Fixing To Die

An’gel had no experience with psychics, but five hundred dollars, plus room and board, sounded pretty low to her for what some would consider professional services. She would ask Benjy to research how much psychics charged for their services. Primrose Pace’s request made her think the woman was more a scam artist than an actual psychic. She probably thought she could get away with it more easily if she didn’t ask for a large fee.

“Do you think I shouldn’t have let her stay?” Mary Turner asked. “From your expression, I’ll bet you’re thinking I made a mistake in doing so.”

“Perhaps,” An’gel said. “I’m skeptical, frankly, about Mrs. Pace and her psychic abilities. We asked Benjy to see what he could find about her online. She might be who she says she is and be a known psychic. She could also be a con artist who goes around looking for—” She cut herself off when she realized what she had been about to say.

“Looking for gullible victims. That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?” Mary Turner didn’t sound upset. “I know I’m a little too trusting sometimes, especially with people I don’t know. I take everyone at face value, and to me, Mrs. Pace seemed sincere.”

“I’m sorry,” An’gel said. “Yes, that’s what I was about to say, more or less. I would be happy were Mrs. Pace to prove me wrong. If there really is a spirit lingering here, and she can communicate with it and help it find peace, then all the better. The important thing to me and Sister, of course, is your happiness. If her being here makes you feel better, then Mrs. Pace’s services are worth the price.”

An’gel could tell by Dickce’s expression that she might have been laying it on a bit too thick, but she only wanted to reassure Mary Turner. The poor child had too much on her plate as it was, without An’gel and Dickce worrying her over Mrs. Pace’s bona fides.

Mary Turner appeared to accept her words at face value, An’gel was relieved to see. She would be more careful in what she said about Mrs. Pace in front of Mary Turner from now on, until she had proof positive the woman was a fake.

An’gel heard a bell tinkle somewhere in the room, and the sound startled her. Mary Turner, however, appeared delighted. She pulled out her phone and examined it eagerly.

“It’s Henry Howard,” she said as she jumped up from her seat on the trunk. “He’s home, and he’s downstairs.” Then her face clouded over. “He says Lieutenant Steinberg is on his way here, and he thinks it’s bad news of some kind.”

CHAPTER 23

“We’d better go downstairs and find out what this is all about,” An’gel said.

Mary Turner was already halfway out the door. An’gel and Dickce moved more slowly. They reached the foot of the stairs in time to see Mary Turner dart into the library. Inside they found her with Henry Howard.

An’gel and Dickce held back discreetly while Henry Howard finished apologizing to Mary Turner for upsetting her. After the apology appeared to be done, they entered the room and joined the couple, who stood, arms around each other, by one of the windows.

An’gel thought Henry Howard looked better than when she had last seen him earlier in the day. Evidently he had at least managed to eat. He confirmed it when she asked him.

“There’s a fast-food place about a mile away,” he said. “I walked there and had something, and then I came back here and took a nap in one of the rooms in the annex. I slept for about an hour, I guess, and when I woke up, I realized I had left my phone here and hadn’t told Mary Turner that I was going for a walk.” He hugged her close to him. “I hate it that I worried you, honey.”

“He does sometimes lay his phone down and then forgets where he left it,” Mary Turner said fondly. “I should have realized that’s what he’d done. I never thought of looking for you in the annex, though.”

“We’re glad you’re all right,” Dickce said.

“Yes,” An’gel said. “Now what’s this about Lieutenant Steinberg coming to the house? I gather he must have called you.”

Henry Howard nodded. “Yes, that’s actually how I found my phone. I heard it ringing and followed the sound. I managed to find it and answer the call before it went to voice mail.”

“What did he say?” Dickce asked.

“Did he give you any details?” Mary Turner spoke at the same time.

“Nothing specific, no,” Henry Howard said. “Only that there were developments and he wanted to talk to us all again. I thought the fact that he was coming here again to talk about these developments wasn’t really a good sign. He didn’t sound like it was good news.”

“What do you think, Miss An’gel?” Mary Turner asked.

“I think we need to wait and hear what the lieutenant has to tell us.” An’gel could see that her young friend was apprehensive, and she didn’t want to make her feel any more unsettled than she already was. She speculated that the developments were further information about the cause of death. She hoped that they had somehow confirmed it was natural, although they hadn’t had time to examine the body much further.