Dying for a Change (25 page)

I was staring into the barrel of a deadly looking gun held all too securely in Sharon’s hand. It looked quite comfortable there.

“
I know what to do with this, Ellen, so please don’t make a stupid mistake. Come over here and sit down. We need to talk.”

I came back slowly and sank down in my large chair, my eyes never leaving the gun. Sharon walked around in front of the sofa and also sat, facing me.

This isn’t happening, I thought as I looked at Sharon’s familiar, unchanged face. Small smile, friendly, interested, her professional real estate face. No hint of threat in anything but the gun pointed steadily at my mid section.

“
Tell me, Ellen. Did you have a good visit with Alice?”

Alice! Who cared? But I replied, trying not to let my voice shake. “Oh yes, my yes.”

“
Did you get the listing?” Sharon persisted with horrible normalcy.

“
Yes, I did. You were a big help, Sharon. All your work, I really appreciate it.” What are we doing, I wanted to scream. This doesn’t matter. But it didn’t seem I had a choice, so I’d go on playing until Sharon was done. Only, I didn’t think I was going to like what happened when she finished her little game.

“
Was that when you knew, Ellen? At Alice’s?”

She was done.

“
Know what.” I hoped I sounded innocent. Maybe I could stall for time, time to do what I didn’t know. Time to think of something, to keep Sharon from using that gun.

“
Game’s over, Ellen.” As if I hadn’t figured that out.

“
Alice called the office, looking for you. She forgot to give you the name of her accountant, but she gave it to me. She told me all about giving you the partnership return, and how upset you seemed. How did you figure it out, Ellen. You don’t know a thing about real estate.”

The gun went up a little, somewhere about the middle of my chest. I could feel my hands and feet getting very cold, and my heart was starting to constrict. I had no idea what to say, so I blurted out the truth.

“
I don’t understand it. I don’t know what’s wrong with that partnership, or how you set it up, but something’s wrong. You’re cheating all the people who trusted your father, and who tried to help you.”

She ignored that and went on, her tone holding only curiosity. “But you knew I’d killed Hank and Dottie. How?” She might have been asking directions to the bus stop for all the emotion she showed. What was worse, I found myself following her lead.

“
It was the clothes. When I remembered about the clothes, I was positive.”

“
Clothes?” She looked blank. Unfortunately, not blank enough to lower the gun.

My words came tumbling out, almost as if I had to impress her. “You had on a green dress Sunday when you left for the Pierponts’, and it wasn’t raining. Mrs. Pierpont said it was pouring when you arrived. That means you got there right at four o’clock. Your appointment was for two o’clock. Then, when you came to my house, you had on a navy blue suit. Somewhere during those two hours, you changed. When I wondered why, there was only one answer. Then, the gun. Tom always parks in the same place, and he never locks his car. You had as much opportunity as Ray or Benjamin, and you couldn’t help but know about it. Everyone else did.”

“
Anything else?” A ghost of a smile passed across Sharon’s face.

Like the snake following the flute, I kept my eye on the gun, which never wavered. “Mr. Marburger.”

For the first time, Sharon looked startled. “Mr. Marburger! What about him?”

“
He told me how long you have been working with Stop N Shop on the purchase of that land. You lied about that.”

“
You really are clever, Ellen.” At any other time I would have taken it as a compliment. “The clothes, the Pierponts, I never thought about that. Luckily, no one else will either. This is such a shame, Ellen, but you do see I have no choice.”

She seemed to be raising the gun and panic pierced me like an arrow. Or a bullet. Time. I had to get more time, but how?

“
Wait!” I almost shouted, putting up my hand. “Tell me about the partnership.” I could feel sweat forming at my temples but didn’t dare reach up to wipe it off. “I don’t understand that part at all.”

“
Neither did Hank,” Sharon said scornfully. “The fool. He had it backwards, but he’d figured out enough to be dangerous.” Her hand relaxed slightly, and the gun descended a fraction. “All right, but listen carefully. I’m only going to tell you once.”

