Elton was standing at the car, door open, helping hand extended. “Root beer floats will be at the ready, but Lucinda said that y’all will have to dig into her chicken and rib dinner beforehand.”
Dolores said, “That sounds perfect to me.”
Elton switched on the ignition and said, “Miss Jessica, you will never want to leave South Carolina once you’ve tasted Lucinda’s chicken and ribs.”
Dolores was positively bubbly. “Jess, Elton is right. You are in for a real Southern treat. Not a cook alive can make barbecue chicken and ribs like Lucinda. And I am going to bet we are having baked beans and potato salad for the sides. Get ready. We are going to need elastic waistbands for this dinner.”
When Elton tapped his clicker to open the gate to Manning Hall, I asked Dolores if she had any idea how many clickers existed and exactly who had them.
“Goodness no. There may be dozens. Having a gate with a clicker was one of Willis’s sillier affectations. He loved to remind guests that his estate was gated and they would need to be admitted.
“When I have the time I am going to have a top-notch company come in and organize a security plan for the entire property: Manning Hall, Marjory’s cottage, the garages, the gardening shed, even the stables. Once that’s done we’ll say bye-bye to the clickers.”
“Stables?” I was surprised I’d never noticed them. “How could I have missed them when I was out jogging?”
“They are easy to miss. You know that stand of cypress trees behind the house?”
“The ones heavily covered with the Spanish moss? I’ve avoided the area because there doesn’t seem to be a path where I could walk or jog safely.”
Dolores nodded her head. “Exactly the problem. There is a path but it is hopelessly overgrown. Willis planned on having the entire area cleaned out and landscaped when he restored the stables to house Abby’s horses.”
“Abby’s horses? I didn’t realize the child had horses.”
“She doesn’t, but Willis was planning on buying horses and supplying riding lessons in another year or so. Abby’s mother was a first-class rider, medals and all. I think Willis wanted to build reminders of Emily so that Abby would always feel her presence. Horseback riding would be one way.”
Learning about the softer side of Willis Nickens continued to surprise me.
Elton parked at the top of the driveway, and he was coming to open our doors when the front door of the house flew open and Abby bounced across the veranda and down the steps.
“Mr. Elton! Mr. Elton! Wait until you see.” She was waving an oversized piece of drawing paper.
Elton took two quick steps, opened the passenger door next to Dolores, and then flung his arms up in the air. “What have you got there? Something special?”
“I drew this. Look. It’s the solar system. And this is Earth, where we live. The moon is this little ball, and it goes around Earth in an . . . an orbit, almost like a circle.”
“Wow. You are an excellent artist,” Elton said.
“Thank you, but that’s not all. Look over here. That is Mars. Remember the story you told me about the Martians and the moon men? We live here, on Earth, the Martians live on Mars, and the moon men live on the moon. And I know where they all are!” Abby did a little happy dance.
Elton laughed. “So now we know you are smart enough and talented enough to be an artist or a storyteller or an astronaut.”
Dolores got out of the car. “Abby, can I see, too?”
“Granny Dolores, today was the best day of school in my whole life. I knew lots of things about Mars and the moon. And when Mrs. Creighton asked me how I knew so much, I said because Mr. Elton told me adventure stories. And Mrs. Creighton said adventure stories are a great way to learn.”
Dolores said, “We are lucky to have Elton here. He has been a huge support to all of us in so many ways.”
Elton was beaming with pleasure. “I’m happy to be of help, ma’am.”
And in that moment, as I looked at Abby and Dolores, both so happy to have Elton around, I thought he could easily become the solution to still another problem that was bothering Dolores. I’d have to remember to discuss it with her when I had the chance.
Clancy came out of the house. “There you are, princess. I thought you were doing your homework in the dining room.”
Abby’s face dropped. “Bah, homework. I have to do extra homework because I missed some days at school. That doesn’t seem fair. I mean, if you don’t go to school on a day, why should you have to do homework for that day? It’s either a school day or it’s not.”
