by Nancy CoCo
“I don’t have to tell Rex everything I do,” I said. Emma pulled my hair, trying to tame it. “Ouch!”
“Sorry,” Emma said. “Your hair is very thick.”
“That should make it easier to poof out, right?” I asked.
“One would think,” Emma said, a frown on her face.
“Anyway, Rex and I can’t seem to be at the same place at the same time,” I said. “And Melonie is still on the island and she has her cap set on remarrying Rex. I don’t like fighting over men.”
“Did you tell Rex that?” Liz asked.
“What? No,” I said and frowned. “Relationships are hard.”
“They sure are,” Jenn said. “But so worth it.”
“I heard that Shane was once engaged to Becky,” Liz said.
“Yes,” Jenn said. “He told me that she chose moving to New York over marrying him. I, on the other hand, am not going anywhere.”
“But Becky was back on the island,” Liz said. “I understand she was staying at the Parson’s Bed and Breakfast. Does anyone know why she came back?”
“No clue,” I said. “But I do know she was out on a date with Christopher that fateful night. So she’s not interested in Shane.”
“But she had more than Shane for a suitor the last time she was on the island,” Liz said.
“How do you know?” I asked.
Liz smiled. “I’m a reporter. I pay attention to that kind of thing. Christopher wasn’t the first guy she dated since she got back.”
“Who else was she seeing?” I asked.
“I heard she had a torrid affair with one of the locals,” Liz said. “Then dumped him for Christopher.”
“Well, there you go,” I said. “We have motive.”
“You think her affair got Christopher killed?” Jenn asked. “Do we know who she had the affair with?”
“I heard the man was married,” Liz said. “He wanted to leave his family for her, but she wouldn’t be a home-wrecker.”
“I think that ship has sailed,” I said. “The minute she had the affair she became a home-wrecker.”
“I don’t think she looked at it that way,” Liz said.
“Okay, Allie, how is this for your hair?” Emma gave me a handheld mirror. I looked at my reflection in shock. She had managed to tame my mane into a gorgeous pouf of a Gibson Girl bun.
“Wow,” I said.
“Wow,” said Jenn and Liz at the same time.
“I guess we have a winner,” Emma said. “One tip to help me get this right the day of the wedding: Don’t wash your hair for twenty-four hours before. Otherwise it will be slick and soft and fall out of the bun.”
“Noted,” I said and got up to let Liz take the chair.
We talked and laughed for another hour as Emma tamed Liz’s curls and then showed us all what the makeup should look like. We left the salon a little buzzed on wine and looking like three Gibson Girls in modern clothing.
Jenn hadn’t talked about Shane’s possible arrest again, but I knew it wasn’t far from her mind. We walked home after leaving Liz at the corner where she lived.
“I know you’re worried,” I said to Jenn.
“I don’t know how not to be worried.” Jenn glanced at her phone. “Shane has been at the police station all day. I don’t know what that means.”
“All it means is that Rex is being thorough,” I said. “My parents arrived this morning. When are your parents coming in?”
“They are supposed to be here tomorrow,” Jenn said. “My mother sees everything. I don’t know how I’m going to keep my worry from her.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t,” I suggested. “Your mom is really cool. She loves you so much that I bet she’ll help you keep your mind focused.”
“Maybe,” Jenn said. “She’s never been on the island, so I can spend the day taking them all around to see the sights.”
“There you go,” I said. “That’s a great idea. Then we have the bachelorette party that night, the tea for the older ladies on Friday, and the wedding Saturday.”
“I’d feel better if Shane never had to go into the police station again,” Jenn said. “Which is ridiculous, I guess, because he works for them.”
“Somebody knows something. I’ll keep trying to figure this out. In the meantime you can help me entertain my parents. You know my mom is hypercritical at times. Let’s divert her attention to your lovely wedding.”
