“Hmm. There’s only one person who would spend that kind of dough…”
“Lois Millhouse,” they said in unison.
“Jesus Christ,” Brenda said, “we have to stop doing that.”
“We’ve been doing it all of our lives. Now seriously, he doesn’t know it’s Lois?”
“He said that he doesn’t know who sent the money. But he took the job nonetheless. I don’t know if I necessarily believe every word that comes out of his mouth, mind you. It might be that he just didn’t want to tell me who the client was. Or maybe he couldn’t for some reason. In any event, he flew to Boston, rented a Range Rover, and drove up here to make social media magic.”
“A Range Rover. Which company rents those?”
“I have no idea, but that’s not the point of the story. Listen, between the Globe article and Augie’s posts…we need to warn the troops. This town is about to happen, my friend. Oh, and the episode of my show! I’m so glad I set that up. Who knew?”
Just then, the doorbell rang. The dogs started going nuts. Skyler opened the door and found Tanner standing on the front porch holding a bunch of daisies in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. “Since when do you ring the doorbell when you’ve been invited over?” Skyler asked as she pecked him on the cheek. She ushered him into the kitchen, took the flowers and stuck them in a vase, and asked him to open the champagne.
“It’s just us so far,” she said, fishing out three flutes from a glass-fronted cupboard. “Let’s have a toast.”
Brenda entered the room after letting the dogs out into the backyard and dutifully took a glass from Skyler. “Salut, Tanner, our dear friend. You are about to become a very busy man.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
“We have it on good authority that this town is about to explode in a good way,” Skyler said. “Despite the fact that Augie Alameda is on the case.”
“Who the fuck is an Augie Alameda?”
Brenda scowled in mock-annoyance. “Just one of the most influential social media influencers in the whole fucking world. He put yours truly on the map. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his help, I’ll tell you that. Of course, that was before social media when he depended mostly on magazine and newspaper articles. He’s like a male Kris Jenner, but richer and cooler and not as douchey.”
Skyler laughed.
“I like the Kardashians,” Tanner said sheepishly. “They turned an unfortunate sex tape into a multimillion-dollar enterprise for the entire family. That’s something.”
“I guess it’s something,” Skyler said. “Personally, I don’t get the appeal of the whole reality television thing, but I can appreciate what those folks do and the enormous power they possess. It’s pure magic and I sure do take advantage of social media and product placement and all of that when I need to for a client.” She stopped long enough to take a sip of her wine. “Tanner, you look fabulous, by the way. You knew you weren’t going to a Hamptons party, right?”
Tanner blushed. “I just wanted to look decent for a change. I always feel so grubby at the restaurant. I spend 90 percent of my life in a fucking Chowder House polo shirt.”
“You do look good,” Brenda said. “To Tanner and his pale pink preppy duds.” She raised her arm and they all clinked glasses. “And now I have to start the grill.”
“Alone at last,” Tanner said.
“Ick. Will you please stop?”
“Sorry.”
“I just don’t need you creeping me out tonight. Can we please just have fun and get along and have you not drool over me tonight?”
“I don’t drool.”
“Sometimes you slip into this drool thing, yes,” she said, “And I’m getting a little tired of it. I want my best guy friend back.”
“I’m right here. I haven’t gone anywhere.”
“I know,” Skyler said. She started setting the big farmhouse table for dinner. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“I’m not embarrassed. I’ve never been embarrassed around you my entire life.”
“Well, I know that, don’t I? You’re the one that got all naked and into my college dorm room bed while I was in the shower and when I came out, there it was, pointing straight up at my ceiling fan.”
“I’m happy that it left such an impression on you.”
“I’m happy that it didn’t leave an impression on me!”
“It’s not all that bad. It made a kid.”
“Stop!” Skyler slammed down a fist full of silverware. “You finish setting the table. I’m going to answer the door.”
“The bell didn’t even ring.”
Then the bell rang.
“How the hell?” Tanner asked.
“It’s one of those motion-activated video doorbells,” she said, raising her wrist. “I felt it vibrate on my Apple watch.”
“Technology is scary.”
“Indeed.”
Over the course of the next ten minutes, the threesome became a half dozen with the arrival of Porter, Leonard, and Janey Stiles, Skyler’s new next-door neighbor. She was a last-minute addition—because Brenda was superstitious about an odd number of dinner guests—and about the same age as the rest of the group.
“What brought you to Wabanaki,” Tanner asked Janey over drinks on the porch.
“My aunt and uncle went on a cruise to Hawaii last spring and they never came back,” Janey said in a deep Tennessee accent, not dissimilar to Dolly Parton but without the bouffant or boobs. “True story. They mailed me the keys to their house next door and now it’s mine. The deed is in my name, too. A diehard southern girl living in Maine. There don’t seem to be too many of us in these parts.”
“They literally didn’t come back?” Brenda asked.
“They did not. They wanted a fresh start. And, as it turns out, so did I. I left Knoxville after my divorce and never looked back. And now I live in Wabanaki next door to just the sweetest neighbor a girl could have. Thank you, Skyler, for inviting me.”
