Fudging the Books (11 page)

“What do you need from me?” Gloria asked. “Phone number, e-mail? Here’s my business card, which has everything you should need.” The card was as colorful as Gloria. Her name and telephone number were printed in a bold font. The full-body picture of her in the upper right corner looked just like her. “By the way, I simply have to own Coco Chastain’s last cookbook.” Gloria eyed Coco. “Simon is buying it for me as a Valentine’s gift.”

So much for giving her a surprise. Maybe he planned to cook her a romantic meal using the recipes.

“Where is it?” Gloria asked.

I pointed to the pile of books attractively displayed to her left. How had she missed seeing them? Coco’s face figured prominently on the front cover.

Gloria grabbed one, hurried back to Coco, and thrust it at her. “Would you autograph it for me? It’s spelled G-L-O-R-I-A, just like Van Morrison wrote it in the song.”

Was there any other way to spell it? I wondered. Perhaps with a
y
.

Coco took the book, fetched a pen from her purse, and signed the title page. She finished her signature by drawing a heart with an arrow through it, and handed the book back to Gloria, who opened it and immediately scanned the inscription.

“Aww,” she whispered. “Sweet.”

Simon tapped Coco’s arm. “How is Alison’s family doing? I mean, her brother seems to be coping.”

Coping?
I nearly laughed. Neil had taken no time off to mourn, which made him colder than an icicle, in my humble opinion, or in desperate need of a paycheck.

I said, “By the way, Coco, have you touched base with her mother?”

She shook her head. “Ingrid called me. She said a doctor stopped by to see Wanda.”

“Ingrid.” Gloria screwed up her mouth. “That’s the copyeditor, isn’t it? The one with the long torso, short legs. She asked for my card yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” Simon raised an eyebrow. “You were on a plane to Vegas.”

“At eight in the evening. She caught me right before I hopped in the car to head to the airport.” Gloria addressed Coco and me. “I’m like a speeding bullet lately. In and out of town on a moment’s notice. I attended a crack-of-dawn seminar for gym equipment and was back on a plane by nine this morning. Thanks to my darling husband. He registered me for the event. Gym equipment. Can you imagine? I’ll tell you, testosterone was teeming.” She snorted out a laugh. “Want to know what the latest is? An abdomen roller wheel. It really works. See, you get on your knees—” She started to crouch, as if she were going to show us on the floor.

Simon tapped her shoulder. “Hon, you’re doing it again.”

Gloria rose to her full height. “Am I? Forgive me. I have a tendency to proselytize. But the core matters.” She outlined her firm torso. “My husband doesn’t work on the core.”

Simon rubbed his knuckles along her arm. “Or the neck, or the spine.”

“He watches birds.” Gloria sniffed her disapproval. “What a frivolous waste of time.”

Simon’s mouth turned down. “Not to me.”

“There’s no exercise value in it.”

“But there’s aesthetic value. Moving on.” Simon twirled a finger to end the discussion.

Faith sidled up to us, a Cookbook Nook bag looped over her arm. “Excuse me. I couldn’t help overhearing. Were you talking about that woman with the tight teeth? Ingrid, is that her name?” She drew back her lips, which made her look, other than the hairstyle, strikingly similar to Ingrid Lake. “I saw her in Vines last night.”

“I didn’t see her,” I said. “Or you.”

Faith bobbed her head. “I came in around ten forty-five. I’m a night owl.”

Hmm. If asked, I would have sworn Faith was a morning person. On the other hand, she was single, and according to Bailey, forever on the hunt for a mate.

Simon frowned. “I didn’t see you, either.”

“That’s because you weren’t around, silly.” Faith batted Simon’s arm. “The waitress with the wavy hair said you’d gone to the store to pick up more peanuts.”

Was Faith flirting with Simon? In front of his wife? Gloria grumbled; her teeth looked as tightly gritted as Ingrid’s. Coco cleared her throat, I’m pretty sure to catch my attention. We exchanged a bemused glance.

Simon must have realized what was going on. He moved a half pace away from Faith. “Right. We ran out of nuts around ten.”

Oblivious to her gaffe, Faith stepped toward him like a supersonic train, in fast-forward with no inclination to slow down. “I’ve got to say, something seemed odd about Ingrid. She wasn’t with anyone, yet she ordered a bottle of wine for herself. Indulgent, if you ask me, but”—she tittered—“you didn’t.”

Gloria shifted feet.

“Maybe Ingrid was working off some anger,” I offered. “Coco saw Alison and Ingrid arguing after the cookbook club meeting.”

