Dying for Tea Time

by Linda Gordon Hengerer

  That was the good news. The bad news was Detective Riordan was now looking to arrest BevAnne for Jean’s death. He saw Jean had written a substantial check to BevAnne in the last month. Assuming BevAnne had financial problems, he thought that killing Jean would benefit BevAnne. The fingerprints cleared BevAnne, but he was sure she was the killer.

  Taylor Ryan had given BevAnne several names, and BevAnne hired Michael Carroll. He gave BevAnne the same advice Taylor had given Alex, a reminder not to talk to anyone.

  Taylor and Alex had two long conversations. Taylor reviewed the will Jean left in the safe, and made arrangements with the attorney who drafted it to verify that it was the current one.

  Alex was surprised to find Nana Jean making arrangements to step down from Beach Tea Shop. Her comment to her granddaughters about retiring wasn’t a “someday” thought; it was one Nana Jean was actively planning. Nana Jean had moved her assets into a trust years ago, after the death of Grandpa Hal. Not having a will go through probate had two benefits: privacy and no waiting. The will directed distribution of her trust per her wishes.

  Alex wasn’t surprised by the will. Nana Jean shared her estate planning with her granddaughters and BevAnne. They had an annual review of all their financials, and the girls did it as a matter of course. Taught by two savvy women about keeping an eye on their money, the girls invested life insurance money and an inheritance from their parents into trusts of their own.

  Taylor was surprised Alex knew so much about her grandmother’s finances. Alex’s reasonable explanation satisfied her, and it was backed up by Alex’s own financial position. Unlike a lot of young people, Alex and her sisters had no student loans for college. Nana Jean and BevAnne helped put them through college, filling in where scholarships didn’t. Grandpa Hal and Nana Jean had started college funds for each of the girls when they were born, and graduated without debt.

  BevAnne was also well off. She had not received a loan from Jean, but was paid back for her initial investment in Beach Tea Shop plus interest. Nana Jean told her granddaughters she was going to do that, so no matter if Beach Tea Shop was sold, closed, or given to Alex and her sisters, the business had no long-term outstanding debt.

  Alex and her sisters would benefit from Nana Jean’s death, but no more today than months ago. They had no motive, and aside from the tea, no opportunity. Taylor was satisfied that as the investigation continued, the real killer would be found. Someone had a reason to kill Jean Powell. If not her granddaughters or her best friend, who?

  Knox Finch was looking to buy her building. He’d already purchased the rest of the buildings that made up the Citrus Beach Shoppes. He said he wanted to develop that land, but was that true?

  Alex did some digging into public records, and discovered his motive.

  Chapter 5

  Chelsea and Dani arrived back in Citrus Beach. They learned about the search for poison at Nana Jean’s home, Alex being questioned and released, and BevAnne’s problem with Detective Riordan when they got to BevAnne’s house.

  Alex caught them up on what was happening, Taylor Ryan met them and assured them Alex was fine and would be fine, and Michael Carroll would soon have BevAnne squared away. Taylor was confident the real killer would be found and the truth would come out.

  Alex suspected Knox Finch. He gave the poisoned tea to Jean. He needed the Beach Tea Shop in order to sell the land to a major developer.

  Knox said he was bringing his son into the business, and starting with the new Citrus Beach Shoppes was the first project for him.

  “I met Chad Finch when Knox dropped by with the hibiscus tea the other day,” Alex said. “He and his dad are looking to work with BD Construction. They need contracts on all of the buildings by the end of the month or it’s no deal.”

  “The end of this month?” Chelsea asked. “Like less than two weeks?”

  Dani said, “He’s got nerve, coming to you the way he did yesterday. Does he think you’re stupid?”

  “Maybe not stupid, maybe desperate,” Alex said. “If the will was going to need probate, and we needed money, then he thought we’d welcome the cash for the building.”

  “Does he have cash? He said he’s already bought the other buildings, right?” Dani asked.

  “Right,” Alex said. “He’s taken out all the cash from his home that he can. Mortgage, line of credit – whatever he can to be liquid, but if he doesn’t get the complete parcel to BD Construction by the end of the month, he loses it all. He’d have the land for the Citrus Beach Shoppes, but no way of repaying the loans until the renovations are complete.”

