Murder in Georgia Read online

  Nicole couldn’t believe this sweet little lady was going to trust a stranger with her car. She was in fact too stunned by Lita’s generosity to refuse.

  Chapter 2

  Jeff Bowie sat at his desk in the small office over an antique shop on the outskirts of Macon. He was studying the file he compiled for Dora Hildebrand. He wished he had better news for her, but sometimes the trail simply dried up. It had in this case and it was going to take more time to open it up again.

  At first he was sure he’d found the right person. Katrina Hunter was the right age, born on the right date, and in the right hospital. He even traced her from Atlanta, her hometown, to Athens where she taught computer programming and web site design at a small college until two years ago. Then Katrina had returned to Atlanta to care for her aging grandmother. After the grandmother’s death she’d moved again, first to Valdosta then to Savannah.

  It was here he lost track of her and he knew it was his fault. He took a vacation. When he returned and tried to contact Ms. Hunter in Savannah, he found she’d once again moved. This time, nobody seemed to know where. Her apartment lease was up and she left no forwarding address. A friend from across the hall told him she’d met a man and fell instantly in love. She told Jeff she thought they planned to get married, but she didn’t know the man’s name or where they planned to marry and settle down. All she could tell him was the man was an avid fisherman.

  He decided to check again in Atlanta and it was here he found he’d been chasing the wrong woman. Katrina Hunter was indeed the daughter of Maxine and Russell Hunter, not the love child Dora Hildebrand gave up for adoption twenty-seven years ago.

  Jeff shook his head. He didn’t like to make mistakes and he knew he’d made a whopper this time. Mrs. Hildebrand was hoping to get the message her daughter would soon be calling or maybe coming to Macon to meet her. Now he had to tell her to destroy the first report he’d given her because it was wrong. He hoped when he offered to work for a week on the case without charge, she would let him continue. It had become more important to him to find the daughter for the woman than it was to make a lot of money on the deal.

  Deep down he also wanted to know what became of Katrina Hunter. He made a note to check out some of her relatives when he went back to Atlanta. Surely after the wedding she had contacted them.

  Taking a deep breath, Jeff picked up the phone and dialed the Hildebrand number.

  * * * *

  Lita’s immaculately clean car was a two-toned gray, ten-year-old Cadillac with light gray leather interior. It had every electrical feature made for a car of this make and model. The car had only fifty-two thousand miles on it and was obviously well cared for. Sitting behind the wheel, Nicole wondered if she would be able to handle such a huge car—and for a moment, wondered if she could drive at all.

  She turned the key in the ignition and backed carefully from the double garage, situated in the corner of the backyard. One question was answered. She could drive. She just hoped nobody would ask to see her driver’s license.

  Out on the road, she made a few turns, mentally noting the names of the streets so she could retrace her steps. She was hoping all the while she would see something which would help her remember her past, at least enough of it to recall who she was. It wasn’t long until she spied a Goodwill Store. She knew they had bargains, and she needed some clothes to wear until she regained her memory. Without a second thought, she wheeled into the parking lot and went inside.

  She picked up a black leather wallet and a make-up case for her purse. She moved to the clothes and chose a navy and green plaid suit, a red and green sweater and matching red skirt, three blouses—white, navy, and multi-colored and a pair of jeans that had hardly been worn. On the way to the checkout, she picked up a matching robe, gown, and slippers. She was delighted when she left the store. She’d spent twenty-five dollars, but at least she’d have a change from her green pants suit.

  After a little more riding, she found a Walmart. On the cosmetic rack, she bought lipstick, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, and eyeliner. She then went into the pharmacy section and picked up deodorant, a brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, face cream and body lotion. On the sale rack in the ladies department she found a yellow T-shirt for two dollars. Seven dollars got her two sets of underwear. She was tempted to splurge on a package of cookies, but was able to say no. She did give in and buy a seventy-nine cent ballpoint pen and a dollar spiral notebook. These could be used to write down clues about herself and her past.

  By the time she paid the sales tax, her shopping spree in the store left her about forty-five dollars poorer. On the way back to Lita’s house, she pulled into a self-service station and pumped ten dollars’ worth of gas into the tank. Nicole arrived back at Lita’s house with her packages and a few dollars in her pocket. It was fifteen minutes after six.

  She went directly to her room and put her ‘new’ clothes away. Nicole felt better with the outfits hanging in the closet and the folded items in the drawers. She placed her notebook and pen on the desk and stood back. This was becoming her room. She smiled. Next, she went into the bathroom. Lita had put out fresh towels and washcloths. Nicole arranged her toiletries in the wall cabinet over the sink. She then washed her face, combed her hair, and used some of the cosmetics.

  She was now ready to make an appearance downstairs. The kitchen was easy to find by the wonderful aromas emitting from the pots on the stove.

  “Thank you Lita,” she handed over the car keys. “And thank you for the nice fresh linens. When I can, I’ll buy some of my own.”

  “That won’t be necessary. Linens are included in the rent.” She smiled at Nicole and added, “Did you have a nice ride?”

  “Yes, I did. I bought some things I needed to get by on until my clothes arrive. I found them at Goodwill.”

