Murder and Salutations (Book 3 in the Cardmaking Mysteries) (21 page)

Oh, no. As much trouble as I’d had with
Barrett, I still didn’t want to see him dead. Why hadn’t he moved
out a day early? For that matter, I was suddenly very glad that my
family had relocated me and my cats.

“
You okay, Sis?” Bradford
asked me.

“
No, but I will
be.”

He nodded, then said to Jody, “Keep
everybody out of here.”

“
Including the press? Kyle
Gaston was here from the newspaper, and when I told him he couldn’t
go back there, he started screaming about a lawsuit and freedom of
the press.”

“
What did you do?” Bradford
asked him.

“
I told him when they
started giving his newspapers away, then he could squawk about free
press, but until then, there were safety issues.”

Bradford smiled. “I bet he loved that.”

“
Yeah, well, you
know.”

My brother nodded, then drove on. The smell
was worse than the smoke, though there was plenty o that. The fire
department had managed to kill most of the flames, but every now
and then I could see flare-up in the ruined shell of the place I’d
just lived. One wall was partially standing, and the roof had
collapsed in on it. Everything was blackened, and coughed from the
smoke.

“
It’s bad, but believe it or
not, you get used to it after a while.”

“
I don’t
think I want to,” I said. My Gremlin was still parked in front of
the house, but something was wrong. It wasn’t until I was closer
that I realized someone had broken out the driver’s side window.
“Did that happen in the fire?” I asked. “No, they had to move it
pretty fast to get the fire
trucks
in. Sorry. I’ll have it taken care of tomorrow. Today, I
mean.”

“
It doesn’t matter,” I said.
“Do you think they’ve moved the body yet?”

“
No, they have to wait until
the coroner gets here. Jen, do you have any idea who would do
this?”

“
Of course not,” I snapped.
“Don’t react. Take a second and think about it. Who would want
Barrett dead enough to kill him? We’re working on the assumption
that it was him until we get confirmation, since he was the only
one left. I talked to the guy as we were moving your stuff. It’s
rough.”

I thought about Barrett’s girlfriend, Penny,
and how volatile she could be, but that didn’t make sense. He was
moving in with her, unless Barrett had changed his mind. “He’s got
a girlfriend with a temper,” I said. “Her name’s Penny. That’s all
I know.”

“
Describe her,” he
said.

“
She’s petite, a blonde,
somewhere in her mid-twenties.”

“
Penny Hale,” my brother
said. “It has to be her.”

“
You actually know
her?”

“
I’m the sheriff here,
Jennifer. I know most of the folks in Rebel Forge. Let me make a
phone call. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Bradford left me standing there, staring at
the remnants of Whispering Oak. I hadn’t lived there long, but I’d
fallen in love with the place. I wanted to feel bad about the
ruined building and all of the lovely furnishings that had been in
it, but all I could think about was poor Barrett. We’d shared a
connection, a spark that might have led to more if Penny hadn’t
barged back into his life when she did. As I stared at the house,
the final wall collapsed, sending sparks and billowing clouds of
smoke into the air. Bradford came back, shaking his head.

“
What’s wrong?” I asked. “I
just called Penny.”

“
How did she take it?” It
was a telephone call that it must have been torture for my brother
to make.

“
She put him on the phone.
Whoever that is in there, it’s not Barrett.”

“
What? It couldn’t be
Jeffrey. He moved out days ago.”

“
Any chance he came back for
something?” Bradford asked.

“
It’s possible, but Barrett
told me he was gone for good. You don’t suppose it’s Hester, do
you?” She was the landlady who had so unceremoniously kicked us all
out, and while she wasn’t going to get my vote for citizen of the
month, she didn’t deserve what she got.

“
It’s a man. That much we
know. The rest is up to the coroner. Let’s get you back to your
cottage. I just thought you’d want to see this.”

“
You’re right. I would have
never forgiven you if you hadn’t gotten me.”

