Dying for High Tea

by Linda Gordon Hengerer

  Sean hadn’t moved since Siobhan’s announcement. He looked shattered and Chelsea worried about him. Coming on top of everything, she hoped he was strong enough to weather this latest bombshell.

  She couldn’t understand why Siobhan sold her college graduation gift from Sean. Did she hate him for the family moving away from Citrus Beach? She was old enough to go out on her own then, so if she felt that strongly why hadn’t she stayed when the family left. Chelsea wondered what was really behind Siobhan’s statement.

  “I’ll take you home,” Sean said. “I need to talk to Mother.”

  “Sure,” Chelsea said. She didn’t know what to say, and the ride to BevAnne’s house was quiet. They pulled into the driveway.

  “Talk tomorrow?” she asked. She leaned towards Sean and gave him a hug. “You know you can call me anytime, right?”

  “Thanks.” Sean hugged her back, but didn’t say more.

  Chelsea waved as he left, then went inside. BevAnne was in her recliner, Dani was in the kitchen mixing something up, and Alex sat at the kitchen table working on BevAnne’s laptop. Alex’s laptop was still missing. Chelsea hoped it was found intact but knew the odds were low of that happening.

  Dani looked up as Chelsea came into the kitchen.

  “How is he doing?” she asked. She poured batter into a pan and slid it into the oven. Setting the timer, she busied herself washing up the dirty mixing bowl and measuring cups.

  “He was doing better before Siobhan and her friend showed up,” Chelsea said.

  Alex looked up from what she was doing and said, “Go on.”

  Chelsea pulled a mug from the cabinet and made tea. She sat next to Alex and said, “They were rude and nasty. Sean asked about the ring and Siobhan said she sold it.”

  BevAnne’s indrawn breath and shocked “What?” was how the sisters felt. What was going on?

  Chapter 8

  Sean called Chelsea the next morning before Beach Tea Shop opened.

  “Will you have time this afternoon to take a ride with me?” he asked. “I want to find the pawn shop where Siobhan took the ring and talk to the owner.”

  “I’ll call after we close and I’m done setting up for tomorrow,” Chelsea said. “Does 4 o’clock work for you?”

  “Yes. I’ll pick you up at BevAnne’s house.” Sean hung up the phone and Chelsea looked at hers before setting it down.

  “Everything okay?” Dani asked. She was busy taking baked goods out of the oven and setting them out to cool. They opened in just a few minutes and this time before they did, when it was still quiet, was her favorite time of day. The smell of baking filled the air, the prep work was done, and she had one minute to relax before the craziness began.

  “Ready?” Alex called out. “I’m opening the doors.” She unlocked the door and welcomed the first customers in, seating tables of two and three. One group of five took the last table and Alex started taking names for a waiting list.

  Tuesday morning’s first customers of the day didn’t linger. They ate breakfast and drank tea and left, unlike the lunch-time crowd that took time to relax and chat after their food was gone. Tables filled and emptied, Alex and Chelsea took orders and brought out food, cleared tables and set fresh places.

  Dani was busy making sandwiches, plating orders, and replenishing food supplies. She baked all day long and often made a quick fruit jam when she noticed the supply was running low.

  Rose Bradford came in for a late lunch. “Did you hear the latest?” she asked Chelsea.

  “Probably not,” Chelsea said. “We’ve been too busy to talk to anyone unless we’re taking their order. Can I get you something?”

  “The daily special is good,” Rose said. “Do you think you can sit for a minute when you bring my food?”

  “Probably. We’ve slowed down,” Chelsea said. She passed the order to Dani and was soon back at Rose’s table with her food.

  Chelsea brought a glass of water for herself when she brought a pot of tea for Rose. They sat for a minute, Rose eating and Chelsea relaxing. Alex covered the few customers remaining and Chelsea knew she could take five minutes.

  “Grace Carson was in one of Sean Browne’s counseling groups. She got out of rehab a few weeks ago.” Rose ate a bite of her sandwich. “Mmm, this is good. Cucumber is a classic for a reason.” She ate another bite and swallowed.

