Chapter 16
Since Beth didn’t see me standing outside the bar, I waited for Chris to finish closing the bar and locking the door before I walked with her to her car in the town parking lot.
“At least Chip’s gone and we don’t have to worry about his spirit,” I said as we paused at the entrance to the parking lot.
Inwardly, I groaned. That was probably what every grieving woman wanted to hear.
Or at least in the top ten, along with “Thank goodness he went quick and didn’t suffer. ” Why did we say these things?
“You’ve been hanging out with Esmeralda too long. Chip would never hang around, even if there was a way to become a ghost. He didn’t believe in looking back, only forward. One of the things I loved about him.”
We said our goodbyes, and as I passed by Lille’s again, Gunter still sat on his bike. He watched me stroll past. He didn’t seem all that approachable, so I let it be. Just before I got home, I ran into Dom on his way back to town.
“Oh, Jill, we thought you might be asleep.” He glanced around but we were alone. “Beth didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Dom, what are you doing?”
The directness of my question stopped him from walking past. “What do you mean?”
“Beth is engaged to Greg’s brother. You’re involved with Lille. She’s leaving on Monday. Do you want to kick over this bucket of bees?” I crossed my arms and Emma sat at attention, watching both of us.
“I’m not doing anything. Beth and I enjoy talking to each other.” He sighed and dropped his head. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I am attracted to her. She’s smart and pretty. Not that Lille isn’t, but she’s not interested in books or going back to school…”
I felt bad for the guy. “Beth doesn’t even live here.”
“She wants to, live here, I mean.”
“Everyone wants to live in vacation land but some days you just have to put aside childish things.” This wasn’t my business, but I cared for Beth and didn’t want her to get hurt. Even though she said she wasn’t attracted to South Cove’s bad boy, I was happily married and I could see the attraction.
A smile crossed his face. “She told me the same thing tonight. I promise that I will no longer seek out opportunities to be hanging around your soon-to-be sister-in-law and your friend. Take care of her, please.”
“You better make sure that Lille knows this was all on you and not her. If you get me kicked out of the diner, I’ll have to find somewhere new to eat and it won’t be at your bar and grill.
” I matched his smile. I was concerned about my privileges at Diamond Lille’s.
Well, that and Beth’s well-being. But Beth got to go home.
I got to clean their mess up, if Lille would even let me try.
“This will not affect anything, I promise.” He started to walk away, but then I called him back.
“Dude, if I was paying someone to be my bodyguard, I wouldn’t leave him sitting in the parking lot while I went walking around South Cove.”
“What?” Dom asked, then realizing what I’d said, clarified his question. “Where is Gunter?”
“In Lille’s parking lot, smoking. Isn’t that where you left him?” Now I felt like I’d ratted on someone in class.
Dom shook his head. “I told him to take the evening off. That I’d be okay without him.”
“He didn’t listen, I guess.” I jerked my head toward town. “Because I saw him parked in the back of the lot. In the dark.”
“Good night, Mrs. King.” Dom nodded his head and started jogging up the hill. I hated people who could do that and arrive without breathing so hard that people thought they were dying.
Beth was on the front porch when Emma and I arrived. She glanced toward town, then back at me. “Out for a walk?”
“Not exactly. I met Chris at the bar. I’ve got measurements and pictures of the entire first floor.
I’m going to put everything together and see if I can find original blueprints either with Amy or at the library tomorrow.
I’m hoping Amy has them so I don’t have to drive to Bakerstown again.
” I leaned on the handrail on the steps.
“I think there might be a secret room somewhere. Do you want to look at the pictures? It’s pretty creepy without people inside. ”
“Oh, I thought…” She paused, then decided to say it. “I thought Jim sent you after me. To walk me home.”
I shook my head. “Nope. I was investigating. I had thought about seeing if you were ready to go, but I saw you walking home. You’re playing with fire.”
“I’m just talking.” Beth stood and went inside. As I followed her, she paused at the stairs and added, “I’m sorry I misunderstood your intentions tonight.”
I turned on the television. “I’m watching cooking shows for a while if you want to join.”
“I’m tired and I need to call Jim.” Beth didn’t look happy about the pending call. “And write down some notes from what Dom told me tonight. I’ll see you in the morning. I’m working an afternoon shift, right?”
“If you still want to. Did you meet Andrew?” I muted the television. Emma snuggled up next to me and watched Beth on the stairs.
