Sweet Temptations Collection

by Brant, Marilyn

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “I feel like an idiot!” Dianne pounded her fist on her living room sofa two hours later. “How could I let him put something like that passed me? I never make computation errors.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Garrett said, trying to reassure her. “The way Doug played a shell game with those bags, he could’ve been a professional grifter.”

  A handful of police officers were now out scouring the town for the missing board member. The one officer who remained scanned the festival grounds through the window, a serious look on his face. “I believe you’re right, Garrett. Doug Chippenak clearly had a lot of practice ripping people off, and it’s likely his little scam would’ve gone unnoticed again if not for you and Cait.”

  The officer turned to address the superintendent, who’d been called in immediately. “Unfortunately, sir, we need to locate the man in order to corroborate what Garrett and Cait witnessed and, of course, to gather the remaining evidence.”

  Seth stepped forward. “Isn’t it enough that you have the token bags belonging to the vendors?”

  “Not quite,” the officer said. “We don’t have Mr. Chippenak’s bag. The one Cait and Garrett saw him pocket during the exchange. Nor do we have the cash he took for himself, which was inside it.”

  “What did he do with the vendors’ money?” the superintendent asked, a worry line creasing his brow.

  “He left all eight of the cash-filled bags, labeled with the vendors’ names, at Mr. Koolemar’s booth,” the officer said. “He told the gentleman to keep an eye on them and that he’d be back to distribute them to their owners later. Said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to grab a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie before the lady running that booth ran out.”

  “The Pastry Queen,” Cait whispered.

  The officer squinted at her. “What?”

  “It’s made by the Pastry Queen, and it’s really, really great pie,” Cait said. “Mr. Koolemar would’ve believed Doug if he said that. He would’ve thought Doug was sincere, not a lying thief.”

  Garrett tried to read her expression. It was a combination of perplexed, determined and outraged. Despite the strain of the afternoon, he couldn’t help but smile a little. That was the same expression she’d worn when he’d tried to cancel her festival. That No-One-Better-Mess-With-Me look and, in the end, she’d sure gotten her way. Whether or not Doug realized it, he was toast.

  “Well, at least Chippenak didn’t run off with the old men’s money sacks,” Seth said.

  Dianne crossed her arms. “In a way, he did. All of the cash in the one bag he kept belonged to those elderly gentlemen.”

  “That’s true,” the officer said. “When we looked in the bags and cross-checked the amounts allocated to the vendors with the amount of cash given out, we found that he’d stolen close to four hundred dollars. Almost fifty from each.”

  “I’m beyond saddened,” the superintendent whispered. “I never would’ve imagined Doug capable of something like this.”

  “But why’d he do it?” Seth asked. “The guy was wealthy. He had no motivation to steal, not unless he had personal cash-flow problems or unless the company was in financial trouble.”

  The officer shook his head. “We still need to do a full investigation, but no. Neither of those things seems to be the case. Mr. Chippenak’s logic is mystifying to us as well.” He patted his weapon absentmindedly. “We’ll contact you when we know more. ‘Til then, if you see or hear anything, give us a call.”

  “Of course,” Dianne said. The rest of them nodded.

  Garrett walked the officer out to his squad car, while Seth, Dianne and Cait conversed quietly inside. The superintendent stood by a window, staring at the Harvest Hoopla booths, their vendors and the many locals still enjoying the day of revelry.

  Fortunately, few participants even realized there’d been a disturbance that afternoon. New Brighton police officers were swift and discrete. Garrett felt a rush of pride in them.

  After the policeman left, the older administrator pulled Garrett aside. “I finally got a call back from Ronald while I was on my way out here. He had no idea what happened to the money in the fitness account, but he admitted he’d put his trust in Doug.”

  “Why? What did they do together?” Garrett said.

  “Ronald was getting ready to deposit the funds in the account when Doug convinced him to go with a ‘better investment strategy.’ Doug said he’d ‘take care of everything’ and get the money to gain interest faster. He promised to give Ronald the credit for making the investment, and Ronald had no reason not to believe him.”

