Full Bloom

  “I think I’m going to cry,” Theenie said, sniffing loudly.

  Jamie’s smile faltered when Wes walked through the back door, but she quickly regained her composure. “We’re getting ready to leave,” she said. Annie had noticed the change in Jamie the minute Wes had come in and had wondered at it, but didn’t have time to think about it, since her guests were leaving. She hurried out front, where they thanked her for a wonderful dinner, said their good-byes, and filed out the door. Once they were gone, Annie smiled, knowing it had gone exceptionally well.

  Theenie and Lovelle helped Annie clean up. As though reading her mind, Theenie looked at her. “I offered Wes something to eat, but he said he’d grabbed something earlier. I think the man lives on junk food.”

  Destiny entered the kitchen. “Great dinner,” she said. “I would have enjoyed it even more if she hadn’t been there.”

  “Who, dear?” Theenie asked.

  “The spirit. She stood across the room giving Max goo-goo eyes the whole time. The woman has no shame.”

  Theenie shook her head. “Well, I hope you told her Max is soon to be married.” She stretched and yawned. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m pooped.” She cut her eyes toward the stairs. “Lovelle, are you coming up?”

  “I’m right behind you,” Lovelle said. They wished Annie and Destiny a good night and started up the steps.

  Destiny stood there for a moment watching Annie. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I was nervous in the beginning, but everyone was so nice they put me at ease.”

  Destiny was quiet for a moment. “Annie, I know how your husband died.”

  Annie almost dropped the coffeepot she was filling with water. “What!”

  “I saw it in a vision. He died falling down those stairs.” When Annie simply looked at her, she went on. “There was an argument.” She’d no sooner gotten the words out of her mouth before she sneezed.

  Annie reached for the box of tissues and handed it to her. “Who was with him?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m certain she saw the whole thing.”

  “The spirit?”

  Destiny nodded. “I’ve asked her a dozen times, but she refuses to communicate.”

  “You said she was mute.”

  “I’ve been able to pick up bits and pieces telepathically, but she won’t open up completely. I don’t know if it’s a physical or emotional problem or both, but the woman is terrified.” She paused. “Here’s what I think. I’m almost certain she saw her lover hanged, but she’s blocked it. She had already been through the trauma of being murdered, and the hanging was too much to bear. Until she remembers I don’t think she’s going to talk or go to the light.” She sneezed twice.

  Annie was trying hard to keep an open mind, but it all sounded outlandish. “Can you help her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Annie turned back to filling the coffeepot. “Is there anything else you can tell me about Charles?” she asked.

  Another sneeze. “He was definitely seeing another woman, and I’m almost certain she was somebody you knew. Although I haven’t actually seen it in a vision, it’s logical that the person he was arguing with pushed him. I don’t know if it was this woman or if it was a jealous boyfriend or husband.”

  Annie heard a noise and glanced up as Wes came down the stairs.

  “I was going to get a glass of ice water,” he said. “Am I interrupting?”

  Destiny shook her head. “I’m on my way to bed.” She glanced at Annie. “Thanks again for a great dinner.” She disappeared up the stairs.

  Wes was quiet as he leaned against the counter and sipped his water. Annie could feel his eyes on her, and she thought it best to go upstairs. “I’ve locked the doors,” she said. “Would you turn off the light before going to bed?” She started for the stairs.

  “Annie?”

  She paused and turned.

  “I’m sorry for being such a . . .” He paused.

  She waited. “If you can’t think of a word, I’ll give you my list and you can choose several from that.”

  “Jerk,” he finally said.

  “That’s pretty tame and has less syllables.”

  He almost smiled. “I probably don’t want to know. Thing is, I can understand that you were afraid, what with Charles’s mother making accusations and having someone like Lamar Tevis in charge of the investigation.”

  Annie was thoughtful. “I just want you to know I’m not a liar by trade.”

  He glanced at the stairs. “I accidentally overheard some of what Destiny said. Do you believe her?”

  Annie shrugged. “I believe she has visions. I don’t know how accurate they are.”

