Faith giggled. “No, but really.”
Nathan smiled, but he looked pensive as he looked over their garden. “I think he’d think it was pretty cool that I was being an adult. Renting my own apartment, starting my own business. I think he’d be cool with that. What about you? What would little Faith think of grown up Faith?”
Faith instantly thought of that Polaroid picture her mom still had, of Faith smiling her gap toothed grin, her sandy pigtails messy, the joy on her face radiant. She had been serving her mom a tea party. “She would think it was the best thing ever that she had a tearoom of her very own.”
Faith’s heart had been pretty heavy recently, what with everything that was going on. But there on the veranda, looking at Nathan, she broke out into a massive, genuine smile that came from somewhere deep within. Despite the difficult things she was going through, she realized she had a lot to be thankful for. Laura, the best friend she’d ever had. Nathan, who was stealing her heart ever more by the day. The opportunity to let Grandma Bessie live up her retirement. Her little castle, the Slice of Paradise. Her lovely kittens. Her passion for baking, and being able to do it every day.
She slipped her foot out of her flip flop and rubbed it against the warm wooden floor of the veranda, taking in the glory of it all, which somehow she’d lost sight of. “She would think it was the best thing ever.”
*****
Chapter 12
“Well, I really hope you enjoy them,” Faith said. She handed the huge platter of tasting samples over to Danica Trigg. Bruschetta slices with brie and peach salsa sat next to melon, prosciutto and mozzarella skewers, while chocolate-cherry gateaux slices and mini coconut cream pies took their places gracefully between stacks of cookies. “So you’ll let me know what you like the best. You can have them all, if you like. It’s totally up to you.”
Danica did not look at all like her cheery self, though she was still kind, even though it sounded like her heart was breaking every time another word came out of her mouth. Faith knew that Graeme had been somewhat close to Dr. Asante, what with the veterinarian looking after their horses, but she wasn’t sure just how close, or how well Danica knew him.
Just as Faith was about to say how sorry she was about what had happened, the gravel crackled behind them. Faith turned to see Graeme driving into the gravel driveway in front of the stables in a Range Rover, a horsebox attached at the back. Soon he was up and out of his car and walking up to them, shaking his head.
“You never expect this to happen,” he said. “Not to you. Not to people you know.”
He kept his head held high and a steely look in his eye, but his bottom lip quivered.
“It’s awful,” Faith said. “Just awful.”
His lip dragged downward, and then he shook his head, as if he was shaking all the sadness out. “And how am I going to look after all my horses now? I’ve had to get Betsy back, and I don’t have the first clue what to do with them. I always left it to Dr. Marsden before, then Dr. Asante.”
“Graeme!” Danica said. “George is dead and you’re talking about horses?”
“I know George is dead!” Graeme said, his voice suddenly harsh and raised. “Of course I know!”
Faith didn’t know whether to stay or to extract herself. But it seemed to soothe Graeme to rant on to her like he was more annoyed than sad, so she stayed put.
“Of course now that he’s gone and died on me my horses will suffer. Who will give them their check-ups? Worm them? I don’t know anything about all that. What about their shots? I can’t stand needles. They give me the willies. Did he ever think of all that, huh? That guy. Huh.”
Danica had gone inside and put down the tray of samples, but she was soon back, her hand on her substantial hip, looking angry. “Graeme, stop! Will you just stop? The man is dead and you’re thinking of your darned dumb horses.”
But Faith could see that Graeme was just trying to hide his hurt. “It’s tragic,” she said. “First Becky, and now her boyfriend.”
“Huh!” Graeme said, outraged. “He was a darn sight more than that airhead’s boyfriend. He was a top class veterinarian and a good man.” His voice cracked a little, then he sounded angry. “And he’s gone and died on me and left me with all these darned dumb horses!” He used his wife’s terminology, but much more violently, and then he went storming off over the gravel, toward the gardens.
Danica was too upset to be embarrassed. “Thank you, dear,” she said to Faith without meeting her eye. “You’ve been wonderful to bring those things over. See you soon, I’m sure.”
