by Emmie Lyn
On our drive, I asked Hitch, “When do you want to get started with some real planning for our new business venture?” I mean, ideas were flying around in my head like a hungry school of sharks—crazy shake combos, sweet and pretty cakes, and of course, the Kitty Castle.
“I thought you’d never ask. How about after we talk to Maxine? Then, you can tell me all your ideas. I only have one requirement.”
“Which is?”
“That’s easy. I get to sample all your creations.”
He looked at me with his irresistible grin and I knew I was in big trouble.
8
Hitch turned into a driveway that led to a rambling modernized farmhouse—red metal roof, wraparound porch, and a cobblestone path to the front door. Blueberry Bay glistened through the trees in the distance. The manicured lawn surrounded a shallow pool with a leaping dolphin statue in the center. It all reeked of more money than I’d ever see in several lifetimes. Even after my great-aunt’s inheritance arrived.
“We’re just going to knock on her door?” I asked Hitch. “This place looks like it’s guarded by someone ready to send us packing, don’t you think?”
He laughed but stroked my cheek reassuringly. “She won’t bite. I know Maxine. She’s exactly like Harry. More money than they know what to do with, but they’re still human with flaws and desires like the rest of us.”
“Flaws?” I leaned away from Hitch, aghast. “What are mine?”
“Yours are more like cute blemishes that just make your whole package more appealing.” He tapped my chin affectionately.
His smile made my heart thump at double speed. I pushed the car door open to escape this conversation before I spontaneously burst into flames.
“Just let me do the talking.” Hitch looked at me over the roof of his Camaro. “I’ll pour on my love of orchids and invite her to host the next orchid society meeting.”
“What do you know about the orchid society?” He raised an eyebrow, so I knew he was concocting a story on the spot. “You’re making this up as you go along, aren’t you?”
He hitched the collar of his polo shirt, a move that always made me a little weak in the knees. “Let me finish,” he said in his teasing way. “As I was saying, I’ll invite her to host a meeting of the society, which I’m about to join, at our new and remodeled Orchid Extravaganza.”
I’d started up the walk to the heavy front door of Maxine’s house but that stopped me in my tracks. “Orchid Extravaganza? That’s the name you’ve chosen?” I nodded, liking the sound of it. “That works.”
“For now,” Hitch said sounding more confident in this scheme than I was. “Anyway, our goal today is to get inside to see her collection. Trust me. She’ll invite us in.”
I had my doubts, but we’d see how well Hitch’s charm worked.
As we followed the cobblestone path to the front door, the lush mix of pink and white roses climbing up the porch balustrades released a heady aroma that had me swooning. The layers of heirloom blossoms belonged on a design magazine cover and had me salivating with envy.
Hitch nudged me and pointed to the entryway. “There’s her guard dog you were so worried about.” A big stone dog sat to one side of the front door with a basket of purple petunias flowing over the sides. “I guess you don’t have to worry about Maxine threatening us after all.”
“Yeah, well, that’s only the first warning. What’s on the inside?” I asked but Hitch only laughed.
He pushed the doorbell and deep chimes rang somewhere behind the door.
I pulled on his arm. “She’s not home. Let’s go.” I pulled harder but his muscular body didn’t even budge an inch.
“What are you so nervous about, Sunny?” he asked. Easy for him to say. He towered over me and with his security guard training, could handle any emergency coming at us once that door opened.
I peeked through the narrow pane of glass next to the door then scurried back. “She’s coming. What if she killed Harry? What if she’s the murderer? Are we walking right into a trap?”
Ty’s face gave nothing away. I tried to adopt his calm attitude. “We’re here to talk about orchids,” he said. “Relax. Maxine will be on her best behavior regardless of what she did or didn’t do. She does not want to look guilty of anything. Trust me.”
“Famous last words,” I mumbled.