“Anger can make you hotter than a pistol,” Gloria said. “Trust me, I know.” She eyed Faith with outright hostility then skewered her husband with a similar look. “Speaking of which,
whew!
It’s hot in here. Honey, I’m going outside to cool off.” She fanned herself with Coco’s cookbook. “Pay
for this, will you?” She shoved the book into his hands, strode outside, and paused on the sidewalk, foot tapping.

“Say, Gloria,” Faith shouted, “hold up! I’ve got a new client for you.” She traipsed outside. Whether or not she did have a client didn’t matter. Gloria’s mood lightened. Perhaps Faith hadn’t meant to hit on her husband.

Simon drew near to Coco and me. He lowered his voice. “Hey, you two, you don’t think that Ingrid—” He halted.

“Go on,” Coco said.

“What if, after Ingrid and Alison argued, Ingrid got drunk and went to your place to have it out with Alison?” Simon nodded, concurring with his own theory. “It’s worth pinning down her alibi, don’t you think?”

“Simon,” Gloria called from the doorway. Faith had departed. “Let’s get a move on, darling. We have three errands to run before I have to meet my next client. You know Miss Chubby Dumpling hates to be kept waiting.”

Coco and I exchanged another glance—an appalled one. Did Gloria really talk about her clients that way? Yipes.

Simon smiled at Coco. “Keep your chin up.” Then he edged to the checkout counter, paid Bailey cash, and, without waiting for one of our shopping bags, hurried off with Coco’s book.

Coco watched him leave then turned back to me. Her face was flushed, her eyes glistening, and at that moment I knew.
Knew!
Simon was the man with whom she was having an affair. The glances, the softly exchanged words, the caress to her arm, the way he had complimented her at Vines the other night, her statement that he went to her shop all the time to taste the wares. Until now, I’d missed the signs. Dumb me. With his wife going out of town regularly for business, Simon had the freedom to play. And play he had.

I gripped Coco’s wrist and whispered, “Either you tell Cinnamon Pritchett about Simon or I will. And while you’re at it, tell her to check whether Alison was with child.”

M
OMENTS AFTER THE
shop cleared, I filled Bailey in about Simon being Coco’s lover—she was stunned—and the possibility that Alison might have been pregnant—she was doubly shocked—and the fact that Cinnamon said it was okay for me to
investigate
 . . . well, not investigate, but to
listen
and
report
.

Bailey’s mouth fell open. “Honest to gosh?”

“Scout’s honor.” I held up three fingers.

Next, we discussed what I . . .
we
 . . . might be able to do at this point, which was nothing. Coco had to tell Cinnamon everything about her lover—name, height, and social security number if she had it. After that, Cinnamon would have to take the lead. Bailey and I were done trying to help Coco.

The afternoon came at us in a rush. Customer upon customer arrived looking for cookbooks. Because of the pirate craze in town, Caribbean-themed cookbooks were in demand. Repeatedly I recommended one by Rita Springer, simply titled:
Caribbean Cookbook
. When it first came in, I had pored over the book. Written in 1979 but reprinted and raved about by readers, it contained not only tidbits of history about
Caribbean cuisine, but also tasty recipes for coconut bread and conkie, a sweet, cornbread-based dish baked in banana leaves.

By closing time, my voice was hoarse from talking, and I was beat on my feet. I settled onto the stool beside the register and slugged down the contents of an entire bottle of spring water.

Bailey sidled up to the counter. “Look sharp, girlfriend. We’ve got a hot double date.” She tapped her watch. “Ten minutes.”

“A date?”

“Don’t you remember? You promised to go on a sunset whaling adventure with Rhett. I’m going with Tito. They’ll be here to pick us up in a few minutes.”

I bounded off my stool. Nothing revived me more than seeing Rhett. I didn’t care how tired I was. Tigger mewed from the floor. I scooped him up. “Aunt Vera is taking you home. She’ll spoil you with fish treats.”

He meowed again.

“That’s right. Fish treats and lots of love. Be good.” I bopped his nose with my fingertip. “No poking around in her closets or messing up her decks of tarot cards.” The last time my aunt had cat-sat, Tigger had played master snoop. I don’t think he had many more lives before she would beg off sitting for the little imp, and I needed her to do so if I wanted to have a social life. I didn’t believe in letting a kitten hang out in the cottage by his lonesome for hours on end. Some might call me a helicopter cat-parent, but I didn’t care. I set him back on the floor and hurried to the stockroom to freshen up.

A half hour later, Bailey, Tito, Rhett, and I, all dressed warmly, boarded a sleek ship specially brought into the harbor for Pirate Week dubbed the
Victory
, a small trading-style vessel about 140 feet in length, with multiple sails, a foresail, and eight cannons.

