Murder in Evergreen

by Jane T O'Brien

  “Beatrice was obvious in her disapproval of me. Alec said I was his model, and she huffed and walked away.”

  Molly looked at her friend in alarm.

  “Don’t worry, he didn’t suggest I disrobe, if that’s what you were thinking,” Joanna snickered.

  “The thought never crossed my mind,” Molly lied.

  “I was there over three hours and the time went by quickly. Alec talked about Laura almost the entire time. He loved her, Molly, I know he didn’t hurt her.

  “I couldn’t figure out why they kept their relationship a secret. Laura was a schoolteacher, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a social life. Alec said they met at Runyon Park on a bench behind the utility building where no one would see them. I asked him why and he said there were reasons for secrecy but he didn’t explain.

  “He had the ring made for her and she wore it on a chain around her neck and hidden under her clothing. He didn’t know why she left him and hadn’t seen the ring since the day he gave it to her.”

  “Is it possible Laura could have thrown it in the lake? It’s in decent shape for something that has been in the water for ten years.”

  “That’s what Alec said. He thinks it might have been pawned and purchased before it was lost in the lake. We looked closely at the ring and unless you knew Mr. Bossart’s design, the initials might have gone unnoticed.”

  “I suppose that’s possible but from all I’ve heard about Laura Abbott, she would return the ring, not pawn it.”

  “Alec said the same thing. When I pointed out that Laura might not have given up the ring willingly, he became anxious. His voice rose an octave, and he told me not to say it again. His tone frightened me and I didn’t mention Laura’s name after that.”

  “I hope you aren’t going back there again.”

  “No, I won’t go to his studio. Between his sister and his butler prancing back and forth past the window, I thought I’d go crazy. I told Alec he should open another gallery in Evergreen. He could use the upstairs apartment for a studio. He seemed to like the idea but said he didn’t think his sister would allow it. I couldn’t believe it and I’m afraid I overstepped when I told him he was a grown man and didn’t need his sister spying on him and telling him what to do. I left shortly after that. He might have changed his mind about inviting me back.”

  “Beatrice is strange. I wonder if she has any kind of life at all. I’ve heard the Danforth family was a pillar of the community when Alec and Beatrice’s parents were alive. Margaret said they died in a fire in a cabin on Willow Lake. Alec was only eight-years-old and Beatrice became his legal guardian. She has dedicated her life to him.”

  “But the man is in his fifties, he doesn’t need a legal guardian. He needs a guardian to protect him from Beatrice.”

  “It sounds like she is overprotective. I wonder if Beatrice is the reason Alec and Laura had to keep their relationship a secret. I have so many questions about this and so few people to ask.”

  *****

  Molly told Joanna about the young woman who visited Laura the day before she disappeared from Hillsboro.

  “I’d bet a month’s pay that Beatrice Danforth had something to do with that person showing up,” said Joanna.

  “You’re right, Joanna. You said Laura was a wonderful teacher and seemed to like her job. If she liked teaching and was qualified, what would a person alone in the world do to make money to live on?”

  “She would get a job as a teacher in a public school in the state that held her license. It’s a try, Molly, how do we find out?”

  “We could ask a certain school secretary who has had her job for many years and most likely has access to the information we need.”

  “You’re talking about Mrs. Allen. Everybody loved her. She comforted me the day I found out Ms. Abbott wouldn’t be coming back. I remember she had a tear in her eye.”

  “Let’s stop by the school, maybe she’s still working. School secretaries are busy during the day with the children and often work after hours to clear the paperwork.”

  *****

  Mrs. Allen was working at her desk, the janitor knocked on her door. “Molly Ryan and a Joanna Garretson are here to see you, Mrs. Allen. Would you like me to tell them to call for an appointment?”

  “Oh no, Harry, have them come in.”

  Margaret Allen held out her arms to Joanna. “Joanna, you have become a beauty. You were always a pretty girl even with those braces and skinny legs. You have filled out nicely. Molly, I’m happy to see you again. Have you discovered more about our friend, Laura?”

