by Eryn Scott
Taking her hands in his again, Tyler said, “You’ve got to admit there’s still something here, Had. We’ve been together almost half our lives. I don’t know how to be without you.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “You didn’t seem to have a problem being without me when you were sleeping with Christina all of those months.”
He dropped her hands to run one of his through his hair. “I was having a… quarter-life crisis, or whatever they’re calling them now.”
It was hard to see him like this. She was too used to the smooth, popular quarterback whose smile could light up any room and who was always the life of the party. Now, before her, stood a broken man. A man who’d broken himself.
“We can work through this, Had,” he said, worry taking control of his once even tone.
The statement made Hadley blink. Of course they could. That had never been the problem, she realized. The problem had always been that neither of them was truly happy, truly who they should be when they were together. Besides regular marital bickering here and there, they didn’t have any huge problems that would’ve pushed him into Christina’s arms. If anyone would’ve asked Hadley how they were doing up until the moment she’d gotten the email from his mistress, she would’ve told them they were great, happy, the best.
Deborah may have been right the other day when she’d said there would always be a spark. He would always be part of her life, but it didn’t mean he deserved to be her whole life anymore.
“I’m sorry, Ty. I can’t.”
Hadley placed her hands on either side of his face and leaned up. She kissed him on the cheek, squeezing back the tears threatening to break free from where they stung in the corners of her eyes.
When she pulled back, a scraping sound rang out from behind her. Tyler’s gaze flicked up toward the road.
Luke Fenton stood up at the end of the driveway. He wore the worn, red baseball cap he’d had since high school. He’d rolled the sleeves of his work shirt up revealing his tanned arms. And he was on foot. Had he walked all the way there?
“Luke?” Hadley called out, but it was too late.
He’d waved, pulled off his cap, and headed in the other direction before she or Tyler could say anything more.
Tyler scuffed the toe of his shoes on the stepping stones. “I guess I should go and see what Luke wanted from me.”
“I think that would be best.” Hadley wrapped her arms around her middle and watched him leave.
21
That night while Hadley was going through her kitchen cabinets and packing anything nonessential, Paul called. He started the conversation with the last subject Hadley wanted to discuss at that moment.
“How’s the house hunt going?”
She groaned. “Frustrating.” She was too tired to elaborate much more than that and didn’t want to explain how Luke Fenton was going to get her dream house instead of her.
Paul was silent for a moment, as if he was waiting for her to say something else. When she didn’t, he said, “Okay… well, I have some news that might cheer you up.”
“What?” She used the kitchen counter to help her get up off the floor.
“We got news about the bees. Barry’s are Italian, just like he told you.”
“And the ones that killed Charlie?”
“Russian.”
Relief escaped Hadley through a long sigh. “Oh, good. So are you removing him from your suspect list?”
“Not officially since he doesn’t have a concrete alibi, but McKay’s focusing elsewhere.
“That’s great news. So why does your voice have mad-Paul written all over it?”
He took a measured breath. “He’s now convinced Leo’s the killer.”
Hadley cringed, having had a feeling that was coming. “And what do you think?”
Even though her brother was often as blinded by his love of their town and its inhabitants as she was, Hadley knew he’d been trying to work on putting the law before his feelings.
“I know the evidence doesn’t look good against Leo, but there’s still not enough to convict him, thankfully. Until that point, I’m not going to jump to any conclusions.”
Hadley smiled, glad her brother was more discerning than the ornery sheriff he worked for and also glad the law prevented them from jumping to too many conclusions about suspects.
“So where do you go from here?” she asked. “If we’re hoping Leo’s innocent and Barry’s not the killer, you’re down to Vivian?”
“I guess. There’s still the fact that her husband’s alibi is unsubstantiated. He could’ve done this if he found out about the affair. He didn’t seem to know who Charlie was, but people lie.”
“Or he and Vivian could’ve been working together to get rid of him.”
“Right. Regardless, I want to go up to Cascade Ridge tomorrow and ask the two of them a few more questions. You busy?”
Hadley chewed on her bottom lip. She’d gotten a lot more done today than she’d planned, so she was in an okay spot jam-wise. Packing-wise, she felt nowhere near done, but going investigating sounded so much more interesting.
“I could go with you, but are you sure you want me to? Vivian knows you’re a deputy, and my cover will be blown. Not that I was able to find out a ton from her, other than I don’t want to move to Cascade Ridge, but I figure we want to keep her thinking I’m a potential buyer just in case I need to set up another appointment.”
“I thought about that too. I don’t want you to come with me when I talk to Vivian. I was thinking we could split up. You can talk with Stuart while I question Vivian. I know you mentioned Jessie told you Charlie’s assistant manager would be the one to ask about anyone else wanting Charlie dead. I want to make sure we’re not overlooking any other possibilities.”
Hadley could tell by the tightness in Paul’s voice that what he was telling her wasn’t the whole truth.
“Stuart won’t talk with you, will he?”
Paul cleared his throat. “He was less than cooperative the other day when I tried to question him. He seemed to like you and Suze, though.”
“Amazing what the lack of a uniform will get you,” she observed, chuckling. “And, yes, I’ll do it.”
