Skeleton's Key (Delta Crossroads Trilogy, Book 2)

by Stacy Green

  “Technically.”

  “They kicked you out of your house?”

  “Just until they process it. Day or two at most. Nothing in there for them to find.”

  Another grunt. “I hope not.”

  “What?”

  “Damn, boy. Use your head. You work long shifts. Don’t have no security system on that little place. It’s possible someone could have been doing shit right under your nose, maybe even been in the carriage house to help cover up his tracks.”

  Uneasiness rolled through Cage. He shook it off. “You watch too many dumb detective shows.”

  Oren slid his cup across the table and then glanced at the coffee pot. Cage got the message and got up to fetch his father a refill.

  His sister had loved doting on their father, keeping his tummy full and the sweet tea at the ready. And Oren thoroughly enjoyed it. Since before her death, when she’d gone off to college at Ole Miss, Cage had done his best to follow in her footsteps. He was pretty sure he didn’t quite measure up.

  “You know what’s happened ’round here the last couple months has been crazier than any one of those shows,” Oren said as Cage sat back down. “Watch your back, son.”

  Cage clenched his jaw, a bad habit he’d gotten into. Gina knew how to do her job. She’d clear him and move on to find the real killer. Before he could argue, his cellphone rang.

  Gina.

  “Got your message,” she said. “So you think the butler’s pantry might be our crime scene?”

  “It’s a good bet.” Cage explained how the pantry had separate access to the basement and could have remained sealed off from the rest of the house. “Find anything out about the victims?”

  “Both wore wedding rings,” Gina said. “Cause of death looks like blunt force trauma to the head, but that’s just preliminary. Too decomposed for facial identification. We’re hoping they will be in the system.”

  “Two married and missing victims, probably women, good chance they will be.”

  “Who said they were women?”

  Apprehension crept up Cage’s back. “You’re kidding me. The victims are male?”

  “And that’s not all. Found something on one that might give us a starting point. And hopefully rule you out as a suspect.”

  12

  “So I hope you’ll be comfortable in here.” Jaymee opened a door and quickly turned a light on. “There are six bedrooms in this place, but the previous owner used only a couple. I’m hoping to get the others into decent shape soon.”

  Dani blinked as the bedroom came into focus. Large and spacious, the guest room’s double window looked out over Magnolia House’s gardens. A four-poster bed made of careworn oak dominated the room. Dani ran her fingers along the old wood.

  “Turn of the century,” she said. “Family heirloom?”

  Jaymee’s face tightened. “Yes. There is another in the master bedroom. The rest of the rooms are pretty bare right now. Shower is across the hall, and you’ll find plenty of clean towels.”

  Dani inspected the matching armoire. “These are so hard to find now, and this one is in great condition. Needs refinishing, but that’s an easy project.”

  “It’s on my list.”

  “You’re hoping to make a B&B out of Magnolia House?”

  “If I can swing it, yes. But my funds are limited. My…the previous owner is willing to help out financially, but I’m trying not to use too much of his money.” She looked sheepish. “Of course, my gig at Sallie’s doesn’t pay enough to outfit this place, so I really need some guests. Which requires an investment.”

  Her gig at Sallie’s. Jaymee worked at Sallie’s. That’s who Cage was worried about seeing the other night.

  Dani felt her cheeks go red. Cage still pined for Jaymee–that was his problem.

  “I could help you,” she heard herself saying.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “With the house. Getting it ready.”

  Jaymee shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts. Dani looked wistfully at her long, tan legs.

  “I don’t take handouts,” Jaymee said. “Besides, you’ve got your own monster to tame. Ironwood is going to be a bitch to get up and running.”

  “I’m not on any kind of time table,” Dani said. And she had the money. Living with her mother the past several years had enabled her to grow her savings, and her mother had insisted on a high life insurance policy–with the agreement that Dani use it to follow her passion. “And I didn’t mean a handout. I’m not that generous.”

  Jaymee’s mouth twitched. “Good.”

