by Sandi Scott
Ashley read a few of the comments. “Remember the crazy lady I told you about? The one who came out and yelled at Robin and me for making too much noise on the porch yesterday? She is the one—Chantelle Roth. Now that we've seen this, at least we know her tantrum wasn't anything personal, although come to think of it, she did say that no one would miss ‘the old thief’. She's apparently mad at everyone!”
“I think it's time to pay a visit to the Andrews Construction company,” Patty said. “I'm sure they need some promotional information about Seagrass Sweets. Clearly, looking at all the pictures on Facebook, they are a company that enjoys celebrations and special occasions, and we're just the caterers to make them even more extraordinary. Of course, if we happen to steer the conversation around to Ms. Roth and her rants or to the partners' arguments, well ....” Ashley giggled at her friend's innocent look, but she agreed readily to her suggestion.
As they drove across town to the construction company's offices, Patty said, “Tell me it's none of my business if you want, but I noticed some tension between you and Ryan when we were leaving Estes Mount the other day. Is everything okay with the two of you?”
Hesitating before she answered, Ashley glanced over at her friend. After thinking about it for a moment, she decided it might be good to get Patty's levelheaded opinion on the situation. Heaven knew Ashley wasn't making any progress in deciding what to do on her own.
“You know how Ryan and I have been dating for a few months now?” Ashley said. Patty nodded so she continued. “Well, right after all that mess with the TV reality show, he started talking about us moving our relationship to the next level by living together.”
“That's good, isn't it?” Patty asked, confusion evident in her voice. “You care for him, and that would seem to be the next logical step.”
“Well, you would think so,” Ashley said, “but I'm not sure that it's a good idea, or, at least, I'm not sure that it's good timing.”
“Why ever not?” Patty exclaimed. “Aren't things going well between the two of you?”
“Yes,” Ashley replied. “And that's sort of the problem.”
“Okay, you're definitely going to have to explain that one,” Patty said. “I'm not sure how a good relationship is a problem. Do you know how many women would envy you for having a guy willing to make that commitment?”
“Patty, you know what happened with Serge,” Ashley said, her voice quivering ever so slightly. “I was so sure that we were in love, and that we would be together forever. I was positive that we had a great relationship, too. Then, all of a sudden, I was looking at the very real possibility of going to prison for years for computer hacking and fraud. I thought we had been hired as white hat hackers, to find vulnerabilities in clients' systems so that they could be plugged, and I believed, almost up to the very end, that Serge would explain it to the police and fix the problem—that he would be there for me. I was devastated when Serge disappeared and left me to face all of it alone.”
“Serge was a horrible man,” Patty agreed, “but I still don't understand. What does what happened with that despicable low life have to do with you and Ryan moving in together?”
“When I came back to Seagrass, Ryan picked up our friendship like I'd never been gone. He never said anything judgmental about the way I just walked away without even telling him I was leaving or without saying goodbye. I know he had to have been hurt. No one can be treated like that by a supposed friend and not have hurt feelings, but he never looked back or held it against me. He's been a wonderful friend, rooting me on when we started this business, helping with little repairs around my house, even keeping Dizzy at his house when we're busy. He's been everything you could ever want in a friend.”
“Aaaand?” Patty drawled when Ashley paused. “I'm still not seeing either the connection or a problem.”
“And I don't want to lose that closeness,” Ashley said. “He's one of my two best friends, and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that relationship. What if we move in, and I screw things up, like I did with Serge? What if by taking our romantic relationship up to the next level, I drive him away and lose him altogether? I don't want to live without him in my life, Patty, at the very least as a good friend.”
Patty gently touched Ashley's arm. “Sweetie, you are worrying about something that will never happen or that I don't think ever could happen. First, you didn't screw anything up with Serge. There was never any real trust and relationship between you. He lied to you and used you, treating you very badly—none of it was your fault. It was all on him, and nothing you could have done would have made him a decent human being or stopped him from running out on you. Ryan loves you—he loves you as a best friend, and he loves you as the woman he wants to share his life with. If there's anything you could possibly do to destroy that, I can't imagine what it would be.”
Ashley glanced over again, blinking back the tears her friend's supportive words brought to her eyes. “And, cheri, Ryan Brady is nothing like that sewer rat, Serge! Ryan will never intentionally hurt you, and he will never abandon you. It's just not in him to treat anyone like that, and definitely not someone he loves as much as he loves you. I think, my dear friend, that you are overthinking the whole situation. Listen to your heart. What does it tell you?”
Ashley wiped a stray tear from her cheek as she pulled into a parking space at the construction offices. “I don't know, Patty. My brain's been so busy worrying about losing him, my heart hasn't been able to get through.”
“Then it's time to tell your brain to hush so you can hear what your heart has to say,” Patty nodded. “Listen with your heart, and you will know exactly what to do, and you will have no doubts about your decision. You'll have no guarantees that everything will be perfect because life doesn't come with guarantees or perfection, but you'll also have no doubts,” Patty said as she stepped out of the car and shut the door, as if to punctuate her statement.
