“I told you I had felt it there,” Dickce said. “I thought you believed me.”
“I did,” An’gel said. “I know you wouldn’t lie to me about it.”
“But you thought I was putting on an act,” Alesha said. “I’m used to skepticism. I’ve encountered it every time I have been hired, so you didn’t intimidate me. Even when you told me that ridiculous story about my grandmother.”
“What are you talking about?” Mary Turner asked. “Do you know Alesha’s grandmother, Miss An’gel?”
“No, I don’t. I was told something about Alesha’s grandmother that turned out not to be true.” An’gel stared hard at Marcelline, who had entered the room moments before with another plate of biscuits.
The housekeeper set the plate on the sideboard. She hesitated a moment, then turned to face Mary Turner. “I told a lie, Miss Mary, because I was afraid you had gotten so angry at Nathan that you went and killed him.”
“If I hadn’t been worried you killed him to protect me,” Mary Turner said, “I’d be upset by that, Marcelline.”
“I lied, and I’m sorry about that, Ms. Jackson,” the housekeeper said. Alesha Jackson stared hard at her for a moment before she nodded to acknowledge the apology. “But I wouldn’t ever take a life, Miss Mary, and I should have known you wouldn’t either.”
“We know that now,” An’gel said, “but both of you were strong suspects, you know, because of what Nathan told you the night he died.” She glanced at Henry Howard, then at Mary Turner, an eyebrow raised.
“It’s all right, Miss An’gel,” Mary Turner said. “I told Henry Howard everything. We stayed up until nearly two a.m. talking things over. I think we understand each other a lot better now.”
Henry Howard smiled at her. “We do, and I’m glad.” He turned to An’gel. “The only thing now is to figure out how to get out of the financial mess we’re in.”
“We can talk about that later,” An’gel said. “Dickce and I are going to introduce you to a friend of ours who is a banker. I’m sure she will get things sorted out with the mortgage, and you’ll do okay. We’ll see to it.”
“Thank you,” Mary Turner said. “I’m not sure we deserve your help, but I’m mighty glad you’re on our side.”
An’gel smiled but her attention had already shifted elsewhere. They had strayed away from the subject of last night’s strange events, and she was concerned about Benjy. He still appeared troubled, though he had finally begun to eat his breakfast. She didn’t know what to say or do to reassure him at the moment. She was beginning to come to terms with the idea that what had happened last night had happened, whatever the explanation. She was going to be content with that, and she hoped Benjy could make peace with it.
As if sensing An’gel’s thoughts, Alesha Jackson spoke to Benjy. “I know you’re troubled by what you saw and felt last night, but that spirit would not have harmed you. I can assure you of that.”
Benjy frowned and put down his fork. “I guess I believe you, but I don’t understand why it did what it did.”
“I think I know,” Mary Turner said before the psychic could reply.
“What is your explanation, Mary Turner?” An’gel asked. She saw that everyone was intent on the young woman, awaiting her response.
“You may all think this is silly,” Mary Turner said, her tone slightly defensive, “but I think she—and I think it’s she, not he—was protecting the house. She knew who killed Nathan, and she wasn’t going to let the murderer get away with it. Especially after Serenity threatened to tear the house down.”
An’gel wasn’t going to argue with Mary Turner. She realized it wouldn’t do any good. Whether the spirit had acted to protect the house was not a question she would dwell on for long. The important thing was, Serenity had been so frightened by the experience that she had confessed.
“It was all about the money, wasn’t it?” Alesha Jackson asked.
An’gel nodded. “Yes, she killed her brother because he wouldn’t give her the money she thought she needed in her battle for joint custody of her children. She thought she could get her hands on it right away, once he was dead. She didn’t realize it wasn’t so simple.”
“How did she do it?” Dickce asked. “No one has told us.”
“Lieutenant Steinberg informed me yesterday afternoon that Nathan Gamble was smothered to death and that he was probably drugged with sleeping pills. He was unable to resist when Serenity covered his face and suffocated him with a pillow.”
“Was he dead when I went in there?” Henry Howard asked, obviously appalled at the thought. He had paled the moment An’gel explained how Nathan died.
“I don’t know,” An’gel said. “You told me that you thought you heard a moan or two. He could still have been alive at that point and moaning in his sleep. I believe Serenity somehow got him to take the sleeping pills after they argued, then left him until he went to sleep. Then she came back and killed him when she knew he wouldn’t be able to fight back.”
“We’ll have to wait until the trial to find out, I guess,” Mary Turner said. “At this point, though, I’m not sure I even want to know any more details about it. I always thought she was hateful and completely self-centered, but I didn’t imagine that she could kill her own brother.”
“She was more concerned about money than she cared about her brother,” Dickce said.
“Speaking of money,” Henry Howard said, “what’s going to happen to her inheritance? She’s not allowed to profit from her crime, is she?”
“No, she isn’t,” An’gel said. “She forfeited her right to her brother’s money when she killed him. That means her heirs can’t profit either.”
“If Truss hadn’t gone home first thing this morning,” Mary Turner said, “he could probably tell us what will happen.”
Benjy spoke up. “He told me yesterday he thought Nathan had split everything between him and Serenity. I guess maybe he’ll get everything now.”
“The courts will decide,” An’gel said, “but I believe you’re right.”
“He’s welcome to it,” Mary Turner said. “I hope he’ll see that Serenity’s boys get some of it, though.”
“I bet he’ll do the right thing,” Henry Howard said. “He’s an okay guy, I think.”
No one spoke after that until Benjy broke the silence with a question directed to Alesha Jackson.
“Is the spirit still here?” He looked uneasily around the room as if he might spot the ghost, An’gel thought.
“I don’t believe the spirit is here any longer,” Alesha said. “I think we persuaded her that it was okay to move on, especially after what she did.”
“I will kind of miss her,” Mary Turner said with a faint smile. “The things she did, that is, and not the silly pranks you played.” She poked Henry Howard in the side.
“That reminds me,” An’gel said. “I won’t ask you to explain the cold spot, but what about the shadow I saw?”
“And the parlor door closing by itself?”
Henry Howard laughed. “I can explain the door easily. The shadow I know nothing about.”
“What about the door?” Benjy asked.
“If you stand back and look at it long enough, you’ll probably see that it’s at a very slight angle, just barely noticeable,” Henry Howard said. “Part of the front of the house has shifted a tiny bit over the years, and when the door is left open at a certain spot, it will start moving. The weight of it makes it close from that point, or near enough to closing.”
“I’m relieved to hear that,” An’gel said. “I wish you could explain that shadow, though.”
“Sorry.” Henry Howard shrugged. “That must have been the spirit’s doing.”
An’gel glanced at Benjy. He appeared more at ease now, though she could tell he was still bothered by something. After a moment’s thought, she decided she knew what might make him feel better.