1 Depth of Field

by Audrey Claire

  “With men?” she pushed.

  “With cheaters,” I emphasized. Next thing you know I would be labeled as the thirty-four year old town virgin, and that just wasn’t the case. Yes, my relationships in the past had been few, but the few hadn’t ended because of unfaithfulness. Incompatibility more like. I sighed and thought about renewing my plan to set up an online dating profile. Then I recalled the murder. And Spencer. I would wait a little longer.

  Edna reached across the narrow space that separated us and patted my hand. “Don’t worry, dear. You’ll find someone.”

  “Edna Butler,” Louisa bellowed from across the room, “if you don’t stay under that dryer, I’m going to charge you twice because I’ll have to do your hair over again! You are not advertising my business looking like an old mop doll!”

  “Well,” Edna exclaimed, but she ducked into the dryer. She folded her hands into her lap, lower lip poked out a bit, and cheeks hot pink. I felt sorry for the poor woman and annoyed at Louisa for being so hard on her. Surely there were other salons in town. I hadn’t explored far out of my own route. Louisa couldn’t possibly be servicing more than say five thousand or so women in town.

  “It’s the way she carries herself,” Allie Kate said, “and her friends.”

  I blinked. Had I spoken out loud?

  Allie Kate grinned. She lowered her voice, but I was pretty sure her stylist and mine could still hear her. Neither woman seemed to care. Maybe they didn’t particularly like Louisa with the airs she put on.

  “Her family was one of the founding families that started the town,” Allie Kate explained. “Hers and Susan’s. I guess you can say they’re like small town royalty.”

  I studied Allie Kate’s face to see if she was joking. She wasn’t.

  “Everyone sort of defers to them as upper crust. Louisa projects it more than anyone.”

  “She owns a salon. Surely, that’s as common as a photographer.” I kept the mental comparisons to a minimum and refused to voice any further opinions on that.

  “We take our original families seriously.”

  “And Alvin?” I asked. “Was he royalty?”

  “No,” she said, and I couldn’t tell what she thought of the question or his status. “But he was accepted like royalty.”

  “Because he married Susan?” I thought about what I had learned previously. “No, she was disowned. Was it because she married him, a man from a lower class?”

  This time, Allie Kate did register surprise. “No, when Susan married Alvin, he was already accepted. He had a bachelor’s degree with a major in finance. If he had wanted to, he probably could have been bank manager. He could have gone anywhere, but he loved Briney Creek. His status was on par, maybe higher than Susan’s. Alvin was a successful businessman and a good person.”

  “I understand he wasn’t faithful to Susan,” I blurted out.

  Allie Kate frowned. “They had an arrangement, but that’s all I’ll say on the matter. I won’t speak ill of the dead or my friend.”

  “I understand,” I said and asked the question I needed to. “I was wondering, since the salon is right next door to my shop, if anyone heard anything. Or saw anything?”

  I looked at each of the stylists in turn, but they shook their heads. Not that I expected anything. The walls between each shop were not so thin that noise passed through. If Alvin had struggled with someone, it might take a pretty loud thump against the wall to call attention above the dryers.

  Since I wanted to be thorough, I asked Louisa if she’d heard or seen anything when my hair was done and I was on the way out. Her expression would have withered me on the spot had she had the power.

  “The police already questioned me about that. Why are you asking?”

  I couldn’t help shooting back, “You accused me of committing murder. I’m just trying to help—”

  “Help yourself to the new sheriff?”

  My mouth fell open. I decided then and there, I could get nothing out of Louisa. Her excessive anger was the way she dealt with her grief after the tears, but I needed to get away from its poison. I thanked her again and left the shop. I would not return. My hair did look fabulous, and I touched it with ginger fingers. Even if I was ecstatically happy with the results, I would find another salon or drive outside Briney Creek when I was ready to spoil myself again.

  Out on the front walk, I met Edna waiting by the curb. The elderly lady, who was I’d guess somewhere between seventy and eighty, tottered a bit on her feet. I rushed over to her to offer my arm. “Edna, what are you still doing out here?”

