"You remember." I relaxed my shoulders. "Of course you do. Your memory is incredible."
His gray eyes twinkled. "You mean for someone my age."
"No, I mean in general. I wish I had it." I pulled on the coat.
"Well, I have less going on in my life. You're a successful business owner with lots of things going on in that pretty head. Most of my time is spent with my books or puzzles and the tall lady standing next to this house. I liked that you referred to the lighthouse as my tall lady. I know it sounds odd, but I do sometimes feel an extraordinary connection to the lighthouse."
I walked over, hopped on my toes and kissed his cheek. "There is nothing odd about that at all because she is extraordinary."
"I see you appreciate that old tower as much as me." He walked me to the door. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of any more help in your investigation."
I turned to him before walking out. "Are you kidding? This was one of my best research sessions ever. Like you said, maybe it was a crime of passion. That idea intrigues me so much, I'll probably have a tough time sleeping tonight with all the possible theories bouncing around my head."
"Well then, I apologize in advance for your soon to be restless night."
I stepped out on the stoop. "Let's do this again, Marty."
"I would really enjoy that, Lacey. Good night."
Chapter 9
It had been a hectic morning with mostly single purchase customers. No big orders. Sometimes I preferred just the occasional bouquet request to large wedding orders. Way less pressure and stress. Unfortunately, the single bouquet purchases would never be enough to keep me in business. It was the big event orders that made Pink's Flowers a success.
Elsie texted to see what Lola and I thought of the chocolates. I decided to walk over and tell her firsthand that we gobbled them with unladylike speed and fervor. Ryder was glancing through a catalog of vases and pots.
"I'm just going to stop next door to talk to Elsie. Text if we get a sudden swarm of customers."
"Sure thing, boss," he said without looking up from his catalog.
Elsie was helping a woman when I walked inside. She peered past the woman's puffed and heavily sprayed silver blonde hair and shot me a wink. I decided to check out all the yummy treats behind the glass while the woman decided which pastries she wanted to add to her dozen. I was admiring a tray of tiny tarts, each decorated with little candy flowers, when a flash of sparkle caught my eye. Elsie's customer was wearing a beautiful gold necklace, and it looked very familiar.
The customer, a nicely dressed woman of sixty plus, caught me admiring the necklace. She fingered the pearl and smiled proudly.
"I'm sorry," I said, "can I get a better look? It's so unique."
The woman turned to me and lifted her chin, so I could see the entire necklace. I was definitely looking at the vintage jewelry Lionel had purchased from Lola the day before.
"It's lovely," I said. "Do you know what year it was made?" I decided to pry, hoping to get a little information out of her.
"I believe it's Edwardian. Real gold, of course. It was a gift," she added with a simpering smile.
It seemed Kate was not going to be getting a necklace, after all. It was easy to deduce that the woman was somehow related to Lionel, an aunt, perhaps.
"It's stunning, isn't it?" Elsie said. "I was admiring it before you came in." She finished tying the string on the bakery box and handed it to the woman. "Here you go, Margaret. I hope your book club enjoys them."
"I'm sure they will, Elsie. See you in two weeks." She nodded politely at me and carried her pastries out the door.
I watched through the window as she climbed into a Cadillac and drove away. I turned back to Elsie. "Who is she?" I asked.
"That's Margaret Sherwood. She lives in one of those big houses in Chesterton. A very wealthy widow. Her husband left her a fortune. I think he was in cargo shipping or something like that. She comes in here every other week to buy pastries for her book club."
"I saw a man buy that necklace from Lola yesterday," I said. "That's why it caught my eye. She must be a relative or something."
"Not a relative." Elsie walked over to a tray of chocolate chip cookies, picked one up and handed it to me. We were at that point in our friendship where she no longer needed to ask. She always just assumed that I required some sort of sugary treat when I entered her shop. I always felt a little guilty that I didn't have an easy to hand out goodie when she came to my shop, but handing her a single carnation or rose was hardly the equivalent of one of her delicious cookies.
