by Неизвестный
I rotated the cupcakes to face her. “These would go well with some tea,” I said lightly.
Ruby laughed, her purple-red curls bouncing in every direction. She wore a plain cream blouse under a smart-looking leopard print vest. Her skirt was purple, matching her purple-framed reading glasses.
She waved for me to follow her, back through the doorway. I walked past the filing cabinets and on to the secret tea room. Ruby pushed over a stack of invoices and a sleek laptop on the round bistro table nearest the circular window. While I sat, she took the box of cupcakes over to the kitchenette and started filling the kettle.
I gazed out the window for a moment before checking the photos on my phone.
Ruby returned with hot tea and cupcakes, artfully arranged on a platter.
“You have good timing,” she said. “I needed to take a break anyway.” She patted her laptop, which wore a protective cover the same shade of purple as her glasses. “I don’t know about this technology. It used to take much longer to do the bookkeeping the old-fashioned way, with the paper ledgers, but what have we done with the time we’re saving? Pile on more work, that’s what.”
I asked, “What else are you up to on that laptop?”
“More like what am I not up to.” She opened it and turned the screen to face me as she did a run-down of all the social networking sites she was involved with. There were a few I hadn’t even heard of. Ruby was on all of them, posting inspiration photos and style tips. The woman was thirty years older than me and more up-to-date than most people my age.
“Wow,” I said. “You make me feel like a slacker.”
She pursed her full lips. “I seriously doubt that.” She poured two cups of Earl Grey tea. “Well? You didn’t come here for computer tips, so let’s have it.”
I blew over my hot tea and asked, “Who do you use for monitoring your cameras? I’m planning to upgrade the security at the gift shop.”
Her brow wrinkled. “I’ll have to look them up. I can’t remember the name, but I’m sure they’re in the local phone book.”
I nodded, set my tea down, and leaned across the table to show her the picture I’d taken at the pawn shop.
“Ruby, I believe this panther charm is from your store. Murray Michaels was selling some smaller items through a pawn shop in Portland.”
“Yes,” she said heavily. “I figured as much.”
“But you never talked to the police because you don’t have any security footage of him stealing, do you?”
She gave me a guarded look. “What makes you say that?”
“All three of your cameras are dummies. The third one is more convincing than the others, but your employee left a feather from her duster on the lens the last time I was here, and it’s still stuck up there.” She didn’t respond, so I continued, “A lot of retail theft is done by employees, so you lie to your workers, to trick them into thinking they’re being watched.”
“It’s for Hayley’s own good,” she said.
“And what else is for her own good?” I asked. “Why are you being so tough on her?” I waved my hand at the other bistro tables. “And what exactly have you been getting up to back here, anyway? Last time I was here, you kept saying we. Who is this we? Are you going to tell me, or do I have to figure it out the hard way?”
Ruby sighed. “I make young Hayley clean all the display cases, then when she’s not looking, I put fingerprints on from the inside and make her clean again.” She sat up straighter in her chair. “That young woman needs to be in high school. We are in agreement that she needs to quit this job and get her education. We know she’s on the run from something, but that’s no excuse to throw your life away.”
I picked up my tea and waved for her to continue.
“The Secret Tea Room Ladies are a group that meets here,” she said. “We try to set things right, but in an unobtrusive way. If a person needs help but is too proud to ask, we might arrange for a door of opportunity to open at exactly the right moment. People are stubborn. They usually have to believe it’s their own idea.”
“Were you trying to help Mr. Michaels?” I asked.
“Not very well,” she said sadly. “We hadn’t gotten past the evidence-gathering stage. The panther charm was sort of a trap. There are only two of them in existence, and I put one out when he was in the store, hoping he’d take the bait.” She frowned as she gazed at the street beyond the round window. “We wanted to see where the items were going, so we could present everything to the police and then get him some help for his compulsions. One of our ladies has connections to excellent psychiatric support, but of course we couldn’t get him to take it if he wouldn’t admit to having a problem.”
“It sounds like your group does good work,” I said.
“We try,” she said. “We were making progress with Murray and thought we had plenty of time. Then he went and got himself killed. And we don’t have the foggiest idea by whom.”
“No theories?” I asked. “Not even any little suspicions?”
She looked down at the cupcakes. “Nope,” she said, one eye twitching behind her glasses. “Nothing I’d want to concern you with, anyway.”
I touched my finger to the round window. “Is this really soundproof? I’d like to share something with you but just between the two of us.”
Her expression brightened, and she pushed her purple-framed glasses up her nose as she leaned in.
I told her my theory, and when I was done, the look on her face told me everything I needed to know. Well, almost everything.
Chapter 39
I emerged from Ruby’s tea room to find her young employee cleaning the top of a display case furiously, her cheeks red and her forehead shining with sweat.
I leaned over and commented, “Those fingerprints are on the inside.”
“How would they get in there?” she sputtered. She opened the case and cleaned the inside. This time, the fingerprints came off easily. She took a step back and put her hands on her hips, breathing heavily and looking very much like a person on the verge of quitting. Just one more nudge, I thought.
“You and your sister live in my friend Jessica’s building,” I said.
