Death by Dragonfly

by Jane Tesh

  Kit reached for the butter. “I was cranking out tunes at The Other Side. I wouldn’t have heard anything.”

  Camden took the butter dish from Kit. “I didn’t hear anything, either.”

  With his powers increasing, I was surprised Isabelle hadn’t registered. “She said the Pierson/Duvall feud is alive and well, so I’ll be discussing Pierson’s family tree with him today. There must be a Duvall in the mix.”

  Kary dug out another spoonful of grits and passed the bowl to Vermillion. “I’ll see what I can find out about Isabelle.”

  Rufus and Angie Jackson filled up one side of the dining room table. Angie was a large woman with short brown hair and small eyes twinkling from her round face. She was neatly dressed, as always, in a flowing blouse and stretch pants. All six feet and three hundred pounds of Rufus was wedged into his traditional overalls worn over a tee-shirt covered with beer slogans and a baseball cap with a braid he called a rat tail hanging out the back. The ever-present cap had a picture of a squirrel drinking a beer. “Didn’t think artistic types went in for feudin’,” he said.

  “They do when twenty-five million dollars are at stake,” I said.

  Angie’s attention was caught. “Are those things worth that much?”

  “No, but they hold clues that lead to that much. Whoever has the whole collection gets to figure out the puzzle.”

  “Reckon Isabelle set that up?” Rufus asked.

  “Yes, and then got killed before she could tell anyone the answer.”

  “Kinda inopportune, wasn’t it?”

  “‘Inopportune.’ Twenty points, Rufus.”

  “Twenty? Hell, that’s a thirty-dollar word and you know it.”

  Kit raised his hand. “Okay, what’s with the vocabulary challenge? I’ve heard you guys doing it.”

  “Pass the jelly and I’ll tell you,” I said. He handed me the jar. “My second wife thought my vocabulary needed improvement, so she bought me one of those Word-A-Day calendars. When we divorced and she tossed my belongings out on the lawn, the calendar was one of the few surviving bits. When I moved here and set up my office, it was the first thing I put on my desk. The word for that day was ‘intransigent,’ which means permanent, persistent, unfailing. I took that as a sign. Camden and I have been trying to outdo each other ever since.”

  “Then I joined in,” Kary said. “You can play, too. We don’t really keep score.”

  “Speak for yourself, girl,” Rufus said. “I’m in it to win it.”

  Camden tapped his fork on his tea glass for attention. “Since you’re all here, I need to let you know Wally’s going to start working on the leaky pipes in the second-floor bathrooms. You might have to share for a while till I work out a way to pay him. Eventually, all the pipes have to be replaced.”

  Vermillion shrugged her shoulders. Kit looked concerned. “I can contribute some, but my gigs haven’t been paying too well lately. I need a big break, you know? Wish I had a really cool gimmick.”

  Before either Kary or I could speak, Ellin said, “I’ll take care of it.”

  Uh, oh. Kary glanced at me.

  Camden looked at Ellin warily. “Thanks, honey.”

  She calmly buttered another piece of toast. “There will of course be a fee.”

  Here it comes, I thought. Oblivious, Vermillion chewed on her toast, but Rufus and Angie exchanged a knowing glance. Kit sensed danger and moved his chair back.

  “Cam, I want you to be the main attraction at the psychic fair.”

  He brought both hands down on the table and rocked back. “Ellie, for heaven’s sake. Kill me now.”

  She ignored his dramatics. “All you have to do is show up for a few hours each day, a few handshakes, a few insights.”

  “A few breakdowns.”

  “This is a big deal for the PSN, a great opportunity for us to publicize all our programs. Plus you owe me. Didn’t you tell me your telekinesis was gone?”

  “It was! I don’t know how that happened.”

  She pointed the butter knife at him. “Then what made everything dance around the studio yesterday?”

  He knew when he was defeated. “Me.”

  “Because you took too many pills, which was stupid.” Pleased she’d won the argument, she patted his hand. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll make the arrangements.”

