The Battered Body

SIX

“I have a surprise for you,” Milla told Paulette over breakfast. “Well, two surprises, actually. The first is this.” She handed her sister a tumbler of eggnog. “I made it myself. I know it’s your favorite durin’ the holidays.”

James poured himself some coffee and watched Paulette as she raised the glass up to her face and sniffed. “You remembered the nutmeg.”

“’Course I did.” Milla handed James the creamer. “I figured since you had a bit of a shock yesterday you could use a treat.”

“Nonsense. I couldn’t have paid for better publicity.” Paulette took a delicate sip of eggnog and then took another, rather unladylike slurp, and replaced the tumbler on the table with a thud. “That story will be picked up on the national level by tonight. I’m quite pleased.” She looked at James appraisingly. “You’re out and about rather early for a weekend. Don’t librarians lounge around reading or organizing their spice cabinets during their free time?”

Milla answered before James had the chance. “Our spices are already in alphabetical order, and James is gonna see a house that’s just come on the market. His Realtor lady called last night all excited.”

“Foaming at the mouth, most likely,” James mumbled.

“We are headin’ over to the Holiday Inn to visit with some special guests. And then we’re all goin’ out to lunch.”

Paulette’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve barely recovered from our mid-week foray to that disgusting goat farm. Who would these special people be?”

“Oh, just your children,” Milla replied casually.

“Truly? Chase is here?”

“ And Chloe.” Milla chided with a smile. “I thought it would be nice if we could all spend some time together before the weddin’.” Folding her napkin into a neat square, she hastily added, “Wheezie’s here too.”

Her face instantly darkening, Paulette scraped back her chair and placed her hands on her hips. “You invited Louise! How could you do that to me?” She pulled her cell phone from her purse. “You should have known better. I’m calling Willow and telling her to book us on the next flight home. I did not agree to be a participant in one of your Hallmark moments.”

Milla reached over and gently clasped her sister’s hand. “In case you didn’t notice-we’re getting old , my dear. Do you want to go to the end of your days without seeing your own sister again? She’s your flesh and blood, Patty. She looked out for you when we were little-keeping the Howell boys from picking on you, baking you special treats, sewing your dresses after you tore them climbing trees…”

“And what?” Paulette was angry. “I ruined her life in return? Is that what you’re going to say next? That I rewarded all those kindnesses by destroying her dreams?”

Grabbing Paulette’s other hand, Milla pushed the cell phone aside and stared fixedly into her eyes. “It is time for guilt and pride and blame to be set aside. What happened was a long time ago. If Wheezie was willing to come, to make peace with you , than you should be willing to hold your arms out to your eldest sister and embrace her.” James had never seen such a fierce determination animate Milla’s features. “You owe her that much, Patty.”

Paulette pulled away and fell silent. James hurriedly finished his breakfast of low-sugar oatmeal and loaded his bowl, spoon, and coffee cup into the dishwasher. He could feel both women watching him as he wrapped a scarf around his neck and zipped up his parka.

“You’ve always been such a sentimental fool,” Paulette finally said, her voice tinged with annoyance. “So after this charming family reunion, I suppose I’ll be allowed some time alone in order to bake your wedding cake samples.”

“Certainly.” Milla cleared the breakfast dishes. “And James will be ready and willing to taste them all this evening. Right, my dear?”

James paused. “Just a bite of each.” He then opened his pocket journal and recorded the calories he had just consumed.

Cinnamon & Spice Oatmeal 120 calories

Banana 110 calories

Coffee w/cream 40 calories

Not bad, James thought to himself. Though usually reluctant to leave the warm and cozy kitchen, he was more than happy to step out into the morning’s sharp cold in order to escape Paulette’s discontented stares.

Joan had offered to pick him up at her office so that they could drive to the house in one vehicle, but he had politely declined. James knew that she would use that opportunity to influence his opinion on the property by touting its fine qualities while de-emphasizing its flaws. She had already mentioned the fact that the owner was being relocated and was therefore very motivated to sell.

