Kari Lee Townsend - Sunny Meadows 04 - Perish in the Palm (9 page)

“But that doesn’t mean you didn’t already,” Jo said. “That’s a guilty face if ever I’ve seen one, and I’ve seen plenty in my line of work. That reading wasn’t from the future, was it, Sunny? That was from the past, and I’m guessing the man of your dreams wasn’t your husband.”

“This is outrageous. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mrs. Theodore surged to her feet, albeit a bit unsteady. “Do whatever you want with Peirce’s reading, but leave me out of it.”

“Except if we find money, right?” Jo eyed her knowingly. “I’ll bet you want to be
in
it then, won’t you, Mrs. Theodore?”

Regaining her composure, Linda hardened her jaw and said through her teeth, “Everything on this property belongs to me. Of course I want whatever you find. I hope I make myself clear.”

“Oh, I think it’s pretty clear,” Jo said.

“Does this mean you’re a believer?” I asked with a quiet voice, seeing if she would admit it out loud.

“Let’s just say I’m no fool. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s getting late. You can come back tomorrow. I will inform the staff. Good night, ladies. I trust you can find your own way out.” She left the room with a calm outward appearance, but she wasn’t fooling anyone. My reading had rattled her big-time, and I couldn’t help but wonder what other secrets she was hiding.

“Was she really having an affair while Mr. Theodore was alive?” Innocent Zoe looked shocked.

“She sure was,” I said.

“Did you see the man’s face?” Jo asked.

“No, and I was so close.” I met their curious gazes. “But it definitely wasn’t her husband. When I talked to the staff the other day, a few had said there were rumors Mr. Theodore was going to fire someone. Maybe he found out who she was having an affair with, so her lover killed him before he could follow through.”

“Maybe. Especially if this person knew she had taken out a life insurance policy. Do you think that was the secret that lies within the walls of the inn?” Zoe asked.

“I don’t know,” I responded. “Somehow the reading gave me the feeling the secret was something bigger than a mere affair, but at least Mrs. Theodore gave us free reign to dig into that mystery.”

“An unsolved mystery and a new murder suspect, if only we could figure out who it is,” Jo mused. “Not bad, ladies. Not bad at all. This is the exact kind of distraction I need right now to take my mind off murdering a certain man in my life these days.”

“Amen to that. Count me in.” Zoe grinned with excitement.

“Whoa, wait just a minute,” I said. “Mitch is going to kill me, not to mention Cole and Sean will have my head if anything happens to either of you. I only needed your help in convincing Mrs. Theodore to let me look around. Now that this might have to do with the murder, Morty and I can take it from here.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening.” Jo ignored me and she unlocked her truck.

“But…”

“Don’t waste your breath, Sunny.” Zoe set her jaw. “You know Jo. Once she’s made up her mind about something, that’s that. Same for me. Let’s just say it runs in the family.” She winked, but her jaw was set as she climbed into the truck.

I just stood there, numb. First Granny Gert and her fall harvest party and now the Amazon Twins thinking we’re all Morty’s Angels or something. I could feel a massive headache settling in already as I thought,
What kind of mess have I gotten us into now
?

“
H
ow are you doing, Mom?” I asked the next morning at Warm Beginnings and Cozy Endings Café.

I sat across from my mother at a small, round, cast iron table, sipping hot cocoa and trying not to let the worry gnawing away at my insides show. The café was pretty empty this morning, but it would fill up soon I was sure. The smell of fresh bakes pastries was too hard for most normal people to resist. Then again, my size two mother wasn’t normal. She ate like a bird and never let me forget that I didn’t.

“As well as can be expected, I suppose.” She sniffed yet still looked dainty and picked up her delicate china coffee cup, taking a tiny sip. She took a moment to set her cup down and dab the corners of her mouth. When she met my gaze, her eyes were as sharp and cunning as ever. “No need to worry about me, Sylvia. I’m tougher than I look. It’s my secret weapon. You of all people should know that.”