Then make it long, I prayed, long and complicated.

“
Stop N Shop is based in Seattle. I knew they were looking for a site in our area before I came home. I knew that land across the river was perfect for them, and it was cheap. I didn’t have enough money to buy it, or even to secure it, so I put together that partnership. Later, when I found out how much Stop N Shop was prepared to pay, I knew a needed a bigger share. A much bigger share.” Sharon told the first part calmly, impressed with her own cleverness, but now her eyes narrowed and her voice rose a little. “All those old people who bought in, they already had money, lots of it, and they didn’t even care. But I did. I do. That money is my way out of this horrible place. This isn’t a sleepy town. It’s a prison filled with nasty small-minded people who have always hated me. They thought I was no good as a girl, and they were jealous when I came back and became successful. I’m getting out, and the sweetest part is they’re going to provide the way.”

A wildness crept into Sharon’s eyes that terrified me even more, something I wouldn’t have believed possible. She went on, each sentence coming a little faster, as if she’d stored all this up too long, and was finally getting a chance to vent her bitterness.

“
That was when I invented the new partners. I borrowed against everything my father had left me, and started buying the old people out.”

“
You’re Paul Cameron?”

“
Of course. Why do you think I couldn’t send out IRS partnership returns? Why do you think I took all the bookwork away from Dottie? She was already suspicious. She’s the one who told Hank, only they both thought I’d brought in ringers, outside people who would make the big profits and ease out the locals. Hank had Dottie snooping around, trying to find--Ellen, are you listening to me?”

“
Of course.” I tried to keep my face blank. I’d heard the soft purr of an engine in my driveway. Dan? Oh, please God, let it be Dan.

Sharon heard it also. I could see her back stiffen, and the finger on the trigger tightened.

“
Who...?” was all she got out before the back door slammed.

“
Phone you tonight,” a familiar voice called out. “Mom?” The car backed down the driveway, and footsteps sounded in the dining room. Dear God, no. Not Susannah!

“
Don’t come in here,” I screamed.

“
Why?” She walked into the room and stopped short. Her mouth opened a little as she stared at Sharon and the gun. “Oh.”

Sharon was on her feet, smiling at Susannah, motioning her into the room. “This must be your daughter. Come sit beside your mother, that’s right. Right there.”

Susannah advanced slowly, transferring her stare from the gun to me. “What...?” was all she managed to say.

“
This is Sharon Harper.” The unreality of this ridiculous introduction almost made me laugh. Or have hysterics. “She seems to want to—ah—to--, ah...” I couldn’t bring myself to say out loud that Sharon was going to shoot me, and now Susannah as well.

Sharon wasn’t having the same difficulty. “Such a pretty girl. Too bad you came home when you did, for I’m sure you understand I can’t leave you alive either, not now.”

“
Of course I don’t understand.” Reality had not quite taken hold yet. “What’s going on here? Why do you want to shoot my mother? Or me?”

Keep talking, baby, I thought, for suddenly I had an idea. Jake had appeared from behind the set of Dickens, stretched, and started his pre-dinner bath. He looked curiously down at our little scene.

“
It seems Sharon killed Hank and Dottie.” I tried to keep my eyes off the shelf.

“
Why? What’s that got to do with killing us?” Susannah was starting to believe this was real and alarm was building.

“
Never mind.” Sharon snapped at her. Tension was building in her as well. I was running out of time. The gun was rising again.

“
But...” Susannah protested.

I took a deep breath and whistled. Sharon jerked, startled. Susannah threw herself to the side, and yelled, “Duck!”

