Murder the Tey Way: A Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mystery (The Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mysteries 2) (19 page)

Joy bit her lip as she thought. “So she did.”

I nodded. “What if Salvey Fusco is Corinne and Felicity’s father?”

Joy’s eyes flit back and forth as she considered this possibility. “You mean their names aren’t Corinne and Felicity Roberts?”

“Probably not.”

“Felicity does go on and on about Johnny Scarvino,” Joy mused. “She’s terrified of him.”

“And Corinne admitted she used to date him.”

Joy shook her head in disbelief. “It can’t be. This is too weird.”

“Why?” I demanded. “Because it’s happening on Magnolia Lane where you live, and not in one of your FBI cases?”

“We’ve no proof,” she said weakly.

“Of course we don’t. But it adds up! It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Joy nodded. “I’ll call one of my buddies, find out what I can about Salvey Fusco’s family.”

“And I’m going home to start Gayle’s farewell dinner. Brian’s dropping her off in a couple of hours.”

Since Gayle was a vegan who occasionally ate fish, I’d picked up some Chilean sea bass, salad, and several winter vegetables, which I planned to roast in olive oil and garlic cloves. My sister had no rules against imbibing wine, so I bought two lovely bottles of chardonnay, along with a gallon of extra rich chocolate ice cream.

Brian and Gayle showed up at my doorstep at six-fifteen. I invited Brian to join us, but he said he had to catch up on paper work before flying to Utah, and he’d take a rain check for when he returned to Long Island. While Gayle carried her duffle into the guest bedroom, Brian pulled me into the den for a long, passionate kiss.

“So you won’t forget me,” he whispered and nipped my earlobe, sending me swooning. He released me so suddenly, I nearly toppled over as he strode into the hall.

“What are you doing?” I called after him.

“Checking all your windows and doors. Make sure you double-lock the front door when I leave.”

Five minutes later, he was gone. Still dazed, I wandered into the kitchen, trying to remember what attention my carefully-planned meal required. None whatsoever. I smiled at Gayle, already seated at the table.

“Hungry?” I asked.

“Starving.” She grinned. “And thirsty.”

I turned the oven temperature down and removed a bottle of chardonnay from the refrigerator door. I uncorked it and filled our glasses.

Gayle swallowed a healthy mouthful of wine and sighed. “I’m going to miss you, Lexie.”

I patted her arm. “We’ll see each other. I’ll come out to Utah. I promise.”

“You’d better.” She gulped down the rest of her wine. “I’m terrified of going back. Shawn has plenty of influence in town. Regardless of what they find against him, he won’t take this lying down.”

I suppressed a shudder. “Brian’s talked to the County Attorney several times. He believes you, but can’t take further action until he interviews you face-to-face.”

Gayle burst into tears. “Wally Foster’s new at the job. Shawn’s been in the police department for almost twenty years. He has friends. All I need is for one of them to tamper with the evidence and I’ll be charged with Chet’s murder.”

I put my arms around her. “That’s why Brian’s going with you. To make sure you get treated fairly.” I thought a moment. “If you’d like, I’ll come, too.”

Gayle shook her head so fiercely, I expected to see her turquoise earrings fly across the room. “You stay right here, Lexie, where you belong. I feel better knowing you’re safe at home.”

“If that’s what you want,” I murmured, thinking that with two unsolved homicides, life wasn’t exactly safe in Ryesdale, either.

Gayle loved the sea bass and accompaniments, and ate heartily. We finished off the bottle of chardonnay, and I was about to open a second when Gayle stopped me.

“I’d rather have coffee and dessert.”

“Your wish is my command,” I said, rising to fill the coffee maker. I was delighted that either the wine, the food, or a combination of the two had mellowed her mood. She cleared the table while I ladled out huge portions of ice cream, which I drenched with chocolate syrup and nuts.

“Let’s have dessert in the den,” I said, grabbing a handful of napkins and leading the way.

We settled on both ends of the couch and polished off our ice cream as we reminisced about our childhood.

“Did you know how jealous I was of you when we were kids?” Gayle blurted out.

I stared at her to see if she was kidding. “Really? Why on earth?”

“Why on earth?” she exploded. “Because you were older. And close to Mom. And to Sylvia. I remember the three of you going off on shopping sprees or to Manhattan, while I had to stay home with the baby sitter because I was too young.”

