Midsummer Murder (18 page)

Lindy hugged her again.

“Hi, Biddy, have any murders for me to help investigate?”

Biddy winced. “Great to see you, too, Annie.”

Just then two uniformed policemen emerged from the dining hall behind her.

Glen’s groan made Lindy turn around.

“What’s going on?” he demanded. “Annie, get back in the car.”

Annie rolled her eyes at Biddy and Lindy, a habit that was reminiscent of her mother. “Yeah, what’s going on? Oh boy.”

Ignoring Annie’s enthusiasm, Lindy turned to Glen. “One of the boys is missing. He was . . . uh . . . homesick, and he probably just hitchhiked home, but you can’t be too careful.”

“Lindy . . .” Glen’s eyebrows drew together. He had no patience with his wife’s “indulging in disaster,” as he called it. If his mouth tightened, she knew she was in trouble. She watched his lips. Nothing yet.

“Oh,” she said. “And there was this accident. Another boy fell down a cliff.”

Glen’s mouth tightened.

“It happened before we got here,” she said quickly.

“Annie, get in the car. You can come with me to the golf tournament.”

“Daaddy,” Annie whined. Her eyes opened wide. It was Lindy’s turn to roll her eyes. Glen was a sucker for his daughter, and she had learned to manipulate him while still a toddler. “Golf is sooo boring.

And they all wear such ugmo clothes.”

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“There’s really no danger,” said Biddy. “One of the boys broke the rules and went to a place that was off limits. The land is clearly marked. There’s no danger—”

“For anyone who follows the rules—Annie.”

Annie gave Glen an angelic look then turned a wicked smile on Lindy and Biddy.

“I’ll check you in,” said Glen with a resigned sigh.

“Oh, I thought I’d just bunk down with Kate and Mieko.” She turned to Lindy. “Are they still rooming together? Do you think they would mind?”

“Yes, they are and I’m sure they would love to have you.” Annie had only been home for a few visits since Lindy had gone back to work. But she knew everybody in the company and had adopted them with the same enthusiasm she showed toward every new encounter.

At twenty-two, Kate was only four years older than Annie, and there had been an instant rapport between the two girls. Why she had taken up with Mieko was a mystery. Mieko at twenty-six, was as serious, quiet, and inscrutable as Annie was energetic, emotional, and open.

Maybe it was a natural consequence of being thrown together in the course of her friendship with Kate, or maybe, Mieko served as a kind of big sister.

Whatever the attraction, Lindy was glad that the girls had welcomed her. It made her feel like Annie was more a part of her life.

“I think they’re at the theater,” said Biddy. “Why don’t I take you over, and your mom and dad can have a visit.”

Annie blew Lindy a kiss and she and Biddy hurried away.

“Well, this is certainly a surprise,” said Lindy. “Why didn’t you call?”

Glen guffawed. “And miss seeing your expression? Anyway, Annie wouldn’t let me. She wanted to surprise you.”

“She did.”

They walked back to the car, and Glen drove it to the front of the annex. A bellhop took the luggage. It was the same freckled-face boy she had seen cleaning glasses in the bar. He grinned a row of crooked teeth at her and led them inside.

She and Glen walked arm in arm across the lobby. Glen slipped his arm around her waist. Lindy stiffened as the image of Rebo and Juan flashed in her mind.

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“What?” asked Glen.

“Nothing.” She put her arm around him. It wasn’t the same. She and Glen were married and . . . well, they were married. “Nothing,”

she repeated and gave him a squeeze.

* * *

Glen and Annie’s suitcases were already in their room.

“The kid must have run all the way up the back stairs to beat us here,” said Lindy.

“Be sure to give him a big tip,” said Glen.

Lindy frowned.

“I can’t stay. I just came to drop Annie off. Are you sure she’ll be all right?”

“Positive. You can’t stay a little while?”

“No. There’s registration and a party. Then dinner.” Glen paused.

“It’s a benefit. Lots of money for the Wurtheiser Foundation.”

“I understand.”

“And if I’m going to miss tomorrow’s dinner to be here, I have to be very visible today.”

“I said I understood.”

“But I can stay an extra day. Until Wednesday morning.”

“Great.”

