Charlie looked at her helplessly. “I’ve always thought of you like a daughter. Who else could I ask?”
“I thought the white granite one with the gold letters looked nice.” Skye swallowed a lump in her throat. She sometimes forgot how alone Charlie really was.
He nodded. “Me too. We could put a gold star on it, and it would be like her dressing room door.”
“What would you like on the stone besides the star?” Simon asked.
“Her name and the dates of her birth and death.” Charlie turned to Skye. “It seems like there should be a saying or something.”
Skye thought a moment and then smiled softly. “How about: And throughout all Eternity I forgive you, you forgive me.”
Simon looked at her, a surprised expression on his face. “That’s beautiful. I guess I need to hire you as my epitaph consultant.”
“It’s Blake. I have a minor in English,” Skye answered, disconcerted by Simon’s approval.
“That’s perfect. Honey caused a lot of heartache while she was on this Earth, but that don’t give anyone the right to kill her. Now they can all forgive each other.” Charlie reached across Simon and patted Skye’s hand.
Simon put his pile of books in his briefcase and pulled out an appointment book. “When would you like to schedule the service?”
“I’m not having any wake, and I want the funeral on this coming Monday. It’s Labor Day, so most people won’t have to take a day off work. Honey didn’t have many friends here in Scumble River, so it’ll mostly be people paying their respects to me. I don’t want to inconvenience them any more than I have to. Her agent said he didn’t think many people from Chicago would come.”
“Will we be going to a church?” asked Simon.
“No.” Charlie shook his head. “She never believed in any of that when she lived with me, and her agent said she hadn’t changed. Could you say a few words?”
“Sure, and anyone else who might want to will be welcome.” Simon added, “You know it takes a while for the headstone. It won’t be ready on Monday.”
Charlie nodded and got up, sticking out his hand. “Thank you for your time. I appreciate your kindness.”
Simon shook Charlie’s hand and picked up his attaché. “Skye, would you walk out to the car with me?”
“What?” Skye looked at Charlie, puzzled. He nodded slightly. “Okay, just for a minute.”
After holding the door open for Skye, Simon led the way toward the Lexus. He unlocked the doors and put his things in the backseat. For once he seemed at a loss for words. “Ah, Skye, I was wondering—ah, I mean, if you’re not busy, would you like to go out tomorrow? We could go to brunch.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” The words flew out of Skye’s mouth before she could stop them.
He raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”
“As well you should. What makes you think I would want to go out with you after the way you acted in the store Thursday night?”
“I really didn’t do anything wrong at the supermarket.” Before Skye could reply, he hurried on. “But I am sorry if my conduct caused you any distress. Truce?”
Skye was not by any means completely satisfied by this equivocation. She might forgive his caddish demeanor, but it wouldn’t be forgotten.
She opened her mouth to dismiss him, but before she could speak his golden eyes bored into hers and she forgot what she was going to say.
Taking her hand, Simon held it between both of his. “I’d really like to get to know you better. I promise to be on my best behavior. Please come to brunch with me tomorrow.”
“Yes, I’d like that.” Skye was tempted to look around to see who had said that. She certainly had not intended to go out with him. She found him obnoxious, didn’t she?
“You’re probably wondering why Sunday brunch.” Simon’s thumb made lazy circles on her palm.
His touch made her feel light-headed, and she fought to keep her voice even. “A little.”
“I generally have funerals Friday and Saturday, but since no one gets buried on Sunday I can always count on that day off.”
“That makes sense.”
Simon let go of her hand. “Great. Is ten all right?”
“Fine. I’ll see you then.” She felt strangely bereft when he got into his car and drove off.
As Skye walked back into Charlie’s, her mind cleared and she firmly pushed away the memory of Simon’s touch. By the time she reached the door, she had almost convinced herself that what she had felt wasn’t real.
She found Charlie standing by the bookshelves, holding a slim black volume in his hands. The cover was graced by a giant red scorpion.
“What do you have there, Uncle Charlie?” Skye looked over his shoulder.
“It’s Honey’s yearbook. I found it stuck inside another book when I was straightening out the mess from Wednesday. Look at all the people who signed it.”
Skye took the book from his hands and idly leafed through it. Suddenly she stopped. There, on the page showing the pictures of the faculty, right below Lloyd Stark’s photograph, was an inscription. It said: I hate and I love. Perhaps you ask why I do so. I do not know, but I feel it, and I am in torment. There was no signature, but Skye intended to get a sample of Lloyd’s handwriting first thing tomorrow morning.
Skye thought to herself, If you really want to know about someone, read their yearbook.
CHAPTER 19
It’s My Party
Before nine-thirty Sunday morning, Skye had already tried on seven outfits and completely redone her hair twice. It would have been easier to choose what to wear if she’d known where they were going. If it was someplace local, casual attire would be fine, but if they were going into Chicago, she needed to dress for a city crowd. Glancing at the clock, Skye noted it was now one minute to ten. Time to fish or cut bait, as her dad would say.
