bottle and the wine glass sitting on the table. “They
printed the bottle and the glass. The guy was stabbed once that we
know of.” He moved the man’s shirt away from the wound with a pen.
“He spilled some wine and got stabbed in the belly. Probably hurt
like a son-of-a-gun and he died slowly. Why didn’t he call for
help?”
“ Was the killer standing
there waiting for him to die the whole time?” Brice asked. “If so,
it’s like he or she knew when the rest of the family would be back,
and how much time he had.”
“ I got a better question for
ya’,” Addison broke in. “Aside from our friend the psychic and her
timely prediction, what’s so bizarre about a stab wound and some
spilled wine?”
Brice, who had wandered around the back
of the chair and was kneeling on the floor, answered his partner.
“How many stab wounds have you seen where the murder weapon also
passes through the back of the chair the vic is sitting
in?”
“ Holy handlebars!” Addy
remarked. “You mean he was impaled, pinned to the
chair?”
The two other detectives nodded. They’d
already seen it.
“ I think it’s time we talked
to our Ms. Nuckolls,” Brice added.
“ Yeah,” said Paddix, “Let’s
find out how she really knew about the Danning murder before it happened.”
*****
They drove directly to Glynnis
Nuckolls’ home, twenty minutes from the murder site. It was a
single story ranch house with a slab porch up front and a sun deck
combined with a screen porch in the back. The sun deck naturally
had stairs, but the slab porch was equipped with a wheel chair
ramp. Glynnis had purchased it that way.
“ Do you think she lives with
elderly parents or grandparents?” Brice asked nodding toward the
ramp.
“ Not the impression I got.
House is listed in her name anyway.” Addison rang the bell. “Do you
think she’s our killer?”
“ Not likely. How much upper
body strength does it take to run somebody through with a sword…if
that’s what it was? Still, she knows something. Maybe she really is
clairvoyant.”
Addison made a rude noise in his
throat. “And maybe I’m gonna be the next governor of South
Carolina.”
“ Invite me to the mansion
for drinks?”
The door opened and Glynnis Nuckolls
appeared. She had dark circles under her eyes and a bouncing,
barking pooch under one arm. “Come on in, Detectives,” she motioned
to the entryway. “Coffee’s on. Would you like some?”
“ You don’t seem surprised to
see us, Ms. Nuckolls,” Addison pointed out as they followed her to
the den.
She indicated a couch and a couple of
worn, but comfortable looking recliners. “Please. Why would I be
surprised? I told you yesterday this would happen.”
She had a point. “So you did.” Brice
sat on the couch beside Addison while Glynnis went to bring in
coffee. The dog began to sniff at both men, obviously friendly and
very curious. Brice bent down to stroke his back.
“ Do you take cream and
sugar?” she asked, coming back in with a tray. “I like mine black,
but I can get you some.” Brice declined the cream and sugar but
Addison loaded his up. “Carl,” she commanded the dog. “Down! Come
sit with me.” Carl wagged his whole backside and went to sit on the
floor beside Glynnis. He was up and sniffing again seconds later.
“Sorry, we’re still working on the obedience thing. I think Carl is
winning.”
“ He’s okay,” Brice said
quickly. “I don’t mind dogs.” He was trying to maintain a
professional distance, after all, they were here to question her in
a murder case, but he was strangely drawn to her. Yes, she had a
pair of legs that wouldn’t quit, which were shown to advantage with
those tan shorts she was wearing, but that wasn’t really it. It was
more the way she invited them in without ceremony and treated them
as if they were welcome, not the intruders they undoubtedly
were.
Addison started. “Just to confirm what
we talked about yesterday, Ms. Nuckolls, did you know
CD Reiss
Peggy Gaddis
Lorelei James
Barry Gifford
Rex Stout
Leanne Banks
J. Robert Janes
Jayne Rylon
Laura Kaye
Jonathan Stroud