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

by Kari Lee Townsend

  “Baldy who?” Mitch scratched his head, smartly moving on.

  “The anonymous buyer.” I waved my hands through the air. “That’s not important. The point is, I can’t run away every time a lead breaks just because you’re not with me. At least I came right home to tell you about it.”

  “Well that’s something.” He grunted.

  “I have an appointment with a client this afternoon for a reading, but maybe after dinner tonight we can go together to see Drew Cummings the IRS guy. He’s the one who helped Brice and Baldy with Linda and the sale. Maybe he can shed some light on who Baldy really is. If we don’t have a name, then how are we supposed to find out about what went down that Linda knew about?”

  “If we can find him. I haven’t seen him around town lately. Maybe he’s finished with his audit. We could question Linda’s lover, Pierre Desjardins,” Mitch pointed out innocently, having no clue what had happened to me earlier.

  I paused a minute, forcing myself to keep calm because Mitch knew me too well and was way too good of a detective. “I kind of already did that,” I finally admitted sheepishly.

  “Why am I not surprised?” He leveled his gaze on me. “Keep talking.”

  “Okay, so I didn’t go straight home after eavesdropping. I hung out in Pierre’s kitchen and waited for him, then I confronted him about Linda and what I’d heard. He played dumb and pleaded the fifth. I don’t think we’re going to get much out of him.” I didn’t bother to tell Mitch that Pierre threatened me. Mitch was already mad enough. If he thought for a moment that anyone had hurt me in any way, he would put his career in jeopardy and dole out justice himself. I shuddered to think of what his idea of justice would be.

  Mitch turned into Detective Stone and studied me knowingly. “I’ll let whatever it is you’re not telling me pass … for now. And as for Mr. Desjardins, you let me handle him. Something tells me he might respond to my powers of persuasion over yours. Let’s just say mine are a bit more powerful. I’m thinking that’s exactly what Mr. Pierre Desjardins needs right about now.” Mitch curled his hand into a fist and his jaw tightened, telling me he knew exactly what went down and wouldn’t rest until he “rectified” the situation.

  Men! I just shook my head. “You’d better not be thinking of doing something stupid.” I blinked, realizing I was starting to sound just like him and we weren’t even married yet.

  “Me? Never. Whatever would give you that idea,” he threw my words back at me, and suddenly I knew what it was like to be in his shoes.

  Chapter 19

  “I can’t believe Mitch did something so stupid.” I sat at the bar in Smokey Jo’s. “You should have seen his knuckles. They’re swollen and bruised. I asked what happened, and he said straight to my face that he and Pierre had a conversation, and then they both fell down the stairs to the root cellar. Imagine that. Does he really think I’m that stupid?”

  “Maybe that is what happened?” Jo avoided my eyes as she made drinks and slid them down the bar to the waitresses without missing a beat.

  “Funny how after that Pierre confessed to having the affair and convincing Linda to take out the life insurance policy on her husband, but he swears they had nothing to do with the murder. He says he doesn’t know what Linda knows or doesn’t know. She doesn’t tell him everything. I’m sure Mitch punched him, but he pleads the fifth. I can’t believe he would risk his career by acting like a child.”

  “I can,” Jo said easily and patted my bandaged finger with a knowing look and half smile. “It’s because he loves you.”

  “It’s stupid is what it is.” I held up my finger. “This is only a small cut. Hardly worth getting into a fight over. Men are such hotheads. And he didn’t even learn anything knew. We still have to find out the name of Baldy. He’s off looking for the IRS guy. I was too mad to join him. I don’t like when he risks what’s most important to him for me.” I popped some beer nuts in my mouth and chewed vigorously.

  “Honey, when are you going to learn,” Jo said. “It’s not his career that’s most important to him. You are.”

  “And that cut wasn’t just a small cut. It was a small cut made by a knife and put there by someone intending to do you harm,” Zoe chimed in, glancing at Sean who was at the other end of the bar serving the evening crowd.

