Chapter Fifteen
The next morning, Daisy set off for the tea garden early because she wanted to stop in at Jonas’s shop and tell him what she and Iris had found. His establishment wasn’t open yet, but she saw him moving around inside, placing a new chair at one of the tables. She rapped on the front door.
When Jonas came to the door, he peered out, saw her, and smiled. Then he unlocked the door and let her in. “You’re early this morning.”
“I wanted to talk to you. Is anyone else here?”
“Dave doesn’t come in until a minute before the dot of nine. What did you want to see me about?”
When she gazed into his green eyes, she almost forgot. But then she found her composure again. “I was helping Aunt Iris put her place back in order last night. We decided to have a cup of tea.”
“Needed a boost to finish?” he asked.
“Something like that. But we decided to use the White Symphony tea in the can of tea that Harvey had given Aunt Iris. We were going to have a tribute to him.”
Jonas nodded. “Understandable. Your aunt has been so caught up in the investigation. She hasn’t had time to grieve.”
Daisy nodded. “Exactly. So we were going to drink tea and talk about Harvey. But as Aunt Iris scooped out the tea, we found a gold coin, and we looked it up on the Internet. We discovered it’s supposed to be worth over a million dollars!”
Jonas gave a low whistle. “I hope you called Marshall and Rappaport.”
“We did. Rappaport suggested Aunt Iris may have hidden it there herself. Honestly, I just want to sock him sometimes.”
“Not a great idea,” Jonas advised her. “Do you think Harvey was hiding his asset from his wife? Is that why he wanted to share the tea with Iris when his divorce was final, so he could get it back? With or without your aunt knowing?”
“Any of those scenarios are possible,” she agreed. “Was Harvey that conniving?”
“Anyone as successful as he was had to be a bit conniving, maybe a little ruthless too. When it comes to divorce, the parties involved can be bitter, revengeful, and greedy.”
“How do you know this?” Maybe Jonas had been divorced.
“Not from personal experience, if that’s what you’re thinking. But in police work we see it all—murder, theft, assault, and all the reasons that go with them. When you think about how much planning goes into a divorce, how much analyzing, how much the lawyers cost, it’s only natural each party wants to keep as much as they possibly can. Sometimes they find unlawful ways to do that.”
Daisy shook her head, imagining the bitterness and regrets between two people who no longer wanted to be married.
“Let’s go over the suspects for Harvey’s murder,” Jonas suggested. “If Harvey’s son knew about that coin, and he might have seen it as a kid going through the coins, maybe he found out it wasn’t appraised with the rest of the collection. Maybe he somehow knew his dad had hidden that asset. Maybe he was drunk and so angry about his father’s new life that he killed him in a rage.”
“Daniel is one suspect. Then there’s Harvey’s wife,” Daisy offered. “If she knew Harvey was trying to cheat her, maybe she was determined she wouldn’t let him. If she knew about the coin, and that it was hidden somewhere, she might have badgered him about it. If he wouldn’t tell her what she wanted to know, she could have murdered him in a rage.”
“She could have,” Jonas added, “and then ransacked your aunt’s bungalow. It doesn’t take a man to do that.”
“What about Guy Tremont?” Daisy asked. “The coin dealer. Could he have had a stake in that coin somehow? Maybe the coin had nothing to do with the murder. What if Guy found out that Harvey gave Iris the coin to hold for him. But he hadn’t known how Harvey packaged it. It was only luck that the tin had fallen sideways on the back of the shelf and the intruder missed it. Or else he saw the pretty bow and just didn’t imagine the coin would be inside.”
“Or he was interrupted. Was any of the tea spilled?”
“Yes, two of the other tins were emptied out.”
“There you go. Maybe he just didn’t get to those last tins. Maybe a car drove up, or someone walked by, or he or she feared they’d be seen. The possibilities are endless.”
“We’re not any closer to knowing who did this than when it happened.”
Jonas nodded to his office in the back. “Would you like a cup of coffee? I know it could be treason if you drink coffee instead of tea, but it gets me started in the morning.”
“No crime there,” she said with a laugh. “But . . .” She checked her watch. “I’d better get over to the tea garden.”
