For Letter or Worse

by Vivian Conroy

  She lifted her head and asked, “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m checking in. I was at your cottage, but you weren’t there. I thought I might as well take a room here and try again in the morning.” Gran gave her a rueful smile. “I decided quite on impulse to fly out to you. I should have called maybe, but it seemed like it would be more fun if I simply turned up.”

  “It certainly is. I can’t believe you’re really here.” Delta hugged her again. “Welcome to Tundish. I want to drag you into town right away and show you Wanted, but you must be tired from your flight. Besides, I’m having dinner here with Hazel, and we’re about ready to dive into a delicious dessert buffet.”

  “Why don’t you join them?” Ray said. “It’ll be on the house. I’ll also get you a glass of champagne to welcome you to town.” He gestured to the clerk behind the desk. “See to it that Mrs. Douglas’s luggage is brought to her room.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Ray offered his arm to Gran. “Allow me.”

  He led her into the dining room, where Hazel was just returning to their table with a plate full of treats. She put it down and clapped her hands. “I had no idea your grandmother was coming.”

  “Me neither,” Delta said.

  Ray pulled out a chair for Gran, and after she had hugged Hazel, she sat down, and he put the chair in place. He tapped her shoulder lightly. “Champagne then.”

  Gran followed him with her eyes as he left the room with his quick, athletic stride. “What a charming young man.”

  Hazel grimaced. She picked up her spoon to tuck into the pudding on her plate. “Ray is not young anymore.”

  “He is to me.” Gran winked at Delta. “You must tell me all about him. Oh, look at that.” She pointed at Hazel’s plate. “French meringue.”

  “We’re going to get our desserts now,” Delta decided, “before they’re gone. Come on.”

  She led her grandmother to the buffet, and they laughed and talked while they selected the most delicious desserts offered: raspberry cheesecake, muffins with clotted cream, chocolate truffle cake with whipped cream, and a bit of rum-raisin ice cream.

  “You came at exactly the right moment,” Delta said while they walked back to the table. Ray stood there with a bottle of champagne. He filled glasses for all three of them, and they toasted. “To the greatest surprise,” Delta said, beaming at her grandmother. Gran smiled back at her, but for a moment, there was something in her eyes that gave Delta pause. She wondered, briefly, if Gran had really simply decided to step onto a plane and come out here.

  But of course, she had. If she said so.

  Delta took a sip of champagne and enjoyed the fizz on her tongue. This was going to be a fantastic night.

  * * *

  “I do feel a bit guilty I can’t put you up at our home.” Delta said, standing in the hotel room.

  “Nonsense. Look around.” Gran gestured at the double bed, the open door leading into the large bathroom with a tub, shower, and washing basin, with shower gel and body lotion from exclusive brands on the stand. “I have everything I need. In fact, I feel like I’m on a four-star vacation.”

  “As you should. In the morning, I’ll drop by to pick you up and show you around. You’ll love the town and the shop.” Delta hugged her grandmother. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “I hope it’s not inconvenient. You must have things to do.”

  “I can arrange things so I have time for it. Hazel is so happy you’re here. And I’m sure the Paper Posse will want to meet you.” Delta sighed in bliss. She had the feeling that everything was all right with the world. “Sweet dreams then.”

  “You too, darling. See you in the morning.”

  Delta left the room and heard the door click into the lock. In the corridor, Ray was waiting for her. He walked her to the elevator. “Is everything all right with the room?”

  “Yes, it’s perfect. You really spoiled us tonight with the champagne and all.”

  “Nonsense, she deserves a warm welcome. I won’t put it on the bill. You’re friends of mine, right?”

  “Don’t let Rosalyn hear it.”

  “I don’t see Rosalyn anywhere near.” Ray stepped into the elevator with her. “I passed the desk just as your grandmother was registering. Of course, the name Douglas rang a bell. I asked her if she was related to you and then told her you were having dinner with us. I offered to go and get you for her. To surprise you. She thought it was a great idea.” He grinned at her. “Looks like a keen old lady to me.”

