Bones of a Feather - Carolyn Haines [71]
“Then where’s Jerome?”
“I wish I could answer.”
The defeat in her voice made me believe her. “Eleanor, I don’t know what games you and Monica are engineering.” I thrust the note and scrap of nightgown at her. “This sounds serious. We need the police. Otherwise, Tinkie and I are out of here.”
Before she could answer, another cry for help came from behind Jerome’s cottage. This time it was a woman.
“Help me! I saw the car lights! Help!”
“Who the hell is that?” Tinkie asked.
Sweetie lifted her head and gave a mournful bay.
“I think that was who Sweetie was chasing. This is like a Monty Python comedy, except it’s not funny and people and dogs are being hurt.” I picked up a flashlight and eased out from under Sweetie’s head. “Stay here, girl.”
My hound was having none of it. She faltered to her feet and shook, then cocked her head.
“Help! I’m up here!”
With a brisk arf, Sweetie led us around the cottage to a tall magnolia tree.
“I’m up here!”
I aimed the flashlight. Tinkie and Eleanor added the strength of their beams. Caught in the light was Millicent Gentry, dressed all in black. Her pale face glowed in the illumination.
“That dog”—she pointed at Sweetie—“tried to tear my legs off. I got lucky and gave her a good lick with a magnolia pod.”
“What are you doing on Briarcliff land?” Eleanor sounded imperious.
“It won’t be yours forever,” Millicent said haughtily.
“Why are you here?” I repeated, my aggravation showing.
“I don’t have to answer your questions.” She shot me the bird.
I handed Tinkie the .38. “Shoot her,” I said. “She’s trespassing and she tried to attack us.”
“That’s a damn lie—”
I cut her off. “It’s our story and we’re sticking to it.”
“I just love it when you let me follow my urges.” Tinkie cocked the gun and pointed it at Millicent. Without hesitation she pulled the trigger. A chunk of magnolia only inches from Millicent’s head blasted out of the tree trunk.
“You crazy bitch!” All smugness had disappeared from Millicent’s face. Eleanor had sense enough to stay quiet.
“I missed.” Tinkie thumbed the hammer again and made a great pretense of aiming more carefully. “This is embarrassing. I never miss. But you won’t be around to tell anyone about it, Millicent.”
“I was helping John Hightower set up surveillance equipment. He said he was going to get the goods on Eleanor and Monica for insurance fraud.” She tried to scrabble higher in the tree, but Tinkie fired again, this time just above her head. I had to hand it to my partner, she was a damn good shot. Close enough to put the fear of god in Millicent, but not a hair on her coiffed head was mussed. Either Tinkie was the reincarnation of Dead-Eye Pete or she’d been practicing behind my back.
“Come down out of that tree,” I ordered.
“No. The dog will bite me.”
“She’s all yours, Tinkie. Shoot her.” I started to walk away as I heard Tinkie cock the gun again.
“You’re crazy,” Millicent screamed, but she started down.
“I’ll have you arrested,” Eleanor said hotly. “You’ve been told again and again to stay off this property. Now you’re going to jail.”
“I saw the horseman.” Millicent dropped to the ground. “I hit the dog with a pod, but it didn’t hurt her. The horseman whacked her with a tree limb. The dog was trying to hem him up.”
I whirled around. “A horse hasn’t been through here.”
Millicent wiped her hands on her jeans. “Not the horse, just the rider. He was on foot. Running toward Briarcliff.”
“Where was the horse?” I asked.
“How the hell should I know? I meant to follow the rider, but the dog came out of nowhere and sent me up the tree.”
“Why not sell tickets and let everyone run around Briarcliff at night? Maybe it could be a reality TV show. Find the ghost rider? Hit a dog? Lose a gardener?” Tinkie was outdone. She waggled the gun at Millicent.