  “But I can lead you in the right direction once I get my bearings around here. You’d be surprised at what you can get at estate auctions and antique shops. And there are some great replicas that are much more cost effective. If we got two rooms and the base area of the house set up, you could start taking guests.”

  “Most of the downstairs is guestworthy,” Jaymee considered. “I just need a few accents.”

  “Easy to find. But if at all possible, you’ll want to get that original kitchen visible. Tourists love that sort of thing.”

  “I don’t like the kitchen. It’s…” Jaymee sucked in her cheeks. “A long story.”

  “The scandal.” Dani’s words tumbled out before she thought.

  “Scandal?” Jaymee’s eyes were cold, her voice flat.

  “I’m sorry, I heard you and Cage talking earlier. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just—”

  “It’s private. Even if the whole town already knows.”

  “I understand. I’m sorry.”

  Jaymee bared her teeth, and Dani waited for the other woman to lay into her. She honestly hadn’t meant to offend. She just spoke without thinking.

  “It’s okay,” Jaymee relaxed. “I’m sure you’ll hear the story, but I just don’t feel like sharing it.”

  Dani exhaled. She didn’t have the energy for a cat fight. “Completely understood.” She crossed the room to sit on the bed, exhausted. Still, her mind whirled.

  “You know the bones will be forgotten.”

  Jaymee leaned against the doorframe. “Yeah, I’d heard about those. Cage says the skeleton’s not related to these bodies.”

  “No, and with the bodies showing up, those old bones will be forgotten. Of course the murders take precedence, but whoever those bones belonged to deserves some justice, too.”

  “Justice is hard to come by.”

  “I guess.”

  “And those bones could belong to anyone, as old as Ironwood is. That place has a lot of legends.”

  “I heard about Ironwood’s secret room.”

  Jaymee laughed, and the tension hanging between them evaporated. Dani relaxed.

  “The cache of treasure,” Jaymee said. “I don’t know if there’s any truth to that, but I bet there are some good hiding spots. Evaline has a few. So does this place.”

  “You’ve been to Evaline?”

  Jaymee blanched. “I used to work there. Before…”

  “I heard Rebecca Newton was murdered. So awful.”

  “I found her.”

  Dani’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh God. I’m sorry–again.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Jaymee waved her off, but the pain was evident. “Back to Ironwood. History says John James was an eccentric and passed that on to his daughter CaryAnne.”

  “Cage mentioned there were stories about him. Mostly from Grace at Oak Lynn.”

  “Oh yeah. He was a Major General in the Confederate Army. Fought under Stonewall Jackson. His wife died when CaryAnne was just a baby. And he raised her. She never married. There were rumors they were … too close.”

  “Really? And those are still around after more than a century?”

  “Shoot, girl. You’re in the South now. We hang on to our history like it’s currency.”

  “But there are no more Laurents around here, are there? The Evaline line ended, and CaryAnne never had any children.”

  “No, but people like Grace h
ave generations of stories. And not just about their own families.”

  Dani looked out the windows at the new morning sun. “It’s so sad. So much of Ironwood’s story is lost.”

  “Or never told,” Jaymee said. “CaryAnne was a recluse, especially as she got older. Even before she got sick. I always heard she never got over her father’s death. In fact, that’s one of my favorite legends about Ironwood.”

  “What?”

  Jaymee grinned. “Cage will be so pissed at me for telling you this. He hates the old gossip.”

  “Too bad. I happen to love it.”

  “Well, Grace always told us that locals claimed CaryAnne never buried John James in the family plot in the cemetery. That she just had a funeral for an empty casket.”

  Coldness swept over Dani. “Are we talking Psycho in reverse here?”

  “Basically. Grace’s father always blew off the rumors, but people used to say CaryAnne kept John James’s body with her at Ironwood. She couldn’t let him go.”

  “What if the skull belongs to John James?”

  Jaymee nodded, her own face as excited as Dani felt. “It might all be bunk, but how cool would it be if that were true?”

  “Well, I’m going to find out,” Dani said. “As soon as I’m sure Ironwood is safe from the investigators, I’m going to start a search of my own.”

