The Garden Club Murder

by Amy Patricia Meade

  ‘He’s offered to let me and the kids stay there, but if I decide I don’t want it, he’s happy to stay there … with her.’

  Jules’s face flushed crimson. ‘He wants to move that hussy into your house? The cad! The fiend! The blackguard! The rotter! The utter—’ Beneath the blank stares of Celestine, Mary Jo, and Tish, Jules became self-conscious. ‘Sorry, I’ve been watching the BBC to get some gin cocktail recipes.’

  ‘And indulge in period dramas. You know,’ Tish teased, ‘if you hurry, you might catch Glen at his office so you can slap him across the face with your white glove and challenge him to a duel at daybreak.’ The remark lightened the mood of the table considerably.

  Jules thrust his tongue in Tish’s direction, but everyone present at the café knew he never minded being the brunt of a joke, especially if it served to make a good friend smile during a difficult time. ‘Only if you serve as my second.’

  ‘Caterer by day, gun-for-hire at night? I’m thinking that might not be good for business.’

  ‘Can’t be any worse than someone dropping dead after eating your prime rib,’ Jules reminded.

  ‘Or someone being bludgeoned to death with a garden spade two days before The Secret Garden luncheon you’re catering,’ Tish added.

  ‘What?’ Celestine and Mary Jo cried in unison.

  Tish briefly described the day’s events.

  ‘Girrrrrrl,’ Celestine sang. ‘What’s with all these people dying around you? Mr Rufus has an aunt and uncle celebrating a sixtieth wedding anniversary this February and I’d love to have you do the food for their party, but I’m afraid if I hire you, it’ll be the last anniversary they celebrate.’

  Mary Jo pulled a face. ‘Hmm, makes me want to throw a divorce party and hire Tish to cater it. You know, just to see what happens.’

  ‘Better hold that party before the final papers are signed. That way you can still collect on his life insurance,’ Celestine cackled before rising from her seat. ‘And on that note, y’all, I’m going to mosey on home.’

  ‘Oh, Celestine. I got so caught up in Mary Jo’s news that I forgot you’ve been here all day,’ Tish apologized. ‘Please get home. And thank you. I’ll put the extra time in your next check.’

  ‘Nah, no need. Y’all are more like friends to me than co-workers. Besides, none of us are immune to heartbreak in our lives. Next time it may be me and I know y’all would do the same.’

  Mary Jo stood up and, after depositing a wad of used tissues on the table, threw her arms around Celestine’s plump torso. ‘I don’t know how to thank you.’

  ‘You take care of yourself, that’s how. And please know you’re welcome at my house at any time. Your kids, too. I know your folks are out in California, but if Kayla and Gregory need some grand-smothering, as I call it, I’m always up to the challenge.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you. Kayla and I might take you up on that offer someday. As for Gregory, who knows …’

  ‘Don’t you worry now. You’ve gotta let that boy feel what he’s feeling. He has a right to be angry and hurt. He’ll figure it out eventually. When he’s ready.’

  ‘I hope you’re right.’

  ‘I know I am,’ Celestine asserted with a reassuring smile and then went on to address Tish. ‘So, what’s the schedule for tomorrow? Want me to help with the café?’

  ‘That would be lovely, but I don’t want to overload you.’ Tish was appreciative, but cautious. ‘Wait. I think Charlotte Ballantyne is here visiting her dad for the weekend. We could call her in.’

  ‘I’ll stop by their house on my way home,’ Celestine announced.

  ‘No, no,’ Mary Jo spoke up. ‘There’s no need for Celestine to be here. Or for you to call in Charlotte. I’m on the schedule for the day, so that Celestine can bake cakes for the luncheon.’

  ‘It’s fine, honey. I’m baking the cakes with my daughters and granddaughters tonight. Tomorrow, I’m piping on the icing. I’ll have plenty of time to come and pitch in here.’

  ‘That’s too much work for you. And on top of you playing nursemaid to me today. No, I should be fine by myself.’

  ‘Nothing doing. What if Kayla and Gregory need you? Or what if he-who-shall-not-be-named stops by to talk? Nope, you need some leeway and support in your life right now.’

