Halloween in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries Book 6) (12 page)

“I think she missed the word on purpose,” Tj said.

“Why would she do that?”

“Trisha needed it more.”

“That’s one special kid we’ve got ourselves,” Mike commented.

“Yes.” Tj waved at Gracie, who was waving at her with a huge smile on her face. “We really do.”

Later that evening, Tj was tucking the girls into bed before heading out to join Hunter, Jenna, and Dennis at the after-party that a group of alumni were having after the welcome reception. Most of the alumni were staying in the resort, so Tj had offered to let everyone meet in the Lakeside Bar and Grill.

“Do we have to go to bed?” Gracie asked.

“Pumpkin looks tired. She’s still a baby and babies need a lot of sleep.”

“Okay.” Gracie scooted down so that she was under her covers. Crissy curled up on Gracie’s pillow and Pumpkin snuggled up next to them.

“I’m very proud of what you did for Trisha at the spelling bee today.”

Gracie shrugged. “I wanted to go to Carson City, but I didn’t want Trisha to be sad, and when she almost missed that first word I could see her parents were mad. I knew you wouldn’t be mad if I didn’t win.”

Tj hugged Gracie. “Of course I wouldn’t be mad if you didn’t win. I’m so proud of how hard you studied, and I’m even more proud of the fact that you were willing to sacrifice to help out your friend. How about if I take you and Ashley to Carson City in a couple of weeks? We can have lunch and go to the Children’s Museum.”

“That would be fun. Can Aunt Jenna, Kristi, and Kari come?”

“Absolutely.”

“And Dr. Hunter?”

“I will absolutely ask him.”

“And Uncle Kyle?”

“We can invite anyone you want.”

“I’m glad we have a big family.”

“Me too, pumpkin, me too.”

Tj tucked the covers around Gracie and kissed her on the forehead.

“How come you’re going to sleep in a cabin instead of your room?” Gracie asked as Tj began to straighten up.

“Because a lot of my friends are staying in cabins and I thought it would be fun to sleep in one like everyone else.”

“Are you taking Echo?”

“No, he’s staying here.”

“Can he sleep with me and Pumpkin?”

“Actually,” Tj said, “that’s a really good idea.”

Tj called Echo into the room and had him lie on the floor next to Gracie’s bed. She knew her sister would felt better having him there, and Echo wouldn’t want to sleep in her room alone. Tj kissed Gracie once again and then turned off the light. “Love you to the moon and back.”

“Love you even farther.” Gracie yawned.

When Gracie was all tucked in Tj headed to Ashley’s room. This sister wasn’t one to welcome physical displays of affection these days, but no matter what else was going on she still liked to be tucked in at night.

“Can Kristi spend the night tomorrow?” Ashley asked as Tj tucked the covers in around her burrito style.

“I think it might be best if everyone stayed at their own house tomorrow, while the adults are busy with the reunion. Maybe Kristi and Kari can stay over Saturday night after you get back from Aspen’s party. We can have a Halloween slumber party. I’ll talk to Jenna about it.”

“I thought you were going to sleep in one of the cabins this weekend.”

“Yeah, that was the plan, but the more I think about it, the more I realize I want to spend Halloween night with you and Gracie.”

“Can we sleep in sleeping bags in the den and watch movies all night?”

Tj could remember doing just that when she was a kid. She and her friends would compete to see who could stay awake the longest. No one ever made it all the way until morning, but it was fun to try.

“We’ll see.”

“We’ll see means no.”

“We’ll see means we’ll see,” Tj countered.

Tj kissed Ashley on the forehead as Midnight curled up on the pillow next to Ashley’s head. “Sweet dreams and don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

“Do you think I’m pretty?” Ashley said just as Tj was about to close the door.

“Absolutely. I think you’re absolutely stunning.”

“Really? You aren’t just saying that because you’re my sister?”

Tj walked back into the room and sat down on the side of Ashley’s bed. “Really. Why do you ask?” She’d been dealing with bullying all week. She certainly hoped Ashley hadn’t fallen victim to the ruthless pastime girls of all ages seemed to like to participate in.

