Roses and Revenge

by London Lovett

  Hazel's blue eyes rounded with confusion.

  "Your new job? I guess this wasn't the best way to end your career at Georgio's. Do you know what your official tasks will be at Tremaine's?"

  Rather than answer, she picked up her coffee and drank some more. Just like the move I'd made to evade Lester's question.

  She placed the empty cup down. "Gosh, I've hardly given it any thought with all this craziness. I think I'll be in accounting or marketing possibly."

  "Those are such vastly different departments. I thought you told me you were going to be an administrative assistant, a parallel job to the one you have now. But I guess I misheard that."

  "Yes, it seems so."

  What it seemed was that there was nothing normal about our coffee date. Hazel was always peppy and chatty, but today, I had to pull information out of her. And I was certain I hadn't misheard her when she first told me about her new job. The new job would be such a stark change in her otherwise very uniform life, it was hard to believe that she wasn't thinking about it all the time. Even with the craziness.

  I wasn't sure which way to steer the conversation, since Hazel wasn't doing any steering on her own. "How is everyone?"

  "As well as can be expected." Hazel unzipped her warm winter coat. She was still wearing the brightly colored sweater underneath. "We're all waiting for permission to leave town. We're stuck in the middle of this. From what I heard this morning, from Lydia, it won't be long before they bring charges against Jacob. Then we can go home and wait to be called as witnesses." She said it all so plainly as if she was just talking about a trip to the store instead of her boss of many years being arrested for murder. The entire coffee date had started to unsettle me.

  I decided to veer off the subject. "Guess what I'm doing tomorrow? I'm going on my first flight in a small plane. My neighbor is a pilot, and he's flying me along the coast. He promised we could fly right over my house so I could get an aerial view. Of course, I'll probably fret when I see how badly I've let the landscaping go during these cold winter months."

  The topic change had helped. A more usual and perky expression returned to her face. "That would be so exciting. But a little scary."

  "That pretty much sums up my feelings about it too. I'm somewhat apprehensive, but at the same time, it just seems like too much of an adventure to pass up."

  "Your life was always filled with adventure. I envy that, Lacey. And then when you'd had enough of Georgio's and Jacob, you just put on your walking boots and you walked right out of there. And look at this shop. It's so wonderful."

  "Well, you'll be going on an adventure too. I'll bet your parents are going to miss you terribly when you move out. I know my parents would love for me to move within walking distance or even driving distance, for that matter. But once I moved away, they started doing a lot more things, like vacations, and they have more friends now. I guess I needed to let them leave the parents' nest."

  Hazel laughed but even her laugh seemed off. It seemed she just wasn't herself. Everybody had days like that. I was somewhat relieved when two customers came in. Our coffee date felt clumsy and forced. I'd caught Hazel on an off day. I couldn't blame her for having one. The week had started with a stunning tragedy and had gotten progressively worse. I was sure it was just that the initial shock had worn off and the grim reality had taken hold. It was a normal sequence of emotions for such a catastrophic series of events.

  This time I didn't need to hint that I needed to get back to work and that our chat time was over.

  Hazel stepped down from the stool. "Thanks so much for the coffee, Lacey. Have fun tomorrow. I hope we can see each other at least once more before we leave town."

  "Let's make a point of it, Hazel."

  Chapter 33

  My fingers gripped the edges of the seat. I felt like a kid again on my first real roller coaster ride. It was that mix of thrill, terror and queasiness that made fast rides so much fun. The small plane rattled and wobbled as its tires raced along the runway making the heavy earphones on my head slip forward. I pushed them back. The entire adventure might have been a touch less glamorous than it had been in my imagination, but it was still fun to watch a serious faced Dash, with his official looking black sunglasses and pilot's headset, as he lifted the plane up into the air.

  "Whoo!" I said involuntarily, like a sneeze or a cough.

  Dash glanced over for a second, then returned his attention to the wide blue stretch of sky in front of us. "Are you all right?" His voice sounded tinny as it came through the earphones. I'd forgotten that I had a microphone sitting in front of my mouth.

  "Yep, I'm good."