  She took a moment to stare longingly at him in his low riding, snug fit jeans and tight green Irish t-shirt. He was his charming self with his blond curls, blue eyes, and deep dimples, but something was different. His body language said he was off limits. As if drawn to her, he glanced in our direction and she quickly looked away.

  “Men kind of go crazy when it comes to protecting the things they care about.” She blushed.

  Jo and I both said at once, knowing he was out of ear-shot. “All right, what aren’t you telling us.”

  “Nothing really.” Zoe’s face flushed brighter, and this time she avoided looking in his direction. “It’s no big deal.”

  “Oh, no you don’t,” Jo said. “You had your first date with Sean, and I want to know how it went.”

  “Ditto,” I chimed in on a mock whisper. Many locals filled the bar, but it wasn’t packed like it would be on a weekend evening. “Spill it.”

  Zoe blew out a breath, trying not to squirm, until she finally gave in. “Okay, but you have to promise not to laugh.”

  Jo and I locked gazes and pressed our lips together, trying not to giggle already, but we both agreed.

  “Well, the date was amazing,” Zoe admitted with a dreamy sigh. “Sean was different than how I ever thought he would be. He took me to dinner, and then we went for an evening stroll through the park, and then we ended up back at his place. I thought for sure he would pour on the lines and make a move on me like he always does, but this time was different. This time he just wanted to talk.”

  Jo let out a snicker, then coughed to cover it. “That’s nice. Continue, please.”

  I bit back a grin, secretly proud of Sean for taking my advice to heart.

  “We had dessert and wine which I’m really starting to love by the way, and then we talked for hours. He finally kissed me. It started out pretty chaste, but then it gently progressed into something so much more. I never knew I could feel that way. Suddenly I found myself getting carried away, and, and, oh God it’s too embarrassing to say.”

  “I knew he was too much man for you.” Jo set down her towel and untied her apron. “I’ll kill him for—”

  Zoe grabbed her hand. “You’ve got it all wrong and that’s the embarrassing part. He wasn’t too much man for me. I was too much woman for him.”

  “Excuse me?” I spit my beer out everywhere, earning us a few curious glances. I tapped my throat as if I had choked but was okay now until everyone went back to ignoring us. Thank goodness because I had to find out the rest of this story.

  “What she said,” Jo echoed me, while cleaning up my mess.

  “He was the perfect gentleman,” Zoe explained. “I couldn’t stop myself from making the moves on him. I practically threw myself at him. Okay, so there was no practically about it. I did throw myself at him, big time. But he fought me off. I was so upset, thinking I was finally willing to give myself to him, but now he didn’t want me.”

  “I’ll kill him just the same for hurting you,” Jo said on a growl, but waited a beat before marching over to him.

  “No need. He ran after me, scooped me up and, ignoring my crying protests, he brought me all the way back to his place. Then he sat me down and talked to me. Really talked to me. He told me how much he wanted me, which I could pretty much see anyway, and that he would give anything to make love to me. But that he wanted what we had to be about so much more than sex.”

  Jo and I stared over at Sean as if aliens had taken over his body.

  “He said he’s never felt this way before about any woman, and then he vowed to remain abstinent until he knew I felt the same way about him, no matter how long it took,” Zoe continued. “And then he held me in his arms f
or the rest of the night. Just held me, and nothing more. That’s how I know men do crazy things to protect what they cherish.” She shook her head, still in awe.

  Jo and I remained speechless, not a giggle to be heard.

  “Well, say something,” Zoe said.

  “This is Sean we’re talking about, right?” Jo asked.

  “I know. Like I said,” Zoe repeated, “crazy.”

  “I told you so,” I finally said, and only then did I let out a small laugh of joy. “I knew you would be the luckiest woman on earth once you let him in.” I met Sean’s curious gaze, and I shot him a thumbs-up. He just raised a brow while wearing a goofy grin, still looking confused but undeniably happy as he went back to serving customers. I looked into Zoe’s eyes. “Yup, he’s a goner. He loves you, Zoe. He really, truly does.”

  “Awww, you’re gonna make me cry.” Jo sniffled. “That’s the sweetest, most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. Now do you believe he’s a good guy?”

