“I’m sorry,” I said.
“I don’t trust my judgment with men anymore,” she said.
“This will turn out fine. So far he’s into you with the bracelet,” I said. “You’re driving the bus right now.”
“I was wearing the bracelet when they got here. I walked in and heard Frank saying,
‘Why would I call you to insure something and let you come here if I knew it wasn’t here. Someone has taken it or maybe Julia moved it.’ He was in tears. When he saw me he got excited and looked a little relieved. I explained I asked him to call and add it to my policy,” she said. “Then Detective Taylor called and told us what to do.”
We could hear footsteps all over upstairs. It sounded like both LB and Donna were looking for something.
We waited a few minutes before LB came down the stairs. He told us Donna was still upstairs resting. Then he said, “This is so nice of you to let her stay here. I might have to ask you to extend your hospitality to me since my hotel is booked up with the holiday.”
I thought, booked up for the holiday? The hotel business was dead in New Orleans over Christmas and picked up with New Year’s parties a week later.
“Julie, think I can stay here a day or two, baby?”
Julie again, not Julia. If you’re going to hustle someone at least call her by her correct name.
Before Julia could answer, he noticed the two people wearing dark suits sitting in the double parlor.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
“Oh, they stopped by to get pricing and check availability for the group they are bringing here next month. I gave them a price sheet to review. I’ll see if they have any questions before they leave,” she said.
Detectives Hanky and Taylor walked around behind the staircase so LB didn’t see them leave the double parlor until they stepped out of the dining room.
“Hello Detectives. How’s it going? Have you found who killed my sweetheart’s baby brother?” LB extended his hand to Taylor.
I had to give it to him. He was smooth.
Detective Taylor reached for his pen and notepad from inside his coat pocket while saying, “We have a couple of questions for you and Donna if you don’t mind. It’ll only take a minute.”
“Sure,” LB said. “I’ll go get her.” He started back up the stairs but Taylor grabbed him by the arm.
“We’ll get to her after we talk with you,” Taylor said as he pulled LB by the arm and guided him toward Julia’s dining room with the double pocket doors.
“Just trying to help,” LB said in his most-jovial manner.
Hanky said, “Let’s talk in here where we have some privacy,” and closed the double doors to the hallway.
Julia and I immediately went to listen at the space where the double doors met. There was a small crack where they didn’t meet flush and I had a sliver of a view of Detective Taylor.
Hanky let Taylor take the lead questioning LB. He asked, “So, did you help Julia the day of the party around here?”
“Yeah, she had us all running around like chickens with our heads cut off,” LB said.
“ALL? Who all was here?” Taylor asked.
“Well, me, Frank, and the guys outside setting up all that stuff on the lawn.”
“So, you worked inside or outside?” Taylor asked.
“Well, both. I did what she asked me to do,” LB said, confident in his answers.
“So, did you do any landscaping outside? You know, set up the decorations, trim some hedges, cut some flowers?” Taylor asked.
Now LB sounded cautious in his answer, but I had a feeling he knew where this was going. “Well, I only did what my Julie asked me to do. I cut some flowers for her. She asked me to go out and find some flowers for her table,” he said.
I grabbed Julia by the arm discreetly and put my finger over her lips to keep her from blowing a gasket. I knew she wanted to scream out, “Liar, there are no flowers out there right now,” because I wanted to scream at him too.
“So, you say Julia asked you to cut some flowers?” Taylor asked.
“Yes.”
“Which ones?” Taylor asked without looking up and writing some notes.
“I don’t know names of flowers, Detective. You gonna have to ask my Julie.”
“Were they those big red flowers out there?” Taylor asked.
“No. I know those. Those are Christmas flowers. I think their name is point-setters,” LB said. “No, not those.”
“So, you know some flowers. You know it was not a poinsettia. Just tell me or show me which bush you cut flowers from,” Hanky asked, waving a hand around like she wanted LB to point in the direction of the bush.
