by Jody Holford
Putting a hand on his thigh, she leaned in. He turned toward her, his eyes widening a little as she initiated the kiss. His hand cupped her cheek and she pushed everything else away. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers.
“We should go.”
They got out of the car and walked toward the small building that would house the funeral. Behind the building was a large cemetery. Molly didn’t think much about death or dying usually, but lately, she couldn’t escape the thoughts. Hopefully, Sam was right and this would provide everyone with some measure of closure. Including her.
Molly was surprised by the number of people filling the pews when they walked inside. Sam took her hand and she stayed close to his side. Inside the double glass doors was a small lobby area. Another set of doors were propped open, showing a large room packed with people.
A huge picture of a much younger Vernon sat on an easel. At the door, Clay stood, greeting people, looking like he’d rather be anywhere other than there. A heavyset woman dressed in black stood at his side, wiping her nose with a crumpled tissue.
“Thank you for coming,” she sobbed to the people ahead of Molly and Sam.
“That’s Gretta,” Sam whispered.
“I figured.”
The offered condolences as they passed through the doors. “Let’s sit at the back,” Sam said quietly, putting a hand to the small of her back.
She couldn’t argue with that idea, especially when she saw Hannah and what had to be her family sitting in the back pew. Hannah smiled when she saw Molly and stood to hug her.
Molly returned the hug. “You okay?”
Hannah pulled back and nodded. She took Molly’s hand and pulled her forward. Molly sent Sam a “what do I do” look and followed. It was when Hannah started to introduce Molly to her parents, Leslie and Graham, that Molly noticed the little flecks of paint on Hannah’s arm.
Without thinking about it, Molly touched her arm, her stomach clutching when she recognized the shade of blue. Hannah turned, looked down at her arm and laughed.
“Oops. Savannah and I were painting signs for the pep rally at her house. Guess I didn’t get it all off. Mom, Dad, this is Molly.”
They both shook Molly’s hand and she knew she smiled and spoke, but her mind had gone utterly blank.
“Thank you for encouraging Hannah with her writing,” the girl’s mom said.
Molly blinked. “Sure. No problem. If you’ll excuse me.”
She hurried back to Sam, feeling winded. He took her hand as she sat and looked at her, his brows furrowing.
“What’s wrong?”
Molly clenched her teeth, then looked at him, forcing herself to remain calm. She leaned into him.
“Please don’t think I’m crazy. But Hannah has paint on her arm and it’s the same color as the painted words on my Jeep.”
Sam pulled back, his frown deeper. “Hannah?”
Molly nodded. “She said she was painting at Savannah’s house.”
Squeezing her hand, Sam glanced over, then back at Molly. “I’m sure it was just a coincidence, honey.”
Her heart melted, distracting her. “Don’t do that,” she whispered.
His eyes widened. “Do what?”
“Be all charming and call me sweet names when I’m freaking out a little. It’s distracting.”
Sam’s smile spread slowly, like the warmth in her belly. He leaned closer so she could feel his breath on her skin. “Sorry, honey. Carry on.”
She narrowed her eyes and tried to glare at him, failing miserably. His fingers tightened around hers again.
“We’ll figure it out. I’m sure there’s a reason. Let’s just get through this, okay?”
She agreed and gave into the temptation of just leaning her head on his shoulder.
The funeral itself was tasteful and quick. Other than Gretta taking the podium to express an undying love for the one she let get away. Clay ended up coming to her side, urging her to go back to her seat.
Molly hadn’t even noticed Clara Phillips until her husband took the podium. Thomas Black was the perfect match for his wife’s Kennedyesque style, with his wavy dark hair, dimpled cheek, and polished exterior. He smiled out at everyone.
“I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with Idowu Koyenikan, but in one of his books, he says: There is no denying that there is evil in this world but the light will always conquer the darkness.”
The mayor let those words settle over the crowd before he continued.
“It’s difficult to lose anyone and we’ve lost one of our own in a terrible way. But as I look out at a sea of people, I think, you are all the light in the darkness of this situation. The proof that goodness exists. It’s no secret that Vernon wasn’t the friendliest guy any of us had ever met, but he was, at heart, a good man. He was a father. A former husband. A citizen of our town. A storyteller. You don’t have to get along with someone for them to matter. You’ve all shown that today by showing up, by offering your condolences and support to Clay and to Gretta. Yes, there is darkness in the world. But it is what makes the light seem so bright and we have to hold onto that.”
Gretta sobbed in the front pew. Molly’s eyes scanned the crowd. Clara looked like she wanted to applaud her husband’s speech. Her hands were clasped in front of her, almost like she was praying. She continued to survey the room while Thomas spoke. Alan gave her a grim smile, as did Vicky, who was at his side. Elizabeth sat on her other side, staring straight ahead.
Molly couldn’t read the tone of the room and truthfully, she didn’t want to. She’d never been to a funeral, but could now say, with authority, that she hoped not to attend another. She had an overwhelming urge to see her parents. I’ll call them tonight and invite them for a visit. They’ll love that. They’d like her new home very much and they’d been stationary for a bit, so no doubt her dad would welcome the opportunity for a road trip.
