“We bought homemade peach pie and iced lemon and ginger tea,” Laurie said, as she approached.
“The news must be bad if you have to sweeten the blow.” Leon took the pie dish and glass bottle from her. “I’ll get plates and glasses.”
When he returned, Flora pulled up a small table and they arranged their chairs around it.
“We can eat while we talk,” Laurie said.
“You clearly don’t live with twins.” Leon rolled his eyes as Stevie and Frankie bounded up the porch steps. Their encounter at the bake-off hadn’t spoiled their appetite for pie. They each accepted a large portion, which they shared with Tiny. Bungee, who wasn’t fond of baked goods, jumped onto Cameron’s lap and kneaded his thigh with sharp claws.
“They don’t seem to have suffered any ill effects.” Laurie observed the twins as they returned to a game of building with wooden blocks.
“They have two doctors watching them, so I guess we’ll know if there are any signs of trauma. But they do appear to be fine,” Flora said. “I take it this visit wasn’t just about the wonderful pie?”
“Unfortunately not.” Laurie’s faithful notebook appeared from her tote. Flipping through it, she examined her small, neat handwriting. “Okay. One of the first things I wanted to investigate was your question about whether Daisy could have killed before all of this began.”
Leon nodded. “I couldn’t understand how she would pass the background checks to run a daycare center if that was the case, but she talked about killing people as though it was an everyday thing.”
“How old would you say Daisy Cain was?” Laurie asked.
Flora looked at her in surprise. “Um... Early thirties?”
“That’s what I’d have said.” Laurie nodded. “But the Daisy Cain who registered Daisy’s Daycare as a business was a forty-seven-year-old Chicago-born widow.”
“I don’t understand.” Flora frowned as she tried to take in what Laurie was saying.
“Ten years ago, Daisy Cain made a series of complaints to the Chicago police. They were against a young woman who she claimed was harassing her. The woman, whose name was Meredith Jones, claimed to be in love with Daisy’s husband, Dr. William Cain. The harassment took the form of damage to her property, theft, and even a fire. Although the police spoke to Meredith Jones, there wasn’t a lot else they could do because there was no actual proof she was responsible.” Laurie flipped over a page. “Then Dr. Cain was killed.”
“What?” Leon sat up straighter.
“He was hit over the head, then stabbed. Details are sketchy, but no one has been convicted of his murder, and I haven’t been able to discover what happened to his wife. Except, of course, that she appears to have come to Stillwater and opened a daycare center. Oh, and turned back the clock, making herself about fifteen years younger.”
“Did you get a description of Meredith Jones?” Flora asked.
“Tall, dark, athletic, into running, and outdoor sports.” Laurie looked up as she finished reading. “Sound familiar?”
“Very.” Leon nodded. “You think Meredith Jones killed Daisy Cain’s husband and stole her identity?”
“I have some more investigating to do, but I believe it’s a real possibility. Meredith Jones could be another of Daisy’s victims and that’s a possibility I need to explore,” Laurie said. “I don’t have any pictures yet of Meredith Jones, but I’m fairly sure they’ll bear a striking resemblance to the woman who turned up in Stillwater around the time that Dr. Cain was killed. By the way—” She looked at Leon. “Dr. Cain was described by his patients as a wonderful man, the sort of person who was loved by everyone, and who went out of his way to listen. We know the Daisy Cain who abducted the twins had a fondness for doctors who fit that description.”
Leon shifted uncomfortably. “Are you telling me to develop a grouchy manner?”
“Don’t ever change.” Flora patted his hand before turning to Laurie. “What do you think happened to the real Daisy Cain?”
“I don’t rate the chances that she’s still alive as high. In fact, I suspect she died in the same manner, and at the same time, as her husband, but we’ll keep checking,” Laurie said. “As for the rest of the case, there are some things that confirm Daisy’s—or probably Meredith’s—involvement in each crime. We found the lid and some shards of glass from a jar of cherry pie filling in the trash at her home, together with the packaging from a ready-made pastry crust. I’m sure your technician can match them to the pie that was given to Frankie. There was a baseball bat and ski mask in the trunk of her vehicle, providing further confirmation that she was the person who attacked Dr. Laxman. We’re also looking into the disappearance of the reporter who wrote the story that started all of this. There will be other things I need to discuss with you as the investigation evolves, but they can wait. I didn’t come here to talk about every detail.”
“You didn’t?” Flora asked.
“No. I came with a proposition,” Cameron said. “For you, Leon.”
Leon raised his brows. “Go on.”
“Vivien McAuley’s terrible death leaves the Ryerson Center short of a doctor. Since Alan Grayson confirmed to Laurie that he has no intention of returning to Stillwater, I know that means the Main Street Clinic will be closing.” Cameron held out his hand. “If you want it, this is a formal job offer.”
Flora caught a glimpse of the raw emotion in Leon’s eyes as he took Cameron’s hand. She knew what this meant to him. When Alan Grayson had taken a chance on him, the rest of the town had been skeptical. Now, he had earned his place alongside her and Raj