“Well, I cut them from the bush out there on the side of the house. It’s under the parlor window,” he said, pointing to the windows on the opposite side of the house. “Right under the third window from the front.”
“What would you say if I told you that’s an oleander bush?” Taylor asked.
“Maybe. Like I said, I don’t know flowers,” LB said, smiling feeling sure of himself.
“How many did you cut?” Taylor asked. “A big bunch of flowers or a small bunch?”
“I cut her a big old bunch of them flowers so she’d have enough for her dining room table,” LB said.
“What did you do with the flowers you cut? Did you put them in vases?” Taylor asked.
“I gave them to Julie like she asked me to,” he said.
“Where did she use them or put them?” Taylor was looking straight at him.
“I have no idea. I like flowers and all, but I don’t see how this is helping find the killer,” LB said. “All I did was cut some flowers she asked me to cut and I gave them to her. I don’t know what she did with them after that.”
“Mr. Sutton, what would you say if I told you Julia said you didn’t cut any flowers?” Taylor asked and stopped writing notes.
“Well, maybe cuz I just set them down in the kitchen. I didn’t actually give them to her, so I don’t know what she did with them,” LB said.
“Now you are saying you cut a big bunch of flowers and didn’t give them to Julia but left them in the kitchen? What would you say if I told you we have a witness that saw you cutting branches off the oleander bush outside, and there were no flowers on that bush?” Taylor said putting his pen down and his tablet back into his coat pocket.
If I moved a little, I could see LB start to fidget with his bolo tie. “I’d say ask Julie why she wanted me to cut that bush and bring her the branches.”
“Now you’re saying she asked you to cut dead branches off that bush?” Taylor asked.
“I’m saying I did what Julie asked me to do,” LB stammered.
Juli-A. With an A, not an E! I wanted to scream. Now he was trying to throw her under the bus without even using her proper name.
Taylor stayed cool. He said, “So now you’re changing your statement to say Ms. Richard asked you to cut branches off what looks like a dead bush for her Christmas party? Is that right?”
“Yes. I don’t know what she wanted them for,” he said.
“Well, what would you say if I told you oleander turned up in the boxes of rum balls that Donna fed Larry?” Taylor said.
“If Donna fed them to Larry, maybe Donna cut them and put them in the rum balls,” LB said.
“Mr. Sutton, we’d like for you to come downtown to answer some more questions,” Detective Taylor said.
Just then there was a loud knock on the front door which made Julia and me jump almost as high as the second floor landing. Through the leaded glass doors, I could see two New Orleans policemen in uniforms. At the same time, the double doors opened and Hanky and Taylor walked LB out and handed him over to the uniforms. The uniforms started to handcuff LB.
LB started to protest and Detective Taylor said, “Oh, we’re not arresting you for Larry Richard’s murder…yet. These insurance guys have questions regarding jewelry, in particular the one on Ms. Richard’s arm. We’re assisting t
hem in arresting you on that matter. There’s the business of several jurisdictions around the country who want someone matching your exact description brought in for questioning. But, before we give them a crack at you, we’ll talk to you about your conspiracy to murder Larry Richard.” As Taylor ushered him out of the front door.
I heard him starting to read LB his Miranda rights.
The insurance people came out of the double parlor and the man followed Taylor out, but the woman stopped in front of Julia. Without saying a word, Julia took off the bracelet and handed it to her.
Detective Hanky asked Julia to tell Donna the police requested her to come downstairs.
“With pleasure,” Julia said and almost sprinted up the steps. Nothing gets Julia moving like the thought of revenge.
Donna started to come downstairs and saw the flashing blue lights of the NOPD squad cars out front and Hanky waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hello, Donna,” Hanky said. “I just want to tie up a few loose ends. Have a minute?”
“Yeah, sure,” she said, but she looked around behind her rubbing her hands up and down on her pants. She didn’t sound real sure and she stood there.
