I reached in my coat pocket, and my hand closed around my car keys. “Okay then. I have shelter duty at eight, but I’m sure the animals won’t mind if we check in a little early.”
“Merow.”
We both glanced down. Toby stood there, his tail flicking to and fro. He looked at Maggie, then at me. “Merow.”
“How did you get out?” I waggled my finger at him. “Did you sneak out when Leila went in?”
Toby sat back on his haunches and purred.
“He must have missed you,” Maggie said.
“Probably. I haven’t been around much the past few days.” As if in answer, he got up, walked over, and started to rub against my ankles. “Okay, okay. You can come along. Let’s get going.”
* * *
Ten minutes later I parked my convertible near the shelter’s back door, and we all trooped up the short flight of steps. I put my key in the latch, twisted it, then frowned. “That’s odd,” I murmured. “It’s sticking. It wasn’t doing that earlier.”
“Probably the humidity,” Maggie said, fanning herself. “You know how this North Carolina weather is.”
“True.” I pushed the door open and pocketed the key. “If it keeps up, I’ll have Eddie McGee look at it,” I said as we moved inside. Toby turned toward the cattery, no doubt anxious to visit with some of his old friends and maybe make some new ones. I led the way into the breakroom, Maggie right behind me. She sat down at the small table while I opened the rear cabinet and removed a large container of coffee.
Maggie’s brow arched. “Out of pods?”
“The Keurig’s been acting up. Thank goodness for electric coffeepots. Mocha java?”
“Sounds great.”
I put some coffee on to brew. I opened the small refrigerator and found some brownies leftover from yesterday. I put two on a plate and pushed them in front of Maggie. She picked one up and bit into it hungrily.
“Oh, man,” she mumbled around bites. “This is so good.” The smile she shot me was sheepish. “I’m afraid I haven’t eaten much these past two days. Or slept either.”
She devoured the first brownie and was halfway through the second one when the coffee was ready. I poured her a large mug, poured coffee into a smaller one for myself, and then sat down across from her, wrapping my hands around my mug. Maggie finished the second brownie and took several sips of her coffee before she pushed her mug off to the side.
“I came to the event,” she said softly, “because I’d gotten a call earlier from a woman who said that it was imperative that Ulla speak to me. I started to hang up on her, but she said that Ulla had recently gone through a personal crisis. Part of her therapy was making amends with people she’d wronged, and I was on that list. She said that it was important for Ulla’s recovery that she speak to me, tell me how sorry she was for what she’d done in the past. She said that even if I couldn’t forgive her, at this juncture in her therapy it was important for Ulla to forgive herself, and apologizing was one way for her to do that.”
“Did this woman give a name?”
“No. She just said she was Ulla’s personal assistant.”
“It must have been Savannah. Go on.”
“I listened to what she had to say, and then I told her that I was very sorry, but I didn’t think that I could do that. I hung up but then I got to thinking. After all, Ulla had done the shelter a large favor, pinch-hitting for Dudley Simmons like that, even if she did have an underlying motive. And she did agree to have a portion of her sales come to the shelter, so …” Maggie’s shoulders lifted. “I don’t know, I thought maybe by doing this I’d be the bigger person, you know? Anyway, I decided to stop by just for a few minutes before I went to the nursing home. When I saw the crowd, I almost turned around and came back, but then I remembered the back entrance, so I went around the rear. I saw all the cameras, and the people coming in and out of that back door and—I almost left right then.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head, “I didn’t. But in retrospect, maybe I should have.”
Maggie picked up her mug and started to drink more coffee. I took a sip from my mug, set it on the counter, then folded my arms and waited for her to continue. At length, she set the mug back down and sighed.
“Where was I? Oh, yeah—I almost chickened out, but then I figured I’d just go in and get it over with, hear what she had to say. I followed some guys carrying what looked like sound equipment in. There were a ton of people around. I started to lose my nerve, and I ducked into that big room, the one where everybody had put their things, and something brushed against my ankles. I looked down and saw Annie Reilly. She must have figured out how to open the latch on her carrier.”
