Kari Lee Townsend - Sunny Meadows 04 - Perish in the Palm

by Kari Lee Townsend

  Mitch paused with his spoon full of chili halfway to his mouth. His eyes narrowed. “Ran into? And where exactly did this encounter with the deceased’s accountant happen to take place? At the grocery store? Oh wait, you don’t cook.” He set his spoon down and pushed the bowl away, sitting back and crossing his arms. “Let me guess, this is all a bribe so I won’t get angry at you for sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong and putting yourself in danger yet again. I’m right, aren’t I?” He raised a brow and waited.

  I sighed, knowing it was pointless to deny it. “Fine, you win. What you call a bribe, I call an offer of peace. Although, I do think you work too hard, and I knew you wouldn’t take time to get lunch yourself. It’s my job as your girlfriend to care about your Health Line.”

  I could see his mind and body were at war. His hunger won out, pushing the last remnants of his stubborn streak to take a backseat until lunch was over. He grabbed the bowl and grunted while he finished the food, gesturing for me to start talking.

  “Okay, so when I was speaking with Linda Theodore, she mentioned something about Peirce making late night phone calls and whispering and acting sneaky. At first she thought he was having an affair, but then she found out the calls were to his accountant.”

  “So naturally you just had to go see him yourself instead of telling me.” Mitch scowled, his tone screaming pure frustration.

  “I’m telling you now. Doesn’t that count for something?” I flashed my pearly whites and fluttered my eyelashes at him, attempting to look adorable.

  He just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

  Giving up on a lost cause, I continued. “Anyway, in my efforts to help you, even though you don’t appreciate it, I stopped by his office this morning. I have to say Brice acted even more nervous than Peirce.”

  “People generally act nervous when murder is involved. That’s hardly newsworthy, Tink.”

  “No, but I ran into this big scary guy I’ve never seen before who showed up at the house later and—”

  “Wait, back up. What?” Detective Stone gaped at me in pure cop mode, Boyfriend Mitch all but gone.

  “I was fine.” I held up my hands. “Granny was there, and Morty.”

  “Yeah, and we see how well that worked out for you last time when you got kidnapped,” he growled in exasperation, worry lines bracketing the corners of his wide firm mouth once more.

  “The point is, Scary Guy really wasn’t all that scary. I did some digging and word around town is he’s actually from the IRS. Apparently Peirce files quarterly, and something in his books didn’t add up. This guy is here investigating, but Mr. Benedict isn’t exactly cooperating. When the IRS agent saw me talking to Brice, he thought I might know something. I don’t, of course, but I thought that you might want to look into this as well. What if Brice was involved in something illegal and Peirce found out about it? Brice might have killed him or hired someone to kill him before anyone else could find out. He probably didn’t anticipate the IRS catching up with him first.”

  “You have one active imagination, Sunny, but I am glad you told me. At this point I’m grateful for any lead that points away from your mother.”

  “Amen to that. You’re not mad then?” I smiled at him hopefully.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” he replied, but the corner of his lip tipped up a hair as he added, “we’ll work out your punishment later.”

  “Is that a threat, Detective?”

  “That’s a promise,” he said with a serious tone, but something in his eyes told me this was a punishment I just might enjoy.

  ***

  The leaves were changing rapidly this season, and many had already fallen in my back yard. I didn’t have any appointments this afternoon, and Granny was driving me nuts planning her fall harvest party to cheer up my mother. Something told me Granny’s attempt to help was only going to make matters worse. She promised it wouldn’t get out of control this time, and Mother wouldn’t have to deal with Morty if it was at the park, but still….

  I chuckled as Morty popped out of a pile of leaves I had just raked, as if he were practicing a magic act. Knowing him, he was planning on terrorizing my parents anyway. It didn’t matter if the party was inside or out or on a different planet. Everyone knew Morty went where he wanted and did as he pleased. He had a leaf stuck to his eye, making him look like he had an eye patch on. I peeled it off, and he just stared at me, then started digging in the dirt as if I were insignificant.

