The Gallery of the Dead (Tropical Breeze Cozy Mystery Book 3) (17 page)

From the Journal of Edson-Darby Deaver

“Of course!” Lily said. “It’s practically an admission of guilt, Jinx disappearing like that. Think about it: after the murder, Jane made her getaway through his room. He had left it open for her. If it had been locked, she would have been caught. He whined about having the only room without a bathroom, but he also had the only room with a fire escape. So they pulled the ‘I tried to catch her, but all I got was her backpack’ routine.”

Lily, Teddy, Wyatt, Elliott and Taylor were sitting in the great room with me, trying to think things through. By the time the police had let us leave the kitchen, I’d been too tired to drive home and too interested in the drama at Cadbury House to leave. I had slept on the couch and felt refreshed. Among the people from the show, only Lily seemed really awake, but she was talking too fast and too much. I took it as a sign of nervous exhaustion.

The only thing Jinx had left behind was a cell phone. The sheriff came into the great room holding an evidence bag containing the phone. “Do you
all
have burner phones?” he asked heavily.

Shrugs. Nods. Apparently, Taylor and I were the only ones in the room who had only one cell phone apiece. After demanding to know the numbers of
all
the cell phones currently in our possession, the sheriff went away shaking his head.

Lily went right back to her theory about a Jinx-Carmilla connection.

Teddy disagreed. “When we had our production meeting, they were really nasty to one another.”

“Of
course
they were!” Lily cried. “It was all part of the act. You already knew about Jinx’s past. They had nothing to lose by bringing it up so they could look like strangers who didn’t like one another. But really, they were co-conspirators all along.”

Teddy was shaking his head. “If she’s an obsessed fan, what was she doing with a co-conspirator? Were they
both
obsessed with killing me?”

“That’d be a new one,” I said. “Cooperative loners.”

“They would cooperate if they both had the same agenda,” Lily said. “Didn’t you tell Jinx that you were giving him less pay than anybody else because you were taking him on in spite of his past?”

It was the first I’d heard of it, and I turned to look at Teddy. “You would,” I said.

“So? Why would that make him want to kill me? He couldn’t get a job anywhere else and we both knew it.”

“That would make me want to kill you,” Wyatt said. Then he looked around and said, “Figuratively speaking. I didn’t know anything about any plot to kill you.”

“As I remember it, Jinx was out drinking with you and Paul all afternoon on Friday,” I said, looking at Elliott. “Did he go to his room when you got back?”

“No. We got back late, and Teddy was mad. He made us stay in the gallery so Wyatt could work on the lighting. Jinx still needed to get into his jumpsuit for the show, but he could do that in about five seconds. He never got the chance, though.”

I nodded. “So Carmilla had all afternoon to pick the lock, or get the door open somehow. Jinx didn’t necessarily leave it unlocked for her.”

“It’s quacking like a duck, Ed,” Lily said impatiently. “It’s a duck. He left it unlocked so she could run through his room.”

Taylor had been looking thoughtful, and finally she said, “Who could have helped Jinx get away from here this morning? The cops are still all over the place, and he didn’t take one of the cars. Either he’s still hiding out on the grounds somewhere and the police just haven’t found him, or he must have had a co-conspirator to help him get away.”

“Right!” Lily said. “Carmilla! She’s a genius at disguise. All she had to do was dress up like somebody new, rent a car with one of her fake I.D.s and come back and pick Jinx up.”

Taylor nodded. “If he walked due west through the scrub, being careful to stay out of sight, she could have picked him up along Route 1. It’s a pretty quiet stretch of road along there. If they waited for the right moment, nobody would have seen her pick him up.”

Nobody else had pointed out the hole in the theory, so reluctantly, I did. “Then who picked up Carmilla? She couldn’t have
walked
somewhere in the middle of the night and rented a car. Are you postulating a
third
co-conspirator?”

Lily deflated. “Oh. Right. Well, we’ll figure that out later. I’m right about Jinx and Carmilla, I
know
I am. They both had drop phones. They’ve probably been in contact all along, on a second set of phones. They set it all up somehow.”

“Why didn’t he take off with her in the first place?” Teddy asked.

“They didn’t think we’d suspect him,” Taylor said. “One of them must have overheard us when I told you Ed’s theory about Jane being Carmilla, but we didn’t say anything at all about Jinx. He felt safe, so he stayed behind to keep tabs on the investigation.”

“Okay,” Teddy said. “And what’s your theory about why he cut my clothing up before he took off?”

Lily looked at him through her lashes. “Seriously? He hates you enough to kill you and you’re wondering why he would cut up your clothes?”

“I’m still having a hard time believing he hated me enough to kill me. The way I looked at it, I was doing him a favor by hiring him.”

“And giving him half pay?” Lily said.

Taylor stretched and stood up. “I’m all wired up. I’m going for a swim. Anybody want to join me?”

