“I’m so sorry.” She wiped away tears from her face with the back of her hand.
“Right. You’re sorry.”
“We’re family. We have to work through this.”
“Well, what we need to understand is that this conversation goes nowhere else. Ever.”
Kelly raised her palms and nodded. “I won’t tell anyone your secret.”
“I suppose you want something in return for your silence.”
“Wow. You don’t know a thing about me, do you?” Kelly stood and walked to the door that led to the hall. “There is one thing you can do for me. Stop making my life miserable. You can also show yourself out.”
She pushed the swinging door open and walked out of the room. Upstairs in her apartment, Howard greeted her. His body slinked along her legs, and he meowed softly. His welcome made her smile. She squatted down and stroked his back. Her fingers burrowed in his fur as she settled on the floor.
He took her action as an invitation and climbed onto her lap. His whiskers brushed her chin, and the dam burst. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she sniffled.
The memory of the summer party slammed into her. Flashes of the fire pit, bottles of beer being passed out, and her walking away from the crowd with Davey.
No, no, no. She couldn’t blame herself anymore.
Not only did she have to stop punishing herself, but she also had to stop letting people blame her. Like her uncle had.
Oh, goodness. She inhaled a sharp breath.
How was she going to face Ariel? How was she going to be able to keep her uncle’s secret?
Ariel had the right to know who her biological father was, didn’t she? What about Frankie and Juniper? Didn’t they have a right to know they had a sister?
How had she gotten into this situation?
She just had to tell her uncle off. Now, look where it had gotten her. Right in the middle of a life-changing secret.
Kelly rested her head against the wall.
Why did she have to open the can of worms? Why hadn’t she just accepted her uncle’s crummy behavior? Why did she have to question it? There was something to be said for leaving things alone.
Lesson learned.
Howard meowed, drawing her attention downward. She scratched his head.
“Why is life so complicated? It reminds me of Granny’s soap operas,” she said to her feline companion. Yes, her life had all the makings of a top-rated drama. “Maybe I should have taken that offer to appear on reality TV last winter.”
Howard meowed again. This time it was clipped and followed by a flick of his tail before he jumped off her lap and sauntered off to the living room.
“Wow. That didn’t last long.” She scrambled to her feet, and before she reached the bathroom to wash her face, her cell phone buzzed.
She checked the caller ID.
Ariel.
Good grief. Kelly couldn’t talk to her friend now. She tossed the phone onto her bed and let the call go to voice mail as she entered the bathroom.
She slammed the door shut. Maybe running away from Lucky Cove again wasn’t such a bad idea.
Chapter 18
After taking a bubble bath, consuming a pint of mint chocolate chip, and catching up on Project Runway, Kelly finally fell asleep. Waking the next morning was slow going, but she gave herself some grace. Yesterday had packed a wallop.
She indulged in a little extra pampering while she got ready for the day. And when she leaned into the mirror over the bathroom sink to apply false lashes, her mood instantly brightened. It was amazing what a good pair of lashes could do for a gal.
Despite her sluggish start to the day, she arrived at Jason’s house on time. Pulling into the driveway, she was passed by a speeding car heading out to the road. The vehicle looked like Serena’s Mercedes, but the car was moving too fast for Kelly to get a good look at the driver. The only thing she was sure of was that the driver was a woman.
If the driver was Serena, what was she doing there? And why was she leaving so fast? What exactly was her relationship status with Jason these days? Even though Kelly had decided to step away from Serena’s situation, it didn’t mean she wasn’t still intrigued. Hence, her visit to Delia yesterday.
After parking her Jeep, Kelly got out and walked toward the house. When Kelly reached the welcome mat, she knocked on the door. While she waited, she glanced around the front of the house. Evergreen shrubs dotted the mulched gardens, where the tips of bulbs started to emerge from their dormant winter. The morning air was refreshing in an almost-spring-kind-of-way after yesterday’s rain. Because of the shift in weather, she’d been able to pull out her favorite longline cardigan, and she’d paired it with leggings and a tunic. As she headed out of the apartment, she grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around her neck for a little added warmth.
Kelly checked her watch. It was now after nine. Where was Jason?
During their telephone conversation yesterday, they discussed her coming over “first thing” in the morning. Still, before she made dinner, she texted him to firm up a time. They agreed upon nine o’clock, which was perfect because she’d be in and out before the boutique opened. To make sure she was as efficient with her time as possible, she left the cargo door of her Jeep open so she could start loading it up right away.
She knocked again. And again, there was no answer.
She stepped back from the front door and yawned. Was Jason out, or had he overslept?
Her cell phone buzzed. It was Liv calling.
She was grateful that the call wasn’t from Ariel. The jury was still out on how she’d deal with her friend. And the secret.
Kelly answered the call and wasted no time blurting out what happened with Mark to her best friend. She’d wanted to call last night and talk it through with Liv, but she hadn’t had the energy. She still didn’t. But it was impossible not to share one of the worst conversations she’d had in a long time.
Well, it had dropped in ranking once her uncle dropped the mother-of-all bombshells on her.
