Kiki Lowenstein Books 1-3 & Cara Mia Delgatto Books 1-3: The Perfect Series for Crafters, Pet Lovers, and Readers Who Like Upbeat Books!

by Joanna Campbell Slan

  When you looked at it from Zelda’s point of view, Poppy and I were the interlopers, not Amberlee.

  I put on my most conciliatory expression. “Of course you did the right thing. It’s good that Amberlee was finally able to find time to see Sid. I’ve always gotten the impression she doesn’t care much about him.”

  “I just hope she don’t skip out on Sid’s hospital bill,” Poppy said.

  “That’s a problem for billing to handle,” said Zelda, as she softened her stance. “But I could tell she wasn’t a very nice person. She looked like a tart. Skinny as a beanpole. Wearing all that fancy jewelry. When she arrived, her son was asleep. She noticed his computer hadn’t been charged so she told me that she was taking it home to charge it up. I didn’t think to question her motives. She’s his mom, isn’t she? And mothers are good people.”

  Most of the time. But not always.

  19

  “What do you think happened?” I asked my grandfather.

  “Durned if I know. Engines, I understand. They’re logical. People? There ain’t no rhyme nor reason to what happens in the human mind. Cain’t imagine what old Amberlee wanted with that computer unless it was to cause mischief.”

  His truck bumped along the streets of downtown Stuart. He could well afford a new Toyota, but that’s not on the way my grandfather spends his money. In fact, I learned the fine art of recycling from him. He’s always fixed up old vehicles, even if the original owners had given up on them. “Got plenty of life left in that old jalopy,” he would say right before he’d dig in. If the car or truck had been abandoned, he’d sell it to someone who needed reliable transportation but who couldn’t afford car payments. Thanks to Poppy, a lot of folks on the Treasure Coast were able to keep their jobs, because they didn’t have car problems.

  Until that moment, I’d never recognized how his philosophy of life had affected me. Neither of my parents were into recycling, except to toss waste items into their appropriate blue bins. But Poppy was totally into reusing and refurbishing. When he wasn’t fixing a car, Poppy was always repairing a broken household item. Or he’d be repurposing old stuff. Like his minnow tank. Originally, it had been a bathtub. Or his desk at the Gas E Bait. He’d attached an old door to the wall and slid file cabinets underneath. This realization (and new appreciation) came to me with a jolt, as an epiphany. But isn’t that the way? We unconsciously absorb a world view and adopt it as our own, not questioning its roots.

  “People are definitely more complicated,” I agreed. “Of course, I don’t work on motors, but I do help Skye tinker with stuff we sell.”

  “Yup. It’s in your blood.” He winked at me. “That there mother of Sid’s. She’s a piece of work.”

  “That’s why I’m worried,” and I told Poppy about Sid having all my financial information in his computer.

  “You have to be kidding me! That’s why I don’t do any of my banking online. It’s too risky.”

  My face warmed at his criticism. “Explain to me how I’d bank any other way? All my accounts are still up in St. Louis. That’s where I deposited my money after I sold my house, and where the business loan is for the restaurant. Dom lives up there, so he puts his money for Tommy—when he decides to meet his obligations—in the bank over in Illinois. Tommy is in Coral Gables. Short of driving down there to hand him spending money, I have to send him funds electronically or write him checks and trust the postal service.” I would have continued, but Poppy waved my explanations away.

  “I know, I know. This world is complicated, everything is caught in that big internet do-jobbie, and nobody stays put no more. Ain’t there anything you can do? To keep your statements private? Lord above, Granddaughter, you could be wiped out.”

  “Sid assured me that he was very careful with his passwords.”

  “That’s something at least.”

  I rested my head against the passenger side window. “Right.”

  “Drat.” Poppy shook his head. “I still don’t like the sound of that.”

  “I don’t either. Why would Amberlee have taken Sid’s computer? She has plenty of money to buy herself one, so why take his?”

  “It don’t make no sense. None at all.”

  “Well? What are you thinking? Come on, Poppy, tell me. You’ve spent more time with Sid lately than I have. What do you think is behind all this?’

