by CeeCee James
“An axe murderer who makes cupcakes? Pish! I don’t think so.”
“Whatever, Momma.” Just then, I remembered the letter that Scott had asked me to keep safe. I walked to my purse and pulled it out.
As I brought it back with me to the counter, my finger flicked over the opened edge of the envelope. It was so tempting just to slip it out and see what it said. Do I dare? How much would it be betraying privacy?
“Momma,” I said. “If you had access to a letter, and you had a good idea of what it said because the person told you, and it might help with the mystery you’re involved in, would you go ahead and read it?”
“Are you asking if you should read it?” Momma looked up from her toast.
“Yes.”
“And you’re friends with that person?”
“Yes.”
“Then, no, you shouldn’t read it.”
I sighed and set the envelope down next to my plate. Momma was right.
Like a hummingbird, her hand reached out and snatched it up. “I, on the other hand, exercise my motherly rights to know what’s going on.” She could smell gossip a mile away, and her raised eyebrows told me she’d caught the scent.
Maybe that's why she loved Bingo so much. They both had noses with superpowers. She pulled her glasses up from their chain and placed them on her nose. Then, without further ado, she pulled out the letter and flicked it open.
“Natalie,
How could you put Daren and me through this, not to mention our family name? How you could continue to see Robert and go against our express wishes, I’ll never know. Don’t you know how much you have to be grateful for? We’ve given you the very food on your plate. And what do you do for us? Nothing. There are days I wish you’d never been born.” Momma paused here and swallowed hard. She glanced at me, her eyes puddling, “That poor girl, Maisie.”
I couldn’t believe it myself. I almost didn’t want to hear more, but Momma continued.
“We’ve sacrificed everything to get you where you are in life. And this is how you repay us? Bringing a scumbag like Robert around our house and trying to introduce us to him?
I’m done playing games. You break it off with him immediately, including turning your phone over to us, or I will sell your grandmother’s ruby necklace. I might even have it melted down into a puddle and thrown out to sea. If you don’t believe me, you just try me.
Marcie Fairchild.”
Momma refolded the letter and returned it to the envelope. “Well, now. The woman uses her proper name to a letter to her own child? Some people shouldn’t be allowed to be parents.”
I nodded, completely sickened. Did Ruby and Kristi know this about their aunt?
I started to text Ruby, before pausing. Is that something I can even ask? Well if I did decide to ask, it’d probably have to be in person. And considering her aunt was often in the room, I might not get the chance for a while.
The rest of the day was a working blur of delegating jobs, satisfying a guest by procuring a particular massage therapy session at an elite restoration center, and making sure everything continued to run smoothly, despite my recent work interruptions.
As I finished filling the requests for the next day, sunlight flashed in the foyer, bouncing off the glass of the rotating doors. Jake came into the hotel. I stepped out from behind the counter to greet him.
“Why, hello there, Mr. Phillips,” I said, giving him a warm smile. “What brings you in today?”
“Ms. Swenson,” he grinned back, his green eyes lighting up when he saw me. The look almost made me drop my professional smile and go straight to dopey, but I persevered. His hands casually found their way into his pockets, and he glanced around. “Things going good around here?”
Oh. He’s here to gather intel and report to his brother. Duh. I stood a little straighter. “Yes. Everything is going great. Yesterday, while I was gone, the last bit of evidence was collected from room 360 and it’s since been cleared for guests. In fact, I believe it’s occupied right now.”
“That’s great.” He rocked a bit on his toes. “You want to go for a walk?”
“A walk?” I cringed at the note of incredulousness that appeared in my tone.
“Yeah,” again that easy grin. “A walk. You know. Outside. Fresh air.” His eyebrows flickered in humor.
“Uh,” I glanced back at the front desk where Clarissa was leaning in toward us like a bloodhound on a scent trail. Her face became animated when she caught my eye, mouthing “Go! Go!” Her features immediately became calm, cool, and collected when Jake turned to see what I was looking at.
