by Leena Clover
Chapter 18
Anna stared at the almost empty display case in the café. A couple of muffins and two sugar cookies were all they had left.
“Are you sure we don’t have more?” she asked Meg.
“Blame it on the weather.” Meg laughed heartily.
The sun had decided to shine brightly that day, bringing the tourists in droves.
“Looks like the entire state of California want to do their holiday shopping today,” Anna sighed. “We’re going to run out of everything before 11.”
“We can take the rest of the day off and do something,” Meg suggested.
“Like what?” Anna muttered. “Mama’s wrapping our presents today, remember? So we can’t go home.”
Cassie breezed in from the bookstore.
“We sold more books today than on Black Friday. We should celebrate.”
“Great idea, Cassie!” Anna beamed at the girls. “We are going out for lunch.”
“To the Yellow Tulip?” Meg brightened. “They have a chili and corn bread special today.”
“We can do better than that.” Anna took Meg by the shoulders and whirled her around. “You’ll see.”
“What’s the plan, Mom?” Cassie looked amused.
“It’s a beautiful sunny day in December and I’m taking my girls out for lunch. That’s all you need to know for now.”
Anna flipped the café sign to ‘Closed’ half an hour later. She called out to Cassie and Meg and freshened her lipstick. The deep red shade was beginning to grow on her.
Cassie brought her ancient Mercedes convertible around. Meg climbed into the back seat while Anna shook her head in disbelief.
“Aren’t you going to put the top up?”
“It’s broken, Mom,” Cassie giggled. “We can still walk to the Yellow Tulip.”
Anna muttered under her breath and got in.
“We are going to the Castle Beach Resort. I hear their new chef does an excellent lunch.”
Cassie drove to the luxury resort, grumbling about how far it was by road. The route was scenic and they enjoyed the vistas of the towering pines and the rocky cliffs. The bay stretched as far as the eye could see, shimmering in the golden sunlight.
The concierge welcomed Anna and the girls warmly. He explained that Charlie Robinson, the genial owner, was out of town on business. They were escorted to a table that overlooked the water, giving them a grand view of the area.
Anna chose the chef’s tasting menu for all of them and accepted a sparkling drink from the server. It had muddled cranberries, giving it a festive look.
“How was your date last night, Meg?” Cassie asked.
“I forgot all about it!” Anna exclaimed. “Did that Phoenix behave himself?”
“We barely got a chance to talk.” Meg pursed her mouth. “I had no idea we were going to meet Alison and Rupert.”
“So it was a double date?” Cassie shrugged. “It does have some advantages. You have someone to talk to if things get awkward. And there’s safety in numbers. Remember that, Meg.”
“Phoenix said it was a coincidence.” Meg didn’t look convinced. “Anyway, that Rupert was talking so much I could barely get a word in. I don’t like that guy.”
The server brought some appetizers. There were shot glasses of lobster bisque. Savory crab puffs and fried ravioli sprinkled with fresh parmesan vied for attention.
Anna popped a crab puff in her mouth and narrowed her eyes.
“What did he say this time?”
“He was bragging about the time he got arrested for assault and battery.”
Anna and Cassie sat up with a jerk.
“What?” Cassie croaked. “Who did he beat up?”
“His grandpa.” Meg drained a glass of bisque and speared a ravioli with her fork. “They argued over something and the grandpa held back his allowance. Rupert punched him in the face and stormed out. He broke the poor man’s nose, Anna. A neighbor heard him crying for help and called the police.”
“He’s a nasty piece of work.” Cassie was alarmed. “Stay away from him, Meg.”
“I didn’t go looking for him.” Meg twisted her mouth. “I don’t know why Phoenix hangs out with him. They are complete opposites.”
“This Phoenix doesn’t look very discerning,” Anna frowned. “I’m not sure I approve of him, Meg.”
“Are you for real, Mom?” Cassie burst out. “This isn’t the dark ages. Meg doesn’t need your permission to date someone.”
