A Broth of Betrayal

by Connie Archer

  “Harry was committed to the whole thing. He was definite about not wanting a car wash in the middle of town,” Jack grumbled. “Besides, if they were gonna put it anywhere, why not behind Harry’s shop? Be the perfect place for it. Out of sight—it’s zoned right there, no neighbors real close.”

  Elias looked thoughtful. “Could Harry have been trying to work out some kind of deal with Rowland?”

  Jack shrugged. “Anything’s possible. But it was a little late in the day for that. The bulldozers were already at work. Construction had started.”

  “I heard Norman Rank made some heavy-handed comments to Rowland at the demonstration—and you say they almost came to blows at the town meeting?” Elias asked.

  “That’s true,” Lucky replied. “It was very tense for a few minutes. Then there’s Ed Embry. It’s obvious he had no use for Rowland and he took a lot of flack because he wouldn’t go along with the rest of the town council.”

  “Good for him,” Jack said. “Good to know one man couldn’t be bought off.”

  Lucky heaved a sigh and gathered up the empty dishes. “Two murders in Snowflake. That can’t be a coincidence. There has to be a connection, but those men led totally different lives. They were completely different people.”

  “Until last winter when that woman’s body was found, if anyone had told me a murder could happen in Snowflake, I would’ve told them they were crazy,” Elias remarked. “Now? I don’t know what to say. This time it was a local . . . two, I guess, if you count Rowland. And neither one was an accident. Somebody locked Rowland in that trailer and doused the thing with gasoline. He didn’t stand a chance. And no one noticed or heard anything; we were all focused on the Reenactment.”

  “Nate’ll have a hell of a time trying to figure out who could have been around the trailer. There were mobs of people,” Jack said. “And a lot of people made threats to Rowland.” Jack chuckled. “Norman Rank threatened to bury him in his own concrete. And Ed Embry told him he’d drown him in his car wash.”

  “Where was Rod Thibeault when the Reenactment was going on? Was he in town? Did anyone see him there or talk to him?” Elias asked.

  “I didn’t,” Lucky replied. “But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t there. He said he would try to make it, but he could have changed his mind.”

  “We have no way of knowing when the door handle was jammed. Rowland could have been in there for a while before the fire started,” Elias said.

  “He would have smelled the gasoline though, wouldn’t he? And started yelling?” Lucky asked.

  “Would we have heard him? Between everyone yelling and cheering and the drums and sound effects, he might not have been heard. No one sounded the alarm until they saw the fire.”

  “And what about the break-in at Horace’s? Could that be connected to the murders?”

  “I’d vote for Cordelia Rank on that one,” Jack said.

  “Maybe, but why? She wanted the artifacts to go to a museum. If she stole them, that could never happen. Any museum would investigate. And if she did want to steal them, why not take the powder horn and the shoe buckles? Why go to all that trouble and break in and just take the lead ball?”

  “What did Nate have to say about all this?” Elias asked, sipping his iced tea.

  “He isn’t convinced it was stolen. He thinks it could just as easily have rolled out of the little jewelry box and fallen into a crack.”

  “Did you search for it?”

  Lucky nodded. “We all did. But it was dark and it was late. We were pretty tired. We could have missed it. If she did steal that lead ball, it’s because, as Horace says, it has rifling marks.”

  “Oh, I heard all about that,” Elias said. “She had a conniption at the town meeting.”

  “She certainly didn’t want anyone accusing her ancestor of being a traitor. She’d do anything to maintain her DAR status.” Lucky giggled. Both Jack and Elias stared at her. She wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. That’s just too funny. Two murders and a robbery at Horace’s and she’s worried about the DAR. How relevant is that?”

  “Well, it’s late. Almost four bells. I’ll be on my way.” Jack stood and pushed his chair away. “You okay on your own?”

  “Sure, Jack. You go ahead. I’ll close up.” Lucky gathered their dishes and carried them into the kitchen. Jack waved good-bye at the front door and headed home.

