“That’s terrific,” she said, as she dipped her brush into the stain. “Vance, how do you get along with Janie’s mom?”
“Eh, pretty good. Why do you ask?”
She told him about Margo’s decision to move to McKinlay Mill. “On the one hand, I believe it could be nice to have her here full time.”
“But on the other, it’s hard for a young widow to live in such close proximity to her late husband’s mother,” Vance said.
“Exactly. I mean, Margo was great about my relationship with Andy, but I know she’ll be comparing everyone I date from here on out to Chad.”
“Don’t you do that, too?” he asked.
“Yeah, I guess.” She sighed. “I don’t know. I’m conflicted about so many things in my life right now. I wish Jamie’s killer would be caught and brought to justice so Tealicious could get out from under this cloud of suspicion. Business was better on Saturday, but I want to repair the tearoom’s reputation once and for all.”
“I understand. Rose told me how you and Ray went undercover at that poker game—that took a lot of guts.”
She snorted derisively. “I’m not so sure about that anymore. I wish I’d simply attended the game by myself as myself. It’s too hard following up on leads as Kelly Ferrell when the people I need to question live in such close proximity.”
“And you had to miss Jamie’s funeral,” Vance said. “That had to be tough.”
“It was. I felt like I was really letting Seth down.”
They worked in companionable silence for a long while, as a myriad of thoughts pinged through Katie’s brain like a supercharged pinball game. One thought stuck, however, and Katie realized she needed to call Phyllis before the medical examiner’s office closed.
She handed Vance her brush. “I’m sorry, but there’s something I need to take care of.” She climbed to her feet, feeling the stress from the job on her knees and back. She was twenty years younger than Vance. He might need a bonus for doing all this work.
“Thanks for helping with the floor,” he said.
Katie gave a weary laugh. “Well, I’m the building’s owner. I’ve got to be prepared to do what she needs. Besides, it was nice catching up with you. And it’ll give me a chance to give that soaker tub of mine a real workout tonight.”
He laughed. “That’s my plan for tonight as well.”
Katie returned to her office, stopping first at the washroom to scrub her stained hands. She closed the door and called Phyllis.
“Hey, Phyllis,” she said when the other woman came on the line. “This is Kelly Ferrell. You sat with my husband at the poker table last Wednesday at the club on Alexander Street, and I wanted to call and apologize to you for his rude behavior.”
“Oh, he wasn’t rude,” Phyllis said.
“As drunk as he was when we left the game, I didn’t know what he might’ve said or done,” Katie said. “I wish the event organizers had allowed us to sit at the same table, so I could’ve kept a more watchful eye on him.”
“He was fine, apart from having a morbid curiosity about Jamie Seifert.”
Broaching that subject was easier than Katie had anticipated. She hadn’t dreamed Phyllis would bring it up.
“That was a sad occurrence,” Katie agreed. “It certainly rocked the McKinlay Mill community, and it did rouse our interest. Did you know Jamie well?”
“Of course. You are aware we worked together at the medical examiner’s office, but I’m also the one who introduced Jamie to the poker game. He was talking with me one evening about some reports he needed typed up, and I said they’d have to wait—I needed to get to my poker game.”
Katie laughed. “And you offered to take him with you?”
“Well, not right away, but he was so inquisitive that I finally asked if he could get his hands on five hundred dollars within thirty minutes. He said yes, and I said, ‘Then come and check it out for yourself.’ And he did.”
“You two were able to bond over a love of poker,” Katie asked.
“Something like that.”
Katie found Phyllis’s response a bit cagey. She pressed on. “Were you delighted when your protégé won big that evening? I think I’d have asked him for a finder’s fee had I been in your position.”
“I suppose I should have,” Phyllis said and laughed. “But it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
“No, I guess not.” Time to find out what else Phyllis knew about the dead man. “I believe a guy sitting at my table was friends with Jamie—Connor Davis?”