  “Good.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t have enough money to fill up your car, but I did put a little gas in it.”

  “Oh, Nicole. How sweet. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I thought it was the least I could do since you were nice enough to trust a stranger with it.”

  “Thank you, my dear. It was thoughtful of you.” When Nicole didn’t say anything, Lita went on. “I hope you like Chicken Marsala.”

  “It sounds wonderful and smells even better.”

  “Then let’s eat. I’ve already set the dining room table.” She nodded in the direction of the room. “Have a seat, and I’ll bring the food right in.”

  “May I help you?”

  “If you want to.” She smiled her cheery little smile as she placed scalloped potatoes in a bowl and handed them to Nicole. She then arranged steamed asparagus on a plate and put it in her other hand. Lita carried a platter of chicken and a basket of light rolls. The table was set with elegant bone china decorated with delicate pink roses and mint green leaves. She’d already poured water in the stemmed goblets beside smaller empty glasses. A bottle of wine sat in the crystal ice bucket and pats of softened butter waited on one side of each bread plate. A small fruit salad sat at the top of each place setting. The white linen napkins were in rings of gold and lay across the plates.

  A small crystal bowl held a centerpiece of fresh, mixed flowers. Pink candles stood in matching crystal holders on either side of it. Lita arranged the food then took matches from her pocket and lit the candles.

  “It’s lovely,” Nicole whispered.

  “Thank you.”

  She sat at the head of the table. Nicole sat to her right. “I will bless the food.” She announced.

  Nicole smiled and nodded.

  Lita crossed herself and said, “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Bless us Oh Lord in this Thy gift, which we’re about to receive. Amen.”

  Nicole sat quietly. It wasn’t that she objected because Lita wanted to pray. It was because she didn’t know whether or not she was Catholic, and she didn’t dare try to fake it.

  The food was delicious and Nicole told her lan
dlady so. She recounted her shopping adventures and asked Lita if she would like to come upstairs to see her purchases after dinner. Lita said she would.

  The older woman turned out to be a delightful dinner companion. She told Nicole her husband had practiced internal medicine until he passed away sixteen years earlier from a massive heart attack in his office.

  Lita explained she had a daughter who had followed in her father’s footsteps and now practiced medicine in Los Angeles. Her second daughter had married an English actor and lived in London. Her only son was a businessman and at present was making his home in Japan. Lita said she didn’t see her children often and confessed she took in a boarder now and then, not for the money, but for the company. She told Nicole she liked her on sight and thought she’d enjoy having her in the house.

  “I know I’m going to enjoy being here.” Nicole smiled. “It’s such a lovely house, and my room is perfect.”

  They chatted about different things and the meal lasted over an hour. When she stood to clear the table, Nicole stood to help her.

  “No, dear, you don’t have to help clean up.”

  Nicole insisted and finally Lita let her.

  Lita said she didn’t put her good china in the dishwasher so they did the dishes by hand. They were finishing up when the doorbell rang.

  “Dear me,” Lita said. “I wonder who that could be. I wasn’t expecting company.”

  Nicole shrugged and said nothing. She folded the towels as Lita headed toward the front of the house. Nicole planned to give Lita time to usher her guests into the living room then slip up the stairs to her room so she wouldn’t interfere.

  Nicole dropped the towels when a sharp, high-pitched scream filled the air.

  She ran to the entry hall. Lita lay in a crumpled heap on the Oriental rug covering most of the hardwood floor. A woman, not much younger than Lita, stood over her laughing. Around her neck was a large python.

  “What are you doing?” Nicole screamed at the woman.

  Startled she whirled to face Nicole. “I just came to show off my pet,” she stammered.

  “You and your pet get out of here!” Nicole yelled at her.

  The woman started to come forward, but Nicole grabbed a large vase from the entry hall table and held it over her head. “I said, get out!”

  For a moment the woman looked confused, but did back out onto the porch. Nicole slammed the door shut with her free hand and then knelt on the floor beside Lita, setting the vase on the floor next to her.

  Nicole wished she knew where there were some smelling salts, but she wasn’t going to leave Lita to search the medicine cabinets. She simply took the older woman’s face in her hands and patted her cheeks.

  “Lita,” she said. “Please wake up. It’s okay. She’s gone.”

  In a few minutes, she did begin to come around. “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure. I think you fainted. Are you alright?”

  “I think so.”

  Nicole helped her stand. Lita wobbled so Nicole put an arm around the older woman’s waist and led her to the living room. She sat her on the sofa. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “When I opened the door an old woman stuck an awful snake in my face. I hate snakes.”

  “Who was she?”

  “I don’t know. She just held the snake toward me, and when I started backing up she followed me into the house. Did I really faint?”

  “You screamed and were on the floor when I came in. I’m assuming you fainted.”

  “That was horrible. Who would do such a mean thing to me?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to see if I can get some answers.” Nicole stood. “Will you be alright alone for a minute?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  When Nicole opened the door she was surprised to find the woman with the snake still standing on the walk. She went onto the porch and the woman started to come back up the steps. “Stay where you are,” Nicole commanded. “I need to ask you some questions.”

  “Do you want me to finish my performance now?”

