Miss Pettybone's First Case

by Melissa Rees

  "Did you find out anything?" Lynn asked, sitting on down on the bed.

  "I saw them."

  “Really, what do they look like?"

  "I thought Keel looked like a schoolteacher and Wagner looked like a banker. They didn't look like murderers."

  "Maybe they're not."

  "Maybe."

  "What now?"

  "It’s after five; the show is probably closed until tomorrow."

  "So, can we go get some dinner?"

  "I guess we can go eat." Miss Pettybone agreed, thinking how good a shower would feel; then reluctantly deciding since she had made such a fuss about Lynn's, she would look foolish wanting one now.

  ***

  Miss Pettybone gazed around the crowded restaurant. She wondered if any of the people sitting nearby were local. They all had the look of tourists, laughing and enjoying their food and drinks. She would be willing to bet that no one else in Savannah was looking for a murderer. Except, maybe the police.

  She glanced over at Lynn and frowned. She didn't know how serious Lynn was actually taking the investigation. She was on her second Manhattan and seemed to be enjoying just watching the crowd.

  Miss Pettybone felt a trifle guilty about how much she was enjoying this quest herself. She wondered if real detectives enjoyed their jobs as much as she was enjoying herself. She decided they probably did. Investigating was fun.

  Traveling from New York to Savannah had been entertaining. Way better than delivering mail. But she needed a plan to meet Wagner and Keel and ask them about Warren Jones without knowing who she was.

  "Loraine, what's wrong? You're frowning when you should be relaxing." Lynn asked, sipping her drink.

  “I’m trying to come up with a plan." She said.

  "What kind of plan?"

  "To causally meet Aaron Wagner and Otis Keel."

  "The maid was telling me that Savannah is a Mecca of antique shops. Why don't we buy something in one of the shops and take it to the show." Lynn asked.

  Miss Pettybone sat back and stared at her friend. "That is a brilliant idea."

  "Good, now can we have a little fun?" Lynn asked, looking around. "This is, after all, Savannah."

  ***

  Miss Pettybone woke to the sound of rain and was tempted to turn over and go back to sleep. The steady patter of the rain hitting the window was soothing. Pulling the covers over her head, she thought about the men. How could men who looked so civilized commit such a brutal murder?

  She needed to find out more about them. What was Warren Jones real connection to these men? And if there was no other connection other than employer, employee, who was he connected to that worked at the Antique Home Show. And who at the show would want to kill him?

  What drives a person to take a human's life, she mused. Money, love, revenge. All of the above and more probably.

  She tossed the covers off and looked at the clock. Six o'clock, Lynn would still be sleeping. Maybe she should at least try to find out where the men were staying. She sat up on the side of the bed and reached for the phone and ordered a Diet Pepsi from room service. Hurrying through her shower, Miss Pettybone suddenly thought of Scott T. He would know all the hotels. She would call him.

  Pleased that she was keeping her promise to him, Miss Pettybone dressed in another new outfit. This ensemble was a pair of light green shorts with a green and white checked sleeveless blouse. Pulling her hair back behind her ears, she felt ready to face the day. Well, almost ready. Hearing the knock, Miss Pettybone opened the door and reached for her soda.

  Chapter 33

  Otis wrapped the leftovers in tin foil before placing them in the refrigerator. He heaved a tired sigh at the thought of Aaron's bad temper. They had planned to go to the famous Monkey Bar for dinner but Aaron decided at the last moment he wasn't in the mood for Asian cuisine. He didn't seem in the mood for anything lately.

  He picked up a damp cloth and began wiping the granite kitchen counter. He loved his kitchen. When they had renovated the house, he had insisted on having a gourmet kitchen installed.

  The kitchen was his favorite room in the house. He had purchased the latest in stainless steel appliances and had them professionally installed. The stove was huge with six burners and had a built-in grill that he used quite often when he and Aaron gave dinner parties. The refrigerator was equipped with a freezer that pulled out at the bottom.