While I could see there was a certain logic to her thought process, it was clear that neither her father nor her grandmother was buying it. Elton and I were wise enough to stay out of the conversation.
We were a noisy bunch as we finally made our way across the veranda and into the foyer. Elton was last, carrying the cooler. As he turned down the hallway that led to the kitchen, Marla Mae came rushing past him.
“Miss Dolores, there you are.” She looked flustered and pointedly gave Clancy a wide berth. “Could I have a private word?”
Clancy said to Abby, “No more stalling. Kiss Granny Dolores good-bye, and we’ll see her at dinner.”
Abby rolled her eyes, gave us a theatrical grimace, and dragged her feet all the way to the dining room door. Only when Clancy had closed the door behind them did Marla Mae speak. “You have a telephone call, ma’am. I suggest you take it in your office.” She whispered, “It’s Mr. Jonah Harrold, from the funeral parlor. I told him you’d be a minute or two. He said for you to take your time.”
Dolores fished a key from her purse. “Come with me, Jess. This could be the moment I’ve been waiting for. Willis might finally be free of all these sheriffs and coroners.”
She hurried to the office. I followed along, thinking that if the Coroner’s Office had released Willis’s body, that meant they would finally release an official cause of death. I could only hope that wouldn’t mean a new, more forceful round of questions for Dolores.
Dolores picked up the phone and said, “Mr. Harrold, how kind of you to wait for me. I was just getting out of the car when you called.”
She listened for a moment and then said, “I appreciate that.”
When Mr. Harrold began speaking again, Dolores gave me a big smile and a snappy thumbs-up. She put her hand over the mouthpiece. “Mr. Harrold has been given permission to pick up Willis from the Coroner’s Office tomorrow.”
“That’s wonderful.” I returned her thumbs-up.
The call lasted a few minutes longer. When she’d hung up Dolores said, “Mr. Harrold will work out scheduling with Pastor Forde. Once I approve the time frame, we can begin announcing the times and locations of the wake and the funeral service to all the interested parties. I think I should put notices in the newspapers as well, don’t you? I don’t want an invitation-only service. Better to leave the door wide open, as my mama used to say. I want Willis to have a nice send-off with a big crowd of people. Don’t you agree?”
I nodded politely, but in reality I couldn’t imagine copious numbers of people wanting to participate in services honoring Willis Nickens. “Dolores, do you want to talk to Clancy about any of this? Or are there any other family members you might consult?”
“Abby and I are the only family Willis has. As for Clancy, he couldn’t make a decision to save his soul. Anyway, six months from now I don’t want him asking for favors and reminding me what a help he was.”
I had to admit I hadn’t quite thought of it that way. But I had thought of something else and decided to bring my idea to Dolores’s attention.
“Dolores, have you noticed how well Elton and Abby get on?” I asked.
Dolores said, “I have always been fascinated by how comfortable Abby is with adults in general. I suppose that comes from being an only child. But I do agree
she has bonded with Elton more quickly than most.”
“What if”—I searched for the right words—“and this is only a suggestion, mind you, but what if Elton could be available to drive Clancy and Abby on an as-needed basis?”
Dolores gave me an odd look. “As needed? As needed for what?”
I decided to be blunt. “You are worried about Clancy driving under the influence, and rightly so. Suppose you set up some sort of agreement with the car company, similar to the one I have now. Clancy would have the company on call, and whenever he was going someplace where alcohol might be an issue he would agree to use the car service—”
“Why would he . . . ?” Dolores began to interrupt.
I held up my hand and said, “Just hear me out. It really wouldn’t matter which driver the car company sent to drive Clancy; however, anytime Abby would be with him or have to go somewhere and her father was in no position to drive, well, then the company should be sure to send Elton if at all possible.”
Dolores was digesting it all, and she didn’t look convinced. “Jess, you know what I really want is for Clancy to join a twelve-step program, and I don’t think tomorrow would be too soon for him to attend his first meeting. Still, I am not sure how I could get him to make that commitment. Just because I know all about his DUI record doesn’t mean he would willingly do as I ask. And the same thing applies to your car service suggestion.”
