Murder by the Bookend Page 23

  Selina March’s voice trilled a happy answer. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Selina. It’s Jenna Quinn from Twice Upon a Time. How are you today?” I put her on speaker as I got into the car and laid the phone in my lap.

  “Oh, it’s you.” The disdain dripped from the phone line. “What do you want?”

  I buckled my seat belt and started the car. “I’m on my way to the inn to have lunch, and I thought you might want to join me. My treat.”

  “Lunch.” Selina paused briefly. “With you. Why?”

  Okay, so this might be a bit harder than I had considered. “I thought maybe we could start over. I know you’re very important to the women of the town …” Where was I going with this? Think, think, think. “And I’d love it if you’d help me start a women’s tea and book group at the store. I think the other women would love to know what you enjoy reading.” I rolled my eyes, knowing I’d likely come up with the lamest possible idea to get Selina’s attention.

  “And by tea, you mean …” Selina’s voice trailed off suggestively.

  “Um, wine?” I hated the pleading tone in my voice.

  “Hmm. I’ll consider it.”

  “And lunch today to discuss it?” I eased into the Hokes Bluff Inn’s parking lot and slid into a space.

  “If you’re buying, that would be fine.” The haughty tone had returned to her voice. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”

  Relief surged through me as I ended the call. I left my car and took the two-mile carriage ride to the hotel. On the way, I called Rita to let her know I was there for a visit, and she met me in the lobby.

  “Why on earth are you having lunch with Selina March?” Rita pulled me into a hug.

  “I think Douglas poisoned Eddy.” I stepped back, not wanting to wrinkle her soft coral day dress which made my jeans and light sweater seem boring in comparison.

  “Wait, you’re having lunch … food … with a woman whose husband you think poisoned your dog … with food.” Rita looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

  I nodded and moved to one of the settees in the lobby. “I talked to the vet. He said Eddy was poisoned with a mix of cooked hamburger, onions, spices, cheese, and mushroom.”

  “Oookay.” Rita dragged the word out slowly as she sank to the settee beside me. “And?”

  “They had The Weeping Willow cater her party.” At Rita’s blank look, I continued. “The stuffed mushrooms. The ones she threw at Douglas.”

  “I’m still not seeing how Selina throwing mushrooms at Douglas two days after Eddy was poisoned equals Douglas poisoning your dog or killing Linus, since we’re pretty sure the two are linked.” Rita crossed her ankles and placed her hands in her lap, the picture of an early twentieth-century woman.

  “They went to The Weeping Willow to taste the mushrooms the day Eddy was poisoned.” I leaned forward. “I think Douglas had mothballs with him, because he knew Eddy could identify him, and he grabbed a few mushrooms during their tasting.”

  “I don’t know.” Rita cocked her head. “You think he could’ve done it under Selina’s hawk-like gaze? She watches his every move.”

  “Maybe she went to the bathroom and he stuck them in his pocket.” I stood and paced in front of the settee. “He did come into the store later and would have had time to give them to Eddy. It all adds up.”

  “Could be.” Rita caught my arm. “Sit down. Guests are staring.”

  I plopped onto the settee. “He had access to the books, and with the way Selina goes through money, he’d definitely need it. I’ll bet Linus talked to him about the missing books too.”

  Rita shifted her skirt out from under where I’d unceremoniously dropped myself next to her. “If you’re so convinced it’s her husband, are you sure you want to confront her with it? Why not go to Keith?”

  “Not until I have something more to go on than a hunch.” I stood, pulling Rita up with me, and walked toward the front porch, where it wouldn’t seem so odd if I paced. “Keith is already under scrutiny for how things were handled with Detective Sutter. I can’t drag him into this on random hunches.”

  “Do you want me to eat with you so you have a buffer of some sort?” Rita sat in a rocker, watching me pace.

  “No.” I turned and walked back past Rita. “I’ll handle it. I don’t want her to think it’s a setup.”

  “Okay.” Rita stood. “Then I’d better scoot before she arrives. Let me know when you’re done.”

