pacing.
“Who’s that?” Jass asked.
Punt waited a few moments before answering. “Don’t forget Jude Cordell.”
“Jude?” Jass and I spoke in unison.
“Yes, Jude. Jude’s a law clerk and secretary at Hubble & Hubble.He had access to Margaux’s will. No doubt he read it with great interest. Can’t think of anyone in this town who wouldn’t have read that will had the opportunity presented itself. Don’t forget that at one time Jude threatened Keely’s life.”
“I prefer to think of that as another idle threat—like Consuela’s,” Jass said.
“I try to forget both Jude and his threat, Punt. Help me forget. Don’t be bringing Jude’s name up now.”
“You can forget his threat, but that doesn’t make it go away. Jude threatened you. Witnesses heard him. I’m one of them, and I’m willing to testify against him in court should it become necessary.”
“Okay, okay,” Jass said, “but…”
“Jude’s not dumb, and he’s dangerous. Since he probably knew Keely would inherit from Margaux’s will, he could have shot Margaux for pure meanness, knowing Keely would find her body and likely take a lot of heat from the police. Maybe face a murder rap. Jude’s already on the police blotter as an abuser. He knows the drill when it comes to police interrogations.”
“Hold on one minute,” I blurted. “How could he have known I’d find the body?”
“By following you,” Punt said. “I hope you don’t think that restraining order means anything. In his mind, Jude’ll never let you off the hook. I think he moved back to Key West just to torment you.”
“I agree with that,” Jass said.
“Gram thinks so, too.”
“After watching your place and following you a few Sunday mornings, Jude would have figured out your standing appointment with Margaux,” Punt said. “He could have known that Beau would be out of town last night. Lots of people were talking about the tournament, and Margaux told friends that Beau was involved in it. What a perfect time for Jude to act!”
“Like everyone else, he knows the person finding a body would get special attention from the police.” Jass sighed.
“You may be right.” I could barely whisper the words, they frightened me so.
Again, Jass began to pace. “Which one of us is going to find out if Jude has an alibi? Which one of us is going to check out that alibi—if there is one? He’s dangerous. I want no part of him.”
“I plan never to go near him,” I said. “That’s for sure.”
“If we can get the police to call Margaux’s death a homicide, maybe the police will check out his alibi,” Punt said. “It wouldn’t break my heart to see Jude on the hot seat.”
I wondered what Punt had against Jude. Most people who didn’t know Jude well liked him, from what I’ve heard. He hid his dark side.
“Keely, where were you late Saturday night?” Jass looked me in the eye. “We’ve all got to come clean.”
Both Punt and Jass stared at me, and my stomach felt like a kettle of boiling water as my sudden resentment rose. Heat flushed my face and my voice croaked as I tried to answer Jass.
“Calm down,” Jass said. “We know you’re innocent, but we need to know you’ve a strong alibi. We need to hear it.”
A few deep breaths helped me find the grace and dignity to answer. “That’s the problem, Jass. I have no alibi—at least none that’d hold up in court. I stayed home alone all evening—reading, watching TV, sleeping. Saturday night’s seldom a big-event night in my life. What were you two doing?”
“I’ve a good alibi,” Jass said. “I’d been in Miami all day taking care of the details, the paperwork involved in entering the hibiscus show. I felt exhausted by the time I got home, but nervous energy kept me wired.”
“So get to the point,” Punt said. “What’d you do?”
“In the early part of the evening I worked in my greenhouse writing out orders for fertilizers and soil additives. Then around
“Who’s that?” Jass asked.
Punt waited a few moments before answering. “Don’t forget Jude Cordell.”
“Jude?” Jass and I spoke in unison.
“Yes, Jude. Jude’s a law clerk and secretary at Hubble & Hubble.He had access to Margaux’s will. No doubt he read it with great interest. Can’t think of anyone in this town who wouldn’t have read that will had the opportunity presented itself. Don’t forget that at one time Jude threatened Keely’s life.”
“I prefer to think of that as another idle threat—like Consuela’s,” Jass said.
“I try to forget both Jude and his threat, Punt. Help me forget. Don’t be bringing Jude’s name up now.”
“You can forget his threat, but that doesn’t make it go away. Jude threatened you. Witnesses heard him. I’m one of them, and I’m willing to testify against him in court should it become necessary.”
“Okay, okay,” Jass said, “but…”
“Jude’s not dumb, and he’s dangerous. Since he probably knew Keely would inherit from Margaux’s will, he could have shot Margaux for pure meanness, knowing Keely would find her body and likely take a lot of heat from the police. Maybe face a murder rap. Jude’s already on the police blotter as an abuser. He knows the drill when it comes to police interrogations.”
“Hold on one minute,” I blurted. “How could he have known I’d find the body?”
“By following you,” Punt said. “I hope you don’t think that restraining order means anything. In his mind, Jude’ll never let you off the hook. I think he moved back to Key West just to torment you.”
“I agree with that,” Jass said.
“Gram thinks so, too.”
“After watching your place and following you a few Sunday mornings, Jude would have figured out your standing appointment with Margaux,” Punt said. “He could have known that Beau would be out of town last night. Lots of people were talking about the tournament, and Margaux told friends that Beau was involved in it. What a perfect time for Jude to act!”
“Like everyone else, he knows the person finding a body would get special attention from the police.” Jass sighed.
“You may be right.” I could barely whisper the words, they frightened me so.
Again, Jass began to pace. “Which one of us is going to find out if Jude has an alibi? Which one of us is going to check out that alibi—if there is one? He’s dangerous. I want no part of him.”
“I plan never to go near him,” I said. “That’s for sure.”
“If we can get the police to call Margaux’s death a homicide, maybe the police will check out his alibi,” Punt said. “It wouldn’t break my heart to see Jude on the hot seat.”
I wondered what Punt had against Jude. Most people who didn’t know Jude well liked him, from what I’ve heard. He hid his dark side.
“Keely, where were you late Saturday night?” Jass looked me in the eye. “We’ve all got to come clean.”
Both Punt and Jass stared at me, and my stomach felt like a kettle of boiling water as my sudden resentment rose. Heat flushed my face and my voice croaked as I tried to answer Jass.
“Calm down,” Jass said. “We know you’re innocent, but we need to know you’ve a strong alibi. We need to hear it.”
A few deep breaths helped me find the grace and dignity to answer. “That’s the problem, Jass. I have no alibi—at least none that’d hold up in court. I stayed home alone all evening—reading, watching TV, sleeping. Saturday night’s seldom a big-event night in my life. What were you two doing?”
“I’ve a good alibi,” Jass said. “I’d been in Miami all day taking care of the details, the paperwork involved in entering the hibiscus show. I felt exhausted by the time I got home, but nervous energy kept me wired.”
“So get to the point,” Punt said. “What’d you do?”
“In the early part of the evening I worked in my greenhouse writing out orders for fertilizers and soil additives. Then around
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