Death Rides a Pony, page 20
‘I clipped a nice fresh shoot from a sturdy specimen this morning. I don’t see why it wouldn’t grow for you, but as you’ve undoubtedly experienced with your own garden, these things are never certain. Mother Nature always makes the final decision, often for reasons known only to herself. If the cutting wilts unexpectedly, just let me know. I’d be happy to give you another one.’
‘Thank you, thank you!’ Summer was so enthusiastic about her new little plant that she hugged the pot in her arms. ‘Speaking of gardens, you must come and see ours. It’s through here …’ She started to turn toward the back of the shop.
‘But, Summer …’ Hope interjected swiftly, trying to stop her sister. If Sorrel stayed for a tour of the garden, then in all likelihood so would Rosemarie. And at some point, the subject of Madam Gina and the hypothetical dead body would inevitably resurface, possibly even in front of Sorrel.
Sorrel must have sensed Hope’s hesitation, because she replied, ‘I don’t want to make you late for the festival.’
‘No worries. We have plenty of time. We’ll just take a quick look.’ Summer once again turned toward the back of the shop.
Hope sighed to herself. Summer was not going to be deterred from showing off her beautiful garden to a fellow lover of plants. She glanced at Rosemarie to see what direction she planned on heading. As expected, Rosemarie showed every indication of participating in the tour. All Hope could do was stick close by her side and try to keep the conversation light and focused on vegetation rather than corpses.
Together, the group walked from the boutique into the brownstone and down the hallway that led to the green space at the rear of the property. Summer and Sorrel debated the efficacy of various slug and snail deterrents, while Rosemarie told Hope about Percy’s new orthopedic bed that helped to relieve the pressure on his joints. When they collectively stepped outside on to the patio, Sorrel paused and inhaled deeply.
‘Do you smell that?’ She turned toward Rosemarie. ‘You were smart to bring along an umbrella today. It’s going to rain. Although it may be sunny now, just wait until later this afternoon.’
Rosemarie beamed at the validation. ‘I said the very same thing!’
Sorrel inhaled again. ‘It’s the moisture in the air. You can smell its approach. And then there was the color at dawn.’
‘It did have a touch of pink,’ Hope agreed, remembering the light through her bedroom window.
‘Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.’
‘Percy loves the ocean,’ Rosemarie contributed.
Hope smiled. When she saw Sorrel look at Rosemarie questioningly, it occurred to her that the two hadn’t been properly introduced, and she remedied the oversight. As Sorrel and Rosemarie engaged in a friendly dialogue – which mostly consisted of Rosemarie sharing stories of Percy – Summer and Hope moved slightly to one side.
‘Sometime next week,’ Summer said, keeping her voice low so that the others couldn’t hear her, ‘we must visit the farmers’ market. We’ll pick up some fresh peaches and check on this Madam Gina.’
‘My thoughts exactly.’
‘I don’t like to see Rosemarie taken advantage of. And she’s especially vulnerable now, after what happened to Davis.’
Hope nodded. ‘If we run into Gram later today at the festival, let’s ask her about it, too. She and Morris regularly go to the market. She might have seen the woman on her chair and be able to tell us more.’
Summer nodded back at her. ‘Good idea.’
Watching Sorrel and Rosemarie wander off the patio toward the garden, Hope said, ‘It would be better if you and Sorrel continued your tour on another day when Rosemarie isn’t here. We don’t want to have to explain prophecies of dead bodies to Sorrel, and you know that it’s only a matter of time before the subject comes up again with Rosemarie—’
An ear-splitting scream shattered the peace of the morning.
‘She was right!’ Rosemarie cried. ‘Madam Gina was right! There has been another death!’
TWENTY-ONE
Hope’s initial reaction was one of stunned disbelief. There had been another death? Madam Gina’s prophecy was correct? Granted, the patio and garden weren’t the boutique. But in relation to a dead body, they were disturbingly close.
‘He’s over there!’ Rosemarie pointed toward the far back corner bordering the alley, and she immediately set off in that direction.
They all raced after her, weaving their way through the labyrinth of greenery, past the raised beds, and around the towering trellises. At the end of the winding path of flagstones lay the wrought-iron gate that separated the rear of the property from the alley.
