by Lyndsey Cole
They left Annie’s apartment and headed to the café in two cars.
Mia already had the coffee started and the oven preheating for a batch of cinnamon rolls.
“I thought we should try to be as normal as possible,” she explained when Annie and Jason walked in.
Danny knocked on the door. “Too early for me to get my coffee and blueberry muffin?”
Annie waved him in. “No problem for you, Danny.”
“Where’s Leona? Is she all right?” Danny asked with concern surrounding his words.
“Well, it’s complicated,” Annie replied as she quickly glanced at Jason.
“Is it true? Did someone shoot at her?”
“Where did you hear that?” Annie asked as she placed his blueberry muffin with lots of streusel topping on a plate.
“I was out at the bar when Johnny arrived. I guess I stayed later than I should have. Anyway, he told me. I don’t know where he heard it but you know how news travels in this town; faster than greased lightning.”
Annie leaned on the counter. “What time did Johnny get to the bar?”
“Let me think. Must have been after ten, maybe closer to eleven. I left pretty soon after that.” He wiped the crumbs off his chin with his sleeve. “Thanks for letting me come in so early.”
The timer went off, making Annie jump. “What do you make of Danny’s news?” she asked Jason.
She pulled the cinnamon rolls out of the oven and slid in blueberry muffins.
Jason reached for a roll but Annie slapped his hand away. “They’re too hot, you need to wait at least five minutes or you’ll burn your mouth.”
“I know the perfect remedy for that.” His eyes twinkled as he teased Annie.
She snapped her fingers. “Focus on Leona. What do you think? Could it have been Johnny last night?”
Mia pushed the coffee cart into place and filled the carafes. “It could have been, but I don’t think it was.”
“Why not?” Jason asked.
“What about that sapphire you found? Would Johnny have had that?”
“It could have fallen out of his pocket.”
Jason tried to sneak a cinnamon roll again and succeeded this time.
“Why would Johnny blurt out in a public place about Leona being shot? That just brings attention to him,” Mia said while she filled the milk and sugar containers.
“You’re right. But if he was drunk, he might say something stupid,” Annie said. “I’m not crossing him off the list yet.” She opened the door for business even though Mondays tended to be anything but busy.
Several locals were already waiting in the hall for the door to open. “Good morning. Coffee’s hot and the cinnamon rolls are just out of the oven,” Annie said with a false cheerfulness.
Bob and Harry, Martha’s twin dates at the Valentine’s Day dance, were the first through the door. They both scanned the room. “No Leona today?”
“Nope,” Annie answered as she went behind the counter. She wasn’t going to offer any explanation to all these nosy people. They were only hoping to hear some good gossip.
Jason finished straightening the books on the freebrary bookshelves and joined Annie. “Cheer up. Having a scowly face won’t get anyone to open up and give you information.”
She turned her lips into a big fake smile. “How’s this?”
“You are kind of cute when you’re mad. Why don’t you call Curl Up and Dye and make that appointment before they’re booked solid for the day.”
“You’re just trying to get rid of me.”
“Of course I am. With that frown on your face, you’ll scare all the customers away. I told you, I’ll help Mia so you can get yourself all prettied up for our hot date tonight.” Jason smiled and took Annie’s apron, tying it on himself. He flicked his wrist in a get-going gesture.
Annie couldn’t help but finally let her face relax into a real smile as she headed to the office to call Curl Up and Dye.
Chapter 16
Annie slung her black cat quilted bag over her shoulder and headed to the door.
“That was quick. Got a hold of Tess already?” Jason asked.
“She answered the phone. Said she would squeeze me in now since she’ll be gone for most of the day. Something came up,” Annie raised one eyebrow. “Sounds suspicious to me.”
She fluffed her hair and leaned her head back in a Marilyn Monroe pose. “What style should I try?”
“Definitely try a new color, maybe a short bleached blond look?” Jason teased.
“You’re no help.” She dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand as his laugh followed her out the door.
