Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
I t took me a few seconds to figure out that the Magnolia Steele was really standing outside my office door.
While her sister-in-law was wearing a pale pink dress and short nude heels, Magnolia was wearing jeans and a white blouse with tiny pink rosebuds. Her long, dark hair was loose, and her blue eyes were looking anywhere but at me. She wasn’t wearing much makeup, but she didn’t need it. She was pretty, prettier than her photos, and from the look on her face, she didn’t look excited to be here.
I cast a quick glance down the street and saw the woman from the coffee shop headed with her family down the sidewalk toward us. The last thing I needed was for her to realize I was talking to Magnolia Steele.
Taking a step out onto the sidewalk, I ushered them in, keeping an eye on the crazy fan, which turned out to be the wrong move when she realized I was looking straight at her. The fan’s face lit up when she spotted me, and she began wildly waving her hands. “Summer!”
I ran into the office and shut the door, making sure to lock it as I flashed Luke a panicked look.
“Why don’t you two sit down?” I said to Magnolia and her sister-in-law—who thankfully still had their backs to me—steering them toward two comfortable client chairs that faced away from the windows. “I’m going to get us a little more privacy. Luke, you want to help?” I asked, already tugging on the string to lower the blinds.
God love him, he had no idea why I was in such a hurry, but he didn’t question me, just moved past my prospective clients and started to lower the shade on the other window.
Once I got mine lowered, I turned the slats so we could get sunlight but block the view into the office. I’d just finished when there was an insistent knock at the door, and the crazy fan’s voice called out, “Summer! Do you have a client? Can I come in and watch you work?”
Belinda lifted a worried gaze to me, but Magnolia looked disgusted. “I knew this was a terrible idea.”
Luke grimaced as he finished lowering his shade. “I’ll take care of her.”
“Are you sure?” I asked in surprise. It was bound to get ugly, and he hated any attention that was heaped on him because of the show. This definitely qualified.
He flashed a tight smile, then walked over and whispered into my ear, “You owe me big. I’ll collect later.”
A shiver ran through me at the thought of what he might have in mind.
He stood straighter. “We still on for lunch?”
I cast a glance toward the two women. Belinda appeared to be questioning her decision to make the appointment, and Magnolia looked like she was about to run out the door. Though the fan still pounding on the glass was probably thwarting her plan. Still, I had no idea how long this might take, so I said, “I’ll let you know.”
He nodded, sucking in a breath and squaring his shoulders as though he were about to face a firing squad, then walked out the door.
The fan squealed. “Sheriff Luke!”
Luke shut the door behind him, and their voices grew fainter, presumably because he was leading her away.
After I relocked the door, I dragged Dixie’s chair from behind her desk and slid it in front of Belinda and Magnolia. Sitting down, I gave them a friendly smile. I’d already scared them. I needed to project warmth and competency. “Sorry about that. I ran into an overzealous fan at the coffee shop down the street a few minutes ago. I didn’t want her to see Magnolia.”
“Why?” Magnolia scoffed, quirking a brow. “You don’t want people to think I’m your client?” There was no mistaking the venom in her voice.
I was beginning to think it was Belinda’s idea to book an appointment—it had been made online under her name, although I hadn’t made the connection until now—and that Magnolia wanted no part of it. And while part of me was irritated to be dealing with a hostile potential client, mostly I was curious. From what little I knew about Magnolia’s ordeal last spring, she’d been investigating her own father and the serial killer. She was the one who brought the killer and her father’s misdeeds to light.
So why were they here in my office? Finding out why her mother had left town was far simpler than tracking down a murderer.
I relied on my acting skills to project a soft, confident, and compassionate tone as I said, “No, of course not. It’s more like I’m trying to keep paparazzi from swarming into town. You’re big news, and if they link us together, it could become beyond ridiculous.”
Her face paled, and she seemed to shrink a bit. Belinda reached over and grabbed her hand, and squeezed.
I sat back in my chair and crossed my legs, studying Magnolia for a moment. She seemed to be genuinely shaken up over the idea of paparazzi showing up, perhaps for good reason. She’d made headlines last spring and had been all over the news. According to the new sources, she’d been tortured by the serial killer before her boyfriend and father found her. And then her father had shot her boyfriend, tried to kidnap her and her brother, and she’d shot and killed her father. That was bound to mess a person up. “First, I’d like to apologize for what just happened, but Luke will make sure they don’t come back.”
