Chapter 22 #2
Thinking of Collin, she switched directions and headed toward the event space.
She had paperwork to do, but the thought of sitting at a desk made her antsy.
She needed to keep her body occupied as she finally gave herself permission to pick apart the conversation she’d had with him the night before.
She understood his concern; his past and the way it impacted him weren’t trivial concerns.
But she felt humbled by his trust, by the role she played in his life.
Not weighed down by it. And being the recipient of, and participant in, his enthusiastic “catch-up” period, well, it made her body tingle with anticipation in a way it shouldn’t during the middle of the workday.
On the other hand, it tore at her soul that because of Roger, Collin had never experienced true intimacy. Not with anyone other than her, and they’d been little more than kids at the time.
“Helia?”
Her mother stood in the doorway, vase of flowers in hand, staring at her.
“Sorry, woolgathering,” she said.
Her mom raised an eyebrow. “Anything to do with the reemergence of Collin?”
Yes, but she wasn’t about to go into details. She and her mom were close, but no way was Helia going to share anything about the intimacies, physical or otherwise, that she’d experienced in the past eighteen hours.
“More about the murders,” she replied.
“And your house,” Vanessa added, concern settling in her expression. She’d texted her parents after she’d returned to the castle last night to tell them what had happened. They’d wanted her to come home but let it go when Collin and Dulcie promised to install a security system at her place.
“And my house,” she conceded.
Her mother stared at her, then lifted the vase. “Help me with the finishing touches?”
“Of course,” she said.
They entered the medium-sized dining room, already filled with winter greens and flowers. The tablecloth sat in a roll on the dining table, along with runners, and she headed for these first. The china and glassware lay stacked on a sideboard; they’d get to that next.
“What are you thinking about the murders?” her mom asked, setting the tall vase on a pedestal in the corner before standing back and eyeing it.
“It feels like I’m involved in a way I shouldn’t be.
First, they question me about Justin’s murder because they found some weird letter, then Carter called last night to ask me about Kurt because someone said they saw the two of us together.
I didn’t know anything about the letter until they showed me, and I definitely wasn’t with Kurt, so why focus on me?
Or do I feel targeted because I’ve never been in this situation, when really this is all normal?
Maybe they’re out there questioning lots of people and I’m just not seeing the bigger picture.
” As she spoke, she unrolled the linen tablecloth.
The white material with an embroidered frame of red holly berries making the room instantly more festive.
“I’m sure they’re questioning a lot of people,” her mom replied, straightening the other side of the tablecloth.
“I don’t like that they’ve come to you more than once, but since the idea of you being even remotely involved in either murder is ludicrous—not to mention your house being broken into—it makes me ask why. ”
Helia made a face. “That’s exactly what I’m doing, asking why me?”
Her mom leveled her with a mom look. “I don’t mean why you, but why you.”
Helia paused, the linen fresh and crisp between her fingers. “I have to admit, you’ve lost me, Mom.”
Vanessa chuckled. “Your life isn’t small, dear daughter.
In addition to everything you do at Sundaram, you’re involved in the chamber of commerce, the tourism board, the animal shelter, and a few other groups.
” Another mom look came her way. For years, her parents had voiced their concern about the number of things she committed her time to.
Not because the commitments pulled her away from Sundaram, but because they worried she’d stretch herself too thin.
That conversation was one for another day, though—or not—and Helia focused on what her mom meant. As the table slowly morphed into a holiday canvas waiting to be adorned, it clicked.
“You think Justin and Kurt might have some connection we don’t know about, but whatever it is, I’m connected to it, too? Like maybe one of the organizations I’m involved in?”
“It only makes sense, doesn’t it? Not that any of this makes sense,” she said, smoothing out the cloth.
“It does make sense, actually.”
Her mom flashed a wry grin. “Don’t sound so surprised.”
Helia laughed. “You’re a constant source of surprises, Mom.” She paused, eyeing the runners. Her mom had pulled three out, one a deep gold, one an elegant red with white tallow berries on it, the opposite of the tablecloth, and the third a rich dark forest green.
“Which runner?” she asked her mom, who had a better eye for decor than she.
“Gold,” her mom replied. “With the dishware Akin chose and the decorations, the gold will even out the colors better.”
She set the other two aside and together, they rolled the runner open. “It doesn’t explain the letter or false sighting, but if you’re right about Kurt and Justin being connected to an organization I’m involved in, it would explain why my name keeps cropping up.”
“Not that I want you putting your nose anywhere dangerous, but I wonder what Kurt and Justin have in common? They’re in different, though admittedly adjacent, lines of business, and I wouldn’t have thought they were friends. But I certainly don’t—didn’t—know either well enough to say.”
“Maybe the place to start is with me and the organizations I’m a part of?”
“I don’t think you should be starting anywhere, sweetie. I think you should leave it to the professionals.”
She should leave it to the professionals, but she wouldn’t.
Not entirely. She didn’t want to go poking around.
Napa was remarkably small when it came to full-time residents.
Carter and Jess would find out faster than she could pour a glass of wine if she started putting her nose where she shouldn’t.
And the last thing she needed was to draw more attention to herself.
But she had Leo.
Well, Collin and Dulcie had Leo. If she gave him a list of organizations, he seemed the sort who’d be happy to look into whether any had a connection to Justin and Kurt. If he found one, he could point Carter and Jess in the right direction and away from wasting time on her.
“What are you thinking?” her mom asked, standing on the other side of the table, arms crossed, head tilted. Waiting.
She had no intention of worrying her parents any more than they were.
She’d keep her plan to herself. But once the Sundaram machine got running and her help was no longer needed, she’d make a list and send it to Collin, who could forward it to Leo.
She’d catch up with them all later tonight when she returned.
“Woolgathering again. Shall we set the table?”