He went into a small lavatory and came out with a damp cloth, some Band-Aids and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. “Sit up here.” He patted the edge of his desk. With a gentleness that almost made me cry, he removed the tissue that was stuck to the dried blood. As I sat there inhaling the spicy scent of his aftershave, he wiped my face.
“It’s not too bad,” he said as he cleansed it. He kissed my forehead. “Anything else?”
I lifted my shirt and he dabbed at the scratches on my midriff.
“Do I have to lock you up to keep you from getting yourself killed?”
“He knows something about the Collins murder,” I said.
Nick stood back and stared at me. “And you know this how?”
I recounted Percy’s side of the phone conversation.
Nick repeated my words slowly, as if he were weighing every one. “I’m not getting involved in this shit. I’ve done enough. Look at Collins.”
“I think he killed Collins,” I said.
“This Marla’s into more than sex. I wonder who she is. Don’t know anyone by that name around here.” He paused, then said, “So Collins was involved in something that got him killed, and now Marla wants Percy involved in the same thing. She’s the link between the two.”
“You’re going to check Percy out, right?”
“It might surprise you to learn I’m already doing that. After all, he was Al’s partner.”
I nodded my approval.
“Marla’s one of the women who sat with Aunt Ellie at the funeral.” I told him about Percy’s nod to one of the women.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
“Sure. What do I know? I’m telling you he made contact with a nod. But don’t listen.”
He shook his head. “That doesn’t prove a thing. He could have been saying hello. Nora, you jump to conclusions.”
“Like Aunt Ida?” I asked, a superior edge to my voice.
“There was that carpet-in-the-creek episode,” he said, almost to himself.
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s why I wasn’t so quick to pay attention to your aunt’s claim about a coming murder.” He paused and gave a deep sigh. “I know it’s no excuse, but it is a reason. A while back she called me, hysterical about a body rolled in a carpet that was tossed into the creek. I wasted hours hunting for it. Tied up half my force. Turned out to be a section of carpet old man Gardener was throwing away. The body inside was a rusty pole lamp.”
I wanted to defend my aunt, but was hard pressed to think of much. She watched a lot of crime shows.
Finally, I said, “She was being a good citizen. The trouble with the world today is that most people don’t want to get involved. They want to look the other way, mind their own business. Aunt Ida isn’t like that, to her credit.”
“Yes, there is that.”
“Getting back to Percy’s lady friend … Are any of those four women on the library list I retrieved?”
He went through some papers on his desk, and pulled out the library list. “All of them,” he said, “except Margaret the librarian, but we know she was at the library.”
“See.” I hopped down from the desk.
“See what? None are named Marla.”
“I know. Maybe it’s a sex thing.”
“Come again?” he said, his brows lifting a notch.
Nick smiled at me. I loved the way he smiled.
“Maybe it was a name in a story they were acting out. Who knows? They play games. I think it was part of the game.”
“Games? You never mentioned games.”
“I guess I left that part out.” I gave a casual shrug. “Percy wore Gestapo boots, I think. Talked with a German accent. He carried a riding crop. At least I think it was a riding crop. He said that she was very naughty for coming late. His exact words were, ‘When I hired you as my maid I warned you not to be late, didn’t I?’”
“You remember the exact words?” Grinning, Nick shook his head.
I smirked in reply, then asked, “You ever do stuff like that?”
“No.”
I laughed. “Glad to hear it.”
He said, “I’m not much for playing games of any kind.”
I wasn’t about to comment on that. “I’ll find out who Marla is,” I said with great enthusiasm. “You concentrate on finding the killer.”
He looked around the room, a puzzled frown creasing his brow. Slowly, the frown lines eased, and were replaced by an expression of sudden awareness.
“Yes, this is my office. There’s my hat, my computer, my jacket, the dead plant my mother gave me.” He turned to me. “Ay-uh. My office. I know without looking that the sign on the door says Sheriff, Nicholas Renzo, which is another way of saying Head Honcho, Chief, or Guy In Charge. Take your pick. Now, Ms. Nora Lassiter, which one of those titles don’t you understand?”
