Murder Most Persuasive (17 page)

“The whole situation is simply horrible,” Laura said to Ann. “I feel especially terribly for you and Reggie—it’s almost like you both have to relive Michael’s deviousness. We all thought so highly of him, your father in particular! Afterward, well, I can only guess at the betrayal Marty must have felt. And Reggie! I sometimes wonder if her subsequent rash of marriages wasn’t somehow a result of the whole debacle with Michael.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Well, Reggie was
really
in love with Michael,” said Laura. “When she met him, it was as if she was suddenly struck with Cupid’s arrow. Don’t you remember? She was all hot and heavy with that boy … oh, what was his name?”

“Donny Mancuso,” Ann offered.

“That’s right! What a good memory you have!” Laura said. I studiously refrained from looking at Ann. “Anyway,” Laura continued, “she dropped Donny like a hot potato. I never was a big fan of his, a bit of a jug head, I always thought, but was he ever devastated. He pined after her for months, but Reggie never gave him a second look after meeting Michael.” Laura paused and took a sip of coffee. “You know, I don’t think she’s ever really loved anyone the way she loved Michael. She didn’t like him just because he was heir to the business. She liked him for himself. Afterward, it was as if she put up a kind of emotional wall; she wasn’t going to let herself get hurt again. In every relationship she’s had since him, she’s the one who has ended things, not the other way around. I really think that for each one of those relationships, Reggie was really trying to get Michael out of her system.”

“Well, if that’s the case, that boy must have really clogged up her system,” Miles said with a smirk as he took a bite of the kutchen.

Ann hid a smile and said, “But Laura, you’re forgetting, Reggie broke it off with Michael, too.”

Laura dipped her head in acknowledgment. “I know, and thank God she did given all we’ve learned about the kind of person he turned out to be. But I don’t think Reggie really thought it was over until Michael took off and then money was discovered missing. She may have ended things with him hoping that he’d sort out his drinking issues and then come back to her. When he didn’t, and she learned of the embezzlement, she was devastated.” Ann looked down and said nothing. “You had left for England so you weren’t here for the aftermath,” Laura continued, “but I can tell you it was awful. Here I was planning my wedding and she was dismantling hers. Oh, the money she was going to spend on that wedding!” Laura shook her head at the memory. “There was no budget whatsoever. Even Marty was starting to get worried. He asked me at one point to see if I could talk to her about incorporating a little moderation into the planning, but you would have thought I told her to have a barbecue in the backyard from the way she reacted. I remember she said that she might as well get married at City Hall.” Laura rolled her eyes. “No, she was going to have the wedding of her dreams. She had planned every detail. The menu, the dresses, the decorations, that custom-made arch, the shape of the pool…” Laura broke off as we all thought how the pool had played its part.

“Oh, God, I remember that arch thing,” Miles said quickly, to change the morbid direction of our thoughts. “I think she must have attended a Jewish ceremony, because it was basically a chuppah. A really, really tacky chuppah,” he added with a smile.

Laura sprang to Reggie’s defense. “No, it wasn’t! It was lovely. You saw it, didn’t you, Ann?”

Ann shook her head. “No. What did it look like?”

Laura opened her mouth, but it was Miles who spoke. “It looked like a wooden arch upon which every conceivable aspect of wildlife had landed and remained stuck. Roses, bees, birds, small woodland creatures; hell, I think even Old Nessie may have been carved into that thing.”

“Okay, it may have been a bit over the top, but I assure you it wasn’t
that
bad,” Laura insisted.

Miles shot her a challenging look. “Well, in any case, I’m almost positive that Nessie was featured.”

“For a girl whose idea of roughing it is to go to a four-star hotel, I don’t know why Reggie ever picked the whole ‘nature’ theme for her wedding,” Miles said, laughing.

“Maybe like your client, she’d recently been to Versailles and was inspired by Marie Antoinette,” I suggested with mock seriousness.

“She made up for it with her next wedding,” Ann said. “Remember that one?”

I rolled my eyes. “How could I ever forget? The Little Bo-Peep wedding.” For that one, Reggie had gone with the shepherdess theme. Wide puffy dresses, satin sashes, and lacy hats ruled the day. At the reception, real sheep wandered about the lawn. Real sheep that had apparently eaten quite well the night before. Nothing says wedding fun like stepping around mounds of sheep poop.