“I’d like to, but I’m so sunburned,” Lily said.

“The pool’s in the shade now. Wear a tee shirt, it’ll protect you. The water’s nice and cool – it’ll feel good.”

I shivered. Taylor can be so physical.

In the end Lily decided to go, and once the ladies were gone Elliott and Wyatt decided to go for a walk, “or something.” That left me alone with Teddy, and he immediately turned on me.

“When were you going to tell me?” he asked, glaring.

“Tell you what?”

“Tell me that you knew who was trying to kill me and that she was
right in my back pocket!
You let me bring her here to Cadbury House, where I felt safe for God’s sake, and get herself all ready to take another crack at me. So I’ll ask you again: when were you going to tell me?”

“I wasn’t absolutely sure; it was only a theory. Taylor was the one who became firmly convinced, but she was going on the instincts of a dog, which seemed like fuzzy thinking to me.”

“If you mean Porter, you know damn well he’s psychic.”

My mouth dropped open, but this was not the time to get into it. In fact, with a man like Teddy I was never going to get into it.

“Yes,” I said, swallowing hard. “Psychic. Still, I wasn’t sure I agreed with her reasoning. But when she suggested we should warn you, I decided it couldn’t hurt. We had no real proof, but we didn’t want to take a chance, since your life was at stake.”

“Oh, thank you very much,” he said, standing up and glowering down at me. “May I ask that in the future, when you see somebody standing behind me preparing to plunge a knife into my back, you utter a word or two? Any little thing. ‘Look out,’ would be nice. Or, ‘My, what are you doing with that big, sharp knife?’ would be enough. I’d catch on. Just give me a split-second or two.”

“Of course,” I said, but he was already on his way out of the room.

I sat alone on the couch, gazing at the river. Such is gratitude. It occurred to me too late to say, “You’re welcome,” in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

After all, I had figured it out in time to save his life.

From the Diary of Taylor Verone

In the weeks that followed, I found myself calling Edson Darby-Deaver more and more often. Teddy finally decided that the show needed to go on the road, and they were in Colorado. Lorenzo was still at Cadbury House, but he wasn’t making any conquests, which would have kept him interested, and the mystery dinners were going like a little Swiss watch, so I figured he’d be leaving soon.

Despite Teddy’s fears, he knew he had to get back to work. Once he came to that decision, he went forward with a kind of moxie I had to admire. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a fan. I’m still furious about the way he toyed with my volunteer, Angie Kelly. He had flirted with her the last time he’d been in town, and she didn’t realize as I did that he flirted with anything remotely female. He had specifically called ahead and asked for her to be Porter’s handler during the shoot. On the basis of that, she had gone off into a dream world where he would hire her and take her on the road with him, hopefully as his girlfriend. Then he showed up with Lily and didn’t think anything of it. And when Porter went on the road, Angie wasn’t invited. She was heartbroken. But I had to admit, with killer stalkers in the wind, he was showing at lot of courage going ahead with the show.

Ed, whose mind had wandered away as soon as he had new haunts to pursue, seemed happier as the weeks went by, while I got more and more edgy. The show was actually developing a rhythm, he told me. He didn’t hate it.

Teddy was 0-for-2 at hiring mentally stable co-stars, so they decided not to replace Carmilla and Jinx. The tight combination of Teddy, Edson and Porter was working out beautifully, though. One time when I called, Wyatt answered Ed’s cell phone (he had left it next to his uneaten breakfast and drifted away when some idea had struck him) and he chatted with me a while. He told me he was actually focusing in more and more on Ed, whose little eccentricities were both hilarious and endearing.

“When contract time comes around,” he said, “I’m going to tell Ed to get himself a big fat raise. He may actually end up carrying the show.”

Wyatt enthused a while about the way Ed was always fiddling with his glasses, which was becoming a trademark, and when I asked him about Porter, he surprised me.

“I think Porter is the only reason Teddy is on the road right now,” he said thoughtfully. “He won’t admit it, but he was pretty impressed with the way Ed figured out that Jane was Carmilla, and I think that’s giving him confidence too. But he thinks Porter is the – I don’t know – embodiment? – of a protective animal spirit, and when something unexpected happens, he looks at Porter to see how he’s reacting. If the dog is relaxed, Teddy relaxes. You do know that he thinks Porter saved his life, don’t you?”

“He does? Why?”

“About the time Jane started going off, Porter got tangled up in Teddy’s feet and started snapping around at everything in general. He thinks the dog was keeping Jane away from him.”

“I see.”

Two years before, I would have said, “Oh, brother,” but a lot had changed. I seemed to have acquired my own “familiar” in the form of a cat, and I no longer believed I understood everything that went on in the universe.

Still, it drove me crazy that Ed was busy and happy. I didn’t want him happy. I wanted him working on solving our murder. But, as he patiently explained ad nauseam, we couldn’t do anything until the murderer made a move, so we would just have to wait.