  I could see the tiniest grin form behind his microphone. "It'll be more fun when you finally release your death grip on the seat."

  "Yep," I repeated and squeezed the seat edge tighter. The round roofed hangars at the tiny municipal airport fell away along with the rooftops, trees and fields of the town. It was early and the sun was mostly behind us, but the royal blue ocean sparkled with tiny sapphires as the morning light reflected off of it.

  I took a few breaths and peeled my fingers off the seat. Just then, the wing on my side dipped down and the plane tilted, sending my hands back to the seat edge. A low, deep laugh rumbled through the headphones. I looked at my pilot.

  Dash smiled while staring straight ahead. "Sometimes it takes a few minutes to relax."

  The plane leveled out. We buzzed along the coast, and I released my death grip on the seat. It was sort of comical to think that holding tightly to the seat would somehow save me in the unfortunate event that the plane nosedived toward earth. That line of reasoning helped me place my hands in my lap.

  I gazed out the window. The scenery didn't blur by, like in a fast moving car. Rather, it meandered past, allowing me to see more details from a decidedly different angle than usual. The nose of the plane was pointing north, inland from the ocean. The land below looked like a giant patchwork quilt of varying shades of green and brown. The trees were still lacking foliage, giving me an even clearer view of the neighborhoods and shops below.

  I moved the microphone closer to my mouth. "I can't believe how much detail I can see. In a jet, everything fades away into one gray mass."

  "We're cruising at about half the altitude of a commercial jet. Hold on."

  It took me a second to comprehend his last comment. I grabbed the seat again as the plane dipped down on my side, and we circled out toward the ocean. I could see the white caps on the waves. Farther from shore, where there was less agitation in the tide, I could see through the emerald glass water to dark shadows swimming beneath the surface.

  "Are those sharks?" I asked.

  "No, that water's too cold. Dolphins, I think."

  I found myself captivated by the sea below. I had never seen it from above. It looked incredibly vast and endless. "It's like an entirely different world down there."

  Dash pointed ahead through the front windshield. In the distance, sitting in the midst of a few light clouds, was the spire of the Pickford Lighthouse.

  "It's looks tall and majestic from this vantage point. A tall, proud symbol of Port Danby's past." I smiled over at him. "Thank you for inviting me along this morning."

  "Thank you for joining me. I feel like I'm seeing everything through a new pair of eyes. Yours. And they are beautiful, I might add."

  It was plenty cold in the cramped cockpit, but that didn't stop the heat from rising in my cheeks at his compliment.

  "Can we fly over our houses? I want to see an aerial view of my humble little home." Due to the ambient noise in the cockpit, I was talking louder than necessary. But I couldn't seem to stop myself.

  "We're heading that direction. I'll drop down lower, so you can get a better view."

  My stomach did the elevator lurch as the plane dropped to a lower altitude. Everything below came into much sharper view. I could see a woman on a Mayfield sidewalk walking two dogs. The woman shielded her eyes and looked up to the sky to se
e what was flying overhead.

  "Will she see me if I wave?"

  "You can see her way better than she can see you." Dash pointed. "Look out your window. Hawksworth Manor is coming into view next."

  "Great. I forgot all about the manor." I kept my focus on the scene outside my window. Maple Hill looked different coming up from the backside. The slope was more gentle and the landscape on the back of the hill was overgrown and wild.

  The overhead view of the dilapidated Hawksworth estate was far different than it would have been just last week. The six trailers and trucks from Georgio's Perfume were still parked in a long parade of vehicles from the front edge of the property to the rear. As I swept my eyes past the collection of work vehicles, a bright blue color caught my eye. Feeling much more at ease, I leaned closer to the window to get a better view below.

  "It's Hazel!" I said excitedly.

  "Who?"

  "A friend. She bought a really wild blue sweater from Mod Frock. The blue caught my eye." I kept my focus below. Hazel was unlocking a door to one of the trailers. I reviewed a quick map of the site in my head. It was Jacob's trailer. The bright blue sweater disappeared inside. I sat back. "Interesting," I muttered to myself, forgetting that I was connected to a microphone that was, in turn, connected to Dash.

