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“WHERE TO?” ASKED BEATRICE.
“Naturally, we’re going to head off and investigate. We can’t leave Ramsay and the state police to their own devices, can we? They need your expertise! And we need to get these murders solved before everyone is a nervous wreck and padlocking their doors all the time,” said Meadow. “So where do we start out?”
Beatrice said, “Well, ordinarily I’d say that we’d want to start off with either Pearl or Ophelia, considering that there was an incident at the reception. But since both of them are dead, I’m thinking that we need to look at the bigger picture.”
“Which is?” asked Georgia, looking confused.
“Why would someone want to murder both Ophelia and Pearl? And did it have something to do with their argument at the reception?” said Beatrice.
Posy absently straightened a fabric display. “Do you think that someone might have used the murder as a cover-up?”
“What do you mean?” asked Meadow. “Cover-up for what?”
Posy got a little flustered. “Oh, I don’t know what I’m talking about, really. But maybe someone wanted to murder Ophelia, for their own reasons. And then, when it became clear that Pearl and Ophelia had had words, they decided to go ahead and murder Ophelia and maybe everyone would blame Pearl for it. Since they’d been arguing.”
“That’s certainly a possibility,” said Beatrice. “But why kill Pearl, in that case?”
Meadow said, “Maybe they wanted to make it look as if Pearl had murdered Ophelia and then felt so guilty that she took her own life.”
“Maybe,” said Beatrice. “But if that was the case, then why would they so clearly murder Pearl? As I said earlier, there’s no way that Pearl could have hit herself over the head with that flowerpot.”
Posy sighed. “I can see this is going to take some time and some hard work to unravel.”
“We need to get to work,” Meadow told Beatrice urgently.
Beatrice said, “Does anyone know anything about Mae Thigpen? She’s the other name on the list that’s not scratched out. Her name is familiar, but I don’t think I’ve ever met her.”
“She’s my neighbor,” said Savannah. “Lives right next door.”
“Really?” asked Beatrice, raising her eyebrows. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention her before.”
Georgia said, “She’s very quiet and not at all sociable. Although she’s very pleasant whenever we do speak,” she said in a hurry, never one to speak badly of others.
Meadow said to Beatrice, “Let’s go over there.”
“Unannounced? What are we supposed to do, demand to know if she had anything to do with Pearl’s and Ophelia’s deaths?” asked Beatrice. “I haven’t even been properly introduced to her.”
“We could tell her that we’re collecting for charity,” said Meadow breezily. “We’ll knock on the door and ask for a donation for the Red Cross or some such. Then I’ll just mail it over to them so it won’t even be a lie.”
Beatrice shook her head. “We’ve done that before. I don’t think it was a great excuse because to get anywhere with it, we had to act as though we desperately needed to have a drink of water or use the restroom or something to get inside the house. Otherwise, they’d just give us a couple of dollars and shut the door on us.”
Georgia said brightly, “I know! Mae leaves her house every day when she walks her little dog. At least, she did when I was still living there.”
Savannah nodded thoughtfully. “That’s right. And she still does, too. What kind of dog is it? A chihuahua?”
“No, I think it’s a Pekingese, isn’t it? At any rate, Mae seems to be very routine-driven and takes him at the same time every day: two o’clock. You could run over to the house and be there when she leaves,” said Georgia. “Maybe you could have a few words before she heads out. You could say you were there visiting Savannah.”
Savannah said, “Wouldn’t it be better to go over to where she walks the dog? They’d have more time that way.”
“Does she work from home, then?” asked Meadow. “How is she able to always leave at two?”
Georgia said slowly, “I don’t really know a lot about her, but I’ve heard that she has some family money. She’s widowed, and I think her husband’s death left her comfortable.”
“Probably a life insurance policy,” said Savannah approvingly. “Smart man.”
“Anyway, she works at home doing some sort of computer-related stuff,” said Georgia. “So it’s not as if she’s unemployed. But the money she had from her husband’s death appears to be supplementing her income.”
Beatrice said, “Where does she usually walk the dog? In your neighborhood?”
