by Lynn Cahoon
I turned right and headed down the street to the police station. I hadn’t been lying to Deek when I said I needed to visit Bakerstown. However, I really wanted to check in with Greg and see if we could combine our information and make an investigation plan for the information I’d gathered so far. I felt like, as usual, Greg was out of the process. I knew he was busy, but he’d asked for my help, and I wanted to share this new piece of information.
Esmeralda was knitting when I came into the lobby area. She shook her head. “Sorry, doll. Your man is out on a breaking and entry call down the highway. Do you want to leave him a message?”
I glanced at his open office door and then at my watch. “I guess we can talk at dinner.”
“Disappointment doesn’t wear well on you. You should be more optimistic. Good things are right around the corner.”
I studied her face for any sign of a trance, but Esmeralda appeared to be totally awake and knowledgeable about what she’d just said. Sometimes, the spirits spoke through her and she either pretended not to have heard them, or acted as if her eyes were open but there was no one home.
Today wasn’t one of those days.
She sighed. “Seriously, when are you going to start trusting me? You know I have gifts.”
“And you know, I don’t believe in them.” I held up a hand. “Let’s agree to disagree on this. I need to head into town. Let Greg know I stopped by, okay?”
“Sure thing.” She smiled at me. “You are doing a good thing by the deceased. He’s very appreciative of your help in solving his murder.”
“Then why doesn’t he just tell you what happened and then you can tell Terrance and this will all be over?”
“You know it doesn’t work that way. The spirits are all confused when they first travel. They need time to understand what happened. And a lot of the time, they don’t want to know what or who did such a horrible thing to them.”
It didn’t seem as if that was the way communication from the other side should work. If this whole talking to the dead thing was effective, Esmeralda could make her spiritual call, find out who had choked the life out of Levi, and Terrance could go arrest him. But I guess there was that whole thing about looking through a glass darkly. We weren’t supposed to be talking to the dead, and they, in turn, weren’t supposed to be telling us what they knew.
“You don’t have to believe in order for the spirits to communicate, Jill.” Esmeralda’s comment jarred me out of my circulating thought pattern. “It’s enough that they believe in you.”
I nodded, not sure how to take that piece of wisdom and promptly changed the subject. “I really have to go. See you later.”
Living in South Cove made that statement true, no matter who you were talking to. I probably saw every town resident at least once a month, even the elderly women like Mrs. Davis. She was part of Sadie Michael’s woman’s group at the church. The group came in to the coffee shop every second Saturday, just for coffee and treats. Most of the women also bought a book after their short meeting. I’d been trying to talk Aunt Jackie into starting a book club at that time that they could join, but our youth book clubs met just after the women came in. We couldn’t change the time of that long-running group to add a new one. And the women’s group wasn’t willing to adjust their coffee meeting to a later time that day. So we were at an impasse.
Not all great ideas worked out. But when they didn’t, the failure seemed to be just a matter of certain people being stubborn.
As I drove into Bakerstown, my list of classes and required texts in my purse, I questioned once again why I didn’t just order them through my book guy rather than running into the college bookstore on campus. I could say it was because I didn’t want to take business away from another store. But to be honest, it was probably more that it gave me an excuse to wander the campus. I loved the way it felt, walking through the courtyard circled by buildings filled with classrooms and offices.
The only thing better than visiting the college bookstore was spending time in the library. Today, I was going to try to find information on The Castle. The Introduction to Business class I’d taken last year had taught us how to look up corporations and nonprofit paperwork in the law library so that was where I was heading first. It was a computer database, so accessing information such as who was on the board and any change in corporation status would show up. The only problem was there was a one-to two-month lag time, so the paperwork would have had to been filed in June or earlier to show up on the search.
If I found what I thought I might, Greg could have a suspect to bring to Terrance’s attention by the end of the night.
CHAPTER 11
“There is no way I’m going to a second meeting with that man on the committee.” Aunt Jackie’s voice trilled over the cell phone. I’d ignored her calls last night when I’d been hoping to see Greg, but the case he was working on was becoming more complex and time-consuming.
And his absence was becoming more frustrating for me. I’d been excited when he asked be to be part of the investigation, sharing the clues and information as it was discovered. Instead, I just kept writing down things in my notebook. I didn’t have a clear suspect in Levi’s death, but I had some information that I thought pointed a finger at least at someone.
“Look, Aunt Jackie, I don’t have anyone else to send. You’re going to have to buck up and learn to deal with the guy. It’s not that hard. Josh is a good guy.” Mostly.
“Send Toby. Or Deek. They could at least knock him out if he talked bad about them. I’m a defenseless woman.”
Seriously? No one who’d met Aunt Jackie would ever call her defenseless. “Can we talk about this later? I need to get into the store.”
“What, you’re not at the shop yet? I thought you were opening at six. What about your commuters?”
“I thought you didn’t think we had enough people to make it worth our time.” I pulled on a tank over my wet hair. Now, to get on my tennis shoes, let Emma out for a few minutes and then I’ll power walk into town. At worse, I’ll be five or ten minutes late.
