‘Oh, a few things. Glen’s moving in with his girlfriend, so Mary Jo and the kids are moving back to the house today. I think the soil here at Coleton Creek has been poisoned by building debris, which is the true cause of the yellowing problems – not Biscuit. Reade’s checking out how Callie Collingsworth ended up inheriting Shackleford’s estate. Schuyler Thompson is probably the single most patient, kind, and wonderful man in the world—’
Jules interrupted with a cheer. ‘Oh, please tell me he was one of the six in the apartment!’
‘No, I told you it wasn’t a fun night,’ Tish repeated as she unlocked the kitchen door with the key Susannah had provided.
‘Drat.’ Jules plonked the box on to the counter.
‘And, finally, I think Zadie Morris is hiding something.’
‘Something associated with Sloane Shackleford?’
‘Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t know, but I intend to find out.’
SEVENTEEN
After mixing the batter for miniature Yorkshire puddings and setting it aside to rest, Tish seasoned two top sirloin roasts and positioned them in a pan atop a pile of coarsely chopped onion, celery, carrot, and turnip. Upon placing the pan of veggies and beef in a 350-degree oven, she demonstrated to Jules the correct assembly technique for the prawn cocktails with Marie Rose sauce and set off for Zadie Morris’s house.
Several oppressively humid minutes later, Tish arrived on Zadie’s doorstep, her black T-shirt damp against her back and her brushed and blow-dried hair now distinctly wavy. Tish wiped the perspiration from her forehead with the back of her arm and pressed the doorbell. Thankfully, Zadie answered at the second ring.
She was dressed in a pair of pink satin pajamas, matching monogrammed slippers, and a white chenille bed jacket. Her face looked less tired and drawn than it had the previous evening, but there was still a lingering air of fatigue in her mannerisms.
‘Good morning,’ Tish greeted.
‘Morning. Come on in out of that heat.’ Zadie opened the door and ushered Tish inside.
‘It’s already hotter than it was yesterday afternoon. You’d better take it easy today, Ms Morris.’
‘Looks like you oughta take it easy yourself,’ Zadie replied, gesturing toward Tish’s hand and chin. ‘What happened to you?’
‘Oh, I interrupted a saboteur last night.’ Tish went on to describe the damage done to her car.
‘This is the point where other women my age would shake their heads and remark how things aren’t the same as they were. The problem with that statement is the world has always been a wicked place. People just find new ways to make each other miserable.’
Tish was taken aback by Zadie’s jaded remark. She had always thought the cosmetics entrepreneur to be of such a positive mindset.
‘You have some bruising coming up there on your left cheek.’ The older woman, possibly sensing Tish’s sense of shock, swiftly changed the subject. ‘I have a foundation that will cover that.’
‘Oh, no, thanks, I already put some on before I left the house. The rest of the bottle is in my bag back at the kitchen.’
‘You can’t count on average foundation to last in this weather. But I have a product I took on safari with me several years ago. Held up in even one-hundred-degree heat.’ She wandered off toward the bedroom.
Tish began to follow, but Zadie stopped her with a smile. ‘You wait here. I’ll be right back.’
True to her word, Zadie returned less than a minute later, brandishing a small bottle of flesh-colored liquid. ‘Sit on the sofa and I’ll apply it for you.’
‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly,’ Tish argued.
‘Nonsense. It’ll bring me back to younger days. I started out at a makeup counter in Richmond, you know.’
‘I had no idea.’ Tish sat on the spot on the sofa Zadie had occupied the previous evening.
‘Well, I didn’t say much about my personal life when I had the company. I let my cosmetics do the talking.’ Zadie put a dab of concealer on her right middle finger and applied it to Tish’s cheek, causing the younger woman to recoil slightly.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.’
‘You didn’t. I’m just a bit tender.’
‘You poor thing.’ Zadie clicked her tongue. ‘Still, they might have done worse. What possessed you to run after them?’
‘Temporary insanity, I guess.’
‘Although I’m glad you gave them what-for, the whole thing sounds terrifying.’
