Grave Homecoming (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 1)

by Hart, Lily Harper

  “I’m not ashamed.”

  “You are,” Christy said. She pointed back at the mirror. “What do you think when you see your own eyes?”

  Maddie shrugged. “I don’t know. They remind me of my mother.”

  Christy’s face softened. “Does that make you sad?”

  “Should it?”

  “Well, your mom died,” Christy said. “It would make me sad.”

  “She’s still around,” Maddie admitted.

  “Really?” Christy’s face lit up. “That’s great. Oh, wow, I never even considered that. How often do you get to see her?”

  “She’s still trying to get control of her new … reality,” Maddie said. “Once she gets stronger, she’ll be able to pop in whenever she wants.”

  “Oh, it’s like the best of both worlds.”

  “I’d still rather have her here. I miss being able to touch her. I’d give anything to be able to hug her again.”

  “Of course you would, sweetie,” Christy said, instantly contrite. “That was a stupid thing to say.”

  Maddie shifted in the chair. “Nick knows.”

  Christy’s face reflected surprise. “How did that happen?”

  Maddie regurgitated the past few days for Christy’s rampant consumption.

  “That is … amazing,” Christy said when she was done. “I knew he would be fine with it.”

  “I feel stupid,” Maddie said. “I ruined both of our lives because I was so scared. If I’d just believed in him … .”

  “You can’t go back in time, Maddie,” Christy said. “Wait, you can’t, right?”

  Maddie scowled. “No.”

  “Then you have to let it go,” Christy said. “You have to put the past … away. It sounds like Nick is trying to do just that. You have to look to the future now.”

  “What future?”

  “You and Nick are going to get together,” Christy said. “It’s only a matter of time. You’re obviously not going to make the first move, so it just comes down to him. When do you think he’s going to rip your clothes off?”

  “He has a girlfriend, Christy,” Maddie argued.

  “Barely.”

  “He still has a girlfriend. I’m not the type of woman who thinks it’s okay to go after another woman’s man.”

  Christy snorted. “He’s your man. He’s always been your man. Cassidy is just renting him, and I think her lease is about to expire.”

  Maddie bit her bottom lip. “He hasn’t mentioned anything about breaking up.”

  “That’s because he’s a good guy, and he doesn’t want to hurt her,” Christy said. “He already would’ve broken up with her if you weren’t in the picture.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because he’s in a spot with Cassidy,” Christy explained. “I’m sure she’s been pressing him where you’re concerned, and I’m also sure he’s denied being in love with you because it hurt too much to admit the truth.

  “You two have made up now,” she continued. “You’re on the fast track. If he dumps her now, though, Cassidy is going to attack him. She’s going to be crushed, and she’s going to lash out. Frankly, I’m on your side, but she has a right to lash out. She’s going to be dumped like yesterday’s garbage – and soon. Nick is trying to let her down easy, and by doing that, he’s actually hurting her in the long run. He just needs to crush her and get it over with.”

  “I don’t want him to crush her,” Maddie said. “She’s a very nice woman.”

  “She is,” Christy agreed. “She’s not his soul mate, though.”

  “Do you believe in soul mates?”

  “I didn’t until I saw you and Nick together in high school,” Christy replied. “You two gave me hope.”

  “I’d like to believe that,” Maddie admitted.

  “Because you love him,” Christy supplied. “It’s okay. Admitting it is the first step on the road to recovery.”

  Maddie tilted her head, her mind busy. “I do love him.”

  “I know you do. Everyone in this town knows you do. Nick knows you do. Everyone in this town also knows that Nick loves you. The only one who seems to doubt that is you.”

  “He loves me as a friend.”

  “He loves you because you’re his whole heart,” Christy corrected.

  Maddie wanted to believe that. She just couldn’t. “He’s got a girlfriend.”

  Christy sighed. “Okay, you’re not ready for this,” she said. “You need to take teeny little steps right now. I get that. Tell me what else is going on.”

