My breath whooshed out in an audible gasp. The passenger door opened and my cousin emerged. She saw me in the open doorway and waved. “Lou, don’t panic, it’s okay,” she yelled.
Then the back passenger-side door opened and Ed Johnson, Willow Falls Chief of Police, crawled out, blinking. I stared at the car, half expecting more people to come tumbling out as though this were a clown car in a circus. Ed scowled as he flexed his shoulders and stretched. He looked at his wrist, but wasn’t wearing a watch, and that made him scowl more. Kay turned and said something I couldn’t hear across the top of the car to the other woman. Emily Ann started out the door. I grabbed her collar and held on as the three approached the porch.
“Geez, what a dump,” Ed said.
Kay paused to glare at him. “There you go, judging things by what they look like.”
He threw up his hands and growled, “Sorry! What it looks like is all I have to go on so far.”
She turned her back on him and led the way up the creaking steps and across the porch. I held my breath that the quaking structure would not collapse with the three of them standing on it. I backed into the room, still gripping Emily Ann’s collar. Kay and the other woman entered. Ed clumped in after a final disbelieving glare at the front of the cabin.
The blonde woman had on the same jeans and red plaid shirt she’d worn when she drove away in my car. She still possessed the beauty I'd first seen across a rain-swept parking lot, but up close her face was older than I expected, and she looked tired and worried. Faint dark smudges stained the skin under her deep blue eyes, and her lips were held in a thin line.
I looked from her to Kay. “What are you all doing here?” I demanded. “Did Ed arrest this woman?”
No one answered me. Kay had stopped two steps into the room, and the other two bunched awkwardly behind her. Kay’s eyes took in all the details of the cabin’s interior. Her gaze alighted on the still-tumbled sheets and covers on the enormous bed. She looked back at me with one eyebrow slightly raised.
“See, I was right, it is better inside than out,” she said, looking from me to Ed. My hand itched to give her a good smack, but I knew she would only laugh.
Ed grunted in reply. He crossed the room and sat on the arm of one of the chairs. He looked annoyed enough to assist me in anything I might want to do to Kay. He was very rumpled; his jeans and shirt appeared to have come directly from the bottom of a closet, his hair hadn’t seen a comb, and if he’d shaved in recent memory, it hadn’t been this morning. If he’d looked this angry the day they broke up, I suspected Kay had been lucky to get off with only a ticket for littering.
“What are you doing here?” I asked again. I couldn’t help how rude it sounded.
Kay turned to me and gestured toward the blonde. “Louisa, I want you to meet Bonnie Becker,” she replied, “Ian’s aunt.”
I gaped. “Ian’s aunt?”
The woman nodded. “I am so sorry for barging in on you. I have a lot of explaining to do,” she said. Her voice was low in both pitch and volume.
“Where’s Bob?” Kay asked.
“Gone for coffee,” I told her, “and other provisions.”
“Did he walk? My car is still outside,” she said, looking puzzled.
“No, Ambrose has already been here. They went in his car. There’s not much food here other than some orange juice, a box of expensive crackers, and some very good wine, any of which you are welcome to.”
“That’s okay, we had breakfast at my house,” Kay assured me. “Well, Bonnie and I did. I don’t think Ed has had anything.”
“Yeah, like enough sleep,” he growled.
“You had breakfast?” I burst out. How cozy. First the woman kidnaps Bob and then she breakfasts with Kay.
“This is all so crazy,” the woman—Bonnie—said. She looked earnestly at me. “I found your business cards in your car, and went to OKay Antiques last night looking for Mr. Richardson. Kay recognized me and made me listen to his side of the story.” Her eyes fell. “I can hardly bear the thought of facing him. I hope he’ll forgive me for my stupidity. You see, I thought he was working with my former brother-in-law.”
“Carl’s housekeeper found out he had the original tape, and she told Bonnie about it,” Kay took up the tale. “But they thought that Bob had been involved with Carl, or had kept a copy to cover his own ass, or maybe for blackmail. Georgia, the housekeeper, listened in on the extension whenever Carl was on the phone at the house. Apparently he hired a detective to find out where Bob went when he left High Cross, and Georgia was able to tell Bonnie so she got here first and found Bob and carted him off.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I said. “Hold it. That went by too fast.”
“I'll second that,” said Ed. “Housekeeper? Detective?”
Kay gave us both an exasperated look. She hates to slow down. “Okay, in words of one syllable—”
“There’s nothing wrong with our vocabularies,” said Ed, “we just need more words spoken slower.”
He and I looked at each other. I wouldn’t have sworn to it, but I thought I detected a glimmer of humor in his eyes.
Kay glared at both of us but decided not to pursue this line of conversation. “All right, polysyllabic but slow.” She began to prowl around the cabin as she talked. “Bonnie and I talked a long time last night—”
“All night,” Bonnie put in.
“—and here’s what we think happened. Bob stashed the original tape of Ian’s hypnosis session in his safety deposit box.