  She smiled and gratefully took my arm, leaning heavily. “I waited for you, dear.”

  I had the feeling she wanted to talk, and I wouldn’t stop her. There was knowledge to be learned from the older generation, and since I had never known my grandparents on either side of my family, I didn’t mind chatting with Edna.

  “Would you like a ride home?” I offered.

  She waved gnarled fingers. “No, I like to walk as much as I can. If I keep still, these old bones might petrify.”

  I chuckled.

  “Besides”—her spindly shoulders shook, and she glanced up into the sky—“the season is already changing. Before you know it, the chill will set in. I want to enjoy these last warms days while I can.”

  From my research, I found that North Carolina did get cold in the winter but nothing approaching the iciness that blew through New York. I was looking forward to my first winter farther south. A hot cup of cocoa and a nice someone special wouldn’t be bad either. Visions of Spencer popped into my head, and I dismissed them. I had to remind myself that he was fresh from an unwanted divorce. Better choices, Makayla Rose.

  “Makayla,” Edna said, removing my thoughts from my lack of a love life. “I’ll be happy to tell you whatever you want to know about the residents of Briney Creek. We’re a pretty close knit bunch, nosy, but nice.”

  I chuckled. “Mostly nice.”

  “Talia.” She nodded, but I had been thinking of Louisa and Susan. To hear her criticize her own friend surprised me, but Edna’s expression held affection. “She wasn’t always so grumpy. When her husband died two years ago, she took it hard. They were close, but Ollie swooped in right away. I admit at first I was a little miffed. I wanted Ollie, you see, but he had always had eyes for Talia. The man must like to be abused.”

  I had to bite off the laughter that threatened to erupt from me. Poor Edna looked as peaked now as she did when Louisa yelled at her. At her confession, I began to wonder if her outspokenness had to do with copying Talia, but she didn’t have the fire Talia bundled with her outrageousness.

  “Edna, would you mind if I adopted you as my grandmother?” I asked. “I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  Edna’s eyes doubled in size. “Really? You mean it? Because I can bake a very good apple pie, if I do say so myself.” She winked. “Talia tries and tries, but her crust comes out too thick and not flaky at all.”

  The triumph in Edna’s face made me glad I had asked the impromptu question. I had a problem with too many sweets, but I saw no reason not to indulge Edna once in a while. Yes, my sacrifice was all for her.

  “Well, I look forward to trying your pie,” I said as we walked on.

  At the end of Main and South Street, we paused for Edna to catch her breath. We spotted a bench on the opposite walk, so we crossed to it and had a seat. While Edna sat back, panting, I fanned her with a flyer I’d found lying on the bench. The slip of paper announced a sale for fresh produce at the grocery store.

  “Makayla,” Edna said, when she had caught her breath.

  I studied her face. She seemed no worse for wear and even appeared to glow with happiness.

  “If you want to know more about Alvin, you should talk to Ollie.”

  Her suggestion didn’t surprise me. “Your group is close friends with him, right?” I didn’t mention the relationship between Ollie and Talia, since that was already established to her disappointment
, but Edna was the one to bring it up again.

  “Ollie knows everything that happens in this town,” Edna said, “and he tells Talia most of it.”

  Her words surprised me. “Most?”

  She nodded. “Talia is almost as big a gossip as Ollie is. What Ollie tells Talia, she tells us, her friends. If she doesn’t it’s because Ollie didn’t tell her. The last time we were at The Donut Hole, Talia said Ollie told her to be quiet about Alvin. She said Ollie never talks to her like that.”

  My head swirled at the implications. What did Ollie know he didn’t tell his fiancée about? “Do you think it has something to do with Alvin’s murder?”

  Edna shrugged. “Well it’s about Alvin, but there’s no guarantee it’s about the murder. I remember other times Ollie kept secrets from Talia.”

