The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  Nora recognized Donna, who was standing at the entrance of the hall, a wad of tickets in her hand. She didn’t seem as interested in selling them, however, as she did in speaking to the nervous, young man in a suit who stood looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes. But it was the other man next to her that really caught Nora’s eye. He was tall with an angular jaw and deep green eyes and looked like the male version of Rosemary, only twice as strikingly beautiful. Every girl in the room was checking him out, and the smirk on his face said that he knew it.

  Briefly, Rosemary came out of the room and rushed to talk to the man. Immediately, Nora could tell that they were twins. The man’s jaw was harder and his lips a little thinner, but the rest of his face was a carbon copy of Rosemary’s. They looked absolutely gorgeous together.

  Rosemary had chosen to wear a red peasant dress that evening, with a flowery shawl covering her shoulders and dangling diamond earrings glinting at her ears. Not a man in the hall could resist looking at her. The smirk on her face showed that she knew it, too.

  There was a short burst of static as Mayor Almand tapped on the mic. He cleared his throat and began what was supposed to be a short welcome speech.

  “Oh! This is my cue,” Nora said. “Man the buffet, will you Tina? I have to be beside Harvey when he wins. And Mrs. Mullally, too!”

  She slipped away and joined Harvey, who put an affectionate arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. “Glad you could make it,” he teased.

  Mayor Almand had settled into his speech and was rather enjoying himself. After a ten-minute soliloquy on the many charms of Milburn, he finally came around to announcing the awards. “Well, tonight Milburn is proud to present the Toast of the Town award to not one, not two, but three special citizens! First off, Mrs. Mullally, the eldest and best! A big hand, folks, for this special woman who has lived in Milburn for eighty years now! And, as science teacher in Milburn for forty of those years, she certainly straightened out quite a few of you delinquents!”

  There was a roar of laughter, some friendly heckles and thunderous clapping as Mrs. Mullally rose to accept her award. Nora clapped harder than anyone else, quite proud to see her ex-landlady up on stage. Mrs. Mullally looked graceful, dressed in a fine tweed suit with a bright blue silk scarf as cravat. She accepted the award, made a small speech thanking her friends and hastened back to her seat clutching the bronze Toast. Following this, it was Harvey’s turn to go up on stage. There was a lot more hooting this time and quite a few teasing comments about him owing his luck to his new wife.

  Harvey blushed as he accepted, saying, “I don’t have much to say. A few years ago, I came to this town looking for acceptance and family. I was just a poor kid with a chip on his shoulder and dirt under his fingernails.” He paused and looked around the room. “Then good people like Mayor Almand and Henry Brooks took me under their wings, taught me how to run a business and helped me find my feet. Everything I am today, I owe to this town and it’s people. Thank you so much! Most of all, thank you to my lovely wife, Nora, who’s saved my skin quite a few times and always pushed me to be a better person.” He gave Nora a heartfelt smile, his eyes alight with happiness and Nora thought she’d burst with love.

  She hugged him tightly as he came back to his seat and was so busy fielding off congratulations from the others that she nearly missed the next speaker.

  She knew of Frank Azure - there were few in town who had not heard of the reclusive old man with the million dollar inheritance. Yet she had never seen him in person before. And she was very surprised to see him present at a public function when rumor had it that he hadn’t even been out of his own house in years.

  Frank Azure was eccentric, to say the least. Instead of dressing in a suit, for one, he’d chosen to come out in his pajamas, though they were hardly visible under a navy blue bathrobe tied with a thick, velvet belt. His wispy hair flew around his face at all angles, like a halo over his cunning, black eyes and mashed-in nose. He sniffed thrice before beginning his speech.

  “Thanks for the award,” he said. “Mayor Almand is most kind, and so are all of you. When I inherited my father’s company, my lawyers urged me to move to our headquarters in Boston. But I’m a simple man. To me, the joys of life lie not in money or possessions, but in feeling the earth between your toes and smelling the clean, pine air of the mountains. I love Milburn with all my heart, though I’m sorry to say I’ve never given my heart much opportunity to love its people. I know I’ve been living as a hermit for years now, but things have changed. I’ve changed. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to be one of you. A friend of mine told me recently that life isn’t real until you share it with others. I know it’s late, but if any of you need a friend, I’d be glad to be yours.”

