Since You've Been Gone (31 page)

Rebecca drew back in surprise. Matilda tore away from her and Clay and nearly ran across the cemetery to the parking area.

Clay looked at Rebecca in astonishment. “What on earth was that about?”

“She claimed to have seen someone in Klein's Saturday night although she didn't recognize him. Then she said she'd been in the alley beside the library yesterday evening and someone came racing past her, nearly knocking her down—”

“She saw who attacked Sonia and you and escaped out the back way!”

“And I'm fairly certain she recognized him. Clay, I think she saw the person from the alley at the chapel.”

“That's why she was yelling that she didn't know you or what you were talking about and that she didn't see anything. All for the benefit of the person hiding around the chapel.” He frowned. “Or she saw Bill or a deputy sent to scope out the funeral.”

“Should we go up and check out the area?”

“No, I'll do that,” a voice said from behind them. Rebecca jumped, then turned to face Bill. “You might disturb evidence,” he continued.

“Then neither you nor any of your people were at the chapel,” Clay said.

Bill's jaw was tensed, his expression grim as he walked away from them toward the small, charming chapel. Rebecca shivered and Clay put his arm around her. Without thinking, she laid her head on his shoulder. “Clay, do you realize the person who attacked Sonia probably killed Skeeter and then had the nerve to come to his
funeral!
That's sick.”

“Whoever killed Skeeter is sick.” He sighed. “Let's just hope the next funeral out here isn't Matilda Vinson's.”

Rebecca felt tired and shaken when she arrived home after the funeral Sean greeted her joyously, jumping up to wrap his front legs around her waist and bathing her face in kisses when she lowered her head. “Oh, my beautiful boy!” Rebecca crooned, rubbing his ears. “Did you miss me?”

“Sean, she didn't give me a greeting like that this morning in the hospital,” Clay said, smiling.

“You didn't deserve one, keeping me prisoner in that noise box all night. Besides, I didn't know you liked ear rubs.”

“Love them. Hey Sean, how do you feel about beagle/German shepherd mixes? I know a real doll named Gypsy.”

Sean dropped down, looked carefully at Clay, then walked in a slow circle around him. Clay held perfectly still but asked, “He's not going to wet on my leg, is he?”

“Not unless he's proposing to you.”

Betty appeared bearing a plate of cookies. “A bird told me you'd be bringing Rebecca home, Dr. Bellamy, and I remembered how much you liked my Toll House cookies.” She was beaming all over herself, clearly thrilled that Becky had brought home a “fella.” Rebecca felt her cheeks growing hot and was glad Clay didn't look at her.

“I see Sean is doing fine,” Rebecca said quickly.

“He wasn't last night. Prowling all over the place looking for you, so I took him out to the apartment over the garage with Walt and me. Walt wasn't feelin' so good so I let him have the bed and I took the couch. When I went in to check on him about two in the morning, he and Sean were all cuddled up together sound asleep. Wish I'd had a camera.”

“Well, I'm glad Sean had a pleasant night,” Rebecca said dryly. “Where are Mother and Frank?”

“Your mother isn't feeling too well today,” Betty said evasively. Code, of course, that meant Suzanne had been drinking. “And your stepfather is resting. He was up all night takin' care of you and that Ellis family. Didn't get home until about nine this morning. I put him in the guest room so he could get some sleep away from your mother.”

Betty immediately looked stricken, realizing her gaffe. Frank couldn't get any sleep in the room he shared with Suzanne because she was probably smoking and slurring along to music the way she always did when she'd been drinking.

Clay obviously sensed Betty's distress over her loose tongue and smiled like a little boy. “I sure do love these.” He took a cookie. “You always used plenty of butter.”

Betty looked relieved. “Butter! Yes, that's the secret!” she announced as if divulging the mysteries of the pyramids. “Some use margarine. Margarine!” She snorted in disgust. “Imagine!”

“While you two are discussing recipes and Sean is giving Clay the once-over, would you mind if I call Bill?” Rebecca asked. “I want to talk to him about Matilda Vinson.”

“What about Matilda Vinson?” Betty demanded.

