The next morning, the phone on Nick’s desk buzzed. “Millicent Davidson is on line two for you, Nick.”
“Thank you.” He punched in line two. “Hello, Millicent. It’s good to hear from you.”
“I’d like to meet with you, Nick. Do you have some free time this afternoon?”
“I can get free. What time is best for you?”
“I have an appointment at three. How does four-thirty sound to you?”
“That will be fine. Shall I come to your house?”
“No. I’ll meet you. How about Old Salem Tavern?”
“That sounds good, but why don’t we make it a little later and have an early supper? I like the food there.” Nick hadn’t eaten at the Tavern in a while, and he relished an evening meal there.
“That would be good. I’d enjoy dining with you. Let’s say six-thirty.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to pick you up?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t want anyone to know I’m meeting you. I’ll take a taxi and meet you there. You can bring me home.”
“I’d be delighted to do that. I’ll see you at six-thirty.”
* * * *
Millicent hung up with a smile. She had planted seeds of doubt in Rebecca’s mind, and she was certain she could win Nick over as well. She liked him. He was an honest man, and she felt sure he would get to the bottom of Vernon’s deceitfulness. She just hoped he’d do so before the thief ran the company into the ground.
She sighed. She’d concentrate on that tonight. Now she had to get ready to face Willard Brookmeyer. He was probably in with Vernon up to his eyeballs—something else she wanted to inform Nick about. The one thing she despised more than Vernon Armfield was a crooked lawyer, and to her way of thinking, Willard Brookmeyer fit neatly into that category.
“Which reminds me,” she mumbled. “I need to call Justine Crouse and make some changes in my will. Now, that’s one lady lawyer I do trust. I’m so glad Mindy told me about her.”
As she dialed the number, she looked out her window toward the swimming pool and tennis courts.
She smiled and muttered, “Yes, Rebecca. I know you don’t see it yet, but I know without a doubt that Vernon Armfield is not only a crook. He’s also a murderer.”
* * * *
Rebecca sat alone at the backyard swimming pool. She’d done a couple of laps and was ready to relax and do some serious thinking. Vernon had mentioned to her last night that they needed to make new wills, but she didn’t believe that now was a good time for him to bring it up. The last thing she wanted was to confirm the idea Aunt Millicent had planted in her mind that Vernon was after her money and didn’t love her as she thought he did. She was glad Aunt Millicent had chosen last night to meet with some of her old friends for dinner and hadn’t overheard their conversation. That would only make her more certain Vernon was guilty.
“I can’t think about changing my will now, Vernon,” Rebecca had snapped at him.
“But you must. We can’t leave important things like that left undone, my dear.”
“Right now, the only important thing to me is finding out who killed my sister.”
“I know you have to grieve for her. That’s why I must be the one to take care of business. Would you like for me to have Willard draft new wills for us?”
“No. I would not.” She’d been adamant. “I’ll take care of it in my own good time. I don’t want to hear any more about it tonight.”
Vernon hadn’t pressed her further. She’d spent another sleepless night beside him, arising at two in the morning to take one of her sleeping pills. Or had she taken two?
“Ms. Rebecca?” Wilma’s voice brought her back to the present. “Erica Redmond is on the telephone for you.” She put the phone on the table beside Rebecca.
“Thank you, Wilma.” Rebecca reached for it. “Erica! How good to hear from you. I thought you were still in Europe.”
“I was supposed to stay longer, but decided I’d spent enough of my time trying to order meals in restaurants where they didn’t know what in blazes I was talking about.” Without giving Rebecca time to comment, she went on, saying, “I just heard the tragic news about Mindy. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s awfully hard to accept.”
“I know. Are you seeing people? And if so, when may I come over?”
Rebecca smiled. Erica must be thinking back to when Rebecca had lost the baby. She wouldn’t allow any of her friends to visit for two weeks.
“It’s different this time, Erica. Though I’m not seeing a lot of people, you may come anytime you wish.” She shifted her position. “As a matter of fact, if you’re not suffering too much from jet lag, you could come today. I’d love to see a friend who really cares.”
“Name the time.”
“How about for lunch? We’ll have it at the pool. Bring your suit. We’ll swim later.”
“I’m on my way.”
Rebecca set the phone on the table. Seeing her friend would be good. Erica had been her best friend in high school and although they had gone to different colleges, they had remained close. When Erica married James Redmond just after graduation, Rebecca was her maid-of-honor. The two women didn’t see much of each other for several years after that, because immediately following the ceremony, James accepted a residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in California. After that, he took a position in San Francisco. They lived there until two years ago, when James decided Erica was no longer the love of his life. He left her and announced he was going to marry a woman twenty years his junior. Erica took her half of the community property, packed up twelve-year-old Mark and ten-year-old Kevin, and moved back to Winston-Salem. Without a thought, Erica and Rebecca resumed their close relationship.
Though Rebecca was delighted to have her friend back from Europe, she knew Vernon wouldn’t be. He didn’t think Erica was a good influence on his wife. Erica didn’t care for him, either. The two women did most of their visiting during the day except for an occasional social situation that threw them together.
Hard feelings had escalated between Erica and Vernon when she announced she was dating a waiter ten years her junior. Vernon came close to asking Rebecca not to see her friend anymore, but when he’d brought up the subject, Rebecca had told him not to ever mention it again. He’d given in and had said no more.
Though Rebecca didn’t care what the men Erica dated did for a living, Rebecca was secretly glad when her romance with the waiter fizzled and she headed to Europe to nurse her wounds. Now Rebecca hoped her friend would see that Vernon wasn’t the bad person she had thought him to be. With Mindy gone, Rebecca needed her friendship with Erica more than ever.