Fever Rich: A Mercy Mares Cozy Mystery (9 page)

Scooter held the door open for me to enter. “Have a good day,” he said.

I winked at him. On the drive over, he'd given me a much-needed pep talk and warned me about some of what I'd missed.

Cash had a bad day while I was away. The nurse in me felt horrible for adding more stress to his life. He didn't deserve any of what was going on in the household as of late. He was a child.

“Well, it's going to be a busy day, so I hope you're well rested. Cash has already had breakfast. He has an appointment with his doctor this afternoon. Before that, I'd like him to get as much rest as possible and his room will need to be tidied up.” Lucilla listed my duties for the day.

“Will Scooter drive him to see his doctor? What time should I have him ready?” I asked.

She looked at me like I'd just asked her to shave my legs for me. “No, all doctors come here for his appointments. Cash only leaves the house for tests and procedures.”

“He doesn't go outside?” I'd never heard of a child that wasn't allowed to go outside.

Scooter mumbled, “Uh oh” under his breath.

What? I wanted to know.

Lucilla had already begun to walk toward the kitchen. She spoke to me over her shoulder. “He's not a prisoner. We monitor who he has interacted with and when. That's not so unusual when you come from a family with money.”

Well, excuse me. I didn't know wealthy people were so sensitive.

Scooter chimed in before I stuck my foot in my mouth. “You should go up to Cash's room. I'm sure he'll be excited to see you.”

“Great idea, Scooter. I think I'll do that.” I responded.

Cash must have heard our voices because he opened his bedroom door and poked his head out. “You're back?”

“I sure am. I'm so happy to see you, Cash.” I was relieved to see him. He looked a lot better than I imagined after I'd heard the warnings about how poorly he'd been while I was gone.

“I hope no one dies today,” he quipped.

“I hope that won't happen either,” I said. “Has anyone talked with you about what happened?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Do you want to see what I made?” He was already off on a tangent about something else. Thankfully, it was something much more child friendly. Some subjects were just too heavy for children. This particular topic was way too heavy for me as an adult.

“Can we go outside now?” Cash asked as soon as I stepped into his room.

“I thought you were going to show me something,” I asked.

He looked at me like I had missed the point. In my defense, I don't think I would have gotten it if it had hit me on the top of my head. If I can miss the moment when a woman is murdered mere feet from where I stood, then, it was highly probable that I could miss a child's point.

I hadn't had time to tell him that going outside probably wasn't a good idea given the expression that clouded Lucilla's face when I asked my question earlier, before he had already thrown some slippers on his feet and dashed down the stairs toward the front door.

“Cash,” I started, “maybe we should wait to see whether or not it's okay for you to go outside today. I think your grandfather might prefer if you stay inside, at least until after you see the doctor.” It had been many years since I've had to bargain with a child, but I still hadn't forgotten how ridiculous it was to attempt. As an adult, I knew my powers were limited. If I were still a child, I'd be inclined not to not listen all the time either. Heck, I had trouble following instructions as a forty-four-year-old woman now.

When we walked outside, Cash immediately perked up. His demeanor changed. He went from a little boy, confined to the home to one who was eager to enjoy the outdoors. It touched my heart to see him react the way he did. I wanted to applaud him, but in the back of my mind, I knew that Lucilla would be upset that I allowed him outdoors.

It seemed to me that she was incredibly overprotective of him. I couldn't fault her. I was the same way when it came to my daughter. It didn't matter that I was a nurse and that I'd had years of experience to rely on, when it came to someone you loved, all you could focus on was doing something to end their suffering.

I quickly glanced back at the house. From what I could tell, no one had noticed that we'd walked outside. That filled me with relief and a sudden sense of urgency at the same time.

“Cash, are you feeling well enough to go for a little run?”
What did I just ask him?
I must have been frightened over how Nathaniel and Lucilla would react, because a jog wasn't supposed to be part of the plan for this day or any day.

“Bye,” he took off for the yard and ran like he had all the energy in the world. Because it was my brilliant idea to run, I had to follow suit.

Here goes nothing
, I thought.

We spent the next hour outside, seemingly unnoticed. Cash played like any other child while I watched and relaxed under a shade tree. I imagined what his life was like without someone to play with. It seemed to me that Nathaniel wasn't much for running around and playing hide and seek. Lucilla, on the other hand, may have been inclined to step out into the elements for a bit, but I didn't think she could ever relax enough to just have some fun.

“What are you thinking about?” Cash asked, sitting down next to me.

I rubbed his already tousled hair. “Life. What are you doing?”