We drove back to my cottage, and I could
still smell the smoke from the house. It was on my clothes, in my
hair and in my lungs. After my brother dropped me off, I took a
long, hot shower and scrubbed until all traces of the smell were
gone. I buried my clothes in the hamper, and, with my hair still
wet, I crawled back into bed, doubting that sleep would come. So,
if it wasn’t Jeffrey or Barrett, who had died in that fire tonight?
Was there another ghost on the property now, or was that legacy
over with the demolition of the building? I said a silent prayer
for Frances Coolridge. While most people would have laughed if they
knew I was serious, Frances and I had found a way to cohabitate—an
absentminded poltergeist and an equally distracted live woman in
her thirties. When she hadn’t been trying to kill me, she’d made an
amusing roommate.

I woke up with a start later in the morning,
surprised that I’d been able to get to sleep after all. The cats
awoke as if nothing had happened, and I didn’t want to spoil their
delusions. If they’d missed me during the night when I’d been with
my brother, they didn’t show any sign of it.

“
How do you two like our new
place?” I said as I watched them dig into their bowls. There was no
reply, not a single acknowledgment that they’d even heard me. What
a shock: my cats were ignoring me as they ate their light morning
meal, I joined them with a bowl of cereal of my own, and then I got
dressed. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get to work, since my
plans to pick the Gremlin up had been shattered, along with the
driver’s side window. I was still wondering how I was going to get
to town when Lillian showed up.

“
Good morning,” she said,
the second she saw me, en hugged me so tight I could barely
breathe. For a little woman, she had one whale of a grip.
“Jennifer, I’m so happy you’re all right.”

“
No happier than I am,” I
said. “How did you know needed a ride?”

“
Bradford called me,” she
said. Though the two of them had been feuding for years, it was
good to see that they were finally working things out. “Are you
ready to go?”

I said good-bye to Oggie and Nash, then
locked the door. “Let’s go.”

As we drove to the card shop, I asked, “Did
they find out who was in the house?” “From what your brother told
me, they’re hoping to make an ID today.” She shivered slightly as
she added, “I can’t quit thinking that might have been you.”

“
And it would have been, if
you all hadn’t moved me yesterday. Did I thank you for all of your
hard work?”

“
You did,” Lillian said. “I
just can’t imagine who would be in there. Oh, Bradford wanted me to
tell you that he got in touch with Jeffrey. He’s hale and hearty,
so that’s another name off the list. It was most likely some
indigent. How in the world he found out so fast that the house was
empty is beyond me.”

“
I’m just glad it wasn’t
anyone I know,’ I said.

As we drove, Lillian said, “Jennifer, have
you considered the possibility that the fire was meant for
you?”

I hadn’t even entertained the notion.
“You’re kidding me, right? Who would want to kill me? I haven’t
annoyed anyone in weeks, at least not that much.”

“
Think about it. Bradford
and I discussed it the morning, and I think he’s right. Whoever
started the fire thought you were at home.”

“
What makes you say
that?”

“
Your Gremlin was parked in
front of the house remember? It’s only logical that the arsonist
thought you were home.”

“
You keep saying the fire
was deliberate,” I said “Is there any proof that it wasn’t an
accident?”

Lillian nodded. “They found signs this
morning that an accelerant had been used inside the building. It’s
pretty clear the fire was set on purpose.”

That information sent chills through me. “If
Bradford is so worried about me, why isn’t he here?”

“
Jennifer, your brother has
one murder to solve and now most likely two. He can’t babysit you
the entire time. But don’t worry. He promised me he’ have someone
keep an eye on you.”

I’d been under surveillance before by the
Rebel Forge police department, and it hadn’t worked out al I that
well for me in the past.

“
Still, short of locking you
up in a cell so he can keep an eye on you, he’s doing the best he
can do.”

I stared at her as she pulled up near the
card shop. “Since when did you become such a big fan of my
brother’s?”

