Read Online Death at the Door by Carolyn Hart - Free Book Online Page B

grown-up. That always sent Sherry off in a huff.” Frankie briefly pressed her lips together. “Jane decided Sherry had to boot her husband. It didn’t matter that Sherry obviously wanted to wiggle out of everything she’d said about him. I think she showed Jane a bruise on her arm or something and said he’d been mean. Maybe it was all made up. But Jane insisted Sherry had to act. And if she didn’t, Jane was going to talk to some people on the school board ‘because that kind of man shouldn’t be around kids.’ Like Tom said, Jane was always right. You know what I mean? I got the idea Sherry showed up thinking she’d get a lot of sympathy and stay for a while in luxurious surroundings, maybe tease her husband a bit. But Jane told Sherry the guy was a jerk, drop him. Tom said Jane was always sure she knew what was best for everybody.”
    Annie wondered if Frankie knew how hostile she sounded. Perhaps she didn’t care. Certainly Jane was demonstrating care for the woman if she was trying to protect her from an abusive husband. Or was Frankie right and Jane was interfering and causing trouble?
    Frankie brushed back a strand of reddish-brown hair. “Kate Murray probably knows everything about Jane. She’s in her sixties and she’s worked for the Corley family forever. I think she’s some kind of cousin. Or maybe not. Some connection to the family, anyway.” Her face crinkled. “I don’t know exactly how to describe her. She oversees the running of the estate, though there’s a maid and cook who come and do everything. She was Jane’s personal assistant. She went most places with her, like art shows, and she was included in family gatherings.”
    Annie underlined Kate’s name. She would know exactly who was at work in the house when Jane died. If there was a gardener or yard service, she could supply that information.
    â€œWas Kate at the open house at the gallery?”
    â€œYes.” There was no warmth in Frankie’s voice.
    Annie darted a quick glance at Frankie’s stiff face. Clearly, Frankie didn’t like Kate Murray.
    â€œDid Kate seem to be on good terms with Jane?”
    For an instant, humor glinted in Frankie’s blue eyes. “Kate never bothers to be on good terms with anybody. She’s a gruff old broad. She ran that house like a boot camp. Even Jane saluted when Kate came around.”
    â€œWho else might have been likely to drop by the house on a regular basis?”
    â€œDavid and Madeleine, I suppose. They live in the original Corley house. Jane built that big mansion when she married the golfer.”
    â€œWhere is the original house?”
    Frankie concentrated. “David’s house is on Crescent Street. The house faces Wherry Creek. Jane’s house is a half mile away. Toby used to talk about how much money and land Jane owned.”
    Annie realized the gallery owner apparently made it his business to know all about the young painter he sponsored and the money behind him.
    â€œToby said it’s all private land, the forest between the houses, pine woods with cypress and magnolias and bayberry. He said Jane built a private road called Corley Lane that connects Crescent and Berryhill. Her house is on Corley Lane about a quarter mile from Berryhill. Toby said the Corleys own all the land between Crescent and Berryhill.”
    Annie turned to her desk, pulled out a drawer for an island map. She didn’t have any trouble finding Crescent and Berryhill. The streets ran parallel from Sand Dollar Road and ended at the salt marsh. A curling loop indicated the creek that wound to the marsh. Corley Lane was a thin squiggle connecting the public streets. She remembered from garden tours that the grounds around Jane’s Mediterranean mansion were extensive. Annie drew a quick map, marked
A
for Jane’s house,
B
for Tom’s studio, and
C
for David and Madeleine’s home. A