I grabbed my cell phone and called Mannie, then quickly explained what I needed and gave him everything I had on Tiffany’s mother. He promised to get on it right away. Then I pulled my laptop back over and started typing again.
“Now let’s see what we can drum up on the others,” I said. “First up, Paul Easton, because I’m betting we can rule him out straightaway.”
Ida Belle nodded. “Struck me as a bit of a wet fish. Can’t imagine him having the fortitude to kill someone or chop off a head.”
“I can’t even imagine him walking up to that horse, much less getting it in a trailer,” Gertie said.
“Well, I’m still operating under the theory that the murder and the Headless Horseman stunt might be two different people,” I said. “But the Horseman stunt had to require two to make it work. I just don’t see how a single person could have pulled it off unless they were Iron Man and the Lone Ranger combined.”
“Agreed,” Ida Belle said.
“So let’s see,” I said as I cruised the sites that mentioned Paul Easton. “Nothing much of note. Easton is a retired high school math teacher who still substitutes and does private tutoring. He must really turn on the personality to act.”
“Gwyn said he did,” Ida Belle said. “The math teacher thing fits him perfectly, though.”
“Well, I don’t see a part time as a rodeo clown,” I said. “And I can’t come up with a decent motive, so I’m going to push him to the bottom of the list.”
“Maybe he really didn’t like those chats in the bar after plays,” Gertie said. “Remember the hot tub and Nora?”
“Which is a great reason to avoid her but not kill her,” I said. “Next up is the other woman, Gwyn. And it looks like the only mention is as her being the assistant to Brigette Driscoll in an article about Brigette bringing class and history into the productions.”
“I wonder if they’re talking about those emeralds Gwyn wanted her to bring to the performance,” Gertie said.
“Let’s look up those emeralds,” I said. “Here we go. Family heirloom passed down for over a hundred years. Originally made for a great-great-great-whatever in Europe and brought to America. Family held on to them through lean years even though they could have sold for survival, and blah, blah…looks like Brigette is the current owner.”
“And what about Brigette?” Ida Belle asked. “She gives off the air of money.”
I nodded. “Her father was an attorney and state senator.”
“So money and connections,” Gertie said.
“So no motives for any of them that we can see except for Lil,” Ida Belle said. “Well, and maybe Gwyn if we think she had any idea Gil was lying to her about leaving Tiffany for her.”
I leaned back in my seat, trying to process all the pieces. “We have too many connected people here. That can’t be coincidence.”
Gertie nodded. “But with everyone hiding things and several of them with motive, how do we narrow it down? I mean, if we ask where everyone was the night Gil’s body was stolen, they will say in bed. If we ask about the night he was killed, they’ll say at home and the acting troupe will say on their way home. And I’m sure everyone will have similar unprovable things to say about the night of the Headless Horseman ride.”
“I agree,” I said. “Opportunity is not going to help us because, as far as we know, everyone had it. So the question is motive, which still doesn’t narrow things down a lot. Obviously, Tiffany had the strongest one, especially if she knew about the divorce, but people kill over feelings too, so that doesn’t leave out the ones who don’t financially benefit.”
I grabbed my phone and called Mannie again and gave him the names of everyone in the acting troupe, Liam, Judith, Tiffany, and River. I asked him to do a basic sweep and let me know if anything popped.
“No problem,” he said. “I got something back on Emilia Davis. After her second husband was arrested, she was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown.”
“The rumor mill mentioned something to that effect,” I said.
“Did the rumor mill also mention that she spent two years in a mental health facility?”
“No. They did not. Interesting. I don’t suppose you have more details on that?”
“Only a few. There’s an orderly who used to work there and owes us money. Orderlies don’t have access to patient files, but he said he was told her stay wasn’t voluntary and that she was considered dangerous to herself and others, so she was on his watch list. Apparently, they have patients they keep more of an eye on. Anyway, that’s it for now. I’ll let you know when I have more.”
I thanked him, then filled Ida Belle and Gertie in.
“I think Emilia just moved up the list,” Ida Belle said.
“I think it’s time we have another chat with her,” I said. “A private one.”
“And we can check out where Tiffany went while we’re there,” Gertie said.
I nodded. It was all about to break wide open.
I could feel it.
Chapter Twenty
We were just getting ready to leave for New Orleans when my doorbell rang. Carter wouldn’t bother to ring the doorbell when it was daylight, so it definitely wasn’t him. I headed for the door and was surprised to find a very agitated Judith Trahan standing there.
“I need your help,” she said.
I waved her inside. “Ida Belle and Gertie are here—back in the kitchen.”
“Good,” she said and followed me back.
I offered her something to drink, which she refused, so we all sat and waited for her to tell us what was wrong.
“Liam’s being railroaded,” she said. “The local cops have searched his house and the butcher shop already and then he called and told me some New Orleans detective showed up this morning, asking him for an alibi for last night and the night Gil was murdered. How the hell does someone who lives alone provide an alibi for the middle of the night?”
“Most people can’t,” I agreed.
“He said the detective told him Tiffany was attacked last night.” Judith looked at the three of us, clearly not wanting to believe it.
“That’s right,” I said. “Someone broke in last night and hit her so hard they knocked her out. We brought her home from the hospital this morning.”
“I thought he’d heard wrong, maybe,” Judith said. “Was it a robbery?”
I shrugged. “We don’t know. The cops are still working the house, far as I know.”
“That woman detective isn’t,” Judith said. “She’s the one asking Liam for an alibi. There was…hell, Gil changed his will a while back and split the money between Tiffany and Liam. That detective told him she knew all about it and that meant if something happened to Tiffany, it would all go to him. I guess she talked to Gil’s attorney.”
“That doesn’t look good,” Gertie said.
“No,” I agreed. “But it also doesn’t apply as Tiffany didn’t die. And whoever hit her had plenty of time to make that happen.”