“I have to leave for Paris on Wednesday night, but I told Haddie to pack for me while I was here.” Haddie was their Jamaican housekeeper. She had started with them as Cliff’s nanny and had never left, and though she had never lived in, she was a part of the family as well as the brain behind the running of the Haggerty household.

“Paris? Again? This is the fifth time this year.”

“The main operations have moved there. In fact, I’ll probably be spending a lot more time there in the future.”

“Oh.” She scrutinized her husband. He had begun playing more golf, had taken up jogging. When Lindy had gone back to work, the signs of middle age had begun to appear in his gut and love handles.

He was much sleeker now. Her working had been good for him, too.

She always felt guilty about working when she had a family to take care of. But Glen was out of town more and more; and with the kids 118

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off at school, there was no reason for her to sit quietly at home. “Well, I’m glad you’ll be able to stay longer.”

“Me, too.” He drew her to him and kissed her. Lindy put her arms around him, feeling herself respond.

“But I’d better hit the road if I’m going to do my share of fundraising.” He gave her another kiss. This time a quick peck on the cheek.

“Sure,” she said, trying not to let her disappointment sound in her voice. “I’ll walk you down.”

* * *

Lindy watched until the BMW had disappeared down the drive.

Then she just stared into the space it had vacated. She should be grateful that he had to leave before he found out any of the details of what was going on in the camp, but she just felt lonely. In thirty-six hours he would be back, and then he would insist that she and Annie go home. Glen liked an ordered world.

He was well suited to his job in telecommunications. He wired the world and if something went wrong, he fixed it.

Well, he wasn’t the only person in the communications business.

What was performing arts if not communication? And when something in that world went wrong, you fixed it. Hell, that was her job. When something in a dance was not quite right, a wrong foot, a wrong count, or a traffic jam on stage, you fixed it.

But how the hell was she going to fix the disaster that had been brought on by Larry Cleveland’s death? And with Annie here to worry about. If she had known that Annie would be coming home, she could have taken a few weeks off from work, and wouldn’t be in this mess. It wasn’t even like Jeremy needed her. Maybe she should side with Glen and insist that Annie go home. Maybe she should go with them.

She began walking slowly toward the theater. Annie had probably gotten the full details of the last few days—down to the nittus-grittus of Larry’s sexual activity. She’d never be dragged away, now. She might have Glen’s coloring, but she was her mother’s daughter.

Company class had ended. Peter was out front killing the stage lights. “She’s backstage,” he said. “She’s grown into a beautiful girl.”

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“She has, hasn’t she?” said Lindy.

Peter shrugged. “Like her mom.” He turned back to what he was doing.

Hmm, thought Lindy. A foray into gallantry, Peter. Not bad. She smiled all the way backstage.

All eight girls of the company were crowded into Andrea, Mieko, and Kate’s dressing room. In the center of the crush, sat Annie, eyes wide, leaning forward in her folding chair absorbing every morsel of gossip.

With a sense of dismay, Lindy added herself to the melange.

Somehow, the company had heard everything about the investigation.

There was a very sophisticated grapevine in the theater world. Almost nothing went unknown.

After a few minutes, the group broke up for lunch. Lindy and Annie were walking down the hall to the stage door when Rebo came out of his dressing room. He froze for a second, flicked her an angry look, and strode down the hall in front of them.

“What’s wrong with him?” whispered Annie.

Lindy hesitated, wondering if she should tell Annie about their fight. Better to tell her now before she heard Rebo’s side of the story, and Lindy had no doubt that she would. Like her mother, Annie had an innate curiosity about the world around her. It was an onerous burden more times than not, a quality that propelled them headlong into life without considering the consequences. She couldn’t change Annie any more than she could change herself, but at least she could try to guide her through the first rough passages.

“We had a fight,” she said.

“That much is obvious,” said Annie. “About what’s been going on?”

“Indirectly. He and Juan were, uh, together at the annex last night.”

She faltered. She had never been forced to use stupid euphemisms before. What was happening to her? She sounded just like a Victorian spinster. “They were just enjoying each other’s company.” She paused.

“Anyway, I told them I thought they should be more discreet.”

“Because of Robert and Larry Cleveland?”

