Knot of This World

by Mary Marks

  Andre continued. “Would you give me his number?”

  “I don’t feel comfortable with that. Jazz has been through a lot lately. How about I give him your number? If he’s interested, he’ll call you. Will that work for you?”

  Andre smiled. “Sure. Thanks.”

  We arrived at Sulphur Mountain Road at 11:30. Five minutes later we turned left onto the driveway marked by the Mystical Feather Society sign. Andre asked me to park next to the bookstore and tea shoppe. Three other cars were also parked there. A red Hyundai, a sheriff’s black-and-white, and the CSI van sat in a neat row.

  “Looks like forensics is still processing the grave,” I said.

  “I wonder why they’re taking this long. We found the body three days ago.” The door to the bookstore was unlocked. He held it open and, in a gesture of chivalry, indicated I should enter first.

  The shop was empty except for Little Fawn sitting to our right in the bookstore side of the shop. Her white robe contrasted sharply with the purple velvet upholstery. She looked up when the bell over the door tinkled, and a wave of relief washed over her face once she realized who we were. “Is that you, Freddy? I was worried bad when you were arrested. Did the police make you shave your beard? Are you back for good?”

  “First of all, I wasn’t arrested or charged with anything yet. They only detained me for questioning. Second of all, the beard was part of a disguise. I shaved it off because I no longer need to hide behind it.”

  “Disguise? What disguise?”

  Andre and I walked over to the chairs and sat with the girl. “You’re the first person at Mystical Feather to find out my real identity. My name isn’t Freddy Pea.”

  Little Fawn’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed an O.

  Andre continued. “My real name is Andre Polinskaya. My mother is Eugenie St. Germain, and she’s very much alive. My grandmother is Madam Natasha St. Germain.”

  The girl gasped. “For real? Then that would make you Royal’s what? Cousin?”

  “Nephew.”

  “Everybody thinks the body you uncovered is Eugenie. But if you say your mother is still alive, then who’s buried in that grave down the hill?”

  “We don’t know yet.” He briefly scanned the room. “I’m glad to see you’re still working here.”

  “Claytie Tolliver asked me to keep this place open while you were gone. Poor guy. He’s trying to run things now that Royal’s gone.”

  “How’s he doing?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “All’s I know is he asked me to look after the bookstore.”

  Andre excused himself and went through the door in the back leading to his office. Two minutes later, he strode through the door and over to where we sat. “Little Fawn, the laptop that was on my desk is gone. Who took it?”

  “It’s gone? I never noticed. Ever since Claytie asked me to keep working here, nobody’s bothered to come down from the commune.”

  “So you’ve been alone in the bookshop every day?” I asked.

  “Yeah. We don’t get as many visitors during the week.”

  “When was the last time you saw the computer?” Andre scowled.

  Little Fawn wrung her hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was supposed to do anything with it.” She looked from me to Andre and back again. “Was I supposed to?”

  “It’s important we find the computer.” Andre’s voice carried an edge. “Think back.”

  “Okay.” She sank back into the plush purple upholstery and closed her eyes. “Sunday afternoon I left the bookstore before you did and went back up the hill.”

  “Right. It was still here when I locked up on Sunday afternoon. What happened after I left?”

  Little Fawn opened her eyes and looked at us. “When we heard the police sirens, Claytie told us to stay together in the dining hall while he went down to find out what was going on. Some of the deputies escorted him back to the dining hall and took statements from each of us.”

  “Did you hear anyone say who the victim could be?”

  “Like I said, everyone thought it was Eugenie.”

  “Go on,” I urged. “When did Claytie ask you to work in the bookstore?”

  “The next morning. Claytie looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep. He asked if I would manage the bookstore and teahouse for him until all the legal stuff was settled.” She smiled. “Not everyone thinks I’m just a dumb little kid. Anyways, he handed me the key and told me, ‘Carry on as usual.’ And that’s what I’ve been doing.”

  “Think,” Andre urged gently. “Did you see the laptop when you opened the bookstore Monday morning?”