‘Once the adrenaline wore off, I admit I was quite frightened that they’d return. I think the only reason I got any sleep is because the earlier part of the night had been a bit emotional as well. See, my seventeen-year-old godson came home past curfew and intoxicated.’
‘Boys!’ Zadie shook her head.
‘Yeah, I was so worried when Gregory – my godson – didn’t come home on time. I feared the worst. His poor mother has been through enough this weekend, what with the breakup of her marriage. I couldn’t bear the thought of her losing him as well. Of course, Gregory came home in one piece, but the whole situation reminded me of you and your godson.’
‘My godson?’ Zadie repeated, as if unfamiliar with the term.
‘Yes, the one whose photo is on your nightstand. The photo I saw yesterday.’
‘Oh, y–yes. My godson, William.’
‘I couldn’t help but think of poor William’s mother – what was her name?’
Zadie’s fingers hovered over Tish’s face and she appeared to enter a fugue state. ‘Vera,’ she whispered.
‘I thought of Vera and how her son’s death must have affected her. The poor woman must have suffered terribly.’
‘She and I completely lost touch. She wasn’t the same woman afterwards.’
‘I can’t even fathom how something like that might change someone.’
‘When William died, Vera died with him.’ Zadie lowered her head and fell silent.
Upon witnessing Zadie’s grief and desolation, Tish felt like a voyeur. ‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize how painful the subject was for you.’
Zadie snapped from her reverie and went back to blending the concealer into Tish’s foundation. ‘It’s all right. I’d just never really discussed it with anyone before, but it was … it was good to bring it out into the open.’
‘Will you be attending the luncheon this afternoon?’ Tish asked, eager to change the subject and feeling more than a bit embarrassed for having brought Zadie close to tears over a silly hunch.
‘Yes, I’ll be there cheering on Orson. I know he can be rough around the edges, but at heart he truly is a sweet man.’
‘I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to have you at his side.’
‘If I’m ready in time,’ she chuckled. ‘I have a lot more wrinkles to cover than you do.’
‘No, you have lovely skin.’
‘You forgot to add “for a woman my age.” That always seems to be the qualifying statement. It sets the bar rather low, doesn’t it?’ She smiled, yet there was a bitter worldliness in her words. ‘There. Your bruise is concealed and should stay that way all day, as long as you don’t smudge it with your hand.’
‘Thank you.’ Tish rose from the sofa.
‘My pleasure, sweetie. I can’t do anything about your chin, but at least folks will have one less thing to stare at.’
‘True. And I’m sorry again about asking you so many questions.’
‘Don’t be. Old photographs draw us into their stories, don’t they? It’s tremendously difficult to look at them and not feel haunted by our own past.’
Tish nodded. That was precisely how she felt – haunted – yet she struggled to stay in the here and now. ‘Well, I’ll just grab the tray from the kitchen and let myself out. I’ll see you later?’
‘Yes, or at least some incarnation of me.’ Zadie laughed a throaty laugh. ‘I promise, beneath all the plaster, paint, and powder, I’ll be there.’
‘I’m sure you’ll look fabulous,’ Tish complimented before
turning on one heel and setting off for the kitchen.
‘Oh, Tish?’
Tish stopped in the doorway. ‘Yes?’
‘I hope you don’t think me a sentimental old fool, but I wanted to tell you how much I admire you. Yesterday I said that you reminded me of myself and I meant it. Moving to a new town, reinventing yourself, starting a new business – I’ve done all three and it’s not easy, but you seem to be handling it all with grace, integrity, and, most of all, kindness.’
Tish was flabbergasted. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Nothing to say. Just always stay true to who you are, Tish. That’s my only advice.’
‘I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.’
‘Good. Now, you’d better get going. You have a luncheon to cater and the residents of Coleton Creek can be a handful. If they’re not comparing your cooking to that of their great-aunt Tilly, they’re wrapping up whatever they can in napkins and squirreling it away in their handbags and pockets to eat later.’
Tish laughed. ‘Don’t worry, I have plenty of extra food and a thick skin regarding criticism.’
After collecting yesterday’s tea tray from Zadie’s kitchen, Tish said farewell and set out on the walk back to the lifestyle center. In the short time she had been at Zadie’s, the sun had risen above the tops of the tallest trees, sending temperatures soaring well into the nineties and making the moisture-laden air feel like that of a greenhouse.
