by Joyce Lavene
I pushed open the door to the house and walked into the kitchen. I navigated carefully around the table and chairs, glanced at a nightlight glowing from the bathroom. The house was so quiet. No sound from the friendly owl outside, not even traffic sounds from the road.
I wondered, as I approached her bedroom door, if Mary Lou had noticed that the dress and wig were gone. Even with the mess, she might’ve been able to tell the difference. If she’d noticed, would she have thought of me and Tim?
I could hear her snoring softly from the bed. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say. I had a silly image of myself holding a flashlight under my chin, like we used to do when we told ghost stories around the campfire. I walked closer, wondering if I should make some scary sound, booing or something, then I tripped over a pile of clothes in the middle of the bedroom floor.
That was enough to startle Mary Lou out of her sound sleep. I stood completely still, not even daring to breathe, as she turned on a flashlight and pinned me with the beam. “I knew it was you, Lizzie. Come for me, have you? Well, you can’t make me feel any worse than I have for the past two weeks since I accidentally killed you. Go ahead. Take your revenge.”
Chapter 19
“Get her to talk about it, Dae,” Agent Walker said in my ear. “We need as much as we can get.”
Wasn’t it enough already? Mary Lou had confessed to killing Miss Elizabeth. How much more was there? I didn’t move, couldn’t speak. I stood still, the flashlight beam shining in my face.
“Aren’t you going to say anything, Lizzie?” Mary Lou asked. She had slipped her legs out of bed. I could she was wearing the same short brown pants she’d been wearing at the beach. “I don’t blame you for being angry. I made a bad mistake. I’m sorry I tried to blame it on Millie. It was wrong. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
I realized at that moment that I couldn’t go on with the charade. We knew now that Miss Mildred wasn’t responsible for killing her sister. Surely Mary Lou deserved a lawyer now before she said anything else. It was an accident. Agent Walker didn’t need to know more.
I started to walk out of the bedroom. Mary Lou followed me. “Where are you going, Lizzie? Please take me with you. I don’t want to live with all this guilt. Someone else will take care of the turtles. Let me go with you, please.”
“Keep her talking,” Agent Walker advised in my ear.
I walked out of the house into the dark yard, hoping she’d stay inside and have a cup of coffee or something. I couldn’t warn her off any more than I could get her to confess anything else. It was over, as far as I was concerned. We had what we needed to set things right.
“Lizzie! Why won’t you talk to me? Where are you going?” Mary Lou stayed one step behind me.
Between Agent Walker’s proddings and Mary Lou’s plaintive calls, my ears were ringing. I kept hoping she’d give up or I’d find a big bush to hide behind. I couldn’t believe she’d confessed to killing Miss Elizabeth. I’d suspected her and helped catch her, but knowing for certain was different. It was like trading one friend, one piece of my life, for another.
I wished Agent Walker would stop talking. I wanted time to absorb all of this and grieve for another loss.
“Lead her back to the van.” Kevin’s voice replaced Agent Walker’s in my ear. “Let us take it from here, Dae. You’ve done what you could.”
I wanted to scream at Mary Lou to run away and hide. Agent Walker had his information. We could save Miss Mildred with it. I knew Mary Lou would have to be punished. At least my rational mind knew it. With all my heart, I wished she’d get in her car and drive far away. But I kept walking, and she kept following across the sandy ground and down the road.
We finally reached the van where Kevin and Agent Walker waited. I didn’t know if I’d ever been so exhausted. I felt like I could fall on the ground and sleep for days. I thought it was probably a reaction to being so nervous and finding out I was right about Mary Lou.
I heard the van door slide open, then saw a glint of something metallic in the dim light from the interior. Without thinking, I threw myself in front of Mary Lou. She cowered on the ground before me, whimpering, probably thinking I meant to kill her. “Don’t hurt her! It was an accident. She deserves to be judged by a jury,” I yelled out.
“Dae?” Mary Lou looked up at me. “Is that you?”
