A Good Day to Buy
Page 3
There was a bam, bam, bam on the door that shook it. I yelled, “Just a minute.” I hoped it was Stella and not CJ. I latched Luke into the attic.
“Are you okay?” I heard CJ shout. The doorknob rattled.
I hurried to the door and flung it open. “Yes. Why ask?”
CJ pointed to the sandwich I’d dropped out in the hall. I picked it up. “Yeesh. I wondered what happened to it. I must have dropped it when I checked to see if the mail had come.” I hated lying to CJ about Luke, although it was more omission than lie.
“What took you so long to answer?” he asked.
“I didn’t want to answer the door in my undies.”
“I wouldn’t have minded.” He grinned.
“What if it hadn’t been you?” I turned my back to him and hustled inside to the kitchen, wanting to preempt any questions about the stack of Fluffernutters. “I made some Fluffernutters in case you stopped by.” Lies kept popping out. Covering for Luke came back to me as easily as getting back on a bike. It’s what we’d done for each other from the time we could talk, on the playground, in the classroom, and at home. Especially at home.
CJ backed me up against the counter and gave me a long, breathtaking kiss.
“Are you all right?” he asked again.
“W-why wouldn’t I be?”
He ran a hand through his hair, and the lines around his mouth deepened. “Someone was murdered at your garage sale this morning.”
Good heavens. Luke’s appearance had driven everything else out of my head. “It’s stress.” At least that wasn’t a lie. “I’m still in a bit of shock.” The murder hadn’t been the only shock of the day. “So it’s definitely a murder?”
“Because it’s an unattended death, it’s treated as if it were a homicide.”
“Have you found who did it?” I didn’t really expect they would have at this point, but needed to get the focus off me.
CJ shook his head. “We don’t have much to go on. Your sighting of a man and one report of someone speeding off in a light-colored sedan at the end of one of the trails.” He snagged one of the Fluffernutters off the counter. After eating it in five bites, he poured himself a glass of water and gulped it down. “We’re following up on the license plates Lindsay took pictures of.” He looked down at me with his cop look. I hoped anything he saw in my face could be taken as worry from the events of the day. CJ pulled me back into his arms for another sizzling kiss. It felt really awkward knowing my brother was hidden mere feet away from us. “Maybe we have time for—”
“No. You have to find out what happened to the Spencers. Who did this.” It came out louder and more vehemently than I’d planned. I hope he didn’t hear the note of panic in my voice. If kissing him felt awkward, anything else would feel like I was back in my parents’ house and about to get caught doing something I shouldn’t have been doing. I kept myself from shuddering at that.
CJ sighed. “You’re right. I’ll try to make it back later tonight. Please take care of yourself.” He kissed me again before he left.
I leaned back against the door for a minute, my heart pounding madly. I hurried across the living room to the window and watched CJ climb into his official police SUV. He waved as he took off. I pulled the curtains shut and let Luke out of the attic.
“Now you have to tell me what’s going on.” I said it in the “I mean business voice” I’d used on him when he was little. Strange how things came back even after years apart. Luke nodded and sprawled across the couch, a yard sale find that my mom had made white slipcovers for. I pulled the rocking chair closer to him, sat, and leaned forward to hear him out.
“I’m here investigating a story.”
I took that in. “You’re a reporter?” Luke nodded. “What kind of story brought you to Ellington?” Ellington was just under thirteen thousand residents, although it abutted Bedford, Concord, and Fitch Air Force Base. As part of the greater metropolitan Boston area, it seemed much larger.
Luke narrowed his eyes. I knew that expression. It was the one that said, “How much do I have to tell her to keep me out of the most trouble?”
“Spill it.” How easily I dropped back into the role of older sister.
“I can’t give you all the details.”
“Can’t or won’t?” This had been one of Luke’s classic moves as a kid.
“Can’t. Seriously. I’m not ten anymore. I’m an adult and my job is important. Don’t pigeonhole me in the past.”
