A Justified Murder (Medlar Mystery #2)(11)

“Absolutely right,” Sara said.

Jack was looking at the shrimp. “You think your clients really are going to buy my house?”

At the change of subject, Kate let out her breath. She didn’t want to do what they’d done last time, but she was curious.

They were quiet for a moment, then Jack started talking about adding to the house, and should it have hardwood floors or carpet? And what about the ceilings?

After dinner they watched TV but Kate’s mind was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice when no one put it on mute for the ads. Who? Why? kept running through her mind. She guessed that maybe the same thing was occupying Jack and her aunt Sara.

They would just have to wait. Wait until the sheriff’s department with all its glorious equipment found out why an unmemorable little old woman had been killed in such a vicious way. But Kate thought that if she heard the words serial killer she might become violent. After having seen the body, her instinct told her that this was a crime of hate. She just didn’t know if the hate was directed at Janet or if the woman had been collateral damage.

It wasn’t very late when they said good-night to each other and went to bed. It had been a long, tiring day.

Just after midnight Kate was awakened by the doorbell ringing. And ringing. The consistency was as bad as when a smoke detector battery gave out.

She practically fell out of bed and stumbled around trying to pull on a pair of leggings. Of course her toes jammed into a leg and she couldn’t get untangled.

By the time she got to the door, Jack was already waiting. Aunt Sara was just leaving her bedroom, a white robe over her T-shirt and gym pants.

The doorbell kept going.

Kate glared at Jack. “So help me, if it’s your stepmother again, I won’t buy you any more bananas.”

“She’s in Colorado and she says she’s going to stay there forever.”

“Ha! That place is as cold as Chicago. She’ll return as soon as she realizes that you don’t have to shovel sunshine.”

With a grin, Jack looked out. “It’s Megan Nesbitt.”

“What in the world does she want?” Sara flung open the door. It was a good thing she was strong or else Megan’s forward leap into her arms would have knocked her down. The young woman clung to the shorter, smaller, older Sara as though she were a life preserver.

Megan was crying so hard into Sara’s shoulder that they couldn’t make out what she was saying. “Kyle...witch...prison...he’ll die...the boys...”

Kate took one arm and Jack the other as they pulled her off Sara, led her into the family room, and sat her down on the big couch. Sara handed her a wad of tissues.

“Tea or booze?” Kate asked.

Megan had her face buried in the pillow of tissues.

“Both,” Sara said.

Kate went to the kitchen; Jack went to the wet bar.

Minutes later, the coffee table was covered with hot and cold drinks, and Megan’s tears had calmed enough that she might be able to talk. She downed half of Jack’s rum and Coke in a single gulp, then looked at them. They were patiently waiting for her to explain.

“My brother, Kyle, is going to be arrested for Janet Beeson’s murder.”

Kate didn’t take her eyes from Megan’s. If she looked at Jack and Sara, I told you so might appear on her face.

But Megan guessed. “You know, don’t you?” The tears started again.

Sara, sitting beside her, put her arm around Megan, and drew her head down to her shoulder. “We heard that someone was going to be charged, but not who. Why would it be Kyle?”

“Because everyone in town knows that Kyle was the reason Mrs. Beeson put up that giant fence. They all saw what had been done to her.”

Jack looked as though he was running out of patience. “I’ve lived here all my life but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Megan sat up and blew her nose. “Oh, Jack, you live here, but you don’t. You’re always running off to New York, and besides, you have such major father issues that you don’t see anything else.”

Jack’s eyes widened at that and Kate had to suppress a laugh.

Sara said, “I haven’t lived here in years so why don’t you tell me the whole story?”

It took Megan a while to get her breath. She finished the rum drink and hastily drank a cup of tea. “My brother, Kyle, and his wife, Carolyn, used to live next door to Janet Beeson.”

“In that three and a half bath with the beveled glass door?” Kate asked. “Or the other side, the four bedroom with the Moorish facade?”

Both Sara and Jack gave her looks to stop it.

“Sorry,” Kate mumbled. “Job hazard.”

“Glass door. They loved their house. Kyle did a lot of work on it. He added—” Megan waved her hand, then took a breath. “My brother is a wonderful guy but he does have a bit of a problem with...uh, jealousy.”

“Raving lunatic or a snide sulker?” Sara asked. “Spies on her? Suspicious of her every move?”

Megan nodded. “Yes. All of it. But it’s understandable. You see, our mother—” She broke off. “I guess it doesn’t matter why, just what is.”

“Tell us what happened with Janet Beeson,” Sara prompted gently.

“Kyle and Carolyn had been fighting for weeks. He thought she was having an affair.”