She reached across and stroked his hand on the mug. “I’m teasing you, darling. Tell me. Who did kill that vermin?”
Jake filed away her colorful choice words about her ex-lover for future reference. He had known she was a piece of work when she hired him, but up until now, he hadn’t seen this part of her. “At this point the police have no suspects. No one in town had seen him for a year.”
For a moment, an awkward silence hung in the air. He wasn’t sure what to do next never having been in this position before. Technically he met his obligation to her, his first client. He found Simon. The case completed. From her pursed lips he could tell she expected him to say something. He burrowed his hand out from under hers and stirred his coffee.
“You hired me to find him. I did,” he said, lifting his mug to take a sip.
“Where’s my painting? Did you find that? Did the police find anything of value?” she hissed across the table.
The waitress came over with a coffee carafe. “What can I get you?” she asked in a sunny voice and a nod to Claire, as she refilled his mug.
Claire lifted her nose up without breaking eye contact with Jake. “I’ll have what he’s having.”
The waitress ran off with a smile, and Claire narrowed her eyes. “My painting?”
“No.” He went on to tell her what he learned about Sam. For some reason, he wanted to leave out the part that he jilted Lily at the altar, but he was sure all that business would be dredged up soon and be in the news. Did Lily realize her life would be on display again?
Of course, Claire knew Sam as Simon and Claire, being married to a very prominent businessman, wanted his investigation done discreetly.
“This poses a big problem for me, Jake. That dirt bag stole from me. That painting was mine free and clear and had been in my family for generations and worth a couple of millions. It’s my safety blanket if that loser of a husband I have ever decides to leave me for his young mistress. With the pre-nup, I will get very little from him if we divorce.”
“I understand. I can ask the police about his personal effects, but that’s going to raise some eyebrows.”
“How discreet can you be while investigating him? I leased that pitiful tackle shop for you as a front so you’d be in the middle of town. How convenient that he died next door.”
The waitress approached with a coffee carafe and another mug. “We have a great apple pie just out of the oven. Want to try a piece?”
Claire opened her mouth, but Jake cut her off. “Sounds terrific. We’ll take two slices, and maybe a little vanilla ice cream. A la mode?”
“You got it. Coming right up!” She whisked away again.
He ignored Claire’s frown. Or what he thought was a frown. Her forehead didn’t move much. “Look, we don’t want to raise any suspicions. Just eat the pie and tell her how good it is.”
Claire’s face softened somehow. He guessed maybe in her eyes, and she sat back against the booth’s upholstery. He stared out at the bay. A lone sailboat drifted by. Someone’s last attempt to hold on to a summer pastime. The peaceful scene calmed him, and he took in a deeper breath. Then he turned his attention back to his client. “Do you know Haley? She works at the bridal shop.”
“No. Why?”
He withheld his suspicions about Haley and didn’t tell Claire that Haley recognized Sam. “Just covering all bases.”
As he watched Claire play with her phone, something about her wasn’t adding up. He couldn’t put his finger on the matter yet, but there was more to her story. Unfortunately, his part was over. Uneasiness washed over him. Could he walk away, his role unfinished, not assisting in pursuing Sam’s killer?
What about Lily? Now he could tell her who he really was and could come clean about the “lease” on the tackle shop. Lily and her sisters could get the space. Claire would have no reason to object. Or would she?
He would love to stay on and solve the case completely, but then he couldn’t afford to work for free. His disability check covered some of his bills. He could stay in his apartment in town on a month to month basis and get to know Lily better. He could move dating up a rung and ask her out on a date. Something about Lily intrigued him.
Sure she was a knockout, but he’d been with a lot of beautiful women. Her golden locks, her engaging smile were attributes he found attractive, but when her eyes brightened into a bluer hue as she gazed at Leo, when she talked about her sisters, Aunt Bee, and Denis, and her whole body relaxed, the love for all of them reflected in her expression, that’s what got him.
But was that enough for him to stick around? If anything, he had to teach her some safety measures. Her gullibility was bound to attract predators. Minimally, her protection was his civic duty.
Claire looked up when the waitress brought over their pie. “Thank you. This looks delicious,” she said sweetly.
The waitress gushed. “My daughter bakes all the desserts here. They are out of this world! If you need anything, wave me down.”
“Tell you what,” Claire said, as soon as the waitress was busy handing the check to the elderly couple. “I want you to learn all that you can about Simon’s ex-fiancée, Lily.”
He stabbed his fork into the pie’s flaky crust at the too familiar mention of Lily’s name on Claire’s lips. Tiny layers of buttery pieces crumbled onto the plate. “Are you asking me to extend my investigation?”
“Yes, draw up another contract, and I’ll sign it. I want to know what Simon was up to this past year. Where was he living? Where are his things? Why didn’t they marry? And where’s my damn painting?”
Interesting. She hadn’t included wanting to know who killed him.
“As we speak I’m doing an Internet search on Lily. Cute little bridal shop. Hmm. Family business. Ah . . . here’s a picture of her with her sisters.”