The door opened. Maxine appeared in a flourish of arm-waving and eye-brow-raising coquettish welcoming movements. “Ty Hitchner? How wonderful to see you back in town. Tell me, are you still collecting orchids?” Her crown of bleached blonde straw hovered shoulder-length, too stiff to do much more than stand at attention from too much hair spray. She held her arm out, inviting us inside with a slight bow in my direction. “Sunny Shaw? How’s your friend, Tilly Morris?” Her smile was like a winter sun, light in those blue eyes but no warmth.
She just asked about the person she wouldn’t set foot in the same room with? I had no idea how I was supposed to answer that, except short and sweet. “She’s fine.” I added a smile, too. It couldn’t hurt to let her know I was friendly and not here for some sinister purpose. I hoped she couldn’t see through my nervous shuffling from foot to foot.
The door clicked closed behind us and sent a jarring shot of fear up my spine. Hitch took my hand. His quiet strength helped calm my frayed nerves. I looked at Maxine with her oddly coiffed bob, hot pink linen skirt, and cream-colored silk blouse fitting snugly on her sleek figure. Definitely not the ensemble of a killer. I’d follow Hitch’s lead on this.
Hitch started the conversation going. “My obsession with orchids has only increased, Maxine. You know, now that I’ve moved back to Pineville, I’d love to join your orchid society.” I could tell she was dazzled by Hitch’s smile. She didn’t take her blue eyes tinged with suspicion off him.
He said, “Is there any chance you’d give us a teeny peek of your collection?” He had the merest suggestion of flirtation in his voice.
Conflicting emotions battled on her face.
He jumped in to ease the moment. “Of course, since we dropped in unexpectedly, I completely understand if you don’t have time.” He leaned close to her and said, in a conspiratorial fashion, “But, couldn’t you spare a few minutes? And, I’d be happy to show you mine sometime.”
That last comment came out wrong in my opinion, but it made Maxine chuckle and seemed to warm her up to Hitch.
She gave him a friendly nudge in the ribs. “You haven’t lost that famous charm, have you, Ty Hitchner. Follow me. I have a few minutes to spare.”
She led us through a maze of doorways into a sun-filled room, chatting away about orchids the whole time. A glass dome overhead, and floor to ceiling windows, made for the perfect backdrop for the most amazingly beautiful plants I’d ever seen. The sound of gurgling water added to the tropical garden atmosphere. I was enchanted.
“Stunning,” Hitch said and from his rapt expression I knew he meant it.
I couldn’t move from the tiled step as I took in the beauty that surrounded me. Butterflies even fluttered between feeding stations and flowers. One delicately floated down and landed on my shoulder.
I looked at Hitch with my eyes wide with the excitement of a toddler. “I don’t believe this.”
Maxine chuckled. “Sunny, that Blue Morph butterfly found a friend. Some people believe it symbolizes good luck. I’m not sure I believe that based on my day today. But,” she waved her hand dismissively, “never mind about that. Come down here, and I’ll show you something else that’s pretty special.” Her high-heeled sandals click-clacked on the colorful tiles on her path across the room.
I glanced at Hitch and whispered. “What did she mean by that?”
Without answering, he said, “Maxine, I think we might have a mutual orchid lover in common. Do you know Harry Jensen?”
I held back on the step, wondering where this was headed.
Maxine spun around, but her hair didn’t move an inch. “I think you mean, had, Ty. We had a mutual o
rchid lover in common. He was murdered this morning.” Her mouth tightened at the corners. “As I think you both already know since you were at the auction, too.”
No kidding, I almost blurted out. Instead I said. “Was that his name? You knew him? How horrible.” I even shivered to show extra concern.
Maxine ignored me but sent a searing glare at Hitch. “Is that why you dropped in? To question me about my relationship with Harry? I have absolutely nothing to hide. Nothing. He dropped in and begged me to take care of his collection until he had a place of his own. End of story.”
“How convenient,” Hitch said. He took out his phone and snapped a photo of a gnarly twisted tree in a shallow ceramic dish. “And what are your plans for his collection now? For example… this funny looking tree that’s worth… oh… several hundred thousand dollars.”
