Lynn was alone in the boutique when Wilma Morrow, Ed’s mother, walked through the door, took one look at her and paled.
“You! What on earth are you doing here?” she said as if she’d found Lynn in a brothel or some equally disreputable place.
“Working,” Lynn responded, keeping her tone polite. “May I help you?”
Wilma’s gaze narrowed. “This is totally inappropriate,” she muttered. “How could you do something like this? Did you take this job to deliberately humiliate my son?”
Lynn stared at her incredulously, her determination to remember that she was dealing with a customer, not her mother-in-law, instantly out the window. “You’ll need to explain that to me,” she said evenly. “This is a respectable job.”
Wilma waved a perfectly manicured hand dismissively. “Well, of course it is, but that’s not the point. Morrow women are well-provided-for by their husbands. Any suggestion otherwise is food for gossip in this town. You ought to be home taking care of your children.”
Lynn kept her gaze steady and managed to keep her voice even, though she was shaking inside with outrage. “I’m working to take care of my children, something your son wasn’t doing.”
Wilma looked momentarily shaken. “That can’t be right. Ed would never neglect his family. That’s not how he was raised.”
“Perhaps not, but those are the facts.”
“Explain yourself,” Wilma ordered.
“Sorry, if you want to know more you’ll have to speak to your son,” Lynn said, deciding it would serve no purpose to reveal the truth beyond what she’d already said. Besides, it might be satisfying to know that Ed was having to explain himself to his shrew of a mother. Just thinking about it made it easier to smile as she said, “Now, if I can show you something, I’ll be happy to. Otherwise, I have new stock I need to price and put on the racks.”
Wilma blinked rapidly. “You’re dismissing me?”
“Not at all,” Lynn said sweetly. “Feel free to stay as long as you like and look around.”
She was about to turn her back and return to the task she’d been doing when she heard Wilma’s huff of disapproval.
“It’s little wonder that Lexie behaves the way she does with you as her mother. The child has absolutely no manners, something she obviously learned from you.”
Lynn drew in a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, but the effort was wasted. By the time she faced her mother-in-law, she was fuming. “My daughter is one of the most incredibly polite teenagers I know. If she was rude to you, perhaps you should consider what you did to cause it.”
“Excuse me?” Wilma said, drawing herself up indignantly for the second time.
“Not sure what I’m talking about?” Lynn queried. “Let me explain. You said something completely inappropriate to my daughter about me. She took offense. Because it was so hurtful, she’s flatly refused to tell me what you said, but until you apologize, it’s unlikely she’ll be coming over for any visits. And, just to clarify, that’s her decision, not mine. Personally, I think it’s important that she have her grandparents in her life, but I won’t try to influence her.”
Even though Wilma looked vaguely shaken, she evidently wasn’t quite ready to concede the battle. “Children should be taught to respect their elders.”
“And that’s exactly what I’ve taught mine, but Lexie is no longer a child. She’s a young woman who’s learned that respect should be earned. You disappointed her, Wilma. What puzzles me is whether you even understand that whatever you said was wrong.”
“I only spoke the truth.”
“The truth, or your view of it? You’re entitled to your opinion of me. For better or worse, I’m an adult. I can take it. Lexie’s my daughter. She loves me, and you clearly feel absolutely no remorse about trying to drive a wedge between us. How would you feel if I had done that with Ed, if I’d spoken so negatively of you that he’d felt compelled to take sides?”
She regarded Wilma with pity. “Do you want to know what’s ironic? Despite everything that’s happened recently, despite everything your son has done or everything you’ve said behind my back, I have yet to speak disrespectfully about you to anyone.”
Wilma stared at her for what felt like an eternity, patches of bright red in her cheeks. For a moment it looked as if she were going to respond, but instead she whirled around and walked out.
“Brava!” Raylene said, applauding as she came out of the back room.
Lynn turned toward her in dismay. “You heard? I’m so sorry. I know she was a customer, but she made me so furious, I just couldn’t bite my tongue a second more.”
“You lasted a lot longer than I would have under the same circumstances.”
“We lost a sale, though.”
“Doubtful,” Raylene said. “She pops in here from time to time and I believe she bought a scarf on sale once, but generally she mutters about the quality not being up to her standards. She’s a vicious old woman, Lynn. I’m not sure how Jack Morrow has tolerated her all these years.”
Lynn was momentarily startled by Raylene’s assessment. Then she confided, “I’ve wondered the same thing. I always thought I had to be missing her good qualities.”
“Maybe she had them once. I surely haven’t seen evidence of her good nature since I moved back here. She reminds me of a lot of wealthy old biddies who are so self-important they think they can get away with saying and doing anything.”
