The memory of hopping these rocks as a child sent a smile to her lips, as she and Julia would use this path to each other’s houses all summer long. So much so, in those days, the path had been well worn. Not so much anymore. When she jumped off the rock wall, she had to push aside a few prickly bushes on the other side that she didn’t remember being there as a child, and she wondered if she’d indeed taken the right route. The overgrown brush certainly proved evidence that many years had gone by in a flash.
“Ouch!” She looked down to see blood oozing from her arm from where a nasty thorn had torn through her flesh.
“Rain? Is that you? What are on earth are you doing?” A strong arm reached to hold the thick brush back, and she was now staring smack dab into Nick’s forehead, currently rippled in worry. “You know, you could’ve walked over via the road?” he chuckled. “But I suppose the police have that barricaded off, too, do they? I saw Jace out early this morning scouting out the ditches.” His dark eyes held empathy and concern. “You doin’ okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
Rain made her way through the bush with her neighbor’s assistance and then the two stood looking eye to eye. Nick wore a Milwaukee Brewers baseball hat turned backwards and sweat was beading down the side of his tan face. He removed a navy bandana from the back of his jeans pocket and mopped his sweat with it. “I’m guessing you’re looking for Julia. She’s inside making breakfast. I’m sure we have more than enough if you’d like to join us.” Rain could smell bacon wafting from the open kitchen window and her stomach rumbled in response.
“I might have to take you up on that,” she said with a grin.
“Oh gosh, you’re bleeding!” Nick’s eyes darted to the ground looking for something and then he reached again for his sweat filled bandana. “Here, take this. Sorry, it’s all I got.”
“I’m all right.” Rain said but looked down to notice she was indeed dripping blood. She dropped the flip-flops from her hand to land beside her on the ground, and then took Nick’s bandana to soak up the blood. “Thanks,” she grimaced. “It’s deeper than I thought. Sorry to stain your rag here.” She handed the bandana back more soiled than when she’d accepted it.
“That old thing?” he waved a hand of dismissal. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a slew of them.” Nick smiled, showing just how tan his skin had browned as his teeth were shimmering white.
Rain looked down at the dug-up earth and clumps of soil beneath their feet and then reached to retrieve her flip-flops. “Whatcha up to?”
“Well, I was thinking of planting some ground cover along the base of these bushes but seeing as how you like to trek through, I’m not sure it’s a wise idea. Julia told me that you two used to have a well-worn path here back in the day.” Nick laughed, and his eyes danced teasingly.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Rain looked down at her soiled bare feet. The warm earth squished beneath her toes. “Look what I’ve gone and done.” She threw up her hands, sending the flip-flops to shoot up in the air. “How rude of me.”
“I’m totally kidding, Rain. Bad joke.” Nick bent to one side, stretching an arm muscle, and laughed. “I’m just trimming some of these bushes back. Julia said after what happened yesterday, she wanted to be able to see through to your property better. You know, she’s like a big sister. In her mind, she’s officially your protector now. I had to hold her back from not taking watch and sleeping out on your deck all night like a guard dog. We settled on this.” He spread his hands wide over the ground where branches lay strewn across the grass.
Rain hadn’t felt that cared for in a very long time and was deeply touched. “You both are doing this for me?”
Nick held his arms out wide. “I’d hug you, but I don’t think you want to touch this sweaty body.” He grinned as he brushed dirt across his already soiled white tank top.
“You’re right, I’ll pass.” Rain winked and the two shared a laugh.
“Go ahead over and see Julia.” He pointed toward the house. “She was probably planning on bringing you breakfast and checking up on you this morning anyway. She’ll be glad to see you. Besides, you should probably wash your arm there before it gets infected.” His face twisted as if he could feel the cut himself.
“Thanks, Nick. And I really appreciate what you’re doing here to make me feel safe. You’re so incredibly kind, busting your butt out here for me.”
“No problem.” He swatted a hand of disregard. “You’d do the same for us, I’m sure. Now go fill your stomach,” he ordered with a smile.