  “Not too much; that’s why we are here. We thought you could help us look on your computer for the name Laura Abbott. She might have taken a job in another part of the state after she left here.”

  “That is a wonderful idea, why didn’t I think of it before.”

  Margaret’s computer took time warming up. Molly made a note to drop a line to the school board and request they invest in new computers for the school staff.

  “There she is, Laura Abbott, she teaches fifth grade at Carter Elementary School in Pineridge. That’s close to three hundred miles northeast of Hillsboro. I was afraid something terrible had happened to her, it has to be our Laura, don’t you think?”

  “It’s possible,” said Molly. “Joanna, you should be the one to call her. She doesn’t know me and Margaret might frighten her if she is trying to hide for any reason.”

  Chapter Eight

  Molly heard the familiar squeal of Lucy Kincaid walking into her kitchen while she was pouring herself a glass of chardonnay.

  “Is that Miss Lucy at my door?” she asked as the little girl threw her arms around Molly’s legs.

  “Daddy isn’t home and Mommy said we could come over and drink wine with you.”

  “We’re a bad influence on your daughter,” Molly said while filling a plastic cup filled with diluted grape juice.

  “I know, little snitch told Pamela her mommy lets her drink wine with Aunt Molly. You can imagine what Granny Pam had to say about that.”

  “You know the woman is happiest when she is tearing you down. Let her have her fun.”

  “Tell me, madam sleuth, what have you and Joanna discovered about the mysterious disappearance of the schoolteacher. Stephanie told me Joanna snapped out of the spell Alec Danforth cast upon her,” Brooke said laughing.

  “It wasn’t funny, Brooke, I’ve seen nothing like it. I’d swear Alec put a spell on her. Thank heaven she is back to herself again.”

  Molly told Brooke what she’d found out about Laura Abbott and Alec.

  “The stranger who approached Laura that day must have said something horrific to make her run away.”

  “Do you think the stranger knew something sinister about Laura’s past? Maybe she married rich, peculiar artists and squandered their millions for fun.”

  “From what I’ve heard about Laura Abbott she is far removed from your typical femme fatale. She was told Alec Danforth was a married man. It wasn’t true but I suspect his sister, Beatrice, hired someone to quash the romance before it went too far.”

  “Travis remembers Alec when they were kids. He said the family had a cabin on Willow Lake and were there for the weekend when the cabin exploded. Alec and Beatrice had gone for a walk in the woods. Alec was only eight years old and watched as the cabin blew up killing his parents. Travis said the boy was never the same after that. He says he didn’t have a chance at a normal life with his sister hovering over him incessantly. It sounds like she’s a nut herself.”

  “She seems controlling. Alec and Laura hid their relationship from Beatrice. Alec was in his thirties; I’d love to know the hold she has over him.”

  “Do you suppose he was responsible for the explosion in the cabin? Maybe he left his airplane glue too close to the water heater and boom!”

  “I know you’re kidding but it makes sense. I’ll check out the news reports from that time. It will give me something to do while I’m missing Luke tonight.
”

  “When will that man be home for more than a week at a time? Hasn’t he sold enough books yet?”

  “We are hoping this is his last tour for this book. He’s finding it hard to fit time in to write another best-seller.”

  *****

  When her guests left, Molly made herself a light salad. Between the wine and the crackers and cheese she’d nibbled on while talking with Brooke and playing with Lucy, she wasn’t hungry.

  While eating the salad, she sat at the computer and searched for information about the explosion at Willow Lake.

  Willow Lake Explosion; two dead

  Local businessman and patriarch of the Danforth dynasty, Wilbur Danforth and his wife. Harriet Rockwell Danforth. perished in an explosion and subsequent fire in their Willow Lake summer estate. The cause of the fire is undetermined; however, the remains of a kerosene lamp was found precariously close to a gas water heater. Mr. and Mrs. Danforth leave their daughter, Beatrice, and son, Alec who were not in the cabin at the time of the tragedy.

