by Kay Correll
“So Camille thinks I took her silver?”
“We’re just talking to all the suspects.”
“I’m a suspect?”
“We’re checking out everyone who was around the house that morning, but their housekeeper has been with them for twenty years and the only other people still staying there were Camille and her mother.” Sheriff Dave looked at a small notebook he held in his hand. “No one else.”
“Well, someone else was there, because I sure as heck didn’t take anything.” Julie felt Reed’s hand on her arm. It was reassuring to have backup and support, she just wished she’d taken him up on his offer to help her go retrieve the items from Camille’s. Then she’d have a witness.
“So, are you accusing Julie of this crime?” Reed moved to her side and wrapped an arm loosely around her waist.
“I’m just checking things out right now. Wanted to know if you saw anyone else there.” The sheriff looked at her closely, she could feel him searching her face.
She saw the look in his eyes. The look she remembered. The look that said he didn’t believe her. The memories slammed into her and she closed her eyes for a brief moment.
“So, are you arresting me?”
The sheriff stood looking at her. “Right now the evidence is all circumstantial. But I will say it doesn’t look good for you.”
“Wouldn’t you need to find that she actually had the items in her possession to arrest her?” Reed stared down the sheriff. “I believe the law assumes a person is innocent until proven guilty.”
“I’m just doing my job. Right now it appears Julie is the only one with… opportunity.” The sheriff turned to leave. “I’ll be checking things out and will be back with more questions.”
Julie swallowed. “I didn’t take anything from Camille’s house. Not one thing.”
“As I said, I’m still investigating.”
The sheriff walked out the door and Julie slowly closed it behind him. She sagged against it, as all of a sudden her legs didn’t want to hold her weight.
“Are you okay?” Reed moved close and put his hands on her arms, helping to support her.
“I’m… not.”
“Here, come sit on the couch. I’ll bring in your tea.” She sat down as told, her mind racing and the pulse thumping an irregular beat on her temple. She reached up to massage the spot and watched while the room whirled around with every passing second.
This couldn’t happen to her again. What if the sheriff checked records? Could he see what she’d been accused of before? It had been so many years ago, a different state. She gulped a big swallow of air.
Reed came back and pressed the warm cup into her hands. She took a sip, willing herself to calm down.
“You didn’t take anything, so everything will be okay.” Reed ran his hands up and down her arms, warming her. While it did heat her arms, the frigid feeling in her very bones refused to thaw.
“No, it’s not always okay when you’re accused of something. Sometimes you get the blame, even if you didn’t do it.”
“But they have no proof.”
“That doesn’t always matter.” Julie knew that guilt or innocence was not always the determining factor on who gets the blame.
* * *
The late afternoon storm faded as was usual this time of year, and Reed suggested they go have dinner at Magic Cafe. That sounded okay to Julie. She didn’t feel like cooking, didn’t really feel like going out, but she probably should eat.
As soon as they got to Magic Cafe, Julie knew she’d made a mistake. A handful of locals eating at the cafe looked up and whispered when they saw her come in. Furtive looks were flashed her way as Tally led them to a table.
“Don’t mind them.” Tally turned and actually glared at the people at the next table.
“Camille’s been talking.” Julie said it more in a statement than a question.
“Let’s just say a dozen people have asked me if I’ve heard about the theft, and half of them asked if I’d talked to you.” Tally shook her head. “Fools.”
“I didn’t—”
“Of course you didn’t. Camille is a fool to even bring you into this.”
“Do you want to leave?” Reed reached out a hand to cover hers.
“You are not leaving here, Julie Farmington. That is not how we deal with gossip. Anyone who believes Camille is a ninny bug right along with her. Dinner is on me tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Julie tried to ignore the people glancing her way.
“I want to. Now, what kind of grouper do you want tonight? A good grouper meal always makes the world look a bit brighter.”
Julie sent a weak smile to her friend. Tally always believed in her and always knew how to cheer her up. “Surprise us. I love grouper every way you serve it.”
“Great. And ignore them. They’ll move on to new gossip soon.” Tally shook her head. “Fools, all of them.”
“Come sit next to me on my side of the table. We’ll watch the ocean and ignore everyone sitting behind us.” Reed patted the chair next to him.
Julie got up and settled in the chair beside him. Reed scooted his chair closer to hers and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “You’ve got a great friend in Tally.”
“I do. I’m really lucky.” Julie looked down at the table. “I feel like everyone is staring at me though.”
“At least they only get a view of your back now.” Reed winked at her and she tried a weak smile in return. He squeezed her hand. “I think you should ignore them.”
“I’m trying.”
“I know it’s not the same, but after Victoria died I felt like everyone was watching me and whispering about me at work. It’s not easy to deal with.”
* * *
Reed remembered those days vividly, when his every move, his every expression was scrutinized as if people were waiting for him to fall apart. He’d just continued on with his days, moving in rote motion, day after day. Somewhere in there, people moved on to other things and had forgotten all about how he’d lost his wife, and the looks came less frequently. Then life had just gone on for the rest of the world, but not really for him.