“Taking a break. I haven't come outside in a long time. When I was little – like a little, little kid – I used to go outside to play all the time, but...” his voice trailed off.

“But, what,” I asked. “You don't get to play outside anymore?”

He cast his eyes down to the ground, a look of sadness covering his cherub face. “Not really. Sometimes Mr. Scooter will let me help him wash the cars and when Lucilla's granddaughter comes over I get to play with her for a few minutes.”

“Lucilla has a granddaughter? Is she your age?” I asked.

“No, she's way younger, like eight or something. I don't know. She's bossy sometimes.” Cash explained.

Like her grandmother, no doubt.

My curiosity had gotten the best of me. I thought I'd chance asking Cash some questions. “Did you used to play outside with your parents?”

Cash's body stiffened.

“Sorry, so tell me about you and Lucilla? Have you known her a long time? Has she always lived here?” I thought it better to change the subject.

“I don't remember my mom,” Cash answered my previous question.

“I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about your parents.” I regretted ever bringing it up.

Cash stood up and started walking in circles around me and the tree, picking up blades of grass to pile on top of my legs. “It's okay. No one ever wants to talk about them. Just so you know, Lucilla doesn't live here. It's just me and my granddad. Mr. Scooter lives in the cottage.”

“Where's the cottage?” I asked, looking around.

Cash pointed. “By the creek in back. Didn't you see it?” He stopped what he was doing and started walking back to the house. Turning to me, he said, “Well, come on. I can show you.”

This was news to me. I just assumed that the staff lived in the house with Nathaniel and Cash. I'd never walked around to the back of the house and had no idea that another structure stood behind it.

Sure enough, a quaint, little cottage sat at the back of the lot just in front of where a creek ran through. “Wow, this is cute.” I said, catching up to Cash.

“Yeah, I used to come here all the time, but she kept telling on me all the time, so Lucilla said I couldn't bother Mr. Scooter anymore.” Cash said.

“Who told on you? Lucilla's granddaughter?” I asked.

“Nope. Granddad's accountant. She was always in everybody's business.” He said, looking at the door. “Do you want to go inside?”

I shook my head. “I don't think that's a good idea. Scooter is working today.”

“Why did you say that Ms. Carter was in people's business? Didn't you get along?” I asked, wondering if he was just repeating what he'd heard or he actually felt that way about her.

He shrugged. “I don't know. She used to have a dog, but I think Granddad made her get rid of it.”

“Your grandfather made her get rid of her dog? Why would he do that?” I asked.
Who gets rid of a pet because their boss doesn't like it?

“He said that the dog always made a mess and barked too much,” Cash explained. “When are you going to bring your dog over?”

The more time I spent talking to Cash, the more I didn't like Nathaniel. It already irked me that he never referred to Cash by name, but when I added all of the other things I'd found out about him to my growing tally, I had more than enough reason not to like him very much at all.

“I'll bring Barney over some time, but I'll have to check with your grandfather first, okay?” I'd hoped to avoid him today. He wasn't high on my list of people I wanted to interact with today after our phone conversation.

“No, don't do that. Tell Lucilla. She likes dogs. I think she still has hers at home. You should see it. He's only about this big.” He held his hand out horizontally next to his waist.

“Does she bring the dog here?” I asked.

“Nope. I already told you. Granddad doesn't like dogs. When he made Ms. Carter get rid of hers, all they did was fight, so she moved out.” Cash explained.

I thought this was a good time to bring up another question that had been weighing on my mind. “Does your grandmother like dogs?”

“Which one,” he asked.

“Um, which grandma?”

How many did he have?

Cash giggled. “You are so crazy!”

I put my hand on his shoulder and started to guide him back to the house. We'd been gone long enough. Eventually, someone would become concerned and would look for him.

“I had lots of grandmas. I don't remember the real one. I think she died before I was born, but I remember all the ones that lived here.” He said.

“Your grandfather got married a lot of times?” I asked.

“A lot, except for Ms. Carter. She got too mad before they got married.” He explained.

I tripped over my feet. “Whoa! Jane was his girlfriend?” That changed everything.

The ride back to my house was quiet. Scooter didn't seem to mind that my thoughts were elsewhere. I was thankful. I had a lot to wrap my mind around.

“We're here,” he said.

“Oh, that was fast. Thank you for the ride. I really appreciate it. I know you must have plenty of other duties to do. I don't mean to be an added burden to you.” I said.

“You are not a burden. In fact, aside from when I get to spend some time with Cash, you are the highlight of my day.” He said, smiling.

