The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor (14 page)

I
slammed on the brakes. Harlan lay crumpled on the floor of the garage, a pool of blood collected around him. I jumped out of the car, screaming for someone, anyone, and ran toward Harlan. I knelt on the floor of the garage next to him and reached for his hand. His eyes were closed and blood radiated from a small hole in his chest. I fervently hoped Harlan was still alive, but I knew instinctively that he was gone.

I could hear people running toward the garage, yelling my name. I couldn't answer. I was too horrified to speak. I couldn't think clearly.

A moment later strong hands were gently guiding me away from Harlan. I looked up into Graydon's face. His skin had a chalky pallor. Vivian was behind Graydon, screaming, and Evie was running from the front of the manor. Graydon stopped her before she entered the garage.

“Evie, don't go in there.”

“Why not?” she demanded. “Why is Mother screaming?” Her voice had risen an octave.

“Harlan's in there,” Graydon answered grimly. “I don't want you to see him.”

“I have to see him!” she yelled. “Let me go!”

“Evie, I am your father,” Graydon told her sternly. “You will listen to me and do as I say. Go back into the house this instant and call the police. On the house phone.”

He wanted her away from the garage. That's why he told her to use the house phone instead of her cell phone, which she no doubt had with her. My mind was slowly starting to work again.

Just a moment later Ruby came running from the house. “What's going on in there?” she asked me.

“I found Harlan,” I answered. “Graydon and Vivian are in the garage with him and Evie went back into the house to call the police.”

“Is he okay?”

I shook my head. Vivian had stopped screaming. I could hear her retching in the garage.

Heath drove up to the front of the manor just then and jumped out of his truck. “Did someone find him? Evie called my cell and I could hear it ring but couldn't find it. It was under the front seat.”

“Yes. I found him. He's in the garage.”

Heath ran into the garage. I heard nothing, but he came out a few minutes later with his arm around Vivian. He walked with her to the front door of the manor and hugged her before she went inside and shut the door. He walked slowly back to where I stood, his eyes downcast.

“Harlan didn't make it,” he said hoarsely. Ruby gasped nearby, her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. Heath went over and hugged her. When he held her away from him, her eyes were moist. She used a handkerchief to dab at the tears that were starting to flow.

“I'm so sorry, Heath. I wish we could have found him sooner,” I replied.

“So do I.”

Evie came back outside and stood with us. Heath told her that Harlan had died, and she stood silently, shaking her head ceaselessly, tears coursing down her cheeks. She put her hand over her mouth. Heath put an arm around her shoulders and I held her other hand. It wasn't long before a police car, followed closely by an ambulance, came up the driveway. Two police officers got out of the car and ran over to the garage. I could hear them ordering Graydon out of the way. Graydon stepped backward out of the garage, then stood at the doorway with his hands clenching and unclenching, helpless and watching. One of the officers came to the door and put yellow police tape across the doorway. Two paramedics then pushed a stretcher to the garage and under the police tape. It was several moments before they appeared again, this time with Harlan's body, covered entirely by a white sheet, on the stretcher. They placed Harlan carefully in the back of the ambulance and left slowly, lights flashing, but without a siren.

The three of us watched it until it turned onto the main road, then Heath put his hand on Evie's shoulder. “I'm going inside,” he told us, wiping tears from his eyes. “I've got to see if Mother's okay.” Evie stared at him as if she couldn't comprehend what he had said.

Ruby had stood by herself a short distance from us. “Heath, can I get you anything?” she asked.

He offered her a half smile in appreciation. “No thanks, Aunt Ruby. I'll be all right.”

She shook her head as she watched him walk away. “That poor boy. To lose a twin. I can't imagine what that must be like.”

I shook my head. “I can't either.”

“Are you all right, Evie?” she asked. Evie shook her head in reply and Ruby hugged her as their tears mingled.

Two more police cars then drove up to the house, and four officers got out and went directly to the garage. I turned to Ruby and Evie. “Lucy's alone in the house. I need to get back upstairs.” They nodded in reply.

I raced up the staircase inside the manor and practically flew to my room. Inside, on the floor and surrounded by dolls, sat Lucy.

“Hi, Mama. Where were you?”

“Putting the car away.”

I chatted to Lucy for the next several minutes with the door closed so she wouldn't hear the crying from down the hall. It was Evie. I wished I could be there for her, but I needed to be where Lucy was. I was scared for her. She was blissfully unaware of the sadness and violence that had visited Peppernell Manor, but I was acutely mindful of it and afraid. I decided not to wait until the next morning—I wanted to pack her up quickly and leave for Florida that evening, as long as the police would allow me to go.

