Chapter 7 #2
“I’m fine as well, dear. The reason I work and why I’m going to school now is to keep my mind busy and to be around people who aren’t all my age.
Being here keeps me young. We’re doing a race car book at the Mommy and Me class on Wednesday.
I couldn’t find a bike race picture book. They need to fix that.”
“I’ll put in a request with the publishers,” Rarity teased. “Okay, so everyone has plans this afternoon. I don’t want anyone to be alone. Archer and I are going to take full advantage of the film festival. I hear there might be some big actors in town for the screenings today.”
“Take pictures if it’s anyone I might know,” Katie said, clearly feeling like she was missing out on the festival. “I just don’t think I could deal with another movie that was as bad as the ones yesterday. Even Friday’s spider picture was a dud. I don’t know how this guy got to be so famous.”
As Rarity and Jonathon walked home, she wondered about Katie’s last question. “Has Drew done any research into Mason Pike?”
“No warrants, no prior convictions. He and his ex-wife had a rather public and contentious divorce a few years ago. She accused him of cheating; he accused her. They both were siphoning money from the joint account. I think he was better at hiding it. Still, she got a few million over the prenup she’d signed, but not as much as she wanted.
” Jonathon rattled off Mason’s history from memory.
“He’d been rumored to be in a couple of relationships lately.
But no one has come forward, claiming to be next of kin or a new wife.
He has a brother who’s probably going to inherit. ”
“So there is money? In bad films?” Rarity paused for Killer to relieve himself on a tree.
Jonathon chuckled. “Bad is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. Just like beauty. Do you have a theory?”
“Honestly, no. I’ve been so worried about Darby that I haven’t even thought of what happened to Mason.” Rarity glanced over at Jonathon. “Sam thinks I baby the staff too much.”
“You’re a good boss who makes friends out of her staff.
Don’t listen to Sam. She likes a smaller group of people around her.
You’re more of a Pied Piper kind of person.
You take in everyone.” Jonathon nodded at Terrance as they passed his porch.
He was sitting outside, reading. “You’ve never met a stranger. ”
After she got inside, she decided to take advantage of the free time she had until Archer came to pick her up to swim.
She needed to work out some of the kinks in her body as well as her mind.
Had Jonathon been trying to tell her that she was too trusting?
She’d done that with Kevin. Never questioning his call when he said he had to work late.
She didn’t know if he’d cheated on her, but he’d been quick to dump her when she didn’t meet his definition of what a fiancée should look and act like.
She trusted Archer. And Sam. And Drew. And the people who worked for her.
And Jonathon, who might as well work for her, as much time as he spent in her bookstore.
And Edith. The list went on from there. Drew’s sister.
Terrance. She did have a large group of friends and acquaintances.
She liked it that way. And Jonathon was right.
Sam took longer for a person to become part of her inner circle.
A place that Rarity had held since college.
Thinking about her friends got her thinking about Mason and who had been in his circle.
She got out of the pool after finishing her laps and took her computer as well as a pen and notebook from the counter.
Sitting out on the deck with a bottle of water, she let herself drip dry as she did some research on Mason Pike.
His memorial fundraiser was one of the first things she found online.
The event was actually being held on Wednesday, not Monday.
Shirley had been wrong. As she read about the event, she found that the proceeds were going to an orphanage in Los Angeles that worked with kids who had been in the foster care system for over three years.
Had Mason been a foster care kid himself? Or known one? A close friend?
She kept looking. Scrolling through his Facebook page, it appeared it was handled by a team, not Mason. It didn’t feel personal. The last post was an announcement of his book signing and the movie at the Next Chapter.
She scrolled through the comments on the page.
“Wonderful talk. Great movie, but a little cheesy. And finally, did anyone hear what happened to Mason? He missed the next event where he was supposed to talk.”
No mention of his death, just comments about how they hoped everything was fine, and looking forward to the screening of the new movie. Was Drew holding off on announcing the fact he’d been murdered for some reason?
She was about to text him when she heard Archer’s Jeep pull into the driveway. She hurried inside, then opened the door for him, leaving her laptop on the table. “Hey, I got behind. Come on in and I’ll be ready in a minute.”
“No hurry.” Archer followed her inside, then swept Killer up into his arms. “I’ve been missing me some Killer time. Does he need to be fed?”
“Yes, if you wouldn’t mind. I wish we could take him, but he’s probably going to sleep until Tuesday. Festivals do him in,” Rarity said as she headed to the bedroom to change.
When she came out in a sundress, tennis shoes, and a sweater around her shoulders, Archer whistled. “Date night here we come.”
“I’m enjoying this film festival. All the others I have to have a booth in the park to help sales and bring in customers.
This one, except for the Friday night event that Shirley brought to our door, is more of a slow burn.
We have books about all the film topics, history, memoirs, and the making of…
but mostly this week, all I have to do is run the store. In one location.”
“Oh, so the Tuesday night group isn’t doing its regular sleuthing around Mason Pike’s death? I thought for sure you’d at least be looking into Darby’s stalker.” Archer set Killer down on the floor.
“Don’t get crazy on me, of course, there’s that. I just don’t have to have a booth at the park this week.” She walked over and opened the slider. “Do you need to go potty?”
“I’m good.” Archer grinned. “But Killer might need to. He ate all the food I gave him.”
“You think you’re funny, don’t you?” Rarity knew she was smiling as Killer hurried out the door. “So do you know why Drew hasn’t made an announcement about Mason’s death? Don’t you think it’s odd?”
“Maybe he’s waiting to contact next of kin. Besides, the film festival people know since they are doing the memorial.” Archer pointed to the door. “Killer wants back inside.”
“Of course he does. He’s not much of an outdoor dog, especially when it’s hot.” She opened the door, then shut it again, locking the door as she shut the blinds. “I guess that could be it. Mason’s Facebook page hasn’t even updated yet.”
“Wouldn’t he be the one to update it, and, well, he’s unable?” Archer waited for her at the front door, his keys in his hand. He watched as she walked around the kitchen island. “I already filled his water.”
“It looks like he has people who do that. Anway, I was going to give Killer a treat.” She nodded to the television. “You can just turn that on. It should be at the right channel and volume since he watched it last.”
Archer rolled his eyes but followed her directions. “You realize that dog is spoiled rotten.”
“He had a bad childhood, losing Martha like that. I just want him to be happy.” She stepped outside, locking the door behind her.
“Puppyhood, not childhood. He’s a dog.”
Rarity shook her finger at Archer, then whispered, “Don’t let him hear you say that.”