Chapter Forty-Five Savannah
| Forty-Five |
Savannah
Savannah and Felicia had fallen into the routine of having tea when Felicia arrived each day.
If Felicia hadn’t exactly warmed up to Savannah, she was no longer hostile.
Savannah wanted to ask her about Poppy’s accident but had treaded lightly.
No matter how well they were getting along, she knew Felicia’s first loyalty would always be to Bennett.
“Felicia, did you ever meet Poppy’s friend Henri? He introduced himself to me at the coffee shop the other day.”
Felicia rolled her eyes. “Oy, that one. Didn’t care for him. He was a bad influence on her.”
“In what way?”
“He liked the drink too much, always wanting her to go out carousing. Don’t know what she saw in him. I’d steer clear if I were you. Don’t think Bennett would like you hanging about with him.”
Clearly Felicia would dismiss Henri’s warning to Savannah as nonsense based on her opinion of him.
“Bennett and Henri didn’t get along?” Savannah asked.
“Not at all. I think he caused some friction between Poppy and Bennett.”
That was interesting. Bennett had said that he and Poppy had issues but hadn’t elaborated. “If you don’t mind my asking, what kind of friction?”
Felicia tilted her head. “I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but Poppy started drinking a lot more, getting a little wild.
I’d come in the morning to clean and there’d be two or three empty wine bottles.
Henri used to come over, and they’d spend the evening getting drunk while Bennett worked so hard on his books. It was terrible.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be friends with him,” Savannah said, even though she had no intention of trying to do so.
“You don’t need that. And poor Bennett doesn’t need that man hanging around.” She stood and put her cup and saucer in the dishwasher. “Time to get to work.”
“Of course,” Savannah said, rising too. “Well, I’m off to the dog park with Finn.”
The parking lot was nearly empty, only a pickup truck there.
Savannah let Finn out and they did their customary walk around the park.
There were a few others walking, and she nodded as they passed.
Savannah kept the Range Rover in sight in case the woman returned.
After twenty minutes, her feet were frozen, and she and Finn returned to the car.
She drove into town again, hoping she might see the green Jeep.
Once again, no luck. She took Finn home, then headed to the coffee shop.
If she couldn’t talk to Henri, she decided she’d sneak him her phone number and ask him to call her.
She walked up to the counter and placed her order. She didn’t see Henri and wondered if it was his day off. The manager wasn’t around either. The young man waiting on her handed Savannah her coffee.
“Is Henri working today?” Savannah asked.
He gave her a confused look. “I just started. I’m not sure.”
Right then the manager appeared. The man turned to her. “This customer is wondering if Henri’s on today.”
She shook her head. “He no longer works here.”
Savannah was stunned. “Oh, um, I was hoping to speak with him. If I give you my phone number, could you get it to him?” Savannah knew better than to ask for his.
They wouldn’t give it out to a stranger.
Disappointment washed over her. She wanted to know why he’d told her to be careful.
Warnings from two different people was more than unsettling.
“Sure,” the woman said, and Savannah had a feeling it was lip service. But she wrote it down on a piece of paper anyway and handed it to her.
“Thanks,” Savannah said.
Had Henri been fired for talking to her?
It didn’t make any sense. She needed a sugar fix.
She’d been meaning to check out the candy store.
She walked over to Bedford Candy Bar. Inside, she went to the counter and ordered a quarter pound of their dark chocolate French mint truffle.
She was addicted to it since her first taste.
The woman rang her up and she walked back to the Range Rover.
She froze. There was another note on the windshield.
Frantic, she spun around, looking to see if the woman was still there, but she wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
Savannah grabbed the note and slid into the front seat and unfolded it.
This time there was no warning. The message was written in simple block print.
WE NEED TO TALK. CALL ME. 914.555.0183