Death By Chocolate 6 (Mystery and Women Sleuths) (Josiah Reynolds Mysteries)

by Abigail Keam

  “Do you think the pool should be converted into a salt pool?” I replied, ignoring his question.

  “Why are you being so hesitant?”

  “Because I don’t want to get sued.”

  “I’m your lawyer. Everything you say to me is confidential.”

  “Bull. You tell Franklin and then Franklin tells the world.”

  “Honest. I won’t breathe a word.”

  “Speaking of Franklin, what’s going on there?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Then why is Franklin hanging around? He thinks he is going to help with the baby. Don’t be cruel to him again, Matt. Cut Franklin loose if you are finished with him.”

  “That’s exactly why nothing is going on. I made a big mess of things . . . with him and then with Meriah. When Meriah told me she was flying back to Los Angeles alone, I was relieved. Oh, I acted like it was a big crushing blow in order to save her feelings, but I felt like a condemned man who had gotten a stay of execution.”

  “Matt, you need to keep your pants zipped up until you decide which team you’re gonna play on.”

  “I don’t fall in love with a gender. I fall in love with a person. But you’re right. I wasn’t ready to commit to either Meriah or Franklin. I thought I was. I really did.”

  “You were being a jerk.”

  “Tell me how you really feel.” Matt ran his hand through his dark curly hair. “Are you finished bashing me this morning? Can we discuss how you mangled evidence in Dwight’s case and made it useless in a court of law? I wish you had talked to me before you took that chocolate to a private lab. I could have told you that a judge wouldn’t admit it as evidence after that.”

  “I was a jerk too. A well meaning jerk, but a jerk just the same.”

  “Let me record you saying this, as no one will believe it.”

  I wrapped my blanket tighter around me. I could see my breath in the air when I talked. “I have several theories of what happened but here’s my favorite . . . is that the phone? Wait a minute. I’ll be back.”

  *

  I returned several minutes later after talking on the phone. “That was Ginny. It was just as Goetz predicted.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Two hikers in the Daniel Boone Forest were going along one of the back trails and their dog found a lower mandible. It’s human.”

  “And?”

  “The police checked it with Dwight’s dental records.” I paused for a moment, trying to get my bearings. I looked out at the expanse of the Palisades where the wild dogwood trees where starting to bud. I took a deep breath. “It’s Dwight.”

  Matt didn’t respond. He just stared at the tea cooling in his mug. What was there to say anyway?

  “They are searching for the rest of his remains now. It seems that animals have scattered the bones.” I took a deep breath. “Ginny asked me to take her to Dupont Lodge. She wants to be there for the search.”

  “I would advise against that.”

  “You can’t keep a mother away from her child . . . even her dead child. This is what mothers do.”

  “I have a few days off. I’ll drive you and Ginny down there. You both are in no shape to drive yourselves. If I need to come back sooner, then I’ll rent a car.”

  “Let me pack a bag.”

  Matt pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call Dupont Lodge and make reservations. You get ready.”

  “Thanks, Matt.”

  “And Rennie.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Make sure you pack your pain medication. Take some extra.”

  I gave Matt a strange look, but decided to do as he said. I’d rather have too much medication with me than not enough.

  After letting Baby off at the Big House with Charles, we were on our way to pick up Ginny and then it was off to the Daniel Boone National Forest where the trees are so thick, sunlight barely shines on the ground.

  It is a dark and foreboding place . . . truly a dark and bloody ground.

  58

  When we got to Dupont Lodge, I noticed Goetz’s car in the parking lot. After we went to our respective rooms, I went to the dining room. I knew Goetz would have lunch first before he went to the field. That man never missed a meal.

  “Christ,” he uttered when I sat down. He threw his napkin on the table in disgust.

  “That makes me feel like you’re not happy to see me,” I pouted.

  “Anyone ever tell you that you’re like a bad penny.”

