Perplexity on P1/2 (Parson's Cove Mysteries) (30 page)

     Flori started to sniff so I got up and forced her to sit in my chair. I retrieved the box of tissues. She wiped her eyes even though no tears had formulated yet; then, she wiped her cheeks and blew her nose. This was all in preparation for the downpour. Reg and I sat quietly and started our second cup of coffee, waiting for the cloudburst to finish.

     “How did you hear about it, Flori?” I asked.
     She made one last hiccough and said, “Jake told me. He went down to the restaurant this morning. Everyone is talking about it. Well, not that they knew Sally - they’re just saying that a friend of
ours
– yours and mine, Mabel, - hid this woman in her house and left her to die. I never even met Sally.”

     I turned to Reg. “I think you should stop sharing information with those two deputies, Reg. They’re a couple of old gossips.”

     “Speaking of sharing information,” Reg said, “Scully is coming in this morning to see you. He has something to share with you.”

     “With me? What?”

     “Oh, you’ll see.” He heaved himself up. “Well, I better get over and say my farewells to all those city cops.”

     He went out the door, singing, “
So long, it’s been good to know you...”

    
I filled Flori’s cup. She hadn’t looked this sad since her whole batch of dill pickles turned bad.

    
“I think in a few weeks you should try to contact Stella, Flori. She’ll need someone to talk to.”

     “Do you really think so?” She cradled her cup against her breast. “We seemed so much alike, didn’t we?”

     I smiled. “Only on the scale, Flori. Only on the scale.”

     Scully came in just before noon. I’d almost forgotten about him. Esther had entered about two minutes before he had. I decided that it was time to settle things with her and what better time than when there’s a deputy in the room.

     “So, Esther,” I said. “I guess you’ve heard we solved the murder case.”

     “Oh, right. I like how you say ‘we,’ Mabel. Like you’re the great detective here.” She sniffed and pushed her glasses back up her nose.

     “Maybe I am. Did you know it was my idea to check the dandruff on Andrea’s clothing and that proved Ralph was the killer?”

     “Mabel, everyone knows you’re a busybody, causing more trouble for the officers than what you’re worth. I’m sure they could have figured it out without your little input.”

     “I don’t think they feel that way, Esther. Right, Scully?”

     Scully was standing behind a counter and looking like he wished he could be anywhere else in the world. He blushed, cleared his throat and said, “Whatever you say, Mabel.”

     “Thank you, Deputy. And while the Law has a representative here, I’d like to question you about something, Esther.”

     “What? I don’t have time to fiddle diddle around here. I have things to do this morning. Not everyone is like you, Mabel, able to sit around and do nothing all day.”

     “In that case, I’ll get right to the point: what about that threatening phone call you made to me?”

     “Threatening phone call? What nonsense are you talking about? I haven’t called you in years and I don’t plan on ever phoning you in the future.”

     “Come off it. You know very well you phoned me right after I got home from my trip.”

     “And why, pray tell, would I do that?”

     “Because you were jealous, Esther. You were jealous because you never get to go anywhere. And don’t deny it, I’d recognize your voice any day.”

     Esther’s eyes bulged and her glasses slid down her nose.

     “I’ll have you know,” she said. “I did
not
make any phone calls to you. If I had, I would admit it. In fact, I would brag about it.”

     “Well, if you’re so innocent and so smart,
who
did phone and threaten me?”
     Scully coughed and stepped out from behind the counter.

     “Uh, the reason I came over, Mabel, has a bit to do with that phone call.”

     I stared at him.

     “What do you mean? A bit to do with it?”

     “Well, it’s like I know who made the call.”

     “You know who made the call and it wasn’t Esther? How long have you known this little secret?”

     His face had now changed from red to crimson red. He looked down at his feet and started tapping the bottom of the counter with his toe.

     “I guess you could say I knew from the beginning.”

     “From the beginning? Are you telling me that you knew who left that horrid message and you haven’t come forward? That I’ve been having all these nightmares about Esther and it wasn’t even her?”

     Scully’s face turned even redder, which I never would’ve believed possible, and he hung his head.

