“Doing well, thank you. I suppose you heard about my cellar door.”
“I certainly did. I’m so happy you’re all right. I was telling my hubby just last night that you need to come over for dinner and share some wedding plans.”
I answered, “I’d love that. I have a wedding planner, but I’d love to have your input. After all, there wouldn’t be a wedding if you hadn’t had Clark.”
She chuckled. “So true, dear. Can I help you with something?”
I explained what I needed, and she said, “I’ll tell Mr. Cavanaugh and he’ll send someone over to check it out and get exactly what you need.”
Mrs. Cavenaugh and I said our goodbyes and I smiled at the idea of enjoying dinner with them. Mr. Cavenaugh recently injured his leg cutting a limb from a tree and needed knee surgery. Mrs. Cavanaugh thought she would step in and take her husband’s place and fell off a ladder. She injured her back. Clark came to town to help out. Of course, he was already close helping to investigate a case for the State Attorney’s office and while in town helped Clifford with a local case of a bad seed deputy. The deputy had a crush on my Laci, and I was happy she didn’t feel the same. I fell for Clark the moment I looked into his deep hazel eyes, but I was shocked and happy to find out he worked undercover in law enforcement. Now that we’re getting married, he’s taken the position of detective here in Heavenly Corners. I can’t wait for his last undercover assignment to end, and he’s home. It’ll be nice to have dinner with my future in-laws. We’ll all be family soon.
The bell above the door jingled, and two ladies from Aunt Irene’s quilting guild walked in and began to browse the romance section. They were both near eighty and loved romance. They were adorable. They each chose two books and strolled back to the front counter.
Miss Harriet whispered, “Is it true, did Irene elope with Lyle Colroy?”
I whispered back, “Yes, she did.”
Miss Hazel’s hand flew to her mouth. “See, Harriet, I told you something was going on with those two. Good for them. Life is short.”
Miss Harriet and Miss Hazel giggled like school girls. They took their purchases and left arms linked. I’m sure they’re off to spread the news to anyone who hasn’t already heard.
My phone chirped, and I hoped it was Clark. I missed his texts. It was Georgie, and that was good. A best friend is as good as a fiancé, well, maybe not, but sometimes better. It all depends on the situation. I’m blessed with one of each.
“We need to brainstorm.
I’ll bring a late lunch.”
That meant she’d be here after the lunch rush at the Grille. Georgie seems to be in her element with the hustle and bustle of the Heavenly Grille. I would go crazy with all the noise and rushing around. The peace of my bookstore is exactly what I need.
Teddy, our local handyman, walked in shortly before lunch.
“Hi, Teddy. Can I help you find a book?”
“No thanks, Annie,” he said slipping his thumbs in the suspenders that held up baggy work pants. “The Cavanaughs asked me to stop by and check out your door. I’m giving them a hand now that Clark is out of town.”
“It’s the cellar door at the back of the store,” I answered.
“Got it,” he answered and shuffled to the back of the store.
Yummy watched him from a distance then walked slowly up to Teddy. For a little dog, he was very brave.
Several minutes later Terry returned carrying Yummy and scratching him behind his ears. “Awful cute dog you got here, Mrs. Ryan,” Terry said.
“Thanks,” I replied and smiled watching Yummy curled up in Terry’s arm loving every minute of scratching.
Terry explained, “You’re going to need a new door, and I would recommend replacing the door frame. It’s old, and part of it splintered from Aunt Irene’s bullet. I can come by tomorrow and take care of it. Also, I’ll add a good lock, but I’d suggest you hide a key downstairs in the cellar somewhere, so you never get locked in again.” He set Yummy down and began to walk to the door. He turned and asked, “Does Aunt Irene still bake those chocolate chip cookies? I loved them as a kid.”
My aunt bakes the best cookies and every kid in town would drop by the cottage on Saturday afternoons for a cookie. They all called her Aunt Irene and most still do. She’s a peach and one in a million.
“Yes, she does. Every once in a while she bakes some and drops them off here for my customers. The next time she does, I’ll put a couple away for you.” I watched as his smile turned into a grin that brightened his entire face.