“Let’s go sit in here,” Hanky said and waved an arm toward the sofa in the double parlor. “I just need to get your recollection on a couple of things the day Larry was poisoned.”
Donna took her time coming down the staircase, holding on as if she needed the support for her recovery. She sat on the very edge of the sofa with her hands in her lap almost between her legs. Her back was ramrod straight, and she looked like she would bolt any second.
Hanky asked her, “Are you more comfortable with me calling you Donna or Cherie?”
“What? My name is….” she started to say but Hanky cut her off.
“We know who you are and what your real name, I mean, names are. Now, LB said you know how poisonous oleander is, having grown up in the area and the bushes are everywhere. Right?”
Donna looked from Hanky to Julia to me and back to Hanky. “I know what oleander looks like. I didn’t know it was poisonous. Is it?”
“You know it is,” Hanky said. “Would you be surprised to hear that LB said that you sprinkled the boxes of rum balls with the dried oleander leaves and used the twigs in the rum balls like toothpicks in order to poison Larry?” Hanky asked her, and Donna’s eyes opened wide. I thought this might be the first time she ever had her eyes open during this entire ordeal.
“I bet you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that LB said you cut the oleander twigs. He said you told him you could get Larry to eat anything you fed him, and it was your idea to use oleander as toothpicks to make sure they did the job, right?” Hanky asked. “In fact, you handled it too much, and Larry made you eat one of the rum balls that made you sick? I bet you didn’t count on that.”
“LB would never say such a thing,” Donna said standing up.
“He would and he did. Now sit back down. We have a few more questions,” Hanky said. “How long have you been Mrs. Sutton?”
Donna started to unravel. She was looking back and forth and squeezing her hands together. “LB wouldn’t say that. He wouldn’t blame me. He said we can’t testify against one another. We’re married.”
“Just when did you get married?” Hanky asked. “Because just about a week ago you were married to Ms. Richard’s brother, Larry Richard. Maybe you’re a bigamist? Are you? Are you a bigamist? Because that’s illegal.”
“No, no, I’m not a bigamist. I married LB this morning at the courthouse here. It was after Larry died,” she said.
“After Larry died and after you told LB about Larry’s inheritance? Or did you tell him about that money before you married Larry?” Hanky was staring at Donna and not writing down anything.
“What?” Julia blurted out. Hanky and I both looked at her.
“Well, you weren’t married to LB when you two decided to kill Larry,” Hanky said. “That means that married thing where you don’t think you can testify against each other doesn’t matter. Besides, LB already told us it was you and that’s why he’s going downtown to give his full statement so we can clear him and he can go home.”
“It wasn’t my idea to poison your brother. It was all LB’s idea,” Donna wailed. “I…I…it was LB’s idea to use oleander. He said he’s used it before. He gave me the twigs and some crushed, dried leaves and said to roll anything Larry liked to eat in it. When he started on the rum balls, it was just easy to get him to use the twigs.”
Julia looked like she was about to lunge for Donna’s throat, so I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the center hallway. The last thing I heard was Donna asking Hanky if she was under arrest, and Hanky telling her the Miranda rights.
Chapter Eighteen
The office parties were fun, especially since I managed to finish all the work necessary to keep my manager and, more importantly, my clients happy. My office had a serve yourself bar and trays of sandwiches and finger food delivered from Costco. Jiff’s office party on Friday night had bartenders and servers walking around in black pants and white shirts with hot and cold canapés and hor’doeuvres on trays. It was a great party on the top floor of Canal Place in their suite of offices. There was a three-piece jazz band playing enjoyable music and not so loud that we couldn’t speak to each other.
Jiff said, “I was going to ask Frank if he wanted to work the party. He’s a good waiter.”
“Did you forget Frank’s wardrobe may not be what you had in mind for this sort of gala?” I asked. We both laughed. “But, you’re right. He is a good waiter.”
“I wanted to tell Julia I would be happy to look over any documents her dad’s attorney sends her to open the succession,” he said. “Pass that along to her, would you?”
