by Nicole Ellis
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. This must be such a stressful time for all of you.” I glanced at his car. “I’m glad you got your car back though. It’s lucky they were able to fix it.”
“What? Oh, yes. I got it back last Friday. The BMW dealership is wonderful. They even delivered my car to me as part of their service.”
“Wow, that is great.” I highly doubted the local mechanics would be that generous the next time my minivan was in the shop.
He jerked his hand at the door. “I have patients to see soon, and I need to get things set up. Is there anything else you need from me?”
“Nope, have a great day. I’ll see you at the wedding on Saturday.” I gave him my most winning smile.
He waved and entered the building.
On the way back to the Boathouse, I thought about what he’d said. This was the second time that I’d heard that the dental practice was having financial difficulties. Becca didn’t seem to think that was true though. Had Bill kept it from her? He prided himself on being completely honest, so unless that was all a ruse, he wasn’t aware of any financial issues. Could Declan have been involved with something shady with the business? Was that what had gotten him killed?
After my preschool volunteer shift was over, I stopped at the BeansTalk for a quick pick-me-up. To my surprise, Becca was in there chatting with Desi at a corner table. Desi’s assistant served me my coffee and donut in a bag, and I waved at Desi. They looked like they were deep in conversation, and I didn’t want to disturb them.
To my surprise, Becca waved me over. I joined them at their table, and Desi motioned for me to sit down.
“Sit. We were just discussing some bridesmaid stuff.”
I shrugged. “I have a few minutes before I need to be at work.”
“Did you get the catering order updated?” Becca asked.
“I did.” I munched on my donut. “It’s all taken care of.”
“That’s a relief.” Becca picked at the muffin on her plate. “At least one thing is going right.”
Desi looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
Becca hesitated and then her face crumpled. “It’s Lindsay.”
“Ah.” I waited for her to continue.
She pulled a tissue out of her purse and dabbed her eyes. “She knows something about me, and she’s threatening to tell Bill.”
“What is it?” Desi asked.
“It’s too embarrassing.” She pushed the plate away.
“You can tell us. We won’t tell anyone. It’ll do you good to get it off your chest.” Desi patted her on the arm. “It’s not healthy for you to be so stressed before your wedding.”
Becca’s face flushed. “A few years ago, Bill and I broke up for a couple of months. It was over something stupid, and we eventually realized that. But, while we were apart, I had a one-night stand with Jared.”
Desi’s eyes widened. “Jared?”
Becca nodded. “Unfortunately. It was so stupid. I’d had too much to drink, and I was mad at Bill.” She looked miserable.
“Oh, Becca.” Desi’s lips turned down. “Why is Lindsay doing this? It’s not like you cheated on Bill. He’ll understand.”
“She wants me to keep something from the police.” She scanned the room. “I saw her and Declan fighting down by his boat the night he died. She said if I report her, she’ll tell Bill about Jared.” She gave us a pleading look. “I don’t want him to find out two days before our wedding. It’ll hurt him too much.”
“You have to tell the police,” Desi said. “What if Lindsay was the one who killed Declan?”
“I don’t know if I can do it.” Becca twisted her napkin into a spiral.
“Becs, I’m sorry, but I have to tell Tomàs if you won’t. I can’t keep this from him. It could be important to the murder investigation, and he’d never forgive me if I kept something like that a secret.”
“Do you really think she could have murdered her own husband?” Becca’s eyes shifted between Desi and I.
“I don’t know.” Desi’s shoulders slumped. “I wouldn’t have thought so.”
Becca spoke softly. “I heard a truck out there, that night. Bill was next to me in bed, so I know it wasn’t him, but do you think it could have been Lindsay moving Declan’s boat? I mean, she must have known how to trailer it with all the time Declan spent out on the water.”
“You have to tell the police about that too,” I urged. “If nothing else, it gives Bill an alibi.”
“Ok, but can you give me until tonight to call the police? I want to tell Bill first, before Lindsay tells him anything.”
Desi contemplated that. Finally, she said, “All right. But you need to tell the police before tomorrow morning, ok?”
“Ok, I’ll do it.” She took a deep breath then smiled tentatively at Desi. “Hey, did I tell you I was offered a tenure-track position in California?”
Desi shook her head no. “That’s so exciting. It’s what you’ve always wanted. Are you going to take it?”
“No, Bill has his practice here. But it’s great to have been considered.”
“But you’ve always wanted this. What did he say when you told him?”
“I didn’t tell him.” Becca fidgeted in her seat. “I still feel guilty about that night with Jared. I know I didn’t technically cheat on Bill, but it sure feels like it.”
“You need to tell him,” Desi said gently. “He’ll understand. And I think he’d like to know about the job opportunity. That’s big news.”
I was beginning to wish I hadn’t been present for this conversation. I wasn’t close to Becca like Desi was, and I felt like I was intruding. However, we had learned something new about the night Declan died. If only it would lead to the murderer being caught.
“Girls, I have to get going. Thanks for inviting me to sit with you.” I waved then hurried over to the Boathouse. If I was going to make Becca’s wedding perfect like I’d promised her, I had a lot of work to do.
