Murder and Salutations (14 page)

He shook his head as he drove grimly through the night. “There will be time for that later. Right now they’re just trying to put the fire out.”

I nodded. “Will they be able to save the house?”

He shook his head. “I doubt it. It was blazing pretty fiercely by the time somebody called it in. It was an anonymous tip from a cell phone, and the voice was so distorted it could have been a man or woman.”

“
You’re thinking it was deliberately set, aren’t you?”

“
What makes you think that?” he asked.

“
I’m here, aren’t I? I doubt you’d drag me out of bed unless you were afraid of something like that.”

“
You’re right, it’s exactly like that,” he said.

There were two fire trucks at the scene when we got there, and Jody—one of my brother’s deputies— was keeping everybody but emergency crews out. Bradford stopped near his deputy and asked, “Anything new?”

He looked at me, then down at the ground. “Yep.”

“
What is it?” Bradford asked. “She’s going to know soon enough.”

“
They found a body inside,” he admitted.

Oh, no. As much trouble as I’d had with Barrett, I still didn’t want to see him dead. Why hadn’t he moved out a day early? For that matter, I was suddenly very glad that my family had relocated me and my cats.

“
You okay, Sis?” Bradford asked me.

“
No, but I will be.”

He nodded, then said to Jody, “Keep everybody out of here.”

“
Including the press? Kyle Gaston was here from the newspaper, and when I told him he couldn’t go back there, he started screaming about a lawsuit and freedom of the press.”

“
What did you do?” Bradford asked him.

“
I told him when they started giving his newspapers away, then he could squawk about free press, but until then, there were safety issues.”

Bradford smiled. “I bet he loved that.”

“
Yeah, well, you know.”

My brother nodded, then drove on. The smell was worse than the smoke, though there was plenty o that. The fire department had managed to kill most of the flames, but every now and then I could see flare-up in the ruined shell of the place I’d just lived. One wall was partially standing, and the roof had collapsed in on it. Everything was blackened, and coughed from the smoke.

“
It’s bad, but believe it or not, you get used to it after a while.”

“
I don’t think I want to,” I said. My Gremlin was still parked in front of the house, but something was wrong. It wasn’t until I was closer that I realized someone had broken out the driver’s side window. “Did that happen in the fire?” I asked. “No, they had to move it pretty fast to get the fire
trucks in. Sorry. I’ll have it taken care of tomorrow. Today, I mean.”

“
It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Do you think they’ve moved the body yet?”

“
No, they have to wait until the coroner gets here. Jen, do you have any idea who would do this?”

“
Of course not,” I snapped. “Don’t react. Take a second and think about it. Who would want Barrett dead enough to kill him? We’re working on the assumption that it was him until we get confirmation, since he was the only one left. I talked to the guy as we were moving your stuff. It’s rough.”

I thought about Barrett’s girlfriend, Penny, and how volatile she could be, but that didn’t make sense. He was moving in with her, unless Barrett had changed his mind. “He’s got a girlfriend with a temper,” I said. “Her name’s Penny. That’s all I know.”

“
Describe her,” he said.

“
She’s petite, a blonde, somewhere in her mid-twenties.”

“
Penny Hale,” my brother said. “It has to be her.”

“
You actually know her?”

“
I’m the sheriff here, Jennifer. I know most of the folks in Rebel Forge. Let me make a phone call. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Bradford left me standing there, staring at the remnants of Whispering Oak. I hadn’t lived there long, but I’d fallen in love with the place. I wanted to feel bad about the ruined building and all of the lovely furnishings that had been in it, but all I could think about was poor Barrett. We’d shared a connection, a spark that might have led to more if Penny hadn’t barged back into his life when she did. As I stared at the house, the final wall collapsed, sending sparks and billowing clouds of smoke into the air. Bradford came back, shaking his head.

“
What’s wrong?” I asked. “I just called Penny.”

“
How did she take it?” It was a telephone call that it must have been torture for my brother to make.

“
She put him on the phone. Whoever that is in there, it’s not Barrett.”

“
What? It couldn’t be Jeffrey. He moved out days ago.”

“
Any chance he came back for something?” Bradford asked.

“
It’s possible, but Barrett told me he was gone for good. You don’t suppose it’s Hester, do you?” She was the landlady who had so unceremoniously kicked us all out, and while she wasn’t going to get my vote for citizen of the month, she didn’t deserve what she got.