That was the last thing I wanted to do, as Jake sailed down from the bookcase, right on cue, landing on the back of the sofa first, then with one more leap, in my arms. Sharon screamed, but didn’t let go of the gun. I screamed also, to Susannah to get out of there, and heaved poor Jake right in Sharon’s face. Susannah flung herself forward, towards Sharon, Jake, and the gun. She’d get shot for sure. “No. Don’t” I yelled, and jumped after her. Now we were all screaming and clawing at each other. I had a sleeve, and dropped it as a foot hit my mouth. Somewhere, I heard a crash. A lamp? A chair? I neither knew nor cared. I had to find that gun. Susannah was in the middle of thrashing bodies, and all I could think of was how to keep her from getting shot! Someone’s thumb was in my eye, someone’s teeth dug into my arm, Jake’s I thought, and I had a handful of hair, whose I didn’t know. Then the gun went off. The explosion was fierce. I heard a thud, followed by the tinkle of broken glass and a faint meow. Someone human groaned. Hands were on me, lifting me, pulling me. I swung wildly and hit only air.

“
Quit fighting, Ellie. The cavalry’s arrived.” The voice was most welcome. Through my tears and straggly hair I saw Dan’s face.

I found myself leaning against him. He didn’t seem to mind. Gary and a policewoman I’d never seen before were struggling with Sharon, trying to snap on handcuffs, much too gently I thought. She was not submitting silently. Gary’s face turned red as he listened.

“
Extensive vocabulary,” Dan commented, his arm tight around me. “I never would have guessed. Wonder if she’ll shut up long enough for us to read her her rights?”

I looked around at my savaged living room. Lamp on the floor, table overturned, broken glass on the carpet, Susannah slumped against the wall. Oh my God, Susannah. She sat, legs out, head down, hair streaming over her face. She's dead, I thought, my beautiful daughter, and it's my fault. I tore myself away from Dan and hurtled across the room, calling her name. I knelt before her, reached out to smooth the hair from her eyes, tears streaming from my own. Relief flooded through me when she stirred and lifted her head. She pushed herself higher against the wall, surveyed the scene being played out in the room, then looked up at me. “Tell me, Mom. Is it going to be this much fun every time I come home?”

It had been several hours since Gary and the policewoman had dragged Sharon out of my living room, still kicking, still screaming words I didn’t think were in my dictionary. Dan had followed almost immediately, but promised to return as soon as he could.

“
I’ve got a lot of questions for you, Ellie.”

“
You’ve got questions? I’m the one who almost got killed.”

Aunt Mary had arrived almost before Dan was out the driveway.

“
Are you all right?” She examined first me, then Susannah. “I heard one of you got shot. You don’t look shot,” she said, almost accusingly.

“
We’re fine,” I said wearily. Susannah was more direct. “How did you hear so fast? They only just pulled that Sharon woman out of here.”

Aunt Mary was saved from answering by the ring of the doorbell. This time it was Pat, Carl and Neil.

“
How did you...?” Poor Susannah. She had yet to realize Email is no substitute for a small town grapevine.

Coffee was made, a plate of cookies I’d forgotten I had was passed, and everyone settled down in my living room, expecting to hear our story.

I started, telling them everything up to when Susannah arrived home. She took over, describing the fight, the gun, and the part Jake played, in lurid detail.

“
Where is he?” Aunt Mary looked around for the cat.

“
Probably under the bed, nursing his dignity back to health.” Carl was the vet. He ought to know. But I hoped Jake would come out soon. I owed him an apology. Also a big dinner.

The phone rang. And rang. The press, the TV station, friends, even Susannah’s third cousin once removed, they all called, and they all wanted to know everything. Even Susannah finally tired of telling about the gun and the cat.

Finally the living room was empty and the phone silent.

“
Do you want anything?” I sat slumped deep in my chair, Jake asleep on my lap. He had evidently forgiven me. I apologized by rubbing his ears.

“
Only your boyfriend, Dan, with a full explanation.” That’s when the doorbell rang.

Stress lines showed deeply around his eyes, but he smiled at both of us, hung his jacket on a peg in the entry, put his arm around me and pulled me close while he delivered a long, very unbrotherly kiss. When he finally let me up for air, he grinned at Susannah.

“
Hi, I’m Dan Dunham.”

“
I’d figured that out.”

“
I like your Mom.”

“
So do I.” She studied him carefully, then she nodded. “Okay, someone needs to keep an eye on her while I’m gone.”