“You told one of my friends that you couldn’t see her, either. It just so happens that she is a woman.”
“That’s just a coincidence. I can’t help it that my calendar is booked solid.”
“You keep saying that. Only a male patient called your office to book an appointment just yesterday and had no problem being added to your calendar. What do you make of that?”
He shrugged. “Maybe there was a last-minute cancellation. All I know is that for the foreseeable future, my calendar is completely booked.”
I stared deep into his eyes. “Do you currently have any female patients?”
“I already told you that I don’t discuss my patient list with anyone. Now I really need to be getting back to work. Good-bye.”
Gregory walked away at a good clip.
I would have followed him, but it wouldn’t do me any good. Instead, I counted my blessings that I was able to get as much information out of him as I had, even if I still had more questions about him than answers.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Later that day, I headed over to a place where I knew I would be greeted with open arms. I drove to Redwood Street, where Shannon’s sandwich shop was located. Not only was the company great there, but so was the food. I was proud to say that my friend’s shop made the best sandwiches in all of Treasure Cove. Luckily, the lunch crowd had come and gone, so the place wasn’t jammed.
I was barely able to make it through the front door when Shannon spotted me and immediately made a comment about the discouraged expression that was on my face.
“You look like you’ve had a rough day,” Sharon said.
As I approached the front counter of the shop, I saw a tired look in my friend’s eyes. “Right back at you.”
Shannon exhaled. “Guilty as charged. It has been a beast of a day.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.
Shannon’s eyes widened. “Thankfully, there’s a solution to whisk away the blues.”
“I think it’s a little too early for a cocktail,” I joked.
“I was talking about a grilled cheese.”
My mouth began to water. “You sure know how to make my taste buds happy.”
Shannon used a spatula to plate a grilled cheese that she had been making. She then took a bite of the sandwich. “Actually, this grilled cheese for me, but I could make you one, too.”
I nodded. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
Shannon took another bite of her sandwich. She seemed to be in no hurry to fire up another grilled cheese. “I guess it wouldn’t be that much trouble.”
Her lackadaisical reply made me laugh.
“Don’t strain yourself,” I joked.
She gave me wry smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t. I have already done too much of that today.”
Despite her lack of enthusiasm, she got the bread, butter, and cheese ready, put my sandwich together, and placed it on the grill.
“Today must have been a bigger bear that you even let on,” I said.
“Oh yeah. A grizzly bear with big claws and an insatiable appetite. Why do you think I’m eating on the job?”
“Want to talk about it?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’d rather just enjoy my sandwich.”
I spotted a bouquet of flowers that were in a glass vase behind the counter. “At least you have some beautiful flowers to keep you company.”
Shannon turned around and glanced at the bouquet. “Right. Those.”
Her lack of enthusiasm really stood out to me.
“Don’t get too excited,” I joked.
“I don’t want to sound unappreciative. After all, you know how much I love roses—”
“Let me guess. You’re too caught up in the thorns of life to be able to stop and smell the roses right now?”
“Something like that.”
I folded my arms. “That’s it. No more vagaries. I’m not leaving here until you tell me what’s going on.”
Shannon reached down and pulled out a box of chocolates that she had been keeping under the counter. “Today I have learned that you can have too much of a good thing.”
My eyes widened. “Wait a minute. You got flowers and chocolates on the same day? What’s the special occasion?”
“I guess it’s just my lucky day,” Shannon deadpanned.
“I don’t think I have ever seen someone look less excited to receive roses and chocolates.”
“Like I said, I don’t want to sound unappreciative. I mean, this time last year, I would have been blown away if I had gotten flowers or chocolates from a man, much less both.”
“And now?”
“I got flowers from one man and chocolates from another.”
I grimaced. “The dreaded love triangle strikes again.”
Shannon groaned. “Who knew math would come back to haunt me after all these years?”
“Trigonometry is vengeful like that,” I joked.
Shannon sighed.
“Sorry. I couldn’t think of a better math joke.”
“This situation isn’t your fault,” she replied. “It’s just something that came out of nowhere. The crazy thing is, the day started off well enough. Shortly after I opened, Joe brought in this box of chocolates. Talk about sweet, huh?”
“No pun intended,” I joked.
“Pun very much intended. These chocolates were so delicious.”
My forehead wrinkled. “Were?”
Shannon opened the box. Surprisingly, it was empty.
“You ate the whole box?” I asked.
She blushed. “I didn’t mean to. But like I said, it has been a beast of a day.”
I chuckled. “I’ll say. What about the flowers?”
“Gavin came in with the bouquet a few hours after Joe left.”
“How about you? Have you decided which guy you’re going to pick?”
“I polished off the whole box of chocolates trying to figure that one out.”
“And?”
“Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that there isn’t another box of chocolates around here, or I would make quick work of that one, too.”
“How are the guys handling your indecision?” I asked.
“They aren’t exactly thrilled,” she replied.
“I’ll bet.”
