A Deal to Die For (25 page)

Jimmy was standing by the kitchen table, folding a basket of towels. He was very methodical,
and he had his headphones on. His head bobbed in time to the music he was listening
to, and when he saw her, he formed the name
Maggie
on his lips before he went back to folding.

He had a thick thatch of unruly black hair and a long nose that was surprisingly masculine
in such a young face. Maggie glanced from him to the others, and Molly gave her a
small smile.

“I couldn’t leave him home alone,” she explained. “Taking care of his own laundry
is one of the life skills he is mastering. Luckily, I had a basket to bring with us,
so he can be occupied while we get this situation sorted out.”

“I’m so sorry to drag you out at night,” Bianca said. She was clutching a cup of cocoa.
“I just didn’t know who else to call. You and Jimmy are the only family I have left.”

“Well, not according to Courtney,” Molly said. Her voice was angry, and Maggie couldn’t
blame her. Courtney had been nothing but mean to Molly ever since she’d arrived.

“Bianca, I know it’s been a rough night, but could you tell me what happened from
the beginning?” Sam asked.

Bianca nodded while Molly put two mugs of steaming cocoa with marshmallows in front
of Maggie and Sam. Maggie picked hers up eagerly. She felt as if the chill of the
night had gotten into her bones, and she eagerly took a small warming sip, letting
the sweet cocoa work its magic on her insides.

“Like I told Maggie,” Bianca began, “I was taking a bath when Courtney burst in. She
seemed drunk; or at least, she was wobbling on her feet, and then she tried to snatch
some of my hair.”

Bianca looked toward the door, as if remembering. “I managed to get away, but she
was chasing me, so I ran outside. Luckily, Maggie arrived, and then I called you.”

“Why would she try to grab your hair?” Maggie asked.

“I don’t know,” Bianca said. “But she kept laughing and saying, ‘Who’s your daddy,
now?’ It was very frightening.”

Maggie and Sam exchanged a look. She knew without a doubt that he was thinking the
same thing she was. That Courtney had decided to snatch some of Bianca’s hair and
use it for a paternity test, because the best possible way to prove that Bianca had
no claim on the estate would be to prove that Buzz wasn’t her father. And that would
also prove that Vera had cheated, and if a judge upheld the letter that Courtney had,
then the entire estate would go to her as Buzz’s sole heir.

“Has she lost her mind?” Molly asked. “What could she have been thinking?”

“Bianca, do you have any idea what set Courtney off?” Maggie asked. “Why she’d do
something like this?”

“Honestly?” Bianca gave her a look like she didn’t want to tell her.

“Yes,” Maggie said.

“It was the key to the storage unit,” Molly said when Bianca hesitated. “Isn’t that
what set her off, Bianca?”

“Yes,” Bianca sighed. “Courtney demanded that I give her the key, but when I refused,
Courtney just snapped.”

Maggie lifted her eyebrows in surprise. She wouldn’t have thought Bianca had enough
backbone to refuse.

“She seemed to think I had you hiding documents and such in there,” Bianca said. She
shook her head. “I told her it was just clothes, but she didn’t believe me.”

Sam finished his cocoa in one gulp and went to put the mug in the sink, but Molly
took it from him.

“Is Courtney going to be all right?” Bianca asked.

“Once she sleeps off her drunken bender, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Molly said. Her
voice was disapproving.

Maggie said nothing, not knowing how much to say.

“The EMTs seemed to think that they got to her in time,” Sam said.

Bianca looked relieved, while Molly frowned.

“She’s a difficult person,” Bianca said. “But I don’t wish her any harm.”

Maggie patted Bianca’s hand. “We know.”

“Still, she’s a danger to you,” Molly said. “Sam, is this enough to press charges
and get Courtney out of here?”

“For good?” Bianca asked.

“Well, at least until the court date,” Molly said. “You shouldn’t have to be afraid
of your own sister.”

