Case of Imagination (15 page)

The girls gave him their best smiles and all their attention. In about ten minutes, he’d taught them a very basic waltz step.

Evan stared. “They’re all together!”

“Percy was trying too hard,” I said.

“Put on some music.”

It took the girls a minute or two to adjust, but following Jerry’s lead, they were soon swaying nicely to the beat.

“When they have on their gowns, this will look wonderful,” Evan said. He motioned Jerry over. “Thank you so much!”

“I never knew you were a choreographer,” I said.

“There were lots of dances at the house,” Jerry said.

I knew he meant the Fairweather Mansion, but he’d never mentioned any sort of festivities before. “Fancy balls? Cotillions?”

“Something like that.”

The girls were delighted with their new number. Evan James couldn’t stop beaming. Even dour Cindy cracked a smile.

“Now if we could just find a piano player,” she said.

I nudged Jerry.

“Well, uh, I play a little,” he said.

Evan was thrilled. “My goodness, of course you do! You’re the concert pianist, aren’t you?”

“That’s my brother. I’m nowhere near as good.”

“It doesn’t matter. We need someone, anyone. Please. We’re desperate.”

“Please,” all the girls said.

Jerry couldn’t hold out against a pack of beauty queens. “I’ll give it a try.”

I knew Jerry could play because occasionally in college, he’d sit down at the old piano in the student lounge and knock out some variation of “Chopsticks” or “Maple Leaf Rag.” I didn’t realize he was such a good sight reader. He didn’t have any trouble playing the numbers Evan needed. Afterward, he sat in the front row with me and watched as the girls practiced standing and turning.

“You sounded pretty good at the keyboard,” I said. “Why don’t you take up music again? It’s a lot safer and more legitimate than holding séances.”

“But there’s no money in it.”

“But you don’t care about money.”

“But I like to eat.”

“Seriously, why didn’t you go on?”

He shrugged. “No need to. Besides, Des was always hogging the piano.”

“I think you could play just as well as Des.”

“Nah.”

“Then next thing I know, you’ll be growing Royal Sunset roses in the backyard.”

“That’s completely Tucker’s department.”

“Middle child.”

“Overachiever.”

Evan James clapped his hands for attention. “All right, girls. If you’ll put on your evening gowns, please, and we’ll go over the dance once more. Please wear the shoes you’ll be wearing tomorrow night. I don’t want anyone to trip and fall.”

The contestants left the stage. Evan wiped his face with the remains of his handkerchief. “Thank goodness this is the last rehearsal. Jerry, you’re a lifesaver. When this is all over, I want to talk to you about a possible job here at the theater.”

I gave Jerry another nudge in the ribs. “A job.”

“I heard him.”

Everyone returned in evening gowns. The color of choice was white, although Donna looked stunning in a red beaded number, and Karen Mitman had chosen a light blue that did nothing for her dark complexion. I started to tell Jerry she’d look wonderful in yellow or gold, realized I was slipping into pageant-speak, and shut up.

“All right, everyone. Places, please.” Evan looked around. “Where is Juliet?”

Donna made a face. “Making everyone wait, as usual.”

Randi muttered, “Probably trying to steal someone else’s shoes.”

“Cindy, will you hurry her along?”

Cindy disappeared behind the curtains. Evan rearranged the contestants. “Now, ladies, I hope you remember your new dance. It looks absolutely perfect.”

Cindy ran back, her eyes enormous behind her glasses. “Mister James, there’s been some sort of accident. I think—” She had to stop and gulp for air before she could speak again. “I think Juliet’s dead.”

The girls gasped, and I thought Evan might faint. I hopped up on stage. “Show me.”

Cindy led me backstage. Juliet Lovelace lay in a clump of white gown, her black hair in a tangle, her neck bent at an unnatural angle. I leaned down and felt for a pulse in her limp wrist. An extension cord was coiled near her body. I glanced up at the row of cords and ropes.

“Did you touch anything, Cindy?”

She shook her head. “Should I call nine-one-one?”

“Yes. And keep everyone away from this area.”

Jerry looked over my shoulder. “Oh, my God. What happened?”

“It looks like someone used an extension cord to strangle her. Don’t let anyone leave.”

He hurried back to the auditorium. I heard him ask the girls and Evan to please sit down, there’d been an accident, and the police would want to talk to them. Their horrified murmurs mingled with the rustle of their gowns as they left the stage. I heard Evan sobbing.

I looked around, but the dark backstage area gave me no clues. The floor had been swept, and the other curtains pulled aside for lights and the backdrop. The smell of perfume and hairspray led me to a backstage corner. It looked as if Juliet had made her own little dressing room, complete with makeup and mirror, so she wouldn’t have to share. Her street clothes were on a hanger draped over a chair.

Juliet’s privacy had cost her. If she’d been in the dressing room with the others, her assailant wouldn’t have had the chance to sneak up in the dark and kill her. Then again, one of the others might be the killer.

As I walked back, something crunched under my shoe. I bent down to pick up the small pink object. The floor was sprinkled with Juliet’s special silvery one-of-a-kind sequins, but what I’d stepped on looked like a piece of plastic fingernail. I checked Juliet’s hands and saw several broken nails. She must have tried to fight off her attacker. But her fingernails were clear, and the piece I’d found was bright pink. I found another piece of pink fingernail near her arm. I put both pieces in my pocket. I also noticed that the hem of her gown was dirty.

By the time I returned to the auditorium, the police had arrived. I would’ve recognized Chief Brenner even out of uniform. Nell’s father was big and broad with small features and blond hair exactly like hers, only his hair was a buzz cut of blond fuzz. When he found out the victim was Juliet Lovelace, his small features drew in further.