“Honestly, they are getting downright impatient,” Shannon said.
I grimaced.
“I don’t blame them,” Shannon added. “I wouldn’t want to be strung along. Yet that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“Is there one that you are leaning toward more than the other?”
“I have been leaning toward Joe.”
“So what’s holding you back?”
“I keep thinking about what the psychic told me. That I would choose the wrong guy.”
“Do you think Joe is the wrong guy?”
She shook her head. “No. I think he’s the right guy.”
“Then go with him.”
“But what about what Miss Terri said? If I go by her logic, then Gavin should be my choice.”
I bit the corner of my lip. “Not necessarily.”
Shannon scrunched her nose. “What are you talking about?”
“Have you always leaned toward Joe?”
She shook her head. “No. For a while, I was leaning toward Gavin.”
“Was this before you went and saw Miss Terri?”
“Yeah. Why?”
I squinted. “Just hear me out, all right?”
“I’m all ears,” she replied.
“What if Miss Terri could sense that you were leaning toward Gavin when you showed up that night to get your reading?” I asked.
“Okay.”
“And what if Gavin truly is the wrong guy for you?”
“All right.”
“So by telling you that you were going to choose the wrong guy, Miss Terri’s words made you think about picking Joe instead.”
Shannon’s face strained. “That’s
possible.”
“Do you have a better explanation?” I asked.
“No. But I do have plenty of doubt.” She got a faraway look in her eyes. “I just keep worrying. What if it’s my destiny to choose the wrong guy, no matter what?”
“Don’t think like that.”
“How can I not? She told me I would pick the wrong guy.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have gone to see her.”
“I have been thinking that, too. I mean, the only reason I went to her was to get answers. Instead, I only have more questions.”
“Why don’t you just follow your gut?”
Her face contorted. “But what about Miss Terri’s prediction?”
“Shannon, are you really going to put all your faith in the words of a psychic?”
“She wasn’t just any psychic. I mean, look what she told you. Do you think she was right about your sister?”
I stared out into the distance. “Yes. I do believe Jessica will be found one day.”
“If Miss Terri was right about Jessica, why wouldn’t she be right about me?”
I remained quiet.
“Exactly,” Shannon said.
I took a deep breath. “This is a tough one.”
Shannon leaned on the counter and stared at me with a look of desperation in her eyes. “Sabrina, you have amazing instincts. What are they telling you?”
“That I need to find a way to solve this case,” I said.
Shannon’s nose scrunched. “I meant about my situation.”
“I’m sorry. I’m having a little trouble with my instincts right now.”
Shannon stared at the ground. “That’s a shame.”
“Tell me about it,” I said. “I thought I would have solved this case by now. And if my instincts were a little sharper, maybe I would have.”
“So this case has been a bear, then?”
I nodded. “A grizzly bear that has been mauling me with its razor-sharp claws.”
She gave me a wry smile. “That sounds familiar.”
“What can I say? There’s a lot of bearish behavior going on,” I deadpanned.
“You’ll figure out the answers. I know you will.”
“Right back at you,” I said.
“I hope so. All I know is that I need to make a decision soon. I can only keep Joe and Gavin waiting so long.”
I nodded. “Time isn’t on either of our sides at the moment.”
Shannon turned back to the grill. “I may not have an answer for you, but I do have a grilled cheese sandwich.”
I smiled. “At least my stomach will be happy.”
“That’s the spirit,” Shannon said.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Doodle, I’ve been throwing the ball for five minutes. Don’t you ever get tired?” I asked.
All I had to do was glance at my corgi to see what a dumb question that was. Snickerdoodle dropped his favorite tennis ball at my feet and wagged his tail relentlessly. As I looked at his tongue hanging out of his wide-open mouth, his joy was undeniable.
“What am I talking about?” I asked. “You’re a dog. You never get tired of playing. You would be perfectly fine playing fetch until midnight.”
I picked up the ball and threw it down the hallway for Snickerdoodle. He scampered after it with the energy of a child on a sugar high.
My lips curled up as I watched the little guy retrieve the ball. It was such a simple act, just throwing a ball over and over for Snickerdoodle, but it meant the world to him. My days were filled with so many plans, but this game of fetch was Snickerdoodle’s entire itinerary.
There was something so simple yet heartwarming about that. So despite the fact that I was running on fumes, it was hard for me not to get wrapped up in his exuberance.
Snickerdoodle carried the ball back over to me and dropped it at my feet once more. From there, he gazed at me with his puppy dog eyes.
I chuckled. “You’re lucky that you’re irresistibly cute.” I grabbed the ball. “All right. One more toss. But that’s it, because your mom’s tuckered out.”
I threw the ball down the hallway again and headed over to my plushy couch. Before I had the chance to plop down on the sofa, I heard a knock at the door.
I exhaled. “Just kidding. I didn’t want to sit down anyway.”
I approached the door as I heard a second round of knocks. Whoever was at the door was certainly impatient.
