Kee Patterbee - Hannah Starvling 03 - The Priest Who Ate a Poison Petit Fore (28 page)

“Let the sheriff know,” Hannah said, pulling out her phone and dialing. She then handed it to Gran. Turning her attention back to the Reverend and Calvin, Hannah asked more questions.

“So you both know Ms. Wormwood?”

Both the men affirmed yes. Calvin was the first to respond.

“Well, yeah. I think everyone here does. The community as a whole. Her husband founded this place and Happiness in general. But to put it out there, she’s one of our patients. She came to us through her husband, Gabriel. We met him at a geriatrics conference I was presenting at in Kansas. In fact, he’s the reason we came here. He recruited us. We even had dinner with Ruth and him. I always got the impression she was the real reason though.”

“Reverend, can you think of a reason this woman might want to hurt you in some way? To get to you through your patients, Susan, or Mr. Rhoades?”

Whipson’s face twisted up and he looked around with uncertainty.
Panicked
, Hannah noted.
Or unsure.

“I…uh…No. I don’t know her. We’’ve talked here upon occasion. Kind words. Greetings as such. But I don’t think I’ve ever had a real conversation with her.” Whipson coughed several times. “She always just smiled at me.” He raised then slammed his fist into the cushioned arm of his seat. “Why would she do this,”” he blurted out in an angry tone. “She should have just come for me. Why make others suffer for my sins. My friends. Parishioners. Jackie…Susan.” Tears again began to flow down his face as he placed it down into his hands and sobbed.

“It’s alright, Jonathan,” Calvin insisted. “Try to relax.”” He looked up at the others. “I know it’s important, but I think he needs some time to himself, for now. Maybe we could do this later or tomorrow.”

All agreed. Without saying a word, they shuffled out into the hallway, out of the Reverend’s line of sight.

Hym grimaced as he clutched his hands behind his head and pulled his elbows forward. “This is…wrong.” Letting go, he pointed back toward the waiting room. ““That’s the kindest, finest man I’ve ever known. Now someone is tormenting him and until we find her, there’s not going to be an answer.”

“She’s making him suffer,” Hannah said in a cold voice. “All this is to make him suffer for something, some deed, she thinks he inflicted.”

“We need to find her and put an end to this, right now.”

Hannah looped her arm around Hym’s and leaned her head onto his shoulder. “It’s alright. The sheriff will find her and we’’ll get some answers.”

“It’s alright, Sweet Face. The sheriff’s tracking her down as we speak. We’ll get answers soon enough. We just have to be patient.”

Hym relented, albeit with a downturn of the mouth.

“He called his deputy in to help,” Gran informed, handing Hannah her phone back. “He’s gone himself to see if she’s at home. He’ll take her back to Tantalus when he has her. That’s the next city over, right?””

Both Hannah and Hym nodded.

“It’s where we’re staying,” Hym added.

Buster shuffled a bit. “So, now it’s the waiting game? How long do you think this will take? To pick her up, I mean? She lives around here, right?”

“I’d imagine so,” Hannah assured. “Unless she’’s on the run, but somehow, I don’t see that happening.”

“Why’s that?” Magdalen inquired.

“Because she has no reason to believe we know anything. She slipped past us when we found Rhoades. We never paid attention to her otherwise, and she’s gotten away with more than a dozen incidents along the way. I imagine, no matter what her state of mind is, she’’s feeling invincible.”

“So what do we do until they catch her?” Buster asked.

Hannah frowned hard. “Well, I think Calvin was right. The Reverend needs to be free of this for the moment. He’s not going to want us to be around for now. We should give him the night to recover.”

“We’re not family, so we won’t get to see Susan tonight,” Hym added.

“We’re going to need a place to stay,” Magdalen informed, taking hold of Buster’s arm. “Where are you guys staying?”

Hym stiffened a bit. He looked over at Hannah, who just shrugged. “Yeah, it’s a hotel in Tantalus called Bate’s.”

