The Paper Caper, page 24
Time, I thought, and decided that after lunch, I would take the time to track down Ian and find out everything he knew about Ella Cabot.
But for now, I needed to concentrate on something besides murder. Luckily, Carmen arrived with a large teapot.
“Would you like me to pour?” she asked.
“That would be best,” Mom said.
As she poured the tea, little Jamie stood on Robin’s lap and bounced up and down.
When Carmen was finished pouring, she smiled at Jamie. “Hello, little man.”
Jamie’s way of saying hello to Carmen was to bounce even more energetically.
Carmen was charmed by him. She took our orders and walked away chuckling.
“Does Austin have a good time with Jamie?” I asked.
“He’s the best dad in the world,” Robin said, gazing down at her baby boy with love. “And Jamie is so in love with his daddy. Sometimes I’ll walk in and catch Austin stretched out on the living room carpet with the baby asleep on his chest.” She patted her heart. “It fills me with so much happiness, I can’t even describe it.”
“You deserve all that happiness and more,” I said with sincerity.
Mom reached over and squeezed Robin’s hand. “You certainly do, sweetie.”
Robin was in danger of bursting into tears, and if she did, I would join her since no one cried alone when I was around. For my own sake, I wanted to change the subject, but Mom got there first.
“We heard about the murder,” she said.
I cringed. I was afraid of that. “It was . . . unfortunate,” I managed.
“I should think so,” Mom said. “I know how these things affect you. How are your chakras?”
I felt my eyes widen in alarm. “Just fine, thanks.”
Her eyes narrowed in on me. “Oh, sweetie. I can tell you’re troubled. You could use a Panchakarma cleanse.”
Oh my God. A Panchakarma cleanse was all about bringing one’s system back into balance by collecting the toxins in one’s body. The process could go on for weeks. Different clinics recommended different procedures, but Mom always like to start it off by sipping ghee—clarified butter—mixed with various medicinal herbs. After three days, one’s system could no longer absorb the ghee and she moved on to therapeutic vomiting.
There were several more steps in the process, but it was better to leave it there for now.
“No, Mom. But thanks.”
She brightened. “I’ve added a little cannabis to the program.”
“That’s a big plus, but still. No thanks.” Like my dad, my mom was a Grateful Dead fan from way back. I had a feeling cannabis had always been part of the program.
“It’s legal now, you know.”
“I’ve heard that, but I’m going to pass.”
I could hear Robin trying to stifle her laughter. She knew how I felt about my mother’s constant experimentation with new age practices. Mom had astral-traveled with her spirit guide, Ramlar X. She made regular pilgrimages to the Laughing Goat Sweat Lodge. And she was a big fan of drum circles. But then, who wasn’t?
If I wasn’t vigilant, she’d whip out some crystals and lay down a protection spell on me right here in the tea room. She was never very subtle about these things.
She was still watching me way too closely. “Let me run a protection spell on you.”
I blinked. What did I tell you? “That’s not necessary, Mom.”
“Then just a little extra bump up.” She reached over, pressed her fingers against my forehead, and chanted, “Om shanti, shanti, shanti.” She whispered some words that I couldn’t understand and a few seconds later, she beamed at me. “There. All is good.”
I had to smile. “Thanks, Mom.”
The phrase Om shanti, shanti, shanti was essentially a wish for peace times three. Peace in body, peace in speech, and peace in mind. And who didn’t need a little peace in their life?
Mom patted my hand. “Being here reminds me of your wedding day.”
Derek and I had been married in the Covington Library’s beautiful rose garden.
Robin grinned at me. “All that’s missing are a couple of killers.”
“Oh, weren’t they awful?” Mom said. “A couple of nasty bad men.”
“They were memorable anyway,” Robin said.
“Despite that little hiccup,” I said, “it was a beautiful day. The best day of my life.”
They both smiled and Robin added, “It really was a fabulous wedding. And as far as those, um, nasty bad men are concerned, that was amazing. Your mom kicked ass.”
It was true. My mother and Derek’s mother Meg had brought down the nasty bad guys using nothing but a hair dryer and a shower brush. It was epic.
We sipped our tea and I finally asked a question that had been on my mind for a little while. “Mom, did any of your kids ever screech like the Bride of Frankenstein sometimes? You know the kind of scream that brings goose bumps to your skin and rips your eardrums?”
Robin nodded. “There’s a toddler at my Baby and Me class who bursts into that scream every so often. Freaks me out.”
“Yes!” I was glad to know I wasn’t the only one. “So, what’s up with that?”
“Some children are overly excitable,” Mom said. “I had one of them.”
“You had a kid that screamed like that?” Robin asked.
“Yes.”
I looked at her, frowning. “It had to be London.”
My youngest sister was adorable but also the most uptight of all of us, until recently. “Which one of us did that, Mom?”
“You, sweetie.”
“Me? No way!”