Georgia’s face fell. “No, she always gets in her car with him. Oh, dear. I didn’t think about that. Where on earth do they go? There are lots of places around Dappled Hills to walk a dog.”
Savannah said briskly, “Well, I know exactly where she walks him. I’ve been riding my bicycle when I’ve seen her putting the Pekinese in or out of the car at the park.”
“The big park? Where the reception was?” asked Beatrice. “The one next door to Pearl’s house?”
“The very one,” said Savannah with a bob of her head.
“All right, let’s go!” said Meadow energetically. She was so energetic that she startled Maisie, who startled Miss Sissy. Both the cat and the old woman glared at her before they quickly dropped back to sleep.
“We should make it more believable by taking a dog with us,” said Beatrice dryly. “If Mae goes to the park to walk her dog each day, she’ll know that she’s never seen us there before.”
“What? You and I are very active people, Beatrice. We go to the park all the time,” said Meadow indignantly.
“Do we? I usually walk in the neighborhood. I may take Noo-noo to the park sometimes, but not every day. And not when I’m asking a lot of nosy questions about a murder to someone I don’t know,” said Beatrice.
Meadow didn’t appear to be listening. “We can take Boris with us! He hasn’t had a walk in the last few days. The poor dog must be dying to get out.”
“The problem with taking Boris is, that we don’t walk him. He walks us,” said Beatrice. “That can’t be the best way to have a conversation with anyone.”
“Okay, you’re probably right. He won’t be any better with having had no walk recently, either. Let’s run by and pick up Noo-noo then. I’ll take my Boris on a solo walk later,” said Meadow.
Posy said, “Do be careful, please. With two deaths already, I’m feeling very anxious.”
Georgia said, “And if you find out something, let Ramsay deal with it. There’s no point in putting yourselves in danger.”
Beatrice nodded, “We’ll be very discreet, won’t we, Meadow?”
Meadow, of course, looked like the least-discreet person around. But she bobbed her head in agreement. “We’ll be so careful that no one will even realize that we’re investigating.” She paused for a moment and said hesitantly in a rather unconvincing voice, “Oh, wait. There’s something I needed here. I forgot.” She disappeared into the fabrics while Georgia and Savannah quickly checked out and said their goodbyes.
As soon as the bell rang indicating that the two sisters had left, Meadow emerged from behind a display of fat quarters. “They’re both gone?” she asked in her stage whisper.
Beatrice and Posy nodded and Meadow hurried over. “Okay. So Posy, what’s the scoop? I thought I remembered whatever you wanted to tell me had something to do with Savannah. It’s okay to speak in front of Beatrice, right? Since she’s family now!” She gave Beatrice one of her emotional smiles that always made Beatrice nervous that Meadow would explode into happy tears again.
Posy said, “Oh, of course. I just didn’t mention it to Beatrice because I know how busy mothers of brides can be. I’ve just been worried about Savannah, that’s all. And, naturally, she looked like her old self today, right as I’ve been worrying day and night! So maybe I’ve been stewing over nothing.”
Beatrice shook her head. “I wouldn’t say that Savannah was one hundred percent her old self. She disappeared when Georgia was telling us about her married life.”
Meadow frowned. “That’s true. I thought that was sort of odd.”
Posy said, “That’s just the thing. As Georgia was mentioning, there’s just no time in her day for really anything. Probably not even for a good night’s sleep. And, unfortunately, not so much time for her sister.” She hurried on, “Which is completely understandable! After all, she has so much on her plate.”
Beatrice mused, “And Savannah doesn’t have very much on hers.”
“And they lived together for all those years!” said Meadow. “Spending so much of their lives together. Georgia always used to watch out for Savannah, too.”
Posy said, “It’s not as if Savannah is totally alone. She does have Smoke.”
“But having a cat isn’t exactly the same,” said Beatrice.
Meadow said sadly, “Her friends haven’t even had very much time for her lately, either. What with the weddings and all, I’ve barely had time to even shove food down my throat a few times a day.” She reached out for Beatrice. “We have to start hanging out with Savannah!”
