Alibis & Arranging

by Nancy McGovern

  Teresa suddenly looked uncomfortable. ″It's no problem, I can hand it over to her myself.″

  ″No need. I'm meeting with her today,″ Joy lied effortlessly. ″I know this was really precious to Hilda, so Rosa must be missing it.″

  Teresa hesitated, then gave up. ″Alright. Goodbye then.″ Slamming the door a little harder than necessary, she gunned the engine and roared off down the street, leaving Joy and Aurora staring after her.

  ″Phew. What a piece of work. She didn't even blink when you accused her.″ Joy turned to Aurora.

  ″You believe me, right? There was someone in Hilda's house and then I saw this car—″

  ″I totally believe you.″ Joy patted the statue of the dog on it's head. ″Now what shall we call this critter? I believe I'll hang on to him for a day or two.″

  ″Why? I thought you said he's an ugly thing.″

  ″Maybe so, but there's a reason he was so precious to Hilda.″ Joy gave the statue a little shake. ″Hmm. Is it hollow, perhaps? A good hiding nook?″

  Aurora was suddenly excited. ″You think Hilda might have hidden a will in there?″

  ″I'm not sure. But I do hear something rattling about.″ Joy pressed her ear to the puppy's chest and gave the statue another shake. ″Leave it to me, Aurora. I'll figure it out. Now let's go back and join the party.″

  ″Hang on.″ Aurora put a hand up, barring Joy's path. ″It's time we talked. You don’t think Hilda's death was natural, do you? That's why you pushed me to take the job. You suspect foul play.″

  ″Is it that obvious?″ Joy asked.

  Aurora told her everything that Milly had said earlier. ″Missing wills, a sudden death…it didn't take much to put two and two together.″

  ″There's more, too,″ Joy said. She proceeded to tell Aurora about her conversation with Rita. Aurora listened with an increasingly horrified look. ″Leaves little doubt, does it?″ Joy concluded. ″There's something fishy about it all - and not just the clam pasta.″

  ″The chief has to do something!″ Aurora exclaimed. ″He can't just let it go.″

  ″I'm sure he's trying,″ Joy said. ″But maybe we can help, too. Just…don't make it too obvious, will you? Leave the questioning to me. You just focus on cleaning the house.″

  ″Don't think I can handle it?″ Aurora asked, a little miffed.

  ″You're just a little too naive when it comes to people.″ Joy shrugged. ″I mean, you're really nice, but you take everything at face value. For example, what did you think of Teresa?″

  ″What's to think? She's definitely up to no good. She broke into Hilda's house! She was nervous as we spoke.″

  ″Ah, yes. She was. But the thing is, she didn't much seem to care about Hilda's house. No. What Teresa was most nervous about was the car itself.″

  ″Come again?″

  ″She looked most nervous when she mentioned Jonah's name, and that he'd given her the car,″ Joy said. ″Now I wonder…what's the story behind that?″

  10

  Jonah In A Good Mood

  The farmer's market put up it's stalls every Saturday from 6am to 3pm sharp. Held just outside the town limits, a formerly deserted stretch of road near the lake would suddenly sprout covered tents and stalls in a variety of colors and stripes. People from all over the county came to buy and sell wares. Joy loved visiting it with her mother. It was business and pleasure both, since she'd always write a column about it in the Sunday paper. The only downside was that her mother would wake her up at five-thirty in the morning so that they could arive early, before the crowds.

  ″The best produce sells out in fifteen minutes,″ Maria Russo had often told Joy. ″You either go early or don't go at all.″

  Today, a yawning Aurora accompanied them, too. Dressed in jeans, a pale-pink sweater and with pretty, gold earrings dangling almost to her shoulders, Aurora managed to look like she'd just walked off a photo shoot. Joy admired how put-together her roommate always looked. She, on the other hand, had thrown on a dark tank top, dark jeans and a wrinkled, plaid shirt. Her outfits were generally decided by whatever she got her hands on first in the closet.

  ″Sorry. Guess I'm hungry,″ Aurora said as her stomach gave a particularly loud grumble.

