by Ava Mallory
I shook my head. “No, you're fine. I'm just perplexed.” I tried to reassure her.
Margie grabbed the paper and read the headline. “He has a wife? I thought she was dead.”
“You know him?” I asked surprised.
“Sure do. He and I went to school together. I've known him since before either one of us could read.” She answered.
*
Ruby read the headline again. “What I don't understand is why this is such a big deal to you. So what if he's married?”
“It's a big deal because he didn't mention her at all. Don't you find that suspicious?” I asked.
Ruby looked at Tina. I recognized the look on her face. She thought I was overreacting. She probably had a point, but I wasn't ready to hand her a medal yet.
“A lot of people have estranged spouses. As much as we all want a happily-ever-after, that's not how life works. Anyway, what does she have to do with any of what happened in his house? Do you think the wife broke in and killed the accountant?” She asked, right before I saw her have a light bulb moment. (Thank you, Miss Winfrey!) “Whoa! Maybe she did! What if the wife killed her? It makes sense now. Let's say she used her key to get in. No one would have questioned her, right. I mean, it is her house too, right?”
Ruby was so excited. I almost hated to interrupt her, but I wanted to weigh in with what I was thinking. “Okay, Inspector Nickles, can I chime in?”
She rolled her eyes. “I suppose, but it's your fault that I have this sleuthing bug. If you hadn't have been running around solving crimes, I wouldn't be interested in helping you put the pieces of this mystery together. What's your theory?”
“I don't have a theory yet. I just want to know why no one has ever mentioned this wife and how she plays into all of this. According to her interview, she and Nathaniel weren't very close anymore. She mentioned that they were still legally married, but lived very different lives. I guess she lives in San Diego these days and only comes to town for work.” I explained.
“Work? What kind of work does she do?” Ruby asked, skimming over the article.
This was the part that was the real kicker. “Read the last paragraph.”
Ruby read it aloud. “Monica Paulson – Rich is a CPA in the greater San Diego area.” She looked at me. “She's an accountant.”
“Exactly.” I said.
Tina chimed in. “It said she was his third wife, so what are the chances that all the wives were his former accountants?”
“I guess my detective ways are rubbing off on both of you, aren't they?” I teased. “If that's true – if Nathaniel's wives were all former employees – wouldn't it make sense that the last one became jealous or enraged when he took up with this accountant?”
“Did he? Was he seeing the victim?” Ruby asked.
“I don't know, but I intend to find out.” I said.
Ruby suggested, “I think you should run all this by Charlie. He might give us some suggestions or tell us we're crazy. Either way, it will be nice to see him. What time did you want us to stop by tonight, Mercy?”
“I told Charlie to stop by around six, so why don't you and Hank show up a little before then.” I answered.
Tina giggled. “You don't want to be alone with Charlie?”
I picked a sleeping Barney up off the floor next to my feet and said, “No, it's not that. I just don't want him to get the wrong idea. It's just dinner, not a date.”
*
After four complete outfit changes, I finally settled on something I liked and not what either of my cohorts suggested: a maxi dress and sandals. I'm sorry, but I saw no point in looking like I tried too hard. I'd already had to endure hours at a salon with a girl, who was younger than my precious car, poking, prodding, snipping and stripping parts of my body I hadn't seen in years, but in the end, at least my hair looked good and both Tina and Ruby approved. What else could I ask for?
“Your phone's ringing again?” Tina reached in my bedroom doorway holding my cell phone in her hand. “And, your battery is almost dead.”
“Who is it now?” I asked, annoyed because my phone had been ringing non-stop since we'd left Ruby's house hours earlier.
I read the number and recognized it right away. “What do they want now? I thought they asked me to leave.”
“Hello.” I answered.
“Ms. Mares, why aren't you here?” Nathaniel asked.
“Um, because Lucilla asked me to leave, remember?” I answered.
“I know that, but the boy is asking for you.” He answered as if that was explanation enough.
The boy again? What was it with this man? Why was it so difficult to utter Cash's name?
“Color me confused, but I can't be there, if I don't work for you anymore. I understand that this is a very trying time for you and your employees. Perhaps, now isn't the right time to invite someone else into your home.” I said.
His voice shook. “This is not a trying time. Is it money? Do you want more more? That's an easy fix, if that's the case.”
I didn't want to mention that Lucilla had said, keeping me under his employ would be a financial burden.
“That's not it at all, but I can't imagine that you'd want to worry about paying another bill with all of the other things going on either.” I said.
“I'll have my driver pick you up first thing in the morning,” he said before hanging up.
What was it with people hanging up on me today?
