and sink it, except for the damage done by hurricanes in recent years. Katrina cut the westernmost tip off the island, and Isaac came close to severing another part. Couteau couldn’t possibly have foreseen the damage that man and nature could do to his paradise. So he sneaked the treasure close to the shore. I’m sure he meant to retrieve it. And he marked the spyglass so that it could be matched with the message. What a brilliant man!”

  “Let’s take the Miss Adventure,” Angela said. “I’m a certified diver. I can see if there’s anything hidden. If there is, we can make the necessary plans to bring it up.”

  “What fun!” Tinkie all but clapped her hands. She was ready for another adventure at sea. You could knock my partner down, but you couldn’t keep her on the floor. I was a different kettle of fish.

  “Y’all treasure hunt as much as you want. I’ll stay here with Sweetie and Pluto.” I’d had enough sailboats to last me the rest of my life. I had no intention of ever putting foot on another one.

  “Are you sure?” Tinkie asked. “She shouldn’t be alone.” She spoke to the group.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, I’m fine. I’m not going to hurl myself off the parapets of the fort. Even if I did, it’s not much of a drop.” My efforts brought forth some smiles. “I really don’t want to climb aboard a boat for a long, long time.”

  “I understand that.” Angela patted my arm. “We’ll be back in an hour.”

  “I’m walking to town,” I said. Graf had taken the SUV when he left, but I had a ride to New Orleans with Tinkie, who would take me back to Dahlia House after the ball.

  For now, I wanted solitude so that I could tell the island—and many of my dreams—good-bye. It was going to be a crystal-clear October morning. The last of the month. The beginning of a new life for me. “I need to be alone, and walking helps me think.”

  “Meet us at the marina,” Tinkie said.

  “Will do.”

  They hurried away from the old fort, and I took one last walk around the fortress that had seen so much heartbreak and conflict.

  Hurricane Margene had blown through without much damage. The power was already restored. No lives and little property were lost. The rhythm of normal island life resumed. Not so true for me.

  Sweetie fell in beside me as I walked. We rounded a corner, and she began to bark. I wasn’t surprised when I came upon the figure of a slender woman in a black tasseled cowgirl outfit, complete with black shiny boots and a black cowboy hat with a veil. Cowgirl widow.

  “Dale? Dale Evans, is that you?” The woman looked just like the wife of my favorite childhood cowboy, Roy Rogers.

  “Not Dale Evans, but another singin’ widow.”

  My brain was in no condition for Jitty’s high jinks. “Spill it. Who are you?”

  “I’m a faux widow.” She spoke with a Southern drawl. “I wasn’t really married to Hank when he died. Fact is, he’d married that Billie Jean Jones. I paid her thirty thousand dollars, which was a right smart amount of money at the time, for her to quit callin’ herself his widow. That title was rightfully mine.”

  “Another hint, please.” I could almost place her.

  “Nicknamed my son Bocephus.”

  “Miss Audrey!” I had her. Wife of Hank Williams Sr.

  “If we’d stayed married, I might have kept him from the bottle.”

  Given what I knew of her life, I didn’t think that was an accurate prediction, but who was I to question a ghost. “It must’ve been fun, traveling and singing with the Drifting Cowboys.”

  “We didn’t have air-conditioned tour buses and fancy hotel rooms. Hank loved the music. That’s what kept us on tour.”

  “Why are you here, Jitty? I know who you are. I know your history.”

  “I’m here for you, Sarah Booth. Married, divorced—it doesn’t matter if you love a man. You’ll grieve for him when he’s gone.”

  I couldn’t discuss Graf with her. Not yet. I’d rather she goad and torment me than offer widow’s weeds and condolences. “We’re each set upon a path. For a time, Graf’s and mine ran parallel. Now they don’t.” I fought to maintain my calm. “Thank you for letting me see your past, your royal highness.” If I teased her, I wouldn’t cry.

  “In another country, at another time, I would have had a very different life.”

  “Instead, you worked and fought for survival at the side of a woman whose family paid cash for you. I’m sorry, Jitty.”

  “Truth is, Sarah Booth, the Delaney family gave me a childhood. And my best friend, Miss Alice. That wasn’t true for a lot of slaves, but for me, I had a real family. My mama and daddy were dead and gone. Wasn’t no bringin’ them back. But having Miss Alice and her family, and later Coker, that was a good life.”

  “Did you know you were a pirate’s daughter?”

  “Not for many years. Alice told me one day when we were in the field digging for potatoes. We were about to starve, and she took my mind off my growling stomach by telling me the story of Armand and LuAnn. Of course, she spiced it up and made it a lot more romantic. Accordin’ to Miss Alice, their love woulda overcome all obstacles, had Armand lived.”

  “And maybe it would have.”

  “Yes, maybe it would.” Jitty was so sad. We were both missing things that could never be returned to us. “So what will you do now, Sarah Booth?”

  It was a question I dreaded. “Go to New Orleans and attend the Black and Orange Ball. I owe Cece that much. And Tinkie. She would miss it for me, but I won’t ask that. Then I’ll go home to Dahlia House. After that…” I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Can you forgive Graf?”