  “Sean’s mother stopped by last week and mentioned her, although I don’t think she knew her name,” Chelsea said. “I didn’t realize the missing woman was the same person until they identified her.”

  “Well, she seemed to have a crush on Sean. She followed him around, popping up when he was out.” Rose finished her lunch and fixed her tea the way she liked it best. Taking a sip, she relaxed into her chair. “I thought I saw her last week walking up the Browne’s driveway. She must have known Sean was staying with a friend if she’s been following him.”

  Chelsea was struck by something. “Did you tell Elizabeth Weaver about Grace being at the Browne house? I still don’t know how she ended up in our house.”

  “I did. She seemed interested in the information, like it confirmed something for her.” Rose finished up her tea and checked the time. “Got to run. Thanks for everything.” She dropped money on the table and left.

  Chelsea cleared the table and set fresh place settings, ready for the next customer. She was wondering how this new information about Grace Carson being next door fit into the story of her death. She realized she didn’t ask Rose which day she’d seen Grace. Was it the same day as the fire, or a different day. Was she looking for Siobhan or Sean?

  ~*~

  The last customers left and Chelsea locked the door. Clearing the last few tables and setting new place settings only took a few minutes. She didn’t want to keep Sean waiting.

  She caught her sisters up on the news Rose passed along as they worked to get Beach Tea Shop ready for the next day.

  “Head out,” Alex said. “We’ll finish this up. Keep us posted if you find out anything.” She shooed Chelsea out the door.

  Chelsea drove to BevAnne’s and saw Sean was already there. She was early and thought Sean was too keyed up to wait until 4 o’clock.

  He saw her and rolled down his window.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” Chelsea said. “I want to change. Do you want to wait here or come inside?”

  “I’ll wait here,” he said.

  Chelsea changed into blue shorts and a white top, with sunny yellow sandals completing her outfit. She liked wearing the black and white uniform for work, but enjoyed the colors she usually wore in her off time.

  Back outside and sliding into Sean’s car, she said, “Rose Bradford stopped by and told me she’d seen Grace Carson walking up the driveway at your house.”

  Sean shook his head. “I heard that. I don’t get it. Grace knew I was staying with Neil. I don’t know what she was doing at the house. As far as I know, she didn’t know Siobhan.”

  “Looking for your mother?” Chelsea guessed.

  “Nothing makes any sense,” Sean said. He concentrated on driving and Chelsea didn’t distract him with chatter. They were comfortable with silence.

  He pulled into the parking lot of a pawn shop. “I figured we’d start here. It’s the closest one to the house.”

  “Makes sense,” Chelsea said.

  They got out of the car and went inside. Chelsea was surprised by how well-lit the pawn shop was. She expected dim lighting and hushed voices, but the few people present spoke at a normal volume.

  A clerk came over to them. Sean asked to speak to the owner and the clerk went off to get him. He spoke to an older man who looked over at Sean, rose from his chair, and came over.

  “Can I help you?” he asked. “I’m Jeff Fagin, the owner.”

  “Sean Browne. I had a question and I’m hoping you can help. My sister said she sold her gold Claddagh ring, and I wanted to know if she sold it to you.”

  “May I ask why you want to know?” Jeff asked.
r />   “The ring was bought by a young woman. I’m looking for information about her, really, more than the ring.” Sean looked sad. The ring, a gift to his sister, ended on the finger of a young woman who died too soon.

  “I did buy such a ring last week,” Jeff said. He polished a smudge off the counter in front of him. “A young woman bought it a few days later. Is there a problem?”

  “Not a problem. I’m curious about the sale. Did the young woman who bought it say anything?” Sean asked.

  “She came in looking for a Claddagh ring and said she’d heard I had one here.” Jeff thought for a moment. “I can’t remember anything else. We didn’t talk much since she found what she wanted right away. She paid and left.”

  “She didn’t mention how she knew you had the ring, did she?” Chelsea asked. Sean looked at her as if he hadn’t thought about that.

  “Just that a friend told her,” Jeff said.

