All for One

by Melody Carlson

  “No locks were broken. And everything else—including his flat-screen TV and DVD player and stereo—is intact.”

  “Oh.”

  “I know it’s not that big of a deal—although it’s a big waste of money. Still, it’s only money, not someone’s life. And even though Donna was there, it doesn’t mean she’s guilty. I’ll feel silly if I end up making it into something it’s not, but it’s really aggravating. Where could all that stuff have gone to?”

  Caroline lowered her voice. “So you really think Donna might’ve taken it?”

  “I honestly don’t know how. I mean, she’s only got a bike to ride. And I carried several boxes of items to the boat. It took a few trips.”

  “And you’re sure you put them on Victor’s boat?”

  Janie let out a loud groan.

  “Sorry. I’m sure you know what you did, Janie.”

  “Anyway, I probably just need to let it go. I mean, it’s a mystery for sure, but not one I’ll ever get to the bottom of. In light of other things, like your mom’s funeral tomorrow, and your brother’s behavior, and even Marley’s son—”

  “What’s up with Ashton?”

  Janie explained that he was staying with Marley after getting his heart broken. “Abby said Marley was actually worried he might be suicidal.”

  “Poor girl.”

  “So, compared to all that, some disappearing dishes seem pretty inconsequential.”

  As Janie rambled on about the possibility of losing her mind, Caroline tiptoed out of her room and down the hallway. The door to Donna’s room was ajar, and Caroline used her toe to push it open, quickly glancing around to see that the suite appeared to be unoccupied. “Donna?” Caroline called out just to be sure.

  “What? Are you with Donna right now?” Janie sounded worried.

  “I’m in her room,” Caroline explained. “She doesn’t appear to be here. Oh, Donna,” she called out again, more melodically this time. “Oh, Donna … Oh, Donna.” She was singing the old Ritchie Valens song now. “Where could you be?”

  “What on earth are you doing?” hissed Janie.

  Caroline kept singing the “Donna” song as she poked around the master suite. Finding nothing suspicious, she quickly retreated to her own room and relayed her findings, or lack of them, to Janie. “Sorry.”

  “I can’t believe you just did that, Caroline.” Even as Janie scolded, Caroline could hear the laughter in her voice. “That’s like breaking and entering. Trespassing.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I was just seeing if she was home,” Caroline said casually.

  “Well, thanks for trying. I owe you one.”

  “No, I’m the one who owes you.” Caroline grew more serious as she explained that she wanted to deliver the trunk to her brother. “I’m a little afraid to face him on my own, and I just talked to Mitch. He might not even make it here by tomorrow.”

  “Do you want me to take it over for you?”

  “No, but if you wouldn’t mind accompanying me, I would really appreciate it.” Caroline frowned at the olive-green trunk. “It’s kind of heavy. Maybe you could help me get it down the stairs and stuff. I was hoping to get it to him this evening. Maybe he’ll go through these mementos and remember some of the good times….” She laughed. “Who am I fooling? There weren’t many of those. Anyway, I hoped it might soften him up for the funeral tomorrow. I know there won’t be many people there, but for my mom’s sake I just don’t want him spewing his venom.”

  “I’d be happy to help.” Caroline offered to buy Janie dinner, and Janie promised to come by the inn around six. Together they would “deliver the goods.” In the meantime Caroline decided to write her brother a heartfelt letter. What could it hurt?

  * * *

  When they got to Caroline’s mom’s house, Michael’s black pickup was nowhere in sight. Caroline backed up into the driveway, and then she and Janie lugged the chest up to the front porch. Caroline set the envelope containing her note on top, securing it with a rock. Then, curious as to whether Michael was actually cleaning up as promised or if perhaps he’d changed the locks, she tried her key in the front door. To her relief it opened. But her relief was cut short when she peeked inside the house.

