by Leena Clover
Cassie’s eyes widened.
“You mean Finn O’Malley?”
The man was as grumpy as they came. Anna and Cassie had encountered him when they had gone to the Gardiner mansion the first time. He had been lurking around their car, a big German Shepherd at his heels. He turned his back on them when they spotted him. Anna had called out a greeting but there was no response. Pearson told them the man didn’t talk much. He was the same with everyone.
“He hated the old man,” Mrs. Chang supplied. “Blamed him for his wife’s death. I think he took revenge.”
Cassie tried to process what she had heard.
“Finn thought Mr. Gardiner was responsible for Ruth’s death? That doesn’t make sense. Why would he harm his granddaughter?”
“He was careless.” Mrs. Chang shrugged. “Man thinks old man did not pay attention to Ruth. She and baby both died.”
Cassie couldn’t believe a man like Edward Gardiner had been negligent toward his own granddaughter.
“How do you know this, Mrs. Chang?”
“My nephew goes to support group …”
She didn’t elaborate further. Cassie didn’t want to know who had violated Finn’s privacy.
“Thanks, Mrs. Chang! The food smells good. You didn’t forget the fortune cookies, did you?”
Cassie hefted the two bags bursting with steaming cartons of food and started walking home. She couldn’t wait to tell Anna what she had just learnt.
The Butler house was the brightest house on the street. Tiny festive wreaths hung in the windows and lights were strung on every available surface. A nativity scene took up one side of the front lawn while some reindeer reposed on the other.
Cassie went in and stopped to stare at the tree in the foyer. They were still decorating it. Anna had been digging out box after box of ornaments from the attic and the garage. Red and gold orbs hung on the branches, dragging them down with their weight. Crystal snowflakes were interspersed in between. A gold ribbon was draped around the tree from top to bottom. They were going to make popcorn garlands next.
“We’re in the dining room, Cassie,” Anna called out.
“What took you so long, girl?” Sofia sipped wine and glowered at her.
“You’ll never believe this!” Cassie dumped the bag of takeout on the table and started telling Anna about her conversation with Mrs. Chang.
“So Finn had a grudge against Edward?” Anna’s eyebrows shot up. “That changes things. We need to find out more about this.”
“Have you seen the stockings, Cassie?” Meg asked eagerly. “We just hung them over the fireplace.”
She almost dragged Cassie into the living room.
Sofia muttered disapprovingly and started munching on a spring roll.
“Why don’t we start, Mama?” Anna suggested. “The girls will join us.”
Cassie and Meg heard her and trooped back to the dining room. Everyone was hungry and they devoted themselves to doing justice to the food.
Meg stood up as soon as she was done.
“I have to go to the town hall for a meeting. All the Seaside Lights volunteers are going to get their tasks assigned tonight.”
“But Cassie’s making her famous banana fritters,” Anna reminded her. “Are you going to miss dessert?”
“Save some for me, please?” Meg pleaded. “I want to get there early. Otherwise I’ll be stuck with the jobs nobody wants.”
“Sit down, young lady!” Sofia put her fork down. “What about the popcorn garlands? Everyone in the family is involved in making those. It’s tradition.”
Meg looked torn.
“Can we do that after I get back, Nana?”
“Let her go, Nana,” Cassie pleaded. “We can sit by the fire, sip some wine and catch up. Tell me about your friends down south.”
Sofia capitulated with a smile. “Don’t forget your coat. We’ll wait for you.”
They decided to postpone dessert until Meg got back.
Cassie topped up their wine and took the glasses out to the living room. She curled up in her favorite chair and gazed at the jumbo red stockings with everyone’s names on them. She couldn’t stop looking at them.
“This is nice, isn’t it, Mom?” she sighed. “I’d forgotten what Christmas at home feels like.”
“We missed you a lot, you know.” Anna’s eyes misted. “Your father and I couldn’t stop wishing you would surprise us with a visit. We had the foster kids some years, but there were times when it was just the two of us.”
