"Actually, I was thinking Gabby and I should both go," Emily answered, rummaging through her purse for her cell phone.
"Go where?" Gabby and Tad asked at the same time.
Giving up on her purse, Emily began searching the countertops for her elusive phone as she explained her plan to Tad, Gabby, and Greg, who had just returned to the kitchen. "It all comes back to Larry," she stated, but paused when she saw nothing but blank looks around her. "Don't you see?" she continued. "Amelia is under suspicion only because of her rumored involvement with Larry. She had no other link to the mayor."
"But they wouldn't have arrested Amelia unless they thought they had some kind of proof, right?" Gabby asked, her forehead furrowed with concern.
"True, but what proof could they possibly have?" Emily countered. "We know she's not guilty. Whatever proof they think they have has to be tied to Larry. So I think the best way we can help Amelia is to go and talk to Larry."
"I'll go with you." Tad pulled out his keys, but Emily stopped him with a hand to his arm.
"That's not necessary. The scuttlebutt around is that he has been cleared of any suspicion. An airtight alibi and all that. I think Larry would respond better to two females anyway," she explained. "Don't you?" she asked Gabby, willing her to go along with her plan by the force of her gaze.
Gabby picked up on her drift immediately and agreed. "We come across very non-threatening and authentically worried about our friend."
Tad shared a raised eyebrow look with Greg, who said, "Poor man won't know what hit him with you two. But please stay in contact with us."
"Of course," Emily nodded. "If only I could find my cell phone. Did I leave it in the car, Tad?"
"I don't think I ever saw you with it," he frowned.
"We'll find it later. I've got mine," Gabby assured the guys. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Call us if you hear from Trent." And with that, the two hurried out to Gabby's minivan before the guys could come up with another objection.
"I can't believe they actually arrested Amelia," Gabby said as they backed out onto the road leading back to town.
"I know," Emily said. Her nerves were wound so tight she found herself straining against the seatbelt, wiling the minivan to go faster. She was anxious to do whatever she could to help Amelia out of this nightmare. "Can't you drive any faster?"
Gabby flipped on her high beams. "Watch out for deer or anything else. We won't do Amelia any good if we don't arrive in one piece."
Emily looked over at Gabby and could see from the dash lights that her jaw was set and her hands held the steering wheel in a death grip. She immediately felt contrite for asking Gabby to hurry. She should have remembered how nervous driving at night had made Gabby ever since their accident last fall. She laid a gentle hand on Gabby's where it clutched the steering wheel and said softly, "I'm sorry."
Gabby flashed her a tight smile before returning her focus to the road. "It's okay. Now, what's our plan?" she asked, obviously eager to focus on something other than the drive to town. "What are we going to say to Larry?"
Emily settled back against her seat, chewing at her thumbnail as she stared out the passenger side window. Fireflies flashed in the open fields lining the country road. Her own thoughts were firing as quickly as the bright flashes in the dark. How best to approach Larry? The man had just lost his wife. Was he in deep mourning? Or were the rumors true and Larry was actually involved with someone else? Emily found the latter hard to believe because she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Larry was not having an affair with Amelia. "As much as I loathe the idea, I guess we could ask after Maclaine. Say we're stopping by to share our condolences."
"You really don't like her, do you?" Gabby asked, never taking her eyes off the road in front of her.
Emily sighed and crossed her arms like a petulant teenager. "I know that she needs a friend right now, but it seems to me that she's latching onto Tad a little tightly for someone who supposedly has a boyfriend."
"Maybe it's because you care for Tad more than you're willing to admit." Emily refused to meet her eyes. She wasn't sure how to respond. Yes, she cared about Tad a great deal, but she was terrified of messing up their friendship with their budding romance. She had given up the reins on this situation to God. Only He knew what was best.
Now it was her turn to change the subject. "If we're there to show our sympathy to Maclaine, that can naturally extend to Larry, since Maclaine is still staying there. Hopefully, with a little subtle nudging, we can get Larry to talk about this ridiculous rumor."
