Chapter 7

  “Morning, Craig,” Savannah greeted when she saw him enter the dining room the following morning. “We missed you at dinner last night.”

  “Yeah, I kinda got sidetracked. Didn’t make it back until darn near midnight.”

  “So what is it?” she whispered as he lowered himself into an empty chair next to her.

  “What?” he asked.

  “The bombshell. We waited to hear about it last night.”

  “All in good time, Savannah,” he said quietly. “All in good time.” He glanced around at the others and noticed they were involved in lively chatter, sharing stories of their experiences as domestics and caretakers for the cats.

  “Mazie Mae took a swipe at Tabitha yesterday,” Colbi announced. “I think she’s miffed because Rags is spending more time with the tabby than with her.”

  Michael chuckled. “A woman scorned, huh?”

  “Yeah, and Rags seems to be loving it, that scoundrel.” She continued, “He’s not discouraging attention from either one of his ‘ladies.’”

  Savannah sighed. “How are we ever going to get him to come home?”

  “You aren’t thinking of leaving me, are you?” June asked.

  Savannah smiled. “Well yes, June. At some point Michael and I must take our children home.” When she saw the look of disappointment on the woman’s face, she said, “But we won’t leave you until things are settled here. Promise.”

  “Speaking of settling things here…” Craig started. When he saw that all eyes were on him, he continued, “I think we’ve made some progress in our investigation.”

  “Oh good,” June said. “Who have you convicted?”

  He grimaced. “Well, no one, yet. But we’re close to understanding what’s been going on and why.”

  “Detective,” June said, “I think we all know who’s involved and why. Some of those close to me want my money.”

  “Yeah,” Craig chuckled, “that seems to be the main motivation. But we can’t make arrests based on what we think is in someone’s head. We need evidence and, hopefully, we can get some confessions. We always try to go after a confession.”

  “What kind of torture do you use these days?” Damon asked, tongue in cheek.

  Craig grinned. “Some perps believe our tactics border on torture, when they get caught with their pants down…” he glanced around the table, “…figuratively speaking, of course, ladies.” Addressing June, he said more quietly, “We arrested your stepson last night.”

  June stared at Craig. “Can’t say that I’m not disappointed.” She sat straight. “But if that’s where he belongs, that’s where he belongs. What did he do, actually, Detective?”

  “May I speak here?” he asked, motioning around the table. “Or would you rather we talk in private?”

  June glanced at the others. “Speak freely, Detective. These are my friends. It’ll all come out in the papers, anyway.” She shook her head in disbelief, clasping her hands under her chin. “Princeton would be so upset with that boy, rest his soul.” She looked at Craig. “So tell me—what is his part in all this?”

  “He’s been arrested on suspicion of hiring an orderly to smother your attorney in his hospital bed and to steal that sedative they were giving you in your tea.”

  “He’s responsible for killing Sterling?” she asked, her voice weak and her eyes filling with tears.

  Craig grimaced, nodding slightly.

  “Was he trying to kill me?” she asked, her voice cracking.

  Craig shook his head. “I don’t think so. I believe he wanted power of attorney and he thought if he proved you incompetent—if you were too confused to act on your own behalf—he could get it and then use his ‘charisma’ with you, Megan, and Jody to manipulate your estate to his benefit.”

  She cringed. “Sounds like him. Oh Petra, Petra,” she said, shaking her head slowly. She looked around the room. “He had such promise. He could have done marvelous things in this world. He has a wonderful mind, but somehow it became infected by greed.” She looked at Craig. “What about Megan? Was she involved with giving me the sedative? You said you found the evidence in her room.”

  “Yes, and we found the bottle in her storage unit. But I’m not sure she actually administered it—at least not to her knowledge. We’re still working on that question. It could be a plant.” He leaned forward. “Did you know that your cook Gwendolyn Harris kept a journal? She logged everything she did in a day.”

  “Oh my,” June said. “I knew she was a dedicated employee, but…I had no idea…”

  “It appears that she began the practice after something that happened in her last job. Did you know, Mrs. Balcomb, that she was involved in a nasty investigation involving extortion and attempted murder at another place where she worked?”

