The Feed Store Floozy (The Penelope Pembroke Cozy Mystery Series) (11 page)

“That would be an admission of guilt.”

“Well, she did have an affair with Travis Pembroke.”

“You don’t hold that against her.”

“No, she was dumb, just like I was, but she’s smartened up.”

“Like you did.”

“That’s right.”

“Tell her not to do anything hasty.”

“Tell her yourself if she comes over tonight.”

“Why don’t you call Peter Taliaferro and invite him, too? Maybe I could give him some ideas.”

“You’d do that?”

“Tabby deserves an end to all this.”

“You’re all right, Sam-whoever-you-are. Sometimes I actually like you.”

Penelope listened for his reply but heard only a soft click as her bedroom door closed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“I still think I should leave,” Shana said.

Before Peter could say anything, Sam shook his head. “That would be the worst thing you could do. They don’t care whether Peter has a relationship with you or not. They want their granddaughter, and if they can use you to get her, they will. Running off will just prove their point—that you aren’t good for Tabby.”

“But…”

“I mean it, Shana.”

She looked away.

“I have a good attorney,” Peter said.

“And you’ve told him everything, right?” Sam’s eyes locked with Peter’s.

“Right.”

“And you have witnesses to back you up?”

“He says it’s
hearsay.”

“Would somebody like to tell me what all this means?” Penelope asked.

Sam shook his head. “Nope.”

Penelope glanced at Shana, who shrugged. “I don’t know either.
              “I don’t guess you’d talk to my attorney before the hearing…give him some ideas…”

Sam shook his head. “No can do, Peter. This is my best shot.”

Peter didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Then, “Okay, thanks, Sam.”

“But if I turn up anything else, I’ll let you know.”

****

After Peter and Shana left, Sam suggested a walk. “I’m already getting sore,” Penelope said.

“It’ll help to keep moving.”

“That’s easy for you to say. How far are we going?”

“Just downtown.”

She narrowed her eyes. “To the old feed
store?”

He grinned. “Bingo.”

“I’m not going to be an accessory to breaking and entering.”

“Aw, Nell, live a little.”

“That’s just it—I have to live here. You don’t.”

They kept to the sidewalk until they’d passed the library. “Dead,” Sam said cheerfully. “Just like I thought.”

“I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”

“I told you I liked this town. Our target is straight ahead.”

“Sam, I’m not going to do this.”

He grabbed her hand and dashed across the deserted street, keeping to the edge of the light from the lone streetlamp on the corner. At the back of the building, he
placed her against the brick wall. “Made it.”

“Thanks for hauling me like a sack of potatoes when I’m already sore.”

His face fell. “I forgot. Sorry. I’ll give you a good rub-down when we get home.”

“Ha!”

“Let’s go.”

Before she realized it, he’d propelled her up the six wooden steps to the narrow porch outside the back door. “How did they ever get feed sacks up here?” Penelope asked, trying to catch her breath.

“Probably backed the truck up and put the ramp right on the porch.”

“Oh.”

He took something out of his pocket and inserted it into the ancient lock. “Got it.”

“I’m not going in,” Penelope said, but before she finished speaking, she was inside. A musty smell pervaded the darkness.

“This way,” Sam said.

“I forgot  you’ve done this before.”

“Right.  Come on. Upstairs.”

“I can’t see a thing. I’ll break my neck.”

He reached into his hip pocket and took out a pencil-thin flashlight. “Better?”

“You carry the tools of your criminal trade with you, huh?”

“What self-respecting crook doesn’t?”

The narrow wooden stairs groaned beneath their feet. Penelope, panic building inside her, clutched Sam’s hand as they climbed. “Bradley will kill me,” she whispered.

“Bradley won’t know,” Sam retorted. “And you don’t have to whisper—there’s nobody here but us.”

“You’re sure of that, are you?”

“Positive.”

Without warning, a shriek sent them against the wall, and then a large, dark body barreled past them on the way down.

****

“That was Harvey
Hadden,” Penelope said when she got her breath back.

“Are you sure?”

“From the Possum Hollow smell, yes. Are you going after him?”

“I’m not the law in this town. But I’m going to see what he was doing upstairs. Stay here.”

“By myself? In the dark?”