  “Sarah Alden popped into my pantry this morning.”

  Christy was intrigued. “What did she want?”

  “She wanted to talk.”

  “What did she say?”

  “We couldn’t talk,” Maddie said. “We weren’t alone.”

  “Maude knows what you are, and now Nick knows what you are, so why couldn’t you talk?”

  “Granny had an … overnight guest.”

  Christy waited.

  “It was Henry Dunham.”

  “Omigod.” Christy was laughing so hard tears started forming in her eyes. “I had no idea they were dating.”

  “I’m not sure they’re dating,” Maddie said. “I think they’re just … .”

  “Doing it?”

  “I’m appalled.”

  “Why?” Christy was curious. “Maude is an adult. It’s not like she’s going to get pregnant and you’re going to get stuck with a wailing infant. Why do you care?”

  “I just don’t want to picture my grandmother doing … that.”

  “No one does,” Christy said. “It’s still funny.”

  “He was wearing a robe and I could see his … chest.”

  “Gross,” Christy said, laughing. “Was it freaky?”

  “He didn’t seem to care,” Maddie said. “He kept telling Nick and me that we were doing it wrong.”

  “You are,” Christy said. “That’s beside the point, though. You know he wears hearing aids, right? He probably didn’t know you were even talking to someone in the pantry.”

  “Sarah was … odd,” Maddie said.

  “She’s dead, what do you expect?”

  “She was fine at first,” Maddie said. “She said Granny was cute, and she thought Nick was hot.”

  “He’s smoking.”

  “When she saw Henry, though, it was as if she was looking at a ghost.”

  “The ghost looked like she was seeing a ghost? That had to be freaky.”

  “I asked her what was wrong, but she just kind of … blinked out.”

  “Do you think she was afraid of Henry?” Christy asked, confused. “He’s harmless. The man runs a greenhouse, for crying out loud. He spends his days ordering his daughter around and pruning trees. It’s not like he’s a threat.”

  “Well, Sarah isn’t from Blackstone Bay,” Maddie said. “The fact that she seemed to recognize Henry worries me.”

  “Do you think your grandmother is sleeping with a murderer?”

  Maddie shrugged. “I have no idea,” she said. “I have trouble believing Henry is strong enough to kill a healthy young woman.”

  “I agree with that,” Christy said. “Most ten-year-olds could take Henry without working up a sweat. He’s a nice guy, but he’s not exactly threatening.”

  “Maybe she recognizes him from somewhere else.”

  “Or maybe she recognizes him because of someone who works at the greenhouse,” Christy suggested.

  “I hadn’t considered that,” Maddie said, running her finger over her bottom lip. “Maybe Sarah was out at the greenhouse before she died. Maybe she saw Henry there. That doesn’t mean he did anything to her.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Do you know who works at the greenhouse these days?”

  “I know Carrie is in charge,” Christy said, referring to Henry’s niece. “You said it’s definitely a man who killed Sarah, though, right?”

  “That’s what she said.”

  “They ha
ve seasonal help,” Christy said thoughtfully. “It changes from month to month.”

  “Do you think we can find out who is working out there?”

  Christy pursed her lips. “There’s only one way I know.”

  Maddie was interested. “What?” Christy’s smile was mischievous, and Maddie immediately regretted asking the question. “Oh, no, what are we going to do?”

  “It will be fun,” Christy said. “I promise.”

  Maddie had her doubts, but she didn’t have a lot of options. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  Twenty-Three

  “We look like idiots.”

  “Your hair is poking out of your hat,” Christy said, slumping her shoulders as she peered over the steering wheel of her car. “Your hair is too light. You have to tuck all of it under your hat. They’ll see us if you don’t.”

  “How did you manage to find two black-knit hats in your salon?” Maddie asked, shoving her hair under the fabric. “That’s just weird.”