"Right," Gabby said with a confidence that Emily didn't yet feel. "Then we can take that information right over to Detective Welks."
Emily nodded, but she didn't say anything. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that what Gabby had said earlier was true. Amelia would not have been arrested if the police didn't feel that they had sufficient evidence. How to prove that the evidence was wrong was a monumental task, but she was sure she and Gabby were the right ones for the job. Glancing out the windshield as Gabby pulled over to the curb, she gave a low whistle. "This place is truly amazing. The mayor had great taste."
"Yes, in houses anyway," Gabby agreed, dropping her cell phone and the keys in her bottomless purse. "I think the jury is still out about her taste in men."
"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Emily asked. Then putting on her game face, she followed Gabby up the front steps to the ornate double wooden doors. Gabby pressed the button beside the door, and a melodious chime sounded from within. They heard light steps and then were temporarily blinded by the sudden illumination from the porch lights as they flashed on. The doors were flung open, and Emily blinked to clear the little dancing spots in front of her eyes. When she did, she saw Maclaine holding onto the doorframe, looking surprised to see them on her front porch.
"Hi, Emily. Gabby," she nodded at them both. "Can I help you?" Her big blue eyes reflected puzzlement, and Emily felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn't tried to be a better friend to the newest addition to Ellington's teaching staff.
Stepping forward, Emily said sincerely, "We just wanted to come by and tell you how truly sorry we are for your loss. Is there anything we can do to help?"
Those big blue eyes filled with tears, and Maclaine's lower lip began to quiver, making Emily feel even worse about this expedition. This girl was truly in mourning and here they were, hoping to trick her uncle into proving their friend's innocence. "Please come in," Maclaine invited, opening the front doors wider. "Uncle Larry and I were just about to have some tea. Won't you join us?"
"If you're sure we're not intruding," Gabby answered for both of them, following Maclaine into the large, but cozy foyer of the McBain home.
"Not at all," Maclaine assured her, padding down the polished wooden floor of the hallway on their right. "It's nice to have some company. The house seems very quiet without Aunt Janice here. My boyfriend is out of town at a conference for work. It's just Uncle Larry and me."
Again, Emily felt a tug on her heartstrings. Maclaine, dressed in thin yoga pants and an old T-shirt, her blonde waves secured in a messy bun and her face free of makeup, looked like a lost little girl. She had experienced more than her fair share of loss in her young life. Emily felt compassion creeping into her heart, replacing the uncomfortable sense of jealousy she had been experiencing in Maclaine's presence. Yet she still wondered who Maclaine's boyfriend was and why the beautiful blonde had not named him.
She and Gabby followed Maclaine into a gorgeous library with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled to bursting with books that looked like they had been well-read. Larry McBain was lounging on a gray velvet sofa facing a large television mounted on the wall, watching a baseball game on mute. His face was unshaven, and his eyes showed a man holding onto his composure by a thin string. Emily glanced over at Gabby, wondering if she too were having second thoughts about this impromptu visit. But Gabby was moving forward to one of the two wing chairs opposite the couch, murmuring her condole
nces to the lost-looking man. "I'll just grab the tea," Maclaine announced, before turning on her bare feet to head back down the hall.
"I'll help you," Emily offered, trailing behind her. Gabby was much better at dealing with people's emotions than she was. At least where adults were concerned. Emily never had any trouble acting as a counselor to her beloved students, but faced with an emotional adult, she often felt at a loss. Gabby had a mothering instinct that was second to none, so Emily felt no guilt in leaving her behind with the widower.
The kitchen she had followed Maclaine into was another beautiful room. She was especially drawn to the breakfast nook with its tall windows overlooking the woods behind the house. As Maclaine filled a tea tray, she noticed Emily looking out the windows of the cozy nook. "That was one of my aunt's favorite spots," she said, her voice cracking a little with emotion. "She started every morning right there with a cup of her favorite tea. When I was a little girl, she took me on vacation to Victoria, B.C., and we had high tea at the Empress Hotel there. From that day on, she became enamored of all things tea-related. I guess Uncle Larry and I let her tea-obsession rub off on us." With a smooth move, she hefted the heavy-looking silver tray with its gorgeous china teapot and matching cups.
