Death By Drama Read online

Asa made a mental note of this. “Okay, then what did you do?”

  “I placed the goblets on the table.”

  “Had the decanter and goblets been cleaned?”

  “I washed them the other night and left them on the drainboard.”

  “Did you put anything in the goblets?”

  “No, I just put the empty goblets on the table, as I told you.”

  “Which table was it?”

  “The magazine table.”

  “Describe it to me.”

  “Early twentieth century. Black walnut with inlaid poplar. It sits on a pedestal that rotates, and has four slots under the top.”

  “So you can put different materials in the slots and rotate it while you’re sitting in your chair to get to the slot you want. I remember seeing it.”

  “That sums it up.”

  “Why use that table?”

  “John insisted on it.”

  “John Smythe?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is that kind of table described in the script?”

  “No. Prop instructions call only for a small end table.”

  “Then what did you do?”

  “I went out to see Hunter. He was already working in the backyard.”

  “What was he doing?”

  “Yard stuff. Gathering fallen branches, raking up debris. That kind of thing.”

  “Did you help him?”

  “Couldn’t. I heard commotion in the house and went back in. John liked to start exactly on time, and I wanted to make sure everything was in order.”

  “Who was there?”

  “John was in the kitchen. He took the decanter into the living room and filled the goblets. Madison was smoking on the front terrace. Zion Foley and Robin Russell were rehearsing their lines in the dining hall. The other players hadn’t arrived yet.”

  “My mother?”

  “Josiah’s always late.”

  Asa took note of this as her mother was usually punctual.

  Franklin hesitated a moment, then continued. He wasn’t sure what Asa was looking for. “I noticed the table with the decanter and goblets was dusty, so I took everything off, dusted, and replaced the glassware.”

  “Did you place the goblets in exactly the same places?”

  “Sure.”

  “Now think, Franklin. This is important. Did you put the goblet that was placed on the left back on the left?”

  “Well, I don’t remember.” Franklin pantomimed taking the goblets off, dusting, and then replacing them. “It’s possible that I switched goblets. I’m not sure. Is it important?”

  “What kind of decanter and goblets were you using?”

  “Nineteenth-century Venetian ware with gold trim around the lip and stem. My great-grandmother purchased them on her grand tour in Europe.”

  “Was this the set always used for the play?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is there anything that distinguishes one goblet from the other?”

  “There are eight goblets in the set, but I always used the same two because they looked shabby. Some of the gold trim is worn on one side of a goblet that was used. The other one has a small chip on the base. I didn’t want to use the nicer goblets.”

  “Was anyone else near the table?”

  “I wouldn’t know. I was in the other rooms making sure all the valuables were put away.”

  “In that case, how did the salt and pepper shakers end up in Madison’s coat pocket?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  “Before your blowup with Madison, whom did you confide in about your suspicion that she was stealing?”

  “Josiah. I mentioned something to Hunter but didn’t go into detail. Just said to lock everything up.”

  “Okay, that’s all for now, Franklin.” Asa started to rise, but Franklin grabbed her arm.

  “When am I getting out of here? I only have to pay $10,000 to get out. Why am I still here?”

  “You’ll have to talk to your brother about that . . . and speak of the devil, here he is.”

  “I hope you have good news,” said Franklin, looking back and forth between Asa and Hunter.

  Since Hunter seemed reluctant to speak in front of her, Asa took her cue and left. She looked back to see a disgruntled Franklin angrily gesturing at Hunter, who seemed very uncomfortable.

  Apparently another bank had said no.

  11

  Matt had to work, and his babysitter bailed on him, so I ended up with the little bundle of stale milk breath and poopy diapers. I had just put the baby down to nap when I heard the doorbell ring.

  Who could that be? Asa had a key, and I had recently changed the code to the driveway gate.

  I tiptoed to the front and glanced at the monitors. Oh, Lord, it was Meriah Caldwell with a policeman! What was Meriah doing here? She was supposed to be in Europe researching her next book. And why would she need a policeman?