“I don’t think Courtney will be coming home tonight,” Sam said. “If you want to put
in for a restraining order—and I agree with Molly that you should—then come on down
first thing in the morning, and we’ll get it done.”

Bianca looked at Molly and then at Maggie as if hoping they would tell her what to
do. She pushed her frameless glasses up on her nose. She had gotten dressed in slacks
and loafers with a turtleneck and a cardigan. She looked very much the part of the
spinster heiress.

She also looked overwhelmed, and Maggie felt bad for her. Her life had been turned
upside down and didn’t show signs of righting itself anytime soon.

“I don’t…I was scared,” she said. “But it was mostly because she kept screeching at
me. She didn’t have a weapon or anything.”

“Technically, what she did was assault or, at the very least, attempted assault,”
Sam said. “You could press charges against her.”

Bianca looked alarmed, as if she was trying to picture how Courtney would handle that.

“What’s going to happen to her?” she asked.

“We’ll have to see what they say at the hospital,” Sam said. “I doubt we’ll know what
sort of shape she’s in until tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Bianca said. “I need to think about all of this. Will you all excuse me?”

“Sure,” Sam said. “If you need to contact me about anything, anything at all, you
can reach me at this number.”

He handed Bianca a card, which she slipped into her pocket.

“Thank you,” Bianca said.

She slipped down the hallway like someone who was used to walking without making any
noise. She had probably learned to move like that to keep out of her mother’s notice.

“Poor kid,” Molly said. “She’s had a hell of a week.”

“Yeah,” Sam agreed. “I’m going to give her tonight to get over the incident, but I’ll
need her to come to the station and give a formal statement, whether she intends to
press charges or file for a restraining order or not.”

Molly nodded in understanding. Sam began walking to the front door, and Maggie followed
with Molly.

“Has she gotten a chance to start planning Vera’s service?” Maggie asked.

“The pastor was over yesterday, and they spent a good deal of time talking about the
service. Vera’s bridge partners have all been by, too. Bianca is just awaiting the
release of the body from the medical examiner,” Molly said.

“I have some news on that,” Sam said. “Vera’s body will be released tomorrow, as the
autopsy has been completed.”

“Well, maybe that will help put her mind at ease,” Molly said. “Do they know what
caused her death?”

“The report was sent to me this afternoon, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it
yet,” Sam said. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I know.”

“Thanks, Sam,” Molly said. “Since Jimmy and I are here now, I think we’ll stay the
night just to keep Bianca from being alone. She and Jimmy practically grew up together.
She’s one of the few people that I know he has a fondness for. Bianca must have been
terrified when Courtney came after her like that, and this house can be…intimidating
at night.”

“I’m sure Bianca will be grateful,” Maggie said.

Sam opened the door for Maggie and followed her out into the cold night. Maggie could
taste the sweet chill of the coming winter on her tongue like melted molasses being
poured onto the snow. She wondered when they’d have their first snowfall, and she
burrowed deeper into her jacket.

“Call me if you need me,” Sam said.

“Will do,” Molly said, and closed the door after them. With a click, they heard the
lock snap into place, and they headed down the front steps to their cars.

“So you have the autopsy report?” Maggie asked.

Sam nodded but said nothing.

“So, do they know what killed Vera?” she asked.

Sam looked at her, and Maggie blew out a breath. “Oh please, don’t brush me off like
Molly. I know you looked at it. What do you know, Sam?”

They stopped beside Maggie’s car. Sam opened the door for her, but she didn’t get
in.

“The toxicology reports will take two weeks,” Sam said. “But, yes, it does appear
that Vera Madison died from an overdose of a narcotic analgesic, just like Doc confessed.”

Maggie felt as if the world had suddenly lurched on its axis. No, this couldn’t be.
Doc wasn’t a killer.

“Maggie, are you all right?” Sam grabbed her arm.

“I just—I don’t believe it,” she said with a shake of her head. “Doc isn’t a killer.”

“Well, for once we’re in agreement,” Sam said. “I don’t think he did it either, but
if not Doc, then who?”

