Second Chance at Life

by Joanna Campbell Slan

  With a flick of her wrist, Skye brushed away a tear.

  That nearly did Lou in.

  “You aren’t a dumb bunny. Even if you hadn’t told me about Cara getting ticked off, I would have questioned her. You aren’t the only person who heard Cara having words with Kathy Simmons. MJ was there, wasn’t she?”

  “Right. MJ was there, too. But she kept her mouth shut. I was the only person dumb, stupid, naïve, and trusting enough to share information with you. I ratted out my best friend. You can bet that’ll never happen again.”

  CHAPTER 10

  ~Cara~

  Although we couldn’t hear exactly what Skye and Lou were saying to each other, it was clear they were arguing. The angry tone of their voices drifted up the stairs. In response, MJ, Jason, and I pretended to be absorbed in other activities.

  MJ puttered around in the kitchen. Jason checked his watch. I concentrated on keeping Jack happy with loads of affection.

  When the conversation ended, Lou’s footfalls echoed on the wooden risers. A board creaked in the second floor hallway. After a brief courtesy knock, he let himself into my apartment.

  “Cara? We need to talk.”

  “I’m going downstairs,” said MJ.

  “Me, too,” said Jason.

  “Thanks again,” I told them. They closed the door behind them as they left.

  Lou pulled a notebook out of his back pocket and sank down into the metal folding chair that Jason had vacated. “When was your last contact with Kathy Simmons?”

  “So you’re sure that’s Kathy in the trunk?”

  “No comment.” He tried to get comfortable in the chair and couldn’t.

  “Was she murdered?”

  “Most citizens don’t crawl into the trunks of their cars and die.”

  “Oh, crud,” I said, burying my face in my hands. I sighed and lifted my head. “Is this an official inquiry? If so, I need a lawyer.”

  “A young woman is dead. There might be a killer out there on our streets, ready to strike again. I’m trying to create a timeline. If you could help me, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Lou, I haven’t been out of the store except to take Jack out to go potty. MJ and Skye can vouch for me. So can Sid!”

  “Okay,” said Lou, as he squirmed in the metal folding chair. He crossed and uncrossed his legs. “I still need help. What can you tell me about what happened after Kathy Simmons left? You walked her to her car and then what?”

  “I came back to the store and helped put away leftovers. Tidied up. Stacked the folding chairs.”

  “Did you have any further contact with Ms. Simmons?”

  “She called me on my cell phone. Around ten o’clock.”

  “Tell me about that.”

  “She said she was at the Shoreline News office. Her editor, Adrian Green, had a few questions concerning her story. She put him on the line.”

  “And those questions were?” Lou’s pen hovered over his notebook.

  “Adrian wanted to know where we got the pictures for our Old Florida Photo Gallery. I explained that we work with a lot of auctioneers. We’re willing to buy boxes of leftovers for next to nothing. It’s like playing the lottery. Once in a while, we find a piece or two that we can definitely sell. Most of the time, we have to be creative. Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of old photos. The trick was to find a way to make them enticing.”

  “Is that all he wanted to know?”

  “Pretty much. I answered his question, and he handed the phone back to Kathy. She apologized for the inconvenience. She explained he likes to double-check her work because she’s a stringer, a contract employee. Then she got downright chatty. Told me that she hopes to work for a bigger paper someday. Covering politics. I think she was trying to get back on my good side after being so demanding.”

  “You’re pretty sure she was at the newspaper office?”

  “She said she was. Adrian left the event early. He told me he was going back to the Shoreline News office. I have every reason to think they both were there.”

  “Tell me again about why you didn’t want to sell the picture. I thought you were in the business of selling stuff,” he said.

  I felt like rolling my eyes and saying, “Well, duh.”

  Instead, I counted to ten. I sounded calm when I said, “Look, Lou, I had just stood there and told all the reporters that we were not selling any of the pictures, not until the middle of next month, and then along comes Kathy. She insisted that she couldn’t wait. Had to have that particular picture right away. She forced me to give in and go back on my word.”

