Iris and Lucy had taken down the Halloween decorations when I was off the day before. Now I stood at a counter in the kitchen packing cobwebs and felt mice into a large plastic container to store until next year. Over at the sink, Lucy scrubbed the bottom of her Dutch oven with kosher salt.
“There’s a nip in the air today,” she said. “I think I’ll cook a pot roast in this tomorrow. Carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onions. Lots of red wine, thyme, and bay leaves.”
I groaned. “Stop it.”
“You and Declan can come for dinner. He doesn’t start his forty-eight until the next morning, does he?”
“Nope,” I said, happy for the invitation. Lucy’s pot roast was . . . magical. “We’ll be there. What can we bring?”
“More red wine,” she said promptly. “I’ll grab something from here for dessert.”
“Deal.”
“Keep those silk autumn leaves out,” she said. “We can use them for the Thanksgiving decorations.”
I sighed and put them aside. Honestly, I wasn’t ready for another holiday quite yet.
Ben came back to the kitchen and grabbed a still-warm molasses cookie off a baking sheet, crammed half of it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “Things are slow out there right now. You said you’d talked to Peter Quinn earlier. What did he have to say?”
“Hang on,” I said. “Just let me put the lid on this.” When I was done, I leaned my hip against the counter. “Detective Quinn told me that he arranged for Jo to meet Aldo in a restaurant. He recorded their conversation.” I paused and took one of the molasses cookies myself. “Jo confronted Aldo, and eventually he admitted that he told her about her husband cheating because he hoped she’d go after Leigh. He denied that he knew it was really Paisley that Rhett was meeting, and he claimed he didn’t intend for Jo to kill Leigh. Still, Quinn plans to charge Aldo with incitement to commit a crime.”
Ben looked skeptical. “Will that stick?”
I shrugged. “It’s a good question. Daddy has awfully deep pockets.”
“The Aldo Bracket outsider art show at the Markes Gallery was canceled,” he said. “It was in the paper this morning.”
“Good.” Lucy set her cast-iron pot on a burner and turned it on low. “I’m glad Walker Stokes stepped up and did what was right.”
“If that’s what he actually did,” I said.
Ben nodded. “From what you’ve told us, he might simply have realized that now that Aldo is in trouble with the law, he might not be able to afford to buy all his own work.”
“And no one else is going to.” I reached for the decorations. “Ben, can you put this out in your truck? Lucy said you’d take all this home and put it in storage.”
“Sure.” He stuffed the rest of his cookie in his mouth and took the container from me. I opened the door to the alley. Iris came in as Ben went out.
“Nice hair,” he commented.
“Wow,” I said, looking her up and down. “You look fabulous.”
“Thank you.” She pirouetted so that her black taffeta skirt flared. She wore a sleeveless red silk shell with it, and the color made the fairy tattoo on her arm pop. And sure enough, the orange streaks that had been in her hair for Halloween were now bright red. “Taylor’s coming home for the weekend, and we have a date later.”
Lucy smiled. “I’m glad it turns out he’s not a jerk.”
She laughed. “I did call him that, didn’t I? Well, I’m glad, too.” She reached for an apron large enough to cover her skirt. “Now, what shall I do first?”
I was ringing up a customer at the register when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. Quickly, I checked to see who it was.
Teddy.
“Thank you, and have a great day,” I said as I gave the customer her change. Then I gestured Ben over to help the next customer and took the call.
“Hi, Teddy. How’re you doing?” I closed the office door behind me. “You know, in the aftermath of keeping me from disappearing into the ether. Jaida said you slept all day yesterday.”
“I did! Oh, and I feel so great now. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“Er, shouldn’t I be thanking you?”
“No, I mean for finding who killed that poor woman. Katie, she’s gone.” Relief threaded her words. “Her spirit passed on to wherever she needed to go next.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” I felt tension ease out of my shoulders. “I’m happy for her, and I’m happy for you. I don’t suppose my grandmother is still hanging around, is she?”
Teddy laughed. “Sorry. She left right after you and Connell came back.”
“That’s what I figured.”
“Katie? I want you to know how much it means that you believed I could help you. No one ever thought my ability to see the spirit world was a good thing. Mostly, no one even believed it was real. You and the other ladies accepted me at face value. I’m starting to realize I might have a gift rather than a curse. That means a lot.”
“Of course we accepted you. Honey, I’m so glad we met,” I said. “I know I’ve thanked you, but it doesn’t seem like enough. I hope you know how very grateful Declan and I are for your help in retrieving Connell.”
“Oh, gosh. You’re welcome, Katie.” Teddy was silent for a few beats and then asked, “Do you think we could stay in touch?” She asked the question almost tentatively, as if I might say no.
“Absolutely!” I assured her. “You can call me any time. Any of us, really. And I think I know a certain little girl named Colette who wants to be your new best friend.”
She laughed. “I’m hanging out with her on Saturday while Bianca goes out with her boyfriend.”
“That’s great, but isn’t Saturday a big ghost tour night?”
