4. June #2
June’s eyes widened as another reality hit her when she remembered how Mrs. Clark had been found. Covered and laid out with care. She swallowed as any doubt she had about Victoria or Alfred faded away. June suddenly realized that Sienna had just moved to the top of the suspect list.
“So, Sienna liked Mrs. Clark?” June asked for clarification.
“Yes,” Victoria and Alfred said in unison.
“Is Mrs. Clark supposed to join the two of you?” June asked.
“Yes,” Victoria answered. “She is.” She frowns and looks at Alfred. “Did you get hold of her, Alfred?”
“No,” I’m afraid not. “I’ll keep trying.”
“Don’t,” June said, making the decision to tell them. She’d seen enough to know they were not lying and didn’t know about Mrs. Clark.
“Why?” Victoria was the one to look at her in alarm. “Has she been arrested?”
“Mrs. Clark wasn’t involved in anything illegal,” Alfred said immediately.
“No, Mrs. Clark hasn’t been arrested,” June told her, her voice dropping.
“Then where is she?” Victoria asked with her eyes hooded and weary.
“Victoria…” June swallowed, her eyes moved between the two of them. “I’m sorry to tell you, but Mrs. Clark…”
“What?” Alfred asked. “What is going on, June?”
“She was found in the burnt-out house,” June told them, her voice dropping. “She didn’t make it.”
“What?” Victoria said, looking as if she hadn’t heard June correctly. “I… what did you say?”
“Are you sure?” Alfred asked.
Both of them were pale.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” June confirmed. “I’m sure.”
“How?” Victoria asked. “What happened? Did she have an accident?”
“She was always falling,” Alfred said.
“No, I’m afraid she was struck on the head,” June told them what happened. “I’m so sorry. Lucy thinks it happened right before the storm hit.”
“No!” Victoria said, shaking her head in disbelief. “No! That can’t be right.”
“I’m so sorry,” June said, feeling awful as she saw how real their shock was.
“Who?” Victoria asked. “Who did this?”
“We think it was the same person who attacked Lacey and Judy,” June replied.
“I…” Victoria’s features started to wobble, and her eyes misted over. June felt emotions rush through her, and her heart went out to Victoria as she realized just how much Victoria cared for Mrs. Clark. “May I use your bathroom?”
“Yes,” June said. “The guest one is down the hall, first door on the right.”
“Thank you,” Victoria said, rising and walking out of the room as dignified as she could.
“Victoria really cared about Mrs. Clark,” June noted.
“Yes,” Alfred said, trying to school his features to hide his feelings. “They were. She was the only person besides me who really listened to Victoria.”
June wanted to point out that Victoria could have been different, like people who might have gotten her more friends, but then she remembered what Victoria had told her about her family.
“Are you okay, Alfred?” June asked worriedly.
“No, I’m shocked,” Alfred admitted. “But someone has to keep it together.”
June nodded and glanced at her dead phone she’d put on the coffee table. “I should go charge my phone.”
“I can assure you, June, that Victoria is not snooping around your house,” Alfred said, lifting his chin.
“What?” June said, her brows rising. “No… I didn’t even think that.
” She frowned and wondered, did I? She shook off the thought.
“I really do need to charge my phone in case…” She caught herself as the mess that was still back in Sandpiper Shores for her to clean up flashed through her mind.
“In case my family calls.” She gave him a small smile.
“And I thought you may need a quiet moment too.”
His eyes widened, flashing with guilt and appreciation as he realized he’d judged her quickly and harshly. “I’m sorry,” Alfred stated, taking a deep breath. “This entire bad situation has us all walking on eggshells.”
“It’s okay,” June assured him. “I’m just going to get my charger, and I’ll be right back.” She smiled again. “Oh, and I’m taking the back way, which is in the opposite direction to the guest bathroom.”
A soft laugh escaped Alfred’s lips as June turned and headed toward her bedroom. She, too, needed a minute on her own to think and process the landslide of new information that had tumbled down and swamped her.
On one hand, June was really glad for the distraction from her own drama and mess.
On the other, she had no clue who to even turn to with the information right now.
She was sure no one back home… Her eyes widened at how easily she’d just referred to Sandpiper Shores as home.
She shook that thought off. No, June, this right here in Miami, in this house, is your home.
June had burned her bridges back in Sandpiper Shores, all because she hadn’t told the truth that should’ve been told many years ago.