Buster blinked twice. “You have…got…to be kidding me.”

“You can always bunk with Jay and me in the RV,” Gran informed.

Buster cleared his throat. Magdalen interceded. “Thank you, but no. I think the hotel will be just fine for us.” She looked over at Hannah and Hym. “If you guys don’’t mind. I mean, it is your honeymoon, and all.”

Hym let out a slow breath. He looked at Buster and then at his sister. A look of acceptance crossed his face. “No, not at all. Why not? As long as you guys will be comfortable. The more the merrier.”

Hannah squeezed her husband’s arm in appreciation.

“Don’t worry, Tubbs. We’ll try not to interrupt you two,” Magdalen said with a grin.

“There better not be any interrupting,” Gran stated, shaking a finger.

Hannah pulled Hym down and kissed his forehead.

“You have to be able to start something before it can be interrupted,” Hym whispered.

“Soon, I promise,” she returned.

Chapter Twenty Three

The rest of the night was uneventful. After meeting up with Papa Jay in the RV, Gran, Magdalen, Buster, and Hym decided dinner was in order. They took the vehicle over to Tantalus and sat in The Nick of Time diner, discussing the case and recalling the wedding. Borden had called earlier to say that Wormwood was not at her house in Happiness. He issued a statewide law enforcement alert for the woman but informed Hannah that would take some time. Hearing this, Hannah blew out a frustrated breath. To her, it meant more time in Happiness, and less time on her honeymoon. Her hope was that the Sheriff would find her, question her, and elicit a confession. Thus, ending the case and letting her get on with her life, but this was not to be the case. Seeing Papa Jay sitting at the cluster of tables in the diner reminded Hannah of her promise to help Whipson and why she should keep it. It made her feel better, but guilty at the same time.

Looking over at his wife, while everyone was chatting, Hym kissed her forehead. “What’s got you down, Sherlock? It’s almost over.””

“Yeah, but not soon enough. What if they can’t find her? What if she doesn’t confess?”

“They will. She will. Besides, we have enough to tell the Reverend that all is clear for Susan and Calvin. That was the promise, right? To find the truth and give him some relief? So technically, you’re done. One more night here, we talk to the Reverend, and then we get to move on.”” Hym glanced around the table, watching Magdalen chat with Papa Jay, and Buster with Gran. He gave a smile. “Besides, we’re with family.” He paused as Buster laughed and turned to wink at Magdalen. She returned the same. Hym chuckled. “And future family I’m guessing. We’re all good here, Ms. Miles.””

“But this whole mess. We should be wherever you were taking me by now. Doing what you’re supposed to do on a honeymoon.”

Hym half laughed. “You mean pigging out on food and staring into each other’s eyes while the sound of the ocean whips about? Lying in bed eating strange shaped cakes while some kind of doll watches over?”

“Well, not so much lying in bed.” All the sudden, Hannah’s face lit up a bit. “Oh. A clue. The ocean? A cruise? Where too?”

Hym cocked his head sideways and grinned. “Not saying another word, but this is where we are tonight. You made a promise. Tomorrow, you get to fulfill it.”

“I made you one too.”

“You’ll keep it. That’s my promise to you.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Hannah leaned in for a kiss. The two did not notice the silence that fell across the table. When they pulled away and turned, all present were staring at them.

Buster grinned and looked over to Gran. “Uh, is that offer for the RV still open.”

“I think we have room,” the elder Starvling said with a smirk. “You’ll have to deal with old grumpus here’s snoring, but I’ve dealt with it for an eternity. You’ll be fine.”

“My snoring?” Papa Jay sounded off. “Just last week, nosy butt here was cutting logs so loud, the sheriff from two counties over knocked on the door and told her to pipe down.””

“Oh, hush you. He’s eating garlic again. We all might have to sleep outside.”

Everyone laughed at the exchange as Gran pulled Papa Jay in for a makeup smooch. It lightened the mood of the room.

“It’s alright, guys. This is not our official honeymoon.”

