“Are you going to Chris and Suzie’s cookout later?” he said.
I nodded.
“I could give you a lift to Gina’s after,” he said.
I smiled. He ignored me, but I knew he couldn’t resist using me as cover to check into the case a little more, whatever his orders might be.
Andy’s walkie-talkie crackled again.
He turned it off and sighed. “Someone found a stray buoy. They want to know if it has to do with the Buoy Bandit.”
“See you later,” I said.
“It’s a date,” he said.
“In your dreams,” I said.
“In yours,” he answered.
Men.
Chapter 20
I entered the Wick & Flame with a renewed sense of appreciation for my life’s calling. In the quiet of my store, I inhaled the blend of the many scents I’d toiled over during the winter months. I straightened a few candles that were askew on their display stands. I didn’t mind that they weren’t perfectly aligned. The fact that they had been moved suggested that I still had some retail traffic coming in and out of the store, in spite of my candle’s connection to a murder. And I loved tidying my store. If anyone saw my apartment, they wouldn’t think I would. My place is a mess, but my store is perfection. I know what I’m doing here. I know scents. I know customers. I know how to match a color and an aroma to a person. And I had the satisfaction of running my own enterprise.
As I switched on the lights to the back room, I admitted that murder was a much trickier puzzle. I headed to a small sink in the back of the room to brush my teeth and hair. I’d learned years ago to leave an emergency kit under the sink, and I was happy to have it now. I brushed everything, thinking about how Simon Sterling was a man I probably wouldn’t have liked too much if I’d met him. Assuming I was right about his affair with Gina, I wondered what she saw in him. He must have been a smooth talker.
Returning my case back under the sink, I found myself heading to my collection of scented oils. I wondered what kind of candle scent I’d have chosen for Simon. Too easy. Tobacco and musk. I wondered, then, what I’d make for the killer. The idea made me queasy, but the truth was I didn’t know. I started sniffing and combining oils in new combinations, my mind at work.
I hated to think that murder inspired me, but the adventure of the last couple of days was giving me new ideas. Moonlit picnics, fashion collaborations with celebrities, this morning’s pursuit with Andy were an unexpected twist to my usually ordered life. I left my oils, and headed into the shop where I found the last postcard my mom had sent me. I’d tossed it under the register, but now I put it on the counter instead. Love from Bhutan, it said. My cheeks turned pink as I realized I wasn’t even sure where Bhutan was. I caught myself wondering where Peter had traveled before arriving to Nantucket, and how he’d feel about the island once February arrived.
A knock on my door brought me back to the busy day I had ahead of me.
Cherry waved merrily, and I let her in.
“Hello, my dear,” she said, immediately peeling off her long scarf. “The girls are behind me. They stopped to buy a ticket for the quilt raffle on the corner, but I never win those things, so I passed. The traffic is already starting to pick up. God help us today. Those youngsters get too rowdy during and after the race. And tonight, don’t get me started. It’s either the blare of the band at the charity ball, or they’re lined up at the Chicken Box. Your poor cousins. I bet the place will be littered up by noon.”
“Good morning to you,” I said. I knew the old folks were a little wary of FIGAWI, but I liked our island’s celebration of life and the sea. The revelry was all part of appreciating those bright sails as they flew freely across the ocean.
The ladies piled in behind Cherry, and started their own ritual of unwrapping themselves.
“Are you going to offer another class this summer?” Cherry said. “I’m thinking that a candle mold class would be fun. I’d love to make a candle that looks like a bunny for my granddaughter. She’s coming to visit in July.”
“I think we’ll have time to work on something like that,” I said.
Bunny candles. Cherry had great ideas.
I herded my gang into the workshop just as Lucy knocked on the door.
“Perfect timing,” I said to her. “We have a busy day ahead. Are you ready?”
“Absolutely,” Lucy answered. “By the way, you had a client call yesterday. Lauren Bing?”
