by Tegan Maher
Don scuttled out as soon as he was satisfied I was ready—which was about thirty minutes after I arrived—mumbling something about finally getting to go night fishing.
Three hours later, I’d given up making any money for the night and had switched into info-gathering mode. The handful of regulars who gathered there every day after work for happy hour were friendly and more than willing to share the local 411. I learned a lot about the town and residents, and was surprised to learn women did not have the patent on gossiping—there were a few people I wasn’t going to be able to look in the eye if I ever met them.
I also learned the list of people who wouldn’t have minded seeing Fiona dead was a lot longer than I’d originally thought. I wanted to take a second look at the woman who owned the ice cream shop beside her. Apparently, that rivalry had burned long and hot, punctuated by more than a couple incidents of screaming, naming-calling, and mud-slinging.
When I asked them if they thought Fiona could have been having an affair, they all scoffed except one, the grizzled old guy who’d been there when I’d come in for my interview. He’d introduced himself as Jeb.
“Nobody’s all bad,” he said, scratching his beard, “and everybody needs somebody. It’s the way of life. Fiona may have been cantankerous and mean, but she had her good points.”
“Like what?” one of the younger men said.
“Like she took giant stockpots of soup to the homeless shelter in the winter. And she donated money to Doc Murphy when he ran low on blankets or dog food or medicine for those strays he’s always takin’ in.”
That didn’t jive well with what I’d seen of her at all, but I’d only met the woman once. Plus, he was right. If working for a large metro newspaper had taught me anything, it was that everybody had their soft spots no matter how hardcore they seemed. I’d seen a gangbanger arrested because he stopped long enough in the chase to help a little old lady he’d accidentally knocked down.
“And she was a looker back in the day, too,” Jeb said, a little softer. “She wasn’t always wound so tight.” He gave me an inscrutable look. “But if she was havin’ an affair, maybe there wasn’t anything hinky about it. Maybe she just figured it wasn’t anyone’s business but her own.”
The guys gave him a good-natured ribbing over that one, but it gave me something to think about. Maybe it was time to dig a little deeper into Fiona’s life and stop chasing uncorroborated rumors.
Around eight, the door creaked open, and I turned to greet whoever’d ventured in. The smile froze on my face when I realized it was the mayor and his wife—the couple who’d been eating at Fiona’s café my first night in town. I hoped they were getting along better because the last thing I needed was a scene on my first night.
She was smiling, so I took it as a good sign and thought maybe they’d just been having an off day that night in the diner. They took a seat at a table halfway between the door and the back wall, picking up two of the small menus that were tucked between the ketchup and the mustard.
I hustled over to them, hoping all was well. “Hi there! What can I get you?”
The woman’s eyes met mine and she tilted her chin. “I think I saw you at the café the other day, right? You’re new here, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “You did, and I am.”
She set down her menu. “So how are you liking our little town so far?”
“It’s definitely been interesting,” I replied. “I think I’m going to love it once I settle in.”
The woman nodded. “It’s not a bad place to live. I’m Naomi Clark, and this”—she gestured to the man across from her——“is William Clark, my husband and the mayor of this fine town.”
I smiled and nodded. “Pleasure to meet you both. I’m Toni.”
“So where are you staying, Toni?” Naomi clasped her hands on the table in front of her, a warm smile lighting up her face.
“At Mercy Lodge,” I replied, setting a cocktail napkin in front of them.
A worried frown creased her brow. “You’re staying up there all alone?”
I shook my head. “Not anymore. Dee, from the café, moved in the other night.”
Naomi’s frown lifted and she raised a brow. “She’s staying with you?”
I frowned and nodded, wondering why she accentuated the word ‘you’ like it was completely unfathomable. “She didn’t want to stay alone at the café, so I offered her a room.”
“That was nice of you,” she said, brushing imaginary crumbs off the table. “I can’t say that I blame her for not wanting to sleep there. How’s she doing?”
“She’s hanging in there,” I said.
“Good,” she said, flipping the menu open. “It’s a shame about Fiona. She wasn’t the most pleasant person, but she didn’t deserve to die that way.”
Her husband, who’d been studying the menu like it held the answers to the great questions in life, looked up. “I never had a problem getting along with Fiona. She just had a low tolerance for bull and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Sure, she didn’t go out of her way to be nice, but then again, at least it was genuine.”
“I suppose there’s something to be said for being candid,” Naomi replied. “And she had her good points, too, I suppose. She wasn’t always nice to Dee, but she did give her a place to live and work, and I saw them out sometimes, shopping or eating. They looked like they got along well enough then.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the guys—they were ready for another round.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked Naomi.
“A chardonnay, please, and I’ll have a burger and fries. Medium well, American cheese, all the toppings.”
“And for you, Mayor?”
“A burger and fries are fine, Toni. And could you bring me a Jack and coke?”
“Coming right up,” I said as I turned and made my way back to the kitchen. I took them their drinks, then refilled the guys at the bar before turning to the kitchen. It didn’t take me long to make the dinners, though I did fumble a little looking for a new pack of buns.
I put my bartender’s smile back on and I delivered them to Naomi and William. My feet were starting to hurt.