“I think you missed something.”
“Did I?”
“Yes. The subheading that says Mulish: Unwilling to Utilize Skills of Helpful Lady.”
“That’s because duty compels me to protect the Helpful Lady.”
He was right, of course, yet I pressed. “Duty? Is that what motivates you to protect me?”
As soon as the words were out of my big mouth, I wanted to snatch them back. What was wrong with me?
“Let’s not go there,” he said immediately, gathering his first aid supplies and carrying them back to the lavatory.
“You’re right.”
Nick Renzo was forbidden territory. That was part of his allure, I suppose. We are all drawn to those things we cannot, or should not, have.
Switching the topic quicker than you could say moose crossing, I said, “I was scared in the woods. Only Percy’s clumsiness saved me from whatever might have happened if he’d caught me. So I guess you’re right.”
“I am.”
I heard him close a cabinet door in the lavatory.
“Percy knows who these people are. You going to arrest him?”
“On what charge?” he asked when he reappeared.
“Can’t you at least bring him in and ask him about this information?” I nodded at the paper with the names and numbers on it that was tacked to his bulletin board.
“You stole that information. Shall I mention that to him when he asks about it?”
I let out a puff of air. “Your hands are tied?”
“Somewhat. But I can still ask around.”
I thought about that. “I’ll leave you to the investigation,” I said as I headed for the door. “I have a few more things to do before I leave town and I’d better get hopping.”
“I’m relieved.”
At the door, he lifted my chin with his finger, and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. I was not prepared. As usual. Mmm. He tasted good.
“And honored,” he continued, “that you trust me to finish the investigation.”
We left his office together and headed for the front door.
* * *
A man in a sharp gray suit and red tie entered as we were leaving. He held the door and nodded at us.
“Who’s he?” I whispered.
Nick had a puzzled look on his face.
“A high-powered lawyer. I don’t know him personally, but I’ve seen him around the courthouse. I’m surprised he’s here for such a small case.”
“Case? You mean the guys you arrested last night?” I asked as we walked down the station house steps.
He nodded. “Ay-uh. Drunken disorderly, marijuana possession, resisting arrest.”
We stopped at my truck.
“I still haven’t taken this for a test run,” he said as he went around to the driver’s side and hopped in. I got in beside him. He pulled out and drove down the street, putting Ce-Ce to the test. When we arrived back, he said, “Not too bad. But definitely get the radiator fixed, or you’ll end up getting stuck with a seized engine block.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“It�
��s not.”
He started to explain and I put my hand up. “Stop. I don’t want to know. I don’t care.”
He got out, and I moved behind the wheel.
“Thanks for the information, Nora. You’ve been helpful.”
I shouldn’t have felt as pleased as I did.
I said, “One more thing. Percy said he’s done enough, so that means he’s done something already. That something could be that he killed Collins.”
Nick placed his hands on the door and leaned toward me.
“You said that before. You want it to be so because you don’t want your Uncle JT to be guilty, but JT is a prime suspect, and I can’t change that. He ran, Nora. Took off two days after the murder. If Ellie’s heard from him since that first call, she hasn’t told me. She could be lying to protect him.”
I knew we only had her word about his phone call and his reason for leaving.
“Do you know something else about JT that I don’t?” I asked.
Nick hesitated, and I knew there was something .
“What? Tell me. I’m a battered and bleeding woman.”
“Battered by a gnat? And you’re not bleeding any more.”
“Nick.”
He sighed. “JT and Al Collins had a disagreement a while back, maybe a year or so ago. JT gave Al a black eye.”
“Doesn’t mean he killed him.”
“Correct. But it goes to bad blood between them.”
“Still, I think it’s Percy. Marla may be involved, too. I think she’s one of the three I mentioned. You have anyone else in mind?”
