At two o’clock I walked across to the Green, which was already mobbed with local residents eager to meet the movie people. The event planners had set up tables and chairs, but most people preferred to mingle on foot as they sipped lemonade or liquor-free punch and munched on cookies. Though the streets along the four sides of the Green had been closed to traffic, I could hear the horns of frustrated drivers a few blocks away as they crept along slowly as snails in their search for a parking spot.
Dirk and the four actors starring in I Love You, I Do sat on a raised platform in a spot well shaded by trees. With them were Liane Walters, the mayor, and Artie Pohl, a big bear of a man who was the president of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as three men I didn’t recognize. At two fifteen, Artie stood and tested the mic.
“Can I please have your attention,” he boomed. The chattering quieted down. “We’re thrilled that Firestone Productions has selected our town for the filming of their movie I Love You, I Do. In a moment you’ll have a chance to meet the actors and the people responsible for the making of this movie.”
When the applause died down, Artie moved on to introduce Dirk, Charlie, Serena, Tom, and Ilana, as well as the three men, who turned out to be the screenwriter and producers. After a few more speeches, a reporter and a photographer from the local TV station took over. As the photographer snapped pictures, the reporter asked the movie people questions about the film they were making. Then they joined the fray and began asking local people how they felt about a movie being made in Clover Ridge.
I was working my way through the crowd to get to Tom, wanting to ask him if my mother was all right, when I felt a tug on my arm. I turned to find an excited Angela.
“There’s Charlie Stanton! He’s even better-looking in person. But look at that line of fans waiting to meet him.”
“I don’t blame them. Charlie’s very friendly,” I said.
Angela’s eyes popped. “You talked to him?”
“Sat next to him at lunch.”
“Oh. My. God!”
“Angela, I need to talk to Tom for a minute. Then I’ll introduce you to Charlie.”
There was a small group of people around Tom. I waved to him, and he called me over.
“Excuse me. Family business. Tom’s my—a relative,” I said as I passed several angry faces. Somehow I couldn’t bring myself to say stepfather.
“What is it, Carrie?” he asked, when I was close enough to talk quietly.
“I just want to make sure my mother’s okay. I didn’t see her after you guys left the inn.”
“Brianna’s fine. She drove back to the house. I’ll catch a ride later with someone.”
No doubt that someone is Ilana. “Thanks. I was worried.”
“No need. Everything’s okay,” he said, clearly annoyed by my concern. “Talk to you later.”
I returned to Angela, who was waiting for me a few feet away. “What was that all about?” she asked.
“My mother and Tom had a fight. He’s obsessed with Ilana Reingold.” We turned to look at Ilana tossing her long hair and laughing with fans.
“Who could blame him?” she said.
Charlie, who was sitting between Ilana and Serena, caught my glance and beckoned me over. I grabbed Angela’s hand, and we walked up to him.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” more than one person called out. I felt bad about pushing ahead, but Charlie had called me.
“Charlie, this is my friend Angela Vecchio. I told you she was dying to meet you.”
“So you did. Nice to meet you, Angela. Carrie tells me you’re getting married soon.”
Angela’s red color deepened. “Carrie told you that?”
“She sure did.”
“See you later,” I told her, but she never heard me. Charlie winked at me as I waved good-bye.
The Green was mobbed with people, which made walking difficult. I exchanged greetings with several patrons and was surprised when Rob Dowd from Parson’s Gym called out my name.
“Hi, Rob. I didn’t know you were a movie fan.”
He shrugged. “Why not see what the fuss is all about. Besides, it’s a great day to be outdoors.”
“Have fun,” I said, making a dash for a vacant chair I’d just spotted at one of the tables.
I dialed my mother’s cell phone. She picked up on the fourth ring. She sounded groggy, as though she’d been sleeping. “Hi, Mom, it’s me. Are you all right?”
“I just took a sleeping pill.”
“In the middle of the day?” I asked.
“Well, I didn’t sleep well last night, and figured since Dirk called a meeting for after the shindig on the Green, I might as well get in a nap. We’ll probably all go out for drinks and dinner later on.”
“Oh. Okay. I was worried about you after you took off during lunch.”
She made a laughing sound. “That’s sweet of you, honey, but we’re good. Tom swore to me there’s nothing between him and Ilana. He was so very sorry he’d upset me.”
“Well, all right,” I said. “Talk to you soon.”
I slipped my cell phone back into my pocketbook, a bit unsettled by mother’s response. I certainly hadn’t been happy to see Tom exchanging whispers with his old love either, and his apology didn’t ring true. I supposed my mother wanted so much to believe him that she’d swallowed it whole.
I realized I was thirsty and joined the line to get a cupful of lemonade. Angela found me a few minutes later. She was still dazed from having spoken to Charlie Stanton.
“He’s really nice.”
“Told you.”
“I’d better get back to work,” she said.
“I’m thinking of heading home,” I said. “I was going to stop by my mother’s house, but she’s taking a nap.”
“When is Dylan coming back?” Angela asked.
I released a deep sigh. “I don’t know. Soon, I hope, because I miss him.”
“Of course you do.” Angela hugged me and walked back to the library.
I noticed that the platform now stood deserted because the movie people were scattered about the Green with the rest of us. Charlie and Serena were holding court at one table, Ilana and Tom at another. So many people! I was delighted to see my cousin Randy, his wife Julia, and their children, Mark and Tacey.
“Hi, Cousin Carrie!” Four-year-old Tacey came zooming into my arms.
I swung her around. “Wow, you’re getting heavy.”
