Part 23 (1/2)
”Thick and lethal.”
She scoffed. ”I aimed at his head st.i.tches. Pulled a con on me, did he? I don't think so.”
Ouch. ”Remind me not to cross you.”
She stopped and ducked, but she forgot to warn me, so I tripped over her and went flying. Now my hands were sc.r.a.ped, too. I understood her reasoning, however, when I saw Councilman McDowell heading for the guesthouse looking fit to kill. He growled when he saw Vinney's p.r.o.ne body, stepped over him, and walked faster, if that were possible.
From the woods, we could hear McDowell shouting-the man had lungs, I'd give him that. He'd seen Eve's car in the woods from an upstairs window, started to investigate, and found what he called ”felon cars” in his garage. He didn't want Gary or Vinney anywhere near his place and wanted to know what the h.e.l.l was going on.
After a tirade and a half, McDowell came slamming out of the guesthouse, shouting for them to ”Get out!” He grumbled about being mad as he hotfooted it up the hill and disappeared around the house. Two seconds later, he burned rubber as he sped down the drive. Man, he couldn't get away fast enough. He truly did ”not want to be connected to the law-breaking sc.u.m” in his guesthouse.
Because he too was guilty?
Vinney groaned and grabbed his head, and the sound seemed to alert Lolique. She and Goodwin came out, and when she got to Vinney, she straightened and looked around, as if she could smell the fear rolling off me and Eve.
We ducked neck-deep into the overgrowth.
Lolique pulled Vinney to his feet, none too gently, and shoulder-shoved him toward the big house, which she wouldn't have gotten away with if Vinney wasn't sporting a head bleed. Silently, she pushed Goodwin's chair up behind Vinney. Along the way, she grabbed one of my shoes and stuck it in her pocket, her grin malevolent.
My gasp made Eve put her hand over my mouth. I jerked it away. I'd had enough of that for a lifetime.
The ”felons,” all three, skirted the house, then one by one, three more cars sped down the drive, Goodwin's bringing up the rear.
”That bimbette stole my shoe!”
”She called us duped dopes.” Eve took a twig out of my hair. ”Mad, this is one time that acting first could have finished you. And I mean that literally.”
I grabbed my throat. ”I'm thinking that at least one of them must be the killer.”
Eve shuddered. ”Of Sampson or Isobel?”
”Yes.”
”Shouldn't we get the h.e.l.l out of here?” Eve whispered furiously.
”I'm thinking about it.”
Eve sucked in a breath. ”Those words always send p.r.i.c.kles of fear down my spine.”
”I have to get my other shoe.”
”You are a nutcase.”
”You've known that since we were five when you jumped into the Mystic River to save me.”
”More fool me.”
”The guesthouse is wide open. Let's go look around.”
”You are certifiable,” Eve said. ”I'm leaving.”
”Don't worry. I won't leave fingerprints on anything, and after we're finished, we'll call Werner and tell him we saw Vinney here.”
”I thought you wanted to look inside the main house.”
I snapped my fingers and changed directions. ”Smart girl.”
”Dumb, dumb, dumb,” she said, smacking her temple with the flat of her hand while trying to keep up with me. ”You've finally sucked the genius right out of me,” she said. ”Though I must say, I'm proud that you left your other shoe behind.”
”Oy!” I ran back for it. ”Thanks,” I said catching up to her. ”Here, I got your boot, too. They must have cost you-”
”Three hundred and seventy-five dollars.”
”I am a bad influence on you. Is that why you deserted me?”
”Deserted? Vinney disappeared and I heard footsteps, so I hid in the bushes to unlace one of my lethal boots.”
”My hero.”
”d.a.m.ned straight.”
The back door of the mansion stood ajar. We went in and tried to head straight for the front of the huge edifice, but the place was like a dark maze and we didn't dare use lights. Bad enough we could hear a dog barking somewhere in the house.
Each room was a dead end. ”Where the Hermes is the hallway?” I whispered, the barking coming closer.
”This place might be old enough to be laid out like your father's house, Mad. You have to go through rooms to get to others. Wait. I found a bathroom. Too much beer.”
”Leave the door ajar,” I said, ”in case they come back, so I can warn you.”
Eve the Bold whimpered, but she did as I asked.
”Don't touch anything but the paper,” I said, ”and flush with your elbow.”
”Wait for me.”
”Don't worry. My turn next.”
”Mad,” Eve said a few minutes later, as I washed my hands. ”The dog is here.”
”I can hear it growling,” I said, peeking out. ”Wow. He sure is a big one.” The dog backed up to growl at both of us. ”Hey, cutie,” I said to the miniature dachshund as I took kitty treats from my pocket and dropped some on the floor at my feet.
After he ate them, he wagged his tail, so I bent down to feed him a few from my hand. Then I picked him up. ”What a good doggie.”
”Are you holding him for ransom?” Eve asked.
”No. Insurance. If he likes us, he'll be quiet.”