Case of Imagination (10 page)

“Nice fish,” I said.

He settled in his burgundy leather swivel chair. “Atlantic Beach, two summers ago. Do you fish?”

“Sometimes.” Bill had been crazy about fishing. “Freshwater, mostly. Bass, crappie.”

“There’s a great little lake about five miles from here. I’d love to have you join me some Saturday.”

“Thanks.” I had to admit that sounded like fun. Ted had a ready smile, and those dark eyes were attractively warm. “I stopped by to ask you about the pageant.”

He frowned. “Is this about that trouble yesterday?”

“Trouble?”

“This is Celosia. Everybody’s heard about the damaged scenery.”

“Then you know your group is under suspicion.”

He didn’t seem too concerned. “Well, since my group consists of me and three soccer moms, I think Evan better look elsewhere. I know Tessie and Amy were playing bridge Tuesday night, and Samantha took one of her daughters to a gymnastics competition in Mayfield. As for me, the mastermind, I was here, catching up on some reports. You can check with Missy. She had to help me.”

“Missy’s your secretary?”

“Summer intern. I have two or three each year.”

“Why are you really protesting the pageant?”

He leaned forward, his hands clasped together. “I really don’t care if those young women want to be in a beauty pageant. I just don’t like the way the pageant feeds into the peer pressure in this town. My niece—” He paused as if deciding how much to tell me. “My niece is recovering from an eating disorder. You see, practically every teenage girl in Celosia feels she should enter the pageant, and if she’s not pretty enough or thin enough, she feels worthless. The pageant is the only reason my niece stopped eating, and then she was too weak and thin to enter.”

“I’m very sorry,” I said. “Is she going to be all right?”

“Yes, thank God. I just don’t want that to happen to anyone else. How are these teen girls going to make informed decisions if they hear only one viewpoint? You know what I’m talking about. You got out of the business, didn’t you?”

I wasn’t surprised that he knew about my pageant background. By now, I assumed my history and Jerry’s were all over town. “I didn’t have a choice when I was younger, but later, I entered the Miss Parkland pageant for the money.”

He sat back, satisfied with my answer. “And that’s the way to do it. If these girls are old enough to make a decision, they need to see both sides of the picture.”

“The favorite seems to be Juliet Lovelace.”

“Good for her. She’s a very strong person. She can probably survive. But someone like Karen Mitman should never have entered.”

I hadn’t met Karen Mitman. “Why is that?”

“She’s a lovely girl, but very timid, very sweet. I’m sure being in the pageant was her mother’s idea.”

“I can relate to that.”

Ted’s phone rang. “Excuse me.” He picked it up. “Yes, Missy? All right. Tell him I’ll be just a few more minutes.” He hung up. “I’m sorry. I’ve got an appointment with a client.”

I got up. “No problem.”

Ted stood and walked me to the door. “There’s a really nice restaurant just up the road. I’d love to continue this conversation over lunch.”

I was genuinely sorry to turn him down. “I’m afraid I already have plans.”

“Some other time, then. May I call you?”

I gave him my cell phone number. “That would be nice.”

We shook hands again, and he held my hand a while longer. Looking into his warm, dark eyes, I thought, it doesn’t look like my chances with Jerry are good—why not see where lunch with Ted Stacy might lead?

“I hope to see you soon, Madeline.”

I could answer with all sincerity. “I’m looking forward to it.”

***

Shana Amry was ten times more beautiful than her photo. Her long red hair shimmered with golden highlights, and her remarkable tawny eyes gleamed like the eyes of some rare tiger. She had on red shorts and a white shirt open at the neck to reveal a gold heart-shaped locket. A large red canvas bag hung over one shoulder. She smiled a perfect cover-girl smile.

“You must be Madeline Maclin. Prill described you perfectly.”

“I can’t imagine what he said.”

“He said, ‘You’ll know her right away. She’s tall, dark, and gorgeous, and looks like she could take on anything.’”