“Ugh, don’t tell me,” I said. Lauren was one of my unity candle customers. I didn’t need to hear of another cancellation.
“I convinced her to wait a couple of days to talk to you about her order,” she said. “I told her you were busy with the Sterlings, who had asked you to develop an amazing new creation for them. She seemed intrigued.”
“I could kiss you,” I said. “No, I will kiss you!” I hugged her, too. “One day you might be running this place.”
“Ha,” she said. She looked skeptical, but once upon a time, I’d have looked skeptical, too.
“Is Lucy saving your unity candle business?” said Cherry from my workroom.
“Lucy is a businesswoman in the making,” I said.
“You go girl!” said Cherry.
For the next hour, I worked with the ladies on their last projects, a challenge to everything we’d done: Ombre. The ladies loved it. One made a candle that matched her daughter’s pink hair streaks. While the candles dried, we had a cup of tea.
“Who has news?” said Cherry.
“I have news,” I said, trying to look as mysterious as I could.
“Tell,” said Cherry.
“See this beautiful blouse?” I moved my apron aside to show off my top. The ladies all nodded. “Guess who gave it to me?”
Cherry leaned toward me, confidentially.
“We’ve been thinking you were doing the walk of shame thing,” she said.
“No!” I said. What was it with everyone? “Ladies! Get your minds out of the gutter, please. This was a loaner from someone who will knock your socks off.”
“Let me guess,” said Cherry, raising her hands. “And no, we don’t think you’re a hussy. Get over yourself, my love.”
“It really is a very interesting fashion thing you have going on today,” said Flo. The ladies laughed as if they’d been holding in that comment all morning. I joined them. I looked ridiculous, and I loved that they had tried hard to let it go.
“The bride?” said Cherry. “What’s her name?”
“Gina Ginelli!” I said.
“Gina Ginelli isn’t getting married,” said Flo.
“She means Gina Ginelli gave it to her,” said Cherry, with just a little impatience in her voice.
“I got stuck over by the Melville last night without a dress, and she kindly offered it to me so I could look presentable at the rehearsal dinner. Can you believe it?”
“No!” said Flo, truly impressed.
“What a lovely lady,” Cherry said, checking her candle.
I truly wondered if Gina was a lovely lady. I’d know by this afternoon.
I joined Cherry to inspect the candles. They were ready to pack up. The timing was perfect. I wanted to get home and change, as much as I loved this blouse.
“No way is Gina Ginelli ever going to marry someone else,” said Flo, still confused. “That husband of hers is a dream. Can you imagine being married to Kevin Bunch?”
“I don’t know,” said Cherry. “There are rumors about him. I hear it’s not the best marriage, but you know these celebrities. They have different rules.”
“Poppycock,” said Flo with conviction. “No one is going to tell me anything bad about Kevin Bunch.”
“Flo,” said Cherry, “I love your old-fashioned ways, but everything is more complicated than it seems these days.”
“That’s for sure,” I said.
“Aside from being married to the most gorgeous man on earth, Gina Ginelli will be married forever because in her young and na�
�ve days she signed a prenup,” said Flo.
“I’m sure Gina Ginelli has made enough over the years that she doesn’t need Kevin Bunch’s money,” said Cherry.
“Well, you don’t know everything,” said Flo. “It’s not Gina who would get the money. It’s Kevin. I read it in Us magazine about two years ago when I was getting my hair done. When they got married, Gina actually had more money. If she ditched him, he’d get a ton of dough. Anyway, they’re Catholic and she’s Italian. No divorce in their future. Period.”
I practically dropped the candle I was wrapping.
“You OK, honey?” said Flo.
“Yes,” I said. “So, if Gina were caught having an affair, then her husband could take all her money?”
“A whole bunch of it,” said Flo. “And he could probably get a divorce, which would kill her as a Catholic.”
Cherry laughed. “The affair part wouldn’t bother her, but the divorce would?”