  He could remember how hard he had to talk to get the wine cooler installed. Aaron only drank mixed drinks and considered the cooler an unnecessary expense but Otis had prevailed. He chose a unit that held sixteen bottles of wine. He enjoyed looking at the cooler and seeing all the bottles of wine stacked up ready to drink.

  The cabinets he had vacillated on until Aaron got annoyed and chose rich cherry cabinets with antique cabinet handles. Otis thought the kitchen was very elegant.

  He hated the thought of leaving this house. He and Aaron had put so much of themselves into the house that it physically pained him to think of someone else owning it. He gave a loving pat to the stove and placed the dish towel on a drying rack, before walking into the living room where Aaron sat drinking.

  He glanced at his partner and noticed that Aaron was on his third glass of Bourbon. Walking over to the overstuffed sofa, he picked up his book and began to read.

  If Aaron didn't want to talk, then he didn't have too, Otis decided. There had been precious little time to think since they returned from Mississippi. It was probably just hitting him that he killed a man in cold blood.

  Otis reached over for his own brandy that Aaron had placed on the side table for him and took a sip, then turned the page.

  "What are you reading?"

  "The Da Vinci Code." Otis reminded him.

  "Is it good?"

  "A very intelligent book." Otis said, glancing up.

  "Do you want to go play cards?" Wagner offered.

  "Not if you don't."

  "We'll go."

  Otis placed his book face down on the sofa beside him and looked at Aaron. "Is anything the matter? I mean, if you are upset about Warren, we can talk about it."

  "Warren?" Wagner asked, looking funny. "No, I don't care to discuss Warren."

  "Then do you want to go play cards?"

  "Yes, it'll take my mind off things."

  About to question what things, Otis stopped himself. Aaron would talk in his own time. Getting to his feet, he followed Aaron out the door.

  Chapter 34

  Miss Pettybone climbed into Scott T's cab and briefly wondered what all she should tell him. A detective would always keep his cards close to his chest, she figured.

  "How you doing this morning, Miss Pettybone?" Scott T asked smiling, pleased she had remembered to ask for him.

  “I’m fine, thank you. I'm still trying to find my brother though."

  "No luck at the Home Show, huh?"

  "Not really."

  "How can Scot T help you?"

  "I need to check all the places in Savannah that he could be staying in."

  "All the places! Goodness, that's a big order, Miss Pettybone. There are a million places that rent rooms in Savannah."

  "He would probably stay at the same places as the Home Show stays." She replied, looking away from Scot T's honest brown eyes.

  "Well, that narrows it down but still a lot of places to look."

  "We should get started then." Miss Pettybone said, leaning back into the seat, feeling awful about deceiving Scott T.

  She would have to get used to lying and deceiving people, she thought. Every mystery novel that she ever read, the detectives always lied.

  Miss Pettybone gazed out of the window as the beautiful city unfolded before her eyes. It sure beat Beatty, Mississippi for beauty, she thought. The hotels and bed and breakfast homes were gorgeous. Each place tastefully landscaped and presented with a flourish of colors and textures.

  Every house she saw had intricate fences and gates that were a masterpiece of architectural design.
<
br />   Even the streets were sparkling clean and the grass that ran along aside the many avenues was mowed to perfection.

  She didn't think she would want to live in Savannah though. Mississippi was her home, after all. She sighed at her deception, and then leaned forward to talk to Scot T.

  ***

  After two hours of gazing at grand hotels and quaint bed and breakfast establishments, she was ready to call it a day. Neither Keel nor Wagner was registered at any of the places they had stopped at. Besides, the constant getting in and out of the cab was grueling. Stretching before stepping back into the cab, she held a hand at the small of her back and squeezed. She felt a flash of pain in her back and sighed. She should really consider going to a gym. She hadn't realized how out of shape she was.

  Sliding back inside the cab, she tapped Scott T on the shoulders and announced. "This is enough for the day. I have someone waiting at the hotel."

  Scott T swung the cab around and headed back to the hotel. "You alright, Miss Pettybone? You look a little down. If he’s here, we'll find him."