  “He’s a great guy.” Zoe blushed brighter this time. “And he’s all mine.”

  “Speaking of great guys,” Jo said as Cole came out of the kitchen, carrying a big case of liquor and setting it behind the bar.

  “Not great. Just smart enough not to lose the best thing that’s ever happened to me because of some stupid fear.” He slowly walked toward her, cupped her cheeks, and leaned down to kiss her tenderly on the lips. When he raised his head, she had tears in her eyes. He brushed them away with his thumbs and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head. “I’m not gonna let fear win this time, baby, I can promise you that.”

  “I take it your date went well earlier,” I said, misty eyed myself.

  “You could say that. We owe Granny Gert in a big way.” Jo hugged her man tight before letting go of him. “Let me get back to work, you big lug.” She patted his chest, her face happy and beaming.

  “Don’t work too hard, Mama.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it before picking up a big crate of dirty glasses and heading back into the kitchen.

  “Mama.” Jo sighed. “Sweet, sexy and he cleans. I’d say I’ve got a winner.”

  “For sure,” Zoe added. “Now we just have to work on Sunny.”

  “Oh, no you don’t.” I held up my hands. “You guys had your time to be mad. Now it’s my turn.”

  “What are you going to do?” Jo asked.

  “I don’t know, but you can be certain I’m going to make it memorable.”

  ***

  Later that night, I lay in bed tossing and turning. So much for punishing Mitch. I was the one being punished. He hadn’t come home, and he wasn’t answering his phone. I was starting to get worried. Yes I was mad that he’d gotten in a fight and jeopardized his career, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want him to come home. I feared he was sleeping in his man cave instead of our bed, but when I went to check, he wasn’t there. I even called the station, but they said he wasn’t there, either.

  We were a couple. I didn’t expect him to ask me for permission to go places, but I did expect him to check in with me if he was going to be late or simply not going to come home at all. It was common courtesy not to leave someone who cares about you wondering if you were even alive. He had just recently gotten mad at me for doing the same thing the night I first questioned Linda Theodore.

  That’s why I was terrified something was wrong.

  Granny Gert’s car was in the shop, so she borrowed my bug to go to her monthly Sewing Sister’s meeting. She wasn’t back yet, so I was home alone. Morty was still angry with me, so he had made himself scarce. So I’d turned off all the lights and headed upstairs early to read in bed. I couldn’t focus on reading, so I tried to sleep. That wasn’t working either.

  Finally I heard a noise downstairs. Mitch must be home. I propped myself on my pillow and opened my book to make it look like I hadn’t been worried at all. When I realized I was holding the book upside down, I gave up and decided to pretend like I had fallen asleep. I closed my eyes, and laid there waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

  What on earth was he doing down there?

  I sat up and listened hard, but I didn’t hear anything. Frowning, I threw off the covers and pulled on a robe over my Tweety Bird PJ bottoms and tank top. Deciding to go investigate, I wandered downstairs and turned on the lights. The house was eerily quiet all of a sudden. Where had he gone?

  “Mitch? Are you home?” I walked into the living room and looked around. The hum of silence was deafening.

  No answer.

  “Granny Gert? Is that you?” I wandered into the kitchen next, and a creepy feeling slithered up my spine.

  Still nothing.

  “Hello, anyone here? This isn’t funny.” I heard a shuffle coming from my office and ground my teeth, heading in that direction. I never did like Hide and Seek. In fact, I wasn’t big on games of any kind.

  I had almost reached my destination when something jumped out in front of me. I screamed a high pitched shrill that could probably shatter my Victorian china.

  Morty hissed.

  “Oh my gosh, Morty Meadows!” I stabbed my finger at him. He’d appeared out of nowhere, blocking my path in the hallway, not looking frazzled in the least by my scream. In fact he didn’t seem to be looking at me at all. “You scared the life right out of me,” I snapped. “Why I ought to … owwww!”

