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

by Kari Lee Townsend

  “Easy now,” Jack Shepard said from behind Sally and Linda. “We wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself, phantomlike or otherwise.”

  “I’m okay, but thanks.” Jo was right. He was cute. A little rough around the edges, but endearingly charming, which made me wonder if he was Lover Boy once more.

  “You take care, there, Miss Meadows,” Frank Lalone added from behind Jack. “I can fix a lot of things, but not broken bones. Your granny would tan my hide if I let anything bad happen to you.”

  “Awww thanks, Mr. Lalone. That’s sweet.” And so was he. Maybe Linda was into cuddly, sweet handy-men instead of big, rugged, jolly green giants.

  “I still say this is silly. I can give you all the miracle you need in my kitchen if you just believe,” Pierre Desjardins added his two cents, looking as dashing and debonair as ever.

  “Silly or not, Mr. Desjardins, I owe it to both Mr. and Mrs. Peirce to finish this thing.” I forged on ahead, but that didn’t stop my brain from recognizing there was a mysterious quality to Pierre that was undeniably intriguing. Linda had been surrounded by interesting people and a husband who virtually ignored her. She was a young, beautiful woman whose husband didn’t appreciate her. Right or wrong didn’t matter. I was beginning to get it.

  “Oh, we’re not stopping now,” Linda said. “If I truly do find my miracle, I can save this godforsaken place. It doesn’t matter if I want it, the fact is I need it. And I’m not heartless enough not to know that you all need it as well.”

  “Whoa, what’s that?” I yelled and ducked at the same time, covering my head as a wild fluttering sounded above me.

  “Is it spiders?” Frank said. “I hate spiders.”

  “Or snakes.” Pierre shuddered. “I don’t do snakes.”

  “Most likely bats.” Jack’s alert gaze searched the dark nooks and crannies of the tunnel with wariness.

  “Bats?” Sally shrieked.

  “I don’t see anything except dirt and roots and stone.” Linda looked around impatiently, obviously not afraid of any rodents or winged creatures.

  “Has to be water nearby,” Frank said. “I can smell the mustiness.”

  “You’re a regular genius, you are,” Pierre chimed in with an eye roll. “We all know there’s water around these parts. Why there’s a river that feeds into the lake right in our very own backyard.”

  “We’re close,” I said, in part because it was the truth and in part to shut them all up. “When I read Mr. Theodore’s palm, I was transported to this very spot. I was in an old man’s body. Someone who was no stranger to a boat. He had trouble breathing and this place underground didn’t help matters any. I remember hearing fluttering. I’m thinking that was the bats we just saw.”

  “Do you remember anything else?” Jack asked innocently enough, but I could see the blazing curiosity in his eyes. I could see it in all of their eyes.

  “Well.” I rubbed an ache in my leg. “I heard a thumping noise. I wasn’t sure what it was at first, but now I’m fairly certain it was a wooden leg. Our mystery man walked with a limp and talk about phantom pain.” I shuddered.

  “Okay, so now what?” Linda stared at me eagerly.

  “I’m not really sure.”

  She let out an explosive breath like a deflating balloon, followed by a not-so-silent curse.

  “Maybe we should head back.” Sally’s gaze darted around apprehensively.

  I glanced at my watch and realized it was nearly dinner time. “Maybe you’re right.” Mitch was going to skin me alive if I worried him again.

  “No!” Linda raised her voice. “I mean, we’ve come this far.”

  “That we have, milady,” Pierre said.

  “As you wish,” Frank chimed in.

  “After you,” Jack added.

  “Well, okay, then,” I said, not having much choice.

  I kept us moving a bit further. I had no idea how long we had been walking, but it felt like forever. I was about to stop and turn around before a certain detective locked me up for good, when a whisper ran through my mind for me to stop. I obeyed, and everyone bounced off my back.

  “Sorry,” someone mumbled.

  “Pardon me,” someone else said.

  “My bad,” yet another comment came.

  “This is it,” I replied.

  “What is it?” Linda asked.

