Have Your Cake and Kill Him Too by Nancy Martin

Author:Nancy Martin [Martin, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2010-02-28T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Delilah met me at the back door. Her wide-eyed expression told me she had heard Libby’s shrieking. “Ready?”

“Get me out of here fast.” I grabbed my handbag. “Small family emergency.”

“I think you got another one now. Look who just showed up.”

Pierpoint Fitch, out of police custody, stood in the backyard talking earnestly to Emma. He still wore his shapeless shorts and tennis shoes, but today he had completed his fashion statement by sporting a hat with a small umbrella attached to the top. He looked like a mad scientist hoping to hear a few alien transmissions before lunch.

Lucy and Keesa stood in Emma’s shadow, staring up at Pointy as if he might sprout a spaceship and fly away.

I charged up the sidewalk, Delilah right behind me.

“I’ve been thinking,” I heard Pointy say to Emma, “the whole time I was incarcerated, that perhaps you, young lady, are just the person I need.”

Emma lit a cigarette. “Don’t you think I’m out of your age bracket?”

“Age has very little to do with anything,” he replied. “It’s determination that counts. And hard training.”

“Mister,” said Lucy, “are you going to make animal shapes out of balloons? I saw a clown once who had a hat like yours.”

“Emma?” I called. “Anything wrong?”

My sister squinted her eyes against the cigarette smoke as she gave Pointy a suspicious once-over. “Nothing’s wrong,” she said. “Except look who’s out of jail.”

“That was an unfortunate misunderstanding,” Pointy said testily. “The gendarmes were most apologetic and released me early this morning. So I’m eager to resume my training.”

Emma blew more smoke. “Training for what? Finding your marbles?”

“I feel ready to take on a real challenge, so I’ve signed up for a triathlon.”

“A what?” Delilah asked.

Keesa said, “I like animal balloons.”

“A triathlon is a supreme test of athletic skills. Running, biking and swimming. I intend to start competing in October. That gives me eight months to prepare my mind and body.”

“The mind’s going to be the tough part,” said Emma.

“Young lady,” he said, “if we’re going to work together, we need to address your adder tongue.”

“I knew we’d get to my tongue sooner or later.”

Pointy turned purple. “Now, see here—”

“And who said anything about being together?” Emma demanded. “If you’ve got some weird fantasy going, Grampa—”

Before the children heard something they shouldn’t, I said, “May I ask why the police turned you loose? Not that I’m not pleased to see—well, have they arrested someone else for Zell Orcutt’s murder?”

“No,” he said, prim as a schoolmarm. “But I understand they are gathering evidence that implicates someone other than myself. Which was a ridiculous accusation in the first place. Heaven knows, I disliked that insufferable man, but I never lifted a finger against him. I have more important things to do with my physical skills.”

“What kind of evidence?” Delilah asked. “DNA or something?”

“I gather,” Pointy replied decorously, “they have found the murder weapon.”

“Kids,” said Emma, “why don’t you go into the kitchen and look for some carrots for Mr. Twinkles?”

“The bow?” I said when the children had scampered out of earshot.

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