Murder on the Candlelight Tour (24 page)

"That's because there's herbs in it, silly. Here, let me." She fastened the cord around my neck so that the amulet hung over my heart.

At the next stop light she said, "Now repeat after me. 'I call upon the powers of the mighty Goddess Artemis, Lady of the Wild Things. Charge and bless this amulet of protection and empowerment. Shield me from harm. Strengthen and empower me. So mote it be.'"

Feeling ridiculous, I repeated the chant.

"As soon as we get to your house, I'll give you a reading. The cards will tell us what evil is at work here."

Kiki performed the reading in my library, scene of horrible violence, as we sat on either side of the library table on which randomly selected tarot cards were spread before us in the Celtic cross pattern. The tower card was on top.

Kiki explained, "The tower is the famous Labyrinth of King Minos. A shameful secret was hidden in its core. The secret was the seed of the tower's destruction. In your case, there's a secret that will prevent this resort from being built."

"A secret hidden at its core," I repeated thoughtfully. Should I call Jon and suggest we explore the four bungalows right away?

Kiki turned selected cards face up. "Here we have the chariot which augers conflict and struggle. You will come face to face with naked aggression, and you will discover that you too harbor aggression in your nature. The amulet I gave you will protect you from others' aggressive acts, but only you can control your own aggressive impulses."

Quickly Kiki flipped cards. "Ah, the lovers. They signify you will have to choose between your lovers."

What lovers, I wanted to ask, but remained silent.

She continued, "And here's Zeus, meaning that you'll be forced to rely on your own inner resources, something you haven't had to do since living in this close-knit community. A powerful, evil force has insinuated itself into your life and the showdown's coming!"

"And what's the final card, Kiki? What's does my future hold?"

She turned over the last card.

"The Hermit!" we shouted together.

"I don't want to be a hermit."

"You're not interpreting this card accurately, Ashley. Yes, there will be a period of solitude and withdrawal, but it will, if you embrace it, bring you wisdom and patience. All the great figures in history, even Christ, benefitted from a period of withdrawal. You'll build a solid foundation. You'll be a better person for it."

"Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice."

"Okay, who's responsible for these murders? You haven't told me that."

"The answer is here in The Devil card. The Satyr. Half-man half-goat. Precisely who this person is, I don't know. But bear in mind, Ashley, the goat is also the scapegoat, as much a victim as those he victimizes."

30

Late Saturday afternoon Melanie pushed through the front door carrying two lush, velvety poinsettias. "Drive out to MaeMae's with me, will you?" she requested. "I want to give these to the girls."

I tipped my head from side to side as if to drain water from my ears. "Huh?"

Melanie repeated her request with good humor and infinite patience. I had heard correctly, I just couldn't believe my ears. The girls? When did MaeMae and Lucy Lou get to be 'the girls?' And how come Melanie cared enough to take them Christmas plants? And why was she in such a good mood?

Except for last Saturday night, Melanie had been sleeping at my house every night. Spunky, now eating on his own, was true to his feline genetic makeup and quickly mastered the skill of stair climbing. One day he must have gazed long and hard into Melanie's feline eyes and--bingo!--discovered a soul mate. Now Spunky spent his nights at the foot of Melanie's bed, forsaking the sister who had saved him from a life of cold and misery. Honestly, cats are either short on memory or long on ingratitude.

Next Wednesday, the day after Christmas, Kiki and Ray would come to stay at my house. I'd have to think up an excuse for Melanie to stay too. I couldn't follow her around during the day, but I figured she wouldn't be alone at her office or at Joel's office. Although it was hard not to speak out, I was staying behind the scenes in the battle that was being fought over Joel's resort hotel. He didn't know I had taken sides against him and I wanted to keep it that way.

"Okay," I told Melanie, "I'll drive with you to MaeMae's. I have something to give her anyway. Are we expected?"

"Why, of course, shug. MaeMae called and invited us herself. I'll drive. Your car is way too small for us, these plants, and that awful looking rusty box you're taking. What is that anyway?"

"A time capsule," I replied.

She made a face. "I don't want to know."

Driving with Melanie is an adventure not for the faint of heart. "What did Ray think of your driving?" I asked as we sailed through a red light on Oleander Drive. Horns blared and drivers cursed, but Melanie only turned up the volume on Elvis singing "Blue, Blue Christmas."

"What?" she asked absently. "Ray? Oh, that reminds me. I invited Ray and his sister . . ."

"Kiki," I prompted.

". . . Kiki to my annual Christmas Day party. Oh, and I won't be able to sleep over at your house tomorrow night because I've got to get everything ready and decorated. Ask Jon to stay with you."

"Is Joel going to help you get things organized for the party?" I asked, fishing. In the past, she had relied on hired professional help for her parties.

"Joel had to make a quick trip to L.A. Some pressing business matters with his associates. But he'll be back on Christmas Eve. Naturally, we want to spend Christmas Eve together. You can find someone else to stay with you, can't you?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll find someone." So Joel was out in L.A., answering to his associates. I was convinced they were underworld figures. As an investor in Joel's enterprises, might Melanie be indirectly and unknowingly consorting with the mafia?

"Maybe Kiki can move into your house for a while. I must say, she is rather strange. I didn't know you'd shared an apartment with such an odd woman."

"Don't worry about it. I'll find someone. And Kiki isn't strange." I reconsidered. Actually, she was odd. "Well, if she is odd, she's a lovable oddity. I took her and Ray out to Port City Chop House for dinner last night. They were mighty impressed. Weren't expecting such a sophisticated restaurant in our little town. You know, people from New York and California must think we eat squirrels and dirt, because they act so surprised when they see we have elegant restaurants."

"Isn't that Ray something," Melanie crooned, as we skidded onto Greenville Loop Road. "He's accomplished so much for someone so young."