She gave me a sullen look. “Yeah? So?”
“Harper told me why you’re in Misty Falls.”
“Great,” she said sarcastically, every bit the rebellious, moody teenager. I worried that no matter what I said, she was going to find me old and out-of-touch. If Ruby hadn’t been able to crack her, what chance did I have?
Ruby had sent me out with the remainder of the cupcakes in their original box. I set the box on the counter again and opened it.
“These are all yours,” I said.
She muttered a thank-you and shoved one into her mouth.
“Your sister must really care about you,” I said.
Around the mouthful of cake and icing, the girl said, “She wants me to go to school, but high school is boring.”
I picked up the spray bottle. “More boring than wiping fingerprints off stuff all day?”
She frowned. “I dunno.”
“Do you have any hobbies?”
She shrugged.
I kept going, asking, “Do you play any musical instruments?”
“The guitar but not really. I only know five chords.”
“They’ve got a fantastic music program at the high school. I was in the school band, but there are less geeky options, too. We’ve got a lot of talent here in Misty Falls. Maybe you could get yourself into a local band.”
“Really?”
“You might want to learn more than five chords.”
She gave me side-eye. “You’re not just saying that to trick me into going to high school, are you?”
I shrugged. “You got me. The high school pays me a bounty for recruits. Sometimes I drive around neighboring cities in a van covered in candy.” I let my expression turn serious. “You should call the school’s office, or just show up and ask for a tour. I could even go with you, if you’d like. I wouldn�
��t mind saying hello to some of my favorite teachers.”
“Hmm.” She pretended to be more interested in licking the frosting off a cupcake than in what I was saying.
I walked over to the window and made a palm print on the smooth surface. “But I can understand how high school doesn’t measure up to the thrills and chills of wiping fingerprints off these windows.”
I left a dozen more streaky handprints before leaving her to think about what I’d said.
Outside, I turned the corner to find a redhead in a hot pink jacket checking her hair in the round mirror.
Jessica gave me a big smile. “I love that you live here now, and I can just bump into you. What are you up to? You look a bit lost.”
“Lost?” I laughed. “Maybe a little bit.”
She closed the distance between us and linked her arm through mine. “Don’t be lost. Let’s go window shopping. I’m meeting my friend Marcy at the Golden Wok later, but I have the whole day off. Are you free? You’re invited to dinner with us, of course.”
I checked the time. Shopping and eating a big meal were the furthest things from my mind, but it would still be a few hours until I could do what I had planned.
“Sure,” I said. “You can show me the sights. Since I look lost, you can be my tour guide. Pretend I’ve never been here before.”
She tugged on my arm and, without hesitation, began the tour. “Over here is our beautiful Central Park. Some people call it Central Bark, to distinguish it from the one in New York, and also because it’s usually full of dogs, and people in small towns love their puns.”
“Oh, dear,” I said with mock horror. “If I stay here much longer, will I start loving puns?”
“It’s just one of many exciting transformations you can expect. Don’t fight the quaintness, Stormy. Let it steep through you, and everything will be fine.”
Laughing, we crossed the street and made our way toward the park.
For the next few hours, we enjoyed the mild winter day, walking through the park and then shopping along Broad Avenue. We stopped in at Blue Enchantment, where, with Jessica’s squealing encouragement, I bought everything off the mannequin again.
We had a late lunch that turned into an early dinner at the Golden Wok with some other friends of Jessica’s. I could have sworn I wasn’t hungry, but then the sweet and sour chicken balls came to the table, and my mouth actually watered for them. As I stuffed my face and laughed along with the group, I got a warm feeling that spread through my whole body.
Maybe the feeling was contentment.
Or maybe the Golden Wok put booze in my non-alcohol piña colada.
When we parted ways, the droopy winter sun, barely brighter than the moon, was disappearing.
In the expanding darkness, my fear grew, surrounding me in a cloud of whispering doubts.
On the drive toward my destination, I considered calling Tony about a thousand times, but I could hear him mocking my theory, so I didn’t. I thought about calling my father to talk me out of my plan, but then a calmness washed over me.
Sometimes, when you know exactly what you need to do, you can stand still in the eye of the hurricane.
I pulled the car into the driveway of my house.
My new tenant hadn’t stayed late at work. Logan Sanderson was already home, judging by the lights in the windows on his side of the duplex.
With my purse on my shoulder, I stepped out of my car, silently reciting the first part of the prayer I’d heard my father say countless times.
Lord, I ask for courage. Courage to face and conquer my own fears. Courage to take me where others will not go.
I knocked on the door.
Chapter 40
Logan opened the door and did a double-take.
“Surprise,” I said. “It’s me.”
“The cute girl from the vet clinic,” he said. “And then from the Fox and Hound. Thanks for the drink the other night. I would have thanked you at the pub, but you seemed to be having fun with your girlfriends, and I didn’t want to intrude further.” He chuckled and looked down at his feet. “Actually, I did want to intrude, but I figured you’d shoot me down.” He looked up into my eyes. “What brings you to my door?”
I put my hand on my hip. “You don’t know? Aren’t lawyers supposed to be smart?”
