Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
K elli Webb inhaled deeply, centering herself as she did. She only had a few more minutes of her intermediate yoga class, and then Kelli would take Daphne home to the townhome on Pearl Island, shower, and try to figure out how to answer the multiple texts from her friends.
“Inhale deeply to lift your chest, and exhale as you come back to Tabletop. Now, move into Child’s Pose—bring your big toes together, widen your knees, and sit your hips back onto your heels. Stretch your arms forward, forehead to the mat. Let this be a moment of grounding. Feel the earth beneath you and soften your breath.”
Kelli worked through the movements too, needing these moments of grounding in her own life.
“Slowly walk your hands back, coming to a seated position. We’ll finish with a few minutes in Savasana. Lie down on your back, arms resting by your sides, palms facing up. Close your eyes. Allow your body to become heavy, letting go of any tension you might still be holding. Soften your face…your shoulders…your fingers. Let your breath flow naturally. Take these final moments for yourself.”
She did the same thing, truly enjoying just being with herself. She hadn’t always been her favorite person, but the more experiences she had, and the older she got, the more comfortable with herself she became.
“When you’re ready, start to wiggle your fingers and toes, slowly bringing awareness back to your body. Roll onto your right side, and when you’re ready, come to a seated position.”
Kelli went through the motions with her students, a rush of satisfaction and contentment filling her. “Bring your hands to your heart center. Thank yourself for showing up today, for taking the time to nourish your mind and body. Namaste.”
She smiled at her students as they rolled up their mats and gathered their belongings, the peaceful energy of the class still lingering in the air. “Thank you all for coming,” she said, her voice soft but carrying easily across the room. “Remember to take this sense of calm with you throughout your day.”
As the last of her students filed out, Kelli turned her attention to the corner of the room where her nine-month-old daughter, Daphne, lay contentedly in her playpen. The baby gurgled happily, reaching out with chubby hands as Kelli approached.
“Hey there, Daphne-doll,” Kelli cooed, lifting Daphne into her arms. She pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead, inhaling the sweet baby scent that never failed to soothe her frazzled nerves. “Ready to help Mommy with some paperwork?”
Balancing Daphne on her hip, Kelli made her way to her small office at the back of Whole Soul, her yoga and wellness studio on Bell Island. She’d opened the studio after moving back to Five Island Cove, after her divorce, and after she’d met and married Shad, determined to build something for herself after years of feeling lost and untethered.
As she settled Daphne into the bouncy seat she kept in the office, Kelli’s thoughts drifted to her son, Parker. Shad had taken him to school on Diamond Island this morning, as usual. At fourteen, Parker’s moods had been swinging wildly between sullen silence and explosive outbursts. Kelli’s heart ached, remembering the sweet, curious boy he’d once been.
She’d just sat down at her desk, ready to tackle the mountain of invoices and schedules waiting for her attention, when a knock at the door made her look up. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw AJ standing in the doorway, an uncertain smile on her face.
“Hey, Kelli,” AJ said softly.
“AJ.” Kelli’s heart flopped around in her chest, as if it had no idea how to perform its proper function.
She couldn’t speak, so Kelli nodded, gesturing for AJ to come in. The tension that simmered between them since their argument at The Starlight Manor filled the small office, making the air feel thick and heavy.
AJ stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She’d dressed well in a cute denim skirt and an understated Christmas sweater. She’d blown her hair out so it flowed straight and shiny over her shoulders, and she’d come alone.
She looked different somehow, more vulnerable than Kelli had seen her since she’d returned to the cove. The AJ who’d come back had been the usually confident, sometimes brash woman Kelli had known since childhood. In the past year or so, as their friend group had grown and smaller splinters had started branching off, AJ had been more sullen and angry.
But now, in her place stood someone who looked… lost.
“I owe you an apology,” AJ said, her words coming out in a rush. “I was way out of line the other night, and I’m so sorry, Kel. I never meant to hurt you or imply that you’re not a good mother.”
Kelli’s carefully constructed walls started to crumble. She and AJ had been best friends for so long, weathering countless storms together, both physically and figuratively. The idea of losing that friendship over a stupid argument was almost unbearable.
She nodded, tears already flowing out of the corners of her eyes. “I shouldn’t have gotten so defensive.”
