“Me too.”
“Are you ready to head down to Dot’s? I’m afraid if I hit the recliner I might not want to get back up,” Paul confessed.
“Me either,” Gloria agreed. On the short ride into town, Gloria told Paul about her conversation with Margaret, how their account passwords had been changed and how Don had changed his email password so Margaret couldn’t access his account.
She also told him about the shredded paper the boys had found scattered in Margaret’s yard and Margaret’s comment Don never shredded anything.
“You think whatever happened to Don had something to do with their finances.” Paul tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Love and money. Two of the top reasons crimes are committed.”
“And the love of money,” Gloria added.
Chapter 9
Business was booming at Dot’s and Paul had to drive around the block just to find an empty parking spot. They ended up parking in front of Nails and Knobs, Brian’s hardware store, and walked to the other end of Main Street.
The place was packed but Paul and Gloria found a corner table for two, near the server station. Bea McQueen, a local hairdresser, and Ruth were seated two tables over. Gloria gave them a quick wave before pulling out her chair and sitting.
She also spotted Al Dickerson, Liz’s old flame, and Glen Shenk, one of the retired locals who ate, breathed and slept fishing. Paul had gone fishing with Glen a couple times and told his wife that Glen was the fish whisperer.
Rose hurried over, menus in hand. “Good gracious sakes, we’re busy for a Sunday night.” She placed two menus on the table.
“Margaret,” Gloria said.
“Margaret? She’s here?” Rose’s eyes scanned the dining room.
“No. Margaret is the reason people are here. Whenever something happens in Belhaven it brings out the locals,” Gloria said.
“Ah.” Rose lifted a brow. “I swear I may never get used to livin’ in a small town.” She clasped her hands. “What can I getcha?”
“I don’t need to look at the menu since I know it by heart,” Gloria said. “I’ll take a cheeseburger with everything and an order of French fries.”
“Would you like to sample something new?” Rose asked. “We’re testing my black-eyed peas and ham hock. It comes with my made-from-scratch cornbread. Both are secret family recipes.”
“Okay. Let me try that instead,” Gloria said. “I’m sure with your southern cooking skills, it’s delicious.”
“It’ll make you wanna swaller yer tongue.”
Gloria’s eyes widened. “Swallow my tongue?”
Rose waved a hand. “It’s a southern sayin’. Just means it’s good eatin.”
Paul shut his menu. “I’ll have the same.”
“That’s my man.” Rose winked at Paul and reached for the menus. “I brewed a fresh pot of coffee. I’ll be back with a couple cups.”
“You know us too well,” Gloria said. She watched Rose head to the back and turned her attention to the other diners. “It’s going to be strange not passing Don on the roads or seeing him and Margaret in here for dinner.”
She shifted in her seat and focused her gaze on her husband. “You know as much as I do. What do you think happened to Don?”
Rose returned with two glasses of ice water and two coffees and Paul waited until she left to answer his wife’s question. “What we know is Don recently argued with someone on the golf course which may have triggered his heart attack.”
“The argument caused a lot of stress,” Gloria said. “Not to mention losing all his and Margaret’s life savings, if that’s the case.”
“Don also told Margaret he was thinking about taking on some part-time work. He told her it was to keep him busy but maybe they were in deep financial straits.”
Gloria peeled the paper off her straw and shoved it in her glass of water before continuing. “Shredded papers in the recycle bin, a notice from the bank stating their account was overdrawn and the password on their accounts, not to mention Don’s email account was changed.”
“He was keeping something from Margaret. I can feel it in my bones.” Gloria reached for her cup of coffee.
“I’m never one to jump to conclusions, but I have to admit all the signs are pointing in that direction,” Paul said. “What about the person or persons Don argued with at the country club? What’s the story?”
Holly, Dot and Rose’s part-time employee, arrived with their food. She set the bowls of black-eyed peas and ham on the table. Under the peas was a thick bed of white rice. She slid a bowl of fresh cornbread muffins off to the side. “You are going to love this,” Holly said. “I was hesitant at first to try it but oh boy, this is some good stuff.”
