Authors: Erika Chase
Chapter Nineteen
Keep your eyes and ears sharp, won’t you?
AMONG THE MAD
—JACQUELINE WINSPEAR
A
ndie stepped off the porch as Lizzie pulled into her driveway. She’d reached the car
by the time Lizzie stepped out of it.
“Hi, Andie. It’s nice to see you, but what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at
home studying?”
Andie shrugged. Her long white plastic skeleton earrings danced on her shoulders against
the colorful backdrop of her black hair, streaked with blue. She was bundled in a
cropped jean jacket, with a bright purple T-shirt riding lower onto her hips, just
about meeting the top of her low-slung jeans. On her feet were her favorite New Rock
Bishops. She shivered slightly, acknowledging the temperature, which had slid to the
low teens as the sun went down.
“I needed a break and I hadn’t checked on you in a few days. Thought I’d come over.”
Lizzie hid a smile. Checked on her. Still playing PI. “Well, come on in. Have you
eaten yet?”
“Naw. Nobody’s home.” She shrugged again.
“How about I thaw some homemade soup Molly gave me and we share it?”
Andie nodded. “Sure.”
Lizzie stood waiting with the door open while Andie slowly circled the Mazda, flicking
a small flashlight over the wheel wells. Lizzie sighed. Oh well, as long as it started
and stopped with checking out her car. She’d had to replace her 2004 model after being
driven off the road a few months earlier but she’d been pleased to find a newer version,
same model and color at a great price.
Andie played with the cats while Lizzie tended to the soup and stuck a couple of cornmeal
buns, courtesy of Nathaniel and her freezer, into the toaster oven. She filled their
water glasses and called Andie over to the table.
“Is there something on your mind?” Lizzie asked.
Andie shrugged and took a tentative taste of the sweet potato and red pepper soup.
Lizzie knew when to wait her out. She tried her own soup and buttered the bun. They
ate in silence.
When she’d finished almost half the soup in her mug, Andie said, real casual-like,
“I don’t think I’m gonna pass this term.”
Lizzie put down her spoon. “Why do you say that?”
Andie slouched back in her chair. “I just am so thickheaded, ya know? I study and
then take those practice tests and it’s like I never saw the stuff before.”
“What subject is giving you trouble?”
Andie glanced up at her through the cover of her long black bangs. “English.”
Lizzie inwardly cringed. Had she not been doing her job as a tutor? Here she thought
getting Andie interested in reading would be the first step and then she’d be more
involved in the assigned material from her classroom. But maybe not.
“English Lit?”
“Naw. I think I can fudge what I don’t understand in that.” Lizzie cringed again.
“It’s like the grammar part, ya know?”
Lizzie let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she hadn’t been using the wrong approach after
all. And here was Andie, asking for her help, in a roundabout way. That, too, was
a good sign.
“Listen, Andie. It can be done. Reading is the first step and you’re into that now.
You have to read the sentence and from that, be able to pull out the parts, identify
them and then put them back together again. I can help you.”
Andie sat up a bit straighter. “You can?”
“Sure. When’s your exam?”
“Grammar is next Thursday morning.”
Lizzie went and got her agenda from her purse and flipped through it. “Maybe we can
combine some grammar with English Lit when we meet tomorrow. And could you come over
here early Saturday afternoon? We’ll look at next week’s schedule at that point and
decide how much more time is needed.”
Andie tried to look nonchalant but a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Awesome.
Yeah.”
“Good. I’ll get some material ready but you’ve got to promise me two things.”
“What?”
“You’ll work hard at it and . . . you won’t worry so much about it. Okay?”
Andie nodded and dug back into her soup. Lizzie wondered about the wisdom of her next
statement but decided to say it anyway.
“I was hoping to get the book club together tomorrow night to go over some of the
things that have come up about Derek Alton’s murder.”
“Yeah, way awesome.” Andie had that eager sleuth look back in her eyes.
“The thing is, I don’t want this interfering with your studying but I know you want
to be a part of it. So, I’ll make you another deal. If you’ll call everyone tonight,
starting with Molly to see if it’s okay to use her place, then let me know who can
make it, you can stay for the first hour of the meeting. Then you need to go home
to study. The phoning helps me out a lot so that’s your contribution.”
“So we stay at Molly’s right after the grammar thingy?”
Lizzie nodded. “Well, we’ll take a break and slip out for a burger, maybe.”
Andie mulled it over a few more seconds. “Fine.”
They finished their meal then Andie made her excuses and left. Lizzie noticed the
small beam of light from her flashlight as she circled the car one more time.
