Chapter 26. Holly #2
Holly set it aside for later. “How was work?” she asked Jade. The question struck her as funny only because it was so perfectly ordinary—as if they’d had this arrangement for years, not days.
“Maeve is a menace,” Jade said. “But there’s so much stuff to sort through that I’ll definitely be busy. I’m not sure I can get it all done before the big party she’s planning.”
“What party?” asked Holly, feeling a slight squeeze in her heart.
“She’s hosting a benefit for the Beauport Art Association.
Oh, and you’re invited, by the way.” Jade handed Holly a gilded-edge, ivory vellum envelope with her name and address penned in a neat hand.
“I saw it in the pile—saved them a stamp. There’s a donation form inside, but the invitation gets you in. ”
Holly was shocked and revulsed to be included. “Did they invite me because you’re living here?”
“I haven’t told them,” Jade said. “They don’t seem too interested in my life. Conrad forgot to ask for my last name.”
Holly wasn’t surprised. If this town gave out superlatives, the Carmichaels surely would win Most Self-Involved. She’d be sure to be busy that night—rearranging her sock drawer or playing a game of Parcheesi against Chester.
Jade added, “I think Maeve needs to feel important because she’s old and dying and freaked out about being forgotten.”
“You can tell Maeve she has nothing to worry about,” Serena said. “Death is merely a change of address.”
“Really?” Jade pursed her lips in uncertainty. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Holly drew back slightly. “Jade’s, uh, been through a lot, Serena. She’s lost her parents. That’s a tough topic for her.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Serena looked stricken. “I realize that offers little comfort when you’re in the throes of grief. I won’t pry, but if you’d ever like a reading—on the house, of course—you let me know.” Serena placed a hand gently on Jade’s shoulder.
Holly was happy she didn’t pull away. Maybe Jade was softening.
“The eggplant should be ready—smells delicious, Serena. Why don’t you both take a seat and I’ll get the food.”
Holly ferried the hot pan from the oven to the table using dish towels as potholders. After helping themselves to generous portions of the savory meal, Serena piped up: “Jade, tell me about yourself. What brought you to Beauport?”
Jade forked some eggplant Parm into her mouth and spoke while chewing. “Well, my parents were both killed in a car accident.”
Holly found it strange how detached, almost matter-of-fact she sounded. It was as if that tragedy had happened to someone else. But Holly understood that sometimes grief became your constant companion, so ever-present that it often went unnoticed, like the air we breathe.
“I’m not quite eighteen, so I had to go live with a crappy aunt who’s like a total tyrant. I couldn’t deal, so I took off and came here.”
“You’re a runaway?” Serena’s eyebrows arched. “Why did you choose Beauport?”
Jade shrugged. “After my parents died, I had to clean out their stuff and found a necklace in their bedroom. I guess it was meant for me, because it had a jade stone attached to it. It has Beauport, Massachusetts, engraved on the back and I really want to find the store it came from. I can’t explain why, but it’s important to me.
” Jade removed her necklace and handed it to Serena.
When it fell into her palm, Serena went stock-still. She stared unblinking at the piece.
“Do you recognize it?” Holly’s gears churned, trying to puzzle out Serena’s strong reaction.
“I, um—no. No, I don’t. I thought I did, but I’m mistaken.” Serena handed the piece back to Jade, who clasped it around her neck. “What about the package?” Jade asked Holly, who had forgotten all about it.
Holly never cared much for mail because it seldom brought good news.
But this was a curiosity—no return address, no stamps.
Someone had personally dropped it off. Maybe it was a scented candle from Gail for staging her home.
She grabbed the parcel and a knife from the kitchen and slit the tape, careful not to cut too deep.
“Christmas in July,” she said with cheer as she opened the lid. She reached her hands into the box. “Ah, it’s a book.” A touch of uncertainty seeped into her voice. Something didn’t feel right.
As she hoisted the book to eye level, small bits of burnt paper descended onto the table like black confetti.
Someone had taken a torch or lighter to it.
The edges of the book were charred and uneven.
Some of the singed pages curled up like blackened rose petals.
The title on the cover was left intact—intentionally, it seemed.
When Holly realized what she was holding, she gasped and dropped the book as though it were still on fire and burning her fingers.
The whole thing landed in the center of the casserole dish with a splash, right on top of what remained of the eggplant Parmesan.
Bits of marinara sauce stained the cover like blood spatter while thoroughly soaking the charcoal pages in red.
Serena and Jade leaned over the table to get a better look, their jaws hanging open.
Even with splotches of marinara sauce on the cover, Holly could make out her name and the title: Beyond Horizons.
It was the same book Ethan had said he’d read and enjoyed.
Evidently, someone didn’t feel the same way.
The burnt edges weren’t a coincidence. This was a message—more like a warning.
What happened to Anna could happen to her.
Jade fished the desecrated novel out of the casserole dish. She flipped open the cover, sauce oozing down its charred edges like it was hemorrhaging.
“Holly, look at this,” Jade whispered. She showed Holly the title page, which appeared to be the only one left uncharred.
At a glance, Holly understood why. If the burnt pages weren’t enough, the inscription in big block lettering, every word capitalized like a scream, made the sender’s intentions abundantly clear: LEAVE TOWN OR I’LL DESTROY YOU.