Dizzy drove and drove, his thoughts frenzied. It was bad enough having his friends mock him when that stupid movie came out, but Monique had always been on his side.
“I love you, Dizz,” she’d say. “Don’t pay attention to any of those people who are making fun of you. They’re just jealous.” Now for Monique to suggest he had a thing for Cleo was outrageous! If Monique knew how he really felt about Cleo, she’d be scared.
He vividly remembered when Cleo moved in. Sure, he didn’t mind that she was beautiful and friendly. Who needs another grouchy tenant in the building who did nothing but complain? Since she had just come from New York, Cleo didn’t have any furniture. Just a couple of suitcases. A bed she’d ordered was delivered that first day. Within a couple weeks, she’d bought a couch and chair and end tables and lamps. If he spotted her carrying boxes or groceries from her car, he’d run and help. She was fun, easy on the eyes, and nice to his kids. And then she used him.
Monique’s going to be furious that I left her at the beach with no car, he thought. Too bad. She can call that annoying cousin of hers for a ride home. I’m not going back until I’m good and ready.
And that won’t be for a while.
53
Regan found the landscaper’s address on her BlackBerry, then got out of her mother’s car and walked back down the block to Edna’s home. Nora was sitting in the gazebo with Edna and the women from Golden Peaks.
“Wilbur has such a crush on you,” one of the women was saying to Edna. “It’s so obvious. I think he’s fallen in love!”
Edna beamed. “We do enjoy each other’s company. I’m so lucky I sold this house! I can’t wait to live at Golden Peaks!”
“Here’s Regan,” Nora said.
Regan waved as she approached the gazebo. “Hello, everyone. Mom, I’d like to take a ride into town. I shouldn’t be gone long.”
“Go ahead,” Edna answered before Nora could open her mouth. “Nora, stay with us. Regan said she’ll be right back.”
“Sure,” Nora answered, shrugging her shoulders slightly.
Regan returned to the car and was heading down the main street of Edna’s quaint little town when her cell phone rang. Oh good, she thought when she looked at the caller ID. It was the landscaper. She put in her earpiece and answered. “Hello.”
“Hello, I’m returning your call. This is Judson.”
“Judson, thanks for getting back to me,” Regan said, then explained the reason she wanted to speak with him. “I just left Mrs. Frawley’s and was planning to stop by your office and see if you might be there.”
“No, I just finished a job and am heading into Sam’s Deli to grab a sandwich. It’s right on Main Street. You want to meet me there? They have tables in the back. I can’t stay too long. I have another lawn to cut today.”
“Sounds good.”
A few minutes later, Regan walked into the deli. At the last table, Judson was wolfing down his sandwich. He looked to be in his late twenties, tanned and muscular, with dark hair cut close to his head. He was wearing jeans, a T-shirt with grass stains, and work boots, and started to stand as he greeted her.
“Please sit. Thanks for meeting with me,” Regan said as she pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.
“Sure. What’s happening?”
“As you know, I’d like to speak to you about Edna Frawley’s former tenant.”
He smiled as he took a sip of his bottled iced tea. “Cleo Paradise?”
“You knew who she was?” Regan asked.
“Everybody in town knew. Come on. This is a small place. Gossip around here goes viral.” He grinned. “I know she’s gone now. Why are you asking about her?”
“Her parents are concerned because they haven’t heard from her this week. They called the house while I was there. They’re parents so of course they worry,” Regan said. “They asked me to try and find out where Cleo is. She’s probably fine, but I was wondering if you had much of a chance to talk with her at all.”
“The first few times I went over to cut the lawn or check the pool her car was there but she stayed inside the house. Then I went over and found her in the pool doing laps. She got out right away so I could do what I needed to do. She was really nice and introduced herself as Cleo.”
“She did?” Regan asked, surprised.
“Yes, but she only gave me her first name. We chatted while I skimmed the pool and added the chemicals. I was cool,” he said, nodding his head. “I didn’t let on that I knew who she was, even though I was dying to tell her I loved that movie where she played the super. They dyed her hair red and cut it short for that movie. Now she has shoulder length brown hair, so I guess she’s not too surprised if people don’t act like they recognize her.”
