I lifted the kitten off my head, and sat her on the floor. She mewled.
George’s eyes opened and he was on the floor faster than I’d ever seen him. He lifted Julia in his mouth and headed for the laundry room.
“What are you doing, dude?”
The door was open, and he put Julia in her litter box. She tried to crawl out, but he gently nudged her back. He did it several times, very patiently, until she did her business.
“You are the smartest dog in the world. How did you—Why ask? I shouldn’t be surprised anymore.”
After letting him out, I put food in their bowls and loved on the kitten while we waited for George. There were squirrels on the back fence, but he didn’t care. He set a record on doing his thing and was at the back door in minutes.
“Maybe, we should have adopted a kitten years ago,” I said.
An hour later, I parked in the back of the shop. I’d just set George and the kitten up in my office, when I received a text from Shannon.
Bakery now.
Yawning, I let Maria know I’d be back soon. It was a Friday, so we had plenty of staff. I’d basically come in to catch up on paperwork and make sure we were okay inventory-wise.
It was after nine, and the rush was over. There were only a couple of people in the bakery. One was Jere and the other was Levi. I recognized him from the funeral.
Lizzie had her arms crossed but she didn’t appear angry.
“Tell her,” Jere said. “Tell her what you said to me.”
None of them seemed to realize I was there. I sat down at one of the tables by the window so I didn’t disturb them.
“I—” Levi shook his head. “I’m glad you and Jere received the inheritance. Mom is—well, you can imagine. Mort and I talked about it years ago. He told me what he’d planned and I knew it was coming.”
That was a motive for murder.
He laughed. “Mom—I may not go home for a couple of days. Oh, it’s not home anymore is it? Everything belongs to you.”
For some reason, he didn’t sound upset.
As fascinating as it was, my brain hurt. Rudely, I texted every word to Greg, as fast as my thumbs could type.
“I’ve always adored you, Lizzie. You were the best thing that ever happened to my brother. That’s why he was so desperate to keep you in his life. All of this should have been yours.”
Lizzie’s lips were a thin line. Usually, she wore her heart on her sleeve, but I had no idea what she was thinking.
“I had to come see you in person. I don’t want anything from you or Jere. I’d like to keep my job, but I understand if you need to replace me. I’ve alerted the police here that Mom is in a fit. I warned her to stay away but she doesn’t listen.”
Everyone stood there awkwardly for at least a minute.
“Thank you,” Lizzie said. “This situation is uncomfortable for all of us. I’ve always liked you, Levi, for this reason. But your mother has tried to hurt me more than once. I imagine she’ll be taking Jere and me to court soon.”
Levi shook his head. “The will is iron-clad. Mom would be wasting her money. I told her as much. She might think about it, but it won’t happen. I can’t promise that but I think we are all ready to move on.”
“I hope so. Jere and I need you at the company. We’ll have our hands full as it is. And, as a gesture of good faith, I’m giving the home back to you. If you want to live there, great, but sell it if you want.
“I have no desire to live there. My home is in Sweet River. I’m happy here with my friends, who already feel like family.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he said.
“I want to. I belong here. This is home.”
Lizzie uncrossed her arms. “Come give me a hug. I’ve missed you.”
I slipped out the door.
Well, I guess that was another suspect I could cross off the list.
Maybe.
I had an idea. A way to discover why someone killed Mort.
I just had to convince everyone else involved.
Chapter Twenty
Jasmine had gone all out for our special weekend. We’d stopped calling it a girls’ weekend because we’d invited Jere. It was quite different than what we had planned a few days ago.
I parked my SUV and said a little prayer. As long as we all survived tonight, I was going to call this a win.
My brother thought I was nuts, but then he had to work within the parameters of the law.
My friends and I do not. Though, the only person who knew why we were doing this was Jasmine. Shannon had a hard time keeping a secret and if she had any clue what we hoped would happen, she’d be a nervous wreck.
Not that I wasn’t. The nerves jangled hard in my stomach.
Carrie had to dog- and kitten-sit for me, so that I could focus on finding out information. Besides, her brothers were so excited to have a dog and a kitten around. I had a feeling poor George would be tired when I picked him up later.
Jasmine’s old Southern mansion had been transformed into a dreamy house that might have sat right in the French Quarter. It was a Georgian style and had gone from haunted-house scary to something that could have been in Architectural Digest.
It’s amazing how fast things can be done with an unlimited budget.
I knocked on the arched double doors.
“Hey,” Jasmine said. “Come in.”
“This place.” I made a circle in her foyer.
“It’s better than I imagined,” Jasmine said. “There’s still work to do on the third floor and the cellar is like something out of a horror film, but the rest is not bad.”
I laughed. “You are consistently the Queen of Understatement. Is anyone else here?”
“No. You’re the first and I’m glad. I need to go over a few things with you.”
“Whatever you need.” I followed her into the living area.
“Do you think there’s a chance—” It was as if she couldn’t say the words.
“We will be fine. I honestly think this was a crime of passion. Otherwise, the killer would have murdered Gran and Becky. Greg and Lucy will be nearby in the security room with your guards, and there will be two more deputies stationed outside your house.”
