Purrder She Wrote

by Cate Conte

  “Maybe Gabe had something to do with it and Adele found out. And she’s trying to protect him? She would totally think Holly’s life wasn’t worth him losing the rest of his own over it. And then there’s Cole. I’m sorry, but something about the Cole piece of this isn’t sitting well with me. He could’ve been involved with either of them. They all had something to lose.”

  Grandpa frowned at me. “Why didn’t you tell me about Cole earlier? This was Tuesday night, you said?”

  I nodded. “I’m sorry. I had a lot on my mind. And I didn’t want Val to know, and I figured if I told you I’d have to end up telling her.”

  “That’s a bad reason, Maddie.”

  “I know. Apparently I can’t make any good choices lately,” I muttered. “But Grandpa, this doesn’t add up. And then there’s Gigi. And … her mother.” I had to tell him all of it. Every crazy idea that had been floating through my head. If anyone could help make sense of it, it was Grandpa. And with four or five other viable suspects to Holly’s murder, I couldn’t just sit back and accept that Adele had killed her.

  Even if something had caused her to confess.

  “Gigi and her mother? What about them?”

  I told him my theory about Gigi’s altercation with the Hawthornes, after what I’d heard from those women, and my dad. “Either she or her mother could’ve been hell-bent on revenge. If the Hawthornes were messing with their business?”

  “But you said Heather’s name was mentioned as the one who did the firing?”

  I hesitated. “Yes. That’s what I heard.”

  “Then why kill Holly?”

  “Aren’t they interchangeable?” I threw up my hands. “I don’t know, Grandpa. But with Adele adding fuel to the fire, especially if Gigi told her what happened, who knows. Gigi could’ve gone right off the rails. And maybe Adele feels bad because she kind of took her under her wing. And didn’t Adele say she gave some of the mice to Gigi and Katrina before she brought them over for the opening?”

  Grandpa listened intently to my theories. I loved that about him. Even if he thought they were ridiculous, he still listened. “So if you had to put money on someone today,” he said slowly. “Who would it be?”

  I took my time answering the question. As much as I wanted to say Cole, that wasn’t the first answer that came to my mind. Heather, Cole, Gabe—they all seemed like reasonable choices given what I knew. But my gut was screaming at me that this had something to do with the Goodwins’ catering business.

  But what, I hadn’t figured out yet. “We need more time,” I said. “They can’t just close the case, can they?”

  Grandpa sighed. “Doll. You know as well as I do that once they have someone in custody, it’s over. Now, I don’t disagree that this new development with Adele seems very out of the blue. But I don’t think it matters, unfortunately. The only thing they wanted was to hear someone say the magic words. And now she’s said them. As far as they’re concerned, it’s over.”

  Chapter 47

  The news broke a few hours later. The Daybreak Harbor Police Department announced that they’d officially made an arrest in the Holly Hawthorne murder case. Adele Barrows was in custody. Case closed. That’s all, folks.

  My mom always had a sixth sense about her family, and when things weren’t going well. Whatever she knew about what was going on, in true mom fashion, she organized an impromptu family dinner and insisted we all go—me, Val, Grandpa, and Ethan. She wanted to make sure we were all okay, she said. While I didn’t doubt that, I trusted in her ability to wrangle a few details about the Holly Hawthorne case. Also, I suspected Dad wanted to interrogate me about gala progress. I did have good news to report, but I also knew he was worried about the whole Felicia thing. Plus, Val was still mad at me about the whole stupid gala thing. Which I couldn’t quite wrap my head around.

  But when she wasn’t downstairs half an hour before we were supposed to be there, I was elected by Grandpa to go up and get her. Grudgingly I trudged up to the third floor.

  “Ready?” I asked from the doorway. “We have to leave.”

  “I don’t want to go,” Val declared from the bed, where she sat cross-legged flipping through a magazine. She wore a Fleetwood Mac T-shirt that had seen better days and a pair of jean shorts with holes in them.

  “You have to.”

  “No I don’t.”

