Dead With The Wind

CHAPTER 32

Benjy had about had his fill of Lance Perigord after fifteen minutes. The dude could yammer on like nobody’s business. Between Lance’s seemingly nonstop yakking and Tippy’s chatter, Benjy was close to a massive headache.

Then, to his surprise, Tippy suddenly ran out of steam and started yawning. Lance convinced her it was nap time, and she climbed into bed. Peanut and Endora sacked out with her, though Peanut kept looking Benjy’s way in case Benjy decided to take him outside.

Lance seemed to have talked himself into a nap. He sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, propped against the frame. He dozed right off. Benjy was amazed the guy could sleep like that, but he was thankful for the silence. He did hope, however, that either the police called him downstairs or one of the sisters came to relieve him. He wouldn’t mind getting out of the house for a while himself, and Peanut would be ecstatic.

For now, however, he was stuck keeping an eye on Tippy and, by default, Lance. The guy was probably trustworthy enough when it came to Tippy. Benjy had to admit Lance handled the four-year-old well. Probably because he’s like a six-year-old himself. He willed himself to relax in the rocking chair and chill. One of the sisters would be along soon, and he could have a break.

He was in a doze-like state when he heard footsteps in the hallway approaching Tippy’s room. He sat up and rubbed a hand across his eyes. He couldn’t believe he’d almost fallen asleep, but the quiet in the room—finally—had made it a bit too easy.

Benjy stood and turned to face the door. He expected to see either An’gel or Dickce, but to his surprise, the visitor was Trey Mims.

Trey stopped right inside the doorway and gazed at the sleeping child. He was looking at her lovingly, Benjy thought. Then Trey’s gaze swept the rest of the room, obviously noting Benjy’s presence but settling on Lance, who was sound asleep at the foot of the bed.

The moment Trey spotted Lance, he scowled and clenched his fists. Benjy took a step forward, because he thought Trey was about to attack Lance. Another couple of steps, and Benjy had placed himself between the two men. Peanut was now sitting up in the bed, and he emitted a low growl. Tippy didn’t stir, nor did Lance. Benjy held up a hand in Peanut’s direction, a signal for the dog to be calm. Peanut didn’t growl again, but he watched Trey warily.

Trey frowned at the dog, then at Benjy. His hands relaxed, and he motioned for Benjy to come out into the hallway with him. Trey moved out of the room, and Benjy glanced down at Lance, still completely out of it. Benjy stepped over to the bed to give Peanut a reassuring pat on the head, and the dog settled down.

Benjy pulled the door about two-thirds closed before he faced Trey. “What can I do for you?” he asked.

“Where’s Jacqueline?” Trey demanded. “Why isn’t she looking after Tippy?”

“She had things she had to attend to in town,” Benjy said in a calm tone. He added deliberately, “Arrangements for two funerals, I guess.”

Trey looked slightly abashed. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. When did Lance turn up?”

“Around breakfast time,” Benjy said. “He’s been here ever since, mostly playing with Tippy.”

Trey scowled. “I don’t like him being around her so much. He’s got about as much brainpower as one of her dolls.”

“Yeah, the dude isn’t too smart,” Benjy said. “But he really seems to love her, and he’s good with her, too. He’s kept her entertained.”

“I don’t care, I still don’t like it,” Trey said. “I told Sondra I didn’t want him around her all the time, but Sondra never paid any attention to what I wanted.”

“Why is it any of your business what Sondra did with her daughter?” Benjy was genuinely puzzled.

Trey glared at him. “Because I’m Tippy’s father, that’s why.”

“Oh.” Benjy felt like an idiot. He wondered briefly if the sisters knew this and had forgotten to tell him. “I didn’t know that.”

“Nobody outside the family does,” Trey said bitterly. “Sondra’s grandmother was too embarrassed because she said everyone would think it was incest.” He snorted in derision. “Sondra and I weren’t related, except that my father married her mother. The whole thing was ridiculous.”

“Why didn’t you get married?” Benjy asked.

“The old lady wasn’t happy when my dad married Jacqueline. I guess she thought the Mims family wasn’t as high-and-mighty as the Champlains or the Delevans. Then she had a gigantic fit and threatened to throw everybody out of the house when I wanted to marry Sondra. I didn’t care if she did, frankly, but my dad is so in love with Jacqueline, he won’t do anything to upset her. Jacqueline kept thinking she could talk the old woman around, but it didn’t happen.”

Benjy felt sorry for Trey. He really did get a raw deal, and Benjy couldn’t blame him for the obvious resentment he felt for Mireille Champlain. She had seemed like a nice old lady, but then again, so had his stepfather’s mother, and she turned out to be a nightmare.

“Sondra seemed like she did whatever she wanted, no matter what anybody else thought,” Benjy said. “I’m surprised you didn’t elope.”

“I wanted to, but Sondra was too young.”

“How young?” Benjy asked, surprised.

