Skeleton's Key (Delta Crossroads Trilogy, Book 2) (11 page)

And what was this about Jaymee’s scandal of the century? None of Dani’s business, but she was betting it had something to do with her inheriting this house.

“Sorry about that.” Cage came back into the kitchen, walking with the same rigid stride he’d had leaving the carriage house. He stopped next to her and rested his hand on the back of her chair. “I’m getting ready to head to my parents. Jaymee will get you settled in a guest room. Do you need anything before I go?”

Dani stared up him, the heat from his body muddling her thoughts.

“Yes,” she finally remembered what she’d been excited to tell him. “I need to show you something.”

*     *     *

“You’ve got to
be kidding me.” Cage couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it himself. The room had been locked the entire time he’d worked at Ironwood, but of course it was connected to the basement. The killer had the ideal set up, and right under the church’s pious nose.

“The butler’s pantry?” Jaymee asked.

Dani nodded. “Yes. Every house of the era had one–I’m sure Magnolia does, too.”

Cage leaned over Dani’s shoulder. She shivered.

He sat down and pulled the blueprints over for a better look. “But where are the stairs? If they lead to the basement, where are they?”

“In the winter kitchen.” Dani pointed to the marked off area. “You said that side of the basement had plenty of junk in it, right? There probably isn’t a door, but the stairway is likely blocked by something big.”

“The killer probably put it there,” Jaymee said.

“Makes perfect sense to me.” Dani looked at Cage as she spoke. “It’s been locked from the upstairs, and the church board might not have realized the pantry had access to the winter kitchen. But I bet someone did.”

“He could have killed them anywhere upstairs and used the butler’s pantry to drag them into the cellar via the unused staircase,” Cage said. “And if the killer was a renter, when the church board did their inspections, the main door to the pantry would have been locked. No cause for alarm.”

“But the fact remains,” Dani said, “that if the killer wasn’t a tenant, he either had a copy of the house keys or found another way inside that went unnoticed.”

Unease worked its way through Cage. “There have been a few cases of broken windows over the years. Maybe that’s how the killer got inside. Maybe the victims were young, going out to party, and following a charismatic guy,” Cage continued. “He attacks the first victim and manages to cover up her murder, so he goes for a repeat performance.

“You should call Gina,” Jaymee said.

Dani stiffened, finally looking away from Cage. “I’m calling Lee at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Crime scene or not, no one is getting into that room without my supervision.”

*     *     *

Cage waved off
Jaymee’s offer to walk him out. Dani’s bright gaze left his insides feeling shaky and his defensive armor crumbling. She’d already been curious about Jaymee, and now she’d have more questions he didn’t want to answer. He’d left a rushed voicemail for Gina, but he knew it could be hours before she called back. She was probably in the morgue in Jackson watching the preliminary autopsy.

The sun had risen by the time he left Magnolia, and he knew his father would be awake. Driving into his parents’ quiet neighborhood just a few blocks down from the historic homes, he could hardly wait to tell them he was a murder suspect. As if they needed any more drama.

He parked his car at the end of the drive making sure not to block it. Trudging up the path, he wondered what Dani thought of her precious South now. He slapped a mosquito away, wiped his damp brow. With all the chaos, had she even been able to appreciate the true beauty of southern Mississippi? Had she noticed how the air was never really quiet? Insects always chirping and the air always moving? Had she even seen the red dirt hills or smelled the sweet magnolias yet?

Or did Dani only see antiques and death?

No sooner had he opened the back door than his father appeared, his enormous gut hanging over the waistband of his boxers, coffee cup in hand. Cage wrinkled his nose. “Jesus, Dad. You don’t need that shotgun in the closet. You’d send any intruder screaming for the hills.”

Oren grunted. A Vietnam vet, his father was gruff and blunt, with a love of fried food that put his weight well into the obese category. He loved his family, and while Cage’s mother had never really been the same after Lana’s death, Oren soldiered on.

“You look like you haven’t slept. Thought you had the night off.”

“I did. But we found something at Ironwood.”

“We?”

“Dani. The new owner.”

“Ah,” Oren shuffled back into the kitchen, topped off his coffee, and then sat down with the tired sigh of a man carrying too much weight. “The Yankee lady you were all nervous about meeting. She nice?”

“Yeah. Intense. But nice.”

“Uh-huh. What’d ya’ll find? More bones?”

Cage poured himself a cup of steaming coffee. “Not exactly.”

His father said nothing as Cage told him how he’d spent his last few hours. Face impassive, he’d sipped his coffee, making the occasional grunt. When Cage finished, his father drained his cup.

“You’re a suspect?” Disapproval stained his tone, and shame pricked at Cage. He hated disappointing his parents. They’d had enough of that in their lives. Since his sister’s murder, he’d done his best to make their lives as easy and drama free as possible. So much for that.

“Technically.”

“They kicked you out of your house?”

“Just until they process it. Day or two at most. Nothing in there for them to find.”

Another grunt. “I hope not.”

“What?”

“Damn, boy. Use your head. You work long shifts. Don’t have no security system on that little place. It’s possible someone could have been doing shit right under your nose, maybe even been in the carriage house to help cover up his tracks.”

Uneasiness rolled through Cage. He shook it off. “You watch too many dumb detective shows.”

Oren slid his cup across the table and then glanced at the coffee pot. Cage got the message and got up to fetch his father a refill.