“I love your mom.” Jenn brightened. “I’ll be happy to divert her for you.” She put her arm through mine. “We ladies need to stick together. With all the relatives coming, it’s going to take a lot of work to keep everyone entertained. I say we have a bonfire and marshmallow roast tonight near the marina.”
“Now that’s something I can get into,” I said. Anything to keep Jenn busy while Shane was in police custody.
Chapter 12
Rex let Shane go in time for the bonfire and marshmallow roast with my parents and Frances and Douglas, Jenn, and Liz. The marina was quiet. It was still a bit chilly for people to go boating. At best a few brave souls had opened their boats for the season, taking off the winter proofing and bringing them in from dry dock.
The waves splashed against the rock wall of the marina in a gentle rhythm, sending up sprays of lake water to perfume the air. Here the beach was sacrificed for docks and deeper water to allow the boats to shelter and people to get back and forth. The sound of gulls screeching overhead and the fire crackling in the firepit were comforting. The sun had gone down and it was cold, but we sat in our deck chairs huddled under blankets while our marshmallows roasted on long sticks.
It reminded me of my summers as a kid. I missed Papa Liam and Grammy Alice at times like this. But it was nice to have Mom and Dad here, chatting away, making Jenn and Liz laugh.
“Allie, you’re a million miles away,” Mom said from across the fire. The flames threw shadows across her face. My mother was beautiful in the way that well-bred women were. Her hair was pulled back and perfectly styled for the breeze that came off the lake. Her makeup was natural and enhanced her large eyes and toned jawline. I always felt just a little less around her. I had no idea how to be so put together. Heaven knows my mother tried hard enough when I was growing up, but clothes didn’t always fit right on me, and I had a tendency to get them dirty while I was in the kitchen making desserts or outside running around with my friends.
“I was just thinking how nice this is,” I said and pulled my brown marshmallow from the flame. “It’s been a long time since we were all here having a bonfire.”
“It certainly has,” Dad said. “We’ll have to make a concerted effort to come out more often. Right, dear?”
“Certainly,” Mom said, but she didn’t sound all that sure. The whole reason I had inherited the McMurphy and not my father was that my mother didn’t like island living. She’d grown up here and couldn’t get away from the small-town atmosphere quick enough. After they married Mom convinced my father to move to the suburbs of Detroit. I’d grown up there, amid the hustle and bustle of a large city. Unlike my mother, I loved the island and was happy to make it my home.
“Dad, you should get a boat,” I said. “Then you could sail up to the island.”
“That’s quite a distance, dear,” Mom said and pulled her perfectly roasted marshmallow from her stick.
“You know what they say about boats,” my father said. “The best day in a man’s life is the day he gets his boat—not including his wedding day and the birth of his children—and the second best day?”
“Is the day he sells his boat,” I finished for him. Dad liked boating, but as a busy architect he hadn’t been sailing in years and was now content to let someone else do the work.
“How’s that fine boy, Trent Jessop?” Mom asked. “You haven’t talked about him in months.”
I felt the heat of a blush rush over me that she would bring up my love life in front of Shane and my friends. “Mom, I told you Trent’s father turned over the majority of the
ir holdings to him. He’s living in Chicago now. His sister, Paige, is looking after their Mackinac Island properties.”
“Ah, so you chased another good man away,” she said and popped the marshmallow delicately into her mouth.
Dad cleared his throat and changed the subject. “So, Jenn. I’m looking forward to meeting your parents. What does your father do?”
The conversation returned to the genial laughter of friends. When the fire had burned down too far to keep us warm, we put it out, packed up, and walked back to the McMurphy. I stepped beside Shane in the back of the group.
“So, how are you holding up?” I asked him.
“I’m fine.”
“I don’t believe that,” I said. “How are you really?”
He turned his head in my direction, his thick glasses glinting in the streetlight. “I spent the day going over all I remember about that day. It wasn’t fun, but I got through it.”
“I understand Becky woke up from her coma. Did she have anything pertinent to add?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Shane said. “Rex keeps his information close to his chest.”