“Well?” he asked.
“Sure,” I smiled. I took in his outfit, casual, yet every piece was worth more than my entire wardrobe. Who was I kidding? He probably wanted to inspect the grounds.
“All right, then,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 21
The sunshine made me squint as we walked through the doors. Great, I forgot my sunglasses. But the heat felt like a warm hug that I craved after a day like yesterday.
“Where are we going?” I asked. “I only have a few minutes until I need to get back.”
“I don’t know,” he grinned. “I guess, just around the building. This walk wasn’t very well thought out, but I just saw you and wanted a few minutes alone.”
My mouth went dry at his words. Butterflies beat in my stomach, transporting me back to the same feelings I had when my first crush saved me in dodge ball in seventh grade.
Ridiculous. I’m so ridiculous. But, looking at Jake now, my inner voice snickered, “I wouldn’t mind him saving me a few times.”
I was confronted with the sad truth that deep inside the graceful, mature womanly presence I tried so hard to create was an insecure twelve-year-old.
“How about over there?” I pointed to the sidewalk that skirted the edge of the hotel, weaving in and out of the pool, tennis courts and park.
We started on it, and my nerves kicked up again. I found a rubber band that I’d put around my wrist earlier and snapped it lightly a few times. Taking a deep breath, I looked out at the vibrant green of the park, broken by splashes of colors from the flowers.
Be present. This can be a good moment if you’ll let it be.
“So beautiful,” I murmured. “I love it here.”
“Me too. I came here from Seattle.”
“Wow! What a difference!”
He grinned, and we settled into an easy conversation as he shared about his life in Seattle and how business brought him to Florida. We took our time around the path, and he even had me laughing a few times.
His eyes grew serious as he glanced up the sidewalk. Coming toward us was a homeless man. The man held a cardboard sign in his hand and smiled at us.
“You have anything for ol’ Billy Bailey?” he asked. “We could sing you a song, we surely could.” And with that promise he started warbling away, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine….”
I smiled as I watched him.
Jake pulled out his wallet and picked out a bill. “Here you go, man.”
“Thank you,” Billy said. “That made ol’ Billy’s day.”
After giving us a little salute, Billy continued down the sidewalk, still humming the tune.
Back at the front door, I turned to Jake reluctantly. “As fun as this is, I have to get inside. Life has been crazy around here, and I’ve got some stuff I need to catch up on.”
He nodded. “We’ll have to do this again soon.”
“Sounds good.” I put my hand on the door.
“Only longer next time. With an actual destination.” We both laughed. I smiled and waved goodbye.
I couldn’t help the grin as I walked through the lobby. Clarissa saw it and squeed.
“Calm down,” I tried to head her off, but her questions shot out like a machine gun.
“How long has this been going on? Do you like him? Are you going to see him again? Ms. Swenson, he’s so good looking!”
>
I laughed. “Nothing’s going on. We just examined the hotel grounds, and he asked me how things were going with the investigation.”
“Oh.” Disappointment drew her features into a frown.
“Take a chill pill there, Miss Matchmaker.” I smiled and opened the computer to start back in on the guest requests.
She watched me suspiciously. “You’re sure grinning something fierce. Something is going on! Don’t deny it!”
I kept smiling but shook my head. Luckily, the phone rang, cutting off any more comments.
The rest of the day flew by pleasantly like it always did when Clarissa was my front desk staff. I had a quick lunch where Momma more than made up for the cold lasagna I’d had the night before. It was dinnertime when I finally could end my shift. Even though I’d promised myself I’d stay at home, and despite the cafeteria food baptism, I wanted to go make my rounds to Scott and William. I felt like I owed them.
My first stop at the hospital was William’s room. The blinds were up this time, letting in the soft evening light. He looked better, the color was returning to his cheeks. I pulled a chair over and opened my Kindle app, and spent the next thirty minutes immersed in Louisa May Alcott’s world.
