The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon

by M. Glenn Graves

  I pulled off the highway and stopped. I stared at Starnes for a moment. She shook her head a little as if her body language was saying … how on earth. How on earth, indeed.

  I decided that an illegal U-turn across the median was in order considering what I was thinking. The Jeep took the deep ditch nicely but the oncoming traffic was not pleased with my maneuver. After much horn blowing at my expense, I managed to get back onto the highway traveling back into the throes of McAdams County.

  “Where’re we going if we don’t get pulled over?” Starnes said.

  “That home near Hickory Fork Creek – Beth Call’s place,” I said. “Better call your friend the sheriff to see if he still is questioning Laurel.”

  Starnes had Buster Murdock on speed dial as I figured.

  “Sheriff Murdock, this is Starnes Carver. You still have Laurel Shelton there for questioning?”

  There was a pause on Starnes’ end.

  “Oh my. I suggest you send a car out to their home ASAP.”

  Another pause.

  “Okay, here’s what we have just learned.”

  I listened as Starnes related the information we had just received from Rogers.

  “Reliable source,” Starnes said.

  Another pause. Starnes was growing impatient. I could tell, shrewd detective that I am.

  “How about the FBI?” Starnes said.

  I was puzzled with that line. It didn’t fit the conversation, or at least I was having difficulty fitting it into the conversation.

  “That’s right,” Starnes said.

  Another pause that demonstrated Starnes’ lack of appreciation for Buster’s comments or questions. I couldn’t tell which it was.

  “I don’t know, Buster. Clancy just knows an agent there and he called with the information. Now, are you going to send a car out there or not?”

  Pause.

  “Then fire me. Do what you have to do. But we suspect that Beth Call is behind this whole thing.”

  She clicked off her phone. There was no pause this time.

  “Care to explain?” I said.

  “Not really. Let me dampen the fire that man created inside me for a moment. He’s an idiot.”

  “And you told him what?”

  “Well, he wouldn’t listen to reason, so I lied about our source for the information on the trust fund and Beth’s possible motive for getting rid of her daughter.”

  “The FBI?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I take it that he had finished questioning Laurel and that she and her mother were heading home?”

  “They left a few minutes ago.”

  “So, Buster now thinks that the FBI called us with that information regarding Beth’s opportunity to get the money?”

  “He’s pondering it.”

  “And about Beth’s check for ten grand payable to an off-shore account?”

  “Ditto,” she said.

  “Which is why you mentioned an agent.”

  “That would be the reason.”

  “So that he might be convinced of the veracity. And did it work … that little lie of yours?”

  “I don’t know. The man’s an idiot, what can I say?”

  “And you and I are likely to be in deep trouble?” I said.

  “What? You’re not used to being in deep trouble? It’s certainly not going to be a novel experience for us,” she said.

  I drove on as quickly as I could, considering the slow speed required while traveling through Athens and on towards Madison. If Buster did finally believe Starnes, he could certainly have someone out there before we would arrive. Once we cleared the 45-mph zone on the other side of Athens, I was able to express my travel mode with a faster pace.

  “Is there anyone else we can call?” I said.

  “Who do you have in mind?”

  “A neighbor close by? Someone to go over there and stall,” I said.

  “You’re thinking that Beth is a danger to Laurel?”

  “If she hired a hit man. If we’re correct in putting all this data together and concluding what we are concluding, then … well, greed makes us humans do criminal things.”

  “Surely Beth is smart enough to know that she just can’t kill her daughter and get away with it,” Starnes said.

  “Tell me what’s the favorite method that most women use to murder someone,” I said.

  “Not counting some of your choice friends,” she said.

  I was now traveling 65 and hoping that I wouldn’t run into any of Buster’s troops or the highway patrol.

  “No. Don’t consider them in your answer.”

  “Poison,” she said without expression. Then she quickly added, “Yikes.”

  “Exactly.”

  “This is Laurel’s mother, for goodness sake. We’re talking about a mother icing her daughter for …,” she stopped.

  “Yeah, precisely. A quarter of a million dollars.”

  “I know it’s a lotta money,” Starnes said. “I simply have a hard time with this.”

  “Me, too.”

  Chapter 45

  Beth Call pulled her old Corolla into the driveway from Road 1310. There was someone sitting on her small front porch. She didn’t recognize the person.

  “Stay here,” she said to Laurel. “Let me find out who this is.”

  Beth Call approached the porch slowly. Laurel got out of the car and stood by her door without closing it.

  “May I help you?” Beth said to the strange woman.

  “No, not likely. But I can help you,” she said.

  “Who are you?” Beth said.

  “That’s not important. I understand your daughter’s been through a lot of trauma of late. I brought some tea. It will help calm her. You should call her to come on inside the house.”

  “Not until you tell me who you are,” Beth said.

  “I’m Josephine Starling. You don’t remember me?”

  “No, I don’t know you. Why should I remember you?”

  “I was at your daughter’s christening years ago.”

  “So?”