“You heard the door slam,” Sam said. “He’s gone.”

“He might be back.”

“Not as long as we’re in here. Just sit down on the step and be quiet.”

Penelope heard him take the four remaining steps and walk down the hall, opening doors, and presumably looking inside each room. She counted three doors opened and closed, and waited for the fourth. It stayed open.

“Sam?” She called upwards through the dark. “Sam?”

“I’m coming down,” he said. As he reached her, he took her arm. “Let’s go.”

“What did you find up there?”

“Don’t ask.”

“Oh, no, not another body. Please don’t tell
me someone else has been murdered.”

“I won’t tell you.”

He hurried her along the street until the lights of the B&B shone through the trees. “You’re all right from here. I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?”

He hesitated. “When you get inside, call Brad’s cell phone and say ‘under the radar’, then hang up.”

“Under the radar?”

“Just do it, Nell.”

Before she could ask more questions, he’d disappeared.

****

After she did as Sam said, she went upstairs to her room but didn’t undress. An hour later, when she heard him in the hall, she opened her door. “Sam?”

“I’m back.”

“What’s going on?”

“You’ll hear about it, probably tomorrow.”

“I’d rather hear it from you tonight.”

He blew out his breath. “Nell, I can’t say anything.”

She swallowed her disappointment. “All right.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“That’s just it—I don’t understand any of it.”

He took her in his arms. “I’m sorry. That’s all I can say.”

“Are you involved?”

“Not officially. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“So you told Bradley whatever it is that you know and walked away.”

“That’s about it.”

“I know that was Harvey
Hadden on the stairs.”

“I told him.”

“So he knows I was in there with you.”

“He won’t say a word to you about it.”

“Why?”

“Because, you aren’t involved.”

“So how will Hal Greene report it—whatever
it
is?”

“It will go down as an anonymous tip.”

She snuggled against his broad chest. “Sometimes I wish you’d go away and never come back, but when you do leave, I’m afraid I’ll never see you again.”

He put his lips against her hair. “Not if I have anything to do with it.”

“But you might not.”

“Life’s a risk, Nell.”

“More for some than for others.”

“Right.”

“Sam, I…”

He covered her mouth with his, cutting her off.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

An anonymous tip on Tuesday night led Amaryllis police officers to the body of
Jill Jerome on the second floor of the recently opened Antique Arcade where visiting journalist Wally Powers was shot to death two weeks ago. Police acknowledge the two homicides are most likely related. Ms. Jerome, a photographer, arrived in Amaryllis a few days after Mr. Powers to assist with pictures for the story he planned to write about the history of the building.

Police are questioning several persons of interest, but no arrests have been made. Brice Dolan, owner of the store, which opened last week, has closed it indefinitely until the investigation is completed.

Specific details of Ms. Jerome’s death are being withheld by the police because of the on-going investigation, but Chief Harley Malone says that full disclosure of all the facts will be made public once the case is closed. He asks the citizens of Amaryllis not to engage in speculation or circulate hearsay.

“That’s short, sweet, and to the point,” Mary Lynn said, folding the newspaper and shoving it across the table toward Penelope.

“We know who at least one
person of interest
is—Brice Dolan.”

“At least Brad didn’t question Harry again.”

“He was just doing his job, and you know it.”

“I know. I just hate to see Harry so upset. I’m not mad at my godson.” She nibbled at the blueberry muffin on her plate. “Doesn’t Peter go to court today?”

“I think so. Yes, it’s the 14th.”

“Have you talked to Shana?”

“Peter asked her to take Tabby shopping for new school clothes today. He thinks Tabby knows something’s going on.”

“Poor little girl.”

“She’ll get hurt worse than any of the adults in the situation.”

“Apparently her grandparents don’t care, just so they get her.”

“I guess not.”

“Maybe we should go over to the church and pray for her.”

Penelope smiled. “That might just be a good idea. I’ll get my purse and my rosary.”

****

Penelope lost track of time as she knelt beside Mary Lynn, her mind wandering from Tabby, Shana, and Peter to Sam. He’d left before she got up the morning after finding Jill Jerome’s body, and she hadn’t heard from him since. Of course, it had only been six…no, seven days, but she missed him worse this time than ever before.

