by Judi Lynn
“And the town?”
“A main street lined with brick buildings. The post office is on the corner across from the city/county building. Nothing to brag about.”
“I bet it took you a while to adjust when you moved here.”
“It was like hitting the big time—lots of places to eat and tons more traffic. My parents would hate it.”
“I’m glad you came and liked it.”
“So am I. I met you.”
She was having trouble staying awake. It had to be harder for him. “Enjoy supper at your sister’s tomorrow.”
“I’ll try. I just want this over.”
So did she. “I love you, Ansel.”
“Don’t forget that. I’ll be home soon.”
Chapter 31
Sunday’s meal was full of news. Jerod, Franny, and the kids were MIA. Jerod had finally succumbed to the kids’ flu. Jazzi put together a quick vegetable tray. After everyone settled at the table, Mom and Dad announced that they were going to Michigan for a week to play.
“Thought we’d start in Grand Rapids, then follow Lake Michigan’s shoreline until we’re back in Indiana,” Mom told them. “I worked a lot of hours to squeeze in clients for cuts and colors before we go.”
Olivia nodded. “It’s going to be quiet working by myself for a week. I’ll miss you, Mom.”
Jazzi could relate. It felt too quiet without Ansel in the house.
Oliva grinned. “Thane and I had a big card party at our place Saturday night and ordered pizzas. Peyton asked about you, sis. Asked if your boyfriend was home yet.”
Gran frowned and looked around the table, upset. “Where is Ansel?”
Jazzi realized everyone else knew Ansel had left, but she hadn’t told her grandmother. It was a balancing act these days. Sometimes Gran lived in the present, and sometimes she didn’t. That’s why the family was so happy Samantha had moved in with her. Every time Gran got stressed, she retreated to the past, so Jazzi tried not to upset her. Gran liked Ansel. A lot. Jazzi tried not to make Ansel’s absence a big deal. “His family needed help in Wisconsin, so he drove there.”
Gran shook her head. “You shouldn’t have let him go. That awful girl has been after him for years, and now she has another chance.”
Mom looked confused. “What awful girl?”
“The girl with the long dark hair,” Gran said. “She’s divorced now. Ansel doesn’t need a girl like her.”
Jazzi blinked. So Jezebel did have long, dark hair. If Gran said so, she believed her. Ever since Gran slipped a little from reality, she saw things that proved to be true. But only when she was upset, and Jazzi didn’t want to agitate her. “He’ll be home soon, Gran, and he calls me every night.”
Gran gave her a pitying look. “You’re so pretty, hon, but the Wisconsin girl knows men and how to play them. She’s dangerous.”
That’s the feeling Jazzi had. Ansel didn’t pay much attention to her, but everyone had a weak moment. Those were the moments that tested you. “He either loves me, or he doesn’t. If he doesn’t come home, we had problems anyway.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Let Jezebel take her best shot. Give Ansel some credit.”
Thane nodded agreement. “No one could steal me away from Olivia. This girl could dance naked in Ansel’s bedroom, and he’d send her away.”
Everyone turned to stare at him. Thane usually stayed out of any serious conversations.
He shrugged. “I like Ansel. Someone has to stick up for him.”
“Thank you.” Jazzi meant it. She’d let doubts creep in when she shouldn’t have.
Olivia changed the subject. “I’m not worried about Jezebel. I want to ask you for a favor. I saw a baker’s rack for sale on Craigslist that would be perfect in our kitchen, but we can’t fit it in our van. Later today, would you help us pick it up?”
Jazzi was happy to talk about something besides Ansel. “Sure. After cleanup?” There were times when nothing beat having a pickup.
“If that works for you. I want to buy it before someone else does.”
Jazzi shrugged. “Why not? When everyone leaves, I have free time.” What was she going to do? Watch another movie?
“You can’t rush our desserts, though,” Mom warned. “I live for those.”