The only ray of light Molly could see in all of what had happened was she now knew how very grateful she was to be alive. And safe.
Chapter 20
The Come ‘n Get It was packed with people. Calliope and Dean had set out a buffet-style spread and closed down the kitchen. It was kind of them to offer their space and made Molly like them even more.
Sam and Molly found a spot near the window, close to where she’d sat when she’d come on her own. Sam leaned against the wall, a small plate of appetizers in his hand. He’d let Molly take the stool. She picked up one of the crackers she’d put on her plate, but set it down.
Sam nudged her and she looked up. “We should do something fun this weekend. Do you like to camp?”
Molly scrunched her nose up. “Only when I’m pretending I can’t afford a night in a hotel.”
Sam rolled his eyes dramatically, pulling her out of her funk. “Oh, man. I should have asked you that before I ever put air in your tires. How can you have that awesome Jeep and not like to camp?”
Molly took a small bite of the cracker. “I didn’t know the two went hand in hand.”
“City girl.”
She smiled. “Guilty. Especially when it comes to not wanting to sleep in the great outdoors.”
“Fine. We’ll leave it for now, but we’ve got summer coming, so plan on me trying to convert you.”
“Good luck with that,” she said.
He chuckled and popped a cheese-covered cracker in his mouth. The noise of so many people was giving Molly a headache at the base of her skull. She gave up on the cracker and massaged the spot, tucking her hand under the loose ponytail she wore.
Sam set his plate down and put both hands on her shoulders, letting his fingers dig in. Molly dropped her hand and sighed, nearly giving into the desire to lean her head on his chest. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still dark and unfriendly, making it difficult to turn her mood around.
Sam leaned closer. “How about a picnic and a movie? Sunday. We’ll drive out of town to a real theater, one of the big ones with seats I actually fit in.”
Molly smiled up at him. “That sounds perfect.” Something to look forward to.
Calliope was working her way through the crowd, carrying a jug of water. While she had a smile on her face, it wasn’t the full one Molly had gotten used to.
“How are you two doin’?” she asked, setting the jug down.
Sam dropped his hands and leaned back against the wall. “Not bad. How are you? Packed house today.”
“Yup. Everyone paying their respects. Glad Dean suggested we just put out a spread instead of trying to keep up with orders.” She sighed and sent Molly a frustrated glance. “I hate things like this. Makes me feel like a hypocrite. Not one of these people got along with Vernon and yet here they all are.”
Molly couldn’t disagree and had, in fact, had the same thought. “It’s just what people do, I guess.”
Calliope nodded. “I guess so. Anyways, that’s not why I came over. The sheriff and Chris are in the kitchen. They came in through the back. They want to talk to you, Molly.”
Sam looked at her and she put her palms up. “I didn’t do anything. I’ve been staying out of it, I swear.”
Calliope looked back and forth between them and laughed. “I won’t ask. At least not now. Go on back.”
Molly slid off the stool, looking at Sam. “You going to come with me?”
He straightened immediately. “Absolutely. Just didn’t want to overstep.”
She grinned, despite the butterflies in her stomach. “Liar.”
They wove through the crowd and pushed through the swinging door. Both men were dressed in uniform.
“Molly. Sam,” Sheriff Saron greeted.
After they’d all exchanged hellos, the sheriff got right to it.
“We wanted to let you know we’ve confirmed that it was Clay who was outside of your house. Didn’t want you worrying or thinking we didn’t look into it. Though we aren’t certain yet, I think it’s safe to say it was him who vandalized your Jeep as well. Since we think so, thought it’d be best to tell you so you wouldn’t keep speculating about it.”
“As you tend to do,” Officer Beatty added. His lips were tipped up in a smile when he said it, though, so Molly didn’t take offense.
“Why would Clay want Molly gone?” Sam asked, reaching out and taking her hand. His tone darkened protectively.
Molly couldn’t reconcile the snarky young man she’d originally met with the subdued one she’d seen earlier today. He’d looked relieved to see her, so Sam’s question was more than valid. He’d lied again that morning, though, about his mother and Vernon talking.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Molly said.
“Don’t know the why of it yet, but we’ll find out. We know it was him, so we’re hoping that’s enough to assure you we don’t think you’re in any danger.”
Molly sucked in a breath and looked at Sam. He looked as confused as she felt. But what about the paint she’d just seen on Hannah? It matched the color of the paint on her Jeep and all she’d seen on Clay was…bruised knuckles. Who or what had he hit? The police had hoped to stop her wondering, but they’d only propelled it forward.
“He told you about the emails between Elizabeth and Vernon on purpose. To distract you?” Her brain felt cloudy as she tried to fit all of the pieces together.
Both officers looked at her and not with happy expressions. “We aren’t here to talk about emails. Just wanted you to feel safe in your new town,” the sheriff said, his tone clearly a warning.
Molly’s mouth moved before she thought it through. “Gretta must have visited Vernon at work. I saw the teddy bear.”
Sam stared at her, brows scrunched, but it was Officer Beatty who spoke.
“Teddy bear?”
