Murder at Barclay Meadow

by Wendy Sand Eckel

  After the waitress filled our water glasses, Ed leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “So, how was your traffic?”

  “Dreadful,” I said. “There was this tractor—”

  “Ha,” Ed said. “Don’t you own one now?”

  “No, not yet, at least.”

  “Oh.” Ed frowned. “Annie said you were farming.”

  “Tyler is farming. Tyler leases the land. He has his own equipment.” I thought of another joke and smiled to myself.

  “So, is this farmer of yours making any money?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, he is. He farms organically and he got a great price for the winter wheat.”

  “God, Rose. Do you hear yourself? You went to the University of Virginia and now you’re living in the middle of nowhere and talking about winter wheat.”

  “I was born in the middle of nowhere.” I folded my hands over my menu. “Besides, I wasn’t given much of a choice.”

  “I didn’t tell you to leave the house.” He flattened his back against the chair. “And I certainly didn’t suggest you exile yourself to Elba Island.”

  The waitress returned and set our drinks down on flimsy square napkins. “Subject change,” Ed said and took a long sip. “You said you wanted to talk about Annie.”

  “That’s right.”

  “But why? She got a three-point-eight last semester. She seems absolutely fine.”

  “She’s not.” I shook my head. “She misses our family. She doesn’t even know where to call home anymore.”

  Ed’s jaw muscles tensed. “It’s an adjustment, but she’ll get used to it.”

  I watched him closely—the way he avoided my eyes no matter how hard I focused my gaze. He was flipping his spoon over and over, stopping only to check his expensive watch. I caught myself wanting to make it all better, to drop the subject and let him off the hook. I wondered if he was expecting me to do just that and was biding his time with his spoon until I offered to fix the problem. Not this time.

  “Ed, our divorcing has been hard on Annie. And she just had a very bad breakup. She’s devastated.”

  His eyes shot up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I texted you from the airport. I had to go to Durham and drive her home.”

  “That’s right,” he said. “I remember now.” His shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath.

  “Ed,” I said. “I think you need to work a little harder with Annie now that you don’t have me to manage your relationship.” I braced myself for an angry retort.

  He leaned forward. “You’re right. I need to pay more attention. Why are you so smart about these things?”

  I could smell the crisp, icy gin on his breath. “I just feel it, I guess.”

  “I’ll try and do better this summer. I have more time on my hands these days.”

  “Doesn’t sound like you,” I said and sipped my wine.

  “I sold the company.”

  “Ed.” I gasped. “That’s wonderful.”

  “Thank you,” he said. “And I’m already working on the next one. I’m going to develop software. Retail businesses are always playing catchup when it comes to credit card security. I’ve got a couple of guys working on a program that is state-of-the-art. I don’t know where this will end up, but I think we have something that will be very valuable.”

  “Wow.” I smiled. “It sounds like a great idea.”

  “My guys are smart. They are already coming up with some models.”

  “I can’t believe you sold another company. You are very good at what you do.”

  “I’m probably the only suit making money in this economy.” He stretched his neck from side to side. “I forgot how much I like to talk to you about business.”

  “I like it, too.”

  “Rose? I’m glad you are having some success with the farm. Good for you.”

  “Thank you,” I said, feeling truly touched.

  “So, what will you do this summer?”

  “Now that the crops are almost in, Tyler and I are looking into markets for the organic vegetables we’re going to grow this summer. Oh, and I’m planting an herb garden in order to try some new recipes for my bread. I thought I would plant some dill and—”

  “Your bread?”

  “I’m selling it at the shoe store.” I smiled, anticipating his reaction. He did not disappoint.

  “Shoe store?”

  “It’s where I buy the Post. It’s a version of Aunt Charlotte’s recipe. I’ve sold over one hundred loaves. Now I’m trying out some muffin recipes.”

  “Well,” he said and signaled the waitress for another drink, “you always were an excellent cook.”

  “Thank you.”

  The lights dimmed and the few lines that had been tooled into Ed’s face by age were erased by the softened lighting and the warm glow of the candle.

  “Annie said you’ve made some friends,” he said.

  “Yes, wonderful friends. I would trust them with my life.”

  He chuckled. “Sounds a bit dramatic.”

  Not really, I thought. “Ed? Do you realize Annie wants to live with you this summer?”

  “With me?” He reared back. “Really?”

  “She wants to be in her home. And she wants to keep her job at the gym.” I studied him, worried I would push him too far. But this was about Annie. “Don’t you want her there?”

  “Honestly?” The waitress arrived with his drink and he took another long sip. “I don’t know if she’s told you, but it’s very tense between us. We can barely have a civil conversation. I think she’s furious with me.”

  “She’s told me a little, but you two need to have this discussion. Talk to her, Ed. You’re her dad. She adores you.” I smiled over at him. “And she admires you so.” I reached out and patted his hand. “Give her time. And remember, your relationship can’t improve if you’re never together.”

  “I get that.” He nodded. “She’s always been my little Anna Banana.”

  I smoothed my napkin over my lap. “I’ll really miss her, though. If I had it my way, she would spend the summer with me.”