“That's so sweet of you, but as soon as I can get my transportation situation figured out, I promise I'll let you get back to your normal routine.” I offered.

He stepped out of the car and walked around to open the door for me. “I don't have a normal routine. Nothing about working for Mr. Rich is normal.”

I had to be honest. “If you're not careful, I just may start asking a bunch of questions.”

He grinned. “If you're not careful, I just might let you ask me questions. Do you know how long I've waited for someone to ask me something about working for the Rich family?”

I patted his arm. I could only imagine what it must have been like to have worked in that home for any significant amount of time. “How would you like some coffee?” I asked.

“I'd love some,” he answered and followed me inside. My car wasn't parked in the drive, so I figured we'd have some quiet time to talk. I had so many questions and I hoped he had plenty of answers for me.

With a fresh pot of coffee between us, we'd gotten past the small talk and into the inner workings of life at the Rich Manor. Scooter had worked for the Rich family since Nathaniel was married to his first wife. She passed away several years later and that's when his life took a turn.

According to Scooter, Nathaniel became a serial dater to an endless parade of women of all ages, but they would quickly fall by the wayside if they challenged him or his antiquated views of women or got anywhere near his money.

“So, Cash's parents, what's the story with them? I know you said not to mention them, but as I recall, we were only not supposed to mention them at the manor.” I grinned. “This is far from a manor, so we're safe.”

“You're a clever gal. I like that,” he chuckled. “The story isn't very pleasant, I'm afraid. That's perhaps why the whole subject is frowned upon. Part of the reason anyway.”

“What's the other part?” I asked.

Scooter sat back in his seat, rubbing his chin. “It makes no sense really. Not to me anyway. Parents aren't supposed to give up on their children. That's not part of the job.”

“Do you have children?” I asked, sensing he did, given his reaction.

His face lit up. “I have three girls. They are all grown now and two have families of their own, of course. My grandkids have kids of their own too. Having a family is a blessing. I guess that's why I still get so upset about what happened with Nate and his father.”

“Nate? Is that Cash's dad?” I asked.

He nodded. “Sure is. You wouldn't know it by the way he carries on, but you can't pick your parents as they say. Mr. Rich and Nate had their problems. Nate never did anything the easy way, but neither does his father.”

“How did Cash end up living with Nathaniel?” I asked.

Scooter shrugged. “Like I said, Nate never made life easy. He and Cash's mother, Leanna, thought marriage would suddenly turn them into grownups. It didn't. I don't know the particulars, but soon after Cash was born, he came to live with Nathaniel and his wife.”

“Which wife?” I asked.

He chuckled. “Aw, so I'm not the only one you're asking questions of, I see.”

“No one ever said I was good at minding my own business.” I joked. “I may have asked a couple of people, but I really can't say that I learned anything.”

“The answer will vary depending on who you're asking. Most people in Nathaniel's life fall into two distinct categories: those in the know and those who are not in the know.” He said.

I asked, “Which group do you fall into?”

“Good question. For me, it really depends on the day and who you're asking. Lucilla can be...”

I interjected with a few choice adjectives I'd been holding onto since the moment I met her. “High strung, uppity, stuck up, mean...”

Scooter laughed heartily. “She takes some getting used to, but her heart is in the right place. She loves Cash like her own.”

At this moment, I thought it better to bite my tongue than to say the next thing I wanted to say about Lucilla. They say that there's a time and a place for everything, but my timing was always all off and my place didn't need to have her aura running around, so I withstood the slight tinge of pain for the greater good of my soul. (
What, too dramatic?
)

Scooter stood up to take his coffee mug to the sink. “Nathaniel's wives are a lot harder to figure out. Let's just say that his choice in women leaves a lot to be desired.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“It means, he prefers women who... I don't know how to put this nicely...” he struggled to explain what he meant.

“Younger women?” I asked.

“I wish it were that simple.” He responded. “What I'm trying to say is that he prefers women who will look up to him and hang on his every word. That's not always the way he was. Something happened after he lost his first wife. He became someone new.”

“That happens. What was his first wife's name?” I asked.

“Rebecca. She was a special lady. She kept him in line and helped him build an empire. Behind the scenes, of course. Times were different. Moms weren't working outside the house the way they are now.” He mused.

“How long ago was this? My mother worked all the years I was growing up.” I said.

Making his way to the door, Scooter said, “We don't live in his world. Like I said, he prefers women who look up to him. Rebecca was special, but in some ways she was pretty much the same as the other women, just quieter. Anymore questions?”