It was my turn to narrow my eyes. When we were kids, he would always look away when he was lying, but he didn’t now. I noticed the deepening lines around his blue-gray eyes, the shadows under them. His hair had strands of grey running through the brown.
“What brought you here?” I asked again.
“I’m doing a story and it led me to this area. That’s all I can say.”
There were lots of tech companies in the area, and universities. There were lots of active-duty military and veterans living here. Fishing industry, tourism, local politics—without more to go on, I’d never figure it out. “Did Mom tell you I lived here?”
“No. I haven’t talked to them.” He looked down at his clasped hands. “Not in a long time. I Googled you once in a while. Your divorce popped up and the website for your garage sale business. Plus there were articles about CJ and his troubles. They mentioned you too.”
“I guess running from your past is almost impossible these days.” I hadn’t done a computer search on myself for a while. I’d never seen the articles Luke mentioned. “Can I tell Mom and Dad you’re here?” I’d never understood the rift between Luke and the rest of us. We’d all always gotten along. He’d idolized CJ. Luke had enlisted in part because of him, but after his enlistment, he’d disappeared from our lives. And he was very good at covering his tracks because I’d tried to find Luke more than once.
“Please don’t tell them, for now anyway.”
“Why? Are you working undercover or something?”
“Yes. I am.” He paused. “It’s an investigative piece. I don’t want anyone to get wind of it. That’s why I’m asking—no, begging you—not to tell anyone I’m in town.”
I stood and roamed the living room. A worn Oriental rug topped the wide plank floor I’d painted white when I first moved in. There wasn’t a lot of furniture, just the couch, the rocker, an end table, and a trunk I used as a coffee table. There was room for more, but I hadn’t found the perfect thing.
Sadly, nothing in life was perfect. I wanted to know what had happened, what had made Luke leave our family. Only knowing what had driven him away would ease the empty spot in my heart. This might be my sole chance to find out. If I honored his request for privacy, maybe I would finally get some answers. Oh, how I hoped I would. I turned back to Luke. “I won’t tell for as long as I can. And I’ll let you know if I can’t keep it a secret. It’s the best I can do.” I sat back in the rocker, stroking the smooth broad oak arms.
“That’s fair. Thank you.” His tone didn’t match his words. He sounded disappointed, and I had always hated disappointing Luke.
“Where are you going to stay?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Not here with CJ coming around.”
“The apartment next door is empty. The Callahans, who live below it, aren’t back from Florida yet, but they will be any day.” I considered my options. “You can at least stay next door tonight. The last person left a bit of furniture. I think there’s a bed.” I’d make it up to Stella later by cleaning the place.
“I’m used to roughing it. A floor and my backpack as a pillow are usually it. If I’m lucky. Do you mind if I shower?”
“No, go ahead.” I grabbed a fluffy, white towel from the hall linen closet and put it on the pedestal sink. The bathroom was small, but the large clawfoot tub had sold me on the place when I’d first looked at it. I came back out. “It’s all yours.”
* * *
As soon as I heard the shower go on, I went over to where Luke had
left his backpack on the couch. It was covered with peace signs and patches from different cities—Paris, London, Rome, and many more. I unzipped the first section. Going through his things felt wrong, but what did I really know about Luke? He’d shown up out of the blue and acted cagey. He hadn’t sold me with his reporter story. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything illegal in there. I unpacked a pair of jeans, socks, underwear, a plaid flannel shirt, a denim jacket, notebooks, and some stubby pencils. He still chewed his pencils.
I found a phone at the bottom. Not a fancy one—it looked like a burner phone. I opened it, but didn’t find any incoming or outgoing calls listed. Okay, I could see a reporter having a burner phone to prevent sources from obtaining his personal number. Maybe this confirmed his story.
I stuffed everything back the way I’d found it, then rooted around in another pocket. Tissues, wallet, and an iPhone. The phone was password protected. Darn, no snooping through it. I reached for the wallet but heard the water shut off. I repacked the backpack, put it against the couch cushion where he’d left it, and went into the kitchen to make coffee. Full-on caffeine was required even though it was after three. Luke might not need any, but I sure did.
