Sink Trap (12 page)
Authors: Christy Evans
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Mystery & Detective, #Women Sleuths, #Large Type Books, #Mystery Fiction, #Murder, #Crime, #Investigation, #Murder - Investigation, #Oregon, #Plumbers
“I know it’s Martha’s house.” Her voice was controlled, unlike mine. “Lived here with her the last six years, didn’t I? My home, too, until she got it in her head to run off to some godforsaken desert without so much as a kiss-my- patoot!”
She pushed past me and headed down the hall toward the bedrooms. She passed the bathroom and Miss Tepper’s bedroom, and opened the door at the end of the hall, into what I had thought was a guest bedroom.
She rummaged through the drawers and closets as I watched from the doorway, unsure of what to do next.
I could certainly stop her. I was at least thirty years younger, six inches taller, and probably had twenty pounds of muscle on her. Not to mention eight years of martial arts training. I could take one little old lady if I had to, but it didn’t seem like a good choice right now.
She didn’t seem deranged, exactly. She was muttering to herself as she dug into the bottom of a drawer, pulling out a stack of neatly folded cotton pajamas.
“Throw me out of my own house! Least they could do was let me take my clothes. But oh, no! Miss High-and-Mighty tells me I have to get out right now, can’t take anything, ’cause she doesn’t know what’s mine.”
She grabbed a pillow from the bed, stripped the pillowcase off, and began stuffing clothes into the makeshift laundry bag. “Thought I didn’t know she left the door open, didn’t she? I saw her drive away, in that big car of hers.”
I had a sinking feeling that Miss High-and-Mighty was someone I knew well, but I wasn’t about to ask.
She whirled around and looked at me, as though she had just remembered I was there. “I’m only taking what’s
mine,” she said. “My clothes, and my books. I’ll bring the pillowcase back when I’m through with it. Wouldn’t want anyone to think I was taking advantage of dear Martha Tepper.”
mine,” she said. “My clothes, and my books. I’ll bring the pillowcase back when I’m through with it. Wouldn’t want anyone to think I was taking advantage of dear Martha Tepper.”
The venom in her voice when she said Miss Tepper’s name made me take a step back. Hurt and anger battled for control of her expression as she turned her back on me and continued her ramshackle packing.
By now I was convinced she was mostly harmless, but I still didn’t know who she was or why she thought these things were hers. She was grabbing clothes out of the dresser, and stuffing another pillowcase.
“Georgie?” Barry’s voice floated up the stairs. “Are you ready for the water?”
When I didn’t answer immediately, I heard his heavy footsteps on the basement stairs. The loose stair three treads from the top creaked as he stepped on it, and I turned around.
Barry shot me a quizzical look. “You didn’t answer. What are you doing—” He stopped, his gaze moving past me to the whirling dervish in the guest bedroom.
“Who? What?” He sputtered, too. I was secretly relieved to know I wasn’t the only one. But Barry recovered a lot quicker than I had.
“Pardon me, ma’am.” Barry’s natural courtesy resurfaced as he crossed the room. He walked around the woman until he was facing her, and she looked up at him.
“Can’t you see I’m busy?” she snapped.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you,” he said. Reaching over, he took the pillowcase out of her hand and set it on the bed. By now, he had her complete attention.
“Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing, and maybe we can help.”
She looked from Barry to the pillowcases on the bed and back again. She reached her hand toward the stuffed pillowcases, and for a moment I thought she was going to
grab her bags and make a run for it. I was trying to decide if I would have to block the hallway and trap her, or if I should just let her go.
grab her bags and make a run for it. I was trying to decide if I would have to block the hallway and trap her, or if I should just let her go.
Slowly, she drew back her trembling hand. She laced her fingers together to control the motion, and looked back at Barry, indecision furrowing her brow.
“I’m getting my clothes.” She drew herself up, pulling her shoulders back, as though reclaiming all the remnants of her lost pride. Her voice steadied and grew stronger, and she seemed more in control.
She appeared to come to a decision. Her posture improved, her spine stiffened, and she took on a tone of confidence. There was still anger in her words, but she was calmer. “I’m just getting the things that are mine. Your precious Martha Tepper left me high and dry, and
that woman
refused to let me take anything out of the house.”
that woman
refused to let me take anything out of the house.”
