Being The Steel Drummer Part 28

"I really didn't have a choice."

"Maggie, I think you enjoy helping with police investigations, even when it isn't your case."

"Not unlike you giving so much of your time to Victoria Snow. I think she's going to be the other woman in our relationship."

"Perhaps we should both be punished," she said archly.

"Hmmmm... Then I think I should get ready for bed."

"I do, too."

When I came out of the bathroom, Kathryn was asleep again. I couldn't blame her; she'd had very little rest in the last two days.

I got into the bed next to her and she stirred again, opening her eyes even more slowly.

"You've made promises you can't keep," I said gently.

"You may be right, but Friday is your big day. We should rest up for it."

"Sounds like a deal, querida."

Suddenly it was 9 a.m. I yawned and stretched. The covers were warm and the bed was soft. I didn't want to get out of it until I realized Kathryn wasn't in it.

I sat up. "Kathryn?"

She came to the bedroom door, fully dressed in form-fitting jeans and a loose scoop-neck sweater. She leaned against the jamb with her arms crossed and a half-smile.

She sang, "They say it's your birthday!" She came over to the bed and kissed me. "Happy Birthday, my dear," she said sweetly.

I smiled and flipped the covers back. "Come back to bed?"

"Tempting, but I let you sleep late and now the drywall team will be arriving upstairs in fifteen minutes and you told Farrel we'd help. Nora's going to lend a hand too. I saw her in Sara's office when I went down to borrow some coffee filters."

I stretched like a cat then hopped out of bed. "You know, Kathryn, I bet if you played your cards right you could get a whole crew of young Lesbians to build your office for you at no charge at all."

As I closed the bathroom door she called, "Yes, well regardless of that, remember that Farrel and Jessie are having a little birthday party for you tonight. Then I'll have some rather exciting... presents... for the rest of the weekend celebration."

"I'll try to be patient," I called back. Maybe I should take a cold shower, I said to myself.

The Carbondales' deaths were all over the news. Fenchester's current police chief had called them a murder/suicide. The drywall team was talking about it the whole time we worked.

"Isnae this the end? Squire found some dodgy way tae come back, skelped his la.s.s in that fusty studio, then kilt that bloke in the cemetery because he wis afeart Frankie ken where her body wis hidden, and he wis afeart Red had be keeking about doone there too?" asked Nora.

Nora's brogue had clicked into overdrive due to Kathryn. They were sanding drywall compound near the office door. I heard Kathryn snort softly. Maybe it was just the dust.

At one point I took Kathryn aside and whispered, "Stop using your magic super powers on Nora. She's beginning to sound like a road company of Brigadoon. Be gentle or you'll have to pay extra when it comes to my birthday present."

"You're right. I've been teasing her too much. I'll stop. But regarding your present, I have a platinum card and I can't wait to use it."

I smiled devilishly and she did too.

Farrel said to everyone, "OK, we're just about done. Maggie, Kathryn, and Nora will finish sanding this part of the wall. The rest of you can begin cleaning up and packing up the drywall tools. I have to hurry. Jessie expects me home before five."

"Farrel?" I beckoned her out of the others' earshot. "How late is this party going to go?"

"Why? Are you hoping to get lucky later?"

"Well, as a matter of fact..."

"I'm thinking no later than 9 p.m. Farrel's eyes strayed to Kathryn. I could see her imagination working. She turned back to me, fanned herself with her hand and said, "I'll ask Jessie to make espresso!"

After the crew left, Kathryn and I stood in the middle of her new office s.p.a.ce and appreciated the transformation.

"I was afraid when all the walls were up it would seem small, but it doesn't. It's s.p.a.cious. And there's so much variation. The library part at the top of the spiral stairs, the quiet intimate part under the second level. I think I'll put a couch and chairs under there, and I'll put my desk in the big open part facing the windows. Oh, I really love it, Maggie! I've never designed my own s.p.a.ce before."

"It's a great s.p.a.ce. It really works," I said looking around.

Kathryn checked her watch. "Oh crikey, we only have a few minutes to hurry and clean up and then get over to the party. I'm sorry I'm not paying more attention to you on your special day."

"Crikey?" I said as we rushed down stairs to shower and change.