  “I think that woman ain’t no good. I wouldn’t put nothing past her. Heard tell that she runs with a fast crowd. Out drinking and bar-hopping all hours of the night. A couple of guys at the Elks Club was saying as much. I used to run into her, now and again. Jest around town. She’s purely evil, as far as I can tell. So, what’s behind this taking Sid’s computer? I’d say it’s more of her black-heartedness. Word is that she hated Sid. Jealous of how Harvey loved that boy. Maybe she took the computer jest for spite.” He shook his head. “As if there ain’t enough going wrong in that boy’s life. Speaking of which, how am I going to help Sid out when I go back to work? I been checking over at the Fill Up and Go. Looks like they got them service bays almost ready for cars.”

  I could no longer hold back. I had to tell Poppy about my conversation with Cooper, so I began with a lengthy preamble to my bad news, explaining to Poppy how much everyone thought of his skills. Next I blamed modern society for being stuck on age-ism. I was getting around to the hard part when Poppy held up one hand, mirroring the stop sign ahead of us.

  “Let me guess. They don’t want me. They think I’m too old, don’t they?”

  I tried to respond, but the words died in my throat. Poppy is many things, but never pitiful. Until today. The ragged edge of his voice cut me to the quick.

  20

  Poppy dropped me off behind the store and spun out of the alley so fast that I had to duck a flying piece of gravel.

  MJ pulled her pink Cadillac into the space he left empty. “You look like you’ve lost your last friend.”

  “It feels that way.”

  She slammed her heavy car door shut. “How was your date last night? No, don’t tell me! Those are whisker burns on your face. Some girls have all the luck. He’s so yummy.”

  Her frank appraisal embarrassed me. “Actually, Jason and I hit a snag. I don’t want to discuss it. Could you watch the store for me or do you have any appointments you need to visit? This day already stinks, so I might as well front-load it with garbage.”

  “What do you mean by This day already stinks? It hasn’t even gotten started yet.” She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow as she tried to figure out what problems I might be having with Jason. MJ had an annoying habit of prying into my love life, or lack thereof.

  I quickly explained what we’d learned about Sid’s computer and his mother. “Amberlee must be up to something. Why take the computer? Without the password, it’s of no use to anybody. Poppy talks about her like she’s a demon in a dress.”

  “Because she likes to bar hop? If so, I’m the Devil’s spawn.” MJ snorted an unlady-like laugh.

  “You’re fine, and you know it, but according to Poppy, Amberlee is just plain wicked. It’s not like him to be so negative about a person. I suspect he knows even more about her than he’s letting on.”

  “Your grandfather knows a lot about a lot of stuff, in part because he’s mastered the art of keeping his mouth shut. I’m sure he’s also found all sorts of incriminating evidence in the cars he’s fixed, but no one has ever accused him of being a blabbermouth. To his credit, he holds his cards close to his undershirt.”

  “Right.” I would have pressed MJ for details, but I had a different agenda. “If your calendar is clear, I’ll look up Binky Rutherford’s address and take the dress over to her myself.”

  “Your new Lilly? Isn’t that Danielle’s job? She sold it to you. Possession is nine-tenths of the law, and all that.”

  “Danielle is in Orlando and won’t be back until late tonight. I need fresh air. A drive over to the island would give me the chance to meet a neighbor. I can be sociable and tie
up loose ends at the same time, can’t I?”

  “If you’re asking my opinion, I think you should wait until Danielle gets back. She sold you the dress; it’s her responsibility to figure out if Binky handed it over by mistake.”

  MJ could be such a black and white person, but here she was, telling me to put up with shades of gray. I wasn’t in the mood.

  “I either want to wear that dress or give it away. End of discussion. It’s one more loose end driving me nuts.”

  “You can’t race off. Not yet at least. Didn’t you get the text message from Honora?”

  “When did Honora learn how to send text messages?”

  “Honestly, Cara,” MJ said. “It’s not like you’ve surrounded yourself with nitwits. Sid taught her how to do it. Honora may be old but she catches on really fast. I got a text message last night asking me to meet her here at 8:30. She wants to use the half hour before we open to present idea boards for her Creatin’ Contest. I guess she and EveLynn put the boards together last night.”

