Officer Hitchcock—apparently the busiest man on the force—took the lead. “Ma’am, one of our officers saw cars and lights on in the place, which is highly unusual for this time of night. Upon further investigation, we found these unauthorized persons inside. They may have been trying to commit arson.”
Russell started to stand, but the officer guarding him pushed him back down into the chair. “That’s ridiculous,” Russell said. “I tried to explain, but they—”
“Pipe down. You’ll get your chance,” Hitchcock demanded.
“Officer, this is my brother and these are my...friends.” Deena wasn’t sure if she should be horrified or amused.
“Did you authorize them to be in here tonight?”
“No. I mean, it’s okay, I guess.”
“Are you answering under your own free will or do they have something on you?”
Gary held out his hands. “Officer, there’s obviously been a mistake. Can you please remove their handcuffs? I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for all this.” He looked at Russell and Estelle. “Right?”
“You bet your booty, there is!” Penelope screeched. “Wait till I get out of here. Wait till I get my lawyer!” She wriggled her hands behind her back.
Hitchcock pointed his nightstick at her. “This one’s the reason for the handcuffs. She tried to bite one of our officers.”
Deena snorted out a chuckle.
Estelle shot her a look that said she wasn’t the least bit amused.
“Officer Hitchcock,” Deena said sweetly, turning on the charm, “you remember Ms. Fitzhugh from the auction, right? She’s just been through a terrible ordeal.”
“Fitzhugh? You said the name was Sinclair.” He reached for his notepad. “I even wrote it down.”
“That’s right,” Estelle said through clenched teeth. “Estelle Fitzhugh Sinclair. If you had just let us explain...”
“Un-cuff them immediately,” he shouted to the other officers. “These fine people have done nothing wrong.” His face had turned blotchy red with a hint of green around the gills. “I apologize for bringing you all the way down here.”
“Thank you, officer,” Deena said. “And thank you all for keeping Maycroft safe from ne’er-do-wells and other criminal elements.” She stifled a grin.
Hitchcock tipped his hat. “We’ll just be getting out of your way now, ma’am. Let’s go, fellas.” They were out the door in a hurry.
The four would-be convicts stood up and started gathering their things.
“Not so fast,” Deena said sternly, like a concerned mother to her children. “Someone needs to tell me what’s going on here.”
Penelope started to speak, but Estelle held up her hand. “Let me. It was my idea. Why don’t you and Edwin get back home. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”
“Fine with me,” Penelope said. “I could use a hot toddy after this.” She and her husband left the shop.
Estelle pointed to a chair.
“That’s okay,” Deena said. “I’ll stand. By the way, how did y’all get in here? I have the keys.”
Estelle took a seat and sighed. “Russell picked the lock.”
Deena shook her head. Her brother had many hidden talents, not all of them good.
Estelle folded her hands in her lap. True confession time. “I called Penelope to ask for her help.”
“Help with what? Pricing clothes in the middle of the night?”
“Come on, Deena. You know what people say about her. She has certain...powers. I thought they might be useful.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What powers?”
“Everyone says she’s a witch.”
“A witch?” Deena almost fell backwards. She sat down next to Estelle.
“That’s right.”
Deena shook her head, thinking she had heard wrong. “Are you sure you’re not confusing that with a different word that rhymes with ‘witch’?”
“No, silly. I called her because I was hoping she could tell us about the signs. I tried my best to connect them to Wyatt Garrison, but I kept coming up empty. I thought Penelope might be able to contact Mother and—”
“Don’t tell me she has a crystal ball or was mixing up a magic soup. Is that what that awful smell is coming from?”
“No. It’s burnt hair. We were having a séance.”
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, you find out something even more incredible. Deena couldn’t fathom that her brother had agreed to participate in a hokey ceremony to contact his wife’s dead mother in order to find out how some random happenings at a store were connected to the death of his wife’s chauffeur. Sure, he believed in UFOs and every conspiracy theory ever floated, but this? Things certainly couldn’t get any weirder.
Chapter 14
Strong coffee from the doughnut shop served by a twenty-something yuppie with a man-bun barely kept Deena awake on her way to work Wednesday morning. She would be better off with toothpicks propping open her eyelids after the restless night she’d had.
There was a time when she could stay up all night studying for a test or grading papers and still appear fresh as a daisy the next day. Not anymore. She felt more like rancid old meat.
Hoping for a quiet day at the thrift shop, she looked through the new donations that had been left at the back door. Not surprisingly, there were lots of summer clothes. This time of year in the South, people cleaned out their closets to make way for their winter duds.
She sorted through the items, separating the ones that could be resold from the ones with holes and tears. Unfortunately, some people donate anything, regardless of the condition. Seriously? Old underpants? Many of the items would be headed to the recycling center.
Estelle had said she might not be in today. A day without ghosts and signs and drama would be a welcome relief.
A few of the regulars stopped by to visit and search for vintage treasures. It was shaping up to be a peaceful day. Deena started to call Sandra to check on her and the baby when the jingle of the door brought her back to reality.
