Pecan Pies and Homicides (23 page)

Her mother nodded and a lock of hair fell over her shoulder. She took it between her fingers and frowned.

“You've gone silver all over,” Ella Mae said. “Guess we'll have to make you an appointment at the hair salon.”

Shaking her head, her mother said, “No. This will remind me of what you and I have survived. Of what's most important.”

Ella Mae stroked her mother's silver tresses and thought of all she'd been through since her mother had sacrificed herself for the good of her kind. “I don't need reminders. I'd like nothing more than to forget what we've endured. I'd give anything to lead a normal life for a little while. A life without magic or monsters. Without murderers or superhuman boyfriends.”

Her mother said nothing, and though Ella Mae knew she would never lead a normal life, she wanted to at least enjoy this moment to its fullest. Her mother was weak as a sparrow hatchling, but she was alive. She was a woman of flesh and blood. She could laugh and sing and move through the rooms at Partridge Hill. She could tend her gardens and take up her matchmaking rituals once more.

Overwhelmed with happiness, Ella Mae gave her mother a fierce hug. She then pulled away and draped her coat over her mother's naked body. “There are some people waiting outside who are very eager to see you. Rest here and I'll get them.”

Her mother grabbed her by the hand to stay her. “Before you do, I want to tell you how proud I am to be your mother.” She smiled. “You were always with me, you know. Even when I couldn't reach out to you. You were in here.” She touched her heart with her free hand and her words carried all the love and tenderness of a caress. “My darling daughter. My light in the darkness.”

The lump in Ella Mae's throat kept her from answering. She returned her mother's smile and then ran to invite the others to share in her amazing news. Crossing to the other side of the boulder wall, she shouted, “She's here! She's back!”

And then she followed the others to where her mother leaned against her former prison. Ella Mae cherished every cry of jubilation, every euphoric hug and kiss, every moment of tearful reunion between the four sisters. Reba pushed past Verena, Dee, and Sissy and threw her arms around her lifelong friend. Finally, Suzy, Jenny, and Aiden moved forward to pay their respects to the former Lady of the Ash.

“I feel like we should be drinking champagne!” Verena bellowed and danced a merry jig on the grass. Dee and Sissy laced their arms through hers and they spun around, heads thrown back, their laughter drifting into the silver sky.

Ella Mae joined the beautiful women, feeling as if her entire body were filled with tiny bubbles of light. If her aunts weren't holding her, she was sure she'd float away. And she didn't want to go anywhere. There was no place she'd rather be.

Separating from the ring of dancers, she dropped on the ground at the foot of the ash tree. She took her mother's hand in her own and stared at her, drinking her in. The smile of tenderness and pride in her mother's hazel eyes enveloped Ella Mae and she knew that she'd discovered the true meaning of magic.

• • •

Eventually, the deliriously happy but bone-weary group returned to Partridge Hill.

“It's
so
hard to say good night to you, Adelaide,” Sissy said as they all stood in the kitchen. “But you look worn out.”

“Won't it be lovely to sleep in your own bed?” Verena said. “We'll be back in the morning, but you should rest as long as you can. This experience must have taken its toll on you.”

“I do feel strange,” Ella Mae's mother admitted. “To be walking and talking, to move my arms and feel air on my skin.” She stopped. “It's going to take time to become myself again. I heard and saw and sensed things when I was part of the tree . . .”

Reba made a shooing gesture. “That's it, folks. The lady needs some shut-eye.” She looked at Ella Mae. “I'm stayin' here. I'll watch over the place while you both sleep.”

Ella Mae nodded gratefully and accompanied her mother to her room.

“I'm glad you opened up our home to Jenny and Aiden,” her mother said and sat down on the edge of her bed. “The house feels more alive with them here. Tell them that I'd like them to stay.”

“I'm glad. I've grown very fond of them.” Ella Mae opened a dresser drawer and took out a flannel nightgown. “Why don't you take a long, hot shower? I'll check on Chewy and then come back and brush out your hair.”

Her mother smiled. “That sounds like heaven.”

Ella Mae closed the door and went downstairs. The kitchen was deserted, and when she glanced at the clock over the stove, she was surprised to find that it was after midnight. Chewy would be sound asleep, but Ella Mae felt the need to have him near. She was just putting on one of her mother's coats when Reba appeared at the back door, shotgun in hand.

“He could be waitin' for you,” she said softly.

