Death Pays a Visit (A Myrtle Clover Mystery Book 7) (18 page)

“Who said anything about an ice storm?”

“Channel Nine,” said Miles.

“Channel Nine must hold stock in area grocery stores,” said Myrtle with a sniff. “They always say it’s going to snow or sleet or ice over and then everyone hysterically dashes out to the grocery store for bread and milk. These storms never come to pass. I do believe Channel Nine is lining its pockets with ill-gotten gain.”

“But what if they’re right this time? What if it ices over?” asked Miles.

“Then we’ll sleep on Ruby’s floor. Maybe we should do that anyway, considering that she appears to be in mortal danger. But I bet we’ll be fine,” said Myrtle. Miles pulled onto Magnolia Lane. “See you tomorrow night at ten-thirtyish?”

Miles muttered something under his breath. Myrtle decided to take it as a delighted affirmation of their plans.

Chapter Fifteen

Even Myrtle had to admit that the New Year’s Eve party was nicely staged. There were glittery stars hanging from the ceiling of a large activity room and there was a table of noisemakers and party hats. Another table held champagne cocktails for the countdown and there was a table with a variety of different foods, including black-eyed pea salsa (black-eyed peas being vitally important in the South for good luck in the New Year), mini quiches, cheese in crescent rolls, and artichoke dip.

Myrtle and Miles both paid a Greener Pastures attendant for admission and Miles appeared to be determined to get his money’s worth as he loaded a plate full of food. The lights were slightly dimmed to provide atmosphere, but not enough to create hazards for the guests. A large screen television was playing a countdown program. And the staff had music playing—it sounded like a selection of hits from the forties, fifties, and sixties. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and there was a lot of loud laughter.

There was a tap at Myrtle’s shoulder, and she turned to see Inez Wilson giving her an insincere smile. “Good to see you here, dear. And who are you wearing tonight? I’m doing a story for the paper.”

Myrtle felt as though Inez was trying to rub it in her face that she was a reporter, too. It was very annoying to have Myrtle’s position at a town newspaper compared to Inez’s retirement home newsletter. Knowing she needed to have Inez cooperative, though, she forced a smile. “Whatever do you mean, Inez?” she asked. “Do you mean
what
am I wearing? In that case, I’m wearing a black button-down shirt dress with a belt and a festive red scarf.” It seemed festive to her, anyway. Miles kept asking her on the car ride over if she were cold, so maybe he thought it was purely functional.

“No, I mean
who
are you wearing?” asked Inez with something of a superior look. “The designer.”

Myrtle frowned at her. Did people wear designers at Greener Pastures? This was yet another sign that she didn’t belong here. “I believe the designer is Mr. Wal-Mart, Inez. Maybe I shouldn’t be included in your piece.”

Inez smirked. “Not at all, Myrtle. I also wanted to profile visitors to Greener Pastures. Here, let me take your picture.

Myrtle bared her teeth for the cell phone camera that Inez whipped out of her stylish purse.

“There!” said Inez in a pleased voice. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

It was. But Myrtle wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of saying so. She decided that she really didn’t like Inez much. Her eyes combed the room, wanting to change the subject. “Have you seen Ruby tonight, Inez?” She was starting to feel as if Ruby might require a bodyguard.

Inez’s voice was bored. “No, and I don’t care if I do. I’m convinced that Ruby is a thief.”

Myrtle knit her brows, remembering the stolen items from her pocketbook. And the one return. “Why do you say that?”

“I went on the Greener Pastures van to the grocery store and took the trouble of getting myself a bag of veggie chips. They’re my
favorite
type of chip and they’re not even that bad for you. Helps me keep my figure.” Inez gestured with some pride to her thin physique clothed in a glittery black evening dress that nearly reached the floor. Myrtle decided that Inez was decidedly overdressed for the occasion.

“I put the chips in the cabinet in our hall’s kitchenette. The very next day I went into the kitchen to make some lunch and my chips were gone.” Inez’s eyes were wide and her mouth trembled for a second. Myrtle was becoming very concerned that Inez might cry over the loss of the chips.

“What makes you think it was Ruby?” asked Myrtle briskly. “There are plenty of other people who live on your hall. Or Natalie Pelias could even have taken them if she needed a snack while she was clearing out her mother’s room.
Anybody
could have taken them.”