I called my parents again and told them of the change of plans. We would be arriving sometime the next morning, and they couldn't wait to see us. Then I called Brad. I didn't want to tell him about the events that had transpired, so I told him instead that I needed to take a short trip for my work. He surprised me by graciously agreeing to let Lucy go to Florida. I would have taken her even without his consent, but it was nice to have it. I hurriedly packed Lucy's clothing, including (as Lucy reminded me) her bathing suit. She loved swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It took me quite a while to pack her bags, since I didn't know how long she would be staying in Florida. I ended up packing most of the things that we had brought with us from Chicago.

My packing was interrupted when Evie knocked on the door to whisper that the police needed to see me downstairs. She stayed with Lucy while I went to the drawing room to be questioned for the second time since arriving at Peppernell Manor. The police wanted to know all about the phone call from Harlan, my actions after hearing the phone call, how I found Harlan, and what I did after I found him. They were apparently satisfied with my answers and gave their permission for me to take Lucy to Florida, as long as I provided them with my cell phone number, license plate number, and my parents' address. They advised me to be back within forty-eight hours. I was grateful to leave them to the rest of their questioning.

Twilight had arrived by the time we were ready to leave. I found Heath and Evie in the kitchen and told them good-bye. It was then I remembered that Heath and I had made plans for the evening; the plans of course had evaporated the minute Evie received the phone call from Harlan. How I wished the evening had unfolded as originally planned. I had packed a meal for Lucy; we told everyone good-bye and then I helped her climb into the car with Cottontail.

It was a ten-hour drive to Florida, and I had some trouble staying awake. I pulled off the interstate twice for large cups of coffee, thinking ruefully that as much as I wanted to be spontaneous, this trip to Florida was not what I had in mind. Lucy fell asleep shortly after we ate our dinner, and amazingly, she slept soundly for most of the trip. I was completely exhausted as she was waking up, full of energy, and we pulled into my parents' driveway at dawn.

My mother and father appeared together on the front steps.

“Grandma! Grandpa!” Lucy shrieked as she tried to wriggle out of her car seat. “Mama, help me get out!”

My mother laughed and came around to give me a big hug, and my father followed suit. I helped Lucy out of her seat and she threw herself into my parents' arms. I don't think she stopped talking for the next two hours, as my parents showed her where she would sleep in their house and helped her unpack her things. After the four of us had breakfast together I finally told my mother that I needed some sleep.

“Dad and I will take Lucy out this morning. She can go swimming, too,” she said. “You rest as long as you want. If we get home and you're still asleep, we'll either be quiet or leave again and go somewhere else.”

Lucy was jumping up and down. “Swimming! I want to go swimming! Can Cottontail go?”

My father smiled at her. “Of course Cottontail can go. I don't think he should swim with you, though.” He was very indulgent of Lucy and would have taken Cottontail even if the little rabbit had weighed a thousand pounds.

Lucy looked at him very seriously. “Cottontail doesn't know how to swim.” He patted her head, laughing.

Knowing she was in good hands, I practically fell into bed. I don't know how long I slept, but the sun was making its way westward when I woke up. Lucy and my mother were coloring in the kitchen.

“Mama! Grandma June is coloring with me!”

I tousled Lucy's wet hair, still groggy.

“It's almost time for dinner,” my mother said. I had forgotten how early they ate dinner.

“Dad went to get us some subs at the sandwich shop downtown. You like turkey, don't you?”

I nodded as I sat down at the table with them. I felt like the goings-on at Peppernell Manor were starting to take their toll.

My mother looked at me with concern. “Are you all right, Carleigh? I think you're working too hard at that job.”

I smiled wanly. “I'm really not, Mom. I'm just tired, that's all. It was a long drive.”

“Evie cries,” announced Lucy. I didn't know Lucy had heard Evie crying.

My mother looked at her in surprise. “Why does Evie cry?”

Lucy looked at me, as if indicating that I should answer the question.

“She's upset about something to do with her brother. No big deal,” I replied airily.

“We'll talk about it later,” my mother promised.

The four of us spent a very pleasant evening. We played one of the games Lucy brought, and I took her swimming just for a few minutes. It was nice to be away, if only for a day or two, from the stress that was building at Peppernell Manor. I could relax and let my parents take care of Lucy and me, just as they had when I was little.

Lucy was exhausted and cranky at bedtime, and it took all three of us to persuade her to go to sleep without further screaming. After she had finally quieted down, I dropped into a chair in my parents' living room. They sat on the couch opposite me.