  I felt around in my pocket to see if I’d grabbed my phone, then turned to my sister with a sigh. “Val. Mom won’t let you off the hook. You know this. Why waste the time and energy arguing with me about it?”

  Val tossed the magazine aside. “Cole’s been calling me.”

  I sank down next to her, my heart sinking with me. “And?”

  She shrugged. “He wants me to come home.”

  “So you’re going.”

  “I didn’t say that,” Val said slowly. “I’m not sure yet.”

  I looked at her. “You’re not?”

  She shook her head slowly. “No. Because I still can’t get a good answer out of him about what he was doing at that house that night.” Val picked at her cuticle. “And I think he owes me an answer to that, don’t you?”

  I nodded slowly. “I would want one.”

  “Yeah. Well, he doesn’t think he needs to provide one. So we’re kind of at a stalemate.”

  “So you’re not going back yet, then?”

  She shook her head. “Not today, anyway.”

  “Oh. Well. That’s good,” I said.

  She gave me a funny look. “Good?”

  “You know what I mean,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t push the issue. “Anyway. We need to go. Mom’s expecting us. Grandpa and Ethan are waiting.” I got up and headed to the door.

  “Ethan’s coming?” Val asked, sitting up.

  I turned around and looked at her. She sounded perkier at this bit of news. “Yeah. Is that okay?”

  “Of course. I mean, if he wants to. But I guess I should go change. What time are we supposed to be there?” She was already up and heading for her closet before I could answer.

  Fifteen minutes later we all piled into Grandma’s car. Grandpa insisted on driving. I sat up front with him, JJ on my lap. Ethan and Val were in the back. “This will be fun,” Grandpa said brightly, glancing at Val in the rearview mirror. “Right, Valerie?”

  “Sure,” she said.

  I glanced behind me in time to catch Ethan watching my sister.

  When we got to Mom and Dad’s, it was already a full house. Dad was home early from work and already changed, attempting to help Mom in the kitchen. Which meant she was spending more time trying to get him out of the kitchen than getting dinner ready. Grandpa immediately went to intervene. My youngest sister, Sam, was in the living room. She had some guy with her who I’d never seen before. He wore some kind of flowy pants and had bare feet and a shaved head. He may or may not have been stoned. Val took one look at him and, in typical Val fashion, rolled her eyes in disapproval. Even with everything going on she was still kind of a snob.

  I elbowed her. “Be nice. You know Sam always finds her fellow free spirits.” I led Ethan into the living room and plopped on the couch, setting JJ on the floor next to me. “Hey Sam.” I smiled at her friend and offered my hand. “Maddie. This is Ethan.”

  He nodded at us and shook our hands. “Jeremiah.”

  “We met at a sound healing retreat,” Sam said. “Jeremiah does amazing things with singing bowls.” She gazed at him adoringly.

  “Maddie! Ethan! Good to see you.” My dad came in, beaming at us. “Shall we sit? It’s about time for dinner. So Maddie, how’s the gala planning going?”

  “Fine, Dad. Charlotte’s got her marching orders for the auction and Mom’s helping her. They’re moving along nicely. She sent me an e-mail today.”

  “Dinner,” Mom announced as she and Val brought the food in and set it in the middle of the table. It wasn’t lost on me that Val took the seat next to Ethan. That was when I noticed there was an extra place setting at the
table.

  “Who else is coming?” I had a moment’s panic that they’d invited Craig or something in a pathetic attempt to get us together. Or Lucas. Would they have invited Lucas, not knowing that I’d managed to tank things?

  But my parents exchanged glances. Nervous ones. “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “We may have some company for dinner. But it’s not definite yet,” my mother hastened to add, looking to my dad for help.

  “What company?” I pressed. “What’s the big secret?”

  Val passed the plate of tofu around. My mother was still on a vegan kick. My father had grudgingly accepted it. Jeremiah spooned a heaping portion onto his plate, his expression radiant.

  “Well.” My father clasped his hands together. “Mira Tanner called today.”

  The plate of potatoes Val held crashed onto the table. Tiny roasted potatoes rolled around madly. Ethan jumped up and began spooning them back into their plate.

