Chapter Three

AFTER TAKING CARE of the dogs on my Friday morning schedule, I drove to Lovely Locks, with Chubb riding in the back of my SUV. My best friend, Juliet Reed, had bought the local beauty shop a few years ago and brought it into the twenty-first century. Quick-fix facials, total hair design, reconstructing, weaving, color and highlights, and bridal services were all offered. When a tanning booth had gone in next to the salon, Juliet’s business grew. Next to the booth was a massage salon, and at the end of the strip of stores was Paula’s Pickings, one of my favorite vintage stores.

I gave the puppy a treat and headed for the salon. All the SUV’s windows were down, allowing the marsh breeze to keep Chubb cool while I went inside.

The door to the beauty shop opened, and Phyllis Mays walked out. “Andi Grace, how are you doing, honey?”

I did a double take. Phyllis looked amazing with soft rusty color tresses. “I’m fine. Your hair looks pretty. I like the new shade.”

“Thanks. I came into a little extra money and decided to splurge.” The fifty-something woman touched the straight strands that stopped below her ears. “Juliet is amazing. It doesn’t look as brassy, does it? She called it a soft ginger something or other.”

“It’s a great cut and style for you.” Much better than the too-orange color the woman must have done herself for at least the last five years.

Phyllis smiled. “Thanks. I’ve got to go. Have a good day.”

“You too.” I slipped into the beauty shop. The usual odors assailed me at the entry. Hair spray, nail polish remover, and some kind of perfume. My nose tickled. I didn’t know how Juliet breathed in those smells all day long. They always gave me a dizzy buzz, and I sneezed.

“Bless you.” Juliet made eye contact through the mirror at her station and nodded to me as she continued to blow dry a young woman’s long dark hair.

“Thanks.” I pointed to the back of the shop. “I’m going to help myself to a cup of get-me-to-lunchtime.”

“Go ahead.” Juliet continued working her magic with the round brush and blow dryer.

The station next to Juliet’s was empty, and across the room, her other stylist, Wendy Conn worked on a highlight. I stuck to haircuts only these days, after being Juliet’s guinea pig when she was in beauty school.

I scooted to the deserted break room. Since I hadn’t slept much last night, I beelined it to the coffee maker. After pouring myself a mug of coffee, I added hazelnut creamer and sugar. Despite the June heat, I needed the comfort only a hot cup of java could provide. A plate of homemade brownies and a bowl of fruit sat on the circular break table. Chocolate and coffee. Who could resist the temptation? Not me. I reached for a brownie. The chewy morsel burst with flavor, and the chocolate chips gave an extra punch of delight. A rare treat for me because I wasn’t much of a cook and hardly ever baked. After taking another bite, I closed my eyes and breathed deep. Mmm, délicieux.

Leaning back, I sipped my coffee. The tension seeped out of my shoulders. The shakiness in my limbs dissolved. One more brownie couldn’t hurt.

“Aha, I caught you. One day all the junk food you eat will catch up with you.” Juliet joined me with her ever-present glass of water and reached for a green apple. “You look tired.”

“I am. Do you know Marc Williams?”

“Hunky boat builder?”

“That’s the one. He heard me scream when I found Peter and came to the house. At first he thought I’d killed Peter.”

“How are you holding up? I know how much you cared about Peter.”

A bit of brownie stuck in my throat, and I coughed. “I’m hanging in. What’s the rumor mill saying about Peter’s murder?”

“Most everybody is in shock. Phyllis said Pastor Larry was asked about contacting Peter’s family. He doesn’t know any family members. What about you?” She crunched into the fruit.

“He has a sister somewhere, but they’re on the outs. Have been for years. I used to wonder if Peter considered us his replacement family.”

“He was around quite a bit during the years I lived with you all.” Juliet used a paper napkin to swipe at the bit of juice dribbling down her chin. “Did you know Peter had been engaged?”

