The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  “Sir?” the deputy looked confused. “I’ve already questioned them earlier today.”

  “You heard me,” Ellerton said. “They want to stay here, so let’s make them welcome, shall we? Take them in for questioning. Separately. See if their story holds up.”

  “This is harassment,” Harvey said indignantly.

  “This is police procedure,” Ellerton said. “I warned you to stay out of it once already and you didn’t listen.”

  “You’re messing with the wrong folks here, Ellerton,” Harvey said. “Think twice about it.”

  “I’m sick of your threats, and I’m sick of your meddling,” Ellerton said. “If the only way to ensure you stay out of my investigation is to lock you up until it’s done, I’ll do it with a smile on my face. Take ‘em away, Deputy.”

  *****

  Chapter 12

  A Measure Of Peace

  A few heated discussions later, Nora and Harvey were back home for the night. Sean had arrived right after Sheriff Ellerton made his threats, and stayed at the station with the lawyer, promising to take care of Austin.

  With no other option and Harvey still looking exhausted from his bout with the flu, Nora decided that maybe a good night’s sleep would be exactly what they needed.

  Hazel was still pacing around the room when they came back. Nora halted her questions with a raised palm.

  “Austin is going to be fine. Sean’s taken charge down at the station, and I don’t think Ellerton can threaten to throw him into jail, so it’s all going to be fine.”

  “But I just don’t understand,” Hazel said after Nora had told her more details about what had happened. “Why would Sheriff Ellerton be so against Austin? He’s not a bad guy.”

  “He’s not a bad guy but, unlike Sean, he cares about his own ambitions more than justice,” Harvey said.

  “And Mason?” Hazel asked. “Who would murder him? He was so likable. He used to lead story-time at the library when I was a kid. I remember him reading Where The Wild Things Are. He made the best monster noises.” Hazel sighed. “It’s just so hard to imagine that someone would want to shoot him.”

  “If anything, I’d say the murderer made a big mistake,” Harvey said. “At least now we’re sure that there’s something out there. Something that spooked him or her. Mason must have found something out.”

  Hazel paused, “But how do we find out what he found out?”

  “Talk,” Nora said. “Mason wasn’t one to keep his thoughts to himself. If we’re lucky, he let something slip. If only I’d gone a little earlier. There was obviously something he wanted to tell me that night…”

  “Come on now,” Harvey said. “There’s no room for recriminations here. We have to do what we can to get Mason justice.”

  “And get Austin out of the sheriff’s clutches,” Hazel added.

  Nora sighed. “I’m going to sleep,” she said. “It’s been a long, long day.”

  “Definitely. From finding a body to nearly getting arrested,” Harvey said. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you to bed.”

  Nora felt like a layer of grime was sticking to her. Deciding to shower before bed, she set the water to a little less than boiling-hot and stepped in. The water pounded down on her, washing away the day. Nora closed her eyes for a second, and an image of Mason’s dead body flashed into her mind. Shuddering, she tried to think of something more pleasant.

  But her brain seemed to be stuck on a loop, going over what she knew again and again. Lori had vanished one Friday night, right before she was due to meet her friends at a cabin. One of those same “friends” had likely killed her and disposed her body somehow. All the police had found was an abandoned minivan. Now, twenty years later, Mason was dead, too. Why?

  The smell of almonds and honey filled the bathroom as Nora used her new shampoo. She didn’t know what it was, but washing her hair had always made her feel lighter, as though she was washing away negative thoughts with it. She massaged her head as vigorously as she could, hoping her brain would make some connection that she was missing.

  She had to talk to Johnny. That was obvious. But, before that, Nora had to talk to Mrs. Mullally! Her old landlady had been Lori’s neighbor, and maybe she’d be able to shed some light on what had happened.

  Slipping into some warm woolen pajamas, Nora switched off the lights. Whatever she did, Nora had a feeling she’d better hurry - there was no telling who the murderer would target next!

  *****

  The next morning, Nora woke as early as possible and baked a batch of Mrs. M’s favorite peanut butter & caramel cookies. Fresh from the oven, the cookies smelled magnificent and, hopefully, would jog Mrs. M’s memory a bit. After all, hadn’t Lori brought her cookies before she disappeared forever?