  ″Don't worry. Granny Patty's breakfast tacos will fill you right up.″ Joy grinned. ″This is quite the treat - you're going to love it!″

  ″I like the momos better,″ Maria said from the front seat. ″Steamed dumplings chock full of meat and veggies. Yum. There's a Cambodian family that makes them and they're always delicious.″

  ″You're going to be in a food-coma by the end of it, wait and see,″ Joy said. ″But, of course, the highlight of it all will be none other than Jonah Tanner's strawberry stall.″

  ″I don't know what's in his soil but I've never eaten anything as flavorful.″ Maria smacked her lips. ″You'll see. They taste like a tart nectar. They sell out in minutes.″

  They found parking easily, since the market wasn't in full swing yet. Joy and Aurora went by Granny Patty's stall and found that her griddle hadn't quite heated up yet. Joy hung out, making small talk with Granny, a large woman with ham-like hands, a head of snow white hair and an angelic smile. Granny stood alone behind a counter with a hand-printed sign, moving rapidly as she scrambled eggs and assembled their tacos. Aurora chose a fully loaded taco with farm-made chorizo, mango salsa and avocado, while Joy stayed simple with her scrambled eggs, potato and bacon taco.

  ″Amazing, as always.″ Joy sighed with pleasure as she took a bite. ″Come live with me, Granny. Pamper me with your tacos and I'll let you stay rent-free.″

  ″Not a bad idea.″ Granny laughed. ″The farm's getting to be a bit much for me these days. I don't look it, but I'm getting on in years, you know.″

  ″Bull. You aren't a day over thirty.″ Joy winked.

  ″Ah, but I'm alone since my Tim passed.″ Granny sighed. ″Did I tell you I'm thinking of selling it all and moving to be closer to my boys in Connecticut?″

  ″A lot of people thinking of moving these days.″ Joy felt a little sad. ″You're the ones who make this county what it is. It'll be so different when you're gone.″

  ″Well, maybe the next generation will have Granny Joy's pancakes or something to look forward to.″ Granny smiled. ″I just don't want to die alone. Look at that poor Hilda Braithwhite. All by herself.″

  ″Did you know her well?″ Joy asked.

  ″Never got too close with her. But nobody did, really. Hilda married four times but the real romance of her life was with her money.″ Granny laughed. ″She would have married five times, too, if Jonah Tanner's grandfather, Alex, hadn't stood her up at the altar.″

  ″He did what?!″ Joy leaned forward.

  ″Oh, I suppose nobody remembers now. It was so long ago. Sixty years, perhaps. But I was there when it happened. I was a little kid but I never forgot it. This was right after the war. Alex and Henry were both new in town, and every girl over sixteen had her eye on them. Henry was crazy about Hilda, but Hilda was in love with Alex.″

  ″Huh,″ Joy said. ″Funny, considering she eventually ended up with Henry.″

  ″She eventually married him, yes. But years and years later, when Henry was considerably more successful.″ Granny rubbed her fingers together in the universal sign for money. ″Well, anyway, like I was saying, Alex stood Hilda up at the altar. It was the talk of the town. Hilda stood and waited and waited and waited. But Alex Tanner had been out drinking with his boys and he was passed out in a bale of hay somewhere. Or perhaps he got cold feet. He never did come that day. And, to add insult to injury, he married Jenny Carson a month later and they had a boy exactly eight months from the date.″

  ″Oh! Poor Hilda!″

  ″She swore off love then, I think, and decided to run after shiny things that wouldn't leave her side.″ Granny paused. ″It's an interesting life she lived, that's for sure.″

  ″No wonder she hated the Tanners, though,″ Aurora said quietly. ″No won
der she had her reservations about Rosa marrying Jonah.″

  ″That entire family's a little wild, to be sure. But they're good men,″ Granny said. ″You know Jonah's uncle went to travel in Spain in the seventies and decided he'd start a running of the bulls tradition right here in Bent River. He changed his tune fast when he caught a horn in the—″

  ″Joy, sweetheart, come on! The strawberries!″ Maria appeared at their elbow and dragged Aurora and Joy away, waving a hasty goodbye to Granny Patty.

  The market was still mostly empty and yet there was a throng around Jonah's stall. He was standing behind the counter, handing little wicker baskets full of fresh strawberries to one customer after another, his face red and sweaty. A printed sign hanging above him said, ONE basket per customer.

  What with the crowd, there was absolutely no time to talk when they reached the front of the line. Still, Joy got in a barb.

