Some people develop eye strain looking for trouble.
—ANONYMOUS
I DON’T KNOW how long I stood there, staring at the necklace. Eventually I realized that my fingers were numb with cold and I was shivering. Behind me a twig snapped. Whirling around, I searched the inky darkness. I couldn’t see anything, but I felt the vulnerability of my position. My skin prickled with the uneasy sensation that I was being watched from behind one of the windows that ran along the back of the inn. With my heart pounding in my ears, I glanced up at the dark casements and ran for the house. My stumbling footsteps on the ice-covered snow sounded like rapid gunfire.
Back inside the dining room, I fumbled with the latch. When I finally secured it, I sagged against the wall. Rubbing my hands together for warmth, I wondered if the necklace could be a clue to Gerald’s murder. The initials didn’t belong to anyone staying at the inn—that is, if the owner was under her real name.
I crept up the stairs, desperate not to make any noise. Turning the corner, I was surprised to see a line of light spilling out from under Peter’s door. Wondering why he was up at this hour, I moved toward his room and gave the door a light tap with my knuckle. Almost instantly it was flung open. Shock registered on Peter’s face when he saw me. “Elizabeth!” he said. “I didn’t hear you get back. What’s going on?”
“Can I come in?” I whispered, glancing behind me down the dark hallway.
“Of course.” He stepped aside. “Is everything okay? Did Daniel do something?”
“No, Daniel didn’t do anything,” I snapped, pushing past him into the room.
“Then what’s going on?” he asked. Surveying the room, I saw that the bed was still made; there weren’t even indentations in its brightly colored patchwork quilt. An open book lay on the seat of a rocking chair by the floor lamp. I looked at Peter. He was wearing the same jeans and sweater he had had on earlier.
“What are you still doing up?” I asked, suddenly suspicious.
“Nothing,” he mumbled. “I … couldn’t sleep, so I was reading.” He had obvious trouble meeting my eyes.
I stared at him. “In a chair? Fully dressed? Across the room from the bed?”
“Um … yeah,” Peter said feebly.
Realization dawned. “Oh, my God! Were you waiting up for me?”
He still refused to meet my eyes. Stuffing his thumb into his belt loop, he mumbled, “Something like that.”
“Are you kidding me? Why?”
Peter closed his eyes and ground his teeth before answering. “Because I was worried, all right? I know you like Daniel, but I don’t. I don’t trust him. Aunt Winnie wanted to do it herself, but I talked her out of it. She’s tired enough as it is.”
I didn’t say anything. I was torn between hugging him and throwing something at him.
“Well, you needn’t have bothered,” I said after a minute. “I’m fine.”
“Then what’s going on? Why are you here?”
I pulled the necklace out of my pocket and told him what had happened. I did, however, gloss over the part where I frisked the bird feeder.
Peter perched on the edge of the bed. “What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know.” I took a seat in the rocking chair. “Whose necklace could it be? I don’t see how this connects to Gerald’s murder, but it’s got to.”
“It might. I think you should tell Detective Stewart.”
“Oh, I will,” I said. “I can’t wait to point him to a clue that has nothing to do with Aunt Winnie.” I pushed back in the rocking chair. The resulting creak from the wood sounded like a supernatural shriek. I stopped moving.
“Do you want me to drive you to the police station tomorrow?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll call him first. Besides, I can’t go right away. Linnet has invited Aunt Winnie and me to lunch tomorrow.”
“I know. Aunt Winnie told me. I didn’t think she was particularly close to Linnet. What’s the reason for the visit?”
“Officially, it’s just a social visit, but of course that’s only a pretense. I imagine that Linnet extended the invitation to appease Jackie’s curiosity. Jackie probably thinks that we’re a source of information about the investigation.” I smiled. “The irony, of course, is that that’s precisely why Aunt Winnie and I are going—to see what we can learn from Jackie.”
“What makes you think she knows anything?” He stretched his long frame back onto the bed. Raising himself onto his elbows, he stared straight into my eyes. If it had been anyone other than Peter, I would have thought he was trying to flirt with me.
“Well, you have to admit that she has a special knack for gossip,” I said. “I don’t know how she does it, but she’s managed to uncover an awful lot about everything that’s going on in this town since she’s arrived. And there’s something else. When we were leaving Lauren’s the other day, she seemed upset by something.” I sighed and rested my head against the back of the chair. “I know it’s a long shot, but if Jackie knows something that might help Aunt Winnie, then I’ll have lunch with her every day of the week until the murderer is caught.”
Peter nodded and tried to suppress a yawn. I stood up. “All right. I’m going to bed. Which,” I added dryly, “means you can, too.”
“Wait, you didn’t tell me what happened with Daniel.” Peter scrambled into an upright position. “Did you find out anything about his relationship with Lauren? What did he say?”
I gritted my teeth and opened the door. “He said lots. But if I repeated it, it would only make you blush.”