  “You can make all the arrangements you like. I’ll just curl up in a fetal ball now.”

  “It will not be that bad.”

  “Ellie, right now I don’t know what’s going to cause my head to explode. First Leo’s cursed dragonfly, and then Graber’s snakes coming after me, and—”

  “You can handle it.”

  “I like to think I can, and then lightning strikes.”

  “Stop worrying. I’ll be there, remember? Your eraser?”

  “Umm, eraser?” Kit asked.

  “If I have a really bad vision, holding Ellie’s hand blanks it out,” Camden explained.

  “Wow, cool. How come?”

  Camden wasn’t going to say it, but I didn’t mind. “Because Ellin’s a blank. Psychically, I mean.” I smiled cheerfully at her scowl.

  Kit was intrigued. “So, Cam, maybe she can take care of the power surge.”

  “No, this is different.” He leaned forward. “Look, everyone, I’ll try to explain. Up to now, I’ve been able to control the visions, but this weird pressure keeps building. I don’t know where it’s coming from, or how it’s going to affect me.” He pushed his hair out of his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “I’ve never experienced six previous deaths at one time. I’ve never heard snakes before. I don’t know what all that means. I realize I took too many pills yesterday, but it felt really good to let everything out.”

  “Before you crashed,” I reminded.

  “Yeah, there’s that.”

  “Don’t stress out,” Kary said. “Whatever this is, we’ll get through.”

  Kit nodded in agreement. “We’re with you, right, guys?”

  Vermillion surfaced from whatever psychedelic dream she was wandering in to say a few words. “Peace for our times.”

  Camden looked around the table at his mismatched family as if content to have everyone in place, and his expression relaxed. “Thanks.”

  He and Kary went to church with Rufus and Angie. Ellin stayed home to work on a promotion for the PSN. Vermillion said she was a practicing pagan, so she returned to her sunny spot in the backyard. Kit went upstairs to practice. I tagged along with the church crowd, mainly to sit with Kary. I’m not David Randall, Christian Detective, not by a long shot, but things have happened I can’t comfortably explain, including my little chat with Isabelle in my mirror last night, so I’m playing it safe.

  For lunch, Kary fixed one of her more successful recipes, pinto beans with ham and cornbread. Then she put on her Sixties attire and headed to the park with Vermillion.

  Before Ellin left for the studio, she stopped by my office door and stood, arms folded, as if holding herself back from a full out attack. “You conveniently left out this cursed dragonfly yesterday. What exactly is it?”

  “The stolen property I’m looking for includes an Art Nouveau glass dragonfly. When Camden shook the owner’s hand, he short-circuited himself, so I think the dragonfly has a good chance of being cursed.”

  “You have no idea how ridiculous that sounds.”

  “You live here. You ought to be used to ridiculous by now.”

  I was ready for another lecture, but apparently she decided I wasn’t worth her time. She headed back to the studio, no doubt to see if Matt Graber had snuck in during the night and set up camp.

  I called Leo Pierson to ask about his family. “What did you find out about the feud?”

  “Oh, that’s quite the story,” he said. “It would make a wonderful play, actually. The Duvalls
and the Piersons never could get along. The Duvalls were very rich and never wanted anything to do with the Piersons. They accused each other right and left of various crimes, theft, seduction.”

  “Your relative Isabelle Duvall was murdered by a Pierson. Did you know that?”

  He spluttered. “That’s impossible! If the two families were so at odds, and she was killed because of it, why did my father inherit the Art Nouveau? Why did I get it?”

  “Isabelle wanted her artwork to go to the Piersons. She was trying to end the feud, but somebody on the Duvall side isn’t happy with this decision, and it probably has a lot to do with the money involved. Do you know any Duvalls?”

  “No. My parents died years ago, and I have no other living relatives. There’s no one who could tell me.” Pierson’s voice held a plaintive note. “Are you any closer to finding my treasures, Randall? There are only seven days left.”