  “Why was it so important to hang on to the photos?” Lou arched an eyebrow.

  “The idea was to drum up interest in the display—and for your information, it worked. You must have seen all the news coverage we got.”

  “So why’d you get so hot under the collar? Was it because she asked you about Cooper Rivers?”

  “She was blackmailing me, Lou. Civilized people don’t threaten each other when they don’t get what they want. Wouldn’t that make you angry?”

  “This isn’t about me. That’s why I’m asking questions,” said Lou.

  “Okay, yes. She got my dander up. First, she overstayed her welcome. The party was over. Everyone else had left. Second, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Third, she planned to tell everyone about my problems with the law back in St. Louis. So sure, I was ticked off. On top of all that, it had been a long day. Kathy was trampling on my last nerve.”

  I paused until he glanced up from his scribbling. “Come on, Lou! I wanted to get rid of the woman, not kill her! You can’t possibly think I had cause to hurt her! Why are you asking me all these stupid questions?”

  He gave me a half smile. “What you’re saying gives me insight into her character.”

  “Speaking of which, one of the reporters mentioned he didn’t like her.”

  “Did he say why?”

  “He told me that Kathy didn’t know when to quit.”

  “Yeah, well, she’s definitely quitting now.”

  CHAPTER 11

  I was still a little light-headed, so Lou helped me down the stairs. He took one arm while I carried Jack under the other. The back room is usually alive with happy chatter, but today everyone was silent. I took a chair at the table.

  MJ was sipping a cup of coffee, Skye was stringing beads on a bracelet. Jason was sending a text message on his phone.

  “I hope you aren’t telling anyone what we found this morning,” Lou said to the project manager.

  “Of course not,” said Jason.

  “Listen up, people,” said Lou. “You need to stay quiet about anything you saw or heard this morning. You can’t talk about it to anyone. I have an investigation to conduct. The less information that’s out there, the better my chances of finding the person who did this.”

  “Are we safe?” asked Skye.

  “I think so. Most people are killed by someone they know, not by a stranger. But once in a while, the scumbag returns to the scene of the crime. So if you see anything hinky, don’t hesitate to dial nine-one-one,” he said. “Keep your cell phones on you and charged at all times. But don’t say a word about this to anyone. Especially not until we notify the family.”

  “Does Kathy Simmons even have family?” MJ asked. “She reminded me of Little Orphan Annie.”

  “She does have family,” Lou said.

  “We’ll have to tell Sid something,” said Skye. “He’ll be here any minute. Even though he can’t talk about this, he’ll need to keep his eyes open.”

  Lou nodded. “Tell him there was a suspicious vehicle parked on Dick’s lot and we towed it away. Have him call the station if he sees anyone poking around over there.”

  “What a day for this to happen,” muttered MJ, patting her ponytail. “We’ve got that VIP event tomorrow night. Are you and Captain Davidson still planning on attending?”

  “We’ll have to see how things go. I’ve got to get back to work,” said Lou.
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  “I’ll walk you out,” said MJ. “I need to grab something from my car anyway.”

  “I’m just across the alley if you need me, ladies,” Jason said.

  After Jason, MJ, and Lou walked out my door, Skye came over and sat down beside me. She put one hand on my knee. “Cara? Me and my big mouth. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

  “Me, too,” I said. “Me, too.”

  CHAPTER 12

  ~Lou~

  Lou was eager to get back to the crime scene, and Jason seemed set on going back to the gas station, but MJ had other plans.

  “Hang on, boys,” she said, using her hands to make a stop sign.

  MJ opened the passenger side door of the pink Cadillac. Sticking her head inside, she rummaged around. From one of a cardboard box, she withdrew an envelope and handed it to Jason. “I don’t know if you received an invitation earlier, but we’d love to have you join us tomorrow night for our VIP event. Even if you only come for the food, which will be outstanding, it would be nice to have you here. Of course, if you have a date…”

  She let her voice trail off.

  “No, I’m free.” Jason pocketed the invitation.

