In the interest of self-preservation, he obviously wanted to get their relationship straight before he suffered the consequences of another impromptu story. Smart fellow.
She draped her arms about his neck and leaned in between the containers. She whispered, "We’re officially pre-engaged and I’ve—"
"Pre-engaged? That seems so tenuous."
"You have trouble with commitment. Anyway, I’ve brought you to meet the family I never knew I had. Great Grandmama Mayfield disappeared off the face of the earth with no forwarding address."
"Abducted by aliens?"
"Quite possibly, but it might be better not to get into that."
They headed toward the picnic pavilion a few yards from the lake. People were everywhere. Most with dark hair, some faded to gray and others on to white. No taffy brown anywhere in sight, just as Melissa had said, although she did spy one redhead. Must be an in-law. And no bleach jobs. But Lisa had to be around somewhere.
Jennifer wedged the potato salad between a pasta dish and a huge bowl of chopped fresh fruit and then moved back onto the grass.
"Miss Marsh," a throaty voice called behind her. She turned and saw Melissa hobbling slowly toward her, a canvas medical shoe on one foot, her cane in hand. "So glad you could make it," she drawled. "And who’s your young man? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure..."
"Sam Culpepper." He offered his hand.
"Well, Mr. Culpepper, we’re so glad you could join us. Please make yourself at home and enjoy. Gary is taking people around the lake on the pontoon. He should be back any minute. I think a few of them had the motorboat out skiing. Oh, there they go now."
She pointed her cane in the direction of the lake where a teenage girl, one hand raised in a wave, whizzed by, pulled by a boat filled with wet passengers. "They’re taking turns. I’m sure they’d be glad—"
"Maybe later," Sam assured her.
"Suit yourself. There’s fishing, too, of course, although with all that noise and the way that boat’s churning up the water, I doubt the fish are biting. Be sure to find yourself something to do while Miss Marsh visits. We’ll be eating before long."
Jennifer watched as Melissa painfully made her way back down to a grouping of lawn chairs filled with the oldest generation of Mayfields.
"She seems like a nice lady."
"Oh, she is, but the poor dear is almost crippled with arthritis."
"Not to mention a bum foot."
"That, too."
Jennifer felt a poke in her back, and then Leigh Ann leaned around her shoulder, munching on a celery stick. "Hi, guys," she grinned. "Whoa, Sam. Where have you been hiding those knees?"
Jennifer almost lost it. "What the heck do you think you’re doing here?" The place was already crowded without adding Leigh Ann to the mix.
"Roy invited me, remember?"
"Roy is supposed to be here with Suzy."
"He is."
"Then what are—"
"He didn’t uninvite me. He just added her."
"You know that’s not what he meant, you—"
"Now, now. Name-calling is not becoming. Didn’t your mother tell you that? Besides, I had no idea you’d have the nerve to show up, and there are a lot of cute Roy-type clones running around."
"But not a single brother in sight."
Please God, don't let that be Teri’s voice.
"This isn’t exactly the easiest crowd for me to blend in with," Teri complained, coming around and giving Sam a high five. "Especially considering it’s a family reunion."
"You can be my date," Leigh Ann declared.
"Yeah, that should make me acceptable." Teri rolled her eyes. "See why I can’t trust this woman out alone?"
Jennifer's first instincts were right. She should have stayed home. "Have either of you seen Lisa?"
"She’s down near the boat house having a heart-to-heart with Benny," Teri said.
"Benny’s here, too?" Jennifer asked.
"It’s either him or Babs in drag," Leigh Ann threw in.
"What are they talking about?"
"Oh, like I could get within ten feet of them without looking suspicious," Teri growled. "But he did have his arm around her, and she looks like she’s been crying. Of course if I had Benny’s arm around me, I’d be crying, too."
"Why would she be crying?" Jennifer asked.
"The woman recently lost her husband. Cut her some slack," Leigh Ann said.
"Just murdered her husband, you mean," Jennifer pointed out.
"Miss Marsh," a girl called out.