I winced at her “that woman,” knowing she meant my mother.
“This was my home until dear Martha decided to run off,” she continued. “These are my things, I need them, and I’m going to take them. I suggest you just stay out of my way, and I’ll be done in a few minutes.”
Barry glanced over at me and flicked his eyes toward the bathroom. I took the hint and backed away. I stepped into the bathroom with my tools and waited while Barry continued talking to the woman.
“I don’t think we’ve met,” he said. “I’m Barry Hickey, Hickey & Hickey Plumbing. We’re just doing some work on the house.”
“I knew your father,” the woman replied. “He was a good man. Honest as the day is long.”
There was a pause, and I wondered what was going on. I wanted to peek out and see, but Barry’s meaning had been clear: he wanted me out of the way.
“Janis Breckweth,” the woman continued. “I’ve lived here the last six years, taking care of Martha. I was her
cook and housekeeper, and I thought I was her friend. Doesn’t seem like it now, though.”
cook and housekeeper, and I thought I was her friend. Doesn’t seem like it now, though.”
The control slipped for just a second, and bitterness colored her last sentence.
“I’m only taking what’s mine, Mr. Hickey. You have my word of honor. You can escort me to the door, if you wish, to make sure I don’t abscond with anything else.”
Barry chose to ignore the barb in her tone and kept his voice low and soothing. “I’d be glad to see you to the door, Miss Breckweth. Would you like me to carry one of those?”
A moment later the two of them passed the bathroom doorway, Barry following the stiff back of Janis Breckweth. They each had an overstuffed pillowcase; Ms. Breckweth clutched hers tightly to her chest while Barry carried his at arm’s length, as though he was reluctant to touch the contents.
That made me grin. Barry was too much of a gentleman not to offer to help, but he was obviously uncomfortable carrying a stranger’s clothes. Especially a woman’s.
He returned a minute later, minus the pillowcase.
“Do you really think we should have let her take those things?” I asked. “I mean, how do we really know they’re hers?”
Barry shrugged. “Sure didn’t look like the kind of stuff Martha Tepper wears. Don’t ask me to explain that,” he added hastily. “I don’t know anything about women’s clothing. I just know that those things didn’t look like Martha Tepper.”
He peered under the sink and tugged at the new valves. “Looks good, Georgie. Let’s test these things, shall we?”
“That’s it? You’re just going back to work?”
Barry pushed himself upright, leaning against the vanity. “Paula said something a while back about Miss Tepper’s housekeeper having to move out of her house. She
said it wasn’t like the Martha she knew to leave this woman homeless and out of a job, but she had to move out of the house when it was put up for sale.
said it wasn’t like the Martha she knew to leave this woman homeless and out of a job, but she had to move out of the house when it was put up for sale.
“So, this woman shows up, says she’s the housekeeper, and all she wants are some beat-up old clothes? I don’t think it’s worth worrying about.”
Barry might think it was nothing to worry about, but I didn’t agree. I was beginning to feel that there was a
lot
to worry about at the Tepper house. And Janis Breckweth was only a small part of it.
lot
to worry about at the Tepper house. And Janis Breckweth was only a small part of it.
I didn’t really want to argue with my boss, though. I was still trying to figure out how to tell Barry I thought there was something very wrong here, when he headed for the stairs.
“Let’s test those valves, Neverall, and see what kind of a plumber you are.”
From the bottom of the stairs, Barry called up to me. “Do you see an adjustable wrench up there? I thought it was down here, but I can’t find it.”
I checked around the areas Barry had been.
No wrench.
“The housekeeper didn’t take it, did she?” I called back down. “I don’t see it up here.”
Barry laughed. The man knew how to take a joke. “I carried the bags myself, remember? There weren’t any wrenches in them.”
“Hang on, then. I’ll grab you one from my toolbox.”
I carried the wrench to the top of the stairs and Barry climbed up to meet me, shaking his head.
“I have no idea where that dang thing is,” he said. His brow furrowed in concentration. “I know I had it somewhere, but I can’t find it for the life of me.”
