Elizabeth C. Main - Jane Serrano 02 - No Rest for the Wicked (30 page)

“
Not the way she was sprinting.
Besides, she’s too smart.
I don’t think she
wants to explain things to the police
.
”
I swung the car around and we bumped our way back up the rutted drive.

“
We’ll call for backup, of course, but
we don’t really need it.
”
Minnie’s voice carried the satisfaction of a job wel
l
done.
“
‘
God helps them who help themselves,’ no matter who said it.
”

“
I really have to hand it to you, Minnie. Your plan was brilliant.
”
I wanted Minnie to bask in her well-deserved moment of glory.
“
Velda’s
probably
putting as much space as possible between herself and
us, but
s
he won’t get far.
”

“
You know, Jane, this is one time I’ll be positively delighted to see dear Sheriff Kraft.
”
Minnie’s voice turned wistful as she continued.
“
I suppose he’ll take all the credit though.
”

“
Not if I have anything to say about it. Arnie will just mop up your case. I’ll tell all the reporters that you
r
bravery
got us out of there alive
. You’re a heroine.
”

“
All the reporters?
Do you think … ?
”

“
Better get ready for a media blitz.
”

When Minnie didn’t answer, I glanced over to see her rummaging in the glove compartment.
“
What are you doing?
”

“
Looking for something to write on. I’ll need brown sugar, cinnamon, butter. Let’s see, what else?
”

“
Right, for the press conference.
”

No use fighting it. The Murder of the Month Book Club would soon take center stage again
.

“
Guns and knives. We’ll need lots more cookies. I exp
ect there’ll be quite a crowd.
”

“
Maybe I should add a little car shape in honor of today. It’ll take more dough, but I have just the cookie cutter, though
,
unfortunately
,
it won’t show the bullet holes in the windshield.
”

* * * * *

After we’d
call
ed the police from
Velda’s cell phone, I stood guard with a battered shotgun
,
w
hile
Minnie soothed Eleanor by alternating kindness and chicken pot pie. From the moment we’d released Eleanor from her bonds, she had talked nonstop, surprisingly alert and not at all the pallid invalid Velda had described to us. As Velda had assured me, she was a tough old bird, and she was mad through and through. She’d not only directed me to her husband’s shotgun in the attic, but she’d loaded it expertly before ordering me to stand guard on the porch until the sheriff arrived. It wasn’t likely that Velda would circle back, but we weren’t taking any chances.

By the time I took up my post, the wail of sirens filled the air, and a moment later two Russell County Sheriff’s Department cruisers careened into the driveway, lights blazing, while three others screamed past on the highway, heading in the direction Velda had
fled
.

Arnie climbed out of the first patrol car and approached me warily.

Probably thought I intended
to make some kind of crack, so I obliged him.
“
I hope you left someone at the ja
il to keep Alix from escaping.
”

“
Don’t you worry about her. That’ll be taken care of in due course.
”
He gave me a sour look.
“
Right now I got work to do. Any sign of Velda?
”

“
Oh, you mean the real murderer? Nope, haven’t seen her since she tried to shoot me.
”

Arnie retreated without another word. He conferred briefly with someone in the second car before returning to his cruiser. He slammed the door and tore off, siren wailing.

A crisp young deputy I didn’t recognize made his way toward the porch through the cloud of dust Arnie had stirred up with his flamboyant exit. He looked glum at missing the big manhunt—or woman hunt, in this case—but he was prepared to do his duty.

“
Deputy Tallis,
m
a’am. Don’t worry about a thing. The ambulance is on its way for the elderly lady. Oh, wow!
”
His professional manner slipped a bit at the sight of my puffy hand.
“
That must smart! Can I rig a sling or something?
”

I felt sorry for the kid, missing all the excitement.
“
That would be a big help, but first could you take a look out back, where we were held prisoner
? I’d feel a lot safer if you—
”

“
—secured the premises? Right. I can do that.
”
He bounded up the steps, apparently cheered by the prospect of professional action.

The ambulance lumbered up the driveway, shadowed by a familiar Jeep.
“
Back bedroom on the left,
”
I told the EMTs before running down the porch steps as the doors to the Jeep flew open.

Bianca was the first to reach me, hugging and scolding me at the same time.
“
Mom! What were you thinkin
g? You could have been killed!
”

Nick hovered behind her, his eyes searching my face as though he would memorize it. What he saw there seemed to reassure him, and his face relaxed when I spoke over Bianca’s shoulder.

