The Marsh Madness

“But if they have so much evidence and they’re convinced we’re guilty, why haven’t they arrested any of us?”


“They probably like Kevin for it. They’ve got his prints on the weapon. They’re waiting until one of you can’t take it anymore and makes contact with him, in person or on the phone. That’s probably why you’re at home instead of in an interrogation room. They always have a reason.”

“We have no idea where he is. Or why.”

“Keep it that way.”

I snorted. “We don’t have much choice. Kev’s in the wind.”

“They’ll be hunting for him everywhere.”

“Someone is aware of that, Sammy. Someone who knows us and knows about us is behind it.”

“You have to forget about that. Concentrate on living normally.”

“Are you serious?”

“Eat your meals. Go about your daily tasks.”

“We’re worried.”

“So be worried. I don’t blame you. But keep your mouth shut and steer clear of Kevin.”

“You think they’ll have our phones under surveillance?”

“Is the grass green?”

“But what can I do? I can try to find out more about Chadwick or—”

“You”—Sammy poked my arms with his stubby finger—“do nothing. I’m the one who has to look into this guy Chadwick.”

“And are you looking into him?”

“For sure. What? You think I’m at the track all day?”

That hadn’t occurred to me until that very moment. “Have you found anything?”

Sammy’s information confirmed Castellano’s. “No girlfriends that anyone knows about. No close friends. No relatives. Nobody that anyone knows of.”

“But the people at the spa really liked him.”

“Employees. Yup. They were paid to like him, and I hear they all got along fine.”

“I believe that, um, I heard somewhere that his assistant, Lisa Hatton, had a crush on him.”

“Yes. We learned that too. She had it bad according to some of the other staff.”

“And he—?”

“Was kind to her, from what I heard. He needed her to keep things running.”

“Poor Lisa. You have to admit she’d make a great suspect.”

“For sure. Too bad she didn’t do it.”

I squeaked, “How do you know that?”

“She was representing the Country Club and Spa at the Community Service Awards Luncheon.

“She wasn’t at Summerlea, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t involved in some way.”

Sammy squinted at me. “Let it be. You have to stay here, looking like everything’s normal. Remember? No chasing around trying to find out who’s setting you up. No looking into Lisa Hatton.”

“No comment.”


*

AS PART OF the pretense of being normal, Vera and I ate a distracted dinner in the dining room. Vera could barely manage a grunt. I wondered if she’d ever get over what she called “the theft of my books.” The signora was feeling the stress too. The muddy floor was probably part of it. She forgot to bring Parmesan cheese for the pasta and was really rattled when I offered to get it.

“Let things be,” Vera growled, the only words she spoke all through dinner.

That should have prepared me for the discovery that the signora had forgotten to make the tiramisu.

Things went from bad to worse. Good Cat and Bad Cat prowled, both restless and unpredictable. Bad Cat managed to nick one of my knees. And I may have even heard a muffled ouch from Vera.

Walter was the only cheerful one of the bunch. Unlike us, he wasn’t waiting for the police to show up and arrest Vera and me. He was waiting for tidbits to fall in his vicinity.