“A good lawyer never reveals exactly how much he knows.”
I crossed my arms. “And a good landlady keeps tight tabs on her property and her tenants.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Did my landlady send you over here? I haven’t met her yet, but I hear she’s a little bit kooky.”
“She’s more than just a little bit kooky,” I said. “Also, she’s me. I’m her. I’m Stormy Day.”
I shook his hand as he gave me a convincingly shocked reaction.
“Come on in,” he said, waving for me to enter. “It’s your house, after all.” He stood aside, the door wide open.
I stepped in, clutching my purse strap with both hands to keep them from trembling visibly. My prayer had given me courage everywhere except my hands. I glanced around the room, admiring the furnishings and artwork.
“You’ve decorated the place surprisingly well, all things considered,” I said.
He cut in, “For a bachelor.”
“I meant considering it’s a rental. Most people won’t put in much effort if they don’t own the place.”
He walked over to the kitchen that was a mirror image of my own and started filling a kettle. “Home is like anything else in life,” he said. “You get out what you put in.” He clicked the kettle onto its appliance hub. “Tea? I’d offer you something stronger, but what I’ve got in the cupboard would offend a woman of your fine taste.”
I stayed in place on the mat by the door. “What makes you think I have fine taste?” Nervousness stretched my voice thin, making my words sound more adversarial than I’d intended.
He looked at the wood floor halfway between us and scratched the side of his head. “Let’s start over,” he said.
“How do we do that?” I asked. “I have an excellent memory.”
“You don’t have to forget to forgive,” he said. “Would you consider accepting my apology for the things I said when we first met? I didn’t mean to offend you. I could see you were having a rough day, and all I wanted to do was make you smile. I figured we could share a laugh at the expense of my landlady. It was just my bad luck she was you.” He looked up, his expression sweet enough to make my teeth hurt. “Not that I consider it bad luck anymore. I’m glad I live next door, so that I get more chances to make a better impression.”
“If that’s your apology, I accept it,” I said. “Hang on, that’s my phone buzzing.”
He cupped a hand around his ear. “No, I think that’s my kettle.”
I pulled my phone from my purse and pulled up an old message from Jessica, from the day before.
“Oops,” I said, feigning alarm. “I’ve got to be going.”
He circled around me, getting closer to the door handle. “So soon?”
I held up my phone and snapped a photo of him. The picture application made a clicking shutter sound, and the flash temporarily blinded him.
Logan rubbed his eyes, grumbling, “Who tipped off the paparazzi?”
“Sorry about the flash,” I said. “I needed your picture for my contact list. What’s your phone number? I’m sure it’s on your lease agreement, but you might as well give it to me while I’m here.”
He gave me his number and I punched it in, and then I made sure he had mine.
The kettle came to a boil and whistled.
While he went to the kitchen to shut it off, I said a quick goodbye and let myself out.
Chapter 41
When I got to my father’s house, I rang the doorbell rather than using my key to let myself in.
Pam yanked open the door and scowled at me.
“Oh, good. You’re still up,” I said.
“And I’m busy,” she said.
“I don’t have the time or inclination to entertain Finnegan’s offspring.”
I put my foot in the doorway and peered in. “Busy with what? Cleaning up to throw Dad a welcome-home party?”
Her scowl twisted into something like a grin. “You could say that.” She pointed to a pile of flattened moving boxes leaning against the wall in the hallway. “I’m moving out. Given how things have been lately, that should be all the welcome-home he needs.”
“Oh?” I played dumb. “Where are you going? Moving in with your friend Denise?”
“I don’t know,” she snapped. “I’ve rented a truck, and I think I’ll get in and just start driving. See where the road takes me.”
“Sounds fun,” I said. In Pam’s eyes, under the anger, I could see the heartbreak and forced bravery.
She got a wistful look. “I’ve always loved to travel, but your father never wanted to leave this town. That’s why I’m done with him. Yes. It’s because I need to travel.”
“Pam, I’m sorry it’s ending this way,” I said. “You know I can’t take sides, but, as a woman, I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry.”
As her eyes glistened, an uncomfortable silence stretched out between us. She stepped back from the door and waved me in. I gave her a hug. She pulled away from me quickly, as though repulsed.
I felt a paw on my foot. Jeffrey looked up at me, his green eyes beseeching me to rescue him. I reached down and scooped him into my arms.
“Pam, when you go on your road trip, how about I take care of Jeffrey?”
Her eyes flashed for an instant, and she replied, “He’d love that. You’re young and energetic, and you spoil him with too much fatty food and letting him do whatever he wants.”
I winced inwardly as I bit my tongue. Jeffrey liked me better because I spoke nicely to him and fed him regularly.
“I’ve never been a cat owner,” I said. “You could give me some tips.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said. “Why are you here? Did you forget something?”
“Not exactly,” I said, setting down Jeffrey and kicking off my boots on the hallway mat. “I suppose I should come clean. I’ve been investigating what happened to Murray Michaels, and I’ve located some facts the police aren’t aware of yet. I was hoping to run some theories past you.” I coughed dryly and fanned my face. “Wow, my throat is sore. Do you think we could have some tea?”