He's got big bucks is what you really mean, I thought. I was trying to think of how to maneuver the conversation around to my blueprints being in Joel's desk drawer without giving myself away when we arrived at MaeMae's white French Provincial house. A blustery wind blew off the Intracoastal Waterway and I pulled my jacket tighter around me.

"Okay, Melanie, what is this little visit really about?" As she scooped up poinsettias into her arms, I hefted the memory box off the backseat.

"Why whatever do you mean? Do you think I'm incapable of simple Christian charity? Don't you think I have a heart?" She gave me a stricken look, then pressed the doorbell.

"Good afternoon, Velma. My, doesn't your hair look lovely today. You must have spent the morning with the finest hair stylist in town."

Velma patted her perfectly coiffed hair. "As a matter of fact, I did, Miss Wilkes. Please come in and I'll let Mrs. Mackie and Miss Upchurch know you're here."

With an unpracticed smile, Velma took the poinsettias from Melanie, but I refused to relinquish the box. Again we were left to cool our heels in the Seventies-era foyer.

"You know it's the cocktail hour," I whispered to Melanie. "They'll be drunk as skunks."

"Shush, they might hear you."

Since when do you care, I wanted to ask.

A very sober MaeMae Mackie came into the foyer to welcome us graciously and thank us for the beautiful poinsettias. She hugged Melanie like they were the oldest and dearest of friends. Then she hugged me. What was going on here?

Lucy Lou greeted us from the white living room sofa. An enormous Christmas tree, beautifully decorated with silver ornaments, towered over the hearth where gas fire logs blazed. The room was cozy and warm, and our hostesses seemed genuinely happy to see us.

I swept the room with a curious eye. Not a cocktail shaker or liquor bottle in sight. After dispensing with the niceties, MaeMae told us all about their transformation.

"We're so glad you could come, Melanie. You too Ashley. We've got some good news to share. We've come out of the closet." She clasped Lucy Lou's hand. "We're in love. We've always been in love. And we want the whole world to know. We've become 'life partners.'" Wrinkling her nose, she confided, "We don't like that other term."

Lucy Lou explained further, "Now that we don't have to worry about keeping our relationship secret, we don't feel compelled to drink." The look of adoration she bestowed on MaeMae would have melted the heart of a snowman.

"Oh, it's so wonderful to be free," MaeMae sang.

Melanie jumped up from her chair and reached for 'the girls,' embracing them in a great hug. "I'm so proud of you two. That took courage. How I admire women who have the courage to live their convictions."

"And how we admire you, Melanie," Lucy Lou said. "We were just saying so before you arrived. You've been our heroine for many years. We've always wanted to be able to embrace life openly and fearlessly as you do. You do exactly what you please and don't give a hoot what people say."

"I'm so glad you see it that way. Most people are so narrow minded, don't you think? Now, tell me, what will your living arrangements be? Who's moving in with whom?"

"Melanie, dear, aren't you the practical one? No wonder you're such a success in business."

Melanie returned to her seat next to mine where I sat with my eyes popping and my mouth hanging open.

MaeMae looked to Lucy Lou for approval. "Excuse us for a moment. We don't mean to be rude." She whispered something into Lucy Lou's ear. Lucy Lou nodded and whispered back. They grinned broadly.

"We both have nice homes," MaeMae said. "We'd like you to appraise them for us, then sell the one that will bring the most money."

Melanie's splayed fingers crossed her heart. "What a surprise. Why, I'd be honored."

To further add to my confusion, we were invited to dinner. Melanie quickly accepted. Velma was a wonderful cook, serving home-style food: roast chicken and mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, apple pie. Melanie skillfully maneuvered MaeMae and Lucy Lou into revealing their assets. Now why doesn't she practice those ferreting techniques on Joel, I asked myself. You'd have thought shrewd Velma would have caught on, but Melanie had won her over too. She served Melanie the white meat and the first slice of pie.

As they discussed the values of Gerard family holdings in rental property and office parks, my mind skipped to the obvious. Now I knew why MaeMae resented Sheldon, and it wasn't even poor Sheldon's fault. There was nothing he could have done short of a sex-change operation that would have won MaeMae over. She'd exclaimed how wonderful it felt to be free, but was she referring to freedom from Sheldon, or freedom from the "secret"? And what about Sheldon's secret? So many secrets. If only Melanie would take an interest in solving the murders, she'd have these two pouring their hearts out.

As we carried our pie and coffee back to the living room, I tried to think of how I might worm Sheldon's secret out of MaeMae. Finishing off the pie, which was very sweet and moist, I got up and wandered to the Christmas tree to admire the silver ornaments.

"Those ornaments were passed down through my family," MaeMae said.

I was about to offer the memory box to MaeMae when a row of books on a bookshelf near the tree brought me up short. "High school yearbooks!" I squealed.

All eyes turned to me and conversation stopped.

MaeMae said, "Those were Sheldon's yearbooks. I should do something with them. I'd donate them to his old high school but the city tore it down in the late Sixties before people here started to value our heritage."

"May I?" I asked.

"Why, of course, help yourself. But whatever do you want with those musty old things? I have no idea why Sheldon insisted on keeping them in here but sometimes late at night I'd find him poring over those old things. Lost youth, I 'spect."

Fixing me with a glare of disapproval, Melanie said, "My sister has eclectic tastes. You never know what will catch her fancy."

I extracted the 1959 and 1960 volumes. Carrying them to my chair, I started to thumb through them.

"Ashley!" Melanie hissed. "Mind your manners."

I looked up. "Oh, sorry. May I borrow these?"

MaeMae blinked. "Why, sure 'nuff, if you want to." A sudden idea brightened her expression. "Perhaps, Ashley, with your contacts, you know a collector who might want to buy the entire set."