  Wes indicated the table. “Can we talk a minute?”

  He waited until Annie had taken a seat before pulling a chair out for him. “I’ve been checking around. I know who Charles was seeing.”

  Annie sucked in her breath. She almost dreaded hearing it. “Someone I know?”

  “His boss’s wife.”

  Annie frowned. “Donna Schaefer? Who in the world told you that?”

  “You sit in enough bars, you’re bound to hear something sooner or later. Folks are talking about the murder, finding the body.” He paused and grinned. “Losing the body,” he added. “By the way, about that bathrobe you were wearing on CNN—”

  “I’ve already put it in a box to go to the women’s shelter.”

  “Man, you’re not doing those poor women any favors.”

  “Could we please get back to what we were discussing?”

  “I heard a guy mention he’d seen Charles at the Hilltop Steakhouse a couple of times with a pretty brunette. I already suspected it was the wife after looking over Charles’s cell phone bill. He placed a lot of calls to his boss’s house. During the day when he would most likely be at the office,” Wes added, “but I decided to dig a little deeper just to make sure, so I got a picture of her and—” When Annie arched one brow, he shook his head. “Don’t ask. I took the picture to the Hilltop, along with Charles’s picture, and the bartender recognized them.”

  “From more than three years ago?”

  “The bartender accidentally spilled a drink on your husband’s favorite suit one of the times he and Mrs. Schaefer came in. Bartender said Charles made a big deal out of it, so he gave him twenty bucks to have it dry-cleaned.”

  “I’m stunned.”

  “Were you and she friends?”

  “Not close friends, but Charles and I socialized with them now and then, and Donna and I usually planned the company Christmas party together, which was always held at the country club. She spent one Saturday here, only a few months before Charles disappeared, so we could decide on the menu and discuss decorations. She and Norm, her husband, had come to dinner here a couple of times before that, but it was pretty boring because the guys talked shop the entire time.” Annie paused. “I do remember feeling disappointed that she didn’t call after I’d assumed Charles had left me, but I figured she didn’t want to get involved in our personal problems.”

  “I plan to question her, of course,” Wes said.

  “Then I’m coming with you.” When Wes started to argue, Annie held up a hand. “I want to hear it from her own lips. The sooner the better,” she added.

  “We can leave in the morning after breakfast.”

  Jimbo Gardner shook Erdle Thorney hard. “C’mon, Erdle, you gotta wake up.”

  Stretched out in a booth at the back of Jimbo’s Bar and Grill, Erdle mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. He opened his eyes, made to sit up, and groaned. “Head hurrs like hell,” he said.

  Jimbo handed him a glass of whiskey. “Here’s a little hair of the dog,” he said. “Double shot, it ought to cure what ails you.”

  Erdle tossed back the drink, winced, and set the glass on the table. “Wha’ time is it?”

  “Eight AM. I couldn’t wake you last night, so I decided to let you sleep it off. But I got to start cleaning t
his place in time for the lunch crowd.”

  Erdle pressed his hands on either side of his head as though he feared it would explode. “Wha’ do I owe?”

  “You paid your tab last night. Don’t you remember?”

  “Naw.”

  “Man, you’re shaking all over. You okay?”

  “’Nother shot o’ whiskey might help.” Erdle slurred his words badly. “I’ll pay for it.”

  Jimbo gave a grunt of disgust. “I’ll give you one more, but that’s it.” He went behind the bar and filled a shot glass.

  Erdle gulped it and shuddered.

  “I’ve already called a cab,” Jimbo said, “but it’s going to be a while before it gets here on account Otto has several people ahead of you. You’ll have to pick up your car later.”

  Erdle didn’t put up an argument as he lay back in the booth. “Lemme know when he gets here.”

  Annie stared tentatively at the massive black and chrome bike. She took a step back. “I’ve, uh, never ridden a motorcycle before,” she said, wishing Wes had taken her suggestion to use her car. “What if I fall off?”