“I’m Agent Walker with the State Bureau of Investigation.” He stepped beside her as several lights flashed on from outside the van. “We need to have a serious conversation, Mrs. Harcourt. Why don’t you come with me and tell me what happened to Mrs. Simpson?”
“It was the turtles,” she blurted out with a sob. “They need me. I couldn’t leave them during nesting season. Look at the damage done by the storm.”
Agent Walker helped her up. I realized the glint of metal I’d seen was his badge and not his gun, as I’d feared. I fell down on the soft ground, my legs giving out. I didn’t know what to think, but I was glad it was over. I couldn’t have walked another step if I’d tried.
“Are you okay?” Kevin asked, crouching beside me.
“No. Not really. I know this had to be done. I’m glad for Miss Mildred. But I hate that it had to come to this. I’ve known her all my life. This is terrible.”
“Tell me how it happened, Mrs. Harcourt,” Agent Walker coaxed, explaining her legal rights. “I promise it will make you feel better when it’s all out.”
“I couldn’t feel any worse, son,” she admitted. “When I saw Lizzie’s ghost standing next to the bed, I wasn’t a bit afraid of dying. I only wanted it to end.”
She went on to explain that she was frantically trying to save some turtles from high tide the night before the Fourth of July celebration. “I didn’t even notice Lizzie was there. You know how she had that way of standing and watching you, not saying a word. I was using the shovel to mound up some extra sand. I went back with it and hit something solid. I didn’t even realize I’d hit Lizzie in the head until I saw her fall to the ground.”
“You hit her in the head, Mrs. Harcourt, but you didn’t kill her. You should’ve called for help.”
Mary Lou’s eyes were wet with tears that gleamed in the bright lights. “What are you saying? I checked her pulse. There was no heartbeat.”
“There was sand in her lungs. That means she was still breathing when you buried her.”
“No! No! That can’t be true! I checked her. She was dead. I had to bury her to protect the turtles. Then when everyone was looking for someone to blame, I went to Millie and asked her for money for the turtle sanctuary. I was thinking if I could get everything set up, I’d confess. But she told me I had to wait until she died to get the land she promised me. That’s when I thought of blaming her for what happened. Only for a while. Only until the turtles were protected. Then I would’ve told the truth. It was only an accident. I never meant to hurt Lizzie.”
I thought I was shocked and horrified before Agent Walker explained about Miss Elizabeth’s death. Knowing that she had been buried alive on the beach made everything so much worse. I started crying and covered my face with my hands. Kevin put his arms around me, and I cried into his shirt. How could something like this happen in Duck?
“You’ll have to come with me.” Agent Walker took Mary Lou’s arm to lead her away.
I lifted my head to see her go, and she stared at me. “I’m so sorry, Lizzie,” she sobbed. “I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know.”
I couldn’t speak. What could I say anyway? I didn’t know how Miss Elizabeth would’ve responded to that apology. But it was impossible to be forgiven by the dead. Mary Lou was going to have to live with what she’d done for the rest of her life. It struck me that the rest of us would have to live with it too.
Kevin took me home without any conversation. I went upstairs while he explained what had happened to Gramps.
I drew a hot bath and sat in it until I was completely pruny and the water was cold. I didn’t really think about anything. I couldn�
�t. My brain felt wiped clean of any information.
As I got out of the tub, I realized that even with all that water, I still hadn’t scrubbed the makeup off my face. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that half of it must’ve come off on Kevin’s shirt. I scrubbed off the rest until my face was clean and pink.
I stared at myself for a long time, questioning again if what I’d done was the right thing. Sometimes, there was a terrible price to pay for helping people. I knew if I had to do the same thing again, I would. But I knew this incident was one I would never forget. The look in Mary Lou’s drowned eyes when she asked me for forgiveness would haunt me the rest of my life.
When I was in bed, staring at the dark ceiling, there was a knock on the door. “Dae?” Gramps said. “Are you still awake?”