“So what's really going on at Evie's house?” my mother asked. Mom was never one for subtlety.

“What makes you think something's going on?”

My father answered. “For one thing, you left there on short notice and drove through the night to get here. You wouldn't have done that unless you wanted to get away from there in a hurry.”

“Plus Lucy mentioned that Evie cries,” added my mother. “Why is Evie crying?”

I took a deep breath. “Evie's brother Harlan passed away yesterday.”

My mother gasped. “How?” she cried. “He was quite young, wasn't he?”

“He was in his early forties, I think. And I'm not exactly sure how he died.”
Not a lie, really. Just a little misleading.

My mother arched her eyebrows at me. “What do you mean you're not exactly sure?”

“Just what I said. I'm not exactly sure how he died.” My tone stopped the barrage of questions that I was sure she was going to lob at me. She changed her approach.

“Is there anything that your father and I should be worried about? Are you safe there?”

“Of course! I've known Evie's family for years. Don't worry about me at all. The job is going well—I've accomplished a lot in six weeks—and I love the plantation and the city of Charleston. You should take a few days and go up there sometime.”

I hoped I had successfully steered the conversation in another direction, but my mother was not to be deterred. “Why do you have to go back there so quickly?”

I sighed, exasperated. “Mom, I have a job to do. I need to get back to it.” Then I repeated the lie I had told Brad. “I have to go away for a few days for the job, and I didn't want to leave Lucy there. I couldn't take her with me, so I thought this might be a nice opportunity for you and her to have a nice extended vacation.”

“What about her school?”

“Mom, it's preschool. It's not like she's missing physics or European history. I thought it would be a great opportunity for her to see you. That's all.”

Mom studied me for a moment. “All right, if you say so. But if anything goes wrong at that house, I want you to come straight back here.”

I smiled at her. “I will. I promise.” I would have loved to stay, but I needed to get back. And I didn't believe that I was in any danger at Peppernell Manor. Whatever was going on didn't seem to involve me at all.

I
said a reluctant good-bye to Lucy and my parents the next morning and made the long drive back to Peppernell Manor that day. I hated to leave, not just because I would miss Lucy and I didn't know how long it would be until she could return to Peppernell Manor, but also because I longed for the simplicity and tranquility of my parents' home.

It was with a heavy heart that I turned up the Peppernell Manor drive late that evening. I couldn't even look forward to seeing Evie or her family, since I knew they would be consumed with their own grief.

When I went inside, it seemed that a quiet pall had settled on the house. I peeked into the drawing room and found Ruby in there by herself, sitting in a rocking chair and staring out the window at the darkness beyond.

“Hi, Ruby. I'm back.”

She seemed startled to see me.

“Oh. Hi, Carleigh. Did you leave Lucy in Florida with your parents?”

“Yes. I think she's going to have a nice vacation.”

“We'll all miss her.”

“Thank you. I miss her already.”

Ruby nodded and fell silent. She continued rocking and after a moment I went upstairs. I knocked on Evie's bedroom door.

“Come in,” she called.

She was sitting on the bed with her phone in her hand. “I just hung up with Boone,” she said glumly. “I wish I could go to Atlanta to see him. We're obviously not going to that charity event.”

“Will he be visiting for the funeral?”

“Yes, but he can't stay long because he has to go to Tokyo in a few days. He'll be here the day after tomorrow for the funeral, but I'll be so busy that I won't be able to spend any time with him.”

“What are the police saying about Harlan?”

“They don't know who did it, but they think it was someone he had financial ties to. Like someone he worked with.”

“What about the things he said about your grandmother?”

“Someone in that group of investors was probably upset that he hadn't been able to convince her to sign on with them to finance the restoration of the manor. The police think that when she died suddenly, the person became more upset because there was no longer an old lady to try to take advantage of. Upset enough to kill Harlan.

“They think the phone call was a setup. They think the person who killed Harlan made him dial the phone and wanted me to think that the reason he was being shot was because he poisoned Gran. But they don't believe that. They think it had something to do with money.”

“Do they have a name?”

“No, they're still investigating. They've been here nonstop since you left. I gave them permission to search your room. I hope that's okay.”

“Of course. I trust they didn't find anything?” I said, trying to get her to smile.

It worked. She smiled. “Not that they mentioned.”

“How are you doing?”

