Cringing, I swiveled out of the chair and stood, bib still on. He blinked. “I’m not done yet. Don’t you want to finish your appointment?”
“I just remembered an important meeting that I need to get to. I’ll make an appointment to finish up later.” I waved and grabbed my purse. Hurrying into the hallway, I hustled down the corridor and didn’t stop until I scurried out the door. Ripping off the bib, I tossed it in a trash bin. I took a deep breath and returned to the office.
“Tough dental appointment?” Cheryl asked.
I nodded. “You have no idea.”
The rest of the morning went quickly, and at lunchtime, Cheryl poked her head in the door. “Merry, Dr. Philip is here to see you.”
He shoved past Cheryl. “Merry, I want to apologize for this morning. You took me by surprise. Please let me make it up to you. Do you have a few minutes for lunch?”
I said, “Thanks, Cheryl.” She gave Philip the stink eye and returned to her desk. I nodded. “I can do lunch if it’s a quick one.”
“Let’s go over to Delightful Bites. I’ve heard their food is good.”
“I can attest to that.” I put my coat on and joined him. We stood at the counter, debating the merits of the various sandwiches. I opted for roasted turkey with cranberry mayo on rye. Philip made his selection and paid. We sat to wait.
He cleared his throat. “Merry, again, I’m so sorry about this morning. I just can’t believe she left Drew money. And so much money!” He hung his head. “It was such a shock at the fashion show when he leapt up on stage. After dating for eight months, I just assumed we were exclusive.”
They called our names, and we retrieved our sandwiches and drinks. I took my time unwrapping my sandwich. I took a sip of coffee. “You looked surprised. Was that the first you knew they were together?”
He stared at his sandwich and played with the paper. “To tell the truth, I had a feeling there was someone else. Amanda had gotten very secretive over the past few weeks. She broke a few of our dates too. I just thought it was nerves over the fashion show. I guess I was wrong.” He pierced me with his eyes. “Did you know they were seeing each other?”
Taking a bite of my sandwich, I chewed slowly. What should I say? Should I admit to having seen them? “I try to think about Drew as little as possible.”
“Yes, but he lived right next door. Did you ever see Amanda there?”
Darn, a direct question. “Just once, not that long before the show. It did surprise me.”
He threw down his sandwich. “Why didn’t you tell me?” People stared at us.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Philip, I’m sorry things turned out the way they did, but it’s not my fault that Drew was seeing Amanda.” I wrapped up what was left of my sandwich. “And now I’m afraid I need to get back to the office.”
“I just don’t understand how I didn’t know. It was so embarrassing to find out in public. I’ve worked hard to be respected in this town. My image is important to me. I want people to trust me as a dentist.” He pushed away his lunch. “She made a laughingstock of me.”
“People do respect you. And if anything, they feel sorry for you.”
He stood, his eyes blazing. “I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I am not weak, no matter how that two-timing woman made me look.” He grabbed his trash from the table. “You should get that tooth looked at. Decay is a serious matter.” He stalked off.
Patty slid into the seat Philip vacated. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to piss off the town dentist. It might hurt.”
I jumped. “Where did you come from?” I rubbed my jaw. “It already hurt.”
She gave me a concerned look. “Oh, poor baby. You know, that’s what happens when you put off the trip to the dentist.”
“Thanks for your sympathy, I think. Why are you here?”
“The kids are in school, and I thought I’d treat myself to a lunch I didn’t have to make. Do you have a few minutes to sit here with me, or do you have to get back?”
I checked my calendar. “I’ve got thirty minutes.”
Patty started eating, so I unwrapped my sandwich and took a bite. She asked, “So are you going to tell me what got the good dentist all steamed?” I explained, and she grimaced. “You might want to steer clear of him for a while.”
“I would, but he found a cavity. That means I’m either going to have to go back to him or find another dentist.”
