She straightens as she glances to the back of the class at the circus surrounding Georgie.
“You know”—she ticks her head to the side—“I didn’t really know Lad all that well. He has an old girlfriend though, Natalie Weiland. I think she would know him better as far as who did or didn’t like him. But he was a strange character. He had eccentric taste. He conned my mother into buying really odd pieces, acrylics, and oil paintings that go beyond the pale of modern art. They weren’t anything special if you ask me. They weren’t even from an established artist. Well, I guess they were, but I had never heard of the guy. Anyway, if you want to entertain yourself, you’ll have to see the paintings for yourself. Next Tuesday at two. That’s when the meeting gets out. I’ll be there. The acrylic offenses are hanging in the corporate boardroom. My mother paid a mint for them.” She shakes her head. “And I’m pretty sure they’re worthless.”
She calls the class to order and I make my way to the back, taking a seat right between Georgie and Leo while Paige gives us instructions on how to sculpt a human head.
She encourages us to feel our neighbor’s face with our eyes closed, and just as I’m about to team up with Georgie, she quickly gloms onto an older gentleman sitting next to her in a T-shirt with a picture of a bowtie and suit jacket. I can’t help but make a face at what a perfect pairing they are. Georgie somehow always manages to winnow out a prize for herself when we’re on the hunt for a killer. Not that Formal Tux T-Shirt Guy is a prize, but you have to give Georgie props for trying.
I spin in my seat until I’m facing Leo Granger.
“Don’t get any funny ideas,” I say. “I can read your mind.”
Leo and I close our eyes and begin mapping out each other’s faces with our hands.
So I’m going to do it, I say. I’m telling Jasper the truth. Have you thought about what I asked? Are you up for doing it yourself? You never know, it might restore your friendship.
Leo sighs and I can feel his cheeks flexing into a frown.
“I don’t know, Bizzy,” he whispers. You tell Jasper your truth. I’m still trying to figure this out. In a way I think it will be a shock all on its own for him to know what you’re capable of. If you throw me into the mix, he might feel left out in an odd way. I don’t want to hamper anything the two of you have any more than I might have already.
“That’s fair,” I say. “And nice. But if you don’t tell him, then there’s still one more secret I’m holding from him.”
Leo pulls back and we sit and stare at one another for a good long while.
“Okay, Bizzy. I’ll do it for you and for Jasper. But only because I’m rooting for you guys. Just give me a heads-up when you tell him.”
“Will do,” I say. He turns to start in on his sculpture, and I lay my hand over his until his dark eyes are trained on mine once again. “Thank you, Leo. This means a lot to me.”
We get straight to sculpting, and once the hour is through Leo and I each have what resembles an alien being on our hands.
Georgie’s project looks like the second coming of Michelangelo.
“Georgie, that’s fantastic,” I gasp in awe as I take in the bust of a beautiful woman with a slightly familiar mischievous gleam in her clay eyes. “Who is that supposed to be?”
“That’s me about thirty years ago.” She carves a flower in her wavy hair, and then I see it—Georgie’s features, her crooked smile. “I miss that kid.” She gives her look-alike a playful slap.
The three of us donate our projects right back to the art center clay pile and I thank Paige for class as we’re leaving.
“And I might pop in and see that artwork in the corporate office,” I say as we head for the door. “I was telling Georgie about it and she’s fascinated.”
Paige gives a quick nod. “I’d encourage you to buy it all off me, but I’d hate for you to have to mortgage your house,” she teases. “Take care.” She gives a cheery wave before tending to another student.
Mortgage my house? Exactly how much did Lad have Emily spend on those paintings?
We head out into the icy February air, and I’m about to pluck the keys out of my purse as I stop cold at the sight before me.
Leaning against my car with a hardened stare aimed right for Leo is Jasper Wilder.
“Bizzy, Georgie.” He gives a slight nod, but he never takes his angry stare off Leo. “Granger.” He stalks over and pulls Leo in by the shirt before giving him a violent push. “How dare you.” I’d kill him, but there’s one too many witnesses. “Don’t feed me this ‘I’m not into Bizzy’ bull. We both know you’ve got some sick vendetta against me and you’re pulling out all the stops.”
