Hospitality and Homicide Page 14
I studied the mixture. “I don’t know a lot about plants, but none of these really smell like that. Maybe it’s a mixture of all the smells. Or maybe what you’re smelling is triggering a scent memory. I’ve heard that some smells stay with us because their tied to a memory. Where did you first smell honeysuckle?”
“My grandparent’s farm in Idaho. Mom and Dad used to send me there for the summer and I’d wander that entire property. It was a kid’s paradise.” He pulled me into his arms and we continued our walk. “Do you think about kids? Someday, I mean, not now.”
“Olivia was pretty cute sitting and reading in the book nook today. I guess I could imagine my own little girl.”
“Or boy,” Greg interrupted.
“Okay, or boy, sitting there, playing cars or reading.” I paused, thinking about tonight. “In fact, the subject of me and you came up a few times tonight.”
“Ugh, what’s the town verdict? Are we going to make it?” He pulled his keys out of his pocket and remotely unlocked the truck.
I waited for him to open the door for me and then climbed in. “I’ve been told I’m an idiot if I don’t seal the deal and soon.”
“We’re not talking about this tonight.” He kissed me and then brushed something off my cheek. “Tonight we’re having a quick date night meal; then I’m going back to work.”
He didn’t say the rest of the sentence, but I knew the implication. We weren’t talking about this tonight, but we would soon. I needed to figure out what I wanted. And fast.
The next morning, I shut off my alarm without really waking up. Soon I heard a banging on my door. Still drugged from sleep, I stumbled downstairs, Emma at my heels. I swung open the front door, but no one was there. The banging continued. A little more awake now, I moved to the kitchen where when I opened that door. Toby stood on my porch, cup in hand.
“What are you doing here?” I held out the screen door and he came in while Emma went outside to do her puppy duty. He walked over to the coffee pot.
He took a sip of his coffee, then grinned as he took in my pajamas. “Nice Wonder Woman pjs.”
I grabbed my own cup and poured me some of the dark brew. Burning the candle at both ends had finally caught up with me and I felt bone tired. “So if you’re just here for coffee, go away. I’ve got to get ready for work.”
“You’re an hour late. Jackie called me and asked if you were dead. Apparently, you didn’t answer her calls to the cell or the land line.”
I almost choked on the sip of coffee I’d just taken. “You could have started with that.” I looked at the clock. I was an hour late opening the store. “I’ve got to get ready.”
“Don’t rush, Jackie has it covered. She said just get in when you can. I was hoping to chat for a few minutes.” He sat a box on the counter. “I brought donuts.”
“Aunt Jackie’s going to kill me. Are they from Lille’s?” Tiny, Lille’s long-term cook, had been experimenting lately with donuts. He’d try anything. I loved his maple walnut bacon donuts, but he only made those on Sundays. Ordering the donut was one of the reasons Amy and I loved eating Sunday brunch at Diamond Lille’s.
“They are and I got the selection. Apparently Tiny’s going southwestern in his flavor profile because there’s a new version called, Santa Fe Chili. I got two of them.” He took a plate out of the cupboard. The boy was getting excessively comfortable in my kitchen. He held it out for me. “Are you joining me for breakfast?”
“A fast one.” I took the plate and the box and sat at the table with my coffee. Opening the box, I was hit by the warm yeasty smell that Tiny’s donuts always had. Then a mix of sweet and spice. This was going to be good. After grabbing a couple of choices, I pushed the box toward Toby. “Tell Mama Gardner all about your problems.”
“That’s just creepy.” Toby took a donut out of the box. “But yeah, you are becoming my sounding board so here goes. What if I do wait for Sasha to finish school? I mean, we can put the whole dating thing on hold, be friends with an understanding that once she’s ready, we’ll see where we are. No pressure, but I wouldn’t be dating others until we decided yes or no about us.”
“Have you talked to Sasha about this? Is she on board?”
He shook his head. “I wanted to see if you thought the plan was too crazy before I laid the plan out for her. So is it?”
