If she didn’t have that, she didn’t have anybody to blame but herself.
Her weight was an endless conversation she had with herself and it usually ended up going nowhere. Pushing these self-defeating thoughts away, Missy went over what Sharon had told her. There was really only one lead. She needed to find a way to talk to Roger’s ex-girlfriend to see what she could dredge up.
Sharon was still gone a few minutes later, so Missy took out her phone and logged onto Facebook. Circling back to Olivia’s page, she found the old pictures from high school again. She didn’t see Kevin in any of them. Maybe he hadn’t made it out for this one night.
Or maybe they just hadn’t invited him. The guy was grating.
Sharon came back to the table a few minutes later on remarkably steady legs. “Sorry about that, Miss. Kevin is really not himself. Believe it or not, he really was good friends with Olivia.”
Missy had run out of things to ask Sharon and couldn’t bring herself to be kind toward Kevin. “I have to get home to take care of the dog. Can I give you a lift?”
Sharon shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure I can talk Kevin into giving me a ride.”
Missy couldn’t help herself. “I wouldn’t. That guy is a jerk, he obviously liked you at some point, and asking for a ride will give him the wrong idea.”
Sharon shook her head. “Still playing babysitter, Miss?”
“Sorry. It’s hard looking at somebody with fresh eyes, after you’ve thought of them a certain way for years.”
Sharon’s eyes softened.
Missy went on. “I know you’re twenty-eight, but when I think about you, and when I think about Olivia, the first thing that comes to mind is when we watched The Neverending Story and I made popcorn for you both on the stove.”
Sharon chewed on her bottom lip. Missy realized she was trying to hold back the tears.
“God, that was such a long time ago,” Missy said.
Chapter Ten
M issy arrived at work a few minutes before noon on Monday. Last night she’d just stayed at Mom’s, actually sleeping in her old bed along with Cody. She had Mom’s car again today. Her next day off wasn’t until Wednesday, so she had plans to go car-shopping with Mom that day. She couldn’t go out tonight because she had Olivia’s viewing to attend. Brett had been nice enough to offer to close up for them on his day off so both Missy and Noreen could attend the viewing.
When Missy entered the bookstore, Noreen was behind the front desk with her feet up and crossed at the ankle. Missy thought that was a little tacky since the customers checked out right there and put their books down on the desk to pay. If any customers saw her like that, they might be skeeved out.
“Hey, Nor.”
“Hey, Miss.” She didn’t look up from her texting.
Missy stood there for a moment, waiting to see if she’d get more of an acknowledgement. But Noreen was lost in Text Land. Missy wondered if she was busy messaging Tonya or Carter or both.
“Are you feeling better?” Missy asked.
Noreen’s eyes were still on her phone. “Huh?”
“I asked if you were feeling better?”
Noreen finally looked up. A devilish grin appeared. “Yes. Saturday night was a little too much fun, if you catch my drift.”
“Drift officially caught.”
Noreen stopped smiling. “Is everything okay?”
Missy stopped halfway to the back of the store. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
Noreen shrugged. “You don’t seem yourself.”
Did Noreen really not see what was happening? They were totally drifting apart. Either she didn’t see it or she didn’t care. Missy hoped it was the former, though maybe they were both just as bad.
“I guess I’m really having a hard time with Olivia’s death.”
Noreen made a face. “Yeah. Just terrible.”
Missy dropped her stuff in the back and took a deep breath. She had a lot she wanted to say Noreen but she also didn’t want to push her friend away. Over the last few weeks, she felt barely connected to the other woman and feared if she shook things up too much Noreen would just turn away.
She checked herself in the full-body mirror. Her capris were just too tight in the hips. Whirling her body around, she moved the capris up and down, eventually settling on further up. Her hips looked a little better that way.
Missy came out into the store. A lot of the shelves were messy from browsers. Noreen must have been too busy to clean up yet today. Missy got to work tidying up the shelves.
“Been busy this morning?” Missy called out.
“Not really,” Noreen said.
Missy almost asked her why the shelves were so out of order, but stopped short. Come to think of it, Noreen hadn’t just been different with her. She’d been different about everything. Though she was habitually late, she had always been a good employee otherwise. After playing hooky yesterday, here she was this morning with her feet up on the front desk. Few customers had been in, but Noreen hadn’t bothered to tidy up the shelves.
Something major was happening with her. It wasn’t just her relationship with Missy.
Missy got the worst of the shelves reordered and then walked to the front desk. Noreen was still on her phone, texting away. Missy pulled out the other chair and sat on the other side of the desk.
“Everything okay with you?” Missy asked.
Noreen finished her text. “I think I’m just tired.”
“Tired?” She’d probably slept all day yesterday.
Noreen answered as if she’d read Missy’s mind. “I don’t mean just physically. I mean mentally. You know?”
Missy didn’t know what she meant so she remained silent.
Noreen put her phone down and recrossed her ankles so the other foot was on top. “We’ve been working here for a long time, ever since graduation basically. I think I’m just getting tired of it.”
Missy nodded. She could understand that. In the past Noreen had periodically expressed boredom with the job, hinting at the fact she wanted something more challenging. But it had always come across as only half-serious. Today was a different story. Missy could tell her friend meant it this time.