“My pleasure,” Skyler said. “We’re thrilled to have some fresh blood. You know that Brenda and I grew up together just a few streets over? And Tanner and Leonard went to the same schools as us. We’ve all known each other forever.”
“Yeah, but you get around,” Janey said. “Living in the big city, Skyler. And you, Brenda, restaurants all over the country. Appearing on television. Wow. I mean it’s all so exciting.”
“What do you think you’ll do here in Maine to keep yourself busy, Janey?” Leonard asked.
“I’m a writer, so I can work from anywhere. I write Y.A. books—you know, ‘Young Adult?’ Kind of like Harlequin romances, but without the corsets, heaving breasts, and ripped bodices. Gotta keep it clean—but not squeaky clean.”
“That’s exciting,” Skyler said. “I always thought I had a book in me.”
“Everyone does,” Janey said. “But it’s hard getting it out on paper. Most people just don’t have the time or patience for writing. I’ve been doing it since I was a girl. I was first published while I was still in high school—a story for kids my age, at the time. Been writing two books a year ever since.”
“Impressive,” Skyler and Brenda said together.
“My ex-husband was actually my editor at Hancock-Darling. That’s my publisher.”
Brenda almost choked on her wine. “That’s my publisher. For my cookbooks.”
“Well, I guess I knew that,” Janey said, “but I didn’t know that you were friends with Skyler. Heck, I didn’t even know Skyler until a few days ago. Isn’t this all so funny? What a small world we live in.”
“I’m going to write a book,” Porter said sheepishly, speaking for the first time.
“What about?” Leonard asked, “Busing tables?”
“That’s not very nice, Leonard!” Skyler said.
“What?! It’s what he does.”
“Leonard, why do you always have to be so mean? I always give you a discount.”
Leonard laughed it off, but he was covering up his embarrassment. He knew better, they all knew that.
Skyler turned to Janey. “Porter owns the restaurant. Don’t mind Leonard. He’s just being an ass…” She stopped herself and waited a beat. “He just lost his wife.”
“I am so sorry to hear that, Leonard. I really am. You’re so young for something like that to happen. Bless your heart.”
“Thank you, Janey,” Leonard said. “Patty had her head bashed against a toilet in Tanner’s restaurant.”
No one spoke for a moment.
“How horrible,” Janey finally said. She had a pinched, forced smile and her arms were crossed tightly against her chest.
Leonard finished half a glass of wine in one gulp. “It was. But I’ll bounce back.”
Skyler grimaced. Brenda cleared her throat. Porter rolled his eyes.
Tanner got up to top off the glasses. “I, for one, would like to put a moratorium on that subject. How about that?”
“That’s a good idea,” Skyler said. She turned to Brenda. “When do we eat?”
The chef jumped to her feet, startling the dogs. “I’ll get the corn on the grill.”
The group spent the majority of the evening telling Janey stories about their lives and the happenings in Wabanaki over the years and she shared a few details about life in Tennessee. They ate hungrily, emptied several bottles of wine, and then called it a night just before ten o’clock.
After Tanner helped Skyler and Brenda with the dishes, Brenda excused herself and retreated to the guest room. Skyler saw Tanner to the front porch.
“Can you drive?”
“I’m going half a mile,” Tanner said, “I think I can manage.” He paused, then turned back to face her. “Wanda and Charlie are staying the night at my mother-in-law’s place. My house is empty.”
“Good for you,” Skyler said. “You’ll get a good night’s sleep. Goodnight.”
Skyler went inside and closed the door. She locked it to send him a clear message. She never locked her doors in Maine. When he was safely in his car and pulling away, she flipped off the porch light and went to her bedroom. She shucked off her clothes, climbed into her big bed, and slept.
* * *
Minutes later, Tanner pulled into his driveway and turned off the engine. He watched as another car entered the property and pulled up beside him. Porter got out of the car and stood watching Tanner through the driver’s side window.
“What the fuck, man?” Tanner asked. He got out of the car.
“I want to talk to you about buying my restaurant.”
“Now? You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry. Is there a better time for you?” Porter leaned against the car.
“You really want to sell the Shanty to me? What makes you think I want to buy it?”
“Don’t you?”
“I do,” Tanner said tentatively, “but what made you think I wanted to buy it?”
“Jesus Christ, Tanner. You do or you don’t. Do you even have the money?”
“I’ve got the money.”
FOURTEEN
There were only a handful of orangeries in the United States and Lois Millhouse had one in her side yard. The tall metal and glass structure was an architectural marvel—fashioned after the original 17th century orangery on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in France, albeit much smaller—and had been featured in several magazine and newspaper articles over the years. Most recently, House Beautiful did a cover shoot on the property.
Inside, orange trees flourished year-round at one end and flowering plants such as Tropical Anthurium, various varieties of roses, African Violets, and scores of orchids were extremely well maintained on the other. Lois employed three part-time employees to tend to ‘her babies’ and she toiled in the greenhouse herself most mornings after she ate breakfast and had carefully read every page of the Wall Street Journal. She had a thing for financial news and plants, in that order.
And, of course, for making Wabanaki everything it should have become decades earlier.
