A smile flickered across her face. “She’s friendlier these days. When Soupy got his job at the Norris Cassidy branch, I told Ronnie and she went to see him. He’s managing her money now.”
I took the opportunity to ask about her son. “How is Soupy holding up? His wedding’s just a few weeks from now.”
“The reception will be in this room.” Lainey looked around the dining room and sighed. “He’s been acting strange lately. Pre-wedding jitters, I figure, but it’s not like him to be nervous about anything. He’s always been laid-back. And he and Mara have been going together for years, since they were in high school. It’s about time they got married.”
“He may be worried about money. The wedding will cost them a fair bit, and Soupy told me they’re building a home on the lake where you have your cottage.”
“Mara’s an only child and her parents are paying for the wedding. But the cottage will set them back some. Burt and I gave them the land, but we think they should wait a few years before they build a summer home. They have their bungalow in town to finish paying for.”
She shrugged. “I expect he’ll settle down after the wedding.”
Veronica’s white frame house was picture-pretty that summer day. Well-tended flower beds lined the walkway, and baskets of fat pink geraniums hung from the veranda roof. I smiled as I got out of my car, thinking about what Lainey had told me. I wouldn’t have described Veronica as uppity—rather, a perfectionist with little patience for the weaknesses of others.
“What brings you here, Pat?” she asked when she came to the door. Then the smile left her face. “Is Jenny—are the girls okay?”
“They’re fine,” I said, “and extremely busy. I had dinner with Tracy on Wednesday, but Jenny was working late and couldn’t join us.”
Jamie’s given name is Jennifer, and her mother calls her Jenny. I called her Jenny, too, when I was with Veronica. There was something about Veronica—her perfectly coiffed blond hair, the string of pearls she was wearing on that weekday afternoon and her perfect home—that put me on my best behavior.
She held the door open for me. “We can sit out back,” she said.
I followed her down the hall, and out the sliding doors at the back of the house. She led the way to a wrought-iron love seat that faced a rose garden.
I told her that I was helping Bruce look into his mother’s murder.
“Poor Bruce,” she said. “I heard he was doing really well until this happened.”
Bruce had rented Veronica’s basement apartment the previous winter. She had evicted him when she caught him smoking.
“He was doing well,” I said. “He enjoyed running The Times. But now…”
“You’re afraid he’ll go back to his old ways.”
I met her eyes. “It’s a concern. That’s why I want to get to the bottom of what happened to Vi. Bruce needs closure.”
She nodded, and I knew that she’d help me. She had felt badly about turning Bruce out of her apartment, but she’d told him she didn’t allow smoking in the house. And when Veronica made a rule, no one was permitted to break it.
“I understand you were close to Vi before she and Ted left Braeloch. What she was like then?”
Veronica looked up at the branches of the large maple tree at the back of her yard. “Vi was fun to be with. We had wonderful adventures at the lookout above town.” She chuckled. “We pretended we were Laura Secord and her maid walking through the forest to warn the British that the Americans were about to attack.”
I pictured Vi taking a little girl on outdoor adventures. That was a whole new side to her.
Veronica seemed to be lost in thought, so I said, “You were in Vi’s wedding party.”
She smiled. “Imagine how exciting that was for an eleven-year-old. I wore my first long dress. Pale blue taffeta with rosettes along the bottom.”
“You were probably too old to have a sitter by then, but you kept in touch with Vi after she married.”
“She was a good listener, and I had a lot of insecurities at that age. She was the older sister I never had.”
She paused again. This time I waited for her to go on.
“When she had her baby, I offered to babysit. She never took me up on it.”
I wasn’t sure if Veronica knew who Bruce’s real parents were, and I didn’t bring it up.
Her face twisted. “And then she was gone. Never even said goodbye to me when she left for Toronto.”
“You didn’t hear from her after that?”
“Not a word. When Ted brought her back here, I visited her at Highland Ridge. But she didn’t know who I was. It was too painful.”
