by Linda Wiken
“Okay, that would be great. We’ll talk tomorrow but let me know if you want a game of squash or racquetball after you finish that.” Not likely on my part.
J.J. was pleased to hear Alison chuckle. She knew J.J. so well.
*
• • •
J.J. spotted Alison sitting on the floor the minute she reached the second floor of her apartment building. She walked a bit faster toward her apartment, Devine right on her heels.
“What’s wrong? Has anything happened? Did you find something in the storage room?” J.J. asked, concerned since it was highly unusual for Alison to camp outside her door waiting for her. And, of course, J.J. was prepped to think the worst of anything that might happen these days.
“No, I don’t have any of James’s paperwork. I couldn’t find a single thing and it’s so frustrating. But I’m getting very antsy sitting around my house with my bipolar aunt.” She held up her hand to stop J.J. asking. “She isn’t really clinically bipolar; it’s just that sometimes she’s trying really hard to give me a pep talk and at other times she’s moping around like the end of the world is near. I just had to get out and start doing something. As much as I trust Hashtag and the others, I need to get more hands-on with the case.”
“That’s the Alison we all know and love,” J.J. said, feeling relieved. She ushered both her guests inside. Devine just raised his eyebrows and sat down at one end of the love seat. J.J. sighed. So much for anything romantic happening. Oh well, it was good to see Alison get into this.
J.J. waited until Alison had sat on one of the chairs, then held up a bottle of merlot. “Can I interest anyone?”
They both nodded so she filled the glasses and passed them out, then sat on the love seat, half facing Alison.
“Have there been any new developments?” Devine asked, moving a bit closer to J.J. once she’d sat down on the love seat, too.
She felt a slight flutter of her heart. Not now. The quick smile on Alison’s face showed that she had noticed it, even in her distracted state. Oh boy.
“Yes, inquiring minds need to know,” J.J. added, clearing her throat. “Are the police sharing anything with you?”
“Only that they’re running out of leads when it comes to finding a killer who has it in for me but who also knew about James. I tried to keep my private life just so, which is why I kept my maiden name. And neither James nor I is listed in the phone book. It’s also the same reason I don’t do Facebook or any of those things.”
“Where were you married? Was there a guest whom you didn’t know? Maybe someone James had invited?” J.J. looked from Alison to Devine.
“And that person eventually became a killer?”
“Something like that.”
Alison shook her head. “We had a small family ceremony with just my aunt, uncle, and one of my cousins present. There was no one from James’s side. He said there was no one left and he didn’t invite any friends.” She looked forlorn for just a few seconds before shifting to sitting upright. “The justice of the peace came to my aunt and uncle’s house in Middlebury. James had actually wanted us to go down to city hall and have a civil ceremony but I knew that would really hurt my aunt. So, he eventually agreed. Pam was appalled at first. The family hadn’t even met him. But James smooth-talked her onto our side. He was good at that.” She didn’t quite succeed at smiling. “I guess I can understand how he found himself another wife.”
“But he wasn’t always that way, was he?” The question slipped out before J.J. had time to think about it. She’d remembered Beth saying she had the impression that James hadn’t treated Alison very nicely on occasion, and that that may have contributed to the separation.
Alison glanced sharply at J.J.
“I mean, if he was one of the really good guys, why aren’t you still together?” J.J. barreled ahead. Might as well get it all said. “I can’t believe you’re the bad person in all this.”
Alison’s smile was rueful. She shook her head. “There wasn’t really a bad guy, just people changing over time.”
But you’d known him less than two years.
“I guess we didn’t really know each other all that well, and when we started living together, we also started getting on each other’s nerves. And then, either because of or despite our crazy shifts, more and more of the time we spent together was spent arguing. I think that made James feel guilty and he became even more short-tempered. It sure as heck made me so, and that made me even pricklier. Does that make any sense?”
“I suppose.”
“I’ve had a long time to think about it, especially since the divorce was dragging on, and I truly believe that’s what happened. At least, I did until I learned that he’d married Jessica only a year after our wedding.”
“So why was it taking so long to finalize the divorce?” Devine asked. “You’d think with a new wife he’d want to get his old life straightened out. You mentioned the mortgage?”
Alison shrugged. “James was hard to pin down. That’s just one of the things he’d said. He also told me he needed to deal with some personal things, which drove my cousin, who’s a lawyer, up the wall. My cousin kept at me to at least get a legal separation, for my own protection. But James convinced me he wouldn’t do anything to cheat me. I guess it was just easier to believe him. And look where that led me.”
“And what are you left with? What about the house?” Devine kept on track.
“It’s in both our names. I thought maybe he’d buy me out and I’d go back to living in an apartment. Although I’m also happy living there. That seems funny, I’m sure, since it was the marital home, but it has become home to me.” She sighed. “I guess I’ll find out what happens to it tomorrow.”
“It’s not funny,” J.J. said. Sad, though.
“Do you know if he had any outstanding debts?”
