by J A Whiting
“Do you have a spare room at the B and B? I can’t stay here tonight.” Rachel pushed her hair back from her face with both hands. “I’ll sleep in my car if I have to.”
Angie gave the young woman a hug. “I’ll check with Ellie.” She stepped to the side to give her sister a call.
“It’s been a tough night.” Jenna gave a weak smile.
Courtney wanted to get Rachel talking. “Did the police give you any information about what happened?”
Rachel wrapped her arms around herself. “All they did was ask me a million questions. Do they think I know something about this? How would I know anything? I only got here today. I’m so exhausted I feel like I could fall asleep standing up. I’m afraid that when I do close my eyes and try to sleep, I’ll keep seeing that man. I’ll dream about it … I just know I will.”
Angie came back to the group. “Ellie says to come to the B and B. She’ll make up a room for you.”
“Thank heavens.” Rachel’s eyes filled with tears of relief. “Did the police talk to you? Do you have to stay longer?”
“We were just about to leave,” Jenna said.
“I’ll go inside and get a few things. I’ll meet you at the B and B.” Rachel thanked the Roselands again and hurried into the house.
Jenna looked at her sisters. “When Rachel arrived at the B and B yesterday, you both felt some anxiety about her. Finding the body must have been the cause of your concerns, right? It mustn’t have anything to do with Rachel herself being up to no good. Don’t you think?”
Angie and Courtney didn’t say a word.
Finch buckled his seat belt. “Time will tell, Miss Jenna. Time will tell.”
8
“We need to plan a game night soon.” Angie placed a mug of black coffee in front of Tom. “I think everyone could use a break, especially Chief Martin.”
The bake shop buzzed with early-morning activity as regulars and tourists came and went, with people sitting at tables with friends and family or standing in line waiting for take-out orders.
Tom took a sip from his mug. “That’s a great idea. With the wedding plans and now with this….” Tom glanced around the bake shop from his perch on the counter stool. “With this new stuff that’s going on, a night of fun would be welcome. I don’t know how the chief handles the job. It would get to me. It would pull me down.” Tom had his own construction and renovation business and was a master craftsman. He loved the process of building and creating beautiful spaces.
Angie agreed. “I know the chief feels it’s his duty to take care of the town, but really, how much can one man take?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I feel that we all need to use our skills for good and I’m happy to help the police, but there are times when I wish our abilities would just vanish.”
Tom nodded, holding his mug between his two hands. “I know what you mean. Having these skills of yours can be a burden. Jenna is still bothered that our ghost put the wedding necklace under the mattress. She doesn’t understand why. She’s been trying to figure it out.”
“I haven’t talked to her about that for a couple of days.” Angie worked the espresso machine while she chatted. “Does she have any theories?”
Tom gave a shrug. “All we’ve been able to come up with is either Katrina is angry about the wedding or she was playing a joke.”
“I bet Jenna isn’t satisfied with those ideas.” Angie placed a cover on the take out espresso cup and rang up the order for the waiting customer.
Giving Angie a smile, Tom said, “You know your twin sister well.”
“It’s odd, isn’t it?” Angie leaned on the counter. “Katrina has never done anything like that before.”
“Jenna has also been wondering if Katrina is trying to send her a message.”
“What sort?” Angie’s eyes narrowed.
Tom lifted his hand palm side up. “That is unknown.” Checking over his shoulders again to be sure no one could hear him, Tom added, “But it is strange that the necklace was hidden under the mattress at the same time Rachel showed up and that body was found.”
“Hmmm.” Angie moved away to wait on some customers and when she returned to Tom, she said, “We’ll need to keep all of this in mind. Things could be linked.”
“Stranger things have happened.” Tom stood up. “See you tonight at dinner. I need to get a move on.”
When Tom was going out the door, he passed Betty Hayes, a Sweet Cove Realtor and Mr. Finch’s sweetheart, coming in. Betty rushed to the counter and took Tom’s vacated stool. The woman was always in constant motion, rushing off to show a house, texting on her phone, or buzzing about town gossip.
“Good morning,” Angie smiled. “You’re late. I wondered if you were sick,” Angie kidded. “The usual?” Betty was often the first customer of the day at the bake shop knocking on the door before they even opened.
Betty nodded and put her phone on the counter. “I got tied up. Have you heard the news?”
Angie’s eyebrows raised.
“Don’t act coy. I know you Roselands are among the first to hear the town news.”
“Do you mean the body?” Angie placed a large take-out cup in front of Betty. The news had traveled like wild fire and it was being discussed by almost everyone in the shop.
“Yes, the body.” Betty put her hand on her ample chest. “Can you imagine?” she groaned. “Walking into that garage and finding a mummy.”
“Well,” Angie said. “It’s not really a mummy and yes, I can imagine because Jenna, Courtney, Mr. Finch, and I did just that.”
“Did what?” Betty’s eyebrows knitted together.
“Walked into the garage and saw the body.”
Betty’s mouth dropped open. “Victor? Victor was there? Oh, my. Is he alright?”
“He’s fine. Mr. Finch is a sweetie, but in a crisis, the man is made of steel.”