Elsie wore a lopsided grin. "Apparently, after five years of widowhood, Margaret has found herself a new boyfriend."
A cookie crumb sucked into my throat at the word boyfriend. I covered my mouth to cough it free.
"Should I get you some water?" Elsie asked during my cough fit.
I nodded and she raced to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. I was catching my breath and wiping the tears from my eyes as she handed it to me. I took a few good gulps, then sighed with relief. "Thanks."
"Since I know this isn't your first time eating a cookie," Elsie quipped, "I can only assume my statement about Margaret finding a boyfriend caused that crumb to take a wrong turn."
I nodded and swallowed again to make sure everything was clear of cookie. "Yes, I was sure she was just an elderly relative."
"Elderly?" Elsie asked. "How did you know he was younger? Margaret, of course, made a point of bringing up his age, forty-two apparently. He's a good twenty years younger than her. And rich too, it seems. He just moved into the house next to hers, a big Colonial that's been vacant for years. She says he's quite handsome, only I'm picturing a forty-year-old with thinning hair, a double chin and a belly that hangs below his belt."
I shook my head. "You'd be wrong," I said smugly and took a more cautious bite.
"So, he's not hairless with multiple chins?" Elsie picked up the tray of cookies and carried them to a silver platter. She began placing them in a neat array on the platter for display in her glass cabinet.
"He's tall, very fit and has just a touch of gray at the temples. Definitely handsome."
Elsie lowered the last cookie to the tray as she peered up at me. "You've got to be kidding? Well, good for Margaret. She's a nice person, and it has taken her a long time to get over the heartbreak of losing her husband. She seems very happy."
I finished the cookie without another choking incident. "I don't think this will work out too well for her," I said.
Elsie carried the empty tray to the sink area and walked back out. "Why do you say that?"
"Because the man I saw buy the necklace was the same man Kate showed me on her phone when she was flashing me a picture of her new boyfriend, Lionel."
Elsie's eyes popped open wider. "You're kidding? Same guy?"
"I'd bet my flower shop on it. Of course, maybe he has a twin. Although, that seems farfetched."
Elsie sighed. "Poor Kate. She just can't seem to get this whole boyfriend thing right."
"All I know is—if he's dating both women and they live only a few miles apart, that guy is a no good rotten cad." My phone beeped. I pulled it out of my pocket. It was a text from Ryder.
"Looks like we've got a wedding order. Should I get them started with catalogs?"
"Yes please, I'll be right there," I texted back. "I've got to get back to the shop."
"Wait," Elsie said before I could get to the door. "You didn't tell me. How were the chocolates? Were they O.K.?"
I tilted my head in a mocking fashion. "I wonder if Michelangelo asked that about his paintings and sculptures. Hey guys, do you think this perfectly sculpted statue of David is O.K.? Seriously, you are an artist and your goodies are your masterpieces, each one finer and more breathtaking than the next. Including those chocolates."
Elsie held back her grin. "Glad you enjoyed them. What did Lola think?"
I waved my hand. "Oh, she hated them." Her face dropped but only for a s
econd when she realized I was teasing. "Lola said to tell you that you should be anointed star baker of the world. I think we should get that printed on an apron for you with your picture surrounded by stars. By the way, if you weren't using butter or sugar, what made them taste like caramel?"
Elsie coyly touched her chest. "A star baker never shares her baking secrets."
I nodded. "Fine, then I'll assume you're full of baloney and that they are brimming with butter and sugar."
"All right, I'll spill this secret. Dates, they are nature's caramel."
I squeezed my nose up. "Really? Those prune-like sticky things that look like something my grandma would eat for her digestion? Lola is right. You are a magician. And now, I need to sell flowers, so I'll see you later."
"All right and remember to chew your cookies instead of inhaling them," she called as I headed out the door.
Chapter 10
After a great deal of debate and mind changing, my bridal customer had decided on a mix of white roses and orange tulips. It was an unusual mix but one that would go delightfully with her spring themed, early April wedding. I finished filing the order in the folder we had started for next year's events. I thumbed through the other orders. "Wow, I just added April." I looked up at Ryder who was cleaning the windows. "That means we already have at least one huge event for the first four months of the new year, and we haven't even passed Thanksgiving yet. That's pretty darn cool. It also means that you won't ever be able to leave here to go on your horticulture adventure."
