true Miss O’Bannon didn’t follow your instructions, and I’m sorry about that. I asked her not to come. But whatever she did as a reporter, she shouldn’t have been attacked by those vicious dogs. If I hadn’t been worried and checked on her, there would’ve been a second tragedy here.”
Sylvania looked more calmly out the window toward the boat house and the new board walk. “Axel——Mr. Blackthorne——is anxious because I’m alone. He’s told the watchman to keep an eye on the house. If that man saw a prowler come into my yard, he would’ve tried to scare the person away.” She looked at Brandy squarely. “Mr. Blackthorne knows I don’t go out on these grounds at night myself.”
“But you did last night,” John said. “We saw you.” In spite of herself, Brandy felt a tiny thrill. For the moment she and John were united.
Sylvania remained unruffled. “Of course. I heard the dogs and then someone call out. I had to see what was happening.” Her voice rose. “By the time I got outside, what I saw was your boat leaving.”
Brandy was ready to let the matter of the dogs drop. While Sylvania was on the defensive, she had questions. “We know Axel Blackthorne’s been a friend for a long time. Was he also at the party when Eva Stone disappeared?”
John thrust both hands deeper into his pockets and turned his back. Brandy knew she’d blown their solidarity. Sylvania rolled her eyes as if imploring the deity for patience. “Yes, as a matter of fact——since you will not let this unpleasant matter alone——Axel was there. A lot of young people were there that weekend, including Brookfield’s friend from the Air Forces. He became my husband shortly afterward. I suppose you’ll want to know about him, too.”
“I haven’t seen Uncle Ace in years,” John said, steering the conversation away from the disastrous party.
Sylvania’s face hardened. “Married me for my money. Drinks. The family all know that. But, in my time…” She sat down at last on a chair before the fireplace and spread her hands out before her, as if trying to explain something they could not understand. “In our time, we made the best of things. In the early years we got on well enough, most of the time. At least, I wasn’t the Old Maid Aunt. These days you wouldn’t know about that stigma.” She raised steel gray eyes. “But the two of us have finally come to the parting of the ways, and that’s that.”
John looked away, embarrassed, but Sylvania plowed on. “His real name’s Elton, of course. Always likes to be called ‘Ace.’ A nickname from the war years. Always had an eye for the girls, too. He did at that party you’re so interested in, and at all the parties that followed.” She turned those sharp eyes again on Brandy. “But that weekend didn’t cause Eva Stone’s death. Her tragedy has nothing to do with this house.” She stood and moved again toward the window. “I’m doing now what Brookfield would’ve wanted. I owe him that.”
Brandy ached to pull out her note pad, but she didn’t dare. “You mean, by selling the land and seeing the house pulled down?”
“I talked to him in the hospital before he died. He asked for me. He told me how he felt about this place. He’d be glad to have it gone. Tomorrow Axel’s men will take down the walls of that awful boat house. They’ll build the boardwalk over the old flooring. It will certainly improve the view. I’ll be glad to see that eyesore go. And the house, too.”
John rubbed his forehead. “Isn’t the boat house in your yard?”
“I sold that spit of land with the property on the other side.”
“Mrs. Langdon,” Brandy said, “I wanted to ask about Brookfield’s heir, his wife Grace. She seemed fine this morning, but——forgive me——I’d heard she wasn’t mentally very strong.”
Sylvania looked down at her hands, as though studying her response. “I never got on well with Grace. Very different interests. Except
Sylvania looked more calmly out the window toward the boat house and the new board walk. “Axel——Mr. Blackthorne——is anxious because I’m alone. He’s told the watchman to keep an eye on the house. If that man saw a prowler come into my yard, he would’ve tried to scare the person away.” She looked at Brandy squarely. “Mr. Blackthorne knows I don’t go out on these grounds at night myself.”
“But you did last night,” John said. “We saw you.” In spite of herself, Brandy felt a tiny thrill. For the moment she and John were united.
Sylvania remained unruffled. “Of course. I heard the dogs and then someone call out. I had to see what was happening.” Her voice rose. “By the time I got outside, what I saw was your boat leaving.”
Brandy was ready to let the matter of the dogs drop. While Sylvania was on the defensive, she had questions. “We know Axel Blackthorne’s been a friend for a long time. Was he also at the party when Eva Stone disappeared?”
John thrust both hands deeper into his pockets and turned his back. Brandy knew she’d blown their solidarity. Sylvania rolled her eyes as if imploring the deity for patience. “Yes, as a matter of fact——since you will not let this unpleasant matter alone——Axel was there. A lot of young people were there that weekend, including Brookfield’s friend from the Air Forces. He became my husband shortly afterward. I suppose you’ll want to know about him, too.”
“I haven’t seen Uncle Ace in years,” John said, steering the conversation away from the disastrous party.
Sylvania’s face hardened. “Married me for my money. Drinks. The family all know that. But, in my time…” She sat down at last on a chair before the fireplace and spread her hands out before her, as if trying to explain something they could not understand. “In our time, we made the best of things. In the early years we got on well enough, most of the time. At least, I wasn’t the Old Maid Aunt. These days you wouldn’t know about that stigma.” She raised steel gray eyes. “But the two of us have finally come to the parting of the ways, and that’s that.”
John looked away, embarrassed, but Sylvania plowed on. “His real name’s Elton, of course. Always likes to be called ‘Ace.’ A nickname from the war years. Always had an eye for the girls, too. He did at that party you’re so interested in, and at all the parties that followed.” She turned those sharp eyes again on Brandy. “But that weekend didn’t cause Eva Stone’s death. Her tragedy has nothing to do with this house.” She stood and moved again toward the window. “I’m doing now what Brookfield would’ve wanted. I owe him that.”
Brandy ached to pull out her note pad, but she didn’t dare. “You mean, by selling the land and seeing the house pulled down?”
“I talked to him in the hospital before he died. He asked for me. He told me how he felt about this place. He’d be glad to have it gone. Tomorrow Axel’s men will take down the walls of that awful boat house. They’ll build the boardwalk over the old flooring. It will certainly improve the view. I’ll be glad to see that eyesore go. And the house, too.”
John rubbed his forehead. “Isn’t the boat house in your yard?”
“I sold that spit of land with the property on the other side.”
“Mrs. Langdon,” Brandy said, “I wanted to ask about Brookfield’s heir, his wife Grace. She seemed fine this morning, but——forgive me——I’d heard she wasn’t mentally very strong.”
Sylvania looked down at her hands, as though studying her response. “I never got on well with Grace. Very different interests. Except
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