A Case of Imagination

by Jane Tesh

  “I don’t know.”

  “This could’ve been just an accident.”

  If someone accidentally moved all the weights and pushed the flats over.

  I thanked Juliet. She started to go and then paused as if she wanted to say something else. Then she shrugged and went up the aisle.

  Donna Sanchez was the next to enter. Her reaction to Venice’s demise was much more vocal. She flew down the aisle to inspect the damage.

  “Oh, my God! Who did this? This is horrible!” She turned to me, hands on hips. She was a dark-eyed brunette with a smooth olive complexion burning red with indignation. “Who’s responsible for this? It’s Juliet, isn’t it?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Oh, she’d do anything to keep me from winning.”

  “Or coming in second?”

  Donna smiled a grim smile. “Juliet told you that, didn’t she? She’s forgetting cheerleading squad and debate team. I totally blew her away on both, plus I’ve got a full scholarship to Wake Forest, and I think she’s going to study Nail Polishing 101 at Parkland Community College.”

  “If you’ve got a full scholarship, why bother with the pageant?”

  “Well, to spite Juliet, mostly. She thinks she’s got it sewn up, but I’m going to blow her silky lace panties off.”

  An interesting visual. “If the pageant is cancelled, who benefits?”

  “Nobody. Well, maybe Mr. Stacy and his friends could gloat a little.”

  “Do you really think Juliet is responsible for these incidents?”

  “I wouldn’t put it past her. But she’s not running me off. I’ll come put this scenery back together myself if I have to.”

  “What did you do after rehearsal last night?”

  “Evan suggested everyone go home and practice their talent.”

  “And that’s what you did?”

  “Yes. Juliet thinks her singing is so wonderful, but everyone says my character ballet is the best they’ve ever seen.”

  Donna didn’t look like a ballerina, but that never stops the character ballets. “How about this afternoon when you came in? Who was here?”

  “Juliet, Randi, and I had to be here by one o’clock for our interviews.”

  “What about the other contestants?”

  “Six had interviews yesterday. The remaining three come later this afternoon.”

  Randi Peterson was also shocked by the sight of dead Venice. After commenting sadly on the Venetian disaster, she gave me a determined stare. “There’s no way anyone’s scaring me away with these silly pranks. I’m here to compete and to keep Juliet from winning. She doesn’t deserve the crown or the good name of Miss Celosia.”

  “Why not?”

  Randi had brown curls and hazel eyes under high, perfectly plucked brows. The brows went up even further. “Because she’s a bitch. Can’t you tell?”

  “There’s at least one in every pageant.”

  “Whoever wins Miss Celosia is supposed to represent our town. She ought to be someone good, don’t you think?”

  “Good like sweet and kind?”

  “Well, yes. Isn’t that the whole idea? Who wants a Miss Celosia who’s bragging about her special designer gown with the one-of-a-kind sequins and looking down her nose at everyone and chasing after every good-looking man in town?”

  “Is that what Juliet’s doing?”

  Up went those brows. “You’ve met her. What do you think?”

  I thought Juliet Lovelace looked capable of anything, but that didn’t mean she’d actually do anything. “It’s possible.”

  She gave an unqueenly snort of laughter. “You got that right.”

  “What’s your talent, Randi?”

  “I’ve written an original poem I plan to recite.”

  “Were you practicing your poem at home last night?”

  “Yes, I had my whole family pretend to be the audience so I could practice in front of a crowd. Would you like to hear it?”

  Lord, how many of these awful recitations had I heard? “I’d love to, Randi, but I need to speak to the judges.”

  “That’s okay. You’ll hear it Saturday night.”

  After she’d gone, I sat down for a moment in the front row. Randi and Donna had been genuinely shocked by the ruined set, but I couldn’t read Juliet’s reaction. Maybe she was so confident she’d win the pageant, a collapsed Venice didn’t worry her. Unlike Randi and Donna, who were determined that the pageant go on as scheduled, Juliet seemed unconcerned about the future of Miss Celosia.

