“Good luck,” Nora called to May Almand, the mayor’s wife, as she walked past her.
“Thank you, dear,” May smiled. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll have a brilliant birthday present for Brett by the end of the night!”
“I hope you do!” Nora grinned. “I never have any luck in games like this. I’m always one number away from winning when someone else swoops in.”
“Oh, I know. Me, too,” May agreed. “You know who does have all the luck? My friend here.” She nudged forward a woman in a purple suit, who blushed deeply on being noticed.
“Oh, me? No, no.” The woman shook her head.
“Mrs. Dobbs, right?” Nora asked. “You came in to my diner last week, and asked for a, let’s see, cappuccino with a croissant.”
“Why, that’s exactly right!” Mrs. Dobbs marvelled. “What a memory you have.”
“Oh, Nora’s the champion,” May said. “Sharpest brain in town, if you ask me. Do you know that Nora found a missing girl all by herself last year? It was in the national papers. Sean and his deputies didn’t even believe she was missing until Nora pointed it out!”
“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Dobbs nodded, looking up admiringly at Nora. “I read about it in the papers. They said you’re some kind of ace detective.”
“Not a chance.” It was Nora’s turn to blush. “Would either of you like some peach lemonade?”
“Maybe later, Nora. The game is about to begin!” May and Mrs. Dobbs hurried away to their seats, as the announcer took to the stage.
It was a fun evening. The announcer, a chubby woman in her late fifties named Claudia James, had the crowd roaring with laughter more than once with her comments. She encouraged a lot of heckling too, and gave back as good as she got. She took her own sweet time calling out the numbers, and since half the crowd was busy gossiping among themselves, nobody seemed to mind. There was a nervous excitement in the air each time a number was called out, and in about half an hour, a woman in the back row jumped up, waving her card.
“I’ve got all corners! I’ve got all corners!” she shouted.
She was welcomed up on the stage with a lot of cheers, and Claudia James handed her the prize.
“This is much more humble than our grand prize for tonight,” Claudia declared. “I hope you find use for it anyway! Let’s have a big hand for our friend here as we present her with the “corners” prize, sponsored by our dear local bookshop, Ink and Quill. Mrs. B will have a free year’s subscription to the Ink and Quill’s Book Box, a monthly box full of book-related goodies and a new book, at your door on the first day of the month. At a 75 dollar value, I’m sure somebody you know would love this gift! A big hand, everybody!”
There were more cheers from the crowd and the winner accepted the prize, although she seemed less than thrilled by it.
Angela whispered to Nora, “Mrs. B isn’t one to read. She’s more of a reality-TV fan. I suppose her husband will love it, though.”
With one prize already given away, the audience’s excitement grew. The cherry red Chevy had been parked right outside the hall, with a rope cordoning it off, and everybody had seen it on their way in. By the end of the night, one of them would be driving off in it, a prize far more exciting than the vacuum cleaner that had been last year’s giveaway. Nora smiled as she looked around the crowd. In one corner, she could see Tina whispering to her husband Sam. In another, Simone was helping her son Will scratch off numbers from the bingo card. Outside, a fine rain had begun to fall, but inside the hall, it was warm and comfortable.
“Two fat ladies! Eight and eight, eighty eight!” Claudia cried as she held aloft a chit of paper she’d just taken from the giant glass bowl beside her. Right then, Mrs. Dobbs leapt up and waved her card, beaming with joy.
“It’s me! I’m the winner! Oh, this is amazing!”
“Good for her,” Nora said, smiling at Angela, “Let’s get ready for the crowd now. They’re always extra hungry once the games are done.”
By the stage, however, Nora saw Mrs. Strathclyde whispering something into Mrs. Hanes’ ears. Immediately afterwards, Mrs. Hanes and Claudia James led Mrs. Dobbs aside to a corner and began whispering with her. Lucy Dobbs looked shocked at first, but then became increasingly angry. The others in the hall pretended not to watch, even while their ears were perked. Suddenly, there was a little cry from the corner and, to Nora’s shock, Mrs. Dobbs was attacking Mrs Hanes. Nora saw May Almand run forward to intervene as Mrs. Dobbs raised her fist and let out a little cry of anger, while Mrs. Hanes stood unmoving with a smug smile. There was a bit of chaos as the entire crowd ran towards them to find out what was happening.