I barely had time to put the phone down before Ruby poked her head in the door. “Don't get upset, but Katherine's here.”
That was it! I couldn't deal with this woman anymore.
“I don't know why all of a sudden she wants to be called Katherine and why is she here again?” I snapped, brushing past Ruby to confront her myself.
“Wow! You look marvelous. Do you have a date?” Kitty asked.
“What are you doing here? I get that you want us to be a big happy family, but quite frankly, I'm not interested. Our daughter is grown, so James and I don't need to have the same kind of connection these days. I already told him this on the phone.” I tried my best to hold my anger in, but it was difficult to contain.
With wide eyes and a smile, she said, “Oh, no, I would never ask you to stop being friends with Jimmie. Honey, I'm here to tell you that your dress fitting is scheduled for tomorrow evening. Don't worry about driving into town. I'll stop by and pick you up around five thirty.”
“Where's everybody going?” Diana stood in the doorway, holding her suitcases.
To the looney bin, honey. To the looney bin.
Chapter Six
Charlie sat back in his seat, a satisfied grin on his face. “That was delicious! I would have never figured you for an excellent cook.”
I shot a glare in his direction. “I am not only an excellent cook, but I'm also a magnificent baker and a beverage connoisseur, I'll have you know.”
James chimed in. “She's always been an excellent cook. That's one of the reasons why I married her.”
Not only had I roped myself into inviting Charlie for dinner, but I'd also had to endure a meal with my ex-husband's soon-to-be-wife, while my daughter and my three closest friends watched. Although the meal was good, the conversation kept souring. Kitty would not let up about her impending nuptials and the plethora of things she couldn't wait for me to help her out with. This woman was the epitome of impossible and, if I didn't love my home and my loved ones so much, I would consider moving to a remote island and never returning to California.
“Good cooks make for good wives,” Kitty winked at me.
“James,” I started, standing up, “this is what I was talking about.”
Most of the others seated at the table started to giggle, except for Ruby. Thank goodness for good friends.
“Time for dessert. Let's grab some plates.” Ruby ushered me around the table being careful to keep me a safe distance from Kitty. Because we were in the same room, that was no easy feat and because the tension in the a
ir ran thick, there wasn't exactly much room to navigate around her big old head.
“I can't do this,” I told Ruby.
“Yes, you can and you will. Look at James. He's happy. I know she's a little different, but keep in mind, he wouldn't have met her if it hadn't been for you, so you obviously saw some good in her at some point.” Ruby whispered.
“That was before I knew that Grandma Moses was going to try to become his bride and ruin my life with her whole big, old, happy family routine.” I may have said that a little too loudly by the looks on everyone's faces when I turned to look at them. “Sorry. I'm just under a lot of pressure and I...” I closed my eyes and wished I could take back what I'd said.
“Mom,” Diana stood up to help me with the plates. “Can you at least pretend to be nice, please?”
“You know what? I think I'll take a walk. It's been a long day. It's nice outside. I'll be back.” I left my stunned friends and family to wax poetic about whatever it was they thought I was feeling.
The truth was, I was hurt. I never thought James would find love again, not that I didn't want him to. I guess, I'd secretly hoped that he wouldn't. The fact that he'd hidden his relationship from me stung too. I thought he and I could talk about anything. It made me wonder what else I didn't know about him.
“Mercy!” James called out after me as I walked down the block. “Wait for me.”
Not now! Please, not now.
He caught up to me and asked, “What was that all about?”
A lump of emotion formed in my throat. “I don't know. I'm sorry.”
“You know, now, tell me.” He draped his arm over my shoulder in the same friendly way he always had. “Why are you mad at me? It's been nearly twenty years. I thought we moved past all this stuff by now.”
I felt like a fool. “We did. Look, it's not that I don't want you to be happy. I want you to have the best of everything, just not...”
He pulled my chin up with his hand. “Just not what?”
“With her,” I had to confess. “James, I introduced her to you. Do you know how that makes me feel?” I hated myself for going down this road with him, but we'd never lied to each other and I wasn't about to start now.
James took a step back to assess me for a moment. “Mercedes, what are you telling me?”
I knew I sounded like I expected him to spend his life waiting for me. That's not at all the way I felt. I loved him since I was in college and I always would, but what I was feeling wasn't romantic love. I didn't know how to explain it.
We'd known each other so well for so long, instead of pushing me away, he pulled me in for a tender hug and whispered, “I will always love you. That won't stop. You and Diana have been my number one for half of my life. That won't change. You'll get used to Katherine. I'll talk to her and tell her to take it down a few notches.”
“A million?” I asked.
“A million what? Notches? She's not that bad, is she?” He asked.