Beatrice said, “But is that the best solution to the problem? I don’t think Savannah wants us to spend time with her because we feel as though we need to.”
Posy said, “I was hoping that maybe she could spend more time here at the shop. She could do some quilting and visit with the customers who come through.”
There was a snore behind them and Beatrice said wryly, “Quilting and visiting at the shop? Sounds like Miss Sissy. Except for the visiting part.”
Meadow said with relief, “That’s a great idea, Posy. And she could hang out with Miss Sissy!”
It seemed to be very important to Meadow that Savannah hang out with someone. Beatrice said, “But is Miss Sissy fun to sit with all day? Besides, it doesn’t sound as though that’s something that Savannah is interested in doing.” Beatrice glanced at her watch. “Meadow, we should head on if we’re going to catch up with Mae during her dog walk. Let’s just all mull over Savannah. Maybe a solution will present itself to us. And, in the meantime, maybe we can all find a little extra time to visit with her or drop by or something.”
A minute later, Beatrice and Meadow hopped into their respective cars. Meadow rolled down her window. “How about if I just meet you at the park instead of following you home and then going? We’re getting very close to two o’clock and I just don’t want to miss Mae in case she comes a bit early.”
“Sounds good,” said Beatrice and she drove back home a little speedier than she had arrived there. At least this time she didn’t have Miss Sissy scowling at her and complaining about her driving. Soon she was back home, putting a harness and leash on Noo-noo, and hurrying back out to the car.
Noo-noo was delighted to be going for a ride and grinned out of the window the whole way there, lifting her nose to better smell the mountain air. When she saw that they were at the park, her little nubbin of a tail started wagging excitedly. Beatrice pulled into a spot next to Meadow’s car.
Meadow rolled her window down. “Mae hasn’t gotten here yet.”
They heard a car pull in on the gravel behind them and turned.
“Is that Mae?” asked Beatrice.
Meadow said, “It sure is. She must have left her house at two o’clock on the dot.” She pushed open her car door with vigor.
“Now Meadow, we need to make sure we’re subtle about this. It sounds as though Mae might be shy or something,” said Beatrice in a cautious tone.
Meadow snorted. “She’s not a bit shy. She’s merely introverted. Mae doesn’t really want to be around people, that’s all.”
Beatrice felt as though she and Mae may have quite a bit in common.
“All right, well, let’s still give her some space. Let’s take Noo-noo on down the path while she’s getting her Pekingese out of the car. Then we can pause and let Mae catch up to us. Otherwise, it makes it appear as if we’re lying in wait for her.”
“Which is exactly what we’re doing,” said Meadow with a chuckle.
Beatrice helped Noo-noo get out of the car and the little dog immediately started slowly walking while sniffing at all the fascinating smells on the ground.
“Mae will catch up easily at this rate,” said Meadow with a laugh. “You’re right about Boris. He’d have pulled us half a mile down the trail by this point.”
A sharp ring started emanating from Beatrice’s pocket, making her jump. She fumbled with the leash and Meadow took it away from her. Beatrice glanced at the unfamiliar local number. “Hello?” she muttered inhospitably.
“Beatrice Coleman?” The younger woman’s voice sounded hectic.
“This is she,” said Beatrice cautiously.
“Oh, good. I just drove to the church to take my son to the church basketball team practice and no one was there. Clearly, the schedule has changed and I didn’t hear about it. Do you know when the practice is now?” asked the woman. She then said, “Your water’s in the backseat, Grayson. Yes, it is! Don’t argue with me, young man.”
Beatrice watched as Mae got her small dog out of the car. “I’m afraid I have no idea when the game is.”
“It’s not a game, it’s a practice. It’s the one for the 8-10-year-old boys. Don’t you know?” The woman’s voice was irritated.
Beatrice said coolly, “I’m afraid if it’s not on the church calendar, I wouldn’t have any idea.”
“Do you think your husband would know?” asked the woman persistently.