* * *
L
izzie checked the wall calendar the next morning as she waited for the last drops
of espresso to land in her cup. She’d had a long run, more invigorating than usual
given the continued low temperatures and high winds. Going was easy with the winds
at her back. Coming home, it was twice the work but well worth it.
Christmas was closing in. The Musica Nobilis concert happened in three days; eight
days until the school Christmas pageant; and then it would almost be holiday time.
And once she no longer had work-related tasks, she could concentrate on shopping for
gifts and finish decorating. She’d just have to bite the bullet—she cringed at her
choice of words—and finish the job if she wanted all the trimmings in time for Christmas.
But for today—school, Andie’s tutorial session and then, book club. A full day. And
evening.
Arriving at school, Lizzie skirted past Vanda Striker’s office, hoping the vice principal
wouldn’t see her, and ducked into the library. She planned to use the morning to finish
off term-end reports and get them out to the teachers by the end of the week. As a
reading specialist, Lizzie’s role started winding down earlier than the rest of the
school staff. She had a few consultations booked for the next week, but aside from
a meeting at the school board office, she would be available to help out in classrooms
if needed.
She fired up the computer, focusing on her task. By lunch, she’d managed to finish
about half the reports. Not bad, she thought, and grabbed her bag, making her way
to the staff room. She retrieved the egg salad wrap she’d stashed in the fridge that
morning and joined Sally-Jo, who had saved her a place at the table in the far end
of the room.
“I wasn’t sure if you were here today,” Sally-Jo said as Lizzie sank onto her chair.
“But I’m glad you are. I wanted a heads-up before tonight’s meeting. Anything I should
be aware of?”
Lizzie knew what she meant. She could hear the tension in her voice. She shook her
head. “No. I’ve just been talking to those two people who wanted to come and hear
Derek.”
Sally-Jo lowered her voice. “My former college roommate emailed me. Officer Craig
called her to check out my story.”
That had been expected. “And, what did she say?”
“Like I thought. She’d no idea what had been going on, although she sure must know
now. Or be hoping I’ll fill her in on all the details. Not going to happen, though.”
Sally-Jo’s fingers kept tapping out a random beat on the table.
Lizzie took a bite and chewed a few minutes. “Do you remember the names of any of
the other girls from your class that he’d been playing around with?”
Sally-Jo looked surprised. “Not offhand. Why?”
“Well, if you did, they would hopefully verify that they’d had affairs with Derek
around the same time. That would back up your reason for breaking it off with him.”
Sally-Jo smiled. “You’re right. That’s a great idea, Lizzie. I’ll look through my
old yearbooks tonight and see if it sparks anything. By the way, have you had a chance
to talk to Ellen Germain yet?”
“Nope. I haven’t seen her at all but she’s on yard duty with me today.”
She glanced at the clock. “And I’d better get out there. See you later.”
Sally-Jo managed a half smile, her mouth full of vegetable soup.
The weather forecaster had warned of unusually cold winds today, and Lizzie was happy
she’d paid heed. Her lined Windbreaker, paired with a cozy fleece top complete with
a hood, kept her from turning tail and running back inside. She slipped some black
leather gloves on her hands and she was all set. She noticed Ellen huddled next to
the back wall and wandered over.
“You must have missed the weather forecast this morning,” Lizzie said.
Ellen looked startled. “Uh, oh yes, I guess I wasn’t paying attention. Can’t remember
yard duty being this cold before,” she said with a shiver for emphasis.
“You could borrow my gloves if you’d like,” Lizzie offered. “They don’t cover much
but at least your hands will be warm.”
Ellen shook her head. “Thanks, but no. I’ll just keep my hands in my pockets and hope
I don’t have to take them out to pull apart any fights.” She grinned. “By the way,
Lizzie, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” She paused and took her time scanning
the yard.
Ellen’s gaze had locked onto something on the other side of the yard when she again
spoke. “I heard about Derek Alton being shot at your house. It must have been very
terrible for you. But I was wondering, before . . . that . . . did he say anything
about why he was in Ashton Corners? I mean, aside from speaking to your book club.”
Kismet.
“He didn’t come to town to visit us. We managed to snag him, just on a chance meeting.
I was going to ask you something, though. Sally-Jo Baker said you both went to the
same college. Did you know that Derek Alton used to teach there?”
Ellen made a sound like a croak, which ended in a coughing fit. When she was able
to talk again, she said, “That’s right, Sally-Jo did tell me she’d seen my picture.
Funny that we never ran into each other. It wasn’t that huge a campus.”
“Uh-huh. But did you know Derek Alton?”