Chapter 4
Sunday morning, I woke up a twitchy mess. After Luke’s shower yesterday, he’d been engrossed in his phone and then left to go to sleep next door. He hadn’t told me anything of substance. Then I’d spent too much of the night awake listening for CJ, for Luke, or for Stella to discover Luke. Around midnight, CJ had sent a text saying he wouldn’t be over, which was a relief and a disappointment all wrapped in a ball of confusion. I wanted to be held but wouldn’t have been able to keep the secret of Luke from CJ. Once I knew CJ wasn’t coming over, my worries turned to Mr. Spencer and Mrs. Spencer. Who would hurt them? And then my fear turned back to Luke. Why show up now? My mind whirled like a carousel until I finally fell asleep after four.
It was almost eight when I heard footsteps trotting up the stairs. I flung open my door. “Stella. What are you doing up this early?” Normally, she wasn’t one to show her face before nine. Beyond being owner and landlady, she taught voice classes at Berklee College of Music in Boston and was starting to rebuild her career as an opera singer. She often stayed up late practicing.
She flicked her head to the apartment I’d stashed Luke in. Oh no. Had she heard something?
“I’m showing the apartment today. I decided it was time for a new tenant. I wanted to make sure it’s clean enough before I show it at ten.”
Seriously? Today of all days. With one exception the place had been empty for over a year. “It must be clean enough as it is,” I said, noting the high, cheery note my voice had taken on. “Come over for coffee so we can chat. The apartment will be fine.” My voice boomed out of me—I hoped Luke would hear me and do something. What, I wasn’t sure, because we were two stories up.
Stella tilted her head and studied me with her deep green eyes. They were stunning against her olive, Mediterranean skin and dark hair. I always felt a bit paler when I was with her, like my blond hair was suddenly washed out and my blue eyes almost clear. Nothing exotic in me, just good English stock. I smiled at her, knowing her BS meter was on high.
“Sorry. I’m a mess. Did you hear what happened at the garage sale I was running yesterday? I barely slept.”
“Of course I heard. This is Ellington, after all. I should have come and checked on you.” Stella blushed, a little something she rarely did.
“Was Awesome over?”
“Yes, but he shouldn’t preclude me from checking on a friend.”
“So, coffee?”
“Right after I check on the apartment.”
There was nothing else I could do. I followed her in, trying to think up an explanation of why Luke was there. But Luke wasn’t there. It was like he’d vanished into thin air. I glanced over at the door to the attic crawl space. This apartment was almost a copy of mine. He must be in the crawl space. Or had he taken off again without telling me?
Stella sniffed the air. Could she smell him? I didn’t remember him wearing aftershave. Any scent would be from my soap. My apple soap. Could she really smell it? I sniffed too but only smelled dust.
“I’ll open a couple of windows to air the place out a bit. Otherwise it looks fine,” Stella said.
I nodded like a bobblehead figurine on speed. “Want that coffee while it airs out?”
“Sure.”
* * *
Thirty minutes later, I shut the door behind Stella and waited. I heard her water go on and sprinted back over to the other apartment, assuming she was taking a shower. I went in and hissed, “Luke, are you still here?” If he wasn’t, I’d be furious and sad, but the little door to the attic opened and Luke crawled out. Tension washed out faster than a tsunami. Tears filled my eyes.
“What’s wrong, Sarah?” He brushed some dust off his worn jeans as he asked.
“Nothing. I’m just happy you’re here.”
“You thought I left again without telling you.”
“Maybe.”
Luke glanced down at his boots. The heels were worn to the point they needed to be replaced. “Look, you promised not to tell anyone I was here unless you told me first. I promise I won’t leave without telling you. Okay?”
I swiped at the tears. “Okay.” My voice cracked. “We’ve got to leave. Someone’s coming to look at it.”
“How about your place?”