"Can I help?" Emily asked, knowing she would be more likely to trip and break everything than actually help.
"Oh, no, I've got it," Maclaine assured her. "I spent several summers waitressing. I'm used to it." She shrugged, not noticing Emily's rounded eyes. The pampered girl she had always pegged Maclaine as had worked as a waitress? Boy, had she mistakenly labeled Maclaine as a spoiled princess. This evening visit was definitely enlightening, just not in the way Emily had anticipated.
"I'm so klutzy, I'd make a terrible waitress," Emily confided and Maclaine gave her light, tinkling laugh.
"I was, too, as a child, but after several years of dance lessons, thanks to Aunt Janice, I seem to have outgrown my awkwardness." Watching Maclaine's lithe form move with perfect poise, Emily had to stifle another upsurging of jealousy.
"I know you spent a lot of summers with your aunt. Your dad's a pilot, right?"
"He was," Maclaine answered as they returned to the library. "He passed away when I was a senior in college." Her back was to Emily, so she didn't see the startled look that passed between her and Gabby, who had overheard her final comment. This girl had been through more tragedy than they even realized.
"I'm so very sorry, Maclaine," Emily said softly. "You've lost too much in your life."
"But I've also been very blessed," Maclaine countered, tears shimmering as she gave them a tremulous smile. "I have Uncle Larry, a new job, and good friends like you, and Gabby, and Tad."
"Yes, you do," Gabby said, smiling warmly at the fragile-looking woman. "Your Uncle Larry was just telling me about some of you and your aunt's favorite vacations."
Larry roused himself from the depths of the couch to take a cup of tea. Emily noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. Maclaine settled beside him on the couch and smiled at Gabby. "Uncle Larry was always so busy, but he didn't want Aunt Janice to get too bogged down by her own work. He always sent us on some fun vacation every summer. I think my favorite was the week we spent at a dude ranch." She pointed to a framed picture on a nearby shelf that showed her and Janice perched on humongous horses, cowboy hats shading their smiling faces. Maclaine gave a light laugh. "I think Aunt Janice even taught those ranch hands a few things about hard work. She was a true dynamo. We were planning on an African safari this summer to celebrate my new job and moving to Ellington. Uncle Larry was even planning to come, isn't that right?" Larry gave a morose nod and sipped at this tea. "I don't think we'll go now, of course," she trailed off, stirring her own tea absently.
The only sound in the room was the ticking of a clock and the gently clinking of their spoons against their delicate china cups. Emily was wracking her brain for a way to lead into a discussion about Amelia when Maclaine surprised her by bringing up their friend first. "I have to have some dental work done this summer before school starts anyway. I was planning on going to that new dentist, Dr. Amelia Franklin, since Uncle Larry has placed such stock in her, but he told me earlier tonight that she has since refused to continue seeing him as a patient." Maclaine placed her cup, with a sharp clink, on its saucer. "All because some busybodies with nothing better to do started that ridiculous rumor about Uncle Larry and her. As if anyone in their right mind would believe that! Why, she's almost young enough to be his daughter."
"That's what we thought, too," Gabby agreed, scooting forward on the edge of her cushy chair. "Amelia is a friend of ours, and I know she was devastated that someone would start such a hurtful rumor."
"I don't blame her," Maclaine said angrily. "Stupid gossip is definitely one of the negatives of living in a small town, I guess."
On the one hand, Emily felt as if she should defend Ellington's reputation, but on the other, she had to agree with Maclaine's assessment. Before she could decide what to say first, Gabby plunged ahead. "You're right, Maclaine. I love Ellington; I always have, and I always will. But unfortunately, gossip can do a lot of harm in a town this small. I mean, just look at the mess Amelia is in now."
Maclaine and Larry both looked up at Gabby, their faces wearing matching looks of concern. "What about Amelia?" Larry asked, voluntarily speaking for the first time since Emily had entered the room.
