by Lynn Cahoon
Amy leaned close and whispered. “Mary already sent them to me. I’ve got your back.”
We found chairs and I found myself sitting next to a woman I didn’t know. I looked around the room. Kathi and Greg were absent from the group of business owners and city employees. Pushing Kathi’s possible guilt aside, I smiled at the woman next to me. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More and council business liaison.”
She turned toward me and I realized she had to be almost Aunt Jackie’s age, even though she dressed in tight jeans and a v-neck top that showed off her ample cleavage. Her lips had a too-red lipstick covering her off-white teeth that made her smile look a little evil. “Tilly Voss. I’m the manager over at The Coastal Inn. My boss told me to come and see if we could get the crime scene tape off one of our rooms. It’s kind of bad for our business.”
The others were still milling around not following Tom’s instructions so I leaned closer. “I’m sorry about the murder. Did you know Darryl well?”
Tilly snorted. “Darryl? Was that his name? He signed in as Joe Cook. I guess it could have been worse, he could have used Smith. Do you know how many Smiths I get a week?”
“Don’t you have to show a driver’s license or credit card?” Every hotel I’d ever stayed at required some sort of identification. I wondered if it was just in case something went wrong, more than a financial payment issue.
“We’re kind of a mostly cash business.” The grin reappeared and I tried not to recoil away from the woman. “If they want class, they tend to stay elsewhere.”
Now, that I believed. Most of the audience had taken their seats so I needed to hurry if I was going to ask her what I wanted to know. “Darla said that Ivy Corbin visited her cousin with another man often. Did you happen to get a look at the guy? Or his name?” Now I knew I was just wishing for miracles.
“Not really, I mean, I watched them for sure. I figured there was some action going on in the room, if you understand my meaning. One day, I was checking housekeeping in one of the rooms when they walked by. The woman called the big guy Bobby.” She looked around the room. “I don’t see that police guy here at all. This was a big waste of time.”
“He’s not coming tonight.” The words were out before I had a chance to stop them and Tilly did exactly what I didn’t want her to do. She stood up to leave.
“I’m out of here. I’ve got shows to watch tonight.” She grinned at me. “And a six pack that’s been calling my name all day.”
I thought about following her out and trying to get a better description of this big guy, Bobby, but then Tom announced me and it was time for my talk. I put on my aren’t-you-all-charming smile and headed to the front of the room.
Then my autopilot turned on.
Leaving that night, I stopped to say goodbye to Amy. “I’m out of here. If you’re ready, do you want to walk together?”
She held up the loose papers. “I’m here until I get this all in order. But the good thing is I get to take off early on Friday to make up for the time. The mayor hates paying overtime.”
“Are you coming to the library event or do you and Justin have surfing plans?” Amy’s boyfriend had been deep into geocaching a few months ago, but once the waves started up again, he and Amy had been spending most of their free time on the ocean.
“Sorry, we’re heading to a beach a little south of here. I don’t think I’ll be back for Sunday brunch either.” Amy nodded to Tom who called a good night greeting as he left the room. “But I’ll see you tomorrow and Thursday at the gym. I’m so glad we’re taking this class together. I love doing things with you.”
I loved having brunch and maybe a girl’s night out at Darla’s winery, but loving working out? It still wasn’t growing on me. I pasted on a smile and nodded though, wanting to let her know I totally agreed, even if it was a total lie. “Yeah, me too.”
Amy burst out laughing. “You’re such a liar. I know you hate it, but at least you have someone to suffer with you.”
We said our goodbyes and I left City Hall to walk home. The night was chilly, but the stars were already out and beautiful. Greg’s truck was still parked at the north side of the building where the Police Station had its own entrance. I still couldn’t believe our new resident beauty queen capable of killing someone, especially, her own family.
