A Clue in the Stew (A Soup Lover's Mystery) (19 page)

Sophie nodded in acknowledgment.

Lucky turned to Meg. “What do you say we adjourn the first meeting of the . . .” she smiled, “the Murder Investigation Club. We’ll meet here tomorrow . . .” Lucky remembered her plans with Elias for dinner. “Sorry, I can’t be here tomorrow night, but the night after. We’ll meet after closing and compare notes. Anybody second that?” Lucky said.

“I’ll second,” Horace announced. Cicero barked to make it unanimous.

Chapter 41

M
EG WALKED VERY
quietly down the corridor. When she had first arrived at the Drake House, she peeked through the front window and saw Phoebe watching the news on the television in the front sitting room. Audra sat at the other end of the room, near a reading lamp, her feet propped up on an ottoman with a book in her hands. She wasn’t sure where Derek or Sylvia were, but she assumed they were in their bedroom. She grasped the doorknob to Phoebe’s room and, summoning her courage, turned it. She peeked inside, fearful someone else might be there, even though she was sure Phoebe was still downstairs. A suitcase rested on a folding hammock. The lid was propped against the wall. Meg quickly stepped inside the room and left the door ajar. In case anyone saw her, she could always claim she was checking for dishes to be picked up. She glanced around the room. Everything in it was neat and orderly, except the desk. Papers were strewn across the top. Meg hurried across the room and quickly leafed through the papers. Several large envelopes, all addressed to Phoebe Hollister or Lexington Avenue Publishing at the New York office, were stacked to the side. Meg riffled through the papers on the desktop. Everything seemed related to travel arrangements, car rentals, invoices and the group’s travel schedule. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. She opened each drawer and checked its contents. Nothing of note. She had just picked up the large envelope on top of the stack to check its contents when she heard a floorboard squeak. She dropped the envelope on the desk. It slid to the floor. Someone was coming. She picked the envelope up quickly, returning it to the stack on the desk and did her best to rearrange the loose papers. A small white business card caught her eye. She picked it up.
CYNTHIA CRANLEIGH, M.D., SALIS
BURY RETREAT,
with an address and telephone number. Her heart was beating fast and her hands were shaking. Why would Phoebe have the doctor’s card? She slipped the card into her pocket. She listened again, not daring to breathe, but heard nothing. She hurried out to the corridor and picked up her tray. She looked both ways. The corridor was empty. She was sure she had heard footsteps and the creak of a floorboard. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Maybe it was just her imagination.

She approached the doorway to Room 4, Sylvia and Derek Stone’s room. She knocked and entered when Sylvia called out, “Come in.”

Sylvia sat at the dressing table, still in her silk gown even though the day was almost over.

“Excuse me,” she said quietly.

Sylvia turned in a flash, an angry look on her face. “Oh, it’s you. Well, come in. Don’t just stand there gawking. What have you brought us tonight?”

Meg smiled with difficulty. “I have a serving of cream of asparagus and a carrot and ginger soup for you and your husband.”

“Well, put them over there.” Sylvia gestured airily to the small table in the corner of the room.” She smiled suddenly. “I have to admit, your restaurant’s food is the best there is around this town.”

Meg smiled in return and placed the tray where Sylvia had indicated. She could feel Sylvia’s eyes on her back. There was something quite intimidating about the woman. She was beautiful, but there was a hardness to her. The platinum blonde hair didn’t quite go with her complexion, as if she were masquerading as a Hollywood icon of years before. Meg could definitely smell hard alcohol in the room.

“Sit down, sweetie, and talk to me,” Sylvia said. “Tell me what’s going on out there.”

Meg was taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“Have a seat. No need to run away.”

“Uh, all right.” Meg nervously wiped her hands on her skirt. She had no idea what possible common ground she and Sylvia Stone could have.

“So,” Sylvia announced, turning from her mirror. “Have the police found any leads?”

“Uh, well, I don’t really know.” Meg hesitated. What was Sylvia thinking? That she, Meg, had some inside track to the police investigation?

“I know that big guy . . . what’s his name?”

“Nate? Nate Edgerton?”

“Yes, that’s it. He’s the chief of police, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well . . .” Sylvia smiled slyly. “We heard you people at the restaurant are pretty friendly with him. Don’t tell me you don’t overhear everything that goes on there.”

“I don’t hear very much. Mostly everyone just ignores me. But Nate hasn’t come in too often lately.”

“Oh. That’s too bad.” Sylvia smiled widely. “I was hoping we’d be allowed to go home soon. Holding us here is just ridiculous!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Meg replied.

“After all, there’s only one person in our little group who really has a motive.”

Meg’s ears perked up, but she wisely kept her mouth shut.

Sylvia waited expectantly for Meg to respond, but when no words were forthcoming, she continued. “It’s Audra.”

