by Nancy CoCo
Okay, what does that mean?
The bit of a key is the part that actually engages the locking mechanism of a lock. (For example the tumblers in a pin tumbler lock.) The exact geometry of modern keys is usually described by a code system. This is referred to as the biting.... A smaller number is typically a shallower cut on the key, but not always.
So, the numbers only told a locksmith how to cut the key. I tried again. This time I found the key manufacturer. It told me that this key belonged to a lock on a house door. So I called Porsche.
“Hello?” She sounded sleepy.
“Are you up?” I asked.
“I am now,” she said. ‘What’s up? Are you at the hospital? Is Aunt Eloise okay?”
“They are keeping her for the night because of a concussion,” I said. “I’m home and Officer Hampton has a patrol car at both my doors.”
Porsche yawned. “So you called to check on Everett? He’s curled up on my headboard.” Porsche had a long headboard with three shelves on each side of the bed.
“Listen, Aunt Eloise gave me a key.”
“What?”
“She gave me a key before they took her to the hospital. She said that the key was the answer to everything.”
“Did you tell Officer Hampton?”
“No,” I said. “But I went online. The best I can tell is it belongs to a house. It’s a house key.”
“Do you know whose house?”
“I suspect the Woolrights’,” I said. “I know Everett didn’t react to Mr. Woolright, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t involved. Can you do me a favor?”
“What?”
“In the morning can you buy a half-dozen bagels and take them to the Woolrights? Take Everett with you. See if he reacts to the house. Figure out the brand of door locks. If it matches the key, we might have something.”
“Oh, you want me to spy?”
“I’d do it but I’m under house arrest.”
“I’m all over it,” she said. “I’ll take the boys to school, pick up the bagels, and see what gives. In the meantime, try to get some rest. Okay?”
“Okay.” I turned off my phone and climbed into bed. In the morning, I’d know more. Aunt Eloise should be able to tell us what happened and with any luck, Porsche and Everett would find the killer.
* * *
I was up by 5 a.m. and made coffee. I took a cup to Officer Sanford and then went out front to take a cup to Jim. I climbed into his squad car. The inside was warm from his body heat and staying up all night. “I’m safe,” I said. “You can go home now.”
“As soon as it’s light, we’ll go,” he said and sipped my coffee. “This is good.”
“Thanks,” I said. “It’s French press, black like you like it.”
“You’re observant.”
“Can you take me to the hospital?” I asked. “I want to be there when Aunt Eloise wakes up this morning.”
“Sure,” he said and put the coffee in the cup holder and started his squad car. We rolled out into the dark streets. This time of year the sun didn’t come up until nearly 7 a.m. “Thanks for all your help,” I said.
“Just doing my job,” he said gruffly.
“I know you’re going to want to question Aunt Eloise,” I said.
“As soon as possible,” he agreed. “I’d rather do it with you not there.”
“I suppose I can respect that,” I said and sipped my own cup of coffee. I played with the key in my pocket. “Do you think Mr. Woolright did this to my aunt?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“She said she was going to go see him.”
“The beach is pretty far from his house,” he said. “I sincerely doubt he had anything to do with this.”
“Right.” I went quiet and sipped my coffee.
“I’m sorry about your aunt,” he said. “I don’t like this rash of crimes.”
“I guess it’s the most excitement Oceanview has had since I’ve been here.” We pulled up to the hospital and I got out. Inside the hospital was cool and dim and quiet. It smelled of disinfectant. The security guard at the desk must have been there all night, as she looked ready to go home and get some sleep. “I’m here for Eloise Johnson,” I said. “She’s in room 210.”
“It’s not visiting hours yet,” the sleepy guard said.
“I’m her only family,” I explained, letting the tears well up in my eyes. “I have to see her.”
“Fine, sign in here.” She handed me a clipboard. I signed my name and Aunt Eloise’s room number, then hurried down the hall. My shoes squeaked against the waxed floor. I wondered how hospitals got away with waxed floors where everyone inside was a potential fall risk.
I knocked once and entered the room. “Aunt Eloise?”
I heard the sound of water running and she stepped out of the restroom. She clung to her IV pole. Her badly fitted hospital gown fell off her shoulders and her gray hair was a mass of wild curls. “Wren, am I so glad to see you. Can I go home?”
“We’ll see what they say,” I said and took a seat beside the bed. She climbed in slowly and tucked a blanket around her. “How’s your leg?”
“They said badly bruised and my ankle is sprained but luckily no broken bones. I’m still cold, though,” she said. “Did you get the key?”
I glanced around looking for any sign of Jim, then leaned in. “What happened? What does the key mean? I looked it up. It’s a house key.”
“It’s a house key,” she parroted. Her eyes looked a little wild.
“Aunt Eloise, are you okay? Do you need some water?” I handed her a glass. I’d heard that as you got older you were in increased danger of dehydration. Aunt Eloise was hooked up to an IV but water seemed to be called for. “What happened? Why did you leave?”
“I told you I was going to get Theodore,” she said and sipped the water dutifully. “I called but he didn’t answer so I thought I’d grab my jacket and go see if he was home.”