“That’s ’cause I’m bigger. I’m going to kindergarten in September.”
“I kind of figured we’d run into you here,” Randy said, giving me a bear hug. “I told Julia my cousin Carrie’s always where the action is.”
“That’s right.” I grinned at Randy, having learned to take his teasing in stride. “In fact, I even had lunch with the movie people and the bigwigs at the inn.”
“Good for you,” Julia said.
“I’m so glad I ran into you. Dirk Franklin, the director, is looking for local people to have walk-on parts in the movie.”
Eight-year-old Mark’s eyes lit up. “You mean I could be in the movie? How cool is that!”
“We have to find out what’s involved, buddy,” Randy said. “And what exactly the director is looking for. Could be he wants a bunch of ninety-year-old people. Or little babies who go goo-goo.”
“Daddy, you are so silly,” Tacey chimed in.
“Actually, he wants women and kids—about your age,” I said to Mark and Tacey.
“Great! Let’s go find the director,” Mark said. “He’ll hire us. I know he will!”
Julia and I laughed as we exchanged glances. She shrugged. “I know, my quiet son has taken on an entirely new personality.”
I scanned the crowd, hoping to catch sight of Dirk. I spotted him some distance away.
“There’s Dirk,” I said. “Come with me and I’ll introduce you. Then hopefully we’ll have some thespians in the Singleton family.”
“What’s a thespian?” Tacey asked.
“An actor!” Mark announced.
“However did you know that?” Julia asked.
“Because of the movie, our class got to talking about movies and plays and acting. The word simply came up,” Mark explained airily.
I left my cousins happily chatting with Dirk, who seemed very interested in signing on Julia and the children. Time to head home, I thought, as I started walking to my car. I smiled at Daphne as we were about to cross paths.
“Daphne, how nice to see you. Did you come out to—”
A stocky man about five foot nine pushed his way between us. His face was set in a furious grimace as he clutched Daphne’s upper arm. “And here you are, hiding in plain sight.”
“I’m not hiding,” Daphne said. She tried to shake free of his grip, but he held on.
“Let go of her!” I said.
His dark eyes looked me up and down. “Get lost. This is between me and my wife.”
“Bert, stop it! You’re hurting me.”
Frantically, I looked around. John Mathers stood several feet away, conversing with a group of people. I was about to run and get him when Charlie and Serena walked by.
“Charlie! Come here! Please!”
In one glance he’d figured out the problem and approached Daphne and the man I assumed was her ex-husband. Charlie removed Bert’s hand from Daphne’s arm and clenched Bert’s shoulder.
“I don’t think the lady’s buying what you have to sell.”
“Is that so?” Bert was furious at the interference. He stared up at Charlie, who had a good six inches on him, and tried to shake free of his grip, but Charlie held firm. “Look, buddy. This is a private matter. Between me and my wife.”
“I’m not your wife,” Daphne said. “Not anymore.”
“I’m telling you to take a walk,” Charlie said.
Daphne’s eyes widened as she stared at Serena, then back at Charlie, no doubt thunderstruck that Charlie Stanton had come to her rescue.
Serena tugged at Charlie’s sleeve. She was statuesque and considerably taller than she’d appeared sitting down. Even so, she barely reached Charlie’s shoulder. “Keep out of this, Charlie. Don’t get involved. Dirk won’t like it.”
“Are you kidding? This guy’s bad news. I know the type.”
I raced over to John. “Sorry,” I interrupted the group’s conversation. “John, I need you. There’s a situation.”
Given our past history of solving a few murders together, John knew I wasn’t one to get upset over nonsense and followed me without a word.
Bert had calmed down by the time we broke through the ring of people that had gathered around him and Daphne, Charlie, and Serena.
“Ah, the law has arrived,” Charlie said cheerfully. “Serena, I think this is where we exit the scene.”
They left. Daphne looked like she wanted to take off too.
“What’s going on here?” John asked, his stern gaze on Bert.
“Nothing,” he mumbled. “I just was talking to my wife. My ex-wife, that is.”
John’s expression was considerably softer when he turned to Daphne. “Do you want to talk to him?”
“I do not. Not now. Not ever.”
John nodded and returned his attention to Bert. “I think that’s pretty clear. What’s your name and where do you live?”
Bert mumbled something too low for me to hear. Whatever it was, it pissed John off.
“I’m Lieutenant John Mathers of the Clover Ridge Police Department. If you don’t care to show me some identification, I’ll haul you off to our local jail for assaulting your ex-wife. Now, if you don’t want to spend a night there, I advise you to comply with my request.”
Bert whatever-his-last-name-was let out an exaggerated sigh as he pulled out his wallet and showed John his driver’s license. John took a photo of it with his cell phone and handed it back to Bert.
“Thank you, Mr. Lutz. Now do us all a favor and drive back to Ohio.”
Bert ignored John and pointed a finger at Daphne. “We’re not finished, you and I. You’ll be hearing from me.”
He swaggered off.
“I’d like to leave now,” Daphne said.
“Of course,” John said. “Please call the station if he bothers you again.”
Daphne nodded and walked briskly away. I followed after her. “Daphne, would you like me to come with you?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, Carrie. Thank you for getting Lieutenant Mathers, but right now I need to be alone. To figure out what I’m going to do.”
Going to do? “This must be very upsetting, especially after he showed up at your program Tuesday night.”
Daphne thrust back her shoulders. She wore a look of determination I’d never seen from her before. “I’ll be all right. Please don’t worry about me.”
Easier said than done, I thought as I headed for my car and what I hoped would be a peaceful evening at home in my cottage.