  “What’s to forgive? He has a child. We both agree Katlyn is his first priority. It’s strange how life changes so drastically in one moment. The split second my parents died, that shift in consciousness when Graf learned he was a father. It’s like the twist of a kaleidoscope. A completely different picture from one moment to the next.”

  “Some women wouldn’t be so philosophical about it.”

  I knew what she meant, but what was the point of anger? It wouldn’t change the facts or the way I’d learned about them. “This wasn’t some trap Graf set or some scheme he cooked up. He was sandbagged as much as I was. I only wish he’d told me sooner.”

  “Speaking the hard truth has never been a man’s strong suit.” She laughed. “He did come to save you. I know he loves you.”

  I thought about Coleman Peters, who had also loved
me. “Sometimes love isn’t enough.”

  “And sometimes it’s just the right amount.” She laughed. “Let’s stroll into town. You done good on this case. Freed an innocent man and put two criminals behind bars.”

  “Lost a fiancé and gained a royal haint.” I patted my leg, and Sweetie fell into step. Pluto, always an aristocrat, sashayed in front of us. “I have to call the wedding officiant and cancel the wedding.”

  “Probably a good thing to do.” Jitty fell into step beside me. “I’ll walk a ways with you, Sarah Booth. Just for the company.”

  For those who couldn’t see Jitty, I was just another crazy cat/dog lady ambling along the beach. Maybe, in my heart, that was who I needed to be for the moment.

  * * *

  “You look absolutely marvelous, dah-link!” Cece walked around me, pulling at the beautiful black and orange gown that Graf had found for me on Rodeo Drive. She tugged a strap and tucked a stray curl into place, straightening the black opal necklace that she insisted I wear “for luck.”

  We were in the lovely hotel suite Cece had arranged for us. The Black and Orange Ball was almost upon us. My most personal wish was to be left alone so I could have a good crying fit, but that would have to wait.

  “You do look stunning,” Tinkie said. Even with her five-inch stilettos, she only came to my chest.

  “And both of you are gorgeous.” They were. Cece had imported a gown from a chic New York designer, and Tinkie’s dress was made by Sunflower County’s finest seamstress, a woman whose creations rivaled any designer in the world.

  “Now tell me again what Angela found at the bottom of the ocean?” Cece was like a child when it came to pirate’s treasure.

  “Spanish gold, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and silver. Estimated at approximately ten million. She’s a wealthy woman.” Tinkie checked it off on her fingers. “Can you believe it? Her father was right all along.”

  “And she managed to bring the treasure up, with Snill’s and Commissioner Roundtree’s help, without a big hullabaloo. The delicate ecology of Dauphin Island is safe, at least for now.” That was the part I was proud of. Angela had done the impossible and kept a low profile about the treasure.

  “Can you say ironic,” Tinkie said. “Phyllis killed to keep the treasure secret, and Angela managed to bring it up without a single person catching on. She’ll never tell where she found it.”

  “Is she really donating it to the legal fund to help people falsely accused?” Cece was itching to cover the story.

  “Most of it. She has a few other charities. And she promised Delaney Detective Agency a very hefty fee.” Tinkie gave me a high five. “We can invest in some needed equipment and have a nest egg for the lean times.”

  “Does Oscar know about the whole boat and near-death-in-a-hurricane episode?” Cece asked.

  “No, and I don’t see a reason to tell him.” Tinkie bounced onto the bed. “No point stirring up hornets with a short stick, as Aunt Loulane would say. Now enough shoptalk—let’s focus on the ball. This is so exciting, Cece! You’ve done a marvelous job yet again.”

  “And Sarah Booth’s surprise still awaits.” Cece and Tinkie giggled like schoolgirls.

  “I’ve ordered room service for Sweetie, Pluto, and Chablis.” Tinkie always took care of the small details.

  “Pluto hasn’t eaten since Graf … left.” The damned cat was making me crazy.

  “Yes, he’s down in the dumps.” Tinkie scratched him under the chin. “It’s a good thing Chablis was here to rouse Sweetie’s spirits.”

  “And the case is wrapped up?” Cece was impressed.

  “Benson confessed to everything and identified Phyllis Norris as John’s killer. He also gave a statement that she shot Lydia Clampett and her brother Remy Renault. There are a lot of legal twists and turns Wofford will have to take, but his name will be cleared. That’s what Angela wanted more than any treasure.” Angela had saved the man of her dreams, and I had lost mine.

  “A case wrapped up in minimal time. We are celebrating tonight. Remember, Cece has promised you a surprise.”

  “I can’t wait.” I forced out the words with a smile, which earned me a hug from my two best friends.

  “Always game,” Cece said. “But I promise, this will lift your spirits. In fact, Madame Tomeeka and Millie are in charge of your surprise. They’re making sure … all needs are met.”

  Despite the fact that my heart was dragging behind me, they’d piqued my curiosity. “I believe it’s showtime. Let’s get downstairs so I can find out what you’ve been holding out on me.”

