Assault and Beadery

by Mollie Cox Bryan

  “I’ll call Cashel,” Ruby said. “He’s my son. A lawyer.”

  “I’m going to need one,” she said.

  “He’s an exceptional lawyer,” Brodsky said.

  Brodsky’s partner cleared her throat. “I’ll escort you to your room so you can collect your purse and anything else you need.”

  Roni nodded. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Cora said.

  “Thank you, Cora,” Roni said. “You have to believe me. I didn’t mean to kill him!”

  “Absolutely,” Cora said. “I do. I believe you.”

  Cora’s eyes met Brodsky’s. He believed her, too. Still, he had a murder investigation to lead. He was going to arrest her, certainly, but Cora was familiar with Brodsky’s character. He’d be fair. She also appreciated that Cashel O’Malley was a good lawyer. She’d had cause to use him in the recent past.

  But she also understood that sometimes, even with the best lawyer, the most concerned police, justice could be a hard, cold slap. She sent out a prayer to the Universe for Roni, for she was a woman who killed a man, even if it was an accident, and Cora knew her fate.

  She wanted to be happy because now they’d let Zee out of custody. They’d have to, wouldn’t they? Roni confessed. Zee didn’t do it, which everybody knew. And the poor woman was sitting in jail all this time.

  Even if it was the prettiest police station and jail on the planet, it was still jail. Cora hoped that Zee fared well. Her haunted gaze was etched in Cora’s mind. Most certainly, Zee was going to need time to heal.

  Chapter 36

  Jane and the others watched as Brodsky cuffed Roni, her head hanging low. Did he really have to do that? Jane turned her head away in embarrassment for Roni and anger toward him. Couldn’t he allow the woman a little bit of dignity as she left Kildare House?

  “I’m so sorry for all of this,” Cora said. “If you want a partial refund and want to leave, I totally understand.”

  “I need some time back in my room,” Lisa said. “I may go home. Thank you.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Vicki said. The two of them left the room.

  The rest of the retreaters stood and sat around for a few awkward moments.

  “For those of you who are staying, shall we go back into the craft room and continue our fabric beads?” Jane said. “It will help us keep our minds occupied.”

  The women meandered back into the craft room and each went back silently to her project.

  As Jane finished her last fabric bead, a sense of relief washed over her. Zee would now be freed from jail. A huge weight lifted from Jane’s heart. Being accused of murder when you didn’t commit one was horrifying.

  It was also just as horrifying, perhaps, to realize that you were capable of killing someone—as she realized about herself. She would have killed her husband. She tried to kill him. She didn’t succeed—thank goodness, or else she’d not be here now.

  People could be driven to it. Some easier than others. Now her thoughts turned to Roni, who had been pushed by Stan. He’d hurt her daughter. She didn’t want her thoughts to dwell there—but, what exactly did she mean? Was Stan a pedophile? Jane shivered.

  Vicki walked back into the room. “Lisa will be down soon. We’ve both decided to stay.”

  Jane had a feeling Vicki had a hand in Lisa’s staying. She couldn’t blame Lisa at all for wanting to leave. A woman who was sharing quarters with them had just confessed to murder. Hard to put that aside.

  “Pay up,” Annie said.

  “No,” Vera said. “My money was on Jo.”

  “Mine too!” Vicki said as she took her seat.

  “Did you all really place a bet on who the killer was?” Jane asked.

  “Why not?” Vicki replied. “It was kind of fun, you know, almost as if we were at one of those murder mystery parties.”

  “Except it was real,” Jane pointed out.

  “I was never scared,” Vera said. “I mean, I considered the murderer could be right here, but after Cora said it was a personal crime, I thought, well, why would they come after me?”

  “But still,” Annie said. “To take a life? There’s a certain dangerous hubris. That frightens me.”

  “You heard her say she didn’t mean it,” Vicki said as she wrapped purple strips of fabric around a straw. “It was an accident.”