  The applause that broke out was thunderous and nearly toppled the building to the ground. Nora found herself absurdly fond of this old man who she’d been ready to dismiss as an eccentric moments ago. It took courage to make a speech like that, and it took courage to break a habit of years. Apparently, the other townfolk felt the same way because Frank Azure was surrounded by men and women wanting to shake his hand as soon as he came down from the stage.

  “Whew,” Harvey said. “What a man!”

  “What a brave man. I don’t know why he chose to became a hermit, but after his speech, he’ll certainly find friends here in Milburn,” Nora said.

  “Oh, of course, he will,” Harvey said. “Being heir to a 300 million dollar company will find you many friends, alright.”

  Nora gave a low whistle. “He’s that rich?”

  “Old money. It’s had plenty of time to double and triple over the years,” Harvey said. “Frank’s grandfather created an airline, Azure Airlines, way back when planes were first taking off. The company is now a private player, ferrying around millionaires. Frank was considered…er…a little too simple to run it, so his father set up a system where a board of directors would handle the company and Frank could sit around doing whatever he likes. So far, nobody knows what, exactly, it is that he likes, because he’s hidden away in his mansion up on Highway 71.”

  “The old greystone mansion with the eagle statue on top?” Nora exclaimed. “I often wondered who it belonged to. It’s so beautiful! Though, a little run down now.”

  “I’ll say,” Harvey sighed. “Frank’s a decent guy, though. Even if he is a little… different. I hope he has the sense to separate out true friends from money-grabbers.”

  “He seemed quite sweet and sincere to me,” Nora said. “I’m going to go and shake his hand.”

  But before she could, the Mayor had announced that the festivities were to begin, and the band let loose with The Beatles’ Twist and Shout. Nora found herself being swung onto the dancefloor, dipped and caught by Harvey. He twirled her around, caught her close, and gave her a mischievous smile. For the next half hour, she was lost to the music and lost in Harvey’s eyes. She loved how Harvey seemed to become an altogether different person on the dance floor. His serious businessman’s dignity would be left behind and he’d dance like a young, wild animal played - full of abandon, with no worries about the world. She couldn’t help but be swept up in the music with him.

  As they danced, she saw and waved to others she recognized - Sean and Karen, who didn’t exactly dance, but tapped their feet and moved their heads in time with the music; Mayor Almand and his wife, who were near-professional swing dancers; and Simone, who’d brought her young son, Will, along and looked adorable dancing with him.

  To Nora’s great surprise, she saw Mrs. Mullally on the dance floor, too, slowly moving with her arms around a familiar figure with a bathrobe drawn around him. Harvey caught her look and laughed out loud at her open-mouthed expression.

  “Will wonders never cease?” he smiled.

  *****

  Chapter 3

  The Psychic Who Didn’t See It Coming

  After an hour-long break, Nora hurried back to the buffet to let Tina take a break and spent the next few hou
rs too busy to wonder about Mrs. Mullally’s new friend. Around midnight, the crowd had begun to thin out and the lights had dimmed until the hall was half-dark. Several young couples still swung on the dance floor, necks pressed into shoulders, hands tight around each other’s bodies.

  “Hey, Nora, I’ve got to leave,” Harvey said after appearing suddenly. “I got an urgent call-”

  “Now?” Nora looked puzzled. “It’s midnight.”

  “I know,” Harvey sighed. “But I have to go, alright? Business.”

  “Surely you’re not selling real estate right now?” Nora asked.

  Harvey grinned. “You want to come with me?”

  “I can’t,” Nora sighed. “I have to stay another hour till we close up, even though nobody wants to eat anymore.”

  “There’s not much food left anyway,” Harvey said. “Looks like your Mac and Cheese got demolished.”

  “People loved it,” Nora’s smile grew broader. “I had three requests to make it a regular at the diner!”

  Harvey’s phone buzzed and he gave a little exclamation as he looked at the message. “Ok, I really have to run. Tina and Sam promised to give you a ride home. See you there.” He leaned over, kissed her briefly but thoroughly, and ran off.