“You do make life complicated for yourself. Just be careful.” Finished with our lunch, we both rose, putting our coats on as we left. “Plus, I don’t know if you heard, but people are really buzzing about the Drew inheritance.” She hugged me tightly. “Take care of yourself. I think things are about to get rockier.”
Worst decision ever—marrying that man. My life will always be tainted by him. Only one good thing came out of my marriage: Jenny. I returned to the office and tried to forget about the world outside, at least for the rest of the day. I was somewhat successful, only having to field three phone calls from clients asking about Drew and his inheritance.
At five, Rob opened the door. “Dinner tonight?”
I pulled him inside and kissed him. “I really needed that.”
He enveloped me in a warm hug. “Have a tough day?”
“Yes. But it’s much better now.”
He smiled at me. “Dinner out or in?”
“In. I’m starting to see the benefits of becoming a hermit.”
He tapped my nose. “You could never be a hermit. You’re too much of a people person.”
“Okay, maybe just for a week or two.”
“Pizza tonight? That way we don’t have to cook.”
“Sounds perfect—a pizza, a glass of wine, and thou.” Rob helped me with my coat. We strolled out arm in arm.
The texts from Jenny started on the way home: “Where are you?”
“Almost home.”
“Hurry. Everything’s a mess.”
We raced the rest of the way and pushed through the back door. Jenny paced in the kitchen, her eyes wide. I gave her a hug. “What’s going on?”
She wailed and sank into one of the kitchen chairs. “We have to move!”
“Why?”
“Because everyone knows about the money.”
I sighed and sat next to her. “You need to remind them that the money is not yours; it’s your father’s.”
“It doesn’t matter. They’re saying that I won’t have to worry about student loans, unlike them. They’re saying it’s like winning the lottery. It was bad enough that everyone gave me a hard time when Dad went to prison; now I’m getting it again.” She rested her head on the table. “I wish he hadn’t come back.”
I rubbed her back. “Jenny, all this will die down. I know it was hard for you a few years ago, and it’s going to be hard now. You have to remember that your true friends are going to stay true friends.”
She wiped her face and looked up. “You’re right. Losers will always be losers.”
“I don’t think that’s exactly what I said, but if it helps, I’m glad.”
Rob changed the subject. “What does everyone want on their pizza?”
Jenny sniffed. “Pepperoni and sausage, please.”
Rob eyed me. “A bit heavy on the meat, but I’ll go for it.” He went to the living room to make the call.
I lifted Jenny’s face. “We’ll get through this together. We just need to buckle up for now.” I kissed her cheek. “Would you mind setting the table?”
She nodded and got up to get the plates. Her phone dinged. She handed it to me. Cindy sent her a string of heart emojis.
I smiled. “It’s good to have real friends.”
The pizza came, and we polished it off with embarrassing speed. I looked at the empty box. “I guess we were hungry.”
Jenny and Rob nodded. Jenny asked, “What’s for dessert? Are there any of those brownies left?”
I retrieved the plate and put it in front of them. “There are just a few bi
ts left. Have at it. I can’t eat another bite.”
They both picked up a piece. Jenny said, “This would be even better with milk.”
I poured her a glass and set it in front of her. She mumbled her thanks. Filling two mugs with coffee, I sat.
Jenny grabbed another sliver of brownie, a napkin, and her milk. “Thanks. I’ll be upstairs if you need me.” She vanished around the corner, her ponytail swinging after her.
Rob said, “I heard there was some kind of commotion at Delightful Bites today.”
“How did you hear about that?” Rob just stared at me. “Never mind. How does everyone in this town know about everything? Philip asked me to lunch to apologize for being combative when I was having my teeth cleaned.”
“What on earth did you say to him?”
“I didn’t say anything. My mouth was full of dental devices of torture. His hygienist told him about Drew inheriting money from Amanda. It was pretty evident from his reaction that it was the first he heard about it.” I rubbed my jaw.
Rob scanned my face. “Did he hurt you?”
“No. Not really. He just poked pretty hard on a cavity.”
“You should get that checked out.”
