A Grid For Murder

by Casey Mayes

  I wasn’t sure who I expected to be calling me, but I was still surprised to hear my Uncle Barton’s voice on the other end of the line.

  “How nice to hear from you,” I said after he identified himself. “I was just thinking about you the other day.”

  “Good thoughts, I trust,” my uncle said.

  “Always. How’s business?”

  “Busy, tedious, and at times consuming,” he answered. “In other words, just about the same as always.”

  “But still profitable, right?”

  “Always.” He laughed as he said, “Savannah, I miss being around you.”

  “I know, sometimes Charlotte seems a world away. I don’t even get to Hickory very often, and it’s half the distance from us that you are.”

  “No need to worry. Thomas is doing well,” Uncle Barton said.

  “Have you spoken to him recently?”

  “We talk every Thursday afternoon,” he said. “I thought you were aware of that.”

  “It’s news to me. That trip to Alaska really brought you two closer, didn’t it? I’d love to go someday myself.”

  “What a brilliant idea. Why don’t we go now?” he asked.

  From anyone else, I would suspect they were teasing, but my Uncle Barton had the means to drop everything and fly across the country at a moment’s notice.

  “To Alaska? I can’t pick up and leave everything like you can.”

  “I don’t see why not. You’re self-employed, so you can create your puzzles wherever you are. It’s absolutely beautiful there. You’ll love it.”

  I was tempted, there was no doubt about that. Still, I had some very real responsibilities here. “Sorry, but I can’t.”

  A hint of determination came out in his voice. “Can’t, or won’t?”

  “Zach and I are into a situation here in Parson’s Valley,” I explained. “I’m needed here.”

  “I’m sure your husband can handle things on his own. He strikes me as being quite capable,” my uncle said. “We can invite Thomas as well. He’d probably welcome the opportunity to return to Anchorage himself. Did I tell you about the nature preserve we visited when we were there? It’s an incredible place.”

  “I’m certain it is,” I said. “May I ask you something?”

  “Anything,” he said. “You know that.”

  “Why the hard sell on me taking a trip with you all of a sudden?”

  “It’s not that sudden,” he said after a moment’s pause. “I’ve made the offer several times, and yet you continue to turn me down.”

  “Something I’m sure you’re not all that used to,” I said. “Think of my refusal as being good for your soul, a lesson in humility.”

  “My soul is just fine, thank you very much.”

  There was a pause, and he added, “It would be great fun, Savannah, I can promise you that.”

  Suddenly, I had a suspicion about what was driving his suggestion we take a trip. With a firm edge in my voice, I asked, “Zach called you, didn’t he?”

  He hesitated, and then said, “In the spirit of full disclosure, I phoned him first.”

  “But he told you to get me out of town.” It wasn’t a question, because there was no doubt in my mind that was what had happened.

  It was clear that my uncle knew when he was beaten. “He suggested it, and I heartily agreed that it was an excellent idea.”

  “It is, but it’s going to have to wait. There’s been a murder here, as I’m sure my sweet husband told you, and I’m implicated in it. I’m not going anywhere until we find the killer.”

  “Then let me hire a private detective to work the case for you. Savannah, I have more money than I’ll ever be able to spend in twenty lifetimes. Let me spend some of it on my family. I’d never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you because I was hesitant to act.”

  “Thank you, I do appreciate it, but I’m fine.” I didn’t need a private detective muddying the waters. It was hard enough to get folks to talk to me. If we brought in yet another foreign presence, I had a feeling the information flow would shut down completely. I’d already alienated Rob, and possibly more folks in town than I realized. I couldn’t afford to do any more of that.

  “Are you certain?” he asked.

  “I am, but that shouldn’t keep you from going back to Alaska. I know you loved it up there, too.”

  “As a matter of fact, I’m looking into acquiring some property there.”

  That surprised me. I had been under the impression that my uncle’s holdings were restricted to the southeastern part of the country. Alaska was many things, but part of the southern United States was not one of them.

  “Are you going to buy a hotel there?”

  He chuckled. “No, I’m not looking to acquire any new business properties at this moment. The last time I was there, I was looking at a lodge for my own use; and yours, too, of course. I was hoping to get your approval before I bought it, and that’s the complete truth. Your blessing in this means something special to me.”

  “Then you have it,” I said. “I know how great your taste is. If you like it, I’m sure I’ll fall in love with it, too.”

  I could hear my uncle take a deep breath on the other end of the line. “If you won’t come now, will you at least promise to join me there for a vacation when this is all over?”

  “Zach and I would love to,” I said. In actuality, my husband had been itching to go to Alaska since he’d been a boy, but life tended to get in the way of his plans. He had two loves in his life: his job and me.

  “I’ll hold you to that. We’ll invite Thomas as well and make it a party.” He hesitated, and then added, “At least tell Zach I tried, would you?”

  “I will,” I said. “Should I expect a call from Uncle Tom next?”

  Uncle Barton chuckled softly. “Do you mean he hasn’t called you yet? I doubt he would offer you Alaska, but I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to get you to Hickory.”