“I… he… what?”
“This bonsai, Maxine. I got shot because of this plant.” He rubbed his arm. “I know all about it even if you thought you could pull the wool over everyone else’s eyes. Everyone except for the person who broke into Harry’s well-protected apartment in New York City. The assailant got away.” Hitch paused, a grim line of tension around his mouth. He looked at Maxine then back at the valuable bonsai. “And, I predict that person won’t give up until this plant is removed from this new place of honor.”
Maxine’s face crumbled.
In one fluid motion, Hitch slipped his phone in his pocket, walked the few steps back to me and escorted me out.
“Could she be that intruder?” I asked Hitch when we were safely outside.
“Probably not, but she is about the right size. I’m thinking it’s more likely she’s Harry’s murderer.”
I paused on the walk and turned to look over my shoulder. Maxine stared at us from her big bay window.
I shivered again.
What was she up to?
9
The sound of tires crunching on Maxine’s gravel driveway startled me as we walked away from her house.
An old rusty sedan stopped next to Hitch’s Camaro. Before I could see who was inside, he strode over to the driver’s door in his casual lope. “Gina,” he called out, his voice rising in his excitement. “I haven’t seen you in ages. How are you?”
Gina Pitman slid out, one wrinkled pants leg followed by the other. I’d heard the young brunette who obviously spent a part of her week working out was going through some tough times. But from the dark scowl on her face, she looked like she’d just wrestled an ornery bobcat off her porch.
“I have to hurry, or I’ll be late,” she said breathlessly. “Mrs. Salter threatened to fire me if I’m late again. I had to drop off my friend’s daughter at a new daycare facility. Poor little kid was so distraught, I couldn’t just dump her and run. I’ve only had this job for a couple of weeks, though, and I don’t know what I’ll do if I get fired. And now, there’s more work on my plate here with all the extra plants to take care of. I hope that guy doesn’t leave them for long. He left this ugly deformed tree that’s supposedly worth a fortune. I get nervous every time I walk by it.” She rattled on to Hitch as though she’d seen him this morning, all the while opening the trunk and sorting out her supplies. Satisfied with her gear, she picked up a big basket filled with an assortment of cleaning supplies.
I stepped closer. “Hey, Gina. Hitch and I just got a look at all those plants. They’re your responsibility?”
She grimaced in response.
“What’s Maxine’s security situation?” Hitch asked. “That has to be a huge worry.” Knowing his background, I shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d zero on that important detail instead of her day-to-day struggles. “With that valuable bonsai to handle, you must have her code so you can get your job done if she’s gone.”
“Yeah, I have the code. But she changes it every couple of days, which is a pain in the neck to keep straight.” Gina slammed the trunk of her car. “Oh crap! I just locked my keys in there.” She dropped her basket and buried her face in her hands as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I can’t believe I just did that. Nothing is going my way lately.”
“Hey,” Hitch said, putting his hand on her shoulder. They’d been neighbors growing up; Gina tagging along like an annoying younger sibling Hitch had said once, before he left for New York. Apparently, their friendship was still in place. “I can pop it open for you. It’ll only take a minute.”
Without waiting for a reply, he headed for his car and returned with some kind of gizmo I’d never seen before. After a couple of pokes and twists, the trunk popped open, revealing a tornado of belongings. He fished around, moving shoes, clothes, and tools out of the way. “Voila! Here you go.” He handed Gina her keys accompanied by a friendly pat on her back. “Try not to worry so much.”
“Maxine will understand,” I said, not sure at all if she would. From what I’d heard, Maxine Salter was the type of woman who insisted on having things done her way. She wasn’t known for any charitable streak. My heart went out to Gina and the stress she was obviously dealing with.
“I don’t think so.” Gina said, confirming my suspicion about Maxine. “That’s the problem. All she cares about since that guy showed up are all those orchids and that deformed tree. Whenever she looks at that ugly thing, dollar signs pop into her eyes. I can’t wait for him to come back for his plants.”