  “Really?” Now my interest exploded. I didn’t know how to contain my own curiosity. So far Edna was willing to chat on and on, but who knew when she too would close off and refuse to share. I didn’t know if this had anything to do with murder, but maybe a clue was imbedded somewhere. I just hoped I would recognize it when I heard it. “What secrets?”

  Edna tried to scoot to the edge of the bench to stand and failed. I helped hoist her to her feet. Although a little on the plump side, she wasn’t as heavy as I had supposed. We resumed our walk down the street.

  I thought my new grandmother had forgotten my question when she spoke. “If I knew all the secrets, I would tell you, Makayla. It’s just that last spring, Talia and Ollie got into a huge fight. They even stopped speaking to each other for a while. I thought the girls group would break up because sides were taken.”

  I didn’t have to ask her if she were on Ollie’s side. “What was the fight about?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but I think it had to do with Ollie getting less work. Talia accused Ollie of keeping secrets from her, and he got so mad, he called her a nosy old biddy. Talia socked him.”

  I gasped. Granny drama was an unexpected turn of events. “Their fight might not have had anything to do with Alvin.”

  Edna agreed. “You might be right.”

  At our next break, I waited, not wanting to push her, but Edna seemed to want to talk to someone other than her group for this discussion. I personally found it interesting—or sad, depending on how you take it—that the two people I was becoming closest to in Briney Creek were a young person, Inna, and an elderly one, Edna. What did that say about Makayla Rose?

  We arrived at my apartment complex of all places, and Edna informed me she intended to visit with Talia. Rivals seemed to mix a lot in this town. “Do you need anything else, Edna? I’ll be happy to run errands for you if you need it.”

  “Oh no, sweetheart. Talia, the girls, and me attack the grocery store on mass once or twice a week. We did that two days ago. I have everything I need for the pie.”

  I bit my lip. “The pie?”

  She grinned. “Yes, you’re coming to my house for pie and coffee next week. Didn’t we discuss it?”

  “No.” Now she worried me. Had all the talk been a figment of an aging mind? Then Edna patted my arm, amusement brightening her eyes.

  “That’s my way of inviting you,” she said. “Bring anyone you want. I’ll feed you all the pie you like, and my coffee is much better than that swill they serve at The Donut Hole. I can promise you that!”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Swill? The word and a few others she’d chosen made me wonder where her vocabulary came from, but then her next words distracted me from asking about it.

  “After we found out about Alvin’s death, Talia said something that surprised me.”

  “What was that?”

  Edna’s brow furrowed as she thought. “She said Ollie told her he knows a lot about the people in town, especially Alvin and Susan. Before you ask, no, he didn’t give her an example.”

  I let the spark of hope that rose in me die at her last sentence, but then I wondered. If Ollie wasn’t willing to share what he knew with his fiancée, maybe he would with me. For that matter, maybe he would with Spencer. I determined to share this tidbit with the sheriff. The situation wasn’t a game, and I wanted him to have all the information he needed to make an arrest.

  “Well, Makayla, dear, thank you for walking me,” Edna said. “You know where I live?”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “Good. Three thirty. Don’t be late. The pie will be hot.”

  “I’ll be there,” I promised and waited until she entered my building before turning back to the street. Only after I had taken a few steps did I recall I had to trek all the way back to the shop. Even stopping frequently, Edna had made the walk. These townspeople were amazing.

  Chapter Eight

  I made it back to my car just as Frank and Peony Trevor exited The Donut Hole, and Frank hung a sign on the window that said the restaurant would reopen by four in the afternoon. Both Frank and Peony seemed worn to a frazzle, and Peony pushed the baby in a stroller with such lackluster movements, I worried.

  Hurrying over to the couple, I touched Peony’s arm. “Is everything okay? I imagine after the morning you had, you’re both exhausted.”

  “We’re fine, thanks, Makayla,” Peony said, but she never raised her eyes from the baby as if she thought with her waning strength a gust of wind would make her lose control of the stroller.

  Frank gave a half smile. I didn’t think he could produce any more than that. “I’ve taken on worse than this morning and beat it. I can handle a few extra customers, but my supply couldn’t. I’ll have to make a quick run before we can open back up.”