“One of the girls in my class was making fun of my red hair and freckles. She said red hair was dumb and none of the boys will ever want to go on dates with me as long as I have freckles.”

Tj tucked a strand of Ashley’s hair behind her ear. “Your red hair is beautiful. When you get a little older all the other girls are going to be so jealous of it. Your hair is a deep and rich color that’s going to make you stand out from the crowd. And as for the freckles, they fade. I had a lot more when I was your age than I did by the time I got into high school.”

“Really?”

“Really. And even if they don’t fade you should wear them proudly. They give your face character. They make you unique.”

“Adults always say things like that, but when you’re my age you don’t want to be unique. You just want to fit in.”

Tj could remember feeling exactly like Ashley, with her frizzy auburn hair and freckles when she was her age.

“I like your freckles, and I bet the boys will as well, but if they don’t fade and you still don’t like them by the time you’re in high school I can help you pick out a lightweight concealer.”

“You mean like makeup?”

“Yeah. Like makeup.”

Ashley smiled. “Okay.”

Tj kissed her again and once again headed for the door. There were times when Tj wondered how her life would have turned out if Ashley and Gracie hadn’t come to live with her. It would certainly be different and, Tj suspected, it would certainly be a lot easier. But Tj realized that easy was empty, and she knew in her heart she wouldn’t give up what she had for all the easy in the world.

Tj went to her bedroom to pack an overnight bag. She supposed it was silly to go to all the trouble to reserve a cabin for the next few nights, but she knew both she and Hunter desperately needed a little couple time. The girls would be fine with her dad and grandpa, and Hunter had asked one of Jake’s old friends from out of the area if he’d like to come for a visit this weekend. Jake probably realized the timing of his friend’s trip was a huge coincidence, but he really did need to have someone nearby and Hunter really did need some time away.

Dennis and Jenna had been trying unsuccessfully to get away for a year. If nothing else, Tj was glad things had worked out for them to spend three nights at the resort. Helen was keeping her granddaughters with her, and Bren would be helping out at the restaurant.

“How was the reception?” Mike asked as she picked up her phone charger in the kitchen.

“It was nice, despite the tension created by Samantha Colton. I can’t believe it’s been ten years.”

“Time really does fly,” her dad agreed. “I remember the day you graduated. I couldn’t believe my little girl was all grown up. It seemed like one minute you were pestering me for piggyback rides and the next you were getting ready to go off to college. I had myself a good cry that day.”

“Really? After all the trouble I caused you during my teen years, I thought you’d be happy to get rid of me.”

“Never. And I’m really happy to have you back for as long as you and the girls want to stay.”

Tj smiled. “I appreciate that.”

“Not to pry, but it seems like you and Hunter have moved your relationship forward.”

“We have,” Tj confirmed. “I’m not sure what that means exactly, but I do know we’ve committed to giving it a real chance.”

“I always did think you were good together. I have to admit I wasn’t a fan of the good doctor for a few years, after he broke your heart, but I think I can forgive him and welcome him into the family should you decide to take that step.”

Tj hugged her dad. “I don’t think we’re quite there yet, but I’ll definitely let you know if we get to a place where we begin to discuss happily ever after.”

“The girls really like him,” Mike observed.

“Yeah, they really do. Of course they like Kyle even more. Maybe I should marry him.”

An odd look came over Mike’s face.

“I’m just kidding,” Tj clarified. “I love Hunter. Kyle is more like a brother. I love him, but not in that way, and I’m certain he feels the same way about me.”

“Maybe.”

“Well, I guess I should get going. I’m just a few steps away if you need me.”

“We’ll be fine. Have fun.”

“Are you coming to the game tomorrow?”

“The girls and I wouldn’t miss it. Grandpa and Bookman are going as well, so we decided to meet Helen and Jenna’s girls to root the team on as a group.”

“That sounds like fun. Why don’t you invite Kyle to go with you? I think he’s feeling a bit left out because we’re all busy this weekend with the reunion and his date decided not to come.”