Annie’s adrenaline was pumping. She wondered if she would uncover any information from Tess or if she was searching up the wrong tree. She pulled the door open to Curl Up and Dye and a bell jingled, announcing her presence.
The salon was deserted. Standing just inside the door, she wondered if she had mistaken the time Tess told her.
“I’m back here, be right out,” a voice sing-songed from a back area.
Annie’s toe tapped nervously.
Tess appeared, smiling warmly. “So, what can I do for you today? You sounded desperate.”
“Well, I, uh, have a date tonight and was hoping for something new with my hair,” she stammered and ran her fingers through her strawberry blonde curls.
Tess took Annie by her arm. “Come on back here. We’ll figure out exactly what you need.”
“Should I hang my coat up?” Out of the corner of Annie’s eye, she saw a black parka hanging on a coat hook. “Your parka wasn’t ruined when you fell through the ice?”
“A trip through the washer and dryer and it’s good as new. Wish that’s all I needed.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping. If I manage to fall asleep, nightmares of falling or seeing Aunt Lacy all covered with blood wake me up.” Her body shuddered before she took Annie’s arm again and brought her to a chair in front of a sink.
“Did you see Lacy before they took her out of Cobblestones Cottage?”
“No. How could I have seen her? I wasn’t in the house, but I do have an imagination,” Tess said with disgust oozing in her voice.
Annie sank into the chair, feeling vulnerable as she leaned her head back into the sink, exposing her neck. She suspected Tess was lying about something. “Tell me about your aunt. Were you two close?”
Tess wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t use that word. It was complicated.” She turned the water on, checking the temperature before soaking Annie’s hair. “My mother was Lacy and Brad’s younger sister. When she died last year, neither of them even came to the funeral.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Uncle Brad and my mom never got along but I expected Aunt Lacy to show up. My mom always looked up to Aunt Lacy, you know, younger sister thing I guess.” Tess squirted shampoo onto Annie’s head. The cold contrasted with the warm water, making her jump. “Do you have any sisters?”
“Well …” Annie laughed. “That’s complicated too. I’m adopted and I’m trying to find my birth parents, so maybe I have siblings I don’t know about. I have my mom and dad and my Aunt Leona who I’m like best friends with. I help her at the Black Cat Café.”
“Leona? The one who disappeared after Aunt Lacy was murdered?” Tess wrapped a towel around Annie’s head. A little too tightly for Annie’s liking.
Annie nodded which helped to loosen the towel.
“Aunt Lacy hated Leona, you know.”
“That’s a bit strong, don’t you think? I would view their relationship more like a mutual dislike.”
Tess guided Annie to a swivel chair in front of a mirror and all of Tess’s hair styling paraphernalia. She unwrapped the towel and combed Annie’s hair, yanking through the tangles and making Annie’s eyes water.
“No, I think hate is the correct word, at least the way I heard it from Aunt Lacy. She never did get over the fact that Uncle Hank had a fling with your Aun
t Leona. Aunt Lacy was always scheming revenge for that.”
“But that fling was before Lacy and Hank ever even dated,” Annie said, turning her head to look at Tess.
Tess shrugged. “Aunt Lacy kept grudges and never forgave anyone.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, who do you think killed her?”
“Leona. Aunt Lacy knew secrets about a lot of people and she pulled them out when the time suited her.” She finished combing. “You have beautiful hair. What did you have in mind today?”
“Nothing too drastic, maybe some layering? No bangs.”
“Okay. Any coloring? I could make these red highlights really pop if you want.”
“Sure. Why not. Whatever it takes to make Jason’s eyes think I’m the hottest girl he’s ever seen!”
“Jason? Jason Hunter? The guy that saved my life? You are one lucky girl. That guy is beyond handsome, even if he’s too old for me.”
Tess started separating Annie’s hair into sections and going to town with her scissors. Annie couldn’t look in the mirror. She hoped Tess knew what she was doing.
“Where were you when Lacy was murdered?”
