by Lynn Cahoon
I was surprised at my aunt’s words. She never had anything good to say about most people. She could find something to nitpick on with Mother Teresa. But I had to agree with her on Sadie. That girl was gold.
The door opened, and Pastor Bill came running in, looking wildly around the shop. “Where is she? Did she go to the hospital? Was she hurt?”
“If you’re looking for Sadie, you just missed her. Toby walked her home.” I watched his face as he processed the news.
“She didn’t tell me about the break-in when she called to get Paula settled in a hotel. I thought she just needed some time alone. You know how hard she works at that bakery of hers. I found out from one of my parishioners, who called to see if Sadie was all right. I must have sounded like a fool.” He ran his hands down his Dockers. “I ran all the way over here from the church when she said the police had told her that Sadie was at the coffee shop. I’m not sure I even said goodbye.”
I tried to keep the smile off my face. I’d known my friend had been in love with Pastor Bill for over a year now. I just hadn’t known his feelings before today. And maybe he hadn’t either. “She’s fine. A little shook up, but fine. I bet she would love to visit with you over dinner. Maybe you could take her to that beach club that opened a few weeks ago.”
“That’s a terrific idea.” Pastor Bill turned toward the door, then paused and turned back. “Thank you so much for your assistance.”
After he’d left, I looked at my aunt and we both started laughing.
“Well, if he doesn’t follow up on his feelings for Sadie after this, he’s a fool.” My aunt poured the last drops of coffee into her cup. “Looks like we need a refill.”
“I’ll get it.” I went back to the coffee bar and refilled the carafe. “It’s been a busy day here. You want me to hang around for a while?”
“No, you go home and make that man of yours dinner. Sounds like he’ll need the energy tonight.” My aunt’s hand covered what I knew was the heart necklace. Since I’d noticed her wearing it, she hadn’t taken it off. She waved me away when I set down the carafe. “I’ll just sit here a while more until we get a customer. By the way, Mary called, and we’re going to the city on Saturday. I know you said you could cover, but if it’s a problem, I can come back early.”
“It’s not a problem at all.” I cleared the table of the extra coffee cups and plates. “Can I get you anything else before I leave?”
“I’ve got a book under the counter. Bring it to me and get out of here. I like quiet when I read.”
I took the tray to the counter and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Then I grabbed my tote and her book. It was a historical romance, with one too many dukes on the cover. Regency England should have sunk into the sea from the sheer weight of the dukes authors had been writing into their books. I paused at the table. “Here you go. I really like this author’s work.”
“Just something that was lying around.” My aunt’s cheeks pinked. “Now go home.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I stepped out of the shop into the still-bright sunshine and smiled all the way home.
My phone rang as I was walking home. The caller ID showed the Senior Project. Maybe they had good news for me. “Hello?”
“Good, I caught you.” A man spoke quickly into my ear. “This is Jill Gardner, right?”
“You’re speaking to her. And you are?” Clearly not Denyse with my good news.
“I’m Earl Hess. I’m the executive director of the Senior Project. I was reviewing last week’s intakes and found your file missing the intake form. I’m sure we must have sent you one by email. Have you returned it yet?”
“Actually, I’ve been a little busy.” Which really meant, I’m not filling out that form, now or ever.
“It’s important we follow protocol on all intakes. Please complete this tonight and I’ll expect it in my email tomorrow when I come into the office.”
I was about ready to tell him what he could do with the form and his email when I realized I was talking to dead air. He had told me what I was going to do and that was that. Too bad he didn’t know me as well as Sadie did. She could have told him this was not the correct way to get me to do something. Of course, anyone who had spent over a day with me could have told him that his tactics wouldn’t work. I tucked my phone back into my tote. “Screw protocol.”
An elderly couple walking by me on the sidewalk sped up their steps, but as they passed, the woman gave me a thumbs-up. Apparently, I’d hit a button with her.
At least I was doing something right.
Chapter 15
Greg was already at the house peeling potatoes for French fries when I got home. Emma slapped her tail on the floor in welcome but stayed glued to her spot, where she could watch Greg. I put my tote on the sideboard and went to kiss him. “Now that’s what I like to see, a man preparing the evening meal.”
“With my trusty sidekick. I don’t think Emma’s left my side since I got home except for the few minutes she went outside to do her business.” Greg leaned down and kissed me. “I decided I was going to take time for dinner. So I thought we could grill burgers to go with the fries. With all that’s going on, I might be called out at any time.”
“And you have to check on Sadie.” I went to the fridge to grab a soda. Greg already had one sitting on the counter.
“I figured Toby would have alerted you.” He set the final finished potato into a bowl with salt water and cleaned the peels out of the sink before joining me at the table. “I know the break-in must have something to do with the murder. When I talked to Paula this afternoon, she admitted to having a tablet that belonged to Ben. I guess he stored all their pictures on the thing. I’ve got it in the truck now, so after dinner, I’ll be using the office to see if he had anything else stored there too.”