“It was a promotion, you see,” Joan’s voice was airy as she relayed this bit of gossip to James over the phone the night before. “So he doesn’t need to focus too much on profit. Apparently, his new house in Nashville is on a two-acre lot and has twice the square footage of the one they’re selling. It’s a good thing too because his wife is expecting twins, and though this house might be perfect for you , a bachelor, or for a couple with only one child, it’s rather tight for a family of four. Do you need directions?”

James had already driven by the house twice, so he knew exactly where it was. He desperately hoped the interior was in good repair, because he had liked the house occupying 27 Hickory Hill Lane upon first glance. A two-story cottage with a front porch and a fenced-in yard, the little yellow house seemed tidy and welcoming.

Even in winter, when the trees and shrubs in the yard were bare and the lawn was brown-tinged in its dormancy, the white icicle lights dripping from the porch eaves illuminated the entire façade of the home. The buttery paint color, the curls of white smoke emanating from the chimney, and the well-groomed appearance of the yard were very attractive to James, and he was anxious over the thought that someone else would snap up this gem before he had the chance to get inside.

“I hope you haven’t been waiting long!” Joan chirped loudly as she rattled a fistful of keys. She hesitated at the end of the front path, clasping her hands together theatrically. “Isn’t this a charmer?”

“I like it,” James admitted cautiously.

“Wait until you see how darling it is inside!” Joan unlocked the front door and asked James to wait on the threshold, and she breezed around turning on lights, her spiked boot heels clicking across the hardwood floors.

He then followed her mutely through a spacious living room, a brightly lit kitchen, and three small but comfortable bedrooms.

“The baths have both been redone and the appliances in the kitchen are new as of this year,” Joan trilled. “You’ll have to buy your own washer and dryer, but aside from that, you could practically move right in.” She frowned as they stood in the center of the third bedroom, which obviously belonged to a young boy. “I guess you’d have to remove all those glow-in-the-dark stickers on the ceiling and repaint that. Hopefully it won’t require sanding. I really wish people wouldn’t use those things! Too, too tacky!” She looked at James. “Do you want me to ask the seller to deal with that repair? It could be one of the terms of your offer.”

James was surprised. Had his immediate affinity regarding the house been that transparent? “That’s okay.” They returned to the kitchen and gazed out over the deck. “I’d like to walk around the backyard really quickly,” James said.

“Of course. I’ll stay right here and give you a moment to think.” The real estate agent pointed at a copse of trees lining the right-hand corner of the property. “And don’t worry about that swing set or the tree house back there. You could always get rid of those by putting an ad in the Star . People love getting something for free, whether it’s a swing set or lumber.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” James agreed just to get Joan to stop talking.

Exiting through the one-car garage, he was again impressed by the tidiness of the house. There wasn’t so much as an oil spot in the garage, and the flower beds in the backyard had been cleared of leaves and the spent stalks of perennials, and they were redolent with the fragrance of fresh mulch. James read the carefully written signs identifying which blooms he could expect to appear in the spring and early summer. He was also delighted to see a raised square of earth surrounded by wire mesh fence at the rear of the property.

“A vegetable garden!” James exclaimed in delight, and he walked around the perimeter of vacant soil. Glancing upward at the group of trees, he couldn’t help but draw in a breath as he took in the sturdy tree fort, which had been built to resemble a little castle, complete with turrets and a trap door. A stout rope ladder offered access to the aerial kingdom and a toy telescope had been attached to one of the walls to allow for the scouting of enemies.

I couldn’t tear that down! James thought, wishing that he was still small or agile enough to scamper up the ladder and spend a future summer afternoon reading inside the leafy escape.

When he returned through the garage into the house, he found Joan examining the contents of the refrigerator.

“Looks like they’re having chicken for dinner,” she remarked, as though it were perfectly acceptable to scrutinize a seller’s fridge. “So… should we go back to the office and draw up an offer?”