Ryder moved his arm in circles around the glass. "I don't know about that. After that last nice raise you gave me, I'll be reaching my goal faster than I thought."
"Then I should withdraw it. I'll never be able to replace you. I guess I'll just shut down when you leave." I pulled out Kingston's treat can, which immediately woke him from a long afternoon nap. He started his glide back and forth across his perch as he eagerly waited for one of the peanut butter dog treats Elsie created for the bakery. They were Kingston's favorite. I walked over to his perch and stared absently out the window as Kingston yanked the treat from my fingers.
I joked with Ryder but the truth was I was terrified at the prospect of him leaving. It would be impossible to fill his shoes, and he had become such a good friend. His leaving would definitely leave a void in all our lives. And, in particular, a certain best friend, who I suddenly spotted, sporting her dark green fedora and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt as she walked quickly across Harbor Lane. Ryder noticed her too.
"Uh oh," he said, "she looks upset." He stopped his task and lifted his eyes in thought, then shook his head. "Nope, can't think of anything I did today to upset her but then you never know with Lola."
The bell rang and Lola walked inside. "Oh my gosh, do I have a big mouth." She stopped and pointed at her mouth. "Do you see this hole? It's way too big and sometimes stuff just flows out of it and then I have to insert my foot to stop the flow." She released a sort of half sigh and half groan. "I need a hug." She flicked her gaze my direction. "No offense but I think I'll fill that need over there with the tall, good looking window cleaner."
"No offense taken," I said.
Lola tromped across the shop, and Ryder obliged her with a long hug and a light kiss.
"Thanks, hunky window cleaner, I needed that, and by the way, since you've got all the tools needed, that shop across the street could use a little window cleaning too."
"You gonna pay me?" Ryder asked with a teasing smile.
"Oh, you'll be handsomely rewarded," Lola answered back with a flirty run of her fingers up his arm.
"All right, well, I've witnessed enough of this business transaction," I said. "I've got purchase orders to make."
"Wait." Lola skipped back across to me. "Don't you want to know why I came in here and pointed out my big mouth?"
I blinked at her for a few seconds. "Not sure I want to know. Maybe you should confide in your window washer."
"No, I think this will be far more interesting to the bird feeder." She took a second to walk over and favor Kingston with a nice head rub. He was so thrilled to have the attention of his first and only crush, he nearly dropped the last bits of his peanut butter treat.
"How did your big mouth get you in trouble today?" I asked.
"It was all very innocent on my part. I mean, how was I to know that Kate's new boyfriend bought a necklace for another woman? I thought she was a relative or something."
I stood up straighter. "That's the first thing I thought too. I saw a woman wearing the necklace when I went to the bakery. But she told Elsie it was a gift from her new boyfriend."
Lola stopped rubbing Kingston's head, but he kept his eyes glued to her. "I just assumed Margaret was his aunt. I mean she's so much older. Margaret is an elderly widow. She comes to the antique shop occasionally to look for trinkets." Lola rubbed her fingers together. "Big bucks too."
"Yes, I heard all that from Elsie. All right, this is getting sort of confusing. Tell me from the start what happened." We moved our conversation over to the stools. Kingston flew over to the work island to join us, or Lola, more likely.
"So I had lunch. I made myself the best hummus filled flatbread thing with tomatoes and cucumbers and—" She waved her hand. "Never mind, I'll tell you about it later."
"Good idea. So when did you see Kate?"
"Well, that was why I brought up the lunch. I was nibbling on a piece of cucumber, thumbing through a magazine, when the shop bell rang. Kate entered, looking very serious, like a girl on a mission. By the way, not loving her new old fashioned prude look. What's with the pale blue sweater and pressed pants? And her hair looked like something I'd see my Aunt Sally wear to a church social."