“Speaking of that, I just invited Jace over for a barbeque tonight and was hoping you and Julia would come, too. It’s the least I can do to repay you for all of this.”
“If beer’s involved, I’m in!” Nick grinned. “I’m sure Julia would love it, too.”
Rain turned her attention to the dried blood caked across her arm and agreed it would need some antibiotic ointment. She was pretty sure what she’d seen in the cabin earlier, though, was probably long expired. “Great Nick, I’ll catch ya later!” Rain said before heading off in the direction of where the smell of breakfast was still trailing across the backyard.
Rain knocked once and then opened the side door of Julia’s house. “Knock, knock,” she yelled as she entered. Like riding a bike, she entered the house just the way they had when they were kids and Julia’s parents owned the property.
“Rain! Good morning.” Julia rushed toward her after slipping off an apron and tossing it to the kitchen chair.
“You got a good guy out there.” Rain smiled, jutting a thumb behind her. “Hang onto that one, he’s pretty special.”
“Yeah, he sure is,” Julia sighed. “Wasn’t sure some days we’d make it this long, but here we are.” She lifted her shoulders and her eyebrows rose in a stance of surprise.
Rain wasn’t sure what her friend meant by that comment. The look of confusion upon her face must’ve given it away, and Julia quickly explained.
“If you hadn’t noticed, I’m still a bit of a free spirit. Adulthood hasn’t changed that about me. I can be a bit of a handful, a spitfire when prompted,” she explained. “Just look at the hair!” she added as she brushed the sides of her head with her hands and then shook it loose.
“I know I said this before, but I actually like the pink color on you. I can’t picture you any other way now.” Rain reached to give her friend a hug of encouragement. “I think that guy out there loves you just the way you are, and that’s a beautiful thing. Pretty rare to find that kind of love.”
“Ah well, sometime when we have the time, I’ll share our story and explain to you what it took to get us here. It wasn’t always this pretty,” Julia admitted.
“Well, from what I see, you guys are a couple to aspire to.”
“How’d you sleep?” Julia asked and Rain thought her friend seemed eager to change the subject.
“Honestly? Not great, you?”
“Yeah, me either, I tossed like a salad,” Julia said with a nod. “I couldn’t get certain images out of my mind, if you know what I mean?”
Rain chuckled at her comparison, then grew serious. “I know exactly what you mean.” Rain breathed deep, taking in the scent of breakfast cooking. “My oh my, it smells great in here!”
Julia grinned at the compliment. “I roasted some potatoes; I’ve got a ton of bacon and eggs here. You hungry? Why don’t you grab a chair? I was just about to call Nick in for breakfast.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Nick if you guys would like to join me for a barbeque tonight. Jace confirmed he’s in, and I was hoping you two would come, too.”
“Sounds terrific. Just let me know what I can bring.”
“Just yourselves. I’ve got it.” Rain smiled.
Julia reached out a hand in concern. “Oh goodness, what’d you do to your arm?”
“Battle wound. I didn’t realize how much brush had grown in between us!” Rain laughed. “Can I use your sink?”
“Absolutely!
And there’s paper towel there, too, if you need to dab your arm. Band-Aids and Neosporin are in the drawer to your right.”
Rain moved over to the sink and said over her shoulder, “Nick told me that you’re thinning the bushes between our properties so you can watch over me. That’s incredibly sweet, Julia, but totally unnecessary for you to re-landscape on my behalf.”
“Hey, maybe I just missed our old path.” Julia smiled at her before she hung out the side door and gave a strong whistle for her husband, apparently letting him know breakfast was soon to be on the table.
“You know, Jace and a few other officers are back out there this morning. I wonder if they’ll find anything more to help with the investigation,” Rain said pensively.
“Yeah, Nick told me. I was gonna give them a bit of time to work, and then go and offer them breakfast, too. I doubt they’ll stop for it, but I can still offer.” Julia turned and reached into a cabinet for paper plates and placed a stack on the kitchen table along with napkins. She then turned toward the cabinet to unload a few glasses and topped them off with orange juice.