For a moment, the awkward silence returned. “Well, she’s quite beautiful, isn’t she, Jake? Stunning in fact. No wonder Simon went after her. That must be his pattern. To go after beautiful women, don’t you think? Did she have money?”
Jake was glad she didn’t ask him to confirm her theory because although Claire was attractive, for a woman in her fifties, she was no match for Lily. She was right about one thing though. Lily was stunning.
“She and her sisters share the business,” he said. “It must be doing well because they want to expand. I assume they own the family house together, but I’ll look into that. Right now her sisters are in Europe.” He made a note in his pad. “But from what I’ve observed, she doesn’t have nearly the wealth you do.”
Claire sat up a little taller. He made her smile. Jake grinned at her, glad he had her back where he wanted. “There’s something else you should know. When you leased the tackle shop, it threw a wrench in their plans. A lot of people in town are peeved with me right now. I’m doing my best to make it look like I’m renovating the place and getting ready for a grand opening in the spring, but I’ve had some snags.”
She waved and flashed her long bright orange nails. “Don’t worry about those silly girls. When this is over, they can lease the shop. Now, consider me still your client. Do what you must to remain undercover and send me the bill.” Claire strummed her nails on the table and stretched her neck. “Where did that waitress go? I need more coffee with this out-of-the-world pie.”
As quickly as he had her under his charming spell, just like that, she awoke from his hex and he was dismissed.
Chapter 11
Two days later, Lily stared at emails on her computer screen and listened to messages on the shop’s answering machine. Disappointed and concerned brides cried as they left their messages. Some babbled apologizes, and some were downright nasty. She had three bridal parties cancel their appointments for that day and six emails from nervous brides asking for their deposits back. Lily jotted them all down, h
er palms sweating.
All of the messages referred to the news of Sam’s murder and no matter how they presented their cases, all were adamant they did not feel comfortable coming to the shop. More or less they cited superstitions, believing any negativity would cloud their wedding day, and some feared for their lives because a murderer was on the loose.
She couldn’t blame them. How could she? Lily began to compose a statement that she would send to those who wished for their nonrefundable deposit returned. Of course, she would make an exception in this case. The brides had nothing to do with this tragedy and the last thing she and her sisters would want would be to shed more negative publicity on their shop.
As she was contemplating what to write, someone banged on the back door. Lily hoped an overzealous reporter hadn’t gotten passed the police officer guarding the street. They hounded her the last two days, even camping out at her house. Jake waved at her, and she let him in.
“I’m glad it’s you. If another reporter calls here, or tries to interview me, I think I’m going to scream.” Back in her office, she rested her hand on the computer mouse, then sighed as she scrolled through more emails. He studied her as she worked. Even though he hadn’t said a word, Jake’s presence gave her strength. His confidence gave her credence that everything would be all right in the end.
“You look tense.”
He stated the obvious, and she smiled at him. He didn’t sit or move, but watched her as if she would burst into tears at any moment. They did threaten to come, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t allow them to form. She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes and settled her head back against her chair.
“I haven’t slept, need caffeine. My ex-fiancé was murdered in my shop, and now my booming business is taking a huge hit because of his death. Cancellations are flooding in like our last storm.” She closed her eyes, wishing she could transport her sisters back from Italy. They were her rock, she needed their support and advice on what to do next. Lily planned on speaking with them that night, as she did each night, but evening might as well be light years away.
Jake walked around and sat against her desk next to her chair. His knees brushed against her legs, and she opened her eyes.
“Hey, it will be okay. People will soon forget. They always do.”
Was he right? Lily doubted it. Maybe if Sam’s killer was arrested, wedding parties would return, but brides would remember. Jake leaned over and pushed the errant lock of hair from her face to behind her ear.
“Hey, I’m serious. Six months from now, you’re going to think back and wonder why you worried. The world moves fast now. People hear about tragedies and horrible crimes every day, then go about their daily lives as if nothing had happened. Trust me. I’ve seen it many times.”
She rubbed an ache on the side of her neck. The soreness ran down her shoulder into her back, but the pain was mild compared to the hurt that flashed in his eyes. She was about to ask him what he was thinking about when he came around her chair and placed his warm hands on her shoulders. He started to knead her skin, and although stunned by the unexpected physical contact, she began to melt into the rhythm of the massage.
“I’m afraid to ask how you got so good at this.” The words blurted out. Lily imagined he had lots of girlfriends over the years, and she didn’t want to hear about them. Not now anyway. Probably never.
He froze for a second, then concentrated on the base of her head, kneading knots at the tip of her neck. Knots she didn’t know existed.
“I worked every summer in my sister’s hair salon. Started out sweeping hair from the floor, but soon became popular as the shampoo boy.”
“I’ll bet.”
He chuckled. “Hey, the tips were great.”
