“I just put the twins down for a nap,” Abby said as she indicated their two high chairs, covered with the remnants of an early lunch.
Goebel spoke first. “Yep, I think we both would like to see those rascals, but we understand. Right, Soph?”
“Uh, sure. Little ones need all the rest they can get,” Sophie commented.
Abby took a wet cloth from the sink and began wiping down the high chairs. “Sorry, if I don’t get this stuff off here now, it sticks, and it’s a real pain to clean up once it does that. If you all want some sweet tea, I just put a fresh pitcher in the refrigerator.”
“No, I’m fine,” Sophie said, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. “Your mother came by this morning.”
Abby stopped what she was doing, tossing the damp rag across the back of the high chair she’d been cleaning. She focused all her attention on Sophie. “And?”
Sophie cleared her throat and glanced at Goebel, who gave her an encouraging nod. “The other day when you came by the house”—she saw that she had her goddaughter’s undivided attention—“I was rude, and I apologize for that. And I am so very, very sorry the twins were frightened; your mother told me they were terrified of something. I just wanted to tell you the day you stopped over I’d just learned the house was full of carbon monoxide. I wanted to get you and the little ones out of the house as quickly as possible.”
Abby sat down on a chair opposite Sophie. “Then why didn’t you just tell me that? I thought something weird was going on in the house.”
Sophie took another breath. Keep it simple, remember. Keep it simple.
“I’d just found out and was . . . embarrassed that neither Goebel nor I had thought to have the place checked before we moved in.”
Abby looked at Goebel for confirmation. “Yes, we really didn’t even give it a thought,” he added, further adding to the believability of Sophie’s lie.
“We think it’s coming from one of the fireplaces, but we can’t be one hundred percent sure until we have the place thoroughly checked out. It could take a couple of weeks to do this, and then, of course, depending on what they find, it could be much longer with repairs and all. I just wanted to tell you this so you and the kids would be safe.”
Abby smiled. “Why do I feel like you’re not telling me everything?”
Because I’m not a very good liar, Sophie thought.
“You are just like your mother, you know that?”
“And you’re stalling, you know that?”
“No I am not! I just wanted to stress the importance of you all staying away from our house until we get the clearance from the . . . company.”
“Where will you two be staying while the repairs are made?” Abby asked.
Shit! She hadn’t even thought of that. Of course, if there’d truly been a carbon monoxide leak, they, too, would have to leave the house.
“We’re staying at a new bed-and-breakfast in Charleston,” Goebel interjected. “We thought it would be a good idea. The B and B is right around the corner from our office.”
“Yes, and we are about to go there now,” Sophie informed her. “So kiss and hug the kids for us, and I’ll keep you posted.” Sophie stood up and walked to the front door, Goebel and Abby trailing behind.
“Sure,” Abby said to their backs as they practically ran out the front door. “Call me when the coast is clear,” she shouted.
Goebel turned to give her a final wave while Sophie raced to the car.
Once they were safely ensconced inside the car, Sophie started talking a mile a minute. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. What the hell are we going to do now? I don’t know of any new bed-and-breakfast by the office. I’m sure that Abby will check, too. She knew I wasn’t telling the truth. The girl has a lie radar just like her mother and me. I need to call Toots so she can cover our asses should Abby call.” Sophie took her cell phone from her pocket and punched in Toots’s home phone number. Toots answered on the first ring.
Toots spoke without bothering with a greeting. “Abby just called and said she was coming over as soon as the twins wake up from their nap.”
“Damn! I knew she would call you the second we left. I can see I was right. Listen, we told her we had that carbon monoxide leak, and now we’ve added to the lie.”
“Oh shit, what is it this time?” Toots asked.
“Damn, you sound like I go around telling frigging lies all the time! Don’t make me remind you that you’re the liar in our group,” Sophie hissed.
