Lemon Pies and Little White Lies (16 page)

Verena shook her head in dismay. “That means it’s weak. Oh, my sweet, gentle Dee. You need to be stronger than you’ve ever been.”

“Can’t we do anything?” Ella Mae asked. “Don’t we know someone with healing abilities?”

“We do,” her mother said. “In fact, he works at this hospital and is with her now. But there are limits to what he can do.” She swallowed hard. “Was she burned very badly? Was that man, Marravar, with her? He—”

“Adelaide!” Verena’s tone was harsh. “This is
not
the time!”

Ella Mae gazed into the middle distance. Once again, she saw the curled and blackened hand. “If Kyran Marravar was inside that barn, then he’s dead. Before I even left for Dee’s, the butterflies showed me an image of someone long past the point of rescue.” Picturing the chain and padlock on the barn door, she let loose an animalistic growl. “Someone locked them inside! Doused the barn with an accelerant and struck a match.”

Sissy released a shrill cry. “The fire just needed to reach the bird sculptures. There were
so
many of them. All those birds would have created light pulses.”

“Yes,” Verena agreed, her voice cold with rage. “They would have blinded the two people who created them.”

“They would have been too confused to react,” Ella Mae’s mother continued in a voice that was nearly a moan. “How did Dee survive at all?”

“The important thing is that she did,” Reba declared fervently. “And she’ll recover.” She pointed at the door to the restricted area. “As soon as that nurse comes back and fills us in on Dee’s condition, I need to go look at what’s left of the barn.”

“If Kyran was inside, the whole area will be a crime scene now,” Sissy said, and then her lips began to tremble. “What about Dee’s animals? I hope they weren’t injured. Those poor creatures!”

Ella Mae told them about the cat she’d found in Dee’s arms and then went on to describe Finn’s heroics.

“He should be at the emergency clinic by now, but I can’t even call to ask him about the cat.” She grabbed Reba’s arm. “My purse is back at his warehouse. I have to get to it before Finn does. My gun is in that bag.”

“We’ll get it,” her mother said. “But not now. I’m not leaving this room until I know how Dee is doing.”

They didn’t have to wait long before the nurse who’d taken Dee into a trauma room stepped through the automatic doors leading to the restricted area.

“Are you with Delia LeFaye?” she asked.

Ella Mae was unaccustomed to hearing Dee’s full name. In that moment, it sounded especially beautiful. Delicate as wedding lace. As gentle as a summer rain.

“We’re Delia’s family,” Verena replied. “Please. How is she?”

“She’s stable.” The nurse gave them a reassuring smile. “The doctor is recommending that she be moved to the Grady Burn Center in Atlanta. Their facility is excellent and
their complicated-wound management is second to none. Ms. LeFaye would definitely benefit from their hydrotherapy tables, and she’d be more comfortable in one of their private rooms. They have zoned-air surface beds that adjust to the patient’s weight, and lots of other specialized equipment. And they offer physical and occupational therapy too.”

Everyone looked at Verena. “If her doctor thinks she can be moved, then we’d like her to go to Atlanta.” She searched the nurse’s face. “This sounds very serious. Can we see her?”

“Not yet, I’m afraid.” The nurse gestured toward the registration desk. “The faster we can get the paperwork completed, the faster we can transfer Ms. LeFaye to Grady. We’ve already talked to them, and they have a bed available, so that’s good news. I’ll meet you at the counter when you’re ready.”

When she was out of earshot, Verena turned to Reba. “Go to Dee’s and look around. I want to know what happened.” Her eyes blazed with fury. “If the cops are there, then watch them from a distance. Try to learn what they know. Use that exceptional hearing of yours. And once they’ve gone, conduct your own search. Look inside Dee’s house. Examine everything. Dee’s privacy isn’t as important as her life. There must be some clue as to who tried to murder her.”

“Adelaide, you should take Ella Mae home,” Aunt Sissy said after Reba left. “She’s covered in soot.” Studying Ella Mae, she frowned. “Your shirt is full of holes. Maybe we should have a doctor examine you.”

Ella Mae glanced down at her ruined shirt with a feeling of complete detachment. “My eyes and throat hurt from the smoke, but I didn’t get burned. The fire hadn’t reached the corner where Dee was huddled. Luckily, the metal storage unit where she keeps her tools had fallen at an angle that created a buffer against the flames.”