  I opened my mouth but never had the chance to speak because EveLynn careened into the alley. With little regard for safety, she zoomed their green Subaru Forester into the space right next to MJ’s Cadillac and slammed on her brakes, hard. A loud screech split the air.

  Once again, I opened my mouth. This time I intended to lecture EveLynn on driving safely, especially when approaching our parking spaces. But I never got the chance. The doors on the Subaru flew open right on cue as Skye stuck her head out of the back door.

  “Hello, everybody!” Skye sang out. “Good! We’re all here. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got for us, Honora. I have a nice fruit salad with a yogurt dressing chilling upstairs. There’s also a plate of those bite-sized muffins.”

  “I’m hungry.” EveLynn all but knocked Skye out of the way as she headed for the food.

  Honora waved to me with a cheery smile on her face. “Yoohoo! Cara? Could you help me with these boards?”

  MJ and I both went over to the passenger side. Two large pieces of gator board rested in the well behind the front seats. MJ took one and I took the other. A flap of decorative paper on each board protected the attached images.

  “Be careful with those. Things might fall off.” Honora was dressed in her best navy sateen dress. A navy and white ribbon belt broke up the broad expanse of dark color. On her feet were sturdy black orthopedic shoes, but at her throat were her best pearls. Instead of her usual straw boater, she wore a broad brimmed hat, white with a navy and white striped hatband. As I eased out a board, she tapped the covering with a finger. “I want to make a formal presentation, so I covered the boards until the big reveal.”

  “Could you do this without me?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. Honora’s happy grin fled her face. Her eyes lost all their sparkle.

  “Yes, of course. If you have an emergency, I’ll understand.” But her voice quivered.

  I flashed her my best smile. “No, no. It can wait. Did you happen to call Binky about that dress?”

  “I did yesterday right after work. Her grandson answered the phone. He’s here visiting on Spring Break. He promised to take a message, but you know how kids are. So I sent Binky a text message.”

  “Gee, Honora, you are one impressive lady. I wish you’d teach Poppy to text.”

  “Pshaw. I simply told her that there must have been a mix up. I explained that Danielle had sold you her favorite Lilly Pulitzer dress.”

  “And?”

  “She didn’t answer my text. I’m not sure why. I am positive I did it correctly.”

  Knowing how precise Honora can be, I figured she was right. For whatever reason, her friend had not responded. “Okay, I’ll give Danielle a call and see if I can reach her. I want to get this situation settled. Either your pal Binky made a mistake or she’s changed her mind. But I need to know what gives and I won’t wear the dress until I find out.”

  “I can always depend on you,” and Honora patted me on the cheek.

  21

  While I was talking to her mother, EveLynn brushed past us, stopping only long enough to jam small muffins into her mouth. She carried in new soft goods pieces, arranged them as she wished, and left without a goodbye. That shouldn’t have surprised me. EveLynn has absolutely no people skills at all. On the flip side, she’s fabulous with numbers and measurements. Her talent as a seamstress is without parallel. The items she makes for my shop sell fast and bring a good profit margin. When I grouse about her lack of tact, Skye reminds me, “Every strength overused becomes a weakness. At least EveLynn doesn’t waste any time. She comes in, arranges her things, and leaves. Besides, it’s not her fault about the lack of skills. That’s how she’s wired. You might as well complain about Luna catching lizards. It’s the nature of that particular beast, isn’t it?”

  Of course, Skye’s right. When EveLynn gets under my collar, I remind myself that I make a lot of money off of her, and her mother is an absolute gem.

  After we were all seated around the large table in the back, Honora showed us two concepts she’d worked up for her contest entry. One was a beach house done in khaki, cream, and shades of blue. Cute as all get out and boring as a box of sand. Soothing and charming, but dull. The second was a surf shop. Eclectic and colorful. All of us fell in love with the second concept immediately. Several of us had seen Surfer Dude with Matthew McConaughey, so we instantly visualized Honora’s project as a knock-off of that character’s house.