When she looked into Jonas’s eyes, she felt a little quiver in her stomach. The idea of having coffee with him in his office increased the velocity of that quiver. She didn’t think she was ready for that. She didn’t know if he was ready for anything more than being a friend in an investigation. Were they even friends?
“At lunchtime today I want to duck out to a dress shop,” she explained.
“Important event?” He seemed mildly curious. Did he think she was going out on a date?
“Tessa’s gallery showing is on Wednesday evening. I haven’t bought anything new for a while, and I’d like to pretty up.”
He hesitated a moment, but then he said, “You don’t need to buy something new to be pretty.”
She didn’t know what to say to that as her mouth suddenly went dry.
He cleared his throat and then said, “I’m still going through records looking for Jazzi’s mom—or rather birth mother, since you’re her mom.”
“If she finds her birth mother, she might have two moms.”
“I hope you both have faced the reality of a reunion. In general, people don’t like to have their lives disrupted. A child they gave up for adoption suddenly coming around is a huge disruption.”
“I know, and I’ll try to prepare Jazzi better if we find out anything. I think she’s excited about it now, and nothing I say is going to sink in.”
“You’re probably right. Thanks for keeping me informed about the coin.”
“I asked Detective Rappaport if I could tell you, and he said I could. But please keep it confidential.”
“Of course.”
They were back on that “friends together in an investigation” footing, and Daisy was more comfortable with that. She expected that he was too.
She made a move toward the door. “Whenever you want another cup of tea and a scone, just stop in.”
“I’ll take you up on that offer soon.”
As she left Jonas’s store, she could feel his gaze on her back. It was a nice feeling. An exciting feeling. Did she need a little excitement in her life?
* * *
At one-thirty, Daisy took her break, deciding to skip lunch in favor of dress shopping. At least she thought she wanted a dress. For some reason, she considered what Jonas’s reaction might be if he saw her in a new dress. That was just crazy. He didn’t seem the type to go to an art gallery showing. Besides, she’d never dressed for men before. She dressed in what she liked, clothes she felt good and comfortable in. Advice to do just that had come from her Aunt Iris.
She headed north toward her favorite dress shop. At least the Rainbow Flamingo was her favorite window-shopping dress shop. They carried everything from an L.L.Bean type of look to a Serengeti style, and she could usually find something reasonable. When she walked in, she waved to the clerk, Heidi Korn, who often patronized the tea garden.
Heidi asked, “Are you looking for anything special?”
“I am. Something versatile that I could multipurpose with. I want to wear it to the art gallery showing this week.”
“Tessa’s showing. I bet she’s excited.”
“Oh, she is.”
Heidi motioned to the rack to the left. “I just got in new coordinates that might suit you—skirts and slacks and jackets and blouses. You can mix and match. Or . . .” She pointed to a rack on the other side. “New arrivals and dresses for the holidays.”
“I’ll take a look at all of it. I have about an hour.”
“If you need any help, just give a yell.”
Heidi apparently suspected that Daisy liked to do her own mixing and matching, and her own choosing.
She pulled out two skirts, one in plum and one in raspberry, and was choosing blouses that went with each when the door to the shop opened and the entrance bell rang. It was habit for Daisy to look up and see who the new customer was.
She was surprised to recognize Caroline, the employee from Men’s Trends. As soon as Caroline stepped into the shop, she recognized Daisy too and gave a wave.
Daisy hung the clothes she’d selected on a nearby rack and approached Caroline. “How are you?”
“That’s a good question,” the young woman answered. “I’m no longer with Men’s Trends. Bennett let me go. He’s downsizing already. Since I was only part-time, I just didn’t have the sales slips some of the others did.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have an interview with a men’s shop in York—Gents. It’s the store that’s rumored to be interested in buying Men’s Trends. I heard negotiations have been in the works for a while. I don’t know how everyone kept it such a secret.”
“But Bennett’s in charge until the sale goes through?”
