Chapter 18
Back home, Theodosia decided it wasn’t too late to go for a run. So she changed into leggings and a hoodie, snapped Earl Grey’s leash back on him, and headed out.
As she jogged along, Theodosia could feel her body warming up and her muscles relaxing.
The scent of magnolias and crepe myrtle seemed to float heavy in the air, and faint wisps of fog had started to drift in from the Atlantic, giving everything a dreamy, ethereal feel.
Glowing streetlamps wore a faint haze and her footfalls sounded muffled.
And as she ran down Legare Street, she was struck by how utterly quiet it was.
Nobody was out and about; not much car traffic either.
Was this neighborhood always this quiet?
She thought not. Was the unsolved murder of Mrs. Van Courtland, who was a veritable fixture in the Historic District, keeping people in at night with their doors locked? Could be.
Theodosia ran along, making light footfalls on the sidewalk as Earl Grey’s toenails added the occasional click-click.
When she turned down Archdale Street, she saw lights on at Mrs. V’s house.
For some reason, they drew her in like a beacon, and minutes later, she found herself standing on the front porch, ringing the doorbell.
Birdie the housekeeper greeted her a bit warily. “Miss Browning?” she said.
“I’m sorry,” Theodosia said. “I saw your lights on and I thought…well, I thought perhaps I could ask you a couple of questions.”
“Concerning?”
“Concerning Mrs. V’s murder. I’ve kind of taken it upon myself to look into things.”
Birdie cocked her head to one side. “Interesting.” Then she looked down at Earl Grey.
“As you can see, I have my dog with me,” Theodosia said. She indicated Earl Grey, who stood patiently by her side. “If it’s a problem he could wait outside.”
“Is he a good dog?” Birdie asked.
“Earl Grey’s a certified therapy dog, so he’s quite well-behaved. Sometimes we visit senior homes and pediatric wards in hospitals.”
“So the two of you visit sick kids?” That seemed to strike the right note with her.
“That’s right.”
“Then I’d have to say your dog is more than welcome,” Birdie said as she pulled the door open wide. “And I’d definitely like to know more about this so-called investigation of yours.”
But it turned out Theodosia wasn’t the only visitor tonight.
When Birdie led her into the front parlor, she saw that Lenny from Honey Badger House was seated on one of the sofas.
Upon seeing Theodosia, Lenny immediately scrambled to his feet and said, “Hi there.” Then, when he noticed Earl Grey, he smiled, and said, “Nice dog.”
“Yes, hello,” Theodosia replied. She put enough of a question in her voice that Lenny was forced to explain his presence.
“I just dropped by to check on Miss Huger,” Lenny said. “Wanted to make sure she was okay, see if she needed anything.”
“Very kind of you,” Birdie said. But she looked a little embarrassed.
“Since you’re here,” Theodosia said to Lenny, “perhaps you can give me a little more information about the kids at Honey Badger House. Particularly the ones you said you’d have to think about before you named names.”
“I gotta tell you, all the kids are harmless,” Lenny said. “They might talk tough and act tough, but nobody would do anything really bad”—he folded his palms together in a gesture of peace—“so please…please don’t worry.”
“But I do worry,” Theodosia said. “In fact, let me tell you a little story.” She proceeded to tell Lenny and Birdie about the Porky Pig intruder who’d showed up at the back door of the tea shop this afternoon and tried to beat the crap out of Drayton.
“Drayton’s your partner?” Birdie asked. She looked nervous, as if she was worried someone like that might show up on her doorstep.
“Drayton is our tea sommelier,” Theodosia said, “and my very dear friend.”
Lenny was frowning and shaking his head. “That’s awful! Was he hurt?”
“Drayton’s ribs are severely bruised and he’s psychologically shaken up. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Which is why I’m asking again about the kids at your place. Who are the big guys? Who are the bullies? And how might they be connected to all of this?”
Birdie looked aghast. “You think there’s a connection to Mrs. V’s murder?”
“I’m not sure, but because Drayton and I have been looking into things, this afternoon’s assault seems oddly suspicious.”
Lenny was clearly shaken. “Let me go back to Honey Badger House and ask around, okay?”
“I’d rather you give me a straight answer right now,” Theodosia said. “I mean, you live with these characters, so you should know them fairly well and have a handle on what their level of aggression might be.”
“I’ll get back to you soon, okay?” Lenny said. “I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Theodosia said.
“Sure,” Lenny said. Then he nodded at Birdie and said, “Good night. Hope this hasn’t shaken you up too much.”
Once Lenny had left, Birdie said, “You really think one of the kids at Honey Badger House assaulted your tea sommelier?”
“They’re not all kids. Several of them are over eighteen and would be considered adults.”
Now Birdie looked even more frightened. “And if I follow your thinking, maybe one of the Honey Badger guys was responsible for Mrs. V’s murder?”