  “Behave yourself, Mister.” I pointed my finger at him, but he just hoisted his chin high in the air and walked away, messy paws and all.

  “Need some help?” came a welcome voice from behind me.

  I spun around with a genuine smile on my face. Now this was the kind of help I could use right about now. “Why, Sean O’Malley in the flesh, offering to do manual labor for free. Mark the calendar.”

  “Who says my offer is free? Spending time with all of this,” he swept his hands up and down his impressive body, “will cost you, love.” He grinned wide, his charming dimples sinking deep. He really was a character.

  “Um, you came to me. Not the other way around, Romeo,” I pointed out. “Besides, aren’t you taken?”

  His dimples faded and sparkling blue eyes dimmed. “I wish. The stubborn lass is giving me the cold shoulder. Can you believe it?”

  “Well, come on, Sean. You did ask her if she was pregnant. I still can’t believe you did that.” I put my hands on my hips and gave him a look that said it all. “What did you honestly expect?”

  “I’ll tell you what I didn’t expect. For her to be a virgin, that’s what.” He raked a hand through his blond curls and began to pace. “What am I supposed to do with that?”

  “You’re supposed to cherish that and thank your lucky stars you found such a gem of a woman to put up with you.” I swatted him on the arm.

  “She really is an angel, isn’t she?” He scrubbed a hand over his stubble-covered face, looking more unkempt and flustered than I had ever seen him. “Trouble is I think I’ve lost her for good, Sunny.” He stopped pacing and looked at the ground, his shoulders wilting a little. “She’s different than any woman I’ve ever dated. I didn’t know I could feel this way, and it scares the hell out of me.”

  My heart went out to him. He really was a mess, and that made him all the more endearing. “So why are you telling me?” I poked him in the shoulder. “Zoe is the one you should be telling, you numbskull.”

  He rubbed his shoulder. “I tried talking to her, but she won’t listen to me. I think it’s too late.”

  “Nonsense. It’s never too late when you care about someone.” I patted his cheek until he looked at me. “It’s not what you say, Sean, it’s how you say it. Quit feeding her lines. They don’t work on someone like her. Speak from your heart and just talk to her. She’ll listen, I promise. What do you have to lose?”

  “I’ll rake your entire yard if you do it for me.” He gave me such an adorable expression, I almost caved. Not to mention my yard was really big, and his offer was extremely tempting, but I knew Zoe.

  I let out a deep sigh and replied, “Sorry, pal, but I’m doing this for your own good. This is one conversation no one can have but you.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and hung his head. “That’s what I thought you were going to say.”

  “You’re a big boy. You can do this.” I gave him a hug. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll be planning a wedding of your own soon.”

  His face paled. “Baby steps, Sunny. I’d settle for a real date and a first kiss. Good God, I never thought I’d hear myself say that, but damned if I don’t mean it. I haven’t looked forward to a simple kiss since I had pimples.”

  “You had pimples?” I gaped at him in mock horror.

  “Seriously, love? My pimple status is what you got out of all of that?” He scowled without much venom. Sean was a lover. He couldn’t be mad if he tried.

  “No, I’m just playing.” I laughed. “What I got out
of endearing confession is that she’s changing you for the better, my friend.”

  He took a moment to ponder my words. “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  “Thanks, Sunny.” He turned around and started to walk away, looking more like himself with a spark of hope in his step he couldn’t quite hide.

  “Hey, wait a minute. Where are you going?” I held up my rake after realizing what I’d just done. Why was it every time I tried to help someone, I only ended up hurting myself in one way or another?

  “You were right. All this,” he turned around and swept his hand down his frame once more, “isn’t suited for manual labor.” He winked, then spun back around and kept walking now as if he had purpose in his ever stride.

  He had purpose, all right. To get far away from a little thing called hard work. “I take it back. You haven’t changed at all,” I hollered after him. He just laughed and kept walking and even started to whistle and dance an Irish jig.