  "What's interesting?" he asked.

  "Oh, nothing. I just can't believe how well I can see down to the town." I sat up higher. "Is that my house?"

  "Yep."

  I sat back again. "I need to position my sprinklers better. I've got way too many brown spots on my lawn."

  "The snow did just melt. And spring is around the corner. It's going to be fifteen degrees warmer today than yesterday."

  "I'm looking forward to a rise in temperature. But I need to get my tail out to the front yard and do some serious pruning and gardening. I'm looking forward to warmer weather . . . and bicycle rides . . . and shorts with sandals."

  "Here, here on that last one." I couldn't see his eyes behind the black sunglasses, but I was sure I detected a wink.

  He was darn handsome, and to go with that winning smile and charm, the man was an interminable and, I suspected, an indiscriminate flirt.

  Chapter 34

  The airport where I'd met Dash for the flight was inland about fifteen miles north of Mayfield. As I headed back to Port Danby, a voice in my head told me to turn off and visit Jacob at the hotel. I had no idea if he was actually at the hotel, but it was hardly out of my way. A few questions had been swirling through my head after I saw Hazel and her sweater that was bright enough to see from space. I'm sure none of the questions were of much importance, but since I'd been left mostly out in the cold on the investigation, I decided to satisfy my own curiosity before it chewed away at the rest of my work day. It was the Saturday before Valentine's Day and I expected it to be busy.

  I parked my car in the hotel lot. I sent Jacob a quick text. "I was hoping to talk to you. I'm at the hotel."

  The heavy headset had left me with semi-helmet hair. I quickly brushed my hair while I waited for him to answer.

  Jacob's text came back. "Sure. Redmond had some calls to make. I've got some time. Room 303."

  I climbed out of the car and walked through the lobby to the elevator. A flurry of weekend travelers were checking in. Jacob's room was right next to a fake fern outside the elevator. The Mayfield Hotel was nice, but in Jacob's five star world it would be considered shabby. Maybe he'd grown less spoiled. He hadn't even booked himself the finer room of suites on the top floor.

  Jacob opened the door before I knocked. His face had more color and his nose had less.

  "You look better." I swept past him into the room.

  "Yes but I'm thinking of still downing the cold medicine. I kind of like the haze it puts me in. I do less thinking in that fog."

  "That medicine has always affected you worse than others. I remember my theory that you were allergic to the stuff." I turned to him as he shut the door and walked into the room.

  He swept his arm around. He had clothes draped on chairs and across the foot of the bed. "Have a seat, if you can find one. I've been turning housekeeping away. I don't want to see people. Especially not the group of people I traveled here with, who have now turned on me."

  I stayed standing. "Looks like I just walked into a pity party. And I forgot to bring a gift for the host. You've really got the heat cranked up in here." I unzipped my coat but left it on. I wasn't planning to stay longer than it took for a few quick questions.

  "I was trying to sweat the cold out of me."

  "Maybe you should think about getting those tonsils out, after all."

  "I don't think it'll matter with where I'm going."

  "And I forgot my tiny violin," I added. "Has Detective Briggs talked about charging you?"

  His head moved halfway between a nod and a shake. "Just a matter of time. Says he's having some more lab work done first. The man has it out for me."

  "Who? Detective Briggs? Nonsense. He's an honorable, smart man with a great deal of integrity."

  Jacob grinned wryly as he walked to the nightstand. "That was a strong, impassioned defense." He picked up his pack of clove cigarettes and pulled one out.

  "You're obviously still drunk on cold medicine if you can label that impassioned. And if you're going to light that thing, at least wait until I'm gone."

  "That's right. I forgot about that million dollar sensitive nose. The nose that just pushed me into the worst week of my life." He put the clove cigarette back in the box. "Why did you come here today?"

  "Wow, you are feeling better. Some of those traits that made it easy for me to walk out of your life are now on full display. I came here hoping to help. But maybe you should just keep drinking that cold medicine."

  I turned to leave.

