Tj Jensen Cozy Mystery Boxed Set 2: Books 6-10

by Kathi Daley

  “The giant hole is a given from the moment you give birth, or in your case, are presented with custody. As a parent, I think it is up to us to find a way to fill that void without making our kids feel guilty for leaving it in the first place.”

  That, I realized, was going to be easier said than done.

  “Look who just walked in,” Jenna nudged me.

  I turned around to see Margie Holden walk in with Brandy Baldwin. I waved at the pair, although I had to admit to feeling sort of weird about things now that Sinful Secrets had aired their dirty laundry. The women paused near the doorway leading out to the hallway of the auditorium, spoke to each other for a moment, and then headed in our direction. I imagined they’d talked things over between them and then decided to put on a brave face and approach Jenna and me.

  “Margie; Brandy,” I greeted.

  The women sat down directly behind us. “Tj; Jenna.” Brandy said.

  “The kids sure look cute,” Jenna said, in what sounded to be a casual tone of voice.

  “My middle daughter decided not to participate this year, but both my oldest daughter and my youngest are pilgrim girls,” Margie informed us.

  I wanted to say something about how sorry I was about what had happened to Margie and her middle daughter, but I couldn’t think of a single thing to say that wouldn’t make things even more awkward than they already were.

  “I heard that you were involved in the explosion at the town hall,” Brandy said to me.

  I nodded. “That’s right. I was sitting in the back of the room, so I managed to come out of it with only minor injuries.”

  “Did you know that it was Harriet behind Sinful Secrets?” Brandy asked. She seemed to be directing her question to both Jenna and me.

  “No, of course, not,” I answered.

  “Harriet had everyone fooled,” Jenna seconded.

  “She totally destroyed my daughter’s life,” Margie said. “In fact, Carl and I are planning to move as soon as the holidays are over.”

  I offered Margie a sincere look of sympathy. “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for your entire family. Harriet was my friend, and I’m sad she is dead, but there really is no excuse for what she did to both of you and the people you care about.”

  “Did either of you have any idea at all who was behind the hurtful blog?” Jenna asked the women.

  Both women agreed that they’d had no idea, although Margie did admit that she had briefly thought it might be Helen since she had shared her deepest secret with her and the next week, everyone in town was being let in on the thing she was the most afraid of and the most ashamed of.

  “I’m sorry that you were hurt in the blast, and I’m sorry that Lloyd died as a result of the blast, but I am not sad that Harriet is dead,” Margie said. “She got what she deserved.”

  I really couldn’t disagree, given the hurt Harriet had caused for Margie and her family.

  “When Roy came by to talk to me about the explosion and told me that Harriet not only appeared to have been the target but that she was also the one behind the blog, I simply couldn’t believe it,” Brandy said. “I simply couldn’t believe that anyone could be so mean. Outing me and the affair I’ve been having was bad enough, but telling everyone in town about Margie’s indiscretion and that Carl was not the father of the daughter he had raised since birth was beyond reproach.”

  Jenna and I just looked at each other. There really was nothing to say at this point.

  “Do you know if Roy ever figured out who killed Harriet?” Margie asked.

  “No, not yet,” I answered.

  “If it was someone the witch outed, then I hope he or she gets away with it,” Brandy said.

  “Harriet wasn’t the only one to die,” Jenna pointed out. “Lloyd is dead, Hank is paralyzed from the waist down, and Bookman is only just beginning to heal. I don’t disagree that Harriet may have deserved what she got, but the others who were injured were innocent bystanders. Personally, I hope that Roy does figure out who did this horrible thing for those who died or were injured but really hadn’t done anything wrong.”

  Margie leaned forward slightly. “Brandy and I are outraged by what Harriet did to our families, and we have every right to be, but I do understand innocent people were killed and injured. Roy asked me if I knew of anyone other than myself, of course, who might want to harm Harriet. At the time, I mentioned the other victims of the blog, including the two of you, but he seemed to have all those names. I’ve been giving it some thought, however, and it occurs to me that perhaps he should speak to Deputy DuPont.”