She finally settled on what she hoped was a sensible compromise, another shorts suit, this one in mint green. Its vestlike top had French knot buttons, a weskit hem, and side slits. The shorts were full-cut with inverted pleats that gave them the illusion of a skirt.
While giving herself one last spritz of Chanel, she heard the doorbell ring. She walked swiftly through her bedroom and paused in the center of the great room.
Saturday night, after Mass, she’d spent lugging the rest of her belongings from her parents’ garage to her cottage and finishing the unpacking. The room now contained a futon-type sofa that faced the sliding glass doors leading to the deck. Two camp chairs faced the couch, with an old wooden trunk that doubled as a coffee table in front of it. The shelves situated between the doors were full of books, pictures, and souvenirs.
It wasn’t exactly the Ritz Carlton, but it was a vast improvement from her graduate school dorm room or the wooden shack of her Peace Corps days. She had put a tray containing a carafe of coffee, mugs, spoons, napkins, and a sugar and creamer on the trunk. Tiny Danish pastries were arranged on a separate plate.
When Skye opened the door, she caught her breath. Simon was wearing a straw fedora with a green band, a beige short-sleeved oxford-cloth shirt with a button-down collar, and pleated Dockers in an olive check. The penny loafers on his feet looked newly polished.
Beneath the brim of his hat, Skye saw, his short auburn hair had a fresh barber line. His features hinted at elegance and refinement. In his hand he held a dozen yellow roses.
Finding it hard to speak, Skye managed only, “Hi. Please come in.”
Simon walked into the foyer, removed his hat, and handed her the bouquet. “I thought these might make up for the Diet Coke.”
“Wow, my favorite. What do I get for the parking space and the place in line?” Her best defense when faced with intense emotion had always been humor.
He smiled. “Won’t it be interesting to find out?”
This was a man who could definitely become a problem. Unlike the boys Skye had dated in college or the other students at grad school, Simon had poise and poli
sh. A dangerous combination. The same treacherous savoir-faire her ex-fiancé had possessed in abundance. Why was she attracted to this kind of man? A lump formed in her throat. They only brought her pain.
Skye forced herself to speak. “I’ll get a vase. You can put your hat on the hall table. Please make yourself comfortable.” Skye gestured him into the great room.
When she came back with the flowers in their hastily improvised vase, a plastic pitcher, Simon was sitting on the sofa leafing through a magazine.
Coming closer, she noticed it was the copy of Better Homes and Gardens in which her mother had concealed the police report—the report she had not yet removed.
Trying to distract him before he came to those pages, Skye hurriedly placed the roses on a shelf and sat down beside him. “Would you like a cup of coffee before we leave?”
As he put the magazine down, a sheet of computer paper slid to the floor. Skye and Simon reached for it simultaneously. He won.
He glanced down while handing it to Skye and stopped abruptly. “How did you get this?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“This looks like an official police report. As an officer of the court, it certainly is my business.” Simon’s expression was implacable.
Skye struggled to answer him without whining, which she knew was not an attractive trait. “Look, I’m trying to figure out who killed Honey Adair.”
“Isn’t that the police department’s job?”
“Maybe, but they’re doing an extremely poor job of it. Chief Boyd is convinced my brother is the culprit, and he refuses to look for any other evidence.”
Simon put the paper down and absentmindedly poured himself a cup of coffee. “I know it’s hard to think of your sibling being involved in a murder, but facts are facts.”
“That’s just it. He’s not looking at all the facts.” Skye took the opportunity to surreptitiously push the offending page under a pile of other magazines.
“What do you mean? And hiding it is not going to stop me from wanting to know how you got it.” Simon sipped his coffee and reached for a Danish.
Skye held on to her temper, though with difficulty. She hated losing control of a situation. “I’ve found six other people who had motive and opportunity to kill Honey.”
“Who?” Simon asked, setting his cup in its saucer with a clink.
After Skye listed her suspects and explained why and how each of them could be the murderer, Simon sat without speaking.
Nervously nibbling on a pastry, she waited.
“I see your point,” he conceded grudgingly, “but I think what you’re doing could be very risky. And you still haven’t told me how you got hold of that document.”
Getting up, she plucked a rose from the pitcher and twirled it between her fingers. “I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to reveal my source.”
“Okay, I promise.”
“Actually, you could figure it out pretty easily just by asking around,” Skye said, excusing her lack of discretion. “My mother is a police dispatcher.” Skye watched him carefully as she revealed this information.
Simon smiled as if in relief. “That explains it. I thought maybe you had a relationship with one of the cops, or even Wally.”
“Chief Boyd is a married man.” Skye put the blossom back in the vase.
“True, but women seem to find him attractive, and he appears to be quite fond of you.” Simon stood up and straightened the crease in his trousers. “Are you ready to go? Our reservation is for one o’clock.”
He followed her into the hall, where she picked up her purse. “If Wally’s so devoted to me, why is he after my brother?”
Brunch was wonderful. They drove to Chicago and ate at Cité, a revolving restaurant on top of Lake Point Tower. It offered views of both the skyline and Lake Michigan. Their conversation was animated, with no awkward pauses or uncomfortable silences. The subject of murder was not raised again.