     “Sorry, Mabel, but it was me.”

     “Pardon me? You’re mumbling.”

     He raised his head. He didn’t need to say a thing.

     “You?
You
made that horrible threatening phone call, Scully? A member of our own police force? How could you?”

     “It wasn’t a threatening call. I can tell you what I said. You just didn’t hear it properly.”

     “Why didn’t you come forward and say something? Everyone in the police station heard it.”

     “Yeah? Well, that’s why I didn’t say anything. I was hoping you’d let it blow over. You think I was going to admit it with all those cops there? They would’ve laughed their heads off. And, what do you think Maxymowich would’ve thought? He would’ve been humiliated. I’m sorry, Mabel, I was too ashamed to say anything.”

     “So, what was the message, Scully? Where do you come off thinking that it wasn’t a threat to my life? I distinctly heard you say that I should go away and that everyone in Parson’s Cove thought I was wicked and should go to jail. I remember it like I heard it yesterday.”

     I ignored Esther’s cackling and the tears running down her face.

     “I didn’t say that at all. I said how nice it was for you to get away to Las Vegas and that everyone in Parson’s Cove wished they could get away like that. Then, I asked you to bring your pictures over to the jail, that we were dying to see your life in the big city and that we’d better watch out or you’d leave again. That’s all I said. Maybe in different words but that’s what I meant.”

     “But, you said ‘wicked.’ I heard it.”

     “Yeah. So? Don’t you know what that means, Mabel? It means ‘awesome.’”

     “Wicked means awesome. Now, that’s a new one. How long has Reg known this?”

     “Since this morning. He made me promise to come over right away and apologize.”

     I walked over and hugged him.

     “You’re forgiven.”

     “Just like that?”

     “Just like that.”

     I turned to Esther, who was leaning up against the wall, gasping for air.

     “You can stop laughing now. It was an honest mistake. If it makes you feel any better, Esther, I’m almost sorry it wasn’t you. You have no idea what punishment I had all lined up.”

     “I expect an apology, Mabel. I’m sure you’ve told everyone in town that I was the one who did this, didn’t you?”

     “No, I don’t think I told everyone. Most people just assumed it was you. However, to show there’s no hard feelings, I’ll make sure to tell a few people that it was Scully. Will that make you happy?”

     “No. I’ll see that you pay for this until I breathe my last breath.”

     With that, she opened the door and walked out.

     Before she reached the end of the sidewalk, I managed to reach the door and call out, “I’m sure everyone will be interested in knowing about the man you’re meeting in the woods in the middle of the night, Esther. You know, the one you were with when you happened to find the dead body.”

     Too bad she didn’t see the little rise in the cement. Before I turned my attention back to Scully, I saw her skirts go up and her body hit the pavement.

Chapter Forty One    

     Captain Maxymowich dropped by the house a few days later.

     “I take it all the loose ends are tied up and you’re on your way home,” I said.

     The Captain smiled. “It’s been a pleasure working with you again, Mabel.”

     I almost said, ‘the pleasure was all mine,’ but somehow, that sounded a little tacky. Instead, I said, “Don’t mention it. If you ever need help solving a case, you know I’m ready and willing.”

     (Later, when I told Flori what I’d said, she felt that I sounded very presumptuous.)

     It was almost nine. If it were any weekday but Monday, I’d have been late for work. However, because it
was
Monday, I was still in my housecoat and pajamas. (I have to admit it felt good knowing that everyone else in town was busy working.) My housecoat isn’t a thing of beauty. It’s faded cotton and only comes down to the tops of my knees. Knees, in case you didn’t know, are not pretty when they’re over sixty years old.

     Maxymowich, standing outside on my step and looking slightly uncomfortable, said, “If you’d like to get dressed, Mabel, I can wait. Perhaps, you have a few questions about the case you’d like answered. I know I’d sure appreciate a cup of your coffee.”

     “Of course, Captain.” I ushered him into my kitchen, sat him down at my table, and I rushed upstairs to dress. Three cats had snuck out the door while we were talking but I was sure the other four could entertain him.

