The Sour Taste of Suspicion Read online

  The Sour Taste of Suspicion

  CeeCee James

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Copyright © 2016 by CeeCee James

  All rights reserved*

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  For my Family- You guys are the best! 333

  1

  Elise’s stomach growled, not in the give me a candy bar, I missed lunch kind of way, but in the you feed me ramen noodles again, I’m going to revolt. She walked into the kitchen and threw open the cupboard. Sighing, she pushed around the same packages of ramen purchased in bulk from the Mart Club. She slammed the door shut, her bottom lip doing its nervous habit of finding its way between her teeth. Dog walking is not cutting it any more. With a groan, she sank into a kitchen chair and dragged over her laptop. After a few clicks, she pulled up the help wanted list.

  There were a few jobs there in her town but the problem was she lacked experience for most of them. Her marriage of ten years had recently ended when her ex-husband chose to have an affair. And now here she was at thirty-three, trying to start over.

  Looking down the list of jobs, her brow wrinkled as she ticked them off. Dental Assistant. Nurse. Middle School Teacher. Bus Driver. CPA. Nope. Nope. Nope. She rubbed her forehead. I’ve got to figure this out. What am I going to do?

  Brrrrit! A soft meow made Elise glance up at the china buffet. Curled on top was her orange cat, Max. His tail lashed against the ornate wood trim and he slit his eyes when he noticed her staring.

  “Max! What are you doing? You know you aren’t supposed to sleep up there.”

  He sat and began washing his face at her words, paw working carefully over his cheek and ear.

  Elise closed her eyes. “Lovely, even my cat dismisses me.”

  The clock chimed twelve, reminding her it was time to get out there and walk the dogs. Hey. At least it pays for another night of yellow, salty noodles. Her stomach clenched again at the thought.

  Elise searched for her sneakers as she mentally checked off her chore list. Cat fed? Check. Dishes? Done. Bills paid? Hysterical laughter. She tied her shoes and scooped her brown hair up into a ponytail. A smile flickered across her lips as she smoothed the hair back. Lavina, her best friend since grade school, had been so upset that summer to discover a few gray hairs amongst her brilliantly red hair. “Elise!” Lavina had shouted. “It’s not fair! Why don’t you have any? Your hair is still as dark as a nut-like as it’s always been.” Elise had shrugged and told Lavina just to pull it out. Lavina’s eyes had gone wide at the suggestion. “You want to ruin me? Don’t you know if you pull out a gray you get two more?”

  Still smiling, as she often did when it came to Lavina, Elise grabbed her phone and keys from the counter and headed for the front door. As she was locking it, her cell rang.

  “Lady! Where are you this very minute?” A frantic voice blasted out.

  Elise laughed. “Lavina, I swear, I was just thinking about you.”

  “I must have been shooting you mind bullets. I have an emergency!”

  “What’s the emergency?”

  “My Aunt Myrtle called me this morning at six am. She has a job for me!”

  Oh. Not a real emergency. Elise started a light jog to the first house where a Pekingese waited. “You were up that early and you’re still alive?” Elise snorted. She knew how Lavina detested waking up early.

  “It’s not funny. That woman has called me three more times since then. She was my grandma’s sister, and you know how that generation is about family obligation.”

  “What job does she want you to do?”

  “She wants a companion for a few weeks. Of course I thought of you.”

  “Me? What?”

  “Yes! You’d be perfect! And you’ll love it! She has the most beautiful mansion called Montgomery Manor. You’d have the run of it, with servants to help you with anything you could ever possibly need. She just needs someone to stay with her until her niece finishes her semester at school.”

  “What about you?”

  Lavina paused dramatically. “Elise. You know I couldn’t possibly stay all the way out there. I have my deli to run. And what would Mr. G think? Besides, if you absolutely hate it, I’ll find someone else. But just do one week for me. Please?”

  Elise rolled her eyes. Technically, she owed Lavina a favor for taking her on a cruise last summer. And Mr. G’s identity was so secretive, even Elise didn’t know who he was. “Um….”

  “Plus the job offers a thousand dollars a week.”

  Well, now, that certainly changes things. After all, it was perfect timing since her dog walking was about to be on a lull. Mrs. Campbell was a snow bird and Elise was sure Rose would let her off walking the Pekingese for a short while.

  “I’ll do it.” Elise said.

  “Lovely! Just one little thing.”

  “What?” Elise’s chest tightened.

  “She’s crazy,” Lavina said before ringing off.

  2

  Elise drove her tiny Pinto along the country road, already eight miles from town. The houses along this road were old and sprawling. Several had massive gates, locking them safely away from the main road behind wrought iron fences. She looked down to check her directions and then the road sign. This was it, Old Parkers Road.

  Time seemed to have stopped out here. Thickly leafed branches hung over the road from the oak trees. The road was littered with debris—branches, gravel, and acorns—that crunched under her tires.

  An untamed pyramidal hedge blocked the view of a house from the road. Lovely. No house markers. The hedge opened briefly to expose a metal gate. Rust covered the surface of the gate, dripping orange down the sides of the curlicue scroll work.

