Part 7 (1/2)
”Good boy.” Nina gave him a doggy treat. ”We're still working on the smaller details.”
”We're still waiting for your secret, Nina,” Gretchen said. ”Share.”
Nina fluffed her hair and cleared her throat, preparing for her stage entrance. ”Bonnie, as you know, lives for gossip and spends most of her time tracking it down. She overhead her son speaking on the phone.” Nina paused. ”I can just see her, slinking around, listening at doors, can't you?”
”And?” Gretchen said.
”He thinks the two deaths are related. Charlie and her sister, Sara.”
That was it? The extent of Nina's information? ”I already know that,” Gretchen said. Nina raised a perfect eyebrow.
”I forgot to tell you. Seriously,” Gretchen said. ”I wasn't holding out. I forgot.”
”You two are way ahead of me,” Caroline said, sitting up straight. ”Why kill both of them? And why wait a year to murder the second one?”
”The killer will turn out to be a family member,” Nina said. ”A nut . . . ooh . . . sorry about the unintended pun. You know, nut and all. Anyway, it must be a family member who is crazy and has some knowledge of poisons.”
”That person is heartless, brutally so,” Caroline said.
”Both women must have suffered terribly before they died. Poor Charlie.”
”That was the intent,” Nina said. ”Don't you think? To make them suffer.”
”It appears so,” Caroline agreed.
”I'm sure the police are doing everything they can.”
Gretchen looked at her mother, worried about her.
”I have more to tell you.” Nina leaned forward. ”Bonnie has sharp ears. She heard Matt talking about a miniature peanut b.u.t.ter jar.”
”Peanuts killed Sara,” Caroline said.
”Exactly. Anaphylactic shock,” Nina said. ”Her entire body went into a serious allergic reaction.”
Gretchen was surprised at Nina's knowledge. Her aunt wasn't exactly the medical type.
”I looked it up on the Internet before I came over,” Nina said. ”Don't look so surprised.”
”I'm not,” Gretchen fibbed. ”Tell me more.”
”The peanut isn't actually a true nut. Did you know that?”
Gretchen and Caroline shook their heads.
”It's really a legume, and a ton of people are allergic to it. Some people can have a life-threatening reaction just by inhaling the odor of a peanut.”
”You sound like a walking encyclopedia,” Caroline said. Nina looked flattered. ”See? I'm good for something.”
Gretchen stood, leaned over her aunt, and gave her a big hug. ”What would we do without you?”
”I ask myself that every day.”
”Where did Matt find the miniature peanut b.u.t.ter jar?”
Gretchen asked.
”I thought you'd never ask,” said Nina. ”Brace yourself.” She paused for effect, her jeweled fingers fluttering.
”The police found the little jar under Charlie's dead body.”
Gretchen stared at her.
”Maybe the killer is leaving a calling card,” Nina hypothesized. ”Or he wants to be caught.”
”Gretchen, dear daughter,” Caroline said. ”Matt might be right. It could be very dangerous to go there.”
”Both sisters are dead,” Gretchen reasoned. ”There's no reason to believe anyone else will die.”
”Maybe the brother killed them?” Nina suggested.
”Not likely,” Caroline said. ”He has serious health problems. Charlie had a son, but they were estranged. I wonder if he knows about his mother's death.” She paused in thought. ”When Sara died, the police determined that the banana bread must have come from a farmer's market. Sara went to various markets every Sat.u.r.day morning. The authorities looked for a vendor who might have sold it to her but never found one.”
”If you want to abandon the room boxes, I'll understand,” Gretchen said. ”Or we could move the project to our workshop where we'd feel safer.”
Caroline sighed heavily. ”Charlie worked hard on the room boxes,” she said. ”They were her final artistic endeavor. I want to restore them more than ever.”
Gretchen took a sip of coffee. It tasted bitter when she thought of Charlie dying after drinking poisoned coffee.
”Should we move everything here?”
”No,” Caroline said. ”There's more elbow room at theshop. And with all of us working together, we can wrap it up quickly.”
Gretchen remembered the authoritative way Matt had ordered her away. She hadn't planned to quit, no matter what her mother and the others decided. She wouldn't let him win.
Over my dead body, she thought. she thought.
* 9 *
Some doll collectors believe the eyes make the doll. Googly eyes are big, round, side-glancing eyes that are much larger than the are big, round, side-glancing eyes that are much larger than the doll's other facial features. They usually have large, exaggerated doll's other facial features. They usually have large, exaggerated eyelashes, as well. Flirty eyes move from side to side, giving the eyelashes, as well. Flirty eyes move from side to side, giving the doll a watchful appearance. Paperweight eyes are curved gla.s.s doll a watchful appearance. Paperweight eyes are curved gla.s.s eyes that give a doll a very natural look. Sleep eyes close when the eyes that give a doll a very natural look. Sleep eyes close when the doll is laid down and open when she is upright. One of the most doll is laid down and open when she is upright. One of the most complex doll repairs involves working with eyes. They have to be complex doll repairs involves working with eyes. They have to be placed just right, with no room for the slightest error. placed just right, with no room for the slightest error. Look into your doll's eyes. Are they gateways to the mystery Look into your doll's eyes. Are they gateways to the mystery of her life? What would she tell you if she could speak? of her life? What would she tell you if she could speak?
--From World of Dolls World of Dolls by Caroline Birch Gretchen stared at the tiny penny doll's painted eyes as if she might find the answer to Charlie Maize's death. Why had the woman constructed room boxes containing b.l.o.o.d.y stains? Why furnish them with killing objects? by Caroline Birch Gretchen stared at the tiny penny doll's painted eyes as if she might find the answer to Charlie Maize's death. Why had the woman constructed room boxes containing b.l.o.o.d.y stains? Why furnish them with killing objects?
Had that been her way of finding peace within the boxes'
confines?