  “This is the spot where we dig.” I turned to face them. “I’m sure of it.”

  “Dig you say?” Sally looked appalled and then winced in disgust at her clean fingernails and apron.

  The men didn’t hesitate. Everyone started using whatever they had on them to start digging. Everyone except Linda. She sat back and watched like the Queen Bee. Fifteen minutes went by with no luck when I spotted an odd looking rock in the side wall. While they kept on digging, I started working on removing the rock. It didn’t quite fit in the hole naturally, as if it didn’t belong there. Like someone had placed it there. I’d almost given up hope on resurrecting it, when suddenly it wiggled free.

  This time I gasped.

  Everyone’s head popped up, and they all stood to join me in my discovery. We peeked inside, hoping to find a stash of money, but instead only saw a single piece of paper.

  “What’s that?” Sally asked.

  “It looks like a note,” Linda said.

  “Maybe it’s a love letter.” Jack winked.

  “Or a confession,” Pierre gave his two cents.

  “Or a suicide note,” Frank added.

  “Only one way to find out.” I reached inside. Slowly pulling the piece of paper out of its hiding place, I opened the folds and smiled wide. “It’s not a note, or letter, or confession,” I said with excitement.

  “Then what, pray tell, is it?” Linda demanded. “Is it my miracle; where’s my money?

  I stared her in the eye with pure satisfaction. “It might not be your money just yet, but it’s the next best thing. It’s a treasure map.”

  ***

  “I want to call a truce,” Mitch said later that night while we were curled up on the couch, sitting by a warm fire in our living room.

  I still loved the sound of that. Our living room. I adored the Victorian theme with the heavily upholstered overstuffed chairs and sofa, sporting uniquely shaped and curved backs that sat atop oriental rugs that covered the hard wood floors. Damasks, silks, and velvets covered all the surfaces available and heavy fabric draperies in deep reds, greens, gold and rich browns dressed the stained glass windows.

  Granny Gert kept them pulled back and secured with heavy cording and tassels, putting the lace underling on display in such a beautiful fashion. The house had come fully furnished. It was Granny Gert who made it shine.

  Mitch normally spent his free time in the garage since that was where he had set up his workbench and put his stamp on our home. He knew with Morty he had to tread lightly in making any changes, so when I came home and found him in the living room, I was surprised. He had asked me to join him the second I walked through the door. Not hounding me as to where I was or yelling at me. Just a civilized request that I couldn’t deny him. I had dropped my purse and joined him, no questions asked.

  Morty had been watching him like a panther when I had walked into the room. He narrowed his dark eyes as if to say, I’ve got my eye on you, Stone. One wrong move, and I’ll turn you into cat food. Then he stretched, shot me a bored look, and walked out of the room as if he had much more important things to do than hang with uneventful old us.

  “This is nice.” I snuggled up beside my favorite detective with my head on his shoulder and legs thrown across his, which were propped up on the coffee table.

  He tucked the blankets more securely around us. “What is?”

  “You and me together, not arguing, and Morty leaving us alone for once.”

  “Agreed.” He sighed and rubbed my back. “Why is it the only time we argue is when a case is involved or your cat is eying me for dinner?”

  Because you’re stubborn and I’m stub
born and that’s half of what makes us work, I wanted to say. “I don’t know, but maybe if we worked together instead of keeping secrets, we would avoid a lot of squabbles and get results sooner,” I said instead. Hey, a girl could hope. “And maybe you could try a bit harder with Morty,” I added as an afterthought.

  Mitch waited a beat as if mulling over something of great importance. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” I peeked up at him, my blond brows shooting up beneath my pale spikey hairline. “Okay we can work together, or okay you’ll try harder with Morty?”

  “Yeah,” he kissed my nose, “okay to both.”

  “I’m so glad you said that.” I bit my bottom lip and jumped to my knees excitedly, kissing him all over his face.

  His hands grabbed my hips to keep me from tumbling to the floor as his eyes sprang wide and then narrowed suspiciously. “Am I going to regret this already?”

  I pointed at him. “Truce, remember?” I hopped off the couch with purpose.