“Do you remember any of her friends?”
“Lainey was her best friend. And Vi started dating Ted when he arrived in town to work at The Times. I thought their courtship was terribly romantic.”
“Anyone else you remember?”
“A fellow sometimes joined us with his dog at the lookout.”
“A boy from Braeloch?”
“I never saw him around town, only at the lookout. His name was…let me see…Daniel. And his dog was called Angus.”
I wondered if that was Daniel Laughton. “What do you remember about Daniel?”
“Tall, gawky fellow but nice. He knew all about animal tracks, plants, minerals in the rocks. He took the time to explain them to me.”
“Bruce told me that Daniel Laughton, the environmentalist, was a friend of Vi’s when she was young. Could that have been him?”
“Daniel Laughton, who had that TV show?”
“The Wonders Around Us.”
She looked astounded. “It never occurred to me, but that could have been the boy we saw at the lookout. He knew all about the outdoors.”
“Were he and Vi dating?”
“I don’t think so. Just friends.”
“Is there anyone you can think of who might have wanted to harm Vi?” I asked.
Veronica looked shocked. “No one around here.”
As I was leaving, I thought of something else. “Do you know the Prentice family? Carrie Prentice? I believe she died last year.”
Veronica looked at me as if I were slow-witted. “Carrie Prentice was my mother. And, yes, she died last fall.”
Carrie was Ella’s mother-in-law, so Ella must have been married to Veronica’s brother, Harlan. “I met Ella Prentice a few days ago,” I said, “but I didn’t realize she was your sister-in-law.”
Veronica didn’t comment, but the expression on her face told me that she and Ella weren’t close. She followed me onto the veranda.
“I asked Ella about the storage locker where Vi was found,” I said. “Her son rented it.”
“Poor Frank. I didn’t know he’d rented that locker. The article in The Times didn’t mention it.”
“Ella thinks he stored his grandmother’s furniture in it.”
“I gave him some pieces after my mother died. I always liked Frank, and he was Mum’s only grandson.” Her eyes widened. “But he wouldn’t have killed…”
“Frank died weeks before Vi. Did you see much of him?”
“Not much since my brother died, but he came to my mother’s funeral with his girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?”
“I assumed she was his girlfriend. Christine, I think her name was, or maybe it was Celine. Didn’t catch her last name.”
“Ella was in Braeloch yesterday.”
“No way. Ella hasn’t set foot in town since Harlan died. She didn’t even come to Mum’s funeral.”
“I saw her walking down Main Street.”
“I can’t imagine what brought her here.”
I glanced at my watch as I drove away from Veronica’s house. My guests would arrive in three hours.
Back in my office, I punched in Tracy and Jamie’s home phone number. When I got voice mail, I figured the girls were spending their holiday at work. I reached Jamie at her office at Optimum Capital Corp., the Toronto brokerage house where she worked as
legal counsel.
We exchanged greetings, and I got down to what I wanted to ask her. “You’ve heard about the woman who was found in a storage locker up here?”
“The woman’s body that was found in a storage locker,” she said. “It’s been big news for days.”
“Your cousin, Frank Prentice, rented that locker.”
“Frank?” She sounded surprised. “He was killed in a motorcycle accident in April.”
“The killer knew about his locker. And got into it.”
“Frank may have told a lot of people that he’d rented it.”
“Maybe. I was speaking to your mother this afternoon. She said she gave Frank some furniture.”
“That’s right. Frank was at Gran’s funeral with his gal, Crystal.”
“Crystal?”
“Crystal King, a tall redhead. At least, she was taller than Frank. He seemed to have a thing for tall women.”
“A redhead by the name of Crystal King bought the contents of Frank’s storage locker last week,” I said. “She was the one who found Vi Stohl’s body.”
“Crystal knew about the furniture,” Jamie said.
“The furniture your mother gave Frank.”