  The women were parked outside Blackstone Greenhouse, and they were studying the parking lot with interest and anticipation. They were supposed to be incognito – but it wasn’t going well.

  Maddie had insisted on Christy driving – again – but only because she was terrified they would get caught. She didn’t want anyone to report her vehicle at the scene. She knew Nick was on duty, and she’d never be able to live down the shame of her car being sighted at the greenhouse.

  “We have brutal winters here,” Christy said, not ruffled in the least. “You need a hat to make sure you don’t get pneumonia.”

  “There are cuter hats.”

  “Oh, get over it,” Christy said. “I’m not a bank robber. Why do you care?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “It’s because you’re too worried about what other people think,” Christy said. “It’s annoying.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “See, you’re sitting over there worried I’m thinking bad thoughts about you because you made fun of the hats,” Christy said. “I’m not, by the way. Just suck it up.”

  “You’re kind of mean,” Maddie said. “I don’t remember you being mean.”

  “I’m not mean,” Christy countered. “I’m just honest.”

  “Brutally honest.”

  “That’s not a bad thing.”

  “I didn’t say it was.”

  “You’re so cute sometimes I want to pinch your cheek.” Christy did just that. “You’re like a little doll. You’re never mean to anyone.”

  “How is that a bad thing?” Maddie protested.

  “It’s not,” Christy said. “You need to learn to stand up for yourself, though.”

  “I stand up for myself.”

  “No, you don’t,” Christy argued. “You let people walk all over you.”

  “I do not.”

  “Oh, please,” Christy scoffed. “Do you know what your problem is?”

  “I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.”

  “Your biggest problem is that Nick has always fought your battles,” Christy said. “He’s so protective of you he did you a disservice.”

  “Nick is a wonderful man.”

  “Of course he is,” Christy said. “That doesn’t mean fighting all of your battles was a good idea. It emotionally crippled you.”

  Maddie shifted her head so she was facing the passenger window. “I’m not emotionally crippled.”

  “Maddie, Nick insisted on making sure you were safe,” Christy said. “That’s not a bad thing. That’s why every girl in high school was desperate to climb into his pants. You’re just so … scared of fighting with people.”

  “I fight with people.”

  “No, you don’t,” Christy said. She pointed out the front window. “There’s Joel Tarrington.”

  “What do you know about him?”

  “He’s married and … boring,” Christy said. “He’s got five kids under the age of ten. He’s always with them. I doubt he has the time to stalk and kill women.”

  “I don’t remember him.”

  “He moved to town about five years ago,” Christy said. “He’s married to Katie Hubbard.”

  “She was a few years ahead of us, right?”

  Christy nodded. “Joel is pretty henpecked. On one hand, I think that could mean he’s a volcano ready to erupt. On another, he seems pretty happy being henpecked.”

  Maddie studied the man’s slim frame. “He doesn’t look very threatening.”

  “He’s not. The three teenagers we’ve seen haven’t looked very threatening either, though.”

  “Maybe this was a waste of time.”

  “It’s only a waste of time if someone else dies because we weren’t doing our job,” Christy said, her eyes flashing. “Focus on the prize, Maddie. We need to make sure no one else is murdered. If we’re ruling out suspects, we’re doing our job.”

  “You’re very task oriented.”

  “You have to be when you run your own business,” Christy said. “You’ll find that out once Magicks is open again.”

  “It’s open.”

  “Barely,” Christy said. “You’ve been more interested in Nick than business.”

  “I have not.”

  “That’s not a bad thing,” Christy said hurriedly. “You need to settle things with Nick. You’re stuck until you do.”

  “They’re settled.”

  “Oh, girl, things are so far from settled with Nick you should be looking to build your own little house on the prairie. It’s okay. Things are going to work out.”

  “I don’t want to keep having this argument,” Maddie said. “Nick and I are friends.”

  “Of course you are.”

  “He has a girlfriend.”

  “For now.”

  “He’s not interested in me romantically,” Maddie pressed.