Ellen shook her head. “Like I said, it wasn’t too huge a campus but obviously you
didn’t meet everyone. I can’t even remember half the profs I had. Anyway, his name
didn’t ring a bell when I read about the murder in the papers. He didn’t say he knew
me, did he?”
“Nope. He didn’t mention any names.”
Ellen started hugging herself and stamping her feet. “There you go, then. Look, I
have to dash inside before I turn into an icicle. I’ll just take a few minutes to
warm up and then come back out, okay?”
Lizzie nodded. “It’s quiet out here. Don’t worry about coming back out. There’s not
much longer anyway.”
Ellen gave her a small smile and hurried across the yard to the door. Lizzie was getting
used to being asked a lot of questions about Derek, his death and his business in
town. For someone who claimed not to have known Derek, Ellen seemed a bit on the defensive
when talking about him. Of course, everyone seemed to be these days.
Chapter Twenty
Tomorrow was looking much brighter.
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES
—MARNE DAVIS KELLOGG
S
tephanie Lowe was the last to arrive at Molly’s for the book club meeting. She waddled
into the room and, with the help of Molly, eased into the straight-backed wing chair.
Bob shoved a small needlepoint footstool over and she slowly hefted her feet onto
it one at a time, and sighed.
“I’m sorry to be so much trouble to y’all.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Molly answered. “We’re just so happy you’re able to come
and be with us.” Tonight she wore off-white harem pants with a sheer, long-sleeved
blouson top over a gold-colored shell, and almost by tacit agreement, everyone on
arrival had told Molly how lovely she looked but had not made any further comments
on her choice of clothing.
“Me, too, Molly. I can’t tell y’all how much it means to me, your coming by and visiting
and all. But it’s nice to be out of the apartment. Thanks to you, Jacob, for picking
me up tonight.”
“My pleasure, Stephanie.” He winked at Sally-Jo. She smiled back.
“Now before Lizzie gets to the talking, I think we need to start with the serious
stuff,” Bob stated. “Can I help you carry out the food, Molly?”
“Most of it’s in here already.” She pointed to the coffee table. “But there’s still
the tray of tea.”
He looked over at the coffee table. “No cheese straws tonight?”
“Why, I swear that’s the only reason you come over here, Bob Miller.”
“Now Molly,” he said with a sly grin, “y’all know that’s not the main reason.”
Molly flushed a pale pink. Lizzie and Sally-Jo shared a quick look. Andie helped herself
to a sugar cookie and then passed the plate around.
When they were settled with cups of tea and plates of food, Lizzie explained why she’d
asked them to meet.
“So, you think maybe this fellow Calvin Knox could’ve gotten tired of waiting and
just decided to kill off Alton?” Bob asked, biting into the spicy cheddar cheese straws
Molly had finally produced.
“I’m not sure. If he did, he’s a very good actor. He really sounded regretful that
he didn’t get the chance to embarrass Derek. But so far, they’re the only two real
suspects. He and Xenia Henshaw.”
Jacob leaned forward in his chair. “You think Ms. Henshaw might have known him from
a long time ago, if what Ken Wicks said is true?”
“She was adamant she hadn’t known him, and anyway, it sounds like she wasn’t living
here at that time.”
Bob said, “Well, I was chief back then and I never heard of the guy.”
“What about Mr. Wicks?” Stephanie asked. “Could he have some long-standing grudge
also?”
“Well, he admitted to knowing Derek had lived here before and I doubt he’d do that
if he killed him. And, I don’t think he said he knew him. I’d have to ask him again.”
She shook her head. “No, I really don’t think he’d tell me about Derek if he were
the killer. Why would he?”
“To throw you off?” Molly asked. “Just like Agatha Christie did in so many of her
masterpieces—make the obvious less so by being obvious about it.”
Lizzie shrugged. “Okay, well, I’ll put him on the list, for now. That makes three
of them. But I think Ken is a highly unlikely suspect.”
“Didn’t you say you were going to talk to Jensey Pollard at the Book Bin? What had
she to say for herself?” Jacob asked.
“Basically what she’d said originally. She first met him when he walked into her store
and offered to sign any books she had in stock. That’s when I wandered in . . . and
you know the story from there. I did ask specifically if she’d known him from before
and she said no.”
Andie jumped into the discussion. “But she could be lying.”
“Why do you say that?” Jacob asked.
Andie shrugged. “Like, doesn’t everyone lie at some time or other? You must have lots
of clients who lie, being a lawyer and all.”
Jacob chuckled. “I’m not able to divulge that information. Client confidentiality
and all that.”
