by K P Stafford
“That’s not all that strange, is it? I mean a lot of older residents live there. If they don’t have kids, maybe they want it so other people have the luxury of staying there.”
“Good point, but that Mr. Copeland is rude as hell. I can’t see him letting that money go to improvements or to help other’s out.”
“You’re right there. I wonder if he has control over the money?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll go see his assistant and see if he can answer any questions.”
I dropped Peyton off and headed home to have an early dinner. I hoped Grams would be home so I could ask her if her friends ever discussed their insurance policies.
CHAPTER 16
It was starting to rain and the temperature had dropped, since the afternoon, leaving a chill in the air. Grams’ house always had a soft glow and warmed my heart looking at it every time I pulled into the drive.
As I opened the front door I was hit with memories of childhood. This house always felt magical to me when I was a kid, but I had forgotten that as I’d grown older. After a month here it was finally flooding back in. I remembered how she used to have guests over for tea and appetizers. I closed my eyes and could faintly hear the chatter of their voices, soft music playing in the family room.
I went upstairs to my room and turned on the electric fireplaces Grams had installed to replace the old gas ones. The family room and each bedroom had one in true Victorian style.
This had been Mom’s old room and became mine after I was born. I put on some sweats and sat on my bed to look around. I wanted to remember more of my childhood and this home as it had been.
I looked around and spotted Mom’s old hat box in the corner. It was the only thing of hers that I’d brought with me when I came to Cryptic Cove a few weeks ago. I went over to pick it up and settled back onto the bed. I hadn’t looked at it since I’d been back, since the day I discovered Grams was still alive.
She’d kept a lot of old photos, pieces of lace, and some crystals. As I dug under the photos I found a deck of cards and pulled them out. After inspection, I realized they were tarot cards. I couldn’t believe my mom was into that kind of stuff. Surely she didn’t practice black magic or something. She hadn’t mentioned anything like this to me. I was starting to realize that I didn’t even know her. It was bad enough I didn’t know my Grams anymore, but I knew my mom. At least I thought I did.
I heard Grams enter downstairs. This was a good a time as any to ask her about these cards and the stuff my mom had been into. Maybe this was the reason we’d left Cryptic Cove.
I grabbed the cards and headed downstairs. Grams had turned on the fireplace in the family room, or great room as she’d always called it, the room where all the parties happened back in the day.
I went in and sat on the couch, sure she’d be in shortly. She came in with a tray of tea and cookies. She sat it down on the coffee table. I noticed two tea cups. Was she expecting me to be waiting on her?
Grams sat beside me and poured us each a cup of tea. I grabbed one of the cookies from the tray. My mind was taken back to childhood again. She would always let me and Peyton have tea parties and use her tea set instead of toy sets like other girls used. I had to smile as I nibbled on the cookie.
I looked at Grams, “How did you know I was joining you?”
She waved her hand in the air like she always did when strange things happened around her. “I’m a grandmother, dear. I know these things.”
I pulled the cards out of the pocket of my sweat pants. “I found these,” I said as I handed them to her.
“Oh, my. These were your mom’s. I wondered if she’d kept those.”
“You knew about this?” I asked, a bit more shock in my voice than I intended.
“Of course. I’m the one who gave them to her.”
“Aren’t these for black magic or something like that?”
Grams crinkled her nose up at me. “Heavens no child. No one in this family ever practiced black magic.”
“So, what are these for?”
Grams took a sip of tea. “It’s a little like that self-help stuff. It’s for finding answers so you can cope with the problem or learn new ways to deal with it.” She paused, “A self-reflection of sorts. As a city girl, I thought you’d be open to other methods of helping people.”
“What do you mean, other methods?”
“Well, do you think everything should be logical and realistic.”
“No,” I said before taking a sip of tea. “I’ve just never had experience with these…cards.”
She patted me on the knee. “Maybe it’s time you give it a try. Since these were your mother’s, it’s only right they belong you to now.”
Baxter flew in and sat beside me. He was very interested in the cards. He was another strange occurrence around this place I couldn’t quite figure out. I gave him a bit of cookie as I looked through the images on the cards. He pecked one of them. “Is this the card I need to read?” I asked him with a giggle.
He chirped.
“Okay.”
Grams had left the room and returned with a book. She handed it to me, “You’ll need this while you’re learning.”
“Learning?” I felt my eyes squint. I didn’t intend to learn this stuff. I was just looking through them, but I might as well humor her and the bird too. I looked down at the card Baxter had pecked. It was The Fool. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, that’s me.
I flipped open the book and found the entry for the foolish card, as I called it. It was quite fascinating. It indicated this card was about new beginnings, but what struck me the most is this. . .
The Fool encourages you to believe in yourself and follow your heart no matter how crazy or foolish your impulses may seem.
I crawled into bed that night with that reading still in my head. What did it mean exactly? Maybe it meant I could catch the killer if I followed my instincts. That was crazy since I didn’t really have any killer hunting instincts.
