by Quinn, Lucy
Sunshine let her tongue loll out in reply, and Dora had a sneaking suspicion it was on purpose.
“Be good and we’ll bring you a treat,” Evie said before they walked out the door.
Dora shuddered as she wondered what was left of Brian after Cecelia was done with him, but Luke had assured her the men would get out of the gator park alive. Even so, she’d checked the local news earlier in the day to be sure, and she hadn’t seen anything about half-eaten trespassers.
“Dora! Come on,” Evie cried out impatiently from beside Luke’s car as Dora walked across the parking lot.
Dora was lagging behind, because every three steps she took, her dress rode up so high on her thighs that she had to stop to yank it down again. “I’m trying!” She let out a huff of frustration and mumbled, “Stupid dress keeps turning into a shirt.”
The car beeped as Luke lifted his key fob to unlock the doors. “You could just let it stay there.”
She looked up at his amused grin, and her annoyance faded. Because, god, he was even more handsome in sunlight. The way his hair shone… She was a goner. Dora shook her head. She needed to focus instead of getting drooly over a man in a suit. “Next time, you wear the dress and we’ll see how you like it.”
Luke laughed softly as they finished the short walk to the car. He held her door open so she could slide into the passenger seat in front. Billy and Evie were already in the back.
As they drove to Riverwoods, Evie leaned forward to say, “Dor, open that glove compartment and check out his emergency supplies. Betcha he’s got a charcuterie board in there with a split of champagne or something.”
Dora laughed. “I’m not going to snoop.”
“What? It’s one of the best ways to learn about a man. Besides, it’s not snooping if he’s right here. Luke, tell Dora she can check out your glove box.”
“Go for it,” he said. His gaze darted to Dora’s, and she could tell by the way his lips were twitching he found the situation amusing.
“Okay.” Dora did wonder what she might find out about the man. The glove compartment clicked open when she tugged. It was as neatly organized as she’d suspected, and she listed the contents as she pulled them out. “Manual, first aid kit, toothbrush still in its package along with a toothpaste.”
“Ooohh,” Evie cooed. “The man likes fresh breath. You share an obsession with Dora. If you’ve got floss too, Luke, she’s going to swoon.”
He chuckled. “I sure do. Dental appointment party favor. Dig deeper.”
True to his word, Dora did find a small container of floss along with his insurance and registration paperwork. But that was all. “Sorry, Evie. No snacks.”
“That’s because we haven’t gotten to the trunk. Maybe that’s where he keeps his gourmet picnic.”
Luke laughed. “Sorry to burst your bubble, Evie, but in there you’ll find jumper cables, a spare tire, and a tire jack.”
“Huh,” Evie said. “I don’t know how you get through life. No change of clothes, no food. All you’ve got is clean teeth.”
“And yet, I’m still here.” He winked at Dora.
“Right?” Dora replied as her cheeks flushed slightly. While this banter was fun, she knew Evie was trying to take everyone’s mind off the seriousness of what they were about to do. They had one shot to get the information they needed, and while the four planned to split up into two teams to spread a wider net, it wasn’t a sure thing they were going to get what they were after.
When they pulled up near the service entrance, Luke and Billy got out go apply for jobs, and Dora got behind the wheel to drive Luke’s car through the general visitor’s gate. Even from the outside of the property, it was clear the place was well funded. The gate they pulled up to was wrought iron adorned with pelicans, and the man who was sitting in the gatekeeper’s house was wearing a pressed white shirt and black hat.
Dora blew out a long breath to calm her nerves before lowering her window to talk to the man. She recited her rehearsed lines, and sure enough they worked. Dora and Evie were one step closer to finding Mr. Tuttle.
The guard said, “I’ll buzz you right in, Jessica. You can park in the visitor’s lot on the left, and you’ll find the club house on the right, across from parking. Someone there will know how to find your uncle for you.”
“Thank you so much,” Dora cooed in her high voice. She even emphasized her flighty character when she lowered the back window before finding the right button to raise hers. Although, it wasn’t an act. She was so nervous that she’d gotten flustered by the controls.
