by CeeCee James
It was a different color, but it was the same flowers that had been at the funeral and the same ones at the nail salon. She pulled a blossom off and tucked it in the band of her shorts. It’d be smashed, but maybe she could still identify it when she got home.
She ran a finger under the Fitbit to loosen it and checked the time. Eight thirty. Just enough time to jog over to the salon and cool down on their entryway.
* * *
At promptly nine o’clock, Ada walked over to the salon’s window and flipped the sign to OPEN. Dressed in her usual pink smock, she had a big smile as she opened the door. “Come in! You have an appointment?”
Elise still felt flushed from her run. “No, not today. I have a funny question, and I was in the neighborhood so I thought I’d just stop by and ask.” Her eyes burned at the strong smell of acetone that still lingered in the air.
Ada waved her in. “You like some water?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Ada hurried to the back and returned with a bottled water. Her white Keds squeaked on the floor. “Oh, so funny!” She grinned. “I just mopped.”
Elise smiled back and cracked off the lid. She took a few hurried swigs as she looked around for the flowers.
They were gone.
Disappointment hit her hard as she screwed the lid back on.
Ada waited patiently, still smiling, obviously wanting to hear what she had to say. Pointing in the direction of the counter, Elise said, “I had a question about the flowers that were there the other day. Do you remember?”
“Oh! Yes! Over there?” Ada indicated the back wall where the flowers now stood.
“Yes!” Elise felt a rush of excitement. “Where did you get those? They’re lovely!”
“Kata’s husband sent them.” Ada’s voiced lowered several degrees. “He lost too much money at poker that night.” She covered her mouth like a little girl and laughed.
“That’s funny,” Elise agreed. “What florist did they come from?”
Ada shook her head, confused. Trying again, Elise asked, “Do you mind?” At Ada’s blank look, Elise delved in between the blooms to look for a card. Finding it, she pulled it out pinched between her index and middle finger.
A gold flower stamp decorated the top corner. Underneath in embossed cursive were the words, “Tamara’s Fabulous Flowers.” Elise pushed the card back among the baby’s breath and wiped her hand on the side of her pants.
Tamara’s flower shop? She’d never heard of it. She had to keep reminding herself a lot had changed since she left. Obviously, she didn’t know the town as well as she used to.
Interesting.
Ada smiled at Elise with her eyebrows raised. “You find it?”
Elise nodded. “I sure did. Thank you so much. That made my day.”
“You going to make a new appointment. For—” She flicked her gaze towards Elise’s bare nails.
Elise looked down and resisted the urge to hide them. “I need to do that. Soon!” She headed toward the door. “I’ll see you later, Ada!”
CHAPTER 17
It turned out, Tamara’s Fabulous Flowers was only four blocks away from the nail salon. Elise jogged there and was surprised at how much better her stamina was already, compared to just a few weeks ago. She couldn’t help grinning in satisfaction as she pushed open the door.
A cute bell jingled overhead. Inside, the scents of fresh greens and heavy rose stirred around her, propelled by several floor fans.
The counter was empty. Elise stood for a few seconds before ringing the tiny bell next to the cash register. While she waited, she inspected the shop.
Brightly colored cards and balloons waiting to be filled with helium lined one wall. A hanging Ficus climbed from its planter and up around a window, before finally draping over a white garden statue. A stone fountain ran, its water bubbling cheerfully.
Elise walked over to look at it. At the bottom of the basin swam two blood-red koi fish.
“Can I help you?”
Elise turned towards the voice. A woman appearing to be in her mid-forties had emerged from the back room. Her hair was awash with dark curls, ostentatiously pinned back in an attempt to control them. But several curls sprang free from the hair clip like a grasshopper’s antennas.
“Hi, there. I was just admiring what a beautiful shop you have. I’m assuming you are Tamara?”
The woman smiled. “Yep, that’s me. And thank you! I’ve been here a year, and I love it. So, how can I help you?”