She shook her head. “He was a very private person. He didn’t talk finances very often, and when he did, it was mainly to check if he needed to transfer any funds into the household account. I guess we’ll find that out after the will is read tomorrow and notices to creditors are posted and all that stuff.”
Devine sat looking at her for a few moments before asking, “Of course, you’ve gone over all of this, haven’t you?”
Alison nodded. “I’ve been forced to look at the marriage from the outside and it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I’d think his wife was one naïve chick, if I were asked. And, I guess I am.”
“And money wasn’t a problem.”
“It didn’t appear to be. I never saw a bank statement and we didn’t sit down and budget or anything. I know, pretty dumb. I never asked and all he said that I can remember is that he was from poor beginnings. We often went out for dinner, when we weren’t working, and we honeymooned in Aruba. He didn’t seem concerned about price tags. I just assumed he’d done a lot of saving once he had a decent job.”
“Where do you think he spent his time?” Devine asked. “You must have some gut feeling.”
“I thought he was working hard for our future.”
CHAPTER 14
J.J. lay awake in bed for several hours going over in her mind what Alison had shared with them. Although they hadn’t reached any conclusions, Alison had seemed more at ease when she’d finally left. And Devine had gone shortly after. Another thwarted evening together. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
How could she switch from one topic to another so quickly?
She pictured herself chasing down some leads for Alison, only to run smack into Devine, who forced her to choose between sleuthing and him. She took too long to answer and he strode off. And, even though she chased after him, he kept on walking.
And then, it was morning.
Indie beat her into the kitchen and kept wrapping his way around her legs as she filled his food dishes.
What had James been up to?
She changed the water in Indie’s dish, then took his brush out of the drawer, ready to give him a quick grooming when
he had finished eating. She made herself an espresso and sat staring out the window while drinking it.
As she brushed Indie, she wondered where the motive lay. If it wasn’t someone out to get Alison, then was Alison a diversion from the killer who might otherwise be an obvious choice? But there were so many unknown factors in James’s life, how could they find that person?
The phone rang, startling J.J. and almost making her spill her espresso. She was relieved to hear Devine’s voice.
“I’ve found his grandfather’s name.”
“Is it someone who’s famous and rich? I’ve imagined that’s where his lack of concern about money came from.”
She could almost hear Devine shaking his head. “Not famous but rich enough. His dad was a car mechanic at a local corner garage and his mom did some house cleaning apparently, surprising, since she came from a very wealthy family although she’d become estranged from them when she married. When his parents died, James went to live with his grandfather, Rudolph Sheridan, his mother’s father. Remember, I said there was wealth. He’d made a pile of money in the forest industry before retiring and moving to Shelburne, where he bought a very old, very pricey mansion. He died ten years ago and left it all to James, who then sold the house and invested all the money.”
“Wow. So, James didn’t really have to work, after all.”
“So it would appear.”
“Do you think his background could be a key to his murder?”
“That’s a question worth asking.”
“And what is the method for finding that answer?”
She could hear the chuckle in Devine’s voice. “Meet me for dinner and we’ll talk about it.”
“I’m sorry but I’m busy tonight. How about lunch?”
“I have a working lunch. What’s on tonight?”
Uh-oh. “I already am going out to dinner. How about coffee right now?”
“Not going to happen. I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”
J.J. thought about the abrupt ending to their call. Had he guessed her dinner was with another man? Was he upset by the thought? She smiled. It wouldn’t hurt him to up his game a bit.
The thing was, she did want to find out more about James’s background. She kept thinking about it as she enjoyed a second espresso. Was the answer with Jessica? Did he confide in her a lot more than he had in Alison? Did Brad know more about their life and marriage than he was letting on? He seemed very close to his sister. Surely, he had some idea of what their marriage was like. She’d have to be careful how she handled trying to get information out of him at dinner. Of course, she could also just stop by and see Jessica. After she put in a productive workday.
She quickly finished getting ready and drove to the office, not stopping for her usual morning latte. She’d get her work done then grab her treat on the way to Rouses Point. No, bad idea. No Jessica today.
She waved at Skye, who had the phone tucked between her ear and shoulder and was busily typing away at the keyboard. After grabbing a Keurig dark coffee brew, J.J. turned on her own computer. She closed her eyes and tried to picture the perfect wedding. It wasn’t too difficult. She’d given it some thought as a love-struck teenager, although these days, she was in no hurry to resurrect the plans, not after what had happened with her ex-fiancé, Patrick. But her vision wasn’t the same as Trish Tesher’s. There was just no way under the sun that she could connect with the hundreds of photos Trish had found online of what she wanted for her ideal wedding.
But, as J.J. reminded herself, she didn’t need to feel it in order to produce it. She was a professional, after all, and her job was to create Trish’s dream. Take a deep breath, J.J., and get on with it.
She wasn’t sure what had brought about this reluctance to take over the wedding plans. It might be, in part, because under no circumstances could she picture being friends with Trish. However, it was a job, not a sorority bonding. Just look at the photos, pick and choose, show and tell, and start ordering before it was too late.
