“I don’t have to think. I know. She did it because she could. Kaitlynn enjoyed being cruel to me. Back when we were kids, her mother and my father had an affair. She took it out on me. I didn’t ruin her family, though. But that didn’t stop her. I was the physical representation of her mother’s sins. Every time she saw me, she practically smirked because she was relishing the fact she was exacting her revenge.”
“So, how did she get her friends to believe you were having an affair with her boyfriend?” I catch myself and gasp.
What did she just say? She squints over at me as if probing my own mind for the answer. There’s no way she could possibly know that, unless—
I shake my head abruptly. “I’m sorry. Not an affair. I meant, how did she convince them that you were trying to steal him? You said that was her go-to lie, right?”
“Oh, I see.” She rolls her eyes to the ceiling. “Yeah, that was her MO. Just before she’d dump the turkey she was seeing, she’d spread rumors that I was sleeping with them. And sadly, all her friends believed her wild lies. But they weren’t true.” Her shoulders bounce.
“Was anyone sleeping with her fiancé? I mean, the last guy she was with before she died?”
“Yup. But it wasn’t me. A mutual friend of ours said he was certain Kaitlynn learned the truth.”
He? As in Cameron?
“So, who was her fiancé having an affair with? I mean, was it like a friend, a relative?” Names, I want to shout, give me names.
“It was a friend, a very close friend.”
“Why would a very close friend do this to her? I wouldn’t sleep with my friend’s fiancé. You have to draw the line, right?”
“Not this ditz. She doesn’t have a line or a moral compass. But she did have a vengeance she was looking to exact. A long time ago, when Kaitlynn’s father finally got around to divorcing his cheating wife, he lost his mind and started embezzling large chunks of cash from the company he co-founded with two of his buddies. Let’s just say his buddies weren’t too thrilled when they found out. The government got involved and accused all three of them of trying to shortchange their clients, and they ended up doing time. Can you believe it? Two of them were innocent, and yet they had their lives turned upside down because of her ridiculous father. And, of course, once they were released, their lives were no better. They were officially felons, and no one in the business world would touch them with a ten-foot pole. It really screwed up their lives for good.”
“Wow. So, what was the friend’s name? The one whose father went to prison as an innocent man?” My heart slams over my chest again and again in anticipation of her answer. Whoever tried to steal Chris certainly had an axe to grind with Kaitlynn’s father and Kaitlynn by proxy.
She shakes her head. “You wouldn’t know her.”
A group of older women enter the shop, giggling and reeking of vodka.
Hannah groans at the sight. “Having a location across the street from two different bars is both a blessing and a curse. I’d better help these women. Take your time.”
She takes off and I do the same, snatching Macy by the elbow as we head for the door.
“Wait a minute!” Macy latches her hand over the doorframe before I suction her back out into the icy air of downtown Edison. “Call me, Rod! My number is on the back of the business card I gave you!”
We head to Macy’s car, and she laughs as she hops into the driver’s seat. “Did you get what you needed?”
“Maybe,” I say, inspecting that naughty gleam in my sister’s eye. “And something tells me you did, too. So does Rod stand a chance?”
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“On how fast I fall in love with the Wilder brothers.”
In love with the Wilder brothers.
I shake my head as we start making our way back to Cider Cove.
Macy clicks her tongue as she looks dreamily out the windshield. “Wouldn’t it be something if we both ended up marrying a Wilder brother? We’d be sisters and we’d be sisters-in-law.”
“That would be something. But it’s not happening. Jasper is far too stubborn for me to hitch myself to him for life.”
But then, he did ask politely for me to stay out of his way.
Maybe I’m the one who’s stubborn? Not that this is surprising news to me.
But once Jasper finds out that I went to see Hannah Osmond, I doubt he’ll ever want anything to do with me again.
Not that I care.
A sickening feeling boils in the pit of my stomach because something tells me I do, in fact, care.
And that begs the question—why?