  How was she supposed to find Montgomery Manor? She read the directions again. Look for the bargeboard and twin turrets.

  The hedge continued on the other side of the gate until it butted into the stone fence of the next property. This property’s driveway was also closed off by a gate. Elise peered down the concrete path. Perched at the end was a three story mansion. The undergrowth had long ago claimed the driveway and the bushes and greenery now encroached the stairs and the pillars. Shutters bordered the upper balcony on the third floor. One shutter dangled haphazardly, as if the slightest wind would blow it off.

  Forgotten by time.

  She let her foot off the brake and edged forward. The next house lacked a gate, edged instead by a row of trees along the driveway line. The trees boughs dripped with Spanish moss and appeared black as they stretched towards the overcast sky.

  At the end of the driveway stood another three-story house. This one with enormous white pillars, an expansive porch, and five brick chimneys. And there were the towers and white painted bargeboard. Her stomach cramped with nerves as she turned down the driveway.

  She parked near the separate garage and walked up to t
he entrance. The house that seemed so full of splendor from the road showed its age and lack of care the closer she got. The pillars had appeared pure white in the distance, but up close were laced with a multitude of fissures running their lengths. Wide, white stairs led up to the front porch, stairs in dire need of paint and replacement of more than one rotting board. The porch itself was intact, with the exception of gray spiderwebs interspersed between the bargeboard that hung from the roof’s edge.

  The front windows were covered with curtains and didn’t allow Elise a peek inside. Instead, only her own slender form was reflected back in the panes of glass.

  Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

  The door opened immediately.

  A maid stood there, dressed as if she were auditioning for a play set in the early 1900’s.

  “Evening, mum,” the maid spoke with a light accent. Her dark curls were pinned under a frilly cap.

  Elise’s eyebrows ratcheted up in surprise. What in the world?

  “I’m here to see Myrtle Kennington,” Elise said, even as her gaze scouted for what she could see behind the woman.

  “Right this way.” As the maid stepped back, her tight laced shoes squeaked against the parquet flooring.

  Elise stepped inside expecting her shoes to squeak, too. She was relieved when they didn’t.

  The maid led Elise through the hall and down to the right. She stood in front of the parlor with her hand extended.

  Elise walked in, filled with trepidation. A roaring fire lit the room, along with two Tiffany lamps. An old lady sat in a wing-back chair holding a fragile teacup in what appeared to be an equally fragile hand.

  “Can I help you?” the woman asked.

  Elise was further taken aback. Didn’t Lavina tell her I was coming? “Hi. I’m Elise. I’m here to stay with you for a little bit.”

  The woman set down the teacup on its saucer and snatched up her cane. She stood shakily and tottered a few steps closer to Elise. “Who sent you?” the old lady scowled, her hand trembling as she held the cane.

  Elise swallowed. “Lavina. Your niece.”

  “She sent you to protect me?” The old lady studied Elise from head to toe as she leaned on her cane. “Pshaw! You can’t protect me from a squirrel trying to take my nuts.”

  “Well,” Elise began in a soothing voice. “I’m here more as a companion until your other niece from Maine gets here. Just in case you need someone in the middle of the night.”

  “I don’t need somebody to help me in the middle of the night. That’s why I have Matilda. I need someone to protect me from the person who’s moved back in.”

  “Somebody else has moved in?” Was this the crazy Lavina had warned her about?

  Aunt Myrtle eyed her. “Somebody or something. Who knows in this house?” The old woman sidestepped around her like a crab scuttling for the water. “Lavina arranged it, I guess you’re staying, then. You can call me Aunt Myrtle.” The woman headed for the hallway, her cane thumping loudly. “Come, follow me.”

  “What a beautiful house you have here,” Elise said as she looked around. The inside was even more extravagant than the outside, but again, in dusty disrepair. Back in the foyer, the crystal chandelier held none of its original sparkle. Instead, it glowed dully, coated with a layer of dust.

  “I just don’t know what Lavina Sue was thinking,” Myrtle grumbled. “Hamilton!” she shrieked, startling Elise. It was surprising how much volume came from such a tiny woman. “Hamilton! Where are you?”

  “Right here, ma'am.” An old man seemed to materialize out of this air. His uniform had been stiffly pressed and his tie knotted smartly. A closer look showed shiny patches at his knees and a frayed cuff at his wrist. His white hair was slicked back, displaying a pink scalp at the crown.

  “It appears we have a guest.” Aunt Myrtle said crossly, then turning to Elise. “That is if you’re planning to stay or are you just content to lollygag in my foyer?”

  Elise grabbed her satchel more firmly. “Where would you like me to stay?”

  Hamilton waved a glove in Elise’s direction. “Right this way, ma'am.”

  “Top door to the left!” Aunt Myrtle directed, pounding her cane as emphasis.

  “Yes, ma'am. The room you told us to tidy.” The butler nodded to Myrtle and headed up the stairs. Elise followed.