“We’re on it.” Jazzi stood to clear away plates, and Thane pushed to his feet to help her. The chicken salad had been a good choice for today. There was only enough left for one sandwich. They put all the dirty dishes in the deep farmer’s sink and carried the pavlovas and fixings to the table.
Jerod’s dad looked at the pavlova. “What is that?”
“A big meringue. It’s crisp on the outside, gooey inside.”
He cut himself a large slice, then pointed his fork at Doogie—Jazzi’s dad, his brother.
“Eleanore and I don’t close the lake cottage until late October. You’ve only made it up once the entire summer. Things have been busy, but I’d like you guys to come up some weekend.”
Jazzi half-listened to them, her thoughts drifting to Ansel. He’d be eating at his sister’s house today. She wondered how the dynamics were at his family’s table compared to hers.
When the last of the dessert was gone, people starting milling around to leave. Olivia and Thane stayed behind to help her with cleanup, and then they climbed in her truck to go buy the baker’s rack Olivia wanted.
The price was great, but it was a half-hour drive north of town. When they left the city, farmers’ fields stretched along the highway. Corn, soybeans, and wheat rotated mile after mile. Occasionally, chickens scratched in house gardens, running free. Jazzi loved how green Indiana was. Her parents had done a fair amount of traveling while she was growing up, and she’d fallen in love with many cities and states, but she was always glad to come home. For her, there was something vibrant about River Bluffs.
Three rivers came together here, and the city planners were finally talking about creating river walks. Downtown, once bordering on becoming a ghost town, was coming back to life. The ball diamond and event center brought in lots of people. The bike and walking trails stretched north and south.
Once you left the city and its suburbs, you were in farm country. She liked that, too. Olivia’s seller lived in a small town with a domed, old-fashioned limestone courthouse in its center. The woman’s house was well-kept. Jazzi waited in the truck while Olivia and Thane went to look at the baker’s rack. Jazzi was pretty sure they were going to buy it, so she got out to spread the padding she’d brought in the truck bed. She didn’t want the piece to get scratched. It was black wrought iron, but it still needed to be protected.
Thane and an older man—probably the seller’s husband—carried the rack out of the house a few minutes after she finished. Money exchanged hands, and after securing the piece, Jazzi was ready to drive to Olivia’s house. The drive back took longer since Olivia lived on the south side of the city. But once Jazzi parked near the kitchen door and she and Thane carried the piece inside, it looked as though it was meant to be in the spot Olivia had chosen for it.
Her sister smiled. “It’s perfect.”
It was. “It ties the kitchen and eating area together.”
“Want to stay for a drink?” Olivia asked.
It had ended up being a long day. All fun, but Jazzi was ready to call it quits. “Thanks, but I’m ready to go home and do nothing.”
Thane rode back with her to get Olivia’s car. As she backed out of the drive, she glanced across the street and noticed that Louisa’s daughter’s car was gone. “Penny must have returned to Carolina.”
Thane motioned to Miriam’s car, parked near the back door. “Those two will enjoy living together.”
For no particular reason, Jazzi decided to drive through all the small neighborhoods to reach Sycamore Drive. She hadn’t done it for a while, and it was an interesting are
a. When she reached Ed’s house, though, Ed had Peyton pinned against his red SUV, and Ed’s hands were around Peyton’s throat. Eve was tugging and kicking Ed, screaming at him.
Jazzi stomped on the brake.
Thane reached for the door handle. “What the heck?”
Jazzi parked and jumped out of the truck, running behind Thane. Thane plowed into Ed, knocking him sideways. Peyton took a huge gulp of air and hurried to stand on the other side of his SUV, away from Ed.
Ed lunged toward him, but Thane grabbed the back of his collar, hauling him backward. Eve ran to shower more blows on him, and Jazzi grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
Ed yelled at Jazzi. “Stay out of this! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Trying to keep you from going to prison for murder.”
His face contorted with frustration. “He’s been sleeping with Eve!”