“I wanted to be here, Mom.” Cassie was apologetic. “No matter where I was in the world, I wanted to be right here in this living room. I was thinking about you, and believe it or not, I was thinking about Meg.”
“We’re all here now.” Anna smiled. “That’s what matters most, Cassie.”
“If only we didn’t have these distractions. Seriously, Mom, why are you getting involved in this Gardiner business? We hardly knew the man.”
“Your grandpa worked for him all his life, Cassie.” Sofia looked grim. “He looked up to the man. Edward always took care of us. Now it’s our turn. Anna should help if she can.”
“I was just helping Gino. You know how he supported me against Lara Crawford. But Mom’s right too.”
Cassie saw Anna’s eyelid twitch and wondered why her mother seemed nervous. Was she hiding something?
“Okay Mom. But can’t you do this after the holidays? Why spoil the Christmas cheer?”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Anna admitted. “But life doesn’t always follow our agenda.”
“What does that mean?” Sofia asked.
“One of my old customers came into the bookstore today. She’s about your age, Cassie. Martha Collins. Do you know her?”
“Does she look over her shoulder a lot?” Cassie asked. “I think I remember her from high school. She was really short and pudgy.”
“She’s still the same,” Anna laughed. “And she wheezes every now and then. Martha’s fond of romance books. She buys one at the beginning of every month.”
“What about this girl?” Sofia was impatient. “Stop blabbering and get to the point, Anna.”
“Sorry Mama. Anyway, it turns out Martha works as a maid at the Gardiner mansion. She’s been living there all these years and I never knew.”
“She must be the cook’s niece Pearson was telling us about,” Cassie reminded her.
“Martha seems very fond of Sharon and Alison. She told me Edward didn’t like Finn O’Malley. The two barely spoke to each other.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Sofia said. “You say this grandson-in-law lives with the family. Why would Edward take him in if he resented him?”
“Finn doesn’t actually live in the main house, Nana,” Cassie explained. “He lives in a small cottage on the property. They could go days without seeing each other.”
“Not true, Cassie. Pearson said Finn ate with the family.”
“Is that all Martha said, Mom?”
Anna’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
“That’s just it. She told me Edward and Finn had a big fight the day after the Christmas party. That’s what, a couple of days before the old man died, right?”
“Did she say what the fight was about?” Cassie’s eyes widened.
“She doesn’t know. They were in the library. Martha said she heard raised voices but couldn’t tell what they were saying. Sharon had to intervene, apparently.”
“You have your work cut out for you, Mom. You need to talk to both Sharon and Finn O’Malley. Just promise you won’t go there alone.”
“I wish it were that simple. Finn barely says a word and Sharon talks too much. Getting either of them to say something pertinent is going to be a challenge.”
Cassie’s brain was off on a different track.
“Did Gino know Sharon back in the day?”
“What are you hinting at, Cassie?”
“It seems natural that Gino and Sharon would have moved in the same circ
les when they were young. So it’s not a stretch to think they might have dated at some point.”
“So what? That was a long time ago.”
“Don’t you see, Mom? They live in the same town and they are both single. How do you know he’s not still seeing her?”
Chapter 11
Anna packed two cranberry sage cupcakes in the fancy new boxes with the café logo. Cassie said they would help spread the word about Anna’s Café. Then she had given Anna a long spiel about how branding was necessary for any business. Meg had designed the simple logo with Anna’s Café in a cursive font with two magnolia flowers on either side.
“I hear you are looking into Edward Gardiner’s death, Anna.” Ian Samuels picked up his cupcakes and coffee. “Any progress so far?”
“You probably know more about it than I do, Ian,” Anna joked. “I’m thinking of sitting down with you to swap notes.”
“You know where I am all day. Come down to the Chronicle any time.”
Anna waved goodbye and reluctantly glanced at the corner table. The short, frail man sitting there nursed his coffee and gave Anna a piercing look. She couldn’t ignore him any longer.
