Jeanne Glidewell - Lexie Starr 04 - With This Ring Page 17

  “Get down, Moose,” Paula said, with what sounded to me like resignation. It was almost as if the sounds the dog was emitting were wearing on her nerves, and she had no concern for my clothing or my personal welfare. Paying no attention to his master’s command, Moose continued his attempt to shred my jeans. I considered slinging him across the living room with my foot, and would have gladly done so if not for Paula standing right next to me.

  “Wow! Moose has really got it in for you, doesn’t he?” Sheila asked. “Whatever did you do to make him dislike you so much?”

  “I really don’t know,” I replied. Perhaps referring to him as a “little shit” the last time we met had offended him, I wanted to say. Any five-pound dog, named Moose, must surely have a size complex. But I kept my thoughts to myself since Paula was not aware of my previous encounter with her dogs during the luncheon. She was still under the impression I’d only descended the stairs to her basement after she and Andy had gone down to check out the puppies.

  Paula finally extracted the tiny Chihuahua from my leg and set it out on the front patio, closing the screen door behind him. “You two can go on downstairs. I’ll be down in a minute. I need to visit the bathroom. I guess you remember where the basement door is, Lexie.”

  I assured her I did and motioned for Sheila to follow me. As we walked through the kitchen, I pointed out an envelope lying on the built-in desk. I silently tapped on the return address, which indicated the Full Faith Insurance Company of Independence, Missouri, had sent it to Paula.

  Sheila glanced at it quickly and nodded. I had shown her an extra photocopy of the document I’d found in an envelope like this one earlier. I assumed it was the same envelope but couldn’t be certain. Perhaps the policy had paid off, and this was a new envelope containing a check for a half a million dollars. I don’t know if I could have left a check for that amount lying casually on top of a desk in my kitchen, however. I certainly wouldn’t have used it as a bookmark. More likely I’d have duct-taped the check to my abdomen underneath a shirt and a sweater, and hightailed it to the bank thirty seconds after I’d retrieved it from the mailbox. Sandy Webster, the teller at my bank, would have already deposited the half million in my account, or possibly in two or three separate accounts so the entire amount would be FDIC insured. I didn’t take any chances when it came to huge sums of money, nor was it a problem I dealt with on a regular basis.

  Paula headed back toward the rear of the house as I opened the door to the basement. This time Tiny didn’t raise much of a fuss as we descended the steps. I motioned Sheila back toward where I knew the mastiff and her litter were, and laughed as Sheila’s eyes widened at the sight of Tiny nursing her pups.

  “Good Lord,” she said. “Are the puppies going to be that large too one day?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “They are full bred pups. The males, of course, will grow even larger than Tiny. Are you sure you don’t want two or three of them?”

  “I’ve been known to be a pretty good actress at times, but I’m not sure I can even pretend to want a dog, much less one the size of a Jersey cow!”

  “Oh, sure you can! You’re a very believable actress. I’ve seen you in action! Remember? Shhhh, here she comes.”

  “Tiny is gorgeous,” Sheila said as Paula walked up behind us. “And the puppies are so cute and healthy looking. How old are they now? Are they nearly weaned?”

  “A month old tomorrow. It will just be a couple weeks before they’re weaned and ready to go to their new homes. All five have been given clean bills of health by the vet.”

  “I can tell by looking at them they’re full bred,” Sheila said. Before two minutes ago I wasn’t sure if Sheila could tell the difference between a mastiff and a St. Bernard, but she’d just heard me say they were full-blooded and nothing slipped by her when she was in her acting mode.

  “Yes, you’re correct. Are you partial to any of them?” Paula asked wearily.

  “I think if I decide to purchase one, it’d have to be the one with the small white patch on its chest.”

  “Oh, sorry,” Paula said, with no pretense of regret in her voice. I was initially surprised at how much more chipper she suddenly sounded. “That one has already been spoken for. Speaking of which, Lexie, do you know when Andy is stopping by again? I’d really like to see him! And I also have the American Kennel Club form to give him.”