  “She saw him in the alley. Why didn’t she just turn away from him?” Vera said. “What was she planning to do? Just wag her finger at him? Press charges?”

  “Who knows?” Jane spoke up. “If someone hurt London, I’m not sure what I’d do.”

  “I hear you,” Annie said. “Even when it’s another child who hurts your kid, you feel like you want to . . .”

  “Don’t say it!” Vicki said.

  “But it’s true. Like this mama-bear rises in you. I know I’ve had to tame it,” Annie replied.

  Jane wondered if any of these women knew what it meant to be pushed beyond their senses. She had been, but after years and years of abuse. Thank goodness, she hired a good lawyer. As she glanced around the table at the women exchanging money, finishing their fabric beads, Jane recognized they all had secrets. Everybody does. Maybe they didn’t have secrets as dark as hers, but she was certain they were there beneath the surface.

  Humans were such fragile creatures.

  “Well,” Cora said as she walked into the room, looking a bit flustered. “Thank you all for your patience and understanding while all of this was going on.”

  “Added a bit of excitement to our day,” Vicki said. “Annie over there is now twenty bucks richer.”

  “Don’t spend it all in one place,” Vera muttered.

  “How is the bead making going?” Cora said, ignoring the betting conversation. Jane figured she was not happy about it. It did seem kind of crass. Maybe it was their way of dealing with an awkward and scary situation.

  “This is so much fun,” Vicki said. “And it’s easy. I can’t believe it.”

  “It’s true,” Cora said, feeling guilty because she suspected Vicki of murder. “I try to keep the crafts easy because we’re here to learn, but also to relax. You know?”

  “I appreciate it. I can be all thumbs,” Vicki said. “I’m surprising myself.”

  Lena walked into the room, obviously distressed. She took a seat and fidgeted with her beads. The room quieted. Lena and Roni had become fast good friends.

  “They wouldn’t let me go to the station,” she said. “So here I am.”

  “How is she?” Vera asked.

  “She seems perfectly fine,” Lena said. “Calm, as a matter of fact. It chills me how calm and composed she is. I just don’t get how you could kill a man, even by accident, and be so calm about it.”

  “Well, she wasn’t at first,” Jane said. “Maybe she’s in shock.”

  “That’s probably it,” Cora replied. “Extreme stress can do odd things to people.”

  “I really liked her. We hit it off. Am I that bad a judge of character?”

  Cora found it troubling that Lena was so upset. Lena was their star teacher at this retreat. They didn’t need her to have a nervous breakdown while there.

  “Not at all,” Cora said. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. We’re all fond of her. She’s a likable person. Remember, she didn’t mean to kill him. It was an accident.”

  “It was a vengeful, spiteful move,” Lena said. “I know if someone hurt my child, I’d be angry. But to confront them in an alley and give them a hard enough push to fall and crack their head and die? She was here for a reason. Maybe she didn’t plan to kill him. But she was certainly up to no good.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Vera said. “You just never know about people, do you? I’ve been shocked over the past few years with some of the stuff that’s happened in my life. I would never have imagined my first husband was cheating on me with a much younger woman ... it hurt like hell. But you have to get to a point of... not forgiveness. . . but of knowing you did your
best and their bad behavior is no reflection on you.”

  “You make your judgments on people by knowing what you know. How were you to know any of this, unless she told you?” Vicki said.

  “Are we all done with our beads? If so, I suggest we break for dinner,” Cora said. “Remember, you are on your own tonight for dinner. You’re quite welcome to stay here and fix yourself something. Or go out on the town. There are a lot of places to choose from and I’m happy to help you out and to answer any questions.”

  The group began to file out, and Ruby and Jane stayed behind with Cora.

  “What a messed-up day,” Jane said.

  “We made the best of it,” Ruby said. “We did the best we could, and that’s all anybody can ask.”

  “We certainly could not have planned this,” Cora said. “We didn’t even really have a contingency plan . . .”

  “You can’t plan for something like this,” Ruby said. “Honestly, who knew?”