  The clock on the dressing table of the elegant room chimed the hour. It was ten o’clock on Halloween. The Black and Orange Ball had officially begun.

  “I have to receive my guests.” Cece fluttered out the door.

  “Ready?” Tinkie asked.

  I really wasn’t. “Let me use the lady’s room. You go ahead. Oscar is waiting for you.”

  Tinkie was far too smart for me, but she was also compassionate. “You’ll come down, won’t you?”

  “I promise. I just don’t want to walk in right this minute. There’s always such a procession.” And I had expected to do this as Graf’s bride.

  “I know. The high-society ladies like to be seen.” She kissed my cheek. “If you aren’t down in half an hour, I’m going to drag you, and I promise I will make a huge scene.”

  “I wouldn’t disappoint my friends. I just need a moment to gather myself.”

  “Thirty minutes.” She walked out the door, her gown trailing behind her.

  Sweetie gave a low moan, and I went to the bed and stroked her silky ears. Pluto rubbed against me, and I gave him the black portion of my gown to hide any kitty hairs he might leave behind. “We’ll be okay,” I promised them. “It’s hard, but we can survive.”

  Sweetie licked my hand, her eyes sadder than I could ever remember.

  “Survival isn’t an option. It’s a command performance.”

  I recognized the voice from National Velvet, Butterfield Eight, Cleopatra, and a host of other movies. Liz Taylor stood in the center of the room. She looked as if she’d stepped off the 1958 film set of Tennessee Williams’s wonderful play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Except she wore black.

  She was in mourning. Another widow.

  “You can give it a rest,” I told her. “Graf isn’t dead, but he might as well be. He’s just as gone.”

  “I’m dead, and I’m not gone.”

  She had a point. “Why did I have to go through all of this? I could have walked away from Graf back in the beginning. I could have spared myself all of this pain. What’s the point of loving someone only to lose them?”

  Liz’s beautiful violet eyes shone with tears. “Widowed at twenty-six.”

  “And married eight times.” I knew my scandal stats, but I also had deep compassion for the glamorous movie star. She’d loved—and lost—more than once, yet she’d never stopped trying. “Why is it so hard to love someone?”

  “Love requires vulnerability. That’s an uncomfortable place for most of us. We end up there, and then we begin to fight it.”

  “You make it sound so hopeless.”

  “Humans are complex.” Her long eyelashes fluttered against her cheek. When she looked at me again, the sadness was palpable. “Never forget that he loves you, Sarah Booth. He does. But he can’t hold on to you and himself at the same time. Not right now.”

  “He has a child.” That hurt. I couldn’t deny it. At last I’d admitted that I wanted a child with Graf. Now that we weren’t together, it wouldn’t happen. Yet he had a daughter.

  “A child with another woman.” Liz put it on the line. “Hard to forget that.”

  “I could love Katlyn. I told him I could, and I meant it.”

  “Yes, that’s true.” She turned her profile to me. “You have a generous heart. But there was a time when you couldn’t open it for Graf.”

  “In the beginning—”

  “Everything in life
is timing, Sarah Booth. Whether it’s a great movie role or a love affair. Seems to me you’ve had your share of crossroads where you picked one path over another. Just like me.”

  “That may be true, but it doesn’t make this any easier.”

  “Everything ends. Even the most remarkable childhood.” The first hint of Jitty began to peak through the Liz disguise. “A great heart can’t stop loving.”

  I tried to pinpoint which play or film her line was from, but I had to concede that it was strictly from Jitty’s heart.

  Liz morphed into my wonderful haint. “Now get your butt down to that party. There’s a surprise waitin’ for you if you’d only be smart enough to enjoy it.”

  “But—”

  It was too late. Jitty disappeared just as the door of the hotel room opened. A tall, handsome man stood in the doorway, his blond hair cut to perfection. There was something familiar about him. And then I saw his electric-blue eyes. He hadn’t touched me, but the riff of a blues tune raced up my spine.

  “Sarah Booth, Tinkie said I would find you here.”

  “Scott?” I couldn’t believe it. Scott Hampton was a phenomenal blues musician and a man I’d fallen hard for—and walked away from—in my past. “What are you doing here?”

  “Playing the ball. Cece hired me.”

  “How did she find you? Last I heard, you were touring in Europe.”

  His grin reminded me of all the reasons I’d fallen for him. “I bought that blues club in Zinnia. Playin’ the Bones. I’m tired of the road. Tired of living like a nomad. That time we spent together was the closest to feeling at home I’ve ever come. I figured I’d give Sunflower County a chance, see if my roots would grow there.”

  He could have knocked me over with a feather. “I’m glad.” And I was.

  “Cece and Tinkie filled me in on the pirate’s booty. You’re building up quite the successful career as a private investigator.”

  And I was sure they’d filled him in on plenty of other things as well. “Yes, I’ve been busy.”

  He indicated the bottle of Jack Daniels beside the ice bucket. “Let me make you a drink, and then we should repair to the ballroom. Cece will skin me if I’m not there to perform on time. And you too. They sent me to fetch you.”