A Catered Thanksgiving (16 page)

Libby decided not to respond to that. If she did, they'd be there all night. Instead she said, “So, I repeat, how is this a matter of life and death?”

“Because Lexus is going to kill me so I can't talk.”

“What are you going to talk about?” Bernie asked.

Geoff favored her with a “how stupid can you be” look. “The will. I'm going to tell the authorities about the will.”

“Fine. What's your proof?” Libby asked.

“I don't have to tell you,” Geoff said.

“Probably because you don't have any,” Bernie told him.

Geoff stamped his foot. “I certainly do. And, anyway, she's done other stuff.”

“Like what?” Bernie asked.

Geoff didn't answer.

“That's what I thought,” Bernie said. “I find it odd that your stepmother just asked us to find Monty's murderer and now you're asking us to protect you from her, don't you, Libby?”

“Absolutely, Bernie. Do you think there's a correlation?”

“Without a doubt, Libby.”

“I know what she asked,” Geoff said. His voice had taken on a whiny undertone. “I was there, remember?”

“Why don't you tell Libby and me what's really going on?” Bernie told him. “We can't help you if you don't know.”

“What's going on,” Geoff said, “is that Lexus is trying to pin Monty's death on me. Obviously.”

“It's not obvious to me,” Libby said.

“Or me,” said Bernie. “In fact, I'm totally confused. I thought everyone thought that Bernie and I killed your father.”

Geoff jerked his head from side to side. “No. Perceval just said that.”

“So did Lexus,” Libby reminded him.

“But she was just using that as a ploy to take suspicion away from her,” Geoff said.

“It seems a little convoluted to me,” Libby said. “What do you think, Bernie?”

Bernie leaned her back against the wall. “Seems a little convoluted to me, too.”

“I mean,” Libby continued, “you just told us, she wants to throw suspicion onto you.”

“No,” Geoff said. He got a crafty look on his face. “What she wants to do is kill me.”

“And I suppose Lexus brought Monty up from the garage and put him in her bed so she could blame you,” Bernie said.

Geoff beamed.

“Never mind that I don't think she'd be able to carry him up,” Bernie observed.

“She had help,” Geoff told her.

“You're sure of that?” Libby said.

“Yes,” Geoff said. “I am.”

“You want to tell me who that person was?” Bernie asked.

“It's none of your business.”

“Now we're supposed to protect you from two people. Wow. That's a pretty tall order. I mean two is a lot, but when we don't know who the second one is…” Bernie allowed her voice to trail off. “Well, even you can see that's a lot to ask of us.”

“Forget the other person,” Geoff told her. “They're of no consequence. I need you to concentrate on Lexus.”

Libby glared at Geoff, trying to scare him into telling her the truth. After a moment she was forced to conclude that this was not going to work. Geoff seemed unimpressed. But then, Libby reflected, she couldn't remember anyone she'd ever scared. It was too bad, but there it was.

She sighed and said, “No doubt Lexus rigged the turkey, too.”

Geoff nodded his head vigorously.

“And then,” Libby continued, “she blamed us so we would then be forced to investigate and come up with you as the perpetrator of said deeds.”

“See?” Geoff said. “I knew you were smart.”

“And the reason for this is?” Bernie asked.

“I already told you.”

“Tell me again,” Bernie instructed.

“The reason is that if I'm out of the way, she gets to inherit everything.”

“But why should Lexus pick on you?” Bernie asked. “Why not someone else in your family? Why not Perceval or Ralph?”

The tic under Geoff's eye got faster. Bernie thought it was like watching a live electric wire sparking.

“That's simple,” Geoff said. “I'm the primary heir.”

“What about your sister and your uncles and your cousins?” Bernie asked.

Geoff snorted. “They're total losers.”

“I bet they'd say the same about you,” Bernie noted.

Geoff's expression turned sullen. His foot tapping increased. “No. It's true.”

“That you're a total loss?” Bernie asked in her sweetest tone of voice.

“No,” Geoff yelled. Then he got his voice back under control. “Melissa is a compulsive gambler. She'd sell the business in a heartbeat and gamble the proceeds away. My uncles are just stupid. That's why my dad makes—made—them run every penny that they spend by him, and as to my cousins…” Geoff paused to take a breath. “My dad just found out that that whole Africa scheme they were supposed to be doing was a gigantic scam.”

Bernie nodded. That fit in with what she and Libby had found written on the yellow pad in the bunker.

“But you're perfect,” Libby said.

Geoff sniffed and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “I never said I'm perfect. I make mistakes. But I do work and I am reliable. I'm the only one my dad liked.”