I realized I was talking to a dead phone. I slipped it into my pocket and ran downstairs, my shoes and socks in hand.
Expecting a line starting to form outside when I finally arrived, I was shocked to see no one sitting at the patio tables, ready to give me crap about being late. Instead, the door was open and the smell of brewed coffee wafted out to the sidewalk in front of the store. Julia left the shop just as I was coming up to the door.
“Hey, Jill. Nice morning, isn’t it?” With a large CBM travel mug in hand, she got into her BMW and eased out onto Main Street. Hers was the only car on the street I’d seen since I left the house.
I slowly entered the shop but didn’t see anyone at the counter. Had Aunt Jackie left the door unlocked last night? But who would have poured Julia’s coffee, unless she just went to the back and refilled herself. Julia was determined and tended to take things into her own hands, which made her an excellent executive for her company. But this was odd behavior, even for her.
I glanced at the counter, no money left for the coffee. Then I noticed the cash register ajar. I opened the drawer and there was my typical start-the-day money drawer.
“What the heck is going on?” I asked the empty shop.
A bang from behind me caused me to jump and my hand curled around the pepper spray we kept under the counter, just in case. Toby’s idea, but I think he was thinking about Aunt Jackie and me working shifts alone more than just added protection.
My heart slowed as I saw Aunt Jackie staring at me over three boxes of cheesecake she’d brought out to stock the dessert case. She began setting the pre-sliced pieces of heaven onto plates. “Are you okay?”
“You scared me to death. Why didn’t you say you were opening the shop when I talked to you?”
She didn’t look up from her work. “I thought that it might be apparent, since you weren’t here for your customers, I needed to be.”
“I was on
ly,” I looked at the clock, “five minutes late.” Okay so it was closer to ten, but I had been on my way and if she hadn’t called whining about the committee, I would have been early. OK, to be fair, I would have been just on time. Honestly, I owed Aunt Jackie a favor and I needed to be nicer. “Thank you for opening. I know it wasn’t your responsibility and I do appreciate it.”
“I also wanted to finish our conversation. I don’t care who you send to next week’s meeting, but I will not be attending.” Aunt Jackie surveyed the now full display case, threw away the empty boxes and slapped her hands together. I knew that motion. She was washing her hands of the committee and wouldn’t change her mind. I guess I was back on the holiday planning committee. The thought made me crave a slice of Sadie’s pumpkin cheesecake. And there was one at the back of the display case.
“If you’re sure, I guess I’ll replace you.” I took the plate out, grabbed a fork and took a big bite of pumpkin heaven. With a mouthful of cheesecake, I mumbled, “When’s the next meeting?”
“If I’m understanding you through the mush of food, the next meeting is on Friday. Eleven to noon. And it will be held at Darla’s winery. The committee voted to each host the meeting on a rotating basis. We have a while before we have to host again.” She looked around the empty shop. “I guess this is a perfect shift for you to study. When do your classes start?”
“Next week. I went to get my books yesterday.” I held up a hand. “Before you lecture me about how much cheaper I could have gotten them, remember, I was supporting another bookstore. We have to stick together in these hard times.”
“I was only going to say that we should consider doing a joint event with the college bookstore and bring in a bigger name by sharing the costs. Who is the manager over there?” Aunt Jackie pulled out a slip of paper and wrote down the basic information I had. Why hadn’t I thought of pooling our money to bring in one big author? My aunt was a natural at this marketing thing.
A couple of customers walked in and headed toward the bookshelves. Tourists looking for a beach read. Even in September, the days were warm and it was lovely to spend a day sitting on the beach with a good book.
“I better get going,” My aunt nodded at my new customers, like I hadn’t even seen them walk inside. “Make sure you throw out some suggestions. That’s why they’re here and not shopping online. They want the personal touch.”
Inwardly, I groaned. My aunt was full of all the selling tips. But sometimes, people just wanted to browse. Alone. Without someone hanging on their heels.
Instead of telling Aunt Jackie that, I nodded. “You know best.”
“Don’t be a smart aleck. If you don’t want to follow my lead in learning how to effectively sell product, don’t listen to an old woman. You’re probably too hip to learn from my advice anyway.” She sniffed and put her purse on her shoulder.
“No, you’re right. You’ve opened my eyes to several new marketing opportunities that I didn’t even think of before. You’re really good at this.” I kissed her on a cheek, feeling just a little bit bad for the shock on her face from my compliment. “I should go see if I could suggest anything for them. Thanks again for coming down. I’ll handle the committee assignment for you.”
“Just don’t forget to attend. We have a reputation to uphold.” The shock hadn’t remained long. Aunt Jackie went on to tell me all the things I should do as a committee member. My tongue was sore from biting it so much by the time she left. I touched it to check for blood.
Toby wandered into the shop and since Aunt Jackie had left, I ignored the customers who were still happily browsing through our fiction selections. Book people want to enjoy the moment. They don’t want to be rushed, or lead to a decision. They’d ask if they had questions. Right now, they were discussing a book on magic I’d read a few months ago. It was a great sophomore outing for the author who lived down the coast.