  Elias waited while Lucky turned off the lamps and the neon sign. She locked the door behind them. He placed an arm around her shoulder, and she smiled up at him. “You’re too tired. There’s no need to walk me home. I’m a big girl.”

  “I don’t want to let you out of my sight until whoever’s behind these attacks is caught. Humor me. I’ll feel better if I know you’re safely home.”

  “Yes, sir.” Lucky smiled.

  They walked slowly down Broadway, turning the corner on Maple Street. The Snowflake Clinic was closed. They could see a small night-light burning at the front desk as they passed and reached the stairway to Lucky’s apartment building next door.

  “What did Jack mean earlier? He said something about the . . . smoking lamp?” Elias asked.

  Lucky smiled. “It’s an old Navy expression. He’s saying that we can’t be too careful. On a ship, fire is always a terrible danger, so when the smoking lamp is out, it’s not safe to relax and have a smoke. The ship must stay on alert and every man needs to be at his post.”

  “Interesting,” Elias remarked. “I’ll have to remember that one.”

  “I’m a regular encyclopedia of nautical trivia.” Lucky hesitated. “Elias . . . there’s something else I meant to mention at the Spoonful. I guess with all the other things that have been going on, it slipped my mind. Sophie and I were at the church the day before the demonstration and I accidentally overheard a conversation between Harry and Pastor Wilson. It sounded as if Harry was very upset and they were discussing something serious.”

  “Like what?”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know. I could have sworn I heard Harry crying. Then, Harry came out of the Pastor’s office and the door was partially open. I don’t know if I can recall the exact words. Harry was saying something like . . .” Lucky trailed off, recalling the incident. “Harry said, ‘I had to tell someone.’ And then Pastor Wilson was encouraging him, telling him he was doing the right thing, and then said that he and Harry could talk again whenever Harry was ready.

  “I really didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I never expected that they would be talking about a personal matter—but that’s what it sounded like. Harry looked startled when he saw me standing in the corridor. I had such a strong feeling about the whole thing, as though Harry wanted to . . .” She struggled for the word that would best explain. “Confess, I guess. As if he had something quite terrible on his mind and had to talk to someone about it, but it also sounded like Pastor Wilson was telling him that when he was ready he should come back and talk to him. That’s the best way I can put it.”

  Elias stopped. “Maybe there’s something you should know, but you must keep this to yourself at least for now.” Lucky looked up at him silently. “Harry was dying. He didn’t have a lot of time.” Elias’s face looked gaunt in the light from the streetlamp.

  “What? Oh!” Lucky breathed.

  Elias could see the shifting realization on her face. “It’s true. Sad but true.”

  “I had no idea. Did anyone else know?”

  “That I couldn’t say. Other than his specialist in Lincoln Falls, I really don’t know who he was close to, who he might have confided in.”

  “Maybe that’s what he was talking to Pastor Wilson about. It would make sense that he’d want to get something off his chest. That definitely puts another color on the whole thing.”

  “Quite possibly. I sent a copy of his medical file to the pathologist, so it will be in the police report, and since he had no living relatives, well, I’m not hurting him or anyone else in telling you.” Elias followed her up the stairs to the front door and continued
until they reached her apartment on the second floor. Lucky turned to say good night, and Elias pushed her gently against the door frame.

  “Why, sir, are you assaulting me?”

  “Yes.” He breathed, holding her close. He pulled back and looked at her. “If anything ever happened to you. I don’t know what . . .”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m as safe as houses here. Now stop worrying. You’re a worse worrywart than I am.”

  “Sorry about that dinner I promised you. How about tomorrow night?”

  “Tomorrow it is.” Elias kissed her long and passionately and finally let go. He remained standing in the hallway until he heard the lock click on her front door.

  Chapter 28

  LUCKY LOOKED UP as the bell jingled over the front door. Two groups entered—a family of five and another group of young summer tourists. She recognized the couple she had seen at the demonstration. Janie and Meg were still on their break, so she grabbed menus and distributed them around the tables, taking orders for cold drinks. Jack rose from his stool at the cash register to help her and carried trays of drinks to their tables. By the time Janie and Meg returned from their break, Sage had filled most of the orders.

