She picked up a magazine from the coffee table and flung it at him. “I could kill you. I was worried to death! What happened to no more secrets?”
“Well, I didn’t know all the details until a few minutes ago.” Connor ran down the chain of events, blow by blow.
“I know all that, Connor. I was there, although I did think it was weird that you had Anita’s phone number in your phone.”
“She gave it to me to give to Katherine that day I met her in the bakery. When all this started coming together, I called Katherine to ask her a few things about Anita, and that’s when I found out that Anita was not friends with Katherine, but with Katherine’s brother.”
“That Richard guy?”
“Yes. He’s bad news, but that’s another story. Scott had me put Anita’s number in my phone as part of the plan to get her back to Adams Grove.”
“If I wasn’t still so stunned, I’d be laughing. This kind of thing only happens on television.”
“Not anymore.” Connor leaned forward. “But here’s the other thing you didn’t know. Mac told Scott that Gina Edwards had shown up late Friday night at the bakery while he was finishing up the cake for Jill and Garrett’s wedding. She was asking about her mother and what had happened at the Old Mill Pond all those years ago.”
“So she didn’t know about the drowning before she came to town?”
“Nope, and at first, Mac thought he might have been her father. He’d even said as much to Anita after Gina left that night.”
“Is he?”
“No. Mac said when Gina showed up again in the morning, he asked her specifically about her birth date. Gina knew that he wasn’t her father all along anyway.”
“But Anita didn’t know that?”
“No, she didn’t. The connection between Mac and Gina’s mom was high school. They were sweethearts. Mac and Lindsey were supposed to have been watching her brother that day. They’d been swimming in the pond, and then Mac and Lindsey had scooted off to make out. They heard Jimmy yelling, but they thought he was just playing because he knew what they were up to. Only, Jimmy hadn’t been fooling around, and when they went back to the pond to round up Jimmy, he was gone.”
“That’s when her brother drowned?” Carolanne shivered. “That’s so sad.”
“He was fourteen. I imagine the guilt they lived with factored into Gina’s mother’s depression. Mac said that Gina told him it was her mother’s suicide that had made her come looking for answers.”
“That’s kind of what she’d indicated to me, too. I can understand that.”
“That morning at the artisan center, Mac told her about the secret pact between he and Lindsey, but then he asked her to wait because he had to get the cakes set up. When he came out of the artisan center, Anita had come up with the spur-of-the-moment trip for the two of them, and Gina was already gone.”
“Did Anita say why Gina had left? That doesn’t make sense. Why would Gina go to all that trouble to find out that information and then not stick around?”
“Anita told Mac that Gina had gotten a call from her father and had to leave. In Anita’s mind, she’d just convinced Mac he wasn’t the father, but that was something Mac knew already. So it made sense to him.”
“So, Anita hit Gina with the van?”
“That’s the theory. This whole setup today, with Derek not knowing and all, is to draw Anita out and get to the bottom of it.”
“Mac really loves Anita. If Scott’s theory proves out, I feel sorry for the old guy.”
Chapter Thirty
Connor was with Scott in his office when Anita showed up at the Sheriff’s Department demanding answers.
“That didn’t take long,” Scott said to Connor. Scott gave the deputy the go to let Anita see Mac. “Come on. This should be interesting.”
Connor followed Scott into the office that backed up to the interrogation room. They stood next to the mirrored glass and waited.
The deputy led Mac in first. They left him handcuffed.
“He looks distraught,” Connor said.
“He is.” Scott gestured back to the window. “Here she comes.”
Anita was dressed in black slacks and a flowing colorful blouse. She glanced at the window, like she was looking right at them.
Connor nudged Scott. “You sure she can’t see us?”
“Positive.”
The deputy stepped back against the door.
Anita rushed to Mac’s side. “What is going on? Connor Buckham called me and said you’d been arrested. What did you do?”
Scott snickered. “Guess she’s going to throw him right under the bus.”
She gasped when she saw his wrists in the handcuffs. “Mac, this is serious.”
Connor felt uncertainty creep in. “Hope this works out the way you think it’s going to.”
“It will. We practiced,” Scott said.
Mac paled. “I didn’t do anything.” He looked unsteady as he ran down the details just as Scott had coached him. Leaving out things like the fact that they’d already located the van. “That girl who had been hanging around Derek, then showed up the morning of the wedding—she’s dead.”
“You knew she was trouble. You told Derek to stay away from her the first time you saw her.” Anita leaned forward and whispered, “I hope Derek doesn’t tell them about how you yelled at him about keeping her away from the bakery. It wouldn’t look good.”
“That was before I knew who she was.” Mac lifted his cuffed wrists and scratched his nose with one of his hands. He glanced over at the deputy and then back at Anita. “I wouldn’t kill anyone. You know that.”
Anita tensed. “I’m here for you, Mac. I love you. I’ll be by your side no matter what.”
Mac softened visibly at her words—her clear commitment. He didn’t even seem to notice that she didn’t agree with him.
“I hope he can stick to the plan,” Scott said.