Tally brought their dinner and a nice big glass of wine for Julie. She sipped it as she ate her grouper in silence.
“It is going to be okay. You didn’t take anything. They’ll find out who did.”
“I can’t believe Camille would even give my name to Sheriff Dave as a suspect. She’s known me since I’ve moved here. I’ve been here—I don’t know—eighteen, nineteen years? Everyone knows me. I’ve built my business. I thought that finally, finally I’d found a home. But now…” Julie’s eyes were clouded with self-doubt. “I was fooling myself. I’m still an outsider. The first to be blamed. And look at everyone talking about me.”
Julie blinked a few times, and Reed was afraid she would give into the tears he knew were hiding just below the surface. He couldn’t blame her. “Are you okay? We can leave, really.”
“No, finish your meal. I’ll be fine.”
Just then he noticed the cafe grew strangely quiet. There was no sound of chatter, only the sound of the waves on the shore and a lone bird calling in the distance. He turned around slightly and saw the reason.
Camille stood at the hostess stand. He saw Tally spy Camille and stride towards her.
“What is it?” Julie started to turn around.
“It’s… Camille and that Delbert guy.”
“I’ve got this.” Julie pushed back from the table, took one more sip of her wine, and stood up. He hastily put down his fork and got up, too. Julie threaded her way over to Camille. All eyes in the restaurant were on her.
“Camille. Delbert.” Julie stood right in front of them.
Tally took one step back, crossed her arms, and he noticed a hint of smile on her face, quickly followed by a look of expectation.
“Julie, I didn’t expect to find you… out.”
“Why? Because of the rumors you’ve spread around town?”
Reed started to defend Julie, but Tally put her hand on his arm and shook her head slightly.
Julie squared off with Camille, face to face, toe to toe. “You should feel terrible about accusing me of something you know I didn’t do. You’ve known me for almost twenty years, Camille.”
“Well, I guess it goes to show we don’t always really know people like we think we do.”
“I know you, Camille. Too well. You never change. I didn’t take your mother’s silver.”
“There’s just no one else who was there, Julie. No one. It had to be you.”
“Well, someone was, because I didn’t take one darn thing. And when they find who took the stuff, I expect a public apology from you. Which I may or may not accept.”
Julie turned to Reed. “Let’s go. I’ve lost my appetite.”
“I think it might be better if Camille and her friend here left.” Tally took a step forward.
“You are telling me to leave? You’re not going to seat Delbert and me?” Camille’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Not tonight, no. I think there’s been enough drama for the night. You’re welcome back here again after you apologize to Julie.”
“I have nothing to apologize for. She’s… a thief.”
Tally turned to Delbert. “I’d appreciate it if you took Camille somewhere else for your dinner tonight.”
Delbert’s face was covered in a tinge of red, and he turned to Camille. “Honey, let’s go find someplace else to eat tonight, what do you say?”
“I say fine. I didn’t want to eat at this greasy place anyway.” Camille spun on her heels and swept out of Magic Cafe.
“Ma’am.” Delbert nodded to Tally and hurried after Camille.
“Well, that was interesting.” Reed was in awe of the way Julie had handled that, and Tally too, for that matter.
“Interesting, indeed. Now you two go finish your meal. Enjoy it in peace and quiet. Things will settle down here soon.”
The customers in the restaurant must have agreed because they all went back to eating their meals and the conversation level resumed.
He placed his hand in the small of Julie’s back. “What do you say? Want to finish that meal?”
Julie grinned. “You know what? I do.”
“Thought you said you lost your appetite.”
“I’m suddenly famished.” She grinned at him.
Reed laughed and leaned down a pressed a quick kiss against her forehead. “Come on then. Let’s have that dinner Tally so graciously provided.”
* * *
Julie and Reed sat out on the widow’s walk enjoying the night air after their dinner at Magic Cafe. Julie sank into the cozy warmth of a shawl she’d wrapped around her shoulders.
Julie let the events of the day play over and over again in her mind. Was the sheriff going to come back and question her again? What could she say to him to prove her innocence? Someone had to have been there at Mrs. Montgomery’s that day.
She looked over at Reed, who was lost in his own thoughts. She wondered if he truly believed she was innocent. She knew what it was like to think the people you trusted believed you… but then find out they didn’t.
Reed turned to her and smiled his lazy, sexy smile at her. “You doing okay?”
“I think so.”
“This seemed to hit you hard. Harder than I would have expected. I guess because it’s a small town and you’re worried about your reputation and the bakery?” He reached over and squeezed her hand.
She took a deep breath. “It’s not just that…”
“What is it then?” His voice was low and encouraging.
“I… I’ve been arrested for stealing before.”
Reed’s eyes widened in the moonlight. “What? When?”
“When I was younger. Seventeen. My foster parents accused me of stealing money. A lot of money.” Julie looked down at her short, painted finger nails. She really should touch up the nail polish.