The breath whooshed out of me. A fiancée? I didn’t even know he’d seriously dated anybody. Maybe Peter hadn’t cared about me as much as I thought if he’d kept his girlfriend a secret. Fiancée. I’d always thought he treated me like a little sister, but a real brother would’ve mentioned an engagement. “No way. Who was it? I never saw him hanging out with a woman.”

“Regina Houp. She’s the new owner of Paula’s Pickings.”

“Oh, is Paula her aunt? I’ve heard rumors she planned to give the store to her niece.” With a shaky hand, I reached for my coffee. It sounded like I wasn’t as close to Peter as I’d imagined. I didn’t know his family or his fiancée.

“Yes. I’m relieved Regina kept the business. It makes all of our stores stronger to have a full cluster.”

“How long have you known about Peter and Regina?” My jaw stiffened as I uttered the words. It was like the time I’d gone to Colorado as a youth group chaperone. The cold had frozen my face while snow skiing, making it hard to speak.

Juliet pushed her thick blond hair behind her ear. “I found out yesterday.”

“Wonder why he kept their relationship a secret? What do you think about Regina?” I held tight to the mug.

Juliet’s shoulders hiked. “We met briefly last week. She seems nice enough.”

I Googled Regina on my phone. “She could be a suspect. I need to meet her.”

“What if she doesn’t know about Peter’s death?” Juliet’s eyes widened. “Even worse, what if she does? How tacky for us to show up right now.”

Juliet always feared appearing tacky. Maybe because growing up her parents drank and used drugs. In an effort to distance herself from their reputation, Juliet strove to make good choices. “I won’t embarrass you. We’ll take Chubb with us.”

“Why are you so fixated on meeting Regina?”

“I want to help solve Peter’s murder.”

Her eyes bugged. “Oh, my goodness. You think Regina killed Peter?”

I brushed brownie crumbs off my shirt. “It’s possible. Love gone horribly wrong or something.” I raised the cup to my lips and sipped the coffee.

Juliet gasped. “Are you out of your cotton-picking mind?”

I set the cup down too hard and it thudded on the stained Formica table. “No. What if Regina is the killer?”

Juliet threw her apple core and napkin in the trash and washed her hands. “You don’t think she’d go after Peter just because they broke up, do you?”

“She wouldn’t be the first jilted lover to kill their ex.”

My best friend shook her head, her expression grim. “Girlfriend, I think you need to take a deep breath before you go meet this woman. In fact, you should leave her alone.” She wadded the white towel into a ball and slammed it into the hamper.

“Fine. If you won’t go with me, Chubb and I’ll go by ourselves.”

“Why take the puppy with us?”

“Maybe Regina would like to adopt Chubb. I’m only the dog walker. She was the girlfriend. Fiancée. Whatever.” The idea that Peter hadn’t introduced me to Regina continued to squeeze my heart.

“You’re more than a dog walker. Even if he didn’t tell you about Regina, Peter was your friend.”

Friend? If that was true, I wouldn’t have felt like I’d been sucker-punched by the news of his fiancée. I pushed aside the hurt to answer her. “We can go over and offer our condolences to Regina and see how she feels about the puppy.” I rinsed out my empty mug and turned to face Juliet.

“I doubt she’ll take Chubb off your hands. Regina Houp is beautiful and classy. Citified. If she had a dog, it’d be a little show dog.”

I loved all dogs, but give me a big one any day. “One of those itty-bitty things you can stuff in a purse?”

“That’d be my prediction.”

I was still struggling to believe Peter had a fiancée. “How come we never met this Regina? And how do you know they were engaged?” By now, a headache had formed behind my eyes.

“Paula told me.” Juliet touched my shoulder. “If we’re going over, we need to hurry. I’ve got a perm scheduled in fifteen minutes.”

“Really, a perm?”

“One of the choir ladies.”

I filled a plastic glass with water. “For Chubb. Come on.”

Juliet smirked. “I should’ve known you didn’t plan to drink water.”

“Very funny.” My Suburban sat in the shade of an oak tree at the back corner of the parking lot. I hurried to the back of my truck and filled a plastic bowl with the water then pushed it into the crate where Chubb lay. “Here you go, boy. Are you thirsty?”

