A Timely Vision (34 page)

Mary Lou’s eyes were wet with tears that gleamed in the bright lights. “What are you saying? I checked her pulse. There was no heartbeat.”

“There was sand in her lungs. That means she was still breathing when you buried her.”

“No!
No!
That can’t be true! I checked her. She was dead. I had to bury her to protect the turtles. Then when everyone was looking for someone to blame, I went to Millie and asked her for money for the turtle sanctuary. I was thinking if I could get everything set up, I’d confess. But she told me I had to wait until she died to get the land she promised me. That’s when I thought of blaming
her
for what happened. Only for a while. Only until the turtles were protected. Then I would’ve told the truth. It was only an accident. I never meant to hurt Lizzie.”

I thought I was shocked and horrified
before
Agent Walker explained about Miss Elizabeth’s death. Knowing that she had been buried alive on the beach made everything so much worse. I started crying and covered my face with my hands. Kevin put his arms around me, and I cried into his shirt. How could something like this happen in Duck?

“You’ll have to come with me.” Agent Walker took Mary Lou’s arm to lead her away.

I lifted my head to see her go, and she stared at me. “I’m so sorry, Lizzie,” she sobbed. “I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know.”

I couldn’t speak. What could I say anyway? I didn’t know how Miss Elizabeth would’ve responded to that apology. But it was impossible to be forgiven by the dead. Mary Lou was going to have to live with what she’d done for the rest of her life. It struck me that the rest of us would have to live with it too.

Kevin took me home without any conversation. I went upstairs while he explained what had happened to Gramps.

I drew a hot bath and sat in it until I was completely pruny and the water was cold. I didn’t really think about anything. I couldn’t. My brain felt wiped clean of any information.

As I got out of the tub, I realized that even with all that water, I still hadn’t scrubbed the makeup off my face. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that half of it must’ve come off on Kevin’s shirt. I scrubbed off the rest until my face was clean and pink.

I stared at myself for a long time, questioning again if what I’d done was the right thing. Sometimes, there was a terrible price to pay for helping people. I knew if I had to do the same thing again, I would. But I knew this incident was one I would never forget. The look in Mary Lou’s drowned eyes when she asked me for forgiveness would haunt me the rest of my life.

When I was in bed, staring at the dark ceiling, there was a knock on the door. “Dae?” Gramps said. “Are you still awake?”

“Sure. Come in and we can talk.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, not bothering to turn on a light. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. And I’m hurt that you didn’t tell me what was going on. I thought we could tell each other anything.”

I thought of all my youthful indiscretions that lay like old shoes in the closet of my mind. I hadn’t shared any of those. But I knew Gramps and I had a good relationship and there had been enough sharing between us to keep it strong. “I knew you had a thing with Mary Lou. I didn’t want you to have to be there when we tricked her.
I
didn’t want to be there either, and she wasn’t even my girlfriend.”

He hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head. “You can tell me
anything
. No girlfriend can ever change that. I hope no boyfriend of yours ever does either. I’m sorry this happened to Mary Lou. I don’t know what possessed her to go through all those lengths to cover it up. She’s a good woman, Dae.”

I knew he was telling the truth about Mary Lou. “I think she got carried away trying to save the turtles. She thought no one else could do it but her.”

“You know, she’s right. Once she’s gone, the group will fall apart, and the turtles will have to fend for themselves. There won’t be anyone as dedicated as she has been. But we all have to live with mortality and our mistakes. I waited an extra five years to retire because I thought my deputies needed me. I had to be hospitalized with that heart attack before I realized they could get along without me. The turtles will have to get along without Mary Lou. I’m sure they’ll survive.”

I swallowed hard. “Did you know Miss Elizabeth wasn’t dead when Mary Lou buried her?”

He nodded. “I’d hoped to spare you that information. The chief kept it secret because he wasn’t sure Miss Mildred was the right suspect. He’d hoped to use it to catch the real perpetrator. This can be an ugly business, Dae. I always tried to keep those awful details from you when you were growing up. I guess I still like to think I can protect you.”