“I still feel bad about speaking that way to a customer,” Lynn said. “But thanks for backing me up.”
“Always,” Raylene said. “By the way, I left you a note earlier. Did you see it? I meant to tell you the second you came in that Helen had called, but I was running late for my appointment.”
Lynn shook her head. “Did she say what it was about?”
“Not to me. She just said you should call first chance you get. Why don’t you take a break and do that now? It looks as if this is going to be a quiet day. I can manage for a while. Go have a cup of coffee at Wharton’s, if you like. You can bring one back for me. The one I had earlier at Sullivan’s with Karen Cruz wore off a long time ago.”
“Thanks. Maybe I’ll run by Helen’s office, then grab that coffee and bring it back,” Lynn said, eager to find out what was going on.
“Take your time.”
Ten minutes later she was at Helen’s office, though she winced when she saw the packed reception area.
“I’m sorry,” she told Barb. “She left me a message and I thought I’d run over in case she was free for a second.” She glanced around. “Obviously, she’s backed up. I’ll just call her later.”
“Nonsense,” Barb said, lowering her voice. “I’ll slip you right in as soon as her current appointment is over. I know she’s anxious to speak to you. Just don’t take too long or I’ll have a rebellion on my hands.”
“Thanks, Barb,” Lynn said, just as a man she didn’t recognize left Helen’s office.
“Now,” Barb said as if she were the starter at a race.
Lynn hurried back. Helen grinned when she spotted her.
“I know you weren’t on the calendar,” Helen said. “You must be Barb’s way of protesting the fact that I overscheduled myself this morning. I added a few clients without mentioning them to her. She prides herself on never having a waiting room full of people, because she ensures that my schedule runs like clockwork. Then I go and muck it up by adding people she doesn’t know about, taking too long with some clients. You’re just a reminder that two can play at that game.”
“I probably should have just called you back,” Lynn said regretfully.
“No, this is better. I won’t get to calls until late this afternoon at this rate. I wanted you to know that my investigator found Jimmy Bob. He admitted that Ed encouraged this little extended vacation of his.”
Lynn stared at her incredulously. “Why on earth would Ed do such a thing?” It also said quite a lot about his acting skills that he’d convinced her he was shocked by Jimmy Bob’s absence.
Helen shook her head. “That’s not clear yet. There’s something definitely strange going on with Ed, though. Has he given you any indication that he’s interested in a reconciliation? Sometimes that’s behind a delaying tactic by one party or the other.”
“Absolutely not,” Lynn said. “He hasn’t so much as hinted that he wants me back.” She thought about his reaction to finding Mitch at the house, but discounted that as a momentary pang of possessiveness, or even spitefulness, nothing more.
“Then maybe it really is about the money,” Helen speculated. “He knows that what he’s paying you now is probably a pittance compared to the final judgment. Could be he’s had some financial problems. That would explain those missed payments, even though he blamed them on Jimmy Bob.”
“What did Jimmy Bob have to say about that?” Lynn asked.
“Not much. He claimed it was an oversight in his rush to leave town.”
Lynn shook her head. “None of this makes a bit of sense. And if Ed is having financial problems, what about those trips he’s been taking? And what about Jimmy Bob? He must be losing business by being away so long. Is Ed somehow compensating him for that?”
Helen gave her an approving look. “All very reasonable questions. As soon as Jimmy Bob gets back here, I intend to ask him. There’s something odd going on with those two. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the thought of the two of them in cahoots makes my skin crawl.”
“When is Jimmy Bob due back?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. He’s flying back with my investigator. I gather he spoke to Hal Cantor to try for another postponement, but Hal strongly encouraged him to be in court on schedule. Jimmy Bob might be sleazy, but he’s not dumb. He knows when a judge is out of patience.”
“Then our court date on Monday should hold?”
“Looks that way to me,” Helen confirmed. “I’m thinking we should ask for a financial records disclosure. It may be the only way to figure out exactly what’s going on here. Those missed payments are sufficient grounds for it. You okay with that?”
Lynn hesitated. “That’s only going to delay things, isn’t it?”
Helen nodded. “I know you’re anxious to end this, Lynn, but I think this is essential to protect your interests.”
Lynn nodded her consent. “I trust your judgment.”
“I’ll see you in court first thing Monday morning, then. If anything else comes up, I’ll let you know.”
“You should probably know that I had a little set-to with Ed’s mother this morning. She accused me of working at Raylene’s purely to humiliate her son.”
Helen looked incredulous. “What?”
“She seemed to think it might suggest he couldn’t provide for me.”
“Really?” Helen said, looking surprisingly pleased. “That makes me all the more certain that we’re on the right track with this financial angle. Otherwise, why would she be so sensitive to what impression you might be giving people?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Lynn said. “I just thought she was being her usual overly critical self.”