     About ten minutes later, we sat at the table together. I’d pulled on my jeans and a clean white cotton shirt, brushed my teeth, and rinsed my mouth. The only socks I could find were animal print, black and white.

     “I don’t suppose,” he said, “that you have any homemade muffins?”

     “I wish I did. Reg has been over quite often the past few days. I guess I don’t have to say anything more, do I?”

     He laughed. “No, I guess not.”

     We sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking our coffee. The Captain didn’t seem to be concerned. We were almost finished our first cup and I wondered if this was it - would he finish his coffee, leave, and not say another word?

     “Captain,” I said, “what’s going to happen to Ralph?”

     He placed his cup on the table and slouched a little more in his chair.

     “I would think he’ll be behind bars for quite a few years.”

     “Sally?”

     “Not much we can do with Sally. She’ll testify at the court case and then she’ll be on her way. There isn’t any proof that she told Ralph to kill Andrea Williams for the money.”

     “On to find another sucker, I guess.”

     “We can’t do anything about that, Mabel.”

     “No, I guess not. Reg didn’t think Stella would be in too much trouble.”

     He smiled lazily. “No, but she’ll have to learn to live without her son for awhile.”

     “He’ll be put away for awhile?”

     “Well, if he doesn’t get charged with assisted manslaughter, they’ll get him for drugs. Cecile had him for that already but he was waiting to catch the big fish.”

     “What do Ralph and Sally have to say?”

     “Sally claimed that Spencer was innocent and Ralph says that he didn’t have anything to do with it at all, that it was a conspiracy between Spencer and Sally to frame him.” 

     “You’re kidding, right?”

     “I was never more serious.”

     “Will he get away with that?”

     “Only if the jury is psychiatrically disordered.”

     I wasn’t quite sure if he was serious when he said that but since he didn’t smile, I decided not to laugh. Let’s face it, half the world’s population is psychiatrically disordered.

     “What about Andrea Williams? Do you know what happened after I left the house on P ½?”

     Now, there was a definite twinkle in his eye.

     “Oh yes, the house on P ½. That seemed to be a very busy street, didn’t it?”

     “Probably the busiest in Yellow Rose!”

     He shoved his cup towards me. “I guess if you’re out of muffins, I’ll have to settle for another cup of coffee.”

     While I was pouring it, Flori burst through the door.

     “Mabel, you’ll never believe this…” She paused when she saw the Captain. “Oh, Captain Maxymowich, I didn’t even notice you.” Her hand went instinctively up to her hair and she gave it a fluff.

     “Flori,” I said. “I’m sure you noticed the police car in my driveway.”

     She should’ve turned slightly pink but she didn’t. Instead, she giggled and said, “The driveway? Oh, I guess I did notice a car there.” With that, she walked over to the Captain, shook his hand, and told him how nice it was to see him again. Then, she settled into the chair across from him and asked me to bring her a cup of coffee.

     This was definitely not my humble friend but afterwards she told me that she was trying to be extra courteous, in case I was in trouble for leaving the hotel after he’d told me not to leave. Flori is always thinking of others.

     It’s a good thing she told me this afterwards because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when she said, “So, Captain Maxymowich, I’m sure everyone on the Force is grateful to Mabel for solving this murder case.”

     If the Captain reacted in any way, I missed it.

     “Yes, Mrs. Flanders, we’re very grateful to Mabel. She’s a natural crime-solver. We wish more on the police force had her instincts.”

     “Really?” I said. I was standing behind Flori with the coffee pot in my hand. He looked up at me and winked. Now, I would never be sure, would I?

     “By the way, Mabel,” he said, “you were wondering about Andrea Williams?”

     “I was. And her husband. What’s with that? Is he a real cop or not?”

     He bent over to pour cream into this cup and stirred. Flori waited until he was finished and then she fixed her coffee: as much cream as she could put in without spilling it on the table, and three teaspoons of sugar. We both waited and watched while she leaned over and slurped some up.

     “Well,” he said, “Andrea is now incarcerated, awaiting trial. The judge wouldn’t let her out on bail. She and Hatcher were arrested for smuggling drugs and stealing money from the casino.”