“See you soon, Danica,” Faith said, though Danica had already closed the door by the time Faith got to the end of her sentence.
Faith hurried back to the van, a weight of sadness upon her, especially with the dusk beginning to settle. Everything was so beautiful in the golden dusk light, especially the palms where it shined and reflected, radiating Florida warmth. But it also made her feel very sad.
The Chevy van didn’t even have a CD player, but she flicked on the radio, and the first thing that came on was a country and western station. The sounds of heartbreak and banjos and harmonicas twanged through the stereo, and Faith smiled. It made her remember Granddad, Grandma Bessie’s late husband. He had been the closest thing Faith had ever had to a father, even though they didn’t visit that often because they lived so far away. He had been a kind and quiet man, and one of Faith’s best memories was on a Sunday when she had been about six. They’d come back from church, and Granddad Tom had flicked on a country and western radio station in the lounge. He’d turned it way up and sat out on the porch in an old rocking chair, lighting up his pipe. Faith had been in dungarees, sitting on the step, basking in the sun. And nothing miraculous had happened. There had been no presents, no fanfare, no excitement. But Faith remembered it, clear as day. Turning her head up toward the clear blue sky, feeling the country and western wrap around her like a blanket, and a smile spreading across her face. True bliss, that moment was, and she was sure she’d remember it forever.
Granddad Tom had passed away a few years later.
Faith had a smooth, slow drive back to Paradise. She felt calm for the first time in days. She was so enjoying the drive down the smooth highway that she allowed herself to go slowly, savoring the calm and the peace. By the time she’d reentered Paradise it was dark.
Dr. Asante’s veterinary practice wasn’t exactly on her way back to her and Laura’s apartment building, but it wasn’t a long detour. She didn’t know why, but she just felt like driving past it. She felt that for some reason it would bug her if she didn’t.
What she didn’t expect was to see someone sneaking around after hours. The street was quiet and dark. There was one light outside the clinic, and one dim orange streetlamp a little way down the road, but that was all.
Faith cruised slowly down the street, and once she saw the veterinary practice, she didn’t know what to think. Did Dr. Asante’s death mean the end of a tragic turn of events, where he killed Becky for the cat, then himself out of overwhelming grief? Or was his death another heinous crime that hadn’t been solved, the murderer still lurking among them in plain sight?
Suddenly Faith felt choked up. She pulled the van up to the sidewalk and switched off the engine and lights for a moment. As soon as she got home, she knew she would be swept up in being with her kitties and checking her emails and watching TV. But there in the dark she could think it all over for a moment without distractions.
So… if the killer wasn’t Dr. Asante, who could it be? Who would have wanted both Becky and Dr. Asante out of the way? Or maybe they just wanted to kill Becky, but Dr. Asante found out too much.
She went back over the people on the boat party…
Krystle, who had no real motive. At least not one that Faith knew about.
Graeme, who seemed to have no real motive either. He seemed very fond of Dr. Asante and not so fond of Becky, but that didn’t seem like reason enough to kill.
Tara,
who was one of the most unpleasant people Faith had met, seemed to dislike Becky and didn’t care when she’d disappeared, but that didn’t prove anything.
Molly, who Faith still didn’t really know anything about. She wondered if Yale had figured anything out, and made a mental note to track him down next time she went over to the Triggs’ ranch.
In all honesty, Faith had to admit to herself that she had no idea who could have committed the crime. The most likely answer seemed Dr. Asante himself. At least he had a motive – being the wildly expensive cat.
At that moment, Faith saw movement by the veterinary clinic. It made her heart stop for a second, but then she watched intently. Someone, well bundled up, was carrying an animal carrier case. Faith couldn’t see who it was, as they were half thrown into darkness by a wall blocking the view.
Then the figure walked forward, and Faith gasped. It was Tara, obviously skulking around. She was looking left and right, left and right, with a crease down the middle of her forehead. It was immediately evident she was doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing. Faith wondered what was in the box… The expensive cat, perhaps?