“Can I get either of you anything else?”
Naomi shook her head as she squirted a blob of ketchup onto her plate.
William gave me another genuine, if slightly strained, smile. “Thank you, Toni. We’re good.”
I turned and strode back to the bar and began cleaning glasses and shooting the bull with the guys again. The guys were a pleasure to talk to, and I got a ton of great advice about everything from what contractors to consider for the lodge to which lures to use if I wanted to catch the big bass.
As far as Mercy’s leading couple, they barely looked at one another, and ate their meals in silence.
When their drinks were almost empty, she caught my eye. “Two more?”
She shook her head, then stood up and brought the empty glass to the bar while he went to the restroom. “None for me, but William would like another.” She did her best to keep her expression neutral. “One of us should keep our head enough to drive. This whole campaign thing gets worse every year, and it’s really taking a toll on him—on both of us—this time around.” She cleared her throat quietly. “You said Dee’s staying with you. Will you see her tonight, or in the morning, then?”
I grabbed the Jack bottle and poured two fingers’ worth into the glass, wondering where this was going. “Yeah, I’m sure I will.”
“Would you mind asking her if she could get a hold of me about a cake and some other baked goods for the ladies’ auxiliary? I had initially commissioned Fiona to do it, but ...” She shrugged. “Anyway, I’d be happy to pay Dee. I know she went to school for it, and I’d love to see her come into her own.”
I looked up at the woman, wondering if I’d judged her too harshly. She was obviously dealing with ... something ... in her relationship, and I was a stranger.
“I think Dee would really appr
eciate that. I’ll let her know as soon as I get home,” I said, handing her the drink.
Naomi gave a slight nod and handed me her business card. “Better get back to the table,” she said as her husband scrolled through his phone. “Just have her give me a call.”
I smiled and nodded.
I watched her take the drink back to her husband. He didn’t even acknowledge her other than to grab it from her hands. I shook my head. To each their own, I supposed.
William downed his second drink without sitting down, then dug in his wallet and dropped some money on the table. It looked like it was enough to settle his bill and then some. “Thanks a lot, Toni,” he called, then he turned toward the door with Naomi right behind him.
“Have a nice evening,” I called as he reached for the door.
She glanced at me and nodded.
The rest of the night sailed by without incident, and by two in the morning, I was ready to pack it in and go home. I’d had enough downtime toward the end that I had all the side work done, so I did one more pass through the restaurant. When I was satisfied I hadn’t missed anything, I turned out the lights and locked up, happy with my first night.
I pulled my coat around me on the way to my car. Even though it was late spring, it was cool outside, bordering on cold. It was going to take my thin Florida blood a while to acclimate to temperatures under sixty, but so far, the tradeoff seemed worth it. Of course, I hadn’t experienced snow yet, so I was reserving opinion. If it was this cold in the spring, I may have overestimated my zest for cooler climes.
I arched my back and stretched after I climbed into my SUV and kicked on the heater. I’d forgotten how physical just being on your feet for nine hours straight could be. That was going to take some getting used to, too.
The lights were on in the main lodge when I got home, so I stopped, wondering if Dee was usually a night owl or if she was having trouble sleeping. If it was the latter, I sure couldn’t blame her.
Once inside, I followed the sound of furniture being pushed around in one of the undamaged bedrooms upstairs. Dee was moving a heavy-looking antique dresser over to the corner of the room by the window, so I dropped my purse and ran over, helping her finish shifting the old oak piece to its new destination.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice a little breathless.
I put my hands on my hips as I looked around the room. It looked great. She had it cleaned and rearranged, and even the furniture was in better shape than I could have hoped, sans dust. I nodded. “It looks amazing in here.”
Dee beamed at me. “Since there are a few rooms that just need some paint or a good scrubbing, like this one, I figured I’d start with one of them because I can do most of it myself.”
Aside from the bare bed and windows, I was impressed. The crown molding was in perfect condition, and unlike the downstairs, the wallpaper was even in decent shape. I didn’t like it, but at least it wasn’t peeling and stained. Seeing it almost ready to live in chased away most of my exhaustion and made me want to dig in myself. “I guess there’s more hope for this old place than I initially thought.”
Dee wiped her hands on her jeans and nudged me with her elbow. “I told you so. I had Scout run me to town so I could grab my bedding and some pictures, you know, to make my room in the cabin feel more like mine. He helped me move the old bed from the cabin up here so I could have my stuff there.”
“That’s perfect,” I said, admiring how well this one room had come together.
She pointed down the hall to where there was a communal bathroom. “I cleaned the bathroom too, so we wouldn’t have to run up and down the stairs every time we needed to use the restroom, or get fresh water to clean with, or whatever.”
I furrowed my brow. “I thought the pipe was leaking in there.”
She grinned. “Keyword was. Scout fixed it when I showed him around. Since all he really did was keep up the yard, he hadn’t even seen the inside in ages, though he grew up with one of the guys you bought it from. He says he played here as a kid, and the place was incredible.”
Looking around at the finished room, it was much easier to imagine that than it had been the day before.
