“Looks like someone’s having a party,” Camilla’s brother, Ted, said after picking up a menu from the center of the table. They had just sat down in the back of the restaurant, next to the event room, its double doors wide open, so they could see inside. Camilla and her sister glanced to the open doorway and back to their menus.
“Speaking of parties, are we going to have some sort of wake?” Camilla’s sister, Lucy, asked.
Ted looked at his younger sister. “What do you mean?”
Lucy set her menu on the table. “After the service, it’s customary to go back to the family’s home.”
“You saw Uncle Homer’s house. It needs a good cleaning. Not sure what Flora’s been doing every day,” Camilla said.
“Obviously not cleaning,” Ted snarked.
“We need to do something,” Lucy insisted.
Camilla glanced over her menu to her sister. “Pastor Chad said the meeting room would be open, and the church’s Ladies’ Auxiliary will make coffee and bring cookies, so his friends who want to share a moment after the service can do it at the church. That’s basically the wake.”
“Did Uncle Homer still go to church?” Ted asked.
Camilla shrugged. “For a while, after Flora came to live with him, she took him to church. But that didn’t even last a year. After the Alzheimer’s progressed, according to Flora, it was too difficult to take him anywhere. Of course, you would have known that had you bothered checking in with Flora to see how he was doing.”
“I called a few times. But you were the one who hired the woman. I didn’t think you’d want me to interfere,” Ted said. “After all, Uncle Homer left you in charge. You were always the favorite.”
“Let’s not argue. This is the first time in a couple of years we’ve all been together, the three of us. But I am curious about the funeral.” Lucy turned to Camilla. “You said Uncle Homer had already arranged everything?”
“Yes. Remember when Uncle Homer updated his will and sent us all a copy? I think it was the year before his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.”
Camilla’s siblings nodded in response.
“I called him after I received my copy. He told me he had also made the arrangements for his funeral. He said when the time came, all we had to do was call the local funeral home and Pastor Chad from his church. I explained all this to Flora when I hired her, and she made the calls after Uncle Homer passed away.”
“You gotta give it to Uncle Homer. He made everything easy for us. I appreciate the fact he set up the trust. Easier and faster to settle the estate.” Ted looked at Camilla and said, “I hope you didn’t go crazy spending money to take care of him. Aside from paying Flora, which wasn’t cheap, it’s not like he needed new clothes each year or money to go out to dinner. I imagine he spent most of his time sitting around in his bathrobe.”
* * *
After finishing her dinner, Lily moved to Danielle’s table. The two women sat together and visited with the guests who made it their way. These days Danielle avoided spending too much time on her feet. While Lily’s pregnancy wasn’t as far along as Danielle’s, she didn’t feel like standing on her feet either.
Walt had left Danielle’s side to get her another beverage, while Heather had moved to the children’s table, where she held Connor on her lap while she talked to Evan and Eddy. Brian and Joe huddled together, each drinking a beer, discussing the new temporary police chief, while Ian chatted with his father and the chief. Ian’s father, John, shared with MacDonald his own personal experience with knee replacement surgery, while Kelly talked with her mother, who kept looking over at Heather, making sure Heather didn’t drop her grandson. Meanwhile, the guest of honor shamelessly flirted with Chris.
Eventually, Joe drifted over to Kelly, and Brian to Heather.
Now standing behind Heather, who still held Connor on her lap while the boy colored on a disposable menu sitting on the table, Brian leaned over and whispered, “I’m going to the restroom. Are you about ready to leave?”
“Let me finish this picture with Connor, and when you come back, we can say goodbye to everyone,” Heather said.
* * *
“Is that Brian?” Ted blurted when he spied a familiar face coming out of the event room.
Both Camilla and Lucy looked toward the double doors leading to the party room.
Not waiting for a response, Ted stood up and yelled, “Hey, Brian!”
Brian stopped walking and turned to the voice. There, sitting at a nearby table, was Brian’s ex-brother-in-law, ex-sister-in-law, and ex-wife. He stood motionless for a moment, making no response. Finally, he took a breath, exhaled, smiled, and walked toward the table.
Ted met Brian halfway, shook his hand, and led him back to the table where he had left his sisters. Both women remained sitting. Brian made no attempt to give either woman a hug or handshake; he simply gave them both a nod, said hello, and expressed his condolences for the loss of their uncle.
Ted sat back down in his seat and insisted Brian sit down in the empty chair. Reluctantly, Brian complied.
“You look good, Brian,” Lucy said.
“So do you,” Brian returned. “How is your family?”
“Wonderful. Our youngest started college this fall. Ted’s oldest starts next year.”
“Wow. They were little kids the last time I saw them.”
Lucy glanced at her sister and then back at Brian. “Doesn’t Cam look amazing? I swear, she doesn’t age. I’d love to know her secret.”
Brian smiled and said, “So how long are you all staying?”