  June gasped. “My God, no!”

  “It doesn’t appear that she did anything wrong, but that experience taught her to keep track of everything in case she ever needed to defend herself again.” He paused before saying, “We believe she’s the one who was spiking your tea, but not through any maliciousness on her part.”

  “Good Lord,” Michael said, “what did she think she was putting in there, vitamins?”

  “That’s a good question…a detail that has not been revealed, yet.” Craig softened his voice and spoke to June. “I think someone may have convinced her it would help with your memory. It appears that she was tricked into believing she was helping you in some way.”

  June placed her teacup in the saucer. “Makes sense. Gwendolyn would step forward on my behalf. But she could be a tad naïve. Tell me, Detective, why did she feel it necessary to hide the powder in such a way?”

  Craig cleared his throat. “Well, it seems that Petra, probably in an attempt to keep someone from discovering the sedative, told your cook that it is highly attractive and dangerous to cats, and she needed to put it where the cats wouldn’t find it. Gwendolyn even talked to her sister about this. She joked about how difficult it was to find a place to hide the powder from the cats. Some of them, she said, could open drawers and climb up onto the bookshelves. Her solution was to tape the powder to the bottom shelf of her nightstand.” He chuckled. “…and then it was a cat who found it.”

  “Leave it to Rags,” Michael said, laughing.

  “Always on the job,” Damon added.

  “And that’s where I’d better go—on the job,” Craig quipped, as he scooted his chair from the table. “See ya’ll later.” Within a few minutes, he returned and approached Savannah. “Um, would you like to go with me to talk to Jody Santos?”

  “Oh, uh, well,” she stammered. “When?” She pulled back and looked into Craig’s eyes. “Why me?”

  “Around ten thirty this morning.” He peered at her. “Why? Well, female suspects interview better when there’s a woman present—in particular, one out of uniform.”

  When Savannah hesitated, Iris, who had overheard the conversation, said, “Lily can hang out with me.”

  “Oh, Iris, she’s a handful and you have kitchen duties,” Savannah protested.

  “Edie’s making her three-squash soup for lunch today and Dora’s baking bread.” She smiled brightly, “I get a day off and I’d love to spend it with Lily.”

  “Okay, then.” Savannah turned to Craig. “Yes, I can go with you.”

  “I’ll pick you up around ten fifteen.”

  ****

  “Wow, she lives in luxury too, doesn’t she?” Savannah said when Craig pulled his unmarked official car up in front of Jody Santos’s house.

  By the time the pair exited the car and walked most of the distance toward the house, Jody had opened the oversized door slowly and looked out. “Hello, Detective. Just a minute,” she said, closing the door. A moment later, she opened it, holding her toddler in her arms. Before she could speak, a young Mexican woman rushed into the foyer and took the boy from her. “Gracias,” Jody said, watching them leave the room. She turned to Craig and Savannah. “Let’s go into the living room, shall we?”

  She seems somewhat more poised this morning, Savannah thought as she followed the younger woman into a spacious living room. And she’s certainly dressed more tastefully, she observed. She doesn’t look so anorexic and anemic when she dresses well. Savannah chuckled to herself. I’ll have to remember that. I have more color to my skin than she does, but I don’t have much more meat on my bones.

  “Thank you,” Craig said, easing into a wingback chair across from Jody. He motioned for Savannah to sit to his left. Clearing his throat, he said, “Mrs. Santos. I appreciate you seeing me today.”

  “Well, it was either cooperate or find myself in an interrogation room downtown, right, Detective?”

  He nodded. “Pretty much, I’m afraid. Now, the reasons I’m here are twofold. One, I need you to talk to me about Petra Salvo and…”

  Before Craig could continue, Savannah noticed Jody stiffen. She’s not as relaxed about all this as she pretends.

  “And what?” Jody asked.

  “And, I want to know how you fit into his…little scheme.”

  Savannah watched as the woman’s eyes darted around the room. Looks like she’s searching for a way out, she observed silently. Maybe she hopes she’ll just disintegrate into fairy dust. Savannah smirked inwardly. Settle down and pay attention, she told herself.

