Nine Lives to Die

by Rita Mae Brown

  Always looking for ways to be more efficient, Harry put everything to good use. Depending on the weather, she would pile the manure up, let it molder, turn it with a fork attachment on the tractor. Eventually, all this transformed into rich fertilizer, which she then shared with Miranda and Susan. She spread the rest on her pasture.

  Looking up at the wall clock, she hurried out of the barn, closed those doors, dog and two cats in tow.

  “I don’t know where the time goes.” She lifted Tucker into the old truck.

  The cats hopped up, and she fired the engine. She waited just a bit, then churned out her long drive, using the ruts. Harry plucked her sunglasses from the visor.

  “I need a pair of those,” Pewter said.

  “Fetching, I’m sure. How about cat’s-eye sunglasses with rhinestones?” Tucker suggested.

  “Tucker, button your lip.” Mrs. Murphy ordered. “I’d like a peaceful ride. Besides, Pewter wouldn’t look good in rhinestones.”

  “You both think you’re so funny.” The gray cat crawled onto Harry’s lap.

  Lifting her elbows to make room for her, Harry started to ramble on to her animals. “I was glad to go to the barn this morning, no skeleton. Margaret Donleavey was such a good teacher. Anyone who can make Latin grammar fun has to be good. How awful to see her like that, and what a sad end to her life. I just can’t believe it.”

  “Anyone who can make any grammar interesting has to be good,” sniffed Pewter.

  “What do you know about grammar?” The dog looked at her.

  “I know c comes before d. Cat before dog,” the gray cat announced, oblivious to any possible errors in logic.

  “So what?” Tucker really was spoiling for a fight today.

  “Cats first.” Pewter tipped up her chin.

  The temperature at ten o’clock edged upward to thirty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. The state roads, while plowed, remained slick.

  Harry pulled into the lot at St. Cyril’s at ten after the hour, a little late. Cooper’s squad car was already there, as well as some other cars. Given what the deputy had just been through with Harry at the farm, she knew this would be a reward to the ever-curious Harry, but she also wanted Harry’s take on all this later. She trusted her neighbor’s insights. The two murders, along with the checks, kept bringing Cooper back to St. Cyril’s, but she still couldn’t figure out the connection.

  Once inside the administrative building, she hurried down the hall, cats and dog after her. Harry stopped at Father O’Connor’s office, quickly pulling off her coat.

  Father O’Connor was seated at a small coffee table, along with Cooper and Arden.

  “Sorry.” Harry hung her coat on the coatrack.

  She hadn’t expected Arden to be there.

  Father O’Connor stood. “When I called Deputy Cooper to meet with me today and she asked if you could come, I had no idea how exciting things were yesterday at your farm, Harry.”

  “Too exciting.” Harry sat down as Father O’Connor pulled out a chair.

  “You all are welcome to sit, too.” He smiled at the animals.

  “Thank you,” they replied, but stayed on the floor.

  “Arden, it’s nice to see you,” Harry greeted her. “Happy New Year.”

  “Friday is bookkeeping day. And it’s a new year. I need to keep busy.” She looked at Father O’Connor and Cooper, both of whom looked back encouragingly.

  “I found this.” Arden pointed to an opened envelope.

  Cooper picked it up, handed it to Harry. “What do you make of this?”

  Harry noticed that there was no return address, just a blank envelope. She pulled it open and saw two checks inside. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “It is.” Father O’Connor nodded.

  Harry pulled out two consecutively numbered checks that had been missing. Arden’s signature was on the bottom.

  “I didn’t write that,” Arden said, pointing to the handwriting. “I can show you.”

  “I can’t imagine that you did sign the checks, Arden. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense.” Harry dropped them back in the envelope as the well-dressed woman left the room, opened a drawer in the desk next door, and returned with photocopies, which she placed on the table.

  “That’s my signature.”

  Cooper bent over, picked up a sheet filled with images of canceled checks. “Close.”

  “But not close enough,” Arden said defensively.

  Harry took the offered sheet from Cooper, studied it, handed it to Father O’Connor, who handed it back to Arden.

