by J. C. Eaton
Like it or not, Zenora had given me the plan I needed. Granted, it was loosely woven and would take some solid planning to put it in place, but still, it was better than anything I could come up with.
“That’s wonderful, Zenora. Give me a few days to work things out.”
“You won’t have a few days.”
“What do you mean?”
“The storm that’s coming isn’t like the other spring storms we’ve had.”
“It’s media hype. Probably to get everyone to spend money at the supermarkets.”
“Not this time. My bones can feel the difference in the air. Heavier pressure. Like a force grounding all of us to the center of the earth until it passes.”
“Can you be more specific?”
She shook her head. “I have no control over the forces of nature, but I’d make it early in the week if I were you.”
“Fine. Tuesday or Wednesday. I’ll let you know when we can meet at the winery.”
“Oh, no. Not the winery. It has to be here. In your house. I have everything cleansed. We can’t take a chance holding it elsewhere.”
I looked around the kitchen and living room, mentally trying to figure out where to place everyone. With the seven-member film crew, not to mention Theo and Don because I wouldn’t dare do this hocus-pocus without them, that would be nine. Then Zenora and I would make it eleven. Of course, I’d have to have Glenda here, not to mention Cammy, and I couldn’t very well leave Godfrey out of the mix, so all in all, I’d need to squeeze fourteen. And what about Bradley? Would he really feel like doing this after work? Or any other time?
While I rearranged furniture in my head, I wondered how I’d break the news to him. The guy was about as straight as could be, and even though my plan was destined to get results, I wasn’t convinced he’d go for my approach. Then there was the film crew. I couldn’t very well tell them I was having a psychic dabbler read their auras. Aargh. Words like manipulation and coercion came to mind but I wasn’t that sneaky. Or skilled, for that matter. And if Neville was going to make an appearance, then time was running out.
“Um, one more thing, Zenora. You’ll have to read the auras without them knowing it. Mill around. Be inconspicuous.”
Who was I kidding?
Zenora clasped the palms of her hands together. “I can’t read auras while people are in motion. They have to be still. Calm. As if they were meditating or enjoying Savasana, the yoga corpse pose.”
Terrific. How am I going to get a room full of people in corpse poses? They’d have to be—
“I think I have a way. I’ll let you know.”
I thanked Zenora and told her I’d call the next day. Then I picked up the phone and dialed the only person who could force the film crew to come to my house and to sit perfectly still—Renee.
Unfortunately, the call went to voicemail, but I left her a very compelling message:
“If you want your film crew to return to Toronto instead of lingering in Yates County Sheriff’s limbo, you need to insist they come to my house for a film screening on Wednesday. I think I can root out the killer. Call me.”
No way was I going to tell her it was for an aura reading with a would-be mystic who also categorized academic files in order to pay the rent. Renee had enough to worry about. Since I knew film directors always reviewed the footage before sending it off to the editing department, I figured if Renee could convince Gordon Wable that the screenwriter needed to see it as well, it would be the perfect ploy to get him, the actors, and his crew into the house. Then Zenora and I could take it from there.
Chapter 28
With the wind howling and Charlie repositioning himself on the bed all night, I woke up with a dull headache and a stiff neck. Looking out the window, I guessed we had gotten three or four inches of new wet snow but nothing to be concerned about. I washed up, opened the cover to Charlie’s doggie door, and made myself a cup of coffee. Two or three sips in, the phone rang with a frantic Theo on the other end.
“Did you watch the breaking news? It’s on all the channels. They interrupted the cartoon hours to announce it.”
“What? Announce what?” I’d forgotten it was Saturday and that all the local stations ran cartoons from six to noon.
“There may be a break in the case. Priscilla McCoy and Stefan Olinguard were taken in for more questioning. It must be a big deal or the news stations wouldn’t be covering it. There’s footage of them being led out of the Ramada Inn by Deputy Hickman.”
“How would the news media get wind of that?”