‘My god!’ Sorrel exclaimed, reaching the spot first. ‘It’s the man from the booth. Amethyst’s booth. He’s the one who wore the cape and the crown the other night.’
‘Good lord, that’s him!’ Rosemarie confirmed, coming up next to her, panting.
Hope and Summer arrived last.
‘Sean!’ Summer gasped.
It was indeed Sean. He was inside the garden, slumped in a seated position with his back supported by the gate. He looked as though he was sleeping. Sean’s eyes were closed. His chin tilted down toward his chest. His arms lay in a relaxed position at his sides, with one hand resting, palm up, in his lap. The only thing that wasn’t natural about Sean was his neck. It was pulled backward toward the gate, held firmly against the wrought iron by what at first glance appeared to be a dark-colored piece of cloth.
Summer gasped again. ‘Hope, it’s a cord!’
Hope didn’t have to ask her sister what she meant, because she recognized it, too. There was no mistaking the heavy burgundy fabric. The cloth wrapped around Sean’s neck was one of the cords that had fastened up the curtains in their booth. Their cord had been used to strangle him.
‘It was me!’ Rosemarie cried. ‘I’m guilty!’
They turned to her in astonishment.
‘Now I understand why I had the bad feeling yesterday evening. Deep down inside, I realized what was happening, and I knew that I was responsible. It’s my fault!’
Summer’s mouth opened, but no sound emerged. Hope was likewise rendered momentarily speechless. Sorrel looked utterly bewildered.
‘It’s my fault!’ Rosemarie cried again. ‘It’s because of all those horrible, horrible things I told the police detective. I accused this poor man of being involved in Davis’s death, and now see what he’s done. I’m to blame!’
‘No—’ Hope began.
‘Yes!’ Rosemarie’s voice rose to a fevered pitch. ‘I’m to blame! I drove him to suicide. He took his own life, and I’m his killer!’
‘You are not—’
‘But look at what I’ve caused! Look at—’
In her hysteria, Rosemarie stumbled over the corner of a flagstone. Her arms flailed as she tried to regain her balance, and the end of her umbrella inadvertently struck Sean’s knee. His leg twitched, and Sean gave a slight moan.
There was an instant of stunned silence, then they burst into action.
‘I’ll call for an ambulance!’ Sorrel shouted, pulling her phone from one of the tote bags still slung over her shoulder.
Hope dropped down on the ground next to Sean. She touched his arm. His skin was cool but not cold, and the arm was limp rather than stiff. Leaning closer, she heard him breathe. It was shallow and irregular, which was not a good sign, but at least he was alive. That was the most important thing. There hadn’t been another death. Madam Gina’s prophecy wasn’t correct, after all.
‘Sean?’ Hope said, touching his arm again.
‘Sean, can you hear us?’ Summer asked anxiously.
He didn’t respond. Neither the twitch nor the moan repeated itself. He was clearly unconscious.
Shifting her position to examine his neck, Hope drew her own uneven breath. There had been no confusion in their initial shock and panic. The length of cloth used to strangle Sean was definitely one of the cords that had fastened up the curtains in their booth. She shivered. It turned out that Nate had been prescient in his remarks. Dreadfully prescient. He had said that with the way the cords were stitched and the thickness of the fabric, they would have been a much better murder weapon than the silk scarf. Thank heaven Summer had insisted on showing off the garden to Sorrel. Unlike Davis, they had found Sean in time.
Hope hesitated. Did she try to loosen the cord now, or should she wait until the ambulance arrived? She didn’t want to destroy any important evidence. There might be fingerprints, hair, or other fibers present that should be preserved for the police. There could also be something significant in how the cord had been wrapped or knotted. She listened to Sean’s breathing. It was ragged and only intermittent. He wasn’t getting sufficient oxygen. In all likelihood, he hadn’t had sufficient oxygen in quite some time. Hope glanced at Sorrel. She was talking to the emergency services and providing information about their location and situation, but there was no indication as to when someone might reach them.
