Never Tease a Siamese: A Leigh Koslow Mystery by Edie Claire Read Free Book Online
Authors: Edie Claire
rolled two wheels onto the grass, and stopped with a disturbing "whomp." Adith Rhodis popped out instantly. "Honey!" she began in a fluster. "I've been trailing you ever since your driveway. Didn't you see me? I was trying to get your attention. Danged horn's out."
Leigh imagined with horror the older woman swerving all over the road behind her. As preoccupied as her mind was, she hadn't seen a thing. "I'm glad you're okay," she said with relief. "What’s up?"
Adith looked at her disbelievingly. "What's up? That's what I'd like to know! I haven't heard from you all day, and you know I hate those phone machines. Did you talk to your Daddy? What did he say?"
Leigh sighed and dove into an explanation that was complicated, and not necessarily encouraging. Because although her father had backed off his insistence that the break-in was drug related, the rock incident had made him considerably less inclined to welcome Ricky Rhodis back onto the streets. Not just yet, anyway , he had said firmly as he scuttled off to Hershey. Too many unanswered questions.
Which is why she had decided to push her luck by showing up at the Murchison mansion a little early. She finished her explanation to Adith as gently, yet realistically, as possible, and was surprised to see the older woman's eyes light up with optimism. "Told you my boy doesn't do drugs!" she chortled. "Didn't I tell you? Everything will be all right, then. Your daddy will come to his senses soon."
Leigh smiled politely, then looked pointedly at her watch, hoping the older woman would take the hint. She should have known better.
"Albert and Lilah Murchison's house," Adith murmured, looking it over with such reverence that Leigh halfway expected her to genuflect. Instead, she spat into a palm. "Never thought I'd see the day." Rubbing her wetted hands together, she made a futile attempt to tame the white-gray hair that sprang straight out from her head. "Oh my. The girls will love this."
Leigh tried not to panic. "Mrs. Rhodis," she began carefully. "You can't go in with me. I'm only here as a proxy for my father."
The older woman waved away the concern as if shooing a gnat. "Oh, honey. Don't you worry about that. We'll just say I'm your aunt."
"But—"
"Now, look, child," Adith continued firmly, adjusting her polyester dress over her ample bosom. "I've lived in these boroughs for seventy-eight years now, and I haven't once been in one of these Ben Avon mansions, much less the mansion of the Lilah Murchison, who wouldn't let her best friend in on Christmas if she had one, which she never did. Now she's dead and doesn't care and I'm alive and do—and I'm going in that house with you and you aren't going to stop me." She paused, then donned her sweetest little-old-lady smile. "Now. Are you ready, hon?"
Leigh bit her lip. She could either risk a scene with Adith when the lawyer arrived, or have a public one on the street right now. Procrastination ruled. "All right," she said with defeat, heading toward the house. "But behave yourself, please? Don't go snooping around or anything."
Adith nodded and fell in step. "Fine. I'll just distract the housekeeper for you."
Leigh reeled. "You'll do no such thing! I'm only here to find out about the will. For my father."
The older woman grinned. "Uh huh. You want to know what it is that cat ate that's so danged important to somebody, and so do I. Now, let's do it."
No response came to Leigh's mind as they followed the meandering walk up to the mansion's carved oak doors. She had to admit that getting Ricky Rhodis out of jail was no longer her only motivation. Someone was trying to intimidate her father—or someone else at the clinic—and though that whole situation could very well have nothing to do with Number One Son, the timing could not be overlooked. And Nikki Loomis, despite her insistence on not knowing what the cat might have swallowed, was clearly the person to talk to. Leigh pressed the doorbell.
"Yeah? Um, what time is
Leigh imagined with horror the older woman swerving all over the road behind her. As preoccupied as her mind was, she hadn't seen a thing. "I'm glad you're okay," she said with relief. "What’s up?"
Adith looked at her disbelievingly. "What's up? That's what I'd like to know! I haven't heard from you all day, and you know I hate those phone machines. Did you talk to your Daddy? What did he say?"
Leigh sighed and dove into an explanation that was complicated, and not necessarily encouraging. Because although her father had backed off his insistence that the break-in was drug related, the rock incident had made him considerably less inclined to welcome Ricky Rhodis back onto the streets. Not just yet, anyway , he had said firmly as he scuttled off to Hershey. Too many unanswered questions.
Which is why she had decided to push her luck by showing up at the Murchison mansion a little early. She finished her explanation to Adith as gently, yet realistically, as possible, and was surprised to see the older woman's eyes light up with optimism. "Told you my boy doesn't do drugs!" she chortled. "Didn't I tell you? Everything will be all right, then. Your daddy will come to his senses soon."
Leigh smiled politely, then looked pointedly at her watch, hoping the older woman would take the hint. She should have known better.
"Albert and Lilah Murchison's house," Adith murmured, looking it over with such reverence that Leigh halfway expected her to genuflect. Instead, she spat into a palm. "Never thought I'd see the day." Rubbing her wetted hands together, she made a futile attempt to tame the white-gray hair that sprang straight out from her head. "Oh my. The girls will love this."
Leigh tried not to panic. "Mrs. Rhodis," she began carefully. "You can't go in with me. I'm only here as a proxy for my father."
The older woman waved away the concern as if shooing a gnat. "Oh, honey. Don't you worry about that. We'll just say I'm your aunt."
"But—"
"Now, look, child," Adith continued firmly, adjusting her polyester dress over her ample bosom. "I've lived in these boroughs for seventy-eight years now, and I haven't once been in one of these Ben Avon mansions, much less the mansion of the Lilah Murchison, who wouldn't let her best friend in on Christmas if she had one, which she never did. Now she's dead and doesn't care and I'm alive and do—and I'm going in that house with you and you aren't going to stop me." She paused, then donned her sweetest little-old-lady smile. "Now. Are you ready, hon?"
Leigh bit her lip. She could either risk a scene with Adith when the lawyer arrived, or have a public one on the street right now. Procrastination ruled. "All right," she said with defeat, heading toward the house. "But behave yourself, please? Don't go snooping around or anything."
Adith nodded and fell in step. "Fine. I'll just distract the housekeeper for you."
Leigh reeled. "You'll do no such thing! I'm only here to find out about the will. For my father."
The older woman grinned. "Uh huh. You want to know what it is that cat ate that's so danged important to somebody, and so do I. Now, let's do it."
No response came to Leigh's mind as they followed the meandering walk up to the mansion's carved oak doors. She had to admit that getting Ricky Rhodis out of jail was no longer her only motivation. Someone was trying to intimidate her father—or someone else at the clinic—and though that whole situation could very well have nothing to do with Number One Son, the timing could not be overlooked. And Nikki Loomis, despite her insistence on not knowing what the cat might have swallowed, was clearly the person to talk to. Leigh pressed the doorbell.
"Yeah? Um, what time is
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