Bookplate Special

SEVENTEEN

Brian’s Aunt Elsie wrung her hands nervously. A woman of fifty or so, her neatly coiffed hair was a dull jet black, with not a gray root in sight. “If anyone but Ginny had asked me to do this, I’d have said no right on the spot,” she said, bending to look beyond Tricia, checking for feet in the bathroom’s four stalls, and any eavesdroppers. Finding no one there, she handed a visitor’s badge to Tricia.

They’d had to meet in a second-floor ladies’ room, well out of the way of any security cameras-just in case. Tricia had no desire to get this nervous wreck of a woman fired.

“If anyone asks who you’re here to visit, say Smith. Seems like we’ve always got at least one in the ER at any given time. And for heaven’s sake, don’t let on who gave you the badge.”

“I won’t. And I promise I won’t cause a disturbance. I only want a chance to talk to Mr.-”

“Don’t tell me the patient’s name. The less I know, the better. Holy smoke,” Elsie nearly whimpered, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Tricia peeled off the backing and applied the sticker to her jacket. “I’d better go. Thank you.”

Elsie nodded, grabbing a paper towel from the wall dispenser and soaking it in cold water. She wrung it out before applying it to her forehead.

The ladies’ room door closed behind Tricia, who felt like six kinds of a creep, but she had to get to Paige before Captain Baker did.

Was it possible she could find a dirty laundry bin and rustle up a lab coat? No, without a hospital name badge, she’d be outed in a heartbeat. Playing the visitor card was her best shot to get in and out of the ER without a hitch.

Head held high, Tricia made her way back to the emergency room lobby, looked around, and confidently strode through the doors into the patient-care area.

The ER reminded Tricia of a giant horseshoe, with patient cubicles grouped around center workstations filled with computer terminals. Patient names were written on whiteboards outside each cubicle. It had been at least ten minutes since Paige had been brought in. Since his injuries weren’t life threatening, he wasn’t liable to be rushed into surgery… she hoped.

Thanks to her visitor’s badge, nurses and technicians passed by her without a second glance. Good. She passed the last cubicle on the first side, and started down the row to check out the others. Intent on reading the patient names, Tricia almost bumped into a man in a gray suit. Too late she recognized him as part of Paige’s entourage.

“What are you doing here?” Gray Suit growled.

“I-I…” Caught-and without even finding Paige’s cubicle. “I need to speak with Mr. Paige.”

“Now is hardly the time.” Gray Suit looked around, grabbed Tricia’s elbow, and steered her toward the exit. Now she’d not only be shown the door, but probably be turned over to hospital security.

Gray Suit guided Tricia through the ER lobby, right past security, and out the Emergency entrance.

The cool air felt rather refreshing as Gray Suit kept Tricia moving down the sidewalk and away from the hospital. Finally he stopped and let go of her arm. “Paige won’t tell you anything,” he said at last.

“But you don’t even know what I want to ask.”

“I heard what you said back at the inn. You asked about an envelope from Pam Fredericks. He never saw it. I’m paid to make sure he doesn’t see things like that.”

“What happened to the envelope?”

“It was turned over to one of Mr. Paige’s attorneys.”

“Does the Sheriff’s Department know about it?”

Gray Suit shook his head.

“Were you aware Pammy Fredericks was murdered?”

Gray Suit looked up sharply. “No, I wasn’t. I don’t pay attention to what happens in hick towns. But that explains why we didn’t hear from her again.”

“Don’t you find it strange that Pammy attempted to blackmail Mr. Paige and then was found dead a day or so later?”

“Not at all. Sounds like she was bad news.”

“A case could be made that someone in Mr. Paige’s organization-say, a bodyguard like yourself-might be responsible for her death.”

Gray Suit laughed. “Hey, lady, I ain’t no James Bond, and I’m definitely not licensed to kill.”

Tricia studied his face. He was probably no older than thirty; muscular, with sandy brown hair and dark eyes. Could he be a reader? No, too young. More likely a moviegoer.

“Now that you know about Pammy’s death, you ought to report receiving that envelope to Captain Baker of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department.”

“I’ll consider it.”

At that moment, a Sheriff’s Department cruiser pulled up to the side of the building. Sure enough, Grant Baker sat in the passenger seat.

“And here he is now. I hope you’ll do the right thing,” she told Gray Suit, “because if you don’t, I will.”

Baker got out of the car, making a beeline for Tricia and Gray Suit.

“What are you doing here, Ms. Miles?” he demanded.

“I came to see Mr. Paige after he was shot.” She jerked a thumb in Gray Suit’s direction. “This gentleman works for Mr. Paige. We were just discussing the envelope Pammy Fredericks sent to Mr. Paige last week.”

Baker’s eyes narrowed. “Envelope? What envelope?”

Tricia explained how Lois Kerr had seen Pammy making copies of the diary, and then immediately afterward she’d gone to the post office, where Ted Missile had seen Paige’s name on the envelope.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” Baker demanded.

“Maybe if you hadn’t called me a terrier, I would have.”

Gray Suit smirked.

“You know very well I meant you were probably stubborn-and now you’ve proved it.”