  While I had them, I decided to broach the topic of my own shop. “Did either of you see anyone hanging by my shop after hours the night of the murder?”

  Peony stared off in the distance, her eyes half closed.

  “No,” Frank snapped. I looked at him. “I have to keep my family safe. The police had better do their job before I have to do it for them!”

  This time Peony looked at Frank, and she rolled her eyes. Unimpressed with the vigilante attitude, I guessed. Or it could be she was tired of Frank going overboard being a proud papa. This was an adjustment for them, and three months hadn’t worn off Frank’s excitement.

  “Thanks anyway, Frank,” I said, about to move on.

  “Hold on.” He dug into his pocket, and I expected him to bring out something useful to my investigation. Instead he handed me a crumpled coupon that would expire in two days. Buy six donuts for the price of four. Great.

  “Thanks so much,” I said, and the family moved off down the street.

  As I watched them go, I spotted Inna exiting the bookstore with a white plastic bag hanging from her fingers. The bookstore’s logo was emblazoned in forest green on the side of the bag. She saw me and stopped, waited for the Trevor family to climb into their car and pull off then jogged my way. I met her at the edge of the gym’s property. I didn’t run because my feet were ready to give out.

  “What are you doing wandering around?” I asked her, and she blushed. I raised an eyebrow at her. “Did you ditch school?”

  “No way. Senior half days.”

  “Oh yeah. What’s up?”

  She raised the bag, blushing harder. “I had to grab a few books.”

  “Ohhhh,” I said. “Because books are so darn sexy.”

  We both chuckled, and Inna grew serious. “Brandon isn’t the best at conversation, but whatever. He says I’m sarcastic. I don’t even know where he gets that from.”

  “Who knows,” I teased.

  Inna pursed her lips and folded her arms under her chest. I noticed she had painted her nails black after I had seen her last. Then I realized both pinkies were of all colors pink. How did Brandon take her, I wondered? Was he intrigued, or had he been put off when he described her personality? Since Inna didn’t appear discouraged, I didn’t figure so.

  She peered over her shoulder in the direction Frank and Peony had disappeared. “They’re all pissy because they’re one of the couples
the sheriff wants to come for questioning.”

  I gaped at her. “Who? The Trevors?”

  “Yep.” Inna grinned. “I heard about it when I was going to go in early. Frank thinks he can replace me with Randall. No way, man. I’ve been here three years, and no new kid’s going to shove me out of my position.”

  I shook my head at how fast she’d switched subjects and how quickly her temperament transformed. “Slow down. First, you recommended Randall, didn’t you? Because you had school?”

  “Yeah, but Frank’s been complaining I mouth off too much to the customers. He’s just trying to blame me.”

  “Blame you for what?”

  “For why they have to talk to the sheriff.”

  Now I was royally confused. I took her hand and led her to the end of the street. Two blocks south, the town had built a small square with trees and grass where some of the smaller festivals took place. Benches galore littered the area, but my feet would not go that far. The bench on Main and South was fine. We sat, and as my feet thanked me, I faced Inna.

  “Okay, let’s start over,” I said. “Why would Frank blame you for anything?”

  She sighed and eyeballed a woman striding past. After we were alone and no one was within earshot, Inna spoke. “Okay, first, for a while now, Frank has been on my case about mouthing off to the customers. You know how he acts like that Hole is some gourmet shop.”

  She rolled her eyes, and I had to agree.

  “Well, I’ve been telling him right back that I add personality to it and that no one could choke down his disgusting coffee if I didn’t first insult their tie to take their mind off it.”

  I burst out laughing. “You didn’t tell him that.”

  “I did.” She grinned. “But come on. You’ve seen them. Look at Ollie. Doesn’t he look like Bozo’s cousin?”

  I snorted. “Stop! I beg you.”

  She snickered again but calmed down. “Since I couldn’t come in until afternoon, and mornings are the busiest, I suggested Randall. He worked out really well this morning, and I heard it was the best test because there were like a million customers.”