Any other day, I would have laughed along with Cherry. Today, however, I kept an open mind. Between the note I had found in Gina’s purse and her perfume scent at the murder scene, I was pretty sure that Gina and Simon were romantically involved. Assuming Flo’s hairdresser’s magazine’s information was legit, Gina definitely had a motive to keep her affair with Simon a secret. If Simon threatened to expose their affair, that could be motive for murder.
“Ladies,” I said. “I need to change and get ready for a wedding today, so I’m going to say goodbye for now. Keep your eyes open for an email from me. Let’s get Cherry’s candle mold class going.”
“Go. Do what you need to do,” said Cherry. “We’ll let ourselves out. I’m going to grab one of those pink candles in the window for a dinner party I’m going to next week.”
“Lucy will give you the friends & family discount,” I said with a kiss to each.
With a few words of business to Lucy, I was out the door and heading to my car, which I’d abandoned overnight.
“Really?” I said to my Beetle. More specifically, I said it to the parking ticket on my windshield. I shoved it in my purse and climbed inside.
Chapter 21
Pulling into my driveway a few minutes later, I felt like I’d been away from home for weeks. I climbed up the stairs to my apartment over Chris and Suzie’s garage. I tossed all my clothes, except for Gina’s top, into the hamper and stepped into the warm water of my shower, which steamed up the whole of my small apartment. As I enjoyed the luxury of running water, I decided to wear a dressy top, palazzo pants, and sneakers to the wedding ceremony that Emily expected me to attend. I wasn’t going to let heels or hemlines slow me down today.
When I turned off the faucet and pulled the curtain aside, I almost slipped right out of the shower and onto my floor with surprise. Tinker, my friend, was perched on my toilet in his sentry pose. I noticed that Andy had not mentioned the fact that he’d dropped him off here when we’d met this morning. I was glad to see him, nonetheless. Without expecting to, I’d softened to the little guy.
“Good morning,” I said to my furry friend. “Nice to see you.”
Tinker let out a purr in answer, but he stayed poised as if he were waiting for some information.
“OK,” I said as I rubbed my hair dry and began the protracted process of styling it. “What can I tell you since last we met?”
Tinker swished his tail.
I unloaded everything. I can’t say for sure if Tinker followed all of it. At one point, my hair dryer certainly drowned out my monologue. The cat, however, seemed to be interested in everything, and I wondered if he’d have anything to add if he could speak. I would have welcomed anything to be honest.
“So?” I said, heading to the kitchen when I was finally dressed and ready to face the rest of my day. I folded Gina’s belongings carefully and put them in one of the hundred shopping bags that I keep under the sink. I held up the shoes for Tinker to admire. “What do you think?”
Tinker tilted his head, but he looked more interested in the empty bowl on the floor. I was happy to see that Andy had at least picked up some food for Tinker. He must have noticed the cans in Simon’s room because they were the same brand. Tinker lapped up his meal when I tossed it on a plate. When he was finished, he stared hard at me. I stared back. Then, if this is possible for a cat, he sighed, turned his back, and went to my room for a nap. I knew I was being a little silly, but I felt he was disappointed in me. I suspected he knew something about the death of his master. If I was right, I still had some work to do.
My thoughts about Tinker were interrupted by the aroma of Chris’s amazing burgers wafting through my apartment. It reminded me that I’d needed my sustenance to get through the day. I opened my window and waved across our shared backyard. A sizable gang had already congregated. Emily was seated on a chair with her feet up, but I could tell she was still in full work mode as she stared at her phone and typed away.
“Howdy,” I called out to Suzie, who was refilling a large bucket of soda and beer cans. “Do you guys need anything?”
“I’ll take some extra ketchup if you have it,” Chris said from his station at the barbecue.
“You’re in luck. That’s about all I have in my fridge,” I said. “My ketchup is your ketchup.”
“That should be our family motto,” he said.
“Be right down,” I said. “And throw on two patties for me if you don’t mind. The aroma of your famous cheeseburgers is to die for.”