“That’s right. He wants to keep the shop high-end, and he wants to keep the receipts up. Maybe he thinks that by doing that he’ll have something to bargain with and can get the managerial spot if Gents buys the place. I’m trying to dress for success for this interview. How do you think I should go? It’s a men’s shop. Should I take a risk and dress in menswear? Like a lady-style tuxedo jacket, slim trousers, cool tie? Or should I go the usual business suit that shows off a woman’s figure, in red or maybe yellow so I stand out?”
“Do you know the clientele at Gents?”
“I’ve been in the store. It’s about the same as Men’s Trends, though maybe not quite as pretentious.”
Daisy laughed. “I know what you mean. Do you know what the owner’s like? Staid, conservative, open to new trends?”
“No more open to new trends than Harvey, though Harvey had gone a little wild with those faux fur vests.”
“So wear middle of the road. Not a traditional suit, but maybe your own kind of suit—slim pants, silk tank, jacket in a complementary color. You know, not all black, not all camel, something a little different. I don’t know. You have to do what you feel comfortable with.”
Caroline, who was a pretty girl with just a touch of mascara and wide lips that took lipstick well, said, “I think you could be right. I’ll mix and match until I get the look I want. Thank you, Daisy.”
“I make scones for a living. Don’t take my fashion advice too seriously.”
“I won’t,” Caroline said with a little laugh.
Daisy and Caroline ended up trying on clothes together. They turned up their noses at each other’s outfits or gave thumbs-up signs. Although what Daisy tried on was satisfactory, it didn’t wow her. Whenever she thought about Vi’s college expenses, and eventually Jazzi’s, that put a damper on her buying anything for herself. Along with the never-ending worry about business at the tea garden, she tried to be frugal. That’s why whatever she bought had to have more than one use.
On another turn around the shop, she went to the rack in the back and stopped when she spotted a dress that reminded her of one she might wear with Ryan on a Florida night as they went out to dinner. It had a jacket and a halter top. The material was swirls of deep purple and sapphire blue. Ryan would have liked it. She could remember Ryan and many of the details about him—from the color of his eyes to the width of his smile to the way he walked and the sound of his laughter. However, some of the details and memories were growing dimmer, and it was hard for her to recall them. She didn’t want to let go of them, but she didn’t know how to keep them vivid either.
Caroline emerged from the dressing room in chocolate-brown slim slacks, an ivory silk shirt, and a cropped leather jacket. It was a put-together outfit for a younger woman, and it looked terrific.
“I’d hire you in that ensemble,” Daisy told her honestly.
Caroline laughed. “The jacket’s a little more than I want to spend, but I think the outfit will be a good investment. Thanks for your opinion. How about you?”
“I’m running out of time. I have three more dresses I want to try, and then that will be it. If none of them are right, I’ll find something old to use.”
She took three selections from the rack, including the one that made her think of Ryan. In the dressing room, she quickly slipped on one and then the second and the third. She’d known right away which one she’d take, but she had to make sure by seeing them with her coloring. She chose the one with the halter top. The dress had a fairly open back, which was something she didn’t usually wear. Was she too modest, or not adventurous enough?
The fact that the dress had an open back didn’t mean a lot because there was also a jacket with it. The jacket was a soft, fluid material, like the dress, but was fitted and looked as if it belonged. With bold gold fashion jewelry and her hair swept to one side or mounded on top of her head, she’d look dressed up, feminine, and put together enough to be the up-and-coming business owner she was.
When she took the dress to the counter, Caroline was just checking out and paying her bill. “That will be beautiful on you,” she said sincerely. “It will bring out the blond of your hair and complement your eyes, and if you wear fuchsia nail polish, you’ll be hot.”
“I don’t know if I want to look hot, but I do want to look dressed up.” She studied the wall of shoes across the room.
“Don’t go with practical,” Caroline said. “Choose something strappy, maybe with a wedge. If you really want to go big, buy purple. If you want to stay more classic, then black will do.”
Should she go with purple? There was a pair on display that was designed with straps around the front and little gold buckles holding the straps together. The heels were about two inches high, and they were doable. She wouldn’t break her neck walking in them.
