“I can tell since you plan on handcuffing a ninety-two-year-old woman,” I berated him, moving to stand in front of her. They weren’t taking her without knocking me down. What good was it to be the mayor if I couldn’t protect someone who needed my help?
“Dae, you can’t interfere with this,” Kevin advised.
“Stay out of this,” I responded. “I’m not letting anyone take her to jail.”
It was a standoff. Clearly no one knew exactly what to do. The chief lifted his cap and scratched his head, his face already bright red. Kevin folded his arms against his chest and stepped back. Gramps and Luke stood on either side of me. I couldn’t help but wonder how this would end. I knew they could force us out of the way and take Miss Mildred, but I thought that was unlikely.
An answer came in the form of Jerry Richards, who barged in with his cameraman. “All right, pan on those three over there, then back on the chief and his men.”
“What the hell is going on?” Chief Michaels demanded, looking at Tim.
“I don’t know.” Tim looked at Jerry Richards, then at the officers behind him. “Escort Mr. Richards back outside.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jerry said. “We have a right to see what’s going on. Mayor O’Donnell, tell me what’s happening in here.”
I opened my mouth to do just that, but the chief got between me and the camera. “If I could have a word in the next room, Mayor. Maybe we can resolve this issue.”
I glanced at Gramps, who assured me nothing would happen while I was gone. I noticed as I followed the chief out of the room that Gramps and Luke stepped closer to Miss Mildred, who was holding up very well in the face of so much drama.
In the kitchen again with Miss Elizabeth’s purse still open on the table, Chief Michaels confronted me. “Why’d you have to go and make this so complicated? We both love Millie, but she did something wrong. Maybe she isn’t mentally responsible. She may not even realize she did it. If that’s the case, they’ll find a place for her. Don’t be so stubborn. Let the process work. You’re the mayor. You’re sworn to uphold these laws, Dae. You can’t pick and choose when it’s comfortable for you.”
I knew he was right. At least the rational part of my brain knew he was right. But after finding Miss Elizabeth, and everything else that had happened, the emotional part of my brain was on overload. “You know her sister didn’t drop off this purse. But you also know Miss Mildred didn’t kill her. You can’t take her in on the strength of that evidence.”
He drew a deep breath that threatened to burst the buttons on his blue uniform. “What if I told you there was more?”
I swallowed hard. “More? Like what?”
“She gave me permission to look around. I think we have the murder weapon. It was out in her garden shed.”
“That’s not possible.” I sat down. “What makes you think it’s the murder weapon?”
“It’s a small shovel. There appears to be hair and blood on it.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “We have to take her in, Dae.”
“Why? She isn’t going anywhere. She’s not a flight risk. Couldn’t she stay here while you continue investigating?”
“That’s what bail is for. But someone not so involved with her should make that decision. You know if it was up to me, I’d walk away from it. But we can’t do that. I can’t, and neither can you.”
There was no argument with that logic. “Can you at least not handcuff her? Her wrists are so delicate. I don’t want to think what this will do to her.”
As compromises went, it was the best we could reach. The chief treated Miss Mildred with dignity and kindness as he led her outside, no cuffs, to the police car. Gramps didn’t ask what changed my mind. Neither did Luke. I assumed Tim or Kevin filled them in while we were in the kitchen.
Agent Walker and his SBI agents arrived a moment later and took charge of Miss Elizabeth’s purse. They began searching the house and yard (again). There wasn’t anything else I could do. I didn’t want to watch the procedure. Andy promised to lock up the house after they were gone.
“If she doesn’t have legal representation, I’ll see what I can do,” Luke offered. “It might be strange to be on that side of the courtroom.”
He didn’t seem as though he thought that would be a good thing, but I took his phone number and thanked him for offering. “What will happen now?”
“The court will probably set bail for her. I can’t imagine they want to continue this publicity.” Luke nodded toward Jerry and his cameraman as they got in their van to follow Chief Michaels to the police station. “She’ll be evaluated by a doctor to see if she’s fit to stand trial.”
I thanked him again and smiled. He hugged me awkwardly and promised to keep up with what was happening. It seemed like a strange reaction from a man who looked like an ex-Green Beret. He’d spent his whole life (or, by my best guess, at least the last twenty years—he didn’t appear over fifty) sending the bad guys to jail. You never know how people will react.
Gramps offered to drive me back to Missing Pieces, but I needed time to walk and think. He drove off with the rest of the fire department. I headed toward the corner without looking back at the SBI agents swarming over Miss Mildred’s house.
I heard footsteps coming up behind me on the shell and gravel road. I glanced back, saw Kevin and started walking faster.
He walked faster too. “I’m not the enemy, you know.”
“No? I guess you were only on his side then.”
“Chief Michaels isn’t the enemy either. The enemy is whoever did this and set it up to look like Miss Mildred killed her sister.”
I stopped. The sun was hot overhead even with the constant breeze rushing through the bushes. “You don’t believe Miss Mildred killed her sister?”
“Of course not. I don’t think the chief does either. But you were both bound to follow the rules. It’s what happens in cases like this.”
“Cases like this? How many ninety-two-year-old women are arrested for killing their sisters?”
“You’d be surprised. Maybe even more surprised if you knew how many of them actually did it.”
I started walking again, maybe a little less angry. At least he seemed to be on my side. “Well, I don’t believe Miss Mildred did anything wrong. But you’re right. I know how the rules work. The chief was already questioning whether Miss Mildred should stay in her house by herself. Now it looks even worse. I don’t want to think what a court-appointed doctor who isn’t from Duck will think.”
He nodded. “The chief will continue investigating. So will the SBI.”
“Really? Once they establish that he found the murder weapon on her property and Miss Elizabeth’s purse in her house, that will be the end of the investigation. Chief Michaels already pointed out to me that Miss Mildred wasn’t that upset by her sister’s death when we came to give her the news. Half the town was at the vigil when she said her sister probably didn’t go to heaven because she was evil. I think you could say that’s a slam dunk.”
He didn’t disagree. I kept wishing he would as we turned to walk down Duck Road toward the shops on the boardwalk. The road was crowded now with tourists driving in convertibles and SUVs. I wished it was winter, for once; have some peace to think.
“I looked up Wild Johnny Simpson in the hotel directory last night.” He changed the subject. “I found where he checked in on June 7, 1978. It doesn’t show when he checked out.”
“But it was around that time the old owner, Bunk Whitley, disappeared. Maybe Johnny was killed and the hotel closed so quickly, no one realized.”
“Maybe. But someone had to put that key in the drawer. Whoever did it probably knew. I handed over the derringer to Agent Walker. I’m sure they’ll check it against the bullet wound in Johnny’s head.”