  Skye had been brave enough to speak up. “But is this going to be a surf shop or a surfer’s shack? I wouldn’t imagine that a surfer’s shack wouldn’t be extensive enough to win any prizes.”

  “Definitely more of a surfer’s shop,” agreed Honora. “I hope to capture the spirit of the Treasure Coast. We have our own vibe, as you kids say. Very Old Florida, with a subsistence twist to it.”

  “What do they usually look for when they pick a winning entry?” I asked.

  “I’ve done a bit of research as you might suspect. I think they like projects that are out of the ordinary. Of course, the entries vary from year to year, so one never knows who’ll be doing what. Craftsmanship is important. I suspect that having a theme that’s unique would add to the cachet.”

  That made sense to me and I’d said as much. We all agreed to pitch in and help in any way we could, although the entry itself would be Honora’s responsibility.

  “Whatever the end result, win or lose, we can promote and display the dollhouse,” said MJ. “We’ll have bragging rights that it was an entry in such a prestigious contest.”

  “Better yet,” said Sid, as he hobbled in with Poppy at his side. “Honora should post her progress on her blog. That way she can let people follow along as she bashes the kit and fills the shop with merchandise.”

  Even sidelined and on crutches, Sid is a social media genius.

  Poppy couldn’t meet my eyes. I took it as a sign that he was still upset about the situation with the Fill Up and Go. I couldn’t blame him. I would have been mightily disappointed, too.

  “I’m off to Pumpernickel’s to work my shift,” said Skye, hopping up to dispense hugs. “You’re looking better and moving better, Sid.”

  “Thanks,” he said, but he didn’t sound like he agreed.

  “I’ve got to check on our Highwayman painting inventory.” MJ paused before heading for the sales floor. Turning to my grandfather, she asked, “Dick, could you help me? I need to rehang several of the paintings. It goes more smoothly with two people.”

  “Sure thing,” Poppy said.

  “Sid, can you help Honora put up a post on our blog when she’s ready?” I asked, while Honora put away her idea boards. “I’m not sure how that works.”

  “Sure, but I still need a computer. Poppy told me that you two found out how Amberlee took mine while I was in the hospital. She has no right to my computer. I’m an adult and I bought that Dell with my own money. That’s theft. She out and out stole it.”

  “Yes, it
is,” I said. “But she’s still your stepmother. Your father loved her. I’d think long and hard before I contacted the law.”

  “I’ve left her messages that I want it back, and that she was the last person to have it. Just so you know, I’ll do whatever I have to so I get it back. She may have been married to my dad, but she’s never had any use for me.”

  It hurt me to hear him say that, especially since he put it so plainly. The tremor in his voice told me that it had been hard for him to revisit how poorly his stepmother had treated him. When I first met Sid, I would have never guessed him to have such depth of emotion. I’d been completely thrown by the piercings, the dyed hair, and the gothic clothes he wore. As time went on, I’d come to realize this was his suit of armor, the way he girded himself against the pain he felt.

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions, okay? Maybe she did bring it back, and maybe somebody else took it.”

  “Right. And maybe global warming is a joke. Here’s the good news. Amberlee could never crack my passwords,” said Sid. “Not in a million years. She can’t. No way. My passwords are dope.”

  “Dope?” Honora muttered as she pulled out the stool under her work table and got to work. “My, my.”

  “Dope?” Poppy rejoined us and poured himself a cup of black coffee.

  “When Sid says dope, he means his passwords are terrific,” I translated.

  “Right…and Amberlee isn’t really bright. In fact, she’s pretty clueless, especially when it comes to computers. She can’t even operate her television remote control without help.” He plucked nervously at the edge of an adhesive bandage on his right temple. “That’s what’s so weird. I can’t even believe she wanted my computer. She wouldn’t know what to do with it, so why bother to take it?”

  Hard as it was, I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to join in, bad-mouthing Amberlee, but it wasn’t the right thing to do.

  I stared at Sid, seeing how young and vulnerable he was, and feeling sick at heart for the additional pain this woman was causing him.