  Lucky slipped off her apron and called Janie over. “I’m going to stop by Elizabeth’s office to talk to her assistant. Can you and Meg handle everything for about a half an hour?”

  “Sure, Lucky. We’ll be fine. You hoping Jessie’s heard something?”

  Lucky shrugged. “I think she would have let me know if she had. But I want to see if she has Elizabeth’s calendar. Maybe there’s something there or on her desk that might give us some ideas. I’m sure the police have looked at everything, but I’ll feel better if I go myself.”

  “Good idea.” Janie smiled in encouragement and nodded to a customer attempting to get her attention.

  “Can you let Jack know where I’ve gone when you get a chance?”

  “Will do.” Janie smiled encouragingly.

  Lucky exited by the front door and hurried down Broadway, past the Village Green, and cut down Spruce Street to the municipal offices. The heat was even more intense today, made worse by high humidity. She glanced at the sky and spotted clouds gathering above the mountain. Maybe a blessed thunderstorm would alleviate this heat. Her blouse was sticking to her skin by the time she arrived, and a trickle of perspiration rolled down her back.

  Inside the town hall the air-conditioning system was working full blast. Goose bumps formed on her arms from the chill when she entered. She climbed the stairs to Elizabeth’s office. The door was open and Jessie sat at the front desk, a crossword puzzle in front of her. She looked up expectantly.

  “Hi, Lucky.” She closed the magazine and pushed it to the side of her desk. “I’d be working if I had something to do, but I’ve done everything I can think of, filed everything away, reorganized the supply closet, straightened up Elizabeth’s desk. Having nothing to do is driving me crazy and I’m worried sick.”

  “Me too. I thought I’d take a walk over and maybe have a look at her appointment book if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure. You’re welcome to it. I’ve gone through it and I showed it to Nate. He stopped by yesterday again.” She rose and followed Lucky into the inner office. “Here it is.” She passed it across the desk.

  Lucky sat in the same chair she had sat in so many times before when visiting Elizabeth in her office and leafed through the pages. “There are two meetings listed.”

  “Yes. But they were both here. She had no appointments outside the office. Everyone she was supposed to meet with called or came by expecting her to be here.” Jessie sank into Elizabeth’s chair and leaned back. “I can’t think of anything. I’ve wracked my brain trying to remember if she mentioned having to go out of town. I’m sure I’d remember if she did, but she didn’t say anything to me at all.”

  “No strange phone calls?”

  “Nope. Nothing like that. I know everyone here and all the people who do call her. I feel absolutely horrible now that I was trying to cover for her. I’m an idiot. I should have sounded the alarm immediately when she didn’t come in. Nate gave me a funny look when I tried to explain. At first, I thought it was my fault. That Elizabeth had mentioned she’d be somewhere and I forgot and didn’t write it down. I mean Elizabeth’s probably the last person on earth you’d think would be in some kind of trouble. She’s so organized! After that, I didn’t want her to look bad to anyone, so I just kept stalling anyone who asked for her. I know Nate and that state cop think I’m nuts or stupid or both.” Jessie rubbed her temples.

  “I can understand why you reacted that way. In a way, maybe I did too. I kept making excuses to myself. First, I expected her to be at Pastor Wilson’s ceremony when they were getting ready to unearth the skeleton. I just assumed she was busy and couldn’t attend. Then after we discovered Harry, I still didn’t hear a thing from her. She knows Jack has flashbacks to the war when he gets upset and she worries about him too. I kept calling her and leaving messages and didn’t hear back. So, it was a couple of days before I decided something was really wrong and I finally reached you. And you know the rest.”

  Jessie nodded sadly. “She’s such a nice lady. I really hope . . .” Jessie trailed off. There was no need to continue the thought. Both she and Lucky were doing their best to push the worst-case scenario out of their heads.