Even though the lifestyle center was air-conditioned, it was no day to be stuck inside a kitchen with oven and range blazing. However, far more worrying to Tish was the prospect of one hundred of Coleton Creek’s aging residents sitting on the enclosed patio in the afternoon heat.
Fortunately, she didn’t worry long, for within moments Tucker Abercrombie approached her. He was dressed in a casual ensemble of plaid shorts, polo shirt, flip-flops, and an Atlanta Braves baseball cap. ‘Morning, Ms Tarragon. Mr Davis said I’d find you here.’
‘Morning, Mr Abercrombie. How can I help you?’
‘I have the fans for the patio, but I need you to unlock the door.’
‘Fans?’
‘Yeah, for the luncheon. It’s what we do on hot days like this.’
‘Perfect timing. I was just about to call Susannah Hilton about that.’
‘She’s actually the one who contacted me. You see, the company I retired from provides emergency generators, fans, transformers, and other electronic devices to businesses. I was an account manager there for over forty years, so they’ve agreed to provide the fans for Coleton Creek’s events for free.’
‘That’s nice of them. So when you spoke with Susannah, did she mention when she might be coming in?’
‘No, and it’s darned odd of her, too. It’s not like Susannah not to be here at a time like this. Sundays and Mondays are her days off, but when we have an event – especially an important event like the garden club luncheon – she’s buzzing around here like a one-armed wallpaper hanger. She’ll work on her days off, come in early, stay late. Sometimes I think she even camps overnight. So for Susannah not to be here now, just a few hours before the luncheon, is really quite unusual.’ Tucker pulled a face. ‘Then again, she didn’t sound much like herself on the phone.’
‘Oh? How did she sound?’
‘Nervous. Jumpy. When I asked her if she was OK, she said she was fine, so I didn’t push it, but there was definitely something wrong. No doubt something to do with her crazy bosses. They’re always on her to do their dirty work.’
The comment got Tish’s attention. ‘What kind of dirty work?’
‘Oh, things Nathan and Mariette had messed up and wanted her to fix. Things that might have gotten them in trouble, like firing the pool maintenance company who’d serviced the pools since the place was built. Not only did the Knoblochs still have over a year on their contract with the company, but by rights the homeowners’ association should have had a vote on the matter. So instead of handling the issue themselves, they put Susannah on the firing line with both the company and the association. Things were eventually resolved, thanks to Susannah’s brainpower and grace under fire, but it shows you how Nathan and Mariette operate.’
‘Yes, it certainly does.’ Tish wondered about the damage done to her car. How dedicated an employee was Susannah Hilton? Had the Knoblochs, worried about soil samples and further digging, entrusted Susannah Hilton to ‘clean up the mess’ of the garden club luncheon? Had Susannah been entrusted to scare Tish away from the luncheon by any means possible? Was she the person with the crowbar at the café last night? If so, that might explain why Susannah wasn’t at the lifestyle center this morning. Susannah might have been under the impression that Tish wouldn’t show up for the job and, therefore, the luncheon would be cancelled. Or Susannah was fearful that if they met again, Tish might be able to identify her as the culprit.
But if Susannah did believe the luncheon was cancelled, why call Tucker Abercrombie about fans? Was that simply to cover her tracks, so she could state, if questioned, that she believed the luncheon was going ahead as scheduled? Or had Susannah used Tucker as a means to determine whether Tish had actually shown up for work? After all, it was nearly nine in the morning and Susannah hadn’t received a call from Tish cancelling the event.
‘May I carry that tray for you?’ Tucker Abercrombie offered, interrupting Tish’s ruminations.
‘No, thank you. I’ve got it. Let’s get back to the lifestyle center so you can set up those fans.’
‘Sure. Um, can I talk to you about something?’
‘Of course. Let’s talk as we walk.’
Tucker followed Tish’s lead. ‘Jim Ainsley tells me you’re quite the detective.’
‘Mr Ainsley overstates my abilities. I’m more of an amateur sleuth.’