“Yes.” James’s heart tripped in excitement as he gazed around the room. “I love this house. This is where I’d like to live. It already feels…”

“Like home?” Joan smiled with sincerity. “I recognize the look on your face. I’ve seen it a thousand times before, and I never get tired of it.”

James spent the next hour signing documents and rereading the legalese written in a minute font on a stack of preapproval papers drawn up by Shenandoah Savings & Loan.

“I commend you for having your financial ducks in a row,” Joan said. “If only all of my clients were this prepared. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked my tail off to get to the offer stage only to discover they don’t have enough money in the bank to pay for a single mortgage payment!”

“It’s not easy to come up with the down payment most banks require these days.” James felt he needed to defend those struggling to become homeowners for the first time. “In my parents’ day, it was easier to purchase a house. Now, people have to wait longer and longer until they have enough money.”

“Which they can save by not maxing out their credit cards. Or by living with their parents.” Joan shot James a meaningful glance. “But I fear this trend only helps to foster dependency in our children. My own sons, for example, will find their bedrooms transformed into exercise and craft rooms as soon as they graduate college. They’re welcome to come home for visits, but that is it!” She stacked a sheaf of papers with violent decisiveness.

“You might find that you need them around more than you’d originally planned,” James commented argumentatively. “That’s why I moved in with my father. I wasn’t trying to leech off him, but to care for him. My financial situation wasn’t part of the equation. I quit my job in Williamsburg to be with him.”

Joan blinked and then made a quick recovery. “That’s so devoted of you! But now he has a new wife to coddle him and you can get busy finding one of your own, right? Maybe you won’t need to take down that tree house after all.”

Fighting an urge to tell the Realtor that she didn’t possess an ounce of tact, James requested that she call him as soon as the owners responded to the offer and marched out of the office. Even though it was only eleven, his stomach was rumbling in hunger. He dialed Lucy’s number on his cell phone.

“Are you free for lunch?” he asked her. “I’m craving a diner meal.”

“Sure am,” she answered. “I’ve got one of those awful split shifts this weekend and am on the clock at one, so I’ll have to meet you at Dolly’s armed and dangerous.”

James visualized how Lucy’s toned yet feminine body filled out her brown and beige uniform. “That’s just how I like you. You know where to find me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Your island booth. Why do you always sit there, James?”

Reflecting on the vacation poster with its pristine white sand and cerulean ocean, he replied, “Because I dream of going to a place like that someday. I’d like to put a lounge chair in the shade and just read. For once, I’d catch up on all those books piled up on my nightstand that I never seem to have time for.”

“Seems pretty antisocial,” Lucy remarked.

“Oh, it’d be great if you were there with me. I’d rather talk to you than read a book anyway.” He sighed as he pictured them sharing a giant cocktail served in a hulled-out pineapple as an ocean breeze fluttered through the palms above their double hammock. “Hopefully, I’ll be too short on cash to go this year, but I’ll tell you all about that over lunch.”

Dolly welcomed James as though he had been away at sea for six months. “Where have you been?” the red-cheeked proprietor demanded as she pulled him into her cushioned bosom. “You’re not goin’ into hidin’ already ’cause of Murphy’s book, are you?”

Several diners instantly stopped eating in order to listen to his response. James glanced at a couple to his left and eyed their fried chicken and mashed potato platters with longing. “I’ve been working and helping Milla out with wedding preparations. I’m not going to allow The Body in the Bakery to change my life. My only hope is that the book is good for the town.”

“Oh, it’s gonna be!” Dolly declared happily. “I’ve already got calls from newspapers, magazines, and even the TV people about doin’ a story on our diner. If they’re houndin’ me, they must be nearly breakin’ down the door of the Sweet Tooth to see if it looks like a place where somebody might’ve been murdered.”

James frowned. “Someone did die there, remember?”

“How could I forget?” Clamping her hand over her mouth, Dolly led him to his usual booth. “You want sweet tea, hon?”