  Mitch passed by Sean, shot him a wave with an odd look, picked up a rake without having to be asked, and joined me.

  “Now here’s a real man,” I said and gave him a kiss when he came to a stop by my side, thinking, My man.

  “Was there ever any doubt?” he replied with his rich deep tone that never failed to give me shivers. “What’s Granny Gert doing with all those apple desserts? It’s not even her baking day.”

  The mention of Granny Gert put the kibosh on my shivers in a hurry. “Planning a fall harvest party to cheer Mother up.” I groaned.

  “Please tell me you’re kidding.” His face looked pained.

  “I wish. She even put a call into her Sewing Sisters as well as Fiona and the Knitting Nanas for help.”

  “Great. I’ll tell Fire Chief Drummond down at the firehouse to stay alert. Remember last time those two worked together?”

  “Don’t remind me,” I responded, thinking of the kitchen fire they’d set in my house and then Fiona getting stuck in a tree while they were under house arrest. “It doesn’t matter if they are friends or foes. The Dynamic Duo are more like the Disaster Duo if you ask me, but never mind that.” I pushed those scary thoughts away. “You’re home early. How come?”

  “After you left I paid your IRS guy a visit, and together we made a little stop in to see Brice Benedict. It didn’t take much for Benedict to confess. Turns out he invested money from Peirce Theodore without his consent into some bad deals. The deals went south and Brice lost Peirce’s money.”

  “Wow, that’s terrible. No wonder Peirce was stressed out and looking for money. He had to be on the verge of losing the inn.”

  “That’s not all. The people Brice was in bed with are shady at best and downright dangerous.” Mitch gave me a stern look that said, Now do you see why I worry? “I think they’re the ones who were roughing Peirce up, trying to squeeze more money out of him. Brice confessed because he’s more afraid of them than being behind bars.”

  “So what happens now?”

  “Now you stay away and let me do my job.”

  “And?” I said noncommittally.

  “And Brice will probably go to jail while Linda’s life insurance money will go to the IRS, putting her back at square one. She will probably have to sell the inn unless she comes into some magic money somehow.”

  “Magic money,” I mumbled, thinking of a plan. I was trying to be good and stay out of this case, but I had to do something to help or I would go crazy.

  “I know that look, Sunny.” Mitch tipped up my chin. “Please tell me you aren’t thinking of doing something stupid?”

  “Me, something stupid? Of course not.” I laughed a little too loudly. “Why would you even think such a thing?”

  “You seriously have to ask?” he sputtered.

  “You do your job, honey.” I patted his chest. “And let me do mine.”

  I left him with the rake as I made my way back to the house with him shouting, “That’s what I’m afraid of,” from behind me.

  I smiled warmly. He knew me so well, because that was exactly what I was going to do. My job. Peirce’s reading had said he was going to come into money and the inn was going to be put on the map. I somehow felt guilty for Peirce dying, even though I knew I had nothing to do with it. I might not have been able to save him, but I could certainly help save his business. Besides, ever since giving him that reading, one thought kept rolling through my brain. I knew I wouldn’t rest until I found out what it meant.

  The secret lies within the walls of the inn.

  Chapter 9

  “Do you think this is a good idea?” Zoe asked as we stepped out of Jo’s suburban.

  Jo always drove when we went somewhere together because Jo liked being in control of everything in her life, which was especially important at the moment since it was obvious she felt like her world was spinning out of control. It was Monday night and Sean was manning the bar, trying to make Jo happy. He might be a devil, but no one could deny he was an amazing friend. Meanwhile Cole was home dog-sitting Biff, cleaning the house, and basically doing anything he could to get back in her good graces.

  “Good idea or not, we’re doing it.” Jo zipped up her fleece over her rapidly thickening middle. “I need to get out of the house before I throw up or kill my husband. You’re avoiding Sean and having to talk to him seriously for once, so don’t even try to deny it. And Sunny needs to stay out of trouble and let Mitch do his job. What better way to do that than to see if we can solve a good mystery that has nothing to do with murder. It has to do with the future. Nothing dangerous about that.”

