The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  Nora smiled. “It’s only because I feed him treats all the time.” She reached on a shelf above her, and brought out a small cube of cheddar. Halving it, she dropped a piece down to Maynard, who slurped it up. She popped the other half into her own mouth carelessly as she roamed around gathering ingredients for the tea.

  “Well, you can avoid it as long as you like, dear, but the right thing to do is go see them.”

  “I do want to go see them,” Nora said. “But I only want to give them my condolences. It’s just not … I can’t bear the thought of sounding...” She shuddered. “Of sounding greedy.”

  “Oh heavens, girl, everyone knows that you’re not greedy. Raquel would have paid her share wouldn’t she? Everyone knows that too. Davis will help you out and Jolene will be willing too. They know it’s what Raquel would have wanted. The restaurant would have opened tomorrow, and knowing Raquel, she’d want you to open it with or without her.”

  “I can’t manage it myself. Not without Raquel.” Nora shook her head, shuddering at the thought. “First, no one will come. Second, I don’t think I have the financial ability to. Third, I can’t bear the thought. Every moment I’m there… it was our shared dream, Mrs. Mullally. I don’t know if… I don’t know if I ever want to open the diner now.”

  “Nonsense,” Mrs. Mullally said. “Raquel would come down here and smack you if she heard you talk like this. Delay the opening by a week if you must, but then open the place. Donate everything you earn if you like, but don’t shed your dream just because someone committed a crime. You have to do it Nora. For her, if not for you.”

  Nora placed a steaming mug of peppermint tea in front of Mrs. Mullally. “You really think it’s the right thing to do,” she said, thinking it over. “Do you really think Raquel would have wanted me to keep going? It seems almost like a betrayal.”

  “The only betrayal would be to give up,” Mrs. Mullally said. “This diner of yours will be Raquel’s legacy. What else will the town remember her by?”

  Nora nodded, but it was a broken nod. Mrs. Mullally was right. Raquel would have wanted it. But Nora didn’t know if she wanted it anymore. With Raquel gone, what was the point?

  She remembered Harvey’s words from yesterday. “Raquel matters to you, and you mattered to her. So for her sake, you have to be strong.”

  Mason had told her clearly that Raquel’s Will had been created a long time ago. If Raquel had known what was to happen, she would probably have changed the Will herself. As it stood, Nora was now a trustee, and it felt extremely unethical for her to be thinking of asking Davis for a loan. No, what Nora needed to do was use the money in his best interests, not her own. Even if it meant that the diner was ruined.

  Still, maybe Mrs. Mullally was right. Maybe if she talked to Davis, and he agreed, there was a chance...

  There was a knock at the door, and Nora sprang up. “I’ll get it.” A part of her heart that had been clenched all day lightened as she pictured Harvey outside the door. He hadn’t called her again, but then, neither had she.

  She swung open the door, a tepid smile slowly widening on her face, and stopped, confused. Ashley Norton, Harvey’s secretary stood on the doorstep, with a covered dish in her hand. Behind her stood her husband Jeremy, the light of his phone illuminating his bent face. He looked up and nodded at Nora. Unlike earlier at the diner, when he’d looked angry, his face now had no emotion in it, just blank disinterest.

  “Sorry. I hope we aren’t disturbing you,” Ashley said. “We didn’t find time to come earlier, so I thought…” Her words trailed off, and she held the dish a little higher, pushing it towards Nora.

  “Oh. Oh.” Nora took the dish, and smiled. Despite everything she’d said earlier, she felt absurdly touched now that someone was actually present at the door, holding out a gesture of goodwill. “Ashley, this is a wonderful gesture. Thank you. Do come in, both of you. We were just having some tea.”

  “It’s funny, isn’t it,” Ashley said, as they followed Nora in. “We all ought to be going to meet Raquel’s parents, but it’s you everyone knows she was closest to. She rented a place in town but everyone knows she practically lived in this house after you came three months ago. You were both sisters. Bonded by soul, if not by blood.”

  Nora felt her heart jump. House. Raquel’s rented apartment! Someone ought to go there and… clean it? Or would the police want it to be kept as is? Also, she had to see Raquel’s father, and soon. There were too many things they probably needed help with. Harvey had been right. She needed to be stronger now, for Raquel’s sake.