Jazzi looked at Ed’s wife. “And she’s been sleeping with him. But killing either one of them isn’t going to change that.”
Eve stabbed a finger at Ed. “You were going to be gone. Again. Fishing with your buddies. The only reason you came home is because Rory was sick and couldn’t go, and he owned the boat.”
“That’s no reason...” Ed started toward Peyton again, and Thane jerked him back. Jazzi lost patience. “Quit being an idiot. You and Eve have problems. Either fix them or get a divorce.” She looked at Peyton. “Get out of here while you can. And think about what you’re doing. This could happen to you again.”
He opened the passenger door on his SUV, scooted to the driver’s seat, and raced away.
Ed whipped around to confront Eve. “Pack your bags and get out. We’re done.”
“Just like that, huh? I’m the bad guy. What about you? You’ve been staying away more and more.”
“I wonder why.” He started to his van. “All you do is gripe and ask for more stuff. Keep the car and everything I bought you. But we signed a prenuptial. I’ve already paid more for you than you’re worth. I’m going out. When I come back, you’d better be gone.” He got in his van and left.
Eve glared at Jazzi. “Happy now? I’ve lost Ed, and Peyton will have an even bigger crush on you.”
Really? How stupid was this woman? “You lost Ed, and Peyton’s just a kid. All you had was lust.” She wasn’t going to stand here and argue with Eve. She turned on her heel and walked to her pickup, along with Thane.
When she finally got home, Thane gave her a quick shoulder hug. “Bet you wish your life was boring for a week or two. Thanks for everything.” Then he drove off in Olivia’s car.
Jazzi poured herself a glass of wine and sagged onto her favorite spot on the sofa. She reached for the remote and clicked on a food show she’d recorded. The Kitchen. Nothing demanding. No angst. Just something to entertain her and give her ideas for new recipes. It helped clear her mind.
When it was over, she called Gaff and told him about Ed and Peyton. Gaff still considered both of them suspects, even though Ed had only shown up, angry, about Leo watching him argue with Eve and letting Cocoa take a dump in his yard. Not much to go on. But Gaff never discounted a man with a temper. And Peyton? Well, who knew all of the women he juggled? He’d worked with Meghan, maybe even slept with her.
Had he gotten her pregnant? Why would he admit to that? Especially now.
Gaff listened to her and said, “You know, I might just visit both of those men again. Somebody has to know something. I’d be happy to learn some new bits of information to look at. Thanks for the help.”
She felt better. She didn’t think Ed or Peyton had killed anyone, but Gaff was right. One odd little piece of news could lead an investigation in a new direction.
When she hung up, she turned on a Hallmark mystery and was half into it when Ansel called.
He plunged right into the gist of the conversation. “My parents and brothers talked and asked me to stay on the farm. They’ll figure out a way to make it work.”
Her stomach knotted until it hurt. She could barely get the words out. “Do you want to?”
“Heck, no, they just need me now. They’re worried about what will happen if there’s another emergency and I don’t come back to help them. Once they get past that, it will be the same old, same old. Besides, I don’t want to live here. I like River Bluffs. I want our house. I want you.”
The knot eased. “Does it make you feel better that they asked you to stay?”
“Not much. It’s more about them than me. I like Radley, but Bain’s still Mr. Big Shot and Dad’s still...Dad.”
“What about your mom?”
“We were always close, but she’d throw me under the bus if she had to decide between me or the farm.”
“Your family’s ruthless.”
“Yeah, and that’s on a warm, fuzzy day when you haven’t done anything wrong.”
She laughed. “How much longer will you have to stay there?”
“I gave them a week to finish the roof on the barn.”
“Were they unhappy when you turned them down?”
“Pretty ticked, but that’s their problem.”
She couldn’t help it. “Was Jezebel at Adda’s house?”
“She just happened to drop in, and Adda invited her to stay.”
“Does Adda like her?”