He lapped the water like he was in no hurry.

“Let’s go meet Miss Regina before Juliet has to return to work.” I opened the gate. Chubb lumbered out, and I helped him to the ground. “I know you’re sad, but we’re going to find somebody special for you to live with.”

Juliet walked with Chubb and me to the glass door of the gift shop. “I’m going to let you do the talking.”

I inhaled. “Me? I don’t know what to say. You talk to people all day long. It’s part of your job. I deal with animals.”

“Yes, but this is your bright idea.”

My friend had a way of speaking truth whether I wanted to hear it or not. At the moment, I hadn’t wanted to get her opinion, but at least she’d agreed to go with me. “Fine.” I took a deep breath and stepped into the store, while keeping the leash tight to my side. The last thing I needed was for Chubb to break something valuable.

Juliet entered after me but walked toward a display of linens, leaving me to meet Peter’s fiancée all by myself. I lifted my chin and moved forward.

Country music played softly on a radio behind the checkout counter. Gift wrap and bags were organized on the back wall. A scented candle burned, adding to the warm atmosphere. Cinnamon. Interesting choice, but not really a summer scent. Then again, who was I to judge? I liked natural smells. Nothing artificial.

A redheaded woman moved away from a wicker shelf with a six-inch wooden figurine in her hand. Behind her was a Fourth of July display. “May I help you?”

My pulse spiked. Maybe it’d been a crazy idea, but I was in her store now. “Uh, I’m Andi Grace Scott.”

The woman’s lips tipped up. Not quite a smile, but not a frown either. “You’re Peter’s dog walker. I’m Regina Houp. Can I help you find something special today?”

Either the woman was as cold as a snowman in Alaska, or she didn’t know the truth. “I, uh, how do you know about me?”

“Peter mentioned you many times.”

Juliet appeared. “Hi, Regina.”

As Regina turned from me to Juliet to say hello, my chest tightened. So Peter had told Regina about me, but never mentioned this woman or their relationship during all the time we spent together. A deep pain settled deep in my heart. I shook myself from the sadness and heard Juliet talking.

“If you’d like me to hand out flyers or coupons promoting your store, let me know. I could set some in the salon.”

I needed to focus on something besides my loss, so I studied Regina. She wore adorable turquoise wedge sandals with a zipper on top. “Thanks. Social media works wonders. It’s my primary means of advertising. I’ll keep your offer in mind, though.”

I couldn’t take my gaze from her sandals. “Your shoes are super cute. Where’d you find them?” The heel must be close to four inches, and I had no idea how she worked in the things, but I loved those shoes. Maybe we could bond over them.

“I bought them at the Charleston City Market. I liked them so much I also bought another pair in hot pink.”

“Nice.” Chubb tugged on the leash, but I kept a tight hold. I bolstered myself and drew in a deep breath. “Have you known Peter long?”

“A few years. Why?” The woman looked curious.

My throat tightened.

Juliet approached Regina and touched her arm. “We actually came to talk to you about Peter. Maybe you should sit down.”

Chubb barked. I didn’t give him an inch to budge in the fancy shop. “Sorry. We won’t stay long. We just need to tell you something.”

Regina glanced at the puppy. “I don’t normally allow dogs in my store. Even if it belongs to Peter. There are way too many breakables. As for your news, I usually find it’s best to yank off the bandage.” One well-shaped eyebrow raised, daring me to spit out whatever I had to say.

“Jump right into the water, no matter how cold? I get it.” I took a deep breath. “I went to Peter’s place to walk Chubb yesterday, and I found Peter. I’m so sorry to tell you this. He passed.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Passed? Passed what?”

I gulped. “He’s dead.”

Regina’s face crumpled. “What? How? He’s one of the healthiest men I know. He eats right and runs for exercise. He’s only forty, for crying out loud. You must be mistaken.”

