by Meg Macy
“What about the matter of an intimate photograph?”
“You know, I’d better get back to check on my mother,” she said quickly. “But thanks, Sasha, for whatever you can do to help.”
I didn’t get a chance to reply, since Alison Bloom rushed past me out of the shop. Clearly, she didn’t want to answer further questions about her marriage. So Kristen was her stepdaughter. How had I missed that? I didn’t remember Mom mentioning it. Or about the Blooms being on the brink of divorce. Both interesting facts.
“What gives, Sash?” Elle hung up the phone and joined me near the front window.
“How about a Guilty Pleasures Gossip Club chat?” I laughed when she rubbed her hands in glee. “Ask Mary Kate and let me know when.”
Rosie tugged at her leash, so I headed outside and across Main Street. A few other people walked around the village in the sunshine. Maggie Davison emerged from her shop, although the screen door thwacked her shoulder. Her curly red hair stood out against her green sweatshirt, and a faint smattering of freckles marked her pale complexion. Maggie wore a hint of pink blush and eyeliner to emphasize her gorgeous blue eyes. Gingers had all the luck.
She waved me over. “Hey, Sasha! I saw the wizard bear yesterday at the Bear-zaar. I’d love to sell them here in my shop and online.”
“Sorry, but we’re under exclusive contract with the Teddy Bear Keepsake contest sponsor.” I couldn’t help feeling pleased by her interest, though. “We’re tied up for a year to produce them, if not longer depending on how many orders. How’s business going?”
“Good, so far, even though Cissy thinks I’ll tank over winter. I’m so glad I asked Emily Abbott to help me out part-time. She’s a real whiz at the computer.” The sun disappeared among the thicker clouds, and Maggie shivered in the chill wind. “Come in out of the cold.”
She pulled me inside the warm shop, which Rosie appreciated. My dog shook herself and then enjoyed the rubdown Maggie gave her, with plenty of slobbery kisses in return as a reward. I perched on a wooden bench next to a stuffed alligator. Or crocodile, whichever. Half a dozen children’s toys and books and a vintage rotary telephone, similar to my mother’s princess-style one, sat on the floor in front of a rusted, barely legible Sinclair Gasoline sign. I tried out a vintage Bentwood rocker and then jumped up, but Maggie waved me back to sit and relax.
“Isn’t it comfortable? Here, I’ll show you my latest paintings.” Shyly, she brought me a leather portfolio with several delicate watercolors. “I’d like to send them off to a greeting card company, but I doubt they’ll take them. Nowadays, you have to do everything yourself. Print and sell them on Etsy for peanuts. It’s almost not worth it.”
“Bet you can sell them here, in the shop, if you mat and frame them.” I loved the one showing delicate white daisies against a purple background. It wasn’t what I expected, given her unconventional personality. “This is gorgeous. Can I buy it?”
“I’ve got a five-by-seven, already framed. Twenty bucks.”
“Great. It’ll look perfect in my bedroom. You ought to show these to Maddie. She might be able to use some of the designs.”
“Wow, never thought of that. Maybe I will.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes. I sensed that Maggie heard about Cissy badgering me and my sister at the Bear-zaar yesterday. I waited her out, figuring she might feel awkward about bringing up the subject. She petted Rosie for a few minutes in silence, her curly hair hiding her face, and then turned to me with reddened cheeks. When her voice faltered, Maggie drew a deep breath and started again.
“I guess you must know how things stand with this shop. Aunt Barb isn’t happy. She won’t accept how different it is from the Time Turner. Cissy stops in every day, and she’s driving me nuts. They both claim I’ll have to close soon.”
“Why would they think that?”
“I’m not the best with sales, or keeping the books straight. Math was always hard for me.” Maggie pushed a lock of hair from her eyes. “Those story problems drove me crazy. Why would two trains be on the same track, heading toward each other? Who cares what time they crash and at what speed? What about the people? Like, call an ambulance!”
I’d joined in her laughter but sobered now. “You can always hire someone to handle the account books and tax filings.”
“Yeah, I better do that. But I swear, I wish Cissy would leave me alone. Get married and have babies. Gus is so ready. He wants three sons and at least one daughter.”