It was Estelle and she was in a state.
“Russell just dropped me off. You’ll never guess what happened.”
This sounded like a conversation Deena wasn’t prepared to have. She reached for her now-cold coffee.
“Detective Guttman called me to let me know they have just arrested Wyatt Garrison.”
“Already? How on earth—”
“Not on murder charges, but on attempted robbery. Guttman went over to talk to him yesterday afternoon since we said Abby had identified him. Wyatt confessed to going over to the house to try to find the coins. They took him in a little while ago.”
“Wow. So does Guttman think he’s the killer?”
“He wouldn’t really say. He just thought I would want to know about the arrest.”
“I know how this works.” Deena said and went to refill her cup. “Guttman’s probably arrested Wyatt on robbery charges so he can make sure he doesn’t run off while they gather evidence for the homicide case.”
“But what about Ronnie Clark? Are we positive he’s not guilty?”
“I wish I could talk to Guttman to find out what evidence he has, but I know he won’t talk to me again. Even after telling him about our findings yesterday, he seemed annoyed and told me to stay out of his way.”
“After all we did for him...”
Deena blew on the hot brew. “What do you think? You know Wyatt Garrison better than the rest of us. Do you think he could actually be guilty of stealing the coins from the auction?”
“That’s the thing,” Estelle said. “I just don’t know. Russell says people can change based on their circumstances and that maybe something made Wyatt desperate for the coins.”
“Desperate enough to kill someone he knew?”
Estelle shook her head and slumped down in a chair. “I find it so hard to believe. That’s why I need a favor from you.”
Deena bristled. “What?”
; “Can you go to the police station with me to talk to him?”
“Talk to who, Guttman?”
“No, Wyatt. You’ve been there before, so you know the ropes.”
“Hmm. Do you know if he has an attorney yet? That may make a difference.”
“I have no clue.”
Deena looked around the shop. “We’ll need to wait a while until he’s booked, then I guess we can head over there. I can’t promise you they’ll let us see him. He might refuse, you know.”
“I’m willing to take that chance. I want to look him in the eyes when I ask him if he killed Leonard.” She blew out a breath. “It comes in handy to have a private investigator in the family.”
“Semi-private. I work for Sandra’s husband, remember? By the way, if Ian is representing Wyatt, that may complicate matters. I really doubt he is. Wyatt probably has one of those pricey defense attorneys from Lyon and Sons.”
Estelle pulled off her jacket. “I’m just going to check in the storage closet while we wait. Maybe I’ll get another sign.”
“Surely you’re kidding.”
“Not at all. At this point, I assume we need all the help we can get.”
Deena creased her brow. “Yes, but from the living, not the dead.”
Chapter 15
The front desk sergeant at the police station said he would have to check to see if Wyatt Garrison could have visitors yet. He asked if Deena wanted to speak to Detective Guttman. She tried not to sound too suspicious when she gave him a resounding no.
Estelle flipped through pages of a sports magazine while they waited. Deena searched the internet on her phone for Wyatt Garrison’s name, wondering if word was out yet that he’d been arrested. Dan at the newspaper would probably be covering the story.
The officer came out and spoke to them. “Mr. Garrison wants to speak to you. Follow me back to the visitation room.”
It was just as Deena remembered it. Cold and stark with small glass-enclosed carrels and vinyl chairs for visitors. They sat at the first window and waited.
“This is just like on TV,” Estelle whispered, trembling with anticipation.
“Why are you whispering?” Deena asked.
Estelle pointed to a sign warning visitors that their conversations were being monitored.
“That’s for conversations on the phone, not out here.”
After several minutes, Wyatt Garrison, wearing handcuffs and escorted by a uniformed guard, shuffled to the window and sat down. He looked to have aged a few years since yesterday. Orange was definitely not his color. Estelle picked up the receiver and held it so that Deena could listen, too.
Wyatt spoke first. “I’m glad you came. Surely you believe me when I say I didn’t steal those coins.”
“I’m not sure what to believe,” Estelle said. “After all, you confessed to bribing my housekeeper and trying to steal them from my home. What on earth possessed you to do that?”
“I was afraid you were going to sell them. When I heard about the auction, I was worried they’d end up in the hands of some city slicker from up North, or even worse, in another country. I told you, those coins belong in a museum here in Texas.”
“Sounds to me like you wanted them so badly that you stole them during the auction. Then Leonard caught you, so you knocked him down and killed him.”
“No! As I told you, the collection in the auction did not include the rare Texas coins. Sure, I was prepared to bid on the others, but I didn’t want that set enough to steal them.”
Estelle shook her head and looked at Deena, then put her ear back to the receiver. “So you admit you would have stolen them from my house if you had found them. If you had wanted them that badly, why didn’t you just ask me for them?”
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “I thought about it, believe me. In fact, that’s why I came to your house in the first place. Then when your housekeeper said you were out of town, I decided to just take a look in the study. Your father used to keep them on a small library table. And yes, I bribed the girl to let me go upstairs. I hope you don’t blame her. After all, I have a very innocent face.” He offered up a faint smile.
