Part 24 (1/2)
I looked up to the top of the wine rack, it was at least seven, maybe eight, feet tall.
”Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?” I asked.
”You bet,” Mac said. He opened the ladder. I stood on the top of it and reached up.
”Be careful, dear,” Hannah said.
”Really Kate,” Maggie agreed.
”You all think I'm gonna fall off a stepladder? Geez,” I said impatiently.
Mac laughed outright. ”It wouldn't be the first time, Sherlock.”
I couldn't see and had to feel my way around. ”G.o.d, I hope there are no spiders up here, yees.h.!.+” I s.h.i.+vered. I was serious. I hated spiders.
”Will you stop joking and be careful,” Maggie said sternly as she held onto my leg.
Who's joking? Continuing the search, I felt something and pulled it down. I was shocked. I didn't think anything would be there; but there they were-both bags. I handed them down to Mac who was equally shocked.
Teri was beaming. ”Sherlock strikes again!”
Maggie stared at the bags then looked at me. ”Amazing!”
”Heavens Kate, you're a wonder,” Hannah said, shaking her head.
”I'm a little pleased myself,” I said happily.
We went up to sit at the kitchen table, as we were wont to do all weekend, and stared at the plastic bags, waiting for them to do something.
Teri suddenly jumped up. ”Good grief, I forgot. Your editor friend dropped off the pictures while you were at Bedford's,” she said and ran out of the kitchen.
”This should be interesting,” I said as Teri came back and handed me the manila envelope. ”Good thinking,” I said about the magnifying lens she also handed me.
As I examined the pictures, I could see a faint milky white line by the tree.
”What is it?” Hannah asked and Maggie looked as well.
I looked at Teri and smiled. She bent down and looked through the lens. Then she stood up sporting an amazed look.
”I'll explain, if I can,” I said. ”I think this apparition, for lack of a better word, is Miranda. I think Miranda has been here, off and on, watching over you. Now, with all that's happening, she's here. I remember when my mother died. For an entire year, I had the feeling she was there. I came home on several occasions and thought for sure she was in the room. Teri had similar experiences. I don't know how it happens, but I believe Teri. For instance, the fragrance of hyacinth in this very room-Miranda was here. I have a friend who's a photographer. He's taken and developed hundreds of photos like these. People are sure they see their loved ones in the photo. In each case, once the photo is developed, there is only the milky-white shadow.”
Maggie smiled in understanding. ”There have been times when I thought the same thing. I never said anything, because I thought it was my imagination. But it's comforting in a way to think she might be here.”
Hannah had tears in her eyes. ”Every time I look at you, Maggie, Miranda is here.” She reached up and touched Maggie's cheek.
”Well, let's get back to the other issue,” I said. ”I remember what Charlie said at the party about Allison losing a riding glove. We can't overlook Allison being somehow involved. To what extent I don't know. If you look at this logically, there are a few people we could consider because they all knew Miranda then and are still around now. Somebody knows something and I'm going to find out who and what, today,” I said emphatically. ”Okay, person-by-person. The glove implicates Allison. Next, Nathan. We are all on the same page in one respect: he loved Miranda and she him. That's a big motive especially if he wanted her and she said no. Then there's Jonathan. Same motive-love. Perhaps he found out and killed her in a jealous rage, but since he's dead now, how could he be responsible for the current turn of events involving Maggie?
”Next, we have Doc,” I continued. ”He knows something, I can smell it. What, I don't know. Although, I can't imagine him a murderer, but he surely knows something. Then we have Sarah. Her little psychotic trip through the woods today leads me to believe she knew where to locate Miranda's jewelry-and she was surely looking for something today.
”While mumbling to herself and talking to the woods are not points in her favor, it doesn't mean she murdered Miranda, but if she knew Nathan loved her then there's a motive there also. Now with Bedford's notebook, we know there was a good deal going on way back when with Sarah, Alexander and her fight with Jonathon over the Winfield Clinic. Who am I missing?” I looked at all of them.
”Tom Caldwell,” Maggie said.
”Ah, Tom. Well, he admitted to gossiping about Nathan and Miranda. Maybe he loved her, maybe he told her he loved her and she refused him. Being the sheriff, he could possibly get away with it. Stretching it, I know, but why not. Why should he be left out?” I stopped and rubbed my forehead, I had a tremendous headache. I looked around the table, ”Confusing, isn't it?” It was not a question.
”Completely,” Hannah said. ”How in the world are you going to find out?”
”Well, we have the jewelry and the murderer doesn't know this. That's a big advantage. Since we found the glove at the scene of Bedford's murder, once we have a suspect, we could possibly test any DNA on the glove and compare it to our suspect. That would surely help prove something.” I got a cup of coffee and turned toward the table, they were all looking at me wide-eyed. I thought for a moment. ”Common threads. Now, I've got a few, we just need to tie them together.”
I stared at my coffee cup thinking of the evidence we had: The jewelry, the glove, and now the notebook and the jacket b.u.t.ton. My mind raced. The b.u.t.ton from the jacket. I whirled around to all of them.
”What? I can tell you have an idea, Kate,” Teri said.
Maggie nodded. ”I agree, I know you well enough, I can tell when the wheels are turning.”
”There is one way to find out who is implicated or involved. We have the evidence.” I thought for a moment. ”Okay, first we need to make sure the evidence is safe, I mean really safe-literally-a safe.”
I looked at Mac and Teri. ”Can you take the evidence over to Steve and make sure he puts it in evidence lockup? Tell him everything and that I'll be in touch later this afternoon.”
I watched them leave then looked at Hannah. ”Call Doc and have him come over, please? I'm sorry Hannah, but he knows something and he's got to tell me.”
”I'll call him.” Without another word, she walked away.
Maggie looked at me. ”What do you want me to do?” she asked tremulously. She knew what I was going to ask.
”Maggie, if you don't want to do this, I'll understand, but I need you to call Allison. This is the important part, Maggie: Tell her about the evidence, and that we found it. Tell her about the notebook. Then tell her I have a theory about this but I won't tell you. You and I had a fight over it. Tell her whatever, but see that she's here in an hour.”
I saw the look of doubt.
”If you don't want to do this, please believe me, I understand. We'll do it another way,” I said. ”I know it looks like I'm playing with people's lives here, but there's a murderer out there and I've grown too fond of you to let anything happen.”
”Yes, I can do it. You think Allison is going to tell Sarah, right?” she asked.
”I think she's already told Sarah a great deal. Now I want her to come here. I need to talk to her, Maggie. I hope I'm completely wrong about all of this, truly I do. However, we need to know who's implicated.” I took a deep breath and regarded Maggie. ”Sorry, Maggie, my gut tells me she'll tell Sarah and it will s...o...b..ll from there. I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. I know how much you care about Allison. So please don't do anything you'll regret.” I ran my fingers through my hair and Maggie gently touched my arm.
”I've been thinking about this since you found the locket. I'm not sure what it means, but I have to find out one way or the other. I can't live like this anymore: afraid of going out, afraid of thinking about the past and my mother. I've been alone and scared for a long time. I don't want to be alone and scared anymore.”
”It'll be over soon, Maggie. I promise.”
Once the phone calls were made, it was all set in motion.
Hannah returned, and put her hand on my shoulder. ”Kate, this has to be finished one way or the other,” she said. ”I called Walt, he's on his way and I know he'll talk. Now, you two plan your attack. I have a kitchen to clean.” She smiled and left.
Plan my attack? I hoped I knew what I was doing. I hoped for Maggie's sake most of all.
Chapter Twenty-One.