“No, you were right.” AJ wiped at her own tears. “I don’t have teenagers, and it’s not my job to give advice. I can’t believe I…I mansplained parenting to you when you just needed someone to vent to.”
Before she could think too hard, Kelli rushed at AJ and hugged her, years of shared history and understanding flowing between them.
“I’ve been such an idiot,” AJ mumbled into Kelli’s shoulder. “I don’t even know why I got so worked up about it all.” She stepped back and sniffled, then moved over to the bouncy seat and picked up Daphne. “Hey, Daph.” She swept a kiss across the baby’s cheek, and Daphne squealed in delight.
Kelli didn’t know what to say, but she’d been taught that it was always okay to apologize. “I didn’t need to come back at you either,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“Will you come back to the holiday house?” AJ sank down into one of the chairs in front of Kelli’s desk. “Everyone is really worried about you. I’m really worried about you.”
Kelli returned to her seat at her desk, and she sighed as she sat down. “I was going to text everyone today.”
“Okay,” AJ said. “I know you teach here and all that, but you could come, and I’ll tend to Daphne so you can rest. Then, you could be back in Rocky Ridge for our luncheon, and I…need you, Kel.”
“Jean’s at the house,” Kelli said quietly.
“Jean is not you,” she said simply.
Kelli hadn’t known how much she needed to hear that until AJ said it. Emotions surged through her again, a sudden tidal wave of water that threatened to break down everything Kelli had built to protect herself.
AJ took a shaky breath, her gaze falling to Daphne’s reddish hair. She stroked the baby’s hair back. “I guess… I’ve been feeling so insecure lately. About everything. Being a mom, my relationship with Matt, my place in the group. Sometimes I look at you, or Robin, or Alice—even Jean—and you all seem to have it so together. And then there’s me, constantly feeling like I’m one step away from screwing it all up.”
Kelli couldn’t help but laugh, the sound tinged with a hint of bitterness. “I am so far from being together it’s not even funny.” She smiled at her baby daughter. “I love my children more than anything in this world, but being a mom is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Some days, I feel like I’m drowning, especially with Parker.”
“I know,” AJ said softly. “I’m sorry I added to that.”
“We’re both doing the best we can.”
“I can’t seem to do anything without you.” AJ gave her a rueful smile. “Have you been keeping up with the group text about all the weird stuff at the manor?”
“I read the texts,” Kelli said. “Has anything else happened?”
“Not really, other than El called a group meeting last night, and she and Kristen literally presented to us in theater room.” AJ’s tone took on a dryer quality and she almost rolled her eyes. “They want to do a top-to-bottom exploration of the house, and I need you there.”
Kelli tilted her head. “Why?”
“Because I saw the lights flicker in that ridiculously huge chandelier in the foyer, and no one else has.” She hugged Daphne close as her eyes took on a harder quality. “I think there’s definitely something going on in that house, and Robin is acting like the rest of us are going mad.”
“Maybe you are.”
“Alice has seen some things,” AJ said. “And she’s the most practical out of any of us.”
“So this is just one more thing for us to argue over.” Kelli leaned back in her chair, the mess on her desk still there, so she couldn’t just rush off to the manor even if she wanted to.
“No,” AJ said. “It’s a way for us to come together.”
“To solve a mystery?” Kelli shook her head. “Those haven’t historically helped us.”
“Sure they have,” AJ said. “They’re the reason we’re all still friends, because we realize that it doesn’t matter if you’re right or I’m right—we want to be friends no matter what.”
Kelli couldn’t really argue with her, so she didn’t. “Tomorrow?”
“Can you maybe rearrange your classes, so you can come?” AJ looked so hopeful, and Kelli did miss her friends. She could easily come to Rocky Ridge and The Starlight Manor tomorrow, because she didn’t teach on Tuesdays.
“Wait,” AJ said before Kelli could answer. “You don’t teach on Tuesdays. You and Daphne could come tonight.” She grinned at Kelli. “Please?”
Kelli looked into her friend’s pleading eyes, then glanced down at Daphne, who’d fallen asleep in her best friend’s arms. She thought of Parker, of Shad, of the life they’d built here in Five Island Cove. Part of her wanted to say no, to retreat into the safety of her daily routine.
