Murder and Salutations (9 page)

After all, how bad could it be, going out with him again? He’d always made me laugh, and when his hand brushed against mine, I could still feel the charge down to my toes.

“
No,” I said as emphatically as I could. “I can’t do that anymore. Greg, we don’t fit. Isn’t that obvious by now?”

“
So grant me this last favor. We go out, revisit our past, and then maybe we can both move on.”

I looked at him intently. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

His words tumbled out. “I’m just talking about dinner. You don’t even have to kiss me good night if you don’t want to.”

“
Where?”

He met my gaze and said, “I was thinking we could go to The Chateau.”

He’d named the most expensive restaurant in town. “Can you honestly afford that?”

Greg shrugged. “Why not go out in style, since it’s our last date?”

Every ounce of my being was screaming no, so why did I say, “Okay. That sounds just crazy enough to work. When do you want to go out?”

“
How about tonight?” he asked.

“
Tonight is fine with me, but what is Stephanie going to say?”

Greg looked sheepish as he admitted, “To be honest with you, this was actually her idea. She thinks I’m still hung up on you, but Steph is under the impression that a date will clear it up once and for all.”

“
That’s a first,” I said. “I can’t say I’ve ever had a date arranged by a man’s girlfriend.”

“
So, should I pick you up at seven?”

“
Why don’t we just meet at the restaurant,” I suggested.

“
No,” Greg said as he shook his head. “This is going to be a date, from start to finish. No cheating, okay?”

“
Just as long as you remember that, too.”

He had the decency to blush, but he was saved when our salads arrived.

“
You ordered rabbit food?” he asked me.

“
Try it. It’s delicious.”

Greg shook his head and spoke to Jack. “Can I get this to go?”

“
No problem,” Jack said as he took the salad away. He was back a minute later with a Styrofoam box, and after he handed it to Greg, he gave him the check as well. Greg paid and left, and I found myself watching him walk out the door, wondering exactly what I had agreed to tonight.

I was about to take a bite of my salad when I noticed that Lillian and Luke were gone.

“
Can I get this to go, too?” I said after I waved Jack over to my table.

“
Is it something I said?” Jack asked.

“
No, but I’ve got to find Lillian. Did you happen to notice when she left?”

Jack scratched his chin. “She’s been gone about five minutes. Luke looked like he was going to cry. What in the world was she thinking, bringing him here?”

“
It was his idea,” I said.

Jack put my salad into a container like he’d given Greg, and I asked for my check.

“
I can’t give it to you,” he said, not even trying to hide his smile.

“
And why not?”

“
Your lunch date already covered it. What is it with you two, Jennifer? Are you on again?”

“
Just for tonight,” I said as I grabbed my salad and headed for the door.

I had the satisfaction of seeing the puzzled look on Jack’s face as I left. He could join the club. I didn’t have any more idea what I was doing than he did.

I found Lillian back at the card shop, and was surprised to see that she’d opened the place back up for business.

“
Where did you run off to?” I asked her as I put my salad on the counter.

“
I thought Luke was going to fall apart right on the spot. I had to get him out of there. I’m not surprised you didn’t notice us, though. What was that all about?”

I wasn’t ready to get into my social life with my aunt at the moment. “We can talk about it later. Did you get anything out of Luke?”

“
Not in the restaurant, but out on the sidewalk he admitted that he was leaving town. He said being in Rebel Forge made him think about Eliza too much. My heart went out to the poor boy.”

There was something about the man’s behavior that I just didn’t buy. “Lillian, did you ever consider the possibility that he’s crying out of remorse for killing her? If he stabbed his ex-wife, leaving town might be his escape.”

“
I don’t know,” Lillian said. “I truly believe he loved her.”

“
You’re nothing but a softie deep down inside, aren’t you?”

She shrugged. “What can I say? I’d like to believe that all of my ex-husbands still carry torches for me. Why is it so hard to believe that Luke loved Eliza to k the end?”