“
I don’t know what you’re
talking about,” she said

My aunt had the most
selective memory I’d even
seen in my life,
but if she wanted to pretend everything was fine and dandy, that
was all right with me.

“
I want you to open the shop
this morning,” I said.

“
And what are you going to
do? It’s too dangerous for us to keep snooping into Eliza’s
murder.”

We were still in front of the shop when I
said, “It’s too risky not to. If you’re right and someone was
trying to kill me last night, do you think they’re just going to
give up when they find out I survived there? I have to find them
before they find me. It’s a matter of survival now.”

“
Then I’m coming with you,”
Lillian said. “Let’s make a sign that we’re closed until further
notice, and we can track this killer down together.” I touched
Lillian’s arm, and was glad my wrist was nearly healed. “Lillian,
as much as I appreciate the thought, you need to keep the card shop
open.” “Jennifer, this is no time to worry about missing out a few
sales. There’s something much more important at stake here than
your shop’s bottom line.”

“
Think about it, Lillian,” I
said. “If the killer sees the shop is open, then he won’t come
looking for me around town. I honestly think that the store is too
visible for anyone to make a run at me here. The best way for you
to help me is to make it look like we don’t suspect a thing. If
you’re afraid to stay here by yourself, though, I completely
understand.”

“
You know I’ll help in
whatever way I can, Jennifer. Don’t forget that the fire department
already knows the fire was set on purpose, though.”

“
Does the killer know that?
Would we, if my brother didn’t happen to be the sheriff? I think
we’ve got a small window here to figure out who did this before I
have to go into hiding, and I’m not about to squander the
chance.”

Lillian nodded reluctantly. “I see your
point. So who do you talk to first?”

“
The person who had the most
to gain from Eliza’s death,” I said. “It’s time Addie and I had
another talk.”

MAKING YOUR OWN PAPER

Making paper is much easier
than it looks. All you need are a few simple items like some “seed”
paper, newspaper, copy paper, tissue paper or a blend— a frame,
some paper towels and a blender. Cut your base paper into one-inch
squares, then put them in blender with water to make a slurry. Pour
the mix into your frame, which can be as simple as a picture frame
with plastic screen mesh stapled to it or as fancy as a kit frame.
Press the water out of the mix, pour out your sheet and let it dry.
There are countless variations, but the basic steps are easy to
master. One
warning, though. You might
want to use an old blender, as this process is tough on the
appliance. I bought one just for papermaking, and it works great.
This is especially fun to do with kids.

Chapter 12

“
We need to talk” I said as
I walked into Addie’s shop.

“
Jennifer?” She looked
shocked to see me, but quickly covered it up. “About what?” Addie
asked. I didn’t know if she meant to, but her tone perfectly
latched mine. The niceties were gone, which was fine with
me.

“
You know perfectly well
what I’m talking about, don’t play around with me.” Her gaze
narrowed as she stared at me. “Jennifer, thought we patched things
up between us. Do you really want to battle with me?”

“
There’s something you
should know,” I said. “I’m too afraid of you, and a little fire
isn’t going to stop me.”

She looked startled by the accusation. “What
are you talking about?”

“
Are you honestly trying to
tell me you don’t know what happened at Whispering Oak this
morning?”

“
I heard sirens, but I had
no idea what they were about. I just figured some drunk had plowed
into a tree again. It happens all the time in tourist
season.”

“
It’s not tourist season
yet,” I said. “So what do you have to say for yourself?”

“
You know what? I don’t care
for your tone of voice. If you’re not buying anything, you need to
leave.”‘

I looked around her shop, then shook my head
“No thanks. There’s nothing here that’s worth the money.”

It was a low blow, but I didn’t care. I may
not have known who Eliza’s killer was, but that didn’t mean I
couldn’t stir things up. I figured if the killer got mad he might
get sloppy. If that meant that I angered four innocent people along
with one guilty one, I was more than willing to make amends
later.