“
It’s a man. That much we know. The rest is up to the coroner. Let’s get you back to your cottage. I just thought you’d want to see this.”

“
You’re right. I would have never forgiven you if you hadn’t gotten me.”

We drove back to my cottage, and I could still smell the smoke from the house. It was on my clothes, in my hair and in my lungs. After my brother dropped me off, I took a long, hot shower and scrubbed until all traces of the smell were gone. I buried my clothes in the hamper, and, with my hair still wet, I crawled back into bed, doubting that sleep would come. So, if it wasn’t Jeffrey or Barrett, who had died in that fire tonight? Was there another ghost on the property now, or was that legacy over with the demolition of the building? I said a silent prayer for Frances Coolridge. While most people would have laughed if they knew I was serious, Frances and I had found a way to cohabitate—an absentminded poltergeist and an equally distracted live woman in her thirties. When she hadn’t been trying to kill me, she’d made an amusing roommate.

I woke up with a start later in the morning, surprised that I’d been able to get to sleep after all. The cats awoke as if nothing had happened, and I didn’t want to spoil their delusions. If they’d missed me during the night when I’d been with my brother, they didn’t show any sign of it.

“
How do you two like our new place?” I said as I watched them dig into their bowls. There was no reply, not a single acknowledgment that they’d even heard me. What a shock: my cats were ignoring me as they ate their light morning meal, I joined them with a bowl of cereal of my own, and then I got dressed. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get to work, since my plans to pick the Gremlin up had been shattered, along with the driver’s side window. I was still wondering how I was going to get to town when Lillian showed up.

“
Good morning,” she said, the second she saw me, en hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. For a little woman, she had one whale of a grip. “Jennifer, I’m so happy you’re all right.”

“
No happier than I am,” I said. “How did you know needed a ride?”

“
Bradford called me,” she said. Though the two of them had been feuding for years, it was good to see that they were finally working things out. “Are you ready to go?”

I said good-bye to Oggie and Nash, then locked the door. “Let’s go.”

As we drove to the card shop, I asked, “Did they find out who was in the house?” “From what your brother told me, they’re hoping to make an ID today.” She shivered slightly as she added, “I can’t quit thinking that might have been you.”

“
And it would have been, if you all hadn’t moved me yesterday. Did I thank you for all of your hard work?”

“
You did,” Lillian said. “I just can’t imagine who would be in there. Oh, Bradford wanted me to tell you that he got in touch with Jeffrey. He’s hale and hearty, so that’s another name off the list. It was most likely some indigent. How in the world he found out so fast that the house was empty is beyond me.”

“
I’m just glad it wasn’t anyone I know,’ I said.

As we drove, Lillian said, “Jennifer, have you considered the possibility that the fire was meant for you?”

I hadn’t even entertained the notion. “You’re kidding me, right? Who would want to kill me? I haven’t annoyed anyone in weeks, at least not that much.”

“
Think about it. Bradford and I discussed it the morning, and I think he’s right. Whoever started the fire thought you were at home.”

“
What makes you say that?”

“
Your Gremlin was parked in front of the house remember? It’s only logical that the arsonist thought you were home.”

“
You keep saying the fire was deliberate,” I said “Is there any proof that it wasn’t an accident?”

Lillian nodded. “They found signs this morning that an accelerant had been used inside the building. It’s pretty clear the fire was set on purpose.”

That information sent chills through me. “If Bradford is so worried about me, why isn’t he here?”

“
Jennifer, your brother has one murder to solve and now most likely two. He can’t babysit you the entire time. But don’t worry. He promised me he’ have someone keep an eye on you.”

I’d been under surveillance before by the Rebel Forge police department, and it hadn’t worked out al I that well for me in the past.

“
Still, short of locking you up in a cell so he can keep an eye on you, he’s doing the best he can do.”

I stared at her as she pulled up near the card shop. “Since when did you become such a big fan of my brother’s?”

“
I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said

My aunt had the most selective memory I’d even
seen in my life, but if she wanted to pretend everything was fine and dandy, that was all right with me.

“
I want you to open the shop this morning,” I said.

“
And what are you going to do? It’s too dangerous for us to keep snooping into Eliza’s murder.”