“That’s right. Mom took Frank and Crystal to Gran’s apartment after the funeral. She hoped he’d take some of the furniture.”
“Your mother knew Vi when she was a child. Vi was her babysitter.”
“Braeloch is a small town, Pat. Everyone knows everyone else up there. And many of them are related.”
I could hear the smile in her voice.
“I have a meeting in five minutes,” she said. “Talk to you later.”
My mind sifted through the new information on my drive to Black Bear Lake. Now I knew why Crystal had been willing to pay nine hundred dollars for the contents of Frank’s locker. That furniture Veronica gave Frank must have been pretty special.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Corcorans were in full stride when I arrived at Black Bear Lake. Hank was on the deck setting up a barbecue he had brought over to supplement the one that was already there. I opened the door and gave him a wave. He grinned back at me.
Shirley and Laura were making salads in the kitchen. Shirley greeted me cheerfully, but Laura didn’t seem to be enjoying her role as sous-chef. I was about to ask, “Where’s Tommy?” when I remembered that he was with his grandmother for the weekend.
Maxie followed me to my bedroom where I changed into jeans and a sleeveless blouse. I hesitated before the phone on the bedside table. I had another question for Jamie. I punched in the phone number at the girls’ condo, and left a message asking Jamie to call me.
Downstairs, I helped a glum Laura carry plates and cutlery to the buffet table. We were setting up the bar on the counter between the kitchen and the dining area when a car came up the drive.
Shirley looked at her watch. “Your guests are early. It’s not quite six.”
I hurried to the front door. My heart fell when I saw Yvonne and Russell Shingler getting out of their black Ferrari. Yvonne waved when she saw me.
“Excellent news, Pat,” she said as she approached the house. “I found a delightful place that does weddings. The Sandy Cove Inn on the other side of this lake. And guess what? It had a cancellation for the last Saturday in July. Russell and I drove up this afternoon and put down a deposit.”
I stared at her, speechless.
She put an arm around me. “So it’s all set. Four weeks from tomorrow. The inn will take care of everything, even arrange for a justice of the peace. All we have to do is draw up a guest list. Can we put our heads together now on who to invite?”
I was stunned by her nerve, but I didn’t have time to argue with her. “Not now. I have guests arriving in an hour.”
She followed me into the house. “Is Laura here?”
Minutes before, Laura had been helping Shirley, but she’d beat a hasty retreat. “She’s around somewhere,” I said. “Down at the lake most likely.”
Yvonne went over to the doors to the deck. “A barbie, what fun!”
“A welcome party for the new manager of the branch where I’ve been working,” I said. “Several of our clients will be here.” No outsiders, I was trying to say.
“Russell and I can help,” Yvonne chirped. “He’s a marvelous bartender, and I’ll assist him. It will be no trouble for us because we’re staying at the Sandy Cove tonight.”
My first thought was to turn her down flat, but I realized I could use the help. With Hank manning the barbecue and Shirley organizing the food, I had planned to ask Laura to serve drinks but she looked out of sorts.
And I didn’t want to be needlessly rude to Yvonne. Her son would be part of my grandchild’s life. And so would she. “I could use some help,” I said. “Thank you.”
I turned to Shirley. “Russell will run the bar. Will you show him where everything is?”
Russell joined Shirley behind the counter.
“We can talk tomorrow morning, Pat,” Yvonne said. “Russell and I will come over after breakfast.”
“Sorry, tomorrow’s not good either,” I said. “We’re moving first thing in the morning.”
“Oh, there you are, Laura,” Yvonne said to my daughter who had come in with Maxie.
“Hi, Mrs. Shingler.”
Yvonne went over to her and gave her a hug. “Dear Laura, you must call me Yvonne. Russell and I have found a lovely place for your wedding. We’ll tell you about it later when your mother’s guests have gone.”