“Someone who has access to morphine,” Maggie said.

“Yeah, here’s the thing with that,” Sam said. “Injectable morphine can only be gotten
in a dispensary. Unless Doc wrote a prescription for it, it’s not something he would
have in the office. And we don’t know for sure yet that it
was
morphine, we only know that it was a narcotic analgesic. Morphine is what Doc said
he used, and he could have been bluffing.”

“Do you think he was?” she asked.

“About killing Vera? Definitely,” Sam said. “About it being morphine? Don’t know yet.”
He patted the pocket where he’d put the envelope containing the syringe. “But this
may be the final clue. I’m going to check it for prints as soon as I’m back at the
station. Since Doc and Alice were both in custody when Courtney went on her rampage,
it could be that Courtney is who we’re looking at after all.”

“Do you think she injected herself?” Maggie asked.

“She could be an addict,” Sam said. “She might have had
access to the drug and, despite her alibi, she could have been the one who injected
Vera, or she could have had someone do it for her.”

“Wow,” Maggie said.

“Speaking of Courtney, I’d better get to the hospital. I told the EMTs to look for
needle tracks, and I suggested she was a possible overdose.”

“I hope she’s luckier than Vera was,” Maggie said.

Sam nodded. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead he stepped away
from her car and strode toward his own.

“Good night, Maggie,” he called through the darkness. “Be safe.”

“Good night, Sam.”

Bianca had left Maggie’s keys in the ignition. Maggie closed her door and fired up
the engine. As she drove down the long driveway, she couldn’t help but notice that
she felt oddly bereft, as if she was missing someone or something. Maggie shook it
off and turned right out of the driveway and headed for home.

The phone rang early the next morning. Maggie was burrowed under her covers, trying
to ignore the distant chiming. She’d had dreams filled with the Madisons: Buzz and
Vera and Bianca. She’d been in their house trying to gather them all for supper, but
no one would come to the table. It was maddening.

“Maggie.” Sandy’s soft voice interrupted her snooze. “It’s for you.”

Maggie pulled the covers off her head. “What time is it?”

“Eight thirty,” Sandy said.

“What?” Maggie threw off her cover and sat up. “Ack! I’m supposed to be at Dr. Franklin’s
by eight. Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I tried,” Sandy said. “Josh tried. There was no waking you. Besides, do you really
have work if your boss is in jail?”

“Oh yeah.” Maggie stood and staggered to her closet. “Good point.”

“Maggie, the phone,” Sandy said. “It’s Cheryl. I think she has news about Doc and
Alice.”

“Oh, thanks.” Maggie took the receiver. She was still battling her way out of the
cobwebs of sleep, so she shook her head to try to dispel them before she put the phone
to her ear.

“Hi, Cheryl. I’m sorry I’m late. Is everything all right?”

She watched Sandy leave and shut the door behind her.

“Well, don’t rush. There isn’t much point, since Doc isn’t here either,” Cheryl said.

“Why not?” Maggie asked. “Doesn’t he have patients?”

“Yes, but unless they’re critical, they’re just getting me today,” Cheryl said. “Of
course, old man Dalton complained. I told him he was welcome to reschedule with Doc
when he gets back from his conference.”

“Conference?”

“My little euphemism for jail,” Cheryl said.

“Sam did not arrest him!” Maggie gasped. “How could he? Oh, that’s just—”

“Hold your temper there, sparky,” Cheryl said. “It wasn’t Sam who kept both Doc and
Alice in jail, it was them.”

“What?”

“Yep. Sam refused to accept Doc’s confession about killing Vera, since it appears
that Courtney is the most likely suspect now, and Doc finally admitted that he had
lied. But
then Alice said she didn’t think she could be left with Doc in an unsupervised capacity,
so she asked to spend the night in jail, and Doc refused to leave once he heard she
was staying.”

“Oh, good grief,” Maggie said. She opened her closet door and pulled out a forest
green turtleneck sweater and a pair of black corduroy pants. “They’ve gone mental,
haven’t they?”