Minutes later, as we made our way down the dark street to Farrel and Jessie's, Kathryn stopped outside their house. She said, "Maggie, before we go in, I want to... uh..."

Normally Kathryn was so rooted and sure of herself, but at the moment I could tell her vulnerable side was causing her to hesitate. I turned toward her and took her gloved hand.

"Go ahead."

"I just want you to know... uh... I..." She put her arm around me and pulled me into a deep kiss and then she leaned back. "Happy Birthday Maggie, I... I care so much about you. These last months have been the best in my life." She paused, searching for the right words.

This was our moment. I took a breath.

But then out of the darkness appeared Cora Martin and Mickey Murphy, the young man who lived in the upstairs of Cora's house. Mickey, who'd been troubled and at sea when he was on his own, had found a safe harbor with Cora, and Cora had found a new purpose in life taking care of the quirky but endearing Mickey.

"Hi, Hiya, Hi!" said Mickey gleefully.

"Well, here's the birthday girl," said Cora. "Babies, it's cold outside. Come along before we all freeze to death."

Kathryn and I both smiled. I could see in her eyes that the moment wasn't lost, just deferred. Calm down, time is on our side, I thought. On the other hand, Victoria and Evangeline had probably thought that too.

Everyone was in Farrel and Jessie's living room. In the gallery was a table full of my favorite foods, which included but was not limited to: mini flautas filled with chicken, stuffed mushrooms br.i.m.m.i.n.g with crab and cheese, tiny spinach b.a.l.l.s with sweet mustard sauce, huge chilled shrimp, figs with stilton cheese and crushed toasted walnuts, sun-dried tomato tapenade on toasted French bread rounds, and cornhusk-wrapped tamales filled with masa, fresh corn, and roasted sweet red peppers.

Can Jessie throw a party or what?

Everything was small and easy to arrange on a little plate. All the people I cared most about were in this room. And a few new people I was just getting to know.

The minute we came in, my younger sister Rosa rushed up to me and hugged me like a little kid. She's in her late twenties but she has the joy factor of a child at an amus.e.m.e.nt park, which makes her so much fun to be around.

The woman we call Mom, the enchanting and irreverent Juana Martinez, grabbed Kathryn by the hand and drew her into the kitchen where Jessie was managing the food. Kathryn and Juana began to help.

I'd told Farrel that I didn't need presents. Instead I'd prefer contributions to the Lenape Valley gra.s.sroots community organization advocating for the civil rights of Gay, Lesbian, Bis.e.xual, and Transgender people.

Sara came up to me looking festive and smart. She hugged me and put a hefty donation check in my hand. Buster the behemoth galloped between us, insisted on a pat, and then trotted back to his spot in front of the fireplace, where he lay down with a plop, grunt, and jingle. He looked like a Holstein rug with a lot of the Holstein still in it. Buster sighed in his eerily human voice.

"I bet he can't wait for all of us to go home so he can get out of that dog suit and hit one of the corner bars," said Sara.

Nora Hasan came in the front door and right behind her was Amanda Knightbridge. I scanned the room. The gang was all here.

Emma Strong, Sara's law partner, showed them where to put their coats and then Nora came over to me and Sara. She said, "Did you set this all up just to hear me say, 'This is the best food I ever... ett?'"

"I find your accent delightful, everyone does. But I also think you're a little too awestruck by my... novia."

"I'm doing my best to rein meself in. But she's formidable."

I saw Kathryn back in the kitchen getting a stack of plates and handing them to Rosa. She tossed her head back and laughed with my family. I exhaled. "Yes, she is formidable, in every sense."

Amanda Knightbridge suddenly appeared at my side. "Maggie, have the police ended their investigation? Are they attributing all the crimes to Gabriel Carbondale?"

"Do you have another theory?" I asked sincerely.

"Do you, Maggie?"

"I don't feel right about all this, Amanda, but I don't have another theory."

"Don't you?" Her piercing eyes actually turned from China blue to midnight blue. It was so remarkable, I couldn't look away.

Finally I said, "I'm fairly sure that Gabe didn't kill Frankie."

"Ah!" she said this as though I was on the right track. Though I had no idea where the track would lead. "Who do you think killed Gabriel?"