“It didn't sound that way when he came out and asked why you hadn't shoveled a path to the kitchen. Did it sound that way to you, Libby?” Bernie asked.

Libby shook her head. “Not even a little bit.”

“That's just the way he talked,” Geoff said. “He didn't mean anything by it.”

“Well, you seemed pretty upset,” Libby observed.

“I wasn't really,” Geoff said.

“You looked as if you were going to punch him out,” Bernie said.

“No,” Geoff said. “You're mistaken.”

“Your fists were clenched,” Bernie said.

“You're wrong,” Geoff said.

Bernie backed up and tried a different route. “So what you're saying is that your dad had bad people skills?” Bernie asked.

Geoff smiled. “That's exactly what I'm saying,” he replied. He sounded relieved.

“I see,” Libby said as she absentmindedly picked up the wizard with the blue robes off the desk and ran her finger along the edges of his pointed hat. The candle felt surprisingly heavy for what it was supposed to be. As if something was hidden inside the wax.

“Don't touch that!” Geoff cried. “That's very fragile. Put it back.”

But it was too late. Libby had already turned the wizard upside down.

“Interesting,” she said when she saw what was inside.

L
ibby looked at Geoff's face. It was beaded with sweat. “That's my medicine,” he cried.

“I always hide my medicine somewhere, don't you, Bernie?” Libby said.

“Oh, absolutely,” Bernie replied. “That's why I put my socks in the medicine cabinet and my medicine in my sock drawer. Safer that way.”

“Actually, I put mine in the oven,” Libby said. “I like to be one hundred percent secure.”

Bernie nodded. “You can never be too careful. That's my motto.”

“Dad's too,” Libby said.

Bernie smiled. “That's where I got it from.”

“It
is
my medicine,” Geoff cried. “I never know when I'm going to need some.”

“I bet you don't,” Libby said.

“I have a condition,” Geoff whined.

“How about issues?” Bernie said. “Do you have them, too?”

“I have a condition,” Geoff repeated.

Bernie tapped her cheek with her finger. “Let me think. Hmmm. I'm guessing your condition has something to do with your nose.”

Geoff folded his arms across his chest. “I have a sinus condition. A serious sinus condition. Okay?”

This time Bernie did roll her eyes. “No. It's not okay.”

“Well, I do,” Geoff said.

“Aren't you embarrassed that you can't come up with anything better than that?” Bernie asked him. “Seriously. I'd be embarrassed if I was you. A little creativity goes a long way.”

Geoff pressed his lips together and looked down at the floor.

Libby held up the package she'd taken out of the hollowed-out wizard. “That's a lot of medicine. How many ounces would you say?”

Geoff didn't say anything.

Bernie took the clear ziplock bag from her sister and weighed it in the palm of her hand. “I'd say it's at least one to one and one-half ounces. No wonder those are magic candles. Tell me, did your father know about this?”

Geoff continued looking down at the floor.

“Did someone tell him?” Bernie asked.

“No one told Monty anything,” Geoff snapped back.

“Aha.” Bernie pointed a finger at Geoff's chest. “That implies that there's something to tell.”

Geoff glared at her. “You think you're smart, don't you?”

Bernie smiled. “Actually, I do.”

“Well, I think you're an idiot.”

Bernie looked at Libby. “Don't you think it sounded as if someone told Geoff's dad that he was using coke?”

“It sounded that way to me,” Libby agreed.

Geoff looked everywhere but at Libby and Bernie. “Well, they didn't.”

“So you say,” Libby observed.

“Yes, I do.”

“Maybe it was the same people that told Monty about Lexus,” Libby observed.

“They have quite a little rumor mill going around here, don't you think?” Bernie asked Libby.

“I do indeed.” Libby looked at Geoff again. “You know, even if no one told Monty, which I don't believe, I bet he did know about your”—she hesitated for a moment—“condition, as you put it. Or he suspected as much. That kind of thing is hard to hide. Especially since your…medicine…is so expensive. Were you taking money out of the business to buy it?” She nodded toward the coke. “Most people end up doing that.”

Geoff scowled. “Of course I wasn't.”

“I don't believe you,” Bernie said. “I bet your dad caught you stealing and he was going to turn you in to the police.”

“Dad didn't know anything,” Geoff insisted.

“Is that why he wasn't very happy with you?” Bernie asked, disregarding Geoff's last statement.

“Not happy at all,” Libby chimed in. “I know our dad wouldn't be.”

Geoff looked up. “It's not what you think,” he said.

“Really,” Bernie said. “Then what is it?”

“I lied before,” Geoff told her. His face was scrunched, as if he was trying to concentrate.

“No kidding,” Libby said.

