“Does that mean we aren’t broken up anymore?” she said with a small laugh. She kissed him. “Oh, Declan, I knew you’d come—and though I’m glad you were late, you really missed a hell of ashow.”
She glanced at Helga, a tall, sturdy woman with strawberry blond hair done up in a no-nonsense twist and a police uniform so crisp it probably crackled when she moved. She was trying to get a coherent story from Gilda, who still sat, white-faced and trembling, in thecorner.
“So what happened?” Declan asked, looking at the disaster in the foyer. “Oh, hell, you can’t imagine what I thought—driving up the driveway to find police cars, EMTs, the house ablaze…I never want to go through those minutes again.” He shivered and hugged her tightly. “Good God—is that a body under the sheetthere?”
“Regina Underwhite is dead,” she told him. “They’re saying a heart attack, but…” She glanced up toward the top of the stairs, and Declan followed hergaze.
“Do you mean she was killed by—” He stopped when she pressed a finger to his lips. But his eyes looked like they were about to pop out of hishead.
“Shhh. Let’s just go with heart attack, shallwe?”
Before Leslie could tell him more, Cherry and Orbra clattered in—bringing with them the expected exclamations, stunned shock, andremonstrations.
“Let’s let the police do their job in here…I’ve already given them my statement, such as it is. I’ll tell you all what happened,” Leslie said. She was beginning to get a little tired of giving statements and telling stories…but hopefully this would be the last time. For a long time. “It’s quieter in mysuite.”
Once her friends were settled, Leslie gave them all the details of what happened. “And what Regina didn’t tell me, but I managed to get from Gilda before the police got here, was that after Kristen fell down the stairs, Regina panicked. She didn’t know what to do. So she called Aaron Underwhite—who’d been in love with her for years—and asked him to come and help her figure out what todo.
“In exchange for that, she agreed to marry him and dote on him like a perfect and devoted wife for the rest of their lives. They’d build their own empire together, using his money and both of their brains and drive. If she didn’t hold up her end of the bargain, he’d show everyone what was hidden in the stairs here at Shenstone House. The velvet stole did have Regina’s blood on it—from a scratch when she and Kristen were struggling, and so they couldn’t leave it with the body. Making it look like a robbery was the perfect solution. Apparently, Aaron knew about her and Gilda—and as long as they were discreet and Regina remained his wife, he didn’tcare.”
“And Marcus Levin was involved how?” Cherryasked.
“He saw Regina and Aaron when they were going back to Shenstone House after they left Kristen’s body in the woods. They made it look like they were just having a lovers’ tryst, so he wouldn’t have thought anything of it…unless people started looking at Kristen’s death in a different way and asking questions. Which is what I unintentionally did when I came here and started renovating thehouse.”
“So Aaron is complicit too. Looks like we’ll be needing a new mayor. And who bashed in Marcus’s head?” Declan asked. He’d slid his arm around Leslie and hadn’t let her move more than an inch from his sidesince.
“Gilda. She was trying to protect Regina, whom she loved verydeeply.”
“And who broke into the househere?”
“That was Gilda too. While Regina and Aaron were presenting the Homecoming court, she sneaked out over here—knowing I wasn’t home and no one would suspect her. I’m not sure whether Kristen made an appearance or if Gilda just got spooked or what…but obviously she got what she came for: the velvet stole, one glove, and thetopazes.”
“What a story. And you’re saying that Kristen actually…killed her own murderer?” Orbra said. “That’s a greatstory.”
“Well, I don’t know if she actually killed her, but when that energy—that spirit—rushed through her, it seemed like Regina’s heart just stopped. And that wasit.”
“Oh, she killed her all right,” Orbra said with relish. “Just wait till I tellHelga!”
Leslie looked at her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,Orbry.”
“Nonsense. Helga knows Wicks Hollow. She knew all about that ghost up to Jean Fickler’s house last summer, youknow.”
“Yes, when that sexy professor Ethan Murphy was in town,” Cherry said wistfully. “Ethan’s all tied up with Jean’s niece Diana now and hasn’t evenconsideredcoming in for a yoga class since. They’re probably romping it up down in Chicago everynight…”
Orbra rolled her eyes. “Oh for heaven’s sake. Just because Ethan mentioned you reminded him of a sexy SharonStone—”
“Isn’t that sort of redundant? A sexy Sharon Stone?” Declan joked. “It’s like saying a cold icecube.”
“Anyway, you told me henevercame in for a yoga class, Cherry, even though you invited him a fewtimes.”
Just then, a tentative knock sounded at the edge of the door to thesuite.
“Come on in,” Lesliecalled.
To her surprise, it was Stephanie Lillard whose face poked around thecorner.
“Steph?” Declan yanked away from Leslie and bolted to his feet. “Is everything allright?”
His daughter was looking around with a curious expression. “Well, it is for me…but what’s going on here? I heard there were all these sirens here, and then Trib said you took off for Leslie’s—I mean, Ms. Nakano’s house, and the sirens were here…and I just wanted to make sure everything wasokay.”