  “First, Mrs. Santos,” Craig said, “what do you know about the sedative that was being given to your aunt?”

  “Nothing,” she said, maybe too quickly. When Craig remained silent and simply sat staring at her, she looked down at her hands and wiped them on her slacks. She picked up a coffee mug and took a sip of the beverage.

  She looks like a deer in headlights, Savannah observed, or a rabbit caught in the cabbage patch. This ought to be interesting, she thought, looking from Jody to Craig. Jody nearly dropped her coffee cup when she heard his next question.

  “Mrs. Santos, who took your child from the room where he was sleeping at the estate back on…” he looked at his notes, “…January tenth?”

  “What?” Jody asked, her eyes as big as dinner plates.

  “Did Petra Salvo take him or did you hire someone?”

  “Wait!” the woman shouted. “What are you suggesting? Are you out of your mind? Why would Petra take Carlo? Why would I hire someone to take my son?”

  Craig spoke more calmly. “Are you telling me that you don’t know who took the boy? Do you want me to believe that you were not involved in the ransom scheme?” When Jody seemed as if she might begin to hyperventilate, Craig changed his tone. “It must have been hard for you to agree to such a horrendous conspiracy—letting your little boy go like that.” He rubbed his chin and peered at the woman. “Although, it wasn’t as if Carlo was with a stranger, was it? The boy knew the kidnapper and so did you…but did you know he could kill? Once you found that out, did it ever occur to you that he might even kill your son if he was pushed into a corner?”

  Jody’s eyes filled with tears and Craig sat quietly as she wept, her carefully applied mascara darkening the area around her eyes.

  Savannah glanced at Craig, who motioned for her to comfort Jody. She grabbed a box of tissues sitting nearby and eased next to Jody on the settee, offering her one. He continued, “It must hurt to find out that someone you trusted isn’t trustworthy, Mrs. Santos. I’m sorry about that.” Craig then raised his voice. “How do you think your aunt feels to learn that everyone she thought she could trust is out to sabotage all that she’s worked for and harm all that she cares anything about?”

  Jody began to sob. “I didn’t want to hurt Aunt J. It was all…” she started. She took a deep breath and blotted the area around her eyes with a tissue. “I’d never harm Aunt J. She’s the only family I have in this world—well, except for my husband and son.” She sighed deeply. “I thought Petra was family, too.”

  Craig grinned. “He’s a sweet-talker, isn’t he?”

  She nodded.

  “He knows how to find your vulnerable spot and work with it to get his way.” He spoke more softly. “He makes a friend feel valued and a woman feel…well, you know, don’t you, Mrs. Santos? And once he has you where he wants you, he starts using things against you. Is that the way it is, Jody? Do you mind if I call you, Jody?”

  She took a ragged breath and shook her head.

  “What did he have on you Jody?” When she didn’t answer, he asked, “What secret did he hold against you to make you do the things you did…or did you do them on your own? Was it your idea to fake the kidnapping of your son for ransom, Jody?”

  “Oh no. It wasn’t my idea. I only went along with…” Suddenly, she stopped talking and glanced at the detective.

  Craig took advantage of the moment. “Why, Jody? Why did you go along with it? What was Petra holding over your head?” When he saw her struggling, he asked, “Did he have you convinced that it wasn’t really kidnapping if the boy’s father had him?”

  At that, Savannah gulped and stared at Craig. She became aware that Jody had stopped weeping, but the woman’s whole body seemed to tremble now.

  Craig used the opportunity to add tension to the moment by not speaking. Finally, he said, “Your husband doesn’t know Petra is Carlo’s father, does he?”

  What? Savannah thought. Wait a minute. What’s going on here? Things are moving too fast for me. Petra is Carlo’s father?

  “No,” Jody said quietly, “Ernesto doesn’t know and I want to keep it that way.” She blew into a tissue then looked at Craig and spoke haltingly. “Yes, Petra was…blackmailing me. If I…didn’t go along with his plans to get more…money from my aunt, he was going to tell Ernesto and my aunt everything—how I had too much to drink…at my wedding and snuck out to meet Petra after Ernesto went to sleep. Oh yes, Petra would have been more than happy to tell Ernesto what’s been going on under his nose for the past two years.” She sobbed. “And I couldn’t stop it. He wouldn’t leave me alone. When he started harassing my aunt, I tried to end it with him, but he became ugly and more demanding.”

