“I never understood things like that.” Aunt Tillie worked her jaw. “Still, maybe I can somehow snag that spot.”
“How do you think you’re going to manage that?”
“I’m gifted, Bay.”
She was ... something. “I don’t care how you get her back. I just want her to think twice before messing with me again. This is all because of the campground. She acted fine, said she was glad we got it because that meant it would remain important to the town, and then lied to my face and tried to hurt an innocent woman in the process.”
“She’s so full of crap even the most dedicated sanitation workers won’t touch her,” Aunt Tillie groused. “I knew that campground steal would cause her grief. We hurt her first, which I always appreciate.”
“You always told me it didn’t matter who hit first. It was the last hit that counted.”
“And I stand by that. We’re definitely going to strike her again. I just need to decide how.”
“I don’t care how you get her. I just want her crying. Oh, and if you could get photos of her crying, that would be great.”
The look she shot me was appraising. “You get more and more like me with each passing year.”
“That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“No, it’s a thing of beauty. I’m serious. If you’re like me, you’ll be happy for another ninety years.”
It seemed unlikely I would live that long, but I was fine agreeing if it meant she would give Mrs. Little her full attention. “Just get her ... and get her good.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I have a few ideas I’ve been gnawing on. I’ll figure out which operation to launch before the end of the day.”
“Great.” I moved to leave and then stilled, something occurring to me. “What’s your deal with Hazel? I know you promised Mom that you would at least try to get along with her. This doesn’t look like getting along.”
“What your mother doesn’t know can’t hurt her.”
“I have no intention of tattling on you. Quite frankly, I’ve never been Hazel’s biggest fan either. It’s been more than a decade, though. Don’t you think you should give her a chance to see if she’s changed? I mean ... that’s been known to happen. Not to you or anything, but to others.”
“I know exactly who Hazel is.” Aunt Tillie’s expression darkened. “I’ll handle Hazel and Margaret, don’t worry about that. I’m good at what I do.”
I was familiar with that firsthand. “Okay. Well ... I need to run and do a few more interviews. You haven’t heard anything about Adam having an affair, have you?”
“No, but I paid very little attention to him. Do you think he was really having an affair?”
“Yeah. It just wasn’t with Sheila. She knew who he was having an affair with ... but I’m not supposed to tell anyone that she supplied me with the information.”
“My lips are sealed. I have bigger whales to harpoon.”
“Okay, well ... try not to get arrested. It won’t go over well if Chief Terry has to take you into custody and then explain to Mom what you were doing. She’ll be furious.”
“You let me handle your mother. I’m not afraid of her.”
If Aunt Tillie was afraid of anyone, it was Mom. Still, it was none of my business. Their relationship was between them. “Okay. I’m heading to Lisa Newman’s shop. I’m not sure where I’ll be after that, but if you’re interested in lunch we’ll probably be ordering in to Hypnotic later.”
Shrewd as always, Aunt Tillie narrowed her eyes. “Why are you going to the seamstress shop?”
“Why do you think?”
Her mouth dropped open. “No way. She was schtupping Adam? That is so wrong. Her husband and Adam were best friends.”
“Yes, it seems like a huge betrayal on just about every front. I think it might be true. Either way, I have to talk to her.”
“That sounds like a terrible conversation.”
“I’m not looking forward to it.”
“I’ll go with you.” She volunteered without hesitation, which made me uneasy.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I hedged. “This is a delicate conversation.”
“Which is why you need me. Nobody does delicate better than me.”
I knew a hundred frustrated women — and even more men — who could argue with that statement. “Why do you really want to go?”
“I’ve been thinking that the one thing this scooter needs is a cape for me. Lisa could make one ... and I bet she could do it fast.”
Huh. Never what you expect. “Fine, but don’t say anything embarrassing.”
“Do I ever?”
She was doing me a favor, I reminded myself. There was no sense buying trouble. “Of course not.”
Nine
I thought Aunt Tillie’s cape plan was a joke until she strolled through the door of Lisa’s store and planted her hands on her hips. “Where’s your Wonder Woman section?”
I practically choked on my own tongue.
“My Wonder Woman section?” Lisa looked up from the sewing machine she was working at and frowned. “I don’t technically have a Wonder Woman section.”
“How can you not have a Wonder Woman section?”
“I haven’t gotten around to it yet,” Lisa replied. “Perhaps if you tell me what you’re looking for I can help you with something from a different section.”
Instead of immediately answering, Aunt Tillie sighed. “I don’t know. I had my heart set on being Wonder Woman … at least I think.”
She was being purposely difficult, which wasn’t unusual. “She needs a cape,” I volunteered. “Something satin ... maybe blue. She wants to wear it around her neck while she’s riding around on her scooter so it streams behind her. I think that’s a good way to get snagged on something and accidentally hang herself ... but I don’t get a vote in the matter.”
Instead of reacting to the news with an appropriate sneer, Lisa nodded and stood. “I think I have what you’re looking for.” She gestured for Aunt Tillie to follow her to the far corner of the store. “These are durable synthetic fabrics that mimic satin but come with a much smaller price tag.”