“I’ll do that.”

Tj picked up her bag and turned around. “And Jake. Maybe you should check with Jake. I know Hunter arranged for a friend to stay with him, but I’m not sure whether he has transportation. I’m sure Jake would like to go to the game.”

“You don’t have to be the social director for everyone, you know.”

“I know.” Tj smiled. “I just find that I’m a lot happier when everyone I love is happy.”

“I’ll have Grandpa call Jake. Now go have some fun.”

“Okay.” Tj kissed Mike on the cheek. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

“We’ll be fine.” He was practically pushing her out the door.

“Echo is in with Gracie,” Tj called back after her dad closed the door on her and waved her away through the window.

Tj waved back. Yes, she decided, she would definitely be home for Halloween.

Maggie’s Hideaway was completely booked with alumni in town for the homecoming game, so it was a mostly energetic group that gathered at the Lakeside Bar and Grill after the welcome reception. Tj couldn’t quite relax enough to join in with the liveliness of the crowd as they toasted times gone by and remembered those who weren’t with them. The sky was clear after the heavy rain and a full moon glistened off the surface of the still water, creating a romantic and somewhat mystical setting.

“Alone at last.” Hunter pulled Tj into his arms the minute she walked through the door.

“Well, not really alone.” She glanced meaningfully around the crowded room.

“Are the girls all tucked in?”

“They are. Dad’s bringing them to the game tomorrow. There’s going to be a whole group going. I suggested they invite Jake and his friend.”

“I’m sure Grandpa will enjoy that. He always likes getting out of the house for a few hours.”

“I’m sure Dad and Grandpa will make a day of it. Is that Coach Fremont at the bar?”

Hunter nodded. “He must have heard about the reunion and decided to stop by.”

Bob Fremont had been the football coach when Hunter and Tj were in high school. He’d since left for another job, and there had been three different football coaches at Serenity High School between his reign and the current coach’s. Hunter had really liked Fremont, but Tj never shared his enthusiasm for the man. Sure, he was a man’s man who got the most out of his boys and created a winning team year after year, but he was also a lady’s man who tended to look at high school girls in a manner that Tj never had been comfortable with.

“Do you want to head over to say hi?” Hunter asked.

“He’s talking to Brett now. Maybe later.”

The truth was, Tj didn’t want to talk to the coach at all. She’d shared her discomfort around him with Hunter when they were in high school and he’d tried to convince her that the inappropriate looks she thought the man was sending in her direction were all in her mind.

“Do you want a drink?” Hunter asked.

“Maybe a glass of wine. I think I’ll just wait here, if you don’t mind getting it for me.”

“Something wrong?”

Tj shrugged. “I’m just tired. I need a minute to gather my thoughts before heading into the fray.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

Tj watched Hunter walk away. She wandered off to the side and stared out the window. Suddenly, she felt melancholy. She really was tired, and it had been an emotionally draining week. She was sure that had a lot to do with her mood, but she also knew that wasn’t all of it. Seeing Coach Fremont again had brought back a bunch of bad memories that were all mixed in with other events in her senior year. It was almost like she knew something her conscious mind wasn’t yet willing to deal with.

As far as Tj knew, Coach Fremont had never actually gone so far as to act on his flirting with high school girls, but his obvious glances had been enough to make her feel like he’d actually touched her. Tj understood why the guys didn’t see it. Fremont saved his long, meaningful stares for those times he happened to catch a girl alone. Tj knew there were several cheerleaders who’d complained among themselves about the unwanted attention, but no one, it seemed, had been willing to actually bring their concerns to the notice of the adults in their lives.

“Wine for my lady,” a voice said from behind her. Tj turned around and accepted the glass from Kyle.

“What are you doing here?” Tj asked.

“Hunter was waylaid by that obnoxious coach and asked me to bring you your drink.”

“No, I mean, what are you doing here in the bar at this party? Not that you aren’t welcome. I’m actually really glad to see you. I’m just curious.”

“See the blonde in the red dress?” Kyle nodded toward the bar.