  Jane agreed, but a sudden wave of weariness came over her. “I’m exhausted,” she said. “It’s like I’ve been inhaling this whole time and have finally exhaled and every muscle is relaxed, but longing for bed.”

  “I feel the same way,” Cora said.

  “Not me,” Ruby said, eyes lit. “I’m off to Cashel’s office to see what’s going on.”

  Chapter 37

  Most of the craft retreaters went out for the evening. Ruby went off to Cashel’s office, with strict instructions from Cora to let her know if there was any news. Jane and Cora sat at the kitchen table eating leftovers.

  “Have you talked to London today?” Cora asked.

  “Yes,” Jane said. “She’s having a blast.”

  “How are you doing with her gone this weekend?”

  “I miss her even though I know she’s having fun and being well taken care of,” Jane said.

  “Do you believe our guests were making bets on who the killer was?” Cora said, and drank from her wine.

  “I think it was just a way for them to deal with the stress,” Jane said.

  “That’s a good way of looking at it. It’s probably true,” Cora said.

  “It’s hard to imagine that Roni killed him,” Jane said.

  “It is, but remember she said it was an accident. Still, I can’t figure out how she got Stan from the alley to the theater.”

  “And she didn’t say anything about a knife,” Jane said. “It’s all so confusing.”

  “I’m sure there was a lot more to it than what we know,” Cora said. “She had passed out and wasn’t making much sense at first. Once they get her calmed down, everything will be revealed.”

  They sat and ate quietly.

  “Other than all of this, how do you think the retreat is going?” Cora asked after a few minutes.

  “It’s been interesting,” Jane said. “I think friendships are forming. I think they are missing their kids, but enjoying themselves.” She paused. “You know, once you’re a mother, you’re just never the same. No matter what, your kid is always on your mind. You’re sort of always pulled between yourself and them.”

  “I’ve noticed that a lot of our guests are making a lot of phone calls home. But Jo? She has me worried. I mean, I get that you miss your kids, but to leave a retreat that you paid for?”

  “Yes, I’ve seen this kind of mom a lot,” Jane said. “She probably doesn’t have any interests of her own. Maybe she has her self-worth wrapped up in her children.”

  “Don’t you? I mean, don’t all mothers?”

  A thoughtful expression came over Jane’s face. “No. I love my kid, but I have parts of myself that are just mine. I want to be a good mom, and there’s a certain amount of satisfaction to that. I don’t think my self-worth is tied into mothering at all.”

  “Which brings me back to Jo. She probably needed this retreat more than any of you,” Cora said. She slid her plate aside and poured more wine.

  “I hope they’ve let Jo go by now,” Jane said. “She was the sweetest person. She was probably frightened when they pulled her over.”

  “Oh, I can imagine,” Cora said. “More wine?”

  Jane nodded. “How’s it going with Adrian?”

  “Good,” Cora said. “He’ll be around during the closing party.”

  “You know, I’ve been thinking about that. In my opinion, it’d be all right for him to be around during the retreats.”

  “I don’t know,” Cora said. “He’s a guy, and guys can change the energy when there’s a group of women.”

  “Yes, but he’s your devoted boyfriend. So maybe it wouldn’t be as bad,” Jane said. “Just think about it.”

  “I’ll give it some consideration,” Cora said. Sometimes she felt like pinching herself. It had been such a long time since she’d had a boyfriend. And she’d never had one who was as crazy about her as Adrian. It was certainly a boost to her ego.

  Jane stood and stretched. “I think I’m going to call it a night. I’m exhausted. Pretty sad, isn’t it? My kid is gone, and I’ve plenty of space and time to myself, and all I want to do is sleep.”

  “We’ve had quite a day,” Cora said, standing and gathering plates.

  “I think it’s going well, other than ... you know. Stan,” Jane said, and yawned.

  “Good night, Jane,” Cora said. “I’ll take care of the dishes.”

  “Okay,” Jane said. “Good night.” She walked out of the room. The back door opened and closed.

