A Roux of Revenge

by Connie Archer

  Lucky hesitated. She shot a quick look at Jack. “His name is Taran MacDougal, and he’s Eamon’s twin brother. But Eamon had nothing to do with that robbery years ago.”

  Nate raised his eyebrows. “Funny how he knew where to find that money.”

  “He didn’t really. His brother once told him if anything ever happened to him, Eamon should go to the Stones. It took us a good while to find that box. I believe him.”

  “The theft of a human body is a criminal offense, but I have no way to prove it. I plan to go out there today and have a talk with our wandering friends.” Nate sighed. “I already know it’s a waste of time. They’re not gonna tell me anything.”

  “Probably not,” Lucky offered, stealing a glance at Jack.

  “Anyway, the important thing is that the money or what’s left of it will go back to the insurance company, the statute hasn’t run out on the robbery—a couple of weeks to go. Unfortunately for Mr. Devlin. A judge’ll have to decide about the death of that man in the van. And most important, Janie’s home with her mother, safe and sound, thanks to you.” Nate nodded in Lucky’s direction.

  “And don’t forget Eamon. If he hadn’t jumped on that combine . . .” Lucky shuddered to think about it.

  “And Eamon,” Nate agreed. “Devlin’s locked up in Bournmouth for now. The travelers will be on their way soon, and you and Jack are doing just fine.”

  “It’s kinda funny, Nate.” Jack looked thoughtful. “The case is solved and Conrad, the real Conrad, didn’t have to do a thing. It was Devlin himself who blew it wide open. If anyone else had found that money, anytime in the last seven years, they’d never even have known where it came from.”

  “That’s a fact,” Nate said. “There’s one thing I’m curious about. If Devlin had a gun and you and Eamon MacDougal were tied up, how did you ever overpower him?”

  Lucky held her breath, hoping Jack wouldn’t slip and mention Daniel. Even if he did, there really was no harm done, but she respected Eamon’s wishes to keep Daniel away from the police.

  Jack, a guileless look on his face, said, “It was Lucky. She knocked him out—sent him sprawling. She’s got a great right hook.”

  Nate raised his eyebrows. “Well, I’m impressed. I never woulda thought a little slip of a thing like you could do that.” He glanced at Lucky. “But I saw the blood all over his shirt,” Nate continued. “Now, I just need you two to sign your statements, and you can be on your way. I’m sure you’ll have to talk to the prosecuting lawyers some time down the pike, but for now you’re done.”

  Chapter 50

  LUCKY AND JACK walked slowly down Broadway. The air was crisp, the sky a deep cerulean blue. Dried red and golden leaves crackled under their footsteps as they headed back to the Spoonful.

  “I was wondering if you were gonna mention the land in Nova Scotia to Nate,” Jack whispered.

  Lucky turned to him and grinned. “What land?” she asked, as she slipped her arm through Jack’s.

  “That’s my girl.” He smiled back.

  As they passed the Off Broadway ladies’ clothing shop, Lucky glanced in the window. Marjorie was pinning a rust-colored dress, a new arrival, on a mannequin. She looked up and waved when she saw them.

  “Jack.” She turned to him. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up in a few minutes. I’d like to stop and chat with Cecily.”

  “Good idea,” Jack agreed. “Might be a little bit of a bruised heart there.”

  Lucky entered the shop and saw Cecily at the glass counter at the rear folding sweaters. “Hi, Cecily.”

  “Hello there,” Cecily said. She made a wan attempt at a smile.

  Lucky approached and leaned over the glass.

  “I’m so sorry, Cecily.”

  Cecily bit her lip and nodded. She had obviously been crying. “I heard all about it. The news is all over town.”

  “I know you liked him.”

  “Yes, I did.” She shook out the sweater she held in her hands and refolded it. “And now everyone will know what a fool I’ve been—again.”