“He’s nice. Very put together. He reminds me of my first boyfriend. He knows exactly how his life is going to turn out.” Beth smiled at the memory.
“It’s going to be a rude awakening when the first thing blows up in his face. But he’s solid and smart.” I turned back to the television and found my show before I silently added what I was thinking, And a warm body.
That wasn’t why I’d hired Andrew and I didn’t think of him that way, but deep down, I kind of did.
Until I got to know someone who worked for me, there was a distance I kept from them.
I didn’t want to get emotionally invested until I knew they were staying.
I guess I was a lot like Lille in that manner.
I just didn’t have my staff wear someone else’s name tag until they proved themselves worthy.
Tilly had kind of broken that pattern since she needed the job as much as the store needed her.
If not more. But if she’d left the first week or two?
I would have been gutted after finding out her background.
Heck, I still missed Sasha and she’d been gone over four years.
She’d graduated and gotten a great job in the city.
Time moved too quickly in our lives. I didn’t want to regret anything.
Like how Chris was regretting the time that she and Chip had missed.
The problem with relationships is that both people have to be on the same page at the same time for it to work.
Jim needed to learn that quickly to keep Beth.
She wouldn’t be in a holding pattern for long.
Greg woke me up when he arrived home later that night.
He picked up the empty quart of ice cream and spoon off my lap where I was lying on the couch.
I was pretty sure I’d finished it before falling asleep, but Emma had that guilty look on her face, so I wasn’t positive. And the container looked too clean.
“Hey, go to bed. I’ll let Emma out,” Greg said as he turned off the television. He was pretty good at multitasking since he found me like this a lot.
“Have you looked at Chip’s finances? Did he have some hidden income?” I stood and folded the small blanket I kept on the couch for chilly nights.
“If it’s hidden, how would I find it?” Greg asked as he went into the kitchen to let Emma out.
I paused on the stairwell. I looked out the transom window on the front and saw Esmeralda’s house. What had she said that morning? “You’re kind of a super sleuth when it comes to things like this. Did you have a surprising day?”
He threw away the container and put the spoon in the dishwasher. Then he added soap and started it. “No more than normal. Why? Did you?”
“Kind of. I hired a new barista. Andrew. He’s Evie’s friend’s son.”
“Twice removed?” Greg asked.
I was tired. The phrase didn’t seem to mean anything. “What?”
“Go to bed. I’m staying home tomorrow morning and walking you to work. I’m missing my girl.” He laughed as Emma barked from the back porch. She must have heard his wording. “I didn’t mean you, but I’m missing you as well, Miss Emma.”
Smiling at my guy and my dog, I headed upstairs and got ready for bed.
If neither of us had run into the surprise that the spirits had told our local fortune-teller was coming, had we gotten past the test or was it still in the wind?
“Maybe a surprise suspect will show up tomorrow and confess to killing Chip.”
“And monkeys will fly,” Greg said as he and Emma came into the bedroom. He dug in the laundry basket and separated out his uniform shirts. “I’m going to start these now and put them in the dryer when I get up. Hopefully, one will be done before I have to go to the station.”
“I could wash those for you.” I climbed into bed, ignoring the book sitting on my nightstand. Maybe I’d have time to read tomorrow morning.
“Old habit. I asked Sherry to wash them once and I had to buy all new shirts since she put a piece of her red lingerie in the batch with them. Everything was pink.” He found the last shirt and paused by the doorway. “And yes, I know you’re not Sherry. I can wash my shirts, though.”
I curled under the sheets, a smile on my lips. I knew it wasn’t a comparison, but this one time, something Sherry had done hadn’t come back to bite me. In fact, it was saving me some time.
* * *
I smelled bacon as I came downstairs. Bacon and maple?
Or was that blueberry? Beth, Greg, and Emma were all downstairs and in the kitchen before me.
Emma was drooling as Greg fried bacon, and from what I could smell, Beth had something in the oven.
No wonder Jim didn’t want her to work. She was an amazing cook.
“Good morning, family.” I headed straight to the coffeepot. “Greg, did you put your shirts in the dryer?”
He chuckled as he put a plate of bacon and eggs down in front of me. “Hours ago, but thanks for the reminder. I’m just waiting to finish breakfast before I get dressed. The last time I made bacon, Toby complained that he was starving all day.”