Why was she thinking of nail polish at a time like this?
“Anyway, they called the police. I was arrested. It was the foster placement where the grandmother taught me to bake. I thought I had finally found… a family. I learned though, that no matter what, blood is thicker. I was young and foolish. I knew their son had been stealing money for drugs. But I had the biggest crush on him. I believed I loved him, as only a seventeen-year-old girl can believe. Truly and deeply.”
She looked at Reed, trying to read his thoughts. “Mick begged me not to tell them the truth… then he told me it didn’t matter because they wouldn’t believe me over him anyway.” She felt the waves of shame crash over her again. Her foolishness for thinking she was a member of the family, for thinking Mick had loved her, too. The fact she hadn’t had the backbone to stand up and defend herself. “So I didn’t say anything. Let them accuse me. Took the blame for him.”
She looked up at the stars then continued. “I was sent to juvenile detention. They finally let me out and the charges were dropped. I think maybe the grandmother had something to do with that. Maybe. I was sent to another group home until I left the day I turned eighteen.”
She could still feel the guilt. “I don’t know why I didn’t stand up for myself then. Tell the truth that Mick had taken the money. He’d been swiping money the whole time I lived there.”
“You were young and felt betrayed.” Reed took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips and kissed it gently.
“I was. But maybe if I had told the truth. Maybe things would have been different. Maybe his parents would have begun to question things. I never told the truth… and Mick ended up dead a year later. He was shot in some kind of drug deal gone bad. If only I had spoken up then, maybe things would be different. Maybe he’d still be alive. It’s those if-onlys that get you.”
“You can’t blame yourself for his death.”
A wry laugh escaped Julie. “Ah, that’s what I said about Victoria, wasn’t it? But you know, we make decisions and they sometimes affect our whole life and the lives of others. We just never know.”
“No, we don’t know, do we?”
“I’ve never told anyone about all this.”
“I’m glad you told me.” Reed wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. His warmth swept through her in a wave of healing and understanding.
He believed her.
Chapter 20
Tally pushed through the door to the outside seating area. The lunch crowd was waning with a few people trickling in from the beach, but most of the tables were empty. She saw Paul and Josephine eating at a table at the edge of the sand. She glanced at her watch and figured she had a few minutes to catch up with her old friend before she needed to run to the bank.
“Paul, Josephine, I didn’t see you come in.”
“We decided on a late lunch today. Josephine was craving your shrimp salad, and I live to give her what she wants.” Paul winked at Josephine.
“Oh, Paul. You do spoil me. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.” Josephine smiled at Paul with one of those smiles that shut out the rest of the world and was meant for one person only.
Tally could barely remember when she’d been on the receiving end of that kind of smile. It had been a lifetime ago, it seemed. But she was glad to see Paul and Josephine had that kind of relationship, especially since it had been years and years in the making.
“I heard that Camille Montgomery has been stirring up trouble here. Her mama lives in Comfort Crossing, Mississippi, where my family is from, did you know that?” Josephine turned her attention from Paul to Tally.
“Paul me
ntioned it.”
“She certainly has a way of causing problems. My niece, Bella, was telling me how Camille caused all sorts of trouble for Hunt’s girlfriend, Keely. Hunt, he’s the photographer who is going to have a showing at Paul’s gallery soon.”
“I’m not surprised. Camille seems to be at the center of a lot of drama. I’m annoyed she’d even dream of accusing Julie of taking the silver, though. That is complete and utter nonsense.”
“Paul says he’s known Julie since she came to the island and that there is no way she had anything to do with the silver’s disappearance.” Josephine shook her head.
“I’m sure she didn’t.” Paul’s eyes crinkled in concern. “I’ve heard the business at her bakery has dropped off since Camille started all this gossip.”
“It has, and I’m worried about it. Julie’s so stressed, I wish I could do something to make things better for her.” Tally sat down across from the couple.
“I heard you ran Camille and her man friend out of Magic Cafe the other night.” Paul grinned.
“I didn’t exactly run them off. I just said she was welcome after she apologizes to Julie.” Tally shrugged. “I doubt that will ever happen, knowing Camille. She was making such a scene at the cafe, too. Like she was center stage at her own drama. I figured it was better if she ate somewhere else.”
“You know, I think I’ll talk to Julie about doing the catering for my gallery events this summer, now that she’s getting her catering business going.” Paul looked thoughtful.
“I’m sure she’d really appreciate that. She’s had quite a few cancellations for catering since all this nonsense Camille is spreading around town.”
“Like anyone should believe Camille over Julie.” Paul shrugged matter-of-factly.
“Camille has a way of sounding convincing, or at least raising her voice if she thinks you aren’t agreeing with her. Sheriff Dave could put a little more effort into trying to find the actual thief, too.” Tally sighed. “I better run. Need to get to the bank. It was good seeing you two.”
“Good seeing you, Tally. We’ll have to all get together soon, if I can convince you to take a night off.” Paul smiled. “Not that it happens often.”