  “Please don’t tell me…” Her voice cracked and she swallowed, trying desperately to compose herself. “Mom. Dad. You didn’t invite her over.”

  “We actually didn’t,” my mother said. “She asked for you and I told her you weren’t here. She said she knew you weren’t staying at your house. I didn’t tell her where you were staying, but told her you’d be here tonight. She said she’d like to stop by.”

  “Mom.” I shook my head. “Why?”

  “I figured it was better if she came when we were all here. Better than if she cornered Val somewhere alone,” my mother said. “I’m willing to be polite. You are still married,” she pointed out to Val. “But honey. Of course you know if she steps out of line in any way she’ll be escorted out of the house.”

  “And unfortunately, she’s on the hospital board,” Dad added. “So I’m obligated to be somewhat polite in that capacity as well.”

  Val’s face had gone so white I was afraid she’d pass out. Without a word, she fled out of the room. I heard a door slam upstairs.

  The rest of the table had gone completely still. Grandpa’s face had slid into cop mode, which I’ve realized is a defense mechanism for him when he’s uncomfortable. Sam’s gaze bored into her plate. Only Jeremiah seemed unfazed. He speared a rogue potato and popped it into his mouth.

  “Delicious,” he said, smiling at my mother.

  And then the doorbell rang.

  Chapter 48

  I was torn between wanting to stay and see what would happen and wanting to go upstairs and check on Val. My mother hurried to the door. I barely registered Ethan slipping out of his chair at the same time, I was so distracted. I looked at my father. “Bad idea, Dad,” I said.

  He nodded. “I’m afraid she was very persistent.”

  “Mom doesn’t usually let people push her around like that,” I said. “How’d this lady manage it?”

  Before he could answer, my mother returned with Cole’s mother in tow. What a big wuss that guy was. Seriously. Sending his mommy to fight his battles? He made me sick.

  His mother reminded me of Emily Gilmore of Gilmore Girls, one of my favorite shows of all time. The difference was I loved to hate Emily on the show because the actress was so great. Mira Tanner actually thought this was an appropriate way to act in real life.

  Her eyes scanned the room when she entered, landing on my mother. “I thought you said she’d be here,” she said, without bothering to say hello to any of us.

  My father rose. “Mira. We’ve set a place for you. We’ve just begun dinner. Please, sit.”

  She looked like she’d rather jump in the ocean fully clothed, but she did. She sat in Ethan’s chair, which is how I noticed he hadn’t returned in all the commotion.

  “We’re having marinated tofu with stir-fry veggies,” my mother said brightly. “And roasted potatoes. What can I get you to drink?”

  I had to nearly chew my tongue off to keep my mouth shut. Why was my mother pandering to this insane woman? Deep down I knew they were trying not to cause more problems for Val than she already had, but it still seemed crazy. Sophie James didn’t let herself be cowed by anyone, never mind someone like Mira Tanner. And there was the small matter of her being on my dad’s board, which definitely complicated things. But I let it play out, fascinated to see what would happen next.

  “I really don’t need anything,” Mira said, clearly horrified at the thought of eating tofu. “I’d just like to speak to my daughter-in-law for a few moments. My son is distraught, and this unpleasantness needs to stop.”

  This, I was thankful to see, gave my mother pause. Her smile dropped, her eyes narrowed, and she leaned forward in her chair. “Your son is distraught?” she repeated. Her tone was still pleasant, but I knew what was coming. Sam did too. I could see her holding her breath.

  Mira looked at my mother like she might at someone who had clearly escaped from an asylum. “Well, of course he is. His wife has vanished and shown him no support whatsoever. Not to mention, she’s been out with other men during his time of need. It’s quite distasteful.” She glanced at my father now. “I would’ve thought, at least with your standing, Brian, that she would’ve been counseled to behave a bit better.”

  The implication being that my father had a respectable job and position in the community, and made enough money that he deserved some respect. Whereas it was clearly a slight to my mother, with her gypsy skirts and scarf tied around her unruly curls, who made no secret around the island that she still loved to live a bit of a bohemian lifestyle, doing what she wanted, designing scarves and clothing for her Etsy site one day and writing a mystery novel the next. If Val hadn’t married her son, Mira Tanner wouldn’t have given my mother a second look if she’d been on the ground in the middle of the street during rush hour.