As she drove slowly to the lot, Evie reached over and touched her arm. “You were brill, Dora. We’ve got this.”
Dora turned into a space and clunked the car into park. “Have we, though? Because so much could go wrong, and not only will I be going to jail, but you—”
“Hush.” Evie took Dora’s face in her hands and looked intently into her eyes. “You just did your part and got us through the gate. Now you can leave the rest up to me if you want. I can sweet talk the igloo off an Eskimo.”
Dora laughed. “I’m not sure that’s the saying.”
Evie laughed too. “Of course, it isn’t.”
Chapter 27
Evie was in her element. There was a reason she was able to land so many different jobs. She had the ability to put on a persona and really sell it. Getting through the doors at Riverwoods would be a cakewalk. Or so she thought.
“Well, hello there, sugar,” Evie said to the older woman sitting behind the reception desk. “Isn’t this place just adorable? No wonder Uncle Tutu loves it so much.”
“Uncle Tutu?” Dora muttered in a voice so low only Evie could hear it.
Evie very gently elbowed Dora’s side. Now was not the time.
“Can I help you?” the woman asked, peering down her nose and wrinkling it as if she smelled something foul.
“You sure can,” Evie drawled, giving the woman a giant fake smile. “We’re here to see my uncle Tuttle. We call him Tutu because of that drag queen talent show he was in years ago.” She let out a giggle. “You should’ve seen the way he shook his tush for the audience.”
“Vic Tuttle?” the woman asked incredulously. “You can’t be serious.”
“Serious as a rattlesnake,” Evie said, leaning over the counter. “He was a real hoot back in his younger days. I can’t wait to see him and give him a giant hug. It’s been way too long.”
“What did you say your name is again?” the woman asked, punching a key on her computer screen. The expression on her face was sour and full of suspicion.
Oops, Evie thought. Danger, Will Robinson. She’d obviously taken a wrong turn somewhere with her commentary. She chewed on the side of her cheek for a moment before saying, “I didn’t. Not yet anyway. I’m Daisy, and this is Jessica.” She waved a hand toward Dora. “We’re actually Tutu’s cousins, twice removed, but everyone just calls him Uncle Tuttle… or Tutu in our case. Southern families, I’m sure you understand. My mama insisted we come see him before we left town, and if we leave here without photo evidence of seeing him, she’ll chap our hides.”
Evie’s manic explanation seemed to soften the woman, and her lips twitched into a knowing smile. “Yeah, I know all about southern families, but I can’t let you in without Mr. Tuttle approving you as visitors.”
Crap on toast, Evie thought. She’d been afraid of that. No matter. Once this Tuttle guy saw them and Dora’s cleavage, she was certain he wasn’t going to turn them away. “Well, get the old geezer out here then.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “I can’t wait to see if he recognizes us. Both of us have, uh, grown up a bit since he last saw us. I think we were both still in pigtails.”
“That’s not how we do things—” the receptionist started.
“Peggy,” an older gentleman said, appearing in the office doorway behind her. “Go fetch Vic. If anyone could use a visit, it’s him. Ever since Puddles passed, he’s been a bit more melancholy than I prefer.”
> “Right.” Peggy sent Evie an irritated glance, but she did as her boss asked and disappeared behind the security door.
“Daisy and Jessica, is it?” the other gentleman asked.
“That’s right,” Evie said, straightening up and puffing her chest out.
He scanned them both and chuckled. “Your names fit you both.”
Of course, they did. Evie had seen to that, hadn’t she?
“Vic is one lucky man to get to spend the morning with not one, but two young ladies,” he said. “Maybe when you’re done, you can visit with the veterans. They are always up for—” His phone started to ring, and the man held up one finger, indicating for them to wait.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Dora asked Evie.
Evie nodded. “If Nurse Ratchet fails us, the dude in the office will get us in.”
Dora moved over to the door, trying to peer down the hallway. “Uh-oh. It doesn’t look good. Peggy is scowling.”