“Really? You have to ask? Everyone’s on social media, including the TV stations. Someone probably caught the action and posted it.”
“Devora’s eyeglasses. That has to be it. I’ll bet the forensic crew found fingerprints that matched theirs. Skylar mentioned something about their prints being on file with a national Canadian database since they’re required to provide them to certain countries upon filming. No doubt our law enforcement contacted them for a copy and found a match. Or, in this case, two. I’m calling Gladys Pipp right after I watch the news. Holy cow. This changes everything.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll tell you later. Thanks, Theo.”
I immediately turned on the TV, and sure enough, Channel 10 had breaking news. It seemed one of the guests at the Ramada saw Priscilla and Stefan getting into a Yates County Sheriff’s car and posted it on Instagram and Facebook. No wonder it caught the attention of the news media. It was like waving a lollipop at a two-year-old.
According to the broadcaster, Priscilla and Stefan were taken in for further questioning. End of story. But that didn’t stop the broadcaster from speculating with her partner.
“The sheriff’s office must have new evidence,” the woman said. “Why else would two prominent figures in the Devora Dobrowski murder be taken in for questioning at such an early hour? Were you able to find out the specifics, Sean?”
“I’m afraid not, Sherry. All they would say was that actress Priscilla McCoy and assistant film director Stefan Olinguard were brought in for further questioning. We’ll keep our viewers apprised of the situation as we learn more. Now on to the latest forecast for spring storm Neville. It appears our guy has stalled over the Ohio River Valley and isn’t expected to reach us for a few more days. That should give our viewers plenty of time to fill up their gas tanks and stock their pantries.”
As soon as the announcer said Ohio River Valley, I cringed and momentarily forgot about the murder case. If I was lucky, Roger hadn’t turned on his TV yet. The Ohio River Valley was the major source of contention in the French and Indian War, and if Roger caught the news, it would be enough fodder for him to regale our customers with a lengthy discourse about the relevance of that valley.
My coffee was now cold and I gave it the thirty-second nuke job in the microwave before picking up the phone to call Gladys. Three more sips in and she was on the line.
“Hi, Gladys. It’s Norrie. Is it true? What’s on the TV about Priscilla McCoy and Stefan Olinguard being taken in for more questioning?”
“That’s right. The office is open on Saturdays until five,” she said.
“I take it you can’t talk. Yes or no? Was it the fingerprints on Devora’s eyeglasses? I can’t believe Deputy Hickman got the results so quickly.”
Glady’s voice sounded like a recording. “Indeed. Our office is quite efficient on all matters pertaining to the county and the safety of our residents.”
“So he did get a match on the prints?”
“Yes. One p.m. would be fine for you to stop by and pick up neighborhood watch signs.”
“One match. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Has the person been arrested?”
“No. It’s no trouble whatsoever. Under the circumstances, I’d suggest the earlier you get here, the better. That wet snow is beginning to pile up.”
“I get it. Thanks a million, Gladys. Next time I’m in, I’ll bring jam
.”
My next phone call was quicker and without innuendo.
“Theo! It’s Norrie. Either Priscilla or Stefan’s prints were found on those glasses, but it’s circumstantial evidence, and whoever’s prints they are isn’t under arrest. Not yet. Gladys couldn’t really talk. Anyway, I need to go toe-to-toe with Stefan about him getting out of that Mercedes belonging to Brouse Candies. That’s the only way I’ll get some answers.”
“Or some lies. Look, for all we know he could have been hired by Gerard to get Devora out of the picture. If he killed once, doing it a second time won’t make a difference. Whatever you do, don’t see him alone.”
“I know. I know. Godfrey volunteered to play Joe Hardy with me this time.”
“Hey, that’s my role. Tell him to play Frank.”
“First I need to figure out when and where to pull Stefan aside for a chat. I imagine he and Priscilla will be stuck at the public safety building for at least an hour or two. And darn it all, Renee still hasn’t gotten back to me about my aura-reveal plan to expose the killer.”
“Your what?”