  “Don’t call her old. She called you a young man, so you must be gracious as well.”

  Ray grimaced. “When ladies start calling you young man, they usually have a plan with it.”

  Delta flushed. “My gran…”

  “Shhh.” Ray gestured at her to cut her off. “Don’t mind my jokes.” His eyes were half-serious, half-teasing. “You had a good time, right?”

  “Yes, it was great.” Delta suddenly felt a little forlorn leaving her grandmother; then she remembered the book she was carrying under her arm. About cold cases, because a murder had occurred. Again, near one of her workshops. Gran didn’t know about that yet.

  Or did she? Had she flown out in a rush because she was worried what her granddaughter was getting into now?

  Maybe there would be time for a more in-depth chat in the morning when she was going to show Gran around town.

  They stepped out of the elevator. Hazel was waiting for them near the entrance. She had said she didn’t want to come up. Delta suspected it was to avoid Ray’s presence.

  Ray said to Hazel, “There’s an antique show in Boulder Saturday. Would you like to go?”

  Hazel seemed startled. “Saturday?” she repeated, glancing at Delta.

  Delta said, “You can go. I can take care of the shop. Gran can help out as well, now that she’s here. You love antiques, so…”

  Ray smiled, but Hazel said, “No, I want to do some inventory on Saturday. Good night.” Then she raced out of the hotel.

  Ray looked disappointed, but Delta didn’t linger. He might ask her why Hazel had told him no. “Good night,” she called as well and rushed after her friend.

  Hazel was already in the driver’s seat when Delta reached the Mini Cooper.

  She dived in beside her and put the book in her lap, then buckled up. “Why did you tell him no? Might have been a nice getaway. You work too hard.”

  “I don’t want to be seen with Ray. It will only lead to talk.” Hazel backed up the car and turned into the road. “You can go if you like.”

  “He didn’t ask me.” Delta patted the book.

  “He did go out of his way to be nice to your gran.”

  Delta hitched a brow. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”

  “No. I only mean to point out that Ray is nice to everybody. It doesn’t mean…” Hazel fell silent and clutched the wheel.

  Delta stared into the darkness ahead. “You like him,” she concluded.

  Hazel made a scoffing sound. “Wouldn’t it be sad if I did? The well-known ex-football player who’s so popular with the ladies.”

  “Ray has his serious side,” Delta said, thinking about his observation on marriage.

  “Maybe.” Hazel braked to turn a sharp bend. “Look, I’d rather not talk about it, okay?” After a moment’s hesitancy, she added, “You don’t want to talk to me about Jonas either.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “Come on. In college you always told me everything.” Hazel bit her lip. “Maybe it’s not like college anymore, is it?”

  “That’s not it. I…I don’t know about Jonas. It’s not like anything I ever felt before.”

  It was silent in the car. Hazel drove with full focus, and Delta ran her fingers along the edges of the book. Her happy mood about Gran’s visit still buzzed
inside of her, but other feelings churned at the edges. The complicated thing with Jonas, the murder case, still learning everything about the shop, making friends, settling in. So much was new, and it took up a lot of energy. Sometimes she was simply beat at night. And deep inside, she wondered briefly if staying in Cheyenne wouldn’t have been easier. Her life had been all settled there. It had been dull at times, but maybe you could also have too much excitement?

  “What’s that book anyway?” Hazel asked.

  Delta looked down at it. “It’s about unsolved murders. It also seems to contain a section about Athena Barrows. I don’t even know what I want with it. It seemed relevant when Ray mentioned it to me. Did you know Rosalyn actually got it from Coldard?”

  Hazel shook her head. “Several people told me Coldard lives in a world of his own. He still does research and types up articles, but he hasn’t published anything in years. It’s like he’s just playing make-believe.”