Helen smiled. “That could be, too. I’m just cynical. I’ve found there’s usually a reason people overreact.”
Lynn stood up. “I’d better get out of here before there’s a riot in your waiting room. Thanks for seeing me.”
“You can thank Barb for that,” Helen said. “On your way out, tell her I’ve learned my lesson. She’s in charge of the schedule from here on out.”
Lynn regarded her with disbelief. “Really?”
“No, but it’ll soothe her ruffled feathers for a day or two, till I do it again.”
* * *
Flo and Liz had been at the community center for a half hour waiting for Frances to play cards.
“This isn’t right,” Flo said eventually. “Frances is never this late.”
Liz nodded, her expression filled with worry. “Then you’re thinking what I’m thinking. We need to go over there again.”
Reluctantly, Flo nodded. “She’s going to be furious if she just overslept or something,” she said, even as she reached for her purse. “But, yes, I think we’d better go. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
As they got into Flo’s car, Liz regarded her with dismay. “I hate this. Watching Frances start to slip away like this is breaking my heart. I was so sure when the doctor said it was only a mild cognitive disorder and the medications seemed to be helping that we’d have the old Frances for a good long time.”
“I know. Me, too,” Flo said. “I was so proud of her when she stood up and spoke at the rally against bullying. That was Frances at her finest.”
Liz smiled. “I’m sure her tough words brought back a lot of memories to all those folks she once taught and lectured on good behavior.”
It was only a few minutes to the small apartment complex where Frances had moved when she’d retired from teaching. Widowed and with her children living out of town, she’d wanted someplace small that she could manage on her own. Now, it seemed, even the apartment might be too much for her if she continued on this downward spiral.
“I wish we’d been able to convince her to look at those retirement communities,” Liz said as they sat out front. She turned to Flo. “Do you think we should have pushed harder when she kept putting us off?”
“She wasn’t ready,” Flo said. “And we’ve been keeping a close eye on her, just the way we promised.”
“But it may be time for her to tell her family what’s going on,” Liz said. “She seems increasingly forgetful lately. I think she’s kept this from them long enough.”
“And if she refuses?” Flo asked. “Are we going to tell them? We can see the decline, but it’s not as if she’s done anything truly dangerous.”
Liz gave her a wry look. “Are we supposed to wait until she burns down the apartment or wanders off someplace? They’re her children and, much as I’d hate to override her wishes and be the one to tell them, they should know.”
Though it filled her with dismay, Flo reluctantly agreed. “I am not looking forward to any of this one bit.”
“Neither am I,” Liz said briskly. “But we’re her friends and it’s up to us to be candid with her.”
When they got to the apartment, though, there was no response to their knocks. The neighbor across the hall stuck her head out.
“I saw Frances leave about an hour ago. I’m not sure where she was going, but she headed toward town.”
“Thanks,” Flo said, then turned to Liz. “Now what?”
“Now we go into town and look for her,” Liz said determinedly. “If we don’t find her at any of the likely places, I suppose we’ll have to speak to Carter.”
Flo was horrified by the idea of involving the police, but she knew Liz was right. Without being sure that Frances was safe, they couldn’t take chances.
“Where to first?” she asked, anxious to find their friend before going to the police became necessary.
“Wharton’s,” Liz suggested at once.
When they got there, though, Grace said Frances hadn’t been in.
“Is everything okay?” Grace asked worriedly. “She hasn’t wandered off, has she?”
In an attempt to protect Frances from gossip, Flo shook her head. “Just a little mixup on where were supposed to meet, that’s all.”
Grace didn’t look as if she entirely bought the explanation, but she nodded. “If she comes in, I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.”
“Now what?” Flo asked when she and Liz were back in the car.
“The Corner Spa?” Liz suggested. “Maybe she mixed up which day it was and thought the seniors exercise class was this morning.”
When they were parked in front of the spa, Flo took a look at Liz’s pale complexion and said, “Why don’t I run in here and check? You wait in the car. There’s no need for two of us to exhaust ourselves.”
Liz nodded gratefully. “Thanks, Flo.”
Flo went inside and looked around. Elliott Cruz, who taught the seniors class, was working with one of his private clients. Flo walked over and beckoned to him.
“Has Frances been by here?”
Elliott, who knew her situation, frowned. “No, why?”
“She didn’t show up at the senior center to play cards, she’s not at home and Liz and I can’t find her.”
“You checked Wharton’s?”
She nodded.
“Let me call Karen. Maybe she stopped by Sullivan’s to see her.” He made the call on his cell phone, then shook his head. “Karen hasn’t seen her.” His frown deepened. “I don’t like this.”