  Nora sighed and leaned back against the wall. The buffet table in front of her looked rumpled and empty now. Only a few of the cupcakes were left, along with a few sad looking vegetables floating in gravy. She felt exhausted, and happy.

  “Ah, newlyweds.” Mrs. Mullally came over, and leaned on the table. “Such passion.”

  “You should know!” Nora jumped up to greet her friend, “How come I never heard of Frank before, Mrs. Mullally?”

  “Oh…” Mrs. Mullally flushed. Nora looked at her and wondered if she knew she was glowing. Her hair was a little rumpled, her scarf had long since been cast aside, leaving her neck and shoulders bare, and her eyes were bright and shining.

  “Where’s your trophy?” Nora asked.

  “Oh, I put it down somewhere,” Mrs. Mullally frowned. “Nevermind that. What do you think of Frank, dear? I met him in my book club. He’s a nice man.”

  Nora suddenly put two and two together. “Is he the Frank you and Rosemary were talking about earlier today? Well, talking isn’t the right word. Arguing better suits it.”

  “Yes,” Mrs. Mullally’s happiness seemed to slip away and a shadow covered her face. “There are good people in this world, Nora. And then there are the people who take advantage of them. Rosemary Worth should be…” Mrs. Mullally gave a little grunt of anger. “Forget it. I’m just trying to open Frank’s eyes to what she is.”

  “Mrs. Mullally-” Nora wanted to inject a word of caution but, before she could, the blue door across the hall came flying open, and a woman came out screaming.

  “She’s dead! She’s dead!”

  Chaos erupted across the hall. The music instantly stopped, as did the dancers, and every head turned toward the sobbing woman by the blue door. Nora was already out from behind the buffet table, rushing to calm the girl down. She’d recognized her immediately. It was Donna Worth.

  “Mama!” Donna Worth had curled up into a ball on the floor and was sobbing. “Oh, my poor, poor Mama!” She clutched at Nora’s offered hand automatically. In the dim blue light, she looked incredibly young, her eyes large and dark with grief.

  “Police. Let me through,” Nora heard Sean’s commanding voice break through the crowd. “Somebody hit the lights!” he yelled over his shoulder. Seconds later, the fluorescent white lights of the hall came on, flooding the room with brightness and making Nora blink.

  Sean was grim as he leaned down to touch Donna’s arm. His eyes widened as he saw the blood on her sleeve. Nora, who saw it for the first time, gasped in shock. Sean’s eyes met hers for a moment and, immediately, he was rushing through the blue door. Nora followed.

  Rosemary Worth had taken great care to decorate the little room for the gala. On the wall opposite the door hung a string of Christmas lights around a sign proclaiming her name. Underneath it, was a candle-lit table with a skull on one side and an hourglass on the other. With her back to the door, Rosemary Worth lay slumped on the table, her hair wet and sticky-looking. Sean gave a barely audible sigh as he took it in. Her shawl was draped over her shoulders and her dangling blue-feather earrings hung still, as lifeless as she was. She held a tarot card in one hand. It showed a skeleton riding on a white horse with a black flag held aloft.

  With a handkerchief, Sean carefully raised Rosemary’s head to confirm whether it was too late to administer aid.

  He recoiled in horror. Whoever had killed her had clearly been full of hate. With great violence, they’d destroyed every last inch of her beauty. Her face was unrecognizable.

  “She’s gone,” Sean said, shaking his head. Nora put a hand to her mouth, horrified.

  But, already, she’d spotted something that Sean hadn’t yet seen in the candlelight. Peeking out from under the table, barely visible, was a fluttering scrap of fabric. Sean followed her glance and his expression hardened. “Looks like the murderer left behind some clues, too. How very convenient.”

  He knelt down and, using his handkerchief, carefully lifted up the tablecloth. Glistening in the candlelight lay a bronze, toast-shaped trophy. Wrapped around it was the blue, silk scarf Mrs. Mullally had been wearing earlier that night.

  “Sean, I-” Nora took a step but Sean raised a hand to stop her.

  “This is a crime scene, Nora. You know the drill.”

  Nora nodded. Sean’s face looked tired and suddenly wrinkled. He’d dealt with plenty of murder cases before, yet each body he saw took its toll on his soul. He ran a hand through his hair.