We were still in front of the shop when I said, “It’s too risky not to. If you’re right and someone was trying to kill me last night, do you think they’re just going to give up when they find out I survived there? I have to find them before they find me. It’s a matter of survival now.”

“
Then I’m coming with you,” Lillian said. “Let’s make a sign that we’re closed until further notice, and we can track this killer down together.” I touched Lillian’s arm, and was glad my wrist was nearly healed. “Lillian, as much as I appreciate the thought, you need to keep the card shop open.” “Jennifer, this is no time to worry about missing out a few sales. There’s something much more important at stake here than your shop’s bottom line.”

“
Think about it, Lillian,” I said. “If the killer sees the shop is open, then he won’t come looking for me around town. I honestly think that the store is too visible for anyone to make a run at me here. The best way for you to help me is to make it look like we don’t suspect a thing. If you’re afraid to stay here by yourself, though, I completely understand.”

“
You know I’ll help in whatever way I can, Jennifer. Don’t forget that the fire department already knows the fire was set on purpose, though.”

“
Does the killer know that? Would we, if my brother didn’t happen to be the sheriff? I think we’ve got a small window here to figure out who did this before I have to go into hiding, and I’m not about to squander the chance.”

Lillian nodded reluctantly. “I see your point. So who do you talk to first?”

“
The person who had the most to gain from Eliza’s death,” I said. “It’s time Addie and I had another talk.”

MAKING YOUR OWN PAPER

Making paper is much easier than it looks. All you need are a few simple items like some “seed” paper, newspaper, copy paper, tissue paper or a blend— a frame, some paper towels and a blender. Cut your base paper into one-inch squares, then put them in blender with water to make a slurry. Pour the mix into your frame, which can be as simple as a picture frame with plastic screen mesh stapled to it or as fancy as a kit frame. Press the water out of the mix, pour out your sheet and let it dry. There are countless variations, but the basic steps are easy to master. One
warning, though. You might want to use an old blender, as this process is tough on the appliance. I bought one just for papermaking, and it works great. This is especially fun to do with kids.

Chapter 12

“
We need to talk” I said as I walked into Addie’s shop.

“
Jennifer?” She looked shocked to see me, but quickly covered it up. “About what?” Addie asked. I didn’t know if she meant to, but her tone perfectly latched mine. The niceties were gone, which was fine with me.

“
You know perfectly well what I’m talking about, don’t play around with me.” Her gaze narrowed as she stared at me. “Jennifer, thought we patched things up between us. Do you really want to battle with me?”

“
There’s something you should know,” I said. “I’m too afraid of you, and a little fire isn’t going to stop me.”

She looked startled by the accusation. “What are you talking about?”

“
Are you honestly trying to tell me you don’t know what happened at Whispering Oak this morning?”

“
I heard sirens, but I had no idea what they were about. I just figured some drunk had plowed into a tree again. It happens all the time in tourist season.”

“
It’s not tourist season yet,” I said. “So what do you have to say for yourself?”

“
You know what? I don’t care for your tone of voice. If you’re not buying anything, you need to leave.”‘

I looked around her shop, then shook my head “No thanks. There’s nothing here that’s worth the money.”

It was a low blow, but I didn’t care. I may not have known who Eliza’s killer was, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t stir things up. I figured if the killer got mad he might get sloppy. If that meant that I angered four innocent people along with one guilty one, I was more than willing to make amends later.

For now, it was time to spread my own seeds of destruction and put the town of Rebel Forge on notice I that I wasn’t going down that easily.

Next on my list was Kaye and her drugstore. I walked there with a fierce stride, daring anyone to cross me. On my way into the drugstore, Reggie— Gail’s boyfriend, or ex—nearly knocked me over coming out. “Jennifer? What are you doing here?”

Why was everyone so surprised to see me? “I have an errand to run,” I said. “How about you?”

“
I needed to pick up some medicine for my father,”
he explained. “I’m glad I ran into you. We need to talk.”

“
Sorry, I don’t have time right now.”

I tried to brush past him, but he wouldn’t budge. “You can’t move into the cottage,” he said. “I won’t allow it.”

“
I know you’re not happy about the arrangements, but it’s between your mother and me.”

“
Not if I make an issue of it. And you’d better believe me, I’m going to. I’d like the key back.”

I laughed at him, though I probably shouldn’t have. “You’re too late. I moved in last night.”

