by Ingrid Thoft
“Must have been nice having help.”
“It was nice for her.”
Christa poured the batter into the foil-lined cups of the muffin tin. She dropped the bowl into the sink and ran water into it. Fina felt her heart break a tiny bit; all that leftover batter going to waste.
“Did you know that Nadine was kicked off the leadership committee at church?” Fina asked.
“I knew that she didn’t get along with one of the committee members.” Christa leaned down and slid the pan into the oven.
“Do you know who that was?”
Christa pulled on a curl as she thought. “Marcus?”
Fina shook her head. “I haven’t met any Marcus. Could it be Lucas?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“What problem did she have with him?”
“I don’t know any details, but she didn’t think he did a good job.”
“Really? I’ve met the guy, and he seems to take his church involvement very seriously.”
“But he always kowtowed to the pastor. He didn’t want to rock the boat, but Nadine had no problem with that if she thought it was part of her job. If she was given a job to do, she’d do it to a T.”
Fina nodded.
“Here’s an example: When we were in high school, they set up some ad hoc student committee about class schedules. The principal said he wanted us to poll our peers, and do research, and then make a recommendation.” Christa took a seat across from Fina. “The thing was, the principal didn’t really care what we thought. He was just acting like our opinion mattered. He reviewed the recommendation and did what he was always planning to do.”
“Did the rest of the student committee know the score?”
“Yes, so we didn’t put a lot of work into it, knowing it was a joke, but not Nadine. She took it really seriously and then was pissed when the recommendation had absolutely no bearing on the outcome.”
“You think something similar happened at the church?”
“I don’t know, but sometimes she took things too literally. My aunt likes to ask our opinions about stuff, but doesn’t really want to hear them. Nadine never seemed to learn that she was just supposed to nod her head and agree.”
“Speaking of your aunt, I heard that you and Nadine had a falling-out.”
Christa rolled her eyes. “Since when is gossip fact?”
“You know the cops are going to ask other people. You may as well just come clean. It’ll look less suspicious.”
“I don’t care about looking suspicious; I don’t like people in my personal business.”
“I understand, but that’s the first rule of a murder investigation: There’s no such thing as personal business.”
Christa got up and went over to the oven, where she clicked on the light and peered in at the cupcakes.
“In my experience,” Fina offered, “people usually fight about love or money.”
“You don’t think life is a little more complicated than that?”
“There are different permutations, but the gist is usually the same.”
Christa leaned her butt against the counter and stretched out her arms. Fina thought the pose was an attempt to appear calm, but it looked forced and awkward.
“Not that it’s any of your business,” Christa said, “but I asked her for a loan, and she couldn’t give it to me.”
“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?” Fina asked.
“There’s no difference.”
“Sure there is.”
“I don’t know which it was, but it didn’t happen. End of story.”
“But it caused tension between the two of you,” Fina pressed.
“For a little while, and then we went back to life as usual.”
“What was the money for?”
Christa stared at her. “That really isn’t your business.”
“Good enough,” Fina said, and was silent. She didn’t think Christa would be able to tolerate the conversational vacuum, and she was right.
“We were going through a rough spot, but we managed. Like I said, end of story.”
“Got it.” Fina looked at her.
“What?” Christa put her hands on her hips. “You and your family never disagree?”
“We disagree all the time.”
“Right, but you’re still family, and you still love one another.”
That was open to debate.
“So when Nadine died, everything was okay between the two of you?” Fina asked.
“Yes.”
“All right then. Thanks for answering my questions.”
They walked to the door.
“Hope the cupcakes are a big hit,” Fina said. She spent a moment fiddling with her zipper, but was really scanning the street, making sure no one was lying in wait.
“They always are,” Christa replied.
Safely locked in her car, Fina had to wonder: If the rift between Nadine and Christa was so run-of-the-mill, why was she so reluctant to discuss it?
• • •
Fina skirted the bucolic campus of Wellesley College and pulled into the driveway of a Dutch Colonial house. Painted a dark grape color, the home had the look of benign neglect: chipped paint on the shutters, slightly overgrown hedges, and a jumble of furniture on the screened-in porch.
No one answered the doorbell, but the Nosy Nelly one house over was happy to direct Fina to a dental practice where she could find Sally Cramer, one of the women whom Lindsay Shaunnesy had identified in Rand’s college picture.
Fina parked one street away from the main drag in the Vil—the name used by the locals for the downtown shopping area. She wandered by high-end clothing boutiques, a pharmacy, and a couple of sporting goods stores before finding the address she was looking for in a nondescript two-story brick building.
A bell rang out when she crossed the threshold of the second-floor dental practice and asked to see Sally Cramer.
“I don’t have an appointment, but it’s important. I was hoping I would catch her on her lunch break.”
“Take a seat.” The receptionist’s hair was piled on top of her head like a messy bird’s nest. Her eyelids were heavy with metallic shadow. Like going to the dentist wasn’t scary enough.
