by Amy Lilly
"But what if I don't like what he has to say? What if he says that he's had a change of heart?" I sniffled.
"And what if he says what I am going to say? That you have finally flipped your lid! Talk to him." Juliet pulled Ole Blue up to my house. We got out and I trudged slowly up the steps. "Come on, PheePhee. It'll be fine. Let's go put on an old movie, mix up a pitcher of Cosmopolitans and watch an old movie together. I'll let you pick."
"It's one o'clock in the afternoon. I think it's just a little bit early for cocktails."
"Not after the week we've had. We'll have a girl's afternoon. I'll call Wade and ask him to pick us up dinner when he gets off work. We can camp out here tonight," Juliet suggested. "We'll eat Chinese food, drink silly girly drinks and make Wade wait on us all night. It'll be fun."
"Alright," I said begrudgingly. I tossed my keys and bag on the small bench by the front door. Kicking off my shoes, I walked into the kitchen to make the pitcher of Cosmos.
"You get to pick between Katherine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn." Juliet walked into the kitchen holding two movies. "Which one?"
"I feel like kicking butt, so Katherine." I added the vodka to the pitcher, thought about it and poured in a little bit more. Pouring some into a martini glass, I sipped it. "Perfect!" I placed the pitcher and two martini glasses on an old silver-plated tray and carried them to the living room. Juliet started the movie and the opening credits for Adam's Rib scrolled across the screen. I sipped my drink and stewed silently. "Valerie has a lot of nerve coming back to town and sniffing around Clint."
"Ok," Juliet said slowly. "Assuming that she is, it doesn't mean that he's interested. I saw the way he looks at you. He is a man on the verge." I swallowed the remains of my glass, grabbed the pitcher and poured myself another. Juliet raised her eyebrows at me.
"Well, I just offered myself up to him and he is going to toss me aside like an old newspaper. I was a fool for thinking that he could be interested in someone like me. I'm going to just forget about Clint and move on," I declared and raised my glass in a toast. "To moving on!"
"Let's just put that thought on hold and watch the movie. You are turning into such a drama queen." Juliet kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the chaise lounge. I propped my feet onto the coffee table and stared sulkily at the television as Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy verbally sparred on the screen.
A little over an hour later, the movie was over, and Juliet was snoring gently. I picked up the empty pitcher and started to carry it to the kitchen. A knock sounded on the door, and I went to answer it. Standing in the doorway was Clint.
"Howdy, cowboy!" I slurred a little. Maybe I shouldn't have drunk quite so much of the pitcher. I giggled.
"Phee, you didn't check before you opened the door," Clint admonished. He took the pitcher out of my hand and steered me towards the kitchen. "I take it that Juliet stopped by."
"We decided to have a girl's afternoon!" I hiccupped and giggled again. Clint sniffed the pitcher and shaking his head set it on the counter. I leaned against him and wrapped my arm around his neck. "But we could let boys into our clubhouse if they promise to behave. No Valerie's allowed in the club, though." I slapped my hand over my mouth.
Clint glanced at me sharply. "Valerie? What about her?"
"I saw you go into her store. But I wasn't sp...spy...following you." I hiccupped. "Juliet and I went to Nellie Jo's for a late breakfast and saw you go see her. I mean if you want to see other people, then I am not the girl for you. Just break it to me. I'm a freakin' Super Librarian. I can handle anything. I gotta mask and stuff." I hiccupped again.
"So you saw me go into Maybe Baby and assumed I went there to see another woman? What kind of man do you think I am, Phee?" Clint demanded with a hint of anger. "For your information, I didn't go to see Valerie. I actually went there to order a double bassinet for the twins. Rick asked me to take care of it since he didn't have a chance to go by there. Are you actually jealous of a girl I dated in high school? That was how many years ago?"
"No...maybe....ok, yes," I admitted. "I'm sorry, but I really wasn't following you. We were just driving down the street and saw you go into the store. And well....Valerie is all sophisticated and really pretty and you used to be in love with her."
