“And how do you propose we help Emmett?” Bee stood and started to clear the table without finishing his breakfast, a sure sign he was agitated.
Cass wrapped the paper around her nearly full sandwich and handed it to him to throw out. “I didn’t say we had to help; I said I had to help.”
“Yeah, well, I, we, what’s the difference?”
“Thanks, Bee. You’re the best.”
“Hey!” Stephanie folded her arms across her chest in feigned outrage. “What am I, chopped liver?”
“You’re the best too, Stephanie.”
Stephanie grinned at Bee.
He stuck his tongue out at her and walked toward the front of the shop. “Sorry, Cass, but I have got to open a door. I’m roasting in here.”
“Go ahead, I have to open in a few minutes anyway.” Cass hauled herself out of the chair and went to open the back door as well. Hopefully she’d get some kind of cross-breeze.
“Do you want me to call someone in to fix it?” Stephanie asked.
“Nah. I’ll wait and see what happens with Emmett later on.”
“Are you sure? This heat is supposed to stick around for at least the next few days.”
“I’m sure.” Especially considering Emmett probably wouldn’t be in half as much trouble if he hadn’t come to her aid during the reading. “It feels like too much of a betrayal, you know? Especially after he stuck up for me last night.”
“Yeah, I get it.” Stephanie fiddled with the thermostat but let the matter drop. “Anyway, the question remains, what can we do to help?”
Cass pulled her hair back and tied it up with a band she kept on her wrist. “Did you see Tank yet?”
“He came home for a little while early this morning, but he couldn’t stay long.”
“Did he have anything to say?” Bee asked.
She stared pointedly at him. “You mean the kind of anything I’m not supposed to tell anyone, especially you two?”
“Yup, that’s the kind.” Bee grinned from ear to ear, the prospect of good dirt making him forget all about the stifling heat. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you just tell us the stuff you’re allowed to tell us? Then, afterward, we’ll coax you into telling us the good stuff. This way you can say it wasn’t your fault you spilled the beans.”
She scowled and leaned back against the counter. “He didn’t actually say too much, just that it didn’t look good for Emmett. Apparently, Emmett found Dirk in the trunk of a car on his lot late last night and called the police.”
“Why would he have called the police if he’d killed him?” Bee beat Cass to the argument she’d have made in Emmett’s defense.
Stephanie shrugged. “That’s what I said, and apparently Emmett posed that same argument, but Tank said it could have been a lot of things: guilt, remorse, fear Joey would somehow stumble across the body. Who knows why people do things when they’re not thinking clearly?”
Cass couldn’t really argue that. Plenty of people, even innocent people, had been known to react inappropriately or out of character to unexpected situations. “Did he say what Emmett was doing at the garage so late?”
Stephanie was already shaking her head before Cass finished the question. “All he said was Emmett insists Dirk was alive last he saw him.”
“I heard him say that last night, said Dirk came to the garage looking for a fight, but Emmett didn’t engage. He says he went back inside, and I believe him. There’s no way Emmett would have risked leaving Joey alone, not for anyone, especially someone like Dirk Brinkman, who’s clearly nothing but a bully.”
At the mention of bullies, an image of the stranger who’d accosted her in the deli popped into her head. She still had to figure out who he was and why he had a problem with her. Could he have had something to do with Dirk’s behavior at the reading? Had the stranger put Dirk up to heckling her? Had the two been in cahoots somehow? The man had threatened to ruin her life.
Bee had come to Bay Island after Cass had left for college, and they’d met and become fast friends since her return. But Stephanie had grown up on Bay Island, had gone to school with Cass. “Stephanie, do you remember someone having a major grudge against me?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I ran into a man in the deli today who said I ruined his life and threatened to return the favor. Do you know of anyone who’d be that angry with me?” How could she not remember someone who harbored such a grudge against her? Someone she’d obviously hurt in some way?
“What did he look like?”
“Heavy-set, sallow complexion, graying combover, maybe ten or fifteen years older than us.” When would she have even interacted with someone so much older than her?
Stephanie shook her head. “No one I can think of, but I can get some yearbooks out later if you want. I’m pretty sure the school keeps a copy from every year, and the receptionists are still in for half a day, even during the summer.”