Evie sucked in a breath, wondering which of her lies had been detected. She pulled out her phone and tapped a quick message before hitting Send. “Okay, plan B. Just go with happens next.”
“Don’t I always?” Dora asked.
Evie placed a hand on her arm. “Yep. It’s why I love you so much.”
The door flew open, and Peggy strode through, glaring at Evie. “Who are you, really?”
“What?” Evie asked, pretending to be taken aback by the woman’s abruptness.
“Mr. Tuttle says he only has a granddaughter and no other relatives. And he’s certainly never been called Uncle Tutu,” she barked.
Evie continued to act confused, questioning what Peggy had told him and reiterating the family history.
“You’re going to have to leave now,” Peggy demanded, pointing to the door. “Or I’ll have to call security.”
“Daisy,” Dora started.
“She can’t just throw us out!” Evie said hotly. “Mama is going to be really upset if we don’t see Tutu. And with her heart…” Evie placed a hand on her chest and sucked in a dramatic breath. “If she thinks Tutu has disowned her then—”
The security door swung open again, and a tall, thin man with spikey blond hair entered the reception area. He had a piercing through his nose and one through his left eyebrow. After casting Evie and Dora approving glances, he turned to Peggy. “Excuse me.”
“Cal? What’s wrong?” Peggy asked, turning abruptly to the man.
“Nothing’s wrong, per se, but Mr. Tuttle is now demanding to see his cousins. Says he can’t believe he forgot about his cousin Petunia on his mother’s side and that they must be related to her.”
“They were close as children,” Evie supplied and started to dig around in her purse. “I have a picture right here.” She pulled out a faded color portrait of a young boy and even younger girl. They were sticking their tongues out at each other and had mud smeared all over them.
Peggy glanced between Evie and Cal, clearly trying to weigh the situation.
“Just let the ladies in to see Tuttle,” the older man barked from his office, sounding exasperated with his receptionist. “What harm could they cause? His biggest danger is having to deal with a woody, and I bet he hasn’t had one of those since nineteen eighty-five.”
“Mr. Fischer!” Peggy cried, her eyes wide with shock at his outburst.
The older man reappeared again. “Cal, take them on back.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said. He used his badge to disarm the door and pulled it open. He waved to Evie and Dora. “After you.”
The other man turned to Peggy. “I appreciate your dedication to following the rules, but we both know Tuttle is suffering early stages of dementia. If they want to—”
The door slammed shut, cutting off their conversation.
Dora let out a groan. “Dementia?”
Evie joined her friend in her frustration. “That’s definitely not going to help us get any information out of Uncle Tutu.” She placed a hand on Cal’s arm. “Thanks for coming to our rescue. I’m sorry I had to involve you.”
“It’s no problem. Anything for a friend of Jax’s,” he said.
“What’s going on?” Dora asked.
“Cal is Jax’s cousin. You know, from Trace’s band? Jax sent me his number, and I gave him a heads-up we might need backup.” Evie grinned. “It pays to be prepared.”
Dora’s eyebrows rose. “I guess so.” She turned to Cal. “Is Mr. Tuttle even up for talking to us? If he has dementia symptoms, then I don’t think it’s wise to agitate him.”
Cal shrugged. “It depends on the day. What do you need to talk to him about?”
Evie and Dora shared a look. “Um,” Evie said. “It’s better if we don’t say. It’s kinda personal.”
He nodded. “I see. Well, you better hurry, because his granddaughter will be here in about a half hour, and if she finds you here and turns you in, the shizzle is gonna hit the fan.”
Perfect, Evie thought. That was exactly who they wanted to talk to. “Thanks. We appreciate the warning.”
“Sure thing. Mr. Tuttle is at the end of the hall on the right. Stay out of trouble.” He winked and disappeared down another hallway.
“We need to tread carefully,” Dora said to Evie. “I don’t want to upset an older man who isn’t totally lucid.”
“I know,” Evie said. “Let’s just find out if he knows anything about a charity first. Then we’ll take it from there.”
