A Justified Murder (Medlar Mystery #2)(69)

“I guess Janet found out,” Everett said. “That’s why she had the bootie. Maybe Tayla kept it as a souvenir and Janet found it.”

“And Tayla killed Janet?” Sara said.

“Poisoned her?” Kate said.

“Stabbed her?” Jack said.

“Then shot her brains out.” Chet sounded disbelieving.

“I don’t know,” Everett said. “The deputy called me and asked if I knew what was going on.”

“The deputy called you?” Chet asked.

“Yeah. Dave. He’s been a great source of—” Everett gave a cough. “I mean, yes, he called me.”

“Where did Tayla turn herself in?” Chet asked.

Everett shrugged. “I guess not to Flynn.”

“He wouldn’t have believed that she did it,” Sara said. “Tayla’s not violent. She let Walter push her around before she married him. He liked her because she’s a workhorse.”

“And she was from the right side of town,” Everett said. “Whereas you and Cal—”

Jack stood up. “Do you have anything more to tell us? Other than that you got drunk and blabbed a made-up story that caused a woman to confess to murder?”

Again Everett’s eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t mean to cause anyone any problems. I just wanted to bring a kidnapper to justice.”

“And revitalize your career.” Sara stood up by Jack. “I think you should go home. I want you to write down every word of your dinner with Tayla. Don’t leave anything out. Then put it in a PDF file and send it to me. Got that?”

“Yes.” Everett stood up. “I took a taxi here. I didn’t trust myself to drive.”

“Chet will drive you home,” Sara said, then looked at him.

He nodded. He knew she wanted to be alone with Jack and Kate.

As soon as they left, Sara turned to them. “It wasn’t her.”

“Of course not,” Kate said and they went into the kitchen to start dinner.

Sara pulled a package of chicken out of the fridge. “I’ve gone skinny dipping with Tayla. There is no heart-shaped birthmark anywhere on her body.”

“What about Charlene?” Kate whispered as she started a salad. “Who had an affair with my father.”

“Maybe Tayla confessed to protect her niece,” Jack said. He was pouring hot sauce into a bowl.

“It’s what I’d do,” Sara said. “Tayla and I don’t have much life left, but Charlene is young.”

“It would destroy her marriage, her children,” Kate said.

They had filled the counter with food and they looked at each other.

“What do we do?” Kate asked.

Sara tightened her lips. “We do not let Chet see Charlene. Just in case we’re right. And maybe we’re not. They all just happened to be in Atlanta at the right time and the bootie was brought here to Lachlan. I’m sure there are other explanations. But Chet is not to see Charlene.”

They nodded in agreement.

They were on their way out to the grill when the doorbell rang.

“Probably Chet,” Sara said.

“You didn’t give him a key?” Jack was smirking.

“Keep on like that and you’ll find yours missing.”

Kate and Jack went outside while Sara went to the door.

“Keys,” Jack said as he turned on the grill. “My boat was locked up. How did she get the keys?”

“Good heavens! Zelly. I forgot about her. I’d better go check on her.”

“No!” Jack said. “Leave her alone. We have enough to deal with now. We can—” He broke off because Sara had opened the door. Behind her was Sheriff Flynn, and he looked like he’d aged about ten years.

Sara pointed him toward a padded chair and he flopped down in it. She went to Jack and Kate. “His wife is out of town so we’re going to feed him.”

They put the chicken on the grill and closed the lid. Jack got beers for everyone, then they sat at the big table across from the sheriff. He did indeed look awful. His uniform was dirty and his eyes were sunken. They didn’t say a word, just waited for him to speak.

“I guess you heard.”

They nodded but didn’t speak.

“Tayla went over to Broward HQ and confessed to the murder.”

Again, they nodded but kept silent.

“Tayla sold Janet the house, and you know how Realtors are. Until those papers are signed, they’re your best friend.” He looked at Kate and she shrugged in a way that said it was part of the job. “Tayla said Janet was going to ruin her reputation around Lachlan.” The sheriff looked up, his eyes bleak. “She said she gave Janet tea poisoned with oleander. They sent forensics over there and sure enough, there was a metal box full of poisoned tea. Really strong stuff. It was labeled Sylvia’s Tea. Maybe it was in the house when Janet bought it. Maybe Sylvia used it to kill herself.”

The sheriff ran his hands over his face. “Who kills someone over a lawsuit? I don’t get it. Tayla could have hired a super lawyer and—”

“What?” Sara asked. “A lawsuit? What are you talking about?”

Flynn looked puzzled. “Didn’t that reporter tell you? Janet Beeson was suing Tayla over the sale of the house. Janet said she paid full price but Tayla pocketed thousands and made no record of it. Janet said Tayla did that with a lot of houses. A case like that would have been in the courts for years. Even if she won, I can’t imagine that Tayla would have any business left after that battle. And she’d certainly be broke.”