She breathed deeply, and so did I. “I think I needed to tell myself that, as much as you had to hear it.” We laughed.
“We got this. I do feel bad that Lizzie and Shannon aren’t in on it,” she said.
“Greg says it’s need to know. Shannon gets nervous in these situations and Lizzie is an unknown factor—my brother’s words. We are all grateful you are doing this and sharing your home.”
“I’d do anything for you.” We hugged.
“There’s just been one small change,” she said as she led me to her gorgeous new living area. There were gardenias, hydrangeas, and roses everywhere. In the dining area there was a smorgasbord of food and a huge cake on a table in the corner. The furniture was elegant but simple, very much like the owner.
“It’s all so beautiful,” I said. I liked my house. It was a farmhouse and a very sort of put your feet up on the coffee table kind of place. But Jasmine’s deserved a full-page spread in a magazine.
“I’d take all the credit, but I had some help from my designer friends in L.A. Thank goodness for video messaging. I’m not into fancy—you saw my condo in Houston—but this place needed something elevated. And that’s my friend’s word not mine. It’s kind of New Orleans meets farmhouse and it feels like home for sure.”
“That’s the best part.”
The doorbell rang.
She clapped her hands. “Places, people, the show is about to begin.”
I laughed so hard I had to bend over.
“What’s so funny?” Shannon asked. She was carrying a huge gift.
I frowned. “Who is that for?”
“You, silly. It’s your birthday present. Duh. That’s why we’re here.” She sat it down on the floor by the cake.
I’d forgotten that was the
pretense for the party. My birthday was the next day, so it had made sense.
“But this is a housewarming gift for Jasmine.” She handed it to our friend. It was wine in a velvet wine bag.
“The one thing you can never have too much of,” Jasmine joked.
After pouring some wine, we sat down on the sofas while we waited for the others.
Thunder cracked overhead, and we all jumped a little.
I’d been so busy I hadn’t checked the weather in days. Usually, in this part of Texas, it was super-hot and muggy, and would be for several weeks. The kind of hot where I get wet just going outside to my car.
The doorbell rang again. This time it was Levi and Jere. “We drove over together,” he said. But he didn’t look happy about it.
Did they have words in the car?
“Thank you for inviting me,” Levi said. His face was a mask of politeness, but his eyes darted around the room. “Where’s Lizzie?”
“She’ll be here soon,” Jasmine said. “She texted a few minutes ago and said she was running a little late. Some sort of late order at the bakery. You two come on in and let’s get you some wine. Unless you prefer something stronger?”
“Wine is great,” Levi said. The two men followed her to the bar.
But Jere stopped, came over and kissed my cheek and then Shannon’s. “Hello, my best new girlfriends.”
“Hi,” we said.
“This is my—I mean, Levi,” he said.
“It’s great to meet you. Lizzie and Jere adore you all. They wouldn’t stop talking about you.”
He did seem like a nice guy.
After everyone picked up their wine, Jasmine made a toast. “To my bestie Ains, who has the biggest heart and is always there for her friends. Happy birthday, Ains.”
The heat on my cheeks was burning. “Thank you. I’m glad we all had time to get together,” I said. “And it’s fun to have new friends.” I raised my glass to the men.
The doorbell rang. It was a very frazzled Lizzie. When she finally sat down with a glass of wine, she took a deep breath. Then she patted my hand. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “It was a little crazy late this afternoon.”
“No worries. We still have some wine left.”
Everyone laughed and relaxed in their chairs.
“We are grown-ups,” Jasmine said. “But I have all these icebreaker games from years of working with corporate folks. It’s a great way to get to know people fast. And you don’t have to answer anything that might make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Oh, I love a good game.” Jere clapped his hands like a child who’d just been given some candy.
“First question is a serious one.” Jasmine smiled. “The zombie apocalypse is nigh. What three people are on your team?”
Everyone’s answers were really funny. I picked Shannon, Jasmine, and Lizzie. I didn’t like leaving the new guys out, but it was the zombie apocalypse; one must choose wisely. “Shannon makes the coffee, Lizzie makes the cake, and Jasmine can make anything happen in minutes.” We all laughed.
“It’s good to have your priorities: coffee and cake, and a wizard,” Levi said.
“Exactly,” I said.
“Okay.” Jasmine pulled out a new card. “Where did you go on your last date and who was it with?”
“Does the night we all went out count?” Lizzie asked. “I can’t even remember the last time I went out on a date.”
“Honey, that’s just sad. We need to do something about that,” Jere said.
“My last date was with…Kane, and we went for a picnic by the lake. It was nearly perfect right up until the mosquitos came out and we ran into some fire ants. I’m still itchy.” Jasmine rubbed her arms.
“Whoo-hoo,” I said under my breath. I loved that she and Kane were dating.
“Don’t get any ideas, Ains. We’re taking it slow.”
I stared up at the ceiling. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. And my last date was with Jake. We had pizza and doughnuts and watched My Fair Lady. He didn’t even complain that it was a musical.”
“Because it’s like the best musical ever,” Shannon said.
Jere raised his glass to that. “Audrey gets me every time.”
“Me too,” Jasmine said. “How about you, Shannon?”