“Yes, plenty, but I'll just ask two more or three.” I answered.

He smiled and leaned his back on the door. “Okay, shoot.”

“How did the accountant die?” I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer to this question. It would just be one more thing that I would feel guilty about not having heard it when it happened.

“They say she was shot.” He answered.

I gulped. That's what I figured had happened, but I'd never seen a gunshot wound before.

One question down. Next question.

“Why does everyone call Nathaniel 'Sir'?” I was probably wasting my time by asking that question, but it had been bothering for a couple of days.

“Rebecca used to call him that in front of people. I don't know why really. I think it was just to make him seem important. I really couldn't tell you.” He answered.

Good to know.
I preferred Nathaniel.

“Okay, last question. Why didn't anyone mention that Jane used to be Nathaniel's live in girlfriend or mention his estranged wife?”

He opened the front screen door. “That's two questions, but I'll answer. His wife moved out over a year ago. As far as I know, they don't speak. Jane wasn't his girlfriend.”

I was confused. “Scooter, I know that she was. She even got rid of her dog because of him.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about.”

*

“I'm so sorry I neglected you, Barney. Life's been crazy. Shall we go for a walk?” My Pug wasn't amused. Walking or exercise of any sort were not his strong points.

“You are heading out?” Tina asked. “I can't believe how happy he seems. When he was in the nursing home, he learned how to lay low and stay quiet, so we never really had much interaction with him, except when Nubbin got him riled up.”

“I feel like I haven't seen him since then,” I hugged his little body to my chest. “I missed you, big guy.”

“Have fun. Dinner should be ready in a little bit, then, we can finally sit down and catch up.” Tina was right. We hadn't really had any time to reconnect since she'd arrived. I was looking forward to spending some time with her and Noah.

“Sounds like a plan. It smells delicious.” I set Barney down and connected his leash. “We'll be back soon. If anyone drops by, tell them I'll be back soon. If that anyone is you-know-who, tell her I moved.”

“Mercy, I thought you were going to give her a chance,” Tina reminded me.

“I am giving her a chance. She has a chance to breathe every second she's not inviting me to be the third wheel in her epic love affair.” I joked.

The neighborhood looked no different than it always had. I took comfort in that. There was something about being home, among friends that made me feel all warm inside. Sometimes I wondered what it would be like to take a break from all the traveling and work somewhere closer to home. Not that I didn't love my job, because I did. Sometimes though, after several weeks or months away from home, I dreamed of settling down and having a much more normal schedule.

“Look!” Helen scared the living daylights out of me.

I lurched forward, nearly tripping over Barney in the process. “Helen, where did you come from?”

She held her dog in her arms. “Look who came home.”

“Well, if it isn't Killer, the wayward Chihuahua,” I reached my hand out to pet him, but quickly pulled my arm away when the little bugger growled at me. “And, friendly as ever, I see.”

“Oh, he's just excited to see you.” Helen quipped. She was a new woman with a wide smile splashed across her face.

“Did he just walk back? Where did you find him?” I asked.

“Right there,” she pointed to the small recreational area that sat in the middle of the neighborhood. “He was just running around there and yelping his sweet little face off to tell me that he was home.”

“That's great! I'm glad he's back. I wonder where he's been.” I said.

She hugged the snarling dog to her. “Wherever he was, they didn't hurt him, so I'm glad. I don't think I'll ever let him out of my sight again.”

I was glad that he was safe, but that didn't answer the question as to where he's been and who took him. Why would they bring him back?

“Well, I just hope that when you find out who did this and all the other nonsense that's been going on around here lately, that you read them the riot act and turn them into the police,” she said, reminding me that I was supposed to be head honcho in the neighborhood investigations department – the job I never wanted and would probably be stuck with for the forseeable future.

“Yeah, about that, I don't really think that I'm qualified for that position. You're always telling me that I don't spend enough time at home and...” I started.

“And, nothing, Margie told me about what you have been up to. You're like some kind of detective. While I don't like the idea of you putting yourself in danger, I have to admit, I'm kind of tickled that I actually know a crime fighter.” Helen said.

I don't what she'd been told, but whatever it was, couldn't have been the whole story. “I'm no crime fighter, Helen. I sort of landed in the middle of those situations and had to fight my way out of and my fighting skills weren't exactly up to par. After all, I've been spoiled by all the wonderful people in my life, like you, Margie, and everyone in this neighborhood.”

“You're being modest. Whatever the case, I think you are the perfect person for the job.” She winked and walked away, carrying a growling Killer close to her chest.