  “Unfortunately.” He scrubbed a hand over his whiskered jaw.

  I grabbed my satchel and joined him back on the couch once more. “Look what I found today.” I pulled out the treasure map.

  He frowned. “What is that?”

  “Mrs. Theodore’s miracle.”

  “Come again?”

  I waved my hands in front of me. “Her treasure map. Whatever. It’s the miracle that’s going to save her inn.”

  “Treasure map, miracle, saving the inn … what are you talking about, Tink? You’re giving me a headache.”

  “Peirce’s reading.”

  “Ah, I’m guessing this has to do with the fortune he’s supposed to come into, right? Now my head is pounding.”

  “Yes,” I answered, ignoring his sarcasm. “Morty had been acting really strange—” Mitch smirked, and I smacked him. “—stranger than usual, anyway. When I was raking, he popped up, looking like he was wearing a leaf eye patch. And then he kept limping as if he had a bum leg. I know Morty. The little scallywag was trying to give me a hint, and sure enough, the clues led to this.” I handed Mitch the map.

  “And where exactly did you find this map?” He studied the ancient piece of paper closely.

  “In a secret tunnel hidden behind a shelf in the root cellar of the inn,” I said so matter-of-factly, Mitch actually laughed.

  “Just like that?” He shook his head at me in wonder.

  “Not exactly. First I got clonked on the head, but only phantomlike, so no worries.” I rubbed my still aching scalp. “Didn’t stop it from hurting something fierce, though.” His ink black eyebrow crept higher, so I hurriedly continued. “I was completely safe, mind you. Linda and her entire staff accompanied me.”

  “Through an ancient tunnel that hasn’t been occupied in decades I’m guessing. Yeah, that sounds perfectly safe.”

  “Exactly.” I gave him a look that said, Truce, remember? “Anyway, it’s missing a corner of the map that has the final location for where the treasure is buried, but I’m certain if I work at it enough, I can find it.”

  “Using your psychic abilities, of course.” His expression remained neutral. Smart man.

  “Um, yes.” I nodded.

  “Anything else?” He sounded exhausted.

  “Well, no.” I kissed his cheek, then my lips parted as I thought of something else. “Oh, wait, yes.”

  “I can’t wait.” He grinned, his face looking almost pained.

  “Mrs. Theodore was having an affair while Peirce was still alive, but I’m not sure with whom yet.”

  “Doesn’t really surprise me. Could explain the life-insurance policy. Maybe they planned to off him and collect on the money together, not counting on Peirce being broke and the IRS taking it all.”

  “Maybe, or she could be telling the truth when she says she was afraid for his life from the people who had been threatening him before he died and didn’t want to get saddled with his debt. The thugs we now know about.”

  “The thugs that will soon find out about this treasure along with the rest of the people around town and beyond.” Mitch pointed out as if I hadn’t already thought of that.

  “Small town living, I know.” I snorted, then sat up. “Hey, you just made me realize that something else I predicted is about to come true.”

  “Yeah, what’s that?” He drew his brows together in curiosity.

  “Divine Inspiration is about to be put on the map once news of this ancient treasure spreads. It doesn’t even matter if we find the money. People will fill the inn just to check out the historic find. Maybe my efforts will end up saving the inn after all. Linda has a buyer, you know.” I wrung my hands together.

  “So I heard. No one knows who, though. The buyer wishes to remain anonymous.” Mitch frowned.

  “Hmmm, I didn’t know that.” I sat back and studied him closely. We’d been down this road before. Every time he said he would open up to me and share info, he never did. “What about you? What did Captain Walker call you out of your office for yesterday?”

  Mitch looked like he was about to clam up. I sent him a look that said he was on thin ice if he planned to break our truce already, especially after all we had been through and after all I had just shared with him.

  He sighed long and deep, surprising me by saying, “We had a break in the case as we went over the guest list from Jo and Cole’s wedding.”

  I sat up straight. “Like what?”

  “Well, we compiled a list of everyone who was there at the reception, or was involved with setting up the reception, and did a thorough background check on them all. For one, the man who set up the tent works for the tent company.”

