Murder at the Fortune Teller's Table

by Janet Finsilver

  I picked up my coffee cup. “His son-in-law told me he calls himself the car king.”

  “Kelly, is it okay to put Princess on the floor?” Mary asked. “She and Sergeant can play while we talk.”

  “Sure. Good idea.”

  Mary placed the tan Chihuahua on the floor, then dug in the bag she’d brought in with her. I hadn’t had a chance to see the collar of the day yet. As Princess trotted over to her new buddy, I saw purple leather studded with matching sparkling rhinestones about a quarter inch in diameter. Sergeant had his everyday black web collar on.

  Mary pulled out a long, fluffy green toy. She turned its face toward me, and I saw yellow antennae and large yellow circles with black felt pupils.

  “Caterpillar?” I asked.

  Mary nodded and tossed it on the floor. “Princess loves it. It’s bigger than she is, but she gets the better of it!”

  The two dogs each took an end and began a tug-of-war. There was a knock on the door. Ivan, closest to it, got up and opened it.

  Tommy held a bowl in his hands. “Mom thought the little dogs might like some water.”

  “How thoughtful,” I said. “Please put it at the end of the room.”

  Tommy did as instructed, and Princess and Sergeant followed him, carrying the toy between them.

  Fred had accompanied Tommy into the room. He hadn’t met the canine guests before. The two Chihuahuas dropped the stuffed animal and approached him. They sniffed his nose, as he did theirs. Their tails quivered in their version of wagging. Fred’s branch-sized tail went into an overtime wag. His front end went down and his back end up. He was in play pose.

  Suddenly, Fred lunged for the green caterpillar. He grabbed it in the middle and shook it. The yellow antennae wiggled up and down. Princess grabbed one end of the stuffed worm and Sergeant the other. Then Fred began to run down the length of the room, nails clattering, the little dogs holding on like water-skiers, their legs stiff, their bodies leaning back as they glided over the slick surface of the polished hardwood floor. Fred slipped a bit, so the pace wasn’t very fast.

  Fred turned and headed for the door, with his new friends in tow. Tommy knelt in the doorway and flung out his arms to keep him from getting out. Fred sat back on his haunches but couldn’t stop his momentum on the smooth floor. He plowed into Tommy, knocking him over. Tommy laughed and grabbed him around the neck. The two little dogs decided a laughing boy on the ground was more fun than the green toy and began jumping on Tommy.

  Helen appeared behind the canine chaos. “I’m so sorry your meeting got interrupted.”

  We were all laughing so hard we couldn’t comment right away. Mary wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes. The humor was a welcome change from the topic of our discussion—murder.

  “Thank you for the water, and thank you for being the impetus for a canine comedy scene,” Martha said.

  Helen shook her head and rolled her eyes. “It never ends with these two. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Will do,” I said.

  Tommy jumped up and dashed out the door, Fred on his heels. Helen closed the door behind the dynamic duo.

  “All right. Let’s get back to the chart and list what impact Ken’s marriage to Diane could potentially have on him,” the Professor said.

  Gertie spoke up. “Just as he suggested that some of Diane’s money was his, she could claim the same thing. The self-proclaimed royalty of car dealerships could have his kingdom threatened.”

  Mary put down the brownie she’d been nibbling on. “But he mentioned an impending divorce. It might help him there. The divorce might not be necessary, and that would be a good thing for him.”

  The Professor shook his head. “I don’t think so. Sue Ellen helped to build the business. She’d have some rights to a piece of it. He could have two women going after what he owned.”

  Rudy wrote Sue Ellen’s name next. “The wife might have the same concern about Diane taking from the business. That would mean less for her.”

  Gertie had been making her own notes. “We know her children’s inheritances were also in jeopardy. Mothers can be very protective when they perceive threats to their children.”

  Mary sighed. “We’re focusing on money, but there was also the potential humiliation for Sue Ellen to deal with if her husband was married to someone else. Her kids could possibly be considered illegitimate.”