“Yikes. I should have told you last night but it was late and I was exhausted.” I took a breath and went on to explain about Zenora and the auras.
Halfway through, I heard Theo gasp. “That’s the most ill-conceived, half-baked, lunatic scheme you’ve come up with yet. And with Zenora, no less. Good grief. Fifteen people in your house and one of them a possible killer? Thanks for putting Don and me on the list. It’s like the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None, but instead of an island off the coast of England, they’ll be in your kitchen.”
“Only if I can’t get anywhere with Stefan. I suppose the best-case scenario is to wait it out in the lobby at the Ramada and catch him when he and Priscilla get back.”
“It’s the safest, if you ask me.”
“I suppose. Godfrey and I could always be there under the guise of having seen the TV footage this morning and asking them if they had heard from Renee.”
“Sounds benign enough. Then what? Godfrey takes Priscilla aside and you go after Stefan guns a-blazing?”
“It works in the movies, doesn’t it?”
“I refuse to answer. I’d tell you to be careful, but with Godfrey there you won’t have any choice.”
When I got off the phone with Theo, I called Gladys back. Given her demeanor on the phone, I knew Deputy Hickman was in earshot. I asked her to call my cell phone when Stefan and Priscilla were released. That way I wouldn’t waste any time getting to the Ramada.
Then I showered, got dressed and shared microwaved eggs and toast with Charlie while I waited for Gladys’s call. Using the landline, I touched base with Cammy regarding the morning news and told her my aura-revealing plan.
“I know,” she said. “Glenda couldn’t wait to tell me this morning. She had a long talk with Zenora last night and the two of them believe they can channel enough of their own energy to compel the killer to come forth.”
“Really?”
“Norrie, even on a good day Glenda can’t channel enough energy to move the boxes around in our storage room. Do you honestly think she and Zenora can pull this off?”
“I’m banking on peer pressure. The kind that involves giving people the look that makes them think you know something when you don’t have a clue.”
“Oh, brother.”
I could hear a slight panic in my own voice. “But you’ll be there, won’t you?”
“Yeah. It should be entertaining if nothing else. Do you want me to arrange snacks with Fred?”
“Thanks but I’ll take care of it. I’ve got to run. I’m expecting a call from Gladys Pipp at the safety building. I’ll be in touch.”
“Just be careful.”
My next call was to Godfrey and he agreed to meet me at the Ramada once I knew for sure Stefan and Priscilla had been released. Since Two Witches and the Experiment Station were closer to the Ramada than the public safety building in Penn Yan was, we’d beat them to the Ramada by at least fifteen or twenty minutes. Not a terrific amount of lead time, but enough for us to get ourselves seated at their café, which fortunately had floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the entrance.
“We could be waiting five minutes or fifty,” I said to Charlie. The dog looked up from licking his paws and then resumed gnawing at the hairs that separated each of his black pads. If nothing else, the dog was pretty fastidious about cleaning himself once he’d been outside. Almost as fastidious as the intruder who left us Devora’s eyeglasses.
Rather than sit around getting edgier by the minute, I took out my laptop and continued with the edits I had promised Renee. Focusing on my screenplay allowed my mind to drift into another place and time. And one that I could control. An hour and a half went by and I stood for a much-needed stretch. It was odd that Renee hadn’t gotten back to me, so I decided to phone her again.
No sooner had I dialed her number than my cell phone rang, and I immediately put the receiver down on the landline and picked up the cell call. It was Gladys. Again in her I-can’t-talk-now voice. “Thank you for your kind words about our office. We received your message a few minutes ago. We are always pleased to serve the public.”
I immediately called Godfrey, put on my winter jacket, grabbed a scarf, and raced to the car. Charlie had ample kibble and water to last well into the day. To be on the safe side, I kept his doggie door open but the fence gate shut. No sense worrying that he’d return to the Ipswiches’ pond for further investigation.