“You mind if I ask you something pressing?” Rain asked.
Julia must’ve caught the undercurrent in her tone because her friend immediately stopped what she was doing and spun around to face her.
“Yeah, what’s up?” Her eyebrows narrowed in concern, and she led Rain by the arm to a nearby chair. “Sit,” Julia encouraged, as she, too, pulled out a neighboring chair and took a seat to face her.
“Did Mom give you the key to the cabin by any chance?”
Julia looked confused. “No. Why? Was she supposed to?”
“No, it’s not that. I know she showed you where the key was for the shed, so I just assumed …” Rain’s voice trailed off.
“No, I’m sorry, Rain, she didn’t. You didn’t lock yourself out already, did you?” Julia’s eyes widened.
Rain chuckled. “No, I still have my own key. So, just to be clear, you weren’t aware? The outhouse …”
Julia shook her head confused. “What exactly are you asking? Sorry, I think I’m missing something here?”
“Actually, I’m missing something,” Rain confirmed. “The spare key that my family always kept hidden in the outhouse is missing. And to be honest, it’s got me a bit creeped out.”
Julia’s face fell. “Oh. I didn’t even know your family kept one out there. No, Willow never told me.”
Rain could see Julia’s wheels turning almost as fast as her own. “So, you slept in a cabin that someone potentially could’ve easily broken into last night?”
“Yep, I sure did.” Rain blew out a frustrated breath.
Chapter Eight
After sharing a hearty breakfast that immensely helped ease her hangover, Rain and Julia departed from Nick and headed into town. Julia had insisted she’d drive her husband’s old green pickup truck, as she needed to load a few bags of topsoil into the back. The two bounced along amiably, both heavy in their own thoughts, as the truck bumped along the road.
“Are you sure Willow didn’t leave the key inside the cabin somewhere? And maybe just didn’t have time to return it to the outhouse? Is it possible she just plain forgot?”
“I’m one hundred percent positive,” Rain said. “Any person in my family who used the key from the outhouse knew to return it as soon as the door was unlocked. It was kept there for emergencies, in case one of the family members drove hours to get here, then forgot a key. I know for a fact my mother wouldn’t put it anywhere else.”
Julia reached across the front console to squeeze Rain’s hand as a sign of reassurance. “Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this and get it taken care of. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation to why it’s missing, but in the meantime, Jace’s right, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Rain returned her friend’s smile and squeezed her hand before letting it go to let her know she was okay. But inside, if Rain was being honest with herself, she was a bit shaken up over the misplaced key.
As they drove through downtown Main Street, Rain noted how much had stayed the same in Lofty Pines over the years. The familiarity of the town brought a sense of renewed comfort and a flashback of fond memories. The penny candy store remained unchanged on the left side of the street, flanked by a real estate agency on one side and Bubba’s sub shop on the other. Rain’s mouth watered at the memory of Sunday afternoons when hot ham and buttered rolls were served at Bubba’s all summer long. A family favorite for sure, as her father was often the first in line, waiting patiently to pick up an order and deliver lunch for a boat-side family picnic back out on Pine Lake.
Flowering hayrack baskets spilled red and white petunias from each light pole, and blue Lofty Pines flags adorned with the outline of a boat, fluttered in the breeze. The decorations made the lakeside community feel warm and welcoming. Rain wondered how many people out walking along Main Street were aware of the recent murder in their sleepy getaway town.
Julia guided the pickup to a stop on the right side of the road, directly in front of Lakeside Hardware, and the two hopped out of the truck. The Brewin’ Time coffee shop was located directly next door, and Julia flung a finger toward it.
“You mind if I pop in to get a Chai tea with almond milk before we head to the other stops?”
“Not at all. Honestly, I didn’t get enough caffeine this morning. I could use another coffee, too,” Rain agreed as she dug through her purse looking for cash. “My treat, I insist.”