“Yes, you. You were always so excited about everything. You went crazy over the smallest thing. I swear I could feel myself losing a year of my life every time you belted one out.”
I was shocked to my core. “I don’t believe it.”
Robin laughed out loud. “No wonder the sound bugs you so much. You’re having flashbacks.”
“Very funny.” I scowled at her. “Does Jamie do that?”
“No. First of all, he’s too young for those kinds of reactions, but second, he’s pretty mellow. I doubt he’ll be a screamer.”
“Like me,” I muttered.
Well, that was embarrassing. Time to change the subject quickly. “Can I hold Jamie for a few minutes?”
Robin smiled indulgently as she stood and handed the baby to me. “He’s been wondering when you would ask.”
I chuckled. “Sorry, I’ve been a little distracted by everything that’s going on.”
We ate chicken finger sandwiches and salad and finished it all off with scones with jam and clotted cream, plus cookies and more tea.
When Carmen brought the check, I took it. “Thanks, Carmen. By the way, was that Ella Cabot sitting behind me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said.
“She’s lovely, isn’t she?”
“Oh yes, ma’am,” Carmen said. “She comes in here all the time and she always has a book with her.”
I was not expecting that comment. A book? Seriously? Ella?
I smiled. “If she loves to read, she’s come to the right place.”
“Oh, she loves it here. And she’s so thoughtful. Lately she always brings me a postcard from one of the exhibits she enjoyed.”
“Did she give you one from the Poisoned Papers exhibit?”
Carmen nodded happily. “That’s one of my favorites.”
I handed her my credit card. “Thank you again.”
I couldn’t wait to talk to Ian.
* * *
• • •
I pushed the baby stroller and walked with Mom and Robin out to their car. After promising again that I would see them this weekend, we all waved goodbye. Then I hurried back into the library and dashed upstairs to find Ian.
“Hey, girl.” He took a quick look at his watch. “You ready to get started on your workshop?”
“Yes, but I have a quick question first.”
“I’ve got to meet someone downstairs so walk and talk with me. What’s up?”
“Let’s keep this confidential, okay?”
He gave me a sideways glance. “Sure.”
“Does Ella Cabot come here often?”
“Oh yeah. Lately she’s here a lot.”
“When did that start?”
He blew out a breath. “I’d say she started showing up about two months ago and she’s here at least a few times a week.” He held up his hand. “Although recently I haven’t seen her as much. Guess she got busy.”
“But she was here today.”
Ian opened the stairwell door and we started down the stairs. “Sure, because Joseph was here.”
“What does she do here?”
“I usually see her in the late morning. She spends a lot of time checking out the exhibits. I swear she must’ve memorized them by now. And then she always goes to lunch.”
“I didn’t know she was such a patron of the library.”
“Well, Joseph is often here as well. I thought she started coming as a way of supporting his interests.”
“What does he usually do when he’s here?”
“Same thing. Check out the exhibits. Make notes.”
“Make notes?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. He’s always watching and studying and finding new ways to do things. He’s pretty innovative, always looking for new angles, new stories.” Ian looked at me with intensity.
I frowned. “What?”
“You’re up to something,” he said.
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Liar.” He raised an eyebrow. “It’s something about Ella.”
“No,” I said. “I just asked because I was curious, that’s all.”
We stopped on the landing and he studied me for another moment. “Does this have anything to do with their butler’s murder?”
I winced. “I . . . no. I mean, hmm.” I took a moment to look around, catch my breath, and try to think. Even standing inside the stairwell, I could appreciate the beauty of the Covington Library. The elegant wainscoting along the walls, the thick crown molding, the art deco lighting fixtures that illuminated the space, the wide marble stairs with brass handrails, were architectural achievements on their own.
The large side window revealed a view of the city all the way to the Sutro Tower. Finally I gazed up at Ian. “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
He gently grabbed my upper arm. “Brooklyn, someone killed that butler. And if they know you’re poking around, they’ll come after you, too. Please be careful.”
I patted his hand. “I’m always careful.”
“No, you’re not. But you’re brave and I admire you.” He sighed. “Just, watch out for those two.”
He could’ve been talking about several different people, but I had a feeling I knew. “Which two are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, Brooklyn. You know who I’m talking about.” We reached the first floor and he opened the door that led into the lobby. He gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, “The bombshells.”
Chapter 17
You never see a frog so modest and straightfor’ard as he was, for all he was so gifted. And when it come to fair-and-square jumping on a dead level, he could get over more ground at one straddle than any animal of his breed you ever see.
—Mark Twain, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”
As soon as Derek arrived home that evening, we grabbed our jackets and took a leisurely walk up to Pietro’s Pizza.
“It’s getting warmer,” I said, gazing up at the dark blue sky. The sun had just set, but the sky was already darkening.
“Do you think so?” He stuck his hands deeper in the pockets of his down jacket.