“Unsweetened, please.” James removed his food diary from his coat pocket. “I’m keeping a food log,” he explained before Dolly could ask. “Even with artificial sweetener, tea costs me no calories, but I’ve got to write everything down in order to show the nutritionist what I like to eat. But I’ll wait to order lunch. Lucy’s joining me.”

Dolly’s eyes glimmered with interest. There was nothing she enjoyed more than a fresh piece of gossip. “You two gonna rekindle the ole fire?” She reached over and gave his arm a playful pinch. “And what nutritionist? Not the lady whose sons went after the Diva of Dough!”

“One and the same.” James spoke loud enough for the eager ears of his fellow diners to hear him defend Dr. Ruth. “Dr. Wilkins is a lovely and gentle person. Her sons were only standing up for her because Paulette Martine made a fool of their mother. Could you imagine having to pay for three college tuitions at once? Dr. Ruth can’t afford to lose clients because that woman from New York chose to mock one of our own.”

He knew that his last statement would resonate with most of the diners. He heard a man seated nearby whisper, “Damn right. That Yankee’s gonna make our local gal go broke,” while a woman said, “Poor Dr. Ruth. Her boys were raised proper. See how they did their best to look after their mama?”

Dolly’s Diner was the epicenter of Quincy’s Gap. James was confident that within the hour, public opinion on Dr. Ruth Wilkins would change dramatically and Dolly would do her best to see that her customers viewed the nutritionist with sympathy. To reward her for her loyalty, James told her about the offer he’d made on the house and then asked her for advice on where to send Milla and his father on their honeymoon.

“You’re kinda waitin’ ’til the last second, ain’t ya? Their weddin’s next Wednesday. On Christmas Eve?”

James nodded.

“And your daddy’s not likely to wanna fly in an airplane, bein’ that he’s so shy and all. And no offense, James, but they’re a bit too old to be drivin’ one of those big campers, so you’ve gotta find someplace they can get to in their own car.” Sensing that a customer behind her needed something, she turned away. “Lemme ask Clint what he thinks. That man of mine never seems to be able to put his socks in the hamper, but he knows how to surprise me with a romantic getaway now and again when he sets his mind to it.”

As Dolly bustled off, Lucy walked in, her hips swaying attractively as she held on to her jiggling nightstick with her right hand and her overloaded purse with the other.

“That uniform certainly shows off how fit you are,” James complimented her.

Lucy gestured toward the hostess station and looked displeased. “Peggy says you bought a house today. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That Dolly is something else…” James quickly explained that, at this point, he had only made an offer. “I hope to be buying a house today and if the sellers accept the offer, you’ll be the first person inside after the closing, I promise.”

Mollified, Lucy perused the six page menu and decided on the grilled chicken and portobello sandwich with a side of fruit salad. When Dolly arrived to take their orders, James reluctantly asked for the same meal. “But can you make mine on a whole wheat bun instead of the sourdough? And may I have mustard on the side?” he asked, hoping that a good dose of spicy brown mustard would liven up his potentially dull entrée.

“It’s too bad you have to work tonight,” he told Lucy once Dolly headed for the kitchen. “Paulette is coming over with cake samples. I could save you some if you’d like.”

Her blue eyes wistful, Lucy waited a moment before shaking her head no. “I’d better not. Can’t chase after the bad guys if my thighs chafe from rubbing together. And now that I’ve been partnered with Donovan, I’ve got to prove myself as fast and tough as he is. Last time we had to chase some teenagers vandalizing the walls of the Laundromat, I was left in the dust while he chased two of them down. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t remind me of how I couldn’t keep up.”

“Well, even if you’re not as fleet of foot, you’re a hell of a lot smarter.” James tried to assure her. He knew that working alongside the close-minded, obnoxious, red-headed deputy was bound to be a challenge for any man, but as Donovan was also incredibly chauvinistic, Lucy faced an even greater struggle having him as her partner.

As Lucy relayed a series of anecdotes featuring Donovan’s attempts to make her look foolish in front of Sheriff Huckabee, Dolly appeared with their grilled chicken sandwiches.