“What are you doing in so early?” I took in his uniform. “I didn’t think you worked on Wednesday nights.”
“I don’t. But Greg and Tim were out on a call and I had to take Tim’s patrol shift. He’s taking mine tonight so as soon as I get off here, I’m heading to bed.” Toby stifled a yawn. “I wanted to pick up next week’s schedule so I could get it on the calendar. Tim wants me to trade so he can go out of town with his girlfriend next weekend.”
“When did Tim get a girlfriend?” This was new gossip to me.
Toby shrugged and yawned again. He grabbed his copy of the schedule from the clipboard where Aunt Jackie left them every Tuesday. “I don’t know and really don’t care. I’m heading home for a shower and a short nap. Then I’ll be back at noon.”
“I could work longer if you needed a real break.” I looked at his bloodshot eyes. The boy needed sleep.
“I’ll be fine. I need the shifts. Tasha says the interest rates are going up soon and I want to get locked into a mortgage before they do.” He waved the paper at me and headed to the door. “Besides, the vet bill for Emma was an unexpected cost. I’ll see you soon.”
“Wait, does this mean you’ve found a house?” I called after him, but either he didn’t hear me or he was ignoring the question. Toby’s brief stay in my shed was going on over a year now. I liked having him around, but it was getting a little cozy in my driveway now that Greg had moved in. I figured the vet bill was the reason he was so bent on taking extra shifts, not a down on a house. California real estate was pricy. And Toby dreamed of a solid three-bedroom, two-bath ranch with a yard for a dog or, someday, a swing set.
“Can you suggest a few local authors? My wife enjoys romance of all kinds, but I’m more of a history buff. We’d like to support the local community if possible.” The man who had been over at the bookshelves, now stood next to me. “You do work here, right?”
I guess the fact I was wearing a Wired Up apron had disguised my bookseller role. “I’m sure I can make you both happy. Let’s step over to the shelves and see what we can find.”
By the time Toby arrived back to start his shift, I was done. I’d talked to so many people this shift, I just wanted to put my earphones on and run along the beach, ignoring everyone. You didn’t know I was an introvert?
I dialed the station as I walked toward the house. When Greg picked up, I started in. “You said you wanted me to looking into who killed Levi, but every time I turn around, you’re off chasing down some other bad guy.”
“Jill, you have to understand, it’s been crazy here.” He sighed. “I’m not ignoring you. What, you think I could just forget that one of my friends was murdered?”
“I didn’t say that.” Man, he was good at deflecting. “I wanted some time to talk out what I’d found. I need someone to bounce ideas off. You said you’d be part of the investigation.”
“You’re right. I haven’t been very available.” I heard a door open on his end of the conversation. “Look, can we talk about this tonight? I’ve got a meeting.”
“Fine.” I hung up. As I walked down the street, I reconsidered my last words. So I called right back. This time, I got his voicemail. When the beep sounded, I started: “Sorry about before. Do your job. Come home when you can.”
This time when I hung up, my heart felt a little lighter. I turned into Diamond Lille’s parking lot and beelined it to the door. Time for some potato soup and maybe a small dinner salad to go with it. I was starving and the only thing I’d eaten all day was that slice of cheesecake. I craved real food. And maybe the lack of anything but sugar was why I was grumpy.
Lois sat alone at a booth looking at a menu. I paused by the table. “Are you with someone, or do you want company?”
She looked up startled. The she smiled. “I’d love to have some company. Butch stayed back at The Castle. He’s been such a grump ever since Levi was…”
“I’m sorry. Greg told me how close they were.” I slipped into the opposite bench and took a menu from Carrie who had followed me to the booth. “It must be hard to deal with the fact Levi is gone.”
/> “I know it is. And I should be more charitable. But that Levi Wallace wasn’t the best friend Butch could have. That boy could get my husband into a pack of trouble without Butch even realizing he’d gone off the straight path.” Lois sighed and closed the menu. “I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead.”
“What did you really know about the deal he missed out on because of Levi?”
Lois’s eyes widened, but then Carrie came by for our order. After that was done, Lois leaned closer. “How did you know I knew anything?”
“The way you reacted. And honestly? I don’t think your husband keeps anything from you. He just doesn’t seem the type.” I thought about how concerned he was about Lois when she’d faked a migraine to get him upstairs that night. The man wasn’t deceitful, but Lois was.
She leaned back into the booth. “You’re right. He told me about what Levi had in mind, and I freaked. You have to understand, it would have been our life savings, just to be a small part of the conglomerate. A lot of risk and not very much assurance.”
“But Butch still wanted to do it.” I guessed aloud. “Because Levi wouldn’t let anything go wrong.”
“Exactly. You wouldn’t believe all the fights we had about this. Finally, he said he was done talking about it and if I didn’t want to follow his direction as the head of the house, he guessed we weren’t compatible anymore.” Lois stopped talking as Carrie delivered our salads. When she left the table, Lois looked at me. “He was willing to divorce me over some stupid deal that was going to ruin us.”