Tricia balled her fists, willing herself not to haul off and smack the captain.

He’d already moved on. “And you are?” he asked Gray Suit.

“Jason Turner.”

“What happened to this envelope?” Baker asked.

“She’s right,” Turner said with a nod in Tricia’s direction. “The package did come to Mr. Paige’s office. He never saw it. It’s now in the hands of one of his attorneys.”

“I’ll need the name.”

Turner gave it to him. Then he went on, “Look, I need to be inside with my employer. I’ll be available for any other questions you have.” He fished inside his suit jacket, came up with a business card holder, and handed the captain one of his cards.

Tricia watched him walk back through the emergency room entrance.

Baker stepped around to block Tricia from following. “Wasn’t it just a couple of hours ago I told you to stay out of this investigation?”

“Shouldn’t you be asking me about the shooting? I was a witness. In fact, what if those shots were intended to kill me-not Paige?”

“I doubt it,” he said, and frowned.

Appalled at his disregard for her safety, Tricia felt her mouth drop open. “You’re just as useless as your boss.”

She turned, but Baker grabbed her by the arm. “Okay, what did you see?”

“Nothing.”

Baker pursed his lips. “I’m not going to tell you again: stay out of this investigation.”

She glared at him. “You’re not my mother.” And with that, she stepped off the sidewalk and marched toward her car-angry at him for bringing out the worst in her.

Moments later, Baker jogged to catch up with her. “Ms. Miles, please wait.”

Tricia halted, still fuming.

Baker removed his trooper hat, holding it in front of him like a scolded child looking for mercy. “Ms. Miles, let me apologize. We seem to have gotten off track today.”

An apology? From a member of the Sheriff’s Department?

“I’m sincerely worried that you could get hurt if you continue to poke around and ask questions about Pamela Fredericks’s death. As I understand it, you and your sister were nearly killed in a car accident last fall when you got involved with an unsavory character. And you were physically assaulted last spring. I don’t want to see a repeat of either scenario.”

Tricia found herself looking into Baker’s sincere green eyes, and felt herself melting once again.

Damn those eyes!

She swallowed. “I don’t know anything more about Pammy’s death-or what she did in the hours before she died-than I’ve already told you.”

“Will you please promise me that you’ll stop looking into this?”

“How can I promise that? I run a store where every piece of stock involves a mystery. If somebody tells me something, of course I’m going to be curious about the implications. I can’t deny my nature, Captain.”

Baker exhaled an exasperated breath. “You can be curious all you want. Just don’t act on that curiosity. Please!”

Tricia shrugged. “I’ll try.”

Baker squeezed his eyes shut, his lips pursing. Was he about to explode?

“I think you should ask Mr. Turner where he was at the time of Pammy’s death,” Tricia said. “How do we know he didn’t decide to shut Pammy up after she’d tried to blackmail his boss?”

Baker sighed. “What would his motivation be?”

“Protecting his employer.”

“I will definitely speak with him-and his employer, whenever he’s available. Now, please put this out of your mind.”

“Pammy Fredericks was my friend.”

“You said she was ‘sort of’ your friend,” Baker reminded her.

“Nevertheless, we had a twenty-four-year history, even if we weren’t particularly close. And what headway have you made in the case?”

“I’m not at liberty to talk about it.”

“In other words: none. How about the shooter at the inn? Have you scouted out the woods across the road from the inn?”

“My men are doing that now.”

“What are the odds it’s the same person who shot at my bedroom window?”

“Of course, we can’t rule that out. Yet from what I understand, Mr. Paige was not shot with a BB gun or air pistol.”

“Well, of course not. Although as far as we know, they haven’t dug a slug out of him yet.”

“As soon as I talk to the doctors, I’ll know more.” Baker set his high-crowned hat back on his head. “Good day, Ms. Miles.”

“Good day, Captain Baker.”

He turned away, and Tricia continued on to her car. Thinking… thinking.

Turner knew the contents of Pammy’s envelope. Baker would probably know the contents of that envelope within the hour. She wanted to know, too. Pammy had wanted money to keep the paternity of the journal author’s child quiet. Paige was the object of her blackmail scheme.

That explained why Pammy had been killed, but not who had done it. All attention would be riveted on Paige or his associates, as it should be.

End of mystery, at least from Tricia’s point of view.

Maybe.

She unlocked her car and climbed in. It was just as well. She had a wedding to host on Sunday, and losing Mr. Everett to his honeymoon during prime leaf-peeping season, she’d be too busy to think about Pammy’s death.

It was all for the best.

Why did she have a niggling feeling that she had missed something?

That niggling continued into the early afternoon. Tricia rang up a thirty-nine dollar and eighty-five cent purchase for three Rex Stout mysteries while on autopilot. She kept turning over in her mind what little she knew about Pammy’s interactions with Paige and the freegans; neither Gray Suit nor Ginny’s friends had been willing to share much.

Ginny staggered to the register, dumping a stack of old books, most missing their dust covers, on the counter for what looked to be the best sale of the day. “This lady here sure is a fan of Ngaio Marsh.”

“Yes, I can see,” Tricia said with delight, and quickly totaled up the sale. Two hundred and twenty-seven dollars and fifty-five cents. Not a bad afternoon at that.