  "I hope so."

  "Look, why don't you and your friend come down to Roosters tonight."

  “What's Roosters?"

  “It’s the best damn Jazz Club in the city. My band is playing there tonight. Pardon my French for the damn." He said, remembering his passenger was a nice lady.

  "I thought you were a cab driver."

  "All us drivers do other things. My friend in cab 20, paints and sells his work in a small gallery on Main Street. You can't make a decent living just driving a cab."

  "What do you play?"

  "I play my horn." Glancing back, he clarified. "My trumpet."

  "That sounds exciting. Do you play at clubs often?"

  "As often as I can."

  "I think my friend would love it. If you will give me the directions how to get there, we'll be happy to come?"

  "I tell you what. You be out in the front of the hotel at eight and I have my friend pick you up. Cab 20."

  "Cab 20. We'll be waiting."

  ***

  Miss Pettybone stood outside Lynn's hotel room and frowned. She had been knocking for five minutes and Lynn hadn't come to the door. She wondered where Lynn could be. Tension slowly filled her body. If anything should ever happen to Lynn, she would never forgive herself.

  Maybe Lynn was just mad and wouldn't answer the door, and then she thrust that thought away. Lynn might come out complaining, but she wouldn't ignore her like this. She probably took a walk, she decided.

  She gave up knocking and walked to her room. She was pleased to see it had been cleaned. She could never relax around a mess. Picking up the phone, she dialed the front desk.

  "This is Miss Pettybone. Are there any messages for me?"

  She listened as the receptionist shuffled papers.

  "Yes, Miss Pettybone. Mrs. Cooper left you a message at eleven this morning. She is going out and will be back around three."

  "Thank you." She said relieved, then hung up the phone. Lynn probably went shopping. The woman loved to shop.

  She glanced at the small clock on the table. Noon. She guessed she could eat, and a Diet Pepsi would not be amiss. Walking over to pick up the phone a second time, she ordered herself a hamburger, fries and a diet soda. Turning on the television, she sat down and waited for her food.

  ***

  After eating, she gazed longingly at the bed and decided stretching out on the bed would probably do wonders for her back. She rarely lay down during the day.

  However, if you couldn't relax on vacation, then when could you? She lay down and flipped the television on. She would just lay down a few minutes and rest her back. After all, she had spent the morning searching for the hotel Wagner and Keel were staying in. She deserved a break. Sighing, she propped the pillow under her head and drifted to sleep.

  ***

  It was ten after five and Miss Pettybone had walked seventeen times around the hotel before returning to her room. She didn't want to admit it but she was worried about Lynn. She had been gone all day. Lynn was a marathon shopper but even she had her limits.

  She had tried Lynn's cell phone several times but Lynn hadn't answered. Frowning, she thought about what she would say to Edgar if something had happened to Lynn. Sorry, Edgar, but I didn't call and check on Lynn right away because I was sleeping.

  She bowed her head in resignation and picked up her phone to call the police. It hadn't been fourteen hours, but it had been six.

  Relief surged through her when she heard a knock, followed by Lynn's voice on the other side of the door. Slamming the phone down, she opened the door to Lynn's beaming face.

  "Hi." Miss Pettybone said, looking her friend over, happy to see she was in one piece. "I was just calling the police. Where you been?"

  "Calling the police? Why would you call the police?"

  "Because you have been gone all day and didn't answer your phone." Miss Pettybone snapped.

  "I turned my phone off because I went to the Home Show and met Mr. Keel."

  "You didn't!"

  "I did. I went to a small shop a couple of blocks from here and bought a vase, this one," she said and held up a small blue vase. "I took it to the Home Show and waited in line all day before it was finally my turn."

  "Why did you turn off your cell phone?" Miss Pettybone demanded.

  "Because I didn't think I could keep a straight face if I was talking to you and him at the same time. Besides, Edgar kept calling and I didn't want to explain to him where we are."