“See why I’m worried?” Connor shifted and let out a sigh. “Hang in there, buddy.”
“You saw her that morning at the wedding reception. Your alibi should clear me.”
She paused. “I think we better act carefully. I’ve got a friend that can help us. He was a lawyer up in Chicago. He’ll know how to handle this. I wouldn’t want to make more trouble for you by saying the wrong thing.”
“Talk to Connor,” Mac said. “You know that he’s always handled all my legal stuff.”
She shook her head. “Oh no, you need a real lawyer. Let me take care of this for you, dear. I’ll need your power of attorney to get things going and to pay for it and all, but don’t you worry. I will take care of everything. We will have you out of here in no time, and we’ll be back together.”
Mac blinked.
“I can’t wait for us to do all the things we’ve talked about. You know how much I care for you. I’d do anything for you.”
“Stick with the plan, man,” Scott coached quietly.
“He’s not going to be able to do this,” Connor said. “He’s eaten up with it. He loves her. Look. It’s all over his face.”
“I know I can trust you. Thank you, Anita.”
She stood and walked to the door. “I’ll be back in just a little while.”
The deputy opened the door and led her down the hall.
Mac laid his head on the table.
“Now what?” Connor asked.
“She’ll be back.”
Scott’s radio crackled.
Connor couldn’t make out the garbled message.
“She’s sitting in her car in the parking lot,” Scott said. “I’m going to go check on Mac.”
Connor watched through the glass as Scott talked to Mac. It was sad to see the poor guy go through this. Anita had no intention of helping Mac. It was easy to see from this side. It was too hard to watch. He turned and started answering e-mails on his phone.
Scott came back in the room.
“How is he?”
Scott shrugged. “You’re right.
He’s struggling with it. If I’m wrong, he’s liable to kill me for it, but I don’t think I am.”
“Where’s Anita?”
“The guys just checked in. She’s still sitting in the parking lot.”
Connor checked his watch. “She’s been sitting out there for nearly an hour. What is she waiting for?”
“Maybe she’s waiting for her lawyer friend to show up.”
Scott’s phone rang. It was a quick call.
“She’s on her way back in.”
“This should be interesting,” Connor said.
Anita walked back into the room to see Mac with a folder in her hand.
She sat across the table from him with her hands in front of her, then swept at tears.
Mac lifted his wrists onto the table. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Anita laid her hands on top of his. “I love you. Everything is going to be just fine. I talked to my guy. He faxed me these papers for you to sign so that I can act on your behalf. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
Connor couldn’t believe the performance she was giving. “That woman is one heck of a liar. I’d believe her if I didn’t know for a fact that she was just sitting in the parking lot out front for the last hour.”
Mac glanced at the window, then turned the paper around. “What is it?”
“Power of attorney, like I said.”
His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the woman seated across from him.
“I’ll handle everything. Don’t you worry.”
Mac shook his head. “I’m innocent. I’d never hurt anyone. You know that, right?”
She patted his hand. “Of course.”
“You were there that morning. You saw Gina. She was very much alive. You said she’d made contact with her real father and that she’d rushed off to see him.”
“You just relax.” She patted his hand. “I’ve got this. My guy is flying in this afternoon. It might take a day or two, but we’ll get you out of here. So, don’t worry.”
“She’s not going to incriminate herself. She’s going to let him take the fall,” Connor said in disbelief.
“Just sign the papers, Mac,” she said. “I’ll take care of everything.”
He took the pen and signed his name. Then Anita picked up the pen in her left hand and signed them. “There. We’re all set.”
Connor nudged Scott. “Signing that piece of paper doesn’t mean squat without a notary. You and I both know that.”
Scott watched intently. “She’s up to something.”
“When will you be back?” Mac looked defeated.
Connor felt badly for the guy. He knew she was taking him for a ride. That had to hurt.
Anita stood up and turned to the deputy. “Can I give him a hug?”
The deputy nodded.
She stepped close to him and wrapped her arms around him.
Mac stared at the two-way glass. He looked like he had about a hundred things he’d like to say to that woman right now, but he held his tongue.
“I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.” She gave the deputy a nod as she walked out of the room.
Connor turned to Scott. “What now?”
“We wait. Hardest part.” Scott opened the door and went back into his office. Connor followed behind him. “We’ve got all his accounts monitored. As soon as things start happening, We’ll know.”
Late that afternoon, a man met with Anita in her yoga studio building. Connor identified him as Katherine’s brother, Richard. When he’d contacted Katherine to ask her about her friendship with Anita and her brother’s tie-in, Katherine admitted that she barely knew Anita. It was her brother who was friendly with her.
It didn’t take long for Scott to pull all the information on the sketchy background of Richard, and by nine thirty the next morning Anita and Richard had cleared Mac’s accounts under the watchful eye of Scott and his men.
By ten o’clock Scott had his men arrest her for the murder of Gina Edwards and the fraudulent activities she committed once she’d decided to steal Mac’s money. Richard’s arrest followed, and by noon Mac was back in his bakery making a batch of fresh bear claws to thank everyone who’d helped him.
