Teaberry Three Part Harmony

by R A Wallace

  Teaberry Three Part Harmony

  A Teaberry Farm Bed & Breakfast Cozy Mystery

  R. A. Wallace

  2018

  Author’s Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, dialogue, places, and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Material in this book is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice from qualified professionals. The author has no connection to any software or website mentioned.

  © 2018 R. A. Wallace. All rights reserved.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Megan’s Recipes

  Books by R. A. Wallace

  Chapter One

  After searching on his computer for an hour, he finally found the picture he was looking for. He sent a copy to his phone then jumped into the shower. He had been looking forward to the evening out with friends and he knew that they would enjoy seeing the picture that he had found. It had been taken a few years ago, but it would help them to remember their friend. After all, that’s what tonight was about. They were toasting a friend they had lost.

  He dressed quickly and was ready to grab his things when he heard his phone. He could tell by the ringtone who was calling. He probably would have ignored anyone else, but this caller happened to be the love of his life. Emmet scooped his keys and wallet up from the dresser and pocketed them, then grabbed his phone. The voice on the other end brought the first smile of the day to his face.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “Hey, sweetie. How was your day?” Emmet loved hearing about Jennifer’s life.

  “Good. Listen, I just heard. Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? It would be better than staying home alone.”

  He smiled again. She had been trying to take care of him for years now. Ever since his wife had died, Jennifer had immediately stepped in to take over the role of her mother. But Emmet knew for a fact that Jennifer’s boyfriend, Jim, was going to be at the restaurant tonight. And although his daughter was a top-notch lawyer, she had never quite conquered the kitchen.

  “Thanks, but I’ll be alright. I’m meeting with Daryl and Vince to drink a toast to Colin together. We’re going to the Station Pub & Grill.”

  “That’s great. You guys can reminisce about your friend together and talk about the good times you had with him. But you can call me or come over if you need to talk.”

  He could hear the relief in her voice. He knew she hadn’t really wanted to cook a meal. “I will. Listen, I should go now. I don’t want to keep the guys waiting. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Be safe.”

  “You too,” Emmet said somberly. Losing his friend had been a surprise. Colin had only been forty eight, not much older than Jennifer. He could never bear to lose his daughter. The thought wiped the smile from his face.

  ***

  Vince was about to lock his front door and pull it closed behind him when he had another thought. Quickly going back into his house, he went into the room he used for his study. It had originally been designed to be a bedroom but since Vince lived alone he had chosen to use the room as a work space. He kept his computer there on a large desk that also gave him the room he needed for his many projects.

  After going into the closet, he turned on the light and began searching the shelf at the top. He had several small boxes where he stored old photos and other things he hadn’t looked at in years. He pulled down each box and opened the lid giving the contents a cursory look before replacing the lid and pulling out another box. Finally, he found the box that he was searching for.

  Taking it over to his desk, he set it down next to the computer and began taking the items out one by one. He knew he’d kept these somewhere. He’d spent part of his afternoon searching for them but had forgotten to check this closet. The guys would enjoy seeing the one item in particular that he now held in his hand. Leaving the box on his desk, he took the certificate showing their second-place win in their first competition against their friend. Without his encouragement, they would never have entered the contest. Even though Colin knew they’d be competing against him, he had been their biggest supporter. The certificate would be a perfect reminder of the friend they had lost.

  He was headed for the front door again when his phone rang. Knowing by the ringtone that it was Bev, he answered immediately.

  “You aren’t driving yet, are you?” Bev asked.

  “No, I was just on my way out. Did you hear anything?”

  “I talked to Linda. I didn’t want to bother her sister with anything. Hilary has to be beside herself right now, to lose him so suddenly like that. I still can’t believe Colin is gone. He was so young and healthy.”

  Vince couldn’t even begin to imagine. He would be devasted if he lost Bev. “At least Hilary has her family to help. Did Linda know anything yet?”

  “The funeral is going to be Friday. I thought you might want to tell Emmet and Daryl.”

  “Thanks. That will help. I’ll see you later?” Bev had already told him to stop by her place after he met with the guys.

  “Yes. I’ll see you soon.”

  ***

  Daryl walked into the kitchen and knew immediately that his wife wasn’t there. He had just come from the bedroom, so he knew she also wasn’t there. Wondering where she could have gone, he turned to go back into the hallway and continue his search for her. That was when he heard her coming into the house from the garage. Reversing course, he met her back in the kitchen just as she set a box down on the island counter.

  “What have we here?” Daryl joined Leah at the island.

  His wife smiled at him as she lifted the lid. “It took me quite a while to find it.”

  Daryl peered into the box curiously. “Sheet music?”

