Cinderella Busted (The Cinderella Romances #1) (35 page)

Lily knew one of those files belonged to her nursery, and she wondered if a note about the recent cottage fire had been tucked into the file. She wished she knew Lawrence Bealer, but she didn’t. The man probably had a landscaping service buy his plant material for him. She would be flying blind today.

Tammy nudged her away from the door to let a group of three casually dressed men proceed into the chamber. Rob had peeled off to take a cell phone call as soon as they had entered Town Hall and hadn’t reappeared.

“Do you need a couple minutes to catch your breath?” Tammy whispered. “We passed a ladies’ room on the way in.”

“I do, but it won’t help,” Lily whispered back with a wry smile.

Whittenhurst and his suits approached the Council Chamber entrance, the leather briefcase clutched in each man’s hand probably cost more than Lily’s weekly salary. Whittenhurst remained a step in front as before, his carriage almost regal, right up to the aquiline nose stuck high in the air. His steel-gray hair lay perfectly coiffed against his head, the part on the side engineered with perfection.

Lily waited for the men to pass by her to enter the chambers, but Whittenhurst stepped aside and let the other two past, then turned to face her.

“There is still time to change your mind, Ms. Foster,” his nasally voice intoned.

This man made Lily’s blood boil. Whittenhurst was after the nursery Hank had built from nothing, and the nursery provided work for dozens of people who were the only family she had left. To Lily, his offense was unforgivable and made the man a monster in her book. She locked gazes with him for several long moments.

He stiffened.

“Do you know anything about the fire that burned down my cottage last week, Whittenhurst? My propane tank exploded,” she said, never breaking eye contact.

His eyes widened. “Why would I know anything about that?”

The man was either one hell of an actor, or her question had truly surprised him. She would bet on his acting skills.

“You’re the only one with an interest in my property,” she said pointedly.

“Are you accusing me, Ms. Foster?” His eyes glittered dangerously.

“Just asking what you know about the fire.”

“What I know is that you should have taken better care of your propane tank.” He turned to enter the chamber door.

“You mean like posting a guard to keep you away from it?”

He halted mid-step and slanted a glance at her. “Be very careful, Ms. Foster,” he said softly and proceeded into the Council Chamber.

Tammy leaned in and whispered, “Like poking a tiger when the cage door isn’t latched, don’tcha think?”

“I couldn’t help it. I think he was just acting surprised, Tammy. I didn’t like the look in his eyes when I accused him.”

“Well yeah!” Tammy agreed. “Odd that he didn’t ask any questions about a fire on property he is interested in purchasing.”

“I don’t like him,” Lily said indignantly, “and I won’t let him force me out.”

“I’m not sure we can stop him.”

“If I have to spend every cent of my trust fund to fix every code violation, then I will.”

Tammy frowned. “That’s what worries me. You’ll fix everything, and he’ll find something new or ruin something else or worse.”

Lily grabbed her arm. “You’ve cheered me up enough. Let’s go inside.”

They took seats in the second row, and Rob joined them moments later. “Sorry I’m late.” He reached over and patted Lily’s hand. “Everything will be fine.”

She sighed. “I hope so.”

She didn’t have long to wait. Bealer handled the first two cases in short order, first a rundown rental property with inoperable air-conditioning units followed by a corner market on a side street off Federal Highway that installed a non-compliant electric sign without a permit. Both defendants left with frowns and consent orders.

Magistrate Bealer picked up a file, glanced at the cover, and announced, “Bloom & Grow Nursery. Is the owner here?”

Lily took a deep breath and stood up. “I’m here, sir.”

“Well, well, well,” drawled a feminine voice behind her.

Lily turned and saw Delia Armstead slide into a seat behind Whittenhurst and his cohorts.

Good Lord! Is Delia Armstead the buyer?

Garrett reached into his pocket and offered Rhett his comb. “Looks like you raked your hands through there a few hundred times.”

