by Lynn Cahoon
She wrote Tyler’s name on the sheet too, but she didn’t feel it. The guy had been devastated when Cat had dropped off the basket of muffins.
Then she wrote Sandra’s name. She sat back in her chair and thought about the meeting that morning. The woman had seemed genuinely affected by Greyson’s death. Yet, she took on a new project the day after the memorial? How would I react if something happened to Seth? Could she pour herself into work or would she be staring into a television screen not watching the movies that played and thinking about their time together?
“People respond to grief differently,” she said aloud.
“Yes, they do.” Seth stood in the doorway. “I didn’t mean to startle you but Shauna wanted me to come get you for lunch. Are you thinking about Greyson and Sandra?”
“Her, and everyone else who touched the guy’s life. I didn’t think it was that late. Tammy must have already left.” She glanced down at the page and quickly scribbled Dee Dee before closing the notebook. “I guess there’s a reason Uncle Pete’s the professional in these matters and not me. All I keep doing is running in circles.”
“I helped Tammy out to her van about thirty minutes ago. You’ve been in here for a while. And don’t sell yourself short. You have good instincts. That’s why Pete lets you play with these things. I think he appreciates having someone else he can bounce things off.” He held a hand out and wiggled his fingers. “Come on, Nancy Drew, let’s eat and talk about something else.”
Cat stood from the desk and crossed the room, taking his hand. “Like your conversation with Nate? Did you know he was seeing Dee Dee?”
Seth laughed. “I think ‘seeing’ is a pretty broad term. He and Dee Dee had a few nights together after too many beers at Bernie’s, but I doubt Nate thinks of it as a relationship. I suppose Tammy told you this?”
“Yeah, I guess she’s Dee Dee’s sounding board. And the woman is worried that Shauna is opening a competing bakery,” Cat said as they entered the kitchen.
Shauna looked back at them from her position at the stove. “There is no way in the world I’d open a bakery. Do you know what time I’d have to get up? Not just one week a month, but every freaking day? Who’s spreading such a vicious lie?”
“Dee Dee.” Cat took in the smell of clam chowder and fresh baked bread bowls. “Yum. I didn’t think I was even hungry until I walked in the room.”
“That’s why I love making soups in the fall. They fill the kitchen with warm, lovely smells.” Shauna finished the last bowl and set it on the table. “Dee Dee has some trust issues. I think she’s always waiting for the other shoe to drop. And if there’s not drama going on, the girl will make some happen.”
“Shauna and I made plans for the herb garden in front of the barn this morning while you were locked in the study.” Seth grabbed a notebook and handed it to Cat. “Check this out.”
“I drew the barn, so don’t make fun of my artistic skills.” Shauna sat and started eating. “But I think it will be lovely come spring. And if we get it set up now, I play with what I want to plant all winter.”
They talked about the new garden and the upcoming change in weather. “I’m hoping next month stays warm, because if not, your writers are going to freeze on our hike.” Seth glanced at the calendar. “We should still have good weather that week, but any later and we’d be pushing it.”
“Let’s sit down sometime soon and plan out next year’s extra day’s events and get the retreats on the calendar. That way we know what we’re looking at so we can plan some vacations if we want.” Cat looked pointedly at Shauna. “You did make your airline reservations, right?”
“I did, and I’ll be riding with Seth when he takes the guests to the airport on Sunday. You’ll just need to remember to come get me next Sunday.” Shauna nodded to the house calendar on the counter. “I’ve put all my travel arrangements in there, in case you need to get a hold of me.”
They finished lunch and Cat went out to the living room to clean up after Tammy’s seminar. Rick sat in a wingback chair, a notebook on his lap. He was staring out the window that looked out onto the backyard.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you all were back from lunch.” Cat hurried around the room, picking up cups and dishes.
“I didn’t go with the group. I had some things on my mind.” He closed the notebook. “Why do women always fall for the wrong guy?”
