Elizabeth C. Main - Jane Serrano 01 - Murder of the Month (15 page)

“That’s right.” Now I remembered her. She had come in looking for astrology charts, which of course we didn’t carry. Laurence had definite opinions on astrology and all things metaphysical. “Did you find your charts?”

“I certainly did. Thanks for telling me about Heavenly Bodies and Books. I didn’t even know that store existed, but it’s wonderful. I’ve been back several times.”

“Glad to help.” Finally, one of Bianca’s strange bits of knowledge had come in handy. “What was that news flash?”

“Oh, poor Gil Fortune,” she said. “After all he’s been through. This afternoon he was actually attacked outside the courthouse!”

“Attacked?” My heart was in my shoes. “Physically?” On second thought, that didn’t sound like Bianca’s style.

“Yes. He came up just as Gil left the courthouse and hit him. A couple of deputies grabbed him right away.”

“You said
he
?” Just then I saw Tyler enter the lobby with Max Wendorf. Max turned toward the emergency room and Tyler came my way. This was starting to make sense.

“Yes, Kurt Wendorf. If people can’t control their kids, they shouldn’t blame the district attorney when their kids get in trouble.”

“Uh, right,” I said. It must be nice to have such certainty about how to manage your kids. “Well, I’d better go—”

“Me, too. Actually, I’m on my way to Heavenly Bodies and Books right now for a spiritual renewal session they’re having tonight. You might—”

“Right.” I smiled, nodded, and edged away.

“You won’t believe what happened, Jane,” Tyler said as soon as he came close enough.

“Max’s dad attacked Gil,” I said. “It’s on the news.”

“Wow! That was fast. It just happened. Look, Jane, Max is here because his dad got roughed up when the cops grabbed him. Can you come and talk to him?”

“What? I hardly know Max, or his dad.”

“No, but you know me. I can vouch for Max and Max can vouch for his dad.”

I was having a little trouble following his reasoning. No wonder this kid got along with Bianca.

“Please. Max doesn’t have anyone else. You know what Bianca thinks of Gil. Well, she’s not the only one. You need to know what Gil did to Max over that thing at school.”

He waited while I thought this over. It seemed that everyone was turning to me this week, as various adults dropped out of the picture and left me responsible for their kids. “That thing, as you call it, wasn’t a minor prank. Max set off a smoke bomb in a school.” Didn’t Tyler realize that perhaps Max and his dad caused their own trouble?

“But he didn’t know it would cause so much damage. He just mixed up a teaspoon and a tablespoon. He isn’t a delinquent.” I gave him a look and he amended his statement. “Okay, so it was dumb, but please talk to him anyway.”

“Oh, Tyler. What good will that do? At some point people have to behave reasonably. Max’s father apparently hasn’t learned that yet either. He’s not setting a great example.”

“But you don’t know what Gil did to them. Max told me that Kurt went to him privately, and Gil promised he wouldn’t use anything against Max that Kurt told him, but he did—even though he denies it. And then—”

“I get the point. You’re saying there’s more to the story.”

“There sure is!”

“Okay, I’ll talk to your friend Max, but not now. He’s busy with his dad and I’m taking you home. This day has gone on way too long already.”

Though it was long after closing time when I pulled up in front of Thornton’s, the door was wide open and the telephone ringing. By the time I threaded my way through the books piled all over the counter and the floor next to it, the ringing had stopped. Stunned at the disarray, I lifted and read a few of the notes in Alix’s distinctive block printing that littered the counter. They all represented book orders, and far more of them than Thornton’s had seen since Megabooks Plus! had opened its giant maw last fall and swallowed many of our customers. What was going on?

I edged past the wavering mountains and entered the office in the back room. “Alix?” No answer, but the outside door was ajar and I could hear voices beyond.

There I found Alix, cigarette in hand, lounging in a comfortable chair she had scrounged from somewhere. In front of her stood Minnie, waving a copy of
Prove It,Puppy!
and saying, “That part where the dogs climbed the cliff was outrageous. Corgis don’t have the legs for … Oh, Jane, there you are. How is Laurence?”