Jennifer looked up to see Roy and Suzy, who was waving frantically, among the group getting off the pontoon boat at the dock. Suzy was in a halter top and shorts. She looked cute and even younger than she really was. She headed toward them, holding hands with Roy and towing him behind her. She'd almost reached them when she caught sight of Leigh Ann and stopped short.
"You two, go mingle," Jennifer ordered Leigh Ann and Teri.
Suzy waited until they were well out of the way before approaching, her smile returning. She pulled Roy’s arm around in front of her and nestled into his chest. Then she draped her left hand across his upper arm so that Jennifer couldn’t miss the sparkle of the diamond on her ring finger.
"Congratulations," Jennifer told them, smiling in spite of herself. Suzy and Roy might be one of the most unlikely couples she’d ever met, but Suzy’s outright adoration and Roy’s quiet affection were a more solid foundation than a lot of pairings.
Roy stared at Jennifer stonily and then withdrew his arm. He took Suzy by the shoulders. "I don’t know why you’d think you’d be welcome here, considering the accusations you’ve been making about Lisa."
"Actually, I was invited by your Aunt Melissa."
Roy looked puzzled. "Melissa? She asked you here?"
Jennifer bobbed her chin up and down. "We’re here to enjoy the day. Put away any differences we might have had."
"And who’s this?" Suzy gushed at Sam. "He your man?"
"Absolutely," Sam confirmed, hugging Jennifer to him.
"He’s cute," Suzy observed, wiggling away from Roy and taking Jennifer’s hands. "Let’s let the boys talk. I want to introduce you to somebody."
She pulled Jennifer away, back toward the pavilion.
Jennifer leaned in and whispered as they walked. "You had me worried last night. Did Lisa catch you calling me?"
"No. It wasn’t even her. It was Gus, and he wouldn't say anything. So I was fine, but I figured I’d had about all the spying I could manage for one day. But let’s not talk about that. Your boyfriend is so hot," Suzy gushed. "Must be serious if you brought him here, huh?"
Jennifer smiled. Suzy could draw whatever conclusions she wanted to. She already knew more of the truth than was good for her.
Suzy tugged her toward an older woman unwrapping paper plates and napkins at the start of the buffet line. Her hair was dyed an unnatural black, and although age had diminished her stature, she had that same round build of the Mayfields and an obvious energy.
Suzy tapped her on the back, and the older woman looked up. "Lands, child. You gave me a start. Where’s my favorite grandchild?"
"He’s visiting. Grandma Dorothy, I want you to meet my friend Jennifer. She’s from Macon, too."
"Is she now? Well, I’m proud to make your acquaintance. I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to get everything ready, so why don’t we chat while we work? Melissa is usually in charge, but she’s laid up with that sprained toe of hers. Just grab the lids off the containers, set them down under them, stuff in a spoon, and we’ll have it done in no time. We won’t bother with the desserts until later."
Two red-cheeked boys, about eight years old, snuck up and ducked under each of Dorothy’s arms. The smaller one reached out and stuck a finger in some kind of Jell-O mixture and was about to bring it to his lips when Dorothy smacked his hand. She grabbed a napkin and wiped it off.
"You two young-uns know better than that. You should be playing ball w
ith the other kids. I hope they’re not getting too close to the cars. We sure don’t need any cracked windows. Suzy, get that tin of gingersnaps over on the dessert table and give them each one and only one. That will have to hold you until it’s time to eat. Now off with you!"
The boys scampered after Suzy.
"Isn’t she the cutest young-un?"
Jennifer nodded.
"You come over with Roy and Suzy?"
Jennifer shook her head, as she wrestled with the lid of a particularly stubborn jar of pickles. "Actually, Melissa invited me. I know several members of the family. Lisa Walker—"
"Here. Let me get that." Dorothy took the jar and gave it a twist. It opened easily.
"That poor child." Dorothy stopped and stared at Jennifer. "Do you know she hasn’t stopped crying since her husband was murdered?"
"Are you talking about Lisa?" Jennifer had noticed a tear here and there, but would Lisa be so clever as to keep up the front even around her family?