“I'll tell you in the kitchen,” Clay said. “Now 'fess up, Betty. Butter isn't the only secret to these heavenly creations.”

“Well, I
have
made a couple of alterations to the recipe,” Betty confided as the three of them trouped down the hall toward the kitchen. “Every
real
woman has to put her own personality onto a recipe, that's what I always say.”

Rebecca skittered into Frank's study and sat down at his massive desk, reaching for the phone. She said a silent thank you when she was put straight through to Bill at police headquarters. “How do you feel?” he asked.

“Like running a marathon.” Bill was silent. “Oh no. What's happened?”

“We found an earring in the Pioneer Room right beside
where Sonia was attacked. Randy Messer wears an earring.”

“Well, he can't be the only person in Sinclair who wears an earring, Bill. I don't consider that very damning evidence.”

“It matches the description of an earring he wears.”

“A no doubt expensive and distinctive earring,” she said sarcastically.

“Well, now, Rebecca, I didn't know you'd become Randy's lawyer.”

“I'm just a mystery writer asking questions my readers would ask. And you haven't answered.”

“No, it wasn't expensive or distinctive. Something they call a stud. We went to his house this morning to question him. His father hasn't seen him since late yesterday afternoon. He's an old son of a bitch, but at least he was cooperative. Half-drunk at nine in the morning, but cooperative. No sign of Randy's earring.”

“Maybe he's wearing it.”

“His father said no. Lately Randy's been wearing, and I quote, ‘Some silly circle thing like women wear.' “

“A hoop.” Rebecca felt a strange sinking sensation as she pictured Sonia's beautiful, slightly battered, and very sad face. “Well, there are other explanations.”

“Sure. But it looks bad for Randy.”

“Bill, Sonia doesn't know any of this, does she?”

“Not yet.”

“Don't tell her today. Give her some time to recover from last night.”

“I won't tell her, but I can't guarantee Sheriff Lutz won't. He knows and he loves being the bearer of bad news. I've posted a guard on her door and he can keep out casual visitors, even Kelley Keene, but not Lutz.”

“The jerk.” Rebecca picked up a pen and tapped it absently against the blotter. “I have a contact at the hospital. Let me see if I can get him to limit Sonia's visitors to family and claim she's not yet up to being questioned by the police.”

“Oh, I imagine you can get Clay to do just about anything for
you.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

Bill laughed. “You know very well what it means. Half the town is talking about you two.”

“About us? What about us?” Rebecca's voice was too loud. She tried to sound more nonchalant. “Of all the silly topics. Are people around here so bored that they make something out of one dinner together? Since when did that mean anything?”

“Oh settle down, Becky.” Bill was still laughing. “You're protesting too much.”

Oh great. She was. “Well, I thought people were only talking about
me,
that's all. I wouldn't want Clay to be embarrassed by a lot of stupid gossip.”

“I think it would take a lot more than being romantically linked to you to embarrass Clay Bellamy. He hasn't exactly been dodging your company, niece.” Rebecca felt foolishly flustered at the thought of her and Clay being considered an item. Flustered, excited, and scared. She didn't want to betray her feelings to Bill, though, so she rushed on. “Have you learned any more about the bracelet I found in the car? Jonnie's bracelet?”

“I took it to the local shoe repair shop. The owner naturally has a lot of experience with leather. He says the leather is new, Becky. It can't be Jonnie's bracelet.”

“I see,” she said slowly. “But what was the point of making a replica and putting it in my car?”

“I've told you. A lot of people are frightened of you, especially after some of the things that have happened lately. The scene at Dormaine's, for instance, has the whole town buzzing. Someone just wanted to scare you off.”

“Someone who knew what Jonnie's bracelet looked like and went to all the trouble of reproducing it? And someone who happened to be downtown when I had the car windows partially rolled down?”

“Now I've been thinking about that. Do you keep the
car locked and in the garage all the time when you're home?”

“No. Since I've been using it so often, I often leave it in the driveway. And I don't lock it at home.”

“So the bracelet could have been slipped into the car at your house and you just didn't notice it until you got downtown.”