“Yes, they appeared to be really close. Had it not been for Jamie being so head over heels in love with Seth Lawson, I’d have thought Jamie and Connor would have made an excellent match.”
“For some reason, I got the impression Jamie and Connor had dated in the past,” Katie said.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Phyllis said. “I don’t think Jamie was ever serious about anyone until he got involved with Seth. Before they started dating, Jamie would go out with groups of friends but never any one of them in particular.” She paused. “I hope I answered all your questions, but I really need to get back to work now, Katie—I mean, Kelly.”
Katie’s stomach did a flip-flop and she gulped. Was Phyllis letting her know she wasn’t fooled by the ruse—that she knew she’d been talking with Katie Bonner all along? And if Phyllis knew, who else did?
“Th-thanks for your time, Phyllis.”
“Anytime, dear.”
Katie hung up the phone, feeling sick with despair. She was still sitting at her desk staring into space when two of the Davenport sisters barged into her office. Startled, Katie sat straighter.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sasha asked, although not with sincerity. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
Without giving Katie time to answer, Sadie surged ahead. “Well, whatever it is, it can’t be as bad as what’s going on with us.”
“We’re looking for our dad,” Sasha said rudely. “He’s not upstairs with Vance.”
“N-no.” Katie finally snapped out of her reverie enough to ask, “Isn’t he at Wood U?”
“No,” Sadie said. “That’s the first place we looked, of course.”
“He closed the shop?” Katie asked.
“Duh!” Sasha said. “And that’s not like him. We need the money.” The sisters rolled their eyes at each other as though Katie was dense.
“He’s probably with Carol,” Katie said. “
“That’s exactly what we’re worried about!” Sasha exclaimed.
“I take it you didn’t enjoy dinner last night,” Katie stated, remembering Ray telling her that he and Carol were taking the girls out.
“The food was fine—it was the company we could have done without,” Sadie growled.
“It was sickening. Dad and Carol kept smiling, like they were keeping some kind of major secret, and making goo-goo eyes at each other,” Sasha said.
“And they giggled and whispered and acted like we weren’t even there,” Sadie said. “They were absolutely gross.”
“Have you told your dad how you feel?” Katie asked. “Maybe you should let him know you’d like him and Carol to exercise some restraint—especially out in public.”
“That’s not the only thing,” Sadie said. “She’s trying to convince Dad to go back into police work—maybe as a consultant. But that could still be dangerous. We’ve already lost our mom, and—”
As hard as she tried not to, Katie couldn’t help tuning out the girls’ voices. The last thing Ray needed to do was return to police work. Their undercover mission had been a total bust. And after her conversation with Phyllis, she was pretty sure they hadn’t fooled anyone.
“What do you want from me?” Katie asked bluntly.
The sisters seemed startled by her question, their eyes wide and frightened.
“Well…” Sasha started, but she didn’t seem to have an answer.
“You made it abundantly clear that you didn’t want me to be a part of y
our father’s life—even as friends. Well, ladies, you got your wish.”
“But—but,” Sadie started.
Katie rose from her seat. “I suggest you go home and think about what you want for your own lives and come to terms with how your father has decided to live his.”
“Why are you being so mean?” Sasha asked.
“You could ask yourselves the same question. I’ve lost a friend. You still have your dad, but life often hands us hardships we never envisioned.” Like Chad dying, Andy’s infidelity, and now Margo’s threat to reside in or near McKinlay Mill.
Sasha’s eyes filled with tears. She turned to her older sister, whose eyes were also welling.
“I’m sorry, I know you girls are just kids—”
“We are not!” Sadie declared.
“Yeah, you are,” Katie asserted, “but you need to learn a lesson, too. Your actions have consequences. Let me tell you from bitter experience that the sooner you learn that, the less grief you’ll endure.”
“What are you saying?” Sadie asked.
“Be careful what you wish for. You may just get it.”
