A Justified Murder (Medlar Mystery #2)(38)

When they got to the house—the guards were gone—Jack pulled into the garage and they went through the back hallway. He usually let the women out in front. That he didn’t do so today showed how upset he was.

They began preparing dinner as mechanically as though they were robots. After all they’d had for tea, no one was very hungry. Jack put some shrimp on the outdoor gas grill while Kate and Sara cut up vegetables for a salad. The iced tea seemed to make itself.

They ate outside in Florida’s soft, warm weather.

“I bet Janet knew,” Kate said when they sat down. “Sylvia confided in her.”

“Probably needed to relieve her conscience,” Sara said.

Jack, who was good with numbers, said, “In 1994, Sylvia was forty-seven and her daughter was eleven. Think it was a last-ditch effort to have a second child?”

“Baby lust is powerful,” Sara said.

“With boxes flying and people pushing, maybe she saw an opportunity and took it.”

“Okay,” Jack said, “maybe she picked up the kid, but how did she get away with it? Police were searching all over the place. Where did she hide a month-old baby? In her handbag? Those little critters are noisy.”

“Maybe—” Kate began but couldn’t think of anything. She and Jack looked at Sara for a writer’s answer.

“They hid somewhere no one thought to look.” She waved her fork about. “In real life a person can do something you don’t expect but in a novel, you damned well better lead up to it. But from what we’ve heard of Sylvia Alden, it doesn’t fit. Her daughter went to college and got involved in drugs. My guess is that the girl was probably always a handful. Sylvia had a husband she adored, a business she was running, a brother who was suing her. But she yearned for an infant to take care of? I can’t see it.”

“So now what?” Jack said. “We run to tell Flynn this?”

“Why?” Kate asked. “Sylvia didn’t kill Janet. He’s interested in that murder, not an old kidnapping.”

Sara said, “Maybe the real kidnapper is...”

“Still killing?” Jack said. “Protecting his or her reputation at all costs?”

Sara pushed her plate away. “I’m going to bed and reading more of Sylvia’s books. I’m about to start number three. I really don’t believe she’s capable of stealing a child. My impression of her is that if she saw an unguarded infant in a stroller she’d protect the baby.”

“Think people’s good memories of Sylvia will stop this guy Everett from writing about her?”

“No,” Kate and Sara said in unison.

Sara grimaced. “It won’t take long for him to hear about Janet’s friendship with Sylvia. That she committed suicide will make him sure he’s found the guilty one, and Sylvia Alden will be declared a kidnapper. People will say that she was right to kill herself. That story will—” She broke off, not seeming able to say more. She stood up. “Good night.”

After she left, Jack and Kate cleaned up, and said little. Kate went to bed, tried to read, but couldn’t. She spent a restless night and awoke the next morning feeling groggy.

When she went to the kitchen, Jack and Sara were there. He was looking over a set of blueprints. Sara’s eyes were red and she looked like she hadn’t slept.

Kate mumbled good morning, then sat down to her bowl of cereal.

Jack pushed his plans aside. “I have an idea. I have a couple of boxes of scraps in the shop that I’ve been meaning to give to Charlene, and her house needs some repairs. Why don’t we meet for lunch then go visit her? And take pictures.” He looked at Kate. “She has a couple of horses, a lot of chickens, and a big screen house full of lettuce. It’s a nice place.”

“And she makes birdhouses,” Kate said, her spirits beginning to lift.

“As long as ‘she’ isn’t there,” Sara added.

Kate groaned and Jack shook his head. They knew she meant Tayla and they were giving Sara no sympathy.

“Okay, okay,” Sara said. “Chickens win over enemies.” She looked at Kate. “What our Silent Hero here isn’t telling you is that he built—and designed—everything. Horse barn, chicken coop, Charlene’s studio, and a screen house with concrete beds that can withstand a hurricane.”

“Did you?” Kate asked.

Jack smiled modestly.

“All for your crush on Charlene. I want to meet her. And her ugly husband.”

“Ugly?” Sara said. “You should see Leland. Suave, sophisticated, and very intelligent. I only met him once but—”

Jack cut her off. “Hate to interrupt your fan club but do you two want to go or not? Or maybe you don’t want to be seen with a man who wears a tool belt and drives a truck.”

“Oh, Jack.” Kate was batting her lashes. “I just love your hammer. And all those nails. What woman could resist?”

Jack stood up. “Be here at noon. We’ll go to the Brigade for lunch. Unless you two ladies are so dainty you have to have Los Olas.” He didn’t wait for an answer but went down the hall to his room.

“What’s Los Olas?” Kate asked.

“Gorgeous. High-end. We’ll have to do a girls’ day there.”

“Can’t wait.”