“Thanks, Mrs. Ryan,” he said as he hurried out the door.
The sun that had been battling the clouds for control of the sky finally won and chased away the shadows along the sidewalk. It was close to noon, and I was anxious for time to pass and Georgie to arrive. We needed to figure out what was going on. I’m not sure Detective Nate is doing his job.
Three customers browsed the store and purchased books and candles. Mitzi’s lilac candles were a big hit. I’m glad I had grabbed two before they sold out. Finally, my phone chirped with a text from Georgie.
“On my way.”
I changed the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Out to Lunch,’ refilled Yummy’s water bowl and took him for a short walk out back while I waited for Georgie to arrive.
~ * ~
Georgie and I set our meal on the table in the back of the bookstore. Yummy danced a little happy dance knowing there’d be a beef patty in one of the bags for him. As usual, we ate our meal before discussing any mystery. We found out the hard way over many cold lunches that if we began to discuss a case, we’d forget to eat while the food was still hot.
Yummy finished first and pushed the paper plate around trying to catch any tidbit that remained. Georgie pushed the last onion ring in her mouth while I tried to get the last of the chicken cashew salad out of the container.
“Winner,” Georgie shouted as she finished first.
I chewed the rest of the salad and said, “If you don’t stop eating those onion rings, you won’t fit in your dress for the wedding.” I scowled and added, “I hope we both fit into our gowns. How awful would it be the afternoon of the wedding to find out they won’t zip?”
“That’s why we have Miss Faith. She’ll be there to make any last minute adjustments,” Georgie grinned while she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Now, down to business.”
Yummy picked the paper plate off the floor and dropped it at Georgie’s feet. She stared up at her and whined.
“You’re spoiling my dog,” I said as I watched Georgie place the plate in the bag.
“All done,” Georgie told Yummy. Yummy yipped then walked to a blanket in the corner and dropped down.
Georgie pulled a notebook from her purse and turned to look at me. The mischievous gleam in her eyes told me she was up to something.
Not sure what she had on her mind, I scrunched my eyebrows and asked, “What?”
“That my friend is the question,” she giggled. I think she was trying to connect with her inner Sherlock Holmes.
“What question?” I asked knowing this would be interesting.
“Okay, you’re positive it was Claudine who locked you in the cellar. All we have to do is find a way to prove it.”
“That’s all?” I sighed and leaned back against the sofa.
“Yeah, it’s that simple. Now we need to find a way to bait her.”
“I’m not sure about that. She hates me now more than ever. She honestly believes I killed Barbara just to cause her pain. She could become unstable. I think she needs help. Look what she tried to do after Steve died. She wanted Laci. The only reason I’m not worried about Laci is because Claudine loves her as much as she loves her boys. She planted a key fob here to try and suggest I stole it from Barbara. I’m sure she was going to call and say I stole it as some sort of trophy. She had a gun when she was here. If she kills me, then what?” I was getting a headache.
“I have a plan to flush her out,” Georgie smiled that sm
ile that meant her plan would get us both into trouble if I agreed. I always agree. I’ve agreed since high school, but then it was my idea to go to the cemetery. Georgie agreed, and we found ourselves in trouble.
I blew out a breath and asked, “What plan?”
“We drop a clue about you having a secret and while not mentioning Claudine’s name, make it sound as if the secret could only be about her. She’ll be back hunting for clues faster than a jackrabbit during hunting season.” Georgie started adding ideas in her notebook.
“What kind of secret?” I was afraid to ask.
“Doesn’t matter, just a secret.” Georgie continued to jot down ideas.
“And how is Claudine going to find this out? We don’t run in the same circles.” I shook my head.
“Dot,” Georgie said simply.
Dot manages the phones at the police station and is our personal informant on all things that she’s privy, too unless it would be detrimental to a case or an officer. She’s helped us in the past.
“Explain,” I asked.
