Barbara Graham - Quilted 03 - Murder by Music (23 page)

And why hadn't the person left anything but an oil stain behind? Was it too much to hope for a witness to be out strolling in the woods and look up in time to see the killer? As long as Art was skulking around in the woods, couldn't he have helped out?

His frustration mounting, Tony spent the day at his desk, digging through file folders.

Theo and Tony were invited to the wedding rehearsal and the dinner following it because of Theo's friendship with Celeste and the work they were doing together at the museum. The dinner would be in the private dining room of the River View Motel.

Saving her blue jumper for the wedding, Theo dressed in her prettiest top and a skirt with an elastic waistband. Since she'd be sitting in her chair, it wouldn't matter how lumpy it looked.She combed her unruly hair and even put on some makeup.

Tony came downstairs wearing slacks and a nice shirt. He was carrying a couple of ties and waved them in her direction. “Do I need to wear a tie tonight?”

“I don't think so.” Theo made a show of displaying her own costume, including the wheelchair. “I'd hate for you to be way dressier than I am. If you wear a tie, I'll have to weave crepe paper in my wheels.”

“Sold.” Tony tossed the ties onto Theo's new bed and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair. “Let's roll.”

The boys barely glanced up as they said goodnight. Their teenaged babysitter, Karissa Sligar, was beating them at their own video game. It looked to Theo like they might still be playing when they returned. Theo hoped they remembered to blink occasionally. “Don't forget it's a school night.” Only Karissa looked up. She nodded.

Tony rolled Theo down the new ramp to the Blazer and helped her in. “So, how do you like your wheels?”

“I love them. It's amazing how much better I feel when I'm not standing.” Theo relaxed into the car seat. “Speaking of new wheels, when do you suppose I'll get the vehicle Mr. Beasley ordered?”

“I just hope it's not the twin to your hopeless minivan.” Tony frowned. “Knowing Mr. Beasley, he probably ordered something you'll fit in and I won't.”

Theo thought the idea was hysterically funny and envisioned a tiny clown car, one barely big enough for her and the children.

She was still laughing when they rolled into the church. The wedding party was gathered at the altar, and the guests not participating in the ceremony were sort of clumped together in the back to watch and chat. She and Tony fell into the latter group.

The sanctuary was a mess. Scaffolds were set up around the perimeter, and the distinctive aroma of paint wafted in the air. The carpet was gone—not that the worn, stained, once-blue carpet would be missed. Workmen mingled with the wedding party, each group trying not to get in the way of the other and still get their work done before the ceremony.

The wedding planner called the mother of the bride and mother of the groom to come and pretend to light a single candle together. It was their only assignment and took place at the beginning of the service. Dutifully, the women walked forward, climbed the steps and stood self-consciously pretending to light a candle. The two looked well matched in similar slacks and lightweight sweaters.

“Wait!” Elf ran up the aisle in a cloud of perfume and red chiffon. “What about me? Don't I get to light a candle?”

“Who are you?” The wedding planner glanced down at her clipboard.

“I'm the groom's mother.” She twirled, making the beads twinkle on her flame red cocktail dress.

The planner turned to the women standing frozen in place near the candle.

Before she had a chance to ask another question, Patrick stepped forward. “She's my birth mother and welcome guest. But . . .” He made eye contact with Elf. “She is
not
part of the ceremony.”

“Noooo, Patrick, baby.” Elf's wail bounced off the walls of the church.

Theo stared, admiring the way Patrick didn't break stride or appear to have heard her. He gently but firmly led her to a pew and pressed her shoulder until she sat. He whispered something only Elf could hear and returned to the rehearsal.

Theo wouldn't say Elf behaved for the rest of the time. She frowned. She sighed. She tapped her foot. Her fingers flew over the buttons on her cell phone, making Theo think someone was getting an irate text message.

To Theo, Elf looked younger than she had the last time she'd visited, making Theo wonder if she had a magic elixir or great genes or a really fine plastic surgeon. Elf was only a few years older than Theo herself, but she looked amazing. The hours she kept and the stamina involved in touring and performing did not show on her face or body. It made Theo tired just thinking about her schedule.