  “Okay, I would assume that.”

  “I know, but what you wouldn’t assume is that his name is Ron Durkin. As in Ron and Amy, the future Mrs. Durkin. The couple who lost out to Jo and Cole on having their wedding at the inn on that very day.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Very.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Actually yes. Theresa McFarland was also there.”

  I felt like I’d been sucker punched. “But she wasn’t on the guest list.”

  “She obviously crashed the wedding.”

  “But why? Jo fired her as her wedding planner before she hired Zoe. I mean, I can’t blame her. The woman called Jo fat. Not a very smart thing to do, especially at Pump Up the Volume Hair Salon and Spa. Tracy and Raoulle are nothing if not loyal, and they adore Jo. Of course they were going to tell her.”

  “And in a town this small, one mistake can ruin a person’s reputation. Everyone adores Jo.”

  “So what does this all mean?” I wished I could read his complicated mind.

  “That maybe we’re looking in the wrong direction for a motive.”

  “I don’t understand?”

  “Maybe the killer didn’t have something against Peirce. Maybe they set out to ruin Jo and Cole’s day. In fact, maybe the target hadn’t been Theodore in the first place. Now do you see why I worry? I need you to be safe, Sunny. You and all the people we’re close to.” He cupped my cheek with his large palm, and I melted into it.

  I nodded, coming to the only answer. “Then there’s only one solution.”

  “I’m not gonna like this, am I?”

  “Probably not, but you are going to agree to it. I need to do my job and you need to do yours, so why don’t we do what we do best and work together. Deal?”

  “You’re right. I don’t like it. But I’m too damned tired to fight anymore. You’ve got a deal, partner.”

  “Good.” I bit back a grin over his use of the word partner. He’d come such a long way since the days when we first started working together, though he’d never admit it. “We start in the morning. But first,” I wagged my eyebrows at him, “how about dessert?”

  “Now, that’s something I’d like very much.” He tackled me on the couch and took a bite, making me squeal with delight.

  Chapter 14

  Papas Restaurant was a Gre
ek restaurant with an ancient Athens theme and marble statues everywhere. My mother hated it, of course, but it was one of my favorite places. Jo, Zoe, and I often had lunch here.

  “I can’t get over how much you can see.” I held Jo’s 3D ultrasound image in my hand as if it were precious cargo. “The color’s amazing, and the baby looks so big already.”

  “I know, right?” Zoe chimed in, holding her hand out eagerly. “I’m going to be an auntie.”

  I laughed and handed the picture to her a bit reluctantly, secretly wishing I could be an auntie, too.

  “Technically a second cousin,” Jo corrected, but the glowing grin remained fixed on her face.

  “But more like an aunt than any of your siblings, and you know it, Cuz,” Zoe said excitedly.

  “True.” Jo winked at her and then smiled softly at me as if reading my mind. “You both are.”

  “So I take it things are going better between you and Cole?” I asked, careful not to upset her.

  Jo’s smile only dimmed a little. “We’re fine. He still thinks he’s cursed, but at least he’s not asking to annul the wedding anymore. And he is scared to death but admittedly excited about the baby. I let him back in our bedroom, but rest assured, I haven’t totally let him off the hook just yet.”

  “That’s good that you’re fine now, and I’m sure he’ll get over his worries in time. You two are meant for each other.” I looked at Zoe. “And how about you and Sean?”

  “I have to admit he’s wearing me down. I still don’t know if I can totally trust that he wants to be with just me and no other women, but I did agree to go out on a date with him. But enough about us. Did you find anything at the inn?”

  I nodded and waited a beat, relishing in their looks of anticipation for a moment before finally saying, “We found a treasure map.”

  “Get out!” Jo gaped at me. “Like a real life treasure map with pirates and X marks the spot and everything?”

  I nodded. “Well, I’m assuming there’s an X to mark the spot. The map’s corner is ripped off with the final destination on it, so I’m not exactly sure how we’re ever going to find it unless I can pull a reading off it.”