by Kathi Daley
“I’ll make some calls tomorrow. Danny and Aiden are closing the bar on Thanksgiving, so we could use some of their tables and chairs in a pinch, but it would be easier to rent what we need. I might be able to find a company to deliver them on Tuesday or Wednesday and then pick them up after the holiday weekend.”
“The church will be closed. I bet we could borrow some chairs and tables from them if need be.”
Cody paused and picked up a stick, which he tossed for Max. “I know this feast is a lot of work. With everything that’s happened in regard to the wedding, it might be too much work. But Mr. Parsons is really looking forward to it.”
“I’m happy we’re doing this for him. Francine offered to take over the planning and cooking of the food, so it hasn’t been all that much work for us at all.”
Cody paused and looked out toward the sea. “It was really nice of her to pitch in.”
“I think she gets lonely, and planning the party makes her feel included. She seems really excited, and Aunt Maggie, Siobhan, Tara, and even Summer are helping. Mr. Parsons has been strutting around like a sixty-year-old since the invitations went out. It’s good to see him with so much energy and enthusiasm. And the best part is that everyone who usually has nowhere to go on Thanksgiving has been invited. This is good for all our friends. I’m happy we’re in a position to spearhead things.”
The breeze picked up slightly after we turned to walk back toward my cabin. Cody usually spent at least part of his nights with Mr. Parsons, but his friends Banjo and Summer had offered to spend the two weeks between the weekend before our wedding and the weekend after Thanksgiving at his house so we could have the time we needed first to prepare for the wedding and then to prepare for the Thanksgiving feast. We weren’t taking a honeymoon now due to time constraints, but every day with Cody was like a honeymoon, so I didn’t really mind. Or at least I hadn’t. With everything that had been going on, I felt like I really did need a break.
“By the way,” Cody said as we paused to allow Max to catch up with us after chasing something only he had seen, “I spoke to the contractor today. He spoke to the engineer, who verified that most of the walls we want to take out on the third floor of the house should be removable as long as we add a header and make a few modifications to our design.”
I smiled. “That’s great.”
“He’d like to get started right after the first of the year. January is a slow time for him. I figured we could just stay in your cabin while the work is being done.”
“And Mr. Parsons? We talked about how the noise and dust could affect his health.”
“Francine volunteered to have him stay with her during the construction, and he said he was fine with that.”
I raised a brow. “Really? That surprises me.”
Cody took my hand and began to walk again. “Why? Mr. Parsons and Francine get along splendidly.”
“True. I guess I’m just surprised he’s okay with the disruption to his home and life. There was a time not all that long ago when he never would have gone for any of this.”
Cody shrugged. “I guess he’s mellowed.”
I turned and looked at Cody. “He’s more than mellowed. He’s a totally different person since you moved in with him. You’ve changed his life.”
“We’ve changed his life, and in many ways, he’s changed ours.” Cody paused. “I didn’t have any strong male role models when I was younger. My father left when I was just a kid, and my mother’s father didn’t live near us. In a way, Mr. Parsons is like the grandfather I never had, and he’s told me more than once that he considers me the son he never had.” Cody looked at me. “And I know he adores you. You took care of him even before I came back to the island. We’re a family. Maybe a different sort of family, but still a family. I think that’s why he’s willed his estate to us. He wants his family to continue after he’s gone.”
Cody was right; Mr. Parsons was family. “You know, I still haven’t settled on someone to walk me down the aisle. I was thinking of asking Aiden, but how about if I ask Mr. Parsons? Aiden is already a groomsman.”
He stopped walking. “Really? I’m sure that would mean a lot to him.”
“He didn’t come to mind right away, but you make a good point that he’s like a grandfather to you. I’d be honored to have him be part of our special day.”
Cody took my hand and started walking again. “We’ll ask him tomorrow. And thank you. This means a lot to me.”
I let out a small laugh. “Well, he is giving us a multimillion-dollar estate on which to raise our family.”