Celeste's mother was naturally elegant. She looked like the kind of woman who never spilled coffee on herself—or on anything, for that matter. Theo glanced at the smudge of pizza sauce on her sleeve, disgusted by her own messy approach to life. She must have brushed against the box on the kitchen table.

On the other side of the aisle, Patrick's mother fell somewhere between Theo's mess and the mother of the bride in personal appearance. Theo suspected the lines of tension in her face were directly related to the woman now sitting in the pew behind her. Although they'd all lived in Silersville at the time of Patrick's birth, the family had moved away before Patrick started school.

Theo could imagine if Elf, her sister Scarlet, and their father, Summer Flowers, was the family package attached to the adopted baby, moving all the way to Shanghai to put some distance between them would be very appealing.

Once the fight with Elf ended, the rehearsal went quickly, the service would be traditional. The three bridesmaids and the groom's attendants were on time and learned where to stand and when to move. The wedding planner had everything under control and treated the wedding like a military operation.

After the brief rehearsal, the wedding party and guests were to drive out to the museum for a decorating party. Dinner at the River View Motel, would follow.

The barn where the food service and dancing would take place was empty. A fresh plywood floor had been laid over the ground. The stalls were framed with fresh boards. The ceiling was open to the hayloft. Theo thought the place smelled fresh and woody.

Elf's perfume preceded her, obliterating the pleasant aroma. “What are we doing here?” Elf's voice whined into Theo's ear.

“Helping decorate for the reception.” Theo tried to maneuver her wheelchair away from Elf wondering if the woman swam in the perfume. Theo had been intensely curious about the bride's decorating plan from the moment Celeste came into the quilt shop to order myriad bolts of tulle.

“Really?” Elf sounded stunned.

Theo was sure Elf wasn't feigning surprise. She considered it highly unlikely Elf would be interested in anything not connected with herself. “Yes, it's all part of the event.” She pointed to the center of the floor where a large white hoop was surrounded by bolts of fabric and piles of twinkle lights. “Those are for the ceiling.”

No sooner had she explained than the small army of volunteers received instructions from the wedding planner. Each of six teams immediately tied the free end of the tulle to the hoop amid much laughter and pushing, everyone vying for space. Once the tulle was set, each team worked to wrap strands of twinkle lights around the fabric, one person unrolling the fabric from the bolt and the other wrapping lights, moving outward from the hoop.

Then came the stepladder brigade. The tallest men, including Tony and Gus, lifted the hoop, climbed the stepladders and attached it to the hayloft. Another group of stepladder workers fastened the free ends of the tulle and light swags to the walls, forming a series of spokes. Each swag was attached to a white extension cord. The effect was lovely when the lights came on.

Theo was helping hang more swags of tulle and lights on the half walls of the stalls when she saw Tony talking into his cell phone. It must have rung immediately after the center was stabilized. Then she saw him talking to his brother, glancing over his shoulder in her direction. She immediately understood. Tony was leaving, and Gus and Catherine would take her to the restaurant if he wasn't back in time.

Tony hoped Sheila's call would mean he would only be gone for a few minutes. Evidently Nellie Pearl Prigmore's daughter in Los Angeles had tried to get her mother on the telephone. Since Nellie Pearl hadn't answered, the daughter called Sheila. Sheila had gone to the house and gotten no answer to her knocks. Sheila knew Nellie Pearl well enough to guess the old woman would shoot anyone besides herself or the sheriff.

Sure enough, when Tony joined her, the business end of a .22 slipped under the sash window and a bullet whizzed past his ear. He jumped behind the Blazer. Sheila joined him.

“What do you want to do?” Sheila whispered.

“Nothing legal.” Tony felt adrenaline racing through his system. He thought he heard Sheila chuckle.

“Believe me, since I became her unofficial keeper by default, I've considered several options along those lines.” Sheila edged closer to the house. “I'll try talking to her again.”

“If she takes a pot shot at you, I
will
shoot her.” Tony wished Wade was there because he was a much better shot. “You're worth fifty of her.”

“Ms. Prigmore,” Sheila yelled. “Your daughter called us. She's worried about you.”