  ″Met Teresa the other day,″ Joy said. ″I've got a little statue of a puppy that I believe belongs to Rosa?″

  ″Oh?″ Jonah looked distracted as he handed Joy her change. ″Good. Good.″

  ″Never knew you owned a bottle-green Ford,″ Joy said. ″I'm so used to you in that Chevy of yours.″

  Jonah stopped, freezing in the act of handing Joy her strawberries. ″Er…yes. It's an old car. Sits in the garage mostly. Teresa's using it.″ His eyes narrowed and he took a breath. ″Why?″ he asked casually.

  ″Oh, no reason,″ Joy said. ″Thought I saw the car at Hilda’s, too.″

  ″Next customer please,″ Jonah said brusquely, and Joy was pushed away. Aurora stepped up next and handed him exact change, finishing her transaction in five seconds flat. She'd listened in on the previous conversation. Aurora didn't know what she'd expected, but nothing less than a fully signed confession would have appeased her anyway. As it stood, it was a little anti-climactic.

  Aurora spent the rest of the morning admiring the handicrafts, the artwork and the old knick-knacks on sale at the market. A few hours of walking had her hungry again. This time, Maria and Joy took her to sit on a bench by the shore of the lake. Maria spread out all the goods she'd bought: a thick baguette, farm fresh butter, aged cheese, and some ripe tomatoes. She took out a swiss army knife and expertly created sandwiches for all three of them. Simple as the sandwiches were, they were absolutely delicious. There was no better place to eat them than sitting by the shore, watching kids scream as they toed the cold water. Finished with the sandwiches, they then sampled the strawberries, and Aurora had to agree with Maria's assessment. There was a depth of flavor to these fruits that she'd never find in a supermarket. They tasted like something a Roman Emperor might feast on.

  ″Didn't I tell you?″ Joy grinned, watching Aurora.

  The market was crowded now, and Aurora smiled in pleasure as she people-watched. Families with young kids, old couples holding hands, nervous young teenagers - there were all sorts at the market. While some of the food stalls had already sold out and were shutting down, most of the handicraft stalls were now doing their best business. There was a smell of fish, salt and freshly-cut grass in the air. A breeze wandered by, ruffling their clothes in a hurried hello.

  ″Look there.″ Joy nudged Aurora suddenly. Aurora felt her body tense. Jonah's stall had shut down. The tent flaps were closed. However, Teresa was walking right to it. She looked over her shoulder once, then ducked inside it surreptitiously.

  Aurora and Joy looked at each other for a second and then, as one, rose from the bench. Maria stared after them as they darted towards the tent.

  ″Keep a lookout,″ Joy told Aurora. ″I'll eavesdrop.″

  But, as she neared the tent, Jonah burst out of it, a look of irritation on his face. ″I told you before, just leave it alone.″ His head was still turned away to the person behind him. Almost immediately, he bumped into Joy and gave her a suspicious glare.

  ″What do you want?″ he asked.

  ″I…just wanted to say your strawberries were magnificent, as usual,″ Joy managed. She looked over his shoulder into the tent. Teresa had her back turned to Joy but, from the slant of her shoulders, it was easy to tell she was unhappy.

  ″Thanks,″ Jonah said, his face a mask of tension.

  ″How's Rosa?″ Joy asked. ″She usually sells her art at the farmer's market. I didn't see her here today.″

  ″She's busy today,″ Jonah said. ″Now if you don't mind, I need to hurry home to her. Bye.″

  With that, he had pushed away from Joy and begun loading his truck. Shrugging her shoulders, Joy walked up to Aurora and linked elbows with her.

  ″I got nothing,″ she said as they walked away.

  ″Not nothing,″ Aurora said. ″We know there's something. We just don't know what it is yet. That's a clue, too.″

  ″You've got clues on the brain.″ Joy laughed. ″It could just be a harmless conversation, you know.″

  ″Yet, somehow I doubt it,″ Aurora said.

  11

  An Unexpected Visitor

  The sunshine and good cheer of the last few days suddenly vanished as clouds populated the sky. It began raining early that evening and, by night time, it was still pouring. Aurora sat on her balcony in the dark, sighing and sipping a cup of tea while watching the rain come down. Joy's family home, Ricci House, had once belonged to her grandfather, and was now co-owned by both Joy and Aurora. Aurora, who had grown up in tiny apartments, always moving around, loved how rooted she felt in the house. From the wooden furniture that had been handed down over the generations, to the thirty-year-old ferns, to the paintings from Joy's childhood that were still stuck up on the fridge. Every little detail made her feel like she was part of something bigger than herself. In her old life in New York, Aurora had never dreamed of living in, much less owning, a place like this.