  “Omigosh!” Caroline gasped as she pushed her way past the piles of debris and junk that littered the small entryway. Her mom’s house had never been tidy, but for safety’s sake, Caroline worked hard to declutter it while she’d lived there. Now it looked like a hurricane had swept through. As she picked her way toward the kitchen, she was thankful the insurance appraiser had already been here.

  “What on earth is going on?” Janie demanded as she followed Caroline past the living room.

  “I have no idea.” Caroline looked around in horror. “I think my brother may have lost his mind.”

  Janie’s brow creased as she glanced back toward the still open door. “Maybe we should get out of here—”

  “—before Michael returns.” Caroline finished for her as she grabbed Janie’s hand. “Hurry!” They stumbled through the mess, emerging outside, where Caroline thankfully gasped in a breath of fresh air. “I wish we’d brought Chuck along for protection.”

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  Once they were safely back in the car, Caroline just shook her head. “I just don’t understand him.”

  “You said he’d offered to clean up. Do you think he was just trying to clear some things out?” Janie asked. Caroline could hear the doubt in her voice.

  “Maybe.”

  “Or he might’ve been looking for something specific? Something of value?”

  Caroline nodded as she turned at the corner. “Yeah, that sounds more like it.”

  “Do you think we should call the police?”

  Caroline swallowed hard. She so didn’t want to do this. “I don’t know. I mean, at least not yet, Janie. Maybe he was just clearing things out. I just want to get through the funeral, okay?”

  “Okay. But it might be that we’ll need to take some legal action, Caroline.”

  “Let’s not rush things.” All Caroline wanted was to keep a lid on things. At least until the funeral was over.

  “It’s your call, Caroline. I don’t want to pressure you. I just want you to be safe, that’s all.”

  “I know.” Caroline knew Janie was probably right, but she was still hoping that her goodwill offering and her letter might soften her brother up. There was no denying Michael was a jerk, but Caroline hoped there was a bit of goodness somewhere inside of him. When she’d been making copies of the old photos, she’d studied some shots of him as a boy. Seeing that innocence and sweet smile, she’d wondered how he could’ve turned into such a mean person. She’d told herself that meanness might simply be a protective exterior, something he’d constructed over the years to protect a tender heart, but she suspected that Janie wouldn’t understand this. Also, it was possible that Caroline was totally wrong. Maybe Michael was just plain mean—bad to the bone!

  * * *

  Caroline woke Monday morning to the sound of her phone ringing. In her blurry state and without her reading glasses, she could only detect the capital letter M on her caller ID. Thinking it was Michael calling to tear into her again, she answered with hesitant caution, then was pleasantly surprised to hear Mitch’s voice.

  “I couldn’t get an earlier flight out of Tokyo,” he said sadly. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not. I should’ve tried to rearrange my schedule last week instead of waiting for the last minute like I did. Really, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” She forced some cheer into her voice. “You’ll make it home for Thanksgiving, right?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Because Abby is planning a big shindig, and I told her I thought you’d be able to
come.”

  “Mmm. Turkey and dressing sounds so good to me. I’m tired of sushi and weird food. It’s like these guys get a kick out of shocking me every time we sit down to eat.” He described his latest meal, and Caroline actually lost her appetite.

  “Poor Mitch,” she said with real empathy. “So how do you feel about pie? Pumpkin, pecan, or apple?”

  “Oh, babe, you’re killing me. I love all three. And pie sounds heavenly.”

  “Well, I just happen to be a pretty good pie maker. So maybe I’ll go ahead and make all of them. Abby has this fantastic kitchen at the B and B, and so far all I’ve used is the microwave.”

  “So is the inn up and running now?”

  “Not exactly.” Caroline filled him in a bit.

  “So I wouldn’t be able to rent a room then?”

  Caroline considered this. “Let me check with Abby.”

  “Or I can just make a reservation at my regular spot.”

  “I’ll get back to you on it,” she promised, “after the funeral.”

  “Speaking of the funeral, I should let you go.”