Peter scoffed. “The inane mutterings of some poncey Englishman might make me laugh, but I seriously doubt they would make me blush.”
I was tired of sparring with him. I was tired, period. Without another word, I shut the door behind me and walked down the hall to my room.
Before I went down to start breakfast the next morning, I called Detective Stewart from my room. Sitting in the wingback chair, I nervously traced the floral patterns of the fabric with my forefinger and practiced what I was going to say. But as soon as I heard his gravelly voice on the line, my mind went blank. Instead of a concise description of last night’s events, I blurted out, “This is Elizabeth Parker. I found a necklace.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Hello, Ms. Parker,” he finally said. “And this concerns me how, exactly?”
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I think it may have something to do with the murder.” I rose from my chair and walked around the room. The floor’s wood planks were cold under my bare feet, but the pacing helped my nerves.
“I see,” he said noncommittally. “Would you like to come down to the station to discuss it? I could meet you here around noon.”
I thought of the luncheon with Linnet and Jackie. I couldn’t risk missing it on the off chance that Jackie did know something. “I can’t meet you then,” I said. “How about later this afternoon? Will you be in your office then?”
“Let me see.” The sound of papers shuffling as he flipped through his calendar floated over the line. “I’m going to be out of the office most of the afternoon. Why don’t I meet you at the inn around four o’clock?”
“No. Not here. How about at the Flowering Teapot? Can you meet me there at four o’clock?”
“Yes,” he said reluctantly. “But what is this about, Ms. Parker?”
“Last night, I found a necklace outside. It looks expensive. It was half buried in the snow. It’s engraved with the initials V.A.B. No one at the party has those initials.”
Detective Stewart coughed, or maybe he was just trying not to laugh. “Just because it doesn’t have one of the guest’s initials on it doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong to any of them. People inherit engraved jewelry and silverware all the time.”
“Then why has no one come forward to say it’s been lost?”
He did what sounded like deep-breathing exercises. Finally, he said, “What were the initials on the necklace again?”
“V.A.B.,” I said quickly, hope rising in my chest. “So you’ll check it out?”
“I’ll check it out.”
Relief swept over me. “Thank you. In the meantime, what should I do with the necklace?” My bare feet had had enough of the cold floorboards. I moved my pacing to the warm braided rug.
“Where is it now?”
“With me,” I said, reaching up and fingering the delicate pendant, which now hung around my neck. My voice dropped a notch. “Why, what do you think I should do with it? Hide it?”
“Nothing as dramatic as that, although I would avoid wearing it, of course.” I instantly dropped the pendant, wondering if the man could somehow see through the phone. “Just bring it with you this afternoon,” he continued. Through the phone line, I heard a gruff voice suddenly boom out, “Hey, Al, we got something on that tape.”
Detective Stewart said, “Hold on a sec, Paul. Ms. Parker? I’m going to have to put you on hold for a moment.” I heard a click, but I was not on hold. I could still hear everything being said. Detective Stewart spoke first. “What did you find, Paul?”
“The tape we found in Ms. Reynolds’s office is definitely a match to the tape found on the body.” Paul’s voice was hard to hear; he sounded far away from the phone. I pressed the receiver into my ear. “Do you want me to get a warrant for her arrest?”
The room spun. I clutched one of the bedposts for support and almost missed Detective Stewart’s response. “No, not yet,” he said. “I want to dig around a little more.”
The faceless Paul was evidently displeased with this. “Jesus Christ, Al! What the hell are you waiting for? We found the tape in her office! We know that Gerald was trying to push her out of her inn and we know that she’s got an assault record! She admitted that she turned off the lights. What more do we need?” Paul may have been far away from the phone, but he was now yelling so loudly that it was easy to hear his every word.
“I understand your frustration, Paul,” said Detective Stewart, “but I don’t want to rush to an arrest until I’m sure.”
“What else do you need? Her bloody footsteps leading to the body? A signed confession? If we don’t get this resolved soon there’s going to be hell to pay.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” snapped Detective Stewart. “The mayor’s been calling me every hour for an update.”
“Then do yourself a favor and arrest Ms. Reynolds.” A door slammed. Detective Stewart angrily drummed his fingers on his desk next to the receiver. It sounded like a stampede of horses. After a long pause, there was a click and he got back on the line, seeming not to realize that I’d never been off.
“Ms. Parker?”
I took a deep breath. “My aunt did not kill Gerald Ramsey, Detective Stewart. I don’t care what evidence you have. You’re wrong.”
“What are you talking about?” His tone was angry.
So was mine. “If you found reflective tape in my aunt’s office,” I said, “then someone is trying to frame her.”
“Were you eavesdropping?” he exploded. “This is police business and you have no right—”
I cut him off. “It’s not my fault that you didn’t put me on hold!”
“You should have hung up as soon as you realized what had happened!”
“You can’t be serious.”
He swore. I ignored him and continued. “You’re wrong, Detective Stewart. My aunt is innocent.”