The captain had allowed a maximum of one hundred passengers on board. Each passenger wore a pirate hat or bandana, which the crew had handed out to us while boarding. In addition, each passenger was now holding a cocktail
of some sort. Mine was called Pirate’s Poison, a delicious rum and fruit juice concoction. The sun had not yet set, although it hung low in the sky. Huge swipes of pink and orange sky spanned the horizon, but dark clouds were amassing way far out, foretelling a coming storm.

“Where are the whales?” Bailey asked.

“Be patient,” Tito chided and bussed her on the cheek.

Whales commonly migrated south in the winter and were often sighted from Washington to Baja. They were known to be more active on blustery days. The roiling water seemed to drive them toward the surface. However, the captain had assured us that even today, on a fairly calm ocean at sunset—given the impending storm, it would not be calm in a few hours—we were bound to spy a few. He would use radar to explore the ocean to see where whale activity was heaviest. He was already playing music below deck, a tried-and-true way to lure whales closer to the ship, though not closer than coast guard regulations allowed.

Soon we were cutting through the water. I took up a position near the aft of the boat and gazed out over the water, vigilant for activity. A gentle breeze wafted across the deck. I shivered and pulled the poncho I had thrown over my jeans and sweater tighter.

Bailey sidled up to me. “Thinking about Alison?”

“And Coco.” She hadn’t called Bailey or me. Had she gone to the precinct? Had Simon come forward on her behalf? Had Cinnamon exonerated her? “I feel guilty being out here while her fate is in question.”

“Tell me about it, but there’s nothing more we can do.”

A heavy silence fell between us.

After a moment, Bailey said, “So what do you think?”

“About Coco?”

“About Tito.” She nodded toward the men.

Rhett, who looked extremely handsome in a cable-knit sweater and jeans, with his tricorn hat tipped rakishly down over one eye, had chosen to stay seated near the portside railing. A veteran fisherman, he was immune to the allure of watching for whales. When one was sighted, he would rise
to his feet and cheer with the rest of us, but until then, he would relax. Tito, seated beside Rhett, was regaling him with an obviously humorous story. Rhett caught me staring at him laughing, and he smiled. I smiled back.

“Rhett likes him,” I said. “That says a lot.”

“You don’t think Rhett is simply being nice?”

“Rhett’s pretty opinionated. I think if he didn’t enjoy Tito, he’d move away.”

Bailey grinned, pleased with my answer. “You know what I love about Tito?”

I elbowed her. “Love? Did you say
love
, girlfriend?”

“Like. What I
like
about him?” She blushed. “He’s always up-to-date with the news.”

“That’s his job.”

“Yes, but he’s on top of the latest stories. Not just here in little old Crystal Cove. In California. The U.S. The world.”

Tito slapped his leg. Loudly, he said, “Exactly!”

Bailey nudged me toward them. “Enough watching for whales and thinking deep, dark thoughts. Move. Lighten up, if even for two hours.”

When we arrived where the men were sitting, Rhett patted his knee for me to perch on it. My cheeks warmed. I liked modest public displays of affection. A peck on the cheek or holding hands. All good. Snuggling? Uh-uh.

Bailey picked up on my hesitancy. She batted her eyelashes and said to Tito, “What are you two laughing about?”

“There was another pot of gold doubloons sighting,” Tito announced.

“You’re kidding. Where?”

“Online, on a new blog called
Fun Times
.”

“Stupid move,” Bailey said. “The police can track down the creator using a web address.”

“Not likely.” Tito swatted the air. “The blog has already been removed, just like the others. It went up, and within thirty minutes, gone.
Poof!
But the picture remained in Google Images.”

“How is that possible?”

“People shared via Pinterest and Facebook, so it went viral, yet again.”

“Why would someone do that?” I asked.

“Exactly!” Tito said, the same way he had to Rhett. “To get attention.”

I shook my head. “Unless the sightings are driving business the thief’s way, it doesn’t earn him anything. Why do it?”

“Street cred,” Rhett said.

I raised an eyebrow. “Whoa, listen to you.
Street cred
. Tough guy.”

“Rhett is right,” Tito said. “The thief is doing this so he can tell tales. And get this, before the blog vanished, he said whoever figured out his name first would get two free tickets.”

“To what?” we asked in unison.

“That’s just it.” Tito grinned. “He didn’t say.”

“Two free tickets directly to Jail,” Bailey joked. “Do not pass Go.”

“It’s all very curious,” Tito added. “He’s piqued my interest.”

“How do you know it’s a he?” I asked.

Bailey smacked Tito’s chest. “Is it you?”

“Me? Are you nuts?” Tito chortled. “I only wish I’d thought of it. I would like to expand my audience. Readership for the paper has floundered. If I could bolster our sales, who knows where that might lead? Editor? Owner?”