Leo’s chest pumps with a dry laugh. “Which is it, Jasper? Am I into your girl, or am I out to get you?”
Jasper growls, “Maybe it’s a little of both.”
Leo shoots me a look. “Let me know when it goes down. I can’t wait to prove him wrong.” He jumps into his truck and speeds off.
Georgie rummages through my purse before coming up victorious with the keys to my car.
“Ah-ha!” She rattles them in the air before jumping into the driver’s seat and rolling down the window. “Hey, Detective!” she shouts over at Jasper. “Get a clue. This woman right here is going to need a ride home.” She wags her crooked finger my way. “If you want to kiss and make up, there’s a great B&B just up the road. Ask for the red room of shame. You won’t regret it!” She speeds off with a screech to the tires and I groan as I look back at Jasper.
“How much do you dislike me right about now?” I cower a little as I look his way.
“Zero.” A sly grin glides up his cheeks as he pulls me in. “How about a quick bite?”
“Out of me? In the red room of shame?” I bat my lashes up at him as I tease him mercilessly.
A laugh rumbles from him. “I think I can wrangle out a lunch break.” He softens a notch and there’s a look of regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry I was hard on Leo. I couldn’t help myself.”
“I won’t hold it against you. I’d much rather hold myself against you. Are you up for coffee? I hear Rose Glen has a bakery down the street that makes a mean red velvet cupcake.”
He gives a slow nod. “And then I’d liked to take you out to a bookstore in Seaview if you have time. I hear they have a great section on how to find a killer.”
My mouth falls open. “Are you inviting me into your investigation?”
His brows hike a notch. “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” I’d much rather Bizzy go out with me than Leo.
I give a simple nod. “It’s a date.”
My lips close over his, and Jasper and I share a heart-stopping kiss right here in the parking lot of the art center.
Soon he’ll know everything there is to know about me.
And I sincerely hope it’s not the beginning of the end.
Chapter 9
Jasper and I hit the We Need Dough Bake Shop hard as we buy up enough sweet treats to feed the entire inn. And we get it all to go, along with two hot lattes.
We decided to nosh in his truck on the way to Seaview, and while we’re on the road, I tell him all about the strange art Paige told me about that hangs in the corporate office, and the fact Lad died days before Emily was going to agree to give him half of everything.
He shakes his head as he swallows down the rest of his red velvet cupcake.
He ticks his head my way. “And what about the dog?”
“Cinnamon?” I perk up at the thought of that curly-haired cutie. “What about her?”
“Don’t you think it’s strange that Emily hasn’t claimed her?”
“Not really. Emily was in a miserable state that night. She may not be a dog person. And I don’t think Paige was close to Lad or his dog. She made it clear when I spoke to her there was no love lost between them.”
“All of that is strange. And it moves Paige up the suspect list. I get it, she was trying to protect her mother. She really made the guy sound like a
sleaze.”
“I think he was. I mean, Paige didn’t have to work too hard to make him look like a gold digger. What do we know about his past?”
“Not much. He graduated from a nearby university with a degree in agriculture.”
“Agriculture?” I ask as if I didn’t hear him right.
“Yup. That’s about all I know.”
“What about his employment history?”
“That’s the thing. I couldn’t find any.”
“Wow. The guy was in his late twenties. You would think he would have held down a job by now.”
“You would think.” He shrugs. “And I’m sure he did. Off the books, I’m betting.”
“You’re probably right. I can’t wait to talk to Emily. I bet she’ll be a wealth of information. I mean, did she know anything about his past at all?”
“I don’t know, but when I do talk to Emily, I plan on meeting her at the corporate offices. I’m thinking I should bring Ella.”
“Ella?” That’s Jasper’s sister. She works at an art center herself. “That would be perfect. While you casually interrogate Emily, she could pepper the conversation with genuine questions that pertain to art.”