I thought about him and Sasha. I had never seen them as a couple, so when they’d started dating, it shocked me. Now, he wanted an opinion on a committed but not dating plan. “I don’t know Toby. Maybe it’s just enough to stay friends and then if the relationship develops into something else, so be it. This seems a little forced.”
“I know. You’re right. I just don’t want to lose her.” He finished off the one donut and went in for what looked like a strawberry frosted one. “I’m pathetic, right?”
“No. You aren’t pathetic. You love her.” I took a sip of my coffee. “If it’s right, it will happen. You know that.”
He stood and let Emma inside. Finishing off his coffee, he rinsed his cup. “I’m heading to bed. Thanks for talking me off the ledge.”
“Any time.” I grabbed my cup and refilled it. “I’m heading in to get my lecture from Aunt Jackie. Are you working this afternoon?”
“Sasha’s doing the shift. This will be her last one. She’d starting all the moving next week so Jackie put Nick into her shifts until you hire and train someone.” He didn’t smile. “I guess I’ll pop in and say good-bye around five before my patrol shift. I’m going to miss her and Olivia.”
I watched him walk toward the shed/apartment door. Emma sat under her leash and whined. “Sorry girl, it’s go to work day. Maybe later.”
I ran upstairs and was dressed and out the door in record time. Cars lined the street and I realized that the search for Thad Coltrane had started. Saying a prayer for the unlikely chance that Esmeralda was right this time, I power walked to the shop. Diamond Lille’s was the only other place open but her parking lot was full too. This didn’t bode well for my aunt not being swamped right now.
As I predicted the line in the shop was almost to the door. Harrold was at the cash register and Aunt Jackie made coffees. Neither one looked up when the bell rang over the door announcing my presence. Another bad sign they’d been swamped for a while.
I hurried to the back and washed my hands. After throwing on an apron, I refilled the to-go cups by the espresso machine where my aunt was making a mocha. “Where do you want me?”
She didn’t even pause or look up. “Stock us back up first. We’re out of quite a few of the dessert items in the case. And I need coffee.”
I refilled the coffee bins first, then ran to the back and brought out two cheesecakes. I was boxing them up for orders faster than I could get them into the case, but after an hour of that pace, the dessert case was filled, the line gone, and my aunt and Harrold sat on the couch with their own coffee cups.
“I don’t think I need to work out today. I’m going to open my shop and take a rest. You guys are crazy busy compared to me.” Harrold shrugged his shoulders. “No wonder you have short shifts here.”
“When it’s busy, it can get a little crazy.” I poured my own coffee and went to sit next to them. The shop was cleared of people and only a few had eaten in the dining room, so I only had a couple of tables to clean. “Thank you for covering for me this morning. I don’t know what happened.”
“You were tired. I could see it last night when you left.” My aunt patted my hand. “No worries. When Harrold came down for the paper and saw the line at the door, we knew we had to open.”
Harrold chuckled. “I ran upstairs, marshalled the troops, and we went flying. It’s been that busy since we opened the door. What’s going on today? A walk/race?”
I reminded him about the search party for the little boy.
“That was today?” He shook his head. “I sure hope that woman knows what she’s saying this time. Messing with parents’ emotions is just plain evil.”
“We didn’t talk at dinner. He wants to keep me out of the investigation, remember?” I was glad she changed the subject, though. Harrold could get worked up on the Esmeralda topic. “Although I don’t think Josh told Greg what he found yet.”
“Josh found something?” My aunt sat straight. “Do I need to go talk to him?”
Harrold stood. “I’m going to head upstairs to get my things. I need to open the shop soon.”
I waited until he was out of earshot. “You know he doesn’t like it when you talk about Josh.”
“I didn’t talk about Josh, you did. So tell me what you know.” My aunt leaned forward for the gossip.
CHAPTER 15
Sasha arrived promptly at noon and gave me a big hug. “I will so miss you.”