“Me? The police asked that, too. I was at Lacy’s house minding my own business.”
Annie left it at that; she didn’t want to get too pushy and make Tess suspicious of her questions. Instead she moved back to what she thought was safer territory.
“If your aunt had secrets on a lot of people, maybe there was someone else who wanted her dead?”
“Maybe Uncle Brad. The reason he and Sherry are always having marital problems is because he can’t support Sherry’s lifestyle. With Aunt Lacy dead, Uncle Brad inherits a boatload of money.”
“Really? Is he the only heir?”
“No. I’m in her will too,” Tess said as if it was no big deal to her.
“Some people could see that as a motive.” Annie watched Tess’s face in the mirror.
Tess stopped cutting and rested her hands on Annie’s shoulders. “I suppose so, but all I ever wanted was that sapphire bracelet that Aunt Lacy promised me when I turned twenty one. It had been my grandmother’s bracelet that was always passed down to the oldest girl in the next generation when she turned twenty one. Grandma gave it to Aunt Lacy, Grandma’s oldest daughter, and Aunt Lacy always hoped to pass it on to her daughter, but she never had any kids. My mother argued with Lacy until she agreed that it should go to me. I thought it was all worked out. But when I showed up here in Catfish Cove, Aunt Lacy wasn’t exactly excited to see me. And Uncle Brad was furious.”
Annie’s nerves were starting to tingle. “I saw that bracelet when Lacy came into the Black Cat Café the morning before she was killed. Did someone take it from Lacy after she was murdered?”
Tess combed out Annie’s hair and evened up all the sections. She hummed to herself as she clipped away. “Ready for those highlights now?”
“I guess so,” Annie said, but her brain was screaming to get out before it was too late.
The front door jingled, helping Annie relax slightly. At least she wouldn’t be alone with Tess.
“I thought I might find you here. Brad says if you don’t get your stuff out of the house today, he’ll take care of it for you. You’ll find it with the trash. Which is exactly where you belong, too.”
Annie saw Sherry’s distorted face reflected in the mirror before she turned around and left, slamming the door behind her.
“That woman.” Tess spit the words out. “She was always jealous of the relationship my mom had with Aunt Lacy. She wanted Aunt Lacy and Uncle Brad all for herself. She turned Uncle Brad and Aunt Lacy against my mom.”
Annie squeezed her hands into fists so hard her fingernails dug into her palms. “What happened to the bracelet? Do the police have it?”
“You are awfully interested in Aunt Lacy’s bracelet. Why is that? Maybe you know where it is?”
Annie felt sweat dripping down her side. “Curiosity.”
“Worrying about your inheritance?” Tess asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.
Annie lurched forward and twisted around to look into Tess’s eyes. “My inheritance? What are you talking about?”
“That bracelet won’t go to anyone on Hank McGuire’s side so you have no claim to it.”
Annie stood up, ripping the plastic cape off her neck. “You’re making no sense. I have no claim on Hank or Lacy’s estate.”
“Is that so? Then why is there a clause in Lacy’s will that named you as a recipient of an irrevocable trust from Uncle Hank when she died?”
Annie had to lean on the chair to keep from falling down. “How do you know this?”
Tess waved her hand as if everyone knew this detail. “I saw some of the notes that Aunt Lacy had for her kiss and tell book. There’s a long section on Hank and Leona. At least I found her notes before Brad ransacked her rooms.”
Annie’s head was spinning. She pulled out a couple of twenties from her bag. “Here. I hope this covers the haircut. I have to go.”
“Wait. What about the highlights?”
Annie looked at Tess like she was a crazy person. Or maybe Annie was the crazy person, she thought as she barely managed to find her coat and get out the door. The cold air hit her, clearing the fog from her brain.
Somehow, she found herself walking into the Black Cat Café. Jake was sitting at the counter, drinking coffee as if it was just another normal day.
Jason took one look at Annie and froze at the coffee cart, staring with wide eyes. “What happened? Did you see a ghost?”