  “And no way to pay for renovations, either,” Chelsea said.

  “He might get insurance money. His wife was just found dead,” Alex said. “He and his son came here the other day, and they’re all business. Nana Jean and I offered condolences to both of them, and they seemed surprised by the thought. Like no big deal that she’s gone.”

  “I can’t imagine that,” Chelsea said.

  “Is his son Chad?” asked Dani. “I think he was a year ahead of me in school. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, if you get my drift.”

  Alex giggled, thinking it was an apt description. Remembering Shirley Finch’s death, she said, “Maybe he’s just off his game because of his mother’s death. I know how shocked I felt when Nana Jean died.”

  “Oh, Alex,” Dani said. “You give the benefit of the doubt to everyone.” She rubbed a hand down Alex’s arm.

  “We need to decide what we’re going to do,” Alex said. “We can sell the building and let Knox and Chad move on with their deal. We can find a new building for Beach Tea Shop. Or we can stay as is.” Alex thought for a moment. “The first thing to decide is whether either or both of you want to move back to Citrus Beach.”

  “I’m not sure, Alex,” Chelsea said. “Maybe in a year or two, but now? I don’t know.” Alex and Dani nodded understanding.

  Dani said, “I’m starting a restaurant with Bren. It’s not official-official, and it won’t be until next month, but unofficially I’ll be the Executive Chef at…Restaurant Name to be Determined.” The girls hugged Dani.

  This was her dream come true and Alex was happy for her, but it meant Dani would stay in New York City.

  So, that was that. They might as well sell Beach Tea Shop to Knox and Chad. They could always start it up if Chelsea and Dani ever moved back to Citrus Beach. Running the tea shop on her own, with staff but no family, wasn’t something Alex was interested in.

  “Decision made,” Alex said. “I’ll call Knox tomorrow and give him the news.”

  Chelsea and Dani hugged Alex. They knew she would love it if they moved back to Citrus Beach, but with both of their careers doing so well, they couldn’t justify the move.

  ~*~

  Alex called Knox to give him their decision. “We’re willing to sell you the building,” Alex said. “We need to negotiate price, but we’re flexible.”

  Knox’s relief came through the phone. “You’re making the smart decision, young lady,” he said.

  Alex rolled her eyes. Young lady was one of her least favorite names to be called. Whatever. He just lost his wife, he was in financial stress, she’d cut him some slack.

  “I’m sure we can come to a good number, since you’ll need the money,” he said.

  “We’ll see,” Alex said. She had no intention of sharing her financial position with him. “Our attorney will be in touch.”

  “Oh,” Knox said, “you won’t be negotiating the sale yourself?” Disappointment came through as clearly as the relief had a moment ago.

  “We’re not planning to. If you’d rather wait until after the funeral, we’d be willing to accommodate you.” Alex knew he wouldn’t want to wait, and she was right.

  “No, your attorney is fine. I’ll wait for his call.” Knox sounded defeated, then he perked up. “Or I could call him today.”

  “Our attorney is a she, and I’ve already given her your number. You can expect a call from Ta
ylor Ryan.”

  “Ah, I see. Goodbye,” Knox said, and ended the call.

  Alex looked at the phone in her hand and had to laugh. Business over, no time for chit chat. Well, okay then.

  ~*~

  Two days later, the day of Nana Jean’s funeral was sunny and warm. A light breeze blew through the palm fronds and leaves, sending dancing shadows across the cemetery plot where Nana Jean’s cremains would join her husband, son, and daughter-in-law.

  Coming here was bittersweet for the girls, having lost their parents and grandfather in one terrible accident. Teenagers at the time, having Nana Jean and BevAnne in their lives helped them cope. Now Nana Jean was gone, and BevAnne was their only remaining parent.

  BevAnne leaned on the girls as much as they leaned on her. Her best friend was gone, and she was grateful for the family she had left. Not blood family, but the family built through love.

