by Sonia Parin
“As long as we’re in town, we should drop in on the store,” Eve said.
“Why?” Jill asked as she pointed Josh toward a parking space. “It’s not going anywhere.”
“Precisely. I can’t have it sitting empty,” Eve said as she gave Mischief a scratch under the chin. “This is the all hands-on deck time. It’s… crucial to my plans. I need to see the store taking shape.”
“You tricked us and brought us here under false pretenses,” Mira said. “I thought we were going to the café or the bakery.”
“I don’t recall making such a promise. I… merely suggested coming to town,” Eve defended herself. “And, look. It’s serendipity. You parked right outside the store.”
Josh killed the engine and turned to look at Eve. “I don’t care what you all do so long as you do it together. Remember, I’m not herding kittens.”
“I vote for going into the store. I’d like to have a proper look around. What if the ledger has been hidden somewhere?” If they found it, Eve thought, it would solve half her problems. She could hand it over to the police and get the mob off her back. Assuming they were the ones after the ledger…
“All right. Let’s compromise,” Jill said. “We’ll go to the bakery, get some pastries and coffee and bring it all back to the store.”
Eve scanned the street, keeping her eyes peeled open for Lauren Wright. She’d forgotten to ask Jack about the keys. She might even have forgotten to mention the keys. If she came across Lauren, she’d ask her and maybe save Jack the trouble.
Mira grabbed her hand and pulled. “Hop to it.”
“What’s the hurry?” Eve asked.
Mira responded with a sigh. “Being out in the open is making me jittery.”
“But you’re not the target. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“That’s your humble opinion.” Mira snorted. “Clearly, you’ve never heard of collateral damage.”
“You actually think they might miss me and get you?” Eve laughed. “Hang on. That’s not what has you worried. You’re afraid we’ll bump into my folks.” Eve glanced over her shoulder. She’d actually forgotten about her parents. Probably because they already knew about the store and she felt she didn’t need to worry about them delving deeper into her life. One disappointed would surely be enough.
“We’re in luck. There’s no queue at the bakery,” Jill said.
Josh brought up the rear, making sure they all went into the bakery. “I’ll stand outside with Mischief and Mr. Magoo.”
“Does that mean you don’t want anything?” Jill asked.
“I’ll have whatever you’re having with lots of coffee.”
Eve placed her order of croissants and a coffee and went to stand by the window. She caught sight of Derek Tucker rushing across the street. He sported a day’s growth, which suggested he’d been in a hurry to get to the newspaper. Had he only just been released? Or had he had a restless night?
Her attention shifted to the opposite end of the street. Interesting, Eve thought when she saw Lauren Wright staring at Derek. At least, it looked as though she’d pinned her attention on him.
Shifting, Eve looked at her store and then at the hardware store next door. A couple of customers strode in and another came out. She didn’t think they would be the type to then drop in at her store. But one never knew. These days, few people wanted to bother with cooking for events.
Glancing over at the first floor, she saw Susa Dresden.
“Well, well.” She appeared to be looking across the street at Derek Tucker.
“We’re ready,” Jill said and handed her a coffee and a little carry bag. “I warn you now, if you make me work you’ll have to buy me lunch.”
“But you’re already on the payroll.”
Jill stopped to look up at the ceiling. “Oh, yeah… but this is above and beyond my usual pay grade. I think I deserve hazard pay.”
As they strode out of the bakery, Eve noticed Lauren Wright had moved on but Susa remained standing by the window. “You’d think someone who spends a great deal of time looking out the window would have seen something,” Eve mused.
“You’re talking about Susa.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe she stares vacantly into space,” Jill suggested. “Just because she’s looking doesn’t mean she’s seeing anything.”
Hard to miss a man with a target on his back, Eve thought.
“Phillip Manningham must have been killed in the dead of night.” Otherwise, Susa would have noticed something. Surely, she would have…
Chapter Sixteen
“My knuckles are raw from tapping on walls and floors,” Jill complained. “And now I’m disappointed we haven’t found any secret compartments.”
“Wasn’t the bookcase enough?” Eve asked.
“That’s old news.”
They both looked toward the space revealed when they’d pushed the bookcase out. Neither one had dared to venture inside.
The police had gone through it with a fine tooth-comb and had found nothing.
“I might be guilty of stereotyping, but I can’t help thinking the mob likes to send messages,” Eve said. “This had been a secret compartment. Putting Phillip Manningham there might have been their way of saying he’d been warned to keep their secrets or else.”
“Remind me again… When did we move from suspecting a scorned lover to thinking the mob is involved?” Jill asked.
“You can thank Nick “the Lynch” Cooper for that. You can also point the finger at the person responsible for trying to get rid of me.”
“Oh, right…”
Mira strode into the soon-to-be kitchen. “I’ve been thinking about tonight’s dinner. Instead of cooking, we could all go to Shelby’s Table. That way, we’re not locked in and forced to spend any more time than we have to with… my dear sister.”