Gloria reached for her fork but after studying the dish, decided on a soupspoon instead. She dipped the spoon in the bowl and scooped it into her mouth. The salty ham mixed with the earthy flavor of the black-eyed peas was an interesting combination.
After her first bite, she wasn’t sure what she thought. The second bite was better and by the third spoonful, Gloria was hooked. She reached for a warm muffin. “What do you think of the food?”
“It’s an acquired taste,” Paul said. “But good. What do you think of the texture?”
“It’s…unique, but in a good way.”
Rose stopped by to get their opinion and Gloria gave her a thumbs up. “It’s a keeper.”
Rose beamed. “I admit now. It takes a couple bites to grab ya, but when it does…hang on.” She was still smiling as she made her way to a nearby table to check on the diners.
Paul reached for a cornbread muffin. “You don’t have any details about the person Don argued with the day of his heart attack?”
“No.” Gloria shook her head. “I guess at the time I didn’t give it much thought but now it might be a clue. I’m sure Margaret knows who it was.”
Margaret and Don were members of the local country club. They had been members for decades and knew most, if not all, of the other members. She made a mental note to ask her friend when she talked to her.
They finished their meal and Ruth and Bea stopped by to say hello. They didn’t discuss Margaret and Gloria was relieved. Bea was a colossal busybody. She had her nose stuck in everyone’s business and Gloria suspected she’d invited Ruth to dinner to pump her for information about Margaret.
“I’ll call you later.” Ruth gave Gloria a meaningful stare before she followed Bea out of the restaurant.
Dot stopped by looking frazzled and stressed.
“You look like you could use a break,” Gloria said.
Dot tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I probably could. I’m feeling slightly nauseous.”
“That settles it.” Gloria pushed her chair back. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.” Paul reached for another muffin.
Gloria led Dot through the kitchen and out the rear door to the employee picnic table. “Have a seat. I’ll get you a glass of water.”
Gloria hurried back inside and to the server area where she grabbed a clean glass and filled it with ice and water before rejoining Dot.
“Thanks.” Dot took the glass of water and sipped. “I feel better already.”
“The point of co-owning the restaurant was so you and Ray could take it easy and semi-retire.”
“I know.” Dot held up a hand. “We just got crushed tonight. I think it’s because of not only Brian and Andrea’s wedding but also Don’s death.”
“I agree,” Gloria said. She told Dot about her conversation with Margaret, how Don had changed the passwords to their accounts.
Dot clutched her chest. “Oh my gosh. You don’t think Don squandered their life savings away, do you?”
“I hope not. Margaret still has the money from the coins and it’s a substantial amount but still, that would be awful. She’s going to call the bank and the investment companies linked to their retirement accounts tomorrow.”
“I better get back ins
ide,” Dot said. “The extra income is nice but I’m getting too old for these late nighters.”
Gloria felt guilty about eating at Dot’s and adding to her burden but on the other hand, if everyone felt the same way, no one would eat at Dot’s and she’d have to close her doors. “Maybe you should consider hiring another full-time server or adding another employee to cover the busy breakfasts and dinners.”
Dot reached for the screen door handle. “We are. It seems like these last few months business has really picked up. I don’t know what Ray and I would’ve done if it hadn’t been for Johnnie and Rose.”
Gloria followed Dot into the kitchen and the acrid odor of burning food blasted her in the face. “Something’s burning.” Plumes of smoke seeped from the sides of the large commercial oven.
“It’s the oven.” Dot darted to the oven and flung the door open.
Smoke poured out and Dot gasped. “It’s a batch of dinner rolls.” She grabbed a potholder sitting next to the oven, waved it in front of her face to clear the air and then reached inside to pull out the burnt bread.
Rose hurried into the kitchen. “I forgot all about those dinner rolls. I’m sorry Dot.”