  I raised a brow. “Deputy DuPont?”

  “I had an appointment at the bank the day before the explosion. As I mentioned before, after the facts relating to my affair were made public, Carl and I decided to move out of the area in order to try for a fresh start, and I wanted to talk to the bank about a loan to help us with moving expenses. As I was walking past the town offices, I saw Deputy DuPont standing just inside the town building. Harriet was standing directly across from him, and it appeared the two were arguing.”

  “Arguing about what?” I asked. Deputy DuPont worked out of the main county office in Indulgence, and he rarely visited the Serenity office. I’d never known him to visit our small town on the North Shore of Paradise Lake recreationally, so I had to wonder why he was speaking with Harriet.

  “I’m not sure,” Margie answered. “I could see them yelling at each other, and there was a lot of flailing of arms and sharp gestures, but I saw them through the window, so I wasn’t able to hear what was being said.”

  If Deputy DuPont had been in town the day before the explosion, Roy would have known about it. Wouldn’t he? He’d certainly never mentioned it. I supposed I would call him and ask him about it.

  A phone call to Roy revealed that Roy had no idea that DuPont had been in Serenity the day before the explosion, or that the man had met and apparently argued with Harriet. He assured me that he would look into the matter, so I decided to leave the task of dealing with the extremely arrogant and unlikable deputy up to him.

  Chapter 18

  I decided to talk to Grandpa as soon as I got home. Once I did, everyone in the family would know about Kyle and me, and the pressure to pretend nothing was going on would be off. I figured that once everyone was made aware of the situation, the next step would be to allow everyone to get used to the idea of the girls and me moving out at some point in the distant future. I just hoped that could be accomplished without hurt feelings or unnecessary drama.

  When I arrived at the resort, Rosalie told me that Grandpa was in the den watching an old western. That was as good a place as any to have our talk, so I headed in that direction.

  “Hey, Grandpa. I see you and the Duke have found a way to pass the time on this snowy afternoon.” I sat down next to him on the sofa.

  “I’ve seen this movie dozens of times, but it’s a good one.”

  “Since you’ve seen the movie before, I wondered if it was okay if I talked to you about something.”

  Grandpa picked up the remote and clicked off the television. “Of course, pumpkin. What’s on your mind?”

  “I have news to share. Good news, yet still news that has me a bit worried as well.”

  Grandpa narrowed his gaze. “Okay. Why don’t you just tell me what is on your mind, and I’ll see if I can help.”

  I decided to take the direct approach and jumped right in. “Kyle asked me to marry him. Actually, that’s not true. I accepted a proposal that Kyle never actually got around to presenting, but he agreed that was what we wanted, so what I guess I am trying to say, is that Kyle and I are engaged.”

  Grandpa leaned over and hugged me. “That’s wonderful. You know how fond I am of Kyle.”

  I nodded. “I do. Which is why I hope you will consider this next part.”

  “Next part?
”

  “While I am thrilled with the idea of Kyle and me marrying, I am scared of what that will mean for the girls. While Kyle and I don’t plan to marry until next summer, or possibly even after that, I am aware that marrying Kyle will mean moving in with him, and I’m afraid that will upset the equilibrium the girls have finally settled into. I’ve really been stressing about how a move will affect them, which is why I am about to ask you a huge favor.”

  Grandpa raised a brow. “Favor?”

  “Kyle and I talked about it, and we wondered if you would be willing to move to Kyle’s place with the girls and me when the time comes? I know you are settled here, but we both feel that you are such an important part of their lives, and having you around to make them breakfast and help look after them really could make all the difference in their ability to adjust. Especially Gracie. You don’t have to decide now. Kyle and I aren’t getting married right away. Next summer would be the soonest and, like I said, it might not even be then. I love Kyle, but I am not willing to do anything that would destroy the fact that Ashley and Gracie both finally seem settled.”