“Wait,” said Miles. “I thought Little Boy Peep was Reggie’s
second
wedding. Wasn’t the one with the Indian priestess her first?”

“No, that was her third,” corrected Ann. “Her second was the one where we all wore pink. Remember, it was on Valentine’s Day?”

Miles gave a slight shudder. “Ah, yes. The blushing bride wore a corset of sorts, if I remember correctly.”

“Now, don’t make fun. Reggie’s been through a lot,” admonished Laura.

Miles and Ann ruined the sentiment by adding “of men” in unison to Laura’s statement and then bursting into laughter. Laura appeared scandalized, but after a moment even she laughed.

CHAPTER 16

One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it, unless it has been all suffering, nothing but suffering.

—
PERSUASION

S
UNDAY DAWNED
another glorious fall day. Well, I assumed it dawned that way, as I wasn’t awake for the actual occurrence. Over the years, I’ve found the whole “crack of dawn” experience to be wholly overrated. Besides, given the week we’d had, Ann and I agreed that sleeping in was a priority. Of course, truth be told, I’d be hard-pressed to name a time when sleeping in
isn’t
a priority for me.

We had planned a leisurely morning of drinking coffee on the back patio and tackling nothing more strenuous than the crossword puzzle (in
People,
not
The New York Times
) before heading out for St. Michaels. Ann had called Nana the night before to make sure our visit wasn’t inconvenient. Nana had been thrilled and had insisted on us coming for lunch. Kit, of course, had been just as thrilled when we called her with the plan. Out of politeness, I won’t mention my reaction to hearing that Kit was joining us, but I can tell you that “thrilled” wasn’t it.

Which is why, I suppose, I was irritated to awake to a ringing doorbell at the ungodly hour of eight thirty. I was even more irritated upon opening the door to discover that it was Kit who was doing the ringing. Her blond hair was shinning, her face was dewy fresh, and her linen jumper actually looked like it had been ironed. She could have been the cover girl for
Fit Pregnancy
. Scarlett yipped at her in apparent annoyance. I didn’t stop her.

“Goodness, you certainly aren’t a sight for sore eyes,” Kit said, her expression disdainful as her eyes traveled from my bed head to my oversized T-shirt and boxers to the pièce de résistance—my well-worn bunny slippers. “I hope you never let Peter see you like this—he’ll run screaming. Don’t tell me that you’re still in bed at this hour!”

“Clearly not, Kit,” I said. “I am standing here. Answering the door. For you.”

“Well, aren’t you Miss Grumpy today!” she said as I turned and headed for the kitchen like a lion stalking a gazelle to make myself some much-needed coffee. Kit trailed after me, still talking. “I can’t believe you’re not up yet!” she said. “For goodness’ sake, I’ve been up for hours. I even worked out already. I’ve been doing this great pregnancy yoga workout. You know, you should try it.”

“Thank you, but I am not pregnant,” I pointed out.

“Well, I know
that
! God forbid! Mom would
freak
if you showed up
pregnant.
That would be the straw that broke the camel’s back!” She said this in such a horrified tone it was almost as if she thought I actually
was
pregnant.

“Kit!” I said, a warning note in my voice.

For once she got the point. “All I’m saying is that if you ever finally
do
get married and start a family, you are going to be the quintessential grouchy expectant mother.” She giggled, apparently tickled at the thought. “I can just see you, lying on the couch, moaning, and still wearing those awful bunny slippers.”

“Remind me why you’re here again? At eight thirty in the morning?” I asked, as I loaded the coffeemaker.

“I thought we should get an early start.”

“Why on earth would we need an early start?” I asked. “We aren’t expected at Nana’s until noon, and it’s only a forty-five-minute drive. Besides, premature arrival is a most untoward event.” Before Kit could reply, I went on, “Maybe you should go spread your sunshine around someone else. I’ve not had my coffee yet and without it, I really can’t ensure your safety.”

Ann stumbled into the kitchen just then, still wiping sleep from her eyes. “Oh, hello, Kit,” she said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were here.”

“No earthly reason why you should have,” I said, before hitting Start on the coffeemaker.

“Elizabeth is grouchy,” Kit announced to Ann as if I were a five-year-old.

