Digging Up The Dirt

CHAPTER 33

“Oh, my heavens,” An’gel said. “That’s terrible. I was hoping she was still alive. Are you sure she’s the one who tried to run me off the road?”

“Reasonably sure,” Kanesha replied. “We can’t say for certain until we can test and match the paint samples we found on your car and hers. I’m pretty confident, though, that we’ve found the right car.”

“Where did you find her?” An’gel asked. She could see that the others were curious but she wanted to get all the details she could from Kanesha before she shared them.

“In her own garage,” Kanesha said. “We’re not exactly sure when she returned, or how she got by us, but a neighbor on the street behind her reported seeing lights around one o’clock this morning. We didn’t hear about this until a couple of hours ago, however.”

“How strange,” An’gel said. “Do you know yet how she died?”

“We’re pretty sure she was knocked unconscious and then strangled,” Kanesha replied. “I’m hoping the witness who saw the lights can tell us something more that will give us a lead on who’s responsible.”

“I hope they can, too,” An’gel said. “In the meantime, though, I think you really need to come out to Ashton Hall. There’s new information that could help.”

“Such as?” Kanesha said, her tone sharp.

“We found Coriander Simpson, for one,” An’gel said. “Now, I know you’re probably going to be aggravated we didn’t tell you sooner, but the story is a bit complicated. If you can come out here now, we can tell you everything. Coriander is here with us now. She’s actually Hadley Partridge’s wife.”

For once in her life, Kanesha must have been struck speechless, An’gel decided, as she waited for the chief deputy to respond. Finally Kanesha said, “I’ll be on my way in a few.” She ended the call.

“Tell us what all that was about,” Dickce said.

An’gel shared what Kanesha told her about the death of Mrs. Turnipseed. When she finished, there was stunned silence for a moment.

Coriander looked up at Hadley. “I think maybe we should tell Ryan that he and Belinda and the boys should stay in Memphis until the murderer is caught.”

“Good idea,” Hadley said. “As soon as I know their plane has landed, I’ll text him and tell him to call me before they leave the airport.”

“Who are Ryan and Belinda and the boys?” An’gel asked, although she suspected she already knew.

“Our son and his wife, and our grandsons, Simon and Derek,” Coriander replied. “They live in London, and they’re on their way here for a visit.”

“This will all be theirs someday,” Hadley said. “If they decide they want to keep it and move here, of course.” He looked down at his wife. “We’re planning to stay here. That’s why I’m investing time and energy and money in this house and grounds.”

“I’m delighted to hear it,” An’gel said. “You belong here.”

“Me, too,” Dickce added. “It will be wonderful to see children here at Ashton Hall.”

Coriander laughed. “They’re not precisely children. Simon will soon be seventeen, and Derek is fifteen.”

“Young people then.” Dickce smiled.

“I take it that Deputy Berry is on her way here?” Hadley asked.

“Yes,” An’gel said. “She needs to know everything you’ve told us, and I’m hoping she will have other information she hasn’t shared. Maybe that way she can figure out who’s behind everything. Maybe even who really killed Callie.”

“While we wait for her,” Coriander said, “why don’t I make some tea? I think we could all use it right about now.” She rose from the chair.

Hadley smiled. “We’ve become accustomed to it. Tea as the antidote to everything. I frankly could use something a lot stronger, but tea will do. How about we all go to the kitchen and have it there? Cory made some fresh scones this morning.”

“Sounds fine to me,” Dickce said. “Come on, An’gel.”

“I’ll never say no to tea and homemade scones,” An’gel replied as she rose from the sofa.

An’gel had barely finished her first scone when the doorbell rang. Hadley left the room to answer it.

“Will the deputy be offended if we talk to her in the kitchen?” Coriander asked.

“Not at all,” An’gel said.

“Good. I’ll get another cup out for her.” Coriander walked over to the cabinet.

Hadley returned with Kanesha Berry, and he quickly made introductions between his wife and the deputy. Coriander stared at Kanesha for a moment. “I believe I knew your mother,” she said. “Azalea Berry, isn’t she?”

Kanesha nodded. “Yes, that’s my mother.”