“Do you think somebody might have taken it?” As far as I was concerned, this was another reason to worry. Too many weird things had happened so far on this job, and missing tools were a bad sign.
“Naw.” Barry shook his head. “Just got a lot on my
mind right now. I must have put it somewhere and forgotten about it.”
mind right now. I must have put it somewhere and forgotten about it.”
I still thought there was plenty to worry about, but Barry was already heading back down the stairs.
I kept my comments to myself.
chapter 11
“He just let her walk out?” Sue stopped walking and stared at me. “Just like that?”
Daisy strained at her leash, pulling me along. I yanked back, and she slowed. Sue trotted a couple steps to catch up, Buddha at her heel in perfect position. Like his name-sake, he was the calm one of the pair.
Daisy had never really got the hang of “heel,” or “sit.” She especially didn’t get “stay.” Never name a dog after a flighty fictional heroine. She will live up—or down—to her name, guaranteed.
They were from the same litter, had attended the same obedience classes, and had the same parent, namely me. But Buddha knew all his commands, walked at heel without reminding, and stayed calm, even with strangers.
Daisy had decided the rules were for other, lesser, dogs. She was sometimes snappish with strangers, though she was easily distracted by the offer of her favorite green treats. She was a sweet dog, but discipline wasn’t one of her best qualities. In that, I suppose, she reflected her owner.
Sue moved a few steps to the side, so she wasn’t blocking the narrow shoulder. My part of town hadn’t seen any development yet, and there weren’t any sidewalks.
“Sit.” Buddha plopped his rear onto the damp grass, and looked expectantly at Sue. She slipped him a small treat, and patted his head. “Good Buddha.”
Daisy fretted at the end of her leash, ignoring me. Sue watched, her mouth twisting with suppressed laughter, as I tried all the tricks I knew. Finally, desperate, I reached over and pushed down on Daisy’s hindquarters.
I got an Airedale glare, but she finally planted herself next to Buddha. Her body language let me know she was choosing to humor me.
I’d take what I could get.
“Nice dog you got there.”
“I let you walk the good one, Gibbons. If you think you can make her behave, we can always trade.”
She bounced the handle of the leash in her hand, as though considering my offer, then held it tight. “Don’t think so. Buddha and I are a good team, aren’t we, big boy?”
At the mention of his name, Buddha’s tail swept the tall grass, sending a fine spray of dew into the air. I swear, that dog smiled at Sue.
For someone who loved dogs as much as Sue did, and who spent her entire life caring for other people’s dogs, she didn’t have any of her own.
I’d asked her about it when I moved back to Pine Ridge, but she just said she was “between dogs” right now. It was a sore subject, and I didn’t push. She let me have my off-limits topics, and I returned the favor.
I knew she would tell me eventually—Sue was never any good at keeping her own secrets—and lately I had noticed a couple of copies of
Great Dane World
in the shop. I thought she might be getting close to having another dog of her own.
Great Dane World
in the shop. I thought she might be getting close to having another dog of her own.
“So tell me about this housekeeper woman.”
Sue’s roller-coaster conversation had veered back on
track. “Barry just let her take the stuff she claimed was hers, and walk out with it?”
track. “Barry just let her take the stuff she claimed was hers, and walk out with it?”
“Actually, he helped her carry it out.”
She leaned forward, her eyes wide. “Are you kidding me? He helped her carry it out? What was he thinking?”
I let out a long sigh. “Sue, you know Barry. He says ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ more than any man I know, and I bet Paula hasn’t opened her own car door in twenty years. He can’t help himself, he really can’t. I wish he’d asked a few more questions, but it was his call. He is my boss, after all.”
I tugged at Daisy’s leash, and she sprang up like a child’s jack-in-the-box. She had way too much energy, and I was pretty sure which one of the dogs was responsible for the barking serenades when I left them alone.
“Let’s keep walking,” I said, taking the lead. “We promised ourselves at least a mile every day, remember? We won’t get it standing around here flapping our jaws.”
Sue groaned. “Slave driver.” She clicked her tongue at Buddha, and he immediately stood up and assumed the perfect “heel” position.
I was tempted to remind Sue of the Dane magazines. If my guess was right, she was going to have some serious walking in her future, and it wouldn’t be because of me.
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