“Okay, we let Dot in on our plan as usual. She plays cards with Candy and Sandy on Wednesday nights at the recreation center. Candy and Sandy are in a book club with Doris. Claudine and Doris are on the summer festival committee together. It’s perfect. She couldn’t get the news faster if you wrote her a letter,” Georgie nodded and tossed the notebook on the table.
“Well, I hate to say this, but it just might work. Nothing will rile Claudine up faster than thinking I know something. What do I do if she comes after me again?” I looked Georgie straight in the eyes.
Georgie shrugged.
“Thanks for the encouragement.”
We both dissolved into giggles the way we have since we met in grade school. I think Georgie and I will be giggling our way through whatever nursing home we find ourselves gracing in the future. Sharing a giggle with my best friend is the best medicine I have found.
“Seriously,” I tried to say. “What kind of secret. Don’t we need an idea?”
“Nah,” Georgie said. “Dot can let it slip you know something about Claudine and the murder. She’ll say that’s all she heard at the station when you were brought in for questioning. Claudine will have to know what it is, and we’ll catch her.”
“We’ll catch her? You’ll be at the Grille, and I’ll be here getting shot. Who’s going to know?” I crossed my arms and tapped my fingers on my upper arms. Another one of my nervous habits.
Georgie pointed to the upper corners of the store. “The cameras Clark installed for you. The ones you thought would interfere with your customer’s privacy while browsing for books. The entire town knows the cameras aren’t connected. What they don’t know is they are connected, but you just don’t turn them on. You will starting now.”
I looked at the bubble cameras in all four corners of the store. Georgie was right. The entire town knows I would never record them. Claudine knows which is why she came in here without a worry. Time to catch her.
While Georgie and I turned on the DVD recording equipment and checked to see if it worked, I brought up my other problems.
“Detective Nate is convinced I killed Barbara, too. Not to mention who the heck was the intruder in the mansion? He also had a gun. Getting Claudine off my back is the lesser of two evils, I think.” I adjusted the clarity of the recording and looked at Georgie.
She rolled her eyes at me. “One problem at a time. Let’s get Claudine under control and we’ll find out who was at the mansion. Detective Nate is blowing hot air. He likes to hear himself talk. How can he prove you killed someone without evidence?”
“I don’t know. I wish Clark was here. I know he’d do something,” I said as I dropped into the desk chair and watched my store through four images on the screen sitting on my desk.
Georgie hugged me. “He’ll be home soon. Don’t worry. Hey, be sure and lock the office door each night. If someone breaks in, we don’t want them to know the cameras are recording.”
I nodded my agreement.
“Well,” Georgie said changing the subject. “We have something else important to discuss.”
“What now? Actually, I’m not sure I want to know.” My knee bounced up and down nervously as I waited for Georgie to bring up whatever problem concerned her.
“As your matron-of-honor, I have some responsibilities. You have a wedding planner who will handle all the mundane details. You chose colors and flowers. We both know what we’re going to wear and bought dresses for Laci and Beth Ann just in case Laci is speaking to you on your wedding day. We’ve never discussed your honeymoon wardrobe. I need to help you decide so you won’t wear simple old-fashioned clothes.” She pulled a catalog from her purse. “Look they have one of these stores in the new mall. We should go.”
“Umm, Georgie, this is all lingerie.” I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.
“Exactly, what more will you need?” She reached for the catalog.
I pulled it away and slid it next to me. “I’ll look later and if I find anything, I’ll order on-line.”
“But,” Georgie began to argue.
“Case closed,” I laughed.
Georgie shrugged, but I saw the glint in her eye that meant I might be kidnapped at some point and dragged to the mall.
“Besides, I’m too busy. I have a meeting with Lucas tomorrow to sign the trust fund papers. I really don’t enjoy all this legal stuff. The mayor is having a cow because I’m not signing over the mansion until after the wedding. He expected to have it ready for summer tours and make money for the city.” I bit my lip wondering when life would get back to normal.
“Have you told Laci about the trust or is she expecting to get money now? Maybe she has plans to run amok as a rich girl?” She leaned forward as if ready to hear a secret.