  “I’m sure it’s coming,” I said.

  After we hung up, I figured I’d go ahead and be proactive, so I called my other uncle while I was in the mood to deal with their foolish, if well-meaning, intentions of getting me out of town.

  Uncle Tom picked up on the first ring and said, “Savannah, I was just getting ready to call you.”

  “I figured you were, so I thought I’d save you the dime. Uncle Barton already struck out, so you can save your breath,” I said with a laugh. “I’m not leaving Parson’s Valley.”

  “Good enough,” he said simply.

  “What, no pleas to get me to join you? No tries at tempting me with trips, or anything else I can’t refuse?”

  He chuckled before he replied. “Savannah, I’ve known you since you were born, something Barton has lost out on, to his eternal regret. I’ve seen you dig in your heels before, and I know when it’s time to let it go.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Tom. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Take care of yourself.”

  “Right back at you.”

  After we hung up, my spirits were suddenly lighter than they had been just a few minutes earlier. Those two men and my husband were the only real family I had left in the world, and hearing their voices never failed to do me a great deal of good.

  Now it was time to figure out who I needed to talk to next to look for information that would help me solve this crime.

  That question was answered for me when the front doorbell rang, and I couldn’t believe who was standing on my porch when I opened the door.

  Chapter 15

  “CAN I HELP YOU?” I ASKED SANDRA OLIVER AS I STEPPED out onto the porch.

  “Savannah, I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to speak with you,” she said. “Do you have a minute?”

  She was still on my list of suspects, so I wasn’t all that excited about inviting her into my home where no one could see us. The least I could do was stay out on the porch where there was a possibility that someone might come past, even if there wasn
’t much chance of it happening, given the location of our cottage.

  I had an idea about how to balance it more in my favor. “Of course. I just have to make a quick call first.”

  “I can wait out here if you’d like,” she said.

  “No, I don’t mind staying on the porch while I make my call.” That was actually part of my plan. I wanted her to hear me call my husband, since it was another line of defense. She might not attack me if she knew my husband was aware of her visit.

  I hit the speed dial for Zach’s number and got his voice mail instantly. He clearly didn’t want to be disturbed, but that wasn’t going to stop me from using him as a backup. “Hey, it’s Savannah. I can’t make it just yet. I’m talking with Sandra Oliver at the house. See you soon. Love you. Bye.”

  After I hung up, I said, “Sorry about that, but he worries about me if he hasn’t heard from me in a while.”

  She looked at me a little wistfully. “I envy you that. Your husband must really love you.”

  “Have you ever been married, Sandra?” It was a leading question, and I knew I might be pushing her too far in a direction she didn’t want to go, but I needed to know if Sandy’s wounds were still raw, open and sore enough to precipitate a murder.

  “I came close once,” she said after a pause. A tear tracked down one cheek as she said it, but I wasn’t even positive that she realized it. “Actually, that’s why I’m here. There’s something I need to get off my chest. I know I’ve been avoiding giving you an answer, but I’m tired of hiding.”

  “Go on,” I said as I took one of the rockers and motioned for Sandra to sit in the other one.

  “It’s true that I had a problem with Joanne. That’s what you were asking about at Nathan’s office, wasn’t it? You wanted to know what she’d stolen from me, and I wouldn’t tell you. I’m here now to do just that.”

  “What happened, Sandra?” I could tell the woman was still in some serious pain.

  Sandra stared out into nothingness for a full minute before she spoke. I knew that it was important not to rush her so she could tell me at her own pace. Finally, when she spoke, it was almost as though she was talking to me through a dream.

  “I felt like I had a real chance at happiness once upon a time, and Joanne ruined it. I was so mad at her back then, I might have done anything to punish her for what she’d done to me.” The sincerity in her voice was unmistakable as she added, “But I didn’t kill her.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  Sandra shook her head and stared at my flower garden, not trusting herself to speak right away. “I don’t know. It’s true, though. I was in a great deal of pain for six months after it happened, and I might have threatened her once then, but I got over it after a while. It was clear to me that it was too late for me to have a life with Ray. The damage was already done.”

  “He was married, wasn’t he?”

  She nodded. “He kept telling me that there wasn’t any love in his home, but that he was staying with his wife for the sake of their kids. Do you know how I finally got over him?”

  “If you don’t mind telling me, I’d be happy to listen.”

  With a touch of sad laughter in her voice, Sandra said, “Six months after he dumped me, he took up with someone else on the side. The funny thing was that it only took him a week to decide to leave his wife for her. They lasted a few months, and he moved on to the next heart to break. When I found out, I actually thanked Joanne for saving me from ruining my life.”

  “Did anyone else know about this?”

  “Just Laura,” she said. “I used to confide in her about everything. But that was before.”

  “Before what?” I asked when she didn’t finish her sentence.

  “Before all of this happened with Joanne, of course.”

  I was curious about her reaction. “How did that affect you two?”

  Sandra looked at me steadily. “How can I be certain that she wasn’t the one who killed Joanne? Laura has to be on your suspect list, Savannah.”