  “Thank you,” Sean said. “I appreciate your time.” He and Chelsea left and got into the car to head back to BevAnne’s.

  “What do you think,” Chelsea asked.

  “I don’t know. Did Siobhan tell her the ring was there? Who would know?” Sean sounded frustrated.

  Chelsea wasn’t sure which was more frustrating, not knowing why Siobhan sold the ring or why Grace Carson wanted it.

  “Why don’t you and Neil come over for dinner tonight about 7 o’clock?” Chelsea said. “We’ll talk over what we know and see if we can make sense of things.”

  “Sounds good. Can we bring anything?” Sean asked. He pulled into the driveway and Chelsea got out.

  “Just yourselves.” Chelsea waved goodbye and went inside.

  She saw Alex first and said, “I’ve invited Sean and Neil Morris to dinner. What can I do to help?”

  “Nothing. Dani is making spaghetti and meatballs. I’ll let her know to cook enough for the four of us and two men. We’ll make salad and garlic bread.” Alex and Chelsea walked to the kitchen.

  “We’re having company for dinner,” Chelsea said. “Sean and Neil are coming at 7 o’clock. I’ll make something for dessert.”

  “No need. I made a pound cake last night, so we have that,” Dani said. “Set two more places. We’ll eat in the dining room.”

  Everyone got busy and in short order everything was ready.

  The bell rang at 7 o’clock and Chelsea let Sean and Neil Morris in. Neil was as tall as Sean, and from a distance they were often mistaken for each other. Close in, the differences were apparent. Sean had green eyes and Neil’s were brown. Both had dark hair, although Neil’s was cut short and Sean’s looked like he was two months past due for a cut.

  Both men were swimmers. They were teammates on the Citrus Beach High School swim team and were still in good shape. Neil was part of the group Sean and Chelsea hung around with, and already knew Dani and Alex.

  Chelsea introduced him to BevAnne. “BevAnne, I’d like to introduce you to Neil Morris. He and Sean and I go way back.”

  “Neil, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope you brought an appetite,” BevAnne said. She smiled at him as he shook her hand.

  “An appetite and a bottle of wine,” Neil said. He produced two bottles of wine and handed them to Chelsea. “Two bottles of red for our hostesses. Thank you for including me tonight. Sean and I aren’t much for cooking.”

  “We’re glad you could make it,” BevAnne said. “Let’s sit for a minute and chat while the girls finish up in the kitchen.” She showed Sean and Neil into the family room.

  Dani finished up the spaghetti and meatballs. Chelsea took the bowl of salad to the dining room. Alex carried garlic bread and salad dressing to the table. They set up the food on a buffet server so everyone could help themselves.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Dani said.

  BevAnne, Sean, and Neil came to the dining room. BevAnne started and soon they were seated at the table, digging in to delicious food.

  They talked of local news and people they knew, avoiding the fire and Grace Carson’s death until after dinner. BevAnne and the two men moved back to the family room to give the sisters space to work.

  Dani and Chelsea carried food out to the kitchen and Alex cleared the dishes from the table. Food was packed up and put into the refrigerator. Dishes went into the dishwasher. A pot of coffee was started so it would be ready for dessert.

  Dessert plates came out, pound cake was sliced, and Dani garnished the cake with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

  Putting plates, forks, and napkins on a tray, Dani carried it out to the family room. She set the tray on a table and said, “Help yourselves. Alex will have coffee ready in a minute.”

  BevAnne took a plate with a small piece of cake. “This looks divine, Dani. Thank you.”

  Neil said, “Dessert on a school night? Thank you, all.”

  Everyone laughed. “We call it a school night, too,” Chelsea said. “Habits die hard, even when we’re out of school.”

  Settling in with cake and coffee, the talk moved to what was on everyone’s mind.

  “I heard some disturbing news today,” Neil said. He worked with Sean doing drug counseling, and he also worked with teens in high school to educate them about drug use and how to avoid it. Just Say No was an idea adults had, but education and consequences worked best to prevent teens experimenting with drugs in Neil’s experience.