  Leah pulled out a stack and shuffled through them, looking for the one song in particular that she wanted. Finally, she handed him the sheet music with lyrics.

  “This is the song that the four of you sang together. It was before you formed the Tea Tones and it was the one and only time that the three of you actually sang with Colin.”

  Daryl’s eyes lit up with surprise. “You kept this? I can’t believe that. I’d actually forgotten about this sheet music.”

  “I thought the others would like to see it.”

  Daryl turned the page to read the handwriting on the side. Colin had written a suggestion that he had for the budding vocal group. It had been Colin’s idea that Emmet, Vince, and Daryl call themselves the Tea Tones. He smiled when he read the note. Leah was right. It was the only time they’d performed as a group with Colin. The rest of the time, Colin had performed with another group and competed against Vince, Emmet, and Daryl.

  “You’re right, the guys will love this. Thank you for thinking of it.” Daryl leaned in for a kiss. “I’ve got to go. You sure you’re going to be okay for a while?” />
  “I just downloaded the new mystery that my book club is reading. I’ll be fine. You guys need this evening alone to reminisce the good times you had to together, even when you were competing against each other. He was such a nice man and the accident was so sudden. I just can’t believe that he’s gone. I can’t imagine what Hilary is going through right now.”

  ***

  Cathy looked up as three men walked into the bar area and took a booth. She had seen them before, especially the one gentleman. She knew he was Jennifer’s father. She could tell by their countenance that they weren’t in a jovial mood. That was unusual for these men and she wondered what had happened. She finished serving some drinks at the bar, then went around to the other side and approached the table.

  “Gentlemen. Out on your own tonight?”

  Emmet spoke for them. “We are. We lost a close friend to an accident. We wanted to get together and remember the good times we had.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss. What can I get you?” She took their orders and departed, leaving the men to their memories.

  “Look at this.” Daryl pulled out the sheet music Leah had found for him. “Do you remember this?”

  “Wait! That’s Colin’s handwriting?” Vince looked at the other two men in disbelief. “Colin told me that Emmet was the one who came up with our name.”

  Emmet’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “Are you kidding? He always told me that you came up with the name.”

  Daryl laughed. “No. It was Colin’s suggestion. I have the proof right here.”

  Emmet shook his head. “That was Colin for you. Always giving credit to other people for the good things that he did.”

  “He’s the only reason I got into singing,” Daryl said. “I didn’t have the nerve to get up in front of people and sing until he convinced me to harmonize with the three of you, just to give it a try.”

  Vince thanked Cathy when she returned with their drinks, then pulled out the certificate that he had brought. Laying it on the table so the other two men could see it, he asked, “Do you remember this competition?”

  Emmet pulled it closer to get a better look. “This is the first time that we competed together as the Tea Tones.”

  Daryl took the certificate from Emmet. “We got second place the very first time we competed.”

  “Colin joked that he should have never talked us into performing. We almost beat him that time,” Vince said.

  Daryl laughed with the other men. “He was a great guy. I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

  Emmet shook his head and toyed with the glass of beer in front of him. “I wish he had asked me for help with his car. I would have been there with him. He might not be gone now.”

  “We can’t be sure of that. We don’t know what happened to cause the car to fall on him. It won’t help to make yourself crazy with the what ifs,” Vince said gently. He’d had a few of those thoughts himself.

  Emmet pulled out his phone. “Hey, here’s a picture that I found. Do you remember this?”

  Vince took the phone and smiled when he saw the photo. “It’s the four of us.”

  Daryl took the phone and looked at the photo. “I remember this. You know, Colin was so well-liked in the harmony world. I’m sure there are a lot of other people out there like us that he helped over the years.”

  Emmet took the phone back and looked at the photo again. “You know, you’re right. We should post this on the harmony forum so that others he’s come across over the years hear about his death. I know the forum usually just has information about upcoming events, but I think others would like to know about this.”

  Vince nodded. “That’s a great idea. That’s a really nice photo of him. You can crop us out and upload just the part showing Colin with a message so that everyone knows. Colin has travelled all over the United States. Who knows how many people he’s met and helped over the years.”

  Daryl held up his glass. “Here’s to Colin.”

  “To Colin,” the other two men chorused as they raised their glasses.

  Chapter Two

  The house was quiet. Too quiet, Barbara thought. She could remember decades ago when her children were young. At this time of the year, the house would be full of excitement about upcoming holidays. They would be begging her to decorate the house for Christmas, even though they hadn’t even celebrated Thanksgiving yet. Each year, no matter how much they pleaded, Barbara would remain adamant and not allow a single decoration until after the turkey feast was officially over.