As Sam predicted, Brad never mentioned her foolish foray through the back door of the old feed store, nor did he mention Harvey
Hadden. It was anybody’s guess where Harvey was, but since he’d run her off the road—and there was no doubt in Penelope’s mind he’d done it—she’d made it a point not to look for him in town.

But she wondered more than ever. What motive would
Harvey have to commit two murders? He was rough, not a man to get on the wrong side of, but killing two people he didn’t even know? Penelope thought not. So if not Harvey, only Brice was left, and she couldn’t feature Brice Dolan murdering anyone either.

Her fingers ticked off the beads of her rosary without focus. Then there was Sam—obviously in contact with the local police with that silly code.
Under the radar
? What the heck did that mean?

Mary Lynn’s serene face, as they left the church, deepened Penelope’s feelings of impending doom. 
I know too much I shouldn’t know…don’t want to know…and I don’t know what I need to know…mostly about Sam. Where is he, and why hasn’t he been in touch with me?

She told Mary Lynn goodbye on the driveway and went into the house alone. The answering machine light flashed, indicating new messages. “Call me,” Shana said in the first one. Then, “Penelope, this is important. Call me
now
on my cell phone.” The third message cut off just after Shana spoke her name. Penelope fished her own cell phone from her purse, found the number and dialed.

“Shana, I’m sorry. Mary Lynn and I went to church to pray for Tabby and…”

“We were in the middle of the mall when Peter called and told me to bring Tabby to the courthouse. She’s still in there, but I’m in the car across the street.”

“What do you think is going on?”

“I’m not sure. Peter told me this morning, when I picked up Tabby, that his lawyer had a stack of affidavits from Bethany’s high school and college friends, a couple of her teachers, and a coach. He took what Sam said and ran with it, getting documented information and so on.”

“They’ve all got to be negative toward her parents, or the lawyer wouldn’t give them to the judge.”

“Oh, Peter said they all painted the Bainbridges as rotten parents. Also, a private detective found out they separated a few years back because she suspected he was having an affair with his secretary.”

“Was he?”

“The guy tracked down the secretary, and she’s not talking.”

“Oh.”

“But there’s still me, Penelope. Travis Pembroke and me.”

“If you mention his name again, I’m going to strangle you. It’s over, finished, done. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“A few million more times, I guess. Anyway, I brought Tabby down here, but Peter told me not to tell her why. He met us out front about an hour and a half ago, and I haven’t seen them since.”

“Expect the best and…”

“Wait a minute. I think I see the grandparents—I do. They’re coming out—and they’re alone! They lost, Penelope! Oh, thank God, they lost!” The connection went dead.

****

Before Penelope could hit the redial button, Jake sauntered in from his apartment. “Where’d you go, Nellie?”

“Mary Lynn and I went to church to pray for Peter and Tabby and Shana. Shana just called from her car, which is parked across the street from the courthouse, and said the grandparents were coming out alone.”

“That’s good, I guess.”

“I hope so.”

“Peter’s a good father, and those people don’t have any right to take Tabby away from the only parent she has.”

“No, they don’t.”

“Shana just told me that and hung up. I was getting ready to call her back.”

“Why don’t you wait for her to call you?”

“Maybe I should.”

“Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the newspaper article on that little gal they found upstairs at the feed store.”

Penelope brought a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator, some glasses, and a plate of broken cookies she’d picked up at Rose’s Bakery for fifty cents. “I’m listening, Daddy.”

“Well, the Toney Twins were talking this morning while we had coffee…said she was coming out of the bank in a big hurry that morning.”

“She didn’t rob the bank, or we’d have heard about it.”

“I’m being serious, Nellie.”
             

“Sorry, Daddy. Go on.”

“Said she had a big package under her arm.”

“Like a manila envelope or a box?”

“Envelope.”

“I’m sure Bradley’s already checked on her movements that day.”

“Oh, I’m sure he has, but the folks at the bank didn’t see where she went, and the Toneys did.”             
              “They should’ve gone straight to Bradley.”

“You know they don’t offer information about anything.”

“They gave it to you.”

“That’s different. Anyway, she went down the street and around back of the feed store. They pulled up far enough to see her. Guess who she met?”