Chapter 16
Saturday arrives and the Harvest at the Cove Festival is finally upon us. The sun has miraculously made a reprisal, and the storm had indeed blown away from the coast. Even the ocean looks serene and cerulean today as if it too were readying for the townspeople and tourists alike to migrate down to the shoreline.
It’s still early, and the vendors have yet to unpack their wares. The tables were set up at the crack of dawn, and the tents just went up an hour ago. There will be music from live bands and lots and lots of food from just about every restaurant in Cider Cove, the Cottage Inn included. And you can bet that Georgie will have all her best pieces on display this afternoon. It’s bound to be a success for us all.
I glance back in the direction of the cottages, and Jasper comes to mind. I’ve spent the last two days avoiding him at every turn. I feel terribly guilty about breaking my word to him. But at the same time, I feel there was no other way. And truth be told, I miss him. I miss his bright eyes, his warm smile, and the way my stomach cinches tight when he steps into the vicinity. Even Fish wanted to know why her best friend, Sherlock, hadn’t made a recent reprisal. I had to scoff at the thought of her referring to him as her best friend, but it was sweet nonetheless.
Aside from losing sleep over breaking my word to Jasper, my mind has been fully occupied in trying to piece together who could have possibly killed Kaitlynn. I’d come right out and ask Jasper, that is, if I believed he truly knew who the killer was—although I’m not so certain about that.
But once I got ready for the day, it hit me who might have the answer, or at least point me in the right direction. As soon as I can, I speed off in my car and head to the tract of houses just beneath the orchard to see Jeannie Branch one more time.
Of course, I called ahead and told Jeannie I was coming by, and that’s exactly why she’s waving me down with a smile from the driveway.
I hop out of my car and head on up to meet her.
“I can’t believe you sold out of my stuff!” She hops up and down with genuine excitement. Her hair is up in a whippet of a ponytail, her cheeks look rosy, and the freckles on her nose are just as adorable as they were the first time we met.
“Yup, I sure did.” And I’m thankful I don’t need to lie about it. “The spa at the inn said the customers are raving about it. I guess you really are sitting on a gold mine.”
“You should see my premium stuff.” She wrinkles her nose over at the garage. “What the heck, I’ll let you see it. My new radiance cream is going to set the world on fire.”
I follow her up to the garage, and she pulls out a box from the top shelf. I remember the day I came here with Georgie; she wasn’t interested in even letting us peek inside these cartons.
“Look at this.” She opens the lid, exposing hundreds of small mint green colored boxes and hands me one.
“Hey”—I muse as I spot her face splashed across the side of each one of these tiny mint green wonders—“you make quite the cover model. I like that.”
“Yeah, well, Kaitlynn wasn’t too thrilled with it. But this cream was my baby. She thought it was too high-end. The ingredients are premium so we have to pass the buck along to the consumer. But that’s just business. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to showcase a natural woman instead of hiring some perfect model who had never even heard of our products.”
/> “How much for a box?”
“Forty a piece, but I’ll give them to you for ten each. I figure you’re all the advertising I’ve got right now.”
“How about I take ten and we’ll go from there?”
“Sounds good to me. And I boxed up an order identical to the one you had before. I’ll help you get those to your car.”
Jeannie helps me do just that, and once the trunk is closed, I decide to go for the gold myself.
“Any news on who might have killed Kaitlynn?”
“Nope.” She averts her eyes. As if that were going to happen anytime soon. “That detective from Seaview called me a few times, but it sounds like they’re up against a dead end.” He’s a hottie, though. I’d go after him if I wasn’t knee-deep trying to pull my life together. And who cares if he’s in a relationship? I bet he’s got some plain, sorry girlfriend who bores him to tears. It would be like stealing candy from a baby. Lord knows I’ve done it before.
I take a breath as I try my hardest not to react to her thoughts. I’ve learned long ago that you can’t really judge others just because they’re having thoughts you disapprove of. We’re all entitled to an errant thought or two, no matter how mean or disillusioned they might be.