Inez stared at her with dislike. “Anybody
could
have taken them. But Ruby actually saw me put the chips in the kitchen when I returned from the store. And then she had crumbs on her top when I saw her at lunch. Orange and green crumbs. The kind of crumbs that veggie chips might make.”

“She might have been eating anything,” said Myrtle with a shrug. “She might have had crumbs from something she ate in the dining room. Who knows? You can always replace chips. You don’t have enough evidence to blame Ruby for the missing chips.”

“I should make her replace them,” brooded Inez.

“I don’t think Ruby is exactly loaded with extra cash,” said Myrtle, shooting Inez an exasperated look. “Especially not for buying expensive chips that she probably didn’t even steal from you.”

Inez leaned in closely and Myrtle fought the urge to step back away. “I’ve heard just the opposite. I’ve heard that Ruby is loaded.”

“Loaded?” Myrtle shook her head disbelievingly.

“Well, she’s
about
to be loaded. I hear that Mickey left most of her money to Ruby,” said Inez.

“To Ruby?” Myrtle realized she was starting to sound like a Greek chorus.

“That’s right. Oh, she didn’t
totally
cut Natalie out, but she didn’t give her nearly what she probably thought she’d be getting. Of course, my understanding was that Winston was supposed to get some money, too,” said Inez in a knowing voice.

Myrtle somehow stopped herself from repeating ‘
Winston?’
but instead just gave Inez an inquiring look.

“Winston was Mickey’s boyfriend for a while here. A good, long while.” Myrtle was intrigued by the jealous flash in Inez’s eyes. The woman did seem to hold a torch for Winston.

Myrtle made a face. She hated the word
boyfriend
when it was applied to anyone older than a teenager. Still, there didn’t seem to be a good alternative to the word. Companion and partner both left something to be desired she thought.

“How long were they together?” asked Myrtle.

“For several months,” said Inez.

“Several months is a long time?”

“Here it is,” said Inez in irritation. “Greener Pastures is sort of like junior high. Three months is a long time to be together. Anyway, she was supposed to be leaving Winston something in her will. She’d been bragging about how she was going to “take care” of Winston. It must have made her feel powerful or something. But then they had a falling out of some kind.”

Now Myrtle was paying more attention. “What kind of a falling out?”

Inez pursed her lips. “Well, I’m not one to snoop. Or to gossip. And I don’t actually know what the problem was—except that Winston was desperately trying to make up with Mickey. All I know is that I heard Mickey yelling after Winston when he was leaving her room. She was screaming that she was going to have her lawyer come out and she’d change her will.”

Myrtle raised her eyebrows. Surely, this would be motivation for murder. Wouldn’t Winston want to get rid of Mickey before she changed her will? She’d have to see what she could find out from Darrell or maybe even Red. “When did this happen? Was it a while back?”

“Heavens, no. It all happened in the last couple of weeks.”

Myrtle asked thoughtfully, “Did Mickey’s daughter, Natalie, know that her mother had changed her will in favor all of these other people?”

“I doubt it. Because then Natalie wouldn’t have been as motivated to wait on her mother hand and foot. And Mickey wouldn’t have had anyone to boss around. No, I’m pretty sure that Mickey would have kept that information from Natalie. I don’t even think that Ruby knew that Mickey was planning on leaving her money. And Winston wouldn’t have told Natalie about his potential windfall because then Natalie would have tried to talk her mother out of it,” said Inez. Then she made a face. “I should go take some more pictures.” She hurried away.

Myrtle turned to see Winston wink at her. She froze.

Someone stopped Winston to talk for a minute, but he was definitely heading her way. She looked around desperately for Miles. Shouldn’t he be dancing with her and saving her from Winston? Myrtle spotted him going back for seconds at the food table and hurried over there.

“Miles,” she hissed. “You’re not being nearly attentive enough. Winston looks like he’s on a mission to dance with me.”

Miles stared sadly at his plate. “I was going to just have a little more to eat, that’s all.”

“Plenty of time to eat later. Just put that plate down somewhere.”

“Someone might take it!” said Miles in an affronted voice.

“Greener Pastures certainly won’t be
that
much on top of cleaning up. They probably won’t clean until after the party. Hurry up!”