  “Would that cause her to murder?” Rudy asked.

  “Who knows,” Mary said, “what’s important in her life.”

  “I found out earlier today she might have known about Ken’s marriage and his son Mark,” I said.

  I described what I’d found in Auntie’s journal.

  Gertie toyed with her pen. “All three children and the son-in-law could have the same inheritance concern, which we’ve already noted.”

  “Let’s put down what we know about them as individuals,” the Professor suggested.

  I had the list in front of me that I’d started Friday evening. “Ken’s made John a partner in two of the dealerships and planned on more. If an ownership question came into play, that would probably stop, at least for a while.”

  The Professor fingered the bill of his wool cap. “I found a few references to that in the paper, but there wasn’t anything that seemed unusual about it.”

  “Edie is starting a business. She said she’ll be using money from her inheritance,” I said.

  Sergeant patted Martha’s leg, and she bent down, grabbed him, and put him in her lap. That signal had a dual purpose—to let her know when someone called her name and a request to be picked up.

  “John told me Anthony lives with the family and volunteers at a homeless shelter and a hospice home.”

  “If that’s the case,” Mary said, “since he doesn’t work, he’d lose his lifestyle if he lost his money.”

  Martha scratched Sergeant behind the ears. “I don’t think that matters to him. Anthony wants to talk to me about what it’s like working for the Salvation Army. We’re going to get together before I go back to Sacramento. He seems a very compassionate person and wants to help others. He’s ready for a change and is looking into a variety of options.”

  I wondered if I should I say something about the possible connection with drugs. I decided the answer was yes.

  “There’s an incident I haven’t told you all about yet. I don’t see that it has anything to do with the deaths, but it’s more overall knowledge.”

  I told them what had transpired.

  “Thanks, Kelly,” Martha said. “If Anthony decides he wants to go forward with applying for a Salvation Army position, I’d like to talk to him about what you just told me. Is that okay?”

  “Certainly. I’d want you to. He may have a perfectly acceptable explanation.”

  Martha had more to add. “He and his friend Tank helped me at the gardens today. We were roping off the parking lot for tomorrow’s event. The men from the shelter help direct the cars, and the place earns a portion of the parking fees.”

  “Did you work together with him the whole afternoon?” I asked, thinking of the recent attack.

  “No. It’s a large area, and we had different tasks. Sorry, Kelly. I know it would be nice to cross someone off of the list of who might have attacked you,” Martha said.

  My phone rang. Stanton. “I’m going to take this,” I told the group.

  People got up and filled coffee cups and water glasses.

  “Hello, Deputy Stanton.”

  “Ms. Jackson, I wanted to let you know that I stopped by Treasures of the Ocean this afternoon. Thought I’d talk to Katrina Costov. Rachel Harding was there. She said Katrina came back after lunch and said she’d had it and was leaving her husband. She asked Rachel to take her place at the shop. Rachel agreed to do it. A man drove up in a red BMW, and Katrina got in the car, and it sped off. She hightailed it out of town before that attack on you.”

  Katrina had made the decision.

  “Rachel also confirmed
that Katrina worked on Wednesday during the hours you believe the poison was planted. The store was busy, and Rachel stayed on after lunch.”

  “Thanks for the update. We’ll take her off our list.”

  I told the group what I had learned, and Auntie’s threat list now had two crossed-out names and no other suspects. The list of people who had something to lose if the marriage came to light was growing.

  “In terms of Ken’s family,” Gertie said, “that only leaves Daisy. Hard to imagine, but let’s not leave anyone out.”

  Mary chimed in. “My, but she was certainly outspoken about how the appearance of Mark might disrupt her life and her money. They were the first things to come to her mind.”

  The Professor sighed. “The marriage is now out in the open. What’s left to be discovered is who killed Summer and Auntie. I suspect the person who threatened Kelly today is the murderer.”