“
Because she was fooling around with my brother-in-law, remember? I wonder if Bradford’s had any luck tracking him down.”

“
I can’t honestly imagine Bailey being that elusive, can you? We really should spend more time with Sara Lynn. It’s not good for her to be alone right now.”

I nodded. “Why don’t you go over to Forever Memories this afternoon? I can handle things here.”

“
I wasn’t talking about right now. Honestly, she’s surrounded by the things she loves in her shop. Tonight is when she’ll need us the most. What do you think? Should we make it another girls’ night out?”

There was no way I was going to be able to keep from telling her the truth, so I decided to get it out of the way. But first, I wanted a little diversion. “I got a salad from Hurley’s, and there’s more there than I could ever eat. Why don’t we split it?”

“
That sounds wonderful,” she said, “but you didn’t answer my question.”

“
Why don’t we eat first, then we can talk?”

It was obvious that Lillian thought I was up to something, but she didn’t have a clue what it was yet. She retrieved plates and cutlery from the back room while I grabbed a couple of bottled waters from the refrigerator. After splitting the salad between the two plates, I realized that I still probably had more than I could handle.

I had to give Lillian credit. She managed to hold her tongue ten minutes into the meal before she started grilling me.

“
So why can’t you go out with us tonight?”

“
I’ve got a date,” I said, hoping she’d drop it, but knowing she never would.

“
Is it the mysterious stranger from last night?” Lillian asked.

“
No, it’s Greg,” I said. Maybe if I gave her short and simple answers to her questions, it would go quicker.

“
You and Greg are dating again?” She sounded surprised by the notion. “I thought you’d written him off for good.”

“
I have,” I said. “But his girlfriend thinks it will do us both some good if we go out on one more date so we can get it out of our systems.”

“
That is one understanding young woman,” Lillian said.

“
It’s just dinner. Nothing more.”

Lillian didn’t look as though she believed it for a second. “And where is this dinner taking place?”

I mumbled the name of the restaurant, again hoping she’d let it go.

No such luck.

“
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Where are you going?”

“
The Chateau,” I said, louder than I’d meant to. “He’s taking me to the fanciest restaurant in Rebel Forge. There, are you happy?”

“
The question is, are you, Jennifer? Do you really want to get Greg out of your system forever?”

I stabbed an errant lettuce leaf, then stared at it— impaled on my fork—for a second before I ate it. “Most of the time I think so, but then Greg does something charming and I find myself falling for him again. Lillian, I know you think we belong together, but I don’t. And in the end, that’s what matters, isn’t it?”

My aunt patted my hand. “My dear, what you think is the only thing that matters. If you can’t find happiness with him, then you should move on. Just be prepared for the consequences of your decision, though.”

“
What do you mean?”

She sighed gently, then said, “This woman wants him in her life, and she wants him all to herself. Sending you two out on a date is her desperate attempt to get all of Greg’s attention, and not just some of it. Are you prepared to lose him forever?”

The finality of Lillian’s words struck home. Was I really ready to let him go? He certainly found ways to upset me, but I had agreed to marry the man, not once, but twice. What if we’d gone through with the ceremony one of the times we’d been engaged? Would we still be married, or would I have a failed attempt under my belt in my thirties. I honestly couldn’t answer the question, and for the hundredth time, I wondered if going out with Greg again was the wisest thing I could do.

I suddenly realized Lillian was still staring at me. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

“
You’ll do the right thing when the time comes, Jennifer. I have faith in you.”

“
I just wish I did,” I said. “Enough about Greg. What are we going to do this afternoon to solve Eliza Glade’s murder?”

“
I was hoping you’d ask,” Lillian said. “I’ve got a great idea about how to approach Kaye Jansen. It’s going to be tough to get her to talk, but I think I know how to do it.”

“
She came by the card shop this morning,” I admitted. In all honesty, I’d forgotten all about Kaye, given what had happened since her visit.