“I won’t stand for this!” Mrs. Dobbs stated angrily.
“You should leave, before we call the police,” Mrs. Hanes retorted. “Or would you rather spend the night in jail for assaulting me?”
“I-” Mrs. Dobbs looked down at her feet, her chin trembling. Then, with an effort, she looked back up at Mrs. Hanes. “I won fair and square! You know it! You can’t do this.”
“The fine print clearly says you aren’t eligible to play if you’re on the club’s organizing committee.” Mrs. Hanes said. “We can’t have people thinking the prize was rigged, after all.”
“I was on the committee, before you threw me off!” Mrs. Dobbs exclaimed again. “I’m not part of it now. So I can play.”
“I agree with Lucy. Anna Hanes, you’re being far too harsh.” May Almand stepped in. “She’s clearly won the Chevy.”
Mrs. Strathclyde forced her way through the crowd, and threw a cautioning hand on Mrs. Hanes’ shoulder. “Anna, we should just let her have the prize. I don’t think-”
“Never.” Mrs. Hanes had turned red now, and stamped her foot. “I am the president of the ladies’ club and my word on it is final! We continue the bingo till the real winner comes out. Lucy Dobbs is ineligible.”
“You’re going to regret this,” Mrs. Dobbs said quietly, her voice full of venom.
“Is that a threat?” To Nora’s surprise, Mrs. Hanes seemed genuinely amused. “You go ahead, Lucy Dobbs. Go ahead and try to make me regret it. I promise you, I’m well within my rights. Now you can either sit quietly and enjoy the evening or I’ll have you thrown out for causing a ruckus.”
“You’ve always had it out for me, and I have never understood why,” Mrs. Dobbs said bitterly. “What is your problem, Anna? Just let me have this! I bought this ticket, I played the game, I won. I deserve that car!”
“You’ve worked for the club, and that disqualifies you,” Mrs. Hanes said.
For a long moment, Mrs. Dobbs stared at Mrs. Hanes, her teeth grinding. Then, as if she’d made a sudden decision, she turned around and swept past the others, slamming the door on her way out.
*****
Chapter 2
A Murder
“...And then, they just continued the games like nothing had happened,” Nora said. “Can you believe it? Some guy named Norman Carter won the Chevy.”
“Oh, I know Norm. Nice guy. Works down at the garage. He’s not as good a mechanic as his dad used to be… nearly ruined my engine the last time I went to get it serviced.” Harvey stretched his neck, massaging it slightly. The two of them were resting on the sofa after dinner, and as was their habit, all their limbs were tangled around each other. Nora’s legs were thrown on his stomach, while her head was somehow down nearly touching the floor. Harvey, meanwhile, had thrown his legs over the sofa’s back, and had his hands cradling the back of his neck. To complicate things even further, their cat Tuxedo had decided to use them both as a pillow, and was walking over their bodies, trying to pick a spot to settle in.
“It wasn’t very fair, anyway,” Nora said. “People were still talking about it afterwards. Some are saying Mrs. Dobbs might even get a lawyer and try to sue Mrs. Hanes!”
Harvey snorted. “Not Mrs. Dobbs. I know her well.”
“You do?”
“She used to be my secretary once upon a time,” Harvey said. “Then she reti
red. I think she got a little depressed when her husband passed away, poor thing. She was always a very good worker. She wouldn’t say boo to a goose, though. She was a very shy sort of woman.”
“Mrs. Dobbs?” Nora raised an eyebrow. “She said ‘boo’ to Mrs. Hanes and a lot more. If May Almand hadn’t intervened, I think Mrs. Dobbs would have hit her!”
“Really? Are you sure this is Lucy Dobbs you’re talking about?” Harvey looked confused. “Why, when she worked for me, I had to speak to her once or twice about being more assertive. She’d let anyone walk over her, and end up doing a bunch of work she wasn’t responsible for, or letting salesmen into the office because they badgered her into it. She was so shy.” Harvey shook his head, marvelling at the change in her nature.
“You know, it’s funny, because when I met her earlier that evening, I felt the same way- she looked like a shy lady who kept to herself.”
“Not May Almand’s usual circle, either,” Harvey said. “The two of them were together, you say?”