  “He wants you so bad he’s going to give himself a heart attack if he doesn’t make a move soon,” Christy said. “Huh, there’s Michael Corbett. I didn’t know he was working out here.”

  Maddie shifted her gaze. “He was a year behind us, right?”

  “Right.”

  “What do you know about him?”

  “Not a lot,” Christy admitted. “He left town after graduation and joined the Army. I don’t think he’s dating anyone. The rumor is that he’s gay, but I don’t know if that’s true. People keep saying it because he doesn’t date, but I think he’s just trying to find himself.”

  “He’s attractive,” Maddie said after studying him for a moment.

  “He’s very attractive.”

  Maddie snickered. “Are you attracted to him?”

  Christy faltered. “I … he’s just a nice guy.”

  “Oh, you totally have a crush on him,” Maddie teased. “Why don’t you ask him out?”

  “Why don’t you ask Nick out?”

  Maddie scowled. “Why do you keep doing that?”

  “Because I’m not going to rest until you and Nick admit your feelings,” Christy said. “You’re my project now.”

  “I am not a project.”

  “No, you’re work.”

  “I … what the … ? Crap.” The sight of police lights flaring to life behind Christy’s car filled Maddie with dread.

  “Someone must have called them and said we were spying,” Christy said, shifting her attention over her shoulder. “Is Nick on duty tonight?”

  Maddie nodded.

  “Well, this will be fun.”

  NICK climbed out of his police cruiser and frowned. He recognized Christy’s car, and he also recognized the blonde sitting in the passenger seat. What are they doing?”

  Nick strode up to the driver’s side of the car and knocked on the window.

  Christy rolled it down and fixed him with an innocent look. “Can I help you, officer?”

  “I got a call,” Nick said, fighting the urge to smile. “Someone said there were two grown women out here ogling the teenage boys.”

  “Oh, that’s such
crap,” Christy said. “We weren’t ogling the teenage boys. They wish we were ogling them.”

  “They wish?”

  “Cougars are very popular now.”

  Nick smirked. “What are you two doing out here?”

  “I’m thinking of doing some gardening,” Maddie interjected lamely.

  “Try again.”

  “I … .” Maddie was lost.

  “We’re spying on the workers,” Christy supplied. “Maddie is convinced Sarah Alden’s ghost reacted to Henry because she recognized him. We both agree he’s too weak to take on a healthy woman in her prime, but boffing Maude on a nightly basis is totally in his wheelhouse, so we’re trying to decide if one of his workers is a killer.”

  Nick nodded, fighting the mad urge to laugh. “I see. Did you find anyone worth suspecting?”

  “No,” Christy said.

  Nick leaned down so he could focus on Maddie. “Are you freaking out?”

  “No.”

  “We’re working on her self-esteem,” Christy said. “I made her look at herself in the mirror at the salon for fifteen minutes earlier. I’m starting to get frustrated with her.”

  Nick considered the statement. “What do you mean?”

  “Listen, no offense to you, but you’ve fought all of her battles up until this point,” Christy said. “She’s scared. She also thinks she’s unattractive, which freaks me out because she could be a model. It’s great you want to fight for her, but she needs to be able tell people to ‘eff’ off.”

  Nick agreed with part of the statement. “She’s sweet.”

  “She is,” Christy said. “She’s also an easy target. Marla is going to keep torturing her until Maddie decides she’s ready to fight back.”

  “I can handle Marla,” Nick said.

  “That’s part of the problem,” Christy countered. “Maddie needs to learn how to fight.” She looked Nick up and down, contemplating. “She needs to learn how to stake her claim.”

  Nick faltered. “Her claim on what?”

  “What she wants.”

  Nick wanted to pretend he didn’t know what Christy was referring to, but it was impossible. “What does she want to claim?”

  Christy smirked. “Happily ever after.” She pointed to the greenhouse. “Do any of those guys strike you as sociopaths?”