When I called Ed on a Monday, for the third time in a period of five days, I finally had some news.

I actually lowered my voice, though I was alone in my office. “I think Jinx is back.”

There was a startled silence. Happy that I had finally put a buzzer under him, I began to talk too fast.

“If it’s him, he’s in disguise. He’s wearing glasses, but they don’t change the size of his eyes.”

Pause. “I don’t follow you.”

“When you’re nearsighted, your glasses make your eyes look smaller. When you’re farsighted, they make them look bigger. His glasses are just nonprescription glass, I’m sure of it. Also, he’s got a beard, only he’s one of those guys who doesn’t grow much of a beard – it’s all thin and scraggly and doesn’t hide his face much. And he looks fatter or something. But that’s not the most surprising part. Hang onto your hat.”

“I don’t wear hats.”

Arrrgh!
“Keep your glasses on, then. The most surprising part is, he’s working at The Bookery.”

“I see.”

Then . . . nothing.

“Oh, come on, Ed! You’re shocked and you know it. In all the years you’ve known Barnabas, how many people has he hired to work for him in the book store?”

“None.”

“Exactly! Why would he hire this guy?”

“Because . . . he needs help in the store?”

“
Ed, will you wake up?
” I shrieked. “Here’s this new guy in town who could be Jinx –“

“What makes you think he’s Jinx?”

About that time there was a knock on my office door and I heard Lorenzo’s voice asking, “Is everything all right in there, Taylor?”

“I’m talking to Edson Darby-Deaver,” I called to him.

“Oh, I see.” I heard Lorenzo walking away, chuckling.

I went back to Ed.

“I think he’s Jinx because he’s a wiry little guy about Jinx’s size, and he’s obviously incognito. He’s wearing a little padding to try to make himself look overweight, but judging by his face, I think he’s actually
lost
weight. What I can’t figure out is why he’d come back to Tropical Breeze.”

“Maybe he’s trying to clear his name?”

“Oh, Ed, don’t be stupid. When he ran away from Cadbury House it was practically an admission of guilt. He was in it up to his neck. And get this – he’s been hanging around Girlfriend’s.”

“It’s right next door. If he’s a little down on his luck, he’ll find cheap second-hand clothing there. It would also explain why Barnabas hired him. He’s a kindly man, and he’d give a helping hand if he could. But you interest me. Tell me what’s going on in Girlfriend’s.”

I shrugged. “Nothing. The usual donations and special sales.”

“Any new volunteers?”

“Not that I can think of. They always come and go.”

“What about any other new people in town?”

I tried to think. I’d been so focused on Jinx, I had to take a moment. “Some college girls are working part-time jobs around town. You know, at that new ice cream place, and the coffee shop. Oh! We do have a new volunteer, come to think of it. He says he’s a writer, new in town – Karl West – and he’s coming in to help out at Girlfriend’s fairly often. He’s not much help, though. I think he just wants to get to know people, absorb the atmosphere, which is fine by me. He keeps Florence company in the store. Ed? Are you there?”

“I think it’s time I returned to Tropical Breeze for a little visit.”

I stood up. “Is it happening? What you told me about? Finally! When can you get here?”

“We just wrapped up at the hotel. Our results have been astonishing. I’m beginning to think there
is
something about Porter –“

“Ed – the murder? Don’t you think that’s more important?”

He thought about it. “You may be right. I’ll catch a flight out tonight and spend the night at my house. Where will you be tomorrow?”

“In town. I told Florence I’d help her with inventory. Tomorrow’s Tuesday and that’s usually a slow day.”

“Good. I’ll be in to see you late in the morning. Can you arrange for Mr. West to work in the store tomorrow while you’re doing inventory?”

I frowned. “He already is, but he couldn’t come in until after one. What do you want to see him for?”

“I’m interested in anybody new in town. That works out well for me. First I have to have a talk with Bernie, and then I’m going to The Bookery. I want to have a look at this guy you think is Jinx.”

“Now, Ed, try to be subtle,” I warned. It was hopeless, I knew. You always knew what Ed was thinking, and I didn’t want him to scare Jinx back into the wind. “Don’t let him know you suspect him.”

“Oh, I won’t. Trust me. And thanks, Taylor. We’re at a point of very high danger now – you do realize that? Don’t do anything rash, and stay away from The Bookery.”

“Trust me,” I said. “I know the guy’s dangerous. Shouldn’t we warn Barnabas?”

“I’ll take care of that. I’m calling him now.”

“What about Teddy?”

“He’ll be all right. As long as he’s in another state, he’s safe from Carmilla, and Elliott and Wyatt have decided they love their jobs now. They’re aware of the danger and are looking after Teddy.”

“Good.” We signed off.

Now we were making progress!