"Oh, you don't know," Gabby exclaimed, managing to pull off a genuinely surprised look. Emily made a mental note to give her props on her acting skills later.
"Know what?" Larry asked gruffly.
"Why, Amelia was arrested earlier tonight for Janice's murder. I assumed you all would be the first to know."
"What?" Larry shouted, surging to his feet. "This has gone too far."
Maclaine looked equally upset. "They arrested her? But don't they need proof for that?" She was staring intently at Emily, who resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. She had underestimated just how uncomfortable this discussion would be.
"I would say so," Emily agreed. "But the only connection that we know of between Amelia and your aunt is the supposed rumor about her involvement with you." Here, Emily motioned toward Larry, who had stalked over to one of the large windows and was staring out into the darkness.
"There's no way it can be Dr. Franklin! I remember her from my summer visits. She was always nice to me, and Aunt Janice never said a word about having any issues with her." Maclaine also stood and began to pace in front of the couch Larry had just vacated.
"Exactly!" Gabby agreed. "We think there must be some mistake." She turned and stared intently at Larry, but he continued to keep his gaze fixed on the darkness outside, ignoring the other three women in the room with him.
Maclaine turned to his still figure. "Uncle Larry, you have to talk to the police! You have to tell them that you were not involved in an affair with Dr. Franklin. I don't understand why they haven't contacted you already." When the man still did not budge, Maclaine tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "You will talk to them, right now, won't you?"
Larry finally turned, dejection in every line of his face. "I don't think I should get involved," he said quietly.
"What?" all three women asked together.
"I might just make things worse. I'm sure the police will contact me when they're ready. For now, I think I'm going to go on to bed. Thanks for the tea, Maclaine. And thank you," he nodded at Emily and Gabby, "for coming by. We appreciate it." With a final good-night, he turned and left the room.
Emily and Gabby turned to share a what the heck look, expecting Maclaine to force the issue with her uncle. Instead, she only murmured, "Good night," to Larry's retreating back. She turned back to her visitors and gave a shrug. "I'm sure he knows best. The police will figure out their error soon enough, I'm sure." But by the way she was gnawing at her lower lip, Emily knew that she shared the same reservations as her and Gabby.
Emily resisted the urge to snap at the girl before he
r. Her compassion for Maclaine, while brought to the forefront at the knowledge of her extensive loss, was receding at her lack of a backbone. She had to know that Amelia was in a tight spot, wrongly accused of a crime she didn't commit, and the only one that could help her was her uncle. Yet, she had demurred to his supposedly superior knowledge without a single protest. That lack of a backbone was irritating to Emily in the extreme. If she wanted to find out who had taken her aunt from her, Maclaine would have to quit acting like such a wimp.
Gabby clearly picked up on Emily's agitation as she again expressed her condolences and hustled them both out of there. Emily waited until her car door shut behind her before exploding, "What is wrong with her? And with him? It's like he didn't even care that Amelia might take the fall for this!"
Gabby tapped her fingers on the steering wheel for a moment before starting the minivan. "I know. It was weird how cagey he was about not actually denying the affair. I don't get it." They drove through the quiet, now deserted streets, heading back to Gabby and Greg's house to check in with the guys.
Emily continued to stew, feeling completely helpless to aid their friend, and furious at her impotence. "Why didn't she push him? Janice was her beloved aunt. You would think she'd want to get to the bottom of all this." Tossing her hair, she sniped, "Maybe we should have let Tad come along with us after all. I'm sure he could charm her into showing some backbone."
"Em," Gabby said quietly. "I'm as upset as you are. But hopefully Maclaine is right and the police will figure out the error of their ways quickly. I'm sure Larry will tell the truth once the police contact him."
"You are?" Emily asked sarcastically. "Because I'm sure not. I think Larry seems more concerned with staying under the radar than with helping Amelia. Maybe he really is having an affair."
School's Out for Murder (Schooled in Murder Book 2) Page 8