Uh oh. Cat set the tray down and sat on the chair next to him. “Trouble in paradise?”
“No. Just me being silly. I should have known I wasn’t her type.” He smiled but his eyes didn’t match the emotion.
“Don’t tell me that Bren’s talking to her old boyfriend.”
“He sent her roses this morning,” Rick spat out. “Like a few flowers would make up for how controlling and possessive he’s been this week.”
“Bren’s a smart woman. She can see through the smoke screen, I’m sure.” Cat patted Rick’s arm. “Have you told her how you feel?”
He sank back into the chair. “No. I thought it might be better to wait until we get back and she’s clear of the guy. I don’t want her to think I’m poaching.” “If you like her, you need to tell her,” Cat pressed. “She needs to know there’s other fish in the sea.”
“But what if she doesn’t feel the same way about me?”
Cat could hear the fear in his voice. “Then you’ll know and you can go on and just be her friend. She needs friends now more than ever.”
“You’re right. I can’t believe I’m being such a jerk about this.” He stood. “I’m running into town and grabbing a burger. Thanks for talking that out with me. I needed to hear another side.”
Cat watched as he walked out of the room. She wouldn’t say he had a spring in his step, but she thought he might actually talk to Bren now about his feelings. She sank back into her chair. “People are exhausting.”
She finished cleaning up and took the dishes into the kitchen. No one was there so she checked the dishwasher to see if it had been run. Only lunch dishes were inside, so she spent a few minutes rinsing off the new additions. Doing dishes had always given her time to think, especially back in the day when she was teaching full time.
After she finished, she hurried upstairs and opened her word-processing program. She wanted to get more of this idea for a new book down before it totally disappeared.
* * *
A knock on the door brought her back to reality and Cat realized she’d written over five thousand words in one setting. She saved the document and made a note to read it tomorrow if she had time before the final dinner. Tonight, after dinner, they’d talk through what worked and what hadn’t at this week’s retreat. She might not be able to solve Greyson’s murder, but she did a great job managing the retreat.
“Come in,” she called out. Expecting Shauna, she was surprised when Uncle Pete came into the office and sat on her couch. “What are you doing?”
“Hiding from life. I know you don’t want to hear this, but chucking it all and moving to Alaska is looking better and better.” He picked up Cat’s latest book and held it up. “This one was really good.”
“You’re reading young adult?” Cat couldn’t hide her surprise.
He sat the book down. “You’re my niece; of course I’m reading your books. I just hope you don’t start writing that sexy stuff. I’ll have to hide it from the guys at the station if you write that.”
“I don’t have plans to publish erotica, so I think you’re safe.” She crossed the room and sat next to him. “What’s going on?”
“Everyone wants to know who killed this guy and I’m about to change my standard answer to ‘who wouldn’t have wanted to kill him?’ Man, the guy was a tool. He loved having people under his thumb.” Her uncle ran a hand through his hair.
“Power corrupts. Seth told me about Nate.”
Uncle Pete sighed. “Unfortunately, Nate and Seth were small potatoes in this guy’s game. He seemed to have his fingers in a lot of pies.” He looked at
her. “Including some he didn’t own. Have you talked to your friend lately?”
“Jessica?” Cat shook her head. “Not since she came and tried to get me to have you back off. Are you serious about her being a suspect?”
Uncle Pete didn’t answer for a long minute. “Can you talk to her? I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but someone who would sleep with her husband’s brother might not be concerned about a little murder to cover up the indiscretion.”
“I’ll talk to her. Sandra Collins seems to think the affair was already over.”
Uncle Pete patted her leg and stood. “We better get downstairs or Shauna will come looking for us. I’m not surprised you talked to Sandra, but I’m not sure I buy what the woman is selling.”
Chapter Twenty
After dinner, Cat glanced at the clock. She had thirty minutes before she was expected in the living room. Uncle Pete had already left and she and Seth were cleaning off the table. “Hey, do you want to go for a walk with me?”