Fina shared the waiting room with a couple of women and three kids amusing themselves with books and puzzles. She picked up a Highlights magazine and flipped to the Hidden Pictures page. The ice-fishing penguin was posing a real challenge when the receptionist summoned her to the desk.
“Go through the door to the break room, the second room on the right.”
“Thanks.”
The hallway was decorated with framed pictures of cartoon characters, and the faint smell of bubble gum lingered in the air. Fina winced at the sound of a whirring drill emanating from one of the exam rooms. The child in the dental chair was dwarfed by the equipment around him, his eyes trained on a screen suspended from the ceiling.
“Hi. Are you Sally?” Fina asked the woman at the table in the break room, a brown bag lunch laid out before her.
“Yup.” She didn’t extend a hand or motion for Fina to sit.
“Do you mind if I?” Fina gestured toward a chair across from her. “My name is Fina, and I wanted to ask you a few questions about your college experience.”
Sally’s shoulders relaxed and she nodded to the seat.
“Wait. Did you think I was a process server?” Fina asked.
“I’m getting divorced. Anytime a stranger wants to see me, I brace myself.” Her dishwater-blond hair was spilling out of her ponytail, and dark circles ringed her eyes.
“Sorry about that. I should have been more specific with the receptionist. I’m not here about your divorce, but it is a personal matter.”
Sally picked up a sandwich half and took a bite. Fina watched as a
blob of tuna salad dropped onto her teddy bear scrubs. She dabbed at it with a napkin.
“I spoke with one of your college friends the other day, Lindsay Kaufman Shaunnesy.”
Sally shook her head. “We’re not friends.”
“No, I realize that you’re not friends now. I’m investigating something that happened when you were in college.” Fina watched her take another bite and chew slowly. “This information isn’t going to be made public. I’m just doing a background check on a man named Rand Ludlow.”
Sally put down the sandwich and picked up a can of Coke. She took a long drink before looking at Fina again. “Never heard of him.”
“Really? I thought you knew each other in college.”
The hygienist shook her head slowly. “Nope. Never heard the name before.”
Fina took a moment before continuing. More likely than not, Sally was a victim, and Fina didn’t want to be a bully and victimize her again. But she really wanted to get the dirt on Rand.
“Like I said,” Fina soldiered on, “I’m not trying to put you on the spot, although I realize that I am. I’m just trying to get some information about what he was like in college.”
Sally shoved the remaining half of her sandwich back into a plastic baggie and sealed it before putting it in the brown paper sack. Standing up, she drained the soda and pitched the can into the recycling bin. “I don’t know who you’re talking about, and I have to get back to work.”
“If you change your mind, you can call me at this number.” She scribbled her phone number on a paper napkin and offered it to Sally, not wanting to reveal her last name.
“How can I change my mind about knowing someone?” Sally asked, and left the room. Fina heard a door close nearby and made her way out of the office.
She had little doubt that Sally knew Rand and had probably been one of his victims; no one had such a strong reaction to a stranger. But her reaction wouldn’t be enough to convince Carl. Fina needed proof positive to make her case, and Sally Cramer would be no help in that department.
• • •
Fina pulled to a stop in front of the Newton Centre T stop to wait for her protection detail. Dennis had left a message directing her to the station, but she was ten minutes early, which gave her time to think about the case. Rolling down her window and breathing in the brisk spring air, Fina contemplated her lack of progress. She was finding things out and uncovering secrets, but she still couldn’t connect the dots. She wasn’t convinced that Nadine’s death was related to the church, nor was she convinced that it wasn’t. And she wasn’t convinced that Covenant Rising was aboveboard, but until she could prove otherwise, her suspicions didn’t amount to much.
The warm sun had a soporific effect, and Fina fought the urge to close her eyes and catnap. It would really be embarrassing if she were attacked in broad daylight while napping, waiting for her bodyguard.
She sat up straighter as a train pulled into the station and disgorged its passengers. Fina watched the people stream from the station and evaluated the possibilities. Two women were gabbing, carrying pricey purses. Some teenage boys toted skateboards and made a beeline for a stairway and its metal railings. A Buddhist monk had his head raised toward the sky, sunglasses and a jacket the only addition to his saffron-colored robe. A few car lengths down, a man with exemplary posture scanned the street, his gaze never settling on any one thing for long.
We have a winner, Fina thought, lightly tapping the horn. He came over to the car, and she rolled down the window.
“Chad?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.” Oh, Lord. He had to be ex-military or ex–law enforcement.
“Hop in.”
“I’d prefer to drive.”
“Oh, Chad.” Fina smiled at him. “That’s not happening.”
He got in the car and extended his hand. “Chad Switzer.”
“Fina Ludlow. Nice to meet you.”
“You really should let me drive.”
“Did Dennis give you the scoop?” Fina asked, ignoring his request and pulling into traffic.
“He did.”
“So I’m sure he told you that I’m very stubborn and am only hiring someone under duress.”