“I got the impression from Edna she wanted her privacy. She got a lot of mean press after her stalker movie.”
“Yes, but come on. She must have gotten lonely. She told me a friend was supposed to be with her for the month but couldn’t make it. After that she’d sit out and chat whenever I worked on the pool. I obviously can’t have a conversation when I’m mowing the lawn.”
“Right,” Regan said.
“Since she didn’t tell me her last name, I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by asking about her movies. Then last Friday I was cutting the lawn when a delivery truck pulled up. They unloaded a big box for ‘Cleo Paradise c/o Edna Frawley.’ She wasn’t home so I put it in the garage in case it rained before she got back. That box was a mess! The cardboard was all beaten up and ripped, so I pulled it off. The next time I saw her I was going to tell her that I’d put her trunk in the garage and wow, you’re Cleo Paradise, the actress.”
“The trunk was delivered last Friday?” Regan asked.
“Definitely. I cut Mrs. Frawley’s lawn every Friday.”
“Cleo left for good Friday night but didn’t bring the trunk with her. Did you leave her a note saying it had been delivered and was in the garage?”
“Huh?” Judson looked embarrassed. “Oh, man, no, I didn’t. But she had to have known it was hers, right? I thought I was being nice getting rid of all that dirty packaging. Besides, the day before she had told me she probably was staying an extra week. I was sure I’d see her, and I was looking forward to it because I wanted to talk to her about the movie. Then I hear she’s gone!”
“She told you on Thursday that she planned to stay?”
“Yes.”
Regan frowned. “Do you know if Cleo parked her car in the garage?”
Sheepishly, Judson answered. “She didn’t. She joked that she was sure she’d scratch the car if she did and the car was a brand-new Lexus SUV.”
“So there’s a good chance Cleo didn’t even see the trunk before she left,” Regan suggested mildly.
“Why do you keep asking about the trunk? When you find her, can’t she come back and get it?”
“Mrs. Frawley is having a garage sale today. Everything that was in the trunk has already been sold.”
Judson laughed out loud. “That doesn’t surprise me. Mrs. Frawley is a piece of work.”
Regan smiled and raised her eyebrows. “Judson, the trunk is not what I’m concerned about. I need to locate Cleo. Is there anything she said to you that might give a clue where she might have gone? Anything she talked about that you remember?”
Judson sat back and squinted his eyes. “Let me think. Well, she wouldn’t go to the ocean again.”
“Why not?”
“She said she liked the pool better because she’d been knocked over by a wave the first week she got here. It had scared her a lot.”
“That can be really scary,” Regan said. “So she wouldn’t necessarily head for a beach area again. I’m just wondering where she’d go if she wanted to spend a few days by herself while she was waiting for her friend to join her. Someplace where she could relax.”
Judson shook his head. “I don’t know. I can’t think of anything she said that might help.”
“Thanks, Ju
dson,” Regan said, then gave him her number. “If you do think of something, would you give me a call?”
“Sure.” An hour later, Judson was pushing his lawn mower across a large stretch of property. He was going over in his mind the moments he spent with Cleo Paradise. The last time he saw her she’d been reading a book by the pool when he arrived. I asked Cleo if she liked the book and she said she loved it. It was about a pioneer family living in a log cabin. She said she envied their simple life, he remembered. Should I call Regan Reilly and tell her that? Or would I seem really stupid?
Judson noticed a small rock in his path. He stopped, went around the lawn mower, and tossed the rock aside. He could tell Old Man Appleton was staring out the window, watching his every move. If I make a call right now, he’ll start yelling.
Maybe when I finish this job I’ll call Regan Reilly.
But he still wasn’t sure.