  “I’m not sure when Andy plans to stop by. But I’d be happy to take the registration form and give it to him for you,” I offered.

  “Thanks, but I’d much rather give it to him myself,” Paula said cheerfully. “There are some other things I wanted to speak with him about.”

  Bristling at her sudden change of mood, I couldn’t help but stab a tiny dagger into her heart with my next remark. “Then Andy will have to make some time to come over, as he is spending every spare moment with my daughter. They are very tight, you know.”

  “Humph!”

  I could tell my comments had left a mark, so I couldn’t resist one more little plunge with the dagger. “But then, I imagine Andy will bring Wendy with him as he is seldom very far from her side.”

  With a subtle nudge of her elbow, Sheila brought me back to the subject of the puppies, as she said, “Darn! I had my heart set on that particular one. I’m really fond of mastiffs with the white markings on their chests. I’m not sure I’d be happy with any of the other ones at this point. I’ll have to give it some serious thought, and discuss the matter with my husband. I’ll get back with you soon.”

  “Whatever,” Paula said, as she turned to lead us back upstairs. Her cheery mood had dissipated. Obviously, finding homes for the mastiff pups was not the foremost thing on her mind right now. But I wasn’t sure if it was the death of her father, or the notion of stealing Andy away from Wendy that had her preoccupied.

  Knowing we had to work up to a conversation about Pastor Steiner’s death before she showed us out the front door, Sheila took on an apologetic tone, and said, “I probably shouldn’t have bothered you about the puppies at a time like this. I was so sorry to hear what happened to your father. How dreadful for you and your family. I’d like to offer my sincere condolences to you and, of course, your husband. I assume Mr. Bankston is as distraught as you are about the death of his father-in-law.”

  “Thank you. Yes, Bruce was very upset when I called him with the news. He’s overseas on an important business trip right now, which is why he was unable to attend dad’s funeral. Bruce felt bad about that, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.”

  “I understand. I’d feel bad if I missed his funeral too. I’ve attended the Baptist Church with Lexie on several occasions and was very impressed with your father’s sermons and dedication to his faith.” Sheila had never stepped foot in our church, but, like me, she was not above telling little white lies when the situation called for it. “And I was absolutely stunned by what I read in the paper about the church’s finances, and that Largo lady teaming up with your dad to embezzle money from the church. I’m so happy she’s been arrested and will be held responsible for her actions.”

  Sheila did not usually beat around the bush, but even I was a little taken aback by her brashness this time. I knew she felt she had nothing to lose and didn’t care what Paula thought of her. I looked down, a bit embarrassed myself, and concentrated on a tiny stain on the carpet, but not before noticing the flush on Paula’s face, following Sheila’s statements.

  “Alleged embezzlement. Nothing has been proven yet,” Paula retorted. “I don’t believe for a second my father knew what Betty Largo was doing behind his back. Dad would have never stolen from the church, or from anyone else for that matter!”

  “Yes, of course. I’m sure you’re right,” Sheila said. She had struck a nerve with Paula, who was now more animated than she’d been since we’d arrived. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Paula. I was just repeating what I read in the paper, but you know how dramatic and sensational the media can be at times. I’m just concerned
about your welfare, and that of your siblings. I assume you all inherited enough to cover his final expenses and won’t be left in a financial bind.”

  Paula only nodded with a scowl on her face. She didn’t appear willing to share any information about her finances with us, which didn’t surprise me in the least. Maybe I’d have better luck if I took over and approached the subject from a different angle. I was afraid if Sheila uttered one more word she’d get us tossed out on our cans. Before she could speak again I joined in the conversation.

  “I spoke with Teddy a few times the last couple of days. He told me he was in debt to a bookie—”

  “What else is new? He likes to gamble now and then. What of it?”

  “—and he mentioned that your father had also dealt with this bookie in the past.”