Rebecca was quiet for a beat. “Bill, I hadn't considered that. It was on the floor. Maybe my foot just missed it when I drove downtown. But who at this house would do such a thing?”

“I can't think of anyone in that house who would do it. But Lamplight Lane isn't guarded. Everyone has access. It would be easy to make a quick stop at night, open your car door, and drop the bracelet in. None of your neighbors have dogs to raise a ruckus. And I think your dog stays inside.”

“Sleeping like a log.” Rebecca sighed. “Well, this puts a new spin on things. And makes tracking down the culprit harder. But someone certainly went to a lot of trouble to scare me. Why not just send me creepy mail or make spooky phone calls?”

“Mail and phone calls can be traced. Besides, crank mail and phone calls wouldn't have quite the effect that bracelet did.”

“I guess you're right. And I have made quite a spectacle of myself since I came home. No wonder people are talking, some of them frightened. They know there's a lunatic on the loose, but they think it's me.” Rebecca paused. “Speaking of people in town talking about me, maybe even watching me, Clay and I were in the Parkview Café yesterday afternoon. You know how close the tables are, and the place was crowded. I was telling Clay that Sonia would be in the library that evening. Anybody could have heard me. Even Doug—he was sitting right behind us.”

“You think Doug attacked Sonia?”

“Of course not. I'm just saying that a lot of people knew where Sonia was going to be that evening thanks to my big
mouth. Randy Messer shouldn't be your only suspect.”

“You don't even know this kid. Why do you keep defending him?”

“I'm not defending him. I just want you to keep an open mind.”

“Because Sonia means something to you, and he means something to her.”

“Because you're a good policeman,” Rebecca said firmly, although Bill had been half-correct. “Now brace yourself, because I have more exciting news for you.”

“My God, I don't think my heart can stand it.”

“Then take a pill or have a shot of bourbon or whatever it is you do to maintain that uncanny calm of yours. You're going to need it. Matilda Vinson saw the face of the person who tried to kill Sonia last night. She saw that person again at the cemetery today. She is scared out of her mind and I'm scared for her.”

WEDNESDAY
, 4:30
P.M.

“Miss Vinson, normally I'd assign someone to watch you, but I'm stretched thin because of Todd Ryan and Sonia Ellis,” Bill Garrett said as he sat lost in the giant flabby recliner that had belonged to Matilda's father. He knew she considered it the seat of honor in her living, room. He felt as if he were being swallowed whole. To make things worse, Matilda had served unbearably sweet hot tea, which he was sure would turn him into a diabetic. “So I would suggest that you leave town for a few days.”

Matilda smiled shakily. “Chief Garrett, I know your niece meant well when she sent you here, but there is really nothing wrong.”

Bill realized the necessity of being careful with the woman, who was obviously suffering from fright and denial.
“You told her you saw someone in the attic of Klein Furniture Saturday night.”

“Yes and I reported it. Your deputy acted as if I were a dotty old lady.”

“I'm very sorry about that. He's new and young and cocky. He's been severely reprimanded for treating you so cavalierly—especially for dismissing the fact that someone tried the drugstore door.”

“I'm glad you spoke to him. I was quite frightened and I thought that as a taxpayer, I deserved a bit more attention and respect.” Matilda seemed to remember she wanted to downplay the incident. Her expression quickly changed from incensed to indulgent. “But he was probably right. It was just some teenager at the door.”

“Teenagers can be a menace, too,” Bill said seriously. “And even if the person at the door wasn't the person you saw in the attic, I don't like the idea of someone trying to get into a drugstore. People in search of drugs can be dangerous.”

“I've been in this business a long time, Chief.” Matilda took a sip of tea from a delicate cup. “I'm very careful about locking up and keeping controlled substances highly protected.”

“I know that. There's never been the slightest bit of trouble at Vinson's Apothecary. That's a credit to you and your father.” Matilda looked pleased with the compliment and relaxed a bit, just as Bill had intended. “Rebecca also said you saw someone in the alley leading from the library right after the attempt on Sonia Ellis's life.”