“Who found her?”

Cindy raised her hand. “I went backstage to see what was taking her so long. Then Ms. Maclin came and said she was dead and to call the police.”

“Ms. Maclin?”

“I’m Madeline Maclin,” I said. “I touched her only to check for a pulse. Nothing’s been moved.”

He nodded. “All right. I’ll need to talk to everyone, one at a time, in the foyer.”

The contestants all had the same alibi. They’d been together in the girls’ dressing room. They hadn’t seen Juliet. Evan had been on stage, talking with me and Jerry. Cindy had been sitting in the auditorium, taking notes. Now she sat by Evan as he wept into his handkerchief.

“This is horrible. Nothing like this has ever happened. We can’t have the pageant now. It would be too dreadful. We’ll have to cancel.”

“It’s all right,” Cindy kept saying. “No one’s blaming you.”

“I know I make a fuss, but I enjoy putting on this program. Who would be cruel enough to murder Juliet just because she was likely to win?”

That might not have been the reason she was killed, I thought.

After Chief Brenner talked with Jerry, it was my turn.

“Nell tells me you’re a private investigator,” he said. “She also tells me Evan hired you to find out who’s behind all the trouble here at the pageant. I don’t think you figured on a murder.”

“No, sir, and with your permission, I’d like to help.”

He tapped his pen on his notepad. “Well, as you can imagine, we don’t get many murders in Celosia. We have our share of drug problems and domestic disputes, but this is the first murder in about five years. It’s a damn shame Miss Lovelace got herself killed, but she had plenty of enemies. We just need to figure out which one of them got mad enough to attack her.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And by ‘we,’ I mean the police, Ms. Maclin. You need to stay out of harm’s way, don’t interfere with official police business, and anything you might accidentally find pertinent to the case, you bring right to me.”

“Sir, I really think I could be useful.”

“Real murder cases aren’t like the ones you see on TV. You need to let us handle it.”

He put his pen and notepad in his jacket pocket. He gave me a long, considering look, and I knew he was seeing only an ex-beauty queen who thought she’d play detective. That’s when I made my decision. I handed him one of the pieces of pink plastic. The other I kept in my pocket. “I found this backstage. It may have come off the attacker’s fingers.”

He turned it in his large, worn fingers. “One of those fake nails?”

“Yes, sir. Most of the contestants wear them.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

After Chief Brenner had spoken with Donna and Randi, I asked them to sit down with me in a corner of the auditorium. Both young women were pale and shaken. Donna twisted the edge of her gown.

“What do they think happened, Ms. Maclin? Did someone attack her?”

“That’s what it looks like. Exactly where were you before you came out on stage?”

She took a steadying breath. “I was in the dressing room with all the other girls, except Juliet. She had to have her own special place backstage to change clothes.”

“Did anyone object to this?”

“No, we were glad she was out of the dressing room.”

“Randi, where were you?”

“In the dressing room with everyone else.” She bit her lower lip as if trying not to cry. “We just put on our gowns and came out.”

“Did you hear or see anything unusual backstage?” Both girls shook their heads. Evan and Cindy had been out front with me and Jerry. “Was anyone else backstage? A stage manager? Someone to pull the curtains and give you your cues?”

“Cindy will do all that during the real pageant.” Donna began to cry. “Only now there’s not going to be a pageant, is there?”

“I’m really scared,” Randi said. “When can we go home?”

It took about an hour for the coroner to arrive and finish examining Juliet’s body. The paramedics put her in an ambulance. Brenner allowed everyone back to the dressing room to change clothes and go home. The only contestant I didn’t get to speak with was Karen Mitman, who looked more relieved than upset.

She’d be first on my list tomorrow morning.

Jerry didn’t look shaken, only apprehensive.

“What’s up?” I asked. “You’re not a suspect.”

“Mac, I’m beginning to believe this town is cursed. First my uncle and now Juliet. These things come in threes, you know.”

“What things?”

“Deaths. Haven’t you noticed? Whenever somebody famous dies, a few days later, two more famous people die.”

“Okay, then, according to that theory, you’re next.”

“I’m not famous.”

“Neither were Val and Juliet. Get a grip.”

“There are evil forces at work here. By coming to Celosia, I may have set them in motion. I should never have held that séance. I must have let something loose.”

“No, you have something loose—in your brain. There are plenty of people who hated Juliet, real, live people, and I’m going to find out who killed her.”

Chief Brenner had finished with us and said we could leave. Evan, supported by Cindy, came up to me. His face was gray.

“Madeline, I know Brenner will do all he can, but please say you’ll continue your investigation. We must find out who did this.”

“Of course I will.”

“Juliet may have been spoiled and a practical joker, but, my God, she was only seventeen.” His voice quit.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I have no intention of stopping now.”

“Something will have to be done. The girls need to know the pageant is over. We can’t possibly go on.”

Cindy patted his arm. “I told you I’d call everyone. Let’s get you home.” She guided him out.

Jerry and I were halfway up the aisle of the auditorium when Jerry stopped. “Oh, my God,” he said.

“What?”

“That’s who I saw!”

“What are you talking about?”

His eyes were huge. “During my séance! That wasn’t Hayden’s ghost. It was Juliet’s. White dress, dark hair—it must have been her. She was trying to tell me she was going to be murdered.”

Even for Jerry, this was over the top. “Jerry—”

“If only I hadn’t been so surprised, she might have told me who killed her.”

I was very glad that Evan James and Cindy were talking with Chief Brenner and not listening to this. “Suppose I believe you, just for a second. Why would Juliet Lovelace come to you?”

“Because she knows I’m receptive to spirits. I must have been sending out a powerful signal.”