by Judi Lynn
Ansel chuckled with a nod of his head. “My brother must definitely be interested in her.”
Before Franny could argue, Walker and Didi arrived with River. River went to kneel next to the baby carrier to gaze at Peter. Gunther and Lizzie crowded next to him.
“Does he cry a lot?” River asked.
“Only when he’s hungry or needs his diaper changed,” Gunther said.
River frowned. “Do you like having him?”
Lizzie gave him a hard stare. “He’s our little brother. We have to like him.”
Jazzi smothered a laugh. That was probably the most honest answer she’d ever heard.
A knock sounded on the door and Olivia, Thane, Mom, and Dad walked in. Her sister wasn’t the last one here two weeks in a row. That honor went to Radley and Elspeth. Elspeth was visibly nervous, and Radley wrapped his arm around her waist.
After introductions, Ansel made it easy for them. “We’re all here now. Let’s eat.”
People went to the table and grabbed plates to line up at the buffet on the kitchen island. When everyone settled, people started talking on top of one another. Her friends and relatives were in good moods. It was a warmer day than usual and the weatherman predicted temperatures in the fifties all week. No rain. Everyone looked more tired than usual, too. It had been a busy time for all of them, especially Olivia and Thane, planning for their wedding. Mom was more hyper than usual. If it was possible, she acted more excited about the wedding than Jazzi’s sister.
“What about you?” Olivia asked Jazzi. “You’ve been going at top speed, too, haven’t you?”
Jazzi nodded. “But we’re invited to Isabelle and Reuben’s spring fling party next Friday night. That will be fun. It’s a dress up affair.” Jazzi’s old upstairs neighbor didn’t know how to do casual, and since he’d married Isabelle, his parties were even fancier than before.
“Spring fling?” Mom asked.
“March nineteenth’s the official equinox this year, but that’s a Thursday night, so they’re celebrating on Friday. It’s an annual event.”
Olivia pouted. “I wish we knew someone who gave parties like that.”
Thane wrinkled his nose. “Dress up? I’d have to wear a suit.”
Gran glanced at Samantha, the woman who’d moved in with her after both of their husbands died. “Olivia’s wedding’s coming up on April second. This house has seen a lot of wonderful get-togethers. It’s going to be the perfect place for the reception.”
Didi nodded. “If I ever get married, I’d be happy to celebrate someplace like this.”
Gran turned and narrowed her eyes to study her. Uh-oh, Jazzi knew that look. Something unexpected was about to pop out of her grandma’s mouth.
Gran raised her wine glass in a toast. “Congratulations, dear.”
Didi stared. “For what?”
“You’ll finally get the little girl you’ve always wanted.”
Walker’s jaw dropped. “Are you pregnant?”
Didi sputtered, and he reached to pat her on the back. “I thought I was just late.”
Gran shook her head. “I can always tell. I see the mask.” She turned to River. “You’ll be a big brother by Christmas.”
River turned in his chair to look at the baby carrier and Peter. His expression reflected his mixed feelings. He obviously wasn’t sure what to think.
Walker tossed his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “Someone else to love. Pretty cool, huh? You’ll be one of the best big brothers ever.”
River’s shoulders relaxed. “Maybe.”
Jazzi admired how easily Walker had comforted him. She wondered how soon Didi and Walker would announce their upcoming wedding. They clearly were meant for each other.
Gran looked straight at her, and she tensed. “Ray’s wife should leave town for a few weeks and not tell anyone where she’s going.”
Chills raced up and down Jazzi’s spine. She didn’t doubt Gran. She was always right. “How soon should she leave?”
“Tomorrow or the next day.” Gran finished her wine and went to the refrigerator for another glass. She dug out a few cookies to sneak to River on her way back to the table. When Jazzi raised her eyebrow, Gran said, “He’s not a fan of bread pudding.”
Having people help her bake wasn’t working out the way she’d thought. Since they’d pitched in, they felt entitled to snag more than their share.
Since Gran had mentioned dessert, people lined up for theirs and Jazzi cleared away their dirty plates. Ansel helped rinse them. An hour later, their stomachs full and conversation winding down, people started to gather their coats to leave.
