Hush-Hush

by Elizabeth Spann Craig

  The house was very dim inside with no curtains opened nor many lights on. I wondered if Pris had still been sleeping when Burton came over to speak with her. Luna noticed it too. “Want me to open the curtains? Turn some lights on?”

  Pris nodded, looking around at the dimness as if just noticing it for the first time as Luna and I brought back some light into the living room. Now that I could look around a little, I could see Ellie’s decorating skills at work in the house. There were some old chairs that looked like they’d been reupholstered in floral fabrics. There were pops of color everywhere with bright cushions scattered on the sofa and chairs.

  Pris seemed lost in her own thoughts again and Luna and I glanced at each other before finding places to sit down. We waited, saying nothing, until Pris was ready to speak. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, “I just can’t believe she’s gone.”

  I said, “It must have been a terrible shock when you were told this morning.”

  “I know we were shocked,” said Luna, looking at me.

  Pris said, “I was sleeping in when there was a knock on the door. I stopped by Ellie’s room to see if she knew who might be at the door. But she wasn’t there.” She gave a shiver and I felt a corresponding chill up my spine. It must have been awful for her to start putting two and two together when she’d seen Burton at her door.

  “I thought it might be Ellie at the door. Like she’d gone out for breakfast or something and had forgotten her key. But it didn’t make any sense. Ellie had closed up the library last night so why would she be up early this morning? Then I went to the door and looked out and saw the police chief there.” She exhaled a shaky breath. “He must have had to tell me three or four times what had happened because it just wasn’t sinking in.”

  Luna gave her a sympathetic look. “Of course it wasn’t. You’d never expect anything to happen to Ellie. Why would you? She was young and strong.”

  Pris nodded. “Burton ended up making me a strong cup of coffee because I thought I was going to keel over. I kept shivering, too. He was really kind.”

  I found myself glancing over at Luna, hoping she was taking in the fact that Burton had been so nice to Pris. That he was a thoughtful, kind man who was very dateable material. Luna, as usual, seemed oblivious.

  “We’re so lucky to have him as the police chief,” agreed Luna. “He’s been great about working with the youth in Whitby, too.”

  Pris nodded, looking troubled. “I know this is usually a safe place to live, otherwise I wouldn’t be trying to move my daughter here.” She glanced at us. “I know I’ve mentioned this a little bit before when I’ve seen you in the library because it sort of consumes my life. Right now, I have joint custody, but my ex is a lawyer and I’m worried he’s going to pull some sort of stunt and I’ll end up not being able to see my little girl. I’ve been just sick over it.”

  Luna drew her brows together. “Of course you have been! What a rotten thing for him to try and do.”

  “And now this happened.” Pris put her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes with the base of her palms. “I feel so awful about it. Ellie and I were really bumping heads yesterday—you saw some of that, Ann.”

  I shrugged, feeling uncomfortable about verifying a disagreement that Pris clearly felt guilty over. “All families have tiffs.”

  “It’s true. I think it was all the stress I’ve been under that was making me really irritable. Ellie was awesome to let me move in and I tried to be the perfect houseguest at first. I made supper most nights, especially since Ellie has been working in the evenings. I’ve helped her in the yard, even if I suspected she really didn’t want me to.” Pris gave us a rueful grin.

  “I could tell, coming in, that Ellie must really have loved working outside,” I said.

  Pris nodded, her eyes welling up a little until she furiously blinked the tears back down again. “She did. It must have been stress relief for her, which is something I didn’t totally understand. But boy, after I pulled a couple of ‘weeds’ that ended up being perennials, she let me know about it. Anyway, I did try to pull my own weight around here, but the stress was hard for me to overcome. I mean, I was already a total basket-case because of the upcoming divorce and getting used to being away from my ex and my daughter.”

  “Which must have been really traumatic,” said Luna, giving her a sympathetic look.

  “It’s been hard.” Pris’s voice caught a little and she cleared her throat before continuing. “Then I’ve been trying to find a job, but I haven’t worked in years because my husband and I were trying to have a baby and I had all these doctor appointments. Then, when Melissa was born, I was a full-time mom. So I really feel like I’m not qualified to do much of anything, especially since my self-esteem is at rock bottom.”