She clicked on the collection of table decorations. None of them simple and classy, and this was a gal from a moneyed background. Somehow the good-taste portion of her upbringing had been missed. Maybe J.J. was being too harsh; after all, Trish had grown up in the age of smiley faces and emoticons. It could be similar to a Barbie wedding with lots of pouf and hair, if that had been her doll of choice growing up.
At least the colors for the reception had already been chosen—pale pink tablecloths with fuchsia serviettes and white tulle bows everywhere from the backs of the chairs to the corners of the tables to the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
After an hour of playing with a mock-up of the head table using everything from a silver swan with pink and white roses strewn about it to a candelabra with the roses artfully arranged around each candle, J.J. finally chose the combination to recommend. She thought the single tall glass rose with shorter live roses—pink and white, of course—surrounding it in a glass vase would work and at least the roses would stay fresh for the entire evening.
Next came the centerpieces for each table along with deciding if the gift for the guests, a small silver box containing a miniature frame with the happy couple’s photo in it, should be placed near the top of the plates or at the side next to the silverware.
She included the ideas along with a design for the flowers on the small stage where the DJ would be working, and e-mailed it all to Trish. J.J. wanted her to have a chance to rant in private about the suggestions and maybe be willing to discuss it all quite civilly when they next talked.
She sighed and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. This wasn’t something she wanted to be doing.
“What’s up?” Skye asked.
“Just hoping for a renewal of inspiration and determination,” J.J. answered, not turning her head. She hoped she wasn’t about to get a lecture.
Skye nodded. “I hear you. By the way, how’s your mom these days?”
J.J. looked at her, wondering where this was going. “Uh, she seems fine. You mean, after she didn’t get the job running the real estate branch here in town?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I think she’s secretly pleased it fell through. I mean, this way she didn’t have to make a choice between living in Burlington and commuting home to Montpelier on weekends and turning down the job. I know my dad’s relieved, although neither of them talks about it. I probably overreacted, as my brother likes to point out. Dad is often in his own world when he’s finishing a piece of artwork, especially if it’s a commission. He may not even have noticed Mom not being around on weekdays. Last time I went home for a weekend, they seemed more attentive to each other and, although I could be kidding myself, happier.”
“That’s great, J.J. I know you’re a close-knit family. It was difficult for you to reconcile her living in another city, even part-time.”
“You’re so right. But, you know, that’s also exactly what I told you last time you asked, just after my weekend at home. What’s up, Skye?”
Skye shifted her gaze from J.J. to the ceiling. “My mom. She’s coming here. That was her on the phone, long distance from Paris.”
“Portia’s coming here? That’s exciting. Isn’t it?”
“It should be but I haven’t told her I’m moving in with Nick. In fact, there’s a lot I haven’t told her.”
“She does know about Nick?”
“Uh, not really. Well, she knows we’ve dated but not how serious it is. She just never has the time for a real conversation. She’s always on the way out the door or waiting for guests to arrive. You know what a social butterfly she is.”
Uh-oh. There was more to this than Skye seemed willing to share. J.J. decided not to push her, knowing Skye would tell her all, or as much as she wanted to, in her own time. She pictured the glamorous Portia, enjoying the role of wealthy widow for fifteen years now. Her adventures sounded exciting to J.J. but she hadn’t thought about what it must be like for Skye, the daughter who
had more or less been on her own since high school. J.J. was so glad that Skye had Nick in her life now. Surely, Portia would feel the same.
J.J. would keep those thoughts to herself, though, until Skye brought up the topic again.
*
• • •
J.J. spotted Brad sitting at a table by the window in the Shallows Bar and Grill as she crossed the street. She felt a little buzz of excitement. He was awfully good-looking, and even if she didn’t get any useful information out of him, who knows where else this might lead? On the other hand, she had to admit, it wasn’t as if she was actively looking for a relationship. There was Devine. Or was there?
Brad stood as she approached the table, a wide smile on his face. “It’s really good to see you again, J.J. I was worried this might not happen.”
He gave her a quick hug.
That was unexpected but very nice.
He waited until she was seated before doing so himself. Full marks for politeness.
“I’m pleased we’re doing this,” Brad said, giving her his full attention.
Does he know what effect he has on women?
“I didn’t want to come on too strong,” he continued, “especially since you’re Alison’s friend, and there’s so much more going on right now. I also didn’t want you to think that the only reason I’m asking you out is to get information about Alison.”
Like I’m doing about Jessica.
“That hadn’t crossed my mind.” J.J. said what she thought she should say. “Really. Although there’s no way we can go out and avoid that topic all evening, is there?”
He looked a bit surprised then shook his head.
“How is Jessica?” She put her hands up as if to forestall his comment. “I’m just asking, that’s all.”
Brad’s shoulders relaxed and he grinned sheepishly. “She’s fine, thanks. Have you gotten any information about the will yet?”
“No. I haven’t spoken to Alison all day.” Which is odd.