Then who? I pondered the question as I made my way home and still didn’t have an answer by the time I turned back the covers to go to sleep. The mysterious Robert/Bobby was high on my list, but then there was also secretive Ivy who lived like a queen, but acted like a pauper. And what about her claim that Kathi was engaged? And who had beaten up Blake? I’d kind of forgotten about him and wondered if Darla had any word on her band’s lead member.
I wrote down a few notes and questions on the pad I kept on my nightstand and then slipped into the covers. Tomorrow would be an early day and with the festival this weekend and the library event on Friday, I hadn’t had much of a break from work this week.
I fell asleep thinking of the Mexican beaches and big frozen drinks Greg and I would be enjoying in a few weeks. If he was talking to me after our tiff this afternoon. I pushed away the thought with another one. Greg loves you.
The shop was empty from the time I opened in the morning until ten when my first customer arrived, a commuter who had late work hours for the summer. He looked around the empty shop as I poured his large black to go and shrugged. “Everyone stay home today?”
I laughed, putting the lid on the to-go cup. “Seems that way. This is your Monday, isn’t it?”
“Actually, I work at home on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during the summer. I only go in for meetings on Tuesday and Thursday.” He took a sip of coffee, apparently not in any hurry to get to his day job. “Did you hear about the murder last week? They really need to shut that rattrap motel down. You know its clients are either hookers or druggies.”
“I’ve heard that.” I didn’t know why Darryl had chosen The Coastal Inn as his home for the short time he had been here in South Cove. Maybe it was the price, or maybe, like the customer had insinuated, Darryl had enjoyed the extra benefits. If he hadn’t been shot in his room with Kathi’s gun, would his death be written off as a drug deal gone wrong? Maybe his being related to Kathi and Ivy was just a coincidence. Maybe he had messed with the wrong people.
But for some reason, that explanation felt off.
“So I guess I’ll see you Thursday. My wife and I are looking forward to the library event. Anything we can do to support reading in our schools we’re more than willing to participate in.” He walked out with his coffee and I wondered how much of his conversation I’d totally blanked out on while thinking about Darryl’s death. I really needed to stop doing that.
Walk-in traffic stayed slow until Toby arrived for his shift. He put his hand up, “Look, I’m not mad about the bank thing. I should have been more careful with the deposit slips.”
“The money has been found. I guess the teller looked up the wrong account number.” I looked at him. “Do you remember who helped you that day? Margie?”
“Nope, some new girl. She just kept giggling. Man, she was making mistake after mistake. She tore up the first deposit slip and had to handwrite a new one.” Toby put the apron on over his head. “That’s when it happened, huh?”
“I guess. I just wish we hadn’t worried so much about the money.” What I really wanted to say was I wished I hadn’t asked him if he’d taken it, but it didn’t seem to fit.
Toby’s regulars typically arrived a few minutes before he walked in. I saw them parked on the street, refreshing their makeup and staring into the shop windows waiting for Barista Babe. Even though he was off the market again, the women still came to spend their breaks with him. I guess I couldn’t blame them, but I didn’t really understand why someone would continue to put themselves out there with no chance of success. The dating world was hard enough.
I went to the back and changed into my workout clothes in the employee-only bathroom. Then as I walked through the shop to leave, Toby called out. “Have a great workout. Greg says you’re killing it.”
If we’d been alone, I would have told him what to do with his words, but the girls in line smiled at him like he’d told me I had just won a marathon. I knew he was giving me grief since I hated the class more than anything I’d ever done, except maybe yoga. I despised that. Amy had dragged me to a month of classes last summer before I’d called uncle. She still attended the early bird class down at the Bakerstown senior center. I’d rather run with Emma.
She’d looked so hard at her leash this morning, I’d thought it would levitate off the hook and float into my hands. When I’d told her tomorrow, she’d stomped off to her kitchen bed and turned her head away from me. Don’t tell me animals don’t understand what we’re saying.
The morning was still cool and besides the cars parked around Coffee, Books, and More, the street was deserted. The lights were already on at Antiques by Thomas and Kyle was sweeping the sidewalk in front of the store.