  Luna said, “We’ll keep an ear out, won’t we, Ann?”

  I nodded. “We have an online jobs board that’s hosted on the library website, too. That might help you.”

  She gave us a grateful look. “Thanks so much. Ellie didn’t mention that.” Her lips pressed together tightly, either in annoyance that Ellie didn’t mention the job listings or in grief that her sister was gone.

  I added quickly, “Ellie was new to the library, of course, and might not have known about it.”

  Pris nodded absently, but her mind was clearly on other things. “And, of course, Ellie and I were totally different people. Grown people who weren’t very much alike. Ellie was used to living alone and doing things her way, and then I came crashing in and changed everything. It’s been an adjustment for both of us. I’m not sure Ellie was completely sold on being a librarian for the rest of her life. She said something about starting her own business, but didn’t offer any details when I asked about it.” She looked at us. “What was Ellie like? I mean, to work with?”

  Luna and I glanced at each other. I had no plans on speaking ill of the dead, especially to my coworker’s sister. I said carefully, “Ellie was very organized. She was a hard worker.”

  Luna nodded in fervent agreement.

  Pris looked as if she might press us on the matter, but then let it go. Then she said, “Ann, you found her this morning, right?”

  I nodded, feeling uncomfortable.

  “Burton told me it was a suspicious death,” said Pris. “He said she must have died last night.”

  That was actually more information than we’d had, so it was good to hear it confirmed. “When I walked in this morning, I was worried because the library door wasn’t locked and the lights were still on. It does make sense that it happened last night.”

  Pris’s face again creased with guilt and worry. “If I’d only been there. I was irritated with Ellie and wanted to turn in early so I didn’t have to see her when she came in after nine. I got ready for bed and then had my earbuds in and watched a movie on my laptop. After that, I turned on my white noise sound machine and fell asleep. I figured Ellie was safely back home.”

  “You couldn’t have known,” said Luna stoutly. “If you had gone to the library to investigate, who knows what might have happened? Maybe you would have been attacked, yourself.”

  They were quiet for a moment or two and then Pris said, “I’ve been trying to think about who might have done this to Ellie. It just seemed so totally far-fetched. But then, the more I started thinking about it, the more I started realizing that maybe I could see where someone might have wanted Ellie out of the way.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Like who?” I asked quietly.

  Pris shrugged, shifting in her seat and looking down. “I don’t know. I don’t really know what I’m talking about, it’s just that I can’t stop thinking about it and maybe I’m trying to connect the dots in my head. But Ellie was seeing somebody.”

  “She had a boyfriend?” I asked.

  Pris sighed. “Yes, but he was married. I told her that wasn’t right. I told her to put herself in the poor wife’s shoes, but she just ignored me. She was really hard-headed when she wanted to be.”<
br />
  Luna said, “Do you think he might have had something to do with what happened to Ellie?”

  Pris shrugged, looking weary. “Who knows, right? But I figure the police aren’t going to know about it unless I say something to them about him. When the cops were here earlier, I was just so shocked at what they were saying that I didn’t even think to say anything about it.” She made a face. “Anyway, it was something else Ellie and I were arguing over.”

  “Who was it?” asked Luna.

  “Ted Griffith.” Pris sighed. “Ellie seemed to think he was going to leave his wife for her. I told her that wasn’t usually the way things worked, but she was convinced.” She hesitated. “I wondered if maybe Ellie was putting pressure on Ted to leave his wife. Sunny, I think her name is. Okay, I actually know she was. She told him that unless he was going to leave his wife, she was going to tell Sunny about their relationship. Then she’d wreck their marriage and he wouldn’t have anybody.”

  Luna and I glanced at each other again. It sounded rather diabolical. Which, in fact, fit right in with what I had learned about Ellie over the past few hours.

  “I know it sounds awful that I’m talking about Ellie that way, but whoever did this can’t get away with it. Ellie could be really tough to deal with, but she could also be super-caring and loving.”