“James, I’ve got your problem all worked out,” she informed him cheerfully. “Clint reckons you should give your folks a weekend at a cottage near Asheville. It’s a fun city to walk around and has a lot of art to see. He thought your daddy might like that.” Dolly removed a plastic bottle of mustard from her apron pocket and placed it on the table. “He knows about a real nice hotel that has cottages for folks to stay in so they can be alone, but don’t have to worry about fixin’ meals or makin’ the bed.”

James was touched that Clint had come up with such an appropriate locale for his reclusive father. “Tell your husband that he’s brilliant. It sounds like the ideal gift.”

Dolly beamed and gave his shoulder a maternal pat. “I took the liberty of meltin’ a slice of mozzarella on your sandwich.” She pointed at the tomato slices next to his sandwich. “Slip a few of those sweet, juicy tomatoes under your bun and you won’t even think you’re eatin’ healthy.” She smiled at Lucy. “You’re lookin’ right good, Deputy Hanover. Guess keepin’ the peace ’round here has made you trim, but don’t go gettin’ too skinny. A man likes somethin’ to hold on to.”

With a wink, Dolly nudged James with her fleshy hip and then moved on to cajole, tease, and gossip with her other customers.

After gazing after the proprietress with affection, Lucy raised her glass of iced tea in a toast. “Here’s to your offer getting accepted.”

“And to going out to celebrate tomorrow night if it does.” James clinked her glass and the two smiled at one another over their rims. “This might be one of the most exciting weekends of my life, Lucy. If only I could find that damned elf, then all would be well.”

Lucy frowned. “His name wouldn’t be Glowstar, would it?”

“How’d you know?” He nearly choked on a bite of chicken.

Smiling, she said, “Because we received a ransom note about a certain ‘part-time, green-skinned employee of the Shenandoah County Library.’ I know the twins love sci-fi, but they don’t usually paint their faces until Halloween, so I figured the letter was a joke.”

“A ransom note!”

“Yeah, it’s actually pieced together using sentences from the Star . The ransomer wants a million dollars in unmarked bills to be placed next to the library’s book drop bin at midnight on Christmas Eve.”

“The night of the wedding,” James mused. “I wonder if the timing is deliberate.”

“Come on, James, it’s not like this is for real. Donovan put the note in the shredder.” Lucy didn’t seem perturbed by James’s irritated frown. “It’s obviously some kids messing around. The whole thing’s a harmless joke.”

“Not to Scott and Francis, it isn’t,” he replied seriously and spent the rest of his meal in relative silence, pondering over what sort of person would take the time to create an untraceable ransom note for a stuffed elf.

That evening, as James, Milla, and Jackson awaited the arrival of Willow and Paulette with the cake samples, Joan phoned to tell James that his offer had been accepted. After allowing him to absorb the wonderful news, she asked him to look over his calendar and together, they scheduled a closing date for the third week of January. By three o’clock on January 23, the yellow house on Hickory Hill Lane would be his.

The joy in James’s voice as he effusively thanked Joan alerted Milla and Jackson as to the result of his offer. Before he had even hung up the phone, Milla had pulled a bottle of champagne from the fridge and was enthusiastically tearing the plastic sleeve from its neck.

“So we’re finally gettin’ rid of you?” Jackson smirked as he popped the cork. Holding the bottle in one hand, he placed his free one on his son’s arm. “You coulda stayed, son. We wouldn’t have minded… much.”

“I’ll only be ten minutes away, Pop.” James was moved by the rare demonstration of affection. “We’ll see one another all the time.”

Jackson seemed pleased about the proximity of James’s new house. “Good. That’s far enough to keep you outta my shed and close enough to get you over here for chores.”

Milla snatched the champagne from her fiancé’s hand. “You’re going to talk until all the bubbles go flat.” She poured out three glasses, paying no attention to the stray splashes peppering the countertop. “To your first home, my dear. May you fill each room with many happy memories!”