“Oh, cool.” Aunt Tillie brightened considerably when she saw the fabrics. “Do you only have solid colors?”
Lisa looked rueful. “I’m afraid so.”
“Ah, well.” Aunt Tillie tapped her chin as she regarded her options. “Can I have one that’s double-sided?”
“You should probably ask how much it’s going to cost first,” I pointed out. “You might decide you don’t want to spend that much.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Aunt Tillie’s lip curled into a sneer. “I’m going to wear a cape on a scooter. In what world won’t I want to do that?”
She had a point. “It’s up to her,” I said, waving my hand as Lisa started pulling out bolts of fabric.
“What colors do you want?” Lisa asked Aunt Tillie. “We can do double-sided. Maybe you can have two sides of your superhero personality.”
“Actually I prefer being a super villain on my off time.” Aunt Tillie ran her fingers over the fabric. “Go green for one side and purple for the other.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why not red and blue for Batman and Superman? Or red and yellow for Wonder Woman? You just said you wanted to be Wonder Woman.”
“I don’t want to be either of those goons.”
“Wonder Woman is red, too.”
“Yes, but the Hulk is purple and green. I’ve decided if I was ever to turn into a superhero, it would be the Hulk. He most closely matches my personality.”
I could see that. “Do what you want.”
“Thanks for your permission,” she shot back dryly. “Do you need to measure me?”
Lisa shook her head. “It should be fairly easy. I’ll make sure it’s not too long because I don’t want you tripping. I saw the scooter. If it gets tangled under your foot or in the spokes, that could be a recipe for disaster.”
I wanted to kick her ... or at least slap myself in the face for telling her in the first place. I had no one to blame but myself. Aunt Tillie never met a secret she didn’t want to blab.
“I can’t believe you just said that,” I gritted out.
“Sure you can. You knew I would broach the subject from the start. That’s why you invited me.”
“I didn’t invite you.”
“That’s not the way I remember it.” Aunt Tillie’s gaze remained clear and keen as it rested on Lisa. “You don’t have to talk to us if you don’t want to, but it’s better to spill your guts to Bay than ‘The Man’ ... and I guarantee ‘The Man’ will find a way to stick his nose in your business. He’s threatened to take my still and wine so many times I’ve lost count. And don’t get me started on my pot field.”
She was referring to Landon. They had a tempestuous relationship at best. Landon had threatened her pot field on more than one occasion. Unfortunately for him, Aunt Tillie cursed the field so anyone trying to find it would get diarrhea.
Yeah, she’s a horrible woman when she wants to be.
Now that recreational pot was legal in the state of Michigan, we were at a crossroads. You could legally own eight plants. Aunt Tillie had way more than that. But the field was cloaked, so there was no way to prove she was breaking the law. Chief Terry had long since given up trying to get her to follow the rules. Landon wasn’t quite done smashing his head against the wall yet.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lisa said. Her full attention was on the fabric she was cutting, but it was impossible to miss the stiff set of her shoulders. The question had clearly hit the mark.
I felt bad for her ... and a little annoyed at the same time. “I don’t think you were as stealthy as you thought when it came to hiding the relationship,” I offered. “More than a few people know the particulars.”
“I see.” She held up the fabric, comparing the panels to ensure they were the same size, and then moving back to her machine. “I guess it’s a mistake to deny it given what happened?”
“I would definitely say so,” I confirmed, resting my hands on my lap as I regarded her. She was steadfastly avoiding eye contact. I couldn’t blame her. This could hardly be the way she envisioned things ending when she embarked on the affair. “Why didn’t you come down to the blacksmith shop after the fire yesterday?”
“I was out of town,” Lisa replied, grabbing a container of pins from the counter and carefully inserting them in the fabric. “I had to run to Traverse City for supplies. That’s a normal run for me. I do it at least once a month. Actually, Adam was supposed to go with me this time, but he had to back out at the last minute.”
“Why?”
“Lorna couldn’t handle the shop herself and everyone kept saying these witches coming into town were a big deal. Tourism is the name of the game in Hemlock Cove. We have to keep the tourists happy ... and these particular tourists are bringing a lot of money to the town.”
“They are,” I agreed. I felt woefully out of my depth. “How long were you and Adam involved?”
“About a year.”
“So ... a year after Barry’s death.”
“I know what you’re thinking.” Lisa finally lifted her head and I saw the strain lining her pretty features. She was in her late forties, but looked younger. “You think I’m a horrible person for carrying on with a married man.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Aunt Tillie lifted her hand. “I didn’t say it, but I think it. I don’t like cheats.”
I slapped at her hand. “Knock that off.” I was firm. “You’ve already caused enough trouble.”
“What trouble?” Aunt Tillie’s face was blank. “If I hadn’t come with you the question never would’ve gotten asked.”
“That’s not true. It just would’ve taken longer.”
“Okay.” She turned back to Lisa. “Didn’t it bother you that Adam was married?”
“Of course it did.” Lisa sat down at the machine with her basted project. “We didn’t plan for it to happen. You should know that. It was an accident. It just sort of popped up out of nowhere.”