The next thing Tony heard was the rifle firing again and then the thud made by a bullet plowing into a tree. He muttered into Sheila's ear. “That's not helping my attitude.”

“She's been getting worse each time I come by.” Sheila edged back, frowning and shaking her head. “I say at least one of her daughters needs to come deal with it. Maybe we can get her committed on a temporary basis. She's a danger to us and to herself too.”

Tony had an idea. “I'll go low and around to the left and come up under the window. The way she has the barrel sticking out, I'll be able grab the end of it. You keep your head down and distract her.”

“Sounds good.”

Thankfully, Tony's plan worked like a charm. Tony held the barrel tight so Nellie Pearl couldn't take aim. She did fire two more shots, which heated up the metal, but he was not letting go. Sheila slipped up next to him, shoved the window open, and using him for a ladder, climbed inside.

Tony, who had a fair vocabulary of profanity when needed, found himself amazed at the old woman's repertoire. For a moment he actually thought he saw the air turn blue.

Tony returned from Nellie Pearl's in time to drive Theo and himself to dinner. Theo didn't exactly ask him where he'd been. She just studied him quietly, her green gold hazel eyes missing nothing. She grinned.

“You might ask Sheila to wipe her feet if she's going to use you for a ladder.”

Tony glanced down at his navy slacks. Sure enough, a dirty footprint, definitely woman-sized, showed where Sheila had stepped. He wiped it with his handkerchief then handed it to Theo and turned his back. “You might want to check my right shoulder blade.”

The River View Motel Restaurant and, by extension, the private dining room was the best place to eat in town. Not fun and casual like Ruby's Café, the River View was as close to elegant as Silersville got. Tony thought their prime rib was the best he'd ever eaten and he'd done a fair amount of research over the years.

The wedding party and all the parents, including Elf, were ushered to the large tables closest to the wall of glass separating the dining room from an amazing view of the creek and the Smoky Mountains beyond. Although it was almost completely dark, the last rays of sunshine made the old mountains and forest look huge and mysterious. Suddenly over a hundred strands of tiny lights switched on, and the trees belonging to the motel turned into a fairyland.

Tony guessed there were about fifty guests like them who were not part of the wedding party. It surprised him until he realized the celebration was as much a reunion of family and friends as rehearsal dinner. The MacLeod clan was in full attendance, as well as assorted extras.

Since Theo seemed to be ravenously hungry about twenty hours out of each day, she looked delighted when it was time to move into the River View Motel's private dining room. Tony found a place at a table on the perimeter where it was easy to park Theo's wheelchair and settled onto his own chair.

Tony thought the lines etched into the face of the official mother of the groom were getting deeper. Seated across the table from her was Elf. Tony was close enough to overhear her comments.

“The River View is a dump. You know it and I know it.” Elf studied her napkin and her lip curled. “It's cotton. Couldn't you have at least gotten linen?”

To her credit, Mrs. MacLeod refrained from answering. Tony wondered how she managed to stay silent. Maybe she was considering taking up vivisection as a hobby.

“We could use some more candles.” Elf waved her hand at the table decorations. “Maybe something scented.”

Mrs. MacLeod stayed silent, but Tony heard Theo's voice. “I don't think I could stand one more floral scent.”

Elf fluffed her hair and adjusted, by pulling even lower, the already deep neckline on her red dress before leaning across Mrs. MacLeod to speak to her husband. “I hope the wine's finer than the décor, but maybe you don't think much of the bride.”

Tony thought he heard the man say, “I hope you choke on the cork.”

As the evening continued, so did the verbal battle between Elf and the MacLeods. After dessert, Theo leaned close and whispered, “I think there might be shooting. Did you wear your body armor?”

“No. Would you feel safer at home?” Tony thought his wife looked tired.

“Yes, but mostly I want to go to bed. It's been a long day.”

Tony certainly couldn't argue with her observation. He felt about a hundred and two.

Tony promised, even if his day was overfull, to take time away from his job to escort Theo to the wedding and reception. After the tension he'd noticed during the previous evening's rehearsal and the dinner following, he thought a police presence at the wedding might be required. Maybe he should arrange to borrow some officers from neighboring counties. A SWAT team would be a decorative touch. Maybe he could call in the National Guard.