Chapter 29
After the brutal conversation with Sadie and Sasha, Katie felt like ten different kinds of rat. But as far as she was concerned, her connection with the Davenport sisters and their father was severed. Still, the entire encounter left a bitter tang on her tongue.
Once closing time arrived, Katie left Artisans Alley and walked to her apartment, fed Mason and Della, and sank onto the love seat. She felt exhausted, and the idea of a long soak in her tub was as alluring as a siren song. But then her phone rang. She groaned, not prepared to deal with anything or anybody else that day. Still, she glanced at the screen. When she saw it was Nick, she answered the call.
“I need you to go somewhere with me,” he whispered.
Katie’s hackles rose. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ll explain when I pick you up. Can you be ready in ten?”
“Yeah, sure,” she said, “but—”
“Great, love, thanks! See you soon!”
She wondered why he’d spoken in such a loud, jovial tone then, but he’d ended the call before she could ask. She supposed perhaps someone else—Don? Margo?—had come into the room.
There was definitely something strange brewing at Sassy Sally’s, and Katie had a bad feeling about whatever it was. Given the day she’d had, the last thing she needed was to get caught up in more drama, but she’d do whatever Nick needed her to do. After all, he had always been there to help her.
The man was prompt—she had to give him that. Precisely ten minutes after his call, he was tapping on her door.
Opening the door, she said, “Come on in.”
“No time.” He jerked his head toward the parking lot. “Hurry and grab your purse. Then come get in the car.”
As soon as Katie was buckled into the passenger seat of Nick’s car, she asked, “Will you please tell me what’s going on?”
“We’re going to see a woman who wants to plan an event at Sassy Sally’s.”
She frowned. “Don’t they usually come to you? And why would you need me to go along for that? You plan events every day without my assistance.”
“Well, there is a little more to it than that.” He glanced over and gave her a sheepish grin. “This woman fosters children, and I want to pick her brain about the process while I’m there.”
“Once again, I don’t know how I can be of any help to you.”
“I just need you along for moral support.” He backed out of the parking space. “Don isn’t amenable to the idea of our fostering a child—I’ve told you that already. If I make the commitment to go through with this for real—which I’m seriously considering—then I’ll need your help convincing Don that we need a baby to complete our family.”
Katie didn’t want to be dragged into the middle of Nick and Don’s family drama, but she leaned back against the seat in resignation.
They drove to a large brick home with a fenced backyard. An affable collie greeted them at the gate.
“What a beautiful home,” Katie said, thinking this place would make a wonderful bed and breakfast if the owner ever wanted to sell.
A pretty, middle-aged woman came out onto the porch with a blond cherub on her hip. Katie heard Nick’s sharp intake of breath. The man was a goner.
Stepping up and onto the porch, Nick held out his arms. The baby reached for Nick as though he’d known him his entire short life. The woman handed over the child, and Nick hugged him close, his face wreathed in emotion. And then the baby threw up down the front of Nick’s shirt.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman said in horror. “Sebastian has a sensitive tummy. Come on in, and I’ll get a damp cloth to get that off your shirt.”
They followed the woman into the kitchen where she wet a dishcloth and handed it to Nick before taking the baby.
“I’ll change Sebastian, and then I’ll be right back.” She took the baby out of the room.
Nick tried to hide his revulsion as he wiped yellow goo off his white button-down shirt, but Katie knew him well enough to see it.
“I don’t believe we’ve met.” The woman returned with Sebastian in a fresh onesie. She stretched a hand out to Katie. “I’m Clarissa.”
Katie shook the woman’s hand. “Katie Bonner. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Are you Nick’s sister?” Clarissa asked.
“No, just a good friend.”
Nick held the cloth aloft between two fingers. “What should I do with this?”
“I’ll take it.” Clarissa took the cloth, walked over to the washer and dryer in the corner, and tossed the cloth into the washer. “I do laundry every day.” She laughed. “It’s a never-ending cycle. I wash the clothes, and he dirties them.” Looking at the baby, she asked, “Don’t you, sweet boy?”