She stopped for a few seconds, as if to organize her thoughts, then said, “I’m not saying your idea is a bad one. It’s only that I’m not sure it would work. Give me some reasons why you think Clancy would go along with it.”
I was ready with several. “First off, I know it’s not a twelve-step program, but it would keep both Clancy and Abby safe until such time as Clancy comes to grips with his alcohol addiction. Clancy may not worry about his own safety, but he would surely want to keep Abby safe.
“Second, you would promise that you would not be using Elton and the car company to check up on Clancy’s whereabouts and activities.
“Third, we know Clancy goes to court on another drunk driving charge in a few weeks. He stands a very good chance of losing his driver’s license, at least in the short term. Then how would he get around?”
I could see that Dolores was starting to follow my way of thinking, and I was sure I could clinch the deal with reason number four. “Lastly, each and every month you will pay Clancy’s car service bill, no questions asked.”
Dolores sat quietly mulling over my suggestion. After a while she said, “That might be a workable plan. Give me a day or so to think it over. Right now I have other things . . . I have to pick out an outfit for Willis to wear. Mr. Harrold would like me to drop it off sometime tomorrow afternoon. His navy blue wool suit has always been my favorite. I admit it’s a little heavy for the season, but Willis looked so handsome when he wore it.”
“Of course. I understand. I just wanted to pass along the thought while it was still fresh in my mind,” I said.
“Speaking of fresh, shall we go to the kitchen and find out what time our dinner will be ready? I would love to take a short nap so I have plenty of appetite and plenty of energy for our barbecue and root beer float party.”
That sounded perfect to me. I was hoping there would be enough time before dinner for me to run an errand.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Lucinda assured us that she’d be busy at the stove for another few hours, so when Dolores opted for a nap, I found Elton in the library and asked him to take me to Jessamine House.
“And I promise we will be back long before Lucinda and Marla Mae begin serving the chicken and ribs.”
Elton said, “That is good news, ma’am. A body always wants to be first in line for Lucinda’s chicken and ribs, because there’s unlikely to be any leftovers for latecomers.”
It wasn’t until we pulled into the driveway of Jessamine House that I realized I had no actual plan. The best I could hope for was a few minutes alone with Tom Blomquist. As for Candy, after our last conversation it wouldn’t surprise me if she hid at the very sound of my voice.
“I thought I recognized the Escalade—that metallic blue is hard to miss.” Tom Blomquist was coming from the gardens, carrying pruning shears. “A guest got her skirt caught on the prickly stems of one of the brier rose bushes, so I thought I’d do some trimming before that becomes a routine problem and people are sending me clothing repair bills.”
“Candy took me into the garden on my last visit. Your brier roses are lovely,” I said.
“Well, Candy’s out and about, taking care of a few errands. Can I offer you a cup of tea? I do recall mint juleps aren’t your first choice.” Tom was jovial but it seemed forced, as if I’d interrupted his plans for the afternoon.
I decided to get straight to the point. “Actually, I came to see you.”
His smile became less certain. “Well, I am flattered. Now tell me what I can do for you. Or does Dolores need my help with something?”
“Actually, I am here on Dolores’s behalf. Can you tell me whatever you know about a company called Available Options and its owner, Randall Carbonetti?”
A frown slithered across his face, and then he was all smiles once again. “Ah, Randall’s a local boy, inherited the company from his father. Wouldn’t surprise me if there was a grandfather somewhere in the business as well. The company has a sterling reputation among the old families round here. Been helping them out of financial scrapes for decades.”
“Yes, that’s what Mr. Carbonetti told me.”
That caught him by surprise, and not in a good way. I noticed a thin sheen of perspiration forming on his upper lip. “I didn’t realize that you know Randall. I suppose Dolores does as well?”