  “She’s a special child. I knew her father well. We were friends, you might say. You can call her to come on up here now.”

  There was something in the tone of the woman’s voice that eased Beth Call’s whole demeanor. She turned to face the car and gestured with her right hand for Laurel to come. Beth Call responded to the woman as if she were in a trance or a spell.

  The old woman had two baskets with her. She was holding one while the other, the larger of the two, rested on the floor of the porch.

  Laurel arrived on the porch. The woman smiled at her and Laurel returned a smile.

  “Would you carry that heavy basket for me, child?” Josephine Starling said to Laurel.

  “Yes, ma’am. Be happy to.”

  Beth waited by the door.

  “We’ll follow you inside,” the woman said.

  Beth led the way, and Josephine Starling held out her hand as a gesture for Laurel to pass in front of her with the heavy basket. She was the last one to enter the front door of the house.

  “That’s a pot full of hot tea, Laurel,” Josephine said. “If you would, please put it on the kitchen table. We’ll sit there and share together.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” she said.

  “You’ll find some teacups in that basket as well. Beth, would you set the table for us?”

  Beth responded by removing the teacups from the basket without saying a word. Her movements were as if she were sleep-walking. Josephine took a small covered plate from her basket and put it alongside the teapot that Laurel had placed in the center of the table.

  “Now, you two sit and I’ll pour the tea,” Josephine Starling said.

  “This is kind of you,” Laurel said.

  “Glad to do it, child. I hope you are okay,” she said.

  “I’m okay. It’s good to be home.”

  “Home is a good place to be,” Josephine said. “When we’re really home, it’s the safest p
lace to be.”

  Laurel wondered about the old woman’s words. She also wondered about this old woman who seemed to appear out of nowhere to provide some tea for them. Laurel had no memory of Josephine Starling.

  Josephine Starling poured tea for all three of them. After she had finishing serving, she sat down.

  “Laurel, I think you’ll find something delicious there on that plate.”

  Laurel unwrapped the plate to reveal some muffins. She took one and put it on the plate that her mother had set in front of her place at the table. She handed her mother the whole plate of muffins. Beth shook her head refusing to eat anything. Laurel then offered a muffin to Josephine Starling.

  “Why, thank you, child. I hope you like these. They’re chocolate chip with a hint of vanilla.”

  “That’s my favorite. How did you know?” Laurel said.

  “Delicious, aren’t they?” Josephine Starling said.

  Laurel took a bite. “Wow, these are good!”

  Josephine Starling smiled at Laurel. The old woman was in complete control of the situation. She and Laurel ate their muffin and drank their tea with obvious delight. Beth, still in her dazed mode, only sipped the tea now and then. She said nothing.

  “This is good tea,” Laurel said. “It makes me feel so much better.”

  “It seems to have that effect on nearly everyone I serve it to,” the woman said.

  “Is it a special tea?” Laurel said.

  “My, my, Laurel. All of my teas are special,” she smiled and took another sip.

  All the while that she and Laurel were talking, Josephine Starling constantly diverted her eyes now and then to Beth Call. She knew her to be a troubled soul. She was keenly aware that Beth was a fragile individual at this moment. Beth needed a friend.

  “I was going to make tea,” Beth said abruptly as if she had been a part of the conversation up to this point.

  “I know,” Josephine said.

  “I was going to make a special tea for Laurel,” Beth said.

  “I know, but I think that my tea is better suited for the occasion. I wanted to surprise you both. I wanted to gift you.”

  Laurel looked at her mother but wasn’t sure about what she was seeing. Her mother appeared to be different. It was hard to explain.

  “Gift us?” Laurel had a quizzical expression.

  “The tea and muffins, child. The right tea and the right muffin do wonders for a body.”

  “You certainly surprised us,” Laurel said. “Do I know you?”

  “Not really,” Josephine said. “I was around when you were a baby.”

  “I don’t remember you.”

  “Of course, you don’t. There’s no reason you should. I just wanted to come by and welcome you home. I wanted you to know how glad I am that you are safe,” she said.

  “Will you stay with us a little while longer?” Laurel said, but she wasn’t sure why she said it.

  “No, dear. I need to be going. It’s a long way back to my home from here. You need to rest, as well as your mother. You both have had a trying time. The tea will help you rest. Some more people will be arriving very soon.”

  In a moment, Josephine Starling, along with her teapot and teacups, was packed and ready for transport. Before Laurel could offer some assistance, the old woman had both baskets in her hands and was gone. Josephine was out the front door and away from the house before Laurel finished her second cup of tea.

  Laurel walked to the door to see which direction the old woman had gone. The woman was completely out of sight. Laurel pushed open the door and stood on the porch looking in all directions around the house. She searched for some sign of the woman’s departure. There was no sign. There was no trace. It was as if she had walked into the air and disappeared.

  A fast approaching vehicle was now pulling into their driveway. Laurel thought she recognized the two women inside the vehicle. They jumped out of the SUV and were now running towards her.

  “Are you okay?” one of them said.