“It’s okay. I should’ve been here to help.”
“I’m going to get out of your hair.” Gloria returned to the table where Paul was finishing his second helping of black-eyed peas and ham. He wiped his mouth, dropped the dirty napkin next to the empty plate and leaned back in his chair. “I’m sold. I tried to coax Rose into sharing the recipe but she refused.”
“I guess we’ll just have to come here to eat whenever you get a craving for Rose’s black-eyed peas.” Gloria reached for her purse sitting next to her chair. She was tempted to have Paul drive by Margaret’s place but remembered Chad was there and didn’t want to disturb them.
When they arrived back home, Paul made a beeline for his recliner. “Time for a nap.” Mally, who followed them into the living room, waited patiently for Paul to get comfortable before she jumped onto the end of the recliner and crawled onto his lap.
Gloria settled into the other recliner. She grabbed her e-book reader and reading glasses flipping the cover open.
She’d recently started a murder mystery story and was near the middle of the book but the story had started to drag. Not only that, the main character was making some dumb mistakes. Gloria wanted to reach inside the story and shake some sense into her.
What sane person would drive to an abandoned house in the middle of the night where a body had been found the day before and not tell anyone where she was going? To top it off, Corinne, the main character, had forgotten and left her cell phone at home.
Aggravated, she shut the cover of the e-book reader, reached over and slipped the remote from Paul’s hand. He stirred but didn’t wake so she turned the volume down and began flipping through the channels.
Finally, she started to doze off when the late night news came on. Gloria gave up and wiggled out of her chair before nudging her husband’s arm. “Paul, it’s time for bed.”
She let him use the bathroom first as she herded Mally outside for a final bathroom break before they all settled in for the night. After saying their prayers, Gloria rolled over to face the wall.
There was a chill in the air so she pulled the covers to her chin and snuggled deeper under the blankets. As Gloria drifted off to sleep listening to Paul’s soft snores, her last thought was she hoped Margaret would be able to straighten out her finances and tomorrow would be less hectic than today had been.
If only she knew!
Chapter 10
“Do you hear a noise?” Gloria, still half asleep, rolled over to face Paul.
Paul groaned. “It sounds like someone is pounding on the door.” He flung the covers back, slid out of bed and stumbled to the door.
“You’re going to answer the door dressed like that?” Gloria pointed at his boxer shorts and bare chest.
Paul glanced at his state of undress. “You’re right.”
“I’ll go.” Mally squeezed through the door and Gloria grabbed her robe on the way out. She picked up the pace as Mally, who had charged ahead, began barking her head off.
The pounding intensified. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”
Shadows filled the corners of the kitchen but it was still light enough for Gloria to get a clear view of the person peering in through the glass pane. It was her sister, Liz.
She flipped the deadbolt and jerked the door open. “What in the world are you doing here?” Gloria’s gaze drifted from her sister’s face to the large suitcase sitting next to her.
“I tried to call your cell phone late last night and early this morning to let you know I was on my way but you didn’t answer,” Liz said. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Gloria pushed the door open and stepped aside. She watched in disbelief as Liz tugged the large suitcase through the door and parked it in the middle of the kitchen floor.
“You called late last night? I was probably in bed,” Gloria said. “Is everything all right?” There was no way Liz had driven over 1200 miles from Central Florida to West Michigan just to “pop in” for a visit.
Her eyes narrowed and she glanced out the window. Liz’s sedan was parked in front of the garage. “You drove all the way up here by yourself? Where’s Frances?” Frances was Liz’s best friend. They had moved to Florida together, not long after Liz cashed in on her windfall from selling the “Aunt Ethel” coins.
Liz plopped down in the kitchen chair. “She’s still in Florida. Her boyfriend, Harvey, moved in with her. She’ll never come back to Michigan. The old fart has some bucks. Frances latched on to a real sugar daddy.”
She shifted her gaze and eyed the empty coffee pot. “I could use a strong cup of black coffee right about now.”
