The Cluttered Corpse (25 page)

I took some satisfaction in watching Pepper's eyes widen. “Safety deposit box? Beautiful. I bet I know what's in it. We've been working on this all night. Your Bonnie and Bill Baxter were actually Brenda and Bob Billings. There are posters of them down at the station, FBI most wanted. They were implicated in a bank heist, along with a partner. The partner went down, died in jail. Money was never found. Feds have been looking for Brenda and Bob ever since. No way they'd get out of the country. I guess they were lying low, building a life and some businesses to launder their money.”

I refrained from saying I wasn't sure how much money you could launder through a cupcake and computer-repair business. “Becoming part of a community.”

“Right. After a while they'd blend in, get older, change their appearance some more. Heat would die down.”

“How did the delivery guy fit in?”

“Favreau was the partner's cell mate. Maybe the partner filled him in. He was paroled recently and vanished after committing a flurry of contract killings.”

“He'd tracked down Bonnie and Bill. I think he was stalking them, getting a part-time job as an El Greco delivery guy. He was looking for his chance to search the house and find that money. Bonnie had a gun and she had no problems killing. He must have known that from the partner. Maybe have had some kind of plan to get the loot from them.”

“Yeah, we'll never know. Three more lowlifes off the streets. Thanks for the tip about the key. We'll get our ducks in a row and check the banks.”

I nodded. “If you're lucky, you'll be in time to add to the press conference this afternoon.”

“Or else the next one.”

Maybe it was relief. Maybe I was happy because Pepper and I had reached a truce of sorts. Maybe my meds were wearing off. For whatever reason, my head whirled. My knees started to buckle.

Pepper said, “Are you all right?”

Jack popped out of Sally's room, grabbed my elbow, and said, “Charlotte has to go back to her room now. Too much excitement. Anyway, the nurse has kicked us out.”

“We'll talk,” Pepper said as Jack bustled me down the hall. “Take care.”

I barely managed to nod.

As Jack propelled me back out of the elevator on my floor, the second elevator door opened. Dwayne and Emmy Lou Rheinbeck emerged, followed by a whippet-thin young man with sideburns. Emmy Lou looked drawn and exhausted. She was easily ten pounds thinner than a few days earlier when she'd been stuffed into the police car. Her red hair had lost its shine, her skin sagged somewhat, but despite that she radiated joy. Dwayne was holding a massive bouquet of spring flowers: daffodils, bearded iris, forsythia, tulips, even lily of the valley. Over the top, just like Dwayne himself.

Dwayne said, “Emmy should be home resting, but she wanted to express her appreciation in person for a moment.”

Emmy Lou beamed at me. “I know you found who really killed poor Tony. I was so afraid Kevin had done it by accident. I could never let them arrest him. Myrna told me that she spoke to you and that she understands how much I need to be near Kevin. And Dwayne told me how you fought for me. I am sorry for all the trouble you've had. Thank you for helping me connect with my son in a real way.”

I said, “Perhaps you'll talk to Tony's mother too. She'll be glad to have a living connection to her son and her brother.”

“Already done,” Emmy Lou said.

Dwayne thrust the bouquet into my arms. “And we've reconnected with my daughter too. Although that would have happened anyway. It's a bit easier now that we're both in the same situation. Should never have had secrets from each other.”

At that moment, I recognized the young man standing behind him, the server from the restaurant. “They've moved Lilith,” I said. “She's down the hall in 512 now.”

He vanished down the corridor, leaving Jack and me to say good-bye to the Rheinbecks'. “I hope you'll like what we've decided to do with the stuffed animal collection,” I said.

I caught a glimpse of the old Emmy Lou when she responded, “Even though Dwayne has already paid, I've decided I never want to see them again. I'm giving them all away. But thank you for all you've done.”

Dwayne mouthed “sorry.”

As the elevator door closed behind them, I snuffled. “All these happy endings. It's a bit too much for me.”

“And more to come,” Jack said. “When you're ready.”