Sentenced to Death bm-5

by Lorna Barrett

  Mary Fairchild was By Hook or By Book’s second owner, having taken over after the original proprietress had nearly gone bankrupt during the worst of the great recession. An incredibly sharp businesswoman, Mary had a seemingly endless supply of crafting talent. She painted, knitted, crocheted, quilted, reupholstered, gardened, and baked heavenly concoctions that rivaled Nikki Brimfield’s best pastries. Added to all that, she was also one of the nicest people Tricia had ever met. And best of all, she had turned out to be one of Tricia’s most frequent customers. If Tricia wanted to talk about mysteries, she only had to go next door for a visit.

  The little bell over Mary’s door tinkled sweetly as Tricia entered By Hook or By Book. Mary, dressed in one of her quilted vests, sat behind her cash desk, crochet hook in hand, whipping off what looked like another shrug—a shawl with arms. She sold them from a rack beside the register and was no doubt stocking up for the cool weather that would soon be upon them.

  “Tricia, what brings you out and about on this lovely summer day?”

  “I’m collecting money for Deborah Black’s young son.”

  Mary frowned. “I’m so sorry I didn’t get to the funeral service yesterday. Then again, from what I gather, there really wasn’t a service.”

  “No. I feel like I was cheated out of saying good-bye to Deborah.”

  Mary nodded sympathetically and gazed out the shop’s front display window. The empty lot where History Repeats Itself had once stood always reminded Tricia of a smile with a missing tooth. She thought about Russ’s loose bridge and wondered if his dentist had recemented it. “I’ll be so glad when they start to rebuild,” Tricia said.

  “Yes, and from what I understand, it won’t be long before they start. I heard there might be an announcement at tomorrow night’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting. I know I’m going to be there. How about you?”

  Tricia shook her head. “It’s not my cup of tea, I’m afraid.”

  “I’m more interested in who is going to make the announcement. There’s talk that Nigela Racita herself might be at the meeting,” Mary said with a wily grin.

  “You’re kidding,” Tricia said. Suddenly she was more interested in attending what was usually a very long, boring meeting. “Where did you hear this?”

  “I had dinner last night at the Brookview Inn. You know how Eleanor loves to gossip.”

  She hadn’t mentioned anything so compelling to Tricia on Friday night. But then, Tricia had been preoccupied by first Grant Baker’s threat to talk over something serious, and then later by Antonio dining with David Black and Michele Fowler.

  “What do you know about this woman?” Tricia asked.

  “Very little,” Mary admitted, “and I’ve asked around, too.”

  “I tried Googling the firm but got nowhere fast,” Tricia said.

  “The corporate headquarters is a lawyer’s office on a side street in Flemington, New Jersey,” Mary said.

  “How did you find that out?”

  “My sister lives there. I asked her to look up the address, which is just a few blocks from her office building.”

  “That’s strange. Antonio always gave the impression that the firm had offices in Manhattan.”

  “They might have incorporated in Jersey to save money—they may well have offices somewhere else. Private companies are so hard to pin down,” Mary said. “They don’t have to make their balance sheets public, and from what I can tell, the only place they’ve invested is right here in Stoneham.”

  “Why Stoneham?” Tricia asked.

  “Maybe the same reason I came here. It’s a quaint little New England town. We’ve got a pretty good tourist trade, and we’re close enough to Boston to make a great escape to civilization when the mood strikes.”

  “I’m dying to know more about the mysterious woman who runs the company. Why does Antonio do all her bidding? Why doesn’t she show up in person?”

  Mary shrugged. “According to Eleanor, Ms. Racita chose all the new linens and paint colors for the inn, even though all she’d seen were pictures of the place. She seems to have good taste, if nothing else.”

  “Yes, but is she old, young, middle-aged? She’s got to have bags of money to invest if she could buy the lot across the street, invest in the inn, and now buy the Happy Domestic.”

  “Yes, Eleanor mentioned that to me, and I hear your Ginny is going to run it. She’ll be perfect as manager. She’s so good with customers.”