Ella Mae had been so wrapped up in her mother's return that she'd managed to put Hugh out of her mind. “I hope not,” she said. “But if he is, let me try talking to him. And that gun stays here. The Taser's enough.”

Reba adopted a guileless expression. “How'd you know that I had that on me too?”

“I wouldn't be surprised if you pulled a stick of dynamite out of your bra.” Ella Mae grinned and opened the door. “After you.”

Ella Mae's house was exactly as she'd left it. The only difference was that her sofa was missing its occupant. The fire had gone out and yet the dark space felt restful. The entire atmosphere was one of peaceful slumber and didn't hold a hint of malice. Relaxing a little, Ella Mae motioned for Reba to follow her upstairs.

Turning on the hall light, Ella Mae whispered her dog's name. She didn't want to startle Chewy or Dante, so she repeated her whisper and then tiptoed into her bedroom.

She took two steps and then froze. Hugh was sound asleep, a wave of dark hair falling across his forehead, his arm thrown out to the side as if searching for Ella Mae.

“That sure as hell ain't Goldilocks,” Reba muttered under her breath.

“Stay here,” Ella Mae told her and crept around to her side of the bed.

She stood there for a long moment. Dante and Chewy were both curled up near the footboard, but upon seeing her, Dante raised his massive head and stretched out, taking over the space she'd normally claim. Chewy grunted once in his sleep but didn't wake.

Relieved to find him safe and snug, Ella Mae went into the bathroom. She expected to see a crumpled towel on the floor or some other sign that Hugh had been in the lake's freezing water earlier that night, but nothing was amiss. Wondering if his pillowcase would be damp, she eased herself onto the bed and reached over Dante. Her fingertips met with warm, dry sheets.

“Hey, you,” Hugh murmured, startling her. She withdrew her hand as though it had been burned.

Hugh's voice was thick with sleep, and yet the sound of it put Ella Mae on full alert. She sat on the very edge of the bed, ready to move at a moment's notice. “Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.”

Keeping his eyes closed, he slung an arm over his dog's shoulders. “I don't remember coming upstairs. Did Dante drag me?”

Ella Mae was at a loss for words. Was Hugh telling the truth? Didn't he realize that he'd tried to encase her in a bubble of ice? Or was it possible that the elemental part of him was a separate entity? Either that, or he'd learned to mask it so effectively that he could fool anyone. Even the woman he supposedly loved.

“A full belly and a roaring fire did you in,” she whispered.

“Ah, another thrilling date with Hugh Dylan.” Opening his eyes, he propped himself up on one elbow and pushed Dante out of the way. “Did my horse of a dog force you out of bed?”

“No,” she said quickly and smiled to conceal her nervousness. “Actually, my mom's back. I know it's late, but I'm so excited to see her that I'm going over to the main house to catch up with her.” She covered Hugh's hand with hers. It was warm and familiar and she desperately wanted to believe that he wasn't the same man who'd glowered at her with those frightening, electric eyes. “Do you mind?”

He released a drowsy sigh. “Of course not. The boys and I can spread across the whole bed now.” He reached out to squeeze her hand. “I'm glad your mom's home. I know you missed her. And I'll try to remember to put some clothes on when I go out to get the morning paper.”

Ella Mae couldn't help but laugh. “That sounds like a good idea.”

After planting a soft kiss on her palm, Hugh burrowed deeper under the covers. “Give your mom my best,” he said and closed his eyes.

Chewy was sleeping so peacefully that Ella Mae didn't want to disturb him, so she smoothed the fur on the top of his head, grabbed a pair of pajamas and her toothbrush, and left the bedroom. Putting her finger to her lips to forestall any noise from Reba, she tiptoed down the stairs.

“Did you hear everything?” she asked once they were outside.

Reba nodded. “I don't know what to make of it, but I don't trust him. Neither should you.”

“I'll deal with him tomorrow. Tonight, I just want to enjoy my mom.”

“Lord knows you deserve a little happiness. It's all gonna be better now. You'll see.”

The two women returned to Partridge Hill arm in arm, but Reba didn't accompany Ella Mae inside. Holding up Hugh's keys, she said she'd return the scuba gear and put his keys where Ella Mae had found them.

“Don't know what we can do about the missin' gas tank. I'll have to order one online and sneak it into the fire station later on.” Reba looked quite pleased by the idea. “Let's just hope the water rescue team doesn't suit up for a while.”