  She rinsed off the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, mulling over the day. She didn’t know who concerned her the most—Jo, Zee, or Roni. It was apparent that Roni didn’t mean to kill Stan.

  Something Roni had said about Stan caught in her mind and irritated her like a popcorn skin caught between her teeth. She’d said Stan had hurt her daughter and that she was only twelve when it had happened. If Stan was a pedophile, he was in a perfect position to prey on young people. Just like a priest or a Boy Scout leader.

  He’d been involved in the theater for years.

  This couldn’t be the first time he’d hurt a child, could it?

  He was unpleasant, self-important, and liked to wield his small-town theater power, but that didn’t make him a person who would hurt a child.

  Cora’s cell phone buzzed. The IndigoArts Theater was calling her. She considered not picking it up. But she couldn’t do it.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Cora, it’s me, Lucy, at the theater. Stan’s assistant?”

  “Yes, of course,” Cora said, impatient. She was exhausted and wanted to get to bed.

  “We need you and Jane to help us out tonight. Is that possible?”

  Cora yawned. “What exactly do you mean?”

  “We’ve got a packed house and are pulled thin because some of our volunteers have come down with the flu. So if you and Jane could help usher or work refreshments. Anything would help.” Desperation poured from her voice.

  Cora glanced at the clock. It was eight P.M. As long as she was in bed by ten or eleven, she’d be fine. The poor woman was almost begging.

  “I’ll be over. I’ll call Jane and see if she wants to help as well. We’re both tired because it’s been a long day and we have a retreat going on.”

  “Oh, thank you. We won’t keep you long. You can leave after intermission. I promise.”

  Cora pressed her key for Jane’s number, hating to disturb her. But it was Jane who got her into this mess of a theater production.

  “What?” Jane said, answering the phone.

  Cora explained what Lucy was asking of them.

  “Are you serious?” Jane said.

  “As serious as a heart attack,” Cora said.

  Jane paused. “Okay. I’ll meet you at the front gate in five.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “And Cora?”

  “Yes?”

  “Remind me of this night if I ever suggest we do anything like this again.”

  “No worries.” Cora would be more than happy to remi
nd her.

  Chapter 38

  The theater was packed and the show had already started. Cora and Jane were placed behind a table, each having a cash box filled with change.

  “Everything is a dollar. The water, sodas, and snacks,” Lucy said. “You shouldn’t have to deal with change at all, but you’ll be prepared just in case.” She flitted around them like a tightly wound windup toy.

  “Okay,” Jane said. “Anything else?”

  “I hope we have enough. We even have folks on the balcony tonight. If we run out of food, we run out,” she said, shrugging, with her bracelets jangling as she did so. “Also, I probably don’t have to tell you this, but please don’t talk with the press. They’ve been skulking around here.” Lucy had a gift for drama. Cora was certain there were no real press around the theater.

  “Whatever for?” Jane said. “A man was killed. End of story. What could they possibly hope to dig up?”

  “I don’t know,” she said with sudden seriousness. “You know, Stanley was not an easy man to get along with. I’ll never get over the way he pushed some of these kids and how he treated their parents.” She clicked her tongue on the back of her teeth. “But we wouldn’t have a theater without him.”

  “What do you mean?” Cora said as she arranged candy.

  “His fund-raising built this place. He also gave a good bit of his own money,” she said. She drew in a breath and let it out as she spoke. “Well, it looks like you are all organized.”

  “Yes, I think we are,” Jane said.

  “There’s plenty of time until intermission. You should try to catch a few scenes.”

  “It might be fun to see our sets in action,” Jane said. “Okay.”

  “If I were you, I’d go to the balcony. There’s room to stand up there where you won’t be in anybody’s way.”

  After Lucy left, Cora and Jane trudged up the stairs to the balcony and slowly opened the door to be as quiet as possible.

  Stepping from a well-lit hall to almost complete darkness was jarring for Cora. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust. A stream of light traveled from the light booth to the stage, where the performance was in full force.