Dorothy nodded. "She adored that man. And I suppose he was all right to her. I didn’t think it would last, but what do I know?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Melissa warned her against it from the beginning, but it was what she wanted, poor thing. When your young-uns are bent on somethin’, you can’t do much about it except to step in and pick up the pieces when you’re right or admit that they knew better than you did when you’re wrong."
"What did Lisa’s mother think about the marriage?"
"Her mother’s been dead these twenty years. Melissa took that child in, cared for her, loved her like a daughter rather than the great niece she is. Yes, Lisa was lucky to have her. Melissa wouldn’t let anything harm that child."
Chapter 32
Melissa had raised Lisa? If Jennifer had realized Lisa and Melissa were so close, she would have stayed a lot longer at the farmhouse.
"Now, would you look at that?" Dorothy stopped what she was doing and addressed a man with a plate in each hand at the end of the table. "Edward Arthur, what do you think you’re doing?"
"But it’s time, Aunt Dorothy."
"Has anybody said it was time? In this family we do not eat before grace, and you know it." She took the plates and put them back in the stack.
"You about ready, Dottie? It’s one o’clock," a white-haired gentleman interrupted.
She nodded. "When I can’t keep them out of the food, I guess it’s time. You go ahead."
The man stepped out from under the shelter and took a quick survey of the crowd. "Good afternoon," the man’s voice boomed, his head swiveling to include the entire group. "I thank each and every one of you for gathering with us this afternoon. We are here today to celebrate the Mayfield family tradition, which includes lots of good eating. So I'm not about to keep you waiting with a lot of words. If you will please, bow your heads.
"Our Heavenly Father, thank you for the foods we are about to receive for the nourishment of our bodies and for the many blessings you have bestowed on this loving family. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen. Now eat up. The last ones in line may miss Melissa’s vegetable casserole."
"Could never happen," Dorothy whispered to Jennifer. "She brought two wash tubs full."
"Is it really that good?" Jennifer asked.
"Humph. That’s it, right in the center. She’s been bringing that same dish to the reunion for over thirty-five years now. You’d think no one had ever tasted it before the way they carry on about it.
"Suzy," Dorothy called, motioning the girl over. "You two helped, so you get to be first." She handed them each a paper plate.
"You go ahead," Suzy urged. "I’m going to find Roy."
The line had already formed. Jennifer looked around but Sam wasn’t in sight, so she started in right where she stood, taking a scoop of this, a tad of that, and a generous helping of Melissa’s famous dish. Family reunions were a vegetarian’s delight, and she planned to get a good meal out of this outing if nothing else.
She popped a marinated mushroom in her mouth and headed for the drink table, where she got a cup of sweet tea. Then she looked around for a place to light and remembered that she and Sam had forgotten the lawn chairs in the backseat of the car. She was about to settle for a spot on the grass when Melissa caught up with her.
"We need to talk—just you and me, dear. If you can spare a minute. Someone was telling me about a woman who might be related to us down Valdosta way. Could be a relative of your great grandma."
This was too good to be true. If Melissa had indeed raised Lisa, Lisa might have let something slip. And maybe she could wrangle it out of her.
"Sure. Do you want to get a plate first?" Jennifer asked.
"I’ll do that and meet you on the far side of the boat house. There’s a little thicket right on the water’s edge. We can have a nice quiet chat there. I’ll see you in as many minutes as it takes to get my food."
If only Lisa had confided in Melissa, this case could be over this afternoon.
Jennifer made her way through the crowd and over to the boat house. She smiled at two women coming out. She heard one mention something about a water moccasin, and then the other hollered at a small girl throwing rocks off the dock.
"You get away from there right now. That water’s deep, and I have no intentions of fishing you out."
The woman rushed over and grabbed the child by the hand, scolding her all the way to the picnic area.
Jennifer knew there was a reason she didn’t like lakes.
Teri and Leigh Ann found her before she could get any farther.
"Tell me how you rate that you’ve already got food and everybody else has to stand in a line that stretches on for a quarter mile?" Teri asked, eyeing Jennifer’s plate.