Nora frowned. Harvey had a point- May Almand, as the mayor’s wife, was one of the richest and well-known women in town and used to socializing with the cream of Milburn’s society. It wasn’t impossible that she was friends with a shy retiree like Mrs. Dobbs. But it was unlikely.
“Well, I’m sure it’ll work out somehow,” Harvey said. “Ouch! Tuxedo! Bad Cat! That’s my stomach you’re using as a stress ball.”
Tuxedo ignored this comment, and kneaded Harvey’s stomach some more. Harvey scooped up the cat with one hand, and laid him on a side-table. The cat insisted on jumping back onto Harvey’s stomach. Harvey repeated his motions, and the cat meowed in protest.
“Leave poor Tuxedo alone,” Nora said.
“Oh, sure, and he’ll carve up my stomach like a thanksgiving turkey,” Harvey joked. “We should take him to Dr. Kent soon, Nora. He needs to get declawed.”
“I don’t know,” Nora considered. “I feel bad about it. Like I’m taking away what makes him a cat, you know?”
“Well, you better do it before Tuxedo takes away what makes me a m-”
Nora propped herself up on her elbows as her phone started buzzing on the side-table.
“What now?” she wondered.
Harvey picked up the phone and handed it to her, even as Tuxedo tried to swipe at it.
“It’s May Almand.”
Nora was very confused as she looked down at her phone. “It’s almost midnight! I wonder why she’s calling me so late?”
“Probably to compliment you on those sandwiches,” Harvey sighed. “That cornbread extravaganza was ridiculously delicious.”
“Hush, Harvey.” Nora whacked him playfully on the leg, and picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Nora? Oh, thank goodness you’re awake! Could you come down here? Immediately!”
There was a note of panic in May’s voice that Nora had never heard before. Surprised, she scrambled to sit up properly. “What happened?” Nora asked. “Where are you, May?”
“At the Hall!” May said. “Well, outside the hall, really. Oh, Nora! It’s dreadful. Mrs. Hanes- you won’t believe what’s happened to Mrs. Hanes!”
Nora felt her heart sink. She had a very good idea what had happened to Mrs. Hanes. She spoke to May for a few minutes more, and then rose up. Harvey, seeing her grim expression, was already by the front door, car keys in hand. Without saying a word, they both got into the car. Harvey gunned the engine, and sped downtown as Nora told him, “May Almand said Mrs. Hanes is dead…murdered!”
“Poor woman,” Harvey said. “But I wonder why May called you. I mean, surely Sean is already there.”
Nora gulped. “May mentioned earlier that she thought I was a good detective…”
“So she wants you to solve Mrs. Hanes’ murder?” Harvey frowned. “Do you think…”
“What?”
“Never mind. I don’t want to put thoughts in your head. Let’s go down there and see what’s happening.”
“No! Tell me!” Nora insisted.
“Well, you said Lucy Dobbs had a fight with Anna Hanes earlier today,” Harvey pointed out.
“Are you saying she’s murdered Mrs. Hanes?” Nora’s eyes grew wide.
“No, of course not.” Harvey shook his head. “She couldn’t possibly have. I told you- Lucy was shy.”
Even though it was past midnight when they reached the hall, there was a crowd outside it, and a young, nervous deputy was trying to push them back. A cordon was already in place, and Nora could see Sheriff Sean Dracon behind the lines, bent down on one knee and frowning at the cherry red Chevy. Nearby, two police cars stood with their lights still flashing. A deputy was speaking into a radio, and another was frowning at a chalk outline.
“Nora! Oh, Nora! I’m so glad you’re here!” May Almand rushed out of the crowd, and gave Nora a big hug. “I can’t believe this! It all feels so unreal!”
“What happened?” Nora asked.
“Someone killed Mrs. Hanes!” May shuddered. “But that’s not the worst of it!”
“What is?” Nora asked.
“The police have arrested Lucy Dobbs! They believe she’s the murderer! Oh, Nora, I know she couldn’t have done it! You have to find out who the real killer is. Please!”
Nora exchanged glances with Harvey, who looked just as surprised as she felt.
*****
Chapter 3
The Scene Of The Crime
“What happened?” Nora asked, trying to calm May down. “Tell me everything you know. And don’t leave out any details.”