But another part of her, a part that had been dormant for far too long, yearned for adventure, for connection, for something more than the endless cycle of diapers and yoga classes and teenage mood swings.
“Okay,” Kelli said finally, surprising herself with the certainty in her voice. “Daphne and I will come tonight and go through the holiday house with everyone.”
Kelli’s stomach vibrated as her RideShare driver pulled up to the holiday house. Or maybe that was because she didn’t even have another couple of minutes to get Daphne and herself out of the car with their bags as Robin, Eloise, AJ, and Alice all waited for her on the front steps.
Only AJ got to her feet, and she stayed at the top of the porch, leaning against the pillar there as if she held back the tide of their other friends.
Kelli hated walking into a situation like this. A situation where everyone had been talking about her while she’d been gone. A situation where she wasn’t sure who to watch, what to say, or how things would go. She employed the same yoga breathing she taught at her studio, and reached to pay for her ride.
“Thank you,” she said to the driver. “Come on, Daph.” She smiled at her daughter and unbuckled her from the carseat. Part of her wanted to put her baby in the bath immediately, as she hadn’t brought her own seat from Pearl Island, and the other part of her told herself it was good for Daphne to be exposed to germs so her body could fight them off.
The house seemed bigger than it had last weekend, or perhaps it had taken a big breath and was holding it, waiting for something to happen.
Kelli started up the walkway with Daphne in her arms, the diaper bag strap cutting into her shoulder, and towing their suitcase behind them. “Hey,” she said as AJ finally pushed away from the pillar and came down the steps.
“Give me that baby,” AJ said, smiling. She took Daphne, which relieved Kelli of a big burden. She hitched the diaper bag up, feeling too old to have and be responsible for a baby.
Her eyes landed on Eloise, and Kelli absolutely would not complain about having Daphne. She knew El would’ve liked a baby of her own, and she hadn’t been able to have one. And with Jean and Reuben going through all they had before they’d been able to adopt Heidi?
No, Kelli would hitch her smile in place and say nothing but good things about being a new mom at age forty-eight.
Once AJ had stepped away from the pillar, the others came toward her too, and Kelli found herself encircled in the arms of the women who’d always loved her, no matter what.
She didn’t want to cry, but Kelli sure was glad she could feel something again. The past week had been days and nights of her trying to numb away the very public argument she’d had with her best friend. She’d dove into her work, into cooking after work, baking cookies for Parker, drinking too much wine with Shad in the evenings. Anything to keep from thinking about why AJ had been so snippy with her, and why Kelli had felt the need to bite back at her.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” El said, and the words couldn’t have been said in a more sincere way. “Let’s go inside; it’s so windy today.”
“You guys didn’t have to wait outside.”
“It’s great to see you,” Alice said as she took the diaper bag from Kelli.
Robin tugged the suitcase handle away from Kelli, her bright blue eyes vibrating with life. “You look good, Kel.”
“Thanks,” she said, following them up the steps while they took her things with them. She barely knew what to do with her hands without something to carry and someone to be in charge of. She’d gotten Parker to school this morning, told Robbie she wouldn’t be into the studio for the next couple of days, and boarded a ferry to come here.
Eloise opened the door and held it while they all filed past her, smiling at each person as they did.
“How was the breakfast yesterday?” Kelli asked as she passed El.
“Great,” El said. “They had a big turnout, and it was nice to do something for someone else.”
“I don’t do that enough either,” Robin said. “I’ll have Jamie take this stuff up to your room.” She parked the suitcase at the bottom of the staircase.
“I can take it.”
“No, it’s fine.” Alice put the diaper bag on top of the suitcase and continued into the large family room. Kelli didn’t want to argue with anyone tonight, but her stomach did an unexpected flip.
“Wait, Alice, Ginny was staying in my suite.”
“It’s fine.” Alice waved her hand in the air. “She and Bob went back to the city yesterday.” She flashed Kelli a smile that strained around the edges. She turned then, concealing her expression from Kelli.
But she met Robin’s eyes, and she shook her head. So Kelli wouldn’t press this issue right now. She couldn’t even begin to understand what it would be like to try to parent young adults like Ginny, Charlie, and Mandie. So she couldn’t offer Alice any advice anyway.