  “So, where did Doug put the money for the fitness equipment?”

  “I don’t know, Garrett. But I told another officer about it, and he took notes, so the police have it on record.”

  He thought back to the day the board members raided the office. Doug’s behavior made no sense whatsoever. “But why the pretense of looking for Ronald this week? He and Shelley searched the school for him together. Doug would’ve known the principal didn’t have anything to do with the disappearing funds.”

  The older man rubbed his temples and sighed. “Don’t know the reason for that, either, but the whole day’s given me a migraine.”

  Garrett could understand that. His head ached, too. Once the superintendent went home, Garrett rejoined the three Walshs.

  “Are Marlene and Loni still manning the token-exchange booth?” he asked them.

  “Yes,” Cait said. “And I asked Jenna to fill in for Dianne while we talked with the police.”

  “I’ll go back and help again in few minutes,” Dianne said. “But I’m still fuming at the man’s behavior. What a slime!”

  Seth grinned. “I’ve heard board members can be slippery.” He began rubbing his wife’s shoulders to relieve her of the built-up tension. It made Garrett want to do the same thing for Cait.

  “Speaking of which,” Cait asked Garrett, an undeniable gleam of curiosity in her eye, “I meant to ask earlier—what happened to your conversation with Shelley McAllister? Did she ever find you?”

  “Oh, yeah.” And, just to tease her a bit, he added, “She had an irresistible proposition for me.”

  “What was that?” She stared at him, brows pushed together.

  “Why, she wanted me to help convert the fitness offenders of Ridgewood Grove to a life of health consciousness.”

  He got his reward when Cait suddenly laughed. “What?”

  “Yep. It’s fitness evangelism, let me tell you. I may even get a muscle T-shirt out of it if I’m real good.”

  Seth and Dianne chuckled at this.

  “What do you have to do? Make the staff do wind sprints during their prep time?” Dianne said.

  “That’s a start. But I’m supposed to choose a few teachers to ‘take under my wing.’ Teach them to swing golf clubs or throw balls or do…something aerobic.”

  “Oh, boy. I’m not touching that comment,” Seth said, his body shaking with laughter. “You be careful with my kid sister.”

  Before Garrett could reply, Cait broke in. “You’re saying, all this time, that’s what she wanted from you? Nothing illegal, immoral—”

  “Or even fattening,” Dianne completed, and the two ladies dissolved into a fit of giggles.

  He shook his head, his spirits rising at the sight of Cait laughing like that again. He’d missed her smiles. Then, deciding to be bold, he turned to face her. “Forget Shelley. What do you want from me?” He puffed out his chest and added a winning grin.

  “Ooooh, now that sounds like an irresistible proposition,” Dianne said, nudging Cait and winking. She eyed the staircase suggestively. “Lots of room to explore your options upstairs.”

  “Dianne!” Cait cried.

  But Seth gave him and Cait a long, thoughtful look. “You know, despite Chippenak slipping away, the Harvest Hoopla turned out to be quite a success.” He gestured toward the window. “Look at all those happy people out there. And the goblins�
��my God, Cait. They were a riot. I’ve never seen kids have so much fun.”

  “Seth’s right,” Dianne said. “Not only did everyone who showed up have a great time, but I haven’t seen your mother so delighted with anything in months. When she wasn’t painting dolphins on children’s cheeks, she was flitting about like her old social-butterfly self. You brought so much pleasure to so many people by organizing the festival.”

  “And so did you,” Cait said, “by letting us host it here.” She gave her sister-in-law and her brother a warm look. “Thanks for everything you did. It was just—well, kind of an odd day.”

  “Which is why you should take a half hour to relax,” Seth said. “You need a break.”

  “But the vendors—” Cait began.

  “Shh.” Seth patted his sister’s head as he might a child’s. “I didn’t say run off to Tahiti. But go upstairs, sit down, take a few deep breaths before you return. Nothing’s going to happen in the next thirty minutes that we can’t handle. The police are searching for Doug, so there isn’t anything you can do but wait.”