“Ted and I flew in. We rented a car together in Portland. We’re heading back the day before Easter.” She looked to Camilla and said, “Umm, I’m not sure about Cam.” Lucy looked back to Brian. “Ted and I got into Frederickport late this afternoon. Cam was already here. She drove in. Ted and I stopped at Uncle Homer’s first, dropped off our suitcases, and came here to eat dinner. We haven’t had a chance to learn Cam’s plans.”
Brian arched his brows at Camilla. “You didn’t fly? Wow, that’s a long trip to make for a few days.”
Camilla smiled at Brian. “I’m not staying for just a few days. I’m moving back to Frederickport.”
“Moving back?” Ted and Lucy chorused.
Camilla looked at her siblings. “Yes. That’s why I drove.”
“Where are you going to live?” Ted asked.
“Uncle Homer’s house, of course,” Camilla explained.
“But we’re selling the house,” Ted reminded her. “You mean you’re staying in the house while it’s for sale? When it sells, are you going to buy something here or rent?”
“I planned to discuss this with you later. But I’m not selling Uncle Homer’s house,” Camilla said.
“It’s not exactly Uncle Homer’s house anymore,” Lucy reminded her.
“No. It’s our house now,” Camilla said. “And I hope you both visit as often as you can. Thankfully, it’s a spacious house, room for all of us.”
Ted shook his head. “I don’t want a vacation home. But if you want to buy out my share, that’s fine with me.”
Camilla was about to suggest they discuss the topic later when she noticed a young woman with straight black hair, pale skin, and an outfit that could only be described as Goth walking toward their table. Without pause, the peculiar woman walked up behind Brian. Had the woman not exited the same room as Brian, Camilla might have assumed she was someone Brian had once arrested, and she was stopping by to harass him.
Instead, the woman placed her hands on Brian’s shoulders and said, “So this is where you went.”
Brian glanced over his shoulder at the woman, smiled, and patted one of her hands before looking back at the people now sitting in silence at the table with him, staring at the stranger.
Brian stood and pulled Heather to his side. “Heather, this is my ex-wife Camilla, and her brother, Ted, and sister, Lucy.”
Heather smiled at the people sitting at the table, staring in her direction. “Nice to meet you. I’m sorry about your uncle Homer.”
“You know about Uncle Homer?” Lucy blurted.
“After Homer had his heart attack and Flora couldn’t get ahold of you, she called me. I dropped by the hospital to see him. Heather came with me. I talked to Homer. He didn’t recognize me, of course.”
“Is Heather one of your friends’ daughters?” Camilla asked.
Heather chuckled. “No. I’m his girlfriend.” She turned to Brian. “If you want to stick around and visit, I can hitch a ride home. It’s okay.”
Camilla frowned and thought, If this girl really is Brian’s girlfriend, she doesn’t sound annoyed at the prospect of him leaving her to visit with the ex-wife. No way is she his girlfriend. What is he up to?
Brian looked at Heather and grinned. “No, I’m ready to go.” Brian glanced back at the table. “It was nice to see you all.”
“See you at the funeral,” Heather called as they walked away, hand in hand.
* * *
“They can’t be serious,” Lucy said after Brian and Heather were out of earshot.
“I never imagined Brian was so kinky,” Ted said with a laugh.
Camilla scowled at her brother. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“She’s hot—and weird. Weird in sort of a hot way,” Ted explained.
“She’s a child,” Camilla spat.
“I wouldn’t call her a child. I imagine she’s in her thirties,” Lucy said.
“Still young enough to be his daughter,” Camilla said.
“What do you care?” Ted asked. “You walked away from Brian years ago. Good for him; he’s found a cute little honey.”
“She’s not his girlfriend,” Camilla insisted. “He’s doing this to bug me.”
“You haven’t seen him in years,” Ted reminded her. “Why would you imagine he’s showing up with her for your benefit?”
“Think about it. Does she look like Brian’s type? No. Did she even sound remotely upset about her boyfriend staying here with his ex while she finds her own way home? No.”
“For as long as I knew Brian, you were the only woman he was with, and she’s definitely nothing like you,” Lucy said.
Camilla nodded. “Exactly.”
“It’s been a long time since Brian was with our sister,” Ted reminded her.
“Brian expected us to be here for Uncle Homer’s funeral. I bet anything that girl is someone Brian’s arrested in the past, and he got her to pretend to be his girlfriend. Girls like that find it in their best interest to do favors for cops.”
“This is Frederickport, not New York City,” Ted snarked.
“And he knew we would be here?” Lucy asked.
“I left a note for Flora telling her where we were going for dinner. It’s entirely possible he called her, under the guise of asking something about the funeral, and if we arrived yet. And she told him where we’d be.”
“But they were at that party,” Lucy reminded him.
“Brian’s a cop. He can crash a party like that and pretend he’s just making sure everyone is behaving—or some lame excuse like that. No way is that girl really his girlfriend. He’s trying to make me jealous.” Camilla laughed.