CHAPTER EIGHT
As Ashley and Patty opened the door to the small building housing the construction business office, a man dressed for working on a construction site walked through an inner office door and stepped into the reception area, flipping through the stack of papers he was carrying.
“Oh,” the man said when he saw Patty and Ashley standing there, “Hello! Can I help you with something?” He was clearly startled by the presence of the two women.
“Hi,” Patty said. “I'm Patty LaFontaine, and this is Ashley Adams. We are the owners of The Southern Bird and Seagrass Sweets, local catering companies. We saw your Facebook page and discovered that your company hosts several special events during the year. We are hoping to talk to the manager or owner about providing refreshments for some of your upcoming company events.”
“Oh yes, we do hold some holiday parties for our employees, and we host a couple of vendor and customer appreciation deals every year,” the man replied. “My office manager generally handles all of the arrangements, and she's away from the office for a few days. I remember her mentioning that she needed to find a new caterer, for some reason, so your timing is probably pretty good.” He paused, looking again at both women. “You both look kind of familiar, like I've maybe seen you at some recent event. By chance, did you prepare the food for Robin Andrews’ dinner the other night?”
“Oh, you're Royce Starling, aren't you?” Ashley asked, pretending like she'd just recognized him. “Yes, we were at the rehearsal dinner, I remember seeing you just before the toasts and dancing started. You and Howard Andrews are ... well, were—"
“Yes, Howard and I have ... had ... been partners for many years. And, you're right, I was at the dinner,” Starling agreed. “You say that you own the catering company? You served a wonderful meal. After tasting it, I certainly would be interested in hiring you for some company parties. I'm sorry that I didn't recognize you.”
Patty jumped in. “It's understandable that you didn't recognize us. You must have an awful lot on your mind, what with losing your partner and
all. That was such a tragic ending to what was supposed to be a special day.”
Ashley continued the conversation. “We're very sorry for your loss. Were you and Mr. Andrews close? Outside of business, I mean?”
“Howard was probably my oldest friend, and he was definitely my best friend. We've been friends since high school,” Starling replied, his voice filled with emotion. “We were practically family. We even vacationed together several times. Losing him has been very hard, both personally and professionally. It feels like I've lost a part of myself.”
“Have you spoken with the police?” Patty asked. Realizing how the question might sound, she quickly continued, “I mean, have they shared anything with you about what they think might have happened?”
“Yes, I've spoken with them several times,” Starling said. “They haven't told me anything, but they've sure asked a lot of questions about Howard and our relationship and implied a few unpleasant ideas as well. From what they asked me and from the warning I got not to leave town without telling them, I think I'm one of their prime suspects. I don't know how to prove to them that I didn't have anything to do with his death. I had absolutely no reason to kill Howard, not personally or professionally.
Starling paused a moment before continuing in a lower voice, “I loved that man like a brother. I would never hurt him, and I don't benefit from losing my partner. We had partner life insurance, but the payment goes straight into the business to repay an outstanding bank loan. I can't touch it—not that I'd even want to. But the payout isn't that much. I'll still be paying on the loan for years, assuming I can keep the business going. As obnoxious as he could be, Howard was the one who found most of our jobs. He had a special talent for it.”
Ashley picked up a bit of defensiveness in his tone, and she figured he was worried about being a suspect in his partner's murder. She decided to be a little more direct in her questions than she'd planned.
“We noticed you and Mr. Andrews arguing at the dinner, just before the toasts started and just a few minutes before Howard went outside where he was killed. Robin said she thought the two of you had been arguing more than usual lately, but she didn't know why. Was there a problem with the business?” Ashley asked.
Starling sighed and shook his head. “It was so stupid. We've been arguing about whether to stick with the contractor we've always used or to go with someone different on a big new development we have in the works. Howard didn't think our guy could handle a project as big as this one, and he wanted to go with someone he'd heard about from the next county over. I didn't see any reason to change things—you know, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'? The fact that we only had one person's recommendation for the new guy made me uncomfortable, too. I hadn't been able to find anyone else who knew anything about the man, good or bad. It seemed so important at the time we were fighting about it, but now? Now, I hate that the last conversation we had was over something that was ultimately so meaningless.”
For a moment, Starling choked up and couldn't speak. His eyes filled with tears, but he regained control over his emotions quickly.
“I shouldn't have even talked about it with him then,” Starling continued. “That party was about a celebration, about Robin and Cash, and our company business shouldn't have been a part of it. When Howard brought it up, I should have changed the subject, especially since he was drunk—which, I might add, was totally out of character for him. He never drank to excess. Most of the time, he would stick to coffee or plain water. But, we've been going around and around about it so much lately that I fell into the argument almost out of habit. And when I realized he was getting so wound up, I definitely should have dropped it instead of letting him goad me into another argument.”
“What would have happened if the two of you couldn't come to an agreement?” Patty asked.