“Yes, I will.” I said. “I wanted to tell you, when Julia heard from those guys her brother worked with about how Larry wanted to help Donna and that he always had a soft spot for the broken ones, she wanted to contribute too. So, she decided to open a facility to help girls like Donna have options other than working in a bar. She’s still working through the details, but she wants a place that helps young women to get a GED, learn some computer skills, and how to apply for better jobs. Frank can always help them dress for success.”
“That’s wonderful. I’ll help her anyway I can,” Jiff said. “So, how did you figure it was LB and Donna in cahoots?”
“After I spoke to Agnes, the president of the gourmet cooking club, and she was sharp, she told me said she checked every box to make sure only rum balls were in it so that no member could give an unfair clue to vote on their entry. If the twigs weren’t in the boxes and no one got sick except for Larry and Donna, then someone put the twigs in those boxes. I remembered Donna went and got the twigs out of a box when Larry went to a new box. There were a few things that alone didn’t alarm me, but together they did.”
“Like what?”
“Like, LB was in a hurry to get Donna to the ER the night they ate the poison. He didn’t make much of an effort for Larry,” I said. When I saw Jiff starting to protest, I added, “Ok, I know we all thought Larry was gone, but I think anyone else would have asked for help to get them both to the hospital. It struck me LB picked up Donna to get her help like she was his prized pet he had to save.”
“I thought it was because she was still breathing,” Jiff said.
“The other thing was LB was at the hospital with Donna way more than he was with Julia. Frank said he heard him snooping around upstairs. Then the guys in Houma said Larry met Donna speed dating, and he didn’t know what he had gotten himself tangled up with in her. I had Dante run LB’s name and find out what businesses he owned. Guess what they were?”
“Bars that have speed dating?”
“Exactly,” I said. “Guess what else he found?”
“The outstanding warrants for hustling women?”
“Right again.” I said and kissed him. “LB and Donna didn’t anticipate having Janice at her po
st, the kitchen window, and seeing LB cutting that bush. The timeframe made me keep asking what all happened to set everything in motion? It was Larry and Julia’s dad dying and leaving all that money. That’s a hard thing to keep quiet.”
“I’m guessing Larry met Donna and she stayed close to him long enough to get him to marry her. Knowing Larry and how he wanted to help women, she found out or he told her he was coming into a lot of money,” Jiff said. “That’s hard for someone to keep a secret, especially someone who works hard every day of her life. She worked those bars in Texas for LB and probably told him Larry was a big fish. They weren’t smart enough to look into Louisiana laws when it comes to wills, successions, and dying without a will,” Jiff said.
“Yes. That’s what Hanky and Taylor got out of those two after they questioned them. Each tried to pin it on the other one. You see, you figured it out too,” I smiled and leaned in to kiss him.
“Let’s go find my parents and make our plans for Christmas Eve,” he said.
Both of Jiff’s parents embraced me saying how happy they were that I was joining them for Christmas Eve. It was a tradition in their family to go to a Reveillon Dinner after midnight Mass at St. Louis Cathedral.
On the way home, Jiff told me his parents wanted us to come over to their home anytime after 7:00 p.m. They always serve a light party spread of food and later, after opening gifts, we would go to midnight Mass at St. Louis Cathedral. They had reservations for all of us at a restaurant serving a Reveillon Dinner following Mass.
I had never been to a dinner after midnight Mass. It was a French Creole tradition meaning awakening which celebrates the birth of Jesus. The French didn’t stop celebrating after Mass. They went out to eat and drink to celebrate some more.
Since my family is Irish, we went home after church and ate the next day. Growing up Catholic we had to fast twenty-four hours before taking Communion. Now, that the fasting time has been reduced to one hour, most people eat, wait an hour, go to Mass and take Communion. My Irish mother wasn’t about to start cooking after midnight, so we came home and she starved her children until Christmas Day.
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