“That should keep her busy.”
“I hope so! But I’m grateful to you and Maddie, sticking up for me yesterday.” Maggie ducked her head again, petting Rosie. “It’s none of her business what I do here.”
I frowned. “I wonder why she’s targeting you so much. Word’s getting around that the mayor had a half-naked photo of Cissy, although apparently he denied it.”
“Yeah, I heard that.” She laughed. “Cissy had several photos taken, boudoir ones. As an engagement present for Gus, from what Aunt Barb said.”
“How intimate?”
“Nothing worse than what you’d see in a Victoria’s Secret catalog. Bikini panties, garter belt, stockings, a push-up bra showing her cleavage. Retouched to conceal any flaws, too. Gus showed them off to his friends. I bet one of his friends pocketed one on the sly.”
“And somehow it got into the mayor’s hands.”
“Probably. Cissy found out when Cal Bloom came to her shop. Caught her alone, and showed it to her. I guess he made a pass, groped her a little. What a jerk.”
“Whoa. What did she do?”
“Nothing.” Maggie gathered up her loose curls into a ponytail, secured it, and tossed it over one shoulder. “It was a ‘he said, she said’ kind of thing, so she couldn’t prove anything. But Cissy and Gus both have hot tempers.”
“Hot enough to electrocute the mayor?”
“Whoa. I never considered that.”
“Well, no matter what, the cops need proof.”
“Yeah, like what happened with your dog!” Maggie rubbed her eyes. “Poor, sweet baby was almost killed. Horrible.”
I leaned over to rub Rosie’s silky ears, unable to meet her gaze. “It was touch and go, but Rosie pulled through.”
“Anyway, thanks so much for supporting me. You and Maddie both. Aunt Barb’s always poking around the flat upstairs to see if I’m keeping it clean. Thank goodness for Emily. She doesn’t judge.”
“That’s too bad. Not Emily judging you. I meant your aunt—” I joined in when she collapsed into a gale of giggles. “If you hear anything else about the mayor, let me know.”
“I did overhear something weird. You know how Cal Bloom always put on a front, like he was the happiest guy in the village. But at the parade, he sounded downright nasty. I couldn’t help thinking how awful he sounded. To his wife, no less.”
That intrigued me. “What time was that?”
“I have no idea. They were arguing, really bad, but every married couple argues. Right? Nobody’s perfect. Only Cal Bloom was furious. All red in the face, almost purple. Complaining how his wife is always at the Silver Birches.”
“She does spend a lot of time there.”
“I didn’t pay that much attention to them, not at first. But Mrs. Bloom started crying, and that’s when Mayor Bloom got right in her face. Yelled that he wasn’t gonna ‘spend another red cent on that old battle-ax’ and they could both go live in the town dump for all he cared. Like, wow. That was freaky, let me tell you.”
Startled by that information, I forced a smile. “Yeah, that is pretty disturbing. I’d better head out. Thanks again, Maggie.”
I led Rosie to the street. The news about Cal Bloom intrigued me. I’d have to ask Mom what she knew or heard about the issue with Alison’s mother. Plus any financial problems the family had. Clearly, things had grown more serious than anyone realized.
It also meant that Alison Bloom had good reason to kill her husband.
Chapter 11
Mo
nday morning, I doctored my coffee and sat at the kitchen table to eat leftover brunch eggs. I’d posted a sign that the shop would be closed today due to Saturday’s event, and also spread the word online. Business in the shop was always slow early in the week, although the factory would be running nonstop. Aunt Eve also appreciated a day off. She had plenty to do for the wedding, plus Christmas shopping.
Maddie appeared in the kitchen doorway, her large drawing case in hand, purse swinging by its strap, and cursed when her keys crashed on the floor. I snatched them up and waved her over to join me at the table.
“Got a minute, Mads? I warmed up a plate for you.”
“Not hungry. Plus I’m late.”
“Oh, come on. Take a load off, relax for one day.” I poured her a mug. “You prefer mud, but I like a little coffee with my sugar.”
Maddie dropped into the chair. “You’re getting positively domestic.”
“Ha. Fat chance of that.” I started eating the fluffy eggs, bits of bacon and veggies, and cheese. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know.”
