04 Lowcountry Bordello (19 page)

She tossed him a look that could’ve wilted all our salads.

The server ran away to find another drink. “Carol of the Bells” raced across the keyboard. I sipped my martini. Nate put his hand on my leg. I picked up my fork. “These salads look delicious.”

Between the salads and the entrees, Zach excused himself. Nate squeezed my knee.

Glyn said, “Elizabeth, really—”

Henry appeared and interrupted her. “How are those salads?”

Glyn said, “Well, if you must know, I was first served one with dressing and croutons. I specifically asked for neither. This one seems satisfactory, though unremarkable.”

Henry turned red in the face. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the woman I assumed was his mother grabbed his arm. “Henry, I need to speak with you for a moment.”

He gave me a look of pure hatred, but walked away. Why me? I hadn’t complained about the salad, though he’d likely poisoned mine. Did his mother keep him on a short leash after reading some of the negative TripAdvisor reviews? If so, perhaps he couldn’t have slipped out.

Zach returned to the table.

Glyn said, “You missed the young man who stopped by earlier.”

“No I didn’t,” said Zach. “Apparently, you have to shake his hand before you can go to the bathroom here.”

By the time we’d finished our entrees, which were excellent, no fewer than eight people had stopped by to say hey and make sure our dinner was all right. The constant interruptions were almost a blessing in that they limited the need for conversation.

Glyn had picked at her food, but kept her thirst quenched. “Elizabeth, if you manage to drive Nate to a life of crime with your excessive demands for material things, I’m afraid I’m all out of sons.”

I stared at her. Excessive demands? Material things? Scott was the materialistic one, not me.

Zach said, “Glyn, you’ve been overserved. That was uncalled for.”

Nate looked at his dad as he rose, pulling me up along with him. “I’m going to take Liz home now. We’ll see y’all on Friday.” He tossed his napkin on the table, and with one hand at the small of my back, he escorted me downstairs.

The piano player dashed out “Hard Candy Christmas.”

“Happy anniversary!” the bevy of hostesses shouted as we walked out the front door.

Twenty-Two

Thursday morning, I was so relieved to wake up in my own bed, I hated to get out of it. Nate and Rhett encouraged me into my running togs. We ran our usual route, with Rhett particularly happy for a return to our routine. Waves breaking, rushing to the sand, and sluicing back out made a perfect harmony. Pent-up stress left my body.

“If I apologized every day for the rest of my life, I don’t think it could possibly cover last night. But I am so sorry,” Nate said. We climbed the steps to the walkway across the dunes.

“You have nothing to apologize for. And yet you have, several times. Let’s just forget it.”

“When she drinks—”

“The filter comes off her mouth and she says what she really thinks.”

Nate sighed. “We won’t see them often.”

It hurt my heart that he felt like he had to reassure me on this. I knew he loved his parents. Family meant so much to me, and I didn’t want to stand between him and his. “In time, maybe she’ll be okay with us. We’ll go down in the spring like they asked. Just keep her away from the vodka.”

Nate grabbed my hand. “Maybe we can get Dad to purge the house before we go.”

“Maybe the first trip we can stay in a hotel.” I grinned.

After breakfast, I settled into the office to pull all our case notes together and work on the report. Nate finalized our grocery order for St. John. Our villa would be stocked when we arrived. I was so looking forward to being alone with Nate for two weeks.

My phone
boink-boinked
.

“Hey, Sonny.”

“Liz.” His voice was tight.

“How did the search go?”

“Long. It went very long. We found a rent ledger in the desk drawer. Not much else of note indoors except an astounding variety of bedroom toys.”

“I see.” My chest tightened. Sonny was working up to why he’d called.

“Outdoors was much more interesting.”

I’d seen the crime scene tape when we’d gone back to the bed and breakfast to get our things. “What did you find?”

“Two deceased white females, one who’s been under a flowerbed for approximately a year. The other has been under an older flowerbed behind the garage for—we’re not sure how long yet. ME’s preliminary estimate is three years, give or take.”

