II

"Perhaps we should leave," Mr. Philpot, one of the two businessmen, said, obviously concerned and obviously uncomfortable. He was tall and rotund with a handle-bar mustache and when he was nervous or anxious as he was now, he twirled his fingers along the ends of his moustache, twisting up the ends.

"Yes, Mr. Cartwright," the younger, handsome, Mr. Hancock said, "perhaps we could finish up our business tomorrow. Shall I fetch the constable? I mean, since there's been a murder…" Mr. Hancock kept staring at the young woman in distress who claimed to have seen a murder. And at 10:15 in the morning in a busy town, no less. Women, especially self-absorbed, beautiful women – and she was beautiful, he noted, were especially unreliable, at least that was the general opinion. And his opinion as well. Everything was remembered only as it affected them and that was all.

"No. Thank you, Mr. Hancock, but, no. There's no need for you to become involved. And I agree, tomorrow would be better to conclude our business as I need to see to my wife." Adam glanced at Sibella who looked piteous with her dark hair tousled from the hastily removed bonnet and the color just creeping back into her lips and cheeks.

Mr. Philpot hooked his thumbs into his weskit pockets and harrumphed. "Yes. Tomorrow. First thing I would imagine. I suppose your secretary will clear the time."

Adam stood up. "Please see Miss Pear; she'll handle it," Adam said. "And thank you, gentlemen. I'm sorry about…" Adam paused. What could he say? Sorry about the murder? Sorry my wife burst in and interrupted us?

"I hope it's taken care of and that it actually wasn't…" Mr. Hancock smiled indulgently at Sibella. "I hope, Mrs. Cartwright, that it wasn't an actual…murder." Then he straightened up and buttoned his suit jacket. "I can only assume the dinner invitation for tonight is canceled in light of…well, the murder."

"No," Adam said. "It's my father's invitation to join him at the Ponderosa. I'm certain he'll be delighted to meet both of you since he likes to meet the people we do business with. Although, as for my wife and myself, I don't think we'll be there."

"The more the shame," Mr. Hancock said, bowing slightly to Sibella who thought that as she had just seen the most horrible thing one could possibly imagine, why was everyone being so polite? Why weren't they more upset? Yet Mr. Hancock was unperturbed. "I wish we had met under more pleasant circumstances. Au revoir, Mrs. Cartwright. I'm sure we will meet again before I leave for Baltimore. Mr. Cartwright…"

The three men acknowledged one another and Adam closed the door behind them. He could hear them speaking with Miss Pear. He sat on the couch beside Sibella and took her small hands in his.

"Now, tell, me exactly what you saw," Adam said.

"I saw Madame Adair dead - murdered!"

"How do you know she was dead and if she was, what makes you think it was murder?"

"Because she had a hat pin thrust into her heart!"

~ 0 ~

Deputy Clem Foster flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed" and threw the bolt on the shop door as per Sheriff Coffee's order. He had never been inside a milliner's shop before, not having any reason to or even a wife who might drag him to see if a certain bonnet was more fetching than another. He wondered if Adam Cartwright ever went clothes shopping with his wife, if she tried on frocks and asked him to judge their fit and style. He doubted it. Although if he had a wife like Adam's…but it did no good to consider such things.

He walked into the back where Sheriff Coffee was viewing the "scene of the crime" with Adam and Sibella. A blanket Clem had brought from the jail had been laid over the body after Sheriff Coffee had looked at it along with Adam, determining that it was a murder.

Once the four of them had hurried to the milliner's shop, Parisian Style, after Adam and Sibella had walked into the sheriff's office interrupting Clem's mid-morning cup of coffee by announcing that Madame Adair had been stabbed in the heart with a hat pin, Sibella had stayed in the front shop with Clem Foster. She had paced back and forth among the hat stands until she was called to the back by Adam who had stepped out, assuring Sibella that Madam Adair had been respectfully covered.

As Sibella cautiously entered the back, Roy Coffee offered a partial smile hoping to convey reassurance to his star witness. He failed. "Now, Mrs. Cartwright, just tell me one more time, how did you get into the shop?"

"Through the front door. How do you think, Sheriff?" Sibella sighed with impatience.

"Sibella," Adam said, "it's important that you answer the questions. Roy's not asking them for amusement."

"Well, Adam, it just seems rather silly, especially since it should be obvious. The open sign was showing and the door was unlocked. So, I came in."

"It was unlocked?"

"Yes! Unlocked! I couldn't very well have come in if it hadn't been."

Roy Coffee rocked back and forth on his heels, steepling his fingers; it wouldn't do to bark at her. "And why were you here?"

"Well, if you think I was here to kill her, you're wrong!" Sibella said, her chin jutting out.