“I'm holding this for someone.”

“Wow,” Bernie said. “Now, there's a shock.”

“I am,” Geoff insisted.

“How kind of you. And who might that someone be?” Libby asked.

“I can't tell you.”

Libby shifted her position. “Of course you can't,” she sneered. “Mostly because there is no one.”

Geoff flushed again. “Yes, there is. They told me it was dish detergent. I didn't know what it was.”

Bernie laughed. “Is that what they're calling coke these days? How much did this cost? I bet it wasn't cheap.”

“I told you it isn't mine,” Geoff answered.

“And we don't believe you, do we, Bernie?” Libby said.

“No, we don't,” Bernie replied. “My understanding is that your dad kept you on a pretty tight leash. That you were maxed out on your credit cards.” It was a guess, but judging from the expression on Geoff's face, it was a pretty good one.

“Where did you hear that?” Geoff demanded.

Bernie shrugged. “You just told me.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Your reaction told me,” Bernie said as she handed the ziplock bag back to Libby.

“You don't know anything,” Geoff cried.

“Maybe I don't,” Bernie said. “Or maybe I know that you're the person that killed your dad, after all,” she said.

“And why would I do that?”

“I just told you. He was going to call the cops on you. Or maybe he was going to kick you out. Or disinherit you and you'd be left with nothing. That would be pretty hard for someone like you to handle, wouldn't it?”

Geoff jerked his head in the direction of the ziplock bag Libby was holding. “I told you that stuff isn't mine.”

“Right,” Libby said. “Only you won't tell us whose it is.”

“I can't,” Geoff said.

“Why ever not?” Libby asked.

“Because I don't know. Someone put it in the wizard when I wasn't here.”

“So you're changing your story again?” Libby asked.

“This time I'm telling the truth,” Geoff insisted.

Bernie clicked her tongue against her teeth. “So why didn't you tell us that before?” she asked.

“Because I didn't think you'd believe me,” Geoff said.

“And you're right,” Libby said. “We don't. I don't think I've ever met such a bad liar, have you, Bernie?”

“Nope,” Bernie said as she looked at her phone. There was still no service. She slipped it back in her pocket and looked up at Geoff. “It's kind of insulting how little effort you put into your lying. It makes me think that you think that we're not worth the effort, and that hurts my feelings. Maybe we should tell your uncles what we found. And your cousins. And your sister. Maybe we should ask them if they put the coke in the wizard. It would be interesting to hear what they have to say. I'm sure they would be pleased by your accusations, don't you, Libby?”

“Oh, absolutely. I can hardly wait to hear their comments.”

“Screw you,” Geoff said.

“That's so rude,” Bernie said.

“No need for name-calling,” Libby said as she started to put the bag of coke in her pocket.

“What are you doing with that?” Geoff cried.

“I'm going to use it to wash the dishes,” Libby said.

“You can't,” Geoff wailed.

“You're right,” Bernie said. “All that money down the drain. That would be a shame. No, instead we're going to keep it to show to the police when they turn up. Which they most assuredly will do sooner or later.”

“You can't do that,” Geoff repeated.

“And why not?” Libby said. “Are you going to stop me?”

Geoff looked at Bernie and Libby for a moment. His eyes widened. Bernie could see what he was thinking. She began to shout a warning to Libby to move away from him, but she had gotten only as far as “Watch the…” when Geoff reached over, grabbed the bag of coke, and dashed out of the room.

“Maybe I shouldn't have said that,” Libby said as she and Bernie ran after Geoff.

“You mean the ‘are you going to stop me' thing?” Bernie replied.

“Yeah. That.”

“You think?”

It was a matter of seconds before Libby and Bernie reached the hallway, but by that time Geoff was gone.

“Where did he go?” Bernie asked as she listened for his footsteps.

There weren't any. Not only that, there were no tell-a-tale creaks, groans, or squeaks from the floorboards, either.

Libby shook her head. “It's like he disappeared.”

“Well, he has to be somewhere,” Bernie said. “People don't just vanish. At least not in real life they don't.”

“I guess we should start looking,” Libby said.

“I guess so,” Bernie agreed.

“And we're going to do what when we find him?”

Bernie clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “We're going to ask him some more questions.”

“And if he won't answer?” Libby persisted.

“Then we'll ask again.”

“And if he still won't answer?”

Bernie let out an annoyed grunt. “Then we can at least say we tried. And, anyway,” Bernie added, “looking for him will give us a chance to finish going through all the rooms on this floor.”

“So what are we waiting for?” Libby asked.

Bernie held out her hand. “After you, Alfonse.”

Libby bowed. “My pleasure.”