Murder Most Persuasive

Ann glanced up. “You think it was just that, don’t you? A production—an act.”

“I think that she was a foolish young woman who could be easily led astray,” Nana said. “I also think she was very lonely.”

Ann slumped against the chair’s cushioned backing. “Wow. Bonnie and another man. But who? Do you have any idea who it might have been?”

Nana shook her head. “No. And before you go off half-cocked, my dear, remember this is all rank speculation,” she said with an admonishing wag of her finger. “We have no proof of anything. Two wineglasses and an empty bottle doesn’t necessarily add up to an affair.”

“No, but it means she had company,” Ann replied.

“Which is not a crime in your own home,” Nana pointed out reasonably. And giving Ann and me a pointed look, she added, “I daresay you young ladies have been known to finish a bottle yourselves.” Ann and I studiously looked at each other as if we had no idea what Nana could possibly mean. She laughed and changed the subject. “Now why don’t we move out to the back patio? It’s still warm out. I thought we could eat lunch out there.”

We all moved to the kitchen to help Nana with lunch. By unspoken agreement, the subjects of Bonnie and Michael’s murder were dropped. Unfortunately, they were replaced by the subject of Kit’s pregnancy (two guesses who brought that up). As we helped to bring the Cobb salad out to the porch, Kit began to discuss in detail her preferred birthing method (natural) and her reasons for it (immediate bonding with the baby). Perhaps to tune out a monologue that I already knew by heart, I found my brain focusing on something else: could Bonnie’s visitor have been Michael? 

Chapter 17

We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.

—Mansfield Park

After our visit with Nana, Ann, Kit, and I headed back to Uncle Marty’s house. Kit wanted to hang out, but she had to get home to Pauly. Even though I was going to stay with Ann, Kit nevertheless left in a good mood. “Let’s plan to get together later this week for lunch and compare notes on the case,” she called out cheerily as she left. “I’ll come by later with my ideas.”

With her departure, Ann and I headed for the living room and flopped down on the couch. Scarlett, who had been sleeping on the middle cushion, leaped off the couch and stalked off in an apparent huff. Neither of us spoke for several minutes; it had been a long day.

“You know?” Ann said after a few minutes. “Even though I recognized that Bonnie and Dad didn’t have a happy marriage, I never suspected her of actually seeing someone else. I mean, she flirted and everything, but I thought it was more to make Dad notice her. I never thought she’d actually have an affair.”

“But what about Miles?” I asked. “Didn’t you tell me that you thought Bonnie had a crush on him?”

“Yes, but that was different somehow. I don’t know how to explain it, but with Miles I always got the impression that her feelings were ultimately harmless.” Her hands fluttered in front of her as she struggled to explain. “I think she liked him, yes, but I also think she knew that nothing could ever happen because of my dad. I think she also wanted to make my dad jealous.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know,” she amended. “Maybe I’m just being a revisionist. Thinking something and knowing something are two different things.”

“Well, to be fair, we don’t know that she actually did anything. Nana is right that an empty bottle of wine and two glasses don’t mean anything more than she had company,” I said.

“But you don’t believe that, do you?”

I sighed. “No, not really.”

“Neither do I. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. I can’t see that it has any bearing on Michael’s murder.”

When I didn’t respond, Ann turned and studied me closely. “What are you thinking? Do you think Bonnie might have seen something? Do you think she might actually know something?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer. “I’m not sure,” I said slowly. “I guess I wondered if Michael could have been her visitor.”

Ann sputtered in astonishment. “Michael! You think Michael was Bonnie’s visitor? Why?”

I held up my hands, palms up. “Whoa! I said I wondered if he could have been her visitor. I don’t know anything for sure. I just thought that Bonnie may have been at the house around the time that Michael died and…” I trailed off, not sure how to finish.

Ann considered what I’d said. “Do you mean you think Bonnie might have had something to do with Michael’s death?”

I shook my head. “Again, I don’t know. I’m just thinking out loud. It could be that Michael visited her or it could be that when Bonnie was at the house she saw something. Or it could be nothing at all.”

Ann closed her eyes in concentration. “So wait. Let’s say it was Michael. He leaves the party on the morning of the fifth—that fits in with his car being gone. Then he comes back later that night and meets with Bonnie. They have wine—why? I can’t see them as lovers. Michael was a pig, but Bonnie was twenty years older than him.”

“Maybe as a form of celebration?” I ventured.

Ann’s eyes flew open. “Celebration? For what?” My meaning sunk in. “You mean Bonnie might have been Michael’s accomplice in the embezzlement?”

“It’s only a theory.”

“But why steal from my dad in the first place?” Ann asked. “She had everything she could want—clothes, cars, jewelry. Dad gave her a generous allowance.”

“Some people always want more,” I said. “She might have wanted more freedom than her allowance provided. She might have also looked at it as a kind of revenge on your father—Nana said it wasn’t a very happy marriage. Maybe Bonnie was tired of being put down and ignored.”

Ann thought about this. “Okay, I see what you’re saying. But even if Bonnie was Michael’s accomplice, do you really think she could have killed him? How could she overpower Michael? He wasn’t a small man.”

“According to the police, he was killed with a blunt instrument. That’s not hard to do if you catch someone by surprise,” I said, adding, “or drug his wine first. But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves. They might have been accomplices—they might not have. Bonnie could have been in on the embezzlement and still not have killed Michael. Bonnie could also have done nothing more sinister than have a glass of wine with a sympathetic friend after a fight with her husband.”

Ann sank back against the couch’s cushions. “Jesus. I don’t know what to think. This is all becoming surreal. I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t have to do anything. Just call Joe and tell him what Nana told us. After all, it’s their investigation.”

“You’re right,” Ann said, brightening. “I’ll call Joe.”

* * *

Ann’s call to Joe lasted much longer than one would expect a simple exchange of information to take. I took that as a good sign. From the smile that played on her lips as they talked, I took it as a really good sign. Leaving her to finish her conversation in private, I headed for my room to call Peter. Unfortunately, he was in a meeting and couldn’t talk. I had just hung up when my phone rang again. It was Aunt Winnie.

“What’s this I hear about you and Kit teaming up to solve Michael’s murder?” she asked as soon as I answered.

“What…?” I sputtered, confused. Then the light dawned. “Oh, wait, let me guess. Kit called you, didn’t she?”

“Bingo. Apparently you two are doing a little investigating?” I could hear the amusement in her voice.