“Yes, we found her loose in there. The lock needs to be fixed. Go on.”
“Well, I wasn’t sure just what to do, and I was starting to lose my nerve. First I tried to coax Annie back in her carrier, but she went and hid under one of the counters in there, and I figured she was probably scared, that she’d come out when she was good and ready, so I left. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to speak to Ulla anyway, let alone forgive her, and I probably never could—at least that’s what I told myself. I went outside and got in my car and then, dammit, I figured that I was being a coward. That the only way to put all this behind me was to face her and have it out, once and for all. Just as I started to go back, the ambulance pulled up. Honest, for a second my heart stopped. I wasn’t sure what had happened or what to do. Then some people saw the ambulance, and before I knew it, there was a whole crowd there. I was debating sticking around or leaving, when the door opened and they wheeled Ulla out. I left right after they carted her off.” She ducked her head. “You know what was really funny? I felt bad when I saw her on that stretcher. For maybe one or two minutes, I actually regretted not sticking around and speaking to her.”
We were both silent for several minutes, and then I reached out and covered Maggie’s hand with my own. “Do you want to tell me what happened between the two of you back in high school? What made the two of you hate each other so much?”
Maggie expelled a long breath. “It’s a long story—and complicated.”
I leaned back and crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ve got no place special to be.”
Maggie gnawed at her lower lip, then held out her mug. “I’m going to need another cup. Too bad you haven’t got anything stronger to put in it.”
“Actually … I might.” I scraped back my chair, went over to the cabinet by the sink, and opened the lower right-hand door. I reached inside and pulled out a medium-sized bottle. “Kat got this Bailey’s from Mrs. Brandon as a thank-you for her little Chihuahua, Roxie, and she never brought it home. I could whip us up some Irish coffee. I won’t tell Kat if you don’t.”
Maggie made a crossing motion over her heart. “Deal.”
I poured hot coffee into two mugs and added a shot of sugar and a shot of Bailey’s to both. There was a small can of whipped cream in the fridge because Vi liked that in her coffee instead of regular milk. I added a squirt to both and then brought the mugs back to the table. We each picked up one and clinked them in the air.
“Cheers.”
We both took a sip, and Maggie coughed lightly. “You’ve got a heavy hand with that Bailey’s. But it’s good.”
Maggie set her mug down and rubbed at her eyes with the tips of her fingers. “You know how it is in high school,” she began. “I was in with the popular crowd, and Ulla wasn’t. She was Ulla Beckman back then, and her hair was frizzy; her clothes were hand-me-downs; and she came from the south side of town. She was easy prey for the in crowd, and, boy, did we let her have it, hammer and tongs. Looking back, though, on some of the things she did to us …” Maggie shook her head. “She went above and beyond ‘mean.’ ”
I sipped my laced coffee and leaned back. “How, exactly?”
“Well, she snuck into my sweet sixteen party and slipped a fifth of vodka into the punch
.”
“That is bad. You could have gotten in a lot of trouble.”
“I did. Ulla always made sure there were no witnesses around when she pulled her pranks, and if there were, she threatened them within an inch of their lives. She’d pasted another label over the real one and left the bottle where I’d be sure to pick it up, so my fingerprints were all over it. Of course, I protested my innocence, but I was blamed anyway, and I got suspended for two weeks. At that I was lucky. I think the principal believed me to a point, because I could have been expelled for sure.”
I shook my head. “I can see why you’d nurse a grudge.”
“She pulled other so-called pranks on kids that she felt had been mean to her. And she didn’t just torment the girls in our class—it trickled down to juniors and sophs too. I remember one girl, Cathy MacGregor. She made fun of her all the time, said she was the only girl with worse hair and clothes than her. Cathy was also skinny as a rail and petite. Ulla took delight in bullying her. Once she tripped her during a rainstorm so that all her schoolbooks fell in a puddle. It completely ruined her homework; Cathy got detention for a week. Of course, once Cathy’s dad started to rake in the dough, the green-eyed monster took over, and she hated her more than ever. It’s a good thing Cathy’s dad put her in that fancy private school. Otherwise, who knows? She might have ended up like …”
“Like Madelyn Griggs?” I prompted as Maggie fell silent.