  Tish was in complete accord. ‘Celestine’s right. Neither of us doubts you can handle the work, but with everything going on, you don’t need to be worrying about the café. You need to be looking after yourself and the kids. If working here for the day will help you get your mind off things, then, by all means, do it. But if, at any point, working here makes you feel tired, or uncomfortable, or worse, you need to be able to get out and take a walk or go upstairs for a nap. Besides, you know how Charlotte loves helping out here.’

  ‘And to help take pressure off everybody,’ Jules added, ‘I’m available all weekend to help with the luncheon. I can meet you at Coleton Creek first thing, Tish.’

  ‘Really? Are you sure? You’re already helping with the bartending.’

  ‘I know but, aside from assembling the garnishes, there’s not much for me to do until Sunday morning. I can meet you at Coleton Creek and help you get a jump-start on Sunday – that way, there’s less for you to do at the last minute.’

  ‘That would be helpful,’ Tish acknowledged. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Yes, thanks Mr J,’ Celestine said with a smile.

  ‘Just one of the many services I offer.’ He blew on the fingernails of his left hand and polished them on the collar of his linen shirt.

  Celestine grabbed her oversized wicker purse and made her way to the door. ‘Night, y’all. Try to get some sleep and I’ll see ya tomorrow.’

  Tish, Jules, and Mary Jo bade Celestine farewell and poured themselves another round of lemonade before re-entering into conversation. ‘So, have you given any thought to your next move?’ Tish asked Mary Jo.

  Mary Jo ran a hand through her shoulder-length frosted brown hair with a sigh. ‘Only that I should probably call an attorney on Monday.’

  ‘I can ask Schuyler if he can recommend someone, if you’d like.’

  ‘That would be great. I’m also thinking that I can’t stomach facing Glen right now. It might sound foolish, but the thought of getting into things with him again makes me feel physically ill. Do you mind if I stay here with you for the weekend?’

  ‘Of course not. And it’s not foolish. You and the kids can stay here as long as you want.’

  ‘I’m not sure about the kids. Gregory’s staying with a friend tonight. Whether he’ll be there all weekend, I don’t know. I spoke to his friend’s mother about Glen and me – she’s going to keep an eye on things and report back to me.’

  ‘That’s very kind of her,’ Jules noted.

  Mary Jo nodded. ‘Kayla doesn’t know what’s going on yet, so I can’t say whether she’ll be here or not. I hope she comes with me instead of staying with her dad at the house, but she needs to make that decision herself.’

  ‘I totally agree,’ Tish stated as she took a sip of lemonade. ‘Just know that until things are sorted out, I want you all to feel as though this is your second home.’

  ‘My place is open, too,’ Jules invited. ‘I don’t have as much space in my apartment as Tish has upstairs, and I can’t cook worth a damn, but if anyone wants to crash on my sofa or Netflix and chill with a pizza—’

  ‘Or BBC and unwind with a cuppa,’ Tish joked.

  ‘Mi casa es su casa.’

  ‘You guys are awesome.’ Tears rolled down Mary Jo’s cheeks. ‘You know that, right?’

  ‘Meh, we’re OK. You’re the one who’s truly awesome. I can’t count the number of times you’ve bailed me out of a jam,’ Tish reflected.

  ‘Tish might be modest, but I’m not,’ Jules broadcast. ‘You’re dang skippy I’m awesome. Work hard at it, too.’

  Mary Jo chuckled at Jules’s lack of humility. ‘You don’t need to work too hard,’ she said as she leaned over and placed a hand o
n his shoulder. ‘Now, if you two don’t mind, I think I’m going to go upstairs and lie down.’

  ‘Absolutely. You can have your pick of my room or the guest bedroom,’ Tish instructed.

  ‘No, no. Guest bedroom is fine by me,’ she stated as she trudged through the kitchen and up the stairs.

  ‘We’ll wake you for dinner,’ Jules shouted after her.

  ‘We? You’re staying for dinner?’ Tish quizzed.

  ‘Staying? Heck, I’m ordering it for delivery. I was thinking the Thai place Mary Jo likes so much.’

  ‘Ooh, good idea. Kayla loves the pad Thai from there, too. Maybe we can order a pint, just in case she comes back here?’

  ‘Of course. In the meantime …’ Jules wandered into the kitchen and reached into the cupboard alongside the sink. From it, he extracted a tall green bottle and held it aloft. ‘It’s wine o’clock.’

  ‘I have a Pinot Grigio chilling in the fridge, too,’ Tish offered.

