Hopscotch Homicide (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 16) (7 page)

I narrowed my gaze as I tried to make sense of what Gilda was telling me. “I don’t get it. What are you saying?”

“As I indicated before, I’m saying Evelyn orchestrated the whole thing.”

“What whole thing?”

“I don’t believe there were any young boys fleeing the scene. I think Evelyn set the fire to prove her point about the neglect. I don’t think she meant to harm the child; I think the fire quickly got out of control. And I think her husband saw what she’d done and ran inside to save the child.”

“That’s crazy.”

“I think the grief of losing her own son made her crazy.”

“Do you have proof of any of this?”

“No. It’s just a theory. Still, I think it’s a theory you should consider.”

“I will. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

I walked back outside and canvassed the area to make sure everyone had someone to talk to. It looked as if they did. I was concerned that things would be awkward with so many people there who were meeting one another for the first time, but everything was going wonderfully.

With the party running smoothly without my presence, I decided to take a few minutes to call Salinger to share what Gilda had told me. I grabbed my phone, called Charlie to my side, and then headed down the beach, where I could speak without being overheard.

“That’s quite an accusation,” Salinger said once I’d shared my news.

“I agree. Although if things happened the way Gilda surmised, I guess it could explain her obsession with Trudy’s baby.”

“Yeah, I guess losing a child could make a person crazy, although a lot of people lose children and deal with it just fine over time.”

“True, but what if there’s more to the story? I found out Mrs. Brown visited a grave with a headstone that just said Jonah on it. I haven’t had a chance to find out who Jonah was, but I’m willing to bet it’s her son buried there. Gilda suggested Mrs. Brown set the fire to bring attention to a situation involving neglect. I find that somewhat hard to believe, but what if her husband wasn’t the neglectful one? What if it was Mrs. Brown who was responsible for the death of her son?”

“And her husband covered for her,” Salinger said.

“Being responsible for the death of your own child might make you crazy.”

“I’ll contact the police department in Lake Polk to see what they can tell me,” Salinger said. “I’ll also see if I can verify the identity of the person buried in the grave Mrs. Brown visited.”

“Mrs. Brown was in therapy,” I informed Salinger. “Trenton Field told me as much, but he also said he was bound by doctor/patient confidentiality.”

“I’ll give him a call to see if I can get him to share any details of his sessions with Mrs. Brown. Knowing Trenton, he probably won’t, and we don’t have enough for a warrant, but maybe he’ll at least point me in a direction.”

“Maybe I should talk to him,” I suggested. “He did seek me out in the first place. Maybe he’ll at least confirm or deny Gilda’s accusation.”

“Don’t you have your party today?”

“Yeah, but I can sneak away for long enough to call the man. I’ll see what I can find out and call you back.”

Trenton didn’t actually confirm Gilda’s accusation that Mrs. Brown set the fire, but he didn’t deny it either. He likewise would neither confirm nor deny the idea that it might actually have been Mrs. Brown and not her husband who was responsible for her baby’s death. He did confirm that her son’s name was Jonah and that he was buried in the cemetery in Ashton Falls.

When I called Salinger again he was able to tell me that Jonah had originally been buried in Lake Polk, but Mrs. Brown had had the body moved after she and her husband moved to Ashton Falls. He also could confirm that the official cause of death for Jonah Brown was crib death, but the officer he spoke to revealed that there had been some doubt as to the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Any way you looked at it, it seemed Mrs. Brown was a disturbed woman who’d lived a tragic life.

Later that evening, Zak, Levi, Ellie, and I relaxed on the patio near the fire Zak had built in the fire pit. The three kids had gone inside, leaving us with a few quiet minutes to unwind and catch up. Between getting things ready for the school year, taking Scooter to soccer, and settling into married life, Zak and I hadn’t had much time to spend with Levi and Ellie since we’d returned from our honeymoon.

At the beginning of the summer, Levi had been offered a job at the state college, which he’d decided to turn down. Now that he’d recommitted to Ashton Falls High School, he seemed excited about the upcoming season in spite of the fact that they still hadn’t come up with a replacement for his assistant, who had been fired for giving steroids to one of the players. Levi realized he needed a full-time assistant, but he was making do with volunteers until someone could be recruited and hired.

“If Dezil Washburn decides to play for me we’re going to be unbeatable,” I heard Levi tell Zak.

“Did he seem interested?” Zak asked.

“He said he was. He needed to check with his aunt. She’s really focused on his academic success, so he wasn’t certain she’d consider letting him join the team.”

“He’s very intelligent. I can see why his aunt wants him to focus on his education, but I believe a balanced approach is usually best. I can speak to the aunt if Dezil really wants to join the team.”

“That’d be great,” Levi said. “Any of your other geniuses athletically inclined?”

“Pi is athletic, but I don’t think he’s played football. He seems to be most interested in joining a band,” Zak answered.

“You should hook him up with Jeremy,” Ellie suggested.