“I just want to do my job, ma’am, and keep you safe.”
“Then you need to stop calling me ma’am.”
He nodded. “I’d like to do a risk assessment of your home and review your schedule.”
“Fine, but my schedule is pretty free-form.”
“Well, that can work to your advantage.”
At a traffic light, Fina considered making small talk, but Chad didn’t seem like the chatty type, which implied he was good at his job. The fact that he looked more like a Secret Service agent than a bouncer suggested he made his living doing executive protection, a specialty that required brains, not just brawn.
Fina’s phone rang, and she pressed the hands-free button.
“This is Fina, and you’re on speaker,” she stated.
“Fina, it’s Risa. Can you stop by?”
“Sure, is something wrong?”
“Not exactly. Haley’s over here, and Patty wants her home.”
“All righty.” Fina made a U-turn that prompted Chad to raise an eyebrow.
“She seems fine, but she’s not in any hurry to get going.”
“Okay. I’m on my way.” Fina hung up and looked at her companion. “We have to make a detour.”
“Okay.”
Risa and her family lived in a large gingerbread Victorian in Newton with an expansive front porch. The intricate paint scheme was green, white, and deep red and made the house feel like it was plucked from a fairy tale. There was a large addition off the back that had been seamlessly joined to the original structure.
Risa answered the door and invited Fina in with a quizzical look at Chad.
“This is Chad,” Fina said. “He’s working with me for a couple of days.”
“Nice to meet you, Chad.” Risa shook his hand and looked bemused.
She and Fina went to the kitchen with Chad trailing behind them.
“Does Cristian know about your new colleague?” Risa asked in a quiet voice.
“Cristian insisted on it. There’s a bit of a situation, and Chad has been brought on board to be an extra set of eyes.”
Risa nodded.
The crash and bang of a video game filled the family room portion of the open-plan kitchen. Risa’s two sons were ensconced on the sofa, Xbox controllers in hand.
“Boys, turn that down. Say hi to Fina . . . and Chad.”
The boys called out halfhearted hellos, their eyes never straying from the screen.
“Can I get you two something to drink?” Risa asked.
“No, thank you, ma’am,” Chad replied.
Risa looked askance at Fina, who rolled her eyes.
“Where’s Haley?” Fina asked.
“In the den upstairs.”
“Can you stay here a minute?” Fina asked Chad.
“I really should come with you.”
“It’s safe,” Fina assured him. “I’ll be right back.”
She pulled Risa out of the kitchen and back to the foyer. “So she’s becoming your third kid?”
“Kind of. She’s always welcome, but Patty called and wants her home, and she’s dragging her feet.”
“What’s she doing up there?”
“I told her she had to do her homework and then she could watch TV.”
The sounds from the other room carried into the hallway, and Fina thought she heard Chad speaking.
“Did she say that something happened at home?” Fina asked.
“No, and Patty and I have talked about it. There isn’t actually anything wrong, but I’m concerned that she’s more interested in spending time here than at her own house.” The
y exchanged a look. “Her new house.”
“I’m glad you called me. She’s been running hot and cold. Scotty and I talked about it, but we didn’t come up with any brilliant plans.”
“Is it something about Rand being back?” Risa mused. “I would have thought that would make her happy, but maybe he reminds her too much of her mom.”
“Maybe.”
Once again, Fina felt the urge to share Rand’s secrets with Risa, but it had been drilled into her that family secrets were never to be revealed to an outsider. Unfortunately, the worse the secret was, the more Fina yearned to share it with a trusted friend. This wasn’t the moment to unburden herself, not with Chad in tow, but maybe the time was coming to let the skeletons out of the closet.
“Haley!” Fina yelled up the stairway. “Come down here. I need to take you home.”
A moment later, Haley’s blond head popped up over the railing.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because you live there,” Fina said. “Get your stuff.”
Haley disappeared, and Fina and Risa returned to the kitchen.
Chad was standing behind the sofa, watching the boys play Call of Duty or some similar shoot-’em-up game.
“Mom! Chad totally helped my score,” Jacob said. “He gave me some awesome pointers on my shooting.”
“That’s fantastic,” Risa said, giving Fina a smile and the hairy eyeball.
“He was in the military,” Jordan offered.
“Yes, ma’am, he was,” Fina said. Chad looked at her with slight amusement. “We need to go.”
He got up and offered his hand to Risa. “Nice to meet you.”
“Next time you can show us how to use the missiles,” Jacob suggested.
In the front hallway, Haley was standing with her book bag hanging loosely from one hand.
“Haley, Chad. Chad, Haley,” Fina said by way of introductions.
Haley looked befuddled when he extended his hand. There was something curiously delightful about an ex-marine and a moody teenager being forced to interact. It was like a buddy movie gone wrong.
They said good-bye to Risa, and Fina tossed the keys to Chad. She climbed into the backseat next to Haley and gave directions.
“This is weird,” Haley said. “Why are you sitting next to me?”