It was quite unusual to see May so upset. May, who had been a longtime journalist for Milburn’s local paper, was normally quite composed. Today, though, her hair was all over the place, and red spots bloomed in her cheeks. Her eyes looked wild, as though she might bolt at any moment. She took a few deep breaths, to calm herself, and blinked rapidly, before she began to speak.
“The only thing I know is that Lucy is innocent,” May said. “I’ve known both of them all my life and Lucy can’t have done it! She simply can’t!” But even as she said it, a thin thread of doubt found it’s way into her voice. May Almand almost looked ashamed of herself for it. “I need you to prove she didn’t do it, Nora. You’re the only one who can. Sean is useless in cases like this!”
“Now, May, you know Sean is honest and smart. He’s not some lazy officer with no regard for the people he arrests.”
“Maybe so,” May said. “But he’s made his share of mistakes in the past, and if you hadn’t been around to correct them, some innocent people would have gone to jail. Besides, all the evidence is piled up against my poor Lucy! You simply have to help. Please.”
“I’ll do whatever I can,” Nora promised. “Tell me what you know.”
“Well...” May took a deep breath, then another, trying to calm herself down. “Claudia James lives across the street. She says she heard a scream half an hour ago, and came running down to the hall. The Chevy had a door ajar and Lucy was lying down beside it, with a bloody knife in her hand.”
Nora winced. Clearly, that did not look good for Mrs. Dobbs. No wonder Sean had felt it necessary to at least take her in for questioning.
“Claudia said that she looked inside the Chevy and Mrs. Hanes was just sitting there, frozen. But you could tell she was already gone. The eyes had no light in them.” May shuddered again. “It’s horrible, Nora! I never liked Mrs. Hanes, I’ll be the first to admit that. But to be killed in such a brutal manner. Nobody deserves that.”
Nora nodded. She hadn’t liked Mrs. Hanes, either. But she certainly didn’t hate her enough to stab her. Someone did, though, and it could be argued that Lucy Dobbs was that “someone”.
“That’s all I know right now,” May said. “Well, that and the fact that Sean arrested Lucy. As if my poor Lucy could hurt a fly!”
“Have you known her long?” Nora asked.
“All my life.” May nodded. “Actually… when we were in school, Lucy, Anna and I were best frien
ds.”
“Anna? You mean Mrs. Hanes?”
“That’s right,” May said. “I’ve gotten so used to calling her Hanes now, I don’t even think of her as my old best friend Anna. Well, I had a falling out with Anna when I was about sixteen, but Lucy and I remained best friends. Time passed, and we drifted apart too. Then, when Lucy founded the Milburn Ladies’ Club, I joined, too, and we became friendly again.”
“Hold on,” Nora said. “Lucy founded the Milburn Ladies’ Club? I thought she said earlier that Mrs. Hanes threw her off the organizing committee.”
“Oh, yes, she did,” May confirmed. “Rather nasty of her, too. If you think a ladies’ club can’t have intrigue and cut-throat politics, you’re very wrong. Mrs. Hanes was more persuasive than a senator trying to pass a bill. She convinced enough people that Lucy had been mishandling finances, and Lucy was forced out.”
“Oh,” Nora said.
“Yes,” May said. “I resigned too, as a form of protest. I knew Lucy Dobbs, the daughter of the deceased Pastor Dobbs, would never touch a penny that wasn’t hers. Well, the whole thing was a terrible ordeal for Lucy. She was too proud to ever say so, but I knew it was a huge blow to her when she was kicked out of the club. I think it broke her heart, in a way.”
“Poor Mrs. Dobbs.”
“Yes. And, as for Anna Hanes, well, she was elected president of the committee, and you should have seen her crowing over it. She’d been angling to become president for ages and ages, and she treated it like she’d been crowned Queen of England or something.”
Nora didn’t say anything, but it was becoming quickly obvious to her that where Mrs. Dobbs was concerned, May Almand had a rather large blind spot. If everyone else on the committee believed Lucy Dobbs had stolen that money- maybe there was something to it. In any case, Lucy Dobbs had a clear motive, and had been found on the scene of the crime. Rather incriminating.
The Milburn Big Box Set Page 110