"Now I'm not. I’m also not a sixteen-year-old boy high on hormones." He gave an exasperated sigh. "Phee, I don't play games. I'd like it if you didn't either. And besides, my girl," Clint pulled me close to him, "is sexy and smart and funny. Who could compete with all this?" He trailed kisses along my ears and neck.
"I'm your girl?" I asked tentatively.
"Most definitely." He leaned in and captured my mouth with his.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
“Welcome to the wonderful world of jealousy, he thought. For the price of admission, you get a splitting headache, a nearly irresistible urge to commit murder, and an inferiority complex. Yippee.” -J.R. Ward, Dark Lover
Clint's kiss left me a little breathless. "I've got to get back to work. I just came by to check on you. Next time, you need to check before you answer the door. Okay?"
"I will. Before you go, I have something to show you. I came up with a list of suspects for you." I walked over to the table and handed him the list of people I had written down that morning. "These are all the people that came to Duane's lecture. He had all sorts of mushrooms there, poisonous and edible. It would have been easy for someone to come by, pick one up and take it with them."
"Well, this saves me a step. I was going to head over to the library this afternoon and grab the sign in sheet from Wade. The bad thing is that Duane gave talks all the time and there is no guarantee that they learned about this lethal mushroom at one of his talks or if they were like your uncle and just ran into him in the woods and struck up a conversation."
"Maybe, but you'll check out the names on the list won't you? I already marked my mom and Shari off the list. I can vouch for them. Juliet and I did a little investigating of our own. I think Mike Johnson might be in the clear. He went to the lecture to learn a little bit about wild plants to try to bond with his grandson. I know Joey's been trying to earn his scout badges. It’s all he talks about when he comes in the library with Nellie."
"What kind of investigating did you and Juliet get up to?" Clint asked.
"We just went and talked to Nellie while we had coffee. You know she knows everything about everyone in town. The C.I.A. could take lessons from her. I asked her how Mike had liked Duane’s presentation. Nellie told me he liked it but mostly went to learn a little bit before the camping trip. Did you know that Huey Long was a famous midget wrestler?" I thought that little bit of gossip might surprise him.
"Yep, sure did." He tapped his badge. "This is why I make the big bucks as a deputy sheriff. I am more than just a pretty face. I even investigate every now and then." He chuckled.
"It was news to me," I pouted. "I guess I need to go to Nellie Jo's more often to keep up with what's going on in town. Who knew we had a star in our midst? Did you know that Carla was cheating on Chris? Nellie told us that Carla was messing with Sheriff Dawes. Maybe Sheila decided to kill Carla as payback for messing with her man."
"That little piece of gossip isn't all true. Sheila and Jaime were going through a rough patch a while back. Carla wanted Jaime on her side with the town council. She tried to seduce him, but Jaime put the brakes on her little plan. I was in the office when he told her that he wasn't interested. I thought the windows were going to shatter when she slammed out of his office," Clint said.
"That makes me feel better. Sheila and my mom are friends, and I've known Jaime and her forever. Nellie also let it slip that Grant and Carla were messing around," I said. "I'm going to figure out a way to ask Grant. We've always been close, but I guess not as close as we used to be. I thought he hated Carla."
"Oh, hell no! Absolutely not! You aren't going to ask Grant anything." Clint's voice was emphatic and his arm tightened slightly around me.
"Jealous?"
I teased and kissed him lightly.
"Actually, this time, no. I'm actually worried about keeping you safe which I am starting to realize might be a full-time job. I might be wrong, but Grant has an interest in you which ties him to Huey and Carla. He was friends with Duane and admits he spent hours out in the woods as kids with him. Phee, I know he's your friend but let me do a little bit more checking into what he's been up to the past few years since he left town." Grant's face was stern and I realized how serious he was.
"Grant wouldn't hurt a fly. He and I practically lived in each other's homes growing up. There is no way he could kill anybody!" I protested.
"Just give me a day or two to check him out. Listen. I've got to get going. I'll stop by again this evening when I get off work." He gave me one last kiss and headed towards the door. "And lay off the Cosmos!" The door shut and I locked it behind him.