Andie grinned.
“Well, that’s very true, young lady,” Bob agreed. “Suspects lie all the time to the
police. You can’t just take a person’s word for anything.”
“That’s very cynical,” Molly said.
Bob shrugged. “That’s life, I’m afraid.”
“So, you’re saying anyone who had contact with Derek, in any way, should be on the
suspect list?” Lizzie asked, feeling a tad panicked.
“I think you’re in the clear, Lizzie. But sure, I’d put Jensey Pollard on that list,
along with the other three.”
Lizzie did as she was told.
Bob cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to have to ask you this, Sally-Jo, and I surely
hope you don’t take any offense. But I was wondering why the police hauled you in
for questioning?”
Jacob jumped to her defense. “Hauled isn’t quite an accurate description, Bob. She
was asked to assist in their inquiries.”
Bob merely raised his eyebrows in response.
Sally-Jo sucked in her breath. She looked around the room then focused on Jacob, who
gave a slight nod. “I guess y’all deserve to know but it’s something I’m not too proud
about.” She took another deep breath. “Derek was my creative writing prof at college
in my freshman year. We had a brief affair.”
Molly smiled kindly at Sally-Jo. “That was a long time ago, honey. We all have done
things when we were younger that we’re not too proud about. But that’s hardly a reason
to suspect you of his murder.”
“Thanks, Molly. I hope the chief agrees with you. I ended it and tried to forget it
happened. I wasn’t too thrilled when I heard he’d be our guest at book club. I’d planned
to skip that night, by the way.”
Jacob spoke up. “My money’s on Calvin Knox at this point. But it might be hard to
prove unless the police can get a warrant and search his house. They do know about
him, don’t they, Lizzie?”
“Yes, I told them about both Calvin Knox and Xenia Henshaw.” But not about my subsequent
conversations with them. Why should she tell Mark when she knew exactly where such
a talk would lead? And she wasn’t up to another confrontation just yet. Let the police
do their own legwork. Or maybe she could try a little B and E some day when Calvin
was at work. Get some solid facts. But of course, she wouldn’t. Didn’t have the nerve.
And besides being illegal, she shuddered to think of Mark’s reaction.
“You know,” Bob said in between bites of a second cheese straw, “I’d like to run with
this notion that Alton lived in Ashton Corners a long time ago. If it’s true, then
I’ll bet it’s someone from his past who’s upset he’s back in town and did him in,
for whatever reason. I’ve still got my contacts at the county registry office. I’ll
have them dig back and see if there’s a tax notice or anything for Alton. I’ll also
get Ronny Biggs to mention to the chief that it might be wise to have the phone company
dig into past files, just in case Alton didn’t own property. He was sure to have phone
service. If we can find an old address, maybe we can narrow down the search.”
“That would be great,” Lizzie agreed.
“What if he did live here but he was a criminal so he had to change his name? He could
have pulled a bank heist or robbed a gas station or just about anything. That’s possible,
isn’t it?” Andie-with-the-vivid-imagination asked.
Bob answered. “Interesting thought, Andie. I’ll get Biggs to check his fingerprints
and see if he’s got a record, if it hasn’t been done already. Not too many people
without something in their past to hide, that’s for darn sure.”
Sally-Jo squirmed on her chair and Molly stood abruptly and left the room. All eyes
followed her out the door. Bob shook his head in wonder. “What?”
“You probably reminded her of her dead husband’s secret past, I’ll bet,” Stephanie
said.
Bob groaned. “I plumb wasn’t thinking along those lines. She’s got to stop being so
sensitive about the whole thing.” He stood to follow her.
“Maybe you should just give her a little time right now,” Lizzie suggested. “I’ll
bet she’ll be back shortly, carrying a plate of molasses cookies or something.”
Bob shook his head. “Well she’s not acting herself these days. First with her shutting
herself away from us all these weeks. She wouldn’t answer the door or the phone. And
when she eventually did, she’d say she couldn’t talk. And that meeting last month?
It was downright spooky finding all the food and drinks ready for us along with a
note to carry on without her. And then, all those crazy clothes she’s been wearing.”
He paused to take a deep breath.
“But I sure hope you’re right, Lizzie.” He gave her a sideways glance and winked.
“I’m still mighty hungry.”
“Andie, isn’t it time you were home studying some more?” Lizzie reminded her.
Andie glanced at her watch. “Yeah, sure. If y’all have anything for me to do, just
let me know, okay?”
“Don’t worry, we will,” Sally-Jo assured her.