I breathed in and out. Two?

“Liz?”

“Yeah, I’m here. Any idea who they are?”

“We suspect the newer body is Roxanne Trexler. She’s been missing for about a year. Trident Tech student. Her family’s on their way in from Ohio. The older body, no idea.”

“What did Miss Dean say? She doesn’t know who it could be?”

“Miss Willowdean has a bad memory. She’s very upset, naturally. Also seems disoriented. From her point of view, everyone in her home disappeared while she was asleep. I thought maybe you and Olivia could talk to her. She may recall more if she sees a familiar face. I don’t know that it’s a good idea for Olivia to speak with her alone. Too much up in the air.”

“What do you mean?” I felt my face scrunch.

“I don’t know yet how involved Olivia is in any of this. I’d prefer to have someone I trust be a party to the discussion.”

“You don’t trust Olivia?”

Sonny blew out a breath. “Someone more stable.”

“Sure. Of course. I’ll grab Olivia and we’ll head on over.”

“Thanks. I’m coming over there to get Seth. Fiber analysis connects the rug we found in North Charleston to the back of his truck. They’re still working on some stray hairs, a few other tests. It seems William Rutledge was found wrapped in a similar rug. They’re pulling that from evidence. I don’t think we’ll be letting go of Seth anytime soon.”

“That’s good to hear. Talk to you soon.”

I filled Nate in. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come with Olivia and me. Miss Dean will be more forthcoming if it’s just the two of us.”

Nate shrugged. “I’ll finish the paperwork and get it to Robert. As far as we’re officially concerned, that case is closed.”

Olivia insisted on taking her own car to Charleston. “I have some shopping to do. I still haven’t decided what I’m wearing to the rehearsal dinner. I want to wear something nice, but I don’t want to have to change before the bachelorette party. I still wish we could’ve done that last week.”

“Merry’s fundraiser—” Merry was the executive director of a non-profit agency in Charleston that worked with at-risk teenagers.

“I know, I know.” Olivia held up her hands. “I’m just sayin’…I need to go shopping.”

We parked in the same spots we had Monday night. I got out of the car and waited. Olivia was still in her car. I walked up to the driver’s side window. Her face covered her hands. “Olivia?”

She opened the door and climbed out none too quickly. “All that yellow tape. I just hate to see today’s newspaper.”

“Olivia. We’ll get through this,” I said. “Come on.” I nudged her towards the door.

We found Aunt Dean in the keeping room. She was in the chair, which seemed to be her spot, facing the fireplace. Her back was to us as we entered the room.

“Aunt Dean?” Olivia spoke gently.

She didn’t respond. Her silver head didn’t move.

I moved to the sofa and sat on the corner closest to Miss Dean. Olivia pulled a chair closer to her aunt. Miss Dean’s hands lay crossed in her lap. She stared at them.

Olivia reached for one of her hands. She took it between her own and rubbed. “Aunt Dean, are you all right?”

Miss Dean looked up at Olivia. “No,” she said. “Everyone’s gone. I don’t understand.”

I felt a pang of guilt. I should’ve made arrangements for someone to see about Miss Dean yesterday morning when she woke to an empty house. I’d simply not thought about it. What kind of a person was I?

Olivia said, “Aunt Dean, you know the guests are all students. They’ve gone home for the holidays. But I don’t think they’re coming back next semester. We’ll work something out.”

“But where is Seth?” Miss Dean’s eyes never moved from Olivia. Her hands grasped Olivia’s now.

Olivia’s eyes held pain for her aunt. “Seth has done some very bad things. I’m very much afraid Seth is going to jail.”

“What on earth?” said Miss Dean.

My highly suspicious nature reared its head. Miss Dean had been through a great deal, yes. But she’d been functional enough to discuss body removal with Seth just two nights ago. “Miss Dean,” I said, “do you recall me coming over on Tuesday night?”

She turned to look at me.

“You’re Olivia’s friend.”