  “Jody,” Craig said quietly, “did Petra kill Andrew Pritchard?”

  She looked down at her hands as they twisted the tissue. Suddenly, she raised her eyes to meet his and nodded. “He didn’t mean to, the old man got in his face—tried to take Carlo away from him. Petra told him to mind his own business, that everything was under control, but Drew saw it differently. He must have thought Carlo was in danger and he fought to get him away from Petra. Petra pushed him and he must have fallen on a spade he’d been using in the garden. It was an accident, don’t you see? Petra didn’t mean for Drew to die.”

  “And while Mr. Pritchard was struggling with Petra, the boy escaped and ran to where the cats live in the ravine,” Craig suggested. When Jody didn’t respond, he continued, “Or did Petra Salvo put the boy in the ravine and leave him there to die?”

  “What?” Jody shouted. “What are you talking about?”

  “Did you know that your son had been drugged?”

  Jody quickly stood. “No!!! That’s not true!” She glanced around the room frantically before saying, “Sure, he was quiet for a while after Savannah brought him to me, but he’d been through a lot. He’d walked a long distance. He was tired.”

  “We found a rag with chloroform on it near where Savannah discovered the boy and when we had the rag analyzed, we also found a telltale smattering of a drug. If given enough of it, a child Carlo’s size could die. You are fortunate, indeed, that he most likely ingested only a small amount of it.”

  Jody began shaking her head slowly. “Petra wouldn’t harm Carlo. He wouldn’t. I know he wouldn’t.”

  “And you thought he wouldn’t harm his stepmother, didn’t you?”

  Suddenly Savannah said, “Tetah. Tetah.”

  Craig furrowed his brow. “What?”

  “That’s what the boy was saying—Tetah. Petra. That’s what he was trying to say: Petra. He was telling us who took him.”

  Craig looked at Jody. “Is that right? Is that how your son refers to Petra?” When Jody remained quiet, he asked more sternly, “Jody, was Carlo saying Petra’s name when Savannah found him that day?”

  She took a deep breath. “I don’t know…maybe, I guess.”

  Craig made a note on his pad, then asked, “Jody, did he take the cat and poison the other one? Was that Petra?”

  She tightened her lips. “I didn’t want to believe he’d do it. And maybe he didn’t. I don’t really know.”

  “What about Megan Vale?”

  “What about her?” Jody asked, defensively.

  “What’s her role in harassing June Balcomb?”

  “I don’t know,” Jody said, sniffling and blotting at her eyes.

  “Did she know about the kidnap attempt?”

  “Oh, no. I haven’t discussed any of that with her. She doesn’t know anything. I don’t think she’s involved in any of it—just Petra.”

  Craig paused. He stared at Jody. “Did you know she’s seeing your boyfriend?”

  “My boyfriend?” she said, frowning.

  “Yes, Petra Salvo. Megan Vale is sleeping with him. Did you know that?”

  Suddenly, Jody’s demeanor shifted. She jumped to her feet. “That’s a lie. Why would you say that? It’s a bald-faced lie—you liar!” she shouted.

  Savannah stood and tried to console the distraught woman. “Jody, would you like to take a walk outside? I’ll go with you, if you want.” She looked at Craig, who nodded.

  “I have a call to make,” he said. “You two go get some fresh air.”

  Once outside, Savannah began making small talk. “Your backyard is lovely. You must spend a lot of time out here.”

  Jody sniffled. “We had it specially designed for Carlo. He loves riding his little cars around on the paths. Ernesto designed it. He’s into figures and investments, but he’s also good at landscape design.”

  “I really like the—what are they called—little separate outdoor rooms?”

  Jody blew her nose, then nodded. “Yes, they’re great for entertaining. We have the large area for the main activities and these cubbyholes where people can have more intimate conversations. Did you see the pool?” she asked, still wiping at her nose. She took an uneven breath. “We had it built away from the house and the entertainment area. As you can see, there’s a fence around it to protect our children.”