“All right. But no shenanigans,” Dora insisted. “If it’s true that he’s been ripped off, he’s been through enough.”
“Yes, Mom,” Evie said with a roll of her eyes. “I’m not planning on messing with the guy’s head.”
“I know, but—”
“Lily?” A small woman wrapped her cold hands around Dora’s arm. “Oh my goodness. Lily!” Her clear blue eyes lit up with joy and then filled with tears. “You’re here. I can’t believe it.”
Dora cast Evie a panicked glance. Evie started to move forward to help her friend extract herself from the woman’s clutches, but before she could even get a word out, a much younger woman with bright red hair and worried green eyes burst from a nearby room, clearly panicked as she scanned the corridor.
“Oh, thank god,” the woman said, breathing a sigh of relief. “There you are, Mom. I thought I’d lost you again.” She moved over to Dora. “Thank you for keeping her from wandering off.”
“She thinks I’m someone named Lily,” Dora whispered to her.
“That’s her older sister,” the woman whispered back. “She passed young, when she was in her thirties.” The woman squinted at Dora. “You do kind of look like her.” She bit down on her bottom lip. “Would you mind sitting with her for a while? Just let her talk? It calms her to talk to Lily.”
“Um…” Dora glanced at Evie.
Go, Evie mouthed. I’ve got this. Evie could tell that wasn’t the answer Dora wanted, but the little old woman was clutching Dora’s arm so hard and smiling up at her with such joy, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Evie tilted her head toward the redhead. “Ask her if she knows anything about the charity while I go see Tuttle.”
“What charity?” the redhead asked.
“Let’s talk in your mom’s room,” Dora said, already letting the older woman lead her through the open door. She glanced back at Evie. “Stay out of trouble.”
“Who me?” Evie said, fluttering her eyes in mock innocence. “I’m just a sweet little southern girl. What kind of trouble could I get into?”
Dora snorted and followed the woman and her mother into the room.
Chapter 28
“I’m sorry, what was your name?” the younger redhead asked Dora. “I don’t think I caught it.”
“Jessica. And you are?” Dora held out her hand for the woman.
“Darcy. And my mother’s name is Augusta, but everyone calls her Aggie.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Dora said, perching on a hard plastic chair across from
the plain brown couch where Darcy sat with her mother.
“Lily,” Aggie sang. “You look so good. You must be using that new-fangled face cream. I swear you just keep getting younger and younger all the time.”
“Thank you, Aggie,” Dora said kindly to the woman. “That Sephora anti-aging cream is really doing its job.”
“I should say so.”
She winked at the sweet older lady and said a silent prayer that if she was ever in the same position that someone would indulge her if it meant a visit with a loved one.
Aggie spent the next ten minutes babbling about old stories of her and Lily, trips they’d gone on, old friends they hadn’t seen in years, and even touched on old loves that got away. But soon enough the older woman fell silent and started to stare over Dora’s shoulder.
Darcy studied her mother and sighed. “I think that’s about as much as we’re going to get today. She gets tired easily.”
“Right.” Dora bit back a grimace. She couldn’t leave until she asked about Brian and the charity, but even that felt like taking advantage of the older woman. She was in no position to answer any questions, let alone anything about a possible scam. But she could ask the woman’s daughter about it. “Hey, Darcy, my friend and I were told there is a man who volunteers here who collects money for an animal charity. Do you know anything about that?”
Darcy’s brow furrowed in concentration. “I don’t know. Mom did say something about donating to a nonprofit, but I don’t remember which one—hold on. Let me take a look at her bank account. I’m sure she wrote a check. She’s still old school.”
Dora sat back in the chair. “Thanks. I appreciate that. I’m a huge animal lover, and I’m always looking for ways—”
“What in the ever-loving hell?” Darcy shrieked as she jumped to her feet. “Mom, you gave some charity five thousand dollars? We don’t have that kind of money. How are going to pay next month’s bill for this place?”
Her mother just blinked up at her. “Relax, Mindy. It’s only money. Think of the little puppies.”