‘Nope, the Jim I know always sticks to the facts. Besides, I read the local papers. I know what you did in that murdered librarian case. My wife says you’re working on Shackleford’s murder, too.’
Tish was careful not to reveal that she had already spoken to Violet Abercrombie, yet she left the door open, just in case Tucker was aware of their conversation. ‘I’m not working on the case, but a few individuals have disclosed certain details to me. If those details are important, I refer the individual to Sheriff Reade.’
‘Has my wife been one of those individuals?’ Tucker Abercrombie asked, his face pinched with concern.
At the word ‘wife,’ Tish stopped walking. Although she wasn’t a police officer or attorney, she valued Violet Abercrombie’s privacy. ‘Don’t you think that’s a question you should ask her?’
‘Probably. But if I ask her, she’ll want to know why I’m asking.’
‘Why are you asking?’
‘I thought maybe she might know something. Something that she might have confided in you – you both being women and all.’
‘Something?’
‘OK, fine. I went to see Sloane Shackleford on Friday morning.’
‘I thought you’d been slaving in the garden all morning.’
‘I had been. Right after you, Mr Davis, and Jim Ainsley dropped by to view our garden, Violet went inside to make us lunch, and I went out to buy a copy of The Virginian-Pilot. I typically walk to the convenience store every morning for a paper, but because of the prep for the competition, I hadn’t that morning. I thought it was a reasonable excuse to get out of the house.’
‘So instead of picking up the paper, you went to Shackleford’s,’ Tish surmised.
‘Yes, with the intention of picking up the paper after our meeting.’
‘But we were on our way to Wren Harper’s house at the time you left for Shackleford’s – how come we didn’t see you?’
‘I watched to see which way you walked and went in the opposite direction. It was a longer walk, but it brought me straight to Shackleford’s doorstep and I didn’t have to pass Orson’s or Wren’s.’
‘Clever.’
‘Yeah, I thought so too, until I arrived at Shac
kleford’s to find him dead.’
‘Whoa, back up a minute. You found Sloane Shackleford dead and you didn’t report it?’
‘I panicked and ran back home as quick as I could. Not only was I afraid I’d be accused of the crime, but I didn’t know how to explain to Vi what I was doing there.’
‘What were you doing there?’
Tucker placed a bronzed arm behind his head and stared down at his toes. ‘Oh, where do I even begin?’
He went on to tell Tish about Violet’s cancer diagnosis and the insurance company’s discontinuation of benefits. ‘That was a difficult time for both of us, but mostly Vi. I mean, here she was, fighting for her life while knowing that the treatment saving her was ultimately bankrupting us.’
‘So you went to Shackleford’s seeking what? Compensation? Revenge?’
‘Neither. I wanted him to drop out of the garden competition.’
‘After everything he did to you, that’s what you asked for?’
‘I know it sounds weird, but it really isn’t. Vi had always dreamed of having a big, beautiful garden. When we first got married, our backyard wasn’t big enough. Then, when we got a bigger house and yard, she was too busy with the kids. When Vi fell ill, I promised her that no matter where we ended up, even if we had to sell the house, we would live in a place where she could have a garden. The days she’d go for her treatments, she was too weak to move, so I’d sit at her bedside and take notes of the plants she liked and the features that were important to her. Vi’s been cancer-free three years now, and I swear it was the promise of that garden, and now the realization of that dream, that’s made her recovery possible.’
‘Like her own personal Secret Garden.’ Tish drew a parallel between Violet Abercrombie’s improving health and that of the story’s Colin Craven.
‘It’s about more than just the garden. The whole time we’ve been married, Vi’s looked after other people. Me, the kids, the grandkids, Jim Ainsley …’
At Ainsley’s name, Tish felt a tickle in her throat.
‘Even when Vi was ill, she worried about what would happen to me should she not recover.’ Tucker drew a deep breath. ‘I felt it was time Vi was recognized for an achievement apart from raising a family or caring for friends. Vi planned out that garden, drew out the designs, started the plants from seed, and made sure everything had what was needed to grow. Winning best garden in the competition would have been a celebration of her abilities and hard work. As her own person.’
The Garden Club Murder Page 19