Betty was about to leap to her feet. “I must go see him. Why didn’t Victor call me? Are you sure he’s alright?” A scowl formed on the woman’s face. “Wait. Why were all of you at that house?”
Angie explained about Rachel. “She called us in a tizzy, right after finding the body. She was so upset that I couldn’t understand what she was saying so we all raced over. Ellie called Chief Martin and asked him to meet us at the house.”
“Humph.” Betty’s scowl turned into a frown. “That’s what happens when you try to save a few dollars and don’t use an experienced Realtor. That landlady doesn’t know what she’s doing. If I had been retained to assist, I assure you this never would have happened.”
Angie grinned. “You’re a crime fighter now?”
“What?”
“The man has been dead for years. How could you do anything about that?”
Betty sniffed. “For heaven’s sake, Angie, I couldn’t prevent that crime. I mean I would have thoroughly checked out the place before renting it to someone. People can’t rent willy-nilly. There are standards to uphold. I am trained and experienced. When an amateur makes an attempt to do a job they aren’t qualified to do, things happen.” Betty leaned forward. “Terrible things.”
Angie decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. “Did you know the man who owned that house? I understand he’d rented it out for years.”
“I’d met him several times.” Betty checked her phone. “I warned him about what could happen if he acted as his own property manager. He was not trained, you know. I tried to convince him to hire me, but….” She waved her hand in the air. “People think this job is easy.” She gave a snort. “And there you have it.”
“What was his name, the man who owned the rental?”
Betty looked up at the ceiling thinking. “Leon. Leon Drapper.”
“How old do you think he was?”
Betty tapped her index finger against her chin. “The last time I saw him was last year. I’d say he was probably sixty.” Giving Angie the eye, she said, “I know that young people think that is old. It isn’t. I’m more energ
etic now than I ever was. We elect presidents in their seventies. Heads of companies are in their seventies and older. What did he die from?”
“I don’t know.” Angie shook her head. “What did he do for work?”
Betty thought for a moment and then remembered. “He was a plumber.”
“He wasn’t married?”
“He might have been at one time. He wasn’t when I knew him.”
“What kind of a man was he?”
“How do you mean?”
“Was he nice, mean, grumpy, talkative, a loner?”
“Why the third degree?” Betty frowned.
Angie put a hand on her hip. “Because I was in Leon’s former garage and I saw a mummified body in the backseat of an old car. I have questions.”
Betty took a sip of her drink and glanced down at her phone. She began to tap at the screen. “I didn’t know the man well. I’d run into him, we’d chat.” Betty looked up. “Leon seemed a bit rough around the edges. He was cordial when we spoke. I’d describe him as quiet, reserved, shy. He seemed careful with his money.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because he didn’t hire me as his property manager despite my tireless efforts to convince him.”
Angie smiled thinking that Leon must have been made of iron in order to have withstood Betty’s tsunami-like sales approach. “You can’t win everyone over.”
Betty straightened up. “And this is what happens when a person tries to save a few pennies by doing things on his own. Penny-wise, pound foolish.” Leaning forward, she asked, “Do you think Leon killed that mummy?”
“I have no idea. I have nothing to go on.” Angie eyed Betty. “What do you think?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. I don’t think you can trust anyone. Well, I do trust Victor.”
“What about me?” The corner of Angie’s mouth turned up.
“I can’t answer that question. I don’t know you well enough.”
Angie leveled her eyes at the successful Realtor. “Really? You’ve known me for years.”
“Would you trust me?” Betty batted her eyes innocently.
Angie chuckled. “Nope.”
Betty made a face. “At least I had the good manners not to answer the question.”
Angie laughed and then reconsidered her answer. “I trust you with Mr. Finch.”
“I love Victor.” Betty narrowed her eyes and her cheeks tinged pink. “I know I’m not the nicest person in the world, but Victor is my weakness. When I’m around that man, my heart is as pure as gold.”
A smile crept over Angie’s face. “I think he has that effect on all of us.”
Betty’s phone beeped with another incoming text and she groaned. “I can’t be out of the office for five minutes without everything falling apart. I need to run. I’m going to stop by Victor’s house first to be sure he’s okay after last night’s trauma.” She scooped up her things and started for the door, but stopped short and turned around to face Angie with an expression of alarm. “Don’t you let anything happen to my Victor.”
As she watched Betty race out of the shop, a cold hand seemed to squeeze Angie’s stomach. Why on earth did she say that?
9
Angie leaned back in the Adirondack chair under the white pergola. She was feeling sleepy from the previous night’s discovery in the garage and the day’s whirl of business at the bake shop and since everyone else was occupied she decided to take a peaceful few moments in the garden. The spring flowers bloomed and filled the air with their sweet scent. Just as Angie closed her eyes, she heard the back door of the Victorian close and she lifted her lids to see Rachel walking towards her.
“Sorry to bother.” Rachel had dark circles under her eyes and her shoulders seemed to droop. “Mind if I sit?”
Angie gestured to the opposite chair. “It’s no bother. How are you doing?”