  “Have… have you met her parents yet?” Nora asked.

  “Those crazy Supreme Truth folk live on a ranch all together.” Jeremy pulled a face. “Us lot aren’t very welcome there.”

  “Jeremy! Hush.” Ashley nudged him. “We… well, we townfolk met her parents yesterday when they came over to see Sheriff and… and—”

  …and identify the body. Nora nodded, wincing at the thought that the life and spirit of Raquel had now vanished, leaving only a body.

  “The thing is, May said that Davis and Jolene only stayed five minutes,” Ashley said, her voice changing tone as smoothly as a car changing gears. It was inquisitive and gossipy now. “May said that Davis almost looked as if he were in a trance, and Jolene and that nasty Stanley Staten had to support him all the way through. They whisked him away in minutes when we tried to go talk to him.”

  Nora’s face hardened. There was certainly something very funny about the way Stanley Staten was treating Davis.

  “Mrs. Mullally said you weren’t well all of yesterday?” Jeremy asked. His voice was subtly aggressive, though civil enough.

  Nora nodded, and turned away from them to brew more tea. Working quickly, she removed some chive crackers and sliced a little cheddar and cilantro on them. She placed the plate and tea on the table in front of them, and then placed Ashley’s dish in the fridge. Opening the fridge, she saw row upon row of casserole dishes, each with a post it note on it giving condolences and the name of a townie. For a brief moment, she felt guilty. They were good folk, here in town, and she had been selfish and bad to them.

  She turned around, and Ashley was saying, “…a meat pie, should be good for the month if you freeze it.”

  “Good tea,” Jeremy said, stuffing a cracker into his mouth and taking a sip. “I prefer coffee though.” He then went back to his phone.

  She hadn’t thought to ask, Nora realized. She preferred coffee herself, but living with a constant tea-drinker like Mrs. Mullally had changed her habits a little bit. She sat down next to them with a mug in hand.

  “Nora, I just wanted to offer my condolences.” Ashley held her hand. “I know how much Raquel meant to you. I also want to let you know that we’ll support you with whatever you want to do next. I know leaving town is an option that’s crossed your mind.”

  “It hasn’t actually,” Nora said.

  “Oh. Well,” Ashley stuttered, and looked at Jeremy, who was on the phone. “Well, whatever your plans are, I’ll be glad to offer whatever help I can.”

  “Thank you, Ashley.” Nora smiled. She’d always thought of Ashley as self centered and gossipy, but she seemed to be trying hard to be sincere. She saw Ashley’s brow furrow as she looked at Jeremy. Tough life, having a baby on the way and a husband who was addicted to his cell phone, Nora thought briefly. She saw Ashley nudge Jeremy, who put his cell away and looked up.

  “Sorry. You know how tough sales is. I just always have to reply to clients as soon as they message,” he said.

  “Not a problem,” Nora said. But she did feel absurdly irritated. He was acting so callous.

  “I still think you should just take Harvey’s offer and become a real estate agent, Jeremy,” Ashley said. “The money’s good.”

  “I told you a hundred times I don’t want to,” Jeremy said testily. “I don’t like that man, and I don’t think he likes me much either.”

  Nora tapped on the table, and the two of them look
ed at her.

  “Sorry.” Ashley had the grace to look ashamed. She cradled her belly, and squeezed Jeremy’s hand.

  “Sorry,” Jeremy said, a little annoyed still.

  “You dated her once, didn’t you?” Nora asked. “Way back in high school? You were her first boyfriend.” She felt bad for Ashley, but she couldn’t resist poking at Jeremy. He ought to feel, well… something… instead of treating this visit as an unwanted chore. Once upon a time, way back in high school, he’d been head over heels in love with Raquel, so why was he acting like she was a nobody now? True, he had moved on and married Ashley, but she thought the decent thing to do would be for him to feel a little sorrow.

  To her surprise, his anger vanished at her words, and for a moment, she saw a vulnerable boy sitting in front of her. “Those were the days, right, Nora? High school. We’ll never be that young or that—”

  “Not everyone had a good time like us in high school,” Ashley said. “Nora didn’t, I think. High school’s tougher when you’ve got acne or braces. We were just lucky to be part of the popular crowd.”