“I’m checking out the salesmen from the lot and two other guys who work at JT’s auto repair place. So far, nothing.”
“How do you find this killer?” I asked, discouragement evident in my voice. “What do you do?”
“I think motive first. What could be gained by his death? Money is usually the key. Money from insurance. Business. Crime. Maybe he didn’t pay a gambling debt, or perhaps he knew something someone wanted kept quiet. Could be a lot of things. The sooner we find out what it was, the sooner we can find the killer.”
“What does Percy stand to gain? Or Collins’ wife?”
“Percy gains the business, and Collins’ wife gets a share. It’s a possibility, but I don’t think that’s it.”
“Percy said Collins was into something.”
Nick looked at me. “And that’s the key. I have to find out what that something was.”
“So you have to trace his contacts. Maybe they’re on the sheet I gave you. Marla’s part of it. She has to be. And maybe it’s going down on the twentieth.”
“I’ve run those two names, Michelle Gray and Phil Clinton, through the database and nothing much has come up. They’re probably aliases.
* * *
On Saturday morning I got up to the scent of good things wafting from the kitchen. Ida was preparing one her specialties, shrimp creole, with the secret family recipe sauce.
“We having this tonight?” I asked, getting a spoon so I could take a taste.
“No, it’s for the bean-hole supper we’ll be having during Silver Stream Days. I’ll freeze it up. I like to have everything ready ahead of time so I don’t have to rush.”
“I remember Silver Stream days. Sort of. And if I didn’t remember, all the signs around town would clue me in. I vaguely recall the bean hole, but no details.”
“They dig a huge hole,” Ida said, “and bake the beans in it for hours. Oh, they’re wicked good. We all bring a covered dish to the celebration. I’m going to bring two.”
CSI Miami was playing on the kitchen television as I dipped into the sauce. “Mmm. Delicious. The second dish is supposed to be my contribution?”
Nodding, she smiled. “Just in case you’re still here. Wouldn’t want you to go empty-handed. I’ll give you the recipe so you can tell folks what’s in it.”
“I can cook a few things. Tacos, hard boiled eggs, burgers.” I took another mouthful of sauce. “I’m not very good at soft boiled eggs. I also do a mean tuna casserole with potato chips.”
Ida made a face. “Few is right. I can help, you know. Wouldn’t want to push, of course. Hannah’s the pushy one in the family. Not me.” She paused and looked at me. “You and Nick get in late last night?”
“Sort of.”
“Have a good time?”
“Very good.”
I knew she wanted details. I put some wheat bread in the toaster and poured a cup of coffee, holding off. I was used to keeping my private life to myself.
“Humph.”
Ida stirred with renewed vigor.
Again, “Humph.”
“All right.” I smiled, relenting. “I had a good time with him. Nick’s a nice guy and if I were staying … well, I’m not. Besides, I’m not ready for another relationship.
“The food was excellent, but we never did finish,” I went on. “Nick got into a scuffle, and arrested two guys for drunken-disorderly in the restaurant. Turns out they were having a little marijuana with their wine.”
“Oh, that marijuana’s been a problem in these parts for a long time. I thought that was a thing of the past. Haven’t heard much about it lately.”
“Really? Folks around here are big on marijuana?”
“Used to be that more adults in Maine used marijuana than in any other state, not a statistic to be proud of. Don’t know if that’s still true. Used to grow the stuff in the woods because it was hard to detect from the air. Grow it under-ground, too.”
“That must be some feat.”
Ida stirred shrimp into her pot. “Nick didn’t get hurt, did he?”
I pulled my thoughts away from underground marijuana farms. “No, he wasn’t hurt.” I studied her expression. “I think you like him. The first time you mentioned him, you called him a nitwit.”
“Did I? I don’t recall.” She added a dash of cayenne pepper to the pot, and stirred. “Must be my age. I forget a lot.”
“Oh, really? I think not.” I gave her a side hug. “You interested in details?”