17
“Are you sure you have to go out to Lake Elinor?” Worry clouded my mother’s face as she rocked Ella in her arms. “It could be dangerous. Didn’t you say one of the people staying at that house probably murdered their friend?”
When I heard it that way, it didn’t sound terribly smart, but I’d already made the commitment. Besides, I was meeting Bill and I didn’t think he was the killer.
“It will be fine. I’m meeting the groom there. Nothing is going to happen to me in broad daylight.” I peered at her face. My words had done little to assure her. “I already screwed up their rehearsal dinner, so I have to do whatever I can to salvage the Boathouse’s reputation. If that means having to make house calls for their every whim, I’ll do it.”
She sighed and kissed Ella’s head. “Ok, but call me when you leave. I want to know you’re ok.”
“Yes, Mom.” I grinned. She still treated me like I was a teenager sometimes, but I knew she loved me. I’d enjoyed having her come for a visit, especially to have some adult company in the house. However, I’d studiously avoided asking her anything about her separation from my father. Time would tell how that would turn out. Goldie nudged my feet and gave me a begging look.
“Oh, all right, you can come with me today.” I hadn’t been spending as much time with him as I used to since starting work at the Boathouse. It would do him good to run around a little at Lake Elinor. Not in the pristine house, of course. Becca’s tiny Chihuahua was more suited to that than my rowdy golden retriever. I didn’t see any harm in letting him out on a leash in the yard or the dock, but I’d ask Bill to make sure it was all right.
When I got to the lake, Bill told me to bring Goldie inside.
“Are you sure?” Goldie wasn’t muddy, but he also wasn’t predictable and I didn’t know how he’d handle being around their Chihuahua.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” He laughed. “We have Tilly and my future in-laws have a Saint Bernard. It may not look like it, but this house is pretty dog-proof.”
I looked around. “Where is Tilly?”
“She’s locked up in the bedroom. She sometimes gets agitated by strange men, and I didn’t want her to get upset by the repairman who’s coming.”
I shrugged. “Ok then.” I followed him into the house with Goldie in tow, who insisted on sniffing every inch of the entry hall.
“Thanks for coming all the way out here,” Bill said as he led me toward the back of the house to the study. “Becca arranged for someone to come and fix the oven. When we tried to cook a lasagna yesterday, it wouldn’t turn on. We ended up ordering a pepperoni pizza from the local pizzeria. It seems like nothing is going quite like we expected this week.” He opened the door for Goldie to go out on the enclosed deck. Goldie took off immediately to stick his nose through the slats in the railing.
“No problem. I don’t mind. I want to make sure everything is perfect for your wedding.” I looked around the study. “What did you want to go over with me?”
“I was hoping I could go over the final costs one more time, given the changes Becca made. And I can pay you today.” He shook his head. “With everything that’s happened, I’d like to be able to enjoy our wedding and honeymoon as much as possible and not be worrying about paying then.”
“Oh, well, thanks.” If I’d known that reviewing the final costs and giving me a check was all he wanted me to come out here for, I could’ve e-mailed the invoice and had them mail us a check. However, I needed to make sure that everything went smoothly with this event, so I didn’t mind going the extra mile.
“Do you have the final invoice for me? I know Becca had made some changes to our catering.” He smiled at me. “I know she can be a little demanding sometimes, but she has very definite ideas about what she wants. Thanks for being so great about working with us.”
I handed him the invoice I’d printed out before I left the Boathouse. “It’s been a joy working with both of you. Here’s your invoice. I’ve added in the cost for the change to the entrées that Becca made.”
He scanned the piece of paper. “This charge doesn’t look quite right.” He poked his finger at one of the lines. I leaned in closer to see what it was.
“Oh, that’s the charge for the table linens and settings.”
“Shouldn’t it be a little higher?” asked Bill. “It looks about the same as it was before we added all of those people on. I would have thought we’d need to increase the number of tables.”
I flushed. He was right. Although I had informed the catering staff that we needed entrées for all of the extra guests that Becca had added on this week, I hadn’t changed the other charges on their invoice.
“You know, you’re right. Thank you for saying something. Let me just update that for you.” I pulled out my cell phone and turned on the calculator app. After a minute of jotting down figures, I tabulated the results and gave him the final number.
“It’s about what I was expecting. Let me get my checkbook.” Bill pulled the checkbook out from the center drawer of the desk. He neatly wrote out the check and signed it, then recorded it in his check register and handed it to me.
The house was quiet, and I hadn’t noticed many cars outside.
“Is anyone else here today?” Perhaps my mother didn’t have anything to worry about if only Bill was here. After all, Becca’s statement about the mystery truck driver had exonerated him.
“Becca left to get her nails done for the wedding.” He smiled softly. “You know girls, trying to turn themselves into princesses for the wedding. Although with Becca, it doesn’t take very much.”
“Desi mentioned that the two of you met while you were in college. Have you been together since then?
“We dated for a few years and then broke up for a couple of months.” He frowned. “Those were the worst few months of my life. I realized after only a day that I’d taken her for granted. I’m so lucky to have her in my life. She’s so smart, and she works so hard at her job. I’m really proud of her.” He beamed at me.