  Jean’s funeral was planned in advance, by Jean. She had specified everything, and her last gift to her granddaughters and best friend was not letting them wonder if they were doing what she would have wanted. Jean planned and pre-paid the funeral, the reception at the Citrus Beach Country Club after the funeral, and even the music she wanted played.

  Detective Riordan showed up and cast a pall over the already sad occasion. He stayed at the back of the crowd during the funeral service, held at the cemetery. Jean Powell didn’t want a pious religious service, and chose a minister friend for whom she’d written the service.

  The girls wore coordinated black dresses that Jean picked out. BevAnne wore black slacks with a colorful green, purple, and black top that Jean picked out. BevAnne coordinated her jewelry with the girls, all wearing bracelets given to them by Jean. Black hats with sassy feathers were another gift from Nana Jean; her girls would mourn her death, but she had lived a good life and she wanted her granddaughters to know even in sadness there could still be sass and light.

  Knox Finch and his son Chad were among the mourners. The funeral for Shirley Finch had been the day before; the Powell sisters didn’t attend, but BevAnne did. She went with members of the Garden Club to pay respects to a woman she didn’t know well.

  Everyone was invited to the Citrus Beach Country Club for a reception after the funeral service. The parking lot was full, and people parked along the road. Alex thought it was good the weather was fine; in bad weather the water filled the grass alongside the paved road and was a muddy mess for those who parked there.

  The girls put together a slide show that played during the reception, and the two bars set up in opposite corners of the large dining room were busy. Members of the country club drifted into the Pub across from the dining room for their drinks, drifting back to join Jean’s memorial party. Waiters and waitresses passed hors d’ouevres, and a buffet line was set up for those who were hungry.

  Chamber music played, people mingled, and BevAnne and the girls greeted mourners. Betty Rogers got drinks for BevAnne and the girls, and small plates of food to keep them going. The crowd ebbed and flowed, some people coming who hadn’t attended the service and some who attended the service absent from the reception.

  Stories about Jean’s kindness and impact on the community were shared. The girls and BevAnne laughed at some stories, cried at others, and were glad they were together on this saddest of occasions.

  ~*~

  Settling in at BevAnne’s home where the girls were staying, the four women relaxed. The past few days had been a whirlwind of activity, from the moment of finding Jean to now.

  Decisions had been made to sell the Beach Tea Shop building and close the business. The business records taken in the search had yet to be returned to Alex, and Beach Tea Shop was closed. The building still had crime scene tape across the windows and doors. Beach Tea Shop life was at a standstill.

  How the poison got into the tea was still a mystery. Detective Riordan was still lurking around the Powell sisters and BevAnne, but Taylor Ryan and Michael Carroll were doing their jobs and keeping their clients protected.

  Knowing for sure that they hadn’t put poison in the tea – where did one get belladonna, anyway? – they talked through what they knew to see if they could figure out who the killer was. Detective Riordan was fixated on one of them being the killer, and didn’t seem to be looking for the real killer.

  “Who had access to the tea?” Dani asked. She stretched out on the sofa, her legs intertwined with Chelsea’s.

  “Knox Finch. He gave the tea to Nana Jean,” Alex said. She was in a recliner, glass of wine to one side, open book face down on the arm on the other side.

  “He said a little birdie told him she liked it. Who was the birdie? Someone we’re not aware of, who bought the tea and put the belladonna in it?” Chelsea asked.

  “That’s a good question, Chelsea,” BevAnne said. “You don’t know if someone else at the tea shop sold the hibiscus tea, do you, Alex?”

  “Not without the records.” She stopped to think. “I had sent the first quarter backup to Chris Tompkins for the quarterly 941 and RT-6 filings. I can see if hibiscus tea was sold in March, and who purchased it. If someone sold it in April, we’ll find out too late to do much good.”

  “If you emailed the file, you don’t have to bother him if you can get online for accounting software,” Dani said. “We use the cloud version.”

  “You’re so clever,” Alex said. “I can check right now. BevAnne, you do have a computer and Wi-Fi, don’t you?”

  “Ha, ha, youngster,” BevAnne said. “I’m online. I even have a fast connection. It’s in the back room in the closet.”