I noticed he said “the office,” not “my office.” We were merging into a couple more and more every day. When Greg first moved in, he was hesitant to claim his own space. Now, less than a year into the arrangement, I was pretty sure my office was becoming his. Which was fine, since I rarely used it. I’d thought it would be a great idea, but most of the work I did at home was done at the kitchen table. The office was more of a well-decorated closet in which to store work stuff than an actual workplace.
“Sadie was shook up by the whole thing. I don’t think she was this upset when she was being framed for murder a few years back.” I settled back into the chair and took in my kitchen. I’d had someone try to break in to my house before, but with Emma on the job, they didn’t get far. “Maybe she needs a dog.”
“Maybe. Having someone say something about you that you know isn’t true is one thing. Having someone in your house without your permission feels more personal. More of a violation.” He glanced at his watch. “I think we have a few minutes before we need to get dinner started. Do you want to update me on your aunt? Anything new come up?”
“Actually, yes.” I picked up the phone and dialed Harrold’s number while Greg watched in confusion. “Operation Harrold is a go.”
When the call was answered, his voice boomed over the speaker. “Well, if it isn’t my second-favorite bookseller. What’s going on, Jill?”
“I’ve gotten Aunt Jackie to agree to a city trip with Mary on Saturday. I’ll call you from the shop as soon as they leave, but I think your project is a go.” I smiled at Greg. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“I’ll handle things from here. But Jill, thank you. I don’t know if this will melt her frozen heart, but I feel like I need to give this to her. And if the engagement is still off at the end of this, I just want you to know I was looking forward to calling you part of my family.”
I said my goodbyes and set down the phone. Grabbing tissues, I wiped at my eyes. “That man is so sweet. My aunt is a fool.”
“Sometimes it runs in the family.” Greg patted my hand. “So what’s Operatio
n Harrold?”
I told Greg about Harrold’s plan for the patio area and how he wanted it to be a surprise for my aunt. “Maybe, now that she knows this isn’t Uncle Ted and Harrold makes the grand gesture, she’ll break down and let him back into her life.”
“And maybe not. Your aunt can be stubborn.” Greg held up his hands. “But we don’t have time to talk about that; let’s get dinner started.”
I stood, but he pulled me back down to the table. “What?”
“I wanted to ask you again if you’d found out anything about your aunt and this caller.” Greg studied my face.
“No. Between hanging out with Sadie, working, and ignoring all the Senior Project emails and calls, I’ve been a little busy. But since you took her phone, he can’t get a hold of her.”
“And we didn’t know she had already set up a meet for last weekend until you tracked her down. Sometimes your aunt doesn’t show all her cards.” He kissed my hand. “She’s a lot like you in many ways. Why, are you having problems with the Senior Project?”
Now I did stand and get the burgers out of the fridge. Greg grabbed the seasonings and plugged in the deep fryer. We had this cooking thing down to a well-oiled machine. “I told the woman I met with that I didn’t feel comfortable filling out the intake form because we were talking about breeches in security and information being used inappropriately. She seemed to understand, but everyone else there is making a big deal about protocol. I’ve had an email and a phone call from the administrator. I’m sure I’ll get another one tomorrow when I don’t follow his instructions.”
“Well, if anyone can fight City Hall, it’s you.” He seasoned the burgers, then paused before going outside to start the grill. “Speaking of City Hall, I got a special delivery from your friend Amy this afternoon.”
Crap. I tried to keep my voice steady as I took out a potato to slice it. “Oh, really? What did she have to say?”
“You’re such a bad liar, and your friend isn’t as sneaky as she thinks she is. Why were you looking at the parking and rental information for Paula and Ben?” Greg paused at the door. “Hold that thought and I’ll come back and help you with the fries.”
Well, our plan to sneak the information to Greg hadn’t worked. Besides, it didn’t tell anyone anything, except that Ben was a complete freeloader. And that didn’t bode well for Paula’s defense.
When Greg came back, I moved over so he could share the chopping block. “I’m not sure what I was looking for. Maybe some people who knew him better. He seems to have just appeared out of nowhere when he moved in with Paula.”
“She says he picked her up in a country bar in Bakerstown. He went home with her that night and never left.” Greg cut the potato into slices, then fries, and picked up a second potato before I was even done with the first one. “From where I stand, the woman is naïve. We’re running his fingerprints and DNA now. I’m betting that Ben Penn isn’t the name his mama gave him.”
“If she finds out he lied to her—” I paused as Greg took the last potato out of the water and took my knife away from me. “She’s going to be heartbroken.”
“I’m thinking she’s probably lucky to be alive. If she’d been home when the murder happened, she might have been killed too.” Greg put the fries on a paper towel, then rinsed off the knives and cutting board. “Give me those burgers and you can start the fries.”
I thought about Ben and what he could have been hiding from as I put the first batch of potatoes into the fryer. I got out a plate and covered it with paper towels, got my salt container out of the cabinet, and set the table. When Greg came back inside with the empty plate the burgers had been on, I leaned against the counter and watched him.
“Did you convince the district attorney not to press charges against Paula?”
Greg grabbed his soda. “I think so. He wasn’t happy, but I explained that until we really know who this guy is, we can’t know why he was killed. Can we stop talking about this for a while? I’d like to just eat dinner with my girlfriend and maybe play some catch with Emma.”