I squeezed her tightly. “Aunt Jackie said she’ll be down a little early to say good-bye before she takes over for her shift. She’s not feeling the best this week.” My aunt’s arthritis was kicking into full gear. She kept telling me everything was okay, but I saw the pain she tried to mask. I made a mental note to go with her next time to the doctor. Maybe I’d learn more than she was currently willing to share.
“I wish I could do both jobs. Truly.” Sasha shook her head. “Olivia’s going to miss this place too.”
I grabbed my purse and took out an envelope. “Before you go, I wanted to give you this. You are the proud recipient of a Miss Emily grant which should cover books and most of Olivia’s daycare for your senior year.”
Sasha didn’t open the envelope. “I can’t take this.”
“You can and you will. If not, I’ll pay your tuition for next year directly to the school and it will cost me more than that. Please, I want you to have it. Miss Emily would love to know that her money is being used to fund smart women who are working hard to reach their dreams. Thank her, not me.”
She hugged me again so tight this time I squeaked. “This is for you and Miss Emily. Thank you so much.”
“Just remember to come and visit us from time to time. And you have my e-mail; I better hear from you.”
I wiped away tears that I tried to explain away as happy ones, but as I left the shop, I knew I’d be missing my friend as she traveled a different path. I’d left a career where I’d liked most of the people I worked with for something knew and unknown. It was scary but so totally rewarding when it went right.
I walked home, thinking about new starts and old habits and decided to take a trip to Bakerstown to talk to Doc Ames. I’d been negligent in trying to figure out who killed Walter. Greg was probably happy I had been out of the picture, but it felt right for me to take this on. Besides, if I stayed in town, I’d think about it being Sasha’s last day which would make me sad. And, on the way home, I could stop at the Big Bun for lunch and a vanilla shake. If anything would kick me out of my doldrums, it was sleuthing and eating.
I turned up the music in the Jeep as I pulled out of my driveway, but the search participants were leaving at the same time. I didn’t get on the highway for ten minutes. People were crossing the highway to get back to their cars in droves. They all looked hot, tired, and discouraged. I didn’t even have to ask anyone the result. I saw it in their faces. The search had been unproductive. As I turned onto the highway, I saw a lone figure standing on the bluff overlooking the ocean. Her hair and skirts blew around her, taking the ocean breeze and making it look alive.
Esmeralda hadn’t given up, even though everyone else had. My heart hurt for her pain.
By the time I got to the funeral home, it was one. There wasn’t a funeral today. I’d already checked the online guest book. I hope I’d catch Doc in his office working on paperwork, rather than his other workroom. The front doors opened into a velvet lined room, filled with overly ornate furniture as well as vases of flowers. I’d only been here a few times. Once during Miss Emily’s will reading and then funeral. Then I’d waited in this same waiting area while Greg and Doc Ames tried to keep Sherry and Mrs. Paine from tearing each other’s hair out while figuring out who got to plan Kent’s funeral. Sherry had tried to play the I’m-Kent’s-fiancée card and when that didn’t work, had tried to get Greg to interfere. I guess she thought as Greg’s ex-wife, she’d have more pull than Kent’s ex-wife did. Problem was, Kent hadn’t changed his will or in case of emergency contacts and the ex-Mrs. Paine had the law and the paperwork on her side. Sherry had responded by trying to push the woman out of the way. People weren’t at their best while they were under stress. And having a loved one die is one of the items on the cause-the-most-stress list.
I headed past the chapel and toward his office. I knocked on the closed door and heard a muffled voice say, “Come in.”
I swung the door open and Doc Ames sat at his desk, a pile of files on one side of his desk. Several others on the other side, and one in the middle. He laid his pen down and stood when he saw me at the door. “Hey, do you have a few minutes?”
“Of course, come on in.” He waved to the couch and stepped away from his desk toward me. “Let’s sit over here, it’s more comfortable and I don’t have to look at the pile of files I still need to review.”