“Do you think he could have something to do with this?” As usual, Bee’s thoughts ran along the same line as Cass’s.
“I don’t know, but what better way to ruin my life than to destroy my reputation? And even worse, to hurt one of my friends in the process.”
Stephanie stared hard at her. “You do know you’re going to have to tell Tank and Luke about this guy, right?”
Cass shifted uncomfortably. The instant she mentioned it to them, any hope of her investigating would be shot down.
“Cass . . . ?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll tell them.”
The tinkle of the wind chimes announced her first customer of the day, bringing their conversation grinding to a halt before she could mention seeing Ellie.
“When are you going to call them, Cass?” Stephanie persisted.
“As soon as I get a break from work.” Cass smiled and slid from beneath Stephanie’s glare to greet her customer, but stopped short when she recognized the woman from the night before—Aiden Hargrove’s date.
And she didn’t look like she’d gotten any more sleep than Cass had. Dark circles ringed her bloodshot eyes, made worse by the tear tracks running through the black eye makeup that had smudged beneath them.
What could she say to this woman? She’d embarrassed her publicly, hurt her in a terrible way. Problem was, she’d told her the truth. What was she supposed to do now? Lie to her? Try to soothe her feelings? At what expense?
Bee crossed behind her and nudged her in the back discreetly with his elbow.
“I . . . uh . . . I’m sorry about last night.” That sounded completely lame.
“Is it true?” The woman rushed toward her, wringing a wad of tissues in her hands. “Is what you said true? Please, whatever the truth is, I have to know. Aiden swears you’re a fraud, but what you said . . . and the way he reacted . . . well . . . I just have to know.”
Cass relaxed. She didn’t have to tell this woman anything. She already knew the truth. “What’s your name?”
“Nanette. Nanette Coldwater.”
Cass shot a quick glance at Bee, who stood talking quietly to Stephanie at the register.
He nodded and pointed up.
Confident he’d stay and watch the shop until she returned, Cass led Nanette upstairs. She usually conducted individual readings at the round table in the back corner of the shop, and that’s where she kept the aids she sometimes used, like her colored pencils and her crystal ball, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t be needing those for this reading. Nanette only wanted one answer, and she already knew it, Cass just had to help her realize that.
“Can I get you anything before we start? Tea, coffee, water?” She gestured toward a table by the window, far from the table where she’d sat with Aiden the night before. “I know it’s not enough, but I am truly sorry about what happened last night. It shouldn’t have happened, and I have no excuse for it.”
Nanette shook her head and wiped her eyes with the wad of tissues, then pulled more from her purse and mopped the sweat beading on her forehead. She yanked her long, limp red hair back and tied it into a knot at the back of her head.
“I’m sorry, it’s so hot in here.” Cass jumped up and opened the windows. “I still haven’t gotten the air-conditioning fixed. Are you sure I can’t get you some water?”
“No, I’m fine, thank you. I just want answers.”
With all of the windows open, and Nanette refusing any kind of refreshment, Cass couldn’t procrastinate any longer. She joined Nanette at the table, choosing a seat next to her rather than across the table. “What do you want to know?”
“Is what you said true? That Aiden’s in love with someone else?”
Cass blew out a breath. She wouldn’t lie to this woman, but she would search her memory to be sure she was right. She owed Nanette that much.
The weird feeling that something was wrong had nagged at her all day. That, combined with the heat, the heckler, so many things could have caused her to be mistaken. She thought back to the night before, Aiden’s shocked expression when she said he was in love, his immediate reaction to look at the other woman. She wasn’t wrong. She might have been wrong about a lot of things last night, but that wasn’t one of them. “I believe so, but there’s always a chance I could be wrong.”
She spread her hands wide. “So, what am I supposed to do?”
“Have you tried talking to him?”
“Of course,” she scoffed. “But he was so angry, so bent on revenge against you, that he wouldn’t even listen. He told me if I didn’t believe him, I could just go home.”
Just what she needed, Aiden Hargrove out to get her. “And what did you do?”
“I left. What else could I do?” She sobbed and blew her nose.
It was time to lead her around to the inevitable truth. “You’ve come into the shop before, seeking a love potion, if I remember correctly.”