I hugged him and kissed his forehead. “You can spare me those details anytime. I don’t know if I’ll ever sleep again thinking about her being out there still alive and no one knowing. It’s terrible to be so alone.”

“I know how you like to worry these things, darlin’. But you don’t have to think about it that way. You’ll
never
be alone. I guarantee it. Which reminds me, there was an awful lot of white makeup on Kevin’s shirt. I guess you owe him a new one, huh?”

 

Wednesday morning dawned bright and clear, and I was running late. I was surprised at first that I’d slept at all. I looked at the clock and realized I’d forgotten to set the alarm. It was after nine and the auction was at ten.

I hurried out of bed, glanced at my wig-flattened hair and groaned. Nothing that washing and some blow-drying couldn’t help. I showered quickly and gave in to my impulse to wear something bright and cheerful. I paired a bright orange Duck T-shirt with white shorts, slipped my feet into tennis shoes (I figured I’d be running a lot today) and got out the door without Gramps yelling at me to eat breakfast.

I was surprised to find he was already gone and even more surprised he hadn’t left a note about where he was. I figured he was probably trying to organize the members of the Turtle Rescue League, who would no doubt be missing their fearless leader this morning. Mary Lou was the heart and soul of that little group. Thinking about her brought on a quick bout of depression. But I had an auction to stop, and I couldn’t let anything stand in my way.

I met Trudy at the end of the drive. She was riding her new red scooter and offered me a ride. It was small. I wasn’t completely convinced it could hold both of us. But I strapped on the extra helmet and sat behind her. “Where are you off to?” she asked as she waited for a break in traffic.

“I’m headed over to Miss Mildred’s house. They’re planning to auction it off today, but I’m planning something different.”

“Can you do that? Is that something mayors do?”

“I don’t know yet,” I yelled over the buzzing of the scooter engine. I’d ridden on motorcycles before. This was like a cross between a motorcycle and a bicycle. “I’ll let you know.”

“I saw you with Kevin Brickman yesterday. Is something going on there that Shayla should know about?”

“Shayla? I thought she was dating Tim again.”

“She was. They broke up, like always. I don’t know why they bother. Tim isn’t going to be happy with anyone but you. And Shayla isn’t going to be happy with anyone at all. But of all those losers, Kevin is on top of the pile, don’t you think?”

I didn’t want to dwell on that, especially not this morning. I wasn’t sure whether there was anything special between Kevin and me. We’d gone through some extraordinary events together, and sometimes that kind of mutual experience created a bond. But bonds like that don’t necessarily last. I didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision yet. I’d have to think about it after the auction.

“I heard Mary Lou Harcourt was arrested last night,” Trudy yelled at me. “Think she had too many overdue library books or something? I mean, can you imagine her doing anything illegal? I guess we’ll have to wait and hear the rest of it. There have been some crazy goings on this summer. I’ll be glad when fall gets here and everyone goes home. I know it’s not good for business, but I like the quiet.”

I knew everyone in Duck would be shocked when they learned the truth about what had happened to Miss Elizabeth. Some people wouldn’t believe it even when they heard all the details. I felt sure we’d be talking about it way after Duck Road was quiet in winter. I wondered what would happen to Mary Lou. I hoped she’d receive a light sentence despite her desperate attempts to hide what happened. I believed it was an accident, like she’d said. No one really knew what they’d do until they were in the middle of that kind of situation.

Trudy dropped me off at Miss Mildred’s house. A large group of cars, even a few limousines, were parked up and down the road. Plenty of people were interested in the auction. What Chuck had said was true—land was at a premium in Duck. It had to be because there was so little of it between the Atlantic and the sound.

“Looks like they have a good crowd,” Trudy observed. “Good luck convincing them not to auction everything.”

“Thanks. Say, would you do me a favor and check for UPS packages? You still have a key to Missing Pieces, right? Maybe you could throw them inside if there’s anything there.”

“You got it.” She revved the scooter engine. “See you later!”