“I doubt it. You should call the team coach,” said Beatrice in a rush as Mae started walking in their direction.
“I did, but I couldn’t get him,” said the woman, who still seemed to be fielding water bottles and snacks in her car.
“Perhaps another parent on the team?” asked Beatrice, gritting her teeth a bit.
“I suppose I could. I think I have the parent list somewhere,” said the woman, in a put-out voice.”
“That would be the way to go. Thanks for calling,” said Beatrice in what she feared was a rather insincere voice. She hung up with a sigh.
Meadow handed her back the leash. “Wow. Do you get many calls like that? How is the minister’s wife supposed to know the intimate details of the 8-10 year old boys’ basketball practices?”
“I guess you overheard. Yes, actually, I have gotten a lot of calls, mostly in the last week. It’s a small church, but it’s incredibly active and I can’t keep up. I have the church calendar app on my phone now, but that doesn’t help me if the event isn’t on the calendar or got rescheduled or something. It’s very frustrating,” said Beatrice.
Meadow said, “That’s probably because they printed your cell number in the bulletin.”
Beatrice froze. “Who? Who are ‘they’? And when did this happen?”
“About a week ago. I guess the church officers? I’m sure Wyatt wouldn’t have done it—he doesn’t think the minister’s wife is supposed to have an unpaid role, I know,” said Meadow.
Beatrice said, “It’s just because we lost the church secretary. She knew everything about everything. Now we can’t keep up. There’s no one at the church office answering phones. Maybe the officers thought it was a good short-term solution. In the meantime, I’m unfortunately just going to sound as if I have no idea what’s going on. Because I don’t. Look, here she comes.”
Noo-noo started sniffing earnestly in the grass off the side of the path. A woman in her forties with red hair and beautiful porcelain skin walked up with her dog. She gave them a brief smile but didn’t seem at all inclined to stop and talk.
Meadow leaped into action. “Mae Thigpen!” she cried out in a jolly voice. “Wow, I haven’t seen you for a while—how have you been?” She walked up to Mae and threw her arms around her in an effusive hug, effectively tackling her. Mae made an oof as the wind got knocked out of her. Beatrice had to hand it to Meadow—Mae was stopped in her tracks in a most efficient manner.
Mae looked longingly down the path for a second, then resolutely turned to give another quick smile to Meadow and Beatrice. “I’ve been doing well, just working from home.”
Meadow said, “I’d be remiss in saying how sorry I was to hear about the terrible news. Poor Ophelia.”
Beatrice glared at Meadow. That was hardly a subtle opener. And why on earth would Mae care about Ophelia, if she even knew who the old woman was? It sounded as if Mae spent most of her day inside, which is why Beatrice hadn’t met her.
Mae gave Meadow a sharp look and then said in a subdued voice, “Yes, that was terrible news, wasn’t it?” But it didn’t sound as though she was at all convinced that it was, in fact, terrible at all.
Meadow said, “Oh, heavens, I forgot to introduce you to my friend. Mae, this is Beatrice Coleman. Oops! I mean Beatrice Thompson. I can’t seem to get used to the married name. Beatrice, Mae Thigpen. Beatrice is Wyatt’s new wife. I know we go to the same church.”
They shook hands. Mae’s handshake was firm and brisk as if she’d steeled herself for the contact. She clearly wasn’t trying to make friends. The two dogs, on the other hand, seemed to be making each other’s acquaintance.
Meadow said to Beatrice, “Mae is Ophelia’s niece. Was her niece.”
“Great-niece, actually,” corrected Mae smoothly.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” said Beatrice. And she was especially sorry that Meadow hadn’t explained that Mae and Ophelia were related before this conversation started. But then, half the residents of Dappled Hills seemed to be somehow related to everyone else.
Mae shifted a bit uncomfortably. “Thank you. I’m afraid, though, that Aunt Ophelia and I weren’t all that close. She generally disapproved of me.”
Meadow said, “Surely not! What on earth for?”
