Lurleen’s parting comment left me nervous, but if something terrible did happen in the next 24 hours, there wasn’t one thing I could do about it.
Besides, Stephanie was going to talk to her husband and that might break the dam of silence. That might clarify what was troubling Jonathan. Unless, of course, Jonathan had murdered Nicole. Then Stephanie could be directly in harm’s way.
I found that idea difficult to believe, and I wondered why I was so sure about his innocence. I didn’t really know Jonathan at all, and I realized my opinion was based on the fact that he was trying to save the world, or some part of it, through his work. How could a person like that decide to take a life?
I needed to get my own priorities straight. My priorities were always my family and my patients. Wednesday afternoon was my day to pick up the kids after school and spend some time with them. I was walking to my car when Mason drove up.
I ran over to him. “What are you doing home so early?”
“That’s not exactly the greeting I was hoping for,” he said. He jumped out of the car, gave me a big mushy kiss as Jason would describe it and wrapped his arms around me. “I’ve finished up a big case, so I’m getting a break for this afternoon at least.”
“That sounds wonderful,” I said. “I wish we could celebrate properly but I need to get the kids.”
“I’ll drive,” Mason said. “We’ll celebrate once the kids are in bed.”
I jumped in Mason’s vintage Jaguar. It was too small for all of us really, but we’d manage. Mason wasn’t about to part with it any more than I wanted to give up my old Toyota.
The kids were delighted to see Mason and his car. He rarely let them ride in it for fear of marring its pristine restoration, and he was rarely home in time to pick up the kids anyway.
“What shall we do?” he asked. “Your mom and I have the rest of the afternoon off.”
“Piedmont Park,” Jason said before Lucie could say anything. “I’ll show you my new soccer moves.”
“Suits me,” Mason said. “Can you girls entertain yourselves?”
“Yes,” Lucie said. “Mama and I need to have a long talk about things.”
I didn’t like the sound of that much. “We’ll take a walk and watch the leaves change colors,” I said.
“Huh?” Jason asked.
“Mama’s making a joke,” Lucie said, “but that’s okay because we have a lot to talk about, girl stuff.”
Mason parked and headed to a soccer field with Jason. Lucie and I headed in the opposite direction. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the case,” Lucie said.
“Why am I not surprised to hear that?”
“Mama, are you making fun of me?”
“Never,” I said. “The truth is that I’m feeling anxious. There is a lot to worry about and some of it is hitting close to home. Nicole had a number of contacts, all of whom live in the area.”
“You mean that whoever killed Nicole might be living close by.”
“That is what I mean, Lucie. Lurleen is friends with Stephanie, and it turns out Stephanie’s been getting strange phone calls lately.”
“Like threatening ones?” Lucie asked.
“Yes. Mostly hang ups and heavy breathing.”
“And you think those threats are coming from Nicole’s murderer?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I think that’s part of what’s bothering me. There seem to be so many parts to the story without any clear connections.”
“Oh,” Lucie said, “so you aren’t sure where the danger lies.”
“Exactly,” I said.
“And maybe you’re afraid Lurleen will get in the middle of it,” Lucie said.
“Right again. I’m afraid she might stumble into something because of her curiosity and her wish to help a friend.”
Lucie smiled. “That sounds like you, Mama.”
I nodded. “Right now I’m trying to stay focused on what really matters. I want to know how this sorts out, but I don’t want anyone else to be harmed.”
“Okay. I won’t ask Lurleen any more questions,” Lucie said. “I promise. But can you and I talk about what you know?”
“Maybe we can talk a little as we watch the leaves fall,” I said. “What we can’t do is get involved in this case. Do you understand that, Lucie?”
Lucie nodded and took my hand as if she were the mother. We followed a path around the edge of the park. Leaves were everywhere and we scuffed our way through them as we talked.
“I won’t take any notes, Mama, but can you tell me what you think is going on?”
“I can try. Part of it seems like a very old story, but there are a couple of facts that don’t seem to connect with anything. First off, Luke, a ten-year-old boy, died in a hospital six years ago from appendicitis. Then, his father died a year later in the same hospital and on the same date, October 26th.”
“That’s creepy,” Lucie said and held my hand a little tighter. “If I got appendicitis, could I die?”