Deena didn’t want the old guy trying to charm Estelle. “Mr. Garrison, when you didn’t find the collection in the study, what did you do next?”
The smile disappeared. He wiped his forehead against his arm. “I walked out into the hall and checked some of the doors. When I opened the door across from the large bedroom, I saw what appeared to be a storage room. I looked through the items but didn’t find the coins. In fact, I gave up quickly, realizing I was treading on thin ice, legally speaking.”
“But you were Father’s friend. How could you even consider stealing one of his most prized possessions?”
“I know how it sounds, my dear, but I had every intention of returning them after the auction was over. I was going to make an appointment with your new husband, who I assume is a reasonable sort of fellow, and explain the importance of the collection. I assumed you would be thanking me, not pressing charges against me.”
The explanation seemed flimsy to Deena. “And why would you wait until after the auction? Why not have this meeting beforehand?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Because, I knew if Estelle had turned out anything like her mother, she would be too emotional to have a rational conversation about anything having to do with her father during a time she was letting go of some of her family heirlooms. I thought it best to wait.”
He had that right. In fact, everything he said made sense.
“Estelle, dear, you must believe me. I have no cause to steal from you. My motive for getting my hands on those coins has always been historic, not financial. I have plenty of money for myself, my children, and my grandchildren. I’m sure you know that.”
Estelle pulled the phone back from Deena and nodded to give her some space.
Deena got up and went to the back of the room so Estelle could talk privately. She paced back and forth with her hands in the pockets of her jacket. If Wyatt was telling the truth, a thief was still at large. Perhaps they’d been correct to suspect Ronnie Clark after all.
A few minutes later, the guard returned and escorted Wyatt away.
Estelle remained seated.
“What is it?” Deena asked. “Are you all right?”
A tear slid down her cheek. “Deena, I think we’ve made a terrible mistake. Uncle Wyatt is innocent.”
Deena didn’t know what to say. They had opened a can of worms by telling Guttman about Wyatt Garrison, that was for sure. And putting the lid back on that can wasn’t going to be easy.
* * *
ESTELLE SPOKE LITTLE on the way back to the house. She said she wasn’t up to going back to the shop.
That was okay by Deena, although she did accept her invitation to have a sandwich before heading back. Something about this amateur police work made her hungry.
“Thank you, dear,” Estelle said as Abby placed the sandwiches on the table.
Russell joined them for lunch and wanted to hear all about their visit to the jail. Estelle shushed him and cocked her head toward Abby, making it clear she didn’t want to talk in front of the girl.
“That barbeque sauce smells delicious,” Deena said. “You’ll have to save me one of those pork ribs to try out.”
“You wish.” Russell made a stop sign with his hand. “Only thing better than those pork ribs are the leftover pork ribs.” He winked at Abby.
“There you go hoggin’ all the good stuff, just like when we were kids.” Deena grabbed a pickle spear off of Russell’s plate before he could stop her.
Abby’s cell phone rang, and she ducked back into the kitchen.
“What happened?” Russell whispered. “Did Wyatt confess?”
“Not now,” Estelle answered. “After lunch.”
Abby returned, her face a ghostly white. She untied her apron. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Sinclair. I have to go.” Her words came out with quick breaths. “Can you take
care of the sauce? You need to marinate—“
Estelle stood up. “What’s the matter? Has something happened?”
“That was the hospital. It’s Billy. He’s been in an accident. Someone ran his motorcycle off the road.” She grabbed her purse from a cupboard.
“Don’t worry about anything. Just go,” Estelle said. “Call us if you need anything.”
Abby headed out the front door.
“What about the ribs?” Russell asked.
“Oh fiddle-faddle.” Estelle hurried into the kitchen. “I can finish these up.”
Russell’s face dropped. “There goes dinner.”
Deena laid down her sandwich and went into the kitchen to check on Estelle. “Need some help?”
“Yes. I’ve never made ribs in my life. I think she puts them in the oven and then on the grill.” She stirred the thick sauce.
“How about this. We’ll pour the sauce on the meat and then refrigerate it. I’m sure Russell can grill them up later.”
“I guess that will work.” Estelle turned off the heat and moved the pan so it could cool.
Deena pulled the package of ribs out of the refrigerator. “Poor Billy. Two accidents in the same week.” Same week. The package of ribs slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.
“What on earth?” Estelle stared at Deena, waiting for her to pick up the package.
She stood frozen. “Unless it wasn’t an accident!”
“What do you mean?”
“Whoever stole those coins may think that Billy got a good look at them. The driver of that car may have been trying to get rid of his witness.”
Estelle gasped. “But you said Billy didn’t see who hit him in the parking lot.”
“But the killer doesn’t know that.” Deena picked up the package of meat and slung it onto the counter. “This might be just the break we need.”
“Slow down,” Estelle said, following her to the back door. “Where are you going?”
“To the hospital. Don’t you see? If the person who stole the coins tried to kill Billy, then we have another suspect to clear.”
Stay Sharpe Box Set Page 10