“I hope she’s doing well,” Coriander said. “She was always such a gracious person and very kind to me when I saw her.”

“She’s doing fine,” Kanesha said. “I’ll let her know you asked about her.” She turned to greet An’gel and Dickce. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a lot going on. I really need to hear what all you have to tell me.”

An’gel knew that Kanesha was feeling the pressure of the investigation and was not bothered by her abrupt manner.

“Why don’t you sit down and have a cup of tea and a scone, and we’ll tell you everything as quickly as we can.”

Kanesha didn’t respond for a moment. “All right. I could use a little caffeine, frankly.”

Hadley held out a chair for her, and she nodded before taking it. Coriander placed tea and a plate with two scones on the table in front of her.

An’gel said, “It all started with Dickce and me trying to trace Coriander Simpson.” She gave Kanesha a quick summary of Benjy’s efforts and Dickce’s visit with Coriander’s mother. “We thought she really might have died in England, but as it turned out, we were wrong.” She looked to Hadley and Coriander to take up the story now.

Hadley explained the reasons he left Athena and all that ensued, from his own knowledge, after that. Coriander then shared with Kanesha what she knew about the other women who were in love with Hadley, and about the car she had seen the day she left Ashton Hall to join Hadley in New York.

Kanesha had consumed both scones and two cups of tea by the time she heard all the information that An’gel, Dickce, Hadley, and Coriander had to share. Now they all waited to hear what she had to say in response.

Kanesha pushed the empty plate away and regarded them all with her habitual unreadable expression.

“Well?” An’gel said. “Does any of this help you figure out who the killer is?”

Kanesha nodded. “I believe so, but I do have one question for you. I think I know who it is, but tell me, is one of these women left-handed?”

An’gel looked at Dickce and frowned. “As I recall, both Lottie and Reba are left-handed, aren’t they?”

Dickce nodded. “Yes, they are.”

Kanesha muttered something under her breath, and An’gel thought she knew what it was. She didn’t blame the deputy.

“I presume whoever killed Mrs. Turnipseed was left-handed?” An’gel said.

“Yes,” Kanesha replied, “and I figured the chances were that only one of these ladies was a lefty. Now you tell me two of them are.”

“At least that eliminates Barbie Gross,” Dickce said. “I’m glad. I really like her.”

“My vote is for Reba,” An’gel said. “After all, she knew Mrs. Turnipseed rather well. She told us so herself. If Mrs. Turnipseed trusted the person who killed her, who was that more likely to be? Reba, I think.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” Dickce said.

“I agree,” Kanesha said. “But we don’t know for sure that Mrs. Turnipseed was working with someone she might consider a friend. I suspect she was being paid by someone. She was living well beyond the means of a retired housekeeper.”

“How do you know that?” Coriander asked. “Surely you haven’t access to her bank account so quickly.”

“No, I don’t,” Kanesha replied. “I’ll just say that we found plenty of things at her house that were way too expensive. She had a lot of antique furniture for one thing, antiques that looked like better quality than what she might have inherited from her own family. I knew of them. They weren’t people who could afford such things.”

“Some of them came from Ashton Hall,” Hadley explained. “My brother left her most of the furnishings from my mother’s bedroom and sitting room.”

“That would account for most of them,” Kanesha said. “It still doesn’t explain the rest. Your mother didn’t have an early seventeenth-century oak coffer, did she? Or an oak settle from roughly the same period?”

Hadley shook his head. “No, she didn’t. We didn’t have them anywhere in the house, unless they were purchased after I left. Frankly, though, I can’t see my brother buying them. They would have been too old. He didn’t care for anything before Regency.”

“I see,” Kanesha said. She glanced at An’gel and Dickce, obviously aware of their curiosity. “I watch shows about antiques when I’m off, and I’ve learned to recognize different periods and styles.” She smiled briefly. “My one hobby.”

“So you think Mrs. Turnipseed was blackmailing someone?” Dickce said.

“Yes, I believe so,” Kanesha replied.

An’gel said, “I know Lottie’s husband left her quite well off. Reba, on the other hand, has always seemed to be strapped for cash.”

