Maybe she had something on someone on the board. Blackmail. If business is on the skids, human behavior can always be relied upon for misdeeds. Or sex. Never run out of problems there.
The DAngelos are successful people; they contribute heavily to political campaigns. Its crossed my mind that she might have gotten involved in something unsavory, as you have said, gotten the goods on a prominent public figure. Mariah is too smart to try blackmail. It would have been disguised as something else. Inez tipped her head back, her silver curls catching what little light there was. Shed lit a cigarette, one of the three she smoked every day. God, that tastes good.
Cooper loves Dunhills, too. Terribly expensive. She cant afford them, but I know when she treats herself, its the red pack. She doesnt like menthol.
Havent seen Cooper in a while. Remind me to bum a cig off of her. I love it. Clears out my sinuses. I shouldnt be smoking, but
Inez, at your age, you can do as you damned well please.
A big grin crossed Inezs symmetrical face. I need to be reminded of that more often. I dont know how long I have to live, but less than you.
I hope not. Harry smiled.
If only I could live forever, Inez said wistfully. I find this earth fascinating. I dont want to leave. She took another deep drag. Youll never know how I struggled to give up this habit. Used to smoke a pack a day when I was practicing. At this point, why bother? Your sentiments. She nodded to Harry.
Harry returned to the subject at hand. Do you know the candidates or elected officials that Mariah backed?
No. Ill ask Flo. Theyre at loggerheads about that, too. Flos Democrat. Mariah, Republican.
Have they ever agreed on anything? Charity, perhaps?
Inezs head perked upward slightly. Why do you say that?
Theyre community leaders; leaders are always involved in some kind of charity. Its easy to steal from charities. For instance, you create a special need, like funding wheelchairs for indigent children. And when money comes in for your wheels-for-kids, you do supply wheelchairs. With lots of publicity. You then run all your expenses through the 501(c)3 corporation, a charitable nonprofit. You can live like a king. You can also create another corporation, and the wheels-for-kids makes gifts and loans to it.
How do you know about this?
Had some dealings with the Brothers of Love on the mountain.
Up next to Swannanoa. Inez cited a place just to the south of Route 250, below the Skyline Drive on- and off-ramp. It may well be one of the most interesting places in Virginia, as it was founded, in a sense, to study religions without judgment, perhaps a century ago.
Right.
The Brothers of Love are crooked? Inez was shocked.
Some were. Its been straightened out.
Im happy to hear that. Iwell, I dont want to get off track here. You think Mariah might have set up a charity?
Just a thought.
Ill investigate. If she had, Id think Id know about it. Board members are merciless in pressing other board members about some special project.
Harry excused herself for a moment to go upstairs to the bathroom. Shed imbibed far too much tea.
Mrs. Murphy jumped onto Inezs lap.
Theres blood mixed into the manure. Tucker said so.
Tucker, on the floor, said,
If only you could learn what were saying.
I still think youre making it up.
Pewter rolled over to her left side.
You just want me to be jealous because I didnt come along.
Pewter, Ive read astronomy books over Harrys shoulder. I dont remember learning that you are the center of the universe.
Mrs. Murphy flashed her Cheshire cat smile.
Hateful fleabag,
Pewter insulted her friend.
Oh la,
Mrs. Murphy sassed, which further inflamed Pewter.
Harry returned to the kitchen.
Inez was enjoying her nicotine hit as the cigarette burned down. Both Flo and Mariah are totally devoted to William Woods and both were in Kansas City at the American Royal horse show in 1984, when Skywalk and Imperator went head to head in the five-gaited class. They were often at important events, not together, but there.
I dont know much about Saddlebreds, but I really loved the Shelbyville show, and that Shortro is a dream.
Good minds. Good mouths. Well, Skywalk, trained and ridden by Mitch Clark, and Imperator with Don Harris in the irons, were like the Yankees versus the Dodgers in the old days. Electricity. I was there, too. That is the extent of Flo and Mariahs confluence in the horse world. As to fund-raisingfor, say, rebuilding a historic place or something like thatthey were often involved.
I see. Inez, if Mariah did have a special charity, would Flo have supported it?
Depends on the charity. Thats why I think Mariahs disappearance is related to something else. Politicsas I mentioned, politics usually brings out the worst in people.
Im beginning to think politics is a platform for extreme egotism, Harry mused. One stokes greed, the other fuels egothe desire for power over others.
Got that right, Snookums. Inez used the old term from Fanny Brices radio show, then realized Harry had never heard of it.
The Baby Snooks Show.
Pardon?
Baby Snooks
was Fanny Brices radio show. Screamingly funny. You saw
Funny Girl,
Im sure.
A revival. Wish I could have seen it with Barbra Streisand.
Barbra Streisand started out singing at the Bon Soir on West Eighth Street in the Village.
Inez, is there anything you dont know?
Inez laughed. When youre ninety-eight, youve lived a lot, plus
Im blessed with a sharp memory. I have so many interests. Is there anything I dont know? Lots. I dont know why the human animal so likes to destroy thingsliving thingsand I dont know where Mariah is. Her voice lowered.
Im so sorry, Inez. As chairman of the alumnae board, this lands in your lap.
Im worried, Harry. She paused and half-whispered, Deeply worried.
Ill help in any way I can.
I know you will. I wanted to talk to you about the problems on the board before we got here. You often have unconventional solutions. Little did I know when I made that phone call that it would be something big when we got here. You have a good mind, and you arent misled by sentiment. Thats uncommon, really. You dont let emotion cloud your thinking.
Thank you, Inez. Do you think Aunt Tally is in danger?
A long pause followed. Its possible. She has an unerring ability to stir a hornets nest.
The animals had been listening.
The blood in the manure pile,
Tucker said.
Lets get out of here and go back there.
Mrs. Murphy replied sensibly,
Tucker, a blizzard is developing. Theres more than a foot of snow on the ground already. The manure pile is covered and frozen. You know that. We couldnt dig into it if we had to.
Pewter, finally drawn into this, said,
I didnt see the manure pile, but it sounds as though its in plain view.
In the back, but its not hard to find,
Mrs. Murphy answered.
A manure pile is not a likely place to actually kill someone, though. For one thing, if the killer and Mariah made noise, a student might have heard it; the horses certainly would have. I bet Mariah was killedif indeed she wassomewhere else. As the manure pile was fresh on the top, it would have been pretty easy to dump her there, pull the fresh manure over the body. Or the attack could have started there if the attacker was able to silence her in some fashion. I dont know; right now it makes no sense.