"Now, ma'am, now why would I think that? You'd have no reason. So if you'd just answer my questions, please." Roy was trying his hardest to keep the edge of irritation out of his voice. Mrs. Cartwright was a joy to behold, a pleasure in fact, even for an older man like himself, but she was one of the most frustrating women he had ever met and no matter where she went, she managed to upset the apple cart. And Adam seemed amused by everything she did. Yet Roy Coffee still remembered his father saying to him, "There are some women who cause trouble just by existing – and every one of them are beauties. Steer clear of overly-beautiful women, son. Mischief follows them but that may be what draws men to them." And Mrs. Cartwright seemed the perfect example.

"Well, I was picking up a hat. Mme. Adair was adding feathers to make it more fashionable. Anyway, she wasn't in the front of the shop and didn't come out. I mean the bell sounded but she didn't come out as she usually does if she's in the back."

"Okay," Roy said, listening. "She didn't come out."

"No, she didn't. And so I called to her but there was no answer. So, I went through the portieres; she works back here. And then I saw her on the floor – dead with that hat pin…it was horrible. I've never seen a dead person before and…and then I ran out and went to Adam."

"And about how much time passed since you saw the body and now?" Roy asked.

"Well," Sibella looked at Adam, imploring him to assist her. "I have no idea!"

"I'd say about 20 minutes," Adam said quietly. He knew Sibella was greatly upset; she was talking too quickly, being far too animated and she was flushed. "I came here with Sibella, checked the body, looked about for a moment and saw the mess, and then we went to tell you."

"Okay," Roy said. "Did you get all that so far?" Roy asked Clem Foster.

"Yes, sir," Clem said. He had been jotting information in a small notebook. The pencil needed sharpening and the wood was scratching on the paper as he wrote. He licked the blunt lead to darken the lettering.

"Was there anyone else in the store?" Roy asked.

"Of course not! Don't you think I would have mentioned it to you if there had? And if there was another person, I certainly would have told them the body of Mme. Adair was in the back room and that she had been killed! Shouldn't you be looking for clues or such instead of asking me such silly questions?"

"Sibella," Adam said, gently touching her arm. "These things are important. You were upset and there may be a few things you've forgotten."

"I suppose there might be something but..." Sibella sighed. "Is there anything else, Sheriff? I want to go home. I have a headache and need to lie down. Will you see me home, Adam?"

"Yes. As soon as Sheriff Coffee is finished with us."

"Well, I appreciate you not whisking her away yet," Roy said sarcastically. "So, you saw no one else, Mrs. Cartwright?"

"No one."

"But it's possible someone else was here and left the shop after you."

"Well…I suppose it's possible. I mean…"

"You're a lucky woman, Mrs. Cartwright."

"Why do you say that?" Sibella asked.

"Because you could just as easily have been a victim if the killer was still in the shop."

"Oh….I…" Sibella looked up at Adam, her eyes wide with the new idea that she could have ended up with a hat pin in her heart as well.

Adam pulled Sibella next to him, one arm about her waist.

"Roy, I checked the back door to the alley and it's open. More than likely, the killer slipped out the back instead of walking out the front, especially since this room is ransacked. Someone was looking for something – perhaps money. Maybe Mme. Adair walked in on him and that's why she was killed. Look around. There are scissors, needles, hat pins, cords, all sorts of items that can be used as weapons. We need to decide if the motive was robbery or murder."

Clem suppressed a smile as Roy's expression became one of aggravation.

"We, Adam?" Roy asked, barely containing his irritation, "I have a great deal of respect for you – you know that. You're an intelligent man and I've known you years. I allowed you to stay while I'm interrogating your wife because this must be traumatic for her and she needs your support. But I would appreciate it if you'd let me run my investigation in my manner. Is that all right?"

Adam controlled himself. He admired Roy Coffee – the man was crafty and cunning and saw things other didn't notice. But he was also, slow, plodding and ruminated far too much over the next step in any investigation. Besides, Adam had a gut feeling this was more than the mere murder of a shop owner who walked in on a robbery. "Of course. I just wanted to let you know. But also, Mme. Adair is cold and rigor mortis has set. She's been dead a while. I'd say the killer's long gone."

"Well, I'll just let Doc Martin decide all that." Roy Coffee pulled himself up tall. "Clem, I'm through with Mrs. Cartwright. You can go get Doc now."

"Just one more thing," Adam said. Clem paused to listen. "Since the front door was unlocked, I'm guessing Mme. Adair was killed before she had a chance to close shop last evening."

Roy pursed his lips. "Yes, Adam. I thought the same thing. Now why don't you take your wife home since I have no more questions for the time being. And please, Mrs. Cartwright, don't discuss this with anyone."

"Well," Adam arched an eyebrow. "Miss Pear and two railroad men were present when Sibella said there had been a murder. They'll probably talk about it, especially since the men are having dinner tonight at the Ponderosa. I don't think it can be kept confidential."

Roy shook his head. Women. They did talk. "Well, keep it as quiet as you can. Clem? The doctor?"

"Yes, sir," Clem said, and tipping his hat to Sibella and grinning at Adam, Clem left out the back door to fetch the doctor.