Marjorie Thelen - Designer Detective

“Cody said the relatives will contest.”

“They won’t get anywhere. It will take a lot of time and cost a lot of money. None of them have much.”

“Fascinating, but where do I come in?”

“Even though I know what happened to Albert and who did it, I cannot take the information to the police. Albert was an undercover agent. If the police know, it could jeopardize other undercover agents. I want to exact revenge on the perpetrator. That’s where you and Jake come in.”

I swallowed hard. This sounded out of my league. Revenge? I wondered if the Russian mafia was involved. Definitely out of my league. “I’m not so sure I’m your woman. Where is Jake anyway? I haven’t heard from him.”

“He’s run an errand.”

“Why me and Jake?”

“You make such a nice couple.”

Here we went again. “Please, Opal, let’s leave out the matchmaking, and I’m not trained for cloak and dagger stuff.”

“Hudson and I are sure we know who killed Albert, and she isn’t a very nice person.”

My interest was piqued. “She?” I said. “As in the blonde at the wedding?”

“No, not her. Albert had others. Lord knows why Olivia ever put up with it. I say this, even though he was my dear brother. He couldn’t help a wandering eye, and everyone knew it.” She leaned closer. “He also was known to have a taste for drink.”

I wished Albert could have come back from the dead. Sounded like a fun guy. “Who then? Who is this mysterious woman who killed Albert?”

“A woman who worked with him. I believe her name is Alice. She and Albert had an affair a while back. Olivia caught wind of it and told Albert to cease and desist or it was the end of the marriage. The affair was pretty public. Albert wasn’t discreet. I think as he got older he was quite harmless, although I understand his Viagra bill was pretty outrageous there for a while. Albert’s charm lay in a flair for the ladies but his extreme wealth didn’t hurt.”

“Fascinating.”

“Albert cut it off with his co-worker. However, you know what they say about a woman scorned. She took it to new heights. Made Albert’s life a misery, threatened him with all kinds of things. I suspect she arranged for his overdose. Those spy people are very creative when it comes to murder.”

“I never think of creative ways to murder people, but I believe you about spies.” Another good reason why I shouldn’t get involved. “So you want to exact revenge on this woman?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Are you certain the woman did this?”

Opal squeezed her eyes shut tight like she was trying to think, then opened them wide. “Hudson and I have given this a great deal of thought. We are ninety nine per cent sure.”

I was concerned about the other one per cent. “What kind of revenge did you have in mind?”

She smiled. “Murder would be too simple. I was thinking more in terms of blackmail or maybe forcing her out of her job.”

Little old ladies can be deadly.

“Blackmail? What kind of blackmail.”

“She has a husband. Maybe he didn’t know about the affair. We could blackmail her for money or with harassing phone calls or maybe hack into her computer and steal her identity.”

I was getting a creepy feeling that Opal was going off the deep end. Maybe I’d forego the money and get the hell out.

“Opal, the action items you mentioned carry jail sentences with them. I’m a law-abiding citizen. Look, I’ll figure out what is owed me and send the bill. Have Hudson mail me a check when it’s convenient.” I busied myself shutting down the Mac and packing up.

Opal didn’t respond. I looked at her. Our eyes met. She smiled. Did I detect a glimmer of insanity in those frosty blues?

“Maybe Jake can do this for you,” I said, trying to be helpful. I zipped the carrying case and hefted the strap over my shoulder.

“Then you won’t help me?”

I shook my head. “Not my line of work.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You’ll keep my secret, won’t you?”

“Sure,” I said, meaning it. I wanted to put some distance between me and the crazies in this family. They were starting to make my head hurt.

“I wouldn’t want any of the family to get wind of this. I thought you would help me.”

“Jake’s your man, Opal. By the way, when will he return?”

“He went to the lawyer’s office yesterday to pick up some documents. He’s not back yet.”

I stopped before my hand reached the doorknob to the library on my way to freedom. “What do you mean he hasn’t returned? Isn’t the lawyer here in McLean?”

She shrugged still sitting straight on the couch. “I don’t know what happened to him.”

I cocked my head. “Where is he staying, Opal?”