  Ed stared down at the table for a moment. His head shot up. “Rose? I have an idea. And it’s a good one.” He flashed me a wide smile. “Now that I’ve sold the company, I’ll be able to come up with a separation agreement for us. How about if I free up some money for you to rent a place in Chevy Chase? Then Annie could live with you and keep her job. What do you think?”

  “I don’t know.” I stared over at him. “What about the farm?”

  “As long as it’s making money, we can keep it.”

  We? “But I thought you just said you were going to make an effort with Annie?”

  “I will. I’ll make a Herculean effort to spend time with her. And maybe she won’t be so angry with me if she has you nearby. Maybe that’s been part of the problem—that you moved so far away.” He rolled his shoulder back and straightened his posture. “This is a good plan.”

  “I…”

  “And Rose?”

  My stomach flipped when he gazed over at me. His blue eyes sparkled. “If you move back to Chevy Chase, we can do this more often.”

  “Do what?” I asked tentatively.

  “Have dinner together. I think this is going very well. Don’t you?”

  The waitress reappeared and we ordered dinner—steak topped with crab for Ed, a salad and cup of soup for me. Once she was out of earshot, Ed said, “You look stunning tonight. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dress so flirty.” He reached over and lifted my necklace. “Your mother’s pearls.” His fingers brushed my skin. How is it that he could still excite me with the slightest touch? Why was he being so nice? Why did he do this to us?

  He let go. The pearls dropped back to my chest.

  I clutched the bottom of my wineglass. “I’m still the same old me.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Something has changed.”

  “Actually, you’re right. A lot
has changed.” I hesitated. “I’ve undergone a lot lately and the thing is, well, I’m not afraid anymore.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “What exactly were you afraid of?”

  “Everything. Change, maybe?”

  “That’s good,” he said. “That’s very good.” His dimples framed a smile. “It shows through—that strength. It’s lovely.”

  His words sifted slowly through my system, warming me, calming me. “Thank you, Ed. That’s very sweet.” I twirled my glass.

  “Rose…” Ed reached out for my hand. “Do you hate me?”

  “No,” I said. “I miss you. I miss us—our family. But I could never hate you.”

  “No, of course you couldn’t.” He kept my hand in his and continued to gaze over at me. My stomach swirled with wine and the deep attraction I had always felt for this man. What would I say if he asked?

  * * *

  After dinner we walked outside to the parking lot. I started to say good night but Ed grabbed my arms and pulled me to him. A nearby trio of nautical flags rippled in the breeze, casting shadows across his face. “Can I kiss you good-bye?”

  I flattened my hands on his chest. “Dinner was lovely.”

  He lifted my chin with his finger. “You are lovely.”

  I smiled up at him. “Wow.”

  His kiss sent an electric current through me. How long had it been since we shared such a sweet kiss? I opened my eyes. “Thanks for meeting me.”

  “Thanks for waking me up about Annie.” His eyes shone like aquamarine gemstones.

  “You’re welcome.” I couldn’t believe I was in Ed’s arms again.

  “Okay. Till next time, kiddo. It’s good to have a plan. Let me know if you need help finding a place.” He let go and straightened his tie. “Have I told you how much I appreciate you being so reasonable through all this? It could have been a disaster. But you’ve been such a grown-up about everything. You’re one classy lady. And you know? Maybe I sort of helped you. I mean, look how much you’ve grown.”

  My heart plummeted to the bottom of my belly. I placed my hand on my chest and tried to breathe. Had I really duped myself into believing he would want me back?

  “Hey,” Ed said. “You okay? Did you get a bad salad?”

  I shook my head.

  “Rose?”

  I looked up at him. The breeze had died down. The flags went limp. “I’ll be okay.”

  “You sure?” He smiled down at me.

  “Ed? Can I ask you something?” I gripped my bag with two tight fists, steeling myself to be strong. “When did you stop loving me?”

  His shoulders fell. “Please don’t do this.”

  “Was it when I quit working?”

  “I was relieved when you quit. Our lives had gotten too hectic.” He looked around the parking lot as if in need of an exit.

  “Did you lose respect for me at some point?”

  “Of course not.” He rubbed his temples. “You are the most ethical and kind person I know.”

  “So, what, then? Was it after my mother died?”

  He shook his head. “I loved your mother more than my own.”

  “I couldn’t have been easy to live with. I would understand if it was too much for you.”

  “Well, that would have been pretty rotten of me.” He smacked his gloved hands together. “Okay, are we finished here? Because dinner was really great, but I’m not so into this conversation.”

  “I have a right to know what happened, Ed. It will help me to know.”

  “It wasn’t you.” He avoided my eyes. “I … I just fell in love with someone else.”

  I shook my head. “I thought we had a good marriage.”

  “I never stopped loving you, Rose.”

  “But you did, Ed. You stopped loving me enough.” I turned to go. I heard him call my name, but at that moment I felt truly divorced from him.

  Despite the cool air, I buzzed my convertible down and put my car in reverse. I turned in the seat and there was Ed, hands on the door of my car. “Rosalie,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m okay, I really am. Thank you for dinner.” I started to back up.

  “How can you be okay?”