“She does seem special,” I agreed, then looked out the window to the deck, which was empty. “Where is everybody else?”
I tried to act nonchalant, but I think part of me wanted to make sure there wasn’t a murderer hiding behind the next door.
“Orson is here somewhere, but he’s generally so quiet that I don’t even hear him most of the time. I’m not sure about Jared.” He laughed. “I don’t think Jared will ever settle down. Given the chance, he’d be out at the bars every night, partying away into the early hours of the morning.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how he manages to get to work in the morning looking so bright and chipper. I went with him to the casino last Wednesday after the rehearsal dinner to blow off a little steam. With Declan and Lindsay fighting, we were both pretty stressed out.”
“Oh, which casino did you go to?”
“The one out by Islington.”
“That’s the new one, right? I’ve never been there.” With two kids at home, I didn’t get out much and wasn’t much of a gambler anyway, although I did have dreams of going to Las Vegas with Adam for a couples vacation and maybe even taking in a few shows. However, the casinos in the area were well known for their all-you-can-eat buffets, which Beth and Lincoln loved, so I’d been to quite a few of them for dinner.
“Yes, it is. Jared was itching to try it out. Apparently it’s the only casino in the area he hadn’t been to.” Bill seemed a little perturbed by his own statement.
“He sounds like my mother-in-law. She loves trying out the slot machines at all of the casinos in the area. She doesn’t gamble too much and sticks with the penny machines, but she has a ton of fun.” I remembered the racetrack slip in Jared’s car and had a sneaking suspicion that he didn’t stick to the penny machines.
“I didn’t try the slot machines. I played a little roulette but soon grew bored. Jared was playing blackjack and I couldn’t drag him away from the tables, so I nursed a beer in the bar for an hour. I finally had to tell Jared that we were leaving.” He shook his head again. “If he hadn’t gotten a ride with me because his car was in the shop, I don’t know if we would’ve seen him until morning. He’s living quite the bachelor’s lifestyle. But he’s not always like that. I think he just likes blackjack.”
He seemed envious of his friend’s lifestyle to some extent, and I didn’t think that he had any idea that Jared might be more than a casual gambler.
“So Declan didn’t go with the two of you to the casino that night?”
“No, I never saw him after he stalked out of our rehearsal dinner. I tried to catch him, but he slipped away from me.”
“Do you think something had been bothering him? I mean, I don’t know him or Lindsay very well, but they seemed to go from zero to sixty in no time. Did he normally blow up like that?”
“No, Declan’s always had somewhat of a temper, but he’d been really secretive lately.” He thought about it for a moment. “But Lindsay could really push his buttons. She’d had her lawyer request a valuation of our dental practice. Declan had started the valuation process with an expert at the CPA firm we use.”
“Was he thinking of selling his share in the practice?”
Bill shifted on his feet and stared out the window, then sighed. “I don’t know if he would have gone through with it. He told me not to tell Jared because he wasn’t sure what he was going to do, and he didn’t want to upset him. I guess I can tell Jared now. I’ve hated having to keep it a secret from him.”
“Was Lindsay trying to get his share in the divorce?” I leaned against the wall, tapping the check against my fingertips.
“I don’t know what Lindsay was trying to do. I never knew what she wanted.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I really shouldn’t be talking about her. She’s gone through a lot in this last week, and I know Becca is worried about her.”
“Yes, she has gone through a lot. It’s awful. I can’t imagine losing my husband like that.” I smiled sympathetically at him.
The doorbell rang,
and Bill seemed to realize that he was telling me his friend’s secrets.
“I better get that. It’s probably the oven repair guy.” He motioned to the check. “I don’t think there was anything else that I needed to discuss with you—did you have anything for me?”
“Nope, I think that’s it,” I said brightly. “Thanks for this. I’ll see you on Saturday.” I grabbed Goldie off the deck and brushed past the oven repair man, shutting the door behind me on the way out. Before I could reach my car, someone called out my name. I turned to see who it was.
“Orson, hi.” I walked across the grass to the lower deck, where he was sitting in a patio chair gazing out at the lake.
“Pull up a chair.” He gestured at a chair a few feet away.
I’d been meaning to speak with Orson, and I was already out at Lake Elinor, so this seemed as good a chance as any. I reached for the chair and dragged it closer to him, wincing at the noise as it trailed along the wooden boards. This deck level was also fully enclosed, so I let Goldie off his leash to roam freely.
“Are you the only one here besides Bill?” From Bill, I knew the answer to that question, but I wanted to see what Orson said.
“Yes, it’s quite relaxing without everyone else here.”
“It seems like there’s a bit of drama going on in the house,” I observed.
He sighed. “Unfortunately, there is. After Declan died, I thought some of Lindsay’s hostility would dissipate, but it seems that she’s shifted her anger to Jared instead. But she’s been through a lot this week.”
I noticed that he’d echoed Bill’s statement regarding Lindsay. The last couple times I’d been here, Orson had appeared to cater to Lindsay’s needs, and I wondered if there was romantic involvement between them.
Evidently, I’d asked that question out loud.