It hadn’t taken her long to figure that one out. She should have known Annie would understand. She nodded.

“No wonder he’s mad. You’re supposed to stand by your friends, Mom, not try to change them.”

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Taken aback, Lindy pushed down the lump that was swelling in her throat. Even her daughter thought she was wrong.

“Annie, life can be pretty nasty. I just thought they should cool it.

He’ll get over it.”

Annie’s lips tightened. She had picked that up from Glen.

“They need to be thinking of our image until this is cleared up,”

said Lindy.

Annie’s eyebrows quirked together. “When were you ever concerned about what other people thought?”

“Since I’ve become acquainted with murder.”

“Daddy’s going to be really pissed.”

“Watch your language,” said Lindy.

* * *

“Cool Jeep,” said Annie as they came out of the student dining hall an hour later. The archaeologists’ rusty heap was parked just outside the front door of the house. Donald Parker stood leaning against the dented fender, reading an almost-as-battered paperback. He threw it into the back seat as the two women approached.

“Hi, Donald,” said Lindy. Annie stood with an expectant smile on her face. “This is my daughter Annie. Annie, Donald Parker. He’s one of the archaeologists working on the premises.”

“An archaeologist? Really?”

Donald shrugged slightly. “Just a student archaeologist so far.”

“That’s so exciting. Is your site near here?”

Leave it to Annie to use the appropriate archaeological term, thought Lindy. She interrupted before Donald could start on his favorite subject.

“What are you doing here?”

Donald pulled his gaze from Annie. “Oh, the old man’s inside. We saw the Jeep again.” He paused a moment to explain to Annie about the black Jeep.

“Anyway, this time we decided to watch it more closely. Got close enough to see the glint off the surveying equipment. The old man went ballistic. Practically had to hold him down.”

Donald turned again to Annie. Lindy jumped in. “Did you see who it was?”

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“Uh, no. He . . .” Donald nodded his head toward the house. “We convinced him to come tell Ms. Easton, instead of attacking them with our spades and sifting racks. I drove him over.”

Just then the door opened and Dr. Van Zandt came out onto the porch followed by Marguerite.

“Really Emil,” she said. “If there is someone trespassing—”

“No ‘if,’ Marguerite.”

“Quite so. I’ll inform the—the authorities. No, on second thought, I’ll have the groundskeeper organize the staff to patrol the land.

Would you be able to talk to Rogers before you leave? You can explain to him where you saw the surveyors.”

“Excellent idea.” Emil Van Zandt took Marguerite’s hand in his and brought it to his lips. Donald looked amused. Annie was staring in star-struck wonder.

Van Zandt pulled his canvas hat out of his back pocket and crammed it on his head.

“Paaarker,” he bellowed as he took the stairs two at a time.

“Yes, sir.” Donald pull himself to full attention.

“Stay here.”

Donald relaxed. “Yes, sir.”

Van Zandt trotted off toward the lake and the groundskeeper’s office.

Lindy and Annie said their goodbyes and made their way to the theater for the student rehearsal.

Before they had crossed the drive, Chi-Chi came running out of the annex service door. Lindy slowed down.

“Are you going to rehearsal?” asked Chi-Chi breathlessly.

“We’re on our way now,” said Lindy.

“If you have time, could you drop by the bungalow to check on Robert? He didn’t sleep well last night.” She lowered her voice, even though there was no one around. “His antihistamines aren’t doing the job, but he didn’t want to bother Dr. Addison. I strictly forbade him to go to the rehearsal today. He needs his rest.”

“You want me to make sure he doesn’t try to sneak in?” said Lindy.

Chi-Chi nodded. “I’d go myself. But the butcher just sent over a hundred pounds of chicken. They were supposed to send fifty of chicken and thirty of beef. And they forgot the veal completely. The chef is in an uproar.”

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Lindy patted her shoulder. “Get back to your chicken; I’ll see about Robert.”

“Tell him I’ll be over as soon as I get this mess straightened out.”

Chi-Chi ran back toward the kitchen, waved at them over the back of her head, and disappeared inside.

“Go on over to the theater if you want,” said Lindy to Annie. “Or you can hang out by the lake if you’d rather. Just follow the path around that rock formation. It’s quite lovely.”