Trouble on the Books

by Essie Lang

  There was also a round table with a selection of silk scarves and pashminas hanging from an elegant metal rack. Shelby noticed a scarf very similar to the one Felicity had worn the day they’d met at the council meeting. Obviously, Felicity liked to wear what she sold. That was an excellent recommendation if ever there was one.

  Shelby assumed the layout of the rooms was similar to that of the bookstore, which meant there was also a large space off to the right. She started wandering, enjoying the variety of works, all by local artists, according to the sign, and had made her way around the walls and movable displays in the center of the room when Felicity signaled she was ready.

  “Just let me tuck Wainright back into the office with another treat. He’ll settle down as soon as he realizes we’ve left the shop. I’ll be back for him on my way home.”

  Shelby waited by the front door until Felicity rejoined her and locked the door behind them. Felicity, much to Shelby’s surprise, linked their arms as they walked across the street. The coffee shop was almost empty, not unusual given the late hour, and Shelby was actually surprised Felicity would want to go for a coffee now. Then she realized that, like her, Felicity was another single person with no one except her pet to get home to.

  Shelby bought the coffee, feeling it was the least she could do in order to get the answers she wanted. She added two Danishes after checking with Felicity. The strawberry ones. After Felicity had her first bite of the Danish and a sip of coffee and had a look of delight on her face, Shelby started talking.

  “I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know who you were when we met at the board meeting, even though we’re store neighbors. I’m also surprised you didn’t mention it.”

  Felicity looked flustered. “Oh, dear, didn’t I? I guess I assumed you knew. I’ve had so much on my mind lately with Wainright, who hasn’t really been feeling too well lately, and there’s another show coming up. And then, of course, what happened to Loreena. It threw me for a loop. I still can’t believe all that’s happened.”

  Aha. The opening Shelby had been hoping for.

  “It was a shock. Did you know I’m the one who found her body?”

  Felicity looked surprised. “No, I don’t think I did. Or maybe I did but I forgot. Oh, I’m not sure.”

  “It doesn’t matter. But what does matter is that I think the police have it all wrong. You heard what Mr. Truelove said at the board meeting? Well, I’m certain Matthew Kessler is not a killer.”

  “Oh, I don’t know anything about that. I haven’t really talked to the man, although I had heard that your Aunt Edie is a good friend of his.”

  “You’ve heard that?”

  “Oh, yes. Small town, you know.”

  Shelby was getting a bit tired of hearing that but was starting to get used to it. “Well, neither of us believes it, so I’m just asking a few questions since I’m new to town and don’t really know anyone.”

  Felicity nodded and finished off the Danish. Shelby looked at her own, surprised it was still untouched. She left it like that.

  “I understand that you and Loreena were good friends, is that right?”

  Felicity kept nodding but looked a bit cautious. “We grew up together and were best friends throughout school. We hadn’t seen as much of each other as we aged and got involved in our own lives. Running a business is so time-consuming, you know, and Loreena gave her all to the Heritage Society.”

  “But knowing each other for so long, you would know all about her relationship with Duncan Caine.”

  Felicity started coughing and quickly reached for her coffee. She finished it before answering. “You know, there wasn’t really what I’d call a relationship. Nothing romantic or anything. We’re all, at least we were, all very good friends and would often do things as a threesome.”

  Shelby nodded. “All right, so you’re saying he wasn’t her boyfriend or anything then?”

  Felicity also nodded. “No, no. In no way. She was seeing someone else, you know.”

  “She was? Who?”

  Felicity looked around as if wanting to make sure no one could overhear. “Barry Pellen. He’s a big developer from Buffalo who’s working on buying some property to build a hotel and casino.”

  A new name in the mix. “Wow. That would be a big project. Where would it be?”

  “Oh, I’m not sure. It’s all very hush-hush. Duncan is the realtor, but he hadn’t told either of us anything about it. I know it’s a big-bucks deal. Loreena liked to let on that she had some inside information. That was Loreena. She said she got all her information from Barry, you know. I’m sure I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, so please, don’t spread it around.”

  “Was her relationship with him a secret?”

  “Well, let’s just say there are some townspeople not too pleased with the idea of another resort in the area. If it became common knowledge that Loreena was going out with the developer, it might have gotten her a few enemies.”

  Was a murderer on that list, perhaps? “Do you think Duncan might have been upset about her going out with Barry?”

  Felicity’s eyes opened wide. A glint of anger flashed across them but disappeared so quickly, Shelby wondered if she’d really seen it. She did have the distinct feeling it had been the wrong question to ask, though.

  “Of course he wasn’t upset,” Felicity finally answered. “I already told you, they were just friends.”

  Shelby knew she had to repair whatever damage she had just done, but she wasn’t sure how to do it. She watched as Felicity grabbed her purse and stood up.

  “Thanks for the coffee and Danish. I’d better see to Wainright. He doesn’t like being left alone very long.”

  Shelby kicked herself for driving away a promising lead. What had gone wrong? Duncan Caine was obviously a touchy subject with Felicity. Just what was his game?

