“All you need is a housedress to be twins.”
Margot glimpsed Odds in the mirror. “Should we have eggs for breakfast, Odds?”
“I want biscuits.”
“Nancy made those biscuits, and they’re all gone. We can’t keep eating her food.”
“Bisc—”
The doorbell rang, and she frowned. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. Do you know who it is, Odds?”
He blinked, and she sighed. All of her attempts to trick him into revealing himself had failed. Odds was a clever one, darn him. She figured one of the neighbors had stopped by or Nancy to let her know she had brewed coffee and cooked breakfast. Margot didn’t mind admitting to herself, she wanted Nancy’s biscuits, too, smothered in honey.
“Heavens, pull yourself together, Margot,” she chided herself and went to the door. When she opened it, the toothbrush hanging out of her mouth tumbled to the floor. She let out a little scream and bent to get it. A crick in her back made her freeze, and she raised her head slowly to look into Lyle Barber’s eyes in total disbelief.
Lyle stooped to get the toothbrush and rose with only a slight grunt. Then he helped Margot to straighten. “I’m sorry, Margot. I’m too early.” He checked his watch. Margot already knew it was after eleven. She had slept in and felt ashamed of it.
“No, I’m…uh…Lyle, why aren’t you in jail?” she asked bluntly.
He smiled. “If you don’t mind me stepping in, I’ll be glad to explain.”
Margot’s face flamed. She thought of how her hair looked and the robe she wore, not to mention the fluffy slippers. Groaning, she stepped back and invited Lyle inside. “Please, have a seat. I’ll get some coffee brewing and get my clothes on as quickly as possible.”
Lyle sat down. “Please, don’t fuss. I should have called. Neither Jimmy nor Zabrina had your cell number. I was stubbornly determined to visit you to thank you for all your help. If it wasn’t for you and Odds, my niece wouldn’t be alive today, and my family would be in shambles.”
Lyle sat down, and she sank into a seat across from him, forgetting she needed to make herself presentable. Just having him in her tiny apartment felt somehow comfortable. “I’m thrilled everything worked out, but how? You…”
“Jimmy,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Make no mistake about it, Margot. I intended to end Brock Cordova’s life. I don’t make excuses for that. However, when you’re as terrible a person as he is, I guess people get in line to finish you.”
Margot’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
He opened his mouth to answer but a pounding started on her door followed by Nancy calling out to her. “Margot, I’ve got breakfast and coffee. Open up for me. This is heavy.”
“She knows you have company.” Odds jumped into Lyle’s arms and curled up on his lap. Lyle graciously accepted his responsibility of stroking the cat’s fur.
Margot opened the door to find Nancy holding a massive tray with platters of eggs, sausage, and biscuits on it. Behind Nancy stood Kenny, carrying another tray with a thermos. Margot assumed it was filled with coffee. “Why, Nancy, you don’t usually go to this much trouble for me in the morning.”
“Nonsense, I wouldn’t dream of having you up here starving, Margot. Come sit that down, Kenny, and you can scramble along.”
Margot shook her head in amusement. “Hello, Kenny. You’re feeling better?”
“Hi, Ms. Margot. I wasn’t sick. I found out Jimmy’s been telling people that, but it was Dottie. Mom’s looking after her. She got off work early.”
“Oh dear, I hope she’ll be feeling better soon.”
“Thanks.” He set the thermos down, eyeing Lyle with curiosity. Then he waved at Margot. “I should go see if Mom needs anything before I leave.”
“You’re going somewhere?”
He stuck his narrow chest out. “I have a regular part-time job starting. Well, it’s still kind of under the table as far as pay, because I need to be really flexible with hours. I’ll get paid more though.”
“Congratulations, Kenny, and good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Margot saw him off, and by the time she shut the door, Nancy was handing Lyle a food-laden plate, telling him how surprised she was to see him there. Margot examined her friend and found Nancy had put on clothes and shoes, and her hair was rather neat. Margot sighed at her own state but dismissed it.
“So, you were saying, Lyle?” Margot served herself food and prepared a biscuit for Odds.”
“Thank you, Nancy,” Lyle said. “I think I will take some. Everything looks great. Margot, I was saying Brock Cordova was a terrible man, and Steven Sandifer was a greedy one. He had already planned to kill Cordova, but learning Zabrina was alive complicated his plans. At the ball, he decided he would kill Cordova and place the blame on her. I almost got in the way of that.”
Nancy made a sound of alarm.
Lyle flushed, and he laid his fork down. “I had put the poison I brought into Cordova’s drink, but my son was watching me, it seems. Jimmy is a very good boy.”
Nancy frowned and opened her mouth. Margot kicked her. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a table blocking the action, so Lyle saw it. He chuckled, and both Margot and Nancy blushed.
“Yes, Jimmy is a good man,” Margot agreed.
Lyle nodded his thanks. “Jimmy somehow relieved Cordova of his drink and gave him a new one. I suppose since Jimmy was the one passing out those glasses, it was easy for him to do. Anyway, I had been studying poisons before my plan, so I knew right away what Sandifer had in his room. The poison I put in Cordova’s glass was cyanide. Cordova died of hemlock poisoning.”
Margot and Nancy exclaimed in alarm, and Margot lost her appetite for her food. Odds rose up on hind legs to her knee, eying her biscuit.
“Are you going to eat that?”
“So, the police blamed Mr. Cordova’s murder on Mr. Sandifer?”
“Yes, the detective on the case believed my son’s account, saying I confessed because I thought Zabrina was guilty and wanted to protect her, but I am a guilty man.”
Nancy patted his knee. “Never, Lyle. You’re meant to be here with me—us. Don’t give it another thought. You are a good man.”
“Biscuittttt.”
Margot sighed and set her biscuit on Odds’ plate on the floor. “I agree with Nancy, Lyle. I’m so grateful to Jimmy for saving you, although I’m sure Peter didn’t believe him.”
“Peter?”
She grinned. “He’s the brilliant detective on the case.”
Nancy leaned over to Lyle with a hand beside her mouth. “I think Margot is in love with Peter, Lyle. The man is young enough to be her son, for goodness sake.”
“Nancy!”
Lyle looked at Margot, a speculative expression on his face. “Well, I hope I can build a strong friendship with you ladies.”
Margot gasped. “But aren’t you going back to Washington, D.C.?”
“No, as it turns out. I will be moving my sister here as soon as I can arrange everything. Zabrina feels New York is her home now, and D.C. holds too many terrible memories. My sister is eager to be near Zabrina no matter what. So, we will all be relocating. As for the company, Zabrina doesn’t want any part of it. She will be selling her shares in the company stock, and I hear an offer is already waiting when she is healthy.”
“That’s good news,” Margot exclaimed and warmed when Lyle reached over and patted her hand.
“It’s wonderful,” Nancy agreed. “So, Lyle, what do you think of marriage? You’re single, right? I’m a widow myself…”
The End
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- Audrey Claire
Odds Ball (Margot and Odds Cozy Mystery Book 3) Page 9