“Actually, I spoke to him as a follow-up to paperwork we found in Willis’s file cabinets. How would you describe Available Options? How does the company function?”
Tom’s discomfort was growing. “Ah, I guess you could say it is a private loan company, with the loans based on collateral.”
“And how long does Available Options hold the loans?” I knew I had passed the point of polite inquiry, but Tom answered.
“I guess that would depend on the terms of the loan. Jessica, may I ask what your interest is? Are you planning to do business with Randall? Is Dolores in need of funds?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s nothing like that. This is somewhat awkward. I wanted to ask about your loan, the loan Dolores now owns.”
“My loan? From Dolores? I don’t know what you are talking about. I have no such loan.” He seemed absolutely convinced.
I realized what the mix-up must be. “But you do have a loan with Available Options.”
“If I do, that’s private and none of your concern. Now if you’ll excuse me . . .” He started to walk away.
“Randall Carbonetti sold the loan to Willis Nickens,” I said, and that stopped him on a dime.
“What? That’s not possible. I would know.” Tom was totally flustered. “You must be mistaken.”
“I’m afraid not.” I took the letter from my purse and pointed to his name. “See, there’s your name, right in the middle of this list of loans Mr. Carbonetti was transferring to Willis Nickens for a staggering sum of money.”
“I . . . I don’t understand.”
Even when I’d explained the process Tom remained confused. “Why would Randall sell my loan to Willis?”
“Not only your loan. According to Mr. Carbonetti it is a common business practice. He sells existing loans to investors so that he can accumulate ready cash to extend more loans. And when the loan is due you pay Available Options, and then they pay the investor with the proceeds of your repayment and a percentage of the accrued interest. The company keeps the rest of the interest—that’s their profit.”
“Ah, I admit I do have a working relationship with Available Options, but
I had no idea of the rest of it—investors and all that. Do you think that’s why Willis dangled us? Because he knew we were already in debt?”
“I have no idea. I can’t be sure of what was going on in Willis’s brain. But you must have known that another loan on top of your existing loan with Mr. Carbonetti would put Jessamine House in great jeopardy. I assume you used Jessamine House as your primary collateral.”
“Jessica, when you say it like that, it does sound exceedingly foolish, but Jessamine House is all we have, and compared to the modern hotels . . . While our guests desire the beauty and elegance of a quaint atmosphere, they demand air-conditioning, en suite baths, and even elevators.”
“But when you and Candy discussed it, one of you had to realize the potential problems such hefty loans could cause.”
“Candy doesn’t know anything about the loan from Available Options. She thought I used some nonexistent savings to do the last upgrade. It would devastate her to learn that we are in that kind of debt. Now, please leave me to deal with it as best I can, and for heaven’s sake don’t mention any of this to Candy.”
When I got back into the car Elton said, “Well, that was really a short and sweet kind of visit.”
I could agree that my visit with Tom Blomquist was a short one, but it was certainly nowhere near sweet. I knew I’d caught Tom by surprise when I brought up his loan with Available Options, and he seemed genuinely shocked when I told him Willis had bought the loan. To my mind that meant until this moment he had had every reason to believe that, with Willis out of the way, Dolores might be willing to provide capital for a rehabilitation project of Jessamine House. Had he been desperate enough to kill Willis to make that happen? I wasn’t sure. He didn’t seem bold enough to take such a risk.
And although Tom and Candy appeared to care for each other genuinely, it was a wonder that their marriage had endured when both of them kept such dire secrets to themselves.
When we got back to Manning Hall the house smelled like barbecue, and we heard lots of chatter coming from both the kitchen and the dining room. I went to my room and changed into jeans and a comfortable cotton knit shirt. I checked my cell phone one more time but there were no calls or texts. I knew Harry McGraw would do his absolute best for me but I was becoming more anxious. Once Willis’s body was released by the coroner it was likely the sheriff would step up his investigation, and I was afraid Dolores would wind up in the hot seat.
Killing in a Koi Pond Page 21