Once they were alone in the kitchen, all of their company gone, Ansel scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Walker’s going to be a dad.”
Jazzi loaded the last plate in the dishwasher. “Do you think he’ll marry Didi before the baby comes?”
“He’ll want to. I’m sure of that. Let’s hope she’s easier to convince than you were.”
“Hey, I had some legitimate concerns.”
“Silly woman, you thought you were my rebound girl, but I fell for you the minute I saw you.” He kept insisting that was true. All she could say was that he must have a thing for women who wore tool belts.
He turned out the kitchen lights and led her to the living room and their favorite couches. “Everything’s done. Time to relax.” He was still thinking about Didi and Walker though, she could tell. Jerod and Franny had just had Peter and now Walker and Didi would have a baby girl. Were they putting him in the baby mood? Luckily, his cell phone rang, jostling him out of his reveries. He glanced at the ID. “Bain.” He put it on speakerphone.
Bain hurried into speech. “I wanted to let you both know that Greta moved in with us late this afternoon. She’ll take care of things until Mom’s stronger. She cooked salmon for us for an early supper, and I heard Mom laughing with her in the kitchen. I can’t remember the last time I heard Mom laugh. Dad’s not happy I’m paying for her, but that’s not his decision.”
“How old is she?” Ansel asked.
“Thirty-seven. A home nurse. Sort of dowdy, but pleasant and calm. Dad doesn’t intimidate her at all.” Bain sounded surprised.
“We sent money to pitch in. Did you get it?”
“Yep, thank you. Radley sent money, too, so Dad can’t gripe too much.”
Curious, Jazzi had to ask, “How’s Stubs?”
A chuckle answered her question. “That cat thinks he owns the barn. If I don’t squirt milk in his mouth every time I hook up the cows, he yowls and fusses.”
They talked a few minutes more before Dalmar’s voice bellowed in the background. Bain sighed. “Have to go. Dad needs help with a fence.”
When Ansel hung up, he gave a rueful smile. “My brother had better watch out. He respects this Greta, and she can cook. Bain’s been coping with Dad a long time. It sounds like this girl is good for him and Mom.”
They settled back on their couches, but Ansel sat up again. “I forgot. You need to call Gaff and tell him what Gran said.”
He was right. Jazzi felt bad about bothering Gaff again on the weekend, but he’d want to know. When she explained about Gran’s prediction, he didn’t argue with her. He’d worked with Gran before. “I’ll tell her and try to convince her to leave, but I can’t make her.”
Jazzi was worried about that. “All we can do is warn her.”
And somehow, that felt pretty inadequate. But there really wasn’t anything else.
Chapter 26
Jerod called them first thing on Monday morning. His dad had told him about a Queen Anne for sale in Auburn. That was farther than they usually ventured, but his dad assured him it looked solid and was going for a good price.
“What if I pick you guys up and we take a look at it before we start work on the Victorian?”
“Fin
e with us.” Auburn would be a long drive for her cousin, but they lived on the north side of River Bluffs—about a twenty minute drive—and they’d be on Jerod’s way.
“I’ll drop you back at your place when we’re done, and then we’ll drive separately to the fixer-upper.”
Even better. If they timed it right, they could eat lunch at home instead of dragging it with them in the cooler.
Jerod honked when he pulled in the driveway, and they climbed in his pickup. Twenty minutes later, they reached Auburn. Jazzi liked the small town. At one time, the city was home to a factory making Duesenberg cars—the big shiny showboats that still impressed. The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum was a favorite place for her to visit. After looking at the gleaming cars on display, she liked to drive up and down Main Street to see the big old houses that the city’s elite lived in.
The Queen Anne for sale was off the main drag on a backstreet, and Jazzi fell in love with it on sight. Brick with a turret on the side and a deep porch, it spoke of glorious yesteryears. It needed a new roof, and maybe that was part of the reason the price was so reasonable. It would be a bear to put on new shingles.
“The owner can’t meet us, but told me the numbers to punch in on the entry keypad,” Jerod told them. “We can take a good look inside.”