“Sure. Come in and we can talk.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, not bothering to turn on a light. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. And I’m hurt that you didn’t tell me what was going on. I thought we could tell each other anything.”
I thought of all my youthful indiscretions that lay like old shoes in the closet of my mind. I hadn’t shared any of those. But I knew Gramps and I had a good relationship and there had been enough sharing between us to keep it strong. “I knew you had a thing with Mary Lou. I didn’t want you to have to be there when we tricked her. I didn’t want to be there either, and she wasn’t even my girlfriend.”
He hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head. “You can tell me anything. No girlfriend can ever change that. I hope no boyfriend of yours ever does either. I’m sorry this happened to Mary Lou. I don’t know what possessed her to go through all those lengths to cover it up. She’s a good woman, Dae.”
I knew he was telling the truth about Mary Lou. “I think she got carried away trying to save the turtles. She thought no one else could do it but her.”
“You know, she’s right. Once she’s gone, the group will fall apart, and the turtles will have to fend for themselves. There won’t be anyone as dedicated as she has been. But we all have to live with mortality and our mistakes. I waited an extra five years to retire because I thought my deputies needed me. I had to be hospitalized with that heart attack before I realized they could get along without me. The turtles will have to get along without Mary Lou. I’m sure they’ll survive.”
I swallowed hard. “Did you know Miss Elizabeth wasn’t dead when Mary Lou buried her?”
He nodded. “I’d hoped to spare you that information. The chief kept it secret because he wasn’t sure Miss Mildred was the right suspect. He’d hoped to use it to catch the real perpetrator. This can be an ugly business, Dae. I always tried to keep those awful details from you when you were growing up. I guess I still like to think I can protect you.”
I hugged him and kissed his forehead. “You can spare me those details anytime. I don’t know if I’ll ever sleep again thinking about her being out there still alive and no one knowing. It’s terrible to be so alone.”
“I know how you like to worry these things, darlin’. But you don’t have to think about it that way. You’ll never be alone. I guarantee it. Which reminds me, there was an awful lot of white makeup on Kevin’s shirt. I guess you owe him a new one, huh?”
Wednesday morning dawned bright and clear, and I was running late. I was surprised at first that I’d slept at all. I looked at the clock and realized I’d forgotten to set the alarm. It was after nine and the auction was at ten.
I hurried out of bed, glanced at my wig-flattened hair and groaned. Nothing that washing and some blow-drying couldn’t help. I showered quickly and gave in to my impulse to wear something bright and cheerful. I paired a bright orange Duck T-shirt with white shorts, slipped my feet into tennis shoes (I figured I’d be running a lot today) and got out the door without Gramps yelling at me to eat breakfast.
I was surprised to find he was already gone and even more surprised he hadn’t left a note about where he was. I figured he was probably trying to organize the members of the Turtle Rescue League, who would no doubt be missing their fearless leader this morning. Mary Lou was the heart and soul of that little group. Thinking about her brought on a quick bout of depression. But I had an auction to stop, and I couldn’t let anything stand in my way.
I met Trudy at the end of the drive. She was riding her new red scooter and offered me a ride. It was small. I wasn’t completely convinced it could hold both of us. But I strapped on the extra helmet and sat behind her. “Where are you off to?” she asked as she waited for a break in traffic.
“I’m headed over to Miss Mildred’s house. They’re planning to auction it off today, but I’m planning something different.”
“Can you do that? Is that something mayors do?”
“I don’t know yet,” I yelled over the buzzing of the scooter engine. I’d ridden on motorcycles before. This was like a cross between a motorcycle and a bicycle. “I’ll let you know.”
“I saw you with Kevin Brickman yesterday. Is something going on there that Shayla should know about?”
“Shayla? I thought she was dating Tim again.”
“She was. They broke up, like always. I don’t know why they bother. Tim isn’t going to be happy with anyone but you. And Shayla isn’t going to be happy with anyone at all. But of all those losers, Kevin is on top of the pile, don’t you think?”