“It only took him a few minutes to fix the pipe, and he checked the gas and water lines out in the kitchen, too,” she said. “We’re all good and can cook in there and everything. He said it’s all new.”
“Did he have any idea who remodeled it, then walked away?” I asked. It didn’t make any sense—that wasn’t cheap. I wasn’t going to complain, though. With the amount of work the rest of the house needed, it was nice to know at least one room wasn’t going to punch me right in the wallet.
“Nope,” she said, “though he was away on and off all last summer on business.”
I shrugged. “Then I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“So how was work?” she asked as she picked up some lint off the floor.
“Long,” I said. “It wasn’t busy, but I had enough business to make it worth my while.”
She nodded. “Not a lot of nightlife here, that’s for sure. I’m glad you made at least a little money, though.”
Speaking of money ... I spun and faced her, belatedly remembering Naomi’s request. “Oh, the mayor’s wife said she wants you to get a hold of her about that cake and stuff for the auxiliary. She said she’d made arrangements with Fiona, and would gladly pay you to do it.”
A big smile spread across her face. “Wow! Well, that’s perfect. I could use the money, and I’m just dying to try out that oven.”
It was nice to see her happy after the couple days she’d had. “Then it sounds like it’ll be perfect for you. Especially if you decide to run a home-based bakery.”
Dee nodded and gave me a sly sideways glance as she walked beside me. “Or for a bed and breakfast. Lodge, resort, whatever.”
“Or a retreat for a writer and a wayward friend and an orphaned dog,” I said lifting one corner of my mouth. “Since that’s what it is at the moment. The way the dog is, we need to get three of these rooms done before we can move in because he needs his own room with his own bed.” I opened the door and stepped outside, shivering when a breeze blew what felt like Arctic air down the back of my neck.
Dee laughed. “Probably. I took him back to the cabin a little while ago because the noise I was making had him hiding under the bed in the room down the hall.”
I snorted. “Heart of a lion, that one.”
“Yeah, the Cowardly Lion,” she replied. “We should probably have him chipped in case somebody breaks into the house and steals him along with the TV.”
Chapter 16
I WAS JUST COMING UP the drive after my jog then next morning, Bear loping along beside me, when the cabin door swung open up and Naomi step out, Dee following along behind. “Thanks again, Dee,” she called over her shoulder.
I stopped next to the Beamer as Bear galloped on past me and into the lodge, just about knocking Dee over as she shut the door. “I’ll be right in,” I said with a wave when I noticed she’d paused to wait for me.
She nodded and went inside.
“So, did you two work out the cake details?” I asked as I pulled my hair out of its ponytail.
Naomi smiled and nodded. “We did.” She glanced back at the door. “I think it will be good for her. Give her a sense of purpose. And I know it’ll be good for me. The only other bakery in town is booked for the next three months. And though I really like the girl that runs it, her cakes tend to be a little dry.”
“Oh, then I’m sure Dee will dazzle you,” I said, smiling. “I think it’ll be good for her, too,” I said. “It’s her dream to do that.”
“I know,” she replied, climbing into her car. “And I’m glad she’s opening the diner, too. That’ll be good for her and the town.”
She did a three-point turn and waved, smiling, as she pulled off. Once her car disappeared in a cloud of dust, I turned back toward the cabin. Dee was loading up a box with cleaning supplie
s.
“Yay on the job!” I said. “Go you.”
“Thanks,” she said. “It feels pretty amazing. How was your run?”
I gave her a wry smile. “Torturous as always. I’m not one of those nuts who runs for pleasure—I run so I can eat cheesecake and French fries without having to size up in clothes every six months.”
She barked out a laugh. “In that case, maybe you’ll inspire me to take it up. Lord knows I could stand to drop a size or two, though running with these babies”—she looked down at her chest—“is a safety hazard.”
I snickered. “Yeah, the one and only benefit to being less than well-endowed—I can run unhindered. Yay.”
“Sarcasm suits you,” she said, giving me a lopsided grin. “It’s one of the things I’m starting to like most about you.”
“Oh, then stick around,” I replied. “I have an unlimited supply.”
I grabbed a second box and shoved a couple packs of cleaning rags I’d picked up into it, then chucked a few bottles of water and some granola bars in on top of it. I was going to have to do a grocery run before too long, but they’d do for now.
It was a beautiful day, but since we had a ton of stuff to carry up, we decided to drive rather than walk. I slid the key into the lock, my box of cleaning supplies propped between my hip and the doorframe. When I gave the door a shove to open it, I was surprised to find a little resistance.
I gave it a firmer push and gasped when it finally gave. The wallpaper we’d stuffed in the cans the day before was scattered all over the room.
“What the hell?” Dee said when she peeked around me.
“I have no idea,” I replied, setting my box on a card table Dee’d brought from her place. “That can was heavy, so it’s not like it just blew over. Even if it had, it wouldn’t be scattered all over like this.”
“Animals, maybe?” she said. That didn’t make sense either since there wasn’t any food in it, but I couldn’t come up with a better reason.
“Kids don’t come here to party, do they?” I asked. I knew if I’d been a teenager, the place would have been a prime target to host a Saturday night kegger.