  Grandpa didn’t answer right away.

  “Like I said,” I added. “I know what I am asking is a big ask, and you don’t have to decide now, but I do hope you will at least think about it.”

  Grandpa nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll think about it. If you aren’t getting married until the summer, then I guess we have time to see how things develop. You know I love you and the girls more than anything, and if you all truly need me, then, of course, I want to be there for you. Having said that, a lot can happen in eight or nine months, which is why I think that waiting to see where we are when the time for the move comes around is the best option at this point.”

  I hugged Grandpa. “I totally understand. And thank you. You know how much you mean to me and Ashley and Gracie. You bring stability to our lives.”

  “Have you talked to your dad about this?” Grandpa asked.

  I nodded. “I couldn’t sleep and got up early this morning. As usual, he was up, so we talked. I told Ashley and Gracie yesterday. I will admit that Gracie didn’t take the news well, but Kyle and I talked, and we both agreed that things are fine as they are now for as long as they need to be. We plan to take things slow so that everyone has a chance to get used to the idea of our marrying before we actually set a date.”

  Grandpa nodded. “I think that is wise, and I admire you and Kyle for putting the needs of your sisters in front of your own needs.”

  “Honestly,” I said, “while I love Kyle and want to marry him, I think I need the time to adjust to the idea too. I don’t always do well with change.”

  Grandpa chuckled. “No, darlin’ you really do not.”

  After I’d spoken to Grandpa, I told Rosalie what was going on, and I had to admit she actually teared up. Of course, she hugged me and told me that she was happy for me, but I could see that the news that the girls and I would be moving out as soon as next summer had affected her deeply. I guess I really had misjudged her. If nothing else, her response made me feel closer to her. I supposed that part of me felt threatened by her presence before, but now that I knew she really did want to have the girls and me around and wasn’t just saying that for my dad’s benefit, I realized that leaving her might, in the end, be just as hard as leaving everyone and everything else.

  After dinner, the girls headed upstairs to work on their homework, and I headed to my bedroom to grade papers and work on my lesson plan. It had started to snow. Not a lot, but the air was filled with flurries. My cat, Cuervo, was curled up on the bed, and Echo was snoring softly from his bed next to mine. I loved evenings like this when I knew that the people I cared most about were here tucked inside the house that my grandpa built all those years ago.

  “Can I come in?” Gracie asked from the doorway.

  I smiled. “Absolutely.” I pulled the comforter that was laid across the bed up so Gracie could snuggle under it. “Why don’t you have slippers on?”

  Gracie shrugged.

  “Is there something on your mind?” I asked as Gracie settled into the pillows I’d stacked up against the headboard.

  “The wind is making the tree hit the house near my window. I couldn’t get to sleep, so I decided to come into your room. Are you working on school stuff?”

  I nodded. “Lesson plans. They aren’t my favorite thing to have to do, but Principal Remington likes them to be turned in each month. I watched part of your rehearsal today. You did a very good job.”

  “Thanks.” Gracie snuggled up closer to me. “Did you tell Grandpa about Kyle?” Gracie asked, which I realized was the real reason she had joined me.

  “I did.”

  “Was he sad?”

  I paused. “No. I don’t think so. Kyle and I aren’t getting married until summer at the earliest, so nothing is going to change for a very long time. Grandpa and I both agreed to work together to make everything as easy for everyone as is possible. He has some things to think over, and Kyle and I have some things to think over, but I promise you, that the last thing we want to do is to remove any of the people you love and who love you from your life.”

  “Maybe Kyle can just move here.”

  I paused. “That is a suggestion. And one I will definitely talk to Kyle about. We are working on some other options as well.” I turned so that I was looking directly at Gracie. “Do you know that I love you?”

  Gracie nodded. “Yes, I know.”

  “And do you know that Kyle loves you?”

  She nodded again.

  “And do you trust that we would never do anything to hurt you?”

