“Come on, Rita,” she answered. “You’re not exactly new here anymore. Everyone knows how you like to get yourself involved in this kind of stuff.” She shook her head. “And now that’s it’s found its way to you, are you seriously going to tell me you’re not investigating this even a little?”
Well, she had me there. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the case since last night, and I had no intention of letting any of it go. If I didn’t have to waste my time here competing in the dog show, I’d be out there figuring this out right now.
“No comment,” I said, a smile on my face as well. “It was kind of you not to press charges against Wanda last night. I think it was the right decision.”
“So do I,” Peggy said, though her focus was almost entirely on making sure the pies were in the right position. “That poor woman has been through enough. I don’t need to add to it. Trust me, I know a thing or two about losing someone close to you and, if I thought there was something inside that shop that might be able to protect my loved one’s reputation, I’d have turned over every table in that place.”
A familiar sense of warmth and guilt poured into me. She was talking about me, of course. The old me anyway. Even now, the loss she felt was so strong, so present, that I was the first thing she thought about when the subject of loss came up.
“I just wish I could bring her some peace,” I said, stepping backward and allowing Peggy to go to town with the decorations.
The entire table was decked out in black and orange for Halloween, she’d even managed to squeeze in a sign letting everyone know about the Halloween party that would be happening at the pie shop in two days. I was afraid that, after Wanda broke in, Peggy might want to push the party back or cancel it outright. Peggy was nothing if not persistently optimistic and a businesswoman. She knew the party would do a lot to help the shop, but she also knew that after what happened to Lionel, it would do a lot to lift the spirits of the town too. She wasn’t going to take that away from them.
“I’m sure you will,” Peggy said, looking at the placement of the coconut cream and deciding it was too close to the front. “Unless, of course, Darrin and that stupidly gorgeous woman beat you to it.”
Her eyes drifted across the table to the far end of the floor. The place was filling up quickly. The competition would start in an hour and, with all the fanfare going on, I was pretty sure the entire town would be here.
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Darrin and Angie McConnell would be among them.
I followed Peggy’s glance and saw the two of them walking into the room. My heart leapt a bit. She was still hiding something, and we still had no idea what it was. I met Darrin’s eyes, and he held them on me for just an instant before looking away. It wasn’t much, just enough to let me know he was still with me, but not so much to give Angie any idea that he and I were working together on this.
She’d have definitely heard about what happened last night, and that might get her looking even closer at us.
“She’s just too perfect, isn’t she?” Peggy said, looking at me and shaking her head. “Don’t worry though. I don’t think he likes her like that.”
Heat rose in my face, and I knew that this newly pale skin would blush because of it.
“What?” I said, pursing my lips and rolling my eyes. ‘Why on earth would I care about something like that? I mean, come on, Darrin is his own guy. If he has the unfortunate taste to get involved with someone as snooty and nasty as Angie McConnell, then that's on him.”
My tone was a lot more assured than the voice inside my head. Darrin might have been his own guy, but surely he couldn’t be cliché enough to fall for his beautiful and snooty ex-partner. I wanted to think more of him than that and, what was more, the idea of him being with her made my chest feel heavy.
“And that wouldn’t bother you at all?” Peggy asked, arching her eyebrows at me.
“I don't see why it would,” I answered a bit too quickly, trying to keep that heaviness out of my voice. “He’s not anything to me.”
You, Rita Redoux, are a liar.
“Good,” Peggy said. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“You are?” I asked, looking over at her. “Why would you be glad to hear that?”
“Because I invited someone to come and cheer you on,” Peggy answered, and I recognized the naughtiness in her voice. “I figured you needed a fan section, and I can’t think of a bigger fan.”
“Who?” I asked. ‘Who did you invite?” I swallowed hard, my mind spinning with possibilities.
“Hey Rita,” a familiar voice said from behind me.
I spun to find Sammie standing there. He was dressed in street clothes, free of his standard uniform, and his hair was brushed down lazily in his eyes, making him look even younger than he had before. “Good to see you again.”
“He’s cute,” Peggy said, whispering into my ear. She nudged me with her shoulder. “You’re welcome.”
I looked over at her. I didn't feel like I should say thank you though. I just felt like this was an added complication, and not a very welcome one at that.
With that, she started back to the truck to grab another stack of pie boxes.
“Sammie,” I said, swallowing hard. “How are you?”
“Better now that I’ve seen you,” he said, smiling at me, a blush of his own rising in his cheeks. “I wish you would have told me what happened last night. I thought it was a little weird that I had to hear it from Peggy.”
Guilt pushed up inside of me, and I shuffled a little where I stood.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said. “I didn’t want you to worry.”
That wasn’t exactly true. In truth, it never occurred to me to call Sammie and let him know what happened.
“I know you’re invested in this investigation, and I should have kept you updated,” I said.
“I don’t care about the investigation,” he answered, nodding firmly. “I mean, I do. It’s always important to get to the truth, but I was talking about you. You could have gotten hurt last night, and I wouldn’t have been there to help you. You would have been all alone.”