“I’ll give her herbal tea and chicken soup to soothe her
throat. And I have eye drops at home as well,” Ella Mae’s mother said, but she didn’t move. “I don’t want to leave Dee. She’s my baby sister.”

Sissy was about to respond when Officer Wallace and a second policeman Ella Mae recognized but didn’t know by name appeared in the waiting area.

“We just came from Ms. LeFaye’s.” Officer Wallace’s brown eyes were filled with concern. “How is she?”

“In stable condition,” Ella Mae’s mother said. “They’re making arrangements to transfer her to the burn center in Atlanta.”

Officer Wallace seemed taken aback by the news. “Already? Is she awake and lucid? Officer Bristol and I need to speak with her.”

“No one is allowed to see her,” Aunt Sissy said curtly. “Not even us, and we’re
family
.”

Officer Bristol turned to Ella Mae. “I understand you were on the scene before the fire department. Could you tell us everything that happened from the moment you arrived at Ms. LeFaye’s residence? Please include as many details as you can. You never know what might be important.”

Ella Mae shot a quick glance at Officer Wallace, who gave her the briefest of nods, as if granting her permission to provide an edited version of events to her non-magical partner. “Before I do, would you answer one question?”

“If I’m able,” Bristol said.

“Why are you here? Isn’t this a case for the fire investigator?”

Bristol stiffened as if he’d been insulted. “He’s involved, of course, but this isn’t just about arson, miss. It’s also a murder investigation. The fire and police departments are working in conjunction.”

Ella Mae’s throat grew dry, increasing the soreness and
discomfort she already felt. “Murder,” she croaked. “Who’s the victim?”

“My daughter is not giving a statement until she’s had something to drink,” her mother said, glaring at the two officers.

“I’ll get her some tea from the cafeteria,” Aunt Sissy offered, and hurried down the hall.

Ella Mae pointed at the water cooler behind the registration desk. “I’ll ask the nurse if I could have a cup of water.”

“Allow me,” Officer Wallace said. She returned shortly with a cup in each hand.

The first few sips stung Ella Mae’s raw throat, but by the time she’d finished the first cupful, the soreness had abated somewhat. “The murder victim? Who is it?”

“We don’t know. We were hoping that either you or your aunt could shed some light on his or her identity,” Officer Bristol said.

Ella Mae decided not to mention Kyran. It was up to Dee to determine what she wanted the police to know about her friend. “I didn’t even notice another person when I went into the barn. I only saw my aunt.” She raised her hands. “But I’m getting ahead of myself.”

“Take your time,” Officer Wallace said, and handed Ella Mae the second cup.

“I’ll talk until it hurts too much to continue, okay?” Ella Mae said, speaking very softly. She explained that she’d been having dinner with a friend when Reba sent her a text about the fire. The last part was a lie, of course, but a necessary one. “My friend’s name is Finn Mercer, and he was the hero of the night. He broke the barn windows and drove his mother’s car through the doors, because they’d been chained and padlocked.”

Because neither officer seemed surprised by this revelation,
Ella Mae assumed that the police had already conducted a preliminary search of the crime scene.

“Where is Mr. Mercer now?” Bristol asked.

“At the emergency animal clinic. At least, that’s where he was headed. I don’t know if he’s still there.”

Officer Wallace looked stricken. “Was an animal injured in the fire?”

Ella Mae nodded. “A cat. Dee had her in her arms. I think she was a new mother, but I didn’t see any kittens. I hope . . .” She trailed off, unable to complete the horrible thought.

“Oh no!” Officer Wallace suddenly buried her face in her hands. “That’s awful!”

Bristol was obviously stunned by his partner’s reaction. “Get a grip, Wallace,” he murmured. “We have an unidentified body in the barn and an injured woman in the hospital, and you’re losing it over a cat?”

“I’m sorry.” Wallace struggled to collect herself. “I’m really sensitive when it comes to animals. I can’t stand to think—” She stopped, inhaled deeply, and then exhaled loudly through her mouth. “I’m good now. I apologize for the outburst, Miss LeFaye. Please continue.”

“There isn’t much more to tell,” Ella Mae said wearily. “Finn helped me carry my aunt out of the barn, and then the firemen and EMTs took over. I rode with Aunt Dee, and Finn took the cat to the clinic.”

Aunt Sissy returned with the tea and immediately shooed the officers away from Ella Mae. “That’s
enough
. My niece needs rest. Can’t you see that she’s been to hell and back?”