“Audra?” Meg asked.

Sylvia leaned forward, and her silk dressing gown fell open, leaving a gap that showed lacy black underwear. “Everyone knows she’s having an affair with Derek Stone.” She waited for Meg’s reaction. “Derek Stone,
Senior
. You get my drift?”

“Oh!” Meg was taken aback at this confidence. “You mean . . . your . . . father-in-law?”

“Yes, the old goat. Can you believe that?” She leaned forward again and in a confidential whisper said, “I swear, I think Hilary wrote that book to reclaim some territory because Audra would like nothing better than to take Hilary’s place. Disgusting! That’s where the police should be looking.”

“Is that true?” Meg breathed, unable to remain quiet.

“Oh, yes. It’s true all right.”

“Have you told this to Nate Edgerton?”

Sylvia batted her eyes a few times. “I hate to be the bearer of gossip. They might think I was trying to draw attention away from myself.”

Meg couldn’t resist. “Did you have a motive too?”

“Me?” Sylvia shrieked. “Certainly not. What possible motive could I have to want Hilary dead?” She sighed heavily. “She was a royal pain but I could deal with her easily enough.” Sylvia turned back to her mirror. “Thank you, dear. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Meg had been dismissed. “Good night.” She rose from the settee and, carrying her tray with bowls and saucers, stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind her.

What was that all about?
she wondered.
If she expects me to tell Nate about Audra’s affair, she can just do her own dirty work.
Occupied with her thoughts, Meg walked toward the stairway. Her back stiffened. She heard it again. The creak of a floorboard. She turned quickly. No one was there. The sconce lights were dim and barely illuminated the other end of the corridor. Was that a shadow? She shook her head. Her eyes were playing tricks on her. She stepped carefully down the stairs, balancing her tray. In the front entry she heard voices in the kitchen. She pushed through the swinging door. Barbara and Mrs. Partridge were in the kitchen washing up. Barbara turned when she heard Meg enter.

“Oh, Meg. I forgot you were still here.” Barbara moved forward and took the tray from her. “I’ll take care of these. It’s late, you go on home now.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Drake.” Meg smiled.

“Call me Barbara, please.”

“Oh, okay,” Meg said, “Barbara.” She picked up her purse and lifted it to her shoulder. “Good night.” Meg left by the kitchen door and stepped out into the garden. The moon had risen high and cast an eerie glow over the bushes. If she hurried, she could be home and in bed by ten o’clock. She stepped along the flat stones laid out in the earth and reached the road. It wasn’t far to her home and normally she wouldn’t have minded the walk but she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had been listening to her conversation with Sylvia in the corridor. And then there was that creaky floorboard. She shivered, realizing she had forgotten her jacket. She considered turning back but she was too tired. She’d retrieve her jacket in the morning. She passed under the shadow of a spreading tree. That’s when she heard it. Rustling in the bushes by the side of the road. A shiver of fear ran up her spine. She began to walk quickly, doing her best not to panic and break into a run. The sound was probably just a possum or a squirrel. Some little creature that would be more frightened of her than she of it. She stopped and took a deep breath, willing herself to be calm. It was just her imagination. She took a step forward, but before she could move, strong hands pulled her backward into the bushes. Something tightened around her neck. She gasped for air, struggling helplessly against her attacker. Her feet slid on wet leaves. She reached out to grasp at branches but they slipped out of her hands. Then everything went black.

Chapter 42

E
LIAS HELD THE
door open as Lucky stepped into the Mont Blanc Restaurant at the Resort. “Have you dined here before?” he asked.

“No. Never. It’s gorgeous. Look at those chandeliers, how they catch the light.” She had agonized over what to wear this evening. All her clothes were everyday things that she wore to work or around town. She had a serviceable black skirt and a few sweaters, and a black suit, but somehow nothing was quite right to wear to a restaurant like this. In desperation she had called Sophie, who had rushed over with the perfect dress. It was a silk sheath in a deep rose color with a low-cut neckline. The color set off her fair complexion. She wore a garnet necklace that had belonged to her mother.

“I’d much rather look at you this evening, not the chandeliers.” Elias smiled. He patted the small jewel box in his pocket to reassure himself it was still there. Tonight would be the night, he had promised himself. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. If his schedule, or Lucky’s, had allowed, he would have taken her out of town for a romantic getaway, but barring that, this setting was the best one available.

A waiter hurried forward to seat them. He held the chair for Lucky and produced two leather-bound menus. The waiter recited a list of their special dishes of the evening and Elias ordered a bottle of white wine for their table.

“What would you like?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s so hard to choose. Everything sounds fantastic. I think I’ll have the duck breast with cherry marinade.”

“Good choice. I’ll order the pasta in a cabernet sauce.” He smiled at her. “I’m so glad I could drag you away for an evening out. You must be getting sick of my cooking.”

