Рита Браун - The Hunt Ball

“What’s unusual about that?” Bill was curious.

“At first I didn’t think anything, but then I began to see that what she picked up was usually in good shape. She didn’t touch other things at all and some things no one touched. They were too delicate. She had me photograph them in the cases.”

“Charlotte, would you get Tootie’s notes?” Ben asked the headmistress.

“Of course.”

As Charlotte left for her office, Ben said, “Why don’t you first show me what she wouldn’t touch?”

“Sure.” Pamela walked right over and pointed to a large basket made of soaked strips of wood. Small bits of yarn, the balls long ago removed, remained inside along with a pair of horn knitting needles.

“Was the area underneath, around these kinds of things, clean?” Ben asked.

“Depends.” Valentina led him to the case next to the one where Pamela had pointed out the basket. “See this baby’s bonnet? It’s been dusted around it but we were afraid to pick it up because it’s disintegrating.”

“I see.”

“But most of the stuff is clean, shelves, too.” Valentina wondered what they’d find.

“Are the jewels real?” Ben asked, just as Charlotte returned with Tootie’s handwritten notes as well as the ones she’d typed into her computer. She also had the key to the cases.

“She didn’t say anything about that. I mean, Professor Kennedy didn’t say if the jewelry was expensive.” Felicity studied a fancy brooch as Charlotte returned.

“Charlotte, have any items ever been removed from these cases with your knowledge?”

“The only time I know anything has even been taken out of these cases is during Professor Kennedy’s investigation.”

“Tootie, point out from your notes anything Professor Kennedy starred.”

As Tootie’s eye ran down her lists, Sister asked Bill, “Would it be possible to sew diamonds onto dresses without anyone noticing?”

“You mean noticing that they were real diamonds?”

“Yes.”

“It’s possible.” He shrugged. “Seems like a lot of work. Wouldn’t it be easier to put them in a safe-deposit box?”

“Old Main Hall is always open, right?” Gray asked.

“No, it’s locked at night,” Charlotte answered.

“So who could get in?” Ben raised an eyebrow.

“Any member of the school’s administration or Jake Walford, in charge of buildings and grounds.”

“You could unlock the doors?” Ben asked.

“I could. My secretary could. Knute. The entire administration is housed in Old Main.”

“Al Perez?” Sister was beginning to get an idea of how the crimes were committed but she still didn’t know what it was—was it diamonds, was it drugs?

“Yes,” Charlotte answered.

“Could Bill get in?” Sister persisted.

“No, not without one of us.” Charlotte, too, was seeing the pattern.

“But Bill, you could come in the middle of the night with Al or Knute?” Sister focused on Bill, who was calm.

“I could. I didn’t, but I could.”

“Were Al and Knute close?” Ben asked. “I didn’t think they were. If they were, it didn’t come out when Custis Hall people were questioned.”

“They had a good working relationship,” Bill offered. “I wouldn’t say they were close.”

Charlotte nodded in assent.

Tootie quietly asked the sheriff, “Do you want me to point out the items?”

“I do, in one minute, Tootie. Charlotte, who knows about the key to the cases?” Ben could feel his own excitement rising.

“Teresa, my assistant. Knute, the treasurer. I think that’s it.”

“Did you ever notice the key had been moved?”

“No,” she answered Ben.

“Is it locked up, the key, I mean?”

She blushed. “Well, no.”

“Do you have it now?”

“Yes.” Charlotte opened her hand, a key on a wide, dark blue ribbon nesting within.

“Charlotte, if you have no objection, I’d like you to open these cases and for Tootie to remove those items that Professor Kennedy starred.”

“Of course.”

Bill interjected, “Charlotte, what if something falls apart in your hands?”

“I’ll take full responsibility. Under the circumstances, I think harming an item is the lesser of two evils.”

Bill said nothing, but his disapproval was apparent.

“Carry them over here to this table,” Ben instructed.

Tootie removed a gold snuff box with a small ruby in the center. She took out General Washington’s epaulettes, his dress sword, shoe buckles, and a beautiful brocade vest.

Sister, Charlotte, Ben, Pamela, Felicity, Howard, Gray, and Valentina crowded around the table. Bill stood just behind this group as did Walter and Carter.

“May I touch this?” Ben pointed to the snuff box.

“Of course,” Charlotte assented.

Delicately, Ben picked up the snuff box, examined it, flicked open the lid. He sniffed the inside; no hint of tobacco remained. He replaced it.

As he reached for the epaulettes, Sister remarked, “Aren’t they in remarkable condition?” It hit her. “Ben, too remarkable.”

A collective intake of breath followed. Sister pulled the .38 from her coat pocket.

Bill took a step back, turned.

Walter grabbed his arm but Bill shook him off.

“Bill!” Charlotte called.

“Bill, stop or I’ll shoot,” Sister also called.

“Ty’s outside the door. You won’t need to exercise your marksmanship.” Ben’s dry sense of humor somehow fitted the rigors of his profession.

Bill flew through the front doors, only to be brought back in a matter of minutes, hands handcuffed behind him.

Ty marched him to Ben and the gathering. “He thought he’d rather live.”

“Bill, what have you done!” The enormity of his betrayal was seeping into Charlotte’s consciousness.

“You might as well tell us, Bill. If you cooperate, things will go easier for you.”

“Sheriff, that’s what you guys always say,” Bill said, his lips pressed together.

“I’ll say this for you, Bill Wheatley. You’re a fabulous costume and set designer. You’ve obviously stolen the original items and faked these”—Sister picked up the epaulettes—“under our noses.”

Bill remained silent.

“You killed for this?” Tootie asked her teacher.

“Tootie,” Bill smiled sardonically, “there are six and a half billion people in the world. What’s one more or less?”

C H A P T E R 3 4

Tuesday’s hunt, December 20, was well attended. College students were home for the holidays. Jennifer and Sari were there and Sari was thrilled that her mother rode with the Hilltoppers. People took off work. Tootie, Valentina, Felicity, and even Pamela, who begged her parents, stayed with Sister and would be there until December 22, when they’d all go home.

Charlotte, also on school break, hunted with Bunny. Everyone needed a physical release from the strain and the extraordinary events.

Sister had had a long talk with Shaker and Walter. They all agreed that Crawford must be asked to leave the hunt. Still, there were many details to be ironed out. They expected him to hit back and hit hard. They’d just have to deal with it, although they knew one of his weapons would be money.

The good news was the hunt ball made Shaker realize that he couldn’t live without Lorraine and he loved Sari, her daughter, as his own. He had asked Lorraine to marry him yesterday so she wouldn’t think he’d done this in the upheaval of the ball or the arrest of Bill Wheatley. She had said yes.

“Guess you asked her when she experienced a weak moment,” Sister teased, then hugged him.

The hunt, down at Chapel Cross, proved wonderful. The grays began traveling in twos early so they picked up a courting gentleman fox. After they ran him to ground, they picked up two others. What a lovely day.