  Mrs. Mullally was over ninety now, and not as sprightly as she once had been. She lived with her nephew and his wife in the same sunny yellow cottage that Nora had so many fond memories of. In the summer, she was almost always out on the porch, but winter saw her glued to the TV, unable to go outside for fear of pneumonia. Mrs. Mullally welcomed Nora eagerly.

  “It’s always good to see you, dear,” Mrs. Mullally said.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come last week,” Nora said. “What with both Hazel and Harvey coming down with a nasty flu.”

  “You better hope you don’t catch it next,” Mrs. Mullally said. “Are you giving them soup? Good chicken soup is the only thing that helps the flu. Throw out the medicines and stuff them with a potful of soup, I always say.”

  Nora laughed. “Thank you, Mrs. M. They’re both better now anyway. But I came here because I wanted to talk to you about something. Truthfully, I should have come much earlier…I don’t know if you heard about Mason.”

  “I heard.” Mrs. M nodded. “Poor boy. I used to teach him in school, you know. He had a fine brain, only he was too lazy to do anything with it. Still, he was a good lad with a good heart.”

  Nora nodded, although Mrs. M’s words pricked her like thorns. Somewhere, Nora did believe what Sheriff Ellerton had said to her last night - that she was, in a way, responsible for Mason’s death.

  “What’s wrong?” Mrs. M asked, seeing Nora’s unhappy look.

  “Everything,” Nora said. “I feel guilty, Mrs. M. I was the one who tried to fish for information about Lori from Mason. That made him start thinking about writing a book related to her disappearance. That caused the murderer to get spooked and, next thing we know…Mason’s dead. I feel like I’m at fault. If I’d just kept quiet, not gone digging, he’d still be alive.”

  Mrs. M looked astonished. “What’s this?”

  “It’s true, isn’t it?” Nora sighed. “There’s no way around it. I have a hand in his death.”

  “The only hand that killed Mason is the one that squeezed the trigger,” Mrs. M said sternly. “Don’t take another’s guilt upon your own heart, Nora. It wouldn’t be right. You didn’t put Mason in any danger - the psychopath who killed him did.”

  “Maybe,” Nora said. “But we’re still in the dark about who it is. I mean, we have our suspects, but I’ve no idea how to go about solving a case that’s twenty years old.”

  “Ah, but it isn’t twenty years old anymore,” Mrs. M. said. “It’s only a day old, now that the second murder has happened. Poor Lori. I always said that something bad had happened to her. The town was content with calling her an irresponsible mother who ran away, but I knew her. I know for a fact that she dearly loved that son of hers and would never abandon him.”

  “In fact, you were the last person to see her,” Nora said. “Officially, at least. Isn’t that right?”

  Mrs. M. nodded. “That’s right. She came by with some cookies and dropped off her keys. She asked me to water her plants that weekend. Oh, she was shining with happiness that day, Nora. You should have seen her. She had on brand new clothes, new diamond earrings, new shoes - the works.”

  “Did she say why she was so happy?”

  Mrs. M. nodded. “Well
…sort of. I teased her. I asked her if the glow on her face had anything to do with Johnny Teaks. She blushed then and told me I mustn’t pry, that I’d find out soon enough. Only…”

  “Yes?” Nora asked.

  “Only she looked kind of strange after I mentioned Johnny’s name. Worried. Or maybe guilty?”

  “What happened then?”

  “She asked me how I liked her new earrings and said a friend had given them to her. I teased her again, asking her whether her friend’s last name was Teaks and, this time, she positively bolted out of the house.” Mrs. M. sighed. “I was half-afraid I’d offended her.”

  “And then later?” Nora asked. “At 7pm you heard her car driving away, right?”

  Mrs. M. nodded. “It was a distinctive sound. I think her engine had a flaw or something, but that car always made a racket. I knew she’d headed off for her little weekend, and I was looking forward to seeing her again soon.”

  “But you never did,” Nora said.