Leigh Ann helped herself to one of Jennifer's marinated mushrooms.
"Why are you talking to me? You’re supposed to be listening," Jennifer said.
"Told you she didn’t appreciate us," Leigh Ann said. "We give up a Saturday afternoon, and she can’t even be civil. I’ve a mind not to tell her what we found out."
Whatever it was, Jennifer doubted it was worth the price of a carrot strip, let alone the mushroom.
"You really ought to work on how you treat your friends. I actually left a spot in line to come tell you what we’d heard," Teri pointed out.
"Fine. I apologize. Now spill it."
"It’s not what we heard exactly. It’s more what we haven’t heard," Leigh Ann explained.
"Yeah," Teri agreed. "I mean, everybody is talking about the murder, except when Lisa gets near, and then they shut up. But nobody has mentioned anything about Edgar still being in love with Emma like you told us."
"Nobody?" Jennifer asked.
"Nobody. I don’t think they’ve heard it, which means Lisa’s kept it to herself—" Leigh Ann said.
"Or—" Teri began.
"Or she didn’t know about it," Jennifer finished. But she had to. It was Lisa's motive for killing Edgar. "Listen, you two go ahead and eat. I’ve got to be somewhere. I’ll talk to you later."
The area on the far side of the boat house was deserted, and for good reason. Trees grew almost to the lake. None of the undergrowth had been cleared away, and Jennifer wondered how many species of insect made their homes there.
At the edge of the water she found a small clearing and sat down on a large root. It was nice to have a moment alone, a moment to think.
Someday Suzy and Roy would bring their children to these reunions. Happy, healthy children with bright futures. And Suzy would be the frantic mother keeping her child from getting too close to the lake.
Lisa didn’t have any children to mind, and suddenly Jennifer wondered why. Had she given up children because Edgar didn’t want any? Had she done that for him?
And now that he was dead, what did she have? A restaurant? Even a chain of restaurants didn’t seem adequate. But if she’d loved him that much, why had she killed him?
She had to have done it. She was the only other person there that night, wasn’t she?
Who else could have known how to reset the security system? And who could have known that Emma was meeting Edgar that night?
Suzy might have known. She’d overheard other conversations between Edgar and Emma. Roy could as easily have heard something. Would either of them have told Lisa? Roy and Lisa were cousins. Would he have killed for her?
So many questions.
When Melissa came, she’d simply ask her. Who would know Lisa and Roy better than she?
But in the meantime, the aroma of her food was teasing her. And it was getting cold. Maybe Melissa wouldn’t mind if she started without her.
Melissa would hardly notice if she'd had a nibble here and there. She tasted the gelled sea foam salad. While nutritionally questionable, it was heavenly. The corn pudding was every bit as good as any she’d ever eaten, as were the deviled eggs, and the fruit salad. The green bean casserole would make French’s french fried onions proud.
She saved Melissa’s casserole for last. She took a tiny bit on her plastic fork and savored it on her tongue. It was surprisingly flavorful, with a creamy goodness the likes of which she’d never tasted except for... Jennifer sat straight up. It couldn’t be. She scooped up a huge forkful and stuffed it into her mouth. Her taste buds must be playing tricks on her. Ignoring the vegetables, it tasted just like Edgar’s Special Steak Sauce. It was Edgar’s Special Steak Sauce.
The blow caught her on the back of the head, just below the ear. For a moment everything went black and then spun as she pitched forward. She seemed to have lost all use of her limbs.
The second blow caught her shoulder, and then she was plunging head first into cool water. It welcomed her, soothing her, cushioning her fall, enveloping her as she sank, breathless, into total blackness.
Chapter 33
People say their lives flash before them when they face death, but Jennifer wasn’t so sure. What was flashing through her mind had little to do with herself and everything to do with who killed Edgar Walker. That blow to the head must have knocked some sense into her because all the bits and pieces of the last few weeks were jarred into place. Too bad she wasn’t going to live to share her revelations.
Dying to Get Even Page 17