  Jessie sighed. “It’s just so weird. There’s been nothing out of the ordinary. Elizabeth was here as usual. She left a minute before I did, and said, “Night, Jessie. See you tomorrow.’ I definitely should have freaked sooner. She’s always very methodical. She never would have told me she’d see me the next day if she had another appointment or had to go out of town. I am a total idiot!” Jessie stifled a sob.

  Lucky’s heart sank. How many times do we say those very words to loved ones, coworkers, friends, never suspecting there might not be a tomorrow. She remembered the last phone conversation she had had with her mother, just before the holidays. Remembered how excited her mother had been that they would be together soon, and her description of the holiday dinner she was planning. A dinner that never happened.

  “Have you searched her desk?”

  “Yes. There’s nothing there. Elizabeth is very organized. All of it just pertained to the office. She didn’t keep any personal papers here at all.”

  Lucky heard a footstep behind her and Jessie looked up. Lucky turned to see Edward Embry standing on the threshold.

  “Any news, Jessie?”

  “Nothing, Ed. Sorry. Have you met Lucky Jamieson?” Jessie stood and came around the desk to stand next to Lucky’s chair.

  Edward Embry smiled and moved closer to shake Lucky’s hand. “Yes, we’ve met. Nice to see you again. Elizabeth introduced us at the demonstration.” He leaned against the large desk. “I’ve been worried sick about her.”

  “Jessie mentioned Nate was here yesterday,” Lucky offered.

  “He stopped in to see me too. I have a little cubicle I use down the hall. There was nothing more I could tell him. He did say her car hadn’t been reported, so it doesn’t seem as if she had an accident. No hospital admissions. I was thinking she might have had an accident on the road and was injured, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

  They sat quietly for a few minutes, brooding about Elizabeth, as if she were an invisible presence in the room with them. Lucky finally broke the silence. “Jessie, thank you. It was just a thought that I might find something here. I better get back to the Spoonful. Janie and Meg are in charge, but it’ll be getting busy.”

  “Stop by anytime. I just show up every day and hope she calls. That’s why I haven’t been volunteering. I figure it’s better for me to stay here and man the phones if nothing else.”

  “You’re probably right.” She turned to Edward. “Let’s all stay in touch in case any of us hears anything—anything at all.”

  Edward straightened up and walked Lucky down the corridor. “Elizabeth’s a w
onderful woman and a dear friend. I’ve been on the ground searches every day since the town meeting but if there’s anything you can think of that might be of use, please let me know.”

  “I will.” Lucky turned and headed down the long stairway. She turned back to see Edward Embry standing at the top of the stairs, a very worried look on his face.

  Chapter 29

  “WHAT DID YOU finally come up with?” Lucky asked, peering over Sage’s shoulder.

  “I think I’ve got it. Look—if you add cayenne pepper to the broth at the beginning, then the peanut butter won’t be too cloying, kind of like an African dish with chicken and hot pepper.” Sage scribbled a few more notes in the margin of the notebook for his new recipe.

  “I’ve never even heard of peanut butter soup.”

  “I think it’s popular in the south. They’re fairly simple soups. Chicken based, celery, onions and peanut butter, maybe chopped peanuts sprinkled on top. I was just thinking that red pepper would give it a little kick and you’d still get the creamy taste of peanuts.”

  The bell over the front door rang. Lucky peeked through the hatch. “It’s Sophie.” Lucky watched as her friend made a beeline for the kitchen.

  “Hey, guys!” Sophie announced as she dragged a stool closer and climbed on it. She dumped her large satchel on the floor. “What are you up to?” she asked.

  “Sage is working on a new soup—peanut butter.”

  “Yum. Sounds great.” She blew Sage a kiss and, turning to Lucky, remarked, “He’s a genius, isn’t he?”

  Sage rolled his eyes. “Or something.”

  “By the way, I’m starving. I could eat an elephant.”

  “That’s an idea,” Sage remarked.

  “No way,” Lucky replied. “They’re endangered. Plus they’re almost human. They remember one another and people they’ve met. You can’t even think about killing an elephant and making soup.”