  “When I came in this morning, I noticed an envelope pinned to the door of the cubbyhole,” she said. “I took it down, opened it, two checks. I couldn’t believe it. Why would someone set me up?” Her voice quavered.

  “They didn’t, exactly,” Harry answered.

  “Why not?” Arden was indignant.

  “If they’d set you up, they would have cashed them.” Harry folded her hands together.

  “Well, whatever you call it, I want to know who and why. Isn’t there enough going on around here?”

  “Yes, there is.” Cooper’s voice was consoling. “We should take note that your signature was not on the torn check found downstairs.”

  “Has anyone in the parish ever come to you and asked for funds?” Father O’Connor queried.

  “No. The only requests I get for funds are from the officers of Silver Linings. The boys don’t ask. We’re in the black. No monies are missing. We can always use more, but the fund-raiser was very successful. The truck raffle made the difference between a good fund-raiser and a great one.” Arden placed the photocopies back in a clear plastic pocket on the inside of the large business checkbook.

  “Arden, does anyone have it in for you?” asked Harry. “Even if it’s embarrassing, it might help to know.” She had a nose for the unexplored angle.

  “Not everyone likes me, but I wouldn’t say they have it in for me.”

  “Who?” Cooper pressed.

  “Dar de Jarnette once accused me of trying to seduce Max.” She flipped her hair. “Absurd.”

  “When was this?” Cooper continued.

  “Maybe six months ago. She said it as a warning. As if I would want him! I was furious. We haven’t talked since, but we’re polite.”

  “Why would she think that?” Cooper kept on.

  “Oh.” Arden paused. “She once said Lou was always out for a good cause or a good time and I was left alone a lot. I told her she should know.”

  “I see.” Cooper kept a neutral expression.

  “Anyone else you can think of?” Harry asked.

  “Think of what?” Arden was getting testy.

  “Arden, no one is accusing you of anything,” said Father O’Connor. “These events are deeply disquieting. We don’t mean to put you on the spot. Your answers may help all of us, including you, to discover who took those checks. Who tried to disrupt you and our trust in you at such a painful time in your life?” The priest’s voice was gentle and encouraging.

  Arden stood up. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your meeting.”

  “I think this has covered whatever we might have discussed concerning the checks.” Father O’Connor stood, as did Cooper and Harry, taking their cue from the priest.

  “Father.” Arden, suppressing emotion, stepped toward him. “Would you bless me?”

  “Certainly. In nominus—excuse me—in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, may They bless you and keep you, and grant you peace.”

  He made the sign of the cross, the index and middle fingers of his right hand together.

  “Oh, God.” Harry’s eyes widened.

  “What?” Cooper reached over to hold Harry’s arm as her friend appeared stricken.

  Without a word, Harry put her forefinger and middle finger together and made the sign of the cross.

  Arden pushed Harry down and ran for the front door. She flew by Al Toth, bumping him as he manhandled Esther, dragging his wife through the buil
ding’s door, which he’d forcefully kicked open.

  Tucker ran after Arden, who had gotten up from her collision. Slamming the church door shut, she ran outside.

  Cooper called the police dispatcher. She figured the department would have Arden cornered within twenty minutes. No point in her chasing the woman, especially since she had to now focus on Esther Toth screaming and Al bellowing.

  “Father O’Connor! Father O’Connor!” Al shouted.

  “Al, Al, let me go!” Esther screamed as he continued to drag her down the hallway.

  Harry, Cooper, Father O’Connor, Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker from the opposite direction converged in the hall.

  Father O’Connor approached him. “Al, Al, please let her go.”

  Hand on holster, Cooper quietly moved behind the priest.

  Harry and the animals stepped just to the side.

  “Tell him,” said Al. “Tell him, goddammit, or I’ll break your neck.” Al’s anger shook the windows.

  “I was wrong,” said Esther.

  “Tell him you killed Margaret! Confess. He’s a priest, confess.”

  She dropped her head. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.”

  “Yes, my child.” Father O’Connor hoped the words, uttered for two thousand years, would calm down Al. And perhaps Esther would say whatever she needed to say.

  “I murdered Margaret Donleavey,” she confessed, sobbing.