Daisy left the Rainbow Flamingo ten minutes later, unreasonably pleased with what she’d bought. It had been a couple of years since she’d splurged like this. She knew she’d probably regret it when she sat down with the bills for the month, but she’d worry about it then. She usually put her needs aside in favor of what her daughters needed. That’s the way it should be. But now she felt she was earning a position in the town, and she needed to dress for success as well as for her own self-esteem. Maybe if she had time, she could get an appointment at Curly Cues. It was a highly regarded hair salon in town, but Daisy had never been there. She and Jazzi and Violet usually cut each other’s hair.
Still, for once, just once, maybe she could get a good cut and style for Thursday night. With Foster covering more hours, it was possible. He’d done an excellent job yesterday, and she was hoping he’d do the same today. Afternoon tea from two to five would tell the tale. This was Bring a Friend to Tea Day at the tea garden, and all their tea room reservations were filled. Not a one left. Customers could come and go from the counter and tables in the serving area as well as outside. But the yellow tea room would be off-limits to anyone who didn’t have a reservation.
Daisy stopped at her PT Cruiser and hung the dress inside, then lay the shoes on the seat. She’d bought a purse too, so nothing looked as if she’d borrowed it from her teenage daughter or confiscated it from her mom, who believed purses from twenty years ago were still perfectly acceptable because they were made so well. Normally, Daisy didn’t give a thought to a purse one way or the other, but today, she just wanted to feel as if everything went together as it should.
She went through the back door of the tea garden into the kitchen. Tessa was taking a tray of cookies from the oven. She had ten multi-tiered serving trays lined up. Some were already filled with a shelf of madeleines. They were a new recipe, with maple flakes and a hint of orange zest. The chocolate raspberry scones would go on the second tier. The third tier would hold sandwiches—smoked salmon and cream cheese today, along with miniature turkey and Swiss paninis. Foster was helping Tessa ready the serving trays.
“There’s someone here to see you,” Tessa told Daisy. “Detective Rappaport.”
Daisy wanted to groan, but she didn’t.
Foster interjected, “He already has your Aunt Iris in the office. She wasn’t looking happy.”
“How long have they been in there?”
“About ten minutes,” Foster said.
“I’m going in.”
Foster called after her, “You might want to knock first.”
But Daisy just waved her hand and went to her office. She could see through the glass that Iris was frowning. She didn’t look particularly upset, yet she didn’t look like her jovial self either.
Daisy opened the office door. “Good afternoon, Detective Rappaport. I hope we can make this short. We have a busy tea service to serve this afternoon. This is one of our afternoon tea days.”
“Don’t you serve tea every day?”
“This is a little different. We do it by reservation only. If you buy a ticket for afternoon tea—some people call it high tea, but it really isn’t—we have a sit-down experience. We don’t just serve a couple of scones and tea. We serve soup. Each table also receives a tray with savory goodies and desserts. It’s more like a tiny meal. We have sittings like this twice a week, and it’s a lot more difficult to serve than the general public in the front room. There’s a timing involved. All the servers have to be coordinated and know exactly what they’re doing as well as what they’re serving.”
Rappaport was wearing a tan fedora. He pushed it back on his head. “Whoever thought tea could be so complicated.”
“Not as complicated as murder,” Daisy said. “Tessa and Foster said you have questions for us?”
“I guess nothing’s private when you all work together.”
“Not much,” Daisy agreed. “What did you want to ask us?”
“Did you see anyone near your aunt’s house, anyone at all?”
“Before, during, or after the break-in?” Iris asked.
“Anytime,” the detective stated. “Anyone who looked like he didn’t belong could be the person we’re looking for. Beforehand, he could have been casing your bungalow. Afterward, he might have hung around to watch everyone’s reactions. There’s just no knowing. That’s why I need to know if you’ve seen anybody or heard of a neighbor seeing someone.”
Iris shook her head. “I didn’t see anyone. When I come home at night, it’s dark, and I need downtime. I haven’t talked to my neighbors since the murder because I didn’t want to answer nosy questions. After the break-in, I went to stay with my sister. I only came back to straighten up. I wasn’t focused on anything but that.”
“One of your neighbors saw someone.”
Daisy and Iris’s eyes went directly to the detective. “Do they know who they saw?”