Afterward, I walked down the hall and peeked into Natalie’s room. A nurse was in there, recording her blood pressure.
“Have you come to see our sleeping beauty?” The nurse flashed a smile at me.
Feeling emboldened at being addressed, I walked in.
“How’s she doing?” I asked.
“She’s becoming more and more alert. She woke up earlier and was talking with her cousin.”
“So I heard.” I fiddled with the rubber band on my wrist. “Such great news!”
“We’ve all been celebrating around here,” the nurse said. She rubbed the girl’s shoulder. “Natalie, you have a visitor.”
We both watched Natalie, and I felt a thrill of excitement as the girl’s hand moved, and her eyes squeezed tighter.
“There she goes,” the nurse said, gathering her equipment. “She’s starting to wake up. You may get to talk with her tonight!” The nurse smiled at me again and walked to the door. “I’ll be just out here if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” I said, and then gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. I studied the young woman again. She really did look like Sleeping Beauty with her blonde hair fanned out on the pillow. Her eyelids fluttered like fragile butterfly wings.
“Hi, Natalie. My name’s Maisie. I hear you’re doing better.” I patted her hand. “I’m good friends with Scott and Ruby.” I watched her for a response. Her lips twitched. “He’s a real good guy. I like him a lot.” I took a deep breath before I jumped into it. “Listen, I just want you to know that you are a good person, despite what anyone has ever told you in the past. Sometimes broken people hurt other people. But that’s not your fault.”
“Mmmm,” she mumbled.
“You’re getting better. You’ve done so well. Life has a lot of amazing things ahead of you yet.”
I waited to see if she would respond some more, but there was nothing.
I patted her hand again and headed out, with one more stop to make.
Outside the room, there was an orderly fiddling with the dinner trays.
“Evening,” he nodded to me.
“Smells good!” I said. Inwardly, I laughed to myself. Who’d think I’d ever say that about cafeteria food again after bathing in it the night before?
After talking with the nurse, I found Scott in a room one floor down. He looked a million times better than when I’d seen him yesterday.
“Hey, buddy!”
“Hey, yourself,” he said with a grin. A table pushed to the side held the remains of his dinner on a tray.
“You look great,” I said, scooting his feet over to sit on the end of the bed.
“Thanks. I heard they may be releasing me tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah? That’s amazing!”
“Today, they had me walking all of these halls. Said something about how ‘they can’t keep a good man down.’ I was happy to oblige.”
“So humble,” I laughed.
“What can I say? Humility is my greatest weakness.”
I looked at him fondly. He was a good kid. We chatted a little longer, and then my stomach rumbled loudly, reminding me to cut the visit short. I made my good-byes with a promise that I’d see him again tomorrow.
Coming back to the hotel from the hospital, my brain was spinning. I walked into an empty suite. Momma had gone to the weekly game night she’d discovered at the local senior center. It was her favorite thing to do, next to getting her hair refreshed.
Bingo wandered around the corner and yawned at me sleepily, while I looked for the leash. “I’m just going to take you out, and then order pizza,” I murmured, half to him, half to myself.
On my way out the sliding door, my phone rang. I ran back inside to get it.
“Hello?” I said, slightly breathless.
“Hi, it’s Ruby. How are you?”
I shut the door behind me and stepped out onto the path. “Hey! I’m good. How are you? Still at the hospital?”
“I’m still suffering the effects of humiliation. I can’t believe my uncle did that to you. I don’t even know how I’ll ever face you again.”
“Hey, I got asked out on a date because of it, so I’m cool.” I laughed. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. You still at the hospital?” I opened the dog park gate and released Bingo. He immediately went on his scouting trail, tail wagging like a happy banner.
“No, I’m back at home. Spent the day doing laundry and trying to regroup.”