  MJ’s eyes brightened.

  “I’ll be here. Thanks. Remember, I’m right across the alley if you need me.”

  “Not today you aren’t,” said Lou.

  “Right, right, right.” Jason reached into his shirt pocket to withdraw a business card. “You’ll text me if we can’t get started tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” said Lou, as he exchanged business cards with Jason.

  “Give me a card, too.” MJ fluttered her eyelashes at Jason. “It’ll be good to keep one in our files.”

  The Project Manager thanked her and skirted the crime scene tape on his way to the abandoned gas station building.

  Although the Toyota had been taken away, the crime scene techs were moving around the area in a grid, picking up any last bits of evidence. Lou started toward the spot where the car had been parked, but MJ grabbed him by the back of his jacket.

  “Not so fast,” she said, holding on tightly.

  “What’s up?”

  She let go of him and plucked a white cat hair off her denim skirt. “Skye tells you everything, doesn’t she? But you might have gotten the wrong impression. That argument between Cara and Kathy Simmons wasn’t a big deal. The media open house was scheduled to end at eight. But nearly an hour later, after everyone else had left, Kathy Simmons was still hanging around and helping herself to the food.”

  Lou nodded impatiently. “Cara told me.”

  “You need to know that Cara got ahold of herself and sold Kathy the picture. See? I repeat: It wasn’t a big deal!”

  Lou frowned. “Except that it was. Cara lost her cool. That’s not like her. From everything I’ve seen and heard, she’s a stickler about customer service.”

  “Right,” said MJ with a shrug. “But we were all tired. Cara’s feet hurt her. She had on a pair of new pumps. Kathy kept badgering her, and she got a little snippy. Anyway, the point is that Cara hasn’t been herself lately, and you need to know why.”

  He cocked his head to listen.

  “It’s her sister’s fault,” said MJ, flicking at another cat hair. “Jodi Wireka has been pulling all sorts of mean tricks on Cara. Ever seen that movie Gaslight? I really do believe that Jodi is trying to drive Cara insane. She’s dropped by the store twice since Christmas. Walked in, looked around, stared at Cara, and left. She’s sent people in with odd requests, just to bug Cara. Using Cara’s name, she ordered twenty pizzas and had them delivered to the store. She ran classified ads in the papers saying we’re selling Highwaymen paintings for a pittance. Ditto on Craigslist. Egged our front windows. Stupid stuff like that. And I suspect she’s the one sending Cara those letters.”

  “Letters? What letters?”

  “I don’t know much about them. Cara glances at them and puts them in the shredder. But I can tell you that they leave her shook-up for the rest of the day.”

  “Huh,” said Lou, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. “Skye hasn’t told me anything about all this.”

  “She’s usually at Pumpernickel’s when it happens,” explained MJ. “I pile the mail up on Cara’s desk. She opens it in the afternoon.”

  “Cara seems too smart to let this sort of baloney get her down.”

  “Lou, give me a break. Jodi fights dirty, and Cara doesn’t. Jodi knows that Cooper Rivers is in love with Cara, and that has to be eating her alive. So she’s determined to make Cara pay.”

  “Maybe he really loves Jodi,” said Lou. “You never know what’s going on inside another person’s head.”

  “Don’t be silly,” said MJ. “You’ve seen how Cooper looks at Cara. Jodi might have his ring, but Cara has his heart. Here’s the point: Jodi keeps pulling nasty tricks on Cara. It’s starting to wear her down.”

  “Then she should get a restraining order.”

  “Don’t make me laugh,” said MJ, her eyes growing cold. “You and I know how much good that would do.”

  MJ’s vehemence surprised him. All right, Skye was protective of Cara, but Skye was tender-hearted to a fault. However, MJ was more restrained. She was a no-nonsense type of woman who didn’t get upset about anything except a broken nail or a glob of gum stuck to her high heels. For her to go on and on like this about Jodi’s behavior meant she was really worried.