“Can I ask one more question?”
He paused at the door. “Why not?”
“Why Paula? Was she just easy to fool?” I jiggled the fry basket, but they weren’t done.
Greg shook his head. “That is one question I won’t know the answer to until I know who Ben Penn was and what he was in to. The fact that Sadie’s place was broken in to makes me think that whoever he was hiding from must have found him.”
As I finished the fries and got the condiments out for the table, I thought about what Esmeralda had said. The scam that had been run on Jackie was a common one in her circle of thieves. Maybe when Ben moved in with Paula, that had been a con as well. Lonely women being preyed on for money. Well, Jackie wasn’t lonely, but she had been vulnerable, especially when the guy pretended to be Uncle Ted. Paula, she’d been looking for love. And instead of finding a nice guy to spend her life with, she got taken.
There seemed to be more connecting lines to the two situations than I’d expected. But I’d told Greg I’d stop talking about the murder. And I couldn’t bring up Jackie’s connection without talking about the murder. Tomorrow would be soon enough to bring up the coincidences.
Right after dinner, Greg grabbed the leash. “Emma and I are going to run up to Sadie’s to check in with her. Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m going to clean up the kitchen and then read for a while. See you when you get back.”
I’d just gotten the kitchen cleaned when the phone rang. I checked the caller ID before answering, not wanting to talk to the head of the Senior Project again. “Hey, Sadie, Greg’s on his way. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. He just left. But I wanted to talk to you, and he had Emma in the truck, so I’m thinking he’s on his way back, and we don’t have much time.” Even Sadie’s cadence had sped up due to her urgency.
I sank into a chair. “What’s up?”
“Paula called me in tears from the hotel. She says she thinks Greg is going to arrest her. Is that true?”
I knew Paula wasn’t stupid. She had to have seen the signs. “Greg is still investigating. There’s no need for her to get upset.” Or hire an attorney yet.
“Jill, you know you can’t lie to me. You have to convince Greg that Paula didn’t do it. I know he doesn’t like you investigating, but you’re good at it. You always find the right person. You and Greg are like that couple in the movies who solved mysteries together.”
“And I know when I’m being snowed. Seriously, Sadie. If I knew that Greg was going to charge Paula, I’d tell you.” I hoped when we found Ben’s real name, we’d also find his killer, because, right now, no matter how much I told Sadie she was wrong, Paula was the best bet.
I heard the sigh over the phone line. “I’m just so worried about her.”
“I know.” I heard a doorbell ring at Sadie’s. “Are you expecting company?”
“No. I’m locked up tight. Let me just go get rid of them.”
“Don’t open the door. Look out your window and see who’s there.” I glanced out the doorway to my driveway, but Greg still wasn’t back. And Sadie hadn’t answered me. “Who is it?”
Sadie laughed, but I could hear the relief in her voice. “Pastor Bill.”
“Is he alone? Can you see all around him?” I might be paranoid, but the preacher was as naïve as Sadie. Which probably made them a great couple.
“Yes, Jill, he’s alone. Can I answer the door now?”
I paused, trying to be smart about this. After I’d gone through the mental exercise of ruling out our local Methodist preacher as a crazed killer, I responded. “Open the door, let him in, then lock the door after him. And tell me that you did.”
“Yes, Mother.” Sadie giggled. I heard the door open and then Sadie invited the pastor inside. Then I heard the locks click again and Sa
die was back on the line. “We’re back to DEFCON three. Doors locked. Only Pastor Bill entered the house when I opened the door. Unless our killer is invisible.”
“Sue me for being careful.” I went and sat on the couch, pulling over the comforter and moving my book closer. “Call me if you need something.”
“Thanks Jill. I know you’ll do your best.”
I set the phone on the coffee table and tried to lose myself in the book. I kept hearing noises and thinking it was Greg. Finally, I gave up on the book and turned on the television. I had channel surfed most of the way around to the beginning without finding anything to watch when the front door opened and Emma bounded into the living room.
Greg came over and took the remote out of my hand. He keyed in a channel, then tossed the remote back onto the table. “Good, you were getting the TV set up for my game.”
“Actually, I was trying to find a movie.”
Greg pointed to the book. “I thought you wanted to read tonight.”
Which translated into I really want to watch this game. I decided to take another tactic. “You took a while to get home. Sadie called, and Pastor Bill is at her house.”
“Yeah, I know. I talked to him before he reached Sadie’s. He’s staying the night.” Greg headed to the kitchen. “Do you need something to drink? I’m putting some popcorn into the microwave.”
“We just ate dinner.” I loved food, but even I couldn’t eat anything else. Well, maybe some high-end chocolate. Or ice cream. There was always room for ice cream. I was pretty sure there wasn’t any in the house because I hadn’t put it on the grocery list when I ran out. But that wasn’t the point. I wasn’t hungry. “Wait, did you say Pastor Bill was staying the night at Sadie’s?”
“Yes, and don’t be spreading that around. He’s already worried that someone will think the worst.” Greg grinned as he brought his soda out to the couch and sat next to me. “He told me he was worried for her safety.”