  I stopped. Our eyes met. “Maybe you underestimate me, Ed. Maybe you always have.”

  FORTY

  For the remainder of the week, Annie and I sank into a routine. We shared breakfast every morning on the back porch. I was trying some new recipes and prepared a different omelet each day. We decided the tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella was our favorite. I worked hard to keep things on an even keel. She never asked how my dinner went with Ed and I never asked her again about the details of her breakup with Connor.

  The rest of her time was spent with Tyler. She was fascinated by his finger. She had him tell her every detail of the surgery and examined it as if it were under a microscope. She researched finger reattachment and appointed herself his in-house physical therapist. After accompanying him to his physical therapy visit, she set up three sessions a day and posted the schedule on the refrigerator. While they worked, they chatted like best friends. They discussed books and movies but, most importantly, they talked about the farm. I had never heard Tyler talk so much, but Annie had a way that put others at ease.

  On the last day we sat on the porch drinking coffee. “I always think about Megan when I look out at the river,” she said. “I still can’t believe you found a dead body.” She looked over at me, her eyebrows arched in question. “Is that redundant? ‘Dead body’?”

  “I don’t think so,” I said and took a sip of coffee.

  “Are you any closer to finding out if she was murdered?”

  “We know she was murdered for certain now. But we still don’t know who.” I tucked her hair behind her ear. “I like that you care so much about her. That says a lot about you.”

  Annie smiled, then stood and said, “I should hit the road. I’ll go get my bag.”

  “I think Tyler already carried it down for you.”

  “He’s not supposed to be doing stuff like that. You need to make sure he does his exercises after I leave.”

  “I’m on it,” I said and stood to follow her out.

  After saying a warm good-bye to Tyler, Annie and I walked out to her car. A Vera Bradley duffle weighed heavy on her shoulder. She turned to face me. “Mom? I’m sorry I haven’t been very understanding.”

  “What do you mean?” I smoothed my hand over her cheek.

  “I’ve been pretty selfish this week. I made it all about me.” She scratched her nose and tucked some hair behind an ear. “I understand that you didn’t want this divorce any more than I did. And I know how hard you’ve tried to keep things good for me.”

  “Wow,” I said. “Thanks for saying that. But I’m your mom. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “I know what you did with Daddy and I appreciate you trying.” She hitched the duffle higher on her shoulder. Doodle daisy, just like Megan’s backpack. “So, what are you going to do?”

  “I’ve decided to do what your dad suggested. I’ll look for a place in Chevy Chase. Something small. An apartment maybe, but with two bedrooms. I’ll live there this summer with you and I guess Tyler will hold down the fort here.” I glanced at the house. “I haven’t really discussed it with him yet, though.”

  “Are you sure you want to leave?”

  I shrugged. “I haven’t come up with any better ideas.”

  “So, should I try and get my job back?”

  “Go for it.” I pulled her into a bear hug. “I’m so sorry about Connor. Please take care of yourself.” I stepped back. “Say, Annie, if you’re going to get a job, maybe you should change your Facebook page.”

  “Good idea. I’ll do some spring cleaning when I get back to school.”

  As I watched Annie disappear through the cedars, I realized I would have to start over again—reinvent myself yet again. Summer. I had until summer.

  FORTY-ONE

  After droppin
g off a delivery of double chocolate muffins at Birdie’s, I popped a stick of wintergreen gum in my mouth and started toward my car.

  “Rosalie…”

  I looked over my shoulder. Nick was standing by Birdie’s storefront window. He was in jeans and a blazer, his wavy dark hair tousled about. “Nick?” I shielded my eyes and looked up at him.

  “I thought I might find you here.”

  I hugged my papers. “How did you know?”

  “I’ve purchased a few of those muffins.” He stepped closer. “Are you ready?”

  “For what?” My instinct was to back away from him, but I held my ground.

  “That sail we’ve been talking about.” A gust of wind blew a tress of curls onto his forehead. “The weather is perfect these past few days.”

  I forced a smile. “Do you have a day in mind?”

  “I was thinking Friday evening. I can pick you up at your dock.”

  “My dock?” I clutched my papers tighter, hoping to calm my trembling hands. How does he know I have a dock?

  “I’ll make us dinner. And I just got a delicious case of French muscadet. I’ll bring a bottle.” He winked. “Or two.”

  “Yes.” I swallowed back the lump forming in my throat. “That sounds lovely.”

  “Excellent.” His fingers tiptoed up my arm and brushed my neck. “It’s good you’re ready to get on with your life. At some point, we all have to allow the ghosts to exit the stage.” He walked backward, still facing me. He was grinning hard. “Six o’clock,” he said. “Don’t be late.” He turned and continued down the sidewalk.

  I touched my neck. Was he trying to tell me something? I leaned back against my car to steady myself. Did he say “ghosts”?

  Rosalie Hart

  I’m going for a sail with the professor.

  Tony Ricci

  WTF????

  Shelby Smith

  Rosalie, you can’t do that.

  Glenn B

  It’s madness. That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.

  Rosalie Hart

  These are all thoughts I’ve had myself but he asked so there must be a reason.

  Tony Ricci