“I had a question about a flower arrangement I recently saw, that reminded me an awful lot of some flowers that were at a funeral.”
Tamara’s face grew sober. “Are you talking about Cameron’s?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“It’s the only funeral I’ve done in quite some time. And that was an original request.”
Elise nodded. “Yes. It was something like thirty vases. Filled with the same flowers.”
“Twenty-nine vases. And filled with Delphinium.”
“They were quite impressive. How on earth did you find so many of the exact same flower?”
“Usually, I have to order my flowers, but those grow like weeds around here this time of year. The valley is just filled with them. I’ve been running a special on bouquets made with them because they’re so abundant.”
“Oh.” Elise felt a pang of disappointment. “So they were chosen because of the sale?”
“No. Oddly enough, those were specially ordered. Between you and me, I was surprised myself because they hardly seem like they are notable enough to honor the death of someone. But I made them look amazing with the faux silver basins.”
“They really were breath-taking. Honestly, a real show stopper.”
“Thank you. I’m so glad.” Tamara smiled. “I wasn’t there so that’s nice to know.”
“Would it be too much to ask who ordered them?”
Tamara bit her lip, seeming to consider the request. After a moment, she shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I wasn’t told to keep it private.” She lifted her tablet from beneath the counter and scrolled. Finding what she was looking for, she announced. “A Mr. E. Davis.”
Elise blinked her eyes at the news. “Mr. Davis? With a local address?”
“He didn’t give me his address, but I assumed he was local.”
“Did you see him?”
“No. The order came in over the phone.” She reached under the counter for some tissue paper and cutting shears. “That’s how they usually come, unless it’s a husband stopping by looking for an ‘I’m sorry’ bouquet.” She laughed. “I sell a lot of those on Saturdays.”
A smile winked across Elise’s face in response, but her mind was spinning in another direction.
Why the heck was Mr. Davis sending flowers to the funeral of a man he was suing? And despised?
Elise made her goodbyes and headed back out to the street, just remembering she needed cat food. “At least I’m getting my steps in.” She readjusted her ponytail and jogged for the store.
* * *
“Sylvia Nichols, what are you doing here?”
Elise looked up to see a middle-aged woman speaking to a heavily pregnant young woman.
The pregnant girl winced as she reached for the last package of diapers off the top shelf.
“What? Sylvia, are you just going to ignore me? Quit being ugly.” The older woman’s face flushed at the lack of response.
The diapers slipped back from Sylvia’s reach.
“Well, that’s a fine how-to-do. You better be more polite, Missy. As far as I can tell you are all on your lonesome. And it seems to me you are going to be needing all the friends you can get right about now.”
Puffing, Sylvia stood on her tiptoes and heaved forward. Her big belly pushed in the bigger diapers on the row below and knocked two packages to the floor.
The older woman huffed in disgust and spun her cart around. Teetering on her high heels, she hurried out of the aisle.
&
nbsp; “Can I help you? Here let me get that.” Elise walked over quickly. Sylvia’s eyes flickered with wariness, and she shook her head no. Ignoring her, Elise grabbed the diapers. “Slippery little suckers, aren’t they?”
Sylvia licked her lips. Her skin was dry and flaky, and her blonde hair hung in dark hanks. She pulled her sweat jacket around her but it wouldn’t reach across her pregnant stomach. “Thank you,” she whispered. As she took the diapers, her shoulders hunched protectively forward, reminding Elise of a kicked dog.
“You don’t have too much longer, do you?” Elise smiled, hoping to encourage the young woman.
“Just a couple of months until the real nightmare begins,” Sylvia muttered and tossed the package into the cart. Two cans of soup rolled into a stack of top ramen.
Elise picked up the diapers that had fallen and replaced them. “I’m sorry things have been so hard.”
“You have no idea.”