Jazzi could hardly wait.
The house didn’t disappoint. It was empty, so it was easier for her to imagine how it should flow. The bad news? Whoever had lived here before had installed drop ceiling tiles for the entire ground floor and painted all of the woodwork to modernize it, but they’d coped with drop ceilings before. Nothing a day of ripping off and tossing out wouldn’t fix. It would take a lot longer to sand the woodwork.
For once, Jazzi didn’t think she’d tear down one wall. An arch connected the kitchen and dining room, and the living room was cavernous. The wide staircase boasted beautiful railings. They needed to be refinished, along with the treads, but once done, they’d be showstoppers.
On the second floor, three large bedrooms opened off a wide hall. Once again, all of the woodwork was painted and bold wallpaper hung in each room. It would have to go. A narrow staircase led to a high ceilinged attic. Everything looked easy to repair until they descended into the basement, musty smelling and cold. The cement walls and floor crumbled. They’d have to waterproof them and apply layers of new cement. The gravity furnace was old-school with giant arms radiating from it. Another expense.
Jerod led them back upstairs to the kitchen—aged and inadequate—but if they gutted it, they had plenty of room to add an island. “Well, what do you think?”
“If we can get it for a little less, we have a great fixer-upper,” Ansel said.
When Jazzi nodded agreement, Jerod grinned. “Good, I really wanted a go at this one. I’ll see what I can do.”
On the ride back to their house, Jazzi said, “Why don’t we eat lunch before going to New Haven? The sandwiches are all made, and I’ll bring out a bag of cookies.”
“Cookies?” Jerod glanced in the rearview mirror at her. “Have you made the spice cookies yet?”
She shook her head. They were his favorites. “Sorry, but I have plenty of others.”
“Any cookie is better than no cookie,” he told her. He pulled in their driveway and once inside the house, headed straight to the coffee pot. The temperatures had warmed up, but no one would call it a heat wave outdoors.
They’d left George at home and he gave them a dirty look. The cats were surprised to see them this early on a weekday and shamelessly begged for scraps. Between the two guys, most of the cookies in the bag disappeared. After they ate, Ansel lugged the pug to their van, and they followed Jerod to New Haven.
The appliances were being delivered late in the afternoon, so the three of them tossed their coats over the stair railing and got to work on installing light fixtures. Jerod had sent pictures to the new owners, and they’d chosen what they wanted.
At three, Gaff knocked on the door and wandered in. Jazzi was upstairs when he called to her. She came down to meet him. “What’s up?”
He went to the card table and chairs and took a seat. They joined him. “Your gran’s warning spooked me, so I went to see Donovan’s mom, and she blew me off. Said she couldn’t leave till the end of the week because another lunch worker had taken time off and they were shorthanded. I couldn’t change her mind, so I went to visit Gavin.”
Ansel frowned. “Which one is he? I keep getting the ex-cons mixed up.”
Jazzi said, “He works with his family doing roofing and painting. He was Gil’s cellmate.”
Gaff nodded. “He wasn’t working today, stayed home with his wife and kids. Had a few beers in him and wasn’t in the best mood. When I asked him about Ronnie, I got an earful. He told me that he hated Gil because if he hadn’t always had Ronnie’s back, somebody would have pounded the kid and taught him some life lessons. According to Gavin, no one could stand Ronnie and resented Gil for protecting him. But he swore he didn’t kill Gil. Said he wanted out too bad to risk it, that everyone would think he did it.”
“What do you think?” Jazzi asked.
“The man’s so violent, I don’t believe anything he tells me.”
Ansel wiped his hands on his work jeans. “Did people want to kill Ronnie, or did they just want to knock him around?”
Gaff stared at the few cookies still on a paper plate and Jerod got up to bring them to him. He chose a chocolate chip before saying, “Gavin said Ronnie got the crap beat out of him once Gil died. He thought someone had been waiting to do that for a long time and Gil got in their way one time too many. He told me that if Gil would have thrown the little punk to the wolves, he’d probably still be alive.”
