Classified As Murder

“The FBI is handling that part of the investigation, I think you told me.” Helen Louise served herself a second piece of cake. I eyed it longingly but decided one big serving was enough.

“Yes, because apparently Hubert and Anita sold the set of Faulkner first editions to a collector in California. He’s going to have to return them, of course, and I imagine Hubert and Anita will have to make restitution.”

“She’ll have to sell that diamond bracelet, I’ll bet.” Sean put his fork aside and pushed his empty dessert plate away.

“I don’t see how they really thought they could get away with it,” Helen Louise said.

Stewart laughed. “If you knew Hubert well enough, you’d understand. He’s so convinced he can outsmart everyone else, he probably never even thought about somebody figuring out what was going on. Despite years of evidence to the contrary, I might add.” Stewart laughed again. “Miss Anita was his soul mate in that respect. It really is funny, how stupid they are, and they don’t even know it.”

Kanesha had told me the average criminal was pretty dumb, and in the case of Hubert and Anita, I figured she was right. Anita had plenty of “book sense” as my aunt Dottie called it, but her common sense was sadly lacking.

“How did Hubert get into Mr. Delacorte’s bedroom to make that threatening call, Dad? Did Kanesha tell you?” Sean asked.

“Turns out he had a duplicate set of Mr. Delacorte’s keys,” I replied.

“Why didn’t they find them when they searched the house?” Stewart frowned. “They were very thorough in my room, I can tell you. I had to empty my pockets, even.”

“Hubert had them in his pocket when they took him down to the sheriff’s department the other day,” I said. “Kanesha got him to admit he made the call, and he also told her where he usually kept the keys.”

“Where?” Stewart leaned forward in anticipation as I paused.

“I was told he has a fireplace in his room,” I said. “There’s a secret panel on it somewhere, and behind the secret panel is a small compartment.”

Helen Louise laughed. “I love it. Shades of Nancy Drew and The Hidden Staircase. As I recall, the old houses in that book had some pretty nifty hiding places and secret passages.”

“Delacorte House has a secret passage,” Stewart said. “Dates back to before the Civil War, I think. Cynthia and I used to play in it when we were kids, like we were Nancy Drew and Frank Hardy. Pretty dirty, full of cobwebs and mouse droppings.” He shuddered. “I can’t believe we didn’t pick up some kind of disease in there.”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” I said. “Did anyone tell Kanesha about it?”

“I did,” Stewart said and started laughing. When he could talk again, he said, “Sorry, but it was just too, too funny. I showed one of the big, brawny deputies the entrance. He and another deputy explored it, and you should have seen what they looked like when they came out of it.” He laughed again. “They were filthy. I tried to warn them, but they insisted on going into it.”

“Where is the entrance?” Sean asked.

“In the front parlor,” Stewart replied. “The other entrance was sealed off years ago. It runs under the yard to one of the outbuildings at the other end of the property.”

“A dead end, in more ways than one.” Sean grinned.

“Exactly,” Stewart said.

“What’s going to happen to the estate now?” Helen Louise asked.

Sean spoke up. “Unless they can prove that Truesdale murdered James Delacorte, he’ll probably still inherit. If he’s convicted of Eloise’s murder, he could get the death penalty, so it would be a moot point. But if they convict him of both murders, he can’t inherit. Under Mississippi law, a person can’t profit from a crime.”

“If he is convicted of both murders, then what?” Stewart asked. “Will Hubert inherit after all?”

Sean leaned back in his chair as he regarded his audience. “Most likely it will be his mother, as the next of kin. It’s a complicated case, though, especially with one of the heirs about to be indicted for theft.”

“You must have been doing some research,” I said. “Getting ready for the Mississippi bar exam already?”

Sean’s face reddened slightly. “Not exactly. I, uh, talked to Alexandra Pendergrast about it. I’m just repeating some of what she told me.”

“I see.” I suppressed a smile as I decided not to risk embarrassing my son by asking any further questions. Given his previous antipathy to Alexandra, I was surprised to know that he had spoken to her. Perhaps he had decided that not all female lawyers were like his former boss. I hoped so, because Alexandra was a most attractive young woman.

Helena Louise shot me a glance of pure amusement. I had told her enough about Sean and his interactions with Alexandra Pendergrast that she probably knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Going back to the villain in the piece,” Helen Louise said, “I’m sure that if anyone can prove he committed both murders, Kanesha can. She’s tougher than a terrier and a bulldog combined.”