“He’s not blaming you, is he?”
“He’s—”
“Hey, baby,” Jenn interrupted and put her arm through his. “Let’s sneak off for some quiet time.” She kissed his cheek. “My parents come in tomorrow and from then on, we won’t have any peace.”
“Sounds good to me,” Shane said. “See you, Allie.”
“Have fun, guys.” I followed my parents into the McMurphy. Frances had put them in the third-floor suite. I had two rooms in my apartment, but Jenn currently shared it with me, so there wasn’t space for my parents.
I walked them upstairs. “Thanks for coming,” I said. “Jenn is glad you’re here. She’s been worried about Shane.”
“I heard you found the boy standing over a dead man,” Dad said. “Has he told you why?”
“He’s not talking to us about it,” I said. “Doesn’t want the investigation to be tainted.”
“But you are looking into it, right?” Mom asked again when we arrived on the third floor. The hotel was empty except for my parents. Jenn had bought it out for the week to let her family come to stay whenever they wanted. Shane’s family was staying in St. Ignace.
“I am,” I said and waited while Dad unlocked the door with the key cards I had installed.
“These key cards take away the charm of an actual key,” he said as he opened the door. Inside was a two-room suite. There was a couch and TV area and then the bathroom and then the bedroom. Dad and I had created the suites on the new third floor so that we could offer more space for larger families.
I sat down on the flowered couch. Mom joined me and Dad took the striped side chair. All three were overstuffed and comfy. “The key cards are safer,” I replied.
“You certainly can use some safety measures,” Mom said and took off her shoes.
“Dad, did you get to check out the rooftop deck?” I asked.
“Yes, Douglas took me up there this afternoon. It’s nice. You can see a lot of the lake.”
“Jenn’s reception will be up there,” I said. “She’s working on booking more weddings and wants to show people that she believes in the space so much, she used it for her own.”
“When do her parents get in, dear?” Mom asked.
“Tomorrow,” I said. “They’ve never been on the island, so Jenn has planned a full day of playing tourist. You can join them if you’d like.”
“We just might,” Dad said. “It’s been years since we’ve acted like tourists.”
“I can’t wait to meet them,” Mom said. “They did a good job raising Jenn.”
“They certainly did,” I said. “Tomorrow’s my last day of fudge making for the shop until next Monday. I took the time off to focus on Jenn’s wedding.”
“What a wonderful idea!” Mom gave me the first compliment of the night and it lifted my spirits.
“Unfortunately, that means I’ll be in the kitchen part of the day tomorrow. I want to fill the cabinet with enough for the wedding guests.”
“I saw you’re looking for a fudge making assistant for the season,” Dad said.
“Yes, I have an ad out, but no one has applied. Why? Do you know someone?”
“One of my buddies back home has a set of twins. They’re graduating culinary school next week and I was thinking they might want to come to the island.”
“Twins?” I said. “I don’t know if I can afford to pay two assistants.”
“They could both work half-time. It would be like only paying for one but getting two.”
I thought about it. “Sure, why not? Have them email me their résumés and I’ll set up a video chat to see how interested they are.”
“Thanks, Allie, I knew you’d help.” Dad got up and gave me a hug.
I was already on my feet and I noticed Mom yawning, so I decided to let them settle in. “I’ve got an early morning. Feel free to sleep in. Jenn’s folks won’t come in until ten a.m.”
“Good night,” my parents said.
I left them and walked the last flight of stairs to my apartment. I’d left my fur babies home tonight. I knew they missed me. Mal especially would have loved to come out for the bonfire, but I worried it would be too cold.
They both greeted me at the door and I went to the kitchen to give them treats. There were Harry’s flowers. I had texted him that the wedding was taking up my time and asked for a rain check. He’d agreed. I took a moment to smell the flowers. They were so colorful and smelled so nice. I treated my pets and wondered what I was going to do about my love life. First things first, I thought. Let’s get Shane cleared of any charges and Jenn happily married. Then I’d figure out what I was going to do next.