“But he kept a duplicate,” Bonnie said.
“He went to see the police detective, who acted as though he thought Bob’s accusation of Carl was ridiculous. But Bonnie tells me that Carl is politically well-connected in High Cross—”
“He was on the city council for a while, until he figured out some work was involved,” Bonnie explained.
“He also donates money to some police charity and golfs with the chief and all that good old boy stuff. So we think Bob’s idea that the detective told Carl about the tape is likely. Or if the detective didn’t tell Carl directly, he told someone within the police who’s connected to Carl. Within a day or so of Bob’s visit to the police, Carl knew the tape existed, and that it was in a safety deposit box in the bank that he owns. I don’t know how he got into Bob’s box, but he’d have complete access to all bank records and somehow he did it. We know he had the original tape, because his housekeeper—”
“That would be Georgia,” Ed said to me.
“—Georgia was in the house when he was playing the tape. She was setting the table in the dining room for a dinner party he was having the next day, and she heard Ian’s voice. She followed the sound and saw Carl in his den watching the tape.”
“And how did we come to know all this?” Ed inquired. I let go of Emily Ann’s collar and crossed to the love seat, perching on its overstuffed arm. This could take some time.
“Because Georgia called me,” Bonnie replied. “She was upset, and she was afraid.”
“Who wouldn’t be?” said Kay.
“She heard enough of the tape to realize the implications, that Carl had murdered my sister Pru and Ian. She started working for my sister when Pru was married to Ian’s father, long before Carl was in the picture. She helped raise Ian and was devastated when he died.”
“So when she realized Carl had killed them, she got in touch with Bonnie,” Kay said.
Bonnie continued, “Georgia knew Carl is connected to the police and she was afraid to go to them. We never got a chance to watch the tape. He hid it or destroyed it. But Georgia began to listen to Carl’s phone calls whenever she could do it safely. We know Carl hired detectives because he had them call him at home to report what they’d found.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, feeling suddenly indignant. “Why would you think that Bob was on Carl’s side?”
“We misinterpreted something Georgia heard. Carl was on the phone to the detective. She picked up the phone a few seconds after their conversation started, and Carl was saying what a good thing it was that ‘he’ had brought the tape straight to him, but that there could be a copy of it. They were speculating on whether this person might try blackmail. We thought they were talking about the person who made the tape.”
“But they must have meant someone in the police.” Kay’s pacing brought her next to Bonnie. “If one of the cops wanted to blackmail him, making a copy of this tape would be a dandy place to start.”
Bonnie sighed and shook her head. “I have been out of my mind these weeks since Ian died. I jumped to the conclusion that it was Bob they were talking about. A few days later Georgia heard the detective tell Carl where Bob was staying. I got in my car and drove to Willow Falls. I still can't believe I actually kidnapped him.” She shot a worried look at Ed. “It was just chance that I saw him going into that grocery store. I had been at the home warehouse next to it buying rope because I had some crazy idea of sneaking up on him in his house.”
“But how did you recognize him?” Ed asked.
She looked surprised. “I went to him for hypnosis, years ago, when I was having trouble quitting smoking.”
“That’s why Ian went to Bob,” Kay said. “His aunt recommended it.”
“He didn’t recognize me. I was afraid he would, but I looked a lot different then.”
Bonnie paused, and her eyes filled with tears. She shook her head once. “I have been out of my mind. I'm sure that he—that scum—” she struggled with her voice, “—that vile Carl Walsh killed my sister and my nephew. I loved them both. I will do anything to see that he gets what he deserves.”
The way she said his name sent a chill scurrying down my back. I glanced in Ed’s direction, and saw that he was watching Bonnie with his eyes narrowed. Emily Ann left my side and went over and leaned on Bonnie, peering up into her face. Bonnie’s hand settled gently on Emily Ann’s head. You could see her relax a fraction.
Then she looked past me and saw the television screen and froze. The blood drained from her face and she swayed. I thought she was going to fall, but she sagged against Emily Ann, who stood firm. I jumped up to help her, but Ed was faster. He was at her side, but she waved him off as she straightened again.
“Where did you get that?” Bonnie demanded, pointing.
Kay looked around wildly and saw the TV. “Oh, god, is that—”
“It's the tape, Bob’s copy, the one we’ve been looking for.”
For the first time Ed looked fully awake. He took a couple of steps toward the TV and looked hard at the image of Ian. “Have you watched it yet?” he growled at me.
I shook my head and said to Bonnie, “I'm sorry, Ambrose was here and left the video and I just stuck it in the machine a minute ago. Let me turn it off.”
She gave her head a little shake. “It was seeing him…Oh, I miss him so much!” Her voice quavered. She pressed a hand to her mouth and blinked hard.
I stepped over to the armoire and hit the power button on the television. The screen went dark. I pushed the eject button and pulled the tape out, looking blankly at the label. Finally I crossed the room and laid the tape on the kitchen counter next to my glass of juice.
