“I think you’re right, but they all seem to run together in my mind.”
Jack put his arm around Kate’s shoulders. “How did you remember all that? You were a kid.”
“She’s my relative,” Sara said quickly, then smiled at Kate. “You remembered me then.” They knew that Kate had grown up without any memory of her aunt or even her father.
Kate looked sad. “But I forgot everyone later.”
“PTSD causes great trauma,” Sara said.
They were quiet for a moment, then they heard voices. “An AUL meeting in the library,” Sara said quickly. “We need to discuss everything, but give me fifteen minutes.” She was busily tapping away at texts on her phone.
A few minutes later, they were assembled in the little library off the living room. It was full of books Sara had collected over the years. There was lots of medieval history and specialty books on wagons and weapons, plus underwear—which was written about extensively in romance novels.
“Well,” Randal said, “it appears that we’ve made a big discovery.” They looked at Sara, but she was interested in her phone. They waited.
Finally, Sara looked up. “Yes. We heard that when Harry Adair was eighteen years old, he murdered a man. Or I guess I should say ‘a two-bit actor.’ That seems to be Hollywood speak for a person of no value. Somehow, Derek Oliver found out about it by using what’s in the Palm Room. At least that’s what I think is meant by ‘the old room.’ Did I miss anything?” At their silence, she looked back at her phone.
“That’s it?” Randal said. “Shouldn’t we arrest her?” He was being snide because he was annoyed by his sister’s lack of interest in this new discovery.
“Hang on,” Sara said, “I’m sending you the texts I just exchanged with Billy.”
They took out their phones and read.
Sara: Was Derek Oliver in this house before the party?
Billy: Yes. About three months earlier. He was trying to get my brothers to invest in one of his schemes. They told Derek that first he had to perform a task for them. They wanted him to go to Lachlan and check on me. He came here, but of course my brothers gave him nothing.
Sara: That sounds like them. What did he do?
Billy: Derek and I couldn’t abide each other. He spent the week in the Palm Room watching old movies.
Sara: Any of them of interest to him?
Billy: Maybe. One night he came to dinner smiling. I didn’t know he could do that. He said he’d seen something that was going to change his life.
Sara: Did he say what it was?
Billy: With him, it had to mean money but he didn’t say so. Was the cabinet any help to you?
Sara: More than you can imagine. Thank you so very much.
Billy: The pleasure was mine. What you have done for me has given me the most fun I’ve had in years. To be needed is a gift.
“So,” Randal said to his sister. “You just have to go to that room and find out what it was that ol’ Oliver discovered.”
“Have you seen that room?” Sara snapped. “There are shelves full of movies and whole cases of books. And I’m to read and watch it all in three days?”
Unperturbed at his sister’s anger, Randal smiled. “I have the utmost confidence in you.”
Jack spoke up. “So what happens if we do find out who Harry killed? They’re both dead now.”
“Harry was alive back then, so it makes sense,” Sara said. “But why is she herenow?”
“Maybe she wants to protect her husband’s reputation,” Kate said. “You know how the media loves to tear people apart. Look at Cary Grant. Rock Hudson.”
“I’m not sure anyone would care about a deceased movie producer,” Sara said.
“Barbara would,” Randal said. “If that’s the reason she’s here now, that is.”