  “Don’t.” Wes handed her a spare helmet, then put his on. “You’re not afraid, are you?”

  The look in his eyes challenged her. “Of course not.”

  “Let me help you with the strap.” He tilted her head back and fastened the strap beneath her jaw. “Okay, Red, you’re all set.” He swung one leg over the bike and sat on the leather seat. “Your turn. Grab my shoulders and hop on.”

  Annie hesitated. She should have known it would require bodily contact. She did as he said, climbing on.

  Wes showed her where to put her feet and started the engine. “Which way?”

  The Schaefer residence was a two-story colonial with long porches and a perfectly manicured lawn. Wes parked his bike, shut off the engine, and waited for Annie to climb off.

  She looked at the house as she stood and unfastened her helmet. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Wes rang the doorbell. A moment later a striking brunette opened it, holding in her arms what appeared to be a newborn baby. She took one look at Annie, and her mouth formed a large O.

  “Hello, Donna.”

  “Why, Annie Fortenberry, you are the absolute last person in the world I expected to see.”

  Annie smiled tightly. Donna looked considerably older, her facial bones prominent, deep creases embedded between perfectly formed eyebrows. She had lost weight and appeared as fragile as a china teacup. “I’m sorry to bother you this early,” Annie said, “but it’s important.”

  The woman’s smile faded as she caught sight of Wes, but she quickly disguised it. She hesitated, as if uncertain whether to invite them in. Finally, she stepped back so they could enter.

  The oversize foyer held an antique pedestal table that shone like a new penny, on top a crystal vase with fresh flowers and beside it the mail that had been precisely stacked, larger envelopes on the bottom, the smaller ones on top.

  “Gosh, how long has it been?” Donna asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “You look great.”

  “I see you have a new addition to the family,” Annie replied. “I didn’t know you’d recently had a baby or that you were even pregnant.”

  Donna’s eyes clouded. “We haven’t kept in touch like we should have,” she said. She held the baby up for inspection. “This is Kevin. He’s six weeks old today,” she added proudly.

  Annie stepped closer to get a better look at the infant, so close, in fact, that she thought she smelled alcohol on Donna’s breath. “Congratulations. He’s adorable.”

  Donna stood there a moment as if wondering what to do or say next. “Why don’t we go into the den?” she suggested. “I was just about to put Kevin down for a little nap.”

  Annie and Wes followed the woman to the back of the house and into a large, picture-perfect room. Annie knew that a professional had decorated the room. The French doors looked out onto a covered patio where several tables and chairs sat among lush plants. Annie and Charles had attended a number of cookouts at the Schaefers’.

  “Please make yourselves comfortable,” Donna said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Annie and Wes sat on the sofa. “I think she’s been drinking,” Annie whispered.

  He looked at her. “I thought her mouthwash smelled funny.”

  Donna returned a few minutes later. “May I offer you refreshments?”

  “No thank you,” Annie said. “We can’t stay long.” She thought she saw relief in the woman’s eyes.

  Donna smoothed her wool slacks and sat in a chair directly across from them, her back ramrod straight. “Annie, Norm and I read about poor Charles in the newspaper. We were just sick over it and everything else that has occurred since. Please accept our sincere condolences. If there’s anything we can do—”

  “I’m fine,” Annie interrupted, thinking either Donna was a damn good actress or Wes had his information wrong. Annie glanced at Wes, who seemed to be studying the woman closely. “Donna, I need to ask you something,” Annie said, “and I thought it would be best if we came by while you were alone.”

  The woman plucked a piece of lint from her slacks. “It sounds serious.”

  Annie shifted on the sofa, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. “There is talk that you and Charles were romantically involved.”

  Donna looked incredulous. “Who would say such a thing?”

  “I have proof,” Wes said.

  Donna tossed a dark look his way. “I don’t believe you,” she said stiffly.

  He nodded and stood, as did Annie. “We’ll be back,” he said. “With pictures.”

