Murder at the Fortune Teller's Table Read online

  I got out as the others converged on the yard, Gertie walking next to the Professor, cane in hand. I arrived at the door first and heard a dog barking, but it wasn’t the sound of an annoyed animal or one protecting its turf.

  It was more than that. I knew it well. I recognized the fierce, guttural sound. I’d heard it on the ranch when our dogs confronted a predator. Everyone within hearing would hit the ground running to protect our dogs and livestock.

  It was a savage sound from deep within the animal. It meant kill or be killed.

  Chapter 6

  I knocked on the door and got no answer. The growls grew louder and fiercer. I pounded on the door. “Mary,” I yelled. “Open up.” I tried the handle, but it was locked. I turned to the others, who’d started up the walk. “It sounds like Princess, and I think she’s attacking something—or someone.”

  “Get the key,” shouted Gertie.

  “Where is it?” I looked around and wondered where she would hide a spare.

  I didn’t need to think any further. Rudy shoved Grumpy the dwarf over, grabbed a key, and tossed it to Ivan with the smooth precision developed between brothers during years of childhood practice.

  Ivan pushed past me. We all crowded behind him as he opened the door.

  I saw Princess attached to a denim-clad leg. A wall blocked our view of the person it belonged to. The appendage kicked out, and the Chihuahua lost her grip and skittered across the floor.

  “Stop!” roared Ivan. He and Rudy ran into the room and around the corner of the wall. Ivan’s strength was something to be reckoned with, but fast he and his brother were not.

  The rest of us headed to a sheet-covered object thrashing around on the floor.

  “Help,” came a muffled cry.

  We’d taken only a couple of steps when Princess stopped us, teeth bared, body rigid, and legs splayed. Her eyes shifted from one person to another. I slowly took off my jacket, knowing any sudden movement might set her off. As gently as possible, I tossed my fleece over the pint-sized terror, quickly swept her up, and headed to the nearby hallway. I put her down in the first room I found and jerked the top of the material back enough for her head to be exposed. I knew she could make her way out of the garment from there. I closed the door.

  Gertie and the Professor had untangled Mary. Her face was flushed and her sweater askew.

  “I didn’t see who did it,” Mary said. “Someone threw a sheet over me from behind, told me to get on the floor and not move, and said I wouldn’t be hurt. Then I heard Princess growling and barking. She’d been asleep in her bed in the other room. There was a crash, and I felt pieces of something hitting my arm.”

  She looked at the floor covered in shards of white porcelain. “I wasn’t particularly fond of that piece. A gift from an aunt. Glad the attacker had poor taste.”

  Rudy and Ivan returned.

  “Went out the back gate. Didn’t see anything,” Rudy said

  The Professor had walked away from the group and now returned. “I called the police. They’re on their way.”

  “Mary, are you hurt anywhere? Do you need a doctor?” I asked.

  “I feel okay. The sheet protected me from the breaking porcelain.”

  The sound of a siren turning off announced the arrival of the police. There was a knock on the still-open door, and the familiar face of Deputy Sheriff Stanton appeared. His grim look didn’t bode well for the person responsible for the attack. He knew the Sentinels well. Gertie had been his fifth-grade teacher. He called them his crime-solving senior citizens—always with a note of fondness in his voice.

  “Hello, folks. What’s happened here?”

  Before anyone could respond, a loud barking brought Princess back into the picture.

  “My poor baby. I need to go get her.” Mary started to stand up.

  Poor baby? Ferocious guard dog, more like it.

  Gertie and I hovered over her as the deputy sheriff put his hand under her arm and helped her up.

  “Really,” she huffed. “I’m fine.” She was breathless but moving at a determined pace toward the dog’s prison door. She opened it, and Princess bounded out and beat a happy paw dance on her legs. Mary scooped her up, and the dog showered her with kisses.

  Princess smiled at us from the depth of Mary’s arms. She cuddled the dog as she told Deputy Sheriff Stanton what had happened.