  “You killed the sweetest woman that ever walked.” Al gave her a shake. “Why?” His rage began to subside.

  “Because I loved you,” said Esther.

  “Loved me. You killed the woman I loved and put me through hell.”

  “I made it up to you. I was a good wife.”

  He threw her on the wooden floor, turned, and walked out.

  Shaking, Esther staggered up, sucked in a gulp of air, looked at Harry. “This is your fault.”

  “Get behind her,” Mrs. Murphy told Tucker.

  Too late. Esther lunged for Harry, grabbing her by the throat.

  Harry fought, then reached into her pocket. She couldn’t open the pocketknife, but the knife was heavy enough that, folded into her hand, it made her punch harder. She hit Esther with all her might as Tucker sank her teeth into Esther’s calf. Cooper, who had drawn her gun, stepped into the fray as Esther released Harry.

  “You are under arrest for the murder of Margaret Donleavey.” Cooper quickly put Esther’s right arm behind her back and apologized. “Harry, I didn’t see that coming. I’m sorry.”

  Rubbing her throat, voice scratchy, Harry replied, “Who did?”

  Father O’Connor was stunned. Collecting himself, he said to Esther, “I will pray for your soul.”

  Esther snarled at Harry, “If you’d kept out of it. You were even nosy back in high school. You’re nosy now. Everything was fine.”

  “I’m hardly responsible for the wind uprooting that tree. Esther, would you have killed your sister?”

  “I don’t know.” Esther immediately assumed a bland expression.

  Cooper, quick to catch on to Harry’s design, jacked Esther’s arm up enough to hurt. “Did you threaten your sister?”

  “I did. She was impossible.”

  That was enough for Cooper. As she walked Esther to her squad car, she called Rick. By the time she’d deposited Esther at the jail, the papers were drawn up for Flo to be released. Cooper checked in with the magistrate to be sure.

  After Esther spit at everyone from behind bars, Cooper hurried into Rick’s office. “Did they get Arden Higham?” she asked.

  “They did, right where 240 and 250 meet. She tried to ram through the roadblock. Broken collarbone but alive.”

  “Boss, let’s get over to the hospital. Maybe she’ll talk. Be a doubleheader if she did. Solve two cases in one day.”

  While not serious, Arden’s injury did hurt. The doctors allowed the sheriff and his deputy to question her. An armed officer stood outside the room, closing the door when Rick and Cooper entered.

  Cooper sat next to Arden, while Rick sat next to the deputy.

  “Arden, you’ve carried a heavy burden. It’s time to put it down,” Cooper soothingly counseled.

  “Is Harry all right? I didn’t mean to hurt her, but I panicked and had to get away.”

  “She’s fine. Now tell us what’s really going on. Did you kill your husband?”

  “No.”

  “Then why did you run away from St. Cyril’s?”

  “Harry was getting too close when she made the sign of the cross. She was closing in on why the fingers were taken from Lou and Pete. She’s clever. In time, she’d figure the check scheme—well, I had to go.”

  Voice also quiet, Rick asked, “Did Tyler take the checks?”

  “He did.”

  “But he didn’t steal anything. I mean, he didn’t cash them, even though he forged your signature on them.” Cooper pushed lightly.

  She clammed right up.

  Cooper leaned forward, touched Arden’s hand, and took a long shot. “Did Tyler kill his father?”

  “Oh, God.” Arden burst into tears. Her whole body shook from sobs.

  “Please, Arden, I know this is terrible, you’ve been through so much, but we must know. We don’t want Tyler to harm anyone else or himself. He’s a minor. I’m sure there will be compassion in the hearing. You need to protect him.”

  “That’s what I tried to do. He thought taking the checks would divert people’s attention. I found them in his drawer. He’s suffering. You have to understand how much he’s suffering. He shredded the one just to see how long it would take for someone to find it. Perverse humor, I guess. I returned the others hoping to add to the confusion. He didn’t argue about the return.”

  “Why?” Cooper almost whispered.

  “Lou and Pete bullied him for over a year. He’s too scared. They were relentless. They thought they were making a man of him. Some of the other boys picked up on their disdain and they’d push Tyler around, too.”