"Was that Clint?" Juliet said. Her voice was groggy from sleep.
"Yes. He stopped by to check up on me."
"Guess he isn't quite as interested in Valerie as you thought," Juliet said wryly. She trudged into the kitchen. "I need coffee. Wade should be here soon with dinner and to help with bodyguard duty." She scooped coffee into the percolator, added water and plugged it in.
"Jaime wasn't cheating on Sheila, by the way. Clint cleared that rumor up. He said that he was going to do a little checking up on Grant." I pulled cream and sugar out for the coffee.
"Why? Does he think Grant has something to do with the murders?" She poured coffee into our mugs.
"He said he just wants to check him out since he knows me and that ties him to Carla and Huey. I think he's stretching, but maybe he just doesn't want to admit he is jealous." I took a sip of coffee and grimaced. Juliet made coffee so strong that it ate the enamel off my teeth. I added a second scoop of sugar and poured in more cream.
"He might be right," Juliet said. "Think about it. He moves back to town about two months ago. Maybe had a fling with Carla and she dumped him. There's his motive right there."
"To kill Carla, but why would he kill Huey?" I shook my head at the thought that Grant could be the killer.
"I don't know, but I think you should let Clint do the investigating. Real life isn't like your books, Phee," Juliet gently admonished me.
"No, you're right. Books are better!"
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
“I may have ruined my life, but at least I got to eat some really good Chinese food.” ― Louis Sachar, Small Steps
Juliet and I settled back onto the couch. She dozed lightly while watching a talk show about cheating spouses and their love child. I picked up the Agatha Christie novel from the evening before and tried to read but my mind kept straying towards what Clint had said about Grant. Could Grant kill someone who had threatened me? He was really protective of me in high school. If anyone bullied me, he would always come charging to my rescue. I still couldn't believe that he had slept with Carla. Maybe Nellie had that tidbit of gossip wrong, too. I just wasn't sure what to think anymore. My eyes started to drift shut. I was so tired. I moved over to the chaise lounge and settled in for a nap.
I awoke to the sound of Juliet laughing in the kitchen. I heard Wade's deep voice rumbling and her giggly response. It was good to see Wade happy. I just hoped Juliet wouldn't break his heart. She wasn't known for sticking with a relationship for very long. Wade was a good guy. I heard another male voice talking softly in the kitchen. I rose and ran my fingers through my strawberry curls. I wandered into the kitchen to find Juliet, Wade and Grant opening containers of Chinese food.
"Hey, Phee!" Wade smiled at me. "I got you Moo Shoo Pork. I thought that is what you liked, and since Juliet said you would eat anything, I figured it was a safe bet. I ran into Grant when I was picking up dinner at the Dragon Palace." Wade scooped out some rice and dumped it on a plate. "I told him what happened last night and he offered to come hang out with us and perform guard duty, too."
"I wish I would have known about all this, Phee. I would have camped out here last night and made sure nothing else happened. I'm just glad you're okay. I'm still reeling from the news that Duane was killed. He was the coolest guy and a good friend. It's crazy that someone would kill him. I moved back home to what I thought was a safe little town and people are being killed left and right. Now you’re getting weird threats." Grant shook his head. "All these things happening are just unbelievable. If anything else happens, you'd better call me."
"I will!" I said with a false brightness. "Juliet, can you come see me in the bedroom for a minute. I need to ask you a question about...um...about this paint color I am considering." I gave Juliet a warning look and gestured for her to follow me. Once we were out of earshot, I grabbed her arm and hissed, "Oh my gosh! What if Clint's right being suspicious of Grant? I mean, he has been gone for years and when he comes back into town, people do start keeling over."
"Well, it would've been more suspicious if I hadn't let him in. We've known him for years. He was your best friend. Do you really think he could hurt somebody?" Juliet's whisper increased in volume. I shushed her.
"I just don't know anymore. I didn't think he would sleep with Carla either."
"What's going on?" Wade walked into the bedroom.