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Shelby’s conversation with Felicity hadn’t done much to explain Loreena’s relationship with Duncan Caine. In fact, Shelby thought it sounded like Felicity might have been a bit jealous even though she claimed they were all just friends. That would fit in with what Amanda had said. Did that bring Felicity into the suspect pool? Could she have been jealous enough to kill her childhood best friend Loreena? Well, that certainly sounded far-fetched. Felicity seemed to be a sweet but slightly muddled older woman. Which, when Shelby gave it some thought, didn’t jive with the business woman who owned the successful art gallery next door. Why would she want to come across as the former? Was it some sort of game or part of a larger plan?

  Of course, Barry Pellen deserved his own visit, Shelby decided. Even though he wasn’t an Alex Bay resident, he did have an interest in the community, and he seemed to be a possible love interest of Loreena’s. But he did seem like an unlikely suspect also, mainly because he wasn’t living in the community. Of course, it could have been a long-distance relationship. Those were common. She needed to know how often he came to the area, for starters. Was there a love triangle of another sort and Duncan was the one feeling himself pushed out? Was that a possible motive?

  Or maybe it had something to do with the proposed development. If it was such a big secret, that might mean they were worried about the reaction from people in town. Or maybe even the reaction of the town council. There were all sorts of possibilities, but Shelby was the first to acknowledge that she knew little to nothing about real estate schemes and dreams. There must be someone she could ask, aside from Duncan Caine, that is.

  She obviously wouldn’t get much more information out of Felicity. Maybe Edie knew something more about Loreena’s romantic possibilities, but Shelby figured her aunt would have already mentioned it if that were the case. Who could she talk to? When in doubt, go for the chocolate. She needed a truffle to be able to cope, and maybe Erica could give her some suggestions.

  Shelby reached Chocomania right before closing, though despite the lateness of the hour, the chocolate lovers were still out in force. Shelby waved at Erica a
nd sidled close to the large display case, noting with a sigh that there was an empty plate where the spicy dark chocolate truffles should have been. She concentrated on what other flavor called out to her and still stood in place when the final two giggling teenagers left.

  Erica let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, then quickly said, “Don’t worry, I put aside some of your favorite hotties just in case you stopped in.”

  Shelby clapped her hands. “Yay for you. I so need a lift.”

  Erica disappeared into the back room and returned almost immediately with a small box. “There are four in there. Didn’t want you to overdose.”

  Shelby pulled out her wallet, and when Erica waved it off, Shelby insisted. “I can’t always be the freeloader around here. But instead, you can throw in some information, if you have it.”

  Erica looked interested. She tucked a curl back in place that had escaped the scarf she’d twisted into a headband and then leaned her arms across the top of the glass display case. “About what?”

  “I just learned about the possibility that a new hotel and casino might be built in the area. What do you know about it?”

  “Only what I’ve heard at any of the council meetings I’ve attended or read online. You should plan on going to the next monthly meeting, you know. Our little community might grow on you.” She said it smiling, although Shelby had a feeling there was a message included there.

  “It is growing on me, believe me. So, what about the hotel?”

  “There’s a developer who’s been leading the negotiations, and from what I hear, it’s moving ahead smoothly. Of course, there’s a lot of pushback from the owners of the present hotels in the area, and there are several residents who are also against bringing more tourists—read, more traffic—into the area.”

  “But it’s still going ahead?”

  “Well, according to Duncan Caine, it is. He’s handling the deal on behalf of the current property owner, which means he’s dealing with the town and its concerns and the developer.”

  “Barry Pellen?”

  “I think that’s his name. He lives in Buffalo or someplace not all that far away, but Duncan rented him a house in the village.”

  “That’s interesting. So he must be in town a lot then?”

  Erica shrugged. “I’m really not sure. Like I said, I only know what I read. Why?”

  “Felicity Foxworth just told me that Loreena Swan was involved with him.”

  “As in an affair?” Erica’s eyes widened.

  “So it seems.”

  “Loreena? I can’t picture her like that, but that may be because I’ve known her, sort of, all my life. Just like I can’t imagine my mom in a relationship.”

  “What about my Aunt Edie?”

  Erica smiled. “Uh, you mean as in Edie and Matthew.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean. It would have been nice to hear about their relationship sooner, from a friend perhaps.”

  “It wasn’t any of my business. She must have had a reason to keep it a secret from you. Or, you know, she just might not have thought of mentioning it. I doubt a lot of village people know either.”

  “Huh. She seems to have a lot of secrets.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Shelby debated about sharing her woes with Erica and then decided she needed a sounding board. “I keep trying to get information from her about my mother, and she always changes the subject or pretends not to hear. It’s driving me crazy.” She watched Erica’s face closely to see if there was any change in her expression.

  “That sounds weird. Maybe you’re misinterpreting it. Or else, once again, she must have her reasons.”

  “If she does, I want to know what they are. It is my mother, after all. Do you think your mom would know anything about it?”

  Erica shrugged. “We’ve never discussed your family, now that you mention it. But Mom seems to know everyone in town, so it’s possible they met.”