“Thank you, Mira. I’m glad someone is thinking straight.” Eve’s intentions had been good, but if she had to be honest, inviting her parents to dinner had been more about being in control of the situation and knowing exactly when they would come to visit. “I’ll pop down to Shelby’s and make a booking.”
“No, you won’t,” Josh said from the doorway. “Or, if you insist, then we’ll all come with you.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “Well, how silly are we going to look if we all trot down the street looking over our shoulders.”
“We might look silly but at least we’ll be alive,” Josh said. He clicked his fingers and Mischief and Mr. Magoo scurried to sit by his side.
“What did you just do?” Jill asked, her eyebrows drawn down into a scowl.
Josh shifted slightly and looked apologetic and, to his credit, he didn’t try to make excuses.
Mira nudged Eve and whispered, “I think someone is establishing his alpha male status.”
Yes, and Eve wondered how long it would take for Jill to adjust to the idea of sharing her dogs.
Closing the door behind her, Eve glanced up at the first-floor window next door. Not surprisingly, she saw Susa Dresden still standing there.
When they reached Shelby’s Table, they all stood outside while Eve went in to make the booking for that night. “Party of six, please. I’m bringing my… parents.”
“Oh. Really?” Shelby looked and sounded surprised.
“Yes, I have parents.”
“Isn’t it strange. Of course, you have parents but I always assumed you didn’t because you live with Mira.”
“Long story and…” She didn’t think Jack would be free to join them, but just in case, “make it seven. I’ll see you tonight.” She turned to leave and smiled at the picture in front of her. Josh, Mira and Jill all stood outside, their eyes wide, like kids looking inside a candy store. “Good news everyone. You’re all invited to dinner.”
Jill visibly swallowed. “Mira has just been giving us a brief rundown of what to expect. While I’m sure she painted a dire picture, I will be at my best behavior, meaning my elbows will be kept
off the table.”
Smiling, Eve said, “I can see you’re headed for a bout of indigestion. Don’t worry, Jill. My parents have met you and they’re likely to continue giving you the best version of themselves.”
As they strode along, Mira remarked, “I feel very tribal.”
Eve laughed. “We should all have worn our leather jackets.”
When Josh’s phone rang, Eve said, “Lucky you. Someone is keeping you well-informed.”
He waved them inside the store while he remained at the door to take the call.
A moment later, he rushed in. “Well, good news. Nick Cooper has co-operated fully and has just signed a confession to the murder of Phillip Manningham and he’s also admitted to trying to run you off the road, Eve.”
“You mean… that’s it?”
“Yes. The case is closed.”
“But…”
“Eve. What more do you want?” Jill asked. “We can turn tonight into a celebration and tomorrow morning, we can hit the ground running and start working on your new venture.”
It didn’t feel right.
In fact, it felt too easy.
Nick “the Lynch” Cooper had said he hadn’t been responsible for trying to kill Eve. Why would he change his mind now?
“Sorry, I don’t buy it. Maybe it’s all been too much for me. I think I’ll need time to let everything sink in.” She scooped in a big breath. “Okay, how about we go back to Mira’s.”
“Oh,” Mira exclaimed. “Would you mind hanging around for a bit? I’d like to drop in on the bookstore. I know I can be an absent employer and the store will run smoothly without me, but I feel I’ve been too neglectful.”
Nodding, Eve stepped outside and drew in a deep breath.
She didn’t like coincidences and she definitely didn’t like loose ends. In Eve’s opinion, there were plenty of them.
She looked across the street at the Gazette and saw Derek Tucker standing at the window… watching her.
Glancing over at the hardware store, she looked up. No surprise there, Eve thought when she saw Susa looking down at her.
“Eve!”
Eve turned and saw Lauren Wright rushing toward her.
“Hi. I’m glad I caught up with you.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Eve asked.
“Oh, nothing really. I only wanted to know if you’d heard anything. Ever since Detective Jack Bradford questioned me, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think of anything that might be useful to the investigation.”
Eve decided she wouldn’t spread the word. Everyone would read about it soon enough. “Nothing so far.”
“I hope you’re still happy to go ahead with the lease.”
“Wild horses wouldn’t drag me away.” Eve looked up and down the street. “It’s a perfect location. I like the idea of maybe contributing to the town by revamping this end. In the long run, my neighbors might thank me.”
“That’s the spirit and thank you,” Lauren said. “I hate paperwork and there would have been a lot of it. What with having to issue refunds and do the advertising again.”
“Frankly, I’m surprised the store sat vacant all this time.” Despite the store being at the quiet end of the main street, it had a lovely presence and enough space to entice any type of business.
Lauren checked her watch. “I hope we hear good news soon. I must be going now. I’m showing a house near your place.”
“Oh…” Eve turned and saw Josh and Jill chatting inside. Mira had already made her way down to the bookstore. “Would you mind giving me a lift to Mira’s house?”
“Sure.”
Eve popped into the store and told the others, “I’m getting a lift back to Mira’s. Is that okay?”
Josh nodded. “We’ll catch up with you later. Jill and I are having lunch in town.”