  I turned to the waitress and told her that I would have the buffet. They were still serving breakfast and I wanted some pancakes . . . and bacon . . . maybe some biscuits with gravy . . . the eggs looked good . . . and grits.

  “And this from the man who asked me out on a date.”

  “After thinking about it, I realized I’m too fat and too tired to do a woman any good.”

  “TMI. TMI!” I cried, making the sign of the cross.

  “Quit acting like a schoolgirl,” growled Goetz. “We both look like we were rode hard and put up wet.”

  “Oh, Detective Goetz! You’re making me feel all tingly inside.”

  “I doubt I could make you feel tingly anywhere.”

  “Can we change the subject from my lady parts, please? Why are you here? You are out of your jurisdiction.”

  “I want to observe.”

  “Didn’t you think he had been killed by a random thief?”

  “That was before we found a tooth embedded in a chocolate horse.”

  “Fragments.”

  “It will be enough.” He motioned for the waitress. “I take it Mrs. Wheelwright is here.”

  “She’s in her room resting. She’s already checked in with the State Police liaison, so they know she’s here in case they find something.”

  Goetz shook his head. “A mother’s love.”

  “The other Mrs. Wheelwright here?”

  “There is no other Mrs. Wheelwright.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Goetz smirked as he pulled out his wallet and left a tip on the table. “I finally know something that you don’t. Wonders never cease.” He put his wallet back in his coat pocket. “Mrs. Wheelwright is now Mrs. Webb.”

  “GET OUT! Really. How come no one knows this?”

  “I know this.”

  “Ginny never mentioned it.”

  “I doubt Miss Ginny is aware of it. As I understand it, Ginny and Selena have not spoken to each other since the ice storm. How shall I say this . . . they are at odds with each other.”

  “I never saw an announcement in the newspaper.”

  “That’s because they got married in Florida on the QT. Hardly anyone knows. They’ve kept it very quiet.”

  “Don’t you think that interesting?”

  “I think that is very interesting. Especially since a wife does not have to testify against her husband in Kentucky unless we can make a deal with her.”

  “Believe me, if they were involved in Dwight’s disappearance, it will be Farley who rolls over first.” I looked around the dining room. “Are they here?”

  “They still are in Lexington. One of my boys is keeping an eye on them. So far, Farley is at work and Selena is at home.” He stood. “I’m going to trot down to the scene. If we should see each other later in the day, please act as though you don’t know me. Okay?”

  I made a face. “You should be so lucky.”

  As Goetz left the dining room, I made my way to the buffet table and loaded my plate. I sat at a table overlooking the Cumberland River and watched the birds at the feeding station. While stuffing my face, I pondered on the sad turn of events. I knew it had been a long shot, but I had still clung to the hope that Dwight was alive somewhere and would soon make his way home. Now that sliver of hope was gone.

  The eggs got stuck in my throat.

  59

  Ginny called my room and said officers from the State Police were in her room and would I come.

  I didn’t even wait for her
to finish, but put the phone down and hurried to her room, which was just two doors down.

  Quietly knocking on the door, I opened it and entered. There was Ginny sitting in a chair.

  A female State Police officer sat opposite her while a large male officer waited near a wall.

  The space was very small, making the room feel tight and suffocating.

  I nodded to the officers and sat on the bed facing Ginny.

  Ginny reached for my hand as she prepared herself for the worst.

  The woman officer looked very sympathetically at Ginny.

  “Anyone else coming?” asked the male officer.

  Ginny shook her head. She didn’t look up, but kept her eyes on the worn-out carpet covering the floor.

  “Ma’am, is Dwight Marcum Wheelwright your son?”

  Ginny gave a little moan.

  I spoke on her behalf. “Yes, Officer.”

  The man directed his attention to me, as Ginny would not make eye contact with him. “Ma’am, we have reason to believe that the remains of Dwight Wheelwright have been found. We are very sorry for your loss.”

  “Are you positive?” I asked.