Elise hardly knew the young woman, but she’d already grabbed her heart. Anyone could see that she was struggling. Elise knew that Frank had kicked her out, and she was sleeping at her mom’s place, a hard woman known in the past for being quick with the back of her hand. And, to top it off, she’d lost the best job she probably ever had. Suddenly, Elise could see why Lavina had practically fallen over herself trying to help the poor girl out.
“I’m sorry about you and Frank. I’m going through it myself. Just wanted to say I can understand somewhat.”
The young woman’s gaze flicked back at Elise, and she started to say something. Instead, her eyes puddled up.
“Aww, honey.” Elise automatically reached out to give her a hug, but Sylvia backed away.
“I’m fine. I don’t need no charity.”
“It’s going to get better. You’re due to inherit something from the will, you know.”
Sylvia gave her a disgusted look.
“I know that won’t make everything all right, but it will help. You’ll be able to get your own place.”
“Why on earth would I want my own place? To take care of this baby all by myself? I need my mama. Who else is going to help me in case this baby has colic?”
“Aww, I’m sure your baby will be real sweet.”
“Sweet. I’ve heard sweet before.” Sylvia raised her voice high in mock sarcasm. “At eighteen, it was, ‘Look at that young Frank. Ain’t he sweet?’ ‘Y'all should get married, that will be real sweet.’ ‘When ya going to have a baby and make a sweet family?’ So far all those sweets have been like chocolates—all pretty with a bow. But every one I pick is the one I want to spit out.” She fiddled with the diapers in her cart. “You have a sweet day now, ya hear?” She walked away on swollen feet.
Elise turned away too, her heart feeling heavier than ever. She could relate all too well to a few of those “sweets.”
CHAPTER 18
Elise knew the mailman came early in the morning. So she was surprised when she arrived home that night to see a package sitting on her step and mail sticking out of the house mailbox. Mailmen were not known to change their schedule, not in a small town like Angel Lake where the postman still went on foot on some of his routes. She wondered what caused him to be so late.
After climbing out of the car, she looped the three grocery sacks on her arm and walked to the mailbox. It was all junk mail addressed to “Resident.”
Bending down, she inspected the box. This was addressed to her and taped well with brown packing tape. She picked it up and shook it a little. The weight shifted and she could hear a muffled rattle. Her lips pressed together as she rifled through her purse for her keys. She unlocked the door and nudged it open with her hip while trying to keep a firm grasp on her groceries, junk mail, and the box.
An orange fireball darted through the doorway and exploded at her feet.
“Max!” Elise bit off a scream. She searched to make sure she didn’t step on him as she shuffled to turn on the light and then moved into the kitchen. She didn’t need to worry. He’d perched himself on top of the china cabinet and blinked calm green eyes at her.
Elise dumped the stuff on the counter. “You need to get down from there!” She pointed to the floor indignantly.
The cat ignored her. Leisurely, he smelled the decorative wooden trim along the top of the cabinet.
“Really, you don’t belong up there!” Elise crossed her arms over her chest. The cat lay with its tail dangling over the edge like an orange duster.
Elise frowned before returning to the groceries to find something to tempt the cat. She unpacked the bags, noting a serious lack of anything other than cat food, cereal, and milk. With a sigh, she rifled through the fridge. Since when did her fridge get so empty? And when did the condiments multiply?
Since Grandma Babe went on vacation, that’s when.
“This is what you get for being a single woman. You eat cereal for dinner and have nothing to bait the animals with to get them off your Great Aunt Louise’s china cabinet,” she muttered. This was the true reason women became cat ladies. They just couldn’t be bothered anymore.
She opened a can of cat food and set it on the floor. He blinked at it disinterestedly.
Ignoring the cat, she meandered back into the living room and flopped onto the couch. The box caught her attention again. Who was it from?
The cushion shifted next to her as the cat jumped up. He bumped his head against her arm. A deep purr erupted from his throat. Absentmindedly, Elise scratched under his chin and pulled the box closer.