“Thanks, Had. I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Got it. Night.”
Hadley held the phone for a moment, lost in thought, before setting it down. She glanced over at the bundle of sleeping cats on the back of the couch and smiled.
“Good idea, you two. I’d better get some sleep if I’m going to get to the bottom of this case tomorrow.”
And sleep she did, like a rock. So much so she must’ve slept right through her alarm.
“Had. Wake up.”
She fluttered her eyes open to see Paul standing over her.
“Omigosh!” She bolted upright. “I’m so sorry, I—” Flipping the covers over, she jumped out of bed and scooted into her bathroom. Before closing the door behind her, she poked her head back out, catching sight of the still-stunned Paul. “I’ll be two seconds. Promise.”
Two seconds was, of course, a gross underestimate, but she was ready to go in less than ten minutes.
By the time she’d emerged from her bathroom, Paul must’ve gone downstairs to wait because her bedroom was empty, except for the cats still lounging on her bed. She jogged down the stairs and stuck her landing after jumping over the last two. Paul laughed as she threw up her arms like a gymnast, punctuating her almost timely arrival.
She let her arms drop. “Sorry. I don’t know the last time I overslept like that.”
“You’ve been a little stressed out lately. It’s okay.” He threw an arm across her shoulders and ruffled her just-brushed hair. “Let’s get going, oversleeper. There’s a coffee and scone waiting for you in my truck.”
Hadley sighed and grabbed her purse. “I knew you were my favorite brother for a reason.”
The drive up to Cascade Ridge was consumed with talk of their strategies as they prepared for their different
lines of questioning. Paul was going to get a straight answer out of Vivian about what she’d been doing in Stoneybrook that morning since they now had an eyewitness who’d seen Charlie talking to her right before he died. Hadley was bent on finding out if there were any suspects they may be missing by talking to Stuart. She was hoping Jessie had been right when she’d said he was the one to know Charlie best.
“Good luck. Call if you need anything,” Paul said as he dropped her off a block away from Bloom.
Hadley gave him a nod then closed the door. She ran a hand through her sleep-crumpled locks and hoped the five minutes she took to get ready wouldn’t make her appear disheveled or untrustworthy.
Pulling open the glass front door, Hadley eyed the Under New Management sign hanging in the window. That’s interesting, she thought as she entered.
“Welcome to Bloom,” a voice called from somewhere Hadley couldn’t place.
She whirled around, looking for the person.
“Oh, over here,” Stuart said, standing up from where he’d been kneeling behind the counter. “Sorry, I had a bit of a change explosion when I was filling the register.”
Hadley waved a hand in his direction. “No worries. I’m glad to see you’re still here. I was worried you might’ve been out of a job when I saw the sign in the window.”
The young man pointed to his name tag, a big smile pulling across his face. “Kind of the opposite, actually.”
Taking a few steps closer, Hadley read the new Manager title under his name. “Wow, congrats. So he left the place to you, then?”
Stuart shook his head. “He left it to his sister, but she lives in California and had no interest in it. I convinced her to give me a year to prove I could run the place. She’ll remain a silent owner, and I’ll show her I can make it worth her while.”
“That’s amazing. Very ambitious for someone your age. What are you, eighteen?”
“Twenty,” he said flatly. His demeanor brightened back up as he added, “And I was already in school double majoring in horticulture and business.”
Hadley’s eyebrows rose. “A double major. Good for you.”
He dipped his chin. “Yeah, it’s intense, but I’m taking classes this summer to make sure I can fit everything in.” He sighed. “So what can I help you with?” he asked. “You and your friend left so quickly when that deputy came in. You in trouble with the law or something like that?”
“Something like that.” Hadley cringed. It was one of the few times she was glad she and Paul didn’t look like twins. Stuart hadn’t caught on that she and Paul were at all related. “Sorry it took me so long to get back here.”
An idea struck Hadley, and she ran with it.
“I’ve been crazy busy with trying to buy a house. I’m kinda on a deadline as the place I’m currently in closes in a couple weeks, and I still haven’t found anywhere new.” She picked at the polish she’d managed to put on her nails last night. “I’m working with Vanderberg Realty, but I’m not quite sure if it’s the right fit. Do you know anything about them?”
Stuart’s face darkened. “Which realtor?”
“Vivian Harris.” She watched him as her answer hit.
He shook his head. “I mean, the woman’s good at her job, but it’s your funeral.”
Hadley leaned forward. “Why’s that?”
Stuart’s cheeks reddened. “Sorry, you’re probably fine using her to buy a house. I would just be careful getting any closer, if I were you.”
“Because?” Hadley asked, noticing he still hadn’t answered her question.
Stuart stared at her for an uncomfortable moment. Then, when she thought he was just about to tell her not to worry about it, he said, “Because I’m pretty sure she’s the reason my boss is dead.”
Hadley hadn’t expected him to come right out and say it like that. “Seriously?” She tried to feign ignorance, to pretend she didn’t also believe the same thing.
Stuart glanced behind her at the door to the shop, then he said, “Charlie and Vivian were having an affair. He broke it off about a week ago. She told him she was going to stop using Bloom for staging like Vanderberg Realty often did, so he threatened to tell her husband. The man showed up dead a few days later. Coincidences like that just don’t happen.”