His sister had loved doting on their father, keeping his tummy full and the sweet tea at the ready. And Oren thoroughly enjoyed it. Since before her death, when she’d gone off to college at Ole Miss, Cage had done his best to follow in her footsteps. He was pretty sure he didn’t quite measure up.

“You know what’s happened ’round here the last couple months has been crazier than any one of those shows,” Oren said as Cage sat back down. “Watch your back, son.”

Cage clenched his jaw, a bad habit he’d gotten into. Gina knew how to do her job. She’d clear him and move on to find the real killer. Before he could argue, his cellphone rang.

Gina.

“Got your message,” she said. “So you think the butler’s pantry might be our crime scene?”

“It’s a good bet.” Cage explained how the pantry had separate access to the basement and could have remained sealed off from the rest of the house. “Find anything out about the victims?”

“Both wore wedding rings,” Gina said. “Cause of death looks like blunt force trauma to the head, but that’s just preliminary. Too decomposed for facial identification. We’re hoping they will be in the system.”

“Two married and missing victims, probably women, good chance they will be.”

“Who said they were women?”

Apprehension crept up Cage’s back. “You’re kidding me. The victims are male?”

“And that’s not all. Found something on one that might give us a starting point. And hopefully rule you out as a suspect.”

“S
o I hope
you’ll be comfortable in here.” Jaymee opened a door and quickly turned a light on. “There are six bedrooms in this place, but the previous owner used only a couple. I’m hoping to get the others into decent shape soon.”

Dani blinked as the bedroom came into focus. Large and spacious, the guest room’s double window looked out over Magnolia House’s gardens. A four-poster bed made of careworn oak dominated the room. Dani ran her fingers along the old wood.

“Turn of the century,” she said. “Family heirloom?”

Jaymee’s face tightened. “Yes. There is another in the master bedroom. The rest of the rooms are pretty bare right now. Shower is across the hall, and you’ll find plenty of clean towels.”

Dani inspected the matching armoire. “These are so hard to find now, and this one is in great condition. Needs refinishing, but that’s an easy project.”

“It’s on my list.”

“You’re hoping to make a B&B out of Magnolia House?”

“If I can swing it, yes. But my funds are limited. My…the previous owner is willing to help out financially, but I’m trying not to use too much of his money.” She looked sheepish. “Of course, my gig at Sallie’s doesn’t pay enough to outfit this place, so I really need some guests. Which requires an investment.”

Her gig at Sallie’s. Jaymee worked at Sallie’s. That’s who Cage was worried about seeing the other night.

Dani felt her cheeks go red. Cage still pined for Jaymee–that was his problem.

“I could help you,” she heard herself saying.

“I’m sorry?”

“With the house. Getting it ready.”

Jaymee shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts. Dani looked wistfully at her long, tan legs.

“I don’t take handouts,” Jaymee said. “Besides, you’ve got your own monster to tame. Ironwood is going to be a bitch to get up and running.”

“I’m not on any kind of time table,” Dani said. And she had the money. Living with her mother the past several years had enabled her to grow her savings, and her mother had insisted on a high life insurance policy–with the agreement that Dani use it to follow her passion. “And I didn’t mean a handout. I’m not that generous.”

Jaymee’s mouth twitched. “Good.”

“But I can lead you in the right direction once I get my bearings around here. You’d be surprised at what you can get at estate auctions and antique shops. And there are some great replicas that are much more cost effective. If we got two rooms and the base area of the house set up, you could start taking guests.”

“Most of the downstairs is guestworthy,” Jaymee considered. “I just need a few accents.”

“Easy to find. But if at all possible, you’ll want to get that original kitchen visible. Tourists love that sort of thing.”

“I don’t like the kitchen. It’s…” Jaymee sucked in her cheeks. “A long story.”

“The scandal.” Dani’s words tumbled out before she thought.

“Scandal?” Jaymee’s eyes were cold, her voice flat.

“I’m sorry, I heard you and Cage talking earlier. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just—”

“It’s private. Even if the whole town already knows.”

“I understand. I’m sorry.”

Jaymee bared her teeth, and Dani waited for the other woman to lay into her. She honestly hadn’t meant to offend. She just spoke without thinking.

“It’s okay,” Jaymee relaxed. “I’m sure you’ll hear the story, but I just don’t feel like sharing it.”

Dani exhaled. She didn’t have the energy for a cat fight. “Completely understood.” She crossed the room to sit on the bed, exhausted. Still, her mind whirled.

“You know the bones will be forgotten.”

Jaymee leaned against the doorframe. “Yeah, I’d heard about those. Cage says the skeleton’s not related to these bodies.”

“No, and with the bodies showing up, those old bones will be forgotten. Of course the murders take precedence, but whoever those bones belonged to deserves some justice, too.”

“Justice is hard to come by.”

“I guess.”

“And those bones could belong to anyone, as old as Ironwood is. That place has a lot of legends.”

“I heard about Ironwood’s secret room.”

Jaymee laughed, and the tension hanging between them evaporated. Dani relaxed.

“The cache of treasure,” Jaymee said. “I don’t know if there’s any truth to that, but I bet there are some good hiding spots. Evaline has a few. So does this place.”

“You’ve been to Evaline?”

Jaymee blanched. “I used to work there. Before…”

“I heard Rebecca Newton was murdered. So awful.”