  Evan came down the aisle, wiping his brow. “Are you ready for the judges now, Madeline? I told them you were officially investigating these disturbing incidents, and everyone’s agreed to help you as much as they can.”

  “Thanks, Evan.”

  He took a deep breath and blew it out. “They’re waiting for you in my office. I’ve got to find Percy. He’s being very difficult.”

  Chuck Hofsteder, Kimberly Dawn Williams, and Benjy Goins were sitting in Evan’s office. Chuck offered me a chair.

  “You’re not seeing the Miss Celosia Pageant at its best, Madeline. I apologize.”

  Kimberly Dawn Williams got out her compact and added another layer. Whoever supplied her with eye shadow was making a fortune. “I still can’t believe you gave up the pageant circuit, Madeline. It’s opened so many doors for me.”

  “I had other interests,” I said.

  “But isn’t the detective business dangerous?”

  “So far, I’ve managed to stay out of any gun battles.”

  She finished larding on the blue eye shadow. “I don’t imagine Celosia would have any sort of battles.”

  “You’re not concerned about this latest break-in?”

  She shook her head. Not a strand of hair moved. “Just some kids playing pranks. We’ve had some trouble with vandalism at the high school, too. Evan’s making sure the building is locked.”

  “Did he call the police?”

  “I don’t think we want any more negative publicity.”

  “I’ve noticed how quickly news gets around in Celosia. He can’t keep this kind of thing a secret for long.”

  Kimberly Dawn turned to Chuck. “How is Evan handling that, Chuck?”

  “He had Chief Brenner come by,” Hofsteder said. “He advised Evan to keep the door locked.”

  She rolled her eyes. “How helpful.”

  “Well, nothing was stolen. Amps, microphones, CD player, all sitting here. All that video equipment Benjy brought from the TV station, untouched. Brenner’s thinking some kids got in, got to horsing around, and knocked down the set.”

  Kimberly Dawn looked satisfied. “That’s it, then. The show will go on.”

  “Let me ask you about this show,” I said. “Who stands the best chance of winning?”

  Chuck was so eager to answer, he almost raised his hand. “We all know Juliet can be a little difficult, but strictly off the record, she’s our best chance at winning Miss Parkland this year. Seriously, I think that girl could go all the way.”

  “And we’ve got a little score to settle with Dixley,” Benjy Goins said.

  Dixley’s a town about the size of Celosia, located a few miles south of Parkland.

  “You have a rivalry with the Miss Dixley Pageant?”

  “It was an absolute scandal the way their girl took second place at Miss Parkland last year,” Chuck said. “She didn’t have a tenth of the talent our girl did. Those judges were blind and tone deaf.”

  “So, unofficially, you feel Juliet is the best choice.”

  Kimberly Dawn didn’t look as pleased as the men. “We’re not just going to give her the crown. She’ll have to prove she’s worthy.”

  “I think her talent is the best,” Benjy Goins said.

  “Did anyone stay here last night to practice her talent?”

  “No, Evan sent them home. He doesn’t like to wear everyone out.”

  “Did any of you stay?”

  “We weren’t needed las
t night, so no, we weren’t here.”

  “Do any of the contestants smoke?”

  Kimberly Dawn looked appalled. “They’d better not!”

  Chuck pointed to Evan’s desk. “Evan’s the only one who smokes, and he’s trying to cut down. He keeps a pack in his desk for emergencies.”

  At that moment, Evan, with Cindy in tow, came in, wringing his handkerchief and mopping his brow. “I can’t decide if I’m upset or not,” he said. “Percy has quit. He says the girls are impossible to teach. He says it can’t be done. Now, I’m really quite glad to be rid of him, but he was also our accompanist.”

  “Don’t worry,” Benjy Goins said. “I know someone who plays piano for the Sunday morning gospel hour radio show. He’ll be happy to do it.”

  “Thank you, Benjy.” Evan James looked at me entreatingly. “Tell me you have some idea who is behind all this.”

  I had to admit it looked like minor vandalism. “Just keep everything locked, like the police said.”

