A Groom wirh a View

Errol doing up there?“ Eden asked.
    “He said he saw Kitty go upstairs and wondered why,“ Shelley said. “Then he started thinking about what a sneak Dwayne was, and how if Dwayne and Kitty really had been an item, she might be the same sort of person. Or worse, as it turned out. Anyway, he got worried about us and crept upstairs to see what was going on.“
    “Do you suppose she really was pregnant?“ Jane asked. “Not by Dwayne, but by someone else.”
    Eden looked at her in astonishment. “And I was thinking you were such a good snoop. Didn’t you think to look in her bathroom wastebasket? Lots of little wrappers that tampons come in. I assure you, she’s not pregnant. But she sure is loony. I suspect she thinks she’s expecting and poor old Mrs. Crossthwait yapping about how she’d gained weight made her think the old dear knew her ‘secret.’ “
    Shelley said, “I’ve heard of false pregnancies. Didn’t Bloody Mary Tudor have one of those? Really believed she was pregnant and even swelled up and looked like it?”
    Jane said, “Yes, I’ve read that, too. Kitty did look like she was about five months along, come to think of it. I bet you’re right. Isn’t it amazing what your mind can do to your body?“
    “Has your boyfriend learned anything more?“ Eden asked Jane.
    “Enough to convince him that Dwayne, sleazy as he was, had nothing to do with Kitty,“ Jane said. “Livvy says she met him when they both were present at a minor car accident and they stood around waiting and chatting until the police could get their statements. So Kitty’s story of introducing them when she was out on a date with him was a lie.
    “Officer Smith called Thatcher’s attorney, with Thatcher’s permission, who confirmed that there was a prenuptial agreement signed and he had a copy. If they had divorced, Dwayne wouldn’t have gotten cut off without a penny. He’d have had a modest alimony for three years. And whether they had children or not, he would not inherit her estate if she died first. It also allowed for a generous allowance for him as long as they were married.“
    “Tell Eden about the landlady,“ Shelley said.
    “He also had an officer in Chicago interview Kitty’s very snoopy landlady,“ Jane said obediently. “She says Kitty never went out at night. Never got phone calls. The police are convinced that the whole affair with Dwayne was made up.“
    “But she believed it,“ Shelley said. “I think she was so far around the bend that she honestly convinced herself he was in love with her. That they were having an affair and he’d dump Livvy before saying their vows.“
    “And when the ceremony was over, and he was officially married to Livvy, it must have been a horrible assault on her whole elaborate fantasy—which she refused to recognize as a fantasy,“ Jane added. “I suppose she thought if she killed him she could maintain it.“
    “And she nearly got away with it. Her story, as I heard it, was pretty convincing,“ Eden said. She stood up, gathering her purse, sunglasses, and car keys. “Well, I’m off, ladies. I’m glad I got to meet you both. You did a great job in terrible circumstances.”
    After hugs were exchanged and Eden departed, Jane looked around the room one more time to see if there was anything she’d forgotten to pack. If she missed it now, it was going to be gone forever. She wouldn’t come back to the lodge for any amount of money. “Okay, I think I’ve got everything,“ she said. “Shelley, what’s in that big paper sack?“
    “Sheets,“ Shelley said smugly. “Linen sheets. I found a moment early this morning to chat with Jack Thatcher and learned that his father left the building and land to him, but the contents of the lodge to Uncle Joe. So I spoke to good old Uncle Joe. Money changed hands. And I now have a nice collection of antique linen sheets and pillowcases. Larkspur overheard us haggling and talked him out of a bunch of old vases he’d found somewhere. By the way, Larkspur said to tell you goodbye and he’d get back in touch when we all escaped this place.“
    “So you got a treasure. Larkspur got a treasure. But nobody got The Treasure,“ Jane said, putting the check from Jack Thatcher into the zippered compartment of her purse. She slung the purse strap over her shoulder, and took a last look in the bathroom. Their suitcases and Jane’s collection of notebooks were already in the station wagon. They walked out of the room