They talked of travel—where they’d been and where they’d like to go. Both confessed to being addicted to books and chocolate. Best of all, Simon revealed himself to be a bridge player.
Sitting back, Skye watched a seagull swoop and dive over the water. “Do you play in a club?” she asked.
“No, unfortunately I haven’t been able to locate one in the area. Friends in the city occasionally call me to fill in when one of their group members can’t make it, but it’s a long drive.” Simon took a last swallow of coffee and pushed the cup away. “How about you?”
“Nope. I played all the time in grad school, but I don’t know anyone in Scumble River who plays.”
“Too bad. Maybe we can find another couple and teach them.”
So we’re a couple. Skye wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Out loud she said, “That would be fun.”
The waiter brought over the check in its leather folder and put it on the table. Simon took out his wallet and selected a credit card.
She tried to stop herself, but she couldn’t resist an attempt to peek at how much the meal had cost him. But he was too smooth for her to catch a glimpse.
While they were waiting for the server to return, Simon asked, “Do you feel like a walk by the lake?”
“What a good idea. It’ll be good to feel a fresh breeze after these last couple of weeks of air-conditioning.” Skye stood up. “I’ll use the rest room and meet you up in front.”
They strolled hand in hand down the sidewalk bordering the lake. When the breeze blew a strand of hair into Skye’s eyes, Simon tucked it behind her ear. The memory of his touch lingered on her cheek.
The moment was broken when another jogger—the third one—knocked into Simon. Both the pathway and the beach were teeming with people enjoying both the Labor Day weekend and the break in the heat.
Simon pulled Skye to one side. “Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.”
Having had a stroller wheeled over her foot only moments before, Skye had to agree with him. “It is a little crowded. I do have another idea of what to do.”
“Sure, whatever you’d like.”
Skye grinned wickedly. “Anything?”
Simon faltered. “I . . . I guess so. What did you have in mind?”
Skye had easily convinced the doorman that she was helping out Honey’s uncle. Convincing Simon was a little more difficult.
“Are you sure Charlie asked you to do this?” Simon looked nervously over his shoulder. “Did he clear it with the police?”
Skye, busy trying to figure out how to get the door open without letting Simon see she didn’t have a key, didn’t reply.
“What are you doing?”
“The key must have slipped out of my pocket when I was in your car. Could you run down and check?” Skye asked.
Once he was gone, she took her trusty Swiss Army knife from her purse and opened it to the thinnest blade. She inserted it into the space between the door and the jamb and prayed that Honey hadn’t invested in a good dead bolt. This only worked with cheap thumb-button locks.
As Simon reappeared at the end of the hall, the door opened and she walked inside.
When he didn’t follow immediately she went back, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind them.
“So, you found the key after all.”
When she didn’t answer, he put his hand on her shoulder. “This is a really bad idea. We could both get into a lot of trouble. Let’s leave before the doorman changes his mind and calls the police.”
“No, Charlie asked me to look around for him. You can wait in the car, but I’m going to search Honey’s condo.” By this time she almost believed that what she said was true.
They were in a tiny foyer. To the left was a small kitchen, straight ahead was a living room, and a short hallway went to the right.
“Why do you have to search it? I’m sure the police already have.”
At the kitchen doorway, Skye was greeted with a scene similar to the one she had found at Charlie�
�s. She stepped aside so Simon could see. “Someone sure has, but I don’t think it was the cops.”
“Well, that takes care of that. Let’s go.”
“I’m still going to have a look.”
He gestured at the mess in the kitchen. “Anything worth finding is gone.”
“Maybe they didn’t know what they were looking for and passed it by.”
“And you do? Know what you’re looking for, I mean.”
Skye nodded. “I’ll know it when I see it. Look at it this way, now that we don’t have to be careful it will be much quicker.”
“If there were any other way for you to get home I’d leave you here.” Simon’s jaw was set, and the muscle in his cheek was rigid.
She laid her hand on his chest and smiled up at him through her lashes. “I appreciate your not abandoning me.” Feeling him relax his stance, she continued, “If we both look we’ll be out of here that much quicker.”
He was examining the last of the shelves in the living room while Skye investigated the bathroom. There had been nothing of interest in the bedroom, the home office, or the kitchen.
It looked as if everything had been ripped apart and left in the middle of the floor. This did not stop Skye from crawling into the cupboard under the sink. Wedged into a corner was a package of Stayfree Maxi Pads. At first glance it appeared to be unopened, but Skye’s heart beat faster when she noticed the irregular seam in the plastic.
“Come quick, Simon, I think I’ve found something,” she called excitedly.
His running footsteps faltered when he saw the container she held aloft in one hand. His fair-skinned face turned red. They stared at each other for a moment before Skye giggled and Simon dissolved into laughter.
When she was able to stop, she said, “Okay, so this wasn’t what you expected on a first date, but look, this package has been opened and sealed shut again.”
He took the container from her and examined it closely. While he was doing that, she got to her feet and dug out her pocketknife. “Give it back and I’ll open it.”
Murder of a Small-Town Honey Page 16