  She hesitated but eventually nodded.

  “Okay, then. I don’t want you to worry about any of this. I want you to trust Kyle and me to figure things out so that everyone is happy.”

  “Jenna says that sometimes you can’t make everyone happy.”

  “Well, I guess that is true. But Kyle and I aren’t going to do anything until we figure everything out. Okay?”

  Gracie reached forward and hugged me. “Okay.”

  Chapter 19

  Tuesday, November 14

  It snowed two feet overnight, so school was closed, and I was gifted an extra day off. The girls were ecstatic, although I wasn’t sure my dad was quite as giddy since he’d let the staff take vacation time until after Thanksgiving when ski season began, which meant he had no one to help him with the snow removal. Once I’d checked in with Grandpa and let him know that there was no school so the girls could sleep in, I grabbed my heavy boots and heavy jacket and headed out into the now sunny day to help out where I could.

  “Wow, I can’t believe it snowed two feet overnight,” I said to Dad, who was gassing up his snow blower. “It was sort of flurrying last night, but it didn’t look like things were going to get all that serious.”

  “Storms blow in that way sometimes,” Dad said. “I called the plow service, and they are going to come out and take care of all the roads and driveways. I’ll use the big blower to clear the main paths from the house to the road and between the cabins, and if you want to, you can use the small blower to take care of the narrower paths.”

  It took the two of us the entire morning to clear the main arteries that allowed us to get around the resort. If the resort had been open, we would have had staff on hand to help out with snow removal, but when the resort was closed, it was up to the family to get the job done. Rosalie had headed over to her veterinary clinic, which was housed on the resort property, but well away from the main house. As soon as we were done, Dad headed over there to make sure she didn’t need help digging out, and I packed up the dogs and headed to Kyle’s house to clear the walkways and decks since I knew that snow shoveling wasn’t on his approved activity list. Ashley and Gracie seemed happy watching television with Grandpa, which I supposed did support the idea that he really was need
ed.

  “I’m not going to need to go to the gym for a week,” I said to Kyle as I worked on his back deck with the snow shovel he’d provided. He’d called a service to clear the drive and walkways, so I wouldn’t need to deal with that.

  “I hate that I have to watch you doing all the work. I think the deck is fine for now. Why don’t you take a break?”

  I was all for that. Not only was I starving, but I was also exhausted. After we’d taken off our wet boots, hats, gloves, and jackets, and stored them in the mudroom, I put on a pot of coffee while Kyle grabbed a couple of pieces of wood and went into the living room to stoke up the fire. I decided to make sandwiches while the coffee was brewing. Settling on grilled cheese, I plugged in the griddle and then buttered slices of bread while I waited for it to heat up. Kyle didn’t have any potato chips, which would have been my side of choice, but he did have canned chicken noodle soup, so I opened a can, divided it between two bowls, and put it in the microwave. Once the soup, sandwiches, and coffee were done, I went into the living room to let Kyle know I had lunch, or I guess by this point, an early dinner, on the table.

  “What’s all of this?” I asked, after noticing that the coffee table, as well as the sofa cushions, were covered with files.

  “I worked on Harriet’s computer yesterday and dug out all the information I could.”

  “Did you find anything?”

  Kyle nodded. “I’m starving. I’ll fill you in while we eat.”

  I was starving as well, and the food was getting cold, so I agreed. I was surprised Kyle hadn’t brought the case up earlier if he’d found something, although I had been pretty busy with the snow removal since the minute I’d climbed out of bed.

  “So what did you find?” I asked the minute we had both sat down at the kitchen table.

  “First of all, now that we are focusing on Harriet as the intended victim, I decided to call Roy so we could coordinate an effort to look into all the normal things one would look into if any other murder had occurred. He’d already pulled her phone and banking records, and there was nothing that jumped out. We don’t have her actual cell phone, work phone, or her work computer since they were destroyed in the explosion, but I did find a copy of her calendar saved to an online account that was linked to her work computer.”