“You know what I mean,” Toots said. “Now tell me what I need to know so I can keep Abby and my grandchildren safe. Listen, if we think of it this way, lying doesn’t really seem all that bad. Plus, we really don’t want to put them in harm’s way no matter what the source of the harm is, right? Doesn’t have to be carbon monoxide. It can just as easily be something . . . unknown.”
“Damn, Toots, you have this all figured out, don’t you. Now listen and don’t interrupt me. Goebel and I are in the car now. We just left Abby’s. She thinks we have to stay out of the house until this so-called leak is found and repaired. Goebel”—Sophie gave him her best evil eye—“told Abby we were staying at some new bed-and-breakfast that just opened up around the corner from our office. When she comes over, you have to cover our asses. Tell her you just called and insisted we stay with you. This way, we can still remain close by in case we are needed. Does that even sound half-assed plausible to you?” She spoke so fast she was out of breath. Sophie paused, waiting for Toots to come up with a better plan.
“I think it will work, but what if she drives by your place and sees that no one is there? No repair vehicles in the drive?”
“I hadn’t thought of that. I should have just told her the truth . . . no, forget I said that.”
“No, I won’t. You haven’t told me the truth, Sophia; I can’t imagine why you would even consider telling Abby, given what you say is at stake.”
Goebel turned into the gates that led to Toots’s mansion. “We’re at your house. I’ll finish this conversation inside.” She hit the END button on her cell phone.
Sophie focused her gaze on her husband. “Toots mentioned something about repairmen, said Abby might drive by the house, and what will I tell her if she asks why there are no vehicles in the drive?”
Goebel parked directly in front of Toots’s house. “The woman thinks of everything.”
“Yes, she does, and for once, I am glad. Now let’s go inside and figure out our next move.”
Chapter Four
“This is the expensive coffee you two hate, the two-hundred-dollar-per-pound stuff I get from the Philippines. Want me to scrounge through the pantry and see if I can find some of that cheap stuff you drink?” Toots asked while she waited for the coffee, her special coffee, to finish brewing.
“No, we can lower our standards, but just this once,” Sophie said as she grabbed Toots’s pack of Marlboros from the counter. “I’m going to smoke first. Want to join me?”
“Sure,” Toots said, then followed Sophie out the back door, and, as was becoming the norm, Frankie, Toots’s dachshund, followed her outside.
As was customary, they sat on the steps, and Sophie lit two cigarettes and offered one to Toots, just as she had since they were girls.
“So, is there something you want to tell me that you don’t want Goebel to hear?” Toots asked after she’d taken a long draw from her smoke.
Sophie thought for a few seconds before answering. “Not really. Why would you think such a thing? Goebel and I don’t have secrets, at least none that I know of.”
“I just thought you might have something to tell me, you know, something about the house that you didn’t want him to hear. Let’s just say I was hoping,” Toots added.
“I don’t, that’s just it. I have a very strong suspicion about what’s going on.” Sophie crushed her cigarette out in the sand-filled coffee can that was in its usual place beside the steps. “The thing is, if I voice what I
suspect, it will only make it worse.”
“Good grief, Sophie, do you realize what you just said makes absolutely no sense whatsoever?”
“Yes, and that’s what I’m trying to say without saying just what the problem is. This kind of . . . wickedness shouldn’t be spoken of, because it only makes what I suspect even stronger. I really wish I could tell you more, but trust me on this, I am keeping quiet for your own good, and, of course, for Abby and the twins. Hell, it’s for everyone’s own good.”
“Even Ida’s?” Toots asked, her voice tinged with humor.
“Even that old biddy,” Sophie replied. “Seriously, this is bad, probably the worst . . . phenomenon I’ve been up against since all this ghostly stuff started. I just wish I knew what to do.” Sophie’s last words communicated her insecurities, her lack of experience in handling this new situation.
Toots turned to stare at her, lit another cigarette, handed it to Sophie, then lit another for herself. She took three long puffs, blew the smoke in Sophie’s face, then spoke. “Okay, I think I may know what you’re referring to.”