She looked between Jason and her mother. “I need to sit down.”
Jason hurried to her side and helped her into one of the booths. Mia brought over a glass of ice water.
“Did Tess tell you something?” Jason prodded.
Annie’s blank eyes focused on Jason. “She told me that Senator Hank McGuire left an irrevocable trust in my name for when Lacy was dead. I don’t even know what it means.”
Chapter 17
“Let me take you home,” Jason said. “Mia, do you mind staying here by yourself?”
“I’d rather come with you two but I’ll stay here and keep the café open. Keep me posted, I don’t like where this is headed.”
Mia poured some chili into smaller containers and wrapped up some warm cornbread for Jason to bring to Annie’s apartment. Annie stood silently in front of the windows gazing out over Heron Lake.
“I can’t understand how something I’ve known all my life can change in a flash and not be what it seems.”
“Get this sorted out and I’ll see you later.” Mia reached for Annie’s arm but she pulled away.
“This isn’t some laundry that you can put into piles of socks or underwear. It’s my life. My life that feels like it’s completely unraveling without making any sense.”
“Let me help you try to make sense of it.” Annie let Jason put his arm around her and they walked out to Jason’s car, leaving Annie’s car in the Cove’s Corner parking lot.
Jason pulled into his driveway. “How about we sit in my house. I’ll get a nice fire going.”
“Sure, but I want to get Roxy. I’ll be right over.” Annie ran up the stairs to her apartment, leaving Jason to watch her disappear inside.
Annie sagged against the closed door and a tear dripped down her cheek. Her body slowly slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor with her legs stretched out in front of her. Roxy nudged her arm and whined. “I know I can count on you, can’t I?” Annie put her arm around Roxy and soaked up the warmth and comfort from her dog.
“Annie? Are you all right?”
“What are you doing here?” Annie replied without looking toward the couch where the voice came from.
Leona approached Annie tentatively. “I let myself in, to wait for you. Did something happen?”
Annie finally turned her eyes, filled with confusion and anger, up to meet Leona’s. “I think something happened twenty nine years ago. When were you and Mom
planning to let me in on the secret of my life?”
“I wanted to tell you but I couldn’t. Until now.”
A loud knock on Annie’s door interrupted their stare down.
“Annie? Are you in there? It’s Tyler. Let me in.”
Annie straightened and opened the door for Tyler. “This isn’t a convenient time for a visit, Tyler.”
“Sorry, but it’s not a visit. I got an anonymous call that Leona was hiding out in your apartment. I’m here to arrest her for the murder of Lacy McGuire.”
Tyler read Leona her rights, handcuffed her and led her to his police car.
Annie felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. So close to finding out the truth. But did she really want to know? Jason told her once that people aren’t always happy with the truth. She knew her head needed the answers she had searched for. She hoped her heart could deal with those answers too.
Jason stood at her side. She never heard him come in. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess swirling around in her head.
Jason held her shoulders. “Annie. Look at me.”
Her eyes slowly came into focus on his dark eyes. “I have to save Leona. She’s not a murderer. I have to figure this out so she can tell me who I am.”
“Did Leona tell you who kidnapped her? Or how she got here?”
“No. There was no time for any information.”
Jason took the chili container to the kitchen and dumped it into a pot. “Let’s have something to eat. It will take some time before we’re allowed to visit Leona.”
Jason made a phone call while stirring the chili. Tossing his phone on the table he told Annie, “The first step is in place. I have a lawyer for Leona. He’ll let us know when we can visit her. In the meantime, you need to try to relax, get some food in you and we’ll work with the information we have.”
Annie felt her head nodding in agreement. Somehow her body was responding appropriately even though her mind was one big bowl of mush.
Without realizing it, Annie was sitting at her table with a steaming bowl of chili and cornbread in front of her. Her spoon dipped into the bowl and found her mouth. “Ouch. This is too hot. Why didn’t you warn me?”