“No, she's worse.” I was only partially teasing. “And, what's with this Katharine stuff? When did that happen?”
He laughed. “She's been called Kitty since she was a kid. She said that it doesn't feel right anymore now that she's a grandmother.”
I knew it!
“She's a grandmother?” I wanted to jump up and down with glee. Now, I didn't feel so old.
“Be nice, Mercedes.” He warned me.
I took his arm and led him further down the sidewalk. “That makes you a grandfather.”
“No, it doesn't.” He replied immediately. “Diana is my only child and it will be years before that happens.”
“Yes, I hope you're right.” I didn't want to think about the day Diana would make us grandparents. I was too young for that and so was she.
James changed the subject. “So, what's the deal with you and Charlie? Are you dating?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that? Can't a man and a woman be friends anymore these days?” I asked, annoyed by yet another question about Charlie.
Laughter wasn't the response I was expecting. “It's okay to like him. You're a grown woman and a mighty fine catch, if I do say so myself.” James offered.
“If I'm such a great catch, why did you throw me back in the water?” I asked the question that had been weighing on my mind for years.
He stopped and considered for a moment. “People make mistakes. I didn't deserve you and, I don't care what anyone says, I'll never love another human being as much as I love you. Now, promise me that you won't be so hard on this guy. No man travels across the country to see someone, if they don't care about them or unless they owe them money.”
I didn't know how to respond. It had been a long time since I'd heard him tell me how much I meant to him and I'd never heard him say that he regretted losing me. I could have cried right where I stood.
“So, how much,” he asked.
I didn't understand his question.
“How much do you owe him?” He teased.
“I hope your beautiful brown hair turns gray overnight.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
*
Kitty was quiet for the most part the rest of the evening. She would interject, but never imposed herself on me or anyone else. I hadn't noticed James consult with her, but I was a bit distracted by my conversation with Charlie and the others about the accountant's murder.
“You're not going to get mixed up in that, are you, Mercy? One day you're going to learn to leave well enough alone. It's not your affair.” Charlie warned me, but what he didn't know was that I was indeed going to do what I could to figure out who killed Jane. After all, I was there – standing just a few yards away – when she was murdered. I felt like I carried some of the responsibility. I was so flustered by Lucilla that I'd missed something that could have saved Jane's life. As a nurse, I couldn't let that be my legacy. I had a duty, although it wasn't to protect and serve, it was to provide comfort. I couldn't comfort her, per se, but I hoped I could offer some support to her loved ones and I hoped to be able to keep young Cash safe.
“Mercy.” Charlie said sternly. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing,” I answered.
Ruby coughed.
I shot her a dirty look.
Charlie looked at James and asked, “Do you believe her?”
James started with the fake coughing too. Pretty soon, the whole room erupted in fake coughs, including three-year-old Noah. I needed new friends.
“That's enough. None of you are funny and I'm pretty sure that I'm never, ever going to invite any of you to dinner again.” I said before pretending to pout.
When we all recovered from laughing, Charlie got down to the real business. “What exactly is your plan? Do you know how this woman was murdered?”
“That's the thing, I don't know. All I know or at least I think I know is that when I walked by that room there was no one in there. Twenty minutes later, she's dead on the floor and I'm sent upstairs to watch Cash. I hadn't even been told if I was hired or not and I'm supposed to keep a ten-year-old occupied while the coroner removes a body from the study?”
“Well, I could understand them not wanting the boy to see what was going on.” Hank said.
“The boy – do you know that's how his grandfather refers to him? He never calls him by his name. I'm sure there's some psychiatric diagnosis for that. It's just so strange. Nathaniel doesn't interact with him and he can't bring himself to call him by name. Why do you suppose that is?” I directed my question to Hank.
“I wouldn't fret too much about that. They'd just been through a horrific event. He probably hasn't been in his right mind.” Hank explained.
Charlie added, “People do all sorts of things that would be considered out of the ordinary when they are in situations like this. If I remember correctly, a nurse I met made sure to nearly alienate a whole town after she witnessed a man die.”
“Hey, this isn't about me!” I warned him. We'd long ago agreed not to discuss my past issues in f
ront of strangers and, as far as I was concerned, Kitty was a stranger. For now.
James came in for the save. “Congratulations are in order.” I cringed. What is he getting at? “Mercy just got elected to head up the neighborhood association. Her sleuthing skills will come in handy after all.”
That reminded me – I still hadn't figured out a way to get out of that situation.
“What does that mean? You're neighborhood security?” Charlie laughed. “How are you going to do that if you're never home?”
“That's awesome, Mom,” Diana chimed in. “When did that happen?”