“You’re friends with the sheriff?” Belinda asked.
It was obvious she’d never seen Darling Investigations . I found myself equally grateful and irritated. Why were they here if she’d never seen the show? There was another investigator in town with more experience. Then again, I was definitely cheaper.
“Actually,” I said with a smile. “He’s the chief of police, and he’s my boyfriend.”
Belinda gave me an appreciative nod, but Magnolia’s gaze was on the county map on the wall behind me.
“You said you wanted me to find out why Magnolia’s mother left town?” I asked Belinda, since not only was she was the one who booked the appointment, but she seemed more inclined to talk.
“We can find out on our own,” Magnolia said in a tight voice. “We don’t need help.”
“Yes,” Belinda said, turning toward her. “We do . We only have a couple of days and you know someone local will likely get more answers than we can.”
Magnolia pinched her lips together but didn’t say anything.
Belinda seemed to be the one in charge, so I focused my warm smile on her. “I can definitely ask around and see if anyone remembers anything, but I’ll need more details.”
“You don’t remember anything about her?” Belinda asked.
“Well,” I said with a laugh, “given that I’m about the same age as Magnolia, I wasn’t even born when her mother would have left town, so I didn’t know her.”
Magnolia looked unimpressed.
“I didn’t mean that,” Belinda said. “I meant you haven’t heard anyone talk about her?”
“Honestly? No, but then again, I left for LA when I was a kid and only just came back a few months ago. I knew Magnolia’s mother was from here, thanks to Sweet Briar’s mayor who told me he invited Magnolia to be the guest of honor at the Boll Weevil Parade, plus the café down the street has half a wall dedicated to her.” Then I added, “To Magnolia, that is, not her mother.”
Belinda darted a glance back to Magnolia, then returned her gaze to me. “Maybe you could make some introductions for us, and then we can ask the questions?”
I tilted my head to the side. “I could do that if that’s what you want. I’d still need more information to know who you’d need to talk to. Do you know any of the names of her friends from high school?”
“I don’t know anything about her life in Sweet Briar,” Magnolia said, sounding exhausted. “She rarely talked about her life here. I didn’t even know she owned property outside of town. I only found out last week when an attorney down here notified me.”
I suddenly remembered her mother had died about a week before the serial killer tortured her, and my heart softened a little more. “Perhaps the attorney can help with some answers. Who was her attorney?”
“Wilber Cooper,” Belinda said, “but we talked to him on the phone a few days ago and he said he didn’t know anything. We’re supposed to go see him later to get the keys to the house.”
“Where’s the property located?” I asked.
Belinda exchanged a glance with Magnolia, then faced me. “North of town. Like Magnolia said, she didn’t even know her mother owned property. This was all a big surprise, but it turns out her mother had more than a few secrets, and Magnolia has lived with far too many secrets most of her life. She needs answers.”
Magnolia glared at her sister-in-law, who didn’t seem fazed in the least. Then her glare faded, leaving her pale and empty. She seemed broken, like the displays of outrage were just fronts that took too much out of her.
“You should know,” Belinda said, “that we’re meeting with another investigator in an hour. We want to explore all of our options.”
“With Pierce Robbins?” I asked. When she nodded, I said, “He’s a good investigator and has a ton of experience…” I let my voice trail.
“But?” Belinda asked with a guarded look.
“Sometimes Pierce’s experience goes to his head. Sure, he’s racked up a lot of hours working cases, but honestly we all do pretty much the same thing—skip tracing, find proof of a cheating spouse, even serve subpoenas, and after you’ve been doing a job for years and years, well, I’m sure it’s easy to become complacent. I’m new enough that I treat every job with fresh eyes and enthusiasm. Pierce will find out what he can, but he won’t make it his priority…unless you give him permission to tell the world that Magnolia Steele was his client.”
Magnolia sat up straighter. “No. If we hire you, you need to sign an NDA.”
“I have absolutely no problem with that,” I said. “If I can be candid…?”
Belinda nodded. “Yes. Please.”
“We don’t have time for bullshit,” Magnolia said in an icy tone.
“Of course,” I said with a nod. “As I was saying, honestly, I don’t want to publicize that you are or were my client. I’m already considered a joke by much of the world, I was even before the Darling Investigations show, and most people would see this as a publicity stunt. I don’t need that kind of attention.”
“So you’re saying you don’t want us as your client?” Belinda asked.