“Connie?”

“She invited me to be her date for the evening. At first I wasn’t going to accept, but then I realized I didn’t want to stay home by myself. I doubt she’ll even remember I was here in the morning. She’s smashed.”

“How did you meet her?”

“I came by to drop off Pumpkin’s leash and chew toy, which we’d left at my house. I was chatting with your grandpa when I heard something in the bushes. It was Connie.”

“What was Connie doing in the bushes?” Tj shook her head and held up her hand. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. Are you sure you want to spend the whole evening with someone who’s bound to puke on your shoes?”

“I’m not going to stay the whole evening. I just wanted to say hi to everyone and meet your friends.”

“Come to the game with us tomorrow. My dad is going to call to ask you to go with him, but come with Hunter, Jenna, Dennis, and me.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want to be a third wheel—or, in this case, a fifth wheel. I’d love to go with your dad and the girls, though, so maybe I’ll call him to arrange it.”

“He’s awake. You can stop by the house.”

Tj noticed Kyle looking toward Connie, who was hanging all over the guy standing next to her.

“Maybe I’ll just go now,” Kyle decided. “Before your dad heads to bed and before Connie actually does puke on my shoes.”

“Good idea.”

Kyle kissed Tj on the cheek and headed out the side door. Tj watched him walk away and then returned her attention to the bar, where Coach Fremont was talking much too loud to be considered appropriate. Tj frowned. She felt like she had a memory that was just out of reach. She really hated that feeling, when you knew you knew something but couldn’t remember what it was.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Hunter said in her ear. He’d come up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

“No thoughts. Just taking a minute to enjoy the wine Kyle brought me.”

Hunter kissed her neck. “I know you well enough to realize when you’re feeling unsettled. Is it the investigation?”

Tj shrugged but didn’t say anything.

Hunter kissed her shoulder. “Is it Coach Fremont? I know you never really liked him.”

“You’re right that I’ve never been a fan of Coach Fremont, but I suspect my slightly melancholy mood has more to do with the investigation,” Tj said to cover herself. She was afraid a discussion about Coach Fremont would lead to an argument, just like it often had in high school. “I know we decided to put it aside and have some fun, but that’s harder to do than say.”

“It’s okay, you know.”

“What’s okay?” Tj asked.

“It’s okay to wonder about all the loose ends, and it’s okay if you can’t let it go.”

Tj turned around and put her arms around Hunter’s neck, then looked him in the eye. “In the past ten years have you given any thought at all to what might really have happened to Holly?”

“Honestly? No. We were kids when she was murdered. There was no reason not to leave the investigation to the cops. Holly’s family moved while we were away at college, and when we returned we were busy establishing our careers and starting our lives.”

“Yeah, I guess, but it suddenly seems odd to me that I wasn’t more curious.”

“It wasn’t our job to wonder,” he assured her. “It still isn’t our job to wonder.”

“Maybe. But now that Samantha Colton is dead, chances are the Sheriff’s Department will let the whole thing fade onto a very distant back burner again. I never once thought about Holly’s death after those first few shocking weeks, but now I find it hard to think about anything else.”

“Yeah,” Hunter said against her hair as his chin rested on the top of her head. “I have to admit I agree. Colton did unearth some interesting facts before her accident. She died while trying to find out the truth. I guess it would be a shame if no one followed up on what she started.”

“So what do we do?”

Hunter pulled back and looked Tj in the eye. “Samantha Colton was getting somewhere because she wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions. She didn’t know these people; we do. Are you sure you want to take over the role she seemed willing to play with the people in this room? Our friendships might not survive it.”

Did she? Tj wasn’t sure. On one hand, she really wanted to finish what Colton had started and find Holly’s killer. On the other, she wasn’t sure she was willing to risk friendships she’d had her whole life. She looked at the bar, where Dennis and Jenna were laughing with Brett and Jessie. Jenna had been looking forward to some romantic time with her husband. Between the kids, his job as a firefighter, and the restaurant, it seemed they had very little time to devote to each other. Tj knew that if she suggested they put romance aside to try to solve a decade-old murder Jenna would be right there with her, but should she?