* * *
I was up at four a.m. to make fudge for the guests. Mal came down with me to the lobby, got her treat, and curled up in her bed beside the reception desk. On the list of fudges today were the standards, plus dark chocolate cherry, Neapolitan—which was three flavors in stripes of red, white, and chocolate—and, finally, I was trying my hand at chocolate chip cookie dough.
While I made fudge I had a lot of time to think. There had to be a way to find out what Becky had said when she woke up. It struck me that Liz had been to Cheboygan recently when her grandfather, Angus, had been in the hospital. Maybe she had connections on the nursing staff. I didn’t know if they would know what Becky had said, but they might know who we could ask.
Dad was up first again and came down to get coffee from the coffee bar for himself and Mom. He stuck his head into the fudge shop. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Dad,” I said as I tossed the fudge. I whipped around the cold marble table, using a long-handled spatula, tossing and turning the fudge just like my grandfather and his father before him did. When it was tourist season, the turning of the fudge became a sort of theater for the people on the street to watch the magic of fudge as it cooled without sugaring until you switched to a smaller spatula and formed the loaf, then cut it into one pound pieces and finally into small bites for samples. “Did you sleep well?”
“Sure did, he said. “The new beds are fabulous.”
“I’m glad you helped redesign the third floor so the suites make sense,” I said. When the McMurphy had been devastated, Dad had drawn up all the new blueprints and had done a great job for the builders to follow.
He leaned against the doorjamb with his two coffees in hand. Mal sat at his feet. She didn’t dare enter the fudge shop. One thing I did while training her was to be very strict about the boundaries of the shop. I didn’t want her ever to be hurt by hot sugar.
“So, I hear Shane is under investigation for murder,” he said. “How are you handling it? I know your mom runs hot and cold about them, but I am proud of the investigations you’ve helped out with. And I’ll never admit that to anyone else.”
I laughed. Mom was a force to be reckoned with. Dad knew it better than anyone and lov
ed her for it. “I’m puzzling it together. The thing is, Shane won’t even tell Jenn what happened that night. And if he’s told Rex anything, they’re not talking to me.”
“So what have you found out so far?”
I explained that I had a timeline for Christopher and Becky that led to a dead end of sorts. So I was looking into Shane’s timeline, but that, too, sort of dead ended with Peter taking Shane back to the cottage. “I have no idea how those three ended up in the alley with Christopher dead, Becky hurt, and Shane caught with the murder weapon in his hand. But Becky woke up from her medically induced coma yesterday. That’s why Shane was in police custody all day. But I have no idea what Becky said.”
“I bet you’ve found a way to figure that out,” Dad said.
I grinned. “Yes, I think I have a way.” I switched to the smaller, scraper-type spatula and quickly added ingredients like raisins and chocolate chips to the fudge. Then I folded them in and finished the loaf and cut it into one-pound slices. After you’d done this long enough, you got good at eyeballing a one-pound slice. I was never off more than a half ounce or so.
“Well, good,” Dad said and straightened up. “Can I use your kitchen to make breakfast?”
“Sure thing,” I reached into my apron pocket and tossed him the keys to the apartment. “But make extra because Jenn got in late last night and she might need coffee and breakfast.”
“Do you want me to bring you down any?”
“No, thanks, I’ve had my yogurt,” I said. “Besides, I’m surrounded by food. Kind of makes you feel full all the time.”
“Got it,” Dad said. He took my key and closed the fudge shop door. Mal followed him up the stairs. One thing was for sure: Mal knew when to follow someone who would be making food.
By eight Frances and Douglas arrived. At nine my parents took a walk around the island and I had the fudge cabinet filled.
“Well, the last room is ready for the family to come in,” Frances said as she came down the stairs. “I see you finished the fudge. What else is on your plate today?”
“I have an online interview set up for this afternoon,” I said. “Dad has some twins who are looking for a summer internship.”