I glared at him. “I did. That and a cleaning were the reasons for my appointment.”
“I thought you were digging for information.”
“That too.” I paused. “At lunch he told me that Amanda had been acting strangely since Drew came home. He thought she was just overworked because of the fashion show. He said he was shocked when Drew hopped up on stage and kissed her.”
“What caused all the commotion at Delightful Bites?”
“He asked me directly if I saw Amanda at Drew’s house. I had to admit that I had. He was pretty miffed I hadn’t told him.”
“But you two aren’t close.”
“True, but he was annoyed nonetheless, which brings up another subject.” I reached over and held Rob’s hand. “Are we in an exclusive relationship?”
He leaned over and kissed me. “What do you think?”
I looked down at the table, playing with my napkin. “I think we are.”
“What brought all this on?”
I started clearing the dishes. As I slid past Rob, he took my hand and pulled me onto his lap. “I thought we were having a discussion.”
I stared deeply into his emerald eyes. “You seem to be avoiding answering my question. Are we in an exclusive relationship?” I held my breath.
“Of course we are! I don’t think I’ve ever been this close with anyone.” He kissed me deeply and held me on his lap. “Now, what brought all this on?”
“Philip said that he assumed his relationship with Amanda was exclusive. I just didn’t want to assume anymore with ours.”
He nodded. “Glad we got that straightened out.” I got off his lap and continued clearing the table. He pulled out his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Just texting my other girlfriends to tell them we’re off.”
I smacked him with a dishtowel. “Just in case you’re serious.”
He pulled me back onto his lap. “I’ll show you just how serious I am.” He followed up with a long, slow kiss, which was interrupted by his phone ringing. “Darn, I thought I turned it off.” He looked at it. “I need to take this.” I jumped off his lap, and he went into the living room.
Finishing cleaning up, I brought him his coffee. He gestured for me to have a seat. I curled up next to him. He hung up. “That was Jay. The account Amanda left Drew was opened two years before he went to jail.” Eyes wide, I stared out the picture window. Rob waved his hand in front of my face. “Earth to Merry. Talk to me.”
“He knew he was going to go to jail. He knew it before he was charged. That’s how he was able to move the money.”
“He might not have known. It might have only been plan B, if he were caught.”
I shook my head. “Any way you cut it, he had to have been seeing Amanda at least three years before he went to jail.” Standing up, I hugged myself. “Do you think he was going to leave me for her? Was that his going-away money?”
Rob stood and put his arms around me, drawing me close to his chest. “Much as I hate to defend Drew, I don’t think that was his plan. The vast majority of the monies were in the accounts the Feds could find. Why would he settle for such a small piece of the pie?” I pushed away from Rob and gave him an offended look. “And it goes without saying that he would never leave the best woman in the world.”
I sank back against him. “Quick save.”
He tipped my face up to his. “It’s all true.”
I kissed him and then stepped away to pace the length of the living room. “Okay, so we know he must have planned out different scenarios. We also know that he was seeing Amanda. Since she left the money to him and hadn’t spent any of it on herself while he was in jail, we have to figure that she was going to give him access to it without him having to kill her off.” I stopped mid-step. “Wait. He must have already had access to it because he was able to pay for rent, his PC, phone, etc.”
“Maybe she threatened to cut him off after he outed her at the fashion show.”
I stopped pacing. “I keep getting stuck on the fact that she reserved a seat for him. I believe that she didn’t fully anticipate the crowd’s reaction, but she knew he was going to be there and must have known that people would be able to put two and two together.” I sighed. “Especially in this town.”
Rob sat and took a sip of coffee. He patted the seat next to him. “Sit down and let’s puzzle this out.”
I curled up against him, and he put his arm around me. Taking a drink of my coffee, I made a face. “This is cold.”
I tried to stand, but he pulled me back down. “We’ve had enough coffee. I’ll have trouble sleeping as it is.”