  “I’m talking to Stein tomorrow and Mason on Tuesday,” I said. “With any luck, they’ll have more clues for me.” Or maybe, as much as this grated on my nerves, Chance Baseford knew more than he was telling, and I’d have to talk to him again.

  After my phone call, I went out to the porch. Camden was on the porch swing and Rufus took up the top step. He flicked a leftover crumb from his scraggly red beard and leaned over to direct a stream of tobacco juice into the flower bed.

  “Cam’s been tryin’ to get me up to speed. What’s with Kary? She tryin’ out for Miss Age of Aquarius?”

  I sat down in a rocking chair. “She’s on an undercover mission for me. We’re hoping Samuel Gallant’s niece is hanging out with the Sixties crowd in the park.”

  “Gallant. That’s the guy you and Cam found in the closet.”

  “With one of my client’s missing spoons.”

  “Maybe your client hid all his stuff to claim insurance money.”

  “No, he’s too attached to it, even the cursed dragonfly.”

  Rufus looked at Camden. “That’s what’s knocked you catty-wumpus.”

  “It certainly did.”

  “What’s this about snakes? You seein’ snakes all of a sudden? That ain’t good.”

  “Real snakes,” I said. “Matt Graber, host of Cosmic Healing, has two pythons who’ve formed an attachment to Camden, but he doesn’t want to talk to them. I think he ought to.”

  “I’ll chop ’em up for you, Cam.”

  “No, no. If you see them anywhere around the house, let me know, that’s all.”

  Rufus spit another glob into the bushes. “You know you can’t ride two horses with one ass.”

  “No, I can’t.”

  Did Rufus ever run out of these sayings? “Translation?”

  “The way I see it, you need to find this dragonfly and shut it off, and Cam needs to get over his fear of snakes. No more wild visions. Easy.”

  “I hope so,” I said. “I only have one ass.”

  Rufus dug his cell phone out of his overall pocket and checked the screen. “Angie’s wanting to go shopping.” His large fingers tapped a reply, and he heaved himself to his feet.

  In a few minutes, Angie opened the screen door, a huge purse over one arm. “See you fellas later.” They got into his bigfoot truck and roared down the street.

  I pushed myself out of the rocker. “Let’s stroll to the park to see if we can get some free love.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “What If I Seek For Love?”

  Camden and I walked down Grace Street and took a left on Park and then another left on Willow. Between Grace and Willow was a park with a bike and walking trail, flower gardens, a slide, swing set, a jungle gym for the kids, and a duck pond. Seated on the expanse of green grass under oak trees was a group of people in brightly colored clothes swaying to guitar music and singing an uneven version of “Blowing in the Wind.” Psychedelic patterns bloomed on shirts and blouses. The women and men had flowers in their hair and all were trying very hard to appear cool. I caught a glimpse of Vermillion’s red hair. She leaned back against a tree trunk, eyes closed.

  “Soaking up those positive rays,” I said. “See Kary anywhere?”

  Kary and Rainbow were seated on a patchwork quilt, their heads close together in earnest conversation.

  “Is she scoring some weed? Maybe that’ll help your headaches.”

  Kary glanced up, saw us, and waved us over. We sat down beside the two women on the quilt. “Guys, I’ve found out something very interesting. Rainbow says her Uncle Samuel just had the battery in his pacemaker replaced, so she doesn’t see how it could’ve given out.”

  “Those batteries are good for at least six or seven years,” Rainbow said. “And something else. The police said they found his cell phone in his shirt pocket. He would never have put his phone that close to the pacemaker. His doctor told him it could cause problems. He always kept it in his pants pocket.” She was almost in tears. “Mr. Randall, when the lawyer read the will, I found out that my uncle left me enough money for my college education. I always wanted to go, but I couldn’t afford it, and now I can. You said you were investigating his disappearance. I want you to find out what really happened to him. I can pay you.”

  I didn’t want to take any of her college fund. “We’ll work something out.”