  * * *

  Mid-morning had yet to arrive, but the humidity was settling in. Dani’s lightweight tank top and khaki shorts felt heavy, and her scalp tingled with dampness. She’d yet to wear her hair down since she’d arrived in Mississippi. Maybe it was time to cut it off. New life, new look.

  Dani waited nervously as Captain Gina Barnes exited her car and climbed Ironwood’s front steps. The investigator’s expression was wary, her face tired.

  “Lee Walker made a case for you shadowing the investigation,” Gina said. “Pro bono, of course.”

  “Of course,” Dani said. “We just wanted to make sure the house’s historical integrity is protected during the investigation.”

  “He’s a good negotiator,” Gina said. “Consider yourself an independent contractor to the Adams County Sheriff’s Department. But remember this: I don’t want Ironwood to suffer any more damage either. I’m thrilled you are restoring the place. But there are two dead men who deserve justice, and I’m going to find it for them.”

  “Men?” In her sleep-deprived state, surely Dani hadn’t heard correctly.

  Gina nodded. “I guess you haven’t spoken to Cage. Yes, bodies were both male.”

  “What about the skeleton?” Dani said.

  “Medical examiner hasn’t had time to do anything with them. Right after the bones arrived, she got hit with a triple homicide. Now this.”

  “So the bones go unidentified until she doesn’t have a fresh death? Good luck with that.” Dani understood the murders took priority, but she still felt bad for the unidentified skeleton.

  “I said the same thing. She’s going to see if the anthropology students at Ole Miss want to take a look. At the very least, they’ll be able to tell us how old they are and the sex.”

  “Jeb thinks they’re likely old.”

  Gina nodded her agreement. “I know, and he’s probably right. But we need an expert to verify.”

  “These men,” Dani continued, “did the medical examiner have any idea how they were killed?”

  “She can’t tell without a full autopsy, but it may have been blunt force trauma.”

  “Is Cage still a suspect?”

  “Sorry,” Gina shook her head. “You’re still a civilian, and I’ve already said too much.” She checked her watch. “Landers will be here any minute, and then we’re opening that butler’s pantry.”

  The rankness of the basement had seeped into Ironwood’s main floor. Dani covered her nose and tried not to gag. Maybe enduring the heat outside was a better option. Gina handed her a white paper facemask.

  “It won’t eliminate the smell entirely, but it’ll take the edge off.”

  Dani hurried to slip the mask on. “Will it ever go away?”

  “Eventually.” Gina ordered her to stay in the foyer while she checked the basement to make sure no one had entered during the night. Between the closeness of the mask and lack of sleep, Dani suddenly realized how tired she was. The last time she’d slept had been sometime yesterday morning on the flight from Indianapolis. Her eyes drooped, and she swayed on the spot.

  “You can lie down in the parlor if you want.” Gina had returned. “At least until Landers shows up and we can get started.”

  “I’m all right.”

  “You look like a mud pie that’s been sitting too long in the sun.”

  Dani figured there was an insult somewhere in there, but she was too tired to decipher. “It’s been a long twenty-four hours.”

  “That’s right. You just got here yesterday.” Gina’s grim smile looked forced. “How do you like it so far?”

  “It’s a dream come true.” Dani hoped her sarcasm wasn’t taken the wrong way.

  The captain snorted, leaning against the wall. “I’m sorry this is your introduction to Roselea. It’s not a good representation of us.”

  “Thanks. But it hasn’t all been bad.”

  Gina looked skeptical. “If you say so. I have to ask, what brought you here? I did my research. You left a nice job in Indianapolis to take what some might say is a lesser position in a tiny town in what I like to call the Southern Oven Belt. Least it is this time of year. That’s a big change, especially when you don’t have any friends or family living here.”

  “My mother was my only family. She died several months ago. Diabetes.” Dani hoped saying the words more often would ease the pain, but so far the idea had failed miserably. “We always wanted to come down here, restore a plantation. I promised her I’d do it.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss. And even sorrier for this mess.”

  “Not your fault, Captain.”