  After promising her, I continued to pace, mentally going over my approach, hoping Selina didn’t see through my amateurish attempts to interrogate her. Intent on my thoughts, I jumped when Selina spoke behind me. I whirled. “Selina, how nice to see you.”

  “I’m here. Let’s get this over with.” She brushed past me into the lobby.

  Well, we were off to a great start. “Let’s go get a table.”

  We entered the dining hall, a massive room with two huge fireplaces, one at each end. Originally housing an incredibly long dining table, the room now held a series of small tables, with more on the porch outside several sets of double doors, which stood open to the balmy autumn temperatures.

  The server led us to a table outside.

  “Absolutely not.” Selina turned and walked back inside. “I have no desire to fight bugs off my food.”

  Next, the server tried a table beside a tall bank of windows, sunlight streaming in to brighten the setting.

  “And have the sun wrinkle my skin? Are you kidding?”

  The table in the corner across the room from the windows drew more censure.

  “Now you’re putting us near the kitchen entrance. What kind of place is this?”

  Elliot strode across the room, hands outstretched toward Selina’s. “Mrs. March. How delightful to see you.”

  She took his offered hands, and they leaned in to air-kiss each other.

  “What brings you here today?” He smiled at me and turned back to Selina. “Planning another party, are we?”

  Selina tilted her head and offered Elliot a pout. “We are trying to find an appropriate table to eat lunch, but your staff cannot manage to find us a decent spot to eat.”

  Hot pickles on a crouton, was this woman in high school? From mean-girl persona to pouty flirty girl in the blink of an eye. I couldn’t keep up with her.

  Elliot tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “I have just the spot. It’s my personal table, the best one in the room.”

  A guffaw rose up from my chest, drawing a raised eyebrow from Elliot. I ducked my head and coughed several times, hoping it covered the laugh, and meekly followed Elliot and Selina to a table in a semiprivate nook, a shaded window overlooking a garden area. It was beautiful, and I knew this was not Elliot’s private table. However, there was no need for Selina to know this.

  She purred and preened as he settled her into a chair.

  “I’m sure you’ll be quite happy here. Not too much sun, and the view is quite soothing.” He gestured to the server, who had hovered nearby. “Nadia will be happy to ensure your service is on the same level I would receive.”

  Selina missed the wink he offered to Nadia as he turned to leave the dining hall. Man, he was good.

  We ordered drinks, which Nadia brought immediately.

  Selina sipped her cocktail. “So, what’s this book club thing? And do we have to actually read books?”

  “Well, yes, that’s sort of what a book club is for.” What did she think a book club would do?

  “I don’t read.” She waved a dismissive hand in the air. “I find it tedious. I’d rather wait for it to be made into a movie instead.”

  I nodded with what I hoped was a considering look. “That could be interesting.” No way in the world would I host a movie club in the store.

  “And tea?” Selina took another long draught of her cocktail. “No. Just no. Maybe martinis.” She giggled at her own joke. “See what I did there? Mar-TEA-ni?” She emphasized the middle syllable.

  Was this woman serious? I watc
hed as she downed the last of her cocktail and motioned at Nadia with her glass. Had she even tasted it?

  Nadia appeared at the table with a smile and another cocktail. “Are you ready to order yet?”

  I grabbed a menu and quickly scanned it, choosing a salad with grilled chicken, feta cheese, apple pieces, and walnuts, and encouraged Selina to choose the same. If I didn’t rush her through this meal, I’d be broke from the amount of alcohol she was downing. On the other hand, it might make her easier to question.

  “Selina, I hear you had The Weeping Willow cater your event here last week.” I sipped my sweet tea to offset the nervous dry mouth I’d developed.

  She nodded and chugged more of her drink. “I did. Although I wanted to have Delilah’s cater instead. They’re in Raleigh. Their food is divine and all the rage.”

  Was she kidding? “Isn’t a four-hour drive one way a bit long for a caterer to come?”

  “Now you sound like Douglas.” She put on a mocking expression. “It’s too expensive. We can’t afford it. You’ll have to make do.”

