by Неизвестный
“It took some time to find you, but I finally have. Sit down, talk to me for a few minutes. We have some catching up to do.”
“It isn’t convenient at the moment. I have to help serve the customers.” Luna stepped away.
His hand snaked around her wrist, tightening as it closed. Thomas smiled, but the warmth never reached his eyes.
“Luna, don’t be rude. You’ve always been rude. Sit down, we should talk.” His affable smile lingered.
Forcing a smile to her lips, Luna took the seat opposite Thomas. She folded shaking hands on the table. Anger screamed throughout her body. He has a real nerve showing his face here.
“What do you want?”
Thomas continued to smile.
“It occurred to me you might need a partner in your new business. It seems to have taken off like a shot.”
“I neither need nor want a partner. Furthermore, I wouldn’t want you as one anyway. You never wanted a partner of any kind, did you? Not in marriage or in business, so why come here now?”
“For God’s sake, don’t be crass, Luna. You were, ah, kinder when we were married. Now you’ve become a bitter woman.” Thomas rose from the chair and straightened his jacket. “Think about the partner aspect, and I’ll be in touch.”
Luna stood and stepped close to him. She whispered, “It’ll be a cold day in hell before you become anything in my life ever again.”
Thomas tossed money on the table, turned away and strolled from the room into the gift shop. He glanced around and left by the side door.
The faerie clock chimed the half-hour. Devin Radford stood inside the front door. He scanned the room filled with throngs of chattering people, his gaze resting on Luna.
She watched him lazily saunter across the space toward the table. When he came close, she murmured for him to follow her from the room. In the basement, a welcome silence met them.
She turned to Devin. “You’re late,” she snapped.
Devin hiked an eyebrow at her. “You’re right.” He walked around the room. “This is the area you want changed?” He glanced around the wide-open space, his eyes stopped at the baking area.
Luna pointed to the spaces. “Over there is where I would like my office built. Storage will run along that back wall.”
“You have enough room for what you want to do. Shall I draw up the plans or do you have them already?”
“No, you go ahead. The office needn’t be spacious, but convenient. The storage units should have enough room to accommodate supplies and pans.” Luna finished explaining what she wanted while Devin listened in silence. Without writing down her specifications, he merely nodded as she spoke.
“Why don’t you use the top level of the house for your needs?” he asked.
“Riddles gives me a hard time and won’t leave me alone. Besides, I live up there. I would like the business separate from my quarters.”
“Riddles?”
“My cat. Like most males he’s very pushy, tries to take over and makes a general nuisance of himself.”
With a smirk, Devin ignored the dig and walked around the room once more. He whipped an electronic measuring device from the waist of his jeans and within minutes had noted the space.
“So you bake those delectable-looking pastries down here?”
“Every day but Monday.”
“You must get quite a workout then.”
“I start at two in the morning and end around four or five. I’ve managed a routine and can get the cakes finished within that time frame. This morning was the exception to the rule, though.”
“Dilly mentioned it as I left earlier. She said a man was killed here last night?”
With a tsk of her teeth, Luna said, “She does stretch things a might.” She explained what happened.
“How’s that?” Devin’s face took on a skeptical expression when she said the man was already dead when he’d arrived.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“He couldn’t have come here if he was dead, Luna. How did he die, and who left him in the dining room? And what’s even more interesting is why would someone do such a thing?”
Hands flailing in the air, Luna said, “How the hell do I know? I came upstairs and there he was, dead as a doornail. I hope this isn’t a prank, because it’s certainly a tasteless one. Even the faeries aren’t talking.”
Wide eyed, Devin goggled at her. “Faeries? What faeries? You have faeries? Gay men live here?”
“No, not gay men,” Luna remarked. “Faeries, you know the ones with wings. They live in the garden and meadow out back. They said they saw more than one human, but no more than three.”
Laughter filled the room. It seemed the man couldn’t help himself. She watched him as he managed to regain control, realizing she’d made herself look barmy. Would she ever learn to think before she spoke?