I wouldn’t argue with the woman, although I felt like a creep for blurting out the news. “Uh, actually . . . he may have been murdered.”

Regina sucked in a breath and swayed. Her eyes widened.

“The sheriff is looking for relatives to notify. Maybe you can help. Do you know Peter’s family?”

The woman regrouped quickly. “He told me a little about them, but we never met.”

Juliet grabbed some tissues from the box by the register. “Here. Can I get you something? A glass of cold water? Would you like me to call your aunt?”

“No. It’s such a shock. I’ve been in and out of town this week to sales and auctions, so Peter and I didn’t talk much the last few days. Are you sure he’s dead?” Her eyes didn’t water and not a tear flowed down her face, despite her forlorn expression.

I nodded. “I’m really sorry.”

Regina took a tissue from Juliet and wiped at her dry eyes before sitting on an antique velvet love seat. “Thank you for telling me. I would hate to read about his death in the paper or overhear the news in the coffee shop.”

I inched closer. “I just heard y’all were engaged but Peter called off the engagement. Is it true?”

Regina’s nostrils flared, and if fire could’ve blazed out of a person’s eyes, it might have happened in the little shop. “It was a mutual decision, and we remained friends. One day we might’ve gotten back together.”

Not trusting the antique seat to hold both of us, I knelt beside Regina. “How can we help? Do you want to keep Peter’s puppy?”

Chubb stayed at my side.

Her spine stiffened. “I need to be alone right now.” She pulled another tissue out of the box and then another, even though not a single tear had spilled from her eyes. She shot a glance at Chubb. “Please take Chubb with you. I’m not a dog person. Too many allergies.”

Juliet tapped my shoulder and made a motion to go. “Regina, we’ll leave you alone, but if you need anything, I’m right down the block.”

I pulled a business card from the pocket of my shorts. “And you can call me at this number. I need to find a home for Chubb. If you think of anybody who might like him, please give me a call. Or if you need a friend, call me. I cared about Peter. He was always good to me. We didn’t have the relationship y’all did, but I cared about him.”

Regina stood and placed her hands on our backs. She exerted pressure and herded us to the front door. “He cared about you like a little sister. Thanks again for letting me know.”

As soon as our feet hit the sidewalk, the door’s bolt clicked.

After a taking a few steps, I turned to Juliet. “Did you notice her words didn’t match her actions? I can’t believe she didn’t cry.”

“Maybe she’s in shock.” Juliet checked her watch. “I’ve got to go. Are you okay?”

“Not really, but thanks for going with me to meet Regina. You don’t think her reaction was weird?”

We started walking toward her shop. “I don’t know. We all grieve in different ways. I’ll call you later.”

I hugged Juliet. “Thanks again.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Juliet slipped through the door.

I opened the back of my vehicle and helped Chubb hop up. “Did you hear or see Peter’s death? What about Regina? Is she Peter’s killer? Although you were calm around her. Wait, you were in your crate when I found you.” I was getting nowhere fast. It was doubtful Chubb would’ve watched his master get murdered then obey the killer and go into the crate. Dogs were loyal creatures. Chubb would’ve tried to defend Peter. I’d keep Regina on my suspect list.

I rubbed Chubb behind the ears. “Was the breakup mutual like Regina claimed? Or if she couldn’t marry Peter, was she going to make sure nobody did?”

“Are you looking for a motive?”

My heart near about jumped out of my ribcage, and I screamed.

Marc backed away and held up a hand. “Whoa, Andi Grace. It’s me.”

Chubb barked once then moved and sniffed Marc’s outstretched hand.

I dropped my hands from some kind of defensive move I’d made up years ago. Not karate or judo, but I used to pretend I could defend myself with it. “Marc Williams, you liked to have scared me to death.” I wasn’t just saying the words. My heart beat so fast it was a wonder I didn’t have a coronary event right there in the parking lot.

“Sorry. I thought you saw me coming.”

“You’re two for two.”

“What?”

“You’ve snuck up on me two days in a row. What do you want?” A deep sigh eased from my chest and my shoulders sagged. I shouldn’t take my worries out on this man. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude.”

