Much Ado About Felines (Whales and Tails Mystery Book 4) (4 page)

“It’s a theory,” Cody confirmed.

“So we suspect Roxi was in financial trouble, we know she’d been dating a lot of men lately, and we think she might have been using those dates to raise funds,” Tara summarized. “Did you learn anything else?”

“I picked up another lead at the church,” Cody answered.

“The church?” I asked. “That doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story.”

“I agree, which was why I found it so interesting.” Cody sat back in his chair. “I knew Roxi had last been seen at her book club meeting, so I decided to see if I could track down a few members to see if they had any insight as to what Roxi’s plans for last weekend were. I spoke to a woman named Angie who’s both a book club member and a library volunteer. Angie told me Roxi also was active at the Tuesday night children’s program held at St. Patrick’s. It seems she’d been volunteering there since right after Jimmy died.”

I frowned. “It’s odd that we didn’t know that. You and I are at the church every Wednesday night for choir practice and Tara is there all the time helping Sister Mary out with the children’s programs.”

“I really haven’t been around there as often as I used to be,” Tara countered. “I still help out, but once we began working on the bookstore I cut way back. I’m really only there on Sundays most weeks now.”

“Yeah, and you and I are only at the church on Wednesdays and Sundays,” Cody added to me.

“I guess that’s true. So what did you learn?”

“Sister Mary was away today, so I wasn’t able to speak to her. I plan to go back there tomorrow. Angie seemed to think Roxi did a good job with the group and that the kids really liked her.”

“It does sound like we have an intriguing mystery on our hands. I can’t wait to see how it all works out. Does anyone want any more wine?” I asked.

“I’ll have some.” Danny held up his glass. “I think the weather’s getting worse.” The sound of the rain slamming into the front of the cabin had intensified since we’d been talking. “Maybe I’ll stay here tonight instead of going back to the boat.”

“My couch is your couch,” I offered.

“I was thinking of risking the rain and going up to Maggie’s. She has actual beds.”

“Suit yourself.” I shrugged.

Danny often stayed at Maggie’s when the weather was bad; trying to sleep on a boat that was being rocked by a storm was no fun at all.

“Bandit and I might take you up on your sofa if it doesn’t let up before it’s time to go,” Tara said. “It’s really coming down hard.”

“You’re welcome to stay.”

Tara picked up her kitten and snuggled him to her chest.

“Cody?” I asked, as long as I was asking everyone else.

“I live next door. I think I can make it.” He laughed.

“Maybe, but you’ll most likely get soaked clear through.”

“I’ve been soaked by rain before.”

“Yeah, I guess we all have,” I agreed.

“Remember that summer we hiked up to that old deserted lookout tower on the far side of the island and it started raining?” Tara reminded us. “Aiden and his girl of the moment and Siobhan and her guy were with us as well. I’m not sure why we didn’t just stay there and wait out the storm, but I do remember we were all wet and muddy by the time we got home.”

“We
were
going to stay in the tower and wait it out, but it started to lightning and Aiden’s girl totally freaked out,” Cody said.

“That’s right. She went running out into the storm and Aiden followed her.”

“And when we realized Aiden wasn’t coming back we all went after them,” I said.

“The girl was totally freaked,” Cody added. “She ran so fast she wasn’t looking where she was going and she slipped and fell down the hill and sprained her ankle. Aiden, Danny, and I had to take turns carrying her back down the mountain. It was pouring rain and muddy as heck, with lightning crashing all around us, but the thing I remember most about that trip down the hill was that the girl was so hysterical every time thunder came crashing down around us that she dug her talonlike fake nails into my back. I’m pretty sure I still have the scars.”

“I remember that now. What was her name?” I asked.

“Sheila,” Danny said.

“No, I think it was Sherry,” Cody countered.

“Shelly,” Tara said with conviction.

“Yeah, I think Tara’s right; it was Shelly. Those were good times.”

“The best,” everyone agreed.

I sat back in my chair and smiled as Beatrice got up from her nap and came over to join me. There are many wonderful things in life, but there’s nothing better than sharing a meal with good friends who also share your history.

I woke up the next morning to sunshine. It looked like Tara was correct; the storm had blown through during the night. I knew I should get up and get started on my day, but the warmth of Max curled up on my left and Beatrice on my right was something I wanted to take a minute to savor. After the rain the previous night I could smell a new freshness in the air. I like to sleep with my window open on all but the coldest nights. The sound of the waves crashing outside my little cabin always made me feel linked to the natural wonder that existed around me. The steady rhythm of the tide almost lulled me back to sleep, but I knew I had things to attend to before I left for Harthaven for the day, so I forced myself to toss back the covers, pull on a sweatshirt, and head downstairs.

There was a note from Tara telling me that she’d gone home to shower and change before Mass. I still had a couple of hours before I had to leave, so I let Max out, fed both animals, and then headed upstairs to dress. My mom wasn’t a big fan of animals in her house, and of course they weren’t allowed inside the church, so once again I’d be forced to leave poor Max alone.