  There were two sweeping staircases, one that curved to the right, and one to the left. At first glance, the stairs appeared majestic, with its dark wood and white carved banister rails. But the gloss was gone up the center of the stair treads, worn away by countless feet trudging up and down.

  The stairs creaked under her feet and showed years of dust in the crevasse between the railing and the tread. I wonder why the maid or butler hasn't dusted the chandelier or vacuumed the edges on the steps? Each step had a slight dip in the center from years of use. Sunlight peeked through the kite window and illuminated a cloud of dust motes. Elise walked up the stairs, feeling as though she wouldn’t be at all surprised to see ghosts of years gone by trail down past her.

  One step creaked especially hard under her foot, sounding like a shot from a gun. She jerked and clutched the railing.

  “Mind your step, ma'am,” Hamilton said in a monotone.

  Up they went, around the bend and to the first landing. Elise eyed the large statue that greeted her.

  Two ivory fairies stood together, one on a toadstool looking over the other’s shoulder. The one on the toadstool held a giant blue globe that sparkled. The fairies’ blind eyes stared straight ahead. At the base of their feet was a chip in the stone that extended a hairline fracture down to the base of the pedestal. A brown stain covered the edge of the chip.

  Elise couldn’t help the shiver that curled at the base of her spine. Don’t be silly. There’s nothing strange about that. This house is old. The stain could have been there from years ago.

  But that brown looked an awful lot like old blood.

  Elise looked up. Somehow the butler had lengthened the space between them by five or six steps. She stepped quickly after Hamilton.

  He turned down the hall at the top of the steps. “Right this way, ma'am.” His tone couldn’t have been more bland if he was describing oatmeal. The second story floor was covered with a carpet, also threadbare down its center, that darkened to a ruby red along the edges of the wall. The wall was lined with family portraits. Her eye was drawn to the one in the middle, hanging crooked.

  The doors were carved in a six cross pattern and all made out of the same heavy oak. Hamilton took her past four such doors before opening the fifth.

  Elise paused in trepidation before straightening her shoulders and walking in.

  The room was charming. Completely different from what Elise had expected. A pink chintz bedspread lay across the bed, looking fresh and clean. Both gabled windows were covered with matching chintz curtains and showed green glimpses of the estate’s garden. There was even a small fire crackling in the fireplace.

  “This is lovely,” Elise said with a smile. She set down her bag. “Thank you so much.”

  The butler nodded. “Dinner is at six. Ms. Kennington is very prompt and expects everyone to be on time. Your washroom is just through these doors.” He lifted a gloved hand to point to two doors at the side of the room. “And your closet is here. If you need any help unpacking, please use the phone’s intercom and ask for Matilda.” He pointed to the phone, an old white rotary dial. His face flushed with what looked like pride. “We’ve recently upgraded.”

  Recent? He holds a new definition of the word recent. “I appreciate it so much.”

  Hamilton turned to go.

  “Excuse me! Before you go, I have a quick question for you.”

  The Butler blinked slowly and kept his hand on the door knob as if to cut off any long winded questions. “Yes, ma'am?”

  “Have you noticed anything strange going on here?”

  “No, ma'am. But, Ms. Kennington is quite lonely in these parts, since her chil
dren have moved away. I wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t some part of her plan to get them to return.”

  That was a little rude of him to say. Elise nodded. “Thank you again.”

  “Ma'am.” With a nod, he shut the door.

  Elise walked to the window and lifted the edge of the curtain. Far below was the rose garden, the flower heads dead and brown now. Elise frowned, wondering at the lack of care. Didn’t Lavina say there was a live-in gardener? In the center was a giant hole with the dirt mounded to the side. Green hedges edged the rose garden like a living fence and marked out pathways through the estate.

  The hedges were also not as maintained as they should have been, with odd branches that poked out from here and there.

  Elise dropped the curtain and rubbed her fingers together, noting the lack of dust. This room had been cleaned thoroughly. That frosty welcome was something else. Elise thought about her friend and shook her head. I’ll bet Lavina didn’t tell her Aunt that she’d passed the job to me. That girl owes me.

  She walked over to the dresser and pulled out a drawer. New liner paper had been laid that faintly smelled of lilac. She shuffled her few belongings from the satchel into the dresser and pushed the drawer closed.

  Time to freshen up. She grabbed her purse and headed for the bathroom to wash her face.

  Elise opened the bathroom door and froze. Filling her lungs to capacity, she let out a scream.

  3

  Elise’s scream reverberated through the tiny bathroom. She screamed again.

  Nothing. No one came running. She was alone.

  Except she wasn’t.

  Hands shaking, legs quaking, she wobbled slowly toward the tub. The white lace shower curtain was partially closed. But not enough to hide the blue face of a man. Elise took a few more steps closer, hardly believing her eyes. Was he really dead?

  He was dead alright. Fully clothed in a flannel shirt and blue jeans, he sat in six inches of water. And the knife sticking out of his chest was the exclamation mark.