"Clint thinks Grant might have had something to do with the murders," I whispered. "I don't know if he's on to something or not, but now I am paranoid to be around Grant."
"I'll be here, and I still have a little friend right here. It'll be fine." Wade turned and showed me where he had a gun tucked into the waistband of his pants. He pulled the edge of his shirt back over and it was once again hidden from sight. "Let's get back in there before he thinks something is up." We walked back into the kitchen where Grant gave us a quizzical look.
"I had a crazy idea to paint my room bright peach, but Juliet talked me out of it," I lied. I grabbed the plate that he handed to me and put some Moo Shoo Pork on it. I sat down beside him. I opened a pair of paper-wrapped chopsticks and started to eat.
"Crisis averted!" Juliet chimed in and speared a piece of broccoli with her fork. “What’s up with you, Grant?”
“I’ve been getting settled into the new job and taking on a bunch of new cases. I’ve been trying to get Mom out of the house some more. She really wants you to come visit her, Phee. She says she misses the two of us hanging around the house,” Grant said.
“I’ll have to go by and visit her. I always liked hanging out with your mom. She’s a hoot. Remember when she and your dad took us out to shoot skeet? I about shot my foot off and ended up shooting the windows out of the lighthouse by accident. Your mom said that maybe I should stick with water pistols.” I laughed at the memory. Grant’s mom had always made time for me when I went there after school with Grant. She would bake cookies and sit down and chat with us. My mom’s great, but she and Dad’s teaching schedule didn’t leave a lot of down time for them to spend time with us kids except on the weekends.
“She’s always been a crack shot. I’m not too bad myself,” Grant said with a touch of pride. ”I was on the skeet shooting team at university.”
“Really? How cool! I would’ve never pegged you and your mom as gun people,” Juliet said. She gave me a look and continued, “So, Grant, have you been seeing anybody since you’ve been back in town?” I kicked her under the table and was glad to see her wince a little when my foot found its target.
“I’ve gone on a date or two,” he said casually. “Nobody that I would say is a keeper. I’m keeping my options open. I don’t think I’m quite ready for the white picket fence, two kids and a dog named Skipper, but maybe someday soon. Mom’s been driving me crazy asking me when I’m going to settle down and give her grandkids. Its times like this that I wish I had a brother or sister to distract her.”
“Thank goodness we have Rick to distract mom,” Juliet joked. I was impressed on how Juliet had managed to ask Grant about his love life. I sat there trying to figure out how to ask him if it was Carla or not. “Is this wo
man you’ve been seeing anyone we would know?” My eyes widened at her boldness.
Grant pushed a few grains of rice around on his plate as he took his time answering. “Well, to be honest, it turns out she was married, so I think I’ll keep that little indiscretion to myself if that’s alright, Juliet. She wasn’t really someone I cared for anyway.” He shot me an impenetrable glance and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
“Alright, ladies, enough already with the third degree of Grant,” Wade said. “Grant, did you catch the game last night? I can't believe that fly ball to left field."
"No. Sorry, I missed out. I heard it was a great game. Unfortunately, I was stuck in the office until after midnight going through a case getting ready for trial." Juliet and I looked at each other and I know she was thinking what I was thinking.
"That's too bad you had to miss out. I tried calling you last night to let you know I was too tired to get dinner with you, but I couldn't reach you," I said with as much casualness as I could muster. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck tingling.
"Sorry about that. Yeah, my cell phone had died and I didn’t have my charger with me. There was no one but me in the office, so once the secretary left for the day, the phones just went straight to voice mail,” Grant explained.
I swallowed hard. Grant had no alibi for the murder of Duane. He probably had slept with Carla. He had represented Huey Long. There was no doubt about it. I was eating dinner with a murderer.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I lost my appetite after that and began to clear away some of the empty containers. I stood at the sink with my hands in the soapy dishwater as I thought about what I had learned. Grant admitted to dating a married woman so chances are it was Carla. I found it hard to believe that he was back in town and didn't realize that Carla was married. I felt like calling him out on his lie, but if he was the murderer, I really didn't think that would be the best idea in the world.