Affronted by his lack of understanding, Luna’s spine stiffened, as did her attitude. Tired of everyone believing she was nutty, Luna drew in a deep breath and let out a weary sigh. Devin’s opinion shouldn’t matter, but somehow it did. She watched his smile disappear.
“You’re joking, aren’t you?” Devin asked.
“Not at all. The faeries are there, you need an open mind to see and hear them. They are lovely creatures. The blue ones especially, are kind and pure of heart. They can dispel anguish and despair, possibly even terror. I know it sounds mad, but it really is true.” Wary of another outburst of laughter, Luna waited to see his reaction.
“I suppose you may have a point about things we can’t see and refuse to understand,” he said. “It sounds ludicrous, but life is filled with the unexplainable, isn’t it?”
Are you making fun of me?” Luna didn’t know if she wanted to smack the contactor for his condescension or cry out of sheer frustration. First a corpse, then Thomas, now this. She heaved a loud sigh to keep from screaming.
“Seriously, I wouldn’t do such a thing. I’m merely surprised. You believe in them, and who am I to ridicule you for it?”
Surprised and uneasy over his sudden change of attitude, Luna leaned against the counter.
“Good, I’m glad you feel that way,” Luna stated. “All manner of creatures inhabit the earth and whether we see them or not, they are still there. Some simply live in another dimension. If we open ourselves to them, we benefit from it. If we don’t, it’s our loss.”
Luna smoothed her apron and retied the string. This man left her unsettled and the buzzing in her stomach grew stronger with each encounter. She glanced up to find him staring at her, a soft look on his face.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Nothing, I’m listening to you.” He cleared his throat and glanced away. “You must be upset over the incident with the dead man. Does the sheriff have any information?”
“If he does, I’m unaware of it. I think the sheriff has his own set of ideas about it all. Me? I have no clue why anyone would do such a thing.”
Devin considered her for a second and asked, “When do you want me to start the work?”
“As soon as you can. I’m sure permits will be necessary, but I still have the old one from prior construction. I would like the locks changed on all the doors today, if possible.”
“No problem and I won’t need another permit either.” Devin started toward the staircase and stopped. “It sure is quiet down here. You can’t hear any noise at all from above. No wonder you like it.”
“Exactly, and that’s why I didn’t know about the dead man’s entrance.” With a shake of her head, Luna marched up the stairs ahead of Devin.
Several hours later the shop emptied out, the help went home and Luna sat alone in the dining room. A hot cup of tea and the next-to-last cupcake sat before her. Her head ached from exhaustion. All but the rear entry door were locked and Riddles roamed freely within the confines of the building.
He sniffed the chairs, and snagged errant crumbs from beneath tables. Curiosity satisfied, Riddles rubbed his larg
e body against Luna’s legs before he strolled to the windowsill and leaped up to stare outside. Luna smiled as he squeezed his wide butt onto the sill of the open window. A mild rumble came from his throat and Luna chuckled. A tempting feathered morsel must have caught his attention, she thought, as his whiskers flicked up and down. Had he seen the corpse arrive? If only the cat could talk.
A death and Thomas’s arrival within the same twenty-four hours were the two most unexpected occurrences Luna could imagine. Could they be connected? Why would Thomas want to become her partner? Apprehension tied a knot in her stomach at the idea. She unfurled the cupcake wrapper, spreading it out on the delicate china plate.
Lifting the fork she’d placed beside the plate, Luna scooped a morsel of cake and popped it into her mouth. The heavenly taste of chocolate flavored with Bourbon melted in her mouth. She leaned back in the chair, sipped the tea and savored the remaining treat.
Drawn to the window when Riddles tapped the screen with his paw and growled again, Luna left the table and strode to his side to peer out. Dreading the thought of an encounter with anyone else, Luna’s shoulders slumped and she heaved a great sigh. Devin.
