The Christie Caper - Carolyn Hart [104]
It was hard for Henny, but she grudgingly admitted, “There are a couple of curious points that have arisen, although certainly there is no overt evidence even hinting at any kind of vendetta against Bledsoe by Kathryn Honeycutt.”
Annie exchanged glances with Max. Something unexplained in a life that seemed so normal?
Henny did love the limelight. She spoke with a storyteller’s verve. “Kathryn was born in 1924 in Van Nuys, California. She met Sergeant Frederick Honeycutt at a USO dance in Hollywood when she was nineteen. They married four months later in September 1943, just before his unit shipped out to the Pacific.” In two simple sentences, Henny splendidly evoked the romance and excitement and fear of a young couple in love in wartime. “After Frederick’s discharge from the marines in 1945, she went with him to his hometown, worked as a secretary while he went to college on the GI Bill, continued working while he was in law school. Worked as his secretary when Honeycutt opened his own firm. Widowed in 1985. Active in the Christian Science Church. No children. A member of two local book clubs, the garden club, the Business and Professional Women’s Organization, the legal secretaries club, the bar auxiliary, a hospital volunteer. Past ten years served as treasurer for local philatelic club. Collects stamps, especially early American, and mysteries. Has first editions of all Patricia Wentworth mysteries—”
Annie was impressed. Wentworth wrote sixty-five mysteries, starting with The Astonishing Adventure of Jane Smith (1923) and ending with The Girl in the Cellar (1961). Her last book was published the year she died.
“—also all of the Agatha Christies, though not first editions. Especially enjoys the Marple books as Kathryn bears a remarkable resemblance to Christie’s maiden lady detective, tall, with fluffy white hair, and blue eyes.
“In recent years, Kathryn has worked one day a week at a food canteen for the homeless. Her health is fairly good, but she is losing her eyesight. Refuses to undergo cataract surgery. Despite her years of activity in her community, she is considered fairly retiring in the sense that she rarely discusses personal matters with acquaintances, or even with friends of long standing.”
Henny paused until every eye was on her. “Through artful interrogation of a bank manager’s rather indiscreet wife”—the aforementioned artful inquisitor darted a glance at Lady Gwendolyn, who gave Henny a warmly admiring look, and even Henny looked pleased—“I have learned that Kathryn inherited a substantial estate upon her husband’s death. Something in the neighborhood of seven hundred thousand dollars. However—” another pause for dramatic emphasis, “that estate has dwindled drastically, with the withdrawal of substantial sums at erratic intervals. The bank manager’s wife sniffed, ‘My George tried to talk to Kathryn about it—he was afraid some fast-talking, unethical investment counselor might be taking advantage of her, and, of course, George is quite capable of advising the bank’s clients on good investments. But Kathryn got downright snippy, said what she did with her money was her business and no one else’s, so of course George didn’t say another word. But he told me it looks real funny, she goes along for months and has just her usual expenditures, then she’ll draw out a cashier’s check made to bearer for as much as sixty or seventy thousand dollars.’”
“That’s quite interesting.” Lady Gwendolyn’s eyes glowed. “It could be blackmail. It could be the purchase of anything from diamonds to drugs.”
“Drugs,” Max repeated. “Kathryn Honeycutt?”
Lady Gwendolyn chuckled. “You’d be surprised what old ladies