Page 70 of The Other Lady Vanishes

Adelaide smiled a watery smile. “The Duchess warned me that something terrible was going to happen that night. She said that if I didn’t leave, I would not survive until morning. She said I would become the next ghost.”

Chapter 33

Adelaide was washing teacups in the big sink in the tearoom kitchen when the phone rang. She wiped her hands on her apron and crossed the pea green linoleum floor to pick up the receiver.

“Refresh Tearoom,” she said.

“Adelaide, it’s Raina. I have a possible location for Thelma Leggett.”

“That’s great.”

“No guarantees but here’s what I’ve got. I located the property that Leggett inherited. I made a phone call to a local real estate firm and pretended that I was looking for a place to rent for a week. I mentioned that I had seen an empty cabin the last time I drove through the town. I gave them the address of the property that Leggett owns. The secretary who took my call said that the place has had a For Sale sign in the window for about two years but the day before yesterday a woman moved in. Her car is still sitting in the driveway.”

“Raina, you are absolutely brilliant.”

“It might be a huge coincidence that a woman moved into Leggett’s cabin a couple of days ago,” Raina warned.

“It must be Leggett.”

“That’s what I’m assuming. I checked a map. Looks like the town is about a two-hour drive from Burning Cove.”

Adelaide glanced at the wall clock. “It’s a little after ten. I’ve got to call Jake. He’s talking to Luther Pell. If we leave now, we can be there before one o’clock.”

“What about your job?”

“Flo will understand when I tell her I need the day off. She’ll probably assume that Jake and I are sneaking off for an afternoon tryst at some unnamed auto court.”

“When nothing could be further from the truth, right?”

“Right. Got to go, Raina. Thanks.”

“I’ll send my bill to Mr. Truett.”

“No, that wouldn’t be right. Send it to me.”

“You can’t afford me, pal. Drive carefully.”

Raina hung up the phone.

Chapter 34

The shot to the temple had done a lot of damage but there was enough left of Thelma Leggett’s face to identify her.

“Another suicide,” Jake said. “What an amazing coincidence. But this time the victim used a gun. Someone evidently decided to rewrite the script.”

Adelaide turned away from the sight of Thelma Leggett sprawled on the thin, blood-soaked bed. For a moment she was afraid that she would be sick.

“Are you all right?” Jake asked.

“Yes. No. But I’m not going to faint, if that’s what’s worrying you.”

Jake rounded the end of the cot and put an arm around her shoulders.

“Why don’t you wait outside?” he suggested, his voice gentling.

She shook her head and stepped away from the comfort he was offering. She forced herself to take another look at the cot. Thelma had evidently been sitting on the edge of the bed when she put the pistol toher temple and pulled the trigger. She had fallen backward across the quilt. Her fingers were still wrapped around the gun.

“What is going on here?” she said.