Faith watched in silence as Tara hurried over to an old junker of a car – certainly not matching the sophisticated, superior vibe she gave off – started it, and drove off quietly down the street.
Could it be, Faith wondered… Could it be that it was Tara who wanted the cat all along, and killed both Becky and Dr. Asante to get her hands on it?
*****
Chapter 13
“Great news, guys!” Nathan said, whirling into the tearoom, totally out of breath. “Double date!”
Faith flashed her eyes up at him with a sympathetic look.
“Oh,” Nathan said, seeing that Deputy Valdez was standing by the counter, talking to Laura and Faith. “Sorry.”
Faith saw Valdez’s expression flicker. “Double date?” he said.
“Ah, it’s nothing.” Nathan shoved his hands in his pockets. “Hi, by the way. Anyways, I’ll just be fixing the garden.” He felt as weird around Valdez as Faith did. Apparently only Laura was immune to it.
“Say the name again, Deputy,” she said. She was batting her eyelashes but Faith guessed she didn’t even know she was doing it. “I can’t remember it.”
“It’s xylazine,” Deputy Valdez said, sounding proud of himself. “It’s used for sedation and anesthesia in horses and cattle, usually. But a heavy dose will kill a human easily. Dr. Asante knew what he was doing.”
“But why would he kill himself if he’d killed Becky for her cat?” Faith said.
“People change their minds, Miss Franklin,” the Deputy said. “And regret can drive a man to suicide.”
Laura was so wide eyed that it annoyed Faith a bit. “You mean to say, Deputy, that Dr. Asante wanted to steal Becky’s cat, so he killed her, then he regretted it and committed suicide by injecting himself?”
“I’ve already told you that might be a possibility,” Faith said.
But the Deputy wasn’t listening to Faith. He was looking into Laura’s eyes intently. “How many times have I told you to call me Tyler?”
Faith walked out into the kitchen, deciding to do some drying up with a dishcloth. She couldn’t stand how Laura was around him. At first it had been a minor annoyance, but it was beginning to get under her skin. After all, if he was so unpleasant to Faith, how could Laura still like him? Faith knew for sure she’d never even consider dating a guy who was rude to Laura. It felt like a minor betrayal. No matter how much Faith told herself it wasn’t anything to get upset about, she couldn’t seem to shake it.
A little later, Laura came bouncing into the kitchen, her face bright with excitement. “He’s going to close the case now, and rule it suicide. Isn’t that great news? Everything can go back to normal again.”
Faith felt like she was in her own world just then. Like she couldn’t get out and no one else could get in.
“Hey,” Laura said, sounding concerned. “What’s up, girl?”
Faith continued to rub clean a mug, a little to vigorously if she was honest. Besides, it was already dry. “Nothing. It’s all right.” She hated conflict. Maybe if she kept quiet it would all blow over and get back to normal again.
“Nuh uh,” Laura said, getting in front of her and trying to get in Faith’s eye-line. “I know you, Faith. Something’s up. Come on.” She slid up onto the counter, took Faith’s dishtowel and tossed it to the side. Then she took both of Faith’s hands in hers and gave her a cheeky smile. “Come on, now, Faith, talk to your Auntie Laura.”
That made Faith smile in spite of herself, and then everything kept spilling out. “I just don’t like that guy, Laura. Honestly, I think he’s rude and condescending and horrible. And I bet if you were in a relationship he’d be controlling and all cold and stuff. Plus he doesn’t like Nathan. He doesn’t like me. We don’t like him either. So why the heck do you like him? I just don’t get it!”
Laura sighed. “Wow. How long have you been holding that in?”
Faith thought back. “Well, I guess since… probably a year and a half now. Whoah.”
“Well, I wish you’d told me earlier,” Laura said. “I’m not going to lie, I do like him.”
“But why?” Faith said passionately.
“Mmm… I’m not sure really. Well, he’s good at his job.”
“Oh really?” Faith said hotly. “He accused me of murder when I’d just moved here! And he’s been rude and uncaring to just about everyone ever since. I don’t think he’s good at his job at all. He just acts like he is.”