Once more, Hope leaned forward to examine Sean’s neck. His skin was red and swollen, and the cord was visibly tearing into his throat. She couldn’t wait for help. It was better to destroy potential evidence than let Sean suffer further injury – or worse. The cord was tied outside the gate, at the back of his neck. Hope stretched her hands through the narrow gaps in the wrought iron. Her fingers touched the knot and felt the overlap of the fabric, but she couldn’t get a grip on it.
She turned to Summer, who was partly watching her and partly trying to console Rosemarie.
‘Sean isn’t getting enough air,’ Hope said. ‘Sometimes he doesn’t seem to be breathing at all. We need to untie the cord as soon as possible, but I can’t reach the knot from this side of the gate—’
Summer didn’t require any further explanation. ‘I’ll go! I’ll do it!’
The gate was too tall to jump over, and it didn’t have the necessary horizontal supports to allow for easy climbing. The only way to quickly reach the other side was from the alley. Summer sprinted back through the garden and into the brownstone.
As she waited for Summer to reappear, Hope looked at Rosemarie. She was huddled on the bench that sat beneath the star magnolia. Streams of tears were running down her cheeks, and her eyes were filled with abject misery.
‘You aren’t to blame,’ Hope told her. ‘This isn’t your fault.’
‘I know that you’re trying to make me feel better,’ Rosemarie sniffled, ‘but what you’re saying simply isn’t true. It’s a blessing from above that he didn’t succeed, but he still attempted to take his own life – because of me!’
‘It is not because of you,’ Hope replied wearily. Rosemarie’s uncontrolled bursts of emotion were beginning to strain her patience. ‘For starters, I’m not sure if Sean was even aware that you had accused him of anything. And second, he didn’t attempt to take his own life. He was attacked. Somebody strangled him intending to kill him.’
Rosemarie stared at her.
‘If you have any further doubt, here’s the irrefutable proof.’ Hope gestured toward the cord around Sean’s neck. ‘How could he possibly have tied that himself?’
Rosemarie’s astounded gaze moved to the cord.
‘I’m coming! I’m coming!’ Summer called.
Her feet pounded along the alley. A moment later, she skidded to a halt in front of the gate.
‘There might be a little extra pressure on your throat,’ Hope explained to Sean. ‘Summer is going to undo the cord now.’ She didn’t know if he could hear her or had any comprehension of her words, but if he did feel something, she wanted him to know that it was from a friend, not a foe.
Summer knelt behind Sean, studied the knot briefly, and then began working at it. ‘Hell’s bells,’ she mumbled, ‘this thing is tight.’
Putting her hand on the upturned palm in Sean’s lap, Hope gave it a gentle squeeze. His fingers didn’t respond.
‘I can’t get it,’ Summer reported with frustration. ‘It’s only a simple knot, but it’s stuck. Really stuck.’
Hope offered as much encouragement as she could. ‘Somebody tied it, so I have faith that you can untie it.’
‘But they meant to hurt him, and I don’t want to hurt him. Every time I pull at the knot, the cord chokes him more.’
Although Hope could see the increased tension at Sean’s throat, and she could tell that it was further restricting his breathing, the cord had to come off. Every minute that it remained on might be increasingly deleterious to his health and even survival.
‘Just remove it, Summer. Do whatever it takes to remove it.’
Summer nodded and struggled furiously with the knot.
‘You’re fine.’ Hope squeezed Sean’s palm again. ‘It will all be fine. She’ll have it done in a jiffy, and then everything will be good.’
There were a few choice words muttered by Summer regarding the cord, the knot, and whatever foul person had tied it.
Having finally succeeded in composing herself, Rosemarie rose from the bench. ‘I could get a pair of scissors,’ she suggested, ‘or a knife, or—’
‘It’s loosening,’ Summer exclaimed. ‘I can feel it loosening!’
As the knot released slightly, Sean’s weight also shifted slightly. The movement caused Hope to realize that although the cord was holding him against the gate now, as soon as it was removed, his body would in all likelihood fall forward. She wasn’t sure if she had enough strength to hold him on her own.