A colorful maritime buoy hung on each side of the coffee shop, and Rain touched one fondly and smiled, before entering through the glass door. She loved anything nautical, as it reminded her of her younger years, spent growing up around Pine lake.
The smell of coffee and chocolate greeted them, and the two breathed in the scent, and then looked at each other and laughed quietly among themselves.
“It smells amazing in here. Is this place new? I don’t remember a coffee shop on Main Street?” Rain asked.
“It’s been here about five years, give or take.” Julia answered as she stepped toward the counter and gave her order to the barista.
Rain ordered a large hazelnut coffee with cream, then handed over enough cash to cover both drinks.
“Maybe I should order a dozen of those brownies for dessert tonight?” Rain said pointing to a tray with a pyramid of brownies atop the counter. “I can’t fit one in right now after you fed me that amazing breakfast, but I’d be hard pressed to pass one up.” Rain tapped her stomach with both hands. “For after the barbeque? What’ya say? They smell so good!” Rain said leaning closer to the counter to take in more of the heady chocolate fragrance.
“Hey, I’m not going to argue.” Julia laughed. “They’re definitely smart to bake these in the morning, as I’m sure the alluring scent helps tremendously with sales. Just wait until you try their doughnuts,” she added. “Plus, it’d be good for you to gain a few pounds.” Julia looked down at her own stomach and sighed dramatically. “Me, on the other hand? I could probably stand to lose a few.” She frowned.
The barista overheard them and, with a smile, assembled a box of a dozen brownies to add to the order.
As they waited, Julia looked at Rain intently. “How you holding up? This hasn’t been the best Laker’s welcome, has it?” She leaned in empathetically, then tucked her pink hair behind one ear.
Rain shook her head in disbelief. “If you told me this would be my homecoming, I’d never have believed it.” She rolled her eyes and they shared a chuckle. “I was kinda hoping for a summer of reflective solitude—not a crime scene,” she added under her breath.
“I get that,” Julia agreed with a firm nod.
“As hard as it’s been, I’m glad you’re here with me and walking me through this. I’ve really missed you, Julia, and I’m sorry it’s taken this for me to realize just how much I’ve allowed our friendship to take a back seat.”
Julia wrapped her arm around Rain’s shoulder and gave a g
entle squeeze. “The Lakers have missed you, too.” She winked. “Me especially. It’s really nice to have you home.”
The barista brought their order, and after they accepted their hot drinks, Julia suggested they take a seat outdoors, away from the growing crowd inside the coffee shop. Rain tucked the brownie box onto the front passenger seat of the pickup truck before joining Julia on the bench.
After a welcome first sip of caffeine, Rain turned toward Julia. “I still can’t believe everything you and Nick are doing to make me feel safe. Having your husband thin out the bushes and all … it’s really going above and beyond. I just have to say it again; it really means a lot to me. You guys are too kind.”
Julia’s eyes softened. “Of course, Rain. I’m sure this can’t be easy for you to go through alone. But please know, you’re not alone. Anything else we can do … you just say the word okay?” Julia reached to pat her gently on the leg, before dropping her hand to her lap. The gesture only renewed Rain’s comfort that both her neighbors most certainly had her back, and despite her knee jerk reaction to initially push others away, it felt good to know they weren’t going anywhere.
“What do you think the motive is? Have you thought more about it? I mean, what do you know about this Thornton Hughes guy. Besides the fact that he’s a bit over friendly with my mother, is there anything else you can share about him? Like is he trying to get in with the Laker crowd or is he just a renter? Care to fill me in?” Rain knew those who rented property around Pine Lake or in town were scoffed at and considered “outsiders.” Unlike the property owners, who paid yearly taxes, most Lakers didn’t give renters the time of day.
“Actually, I can’t stop thinking about it. Nick and I talked long into the night about Thornton before we finally got some shut eye. Great pillow talk, eh? A murder investigation?” Julia shuddered and then leaned in closer to whisper. “My husband did share a pretty big something about him that I wasn’t aware of.”
Murder at the Lakeside Library Page 7