Ella Mae pictured the tank resting on the lake floor and shivered. She gave Reba a quick hug and hurried into the house. Upstairs, she knocked softly on her mother's bedroom door. There was no answer, so she entered as quietly as she could.

Her mother was curled up on top of the covers, her hands folded under her chin, her shoulders gently rising and falling. She'd left the curtains open and starlight shone down on her face and hair. Though she was in incredible physical condition, and had amazingly unlined skin for a woman in her sixties, her mother seemed old and fragile. There was something in the troubled furrow between her brows and in the pinch at the corners of her mouth that made Ella Mae's heart wrench.

Magic always exacts a price,
she thought. She then picked up her mother's hairbrush and slowly drew it through the long silver locks. Her mother sighed and the tension in her face eased a little.

“You've done enough,” Ella Mae whispered. “It's time for you to rest. I'll take care of everything from now on.”

She sat there for a long time, brushing her mother's hair with careful, tender strokes until it looked like spilled moonlight. Eventually, Ella Mae laid a quilt over her mother and curled up beside her. She was afraid her sleep would be punctuated by frightening memories of the lake monster, but her dreams were filled with beauty. Lying beside her mother, she dreamt of butterflies and a garden filled with flowers and summer sunshine. It was as if Ella Mae's subconscious finally surrendered to the belief that the worst of her nightmares had finally come to an end.

She woke the next morning to find the bed empty.

During the night, her mother had covered her with a blanket, and now Ella Mae kicked it off and luxuriated in a full-body stretch. She felt amazingly alert and energized. The magic that had coursed through her after she'd grafted the Flower of Life to the ash tree was still humming in her cells. She knew she'd need it too, since the day promised to be a challenging one.

After washing her face and brushing the tangles from her hair, Ella Mae descended the stairs. The sound of clanking dishes and the aroma of coffee and bacon drew her into the kitchen.

“I made a pie,” Reba said upon seeing her. “Your mama looked like she needed a big dose of protein, so I fixed her a breakfast pie with eggs, cheese, and sausage. Then I added this bacon lattice on top. What do you think?”

Ella Mae looked at the crisscrossed strips of oven-baked bacon and smiled. “Very creative. Can I steal that idea for the pie shop?”

“Let's see how it tastes first.” Reba waved in the direction of the sunroom. “Your mama and your coffee are in there. Chewy too. I went over to fetch him after I got up. Hugh was already gone. He made the bed, neat as a pin, but left no signs of havin' been in the lake last night. Nothin' I could find anyway.”

“I'll stop by Canine to Five later and try to get a read on him.” Ella Mae sighed. “But I can't make Hugh a priority today. I gave the Gaynors a deadline. If Rand Dockery doesn't turn himself in, Verena will have to call a meeting of the Elders. Then they'll have to figure out what to do with him.”

Reba cut into the breakfast pie. “How will they punish him if he doesn't show up at the police station? The grove is self-sufficient now. There's no Lady. That means there's no one to penalize folks who break the rules.”

Ella Mae had never stopped to consider the negative consequences of injecting the grove with an unwavering source of power. She'd been so caught up with saving her mother that she hadn't imagined she could be making a mistake.

“I'm not findin' fault with you, hon.” Reba slid a large wedge of pie onto a plate next to a handful of ruby red strawberries. “The Elders can run things like a democracy now. It's about time we modernized. Stirred things up a bit.” She plated another slice of pie. “Sure, we survived doin' things the old way, but don't you think it'd be great if we did more than survive?”

“Definitely. I'd like to see our kind flourish. And a little unity would help. Here I thought I was making progress with the Gaynors, but now I know we'll never trust each other. They've been harboring a killer, Reba.”

Reba handed her the two plates. “You'd better fuel up, because someone has to go to Rolling View and make sure that their murdering scumbag is behind bars by the end of the day. And, my girl, that someone is you.” She smiled. “I'm comin' too, of course. I don't want to miss out on a chance to manhandle a Gaynor.”

Laughing, Ella Mae carried breakfast into the sunroom.

Seeing her mother at the table with the newspaper spread out before her made Ella Mae's smile stretch even wider. “A tiny part of me was afraid you wouldn't be here when I woke.”