She’d do what she’d wanted from AJ last weekend—love and support. Nothing more.
“All right, everyone,” El said, her voice carrying easily through the open space at the back of the house. “Kristen and I have put together some information about the Everleigh family and the history of this house. We’ve also created checklists for each team to use during their investigations.”
Kelli glanced around the room, taking in the familiar faces of her friends. Robin and Alice stood with Laurel, who had one hand placed protectively on her belly. With a flash of realization, she remembered reading a text from Robin that had said Laurel was pregnant again.
A smile stole across Kelli’s face even as she looked over to AJ, who still held Daphne. She stood close to Kelli, but further from everyone else, her eyes darting around the room as if expecting something to jump out at any moment. Kelli felt a surge of protectiveness towards her friend, remembering their conversation from the day before.
“We’ll be dividing into pairs,” El continued, pulling Kelli’s attention back to the present. “Each pair will be responsible for investigating a different area of the house. Look for anything unusual, anything that might give us clues about what happened here all those years ago.”
Kristen stepped forward, her silver hair glinting in the sunlight streaming through the windows and almost glowing white. “Remember,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. “This is a rental. Don’t break anything. If a door or cabinet doesn’t open, don’t try to force it.”
“Right,” El said. “Okay, pair up and come get a checklist.”
Kelli looked over to AJ. “Want to be my partner?”
“Absolutely.”
Kelli backtracked to her diaper bag and pulled out the sling. “I can bring Daphne with us in this.” She started to put it on, glad when AJ helped with the straps and Daphne settled against Kelli’s chest. Then AJ handed Kelli the checklist. “We got the east wing of the second floor.”
Kelli looked at the items on the list. Check outlets, light switches, and fixtures
Open all doors and inspect contents of closets, cupboards, and drawers
Open all curtains and blinds
She scoffed out loud. “What are we looking for?” she asked, because she felt like she’d missed something important.
AJ looked at her with wide eyes, a lingering tension between them, a fragile peace that could easily shatter if Kelli wasn’t careful. “I’m not sure. Kristen swears she saw the curtains move in the library when there wasn’t a fan or any windows open. I guess we’re just…looking.”
“Okay.” Kelli let AJ go toward the grand staircase first, the plush carpeting muffling her footsteps. The second floor waited in eerie quiet, the thick walls seeming to absorb any sound from the rest of the house.
“Alice swore the outdoor heater flared up when she shivered,” AJ said. “So we’ve talked about just making notes of anything out of the ordinary. Cold spots, strange noises, objects that seem to move on their own. And we’re supposed to document the layout of each room, noting any areas that feel…off.”
Kelli raised an eyebrow. “Off? That’s pretty vague.”
AJ shrugged, a hint of her old spark returning. “I guess we’ll know it when we feel it.”
The east wing on the second floor had three rooms: two suites and the art studio, and AJ led them into the first room, which was the the Gemini Suite—and the room Kelli had stayed in with Shad and Daphne when they’d been here that first weekend.
The beautifully appointed space held a large four-poster bed with a deep, dark midnight black comforter. The dark bed was offset by soft blues, pale yellows, and creamy whites in the wall color, the twin couches in the sitting area, and the artwork on the walls.
Everything came in pairs, as the astrological sign of Gemini was symbolized by “the twins.”
Two mirrors in the bathroom, one above each sink. Two couches in the sitting area. Two pillows on each side of the bed. Two tall, slim pieces of artwork depicting boats on the sea.
Kelli found herself drawn to the window, gazing out at the sprawling grounds of the estate. “It’s beautiful here,” she murmured, more to herself than to AJ.
“Yeah,” AJ agreed, coming to stand beside her. “Hard to imagine anything bad happening in a place like this.”
Before Kelli could respond, a loud crash came from the hallway. Both women jumped, and Daphne let out a startled wail.
“What was that?” Kelli whispered, clutching her daughter close.
AJ moved toward the door, peering out into the hallway. “It’s Robin,” she said in a gaspy voice, and without further explanation, AJ darted out into the hall. As their voices echoed back to Kelli, she decided she couldn’t simply hide out in this bedroom if her friends needed her.
So she went to see what had caused that crash and caused AJ to speak in such strained tone.