On Tuesday morning, she was on her hands and knees cleaning up a broken pot and spilled soil when she heard someone approaching. She turned her head to see Skyler holding a pie plate and smiling widely.
“I hope I didn’t startle you,” Skyler said. “I was knocking, but I don’t think anyone heard me.”
“I don’t startle too easily, Skyler,” Lois said, getting to her feet. “How are you, dear?”
“I’m fine. I brought you a pie. It’s apple. Not blueberry.”
Lois chuckled. “You are very sweet. And, yes, I do not eat blueberries anymore. I appreciate them, mind you.” She waved her arms around like a flight attendant pointing out emergency exits. “I wouldn’t have all this without those little blue berries, now would I?”
“I have a feeling that you’d be successful no matter what.”
“You didn’t come over here just to give me a pie, now did you?”
“You’ve seen right through me.”
Lois pulled off her gloves and set them on the potting bench. “You’re working with my grandson to keep the Chowder House from sinking in bad press.”
“I am.”
“Thank you for that. And Wabanaki thanks you.”
“Well, Madam Mayor, I too have dedicated my life to this town.”
“I know that very well,” Lois said. “Let’s go get some coffee. There’s always a fresh pot in the kitchen.”
Skyler followed the old woman through a side door, down a covered breezeway, and up a few steps into the main house. They were in the cavernous kitchen and sitting at the built-in banquette sipping coffee out of enormous mugs when a young woman appeared out of nowhere and set a plate of muffins in the center of the table. She was gone as quickly as she appeared.
“Who was that?”
“Midge,” Lois said softly. “She’s new. And like a ghost. I hardly hear her moving about the house but she manages to clean and bake and sort the mail and she changes my bed sheets every day like at a first class hotel. I’m paying her next to nothing. It makes me feel bad. But I enjoy the help.”
“Maybe she deserves a raise,” Skyler said, biting into a muffin. “These are amazing. And still warm.”
“I will be sure to compensate her appropriately. So, what is on your mind?”
“Brenda and I were talking yesterday and she told me that she had a drink with an old mutual friend of ours, a man named Augie Alameda.” Skyler stopped and inspected the woman’s face for some kind of recognition.
“And?” Lois asked evenly.
“Well, to be very blunt, we wondered if perhaps you hired him.”
“Hired him to do what?”
“Seriously? Do you not know him?”
“It’s really none of your business, frankly.”
Skyler blushed. “It’s sort of my business. I mean, that’s my business. I’m a public relations professional. It’s what I do. And it’s what I’m doing for Tanner and the Chowder House. We all want to see Wabanaki overcome this slump, don’t we? Especially the mayor?”
“My dear,” Lois began sweetly, “I want nothing more than for this town to flourish. Just like my plants out there. But I did not hire this Mr. Alameda to do anything and I have no idea what he does anyway. How could he possibly help?”
“You said it was none of my business, like there was something there.”
“Because I meant that, not because I actually have something to hide from you. I don’t think I like you coming in here and interrogating me, that’s all. You’re a P.R. professional, not a detective on the Wabanaki police force.
“I see. And I am sorry if I upset you.”
�
�I’m not upset. But I will bite. Who is Augie Alameda?”
Skyler gave the woman a rundown of Augie’s credentials and history. “And he got Brenda her start.”
“But you don’t like him?” Lois asked.
“I don’t, but that’s because we worked together a few times and we’re both pretty much independent contractors. We’re both solo practitioners, if you will. We butted heads and it wasn’t pretty.”
“But he can get the job done?”
“Oh yes. He can. And he most certainly will. Which is why the Chowder House and the Lobster Shanty and the Sea Captain’s Inn and all the businesses in town need to be prepared. Combined with the Boston Globe piece that’s coming, we could get quite busy.”
“I’m thrilled, Skyler,” Lois said, standing, indicating that the visit was over, “I really am. But it wasn’t me.”
They exchanged pleasantries and Skyler was shown the door. It didn’t actually slam shut behind her, but it felt that way.
Skyler was more suspicious than ever and wondered if the Mayor was lying to her…or if someone else was behind Augie’s coming to town.
* * *
Sheriff Little had the final autopsy reports in his hand and it was definitive: Patty died from blunt force trauma to the head. There we no drugs in her system, no other marks on her body. It was the medical examiner’s determination that she was murdered and that the death was not an accident.
The report also indicated that Patty was nearly a month pregnant at the time of her death, a fact that the Sheriff decided he’d keep to himself for the time being.
He exhaled deeply and pulled another piece of paper from a pile on the side of his desk. Surveillance cameras at Miami International Airport showed Patty at various stages of her trip back to Maine and United Airlines had confirmed that she was on a flight to Portland that fateful day. She traveled alone and the ticket was bought by a man on her behalf, with cash. She was pulled for extra screening by the TSA because of the last-minute purchase of the one-way ticket.
That was all he had. They were still waiting for the finger print analysis from the letter he’d received at his house and the Starbucks receipt, but the Sheriff didn’t expect anything to come from either one. Whoever had sent them wanted to point him in the right direction, to know that she’d been in Florida, and they’d been very careful not to leave a trail.
The Maine Nemesis Page 10