  “Don’t say that.” Lucky reached across the counter and stilled Cecily’s hands. “How could you possibly have known? He used us all. Even Nate. Nate feels terrible too. We all liked him. He was very charming.”

  “A scoundrel and a murderer.” Cecily burst into tears.

  Lucky moved around the counter and led Cecily through the curtained doorway to the storeroom. She grasped her hand and pulled Cecily down onto a stool. She glanced around. A box of tissues sat on a worktable. “Here.” She passed several tissues to Cecily and waited while Cecily blew her nose loudly.

  “I was very attracted to him. You know, at my age, there aren’t a lot of opportunities—not like you. You’re just a young thing. Lots of men will cross your path.”

  Lucky shrugged. She wasn’t so sure of that. The only man she had ever wanted was Elias, and she was probably losing him. She had to steel her heart. There was no other choice.

  “My sister is fine on her own. She doesn’t miss having a husband or a man in her life. She’s always been like that. But I’m different, Lucky. I never thought . . . I never thought I’d end up alone, and I don’t want this to be all there is.”

  “I think . . .” Lucky thought a moment. “I think when it comes to that part of life, none of us has a choice. We’re given what we’re given. We can go out and look and then try to pound a square peg into a round hole, but that usually doesn’t work. And both people end up going their separate ways. I don’t mean that it’s impossible,” Lucky continued, “but I think when the time is right, the right person falls into your lap.”

  “But I thought Joe . . . whatever his real name is, might be that person. I thought this could be it, Lucky.” Cecily looked up. Lucky reached over and wiped a tear off Cecily’s cheek.

  “Don’t give up hope, Cecily. Keep your eyes open and keep looking.”

  “I’m just an old maid,” she replied.

  “No you’re not! Love has nothing to do with age or beauty or brains or anything for that matter. Love is love. It comes to us when it comes to us, and I wonder if we really have a lot of choice in the matter. The only important thing is not to become bitter . . . to keep your heart open.”

  Cecily nodded. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I was pounding a square peg into a round hole. Obviously Joe wasn’t right for me, or anybody else for that matter. But I just feel like such a fool.”

  “Forgive yourself. We were all taken in.”

  “Thanks, Lucky. You’re a sweetheart.”

  “I better get back. I just stopped in to see you and make sure you were okay. I’m really sorry it all came out like this.”

  Cecily took a deep breath. “Had to. The truth had to come out. And you and Janie, you could have been killed because of that awful man. And your poor face.” Cecily reached out. Her fingertips gently touched Lucky’s cheek, still aflame in shades of red and purple.

  “But we weren’t. We’re alive and well.”

  “Thank heavens.” Cecily leaned closer and whispered, “And I hate to admit this, but here I was, looking down my nose at the travelers, and they turned out to be the best of the lot.”

  Chapter 51

  LUCKY STEPPED ACROSS her threshold and shut and locked the apartment door behind her. She took a deep breath. Blessed privacy. She turned on a lamp in the living room and pulled the drapes closed. The sun had set hours ago. Now the days had grown very short. Soon bitter winter would be upon them. The first anniversary of her parent’s death was around the corner—less than two months away. How her life had been turned upside down by their accident. And how was it possible almost a whole year had passed? There wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t feel they were with her. It was more than seeing their photos on her bureau and filling the apartment with keepsakes from her old home. It wasn’t because she made a point of visiting their gravesites regularly. She missed them terribly, but they lived still in her heart. Was it just the memory of them? Or do the dead
hover and watch over the living left behind?

  She looked around the apartment. Janie and Miriam had come by at some point during the day and packed up all of Janie’s things. Lucky walked down the hallway. Miriam had straightened everything up. Janie’s sheets and blankets were clean and folded in the linen closet. Someone had even dusted. The sink was scrubbed, and the dishes stacked in the kitchen cabinet. Lucky was sure an experienced housewife had done most of the work. She only hoped Janie had helped her mother with some of it. A small vase of yellow and orange marigolds sat on the kitchen table, a folded note next to the flowers. The extra key she had given Janie sat on top of the paper. Lucky opened it. It said, “We can never thank you enough.” Janie’s signature was scrawled underneath, and next to that was Miriam’s in a neat script.

