THANKSGIVING IN PARADISE

by Daley, Kathi

  “So are you saying that someone in the military is behind this?”

  “Not at all,” Doc answered my query. “The bomb was military grade, but it is also a munition that is readily available on the black market for the right price.”

  “So our killer has money,” Kyle said.

  Doc nodded. “Money and influence. This made me think about James Kingston.”

  “Roy said he spoke to James, and he didn’t think he was behind this,” I responded. “Besides, we have new information to share about Harriet’s role in the whole thing.”

  I filled Grandpa and Doc in on everything we had learned from Roy, as well as from Frannie and Helen. To say that both Doc and Grandpa were shocked would be putting it mildly.

  “I just can’t imagine Harriet doing such a thing,” Grandpa said, shaking his head. “I’ve known Harriet since before you were born. She did tend to gossip, and she occasionally took a rigid stance when it came to what she considered to be appropriate versus inappropriate behavior, but I’ve never known her to be intentionally hurtful.”

  I offered Grandpa a look of compassion. “I was surprised as well, but after everything that Helen told me, it sort of fits.”

  “Did any of the victims of her blog have the connections or financial resources to buy a bomb on the black market?” Doc asked.

  Kyle and I went through each of the suspects we had identified one at a time. After discussing possible means of obtaining the cash they’d need to buy a military grade bomb, we came to the conclusion that it was highly unlikely that any of the ten were the killer we were after.

  “Harriet’s home office was tossed,” I said. “This leads me to believe that someone was after something that hasn’t been made public yet.”

  “Maybe one of the subjects of the November blog had reason to suspect that Helen was the one behind the blog, and decided to stop her,” Grandpa suggested.

  I nodded. “That makes as much sense as anything.”

  “Has anyone been able to get a peek at the November blog?” Doc asked. “It seems that Harriet might have started to work on it.”

  “Kyle is working on it, but so far, we haven’t come across any files associated with the blog,” I answered.

  “I’ll find them,” Kyle promised. “If the files exist, and I suspect they do, I’ll find them.”

  Doc frowned as he sat back in his chair. “If the theory is that someone gave something to Harriet, such as a wrapped gift to open later or to pass on to someone else, they must have been by the town offices on the day of the bombing. Harriet wouldn’t put the gift in her purse and then carry it around for days, but I can see her putting the gift in her purse and then taking it home or dropping it off with the person for whom it was intended.”

  “So the killer had to have been in Harriet’s office on the day of the bombing,” I said.

  Doc nodded. “That does make sense. I know the town office, like the council chambers, was destroyed in the blast, but the town hall did have video surveillance. The video from that day must be saved in the cloud somewhere.”

  Kyle jumped up. “Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?” He hurried across the room and picked up his laptop. He brought it back to the table and logged on. It took him a few minutes to find what he was looking for. He frowned.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “The security video from that day has been deleted. The system was turned off once the file was deleted. The last video in the cloud is of the day prior to the bombing.”

  “Deleted? Who has access?” I asked.

  “Bookman, Harriet, myself, as well as the security company the town contracts with.” Kyle looked up from his screen. “It is much more likely that the site was hacked than it is that someone with access deleted the video feed.”

  “So our killer is someone with both the connections and financial wherewithal to buy a military grade explosive, and the skill to hack into the town’s security system and delete an entire file?” I asked.

  Kyle nodded. “It looks like that might be the case.”

  Well, that can’t be good.

  Kyle and I chatted with Doc and Grandpa for a while longer. We discussed possible suspects who might be connected, wealthy, and have computer skills that would allow them to hack into the town’s security system, but in the end, we didn’t come up with anyone. We all agreed that we would continue to ponder the question in the hope that something would eventually come to one of us. After Doc and Grandpa left, I turned to Kyle. “I told Jenna I would meet her for a drink this afternoon, and then I thought I’d talk to the girls about our engagement. Is that okay?”

  Kyle looked surprised by my question. “Of course. You don’t have to ask me for permission to spend time with your best friend or chat with your sisters.”

  “I know. I just feel like I am deserting you.”

  “I’m fine. Really. I think I am going to work on the files I’ve been able to download from the town’s server. Finding the person who killed Lloyd and Harriet is important, but putting a band-aid on the town is important as well. At some point, I feel like everything is going to come crashing down if we don’t start to put things back together sooner than later.”

  I began gathering my belongings. It had been such a long day. Was it really just this morning that I had told Jenna about Kyle and me? It seemed so long ago. I had meant to tell Kyle right away that I had shared our news with Jenna, but I guess with everything that was going on, I hadn’t gotten around to it. “I told Jenna about us getting married. I know we decided to wait to tell anyone, but she picked up on something I said, and it sort of slipped out.”

  Kyle smiled softly. “I’m fine with you telling anyone you want, whenever you want.”

  “I’ve been thinking about things, and I think I should tell Ashley and Gracie before I tell anyone else.”

  “Sure. I understand that.”

  “After I tell them, I think I should tell my dad and grandpa. They deserve to know before we tell people in general. Oh and your mother too, of course.”