“I’m pretty sure I saw the two of them talking earlier in the day. I’m going to head over to the Zoo on Tuesday after the events committee meeting. I’ll ask Jeremy if he can help Pi find a group to jam with.”

“Pi is sixteen,” Zak reminded me. “I’d be willing to bet he’d prefer to find a band to jam with on his own.”

“Yeah, you’re right. This parenting thing is hard.”

“Speaking of the events committee, did you ever get the situation with the barn worked out?” Ellie wondered.

Somehow, in spite of the fact that my life was already really full, I had been elected chairperson for Haunted Hamlet. One of my responsibilities as chairperson was to secure a facility to house the annual haunted barn. In years past we’d used the Henderson house, but considering the tragic past of that property it was decided that our haunted house should be a bit less haunted. Of course the barn I’d picked out had turned out to have its own creepy history, so the committee was recommending an alternate to the alternate.

How do I get myself into these things?

“It’s not like there are a lot of empty barns around here. I’ve identified one other location, but I doubt the committee will go for it either.”

“Don’t tell me there’s a third barn in the area with a history of gruesome murders?” Ellie asked.

“No. And it’s not a barn, it’s a house. It’s both vacant and close to town.”

“And the problem?” Levi asked.

“It’s right next to the old Devil’s Den graveyard.”

Devil’s Den was the name of the settlement that had existed before it became the town of Ashton Falls.

“I know the house you’re talking about,” Ellie joined in. “It would be a good location. Have you spoken to the owners about using it?”

“Yes. The family that inherited it lives in Boston and has never even visited the property. They’re fine with us using it as long as we take care of maintenance and insurance. The question is, what’s the committee going to think about the graveyard? Everyone is being so conservative this year. Personally, I really liked Potter’s barn, and I thought the fact that it appears to be haunted added to the allure of the place.”

“I doubt Potter’s barn is really haunted despite the strange things that occurred when you and Levi went to check it out. I think the committee is just being cautious after what happened at the Henderson house,” Ellie said. “I don’t see how an old graveyard could be a problem. It’s not haunted, is it?”

“Not as far as I know.”

“Bring it up at the meeting. I’ll support it,” Ellie assured me. “I’ve been by that house and it looked structurally sound. Besides, like you said, it’s close enough to town that people will be fine making the trip out.”

“I’ll support it too,” Levi added.

“Okay, I’ll suggest it. I don’t suppose you can attend the meeting as well?” I looked at Zak.

“You know I would, but it’s the first day of school. I really should be at the Academy.”

“Yeah, I know. But if there’s a tie I’ll have Willa call you to get your vote. I’m pretty sure I can get my dad to vote with me, so maybe we can get this done. The owners also own the property where the graveyard’s located. I thought it might be sort of cool to have guests approach the house through it.”

“I don’t know,” Ellie said. “It seems sort of disrespectful to have people tramping over the graves of the people buried there.”

“Bryton Lake does a graveyard walk every year. They rope off a specific path. Maybe we could do something like that. Providing a guided tour through the cemetery might prevent people from just tramping through.”

“Maybe. If the committee approves the project we can take a look at the logistics. I seem to remember there’s a large field on the far side of the graveyard. We can set up parking there, and then we can lead people through the graveyard to the house. It could be really spooky.” Ellie nodded. “I like it.”

I got up to open another bottle of wine and topped off everyone’s glass. It really was a beautiful night. The stars were shining brightly and the moon reflected off the surface of the lake. It was nice to have the chance to spend some time with my hubby and two best friends.

“It seemed like you were having a fairly intense conversation with Gilda this afternoon,” Ellie commented.

“Yeah. She wanted to offer her perspective on Evelyn Brown’s murder.”

I filled the group in on what Gilda had told me.

“Did you talk to Salinger about it?” Levi asked.

“Yeah, I called him. He verified that Mrs. Brown had a son and that he was buried in the cemetery here in Ashton Falls. The cause of the fire was inconclusive.”

“Mrs. Brown came into Rosie’s for lunch on Sundays while I was working there,” Ellie told us. “I don’t remember her ever eating with anyone. I wonder who moved in next door to Mrs. Brown when Trudy moved out.”

“I’m not sure. I do know Salinger said he was going to speak to her neighbors. I imagine if anything had come of it, he would have called. He was going to speak to Principal Bower and her coworkers as well. I guess I should have asked him about that when we spoke.”

“It’s not really your job to be his assistant,” Ellie reminded me.

“Yeah, I know. Now that I’m a soccer mom I guess I’ll have to put sleuthing on the back burner. Still, I’d like to get this one solved if I can.”

“I saw Virginia Wilson at the Hut,” Ellie added. “She came in for lunch with a few of her friends. She seems to think you’ve agreed to be chair of the PTA fund-raising committee.”

“What? I never agreed to that. In fact, I didn’t actually agree to attend the meeting. I said I’d try to come, but that isn’t a promise, and I certainly never agreed to chair a committee.”