Rhett scowled, ran the comb through his hair, and handed it back. “Watch the road.”

Garrett was pushing eighty-five in Rhett’s Navigator and prayed his friend’s radar detector worked properly. A ticket could make them too late. He had already prayed Lily wasn’t one of the first cases on the agenda for they were cutting it too close as it was. He also knew from experience that the agenda was set ahead of time and walk-ins came last. His mole had informed him Lily’s spot in front of the Code Compliance Magistrate had been set for at least two weeks.

“Did Lily ever mention having code enforcement problems?” he asked Rhett.

“Not a word.”

“Or that someone was trying to buy her property?”

“We have only been back together a few days.” He winced. “
Were
back together.”

“I don’t suppose you want to tell me why you think you’ve lost her permanently?” Garrett glanced over his shoulder and signaled to change lanes. “You might be wrong, you know. It’s not like you cheated on her or anything.”

When Rhett didn’t answer, Garrett glanced over, saw him grimace, and felt his own jaw drop. “You didn’t! You asshole! If I wasn’t driving this car, I’d beat you senseless.”

“You could try,” Rhett snarled. “And no, I didn’t cheat. But Lily thinks I did.”

Garrett alternated his glare between the turnpike lane and his friend. “You want to explain that?”

“No,” Rhett growled.

A moment later, he let loose a disgusted sigh. “Lily walked in when I looked
in flagrante delicto
with Delia.”

“Dammit! You said you didn’t cheat!” Garrett exploded.

“And I also said I
looked
in flagrante delicto.”

He dragged a hand through his freshly combed hair, and Garrett pushed the comb back at him. Rhett buzzed down his window and threw the comb out on the highway.

“Nice.”

“I was coming out of the shower, towel around my waist, and walked right into Delia in a see-through negligee. My damn bed was strewn with rose petals.”

“Holy crap! A total seduction scene.”

Rhett nodded grimly.

“I’m gonna kill Delia myself. So what happened?”

“I grabbed Delia’s arm to toss her out, when she wouldn’t leave willingly, and I stepped on the hem of her gown. She went down and took me with her. I lost the towel on the way down. And when I looked up, Lily was in the doorway. I haven’t seen her since.”

“Holy crap!”

“Will you stop saying that!”

“Okay. Wow, that’s really shocking.”

Rhett glowered at him.

“So what are you going to do?”

“You tell me how I explain
that
to Lily?” Rhett turned to stare out the passenger window and shook his head. “I can’t.”

“Well, the first thing we do is save Lily’s land and then figure out what Whittenhurst had planned to do with the parcel,” Garrett said and stomped down on the accelerator.

“It would seem we have two issues here,” Magistrate Bealer said, perusing the open file before him.

At Bealer’s behest, Lily had taken a seat at the front table, placed her notes in front of her, and clasped her hands together on top to keep them steady. Contrary to his promise, the Code Enforcement manager had not shown up. Was he late or had he lied to her? She glanced back over her shoulder toward the Chamber entrance for the dozenth time.

“Looking for someone, Ms. Foster?” Whittenhurst hissed from across the aisle.

Lily glared at the weasel. “None of your business.”

“Oh, I beg to differ. Whether or not the Code Enforcement manager shows up for this hearing is totally my business since I convinced him his attendance was unnecessary.” Whittenhurst gave her a reptilian smile.

Lily caught her jaw just before it sagged open. He had cheated. Whittenhurst had somehow compromised her one and only hope.

“That bastard,” Tammy whispered and shot a hard glare at the weasely attorney.

His erupting chuckle made Lily’s fingers curl into one big fist. She turned her gaze forward to stare at the magistrate and wait for the official end of her hopes.