Ella Mae’s mother was quick to agree. “My sister’s right. I’m taking my daughter home now. If you have more questions, they can wait until tomorrow. Ella Mae, we’re leaving.” Turning her back on the police officers, she hugged Sissy tightly, and whispered, “Will you come to Partridge Hill
when you’re done here? It doesn’t matter how late. I want us to be together.”

“I can’t,” Sissy said. “Verena and I need to be with Dee when they move her to Atlanta. But I’ll call you. Until then, you take care of our girl.”

After the sisters parted, Ella Mae and her mother headed for the exit.

Neither woman spoke as they stepped into the dark night, but in wordless synchronicity, they searched for, and found, each other’s hands.

“I’ll never let go,” her mother promised in a choked voice.

They passed beneath a dim fluorescent light, and Ella Mae stole a glance at her mother. At that moment, the tears cascading down the slope of her mother’s cheeks looked like falling stars.

•   •   •

Ella Mae showered, took three Tylenol, and drank a mug of herbal tea.

“Next up is chicken noodle soup,” her mother said, placing a bowl on the kitchen table. “The nurse told me that tea and chicken soup will stimulate the cilia in your respiratory tract, thereby hastening your recovery. I also gave Chewy a snack. He was whining the whole time you were in the shower. I think he smelled the smoke on your clothes and it upset him.”

Ella Mae ate half of the soup and then took the rest to the sunroom. She sat on the rug in front of the window overlooking the rose garden and invited Chewy to rest his head in her lap. After the tea and the soup, she thought she’d be more than ready to climb into bed, but she wasn’t. She was too angry to lie down and too worried about her aunt to sleep.

“Has there been any news?” she asked when her mother joined her.

“Not yet.”

Ella Mae set aside the empty soup bowl and wondered if she could do something constructive while waiting for an update on Dee and for Reba to report back on what she’d found at the crime scene.

As she stared out at the moonlit roses, she thought about Joyce Mercer and the fact that her killer had never been identified. Of course, the idea that Joyce had been killed originated from Fiona Drever. And despite how forthright Fiona seemed to be, Ella Mae couldn’t help but feel that there was much she’d left unsaid.

Ella Mae got to her feet. “I’m going out,” she told her mother. “I need to see Fiona Drever, and it can’t wait until tomorrow.”

Rather than objecting, her mother nodded. “I’m coming with you.”

“Actually, I think you should pay a visit to the Gaynors. Loralyn has never hated our family as much as she does now. The idea that she set the barn on fire makes my stomach turn, but we need to know where she was tonight.”

“You shouldn’t be alone,” her mother protested.

Ella Mae knew she was right. “I’ll take Jenny.”

Sensing the something was going on, Miss Lulu ran to the back door and started barking. She turned in small circles, barking and looking from the women to the door, her eyes lit with anticipation.

“Lulu!” Jenny chided from the top of the stairs and then noticed Ella Mae and her mother. “Are you two going out?” She was clearly surprised, especially since Ella Mae’s mother preferred to meander through the garden until she was tired enough to sleep.

“Yes, and I’d like your company,” Ella Mae said. “I’m going to see Fiona Drever and the visit could be unpleasant.
If Fiona’s combat skills are anything like Reba’s, we could be in for it.”

Jenny didn’t need to be asked twice. “Should we drop by Suzy’s and get Aiden?”

Ella Mae shook her head. “I don’t want to form a lynch mob. I just want some answers.” She waited for Jenny to descend the stairs before saying, “Remember that dose of liquid sunshine you gave me this afternoon?”

Jenny nodded.

“I think it may have saved my life. And my aunt Dee’s as well.”

Blanching, Jenny drew closer to Ella Mae, studying her anxiously. “What do you mean? What happened?”

“I’ll tell you in the car, but it’s beginning to occur to me that our gifts might be more multifaceted than we realize. For example, my mother’s abilities allow her to grow lush gardens, but she can also perform the Luna Rose ceremonies to determine whether or not a couple is meant to be together. I think all of our gifts have a secondary purpose, and I believe the energy you gave me acted like a force field. I went into a burning building and, though my eyes and throat were a little sore, I’m uninjured.”

Jenny held up her index finger. “Whoa! You went into a burning building? You were supposed to be on a date with Finn, not taking over your ex-boyfriend’s job. Why were you playing firefighter?”