What would normally rub me the wrong way actually made me breathe a sigh of relief today. “That’s good.” I sank my teeth in for a big bite of a chocolate frosted donut and moaned over how good it was.

My mother’s perfectly plucked, golden blond eyebrow arched high, but she didn’t say a word. Instead she took a small bite of her dry wheat toast followed by a nibble of strawberry and another sip of espresso. “Now,
that’s
a cup of coffee.” She smiled in appreciation at the café owner Natalie Kirsch’s skills.

I gave my mother credit for not outright speaking ill of the dead, but I could tell she wanted to. Natalie waved at us, and I sighed, suspecting my mother would trade me in for either Natalie or Jo if given the chance. I ripped off another big hunk of donut on purpose. A small bit of defiance that made me feel more like a child than vindicated.

My mother’s lips parted as if she were about to make a comment, so I blurted with donut still in my mouth, “By the way, where’s Dad today?”

“Fiona and Harry are back in town.”

“Ahhh,” I replied, understanding perfectly.

Fiona Atwater was Granny Gert’s arch nemesis and head of the Knitting Nanas who had recently become Granny’s best buddy, and Harry Dingleburg was a former judge and Fiona’s ex-recently-turned-present husband. My parents were fond of them both as they ran in the same circles back in the Big Apple.

As for Granny, she was more like me and not on my mother’s good side either, ever since she’d permanently moved to Divinity to stay with me. My mother truly believed we conspired against her to purposely leave her out. We didn’t want to leave her out, we simply got along better. Granny Gert and I were kindred spirits. That was something my mother could never seem to get over.

“Can you believe they came all the way here for your grandmother’s silly cheering up party?” My mother went on. “Like I need a party.” She scoffed. “I keep telling everyone I’m fine, but they insist on fussing over me anyway. They are here for me yet they won’t let me help, even though they clearly need it. The only right thing they did was get my cake lady to agree to bake a theme cake for the party, but they haven’t even asked for my input on the theme. And they actually talked your DJ guy into controlling the music. They really don’t know me at all.” She sighed.

“Well, they
are
both stuck here for the time being, so it makes sense. I mean, who else would they have asked?”

“You mean who else would be willing to come to Divinity during a murder investigation. You’re right, of course, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. The men are smart. They headed straight to the lake to fish, leaving me to fend for myself. I called Joanne and Zoe but they weren’t answering their phones, which is strange because they always answer my calls.” She stared off thoughtfully. “Must be they’re both busy as well, though what they’re doing this early is beyond me.”

They’re probably getting ready for our secret mission
, I wanted to say, but another thought came to me. “So that’s the reason you asked me to meet you for breakfast. I was the only one left who wasn’t busy.”

“Nonsense.” She shook her head disapprovingly. “You always think the worst of me, Sylvia. I know you. You’re always trying to solve some sort of mystery. I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Well, I’m not trying to solve a mystery this time,” I said with firm resolve, mostly to convince myself. “I’m trying to keep my nose out of this investigation.”

“Why? Because it’s my neck on the line this time?” She sat back and crossed her arms with a shrewd expression on her face, but the hurt in her voice was too obvious to miss. “Must be I’m not worthy of your time or skills.”

“Now who’s the one thinking the worst?” I pointed out. “It was hard enough to remain objective when Mitch and Granny were suspects, but you’re my mother.” I looked deep into her eyes and tried to express what I never seemed to be able to say. “It would kill me if anything happened to you.”

“Me too.” She spoke with a quiet voice as her walls came down for a second and I saw a flash of genuine worry, but then she opened her purse and pulled out some cash and set the money on the bill. “Look at the time. I have a million errands to run, and I’m sure you must have something to do?”

I glanced at my watch and sucked in air through my teeth. “Oh, shoot, I’m late. Jo and Zoe are going to kill me.”

“Joanne and Zoe?” My mother’s ears perked up, and her face puckered in confusion. “I thought you didn’t know what they were up to?”