She sipped her black coffee with a weary sigh. “Sleep is better. And I haven’t gotten more than four hours at a time. There’s so much to do.”
I stabbed my fork into a soggy waffle. “Mads, if you ever need to talk things out, about anything, just ask.”
“Like what?”
“Well, like the stuff back in October.”
“I broke up with Kip. It wasn’t going to work out anyway.”
“But—”
Maddie cut me off. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. You ought to think about what kind of future you’ll have with Jay.”
“I already know. He’s going to set up a studio in the village.”
“I’m not sure that’s wise. Silver Hollow’s too out of the way from the big money, I mean. People who come to the Bear-zaar for Christmas novelties are not gonna buy pricey carvings. Or sculptures, or paintings like at the Ann Arbor Art Fair.”
“There are plenty of galleries in small towns up north, far from the ‘big money’ like you said,” I argued, “and he’s getting commissions.”
“Hmph.” Maddie sipped coffee with a thoughtful gaze out the window. “Jay’s talented. I’m not saying he wouldn’t make it as a woodcarver, but what if interest in his work fades or the market dries up completely? Then what, if you two are serious about getting married? I know it’s none of my business, Sasha, but don’t settle. Not after what happened with Flynn.”
“You’re a bundle of cheer this morning.” My joke fell flat, since she rose to her feet with an irritated sigh. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by that.”
“I know.” Maddie snatched up her portfolio. “The Silver Bear Shop is doing well now, but competition in the toy market is fierce. Uncle Ross, Dad, everyone realizes it.”
“We’re getting a lot of exposure due to the Teddy Bear Keepsake contest.”
“That won’t last. Two other companies who won in the past ten years went belly up. What will you do if Dad decides to sell out like they did?”
I stared at her in disbelief. “Why would he?”
“Forget it. I’d better go.”
My sister had crammed a wool hat over her short hair and grabbed her coat while talking, and now rushed out the door. I was tempted to race after her and demand if Dad had hinted to her about selling the business, but she was halfway down Theodore Lane. I’d seen her stressed-out before, but this was different. Now I was sick with worry. Maybe Maddie needed counseling for depression. We’d both suffered trauma after what happened at the Oktobear Fest, but I’d shared my feelings in depth with Jay. I hadn’t thought of including my sister, however.
Maybe I should have.
Even if Maddie claimed she didn’t need help, I knew something was wrong. I’d have to warn my parents without alarming them, though. If Mom smothered her baby, pressuring her to spill her worries, my sister would blame me. Maddie hated unwanted attention.
I dialed my cell phone. Mom answered, her tone clipped. “What’s up? I’m with Dad for his cardiologist appointment.”
No wonder I heard so much background noise. “Want me to call you later on?”
“No, I can only play Candy Crush on this phone so many times.”
Suppressing a laugh, I broached the subject of Maddie’s possible depression. “Have you or Dad noticed how down she sounds lately?”
“Not really. She acted perfectly fine on Saturday.”
“Because of all the work we had—”
“She’s so busy, but she’ll snap out of a funk before too long. Madeline doesn’t brood over stuff for too long, thank goodness.”
Mom sounded flippant, which worried me further. She was right about one thing. Mads didn’t dwell on negativity for long. Maybe I was making too big a deal out of her earlier bad mood. Everyone had them once in a while. I hesitated bringing up what I’d heard about Cal Bloom and his wife’s mother, but Mom was the best source to confirm that.
She dismissed Maggie’s claim, however. “Ridiculous. Cal never had any problems with Mrs. Jackson. He did complain that Alison spends too much time with her, that’s true, since the staff is capable. But I never heard him say a mean word about anyone.”
“Maybe he never said it when you were around.”
“Maggie’s a little wacko, Sasha, so take what she says with a grain of salt. Barbara told me she couldn’t take the pressure of her last job, and might not last too long running her business. Richard is floating Maggie until spring, since he promised his brother. But no one in the family believes the Magpie’s Nest will make it.”
“Really. That’s too bad.” I liked the shop’s quirky nature. “But why would Maggie tell me something that wasn’t true?”