I sighed loudly. "Focus, lady. And yes, I agree, her new style doesn't suit her at all, but I think she's dressing that way because of her new boyfriend."
Lola laughed dryly. "Not anymore. Good ole big mouth." She pointed at herself. "I put a quick end to her fairy tale romance with the rich guy."
"What did you do?" I asked. "And how on earth did you get involved in the first place?"
"You know, lucky me. I always manage to step into trouble, even when it's not looking for me."
Ryder laughed quietly and quickly stifled it.
"I heard that, handsome window washer. Just for that, you can clean all the windows in my house too." Lola turned back to me. "Kate came up while I was swallowing my cucumber, and she looked quite anxious about something. She told me she'd spotted her new boyfriend going into the antique shop, and she was wondering what he was shopping for. Well, I knew exactly who she was talking about because you mentioned it to me when you brought me those dazzling little chocolate thingamabobs. I quickly deduced that the man must have been buying the necklace for his aunt or older sister because I saw Margaret wearing the necklace when I was inside Les's coffee shop. Ack! By the way, Les was experimenting with a new gingerbread flavored coffee. I got to taste test it. Yum."
"All right, I'll have to ask Les later why I was not part of that taste test but continue."
"That takes us back to my cucumber. So I'm eating and Kate walks in and wants to know what her new boyfriend was buying in my shop. That's when things got stupid, at least on my part. I told her it was a vintage gold Edwardian necklace, one of the nicest ones in the case and then I continued to tell her—"
I touched her arm. "Oh no, did you tell her that you saw Margaret wearing it?"
"Darn tootin', I did. In my defense, I never considered the possibility that Margaret was seeing Lionel. She must be a good twenty years older."
"What happened after that?" I asked.
"It looked as if Kate was about to shoot flames from her ears, so I quickly suggested that Margaret might be an aunt or dear old friend but Kate wasn't buying it. She said Lionel was new in town, and he never mentioned any family or friends. Then she swung around on her sensible shoes and marched out the door. So, there you have my first major fumble of the day, and it's still early. Who
knows what other catastrophic damage I could cause with my overlarge mouth?"
I hopped off the stool and Lola followed. "Don't be too hard on yourself. I assumed the same thing about Margaret. It seems Kate has picked another winner. That poor woman. I wonder how she keeps getting this so wrong?"
Lola sashayed over to Ryder for another quick kiss. She smiled back at me over her shoulder. "We can't all be masters at picking men, can we?"
"So true."
Chapter 11
I wrapped my hand around Briggs' arm as we walked out of Franki's Diner. The coastal fog had stayed away, and the dark blue sky was littered with tiny diamonds. A half moon tilted whimsically over the ocean.
"Look at that moon. Isn't it romantic?" I said. "Let's take a walk to the marina."
Briggs glanced up at the sky. Moonlight always looked extra good on him. "I do believe, Miss Pinkerton, that you find every phase of the moon romantic."
I smiled and squeezed his arm tighter. "When I'm with you, Detective Briggs, even the streetlamps are romantic."
We'd just stepped off the curb leaving Franki's parking lot when a woman rushed past us in such a hurry, it took me a few seconds to recognize that it was Heather Houston, the photographer. She had her camera around her neck and was carrying the camera bag as she scurried over the asphalt toward the diner.
"Hello, Miss Houston," I said cheerily.
She startled at the sound of her name. Her face shot my direction. She seemed to be trying to place me but couldn't. "Hello," she said quickly and continued her march toward the diner.
"Not a very friendly person," Briggs noted.
"She definitely seemed distracted." I glanced back. Heather was just entering the diner.
"Who is she?" Briggs asked as we steered our stroll toward the wharf and marina.
"Her name is Heather Houston." I snuggled closer to him for warmth as the coastal chill began to creep toward us. "She is taking photographs for a book about lighthouses. Our town's fair maiden, Pickford Lighthouse, is going to be featured in the book. I met Heather while she was taking pictures of Marty. Oh, that's right, I haven't talked to you since my wonderful evening with Marty."
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