“Look out, boy. She’s gonna want grandkids now for sure.” Jackson drained his glass in a single gulp. “You’d best be walkin’ down the aisle after we’re done with our march next week. Though no bride could ever be as purty as mine.”

James busied himself refilling their glasses as Milla gave Jackson a grateful kiss.

“Where’s your sister?” Jackson barked, embarrassed into gruffness by the public display of love. “The woman’s always late.”

“No need to lose hair over a few minutes,” Milla scolded and then took a large swallow of champagne. “After all the arrows slung today, I sure needed a drink.”

“I take it the family reunion didn’t go so well?” James inquired, noting the pinched look of Milla’s face.

Milla shook her head but clearly didn’t feel like elaborating any further. The trio drank champagne and waited, exchanging small-talk about the wedding, James’s house, the bitterness of the December wind, Glowstar, Dr. Ruth, and Bennett’s Jeopardy! preparations.

After Jackson tapped on his wristwatch for the third time, Milla picked up the phone and called over to the Widow’s Peak.

“Willow? Have you seen my sister?” she asked lightly. As she listened to Paulette’s assistant, Milla began to frown. Finally, she said, “I understand, and no, I don’t want you to get into any hot water. We’ll see her when we see her, and you as well, my dear.”

Jackson waited until Milla had replaced the phone in its cradle before declaring, “She’s not comin’, right? What are we supposed to have for dessert without her damned cake?”

Milla opened the freezer door and began to push around packages of frozen waffles and bags of vegetables. “We’ll have to settle for ice cream. Willow says my sister is locked in the kitchen and is never to be bothered when she’s baking. Apparently, Paulette told her that if that ever happened Willow would be fired on the spot. The innkeepers have had to give my sister the key to the kitchen door so she can lock herself in for as many hours as she wants.”

“That’s not too strange to me,” Jackson remarked. “I don’t like folks bargin’ in when I’m paintin’.” He gave James a pointed look.

“Sorry, James.” Milla sighed as she placed a half gallon of Edy’s Mocha Almond Fudge on the counter. “It seems we wasted your Friday night for nothing. If Paulette’s still cooking, then we’re not going to taste her cakes ’til morning. I could never have imagined she’d turn out to be quite this self-absorbed.”

“That’s okay, Milla.” James gave his future stepmother a one-handed hug before turning resolutely away from the tempting carton of ice cream. “Having cake for breakfast sure beats the Fiber One I was planning on eating before church.”

However, there was no cake for breakfast either. In fact, the phone rang shortly after six a.m., shattering the silence in the house. Milla had taken to spending the night whenever she didn’t have classes to teach the following day, and when her shriek resonated throughout the early morning’s darkness, James raced downstairs without slippers or robe, fearful that his father’s fiancée had sustained a terrible injury.

“What is it?” he asked her as he bolted into the kitchen, quickly noting that though she seemed unharmed, her face was like a pale moon in lightless gloom.

Wordlessly, Milla handed him the telephone receiver as though it were a lethal object and then moved over to the sink. She turned on the faucet and watched blankly as the water streamed between the divides of her trembling fingers.

“Hello?” James’s voice was filled with trepidation.

“James?”

It was Lucy. He relaxed a fraction and then suddenly recalled that she was a sheriff’s deputy scheduled to be on duty that day.

“What’s happened?” he asked her over the sound of the running water.

“It’s Paulette,” she answered evenly. “She’s dead. I’m here at the Widow’s Peak.”

“I’ll be right over.”

“No, James.” Lucy’s tone was firm. “We haven’t determined if the death is accidental or not. I’ll call you as soon as we know something.”

“Lucy, I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he stated as though she hadn’t spoken, and then he hung up the phone. Drawing Milla toward him, he gently pushed down on the faucet until the harsh stream of water ceased and then whispered, “I’ll find out what happened. I promise.”

He then eased Milla into his father’s arms and the two men exchanged imperceptible nods. “Make her some coffee,” James whispered as he headed upstairs to pull on some clothes. “Pour in a shot of Cutty Sark. Make yourself one too. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”