I put the mug on the table. “The police are only focusing on Drew. We should be starting with the premise that he’s innocent, and that means someone else must have done it. And I can tell you one thing: after today, Dr. Philip is definitely on my list.”
Chapter 13
Saturday dawned cold, and icicles glistened sharply out my window. Brr. Time to burrow more deeply into the covers. Putting them over my head, I contemplated my plans for the weekend. Need to get the Christmas decorations down from the attic.
Pulling my phone under the covers I texted Rob, “Feel like doing some decorating today? Or at least some heavy lifting?” I ended with a smiley-face emoji.
“If there is wassailing, I’m in.”
“Don’t forget, we’re going to Andy and Ed’s tonight for more frivolity.”
“Okay, minor wassailing. Want me to pick up bagels on my way over this morning?”
“Yum. Bagels will be quite welcome. Might even be enough to get me out of bed.”
I smiled and gingerly stuck one foot out from under the covers, moving it around to test the air temperature. Too cold. Brr. I pulled it back in. Not going to get any warmer till I get up and adjust the thermostat. Eyeing the distance between the bed and the controls, I jettisoned myself, ran to the hall, and moved the dial to sixty-eight. I dove back under the covers. Might be a world’s record.
Hearing the heat crank on, I grinned. After patting myself on the back, I saw Courvoisier lying on the vent. Not going to get any warmer in here that way. I hurtled out of bed, picked her up and deposited her in the hallway, giving her an apologetic pet as I shut the door. Speeding back, I dove into the bed. Just as I was smugly pulling the covers back over me, I noticed Drambuie had taken Courvoisier’s place and was sprawled out in such a way to ensure that every piece of heat hit her body. I sighed. May as well get up. The world is conspiring against me today.
After showering and dressing, I listened at Jenny’s door. Hearing her soft snore, I tiptoed past and proceeded to the kitchen. I tossed the cats a few treats to make up for rousting them from the heating vents and then put the coffee on. I sat at the counter, pleading for it to be rea
dy quickly.
Pulling over my iPad, I opened the Facebook app. Wow. Some people have way too much time on their hands. There was a lot of negativity toward Drew. I wish he had his own Facebook account so people would stop posting on mine. Sighing, I started to flip the case shut. I wonder what’s been posted on Amanda’s wall. I was surprised to see the name-calling there as well. Have these people no decency? She’s dead! Coffee ready, I shut the iPad case and poured myself a cup.
The back door opened. Rob kissed me and handed me a bag. “Bagel delivery, ma’am.”
I took them. “Yum.”
“I also brought some cream cheese and lox, should you be in the mood.”
“You are the best!” I poured him a cup of coffee. “This is far more pleasant than the Facebook posts I’ve been reading this morning. You should see what they’re saying on Amanda’s page.”
“I did. I thought it might give us some ideas on other people who had it in for her.”
“Good idea. I didn’t look at it through that lens.” I opened the bag of bagels and set some out on a plate. “Which type are you in the mood for?”
“Cinnamon raisin with cream cheese, please.”
I cut the bagel in half and deposited it on a plate. I pushed it and the cream cheese across the counter to Rob. “Did anyone stand out to you as you reviewed her page?”
He spread the cream cheese. “Susan Clime. Her post was pretty negative. Here, I’ll show you.” He pulled my iPad toward him and retrieved Amanda’s page. I put my arm around him. He pointed to a post halfway down: “Serves you right.”
I shrugged. “Seems weird to me. Why would she be so upset about Drew and Amanda?”
“Didn’t you tell me that she was pretty outspoken about Drew when he first got out?”
I nodded. “She seemed like she was still bitter about the money. Of course, we found out at the fashion show that a lot of people are.” I cut a sesame bagel in half and spread it with cream cheese. Unwrapping the lox, I laid a piece on top and took a bite. “That’s one bad thing about eating this. It’s awkward. I always feel that I have to hold the lox in place with my fingers or it’ll slide off. I hate it when I end up with the whole thing in my mouth on the first bite.”
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