“Exactly.” He nods out the window. “And I’m hoping Natalie Weiland will fill us in on a missing link to this puzzle.” He casts those gray eyes my way for a moment and it feels as if a spotlight just centered over me. “I was about to head down to talk to her one more time, right after I spoke with Paige.”
“And you wisely invited me.” I shed a greedy grin. “Trust me. It’s a good thing. I’m a woman. Women connect to other women better. It’s a proven fact. Besides, I’ve already connected with her. We talked about books a bit.” Self-help books that could assist me in divulging a deep, dark secret to the love of my life. A thought comes to me. “In fact, why don’t we split up once we head inside? That way I can get some one-on-one time with her. There’s no telling what she might divulge once I get her going.”
His lips purse as he considers it. “All right. But I’ll be watching you. Try to stay out in the open. Make it easy on me. And treat the questions with kid gloves.” If the department knew I was depending on a civilian to run an interrogation, I’d have to turn in my badge and my gun before the day was through. But this is Bizzy. She can run circles around any of those deputies down at the station. Not that I’d tell her. I’d hate to encourage her and send her running into harm’s way because of it. “But just this once, Bizzy. Because we’re doing this together.”
“You bet.” I feed him a frosted brownie and he moans through the bite.
Something tells me she knows exactly what to do to get anything she wants out of me. And I do not object. I’d give her anything. Give up anything for her. Let’s hope my career doesn’t fall into that category.
The Water’s Edge Bookshop sits exactly where its name suggests, on a stretch of real estate right along the coast.
It’s a quaint little shop with a stone façade and a row of weeping willows planted out front. A giant wisteria shrub arcs over the entry with its lavender flowers still budding to perfection, giving the place a cozy appeal. Inside, the sweet scent of paperbacks livens the air with its homey perfume, and I’m instantly transported to the libraries and bookstores of my youth.
“Jasper”—I pull him in close—“is there anything more intoxicating than the scent of old books?”
“I can think of a thing or two.” A devilish grin crests his lips.
“Ha ha, and thank you, I think.” My teeth graze over my bottom lip. “But seriously, I really need to get a bona fide library going at the inn. There’s a small lending library in the grand room, but I’d love to have wall-to-wall bookshelves filled with delicious smelling paperbacks and hardbacks for the guests to read at their leisure. And me, of course. I’m a bit of a bookworm myself.”
“I’ll make a note of that.” A bouquet of roses and a bouquet of books for Valentine’s Day.
“Now you’re talking.” I give a little laugh. “You’re a man after my own heart. By the way, a bouquet of books is ingenuous.”
He inches back and glances from side to side. “Did I say that out loud?” I must be losing my mind. I’d swear I was thinking it. “I’m pretty sure I’m going crazy.”
“Oh!” My fingers fly to my lips. “No, you whispered it.” Lovely. Make the poor guy think he’s losing his mind. This isn’t going to end well. This secret of mine needs to come out, and fast. “Anyway.” I spot a redhead over by the back wall, shuffling through a few boxes of inventory. “I see Natalie.” I point her way. “Get lost, would you?” I give a little wink before dotting his lips with a kiss. “And don’t worry. You’re my favorite kind of crazy.”
I take off and pick up a few books on my way over in that general direction.
“Natalie?” I clear my throat as she stands to her feet and turns around.
Her pale face brightens once she sees me. “Bizzy! You came.” Her red hair is knotted over her head and stray wisps fly about her cheeks like flames.
“Yup.” I glance over my shoulder and I’m pleased to see there’s no sign of Jasper. Not that I plan on keeping him a secret. “I’m actually here with my boyfriend.”
She gasps as she slinks my way. “The one you’re keeping the secret from?”
I give a quick nod. Natalie is one person I’m thrilled to pull deeper into my rabbit hole. The more she trusts me, the more she’ll be willing to tell me. I hope.
She gives a scrutinizing glance around but comes up empty.
“Well, let’s get you to the self-help section and we can winnow away the books and see which one is the best fit for you. It’s right over here.”