  Kyle stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I agree with all of that, especially that Ashley and Gracie should be told first. Our marrying affects them almost as much as it affects us. Should we tell them together?”

  I took a step back. “I think it might be best if I talk to Ashley and Gracie alone. At least initially. I want them to feel free to express any concerns they may have, and I know that if you are part of the conversation, Gracie might not express what is on her mind. She loves you, and she wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings even if she does have questions or concerns.”

  Kyle nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I guess that makes sense. I suppose I should have considered the fact that the girls might not be happy about our decision.”

  “You know they love you.”

  “I know, but our getting married will be a big change for them. You are right to be concerned about how they will take the news.”

  No wonder I loved this man. He always put the needs of others before his own. “I’ll talk to them tonight. Once I feel that they have had the chance to speak their minds, we can talk to them together.”

  Chapter 12

  Drinks with Jenna turned into wine at her kitchen table once we realized that Dennis had a shift and there was no one to watch the girls who’d all congregated at her house once she’d returned from sitting with Bookman that morning. It was nice to spend time with her, but I could see that she was exhausted, so our visit was short, although she did have some good advice for my conversation with Ashley and Gracie: Keep it real, validate their feelings and concerns whatever they might be, but tell the truth, and don’t, at any point, try to downplay my intention to marry Kyle with or without their permission. Jenna was right. Ashley had a tendency to be manipulative, and I had a tendency to get drawn into her manipulation. If I entered the conversat
ion from the position of asking for their permission to marry Kyle, things were bound to disintegrate to the point where I’d find myself promising to put our wedding on the back burner. I needed to let them know I was marrying Kyle but wanted to be sure their questions were answered and their concerns addressed.

  “So did you girls have fun today?” I asked after the three of us congregated on Gracie’s bed along with her dog, Pumpkin, and cat, Crissy.

  “So much fun,” Ashley said. “Rosalie can sew really well. The purses she helped Kristi and me make are going to make all the girls in our class so jealous. After Jenna picked us up, she took us to the store with her, and everyone was looking at them and commenting on how awesome they were.”

  “It is a pretty great purse. It looks like you are really getting into sewing.”

  Ashley grinned. “I love it. Kristi does too, although Jenna can sew, so Kristi has help at home. I know you don’t like to sew, but now that Papa is marrying Rosalie and she is living with us full time, I’ll have help any time I want. Rosalie said she’d talk to Papa about turning one of the guest rooms into a sewing room where we can each have our own sewing machine and sewing closet.”

  I forced a smile. “That sounds really great.” Dang it. How I was I going to convince Ashley that moving out to Kyle’s was going to be a good idea when Rosalie was dangling a sewing room over her head? Of course, Rosalie didn’t know I planned to move in with Kyle, and she was doing a nice thing for Ashley, so I supposed it would be petty of me to be mad. I looked at Gracie. “How was the movie with Papa?”

  “It was fun. I love princess movies, and Papa bought us whatever we wanted from the snack bar instead of making us share like you usually do. Kari ate a whole tub of popcorn and drank a large soda by herself. I think it made her tummy rumbly, but it was fun to be able to each choose our own things.”

  “I bet it was. Did you get your costume for the play?”

  Gracie nodded. “Kari didn’t want to be a tree, so Papa talked Ms. Woods into letting her be an Indian girl.”

  “That’s wonderful. It sounds like you both had an awesome day.”

  Gracie picked up Crissy who had crawled into her lap. She gave the soft gray cat a gentle hug. “We did. Did you have a fun day too?”

  “I did,” I lied since the day had turned out to be anything but fun.

  “How is Kyle feeling?” Gracie asked. “Are his ribs better?”

  “They are getting better, but you still can’t jump on him when you see him. I thought that maybe the two of you could come out to dinner with Kyle and me tomorrow.”

  Ashley shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Can we get pizza?” Gracie asked.

  “Anything you want.”

  “I want lobster,” Ashley said. “Pizza is for babies.”

  Trying to stay away from things that were for babies was a big theme with Ashley lately, which only confirmed that she was ready to leave her childhood behind, and move onto the terrible teens.

  “The last time I went to Rob’s Pizza, half the place was filled with teenagers, so I don’t think that pizza is for babies, but I wouldn’t mind the four of us having a really nice dinner.” I looked at Gracie. “I think The Beef and Brew is still closed, but there is that new steakhouse on the lake. They have lobster, which Ashley wants, but I think they have a casual dining menu as well. I don’t know if they have pizza, but I’m sure they would have something that you would want. Would that be okay with you?”

  Gracie frowned. “Can I wear the new dress Rosalie bought me?”

  “Sure. That would be perfect for the restaurant.”

  Gracie crossed her legs under her body. “Okay.”

  Okay, Tj, time to go in strong and direct. “I do have something sort of important to talk to you about.” I tried to keep the hesitation out of my voice, but I didn’t sound as calm and casual as I’d hoped.

  “Something bad?” Ashley asked.

  I shook my head and forced a smile. “No. Something good. Very good.”

  “Are we getting a new puppy?” Gracie squealed.

  “No, we aren’t getting a new puppy. We have plenty of animals. But it does involve an addition to the family.”