“No,” I said, sitting up straighter. “I’m not saying that at all. I’d love to help you and, at the risk of sounding brash, I think I’m in a better position to help you than Pierce is, simply because most of the people in town like me and will be willing to talk to me. Pierce has a reputation of being a little brusque, and it sometimes turns people off.”
“So you’re saying we should just hire you?” Belinda asked in a guarded tone.
“No, absolutely not. I want you to talk to Pierce. Hiring an investigator isn’t like hiring an electrician to rewire your house. Sure, you want a competent contractor who shows up on time and does a safe job so your house doesn’t burn down, but a PI is different. The client needs to feel a connection to the investigator they hire. They need to feel comfortable sharing deep, dark secrets.”
“I don’t have any secrets to tell you,” Magnolia said. “This is about my mother.”
“Who left town and never came back, and owned property you knew nothing about.” I paused, then said softly, “You may not have any secrets, but it sounds like your mother did.”
She glanced down at her lap.
“I honestly have no idea why your mother left,” I said. “Maybe she had a fight with her parents and never wanted to see them again. Maybe someone broke her heart.”
Magnolia’s gaze jerked back up to mine.
“Or maybe she simply felt stifled here and never looked back after she left. The point I’m trying to make is that this could unearth some delicate information that might be life-shattering or it might be nothing.” I leaned closer. “But I promise you that I will treat it with discretion and respect. You’ll be my top priority.”
Magnolia glanced around the office and then back at me. “Because we’re your only clients?”
I could have fudged the truth, but I suspected she could see through untruths. Plus, she’d lived with so many secrets in her past—and was still dealing with them—she deserved nothing but the truth. “At the moment, yes. We have a new season of the show filming in a few weeks, and quite a few potential cases up for consideration to be part of the show.”
Magnolia curled her upper lip in disgust.
“Look, I’m not a huge fan of it either,” I admitted with a sigh, “but it pays the bills. Running a farm down here is a crapshoot, and even though we had a great cotton crop this year, there’s no guarantee it will be any good next year. My show covers the taxes and the insurance, as well as provides income for my cousins through their own royalties. We don’t make as much as you might think, but the money comes in handy, so I won’t condone judgment for my choices. It’s a means to an end. I’m hoping my PI business will grow with the show, and in the meantime, I can ride my producer’s ass to try to keep it as real as possible.”
Magnolia started to say something, then stopped.
“So,” I said, gracing her with a friendly smile. “In short, I’d love to help you. I think I have the resources you need. I’ll treat you and your mother’s history here in Sweet Briar with respect, while not calling attention to what I’m looking into. I’m likely cheaper than Pierce, and I can start right away.”
Both women were silent for a few moments. Then Belinda said, “What are your rates?”
“I’ll need a two-hundred-dollar retainer, and I charge a fifty-dollar hourly rate. Any additional expenses are extra. I’ll be sure to clear them with you first, but I don’t anticipate any. I suspect it’s mostly just talking to people who knew her.”
“How will you keep it discreet if you’re talking to people about her?” Magnolia asked, her attitude back.
“There is a myriad of reasons I could use, but it helps that you’re a celebrity around here. Sweet Briar claims you as their own, so all I have to do is tell them I’m working on a Magnolia Steele segment for the show, and they’ll be none the wiser when I’m askin’ about your momma.”
Belinda gave Magnolia a questioning look, and when she didn’t respond, Belinda got to her feet. “Well, thank you for your time, Summer. We’ll get back to you and let you know one way or the other by early this afternoon.”
“Thank you,” I said, getting up too, then held out my hand. “It was a pleasure meeting both of you, and I hope you find what you’re looking for, no matter who you go with.” I leveled my gaze on Magnolia, who was now standing. “Or even if you decide to go with no one at all.”
Belinda shook my hand. Then to my surprise, Magnolia shook mine too.
Her hand was thin and delicate, and I was careful not to crush her. In fact, standing this close to her, I realized how fragile she seemed, and a wave of shame washed through me. Not only had Magnolia gone through hell at the hands of her own father and the serial killer, but the press had tormented her too. Funny how I’d been so grateful when Mo and Molly had moved on to someone else that I hadn’t given a single thought to who they’d moved on to next: Magnolia.
I had no delusions that Magnolia Steele and I would ever be friends, but we had a few things in common. If she and Belinda decided to hire me to look into her mother, I vowed to figure out a way to help her with the press too.