  Brooke could be right. Young Alec might be

  responsible for leaving the lamp near the water heater. That would be a terrible burden for anyone, especially a child. I’ll call Sean O’Reilly tomorrow, he’s been with the paper for over fifty years and might remember the incident.

  *****

  Luke called at his usual time after a day of signing autographs and shaking hands.

  “Luke, do you remember hearing about an explosion that happened back in the seventies? It killed Alec Danforth’s parents.”

  “Yes, it spooked Mom, she never let us have kerosene anywhere near the house. The authorities thought a kerosene lamp too close to a water heater might have caused the explosion. It sounds like you are still investigating the Danforths. When do you have time to sell flowers, Molly?”

  “I have plenty of people to sell my flowers, Lucas Sullivan.”

  “Yes, dear, I wasn’t criticizing.”

  “Yes, you were but I don’t care,” she laughed. “Do you think Sean O’Reilly would remember the case?”

  “Sean remembers every story he’s ever written. Yes, call him, I’m sure he’d love to reminisce about an old news story.”

  The following morning, Molly called the paper. She knew Sean O’Reilly would be in his office early.

  “Hi Sean, it’s Molly Ryan, Luke’s wife.”

  “Hello, Molly; say, when are will you use Luke’s name? What’s wrong, isn’t Sullivan Irish enough for you?” the old man chuckled.

  “It’s plenty Irish Sean O’Reilly and I love my new name. Luke told me you were one of the original feminists in Hillsboro; don’t tell me you think I should change my professional name because I am a married woman.”

  “You’ve got me there, Molly; Ryan has a nice ring to it too. What can I do for you, Ms. Ryan?” Sean said accentuating the Ms.

  “I’m checking out a story from a few years back and hoped you remembered some details. There was an explosion in a cabin on Willow Lake…”

  “The Danforth place. Anyone out of diapers in these parts knew about the Danforth cabin blowing up. It was referred to as a cabin but the place was more of a luxury retreat than a cabin. It’s a lucky thing the Danforth’s owned an acre of land around the structure, the death toll would have been much higher if other lodges were built on that site.”

  “Was the boy, Alec Danforth, responsible for causing the explosion?”

  “There was no other explanation. Wilbur, the father wasn’t a stupid man and wouldn’t have left something flammable so close to the water heater. Alec was a kid; it makes sense he left it there without considering the danger.”

  “It’s not surprising he’s an odd man,” Molly told Sean about finding the ring causing her to want to investigate Alec Danforth further.

  Sean’s memory was triggered when Molly referred to the art gallery Alec owned years before.

  “I remember that gallery,” he said. “You are right about Alec being odd, however, he was talented. He was offered an exhibit in some fancy art museum in Paris. I don’t know how word got out about the deal but his sister put the kibosh on it. I heard she didn’t want him out of her sight. The death of their parents did a number on those two kids.”

  “Beatrice is not the friendliest of people. I met her the other day when my helper, Joanna, and I visited the Danforth mansion. It was obvious she resented the intrusion.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. Beatrice was nothing like her folks. She was an odd young person long before the accident. Since then, her protectiveness of her brother borders on obsession.”

  Molly thanked the elderly man for the information and asked him to call her if he remembered anything else.

  Joanna arrived within minutes after Molly’s conversation with Sean ended.

  “I called the number Mrs. Allen gave me for the school in Pineridge. Laura called me this morning. She is the same Ms. Abbott who taught fifth-grade in Hillsboro. She remembered me and asked about the other students in the class. She said she would meet with us but was confused about our reason. I didn’t want to scare her off by mentioning the ring or Alec Danforth.”

  “You are a smart girl Joanna. If we leave now, we should be back to Hillsboro by late afternoon.”

  Chapter Nine

  As the miles disappeared and Molly’s car made its way northeast to Pineridge, she understood how the town got its name. Molly had never seen so many pine trees in one place before. She lowered the window slightly and the aroma of fresh pine filled the car.