“No, none of them knows and when the papers are signed they’ll all find out. We set it up so they won’t get the bulk of the money until they turn thirty unless it’s for school. I don’t want to be responsible for kids running amok,” I smiled at her.
“Them? You said them. I thought the trust was for Laci.” Her quizzical look made me smile again.
“Of course she has a trust, but I set one up for each of my nephews.”
“For Claudine’s boys? Really? Why?” She squinted at me.
“Because they’re Steve’s nephews. Even if she hates me and Steve is gone, the boys are polite. They still call me Aunt Annie and give me hugs when I see them. It’s not their fault Claudine is their mom,” I answered.
“I guess you’re right. It’s just like you to be sure Steve’s nephews are not forgotten. Do you think Claudine will have a fit?” She bit her lip to keep from grinning.
I shrugged. “I don’t care. Her boys are in college, and it’ll be a while before they see the bulk of the money. Maybe the years will mellow her.”
“Fat chance.”
“I agree, but the boys will appreciate it as will Beth Ann.”
“What?” Georgie’s eyes grew big as saucers. “Beth Ann? My Beth Ann?”
“Do we know any other? Of course, she’s my god-daughter, and I love her like I love Laci.”
Tears ran down her face, and she wiped them with the back of her hand. “You’re a good friend, Annie Ryan.”
“It’s as much for us as it is for her. She says she wants to be an archeologist, and you’re afraid she’ll freeze to death in a cave in the middle of nowhere. Now she can afford to buy a top of the line tent to keep her warm and maybe rent helicopters to move her from place to place.”
Georgie threw her arms around me. “I knew the first day of grade school when I saw the short girl with pretty brown curls halfway down her back, that we’d be friends forever.”
I nodded, “Same with me except I would have traded my curls for those long blonde pigtails in a heartbeat. We should change the subject before we both end up crying all day.”
“Okay,” she laughed. “I better get back to the Grille before Paul sends out a
search party.”
After Georgie left, I opened the store and waited for a customer.
The afternoon was quiet. I had a few browsers and one sale. By five o’clock, the sky clouded over in the gray clouds that usually meant a spring storm was on the way. I opened Yummy’s carrier, and he obediently ran inside without any coaxing. By the time I pulled into my garage, the first raindrops fell on the driveway. Big, fat raindrops colored the concrete drive in darker gray circles. Yummy barked and yipped until I let him out long enough to realize he couldn’t catch the spots on the drive he chased. He followed me into the house.
Rain on the roof lulled us both into an early slumber.
Chapter Fourteen
The alarm woke me, and I noticed the sun wasn’t coming through the space where the blinds didn’t quite cover the edge of the window frame. I stretched, and Yummy licked my nose. I wished Clark was here to kiss me good morning, too, but I guess I can wait. I checked my phone. No missed calls or texts. The sound of falling rain stopped sometime during the night, but the clouds must still be thick to block out the bright sun I enjoyed each morning. A quick peek out the blinds let me know a heavy blanket of fog had settled over the area while I slept.
Yummy rushed downstairs, and I followed. He didn’t appear to like the fog any more than I did. He ran to the side of the patio, took care of business, and ran back inside. The fog covered the backyard, and I could just make out the edge of the lake. Let’s hope it begins to burn off soon. I hate driving in the fog even if I’m only five minutes from the bookstore.
Yummy slapped his bowl with his paw sending the small dish spinning across the floor. He barked and chased it. When he captured it, he picked it up and dropped it at my feet.
“Hungry?” I asked.
He barked once. I swear he understands me.
I filled his bowl and set out a bowl of water. While he dug into his breakfast, I made myself a veggie egg white omelet. Too much junk food was going to cause me to look like a blimp on my wedding day. I needed to get a handle on proper eating when Georgie and I weren’t sharing lunch.
Yummy barked at the patio door as I lifted the last forkful of omelet to my lips. I noticed the fog was thinning, and Aunt Irene was in the back yard. She placed Peanut in the puppy run. No wonder Yummy barked. His favorite playmate was outside. I walked him out and said good morning to my aunt.
Murder, Trouble & Family Page 13
