A Justified Murder (Medlar Mystery 2)

Suddenly, her face began to turn red with anger. “Janet and I were going to work things out with Gil. We had a plan. I was going to move to Lachlan and live with him in his big new house. Janet said that I’d be so happy that I wouldn’t miss Mom anymore. So happy that I wouldn’t even want drugs. Janet said that I’d had post-something after the baby was born.”

“Postpartum depression,” Kate said softly.

“Yeah, that’s what Janet said I had, and if Gil hadn’t taken my baby away from me, I would have got over it and Mom and I would have been happy.” Zelly’s hands were in fists. “But then I saw a newspaper. Janet was murdered!” She shouted the word. “Who could do that to such a nice and kind old lady? Only my mother ever cared for me like she did. She said that Gil would love me when he got to know me, but no matter what, I’d always have her. Always have Janet. She—” Zelly put her face in her hands and began to cry.

Jack and Kate looked at each other in silent communication. This time, it was one word: Gil.

Did Gil kill Janet Beeson when he heard that she’d brought his son’s newly sober mother to Lachlan? Or when he heard that Janet had told the woman that she was going to live with Gil in his “big, new house”? Was it an act of passion? Uncontrollable rage? Gil would have seen that there would be a bitter custody fight coming. A judge would hear that the mother had suffered from postpartum depression and decide that Gil had used that illness to steal the baby from her. No doubt a lawyer would say that her doing drugs had been caused by what Gil had done. But she was now sober and wanted her son back—at Gil’s expense. At the very least, Zelly would be given joint custody—or maybe full custody since Gil would be called a thief, maybe even a kidnapper.

What would Gil do to keep his precious son out of this woman’s clutches? Anything? Everything?

Jack turned the boat around. He didn’t need to ask Kate what she wanted to do. They both wanted to go back to Lachlan and...and... What could they do about this? Go to Gil and ask him if he’d murdered Janet? Used poison, and a knife, then shot her?

“What’s he doing?” Zelly sounded alarmed.

“We’re going back to land,” Kate said. “So tell me more about your plans for you and Gil and Quinn. Don’t you think you’d be bored staying home all day?”

She gave a smirking smile. “I do have a plan, a good one. As soon as Florida legalizes marijuana, I’m going to open a shop. I know lots about grass and I could help cancer patients, and people like that choose the best brand.” She leaned forward. “I know some really important dealers and I have some good contacts. A few of them are dead now but there are enough left that I could make it work.”

Jack was near enough to have heard this and he was staring at her in silent horror.

Zelly looked from one to the other. “Listen, I’m sorry that I messed up your time away from that old woman you two live with. Smart of you to do that because she’s so rich. But if you want to go downstairs and do it, that’s fine by me. In fact, if you want me to, I’ll join you.” She looked at Jack. “No? Well, I just thought I’d ask. I’m pretty good with my mouth. Had a lot of practice, if you know what I mean.” When Jack took a step forward, Zelly stood up and moved away from him. “Hey! I meant no offense. It was just an offer. Janet said—”

Jack’s voice was calm, low. “You either sit down and shut up or I will throw you over the side. No one knows you’re here so no one will miss you. Do I make myself clear?”

Zelly nodded and sat back down.

Fifteen

BY THE TIME they got back to land, Jack was utterly sick of the woman. She was a chatterbox, never stopping to think about what she was saying. Also,

she seemed to be controlled by her mother and Janet, always quoting their opinions on everything from what she should eat to where she should live. The fact that they were both deceased didn’t seem to hinder their influence on her.

She constantly disparaged Florida. “Mom said the state was full of really weird people and Janet wondered if I really and truly like palm trees. She said coconuts and foxes fall on people’s heads. Sometimes, it kills them.”

Jack started to correct her but Kate put her hand on his arm. She was right, his temper was about to explode.

“I think you mean foxtail palms. The fronds are indeed quite heavy.”

“The what? What kind of word is that? You mean the leaves?” She started laughing in such a derogatory way that Jack had to lead Kate away before she told the woman off.

After that, they just worked to keep calm as Zelly talked and talked and talked some more.

When they finally reached land, Jack jumped onto the dock. The first thing he was going to do was go to the management company he paid to look after his boat. Kate grabbed his arm. She didn’t have to say anything but he knew what she meant. Keep the Wyatt temper under control.

He did. He didn’t yell, didn’t curse. Instead, his tone was what he’d used when one of his men had forgotten to lock up a chain saw over the weekend. When Charlene came by to get the lumber left for her, one of her clever sons managed to start the thing. Nothing bad happened but it could have. By the time a calm, quiet-spoken Jack finished, the guy was shaking in fear. He never returned to the job.

Jack went back to the two women waiting for him and they went to the truck. Zelly tried to sit in the middle but Jack wouldn’t allow it. He put her on the end, next to the door.

On the drive across Fort Lauderdale to Lachlan on the west side, Zelly kept up a chatter about her future life. Seems that Janet had rhapsodized about Asheville. “I don’t know why we have to live here,” Zelly said. “Gil could build us a house in Asheville. I have friends there. And Mom is buried there. It’s my home.”

“It’s where the marijuana dealers live?” Jack asked.

Kate gave him a look to stop it but the woman didn’t seem to realize that he was being sarcastic.

“Yes!” Zelly said. “They do. I could—”

Jack tuned her out. His mind was on his friend Gil. This is what he was facing. A lifetime with this greedy, stupid woman. If he didn’t put up with her he could lose his son. No paperwork! Jack grimaced at that thought. There wasn’t a shred of evidence saying Gil hadn’t taken the child from a bereft mother.