“Not good. The police told Mother and Daddy what we heard Harlan say on the phone. About him poisoning Gran. I was hoping they could keep that information to themselves, but I guess they figured Mother and Daddy were entitled to know. Mother doesn't believe it. She says he made that story up out of fear for his own life.”

“What about your dad?”

“He hasn't said whether he believes it or not. I think he believes it, even though he doesn't want to.” She passed her hand across her forehead. “I have such a headache. I think I'm going to go to sleep early.”

“Okay. I'll see you in the morning.”

I wasn't ready for bed, so I went downstairs to look for a snack. I was surprised to see Phyllis in the kitchen.

“What's up, Phyllis?”

She was seated at the table, an untouched cup of tea in front of her.

“I told you that dog would bring bad luck. But you wouldn't listen. Now Harlan's dead.”

I was shocked. “Phyllis, you can't seriously think that Addie is somehow responsible for Harlan's death.”

“I didn't say it was responsible, I said it brought bad luck to this house.”

“So you think Harlan would still be alive right now if Addie weren't here?”

She shrugged. “Things will only get worse until that dog goes away.”

Suddenly I didn't want a snack anymore. I turned on my heel and stalked upstairs. I was furious with Phyllis for believing such nonsense.

I read for a long time in my room, trying to forget Phyllis's words. Slowly I calmed down and was eventually able to fall asleep. It was strange to sleep in the room without Lucy. I hadn't liked it when she was in Charleston with Brad, and now I liked it even less because she was so far away, even though she was with my parents. I would have to throw myself into my work to forget about missing her so much.

That's exactly what I did the next morning. After only nodding to Phyllis in the kitchen at breakfast and refusing to let my thoughts wander in the direction of Phyllis and Addie, I got started on the walls of the ballroom and sitting room. I worked so hard and for so long that day that I figured I would be able to complete the prep of the walls in both rooms the following morning. The funeral for Harlan was in the afternoon, so I could be done in plenty of time to prepare for that. I was exhausted, but I had kept my mind busy all day and hadn't felt overwhelmed with thoughts of missing Lucy.

I had just come downstairs from a shower when Heath walked through the front door.

“Hi, Carleigh. Doing anything for dinner?”

“Nothing special. Are you going to eat here?”

“I was wondering if you'd like to grab a bite in Charleston.”

I hesitated. I hadn't spent much time with Evie since Harlan's death, and I was looking forward to talking to her.

“You don't have to,” he hastened to add.

“I'd like to, but I was kind of looking forward to spending the evening with Evie. She's so blue.”

“Why don't we ask her to go with us?”

I smiled at him. “That's a great idea. I'll see if she's interested.”

I ran lightly up the stairs and knocked on Evie's door. She answered, red-eyed, and I drew her into a big hug. Suddenly I knew that if I asked her to go to dinner, she would refuse. So I didn't ask—I ordered her.

“Get some shoes on. We're going into Charleston for dinner with Heath.”

“But—” she replied.

“But nothing. You're going. Come on.”

She smiled at me as the tears coursed freely down her cheeks. “I don't know what I'd do without you,” she sniffed.

“You'd be lost,” I said with a grin.

She put shoes on, dried her eyes, and we went downstairs together. Heath was waiting for us in the hall. He wrapped his arms around his little sister and held her for several moments.

“Guys? Why don't you just go into Charleston without me? I'm sure you could use some time alone,” I suggested.

“No,” came the reply from them simultaneously. “You're going,” commanded Heath. Evie nodded, the tears flowing again.

Heath drove. He had a country station on the radio even before we left the driveway and he and Evie hummed along to the music in unison. I was never a huge fan of country music, but it was nice listening to them.

Driving into Charleston, it felt like a curtain had lifted in the sky. We had left Peppernell Manor's melancholy behind us. We were just three people trying to escape our fear and grief with dinner and conversation.

After we were seated at dinner and had ordered drinks, I thought I saw someone I vaguely recognized watching us from across the restaurant.

“Don't turn around just yet, but isn't that Odeile over there?” I whispered to Evie, nodding my head in Odeile's general direction.

She waited several seconds and then discreetly turned her head slightly. She scowled. “Yes, that's Odeile. What are the chances that we'd end up at the same restaurant as her?” she asked in disgust. “Heath,” she continued, “your delightful ex-wife is glaring at us from across the room. Can we go to a different restaurant?” she whined.

“Don't be silly,” he replied. “We've already ordered drinks. We're going to sit here and drink them and ignore her.”

“She's headed over here,” I warned. Odeile made me a little nervous.