  “Right, babe,” Jeremy said, the vulnerable boy vanishing, and an irritable man coming back in his place. “But yeah, Raquel was a great girl. I’m truly sorry about what happened.”

  But was he? Nora wondered, as the two of them waved goodbye a little while later. Jeremy seemed completely unaffected by Raquel’s death, yet how could he be, when he’d dated her for three years?

  She thought back to when they’d been younger. She’d never interacted with him much, even though he’d dated Raquel for so long. Jeremy had been a typical jock - linebacker for the football team, built like a tank, and just as deadly. He’d spent his time on the backs of pick-up trucks, either going mud riding with his gang, or parking in fields and sneaking booze. Still, he’d loved Raquel, hadn’t he? He had to have loved her. They’d been steady for three years. Nora remembered one Valentine’s Day. She’d been feeling particularly low, and Raquel had come to school the next day looking like she would burst with happiness. For Nora’s sake, Raquel had tried to pretend she wasn’t overly happy, but Nora had seen right through it, and pressed her for details.

  She had shown Nora a pendant that Jeremy had given her, one half of a silver heart with Jeremy’s name engraved on it. “He’s got the other piece, with my name on it,” Raquel had said. “God, he took me on the most beautiful date last night. A picnic on a mountain top, and he managed to get a bottle of wine from somewhere! He looks so tough outside, but inside he’s soft as a marshmallow. Find yourself a boyfriend just like him Nora, and then we can all go on a double date.” Raquel had given Nora a hug then, and began teasing her about her imaginary future boyfriend.

  Grief found so many ways to stab her. Nora was in her own room again. She saw Raquel’s bright yellow high heels lying in one corner of the room, and picked them up. She hadn’t noticed them since she kicked them off that horrible night, Tuesday night. It was just a day before yesterday. Incredible how the world seemed to have shattered and reconfigured itself since then.

  They’d never gone out on a double date together, Nora realized. Funny. She’d always been single in this town, and Raquel had never visited her outside of it. Still thinking about Ashley’s visit, Nora lay back on the bed, covering her eyes with her hands. Her brain was thrumming, overflowing with thoughts, and even her sleep was fragmented, with familiar faces swirling through her dreams.

  *****

  Chapter 15

  Santino’s Wrath

  Harvey’s coat was on the floor, and his tie stuffed in his pocket. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to the elbow, as he rummaged through a closet full of papers. With an impatient grunt, he scanned one of the papers he’d pulled out, a bill addressed to Mr. Donovan Sanders. Crumpling it, he threw it aside.

  “Hunting for clues?” a mocking voice said from the doorway.

  Harvey swung around. A large man was leaning against the doorway, a cigar clamped in his mouth. He grinned at Harvey as he lit it. “Maybe I could help,” he said.

  “Santino,” Harvey said, his voice cold. “What do you want?”

  “Same thing you do,” Marco Santino said with a shrug. “World peace.”

  Santino had the physique of a man who had once been a linebacker, layers of muscle buried under new layers of fat. He was tough in the way only a street criminal who has fought wars can be, and he was shrewd in the way only the most savvy businessmen can be. Harvey despised the man, but he had a healthy respect for his capabilities as well.

  “You didn’t accept my request for a meeting,” Santino said, patting a hand over his heart. “I’m hurt, Harvey. I thought we were friends!”

  “Sure,” Harvey said. “Do you send gun toting goons to all your friends? Actually, don’t answer that. Something tells me you probably do.”

  Santino shrugged. “In my line of business, a friend is someone you keep close so that you can figure out when he decides to double cross you. Speaking of which, what’s up, Harvey? Do you intend to double cross me?”

  In reply, Harvey turned away from him, and began looking through the closet again.

  “This is Donovan’s house, isn’t it?” Santino asked.

  “Legally, it’s one of my properties,” Harvey said. “Donovan stayed here free of charge, but now that he’s been gone three months, I guess I can evict him.”