Before I reached the door, my muscles clenched. A sense of dread came over me. This wasn’t like the days of old. I had made enemies of a number of people recently. What if one of them had decided to pay me a visit?
My breath shortened. It felt like my heart stopped beating for a moment while I debated whether to open the door or not. I ended up settling on the idea to grab the can of pepper spray from my purse in case danger awaited me on the other side of the door.
Before I could put that plan into action, there was a third round of knocks at my door.
That was followed by the sound of my grandmother’s voice calling from my front doorstep.
“Sabrina, if you’re in there, will you please open up?” Betsy asked.
Phew.
I could let my guard down. A few seconds later, my breathing restored to normal. With relief washing over me, I moved to the front door, opened it, and was treated to Betsy Daley’s smiling face.
My eighty-year-old grandma was wearing a long floral-print sundress and held a small metal tin in her hand.
“Grandma, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“There’s a rumor going around that you could use a pick-me-up,” Betsy replied.
My grandma opened the lid of the tin, revealing a dozen chocolate truffles inside.
It took all the restraint that I had to keep my mouth from watering. Chocolate, sweet chocolate—what a sight those truffles were. Was there a better way to end a day than with a cocoa-based treat? The truffles looked delicious beyond words. Then again, the presence of chocolate rendered words unnecessary.
Moans were a completely different story. “Mmm.”
“I guess that means you’re in the mood for chocolate, then,” Betsy replied.
“When aren’t I in the mood for chocolate?”
Betsy laughed.
My eyes were as wide as saucers. “Are those caramel truffles?”
Betsy nodded.
I placed my hand over my chest. “Oh my.”
“I guess I picked the right recipe.”
I nodded. “Chocolate makes everything in life better.”
“Well, go on. Don’t just stare. Have one,” Betsy said.
I grabbed one of the truffles and took a bite.
Betsy watched my face closely. “Don’t leave me in suspense.”
I smiled widely. “It’s absolutely amazing. Thank you so much.”
“Your smile is all the thanks that I need.”
I glanced at the truffles again. “I can’t believe you made these yourself.”
“Anything to cheer my granddaughter up. Especially after how stressful your life has become.”
“That’s so sweet of you. I just figured that with your busy schedule, you wouldn’t have time to do something like this.”
“I put my social calendar on hold. During times like this, family comes first.”
“Tell that to Terri’s family. They seem to believe that family should get stabbed in the back first.”
“That’s a real shame. No wonder you are so stressed out. I guess I made these truffles just in time.”
I took a second bite of the truffle. Mmm. It was just as delicious as the first. “You sure did.”
Betsy got swept up in chocolate fever as well. She gazed longingly at one of the truffles in the tin. “Do you mind if I have one?”
I shrugged. “Why would I mind? You were the one who made them.”
Betsy grabbed a truffle and made quick work of it. As she chewed, a look of absolute delight came over her face.
“I think you like th
ose truffles even more than I do.”
“At the risk of tooting my own horn, that may be the most delicious thing I have ever made.”
“In that case, why don’t you have another?” I asked.
Betsy shook her head. “Nah. I shouldn’t.”
“Grandma, you’re eighty and in fantastic shape. You don’t have to worry about things like watching your weight.”
“I know. It’s more that six truffles are my limit.”
My forehead wrinkled. “Six? But you only had one.”
She became sheepish. “That’s not exactly true. I had five earlier.”
I arched my eyebrows. “Grandma—”
“Okay, so it hasn’t been the best day for me when it comes to willpower,” she said. “It has been a pretty wonderful day for my taste buds, though.”
I chuckled. “I’ll say.”
“As you can see, I made the truffles as much for myself as for you. I had the biggest sweet tooth earlier, and with Andrew Stewart’s chocolate shop no longer in existence, there’s a serious void in town when it comes to savory treats. That’s when I realized that if you want something delicious, sometimes you need to bake it yourself.”
“You’re preaching to the choir here. I wish we could convince the Stewart family to reopen their shop. The chocolates at Zabrinski’s just don’t measure up.”
“Tell me about it. If the treats at Zabrinski’s were even half as good as they were at Stewart’s, I could have grabbed a dozen truffles at the store and saved myself hours in the kitchen this afternoon. But one thing I’m not going to do at my age is waste calories on mediocre chocolate.”
“That’s a good motto for any age.”
Betsy pushed the tin forward again. “When it comes to good chocolate, though, the sky is the limit.”
“Or six truffles, in your case.”
Betsy laughed. “By that token, you have some catching up to do.”
“I guess I should say good-bye to my diet.”
Betsy scoffed. “Diets need not apply on a night like this.”
I laughed. “It’s a good thing you never went into high-pressure sales.”
“Less talking, more chocolate savoring,” Betsy said. She handed me another truffle. “Now, just so you know, I’m not leaving tonight until I make you feel better.”
I gazed at her. “That’s why you’re the best.”
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