Illegally Iced (17 page)

“Seriously? There’s actually a dress code for dinner?”

“You don’t want to know,” Harry said. “I’ll tell her you’re coming.”

“Great. Thank her for the invitation, would you? And if there’s time after we eat, could we talk to you? We have a few more questions for you about James.”

“I would be amazed if you didn’t,” he said with an easy laugh. “Like I told you before, if I can help, I will. All you have to do is ask. I’ll be by your car when you leave.”

“We’ll see you soon then,” I said and then broke the connection.

“I take it we’ve been invited to see the queen,” Grace said.

“She’s not even picky about what we’re wearing, which is a very good thing. What do you say? Are you up for a dinner out?”

“I can face showing up like this if you can,” she said.

I had to laugh, and Grace asked in response, “Did I just say something amusing?”

“You sell cosmetics. You are always a veritable fashion plate, while I’m rarely seen in anything other than what I have on right now. I have a feeling that you’re going to have a lot harder time with this than I am.”

“Point taken,” she said, “but don’t count me out yet.” When we got to the car, she popped the trunk lid on her car and pulled a few things out.

As she put on a tweed blazer, I said, “Hey, that’s not fair.”

“I’m sure I’ve got something here that you can wear, too.”

Grace and I shared many things, but clothing was not one of them. Our shapes were so different that about all we could both wear were scarves and gloves. “Thanks, but I’ll take my chances looking like this.”

“Suit yourself,” she said. In less than a minute, she’d freshened up her makeup and at the same time she’d elevated it a notch or two to a more formal look than she’d been sporting before. “You really are good at that,” I said as we got into the car.

“Practice makes perfect. Hey, don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got talent, too.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“I’m willing to bet that no one in April Springs can make a donut like you can.”

“As far as superpowers go, that’s not a very good one, is it?” I asked with a smile as she drove away.

“That depends on how hungry you are, and I just realized that in our haste to tackle our suspects, we forgot to eat lunch.”

“We can’t stop now,” I said. “We’re just going to have to toughen up and go without until later.”

“We can’t eat a full meal, but we have to get something to take the edge off.”

I was about to protest when my stomach started rumbling. “Okay, but it can’t be much.”

“Trust me. I know just the place,” she said.

*   *   *

By the time we got to Pinerush, we’d finished off the fruit-and-yogurt treats we’d picked up on the way. They weren’t the small mass-produced fare some fast food chains offered, but a nice portion of yogurt and fruit that was fit for royalty. I was still a little hungry, but at least I wouldn’t eat the bread basket when we sat down for supper.

*   *   *

“Come in,” Stephen said as he answered the door. “Mrs. Pinerush is expecting you.”

“Thanks,” I said. He led us down a grand hallway, the oak floors gleaming. The walls on either side were covered with portraits from generations long gone, and I felt as though I’d stepped into some kind of gothic novel. After passing several doors, we were led into a grand dining hall with a table large enough to feed twenty. There were just four place settings, though. I couldn’t believe it when I actually saw my name on a place card.

“Mrs. Pinerush will be in momentarily,” Stephen said, and then left us alone.

I held my name card up. “This is pretty fancy, isn’t it?”

“Look at this china. It has to be a hundred years old.”

“I wish you hadn’t told me that. Now I’ll be afraid to eat off it.”

Grace laughed. “Then I won’t say a word about how much those water goblets must be worth.”

“I’d appreciate that.” I looked around the room and couldn’t help admiring a lovely large tapestry hanging nearby. “What do you make of this?”

She approached it, and then said, “It’s just like one I saw at the Biltmore House the last time I was in Asheville.” The Biltmore was the world’s largest private residence, and a great many folks took tours of the home, especially around Christmas.

“You have a keen eye,” Mrs. Pinerush said from the doorway. “This is the twin of one hanging there. Only two were made in this exact pattern, and we’re fortunate enough to own this one.”

“It’s truly lovely,” I said.

She seemed to shrug slightly. “In all honesty, it’s been hanging there since I was a child, and I freely admit that sometimes I take its presence for granted. Would you two be seated?”