  “And? Your point is—”

  “Well, it stands to reason that finances might be a problem when it comes to getting your father’s final affairs in order.”

  “There’s no problem. And our finances are a personal matter!” Paula was livid now, and it looked as if I might get us thrown out of the house even quicker than Sheila was on the track of doing.

  “I apologize, Paula. We don’t mean to pry, and I didn’t intend to upset you, but a lot of the church members were wondering if they might need to take up a collection to help cover the funeral expenses. If you all need some help, I would be more than willing to step in and take charge of setting up a fund at my bank in order to solicit donations.” This was an even whiter lie than the ones Sheila had been spouting, but it seemed to do the trick.

  “No, that won’t be necessary,” Paula said, somewhat pacified by the idea we were only trying to offer our help. “It’s really no one else’s business. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to tell you that my father recently gave me money to purchase a life insurance policy on him. He knew he’d gone through most of his savings, with the gambling and all, and he was afraid he might possibly leave some unpaid bills if something were to happen to him. I still don’t believe he’d steal from the church. But, anyway, he felt bad about his financial situation and wanted to leave us enough to cover any debts he might leave behind, and to take care of his final expenses. He also told me he hoped there was quite a lot of money left over after his final expenses were covered following his death. So I purchased the policy as he requested. It must have been prophetic on his part, with him being killed just a month later.”

  “Wow, what are the chances?” Sheila asked. She didn’t sound convinced that greed didn’t play a factor in the pastor’s death. Paula certainly had motive. “It was awfully thoughtful of your father. Did he do the same for his other children?”

  “Well, actually, this policy was for all six of us. Because I work as an accountant, he listed me as the executor of his estate, and I’m to split the proceeds among my siblings and myself, which of course is what I intend to do. After all the final expenses are taken care of, whatever remains will be split six ways,” Paula explained. Her voice had taken on a defensive tone again. Of course, Sheila’s questions would have made me defensive too.

  “Did he leave you a lot of unpaid debts to cover, as he feared he might do?” Sheila was like a dog with a bone now. She wasn’t going to let up, but I feared her invasive questioning might cause Paula to shut down completely. I was wrong.

  “I really don’t know yet,” Paula replied. “I haven’t had time to sort everything out. But the policy was for five hundred thousand dollars, so I’m sure there will be plenty to pay for whatever debts he might have left. Still, I fear if he owes money to a bookie, it might have had something to do with his murder. I know the detectives are looking into the possibility after I told them about his gambling problem when they questioned me.”

  Sheila shot me a smug look as I asked, “If your brother Teddy had gambling debts too, do you think that could’ve figured into your father’s murder?”

  “Well, I’m sure Teddy had nothing to do with Dad’s murder, but I can’t say for sure what a bookie might do to get repaid for any debts Teddy might have. Teddy is a screwed-up mess, but he’d never do anything to intentionally hurt Dad. Of that much, I’m sure.”

  “Well, I know for a fact from speaking with Teddy that there are bookies right now trying to collect from him,” I said. “Teddy told me he had money coming in by today that would cover those debts. Was he referring to his share of the insurance money?”

  “I doubt it. He spoke to me about it during the luncheon, and he knows it might be awhile before that money comes through, with the killer at large and the murder case still up in the air. Teddy told me he owes ten thousand bucks.” Paula ran her fingers through her hair several times. Her eyes welled up. It was obvious she truly cared about her brother and was nervous and upset about his situation.

  “He told me the same thing,” I said. I patted Paula’s shaking shoulders as a tear ran down her cheek and she continued to speak.

  “Well, I told him I could come up with eighty-five hundred to lend him but he’d have to somehow come up with the other fifteen hundred. He said he thought he could come up with it if he hocked a few things he’d brought with him, like a Cartier watch, a diamond and sapphire ring he’d inherited from our grandfather, a couple of handguns, and maybe a few other things. Still, I’m worried about him. I’ve heard owing money to a bookie can be really dangerous.”