“A dead end, huh?” I shrug her way. “Geez. I can’t imagine what that must feel like for you. Have you had time to consider who you think could have done this?”
Jeannie closes her eyes a moment. “I don’t know. Honestly, I can’t fathom why anyone would do this at all.”
I try to get a read on her thoughts, but there aren’t any at the moment.
“How about vengeance? I heard a rumor that there was a girl in her circle who was out for blood—perhaps literally. Something to do with the rocky history of their fathers.”
Her eyes widen a notch. “Who in the world would tell you that?” She sucks in a quick breath. “Oh my God, don’t bother answering. It was Hannah, wasn’t it?” She moans hard. “Leave it to that little witch to try to stir things up for poor Kaitlynn, even in death.” She shudders. “Was she coming around the café?”
“Uh, yes, actually.” I’m not about to fess up to driving to Edison in order to hunt her down. “She swung by the other afternoon. So, it’s not true?”
“Oh, it’s true.” Her eyes widen with disbelief. “But it’s Hannah who had the vengeance. It was her father who got screwed over and went to prison. But some people can’t stop lying and scheming even after the tragic facts. Poor Kaitlynn is dead, and she’s still trying to destroy her.” She shakes her head at the thought. “I’d better get ready for the day. I’ll be at the festival tonight. I can’t wait to hear the live bands.”
“Stop by my booth. I’ve got an apple walnut cinnamon roll with your name on it.”
“You bet!” She waves as she takes off for the house and closes up the garage.
I take off for the inn, feeling more confused than I was to begin with.
Chapter 17
Fall in Cider Cove is usually a sight to behold with the plethora of trees that turn every shade of ruby. The leaf peeping tours in the area bring the tourists to our corner of the world by the droves. But today, the entire world seems to have flocked to the cove for an entirely different reason.
It’s almost four in the afternoon, the sun is getting ready to set, and a live band is wailing away in the distance. The throngs of people who have bundled up and come out for the event all seem to be having a wonderful time.
I’ve been working the Cottage Café booth with Emmie for the last three hours, and we’ve already had to replenish our supply of apple walnut cinnamon rolls twice.
“I think we need a new batch,” I say to Emmie as she boxes up another dozen.
“I agree. The problem is people aren’t just buying one or two. They’re buying them by the box.”
“You really hit this one out of the park, Emmie.” I nod across the way. “It looks like Georgie is hitting it out of the park, too.”
Georgie’s booth has been inundated with people examining her wares. The name of her booth is Sea Glass Treasures, and I think the allure of that alone is enough to make the masses gravitate her way.
I spot a tall, dark, and handsome detective making his way over with Sherlock on a leash, and my heart leaps at the sight of him. And how I hate that he has the power to elicit such a biological response in me.
“Emmie, I’ll be right back.” I take off for the café, and Fish jumps by my side.
You see them, don’t you? Fish sounds both concerned and excited by the prospect of seeing Jasper and Sherlock.
I glance her way and give a quick nod.
Who cares if you’ve been working on the case? She grows more animated by the second. This game of keep-away you’re playing is keeping me from properly exacting my vengeance on that ornery dog of his.
“Just a few days ago he was your best friend.”
Fish lets out a sharp meow as if contesting the thought, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Bizzy?” a deep voice calls out from behind, and I turn to find Jasper and Sherlock on our heels.
“You’re about to get your wish,” I whisper to Fish just as they come upon us.
“Jasper, hello.” I pull a tight smile. “I was just about to head in and pick up some more inventory for the booth. But it’s nice to see you both enjoying yourselves.” Fish hops from one side of me to the other as if trying to incite poor Sherlock into another battle of the claws and the fangs.
Jasper sighs heavily. “Why do I get the feeling you’re avoiding me?” He offers a crooked grin. “Bizzy, if I came across too strong, I apologize for that.”