  I could tell he was disappointed I didn’t have the criminal in hand. He sighed. “Very well. Benjy, please have your friend come over right away so I can show him what needs to be done.”

  As Evan started up the aisle, I followed and kept my voice low. “If you’ll give me a key and let me keep surveillance tonight, I may surprise someone.”

  “Excellent,” he said.

  “Only don’t say anything to anyone, not even Cindy.”

  On my way to my car, I encountered drama in the parking lot. Evan was in earnest conversation with Percy. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but from the way Evan was strangling his handkerchief and Percy was flapping his arms like a condor attempting takeoff, I could tell the conversation wasn’t going in Evan’s favor.

  I got into the Mazda and had reached for the key when Kimberly Dawn and Juliet walked past. Kimberly Dawn’s voice was tightly controlled.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Juliet gave an elegant shrug and kept walking. Kimberly Dawn caught her arm and made her stop. “You’re not going to make any trouble, Juliet, do you hear me?”

  Juliet calmly removed the woman’s hand. She smiled a superior smile. She leaned forward and spoke right in Kimberly Dawn’s face. “I will if I want.”

  I expected Kimberly Dawn to give her a lecture on manners, but the older woman stepped back. Juliet gave her a little wave and walked on. Kimberly Dawn stood for a moment, fists clenched. Then she noticed me sitting in my car.

  “Oh, Madeline. Did you hear that?” She wiped her palms on her skirt and fussed with her hair. “Honestly, the nerve of that girl!”

  “What was that about?”

  She stooped a little to speak into my window. “That girl thinks she can do anything she likes. I—” She glanced over to Evan and Percy. “Good heavens, do I have to fix everything? Excuse me, Madeline.”

  As she hurried over to the men, I wondered if Juliet had been caught doing something destructive to the stage. And if so, why Kimberly Dawn would want to protect her. I started the Mazda and drove out of the parking lot, passing Juliet in her car. She was still smiling.

  ***

  I drove out to the Eberlin house and parked the Mazda under one of the oak trees. Carrying a couple of bags of supplies, I nudged the door open with my foot.

  “Jerry, I got the stuff you wanted.”

  Jerry was asleep on the sofa.

  “You lazy bum,” I said. “Here I think you’re working and you’re goofing off.” I stopped. Jerry was lying very still, and there was some sort of towel on his forehead. I put the bags down and gave the sofa a little shake. “Hey, what’s the matter?” Jerry blinked up at me. “What happened? Here, don’t go back to sleep. Talk to me.”

  He got his eyes open. “I fell.”

  “Fell? Fell where? Are you all right? Did you break anything? Let me have a look.” I lifted the towel. “Well, you took a nice chunk out of your forehead.”

  Jerry looked around. “Where’s the girl?”

  “Save the delirium for later, will you? Do you remember what happened?”

  “I tried to get into the attic. The door was stuck. I came back down the stairs. I must have tripped on one of those loose boards.”

  “Let me fix a better bandage.” In the kitchen, I got some ice cubes out of the freezer, and wrapped them in a dishcloth. While Jerry was holding this to his forehead, I went out to my car where I keep a first aid kit

  When I came back, Jerry was sitting up. “That feels much better.”

  ”Let me have another look.” The cut was more of a scrape and didn’t look as deep as I’d first thought. “Keep the ice on it for a while, and then I’ll bandage it. Does it hurt?”

  “A little.”

  “I can take you to the emergency room if they’ve got one here.”

  “No, I’m okay.”

  “I’ve got some aspirin in my overnight bag.”

  “That might be good.”

  I found the aspirin bottle. Jerry took two pills and leaned back on the sofa. I pulled a chair closer.

  “Tell me again what happened,” I said.

  “I cleaned this room a while. Then I ate something. I thought I heard some noise in the attic, but I couldn’t get the door open. When I started back down the stairs, I saw this girl outside, and that’s when I fell. I remember I tried to grab the railing, but it broke off in my hand.”

  I hated to think of him lying here all day. “When was this?”

  “Some time around three, I guess.”

  “Tell me about this girl.”