  A shooting pain sliced through the back of my head, and I crumpled to the ground. The last thing I remembered was Morty drawing back his lips and the biggest razor sharp fangs I’d ever seen flashing just seconds before he pounced at something behind me.

  ***

  “Sunny? Can you hear me?” Mitch’s deep voice came from somewhere above me, laced with concern.

  He smelled great and his touch was warm and I missed him. I didn’t like it when we argued. All I wanted to do was snuggle into him, but then I realized my head was pounding something fierce.

  “You’re here?” I struggled to sit up.

  “Don’t move, Tink. You’ve got a nasty bump on the back of your head.” He adjusted an ice pack over my skull, his hands trying to be gentle.

  “What happened?” I opened my eyes and then slammed them shut. The pain was unbearable.

  “Here, take these.” He pressed a couple of pain pills into my palm and slipped a straw between my lips.

  I did as he suggested without question because I was in agony. Finally, I cracked my eyelids just a hair until my eyes adjusted to the lights. When I could finally open them all the way, I asked again, “Mitch, please tell me what happened?”

  “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “One minute I was helping Granny Gert, and the next Morty appeared out of nowhere. He had blood on his paw, and he let out the most heart-wrenching meow I’ve ever heard.” Mitch stroked my cheek with his palm. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “I knew that something bad had happened to you. I just knew. Morty and I might be at odds about a lot of things, but one thing is clear.” His gaze bore into mine so intensely, I sucked in a breath as he said in a voice filled with more emotion than I’d ever heard him reveal, “We both love you unconditionally.”

  And there it was. The words I had craved to hear for so long now.

  I placed my hand over his and held on tight, and my heart burst with joy. “I love you, too, Mitch.”

  He struggled with his feelings and lost the battle as a single tear slipped out and rolled down his cheek. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, Tink. I can’t lose you, too.”

  I knew he was referring to his sister and ex-fiancé. “Come here,” I whispered. He lowered his head and I kissed him gently, pouring everything I felt into an act meant to show him just how much he meant to me too.

  He laid down beside me on the floor.

  “I can get up,” I said.

  “Not a chance,” he replied with a don’t-argue-with-me tone. “Not until Doc Wilcox gets here and says it’s okay. Until then, I’ll keep you company.”
He tweaked my nose and kissed me again.

  “You’re still not off the hook, you know.”

  “I know,” he responded sheepishly and glanced at his bruised knuckles, then slipped his arm carefully beneath my head. I rolled over to snuggle him, throwing my leg over his, and he wrapped his arms around me then stroked my back.

  “I wasn’t referring to that, though you’re not off the hook for that, either.” I peeked up at him. “I was referring to tonight. I have been trying to reach you since forever, but you didn’t answer your phone. You weren’t in the garage or at the office. You recently yelled at me for making you worry, yet you did the same thing. Where were you?”

  “I’m sorry about that. At first, I was working. I tried to locate the IRS guy, Drew Cummings, but he’s nowhere to be found. I’m pretty sure he must have left town, which doesn’t add up if he was in the middle of an audit. Then a bit of an emergency came up.” He paused for a moment. “I wanted to call you, but Granny wouldn’t let me.”

  “Emergency? Granny Gert?” My stomach bottomed out, and I groaned. “What happened?”

  “Well, when I was getting nowhere with the case, I was about to head home, but then I got a call.”

  “From Granny?”

  He nodded.

  It had taken Granny Gert five times to pass her road test, and even then she’d only passed with a little help. People stayed off the roads when she took her Cadillac for a spin around Divinity. There was a reason her car was in the shop.

  I swallowed, knowing I wasn’t going to like his response to my next question. “This has to do with my baby, doesn’t it?”

  He groaned as if dreading telling me, and then finally blurted, “She kind of, sort of, put your Bug in a ditch after leaving her Sewing Sisters meeting.”

  I whimpered. What else could possibly go wrong tonight, and more importantly what had I done to deserve it? “I wondered why she wasn’t home yet,” I whined, “but I was afraid to find out the answer.”

  Mitch patted my back. “It’ll be okay, I promise. We were at Big Don’s when Morty made his miraculous appearance.”