  “Could you call Deputy Niles for me?” Sean asked. “Tell him to send out an ambulance…the works.”

  “Sure,” Nora said, still rooted to her spot.

  What was Mrs. Mullally’s trophy doing here? She simply couldn’t process it. Worse still, what was her scarf doing wrapped around it?

  *****

  Chapter 4

  Morning

  Nora chose to stay the night with Mrs. Mullally. She called Harvey and explained the situation to him. Sean, who had a soft spot in his heart for the older lady himself, refused to arrest her, but had warned her to stay in town. As if she were looking to flee.

  Mrs. Mullally had been shivering with fright when she heard what had happened to Rosemary. Nora had finally persuaded her to take a sedative and sleep it off. She’d tucked Mrs. Mullally into bed and then had spent the night in the parlor staring into the fireplace with Maynard’s head in her lap.

  “But I don’t understand!” Mrs. Mullally exclaimed the next morning at breakfast. “Why me? Why does Sean think I had something to do with it?”

  Nora bit her lip. “Mrs. M, your scarf and trophy were found under the table. We think that the trophy was the murder weapon.”

  “But…but…that’s horrible!” she exclaimed. “It goes without saying, Nora, I had nothing to do with it!”

  “I know that,” Nora said immediately. “And I’m sure Sean knows it, too. Now I need you to think carefully about last night. Do you remember every detail? Do you think you can piece together a timeline?”

  “Details? I…” Mrs. Mullally gasped suddenly. “Frank!” she exclaimed. “I have to call Frank, Nora! The poor man will be heartbroken. He was so attached to Rosemary. Oh, dear…”

  Mrs. Mullally tried to rise but Nora put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Frank can wait half an hour more.” Nora said. “We need to talk about you, right now.”

  “What’s to talk about?!” Mrs. Mullally exclaimed. “I arrived at about 8 pm and I received the award at 8.30. I had dinner, your wonderful macaroni and cheese. After that, Frank asked if I’d like to dance, so I left my trophy behind on the table, along with my scarf. The hall was getting hot with all the crowd, you see.”

  “Yes. Of course,” Nora said gently. “Then what?”

  “Oh, I talked to at leas
t three dozen people,” Mrs. Mullally said. “I forgot all about the trophy. Anyone could have grabbed it.”

  “Someone definitely did,” Nora frowned. “I wish the town hall had security cameras installed. We’d have no problem catching the culprit then.”

  “Well, that’s my story,” Mrs. Mullally pushed her plate aside. “All of it.”

  “Mrs. M, you haven’t eaten more than a bite of your eggs,” Nora protested.

  “I’m in no condition to eat. Nora. We must go to poor Frank immediately. Oh, I wasn’t thinking straight last night, I should have insisted he come home with us!”

  “Mrs. M, you haven’t even changed out of your clothes-”

  “Nora,” Mrs. Mullally gave her a strict look. “I’m leaving now. You can come with me or you can stay behind. But I am leaving.”

  Reluctantly, Nora agreed to go with her.

  *****

  After they got married, Harvey had tried to persuade Nora to let him buy her a new car. Nora, however, was a little too fond of her old Toyota. Rusted and clunky as it was, it had seen her through a lot, good and bad. So she’d refused him, preferring it to a newer car. Instead, Harvey had surprised her by repainting it and refurbishing the interior. He’d used the same color scheme as the diner that she loved so much, painting it mint all over with a magenta stripe running down the length of it, and dark brown leather for the interior. Even Mrs. Mullally, whose mind was focused on her friend, noticed and commented immediately.

  “Harvey said something about all business ‘brands’ having a definite color scheme,” Nora grinned. “I guess Mint and Magenta are mine.”

  The drive up Highway 71 was mostly silent, punctuated occasionally with the sound of Mrs. Mullally’s teeth grinding together. It was a spectacularly scenic drive. Pine forests lay in the shadows of the towering Teutons, while meadows rolled across the land as far as the eye could see. Above them, the sun shone brightly, unusual for October, and the sky was powdery blue. Nora exited the highway, and drove over a mile of rough, country road before pausing at a huge iron gate with the letters AZ in cursive at the top. Mrs. Mullally pressed the bell and the gates slowly slid apart.