“He is staying with us here. But he hasn’t come back.”

“I see.” I had a strong desire to find Jake and see what he made of this. His being away and she not worried added to the urgency.

“Good bye, Opal,” I said and closed the door.

In the car I drove down the street a ways then flipped open my cell phone and dialed Jake’s number. He answered on the first ring.

“Where are you?” I said.

“You’re not going to believe me, but the old lady has me locked in the wine cellar in the basement. I’ve been here since last night. She took me down on the pretense of showing me some rare wines.”

“Damnation,” I said. “Jake, old lady Opal is crazy.”

“That’s just for starters.”

“I think I should call the police.”

“We don’t want that.”

“I don’t think you’re in a position to voice an opinion.”

There was silence, then a hollow laugh. “I guess you’re right.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Would you mind getting me out?”

“Me? First, you need to answer some questions.”

“Fiona, please.”

“No, I’m serious. Why didn’t you call me yesterday?”

“I did but you didn’t answer.”

“Damn, I forgot. I turned the phone ringer off so I could get some sleep.”

“You never turned it back on because I’ve been trying to get you all night.”

“Am I the only one you can call?”

“You’re the only person I know on the East Coast that might believe an old lady locked me in her wine cellar.”

“That’s troubling.”

“Yeah, isn’t it? Look, Fiona, I’ll explain everything if you get me out of here.”

I had heard that before. I coldheartedly ignored his plea. “Opal said she and Hudson are getting married.”

“She did? News to me.”

“She said Albert had an affair with a woman he worked with.”

“Don’t know about that.”

“What is going on here?”

“Hey, I’m sorry if I can’t answer your questions, but if it’s too much trouble to help me, I’ll call one of my buddies.” He hung up. He’d sounded a little put out.

How in the world was I going to get back into the house?

I dialed Jake’s number again. Busy. I guess he was serious about calling his buddies. I contemplated my alternatives. Leave and extract myself from a dangerous situation. Or go back and help Jake.

I dialed his number again. He picked up on the first ring.

“How do you propose I get back into the Lodge insane asylum?”

I crouched in the Alice in Wonderland hedge and waited for the lights to go out in the house. Damn, damn, damn. Why was I doing this? Why wasn’t I home in my warm, comfy bed, dreaming the night away instead of waiting in the cold and dark to help out a man I didn’t know that well? Curiosity was the only answer I came up with combined with a definite lack of common sense.

Jake said to try the kitchen entrance. He said there was a whole underground storage maze accessed from a door in the kitchen. I hadn’t noticed the door because it was behind the main door into the kitchen which stood open most of the time.

Unfortunately, I had to break in, find the wine cellar key and get into the basement, all without making noise and waking anyone. I was sitting in the hedge freezing my butt because there’d been a party going on for most of the night in the kitchen.

Finally, the lights went out in the back of the house.

I stood, stretched and listened. I wore a long, wool sweater coat in black that kept getting snagged in the hedge. My teeth were chattering, probably more from fright than from cold. I never did stuff like this. What had I gotten myself into? I had black running shoes on, though I never ran. They made no sound on the brick patio. I’d put them on in case I had to run. How’s that for logic? I inched toward the kitchen door.

“Oof,” I said without thinking. I glanced around to see if anyone had heard. My toe had struck a large mound of something that hadn’t been there the last time I was on the patio. It appeared to be a garbage bag. Who had put that there? Maybe the gardener had raked leaves, bagged them and left the bag on the patio. Sloppy gardener. But it didn’t feel like mushy leaves. It felt like metal and had made a clanking sound when my foot hit it. Leaves didn’t clank.

I pulled out my trusty little LED flashlight that I had shoved into my pocket at the last minute and switched it on. Sure enough, it was a garbage bag half concealed under the hedge like someone had dumped it in a hurry. My never ending curiosity kicked in, and I hunched down to investigate. I ran the light over the bag. The top was unsecured so I carefully pulled it open and looked in. Silver. It was the family silver. Tea service, bowls, plates, a few serving spoons. Someone was trying to filch the family silver. Who had dropped these here? A desperate relative? Had they had a party to divide up the family heirlooms, and someone had stashed their loot here?