Killer Party. Lynn Cahoon
You can’t put a value on that.” She took the photocopied list of items and her copy of the receipt from Kyle, signing her name with a swoosh. She tapped the pen on the counter. “I’m serious. If anything else comes in from that source, I want it. You kept a copy of my card, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll call if something else comes in.”
She waved away his words. “Don’t bother about calling. Just send me the stuff.”
As we walked out of the store, Lois pointed to Dustin Austin’s bike rental shop. “If we had another day, we should talk the boys into taking a trail ride with us. I hear there’s a trail that runs most of the coast.”
“You’re right, it’s called the Mission Trail and there’s a trail head here near the beach. It’s a great riding and walking path.” I fell in step with Lois as we window shopped Main Street. By the time we’d eaten lunch and then started back up Main, I’d forgotten about Jessica’s over-the-top purchase at the antique store.
The new Russian Collectibles was next and the group gathered around the window display, pointing out the stacking dolls they loved. I fell in love with a blue and silver doll who looked like she was a princess. As we talked, a little girl, about four, ran out of the store and wrapped her arms around Jessica’s legs.
“Cectpa,” the little blond-haired girl said over and over.
Jessica kneeled down at the girl’s level and as she accepted a hug, I saw her whisper in the girl’s ear. As she stood, a man came out of the door.
“Alana, come here and stop bothering the women.” The little girl ran to her father and clung to his leg.
She looked up at him. “Cectpa, Papa, cectpa.”
He smiled and stroked her hair, mimicking the motion I’d seen Jessica just perform. “My daughter says you look like her sister.”
Jessica smiled, meeting the man’s gaze. “I’m afraid I’m an only child.”
“Alana’s sister is back in the home country with her mother. I brought Alana with me to help set up the store. She loves dolls.”
I stepped closer. I’d be able to knock out this favor for Tina and Marvin while I was doing the tour. Multitasking at its finest. I should write a book about my techniques. “I’m Jill Gardner, and I own the coffee shop down the street. Tuesday is our monthly business meeting and we’d love to have you visit.”
He looked at her gravely. “The mayor said you would be coming by. I will be at this meeting.”
“It’s kind of casual, we have treats and coffee and typically start at nine before the stores open. Besides, Tuesday is kind of slow, unless we have a tour bus scheduled to arrive. But mostly, it’s slow midweek here.” I felt like I was rambling. The man’s deep blue eyes searched my face for the truth in my words. I ended with another invite, even though he’d already said he’d come. “We’d love to have you.”
“Then I will be there.” He pointed to the window display. “Have you all seen the stacking dolls? Alana can demonstrate one for you.”
The group left after purchasing five stacking dolls. I bought a smaller one than the one I’d wanted. The price tag on the one I’d loved at first glance had given me sticker shock. But no one could turn down the child’s soft-sell tactics. I needed to rent the little girl for the children’s side of the book store. Alana was going to be an excellent business owner or salesman someday.
As we reached the winery, the men piled out of the van and joined us for a drink before dinner. Stories of the ones that got away circled the table and had us all laughing. Riding in the back seat of the van back to The Castle, I told Greg about Emma.
“Are you sure she’s okay? Do you need to cut this short?” He held my hand as we talked.
I shook my head. “Sissy says she’s fine, they are just keeping her overnight to make sure she doesn’t react to the chocolate. They gave her an IV and they want to make sure it doesn’t cause any problems. Toby’s a mess.” I smiled at the way his face had looked that morning. “I think he about had a heart attack when I walked inside the store.”
“He should have called us.” Greg settled into the seat next to me for the short ride.
I kind of liked the way he said us. Maybe this cohabitation wasn’t so bad after all.
Dinner was wonderful, a fresh-caught salmon as the main course that Brenda had purchased from a local fisherman since the guy’s trip had been unproductive. The group seemed to be enjoying the company along with the meal. I saw Brenda study Lois and remembered I’d never asked if she was all right, but from the night’s activities, it looked like the storm had passed, if there had been one between her and Butch.
As we retired to our room, forgoing the invitations to drinks poolside, I sank into Greg’s arms. “Today was crazy. How was fishing?”
“We always have fun together, at least at first. Of course, the fishing was incidental. We didn’t even get a bite all day. It’s when the alcohol flows a little too freely that people start talking about things they should leave private.” He yawned as he opened the door. “Sorry, I’m beat. You can go down and talk to the women if you want.”
“I’d rather stay here with you.” I picked up my bag and pulled out a mystery I hadn’t even cracked the spine yet. “You don’t mind if I keep the light on and read a little before bed, right?”
“Do I ever?” He got ready for bed, then threw an arm over my leg. “Love you.”
He was so tired; his words were almost unintelligible. But I’d heard them. “I love you too, Greg.”
A series of frantic knocks on our door woke us the next morning. Greg groaned and looked at his watch. “Four a.m. If that’s Levi, I’m going to shoot him. He wanted me to run with him this morning, but I’d told him no.”
He threw a T-shirt over his boxers and opened the door a crack. Brenda pushed the door inward and almost fell as it swung open. Greg grabbed her arm and pulled her upright. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes wild, she shook her head. “You’ve got to come down. I’ve called 911 but you have to come down now.”
Fear crept over the back of my neck. I’d never seen Brenda this upset. Had it been vandals? Or something worse?
“What happened, Brenda?” Greg had on his police voice now. Calm, but demanding. “Take a breath, and tell me.”
She sank onto the edge of the bed. “In the pool. There’s a body in the pool.”
Greg grabbed his jeans and headed to the bathroom to change. When he came out, he had turned from my boyfriend on vacation to the chief detective for South Cove. He looked harder somehow, the jut of his jawline completing the look. “Show me what you found.”
I stood to follow them but he glanced back at me. “Go change. If you have to come downstairs, stay away from the pool area. We don’t want to contaminate the scene.”
I could see the unspoken mantra in his eyes. Don’t be someone he knew. Finding a dead body was hard. It was impossible to deal with if that body used to be one of your best friends. So far, I’d only stumbled onto dead people who I’d hadn’t cared for. Except for Miss Emily of course. And that had been a few years ago. Before Greg and I were even dating.
When I arrived downstairs and saw Greg slumped in a chair, trying to process what he’d seen, I knew it was bad. Looking around, I’d found everyone from the dining table last night, including a sobbing Jessica. Brenda must have gotten everyone out of bed. Except for one person. Levi Wallace. And from what I could see in Greg’s eyes when he looked up at me, I knew who had been floating in the pool.
Levi.
CHAPTER 5
“This is total crap.” Greg