  “They’ll probably get him tonight,” Dianne said.

  Seth nodded. “And the vendors are only just beginning to pack up, but lots of people are still nibbling on treats outside. It’s okay to give yourselves a little time to…regroup…or whatever.” His grin broadened. He turned to Garrett and jabbed his thumb in the direction of the stairs. “Get her out of here. Please. I want to spend a few minutes alone with my wife.”

  Cait blushed but Garrett didn’t need to be asked twice. He wanted Doug Chippenak caught but—as Seth said—the police were on it and, anyway, he wanted Cait more. He didn’t give her a chance to suggest a counterproposal.

  He held out his hand to her, watched as she put her small fingers in his palm, then he tugged her away from the others.

  “C’mon,” he whispered as he led her upstairs. “I haven’t seen any of the rooms up here yet. I think I’ve been missing out…”

  ***

  As much as she loved the Harvest Hoopla, Cait had to admit it didn’t hold a candle to giving Garrett a “tour” of the bedrooms.

  “This is Seth and Dianne’s room,” she told him, as they peeked through the door.

  He scanned the master bedroom approvingly and skimmed his fingers over her shoulder blades until she shivered. “Very nice. Let’s move on.”

  Walking across the hall, she popped open another door. “And this is Mia’s room.”

  He laughed. “Does it double as Santa’s workshop? Dolls, stuffed animals, fake food… This kid has everything.”

  She shrugged. “Only child. Only niece. Only granddaughter.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “One very loved little girl. Just like her auntie.”

  Cait’s heart skipped a few beats…and then a few more. What did he mean? That she was loved by her family, like Mia? Or that he loved her?

  He didn’t give her a chance to ask. “Next room, please.”

  “Um,” she said, “this is the guest bedroom.” The white frilly lace curtains ruffled as the wind blew another gust inside. She watched Garrett appraise the open windows and, then, the firm mattress of the double bed. The structure sat prominently in the center of the room, covered with a matching white frilly lace bedspread. His eyes narrowed and his lips pursed.

  He marched over to the windows and shut them with one swift stroke. Then he turned to stand beside the bed, shaking his head and motioning for her to join him. “Close the door.”

  She did.

  “We’re not sleeping on this,” he informed her.

  “We’re in my brother’s house, Garrett. We’re not sleeping on anything.”

  He glanced around the room, amused. “You’re absolutely right.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her to his side. “What’s in that closet?”

  “Nothing. They keep it empty for guests to—”

  “Perfect.”

  And before she knew it, that’s where they were. Closet door shut tight, the two of them—not on anything—but up against the smooth wall, with his mouth on hers, her legs wrapped around his waist and his hands…touching everywhere. Ohhh, good heavens.

  She’d never think of storage space the same way again.

  ***

  At about five o’clock, they heard some loud pounding on the guest room door. Seth called out, “I’ve gotta talk to you two.”

  “Okay, um, just a second.” Cait’s pulse raced, not only from her passionate interlude with Garrett, but from the worried tone of Seth’s voice. They managed to slip their clothes back on and emerge from the closet. She swung open the bedroom door. Her brother’s face looked ghostly white. “What’s wrong?” she said.

  “Hey, Cait, Garrett, sorry to interrupt you like this, but we have a big problem. Mom’s missing.”

  “What?” she cried.

  Garrett was already racing down the hall and to the staircase, she and Seth at his heels. Jenna, breathless from running in from outside, met them at the bottom.

  “We’ll find her, Cait,” Jenna said, but she looked panicked.

  Dianne had a cell phone to her ear and, for the second time in three hours, the New Brighton police were on their way over. Her sister-in-law was ashen. “I feel horrible when I think—” She paused. “The last time I saw your mom, she was talking to Doug Chippenak, of all people.”

  Seth’s eyes bulged out. “Oh, God, honey. When was this?”

