Death is Long Overdue (Phee Jefferson Book 1) (7 page)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“What happened to your fingers?” She’s referring to the Band-Aids that cover four of my ten digits.

“Mushrooms. Spongy little bastards don’t appreciate being sliced.” - Emma Chase, Tangled

"What are you two kids doing holed up in the corner?"  Sheriff Jaime Dawes sidled over to us.  A short man, he had his Hispanic mother's dark eyes and hair and his father's Irish features.  The swagger was all his own.

"Sir," Clint nodded his head respectfully to his boss.  "This isn't the best time but after talking to Phee, I think I found one thing that Huey Long and Carla Karsen had in common."

"What's that?" Sheriff Dawes inquired.

"Her."  Clint pointed at me.  "Both victims had conflicts with her in the days leading up to their murders. Phee had an alibi for Mr. Long's murder, so she's in the clear, but it might be someone close to her."

"I was at work Saturday when Carla was poisoned," I volunteered.

"That's good to hear," Sheriff Dawes said jovially.  I wondered how many beers he and my father had already drank together.  "Come into the office tomorrow and we'll talk about this some more, but tonight...tonight we are here to celebrate my friend's birthday."  He raised his beer in a toast and began a tango across the patio to his wife, Sheila.

"He's a little bit toasted already, I think," I smiled.  "Can we please forget about all this death and nastiness for tonight?"

"I'm sorry," Clint frowned. "I wasn't thinking.  Of course we can.  I have a beautiful woman standing next to me, and all I can do is talk about work.  Let's go get something to eat."  He held out his arm to me. Not hesitating for a second, I reached out and took it.  We walked across to where the caterers had set up the food. Clint handed me a plate and took one for him. We filled our plates and then looked around for some empty chairs. We spotted two chairs next to Grant and his mother and wended our way through the dancers to sit next to them.

"Thought I had lost you for the evening," Grant said a little sullenly when we sat down.

"No.  Clint just had some news to share with me."  I was annoyed with Grant’s slightly possessive attitude.

"This has turned out to be a wonderful evening," Shari chimed in.

"It has," I agreed and smiled warmly at her.  "Clint, you were a senior when Grant and I were freshmen in high school.  I doubt you and Grant knew each other too well.”  I hoped my pitiful attempt at small talk would ease some of the tension.  Grant and I were going to have a talk about our friendship.  Clearly, he was becoming a bit too possessive.

"You were a first class debate team captain if I recall."  Clint helped me to steer the conversation back to neutral ground.

"Thanks.  I think I knew even then that I wanted to be a courtroom attorney." Grant puffed up a little.  "Phee, did you hear about Carla Karsen?"

"Yes,” I said evasively.  "Terrible way to die.  She and I were definitely not friends, but I didn’t really want her dead."

"Well, I can't say that I feel that bad. I actually saw her Saturday morning at the benefit breakfast at the fire department," Grant said. "She knows you and I are friends, Phee, yet she went on and on about how you were standing in the way of progress."

"Well, I hope you defended me!" I tried to joke even though it wasn't really a joking matter.  "Did you know Huey Long?"  I tried to be nonchalant, but Clint rolled his eyes and made a cutting motion out of sight of the others to me.

"I did,” Grant did not continue.

"How did you know him?" I persisted.  If looks could kill, Clint had slain me and left me drawn and quartered on the floor.  I ignored him.  It wasn't him that was inciting violence and death. Clint needed information, and I was helping him get it.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to say anything now that he’s dead. Huey was a client at my firm.  But I can't give you any more details than that or I would be violating attorney client privilege," Grant offered up.  "I will say that he had a bit of a crush on you, Phee."

"What the heck?!" I exclaimed.  "No way!  He was always such a creep to me."

"That's surprising.  He actually commented to me that he thought you were "pretty nice looking for a nerd."  I think those were his words. I have to say that on one thing, he was correct.  You look amazing tonight," Grant said.

"Thank you," I accepted his compliment.  "But you say that only because you’ve seen me after chugging Boone's Farm and upchucking behind the bleachers after a football game.  Anything would be an improvement over that!”