  I opened the door and stood in the doorframe. “Meriah? Can I help you?”

  “I stopped at Matt’s bungalow, but nobody was home, so I thought Matt might be here.”

  “During work hours? You know he went back to his firm.”

  “May I come in?”

  “No. What’s with the cop?”

  “I thought Matt might not let me see Emmeline.”

  I gave Meriah a curious look. “You know Matt will let you see Emmeline whenever you want. He’s never been contentious about your visitations, however infrequent.” I just had to get that dig in.

  Something was not right. Meriah shows up out of nowhere with a cop when she knows Matt is at work. She was up to something.

  “Is my baby here, Josiah?”

  “No.”

  Of course, right after I lied, the baby started crying.

  Both Meriah and the cop heard her. “You do have Emmeline!” Meriah tried to push me aside, but I held my ground. She was actually tussling with me to get past. Jumping Jehosaphat!

  “Meriah, what are you doing? What’s going on?”

  “I want my baby, and I want her now.”

  “I’m sorry, but until I know what’s happening, I can’t let you see her.”

  “I’m taking her, Josiah, and you are not going to get in my way.”

  “Do you have a court order? Does Matt know about this?”

  “I’m her mother, and I want her, so I’m going to take her.”

  “Meriah, calm down. Matt will be home in three hours. Why don’t you wait at his home, and the two of you talk this through? If you want to see more of the baby, I’m sure Matt will be more than accommodating.”

  “I have a plane to catch, and the baby and I will be on it.”

  “You mean to California? No. No. I can’t allow that to happen.” I looked over her shoulder at the cop standing a few feet away. “Officer, this woman does not have legal custody of this baby.” I looked into Meriah’s angry face. “If you take Emmeline, you will be arrested for kidnapping. Think of what you’re doing, Meriah.”

  Meriah shoved me and kicked my shinbone.

  The policeman did nothing to help, just watched stupidly until something very large, brown, and furry lunged past me and knocked Meriah down and sat on her.

  BABY TO THE RESCUE!

  “You put that gun away!” I yelled at the cop.

  “It’s a lion,” he said, his pistol shaking in his hand.

  “It’s an English Mastiff, you idiot.” I was madder than a wet hen and smacked the door with my hand so powerfully that the doorframe shuddered. I bellowed in a voice that could be heard clear across the Kentucky River. “IF YOU TRY TO TAKE THIS CHILD, I’LL COME DOWN ON YOU SO HARD, IT WILL BE LIKE THE HAND OF GOD SMITING YOU! NOW GIT! BOTH OF YOU!”

  I pulled Baby back into the house and slammed the front door, locking it. Then I ran to secure all the back doors. I had my patio doors open to the pool, and barely got them closed and locked before I saw Meriah and the cop barreling onto my back terrace. I closed the drapes and called Matt. Of course, he was in a meeting and co
uldn’t be reached. I fumbled with my old-fashioned rotary phone and called the Big House.

  Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

  “Come on. Come on. Someone answer the damn phone,” I muttered.

  “Hello, darling,” June’s voice sang from the phone.

  “June!”

  “You sound out of breath, dear. What’s wrong?”

  “June, is Charles around, or any of the grandsons?”

  “He’s out in the back pastures, checking on the foals.”

  “I need him, June. Fast. Meriah’s here, and she’s trying to steal Emmeline, and I can’t get hold of Matt. I need reinforcements. Now!”

  “Where’s Asa?”

  “She’s not here. Do you think I’d be calling you if she was?”

  “Don’t be insulting, Jo. Hold tight. I’ll get Charles. Don’t worry.”

  I hung up in a frazzled state. Not knowing if Meriah was calling for more police reinforcements, I grabbed Baby and went into my bedroom, where I locked the steel door shut and got out my taser.

  The baby was screaming now, probably due to all the noise. I picked her up and swaddled her in a blanket. “There, there, Emmeline. Don’t cry.”