  “I hate losing her,” Tricia confessed. “I hope I have luck finding someone as good as her.” She sighed. “I’m sure to see Antonio before tomorrow. I’ll make sure to ask him if his employer will be at the meeting.”

  “Good, then you can let me know, because I’ll want a seat up front to check her out. Now, didn’t you say you were collecting money for Deborah’s son?” Mary asked.

  Mary had a heart of gold, and though she hadn’t known Deborah well, she wrote out a check for fifty dollars.

  Tricia wished the rest of the shopkeepers were as generous, but as she left each shop, she couldn’t condemn them for smaller donations, either. Not everyone’s balance sheet had recovered from the great recession. Still, everyone she’d spoken to had made a donation and lamented Deborah’s passing. Yet none of them had known her well—some barely knew who she was. “That smiling woman with the long hair,” Joyce Widman from the Have a Heart romance bookstore had said.

  And, of course, Tricia bypassed the Coffee Bean while on her mission to obtain donations.

  By the time she’d made the rounds, she noticed Booked for Lunch had closed for the day. After making a stop at Haven’t Got a Clue to retrieve her take-out container of chowder, Tricia headed across the street to the café to hit up the last person on her list of shopkeepers. After all, Angelica had been willing to donate days before.

  “Soup’s on,” Tricia called as she entered the empty café. Once again, Angelica sat at the counter surrounded by manuscript pages. “Still not finished with that?”

  Angelica frowned, taking in the container. She shook her head and sneered at the offered chowder. “I’ve got three weeks before I have to turn in the book. I’m going to polish it until it sparkles.”

  “I thought you weren’t happy writing another Easy-Does-It cookbook. Why get so stressed over it?”

  “I’d rather be turning in my Italian cookbook—which is finished and ready to go—but I’ve got to give them what they contracted for. And besides, it’ll have my name on it. I’ll be damned if I’ll put out an inferior product.”

  Tricia felt duly chastised. “Besides bestowing the gift of chowder, I’m collecting for Davey Black’s education fund.”

  “Oh, yes,” Angelica abandoned the soup and grabbed her purse from behind the counter. She wrote out a check and handed it to Tricia. “Now, finally, I can eat.” She picked up the container and headed for the café’s tiny kitchen. “I thought I might go to the Board of Selectmen’s meeting tomorrow night. Want to come?” Angelica asked, removing the lid from the container and smelling the chowder. She didn’t pull a face, which Tricia took to be a good sign.

  “You know I’m not interested in local politics.” Tricia said. “Besides, they’ll likely only talk about the plane crash and the village’s liability. I really don’t care to have it all hashed out again.”

  Angelica patted her shoulder. “I don’t blame you. I’m not all that interested myself, but I promised Bob I’d go with him to keep him company. Besides, he hinted there might be an announcement on the repurposing of the empty lot two doors down from me.”

  “Mary over at By Hook or By Book said the same thing.”

  “Don’t you want to know about it?” Angelica asked.

  Tricia shrugged. “Antonio knows.”

  “Yes, and apparently he’s not saying anything. I mean, if Ginny had mentioned it to you, wouldn’t you have said something about it to me?” Angelica asked, and dumped the soup into a small saucepan.

  “Definitely.”

  Angelica lit on
e of the burners on the big commercial stove and transferred the pot from the counter to it. “So come to the meeting tomorrow.”

  “I don’t want to go. Although it’s said Nigela Racita herself might show up.

  Angelica’s eyes widened and she almost grinned. “Really?”

  Tricia nodded. “But it’s only a rumor. I’m not sure I want to waste my time without proof. You can tell me what happened on Tuesday.”

  “Oh, all right,” Angelica said with a shrug. She sighed. “What’s gotten into you lately? You’re almost as grumpy as me.”

  It was Tricia’s turn to sigh. Maybe it was time to level with Angelica about at least one thing that was bothering her. She took another breath to work up her courage and forged ahead. “Ange, there’s something I’ve been keeping from you.”

  Angelica looked stricken. “My God, Tricia—you’re not dying, are you? Is that why you went into town this morning? To see a doctor?”