"You kids!"  Shari laughed.  "I remember that night because your mom called me to make sure that I grounded Grant for as long as she grounded you.  Now the two of you are all grown up and ready to settle down and start a family."

An awkward silence filled the air after Shari’s comment. Realizing that Clint was being left out since he was already off at police academy when Grant and I were up to our teenage shenanigans, I said hurriedly, "I hope my dad's having fun with this evening.  My mom went a little crazy getting everything ready."

"It looks like they are having a great time." Clint nodded in my parent's direction.  They were slow dancing to Aerosmith’s
Angel
.

My Uncle Paul walked up to our table and pulled up a chair.  After leaving the Marines, he had given up the high and tight and morphed into a full mountain man.  He had a bushy gray beard and had taken to wearing flannel on a regular basis.  His footwear would never change though.  He still wore his combat boots no matter what the occasion.  He probably wanted to be buried in them.

"There's my girl!"  Uncle Paul boomed.  "I've been looking all over the place for you.  Where've you been hiding all night?"

"I've been right here," I stood up and gave him a hug.  "How are you, Uncle Paul?  Any new projects up there on the mountain?"

"I'm good.  I'm good." He nodded. "I've been studying up on wild foods.  I've been learning how to identify mushrooms and other edibles.  Morels, fiddleheads, all sorts of things. In fact, I met a fellow just the other day out in the woods who said he knew you, Phee."

"Me? Who was it?" I asked.

"He was a long-haired hippie that went to school with you and Grant.  I think his name was Duane.  Real interesting fella.  He could identify every mushroom in the forest.  He pointed out which ones were poisonous and which were okay to eat.  I don't know.  I might just stick with the store-bought ones.  Seems a bit safer that way."  Uncle Paul declared.

"Duane and I were good friends in school," Grant offered.  "He spent most of his free time outdoors.  I loved going out with him and learning about the different plants and animals.  You're right, Paul.  He could tell you all about mushrooms.  I remember him telling me about one called the 'avenging angel' or something like that."

"I think he called it the 'destroying angel'.  The way he tells it, it can kill you in less than a day.  It causes all sorts of bad crap to happen.  You hallucinate, become delirious and sick as hell to your stomach before you up and meet the big general in the sky.  And that is exactly why I think I will be buying my mushrooms from the local grocer.  Like my sainted mother always said, it is better to be safe than sorry," Uncle Paul finished emphatically and took a draw from his bottle of beer.

Clint had been listening closely during the discussion.  "What's the name of this friend of yours?  He's an expert on mushrooms?"

"Duane Phillips.  We were all classmates.  He comes in the library all of the time.  As a matter of fact, he just did a presentation there two weeks ago for the public," I said.  I wondered why Clint was asking about Duane.  Then it hit me.  Carla was poisoned by a mushroom.

"I'd like to meet this friend of yours," Clint said.  "I think I need to ask him a few questions about poisonous mushrooms."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“She says nothing at all, but simply stares upward into the dark sky and watches, with sad eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars.” ― Neil Gaiman, Stardust

The party started to wind down around ten o’clock.  My dad was over the moon with joy at my present.  The band was closing down the evening with a series of Journey tunes.  I decided to take a break from the crowd and walk down to the beach.  I picked my way down the pebble path and found my favorite fallen oak tree near the shore and took a seat.  I loved sitting down here and listening to the sound of the water lapping at the rocky beach.  In the distance, I could hear the hoot of a horned owl somewhere in the trees near the lake shore. The warm September breeze nudged a wisp of hair loose from my chignon.

"Is this seat taken?"  Clint took a seat next to me. We sat quietly together for a few minutes while savoring the beautiful evening. The music drifted on the night air, and I could hear the band singing
Faithfully.
 Clint stood up and silently held out his hand to me.  I took it, and he pulled me into his arms. We began to slowly dance in the sand.  I rested my head on his chest.  He smelled of leather, wood smoke and a hint of citrus.  I inhaled deeply as I tried to memorize the scent of him.  As the last notes of the song wound down, Clint placed a finger on my chin, bent down and softly kissed me. I leaned into him and when our lips parted, I felt his arm tighten around my waist.  He gazed down at me.