“Solo? He really said that to you? What a jerk.” Liv sounded as peeved as Kelly was when Mark had uttered the word.
“Oh, he most certainly did.” Kelly wandered back to her Jeep and leaned against the side.
“But you two are dating. He should have taken you with him.”
“I know!”
“Have you spoken to him yet?”
“No. He hasn’t called. He’ll probably never call again.”
“How do you feel about that?”
Kelly stared ahead, not focusing on anything, as she thought about her answer.
“Sad. I thought we made a good couple.” She dropped her gaze to the ground and kicked at a twig. She paired a favorite pair of platform sneakers with her casual outfit for her appointment.
“Well, it sounds like he isn’t ready to be a part of a couple. Maybe it’s for the best you find out now rather than later.”
Kelly sighed. Her friend was right. It was better to get out early than to waste time in a dead-end relationship.
Maybe it was for the best. The last thing she wanted to be was an embarrassment. If they stayed together, that thought would always be in the back of her mind.
“How about I meet you at Doug’s before I go to the bakery?” Liv asked. “My treat.”
“I’d love to. I was supposed to meet Jason at nine to take Tawny’s clothing for consignment, but it looks like he’s not home.” Kelly pushed off from the side of the vehicle. Just then, a mini-van pulled into the driveway. She didn’t recognize the car.
“Great. I’m almost out the door.”
“Wait…there’s someone here. I’ll call you back.” Kelly disconnected the call and approached the vehicle as a woman got out. “Hi.”
The petite woman gave Kelly a quick once-over before she reached into the ba
ck of the mini-van for a canvas tote. “Good morning. Is there something I can help you with?” She hurried toward the front door, not giving Kelly time to answer. Her ash brown curls bounced with each step.
Kelly hurried to catch up. “I have an appointment with Jason. I’m Kelly Quinn.”
The woman tossed a look over her shoulder as she unlocked the front door.
“He’s usually here in the morning when I come, but who knows now? He has so much going on.”
“Who are you?”
“Missy. I’m the housekeeper. I come twice a week.” Missy entered the foyer and set the tote on the floor.
“Nice to meet you.” Kelly followed Missy inside and looked around for any sign of Jason. “It seems odd.”
“What does?” Missy dug into her tote and took out a clipboard. She jotted down some notes.
“He was insistent I come first thing this morning. He wanted to clear out Tawny’s clothing.”
“So soon? Wow. Guess he’s wasting no time in moving on.” And with that, Missy headed for the kitchen. Kelly wondered if the housekeeper cleaned as fast as she moved.
“What? What do you mean?” Kelly chased after the housekeeper.
Missy stopped short of entering the kitchen, at a utility closet, and pulled out a vacuum.
“Miss Quinn, I have work to do.” Missy pushed the vacuum by Kelly and headed back to the front of the house.
“Please. Could you check upstairs? Maybe Jason overslept. I’m here, so I’d like to take the clothes back to the boutique so I can open for the day. I’d really appreciate your help.”
“Fine. I’ll go check. You stay right here.” Missy set her clipboard down on the small chest of drawers by the coat closet and went up the stairs. She disappeared out of Kelly’s sight.
Kelly glanced at her watch again. She’d be cutting it close to opening time. Even though Pepper was scheduled to work the morning shift, she didn’t want to be away too long. While she didn’t like how Mark or her uncle had spoken to her, they weren’t entirely wrong about the distractions she allowed to into her life. Sure, being there at Jason’s house was for business—new inventory. But her visit to Delia yesterday? No way she could chalk that up to being work-related. Well, she could if the category was none-of-her-business.
Her cell phone buzzed. It was Liv again. She answered the call.
“Sorry. I don’t think I can make it,” Kelly said as she walked to the first riser on the staircase and looked up, though there was nothing to see except a massive flower arrangement on a small table.
“Bummer. I’m already at Doug’s,” Liv said.
Kelly was about to ask Liv to drop off a large Top o’ the Morning coffee at the boutique when a piercing scream from the second floor stopped her.
“What the…” Kelly bolted up the stairs and made a sharp turn toward where she heard the scream come from. She ran along the carpeted hallway to the bedroom.
“What’s going on?” Liv asked.
Kelly barely heard Liv’s question when she arrived at the doorway of the master bedroom. Missy was standing in the bathroom’s doorway with her hands over her mouth. She rushed to the housekeeper’s side and looked over her shoulder to find out what caused her to scream.
Kelly’s stomach clenched. It was Jason.
His body was sprawled out on the tile floor, and a pill bottle was next to his hand. Small white pills were scattered around the bottle. Kelly shoved Missy out of the way and went to Jason. She checked his carotid pulse.
“Did you find Jason?” Liv asked.
Shoot. She’d forgotten Liv was still on the line. “Ah…yeah…we found him. I have to call you back.” Kelly disconnected the call.
“He’s dead, isn’t he?” Missy had lowered her hands and now wrung them together.
“Yes. We have to call the police, but first, we have to go downstairs.” Kelly stood and ushered Missy out of the bathroom. On their way out of the room, she noticed a sheet of paper on the bed. She took a slight detour over to the unmade queen-sized bed to get a look at the paper.