Anna poured a cup of coffee for herself and walked over.
“Why are you here?” she asked Craig Rose.
“I want an update.” His tone was harsh. “What steps have you taken to prove Finn’s innocence?”
“I never promised you that. I’m just going to figure out what happened to Edward. Or I’m going to try.”
“You do want to know what your husband was keeping from you?”
Anna tried to hide her desperation.
“How do I know you’re not bluffing?”
“You don’t. I’m calling the shots here.”
Craig Rose stood up and walked out without another word.
The Firecrackers arrived for coffee. Cassie came in through the bookstore.
“Have you started shopping for presents, Aunt Julie?” she winked.
“Are we giving presents?” Julie looked shocked.
“Well, duh!” Mary gave her a frown. “It’s Christmas, Julie. Of course we are getting presents for each other.”
“This is the first year Meg’s with us,” Anna said brightly. “And Cassie’s home after a long time.”
“Don’t forget the main thing, Mom.” Cassie hugged her mother. “You are cancer free.”
“At least for now,” Anna murmured.
“It’s a special year,” Mary nodded. “You think we should make a shopping trip to the city?”
They plunged into a lively discussion about which malls to visit and whether to share a wish list or not.
“Look at the time.” Anna sprang up. “I’m late for lunch with Gino.”
“You’re wearing that on a date?” Cassie crinkled her eyes at Anna’s outfit of dark trousers and pine green cable knit sweater.
“What’s wrong with this?” Anna gave herself a quick onceover. “And it’s not a date. It’s just a working lunch.”
“Doesn’t hurt to look your best,” Julie offered.
“Just a little spruce up won’t hurt,” Mary added.
Cassie pulled out a tube of lipstick from the pocket of her jeans. It was dark red.
“Chanel always works. This shade is perfect for the season.”
Anna protested. She never wore dark lipstick. The girls prevailed and sent her off feeling a bit self conscious.
Gino was meeting her at the Yellow Tulip. He was already seated in a booth when Anna reached the diner. His face lit up when he spotted her.
“You look pretty today, Anna.” He stood up to help her in.
Anna thanked him blushingly and hid behind the menu she knew by heart.
They both ordered ham and cheese sandwiches with a side of onion rings.
“Things don’t look good for O’Malley.”
“Did you talk to Teddy Fowler?” Anna looked over her shoulder, hoping the booth behind them was empty.
Rumors spread like wildfire at the Yellow Tulip.
“Their theory is that Edward was killed for his money. Finn O’Malley was dependent on the old man. He is also known to be irascible and impulsive which works against him.”
“Didn’t he win some kind of medal?” Anna was surprised. “He must get a pension for being a soldier. Why would he depend on Edward?”
“He got used to the good life?” Gino absently picked up his jumbo sandwich and took a hearty bite. “I don’t understand why he lives here. His wife is gone and they didn’t have any kids.”
“You think he was sponging off the old man.”
“Makes sense, doesn’t it? You were there at the Christmas party. The Gardiners live like that every day, Anna.”
“Easy to get used to being waited upon by maids and butlers,” Anna agreed. “Didn’t Edward’s largesse depend on him staying alive, though? What’s the guarantee that whoever inherits will allow Finn to stick around?”
“That’s a good question. So is what you want for dessert.”
Anna laughed and reminded Gino she was surrounded by sweets all day.
“What about that big announcement Edward was going to make?”
“He hinted about it to a lot of people.” Gino asked the waitress for a piece of pumpkin pie. “But none of them had an inkling of what was coming.”
“My gut instinct says that announcement was important. We need to find out more about it.”
Gino left for an appointment soon after, promising he would keep Anna updated. Anna enjoyed the walk back to the café. It was a bright and sunny December morning with salty breezes blowing in from the bay. Anna decided it was just cold enough to be enjoyable. People greeted each other joyously and the holiday spirit was evident everywhere.