The baby giggled happily.
Nick smiled. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” Clarissa said. “Would either of you like something to drink?”
They both declined.
“Please sit,” Clarissa said, gesturing to the kitchen table.
They did.
“Do you have other children?” Katie asked.
“My husband and I have two children who are away at college, and one who’s working in the city as a tax attorney, and our three fosters: this little guy and a brother and sister, ages ten and twelve. My husband took them for ice cream, so I could talk with Nick about the surprise holiday package I want to book for my parents.”
“Tell us more about Sebastian,” Nick said.
“He’s such a good baby,” Clarissa said, eyeing the baby with pride. “As you’ve seen, he does have an awfully sensitive stomach. He was a little colicky when he was brought to us, but some simethicone drops cleared that right up. He does sleep through the night, which is wonderful.” She rolled her eyes. “Two out of my three children didn’t sleep through the night until they were six months old.”
“What did you do?” Nick asked.
Clarissa laughed. “I didn’t sleep through the night for six months, either. But I did nap during the day some when they did—not always, but sometimes, I simply had to. It was exhausting.”
“I can only imagine,” Katie said. “How did Sebastian come to be with you?”
“Um…” Clarissa cleared her throat and down at Sebastian, as though not wanting to talk about it in front of the child.
Katie was sure Sebastian wouldn’t comprehend what she was saying and was too young to remember it even if he could understand. Besides, no matter how tragic his beginnings had been, didn’t he have the right to know—eventually?
“Monroe County Foster Care.” Clarissa gave a shaky laugh. “Sebastian was left in a cardboard box in front of a fire station in Gates when he was two months old. There was a note inside that said simply, ‘Please take care of my baby, Sebastian, and make sure he finds a good home.’ That’s all we know.”
“I’m s
ure every effort was made to find Sebastian’s parents,” Katie said.
“Naturally.” Clarissa shrugged slightly.
Sebastian wound his tiny fist into her hair and yanked.
“Ow!” Clarissa blinked back the tears that had sprung to her eyes as she gently removed Sebastian’s hand from her hair. Then she kissed his chubby fist and pushed her hair away from her face. “I usually keep my hair up for that reason.” She handed the baby to Nick. “If you don’t mind keeping an eye on him for a moment, I’ll run upstairs and put my hair up. Otherwise, he’s going to keep pulling it and distracting us. Thanks.”
“No problem!” Nick called, as Clarissa hurried from the kitchen. He bounced the baby on his lap.
The bouncing made Sebastian laugh, but warning bells went off in Katie’s head.
“Nick, remember the sensitive stomach,” she said.
“Oh. Right.” Nick smiled at Sebastian. “We don’t want to make your tummy upset again, do we?”
Sebastian stilled.
“What is it, sweetheart?” Nick asked him. “Are you all right?”
The baby’s face reddened, and he looked determined. And then came the odor.
Nick held Sebastian up and off his lap as the child laughed. “Um…Clarissa! I think Sebastian needs to be changed!”
“Okay,” she called. “Bring him up, and you can do it.”
As he rose from his chair with a cooing Sebastian in his arms, Nick shot Katie a look of pure dread.
“That’ll be fun,” Katie said with a smile. She managed to wait until he was out of the kitchen before she buried her head in her hands and laughed.
When Nick, Clarissa, and Sebastian came downstairs, Sebastian was wearing yet another clean onesie and was nestled contentedly against Clarissa’s neck. Nick appeared traumatized and more than a little green around the gills. The wet spots on his shirt hadn’t dried yet, but new spots had joined the previous ones. Katie didn’t know what had happened upstairs, but it had apparently not been pleasant.
“Tell me about your parents,” Nick said, sinking onto the kitchen chair he’d occupied before his trip upstairs.
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