She spotted the black leather bag grasped tightly in one of Devin’s hands, along with a paper bag, noticing how he walked with confidence toward the front door. He waved when his eyes lit upon her and Riddles. In a mere second, he had hiked the steps and tapped lightly on the door.
“Come in.” Luna hustled over and swung the door open.
He lifted the briefcase and said, “I brought some preliminary plans for you to look at and the new locks to install.”
She’d forgotten about the door locks. Far from happy about the intrusion, Luna refrained from her prior rude behavior. It wasn’t fair to take her problems out on him.
“Sure.” She shrugged. “The shop is closed so we can take a look at them in peace and quiet. Can I make you a cup of tea or some coffee?”
“Black coffee would be fine, if it’s not too much trouble. Any more cupcakes left or did you sell them all?” His glance flicked to the case where a solitary cupcake remained. He beamed at Luna.
“There’s one left, help yourself.” Luna strode to the kitchen, set the coffee to brew and returned to Devin.
His long legs sprawled out before him as he slouched comfortably in the chair opposite hers. The open briefcase revealed a laptop computer with floor plans on the screen.
Over his shoulder, Luna viewed the neat drawings and wondered how long it had taken him to get them done. He’d only been gone a few hours, or so it seemed. She hurried back to the kitchen, filled a mug and brought it to him.
“Those are great.” Her exhaustion forgotten, Luna smiled as she stared at the plans. “Can you start tomorrow?” She munched what was left of her cupcake and licked frosting from her fingertips.
“If you want. It shouldn’t take more than a week to finish the job.” He mentioned the cost and what the work would entail, watching her face all the while.
Luna reached for the napkin next to her dish and wiped frosting from her lips. She poured more tea into her cup. The buzzing in her stomach had returned when Devin had.
He snapped the computer lid shut and slid the briefcase under the table. His full attention on Luna, he cleared his throat.
“When I was here earlier, I noticed you were with a man. Did he upset you?” he asked in a soft voice.
Luna frowned. She thought back to her afternoon. Thomas, the biggest mistake she’d ever made. “He was a customer with a comment. Why do you ask?”
“Luna, I think he was more than that. Does he have anything to do with your dead man?”
“N-no, um, not that I know of, and he’s not my dead man.”
His head cocked to the side, Devin stared at her for a second. “What is he to you? A friend? He certainly wasn’t a stranger.”
She looked down at the table, brushed crumbs into a pile and then glanced up into his blue eyes.
“He’s my ex-husband. Thomas Devere and I were married for several years before he left me. How could you tell he wasn’t a stranger?” Luna sat back in the chair, not knowing why she felt the need to share her personal life with this man.
“He acted so familiar toward you, that’s all. You looked upset, and I wondered how I could help. I didn’t realize he was your ex-husband. Sorry. It’s none of my business.”
Touched, Luna leaned forward, her eyes on his face. Was he sincere? His direct stare met hers, and yet she remained unsure. Maybe that’s what happened when you’d been hurt in the past.
“I spoke with the sheriff earlier,” Devin said. “The dead man was identified as Comen Pensker. He lived at a rest home over in Braden, about twenty miles from here.”
“Was he murdered?” Luna wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but couldn’t help asking the question.
“No, he died of natural causes and was shipped off to the Braden Mortuary to await burial.” Devin sipped his coffee.
“Well, how the hell did he get here then?” Tired and frustrated, Luna rubbed her face with both hands.
“It’s an important question now, isn’t it? Not only how he got here, but by way of whom? And then there’s the why of it all, don’t you think?”
He posed the hardest questions she’d ever had to answer, Luna thought. Who would do such a thing to her and why? She shook her head sadly.
“I’ve worked so hard to make this business successful. It has grown beyond my wildest dreams even though there’s a lot of pressure along with my success. I can’t imagine why anybody would be so unkind.”
“Do you have any enemies, Luna?”
“No, none,” she answered. “I don’t know many people in these parts, except those on the Town Council and the business association group, of course. We all get along well and they have sent their families and friends here to help me get established. The local artisans bring their work for me to sell, and we have a sound business relationship.”
