| |
The sun rose late in the morning, a sure sign that winter was fast approaching Honey Pot. Glimpses of the almost sunrise sliced through the gaps in Lydia’s kitchen shades. They landed upon her fresh-baked pumpkin bread. There was one tray for the Everett household and one tray for the Barnaby family.
Ines and Bill didn’t live together. They kept to their own space until the wedding. Lydia fretted over the ceremony. Would it take place on schedule or had Jake's arrival, then death, seared the happy occasion?
Lydia wasn’t sure what she would do in the situation if the choice was hers. Still, even if she lived apart from her fiancé she would have slept on the couch at his house after a tragedy befell him. She had no doubt Ines would do the same. One-stop in the morning was all it would take to offer both parties a breakfast snack. It also ensured Lydia got the full scoop of news from each of them.
Lydia mentally pinched herself for thinking only of the clues she may obtain. She didn’t mean to let herself grow so cynical and nosy. It just happened. Over the last few months, life had grown trickier and trickier in Honey Pot. Lydia found herself looking for clues where there was no crime. In the situation of Jake Cloverdale's sudden death, her suspicions buzzed. Something was not as it seemed. Even if no one else had the same feeling as Lydia, she would keep her eyes and ears open.
Ivy sat, forlorn, on the couch. She watched as Scout played on her favorite activity blanket with her favorite toys. The baby rose to palms and knees and rocked her rear end back and forth. Soon, she'd have the strength and coordination to push off and crawl around the house. Lydia smiled. The Everett house was in for it once that happened.
Scout was a very good baby but a very inquisitive one. She would be getting into everything in no time at all. Lydia scanned her house. She’d nearly finished baby-proofing it.
With a compact in hand, Lydia tied up her hair and did her makeup at the kitchen counter. “Have you decided?”
Ivy scowled to herself. She wanted to go with Lydia if only to keep her from asking embarrassing questions. But the thought of seeing Grant had her pulse thudding in her throat. She wasn't certain if that meant she wanted to see him or if she was terrified of seeing him.
“Let me pack up Scout and we’ll come along. Unless you think Scout will be too distracting and too loud,” Ivy said.
Lydia paused amid her mascara application. Sometimes babies were a welcome distraction. Something to put your mind on for a moment instead of present circumstances. At other times, they were seen as too distracting.
Bill and Ines loved Scout. They both played with her at church and at the library. Lydia didn’t think they’d mind having Scout accompany them for a visit. In fact, she thought they would be thrilled. “She’ll be great. Pack her some treats.” Ivy complied and finished readying herself and her baby before Lydia had her boots on.
Bill lived in an apartment two blocks from Main Street but Ines lived farther back near the bee sanctuaries. Her house was one of the only mansions in Honey Pot. It had wings. Ines inherited it, years before, from her grandmother. Ivy gasped at the sight of the Justice house as Lydia pulled into the drive.
“Do they have a butler?”
Lydia laughed. “Can you picture Ines with a butler? She does have a maid. She’s a community college girl who comes twice a week to deep clean. They also hire a gardener. Bill pays for them. Ines, after all, lives on a librarian’s salary. She has trouble keeping the house in good repair. Sometimes Thad Miller comes out, with Sam, to help her but that's it. They’re both very easy going people. They like their quiet and space.” Ivy’s mouth still hung open at the shock of the huge house.
“I thought the Hive was huge.”
Lydia put the car into park and waved to Dr. Lawrence who had just stepped out the front door and was walking to his car. The good doctor stopped to converse.
“Lydia, I’m not surprised you're among the first to visit. I don’t suppose you’ve brought along any baked goods?”
Lydia patted the insulated bag that swung from her forearm. “Pumpkin bread.”
“Great. No one can resist a warm slice of your pumpkin bread.”
“Give us a heads up. What are we walking into?”
“A room of strange. In fact, I’m happy you’re here. Ines could really use your company.” The doctor adjusted his glasses.
“How are Bill’s burns?”
“Bill’s not home right now. Ines said something about picking up his cousin from the motel. I don’t know. Like I said it’s a room of strange. You’ll see.
But his hands were actually a lot better than I’d anticipated. Usually, burns caused by a melting substance require surgery. I expected the plastic shoes to melt into Bill's skin. Maybe even fuse his fingers together. Bill was very fortunate.”
Ivy struggled with an obstinate Scout and finally untangled her shirt from the baby’s fist. “You and Ivy have a nice visit.”
Dr. Lawrence tossed his kit into his passenger seat and slid into the driver’s. He waved farewell as he drove away. Lydia stood frozen to the dirt drive.
“What is it,” Ivy asked, worried over Lydia’s sudden delay.
“A room of strange.” Lydia’s flat tone intrigued Ivy. What exactly had she missed during the doctor’s three-minute conversation?