“And miss being treated like a queen?” Her mother gestured at the silver coffeepot and the plates in Ella Mae's hands and grinned. Her levity vanished almost immediately, however. She filled Ella Mae's cup, wearing a grave expression. “Reba told me everything. About Eira and Barric. And Hugh.” She pushed a manila folder across the table. “Reba wanted you to see this. She said it came from her sleepy friend, Toby. I have no clue what she means. This report is equally confusing. I guess I'm having a hard time processing all that's happened.”

“You and me both,” Ella Mae said, reaching for the pitcher of cream. She doctored her coffee and opened the folder. After several minutes, she slammed the cup down, causing coffee to slosh onto the table. “Eira wasn't . . .” She shook her head in disbelief. “This is crazy.” She read more of the ME's notes. “Maybe Eira
was
crazy. I don't know whether to pity her or be disgusted by her. I don't know what to feel.”

Her mother touched her hand. “You sought justice for her. No matter what, she deserved that.”

Ella Mae searched her mother's face. “I came to the grove right after she was killed. Do you remember that? Or any of my visits?”

“My memories are jumbled,” her mother said. “I processed information differently when I was one with the tree.” She pushed her fork into the breakfast pie and then set it down again. “I felt more than heard. I sensed your distress, but I can't recall details. In order for me to help you now, you'd better tell me everything from the beginning.”

Ella Mae did. She talked, drank coffee, and polished off Reba's delicious pie. When she was done, she noticed that her mother had eaten only her strawberries. “Are you feeling all right?” she asked her.

“I think I'm between two worlds,” her mother said. “I hope to feel more human as the days pass, but I barely slept and I have no appetite. Coffee tastes awful, the idea of eating meat is repulsive, clothes feel strange, and I long to be outside.” She smiled faintly. “I'm tempted to give Chewy my pie to avoid insulting Reba.”

Ella Mae shook her head. “His stomach couldn't handle all that bacon and sausage.” She glanced out the window. “I have some time before I have to pay my visit to the Gaynors, so if you're up for it, we could take a walk. Chewy could use some exercise. He's slept most of the winter away.”

Her mother readily agreed and Ella Mae ran home to shower and dress. She met her mother in the garden.

“Noel did a wonderful job winterizing,” she said. “Are he and Kelly around?”

“They've spent the past six weeks in Florida. Noel's mom hasn't been well.”

Her mother reached out to touch the brown stem of a rosebush. “The season has been hard for so many people. And yet, I look at this dormant stalk and know that it is merely waiting to change into a glorious bloom.”

“I've felt like this bush since I came back to Havenwood,” Ella Mae said.

“You're finally emerging from your cocoon. The grove's magic is inside you. I can sense it. It's like music playing far off in the distance.”

Ella Mae moved away from the bush and gave Chewy his lead. “That's not necessarily cause for celebration. Magic is messy. Not to mention complicated and confusing.”

Her mother shrugged. “Depends on what you do with it.”

Ella Mae grew thoughtful. “If I could, I'd use it to bring our kind together. All the descendants of Guinevere and Morgan le Fay. I'd use it to break the curse that Merlin laid on our line and see that our kind was able to marry and have children without fear. I'd use it to fight the last of the Shadow Children and learn how to befriend elementals.”

“I believe you're capable of accomplishing those things,” her mother said. “But you need to restore peace to Havenwood first.”

Ella Mae nodded. “After our walk, I'll go straight to Rolling View. I want to make sure the Gaynors do the right thing.”

“They might not be able to control Rand. Not if he's the fire elemental.” She put a hand on Ella Mae's arm. “And if they can't, how will you?”

Ella Mae looked into her mother's lovely, world-weary face and thought about what she'd read in the ME's file. “I'm not going to reason with him. I'm going to break his heart.”

• • •

Ella Mae didn't think her mother should come to Rolling View, but Adelaide insisted. “I'm not as weak as I appear,” she said. “And my presence might convince them to behave. The Elders expect Rand Dockery to show up at the police station by sunset. If he doesn't, the Gaynors will be permanently banned from our grove.”

Though the punishment sounded dire to Ella Mae, the Gaynors weren't easily intimidated. “Are you sure you can handle Dockery?” Ella Mae asked Reba for the second time.

“I told you, I've got a blow dart that'll send him right to dreamland. He'll wake in a jail cell with a hole in his neck and a nasty headache. The slightest whiff of smoke and I'll fill him with so many darts that he'll look like a porcupine.”