I quickly pulled on thick sweats and a knit cap and headed out the door with Max on my heels. If I hurried, he and I could go for a run and I’d still have time to shower and dress before I had to leave for the day.

“I’ve been thinking about speaking to Cody about letting you hang out with him at the paper during the day when I’m at the bookstore. Would you like that?”

Max barked once before he took off, chasing a colony of seagulls that had landed on the beach. The smell of salt tickled my senses as I took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. Although it was chilly so early in the morning, the sun was bright and the sky clear. It looked like it was going to be a perfect fall day.

“I know it’s been tough since the bookstore opened and I’ve been gone so much,” I continued after Max had sent the birds into the air and returned to my side. “I think we’re going to need to adjust our schedules a bit so that you aren’t alone so much. I’m sure you could go over to stay with Mr. Parsons and Rambler when Cody can’t take you.”

Max appeared to be indifferent to my comments, but I was certain he really did care deeply about the outcome of this conversation. I’d been home at least part of most days before the bookstore opened and now I was away more often than not between work, church, family, and community obligations.

I stopped running when I saw a whale breach in the distance. No matter how often I witness the presence of whales in the area I still find myself in awe every time I happen across one. There was a boat nearby that looked like it could be Danny, but I knew his first tour had canceled. Danny was the only whale watch tour still operating this late in the year, so I had to assume the boat I saw was privately owned.

“Big boat. I wonder who it belongs to,” I said aloud.

Max didn’t know, so I shrugged and continued on my way. It wasn’t unusual to have visitors to the island who owned yachts larger than most islanders’ homes.

“So what do you think of Beatrice?” I asked Max, who didn’t answer. “She’s really beautiful and so affectionate. I’m kind of sorry to say this, but I have a feeling she won’t be with us for long. The others only stayed until the mystery they were sent to solve was done.”

Max ran into the surf to grab a stick that was floating on the surface.

“I keep waiting for her to do something.”

Max dropped the stick at my feet, which I had to avoid stepping on as I jogged along.

“She only just arrived last night. I guess I should give her time to settle in.”

I looked at Max, who had returned to the water to fetch something else. I should have paused as I watched him swim out to the large object that was just a bit farther out than I was really comfortable with, but instead I kept running only to trip over a log that had washed up in the storm and fall hard on my left shoulder.

It knocked the wind out of me for a minute. Max ran back to me as soon as he saw me fall and was frantically licking my face while I struggled to catch my breath.

“Max, off,” I managed to say.

Max whined but obeyed. He sat down next to me and waited for me to get up.

I rolled over onto my back and carefully moved my limbs. Nothing appeared to be broken, but I had a huge gash on my shoulder where I’d landed on a piece of the log.

I took several deep breaths as I fought momentary dizziness.

“Are you okay?”

I looked up. It was Cody.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I was down the beach walking Rambler. I saw you fall. I ran as quickly as I could, but I was pretty far away.”

Cody knelt down on the sand next to me. “Did you hit your head?”

“No. Just my shoulder.”

Cody took off his sweatshirt and wrapped it around my arm, which had begun to bleed. “Can you stand?”

I offered Cody a hand and he helped me to my feet.

“I’m fine. I just had the wind knocked out of me.”

“Your shoulder looks pretty bad. We need to get it cleaned up. Do you have any antiseptic?”

“I have something even better,” I said as I remembered the salve Tansy had sent.

Cody helped me back to the cabin and I took a hot shower while he made coffee. I tried to get him to go on home and change out of his damp clothing, but he insisted he wanted to stay long enough to help me dress my wound. It felt nice to have someone fuss over me, although I would have preferred to be less of a klutz.

“See, I’m fine,” I said after I’d cleaned myself up and changed into dry and sand-free clothing.

“What happened, anyway? One minute you were jogging in my direction and the next you where facedown in the sand.”

“I was watching Max swim out after something in the water and not looking where I was going. That log wasn’t there yesterday. I guess it washed up in the storm last night. I should have been paying more attention.”

Cody took my forearm in his and looked more closely at the angry red wound on my shoulder.

“You said you have something to put on it?” he asked.

“Tansy sent this. It appears she predicted I was going to be a klutz. I have some bandages. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Cody rubbed some of Tansy’s salve into my shoulder and covered it with a large bandage.

“I need to go home to change for church, but I’ll be back by to get you.”

“I can drive myself.”

“I know you can, but we’re going to the same place so I may as well drive you. I’ll be back in an hour.”

“I’m going to Mom’s after church,” I reminded him.

“I know. She invited me to dinner as well. Now eat the eggs and toast I made for you and take it easy until I get back. You fell pretty hard. You could still have a reaction.”

“Yes, Dad.”

I watched as Cody left and then started in on the eggs he’d made while I was in the shower. They were scrambled and baked in the oven with cheese and mushrooms. They really were delicious. Maybe I should let him come to my rescue more often.

“Sorry, the eggs have cheese, which isn’t good for cats,” I said to Beatrice, who had jumped up onto the chair next to me and was watching each forkful as it traveled from my plate to my mouth. “I have salmon treats in the cupboard that I’ll be happy to dig out after I finish eating.”