Suddenly a huge smile stretched across Lydia’s face. “Let’s go see for ourselves,” she said. Lydia hurried to the front door and knocked.
Grant’s eyes sparkled at the guests. “Hello,” he said. “I thought it was the doctor, again. I couldn’t figure out what he might have left behind. Come on in. Aunt Ines is in the library.” Ivy smiled. A librarian in the library at home and at work. Surrounded by books wherever she went. “I know, right? You’d think she gets enough of the library at work. But nope, it’s her favorite spot in the house. We hang out there almost all day.
Sometimes I hang out in the game room. Just to give Bill and Ines privacy. I can show you, if you’d like?” Grant addressed Ivy with this question as he led Lydia into the library.
Ivy looked at Lydia. “Go on, I'm good. Give me Scout.” Lydia traded her insulated snack bag for the baby and both ladies went their separate ways.
Ines reclined on a tan leather sofa. A washrag covered her forehead. She peeled her eyes opened and grinned at her guest.
“Oh, Lydia, I’m so glad you’re here. Maybe you can help me. Please make yourself at home. Get comfortable.”
“Thank you.” Lydia sat in a chair opposite the sofa. Ines stiffened to a more erect position. She shifted the rag to the back of her neck and smiled again at Lydia.
“My head has been spinning since yesterday morning. Actually, it’s been spinning since Friday. Now that I think of it.”
“It has been quite the whirlwind of a weekend,” Lydia said. She laid a blanket on the ground for Scout and tossed a few of her fabric lovies on the blanket to entertain the little girl. Ines watched on, her fondness for Scout evident on her tired face.
“You could say that. This has been far from the reunion Bill and I had hoped for.”
“I can imagine. What did you have planned?”
Ines rolled her neck and shrugged her shoulders. Her headache eased, for just a moment. “We weren’t at all certain Jake would show up. He’s been a little more than flighty. But when he did, we were overjoyed, of course.” Ines’ face didn’t reflect a past of over joyous emotion. It reflected tension and frustration.
“Was it nice before, yesterday?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that.” Ines crossed her legs and fully pulled herself to a seated position. The rag fell and she held it instead of placing it back on her skin. “It was good. Bill was happy. For the most part. He was going to ask Jake to be his best man. In fact, that’s why he was at the mobile on Sunday. Jake refused to attend church with us, so Bill went to the early service and arranged to meet Jake afterward.”
Scout chatted at her toys, momentarily stealing Lydia’s attention. “What was Jake doing at the mobile? Was the blood bank going to open on a Sunday?”
“They thought about having it open after lunch. But that’s not why he was there. When the blood bank stays at any location overnight at least one worker is required to stay with the mobile. It was Jake’s turn.”
“He slept there?”
Ines nodded. “There’s no telling what really happened to Jake, yet. Bill is hopeful his brother died from gas inhalation and not from the actual flames. I haven’t disagreed with him. But there’s a slim chance of it, in my mind.”
“Where is Bill? I thought he’d be here with you.”
Ines’ shoulders slumped. “I thought so, too. He stayed the night. It was awkward, but given the circumstances it made sense. When I went to wake him, this morning, he was gone. There was some sorry note on his bedside table, saying he was going to meet Jake’s cousin.” Lydia followed the conversation as she watched Scout swat at her toys.
“She was on his emergency contact information. Maddie leaked us her phone number. We didn’t know she existed.”
“Is she also related to Bill?”
“Bill doesn’t think so. He thinks she must be from Jake’s adoptive family. I’m sure he’ll ask her. Her name is Della Strap. She’s only thirty and lives near Jake. Maddie and Lou say they’ve never met her.”
“What are Maddie and Lou doing, now, since the van is destroyed,” Lydia asked.
‘“They have to stay in town until the main hub sends out an investigator and a tow to haul the entire mess back. They’re quite put out. I can only imagine they want to get home and start putting all of this behind them. Bill’s been talking to them and making sure they’re alright. I think he’ll check on them when he gets Della from the motel.”
“Will she be staying here?”
“We’re going to offer but I don’t know if she'll be comfortable staying at some strange woman’s house. I’m not sure how long she’s expecting to stay in town. I imagine she has all sorts of things to accomplish. She may have to I.D. Jake’s body and then arrange for transport and all that.”
Lydia didn’t know what the woman would have to get done before she could make it home with her deceased cousin and move on with her life. She could imagine it was not going to be an easy task. If the blood bank wanted to investigate the mobile for negligence or arson, she could have to stay for weeks. Or maybe they’d question her and send her back to wherever she came from. Just how detailed of an investigation would the blood bank require? Had the fire really been a mere accident? Or had something more nefarious taken place?