We took our places, and I glanced at the fourth name. It said “Forrest” in a fine cursive hand. “Will your son be joining us?”

“That was the original plan, but I’ve changed my mind. I’d like a little time to speak with the two of you first. We can chat while we eat.” She reached beside her plate and picked up a small brass bell. After she rang it once, a woman in a maid’s uniform came in with two plates full of what looked like duck, as well as a sautéed vegetable medley and wild rice. After the woman served us, she returned with Mrs. Pinerush’s fare, a different meal altogether.

She must have noticed my glance at her plate. “I’m afraid that I can no longer eat the food you are having, but I hope that you enjoy it.”

“I love duck,” Grace said.

I just nodded. I couldn’t say that I was all that fond of it, but I reminded myself that we weren’t there to eat. Well, not
just
to eat. If this was what it took for Mrs. Pinerush to open up to us, I was willing to eat just about anything but snails. Rich folks could call them escargots all they wanted; I knew what they really were.

As I took my first bite, I was amazed by just how good it was. The duck I’d had before wasn’t anywhere close to this in quality and I couldn’t wait for my second bite.

“This is delicious, Mrs. Pinerush,” I said.

“Please call me Anne.”

I couldn’t see that happening, but I nodded my acknowledgment anyway.

“First off, I must apologize for my behavior yesterday,” she said.

I looked at her quizzically. “Funny, but I don’t remember anything that you need to apologize for.”

“That’s gracious of you, but I was rude. Shock does that to me, especially as I get older. James really was like a son to me, and the fact that he felt free to rebel against my wishes endeared him that much more to me. I detest a sycophant, especially if we’re related.”

Was that last crack aimed at Forrest? It had to be.

What Mrs. Pinerush, or Anne, had just said went against what I’d ever heard about her relationship with James, and out of respect for my old friend I couldn’t see letting her claim otherwise. “Pardon me for saying so, but that’s not the way I’ve heard it. You had James locked up in a mental institution. It doesn’t sound to me as though you two were as close as you claim.”

Her face darkened, and I wondered if we were about to be thrown out. Just in case, I stabbed another piece of that magnificent duck and gobbled it up.

Anne said curtly, “That was an unfortunate incident that we don’t discuss here.”

She might not, but I hadn’t agreed to avoid the topic. “Sorry, but exactly whose feelings are you trying to save here? Call it what you will, but as far as I’m concerned, it was a monstrous thing to do,” I said. I couldn’t help myself; I just blurted it out.

Anne Pinerush was about to explode, I could see it in her eyes, but she finally managed to calm herself enough to speak. “I was under a physician’s care at the time, and the decision was made without my knowledge or consent. The moment I heard what happened, I ordered him to be released immediately.”

“Are you telling us that Forrest did it without your blessing?” Grace asked.

“I’m sad to say that it’s true. I was livid, and James was so angry he never spoke to me again. I tried telling him that I’d had nothing to do with it, but from that moment on, he turned his back on his entire family. He was, for all intents and purposes, alone in the world after that.”

“There you’re wrong,” I said. “There were a great many folks in April Springs who liked him, and a few of us even loved him.”

She took that in, and then said, “If only I could believe it was true.”

“She’s not lying,” Grace said.

Anne turned back to me and asked, “Were you perhaps one of those people who loved my nephew, Suzanne?”

“We were friends; just friends.”

“There is no such thing as being ‘just friends,’” she replied. “Every friend is a valuable jewel.”

“I believe that as well,” I said. “You don’t have to worry about James’s life after he left here. He was happy doing what he loved. The man was so passionate about blacksmithing that you couldn’t help catching some of his fever for it.”

“He was truly that good at it?” Anne asked tentatively.

“I have several of his pieces myself. He was outstanding,” I confirmed.

“Thank you for that.”

She was a little more receptive, so I asked, “Is that why you sent Thomas Oak to April Springs? To check up on James, and how he lived his life after he left here?”

She looked startled by the news. “What are you talking about? I’m afraid that you’ve lost me.”

