The number of people in the house had doubled since I’d gone out back. But the chief and Agent Walker stood out in the otherwise casual crowd. The chief’s uniform looked a little wrinkled for him. Tough day, I guessed. Agent Walker was dressed in a dark suit and tie.
“Can we go in the next room and talk for a minute?” The chief raised his voice above the din.
“In here.” I led the way into the dining room and was glad to notice Kevin accompanying us. I figured it would be good to have someone there who wasn’t actively involved in what was going on. “What is it, Chief?”
He removed his uniform hat and spent a few seconds looking at the worn carpet before his eyes met mine. “Mayor, I thought you should know right away. They had to hospitalize Millie. She got crazy acting, then they found out she was dehydrated. The doctor said it seems like she hasn’t been eating. She’s still in police custody, you understand. But you could go visit her, if you like. I gave orders to the officer at the door that he was to let you in.”
A few moments passed in uncomfortable silence as I fought to get my emotions under control. When I could finally speak, I said, “Thank you, Chief. I’d like to see her. What will happen now?”
Before he could answer, Agent Walker replied, “She’ll be evaluated to see if she’s fit to stand trial. Many times in these circumstances, we realize the person who’s been charged with a crime isn’t able to face a judge in a courtroom. We aren’t without some semblance of mercy, Mayor O’Donnell, no matter what you think.”
“You mean she wouldn’t have to go to jail?” I felt a little ray of sunshine warm my heart.
“He means she’d be found guilty without a trial and sentenced to spend the rest of her life in an institution.” Kevin’s voice was dark when he spoke.
“Is that true?” I asked Chief Michaels.
“I’m afraid so.”
“No! That’s not fair! How much life do you think a ninety-two-year-old woman has left to live in the first place? Couldn’t you let her live out her life with one of those electronic bracelets on her ankle? Whatever she’s done, it may not be anything she’d do again.”
“If we could do something like that, Mayor, you know we would,” Agent Walker assured me. “But let’s not forget that the evidence appears to support the theory that Mildred Mason murdered her sister, then tried to hide the evidence. Would you want her to live out the rest of her life as though nothing happened? What about justice for Elizabeth Simpson?”
There was no good or easy answer for that. My heart told me that Miss Mildred was not dangerous and surely hadn’t killed her sister. The evidence seemed to be overwhelmingly against her, but it didn’t seem real to me.
“I’m sorry, Mayor.” The chief patted me awkwardly on the shoulder. “We’ll do the best we can for her.”
I felt numb. It was like watching this happen to someone in a dream. It couldn’t be happening in real life. Years of growing up and being reminded to watch my manners forced a smile on my lips. “I know you will. You’ll stay for supper, won’t you? Gramps has a bunch of food on the grill.”
The chief hitched up his pants and nodded. “You know, I’d like that. Where’s Horace?”
“He’s in back. Maybe you could help him bring all that food inside.”
Agent Walker opened the dining room door, the noise from the other rooms spilling in. “I’ll head on out and see you all tomorrow.”
“Stay for supper,” I extended the invitation. “Really, there’s so much. We need all the mouths we can get. I’m sure you’d enjoy having a home-cooked meal after eating out so much while you’ve been here.”
“Well, yes. I’d like that. Not to say anything bad about your local restaurants, but some home cooking sounds great. Thanks.” He smiled for the first time, and I went out the door before the three men.
I let them go out and help Gramps with the grilled food while I went into the kitchen to help Mary Lou and several other female neighbors who’d turned up for the meal. They’d brought banana pudding, slaw, peaches and a pie or two. I mashed a huge pot of potatoes (there would never be enough grilled potatoes for this crowd) and warmed up some leftover butter beans.
I didn’t feel like eating. I wanted to be alone to think about everything that had happened and try to make some sense of it. I waited until Gramps came in with the grilled food before quietly escaping out the back door. It wasn’t too hard not to be noticed. There had to be at least thirty people there.
It was cool and dark in the backyard. I walked out to the end of the pier and sat on the old fishing bench. I couldn’t count the number of times I’d come out here for solace after my mother died. It had become my thinking place.
I looked out at the stars over the Currituck Sound, the light gleaming off the water. I could see the Bodie Island Lighthouse, warning ships at sea of the dangers along the Outer Banks. The light came and went as it swept from shore to shore. It had stood there for more than one hundred years. It had inspired me my whole life. I hoped it would work for me now.
I felt the vibration of footsteps on the pier behind me before I heard them. I thought it might be Gramps, until Kevin said, “I noticed you walked out without a plate. I loaded up a bunch of food for you. You’ll have to eat it to keep me from cleaning both our plates.”
“Thanks.” I was touched by his thoughtfulness. I stood up and took a plate from him, then scooted over so he could sit down too. “I don’t know if I can eat anything after finding out about Miss Mildred.”
“It won’t do you any good to starve. You have to keep up your strength so you can help her.”
I looked at him, barely able to make out his features in the dim light. His words made so much sense. Why hadn’t I seen it before? “You’re absolutely right, Kevin! I can help her. All I have to do is find evidence that contradicts the evidence they found at her house. It had to have been planted there. I know she didn’t kill Miss Elizabeth. And isn’t all of that evidence circumstantial anyway? She didn’t confess. No one saw her do it. Just because the purse and the murder weapon were at her house doesn’t mean she’s guilty.”
“I meant so you could go see her at the hospital.” He put down what looked like a piece of chicken. “The chief and Agent Walker know what they’re doing, Dae. I know you don’t like what’s happening to your friend, but I’m afraid anyone could make this case against her. The purse and the weapon that killed Miss Elizabeth are a big deal, even without a confession. Believe me, they’ve convicted people with less.”
But his dark, sensible words meant nothing to my sudden sense of euphoria. “I’m sure that’s true. But I think we should be able to prove it wasn’t her. All we have to do is find out who the real killer is.”
“Wait a minute. We? I’m not in that game anymore. And I can’t tell you how much I hated civilians who thought they could interfere in the process. Bad things happen to those people. Ask your grandfather. He’ll tell you. The real killer could try to kill you.”
“And that would reveal what we need to know.” I put my plate down on the pier between us. “I can probably do this without you, Kevin. But think how much safer I’d be if you helped me. Not to mention that you know the ins and outs of this sort of thing. I could pay you.”
“You don’t have enough money to pay me to investigate Miss Elizabeth’s death.” His words sounded like a blunt refusal. Then he added, “But I suppose if you’re determined to do this, we could trade labor.”
“What kind of labor?”
“Did you notice how bad the paint looks on the outside of the Blue Whale?”