He sighed and said, “For your sake, Ms. Parker, I hope I am wrong. I’ll see you at four o’clock.” It was the unexpected kindness in his voice that really scared me.
Numbly, I went downstairs to start breakfast. I let my hand slide down the wide banister, taking comfort in the feel of the smooth wood against my skin. Around me the inn was quiet, and I stood for a moment on the landing hoping that the peaceful atmosphere would soothe my jumbled thoughts. Aside from Lady Catherine, I was the first one down. Under her watchful gaze, I prepped two trays of miniature blueberry muffins. I had just pulled them from the oven when Aunt Winnie came in. The change in her appearance just since last night shocked me. Lines of fatigue were etched into her face, her eyes were dull, and her movements seemed sluggish. She wasn’t even wearing her usual tailored clothes. Instead she had on faded jeans and a red sweatshirt that read SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED. I couldn’t bring myself to burden her with the knowledge that Detective Stewart thought he had new evidence against her. It would be cruel to worry her with it. I would just tell her that I was going to meet him to discuss the necklace and nothing more.
“Aunt Winnie!” I cried. “You look exhausted! Why don’t you go back to bed? I can handle breakfast.”
She yawned and poured herself a large cup of coffee. Sitting down at the kitchen table, she took a long sip and said, “I’m fine, honey. I’m just a little tired, is all. I didn’t sleep well last night.” Lady Catherine leaped up onto Aunt Winnie’s lap and nudged at her hand. Mechanically, Aunt Winnie stroked her long white fur.
“Why don’t you go back to bed and lie down for a while? Do you want me to call Jackie and Linnet and cancel?”
“No,” she said, before taking another sip. “I want to go. I have a feeling that Jackie knows something. I want to find out what it is.”
“All right, but on one condition. You go upstairs and rest. Peter and I can handle breakfast.”
I expected her to fight. Instead, she put a hand to her eyes and gently rubbed them. “Maybe you’re right. I’m not thinking clearly and a short nap might help. Thanks, sweetie,” she said with a smile. “I don’t know what I’d have done this weekend without you and Peter.” Still holding Lady Catherine, she stood up. She shifted the cat up over her right shoulder, picked up her coffee, and walked out.
Moments later, Peter came in. Sniffing the air appreciatively, his brown eyes quickly sought out the tray of small blueberry muffins. Reaching out a long arm, he grabbed one and popped it into his mouth. “I just saw Aunt Winnie,” he said through a mouthful. “I guess it’s just us this morning.”
“Yes, I sent her back to bed,” I answered, watching Peter eat a second muffin. “She looks completely worn out. I’m afraid that this is starting to take a toll on her. After all, she’s not a young woman.” I pushed his hand away as he reached for another muffin.
“Elizabeth,” Peter said patiently, “she’s just tired—hell, we all are.”
“I don’t know, Peter. I’m really worried.”
Awkwardly, Peter put his hand on my shoulder. “Come on,” he said, “this isn’t like you. What’s going on?”
“I called Detective Stewart this morning to tell him about the necklace, but he didn’t seem all that interested. When another man came into his office, he thought he put me on hold, but he didn’t. I heard him discussing the case. They found a roll of reflective tape in Aunt Winnie’s desk. It matches the tape they found on Gerald. I’m supposed to meet him at four. I’m hoping that I’ll learn more from him then.”
“Wait a minute. You’re meeting with him? Why you? If he’s going to meet with anyone, shouldn’t it be Aunt Winnie?”
“I asked him to meet me,” I said. “I don’t think I should tell Aunt Winnie about the tape—at least not yet. I’m just going to tell her that I’m meeting him about the necklace.”
“Elizabeth,” Peter said, “don’t underestimate her. She’s stronger than you think. I’d back her against Detective Stewart any day. What did Detective Stewart say about the tape?”
“Just that they found it in her office. I told him about the necklace and he said he would check it out and let me know what he found out.”
Peter looked thoughtful. “Do you want me to go with you?” He reached for the muffins. Mechanically, I shoved his hand away.
“No,” I said. “I need you to stay here.”
“You got it,” he said, adding, “although I think that a task as boring as that deserves a treat.” He stared at the muffins.
“All right.” I handed him one. “But don’t you worry about gaining weight and all that?”
Peter smiled at me as he popped it in his mouth. “I have a high metabolism.”
I looked pointedly at his stomach. He sucked it in and grinned at me. Rolling my eyes, I handed him the coffee tray. “No comment,” I said. “Here, take this out and set it up. I’ll be right out with the rest.” Peter left and I quickly piled the remaining muffins on the tray with sliced melon. Taking a deep breath, I followed him.
Breakfast was a strained affair. Daniel was nowhere to be found, which was fine with me. As I surreptitiously watched Joan and Henry, I noticed a tension between them. They hardly spoke to each other. Henry stared moodily out the window with worried eyes.
I knew how he felt.