  “Thank you both for being with me. I feel really bad that Mr. Theodore died and I wasn’t able to help him.” I shivered over the quickly dropping evening temperature. As I tightened my fringed sweater coat, I wished I had put a pair of socks and boots on instead of sandals. I tended to be impulsive, which did not serve me well when planning a mission—something I vowed to work on and soon. Focusing on the task at hand instead of my freezing toes, I added, “If I can just figure out what his reading meant, then maybe I can help save his inn.”

  “While you’re at it, maybe you can figure out what I’m supposed to do about Sean,” Zoe grumbled, not looking cold at all in her sensible yet stylish wool coat. “Actually, never mind. You guys are friends with him, so I highly doubt you could remain impartial.”

  She started walking toward the Divine Inspiration Inn that looked deceivingly normal now that all traces of the wedding and murder had been removed. The crime scene had already been investigated, and Peirce had been cremated in a private ceremony. Loyal workers still wandered about the grounds. The only thing missing were the guests.

  “Yeah we’re friend with Sean, but you’re family.” Jo draped her arm over Zoe’s shoulders. “I adore Sean, but I love you. I would never steer you wrong. You have my word on that. Right now men don’t rank very high on my list.”

  “Well, I’m no expert when it comes to love.” I snorted. “Just look at Mitch and me. We don’t do anything the normal way. I’m not even sure exactly where we stand right now. But I do know that Cole loves you, Jo. He might be afraid, but you know he’s crazy about you and he will make an amazing father. Just look at how he is with Biff.”

  “I know that, but still, I’m not through with making him suffer after what he did to me.” Jo raised her chin a notch. “Blame it on the hormones, but I figure I’m entitled to a little revenge. I only plan to get married once and you only get one wedding night and honeymoon. He ruined that. I’ll come around eventually, it’s how we do things. And then he will spend the rest of our lives making it up to me.” She winked.

  “You’re so bad,” I said half laughing. “And, Zoe, you really are lucky. Sean might be a lover of all women, but he’s never fallen for a single one until you. I always knew once he met the right woman, he would be a goner. He would hang up his roving ways and be the most loyal, doting man on the planet. He’ll treat you like gold if you just give him a chance, I promise.” At le
ast Sean couldn’t say I didn’t try. The rest was up to him.

  “Maybe.” She looked hopeful yet doubtful at the same time. “But I’m with Jo. I deserve a little payback, and that boy deserves to beg. I don’t think any woman has ever said no to him regarding anything. I have been saving myself for a special man. If he wants to be that man, he’s going to have to earn it.” She snapped her spine straight, and the family resemblance between her and Jo was suddenly crystal clear. “Speaking of earning it, don’t you think Detective Stone has proven he’s worthy to be the man in your life?”

  “Absolutely,” I answered easily. “The problem is getting him to say he loves me and ask me to marry him again. I never should have said let’s take things slow because now I’m afraid he will never propose.”

  “Who says he has to be the one to propose?” Jo asked.

  I blinked, and my heart did a funny little flip. “I don’t know,” I finally responded. “I wouldn’t have a clue where to begin, and I tend to make a disaster of pretty much everything. You really think I should do it?” I chewed my bottom lip as the idea took root and nestled in my belly where it began to grow and blossom and push my doubts aside.

  “Why not? You’re a modern, free-thinking woman. If anyone can pull it off, you can.” Zoe beamed.

  A slow grin spread across my face. “You guys are right, darn it.” I felt excitement and nervousness battle within me. “I’m going to do it. I am going to propose to Mitch just as soon we clear my mother’s name. I want the moment to be perfect with no distractions or worries hanging over our heads.”

  “Then let’s get this show on the road, ladies.” Jo knocked on the door to the inn. It had remained locked since Linda had shut her doors.

  The door swung open and Sally Clark the crisply starched elderly maid stood ramrod straight and eyed us warily. “May I help you?”