“She was only seventeen,” Trey said. “By the terms of her father’s will, if she married before she was twenty, she forfeited her money, and it would all go to her mother.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t have cared less. I was already working for my dad and making a decent living. I could have taken care of her and Tippy, but that wasn’t enough for Sondra. She wanted that money. She didn’t mind getting pregnant and having my baby, but she wasn’t going to marry me and give up being rich.”

No wonder the guy was in such a bad mood all the time. Benjy didn’t think Sondra sounded like she was worth all the drama and heartache she’d put Trey through, but it wasn’t his life, his choice.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “You deserved better, I’m sure.”

Trey looked away, as if embarrassed by Benjy’s sympathy. “She wouldn’t marry me, and then she taunted me by telling me she was going to marry that idiot in there, just so she could get her hands on her father’s money.” He made a sound of disgust.

“He doesn’t seem like such a bad guy,” Benjy said. He was surprised to find himself defending Lance. “I mean, he’s not too bright, but I guess he’d do whatever Sondra told him without arguing about it. Maybe she wanted a husband she could control.”

“Maybe,” Trey said. “But don’t let Lance fool you into thinking he’s too easygoing. He has a temper. His mama has spoiled him about as much as Jacqueline and the old lady spoiled Sondra. He can get nasty when he doesn’t get what he wants.”

Benjy found that a little hard to believe. Lance so far had shown no evidence of a temper like Trey claimed he had.

Trey evidently realized Benjy was skeptical. He pushed the dark, thick hair off his forehead with his right hand. “Look at the scar there, just below the hairline. See it?”

Benjy took a step closer to peer where Trey indicated. Sure enough, there was a scar about two inches long, parallel to the hairline. He stepped back.

“Lance did that?” he asked.

Trey nodded. “He sure did. I was maybe seven, and so he and Sondra would have been about five. We were playing, and he was losing like he always did, unless we let him win. He got mad and picked up some scissors and came at me with them. Thought he was going to poke my eyes out, but Sondra jumped on his back. He still managed to cut me pretty good. My dad always made me wear my hair really short when I was a kid, and I swear I thought he’d scalped me. I passed out from all the blood loss.” He looked slightly green around the gills, Benjy thought, as if the memory of the blood made him queasy.

“He really could have done some damage,” Benjy said. “You were lucky Sondra got him off you before he could do anything worse.”

“The weird thing—Sondra told me about it later, when I came out of the faint—Lance was calm two minutes after, like nothing had happened. Sondra said he acted like he couldn’t remember doing it.” Trey shook his head. “I think he got brain damage when he was little or something.”

“Did he ever do anything like that again? Turn violent, I mean, and then forget what he’d done?” Benjy had begun to wonder whether Lance had killed Sondra in a sudden fit of rage and then had forgotten.

“A couple of times, when he was still a kid,” Trey said. “I’ve never heard about him doing it after that. Of course, his mama would do anything to cover up something like that.” His eyes narrowed. “Are you thinking he killed Sondra and doesn’t remember?”

Benjy shrugged uneasily. “After what you just told me, don’t you think it’s possible? He told me earlier that Sondra had decided not to marry him because she was interested in some older guy.”

Trey’s nostrils flared, and Benjy could see the anger and alarm building in the guy. Trey pushed past him and stormed into the bedroom. Benjy was right on his heels, afraid that Trey meant to attack Lance.

To his surprise, Trey merely shook Lance a little to wake him up. Lance looked up, blinking and yawning. Trey laid a finger across his lips to indicate Lance should be quiet. Then he motioned for Lance to get up and follow him out of the room.

Lance got to his feet, obviously puzzled. He glanced at Tippy, still sleeping, then walked out of the room ahead of Benjy.

Benjy gave Peanut another quick pat to indicate everything was okay—he hoped—and glanced down at Endora. The cat yawned and stretched, and then curled up again. Benjy hurried out and pulled the door shut.

Trey had his hands on Lance’s shoulders, his eyes boring into Lance’s. “I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t know why,” Lance said. “Sondra said she told you, too.”

“Told you what?” Benjy asked.

Trey didn’t take his eyes off Lance, but he answered Benjy’s question. “Told me that she decided at the last minute to elope with this other guy. But I’ll swear it on a stack of Bibles. Sondra did not tell me anything about eloping, not with you, not with anybody.” He gave Lance a shake, and Benjy stepped forward, ready to intervene. He wasn’t anxious to get hit, because Trey was pretty muscular, but he knew how to defend himself.

Trey released Lance, who stumbled back.

“Looks like she didn’t want to marry either of us,” Trey said.

“No, I guess not,” Lance said.

“Did you get angry with her when she told you?” Trey asked. “Remember how you used to get angry when you didn’t get what you wanted?”

Lance frowned. “I guess so. I hit you one time, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did,” Trey said. “I can show you the scar to prove it.”

“No, thank you,” Lance said. “I don’t like scars. They’re ugly.”

“Yeah, they are,” Trey said. “Tell me, Lance. How angry were you when Sondra told you she was going to marry somebody else?”

“I don’t remember.” Lance sounded sulky.

“Are you sure?” Trey said. “Did you hit Sondra, like you hit me when we were kids? Did you hit her over the head with something?”