  “I see.” Cooper put her other hand over Arden’s. “Silver Linings?”

  Arden nodded. “Tyler’s slight. He’s almost pretty. He snapped. Do you understand? He just snapped.”

  “Did he tell you?” Cooper asked.

  “No. I noticed sometimes he’d be bruised on his back or arms. I put it down as boy stuff, roughhousing. He tried to play football. I noticed Lou was very hard on him. After a game, Tyler was always beat up. I wanted to take him to the doctor. He had a meltdown. I didn’t know what to do. Finally, he told me both Lou and Pete had been knocking him around. He begged me not to say anything, especially to his father, because he’d look weak. He didn’t want anyone to know he was a victim. Other boys would call him ‘faggot.’ He tried to fight back. He wasn’t strong enough.”

  “Do you think he is gay?” Cooper asked calmly.

  “Truthfully, he doesn’t know what he is. He’s too beaten down.”

  “Are the other bullies adults or boys?” asked Cooper, voice steady.

  “Tyler said Lou and Pete were the worst. He hated them more than any of the boys. Not that he liked them much. All my son wants to do is play games on his computer, research dragons. He doesn’t want to be with people. Tyler is happier doing an equation, fooling around in the school chemistry lab, than he is with people.”

  Rick took over. “Arden, we want to help you and we want to help Tyler. Can you tell me how he killed Pete and then his father?”

  “Tyler’s a chemistry whiz. He reads everything online, he experiments. He read that potassium chloride can stop a heart. It appears natural. He made friends with the chem teacher at St. Anne’s. He has use of the lab. He’s so bright. I can’t tell you how smart my son is, only that I don’t know much of what he’s talking about when he explains these lab experiments. Anyway, he made potassium chloride, filled a syringe, and waited. For weeks. When Pete Vavilov offered to take Tyler home after the big fund-raiser, Pete asked me, of course. And so did Tyler. Then Tyler asked him to
pull off the road in the storm. He jabbed him with the needle in the neck before Pete fully stopped so he couldn’t fight him off. Pete actually stopped the car as his heart was failing. I pulled up behind. You see, Tyler had asked me to follow them. Pete didn’t know, and he couldn’t have really seen me anyway. I parked behind the car, Tyler and I pushed the Explorer off the road so it looked like an accident. Then we drove off.”

  “I see. Was Tyler shaken?”

  “No. He was euphoric, actually.”

  “And his father?”

  “Tyler knew what I didn’t. That Lou was taking Coumadin, and he kept it in the glove compartment. Tyler stole some. Then he asked Lou to pick him up at St. Anne’s and drive him to the gym on campus. He gave Lou a cup of hot coffee, which he’d brought from the cafeteria, loaded with milk, sugar, and Coumadin. When he got out of the car, he told his father that Mark’s mother would bring him home and thanked him for the ride. He said Lou was furious because Tyler had kept taunting him about getting old. I asked Tyler what would he have done if Lou didn’t drink the coffee. He said he’d keep trying until he did.”

  “And was he upset?”

  She fell silent, then said, “Not at first. He said he was relieved. He said if anyone ever laid a hand on him again in his life he’d take them out. Can you understand? My son has been hurt, I couldn’t help him. I didn’t know until the damage was done.”

  “Did Charlene Vavilov know anything?”

  “No.”

  “Did her sons smack around Tyler?” Rick continued.

  “No. They used to come to some Silver Linings functions, but they’re both in college now.” The tears started again. She caught herself. “Don’t tell Charlene about Pete. What’s the point?”

  “Unfortunately, Arden, it will eventually come out in Tyler’s hearing. He won’t be tried as an adult. That should be somewhat helpful to you, but he has killed two men. Premeditated murder,” Cooper informed her.

  It wasn’t clear if Arden had heard her. She said, “Finding out your husband is beating up your son to toughen him up is a shock that I can’t begin to describe. I can’t think of any woman who would knock around a daughter she considered unfeminine. Lou was obsessed that Tyler be some kind of alpha male. Tyler made his plans to end his misery.”