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to admit that I even had one, let alone tell her who was on it. “Do you know something I don’t?”

  “Think about it. She gets Joanne’s money, doesn’t she? Isn’t that reason enough? We were there at the café together in Asheville, and she could have slipped something into Joanne’s tea just as easily as you or I could have. I had to break off our friendship, but I didn’t tell her why.”

  “You don’t have any proof though, do you?” I was very interested in hearing her answer to that particular question.

  “No, not even a gut feeling,” she confessed. “But I couldn’t be sure, you know? Who wants to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder? It’s no way to live.”

  “Ending all of your friendships isn’t, either,” I said.

  Sandra stopped her own rocking and stared at me. “Do you really want to give me advice on maintaining a friendship, Savannah? I heard you tipped the police off that Rob probably killed Joanne, and the last time I checked, you two were the best of pals.”

  “Where did you hear that?”

  She laughed with a hint of resignation. “Parson’s Valley is a small town. Not much happens around here that everybody doesn’t find out about sooner or later. All it would take would be one customer in the hardware store when your husband and that state trooper went in to talk to him, and soon enough, the entire town knows what happened.”

  “I just learned that his wife had been poisoned,” I said as calmly as I could. “Zach had a right to know, and I won’t deny that I’m the one who told him.”

  “Hey, don’t get me wrong. I’m not blaming you. I just don’t want you accusing me of doing something you did yourself. None of us can be too careful; do you know what I mean?”

  I couldn’t argue with that, but it brought another question to mind. “If you honestly feel that way, aren’t you taking a chance coming here alone?”

  She averted her eyes, and I had a suspicion I knew why she was willing to risk it. “You told someone where you’d be, didn’t you? Was it Nathan?”

  Sandra whirled around and looked at me. “How could you have possibly known that?”

  “We all have our little secrets, don’t we?”

  Sandra nodded. “I don’t think you’re a threat, not after hearing about some of the folks around town who are vouching for you, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”

  I was happy that she’d found someone to speak on my behalf, and if she told me names, I’d bake them each a cake. “Okay then, did anyone else know that you’d made your peace with Joanne?”

  “I doubt it, but you could always ask around,” Sandra said as she stood. “I’m glad I got that off my chest. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Nathan about the dismal history of my love life. We just started seeing each other, and I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression about me.”

  “Is it the smartest thing in the world to date your boss, Sandra?”

  She smiled and shrugged as she looked at me. “Look at you, giving advice left and right. It might not be smart, but have you looked at the dating pool in our town lately? There aren’t exactly a lot of options, and Nathan is smart, he’s nice, and he’s good to me. But there’s one thing even better than that.”

  “What’s that?”

  “He isn’t married,” she said. “Thanks for chatting with me, Savannah. I honestly do feel better now.”

  “You’re welcome. Thank you for coming out.”

  As she started to leave, I asked, “Did Joanne ever write you any letters, Sandra?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m just curious.”

  “Not that I remember,” Sandra said. After she was gone, I had a feeling that something had been staged about her revelations to me. Had she rehearsed in her mind because she’d been nervous, or was it because she had a motive besides enlightening me? Sandra had certainly painted herself as the victim after sleeping with a married man, so
I wasn’t sure I could believe the way she portrayed everyone else. In the end, Laura was probably better off without her friendship.

  I knew who I needed to speak with next. Sandra and Laura might be fighting, but I was on good terms with both of them. I needed to confirm Sandra’s story. If I could, it might allow me to strike her name off my list of suspects.

  It would be nice to take one off, instead of adding another one to it.

  “SAVANNAH, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?” LAURA ASKED AS I knocked on Joanne’s front door a little later.

  “I was looking for you,” I admitted as I held up two to-go cups of coffee. I’d swung by Barbara’s to load up on some java, and thankfully she hadn’t been around, so I didn’t have to tell her what I’d been up to since we’d last spoken. I wasn’t ready to give anyone a progress report just yet. “Do you have a second?”

  “I can spare a minute or two,” she said as she took one of the cups from me. “Thanks, I’ve been dying for caffeine, but Joanne is all out. Do you mind if we talk out here on the front steps? I need to get out of there for a little bit just to catch my breath.”

  “That sounds great to me,” I said, though I’d been hoping to go back inside the house for another look. There was a chance I’d missed something important in my first abbreviated search of the house, since I’d been interrupted so quickly by Laura yesterday. There were several piles of things on the porch, so the steps were the only place we could sit.

  “What’s all of this?” I asked.

  “Most of it is for Goodwill,” she replied. “I’ve put all of the trash out back for collection. You can’t imagine how much accumulates over the course of someone’s life.”

  I saw the picture frame I’d spotted inside on her dresser on the pile for her charity donation, and asked, “Are you getting rid of that, too?”

  “I have dozens of photographs of Joanne,” she said. “If you’d like it, you’re welcome to it. You don’t even have to keep the picture. It’s a nice frame, and if I had room for it, I’d probably take it myself.”

  “Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that,” I said as I retrieved it from the pile. “Did you happen to find any stationery while you were cleaning up?”