Miles put his plate down on a table, Myrtle propped her cane against the wall, and Miles and Myrtle started dancing.

“You’re not a bad dancer,” said Miles in surprise.

“Of course not. Neither are you,” said Myrtle graciously. Although she felt her toes might have had a near miss a moment or two ago. “The music helps. They
have
done a good job picking tunes.”

Miles had a thoughtful look on his face. “I remember this one,” he said.

“I should hope so.”

“I was in elementary school at the time,” said Miles in a reminiscent type of voice.

Myrtle gave him a withering look and then froze. “He’s coming over!” she said in alarm, watching Winston’s progress. “He’s going to break in.”

“Well, I can hardly refuse to relinquish you,” said Miles dryly. “I doubt I can fake that type of fervent jealousy. And I
do
want to hear the story about the two of you. There must be quite a tale.”

Winston, dressed in a dark suit with a red and green striped tie, sidled up to them and made a bow to Myrtle. “May I have the extraordinary honor of dancing with you, Myrtle?”

Myrtle couldn’t seem to help the sour expression she felt forming on her face.

Winston carefully overlooked any signs of displeasure and turned to Miles to implore, “Do you mind? It’s just a dance.”

Miles’s eyes twinkled at her. “I don’t mind at all. But Winston, if you could steer her toward her cane at the end of the dance. It’s propped against the wall there.”

Winston pulled her in a bit too close and she shoved him until they were dancing at nearly an arms’ length. “Just like the old days, isn’t it, Myrtle?”

“Except for the presence of a cane,” noted Myrtle. And the fact that although she’d once cared far too much for Winston, she only wanted to avoid him now.

“Say, though, it was grand of you to come to our New Year’s Eve shindig tonight. And for arranging the countdown to midnight…I understand that was your doing.”

“A countdown to noon was absurd,” said Myrtle simply with a shrug.

“I think that you’ve become a woman who knows how to get things done,” said Winston thoughtfully. “And knows how to get her own way.”

“From what I hear, you’re able to get your own way, too,” said Myrtle. “I hear that you had Mickey Pelias so infatuated with you that she was planning on leaving you money in her will.”

“Planning?” asked Winston quickly. “She
did
leave me money. It was a friendly gesture, that’s all, Myrtle. Mickey had plenty to give away and the thought of giving money to help out a friend pleased her. Besides, she probably thought that I would predecease her, right? Men always croak before women do.”

Myrtle disapproved of the word
croak
. “So to you, it was merely a gesture. Not something that you expected to receive.”

“Of course,” said Winston smoothly as he spun Myrtle around.

Myrtle wasn’t expecting to be spun and she took an extra few steps to stabilize herself. The fact Winston kept knocking her off-balance both literally and figuratively was annoying. It made her more determined than ever to press him for information. “But you had a falling out with Mickey, I understand. A falling-out that made you very anxious because Mickey threatened to bring her lawyer in and change her will.

“Minor posturing from Mickey,” said Winston. His tone was one of fond reminiscence. “She didn’t mean a word of it.”

“At the ice cream social, you told me that you didn’t have any problems with Mickey,” said Myrtle.

“Did I?” Winston pulled Myrtle a little closer.

Miles’s eyes were full of merriment as Winston steered Myrtle past him.

“You certainly did. While we were eating ice cream,” reminded Myrtle crisply.

“Well, that might have been because I hated to speak ill of the dead and bring up any past disagreements. I’d been very sad that entire day about poor Mickey. And being sad affects my brain chemistry. It’s science, you know,” he said.

Myrtle raised an eyebrow. “That’s very interesting. Particularly since you told me that you hadn’t heard anything about Mickey’s death. You led me to believe that I was the one who informed you about it.”

Winston colored a bit. Myrtle couldn’t tell if he was coloring from the exertion of the dance or from embarrassment at having been caught in a fib. Because, clearly, it was a fib. Why would he lie about not having heard about Mickey’s death? Or about having an argument with her?

“Well then, it must not have been grief that eroded my memory at the ice cream social. It must have been the fact that I really didn’t think our disagreement was any big thing. Mickey could be a diva, you know. She was simply being melodramatic that day. I was giving her some space to have a cool-down period. Mickey was bound to be over any minor irritation in a few days,” said Winston.