“She might be begging for attention. Look at that awful parade float she put together at the last minute. People certainly criticized it. All the other floats looked wonderful, classy, and smart. Hers was a royal mess.”
“It wasn’t that bad—”
“Oh, believe me, people were laughing and pointing, making fun of it. Why else would Barbara and Cissy be so upset? And I don’t blame them. For next year, I’m going to recommend that the parade committee approve any new design two months before the event.”
I rolled my eyes heavenward. “But Maggie’s was the only new float this year. She’ll know she’s being singled out.”
“Uh-oh, the nurse just called us.”
Mom hung up. I suspected that by using “us”, she meant she’d tell the cardiologist how Dad wasn’t eating properly or getting enough sleep, and that he needed more tests. I slid my phone into my pocket, sensing in my gut that Maggie had heard Cal Bloom correctly. I couldn’t convince my mother, though. She’d ignore what she didn’t want to believe about her friends.
After starting the dishwasher, I wiped the kitchen table. The cleaning crew was due any minute for their weekly rundown of the place, and I’d left specific instructions on getting the shop ready for the season. That meant extra work—moving the accessory racks and polishing all the wood, plus taking down and rehanging the Christmas decor. I didn’t want to hang around and give them the idea of supervising, either, and grabbed my coat, scarf, and gloves.
I relished the chance to gather more information. At ten o’clock, I’d meet with Elle and Mary Kate at The Cat’s Cradle bookstore. They were looking forward to a break from their usual schedules, too. We all wanted to discuss the mayor’s death and the Bloom family.
Rosie and Onyx had been fed and seemed content, sharing the sunny window seat, so I snatched up my car keys. Outside, the cold hit me like a hammer and squeezed the breath from my burning lungs, but the bright sunshine warmed my heart. The wind had already swept most of the accumulated snow into drifts closer to the shrubs and houses. The weather forecast predicted fair skies for this week. I was thankful for that.
I was lucky to squeeze into a parking spot across from Fresh Grounds. Inside the coffee shop, a smattering of people w
orked on their laptops or chatted at the larger tables. I passed by the window and opened the door to The Cat’s Cradle. Elle Cooper had married my cousin a few years before I returned to Silver Hollow. Matt worked at the Quick Mix Factory weekdays and manned the store evenings and on Saturdays.
Elle roused herself from the sunken saucer chair braced on its bamboo frame. “Hey, Sash. You’re late, it’s ten fifteen.”
“But I’m not that late.”
“Gave me a chance to catch up on some reading.” Elle waved the book in her hand, a cozy mystery featuring a berry basket shop. She beckoned me over to the armchair by the frosted window. “The Bear-zaar brought in a bunch of new customers yesterday. Online sales, too.”
“Hey!” Mary Kate stuck her head through the side door that led to Fresh Grounds, her strawberry-blond ponytail swaying. “I’ll grab a few lattes. Scone or muffin?”
“Either one.”
“Some of both, then.”
Elle drew her knees up and tucked her slipper-clad feet under her. “I’m glad I put Celia in that all-day Kindergarten program. She’s making loads of friends.”
“Such a social butterfly.” I pulled over two chairs and sat by the window. “Did she ever get over being lost at the Oktobear Fest?”
“She had a few scary nightmares in November, but nothing recent.”
Mary Kate swept into the shop with a tray and set down the offerings. “Mocha for Sasha, but we’re low on mint syrup, sorry. Chai for Elle. Hot cocoa for me.”
“No caffeine, Mary Kate?” Elle sipped her tea. “Mmm, nice and spicy.”
“I have good reason to skip the caffeine.” She perched on the third chair with a secretive smile. “I’m gonna need more baby clothes. Newborn ones, without spit all over them. And I’m hoping for blue this time.”
“You’re preggers? Wow!” Elle struggled to rise from the saucer chair, but soon gave up. “I know you and Garrett wanted another baby.”
I hugged Mary Kate, who glowed. “Congrats! When are you due?”
“Next May. We’re thrilled.” She slid a hand over her belly, which seemed flat to my untrained eye. “I was early before, so this baby could come in late April. If we do have a boy, we absolutely refuse to name him after Uncle Gil. He was so disappointed when we had Julie and expected us to name her Jill.”
