by Danger Cove
I gestured to the refrigerator. "If you can tear yourself away from inventory, yes."
"Okay then." She closed the door and smoothed her apron.
"Grab a soda or tea and pick a booth in the back. You'll have some privacy there."
Tara nodded. "Thanks, Lilly."
Once she exited the kitchen, I moved a little closer to Clara. Not too close. She was upset and possessed a very sharp knife with the skills to use it. "If your vegetables can spare you for a few minutes, why don't you come help me at the bar?"
The chopping stopped, and she put the knife down. "What help could you possibly need at the bar from me?"
I reached out to put my hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "I'm sure some oranges or lemons could be sliced."
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, Lilly. I'm not sure I want to watch as my sister seals a deal that will take her away from me." She plopped down on a stool we kept near the chopping station. "I guess I knew there might come a time when we wouldn't be together every day. I just didn't think it would happen so soon."
I slid my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a half hug. "Change isn't easy, especially if it means we might be separated from those we love."
She leaned against me. "My head knows you're right. My heart disagrees. We've been together since the beginning. Actually, since before the beginning."
"She's torn too. I can see part of her wants to stay here with you. She's conflicted. We never know where life will take us. I never would have guessed I would end up here with all of you. As much as I miss my home and friends in New York, I wouldn't want to change a thing now."
"What if I'm not as good as she is or if I'm not as good without her?" The emotion in her voice tugged at all the insecurities I secretly harbored every time there was a major change in my life.
I pulled away and turned her so that she was looking directly at me. "I want you to know I have absolute faith in your abilities, but I understand where you're coming from. I feel the same way every time Hope calls to say she's staying away longer. Bottom line though, you'll never know until you try."
Clara sniffed and nodded her head. "Okay. Thanks for the pep talk. Maybe I'll go slice some lemons and oranges for you."
"Sounds good. I'm going to grab a quick cup of tea and will be right out."
Once Clara left the kitchen, Ashley looked up from her dishes. "Is that the same pep talk you gave my brother to encourage him to leave me and Mom?"
Ugh. I'd almost forgotten about Ashley being in the room. She wasn't typically this quiet. "No, it's the pep talk I give myself every time my heart rips in two at the thought of him leaving. I told him that he needed to pursue whatever makes him happy. I can't…won't stand in his way."
"You are such an idiot."
Always what a boss wanted to hear from one of her employees. "Is there a specific reason you're risking insubordination, or am I an idiot in general?" She and I'd had our differences in the past due to my relationship with her brother, but we'd been getting along reasonably well since I offered her the job at the tavern.
She dried her hands and tossed the towel on the counter. "You make him happy. As much as I hate to admit it, he's happier when he's with you. Ugh! You have no idea how much I hate letting those words out of my mouth. The only reason he's even considering moving halfway across the United States is because you're too scared to move forward even the tiniest of steps. He's not asking you to marry him, just take the next logical step in your relationship. You won't even officially call him your boyfriend. Seriously, can you blame him for thinking you're not as invested in this as he is? Why don't you take your own advice and realize that you'll never know if this thing you two have is going to work unless you at least try."
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words would form. She was right—a fact I hated and would bite my own tongue to prevent from saying out loud. What was worse? I knew down deep in my gut that if Tanner left, I'd have no one to blame but myself.
Before I could wallow in my growing pit of despair, my phone buzzed. The caller ID showed it was Agnes. Perfect. She was probably calling me to come to Seattle and bail her out of another mess. Who knew one news article could bind two people together so tightly? I looked at Ashley. "I have to take this, but we'll talk more soon."
"Whatever. There's been too much talk. Time for some action."
Ignoring her comment, I made my way into the office. "Hi, Agnes. Everything okay?"
"Oh, Lilly, everything is a mess."
"What's wrong? What happened?" I had a distinct feeling of déjà vu. Like we'd started a conversation or two like this before.
"Detective Marshall just called. They're ruling Rico's death a homicide."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I skipped the tea and used the time to talk Agnes off the ledge. Thankfully, this ledge was constructed of jumbled emotions rather than several stories of brick and mortar. Another bonus to a small town—no buildings tall enough to create a suicide-level event. I refused to consider the nearby cliffs and shuddered when I thought about how terrifying a fall into the swirling depths would be. I'd faced that possibility once when someone had not been too happy with my meddling. Never wanted to do that again.
The fact they hadn't charged Agnes with anything yet helped. She promised me she'd come straight home and start looking through Rico's things to find something to explain the large withdrawal. We both hoped she could find it before the police decided a more thorough search of her premises was needed. They'd asked her to come down to the station tomorrow to review her statement and answer questions.
Thankfully, she wasn't a suspect at this time. They were going to use her to start their fishing expedition. I harbored no doubts they'd be knocking on my door again soon as well. With that in mind, I'd promised to come over to her place after work and help her in whatever way I could to prepare. Note to self, take some gloves to wear. Tara always kept a stock of latex gloves in the kitchen. They would come in handy to prevent me from being tossed under that guilty bus again. I still had a few tire tracks on me from the last time.