Penelope bit her tongue to keep from saying Harvey Hadden.

“Harvey
Hadden.”

“She gave him the envelope?”

“Well, they didn’t see that. They couldn’t very well stop in the middle of the street, could they?”

“The police need to know what she did.”

“Relax, Nellie, I walked over to the PD and talked to Brad. He seemed to find the information very interesting.”

I just bet he did. So Jill gave Harvey something from the bank—and then he came back that night and killed her? It doesn’t add up. Unless, of course, she didn’t give it to him.

“I wonder what happened to all the pictures she took?”
The ones she accused me of stealing.

“Well, I asked Brad that, too, and he said they had them.”

“That’s good.”

“And he said something else, something I wasn’t sure I understood completely, but you might be able to shed some light on it for me.”

“What’s that, Daddy?”

“He said, ‘Tell Mother everything’s okay.’” Jake cocked his head and waited.

“He means Sam, I think. They’ve got some sort of working connection.”

“I knew that.”

“He was the anonymous tipster.”

“I kind of figured that, too.”

“And I was with him.”

“Well, well.”

“But you didn’t hear it from me.”

“I know nothing.”

“It’s such a mess, Daddy, and then all this with Shana and Peter. I just couldn’t believe a judge would give Tabby to those conniving grandparents.”

“Judges do funny things sometimes, but it looks like this one made the right decision.”

The phone rang. “It’s Shana.”

“You scared me, just hanging up like that. Is everything all right?”

“Better than you’d believe. Peter said I could tell you everything.”

“Everything?”

“The Bainbridges were very controlling parents, and when Bethany got old enough to rebel, they started drugging her.”

“What?”

“I’m serious. She was always underweight, so they gave her lots of milkshakes and protein drinks and…”

“What kind of drugs?”

“She found them one day when her parents were out of town and made a list. Then she turned eighteen soon afterwards and left home with one suitcase and a hundred dollars in her purse—and the list, which she gave to a close friend who kept it all these years. Then she and Peter eloped, but she didn’t tell him about the drugs. However, when his attorney started contacting her friends, the one with the list turned up—and it was in Bethany’s handwriting, so it was really damning. Peter said the scene in the courtroom wasn’t pretty.”

“Why did Tabby have to come?”

“The judge wanted to talk to her, just to reassure himself she was as well-adjusted as everyone said she was.”

“I hope she didn’t mention Jessie Ruth.”

Shana laughed. “Oh, she didn’t. We’d had a talk about Jessie Ruth while we were shopping, and I explained how all children have imaginary friends who seem very real and suggested that Jessie Ruth would always be fun to think about and remember…but talking about her to people who didn’t understand wouldn’t be a good idea. Tabby’s very bright. She took everything to heart.”

“You’re a natural-born mother, Shana.”

“I don’t know about that, but at least she didn’t say anything questionable when she talked to the judge.”

“So what did he say exactly?”

“According to Peter, he raked the grandparents over the coals. Then he told Peter any visitation with them would be entirely at his discretion.”

“So that finishes that.”

“I wouldn’t count on it, but they won’t try anything else soon.”

“I’m so glad, Shana.”

“We’re glad, too.”

“I like the sound of ‘we’.”

A long silence ensued. Then, “Peter said we shouldn’t wait any longer. He asked me to marry him…and I said yes.”

****

Penelope’s cell phone jangled while she loaded the dishwasher after breakfast the next morning. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw ‘Private’ on the caller ID.

“Sam?”

“Meet me out back of the Sit-n-Swill at nine-fifteen. I’ll be on my bike.” He hung up.

She sighed. “How about a beer and a Reuben tonight, Daddy?” she asked as Jake came through the kitchen on his way out to meet the Toneys.

“Always up for that, Nellie. What are you up to today?”

“Not a blessed thing. It’ll be nice for a change.”

“The
Bugle
comes out today. Maybe there’ll be more on the murders.”

Penelope shuddered. “Why are we all of a sudden attracting so much trouble here in Amaryllis?”

“I don’t know, honeychild. That’s just the way it is, I guess.”

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it one blessed bit.”

“Neither do I. Well, I’ll see you around.” He flipped his cap from the rack to his head in one smooth motion and let the screen door bang behind him.