“Well, since I got married, I only get to date my husband. It’s a rule or something,” she joked. “But it’s busy wine season. He’s exhausted, and I fall asleep at eight most nights. But we’ve been watching Luther, which we love. I decided that my next husband would be Idris Elba. Mike said that was fine, as long as he could hang out with us. I think he has a man crush.”
“Hear. Hear,” Jere said. “We will all drink to that.”
“Okay, Jere. So, who was your last date?” I asked.
He stared down at his shoes uncomfortably. Then he glanced at Levi and they held eyes.
Wait. What?
“Are you two dating?” Shannon asked. “That’s so cool. Why didn’t you tell us?”
Levi cleared his throat. “I’m not out yet,” he said. “We’re being discreet, especially now with everything that’s going on at the company.”
“Your secret is safe with us,” Shannon said. “I am sorry you don’t feel like you can be yourself in public, but you’re in a safe circle. Or maybe we should be a coven. I’ve always loved witches.”
“Me, too,” Jere said. “I have to show you the witch’s hat on my knee. That one hurt, but it was worth it.”
“I’m so glad you felt comfortable enough to tell us,” Jasmine said. “About the relationship.”
Levi smiled tightly, and Jere reached out for his hand.
Then something clicked in my brain. “Did Mort know?” Crap. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
They jumped.
“Sorry. It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Did I mention I have foot-in-mouth disease? I didn’t mean to pry.”
Shannon rolled her eyes. “It’s a part of her nature. You get used to the inquisitions.”
Good save, Shannon.
“But we love you,” Jasmine said. “We’ll do some more questions later, but now let’s eat. I can’t believe I didn’t say that first.”
There was a bit of a break as we were all chitchatting and filling our plates. The awkwardness was gone.
“My brother did know,” Levi said from beside me. I nearly dropped my plate because I hadn’t seen him move.
“Oh. I hope he was happy for you,” I said.
He frowned. “I wouldn’t say that. I feel sorry for Jere, because he’s been caught in the middle of all of this. It’s not fair to him but I can’t let him go.”
The love in his voice was evident. I thought I knew who the killer was, but maybe I’d been wrong.
“It feels a bit like throwing stones at glass houses,” I said.
“Right? It’s complicated. We have rules at work and they are there for a reason.”
Jere and Lizzie were having an intense conversation in the huge kitchen.
I wonder what that’s about?
“Those two are hilarious. They’re probably fighting over Superman and Batman.” He laughed but it wasn’t a happy sound.
Before I could head that way, Jasmine called to me.
“Greg wants you to keep your phone on you,” she whispered. “He has a couple of questions he wants you to squeeze into the conversation.”
“Yeah, because I haven’t made things awkward enough tonight. This is why I don’t do parties.”
We laughed.
Another crack of thunder made everyone jump.
“This is why I moved the party indoors,” Jasmine said. “Besides, until the pool and patio area screened in, I’m not going outside at night again. It’s going to be like this for a few hours, so let’s ignore it and have some fun. If the power goes out, I have quite a few generators, so we’ll be fine,” she said to the group.
The weather must have been the big change she’d been talking about. Good news for me.
I wouldn’t have to lie and say I forgot my swimsuit. I’m not a big party person and pool parties are the worst. It probably wasn’t such a big deal for Jasmine, who looked like Halle Berry. But me—nope.
Rain poured down and we stared out at the pool area she’d mentioned.
“That’s a lot of rain,” Levi said.
“My dad would call this a gully washer,” Shannon said.
“I’ve never heard that,” Lizzie said. “I’m not sure I know what a gully is. I’m guessing some sort of ravine where water runs.”
Shannon shrugged. “I think so but when we were kids, it meant the street would flood, so we could sail boats to the end of the block. That was of course before we worried about things like typhoid and a thousand other diseases you can get from flood waters.”
I chuckled. “Funny, for kids the whole world is a wonderland of fun. And then grown-ups are afraid of everything.”
“Well, some of us are more fun than others,” Jere said snottily. He was in some sort of mood and he wouldn’t stop glaring at Lizzie. Whatever had happened put a new rift between the friends.
Was she upset he was dating Levi and didn’t tell us? I completely understood why they wouldn’t. One thing I did know about her was that she was fair and kind to everyone she met. People said that about me, but they had no idea how judgey I could be sometimes. But Lizzie wasn’t like that.
“Lizzie, did you try these canapés Shannon brought? I could eat the whole plate.” She followed me over.
“Is everything okay?” I whispered.
Her brows drew together. “What do you mean?”
“The fighting?”
She sighed. There was a lot of that going on these days.
“He should have told me about Levi. We’ve been talking about all this business stuff and making it a smooth transition. What if the board finds out they are dating? I don’t want them to stop, but I can’t protect Levi and Jere’s jobs, if they aren’t honest with me.”
She cared so much about people.
“I don’t think they meant to be secretive, as much as protective of Levi.”
She pressed her lips together. “I understand that now. But I had to ask him if they were hiding anything else. Then he acted a little fishy, and wouldn’t tell me anything. I’m not mad—more annoyed.”
A Case for the Cookie Baker Page 12