“I hear you,” I agreed. “I’ve been feeling the same way just from visiting.” Should I get into it? Natalie’s sweet face came to mind. “Speaking of your uncle …”
Ruby groaned. “I never want to talk about him again.”
“Is he out on bail?”
“Tomorrow, I think.”
“Has he ever been in trouble for something like this before?’
I heard an intake of air, and then, “Um, yeah, actually. Why do you ask?”
“Because you mentioned in your text that you wondered when he’d ever learn.”
“He has an anger problem. It’s gotten him into trouble more than once. He likes to threaten people, and sometimes people don't take too kindly to it.”
“Well, he did more than threaten me.”
“I know.” Her voice was sad.
“Do you know if he’s ever done it to Natalie?”
I heard some shuffling, and then a sigh. “She’s not exactly had an easy life.”
I waited, trying to be patient to see if she’d fill the silence with more information.
“He’s been in jail,” Ruby admitted. “More than once. Marcie’s been forced to care for her.”
“Forced?” I said. “I’ve never heard a mother caring for her kid being called forced before.”
“You didn’t know?” Surprised colored Ruby’s voice. “Natalie isn’t Marcie’s daughter. She’s Uncle Daren’s.”
Chapter 22
We talked for another ten minutes while Ruby filled me in on Natalie’s upbringing. Apparently, Daren Fairchild lived out of state for a few years and had simply shown up carrying a squalling child.
“Who’s the mom?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Aunt Marcie called her a two-bit bimbo with a drug problem. Supposedly, the mom took off one night for cigarettes and never came back. Left Uncle Daren alone with the baby.”
“And you believed him?” The words slipped out unintended.
Ruby gasped. “Look, I know he’s rough around the edges, but he’s a good guy. He’s done his best by Natalie.”
I rolled my eyes. Doing your best does not include letting another person emotionally abuse and use threats to coerce your child into submission. But I could tell Ruby’s defenses were up, and she wasn’t going to hear me.
“This is
making more sense,” I said. “Thank you for sharing.” We hung up, with me feeling even sorrier for Natalie.
I called Bingo, and we hurried back into the suite, my stomach growling loudly. Unsnapping the leash, I checked the time. Seven o’clock. Momma should be home in an hour, either crowing over her victories or moaning at how they were a bunch of scalawag cheaters. I lay on the floor with my cell phone while waiting for the pizza place to answer. Quickly, I ordered a cowboy pizza with everything on it. Momma would have a conniption when she found out I had “that junk food on demand. And pineapple?Blech!” But Bingo looked at me with his large, chocolate eyes like he agreed with my choice.
“Come on, buddy,” I curled up on my side and pulled him closer. He was happy to oblige, wuffling into my neck with his flappy lips. I closed my eyes and tried to focus.
What do I know here? Two people were poisoned and could have died. There’s a letter explaining one person’s possible death, and the missing necklace.
Which isn’t missing.
A third person gets poisoned, and it turns out he may have been the intended victim all along.
My brain was spinning. Think. Think. Who could have done this? Who hated Natalie, Scott, and/or William enough to want them dead? Someone who smoked Premier Royal cigarettes?
I stroked Bingo’s ear as I thought. Well, the uncle made a veiled threat about Natalie needing to learn a lesson. The aunt has made threats in the past too.
I sighed, making Bingo concerned. He licked my cheek. “It’s okay, boy. I’m okay.” Who else?
There’s that drug deal, the one Natalie did community service for. I remembered Scott talking about the deal Natalie’s lawyer got for her. Somebody died in that.
I bit my lip. The suspects were adding up. And I couldn’t forget the flowers that Natalie got and Ruby’s suspicions that someone had been brushing her cousin’s hair.
Except Ruby linked both of those things to Tom Bones and Luciana’s ghosts. I flung my arm over my face. There has to be a thread here I’m missing. I know I can figure this out.
The doorbell rang, making me jump. Bingo leaped off of me, giving a few resounding bays.