I turned out the light and listened to the rain pelt the window.
CHAPTER 17
Monday morning I walked into the Constable’s office. Three county guys were hovering around my desk, going through notes. “Hello” was all I could manage to say. They looked up at me, acknowledged I was in the room and went back to work.
The door to John’s office opened and out stepped Jake. I felt the heat rising inside me. A mix of anger and remembering Friday night. He walked over to me with a concerned look in his eyes. “Where the hell have you been?” I asked through gritted teeth. “And why the hell did you set me up?”
His look turned to confusion, “What do you mean, set you up? I did no such thing.”
“Oh yeah, what was that stunt you pulled getting me out of the way Saturday morning?”
He reached to touch my arm. I pulled back. “Lexi, I had a meeting. I told you that.”
“Pfft. Likely story.”
“This isn’t the place to discuss this. Come by my office later.” He said and headed out the door.
John walked over and suggested I go on to the candle shop. He wouldn’t be needing me for awhile with all the other people using the office. He whispered, “The Swansons were poisoned” as he escorted me to the door. I looked up at his face. He whispered again, “Go see Marcus Finche.” Then he winked and opened the door for me.
I stood outside thinking how odd everyone was acting and wondering why the county guys were setting up shop in town now. I got the impression John wanted me to stay on the case. At least I hoped that’s why he winked and mentioned Finche’s name. I turned to head towards the candle shop and decided I’d stop off at the diner to see if Jake was in there. I wasn’t waiting to go to his office just because he asked me too. I was too furious with the man to oblige him.
I sat down in the booth across from Jake. The waitress brought me a cup of coffee before I could rip into him again. I took a sip before looking at him. “Why did you set me up?”
Jake leaned in. “Why do you think I se
t you up? For what?”
“You know very well for what. You got rid of me so you could go,” I lowered my voice so I didn’t draw any more attention to me than I already had, “so you could go kill the mortician.”
Jake sat back in the seat, confusion washed over his face. “Lexi, I didn’t kill him. I was on a plane headed to my meeting.”
“Yeah sure. How convenient.”
“I was questioned this morning. That’s why I was in the constable’s office. I had no idea the man was dead until then.”
“That’s a likely story, but I know you were in a hurry Saturday morning. Maybe you just swung by the mortuary after dropping me off and shoved the guy into the incinerator.”
“You’re talking insane, Lexi.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You can check the time I left you and the time my plane took off. I think you’ll discover I almost missed my flight. I didn’t have time to do what you’re thinking.” He sat forward and reached to touch my hand. “The cops checked my timeline and they don’t have any reason I did this. So why should you?”
Maybe he was right. I’d have to check his timeline, but I still wasn’t trusting him. He’d been too secretive about everything since the day I met him. He was hiding something and I was determined to find out what it was.
I looked down at his arm laying across the table. He wore a black suit jacket. My mind started spinning. “Wasn’t that you confronting the mortician Friday morning on the side alley?”
He pulled his arm back and let out a sigh. “I don’t have to answer your questions.” He stood up, threw a five on the table and left.
I sat there for awhile. Was it him I saw Friday morning while I was in the woods? Why wouldn’t he tell me or deny it if it wasn’t true?
I headed to the candle shop, hoping I’d get a few minutes of quiet before all the town gossipers started coming in. Looking inside from across the street I could tell it wasn't the place to be for having some quiet time. I headed to the mortuary instead. Maybe Marcus Finche would be forthcoming with some news.
CHAPTER 18
I’d seen Marcus Finche around town several times since I’d moved back home. For someone who deals with death, he always appeared to be a lively and charming man. He wasn’t so lively and charming on Saturday when I’d came by to ask questions. I didn’t expect him to be in much better spirits today.
The main foyer was full of flowers as it had been Saturday, although I didn’t pay much attention to them then. A large counter stood in the center of the room. Mahogany, with intricate carvings. Several comfy looking chairs were splashed around the room. This room was very different than the back room he led me into. The back room had the warmth of an iceberg. Steel tables sat in the center, cold and barren. It had a macabre feel to it. I shuddered as I looked around at the sterilized equipment. Four steel doors lined the back wall. This was where death had its final say.
Mr. Finche tried to be pleasant considering the circumstances. “Come on into the office.”
We entered a room in the back corner of the death chamber. He pulled out some papers, his eyes darted from them to me. He sat on the corner of the desk and looked at me with warm eyes. “I’m not supposed to share any information with you, not even at the request of John. The police are all up in arms,” he said as he fluttered his hands around his head.
“I know, but can you at least tell me what kind of poison killed the Swansons? Anything would be helpful.”
He looked at the papers again before he stood and laid them on the desk. “I’m about to have tea, would you like some?”
I felt my eyes squint and my nose crinkle. What a time to offer someone tea. I looked at him, trying to read his expression. He had a glint in his eyes. “Uhm, sure, thanks.”
