Pecan Pies and Homicides (20 page)

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At Partridge Hill, they saw Jenny's yellow Camaro parked in front of the house and Aiden out on the lawn, throwing a tennis ball for Miss Lulu. He waved as Ella Mae pulled up next to Jenny's car and smiled as Chewy jumped out of the Jeep to greet him.

Chewy and Miss Lulu engaged in a friendly tussle until they were distracted by a squirrel chattering from the edge of the lawn. The two dogs responded to the other animal's taunt immediately. They darted for the woods, quivering noses raised high.

“Nice to see you again, Ms. LeFaye,” Aiden said to Verena. “I'd shake hands, but mine are covered by Miss Lulu slobber.” A flash of anxiety in his eyes belied his friendly smile and relaxed posture.

“It's too cold to talk out here anyway.” Verena pointed at the house. “Let's all go into the house and have a cup of something hot. Do you think we could get your sister to do the honors?”

Aiden's smile slipped. “Yeah, sure.” He stood to the side, allowing Ella Mae to lead the way inside.

Jenny was already in the kitchen pouring hot water into a ceramic teapot shaped like a hen. When she turned to find Ella Mae and Verena standing in the threshold, she seemed genuinely delighted. “What perfect timing. Would you like a cup of Ceylon black? This pot makes the world's best tea.”

“Please,” Ella Mae said, coming closer. “My aunt Dee has a bunch of animal-shaped teapots. A bluebird, a tabby cat, and an elephant. When I was a kid, the elephant was my favorite because its trunk was the spout. Dee would pour out lemonade and tease me by saying that the elephant had a bad cold.”

Jenny laughed. “Aiden bought me this hilarious toilet-shaped pot as a joke. I broke it by accident, I swear!” Crossing her fingers, she looked at her brother. “Remember that hideous thing?”

Aiden's expression was grim. “I don't think they're here to talk about your teapot collection, Jenny.”

Taken aback by his solemn expression, Jenny glanced between Ella Mae and Verena. “No, I guess they're not.”

“Let's go to the sunroom,” Ella Mae suggested. “It's the warmest spot in the house.”

Once they were all settled, Jenny took her time pouring tea and setting out Adelaide's sugar bowl and a small pitcher of milk. Aiden shook his head when she offered him a cup. “It's time for me to tell them, Jenny.”

Nodding miserably, Jenny dropped a sugar cube into her teacup. She kept her eyes fixed on the sugar, pushing it this way and that with her spoon, as if mesmerized by the dissolving granules.

“You have a secret,” Ella Mae began. “And we have two murders on our hands. Both victims are from Oak Knoll.” She focused her gaze on Aiden. “Why were you at the lake yesterday? Did you kill Barric?”

Aiden shook his head. “I was looking for you. I waited until Jenny went in the other direction in search of Barric, and then I headed to the lake. I wanted to tell you my story where no one else could hear us. But when I got there, you were on the verge of passing out and Barric was beyond my help.”

Ella Mae cast a sideways glance at her aunt, but Verena didn't even arch an eyebrow. Aiden was telling the truth. “Well,” she prompted gently, “I'm here now.”

Aiden rested his hand on his sister's shoulder and drew in a deep, fortifying breath. “Not long before our grove burned, I was working on wiring a house in a new development. The general contractor was behind schedule and I told him I'd stay late to get the job done. So, I was alone when Eira showed up. She'd brought me supper—fried chicken, cornbread, butter beans—which I figured had been Jenny's idea. Jenny spoils me.”

Jenny reached up to touch his hand with hers. “You're all I've got, despite the fact that you're a total idiot.”

Her eyes were full of affection and Aiden shot her a quick grin before continuing. “Eira didn't come just to feed me. She had an agenda. While I ate, she told me about the terrible things Robert did. He'd lock her in her room if she didn't act exactly how he wanted and he tried to control everything about her life. He picked out her clothes and food and even chose the books she read and the music she listened to. Made it sound like she lived in a prison.”

“If that place was anything like the house Mr. Morgan purchased here in Havenwood, it must have been a fancy prison,” Verena said.

“Oh, yeah. Big mansion. Servants. The best clothes, jewelry, and all that,” Aiden said. “But Eira told me she didn't care about those things. Her dream had always been to teach dance to kids and to perform for an audience. That was never going to happen though because she was only allowed to dance for her husband.”

Ella Mae took a sip of tea. It was hot and strong. “Dancing was her gift. She could enthrall people, men especially, whenever she danced.”