  I didn’t want to upset Paula any more than she already was, but I knew for a fact that two goons had already threatened her brother with great bodily harm if he didn’t come up with the ten thousand dollars today. I hoped for his sake he was at the pawnshop right now, hocking his eyeteeth if he had to, to come up with the money he owed.

  Like Paula had said, Teddy was a total screw-up, but he still seemed like a nice enough guy. I didn’t know if I could live with myself if I just stood by and let Teddy get badly injured or worse, if there was anything I could do to help him out. I took out a pen and a gum wrapper from my fanny pack, wrote down my cell phone number on the scrap of paper, and handed it to Paula. “Give this to Teddy if he contacts you and have him call me. I might be able to help him. Just tell him I’m the county grief counselor, and he’ll know who you’re talking about.”

  “Grief counselor?” Paula asked. I could tell she was thinking I must be a piss poor counselor, considering how little I’d done to assuage her grief.

  “Long story,” I said. And one I had no intention of sharing with her. “Just make sure he gets the number.”

  “Well, okay. Thanks for trying to help him out. I’m really worried, and I appreciate anything you can do for him.”

  “I’m concerned too, Paula! This bookie is no one to mess with. And neither are the guys who work for him. There’s a reason they aren’t accountants like you, or library assistants like I am. They are thugs because that’s the only thing they know how to be.”

  We said our goodbyes, and Sheila promised to get back with Paula if she decided to purchase one of the mastiff puppies. That’d be on that cold day in hell when pigs flew over the house wearing ballerina shoes and pink tutus.

  Chapter 14

  “We learned a lot in there,” I said as I started up my little blue sports car. “It was definitely worth the trip! Thanks for coming up with such a worthwhile idea, and also for getting Paula to talk.”

  “No problem,” Sheila replied. “I enjoyed the challenge.”

  “It amazes me that even though Paula’s married, and her father was just murdered, she is still able to flirt so openly with Andy. Paula is under a lot of stress right now, and I almost feel sorry for her that she’s never going to get her slutty little claws in my future son-in-law.”

  “Oh, congratulations, Lexie! You never told me that Wendy and Andy were engaged.” Sheila’s face lit up, and then her expression of delight faded away as I continued.

  “That’s because they aren’t. Their relationship is still a work in progress. The engagement is just a figment of my imagination and perhaps a little wishful think
ing on my part. But it will definitely come to pass if I have anything to do with it.”

  “I wonder if Andy has any idea what kind of force he’s up against,” Sheila said.

  “No, he doesn’t, and don’t you be the one to tell him!”

  “I hope an engagement comes to pass too. I’d love to see Wendy find the man of her dreams after the ordeal she went through with her first husband, Clay. Now let’s go pick up those sheet cakes at Pete’s Pantry while we think about what to do with all that information we just gathered.”

  “Okay. I have a list of other supplies we need to pick up there too.”

  “Are we going to lash the cakes to the roof of this tin can, or are you going to lash me to the roof so you can fit everything you purchase at Pete’s inside this thing?” Sheila asked.

  “Well, the back seat won’t accommodate a normal sized human being, but I think the cakes will ride okay back there. We might have to make a second trip for all the other stuff we need. Let’s pay for the cakes, take them home and get them stored in that large refrigerator in the pantry, and then go back for the rest of the groceries. We’ve got time before we need to pick up the flowers. I was told they wouldn’t be ready until two this afternoon.”

  * * *

  I paid the older lady behind the bakery counter for the cakes after making sure they were designed in the fashion I had ordered. I motioned for Sheila to pick up the vanilla sheet cake. Holding the chocolate cake with my right hand, and balancing the other end of it on top of the cast on my left wrist, we headed back to the front of the store where the exit doors were located. Just as we reached the end of the condiment aisle, I spotted Edward, the store manager, coming our way. He was the last person I wanted to see inside the store after the spaghetti sauce fiasco.