  Little Fawn sat silently for a minute. “It must’ve still been there because everything else was the same as we left it the day before.”

  “Are you sure? Try to picture yourself in the back room Monday morning. Do you see the computer?

  “I want to help, I really do. But to tell you the truth, I just didn’t notice. The computer was your thing, not mine, so I never thought about it.”

  Andre frowned. “That’s not entirely true, is it? You thought enough about the computer to use my password and show Martha a file.”

  The girl’s cheeks reddened, and her voice was defiant. “So what if I did? I’m not dumb, you know. I think that file shows you were stealing money from Mystical Feather.”

  I interrupted their discussion before it escalated. “Yes and no, Little Fawn. You were very clever to notice that someone was using funds inappropriately, but it couldn’t have been Andre. He’s only been here six months, and that file goes back a year.”

  “Oh.” She spoke softly.

  “Did you mention the file to anyone else besides me?” I asked.

  “I may have said something in the dining hall before the deputies came to interview us.”

  “This is important, Little Fawn.” Andre leaned forward and pinned her to her seat with a severe stare. “Who, exactly, heard you mention the file?”

  She swallowed. “Do you think the same person who killed Royal also took the laptop?”

  “Yeah. It’s possible.” Andre kept staring at her with the same intensity. “So, who heard you talking?”

  Tears gathered in Little Fawn’s eyes. “Everyone heard me talk about that file.” She looked at me and her chin trembled. “I know you asked me to keep the information to myself, but when we heard they arrested Freddy—er, Andre—I thought it would be okay to tell the others.”

  “Well, obviously it wasn’t,” Andre snapped at the girl.

  “I’m sorry. I really am.” Something about the tone of her voice rang false. I suspected that underneath her tears, the girl had been proud to be the bearer of juicy gossip.

  The mystery deepened with each new revelation: St. Germain’s murder, the body on the hill, and the financial crimes. What was the relationship between them? I wondered if Little Fawn realized that by admitting she read the file, she might’ve put herself in danger. “Listen, sweetie. I’m concerned for your safety being all alone down here. Do you have a friend in Mystical Feather? One who can hang around with you in the bookstore?”

  She reached for a tissue in the pocket of her apron and dabbed at her eyes. “Yeah. I could ask White Raven to keep me company.”

  “Excellent choice.” Andre must’ve seen the confusion on my face. “White Raven is the oldest member here. He’s eighty.”

  “I think I know who you mean.” I had seen only one person here who might fit the description. “Isn’t he the one who works in the kitchen and walks around nude? How much help could he be in case someone comes after Little Fawn?”

  The corner of Andre’s mouth curled in a half-smile. “He practices yoga every day. He’s also got a black belt in karate.”

  Oh no! I tried in vain to wipe away the picture in my head of a naked eighty-year-old man extending his leg in a martial arts kick.

  It was clear Little Fawn couldn’t give us any more information. Andre stood to leave. “We’re going up the hill. I’ll find White Raven a
nd ask him to get dressed and join you.”

  I stood, too, and shouldered my purse. “By the way, I’m surprised to see the forensic people still working. I thought they’d be finished by now. It’s been three days.”

  Little Fawn pushed herself up out of the comfortable purple chair. “Didn’t you hear? They found another body down there.”

  CHAPTER 29

  My stomach plunged when Little Fawn dropped the bombshell of a second body found on the hill.

  Andre grimaced. “When?”

  “Yesterday morning.”

  He wagged his head. “Damn. That must mean the rumors about Royal getting rid of people were true.”

  Now that I knew Little Fawn couldn’t keep a secret, I got up and headed for the door of the bookshop. “Let’s go outside and talk.”

  Andre glanced briefly at the girl and followed me to the parking lot. We got in my Honda while I pulled out my cell phone. Detective Della Washington answered on the second ring.

  “This is Martha Rose. I’m at Mystical Feather with Andre Polinskaya. We heard you discovered a second body.”

  “Hah! I just won twenty bucks from my partner.”