“I wasn’t alone. Darrin was with me,” I answered before thinking.
I saw a flash of hurt run through Sammie’s eyes and instantly wished I could take back what I’d said, even though I didn’t mean anything by it.
“Oh,” he said, looking down at his belt buckle. “I thought you couldn’t trust him on this. I thought you and he were on opposite ends of things.”
“That changed,” I admitted, sighing and biting my lower lip.
“Why?” he asked, looking up at me.
“I can't tell you that, Sammie,” I said, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry.”
“No,” he said. “Don’t be sorry. This is what you wanted, right? To be on the frontlines of this, to have access to everything the sheriff does.” His eyes traveled back to his belt. “To be with him.”
“Sammie,” I said, walking toward him.
“It’s okay,” he said, looking up at me and backing up. “You’re not the first girl to blow me off. Don’t worry. I’m pretty used to it by now.” He shook his head. “It’s my own fault, really? I should have known when I couldn’t get you to answer the phone, or when you took me to a crime scene for our first date.”
“You said you liked that,” I answered, my heart sinking a bit along with his face.
“I did,” he admitted. “When I thought it was for me. When I thought it was something you wanted to do with me.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “My best friend dates Emma Blanchard, the girl who runs the register down at the lumberyard in town. He says she says you and the sheriff are as thick as thieves. She says the two of you are always investigating things and having a good old time doing it.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a good time,” I answered, trying to sound both kind and reverent at the same time. “I mean, they’re still crimes, after all.”
“That’s not the p
oint, Rita,” he said. “It’s not even close to the point. The thing is, when he told me that, it all made sense. The reason you didn’t want to answer my calls or go out with me on a real date is because you don’t want to go out with me at all. I came down here, hoping I was wrong and you’d at least be happy to see me.” He gave me the saddest half smile I’d ever seen in life, and I felt like the smallest person in the entire world. Sammie had a heart the size of an eighteen wheeler and he lived his entire life with that great big, beautiful heart on his sleeve. Who was I to crush it? No one, that’s who. Of course, that didn’t stop me. “I was just a stand in and, now that you have the real thing back, you don’t need me anymore.”
“Sammie, I don’t know what to say,” I admitted, feeling guilty tears sting behind my eyes.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he answered with a shrug. “I hope you win.”
He turned and started walking away.
“Sammie,” I said, causing him to pause and turn around. “You were wrong, you know. I am happy to see you.”
“Good luck, Rita,” he said, turning again.
This time, I knew I couldn’t stop him.
21
The annex filled up quickly after Sammie left. I reset the table Peggy had decorated and then reset it again, trying to keep my mind clear of the funk it had sunk in after I watched Sammie walk out.
I felt horrible about everything. Though I hadn’t set out to hurt anybody, especially someone as innocent and kind as Sammie, it seemed to happen anyway. Perhaps I had been too callous. Maybe I shouldn’t have pulled him into all of this.
I knew how he felt about me, how interested he was in going out. Also, I knew that my interest wasn’t quite as strong. That was the thing though. Maybe it should have been. He was a good guy. He was exactly the sort of person I should be dating, but was I ready?
Sure, Aiden had moved on. For all intents and purposes, I should do the same. Things weren’t the same for me. Aiden had over two years to process his feelings of loss and heartbreak. It had been an instant for me.
One moment, I was lying at the bottom of those steps, covered in pie and making a wish on a shooting star. The next I was standing a few miles outside of Second Springs in a brand new body with a brand new mission.
My heart was the same though. I still loved the people I’d left behind. I wanted to be a daughter to my father. I wanted to be Peggy’s best friend, the person who could finish her sentences. I also wanted to be Aiden’s wife. I had made myself ready for that life change. I was looking forward to the two of us starting our lives together.
I couldn’t be any of those things now and, as hard as it was for me to admit, I still wasn’t completely able to let it go.
Maybe that was my issue. Maybe that was why I’d let Sammie walk away. Maybe it was a mistake though. Maybe I’d be stuck in the moment of my death for the rest of my second life.
If the whole world moved on without me, what was the point of me coming back in the first place?
I heard a pattering of paws behind me, which wasn’t out of the ordinary. Dogs had been sauntering into this place for nearly an hour now. They were all dressed up and primped, ready for their close-ups and whatnot.
My father still hadn’t brought Mayor McConnell here, and that was a good thing as far as I was concerned. I couldn’t imagine what these prim and proper people would think of my less than prepared Irish Setter.
They almost certainly thought less of me. I wasn’t prepared for this, and I had bypassed an entire leg or two of competition. It was like getting two-thirds up Mt. Everest and finding a person sitting there with an Uber.
Still, I heard the pattering stop behind me and imagined it was my dad and dog.
Turning, I saw how wrong I was.
Myra Plimpton and Harold Hilbrook stood in front of me. She wore a black and white dress with a matching hat and striped gloves. Even the lipstick she wore was black, which looked better on her than it had any right to.
Harold was dressed much more brightly, in a quasi-Hawaiian shirt with popping colors, pineapples, and flowers all over the shirt. His tie was a similar color though, instead of island flair, it was studded with the image of pugs.
