“Why is the mayor being blackmailed?” I asked.
“Oh no,” Hyacinth wagged a finger. “I can’t say.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Both,” she answered.
I pushed my luck. “How about Patricia?”
She paled and shook her head. “Leave it alone, Carly.”
Her reaction set my nerves to jumping. What was Patricia hiding? “Do any of the other Harpies know Avery is Haywood’s daughter?” I asked.
“It’s not proven she is,” Hyacinth snapped. “There’s been no paternity test. Could be Twilabeth was catting around and that’s why she never told Haywood. She wasn’t right in the head, that one, so anything is possible. Her mood swings about drove Haywood insane.”
I wondered at her comment about Twilabeth not being right in the head but set that aside for now and said, “You seemed pretty angry at Avery yesterday. Is it because if she is Haywood’s daughter, she’s now the heir to the Ezekiel house?”
Looking over her shoulder again, she tightly said, “She’s not an heir to anything. I am.”
That’s right, she was. Mayor Ramelle had mentioned that Hyacinth was the beneficiary to Haywood’s estate. “His will would be easily challenged in a court of law.”
Rage colored her cheeks as she poked my shoulder. “Stay out of this, Carly Bell. Keep your mouth shut about Avery, you hear me?”
Louella sprung to her feet and growled low in her throat.
“Take that damn dog and go home,” Hyacinth seethed. “No wonder someone tried to burn you up. You’re too nosy for your own good. Leave well enough alone.”
Anger had flared when she touched me, but dissolved when I picked up the hint of fear in her voice. I tipped my head, reading her easily. “You’re scared.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Leave Avery out of this.”
My mama wasn’t the only one around here filled with bluff and bluster. Hyacinth was, too. Her anger toward Avery was all an act. She was trying to protect her.
“You know she’s his daughter, and you don’t want anyone else to figure it out,” I said softly. “You’re afraid someone will go after her, too, if they believe she’s the heir now. You think he was killed because someone found out he was an Ezekiel.”
Her panicked energy confirmed my theory.
But . . . then there was Patricia’s fight with Avery to consider. “How does Patricia know Avery? Their argument at the ball seemed to be on a personal level.”
“She doesn’t know her, and it wasn’t personal. She just can’t abide party crashers. No one but me knows her identity, so let’s leave it that way.”
Hyacinth believed what she said, but it didn’t make sense. Patricia obviously knew the woman somehow. If not through Hyacinth and Haywood, then how?
Plus, someone had sent Haywood a blackmail letter, which meant that Hyacinth was wrong. Someone knew exactly who Avery was.
“Just go home, Carly,” Hyacinth said, pressing her eyes closed. “Just go home.”
Louella lurched forward and barked as someone approached. The woman stormed forward like General Pickett on his infamous charge.
Mayor Barbara Jean Ramelle said loudly in her mellifluous voice, “What is going on out here? It looks like you two are about to come to blows.”
Behind Barbara Jean, Jenny Jane was skipping happily and pointing at the mayor in a look-who-I-found kind of way.
Hyacinth said, “Carly was just leaving.”
Louella snarled at Barbara Jean.
“Holy hell!” she exclaimed. “Is that Louella? I thought she was long dead.”
“Gabriel changed his mind about putting her down,” Hyacinth said, full of disdain.
I was as puzzled by Mayor Ramelle’s reaction to the dog as I was Hyacinth’s. Why did they seem to care so much?
Jenny Jane was doing jumping jacks now, trying to get my attention. I cleared my throat and said, “Before I go, did Doug mention that I’m looking for Jenny Jane Booth’s daughter, Moriah?”
“He did,” she said, still staring at Louella. “I called you earlier and left a message on your voice mail with the information. Why’d you want to know again?”
“Long story,” I said. Hey, if they could keep secrets, so could I.
“I’m going inside,” Hyacinth said. “I’m not feeling well. Remember what I said, Carly.”
The mayor and I watched her go. When she was out of earshot, Barbara Jean said, “What was that all about, Carly? You’re picking fights with her? Hasn’t she been through enough?”
“Haven’t we all?” I asked, my voice hard. Done playing games, I added, “Did you know Haywood was the heir to the mansion?”
“No,” she said tightly. “Not until I heard it this morning.”
Going by her energy, it was the truth.
“Do you know who killed Haywood?” I asked.
“No, I don’t.”
Once again, she was telling the truth.
“Now it’s time for you to go,” she added. “And a word of advice?”
“What’s that?” I asked with a sigh.
“Don’t come back.”
Chapter Eighteen