Godfrey was already at the Ramada when I arrived. He ushered me to a table next to the windows and told me he’d ordered coffees for us. “That’s the beauty of being centrally located,” he said. “I was out of my office and down here in less than ten minutes.”
“It’s Saturday. You’ve got to get a life, Godfrey,” I said. “You can’t be stuck in that office all day.”
His face practically beamed. “It is my life. Notice of a new grant arrived this morning for the study of Madagascar hissing cockroaches. I couldn’t wait to read it.”
“Ugh. I can’t think of anything more repulsive. Don’t tell me you’re considering applying for it?”
“Me? No. I can see why you might think that, considering cockroaches are in the same subclass as vineyard pests, but I much prefer working with the Coleoptera class and not the Blattodea class. Hmm, as I recall, Jason did his thesis on an insect in the Blattodea class . . .”
“Oh, hell, no. Don’t even think it. Last thing I need is for him to apply for another grant that will take him and my sister to another godforsaken place for a year while I deal with the dead-body-of-the-month club.”
Godfrey reached across the table, grabbed my wrist, and gave it a slight shake. “Relax. I won’t say a word. Promise.”
At that moment, a lanky blond waiter appeared with our coffees and asked if he could bring us anything else. My stomach was in knots and it felt like hours since I’d gobbled up those microwaved eggs. Tempting as it was, I couldn’t afford to waste time eating when Stefan and Priscilla were about to walk in the door. “Um, maybe later,” I said. “We’ll enjoy our coffee for now.”
I added cream to the steaming cup and was about to reach for a sugar packet when Godfrey gave my ankle a kick. “Look out the window. A Yates County Sheriff’s vehicle just pulled up to the entrance.”
My hands suddenly felt clammy and all moisture seemed to have left my mouth. I took a sip of the hot coffee sans sugar and watched out the window. “I owe Gladys. She’s right on the money. That’s Stefan now, getting out of the car.”
I eyeballed the entranceway from our table and watched as Stefan walked toward the door. “No one else is getting out of the car. Uh-oh. No sign of Priscilla.” I watched as the vehicle pulled past the entrance and turned left onto the road.
Godfrey widened his eyes and let out a slow breath. “Maybe Gladys got it wrong. Maybe they made an arrest and it’s Priscilla.”
I stood and shoved my chair into the table
. “Only one way to find out. Too bad I didn’t think to order some Bailey’s Irish Cream for this coffee. I may need it.”
Chapter 29
As I raced to the entrance, I thought about a screenplay I’d written a few years ago in which one of my characters accused another of cheating. She acted impulsively, ruining a burgeoning relationship but at least she got her answer. I figured I had nothing to lose where Stefan was concerned.
No one was at the doorway when he stepped through and brushed some wet snow from his coat. The reception desk was way off to the side of the lobby so I was positive no one could hear us. And while I wouldn’t exactly say I accosted him, I kind of overwhelmed him. Then again, he had it coming. “Did you set Priscilla up to take the fall for you?” I huffed. “To be charged with Devora’s murder? I saw the news this morning. Is she under arrest? And by the way, thank you for being so considerate when you broke into my house. Nice present, by the way. If you have tacky taste in eyewear.”
Stefan jerked back as if I was about to pull out a lance and do some serious damage. “I didn’t kill Devora if that’s what you’re implying.”
“Implying? I thought I was more direct. Look, if you want the whole world to know what’s going on, we can stand here and I can get louder. Or, you can join me and a friend of mine in the café. It’s on your left.”
“I guess I don’t have a choice, do I? Lead the way.”
Stefan and I didn’t say a word to each other until we reached the table where Godfrey was seated. I motioned to an empty chair and plopped myself in front of my now ice-cold coffee. “Stefan—Godfrey. Godfrey—Stefan.” I glared at Stefan before continuing. “Godfrey is an entomologist at Cornell. He has access to all sorts of deadly insects. In fact, he was just returning from a symposium on the snake fly. Nasty bite. Makes the skin swell before necrosis sets in. Good thing he has his specimens carefully concealed in a specialized container under the table.”