“Oh,” I responded, realizing what I’d just said. “I forgot. We’re just making plans for Jo’s baby shower, that’s all.” I couldn’t very well tell my mother the three of us were going to snoop around the inn and try to uncover the meaning of Peirce’s reading. She would be the first person to tell on us. I hadn’t thought her feelings might be hurt in not being included in planning a baby shower, which honestly, we hadn’t even talked about yet. But I could tell from the expression on her face that she was indeed disappointed.

“Oh, well, if that’s all, then I’ll let you get to it.” She stood in one swift motion. “Say hi to the girls for me.”

“Mother, I—”

“You’re busy.” She cut me off. “I get it. No one needs me in the way these days. Like I said, I have a million things of my own to do anyway. We’ll talk later, darling.” She turned and left before I could say anything more and headed across the street to the library, probably to the legal section to brush up on cases similar to her own.

I picked up my fringed knapsack and left the café, deciding to find a way to make it up to her later. Right now I was late. Starting my bug, I had just pulled away from the curb when a flash of white caught my eye. I glanced at the door and did a double take as an unlikely trio entered the café together.

What on earth was the IRS man still doing in town and why wasn’t Brice Benedict in jail and who was the bald guy with them?

***

“Where have you been?” Jo asked the second I stepped out of my car in front of Smokey Jo’s.

She was dressed head to toe in a black warm-up suit meant for comfort and efficiency that had clearly seen better days. Jo had always had curves, yet she always looked fabulous. Today, not so much. The stress was obviously affecting her more than I realized.

I shrugged and answered her question. “Appeasing my mother, though I think I just made things worse.”

“Story of your life.” Jo snorted.

“No kidding.” I scoffed.

“I’m sure you two will work it out,” Zoe said, as she walked out the door and joined us. She was also dressed head to toe in black, but she still maintained a sense of style with her snug leggings, knee high boots, and heavy sweater.

Something was up.

“Why on earth are you two dressed all in black? We aren’t cat burglars,” I said. “We have permission to be there, you know.”

“That’s what I told her,” Zoe pointed out, “but you know Jo. She’s hard-headed even when she’s not hormonal.”

“
Jo
is standing right here,” Joanne said. “And I’m not that hormonal, I’m just adventurous.”

We both stared hard at her with doubtful expressions and raised eyebrows.

She laughed a little hysterical like, then said, “Okay, fine, it’s the only thing I have that still fits.” Her voice hitched. “All I know is it’s either we all look like burnt marshmallows or I dissolve into a puddle of tears again. Take your pick.”

Suddenly everything made sense.

“One burnt marshmallow coming up,” I blurted quickly before she gave truth to her words. I couldn’t get over how fast she was growing. Then again, we didn’t call Cole Sasquatch for nothing. Opening my trunk, I reached in and pulled out Mitch’s oversized sweatshirt. Thank goodness I hadn’t cleaned out my bug in ages. Swapping my sweater coat for the puffy sweatshirt, I looked like a little kid playing dress up as it fell almost to my knees. “Will this work?”

Jo threw her arms around me in a bear hug, swallowing her tears as an answer.

“Okay, then, we’d better get going before Mrs. Theodore changes her mind.” Zoe gave me a look that said,
Move it now before the floodgates open again
.

“Let’s go,” I agreed and we drove in Jo’s SUV once more.

“She won’t change her mind.” Jo sounded more like her old self as she got us there in record time, thank goodness. “First, she’d be afraid we’d say something about her lover boy. And second, she’s a believer in Sunny’s abilities now. I’m betting she won’t take a chance of missing out on any money Peirce might come into.”

“I wonder what the
something from his past
is?” Zoe mused excitedly as we all climbed out of the vehicle. “Maybe a lottery ticket a long lost relative forgot about or some priceless antique that’s been right under his nose all along.”

“Anything is possible, I suppose. Only one way to find out.” I headed toward the back yard of the inn.