  Tricia’s heart skipped a beat. “No! Why would you even think that? Besides, it’s Sunday. No doctor I know has office hours on Sunday.” Then again, Russ had gotten his dentist into the office only hours before.

  Angelica leaned against the counter and fanned her face with her hand. “Don’t scare me like that. And what on earth could you have ever kept from me? Your life is an open book—and it’s not a mystery.”

  Tricia sighed, and reached beneath the collar of her sweater to pull out the chain and the locket attached to it. “Look at this.”

  Angelica stepped close, lifted the locket with its calla lily motif, and gazed at it. “Pretty. Where did you get it?”

  “You won’t believe this, but from Christopher—for my birthday in June.”

  “And you didn’t tell me?” Angelica accused.

  “I wasn’t sure what to make of it.”

  Angelica opened the locket and frowned. “Why is there a picture of Miss Marple in there?”

  “The note that came with it said, ‘To remind you of the one you love most.’ ”

  “Is Miss Marple the one you love most?” Angelica asked, looking and sounding offended.

  “Besides my family? I guess so. Not that I would admit that to anyone but you.”

  “Trish, Miss Marple is a cat.”

  “Duh!”

  “Was Christopher jealous of your pet?” Angelica asked.

  “I never thought so. The last time I spoke to him, he said he missed her.”

  “And when was that?”

  “Almost two years ago.”

  Angelica sighed, closed the locket, and gently replaced it on Tricia’s chest. “Weird.” She grabbed a wooden spoon from out of a crock holding utensils, and stirred the soup.

  “You want double weird? Those earrings you admired yesterday—” Tricia began.

  “The cubic zirconia?”

  “They’re not.”

  “Not what?”

  “Cubic zirconium. I had them checked by a jeweler in Milford this morning. They’re the real thing—one-carat diamonds. Christopher sent them.”

  Angelica smiled. “Not bad. What was the occasion?”

  “What would have been our thirteenth wedding anniversary.”

  “Why would a man who dumped you suddenly start sending you gifts?” Angelica asked, paused in her stirring, and sampled the soup. She frowned.

  “Guilt?” Tricia suggested.

  “Wouldn’t flowers be a lot cheaper?’ Angelica asked.

  Tricia shrugged.

  Angelica’s eyes widened and she positively grinned. “Maybe he’s trying to win you back.”

  “I hardly think so. I mean, if he was that interested, wouldn’t he call—or at least send an e-mail?”

  “He sent the jewelry snail mail?”

  Tricia nodded. “Without insurance—or even delivery confirmation.”

  “Well, that’s was just plain dumb. Have you contacted him to say thank you?”

  Tricia shook her head. “I’m not sure I should encourage him.”

  “ ‘Good manners above all,’ ” Angelica said, quoting their long-dead grandmother.

  “I know. But what’s his agenda?” Tricia asked. “He dumped me and moved two thousand miles away.”

  “You said it, guilt!” Angelica reiterated in a singsong cadence.

  “And I repeat—what am I supposed to do?”

  Angelica shrugged. “Say thank you, wear the jewelry, and move on.”

  “But why is he doing this?”

  “Didn’t you just hear what I said? The man feels guilty for leaving you. He always did buy you jewelry, right?”

  Tricia nodded.

  “So wear it in good health and get on with your life.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” Tricia said, suddenly feeling weary.

  “It doesn’t have to be difficult. Look at me. I’ve had to move on four times. And I’m wondering if it’s time to move on from Bob, too.” She grabbed a bowl from the stack of dishes on the shelf behind her, and transferred the soup to the bowl. “Do you want anything?”

  Tricia shook her head. “I’ve noticed you haven’t been seeing much of Bob lately. So why are you going to the Board of Selectmen’s meeting with him?”

  Angelica shrugged. “Maybe I don’t like to be the first to leave.”

  “And maybe it’s about time you changed that habit.”