Her cheeks warmed, but she had no choice but to explain herself now. “When I found Tigger—my pup—he was wrestling with this weird-looking stuffed bear. It didn’t mean anything at the time, but when I stopped by Clay’s house this morning, I saw Gretta’s car in the driveway. The whole dash was filled with these same type of bears, only one was missing. You could see that there was a spot where one had been.”
All three men stared at her. Sam sighed. “You were at Clay’s house this morning?”
Molly rushed on. “I just wanted to ask him about the interview. If Vanessa Phillips had seemed strange or anything like that.” Molly pointed at Officer Beatty. “I was going to phone you and see if I could get Vernon’s laptop to finish the interview he started. Clara Phillips said her mother was happy with how things had gone, but you’d told me there was a rumor going around that Vanessa was losing her mind and Vernon seemed to think she had a drinking problem. I just wanted answers.”
“What?” the sheriff chimed in, staring at Chris.
“I don’t believe I used the phrase losing her mind. And it was a rumor, Molly. That typically means not true.”
She huffed out a breath and let go of Sam’s hand. Music and voices carried through the swinging door and the pass. Fortunately, they were out of the line of sight. “I know what it means. But I didn’t think you’d let me have his laptop and I want to print the interview. We’re doing a feature on her family and their heritage. On top of that, it was the last thing Vernon was working on. Alan wants to proceed as a way of honoring his career.”
“Well, you were right about one part, anyway. I would not have given you the laptop, as it isn’t your property.”
“No, but the story belongs to the Bulletin and I was just looking for that. Either way, Clay told me this morning that his mother is the beneficiary of Vernon’s will.”
The sheriff rolled his hand, meaning for her to go on. “So?”
Her thoughts merged, getting tangled together and she tried to sift through them. “So that means she could be a suspect and maybe that’s why Clay wants me gone. To protect his mom?”
“Molly,” Sam said.
She looked up at him.
“What?”
“Let them do their job. They’ll sort it out.”
“We will. You seem like a nice girl, Molly. But you’re getting close to stepping on my toes and I can’t say I like it,” the sheriff said.
Molly was reminded of the time she’d snuck out to meet a boyfriend in senior year. Her father had been waiting for her in the kitchen when she’d snuck back in. He hadn’t said a word at first. Just looked at her in that way that made her spill her guts and promise never to do it again.
“I’m sorry. I’ll stop. But I have one more thing,” she said.
“Sweet Lord, help us,” Chris muttered.
When Molly glanced at Sam, she could see he was trying not to smile.
“Out with it then,” the sheriff said, no longer sounding so indulgent.
“My Jeep. You said you think he did it, but I just saw Hannah with the same color paint on her arm that was on my vehicle. I can’t imagine her doing something like that—we get along well. She said she and Savannah were painting signs, so I thought maybe they got the paint from school or something. Maybe it was just a dumb prank, but it’s too coincidental to see the exact color on her arm. What if Clay didn’t do that?”
Molly crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her chin up, trying to hold herself steady as she faced off with the two officers. “Thought I should tell you, rather than looking into it myself.”
A slight smile lit the edges of the sheriff’s mouth. “I appreciate that and can promise you, we’ll look into it.”
They left through the back entrance, leaving Sam and Molly alone in the quiet of an empty kitchen. The dimly-lit room was spotlessly clean.
“I like you, Sam,” Molly admitted quietly, running her hand along the edge of the counter.
Since she was loo
king down, she saw him cross his legs at the ankle as he leaned on the counter across from her. She looked up. He was almost smiling.
“I like you too, Molly.” She recognized the amusement in his tone.
“I swear I am not trying to act like a crazy person or some detective. From your side, it must look like I’m doing everything I can to make you run in the opposite direction.”
She worried that was exactly what getting tangled up in this whole mess would do.
Sam uncrossed his feet and stepped over to her, stopping her hand from moving. He tipped her chin up and the look in his eyes made her stomach feel like it was the spin cycle of a washing machine.
“You’re going to have to try harder than that if you want to get rid of me. From my side, what I see is a smart, beautiful woman with enough interesting quirks to label her cute, but not quite enough to call her crazy. You make me laugh and when I think of you, I smile without even meaning to.”
A shuddery breath escaped and Molly threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her tight, his arms closing around her back. There in the dark, stainless steel kitchen, Molly’s heart opened just a little—just enough to make room for some hope. Enough room to stop being too scared to let Sam in.
If everything happened for a reason, Molly was more than happy to accept that Sam was hers for coming to Britton Bay.
Chapter 21
Molly’s phone rang about an hour after she’d fallen asleep. Tigger, the spoiled pup that he was, lifted his head from her second pillow, then flopped it back down.
Molly groaned. “Sure. Make me get it.”
She reached for it, pulling it off the docking station. Alan’s number flashed in front of her blurry vision. “What’s wrong?”
“Clay was arrested for murdering his father.”
Molly bolted upright. From leaving footprints to murder! A heavy weight sank in Molly’s stomach again. She should be relieved, but she was also sad. “I spoke with the sheriff earlier tonight. He didn’t say anything.”