I tugged my shirt down and wished I’d worn some kind of official-looking jacket. There was a police car in the driveway to ensure that everyone else parked in the street. Not only would I have to argue with Chuck and Jerry, but I’d also have to argue with police officers. But that was okay. I was ready to take on whoever needed taking on.

As I started up the drive, a well-dressed older couple got out of their Cadillac and walked up with me. The woman was dripping with large diamonds, and the man was wearing a big cowboy hat. We see them all in Duck, from the rich to the poor, from the cowboys to the slick city people. I guess they all want to live here, at least part-time.

Officer Scott Randall was at the front door, his police uniform freshly cleaned and pressed. He looked kind of stiff standing there, nodding to everyone who came in. I paused when I saw him, wondering if I should enlist his help in what I wanted to do. Then I considered what would happen if he said no and changed my mind.

“Mayor O’Donnell.” He nodded to me without a smile, obviously taking his duties very seriously.

“Officer Randall.” I nodded back. “Fine day for an auction.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I mingled with all the other people there for the auction. As Chuck had predicted, the champagne was flowing freely and the brie on the sideboard was plentiful. I didn’t see a single face that I recognized, except Scott. How had all these people even heard about the property being auctioned? Sometimes I was amazed at how many people were interested in our little town.

Chuck and Jerry were in the living room where the furniture had been moved aside to make way for at least fifty folding chairs. They were chatting and laughing like two hyenas. It was going to give me great personal pleasure to put an end to their partnership.

Chuck rang a bell, and people started moving into the living room. Apparently that signaled the beginning of the auction. I kept my spot against the wall rather than take a chair. I needed to be in position to go up and question the legitimacy of the auction in light of recent developments. I didn’t know how long I could hold them off, but I was hoping that no one would bid on the properties if they knew there was a question of legality.

When everyone was seated, except for a dozen or so still standing in the back of the room by Miss Mildred’s armoire, Chuck cleared his throat and welcomed them all to the proceedings. “As you can see, this is a classic older home right in the heart of Duck within walking or golf-cart distance to shopping and restaurants. The second home, which we’ll be travelling to for the next auction, is very much like this one. The two together represent a terrific value for anyone interested in property here.”

He nodded to a white-haired man who I thought must be the auctioneer since he came prepared with his own gavel. “We’ll start the bidding at two million dollars for this home and land. Do I hear two million?”

I took a deep breath, calmed my frantically beating heart, pasted on my big mayor smile and sailed to the front of the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention? I think you should know that the owner of these properties is going to be released from the hospital and will be back to claim them. Jerry Richards is not the rightful owner and can’t legally sell this or the other house.”

The people in the room began talking amongst themselves while Jerry and Chuck glared at me. Jerry recovered first. “I’m afraid sentiment over these properties runs very high here in Duck, but believe me, I have every right to auction them today. My grandfather is the sole beneficiary of the properties, and I have his power of attorney to dispose of them.”

“Officer!” Chuck called and beckoned Scott. “Please remove this woman from the premises.”

Scott looked at me and looked back at Chuck. “That’s the
mayor
, sir.”

I heard a faint siren sound coming from Duck Road, but I ignored it as I stood my ground. “Believe me, Jerry, you
don’t
want to continue. This is only going to cause you more trouble.”

The siren was getting louder, and I wondered if there was a fire close by. With the winds sweeping across town each day, fire was a frightening thought even with all the water so close by.

“Officer,” Jerry responded. “Do your duty. This woman is disrupting our legal auction.”

Scott looked at me again. “Excuse me, sir, but that is not a woman. That’s Mayor O’Donnell. I can’t throw her out. Maybe you should reconsider the auction.”

“What?” Jerry was livid, veins popping out in his temples and neck. “Never mind them. Go ahead and proceed, auctioneer.”

By now the siren was its own distraction. It sounded as if it were right outside. I couldn’t smell any smoke, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a fire. Scott and I stood between the crowd and the auctioneer. I could see they were confused and unsure what to do next. I was glad that Scott had taken my side, and I vowed that I would trust him with information if I was ever in a similar situation again. But in the meantime, the people in the crowd were looking at the auctioneer. I didn’t know what else I could do to stop the proceedings.