Missy started wailing, and Kelly couldn’t linger, so she snapped a photo before rushing to the housekeeper’s side.
“I’ve never seen a dead body before. This is awful.” Missy buried her face in her hands, forcing Kelly to guide her along the hallway to the staircase.
Before Kelly descended the stairs, she glanced back at the bedroom. She wondered if Serena had gotten into the house and discovered Jason’s body. If so, that would explain why she high-tailed it out of the driveway only minutes ago. Being present at the scene of two deaths in the same household would be suspicious and probably lead to her being taken into custody again. Either way, it wouldn’t look good for her.
If there was any doubt in Kelly’s mind she’d become a regular caller to 9-1-1 to report a dead body, it was confirmed by the dispatcher’s subtle sigh. Barely audible, but Kelly still heard it. Yes, it was her again.
Police officers arrived minutes after her call. By some miracle, Gabe wasn’t one of the responding officers.
The officers didn’t know who she was and were surprised Kelly gave her statement succinctly and calmly. She was tempted to say, not my first rodeo. From the serious expressions on their faces, she figured the quip wouldn’t go over well. Then she discovered why they were so solemn when she overheard them talking.
Jason was their first dead body.
Kelly remembered her first. Now, look at her. Cool, calm, and collected. She also had the presence of mind to take a photograph of the note on the bed, which she desperately wanted to read. To see if it was indeed a suicide note.
It looked like a suicide. Alone in his home and a bottle of pills. His body had been warm to the touch when she checked his pulse, indicating he hadn’t been dead for too long.
Had he been thinking about killing himself when he talked to her last night? Or, had he woken up that morning and realized he couldn’t go another day without Tawny? Or, had the guilt of murdering his wife overwhelmed him? Okay, she had no proof he’d killed Tawny, but the husband was always a suspect.
“Miss Quinn.” The baritone voice drew Kelly’s attention to the living room’s entry. “I apologize for the interruption.”
Not only was Gabe missing from the crime scene but also Wolman. Instead, Detective Nate Barber arrived and took her statement. She asked where Wolman was, but Barber didn’t give her a direct answer. Instead, he asked why she was there, what she touched, how long she’d been in the house before discovering Jason’s body. She answered the questions but did keep one bit of information to herself. It was that tidbit that caused beads of sweat to form on her temples.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting.” He stepped out of the room for a few minutes, telling Kelly to sit tight until he returned. What else did she have to do?
“Detective Barber, may I go now?” She scooped her purse up from the sofa and stood. She gazed into the detective’s kind eyes. They weren’t as harsh as Wolman’s were when she interviewed Kelly.
“Yes. Please be aware there may be some follow-up questions.”
Not my first rodeo. Yeah, still inappropriate.
Barber reached into his blazer’s breast pocket and pulled out a business card for Kelly.
“Thank you.” She slipped the card into her purse.
“One more thing, Miss Quinn.” Barber had at least six inches of height on her, and his bulk appeared to be solid. He could easily intimidate any suspect with not much more than a look. “I spoke with Detective Wolman.”
Kelly could only imagine what Wolman had said about her.
“She says you have a way of…how should I say this? Let’s go with you have issues with knowing your boundaries.” A small smile tugged at his lips. He seemed amused by Kelly’s reputation around the police department.
“I can’t help it if I notice som
ething or if someone tells me something. When it happens, I tell the police whatever I learn.” Not exactly true since she failed to tell the detective about seeing Serena’s car when she’d arrived. The million-dollar question was why hadn’t she told him? It should have been the first thing she said to him when he asked what time she arrived. Instead, she left the detail out. Now it seemed too late to mention it. “You don’t have to worry about my boundaries.” Only my knack for leaving things out.
“Oh, I’m not the one who should be worried. Consider yourself warned.” Barber stepped aside to allow Kelly to pass by.
“Noted.” She hustled out of the room. On her way to the front door, she glanced into the dining room. Missy sat at the table with her head in her hands. A pang of sympathy rippled through Kelly. She knew precisely what Missy would go through over the next few weeks. Nightmares and what-if scenarios would consume her. Over time, the shock would lessen, and her life would return to normal.
Kelly continued to the door and left the house.
Behind the wheel of her Jeep, she took in a deep breath.
She couldn’t believe Jason was dead. Had he really killed himself? Why? Was it grief? Was it guilt? Or was it murder?
Was that why Serena had torn out of the driveway?
There was only one way to find out. Kelly turned the ignition on and drove out of the driveway. She’d find out why Serena had been there and then convince her to go to the police. The question was, would Serena go as a witness or would she be turning herself in?
Chapter 19
Kelly arrived at Serena’s house prepared for anything. Being in Serena’s orbit meant life was unpredictable, and the past few days proved that to be true. However, she wasn’t prepared to see Lucky Cove police vehicles parked in front of the house.
Oh, boy. This isn’t good.
Kelly parked her Jeep off to the side so as not to block the official vehicles. As she got out of the car, the front door of the house opened.
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