Sofia was waiting for her at the café. Anna remembered they were supposed to decorate the trees in the café and bookstore that afternoon. Meg and Cassie pitched in and they had a merry time of it.
Anna had ordered some custom ornaments on the sly. The girls exclaimed when they saw their names engraved on shiny gold orbs. Sofia insisted on taking pictures before they went home.
Dinner was boisterous, although it was just the four of them. Anna was pleased to see everyone happy. Sofia had made a big pot of ribollita, a hearty Tuscan soup with vegetables and greens. Cassie made her special garlic bread. It was a simple but tasty meal. They were all feeling a little worn out and everyone wanted an early night.
Anna finished her daily baking the next morning and rushed through her breakfast. Julie was going to pick her up. They planned to pay George Pearson another visit.
If Pearson was surprised to see them, he didn’t show it.
“Ms. Sharon is out meeting some friends.”
“We are here to see you, Pearson.” Anna smiled encouragingly. “Can we talk somewhere?”
The butler led them to a small room near the kitchen. Anna hadn’t noticed it before. Pearson told them he used it as an office.
“So you hang out here all day until you are summoned?” Julie noted heartily.
Two fat bookshelves covered a wall, crammed with all kinds of books. Either Pearson was a voracious reader or he wasn’t very discerning. A turntable reposed on a side table next to a stack of vinyl records.
“How can I help you, Madam?” Pearson was deferential.
“I won’t beat around the bush,” Anna began. “You were heard badmouthing your employer at the pub.”
The man looked sheepish.
“That’s not all,” Anna continued. “You said you were going to push him down the stairs.”
“I don’t remember that!” Pearson looked alarmed. “I must have been drunk.”
“This doesn’t look good for you, Pearson. You publicly declared your intention of hurting Edward. What was that about?”
“It was nothing, believe me. I was just frustrated. Do you know I have devoted my life to this family? I’ve worked here for forty years, since I was a lad of fifteen. Never thought of leaving.”
“So this was about money?” Julie prompted.
“I have a good life here. Now. But I need to think of retirement. I wanted Mr. Gardiner to settle something on me right now, while he was still alive.”
“He didn’t agree?” Anna sympathized.
“He told me he would think about it. I thought he was just brushing me off. So I went to the pub to let off steam.”
“Are you sure you didn’t take it out on him?” Anna asked grimly.
“There was no need to. Mr. Gardiner called me in two days later and told me about a trust fund he created for me. I would get a generous pension as long as I was alive. He also gave me a big Christmas bonus and a raise.”
Pearson looked wistful when he told them about his windfall.
“Mr. Gardiner was generous to a fault. I feel embarrassed about that hissy fit I threw at the Tipsy Whale. I just hope he never knew about it.”
Anna and Julie politely declined Pearson’s offer of eggnog and headed back to the café.
“What are you thinking?” Julie asked.
“If Edward was this generous to his butler, think what he must have done for his family?”
Julie nodded in agreement.
“He must have made sure they were all comfortable long after he was gone.”
Anna sighed.
“So unless someone got really greedy, there was no need to kill him for his money.”
Chapter 12
Anna closed her eyes and savored the flavor of the taco she had just eaten.
“These fish tacos are incredible, Mama. Where did you learn how to make these?”
Sofia beamed with pleasure.
“We have a Mexican chef at the senior center. These tacos are his specialty, Anna. They are the most asked for on Taco Tuesday.”
“I’m not very familiar with Mexican food.” Meg licked some sauce off her fingers. “But I love it. This sauce, Nana. I have never tasted anything like this.”
“That’s ancho chili salsa, Meg. I had to hound the chef for months to get this recipe. We finally agreed to swap. Had to give him the secret ingredient for my tiramisu.”
“Bobby’s back,” Cassie announced. “He went in shock when we had a video call today. Says I have put on twenty pounds. I told him it’s Nana’s fault.”