‘I need your help, Rosemarie,’ she said quickly. ‘When Summer gets him free, Sean will probably tumble toward us. Can you catch him with me? I don’t want him to drop to the ground and hit his head on the flagstone.’
Rosemarie joined her without hesitation. Hope glanced over at her. The tears were dried, and Rosemarie’s expression was composed and focused on the task at hand.
‘Get ready,’ Summer warned them. ‘I’ve almost got it … I’ve almost got it … And there it is!’
The instant that the knot came undone, Summer pulled the cord away, and as predicted, Sean tumbled forward. Hope hastily grabbed one of his shoulders, while Rosemarie grabbed the other.
‘Mercy me, he’s a big man, isn’t he?’ Rosemarie wheezed, laboring with her half of the weight.
‘He is indeed,’ Hope agreed, also struggling.
Now that she was dealing directly with Sean’s substantial size, it made Hope wonder how someone had managed to strangle him in the first place. But then she remembered what Dylan had told her the night before as they were leaning against the packing crate outside the tent. Under the right conditions, a smaller or weaker person could successfully overpower an opponent who was taller or stronger – if they took him by surprise, if they got the cord around his neck at the proper angle, if they stunned him with a blow before he was able to fully defend himself. She looked at Sean’s head. There were two large purple welts forming, one on his crown and another at the back. She didn’t know if they had been caused as part of the initial attack on him or in the subsequent struggle. In either case, it demonstrated that even Sean’s prodigious muscles were no guarantee of protection against someone who intended him harm.
‘How is he doing?’ Summer asked with concern from the alley. Even though Sean was no longer held to the gate, his body was still blocking it, and Summer couldn’t get through to the garden.
‘His breathing seems to have improved,’ Hope told her, ‘but he’s not responding at all. There’s been no movement in his limbs, and as far as I’ve seen, his eyelids have remained shut, without so much as a flicker. But I don’t honestly know what I should be looking for or what I should be doing to help him.’
‘That goes double for me,’ Rosemarie added regretfully.
Hope sighed. ‘I wish Dylan were here right now. We could really use his medical expertise. And I wish those paramedics would hurry.’
‘I’ll go out to the front of the brownstone and watch for them. Then when they arrive, I can at least get them to Sean without any further delay.’ Summer turned and, with rapid steps, headed up the alley toward the street.
‘Speaking of needing more medical expertise,’ Sorrel said, having at last finished the phone call with emergency services, ‘they asked me a hundred questions that I couldn’t begin to answer. About his height and weight, his pulse, and the dilation of his pupils. How long he had been here, to what degree his oxygen might have been restricted, and if there had been any damage to his spinal column …’
There was another sigh from Hope. ‘Thank you for talking to them. Summer and I really appreciate it. I’m sure that none of this was included in your plans for the morning.’
Sorrel replied with a small shrug. ‘There are days that take unexpected turns. But unless you need me for something more, I’d like to leave. The festival is opening soon, and I don’t have any help with my booth.’
‘Oh, feel free to go. We’ve got things covered, haven’t we, Rosemarie?’
‘All good on this end,’ Rosemarie responded cheerfully, while at the same time huffing and puffing to support her half of Sean.
‘Thanks again,’ Hope said to Sorrel.
‘Do you want me to call anybody else before I go? You mentioned someone named Dylan?’
Hope considered briefly, then declined. There was no point in contacting Dylan when the ambulance was already on its way. Nate needed to be informed of what had happened to Sean, of course, but it would be much better if they did that themselves. He would also have a hundred questions that Sorrel couldn’t begin to answer.
Sorrel departed, politely wishing Sean a full and speedy recovery. Just as she was entering the brownstone, Summer and the paramedics came rushing out of it. The paramedics took immediate control of the situation. They worked briskly and efficiently, and in a few short minutes, Sean was safely removed from the garden and loaded into the ambulance. Although the paramedics tried to discourage her, Rosemarie insisted on accompanying Sean to the hospital, not wanting him to wake up alone and confused. The paramedics warned her that he might not wake up for some time, but Rosemarie wasn’t deterred. Climbing into the ambulance, she waved goodbye to Hope and Summer and promised to supply them with regular updates on Sean’s condition.