“Usually. But I’ve decided to explore a new kind of work. Just because I can see dead people doesn’t mean I have to make a career out of it. Jaida and Gregory say they need a paralegal, and they want me to start working for them while I’m going to school to learn the ropes.”
“That’s terrific! You take care of yourself, and stay in touch, okay?”
“I will.”
Iris had left for her date with Taylor and we were about to close, when Zoe and Calista came in.
“Hey, you two,” I said. “What can I get for you?”
“Hi, Katie,” Zoe said, fingering the necklace Cookie had made for her. I realized she’d been wearing the comfort amulet every time I’d seen her and was happy to see it appeared to be helping her.
Calista smiled. “Nothing for us today, I think.” She glanced at her niece, who nodded. “We’re here to bring you a little present. A thank-you, I guess.” She held out a paper bag.
Lucy came over as I took it, unfolded the top, and looked inside.
“Oh!” I said, taking out three shower caps. “These are great!”
With my short hair, I wouldn’t use them, but Lucy looked very interested. She held up one that was a bright orange paisley with a giant bow on the front.
“This is really cute,” she said.
“Thank you,” Calista said. She looked truly happy. “I’m going ahead with my Shower Chapeaus business.”
I tried to look encouraging, wondering if Zoe was still upset about Calista’s plan to mortgage the family home.
“Zoe’s going to be my partner,” Calista said, pride in her voice. “She’s studying business and will help with that side of things. That way I can concentrate on the artistic aspect.”
Surprised, I looked at Zoe, who looked as happy as her aunt. She nodded. “I talked with one of my professors, and she agreed that I could do a business plan for Shower Chapeaus as my special project this semester. Then she’ll give me feedback, so we’ll know we’re doing it right. Calista agreed to wait until that’s done before we make any financial commitments. And between the two of us, we should have enough money to get us started without mortgaging the house.”
Lucy made a noise of alarm. “You’re using your own money?”
Zoe nodded. “My dad is in charge of my trust for the next year and a half, but it turns out my grandfather made sure that could only be used for expenses related to my education. Juliette isn’t too happy about that, but my dad seems okay with it.” She half smiled. “We’ve been talking.”
“I’m glad,” I said. And I was. I still didn’t like Walker, but it seemed good for Zoe to have a relationship with her father. The jury was still out on her stepmother.
“In the meantime, Mom left me her house and, well, a good bit of money outside of the trust.” She looked a little sheepish, and I wondered how much money she was talking about. “I don’t know what I’ll do with the house—probably sell it—but for now I’m staying with Calista when I come home from school. That way we can make our business plans.” She looked at Calista. “And maybe fix up that old house a bit.”
Her aunt put her arm around Zoe’s shoulders. “She’s going to keep me on the straight and narrow, aren’t you, honey?” She was beaming, and I could sense the affection between them. Jo had said Leigh’s family was all about how things looked, but I thought she was wrong.
After all, Jo Sterling had been wrong about a few other things, too.
The door opened, and Mrs. Standish came in. I was surprised to see her, as she’d already been in earlier, and I couldn’t imagine what else they’d need before the next day.
She bustled over to the counter, then gave a little cry when she saw the orange paisley shower cap Lucy had laid by the register. “Oh! That is absolutely adorable!” She grabbed it and twirled it in her hands. “Oh, where can I get one? Oh! And this one!” She had spied a turban-style cap in classic black with a white ribbon wound around the base. “Where did you girls find these?”
I nodded to Calista, who was beaming. “Calista Markes, this is Mrs. Edna Standish. Mrs. Standish, meet Calista Markes, owner of Shower Chapeaus.”
Mrs. Standish put her hands on her hips. “Calista Markes? I knew your father. Well, no wonder these are so fabulous. Yours is a creative family indeed.”
“Thank you,” Calista breathed.
“Do you have a website?” Mrs. Standish demanded. “I need at least a half dozen of these to begin with.”
Zoe stepped forward. “For now, you can order them from our Etsy shop.”
“I’ll do that.”
Zoe gave her the information, and then said she and Calista had a dinner reservation. They left and I turned to Mrs. Standish, about to ask if I could get her something from the pastry case before we closed.
“Oh! There he is!” she exclaimed, and rushed to the front door. She held it open for Skipper Dean, who was carrying a large box. With a nod to us, he continued back to the reading area. It looked heavy, which was confirmed when he sat it down on the coffee table with an oomph.
“Skipper parked in the loading zone out front, dears, so we only have a moment,” Mrs. Standish announced. “Come along and see what we’ve brought.”
Lucy, Ben, and I exchanged curious looks, then followed obediently behind. We gathered around the mysterious box. Mrs. Standish stepped forward and grasped the handles on top and tugged. The lid slid up smoothly to reveal the contents sitting on a heavy marble base.
It was the Hanta piece from the Markes Gallery. Compassion.
As soon as I saw it, I felt its calming effect. The very air around us seemed to be softer and more caring.
“Oh, my,” Lucy breathed. “That’s stunning.” Gingerly, she reached out as if to touch one of the metal tendrils that twisted up from the center. Then, as if suddenly remembering herself, she snatched her hand back.
“Wow,” Ben said, short but sweet. He regarded the sculpture with frank admiration.
