clincher. Barclay just told me that one of Everett Walters’ businesses is Walter Ace Parcel Delivery. If I’m not mistaken, that’s the company Ryan Dance worked for, and it was in their secured parking lot that he parked his car—the car with all the evidence in the trunk that he claims someone must have planted. You have to admit, it’s worth looking into.”
“You’re right,” said Kingsley. “My God, you’re right about that.”
“So now you do intend to look into the Ellie Rose murder case? The one you assured those women in Gainesville that you weren’t investigating?” said Frank.
“Yes,” said Diane. “This may turn out to mean nothing, but it’s really making the hair stand up on the back of my neck.”
“Just checking,” said Frank. “I find it a little chilling myself.” He smiled. “I know I would follow up on it.”
“It makes sense about Wendy Walters,” said Kingsley. “It was obvious she and Marsha Carruthers are codependent. I could see what Marsha was getting out of the dependent relationship, but I couldn’t understand what Wendy was getting. If she was trying to assuage her guilt, it would lead her to go way above and beyond the behavior of a good neighbor.”
“Her guilt about what exactly?” said Frank.
“That’s the question,” said Kingsley, absently pulling at his tie. “Did someone in her family kill Ellie Rose, and did she know about it?”
“Jeez, it’s beginning to sound like a Shakespearean tragedy,” said Diane. She started to offer more coffee when the phone rang again. She left them at the table wondering if Wendy was some variation of Lady Macbeth and went to answer it.
“Diane, it’s Vanessa. How are you?” she asked.
“I’m doing well. No real lasting effects. Frank replaced the doors today. You’d never know they had been shot up,” said Diane.
“That makes me shiver every time I think about it. I don’t know how you remained so calm during all that,” she said.
“I wasn’t really all that calm,” said Diane.
“You did well. I’m very impressed. God forbid, if I’m ever in that situation, you are the one I want by my side to protect me. But the reason I called, Mother said she remembered getting letters about the Gauthier family when we were in Europe. She said the letters were from Laura Hillard’s great-grandmother, Ernestina. She kept mother up-to-date on all the Rosewood gossip in those days,” said Vanessa.
Laura Hillard, Diane’s psychiatrist friend, and her family went several generations back as residents of Rosewood.
“Does she remember what they said?” asked Diane.
“No. She got so many letters during that time,” Vanessa said. “When Daddy was ambassador, our life was a whirl-wind.”
“I don’t suppose she saved the letters,” said Diane.
“Well, that’s the thing. She’s insisting that Harte and I go up in the attic and look for them. She can’t remember exactly where they are stored, and you know how big our attic is. It’s going to be like finding the lost Ark in the government’s warehouse,” said Vanessa. “Harte told me to use that analogy. She said, since you love science fiction, that you would understand it.”
Diane laughed. “I do, and it’s a good analogy.”
“Oh, I’m glad. I know how you hate bad analogies. Poor Thomas Barclay still hasn’t recovered from your scolding of him over the ‘Where there’s smoke there’s fire’ reference.”
Diane smiled to herself. “Thomas called this evening. A man named Everett Walters is wanting him to dismiss me from the museum. Do you know an Everett Walters? He owns some businesses in Atlanta and Gainesville.”
“Dismiss you? This person thinks he has a say in who is director of my museum? For what reason did he think you should be fired?”
Diane could almost see the look of indignation on Vanessa’s face. She related the conversation she had with Thomas Barclay.
“I think Walters wants me away from that case in Gainesville. I won’t get into that. It’s a really long story,” Diane said.
“I’ll call Thomas,” Vanessa said.
Nothing infuriated her more than people messing with the museum.
“Everett Walters? The name sounds familiar. Yes, the Everett Walters I know has a son, Gordon Walters, who, I believe, is a doctor. I’ve heard talk of him running for Congress. I don’t know why he thinks that makes him qualified. Doctors can be so arrogant. Is that the same Everett Walters who called Thomas?”
“That’s him,” said Diane.
“I hope Thomas gave him an earful, but I doubt it. I’ll let you know if we find anything in the attic,” she said.