  “Now, you wait a minute,” Grandpa Leo said indignantly, at the same time my father said, “Mira, that was uncalled for.”

  But my mother had clearly exhausted her efforts to remain pleasant and open-minded. All pretenses of happy hostess had fled. She rose slowly from her chair so she stood over Mira Tanner. Even Jeremiah, intent on the tofu and potatoes up to this point, could sense the atmospheric change in the room and watched with wide eyes.

  “You really do have some nerve,” my mother said quietly. “You’re in my house, speaking about my daughter. Who had the unfortunate urge to marry your son, who lied to her, was out at another woman’s house, and was in or near the vicinity when this woman was murdered. And you’re telling me he’s distraught? My daughter should’ve filed for divorce that night, if you want my opinion on the matter. And I don’t recall Cole being keen on explaining himself. So you can spin this all you want, Mira, but the reality is, your son is not worthy of my daughter, and if anything good has come out of this mess, it’s that now she’s maybe realized that. Now. If you don’t want anything to eat, you should go. I don’t think Valerie is in the mood to discuss this with you.”

  Mira’s perfect red lips thinned until they about disappeared. Clearly she wasn’t used to being spoken to that way. I could barely hide my smile. My mom hadn’t let us down after all.

  Mira rose slowly from her chair and straightened her dress.

  “I’m very sorry you feel that way,” she said, her tone haughty. “Clearly your family has never appreciated the partnership with our family. Surprising, especially since Erik had to … assist with Leo’s troubles so recently.” She glanced at Grandpa, a triumphant look on her face.

  That was too much for me. I jumped up. “Hey. You leave my grandpa out of this. Your son is more in need of his daddy’s services than Grandpa ever was.”

  The entire room was silent. Even Mira. I was silent too. I’d surprised myself with that last bit, but I had to admit it felt pretty darn good to tell her off.

  She, however, didn’t appear to feel good about it. But for once had nothing to say. If this was a sci-fi flick, I would’ve been vaporized by the lasers of death coming out of her eyes.

  “I’ll see myself out,” she said coldly. And she
strode out of the dining room before anyone else could even react. We heard the front door slam a minute later.

  We all looked at each other. Then my mother reached across the table and high-fived me. “You saved me from having to punch her out,” she said.

  “And me from having to arrest her,” Grandpa grumbled.

  “You’re not a cop anymore,” Sam pointed out.

  He turned his level gaze on her. “So? I still have handcuffs.”

  “I appreciate the celebration,” my father said dryly, “but unfortunately I need the Tanners—and the Hawthornes—to not boycott my hospital gala. Or have me fired. In case you’d forgotten, Sophie.”

  My mother made a face. “They won’t boycott it. It would look bad.” She enunciated the last words with air quotes. “And they wouldn’t fire you. Everyone loves you. And the rest of the board would laugh them out of the room. Besides, what would you have me do? Let her insult our daughter and my father?” My mother’s voice had turned dangerously cold. “This gala is really important to you, I guess.”

  “Sophie. Of course I wouldn’t let her insult our family. But we could have perhaps handled that differently.”

  “Differently?” my mother said, almost hissing the word.

  I hadn’t witnessed a lot of fights between my parents over the years. Not because they hid it from us, but because they very rarely fought. But when they did, it wasn’t pretty. It seemed this might be one of those times.

  And I didn’t really want to see it. Plus, I had a feeling I might be dragged into this, since I’d delivered the parting shot.

  “I’m going to check on Val,” I said, and fled upstairs. No one noticed I was leaving, except Sam, who shot me a helpless look. I ignored her.

  Upstairs, I went to Val’s old room. The door was closed so I figured she was in there. Without bothering to knock, I opened the door and poked my head in.

  And had to blink to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. But no, the vision was still the same when I opened them again.

  Val and Ethan. Kissing.