And One to Die On(16)
“You mean he’s some kind of a policeman?”
“I think he’s more like a private detective. People call him in when they have a problem they can’t solve. Which is what worries me.”
“What is?”
“What is he doing here? This Bennis Hannaford is some kind of family connection of Cavender Marsh’s. He’s her mother’s cousin or something, I don’t remember. But Demarkian isn’t anything to anybody. He isn’t even married to Bennis Hannaford. So why is he coming along?”
“Did Kent and Marsh invite him along?” Jason asked.
Geraldine shook her head. “Bennis Hannaford insisted on bringing him. From what I hear, she didn’t even give an explanation. She just said that if they wanted her here, they’d have to have him, and that was that.”
“Well, Geraldine, an awful lot of people don’t get on so well with their relations. Maybe this Bennis Hannaford didn’t want to spend a weekend with her mother’s cousin without having a little protection along.”
“That’s what Cavender Marsh thinks. And I would think it too, except that it’s Gregor Demarkian we’re talking about. I mean, everybody says that Cavender Marsh murdered his wife so that he could marry Tasheba Kent. Some people even say Miss Kent helped him do it.”
“Cavender Marsh never did marry Tasheba Kent,” Jason pointed out.
“That’s true,” Geraldine said. “But they did go away together after it all happened. And they’ve been living together out on the island ever since. They might as well have been married.”
“It was all a long time ago. What good would a private detective do anybody now? It didn’t even happen in this country.”
“I know. But I’ve been thinking about this, Jason, and I’ve got an idea that might make sense. It’s about Hannah Graham.”
“Cavender Marsh’s daughter? What about her?”
“Well,” Geraldine said, “after her mother died, she got dumped on some aunt or something out in California, while Miss Kent and Mr. Marsh came out here to the island. I don’t think she’s seen her father since, except in his old movies. I know he doesn’t write to her now. Anyway, she’s coming for the weekend.”
“And?”
“And the lawyer, Lydia Acken, is very upset about the whole thing, because she’s convinced that Hannah Graham is out for blood. I heard her talking to Mr. Marsh about it, over the phone. Not that she was getting anywhere with Mr. Marsh. He’s one of those people who doesn’t hear anything he doesn’t want to hear. But you see what could be happening.”
Jason shook his head.
“Miss Graham could have hired Mr. Demarkian herself, and this thing with Bennis Hannaford might be a cover they worked up among the three of them. I know you couldn’t get Mr. Marsh arrested for murder at this late date. And you couldn’t get him arrested in Maine. But there’s a lot of money involved here, the auction and all their things going up for sale. If Mr. Demarkian could prove finally that Mr. Marsh had killed his wife, then Miss Graham might be able to work a kind of blackmail. If you see what I mean.”
“I thought you told me that these were all rich people.”
“Oh, that doesn’t matter, Jason. They don’t think the way we do. As far as they’re concerned, there’s no such thing as enough money.”
Geraldine had finished her coffee. If she stayed to drink another mug, she wouldn’t have time to go to the newspaper and look through their files for what they had on Gregor Demarkian. She wouldn’t be able to go to the library either, to see what was in the magazines. She pushed the mug away from her and stood up.
“Well,” she said. “I’ve got to be going. If I stay away too long, I’ll never get finished back at the house.”
“They work you too hard,” Jason said. “You ought to quit that job and find yourself a better one.”
“There isn’t a better one. They pay me two fifty a week and my room and board, and come Christmas I’m going to have the money for the house.”
“Buy that one on Division Street if it’s still for sale. My brother worked the construction on it. He says it’s solid as a rock.”
“I’ll worry about what’s for sale when the time comes.”
There was nothing else to say. It really was time for her to be going. She looked at her coffee mug again and moved to the door.
“Well,” she said again. “I hope you have good luck caulking your bathroom.”
“Stop in again before you go on back,” Jason told her. “Tell me if you have anything to report.”