“He won’t be back, Gina,” I said softly. “He was murdered this morning. You didn’t hear?”
Color drained from her face, and her mouth formed an O as big and round as her eyes. “Did it happen at the auction? Mrs. Salter said she was going to see him there and make sure he bought that nursery for his plants. She had big plans for that space.”
I picked up Gina’s basket of cleaning supplies and handed it to her, avoiding sharing any details about the murder. “You’d better get inside before you’re late. I’m sure Maxine will figure out something to do with all those extra plants.”
“Of course, she will.” Gina slipped the basket handle over her arm and finger combed her tangled curls into a bit of order, then attempted to smooth the wrinkles from her uniform. “She’ll keep them. Why wouldn’t she?”
Gina hurried up the walkway and disappeared inside like a prisoner heading into a dungeon.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said to Hitch. “Before Maxine comes out and accuses us of something.”
“Like what?”
“Stealing one of her special plants? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put it past her to accidentally lose one and blame you for hiding it under your shirt while we were inside. It would keep any focus away from her.”
Hitch, his jaw working overtime, started his car with a roar, and the tires scattered gravel as he left the driveway. My head slapped back against the headrest but the more miles between us and Maxine the better.
“Do you think Maxine and Harry were arguing about the fact that he didn’t buy the nursery?” I said, replaying Gina’s conversation in my mind.
“The nursery that we own.” His face finally relaxed into a grin. “That will be our way in with Maxine. We’ll consult with her about how to remodel that glass greenhouse to best suit my orchids. Maybe we can get her to lower her guard and find out exactly what her relationship with Harry was.” He patted my leg. “You’re thinking like a detective, Sunny Shaw. What other little nuggets are swirling in that amazing brain of yours?”
I glanced at Hitch to see if he was teasing me. I didn’t see any twitches at the corner of his mouth or eye rolls to indicate he thought I was foolish. What I saw was his face filled with a fierce determination. That trait was what I remembered and always loved about him. He never gave up until he found all the answers. And now that he’d returned to Pineville, I planned to figure it all out right alongside him.
“I’m wondering if Maxine was angry enough to murder Harry. What do you think?” I asked.
“When someone covets something belonging to someone else nothing would surprise me.”
I didn�
�t like that observation, but I couldn’t argue with his point about human nature.
10
“I have an idea,” I said to break the silence. We’d been on the road for a few minutes after leaving Maxine’s house. “I’m hungry. We could grab a bite and discuss our new business.” I twisted in my seat to face him. “What do you think?”
“I think, Ms. Sunshine, that you read my mind, especially about the eating part. Where do you want to go?”
“Drive through Pineville toward Misty Harbor. There’s a great place called the Little Dog Diner, and it just so happens that I’m friends with the owner, Dani Mackenzie. I’ll send Tilly a text to meet us there.”
Hitch reached over the stick shift and took my hand. “I’d rather it was just you and me…”
“But she’ll never forgive me if I don’t include her. Plus, she witnessed the argument between Harry and Maxine.” What I left unsaid was that being alone with Hitch for too long was confusing my emotions. On the one hand, sitting here next to him felt like old times, but the fact that he’d left for New York expecting me to drop everything I cared about to follow him, still stung. I had to take his return and our new business arrangement one step at a time. Slow and easy so my heart didn’t get broken again.
“I thought this was a working lunch about our business?”
“That too. How about this. I’ll tell her to meet us in…” I checked the time, “an hour. That way, we can talk business before she arrives.” I sent off a message and got a quick okay in reply. And, it would give me enough alone time with Hitch to think about how this business relationship with him was going to work—step one.
Hitch turned onto Oceanside Road which connected all the towns along Blueberry Bay. Glimpses of stunning Atlantic Ocean views teased us as his Camaro hugged the twists and turns. Lobster boats, sailing vessels, and pleasure boats enjoying the early summer weather dotted the waves. Seagulls soared and dipped above the bay, ever present icons searching for a tasty morsel.