I didn’t want to dwell on that, especially not this morning. I wasn’t sure whether there was anything special between Kevin and me. We’d gone through some extraordinary events together, and sometimes that kind of mutual experience created a bond. But bonds like that don’t necessarily last. I didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision yet. I’d have to think about it after the auction.
“I heard Mary Lou Harcourt was arrested last night,” Trudy yelled at me. “Think she had too many overdue library books or something? I mean, can you imagine her doing anything illegal? I guess we’ll have to wait and hear the rest of it. There have been some crazy goings on this summer. I’ll be glad when fall gets here and everyone goes home. I know it’s not good for business, but I like the quiet.”
I knew everyone in Duck would be shocked when they learned the truth about what had happened to Miss Elizabeth. Some people wouldn’t believe it even when they heard all the details. I felt sure we’d be talking about it way after Duck Road was quiet in winter. I wondered what would happen to Mary Lou. I hoped she’d receive a light sentence despite her desperate attempts to hide what happened. I believed it was an accident, like she’d said. No one really knew what they’d do until they were in the middle of that kind of situation.
Trudy dropped me off at Miss Mildred’s house. A large group of cars, even a few limousines, were parked up and down the road. Plenty of people were interested in the auction. What Chuck had said was true—land was at a premium in Duck. It had to be because there was so little of it between the Atlantic and the sound.
“Looks like they have a good crowd,” Trudy observed. “Good luck convincing them not to auction everything.”
“Thanks. Say, would you do me a favor and check for UPS packages? You still have a key to Missing Pieces, right? Maybe you could throw them inside if there’s anything there.”
“You got it.” She revved the scooter engine. “See you later!”
I tugged my shirt down and wished I’d worn some kind of official-looking jacket. There was a police car in the driveway to ensure that everyone else parked in the street. Not only would I have to argue with Chuck and Jerry, but I’d also have to argue with police officers. But that was okay. I was ready to take on whoever needed taking on.
As I started up the drive, a well-dressed older couple got out of their Cadillac and walked up with me. The woman was dripping with large diamonds, and the man was wearing a big cowboy hat. We see them all in Duck, from the rich to the poor, from the cowboys to the slick city people. I guess they all want to live here, at least part-time.
Officer Scott Randall was at the f
ront door, his police uniform freshly cleaned and pressed. He looked kind of stiff standing there, nodding to everyone who came in. I paused when I saw him, wondering if I should enlist his help in what I wanted to do. Then I considered what would happen if he said no and changed my mind.
“Mayor O’Donnell.” He nodded to me without a smile, obviously taking his duties very seriously.
“Officer Randall.” I nodded back. “Fine day for an auction.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I mingled with all the other people there for the auction. As Chuck had predicted, the champagne was flowing freely and the brie on the sideboard was plentiful. I didn’t see a single face that I recognized, except Scott. How had all these people even heard about the property being auctioned? Sometimes I was amazed at how many people were interested in our little town.
Chuck and Jerry were in the living room where the furniture had been moved aside to make way for at least fifty folding chairs. They were chatting and laughing like two hyenas. It was going to give me great personal pleasure to put an end to their partnership.
Chuck rang a bell, and people started moving into the living room. Apparently that signaled the beginning of the auction. I kept my spot against the wall rather than take a chair. I needed to be in position to go up and question the legitimacy of the auction in light of recent developments. I didn’t know how long I could hold them off, but I was hoping that no one would bid on the properties if they knew there was a question of legality.
When everyone was seated, except for a dozen or so still standing in the back of the room by Miss Mildred’s armoire, Chuck cleared his throat and welcomed them all to the proceedings. “As you can see, this is a classic older home right in the heart of Duck within walking or golf-cart distance to shopping and restaurants. The second home, which we’ll be travelling to for the next auction, is very much like this one. The two together represent a terrific value for anyone interested in property here.”
