Chapter Twenty Four

 

I watched Kay and Lionel Wyatt accompany Bootsy to the chairs of a glass-topped table, one of three tables on the terrace. Bootsy sank down onto a chair as if she were exhausted. Devlin stood with his hand on her shoulder. Millie and her sons clustered around and peered off in the direction Bootsy pointed.

I knew she was talking about the garden and I probably should have gone to help her describe the design. I was still struggling with the news that Devlin would have been out of his inheritance if his stepfather had lived, so I remained with Chelsea and Sharee near the door to talk.

“I’ll bet Wyatt suspected about the sale, and so did Kay,” I said. “There had to have been rumors in the company. Besides, Kay was in charge of finances and bookkeeping, so she would have known about financial statements, a prospectus, whatever it takes to sell a company like that one. For heavens sake, Grandpa found out.”

“Mr. Gillentine is resourceful.” Chelsea stared at me. “But it shouldn’t have been possible if the sale was supposed to be secret.”

Sharee said, “True, so Kay and Lionel had to have heard the same scuttlebutt.”

Devlin left his mother and walked toward us.

Sharee said, “Here comes the new CEO of the company.”

He laughed. “And I’d like a little respect, please.”

Chelsea laughed. “It appears to me that’s what you have—a little respect.”

Devlin put his hand on my elbow. “Why don’t we go sit down?” He guided me to one of the other tables. “It’s a nice night to relax out here.”

“Wait until the garden has grown into itself. You’ll love it.” Chelsea beamed at me with pride. You’d think she was my personal PR person.

“That’s what Mom says. She said she never wants to leave this place.” He looked at me. “But I’m a city boy at heart.”

“Excuse me, I think Mama wants me.” Sharee stood and walked toward where her mother was standing near Bootsy.

“I’ll check to see if Bootsy needs anything. She looked so tired earlier.” Chelsea followed Sharee.

“Looks as if we’ve been abandoned.” Devlin took my hand.

“And none too subtly.” I was feeling uncomfortable, holding hands with a man who might have murdered his stepfather and tried to frame his own brother. Surely I couldn’t be that wrong about him.

My glance fell on two small pots at the edge of the terrace. A small plastic container of lavender and one of lemon grass were tucked under an azalea bush. “Isn’t that odd? Who would have left those there?” Now why did that tickle my memory? There was something about it.

“Maybe one of your workmen put them there and forgot them.”

“No, we aren’t using lemon grass. And the lavender we used is from three-gallon containers.” I stood and walked for a closer look. With a sudden flash of insight, I said, “I’ll be right back.”

Hurrying toward the others, I tapped Chelsea on the arm. “Would you come here a moment?”

She followed me back to where I’d left Devlin. I pointed at the two containers. “Remember when you told me Kay had been in and bought three plants?”

“Sure, how could I forget?” Her voice sounded bitter at the memory of that visit.

I nudged her. “Chelsea, think. Three plants.”

“What? Oh. Ohmygosh, I see what you mean. There’re only two of them, but I’m sure those are exactly like two of those she purchased.” She poked at them with her toe. “Except, of course, that these need watering.”

As we spoke, I saw Kay glance our way then head into the house.

Chelsea ignored her and looked around nearby. “Where’s the third container, I wonder? Kay said she wanted them for her herb garden.”

The three of us huddled on the terrace, staring at the two withered plants.

Devlin shook his head and frowned. “Aunt Kay? You must have misunderstood. She doesn’t have an herb garden.”

“Are you certain?” I asked.

“We could ask her, I suppose. Never known her to have even a live houseplant. She jokes that she prefers silk plants that her brown thumb won’t kill.” Devlin shrugged.

Chelsea chewed on her lip and looked at me. “She might have changed her mind. You know, she saw how healthy our plants were, might have made her decide to try growing some.”

Devlin asked, “Hey, what difference does it make anyway? Maybe she changed her mind about starting a herb garden.”

I grabbed his arm. How could a pharmaceutical chemist be so slow? “Devlin, the third plant was valerian.”

He looked cross. “So?”

Did I have to draw him a picture, or was he being purposefully difficult to throw me off? “Surely you know it causes drowsiness.”

“Valerian? Yeah, I guess. So?” He shrugged.

Chelsea grabbed his arm. “And Sam had something besides sleeping pills. Get it?”