  “We’ve had a string of robberies using the same method, or at least close to it.” He frowned at the broken statue. “This hasn’t happened before.”

  “Whoever it was moved one of the figures to my counter.” She pointed to a tall statue of a knight holding a broadsword high over his head. “Better taste with that one. It’s worth something.”

  The statue looked heavy and had a sharp point. It could’ve done some serious damage if it had fallen on Mary.

  The deputy sheriff tapped his notepad with his pen. “We’ve dubbed the burglar the Lunch Thief because he or she always strikes at lunchtime. We think the voice is recorded. The same directions are always used, and people can’t tell if it’s a man or a woman. The person grabs money, purses, and jewelry and leaves. No one’s been injured so far.”

  Thank goodness Mary wasn’t the first.

  “Mary, is there somewhere you can stay tonight?” Deputy Sheriff Stanton asked. “This robbery isn’t quite like the others, in that the person might have been planning on hitting you with one of your figures. Until we can investigate more, I’d like you to not be on your own.”

  “I’m not on my own.” She held up Princess. “She took care of things before.”

  “And the intruder will be prepared for her if he or she comes back,” the officer replied.

  “She can stay with me,” Gertie piped up.

  “No offense, Gertie, but I’d like a little more backup,” Deputy Stanton said.

  “Billy,” she began in a stern voice.

  “I know you can deliver a hard whack with your cane, but let’s talk about other alternatives.”

  “My son, Stevie, will arrive tomorrow.”

  “Great. That leaves tonight,” the officer replied.

  “I’ll be fine,” Mary insisted.

  Ivan and Rudy looked at each other.

  “We take care of Mary. We watch tonight. Take turns outside,” Ivan said.

  “Absolutely not.” Mary’s face reddened. “It’s cold out there.”

  Ivan’s stubborn look said it all. “Love America. Is free country.”

  Mary shook her head. “All right then. You can stay in the guest room.”

  “No, no bother you,” Ivan rumbled. “We do stakeout. Like police.”

  “I insist. It’s the only way I’ll allow it.”

  Ivan began to turn away. “No—”

  “Fine,” Mary countered, hands on her hips. “I’ll sit outside with you. As you said, it’s a free country.”

  A cold war of glares ensued.

  Soft Mary had a tough side. She and Princess made a good team.

  Rudy put his hand on his brother’s arm. “I think we can protect Mary more by being inside her house.”

  “Good point, Rudy,” the Professor said. “Since you can’t watch the whole perimeter, it’s better for you to be inside.”

  “We want to do what’s best for Mary,” Rudy said.

  Ivan nodded. “Yah. Do what’s best.”

  Mary touched Ivan’s shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll get a chance to do a stakeout on one of our other cases.” The phone rang. Mary glanced at the clock. “That could be the auction house. The sales are going faster than they predicted. Quick, Rudy, open the computer top.”

  Rudy did as instructed.

  Mary grabbed her phone. “Yes, this is she. Yes, I’m ready.”

  The computer screen came to life, and the face of a glazed porcelain Chihuahua, a Princess look-alike, filled the screen.

  The bids went back and forth a few times, then Mary exclaimed, “Wonderful!” She looked at us. “I got it. I’ve been trying to find one
for a long time.” Mary brightened. “Terry’s Auction House recorded the sales. We can have the popcorn I fixed and watch my winning bid.”

  Gertie and the Professor stayed with Mary while Ivan and Rudy left to get their things for the night. She was safe for the time being, with the Doblinksy brothers. I drove back to the inn, worried about Deputy Sheriff Stanton’s concerns and the robber’s change in pattern. Had the person meant to harm Mary, or had the figure accidentally fallen? The large one on the counter with the sword could’ve seriously injured her . . . maybe even killed her. Why use the first one? Stun her, then kill her? Why would someone want to hurt Mary?

  * * *

  The next morning, I checked my e-mail and found I’d been paired with Daniel at the display table for Wine and Flowers. It would be even more fun with him as a partner.