  I nodded reflexively, although I hadn’t actually seen that side of Ellie at all and was starting to wonder if it really existed at all.

  Pris suddenly looked uncomfortable and said, “There’s something else, too. I hate to have you think poorly of Ellie, but there was one other thing. I think she was blackmailing this guy who was her friend’s husband.”

  “Frank Morrison?” asked Luna in a solemn voice.

  Pris’s eyes opened wide. “You know about that?”

  “Not really,” said Luna hastily. “We just heard a little something, that’s all.”

  Pris nodded. “Small town. All I know is that Ellie was really mad because her friend Judith died in a suspicious manner. She kept telling me there was absolutely no way Judith just took a tumble down the stairs, even if she had been drinking at the time. She said Judith had a high tolerance to alcohol because she drank a lot of it, and that Judith was always so coordinated and graceful. Falling down the stairs was not really in her repertoire.”

  “Ellie thought Judith’s husband had something to do with it?” I asked.

  “She did. That wasn’t just speculation on her part because Judith had told her Frank was abusive. Then, after Judith died and the police ruled it accidental . . . well, now I’m just wondering if maybe Ellie tried to pressure Frank over it,” said Pris.

  “You think she was blackmailing him?” asked Luna.

  Pris shrugged, looking unhappy. “Maybe. I hate saying that, but I wonder if it could explain what happened to her. Maybe she told Frank he had to pay her to stay quiet. She told me he worked at the library, right?”

  I said, “As a contractor. He’s our tech for the computers.”

  “Maybe he waited for her to be alone in the library and then killed her,” said Pris solemnly.

  We paused for a few seconds, thinking this over, then I said, “I’m glad you’re going to go to the police with this, Pris.”

  Pris said, “I feel like I don’t really have a choice. I mean, maybe he really didn’t have anything to do with Judith’s death or Ellie’s. But what if he did? And the same with Ted Griffith. From what I’m gathering, it sounds like Ellie could have really been exploiting people’s secrets. So, yes, I’m definitely going to call Burton back after y’all leave and let him know about this. They might be totally innocent, but I’ll feel awful if they’re guilty and I didn’t say anything to the police about them.”

  We chatted for a few more minutes, Pris starting to muse over funeral plans. Then we gently took our leave, offering more support from the library if Pris needed it.

  Back in her car, Luna said, “That was grim.”

  I said, “Losing a sibling has got to be hard.” I felt the same pang I always did when I mentioned family. I know how I’d felt when my great-aunt had died. She was all the family I’d had left. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it must be to lose a sister—someone you’d grown up with, played with, scrapped with.

  Luna said, “Oh, I know. But I mean that’s on top of everything else she’s got going on right now. Think about it—Pris is here in Whitby, which is a new town for her. She just moved here because Ellie was here and she needed a place to stay. She’s been living with her sister and it was apparently a pretty tough adjustment. She’s going through a divorce and a separation from her daughter. She’s looking for a job. Now she’s lost her sister, who she just argued with. Nothing is going right for her.”

  I had to agree. Pris must feel like an avalanche had swept over her. “What did you think about what she said about Ted Griffith and Frank Morrison?”

  Luna’s tone switched from sympathetic to angry. “It sounds like either one of them could have done it. I mean, to a certain degree, Ellie was playing with fire. Don’t you think? She never should have been in the situation she was in. I know it sounds like I’m blaming the victim, here, but blackmailing two men?”

  I said slowly, “But do you really think she was blackmailing Ted? I agree—it totally sounds like she was blackmailing Frank, especially since we’re hearing about it from a couple of different sources. But Ted was over at the library this morning like he was checking in on Ellie. It seemed like he still really cared about her. Maybe she was simply putting pressure on him to leave his wife.”

  “Like pushing him? And he wasn’t really resisting? So maybe he was seriously considering leaving Sunny for Ellie,” said Luna. She was quiet for a moment and then said, “So maybe Sunny had a motive to get rid of Ellie.”