And what about her time alone with Hunter? Did she really want to waste the family-free cabin they had to themselves strategizing and tracking down clues? She supposed she could put the whole thing aside for the weekend and then pick up where Colton had left off on Monday, but by then all the suspects and all the potential clues would have gone home. No, if she was going to do this now was the time to dig in and get her hands dirty.

“What do you think we should do?” Tj asked Hunter.

He furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. The people in this room mean a lot to me. We share a history. I’d hate to start digging around and risk those relationships. But if it had been Chelsea who’d been killed, I’d want to know who did it.”

Hunter’s sister Chelsea was living in New York, but Tj knew that she and Hunter always had been and always would be close. She knew that if something happened to a member of her own family she’d stop at nothing to see that justice was served.

“I say we quietly investigate but leave Jenna and Dennis out of it. They deserve to have their couple time as planned. No one is really expecting me to be around much this weekend, so why don’t we go back to the romantic cabin I reserved for us and come up with a plan?”

“Investigating it is.”

Tj couldn’t help but notice the disappointment in Hunter’s voice. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know we were both looking forward to some couple time too.”

“We have the rest of our lives for that. Let’s go track down a killer.”

Hunter took Tj’s hand and they snuck out the side door. It was a beautiful night, and Tj was tempted to go for a walk while they talked, but there was a chill to the air and the cabin would have writing utensils and a computer, should they need one.

In the cabin they lit a fire, put on some romantic music, opened a bottle of champagne, and took out a notepad and pen. They decided to start with what they knew and then come up with a plan from there.

“Colton listed Brett as her number-one suspect,” Tj began. “We know she spoke to him the night of the accident. Jessie verified that Brett was upset about the questions she was asking, but when we saw him on Wednesday he seemed happy and relaxed. At that point Roy hadn’t made public the fact that Colton was dead. When I saw Brett it occurred to me that it almost seemed like he knew, thus explaining his good mood. At the time I suspected he might have killed her, but if she did indeed die as a result of an accident, that nullifies that theory.”

“We know the place where Holly was last seen alive was a party held at Brett’s house, and that he was responsible for inviting most of the people who showed up,” Hunter added. “We also know Brett didn’t particularly care for Holly due to her relationship with Jessie.”

“If Brett killed Holly, he would have had to leave the house at some point,” Tj realized. “Chances are Jessie was staying over, so we just need to ask Jessie if Brett was with her the entire evening.”

“Unless Jessie killed Holly,” Hunter added.

“Okay, so I’ll strike up a conversation with Jessie and see if I can slip the question into the conversation, and you talk to Brett, and we’ll compare notes afterward,” Tj suggested.

“I know the bar is just down the walkway, but aren’t people going to get suspicious if we keep popping in and out?” Hunter asked.

“Everyone is drinking and having a good time. I bet no one even noticed we left. If someone does ask where we were, let’s just tell them we went for a walk.”

“Okay, but it’s easier to speak freely here, so let’s decide on two assignments each before we head back,” Hunter said.

“Colton ranked Dalton and Mackenzie the highest after Brett and Jessie, along with Jada, who isn’t here, and me. Which one do you want to question?”

“I’ll take Mackenzie,” Hunter offered.

“Okay, then, I’ll talk to Dalton again. Did you happen to see Teddy this evening?”

“No, and he wasn’t at the reception either. Why?”

“He said he’d bring some photos that were taken that night at the party. I’ll have to track him down tomorrow if he doesn’t show up. Let’s meet back here in an hour,” Tj said. “And remember, not a word to Dennis and Jenna about what we’re doing.”

“No problem. I’ll muss my hair and let them come to their own conclusions.”

Tj smiled at Hunter. He was such a good guy. Most other men would be whining about not being able to party with their friends, but here he was, setting aside his own plans to help her track down a killer. She stepped forward and put her arms around his neck. She ran her hands through his thick dark hair. “You know, it’s a shame to lie. Maybe I should muss your hair.”