“You heard about that?” Maggie shook her head. “Poor Madelyn. She was the sweetest thing. She was frail and prone to colds. Well, Ulla switched her cold medicine with prescription medicine, and it threw Maddie’s equilibrium all off. She ended up driving her car right into a tree. Her car was totaled, and she suffered some pretty serious injuries. And, of course, no one could prove Ulla had a damn thing to do with it. I think her father knew, though, because shortly after, the whole family up and moved. Guess he figured he’d better get her out of town before she killed one of us.” Her lips twisted into a wry grin. “The ironic thing? Maddie always used to defend Ulla. Said that she’d had a tough life. Can you imagine?”
“Did you ever hear Ulla call Maddie by a nickname? Specifically, Miggs?”
Maggie frowned. “No, but it sounds like something Ulla would do. Why?”
“Because according to her assistant, Ulla was frantic to get in touch with someone she referred to as Miggs.”
“It could have been Maddie. Probably was. Of all the people Ulla wronged, she would have wanted to beg her forgiveness the most, especially if she knew Maddie spent the rest of her life as practically a vegetable.” She gazed out into space for a few minutes and then murmured, “I wonder what ever happened to her.”
“I know. She’s dead.”
Maggie jerked herself upright. “What?”
“She’s dead. She’d been in a convalescent home for several years, and she died a few months ago. Grace Topping’s cousin MaeAnn told me.”
“MaeAnn. That figures. She was always first with the latest gossip.” Maggie flexed her fingers, then clasped them tightly. “I’m sorry to hear Maddie died. She survived the accident, but any semblance of an actual life ended that day. She was a bright girl too. It’s such a shame. Such a waste.”
“I agree. You know Maddie had a sister, right?”
Maggie nodded. “Yes. Laura. She was only a kid when all this went down.”
“Do you think she’d be the type who would want to seek revenge for her sister?”
Maggie’s eyes widened. “Why, I honestly don’t know. Why do you ask that?”
“Ulla died from an allergic reaction to apitoxin. Whoever killed her had to know about her specific condition. Her allergy to bee venom.”
“MaeAnn, Maddie, and I were all in the lab that day the bee flew in. Lord, you would have thought her pants were on fire, she carried on so,” Maggie said. “Ulla swore us all to silence but … it’s possible that Maddie might have mentioned the incident to Laura. They were very close despite the difference in age.” She reached up with her fingertips to massage her temple. “I imagine the fact I knew about her allergy puts me on the suspect list, right?”
“Well, that coupled with your history with Ulla and the fact that you snuck into the signing and then vanished right after she collapsed doesn’t exactly put you in a favorable light.”
Maggie raked both hands through her hair. “I know, I know. In retrospect, taking off like that wasn’t too bright, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t.” On an impulse, I grabbed my phone. “Do you remember what Laura Griggs looked like?”
“I only saw her once. Not bad looking, as I recall. Very thin. Why?”
“Look at these two pictures.” I called up images of both Candy Carmichael and Savannah. “Could either of those two be a grown-up Laura?”
Maggie took my phone and squinted at the screen. “Of course, a lot of time has gone by. Either of these girls could be, I guess, but …” she pointed to Candy’s photo. “If I had to pick one, maybe her. The shape of the face is right, and so is the coloring.” She handed me the phone and then glanced at her watch. “It’s getting late. What do you think? Should I go down to the station now and see Will, or can it wait until morning? And should I give my lawyer a call?”
“I doubt that you would be charged with anything yet, but it doesn’t hurt to talk to your lawyer,” I said. “I’m sure that you could do all this in the morning. You should get some rest. Let me just feed the animals, and I’ll drive you home.”
“I can help. It will probably take my mind off all this.” Maggie’s hand shot out and covered mine. “If I haven’t told you before, let me say now what a good friend you are, Syd McCall.”
“Back at ya, Maggie Shayne. You’d do the same for me or Kat, I know.”