  Mrs. M. shook her head sadly. “No. I never did. They never even found her body. The only thing I ever saw again was the diamond earring. One of them had fallen into a little nook by the passenger seat and I identified it when Sean brought it over. I suspect…” Mrs. M shuddered. “I don’t like to think of it, but I suspect she lost the earring in the struggle with the killer. Of course, it could be that it was loose and fell out.” Mrs. M. frowned. “Now that I think of it…there was something strange…something strange about it all.”

  “What?”

  Mrs. M shook her head, looking agitated. “I’m sorry. I just can’t remember. I wish I could.”

  Not wanting to upset her, Nora switched gears a little. “And Johnny? Did he seem genuinely upset when Lori disappeared?”

  “Oh, he was heartbroken, there’s no doubt about it,” Mrs. M confirmed. “Johnny was always a strange one, you know. I remember when he was in 6th grade and some boys bullied him. Billy Charles and his devils. Johnny didn’t complain to anyone. He just took the blows without a squeal. But, later on, someone got into those boys’ lockers and threw a can of shaken Pepsi inside. Ruined all their classwork and essays. They nearly flunked the year because of it.”

  “You think it was Johnny?”

  Mrs. M. shrugged. “All I know is, he could hold a grudge. That’s for sure.”

  “But why would he kill her?” Nora wondered aloud. “I mean, if he was in love with her, and she was in love with him…”

  “I’m not so sure that she was,” Mrs. M said. “They’d just started dating, you know. Johnny was head over heels, but Lori was being cautious. I think she was still testing the waters when it came to Johnny.”

  “Really?”

  “It had to be,” Mrs. M. said. “Every time I teased her about Johnny, or said something about how he had a big crush on her, she’d deny it ferociously. ‘We’re just keeping things casual,’ she’d say.”

  “But surely, agreeing to go to the cabin wasn’t exactly casual anymore, was it?”

  “I asked her that, and she said that they were going as a group. It was all just friendly.” Mrs. M. waggled an eyebrow. “No. She wasn’t crazy about Johnny. In fact…maybe she didn’t like him at all.”

  “What?”

  “There were rumors around town that she only wanted him for his money,” Mrs. M. said. “Now, I knew Lori wasn’t that kind of girl. She had a lot of self-respect. But, let’s admit it, it’s never a bad thing for a man to have money. And Lori craved stability. I think she saw Johnny as a stable life-partner, rather than a whirlwind romance. Someone who’d be a loyal husband and a good father.”

  “Did you agree with her opinion?” Nora asked.

  Mrs. M. shrugged. “Well, look at Anita. She’s definitely had a happy married life with Johnny all these years.”

  “Yes, but sometimes…” Nora hesitated. “Sometimes I wonder if Johnny would say the same. I mean, he’s loyal to her and he’s a great husband. But I never get the feeling that he’s in love with her. You know?”

  “Well, I can definitely tell you a little about that,” Mrs. M. said. “Anita chased Johnny pretty shamelessly once Lori was out of the picture. When a woman like that is out to get a man, especially if the man is a little vulnerable, she usually succeeds.”

  “But Anita’s a good woman,” Nora said, defending her friend.

  “Oh, I’m not saying she’s not,” Mrs. M. said. “She’s just an ambitious woman. When she wants something, she goes out and gets it. She doesn’t mope around like some of these poetic types. You know the kind I’m talking about? Women who’d rather stare out of the window and wish upon stars than roll up their sleeves and get to work. I think Anita and Johnny are a good match, frankly. Johnny’s a bit laidback, a bit mopey. Anita’s strong and a go-getter. He mellows her out, she doesn’t let him wallow. They both improve each other.”

  “Maybe so,” Nora considered. “But how far do you think Anita was prepared to go to get Johnny?”

  “That’s a question I’ve asked myself many a time.” Mrs. M. sighed. “I suppose I’ll never know.”

  *****

  Chapter 13

  The Triangle

  Even though Mrs. Mullally had told her all she could, Nora had a lot of questions running through her head. Like, for example, the relationship between Anita and Johnny. Was their marriage as strong on the inside as it seemed on the outside? Just how deeply had Anita hurt Mason for him to remain a bachelor ever after? What had Johnny felt about it? There was one person Nora had in mind who could probably answer all her questions. Irene.