  The color drained from the woman’s face. She clutched the arms of the chair. “Wait!” she said. When they faced her once more, she looked sadly resigned, and her voice was strained when she spoke. “Please.” She motioned to the sofa. “Don’t leave. Not yet.”

  They both sat.

  Donna looked directly at Annie. “Why are you doing this?” she asked. “Charles has been gone for more than three years. What do you hope to accomplish by coming here now?”

  “Someone murdered my husband,” Annie said simply.

  “And you think that person might be me?”

  “Somebody who knew about the affair could have killed him,” Wes said.

  “If you’re insinuating that my husband killed Charles, you’re wrong. He didn’t know about . . .” She turned sad eyes to Annie. “The affair,” she added.

  “So it’s true,” Annie said simply. She sighed heavily, trying to take it all in.

  Donna began to fidget with her hands. “Charles told me the two of you were divorcing. Norm and I were having serious problems as well. Things just sort of happened, and before I knew it, Charles asked me to leave with him.”

  “How could Norm not have suspected?” Annie asked, and then realized what a dumb question it was, since she hadn’t either.

  Donna shrugged. “Who knows? Perhaps Norm was having an affair as well. He was out of town the night Charles and I were supposed to leave together. As planned, Charles and I each spent the day getting things ready, tying up loose ends. Supposedly, he had a late-afternoon appointment for an oil change. We’d planned to drive to Atlanta, spend the night, and fly out early the next morning—”

  “To Jamaica,” Annie said.

  “Yes,” Donna said, so softly it was barely audible. She took a deep breath. “I was packed and ready at the designated time, only he never showed up.”

  “What time was that?” Wes asked.

  “Seven PM.” Annie had left for her mother’s that morning.

  “What did you do?” Wes asked. “When he didn’t show up?”

  “What could I do? I just assumed I’d been duped.” Her shoulders sagged; she seemed to sink within herself. “I should have known something was up. We’d planned the trip well in advance, but Charles stopped calling as often as he had before. Even when I knew it was safe to call his cell, he didn’t always answer. W
hen he did answer, he acted rushed.” She gave a rueful smile. “I knew there’d been other women . . .” She paused as tears sprang to her eyes. “But you know how it is: you keep thinking you’re different from the others.”

  “No, Donna,” Annie said coolly. “I don’t know how it is.”

  More tears. Donna swallowed. “I was desperate.” It took her a moment to pull herself together. “Anyway, Norm and I managed to get our marriage back on track, and a couple of years later I became pregnant with Kevin. Things are going well for us, Annie.” Her eyes seemed to plead for understanding, even as tears ran down her cheeks.

  “I’m happy for you both,” Annie said, “but the fact remains, my husband was planning to leave. He’d packed his bags. Only he never made it because somebody murdered him.”

  Donna shook her head. “I don’t know anything about it other than what I read in the newspaper like everyone else. And, of course, heard on CNN.”

  Annie closed her eyes. Just her luck that her husband’s mistress had seen her in that damn bathrobe.

  “You say your husband was out of town at the time,” Wes said. “Where was he?”

  “I don’t remember. We own a couple of other real estate companies outside of Beaumont, one in Hilton Head and the other in Savannah, so he could have been at a sales meeting or assisting one of the brokers.”

  The front door opened and footsteps sounded in the foyer. Donna jumped at the sound. Norm Schaefer stepped into the den. He looked from Annie to Wes and finally at his wife. “What’s going on, Donna? Why are you crying?”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Nobody said anything right away. Finally, Annie stood. “Hi, Norm,” she said. “It’s so good to see you again.” She paused and introduced him to Wes, and the men shook hands, even though Norm still looked confused.

  “Wes is a professional photographer and is taking pictures of Beaumont. He’s renting a room from me. I asked him to bring me over on the off chance you’d be home so I wouldn’t have to bother you at the office.” Annie hated to tell even more lies, but for some insane reason she didn’t want to give Donna up. “Naturally, Donna and I began reminiscing about Charles, and I’m afraid we both let it get to us. I should have known better than to discuss it with a new mother who’s going through hormonal changes.”