“
What did she want?”

“
She was taking up a collection for flowers. While she was here, I took a chance and asked her a few questions.”

“
Did you have any luck with her?”

I related what Kaye had told me, and I swear it was all Lillian could do not to rub her hands together with glee. “That’s excellent work, Jennifer.”

She got up and headed for the door. I asked, “Hey, where are you going?”

“
I’m going to track down those rumors and see if my of them are true.”

“
And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

Lillian smiled at me. “Why, you make and sell cards, of course.”

Before I could stop her, she was gone. It appeared .hat my aunt had ditched me once again, but I wasn’t going to stand idly by, waiting for her to report back in.

There was some snooping I could do myself, and the best part was, I didn’t even have to leave the card shop.

Chapter 8

At first I was afraid she wasn’t there, but after ten rings, Savannah picked up the phone.

“
Hey, it’s Jennifer. I wasn’t sure you were working today,” I said.

“
That’s the problem. Things are hopping right now. Can I get you something to go, honey?”

“
No. Listen, I’ll call you back later when you’re not as busy.” I suddenly felt silly for bothering her. Though it was true that Savannah had the best grapevine of anyone I knew in Rebel Forge, it wasn’t fair to impose on our friendship.

“
Now how on earth will you know that all the way over there at your card shop?” Savannah’s laughter matched her personality perfectly: warm and joyful. “I’ve always got time for my friends. What can I do for you?”

“
It’s nothing, really. I was just wondering if you’d heard anything about Eliza Glade’s murder.’’

“
Do you honestly think folks around here can about anything else?” She lowered her voice as added, “I’m afraid your sister’s ears must have burned off by now, the way people are talking about her. I wouldn’t blame her if she never left the house again.”

“
Have you heard anybody else’s name mentioned as a suspect?”

“
Jennifer Shane, what are you up to? Are you digging into another murder?”

“
Savannah, I’m afraid if I don’t, Bradford’s not going to have any choice but to arrest Sara Lynn. That would tear my family apart. You know that, don’t you?”

Her voice was suddenly soothing and motherly. “Now take it easy, child. Let me think about it a second. I’ve heard Addie Mason’s name mentioned more than a time or two, and everybody knows how upset Luke was with his ex-wife. Let’s see, one woman mentioned Polly Blackburn, but that’s about it. Sorry I don’t know more.”

“
Has anybody said anything about Kaye Jansen?” So far, Savannah had named nearly every suspect on my list.

“
No, I don’t think so, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. I do my best, but some folks just don’t talk loud enough for me to overhear them.”

I heard her husband, Pete, call out to her, “Here’s another order. Savannah.”

She barely covered the phone as she said, “Then trot out here and deliver it yourself. I’m on the phone.”

I walked over to the door with the telephone in my hand and opened it, just so Savannah could hear the chime. “Thanks for your time, but you’re busy, and I am, too.”

“
I’ll keep my ears open, Jennifer,” Savannah said. ‘This is important.”

“
Thanks,” I said as I hung up the telephone.

I felt better recruiting Savannah to our cause. She’d hear more of the gossip around town in an hour than I would in a month, and now that she was helping out, Lillian and I could focus on the four people who had the most to gain from Eliza’s death. Besides my sister and her errant husband, I amended silently. Since there were no customers in the store, or even prospects on the sidewalk out front, I decided to go through my storeroom and collect some boxes for my move. I hated to leave Whispering Oak, but the cottage was going to be a neat place to live, even if Reggie wasn’t excited about the prospect. That was okay
with me. Helena more than made up for it with her own enthusiasm.

I was still amassing my collection of boxes when the front door chimed. I couldn’t have been more shocked if the president himself had just walked in the door when I saw Addie Mason standing there with a gift bag in her arms.

“
Hi,” I said warily. “Listen, I’m sorry about before. I was out of line.”