Connor sat in Jacob’s Diner with Carolanne and Scott. “You told me you had one piece of evidence that you’d withheld from any records that would help you confirm that you had the real murderer?” Connor asked.
Scott smiled. “I did say that, didn’t I?”
“Once I started looking into Anita’s past, the two husbands that she’d outlived had both been rather wealthy up until the time Anita met them.”
“She seemed so nice,” Carolanne said. “It’s hard to believe we’re talking about the same person.”
“I guess that’s why she was staying under the radar,” Connor said. “Mac said that he thought she was just a very private person.”
Scott took a sip of his sweet tea. “It’d be nice if there were a device that would let us know when people were being sincere. That Anita put on one good act for Mac. It’s too bad, really. I could tell he was really crazy about her.”
“I’m glad Dad and Mac are cleared, but I’m so sad that Gina ended up in the middle of all that,” Carolanne said. “All she wanted was some answers.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Connor stood on the porch of Carolanne’s new house with a handful of contraband begonias—the peach ones—in one hand and two cups of coffee balanced one on top of the other in the other.
He took in a deep breath, prayed for the right words, then pushed the doorbell with his knuckle. A laugh soothed his nerves when he heard her heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.
Carolanne swung the door open. “I thought that was your car. What are you doing here?” She caught the glimpse of color in his other hand. “Oh no, you’re not stealing flowers again?”
“Pruning. Doing my part to keep Main Street looking nice.”
“You’ve got an answer for everything. Maybe you should be a lawyer.”
Or more than that. “It’s tradition.”
“It’s a crime,” she said. “And I think you just became a habitual offender.”
He stepped closer, as close as he could without spilling the coffee on her. “Are you going to let me in?”
“No. I don’t think so.” She took the cup on top and smiled. “OK, I guess I can let you in since you brought me presents.”
“Good, because this is serious business.”
Her smile faded. “Oh no? Is something wrong?”
“Very.” He motioned for her to sit down. “You better sit down for this.” He closed the door.
She sat down and hunched forward. “Connor, after all that we’ve been through lately, I don’t think I can go through anything else. Please tell me everyone is alive and well.”
“Calm down. Not that kind of serious. Everyone is fine.”
“Thank goodness.”
He saw the relief wash over her, and he felt a little badly for making her feel that tension, even if only for a moment. She pulled the plastic lid off the coffee cup and blew into it before taking a sip. “OK, so, what’s the problem?”
He patted her leg. “I can’t start my mornings without you.” He shrugged. “I’ve tried. I’ve run. I’ve tried coffee at Mac’s, the diner. I’ve even tried truck-stop coffee. It’s not the same, and it’s too quiet around there without you.”
She turned to face him. “I kind of miss the old routine, too, but we’ll make a new one.”
“I’m glad you said that because that’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“Oh no. I know that look. What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t just miss the routine. Carolanne, I miss you.” He took her warm hands into his own and held them. “I’ve fallen in love with you, Carolanne Baxter. The last thing I’d want to ever do is hurt you, and I know sometimes I bumble around in ways that drive you crazy, but I’d never do anything to make you sad.”
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br /> “I believe you, but—”
He put his finger over her lips. “Let me finish.”
She nodded.
“I want you more than anything. Do you know what I’m saying, here?”
Her mouth opened slightly. “Do you know what you’re trying to say?”
He nodded. “I love you. I want you in my life. Forever. Your dad and all. The baggage. The grumpy mornings. I’ll even eat your cooking.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “That’s serious.”
“Well, maybe I can do some of the cooking. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Pearl was right. We’re a perfect couple.”
“You really think so? Baggage and all?”
“I do.”
He knelt down, and Carolanne sucked in a breath. “What are—?”
“Carolanne Baxter. Will you be my bride?”
She swallowed hard. “If I say yes, you better not break my heart.”
“I won’t. I promise you.” Connor dug into his pocket. “I talked to your dad about my intentions, too. He gave me these to give to you.” He opened his hand. “They were your mom’s.”
“My mother’s wedding rings?” She pulled her hands to her face. “Oh. My. Gosh. How could I say no?”
“I was hoping you couldn’t.” He pulled her hands away from her face and replaced them with a soft kiss on the velvet warmth of her lips. “I’m hoping you won’t.”
Carolanne leaned forward into his arms, and he held her close. He felt his whole future wrapped up in this feisty redhead, and he was eager to see just how much chaos she could bring into their happy lives.
She pulled back, and the serious look on her face scared him. Please don’t fight me on this.
“Yes. Yes, Connor, I will marry you, but”—she paused—“under one condition.”
“Anything.”
“We have to move quickly and keep it small, else Jill is going to want me to use that big wedding planner binder of hers. I’m just not the big-white-gown kind of girl.”
“Can’t I get a cool cake like Garrett got?”
“Fine. A cake and a cookout at the house to celebrate with friends, but that’s as far as I’ll go.”
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