  “Doesn’t look like you want to evict him,” Santino said. He kicked aside a briefcase who’s lock had been broken open. “Looks like you’re rifling through his stuff. Looking for something?”

  “Maybe I am,” Harvey said. “Maybe you won’t be so happy when it’s found, Santino.”

  With a growl, Santino covered the distance between them, and tried to grab Harvey by the lapels. Instantly, metal flashed, as Harvey produced a gun.

  “Step back,” Harvey said.

  “All right. All right. Just joking.” Santino laughed, put his hands up, and took a step back. “You won’t shoot anyway. You’re not the kind. Don’t want to be sent to jail, do you?”

  Harvey shrugged. “Sure, I don’t want to go to jail,” he said. “On the other hand, here you are, standing on my property, an uninvited stranger. I’d like to see the jury that’d convict me.”

  Santino’s face darkened. “Fine,” he said, dropping his hands. “I’ll keep my distance, for now.”

  “Glad to hear it.” Harvey smiled. “How bout you take a hike, Santino? You look like you could use the fresh air.”

  “How bout I say my piece first?” Santino asked.

  Harvey looked at his watch. “I’ll give you five minutes before I lose my temper.”

  “It won’t take that long,” Santino said. “It’s simple, Harvey. I want my money, and I think you have it.”

  “I never touched your money,” Harvey said.

  “Don’t care,” Santino said. “I know what’s written in my books, and as far as I’m concerned, you’ll either pay or else—”

  “Or else what, you’ll send some more of your men after me?” Harvey laughed. “Thing is, Santino, they aren’t particularly scary.”

  “Oh, I won’t send them after you,” Santino said. “Not now that you’ve proven yourself so handy with a gun.”

  Harvey raised an eyebrow, but Santino only smirked, laughing at some hidden joke.

  “Pity about Raquel, isn’t it?” Santino asked him.

  Harvey’s face hardened. “What do you know about it?”

  Santino smiled. “Me? Innocent old me? I’m pure as snow. I know nothing.”

  Harvey grunted, his eyes cold. His lips thinned as his mind raced over the possibilities.

  “There is one thing I know,” Santino said, “And that’s that it is a great pity, how Raquel died. It’d be an even greater pity if something happened to that fine young friend of hers.”

  Harvey felt sick with rage. “What are you trying to say?”

  “Nora, isn’t that her name?” Santino asked. “You seem awfully fond of her.”


  “I barely know her,” Harvey said, but it was an effort to keep his voice level. Rage filled him at the thought of Santino even looking at Nora.

  “She’s a pretty young thing,” Santino said. “So innocent, too. But then, death doesn’t discriminate, does it? It strikes down the good and bad alike.”

  “Are you threatening to hurt her?” Harvey growled.

  “My lawyers have told me never to threaten to hurt anybody,” Santino said, still smirking. “You know, afterwards, if there are unfortunate accidents, people might wonder if I caused them.”

  Harvey tried to call his bluff. “Look, I don’t care anyway. I’ve gone on one date with her. I barely know her.”

  “Sure,” Santino said. “No cause for you to feel bad, then. I hear Raquel made her a trustee. That interested me. Made me think, maybe Nora knows something.”

  Harvey’s fist tightened.

  “You’re a smart man, Harvey,” Santino said. “I’ll leave you with a final warning. Pay back my money fast, or I’ll create all sorts of trouble for you.”

  “I’d like to see you try,” Harvey said, as Santino left. But his face was white, and his hands a little shaky, as he said it.

  *****

  Chapter 16

  A Nighttime Visit

  Nora must have dozed off for a few hours, before she felt a presence in the room and jolted awake.

  Harvey was sitting on the bed, his back turned away from her.

  “Are you a vampire, secretly?” Nora asked, lifting herself up on her elbows. She had fallen asleep without a blanket, but now one had magically appeared on top of her. She hugged it closer. Harvey had a jacket in his hand. His jacket, the red and white varsity letterman jacket he’d worn on their date, and then draped over her shoulders after the crash.

  “Want it back?” she asked. She felt absurdly happy to see him again. His face was steeped in shadows, but handsome all the same. The intensity of his brown eyes, and the harsh lines of his clenched jaw all made her heart beat a little faster.