Meg looked uncomfortable. She stared at the ground while they were served tiny lamb meatballs with a creamy yogurt and mint dip along with a citrus fruit salad.
“I don’t mind, Cassie,” Meg spoke up. “I like that Anna is looking out for me.”
“You’re smart enough to make your own choices, Meg.” Anna placed a hand on Meg’s shoulder. “I didn’t mean to be high handed. But I’m not sure if you like this young man.”
“Neither am I,” Meg smiled.
They sighed in unison as the main course was brought out, individual pot pies with buttery crusts with a side of the truffle mac and cheese Anna loved.
“Did you talk to Alison?” Cassie asked Meg. “How is she coping?”
“She seems to be doing great. Asked if I wanted to go shopping with her.”
“Sounds just like Sharon.” Anna dug her fork into the pot pie. “These Gardiners have a weird way of handling grief.”
“Did you meet Sharon again?” Cassie asked her.
“Not since I spoke to Finn,” Anna replied. “She was in the city yesterday, shopping for presents.”
“What about Mr. Samuels?” Cassie asked. “I wonder why the Chronicle hasn’t printed any article on the Gardiners yet. I would have expected some human interest piece by this time.”
“You’re right.” Anna took a bite of the rich and creamy pot pie and moaned with pleasure. “Have you tasted this, Cassie? It’s pure heaven!”
Cassie obliged and took a bite.
“This is really good, Mom. We must compliment the chef.” She tasted the mac and cheese and licked the spoon. “Doesn’t Mr. Samuels come to the café a lot?”
“He does,” Anna nodded. “He asks me if I have any new leads every morning. I ask him the same. He said I can go over to the Chronicle offices any time to check his notes.”
“Not a bad idea, Mom. Why don’t you deputize Meg?”
Meg had been busy inhaling the food. She could barely keep her eyes open.
“Where are you sending me, Cassie?”
“Can you go to the Dolphin Bay Chronicle and do some research for me?” Anna asked.
“Will Mr. Samuels be there too?” Meg asked. “He makes me feel so dumb.”
“That’s the high school teacher in him,” Cassie laughed. “I felt like that too when I was in his class.”
“Ian Samuels is harmless,” Anna assured Meg. “And he’s a kind man. He would never belittle anyone, least of all, a student.”
“I guess it’s all in my head,” Meg admitted. “What am I looking for, Anna?”
Anna paused as the army of servers arrived with their dessert. The three Butler women couldn’t hide their amazement at the exquisitely plated dish.
“This is like, five or six desserts in one,” Meg exclaimed. “It’s a piece of art.”
Cassie was more used to gourmet dining. She whacked the dome of chocolate before her and cried with delight at the smaller dome inside. A tap on it caused molten chocolate to flow from all sides on to a scoop of gelato.
None of them spoke until they had scraped their plates clean and licked their spoons dry.
“Tell her what she’s doing at the Chronicle, Mom.” Cassie patted her stomach and groaned.
“What do we know about the Gardiners?” Anna asked. “Nothing other than Gino’s version and the little that the staff or Finn O’Malley told us. Sharon or Alison have been practically useless in this aspect.”
“Don’t forget the gossip around town,” Cassie reminded her.
“That’s right!” Anna beamed. “Gossip. Or news. And what’s the most authentic source of news in town?”
“The Chronicle archives!” Cassie exclaimed. “Brilliant, Mom.”
Anna bobbed her head eagerly.
“Go to the Chronicle and read up on the Gardiners, Meg. Go back a hundred years if you have to. But find out everything that was written about them. Who knows? It might give us some insight into the family.”
Meg looked uncertain.
“What if I don’t find anything?”
“That’s impossible. The Chronicle will have accounts of births and deaths at the very least. The Gardiners have been philanthropists for three generations. There must be several articles written about them.”
Meg finally began to look interested.
They lingered over their coffee, digesting the heavy meal, enjoying the view. Half an hour later, Cassie dropped Meg off outside the Chronicle. Anna was spending the rest of the day at Bayside Books, going over the accounts.