“Oh, I think she thought my drinking was inappropriate.” She gave a small laugh. “Mind you, she drank herself, although she’d never admit it. All I have is a glass of wine to unwind at the end of the day, but Aunt Ophelia thought it was wicked,” Mae’s lips curled into a faintly amused smile.
“Did you see each other often?” asked Beatrice. “Of course, in such a small town, I’d imagine that you’d see her out running errands, too. Did she also drop by for visits?”
“Not as infrequently as I would have liked. Our typical visits would entail her rapping on my door loudly enough to wake the dead. I’d answer the door and she’d stride right to the refrigerator and yank it open. There would be an open bottle of white wine in there and she’d start shaking her head and throwing all sorts of dire statements my way. I’d reluctantly ask her if she wanted to sit down, and she’d plop down on my sofa and start telling me all sorts of horrid gossip about other people in the town. It made me very aware that she was likely spreading tales about me, too,” said Mae.
Mae’s features were hard as she talked about her aunt, but when her little dog jumped up and put his legs on hers as if to encourage her to walk, her face softened. “We’ll walk in a minute, Bizzy.”
“Had you seen her recently?” asked Beatrice. She reached down and petted Bizzy, who had bumped her leg with her nose.
“Maybe she’d seen me, but I hadn’t seen her. Aunt Ophelia came to my house last week, but I pretended not to be home. And, before you ask, I was at home when my aunt was murdered. I’ve already told the police that, when asked. Bizzy is my alibi,” said Mae wryly.
Bizzy looked adoringly at Mae like, if she could only understand what Mae was saying, she would be more than happy to do anything she wanted.
Beatrice flushed a little. “I’m sorry, I must seem very nosy.”
Meadow said, “You’re not nosy. You simply have a gift for figuring out these kinds of cases. You’re a gifted amateur.”
“Do you know of anyone who might want to harm your aunt?” asked Beatrice.
Mae gave a short laugh. “Besides everyone, you mean?”
“Anyone specific?” pressed Beatrice.
“I did happen to spot my aunt last week when I was on my way to a dental appointment. She appeared to be yelling at Violet Louise right in downtown Dappled Hills.” Mae gave an expressive shrug as if to say it was business as usual for Ophelia.
Meadow gaped at Mae. “In the middle of town? What on earth was she yelling at poor Violet about?”
“Who knows? I was simply trying to make sure that my aunt didn’t spot me and try to make conversation with me. Otherwise, I’d have ended up her next victim. I hurried on down the sidewalk and walked into the dental office,” said Mae.
Beatrice asked, “If the police have already spoken with you, you must have also heard about Pearl’s death.”
Mae’s lips tightened and she nodded. “I certainly did. Now that’s a shock. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone in town say anything negative about Pearl.”
“So no ideas who might have been behind her death?” asked Beatrice.
“None whatsoever,” said Mae. “As opposed to my aunt’s death. I would think there would be plenty of prospects there, as I’ve already mentioned.”
Beatrice said, “What was Violet’s reaction when your aunt was yelling at her?”
“Violet looked none too pleased. Maybe she was angry enough to go to my aunt’s house and confront her about the matter.” Mae shrugged.
“But why would anyone have a problem with Violet Louise?” asked Meadow.
Mae shrugged again, looking annoyed. “How would I know? Maybe the argument and my aunt’s murder are totally unrelated things. Isn’t that for you to find out? I’m supposed to be the one supplying information and then Beatrice is supposed to figure out how it all fits together ... right?”
Beatrice took a deep breath, trying to keep from firing back at Mae. Mae must have realized how she sounded, because she sounded more reconciliatory when she spoke again.
“I’m sorry. It’s been a very strange day. And ... did I hear that my aunt was also robbed?”
Beatrice and Meadow nodded.
Mae said, “I do know that Violet doesn’t have two cents to rub together. Maybe that’s part of her motive. But I really don’t think that I know anything else that could help you.” She again looked longingly down the path. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Good luck to you, Beatrice. Especially with Pearl’s death. Now that was tragic. Nice to meet you.”
And, with a little word of encouragement to Bizzy, she strode off down the path.