“Where are we going?” Jo asked, hurrying to catch up with me.

“By the lake.”

“Why? I thought the secret lay within the walls of the inn?” Zoe asked, sounding confused and a little breathless.

I stopped walking and faced them. “Remember when I went into a trance during the reading for Peirce, and I had a vision?”

They both nodded.

“I was in the body of a man. I remember feeling older with more aches and pains than the average person, and I felt as though I had been on a boat for a long time. Then suddenly I was standing right here.” I walked over to the edge of the water. “There’s a river that runs into this lake, and boats travel through here all the time. I’m sure they did years ago, too.” I turned around and faced the inn. “This is the exact spot I was standing in my vision.”

“Okay, but now what?” Jo asked, joining me to see what I saw.

“I’m not sure,” I replied while crossing my arms and studying the grounds. “I guess we start by putting ourselves in this man’s shoes, literally. What was he looking at? What did he see? Where did he go?”

“That’s right, I remember now,” Zoe said. “One minute you were here, and the next you were someplace else. Someplace cold and dark and musty with something yucky above your head.”

“Yeah, and you heard a thumping or fluttering or something, right?” Jo said, getting into it.

“That’s exactly right. So now we just have to figure out how he got from here to there, and who the heck he is, and how any of this leads to Peirce’s fortune.”

“I just remembered something else.” Zoe’s face paled. “When you were under, you mentioned feeling afraid and angry.”

“You also said someone was after you,” Jo chimed in. “That you had to hide and get away. Who do you think could have been after him and why?”

“I have no idea.” I blew out a breath and suddenly got the feeling we were being watched. The same uneasy feeling I’d had the day of the wedding came back to me. My body tensed and grew alert as my eyes darted everywhere. “We may have bitten off more than we can chew with this one, ladies. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” I glanced around but didn’t see anything, yet undeniable chills raced up and down my spine.

“What’s wrong?” Zoe grabbed my shoulders. “You look odd, like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

“Gotta say I’m getting a little creeped out, too.” Jo’s gaze followed mine, and I could feel the waves of tension roll off of her.

“Why? You two are scaring me.” Zoe turned in a circle, looking everywhere.

“I don’t know for sure. Just a feeling, I guess.” I shook off the weird sensation. “It’s probably nothing.”

“Well, I don’t see anything except the back of the inn, the deck, the beautiful grounds, some tables and chairs. Nothing out of the ordinary.” Zoe waved to the maintenance man, Frank Lalone, as he came out of a shed on the far corner of the property.

He paused and gave us a funny look, then smiled and waved back.

She giggled. “Did you see the look on his face? He must think we’ve gone a little crazy with what we’re wearing.”

I couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that slipped out of my throat to join hers. We needed this before we all freaked out. Jo nailed us both with a warning look, but then burst into laughter as she joined us. Just like that the tension was broken.

“Come on you nutcases, let’s go before he calls the fashion police.” Jo hooked both of our arms, and we all started walking.

“Don’t worry, hon,” Zoe said. “We’ll go shopping tomorrow.”

“I’ll even join you,” I added reluctantly, my mother’s words of not being a very good friend haunting me. “And you know how much I hate shopping. Deal?”

“Deal.” Jo squeezed us both. “I love you guys.”

“Awww, me too.” Zoe smiled.

“Ditto,” I said, “but remember when I said the creepy feeling we just had was probably nothing?” I pulled them both to a stop and looked them each in the eye. “
That
is definitely something.” I pointed to the tall bush by the back deck of the inn. Something or someone was clearly behind it, and suddenly the tension was back.

Jo picked up a stick from the ground and Zoe grabbed a rock while I formed my hands into fists and tried to remember the self-defense Mitch had taught me as I led the way slowly toward the bush. It stilled right as we drew close, and I held up my hand for the girls to halt. I mouthed,
On the count of three
, then raised my fingers up in a one, two, three motion and jumped behind the bush on three.