  Unnerved by Meriah, who was now pounding on the back windows, Baby growled and paced back and forth with his hackles up. The noise agitated Emmeline, making her cry louder.

  “Baby, lie down. Lie down,” I commanded my dog.

  Baby totally disregarded my commands. It was his job to protect, and that’s what he was going to do, even if it meant making things worse.

  I started to cry. Yes, cry. I can’t handle stressful situations anymore. The least little thing sets me off. With both Emmeline and me crying, I was running out of handkerchiefs. The only critter not bawling was Baby, who was howling.

  Would Meriah ever stop pounding on the windows? Good luck trying to break them. They were bulletproof.

  A chair was thrown against one of them. Oooh! If Meriah damaged one of my good patio chairs, I was going to make her pay through the nose.

  I thought about calling the police myself, but decided against it. Cops are quick to act when a baby is involved. Meriah is a famous person, and if she told the police she had custody, they might storm the Butterfly to get the baby before the truth was worked out. By that time, Meriah could be on a private jet with Emmeline, flying out of the country.

  Finally the pounding stopped.

  Baby stopped howling and looked at me, as if asking what he should do next.

  I shrugged. I was too busy calming the human baby to pay much attention to the canine Baby. He poked his nose through the drapes to take a peek.

  “What do you see, Baby? Is Meriah gone?”

  Baby looked back and forth between the drapes. Suddenly, he rushed to the bedroom door, barking and jumping up.

  There was a slight tapping on the door, and someone tried to turn the doorknob. I heard a muffled “Mom, are you in there? It’s me. Unlock the door.”

  I rushed with Emmeline in my arms to open the door.

  There stood Asa with Charles. Both looked baffled.

  Asa said, “I just passed Meriah and a cop flying down the driveway. I had to pull over to let them pass, and then I meet Charles rushing over through the pastures.” Asa shot an irritated look at Emmeline. “Can’t you shut her up?”

  “Your compassion is overwhelming.” I handed the baby over to Asa. “Here, you try to soothe her. I need a drink.” I marched into the great room and poured myself a neat bourbon. “Charles, do you want one?”

  “No thanks. I would love to stay and hear what just happened, but I’ve got four-legged babies of my own to see about. Everything okay here? I can leave?”

  I sank into my sofa cushions and took a long sip before answering. “Yes, of course. June said you were checking on the foals. Asa’s here, so I’ll be fine. Thank you so much for coming to my rescue, Charles.”

  “Anytime, Josiah.”

  “Make sure the front door is locked behind you,” I called out as Charles was leaving.

  “Asa,” I called out. “ASA! ASA!”

  Asa came into the great room. “Quiet. I just got the rug rat to settle down.”

  “That’s great, but you’re going to have to get her up again. I need to see a doctor.”

  “What for?”

  “I think I broke my hand when I struggled with Meriah.”

  Jumping Jehosaphat!

  12

  My hand wasn’t broken, but the little finger on my right hand had a hairline fracture. I was now home with my pinky in one of those metal finger thingies. The doctor had given me a pain shot, though, so I was a happy girl.

  However, Matt was not a happy boy. He was pacing and mumbling, “Why would Meriah do such a thing?”

  “You’re wearing a path on my carpet.”

  “You have no carpet.”

  “It’s a figure of speech. Please sit down. You’re making me dizzy.”

  Matt harrumphed but plunked down beside me.

  “I warned you Meriah might change her mind about wanting the baby. She definitely was going to kidnap Emmeline. And there’s another explanation.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Meriah could be suffering from postpartum depression.”

  “I thought of that. I’m very concerned for Meriah, but she won’t answer my calls.”

  “Be expecting a lengthy custody battle.”

  “I can’t afford one.”

  “Here’s another thought. She heard about Franklin’s murder charge and thinks Emmeline is better off with her. Meriah never liked Franklin, you know.”

  “That’s putting it mildly. I never understood why. Franklin’s such a pleasant person.”