54
Frankie went through the motions of his usual banter with the audience during cocktail hour but his heart wasn’t in it. All he could think about was how he had completely blown the opportunity to buy the house from his mother. Couldn’t she have at least called and given me one last shot when she got the offer? It would have been nice. But no, she goes right ahead and sells the family home without discussing it with me or Karen and is already selling everything out from under us. The worst part, Frankie thought, as his fingers glided effortlessly across the keyboard, will be telling Rhonda.
He hated to think that it was partially his fault. He never imagined he would want to go back to that house. But meeting Rhonda had changed everything. She was so right for him in every way. The fact that she lived at the Jersey Shore and had a restaurant where he could perform were added bonuses. Everything would have fallen perfectly into place if not for his mother. Now he would have to scramble to find a decent place for his new family to live.
When the cocktail hour was over, Frankie went back to his room and put a call through to Rhonda at the restaurant. One of her employees answered the phone.
“Is Rhonda there?” Frankie asked.
“Who’s calling?”
“Frankie.”
“Hold, please.”
As Frankie waited, his body tensed.
“Frankie!” Rhonda said happily. She’d gone into her office and shut the door. “I didn’t expect to hear from you until later.”
“Hey, Rhonda,” Frankie said, his tone glum. “There’s something I have to tell you and I didn’t want to wait. I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed, and believe me, I’ll understand if you never want to speak to me again.”
Rhonda’s heart sank. She’d already told all her friends and half of Asbury Park about her engagement. “Frankie, if you’ve changed your mind about us, just say so.”
“Changed my mind? No! Rhonda, it’s nothing like that,” Frankie exclaimed, his head starting to pound. “Oh my God, no.”
Tears of relief stung Rhonda’s eyes. Quickly she blinked them away. “Then what could possibly be wrong?” she asked.
“I called my mother. She sold the house a few days ago and is having a garage sale as we speak. I’ll have to find another place for us to live, which probably won’t be as big or have a swimming pool …”
“You think that would disappoint me so much that I wouldn’t speak to you again,” Rhonda asked incredulously, “never mind marry you?”
Frankie felt embarrassed. “Well, maybe …”
“Frankie, you want to know how I really feel about it?”
“Of course.”
“I’m thrilled!”
“You’re thrilled?”
“Yes! I already had one mother-in-law who didn’t think I could do anything right. If we moved into the house and I started making changes, it would be a problem whenever your mother visited. You said she’s opinionated, right?”
“That’s putting it kindly.” Frankie smiled broadly as he fell back onto his bed. “I love you, Rhonda.”
“I love you, too, Frankie. We’ll find a place here in Asbury Park and have fun fixing it up. This town is making a comeback. Artists and musicians who’ve moved here come into the restaurant all the time. We’ll get a place for less than the price of your mother’s house and it will only go up in value.”
“How did I get so lucky to meet you?” Frankie asked, rubbing his forehead.
“You’re blessed. We both are. You say your mother is having a garage sale right now? Should I go check it out?” Rhonda asked.
“No! I’m begging you. Stay away!”
“Frankie, I’m only kidding.”
“Good. I don’t want anything to ruin our plans. Like having you meet my mother when I’m not there. Rhonda, I really wish I could get off the ship tomorrow and catch a flight home,” he said softly. “I miss you so much.”
“I miss you, too. Two more weeks and you’ll be here. I can’t wait.”
“Two more weeks,” Frankie said. “Then we’ll look together for a new place where we’ll start our life fresh. I can’t believe what a dumb idea it was for me to want to bring you and the boys to live at my mother’s. It would always have seemed like her house. That wouldn’t have been right.” There was a knock at Frankie’s door. “Just a second,” he called. “Rhonda, I’d better get back to the lounge. I’ll call you later.”
Frankie hung up the phone and hurried to open the door. He was taken aback to find the cruise director standing in the hallway.
“Hello, Gregory,” Frankie said. “What’s up?”
“As you know, my nephew is making great sacrifices to take over your job so quickly.”
Give me a break, Frankie thought, but kept his expression neutral. “I certainly appreciate that.”
“He’ll be coming on board tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. That’s what works best for him. He’ll need to move into your room.”