  Caroline glanced at the clock by her bed and was surprised to see it was past eight. “Yes, I’ve got a lot to get done.”

  “I know it’s not much, but I did wire some flowers,” he said sadly. “I really do wish I could be there.”

  “Me, too,” she told him as she slipped her feet into her slippers. “But I’ve got my Lindas.”

  “As much as I hate to admit it, I sometimes feel jealous of those Lindas.” He chuckled. “But for the most part I’m very thankful you have them, Caroline.”

  They said good-bye, and as she showered, Caroline felt thankful for her Lindas too. Abby had coordinated everything for a small buffet lunch following the funeral. Caroline had no idea if anyone would come, but it was nice of Abby to be prepared just in case. Marley had put her artistic talents to work by arranging the extra copies of old family photos on a picture board that would be displayed at the service. And Janie, well, she’d been Caroline’s rock through everything, including managing Michael.

  It wasn’t that Caroline didn’t appreciate Mitch, or didn’t wish he could be by her side and, if necessary, defend her against her brother, but it felt good to be standing on her own two feet. As it turned out, she was strong enough to handle these things without being rescued by a man. And it was good to know she had such loyal friends.

  Chapter 23

  ABBY

  “You always take on too much,” Paul complained as Abby picked out a tie for him to wear to Ruby McCann’s funeral.

  “Too much according to who?”

  He frowned. “According to your husband.”

  “All I did was offer to cater the luncheon today.”

  “The luncheon today, a major Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, and on top of that you seem obsessed with getting the B and B going before Christmas.”

  “I’m not obsessed.” She stuck her feet into her black pumps. “I’m excited. Jackie Day’s B and B is overbooked, and she’s depending on me to handle her overflow. Not every innkeeper has guaranteed guests before they officially open their doors.”

  “You already have two guests,” Paul reminded her.

  “Yes, well …” Abby shrugged and went into the bathroom to do something with her hair. She hadn’t told Paul that she wasn’t charging Caroline yet. It wasn’t his business particularly, but she did prefer for him to think that she was already bringing in money. Besides, why was he acting like this? Just recently he’d been nagging her to do something besides babysit him. And now here she was doing other things, and he was griping about it. Men! Sometimes it seemed that nothing made them happy!

  Did Paul appreciate that she was hosting the post-funeral gathering at the inn rather than at their home? She didn’t want him to feel responsible to play host to strangers, and he could come home and rest. Did he care that it had been more work for her to get that other kitchen all set up, or to do her food preparations over there? Apparently not. She set down the curling iron and frowned at her frowzy hair. Really, it was useless. Her friends were right. She did need a makeover. She studied the dull color—dishwater blonde tinged with gray—and considered how her friends had been urging her to do something about it. Well, maybe she would go ahead and book a weave or whatever it was they were doing to hair nowadays. Maybe she’d get herself some new clothes, too. She wondered what Paul would think of that. Probably not much.

  “Are you ever going to be done in there?” he called from the other side of the door. “Or maybe you’d like me to go unshaven to the funeral.”

  She pushed open the door and frowned at him. “It’s all yours.”

  “Are we still taking separate cars?” he asked as he pushed past her.

  “Yes. I’m leaving now to take care of some things for the luncheon. I’ll just meet you at the funeral home. If you get there first, save me a seat.”

  He laughed. “You think it’ll be crowded?”

  She punched him in the arm. “Be nice!”

  “I’m just saying. Poor old Ruby McCann probably didn’t have many friends.”

  “If my mom were here, I’m sure she’d go.”

  “Well, the only reason I’m going is for you, and Caroline, too. But as soon as it’s over I plan to go to the health club.”

  She wanted to question this, but she was burning daylight. “Just remember to save me a place,” she called as she grabbed her coat.