  ‘Nah. Murder and a divorce in the same day? It’s a red night. How about you?’

  ‘I still have some things to do for tomorrow, so white for me, please.’

  Jules opened the refrigerator and collected the Pinot Grigio from the shelf in the door. ‘What could you possibly need to do right now aside from sitting on the front porch and drinking a glass of wine with your friend after a grueling, terrible, horrible, no-good day?’

  ‘Well, I suppose everything is on track for tomorrow, isn’t it? I do have to call Schuyler, though, and get his thoughts on the Knoblochs and a good divorce attorney for Mary Jo.’

  ‘Divorce attorney.’ Jules grabbed two wine glasses from the cupboard nearest the sink. ‘I can’t believe it.’

  ‘I know. It’s surreal. Everything about Mary Jo – including her marriage – has been dependable and stable.’

  ‘Only to have the rug suddenly pulled out from under her. Poor MJ. Mark you, I did say at their wedding that she and Glen would never last.’

  ‘Never last? Their marriage lasted twenty years and produced two children. I’d say that’s more successful than most,’ Tish argued.

  ‘And yet here we are. Makes you wonder if it wouldn’t have been better to find out about Glen right at the start. Oh, speaking of start, when you call Schuyler, why don’t you ask him to join us?’ Jules suggested as he popped the cork from the chilled Pinot and poured it into one of the two glasses he had collected.

  ‘That’s thoughtful of you, Jules, but I think I need to focus on Mary Jo and Kayla tonight.’

  ‘True. It is difficult to focus with those piercing blue eyes gazing back at you.’ He presented Tish with her glass of wine. ‘I’m jealous of y’all.’

  Tish accepted her glass and, grabbing her phone from her handbag, stood up and wandered toward the porch door. ‘Yes, you’ve intimated as much,’ she smirked.

  ‘No, I don’t mean about Schuyler – although, by any standards, he’s a hunk. I mean, I’m jealous of you and, yes, although it seems weird, Mary Jo.’ Jules poured his glass of Malbec and carried it out of the kitchen and into the café, where Tish awaited. ‘Y’all have had loves and losses and have moved on to other things, and I’m still just Jules.’

  Tish led the way out to the porch and plopped on to the cushioned swing. ‘Some might say you were smart for not wasting your time on the wrong person. You’ve placed your efforts into building the career and the life you want.’

  ‘But some might also say my life has been safe and boring,’ he volleyed as he perched on the porch rail alongside a vibrant red hibiscus plant.

  ‘An aspiring news anchor and journalist who works as a television weatherman, moonlights as a bartender, and who, until a few weeks ago, had a disco ball in the trunk of his car could hardly be described as boring. And, for the record, you’ve never been and you never will be “just Jules.”’

  ‘I appreciate your kind words, but—’

  ‘I knew there’d be a “but” in there,’ she laughed and took a sip of wine.

  ‘But I think I need to experience life a little more.’ He took a large swig of his red wine and then sighed. ‘Oh, that’s better.’

  ‘Well, you’re doing a bit better financially, what with the new responsibilities at the TV station and your bartending work. How about some travel? There’s nothing like exploring the world to broaden your mind and break you out of your routine.’

  ‘I have always wanted to see Paris,’ he thought aloud, ‘but it will be a while before I’ve saved enough for that.’

  ‘There’s plenty of places you could visit on a long weekend,’ Tish suggested.

  Jules crinkled his nose. ‘I’ve been put off road trips since that bus trip we took to Savannah.’

  ‘Well, considering it was a single gay men’s tour company, you might have had a better time had you gone alone.’

  ‘What? And risk being assigned a roommate who snored or shed hair all over the shower? No, I loved having you as a roomie. And I think we made the best of the trip, even though that nasty coach driver wouldn’t stop at The Lady and Sons restaurant.’

  ‘It wasn’t on the itinerary, Jules,’ Tish sighed.

  ‘Itinerary, i-shminerary. This is Paula Deen we’re talking about here. Remember how I dressed up as her for Halloween one year?’

  ‘How could I forget? By the end of the night, the sticks of butter you brought as part of your costume had melted all over my hardwood floors. I slid across the dining room while serving dessert and wound up with a sprained ankle.’

  ‘Oh, that’s right. The party was at your house, the first year you were married to Mitch, wasn’t it?’