  “You’re pregnant,” Ashley accused.

  “What? No, I’m not pregnant.” Come on, girl pull it together. Honest and direct, I reminded myself to remember Jenna’s advice. “Kyle and I are getting married.”

  My announcement was met with dead silence.

  Eventually, Gracie spoke. “Married? When?”

  “We just got engaged and haven’t set a date, but it won’t be for a while. Maybe next summer.”

  Gracie looked confused but not angry. I couldn’t help but notice that Ashley had curled into a ball totally blocking me out.

  “Is Kyle going to move in here with us when you get married?” Gracie asked.

  “No dummy, Kyle isn’t going to move in with us, Tj is going to make us move in with him,” Ashley spat.

  Gracie teared up. “But what about Papa? And Grandpa? What about Pumpkin and Crissy?”

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Pumpkin and Crissy will move with us out to Kyle’s place. Snowball too,” I referred to Ashley’s cat. “And we’ll still see Papa and Grandpa all the time. As often as you want.”

  “Will Grandpa still make us breakfast?” Gracie was sobbing by this point.

  I remembered Jenna’s counsel to be honest and direct. “No. But I can make you breakfast just like Grandpa does now.”

  “Great, I always wondered what it would be like to have food poisoning,” Ashley said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “Hey, I can cook and am perfectly capable of making breakfast.”

  Ashley raised a brow.

  “Okay, so maybe I won’t be able to make pancakes quite as good as the ones Grandpa makes, but Kyle can cook. Maybe he will want to make you breakfast.”

  “It won’t be the same,” Gracie sobbed.

  I pulled her into my lap and gave her a good hard hug. “I’m so sorry I upset you. I guess I didn’t handle this as well as I could have. I love Kyle, and I want all of us to be a family. And I know you love Kyle as well. We were happy when we all lived together on Gull Island,” I reminded Gracie.

  “But Grandpa was there. Doc too.” She smashed her face into my shoulder and sobbed.

  I glanced at Ashley, who sat quietly with a look of contemplation on her face. I expected that Gracie would be the emotional one, but I expected that Ashley would have raked me over the coals with her sharp tongue by now. Instead, she hadn’t said a word since the food poisoning statement. “Ashley,” I said. “Do you have any questions?”

  She narrowed her gaze. “So since you are our sister, but also sort of like our mother, if you marry Kyle, will he be sort of like our father?”

  Okay, where was she going with this? “Yes. I guess so. But you know Kyle. He is really easy going. It’s not like he is going to start bossing you around or anything.”

  Ashley smiled a tiny little smile that barely lifted a corner of one lip. “I know he won’t boss me around, but I can ask him about things that I currently ask you about. Right? And his opinion will matter? He won’t have to check with you before answering my questions, or making a decision? Like a real father,” she emphasized.

  I narrowed my gaze. “Yeah. I guess. Did you have something specific in mind?”

  Ashley’s grin grew bigger. “No. I was just establishing the boundaries of the new relationship we will share with Kyle.”

  “So you are okay with Kyle and me getting married?”

  Ashley shrugged. “I’d like to talk to Kyle first. In private. Then, I’ll let you know.”

  Oh lord, what did that girl have up her sleeve? I turned my attention back to Gracie, who had stopped sobbing but still looked far from happy. “Are you okay?” I ask
ed.

  “No.”

  “Okay, so what has you the most worried?”

  “Grandpa.” Gracie wiped a hand across her eyes in an attempt to dry them.

  “Are you worried he won’t be around to make your breakfast and that you will miss his good cooking? If so, we can figure that out.”

  Gracie shook her head. New tears pooled in the corner of her eyes.

  “Okay, so then if you aren’t worried about missing out on his good cooking, what is on your mind?”

  “Grandpa needs us. He told me that making breakfast for Ashley and me is the main reason he is so happy to get up each morning. Papa has Rosalie, but Grandpa only has us. If we move away, he won’t have anyone to make pancakes for. He won’t have anyone to be happy for.”

  I had to hand it to Gracie; she did make a good point. A point I hadn’t considered but should have. After my grandma passed away, taking care of me had given Grandpa purpose. He’d told me often that I was the bright spot in the center of his world. I’d eventually grown up and moved away, and I did remember that he’d lost the smile I’d always associated with him once I was gone from his everyday life. But then, the girls came along, and I moved back to the resort, and I guess we gave him a reason to get out of bed each day because his smile had returned. He seemed like a whole new man since they’d come into our lives. And when I’d took off for the east coast while dealing with my own personal issues, he’d packed his bags and followed. Gracie realized what I’d failed to consider, Grandpa needed us even more than we’d needed him.

  I pulled Gracie close and hugged her tight. “You’re right. I’ll talk to Kyle and to Grandpa. We’ll figure this out, I promise.”

  After I tucked the girls in for the night, I called Kyle and filled him in on the situation.

  “Don’t worry about Ashley, I can handle whatever she has planned, but I am concerned about Gracie. She has such a tender heart. There aren’t a lot of kids her age that would pick up on the fact that perhaps a grandfather needed the granddaughter as much as she needed him.”