Cody looped his arm around my neck. “True. But even if that wasn’t the case, you’d ask him, because it’s important to me.”
I leaned my head on his shoulder. “You’re right. I would. I want this day to be special for both of us.”
We continued the trek to my cabin in silence. I had the wedding and the plans I still needed to finalize on my mind, as well as Sally’s murder and the potential for real problems for Cody’s mom. I was really sad we’d most likely never have the close relationship I’d hoped for, but I had other people in my life who loved me unconditionally, and that would be enough.
“It looks like the reinforcements have arrived,” Cody said as we arrived at my deck to find a furry brown-striped cat waiting for us.
“I was hoping one of Tansy’s cats would show up to help us find Sally’s killer,” I said as I walked forward and then bent over to pet the cat. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but every time I’d been tasked with solving a mystery in the past few years, a magical cat had shown up to steer me in the right direction. “What’s your name, sweetie?”
“Meow.”
“I don’t speak cat, so I guess I’ll need to call Tansy.”
“It’s late,” Cody said.
I looked at my watch. “It’s late, but not that late. If she’s gone to bed, she most likely won’t answer, and I’ll leave a message and she can call me back in the morning.” I glanced at Max. “Can you wipe his feet before he comes in? I want to make the call before it gets any later.”
I kicked off my shoes and walked in stocking feet across the hardwood floor. The cabin was nice and warm from the fire we’d left burning. I really loved crisp nights such as this, when I could cuddle with Max, Cody, and one of Maggie’s quilts.
I signed onto my cell and dialed Tansy’s number.
“I guess Cosmo must have arrived,” Tansy said upon answering.
“If Cosmo is a huge, furry brown cat, yes, he’s arrived. He’s really beautiful. And so cuddly-looking.”
Tansy laughed. “Cosmo loves to cuddle, and he isn’t just beautiful but special as well.”
“Special how?” I asked.
“He is connected to the truth that lives within the lies. Follow his lead and you will find the answers you seek.”
I’m not sure why, but Tansy’s statement made me a little nervous. I wanted to ask what she meant by that, but I’d been working with Tansy long enough to know she wouldn’t tell me, so I thanked her and hung up. When I returned to the deck, I found Cody holding Cosmo while Max lounged at his feet.
“So, is this a Tansy cat?” Cody asked
“It is. His name is Cosmo.”
Cody smiled. “I’m very glad to meet you, Cosmo.” He looked at me. “If a magical cat is here to help us find Sally’s killer, that must mean my mom is innocent.”
I frowned. I wasn’t at all sure that was the case, but I didn’t want Cody to worry. “Yes.” I forced a smile. “I imagine that’s exactly what his arrival means.”
Chapter 3
Wednesday, November 14
“Cody’s cousin Eric is a donkey butt.”
“Donkey butt?” Tara laughed at my announcement.
I furrowed my brow as I tried to prevent my ire from taking an unladylike turn. “I have a much harsher name in mind, but with everything that’s happened this past week, I figure I must have negative karma at work. I want things to go smoothly from
this point forward, so I’m trying to keep my soul clean and my aura pure.”
“I see.” Tara suppressed a laugh. “So, is Eric a donkey butt based on a general assessment or did he do something specific?”
“He did something specific.”
Tara flinched. “What did he do now?”
I curled my hands into fists as I attempted to contain my rage. “He punched Finn square in the face. The whole thing was totally unprovoked.” I let out a groan. “What an idiot. Not only is Finn bigger and stronger than Eric, and therefore totally capable of flattening the guy, but Finn is a cop. He could have both flattened him and arrested him.”
“I’m assuming he didn’t do either,” Tara said in a gentle voice I knew was intended to help calm me down.
“No,” I moaned. “Finn didn’t want to create any more problems for Cody, so he gave him a strong talking-to, then took him back to the inn and told him to sleep it off.”