  Dianne brushed away a few tears. “Around lunchtime. Maybe twelve-thirty, one o’clock.”

  “That was before Cait and I started tailing him,” Garrett said. “When was the last time you saw her, Jenna?”

  Her friend blinked. “It was after that. During the time the police were searching the grounds. Two-thirty, I think.”

  “Thank God,” Seth said.

  Garrett exhaled deeply. “Doug was long gone by then. But all this means is that their disappearances are unrelated.”

  Cait held her breath and fought off the guilt she didn’t want to acknowledge. “Did any of us see her after two-thirty?”

  No one had.

  “How about mom’s friend Eleanor?” Cait asked.

  Jenna shook her head. “She saw her just before I did, and that was her last time, too.”

  Cait swallowed. “Then we shouldn’t waste another minute.”

  ***

  “You need to stop blaming yourself,” Garrett said in his gentlest voice, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on Cait’s knee. Gone was the passion from the late afternoon. Now, after an hour of unfocused driving, he thought she looked ready to crumple from stress. He reached out and squeezed her fingers. She squeezed back, but he could tell it was a halfhearted gesture.

  “Seth and Dianne got on top of things immediately,” he said. “They notified the police. Men were put on the job within minutes. You couldn’t have done it any faster.”

  “If only I’d gone out to check on her instead of going upstairs. If only I hadn’t been so preoccupied with Doug Chippenak before that. I should’ve been more responsible. God, I haven’t done a single responsible thing in hours.”

  The sting of her words hurt worse than a smack across his face. His body recoiled from the blow. He jerked his hand away.

  Then she noticed him, for the first time, he figured, since Seth’s words jolted them out of the closet. Distress, terror and remorse filled her eyes.

  “Garrett, I’m sorry. I—I didn’t mean—”

  “Forget it,” he said quickly, hoping he could do the same, but he had to admit to there being an angry, selfish side in him. A side that felt his joy in their coupling had already been tainted.

  They rode in silence.

  “Look,” he said after another fifteen minutes of pointless meandering. “Do you have a list of places you want to check out that the police might not think of? Are there spots she enjoys wandering around in sometimes? Parks, maybe? Friends she might visit? Restaurants or coffee places or that bakery?”

  Tears slipped
down Cait’s cheeks. She shook her head. “Mom’s memory…it’s vanishing. She no longer follows any of the routines we’d gotten used to for the past four or five years, and I’ve got no idea.” She brushed at the tears, missing a few. They slid onto her blouse and left wet splotches on the front.

  “What about before then? About her more distant past? What would she do on a Saturday evening when you and Seth were kids?”

  “Go strolling in town. Stop for a piece of pie or an ice cream sundae. Play bridge or bingo with the church group. She and Dad would go together almost weekly when he was still alive. They went to St. Christopher’s on County Highway K-Z. But it’s way on the other side of town, much too far for her to walk. Even before we took the car keys away from her, Seth and Dianne would usually pick her up and take her to St. Luke’s for senior activities or church services. It’s where Mia was christened, where Dad was buried and much nearer to her house.”

  “How many miles would you say it is from Seth’s house to St. Christopher’s?”

  She looked at him like he was as nutty as a pecan. “Seven, maybe eight. Garrett, there’s no way she could’ve walked—”

  “Your mother is really healthy, physically at least. I know she’s got the blood pressure thing, but she’s also got stronger legs than a lot of women her age.” He swung the car around for a not-exactly-legal U-turn. “Plus, she’s got determination in her favor, a four-hour head start on us and a very clear memory of her favorite times in her life.” He looked at Cait, fear and hopefulness battling it out on her face. “It’s not impossible.”

  ***

  They found her wandering in the back corner of St. Christopher’s cemetery, the day’s last sunlight bathing her hair, her sweater wrapped tight and a wistful smile playing on her lips.

  “MOM!” Cait cried, rushing up to her and throwing her arms around her mother’s shivering body. “We were so worried about you. How did you get here? Did you get lost? Are you hurt?”