“
Cranky as ever, but the doctors think he’s going to be okay.”
“Thank the Lord!” Minnie said.

Alix smiled briefly before resuming her usual detached demeanor. “I hope that means you’ll be coming back to work soon. I don’t know how you keep everything straight in this madhouse. It’s worse than planning a three-hanky wedding with twelve groomsmen.”

I refrained from mentioning that one of my organizational tricks was to stay in the store, answering the phone and putting away books, rather than smoking cigarettes out back. After all, Alix had generously put aside her own business to fill in at Thornton’s today. “Laurence especially wanted me to thank you for your help today. How did you do it? There are more orders sitting on the counter than we’ve seen in months.”

“
I didn’t do much,” Alix said. “When people heard Laurence was in the hospital, a lot of them called to check on him. As long as they were on the phone, I asked if they wanted to order books … and voila! Someone even ordered a book called
Forty-Seven Ways to Improve Your Memory with a Ball of String
. Do you ever just burst out laughing?”

“
Sometimes it’s hard not to,” I answered.

“
That book just might have some good ideas, Alix,” Minnie interjected thoughtfully. “Goodness knows we all need more memory aids as we get older. Did you order any extra?”

Alix opened her mouth and closed it again without saying anything, struck speechless for once. She merely shook her head.

“
Too bad,” Minnie said. “Oh, well, we’d better deal with Bianca first anyway. No problem remembering that. Have you talked to her today, Jane?”

“
No, but she left a message.”

“
Has she changed her mind?” asked Alix. “That book was the biggest load of crap I’ve ever seen.”

“
Of course it is,” Minnie said, “but we can’t say that to Bianca. As the Bible says, ‘Blessed be the peacemakers, for they shall find peace.’”

“
What’s that mean?” Alix asked. “We’re supposed to make peace with Bianca? Assure her that we just love her darling little book?”

“
I’m trying to remind myself, Alix,” Minnie answered, “that no matter how big a load of … that we need to pour oil on troubled waters, not stir them up. Why don’t we give it another try? Talk to her one more time. Maybe a day of thinking about it has softened her up.”

“I don’t think she’s changed her mind,” I said.

“Oh, come on,” Minnie urged. “Let’s ask her to come over right now.”

“
If you’re all fired up with Christian charity, Minnie, it’s fine with me,” Alix offered. “Of course a two-by-four might work better.”

“
Not a two-by-four, but firm words,” Minnie said. “That’s what we need, and a nice chicken salad for a late supper. Oh, wait, does she eat chicken?”

“
Maybe you could tell her that Swami Rhami loves chicken salad,” Alix suggested as we walked to the front of the store. “Won’t matter anyway. If Wendell is nearby, he’ll get it before anyone else can pick up a fork.”

“I forgot to tell you, Jane, that Harley was looking for you today,” Alix said. “He was in here twice, as a matter of fact. You’re finally going to give him a chance?”

“What’s all this?” Minnie was always on the lookout for romance. “Oh, Jane, that would be wonderful.”

I dialed Bianca’s number. “Don’t get excited, you two.” Bianca either wasn’t home or wasn’t answering her phone. Finally, I put the receiver back in its cradle. “She’s not answering. I just hope she’s not out stalking her prey.”

“You’re working late.” Gil Fortune’s distinctive voice came from the darkness outside the open front door. We all recognized it but, for a frozen minute, no one moved or spoke. Then he moved into the light and the room exploded into dusty chaos. Alix knocked a stack of books off one end of the counter with her elbow while Minnie dislodged another heap with her voluminous handbag. I just stood there with an idiotic smile plastered on my face, thinking that we looked like Larry, Curly, and Moe.

“
Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Gil said.

“
No, no, don’t be silly,” I said as the others started picking up the books. “We were just, just … juggling books—badly.” I giggled, something I didn’t normally do, and then trailed off, unable to think of anything the least bit plausible to say. I couldn’t very well tell the truth, but I almost giggled again at the prospect of hearing what Gil would say if I told him they had been wondering how far Bianca had progressed in getting him to confess to the murder of his wife. Alix and Minnie continued to stack books as though it were the most important task they’d ever had, leaving a conversational gap big enough to drive a bookmobile through.