No return address.
She slid it open and pulled out a single sheet of paper.
“My Dearest Elise,” were the first typewritten words.
She flipped the paper over, her eyes searching for the signature. Her breath sucked in as she found it.
“Mark”
Quickly she fastened up the box back up and pushed it under the coffee table. “I don’t even want to know,” she explained to Max.
Just then, her phone vibrated with a text.
We need to talk. EEE Lavina’s text was short and to the point. She’d ended in their high school code for an emotional emergency.
Elise felt a swell of exhaustion rise up. She looked longingly at her bedroom; she really just wanted to put on a pair of pajamas and watch some reruns of Friends. Instead, she typed, Sure. I’ll be right over.
Feeling more tired than she had in weeks, she collapsed back on the couch. Max purred deeply next to her. He nudged her hand for attention. She scratched his cheek, waiting for an answer.
I have wine.
* * *
“Lavina, what’s going on?” Elise sat on the settee next to her friend.
Lavina shook her head. “Oh, honey, it’s bad.” She nervously brought her finger to her lip and chewed on the ragged cuticle.
Elise’s heart ached with worry. She’d never seen Lavina as anything but put together.
“I have to go to the police station tomorrow and give a statement of where I was on the 27th. It’s official now. I’m an actual suspect.” She fiddled with the cord of her silk bathrobe.
Elise’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Lavina took a shuddering breath. “I mean they’ve proven I have a motive.”
“The will?”
Lavina shook her head and shrugged. “Maybe. They summoned my bank records.” Tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
Elise suddenly filled with that feeling that she didn’t want to hear the next thing about to come out of Lavina’s mouth. She counted to ten and blew out. “Okay. Tell me.”
“I’ve had to pay a thousand dollars a month to Eric.”
“Eric?” Elise gaped.
“You know, Crystal’s son. At the dealership.”
“And, why on earth have you been paying all that money to him?”
Lavina licked her dry lips. “He knew about Mr. G.”
Elise shook her head. “So? So what?”
&nb
sp; “You don’t get it. Eric knew who he was. Mr. G….”
Lavina grew quiet. Elise was alarmed to see fat tears drip down her cheeks, leaving tracks in her foundation. “Elise, I can’t make you understand, but I had no choice. If he’d come out with that information, Mr. G would leave me. I would have been ruined. My business would have been ruined.”
Elise closed her eyes, trying to assimilate what her friend was saying. “Why in the world didn’t you tell me he was extorting you? I’m your best friend. You can tell me anything.”
“I was going to tell you. Then the news came out that Cameron was my father. I felt like I could barely breathe. Then Cameron died….” Her voice trailed off.
Elise stared at her friend. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m more upset about, that you kept all this a secret, or that you’re dating a man who’s very identity could bring down your business.” She rested her hand on Lavina’s arm. “I’m worried about you. Tell me who Mr. G is. We have to go to the police about this. ”
Lavina stared up wild eyed with alarm. “I can’t go to them! I can’t even tell you who he is. No one must know!”
“But you have to know Eric’s going to tell. You can’t just keep paying him forever.”
“I can! I have to!”
A cold chill ran down Elise’s back. “Lavina, where were you on the 27th? You weren’t at the spa after all, were you?”
Lavina covered her face with her hands. “It’s over. I’m ruined. I was there, Elise. I was there.”
“You were there?”
“I was the one you saw in the video.”
Elise felt the whole room spin around her. She tried to suck in enough air to make sense of what her friend just said. In her mind’s eye, she replayed the snippet from the video. A tall person, completely clad in an overcoat and glasses. She’d thought it had been Mr. Davis. But to now discover it was her best friend? “Why on earth were you there?”
Lavina collapsed against the back of the settee loudly weeping. “Oh, Elise! What am I going to do? They’re going to find out! The cops are going to find out and think I did it!” Her speech cut off into broken sobs.