  “You know, Matt, for a bright man, you’re kind of stupid sometimes.”

  Matt pulled me close and kissed my temple. “Ah, you say the sweetest things to me.”

  We clung to each other for safety, our friendship a barrier against the dangers from the outside world.

  And I didn’t let go.

  13

  I must have dozed off, because I woke up on the couch with a blanket thrown over me. I guess that pain shot knocked me for a loop.

  The Butterfly was quiet, and it was dark outside. I stumbled around until I found a light switch. To my surprise, there were all sorts of baby things in my great room: playpen, several suitcases, toys strewn on the floor, diaper bag, bottles, etc.

  I guess Asa and Matt had come to some sort of agreement while I was conked out, and Matt was apparently staying at the Butterfly. I didn’t care at the moment. My pain shot had worn off, and my little finger was throbbing. I got up and staggered in search of my secret stash of pain pills.

  In my bedroom where I kept my stash, slept Asa and Matt, with Emmeline and Matt’s dog Ginger between them along with a bowl of half-eaten popcorn. Lying at their feet was Baby, sawing logs, with various cats sprawled on top of him. Asa must have let the Kitty Kaboodle Gang inside.

  I turned off the TV. They had been watching Charade with Audrey Hepburn before they drifted off.

  Both Asa and Matt looked exhausted.

  I put a blanket over them both and took Emmeline with me. I was afraid they might accidentally roll over on her.

  Baby lifted his head and opened his good eye. “Go back to sleep,” I whispered.

  I went to the guest bedroom, where I found a crib and Matt’s toiletries. I put the sleeping baby in the crib and set the alarm clock, climbing into bed fully clothed.

  I wasn’t going to wake the household rummaging for my illegal stock of pain medication.

  My throbbing finger would have to wait.

  14

  The next day I met Matt at Shaneika’s office.

  Shaneika listened patiently to me as I spelled out what happened with Meriah at the Butterfly yesterday. She tapped her pencil eraser quietly on her desk until I ran out of breath.

  “Matt, I’m not a child custody lawyer, but Meriah may very well have legal groun
ds to take Emmeline away. After all, Franklin does spend a considerable amount of time with her, and he’s now charged with first-degree murder. If I were her mother, it would give me pause, and a family court judge might see things the same way. However, based on Josiah’s testimony, Meriah acted in a rash and unstable manner, trying to kidnap the child.”

  Shaneika put her pencil down and leaned forward, resting her forearms on her desk. “I’ve already filed two restraining orders against Meriah for you both, and a judge who owed me a favor has already signed them. Josiah, I would suggest you report her attack to the police and press charges for wanton endangerment. Make sure you take pictures of that hand and get a copy of the emergency room report.”

  Matt asked, “Won’t playing hardball make Meriah angrier?”

  “Probably, but if there is a custody case, you want to make Meriah look as unstable as possible. I’m going to refer you to an experienced child custody lawyer. Here is her card. I suggest you contact her as soon as possible.”

  “If I could just talk to Meriah.”

  “Has she returned any of your calls?”

  “No. I’ve texted, emailed, left messages on her phone, her publisher’s, and her assistant’s.”

  “I would suggest you keep a record of any and all attempts to contact Meriah.”

  “I will,” assured Matt. “I’m worried Meriah has fallen ill, because it sounds like she’s not in her right mind. You know, she didn’t have an easy birth with Emmeline. It was very taxing for her.”

  “That is a possibility, and should be discussed with the custody lawyer. Maybe when you do get in touch with Meriah, you might suggest she see a doctor. Meriah might not even be aware that her behavior is frightening, but I feel you won’t be able to speak to her for a very long time. The next person you hear from will be her lawyer.” Shaneika leaned back in her high-backed leather chair. “And until the custody issue is resolved, I would recommend keeping your distance from Franklin.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that. Franklin’s my dear friend, and he’s been like another parent to Emmeline.”

  “Precisely. Until Franklin is cleared of all charges, you should not have anything to do with him.”