  Neither Skye nor MJ had any use for Cara’s sister, and Lou couldn’t blame them. Not given Jodi’s history. But even so…

  “So what are you telling me, MJ? Bottom line?”

  “I’m telling you that Cara is really, really fragile. She’s stressed out. Either you be nice to her, or I’ll personally come after you with a baseball bat.”

  CHAPTER 13

  ~Cara~

  Skye kept apologizing. Finally I said, “Enough. You didn’t mean to do anything hurtful. You thought you could trust him. Goodness knows, I could be the poster child for trusting the wrong man.”

  A sharp pain shot through my head. A stress headache was coming on. I’d had a lot of them lately. I must have winced because Skye squatted down beside me and gave me the once over.

  “You don’t look so hot. Maybe you need to go back upstairs and put your feet up.”

  I had to admit that I still felt woozy.

  We put Jack in his crate, and Skye walked me to my apartment.

  “I’ll make you a cup of chamomile tea,” she said.

  A few minutes later, MJ joined us. In her hand was a rolled up bunch of papers. “We’ve got twenty minutes until the store opens. Cara, I know you probably don't feel like talking, but we need to go over the guest list.”

  “That can wait,” I said, sipping my tea. It tasted like freshly mowed grass, but Skye sworn it would help me to calm down. I slipped off my shoes and sat cross-legged on my sofa.

  “No, it can’t.” MJ handed me the printout. She and Skye exchanged meaningful looks, but I was too weary to decode the message.

  “I need to change into my Pumpernickel’s uniform,” said Skye, bending to give me a hug. “See you two later.”

  Try as I might, I couldn't focus on the names on the list. After trying to review them, I set them aside and said, "I'm sure it's fine."

  "I don’t think it is. Sid took calls yesterday while you and Skye were at the grocery store, and I was at the auction house."

  "So? Did he mess something up? It can’t be that big of a deal. We’ve got more than enough food and beverages. I’d rather have the place packed than empty.”

  “Check out the last page,” said MJ. “Jodi called. She made a reservation to attend with Cooper. Sid took the info.”

  The news knocked all of the air out of me.

  “That figures,” I said, feeling sick to my stomach.

  “I’ll be happy to call Jodi and tell her that she’s not welcome.” MJ grinned. “In fact, I’d consider it an honor.”

  “What difference does it make? She’ll probably co
me no matter what. This is a small town. Running and hiding is not an option. Jodi knows that. I’ll muddle through somehow.”

  MJ’s eyes flashed with anger. “Cara, you cannot let her bother you like this. Pull up your big girl panties!”

  “Don’t you start! I’ve already gotten this lecture from Skye. The whole time we were at the grocery store, she rattled on about how I’m letting Cooper and Jodi ruin my life. How I need to get out more and have more fun. Then she repeated herself today!”

  “She’s right. Just so you know, I get dibs on that gorgeous man who’s working across the alley,” said MJ. “What a body! That guy Jason carried you like you didn’t weigh an ounce. When he whisked you up the stairs, it was so romantic that I got goosebumps.”

  “Right. Too bad I missed it. Being out for the count and all. Okay, enough lazing around. I need to get back to work.” My feet began to search for my sandals. I’d slipped them off. They had to be somewhere under my sofa. Finally, I gave up and crawled around on my hands and knees to retrieve them.

  “Cara, there will always be more work.” MJ shook a finger at me when I stood up. “You need to stop and smell the aftershave.”

  CHAPTER 14

  ~Cara~

  MJ didn’t take me by the arm, but she did hover over me as we walked downstairs and into the back room. Despite all her smoldering sexuality, she’s not the touchy-feely type of person that Skye is. Nor is she as emotional. Some days I feel like I’m caught between yin and yang, stuck in the middle, while my friends pull against each other, two opposite ends of a spectrum. But that’s not a complaint. Not really. I value their differing perspectives. My dad always taught me that triangles are stronger than square shapes. That’s why bridges are made up of triangles. MJ, Skye, and I were three points that when plotted out built a powerful structure, one that benefited both my personal life and my business.