“
I’m fine. Every
one
’s fine.
”

“
What happened to your hand? Your thumb’s huge!
”
Tyler yelled. He was still beside the Jeep, assisting Laurence to alight from the front passenger seat.
“
Were you shot?
”

“
Sorry to disappoint you.
I did it myself, banged it with a hammer.
”

“
Bummer.
”
Tyler gave Laurence his arm and they made their halting way up to the porch.
“
That must hurt.
”

Laurence hurriedly ascended two steps before pausing for breath. Then he looked at me directly for the first time, studying me without speaking, much as Nick had. I felt like some sort of exotic fern. Once again, I passed muster.

His words, when they finally came, were delivered with his trademark sarcasm.
“
I think Tyler was hoping you’d produce something more exciting for his blog. Maybe let that
woman have another go at you.
”

“
C’mon. I didn’t mean anything like that.
”
Tyler blushed and shot me a worried look. When he saw that I was laughing, he smiled and amended his comment.
“
But it sure would make a better story.
”

“
This one’s good enough for me,
”
I said.
“
But be sure to interview Minnie. She saved the day with her plan.
”

“
Minnie’s plan?
”
They
said
in unison.

“
Wait
’
til
you hear. Believe me, it’ll provide plenty of thrills for the blog.
”

“
And I missed the big chase for the second time,
”
Laurence grumbled.
“
Can’t you arrange these things better?
”

“
Maybe next time
.
”

Minnie scurried out of the house, leading the way for the gurney carrying a reluctant Eleanor.
“
I don’t need this fool thing. Minnie, make them put me down.
”

Minnie was in her element. Someone needed her help.
“
You just stay put, young lady. I’ll go along and make sure they treat you right. You
have your glasses?
”

“
Yes, they’re right here.
”

The rest of us stood aside as the EMTs maneuvered the gurney down the steps
.

Eleanor
protested
all the way.
“
Have they caught her yet? I want to stay
’
til they do.
”

“
Won’t be long,
”
Minnie assured her.
“
We’ve got everything under control.
”

Chapter
30

The special evening SOS gathering at Thornton’s three days later was a far cry from our last, disastrous meeting. For starters, Minnie had insisted on personally escorting Phil and Eileen Hedstrom to front-row seats. Nick and Tyler set up every chair we had before driving to the New Community Church to borrow more for the overflow crowd. Minnie assured them no one would mind
.

Laurence and Eleanor McKay were the featured speakers for the meeting itself, each of them giving a spirited account about their own experiences with elder fraud and abuse. Laurence’s salty recounting of his bold efforts to trap a confidence man
made
a real hit. The old curmudgeon surprised me by being a charming and gifted speaker. Eleanor’s fiery account of Velda’s treachery was a fitting companion piece. I was certain the two of them would soon be making similar presentations at other groups.
From the admiring glances they occasionally stole at each other, it appeared they wouldn’t mind
spending
extra
time together.

After the presentations, Alix and Minnie gave back-to-back interviews for a KATU reporter from Portland. Minnie was in her element, even buying a set of bright new scarves for the occasion. Alix, reluctant at first to speak of her past, had been persuaded by the outpouring of sympathy she’d received—both in the community and over the Internet—after her story became public.

Tyler rang up book purchases
,
and Bianca passed trays of Minnie’s giant gingersnaps. I was relegated to telephone duty since the splint on my thumb rendered me unfit for anything requiring manual dexterity. I now understood why possessing opposable thumbs was such a big deal in the animal kingdom.

Little by little, the crowd thinned out. As we cleared things up, Wendell policed the floor with his usual diligence, searching for forgotten crumbs. After a while, Tyler drove Eleanor home, accompanied by Alice Durand, who was picking up extra money by staying with Eleanor for a few nights. Laurence went home to bed, or perhaps to contemplate his budding career as a crusader against elder abuse.

Nick gently relieved me of a folding chair as I clumsily attempted to collapse it.
“
How about letting me do that?
”
he suggested.
“
You look beat.
”

I nodded my thanks and collapsed into one of the armchairs in the bay window.
“
I had no idea we’d get such a crowd.
”

“
Or that they’d get so into it.
”
Bianca pulled a chair over to join me.
“
Laurence and Eleanor were cute together, weren’t they?
”

“
And effective.
”
Tyler, returning from his errand, snagged a handful of cookies before hooking another chair with his foot and pulling it into what was becoming a circle.
“
No con man will dare to show up in Juniper now.
”

“
I hope you’re right.
”
Minnie passed the tray again before settling into the other overstuffed chair.
“
But I still hate to think there are people like that out there anywhere. Velda … was she all bad?
”

“
Close enough,
”
Nick said.
“
We’ll never know for sure how her father happened to die so conveniently, since he was cremated, but I wouldn’t be surprised if—
”

“
Or maybe,
”
Bianca offered,
“
her father just died.
”
My daughter, the eternal optimist.
“
Velda must have had a horrible life to have tried … to do what she did.
”

I’d seen the look on Velda’s face as she aimed that gun at me
—
would probably see it for years when I closed my eyes
—
but I liked it that Bianca continue
d to
look for the good in people. Why not? Usually that attitude brought out the best in others.