“Wow. That—” Hadley went to shake her head, but she stopped. “How do you know they were having an affair?” It wasn’t new information to her, but she wanted to hear what Stuart knew.
The young man let out a humorless laugh. “I know everything about Charlie.” His eyes flicked down to his hands. “Well… knew.”
Hadley put a hand on her hip.
“I’m serious. You don’t work as the sole employee for a man for four years and not get to know him. Plus, Charlie ran his mouth, a lot. I knew exactly how his divorce from his wife went down three years ago. I knew what size and brand of jeans he wore. I knew where he got his hair cut and how often. I knew anything spicy would give the man terrible heartburn for two days after. I knew he was extremely allergic to bee stings.” Stuart pulled out a drawer next to him and pointed to two EpiPens stored near the front. He winced and then closed the drawer. “Well… I suppose everyone kinda knows that now.”
“Right.” Hadley swallowed down heat that crept up her throat at the memory of seeing Charlie dead in his flower van. “If he was so allergic, why didn’t he keep one of those with him?” Hadley asked, pointing to the drawer of lifesaving medicine.
Stuart’s face morphed into a frown. “That’s what I can’t figure out. He keeps one in the glovebox in the van. I’m not sure why he didn’t use it.”
Hadley remembered Paul saying they’d searched the whole van and found nothing of the sort.
“Do you think someone hid it?” she asked.
“It’s possible. Like I said, Charlie ran his mouth. I think half of his customers knew about the allergy. He would even take out the pens every once in a while to demonstrate how he would have to slam the needle into his thigh if anything were ever to happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the city knows where he kept all of those pens.”
Hadley chewed on her bottom lip as she thought. “Do you have any idea if Vivian has access to bees?”
Stuart scratched his chin. “That’s the one thing that doesn’t make sense to me. Though, I suppose you can get anything you want on the internet these days.” He shrugged.
“True.” Hadley pressed her lips together as she thought. “And you’re sure there’s no one else who would’ve had motive to kill Charlie?”
Stuart shook his head. He looked around the shop, obviously tiring of her questions.
“I suppose I should get those flowers this time.” Hadley smiled. “I’ll take these two bouquets.” She pointed to a particularly beautiful matching set complete with lavender, roses, and even a few sage-green succulents.
“Good choice,” Stuart beamed. “Those are some new designs I’m trying out. Charlie would have never let me get away with something this contemporary.”
Hadley tipped her head as she studied the arrangement. She pointed to a particularly purple cluster of jade. “You know, this is just like something Leo from Valley Wildflowers down in Stoneybrook might make.” After she’d already said it, Hadley wished she could take the compliment back, remembering about their rivalry and how Stuart would probably see it as more of a put-down than anything else. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”
He put up a hand to stop her.
“Thanks. I know he and Charlie had their ups and downs, but I’m hoping to cut a new path with the local shops, especially that one.”
Hadley nodded. “That’s a great idea.” She held her tongue about the disparaging things she’d heard Jessie spout about Stuart the other day, hoping the young man would be able to change her mind.
“Though it might be hard to do. Last time Leo and his daughter ran into Charlie, the man just about assaulted her,” Stuart added.
What if Leo saw Charlie hitting on his nineteen-year-old daug
hter and decided that was the last straw?
“Oh, that’s awful.” Hadley cringed.
Stuart tipped his head to the side. “Hey,” he said. “You know him, then?”
She clenched her teeth, realizing she needed to be more careful about what she said. Unsure whether or not admitting to knowing Leo would blow her cover story, Hadley nodded. “Um, yeah.”
“Do you think you could… you know, put in a good word for me?” He dug around in his pocket, finally pulling out a woman’s hair tie, two bobby pins, and a tampon.
Stuart glanced up at her, embarrassment coloring his cheeks pink.
“Sorry. My girlfriend is always asking me to hold stuff like this. She’s on this whole small-purse kick, so my pockets and my car just seem to take over everything that won’t fit anymore.” He shoved the handful of stuff back and dug into his other pocket, producing a worn business card.
Hadley smiled as he held it out to her. “No problem,” she said. “I’d be happy to let him know you’re looking to turn over a new leaf.” She laughed and flicked her fingers at a leaf in the bouquet to accent her pun.
He must’ve been grateful to her, because Stuart laughed entirely too loud at her joke. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
Stuart rang her up for the bouquets and waved as she headed outside. Glancing down at her phone through the leaves and petals of the arrangements, Hadley read a text from Paul.
“Meet you in the same spot in ten?”
She sent a thumbs-up text back and walked in the direction of where he’d dropped her off, hoping her brother had gotten what he needed on Vivian.
22
Paul pulled up to the curb at their meeting spot just moments after Hadley arrived on foot. Once inside the car, she buckled in and positioned the bouquets in her lap, making sure she could still see Paul. Turning to watch her brother, she tried to read his expression. The way his dark eyebrows were pulled low and tight, casting a shadow over his eyes.
“Oh no. What’s wrong?” Hadley asked, recognizing the frustration in his features.