“A walk?” He looked at the clock. “Don’t you have a thing?”
“A meeting, a gathering, a seminar . . . you can call it a lot of different names. But I have thirty minutes.”
He narrowed his eyes. “This is an investigation kind of walk, isn’t it?”
“I want to see if I can talk to Jessica, so yeah, I might need you to wait for me for a few minutes.” She put the last plate in the dishwasher and, after adding soap, closed the door and started the machine. “But don’t go too far; I’m not saying I trust her completely.”
“I’d love to come to your rescue. I haven’t played knight in shining armor for a long time.” He put the salt and pepper away and then opened the back door. “After you.”
Cat wrote a note for Shauna and followed Seth out the door. As they walked by Mrs. Rice’s house, her neighbor was down on her knees weeding the front flower garden in the evening cool.
Cat pulled on Seth’s arm and walked faster, hoping the woman wouldn’t see them. When they turned the corner, she slowed down, let go, and took a deep breath. “That was close.”
“You don’t have to run from her, you know.” Seth looked down on her in amusement. “There is a phrase you can use. It’s new, so I don’t expect you’ve heard it much. It goes something like this: ‘Sorry, but we don’t have time to talk.’”
“Believe me, I’ve tried cutting her short. If she has something to tell you, nothing’s going to stop her.” Cat glanced up the street where Jessica was sitting on the front porch, watching her boys ride their bikes in the driveway. “She’s out front. Can you walk around the block and I’ll see if she’ll talk to me?”
“She’s probably already seen me.”
Cat nodded. “I know, but it might feel awkward to have you standing out by the mailbox while we talk. I’ll be fine. The fact she has seen you protects me.”
“What, you think she’d kill you on her front porch? That’s not very discreet.” Seth squeezed her hand and laughed at the look Cat gave him. “Okay, I’m walking. Just don’t forget about your meeting in a few minutes.”
“You make one lap around the block and I should be ready. I’m not wasting time on this. Either she wants to talk to me or she can just talk to Uncle Pete and I’m out of it.”
Seth walked past the house when Cat turned to cross the street. She thought she heard him murmuring, “promises, promises . . .” but she couldn’t tell. She looked up at Jessica and took a deep breath.
When she got to the porch steps, Jessica patted the swing next to her. “Go ahead and sit down. I figured you’d be here sooner or later.”
“We have some things to talk about.” Cat sorted through all the things she wanted to tell her old friend but pushed away the ones that were just hurtful. They could be dealt with later. Once this murder thing was cleared up. She shook her head. Now Seth had her calling everything a “thing.”
“Between us or this whole ugly Greyson problem?”
Cat was surprised that Jessica realized there were issues between them. “Let’s start with Greyson’s murder. I’m going to ask you again, were you sleeping with him?”
Jessica’s face showed shock and her first glance was toward the boys to make sure they were out of earshot. “Lower your voice. I don’t want my kids to hear that ugly rumor.”
Cat leaned back on the swing and watched her. “Well?”
“No, I wasn’t having an affair. Not with Greyson, not with anyone. I love Tyler. I have since the day we met.” Jessica smiled a little as she obviously was remembering a better time. “But Greyson and I were friends. That’s all.”
“So why were you calling him daily before he died?” Cat might as well get all the cards on the table.
Jessica shook her head, sadly. “We were planning Tyler’s surprise birthday party. The guy turns forty next month. Can you believe it? We’re all getting older, but forty? Greyson wanted it to be a huge bash. He had rented the Covington Common Hall for the party and there just seemed to be detail after detail.”
“A birthday party?”
Jessica rubbed her neck. “That’s why Greyson was here that night. He and I met at the hall to make sure it was big enough. Do you know how many people he had on the guest list? Not just Aspen Hills’s mayor, but Denver’s mayor and the freaking governor were invited. Greyson wanted Tyler to know how much he was appreciated and loved. I just wanted an intimate, fun party.”
“Sandra said she thought you and Greyson had something going before she came on the scene,” Cat prodded, not willing to give up the idea.