He was startled by the statement. “What? I didn’t realize ... It doesn’t change anything. You still have to move.”

“
When your mother tells me that, I’ll go,” I said. “But not before.”

He stared at me, then brushed past, dismissing me with a glare. If Reggie thought I was going to be that easy to evict, he was sadly mistaken. Helena was another story altogether, but I’d have to hear the words from her lips, and I didn’t think she would ever say them.

Kaye was at the front checkout. “Jennifer, thank goodness you’re all right. I can’t believe that lovely old building is gone. The historical society has been trying to get it designated as a landmark for years, and I honestly believe we would have succeeded this time. Whoever burned it down should be executed.”

She couldn’t fake the ardor in her voice. Kaye’s declaration took the steam out of my step for a moment. “Do you have any idea who would be capable of doing it?”

Kaye looked shocked by the question. “No civilized person, that’s for sure. I just don’t understand why. How did you manage to escape?”

“
I moved out yesterday afternoon,” I said.

“
How fortunate,” Kaye said, then her eyes narrowed. “You were displaced unwillingly, weren’t you? I bet it infuriated you.”

“
Wait one second,” I said. “If you’re suggesting I had anything to do with that fire, you’re nuts.”

“
I’m just saying, some people may think that’s how it looks, Jennifer.”

“
Then let them say it to my face,” I said. “Do you have any suspects besides me?”

“
I didn’t mean to make it sound that harsh,” Kaye said.

I waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Forget about it. Well, do you?”

“
No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”

I started for the door as Kaye asked, “Where are you going now?”

“
I need to speak with Polly,” I admitted.

“
You can’t. She stopped by here yesterday after noon. She was on her way to the Outer Banks.” The banks were a popular vacation destination for folk from our part of Virginia. While we had beaches of our own, the chain of islands on the North Carolina coast were particularly lovely, especially the parts not infested with summer rentals and T-shirt stands. I could still remember the open stretches of windswept dunes from my childhood, and the last time I’d beer there a few years before, it had been difficult believing it was the same place. Too many people with too much money were ruining one of the country’s most beautiful and delicate habitats, and it didn’t appear that anyone was doing anything about it.

“
Did she say how long she’d be gone?” I asked.

“
Just a few days, I think,” Kaye said.

“
I’ll talk to her then,” I said.

Kaye wasn’t finished, though. “I’m guessing Luke Penwright’s on your list, too, isn’t he?”

“
Why do you ask?”

“
Jennifer, I make it my business to know people You’re speaking to everyone your brother interviewee
the night Eliza was murdered. Don’t bother denying it.”

I grinned at her. “Okay, I won’t. Do you have any idea where I can find Luke?”

“
You just missed him. He’s on his way out of town. For good, from the way he was telling it.”

Blast it all, I needed to talk to him. If he was running because he thought he’d been successful in killing me, I had to dissuade him of that notion. I knew Bradford couldn’t hold him, but if he left for good, my brother might never be able to find him again.

“
Thanks,” I said as I raced out the door.

To my surprise, Kaye followed me outside. “Try the Petrol Planet. He said he had to gas up first, and I’m willing to bet he’s still there. He’s driving a forest green motor home.”

“
Why are you helping me?” I asked her.

“
You may not believe this, but I hope you figure out who killed Eliza. We weren’t close—far from it, actually—but I don’t want people in town whispering behind my back for the next thirty years that I was one of the suspects in the case.”

“
I’ll buy that,” I said. Then I remembered I didn’t have my car. “Any chance I could borrow your car?”

Kaye shook her head. “Sorry, but I’m not willing to help that much.”

I raced toward Sara Lynn’s shop, hoping that she was there. If I couldn’t borrow her Honda, I was out of luck.

“
It’s an emergency. I need your car,” I said breathlessly as I ran into Forever Memories.

Sara Lynn reached into her purse—tucked safely behind the counter—and tossed me her keys.

“
Don’t you want to know what I’m doing?” I asked.

“
Tell me when you bring my car back.”

I had to look twice to be sure it was my sister and not some imposter. It was a sure sign that she’d been shaken up by last night’s events, since there was no doubt in my mind that Bradford had already brought her up to speed on what had been happening.

I raced toward the gas station, and sure enough, the motor home was still at the pump.