“That’s right,” I said. “We discussed what Olivia saw on Monday night.”

“You did this,” she said, her voice rising in indignation. “You went to the police with your outrageous accusations about our Seth and now look what’s happened. Every bit of this is your fault.”

“Now, Aunt Dean—” Olivia said.

“Oh, no ma’am,” I said. “I can’t take all the credit. I didn’t kill anyone, and I didn’t remove any bodies. But everyone who did is going to jail. And those of us who know something, we’d best tell it so we don’t go to jail too.”

Miss Dean looked at Olivia. “Child, tell me you didn’t kill that man. I couldn’t bear it if you went to jail, too.”

Olivia looked like she’d seen a snake. “Me? Why on earth would I kill Thurston Middleton? I barely knew him. When I saw the body, I thought it was Robert.”

Miss Dean studied her carefully. “Maybe everything will be all right then.”

I said, “Miss Dean, do you honestly not have any idea who killed Thurston?”

She shook her head. “It’s been years since he paid for a room here. He must’ve been looking for my ledger. But why anyone would kill him—it’s beyond me.”

I said, “Let’s talk for a moment about the young ladies in the flowerbeds.” Apparently, cadaver dogs have trouble with bodies under concrete and chlorinated water.

Miss Dean stared at the fireplace. “Her name was Roxanne, but I don’t recall her last name. I knew her as a Rutledge. William Rutledge’s niece. William killed the poor girl. It was an accident. He adored her. Seth did, too. He couldn’t bear to have her sent off to Ohio and buried. So he created a memorial for her out back. I thought it was a lovely gesture.”

I took a deep breath. “Miss Dean, do you know who the other girl was?”

She met my gaze, clear-eyed, and shook her head. “I don’t have the slightest idea.”

Olivia patted her hand.

I said, “Can you recall any young ladies a few years back who left abruptly?”

“That does happen occasionally. I could check my ledger, but they took it.”

Olivia said, “Think hard, Aunt Dean. Some poor girl’s family doesn’t know where she is.”

Miss Dean stared at the fireplace some more. “Two come to mind that surprised me. I thought they were happy. One was one of Arthur’s nieces. He has a gracious plenty.” She looked at her hands.

“Do you know what her name was?” I asked.

Miss Dean shook her head. “I can’t recall. But they all have red hair. I believe she was from around here.”

If that was the case, there should be a missing person’s report if she was the girl discovered in the flowerbed behind the garage. “Who was the other girl who surprised you when she left?”

“One of William Calhoun’s nieces. He is such a dear man. Such a nice smile. He dotes on his girls. All of them have dark hair like our Amber. This girl’s name was Victoria. She left in the middle of the night, just like Arthur’s niece. It was right about the same time.” She put a finger to her temple. “Victoria left first.”

“Was she from around here too?” I asked.

“I don’t recall. William could tell you.”

I pondered the odds on that.

Olivia said, “Aunt Dean, I’m going to help you get some things together. I want you to come stay with Robert and me for a while. You can spend some time with Campbell and Shelby. Won’t that be nice?”

“Oh, no dear. Thank you.” Miss Dean patted Olivia’s hand. “I’m an old woman. I like being in my own home. Bring the children over to see me, why don’t you?”

Olivia’s eyes got bigger. I highly doubted she’d be bringing her children over here. “Aunt Dean, it’s not safe here. Until they catch Thurston’s killer, you really can’t stay here alone. I hear you had a prowler Tuesday night.”

“That’s what the police said. I have a gun, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” said Olivia. “All the same. Please come stay with us for a while, won’t you?”

“You’re a sweet child to ask me. But I want to stay here, in my home. This is where I belong.”

I said, “Miss Dean, without Seth here to look after you, it really isn’t a good idea.”

“You girls run along now,” said Aunt Dean. “I need a nap.”

I looked at Olivia. She gave me a helpless look, shrugged.

I said, “Miss Dean, if anything unusual happens, call 911 first, then call Olivia or me, all right?”

“All right then,” she said.