“I didn't know that until the night of the Oak Knoll fire,” Aiden said. “It's not like we all go around discussing our abilities, and Eira never mentioned hers in front of me. And as you might have guessed, I've never been to the ballet. I'm more of a country fair kind of guy.” He shrugged. “Anyway, after she was done telling me her sob story, she turned up my radio and started to dance. She danced all through that empty house. I felt something inside go all tingly watching her. Like my brain had gone fuzzy.”

“She enchanted you!” Verena cried and drained her tea in one gulp.

“Absolutely,” Aiden agreed. “She had to use magic because I wasn't attracted to her. Not even close. I'm not into delicate flower types. I like a pretty, feisty, sharp-witted woman. Like Suzy Bacchus.” He smiled when he spoke Suzy's name.

“Keep the train on the tracks, bro.” Jenny punched her brother's thick arm.

Aiden rubbed the spot and continued. “So after Eira put me in this trancelike state, she asked me to get rid of her husband. She wasn't subtle about it either. She kissed me and whispered in my ear that if I killed Robert, we could be together.”

Ella Mae was stunned. “My Lord, I completely misjudged Eira. She was far more than a talented dancer. She was also a skilled manipulator and actress. Did you ever see that side of her, Jenny?”

Jenny's eyes filled with tears. “I knew she was miserable with Robert, and I knew her history with Barric. I honestly believed she still loved him. I didn't find out that she tried to use Aiden to kill Morgan until the night of the fire in our grove.” She squeezed the handle of her teacup so hard that Ella Mae was afraid it would snap right off.

“What happened?” Verena asked Aiden. “Did you go after Robert Morgan?”

“I meant to,” Aiden admitted guiltily. “I wasn't in my right mind, okay? I came up with a scheme to electrocute him. I'm okay with fire, but electricity is my specialty.”

At this, he received another punch from his sister. “Seriously, Aiden. This is not the time to brag.”

“I almost went through with it,” he said. “Eira gave me the house security code and said that Robert would be alone in his study all night. Luckily, I didn't drive straight to their place. I went to the grove to give my already amazing powers an extra boost.” He danced out of the way as Jenny tried to swat him again. “Being there cleared the fog in my head. Not totally, but enough for me to realize something was wrong. I sat down to think. The grass in our grove was pillow soft and I only meant to lie down for a few minutes, but it was so peaceful and I'd had a long and tiring day. To make a long story short, I fell asleep.”

Ella Mae wasn't surprised. She'd stretched out in the clearing of their grove more than once, breathing in the sweet air and letting the serenity of the place wash over her. It made for the perfect napping place. “When did you wake up?”

“In the middle of the fire.” Aiden passed his hands over his face. “The whole grove was burning. I heard . . . somehow . . . I heard our Lady screaming.” He paused to collect himself. “I didn't start the fire. I'm no arsonist. Besides, I need fuel to get a fire going. A match, gasoline, flint and steel, lightning. I can keep flames burning but I can't produce fire from nothing. My gift is really about encouraging the flow of energy, which is why I became an electrician. Heat, lights, air conditioning—that's all energy. Jenny's gift is similar. She increases the energy flow in people.”

Verena had been watching Aiden without blinking. “So you refused to answer my questions about the grove because you'd gone there to premeditate murder?”

“Yes, ma'am. I didn't think you'd want me working for Ella Mae once you knew.” Aiden threw out his hands. “It sounds like a total load of crap to me and I was
there
, so I didn't expect either of you to believe me.”

“I believe you, son,” Verena said. “I don't suppose you have any idea who the real arsonist is?”

Aiden narrowed his eyes. “If I did, he'd be dead by now.”

“Or she,” Jenny added.

“This
person
destroyed our sacred place, murdered our Lady, and drove us from our homes. The arsonist took everything we knew and destroyed it.” Aiden knelt next to Ella Mae. “Jenny and I told you that we wanted to help you find this scumbag. We meant what we said.”

Ella Mae covered his hand with hers. “Both the violence in Oak Knoll and the murders in Havenwood seem to be connected to Eira. If we can identify the third man, the father of her child, then I believe we'll have our answers.”

Jenny rose to her feet. “Let us assist you somehow. Please. You've done so much for us.”

“All right,” Ella Mae said. “Try to gain access to Eira's things. Maybe she kept a letter inside one of her books or owned a jewelry box with a hidden drawer. We need a clue that'll reveal the identity of the third man.” Ella Mae jotted down the address of Robert Morgan's house. “Maybe you can ask him for a keepsake. After all, Eira was your best friend.”