  We all looked at Rudy’s list. That left Ken’s family.

  Ken’s kingdom threatened.

  Sue Ellen’s marriage problem revealed, her children’s inheritance in question, and a possible financial impact.

  Anthony could lose his lifestyle. He implied he wanted a change, but was that the truth? And did drugs play a role?

  Edie’s business dream. Might it go bust?

  John’s business plans disrupted.

  Daisy and money concerns, angered about being intruded upon.

  Had one of them signed for the packet that provided proof of Ken’s marriage to Diane? If so, which one? Had they killed to keep it from being revealed?

  All the people on this list had reasons to keep the marriage from coming to light. The murderer was possibly among them. And they didn’t want to be discovered. The list was of my potential attackers.

  And they’d all been at the gardens today.

  Chapter 21

  “The only list we have with names and motives is the one connected with the marriage,” the Professor said as he stared at the chart. “It’s possible Mary’s attack is still connected to Auntie in some way, or it could have been random. However, I think we should move forward with the assumption that there was a case of mistaken identity and Martha was the intended target.”

  Rudy nodded. “With the three of them gone, no one would know about Ken and Diane.”

  I shifted in my chair and arched my back, loosening tight muscles. “The marriage is out in the open. The murderer’s plan didn’t work, and now the killer fears getting caught. I believe that’s what provoked the attack on me.”

  “Martha, if indeed you are the person the assailant was after,” the Professor said, “that means you need to be careful.”

  Martha frowned. “But people know about the marriage now.”

  “Yes, but you’re the only person living who witnessed it,” the Professor replied. “I know you filed the paperwork, but the killer might feel there’s still a way to keep the marriage from being considered valid if there’s no one to verify it. It’s a stretch, but I think it’s best to not take a chance.”

  Martha’s frown stayed in place. “I’m used to being very independent, and a lot of people rely on me, so I can’t really just stay inside.”

  Mary reached for her sister’s hand. “For a while, until we get this straightened out, please don’t go anywhere alone.”

  “Ivan and I can take turns going places with you,” Rudy said. “And we’d be happy to help with your projects.”

  Ivan nodded in agreement.

  “That’s nice of you two.” Martha sighed. “Okay. I’ll give it a try.”

  The Professor spun his pencil. “It’ll be hard for us to figure out where the people on the list were on Wednesday afternoon. I can ask Auntie’s closest neighbors if they noticed anything, but her house is out of sight of anyone.”

  “I think we should concentrate on Kelly’s attack,” Gertie said. “All of the people were at the gardens today. Maybe we can eliminate some of them, if nothing else. I’ll talk to members of the class and ask them what they saw this afternoon. The instructor assigned us to search for examples of a variety of plants. We all went in separate directions.”

  Martha rubbed Sergeant under his chin. “I’ll talk to the folks who were helping set up the parking lot. Maybe we can piece together an alibi for Anthony and his friend. Tank’s name isn’t up there, but he was with Anthony during what might have been a drug deal. It wouldn’t hurt to know where he was.”

  “Muscle man and pink lady on sticks ate lunch at the Brown Bear Deli around eleven-thirty,” Ivan volunteered.

  “Good to know,” I said. “But Daisy was still at the gardens when I was attacked.”

  Princess gave a yip, announcing it was time for Mary to pay attention to her.

  Mary picked up the Chihuahua and cuddled her. “I’ve known the manager of the gardens for years. I’ll see what he knows. With the police there, he won’t be surprised by my questions. I’m sure the officers will have already asked him to check with his staff.”

  “Anything else anyone can think of?” asked the Professor.

  The negative head shaking said it was time to adjourn.

  Martha and Mary packed up their charges and left with the Professor and Gertie. The others went their separate ways.

  I went to my room, brushed my hair, and collected my purse. A visit with Scott would be a nice change from discussing motives for murder. I peeked in the parlor. Phil and Andy had arrived. They were unpacking at the large table, where we served appetizers.