  “He struck me as sharp and knowledgeable. I will look into this.” Delta folded her hands on the book. “But first I need a good night’s sleep, and then I want to put some time into Gran. She flew all the way out here to be with me.” A grin came up. “We’re going to have the best time.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next morning, Hazel told Delta it was okay if she wanted to go to the Lodge and have breakfast with her grandmother there—to catch up. “You can then take her into town and show her around. Come on, do it. You don’t know how long she intends to stay, and you have to make the most of it.”

  Delta agreed, thanked her, and drove to the Lodge. When she parked the car, she saw Jonas coming from the forest at the end of the parking lot in a jog. He spotted her and waved. She waited until he had reached her. Spud brushed his head against her leg, and she patted him. Jonas said, panting, “I’m going to the sheriff’s station with this.” He held up a small laptop.

  “What’s that?” Delta asked. “Did you find it in the forest?”

  “No, it’s mine. I use it to look at footage I made with camera traps.”

  “Camera what?”

  “Camera traps. They are cameras attached to trees, which are triggered by motion. If an animal passes the camera, it films the animal. It’s ideal for filming during the night or to get footage of shy creatures who don’t show themselves when there are humans around. I have several camera traps in the woods to study wildlife.”

  “And? What does that have to do with the sheriff?”

  Jonas opened the laptop and turned it on. He clicked through a few screens, and then showed her some moving images. They were black and white, so she assumed they had been made at night. “That’s a human being,” Delta exclaimed.

  “Exactly.”

  She leaned closer. It was a man carrying a shovel and a big backpack.

  “Do you recognize him?” Jonas asked in a tense tone.

  “No, not really.”

  Jonas made an impatient gesture. “Doesn’t matter. I know who it is. The guy who’s restoring the building at Mine Forever. It struck me as odd he was taking so long getting a few things done, but I thought he only wanted to make more money. Now it seems he was hanging about town for a reason.”

  “That guy was also at Drake’s party.” Delta looked at Jonas. “Dressed up as a caterer. He got into an argument with Lena Laroy. She told me it was about an autograph, but I don’t believe her.”

  Jonas looked her over. “Did she say any more about him?”

  “No. Not at first. Later, when she came to our cottage, she said he had caused trouble for her before, but the police wouldn’t do anything with her statement. I had the distinct impression she was really anxious about his presence, and especially about people finding out about him. Her husband for one.”

  Jonas frowned. He pulled his phone from his pocket and placed a call. “Drake,” he mouthed at her. “Good morning. Jonas Nord here. Is your wife around?” He listened for a few moments. “I see. No, that’s all right. Thank you.” He lowered the phone and gave Delta a worried look. “Drake says Lena hasn’t been home all night. He doesn’t know where she is.”

  “She left the house after the power outage. She claimed it was sabotage to hurt her. She suspected her husband of having an affair with Zara. I thought she would go back later. But apparently, she also stayed away last night. I wonder where she slept.”

  Jonas stared into the distance. “If that guy had some kind of argument with her and he was out and about last night with a shovel—”

  Delta gasped. “Do you think he hurt her? That he might have killed her and buried her body somewhere?” A chill went down her spine at the idea.

  “I hope not.” Jonas looked grim. “Then I would really have failed in my assignment. Do you know where Lena might have gone for the night?”

  “No, not at all. We ate out last night, so she might have been at the cottage, but we weren’t there. She could have friends here or… A hotel?” Delta nodded at the Lodge.

  “Could you ask if she’s staying there?” Jonas turned to his Jeep. “I’m taking this footage to the police. Text me whether she’s here or not. I can check other hotels and guesthouses around town.”

  Delta nodded. “Will do.” She watched while he dove into his Jeep and turned the engine on, backed out of the parking spot, and drove off. That guy. The fake handyman, fake caterer, fake whatever. Had he killed Sally at the party? Had he now killed Lena and buried her body somewhere in the woods?

  But what for?

  She went into the Lodge and asked at the desk if Mrs. Drake or Lena Laroy was staying there. “I need to talk to her, it’s rather urgent.”