“A lot of good it did.” She snorted and yanked the small velvet bag of crystals Cass had sold her from her purse, then slammed it onto the table.
If Nanette had believed Aiden was in love with her, she wouldn’t have needed the love potion, but Nanette needed to figure that out for herself. “Before the reading last night, did you suspect Aiden was interested in anyone else?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she swiped them roughly with the heels of her hands. “That woman. The one he looked at when you said that? I’ve seen him with her before.”
Cass remained quiet, waiting Nanette out, letting her draw her own conclusions. She knew the instant realization came.
The flow of tears dried up, and her eyes went cold, hard. Her mouth firmed into a thin line. This was the woman Bee had told her insulted several guests before coming upstairs to the group reading. “I asked him about her more than once, and he swore there was nothing going on between them. But he was lying, wasn’t he?”
Cass schooled her features, careful not to lead her in any way.
“I should have known, did know, I think, on some level, but how much easier to stick your head in the sand than to accept the truth?” She stuffed the tissues into her bag, stood, and paced back and forth in front of the window. “I should have known something was up when he agreed to go to the reading. I’d been asking him, begging him, really, to take me for months, and he laughed at me. Said stuff like that was nothing but nonsense for weak-minded people.”
Cass didn’t flinch, too used to the sentiment to let it bother her. “What made him change his mind?”
“I don’t know. I was sitting in the waiting room outside his office, and I overheard him on the phone with someone.” She peered from beneath her lashes, studying Cass.
Nannette hadn’t overheard anything; she’d been eavesdropping. Apparently, her suspicions had run deep.
“He sounded agitated, not really angry, but annoyed, you know what I mean?”
Cass nodded.
“He was saying he didn’t want to do something, didn’t understand what difference it would make. Next thing you know, he comes out of the office and tells me we’re going to the reading.”
Who could have wanted Aiden at the reading? His lover? It’s not like anyone could have known what Cass would say. What reason would anyone have for wanting him there? “When was that, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Friday afternoon. Two days before the reading.”
“Do you know who he was talking to?”
“No, but I think I have a pretty good idea.” She stopped abruptly and slung her purse over her shoulder.
“Why don’t you sit for a while longer, have a cup of tea, let me do a proper reading for you?” Going off half-cocked and angry wasn’t going to solve anything.
“I don’t need time to think.” She strode toward the stairs. “What I need are answers. I was foolish to come here, to think you could tell me what’s going on between him and that woman. There are only two people who can answer that question, and I assure you, before the day is out, one of them is going to.”
Cass hurried after her, but it was no use.
Nanette stormed out without another word.
Bee stared after her. “I take it that didn’t go very well.”
Cass tilted her head back and forth, stretching her neck where exhaustion and stress had coiled, leaving her stiff and sore. There was nothing more she could do for Nanette Coldwater. Maybe she should just close the shop and go home. But she couldn’t. She had to stay just in case Ellie showed up. “I saw Ellie today. You were right. She doesn’t look good.”
Stephanie grabbed her bag from beneath the register. “I saw her the other day, and she didn’t even say hello, just walked past me with her head down.”
“I’m worried about her. Have you heard anything, Bee?”
“Nothing more than what I told you already. But I can ask around.”
Stephanie kissed her cheek. “I’ve got to run. Calvin Morris is sending a courier with the books he wants me to look over.”
“And I have to go home and get some shut-eye. I want to make sure I get up early enough to hit the deli again before they close.” He winked and blew Cass a kiss, then turned to Stephanie. “Hey, can you drop me off at the deli to pick up my car?”
“Sure, come on.”
“Thanks.” He started out with Stephanie. “A courier? Hasn’t he ever heard of email?”
“Apparently he doesn’t believe in digital records.”
“Seriously? Isn’t that unusual?”
The screen door banged shut behind them, and Cass was left alone with her thoughts.
As if reading her mind, Beast barked once.
“I’m sorry, boy.” She pulled out a chair, sat next to him, and smoothed a hand over his sleek fur, then kissed his head. “I’m never alone when you’re around.”
He nuzzled his head against her leg and stared up at her, his big brown eyes filled with love. No matter what was going wrong in her life, she need only look into his eyes to bring serenity. If only the sense of doom would give up its grip on her and allow that contentment to last.