  “Ronald Parker has been hanging out at the pizza place by the high school. Word is he can get drugs, any drugs someone wants.” Neil was matter of fact when he said this. “School’s out, but the kids still go there.”

  “Does Siobhan know?” Sean asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve only heard about Ronald, but he stands out more than she does.” Neil finished his cake and coffee. “This was delicious, ladies. Thank you again for inviting us.”

  Sean said his Thank Yous and Goodbyes, and the men left.

  Chelsea and her sisters talked over what they learned with BevAnne. They seemed to have more questions than answers.

  According to Elizabeth Weaver, Ronald Parker was a former Drug Enforcement Agency employee. He had the knowledge to get drugs. Had he turned from a good guy to a bad guy? Did he get Siobhan mixed up in something she couldn’t easily get out of?

  Chapter 9

  Wednesday morning was rainy. Traffic was slow through Beach Tea Shop, which suited everyone. The past week had been full of highs and lows, and having a quiet day with rain pattering on the windows was just what they needed.

  Dani took time to browse through her cook books, marking recipes she liked and might try. Chelsea and Alex got their side work done, wrapping silverware in napkins and putting napkin rings around the bundle. The baskets with silverware bundles filled up, one basket for white napkins, another for green, and a third for red. They sorted their place settings by color, to make fast transitions for holidays and special events.

  While they worked, they attended to the few hardy souls who were out in the rain. They talked quietly about the fire, Grace Carson, and what they knew, trying to make sense. How did the theft of their electronics figure into it? Why set a fire? Why was Grace Carson in their house?

  Wind chimes on the door sounded and Chelsea looked up.

  Siobhan Browne and Ronald Parker came in. They looked around and smirked at each other, then Ronald snapped his fingers at Chelsea. “We’d like a table,” he said.

  Chelsea felt a rush of heat to her face. He snapped his fingers at her? Demanded a table? She started to say something and noticed the three women sitting nearby, waiting to see what happened. Whatever she did, word would spread fast.

  She smiled. “Of course, come this way,” she said. She showed them to a table by a window and handed menus to them. “The specials are listed on the card on the table. I’ll give you a few minutes to decide on what you’d like.”

  Alex came up to the table with the women. “Ladies, can I get anything else for you?” She smiled at them, and they smiled back.

  “No, just
the check, Alex,” one said. She was the ringleader of this group, and what she said was law. She would spread the word about what just happened. Rudeness was answered with politeness – Jean Powell raised her granddaughters with manners.

  “Here you are, Mrs. Morris,” Alex said.

  Hearing the name, Chelsea realized this was Neil’s mother. Citrus Beach was a small town with people who knew your business better than you did, she thought.

  She returned to the table to take Siobhan’s order, then turned to Ronald to take his. Both ordered the special and plain black tea.

  Chelsea sighed. She loved serving those who enjoyed having afternoon tea, and was sorry that Siobhan and Ronald weren’t here for that reason. Not everyone was a pleasure to serve, but everyone who came into Beach Tea Shop was treated with respect.

  Mrs. Morris and her friends paid their bill and paused next to Siobhan on their way out. “Young lady, I know your mother,” Mrs. Morris said. “She won’t be pleased with your companion’s behavior. You should know better.” She moved off with her friends right behind, and the wind chimes tinkled as they left.

  “Nosy…” Ronald muttered.

  Chelsea didn’t catch the rest of what he’d said, but imagined it wasn’t a compliment. She shared a smile with Alex, sisters in tune with each other and the ways of a small town.

  Dani brought out the food and set it down. “Hello, Siobhan, it’s been a long time,” she said. “What brings you back to Citrus Beach?” Her tone was on the polite side of brusque, indicating she knew what Ronald did and didn’t appreciate it.

  “Danielle, it has been a long time. I’m not sure why you think I’d share my business with you,” Siobhan said.

  Dani said, “Just making polite conversation. You do remember that, don’t you?” She turned and went back to her kitchen.

  Siobhan huffed and looked at her food, suddenly enthralled by tea sandwiches and scones.

  Chelsea joined Alex by the buffet. If Siobhan wanted to ignore them, that was fine.