“I’d have made a pot if I’d known you were coming,” Gloria said sarcastically as she stepped around Liz’s suitcase. She filled the basket with coffee and added an extra scoop. It was going to be a long day.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here and what on earth possessed you to drive halfway across the country to show up on my doorstep.”
“I need some help,” Liz said. “Are those donuts on top of your fridge?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she sprung from the chair and headed to the fridge. She pulled the bakery box down and lifted the lid. “Is this all you’ve got? I don’t like powdered sugar donuts.”
Gloria frowned. “Beggars can’t be choosers.” The coffee finished brewing and Gloria poured two cups. She placed one of the cups in front of Liz, who was eating a donut she didn’t like and sat across from her sister.
“What kind of help?” The sooner Gloria got to the bottom of Liz’s surprise visit, the better.
“I’m having…financial difficulty.”
Gloria had just taken a sip of coffee and started to choke. “You’re kidding,” she sputtered.
“I wish I was.” Liz went on to explain how she’d hooked up with a pro golfer who worked at a local golf course near her home. According to Liz, he was a smooth talker with a penchant for expensive toys.
Gloria interrupted. “What kind of expensive toys?”
Liz shrugged. “The usual. A Porsche Macan, a Rolex watch, a Louis Vuitton custom golf bag.”
“You bought him all that crap?” Gloria’s eyes grew wide in disbelief.
Liz fiddled with the handle of the coffee cup. “Martin had an image to uphold, what with being a golf pro at the prestigious Royal Palm Plantation Country Club. Besides, he was hinting at proposing to me. What was I supposed to do?”
“Say no, Liz. Just say no.”
“Say no to what?” Paul wandered into the kitchen. “Hello Liz.” If Paul was surprised to see Liz sitting at his kitchen table, he did a good job of hiding it.
“Hi Paul.”
“Liz was just telling me she hooked up with a gigolo and she bought him a bunch of expensive gifts. I hope you didn’t spend all your money on him.”
The look on Liz’s face told Gloria it was exactly what Liz had done. “You didn’t…”
“Well.” Liz had the decency to appear embarrassed. “Not all of it. I still have the house. I loaned him some money so he could drive to Poughkeepsie, New York to visit his dying mother.”
Gloria rolled her eyes. “Liz…that’s the oldest trick in the book. Let me guess…he’s avoiding your phone calls.”
“Not quite,” Liz hedged. “His cell phone has been disconnected.”
Gloria pounded her fist on the table causing Liz to jump.
“That’s why I’m here,” Liz whined. “I need you to help me track Martin down and get some of my money back.”
“I think you should sell the place in Florida and move back up here where I can keep an eye on you.”
“I can’t.” Liz lifted her coffee cup and took a sip. “I rented out my place. I used the deposit and first month’s rent to get up here.”
Gloria buried her head in her hands. “Elizabeth Applegate. You are the most irresponsible person I know.”
Liz cut her off. “Spare the lecture, at least until after we track Martin down. Then you can lecture me all you want. In the meantime, I need a place to hang my hat.”
“Green Springs has a very nice motel,” Gloria said.
“Gloria,” Paul chimed in. “Liz is your own flesh and blood.”
“Another reason why I’m suggesting a hotel.” Liz looked like she was ready to burst into tears and Gloria quickly caved. “Okay, but we need to set a date for your departure. You know the saying, ‘Guests, like fish, begin to smell after a few days.’”
“I’ll leave as soon as you help me track down Martin,” Liz bargained.
“We’re dealing with our own crisis,” Gloria said.
Liz broke off a chunk of donut and began chewing. “Don’t tell me you’re having marital difficulties already.” She shifted to face Paul. “I tried to warn you she’s difficult to live with.”
Gloria, near the breaking point with her sister, reached over and punched her in the arm. “You’re already skating on thin ice, sister. Don’t make me kick you out before you even unpack.”
Greed with Envy (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 15) Page 6