  “We will have to conduct a DNA test to make a positive ID, but we are reasonably sure that the remains of Dwight Marcum Wheelwright have been discovered. His dental records match what we have found so far.”

  Ginny gave another little groan.

  “Does Mrs. Wheelwright need to make an ID of the body?” I asked.

  The two officers glanced at each other.

  The woman spoke. “There is no need for that at this time.”

  “Can I see him?” squeaked Ginny, speaking for the first time.

  “We are still in the recovery stage. This may take a while.”

  “Once you take him to the morgue, can I see him?”

  The woman officer, whose badge identified her as Officer Clint, said with as much kindness as possible, “I don’t think that is a good idea. You want to remember your son as he was.” She then added. “You have done all you can. We will be as gentle with Dwight’s remains as possible.”

  Ginny’s eyes widened with concern.

  “In fact,” continued Officer Clint, “I think it might be a good idea that you went home and waited for word there. This might take us days to finish here and you would be more comfortable in your own home.”

  Ginny shook her head. “I want to wait at the recovery scene. My son needs me.”

  Officer Clint’s sympathic eyes begged me to help. She just didn’t want to say what needed to be said.

  I squeezed Ginny’s hand. “Ginny, I think they are trying to tell you that Dwight’s body is in a bad state of decomposition. It might take hours or days to work the site of his death.”

  Ginny let out a loud wail.

  The male officer flinched, wanting nothing more than to get out of that small hotel room.

  I wrote my cell number on a pad and handed it to Officer Clint. “Will you please keep us informed? I will stay with Mrs. Wheelwright.”

  Officer Clint handed me her card. “Please call me anytime. As soon as I am allowed, I will give you what information I can.”

  I nodded as she rose to leave. Turing my attention to Ginny, I didn’t even hear the door close. “We are just in the way here. Let me take you home.”

  But Ginny didn’t hear me. She was submerged in a deep and abiding sorrow.

  There was nothing I could do but give testimony to her anguish. I sat in the chair opposite her and held Ginny’s hand as she mourned the death of her only child.

  Watching her reminded me of the famous words of the biblical King David lamenting the death of his beloved son, ‘Oh, Absalom. Absalom. My son, Absalom.’

  60

  Matt knocked on my door hours later.

  Ginny was finally resting, exhausted from crying. I was hoping that soon as she was able I could take her back to Lexington.

  “What did you find out?” I asked Matt while pouring him a soft drink.

  He took the glass and drank greedily and then held out the empty glass for more. Even though it was early spring, his face was burned from the sun. I got out several bottles of water for him as well. I was suspicious that Matt was dehydrated.

  “I found Goetz and talked to him for a considerable period of time. I also spoke to the State Police. There was more reticence, but this is what I found out. There is no body to speak of. There are bones scattered in a two-square-mile grid, probably the work by animals. It’s going to take time to legally determine cause of death, but the upper mandible was found along with most of the skull. It looks as though Dwight was killed by blunt force trauma.”

  “They know for sure it’s Dwight?”

  Matt nodded. “They have already compared the teeth to Dwight’s dental records and it seems like a fit even though some teeth are missing. There’s still enough to ID him. Also, remnants of clothing were found. The description matches what his wife said he had on when he left. Scraps really, but enough to match.” Matt paused for a moment. “There’s blood on the clothing.”

  “So what now?”

  “They will continue to search for any missing bones and teeth plus look for a burial site. Goetz is going back to Lexington tonight. I think he is going to get a subpoena for Dwight’s house and business.

  “Apparently Goetz has interviewed your Miss Darlene several times and could never shake her from the story that the man she checked out on the third was not Dwight, so he thinks that perhaps Dwight was killed in Lexington and Farley impersonated Dwight to make it look like he drowned.”

  I sat down on the bed by Matt. “Do you really think Selena and Farley might have had something to do with this?” I shook my head. “It’s too horrible to contemplate, but it was one of my theories. I don’t want to believe it.”