“It’s not nice to tease an old lady.”
I smiled. “I got involved in the fight. On the side of law and order.”
“Oh, my word. Tell me about it.” She put the spoon in the ceramic spoon rest and gave me her full attention.
“I threw some spaghetti at one of the bad guys. Chocolate mousse, too.”
Her hand went to her heart. “Oh, I’m so proud of you.” She stopped the CSI Miami episode. “What else? What happened next?”
I gave her a blow by blow, leaving out only the kiss at the end of the evening.
“Hannah will love this,” she said when I finished. “Now tell me what’s new in the murder investigation.”
I gave her a few details.
After breakfast, I headed for the Auto Mart. The problems Nick had mentioned with Ce-Ce required attention. Snooping was not my number one priority. If I happened to learn something worthwhile, all well and good. I didn’t have Head Honcho written on my door.
I was almost positive Percy hadn’t seen me yesterday. Not only had I not turned to face him, but the light wasn’t good because of the dark clouds and trees. When I pulled into the Auto Mart, Percy was standing next to a red Honda Civic talking to a woman. I hesitated a nanosecond, then drove right up to them and the woman turned.
Margaret the librarian.
TWENTY-ONE
I hid my surprise, and lowered the window.
“Hello, Margaret. Percy. You buying a new car, Margaret? That Lexus over there looks like a fine one.” Expensive. Unless one is a special friend of the boss, on intimate terms, so to speak, and will get a big discount?
Dressed in her working clothes, a brown A-line skirt, white blouse, gold jacket and sensible brown oxfords, Margaret smiled, at least as much as her tightly bunned hair allowed.
Could Margaret be Marla? Mar and Mar. Both names started the same way. Coincidence?
“I’m thinking about one, but just looking
around at the moment,” Margaret said, not a shred of warmth in her voice.
Percy’s phone conversation with the mystery woman ran through my head at warp speed, and I wondered what she wanted him to do that he didn’t want to do. Was that the reason Margaret was here? Was she Marla, here to pressure him? Mary Fran’s rival might have a dual motive. Sex might be the bonus as well as the motivating factor.
I studied Percy a moment. How could any woman be attracted to him? What woman would want to play sex games with him? No accounting for taste.
Percy wasn’t exactly fat, but he probably would be in a few years. Heavyset applied now. He had a crew-cut. But the crew was bailing out. Not on his legs though. I’d seen the mat of fur on those gorillas.
I knew from the book she had been reading that Margaret was into erotica. It was possible that behind her conservative clothing lurked an accomplished slut who broke free whenever the spirit or the opportunity prompted her. In which case, any man who could satisfy her might do. Was Margaret a closet Lascivious Lucinda, hiding behind boring clothing and the name Marla? Maybe it was a name in a book she’d read? One they both read?
I didn’t know.
I got out of my truck. Prolonging the official reason for my visit might make them suspicious. “Percy, I’ve got a small problem with the truck.”
I told him about the leaky radiator and the bald tires, looking him in the eye the whole time, hoping to pick up some hint about yesterday in his expression. Nothing. He had not seen me, I was sure.
Margaret listened without moving. What a woman. Such control. I wondered what her high, squeaky voice sounded like. The Marla voice? No way to find out at the moment.
“I don’t take care of repairs. That was Al’s bailiwick,” Percy said, trying for a mournful look, but failing. Or, was that just me being too hard on the guy? “I’ll have to hire someone else. In the meantime, you’ll have to wait. Go talk to Pete. He’ll put you on the list.”
I nodded, my expression appropriately somber. “I understand. I’ll make an appointment.”
I got back in my truck. “So long, Mar. See you in the library.” I nodded to Percy, aware of Margaret in my peripheral vision, watching for a reaction to the Mar. No reaction. Mar was a cool lady. I wondered how cool she was when she read her books.
Bernadine Fagan - Nora Lassiter 01 - Murder by the Old Maine Stream Page 16