  “Sorry?”

  “I bet twenty bucks you’d call again, wanting information about our activities up on Sulphur Mountain. The question was never if you’d call, it was when you’d call. My guess was between eleven and noon today.”

  My watch read 11:55. “Congratulations. I guess that means you owe me one.”

  “One what?”

  “One honest conversation.” I ignored her grumbling at the other end. “What have you found out about our body? The one we discovered on Sunday. Gender? Age? Manner of death? How long they’ve been there?”

  “You know I can’t answer your questions, Mrs. Rose. Even if I wanted to, which I definitely do not. Why do you keep asking?”

  “Because I think you should extend some professional courtesy to me.”

  Washington’s laugh was rich and mellow. “Professional?”

  “Exactly. I may not be a sworn officer of the law, but I’m not without valuable experience and knowledge. I’ve solved several murders.”

  “I’d say that only proves you were lucky.”

  I wasn’t going to let her dismiss me so easily. “Well what about this? My fiancé is a federal agent. And my son-in-law is a homicide detective with the LAPD.”

  “With all due respect to your exalted status as girlfriend and mother-in-law, I refer you to the public information officer at our HQ in Ventura. Goodbye, Mrs. Rose. It’s been real.” She ended the call before I could speak.

  “Anything?” Andre had listened without comment to my side of the conversation with the detective.

  “No.” I shook my head. “But I have another idea.” I scrolled up my contact list from W to S and called Smith, Director John, at the FBI.

  His voice croaked. “Yeah?”

  “Hello, John. I’m calling from Mystical Feather in Ojai. In the spirit of mutual cooperation, I want to share something I just learned.”

  “It’s the middle of the night.”

  “Sorry. It’s noon here. You said you wanted me to call you with important information. But if you need to sleep, I can always call you back with my shocking news.”

  I heard him grunt, as if he were turning over in bed. “Go on.”

  “Ventura County CSI discovered another body on Sulphur Mountain.”

  “When?” He sounded more awake.

  “Tuesday morning.”

  “Yeah,” Smith yawned loudly. “I knew about that one. I thought you were calling about additional graves.”

  “You knew about the second grave and didn’t contact me? What about our understanding? What about mutual cooperation?”

  “Mutual? That means you share information with me, and other people share information with me. Mutual as in: Intel gathering is a mutual effort.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “That was a very deft evasion for the middle of the night.”

  “Why are you back at Mystical Feather?”

  I told him what Andre’s forensic accounting uncovered. “I have a gut feeling the phony vendor accounts are linked to Royal’s murder. Plus, we just discovered Andre’s computer and the file have gone missing, which suggests that the shooter either lives on the mountain or is someone who has easy access.”

  “All the more reason for you to leave,” he said.

  “I hear you. So, what can you tell me about the body we found Sunday afternoon?”

  “Male. Elderly. Died at least a year ago. Cause of death undetermined.”

  “What about the new body? Where was it found?”

  “Next to the first one. It appears that particular clearing became a serial killer’s dumping ground.”

  “For Royal St. Germain.”

  “Apparently so. And before you ask, I know nothing yet about the second body. The remains are still in the process of being removed. Now, here’s my advice. Leave Ojai, go home, and wait. The wheels of justice may be slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.”

  How often had I heard that quotation? “Believe me, I don’t intend to stay on the mountain. But Andre does. He has a huge personal stake in solving Royal’s murder.”

  Smith grunted again. “Detective Washington isn’t happy you keep insinuating yourself in the investigation.”

  “The two of you talked about me? I’m flattered.”

  “You wouldn’t be if you knew what she said. As we speak, the Bureau is preparing to conduct a wider search for more bodies. I should be back in the country soon. We’ll talk again then.”

  We ended the call and I repeated to Andre what I’d learned from Director Smith. “What did you tell me before about a man going missing around a year ago?”

  “Yeah. His name was Max. Older guy.”

  “Who told you about him?”