She appeared at our table. Again, she looked beautiful. She was dressed in a breezy navy-blue dress, those same red high-heeled shoes, and her jet-black hair hung loosely in a bun at the nape of her neck. Several long strands of hair had escaped and hung gently around her face.

“Heath! It's wonderful to see you! Who's this girl with you again?” she cried in a low sultry voice. She pointed at me.

“Odeile, this is Carleigh. Carleigh, this is Odeile. She won't be staying long.” He glowered at her.

“Carleigh. What a pretty name,” she went on sweetly, ignoring Heath's look. “What brings you to Charleston with that darling little urchin of yours? You don't look like you belong here.”

I looked at Heath. I felt obligated to answer her. “I've been hired to restore Peppernell Manor,” I told her.

“I just loved the manor,” she told me. “You know I was there all the time with Heath when we were married.”

“Odeile—” Heath began.

“We had some wonderful times there, didn't we, Heath?”

He glared at Odeile, refusing to answer.

“He's embarrassed,” she informed me. “Doesn't want his new little girlfriend to compare herself unfavorably to the ex-wife.” She smiled at me. She looked like a snake.

I could tell that Evie was writhing on the inside, just dying to say something to Odeile. Finally she obviously couldn't stand it anymore. “Odeile,” she said through clenched teeth, “Carleigh is ten times the person you are. I suggest that you leave us alone now.”

Odeile laughed lightly. “Evie, you haven't changed a bit. Still unable to hold your tongue. Bless your heart.”

That quintessential Southern woman's expression, which meant exactly the opposite, was enough to send Evie rocketing out of her chair, her hand in the air, waving for the maître d'. He came scurrying over.

“How can I be of service?” he asked Evie solicitously.

“Please bring us the bill. Something has come up and we need to leave.”

“Right away, miss.”

Odeile graced Evie with a crocodilian smile. “I'm not making you leave, am I, honey?”

“Of course not,” Evie spat.

Odeile smiled again and placed her hand on Heath's cheek. “Bye, darlin'. I hope I see you soon.” She gave me one last look, said nothing, and went to sit down again at her own table.

“Evie, why'd you do that?” Heath complained. “That's exactly what she wanted us to do. You played right into her hands.”

“I can't
stand
that woman!” she answered shrilly. “I don't care if I played into her hands or not. We're going somewhere else for dinner. There are a hundred restaurants to choose from.”

“I'm sorry about that, Carleigh,” Heath told me. “Odeile is jealous. I'm sorry she was unkind to you.”

“That's okay,” I replied cheerfully. “She doesn't bother me.”

But she
did
bother me.

“It's not okay,” he said, “but let's try to forget about her.”

We walked up the street slowly, three abreast, and ended up at another restaurant, far more casual than the first.

“This is perfect,” Evie declared. “Odeile wouldn't be caught dead in here.”

It
was
perfect. I hated to return to Peppernell Manor. A palpable sense of sadness descended upon the car as we drove up to the front of the house.

“Thanks for inviting me out tonight, you two,” Evie said as we climbed out of the truck. “I know I was sort of a third wheel, but I really needed to get out.”

“Nonsense,” I told her. “It was great having you.” Heath nodded his agreement.

“But,” he said to Evie, “I hope you don't mind if I invite Carleigh over for a drink and not you.” He grinned.

She tilted her head back and laughed. “Of course not!” She winked at me as she turned around to walk into the house.

“Shall we?” Heath asked me.

“Sure.”

He held my hand as we walked slowly back to the carriage house. The night was warm and clear. There were thousands of stars in the darkness above, and I wanted this evening to last. I hated to think of the funeral the following day.

When we walked around the back of the carriage house to the patio, I was surprised to see that Heath had set up a beautiful wicker glider.

“Oh, I love it!” I cried. I walked over to it and sank down in the cushion. “This is so comfortable. I could fall asleep here.” The glider slid back and forth gently.

Heath got wine from the kitchen and poured two glasses. He sat down next to me.

“To Harlan,” he said, clinking his glass against mine.

“To Harlan,” I repeated. I assumed Heath had not yet been informed of Harlan's attempt to poison his grandmother or he wouldn't be making this toast. I suppressed a twinge of guilt over the truth that obviously had not been revealed to him, but I felt it was not my place to inform Heath of his brother's actions before his death.

Heath settled back against the cushion and sighed. “I hate funerals.”

“Me too.”

“There have been two too many around here.”

I nodded.

We sat in silence, rocking back and forth in the glider. He put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned my head against him. It was very comfortable. He pointed out several constellations, and I loved that he knew the night sky.