  At the sound of her ex-husband’s name, Tish felt her blood pressure rise and her eyes tilt ever so slightly toward the back of her head.

  ‘Sorry,’ Jules apologized. ‘Anyway, the Lady and Sons incident was bad enough, but when the driver made me get rid of my Wet Willie’s tequila sunrise slushie before getting back on the bus, that ended the trip for me.’

  Tish was tempted to point out that a beverage made from 190-proof grain alcohol, even if presented in a child-friendly manner, was a flagrant violation of the bus company’s zero-tolerance liquor policy, but she no longer possessed the energy for such pointless debate. ‘Well, if you don’t want to travel, what do you want to do?’

  ‘I don’t know just yet, but if Sloane Shackleford’s murder and Mary Jo’s separation have taught me anything, it’s that the unexpected is always right around the corner. None of us know what lies in store. So, from this point forward, I’m going to live life with greater intensity and purpose. I’m going to embrace each day and live it as though it might be my last.’

  ‘Life is, indeed, short and uncertain,’ Tish quietly agreed.

  Jules took a sip of wine and then placed his glass on the wicker table near Tish. ‘Do you have a menu for that Thai place? I don’t feel like straining my eyes looking at my phone.’

  ‘It’s in the kitchen. There’s a binder of menus in the second drawer to the right of the sink. But don’t you usually order the same thing?’

  ‘Yes, but the first step in savoring life is branching beyond my usual order of phat si-io,’ he announced and disappeared behind the screen door.

  When he had gone, Tish took a sip of wine and repeated her friend’s new mantra, ‘Julian Jefferson Davis. Living life with greater intensity and purpose … Heaven help us all!’

  SEVEN

  Tish awoke on Saturday morning at six o’clock, a full thirty minutes prior to the sounding of her alarm clock.

  It had been a late and restless night. Following a tasty Thai dinner that Mary Jo scarcely ate, Tish, Mary Jo, and Jules drove to the Chick-fil-A outside of town to collect Kayla from her after-school and weekend job and break the news of her parents’ split.

  Kayla’s reaction was as expected: shock, tears, anger, and uncertainty for the future. The trio did their best to convince the fifteen-year-old that, although her family dynamic might be shifting, the love and support she had experien
ced in her short life was unwavering.

  Unfortunately, Glen’s absence during the discussion (when asked by Mary Jo if he would like to be present when informing Kayla of their separation, Glen claimed to be too busy catching up on the morning’s paperwork) did little to convince Kayla of her father’s continued affection and commitment to her care and wellbeing. It was, therefore, not surprising that Kayla opted to stay at Tish’s apartment with her mother.

  It was a tearful night that ended just before one in the morning, when Kayla had finally settled enough to eat some reheated pad Thai and then turn in to bed.

  In the five hours since, Tish had tossed, turned, and sporadically snoozed, but never entered the kind of deep sleep that refreshed the senses. Opting to get out of bed rather than attempt a last-ditch grasp at slumber, she tiptoed to the spare bedroom, where Mary Jo and Kayla were snuggled together beneath the duvet, both fast asleep.

  Quietly closing the guest bedroom door so as not to disturb them, Tish then padded to the bathroom where she took a quick shower, dried off, and applied her daily moisturizer before returning to her bedroom to dress for the day. After sliding into a pair of dark denim capris, a flowing black floral kimono-styled top, and a comfortable pair of hot-pink canvas sneakers, she made her way downstairs to brew a pot of coffee and enjoy a slice of seeded wholewheat toast with a smear of peach butter she and Schuyler had purchased from a Charlottesville farmers’ market.

  As Tish finished her second cup of coffee and set about getting the café in order for the day’s business, Celestine let herself into the kitchen with her back-door key. ‘Hey, lady,’ she greeted.

  ‘Hey, yourself. You’re here early.’ She grabbed an additional mug from the cupboard above the coffee maker and poured Celestine a cup.

  ‘Thought you could use a hand with the morning baking.’ She accepted the mug of coffee, to which Tish had added both sugar and half-and-half. ‘Thanks, darlin’.’

  ‘That’s sweet of you, but aside from the biscuits, the baking is done. We were up late with Mary Jo and Kayla last night, so I figured …’ She shrugged. ‘Some people drink when stressed; I bake and cook.’