  “She was outside by the trees.” He rubbed his eyes. “I just caught a glimpse. I thought she was a ghost.”

  “Probably just a neighbor.”

  “From where? The next pasture?”

  “Okay, so she was a ghost. Happy now?”

  “Thrilled.” His eyes were clearer. “And how was your day?”

  “Not to take anything away from your adventure, but I feel as if I’ve fallen down a flight of stairs, too. Want to know why I haven’t had any messages? Reid’s been erasing them.”

  “What?”

  “Intercepting them, taking them for his own, and then destroying the evidence.”

  “I hope you hit him in the eye.”

  “I tried. But he won’t have Madeline Maclin to push around any more. I’ve moved out.”

  “Good,” Jerry said. “It’s about time. Did you bring any food with you? I’m starving.”

  “Just some Baxter’s Barbecue.”

  “You are my new best friend.”

  “I’m your only best friend.”

  He smiled, and again I felt that odd quiver inside. Did he want more than friendship? Did I?

  At the moment, all we wanted was barbecue and fries. I bandaged the scrape. Then I unpacked our food. Uncle Val didn’t have a microwave, but everything heated up in the stove. We took our feast out to the porch. We sat in the rocking chairs and watched the sun gleaming over the meadow.

  “This girl I saw,” he said, “she was beautiful.”

  “Of course she was.”

  “I must have been distracted.”

  “Sounds like it. You don’t suppose your uncle was cooking up magic mushrooms in this house?”

  “I think he was a mad scientist, and his experiments have gotten loose.”

  “Well, why don’t I have a look in this attic?”

  I went up the stairs, being careful to step over the loose one, and on up the smaller flight of steps leading to the attic. The door wouldn’t budge. I knocked. “Anybody home?” I listened, but there wasn’t a sound.

  I went back to the porch. “I think the girl must have been one of your fairy-tale ladies—which reminds me. Olivia tried to hire me today to find out why you want to keep this house.”

  “I told her. I wanted a place to hold séances.”

  “This is what you plan to do with your life?”

  “For now.” He looked out across the meadow. “She was that inte
rested, huh?”

  “She was her usual intense self.”

  Jerry put his barbecue sandwich down. “I wonder.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” he said. “Maybe she does care about me. I mean, if she went to all the trouble to find you and hire you.”

  I didn’t like the way this conversation was heading. “Finding me is no problem. I’m nearly always at Baxter’s.”

  “She can be really sweet.”

  I couldn’t tell anything from his expression. I had to ask him. “Do you love her?”

  “Maybe. I really missed her.”

  I kept my gaze on the golden fields. “You think the two of you have a future?”

  He didn’t answer for a while. When I looked back at him, he shook his head. “You know her as well as I do, Mac. Would she ever want to live out here in the country?”

  I had a hard time keeping the joy out of my voice. “Not in a million years.”

  We ate for a while in silence. Then Jerry said, “Maybe she was a ghost.”

  “Who?”

  “The girl I saw.”

  “Maybe you hit your head just a little too hard.” I passed him another Coke.

  “I saw her first—then I hit my head.” He carefully touched his forehead. “Which has stopped throbbing, by the way, thanks to my excellent health care provider.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “See, Mac? You can do it all. How’s the Case of the Purloined Pageant coming along?”

  “It’s become the Case of the Pulverized Pageant. Somebody trashed the set. The police say it’s probably kids, but I’m not so sure. I’m going to stake out the place for a few hours tonight and see what happens.”

  “Could be the ghost of a former contestant, someone who was robbed of her rightful title.”

  I chuckled. “Do you sit around making this stuff up, or does it just come naturally to you?”

  “You forget, I’m in the séance business. I’d better come along and try to make contact.”

  “Are you sure you feel up to it?”

  “It’s better than waiting here alone for Ghost Woman to make another appearance.”

  I started to say no, then reconsidered. It wasn’t a good idea to leave someone with a head injury alone overnight, and of course, I always enjoyed Jerry’s company.

  “Okay, partner, I’ll deputize you. But you can take it easy for a while. I’m not leaving until eleven.”