  “Because she wanted to keep their family intact?” I asked. “Do they have kids?”

  “They don’t have children, no. But maybe Sunny wanted to keep her husband for herself—maybe she still really loves him and doesn’t want to let him go.” But Luna’s voice was a little doubtful.

  “What’s she like?” I asked. “Do you know her? Every time I see her in the library, she seems a little cold.”

  “Yeah, that’s a pretty apt description. I thought that might have been because we were library minions and she’s on the board, but it might just be her nature. I probably don’t know her any better than you do, but I have seen her out shopping when I’ve been in town before. I popped over to say hi and her reception was kind of chilly.” Luna made a face.

  I said, “Do you think Sunny might have a financial motive to stay in a marriage with Ted? Does she have her own independent income?”

  “Not as far as I’m aware. She definitely doesn’t work, and I don’t think she has family money because I remember her family growing up and they were strictly middle-class. So, yeah, it’s possible she wants to keep her cushy lifestyle and decided to eliminate the competition.”

  “What does Ted do?” I asked. “All I know about him is that he was Ellie’s Spanish tutor.”

  Luna snorted. “Sure he was. Nice excuse, anyway. He owns some big I.T. company of some kind . . . computer security or whatnot. I don’t know the details, but he’s definitely not hurting for money.” She glanced over at me. “Then there’s Pris, herself. We don’t really know her very well, but I like her. You don’t think she had anything to do with Ellie’s death, do you?”

  I shrugged. “They weren’t really getting along, from what we’ve heard and witnessed. But that happens in a lot of families and they don’t kill each other over it.” I paused. “I thought it was interesting that Pris mentioned Ellie was talking about starting her own business and not being a librarian. I wonder what type of business she was thinking about starting.”

  Luna snorted. “I’m not so surprised. Ellie didn’t seem interested in books in the slightest to me. She’d never have made it as a librarian for very long. Anyway, our conversation with Pris has given us lots to th
ink about.” She brightened suddenly, turning to look at me. “Except you don’t need to. Because you have a date tonight.”

  I felt myself color. “Like I said, not really a date, Luna. Just an opportunity to catch up with an old friend.”

  “An old boyfriend. What are you going to wear?”

  “I have no idea,” I said with a shrug. I looked down at myself, at my black slacks and white blouse. “I could just—”

  “No,” said Luna emphatically, shaking her head. “Nope. You’re not wearing your work clothes on your date with Connor.”

  “I could dress them up with some fun jewelry,” I protested.

  “You don’t have any fun jewelry. I have fun jewelry. Even if we put my fun jewelry into service on your behalf, there’s no way to make that outfit look like a date outfit.”

  I was a little concerned that Luna was going to start suggesting she delve into her own closet to find something for me to wear. Something, no doubt, with way more fuchsia and neon green than I’d ever choose. I hastily said, “I’ll go through my closet and find something appropriate.”

  I somehow ended up promising to send Luna a selfie of me wearing my “date” outfit and got out of the car and into my house.

  As I walked in, Fitz was looking mischievous. He rolled onto his back and gave me a teasing look. He seemed to be inviting me to rub his furry tummy, but I knew with the expression on his face that he’d bat my hand if I tried to (always without claws, though, since Fitz never wanted to hurt me). Instead, I picked up his favorite toy: the fuzzy chicken-creature on the end of a small fishing pole, and dangled the chicken over him. He immediately exploded into action, hitting the fluffy chicken until I thought it might fall apart.

  We played for the next fifteen minutes or so until the cat finally acted like he might be done with the toy and started bathing himself. I gave him a sympathetic look. “Needed to get your extra energy out, didn’t you? I know it’s been a boring day for you.” Usually Fitz had all sorts of social outlets from being in the library. He’d settle in a child’s lap and purr approvingly as a beginning reader haltingly read to him. Or he’d cuddle with one of our seniors in the periodical section. I could almost sense everyone’s stress dissipate as Fitz ministered to them in his own way. I had no doubt he missed out on all the interaction today and now here I was about to leave on some sort of date. Perhaps.