  “Maybe.” Angelica grabbed a spoon and pushed the swinging doors that separated the small kitchen from Booked for Lunch’s dining room. Tricia followed her to the counter where they both sat down. Angelica grabbed a paper napkin from the stainless-steel holder, tucked one in the collar of her blouse, picked up her spoon and scooped up a mouthful. For a moment she held it on her tongue and then swallowed. Her frown deepened and she looked squarely at Tricia. “I hate to admit it, but you’re right. This is the best seafood chowder I’ve ever eaten. Where did you say you got it?”

  “At some little diner in Milford.”

  Angelica spooned another mouthful, closed her eyes, and groaned in ecstasy. “I must go talk to the cook. I’ve got to have this recipe for my next cookbook.”

  “It’s their signature dish. They’re hardly likely to just give it to you.”

  Angelica leveled her steely gaze on Tricia. “Never underestimate the power and reach of Angelica Miles.”

  Tricia didn’t. Still, she had to stifle a laugh. The great and powerful Angelica? She’d been even more unlucky in love than Tricia.

  “So, what else have you been up to today?” Angelica asked, and plunged her spoon into the chowder once again.

  Tricia related her meeting with Russ and told of her efforts to collect money on Davey Black’s behalf.

  “You’ve been a very good girl,” Angelica said. She wiped her mouth and folded her napkin. Tricia could hear the but in Angelica’s voice. She didn’t have to wait long for it to come, either. “But you’re expending an awful lot of time and energy on all of this. Is it a wise time investment?”

  Tricia wasn’t sure how to answer. The Deborah she’d learned about since Thursday bore little resemblance to the woman she thought she’d known for over two years.

  “If something happened to me that you found suspicious, would you trust law enforcement to figure it out?”

  Angelica shook her head. “I’m still not convinced anything suspicious happened to Deborah. I witnessed her death. What you suggest seems incredible. And I think you were probably a much better friend to her than she ever was to you.”

  “But if it was me, would you push to find out the truth?”

  Angelica’s eyes narrowed. “If anything suspicious ever happened to you, I’d move heaven and earth to get to the bottom of it. No one messes with my loved ones—ever.”

  The vehemence in Angelica’s voice startled Tricia, but it also pleased her.

  “Then we’re on the same page.”

  Angelica nodded. “You bet your life.”

  Tricia smiled. “I hope I don’t ever have to.”

  Fourteen

&
nbsp; Sundays were usually the worst day of the retail week, and this day had been no different. Still, Tricia was grateful for Ginny’s company as the day wore on. She caught up on paperwork as Ginny waited on and charmed the few customers they did have. Tricia admitted she would terribly miss Ginny when she moved on and was grateful she’d have several weeks to get used to the idea—and to search for someone to replace her.

  “More and more I think I should adjust our hours of operation,” Tricia said, closing her laptop for the day.

  “Yeah, the last hour of the day sometimes seems like a big waste of time,” Ginny agreed. “I’m going to talk to Antonio about it. But first I’ll see how things go at the Happy Domestic for the first month or so.”

  “I think I’ll bring the whole hours discussion up at the next Chamber meeting,” Tricia went on. “I don’t see any reason to remain open past five during nonpeak months.” That meant most of the winter and spring. Summer, leafpeeping season, and Christmastime were when the tourists visited the most.

  Tricia was casting about for something to read when the door burst open, and a smiling Antonio bounded into Haven’t Got a Clue. “It’s mine!” he shouted, and charged toward the coffee station, where Ginny stood. He scooped her up in a whirl.

  “Whoa!” she called out. “What’s going on?”

  “I have just taken possession of the Happy Domestic,” he said, set her down, and pulled a set of keys from his suit jacket pocket. “You know what that means?”

  Ginny’s smile wavered as her gaze darted to Tricia. She shook her head, but Antonio was too wound up to notice. “You are now the official manager of the Happy Domestic. Congratulations, Ms. Wilson. You start tomorrow.”

  Tricia’s heart sank.

  “I can’t do that,” Ginny said, lowering her voice. “I only gave Tricia my notice on Friday. You said it would be at least a month before the deal went through.”

  “Mr. Black wanted to expedite the sale. My team of lawyers worked overtime to draft the settlement, and I’ve just come from handing Black a cashier’s check. Aren’t you happy?”