Page 37 of Murder on Charity Lane

“Honey,” Anthony told him.

“All right,” Lily-Ann called us to order. “Before we begin, Mrs. B, Ocean, can we agree on one thing? If CJ is guilty, we will turn her in to the police.”

“What level of guilty?” Mrs. B asked.

“That’s a good question,” Ocean said.

“How are there levels?” Nicholas asked.

“Manslaughter, murder one, murder two,” Hamilton said, gesturing with a crostini for emphasis. “Then there are mitigating circumstances and mens rea. That is, state of mind.”

“Malice,” Anthony said. “Aforethought.”

Silence fell. Partly because Anthony rarely said anything like that, but mostly because he knew more about crime and punishment than the rest of us. Well, punishment, at least.

“It’s not murder,” I said. “CJ says he tripped.”

Lily-Ann stood from her chair in an elegant swirl of burgundy silk. She never missed. I wondered if she’d let me borrow any of her jewelry for fundraising events. Never mind, that ruby and gold bracelet probably cost more than my rent.

“Sophie is correct. The most likely case is that Frank DeYoung simply fell down the stairs. The second most likely case is—”

“Wait!” Hamilton said, springing to his feet. “Wait, wait. Whiteboard!”

He dashed into the other room, his Birkenstocks slapping the floor, then returned rolling a whiteboard. He tossed the dry erase marker to me. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to take notes and also write on the board, so I gave it to Nicholas, who listed Lily-Ann’s points as she said them:

1)Accidental death. Old man falls down stairs. Why is wife/Karina so sure CJ pushed him?

2)If CJ did shove him, why?

3)Ocean says shut up, she didn’t. Mrs. B seconds that motion.

4)If Karina is guilty, that’s why she’s pointing a finger at CJ.

5)Bottle breaking distraction. Did several people collude? Planned in advance?

6)If so, what’s the motivation for collusion?

“I can’t tell if numbers five and six are the same,” Nicholas said, looking un-thrilled with his own list.

“Each of the guests who were in the house at the time of death deserves their own number,” Lily-Ann said. “And there’s another possibility, as well.”

Ocean squinted at her. “I can’t think of one.”

“There’s a remote chance that someone who wasn’t present at the time set this up.”

“A remote chance!” Hamilton crowed. “Ha! Like a trip wire or similar.”

“I’m not writing down trip wire,” Nicholas told him. “Or any other Wile E. Coyote–style causes of death. I’m all out of anvils.”

Lily-Ann said, “I was thinking more along the lines of someone tampering with his medications.”

“That’s a good point,” I said. “But shouldn’t we start with the motive?”

Ocean scrubbed her short hair. “Which I guess means finding out about the will and beneficiaries.”

“CJ might know,” Mrs. B suggested.

“Oooh,” I said, “I wonder if she’s expecting to inherit.”