  Lucky collapsed into a chair, not bothering to slip out of her jacket. She felt completely drained. It had taken a lot of energy to keep up a cheerful front over the past few days. No one had even asked her once how Elias was. And what hurt even more was the fact that Elias had not even tried to make contact. Sophie was correct. The gossip that they were no longer together, that Elias was seeing someone else, had spread all over town. Lucky felt humiliated. Angry and hurt. She pushed herself out of the chair and trudged to the bathroom. She wrenched the faucets in the bathtub open and let hot water pour in, filling the tub. She dumped a copious amount of bubble bath into the stream. A nice hot soak would help her aching muscles. Aching not just from work, from being on her feet all day, but from all the tension over the past several days. But how could Elias just ignore her? If he no longer had feelings for her, if he had fallen back in love with Paula, couldn’t he have been decent enough to simply tell her? Why did she have to hear this from someone else? She cringed inwardly when she realized what a fool she must have looked like, arriving at his office to find him close to Paula both times. Cecily had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. She, Lucky Jamieson, could take the prize for being the chief fool.

  The phone started to ring. Lucky groaned. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. She had had to repeat the story of Janie’s kidnapping and rescue to everyone who had come into the restaurant—minus the true story of Janie’s connection to Eamon. She couldn’t go through it one more time. The phone continued to ring. Maybe it was Jack. If Jack was calling, she’d answer. She shut the faucets off and went back to the kitchen. She glanced at the caller ID and recognized Elias’s home number. Her face flushed. Obviously he was calling because he had heard of the close call at the Stones and in the cornfield. Someone must have told him about it. Or maybe he’s received Janie’s medical report from the hospital in Lincoln Falls and, wondering why he hadn’t been informed, had started asking questions. Whatever. How he found out didn’t concern her. She ignored the ringing phone and returned to the bathroom. She stripped off her clothes and stepped gingerly into the steaming tub, sinking under the bubbles. She heard garbled speech on the answering machine as Elias left his message. She didn’t want to hear the message, and she didn’t want to talk to him. She didn’t care what he had to say. She was finished. She closed her eyes and held her breath and sank under the bubbles, not wanting any human sound to reach her ears.

  Chapter 52

  LUCKY SNUGGLED INTO her bathrobe and pulled the comforter up to her chin. The apartment had been so cold when she woke, she turned up the thermostat, made a quick cup of strong coffee and carried it back to her bed. She sipped it slowly, relishing the comfort and the warmth. Her bruised cheek was turning from a purplish blue to a greenish yellow. She touched it gingerly. It was still sore.

  She took a last sip of coffee and padded back to the kitchen. The apartment was warm enough now to get into the shower. As she headed down the hall to the bathroom, she heard a knock at the front door. She stopped in her tracks. It wasn’t even seven o’clock. Who would be at her door at this hour? Perhaps it was Miriam having an anxiety attack. She tied her robe tighter and cracked open the front door. Elias stood in the hallway.

  Her first reaction was anger. What right did he have to come to her apartment with no warning at this ridiculous hour? And why now? He hadn’t stopped by the Spoonful in over a week, not since Paula had joined the Clinic. He had done a very good job of ignoring her and the rumors flying around town.

  “Elias!” Her tone was distant if not icy. She couldn’t help it.

  “Can I come in?”

  She hesitated. “I was just about to get in the shower. Is this important?”

  “Yes, I think it is.”

  “Very well.” She opened the door wider and returned to the kitchen, aware that her hair was sticking up in various places, her face was unwashed and discolored, her teeth weren’t brushed, and she was in an old bathrobe that had seen better days. Elias followed her down the hallway.