I squeezed her hand. “No, Lucie. Almost no on dies of appendicitis anymore. It’s a simple operation, but Luke was unlucky. His appendix burst so he got badly infected and they couldn’t save him.”
“And he didn’t have a pediatrician for a mom,” Lucie said.
“No, he didn’t.” I didn’t add that even a pediatrician couldn’t have saved Luke.
“And then his father dies exactly one year later,” Lucie said. “Can that happen by chance?”
“It’s possible. People can die of a broken heart, and anniversaries of a loved one’s death can be really hard to deal with, so it’s possible.”
“But you don’t think that’s what happened, do you, Mama? Do you think Luke’s father was murdered?”
“I’m unsure about that. I wonder if someone thought Luke’s father was responsible for Luke’s death. The boy died in a hospital his father owned, and maybe someone thought the hospital or the doctors in it didn’t take proper care of Luke. Maybe someone took revenge on the father by murdering him on the anniversary of Luke’s death.”
“You said there were a couple of facts that didn’t connect,” Lucie said.
“Yes. Jonathan’s wife, Stephanie, is worried about him and has been for months. He seems to be wasting away with anxiety or depression.”
“Does that have to do with Nicole’s murder?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “Maybe that’s enough said for now.”
Lucie stopped walking and looked at me. “I won’t badger you with questions, Mama, but please tell me what you know.”
I nodded. Lucie got anxious when she didn’t know all the details surrounding a scary situation. Her mother, Ellie, hadn’t told her what she was up to before she died, and I think Lucie believed that if she had known everything she could have stopped her mother from being killed. We’d talked it over many times—that there was nothing either one of us could have done to prevent her murder, but I’m not sure either Lucie or I completely believed that.
What I had learned from that horrible event was that Lucie was a person who needed to know what was going on, especially when someone might be in danger.
I told her what I knew about Nicole—that she’d married and then divorced Stephanie’s brother, Don Junior, that she was with Luke in the hospital when he died and with Luke’s father when he died a year later.”
“Do you think she murdered them?” Lucie asked. I think if her fine blond hair could have stood on end it would have. Instead, it blew around with the fall breeze. I plucked out a bright red leaf that lodged in it.
“There’s no evidence of that,” I said. “No one thought either death was the result of murder.”
“Maybe someone did,” Lucie said, “maybe the person who killed her.”
“Maybe,” I said, “or perhaps these old stories have nothing to do with what happened to her.”
“I can see why you’re so confused and worried about this, Mama.”
“My old soul. What do you think, Lucie? If you have some ideas I’d like to hear them.”
“Okay. As you say everything seems to begin with Luke’s death six years ago on October 26th. Luke’s father died one year later, maybe to avenge the death of Luke. So, if the murderer thought Nicole was involved in Luke’s death, why wasn’t she killed on October 26th?”
“That’s my question as well. So many things don’t link up.”
“Are there suspects in the death of Nicole?” Lucie asked.
“At least three. Her husband, soon to be ex-husband, Ben Ash, came to the book club, belligerent and drunk. Nate, a family gardener and friend vowed to protect Nicole from him as did a friend Crystal. Both of them managed to disappear at the time Nicole died.”
“They disappeared?” Lucie asked.
“Nate said he was kicked out of the house but stayed nearby to keep Nicole safe, and Crystal said she went out for food around midnight. She was the one who found Nicole dead when she returned.”
“Wow,” Lucie said.
By this time, we had walked half way around the park and we saw the boys coming to meet us.
“We’re done,” Mason said. “Have you two seen enough leaves changing or solved any murders?”
We both smiled at him.
“We’re done too, aren’t we, Luce?”
“For now,” she said.
We got home around five-thirty.
“Anyone hungry?” Mason asked. “How about an early dinner out? It’s a rare treat for me to have dinner with my family. I’ve wrapped up a case, and my boss said I could have a little time off.”
“Then we should celebrate,” I said.
“Yes,” Mason said, “although celebrating an end to a murder case might not be quite the right word for it.”
“Very well then,” I said, “we’ll call it celebrating a break for you. Will you get a real break?”
“I’ll get the weekend off after I finish up some paper work.”