Tara walked over and gave me a hug. “Okay, so Eric punched Finn. Why would he do that?”
“I found out this morning that Eric showed up at Finn and Siobhan’s house last night after they got home from the Scooby meeting. When Finn answered the door, Eric didn’t say a word; he just punched him. Finn managed to pin him to the ground, but all Eric would say was that he was defending his aunt’s honor after Finn manhandled her that afternoon.”
“Manhandled?” Tara asked.
“Finn had to pick her up for questioning. Cody’s mom was less than cooperative, apparently, so he had to forcefully escort her to the back seat of his squad car. How on earth did we get to the point where my brother-in-law has to take my fiancée’s mother into custody for questioning a few days before my wedding? Or at least a few days before my wedding was supposed to take place. Who knows when it will take place at this point.”
Tara put her arm around my shoulders. “It does seem you’ve had more than your share of problems with this wedding. But I’m sure things will eventually come together, and then you and Cody can put this whole fiasco behind you.”
“Sure, unless Cody’s mom ends up in prison. Then what? Do we take the kids to the big house to visit Grandma?”
Tara raised a brow. “I know you’re upset, but I think you might be overreacting just a bit. I’m sure we’ll find Sally’s real killer and the whole nightmare will come to an end.”
I lowered my voice and leaned in close. “What if she is the real killer?”
“Why would you say that?”
I shrugged. “The woman has been a loose cannon ever since she’s been here. And I spoke to Tansy last night, after my latest kitty sidekick showed up, and she said something about a truth at the source of every lie. I just have this feeling the truth we find might not be the one we’re hoping for.”
Tara let out a long breath. “I guess all you can do is follow the truth, no matter where it leads.”
Tara was right. If Cody’s mother did kill Sally, she would need to pay the price for her actions. I wasn’t sure how Cody would deal with that, but I’d be there with him. If she was innocent, we’d prove it and she could get on with her life. We could all get on with our lives.
“Do you want some coffee?” Tara offered.
“No. I have errands to do.”
“Errands or sleuthing?”
“Sleuthing. I’d like to have something concrete to bring to the meeting tonight. Something other than a sick feeling that Mrs. West may actually be guilty, as the sheriff suspects.”
“I’m sure she didn’t kill Sally.”
I sighed. “Let’s hope not.”
I left Coffee Cat Books and headed to the north shore, where Willow Wood lived with her son, Barrington Wood Turner, and her best friend and parenting partner, Alex Turner. She worked for us part-time but wasn’t scheduled to be in today. I’d called ahead and she’d indicated she’d be happy to discuss whatever I wanted. I hadn’t seen Barrington for quite a while, so I was anxious to see how big he’d gotten too. He was only a few months older than Connor but had been a larger baby at birth and had demonstrated an exceptional rate of learning even in infancy. Knowing as I did that he would grow up to do exceptional things that would save lives felt weird to me, especially because Alex and Willow had no idea about it, but Tansy had explained it was important to keep it a secret.
“Thank you for seeing me,” I said after I knocked on her door and Willow invited me in.
“Come on back. The baby is in the sunroom with Alex. It’s been a while since you’ve seen him.”
“Is he still talking a mile a minute?”
“He is. Mostly just babbles, but every now and then I feel like he’s trying to make a point.”
“He does seem like a very intelligent baby.”
“Oh, he is,” Willow said. “Of course, I’m sure all parents say that.”
I greeted Alex and fussed over Barrington for a few minutes, and then Alex took Barry up to his room so Willow and I could chat. I briefly explained the situation with Cody’s mother and that we were trying to find out all we could about Sally, her friends and enemies, and life in general in the weeks before her death. “You mentioned you attended the same exercise class as Sally, and we heard she planned to have dinner with a few people from there the night she died. We want to speak to those friends, and I hoped you knew who they were.”
Willow furrowed her brow. “I don’t know who she planned to have dinner with, but she seemed to be friends with Connie Salisman, Eve Donner, and Lisa Kinder. I’ve overheard them discussing getting together after class on more than one occasion.”