“You know Virginia.” Ellie shook her head. “She has a tendency to steamroll over people to get what she wants. Don’t be surprised if she hasn’t already announced to the others that you’re on board.”

“How do I get myself into these things?”

“You were just in the right place at the right time.”

“More like the wrong place at the wrong time,” I grumbled. “I’ve also been informed that I’m going to be room mom for Scooter’s class, and I’ve been asked to bring snacks and help provide rides for soccer.”

“Welcome to parenthood,” Ellie teased.

I sat back in my chair and looked out at the lake. These were the moments I tried to savor. Good wine shared with best friends after a productive and eventful day. I knew things were going to change now that Zak and I were committed to the kids and the school, but I really hoped they wouldn’t change
too
much.

“Alex and I are going shopping tomorrow,” I informed Ellie. “Do you want to come with us?”

“I’d love to, but I told Kelly she could take the day off, so I have to work. Why don’t the two of you come by for lunch so I can see what you bought?”

“I’m sure Alex would like that. How’s Kelly doing?”

Ellie’s assistant, Kelly, was involved in an abusive relationship with her live-in boyfriend. Things had been bad just before the wedding, but Ellie seemed to think things had been going better the last time I’d asked.

“I guess things are going okay. Kelly hasn’t missed any more work and I haven’t noticed any recent bruises. I’m still not comfortable with the situation. I keep hoping the two of them will decide to split up.”

“Did her boyfriend ever get a job?” I wondered.

“No. Not as of the last time I asked about it, anyway. Kelly said he had some things he was working on, but she didn’t seem to want to talk about it, so I let it go. I’ve let her know that I’m there for her, so I guess I’ve done what I can. The rest is up to her.”

When everyone had left and I had finally tumbled into bed I was certain I’d be asleep within minutes. It had been a very long and very busy day. But although Zak was snoring softly beside me, I found I couldn’t shut down my mind. I might talk big about leaving sleuthing behind, but I’m afraid it’s in my blood by this point. I’m always sure if I think about things long enough the answer will pop into my head and I’ll solve the case.

Mrs. Brown wasn’t scheduled to work on the day she was murdered, yet she was there, making a huge pot of hamburger gravy. Why?

And the fact that she was on campus on a day when she wasn’t scheduled to be there made me wonder how the killer knew to find her in the kitchen. Had it been a crime of opportunity? Maybe the killer had just stumbled upon her as she made her gravy. Or had the killer followed her to the school? Interesting questions without easy answers.

I quietly got out of bed and slipped on my robe. Charlie wasn’t thrilled that we were getting up so soon after going to bed, but he loyally followed me downstairs. I didn’t want to wake the kids, so I decided to settle into the kitchen, where the light wouldn’t be seen from any of the bedroom windows. I found a yellow legal pad in one of the drawers near the phone and began to jot down some notes.

Who killed Mrs. Brown?

I looked at the question for several minutes without anything coming to mind.

Why was Mrs. Brown at the school the day she was murdered?

I tapped my pen on the pad at least a hundred times. Then I drew a happy face, as well as a few random squiggles.

Nothing.

Why was Mrs. Brown making a huge pot of hamburger gravy?

This last one should be solvable. There were most likely only limited answers. The correct answer might lead to the killer. Unless some random person happened along and killed Mrs. Brown on impulse, the killer had to have known she would be at the school that day. It seemed likely the person or persons she was making the gravy for would know she planned to use the school kitchen to make the large batch, ergo, the person the gravy was intended for was the killer.

Long shot? Maybe. But at this point it was all I had to go on.

The school wasn’t open yet, so the gravy couldn’t have been for the students. The freezer at the school was being replaced, so she didn’t intend to freeze it. I’d already checked with the church and the senior center. Neither were having a potluck. Who else, I asked myself, would need the quantity of gray slop Mrs. Brown had been preparing on the day she died?

Maybe a better question, given Mrs. Brown’s reputation, was who would ask her to contribute to a potluck in the first place?

I clicked my pen open and closed. I drew a series of random shapes on my tablet. I was really, really stuck.

I looked at Charlie. He glared at me. It was obvious he thought it was time for us to be in bed. And he was right. I was getting nowhere.

“Are you ready to go back up?” I asked Charlie.

He lifted his head and wagged his tail.

“I’m really losing my edge,” I complained. “Maybe I do have too much going on and there really isn’t room left in my brain for sleuthing.”

Charlie tilted his head.

“How do parents do it? School, sports, Boy Scouts…”

I was about to turn off the light when I stopped. Boy Scouts. Virginia had said there was an informational dinner at the community center on the night Mrs. Brown died. Scouting was a popular activity. They’d need a meal that would feed a lot of people. Of course Virginia also said Yolanda Snyder was the organizer. Based on everything I’d learned to date, Yolanda had been trying to get Mrs. Brown fired for years. Why would she ask her to make the food for such an important event? It really didn’t track, but still… I supposed having a chat with Yolanda sooner rather than later might not be the worst idea I’d had lately.