“Are you looking?” Missy asked.
“For a job?” Noreen shook her head. “No. But I ought to be. I mean, Brett’s been warning us for how long about the store going to close? It’s only a matter of time, Miss. The writing’s been on the wall for awhile.”
Missy nodded. That much was true. But still, she felt like Noreen was holding back on her. She felt like this was about more than just the store. If anything, Noreen should have been happy. She and Carter were getting along real well, and she’d found a new friend in Tonya. With the exception of the job, everything was headed the right way for Noreen.
“I don’t think I’m going tonight,” Noreen said.
It took Missy a moment to realize what she was saying. “You’re not going to the viewing?”
They had been planning on going, but more importantly, Noreen had known Olivia. Sure she hadn’t been as close to her as Missy had, but still…
Noreen shook her head. “And I also feel bad asking Brett to shift things around tomorrow since I called out yesterday.”
Missy was dumbfounded. This wasn’t like Noreen at all. “Hold on—you’re not going to the funeral either?”
Noreen held out her palm. “I didn’t say that. I was just saying I feel bad.”
“You feel bad about going to Olivia’s funeral?” Missy couldn’t keep the disbelief out of her voice.
“Okay, Missy, take it easy.” Noreen shook her head. “I wasn’t as close to her as you were.”
“You’ve known her for most of your life.”
“I babysat for her once when you couldn’t. I don’t think I’ve said anything but hi and bye to her ever since. Don’t get me wrong, she was a sweet girl.”
Missy had to bite her tongue. She couldn’t believe Noreen. It was like she was talking to a comp
letely different person than the woman she’d known her whole life.
They sat in uncomfortable silence. Missy found herself wishing a customer would appear to break that awkward stretch. But the door didn’t open and the phone didn’t ring, so all Missy could hear was the clock ticking in Brett’s office in the back.
She struggled to think of something to say, which was a first. That had never happened with Noreen before. Conversation had always come naturally to them. Usually one could start a sentence and the other could finish it. But right now Missy felt like she was sitting across from a stranger.
Missy went over in her mind her conversation with Sharon and Kevin yesterday and what she’d done the rest of the day. After she left the bar, she’d spent the rest of the day with Mom, sharing with her all her scrapbooking ideas and showing her the page she planned on submitting to the competition. Mom, as always, had been one hundred percent supportive, gushing over Missy’s creativity.
“Hey, you know what?” Missy said.
Noreen didn’t look up from her phone. “What’s that?”
“I spent the night at Mom’s and she brought out some old pictures of us.”
Noreen put her phone away. Missy got the impression she was just being polite and not really interested in hearing her story.
“Of us, huh?” Noreen shrugged. “Your mom was always taking pictures.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t even remember these existed. Do you remember the plays we used to put on?”
Noreen smiled nostalgically. Finally, she seemed invested in the conversation. “How could I forget? We were the stars of Grove City.”
They were anything but. Missy and Noreen had joined the local church youth group when they’d entered high school. Every summer the group put on a minor stage production. One year they had performed a murder mystery of all things. Missy couldn’t remember the plot at this point, but in one scene the story had called for Noreen to literally strangle her. Mom had captured this on film, along with all their other performances throughout high school.
“There were some pretty cool pictures. I’ll have to get them up on Facebook so you can see.”
Noreen was still smiling, at least. “I’d love to see them.”
***
Missy and Mom were a few minutes later than planned to the viewing because Missy had experienced significant wardrobe difficulties. The black dress she’d picked out to wear just wasn’t fitting right anymore, so she’d been forced to go back to the drawing board and improvise something last minute. She’d dug out an old grey dress that wasn’t exactly the right outfit for a viewing but miraculously it fit.
The funeral home was packed. It took them a few minutes just to get inside. While they waited in line, Missy saw Vinnie Carmine standing in the corner engaged in what appeared to be polite conversation with a couple men Missy didn’t know. His eyes met hers, and Vinnie gave her a brief smile before turning his full attention back to the men.
“So that must be Vincent,” Mom said. “He’s quite handsome.”
“Yes,” Missy said. Then she quickly added, “Yes, that’s Vincent.”
Mom suppressed a laugh. “It’s okay if you think he’s handsome.”
Missy couldn’t help but chuckle despite the somber occasion. It was a bit silly of her to pretend like Vincent wasn’t good-looking, almost like she was in grade school and denying a boy was cute all over again. Especially when she was just talking to her mother.
“He is handsome. And young.”
“So what?” Mom said.
Missy turned and put her palm on Mom’s forehead. “Are you feeling well? Are you some impostor? My mother gave me very specific instructions about love and those instructions warned me against falling for a younger man. Older men can marry younger women but not vice versa, you said.”
Mom smiled. “I’ve gotten smarter over the years, what can I say?”
Missy turned and together they shuffled forward in line. There were so many pictures of Olivia inside the funeral home. They made the whole thing even more heartbreaking, because she was young in all of them. Olivia had never gotten the chance to get old.