  The receptionist shook her head. “She’s not here.”

  “Delta.”

  Delta turned her head to her grandmother, who came from the elevator and rushed for her. “You need not have come right away, but I’m glad to see you.”

  “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Delta hugged her. “Let’s have breakfast together. I have to send one message first.” She pulled up her phone and texted Jonas. “Lena is not here. Keep me posted on developments.” Then she led her gran into the dining room to have breakfast and catch up.

  * * *

  When Delta and her grandmother headed into town, Delta noticed the handyman’s van wasn’t at Mine Forever, and he wasn’t working on the roof either. She told Gran to wait for her a second and crossed the street to ask about the guy. Tammy was serving coffee to a group of women and told her in passing that the job was done, and he had left town. At least she thought he had. “He hasn’t been around this morning.”

  Delta thanked her and went back to Gran. Her thoughts were racing, and the possibility of Lena Laroy being murdered made her heartbeat stutter. The woman had come to their cottage for help. They had turned her away. Of course, there had been more to it than that, and Lena hadn’t been honest with them about the danger she was in, but still… Delta had known, through Jonas, that Lena was under threat and that her husband believed it could come from closer to home than anyone thought. Now Lena was missing, and that handyman—

  “I can’t wait to see the store,” Gran gushed, and Delta forced herself to focus on this special moment, where she could show the results of Gran’s gift to her.

  They approached Wanted, and Gran took her time, admiring the front with their notebooks and pens advertised in the spot where, in the past, the posters of wanted outlaws had hung. Oohing and aahing, she went from room to room, along the sheriff’s desk and weapons rack and into the old cells, looking at everything on offer. Hazel winked at Delta. Delta was happy her grandmother seemed to like it so much, but she was also a bit distracted by the idea of what was going on outside the cozy shop. The eerie, hazy images of that guy in the woods with his shovel—

  Suddenly, something Zara Kingsley had said came back to mind. The remark Delta had been looking for earlier. At the time, she ha
dn’t been able to recall the words, even though she had been certain it was somehow significant. Now in a flash, she saw the scene again: Zara had run in to tell them there was a dead body outside, near the rose bushes, and she had mentioned that one of the poodles had discovered the body. That the dog had wanted to dig there.

  Dig. Shovel.

  She grabbed her phone again and messaged Jonas. “Call me as soon as you can. It’s important.”

  Her phone didn’t ring.

  Delta paced the room. She messaged again.

  Gran looked at her. “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Of course not. It’s just that uh… Could you stay here with Hazel for a bit? I need to go out and see someone.” She gave Hazel a pointed look. Hazel said, “I can show you how to do calligraphy.”

  “Oh, that would be wonderful. I’d love to do some nice hand lettering on my Christmas cards this year.”

  With Gran distracted, Delta left the shop in a rush and drove out to the sheriff’s station. She found Jonas at the desk, talking to the deputy. She raced up to him. “Didn’t you get my messages?”

  Jonas gave her a surprised look. “My battery died. I need to charge it. Is something wrong?”

  “I remembered what Zara said.” Delta gasped for air. “She discovered Sally’s body, remember? She said that one of the poodles had wanted to dig there. Where the body lay. What if something was buried there, and the dog smelled that and wanted to dig it up?”

  Jonas stared at her. His eyes flickered, as if he was processing the information. “You mean…did the guy with the shovel want to dig up whatever was buried where Sally Drake died?”

  “Exactly.”

  The deputy leaned across the desk. “The crime scene is still marked with tape. Nobody is supposed to go there and—”

  “I don’t think this guy will care. Come on.”

  Jonas ran from the station, with Delta hard on his heels. She followed his Jeep as he took the road along the lake to Drake’s villa. Her mind raced with thoughts about something buried there, the murder of Sally, Lena’s jumpiness, Zara’s odd behavior. Had Zara wanted to come work for Drake, not because she was his daughter and wanted to get to know him, but to get access to the villa, the grounds…