Death By Darjeeling

Chapter 50

“She held a knife to your throat?” squealed Haley. “Haven’t you been listening?” Drayton returned snappishly. “Theodosia just told us it was pruning shears.” Still shaken to the core by Theodosia’s recent brush with danger, Drayton stretched an arm across the table and clasped his own hand warmly atop Theodosia’s. “Anyone knows a tool like that is a deadly, dangerous weapon!”

Drayton, Haley, and Bethany had sat incredulous and openmouthed as Theodosia related the bizarre string of events that had unfolded at Samantha Rabathan’s house. In fact, when Burt Tidwell led Theodosia into the tea shop some ten minutes earlier, pale and still slightly shaken, Tidwell had pulled Drayton aside for a hastily whispered conversation. Drayton listened to the amazing story and thanked Tidwell profusely. Then the usually unflappable Drayton had fairly kicked the few remaining customers out of the shop. As Haley declared later, this was the one time Indigo Tea Shop customers got the bum’s rush!

“And I was beginning to believe Timothy Neville was the guilty party,” spoke up Haley. “He’s such an arrogant old curmudgeon.”

“Timothy topped my list, too,” admitted Theodosia. “I was even worried that he might have been involved in Mr. Dauphine’s death. But Detective Tidwell assured me the poor man did suffer a heart attack.”

“I thought it must be Tanner Joseph,” said Bethany quietly. “Drayton confided to us earlier that he was snooping around outside your apartment last night.”

“He really has a thing for you, Theodosia,” Haley said, rolling her eyes.

“Well, he’s terribly misguided,” Drayton replied with indignation. “Crass fellow, sneaking around like that, peering in windows and such. I daresay he was probably planning to leave some kind of mash note until the security guard rousted him.”

Bethany put a hand on Theodosia’s shoulder. “So good to have you back safely,” she said, her eyes glistening with tears.

“It’s good to have you back,” said Theodosia.

“Nobody cast their vote for Lleveret Dante?” asked Drayton.

“As the murderer?” said Haley. “Not hardly. But I think that’s because we never knew enough about him to get really suspicious,” she added.

“Burt Tidwell does,” replied Theodosia. “He told me that Dante is in as much trouble here as he was in his home state of Kentucky.”

“Well, I hope he gets indicted and shipped back there,” said Drayton. “Good riddance to bad rubbish. We don’t need unsavory chaps like that in Charleston.”

“Right,” declared Haley. “We’ve got enough of our own.”

“Drayton,” said Theodosia, “what time is it?”

He wrinkled his nose and peered at his ancient Piaget. “Twenty to four.”

“Which means it’s really ten to four,” said Haley.

“Would you drive me out to Aunt Libby’s?” asked Theodosia. “I want to pick up Earl Grey.”

“Hear, hear,” said Haley, pounding on the table. “Let’s all drive out to the low-country and pick up Earl Grey. We can stop at Catfish Jack’s on the way and celebrate with beer and blackened catfish.”

“I love the idea,” said Theodosia. “But can we save it for another time? Tonight I’ve got to get right back.”

“Of course you do,” said Drayton graciously. “You’ve just been through a terrible ordeal. Best thing for you is to spend a nice cozy evening at home.”

Drayton’s right, Theodosia mused to herself. I should take it easy, give myself a little quiet time. And I will. Tomorrow night for sure. As for tonight, however... tonight I’m going to the opera!