"It looked as though he shot himself," I said slowly.

Farrel came in from the kitchen and told everyone it was birthday girl blowing out the candles time. Since I was the subject of the gerund phrase, I moved to the dining room, where they sang to me. I made a selfish wish and blew, and then dished out pieces of deliciously rich chocolate cake.

"There's espresso in the icing," said Jessie in my ear. "Have a big piece and give one to Kathryn." I laughed and hugged Jessie.

Cora handed me an envelope and then said, "Mickey has something for you, too. He made it himself."

Mickey's present was a drawing of the superhero Storm from the X-Men. Mickey calls almost everyone but Cora by cartoon names. The first time he met me, he gave me the name Storm.

He said, "Storm controls the weather and she's strong."

"I like this, Mickey, thank you very much. I'm going to put it in my office."

My stepmother Juana came up and put her arm around me. She was wearing a black suit, a mauve blouse, and a Mexican silver broach from the 1950s pinned near the neckline. Her hair was tied up. It was dark-chocolate-colored like Sara and Rosa's but had hints of silver. She smiled warmly, her dark eyes twinkling. She kissed my cheek then tilted her head to the side and said: "El mundo es de los audaces y amor no respeta ley, ni obedece a rey, querer es poder," as she gave me a card.

Sara and Rosa shook their heads laughing. Judith and Amanda said, "Yes, true." And Farrel said, "Um, was that: The world is for the audacious. Love doesn't respect the king... um."

"Love doesn't respect the law or obey the king... And so the point is, Go boldly," I said "Roughly correct," nodded Juana.

Kathryn blushed. I did too when I realized what Juana was getting at.

"Mom, ease off the proverbs. They're verging on eccentric and it's not as though you're some old bruja at the edge of town," said Sara.

"When have I said anything even remotely eccentric?" said Juana.

Rosa said, "What about last week when you told me, Con paciencia y saliva, un elefante se tiro a una hormiga."

I heard Kathryn laugh and saw Sara roll her eyes.

"The ant punched the elephant with patience?" asked Farrel.

"In other words, Oops there goes another rubber tree," I explained.

"Little strokes fell great oaks," said Juana. "Nothing eccentric about that!"

It took me a few minutes to stop laughing. When I did, I noticed Kathryn's half-smile and that she was looking at me more than fondly.

"I'm very lucky to have all my friends and family here in one place. It's kind of amazing that I've been able to lure you all to Fenchester!" I said happily.

"It was fate, perhaps," said Amanda.

"More cake anyone?" asked Jessie. Everyone groaned, though several offered their empty plates.

"Maggie, along with my contribution I wanted to give you this. Amanda asked me to locate it when I went to pay a bill at the county court house yesterday. It's Victoria Snow's will," Judith said, handing me a sheet of legal paper.

It was a very clear copy of an old-fashioned printed and typed will form. I began to read it over.

"Look, she not only owned Fen House, she owned the Majestic. Huh, I thought that belonged to Merganser Hunterdon. Um... It mentions a financial

trust she'd previously set up to benefit some individuals, but... it doesn't say whom. Oh and here's the part that gives any additional cash or worldly goods outside the trust to the Irwin College Fen Scholarships. And she left her art to... ah, here, listen to this:

I prefer to imagine my studio work stay untouched by time, but if it is found, the entire contents are a bequest to Irwin College. Given by me in the name of my dear friend, Evangeline Lavender Fen.

At the very end there's something in her own handwriting next to her signature. It says: I declare, that there is joy in the presence of the angels of G.o.d over one sinner that repenteth. Until only then, when the last piece of silver acts in unbounded charity, I vow to let the demon messengers of grief continue their torment and I shall not rest until that day, though I confess that the torment is as sweet as the charity. Luke:15-8.

Victoria Willomere Snow June 17th, 1926 "Huh, is she talking about herself tormented by the grief of losing Evangeline? Everyone thought it was Merganser tormented by the loss of Evangeline that caused him to put all that money into public works. But now we know that wasn't what made him do it. Certainly the statute of limitations would have run out by the 1900s, yet he kept on paying her. I wonder what she had on him and why she didn't just leave Fenchester forever and go back to Rome or Paris," mused Kathryn.