“Maybe because Mrs. Turnipseed has been blackmailing her for years,” Dickce said. “They certainly used to have money, at least as long as her husband was alive. After he died, I thought she spent most of her money on keeping Martin happy with gadgets and cars.”

“Do you think my brother murdered his wife?” Hadley asked.

Kanesha shrugged. “Hard to say at this point. Frankly, I have to assume he did, unless someone else confesses to it. The fact that he didn’t report her dead or missing is suspicious. We have very little to go on in her case, unfortunately.”

“I see.” Hadley closed his eyes for a moment. Coriander laid her hand on his and squeezed it.

“I think it’s likely that either Reba or Lottie killed Callie,” An’gel said. “And I’m betting that Mrs. Turnipseed saw it happen, or else saw enough to figure it out. Then she blackmailed the killer.”

“And when Hadley came back, either Reba or Lottie was so determined to have him, she went after the women who showed open interest in him.” Dickce went on to explain about Sarinda’s reaction to Hadley at the garden club board meeting and the fact that Hadley had been seen in town with Arliss.

“I feel so bad about that,” Hadley said. “Arliss wasn’t trying to seduce me, at least not that I could tell. She told me she was planning her first trip to London and wanted me to tell her about all the things she should see and where she should stay.”

Coriander exchanged an amused glance with An’gel, as if to say, He’s still naive when it comes to women’s motives for anything.

“That’s as may be,” An’gel said. “The result was, however, that Arliss got run off the road and is now fighting for her life.”

“I have some news on that,” Kanesha said. “I know you’ll be happy to hear she’s improving, and the doctor is more hopeful that she’ll be able to recover. Perhaps not completely, but better than expected.”

“That is wonderful news,” Dickce said.

“Thank the Lord,” Hadley said. “I feel responsible for her being in the shape she is.”

“Nonsense,” An’gel said. “The person who ran her off the road is responsible, not you.”

“I agree, dear,” Coriander said. “You aren’t at fault for the actions of a lunatic.”

Hadley didn’t look convinced, but he would have to wrestle with his feelings of guilt, An’gel knew. In his place she would probably feel the same.

“How are you going to figure out which one of them is responsible?” Coriander asked.

Before Kanesha could respond, An’gel said, “I have an idea that might help get this over with quickly.”

Kanesha looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “And what is that idea, Miss An’gel?”

“I know you don’t like interference in your investigations,” An’gel said. “But you have accepted our help in the past, and I think in this case we can help bring things to a close before anyone else gets hurt.”

“Yes, I understand that.” Kanesha frowned, and An’gel could see that her patience was wearing thin. “What is this idea?”

“We flush out the killer.” An’gel leaned forward. “You have deputies here in the house, ready to arrest her. Dickce and I will each call one of them, ostensibly to gossip and share what we’ve found out, that Hadley is married. I’m thinking that news might make her so angry she’ll storm over here and try something. Your men will be on hand, and they can arrest her then.” She sat back in her chair and waited for reactions.

“The person would have to make a direct attack against either Mister or Mrs. Partridge,” Kanesha said. “That’s a big risk, and they would have to be willing to take it before I could even consider consenting to that kind of scheme.”

An’gel looked at Hadley and Coriander. “What do you say?”

“Absolutely not,” Hadley said. “In Cory’s case, that is. I’m willing to be the bait, but I’m not going to allow her to be.”

“Excuse me, Mister Partridge,” Coriander said, her voice a little sharp, “you’re not going to allow me? Is that so?”

Hadley’s expression turned even more stubborn, An’gel thought, as he regarded his wife.

“This is no time to talk about being equal partners,” he said. “This is your life we’re talking about.”

“It’s also your life,” Coriander replied. “I’m not all that eager to see you put yourself in danger, you know.” She turned to An’gel. “Tell me, what do you think would enrage this woman more, seeing me or Hadley, or the two of us together?”

An’gel hated to say it, because she figured Hadley would never forgive her. “You two together.”

“Then that’s how we’ll do it, or not at all.” Coriander picked up the teapot. “I’ll make more tea for all of us.”