  She watched the fat raindrops make their way down the sky and sat in a big easy chair with her knees pulled up to her chest. The night air smelled fresh as it only could in the countryside. No fumes from cars, no New York crowds. Joy was staying over at her parents' house for the night. Aurora was blissfully alone.

  Her mind ran over everything she and Joy had discussed. Hilda's ″overdose″, her threatening to change the will, her dislike of Jonah. Then there was Teresa and the mysterious puppy statue. Getting up, Aurora walked to her room, where they'd stashed the statue. It sat next to her bed, looking at the world through sleepy eyes.

  Downstairs, she heard the bell ring. Funny. She wasn't expecting anyone. She trundled down the stairs, wrapping a velvet bathrobe tightly around her. Through the window pane, she could see the watery outline of a man.

  ″Max?″ Aurora swung the door open. Max Goggins was Aurora's boss, a lawyer practicing in town. He'd also been the one to read Hilda's will.

  ″Hey.″ Max smiled warmly at Aurora. She felt the gladness that she always did when she saw him and responded with an equally cheerful smile. His floppy hair was plastered to his head and his glasses were slightly askew. She had to resist the temptation to straighten them.

  ″Don't you have an umbrella?″ Aurora asked as she led him to the kitchen. ″Sit tight, I'll make you some chamomile tea.″

  ″Oh, I'd prefer coffee if you have it,″ Max said.

  ″Aren't you supposed to cut down on caffeine?″ Aurora raised an eyebrow.

  ″Well, I am.″ Max sighed. ″But not tonight. I think I'll be staying up all night today.″

  Aurora stared at him. ″Staying up all night?″

  Max stared right back at her, his cheeks flushing. ″I mean, I have work to do. Office work. Matter of fact, that's why I'm here right now. It's about Hilda's will.″

  ″What about it?″ Aurora set down a mug of coffee in front of him and slid into a chair next to him.

  ″Well, there…uh…seems to be an irregularity,″ Max said.

  ″What kind of irregularity?″

  ″Russell's hired a lawyer in town, and he claims that the entire will is a forgery,″ Max explained. ″See, it was made two
years ago, so my Uncle Chip was the one who oversaw it. He's passed on, as you know. So has one of the witnesses…a Jane Talbot.″

  ″Milly's aunt,″ Aurora murmured.

  ″The second witness was Hilda's gardener, whose current whereabouts are unknown,″ Max said. ″That's what I'm here about. Do you remember where you put my uncle's blue file? The one with neon tabs sticking out of it? I couldn’t—″

  ″Third drawer on the left in your desk,″ Aurora said promptly.

  ″Thanks.″ Max sighed.

  ″Did you really come all the way down here to ask me that?″ Aurora wondered. ″You could just have called.″

  ″Uh, well, I suppose. But then I was headed to the office anyway, and it's a nice night for a drive.″

  ″Max, it's pouring.″ Aurora shook her head.

  ″Exactly.″ Max grinned. ″No traffic. Plus, there's something about driving in the rain. I like to put on melancholy music and pretend I'm in a movie, running away from my life.″

  Aurora laughed. ″I didn't know you were prone to flights of fancy, Mr. Max ‘Sensible-Practical’ Goggins.″

  ″There's lots you don't know about me, then,″ Max said. ″I used to get in trouble in school for being a constant day dreamer. Bugged my parents to no end, too. I scraped through law school somehow, and here I am.″

  ″Rubbish, I've seen your degree - you graduated with honors.″ Aurora smiled.

  ″Well, either way. Practicing law doesn't give you much time to day dream,″ Max said. He gave a loud sigh as he sipped his coffee and slumped onto the table. ″What a mess it'll be if this goes to court. Rosa's inheritance could get tied up for years. I know she really needs the money.″

  ″But there's no way it's fraudulent, is it?″ Aurora asked. ″It couldn't be. Your uncle signed it, too.″

  ″Yes, well, even proving a case is nonsense can take a lot of time in a court of law,″ Max said. ″Meanwhile, Hilda's assets will just sit in the bank.″