  Chapter 46

  “I’m fine,” Laurel said to me. “Why are you two in such a hurry? I just got home.”

  “We wanted to be sure that you were safe.”

  “I’m home. Why wouldn’t I be safe?”

  “Is your mother here?” Starnes said.

  “She’s inside.”

  Starnes moved ahead of me and entered the house. Laurel and I followed.

  I watched Starnes move quickly to the table where Beth Call was slumped over with her head resting on the table. Laurel and I followed close behind.

  “Is something wrong with her?” I asked.

  “I was about to ask Laurel that same question,” Starnes said.

  “We were just sitting here drinking tea together. She was fine. We were talking with …,” she stopped.

  “Talking with whom? Someone else was here?” I said.

  “Yeah, an old woman just showed up out of nowhere.”

  “An old woman,” I repeated.

  “Yeah, she said she knew me when I was a baby. But I didn’t know her at all.”

  “Did your mother know her?” I said.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “And the three of you were just sitting at the table drinking tea and talking?” I said.

  “Yes, that’s what we were doing. Oh, the woman and I were eating a muffin. Mother didn’t eat a muffin. She just drank the tea. We all drank tea.”

  Starnes had felt Beth’s pulse by this point and was satisfied that she was okay. Starnes nodded her head to me to indicate that Beth was okay.

  “I’ll lead Beth back into the bedroom and put her to bed. I think she’s just exhausted,” Starnes said.

  Laurel and I walked outside to talk while Starnes took care of Beth.

  “My mother was acting strange,” Laurel said.

  “I think your mother is … not feeling well, Laurel.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “I’m not a doctor … but I believe she needs some help.”

  “What are you not telling me?” Laurel said.

  “Did you know that your father left you some money?”

  “I just learned about that a few months ago. How did you know that? Mother told me to keep quiet about it. I’ve told no one.”

  “For good reason. Lots of people would want to get their hands on your money.”

  “So, how’d you find out?”

  “I’m an investigator, remember? When you ran away from home, I began to do some checking.”

  “You thought I’d run to the bank to get my money?”

  “Well, no, not exactly. I didn’t know you had any money at first. The longer an investigation goes on, the more things come up. The fact that you had some money simply aroused my suspicion. One thing often leads to another. That’s how it is with detectives.”

  “So, something led you to check on my money?”

  “Not exactly. I was checking on you, everything about you. That led to me finding out about your trust fund.”

  “What does that have to do with my mother needing help?”

  “Did you know how the trust fund was set up for you?” I said.

  “I know that I receive an amount when I turn fifteen in a couple of weeks. I know that I also will receive the balance of it when I turn twenty-one. That’s a long way off,” she said.

  “Closer than you think,” I said.

  “That’s the way old people talk,” she said.

  I rolled my eyes at Starnes.

  “Perhaps, but at least it is coming, and it’s coming sooner rather than later.”

  “I still don’t get any connection with the money and my mother.”

  “Do you know how the trust fund works if you die?”

  “Die?” she said. “Like when I’m an old person and can’t live any longer?”

  “Whenever you die, the trust fund stipulates that the closest relative receives the entire sum or the balance of whatever is in the account at the time of your death.�
�

  “Okay. I get that.”

  “Your mother is the closest relative, right?”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  “I think she wanted the money.”

  “We talked about that. In a couple of weeks, when I turn fifteen, we would get a good sum of money. We discussed some plans for what to do with the money.”

  “I think she wanted all of the money now.”

  “But there’s no way for us to get the money all at once,” Laurel said.

  I looked into her eyes without saying anything else.

  “Oh, no. You think she wanted me dead … now?”

  “She hired the man who tried to kill you.”

  “So, if Homer had not stopped him, he would have killed me, and you think my mother would have benefitted by getting my money?” she said.

  “Yes. It’s what he was hired to do. He had already been paid.”

  “And you think my mother paid him to do this?”

  “She withdrew ten thousand dollars from her savings and sent a check to a bank in the Caribbean. It’s called an off-shore account. The money is hard to trace there. People do a lot of banking off-shore whenever they desire to be secretive regarding their transactions.”

  “All she had to do was ask,” Laurel said. “I would have shared the money with her. She’s my mother.”

  “You would have shared the money with me?” Beth Call spoke from behind us.

  At this point Laurel and I were sitting on the top step of the short porch. Starnes was sitting in a rocker to the right of the front door. Laurel and I turned around without standing to see Beth exit the house. Starnes stood by the rocker, ready for whatever might happen next.

  “Is this all true, Mother? You tried to have me killed?”

  Beth fell to her knees. She was weeping. Mother and daughter hugged each other. At some point in their embrace, Laurel began to cry as well. If it weren’t for my hard-hearted demeanor, I would have cried myself. Starnes watched the whole scene in disbelief. There were no tears even close to her eyes.

  The sobbing of the mother and the soft crying of the daughter lasted until they broke their embrace. They were both on their knees facing each other close to the front door of the house. “And Curly,” Laurel said, “did he know about the money?”