“I’m sorry that I left you alone.”
“You weren’t there,” she said. “I called for you, but you and Everett were gone.”
“I went to the bank. I told Josie I was going to be right back. Didn’t she tell you?”
“No,” she said. Aunt Eloise rubbed her forehead and winced when she found the knot that was still there. “I went to the Woolrights’. I remember it was dark. I wasn’t sure anyone was home. I looked in the windows, but I didn’t see anything. So I went around back. That’s when I heard the arguing.”
“Who?” I asked and leaned in closer. “Who was arguing?”
“Mildred and Theodore,” she said. “I couldn’t tell what was upsetting them. So, I went in closer and stepped on the back porch. They must have been in the living room because I couldn’t see them when I looked in the kitchen window.”
“Aunt Eloise, why did you look in the window?”
“I thought . . . it sounded like he was killing her.”
“What? Who?”
“Yes, Eloise, who was killing whom?” We both turned to see Jim standing in the doorway.
* * *
Soothing Honey Face Mask
This simple mask helps smooth and soothe skin of
all skin types.
1 tablespoon raw honey
3 drops of your favorite essential oil* (I choose
lavender)
*Be careful to choose an essential oil that is
gentle on the skin.
Mix the two in a small container. Then, dampen your clean face with warm water. Smooth on the face mask. Leave on for 15 minutes while you read your favorite cozy mystery. Set a timer so that you don’t lose track of time. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.
Chapter 24
Aunt Eloise struggled to sit up. “I didn’t see anyone,” she said quite clearly. “It was a man and a woman and they were fighting. I heard glass breaking.” She glanced at me. “Then, I thought they were talking about the Snows’ deaths. That’s when he attacked her. I heard a scream and an awf
ul thump. That’s when he saw me.”
“Who saw you?”
“Theodore,” she said. “He had a baseball bat in his hand. When he saw me, he came storming out. I ran. But the stair was loose and I tripped and fell. He was standing over me with a murderous look in his eye.” She grabbed her bedsheet and pulled it up to her neck. “I knew I was dead.”
“But you’re alive,” Jim pointed out.
“Yes,” she said. “It was a miracle. This orange tabby cat came out of nowhere and attacked him. I used the distraction to get up and run. He was chasing me. I had to get out of the street lights so I went to the beach. But I stumbled again and must have hit my head. The next thing I remember is waking up and hiding. I called Wren and she found me.”
I scratched my head. The story didn’t quite add up. Why the key? What did it mean? I wanted to ask, but I wasn’t sure I should in front of Jim. “Well, you are safe now,” I said and patted her hand. “I’m sure Officer Hampton will send someone to check on the Woolrights.”
“Where did you get the phone?” he asked.
“The phone?” She looked confused.
I squeezed her hand. “You called me on a cell phone, but you left your phone at my apartment. Where did you get the phone you called me from? How did you remember my number?”
“I memorized your number, dear. Sometimes I call you from my home phone.”
“Okay,” I said. “That’s great. I guess I should memorize your number.”
“It wouldn’t hurt.” She smiled weakly.
“The phone,” Jim asked. “Where did you get it?”
She blinked. “I don’t know. It was in my hand so I dialed it.”
“Well, it belongs to someone. It’s in evidence now. I’ll make a call,” he said. “You ladies don’t go anywhere.” Then, he stepped right outside the door.
“Aunt Eloise, the key? What is the key about?”
“She threw it out the window,” Aunt Eloise said. “During the fight. She threw it out the window and I heard her say it was to his den of sin. So, I picked it up and then went to the back window to get a better idea of what the fight was about.”
“A key to his den of sin?” I tilted my head. “I don’t understand.”
“Don’t you see?” she said. “I think Theodore was having an affair with Agnes.”
“What?”
“The key is the key to the apartment where they met for their fling,” Aunt Eloise whispered. “You need to go there. There will be proof of motive for the Woolrights to kill the Snows.”
“I’ve got a patrol car going by the Woolrights’ now,” Jim said as he came back into the room. “My investigators are looking into the phone you had. We’ll figure out where it came from.”
The doctor came into the room. He took Aunt Eloise’s vitals. “You two are going to have to leave. Eloise needs her rest.”
“But I was hoping you were going to discharge her today,” I said.
“Her heart rate isn’t right,” he said. “I want to run a few more tests. I’m sorry but she’ll have to stay another night.”
“But—”
“You’ll have to leave now,” he said and motioned to the nurse, who escorted us out.
“I’ll be back in an hour to get her statement,” Jim said.
“I’m staying here in the waiting room,” I said and crossed my arms.
“Oh, no, you’re not,” Jim said and took my arm. “You’re going back to the shop where I can have someone keep an eye on you.”
“Why?”
“Until I find out who did this, I’m not taking any chances,” he said.
I let him bundle me off into the squad car, but I refused to say a word to him. I kept my arms crossed and my eyes straight ahead.
“You would be wasting your time in the waiting room,” he said gently. “Trust me, your aunt is in good hands.”
“But she shouldn’t be alone,” I said. “You saw her. She’s not making sense. She needs an advocate. Plus, what if the Woolrights come to finish her off?”