“You know what else Elizabeth is?” I snapped, spinning around to let Kit have a piece of my mind. Granted, at this hour of the morning without the benefit of caffeine, my mind, let alone a piece of it, was apt to be pathetic. But I was determined.

Ann, who clearly knew me better than my own sister, took one look at me and saw that words were about to be said. Lovely, insulting, vulgar words. I didn’t go to an all-girls Catholic school for nothing. Those girls know how to curse. Some even minored in it. I opened my mouth ready to give Kit an earful.

Quickly cutting in, Ann said, “She’s a wonderful friend and cousin who has had a long week. Now, Kit, why don’t you come outside with me and sit on the back patio? It’s really lovely in the morning.” With a friendly wink at me, Ann steered Kit outside to safety.

By the time I finished getting the coffee and the bagels ready, I was in a much calmer mood. Loading everything onto a tray, I headed out to join Ann and Kit. It was another glorious day. The sky was a clear blue with a soft cool breeze coming out of the north. Or the south. I really couldn’t tell. My sense of direction is pretty lousy.

“So explain to me again why do you think Nana will be able to shed some light on this business,” Kit was saying to Ann. I put the tray down on the table between them and handed Ann her coffee. She gave me a grateful smile and took a large sip before answering.

“It’s nothing specific,” she said slowly. “Like I said yesterday, it’s just that Nana had a way of knowing everything that was going on. Part of her job was heading off trouble before it occurred—not an easy job with any of us, but especially Reggie. Let’s just say she was very good at her job. She had a kind of sixth sense with us.”

“I do remember that she never liked Michael,” I added as I dropped into a chair and helped myself to a warm bagel. “She was right about him.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean she knows what happened to him,” Kit pointed out.

“Of course not,” I said, “but she might have some information that could shed a little light on the situation.”

Ann stared into her coffee cup. “I just hope it’s a good light,” she said quietly.

*   *   *

As planned, we arrived in St. Michaels a little before noon. A quaint waterfront town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, St. Michaels is known for its striking churches, elegant homes, and fashionable shopping. Nana lived in a picturesque two-story white colonial not far from the center of town. Ancient trees graced the front yard, their leafy branches looping low across the manicured lawn. Sunlight bounced off the calm blue water out back.

“Wow!” Kit exclaimed upon seeing the house as we pulled into the curved driveway. “Her house is gorgeous! It must be worth at least a million dollars! Just what kind of salary did Uncle Marty pay her?”

“Actually, I think her brother left her some money. She bought the house right after she stopped working for Dad. Right after I left for London,” Ann said.

Nana opened the door and waved happily to Ann. She looked just like you’d expect someone nicknamed Nana to look. A petite woman, with a round face, sharp blue eyes, and shoulder-length hair pulled back with a black velvet ribbon. Granted she had changed somewhat since the days she managed the Reynolds children. Now in her late sixties, her hair, once a rich shade of chestnut, had faded to a silvery white, and faint wrinkles lined her checks and forehead. Her carriage, however, had not succumbed to age; she still moved with the same assured ramrod posture that instilled both fear and respect.

Ann bounded out of the car and ran to Nana on the doorstep and enveloped her in a giant hug. It wasn’t the friendly hug you give an old acquaintance—this was the needy hug of a child seeking comfort. Ann seemed to sag into Nana.

“How are you holding up, honey? Are you okay?” Nana asked softly as she gently stroked Ann’s back.

Ann’s reply was muffled and she kept her head buried in Nana’s shoulder. After a moment she stepped back. Her eyes were a tad red, but she seemed in control.

Nana glanced my way. “Hello, Elizabeth,” she said. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been fine, Nana,” I replied. “It’s good to see you.” Gesturing to Kit, I added, “Have you met my sister, Kit?”

Nana politely shook Kit’s hand before turning back to me. “I have to admit, Elizabeth, I hardly recognized you at the funeral. I must say, you’ve certainly changed since I last saw you. You’re so tall and slim!”

I may have neglected to mention before now that as a child I ate my feelings, feelings that usually manifested themselves as chocolate doughnuts and sausage pizza (it’s been my experience that feelings rarely take the form of, say, carrots or celery). So what I’m saying is that I was on the heavy side. Still, there was no call for Kit to snigger (yes,
snigger
!) and say, “Yes, Elizabeth was something of a porker when she was younger.”