A small sigh escaped my lungs. I always tried to be the best friend I could be. I'd even gone what I felt was above and beyond for Agnes. She'd been kind to me when my mother had been arrested. Because of that, I wanted to repay her kindness, but even with the best of intentions, I wasn't sure I could help her out of this tangled mess she'd gotten herself caught up in. I feared once she did give her statement, they'd stop looking for other potential targets. I also couldn't help but think the envelope of cash had to have something to do with this whole mess.
I made my way back to the bar. Clara was slicing my oranges and lemons, but the intensity I had witnessed in the kitchen had decreased by several notches. Her head was down, but she managed to occasionally bring Tara and Steven into her line of sight. I imagined the invisible cords that bound Clara and Tara together were even stronger than the ones that had kept my stomach in knots since Tan had mentioned his possible move to Chicago.
"How you doin'?" I whispered to Clara as I moved closer.
"I've seen him before." She kept her voice very low and didn't look up. It was odd, but I decided to play along.
"Where?"
"At Charlie's Cove the morning of the brunch. He was outside waiting for Allyson." She looked up and smiled shyly. "He's hard to miss. Plus, you don't normally see people with canes around here."
Mr. Vogue must consider the cane a necessary accessory regardless of when and where he was. Odd, but I couldn't argue that it seemed to work for him. "Agreed on all accounts. So what were they doing?"
She resumed slicing. "They were just talking, but they seemed pretty intense."
"Intense as in romantic?"
She shrugged. "I spend too much time in the kitchen to be sure. Vegetables and spices make sense to me. All that emotional mumbo-jumbo not as much. I don't think so though. More like they were planning something. They were so intent on each other they didn't even
notice me."
This was an interesting development. Now that Rico's death had been ruled a homicide, Jonathan had officially moved to the top of my suspect list. Allyson certainly had some motive of her own. I couldn't ignore the fact that Steven also had a vested interest in Jonathan's success. As his business partner, he would understand the dire financial implications if the chef had lost his ability to taste. Sex, money, and love were among the most powerful motivators for murder. Jealousy could factor in as an added complication with any of those three.
"Did they leave together?"
She shook her head. "No, but they both turned in the same direction."
"Toward Ocean View?" That was where they were staying, or at least Allyson was, so it made sense. However, Agnes had mentioned seeing Allyson near her house when she'd gone to visit her neighbors right before Rico had ended up dead.
"No. They headed in the opposite direction."
Which just happened to be the part of town Agnes lived in. "Okay, good to know. Thanks, Clara." I let my gaze drift over the patrons sitting at the bar, not that there were many this time of night. It was a weekday after all. Everyone's glass had enough, and they were engaged in conversation with each other. Allyson wasn't among the guests at the bar any longer. "Did you see where Allyson went?"
"Ladies' room, I assume." Clara tossed the cut-up fruit into the proper bins. "I'm going to head back to the kitchen and get started on the nightly closing routine. Thanks for letting me be out here for a few."
"No problem. Hang in there. We both have to trust this will all work out for the best."
Clara offered a small smile. "I like your optimism."
No sooner had Clara left the bar than Allyson returned. "Want me to freshen up your water?"
She shook her head. "No, thank you. I just want to go home. I came for Jonathan, and we've at least started on the road to reconciliation. Time to get what he needs and go home. Life is waiting for us in San Francisco."
"So you got what you wanted?" It was a leading question with a little bait attached. I really hoped she would at least nibble.
"I wanted Jonathan, so yes."
"And Jonathan wants Agnes's money."
"And yours," she added with a smile. "Of course, he also wants you and Tara too."
I wasn't sure that he did. I saw it more of a way to entice me to invest. "That's a long list of wants. To be honest, it sends a message of desperation rather than celebration about his new venture. Desperate men do things they wouldn't normally do."
My words hit their mark, and her gaze riveted to mine. "Such as?"
I leaned forward and whispered since I didn't want to share this tidbit of information with everyone within earshot. "Such as kill Rico. I've learned his death was ruled a homicide. Since you know Jonathan far better than I do, would he kill to fulfill that list of wants?" Admittedly, it was not a well-thought-out way to reveal what I'd learned. Especially if I was looking for a confession. There was a reason I chose the restaurant business to make my living rather than law enforcement.
She finished her water and tossed a couple bills on the bar. "I'll give you one thing, Lilly. You have a very creative imagination. Stop looking for shadows where they don't exist. You're being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don't blow it."
Allyson's and my views differed on what constituted that once-in-a-lifetime gig. "And if I refuse?"
She laughed. "You're an idiot."
Second time in one day I'd been called an idiot. This was one trend I wanted reversed. Before I could respond, she mimicked my move from earlier and leaned in closer. "I tell you what. For fun, if you can come up with one shred of evidence or even a theory about Jonathan's so-called desperate actions, I'll be happy to listen. If for no other reason than small towns bore me and I'd love some entertainment."