As I pulled in behind it, I changed my mind at the last second, and swerved so I could keep it from leaving before I was ready. I got out and saw Luke coming out of the cashier’s office.

“
Jennifer, you really should slow down.”

“
I will as soon as I have the time. I was hoping I’d catch you. I heard you were leaving town.”

He nodded. “There are just too many bad memories around here for me. Now that Eliza’s gone, there’s no reason for me to stay.”

There was a group of men standing by the entrance and I felt like Luke had said it for their benefit, not mine. If he wanted to put on a play in public, I was game.

“
Funny, I never thought of you as a coward.”

He gave me a hard look; the men standing around had dropped all pretense that they weren’t listening to every word.

“
You’d better be careful there, Jennifer.”

“
What are you going to do, attack me? Like someone attacked your ex-wife?”

His face reddened at my goading, and I saw one of the men flinch. “That’s enough,” he said when he could control his voice.

“
I don’t think so. If you loved Eliza as much as you claim, you surely wouldn’t run away with your tail between your legs if there was a chance her killer
might be caught. Don’t you want to be there when, Bradford brings him in?”

I saw a few nods out of the corner of my eye, and I could see that I was scoring some points. Luke must have noticed it, too.

“
Do you really think your brother’s capable of catching anything more than a cold?”

“
Look at his track record,” I said. “He’s good at what he does.” I was on solid ground there. Bradford was the best sheriff Rebel Forge had ever had, and more folks said it than me. “I can’t believe you’re just giving up. I thought you were a real man.”

He actually took a step toward me as I said that, and I could see the pure hatred in his eyes. Only the sight of the men standing by watching kept him from approaching me more. I thought he was going to come after me anyway when one of the men, an older fellow named Moss Marlette, said, “She’s got a point, Luke. What’s your hurry?”

That emboldened one of the other men to say, “I knew your daddy, and he never gave up a day in his life.”

Luke wanted to scream, I could see it in his eyes, but instead, he plastered a fake smile on his face and said, “You know what, Jennifer? You’re right. I’m turning this rig around and parking it back at Campers’ Cove, and I’m not leaving until the worm that killed my Eliza pays for it.”

Several of the men nodded their approval, but out of their hearing, Luke added, “This isn’t over.”

I nodded. “Anytime.”

I drove off after making sure that Luke was heading back into town. I’d found the right button to push, but it hadn’t been that hard. I loved Southern men dearly, but they were so proud, a lot of the time it made them predictable. I wasn’t all that thrilled with my own behavior, but I couldn’t rule Luke out as a suspect if he wasn’t around. I was making quite a name for myself as a hag around town, but it didn’t matter if it helped find Eliza’s killer. Things were getting hot in Rebel Forge, and if it took some stirring to make things boil over, then I was going to do it.

“
That was fast,” Sara Lynn said as I returned her car keys to her.

“
And yet I managed to annoy several people in that
short a time,” I said.

“
Jennifer, are you being bad?”

I looked around. The only customers in her store were clustered back by the scrapbooking how-to books. “I’m trying to find out what really happened to Eliza. I have to believe that whoever killed her is the same person who took those shots at Bailey and me, and then burned down my old apartment.”

“
But why would they be so zealous?” she asked, “It doesn’t make sense.”

I didn’t want to get into it right there with my sister. “Who knows why lunatics act the way they do?”

She studied me a few seconds, then said, “Jennifer, you’ve got a theory. What is it?”

“
Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“
If you’re trying to save me from some hurt feelings, I’m a little beyond that. I doubt you can tell me anything worse than I’ve already heard. Talk to me.”

I took a deep breath, then said, “Okay, here’s what I think happened. I think Bailey saw Eliza murdered or at least witnessed something incriminating that the killer wanted silenced. The killer followed Bailey to Hurley’s the night I was there with Greg, and he spotted your husband and me on the loading dock. I’m willing to bet he wasn’t sure how long we were up there together, so he was afraid that Bailey told me whatever it was he was hiding.”

“
He didn’t, did he? Don’t worry, I won’t tell Bradford if you’re holding something back from him.”

“
I swear, he didn’t tell me a thing,” I said. “That’s not completely true. He thought Eliza was seeing someone else, but that wasn’t his secret. So anyway, the killer thinks I know, too, so I’m a target. That’s why he burned Whispering Oak to the ground, to protect his secret.”