The cat meowed and jumped off the chair. She trotted into the living room and curled up on the sofa while I finished my meal. The fact that Beatrice hadn’t actually done anything yet almost made me wonder if she
was
Beatrice. Based on the timing of her arrival, I’d assumed she was, but the other cats Tansy had sent would have been leading me across town or knocking stuff off shelves by now. Beatrice seemed content to nap.

By the time Cody and I arrived at the church most of the kids were waiting in the choir room. Luckily, Tara had arrived early and had done a good job of getting everyone ready to go on.

“What happened to your shoulder?” she asked when she noticed the large bandage.

“Tripped while jogging. Tansy sent a salve, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. Have you seen Trina?”

Trina McDonald was supposed to do a solo that day, but I didn’t see her in the crowd.

“She was nervous, so Sister Mary asked her to help hand out flyers for the Harvest Festival. She’s ready to go on, but the waiting was killing her, so Sister Mary decided a diversion was in order.”

“That was probably a good move.”

I looked around the room. The children’s choir currently featured twenty-three boys and girls between the ages of five and twelve. When I’d first been asked to colead the group I wasn’t sure I wanted to take on this level of commitment, but it turned out I was having the best time with Cody and the kids.

“I don’t see either of the Paulson girls,” I added, mentioning sisters Serenity and Trinity.

“One of the other girls said something about Destiny and her mom fighting again,” Tara informed me.

Destiny is the oldest Paulson offspring at sixteen.

“It seems like the whole family has been in crisis ever since Destiny found out she was pregnant,” Tara continued. “I know her mom is really trying to deal with things the best she can, but she’s a single mom herself, with two jobs and three kids. I just don’t think she has the energy to deal with Destiny’s mood swings.”

“Maybe I’ll talk to her,” I offered.

“Mrs. Paulson?”

“Actually, I was referring to Destiny, but yeah, maybe I’ll try talking to both of them. Not that I’m an expert on pregnant teenagers, but I hate to see such a nice family fall apart.”

“It seems Destiny has been worse since the baby’s father left the island,” Tara offered. “I’m sure she’s terrified of what the future might bring and is acting out as a way of dealing with emotions she doesn’t have an outlet for, but I heard her mom is at the end of her rope. I even heard she might send her away.”

“Really? Is it that bad?”

“I think it’s become that bad, and I’m sure Mrs. Paulson is concerned about how this whole thing is affecting the younger two.”

“I don’t blame her. It does seem that Destiny has been lashing out at everyone she comes into contact with. It can’t be easy to live with someone who’s intent on making everyone as miserable as she is.”

“Ms. Caitlin—” Sasha Walton, an adorable little girl with dark skin, huge dark eyes, and curly black hair, interrupted our conversation.

“Yes, Sasha. What can I do for you?”

“Tommy has a frog in his pocket. A big one. He wants to sneak it into Mass and then let it go when no one is looking.”

“Great.” I sighed. I looked around the room to find Tommy whispering to his friend Jett in the corner of the room. It looked like they were in on the prank together.

“Why don’t you go help Cody get the kids lined up and I’ll deal with Tommy?” I suggested to Tara. “We can talk about this more after Mass. You’re coming to dinner?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

I took Sasha’s hand and walked her across the room to where the boys were giggling as they looked at something one of them was holding.

“Nice frog,” I commented as I walked up behind them. “He have a name?”

“We just call him Toad,” Tommy informed me.

“Well, he’s a right handsome frog, but I’m afraid Toad will have to wait here in the choir room until after Mass. Do you have a box for him?”

“No,” Tommy admitted.

“Then how about we either find a box or let him go outside near Father Kilian’s koi pond?”

Tommy looked at Jett, who shrugged.

“I’m guessing we’ll let him go,” Tommy decided.

“Cody is lining everyone up. Why don’t you go get in line and I’ll take Toad out to the pond?” I offered.

Tommy handed me the small reptile.

“I’ll meet everyone inside once I introduce Toad to his new home,” I informed the group.

I let myself out through the back door of the building. Father Kilian has the most beautiful flower garden on the island. Even though it was beginning to die off as the days grew shorter, there was still plenty of fall color to create a peaceful and appealing setting.

I gently placed Toad onto the muddy surface at the edge of the pond. He hopped under a large fern and waited for me to leave. I knew I needed to get back inside, but it was so serene and peaceful out here alone in the garden.

I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye as I turned to leave. I couldn’t be certain, but it looked like it might have been Destiny watching from the other side of the property. I thought about going after her but hesitated. I really should get inside, and I wasn’t 100 percent certain it was her anyway.

I felt so bad for the poor girl. She seemed intent on pushing away everyone in her life, but I knew she must be terrified about what her future might hold. I wasn’t even certain what she planned to do about the baby when it was born, but adoption seemed to be the logical choice. Destiny couldn’t raise the baby on her own, and the last thing her mother needed was another mouth to feed. I considered how difficult it must be to come to the decision to let your baby go. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I would do in her situation.