Satisfied, Ella Mae parked her Jeep in the Gaynors' driveway and rang the doorbell.

A woman in a maid's uniform invited them into the entrance hall and then bustled off to inform Opal that she had company.

When Opal strode into the room, her eyes went wide. “Adelaide,” she whispered, clearly awestruck. “You're free.”

“Yes.” Ella Mae's mother pointed at Opal's left shoulder. “And you're injured. What happened?”

For a moment, Opal was too stunned to speak. Her hand seemed to move of its own accord, hovering protectively over her shoulder. “Nothing.”

“Your wound's reopened,” Ella Mae's mother said softly. “I can smell the blood.”

Ella Mae had never seen Opal Gaynor frightened, but she was definitely scared now. She backed away several steps and then seemed to recall that she was in her own house. “Please, go into the library. I'll be with you shortly.”

Reba went in first. After peering behind curtains and under the desk, she said, “Don't let your guard down. There's at least one secret panel in here. Anyone could be listenin' or watchin'.”

Ella Mae joined her mother on one of the room's leather sofas. “You smelled Opal's injury?”

“Yes. I think the wound is fairly deep. I wonder what caused it.”

“A knife.” The words were just wisps of air. “I stabbed her. Opal was the creature in the lake. She tried to kill me after I took the flower.”

Reba snarled. “Why that—”

“She couldn't help it,” Ella Mae said quickly. “I'm sure she was assigned that role. Maybe born to it. I doubt even Opal Gaynor enjoys having to turn into a monster.”

“Perhaps you're the monster,” Opal said from the doorway. “My family has been protecting the flower for generations. To think it would eventually be taken by a LeFaye? It's reprehensible. If Hugh Dylan hadn't interfered, you would never have succeeded.” Her eyes were shining with cold hatred and Ella Mae knew why the lake creature's glare had seemed so familiar. She'd seen it for years.

Ella Mae got to her feet. “But I did succeed. My mother has returned, and the Elders know that you're sheltering a murderer. Will you give him up?”

Opal's mouth twisted into a smile. “He's all yours. I've been done with him for years.”

“No!” came a shocked and angry cry from the other end of the room. They all turned to find Loralyn stepping from a large opening in the wall. “How can you say that? He's my father!”

Ella Mae stood very still, staring at Loralyn. She suddenly understood how mistaken she'd been. She thought about the crystal glass Robert Morgan had balanced on the tray of his wheelchair the night of the Gaynors' party. Both the tumbler and the whiskey had come from Jarvis Gaynor's office. Jarvis, who took frequent business trips that kept him away from his family for weeks at a time. Not that Opal seemed to mind. She'd told Ella Mae that her marriage to Jarvis wasn't a love match. She'd picked him for his bloodline and because he possessed a powerful magical gift. If Jarvis was the fire elemental, then it was in his nature to pursue beautiful women. Had Eira become a victim of his passion or had he fallen under her spell?

Reba shot a confused glance at Ella Mae and whispered, “Rand Dockery isn't her daddy, is he?”

“No. Her father is Jarvis Gaynor. And he's a killer,” Ella Mae said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “He had an affair with Eira Morgan.” She turned to Opal. “I suspect he had a string of affairs.”

Opal shrugged. “He did, but this was his last. That girl made a fool of him. She used her gift to entrance him. He was utterly captivated. And when he heard she was pregnant, he was beside himself with joy. There's nothing like a baby to help a man recover from a midlife crisis.”

“No!” Loralyn gasped. “He wouldn't!”

“I'm sorry you had to find out this way.” Opal walked toward her daughter, hand outstretched, but Loralyn shrank from her touch.

Thoughts were swirling in Ella Mae's mind like a dust storm, but all the motes abruptly settled and she saw the complete picture with absolute clarity. “Jarvis didn't plan on drugging Eira. Robert was his target. He wanted to get Eira's husband out of the picture. But somehow, Eira ended up drinking the spiked whiskey.”

“Did you know?” Loralyn asked her mother. “What Dad was going to do?”

Opal shook her head. “Of course not. Do you think I'd seek that kind of negative publicity? I wasn't even aware that your father had returned from his latest jaunt. I realize now that he remained invisible in order to avoid suspicion.”

“When Eira was killed, your only concern was for your family's reputation?” Ella Mae was stunned. “The fact that your husband drugged an innocent young woman and left her to die didn't matter to you at all?”