  Matt wrapped his arms around me, pulling me down on the bed. “There, there, Rennie. Let it all out.”

  I was mentally and physically exhausted. I wanted to be back home at the Butterfly with Baby. I wanted my own bed. I didn’t want to play nursemaid to a grieving mother. I wished Dwight was properly buried and the whole affair was done and over with.

  But this was going to take months, even years, for a final conclusion.

  My mind swirled with possible scenarios as tears leaked down my face onto Matt’s chest.

  What could have been the possible motive?

  If Selena was involved, why would she kill her devoted husband?

  Why did Dwight take her name off his life insurance policy?

  Why did Amanda think something was wrong with Dwight several weeks before his death?

  Why did Dwight want Farley to buy him out?

  Why did Farley concoct that ridiculous story of Dwight having an affair with Susie Brinkman? He should have known it would be found out.

  And where was the missing cashiers check for the initial down payment for the buyout to Dwight?

  61

  I must have fallen asleep. When I awoke I was alone in the room. On the other double bed was a note from Matt that he was at the Falls. As soon as I awoke I was to get him and we were all going back to Lexington.

  I washed my face and combed my messy hair. My eyes were red and my nose looked swollen. I didn’t give a damn. I was in mourning. Not wanting to run into other guests, I took the side door out to the parking lot and found Matt’s car. It was just too long a walk to the Falls for me.

  It only took several minutes to drive to the Falls and find a parking space. Using my cane, I cautiously descended the handicapped ramp onto the flat expanse of sandstone rocks bordering the Cumberland River.

  At the rocks’ edge stood Matt staring out at the water.

  Carefully making my way on the rocks, I stood beside Matt, admiring the Cumberland River thunder over a ledge to form a pool where the river gathered itself and continued on its windy path to join the Ohio River. A brilliant rainbow formed at the base of the pool and curved upwards until it faded out into the mist.


  “How can something so beautiful be so treacherous?” whispered Matt.

  I didn’t respond but just gazed upon the rushing green water spilling over the edge. “Let’s go home, Matt,” I pleaded. “There’s nothing but death here.”

  “Your bag in the car?”

  “Yes. All we have to do is pick up Ginny. I told her to be ready. She should be waiting in front of the lodge.”

  Matt took a deep breath. I could tell he wanted to go home. We turned together, making our way past mounds of little pebbles of coal deposited by the river. I had to be careful as the rock bed had depressions that might cause me to fall. Matt helped to guide me back to the handicapped ramp.

  “Watch that hole, Josiah. Walk around it. It’s not too much further,” he said, gauging the distance to the parking lot. Suddenly he stopped and jerked me behind him. “Mother fu . . .!” he exclaimed.

  An older couple passing us gave Matt a look of annoyance. The man started to say something but his wife hushed him, pulling him down the pathway.

  “What is it?” I cried, trying to look over his shoulder.

  “I could have sworn that I just spotted O’nan.”

  “What?” Fear ran down my spine as I swiveled, glancing from tree to building to tree to car to parking lot. I started to tremble.

  “Stay behind me,” again cautioned Matt as he hurried to the parking lot.

  A van of tourists had parked beside Matt’s car, providing some cover while they gathered their things and untied a canoe from top of the van.

  This gave Matt ample time to check the inside of the car, the tires and finally, after falling to his knees, the underside of the car.

  I got in the back seat and lay down. Rummaging through my purse, I searched for my taser.

  Matt drove back to the lodge, following other cars all the time looking for O’nan. Once in Dupont Lodge’s parking lot, he pulled out his phone and called Goetz, hoping to follow him back to Lexington.

  Goetz answered on the first ring.

  Matt quickly told him that he sure he had seen O’nan.

  “Okay. Wait there and I will call the State Police and have them follow you out of the park. I’ve already started back, but I can meet you in Corbin and follow you up on I-75. That’s the best I can do.”