He smiled as he left the room.
I looked to make sure he was out of sight before walking over to the desk and looking at the papers. I wasn’t sure if he’d just given me permission to snoop around, but if the opportunity presented itself, why not.
There were two long chemical names on the paper. I pulled out my phone and quickly snapped a picture. There’s no way I could remember them.
Just as I slipped my phone back into my pocket, he returned with two cups of tea and handed me one.
I took a sip and looked at him with a feeling like a cat who’d just gotten into the bird cage. “I’m guessing Mr. Haynes died in the…” my voice trailed off. I shuddered to think of being burned alive in a device meant to cremate people.
“Yes. I found him on Saturday morning.”
“I thought those things didn’t leave anything but bones and ashes.”
“There’s several settings on them. Whoever put him in there didn’t know what they were doing.”
“Oh. I see.” I wasn’t sure what else to ask since I had the names of the poisons. “I guess I’ve taken up enough of your time. Thanks for the tea.” I said, setting the cup down on the desk.
“Let me escort you out.” He said as he extended his hand almost touching my lower back. “I wish I could have been more help.” He said as he cleared his throat.
“Oh, I understand. It’s no problem. I enjoyed the cup of tea. Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome. If you think of anything else, just ask. I may not be able to answer, but it’s nice to have lovely young women stop by.” He smiled as he closed the door behind me.
I headed back to the candle shop. Maybe the customers had thinned out and I could do some research on the computer to find out what these words meant.
CHAPTER 19
I arrived at the shop just as Grams was being escorted out by the police.
“What’s going on here?” I looked at Will Hunter, the cop who’d escorted me back to John’s office on Saturday.
Grams spoke up, “Dear, would you watch the shop? They just want to ask me some more questions.”
“For what?”
“It’s a murder investigation, Miss Danforth.” The taller cop said.
“You can’t seriously believe my grandmother had anything to do with it?”
“I’ll be fine dear.” Grams assured me. “It’s just a standard formality, as John calls it.”
Anger rose up in my body. I went inside, grabbed the phone and tried to call John. How could this be happening? How could they suspect someone as sweet as my grandmother when sneaky people like Jake Donovan was roaming around and could very well be guilty?
A man answered the phone and I asked for John. I was told he wasn’t in and could leave a message. “No message,” I told the guy and hung up.
I flopped down into a chair. I thought this day couldn’t get any worse. I heard the bell over the door jingle, looked up and realized it could. Half the town was standing in Grams' store. Shock covered their faces. I stood up and went behind the counter, placing my elbows on the top and rubbed my temples with my index fingers. Questions were flying at me and I didn’t have any answers. I sure wasn’t cut out to be any kind of cop.
After the crowd thinned out, I got on the computer to do some research on those notes I took a picture of at the medical examiner’s office.
The first compound listed was Hippomane mancinella. I typed that in and discovered it’s a tropical fruit, but it’s poisonous. Odd. The second compound was a strong muscle relaxer used during surgery. That was also odd, but it was very clear the couple had been murdered. With those ingredients combined, it had to be premeditated too. No chance of an accident or coincidence. The couple hadn’t gone to the Caribbean recently so it’s unlikely they accidentally ingested this fruit. It could also be found in Florida, but I didn’t know anyone who’d been there recently either. I’d have to ask John or Grams if anyone had taken a trip.
The door bell jingled just as I closed the browser on the computer. John stood in the doorway. He looked like he’d aged ten years in the past two days. His shirt was wrinkled and hung at his waist, untucked. His five o’clock shadow looked more like seven o’clock if there was such a thing. He walked
on in, letting the door close behind him and sat on the edge of the chair. He placed his elbows on his knees and his head in the palm of his hands. My heart sank to see him in such a condition. I’d known John to be in a good mood, neatly dressed and looking on the bright side. There was no bright side to him now.
I sat in the chair beside him. “I guess you know they’ve taken Grams in for questioning?”
He slumped back in the chair. “Yeah, it’s over the fight she had with the Swansons the night of the bridge game. The cops are all in a tizzy about it.”
“But it was just an argument. Why would they think she killed them over that?”
He had a strained look on his face like he didn't want to say what he was about to say. “She had a fight with Orvel Haynes twenty-five years ago.”
“I was going to ask you about that. What happened?”
“I've never gotten all the details, but she conked him pretty good with a baseball bat.”
“Oh, so they think she has a violent nature?”
“Yes.”
“But, she drove the Swansons home. Why would she do that if she wanted to kill them?”
John took in a deep breath, “Opportunity.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“That’s what they think.”
“Maybe so, but how could a woman her age kill them and then drag them off into the woods?”
“They think she had an accomplice.”
“Are you serious?”
“Afraid so.”
My mind was racing. I hadn’t known my grandmother since I was a kid, but I knew she wasn’t capable of harming someone else.
“So where do they think she got access to the chemicals found in their blood stream?”
