There are bad times just around the corner.
I lay down on my bed and waited for her to return. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew there was a pair of very large brown eyes staring into mine. The eyes were Anna’s; she was sitting on my bed, her furry black face positioned not three inches away. I smiled sleepily at her and reached out to scratch her behind her ear when one of the basic facts concerning Anna penetrated my tired brain: Anna’s presence always heralded Elsie’s. My hand froze midair and I turned my head. Before me, calmly perched on Megan’s empty bed, was Elsie.
I sat up swiftly and upset Anna, who fell backward and slid off the bed. Giving me as dirty a look as a dog is capable of, she crossed to Elsie and flopped down at her feet.
Pulling the comforter tightly around me, I glanced uneasily around the room. With a sinking feeling, I saw that the door was shut. I wondered how quickly I could get across the room and out the door.
“Elizabeth, goddamn it, calm down,” Elsie said. “You’re flailing about like some poor trapped animal.”
I eyed her suspiciously and tried to regain my shattered composure. “No, I’m not. You... you just startled me, that’s all. What’s up?” I asked, hoping my voice sounded casual rather than terrified.
She sighed heavily. “This is ridiculous. I had a feeling earlier when we were in the kitchen, but still... ” She broke off, shaking her head, her silver upsweep tilting precariously from side to side. In one fluid movement, she rose from Megan’s bed and crossed to mine. Sitting down on my bed, she roughly grabbed one of my hands. I winced at the sudden pressure but fought to keep my composure. Leaning in so close to my face that I could clearly make out the indigo swirls of pigment in her eyes, she said, “I understand that you are tired and under a tremendous amount of stress, but I want you to listen very carefully to what I am about to tell you.” She paused as if to make sure she had my full attention. “I did not kill Roni.”
She continued to hold my hand and stare at me. “Why would you think—” I began, but she cut me off.
“Goddamn it, Elizabeth! You still don’t believe me! I had a feeling you had jumped to some terrible conclusion when I saw you in the kitchen today. But to think that you would actually think I... ” She turned away from me, releasing my hand with a disgusted grunt.
I pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. “Elsie—” I began.
She interrupted me again, which was a relief, actually, as I had no idea what I was going to say. “I overheard Roni on her cell phone talking to some man,” she said, her lips curling in revulsion at the memory. “She was obviously having an affair with him and was planning on tricking Avery into selling the Garden.” A look of pure hatred flashed across Elsie’s face; I gave an involuntary shiver. If she was trying to convince me of her innocence, she was doing a lousy job. She continued. “I knew that Avery would never believe me unless I had proof.” Straightening her spine, she looked down at me. “I took her cell phone when she wasn’t looking. I’m not proud of myself, but I had to find out who Roni was dealing with. It was the only way that I would ever be able to convince Avery that Roni was two-timing him.” Grabbing my hands again, she said, “What you saw during the reception was me putting Roni’s cell phone back into her purse, nothing else!”
“Her cell phone?” I repeated stupidly.
“Her cell phone,” Elsie echoed with an emphatic nod.
I realized it did make sense. I had already guessed that it was Elsie’s footsteps I had heard hurrying away after listening in on Roni’s phone call. For her to take Roni’s cell phone to track the call was entirely consistent with the special brand of morality that Elsie employed when her children were concerned.
Giving my hands a shake, she peered at my face closely. “You do believe me, don’t you?”
I looked into her eyes and, with a wave of relief that made me grateful I was already sitting down, I knew that I did. Seeing my expression, she pulled me into a fierce hug. “Oh, thank God. You’ve no idea how terrible I felt thinking that you thought I... ”
“I’m sorry, Elsie. I don’t know what got into me. It’s been such a horrible couple of days; I guess I wasn’t thinking straight.” I gave a rueful laugh. “As you have no doubt already realized, I’m not the great detective that Bridget makes me out to be.”
Elsie placed her hands on my shoulders and eased me back. Staring into my face with a sober expression, she said, “I wouldn’t say that, my dear. You’ve learned quite a lot. And don’t forget, you saved Harry. For that, I will be forever grateful. You are a very special young lady. I knew that the very first time I met you.” She added, a glint in her eyes, “And remember, I have the ‘sight.’ I know these things.”
I scoffed. “Elsie, you told me that I was destined to marry a rocker and live a life of international travel.”
Elsie shook her head. “No, dear. I said that you were destined to marry a ‘rock,’ not a rocker.”
“I’m meant to marry a rock?”
“When you get a minute, look up the meaning of the name
I blushed at her words. Changing the subject, I said, “Well, I hope this investigation gets cleared up soon. I have a feeling that until it does, Detective Grant is going to want to keep a very close eye on me. I don’t think he believes me about finding the necklace.”
Elsie nodded. “I think you may be right. But I know that it’ll get straightened out. In the meantime, get some sleep. You look like you could use it.”
She left, Anna padding happily along behind her. I stared blankly at Megan’s bed, wondering where she could be. I don’t know how long it took me to notice that the bedpost where she hung her purse was bare. Shit. Where had she gone? I looked at the clock; it was a little after ten. Where would a seventeen-year-old go at that hour? I knew the answer almost immediately: she was at the boathouse smoking pot. Enough is enough, I thought. If I was going to catch her in the act, I’d have to hurry. I slipped on my robe and slippers, reasoning that the sight of my ensemble might be enough to scare her straight. As I grabbed a hair tie off my nightstand to pull my hair back, I saw Megan’s flowers. Some of the roses were already dying, their pink heads bent low, their stems limp. I continued to stare at them as another memory swirled. The impact of that memory made my knees buckle. Thankfully, the bed caught me as I sank backward. I’d been looking at the whole thing upside down!
It all made sense now—the calls to Roni’s cell phone, the source of the thump, the letter from the hotel.
I sat there in shock, struggling to find a flaw in my reasoning, but for once there was none. Only Megan would be able to tell me if I was wrong. I made my way downstairs and slipped outside into the darkness, intent on finding her.
The moon hung behind thick clouds, transforming the wide lawn into a maze of shadows. Carefully making my way to the boathouse, I could hear Bridget and Colin’s murmured conversation from the patio. Soon their voices faded, seemingly swallowed up by the night. Ahead of me a branch snapped. A second later, the sound was repeated. An uneasy premonition slid down my spine. Hurrying, I had just rounded the curve leading to the boathouse when I heard a sickening thump. My heart thudding in my chest, I picked up the ends of my robe and ran toward the sound.
I had gone only a few steps when I saw the dark crumpled heap. With terrible certainty, I knew it was Megan.
Chapter 23
Don’t overestimate the decency of the human race.
Running over to her recumbent body, I was dimly aware that I was screaming. I hoped Colin and Bridget could hear me, but my voice sounded like it was originating from the end of a long tunnel. I came to a skidding halt over Megan’s body and knelt beside her. Blood streamed down her face and onto the grass. There was a large gash from her forehead almost to her crown. A heavy black flashlight lay on the ground next to her. Numb with terror, I frantically felt for a pulse and went weak with relief when I felt a faint and thready one. Just then, I saw a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. A dark figure darted furtively across the back lawn in jeans and a black shirt.