  As Abby drove toward town, she still felt irked at Paul. Really, that man could be so insensitive sometimes. Ruby McCann hadn’t been Abby’s favorite person, but that day on the boat when the Lindas helped Caroline rescue her, Abby had felt real compassion for the old woman. It wasn’t Ruby’s fault she’d gotten Alzheimer’s. If younger folks like Paul couldn’t show a bit of empathy for the challenges the elderly faced, how would someone like him feel when the tables turned and he was the one running around town buck naked? She chuckled to imagine this. Then she shuddered. Really, if she thought about it hard, it was not that humorous.

  Balancing a Crock-Pot on her hip, Abby unlocked the front door and let herself into the house. As usual she loved the feeling of coming in here, loved the idea that this place belonged to her. Well, to her and Janie. And the bank. Even so, the smell of old wood, the whispers of old memories … they never failed to comfort her.

  “Hey, Abby,” said Donna as she came down the stairs. “How’s it going?”

  “Okay.” Abby dropped her bag on the table in the foyer. She wished she’d thought to get some fresh flowers to set there. That’s what she planned to do once the inn was really up and running.

  “Looks like you’ve got lots of good things to eat in the kitchen. I controlled myself from sneaking one of those deviled eggs.”

  Abby laughed as she made a beeline to the kitchen. “Oh, you can sneak one if you want. I really doubt there will be many people here for lunch anyway.”

  “Caroline said her mom didn’t have too many friends.” Donna trailed Abby into the kitchen, watching as Abby bustled about.

  “Are you going to the funeral?” Abby placed meatballs into the Crock-Pot.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t know Caroline’s mom. I expect Victor might be going, since he’s friends with Caroline.” Donna made a sad expression. “It’s hard not to envy all of you, the way you grew up together in this town, the way your friendships remained strong over the years, and how close you are.”

  “I’m sure you must have some good old friends too, Donna.”

  Donna just shook her head. “The way Caroline’s friends will gather around her today, showing their love and support—I suppose I’ll never have anything like that. Even if I live in Clifden for twenty years, I’ll probably never really fit in.”

  Abby felt sorry for Donna, and wondered if
she was fishing for an invitation to the funeral service. Was it Abby’s place to extend this to her?

  “There you are,” Caroline said as she joined them in the kitchen. “Thank you so much for doing this, Abby.” She came over and gave Abby a sideways hug. “I wish I could stick around and help you, but I need to get over to the funeral home to take—”

  “Don’t you worry about a thing,” Abby assured her. “It’s all under control. You just run along, and I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Thanks so much!”

  “You’re so lucky to have so many good friends,” Donna said to Caroline.

  Caroline smiled. “Yes, I feel very blessed.”

  “On a day like today it must be a comfort.” Donna sighed.

  “Very much so,” Caroline assured her. “I don’t suppose you’ll want to come to the funeral—although you’re welcome, of course—but I do hope you’ll join us for lunch if you’d like.”

  Donna put a hand on Caroline’s shoulder. “You are the most gracious person, Caroline. It’s your mother’s funeral, and here you are being nice to me—practically a stranger. You make me feel like I’m really your friend.”

  Caroline looked slightly stumped by this. “Of course you’re my friend, Donna.”

  “Thank you. That means so much to me.”

  “I’ll see you both later,” Caroline called as she hurried on her way.

  “Well, I can’t very well refuse that invitation,” Donna told Abby. “I better run upstairs and change. Do you think I could get a ride with you?” She laughed. “Or else I could ride my bike, although that might be tricky in a dress with heels.”

  “Of course you can ride with me,” Abby said as she turned on the Crock-Pot. “I’ll be leaving about a quarter to ten.”

  “Perfect!”

  Abby wasn’t sure why it bothered her that Donna was coming to the funeral, but for some reason it did. Of course, she wouldn’t let on about this to anyone. She felt slightly bad for Janie’s sake, which reminded her that she hadn’t talked to Janie specifically about Donna lately. Tomorrow morning Abby and the other Lindas would meet for coffee and, hopefully, updates. At the moment, Abby had no clue as to what was going on in the Victor love triangle. She was curious.