  “I understand why you’re so protective of this place now,” Gina said.

  “It’s all I’ve got.” Dani swallowed against the knot in her throat.

  “Is there something else?”

  This time, Gina’s smile was genuine, reaching her eyes and softening the stern planes of her face. If she didn’t pull her hair back so tightly or hold herself so rigidly, Gina would be an attractive woman. But most likely a less successful police officer.

  “I think it’s great you’re saving Ironwood. At least you’re able to save something, right?” A car door slammed, and Gina glanced out the window. “There’s Landers. Let me deal with him. He’s going to be pissed you’re tagging along.” She headed outside, leaving Dani staring, her mind racing to read between the lines.

  The captain had been talking about Dani’s mother. Ironwood, clinging to its last gasps of life, represented her mother and everything the two of them had ever wanted. And now she was gone, leaving Dani alone in the world and trying to find her way.

  Damned hot tears welled in her eyes. She missed her mother so much her pain was cliché. The anguish hit her as hard as it did the day she’d watched her mother die in the sterile hospital room. Her kidneys had shut down, and the dialysis no longer worked. Her mother–the strongest, the best person she’d ever known–died because her body poisoned itself. She’d held Dani’s hand in the last few moments, her pain eased by morphine. Selfishly, Dani had prayed for her to hang on. And when her mother had pulled her final, gasping breath, Dani had laid her head on her chest and sobbed until she was sick.

  She pressed her hand against the crisp mask to keep from crying out. Not here. She wouldn’t break down here.

  Lander’s shouting brought her back to the moment. Gina raised her voice as well, the authoritative tone unmistakable. Dani peeked out the window to see the short captain standing toe-to-toe with the big investigator, neck craned back to see him. She barked a laugh through her tears.

  She could grow to like Gina Barnes.

  Landers stomp
ed onto the porch and into the house with Gina walking confidently behind him. He stopped to glare at Dani. “Why didn’t you open the pantry when you first got here? More importantly, why didn’t Foster?”

  “Cage didn’t have the keys for the pantry,” Dani said. “The church has several rooms locked up.”

  “And who did have those keys?”

  “Lee Walker.” Gina and Landers exchanged a look, and Dani realized Lee had to be included in their list of potential suspects. “Church gave a set to him since he’s been in charge of the house. But other board members could have a set. We’re going to have to talk to every one of them.”

  Landers nodded. “Let’s get that pantry opened, then.”

  Dani’s fingers were clumsy as she slid the key into the rusting lock. “Lee said the butler’s pantry has been locked up for at least ten years.”

  “If the killer used this as an entry point to the basement, we know that’s a bunch of bullshit.” Landers hovered too close, his coffee breath tainting her space.

  “Does it look like the lock’s been recently used?” Gina said.

  “It’s hard to tell for sure, but given the marks…” Dani twisted the key, and the mechanism easily turned. “It works awfully well for something that hasn’t been used in a decade.”

  Dense silence filled the air, as though the house itself were holding its breath in anticipation. Slowly, she pushed the door open and braced herself for the odor of a long-closed up room, filled with the scent of dust and rotting wood and perhaps, death. Instead, the smell of cleaning solution overpowered the faint scent of old age.

  Lingering after more than ten years? Not likely.

  Shrouded from windows, the butler’s pantry was bathed in charcoal-colored darkness. She felt on the wall for the light switch she’d been told was on the right.

  A flash of light, followed by a loud pop as the bulb died.

  “Shit,” Landers grumped.

  “I don’t know where Cage keeps the lightbulbs,” Dani said.

  “I’ll get the spotlights in the basement.” Landers stalked away.

  Gina took his place and shined her flashlight into the room. Dani squinted to see. It looked to be about twelve by ten. Her entire stomach flipped, and a familiar sense of urgency kicked in. She needed to get inside and have a closer look. Directly across from her was a built-in sideboard made of dark wood, probably more mahogany or possibly cypress, with what appeared to be a marble countertop. Several glass doors hung above the marble, likely where the family kept their fine stemware.