The sun was just setting over the horizon when Cassie pulled up outside the Chronicle that evening. Meg was waiting for them, bouncing on her toes, clutching a paper in her hands.
“What did you find?” Anna asked urgently, picking up on Meg’s excitement.
“There were dozens of old articles on the Gardiners.” Meg flung the paper in Anna’s lap and jumped into the back seat. “This one seemed most interesting.”
Anna stared at the grainy black and white picture. It showed a young couple huddled together in a booth at some restaurant.
“Is that Sharon?” she muttered after closer inspection. “Who’s that with her?”
Her eyes grew wide as she read the caption beneath the photo.
Heiress caught snuggling with the butler.
What was Sharon doing, having dinner with Pearson in a restaurant?
Cassie snatched the paper from Anna’s hands and stared at it.
“Wow Meg! You got the money shot!”
Chapter 19
Anna sat in her living room with Julie and Mary. Sofia had invited them for dinner. Luckily, Julie had just finished a section of her book and needed a break. Mary’s husband had his weekly poker game. So they had both eagerly accepted.
Sofia had cooked up a storm. There was fresh made pasta to go with baked fish for dinner. The antipasti tray was set out next to the wine. As if all this wasn’t enough, Sofia was making three kinds of bruschetta as an appetizer.
“You know the Gardiners well, Julie,” Anna said. “Do you remember anything about Sharon and George Pearson?”
Julie took a sip of her wine and nodded approvingly.
“That picture you have must be thirty years old, Anna. I was a bumbling twenty something at that time. The Gardiners were definitely not aware of my existence then.”
“I thought you were friends with Sharon.” Anna nibbled on a piece of smoked gouda, her favorite.
Julie shook her head.
“She was a secretary or something for some women’s group in the area. They invited me as keynote speaker. That’s when I met her. Must have been around five or six years ago.”
“You were a famous author by that time,” Mary nodded.
“Sharon and I got along somehow,” Julie continued. “Although I don’t know why. We have nothing in common. She invited me to a couple of soirees at the family mansion. Then I met the old man.”
“What about you, Mary?” Anna asked hopefully. “Didn’t you say your daughter was friends with Ruth?”
“Ruth often came to our house. The girls had play dates when they were kids. Then they had slumber parties. She stayed over a lot even when they were in high school.”
“You must have met Sharon?” Anna probed. “Who coordinated all these visits? Or dropped the girls off at school?”
“Ruth and Alison had a nanny. And they had a personal car and driver to take them where they wanted. I don’t think Sharon was involved in their day to day activities. Anyway, she never came over or introduced herself.”
Sofia came out to check on them.
“Which one do you like more?” she asked, pointing toward the bruschetta. “Roasted mushroom and rosemary or sundried tomato and goat cheese?”
Julie hastily picked one up and took a bite.
“Everything you cook is good, Sofia.”
“How close was Sharon to George Pearson?” Anna mused. “Was this photo just a coincidence or was it a casual date?”
“You think she was being rebellious?” Mary asked.
“She looks quite old in this picture,” Julie noted, peering at the piece of paper again. “I’d say mid twenties or late twenties.”
“I’m going to ask Meg to continue her research at the Chronicle,” Anna told them. “If we’re lucky, there might be more articles about them.”
“What about going to the horse’s mouth?” Mary asked. “Why not ask Sharon herself?”
“I doubt she will admit it.” Anna spread some herbed cheese on a cracker. “Especially if it was hush hush.”
“Who’s she hiding from now?” Julie smirked. “Edward is gone. So is George Pearson. Sharon is the oldest in the family now.”
“Why do you think an old affair matters now, Anna?” Mary asked quietly.
“Don’t you see?” Anna cried. “A man in love will do anything for his woman.”
“Even kill for her?” Julie was skeptical. “What are you getting at, Anna?”
“What if Sharon and Pearson were in collusion?” Anna’s eyes were wide as she explained her theory. “Sharon was afraid she would get nothing in the new will. So she talked Pearson into killing the old man.”