A gloomy thought.
Gaff reached for a chocolate crinkle cookie. “After I saw Gavin, I doubled back to see Donovan’s parents again. Ray wasn’t home the first time I went, and I wanted to talk to him. I asked why Ronnie would mention his name when he was talking about pulling a new job.”
Jazzi poured herself another cup of coffee. “What did he say?”
“Swore he didn’t have a clue. Said the company where they worked together let Ronnie go. Too many products ‘fell off the trucks’ when he helped load them. Said he still worked with Ronnie once in a while when he had especially big deliveries, but the company only agreed if Ray promised to keep an eye on him.” Gaff went for a cup of coffee, too. Looking thoughtful. He paused before pouring. “Donovan’s mom looked more and more upset the longer Ray talked, so I told Ray about your gran’s sight. I mentioned that whoever hurt him might come back to hurt her, hoping Ray would talk.”
“And?” Ansel’s eyebrows furrowed with curiosity.
“He just laughed at me and said no one hurt him, a refrigerator slipped . . .”
Ansel pushed to his feet. “If that woman gets hurt, it’s his fault.”
Gaff looked at them and shook his head. “I’ve done everything I can.” He reached for the last cookie.
Just then, the delivery truck arrived with the kitchen cabinets and appliances.
“I’m out of here,” he told them. “The place is starting to come together.”
They stayed later than usual to install the top cabinets. Tomorrow, they’d install the lower ones and the pantry before installing the farmhouse sink, the island, and stainless steel appliances. Jazzi had talked Jerod into pantry doors with glass in the top half to give the feel of a china cupboard. The countertops were scheduled for Wednesday.
They were dragging a little when they left for the day.
“Maybe since we’ve warned Ray and his wife, Gran’s vision will come out differently,” Jazzi said on the drive home.
“Warnings only make a difference if people listen to them.” Ansel wore his brooding scowl, the one that made him look intimidating. “It just doesn’t make sense to me. It still feels like
this whole mess revolves around money, deals gone wrong, but if Ray gypped someone somehow, why wouldn’t he just give them their share when they got out of prison? Why risk it?”
Jazzi had wondered about that herself. “Maybe he doesn’t have the money anymore. Maybe he spent it.”
Ansel’s hands clenched on the steering wheel. “Then they couldn’t have made much. It sure doesn’t sound like they’re rolling in dough.”
They didn’t live in a ritzy area, that was for sure. And their cars were newer but nothing expensive. She scrubbed a hand through her hair, messing it. She reached to tame it, but Ansel shook his head.
“I like your hair when it gets wild.” He was an unreliable critic. He swore she looked good when she knew for sure she didn’t.
She turned to stare out the window while her thoughts tumbled. She finally said, “Gaff can check on bank accounts and finances, can’t he? Maybe he could see if Ray, Ronnie, Gavin, or Jarrett socked more money than usual away a short time before the three of them went behind bars.”
“It’s worth a shot.” Ansel turned onto their street. “You might want to call Didi, too. She’s mostly concentrated on why Gil got killed in prison, but Donovan and Ronnie might not be related to that. Having her house searched might, though.”
He was right. Once they got in the house, Ansel fed and petted George and the cats while she walked to the sitting area and made her phone calls. When she finished and joined him, he was seasoning chicken breasts to sauté, along with mushrooms and asparagus. She started the rice.
“Any luck?” he asked.
“Didi said Gil was worried about Ronnie before they were sent to prison. He was in on a job where they robbed expensive parts from a high tech company, parts that brought a lot of money, and rumor was that the money disappeared. When Ronnie and Jarrett got caught pulling a similar heist at another company, cops suspected they pulled the first job, too, but no one spilled where the money was.”
“And Gil wasn’t part of those jobs?”
She stirred a pat of butter into the rice and replaced the pot’s lid. “No, but Didi said Ronnie came to visit Gil about that time and asked him to run and grab some beer for them. She’s been thinking about it ever since she found her sofa slashed to pieces. Ronnie was alone in their house for half an hour. She’s starting to worry he stashed the money somewhere to keep it safe.”