“But you’re six years younger than me,” I said, remembering one incident when I was fifteen. Gayle had screamed and hollered when Mom said she couldn’t see a Broadway show with us because she was only nine.

“And sometimes acted even younger?” she asked with a bittersweet smile.

“Sometimes,” I admitted.

“That came from being so damn frustrated. Whenever I wanted to go out with you and Mom, she always said I was too young. And so I ended up making the loudest fuss I could. Then when I was old enough, you went off to college.”

“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I had no idea.”

“And it didn’t help that you were brilliant in school. The teachers were so damn disappointed when I didn’t turn out to be another Alexis,” she said bitterly.

“But you had other strengths,” I said lamely.

“Yeah. Folk dancing and pottery making, while you got a PhD in English.”

“Years after I had Jesse,” I pointed out. “I was a single mother juggling a job and taking classes. It was a long haul and not easy.”

Gayle made a face. “I even screwed up in that department—never marrying, never raising a child.”

I shot her a look of disbelief. “And I was great at it? Come on, Gayle! Look at my record. Godfrey wasn’t husband material; at least not at twenty-three. He left me right after Jesse was born. And now both he and Jesse live in California, as chummy as any father and son.” I sighed. “As for Gerald—he was a total nut case. Why I ever married him is beyond my comprehension.”

“You claimed he was brilliant, sexy, and charming, remember?”

I nodded. “So he seemed. Three months into our marriage, I realized how selfish and immature he really was. And spiteful. Look how he ended up accidentally causing his own death.”

“By burning down your house.”

“To a crisp.”

We looked at each other. Our lips turned up into smiles, and a minute later we were laughing hysterically.

“He-ee killed himself,” Gayle said. “That’s not funny.”

“It certainly isn’t,” I agreed between bouts of laughter. “It’s tragic.”

“You don’t keep husbands for very long,” Gayle pointed out unnecessarily.

“Did I ever claim to be good marriage material?” I demanded, tears streaming from my eyes. “As you can see, I’m far from perfect,” I said when our laughter subsided.

“But the best sister in the world,” Gayle said, hugging me tight.

The sound of a truck idling outside the house caught my attention. I switched off the light, then ran to the window to tweak back the drape.

“What is it?” Gayle demanded.

“Trouble,” I said, watching two men cross the lawn. I raced to the hall table where I’d left my cell phone and dialed Joy’s number. Ruthie answered.

“Ruthie honey, it’s Lexie. Let me speak to your mom or dad.”

“Mom’s at the gym. Daddy’s in Zack’s room fixing something.”

“Get him, okay?”

“He told me not to bother them unless it was an emergency.”

The doorbell rang. “Gayle, open the damn door!” shouted an angry male voice.

“Keep away from the door!” I told Gayle.

“What’s happening?” Ruthie asked.

“Get you dad. Hurry, please.”

The pounding on the door reverberated through the house. Would the door hold? Could whoever it was break his way in?

“Don’t!” I shouted at my sister, but it was too late. Gayle was peering through the peep hole.

She let out a shriek. “It’s Shawn. He’s going to kill me!”

Mike was on the line. “What’s wrong, Lexie?”

“Shawn Estes’s come for Gayle,” I said. “I don’t know how he found out she was here—”

“Take her down to the basement and lock yourselves in the cedar closet. Now!”

“But—”

“Do as I say! I’m coming over.”

“There are two men…” I started, but Mike had hung up. I pressed Brian’s number. It went to voice mail. I ended the call.

The thumping and shouting grew louder. As scared as I was, I had to see Shawn Estes for myself. No big surprise. He was a scowling, burly man with a Fu Manchu mustache and bushy eyebrows under his cowboy hat. The pistol strapped to his hip sent a ripple of fear down my spine.

“Open the door, Gayle!”

“He’s going to break it down!” Gayle moaned as she crumpled to the ground.

“Get away from my house!” I shouted. “You have no jurisdiction here.”

“Gayle’s wanted for questioning in a homicide case back in Utah. She had no business running away.”

“I’ve called the police!” I shouted. “They’re on their way.”

Shawn’s hearty laughter gave me the chills. “We’ll be halfway home by the time they arrive. Now open the damn door or I’ll break it down!”

I covered my ears, then realized I had better things to do with my hands. I wrapped my arms around my keening sister. “He won’t get us,” I whispered. “We’ll hide in the basement.”