“Great!”
I told the kids we’d go out to eat as soon as they finished their homework. Mason and I settled in the living room, and Mason made a fire. “No shop talk if that’s okay with you, Ditie.”
“Fine with me.”
I checked on the kids half an hour later to see how they were doing. Both were done with their homework. Maybe the teachers were being kind in light of Halloween coming up soon.
Lucie was talking on her cell to Hannah, I suspected. “You won’t believe what I have to tell you,” she said when I knocked and entered her room. “Mama’s here. Gotta go.”
“Hannah?’ I asked.
“Yes. Is it all right to talk to Hannah about all this, if all we do is talk?”
“Maybe we can give murder a rest for tonight,” I said, “and doesn’t Hannah get scared when you tell her too many gory details?”
“A little,” Lucie said. “We’ll talk about Halloween plans instead.”
“Good. You ready to go out to dinner?”
“Sure,” Lucie said. “Can Hannah come?”
“I think tonight it will be just the four of us.”
“Forced Family Fun,” Lucie said.
“Hey, I know you got that from Hannah, but I’m not fond of the term. You’re going to look back at these times with nostalgia and wish you could have had more of them.” I stopped myself. I was beginning to sound like my own mother as in ‘you never appreciate what I do for you, the sacrifices I make.’
“Forget what I just said.” I gave Lucie a hug. “Mason’s had a tough case, and I think he might like a quiet evening with his family.”
“Okay,” Lucie said.
I found Jason setting up a chess game. “The chess club starts tomorrow morning at seven-thirty. Is that okay? Can someone take me?”
“Daddy or I will take you. We won’t ask Lurleen to do it. She always claims she needs her beauty sleep. You ready for dinner?”
“Sure. Then maybe Dad can play a game with me when we get home.”
“We’ll see.”
Five minutes later we were all assembled in the living room near the coat rack.
“Where to?” Mason asked as he handed out light jackets to each of us.
“Can we go to the Marley?” Jason asked.
Jason was a hamburger and fries kid, two things I rarely made at home.
“Sure,” Mason said. “We can get in there without a reservation.”
It was in Decatur, not far from us, which meant we could get the kids home in time for their usual bedtime. And mine.
Lurleen called as we were heading out the door. She listened when I talked about having a quiet family dinner at the Marley.
“Well, it won’t be quiet if that’s what you’re looking for,” Lurleen said, “but I get your drift. You want it to be only the four of you.”
“I’d never mean to exclude you and Danny,” I said. “You are family, but I already said no to Lucie when she wanted to invite Hannah.”
“You didn’t hurt my feelings, Ditie. I know your family is still bonding in a way, getting into the swing of having four family members—six if you count Hermione and Majestic. I have some news but it can wait until tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
There was no more talk of murder. We had a good time at the Marley. It was as loud as Lurleen predicted but we found a booth. We had a lot of ‘Forced Family Fun’ that had Jason and Lucie giggling throughout dinner. Mason was playful with them, and that was lovely to see. I’d seen it before when he first met the kids and it was Jason’s birthday, the day after their mother, Ellie, had been murdered. Mason had brought over a bat and ball and he taught Jason how to use it. I always loved seeing that side of him.
* * *
Thursday turned out to be a slow day at the clinic. I got home early to an empty house. Lurleen arrived at five-thirty, kids in tow. “I hope you didn’t worry about us. I wanted to show the kids the Halloween decorations in the neighborhood and see what they thought we should do with your house.”
“No problem.” I kissed the kids and sent them off to their rooms to start on homework. “Can you stay for dinner?”
“Not tonight,” Lurleen said, ‘but you and I need to talk. Mason probably should hear what I have to say.”
As if on cue, we heard a car door slam, and Mason came into the house. The kids ran out of their rooms to greet him. He kissed and hugged them. Hermione was equally enthusiastic and seemed intent on licking Mason all over. Majestic stayed away. He didn’t seem to know what to do with another man in the house.
Mason got the kids settled back in their rooms.
“Hi Lurleen,” he said. “You joining us for dinner?”
“No, but we do need to talk.”
Mason’s smile disappeared. “What have you found out?”
Lurleen closed the hall door and suggested we talk in the family room.