“Neither do Liz and I. She’s waiting for me. I’d better get back outside. Will you call me if you see Frances or have any ideas about where else we ought to look?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “I have a break in a half hour. If you need help, I can look around town, too.”
“That would be great,” Flo said.
She was across the gym, when she heard him calling her. She stopped until he joined her. “Try the school,” he said. “She could have gotten mixed up and gone by to see the kids. She picks Daisy and Mack up for us from time to time.”
Flo nodded. “That’ll be my next stop then. Thanks.”
When she and Liz pulled up in front of the elementary school, sure enough there was Frances sitting on a bench out front in the sunshine. She looked up in surprise when they approached.
“What are the two of you doing here?”
“You were supposed to meet us at the senior center to play cards,” Liz said gently, as she sat down beside her.
Frances regarded them blankly. “I was? Why would I schedule that when I had a class to teach?”
Flo exchanged a look of alarm with Liz. “A class?” she said carefully. “You’ve retired, Frances.”
Frances gave her an impatient look. “I know that. One of the teachers asked me to come in for career day. They like to bring in retirees to talk about teaching, rather than using the teachers who are currently in the classroom. I suppose they think we’re more likely to make it sound glamorous.”
Relief washed over Flo. “You’re here for career day.”
“Well, of course. I haven’t lost all my wits just yet.”
“Thank goodness,” Liz said fervently. “You have no idea what we were imagining when we couldn’t find you.”
“I’m sorry I forgot about playing cards. When Myra Simpson called to ask me to speak to her class, I just said yes without thinking. I so rarely have anything on my calendar these days that can’t be put off, it never even occurred to me to check.”
“Have you already given your talk?”
Frances nodded. “I was quite a hit, if I do say so myself. There’s nothing like a roomful of inquisitive youngsters to keep a person on her toes. I was just sitting out here enjoying this lovely April sunshine before walking back home.”
“Well, I, for one, am completely worn-out,” Liz said. “I think this calls for a special occasion lunch at Sullivan’s. My treat.”
Frances’s eyes brightened. “Perhaps I need to scare you more often.”
“Don’t you dare,” Liz said. “At my age, I can’t afford to have that many more years scared off my life. I swear I lost at least five this morning alone.”
“I’m sorry,” Frances apologized again. “I’ll write things on my calendar from now on.”
Flo gave her a long look. “I doubt writing them down is the real issue. You need to look at the stupid thing once in a while.”
Frances chuckled. “Okay, that, too.”
As they all climbed into Flo’s car, Liz declared, “I’m ordering a glass of wine. I don’t care what anybody says.”
“Why would anybody say anything?” Flo asked. “I intend to join you.”
“Don’t even think about leaving me out,” Frances chimed in from the backseat. “Or perhaps I’ll have a margarita.”
“No!” Flo and Liz said practically in unison.
“The last time we had margaritas without supervision, we nearly ended up in the pokey,” Liz reminded her, laughing. “I vowed never to have another one except at those Sweet Magnolias gatherings.”
“Ditto,” Flo said. “I heard enough about my behavior that night from Helen to last a lifetime. I need to stay on her good side till she’s reconciled to me and Donnie being a couple.”
“So you’re done with margaritas from now till eternity?” Liz teased.
“No,” Flo protested. “She’s coming around.”
“Seriously?” Frances asked doubtfully.
“I swear it,” Flo said. “Of course, the worrisome thing now is that she and Donnie seem to be in cahoots pushing for a wedding.”
“Whoo-ee!” Frances said. “I sure wish I’d been a fly on the wall when that conversation took place.”
Flo gave her a warning look. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am,” Liz assured her. “Which is what makes this such fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you so flustered. Makes me wonder why that is. I’m thinking it’s because you’re running out of arguments against marriage.”
“Not a chance,” Flo insisted. “I still have the best one of all.”
“What’s that?” Frances asked.
“I don’t want to,” Flo said emphatically. “Try arguing with that.”
“You know who you sound like,” Frances teased. “That sweet little granddaughter of yours when she’s throwing a tantrum.”
Flo stared at her. “Because I have a firm conviction?”
“Because you’re being stubborn,” Frances countered.
Flo looked to Liz. “Do you agree?”
Liz hesitated for barely a second, then grinned. “Sounds that way to me,” she said. “Reminds me of the expression that you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face. You’re crazy about Donnie. He’s obviously nuts about you. Seems to me you’re saying no just because Helen’s in favor of the idea.”
“I was against it before she ever got involved,” Flo insisted. “You can ask Donnie, if you don’t believe me.”
“If you say so,” Liz said.
“I do,” Flo said irritably, suddenly wondering if maybe she wouldn’t have that margarita after all.