  “Would you like some coffee?” It wouldn’t kill her to be civilized, she thought.

  “No. Thanks. Lucky, I just wanted to apologize.”

  “For what?” Make him spell it out, she thought.

  “For a number of things. For not calling all week. For . . . I just found out late last night about what happened with you and Janie. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help you.” He stared at her bruised cheek and jaw. “And . . . I also found out about some of the rumors going around about me and Paula. I want you to know they’re not at all true.”

  Lucky sat at the kitchen table, still gripping her coffee mug. “How did you hear?”

  “Rosemary finally told me. She’s been pretty mad at me because she thought the rumors about me and Paula were true too.” He paused. “I’ve been terribly busy, but I know that’s no excuse. I meant what I said the other night. That my former relationship with Paula was over.”

  Lucky closed her eyes, willing herself not to fling the mug across the table at him. “I saw you with her in the office, Elias. You were about to kiss her. There’s no need to lie about it.”

  “What?” He flushed a bright red. “That’s not true, Lucky. Not true at all.”

  She hesitated, not willing to tell him all the gossip that Sophie had conveyed. “I had heard rumors too. That’s why I went over there to talk to you. To find out what exactly was going on.” She didn’t want to admit to him that the entire week she had felt like a one-ton stone was lodged in her chest. “After you left the office, Paula said . . . implied that something was going on between the two of you.”

  “And you believed that?” Elias raised his voice. “Why didn’t you talk to me?”

  “That’s exactly what I was trying to do when I went to your office,” she shouted back.

  “Lucky.” He reached for her hand across the table. She had to stop herself from pulling away. “Please believe me. Nothing was going on—at least not on my part. That day, Paula said she had something in her eye and asked me to have a look. That’s why we were standing by the window.”

  “That’s a good one!” Lucky replied.

  “It’s true. Stop trying to make me look like the bad guy here.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Lucky shot back.

  “It means that I’m not the one dragging my feet in this relationship. We’ve been together for how long, and you won’t even tell me why Jack calls you ‘Lucky.’ How crazy is that?”

  His words stung. He had a point. Lucky took a deep breath. “Virgil Lukorsky . . . Lucky,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Jack named me after a Navy boxer because of my right hook. I didn’t want you to know. I was embarrassed. I wanted you to think I was feminine.”

  Elias was completely silent. He stared at her and blinked. Finally he said, “Oh.”

  Lucky waited.

  “I never thought you weren’t feminine. Look, I’m sorry I shouted. I didn’t mean to. But you have to believe me. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happened between me and Paula.” He hesitated then sheepishly said, “At least not on my part.”

  Lucky was having a difficult time letting go of her anger. Part of her yearned to be
lieve Elias, and part of her was still hurt and furious.

  “You’re telling me that what Paula said to me that day wasn’t true?”

  “She . . .” Elias hesitated. “Because she . . .” He sat heavily in the kitchen chair across the table from her. “I might as well tell you the whole story. I realized she was being overly friendly, overly familiar.” He looked at Lucky quickly. “I did not encourage it. In fact, I did my best to discourage it. I just wanted someone to take the load off my shoulders. She told me she had no issue with the fact that I would be her boss essentially, in spite of our prior relationship. That’s what she said. What was happening, I finally realized, was her actions didn’t match her words.”

  “And the rumors around town—that you and she were seeing each other, that we had broken up?” Lucky was struggling to understand the motives of a woman who would behave in such a way.

  “Obviously started by Paula. Who else? Certainly not me. And I realize now, it was deliberately done to drive a wedge between us.”

  Lucky thought Elias himself had certainly contributed to the situation by not being more present, but she didn’t voice her opinion. “Why would she say one thing and do another?”

  “She needed to involve me in a relationship. I understand why now. I think she thought I would go for it. She didn’t plan on there being someone else in my life. She thought she could . . . seduce me, I guess, and that would give her added leverage.”