  “White Raven,” he said. “He told me one day Max disappeared without a word. Do you think that’s the body we found?”

  “I wouldn’t rule it out. Let’s drive up the hill to the commune. We need to talk to White Raven anyway about keeping Little Fawn safe.”

  The tires of my Honda Civic crunched over the gravel as we slowly headed up the driveway. When we got to the gate, Andre got out of the car and swung it open. Then he jumped back in the car. “I guess nobody bothered to get a new lock after the sheriff used bolt cutters on the old one.”

  We weren’t surprised to discover Birdie’s Winnebago was gone from the parking area bordered by shrubbery, presumably towed away to some facility where it would be taken apart by forensic experts. I parked the Honda at the end of a row of vehicles: two white vans, the red Mercedes, and a gray Prius.

  We left the car and walked toward the glass yurt. I huffed and puffed as we trudged the fifty yards uphill. I could barely find my voice. “Where do you think White Raven is?”

  Andre glanced at his watch. “It’s noon. He’ll be in the kitchen.”

  The ground leveled off once we reached the yurt, and my desperate breathing returned to normal. Out of curiosity, I glanced inside the yurt and saw four people sitting inside in a tight circle.

  We made our way to the dining hall, and all conversation stopped as we entered. Five people in white robes sat together at a table near the fruit and vegetable mural and stared at us as we made our way to the door at the other end of the room.

  A nude White Raven didn’t hear us enter the kitchen. He stood with his back to the door at a large stainless-steel sink in the middle of a long stainless-steel countertop. He wore a starched white chef’s hat and a white chef’s apron that tied in the back. Although I didn’t want to, I could see the clear definition of sinewy muscle beneath the sagging skin of old age.

  Andre cleared his throat to get White Raven’s attention.

  The old man turned around and a grin split his face. “Freddy! We didn’t know what happened to you after the sheriff took you away. Glad to see you’re back. Since several people left Mystical Feather,
we’re shorthanded. A lot of the chores aren’t getting done. We could sure use your help.”

  “There’s something I want you to know. My name isn’t Freddy Pea.” Andre told the old man the truth about his identity and why he came to Mystical Feather.

  “So, what you’re saying is you’re the true heir to Madam St. Germain?”

  Andre nodded. “One of them. I’m about to tell the others.”

  The old man squinted at Andre’s face. “My spirit guide told me you needed my help. Now I know why.” Then he smiled at me. “And who do we have here?”

  Andre jumped in. “Oh, sorry. This is Martha Rose. She took my class last weekend.”

  “Yes, I recognize you.” He gazed at my face. “You have a lovely yellow aura. Have you decided to join us?”

  “I’m not sure.” I was grateful for the apron that covered his front.

  “Listen, I’m really worried.” Andre proceeded to tell the older man about the missing laptop and spreadsheet.

  “Yes. Little Fawn told us all about the file.”

  Andre sighed. “Little Fawn is the only one who saw what was in it besides Martha and me. I’m afraid whoever didn’t want that information to see the light of day might feel desperate enough to get rid of any witnesses. She needs someone to stay with her and keep her safe. Can you do it?”

  “Of course! I’ll go to the bookstore right now.” White Raven removed his hat, revealing a full head of thick, white hair.

  “Good,” Andre said. “I’m going to call everyone to the yurt. Can you escort Little Fawn back up here?”

  “I’m on it.”

  When White Raven began removing his apron, I turned my face away. “Maybe you should put on some clothes first. She’s a young girl.”

  He giggled. “Of course. Clothing options apply only on this side of the gate. Everyone must be dressed if they want to go past the gate and down the driveway. I’ll just throw on a robe and fetch her.” He walked fast toward the exit.

  I blew out my breath. “What next?”

  Andre chewed on his bottom lip. “After everyone gathers in the yurt, I’ll tell them the whole story. While I’m talking, you can watch people for any suspicious reactions.”

  We left the kitchen and as we walked through the dining hall, a woman waved at us. “Hey, Freddy! You look great without a beard. Wanna tell us what’s going on?”