“Yes, it’s a marvelous piece,” Mrs. Standish all but brayed.
I was so delighted she’d bought it that I wanted to hug her, but she’d never struck me as the hugging sort. So I just said, “It will look so lovely in your home.”
It would, too. Mrs. Standish and Skipper Dean’s large antebellum house boasted surprisingly modern décor. At least it had surprised me when I’d been there.
“Oh, no, Katie, my dear. Not our home.”
“Are you donating it to one of your charity causes?” Lucy asked.
“Well! I certainly wouldn’t call it that. No, Lucille, we’re giving it to you.”
My aunt blinked in surprised. “Me?”
“Oh, not you, per se.” Mrs. Standish waved her arm in an encompassing gesture. “To the Honeybee Bakery.”
Ben and I exchanged glances. “Mrs. Standish, I happen to be familiar with this piece,” I said. “You can’t possibly give it to us.”
She waggled her finger at me. “Oh, I certainly can. And I am. You see, Dean was over at the Markes Gallery earlier. He read about that so-called outsider artist canceling his show, and he wanted to take the opportunity to step in with some advice for Walker Stokes. Dean has discovered a rather wonderful young woman who really is an outsider, and a genius to boot, he says.”
I looked at Skipper Dean. He smiled back at me, silent. When his paramour was around, Dean was usually the Teller to her Penn.
“Walker listened to Dean, of course,” Mrs. Standish said. “And Dean will help coordinate the young woman’s show.” Her rings flashed as she waved her hand. “But never mind all that. While Dean was there, he was talking with that lovely Paisley Long.”
“Paisley’s still there?” I asked. “I thought she quit.”
Dean shook his head and spoke for the first time. “Walker realized he couldn’t run the place without her. He hired her back—with a big raise.”
Good for you, Paisley.
“Anyway,” Mrs. Standish went on. “Your name came up, Katie. Paisley told Dean quite the story about what happened. Goodness! You do find trouble, don’t you, honey? She told Dean about the sculpture you took such a fancy to, and he asked to see it, and Bob’s your uncle.”
Uncle Ben looked amused.
“I’m sorry,” Lucy said. “I’m afraid I still don’t understand.”
“Lucille, we love this place,” Mrs. Standish said. “Ever since it opened it’s been our home away from home. You make the most delectable treats, you listen to this old woman go on and on—”
I started to protest, but she held up her hand.
“Now don’t fuss. This is our present to the bakery. I know you wanted it for your own home, Katie, but Paisley had the feeling you couldn’t, um, manage it.” She reddened.
“You mean Declan and I couldn’t afford it? She’s right about that. Which is why it’s just too much.”
“Darlin’, believe me—I can afford it. And I did. And now you can enjoy it every day, here in the Honeybee, and all your customers can, too.” She peered at me. “Is that okay? To have it here rather than your charming carriage house?”
I felt tears threaten. “It’s more than okay. It’s much, much better for more people to enjoy it.” I went and threw my arms around her, not caring if she was a hugger or not.
“Oh! Well, that’s nice.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Lucy and Ben chimed in with their own thanks, and then Ben said, “I’ll get a pedestal for it tomorrow. It can sit over here where everyone can see it.”
“That sounds—Dean!” Mrs. Standish interrupted herself as something outside caught her attention. “They’re trying to give us a ticket.” She barreled to the door, Dean following behind. “Listen, you can’t give that car a ticket,” she called to the parking enforcement officer. “It’s in a loading zone, and we were unloading something. Ben! Come tell this person we were unloading.”
Ben grinned at Lucy and me. “Excuse me. I’m needed outside.”
We laughed and turned our attention back to the sculpture.
“That was very generous of her,” Lucy said. “She’s a kook, but she’s kind to her core.”
I nodded and gave her a one-armed hug. “Compassionate, you might say.”
Mungo and I drove home and parked in the driveway. When we got out, the whine of Declan’s table saw drifted from the open garage. I walked up, dropped my tote, and covered my ears with my palms to block some of the noise before looking inside. Mungo took one look and headed to the other side of the yard. Too much of a racket for him.
My industrious husband was ripping a two-by-four in half, carefully feeding the length of it down the whirring blade. A stack of similar pieces of wood sat on a nearby bench. I guessed he planned to use them for the hefty new trellis he was making for the Cherokee rose bush that grew beside the carriage house. He wore ear protection and eye protection and hadn’t seen me. I was about to creep away, figuring the last thing I wanted to do was startle a man using a table saw, when I saw him suddenly straighten. A nanosecond later, one of the halves of the two-by-four suddenly bucked up in the air, narrowly missing his face.
My gasp was inaudible in the din. If Declan hadn’t straightened when he had, we would be on the way to the emergency room at that moment. But he had straightened.
Something had told him to.
Connell was back.
I was trembling when Declan looked up and saw me. He looked chagrined for a moment, then suddenly smiled. I smiled back, weakly at first, then full force. He turned off the saw, and silence descended as he walked over and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into his chest, sliding my hands around his shoulders, inhaling his scent, basking in his warmth.
Life was good.