The cat yowled. Concerned over what he was up to now, Luna peered around the room for him. When he yowled a second time, she glanced at Devin and left the room to stride through the corridor toward the rear entrance. The cat paced while he waited for her to let him loose on the unsuspecting wildlife around the building.
Devin’s footsteps sounded behind her. She held the door ajar and stepped through it into the early evening air, with Devin not far behind. Wings flittered and the buzzing of laughter met her sensitive ears. The faeries were out and about.
Blades of decorative grasses swayed in the soft breeze filtering across the yard. Rich green grass rolled downward toward a meadow surrounded by tall elm and oak trees. A brick path and flowered borders moved through the rich green grass rolling across the meadow, surrounded by tall elm and oak trees, but it was empty.
Inspecting the trees and shrubs near the porch steps, Luna pointed out, “Riddles likes to crouch behind the base of these bushes and the crab tree in hope of catching unsuspecting prey.” She glanced at Devin when he snickered. “He’s too fat and too slow, which means he’s unsuccessful most of the time.”
Noticing the crinkle lines at the corners of Devin’s eyes, Luna realized how much she enjoyed the rich sound of his laughter, which served to draw her closer to him. Catching sight of the cat’s tail as it disappeared under a shrub. She shrugged and strolled along the porch and around the corner, Devin alongside her.
The entire bungalow lay surrounded with a roof-covered veranda where customers enjoyed fresh air during the summer while they drank tea and visited. Stairs adorned each corner of the porch as it skirted the house with another set of stairs centered in front of the main entrance. Small ivory colored metal tables edged with a cut lace design accompanied sets of lightweight wicker chairs laden with soft, multi-colored pillows.
As she draped chairs with covers for the night, Devin settled his back against a carved pillar post and watched her.
“This is a perfect location for you, Luna. It’s also prime land for deve
lopment. You must realize that, right?” he asked.
“If you’re saying Arvi Gribblederd was behind this awful deed, then forget it. I know he wouldn’t do such a thing, even if he is a realtor always in search of property to sell.” The doubt in her voice rang loud in her ears and she watched the concern filter over Devin’s face as he stepped toward her, laying a hand gently on her arm. Her heartbeat quickened as her stomach flip-flopped.
Sheriff Tiddler’s cruiser swung into the parking lot and pulled to a stop next to Devin’s Jeep. They watched him struggle his girth from behind the steering wheel. Luna’s chest tightened as he ambled his way up the stairs toward them.
The sheriff stared at the couple.
They waited in silence. When he didn’t speak right away, Luna shuffled a couple of pillows off a nearby chair and plunked down.
Taking a seat across from her, the sheriff explained the man’s identity and that he’d been taken from the Braden Mortuary.
“You don’t seem surprised, Luna,” he said.
“Devin just told me,” she said. “So, what conclusion have you reached?”
“Dilly told me the shop was more swamped than usual today. If you pulled this stunt to gain free publicity, Luna, then you’ve broken quite a few serious laws.”
Outraged by the accusation, anger swept over Luna like a tidal wave. She jumped from the chair, fists clenched close to her sides. “Give me a break. I have better things to do than drag some decrepit body into my shop.” Luna paced back and forth, fury overriding her common sense. “There were two buses loaded with tourists as well as our regular crowd today.”
“So you say, but it seems pretty odd for the customer count to spike so high.” His gaze never left her for a second.
Luna glanced at Devin, who immediately raised his hands and shrugged as though unwilling to join the conversation. She grimaced over the fact he hadn’t spoken up on her behalf when he knew she’d been right and turned back to the sheriff.
“I think you want to wrap this incident into a neat package so you won’t have to do your job and investigate. Well, you are sadly mistaken, Sheriff. You’ll have to look elsewhere for the culprits who did this. Now, if you excuse me, I have work to do.” Luna flounced around the corner and in through the side door of the shop, letting it slam as she entered.