A small bandage on one cheek was the only sign of Gil’s recent run-in with Kurt Wendorf. Kurt was a big guy, so Gil had probably lucked out by having a couple of muscular deputies near by when Kurt attacked him.

I studied Gil in an effort to see him the way Bianca did. He was casually dressed in sport coat and slacks, tieless and with his shirt collar unbuttoned. His looks were the sort that often graced the pages of upscale magazines that catered to young entrepreneurs and community leaders. It was impossible to imagine him being dragged away in handcuffs. Prison stripes weren’t at all his style.

Minnie, never long at a loss for words, recovered first and plunged into the conversational chasm. “Oh, I hope you don’t think that … that is, I hope you didn’t take it badly at such a sad, sad time that … We’ll understand perfectly if you don’t want to talk to our book club.”

I finally gathered my wits about me. Oh, yes, Bianca’s invitation. “It was just a whim … to ask you. I … I guess I wasn’t thinking.”

“
Don’t worry, Jane,” he said. “Remember, I saw Bianca a lot when she and Vanessa were putting together that photo essay, so I can guess whose idea it was.”

“It wasn’t just Bianca,” Minnie said gallantly. “It was sort of a joint whim. We all weren’t thinking.”

I interrupted Minnie before she could start talking about all for one and one for all. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Gil. It was in the worst possible taste.”

“I understand perfectly,” he said, “and … well, let’s just leave it at that.” He looked steadily at each of us, one by one, and spoke in a low, determined voice. “Nothing is ever going to take away the pain I feel at losing Vanessa, but I must go on without her. Do you understand? I can’t let myself get distracted by things that have no importance. I just can’t, so let’s consider the matter closed. That’s what I came to tell you.”

“
Oh, you poor, brave man,” Minnie said. “I hope you enjoyed the pot roast I sent over.”

I was still absorbing Gil’s words. While Minnie chattered on about spices and oven temperatures, I exulted that we were off the hook … so far. When I found Bianca, I was going to put masking tape over her mouth.

Gil took Minnie’s hand and patted it. “Out of this world, the best I’ve ever eaten. I ate every bite of it. Thank you so much for caring.”
Minnie’s kind face turned pink. “What are neighbors for, if not to help in time of trouble?”

“
If everyone reacted to trouble the way you do, Minnie, the world would be a far better place.”

“
Oh, you’re too kind,” Minnie said in a quivering voice. “Do you like lemon bars? I can make you some lemon bars, or chocolate eclairs, if you prefer.”

Patting his flat stomach, Gil laughed. “You’re really out to get me, aren’t you? That’s an idea though. You know who could use some help with food? Harley … for the class reunion.”

“Why, of course I’d be glad to help,” Minnie said. “I don’t suppose you’ll be going. No, of course not.”

“No, I just couldn’t,” Gil said. “You understand.”

“We certainly do,” Minnie answered. “I’ll contact Harley to see what he still needs.”

“Do that,” he said. “That’d be great.” He waved and left, closing the door behind him.

Minnie sighed. “Doesn’t your heart just ache for him? Going home to that empty house.”

“
Don’t worry about Gil. He won’t be alone for long,” Alix said.

“
Why are you always so hard on him?” Minnie asked.

“
Because I’ve known him since we were kids, and that means I know way too much about him. Meanwhile, it’s good to know he’s not holding a grudge against us for that stupid invitation.”

“
No,” Minnie said. “He didn’t look angry, just sad.”

“
You’re right,” I said. “But didn’t he also seem a bit too … I don’t know … too distraught about life without Vanessa, or too calm?”

“
You can’t have it both ways,” Alix said. “Was he too upset or too calm?”

“
I don’t know … both, at different times. It was just a funny feeling. I’ll try Bianca again. This nonsense has gone on long enough.”