Laura looked ready to explode so I steered her to the front door. Outside, she gave a strangled cry. “What the hell was that about?” she asked. “What wedding?”
“They’ve booked the Sandy Cove across the lake for the last Saturday in July.”
Laura’s face took on a look of horror.
I put a hand on her arm. “Don’t worry, you’re not getting married. Let me get through this party, then I’ll tackle Yvonne.”
I drew her to me. “Chin up, sweetie. Why don’t you take Maxie for a walk along the lake?”
She gave me a ghost of a smile.
By eight, the party was in full swing. Hank was flipping meat on the barbecues, and Russell was pouring wine and beer. Many of the guests had gathered on the deck. Several had wandered down to the lake.
I went over to the sofa where Laura and Zoe were seated. I noticed that there was no meat on their plates. “There’s steak and chicken and sausages on the barbecue,” I said.
Zoe held up a hand. “Thanks, but I’m a vegan.”
“Laura?” I asked.
She ran a hand over her abdomen. “I find meat hard to digest these days.”
Zoe shot her a curious look.
“I’m three and a half months pregnant,” Laura told her.
Zoe blinked several times.
“The couple behind the bar are my boyfriend’s parents,” Laura said. “They’ve booked a wedding for us next month.”
“Laura,” I said in a warning tone.
Zoe was about to say something, when Nate came over and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled.
“I hear you and Zoe have met,” he said to me.
“Laura, my daughter, met Zoe a few days ago,” I said. “Laura, this is Nate Johnston, Zoe’s husband. Nate’s the new Norris Cassidy branch manager.”
“I was just telling Zoe about my wedding,” Laura said to Nate. “It’s at the Sandy Cove Inn four weeks from tomorrow. You can come if you like.”
Nate’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Laura,” I snapped.
“I’m sure Yvonne has my wedding dress picked out,” she went on. “Something white and frothy and ultrafeminine. But will it fit over my baby bump four weeks from now?”
Yvonne joined us. “I saw an exquisite little number on Queen Street West, my dear. Strapless, with a beaded bodice and a full organza skirt. When will you be back in the city so I can arrange a fitting?”
Laura jumped off the sofa
, toppling her plate on the floor. She fled upstairs with Maxie at her heels.
“Should I go after her?” Yvonne asked me.
“No,” I said, picking the food off the floor.
“So much is happening so quickly.” Yvonne gave a happy sigh. “It’s understandable that she’s a little overwrought.”
I could cheerfully have gone after Laura and smacked her. And I wanted to smack Yvonne even more.
An hour later, I’d doused myself with DEET, and was circulating among my guests on the deck.
“Soon as the weather warms up, I’m outside every chance I get,” a tanned and brawny client of Soupy’s told me. “Tomorrow I’m going camping for a week.”
I smiled at him and flapped a hand at a mosquito that was buzzing around my ear.
“The bugs stay away from us natives,” Soupy said to me. “Hey, here’s Bruce.”
I turned to see Bruce climbing the stairs to the deck two at a time. I’d told him to drop by if he was free, but I hadn’t expected him to show up. One look at his face told me he wasn’t in a mood to party.
“Excuse me,” I said to Soupy and his client, and crossed the deck.
“Foster came by the newsroom this afternoon,” Bruce said in a low voice. “He was out at my cabin, and he found a woman’s cardigan on the porch. He thinks it was Mom’s.”
“Let’s go inside.” I led him to my study at the front of the house.
“How did the police know you’d bought a place on Raven Lake?” I asked when the door was closed behind us.
Bruce dropped onto the sofa. “They could’ve heard it from anyone. I haven’t kept it under wraps.”
I sat on a chair and tried to picture the porch at Bruce’s cabin. “Was the cardigan on the porch when we were there on Tuesday?”
“No. I would have noticed it.”
“Did Foster show it to you?”
He nodded. “He had it in a clear plastic bag. He said he’s sending it to Orillia for testing.”
Raven Lake Page 10
