"Er, yes. Sorry. Think about it!" Gregory called to the young woman. She nodded, looking slightly dazed.
"What were you trying to get her to agree to?" asked Abe.
"Saving all the scraps and refuse from the mayor's kitchen and starting a community garden with the resulting compost. There are a few empty lots in the city that I think would make an excellent project."
"I'm sure you're right. Listen, quick, Ollie's seeing that cop, you know, Jeffries? I think we can take this opportunity to talk to him. He might let something slip about the Lockwoods' motives!"
"Hm. Or we could just ask."
"Shall we ply him with more drinks first?" asked Abe, keeping his voice low.
Gregory chuckled. "Look at you, going all Mata Hari." He patted Abe's arm. "I'll ask. I don't think we need drinks. He looks like he's in the mood to talk."
And sure enough, he was standing near Oliver and seemed to be speaking a lot, in the cheerful way of someone who was just slightly merry but hadn't over-imbibed.
Gregory insinuated himself into the conversation with practiced ease, and Abe stood back to admire his work. Soon, the subject came up, and Gregory asked him point-blank.
"Do you know why they killed him? The actual motive, that is. The whole garden critique thing seems pretty flimsy."
The detective eyed him for a moment, and then Abe. "Off the record?"
"Of course, off the record. Do we look like reporters?" Gregory gestured between himself and Abe. "Our puns aren't nearly bad enough!"
Jeffries laughed. "No, they're not. All right, but don't go spreading it about. I don't want it getting back to me. We're not supposed to give out too much information, even when the case is sewn up."
"Of course. We'll keep our lips zipped," said Abe.
Jeffries studied him for a moment, probably thinking about what a gossip he was. "Well, at any rate, you didn't hear it from me, okay?"
Abe and Gregory nodded in unison.
"Apparently, Clarence and Lorraine were planning a gardening television show together. They were going to call it something precious and host it together, talking about flowers and what-not, on the local access cable. They had a whole plan worked out for approaching a big network after that. Well, apparently Clarence just took the plan and did it himself, leaving Lorraine out. She was angry, but what could she do? She was planning to try to host a show of her own, but the local channel didn't really want two gardening shows, and Clarence kept giving her the cold shoulder.
"Then, he got his big break—the one they were supposed to have together—and was soon moving to another state to enlarge the show, now with a big budget and a cable network deal." Jeffries shook his head. "He'd have done just that, and nothing she could do about it, I'm sure, if he hadn't come back just to be smug over his success without her. Apparently, they'd had a falling out, something about how to cultivate roses properly, and he moved shortly afterwards and got started on it all without her. I'm surprised the plans worked out. But it was apparently a pretty detailed plan. Nothing in writing that she could prove in court was hers, not his. But she was a big part of working it all out. She was a pretty clever lady."
He sounded sad for a moment, then added, "Not sure if it was her idea to murder him, or her husband's, but they were definitely in it together. His critique of her roses was the last straw. He had to pay for what he'd done—unrepentant to the last."
"Why did he get in the car with them? Do you know?"
"She went to meet him alone, pretending she wanted to ask him once more about giving her some credit on the show, or letting her have a part—even a small part—in the production. He went along so he could lord it over her some more, watching her grovel for crumbs." Jeffries shook his head. "Kinda surprised nobody murdered him sooner. I learned some heavy stuff about the guy during the investigation." Then he looked as if he thought he shouldn't have said that, perhaps shouldn't have shown an opinion with civilians.
Ollie put his arm around Jeffries, looking pleased and proud. "Isn't he clever? How you figure all of this stuff out is beyond me!"
"Oh." Jeffries laughed self-consciously. "It's mostly just legwork and following up. Duty, you know." He waved a hand vaguely.
"And tips from citizens," offered Gregory, smiling.
"Yes. Sometimes that, as well."
"Well. It's been a pleasure. Thank you for telling us." Gregory shook his hand, and then Abe wanted to, as well. He hadn't shaken hands with a cop before.
They headed back to the mixing and mingling, feeling very much more content now that they knew the truth behind the motive.
"It makes sense," Abe said. "It wasn't a jealousy motive at all. It was about him stealing from her, then humiliating her like that."
"The cop was right. I'm surprised nobody murdered him sooner."
"I'm glad it's over now," said Abe, slipping his hand into Gregory's, acutely aware they were in a public place but knowing it was a friendly one, surrounded by sympathetic souls.
"I think we should celebrate." Gregory's smile gleamed, and so did his eyes, bright and triumphant and naughty and teasing.
"Oh?" Abe's heart began to beat rather hard. "How so?"
Gregory leaned close, putting an arm around Abe's waist and moving close enough to whisper in his ear, which sent tingles all up and down Abe's body. "I think we should dig up your backyard. And plant something useful."
Abe burst out laughing. "You never stop!" He swatted Gregory's chest playfully, smiling up at his man, his gardening genius, his passionate and funny boyfriend.
"That's what you love about me," said Gregory. He gave Abe a sound kiss before Abe could reply.
the end
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The Body in the Backyard Page 16