She blew out a breath as she searched through her purse and found her charger.
She was just hanging it back up in her closet when a large, brightly wrapped box on the top shelf caught her eye.
June frowned as she reached for it and pulled it down.
It was a present sent to her by Shaun a few days before he’d passed away.
June pulled open the lid and stared in at the Barbara Bass books Shaun had sent her.
On top of the two books was a card. June opened the card, a lump forming in her throat.
She hadn’t taken the books out of the box because they had arrived after Shaun had died.
She’d looked at the gift and then put it away.
It had become a treasure from a part of her family that was no longer with her.
Dear June,
Two books from your favorite celebrity sent to you from your favorite son-in-law.
Thank you for looking out for my family. It’s because they have you that I am not afraid of what comes next.
I know the one book might be a strange choice, but trust me. The cover hides a host of valuable information, so don’t judge the book by that.
Love,
Shaun
Something trickled down June’s cheek, and she swiped it away, realizing it was tears.
She sniffed and wiped a few more away. She glanced into the box once more and pulled out the first book that was smaller than the cookbook beneath it.
June smiled as she read the title of the hardcover book: The Traitor Among Us .
Learning to find out who you can and cannot trust in every type of relationship.
June gave a soft laugh and ran her hand over the cover.
It was not the best cover, and it was really a strange choice for Shaun to send her.
She glanced in the box once again as she set that book down to pull out the cookbook.
Opening it, she flipped through the pages until she got to the back page, frowning once again as she noticed that Barbara had autographed the book on that page.
To June,
Look In Miami in your search for truth and justice.
All the best,
Barbara Bass
June’s eyes widened as she stared at what Barbara had written once again. Why was it at the back of the book? A squirt of adrenaline shot through her.
We have reason to believe you have something that can vindicate Victoria.
“No!” June said softly, shaking her head. “Surely not.”
She examined the back cover of the book, where the last page was stuck to the hardcover.
There was the slightest little folded-over edge, reminding June of one of those plastic ‘pull here’ tags on cheese wrappers.
June dipped her head and looked closer at it.
Then, she gently pulled the tiny flipped-over edge of the page that was glued to the hard cover.
It came off surprisingly easily. June continued to pull it and was amazed to find a spare page the same size as the cover with nothing on it.
If someone had seen it, they would’ve assumed it was a mistake.
June pulled the page out, and it was empty.
Disappointment shot through her as she realized it was just a mistake.
She sighed, holding up the page. What did she expect, a secret message encoded on it?
Then the sunlight streaming in through her bedroom window caught the page, and a gold writing so faint that it could be missed sparkled on the sheet.
June stood and rushed over to the window to hold it up to the sunlight.
The traitor was right in front of me, living their life amongst us all along.
June’s brows lifted, and she reread it. Was this some sort of code, or was it just part of the recipe book being sold with the book Shaun sent her?
Her head turned to the book now resting on the bottom of her bed.
June rushed over to it and picked it up, her heart starting to hammer in her chest. She looked at the card, still open, lying there too, and the wording suddenly hit her.
With shaking hands, June opened The Traitor Among Us. She examined the front cover, running her hands over where the first page stuck to the book, but there was nothing. She flipped to the back of the book, and her eyes widened at the last page.
The excerpt printed there began with a single highlighted line, shimmering faintly in the same gold ink:
The traitor was right in front of me, living their life amongst us all along.
The words below it continued with:
But I, nor those closest to me, had realized it until it was too late. We had already been poisoned by their hatred and were too weak to do anything about it, as there is no antidote for hate when it is sown so deep.
A few words in that paragraph were highlighted in the same gold:
Those closest to me.
Realized it too late.
Had already been poisoned.
June’s hands were not steady anymore, and the book nearly slipped from her grasp. As she grabbed it tighter her thumb slid over the inside of the back cover and that’s when she felt it. The faintest ridge beneath the lining. The almost imperceptible outline of something thin and flat.
June carefully worked the back page free from the board, peeling it back with deliberate patience.
The lining came away cleanly, just like the cookbooks.
Taped to the inside of the board was a card no thicker than a credit card, smooth and white, with a magnetic strip along one edge. Printed on it in plain black lettering were three lines:
June Carter
Box 307
Miami National Bank
June stood in her bedroom holding the card in both hands as the full weight of it settled over her, knowing that in her hands she possibly held something potentially dangerous and at the same time what could exonerate Victoria.