This time Jessica did laugh. “Sandra hated Greyson’s family, and that included me. Anyone who took the limelight away from her was suspect in her mind. I hear she accused him of sleeping with his sous-chef last month.”
“Was he?” Cat didn’t know if Greyson had been a player, but if he had, then there might be more people on the suspect list than she thought.
“No. The guy was as faithful as the day was long. He told me once when we were planning the party that he thought Sandra was finally the one. I wasn’t so sure. She can be a bit of a handful.” Jessica glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to get the boys in and get baths started. Are we done? Are you convinced I didn’t kill Greyson in a fit of jealous rage? You know me.”
“Do I?” Cat stared her down. “The woman I knew wouldn’t have told people she wrote my book for me.”
“And the true issue finally comes out.” Jessica put up her hands. “Yes, I said something catty like that. Why? I don’t know. Maybe I was jealous. Maybe I was hurt. You didn’t just leave Michael when you moved away. You left me. You didn’t even tell me you were moving until the day you turned in your resignation.”
Cat could see the pain in Jessica’s face. “I didn’t think . . .”
“Exactly. I know you were in a bad spot and I figured you’d reach out sooner or later, but, Cat, you never did.” Jessica stood and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “I’ve got to take care of my family.”
Cat watched as she stood on the top step and called for the boys. Then Jessica stepped down and met her kids on the way to the garage. Their gazes met, and for a second, Cat could see the devastation in Jessica’s eyes.
She walked to the sidewalk where Seth waited for her.
“Did you get what you needed?” He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked home.
Cat didn’t respond for a few steps. Then she nodded. “More than what I needed. And probably less than I deserved.”
The confused look on Seth’s face didn’t go unnoticed, but Cat didn’t want to explain. Seth must have felt her need for quiet because instead of responding, he gave her a squeeze, then let her go. They walked together like that in silence, crossing the road. The house was in sight when Cat heard the sound of the cat meowing in the fenced yard next to her.
Mrs. Rice stood, watching her. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve had a bit of a scare.”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Rice.” Cat pasted on a smile. No nee
d for the town gossip to get the news about her fighting with Jessica any faster than the phone tree would bring it. “Are you planting more bulbs?”
The woman laughed and took off her gardening gloves. “Guilty as charged. I do love a good row of tulips in the spring. The flowers feel like God’s way of welcoming the change of seasons. I only hope I’m alive to see them blossom.”
“Mrs. Rice, you’re probably going to outlive all of us.” Seth responded with the answer Mrs. Rice had been fishing for.
“Well, thank you, Seth, but even all that money didn’t keep Greyson Finn alive now, did it?” She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t want to say he deserved to be killed, but the way he went through women, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out it was a tossed away lover. The man was a cad.”
In for a penny, Cat thought. “Oh, really? I thought he was dating a decorator out of Denver. Don’t tell me he had something on the side.”
Mrs. Rice’s eyes gleamed. “Not just one. I’ve heard he had several women on the string. One in each town between here and Denver. I can’t believe how women will let themselves be used that way.”
“No. That’s horrible. Sandra’s a nice person. I just met her today.” Cat let outrage show on her face, even if it was really focused on the gossip going around about a man who couldn’t defend himself.
“And what he saw in Dee Dee, I have no idea. It’s not like the woman is even pretty.” Mrs. Rice leaned down to pet her cat. Then she straightened and stepped out of the grass onto the walkway, the cat following her. “Yes, Mr. Peeps, it is time for your dinner. It was nice to talk to you youngsters.”
“Wait, Mrs. Rice,” Cat called out as the woman moved toward her walkway. “Why do you think Dee Dee was involved with Greyson?”
She turned and stared at Cat like the question was ludicrous. “Because she told me they were dating one day when I went into the bakery for some cookies for my bridge game.”
Cat and Seth started walking toward the house. “Dee Dee was dating both Nate and Greyson?”