“Did he fall on top of you or something?” I asked blankly. It was an old joke, but I didn’t buy “accidental” affairs.
“Of course not.” She let loose a sigh. “It started when he volunteered to help me around the house. After Barry’s death, I had a rough time of it. He died so suddenly. We weren’t expecting it. People say that it’s better to go fast than linger. I believe that, deep down, but not being able to say goodbye wrecked me. There has to be a happy medium between the long goodbye and the nonexistent one.”
“Barry was a good guy,” I offered. “He used to help Aunt Tillie pull her plow truck out of the snowbanks by Mrs. Little’s house.”
Lisa chuckled at the memory. “He didn’t even need to drive in that area. He just liked going down there and finding you. He thought it was funny the way you used to torture Margaret by plowing the end of her driveway in so she couldn’t escape. But he never understood how you turned the snow yellow.”
“She’s gifted when it comes to torture,” I drawled. “That still doesn’t explain how you ended up with Adam.”
“I’m getting to it.” She flashed me a tense smile. “Like I said, he came around to help me after the fact. Barry left a lot of unfinished projects ... like replacing the electrical socket in the bathroom and updating the trim in the dining room. Adam volunteered his time to help.
“I thought he just wanted to keep an eye on me at first,” she continued. “He was a good man but out of his element. He was worried I would harm myself because I was so upset over Barry.”
I remembered that time well. A lot of people were worried about that exact scenario. “So he came over a lot.”
“There was no definitive moment,” she supplied quietly. “It wasn’t as if it was a conscious choice. We spent a lot of time talking about different things, including history — we both loved learning about the World War II era — and art. It got to where we’d read the same books and talk about them, like our own personal book club. It spread to watching the same shows and sending emails when we weren’t together. Then it grew to phone calls. Before we realized what was happening, we were looking forward to seeing each other ... and it only snowballed.
“You have to understand that we didn’t plan this. We didn’t want to hurt or embarrass anyone.” Her tone turned pleading. “All we wanted was to be together. We couldn’t stay apart.”
On one hand, I felt sorry for her. The man she’d loved died and left her alone. I couldn’t imagine that happening to Landon. The mere thought gutted me. On the other hand, Lorna was supposed to be her friend. Adam broke his vows and cheated, but Lisa was complicit.
“You think I’m rationalizing what I did,” she said quietly. “Go ahead and say it.”
“It’s not my place.” I meant it. “It’s not for me to judge. It’s not my business. It’s just ... Adam was stabbed in the back and then a fire was started in his shop to cover his slaying. I can’t help but think an affair makes for an interesting motive.”
Lisa was taken aback. “What?”
It was only then that I realized she wasn’t aware of the truth. “Oh, geez.” I felt like an idiot. “You didn’t know.”
“Adam was murdered?” Her voice was shrill as she stood and then sat again. It was as if she didn’t know what to do with herself. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m sorry.” I held my hands up, helplessness washing over me. “I assumed you knew.”
“I thought it was an accident. A tragic accident, but an accident nonetheless.”
“Not quite.” I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead. I was starting to get a whopper of a headache. “Did Lorna know about your r
elationship with Adam?”
She nodded without hesitation, catching me off guard.
“She did?” I was surprised. “But ... how did that work?”
Lisa chuckled, the sound low and utterly humorless. “It’s not as convoluted as you might think. Adam was a good man. At a certain point, he told Lorna that he didn’t think their marriage was healthy, that it wouldn’t survive the long haul. She actually agreed. She didn’t put up an ounce of fight.
“They had a very long discussion, something I wasn’t a part of because it wasn’t my place, and agreed to keep the marriage together for Nick and Dani,” she continued. “The kids were sixteen and fifteen at the time. Now they’re seventeen and sixteen. The plan was for Lorna and Adam to remain together until the kids graduated from high school. After that, they would get a quiet divorce.”
“Just like that?” I had my doubts. No divorce I’d ever heard of was that simple. “No tears? No names? No threats?”
“I wouldn’t say there were no tears. They were married a long time. They cared about each other. There were no names or threats, though.”
I looked to Aunt Tillie to see what she was thinking. “If Landon ever does that to me there’s going to be more than names flying about.”
My great-aunt snorted. “He’ll never do that. He’s not the type. Even if he did, he would live to regret it.”
Lisa shook her head. “Not all relationships are based on the sort of love Landon and Bay share. I’ve seen them together. They have a fiery love. It will never be truly easy because they’ll often argue and fight, but it will never be boring.
“I’m not trying to be derogatory to Lorna,” she continued. “I like her very much, although the friendship has basically disappeared at this point. As much as she was okay with letting Adam go, she didn’t feel all that comfortable with me.”
“Do you blame her?” I asked. “I mean ... even if she realized the marriage wasn’t going to last, the way things went down had to hurt.”
“I’m sure it did and I’m genuinely sorry for it. The thing is, after a few weeks, Lorna was not only happier, she was more relaxed. She didn’t even realize how tense she was in the marriage. She didn’t initially want the marriage to end because it made her feel like a failure, but when the decision was taken from her, she felt lighter.”
Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery Box Set Page 67