I laughed. “That’s generous.”

“I’m Shana Amry, and if you’re willing to take on anything, then you’re the right person for this job.” She looked at her gold wristwatch. “I’m meeting a friend for lunch. Please join us. We can talk over cheeseburgers, unless you’re a fan of salads.”

“Not when there’s a cheeseburger around.”

“Great. Deely makes the best in town.”

We walked a short distance along Main Street and turned down a side street to a small diner called Burger World. Deely was a happy-looking man with a wide smile.

“Afternoon, Shana.”

“Deely, this is Madeline Maclin. Madeline, meet Deely Thomas, the best fry cook in town. We want two with everything, Deely, and special fries.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

We sat down at a small table near the window.

“My friend should be here in a few minutes,” Shana said. “Her names is Delores, but everyone calls her Twenty for reasons she won’t explain. Don’t worry about the fashion disaster. She’s harmless.”

Twenty arrived in a cloud of perfume. Tall and model-thin, she was dressed in a bright fuchsia and lime-green polka-dot dress, clunky lime platform shoes, and a strange sort of pillbox hat with a yellow feather.

“Hello!” She plopped down in the other chair and extended a hand. She was wearing lace gloves and stacks of bracelets. “Welcome to Celosia! I’m Twenty, only really I’m not.” She laughed at what must have been a standing joke.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “I’m Madeline Maclin.”

“So you’re the detective. I find this all very exciting.”

“I’m going to do what I can.”

“I suppose Prill told you Hayden’s ghost story.”

Prill had mentioned a ghostly woman Hayden had seen outside his window. “It sounds pretty bizarre. This ghost woman—what does she look like?”

“Very spooky,” Shana said. “Hayden says she’s glowing white with black eyes and a black heart on her forehead. Oh, and there’s a dinosaur.”

“A dinosaur?”

“Well, the way he describes this creature, it sounds like a dinosaur.” She sighed. “Hayden has too much imagination. He grew up in such a neurotic home it’s a wonder he has any sense, at all. His dad left one day without any explanation, and his mother is the worst hypochondriac you’ll ever meet. I’ve cured Hayden of most of his irrational fears, but this is something new.”

Twenty waved her hand. All the bracelets clacked together like castanets. “Speaking of irrational, don’t get me started on my current boyfriend. He’s hopeless.”

“How about you, Madeline?” Shana asked. “That’s a very nice-looking man in town with you.”

“Jerry and I have been friends for years.”

“Friends make the best kind of husbands.”

“I don’t think that kind of relationship is in our future.”

Twenty leaned forward. “I hear he’s fixing up the Eberlin house. Is he actually going to live there? It’s falling down, isn’t it?”

“It’s actually in pretty good shape,” I said.

“Celosia’s a nice town,” Shana said. “I didn’t think I’d like living in such a small town, but it’s the perfect environment for writing.”

“And for Hayden’s nerves,” Twenty said.

“He just wasn’t cut out for a big city nine to five job. Georgia’s Books is just the place for him.” She salted her fries. “What does Jerry do?”

“Not very much.”

Twenty took the salt shaker next. “Isn’t his last name Fairweather? He’s not one of
the
Fairweathers, is he?”

“Yes.”

“My gosh, what’s he doing with that old house, then? I thought they had a mansion somewhere in Parkland.”

“Jerry’s decided to leave all that behind. He thinks he’s psychic, so he’ll be holding séances in the Eberlin House.”

“Oh, my lord,” Shana said. “Don’t tell Hayden, or he’ll be over there all the time. He believes in all that stuff.”

Twenty clapped her hands. “Oh, I do, too! Let me know when he’s ready to call up the spirits.”

“Save your money,” I said.

“But wasn’t Val in tune with the cosmos?” Twenty said. “Weren’t there all sorts of tales about ghosts and monsters?”