He held up a paper bag with a twinkle in his gray eyes. “I was at the coffee shop across the street when I spotted you. Have you eaten?”

My stomach growled loud enough for Marc to hear. “I’m starved.”

“Do you have time to eat with me?”

“Yep. I’ll be right back.” I hurried into the beauty shop and told Juliet I planned to eat with Marc. I wanted to trust him, but hey, you couldn’t be too careful with a killer on the loose. In case Marc hadn’t bought drinks, I grabbed water bottles from the fridge and left a couple of dollars in the money jar before running outside. “How about Huntington? It’s probably a five-minute drive from here.”

“Sounds good.”

“Would you mind driving my SUV so I can take notes on the case?” I dangled the keys in my hand.

“No problem.” Marc reached for my South Carolina flag needlepoint key chain with his free hand and jumped into the driver’s seat.

I secured Chubb in the very back, settled into the passenger seat, and pulled my notepad out of my oversized purse.

It didn’t take long to reach Huntington Beach State Park, but I had time to record my thoughts on Regina.

I looked up when Marc parked. “There’s an empty picnic table under the tree over there.”

“Looks good to me. I’ll get Chubb. Do you have a leash?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m a dog walker. I always have a leash. It’s in the clear plastic box beside the crate.”

I carried our food, water, and my notepad. “I think you’d make a good dog owner. You should adopt Chubb.”

“I’m pretty sure I already told you it’s not gonna happen.” He joined me at the concrete table and kept one hand on the leash. “Your choices are ham and cheese or vegetarian.”

“A veggie sandwich?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t know what you’d eat. Some people are picky.”

“I’m easy to please. Why don’t we take half of each?” I unwrapped the sandwiches and divvied them up on the wax paper wrappers. “Do you care if I say a blessing?”

“Uh, go ahead.”

“Father, thank you for this food and this beautiful day. Help us to find Peter’s killer, protect us, and please don’t let Wade arrest me. Amen.”

Marc opened a small bag of potato chips. “You afraid of getting arrested?”

My appetite disappeared. “Honestly, I’m worried they’re looking at me as the number one suspect. Are you prepared to defend me if they do haul me to jail?”

“Yes, but I don’t see that happening. You have a good reputation around town.”

His words surprised me. “Really? How do you know?”

“I investigated you this morning.”

An inexplicable flutter batted in my chest. “What’d you discover?”

“So far everything you told me is true. You raised your siblings, and except for the pizza man finding your brother drunk on the beach late one night, you’ve done a good job as a parent.”

I broke eye contact with Marc. “On the fifth anniversary of our parents’ death, Nate had had too much to drink. He was of legal age, but if the cops had found him, he’d probably have gotten arrested for public intoxication. Tony brought him home, and to my knowledge, Nate hasn’t had another drunken episode.”

had some major bumps in the road through the years.”

“It couldn’t have been easy. How do you handle stress?”

“My vices all begin with the letter C. Coffee, Coke, and chocolate. Give me a pint of Rocky Road, and I’m good.”

“Su-weet.” He smiled.

I eyed his sandwich. “We should eat. I’m sure you’ve got a boat to build or repair in that big shed of yours.”

“That’s true, but nobody’s going to fire me if I take a long lunch break.” He bit into the veggie half first. “What were you writing on the way over?”

“I was trying to come up with a list of suspects.” I lifted the bread of the vegetarian sandwich. Spinach, sprouts, tomatoes, shredded carrots, cucumber slices, mushrooms, red bell pepper, avocado slices, and mustard. I bit into and the flavorful and hearty sandwich. “This is delicious. I feel healthier already, and thanks for adding mustard.”

“You’ve gotta have mustard. It’s too hot around here for mayo.” He crunched into another chip. “Suspects? I figured as much. Who’s on your list?”

“Turns out I don’t know as much about Peter as I thought. So far, I don’t have many suspects. Regina Houp made my list this morning. She’s Peter’s ex-fiancée. You and George Reeves, the land developer you told me about. Do you know any of Peter’s friends?”