I gave Tinker an extra snuggle, grabbed some ketchup and the bag of Gina’s clothes, then ran down the stairs to join the party. When I opened the door, I practically fell right into Peter.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hello,” I said, remembering Suzie’s invitation.
“You’re about to like me a lot,” he said.
I took his hand, and gave him a look that told him I already did.
“I looked into the guests,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze.
“Tell me about the Hellers,” I said. I didn’t think any of the guests would be of interest, but now I knew the old couple had spoken with the wedding party. If any of them had anything to lend to the case, it would be them.
“I see you figured out their names,” said Peter. “But I can add more. They live in New York. They’re jewelers, specializing in costume jewelry.”
“That explains why they wanted a glimpse of Jessica’s ring,” I said. I wondered if they had noticed something extraordinary about Jessica’s ring, but I wasn’t sure how to tie it to the murder. “What about the others?”
“Nothing,” said Peter. “Typical suburban family.”
“Sorry for the goose chase,” I said.
“Don’t apologize. It’s always good to follow your nose,” he said. “You never know where it will lead you.”
I smiled in spite of myself. Somehow the Hound metaphor didn’t seem so bad when Peter used it.
“And now for the good stuff,” said Peter.
“There’s more?” I said.
“The will. Not one of the Sterlings are beneficiaries. Simon recently made a new will. Everything goes to a woman named MaryJo LaMonte. She’s probably a long-lost daughter or something.”
“You’re right,” I said. “You are a good investigator. I have a feeling the wedding announcements and obituaries are about to get very interesting on Nantucket.”
We headed toward the party lost in our own smiles.
“Hi,” said Emily, waving at me.
“I’ve got to check in with the boss,” I said to Peter.
“Go to it,” he said, taking the ketchup from me and heading to Chris.
“What’s up with you and the newspaper man?” said Emily when I reached her and took a seat beside her.
“Not sure,” I said. “I stopped by the reception tent. It’s out of this world. You must have been up for hours already.”
She eyed my outfit. I raised my hand before she could lecture me about my lack of high style.
“Trust me,�
� I said. “After the night I had last night, I’m going for freedom of motion today. I took your lead.”
“I’m preggers, Stella,” she said. “I have an excuse.” At that, she winced.
“You OK?” I said.
“On top of fake contractions last night, I now have gas pains this morning,” she said.
I put my arm around my friend, and she rested her head on my shoulder.
“If it’s a girl, are you going to name her Stella?” I said.
“Neal likes Victoria.”
“Not bad.”
“I know,” she said. “Tell me about the rehearsal dinner.”
I gave her the download, and was happy to see that she looked pleased with my work, even how I handled the unexpected bird accident with Maria Blane. Once we got through business, we got down to fun. I started by showing her Gina’s outfit. She almost died. In spite of the fact that Gina was still on my list of suspects, I felt bad that Emily had not met her, especially since I was about to visit her again, so I switched my gossip to the party. I was just sharing Joe’s toast when Liz, my cousin who works at the real state office in town, joined us. She looked particularly interested about the new gyms that Joe and Jessica were planning to open.
“They must have a lot of cash on hand,” Liz said when I finished.
“They’re rich,” said Chris, handing my two burgers to me, which I immediately began to devour, condiments be damned.
“Not that rich,” I said. “Jessica’s mom told me that Jessica and Joe won’t have the really big bucks until she dies.”
“She told you that?” said Chris. “Seems kind of personal.”
“People share the most amazing stuff with their wedding planners,” said Emily. “The tell-all books we could write.”
“I don’t care what she told you,” said Liz. “She was being dramatic. Or their idea of not having money is wildly different than ours. Chris, back me up. In order to buy land and then build a gym facility, you need a lot of cash, either on hand or borrowed. Unless she’s borrowing on her mother’s future death.”
“Gross,” I said.
“All power to them, however they got the money,” said Chris, returning to his grill.
Murder's No Votive Confidence Page 16