Shana’s expression was skeptical. “And time tunnels and alternate universes and mutants. Sometimes a small town can be a little boring and people have to make up their own fun.”

I passed the ketchup. “But you believe something really is disturbing Hayden.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d investigate. If you find nothing, that would be just fine. In fact, why don’t you and Jerry come to dinner tonight? You can see what I’m talking about.”

“Thanks.”

“You can come, too, Twenty.”

“Sounds like fun! What about Prill?”

“Madeline has probably had enough of Prill.”

“No,” I said. “He’s interesting.”

“He’s odd,” Shana said, “but he’s one of Hayden’s best friends. I think it’s because they have puzzling fathers. Hayden’s just decided to leave one day, and Prill’s never speaks to him, even though he lives right here in town.”

“Jerry’s mother and father died in a fire when he was very young,” I said. “I don’t exactly know the details.”

“Well, the men can start their own little club now, can’t they?”

“And you’ll have to join our club,” Twenty said. “It’s a great club. We have no officers, no committees, no dues. We meet whenever we feel like it.”

They laughed, including me in their humor. I thought it might be nice to have some real girlfriends. Years in pageant land had taught me to be wary of friendly smiles and promises, and I certainly wasn’t likely to get chummy with Olivia Decker. But Shana was comfortable enough in her own beauty, and Twenty was happy to be quirky. They might be the very friends I needed.

“Well, as long as there’s no pledge, initiation, or secret handshake, I’m in.”

***

At the house, Jerry had managed to get paint on practically everything except the wall.

“You’re not much of a handyman,” I said. “Why don’t we leave this to the experts?”

“I can do this.”

“Yes, but it’ll look like hell. Where’s the phone book?”

“Under the newspaper.”

“Celosia has a newspaper?”

“
The Celosia News
. Check out page four.”

I folded the paper back to page four. A photo showed a small child holding a tomato the size of a beach ball. “Now that’s news.”

“You know you’re in the country when overlarge vegetables are featured prominently in the media.”

I scanned the want ads. “Why don’t you get a real job? Burger World is hiring.”

“I’m holding out for an executive position.”

The For Sale ads included musical instruments. “Here’s a nice piano for sale. I know you can play.”

“No place to put a piano.”

“That huge parlor.”

“That’s my séance room.”

I put the paper down. “Why don’t you forget that and come down to the theater and help me look for clues?”

He brightened. “And meet all the beauty queens?”

“Miss Lovelace is seventeen. I checked.”

“Miss Lovelace is quite lovely, but my heart belongs to Olivia.”

Ouch. “The heart she continues to stomp on?”

“The very same.”

I knew exactly how that felt. “What brought this on?”

“She called this morning. We’ve had a long talk,” Jerry said. “She’s really concerned about me.”

I tried to make my voice sound pleasant. “How can you tell?”

“She’s thinking of moving out here.”

This time, I honestly felt my heart hit my shoes. “Here? To this house?”

“Plenty of room.”

“She’s leaving her job?”

“It’s just a half hour to Parkland.”

Olivia Decker. In this house. With Jerry. “You have to be kidding.”

“It could happen. That’s why I want to get the painting done.”

“But she hates the country, doesn’t she?”

“That’s what I thought, too. Then I remembered she grew up on a farm.”

“She did?” I try not to remember details of Olivia Decker’s life.

Jerry attempted to paint in the corner and succeeded in getting paint all over the molding. “Besides, you don’t like the rural life, either. You’ve always said you prefer the city.”

“Not now. Not after Reid Kent screwed me over.”

Jerry sat back on his heels and looked up at me curiously. “You’re thinking of setting up an office in Celosia?”

“Why not? There seems to be enough crime to keep me busy.” And I’d be near you. Lord, I almost said that out loud. In fact, I’d be right here in this house. Not Olivia. Me. I’d be here when you fell or caught cold or had to hide from some unhappy dope who’d paid money for a phony psychic reading.