  The bell over the front door in the shop jingled, and Erica led the way out front, giving Shelby an apologetic smile. The customer, a woman Shelby recognized but didn’t know, made her purchase and left.

  “I have another question, Erica, if you don’t mind.”

  “Shoot.”

  “What about your brother and his girlfriend? What’s going on there?” She knew she’d need to explain it all when she saw the look on Erica’s face. “I had dinner at his restaurant the other night, which he comped for me. It was really very nice of him, but I thought you’d said he was back with his girlfriend.”

  Erica helped herself to a truffle before taking a seat on the nearby stool. “Huh. That’s our Drew. I don’t know if he’ll ever settle down, although he does like being in relationships. Serena, his ex-now-new girlfriend, is a high-maintenance model from a wealthy family who lives in Buffalo. It’s a long-distance affair at best, although she used to come to the Bay frequently for long weekends. She’s gorgeous, and she knows it, but in spite of that, I kind of like her. She keeps Drew on his toes so that he doesn’t take things for granted. When she dumped him, he was in a real slump. I hadn’t seen him that bad off in a long time. She came back to him, by the way.”

  She held out another tray to Shelby, who all of a sudden felt like she needed another treat. This wasn’t quite what she’d hoped to hear.

  Erica resumed her story. “But I think he’s a much wiser man these days and he won’t be committing his heart too soon. So, if you’d like an enjoyable evening with a really nice guy—and remember, I’m a little bit prejudiced—I think you should go out with him. Just don’t get too emotionally involved until you see how things are going. Okay? I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Erica ended with a lopsided smile, and Shelby couldn’t help but laugh.

  She shook her head. “I promise, I won’t get hurt. I’m kind of leery about relationships myself.”

  “And why is that?”

  “That is a story for another time and place. Wine must be involved.” Shelby sat on the stool behind the cash register. “But thanks for being so forthright. He certainly is handsome and a terrific cook too. So, I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

  “He is a great cook. Remember the adage about food being the way to someone’s heart.”

  The bell jangled as the front door opened again. Shelby was surprised to see Zack Griffin saunter in, his eyes fixed on the display of truffles to the right of the door. When he looked at the counter, he seemed surprised.

  “Are you moonlighting, Shelby?”

  “What? Oh, no.” She looked down at the stool she was sitting on. “Just being lazy. Although I can recommend some great truffles.”

  Erica laughed. “Zack is my second-best customer after you, Shelby.”

  “Oh.” Shelby wasn’t sure what to say next. It was nice to know they had something in common, but the last time she’d seen him, she’d been decidedly rude. “Well, I should be getting home anyway. Thanks, Erica.” She held up the box.

  “I just stopped by for a small mixed box of the dark chili truffles and the butter cream, Erica,” Zack said. “Were either of those what you would have recommended?”

  His question was addressed to Shelby, who wondered for a moment if he was being sarcastic. Deciding he wasn’t, she answered, “The dark chili is my first choice, followed very closely by the butter cream.”

  He grinned. “Awesome. Can I give you a lift home?”

  Shelby almost answered that it wasn’t far, then noticed the look on his face. He was obviously joking, knowing what a short walk it was to the houseboat. “I’ll take a rain check, thanks. For when it’s raining again.”

  He laughed. It sounded genuine and pleasant. Shelby wasn’t sure why she was surprised. She grabbed her bags.

  “In that case, I’ll walk you home, if you don’t mind. I have a couple of questions.”

  Figures. “Sure.” She kept her voice neutral and gave Erica a small wave.

  Erica walked them both to the door and gave Shelby a hug followed by a
wink. “See you later.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Zack held the door open for Shelby and then walked beside her, waiting until a U-Haul cube truck passed by before crossing the street.

  “Busy day at the store?” he asked, falling in step beside her.

  “Not really. But I have made an observation about being in retail, the ordering-books part anyway. I’ve decided it doesn’t matter how much I assume about tourists and weather patterns, it’s all a matter of chance.”

  “Sounds about right.”

  They walked to the end of the block without Zack saying anything else. She glanced at him, and he seemed to be enjoying just looking at the store windows. She had to admit to herself that he did kind of take her breath away.

  And then, when she couldn’t stand his silence any longer, nor the direction her thoughts were headed, she asked, “What did you want to ask me?”

  “It can wait.”

  “So, have you decided to share the lowdown on the smuggling ring?” Shelby asked, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

  “You don’t quit, do you?” He sounded more amused than annoyed.

  “Not when I have my Aunt Edie as my conscience. And since the police chief isn’t letting us in on anything, you just might be my only source. Unless you can put in a good word with the chief for me.”

  Zack snorted. “That’s not going to happen. Let’s just say the chief and I don’t always see eye to eye. Haven’t since one summer when me and my folks were staying here. She caught a bunch of us repainting the goal lines on the football field at the school.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask. What color?”

  “Pink.”

  She started laughing. “You didn’t!” This gave her a totally new opinion of Zack Griffin.

  “We did, and I’d do it again.”

  Shelby mulled that over, smiling at the image. “That’s sort of cool.”