“I’ve got a police officer watching her room,” he said.
I humphed and stared straight ahead. It all seemed like a ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars. But I wasn’t going to tell him that. He wasn’t listening. Which meant it was going to be up to me to figure out the secret den of sin and why someone would kill Agnes Snow over it. All I had to do was figure out how to get around the Oceanview Police.
* * *
I paced my apartment. From the second floor I had views of the front sidewalk and the back alley. Both were being patrolled by police officers. I closed the store for the day. I’d been up all night and Porsche deserved time off. I glanced out the kitchen window to the fire escape. If Everett could leave without climbing down the ladder, could I?
I opened the window and moved out onto the escape. I had a couple of folding chairs out there. Sometimes Porsche and I would have a glass of wine and watch the sunset over the ocean. I walked to the far end of the fire escape and studied the roof of the next door building. Technically it was within jumping distance if you were a cat. I’m not exactly the jumping kind. But I could try. I had a hunch I wanted to look into. If I went downstairs, I was pretty certain they wouldn’t let me pursue it. But if I didn’t, a killer might get away.
I climbed up on the railing and hung onto the gutter. “Don’t look down,” I muttered to myself. “Don’t look down.” I took a giant step and got my right foot on the Appletons’ roof. Now, all I had to do was get my left foot over there.
Taking a deep breath, I went for it and vaulted myself to the roof. Not without making a ton of noise and scratching my hand on the gutter. A glance to the alleyway told me that no one was looking up. So, I pressed my hand into my sweatshirt to stem the bleeding and scurried across the pitched roof to the next flat roof to the end of the block and another fire escape. I winced as I jumped down onto the fire escape. I was certain I was going to be bruised and hurting in the evening, but for now freedom awaited. Scurrying down the ladder to the street below, I looked both ways and headed out. I had a hunch about the key and Theodore Woolright’s den of shame.
Close to a mile later, I stood in front of a bungalow on the edge of the beach. It was built in the 1920s and stood quietly as if waiting to give up its secrets. I glanced left and right, but no one was on the street. No one to see me try the key. I hurried up the short walk and onto the blue painted front porch. A quick look in the windows told me no one was inside. Not that I expected anyone to be here, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
I slid the key in the door and it opened on silent hinges. Quickly closing the door behind me, I took down the hood of my sweatshirt and studied the area. The floor was solid wood. A room to the right had two walls of windows covered with sheers. Inside were shelves and boxes filled with every kind of craft material you could imagine. The supplies were colorful, but well organized. Everything was color coded and in rainbow order of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. The entire room was filled wall to ceiling with color and sparkles.
This was Agnes Snow’s craft palace. I remembered my aunt taking me here once a long time ago, when I first moved to Oceanview. They had been friendlier then and I hadn’t forgotten the rainbow in the room.
I walked back into the combined living and dining room. In that area was a large quilt frame and a nearly completed quilt in Christmas red and green. There was a note pinned to it in Agnes’s handwriting: “For Wilma Bitter. Xmas present. Don’t let her see it.” It made me smile. Mr. Bitter was one of the people on Agnes’s client list.
I walked into the back kitchen and found a table with assorted containers of paints and glue. On the kitchen countertops were jars of seeds and shells and beads. Propped up on an easel near the back door was a large portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Woolright. On closer inspection it was created in seeds and tea leaves. Agnes had signed and dated it the day before she died. A sticky note on the frame read, “For Mildred’s birthday surprise.” A sadness washed o
ver me.
Agnes Snow might have been my aunt’s rival, but she was making people happy with her art.
The front door burst open and I whirled to see Mildred entering the house. She had a strange look in her eyes. “I thought I might find you here.”
“Hello,” I said. “I had a key.” I raised the key.
“Maybe you did,” she said and approached me. “Or maybe you just broke in.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You came to hide the evidence that you and Agnes had a fight the day before she died. And you came inside and replaced her lip balm with poison lip balm. You killed her.”
“I didn’t,” I said and crossed my arms. “You did, didn’t you?”
“No one will ever be able to prove it,” she said, lifting her chin.
“You called this your husband’s den of sin. You thought he and Agnes Snow were having an affair.”
“They were. I caught him coming here on numerous occasions and staying for an hour. Then, when I saw he was bringing her money, well, I confronted him.”
“But he denied it.”
“Of course he would. I didn’t expect anything more from a cheat like him.” She started to breathe heavily. “It was my friend Agnes who broke my heart. I confronted her. But she laughed and said she wasn’t having an affair. She told me I was delusional.”
“She wasn’t,” I said and took a step back.
“Oh, and how are you so sure?” she asked as she strode toward me.
“Because she was creating an art piece for your birthday,” I said. “If you don’t believe me, look for yourself.” I pointed to the portrait in the kitchen. “It’s labeled. She labeled everything.”
“No!” Mildred said. “No, that’s not right. I saw them together. I saw him come here on a regular basis. I followed him.” She sat down hard on the floor and covered her mouth. “I confronted him and he denied it.” She looked at me. “I didn’t believe him. I confronted Agnes but she just laughed at me. She laughed, but she didn’t deny it.”