“My room?”
“Yes, Frankie, I’m sure you understand. The travel office will arrange a flight for you back to the States. You’ll need to clear everything out before we dock in the morning.” Gregory looked at his watch. “Don’t be late getting back to the lounge.” He turned on his heel and walked briskly down the hall.
Frankie fumed as he shut the door. You just had to stick it to me, didn’t you? If I had asked if I could leave tomorrow you would have said no. Well, I’m thrilled, buddy! Just like Rhonda was a few minutes ago when I thought I was giving her bad news. He laughed. Should I call her back?
Yes, but I’ll have to wait ‘til later.
55
When Regan returned to Edna’s house, the ladies from Golden Peaks, Gladys, Tilda, Dot, and Margaret were in full gossip mode with Edna. They barely noticed as she sat down next to Nora in the gazebo. I’ll stay for just a few minutes, Regan thought.
“My daughter is arriving tonight,” Edna announced. “I’ll bring her over tomorrow to Golden Peaks and show her the unit I plan to buy. She’ll be happy when she sees it. It will put her mind to rest.”
“Will she be happy to meet Wilbur?” Dot asked, then covered her mouth as she giggled.
“She’d better be,” Edna answered. “Who wouldn’t be happy that Wilbur and I have found each other? Except, of course, that grouch Stix.”
The ladies laughed.
“He’s not happy at all,” Gladys agreed. “It’s ridiculous how jealous he is of the time Wilbur spends with you. Sunday night when he heard you were selling this house and planned to buy at Golden Peaks, he ran out of the pool room.”
“Wilbur is such a nice man,” Tilda said. “I don’t know why he bothers with Stix. And that nickname came from hanging around pool halls all his life. Is that something to be proud of? I should say not!”
Edna shook her head. “When I left Golden Peaks last Sunday I was so down. I knew I’d see Wilbur again, but I was afraid he might lose interest; you know—out of sight, out of mind, especially if Stix had anything to do with it. Then when I got the offer on the house
I couldn’t believe it! I was free to buy a place at Golden Peaks. Now, by hook or by crook, I’ll seal the deal with Wilbur!”
The ladies shrieked with laughter.
“Stix has Wilbur to himself today,” Edna said. “But not for too many tomorrows.”
“I was surprised Stix wasn’t playing in the pool tournament this morning,” Dot said, looking from one to the other. “Where did he and Wilbur go?”
“Atlantic City.”
“Atlantic City?” the three women said at once, their eyebrows raised. “Hmmm.”
Edna shrugged. “Stix wanted to go down for the day and play craps. Wilbur is such a good egg. He understands that Stix isn’t happy about my impending permanent arrival at Golden Peaks and he’s trying to show Stix he’ll always be his friend. What I don’t understand is why Stix isn’t interested in the companionship of a woman. Wasn’t he married all those years?”
“If you think he’s a grouch, I heard his wife was even worse!” Dot exclaimed. “She was a real shrew. No hankies were needed when she kicked the bucket.”
“Dot!” Tilda protested as they all chuckled.
“It’s true. At her funeral there wasn’t a wet eye in the house,” Dot proclaimed. “Stix’s wife ruined him for the ladies. But who’d want him? Not me.”
“I guess it’ll be a fight to the finish for Wilbur,” Edna said. “Something tells me I’m going to win.”
“You go, girl,” Gladys said. “All is fair in love and war.”
Jody had approached and was standing in the doorway. “Excuse me, Mrs. Frawley. A gentleman wants to buy the sideboard in the dining room. I told him it’s not for sale but he’s desperate to make an offer.”
“My daughter would kill me!” Edna exclaimed. “It’s been in the family for so many years.” She stood. “Let’s find out how much money he’s talking.”
“I’ll be inside waiting for you,” Jody said.
Nora looked at Regan as the whole group stood.
“Edna, we’ll get going while you negotiate,” Dot joked as the women filed out of the gazebo. “You’ve got a lot of deals going these days.”
Mobbed Page 14