At Myra’s feet was the most beautiful golden retriever I had ever laid eyes on. Like Mayor McConnell, the dog didn’t seem very interested in me, his snout pointed up and away and his eyes scanning the area.
I wonder who he used to be in a different life.
“What a delightfully delectable display of delicacies,” Harold said, looking past me to the table of sweets.
“Yeah,” I said, brushing hair out of my face and smiling. “Peggy did a really good job.”
“As I’m sure you did,” he said. “Which is doubly impressive given the side project you’ve been working on.”
“Side project?” I asked, my heart skipping a beat as I shuffled. Was he in contact with Dr. Appleton? Did he know the real reason I was involved in this dog show in the first place?
If so, the doctor hadn’t mentioned it to me.
“Don’t be silly, Harold,” Myra said, looking me up and down with pursed, black painted lips. “Rita has barely had to lift a finger to secure a spot in the finals.” She grinned at me. “Must be nice.”
“It was definitely a surprise,” I answered, standing my ground.
“For all of us,” she answered. Looking over at Harold, she said, “Why don’t you run along and get yourself set up, dear? You need to be prepared, after all.”
Harold obviously didn’t expect to be dismissed, because he looked at her, then at me, and then back at her.
“Of course,” he finally said. He reached past me and grabbed a pre-sliced section of chocolate mint surprise. “After I snatch up a slice of what seems to be a sincerely sensational surprise, and sneak out for a smoke break.” He smiled at me. “I know it’s bad. I’ve been trying to quit, but I just can’t seem to kick the habit.”
“Right,” I answered, watching his eyes light up as he walked away with the pie.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Myra’s expression changed, her air of superiority dropping altogether.
The retriever, perhaps sensing the change, stood on his hind legs.
“Down Goldie,” she said simply. The dog did as she said without even an instant to consider.
Okay. So I was definitely going to lose this thing bad.
“What did you find?” Myra asked, looking me over with arched brows.
“In terms of…”
“In terms of the heightened risk for global warming,” she blustered sarcastically, shaking her head. “In terms of the man who threatened my life. What do you think I was talking about?” She grabbed my arm. “Dr. Appleton told me you were the person to come to. He assured me you were already on the case.” I swallowed hard. Though I had been aware the doctor had spoken to Myra, I wasn’t sure how big of a pedestal he’d put me on. Turns out it was very high, and the old adage about things very high and people falling hard came to mind. I shook it off, deciding instead to focus on what I could do about things now.
“I think the police-”
“Have the police ever been useful, Rita?” She shook her head. “I don’t take threats lightly, Ms. Redoux. I had hoped you might understand that, that you might be able to do all the things I had heard you would.” A blush of guilt and a feeling of uselessness filled me. She pulled me closer. “I know the Covington family, Ms. Redoux. I knew Chloe’s mother, and I can tell you the woman would have been thrilled to see you free her daughter from the clutches of her money hungry father. That man was never one to count on.”
She looked past me.
“There’s a woman behind you. Her name is Nancy Plumber.” Her face twisted downward in disgust. “New money. Her grandfather was an actual plumber, if you can believe that.”
Instinctively, I turned my head, but she tightened her grip on my arm, stealing my attention back.
“Don’t look at her. Lionel was under her emp
loy, Ms. Redoux. After his death, after she was forced to use a last minute handler, her chances of beating me whittled down to nothing. Which is fitting, if you ask me. A last minute handler for a last minute socialite.”
“You think she’s the person responsible for threatening you?” I asked, piecing Myra’s unsaid words together and realizing they made as much sense as anything else did around here.
“She’s definitely the person with the most to gain,” Myra said. “I know the person threatening me had a male voice, but she could have hired someone with all that new money.”
“You’re forgetting one thing, Myra,” I said, shaking my head. “If Nancy Plumber would go through the trouble of threatening you just to win a competition, then why would she have forced Lionel off the building in the first place?”
“Maybe she didn’t,” Myra said. “Maybe it’s not connected at all. Maybe that man did throw himself off that building. I heard he was having financial troubles, and it’s not like his wife was easy to live with.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m surprised he didn’t leave her years ago. In any event, Nancy is the woman you need to look into. Find proof she threatened me and have her disqualified.”
I pulled away, narrowing my eyes as I looked at Myra.
“This is about a competition for you? Myra, someone died. A man was killed, and a woman was widowed.”
Her eyes went wide. “And I was threatened. You’d do well not to forget that.” She shook her head. “Dr. Appleton ensured me you were on my side. He said you wanted to uncover the truth.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” I answered, finally turning and taking a look at the ‘Nancy’ in question.
She was a short woman, maybe four feet five inches in heels. She had a smile on her face that could have lit a candle if it was pointed close enough, and she was waving to a group of children who were already seated and waiting for the show to start.
The threatening type, she did not seem to be.
“Don’t let that exterior fool you,” Myra said, anger obvious in her voice. “I’ve known women like her my entire life, women who didn’t earn their way into these circles. They’re always trouble.”
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