“See you soon.” Turning to Lauren, she smiled. “Thank you for that. I want to do some online shopping. I have all these gorgeous things to buy for the store. I can’t wait to get stuck into it.”
Lauren’s car was parked across the street. “Wright Houses,” Eve read the signage on the passenger door. “Isn’t that strange? I never noticed or even made the connection.”
“Yes, we thought it would be catchy.”
“So, it’s a family business.”
Lauren shrugged. “I’m the baby of the family and I only joined a couple of years ago. Let me tell you, I faced a lot of resistance.”
Eve settled into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. “I know all about parental resistance as well as disapproval. What’s your story?”
Lauren sighed. “Oh, my folks had other expectations. They hoped I would get married and become a housewife. Live my own dream instead of selling people the springboards for their happily-ever-after stories. Don’t get me wrong, I do eventually want to marry, but first, I’d like to make a success of something.”
“That’s an admirable quality.” Eve settled back to enjoy the ride back to Mira’s.
The guilty party had been apprehended.
The police had their confession.
What more did she want?
“I have high-achieving parents who disapprove of my choice of career.” Eve laughed. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. It’s not something I usually share.”
“Kindred spirits.” Lauren smiled. “What do they do?”
“They’re lawyers specializing in international law.”
“That’s impressive. We’ve actually been looking for a new law firm to represent us but it sounds as if we’d be too small for them. Although… We do have several branches and there’s been talk of spreading our wings and expanding. Would you mind mentioning us to them?”
“Sure, why not?” Eve silently groaned. She could think of several reasons why she should refrain from making the introduction. Her parents had already set a foot on the island, so to speak. Any more business connections and they would take possession of the place.
“Here we are,” Lauren said.
“Thank you.” Eve stepped out of the car and waved goodbye.
Instead of driving off, Lauren called out, “I’d hate to ask. I drank so much coffee this morning, it’s all caught up with me.”
“Sure, come in.” As she strode into the house, her cell phone rang. Pointing Lauren in the right direction, she answered. “Hey, Jack.”
“I’m sure you’ve already been informed of the news.”
“Yes, I have. It’s strange, I know I should be celebrating but I’m having a hard time accepting it all.”
“Is this your intuition at work?” Jack asked.
“Maybe. Or maybe this is about my parents being on the island. They’ve thrown everything off kilter. Once they leave, my life will resume but… I don’t know, something has changed. Anyhow… What about the ledger?”
“What about it?” Jack asked.
“What are you going to do about it?” She heard a commotion in the background and knew something had cropped up.
“Sorry, Eve. I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
Eve disconnected the call. Before setting the phone down, she scrolled through her contact list. Everyone on the phone tree was listed so she decided to create a “ring group”. She trusted Jill and expected her to come to her senses and accept her as a member of the island’s emergency phone tree. Looking at the next contact number, Eve frowned.
Her parents.
She needed to contact them and let them know they were dining out tonight. Although…
Her finger hovered over the number. They were coming here anyway. When they arrived, she would simply let them know she’d made other plans.
Eve wondered how her mom would feel about that. She would most likely dress accordingly. Neat casual for a stay at home dinner. If she suggested going out, her mom might feel she wasn’t dressed properly.
“Well,” Lauren said, “You’re a lifesaver. Thank you. I always get a bit jittery when I show a house. It was good to freshen up.”
Smiling, Eve turned.
Her smile wavered.
Lauren stood at the bottom of the stairs… holding a revolver.
“Now, that business is out of the way, would you mind handing over the ledger?”
Eve’s throat tightened but she managed to push a word out. “P-pardon?”
“Oh, you know what I’m talking about.” Lauren strode toward her, the gun still aimed at Eve. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to shoot. I’m sure by now you realize the people after the ledger mean business. You wouldn’t want any harm to come to your parents or your aunt… or even your friends.” Lauren’s eyebrows drew down slightly. “You look confused.”
“Yes. Do you blame me?”
Chuckling, Lauren said, “Yes, well… I guess I do come as a surprise to some people.”
“What’s your interest? Why do you want the ledger book?”
“Oh, as I said, I’m the baby of the family. That means, I have to work twice as hard as everyone else to prove myself. Finding that ledger will go a long way toward earning my daddy’s approval.”
Eve didn’t like the sound of that. Her daddy?
“Yes, my daddy.”
If Eve had to describe Lauren to anyone, cute would be at the top of the list. Friendly. Innocent looking.
A mobster’s daughter?
Lauren checked her watch. “I’d hate to hurry you but I really do have a house to show. Would you mind handing it over?”
Eve wondered what would happen the moment she told her she didn’t have it. Her life would be worthless. Her fingers curled into the palm of her hand. That’s when she remembered she still held the phone in her other hand. She could use it as a distraction. Maybe she could throw it at Lauren… Or…
Eve pressed her finger and prayed she had pressed the right key.
Lauren tucked her hair behind her ear. “I heard your conversation with your hunky detective.”
What had she said? She remembered mentioning the ledger. Oh… Heavens. “What assurance do I have my parents or everyone close to me won’t come to any harm? In other words, how good is the word of a mobster’s daughter?”