“Morning Kyle,” I called out as I turned the opposite way.
“Morning, Miss Gardner,” he called back, a lilt to his voice. He had changed so much from the angry boy that Josh had accepted as an intern last year; now he was a happy young man who loved antiques as much as his portly boss. We’d had four interns that had stayed around town after the work program had ended last year. Kyle, Sasha, Matt, and Mindy, who worked for Marie Jones over at The Glass Slipper. Of course, Matt had turned into more than just an employee for Darla. The two of them had been dating since January.
For being one of the mayor’s harebrained ideas, the work program had been successful in at least a few lives.
As I entered the gym, I noticed for the second class in a row, Greg and Tim were noticeably absent. This didn’t look good for Kathi. When investigations got hot, Greg was totally focused on his job, working almost 24/7. Well, 24/6, now that he’d implemented No-Guilt-Sunday to bring at least some balance to his life.
Amy waved me over and we started stretching before class. When she thought the instructor was out of earshot, she leaned closer. “Did you hear about Kathi? Can you believe it?”
I tried not to confirm or deny anything Greg told me in confidence but this was Amy. “Seriously, no. When Greg mentioned needing to talk to her I told him it was impossible.”
“Well, word is that the DA’s ready to charge her. Something about some argument they had before she left Texas. I guess she told him he wasn’t her boss and she’d see him dead before he could force her into something she didn’t want to do.” Amy looked over at the drill sergeant we had hired for a workout instructor and when she saw him looking our way, she shrugged. “Maybe we can do lunch?”
He started walking toward us and I mumbled my response. “Perfect.” Then I started in on the 100x5 program he had us start out with. Jumping jacks was the first of the five and it ended with an energetic round of burpees. I never finished the warmup before the real class started. Maybe someday, but I doubted it.
* * * *
At Lille’s, Amy filled me in on the gossip she’d heard from Esmeralda. John had indeed decided to charge our newest business owner with the murder of her cousin. He was talking to the judge this afternoon about the specific charges. From what Amy said, manslaughter was off the table, but maybe she’d be able to have a lesser charge if she admitted her guilt and it was a crime of passion.
“What’s Kathi saying?”
Amy shrugged. “She’s hired an attorney who apparently told her to keep her mouth shut. The lawyer thinks there’s not enough evidence for her to even be charged.”
“You’re the best. How do you hear all this?” I ate a few French fries and decided to focus on the fish instead.
Amy paused before taking a bite of her double cheeseburger. “I deliver the coffee. Most people don’t even see me when I’m there.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” Carrie appeared with a pitcher to refill our iced tea. “You wouldn’t believe all the stuff I hear just because people think I’m invisible. Heck, sometimes I feel like I am.”
“You’re not invisible.” I said, even though I hadn’t seen her walk up.
She eyed my plate. “And you’re not eating. What’s wrong?”
I looked guilty at the plate. “I hate my workout.”
Amy burst out laughing and Carrie joined in. When they were done, I shrugged. “What, it’s true.”
“Then do something else. Life’s too short.” Carrie put her hands up in surrender. “You don’t have to listen to me. I’m just trying to help.”
I watched her walk away and nodded. “Carrie’s right. I’m going back to running with Emma. I love doing things together, but can we do something besides the workout class?”
“Like long walks on the beach or geocaching?” Amy held up a hand. “Okay, not that last one. I don’t want Justin to get the bug again. I just got him off the habit.”
We made an agreement to get together next week in the evening but we didn’t make plans on what to do yet. Instead, we agreed we’d both bring a few ideas on things we’d wanted to try or do and then we’d make a schedule for the next month. “So next week, it is a long walk on the beach while we talk, right?”
Amy giggled. “I was kind of being funny, but I think it’s a great idea.”
Walking out of the restaurant, I felt lighter than I had since Amy and I had fought earlier in the year. We were starting to get past the everyone-be-nice phase and back to the casual friendship I enjoyed.