“I think we should watch it,” Ed said. “Put it back in the machine.”
At the same time Kay asked again, “Where did Bob and Ambrose go?”
I turned to her. “We saw a grocery store at that little town at the crossroads about fifteen miles back. He and Ambrose have gone to pick up food,” I told her. “They must have taken Ambrose’s car. You may have passed them on your way here. I don’t think they had been gone very long when you arrived, but I was in the shower. I'm not sure how long it’s been.”
“Ah,” Kay nodded, knowing my showering habits. “I wasn’t paying attention to cars going the other way,” she confessed. “You know what?”
“What,” I obliged.
“I think we should all watch the tape together. I’ll follow Ambrose and Bob. I'm sure I can find them, and I'll get them to hustle their butts back here.”
“But—” I started to object.
“If they arrive and see Bonnie’s car, Bob will either take off again or barrel in here thinking he needs to save you, Louisa.”
I nodded.
“Which car should I take? Bonnie, I'd better take yours, in case I miss them on the road and they get back before me. In the meantime tell Louisa more about what we talked about last night.”
Bonnie nodded. She was still pale but had recovered her composure. She held out a ring of keys with her left hand. A gold fob engraved with the letter B dangled among the keys.
Kay took the ring and started for the door. “I'll be back as soon as I can,” she said over her shoulder.
“Wait a minute,” Ed said. He stood up from the arm of the chair he’d been slumped on. “You dragged me out of bed to see this tape. Get back here and let’s watch the blasted thing.”
She glared at him. “I got you out of bed because we need your help. We’re after a murderer, remember?”
“Alleged murderer,” he said. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t call her ‘lady.’ Kay continued before he had a chance to.
“We need someone official to get this guy behind bars. If you can't wait for Bob and Ambrose, watch the tape with Louisa and Bonnie. But I don't see what difference a few more minutes is going to make.” She turned again and started out the door.
“I'm coming with you. Give me the keys.”
“No.” She stopped to scowl at him. “I can find Bob and Ambrose without you.”
“You can, but you’re not going to.”
Kay spun around and was out the door. He followed her. I was amazed that anyone so rumpled and sleepy-looking could move so fast. Bonnie and I hurried out to the front porch. Kay had the engine started and the car moving.
“All right, you can drive,” Ed said as he jerked open the passenger door and threw himself inside. She executed a tight three point turn and sped down the drive to the road. I could hear their voices over the sound of the car. Ed waved his hands to emphasize whatever point Kay was not listening to. The Mercedes turned onto the road and disappeared. The sound of the engine faded into the distance.
I looked at Bonnie. She blinked.
“Goodness, what a pair. Your cousin is, um, a forceful woman,” she commented.
“My cousin is hell on wheels,” I told her, “but she’s also one of the best people I know.”
“She made me stay at her place and we ended up talking most of the night. This morning she decided we needed official help, so she went to Ed’s house and woke him up and made him come with us.”
“That sounds like her. I wonder how she got past his mother.”
“He’ll arrest me as soon as Mr. Richardson gets back and says he wants to press charges.” She looked sad and tired and resigned.
“You’re lucky she only made you spend the night. She’s capable of anything. You could have ended up racing back to High Cross to kidnap Carl.”
“Don’t think we didn’t consider that,” she admitted.
“I can't speak for Bob, but I don’t think he’s all that mad at you. He did say it was a very polite kidnapping. And what man wouldn’t want to be kidnapped by a beautiful blonde?”
“Yeah, right,” she scoffed, but a small smile curved her mouth. The sunshine bathing the cabin’s porch lit her face.
Realization dawned. “Bonnie,” I said slowly, “do you know what you did?”
“What?” Her brow puckered in concern.
“You saved Bob’s life.”
“What do you mean?”
“You got him out of the way at just the right moment. I don’t think Carl showed up at his house at dawn the next morning just wanting to say hello, do you?”
Her eyes widened. “You’re right. Carl is desperate to hide his crimes. The stakes get higher with each murder.”
“He’ll be furious when he finds out what you did. He probably thought he could sneak over to Willow Falls, find Bob and quietly kill him, maybe even hide the body or make it look like another suicide, and get away with murder once more.”
“That sounds like him.”
“And you waltzed in, scooped Bob out of a grocery store, and hid him away where he was safe. I don’t think Bob’s going to be mad, I think he’s going to be kissing your feet. I think you should have business cards printed—Bonnie Becker, Deus ex Machina.”
A real smile lit her face for the first time. “Wouldn’t that be Dea?”
I laughed. “Hey, you want to come in and have some orange juice?”
She nodded. “Love to. It would feel so—so normal to drink orange juice.”
I started into the cabin. Her sudden intake of breath stopped me in my tracks. I turned to see her staring toward the road, body rigid and eyes wide. Following her gaze I saw a big black car sliding down the drive. It was driven by a man, a large man I had last seen searching my car in front of Bob’s house.
Carl.
Here.