  She smiled now at the memory and wondered at her own persistence. Would it have mattered so much if the decorations had gone up early? Her children were all grown now and had children of their own. Even her grandchildren were now reaching adulthood. Where had the time gone? Barbara set the hair dryer down and fluffed her short hair into place. It would do for a quiet evening at home with her husband.

  The two of them enjoyed having family visit but everyone was so scattered across the country that they had gotten into the habit of celebrating holidays on their own. Not for the first time, Barbara wondered if she should insist on a large family gathering at the holidays. Maybe now it was time? When the grandchildren were young, they all seemed to have their own schedules at Thanksgiving and their parents all wanted them to wake up in their own beds before going out to see their presents on Christmas morning. Barbara understood that. It’s what she’d wanted for her own children.

  But now that the grandchildren were older, maybe it was time for new traditions. Barbara paused at the top of the stairs and looked down. She used to decorate the railing with pine boughs and red ribbons. She couldn’t remember when she’d stopped doing it. It had been so beautiful. She could picture it now in her mind. What if she asked everyone over for Thanksgiving? Would their busy schedules allow it now?

  Well, she wouldn’t know if she didn’t ask. Shaking her head at her maudlin reminiscing, she continued down the stairs and found her husband, Matthias, waiting for her in the study. It had become their favorite room together. Large and airy, it was where they kept their electronics, a small bar area for their drinks, and the old fireplace she’d had converted into the convenience of gas.

  Matthias muted the large flat panel television on the wall and turned toward Barbara when she entered the room. “Feeling better after your shower?”

  Barbara crossed over to the bar and poured herself a glass of wine. “Much better, thank you.” She motioned silently to Matthias, asking if he wanted anything from the bar. He shook his head. Barbara crossed the room and took a seat next to him on the sofa.

  “Tell me about this competition coming up. I know you were a judge for many years with it, right? If I’m to be by your side for the event, I should know more about it.” Matthias settled back into the sofa.

  “It’s an old tradition, yes. It’s for harmony vocalists only.”

  “Is there a requirement for the number of people in a group?” Matthias asked.

  “No, but three or four is fairly typical for this competition though we have seen larger. And, this year, Megan has added a new component to make it more interactive. She developed something so that the audience can vote online using their phones.”

  “Clever girl.” Matthias smiled. He had grown very fond of Megan since the time he’d stayed at her bed and breakfast before marrying Barbara.

  “It’s not technically an official vocal competition. Not one that anyone might travel long distances to compete in. But it has been known to pull in spectators from far and wide who enjoy listening to harmony. It’s more of a local tradition, meant to kick off the holiday season.” It was one Barbara had always enjoyed.

  “You pull in fans of harmony from all over who take advantage of your accommodations, restaurants, and shops while they’re here. Also very clever. Is there a prize awarded to the winners?” Matthias loved watching Barbara talk about her town. As the mayor, she was intimately involved with nearly every aspect of it and it seemed to energize her somehow. />
  “Sort of, yes.”

  “Bragging rights?”

  Barbara smiled. “That too. The winners become the official Teaberry holiday singers for the season. They’ll appear at a few local events that run from Thanksgiving until Christmas.”

  “How interesting. They’re competing to officially represent the town for the holiday season?”

  Barbara cradled the wine glass between her hands. “Exactly. You’ll see them in costume singing carols down Main Street on Christmas eve and at other times before.”

  “Oh, that does sound nice. I’ll bet the shoppers appreciate it.” Matthias could picture the snow-covered town of Teaberry with its ornate old buildings during the holidays. Many of the larger buildings, such as the churches, were made of stone. Other buildings were made of brick and several of the streets were either lined with brick or had them intricately woven into the walkways in front of the shops. He knew the lamp posts would be decorated, along with the store fronts. He was looking forward to spending the season with his wife.

  A small frown appeared between Barbara’s eyes.

  Matthias noticed it immediately. “What is it?”

  “Oh, I was just thinking. One of the harmony singers just died in an accident. Colin Boswell. He was part of the singing group that won last year. It will be the first year in several that he hasn’t competed, and he had such a fine voice. He will be missed.”

  “An accident?”

  Barbara set her wine glass on a nearby table. “Yes. His wife must be devasted. He was only forty eight.”

  “So young,” Matthias murmured.

  Barbara nodded her agreement. Not much older than her own children. Matthias must have thought the same thing.

  “Did they have children?” Matthias asked.

  Barbara shook her head. “No, they didn’t.”

  “Boswell. I don’t recall hearing the name. Have I met the family?”

  “He wasn’t from Teaberry originally. He moved here, oh, around eight or ten years ago now. He met Hilary Spelling and they were married soon after.” Barbara looked around the room and realized again how lucky she was. She had been so lonely after her first husband had passed away. Life with Matthias had brought her so much happiness. But she would love to see more of their families, both hers and Matthias’s.