  I wasn’t going to get a better opening than that. I leaned in, patting her forearm. “I’m so sorry you have to live like that. It’s not fair.”

  Selina swigged her drink again. “No, it’s not. It’s never fair. But he doesn’t even care that I had to buy a car that was last year’s model. I don’t care that it was new. They’d swapped to the new model, and I should’ve gotten one.”

  I shook my head and tsked. “I can only imagine. I’ll bet he even makes you store your furs with mothballs.”

  Tears filled Selina’s eyes. “How did you know? I took it to the cleaner, and they said they’d gotten the smell out.”

  Bingo! “You poor thing. I’m so sorry. It must be awful.”

  “It is!” Her wail drew stares, and she downed the last of her second drink before dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.

  “You’re so strong to persevere, though.” I patted her arm again. “I’m sure you’re an inspiration to others.” Gads, could I lay it on any thicker?

  Selina dropped her crumpled napkin at the edge of the table for Nadia to take away when she brought our food. “I’m sure I am.”

  It was all I could do not to roll my eyes at the long-suffering look, and I was grateful when the salads arrived. “Look how beautiful the salads are. I’m sure they made them extra special since we’re at Elliot’s table.”

  Selina sniffed and looked at Nadia. “I’ll take mine to go, and I’ll take another one of these.” She held up her empty glass.

  By the time Nadia returned with Selina’s third drink in less than half an hour, I was halfway through my salad, gobbling as fast as I could. No way was I giving her time for a fourth. I hoped I didn’t have indigestion later.

  I took my last bite as Selina chugged the last of her drink. “Look, we finished together. I’ll get the check.” I waved frantically to Nadia, shaking my head when she made a tilting glass motion with her hand.

  Nadia brought the check, and I left enough cash to cover the tab, plus a healthy tip.

  I stood and moved to Selina’s side of the table, leaning down to thread my elbow through hers in a best girlfriends gesture. “This was fun. We’ll have to plan this again soon.” I smiled as I helped her to her feet.

  Selina swayed a bit, straightened, picked up her purse, and walked with me to the door, surprisingly steady on her feet. “I’ll think about it.”

  There was the snooty Selina I’d come to know and love. I held the dining hall door open for her. “I’d be happy to drive you home.” I figured I’d be safe enough since Douglas would likely be at work. Plus, it would give me a chance to poke around and find the mothballs, so the vet could compare them to what Eddy had thrown up.

  Selina shook her head and stumbled, recovering quickly. “No, thank you. Douglas is coming to pick me up. He should be here”—she flipped her wrist and looked at her watch—“right about now.”

  Crap. I didn’t want to see Douglas. “That’s great. Let’s get you a carriage. I need to run to the ladies’ room before I go, but we don’t want to keep him waiting. No telling what he’ll keep you from buying if he’s upset.”

  “Good point.” She nodded once and strode toward the front door, her gait steady.

  I guessed she had experience at drunk walking, but I did thread my arm through hers again as we descended the stairs from the porch. No need to tempt fate.

  Selina swayed a bit as the carriage driver and I helped her inside, and I quietly tipped him, mouthing a silent apology before he pulled away.

  I sucked in a breath and released it. This had better pay off. I waited a couple of minutes, giving Selina time to get to the parking lot and leave with Douglas. Satisfied enough time had passed, I got into the next available carriage, calling Rita on the way down the lane.

  “Yes, she’s gone.” I answered her immediate question.

  “Did she say anything incriminating or just drink herself under the table?” Her voice came out punctuated with a half chuckle.

  “You heard?” I propped my arm on the side of the carriage and rested my forehead in my palm.

  “Oh, honey, everyone heard. It’s all anyone is talking about. After what happened here last weekend, it’s no wonder.”

  “At least I did get some information. Douglas makes her store her furs at home with mothballs.” The carriage rolled to a stop and I stepped out.

  “I’ve heard that can be really hard to get out of a fur. Not that I’ve ever had one.” Rita snorted.