  “What performance?”

  “The snake dance. That was what I was hired to do.”

  “Who hired you?”

  She shrugged. “Don’t remember. I just took down a tentative date and told her to mail me the money. When it arrived, she called back to see if I had it. It was then I firmed up the date to do the show. Shall I come in and do it now?”

  “No! I want you to give me your phone number. I also want you to have the name and number of who hired you to do this ready for me when I call you in the morning.”

  “We don’t give out the names of the people who hire us to do these jobs.”

  “You’ll either give me the name and number or you’ll give it to the police. You’ll also have to explain to them why there’s a seventy-five year old woman in bed with a weak heart because you came to her door tonight.” It sounded like a good threat in Nicole’s mind.

  The woman looked frightened. She began to nod. “I’ll have the name and number for you in the morning.” She handed Nicole a business card. “You can reach me any time after eight-thirty.”

  “I’ll call between eight-thirty and nine. Be prepared to answer all my questions.” Nicole didn’t give her a chance to answer. She went back inside and closed the door.

  Lita stood in the entry putting the vase Nicole had picked up back on the hall table when she entered the house.

  “Are you sure you should be up?”

  “I’m fine. I know you’re probably right. I was so scared of the snake I fainted.” She pointed to the vase. “Who moved this?”

  “I did. It was the first thing I could get my hands on when I came in and saw the woman with the snake. I was going to hit her with it if she didn’t get out of the house.”

  Lita laughed. “That would have been an expensive hit, my dear. That vase cost me almost twelve hundred dollars forty years ago. The price has at least tripled by now. I’ve been offered four thousand for it.”

  Nicole clutched her chest. “Oh, Lord. Then I would have been the one to have a coronary.”

  Chapter 3

  Dora Hildebrand was drinking her third cup of coffee. She woke up at four o’clock that morning, and at five she gave up the idea of trying to go back to sleep.

  Zombie-like, she pushed her cup away and moved to the stove. She put the frying pan on the large burner and tossed in three slices of bacon. She wasn’t hungry, but she was smart enough to know she needed the nourishment. Of course. Bacon isn’t really very nourishing, but it’s filling.

  As it sizzled and popped, she automatically wiped the grease spatters off the stove. Her mind was still on the conversation she’d had with her daughter, Janice, last night. She’d decided to tell her there had been a child before her and her older brother, Derrick. She also told her how disappointed she was to find out Jeff Bowie had tracked down the wrong girl.

  After the initial shock, Janice had tried to persuade her mother to give up the whole idea. “I’m sure she had a good life, Mother. Please don’t drag this out in the open. I don’t want people talking about you.”

  “Honey, I’m at the age I don’t give a damn what people say. I just want to find the baby I gave away.” Dora shook her head. “I should have never done it, but at the time I was in no shape to raise a child and neither was your father.”

  “Did Daddy know?” Janice was shocked and surprised.

  “Of course he knew. It was his child too.”

  Janice shook her head. “I can’t believe Daddy would give away his child.”

  “Well, he did. His practice was just beginning to grow and we were struggling to put food on the table. You know he was seven years older than me and could always intimidate me into doing whatever he wanted.”

  Janice looked at her mother as if she didn’t believe her, but she didn’t say anything else about her father. “Does Derrick know?”

  “I thi
nk he does, but I’m not sure. I haven’t heard from your brother in three months.” She sighed. “I know he’s older than you, but he’s so much more immature. He’s still traveling around trying to make his rock band successful. I guess he hasn’t called because he’s been on the road a lot. Summer is his busy season.”

  “Any season is busy for a rock band, Mom.” Janice stood and picked up her purse. “Again, I’m asking you as your daughter, please give up this idea of finding your other child. Our family is fine just like it is.”

  “Mr. Bowie said sometimes the child is seeking its birth mother at the same time the mother is searching. Maybe that’ll happen. I know it’d work out for all of us if I find her.”

  “I already have an older brother, Mom. I don’t need an older sister. She might be some hard-hearted person who wouldn’t fit in our family at all.”

  “I don’t know.” Dora took Janice’s hand. “Lita called me last night and told me she has a new mysterious boarder. Lita guessed her to be in her late twenties. She’s the right age. You never know, she could be your sister.”

  “You’re grasping at straws, Mom. Please just drop this thing. Let our family stay the way it is.”

  Dora hadn’t promised Janice anything though she did think about it almost all night. This morning, she knew what she was going to do. Though she respected Janice’s point of view, she wasn’t going to give up. She was going to find her lost daughter. If by some miracle Lita’s boarder was her daughter, she’d soon find out and it would be a blessing to get to know her this way.

  She ate her breakfast then went to her room to take a shower. She had a plat of pansies in the garage and she wanted to fill in some bare spots around her maple tree. Though the days were getting a little cooler, it was still a hot job to dig and plant. Regardless of the weather, working in the soil always helped her to be calm and take whatever was going to happen in stride.

  * * * *

  A little after nine o’clock, dressed in the navy-and-green checked suit and navy blouse, Nicole came down the stairs with a piece of paper on which she’d written the desired information from the snake woman. She found Lita in the kitchen.