Rachel gave a weak smile. “I’m okay.” She picked at a fingernail. “Maybe I’m not, but I will be.”
“It was quite a shock.”
“Not how I was expecting to spend my night.” Rachel rolled her eyes.
“Will you be speaking with the police again?” Angie asked.
“No doubt. I’m sure they have plenty to ask me.” Rachel looked over the yard. “Funny how things turn out. I was so excited about the house. Now I don’t know if I can even step foot on the front lawn of that place let alone stay in there.”
“Maybe you could get out of the lease … under the circumstances,” Angie offered.
“I feel sapped of my energy. If I back out of the lease, then I have nowhere to live. I’m supposed to start my job in two days.”
“You could look around,” Angie suggested. “I know a Realtor in town. She might be able to find you a different place to rent.”
Rachel pushed at her bangs. “I don’t know. A different house would probably be too expensive. The ranch was so inexpensive, right in my budget. I couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t have been able to accept the job here if my housing expenses were higher. Ellie told me I could stay three more nights. Then the B and B is booked.”
“What if you go over to the house during the day and get your things put away. Spend a little more time there each day until you need to leave the Victorian. If you ease into staying there, you might feel okay about it.”
Rachel smiled. “As long as I don’t go near the garage.”
“What did you do for work back home?”
“I’m a nurse.”
Angie’s eyes widened.
“I know,” Rachel said. “Why did I leave such a good-paying job to work in a stained-glass shop?”
“Yeah,” Angie chuckled. “My very question.”
A sigh slipped from the young woman’s lips. “I needed a change. I was tired of my life. I wanted to do something different.”
“I give you credit for uprooting yourself. It’s not easy to make a change.”
“I quit my job and didn’t renew the lease on my apartment. I grew up in that town. Most of my friends have moved away. I don’t have any relatives left. My boyfriend broke up with me. Now was the time to do it, otherwise I knew I’d be in that town forever.” Rachel was quiet for a minute. “I love the ocean. I dreamed of living by the sea ever since I was little. I promised myself I would do it one day and not just leave it as a fantasy. I finally forced myself to do it. Last night, all I could think about was what if I’ve made a mistake.”
“If it’s something you want, then you didn’t make a mistake.”
“I don’t want to go back.” Rachel shook her head.
“To the ranch house?”
“Not that. I don’t want to go back to my hometown. I want to stay here and see how it goes.”
Angie nodded. “It seems like the right decision.”
“Would you or one of your sisters go back to the house with me? I don’t want to return for the first time alone.”
“Sure, we can go with you.” Angie wanted to go back to the ranch anyway to walk around the place and being with Rachel would be a good reason to be there.
“I appreciate it.”
“You don’t have any siblings?”
Something flickered over Rachel’s face. “I’m an only child. When I see you with your sisters, I so wish that I had that. You’re lucky.”
Angie noticed Euclid sitting in the family room window staring out at them. She couldn’t read his expression.
Rachel said, “There’s a man coming into your yard.”
Angie saw Mr. Finch coming up the stone walkway that ran from the back of Finch’s property into the yard of the Victorian. Finch had hired a landscaping service to clear away some bushes and small trees and set the walkway in place to make it easier for him and the sisters to move from house to house. An old fashioned lantern lit the way at night.
Angie called to Finch and he joined the two women under the pergola. “Good afternoon.” Before sitting, Finch noticed Euclid in the window and waved to the big orange boy.
Finch ran his hand over the top of his cane. “It was a difficult evening.”
“Mr. Finch is an adopted member of our family,” Angie explained. “He owns the house beyond the trees, but he spends a good part of each day with us.”
Finch gave a nod. “Miss Courtney and I own the candy store in the center of town.”
“Oh, I’ll have to stop in some day.” Rachel smiled. “Have you lived in Sweet Cove all of your life, Mr. Finch?”
Finch and Angie exchanged a quick look. “I lived most of my life in Chicago,” Finch told Rachel. “I moved to Sweet Cove about a year ago.”
“What brought you here?” Rachel asked.
“My brother lived in town.”
“How nice.” Rachel smiled. “You reconnected?”
“Not really.” Finch frowned. “I’m afraid my brother wasn’t a very nice man.”
Angie said, “Mr. Finch’s brother was murdered.”
Rachel’s hand flew up to her throat. “Oh, how awful.”
Angie looked over to Finch. “Even in the most awful of circumstances, something wonderful can come from it. We have Mr. Finch in our lives now and we’re very grateful.”
Finch pretended to tip a hat. “The feeling is mutual, Miss Angie.”
A shiver ran through Rachel’s body. “How can something good come from that body in the garage?”
“One can never predict.” Finch looked over the top of his glass frames. “Has the body been identified yet?”
“I haven’t heard from Chief Martin today,” Angie told him.
“He’ll call when he has some news,” Finch said.
Rachel looked from Angie to Finch. “Are you friends with the police chief?”
Angie said, “My sisters and I have known him since we were little kids.”
Finch nodded. “I consider Phillip a good friend. He is a fine man and is dedicated to his job.”
Finch asked Rachel questions similar to what Angie had asked.