“No, she wasn't.” Jenny shook her head angrily. “Friends are honest with each other. True friends trust each other with their hopes and dreams. With their secrets.”

Ella Mae could see the pain in Jenny's eyes. “I'm sorry to ask, but did you know that Morgan owned Barric's farm?”

For a moment, Jenny didn't move. “That must be it!” she cried. “All this time I couldn't understand why she married that brute, but she must have done it to protect Barric's livelihood. His farm was in trouble. Big trouble. He was about to go bankrupt and then Morgan came along and fell for Eira. She married him to save Barric. Even after he'd cheated on her. Even after she said she'd never trust him again.
That
was the Eira I knew. She saved the boy she'd loved since childhood and deliberately placed herself in a loveless marriage. All she wanted from Morgan was a child and then that chance was taken from her when he was punished. Oh, Eira!” Her voice caught. She bent her head, covering her mouth with her hand, and sobbed noiselessly until Aiden moved to her side and put his arm around her shoulders. “After what she sacrificed for Barric—how could she turn away from him for this other guy?” she muttered into her brother's shirt.

“Because Barric didn't want a child,” Ella Mae said softly. “She had to find someone who'd grant her heart's desire. And apparently, that desire also included the murder of her husband.”

Verena clucked sympathetically. “Eira might not have been open with you, but you were a good friend to her. You were as close as she dared come to having a real relationship. Don't you ever forget that!”

Jenny sniffled and wiped her face with a napkin. “Thank you. Whatever else may have happened, at least we found our way to Havenwood. To you, Ella Mae, and the pie shop.” She managed a smile. “So what's next, boss?”

“I'm heading to Rolling View,” Ella Mae said. “I need to see if the Gaynors' stable manager, a Mr. Rand Dockery, looks like father material.”

Ella Mae didn't head straight to Rolling View from her house. Instead, she drove to their stables hoping to get a good look at Rand Dockery. Rand had worked for Gaynor Farms for many years and was a familiar figure around town, and though Ella Mae had seen him from time to time, she'd never spoken with him. She had no intention of questioning him about Eira or Barric on his own turf, and she already had a story prepared to cover her reason for visiting the farm. All she wanted was to get a sense of the man. She wasn't so naïve as to believe that she'd be able to tell whether he was a murderer or not just by exchanging a few inane phrases, but she believed she could gain some insight as to what sort of man he was just by interacting with him.

However, Rand wasn't inside the largest of the heated stables, which was where the staff offices were located. A few horses peered at her over the doors of their stalls and two of them nickered when Ella Mae walked in, but no one else was around. Rand Dockery's office was dark. His door was locked. Though it was Sunday, Ella Mae knew the Gaynors wouldn't leave their valuable animals unguarded, and that someone was bound to come along any moment, so she decided to have a quick look at the photographs on the wall outside Rand's office and then leave.

Most of the photos featured a jockey mounted on a stunning Thoroughbred whose neck was decorated by a flower horseshoe. Rand Dockery was in many of the pictures—always with a possessive hand on the horse's bridle. Ella Mae assumed that Rand attended many of the races to maintain a personal level of contact with owners and trainers, and also to watch the horses he'd raised compete. Judging from the photomontage, Rand and Gaynor Farms had produced many winners.

Moving closer to an image of Rand standing behind a long-legged colt, Ella Mae could see why women would find him attractive. In his late thirties, with the weathered skin of a man who works outdoors, he was ruggedly handsome. As Suzy had said, he looked like a cowboy, but what was most appealing about him was that he wore an expression of contentment. He seemed like a man who was doing exactly what he was meant to do. There was both warmth and pride in his dark eyes as he posed with the colt.

“You obviously like beautiful things,” Ella Mae said to Rand's satisfied face. Deciding that she was unlikely to discover additional clues about him in the stables, she got back in the Jeep and drove through a pair of imposing iron gates and up Rolling View's driveway.

There were no police cars outside the Gaynors' mansion, but the house carried an air of affront. It seemed to have closed in upon itself following the invasive search. The curtains were drawn and there was an unusual stillness to the place. Even the birds had gone quiet, as if sensing that it would be impolite to call to one another from the bare branches of the magnolia trees after witnessing the intrusion of Hardy and his team.

Pulling the lapels of her coat tight against the afternoon chill, Ella Mae rang the doorbell and then waited. When no one responded to the lengthy chimes, she rang it again, expecting to see the shadow of the housekeeper's eye darken the peephole. Instead, Loralyn swung the door open and sneered. “What do you want?”