Minnie
—
dear, kind soul that she was
—
encouraged
Bianca’s hopeful line of thought.
“
Yes, that’s right. Maybe
her father just got sick and died. Maybe
Velda
really wanted to help Eleanor at first, or
thought coming to Oregon would be an adventure, a chance to meet a nice young man. It could have happened that way.
”

“
She met someone, all right,
”
Tyler said.
“
Too bad it was Hunter.
”

“
I’ve told you how persuasive he could be.
”
Alix stood just outside the circle.
“
When he made a run at Eleanor’s money, sweet-talking her niece into helping him would be child’s play.
”

Even
the ever-cynical Alix was trying to present Velda’s actions in the best possible light. She, of all people, had reason to hate Velda, the person who had tried to frame her for murder
, but she, too, had been fooled by Hunter
. So Alix just couldn’t stop herself from being kind, from reassuring Minnie and Bianca. In spite of her own disappointments in life, or perhaps because of them, she wanted her friends to continue to look on the bright side.
“
He was a slick customer. Then, when he tried to run off without her, humiliated her
.
…
W
e all know how it ended.
”

Minnie remained thoughtful.
“
So after she fell in love with Hunter, she just went off the tracks? That’s so sad. I wish I could have helped her.
”

“
You did all you could.
”
I placed my hand on her arm.
“
Y
ou tried to bring her into the book club and to help her with Eleanor’s care. I’m afraid she’d already gone too far down the wrong road.
”

“
I suppose you’re right.
”
Minnie sighed and patted my hand.
“
Or maybe I’m just na
i
ve.
”

I couldn’t interpret the emotions playing across Alix’s face
as Minnie spoke
, but suddenly she burst out,
“
Better to look at the world your way than to …
miss out on the best things life has to offer.
”
She turned away from the group.

I tried to say something, but no words made it past the lump in my throat. I looked through brimming eyes at Tyler, willing him to help.

“
Like gingersnaps,
”
he said, reaching for another handful of cookies.
“
Lots of them.
”

“
And good dogs like Wendell.
”
I wasn’t surprised to hear Bianca’s first thought.

“
And a day fishing the Metolius,
”
Nick added.

“
Why, bless you all, how about good friends?
”
Minnie asked. She clapped her hands in delight.
“
Sounds like we’ve got everything … except our next book club selection. Alix, you’d better get over here. We’re a w
eek late in making a decision.
”

Alix hesitated just a beat before pulling another chair into the circle. Minnie continued as though nothing momentous had just happened.
“
Neglecting our readers is a mistake. That’s no way to build a fan base. Even though we’ve been busy this week—
”

As though we’d rehearsed it, the rest of us completed her thought in unison,
“
There’s no rest for the wicked.
”

Minnie’s startled look turned to a smile.
“
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Alix, do you have a recommendation?
”

For the first time since we’d formed our book club a year ago, Alix made a suggestion without an accompanying sarcastic remark.
“
I was thinking maybe Sue Grafton’s
T is for Trespass
. It’s about elder abuse
.
N
ice
tie-in
to the new links on Tyler’s blog.
”

“
Good idea,
”
I said.
“
Alix, there’s something else I—we—need to know.
”

“
Yeah, yeah. I’m way ahead of you.
”
Alix
retrieved
a brown paper shopping bag she’d parked by the front door. Without further comment she dumped the contents in my lap. Three cartons of Virginia Slims tumbled out and slid onto the floor.
“
That’s the last time I’m making a bet with you.
”

“
That’ll teach you.
”
I smiled at her.
“
This is great, Alix, really. And if you need any help, there’s the Quit Line—
”

“
Don’t worry. This time it’ll stick. I just needed a push.
”

“
Some push.
Now that we have that settled, there’s something else I—we—wanted to talk to you about.
”

“
What?
You want
my
blood
, too
?
”

“
Just
you
r
time
.
Would you be willing
to organize an
additional
wedding?
”

The smile started in Alix’s eyes and spread across her entire face, but her voice remained calm and professional.
“
I’ll check the schedule, but I believe I can handle one more. I have an excellent staff.
”

“
W
e’ll want Wendell in it, too,
”
Nick said,
“
even if it costs extra.
”

“
Will you require the services of the porcupine?
”
Bianca asked.

“
Probably not,
”
I said.
“
I suspect we’ll have enough excitement as it is.
”

The End