  Andy bore the title cheese monger and supplied my inn and Ridley House with artisanal cheeses. When I first met him and sampled his products, my taste buds quickly informed me this wasn’t the brick cheese I bought at chain grocery stores. The calories of his favorite food, cheese, gave him an ongoing battle with his waistline.

  “Hi,” I said and entered the room.

  Andy hurried over and gave me a hug. “Kelly, so good to see you. We just arrived. I brought your favorite cheese.”

  My mouth watered as I thought of the layers of firm, tangy Double Gloucester combined with creamy, blue-veined Stilton cheese to create a divine combination that was beautiful to look at and wonderful to taste. “The Huntsman?”

  “That’s it.” He dove into a small ice chest and pulled out said cheese and began to unwrap it.

  “I’ll have to pass for now, Andy. I have an appointment.”

  “It’ll be waiting for you,” he said with a smile.

  Phil finished placing two wine bottles on the table, along with glasses. His gray curls glistened in the light. “Did you get your dancing shoes out?”

  “No, but I will. Helen gave me your message.”

  “I’ll be line dancing at two-thirty in Sunflower Park.”

  I walked over and looked at the labels on the bottles he’d put out. The stately greyhound with the flowing red scarf and tucked wing on his side proclaimed it to be from the Flying Dog Winery. Phil had used it when I had my first wine-tasting lesson. Next to it was a bottle of sauvignon blanc.

  “This is a new wine just released by the same winery.” Phil pointed to the white wine. “I’ll put some in the refrigerator, and you can try it later.”

  The label had the same slender breed of dog, only this one was white and had a jeweled necklace around her throat. From under long lashes, she appeared to be looking coyly at the other dog. Her wing was slightly raised.

  “Thanks. I’ll look forward to giving it a try.”

  Andy and Phil supplied a number of inns and restaurants and had been coming to the area for a long time. I wondered if they might know something that would help our investigation.

  “Have either of you met a fortune teller called Auntie or a woman named Amy Winter who assisted her and went by the name Summer?”

  Phil stretched to his tallest height, a little shorter than me, which made him about five foot five, and raised his eyebrows. “I, Philopoimen Xanthis, Greek and raised in the old country, knew Despina Manyotis, also raised in the old country, q
uite well. There are very strong cultural ties in the Greek community.”

  Andy finished arranging his cheese platter. “She was a nice lady.”

  “You knew her as well?” I asked him.

  “No, not really. Phil took me to visit her once when I was having stomach issues. She gave me an herbal remedy that worked like a charm. No more discomfort.”

  Phil poured a couple of glasses of wine. “I was sad to hear of her passing.”

  “How did you learn about it?”

  “I know her sisters as well. They got in touch with me. Why do you ask about her and the other woman, Summer? I met her assistant briefly a couple of times.”

  “The Silver Sentinels don’t feel their deaths were accidental.”

  “Ahh . . . Auntie and Summer’s poisoning.” He picked up the glass of wine he had poured and examined it, holding it up to the light. “I agree with them.”

  “What makes you think it wasn’t an accident?”

  “Auntie’s been harvesting herbs for years. She knew what she was doing.”

  “That’s what the Sentinels believe as well.”

  “Her sisters invited me to her service on Sunday and the next one in forty days.”

  “Why are there two?”

  “Greeks believe the soul stays present for that length of time.”

  I remembered the sisters saying Auntie would be present for a while.

  “I wish you all luck in finding out who did it.” Phil swirled the wine, sniffed it, and took a sip. “She was a kind person, wanting to help others and teach them how to care for themselves using Mother Nature’s resources. Her sisters are the same. They’ll continue Auntie’s good work here. Adrasteia will inherit the Book of Secrets, as she is the eldest. They have a family obligation to continue the tradition.”

  “You know about the book?”

  “Auntie showed it to me once. We went through the genealogy lines together. We were curious to see if our families were ever connected.”

  “Were they?”