  “Did you put your computer in timeout?” Chelsea asked. The girls laughed, remembering times when Nana Jean or BevAnne put them in timeout for punishment.

  “No, smarty-pants, I have a little office in the closet,” BevAnne said.

  The girls trooped off to see it, and Alex pulled the closet doors open. Instead of a hanging rod and shelf, there was a small desk and chair set up with shelves filling one side wall. Doors closed, it appeared to be a closet. Doors open, it was a gem of an office.

  BevAnne decorated the back wall with pink wallpaper. The side walls were painted with ivory paint, and the front lip of the shelves were painted grass green. The shelves held a printer, reams of paper, and bins with craft supplies.

  The desk had a laptop computer with a wireless mouse to the right. The chair had an open bamboo back and legs painted pale gold, with an ivory upholstered seat.

  Alex got online quickly and into her accounting software. She searched the code for hibiscus tea, and they had sold one container two weeks earlier.

  “You won’t believe who bought hibiscus tea,” Alex said.

  A chorus of Whos and Tell us followed.

  “Chad Finch.”

  Chapter 6

  Alex called Taylor Ryan. She wanted to have as little to do with Detective Riordan as possible. She gave the information about Chad Finch buying hibiscus tea to Taylor, who would relay it to the detective. Alex didn’t know how Chad got his hands on belladonna, but he was probably the little birdie who told his father Nana Jean liked hibiscus tea. Had Chad implied Alex told him?

  “What do we do next, Taylor,” Alex asked.

  “We do nothing. I’ll handle this,” Taylor said. “Once I show Detective Riordan that Chad Finch bought the hibiscus tea, you and BevAnne should be cleared.”

  “Then what?” asked Alex.

  “Then he should detect, and figure out how and why Chad poisoned Jean.” Taylor’s response was brisk, and Alex was satisfied.

  She hoped Detective Riordan could detect the answers. She wanted to be sure the killer was punished, not just someone the detective could make up a case for.

  Justice for Nana Jean meant the killer publicly identified and tried.

  ~*~

  Alex told Chelsea, Dani, and BevAnne what Taylor had told her. They were eating their favorite comfort dinner: Puff Pancake and a salad. When their dad traveled, Mom would make Puff Pancake.
It was like having breakfast for dinner, and the little Powell girls looked forward to it. They missed their dad when he traveled, but Mom made it special with a just-girls dinner.

  The adult just-girls dinner included wine, and they told stories about Nana Jean and toasted her memory.

  Feeling that their ordeal was coming to a close was a relief to all four of them. Alex and BevAnne wanted closure with Detective Riordan. Knowing they were innocent but being suspects was not a feeling they wanted to have again.

  ~*~

  Alex was outside saying good-bye to Chelsea and Dani. They were headed back to the airport and their lives in other states. Until Jean’s house was released back to them, Alex was living with BevAnne. This parting was bittersweet, knowing Beach Tea Shop was closed. A part of their lives was over and a new chapter about to begin.

  Dani had a new restaurant getting ready to open. Chelsea had a big new project. Alex had…she’d figure it out.

  Chelsea drove the rental car, and backed it smoothly out the driveway. Dani and Chelsea waved good-bye and Alex waved until the car turned the corner and she couldn’t see them anymore. BevAnne slipped her arm around Alex.

  “They’ll be back, or you’ll go visit them. Now that you’re not working at the tea shop, you’ll have some free time.”

  Alex leaned into BevAnne’s hug. “I know. I miss them all, Nana Jean, Mom and Dad, Grandpa Hal. I wished my sisters weren’t so far away.”

  “I know, sweetie, I know. Let’s go inside and watch a sad movie, drink some wine, and cry. We’ll get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow we’ll make a new plan. How does that sound?” BevAnne hugged Alex again and lead her into the house.

  Tears thickened Alex’s throat and she gave a watery laugh. “Sounds good to me.”

  “I’m making Balsamic Blueberry Sauce. You’ll smell it as soon as we walk in. We’ll have it on ice cream while we watch the movie.”