  So Nora found herself in front of the big, wooden house at the end of Willow Street. She rang the doorbell and was met with silence. She rang it again and wondered if Irene was even home.

  “Just a second,” a voice finally called. Moments later the door opened and Nora walked in. Irene was wrapped in a thick, purple bathrobe, with little, golden unicorns all over it. Her hair was covered by a fluffy, striped towel and her face was glowing. There was a hint of glitter all over her body.

  “Sorry, I went to The Mod Bod the other day and bought a glittery bath bomb.” Irene grinned. “New peppermint shampoo, too. I just love indulging myself like that. Nothing like a good, hot bath on a cold day.”

  “Agreed.” Nora smiled. She took a deep breath. “The peppermint shampoo smells amazing, by the way.”

  “Doesn’t it? I think it’s got a hint of juniper in it. Anyway, come on in to the kitchen, will you? I’ve got some chicken pot pie leftover if you like. I skipped breakfast today and was just planning to do brunch instead.”

  “Sure, I’ll join you. Thanks,” Nora said, feeling a sudden rumble in her stomach.

  Irene offered Nora a seat at the table, set a glass of water in front of her and placed the pie in the oven to warm. “Let me just change and I’ll be right back,” she said and rushed off upstairs. Nora watched her go with a smile. Irene was a good woman. A little quirky, but always fun to be around.

  Still, now that she was alone…

  Nora wondered if she had time to snoop around a little bit. There was a pile of mail and a few magazines lying in one corner of the kitchen. Nora glanced at it briefly: an Autocar magazine, a few bills and an invitation to a wedding. Nothing special. Nora sat back down and thumbed through the magazine. She knew nothing about cars, really, but she had no trouble admiring them on occasion.

  “Don’t tell me you’re a mech-head, too?” Irene groaned, entering. “My dad used to run a garage, you know. I’ve been surrounded by men who love cars since I was a toddler. Tucker’s the same. We just got a new Mustang for him - a manual, of course. He considers it unmanly to drive an automatic.” Irene rolled her eyes. “Men have such funny ideas, I tell you. The other day I asked him if he wanted to try my new shampoo and he said it’d smell too ‘girly’. I ask you, what’s girly about peppermint?”

  “Men,” Nora agreed. “You just gotta live with them. Harvey was trying to figure out how to connect a DVD player to our TV the other d
ay. I told him to look it up on the internet. He just huffed at me like I’d asked him to put on a skirt or something. So, of course, then I had to look it up online and gently ask him if he didn’t think using an HDMI cable would be better. He got it done in the end.” Nora grinned. “And he never even realized I’d coached him through it.”

  Irene laughed. “Overgrown boys, that’s all they are. Gotta keep a firm hand. Want some hot tea with the pie? I’ve got chamomile and jasmine. Helps my throat.”

  “Thanks,” Nora said as Irene bustled about. Five minutes later, the two were digging into a delicious meat pie. Irene always rolled the crust herself and Nora didn’t quite know how, but she managed to make it crisp and fluffy at the same time.

  “So,” Irene asked, “You’re here about Mason, aren’t you?”

  “Is it that obvious?” Nora asked.

  “I’d have come to you if you didn’t come over.” Irene sighed. “I can’t get over it. Poor Mason. He was so…carefree. He didn’t need to die.”

  “It’s a real tragedy,” Nora said.

  “And you,” Irene said. “I heard you were there. That you found the body? Is that true? Did the killer really come after you?”

  Nora nodded. “Nearly got me, too. A few more seconds and I’d be dead. I’m lucky Harvey came along just in time to save me.” She gave a rueful laugh. “Looks like men have their uses after all, eh?”

  “Never said they didn’t. Thank goodness for Harvey.” Irene smiled. “But don’t you have any idea who it could be? I mean, you must have caught a glimpse of the killer, at least?”

  Nora shook her head. “I really wish I had. But we’re all in the dark right now.”

  “Well, the sheriff seemed confident he’d catch the killer soon,” Irene said. “Especially since they found the murder weapon on site.”