“No. Before Iris came home to clean up, your neighbor on the right, Lois Westin, saw someone skulking away from her house. They skulked up, and then they ran. She said he or she was wearing a windbreaker and a baseball cap. He or she was tall, but it was hard to tell how tall. Most of the fingerprints at Iris’s are Iris’s. But we found Harvey’s and those of family members too. Was anything missing?”
“Some of my things were broken, but I didn’t find anything missing.”
“No, you just found a coin that could fund a lifetime. Why did you call me about it? Why didn’t you just keep it?”
“Because it wasn’t mine,” Iris blurted out.
“It might have been meant for you. It might have been an engagement gift.”
“If it was, then Harvey had a big heart. If it wasn’t, and he just wanted to hide it until the papers were signed, then he wasn’t the man I thought he was. But I can assure you, Detective, I went through my bungalow, and as you could see, it isn’t that big. Nothing else was missing.”
Detective Rappaport noticed that the customers who had made tea reservations were starting to stream in. The noise level was going up. Foster emerged from the kitchen to direct patrons to their tables.
Rappaport stepped out of Daisy’s office and peered into the green tea room. “It looks as though you’re going to have a full house. This murder must have done something for your business.”
His voice was loud enough that, if customers had been standing close by, they could have heard him. Daisy was incensed. She tried to insert calm into her voice. “We had full houses on tea room days before the murder, Detective. Now if you don’t have anything else to ask us, we have business to conduct.”
He looked a little surprised at her forcefulness, but he gave a small nod and left.
Iris elbowed her. “You’d better be careful.”
“No, he’d better be careful what he says. I won’t put up with him slandering us or the business. I’ll sic Marshall on him.”
Iris gave a little chuckle. “That is one strategy. Let’s take care of our guests.”
On afternoon tea service days, Daisy and her aunt considered their patrons guests. They served them the same way they would serve guests in their homes, taking special care with each person. Almost all of their patrons were seated. Karina and Foster had begun taking orders for the type of tea their customers preferred.
Suddenly, someone was standing beside Daisy, and she looked up to see . . . Trevor Lundquist. He pointed to the red-haired man beside him with the freckles and tortoiseshell glasses.
“I signed up for your Bring a Friend Day. This is David Ruiz. He’s a writer for the On the Road in PA Travel Guide.”
Oh, my gosh, Daisy thought. If their tea garden were to be listed in a travel guide, they’d be assured of year-round business, and she’d definitely need more staff. But then, as she saw David Ruiz looking around, studying the china, the linens on the tables, and Foster and Karina, panic assailed her. What if he didn’t like what they had to offer?
After she shook hands with David Ruiz, she said genially, “Come on. I’ll be glad to seat you myself. You can tell me what kind of tea and soup you’d like, and we’ll get you started on enjoying what we have to offer here.” She motioned to a table with two vacant chairs.
After a quick consultation with Tessa and Foster, she told them she’d be serving that table herself.
Foster just raised his eyebrows.
She explained, “These are important patrons who can win us more business.” She didn’t have to explain. After all, Foster worked for her. But it was better if they were all on the same page and had the same focus.
An hour later, although Daisy had been nervous, she’d been glad that her shaky hands hadn’t fumbled when she’d served David Ruiz and Trevor. From the serving station across the room—she didn’t want to be too obvious—she watched Trevor and David as they enjoyed tea, soup, salad, and the sandwich and dessert courses. Once, Trevor caught her glancing his way, and he winked.
She didn’t know if she should feel buoyed by that or just attribute the gesture to his gregarious personality.
Other customers, mostly women, were lingering over their tea, madeleines, and conversation, and Trevor and David were among the first to finish.
She crossed the room to them and escorted them to the door. She said to David, “It was good to have you here.” He just smiled. He went out the door first, and she asked Trevor, “Well?”
“He didn’t say what he thought. You’ll find out when he writes it up. Does this seal the deal?”
He meant their exclusive interview. After all, he had brought in a food critic who could very well enhance their business.
What could she say except, “Yes, it does,” even though that meant she could come to regret her alliance with Trevor Lundquist.