Behind Loralyn, a uniformed maid mopped the checkered tile floor while another polished a mahogany side table. They were so intent on their work that they didn't even glance up to see who stood on the welcome mat. Ella Mae could hear the sound of multiple vacuums being run on the second floor, and somewhere to the left, she heard someone promise to see to the tarnished silver immediately. It was evident that the Gaynors were in a hurry to remove all signs that the police had been in their home.

“I know that the man who got Eira pregnant is from Rolling View,” Ella Mae began without preamble. She had no proof of this allegation, but she said it anyway. It was imperative that she come away with the missing book pages and put an end to the violence in Havenwood. “I don't know what went wrong between them, but he traveled to Oak Knoll for business. He and Eira started having an affair, and his visits to Oak Knoll became even more frequent.”

Loralyn went pale, but she did her best to recover her aplomb. “What proof do you have?”

“Honestly? Not much. But I'm sure the police could examine his travel records, hotel bookings, and other transactions and arrive at the same conclusion.” The maid with the mop was drawing closer, so Ella Mae lowered her voice. “How could you protect him, knowing what he's done?”

“I wasn't certain until I heard him arguing with my mother last night. And you might not think very highly of me, but I'm fiercely loyal to the people I care about. Loyal to the death.” Her blue eyes were cold and threatening. She had yet to invite Ella Mae inside, but kept one hand on the open door as if she might slam it on Ella Mae's face at any moment.

“Well, I'm not going to turn around and run to the police. I'll give you a little time to talk him into giving himself up,” Ella Mae said. “On one condition.”

Loralyn stared at her in irate disbelief. “And what's that?”

“Hand over the missing pages from Rupert Gaynor's book.”

“In exchange for a few hours' reprieve?” Loralyn released a dry, humorless laugh. “No deal.” Her mouth thinned into an angry line. “Swear to leave him alone. Say that you'll let my family handle this internally and I'll give you the pages. I know why you need them, Ella Mae. You want to free your mother from our most ancient of spells, despite the fact that this particular spell was put into place to ensure the survival of our kind. And yet you can't understand why I didn't confess everything to Officer Hardy while he was rifling through our things?”

Ella Mae thought there was a world of difference between saving a parent and an employee, but she didn't say as much. “I won't turn my back on two murders, Loralyn. The man you're protecting threatened to burn our grove. What do you think the Elders would say if I showed them this letter?” She handed Loralyn the note she'd received and waited for her to read it. “I don't believe they'd give him the option of turning himself in. No. I'm pretty sure he'd be punished immediately. Knowing what he did to the Oak Knoll grove, they wouldn't hesitate. They'd state their case to my mother and I'm quite certain the Elders would pool all of their powers to ensure that his penalty was far more severe than Robert Morgan's. Partial paralysis would be mild compared to what—”

“Stop it!” Loralyn shouted. “Please. Stop. I'll give you the pages. But you must promise not to speak to the authorities for three days. We need time to . . . to confront him. He's extremely dangerous. Very volatile.”

“You have twenty-four hours from this moment,” Ella Mae said firmly. “And if I smell so much as a whiff of smoke anywhere near me, my family, or the grove, I'll contact the Elders immediately.” She'd never seen Loralyn so deflated. Her whole body sagged and she leaned heavily against the doorframe. “I'm sorry that it has to be this way,” Ella Mae added. She was moved by Loralyn's misery, but couldn't let her sympathetic feelings interfere with what had to be done. “Eira and Barric didn't deserve to have their futures cut short. I speak with the Lady's voice when I say that they will both have justice. Get me the pages, please.”

“Wait here,” Loralyn whispered and walked over the wet floor toward the library. She returned a minute later with a sealed envelope and an expression of icy hatred. “This is what you wanted. Now go away.”

Ella Mae started to say thank you when Loralyn shut the door on her.

It took every ounce of restraint not to read the pages right there on the stoop, but Ella Mae managed to drive all the way home before removing them from the envelope. She'd read two sentences describing the creature's habitat when the sound of a car engine coming up behind her had her glancing nervously in her rearview mirror.

Darkness was falling around the trees and the shadows were multiplying. The headlights from the oncoming car momentarily blinded Ella Mae and she tucked the book pages into her purse and stepped out of her Jeep, ready to draw her Colt. When she recognized Hugh's truck, she exhaled in relief and then immediately tensed again. She'd been so focused on stopping a killer that she'd pushed Hugh from her mind. He'd called her three times today and she hadn't even listened to all of his voice mail messages.