“So no serious girlfriends?” What was wrong with her? This whole thing with Sam had her rattled, she spewed out private thoughts. Why couldn’t she act more modern and sophisticated around the opposite sex like her sister Chrissy? Her younger sister had the dating thing down pat. Since Sam crushed her ego when he deserted her, Lily hadn’t even looked at another man. Not until now. And Jake was easy to look at.
As he continued with his expert massage, the realization that Jake had never answered her question nagged at her, but soon her mind turned to her brides and her business.
Her mother and grandmother built the business from the ground up, and for years the shop held the title as the place all local brides went to get their wedding dresses. When she and her sisters got actively involved in the family shop, they concentrated on new marketing strategies, which attracted customers from farther locations. Now in one day, her business was in the crapper. Could they survive this tragedy as Jake suggested? Would the news of the horrific event blow over? Or would the memory linger for years like the last bad storm?
Keys jiggled at the back door and Lily shook awake. She was slumped against her chair, and Jake was applying pressure to her scalp. Had she drifted off? For how long? She bolted upright as Denis barged in holding a cardboard tray with two coffees.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said, his face flushed, his white-blond hair windblown. He frowned when he spotted Jake. Then the expression vanished. “There’s a swarm of news reporters in front of the shop. I drove around the block a couple of times trying to figure out where to park so they didn’t jump me. I left my car around the corner, walked down the beach, and came around the back way, but they’re on the side here too. A nice young officer protected me from the mob.”
With an exaggerated sigh, he put the tray on her desk, plopped into the chair across from her and wiped sand off his loafers with a napkin he plucked from the bag that held their usual chocolate croissants. “Sorry, Jake. I didn’t know you were here too. I would have brought you a coffee.”
Denis’s dramatic flair comforted Lily. At least some things were normal, and she appreciated that he was always considerate of others. She sighed as she studied the computer screen. “I’m in way over my head here. I wish Rose and Chrissy were able to get on the next plane.”
“Why can’t they?” Denis took off one shoe, and over a garbage can, poured out the sand. “Sorry,” he said, and did the same with the other.
She shrugged off his apology. “A little sand never hurt anyone. You know that exclusive designer we want? I hadn’t had a chance to tell you yet, but she was about to join us and needed a few more days to wrap up her commitments in Italy. They were making plans for their flight back when Sam was murdered. Now the designer refuses to come here. Death and weddings, not a good combination.”
Tears threatened to form again, but she kept them at bay. She couldn’t melt down now. “Rose and Chrissy don’t want to give up on her. And I insisted I can handle things here. We need that designer, now more than ever, Denis.”
“Hey, I know we do. Your sisters will work their magic on her, don’t you worry about that.” He straightened his tie and smoothed his hair back into coiffed perfection.
Customers sometimes mistook him for being her brother, with his striking light hair. His eyes were a shade too dark, hazel not blue, but he shared her family’s pale skin. Lily understood the brides’ confusion when they learned Denis wasn’t a relative. Aside from the fact that he came to her with impeccable references, she was drawn to his familiarity, she supposed.
He cleared his throat and flushed again. “I hate to dump more on you right now. But . . .”
She was about to ask, “What now?” when the chief busted in the shop calling out, “Lily? Where are you? Why isn’t this door locked?”
He hadn’t given her a chance to respond before he rushed in the office and bumped the back of Denis’s chair. “Oh good. You’re all here.” He nodded to Jake. “I went by your place, Lily. Aunt Bee said you left before she woke up. My guy told me he escorted you here. While there, I had to help her with her 1960’s stove again. Time for an upgrade.”
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Lily shrugged, the trivial bodily movement an enormous effort at the moment. She lacked patience to deal with the old argument. “I’ve tried to get her to buy a new one, but she won’t hear of it. It’s still good, she says, and matches her décor.”
“That thing is a fire hazard. After things settle down around here, I’m going to insist she buy a new appliance.”
Although she agreed with the chief, no one could convince Aunt Bee to update her house or clear out some of her belongings. Many had tried over the years. “Denis, what bad news did you want to share?”
“Remember the Manninos? Twenty in the bridal party? The groom called me. His bride is hysterical about the murder and cancelled their appointment for next week.”
What else could go wrong? She rested her head in her hands and mumbled to no one in particular. “They were the couple who had a bunch of friends recently engaged and promised us their business too.” This was not acceptable. She had to do something to attract her clientele back.
Denis reached for the bag of bakery treats and his coffee. “Let’s go in the kitchen and eat. Chocolate always makes you feel better. I bought a few extra. You’re going to fall in love, Jake.”
Jake raised an eyebrow and shot her a questionable look. Then with a wicked grin, he said, “Falling in love wasn’t on my agenda today, but why not?”
When he winked she couldn’t help but grin back even though her stress level had soared. Instead of her family business moving forward, progress had stalled with the failure of obtaining the lease and now with Sam’s murder, they were losing customers. She couldn’t break her promise to her mother. She wouldn’t.
Forever Hold Your Piece (The Becker Sisters Bridal Series Book 1) Page 10