"Ophelia," Clint whispered. "What are you doing to me?"

"I don't know," I whispered back to him. "I just know that I'd like for you to kiss me again."  Clint gave a low throaty chuckle and leaned down to kiss me again. A sudden snap echoing from the woods startled us apart. Clint's hand went to his hip where he normally had his gun.  Realizing it wasn't there; he held his finger up to his lips and moved towards the tree line.  There was a rustle in the leaves.

"Hey guys!  We've been looking everywhere for you!"  Juliet's voice called out from the path above us. I looked up and saw Rick stumbling down the path with Juliet. Both of them were laughing.  Clint stopped his movement towards the woods.  He took one last look, shook his head and turned back towards me.

"What are you doing down here, PheePhee?" Rick asked.

"Oh, I was just down here getting some fresh air and taking a break from the music. Clint came down here to get me and bring me back to the party," I said smoothly. "We'd better head back up there.  I am sure people are getting ready to head home."  I began to walk up the path towards the patio.  My heel caught on a stone and as I stumbled, I felt strong arms grasp me.

"You'd better hold onto my arm before you fall." Clint held his elbow out to me.  Taking it, I felt a small ripple of happiness as I walked next to him.

"If she didn't wear those girly girl shoes, she wouldn't need help!" Rick grumbled.  "But I guess she'd look pretty silly in that dress and a pair of combat boots."  We all laughed.

As we crested the slight rise leading to the patio, I saw that the party was indeed breaking up. We stopped and chatted with a few folks who were getting ready to leave. A few moments later, I spotted Grant at the edge of the patio near the woods with a dark look on his face. Striding up to us, he stopped in front of me. I caught a look in his eyes that I had never seen before.

"I wondered where you had disappeared to and I guess now I know."  He looked pointedly at my hand resting on Clint's arms.  I dropped my hand away quickly.

"Phee stumbled on the rocks down at the beach because of her heels.  I am sure you wouldn't want her to fall and hurt herself.  Don’t worry. I brought her back safe and sound to you," Clint said sardonically as he stepped away from me.  I looked from Grant to Clint and back again.  At first I was confused and hurt by Clint's one eighty change, but then I got pissed at both he and Grant's macho posturing.

"I am so glad that I have two such manly men to take care of little ole' me." I glowered at them both.  "I don't need either one of you treating me like I am a kid or a possession."  I stamped my foot, turned and walked away from both of them.  I made my way over to where my parents were saying goodbye to their departing guests.

"Great party, Mom.  If you don't need me this evening, I'm bushed so I think I'll head home.  I'll be back by early in the morning to pick up the tables in Velma and return them on my lunch break to the party store."  I hugged them both.  "Happy birthday, Dad.  I love you."

"I love you, too, honey. Be careful heading home," Dad said.  I walked through the house and out the front door towards Velma.  Climbing into my faithful ride, I reached over to fasten my seat belt.  As I turned back, a shadow fell across my window.  I looked over to see Grant outside my driver's side window with his hand raised to knock on it. I rolled my window down.

"What do you want, Grant?  It's been a long night. I'm tired and I'm not in the mood for testosterone wars." I frowned at him.  I didn't recognize or like this new Grant who played the possessive card.

"I just wanted to apologize," Grant said sheepishly. "I acted like an ass.  I can only blame it on the fact that I've come back home and my best friend is no longer a hippie chick with her nose always buried in a book. She’ been replaced by a very attractive chick with her nose still buried in a book. Forgive me?"

"I suppose," I said grudgingly. Seeing the look on his face, I gave up trying to be angry with him and smiled.

"Good.  I've got to get mom home.  It is way past her normal bedtime, but it was good for her to get out of the house.  She even danced with Sheriff Dawes," Grant said.

"I'll talk to you later.  Glad your mom had fun.  Call me later this week and we'll grab a sandwich or something."  I rolled up the window and started the van.  Once I got home, I pulled a cotton nightgown over my head and fell into bed.  I was asleep before I could count ten sheep.