“As an acquaintance, not for me, but Jezebel’s been bringing food to the farm. Adda almost had to ask her to stay out of courtesy.”
Jazzi thought about Ansel’s brother. “How does Radley feel about Jezebel throwing herself at you? Hadn’t she been interested in him before you went home?”
“I asked Radley if he was interested in her, and he said she scared the heck out of him. Told me he didn’t want to be bossed around by a dominatrix. Dad thought Radley should hook up with her because she has money and could help them, but Radley said he couldn’t picture her putting one penny into the farm.”
“Your brother’s not as naïve as I thought he was.”
“He told me he grew up a lot when Mom and Dad tossed me out of the house. Said if they didn’t need two hands to help with the farm, he’d probably be gone, too.”
“That’s just sad.”
“Bain took after Dad. The farm’s always going to come first. No, that’s wrong. Dad and Bain are always going to come first.” She heard someone yell in the background, and Ansel sighed. “Gotta go. A section of fence fell, and our cows are walking down the highway.”
The picture that painted in her mind made her laugh. “Have fun.”
He growled but had to leave.
She didn’t turn her mystery back on. She sat and brooded for a few minutes. His family would try to think of ways to make Ansel stay longer. She hoped they failed. Was Jezebel like Eve?
If Ansel ever cheated on her—which she didn’t expect; he wasn’t the type—she’d want to kill Ansel, not his temptress. But Ed had gone straight for Peyton’s throat. She thought about that a minute and then decided, in all fairness, that she’d want to kill both of them.
That put her in the perfect frame of mind to start her TV mystery again. It was a lot cozier than her thoughts. When it ended, she climbed the steps to bed.
Chapter 32
Gaff was picking her up early in the afternoon to visit the EMT’s girlfriend at the hospital, so she drove to the house on Anthony earlier than usual to get some work done first. Jerod called on the way to say he was taking a sick day. Perfect. She didn’t have to worry that he’d try to do too much while she was gone.
They’d gutted the upstairs bathrooms and bought the ceramic tile for the floors. Jerod had painted both rooms, so she got busy laying tile. She’d finished one of the rooms before Gaff came.
“She’s expecting us,” Gaff said on the drive across town. “She’s going to talk to us on her break.”
Jazzi cringed as a car peeled off a side s
treet in front of them. A common occurrence these days. Everyone’s time was more important than yours. Gaff had to jam on his brakes.
“The whole world’s in a hurry,” he grumbled.
Jazzi waited for the traffic to flow smoothly again before she asked, “Why do you want to talk to the girlfriend and not the EMT?”
“Oh, I want to talk to the EMT, but I want to get his girlfriend’s take on him and Meghan first. Then, if he rearranges facts and stretches the truth, I might be able to tell.”
“Smart.” Jazzi would never have thought of that.
Gaff grunted. “I’ve been at this a while.”
A half hour later, they sat in a small conference room with a petite, thin woman who had brown hair pulled into a ponytail that hung halfway down her back. She didn’t wear a speck of makeup. Jazzi and Jerod had worked on a house once for a woman who wasn’t allowed to cut her hair or wear makeup or jewelry. Did this nurse not want to bother with them, or did she belong to a religion that forbade them?
Gaff smiled, trying to relax her, and introduced himself and Jazzi. “Hello, Tonya. Thank you for meeting with us. We’re investigating the death of Meghan Fuller. You worked with her, and your current boyfriend showed a lot of interest in her. Did they ever date?”
She shook her head. “Meghan turned him down.”
“How did he react to that?”
She blinked. “He wasn’t happy about it. Meghan thought she was better than everyone else.”
Gaff looked up from his notes, surprised. “We’ve heard over and over again how nice she was. Did you ever meet her?”
“Only in passing. We worked on different floors.”
“What was your impression of her?”
“That she was a competent nurse.”
Tonya’s hands lay on the conference table, clasped together. Jazzi got the impression the girl was going to tell them as little as possible.