But I don’t regret a single kiss. He glances to my lips momentarily, and I try not to smile.
Sherlock barks over at Fish. Bizzy, stop her. She’s making me dizzy, and she knows I’m on a leash. I can’t properly chase her or I’ll be reprimanded.
I lean over and give Sherlock a quick pat between the ears.
“You didn’t come on too strong,” I say, meeting up with Jasper’s eyes once again. “I’m just overwhelmed with the inn and now the festival.” I swallow hard, hoping I won’t regret what comes next. “So, have you solved the case? Is Kaitlynn’s killer behind bars?”
His brows pinch in the middle. Is she mocking me? She has to know I would have told her if I made an arrest.
“No.” He takes a moment to examine me. “But we’re close. I should have news for you soon.”
“Oh? What is it that you know?” I lean in and bear hard into his eyes. For some reason, I’ve found that looking someone in the eye usually sponsors an entire litany of thoughts to bubble to the surface. But, apparently, not with him.
I’m met with nothing but silence.
Jasper frowns momentarily. “Don’t worry about it tonight. You’ve got enough on your plate.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know if someone had a vendetta out against Kaitlynn or her family, would you?”
His left eye comes shy of winking, and a bite of heat crosses my stomach.
Not fair.
That little facial twitch made him look far more devastatingly handsome than he already is.
“Who did you talk to?” he asks and in a not-so friendly manner, mind you.
“I didn’t talk to anyone.” I’m quick to take umbrage with his tone even if I am playing fast and loose with the truth.
Fish jumps in front of me. Don’t worry, Bizzy. I know how to get rid of them for you. She reaches out and swipes her paw at Sherlock’s nose, but Jasper cinches the leash, assuring us that the poor pooch isn’t going anywhere.
“Bizzy?” I can practically see Jasper’s wheels turning. “You spoke to someone, didn’t you?”
My mouth opens to contest the idea, but I can’t seem to bring myself to shed another lie. “Maybe?”
“Bizzy.” He squeezes his eyes shut tight for a moment. “You realize these could be potentially dangerous people. You don’t know what you’re up against. You can’t keep puttin
g yourself out there like that. One person is already dead. And I don’t want the body count to rise.”
“Why would the killer come after me? For asking a couple of questions?”
“Yes.” He nods with an incredulous look on his face. “That is precisely why. Whoever did this has to be desperately afraid of being caught. And desperate people are capable of doing anything. Committing a second homicide is certainly not off the table. Bizzy, who did you speak with?”
My mouth opens then closes.
“Was it Hannah?” His brows hike a notch.
I bite down hard on my lower lip as Sherlock does his best to swat his paws over at Fish.
“It was Hannah,” Jasper growls it out with disappointment resonating in his tone.
“Okay, fine, it was Hannah. But my sister was with me. And, if you must know, Macy is in the process of getting hot and heavy with the owner of The Rat Tat. It’s not my fault Hannah just so happened to be there while we were paying a visit.” I feel smaller than an inch for spilling so many questionable half-truths at his feet.
He tips his head to the side as if to contest every word that just came from my mouth. As he should.
“Fine,” I concede with regret. “I went looking for her. But aren’t you in the least bit impressed I knew where to find her?”
“No,” he flatlines.
“Well, I don’t care. She told me this bizarre story about how Kaitlynn’s father partook in some criminal activity, and then his buddies both went to prison with him even though they were innocent. And she alluded that one of the men had a daughter who later befriended Kaitlynn. But she wouldn’t say who. So, when I spoke to Jeannie this morning, she all but balked at the—”
“You spoke to Jeannie this morning?” His brows frame his face in a straight line. “Bizzy, you promised me that you would not take this further.”
“No, those were your words. And why do you keep insisting that I stay out of this? I thought we already determined that Kaitlynn was my friend.” My voice hikes an octave without meaning to.
“You admitted to hardly knowing the girl.” His voice is right there, hiking in agitation to meet with mine.
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