He stared from her to me, a horrified expression on his face. “Damn. It’s effect is additive for central nervous system depressants. Makes the depressant work faster, and as if the dose were larger.”

I said, “Right. Depressants, like your mom’s sleeping pills.” Had he sent Kay to purchase the plants? I didn’t think so, but perhaps he was a good actor.

“Surely you don’t think Aunt Kay is responsible? No, not Aunt Kay. My God, she’s, she’s—“

“I’m sorry, Devlin,” I put my hand on his arm to comfort him, “but I think your aunt tried to kill Sam.”

He closed his eyes and sunk his head. “No, I can’t believe it.” But I could see the logic of my accusation was sinking in.

Chelsea said, “I don’t think there’s another explanation.”

“I’m calling the police.” I intended to whirl and dash inside for a phone, but I felt something hard prodding my back, and not in a good way.

Cold.

Hard.

Like a gun barrel.

Kay pushed the gun against my vertebrae. “No, Heather, I don’t think you’ll be calling your policeman tonight.”

Devlin shook his head, and his eyes were wide with shock. “Aunt Kay? What are you doing?”

“I’m saving myself, dear. Damn, I meant to get rid of the plants, but I’ve been busy. I saw these two snoops talking about those plants and knew they’d figured it out.” She gave a nervous laugh, sounding almost hysterical.

“What do you mean?” Devlin asked.

“I mean Heather has figured it out, dear. That means she’d soon be asking too many questions and calling that policeman. Can’t have that, can we?”

“Aunt Kay, why involve Heather?”

“Unfortunately for your clever little friend, she’s my ticket out.”

He leaned around me as if to take the gun. Or maybe he couldn’t believe there was one.

“Stay back,” she warned. “Any fast moves and Heather gets a bullet in the spine.”

“Please don’t do this.” Devlin pleaded. “Think about this, Aunt Kay.”

Something in his voice must have alerted the others. Bootsy screamed. Sharee stepped to shield her mother.

“I’m going to shoot Heather unless she backs up very slowly.” Her free hand clenched on my throat. “Don’t anyone else move.”

Devlin held out a hand as if pleading. “Where are you going? What will you do?”

“You won’t mind if I use the company plane, will you, dear Devlin? Maybe I’ll let your friend live to accompany me to an island I scouted out. No extradition from there, of course. Just a bank full of money.”

Chelsea said, “Please let her go. Don’t hurt her.”

Kay tugged at me again and I almost choked.

She said, “Or, maybe halfway there I’ll push her out for being such a smartass.”

Devlin shook his head in apparent disbelief. “No, Aunt Kay. Please.”

She laughed. “Don’t look so shocked, Devlin. I did it as much for you as for myself. Don’t you see? Vance would have cut us all out of anything.”

“But we have all we need,” he said. “More than any of us can spend.”

“Maybe for you. But your friend has ruined it for me. Fortunately, knowing Vance’s nature, I skimmed enough to set up my own retirement account. Rather nicely, in fact. I’d planned for him to join me, but he wouldn’t leave his“—she spit out like venom—“precious Bootsy.”

“Aunt Kay? You can’t mean you killed Vance.” He stepped toward her. “And Sam. My God, you tried to kill Sam?”

“Stay where you are, son.” Her voice changed from vitriolic to trembling. “Son. That’s how I’ve thought of you all your life, you know. The son who should have been mine if that cheating Vance had kept his word and married me when he was supposed to.”

“It doesn’t matter now. Whatever was between you and Vance is over now. All that counts is that you don’t hurt anyone else.”

“You think it doesn’t matter? All I went through for him? But no, he had to have your mother and her pile of money. Always promising me he’d leave her, only he never did, did he?”

“Aunt Kay, please don’t do this. Let Heather go. We’ll give you a head start before we call the police. Hours, days, whatever you say. I promise. You can be away safely and no one else will be hurt.”

I pried at her hand, but her fingers tightened as she jabbed her gun’s barrel harder against my back. “I think not, son. I’m afraid you’d better say goodbye to your little friend here.”

She jerked me backward by my throat and I almost fell. “Slowly, now, until we’re out of the house and into my car.”

There was nothing I could do but hope she tripped instead of me. So far, I wasn’t doing too well. I couldn’t walk well in these shoes under normal conditions, now I was wobbling like a child’s toy. I couldn’t speak—not with her grasping my throat as if she’d rip it open.