“No, that was a joke,” I said, laughing as I pulled my coat tighter around me. Summers in San Francisco were notoriously chilly, but I still loved everything about the city.
As we crossed the street, Derek pulled my arm through his and we cuddled up close. “Tell me about your day, love.”
“There’s so much to tell,” I said. “Where shall I start?”
“Start at the beginning,” he suggested. “How was your workshop? Did you see Joseph? Did Ella make an appearance?”
“My workshop was really fun. It’s always nice to have the parents participate and they were out in force. Naturally, though, we were in the same main room with Joseph’s fence-painting event and that made everything wild and crazy. Every kid had their own bucket of paint and I don’t think anyone walked out of there unscathed.”
He shook his head. “It sounds chaotic.”
“It was. But it was a lot of fun, too.”
“And did you see Ella and her mother?”
“Ella was there, but I didn’t see Ingrid.” I frowned. “Probably just as well. She can be so grouchy.”
“That’s one word for it,” he murmured.
“I talked to Joseph briefly. I asked how Ella was doing and he said she was still pretty upset about what happened. Then a while later I saw Ella. She said she had nightmares last night.”
“Perfectly natural.” Derek nodded slowly. “And I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Me, too.” I squeezed in a little closer to him. “But the good news is that my mother and Robin showed up. And they brought the baby.”
“Did they?”
“Yes. It was great to see them.” We stopped at the next block to wait for the green light and a gust of wind hit us from the cross street. Derek tightened his hold on my arm.
Despite the chill, the streets were full of people out walking because, after all, it was almost summer. The shops and cafés we passed were all open for business and it was nice to see that they were busy. Our neighborhood had become a local destination spot, thanks to the popular Courtyard shops across the street.
“They’re adamant that we should visit Dharma this weekend.”
He smiled. “Then we shall.”
“Apparently Ian and Jake are also going to be there.”
“Are they?” he said. “Then perhaps we should have a get-together at our place.”
“That would be fun.” I glanced up at him. “It’ll probably end up being a lot of people.”
“That’s fine. We can grill something. Ribs, perhaps. Or chicken.” He frowned. “Or fish.”
“We can figure it out. And I can cut up some veggies to grill. And make some garlic toast.”
“Yes, all of that is easy enough.”
“I’ll start texting people when we get home.”
“And I’ll see if any of my family are in town.”
“Oh, I hope so.” Ever since Derek’s parents had become so close to mine, they had bought their own home in Dharma. Now Derek’s brothers and their families were visiting a lot more often.
“So tell me more about your time with Robin and your mother. And the baby.”
The light turned green and we crossed the street.
“Ian gave me some time off so I took them to lunch at the Rose Room. But something really weird happened while we were there.”
“Do share,” he said, and I could actually feel the tension building in the muscles of his arms.
He was right to tense up, I thought, because what I told him was almost unbelievable. After listening to my story about Carmen the waitress and about the way Ella ordered her lunch as “the usual,” he finally said, “So Ella Cabot is much more familiar with the Covington than she let on.”
“Exactly,” I said, grateful that Derek caught on without my having to go into too much explanation. “She lied to me the other night when I gave her my little tour of the Covington. She told me she didn’t know her way around and that she rarely came here and she didn’t know anything and would I help her and show her the way.” I gritted my teeth. “Such a liar! She was just trying to get away from her mother, who was being a total cow.”
“Yes, I recall her mother being quite a cow.”
I had to laugh when Derek said things like that. “I suppose I should be more understanding. My point is that she’s a liar.”
“I’m getting your point, and I agree. She is.”
I stared up at Derek. “You agree.”
“Of course.”
We reached Pietro’s Pizza and stood outside for another few minutes to finish our conversation.
I told Derek what Carmen said about the postcard Ella gave her. “I like collecting postcards from museums, too. But for the most part I only buy photos of my favorite exhibits. So the fact that Ella bought a postcard featuring the Poisoned Papers is telling. Don’t you think?”
“Yes, I do.” His teeth were clenched and I knew he had grown angrier as I related the story.
“So here’s what I’m thinking,” I said.
“Let me brace myself,” he teased, and I could see his jaw relax minutely.
I laughed. “It’s no big deal. But I think you should call Joseph and wangle an invitation to his place.”
“Just to say hello?” he asked.
“Not exactly. We’ll go to his place, and while you’re talking to him, I’ll search for evidence.”
His smile was deceptive. “First of all, I should remind you that Joseph is not living at his home. He’s camped out at the Covington.”
“Oh, rats. I forgot.”
“But second of all, what evidence would you be searching for?”
I gripped his jacket. “Think about it, Derek. Maybe she held on to the information from the delivery service. You know, the one that delivered the deadly manila envelope? We might find an invoice for the items she had to buy in order to make up the poison, along with the parchment paper and that manila envelope. It is possible she didn’t throw everything away.”
He gazed fondly at me while he smoothed my hair back from my face. “And if she catches you in her room?”