  Helen and I again prepared the meeting room. It was a short distance from my living quarters, so I left my door open as I finished some paperwork, allowing me to hear the arrival of the Silver Sentinels. I heard the group assembling and joined them a couple of minutes before ten-thirty.

  I entered the room and stopped dead in my tracks. There were two Marys. I shook my head. Was I seeing double? No, there was only one of everyone else. Princess, wearing a collar of blue jewels, sat on a chair between them. There was only one of her too.

  Mary and Mary began laughing.

  One of the Marys said, “Good morning, Kelly. I’d like you to meet my twin sister, Martha.”

  “Howdy. Glad to meet you,” Martha said. Her volume came close to rivaling Ivan’s.

  The two were not just twins, but identical in terms of features. However, they’d clearly opted for different styles of clothing. Mary dressed in pastels and wore a soft, furry sweater. Martha had on denim jeans and a corduroy jacket. Mary’s soft tones occupied the opposite side of the scale to Martha’s blustery, loud voice.

  “When Martha heard about the attack”—Mary shot a piercing glance at Gertie and got a placid smile in return—“she drove up from Sacramento.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” I said. I suspected the sisters had had fun with this routine or a variation of it all their lives.

  Martha suddenly bent over Princess and exclaimed, “Egad, woman, the dog’s nails are neon blue. You painted them! It was bad enough I let you convince me to name her Princess; now she’s wearing jewels and nail polish.”

  Princess lifted a lip. I couldn’t tell if it was a smile, a snarl, or a smirk. She got up and climbed into Mary’s lap.

  The dog looked at Martha and, I swear, deliberately stretched her front legs in Martha’s direction, displaying the brightly colored nails.

  Mary petted her. “It’s made for dogs and has all natural ingredients.”

  “Don’t even think about putting any of that stuff on Sergeant,” Martha said.

  I walked over to the sideboard to get some coffee and noticed a pet carrier next to Martha.

  She bent down, opened the door, and out marched a black Chihuahua in a denim vest with “service dog” embroidered on the side.

  I remembered Mary telling me Princess had once been her sister’s hearing-assistance dog and realized her loudness was probably the result of her hearing deficiency.

  Mary put Princess on the ground. Sergeant strutted over, and they started to touch noses. Princess reminded Sergeant of his rank and the chain of command with a quick nip in his direction. She let him know she was in charge, as befitted royalty.

  Gertie looked at her watch. “I wonder where Summer is. She’s been punctual so far, and she’s clearly upset over all of this.”

  Mary pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll call her and find out.” Mary tried one number with no luck.

  “Maybe she’s with Auntie for some reason,” Gertie suggested.

  “I’ll try there.” Mary selected another number. “Deputy Sheriff Stanton? I’m so sorry. I must’ve dialed the wrong number. I meant to call Despina Manyotis.”

  I could hear the deputy’s voice, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying.

  Mary frowned then, with a swift movement, she covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, and her eyes widened. She listened for a few minutes, then said in an emotion-choked voice, “Thank you for telling me.”

  She looked at us, tears collecting in her eyes. “Summer and Auntie are dead.”

  Chapter 7

  Auntie had said someone would die, and it had come to pass. Mary continued, “One of Auntie’s customers found them yesterday afternoon. He says Auntie and Summer appear to have been poisoned. The police are thinking accidental deaths right now. The two had been drinking tea. One of the deputies found hemlock among some fresh herbs in Auntie’s house. She dried them and made her own tea. Deputy Stanton is making a last check of the house.”

  Gertie sighed. “I didn’t like the fortune telling part of what Auntie did. Don’t believe in it. But she had an outstanding knowledge of herbal medicine. I took some classes from her. Hard to believe she’d make a mistake like that.”

  Mary nodded and dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “I agree, but her eyesight had been getting worse . . .”

  “Poor Summer,” I said. “All she wanted was the best for her son.”

  “It’ll be a hard time for Mark,” Gertie said. “I’ll pay him a visit.”

  “Please let him know we’re thinking about him,” I said.

  The others nodded in agreement.