Vaguely, I was aware of everyone staring in shock. Tears streamed from Chelsea’s eyes. I wanted to cry, but I was too scared. We inched backward until we were through the doorway.

Chelsea’s eyes widened. Devlin shook his head. Something in his expression must have alerted Kay, because she jerked me around.

Too late.

Kurt grabbed Kay’s wrist that had held the gun at my back. “Give it up, Ms Douglas. It’s all over.”

“No!” She let go of my throat to scratch at his face.

I stomped on her foot with my spike heel.

“Bitch!” She screeched in pain. To Kurt, she said, “You can’t do anything to me. Do you know who I am?”

Kurt captured her other hand, and neatly turned her to clap her in cuffs. “Yes, Ms Douglas. I’m arresting you for the attempted murder and abduction of Ms Cameron, and for questioning in the death of Vance Rockwell and the attempted murder of Sam Rockwell.”

Kurt’s eyes met mine. I saw the questions there. Here I was at Devlin’s when he’d warned me, asked me not to come. What did that mean?

I saw the hurt and doubt on Kurt’s face and didn’t know how to respond. I wanted to hurl myself in his arms and tell him he’d been right all along and I’d been wrong.

Instead, I rubbed my neck and made a stupid stab at levity. But my voice was shaky when I said, “T-Thank goodness you came when you did. Who says there’s never a cop around when you need one?”

Officer Winston—I should remember to call him Jack—brought a chair from the dining room and I plopped onto it before my knees gave way.

Devlin hurried to his aunt. She was crying, I thought as much with anger as with sorrow. But he drew her to him, soothing her as if she were a small child.

“Don’t let them take me. Stop them, stop them,” She sobbed onto his shoulder.

He was crying too, but his tears appeared those of genuine sorrow. “How could you, Aunt Kay? How could you do those terrible things?”

“I had to take care of us, didn’t I?” she cried. She turned and yelled at Kurt. “You can’t prove anything. I’ll get the best lawyer in Dallas. Then I’ll sue you for false arrest. You can’t do anything to me. I’m Kay Douglas.” By then she was screeching like a banshee.

Bootsy came to the door then turned away from her sister-in-law. She put her hand on Officer Winston’s arm. “Get her away from here. I never want to see her again.” Then she walked back out onto the terrace.

Chelsea stared from her to me as if torn in her duty.

“Take care of her, please,” Devlin said. “Heather, please call the hospital right away and tell them Sam was given valerian. The number’s on Mom’s desk.”

“I will.” I nodded at Kurt then rose and walked through to Bootsy’s office. I dialed and asked to speak to the nurse on duty. I relayed the information and disconnected.

The realization of how close I’d come to biting the big one hit me like a truck. My legs refused to support me and my hands wouldn’t stop trembling. I sat down at the desk and put my head between my knees until the dizziness passed.

When I could, I staggered into the powder room and relieved myself, gagging down the nausea at my near death experience. I washed my hands and splashed cold water onto my face. Then, I forced myself to walk back to the dining room where Chelsea and Sharee waited.

Sharee said, “Back up arrived and they’ve taken Kay to the station.”

Chelsea said. “They let Devlin follow in his car and an officer rode with him. Bootsy and the others are in the living room.”

Kurt motioned us to join the others, then said, “We’ll need statements from everyone. We’ll talk to you individually. Mrs. Rockwell has invited us to use her office for the interviews. While we talk to one of you at a time, the rest of you will please refrain from discussing the evening’s events. Officer Ferguson will remain in the room while Officer Winston and I take statements.”

I looked at him. He was all business now, and I couldn’t help admiring his professional attitude, but he could at least look at me.

“Ma’am?” He nodded toward Bootsy. “I know this has been a difficult time for you. We’ll start with you so you can go upstairs and rest.”

Chelsea started to help her up, but Bootsy shook her head and rose slowly. Kurt, ever the gentleman, offered her his arm and she accepted. We watched her square her shoulders and walk out regally. She might spend money like it was water, but I really admired her.

Chelsea said, “Devlin asked me to stay here with Bootsy tonight.”

“Better you than me. This place sort of creeps me out now.” Sharee peered around the room. “Imagine, I used to wish I could live in a place like this. That’s before I knew what went on here.”

I nodded. “It’s lost a great deal of its charm, hasn’t it?”