Bailey elbowed him. “Keep that swelled head in check,
amigo
.”

Tito wrapped an arm around Bailey and kissed the side of her head. The sight warmed me. I had never seen Bailey so openly affectionate with a guy.

Rhett said, “If you’d wanted to bolster readership and you were the thief, wouldn’t you have left the blog up? It doesn’t make—”

“There!” a crowd of people shouted. “Aft!”

Off the starboard side of the boat, a whale surfaced. Every guest on the ship hurried to watch. The whale swam parallel to the ship, its back cresting the ocean. As it glided along, it
raised a fin and spanked the water. People squealed with delight. The whale repeated its performance three or four times then disappeared. None of us budged an inch. We waited with bated breath. And then suddenly, out in front of the ship, the whale breached. The upper portion of its mammoth-sized body rose straight up, then the giant beast plummeted into the water. The crowd heaved a collective sigh of regret. Once a whale breached, it would not resurface for a long time. The show was over.

Soon the sky grew dark, and the captain turned the ship around. We debarked from the ship and walked along the boardwalk, ready to find someplace to eat dinner.

“How about Mum’s the Word?” Tito said.

Bailey shook her head. “Jenna and I ate lunch there. How about Tacos To Go?”

“Done.”

While the two ran off to fetch dinner, Rhett and I strolled ahead. The Pier was crowded with tons of revelers. I would bet nearly everyone in town was there. Some were
walking the plank
across a board set atop an expanse of paper painted blue to resemble water. Others were lured into paying a dollar to throw a ring on a pirate’s hook to win prizes. Most rings fell short.

A crowd of people stood in a semicircle around a pirate-clad man showing off his trained seal, also in pirate gear. The seal, using its nose, played catch with the pirate. After each toss, it barked. A hat filled with dollar bill tips sat on the boardwalk in front of them. Whether or not the artist had placed the dollars there to encourage more tipping was anyone’s guess.

Among the seal and pirate onlookers, I spied Dash Hamada in full pirate regalia. He held a camera and was snapping off pictures in rapid succession. He whirled around and took photographs of people exiting The Theater on The Pier. The first of the evening’s performances of
The Pirates of Penzance
, the show that the red and blue pirates had advertised at The Cookbook Nook, had just let out. Dash moved on and paused at The Pearl, a jewelry store. He aimed his camera at
something inside, but he didn’t depress the button. He released the camera, letting it hang on its strap around his neck, and swiped a finger beneath his eyes. Was he crying?

Poor guy. I understood why he was still in town. He had tagged along with the others from Foodie Publishing so he could experience Pirate Week. Did the event have the same allure now that Alison was dead? Did Dash miss her? How would her death affect his career? Did he have new jobs lined up?

The owner of the jewelry store, a slight man with dark curly hair and enough pierced jewelry in his ears to set off security alarms at the airport, emerged from the store and joined Dash. He put a hand on Dash’s shoulder and said something, then he looped an arm around Dash and drew him into the store.

I recalled the conversation Coco and I had at Vines. Was she right and I wrong? Was Dash gay? Did it matter? No, not really.

I spied Pepper Pritchett heading toward us carrying a blue pastry box. She raised a hand as if trying to get my attention. I snuggled into Rhett, doing my best to ignore her signal. Pepper tugged up the collar of her overcoat and veered away.

“Hey, Jenna.
Psst
.” Bailey caught up to me and offered me a taco. I passed. My appetite was nil. “There’s Ingrid Lake,” she whispered. “She’s exiting the Seaside Bakery. See her?”

Ingrid looked like she had come straight from a dry cleaner, clad in a crisply pressed gray jacket and skirt. No color; no spunk. She, too, was carrying a blue pastry box.

“Go talk to her,” Bailey urged.

“Why?” I asked, sotto voce, not wanting Rhett to hear us.

“Remember what Simon Butler said at the shop? You know”—she twirled a hand—“that whatever Ingrid and Alison were arguing about might matter. Ask her for her alibi last night.”

“You do it.”

“No way. Cinnamon told you to investigate.”

“Wrong. She said I could listen and report back.”

“C’mon. The time is right.” Bailey knuckled my arm.

I veered into Rhett.

He juggled his taco and steadied me. “Are you all right?”

I grunted a
yes
. “Give me a second.” I didn’t add,
Or Bailey will never leave me in peace
. “I need to speak with that woman over there.”

“About her alibi,” Bailey chimed.

Rhett cocked an eyebrow. I knew what that meant. It wasn’t that he didn’t want me to get involved—he trusted my intellect and my instincts—but he didn’t want me to get hurt. Period.