“Not at all. I love the things you cook. I’m just surprised you wanted to come here. It’s so expensive.”

“Once in a while it’s fun to splurge.”

Lucky couldn’t help but wonder what had spurred Elias’s decision, but she decided to relax and enjoy the evening and not ask any questions. It wasn’t every night she was taken out to a restaurant she couldn’t afford.

“What’s wrong?” Elias asked.

Startled, Lucky said, “Nothing. Nothing at all. Why do you ask?”

“It’s just that you looked like you were drifting away, lost in thought.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s hard for me not to think about these murders and everything that Sophie and I have found out. Plus, I feel absolutely terrible about not being honest with Nate.” On the drive up the mountain to the Resort, Lucky had filled Elias in on their meeting with Hank and everyone’s willingness to become involved.

“You should feel terrible,” Elias remarked, half in jest. “When are you going to come clean?”

“I think very soon. I’m sure Nate’s way ahead of us, but the one thing he might not know about is Hilary’s daughter and the fact that she was given up for adoption. And then there’s Hank’s book that Hilary Stone stole.”

“You realize that you’ve all made some pretty big jumps in logic, don’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re assuming that Hilary’s daughter is this Georgina Ellers, right?”

“Yes, she has to be.”

“Why, because two people died in a house fire?”

“Yes. How many house fires were there in Bournmouth where people actually died? It’s bigger than Snowflake, but it’s hardly a metropolis.”

“Well, to play devil’s advocate. Hank’s memory could be very faulty. It has been a lot of years. Maybe it wasn’t a house fire. Maybe if,
if
something happened to these adoptive parents, even if they did actually die, Hank might have mixed that up with the story of a real fire where two people actually died. It has been known to happen. Memory is a funny thing, especially since he didn’t have any personal involvement.”

Lucky arranged and rearranged the linen napkin on her lap. “Well, that’s a good point. But taken along with the fact that someone named Georgina Ellers was a patient of Dr. Cranleigh’s who was killed in the same fashion, that’s a huge connection. It has to be real.”

“Like I said, I’m playing devil’s advocate. It could all be fact but there could be holes in your logic.”

“I’ll give you the possibility of that, but I really don’t think so.”

“Besides, I don’t like the idea of your trying to find someone who could be dangerous.”

“That’s what everybody else thinks, but I’m not so sure. I’m kind of trusting my first instinct.”

“That her daughter should be informed?”

“Yes. Absolutely. What if this poor woman has been in turmoil her whole life about not knowing her mother, not knowing why she was given up, just wanted to find her mother and make that connection?”

“Yes, and if she’s one of the women who was close to Hilary Stone, then she already knows her mother is dead.”

Lucky sighed heavily. “True. I wouldn’t be telling her anything she didn’t know. That’s if she is on the scene in Snowflake.”

Elias reached across the table and grasped Lucky’s hand. “Let’s forget all this just for tonight. I see our waiter approaching with a large tray.”

Lucky smiled. “Okay, I’m starving. You won’t get an argument from me.”

“Just promise me you’ll talk to Nate right away and tell him everything?”

Lucky nodded. “I will. I think it’s time. I promise I’ll talk to him first thing in the morning.”

Their waiter materialized at the side of the table and served them with a flourish.

Lucky smiled across the table. “Thank you. This is a wonderful treat. Not just to be waited on, but in such luxurious surroundings.”

She sliced a small piece of breast and dipped it in the cherry sauce. “Mmm. Delicious. Try yours.” She waved her fork at his plate.

Elias smiled. “You need some more wine.” He filled each of their wineglasses a second time. Then he reached across the table and clasped her hand. He held it tightly. “Lucky . . .”

“Yes?” She looked across the table at him.

“I wanted to come here tonight because . . .”

A shadow fell across the linen tablecloth. Their waiter stood over them with a phone in his hand. “Ms. Jamieson?” he said.

“Yes?” she answered in surprise.

“A call for you.”

Lucky looked quizzically at Elias, then took the phone. “Hello?”

It was Sophie. “Oh, Lucky, I’m so sorry to interrupt your dinner.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Meg. She’s been attacked outside the Drake House.”

“What? Where is she?”

“We have her in the car. We’re outside the Clinic. I was hoping Elias could see her here.”

“Of course. Is Meg all right?” She glanced across the table at Elias. He looked at her quizzically.

“I think so. Just pretty shook up.”

“We’ll be right there.” She ended the call. “It’s Meg. She’s been hurt at the Drake House. They’re waiting for us at the Clinic.”

“Oh!” Elias said, quickly sliding the box back into his pocket. “We’ll have to go.”

“What were you going to say before we were interrupted?”

Elias shook his head. “Uh, nothing. We can talk later.” He gritted his teeth in frustration. He had finally worked up his courage only to be interrupted, but this call was far more important.