“At this point I don’t know,” Theodosia said. “That’s why I’ve been pressuring Lenny to give me some names so I can talk to them. Do a little snooping.”
“Wow,” Birdie said. Her face paled and she looked as if she was on the verge of an anxiety attack. Then again, she was an older woman all alone in a great big house.
“I wonder if I could ask you a couple of questions?” Theodosia said.
“I suppose.” Birdie fluttered her hands and said, “Your dog looks thirsty. Do you think he’d like a pan of water?”
“That would be nice, thank you.”
While Birdie was in the kitchen, Theodosia wandered around the parlor, looking at packing crates, admiring the Remington sculpture that was still there.
She stopped in front of a large round table where a brass lamp with a green shade illuminated dozens of papers that were haphazardly spread out.
Curious now, and since Birdie was nowhere to be seen, Theodosia moved closer to get a better look at the paperwork.
And saw that they were medical bills for someone named Tommy Huger.
Huger? Could that be one of Birdie’s relatives? Has to be. But why are their medical bills here? Is Birdie expected to pay them?
Theodosia knew hospitals were expensive—even Drayton’s medical insurance hadn’t quite covered his visit today. So could Birdie afford to pay all these bills?
And then another thought struck her: Was Birdie in dire need of money?
“Here’s the water for your doggy,” Birdie said as she came back carrying an aluminum bowl filled with water. She set it down on one of the Chinese rugs and, with a pleased expression on her face, watched Earl Grey eagerly lap it up.
“Thank you,” Theodosia said. “You’re very kind.”
Birdie gave a quick nod and said, “So, you’re an amateur detective?”
Theodosia couldn’t help but chuckle. “Something like that, I guess. But my big concern is that the police still don’t have a prime suspect in Mrs. V’s murder.”
“And you do?”
“I’m afraid not. But, like I said, I’m trying. Asking around, trying to piece together a few things.”
“And you wanted to ask me a few questions?” Birdie said.
“Now that I think about it, there’s really only one.”
“Yes?”
“Are you a beneficiary in Mrs. V’s will?” Theodosia knew she was being awfully blunt, but she needed to know.
“I have no idea,” Birdie said. But the way she said it, slowly, and with a certain amount of hesitancy, made Theodosia think that she was.
* * *
As Theodosia walked home with Earl Grey, a sleek gray car pulled up alongside her.
Instantly on alert, she wondered who this could be.
But it was Ken Lotter, the TV reporter from K-BAM. He rolled down his window, gave her a friendly wave, and said, “You’re out late.”
“Not really,” Theodosia said. She stepped off the curb the better to see him. He was half-hidden in the dim light, his face partially lit by a reflection from the car’s dashboard. He was an attractive man and she always had the feeling he was subtly flirting with her.
“Turn up anything new in your investigation?” Lotter asked.
“Not really.” She dare not tell Lotter about Drayton’s attacker today. If Lotter knew a physical assault had taken place, he’d probably show up tomorrow morning with a full camera crew.
“I take it you’ve talked to the murdered woman’s sister? The one who’s staying over at the Tangled Rose. Veda something?”
“Veda Fisher,” Theodosia said. “But only to extend my heartfelt condolences.”
Lotter chuckled. “So nothing to tell me, huh? You do play it close to the vest, don’t you?”
“I’m not playing.”
“Heck you’re not,” Lotter said. “You’re playing me right now.”
* * *
Theodosia made it home without incident, but her mind remained in a turmoil.
Who on earth could have killed Mrs. Van Courtland?
Who assaulted Drayton today? And what was the real story behind Birdie?
Was Birdie desperate for money? Had she asked Mrs. V for a loan and been turned down?
If so, would Birdie have been angry and somehow retaliated?
Or had she sent Tommy Huger, whoever he was, to murder Mrs. V?
And what about the kids at the Honey Badger House? She knew some of the residents were fairly good-sized. In fact, they were probably similar to the man she’d chased after Sunday night. Same as whoever it was who’d assaulted Drayton today.
If one of the Honey Badger kids had spent any time on the streets, they were no doubt somewhat wily. Which meant they were street smart and not afraid to take chances. Or make a bold move.
Suddenly feeling dead tired, Theodosia turned off all the downstairs lights and headed up to her second-story bedroom suite.
Shedding clothes, she crawled into the shower and reveled in the warmth and relaxation.
Once the mirrors were steamed up beyond recognition, she put on a terrycloth robe and padded to her tower room, where she tried to quiet her mind with a short meditation she particularly appreciated: The quieter I become, the more I am able to hear.
Twenty minutes later Theodosia crawled into her comfy four-poster bed while Earl Grey climbed into his doggy bed. Even with the enforced relaxation, her mind still spun with a blur of complex possibilities and it was a long time before she was finally able to fall asleep.
And when she did, she dreamed of Porky Pig standing in her backyard and looking up at her bedroom window with a menacing grin.