Chapter 20
20
“ A nother fine date night,” Bennett said, helping Ivy slip into her lightweight jacket.
She kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, darling.” His skin was warm from the cozy evening they’d spent in front of the fireplace at the Oceanview Cafe. His eyes reflected the renewed warmth they shared.
She had been married long enough before to know that every relationship had its share of challenges. But the difference between Bennett and her former husband, Jeremy, was profound.
Bennett was more than her husband, more than her lover; he was her best friend.
Tonight, they’d had a good conversation about Ivy’s latest findings, though it wasn’t over yet.
She adjusted a scarf her mother had given her as they started for the door. After sunset, spring evenings were still cool at the beach.
Before they left the restaurant, Bennett paused to talk to Hallie. “That dark chocolate and orange mousse was delicious.”
Hallie beamed. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. That’s one of our specialties.”
Her husband appeared from the kitchen, still in his chef’s jacket. The two had met at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and worked at the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston before moving here for a quieter life.
“Everything was incredible,” Bennett added.
He rested his fingertips lightly at the small of Ivy’s back. Not in a possessive way but reassuring and respectful. It was a subtle, intimate gesture she enjoyed.
“We’ll definitely return soon,” she said.
As they stepped outside, the cool ocean air carried the sound of jazz music from Spirits that only improves it. Call me when you have the full story, will you?”
Ivy promised. They said their goodnights and turned toward the deserted beach path. Ivy slipped off her shoes, and Bennett did the same. The sand was cool beneath her feet. She tucked her arm through Bennett’s.
“You were starting to tell me about Viola’s nephew,” Bennett said, returning to their dinner conversation.
“His name is Andrew,” she said, adding details about his experience on other cases Viola had mentioned. “He thinks my hunch about it being a bank account might be correct.”
Bennett raised an eyebrow. “That’s incredible.”
“But he’s asked for any documents we might have to prove intent. If funds are still there, and if we can prove intent, the city could be the beneficiary.”
“Those are some big ifs . Do you have time to devote to this?”
“If there’s even a small possibility of success, I should pursue it. I tried to call Lea to see if she might have some documents.” However, since her mother died so young, Lea grew up in another family. Ivy knew much of her original family history had been lost.
Bennett took her hand. “I’ll give you the documents I have from the trust. That was part of the discovery in the lawsuit Jeremy filed to tear down the beach house, so you have access to them.”
“I only wish…” Ivy stopped, another idea forming in her mind. “Libby is a research librarian. Before she arrived here, she came across an old article about Amelia and her plan to build the library and art museum. I wonder if she could find more?”
Bennett studied her. “That’s quite a coincidence.”
“She latched onto the idea. That was part of what brought her here.”
“Is it, though?” he continued, gazing at her thoughtfully. “Watching you, I no longer consider synchronicities mere coincidences.”
Ivy gestured toward the moonlight spilling onto the ocean. “Maybe it’s divine guidance, or the universe shifting the puzzle pieces back into their proper position.”
“All I know is, we need to listen to our gut instincts more. And mine are telling me to do this…” He cradled her face in his hands.
She lifted her face to his for a kiss, shivering at his touch.
The tide rushed in, swirling around their ankles, nearly knocking them off balance. She cried out and clung to him.
“I’ve got you,” he said, chuckling. He lifted her easily onto dry sand. “Can’t let anything happen to you until you figure out this latest discovery.”
“I hope you’re right about instincts,” she said, clasping his hand. “Because mine are screaming. I’ve got to follow this trail of clues.”
The crowd was buzzing at Java Beach. Ivy cut through the throngs, nodding to Darla and Charlie, a local retiree who took small bets on all sorts of things, including whether she and Bennett would marry. She smiled to herself. She never knew who won or lost that bet, but she and Bennett were clearly among the winners.
She slid into the seat across from Libby, who was already nursing a chai latte. She wore one of her usual cotton sundresses with cowboy boots.
“Thanks for meeting me,” Ivy began. Hardly able to sleep last night, she had sent Libby a message early this morning to see if she might find other press clippings related to Amelia Erickson and her project. “How is your bookmobile proposal going?”
“Almost finished,” Libby said. “I’ve been working with Poppy and Shelly on the book festival plan, too.” She hesitated. “About your message… I have a lot of information for you.”
“So quickly?”
Libby fidgeted with her cup. “I didn’t want to look like I had an obsession, but maybe I did. When I saw Shelly’s first videos about the inn, I was hooked. I was drawn to Amelia Erickson’s story and felt like I had a stake in the outcome, too. Does that sound weird?”
“Nothing sounds strange to me anymore.”
Libby scrolled through her phone. “Want to see some of what I found?”
“Sure.” Ivy hadn’t expected results so quickly. She wondered if anything would be helpful.
“I took photos of every article I found and saved the links. It was like an ongoing story I couldn’t get enough of.” Libby tapped the screen. “Start here.”
Ivy scanned through articles from The San Francisco Chronicle , the San Francisco Examiner , and the San Diego Evening Tribune .
Libby cleared her throat. “If it’s intent you’re looking for, Mrs. Erickson stated her intent often. Keep going.”
At the next document, Ivy opened her mouth in surprise. “Minutes from City Council meetings at Summer Beach?” She glanced at the date. “This was right after the city was incorporated.” The list continued, but Ivy had seen what she thought was enough. “Will you email that to Poppy?”
Libby tapped her screen. “Done. Will this research really help?”
“I hope so. You might have just secured yourself a library, Libby.”
Still, Ivy knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Andrew had requested more crucial pieces of information.
After leaving Libby, Ivy put another call through to Lea. Once again, the call went straight to voice mail. She left another message and added, “I hope you’re okay.”
Ivy prayed nothing had happened to her, though for Lea’s sake, not hers.