  “Dear friends,” the Professor said, “this raises the question about how we should proceed regarding tomorrow’s meeting.”

  I leaned back. “Ken and Diane are coming. I believe we should honor Summer’s wishes and talk with them.”

  Rudy frowned. “We don’t even know what illness Mark has.”

  “I don’t think we need to know,” I said. “We can talk with them to see if they have any willingness to communicate with him. If they do, then we can contact Mark with the information, and he can decide what he wants to do.”

  “You wouldn’t talk to Mark first?” Mary asked.

  I shook my head. “If they refuse to see him, I think it would only add to a difficult emotional time for him.”

  “I agree with Kelly,” Gertie said. “If they won’t see him, we drop the matter as far as they’re concerned and see what we can do for Mark on our own.”

  Everyone thought this was a good plan.

  “What should we say to these people, and who should do the talking?” Mary asked.

  The Professor took out a notepad and began making notes. “I suggest we keep it simple and just tell them what we know and what Summer wanted. Mark has a medical condition requiring a family donor.”

  “They should know Mark isn’t aware he’s adopted,” Gertie added. “Though he might be by now. There might be something about it in Summer’s effects.”

  The Professor added to his notes. “She reached out to us for help when she hadn’t heard from them after she received confirmation the letters had been received. That’ll explain our presence.”

  “I’m happy to do the talking and discuss the purpose of the meeting since I’ve already had contact with them,” I said.

  And knew what kind of jerk Ken could be. I’d be prepared.

  “Perfect.” The Professor handed me his notes.

  “I’d like to give the background,” Mary said, “since I was close to Summer and Auntie.”

  “That would be nice,” Gertie said.

  “I think that does it,” I said. “Diane knows it’s about Mark, so there’ll be no surprise there.”

  A deep frown creased Ivan’s forehead. “How does mother who wanted doll instead of baby boy know?”

  I told them about the exchange with Diane.

  “Interesting,” Gertie said. “I wonder if she’s been keeping tabs on her son from a distance.”

  “I don’t know,” I replied. “She didn’t say.”

  “Let’s get together before the meeting at twelve-thirty tomorrow to go over the notes again in case someone thinks
of something to add,” Gertie said.

  The Professor pulled some papers out of his briefcase. “I researched the Lunch Thief. Everything checked with what Deputy Sheriff Stanton told us.” He spread newspaper articles out on the table. “The crook has been very active. Eighteen thefts in four weeks.”

  Martha reached over and slid a couple of the clippings in front of her. “This is who tried to hurt my baby sister?” she said in a booming voice.

  “Martha, a few minutes behind you does not make me your baby sister!”

  Martha grinned at her. “Does to me.” Her voice echoed off the walls of the conference room.

  Mary patted the back of Martha’s hand. “Honey, I think your hearing aids need adjusting.”

  “Sorry.” Her volume went down a notch. “New ones, and I’m still working with them.”

  I pulled some articles over and skimmed them. “Did you find anything we didn’t know?”

  “They’ve all been north of here. There hadn’t been any in our area until Mary’s incident. The people have all been exceptionally wealthy, so a quick grab and run could be valuable. Never on the weekend. I guess the robber works a regular Monday through Friday shift.”

  “The person wouldn’t have gotten much from me,” Mary said. “Some of my figures are the only things worth anything, and you can’t really grab a bunch of those and run with them.”

  “So three differences—area, what could be taken from Mary, and what Stanton said about no attacks, if the person had planned on hitting Mary,” Gertie said.

  “That sums it up.” The Professor turned to Ivan and Rudy. “How did last night go?”

  “No person at night,” Ivan shared.

  Rudy laughed. “We had a great time watching the auction. It’s amazing what people will pay for an object when they get caught up in a bidding frenzy.”

  “Guys, thanks for taking care of my little sister.” Martha grinned at Mary.

  Mary rolled her eyes.

  Gertie said, “I’ve already got a room ready for both of you. Stevie will be here this evening. We should have quite a dog party with Princess, Sergeant, and his two beagles, Jack and Jill.”