My fists clenched at her uppity arrogance. I hadn't liked her much before, and that scale was tipping quickly into the danger zone. I knew I'd regret the next words out of my mouth, but a girl could only be called an idiot so much before her self-restraint went on hiatus. "I tell you what. Maybe I'm focusing on the wrong person. You reeked of desperation when you came into Charlie's that morning, begging for Jonathan to take you back. Maybe you knew Rico stood in the way of Jonathan getting Agnes to invest. It was no secret you hated Rico, so you killed him. Two birds. One stone. That's how it gets done in small towns."
The fact I didn't call her a witch with a capital B proved I still possessed some modicum of restraint. I deserved ice cream—with chocolate sauce. Yes, that was how this idiot would reward herself for getting through this insult-filled day.
Fire blazed in Allyson's eyes at my hypothesis surrounding her activities and implied guilt. If she was a killer, I'd just moved myself a little more in the center of her target. Maybe I would add some whipped cream to my ice cream and chocolate sauce. Life was short…very short if you made a habit of provoking possible killers.
Her lips pressed into a thin line before she whirled on her heels toward Steven. "I'm leaving. See you back at the Ocean View."
Steven stood and shook Tara's hand (not a good sign as far as I was concerned) before waving to Allyson. "We're all finished. I'll ride back with you."
"I'll be in the car."
Steven hurried after her, his long black accessory trailing behind him as he tried to catch up with her. From this angle, it looked a little bent. How odd—guess I had been paying attention to other details when he arrived. At least I could be certain that once Allyson tattled to her boyfriend, the offer for a job, real or not, would be rescinded. I was pretty sure they would still want my money though. Jonathan might be rekindling his relationship with Allison, but just because she was upset with me wouldn't change the fact he'd still want the investment dollars. I suspected Jonathan was far more loyal to the almighty dollar than he was to his on-again, off-again cheating girlfriend.
Tara walked by me toward the kitchen. I had to ask. "Good talk?"
She shrugged. "He made it sound all sunshine and roses. Even I know life isn't like that. Especially life in the kitchen of a new restaurant."
"Still undecided then?"
Tara nodded. "He wants an answer by end of business tomorrow though."
"That means your answer is due by ten in the evening, right?" I grinned. Technically, that was the end of our business day.
She laughed. "That's right. At least that detail buys me a little more time."
The smile faded off my face. "You need to talk to her." Tara knew, without me saying, that I was referring to her other half, Clara. "She wants to be happy for you. She's just sad at the thought of not being with you every day. I'd offer to sweeten the pot and give you a promotion to keep you, but you're already head chef. And I'm sure we couldn't match their salary, so I'll just say again, we would hate to lose you, but understand if you want to spread your wings and fly."
She gave me a quick hug. "Thanks, Lilly. Now back to work for me."
* * *
I locked the back door after completing the final checks. Mandi waited patiently for me. "You sure you don't want me to come with you? I'm not sure you should be alone with Agnes." Mandi's worried expression did nothing to ease the typhoon of turmoil twisting in my gut.
"I want you to come with me, but you need to be with your mom."
She sighed. "I know you're right, but that doesn't stop me worrying about you."
"What dangerous situation is she heading into this time?" Tanner's voice startled both of us.
"Oh, hey, Tan. Didn't realize you were still here." Mandi crossed her arms and gave him what I would characterize as a disappointed glare. "Not that you joined in enough today for us to even realize you were at work."
"I have a lot on my mind."
"And the rest of us don't?" She shook her head and unlocked her bike. "See you later, Lilly."
Mandi might be small, but she moved her bike from stationery to flying in a matter of seconds. Yeah, I didn't blame her. It wasn't much fun being a
round Tan and me lately. He moved closer and took my hand. "Where are you going? Should I be worried?"
I squeezed his hand tighter, not wanting to let go. "Just over to see Agnes. She needs help going through some of Rico's things."
"Want company? We could leave your bike here. If I had Mom's truck, I'd bring it with us."
Thoughts of the smooth leather interior of his cherry red Mustang and all the fun we'd had in that car dispelled a little of the gloom hanging out in my heart the past few days. "You sure?"
"As long as you don't think Agnes will mind." He led me with our clasped hands toward his car even as he made the statement.
"Are you kidding? One ounce of that Tanner charm and she'll send me home so that she can have quality time alone with you." Personally, I'd like some quality time alone with him.
We reached his vehicle, but instead of opening the door, he sandwiched me between him and the cool metal. Hmmm, trapped between muscle car and muscle man…I could live with that. His face—more importantly his lips—were scant inches away from mine. The desire to kiss him infused every fiber of my being, shutting out concern for anything and anyone else.
"Have you been thinking about us?" The whispered question threatened my little slice of heaven. What was it Ashley had said? Enough words, time for action. I wanted the action of his lips pressed against mine.
Not wanting to lose the possibility of the moment, I reached around his neck and pulled him closer. "You're always in my thoughts."
He kissed the tip of my nose. Umm, about an inch lower would be so much better.
"You know what I mean."
Might as well be honest now rather than delaying the inevitable. I'd already promised myself an ice cream sundae with enough toppings to send me into a sugar-induced coma. "I don't want you to go."
His smile almost made me forget the rest of what I needed to say. However, my eyes must've given me away, even in the dim lighting outside the tavern. He pulled back a little. "But…"