I jotted down the names. “Is there anyone in class she might have been having problems with?”
“Silvia Hill,” Willow answered at once. “Silvia served on the chamber of commerce with Sally. I don’t know what the problem was between them, but I’ve seen them talking in the parking lot either before or after class. I could never hear what they were saying, but from body language, it looked as if their conversations were heated.”
I jotted down Silvia’s name. “Does anyone else come to mind?”
Willow shook her head. “Not really. Although Sally and I attended the same class, we weren’t friends. We’d say hi if we passed in the hallway or parking lot, but that was about it. If Sally was tight with anyone other than the three I mentioned, I didn’t notice, although one of them might be able to tell you about other friends she had.”
“Okay, I’ll track down Connie, Eve, and Lisa. Siobhan was going to follow up with the chamber of commerce members, so I’ll mention Silvia to her. If you think of anyone else, call me.”
“I will. I’m working tomorrow, so you can find me at the store if you have additional questions. You have so much on your plate right now. If I can help you in any way, I’d like to. Barry and I can never repay you for all you’ve done for us.”
“I was happy to do it.” I looked around the bright, sunny room. Last year at this time, Willow was pregnant and homeless. “I’m very happy things worked out for all of you.”
I left the house Alex owned and Willow lived in and drove into town. Cody had been quiet this morning, so I thought I’d stop by the newspaper to see if there was anything I could do to cheer him up. I hoped he’d been able to talk to his mother and that it had gone smoothly. As it turned out, smoothly was the exact opposite of what had occurred.
“What do you mean, she tried to get on the ferry?” I asked.
“I guess she didn’t feel the need to follow the sheriff’s instructions to stay on the island and decided to go shopping in Seattle. Or at least that’s what she said. She had her luggage in the trunk of her car, so I’m pretty sure she was really going home.”
“Oh, Cody. That’s going to make her look guilty.”
“I know. And she should have realized the sheriff would take precautions. As I could have predicted, her name and photo had been provided to the folks who work for the ferry system and she was detained. Finn was forced to pick her up and hold her at his office until t
he sheriff could show up and talk to her. I don’t know what’s going to happen now, but there was talk of locking her up if she refused to cooperate.”
“Was Eric with her?”
Cody let out a long sigh. “No. Maybe Mom really was just going shopping. It doesn’t explain her luggage in the trunk, but she might have an explanation. I haven’t been able to speak to her, so I have no idea what she was thinking. Finn said he’d try to arrange it so I can talk to her. He had no idea when we spoke what the sheriff was going to do.”
“Can he lock her up if he doesn’t have proof she killed Sally?”
Cody shrugged. “Maybe for a while. He’d need to charge her with something to keep her for long. Unless he has something we don’t know about, it’s likely he’ll let her return to the inn with a stern warning about what will happen if she tries to leave again.”
I walked across the room and wrapped my arms around him. I felt helpless to make this easier for him. Tansy said to follow the truth, which was exactly what I intended to do, but I was afraid where the truth might lead.
Cody had some work to finish up, so I decided to go back to the cabin and have a heart to heart with Cosmo. If he’d been sent to help me find the truth, we needed to get started. By the time the cat had shown up last night it was time to go to bed, and I’d gotten up early this morning to see Cody off and then gone into town myself to talk to Tara and see Willow. Some of the cats Tansy sent to me were gung ho to get right to work, while others took their time getting warmed up. I hadn’t had a chance to get a feel for Cosmo’s style, but given the tight timeline, I hoped he was as raring to go as I was.
The sky darkened as the day progressed. I could see the major storm that had been predicted was most likely going to show up before we met tonight. Cody planned to buy some pizzas for our shared dinner, and we had stocked up on beer the last time we’d gone to the market, so I figured I could use the time I had before the others arrived to work with Cosmo in the hope he could help me turn up a clue or two.