“No. CJ could come over any time.” I pursed my lips but didn’t like my solution. “I’ll let you into the Callahans’ apartment. They won’t be home for several more days.” I’d gotten that bit of information out of Stella over coffee. “But tomorrow we have to figure something else out.”
“Couldn’t you tell CJ you’re sick and not to come over?”
“No. Because CJ would tell someone, who’d tell someone else, then someone on base would find out and I’d have a constant stream of people bringing me soup, flowers, and cards.” It made me smile. It was why I loved living here, one of the reasons I hadn’t moved back home to Pacific Grove, California, after CJ and I divorced.
“What happened to the unfriendly New Englanders stereotype you always hear about?”
“People here are like lobsters. They can be tough shells to crack, but once you do . . .” I smiled again, remembering the first few times I’d gone into DiNapoli’s. Rosalie’s smile had been warm, but Angelo hadn’t had the time of day for me as he’d cooked and watched over the restaurant. It had taken a while to win them over, but they were family now.
Luke followed me downstairs. I felt around for the key on top of their door.
“How’d you know it was there?” Luke asked as I unlocked the door and shoved him into the apartment.
“I water their plants for them if Stella’s out of town. You’re going to have to be really quiet so Stella doesn’t hear you. No lights. Stay away from the windows.”
“I get it.” Luke pulled me into a hug. “Thanks. I’ll be out of your hair in a day or two.”
“I don’t want you out of my hair. I want to show you off. My brother, the investigative reporter.” I opened the door a crack and peeked out. “I’ll bring you some food later.” I shut the door and hurried back upstairs before he could answer.
* * *
At ten, I left my apartment again to go buy some groceries. I was hoping to time my departure so I’d run into whoever was planning to look at the apartment next door. It would be nice to have a quiet neighbor that could be a friend. As I trotted down the stairs, two guys came in from the street. One had long, pale blond dreads and heavy-lidded blue eyes. Bob Marley smiled at me from the front of his T-shirt. The other guy was almost his twin minus the dreads, and they both looked completely stoned. I rapped on Stella’s door and yelled, “I think the guys interested in the apartment are here.” I couldn’t help but smirk when she came out.
Stella walked out, took one whiff of them, and said, “Sorry. It’s been rented.”
“I don’t think that’s legal,” I said to Stella. “But thank you.”
“Quick, give me a buck.”
I dug around in my purse and handed her the dollar. “Why?”
“You just rented it for the day. Not that they look like the type to sue me.”
“But you never know who has a parent who’s a lawyer.”
Stella nodded.
“I’m heading out to the grocery store. I’ll buy the Callahans some milk and bread since they’re coming home soon.”
“Flossie wrote and said they’d be home the day after tomorrow. Would you mind watering their plants and maybe opening a window to let the place air out a bit?”
“I’d be happy to.” I felt myself relax a little. Luke could stay there overnight before he’d have to move. And paying the dollar rent made me feel a little less guilty about stashing him in the empty apartment in the first place.
* * *
I nudged the Callahans’ door open with my hip since my arms were full of groceries. Stella’s car was gone, which meant Luke and I were the only ones in the building. As soon as I closed the door and called out, Luke popped out of the bathroom and helped me unpack. Some of the food was for him, some for the Callahans, and some for me. We stood in the kitchen and shared the three lobster rolls I’d bought at the Stop & Shop for our lunch. They weren’t as good as the ones from West Concord Seafoods, but they’d do for now. It felt awkward standing here, but I didn’t want to risk us being seen by going up to my apartment and back.
I looked up at him. The last time I’d seen him, he’d only been a bit taller than my five-six. Now, he topped me by several inches. I had a ton of questions I wanted to ask him. Why had he disappeared from our lives after he left the Marines? Where had he been? What was with the burner phone in his backpack? But I was afraid to. Afraid, if I pried, he’d take off and I’d be heartbroken all over again. With all I’d been through the past year, I didn’t know if I could take it. For now, I’d savor these moments together.