“Sorry to bother you unannounced, but I needed to get out of South Cove for a bit.” I perched on the couch. “I know it’s not earth shattering or even a tragedy but this is Sasha’s last day and I need to do something besides be blue.”
“That girl’s special, that’s for sure. She was a pop of sunshine. Smart too. She told me about her marketing project for the woman’s shelter. Mark my words, she’ll go far in whatever she decides to do.” He leaned forward. “So what brought you all the way to my door today?”
“I was thinking about what you said about knowing Walter. Since I didn’t know him very well, I’d like to hear what you remember.”
He studied me. “Because you think you can solve this mystery?”
“Maybe, maybe not. But it will keep my mind on something else.” I held up the notebook. “Do you care if I take notes?”
“Not at all. Well, let’s see what I remember. I suppose you want to know everything.” He tapped his finger on his nose, thinking.
“When did you first meet him?” I wanted everything. I didn’t know if it would help or not, but at least I’d know a little more about the man. I felt bad we’d joked about him just a day before his death. At least, I could be more understanding.
Doc Ames started talking about the glory days and high school. When he reached their senior year, he frowned. “There was something about the valedictorian spot. He was in competition with some other guy. I can’t remember who it was, but Walter won the spot, along with a whole bunch of scholarships. We thought the kid was going to go all the way. Instead, he went away to Stanford for one semester, quit school, then came home where his dad bought the Beal Street house.”
“What happened to bring him home?”
“I never found out. Of course, I was off at school myself during the entire thing. I remember thinking what a waste of those scholarships. I could have used a few myself, but my high school grades weren’t the best. I was having too much fun on the football team but I wasn’t good enough to play at the higher level. I buckled down in college and got my pre-med degree.”
“So he was already running Beal Street when you moved back?” Maybe the bed and breakfast was the issue. The only thing that bothered me about Doc Ames story was why Walter had quit and come home so soon. I wondered who knew the real reason.
“Yeah, but that was years ago. The only good thing is both Walter’s parents died before he did and he had no siblings so they don’t have to deal with this awful murder situation. Dying is one thing. It’s natural. But what was done to Walter seemed like overkill. Rage would be my guess.” Doc winked at me. “Of course, that’s not based on my professional opinion. I’m only repeating gossip you might hear on the streets.”
> “Do you know if he was dating? Or ever married?” There didn’t seem to be anyone I could talk to who really knew him. This was getting stranger by the minute.
“From what I knew, that bed and breakfast was his entire life.” Doc Ames looked around. “I guess Walter and I were the same in that matter. After I lost Edith, I spend way too much time here with the ghosts. It’s nice to have someone to talk to that actually can talk back.”
“I just don’t understand why anyone would want to kill him. He was a nice man. He ran a good bed and breakfast, and the community seemed to love him.” I closed my notebook. “Okay, maybe he had a secret life that we don’t know about. Drugs?”
Doc Ames barked a laugh. “Walter? You think Walter was part of the drug trade? Not likely. Your boyfriend probably will kill me for telling you this, but the tox screens came back clean. He took a pill for high cholesterol, but that’s all I found in his system.”
“So what do you think happened? He didn’t tie himself to that tree and stab himself with a knife.”
“True. But if you’re looking for a killer, you need to examine the victim’s life. What made Walter tick? What did he love and hate? Wasn’t he part of your business council? Maybe he made enemies there?” Doc Ames looked hopeful.
“What, a fight over whose B&B gets listed first in the commerce listing? I don’t think that would cause that much anger. Besides, if that was true, Bill Sullivan would be the one tied to a tree. I think South Cove B&B is always the more popular of the two, even though bookings weren’t a problem for either.” I tapped my pen on the notebook. Nothing was making sense in this investigation. Then maybe you shouldn’t be investigating, my good side said. “I guess I’m heading back to South Cove. Thanks for your time.”
“No problem. Come anytime. I know Greg won’t approve, but we can keep this our secret.” He stood and followed me to the door.