  "You haven’t told Edgar we are in Savannah?" Miss Pettybone asked appalled. "Do you know how mad he’s going to be that you didn't keep him informed that we left New York?"

  "Of course I know how mad he’s going to be. That's why I turned my phone off." Lynn explained.

  Miss Pettybone shook her head at her friend. "You must call him and tell him where we are. He will blame me and you know it."

  "He won't blame you." Lynn said, deciding to change the subject. "Do you want to know what happened or don't you?"

  Miss Pettybone gave her friend a resigned sigh and nodded.

  "Okay, when it was my turn I gave him the vase and then acted surprised. I said that he looked familiar and I thought I had seen him in Mississippi a couple of weeks ago."

  Enthralled, Miss Pettybone sat down on the bed and stared at her friend. "And?"

  "You should have seen his expression. His face got all white and he nearly dropped my vase."

  "Did he admit he was there?"

  "No, he said I must be mistaken because he’s never been in Mississippi in his life. But you could tell he was shook up. As soon as I walked away, he called someone to stand in for him and was off like a shot to talk to Mr. Wagner."

  Miss Pettybone stared at Lynn. "What made you decide to do that, go to the Home Show without me?"

  "Well, I thought about it and figured since someone attacked you during the day, they might recognize you. But no one would know me from Adam."

  "That's true, I never thought about that."

  "So, what now, Loraine? I mean we cannot prove they had been in Mississippi. It’s their word against ours."

  Miss Pettybone stood up and gazed thoughtfully at her friend. "We can't identify them but I know who can."

  Lynn frowned at Miss Pettybone. "Don't say it."

  "We have to call Mildred and get her to come to Savannah. She and Louise are the only one who has seen them." Miss Pettybone reminded Lynn.

  Chapter 35

  Mildred Bartlett hummed a show tune, contently mixing tuna, salad dressing, onion, celery and eggs together. Pausing, she tried to remember the name of the song. When she couldn't, she exhaled noisily and mixed the tuna harder.

  She wrapped some plastic wrap over the bowl and placed it inside her refrigerator, then glanced at the time. Louise should be arriving any minute. They were going to eat some dinner, then go to a movie.

  When she heard the phone ring, she lifted the receiver a
nd placed it against her ear, scrunching her shoulders to keep the phone in place as she wiped the counter top.

  As soon as she heard Loraine's voice on the other end of the line, she got excited and dropped the phone. Picking it up, she said hello, half expecting the line to be dead.

  "Mildred?"

  "Loraine, where are you? I heard you went to New York."

  "Hi yourself. I'm not in New York. Lynn and I are in Savannah."

  "Georgia?"

  "Of course Georgia." Miss Pettybone replied, looking at her watch. She briefly wondered if what she was doing was wise.

  "What in Hades are you and Lynn doing in Savannah?"

  "Remember those men you saw coming out of the farm where Warren Jones was murdered?"

  “I’m not senile, Loraine. Of course, I remember them."

  "Lynn and I tracked them here."

  "You and Lynn are investigating those nice looking men at the restaurant? I can tell you right now that they didn't kill that man. Both of them looked too well dressed to be involved in anything sordid."

  "Well, you are probably right. They actually deny being in Mississippi."

  "See, I told you they were innocent."

  “Mildred, I can't just take their word that they were never in Mississippi. I have to know if they are the same men you saw. We're not pointing fingers at them and we're certainly not sure of anything at this point."

  "Oh."

  "So, I was wondering if you and Louise wanted to come to Savannah and see if they are the same men you all saw at the restaurant."

  "Go to Savannah?" Mildred said, savoring the name rolling off her tongue.

  "If that's possible." Miss Pettybone said.

  "Of course, it's possible. Not only possible. It’s a done deal. That's the party capital of the World."

  "You're not coming to party, Mildred. I just need you to see if it's them or not."

  "How long does it take to say it's them, or it's not them? The rest of the time we can relax and have fun."

  "Okay, talk to Louise and I’ll call you back later. Okay?"