“The first issue concerns the existing residence on the business property, which, as Mr. Whittenhurst has pointed out in his brief, violates Town Ordinance 72.1.3: Non-Conforming Use of Commercial Buildings. You, Ms. Foster, have stated that your ability to remain in residence is a ‘grandfathered’ status since you were in residence prior to promulgation of the aforementioned regulation prohibiting said single-structured residences at commercial properties. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir. I have lived in the cottage at Bloom & Grow since my birth, and—”

“And I have here a request for mandatory injunction countermanding your
grandfathered
status
,” Bealer interjected, “and prohibiting your continued residence at the aforementioned property for reasons cited in case law herein.”

Lily stiffened. Things were speeding downhill fast. Far too late, she chastised herself for not securing an attorney, even if only as a backup to the testimony of the now-absent Code Enforcement manager. How had she been so shortsighted as not to see the need? Could an attorney have blocked the weasel Whittenhurst’s ploys or would the effort have done no good?

“Is Carstairs Whittenhurst present?” Bealer addressed the council chamber.

Whittenhurst rose to his feet. “I am, sir.”

Bealer nodded toward the table opposite Lily. “Please come forward and have a seat.”

Whittenhurst smirked at Lily as he took his place at the table across from hers.

“Now, Mr. Whittenhurst, I have reviewed your case law citations as to why Ms. Foster’s so-called
grandfathered
status
should be voided. Do you have anything further to add?”

“No, sir. I believe my arguments to be concise and accurate.”

“Ms. Foster,” Bealer said, turning his attention back to her, “are you represented by legal counsel?”

She swallowed hard, her good judgment sliding down her throat in a big, fat lump. “No, sir, but I have a presentation I’d like—”

“Ms. Foster,” Bealer interrupted her again, “do you have
legal
arguments to defend your
grandfathered status
and to refute Mr. Whittenhurst’s case law arguments?”

Lily shook her head. “No, sir.”

“Have you, in fact, added two large greenhouses and two five-acre planting fields, each with irrigation, since 1995 at which time the non-conforming use of commercial buildings prohibition was promulgated into City of Jupiter Code?”

All hope dissipated. “Yes, sir.”

“Then I’m afraid, Ms. Foster, I’m going to have to rule in favor of Mr. Whittenhurst’s complaint and instruct you to vacate said residence on your commercial property or be in violation of City of Jupiter Ordinance 72.1.3.”

Lily wanted to scream at the unfairness—at Whittenhurst’s back-door shenanigans, at her own neglect in not hiring an attorney, at her loss forever of the only home she’d ever known. But she managed, “Yes, sir.”

“I can give you a thirty-day extension in which to comply in order to find a new domicile and move your things. You may appeal for an extension of thirty additional days, if necessary.”

“I won’t need the thirty days,” she said.

Her chin went up. She refused to cower in defeat.

“You mean the thirty additional days?” Bealer rejoined.

“No, I mean the first thirty days.”

“I beg your pardon?” Bealer stared at her over the top of his reading glasses. “Don’t you have to move your belongings?”

She cleared her throat of the lump forming. “I have nothing to move.”

Bealer frowned. “And why is that? Do you not live there? Because if we’ve wasted taxpayer’s time over—”

“My cottage burned down last week.” She shot a brief glare at Whittenhurst who stared straight ahead.

Bealer looked justifiably shocked. “What are you talking about?”

“My house burned down,” Lily repeated. “My propane tank blew up and set my house on fire,” she added, enunciating every word.

“Why don’t I already know this?” he asked, then looked over at Whittenhurst.

“Because the explosion was intentionally set,” Lily said flatly.

Garrett pulled Rhett’s Navigator up over the curb and onto the grass when he couldn’t find an open space in the parking lot at Jupiter Town Hall. Rhett had his seat belt unbuckled and was out the door before Garrett got the engine shut down.

Garrett sprinted after him and caught Rhett halfway to the entrance. Someone hollered, “Rhett! Garrett!”

They turned as one to see Aidan Cross racing across the grass lawn in front of Town Hall.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Rhett snarled and took a step toward Aidan. “If you’re mixed up in this with Whittenhurst—”