  "No wait, Lacey. I'm sorry. I'm just on edge." He laughed weakly. "Withdrawals from antihistamines."

  "You're the only man I know who can always find an excuse for being irritating. But I'll give you this one since you're going through a lot. And you have had an excessive amount of medicine. We both know that makes you a little strange." I straightened with a breath as it struck me like a bolt of lightning.

  Jacob caught my change in posture. "What's wrong?"

  "The Bahamas. The cold medicine. Remember when you walked out onto the beach in the middle of the night? You had no recollection. Just a ton of sand in your room and bed."

  "Yes, we figured out I was sleepwalking. My mom told me I used to do it all the time when I was a kid. Especially when I was—"

  "Sick," I finished for him. "Then you take medication, and the next thing you know you're walking in your sleep and not remembering a thing."

  His face smoothed as he truly comprehended my meaning. "I was sleepwalking when Autumn saw me. That's why I can't remember a thing. That's why there was an orange soda in the refrigerator. I must have sleepwalked to the catering tables and grabbed an orange soda."

  "In your socks."

  Jacob was the liveliest I'd seen him since he got to Port Danby. "I'd forgotten just how brilliant you are, Lacey."

  "Thank you."

  "I'll go next door and tell Redmond right now."

  "He'll no doubt tell you that sleepwalking is a weak alibi. I'll let Detective Briggs know that I can confirm that you do sleepwalk. Not sure if it will help or not. Before you go to Redmond, Jacob, I wanted to ask you something else."

  "Anything."

  "Does Hazel have a key to your trailer?"

  The question came out of left field, and it threw him for a second. "I don't know. I didn't give her one specifically, but I guess she might have one. Why?"

  "Just wondering. Today I went on a plane ride in a friend's small two seat Cessna. We flew over the coast and over Maple Hill and the manor. Dash, the pilot, dropped the plane low enough so I could see more of the ground below. I saw that bright blue sweater she's been wearing. Hazel was going inside your trailer. Why would she be going in there?"
/>   He scratched his unshaven jaw. "Hmm I'm not sure. I didn't ask her to go inside for anything. But she might have needed some paperwork or something."

  "Makes sense." I was almost relieved by his answer. I hated to think that sweet, little Hazel had anything to do with the murder. Hazel had asked me not to bring up her leaving the company to Jacob, in his misery, but he looked less miserable. I was still holding on to a strand of suspicion. "Boy, I guess you'll miss Hazel when she's gone."

  He moved his shoulders with a weak shrug.

  "What? I thought Hazel was the office dynamo. Whenever anyone needed something, Hazel was the person to see."

  "She'd lost her edge in the past year. Her mind was definitely not on the job. I wasn't all that surprised when she turned in her notice. I think she was still hurt that she'd been passed up for a promotion to office manager. She was sure the job would be hers, but there were some awesome applicants. Frankly, Hazel didn't even make the top three."

  "Poor Hazel. She must have been devastated. Still, her new job at Tremaine's sounds exciting."

  Profound confusion crossed his face. "Tremaine's? She didn't get the job at Tremaine's. That was partially my fault too. My letter of recommendation wasn't exactly glowing. Robert Tremaine and I play golf occasionally. I didn't want to lie on the letter and have it ruin our friendship."

  "Oh, Jacob." I couldn't hide the disappointment in my tone. "Hazel has been your most devoted assistant. Couldn't you have flowered up the language some to make it more abstract? You know, like a college midterm essay where you kind of know the answer but all the important details are missing."

  He gave me a 'seriously' look. "But that college essay doesn't come back to bite you on the—on the golf course."

  "Fair enough. I wonder why Hazel would lie to me?"

  "She probably figured you'd hear that she left the company. She wanted to make it seem like she was moving on to bigger and better things. Far as I know, she'll be unemployed."

  "Now I'm feeling depressed about Hazel. She's been putting on such a brave face. But it explains why every time I brought up the job at Tremaine's she looked kind of confused. Anyhow, I've got to open up the shop. Let Redmond know that if he needs a statement about your sleepwalking habit, I'd be happy to tell him what I know."