We linked arms and walked into the cattery. The first thing that caught my eye was Toby, on the far side of the room. He was on his back, trying to chew at something he held between his paws. Something shiny.
I walked over slowly. “Hey, Tobes, what have you got there?” I asked. I knelt and gently pried the object from his paws. Even covered in cat saliva, the bullet-shaped charm on Ulla’s necklace shone brightly in the overhead light.
I looked sharply at Toby and dangled the necklace in front of him. “Where did you get this?” I demanded. Toby looked at me, then seemed to shrug. He rolled over on his side and began to purr.
Maggie was beside me, looking anxious. “Is something wrong, Syd?” Her gaze traveled to the necklace, and she gasped. “Goodness, is that what he was playing with? Where did he get it? It looks expensive.”
“It’s Ulla’s. It’s been missing.” I turned the necklace over in my hand. Sissy had said she’d looked and couldn’t find it. Had she somehow missed it? I looked quickly around the room but didn’t see anything out of place. I looked back at Toby. “Too bad you can’t talk,” I murmured, “and tell me just where you found this.”
Toby rolled over, blinked, then let out a sleepy yawn.
While Maggie fed the cats, I dialed Will’s number. Voicemail again, darn it! I told him quickly about the necklace and asked him to call me as soon as he got my message. Then I took the necklace back into my office and locked it in my desk drawer.
Between Maggie and me, it didn’t take long to finish feeding the animals, so it was just a little past eight when I locked up and we all trooped out to my car. Maggie slid into the passenger seat, and Toby stretched out full length across the back. We drove in silence to Maggie’s, the only sound being Toby’s contented snoring. I pulled up in front and looked at Maggie.
“First thing tomorrow, you should go to the station. Do you want me to go with you?”
She hesitated, then shook her head. “No. I can do this. After all, I had nothing to do with Ulla’s death.”
I reached out and squeezed her hand. “I believe you. But if you need anything—anything at all—call me.”
I watched as she went up the steps, unlocked the door, and turned on the living roo
m light. I sat in my car for a few minutes, replaying the events of this jam-packed day in my mind. Means, motive, and opportunity. On paper, it appeared Maggie had two of the three. So did a few others. The telltale factor was who had the means? Who could have switched Ulla’s lip gloss out for one containing bee venom? If Candy was Laura, she would have it all—means, motive, and opportunity. And her motive would definitely trump Maggie’s.
I turned the key in the ignition and was halfway down the block when flashing lights in my rear-view mirror caught my eye. I pulled over and watched as a cop car drew up in front of Maggie’s house. When I saw both Charlie Callahan and Will get out and start up the front steps, my heart went down right to my toes. I held my breath and kept watching. A few minutes later they came out, Maggie between them. She got into the back seat of the sedan, and then it pulled away. I ducked my head as the car sailed past me, lights still flashing.
I felt nausea boil up inside my stomach, and I pulled away from the curb, careful to keep a little distance between my car and theirs. I figured the police would hone in on Maggie eventually, but I’d hoped she would have been the one to go to them rather than the other way around. At least it hadn’t been Charlie Callahan by himself, I thought. Maggie wouldn’t react well to the man’s abrasive attitude. When the sedan made a left at the intersection, I turned in the opposite direction, my thoughts in a whirl, certain of only one thing.
I had to find out who murdered Ulla Townsend—and fast. Because if I didn’t, there was a very good chance that Maggie might spend the rest of her life in jail for a crime she didn’t commit.
Chapter Twenty-One
I spent a restless night tossing and turning. At one point, I must have knocked Toby off the bed, because I heard a sharp meow and then felt something catapult itself on top of my feet. When I fell asleep at last, it was to dream of Ulla holding a giant necklace and pleading for justice. Ken and Cathy Colgate, Savannah, Candy Carmichael, and Wendy were all clustered around her, laughing. Off to the side stood a shadowy figure. When I glanced its way, it raised a hand and pointed at Ulla. I gasped as I realized that the figure’s arm was bony like a skeleton’s! I woke in a cold sweat and immediately threw back the covers, grabbed my robe, and headed for the bathroom. Sometimes you really need a cold shower.
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