Ginny bagged up the books and sent the customer on her way before looking at her watch. “Almost lunchtime. I’m having celery dipped in one hundred percent virgin olive oil.”

“Your take from the other night?”

Ginny laughed. “They were the best things we found that night.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about our Dumpster-diving expedition,” Tricia said.

“Sorry you had to come on such a dull night.”

“It was very interesting. If nothing else, you have a diverse group of friends.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say we’re all friends. But we work together well.”

“Tell me, is Lisa always so annoying?”

“Yes. Pete and Brian have been friends since they were kids. Unfortunately, Lisa now comes with the package. She’s the only militant freegan in the group. Well, Eugenia thinks she is because she once ate vegan for an entire month, but Lisa wouldn’t agree.”

“I noticed she hardly spoke to Eugenia. They aren’t friends, either?”

Ginny frowned. “It’s all so complicated-like a soap opera, really. See, Pammy annoyed Eugenia by telling her she knew about her biological parents, and that for a price she might reveal that information.”

“What?”

“I thought I told you all this.”

“No. Please go on.”

“Well, Eugenia’s a bit sensitive about being adopted. Her parents didn’t tell her until she was about twelve. Mrs. Hirt told her that her biological mother had died and had never named a father on the birth certificate. Eugenia never thought about tracking down her biological parents until Pammy came along and dangled information in front of her. Eugenia was all upset and told Lisa, who was a real bitch about it. She told Eugenia to hold the drama and get her head together, or see a shrink or something.”

“Full of compassion, that one,” Tricia commented.

“You said it. Lisa also thinks it’s great that somebody’s going around ruining all the kids’ carved pumpkins. She said there was never such a waste of good farmland as that used for raising pumpkins. She says it’s a crop that can’t be used for anything but frivolity. I’ve got to admit that in a way she’s right. Still, what doesn’t get sold can always be used as compost.”

Tricia rolled her eyes, and Ginny laughed but soon sobered. “Anyway, Mrs. Hirt was-” Ginny gave a wry smile. “Well, she was hurt that Eugenia would even want to find out about her biological parents.”

“Doesn’t every adopted child at least wonder about their birth parents? And what kind of proof did Pammy offer?” Tricia asked, thinking about the diary.

Ginny shrugged. “I only got the story thirdhand. Eugenia and I aren’t really chummy. But apparently Pammy knew some deep, dark secret about Eugenia, something the poor kid never told anyone about. She was practically hysterical when Pammy casually mentioned it.”

“Mentioned what?”

“Lisa didn’t know. Eugenia may have been upset, but she wasn’t willing to share what she was upset about-at least not with Lisa.”

Had Eugenia told her father all this? She’d said she’d asked him not to allow Pammy to join them on their Dumpster-diving expeditions. And conveniently soon after, Pammy was dead.

Sweet little Eugenia a murderer?

No. Tricia refused to believe it.

And yet…

“How did you guys get tied up with Eugenia and her father?”

“Brian and Pete have known him since they were little kids. He coached soccer… or was it softball?” She frowned. “I’m not really sure. But we’ve been going out on our expeditions with Eugenia and Joe for at least a year, if not two.”

“This morning Captain Baker asked me if I knew any freegans.”

Ginny’s eyes widened. “What did you tell him?”

“I skirted the question. But it might be a good idea for you or one of your friends to talk to him.”

“What for? We don’t know anything about Pammy’s death.”

“Are you sure?”

“I trust those guys-with my life.”

“Even Lisa?”

Ginny didn’t answer.

“If he asks me again-point blank-I can’t lie.”

“No, I guess you can’t. I’ll call the others and see what they want to do.”

“Maybe you could all talk to Captain Baker at once.”

“Maybe,” Ginny said, without conviction. A customer entered the store, and Ginny jumped to attention. “Can I help you find something?”

Tricia looked through the shop’s big display window. From this vantage point, she couldn’t see the Bookshelf Diner, where Eugenia worked. What deep secret had the poor girl hidden all her life? What did Pammy know about her, how had she found out, and how cruel was she to threaten the kid?

But Eugenia a murderer? No way. Tricia had met her parents and deeply admired her-apparently adoptive-mother. Besides, Eugenia couldn’t possibly have the physical strength to pick Pammy up and toss her into the garbage cart. It had to be a man who did that.

That brought her back to Stuart Paige, who also didn’t look physically capable of killing Pammy. And anyway, maybe the idea hadn’t been to kill Pammy at all. Someone had gotten angry at Pammy and probably decided to scare her. From what the technician had said the day Pammy died, she’d struggled to free herself from the garbage cart before suffocating.

It could have just been a tragic accident. Someone trying to scare someone who’d used scare tactics and blackmail for her own profit. Which brought Tricia back to Jason Turner. He seemed to enjoy being a bully.

Tricia sighed. She simply didn’t have enough information. Eugenia might like her as a customer, but she wouldn’t reveal to Tricia whatever secret she’d hidden her entire life. Nor was it likely her parents would speak about whatever it was Eugenia found so shameful.

Once again, Tricia found herself back to square one.