Stephanie shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “I’m sorry, Jacob. But I think I should
be heading home, too. I hate to break up the evening, though.”
Jacob stood quickly. “That’s all right, Stephanie. I don’t mind running you home.
I can always come back if there’s more to discuss tonight.” He looked around the room,
his eyes settling on Sally-Jo.
Bob answered for them all. “I think we’ve about covered enough for one night. I’ll
try to get some of that information, which is what we need before carrying on with
anything. Lizzie, you did good tracking down those two. I’ll give you a call as soon
as I learn something.” He stood then added, “Please say good night to Molly for me,
Lizzie. And thank her for her hospitality.”
“I’ll give you a ride, too, Andie,” Jacob said, and the three left behind Bob.
“Do you think Molly’s really upset?” Sally-Jo asked as she helped Lizzie clear away
the dirty dishes.
“I guess she must be. She usually takes everything in stride and she did seem to have
bounced back lately. Until tonight. I’ll see if she wants to have a talk before I
leave,” Lizzie said, thinking about the numerous times she’d been pounding on Molly’s
door, to no avail. And just when she’d be debating about whether to call the police,
Molly would appear and tell her everything was just fine. She just needed some time
to herself. And Lizzie, because Molly asked, just let it be. Although she’d continued
to worry all those weeks.
“I’ll leave, then. I’ve still got tons to do around the house,” Sally-Jo said.
“I haven’t asked how it’s all going.”
“Best not to ask at the moment. I’ll have you over to do an inspection before I’m
descended upon. I’m looking forward to your concert, by the way. Are you getting excited?”
“In a way. You know, this may sound crazy, but I always enjoy the rehearsals more
than the concert. Guess I’m not much of a performer. I’m probably the only one in
the choir who feels that way, too.”
Sally-Jo laughed. “Well, you hide it real good when you’re onstage. See you at school
tomorrow. Just let me know if you think of anything you want me to do about all this.
And you know, I feel much better now that it’s all out in the open. Foolish, but better.”
After Sally-Jo left, Lizzie started washing up the dishes. Molly came into the kitchen.
“You don’t have to do that, honey. That’s what my dishwasher’s for.”
“I don’t mind. And there isn’t enough for a load. Look, I’m almost finished. I wasn’t
sure where to put the pitcher, though.” Molly gestured with her head over toward the
back counter. “By the way, everyone said good night and thank you.”
Molly grunted and busied herself putting the leftover sweets into containers. Then
she poured them each a glass of Pinot Grigio and sat at the table waiting for Lizzie
to finish. “Just let them air-dry.”
Lizzie drained the water out of the sink, gave it a quick wipe and joined Molly. She
took a long sip of her wine and then sat, knowing Molly had something she wanted to
say.
“I acted a bit foolish, didn’t I?” Molly finally asked.
Lizzie leaned over and covered Molly’s hand with her own. “Not foolish. Just surprising.”
Molly sighed. “I’m doing quite well, you know. I don’t dwell on what Claydon did that
much anymore.” She sighed. “That’s part of this ‘new me.’ I decided that I’d been
someone else’s version of me all my life. First my parents brought me up to be the
proper Southern miss. Then I was the proper Southern wife to Claydon. I realized,
if I was going to get on with my life, to get beyond what Claydon did, I’d have to
find out who I was and become that person. That’s why I’m having fun with all these
outfits. It’s just a way of expressing myself. And, I’m also thinking I need to get
away a bit and see some more of the world.” She took a long swallow of her wine.
“Just because Claydon got involved in that get-rich scheme, and true, it did have
some devastating results for some people, it doesn’t change what you two had together.
That was the real Claydon, the man you loved. And he loved you, too. Very much.”
“But to cause so much havoc in other people’s lives.”
“He was remorseful, it seems. He tried to make amends over the years. He may just
have been a young, cocky businessman who saw a good thing and didn’t think beyond
it. But later, he tried to do the right thing.”
“The right thing would have been to tell me.”
“Why? So that you could have worried and shared in his guilt? I think he was trying
to save you from the agony he was going through. He wasn’t trying to cut you out of
his life. He made a mistake, yes . . . but it doesn’t make him this big ogre. That’s
not how you knew him.”
Molly sat silent for several minutes, then sighed. “Yes, you’re right, but I do feel
betrayed.”
“I think that’s probably natural and it may take a long time to get beyond that. But
don’t dismiss your good years together. Take great joy in the knowledge that you were
deeply loved.”
Molly put her hand over Lizzie’s. “Now when did you get to be so wise?”
“I’ve been taking lessons.” She leaned over and gave Molly a quick hug.