“The same thing that has happened several times in the past,” Starling responded. “Howard was the majority partner. We'd talk it over until the timing forced a final decision. If we still disagreed, it was Howard's call. It hasn't happened that often, but it has happened in our forty-odd years as partners. I always knew that. I tried to convince him of my view, but I expected him to stand firm this time. And the truth? He was probably right. He almost always was!”
Starling cleared his throat and said, “Now, I'll always know that the last time I talked to my best and oldest friend, when he was falling-down drunk, I spoke angrily to him, and I can never make it right.”
Ashley thought for a moment about whether she should say more then decided to share what she knew, in case it comforted the man, even a little bit, to know that he hadn't verbally abused an incapacitated man.
“You know, Howard wasn't drunk,” Ashley said. “The medical examiner said that his blood alcohol level showed that he'd only had one drink. And, you say that he initiated the discussion at the dinner, so that wasn't your fault either. Friends and business partners argue. It's part of life. As long as that's all you did, you shouldn't feel bad about it. You didn't plan that to be the last conversation you had with your friend.” As soon as she said it, Ashley realized her statement could be taken as an accusation.
“Of course, that's all I did,” Starling barked. “I don't know who killed Howard, but I definitely didn't do it. And before you ask, I really can't imagine anyone else doing it either. Howard was cantankerous, as my mama would have described him, but he wasn't so bad that you'd expect someone to kill him over it. His bark was loud and obnoxious, but his heart was solid gold. He just didn't want people to know that he cared about others. Everybody I know understood that. They'd get irritated either with, or by, him, but not really angry. He didn't make friends easily, but he didn't make true enemies either. And, if you're about to ask, yes, I can prove where I was at the time he died. I was talking to several people in the sitting room.”
Starling paused, but then seemed to think of something. “Hey, didn't you say that y'all are caterers? Then why all these questions anyway?”
“Robin is one of my oldest friends,” Ashley replied. “She's devastated at losing her uncle, especially right before her wedding, and she's worried about Cash. I just want to help her find out what happened. You were probably closer to Mr. Andrews than anyone outside the family, so we thought you might have some information that would help us to help Robin and Cash.”
Starling stared at her for a moment, and then he nodded. “They were so close,” he said. “Howard loved Robin like a daughter. He would have done anything for that girl ... well, that woman, although I think he still thought of her as a little girl sometimes. He didn't like Cash, but he's never approved of any other guy she dated either. I hate knowing that Robin's hurting so badly. How can I help?”
Ashley ventured another question. “I know you said that you didn't know of anyone who would want to kill him, but did Mr. Andrews argue with anyone else lately? Is there anyone you can think of that he had problems with, maybe someone he owed money to or who owed him?”
“Howard argued with just about everyone he met,” Starling said wryly. “That's just who he was, but most people knew that and accepted it. He was pretty nasty to Cash, but I never got the sense that the boy was seriously worried or threatened by it. He commented a couple of times that he knew that Howard cared about Robin and wanted the best for her, and that he—Cash I mean—would just have to prove his worth by treating her the way she deserves.”
Looking into Ashley's eyes, Starling said, “I know that Cash makes a logical suspect, just like I do, but I don't think he killed Howard any more than I did. There just wasn't a reason. Robin was going to marry him, whether Howard approved or not. And Howard would never have cut his niece out of his will or stopped helping her, no matter who she married. I'm pretty sure Cash knew that. In fact, I don't think he would have cared if it did happen, other than for the fact that it would have hurt Robin. No, the murderer has to have been someone else, but I don't have even the slightest idea of who it might have been or what the motive might h
ave been.”
Patty re-entered the conversation. “We were looking at the company's Facebook page, and we noticed some pretty nasty comments by a woman named Chantelle Roth. What's up with that?”
Starling sighed. “That woman is beyond description crazy. We did all the renovations on that house she lives in and uses for her business. It was a historic restoration. We used authentic materials and fittings when we could find them, and we had excellent reproductions made for the rest. We gave her a price before we did each part of the work, so she knew the cost before it was done. I guess she didn't think to add them up as we went along, and she went ballistic when she got the final bill. She started screaming that we were cheating her, Howard was a thief and that she wouldn't pay that amount. We ended up in court, and the judge told her that, based on the descriptions of the work, the billed amounts were not only fair, they were probably low. After that, she took to social media, trying to trash our reputation by saying that we used cheap materials and bad reproductions while charging her for antique fixtures and fittings. Fortunately, most of our customers know our work—and quite a few of them know her, too—so it hasn't hurt us as much as it could have.”
Ashley agreed with him, and then changed the subject again, getting back to something less upsetting.
“Well,” she said, “We saw that Andrews Construction hosts several events during the year, including those for your staff and for your clients, as well as some community events. If you ever need a caterer for any of them, we'd love to work with you. We've brought some brochures and business cards to leave with you, and we can provide you with some of our customers' names and phone numbers if you'd like to speak with someone who can vouch for our service. I think you'll find our rates reasonable, and we work hard to reliably provide the best food available. We source as many of our supplies locally as possible so hiring us also supports others in our community.”