“If I could go back, I’d give you different advice now,” Mom said. “But I just didn’t know any better. What can I say? Children don’t come with instruction manuals, so your father and I did the best we could.”
Missy put a hand on her mother’s shoulder. She didn’t like the note of regret she’d heard in Mom’s voice.
“You were a great mother.” Missy smiled. “The best.”
“Oh, thank you, dear. That’s very sweet.” Mom reached into her purse for a tissue, but Missy couldn’t tell if she was crying over the compliment or the fact they were getting closer to the open casket.
“I’m going to give you some advice now,” Mom said. “I’ve been biting my tongue for too long and I’d just never forgive myself if I didn’t speak up and you missed out on an opportunity.”
Missy frowned. She had no idea what Mom was going to say next. “What is it, Mom?”
“Tyler.” Her mother smiled up at her from behind her old glasses. “Tyler Brock. You’ve done the honorable thing ever since he came back. You’ve stayed out of his marriage so that he and his wife could work things out. I’m proud of you, Missy. You’ve always done the right thing.”
If Mom knew everything she’d done as a teenager, she might qualify that statement a little bit. But those were minor details and this wasn’t the time to dissect her entire life, when they were waiting to pay their respects.
Mom continued. “But you know what, Missy? If you don’t go after what you want, chances are you won’t get it.”
“What?” Missy was really confused now.
“It’s taken me too long to learn that, Missy. I always thought if I did the right thing, then life would work out for me. But that’s not how it works. If you want something—or someone—if you really want them, you have to go after them.”
Missy couldn’t believe her mother was telling her to pursue Tyler Brock, who was as far she knew was still a married man.
Mom read the indecision that must have filled her face. “Go get him if you want him. Don’t leave your happiness up to somebody else. And if you don’t want him, don’t bother. You don’t owe him anything. If you’re interested in that younger man over there, then go get him, Missy.”
Missy’s head was practically spinning. She couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mother’s mouth. Never in a million years would she have given Missy advice like this when she’d been growing up, probably when it mattered most. She was totally flabbergasted.
Mom motioned. “It’s almost our turn now.”
Missy turned back around. They were only a few groups away from the casket. She got her first good look at Olivia. She was such a pretty girl. And so petite. She was so small compared to Missy that she still seemed like she was a little girl to her. Missy’s eyes grew warm with tears and she didn’t try to stop them.
She could barely see through the tears as she kneeled and put her hand on Olivia’s arm. It was all too much. Her mother, with her arthritic hips and knees, didn’t kneel but put her hand on Missy’s shoulder. When Missy stood back up, she threw her arms around Mom’s neck and hugged her. She stayed like that in front of the casket longer than they probably should have. But that wasn’t the worst part.
The worst part came next when Missy turned to Olivia’s parents. Everybody was crying and Olivia’s mom was so grateful she’d come. She told Missy that Olivia had always looked up to her and the sentiment, which was completely undeserved, totally overwhelmed Missy to the point where she was a crying mess. Eventually she realized she had to move on so the Oakleys could greet and thank the next in line…
Missy wended her way through the funeral parlor to a relatively uncrowded room. Mom came up to her.
“Do you want me here or would you like a moment?”
It took Missy a second to find her voice. “I’m going to say hello to a few people.
If you don’t feel like sitting or standing, I can meet you at the car?”
“Okay, dear.” Mom gave her another much-needed hug. Seeing Olivia in that casket, so young, made Missy contemplate her own mortality as well as her mother’s. Mom let her go and left the funeral parlor, each step slow and looking very painful. Missy wondered sadly how many years Mom had left. Her grandparents had all lived to their mid-seventies so if genetics were the ultimate factor Mom really only had a few years left.
Missy wiped under her eyes and composed herself. She had come to pay her respects to Olivia but she had also come for another reason. The same reason that Vinnie Carmine was standing in the corner.
She wanted to watch the mourners and talk to some people.
***
Missy wandered back into the main room. Vinnie was still in the corner, only by himself this time. He nodded at her and she took that as an invitation. As she walked across the parlor, she took him in. He was wearing that navy blue suit really well, his shoulders and hips forming that sexy V. Did she want something to happen? Mom’s advice was running through her mind.
“Good evening,” he said.
“Hi,” she said. “And just FYI, I can’t do formal right now. This is just awful.”
He nodded and smiled politely. He kept his voice low. “Statistically-speaking, chances are really high the killer is in here.”
Missy looked around the room. She spotted Sharon and Kevin moving up with the line. They were in her line of sight, but neither of them seemed to notice her. She looked around for Roger, Olivia’s fiancé, and spotted him up with the Oakleys now. He must have stepped away for a moment when Missy had been up there.
The crowd was thick and Kevin was pretty tall so she had a hard time seeing who was behind him in line. But as they shifted forward, drawing closer to the casket, Missy saw the woman she wanted to talk to.
Meghan Conley stood in line behind Kevin, wearing a short, tight black dress that Missy thought was borderline inappropriate for a funeral. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she carried a tiny purse and wore a black shawl around her shoulders. She looked like she’d come alone and had met up with Sharon and Kevin.
Missy DeMeanor Cozy Mysteries Boxset Page 47