  I walked toward my car, scanning the lot for Douglas and Selina, catching sight of her fancy car pulling out onto the street. “Neither have I. But whether it’s good for a fur or not, the point is that Douglas had access to mothballs.”

  “True. What’s your next step? Tell me you’re not going to break into their house or something.”

  I could hear the concern in Rita’s voice, and I rushed to allay her fears. “Nope. But I will tell Keith about it tonight, now that it’s not just a hunch anymore.”

  “Okay, girlie. Just be careful. I need to get back to work.”

  We said our goodbyes, and I stuck my phone in my back pocket before digging in my purse for my keys. They always seemed to fall to the bottom of my purse.

  A soft scratching sound from behind me caught my attention. As I turned to locate the source, a hard object pounded into my head, and the world faded to black.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I sat on the beach, watching the surf rhythmically roll in and out, in and out. The waves grew taller, and the sound increased, until it was a deafening roar. I tried to raise my hands to cover my ears, but I couldn’t move them. The ocean faded to nothingness, but the roaring continued, and my head began to pound with the same rhythm. Something cold lay across my face. The cold felt good. It helped the pain in my head. What was cold and hard like that? Wait, it wasn’t against my face. My face was against it. The floor.

  I cracked my eyes open, and images swam into view. A tile floor. Cabinets. A stove. A kitchen? I was in someone’s kitchen? My arms ached, and I tried to move them. I shifted my feet. I wasn’t paralyzed. I wiggled my fingers and tried to bend my wrists. Something held them together. I was tied up. Why was I here?

  Rita. I’d been on the phone. Something had hit me. Hard. That wouldn’t be good for my concussion. Rita would fuss at me.

  The fog began to recede, and voices rose above the roar in my head. I struggled to make out what was said.

  “Are you kidding me? You brought her here?” Douglas March strode into the room.

  I knew it! Everything had pointed to him. I’d tell Keith tonight at dinner. Maybe I could look around for mothballs before I went home. Mothballs. What a fun word. A giggle escaped my lips.

  “She’s waking up.” Douglas leaned in and looked at me. “Now what do you want to do with her?”

  “Douglas, she has to die.” A woman’s voice came from around the corner. Selina was in on it too? And I’d just boug
ht her lunch! How ungrateful could you get? I would never offer to take her to lunch again.

  “What are you talking about?” Douglas whirled.

  “Selina too.” The woman spoke again.

  Wait, what? I took deep breaths, trying to quell the roaring in my head and the rising nausea that threatened to give Douglas a close-up view of what I’d had for lunch with his wife. Unable to hold it back, my salad forced its way up, spewing across his floor.

  “Don’t let her choke to death,” the woman said. “She needs to die in the fire.”

  Small hands dragged me back from my vomit and rolled me more toward my stomach. If I could just turn my head to look at her. I tried to shift and cried out at the pounding in my head.

  “If you’d just left well enough alone.” The woman moved her hands off my back. “I don’t want to do this, but you’ve given me no choice.”

  “I’m not letting you murder two people.” Douglas’s firm voice sounded from across the room.

  “I’ve already killed Linus for us, love. Two more won’t make it any worse.” The woman laughed.

  “You killed Linus? Why?” Douglas shifted and stepped closer to the counter behind him. “And what do you mean ‘for us?’”

  “So we can be together, silly man.” The woman laughed. “It’ll be perfect.”

  The roaring receded further, and my head cleared a bit. I knew that voice. But from where?

  “Be together?” Douglas’s voice held incredulity. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

  “Darling, I know you love me.” The woman giggled again. “I love you too.”

  “Love you? I don’t love you. I barely know you.” Douglas eased a few more steps toward the counter.

  “You don’t have to hide it just because Jenna’s here.” The woman’s foot shoved me in the shoulder. “She won’t be able to tell anyone.”

  I couldn’t tell if the woman was watching me again. I chanced it and shifted a little, rolling a couple of inches toward my back and waited for the pounding caused by the movement to stop.

  “I love my wife.” Douglas straightened his spine and stopped his slow creep toward the counter, now at his back.