She shook her head. “No, I was the one who lost it. I came to say I’m sorry. Lillian helped me realize that I was just lashing out at you.”

Addie handed me the bag, and I saw it was full of custom-made soaps and candles from her business. “You shouldn’t have,” I said. “But I wanted to.” As she looked around my shop, Addie said, “I’ve always wanted to see how you make, these wonderful cards. It’s fascinating.”

“
I’d be happy to show you, if you’ve got the time, but who’s watching your place?”

Addie’s posture slumped. “I didn’t have the heart to keep it open,” she admitted. “It was probably insane for me to even come in today, but to be honest with you, I was afraid if I didn’t go in this morning, I wouldn’t be able to step inside the shop ever again. Crazy, isn’t it?”

“
No, it makes perfect sense to me. So what kind of card would you like to make?”

She looked as if she was ready to cry, but she manned to hold it in. “Can I take a rain check, Jennifer? I just want to go home, now that things are patched between us. I never could stand having anyone mad at me. It’s a character flaw, I guess.”

“
Hey, everybody wants to be liked,” I said, though I wasn’t sure it was true. Eliza Glade surely hadn’t put in much effort to achieve that, it.

As Addie started for the door, I said, “Hang on a second.” I grabbed one of my basic card-making kits and pressed it into her hands. “If you feel like trying it later, this will give you something to do.”

“
I can’t take this from you, Jennifer. That’s not why at brought you a gift.”

I smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I promise it’s not quid pro quo. I’d like you to have it.”

“
Thanks,” she said, and before I could say another word, she was gone. Now why did she have to go and be nice to me? I was all ready to go after her as my prime suspect, and she’d made a peace offering and set out an apology. It was going to be hard thinking of her as a murderer now. Then again, could that be the point? Had she come by my card shop with gifts in hand to diffuse my zeal? If so, it was a clever and devious act, more suited to her former partner than to what I knew of Addie. But it had worked—or at least it had before I inspected she might be playing me. I put the gift bag on the counter and tried to think about what Lillian and I should do next. I knew she was following her own line of inquiry, but so far I hadn’t added much to the mix. I was still staring off into space when Lillian came back. I was surprised, when I glanced at the dock, to see that it was almost closing time.

“
You’ve been gone a while,” I said.

“
Detective work takes time, skill, dedication and a gentle manner with people,” she said. “Besides that I stopped off and had a facial, too.”

“
Does that help you think?”

“
No, but my skin feels absolutely marvelous. That’s reason enough to pamper myself, isn’t it? I wish you’d let me treat you to a day at the spa. It’s wonderful, Jennifer.”

“
Thanks, but I’ll stick with my oatmeal and olive oil scrub,” I said.

“
You don’t know what you’re missing,” she said.

“
And isn’t it probably better that way? One day of pampering with you and I’d never be able to face my homemade scrub again.”

“
Perhaps you have a point,” she conceded. “So what have you done this afternoon? Have we had much business?”

“
It’s been quiet,” I said.

Lillian noticed the gift bag on the counter. “What have we here?”

“
You’re never going to believe this. Or maybe you will. Addie came by with a peace offering, and from the way she was talking, I have a sneaking suspicion that you were behind the whole thing.”

“
Nonsense,” Lillian said. “Certainly we discussed what happened in her shop earlier, but I didn’t say a word about her coming here to apologize.”

“
Then how did you know she apologized?”

“
Why else would she bring you such a lovely gift bag, Jennifer? I trust you reciprocated.”

“
I gave her a beginning card-making kit,” I admitted.

“
That was exactly the right thing to do,” Lillian said. “I’m proud of you.”

“
Don’t rush your judgment,” I said. “The entire afternoon I’ve been standing here wondering if there was an ulterior motive behind her present and apology.”

“
Whatever do you mean?”