Sophie shook her head, “Somehow, I doubt it, Toots. This isn’t ghostly stuff.”
“Let me just say this, and you don’t have to say a word because I will know by your expression whether I’m hitting the nail on the head or not.” She took another puff, then tossed the butt in the can. She didn’t bother to crush the cigarette out because there wasn’t much left to burn. She knew she was stalling, but she wanted to get this out of her head, needed to get it out of her head. “This issue, that’s what I’m going to call it for lack of knowledge, okay? Now, this issue you think you may have at your house, would it require the services of a . . . clergyman?”
Sophie stood up, surprised and more uncertain than Toots ever remembered seeing her. She appeared to wrestle with some inner demon. “Let’s go have that coffee. It smells good even if it is that expensive shit you pay a small fortune for.”
Toots reached for her arm and pulled her away from the door. “I’m right, aren’t I?” she inquired, and she knew it. Instantly, she felt Sophie’s fear.
“Please, Toots, let’s not speak of this again. Not until . . . I’m sure. Can you swear to me right now that you will not mention the word clergyman, reverend, preacher, priest, or anything remotely close to a religious scholar to anyone? Not even your friend Phil, Bernice, or God help us, Ida. Mavis, too. This would only frighten her.” That was putting it mildly, Sophie thought, but for now, it is what it is, and she didn’t have time to pussyfoot around.
“I promise.” Toots placed her hand over her heart, something they used to do back in high school when they knew that they were being entrusted with something of such great importance that there had to be a physical show of their comprehension. The hand-over-the-heart gesture had been the choice then, and Toots could only hope that Sophie remembered what it meant.
“I’m glad you understand. Now, let’s go inside and have that coffee. Do you have any pralines from the bakery?” Sophie asked as she stepped back inside the kitchen.
Ever since Toots had purchased the Sweetest Things, a down-on-its-luck bakery owned by Jamie, a young woman without a family whom they’d all taken under their wings a few years ago, they all expected Toots to have a variety of sweets when they came for coffee. Pralines were their specialty. The bakery, rather Jamie, had won numerous awards for her pralines, and it was all they could do to keep up with the supply and demand. The bakery’s success far surpassed any of their expectations. The Food Network had called last month, inviting Jamie to bake on one of their shows. Another thriving business, thanks to Toots.
“If Bernice didn’t take them all to Robert’s, I’m sure we must have a few.”
Inside, Goebel was seated at the table with two cups of coffee, one for Sophie and one for Toots. He had the half-and-half, the sugar, and he’d found the pralines she had stashed in the pantry in a large plastic container. “Something tells me you two need something sweet to go with this caffeine.”
“As usual, you’re right on the money,” Sophie agreed as she sat down next to her husband. She took a praline off the plate, then took another and placed it on the plate across from her. “Eat this, Toots. You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. Scratch that. You have seen a ghost. More than once. You look like you could use a stiff dose of sugar.” She pushed the plate across the table so that Toots could reach it. “Go on, your blood sugar needs a spike.”
Toots took a bite of the praline, then washed it down with a gulp of sugar- and cream-laced coffee, just the way she liked it. “Yes, that was just what I needed.”
Toots watched Goebel and knew that he was watching how she and Sophie were interacting with each other. “I don’t think I’ve had anything to eat since dinner yesterday,” Toots said, just to make conversation. “Of course, I had all that booze at your place last night, probably way more than a woman of a certain age should have, so this is good. I need sugar. Lots of sugar.”
“You’re rambling, Toots. It’s not like you to ramble on and on,” Goebel acknowledged. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Toots observed Sophie as she glanced back and forth between her and Goebel, as though she feared what Toots might say.
“Yes, I’m fine. Shit, Goebel, I haven’t had anything in my system but alcohol and caffeine. I’m just a bit shaky, really. Sophie saw this when we were outside smoking. That’s why we came in, right?”
