Миранда Джеймс - Digging Up The Dirt

When they were seated comfortably in the parlor, Dickce asked, “What is it you want to talk to Kanesha about?”

“Sarinda,” An’gel said. “If those remains are Callie’s, then I think it’s likely Sarinda might have known who put Callie in that grave.”

“And that person killed Sarinda because they thought Sarinda was going to expose them.”

“I think it’s possible,” An’gel replied. “Maybe I’m indulging in a wild flight of fancy, but I think there has to be a connection.”

Clementine came in with a serving tray and set it on the coffee table. Along with the teapot and cups, there was a plate of her homemade shortbread.

An’gel thanked her, and Clementine nodded. Dickce poured the tea for them both. She picked up a piece of the shortbread and began to eat.

They had finished the tea and the plate of shortbread by the time Kanesha arrived forty minutes later. An’gel answered the door and ushered the deputy into the parlor.

“Would you care for anything to drink?” An’gel asked.

“No, ma’am, I’m fine.” Kanesha perched on the edge of the chair her hostess had indicated. “What is it you wanted to discuss with me?”

“Sarinda Hetherington’s death,” An’gel said. “I don’t think it was an accident.”

“And if those bones turn out to belong to Callie Partridge,” Dickce said, “we think there’s a connection.”

“I’m sure you’ve talked to Chief Carson,” An’gel said. “Did he tell you about our conversation?”

Kanesha nodded. “He did. I’ve also spoken with Dr. Gandy, and he is adamant that Miss Hetherington wouldn’t have drunk enough bourbon to incapacitate herself enough to fall down the stairs.”

“I believe him,” An’gel said. “So what’s being done about it?”

“We are treating it as a suspicious death,” Kanesha said. “There is some evidence to indicate that it wasn’t an accident.”

CHAPTER 11

“What evidence?” An’gel asked.

Kanesha frowned. “I can’t go into detail, and I wouldn’t tell anyone else outside the force this, Miss An’gel. But I’ll tell you and Miss Dickce. I know it won’t go any further.”

“No, it certainly won’t,” Dickce said.

“There are marks on the body that indicate Miss Hetherington might have been shoved down the stairs,” Kanesha said. “I emphasize might . We won’t know for sure until the examination is complete, and that could take several weeks.”

“The important point to me, at the moment, is that you’re investigating and not dismissing it as what it looked like,” An’gel said.

“I never accept anything at face value.” Kanesha pulled out her notebook and pen. “Now, ladies, if you don’t mind, tell me again who was at the garden club meeting and what Miss Hetherington said and did.” She slipped open the notebook and prepared to write.

Dickce gave her the names, then turned to An’gel to let her sister relay the rest of the information.

An’gel ran through the conversation leading up to Sarinda’s startling question. “Maybe I’m imagining it now,” she said. “At the time, however, there seemed to be an undercurrent of tension in the room after Sarinda said what she did.”

“No, I felt it too,” Dickce said. “Though to be fair, it could be that everyone was tense because they thought Sarinda had finally gone completely around the bend.”

Kanesha appeared a little puzzled.

“Sarinda was inclined to be dramatic when she wanted attention,” An’gel said.

“I see. What happened after she asked her question?” Kanesha said.

“No one appeared to take her seriously at the time.” An’gel continued with her summary of the meeting and concluded with, “I thought it strange, even for Sarinda, to take off like that. But she could be so moody when she didn’t get the attention she wanted.”

“Neither of you spoke to her at any point after the meeting?” Kanesha asked.

“No,” An’gel said. “I wish now, of course, that I had called her, or that we had gone by her house to check on her. But we had other things on our minds.”

“We’ll always regret it,” Dickce said. “The only thing we can do for her now is to help find out who pushed her down the stairs.”

“Now that this grave has been found at Ashton Hall,” An’gel said, “and Callie’s ring with it, I have to think Sarinda did know something about Callie’s disappearance. Perhaps she even knew that Callie was dead.”

“Those are questions I will be trying to answer.” Kanesha tapped her pen against the notebook. “I might be wrong, but I don’t think Mr. Hamish Partridge ever filed a missing persons report on his wife. I’ll have to check that out.”

“He would be the most likely suspect, wouldn’t he?” Dickce asked.

“We always look first at the spouse.” Kanesha rose. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, and I promise you I will consider all the possibilities. It would help me if the two of you could write down everything you remember that happened around the time Hadley Partridge left town and Mrs. Callie Partridge was rumored to have run away after him.”

An’gel stood. “We will do that. Let me show you out.” She accompanied Kanesha to the front door and moments later returned to the parlor.

“That’s going to be quite a job,” Dickce said. “I’m not sure how much I can remember from forty years ago. That’s a long time.”

“Yes, it is,” An’gel said as she resumed her seat. “I’m not sure either, but we’ll have to do our best.” She thought for a moment. “I imagine it won’t take long for the news to get around about the remains found at Ashton Hall. That will be the only subject anybody’s talking about.”

“So it won’t hurt if we talk about it to the garden club board and see what we can find out about what they were all up to at the time.” Dickce nodded. “I like that. We can be snoopy, and it ought to seem natural.”

“Natural enough, perhaps,” An’gel said. “We’ll have to be careful, though, because there’ll be at least one person who’ll be anxious to hide what she was doing at the time.”

“It’s hard to think of one of those women as a murderer,” Dickce said.

“One of them very well could be, because I doubt Hamish came back from the dead to push Sarinda down the stairs.”

“No, of course not.” Dickce shook her head. “But we can’t forget Hadley. It could just as easily be him as one of the board.”

“Yes, you’re right.” An’gel thought for a moment. “I think we need to spend some time getting reacquainted with Hadley, don’t you?”

“What do you have in mind?” Dickce asked.

“First, let’s invite him here for dinner tonight. If, that is, he hasn’t already accepted another invitation.” An’gel grimaced. “I have a feeling he’s getting all kinds of invitations from the other board members.”

“Then you’d better call him right now,” Dickce said. “Let’s not waste any time.”

“As soon as I look up the number for Ashton Hall.” An’gel rose to search for the local telephone book. “I hope the phone is still connected there, because I don’t want to have to drive back over there to invite Hadley to dinner.”

“I believe it’s in the drawer in the hall table,” Dickce said. “The one right outside the parlor door.”

An’gel found the book where Dickce said it would be and came back into the room, riffling the pages in search of the number. “Here it is.” She went over to the desk by the front windows, picked up the handset there, and punched in the number. Dickce came over to stand near while she called.

“Good afternoon,” she said. “This is An’gel Ducote. I would like to speak to Mr. Partridge if he’s available.” She put her hand over the mouthpiece to speak to her sister. “She’s gone to get him.”