“Are you saying that you don’t know the man?” Grace asked.

“Of course I know him. He works for the family’s interests. But what was he doing in April Springs?”

“I sent him,” Forrest said as he walked into the room. How long had he been lurking there listening to our conversation?

“Forrest, I told you that I wanted some privacy.” There was a hint of steel in Anne’s voice, and Forrest flinched a little.

“I know what you said, Mother, but I feel I need to be here to protect your interests.”

“Are you sure you’re not just looking out for your own?” I asked.

He started to snap out a reply, but then quickly checked himself. “I can assure you that I had the best intentions.”

“Just like when you had James committed to the mental ward, right?”

“I was afraid for his personal safety. He was acting irrationally, and I didn’t want him to hurt himself. I make no excuses for doing what I thought was best.”

“Again, was it for his sake, or the family interests?” I asked.

“I won’t stand here and let you insult me,” Forrest said.

“Since you weren’t invited,” Anne said coolly, “it might be better if you’d do as I asked in the first place and leave us to our dinner and conversation.”

“Yes, Mother,” he said, and then started out of the room.

She let him get one step away from the door when she said, “One moment, Forrest. Is it true that you sent Oak to April Springs to dig into what happened to James?”

“It is,” he said, clearly prepared for another tongue-lashing. “I felt it was our duty, and I take full responsibility for the action.”

“I’m not scolding you. It was the right thing to do. Well done.”

He nearly beamed from the praise. “Thank you.”

“Now, leave us.”

The smile dimmed, though it was not completely extinguished as he left us.

Once he was gone, she turned to me and said, “I will instruct Mr. Oak to pass on to you any information he discovers about what happened to James.”

“He’s going to tell the police, too, right?” I asked.

“Ultimately, but the first call he makes will be to you.”

“Why tell us anything?” Grace asked, doing her best to look innocent.

Anne wasn’t pleased by her question. “Come now, just because I’m old doesn’t mean that I’m a fool of any sort. I have other sources in April Springs who have informed me that the two of you are quite the crime fighters.”

“We may have been involved in a case or two in the past,” I admitted.

“And now you’re looking into James’s death as well. Don’t bother denying it.”

“I wasn’t about to,” I said as I looked her straight in the eye. “I would do it for any of my friends.”

“As much as I respect your altruistic motivation, may I add a little sweetener to the pot?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said.

“If you are able to solve James’s murder, I will make sure that you are rewarded financially. I can assure you that it will be quite handsome.”

“Thank you,” I said, “but we respectfully decline.”

She was clearly not a woman who was used to being rebuffed. “May I ask why not?”

“You may. We do this because we feel compelled to. Our motivation stems from loyalty, not the desire for money.”

“Why can’t it be both?” she asked.

“Because it would taint what we’re doing. We’re strictly amateurs, Anne, and we make no guarantees. All we can do is promise to do our best to find your nephew’s killer. We don’t need anything else to push us on.”

She paused. “I admit that I don’t quite know what to make of that. Everyone in my circle is motivated by the acquisition of wealth.”

“Hey, we don’t turn over our regular salaries to charity,” I said.

“But this is different,” Grace added. “Suzanne is right. This is a matter of helping a friend who can no longer protect himself. It’s the best way we know how to say a proper good-bye. Oh, some folks in town have been looking at Suzanne suspiciously because she and James had a rather public disagreement on the day he died, but that was the kind of friendship they had. He was a volatile guy at times, and Suzanne has been known to spout off on occasion herself.”

“But you never do,” I said with a grin.

“Maybe, but still not as often as you fly off the handle.”

“Very well,” Anne said. “I believe I’m beginning to understand. If there is anything I can do to help your investigation, either through Mr. Oak or my own devices, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

We both agreed, and then Anne said, “Now please, finish your meals. I’ve ordered Chef to prepare a rather sumptuous dessert. I hope you’ve saved room.”

I’d eaten nearly everything on my plate, but I nodded anyway. I’d find a way to sample some of the treat she had in store for us, and if I gained a pound or two in the process, I’d just cut back on my treats at home for the next few weeks.