“No, we came in because I smelled coffee, then when you sat down and I looked at you, I decided you needed a pick-me-up because you really look your age right now.”
Had the situation not been of such importance, Toots would have flipped her the bird. But this was not the time to act like . . . themselves, she thought. No, it was the time to let Sophie do whatever she needed to do, but because Goebel was watching her, she stuck her tongue out, then said, “Kiss my old wrinkled ass.”
In a voice that reeked of false bravado, Sophie said, “Hey, isn’t that Bernice’s line?”
“If it is, then I’m claiming it as mine right now; that is, if you, Mrs. Blevins, approve?”
Toots was trying for lighthearted and fun, but she wasn’t sure if she was successful because no one was laughing.
“I suppose Bernice wouldn’t mind, but I know for a fact your ass isn’t wrinkled,” Sophie added, catching on and trying to keep the conversation from getting too serious.
“When did you see my ass?”
“More times than I care to remember.”
“Gawd, that’s really disgusting, Soph. Have you been spying on me or something?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Toots saw Goebel grin as they bantered back and forth. This was good, this was what she’d been striving for.
“No, I haven’t been spying on you. I’ve lived around you long enough that I’ve had a few peeps. Now, let’s leave it at that, okay?”
“What’s okay?” Bernice called out as she and Robert entered through the back door.
Sophie shot Toots and Goebel the look. “Nothing that concerns you.”
Frankie came trotting downstairs, searching for the source of the noise. Coco, Mavis’s Chihuahua, trailed behind him. The two were best buds when Chester, Abby’s German shepherd, wasn’t around.
In her late seventies, and two years after major heart surgery, Bernice looked better than she had in years. And she knew it, too. Robert, her newfound love interest, followed her around like a lost puppy. “You are rude, Sophia. Did anyone ever tell you that?”
“Never,” Sophia replied in her best smart-ass voice.
“Then let me be the first,” she retorted. “What’s going on?” Bernice took the empty carafe from Goebel and brought it to the sink, where she rinsed it out, then refilled it. She emptied the coffee grounds, then refilled the basket with more of Toots’s premium blend.
Robert, ever the dutiful boyfriend, remained by the back door. “Get in here. You look silly just standing there like a statue,” Bernice ordered.
“Sit down for a minute. We’re going to have a cup of that fine coffee you like so much.” She shot Toots an I-dare-you-to-say-a-word look while waiting for Robert to sit down.
“Yes, do make yourself at home, Robert. What’s mine, after all, is Bernice’s,” Toots said sarcastically. Toots was sure Bernice caught the dig. When Robert and Wade had purchased the house next door, Bernice had led them to believe that she owned this house, and that Toots was a guest. They’d cleared that up quickly, if she remembered correctly.
Bernice gave Toots the bird, a habit she’d picked up when the girls came for their first visit to Charleston all those years ago. It was their version of a kiss-my-ass sort of salute.
“No need to bring up the past, Toots. If it weren’t for me, this place would be a mess. I don’t remember the last time I saw any of you load the dishwasher or mop these hardwood floors, or shine all these windows.” She finished her speech, then turned her back on them while she waited for the coffee to finish. “And I know you took the stash of pralines Jamie brought over last night, too. Those were for a special occasion.”
“Stop your whining, Bernice. Jamie makes pralines daily, and we can get them anytime. And what was your special occasion, anyway?” Sophie singsonged.
“I’m not telling anyone just yet. Right, Robert?” She looked at Robert, who just sat there with a grin as wide as the moon.
“Yes, dear,” he said obediently, and the grin on his face got even wider.
Toots shot up out of her chair like she had springs on her derriere. She grabbed the pot of coffee before Bernice had a chance to pour Robert and herself cups. “You’re not getting any of this stuff until you spill the beans. I hate keeping secrets.”
Goebel and Sophie looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“Yes, Bernice, you know how we all deplore keeping our private lives private,” Sophie added.
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