We walk a few aisles over and I can just about feel Jasper getting edgy. For some reason, his thoughts are muted, most likely because I’m so focused on Natalie at the moment.
She’s donned a red wool vest over a white turtleneck and her vest has a series of pink heart-shaped appliques that run down the front. The bookstore is decorated with cutouts of red hearts set against white doilies and metallic cutouts of Cupid as well. The décor de jour this time of year.
“I can’t believe it’s almost Valentine’s Day,” I muse as she peruses the titles.
“Tell me about it. I used to love that holiday when I had an official boyfriend. But you’re still in the running for fun.”
“It would be fun, but I think that’s the night I’m going to spill my big secret.”
Her mouth falls open as she gives me her full attention.
“Really?” Creases form around her eyes as she looks me over. “Are you sure about that? I mean, people usually go out on Valentine’s Day with certain expectations.” She says that last part with a husky growl. “Is it the kind of secret that could end up ruining the rest of your night?” She leans in, looking genuinely concerned for the precarious state of my libido. And rightly so.
I shake my head. “I don’t know. It’s the kind of thing that can go either way. It’s basically a weird quirk of mine that I’m hoping he’ll accept.”
She waves me off. “Is that all? You’ll have no trouble. And if he doesn’t accept you for who you are, he wasn’t worth it to begin with.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Only, I have a feeling my telesensual status will prove to be the exception. “So how about you? No prospects to celebrate the upcoming big day?”
Her eyes glaze over as she stares off at the books before us.
“Nope. Things sort of ended badly with my ex.”
“Can I ask what happened?”
“Oh, Bizzy.” A dull laugh pumps from her. “You would not believe me.”
“Try me.” I shrug. “In fact, it might be good for me to hear something unbelievable that happens to be true. At least then I’ll know how my boyfriend will feel when I spill the big news.”
She tips her head to the side. “You got me there. All right. But strictly for experimental purposes. This is to help you, not me. I’m a lost cause.”
We share a warm laugh.
“I don’t believe that,” I say.
I really do like Natalie. And oddly enough, I’m starting to consider her a true friend.
“Okay”—she sags for a moment—“he left me for someone he had nothing in common with.” She shrugs. “Granted, I eventually met his new plus one and she was nice and funny and cute in a grandmother-ish sort of way. The worst part? He seemed genuinely happy. Anyway, we reconnected as of late and he was coming back to my place and we were having dinner and laughing. I thought there was a chance we were going to reconnect romantically as well.” Lad loved me. And I loved Lad. The thought of everything we had going up in smoke—in gun smoke. He was inches from coming back to me, and now he’s gone forever.
My mouth falls open as I examine her.
“Natalie, I’m so sorry.” I shake my head as genuine tears come to my eyes. “When I saw you by the fountain at the inn, you mentioned you and Lad dated. Natalie, this ex-boyfriend you’re talking about, it was Lad, wasn’t it?”
She takes a breath and closes her eyes before a tiny nod shudders from her. Her shoulders hike up a notch just as she breaks down in deep, convulsive sobs, and I don’t hesitate pulling her into a strong embrace.
“Oh, Natalie. I’m so very sorry for your loss,” I whisper as tears of my own streak my face.
She pulls back, quickly wiping down her tears.
“Thank you.” She shrugs. “It’s been really hard. It’s not like I can openly grieve him other than as a friend. And everyone is giving Emily their condolences, as they should. But I feel the pain, too. What I wouldn’t give to have him back.” She sighs hard before pulling out a tissue and blowing her nose.
“Who do you think would do something like this to Lad? I mean, it did happen at the inn, which I manage. I keep asking the sheriff’s department, but they’re clueless as to who could have done it and why.”
Her eyes widen as she shrugs. “It could have been random. I really don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it, though. I saw Lad and Emily arguing out by the fountain as I was headed out to put my coat in the car. And then I went back into the ballroom and not long after, rumors started to swirl about a murder. Whatever she was angry about, she was angry enough to kill.”
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