Marc choked on his water. “Me?”

I shrugged. “It didn’t take you long to arrive.”

“I told you I was running by the river. Why isn’t your name on the list?”

“It was at first, but I scratched it off because I’m innocent.”

“You can cross me off, because I’m also innocent.” His frown evolved into a smile.

I drew a line through Marc’s name and showed him. “Happy?”

“Much better.” He pulled the bottom crust off his sandwich before taking another bite.

“You didn’t answer my question about Peter’s friends.” I slipped a chewy bone to Chubb who sat beside me.

It took Marc a minute to finish his bite before he answered. Maybe he was thinking. “He introduced me to Thomas King, the contractor in charge of the room Peter was adding to the back of his house. Thomas’s son, Dylan, was around helping with the addition. Not that I think either of them are suspects. They’re only some men who knew Peter.”

“I know both of them.” I wiped my mouth and scribbled their names onto my list. My excitement grew. “Thomas is an on-again and off-again local. He grew up in the area, and his son, Dylan, is the same age as my little sister, Lacey Jane. Dylan was the typical high school bad boy.” Oops. I shouldn’t be blurting out those ugly thoughts. I needed to get a grip. “Sorry.”

“For what?” He twisted the top off a water bottle. “For being honest?”

“No, but it’s not nice to say mean things about people. It’s possible he changed recently.”

“Hmm.” His eyebrows rose. “You know I’m not accusing anybody. Right?”

“Yeah, but I’ve got to start somewhere.”

“Finding Peter’s killer won’t bring him back.”

I slapped the pen down on the pad and reached for my sandwich. The man could infuriate me. “I know, but when he’s caught, he can’t hurt anybody else.”

He sighed. “Andi Grace, you don’t have training to catch a killer. I wish you’d let Sheriff Stone do his job.”

I tipped my nose in the air. “He’s got a lot of crimes to solve. I’ll share my research with him.”

“Finding answers can be dangerous. Especially if you’re not experienced.”

A sand dune stood between us and the ocean. Waves crashed on the beach in the distance, and the air held the salty tang of the sea. I set my hands on my hips. “I need to question Thomas.”

Marc shook his head. “Not a great idea. If he’s guilty, he’s already killed once. Peter was bigger and stronger than you, yet the killer got the best of him. How will you protect yourself?”

“I’ll be subtle.” I turned toward the ocean and avoided looking at Marc. “You know, maybe I should look into home improvements.”

“Please, don’t.” He reached down and patted Chubb. The best way to connect with me was being kind to my family or an animal.

I relaxed my posture. “It’ll give me an opportunity to get to know Thomas better.”

“I’m serious. Don’t invite him into your home. Between you and me, I think he has a mean streak.”

I agreed with Marc’s assessment, but nobody was going to stop me from trying to find the killer. “Then how do you suggest I get closer to him?”

Marc looked at Chubb. Seconds ticked by. At last his gaze met mine. “I’ll ask him to come to my place. It needs work. You can be there during the interview process.”

I latched onto his hand. “Marc, thanks. You won’t regret helping me.”

“Too late. I already regret my offer.” He smiled, and my heart cartwheeled. “I won’t back out, though. You’ll discover I’m a man of my word.” He studied me some more. “And I need a promise from you.”

“What?”

“Keep me in the loop, and don’t meet with Thomas by yourself.”

I tightened my lips and felt a grunt form in my throat. “Why? Because I’m a woman?” I released his hand.

He drummed the table with two fingers. “No, because there’s safety in numbers.”

My brows shot up. “Are you saying if I tell you everything I do then you’ll help me question Thomas?”

“Not everything.” His shoulders relaxed. “Just everything related to your so-called investigation.”

I could agree to that. “Deal.” I held out my hand and shook his. The tingles zipping up my arm must be related to making progress on my investigation. Not from any attraction to the oh-so-handsome man sitting across from me.