  “I thought he was being stupid going to the casinos all the time and playing the machines and trying all these money-making schemes. Turns out he was saving money for me.”

  “Would it be possible to have a look in his house? There may be something that will give me a clue.”

  “The police said they’d be through tomorrow. I’ll let you know.”

  As the group began to disperse, Rainbow thanked Kary, rolled up the quilt, and left with another girl. Camden went to retrieve Vermillion.

  I linked Kary’s arm in mine. “Excellent work. How did you bond so fast?”

  “I said I’d heard about her uncle from you and wanted to express my sympathies. The rest of the time, I listened.”

  “Practicing your counseling technique.”

  “I knew you’d want to know about the pacemaker, so I asked about that, too.”

  “So now I want to know if the murderer purposely put Gallant’s cell phone in his shirt pocket to make it look like an accident.”

  “Or if Gallant just forgot.”

  “Then what was he doing in the supply closet? The fellow in charge of cleaning out the museum said no one had seen him. My guess is he was killed somewhere else and then stowed in the closet.”

  “Here’s hoping Gallant left a clue in his house. Hold on.” I stopped and Kary stopped with me. “Is that the same black SUV?”

  A vehicle very similar to the one that tried to run us over was parked near the duck pond. Sunlight glinted off the tinted windows.

  “Looks like it.” Kary started forward. “Come on. I’m ready to give that driver a piece of my mind.”

  I was, too, but I wanted to be cautious. “It might not be the same car.”

  “We’ll find out, won’t we?”

  As we approached, the SUV took off. The ducks honked in protest, flapping their wings furiously. The car took the corner with a screech of tires and disappeared up onto Food Row.

  Kary watched it go. “That answers that question. What do you suppose that’s all about?”

  I had an idea. “Somebody’s spying on us.”

  “Does this mystery person think we had something to do with Gallant’s murder?”

  “More likely, they think we know something about the twenty-five million dollars.”

  Camden came up with Vermillion. She was scowling.

  “Uh, oh,” I said. “Did they run out of peace and harmony?”

  She crossed her arms and sulked. “They said there was going to be food, but there wasn’t any. I’m really bummed.”

  “Camden, we’d better take
our hippie chicks home and feed them.”

  Once she’d had a snack, Vermillion was back to her airy self. She took two more cookies from the bag on the counter.

  “Cam, I was talking to these girls in the park and they said I could crash with them. They have their own commune on Kelso Street where that sock factory used to be.”

  He put ice in a plastic cup. “Are they living in the old sock factory?”

  “It really really sounds like a cool place. Like, could we go check it out?”

  “What do these girls use for money?”

  “They don’t use money. Everybody uses a barter system, or if they’ve got a lot of carrots or something, they share.”

  “I think you’d get tired of that really really fast.”

  I took the peanut butter jar from the cabinet and handed it to Kary. “Vermillion, you get so damn cranky when you’re hungry. Imagine living on carrots for a week.”

  She got defensive. “I like carrots.”

  “No guarantee there’d be any food at the Sock Factory Commune.”

  Kary reached for the crackers. “We’re still looking for a nice place for you.”

  Camden filled his cup with tea. “Are you that anxious to leave?”

  She was a grown woman and could leave any time, but she was so spacey, I knew Camden and Kary were concerned about what might happen to her.

  She munched on another cookie. “It’s okay, but there’s all this coming and going. I need peace and quiet to meditate. It’s too busy here.”

  “Most of the time, it’s very calm,” Camden said.

  The screen door slammed and Ellin’s voice echoed in the foyer. “Cam! Where are you?”

  Vermillion gave him a look as if to say, “See what I mean?”

  Ellin stormed around the corner and flung her attaché case into the nearest chair. “You’ll never believe this! Matt Graber has gone too far! He went over my head to my boss at the Psychic Service, and she loves the idea of having him on the show! They’re in talks to let him have a regular program. He’s commandeered an office for his own, he’s designed his own set—I am beyond furious!”