A Willing Murder Read online

  At over eighty, you’d think she’d be prepared for death. But she wasn’t. She tried to fight him, but it was a baby rabbit wrestling against an eagle’s talons. He slipped the bag over her head and tied it about her neck with her own bathrobe belt. He stood over her for a moment, watching her try to breathe, nodding, satisfied with his work.

  Through the plastic, as she gasped for breath, she saw him sit down on the edge of her bed, phone in hand, as he answered his emails.

  It didn’t take Mary’s soul long to leave her body. He finished the last email, then went to her. When he saw no movement, he removed the scarf and the terry-cloth belt, then the plastic. He picked her up and put her on the bed, taking time to arrange her naturally. The scarf and the belt were put back where he found them. He loosely stuffed the plastic into his pocket.

  Once he was done, he went to the door and walked out with a firm stride. There were several people in the hallway and no one paid any attention to him. He was just another visitor saying hello to an old relative.

  By the time he got to his car, he was smiling at a job well done.

  TWELVE

  Kate had been told that they weren’t leaving until eleven, so she was lying in the shade by the pool, a book across her bare legs. The weather was balmy warm and she liked the breeze in the exotic palm trees.

  Jack clearing his throat made her open one eye, but she closed it again.

  He sat down on the chair beside her chaise. “What do I have to do to make you forgive me?”

  “Change your personality,” she said.

  “You’re not the first person to ask that of me. Gramps made that suggestion every time I got in a fight with Roy.”

  “If you’re trying to get sympathy from me, it isn’t working.”

  “How about if I give a flat-out apology? I overstepped. I’m sorry. Alastair Stewart is a good guy.”

  “And?”

  “I don’t know what else to say.”

  She turned to look at him. “How about that you won’t do it again.”

  “I’ll try,” he said. “But if you date some guy I know is bad, I’ll—”

  “You’re Roy Wyatt’s son, so that puts you on the ‘bad guys not to date’ list.”

  Jack laughed. “You got me there. But there are some guys in this town who have a worse reputation than I do.”

  “Think Sheriff Flynn would agree on that?”

  “No. To him, I’m on the verge of turning into Roy.”

  “Did you tell Aunt Sara what I said about...you know?”

  “Your mother’s depression?”

  “I shouldn’t have said all that. I was angry at having my good mood taken away and I lashed out. I told too much.”

  “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her. She might think it was her fault for not seeing you all those years. And before you ask, I have no idea what caused the rift between her and your mother.”

  “Where is Aunt Sara?”

  “She went to pick up a filled picnic basket. It’s Family Day at the nursing home and they said a lot of people bring lunches and eat on the grass. I hear that ants are a good source of protein. And the gators love the smorgasbord of old people who can’t run too fast.”

  “Is that a Florida joke?”

  “More of a tourist joke.”

  She looked back at the pool. “Do you know this woman we’re going to see?”

  “I saw her around a few times when I used to visit Cheryl. Sometimes she had pies that she said a neighbor had baked. And after Cheryl, uh...left, there was a day when a woman came over. She asked if I knew where they’d gone. I don’t remember it very well. I’d been forbidden to go to Cheryl’s house and...” Jack shrugged. “Anyway, it was a long time ago. So no, I don’t really know her.”

  “What happens if Mary knows something about the murderer and tells us about him?”

  “We tell Flynn and he’ll know just what to do.”

  That was so absurd that Kate laughed. “I better get ready to go.”

  “I like what you have on. But that swimsuit covers too much skin.”

  “I didn’t grow up in a bikini-wearing atmosphere.”

  “You could have put a couple of Ace bandages over your knees, then you would have been fine.”

  She smiled. “If I’d exposed my belly button, my uncles would have...” She sent her eyes skyward. “I’ll put on something pretty. Mrs. Ellerbee deserves care being taken.” She gave a pointed look at Jack’s jeans and T-shirt.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll raid the ol’ closet.”

  They separated, and after Sara returned, they met in the driveway. They were taking the MINI across Fort Lauderdale to Aventura on the far east side. Sara got in back.

  “Because you’re the only one who can fit in there,” Jack said.

  “I get MINI jokes from the guy who loves that zero to sixty in nanoseconds?”

  Kate raised her eyebrows in question.

  “The mighty MINI does have a bit of speed.” He raised the door to the trunk. Beside the picnic basket was a big box with the name of Sara’s publishing house on it. “A gift for Mrs. Ellerbee and her friends.”

  “How nice of Sara.”

  “It was totally my idea,” Jack said.

  Kate got in the passenger side, then watched Jack limp forward along the side of the car and get in behind the wheel. “When does that come off?”

  “Three weeks and two days,” he and Sara said in unison.

  As Jack drove out of the driveway, he said to Kate, “If you can bear talking about anything but murder, I’d like to say that Ivy and I are working on a design for Cheryl’s house.”

  “Tell her the rest of it,” Sara said.

  “I’m thinking about moving into the house when it’s done. I can’t keep living in someone else’s place.”

  “Me, neither,” Kate said. Her beautiful apartment in Sara’s house went through her mind. “Maybe I’ll buy one of the other houses.”

  “Me, too.” Sara’s tone made them laugh. It sounded like she was saying, “If you two are leaving, I’m going with you.”

  Jack didn’t take any of the highways that crisscrossed Fort Lauderdale.

  Instead, he used the roads with traffic lights to show Kate the big, beautiful city: wide, clean streets, enormous stores and businesses.

  “Whatever you want, we have it here,” Jack said with pride.

  The nursing home was beautiful. One-and two-story buildings spread out over acres of manicured lawns. They parked and made their way toward the entrance.

  “It’s like a paradise.” Kate admired a plant with big red flowers.

  The main building had a two-story entrance with a desk to the right and hallways leading off in three directions. They went through the glass doors, but no one was in sight.

  “Hello?” Sara called, but no one answered. “They should have a bell to ring.”

  There were cameras in three of the corners of the room and Jack waved at them.

  Kate was looking at the papers on the desk.

  “I’ll get someone.” Jack started off on his crutches.

  “I’ll go,” Kate said. “You’ll take too long.”

  Just as she turned down a hall, a woman wearing a white uniform entered. She had cake crumbs on her prodigious chest. Her name badge said Peggy Baker.

  “I was...” She didn’t finish her sentence. “Who was it you wanted to see?” The instant they gave Mary’s name, her face fell. “I’m so, so sorry, but...Mary died just this morning. I’ll call the director.”

  “No, please.” Sara’s voice sounded of tears. “Not yet. Tell us about her. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her. What was she like when she lived here? Who were her friends?”

  “Mary was here for eighteen years and she was very popular. Her mind was always sharp. She used to make us