“He’ll find us.”

“Then we’ll go out the back door and make a dash for Joy’s house.”

I prodded Gayle to her feet and half-shoved her through the kitchen. I was about to unlock the door when she grabbed my arm. “Pete’s out there!”

“And using the butt end of his gun to smash in the glass panel!”

I pulled my favorite knife from the knife rack. It had a long slender blade with a sharp point. When the gun’s grip broke through the glass, I stuck the knife point into the back of Pete’s hand. His yowl made me grin.

“Damn!” We both jumped as Shawn’s brutal attack on the front door resounded in the kitchen.

Gayle whimpered. “He’ll break the door down!”

“Mike will be here any second.”
Where was he?
my mind screamed.

Shawn’s next assault came louder than ever. Wood splintered. It was only a matter of time before the door gave way and he grabbed my sister.

And killed her?

I racked my brain to come up with a plan to save Gayle.
Think! Mike’s on his way. Any delay is worth a try.

I grabbed Gayle’s arm. “I’ll jab Pete again if he tries to break in. Go down to the cedar closet in the basement. The key’s in the drawer next to the closet. Take it and lock yourself inside.

She shrugged free of my grasp. “Why bother? Shawn’s armed. He won’t hesitate to shoot us both. I may as well go with him.”

“No!” I took hold of Gayle’s chin and forced her meet my gaze. “I won’t let him take you. Help’s on the way.”

After a long minute, she nodded.

“Wait here!” I said when I realized the noise had stopped. “I’ll go check, see what he’s up to.”

“Don’t go, Lexie.” Gayle squeezed my fingers.

Gently, I plied them free. I headed for the front door, wondering if Shawn was coming around the house to break down the kitchen door instead.

Trembling, I peered through the peephole. The sight before my eyes gave me a case of the giggles. I laughed and laughed until my sides ached, but I couldn’t stop.

“What is it?” Gayle demanded.

I had to swallow a few times before I could speak. “Mike’s holding a gun on Shawn. His hands are raised like you see in the movies.”

I slid open the door in time to see Joy prodding Pete before her, his hands raised in defeat. The giggles returned. The gun the bounty hunter thought she held on him was nothing more than the top part of a hockey stick.

A police siren cut through the air. Gayle and I stood there, our arms wrapped around each other, as police officers piled out of three cars and surrounded the two men from Utah.

“You’re safe,” I whispered to my sister.

“For now.”

“After that stunt Estes and Rogers pulled at your house, the County Attorney’s buying Gayle’s story from start to finish,” Brian reported Monday evening. “And Estes’ girlfriend’s came through. She’s talking and there’s no stopping her.”

“I’m glad. The more witnesses against him, the stronger the case. How’s Gayle holding up?”

“You’d be real proud of her, Lexie. They let me sit in on some of the briefings. She spoke clearly and coherently. No hysterics.”

I leaned against the back of the sofa and sighed with relief. “I’m glad you were there for her. When are you coming home?”

“Pretty soon, babe. I have to give my testimony as well.”

I laughed. “What testimony? You came in at the tail end of things the other night.”

“I’m grateful Mike and Joy secured the situation till we got there.”

“Me, too. I’m still reeling from Joy’s part in it!” I shook my head in disbelief. “Mike called to tell her what was happening. She drove here, grabbed Zack’s hockey stick from the back seat of the car, and used it to take down Pete Rogers.”

Brian chuckled. “No wonder the bureau keeps trying to coax her back to work.”

“But she won’t go. At least not till Brandon’s in school full time.”

We let a moment of silence go by. How I wished he were here beside me.

“I never got a chance to tell you—Joy and I figured out Johnny Scarvino’s connection to Corinne and Felicity Roberts.”

“What are you talking about?” Brian asked curtly.

I took a deep breath. “Johnny Scarvino’s father killed a gangster, Salvey Fusco and his wife.”

“And?”

My voice wavered because suddenly I wasn’t certain of what I was about to say. “We think Felicity and Corinne are their daughters.”

Brian laughed. “The Roberts sisters! How did you reach that conclusion?”

“Corinne used to go out with Johnny Scarvino. Felicity told us that he killed her ferret on their father’s orders. And Felicity’s positive he shot up their house.”

Silence from Utah.