“George Pearson was considerably shorter than Edward,” Julie mused. “But he would still tower over a sleeping person.”
“Sharon could have been there with him.” Anna’s face was animated.
“Go on,” Julie said, picking up some cured meat. “Let’s play out this fantasy.”
“It’s completely plausible, Julie.” Anna reddened. “Sharon convinced poor George Pearson to do away with her brother. Then she got him out of the way herself.”
“So Sharon is a cold blooded woman responsible for not one but two murders?” Julie didn’t look convinced.
“Why don’t I talk to the women in my knitting club?” Mary asked gently. “If there were any rumors about Sharon dating her butler, they are sure to remember.”
Julie waved at the board with the names on it.
“Does that mean you don’t suspect O’Malley or that kid, Anna?”
“I don’t think we can rule them out yet.” Anna frowned. “Wonder why Alison is dating that Rupert. Edward couldn’t have approved of him.”
Meg came out, looking freshly showered. She had been on the phone with her adoptive parents.
“Mom and Dad have a big surprise for me,” she beamed. “I hope it’s a car.”
“How are you going to get it here?” Anna asked, trying not to picture Meg driving cross country through icy roads and blizzards.
“We talked about it.” Cassie breezed in and sat down next to Julie. She popped an olive in her mouth. “I will fly there and Meg and I will drive back to Dolphin Bay from Iowa. It will be a nice road trip.”
“Isn’t it early to make plans for summer?” Anna avoided looking at the girls.
“Summer! We are talking about January, Mom.”
Julie sensed what was coming and hastily changed the subject.
“Do you think Alison is serious about her boyfriend?” she asked Meg.
“They barely talk to each other.” Meg rolled a piece of meat, cheese and apricot together and popped it into her mouth. “Don’t see why Alison hangs out with him.”
“Can you try to get it out of her?” Anna was hopeful. “Why don’t you girls meet for coffee or something? She sounds like a good friend to have.”
“Alison is a spoiled brat, Mom.” Cassie looked worried. “I’m not sure she’s a good influence.”
Meg laughed.<
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“No offense, Cassie. But I’ve been around the block a few times. I can take care of myself.”
Anna tried not to think of the hardships Meg might have undergone in the various foster homes she had lived in.
Sofia hollered from the kitchen, announcing it was time to eat.
“The woman from the children’s home called.” Anna felt subdued as she twirled pasta on her fork.
“Did you tell them about all the gifts people are leaving at the café and the bookstore?” Cassie asked eagerly. “The kids are going to be happy on Christmas morning.”
“She was very grateful,” Anna nodded. “But she did have a request.”
Everyone looked up at Anna.
“People donate towels and blankets, even winter coats and socks, so they have plenty of those in stock. But the kids could use personal hygiene items like tooth brushes and razors.”
“Deodorant, too, Anna,” Meg supplied.
“We haven’t bought any gifts for the kids yet,” Julie spoke up. “Why don’t we pool our money and go buy this in bulk?”
“Great idea, Julie!” Sofia clapped her hands. “I’m going to write you a check soon as we finish eating.”
Julie and Mary went home after dessert. Sofia declared she wanted an early night. The Butler women played some board games for a while until Cassie started yawning. That set everyone off. Anna collapsed on her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Dark skies greeted Anna the next morning. But nothing could dampen her spirits. She was meeting Gino for breakfast at the Yellow Tulip.
She finished baking and dressed quickly, glad she could depend on Meg to open the café. She walked to the diner, enjoying the crisp air fragrant with the scent of pine and roasted chestnuts.
Gino sat in a booth at the back, reading the Chronicle. He greeted Anna with a hug and made sure she was comfortable.
The waitress came and poured coffee, giving them both a knowing look. Gino ordered an egg white omelet with grilled vegetables and wheat toast. Anna opted for the same.
“No biscuits and gravy today?” she teased, adding cream to her coffee.