  “Molly, it’s so beautiful and peaceful here. I can see what attracted Ms. Abbott to the area. I’m nervous about seeing her again. I hope she hasn’t changed,”

  “How drastically could she change in ten years, Joanna? She’s in her early thirties now, it might sound ancient to you but she is still young.”

  “I know but she’s had her heart broken now, and she never married, maybe she’s a frustrated, unpleasant woman like Beatrice Danforth.”

  “Oh heavens, there couldn’t be two Beatrice Danforth’s. No wonder Alec is an oddball, living with that woman all these years can’t have been easy.”

  The town of Pineridge was visible as they turned off the highway. As Molly drove closer, she thought it looked like a picture postcard. A large white church stood tall at the end of main street. There were quaint offices and retail shops along the way. Joanna read off directions to the elementary school Laura had given her. The school was easy to find, they could hear children playing as they drove in the parking lot.

  Ms. Abbott was on playground duty when she noticed a car that didn’t look familiar. She watched as a beautiful, tall blonde young woman stepped out.

  She left the other teacher in charge as she walked hurriedly to greet the visitors.

  “Joanna, I can’t believe it’s you. You have blossomed into a beautiful young woman.” The friends embraced.

  Joanna introduced Laura and Molly.

  “Laura, it’s so good to meet Joanna’s favorite teacher. Thank you for letting us visit you. I hope we aren’t intruding but we have a mystery on our hands back in Hillsboro and would like to ask you some questions.”

  “I suspected this was more than a friendly visit. I’ll answer questions you have but I know nothing about a mystery. My world fell apart when I was betrayed by someone who declared his love for me. I was living a fairy tale and my prince made a fool of me.

  “It’s Alec Danforth, isn’t it?” said Joanna.

  “I was more transparent than I realized. Yes, Alec Danforth is the one who deceived me.”

  “What can you tell us about the woman who talked to you on the sidewalk in front of Miss Emma’s boarding house?” Molly asked bluntly.

  “How did you know Marilyn Danforth stopped me? She begged me to let Alec go so he could be a father to their unborn child. She was obviously pregnant,” tears filled Laura’s eyes although she didn’t give into them.

  The bell sounded, and the children lined up to return to th
eir classrooms.

  “Do you have to get back inside?” asked Joanna.

  “No, the children are reading for the last hour of the day. I’ve told my aid I had an old friend visiting and she offered to take over for me. Let’s walk to the coffee shop across the street, I’m curious now to hear all about the mystery.”

  The coffee shop was empty when they walked in. The waitress, sensing the women wanted to have a private conversation, excused herself and disappeared to the back room. “Call if you need anything, Laura.”

  “The mystery now is why you thought Alec was married. If he was, it was a secret to everyone in town. I’ve never heard of a Marilyn Danforth and Alec doesn’t have children. Who was the person who told you this?”

  “She was pretty although she seemed too flashy for Alec. She had bright red hair and wore heavy makeup. She accused me of sleeping with her husband. I did no such thing.” Laura blushed at the thought. “She said she would have to give her baby away if Alec divorced her to marry me.”

  “Laura, did you know Alec’s sister, Beatrice?” asked Molly.

  “Yes, I knew her but not well. She is the reason we had to keep our relationship a secret. At least, I thought she was the reason. Alec lied about that too. He wanted to keep our relationship secret from his wife.”

  “Laura, I don’t think Alec betrayed you at all. That woman who called herself Marilyn Danforth was hired to convince you Alec was not who he appeared to be.”

  “Are you saying I was duped?” Laura said finally wondering if Alec hadn’t lied to her.

  “I believe you were; how did Beatrice act around you?”

  “I only met her one time. After that, Alec said we should meet in private until we were married. He gave me a beautiful ring with our first name initials on the band. I wore it on a chain around my neck so no one could see we were engaged. After Marilyn asked me to leave him alone, I had to get out of town. I was ashamed that I’d fallen for an adulterer. I hated to leave Emma’s, she was like a mother to me, but I couldn’t face anyone after the fool I’d made of myself.”