“
Think about it, Lillian,” I said as I picked up the bag. “What better way to throw me off her trail than by killing me with kindness? She knew why we were at her shop this morning. It was pretty obvious we’re digging into Eliza’s murder. Addie wanted us to think about her sympathetically.”

I’d half expected a blast of scorn from Lillian, but instead, she laughed.

“
What’s so funny?” I finally asked.

“
I’m sorry, Jennifer. It’s just perfect. I’ve somehow managed to turn the sweetest young woman in Rebel Forge into a paranoid skeptic. My work is done here.”

“
You’re not disappointed in me?” I asked. “Are you kidding me? I couldn’t be prouder.” What kind of family had I been born into, anyway? “You’re insane; you know that, don’t you?”

“
I’ve heard the rumors,” she said, “but I choose to ignore them. So, are you excited about this evening?”

“
Why, what’s happening? Oh, that’s right. I’m having dinner with Greg.”

Lillian said, “I certainly hope you’ll be able to muster up more enthusiasm than that when he picks you up.”

“
I don’t want to go at all,” I said. “As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to go cancel this mistake before it goes any farther.”

As I headed for the door, Lillian grabbed my arm. “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.”

“
Why not?” I asked, pulling away. “What possible good can come from this?”

Lillian took my hands in hers, something she’d not done since I’d been a child. It meant she had a point to make, and wasn’t about to give up until she made it. “Jennifer, you and Greg have been dancing around this for years. It’s not healthy having things unresolved between you. Have you ever considered the possibility that you haven’t been able to move on romantically because you still have such strong feelings for Greg?”

“
That’s utterly ridiculous,” I said.

“
Is it? Then you have nothing to fear tonight. If your love for Greg is as dead as you claim, then all that will happen tonight is that you get a free meal in the finest restaurant in seven counties.”

“
I still don’t see why I should go through with it,” I said. “But if it will keep you off my back, I will.”

She released my hands, then said, “You’d better get going. I’ll close up, and you can go get ready for your ... evening out.” It was pretty clear she’d wanted to say “date,” but had thought better of it at the last second.

“
Fine—especially if it’s the only way I’m going to get you to drop this, once and for all.”

If my aunt noticed the bite in my words, she chose not to comment on them. I left her at the shop and went home to shower and change clothes. Had I been protesting too much when Lillian had pressed me about my feelings for Greg? There was a great deal of history between the two of us, much of it good, but that didn’t mean I wanted to go back and do it all over again. I hated to admit it, but his girlfriend was right. It was time for Greg and me to move on. My head kept telling me that, anyway, but my heart was another matter. There was something about that man—something I’d never been able to put my finger on, but real nonetheless. Intellect seemed to vanish when I was in his presence, and emotion took over. I’d just have to find a way to keep it in check tonight.

Then maybe, finally, we could both get on with our lives.

I fed the cats, then showered and dressed, just in time. I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup when the doorbell rang.

One last check in the mirror, then I answered it.

“
Hi, Greg. Don’t you look handsome.” He did, too, wearing a charcoal gray suit I’d never seen before, and a burgundy tie that looked expensive.

He looked me up and down, then said, “I’d whistle at you, but I’m afraid you’d slap me.”

“
Go with those instincts,” I said coolly, though for some reason I was happy he liked the way I looked. The red dress managed to hide most of my figure’s flaws while highlighting the few assets I had.

“
I’ve always loved you in that dress,” he said as we walked down the steps to the front door.

“
This old thing?” I asked, smiling despite my earlier promise to keep this light.

“
You wore it to our last engagement party,” he said softly. “Remember?”

Blast it all, I’d forgotten all about that. “I can change,” I said. “Give me two minutes. Honestly, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“
Don’t you dare. You look great,” he said. “Besides, if we’re late for our reservation, they’ll give our table away.”

“
Are you sure? I don’t mind. Honestly, I don’t.”

“
Come on, Jen. If I let you go back in your apartment, I’ll never get you out again.”