Laura thought for a moment, then her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, you’re right. When it comes down to it, it’s never him who actually solves any of the cases, is it?”
“No,” Faith said. “And he’s never grateful to anyone else, or thanks them for anything. I just don’t get what you see in him. At all.”
Laura sighed again. “He’s just… responsible. And committed. He seems like a good guy, a stable guy. You know my last boyfriend was a total flake. And I just think, well, so he’s not very expressive or affectionate, fine. But he seems reliable. Stable.”
Faith gave Laura a smile. She felt they were closer than they had been in ages. “Obviously it’s your choice,” Faith said. “And I’m sorry if you feel I’m being overbearing. I just think you’re so happy and kind and lovely that you could do better. That’s all.”
Laura launched herself off the counter and hugged Faith tightly. “Aww, that’s so sweet. You’re such a good friend, Faith.”
“Pretty lousy, actually,” Faith said. “I should have told you this ages ago, not carried around on my mind for all this time.”
“Is that joker finally gone?” Nathan said, swooping into the kitchen with a dramatic sashay.
“Yep,” Laura said, pulling out of the hug with Faith but still leaving her arm around Faith’s shoulders. “But would it kill you to call him Tyler? Or at least Deputy Sheriff? He is a person, you know.”
Nathan flashed Faith a grin. “Jury’s out on that one. Anyways, what do you say to this? I’m heading up to the ranch this afternoon, and I got to talking to Yale yesterday. He says he wants to check out Paradise Point ‘cause he’s never been before. So I’m thinking all four of us, chilling out on the beach this evening. What do you say?”
Faith grinned. “Sounds awesome.”
*****
“Wow,” Yale said. “People think I’m weird riding about on Glacier all the time. But cats at the beach? That’s pretty weird, too.”
Faith shrugged with a smile, then sipped her mango smoothie. They’d headed to Josiah’s Juice Shack on the beach before finding a nice place to settle. The tide was low and the waves lapped gently, turning lilac as the sun made its way down.
Since starting the contract at the ranch, Faith felt like she was spending way too much time away from Cirrus and Nimbus. They always seemed happy enough, Nimbus’ eye was on the mend, and at least they had each other, but she missed the
m very much. When she’d gotten home to take a shower and change clothes before their beach date, they’d padded around her on their little paws, mewing for attention. And then when she’d found them curled up on her towel after she came out from the shower, she just knew she couldn’t leave them behind.
So after a quick Google search, which confirmed that yes, as long as your cats didn’t scare easy, and as long as they could avoid the water and hot sunlight, it was all right. She’d brought along their box, in case they felt like a nap, and some water to pour in a bowl in case they got thirsty. She knew Nimbus would probably curl up in the box and go to sleep, anyways. Cirrus she’d keep an eye on, and if he seemed overwhelmed or prowled too far she’d just return him to safety in the carrier, too. It was large enough that they could both be comfortable sleeping, and there was even space for their water bowl.
As it was at that moment, Nimbus was indeed curled up, his eyes squeezed shut, purring up a storm. Cirrus was sitting at the open door of the carrier, looking at everything but not making a move to prowl out onto the sand. Faith smiled – had Cirrus met his match?
“Isn’t it pretty normal to ride about on a horse on a ranch, though?” Laura said.
“Yeah.” Yale grinned. “But not to go to the store.”
They all laughed.
“Are you serious?” Faith asked.
“Yep. I mean, I do have a car, but I only really drive it to get to work. Otherwise it’s horses all the way, baby. And really, if I could ride the horse to work I would.”
“You’re crazy,” Laura said affectionately, giving him a nudge.
Yale nudged her back. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
Faith smiled. She knew it wasn’t her choice, but she really couldn’t help but feel so much better when it was Yale Laura was batting her eyelashes for, not the stuck up Deputy.
“Ooh!” she said. “So did you talk to Molly about everything?”
The Cheesecake Fake: A Culinary Cozy Mystery Set In Sunny Florida (Slice of Paradise Cozy Mysteries Book 2) Page 8