“Doesn’t mean nothing’s going to happen,” Gran insisted with a knowing look.

Papa Jay crossed his arms. “Woman, leave the girl be. It’ll happen when it happens if it happens. You looming over like an old vulture ain’t gonna help nothing. You got a dog and a cat. Should be enough things to dote after.”

“And you. It isn’t the same though, and you know it. Although, I do feed you and you do burp a lot.”

As the exchange started up again to everyone’s amusement, Hannah’s phone rang again. She glanced over the name and answered.

“Hey, did you see Janus?”

“We’re on our way there now. Are you sitting down?”

Hannah looked up. Everyone continued to listen to the elder Starvlings’ jibes toward one another. Seeing this, she turned back to the conversation. “I am.”

“Mary didn’t just take on the last name of Ridden. She started going by her middle name.”

Rather than wait for the dramatic reveal, Hannah jumped right in. “Which was?”

“Ruth. Ruth Ridden.”

Hannah sat up straight and stiffened at the name. She said nothing this time, waiting; half hoping that what came next was what had just crossed her mind.

“She married Gabriel Wormwood. That means---”

“She’s Janus’ twin,” Hannah half yelled in excitement.

“Bada boom, bada bing.”

Everyone at the table stopped talking and turned to look at Hannah. She pointed to the phone and mouthed, “I’ll explain in a minute.”

“There’s more. I ran across an article in a business journal about Gabriel and Ruth. It was about Wormwood International and a foundation for children that they set up. He was a quiet man not prone to interviewing, but Ruth Wormwood liked the attention it seems. A couple of things stood out. One, her true family originated in Zebulon.”

Hannah’s eyes narrowed a slight bit as she took in a breath.

“Two, she mentioned that her father could not handle the death of her mother and took to drinking. He couldn’t hold a job and ended up putting his children up for adoption. Thus, when she had the means, she set up the One Family Foundation. It lists as having two goals. Care to guess what they are?”

“To keep children together as a family.”

“And?”

“Assuring families who take them on are suitable for the job.”

“Dead on.”

A knowing look crept across Hannah’s face.

“And last, her mother was a housekeeper who died of sudden cardiac arrest.”

Hannah let out a long breath and nodded.

“Still want me to go see him?”

The sleuth did not answer right off. Cate said nothing. Instead, she just waited. After a moment, Hannah came back.

“Yeah, I think that could still be of some use. Feel him out and see if he knows where his sister is, but be careful. After what they went through as kids and the trouble he went to find her, I assume he’ll be protective.”

“Agreed. We should be there in just a couple of minutes. I’ll call you when we're done. Let me know if anything else pops up.”

“Will do. Love you.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

Hannah clicked off the phone and looked up to see curious faces.

“What?” Gran demanded.

“You’re not going to believe this.”

*****

Three hours later, Hannah lay with her head on Hym’s chest. Though the events of the case were almost behind her, she could not sleep.

“What’s the matter, Sherlock,” Hym asked in a half awake tone.

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

“Can’t. I can hear you thinking.”

“No, you can’t.”

“I can and it’s loud. What’s on your mind?”

“Cate.”

Hym drew his arm out and stroked her hair. He took in and let out a breath. His yes crept open and he yawned. “Is something wrong with her? She’s not sick again is she?”

“No, but she didn’t call back.”

“Maybe she got busy and forgot. Or she and Al were going out. They have lives you know.”

“She’s never late and she never forgets to call back.”

“What time is it?”

Hannah rolled over and looked at her phone. “Ten forty five.”

“Well, you could call. It’s not that late. Even if she’s asleep, wake her. She might be grumpy but she knows you and will understand.””

Hannah considered Hym’s solution. Though she, herself, was not one pleasant when woken in the middle of sleep, her best friend was the opposite. “Cate always wakes up on the right side of the bed,” Hannah recalled Buster saying about his adoptive cousin. She decided it was worth the effort. She dialed the number and waited. It went to voice mail. Clicking off, Hannah stared at the phone.