She turned to go back to work, and I turned the other way, toward my house. When I turned around, a woman blocked my path and from the look on her face, she wanted me dead.
Chapter 18
“Lille,” I croaked out, my voice sounding shaky. “You scared me.”
Her hands on her hips, she nodded. “Good. You need to be scared. So why are you digging up my past?”
Confusion came over me then, I got it. Harrold must have mentioned our conversation. “I’m not. I mean, Harrold happened to mention the time Agnes and you were making wedding decorations when he saw all the craft stuff I bought for the library event on Friday. I didn’t mean to pry, but it shocked me. I didn’t realize you had ever. . .” I stopped talking since Lille’s face had turned an even brighter shade of red. It was going to happen. I would be banned from the only place to eat in town. Just as soon as Lille said her next words.
Instead of the you’re-out-of-here proclamation, her next words were soft, almost tender. “Look, neither Sadie or Nick know about me and I’d like to keep it that way. He made a choice and he was happy. And so were they until he died. I’d rather they have their own memories.”
“I would never tell Sadie.” I thought about my declaration and nodded. It was true. This was something in Sadie’s late husband’s past and had nothing to do with the man she knew. Besides, it wasn’t my story to tell. If Lille wanted to keep it quiet, that’s the way it would be. “I think it would only hurt her, and she’s been hurt enough lately.”
Lille nodded, a sad smile on her lips. “She has gone through the ringer lately.” She stared out into the western sky. “Nick looks just like his father did at that age. We went to school together, high school sweethearts, I guess. But when he met Sadie, he knew he’d found his soulmate.”
“But he was yours.” I said the words Lille wouldn’t, or maybe couldn’t. “So that’s why you have been keeping an eye out on Nick.”
“And helping him with college.” Now the grin was bigger. “Now that is something you can never tell your friend. I know you’ve sponsored a few people in school yourself with that money the old lady left you. Well, I had my own inheritance, so once he decided on a school, I called the financial aid office and told them I’d do a scholarship for the kid. The good news is they keep me generally informed of his grades and anything extracurricula
r amazing. I made a certain grade point a condition of the scholarship, so I hear from them each quarter.”
I stood there, shocked. This was the last thing I’d thought I’d hear from the bad boy-loving restaurant owner.
Lille took a deep breath. “Harrold didn’t even know all that. I felt kind of silly, watching the kid all these years, wondering what our children would have looked like if we’d had any.” She looked at me. “So now we share a secret. One you can’t even tell Miss Surfer about.”
I knew she was talking about Amy and I nodded. “No one would believe me anyway.”
Now Lille’s grin widened and she nodded. “I know, right? Who would believe that I have a soft side? Especially one for Nick Michaels, my former dish boy.”
I watched her walk back into the diner, her step lighter than it had been in years. Telling someone your secret could do that to a person. And now, I helped her carry it.
By the time I reached home, I was drained. I pulled out my laptop and checked my email. Nothing important unless I was interested in getting a Russian bride, a no-credit-needed loan, or to hook up with single men in my area. Not only was I getting junk mail at the shop and my home mailbox, my email inbox was filled with the stuff.
I was about to turn off the laptop and grab the book I’d been reading, when I thought about Robert Marshall. I grabbed my notebook and wrote the name in the page under Kathi Corbin. Then I implemented my ultra-scientific modern investigation technique. I looked him up on Facebook.
Twenty minutes later, I’d found Bobby Marshall, who listed his status as engaged . On Kathi’s page, there was no mention of the happy event. Either Kathi hadn’t been on Facebook for a while, too busy making wedding plans, or she was ignoring his status. Bobby was from the same little town in Texas and owned the local service station Fill-er-Up. He only listed one organization he was a part of: The Porkers, a local motorcycle club. And when I looked at the pictures of him on his pride and joy Harley, I knew I’d found the guy who’d run down Aunt Jackie.