“This is perfect!” she called brightly as he got out of his truck. “It's as if you knew I'd made you a special supper. I was going to call you,” she lied. “Now I don't have to.”

Dante jumped to the ground, barked twice in greeting, and shot past her in search of Chewy. Hugh had eyes for only Ella Mae. “You wanted me to come over tonight?” He was clearly surprised. “And here I was, wondering if I should even swing by. I'm glad I listened to my gut.” His face broke into a relieved smile and Ella Mae felt another sharp prick of guilt. Hugh was a good man. He deserved more than she had to offer, especially when it came to honesty. She thought of how hurt Jenny had been to discover Eira's duplicitous nature. How would Hugh feel if he knew how many lies the woman he loved had told him?

Ella Mae didn't want Hugh to notice her troubled expression, so she ducked back inside the Jeep to grab her purse. Meanwhile, Chewy had spotted Dante through the cottage window and was barking wildly. “The boys can race around the yard while I preheat the oven,” she said, unlocking the front door. Chewy darted outside in a blur of brown and white fur, and Ella Mae caught a glimpse of a wagging tail and a flash of pink tongue before he disappeared into the garden.

She and Hugh stood in the doorway for a moment, watching Dante give chase.

“I think they're playing hide-and-seek,” Hugh said when both dogs were out of sight. Dante's low bark rumbled across the lawn and Hugh laughed. “He doesn't realize that he's too big to hide under a rosebush.”

Ella Mae stepped inside and was about to unbutton her coat when Hugh took her hand. “I've been really worried about you. You found a dead man, had hypothermia, and spent the morning talking to cops. And yet, without saying more than two words to me since Aiden pulled you out of the lake, you're suddenly cooking me supper? I feel like you're keeping me at arm's length, Ella Mae. I don't want to be here.” He indicated the space between them and then took a step forward, closing the gap. His bright blue eyes bored into hers. “I want to be here.”

Ella Mae leaned her head against his chest, feeling a powerful rush of love for her wonderful man. It wasn't a hot, lustful feeling this time, but the warm, comfortable sensation of coming home at the end of a very long day. She lifted her face and kissed him on the lips, but it wasn't long before the kiss turned painful.

Hugh broke away first. He gazed at her tenderly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “So what are you feeding me tonight? I need to know how many miles I'll have to run tomorrow.”

“Puff pastry turkey pie, salad, and wine. If you have any room left after that, I could make you a chocolate mousse.”

Groaning, Hugh reached for the door handle. “I might as well start right running now.”

Ella Mae gave him a playful shove. “You're not going anywhere but into the kitchen. Your job is to decant the wine. It's not the greatest vintage, but maybe, if we let it breathe for an extra-long time, it'll taste halfway decent.”

Hugh saluted her and followed her into the kitchen. Ella Mae washed her hands, turned the radio on low, and took out salad ingredients from the refrigerator. She'd just begun to slice the cucumber when Hugh said, “Talk to me, Ella Mae. You don't have to put on a brave face. What happened yesterday—it's a big deal.”

“I know,” she said and caught her reflection in the knife blade. She was pale and drawn, as if the lake's cold water had drained the pink from her skin. Suddenly, she saw Barric's face and got caught up remembering a dozen tiny details, like the blond stubble on his chin, and that his upper lip was chapped. There was a small mole below his left eye and a lock of hair curled over his forehead, bobbing gently in the current like the tail of a seahorse. She shared these memories with Hugh. “It was hard enough to look at those blank eyes or watch the way he was floating just below the surface, but seeing his head. The blood and—” She stopped to take a swallow of wine. “I wonder who could have hated him that much. Someone snuck up behind Barric and felled him like a tree. What kind of person can pick up a rock and turn it over and over? Test the weight of it? Test the grip? And then, satisfied that he's chosen the right weapon, set forth to use it. What kind of man can do that?”

Hugh wrapped his arms around Ella Mae's shoulders. “Don't worry, Hardy will find him.” He shook his head, his hair brushing against her neck. “I should have been with you last night. I was working when I should have been with you.”

“No,” she insisted, pivoting to face him. “What you did was important. Neither you nor the police would have slept a wink without doing everything that could be done to find the murder weapon. Besides, I wasn't alone. Reba was with me. You know she's like a second mother to me.” She smiled. “Not that it wouldn't have been nice to have you sleeping next to me, but I was so tired that I barely remember going to bed.”