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We watched him go inside. “Should we go too?” Grayson asked.
“Not if we don’t want to,” I said quickly. “I’m pretty sure the buffet tables are going to be out for a while.”
Grayson settled back on the bench with a satisfied sigh. “I was hoping you would say that. I was feeling pretty comfortable out here with the breeze and the view.”
The view was beautiful. It was quiet out on the water right now, and the sun was setting. The sky was vibrant, with shades of pink, orange, and purple. They could see the city in the distance.
After a few minutes, I glanced over at Grayson. He was so quiet that I’d suspected he’d nodded off. Then I saw he was just deep in thought.
“Sorry,” he said, giving me a small smile. “I guess I have a lot on my mind.”
“Of course you do.” I paused. “Have you been thinking about your uncle?”
He nodded. “A lot. Thinking about what a surprise it was to get this legacy. And feeling pretty undeserving. I should have reached out more to him.”
I said, “Well, it sounds like this is what he wanted.”
Grayson smiled again. “You’re right. I’m going to have to put some thought into what to do with it all.”
We chatted quietly for a while outside. Then we enjoyed a huge spread of food. There were lots of fresh shrimp, chicken pot pies, Southern fried chicken, and lots of sides.
June gave us a wave and a thumbs-up when she spotted us at the table. But, still dancing, she didn’t come over, which was probably just as well. After eating all the food and following the recent stress, we were both feeling tired. At least we’d had the chance for her to see us and realize we were there.
When we got back to Holly’s house, she was in her pjs and a robe. But instead of looking relaxed, she was looking a little shaken. “I should have told Lindy what happened. Frank’s girlfriend. I was thinking about Lindy when we were talking to June, but then it totally slipped my mind again.”
“It’s understandable that you wouldn’t have immediately reached out,” I said. “Frank’s death has been a real shock.”
Holly rubbed her eyes, looking exhausted. “I know, but still. Maybe part of me thought that Carl, Frank’s partner, would have told her. After all, Lindy is his receptionist at the practice. You’d think he’d let her know at least so she could reschedule Frank’s appointments.”
Grayson said, “That sounds like much more of an oversight on his part than it was on yours.”
Holly sighed. “Thanks. I guess Carl has probably been on the phone with whoever he was going to sell the practice to, now that Frank’s gone. Anyway, the police called the office and made an appointment to meet with Lindy and speak with her about Frank’s murder. They must have been trying to trace Frank’s movements, because I’m not sure they knew Lindy and Frank were dating.”
I winced a little. That would have been an awful way to find out that something had happened to someone you cared about.
Holly continued, “Lindy called me up sobbing. It was the worst. I’m going to head over to see her tomorrow. Would you go with me, Ann? I don’t know Lindy very well and I feel awful about this whole thing.”
“Of course I’ll go. Grayson and I don’t have any set plans for tomorrow.” I looked over at Grayson to confirm that, and he nodded at me.
“I’d say the three of us could go, but I thought that might be a little overwhelming for her,” said Holly apologetically. She sighed. “I’m sorry. This is the second thing I’ve asked you to do for me. I promise I’m not usually so bossy.”
“I know you’re not,” I said. “And you’re not being bossy now. We want to help any way that we can.”
“Thanks.” Holly smiled at us. “So how did everything go tonight on the yacht?”
Grayson said, “It was mission accomplished. We saw June, and she acknowledged our presence there.”
Holly raised an eyebrow. “That was it? After all that, she didn’t come over to greet you or to thank you for being there?”
I said, “She was busy with all the other guests. And with partying. I’m thinking it was good stress relief for her. She didn’t seem like the kind of person to let her hair down very often.”
Holly snorted. “June isn’t. Makes me wish I’d been there after all. I’d have liked to have seen that for comic relief, alone.”
“We visited with Paul for a while, though,” said Grayson. “He thanked us for being there.”
“How was Paul?” asked Holly curiously.
Grayson and I looked at each other. “That’s a good question,” I said. “He was very quiet and withdrawn. Is that the way he usually is?”
Holly’s eyes opened wide. “No, he’s never like that. Usually Paul is the typical politician, walking around, glad-handing everybody, and patting folks on the back. He’s always campaigning, always looking ahead to the next election, always meeting people and networking. So that’s not the way he was tonight?”
We shook our heads. “He wanted to speak with us outside on the deck to get away from the noise and the party.”
“And the people,” I added. “He didn’t seem like he was in any mood to talk to anybody. In fact, he told us he’d wanted to reschedule the engagement party, but June wouldn’t hear of it.”
Holly knit her brows together. “So, you’re saying that Paul Hammond, mayor of Charleston, withdrew from an opportunity to network with tons of well-heeled members of local society to talk outside with y’all?”
I nodded. “For quite a long time.”
“Well,” she said. “That’s pretty remarkable.”
Grayson said, “Paul was saying how close he and Frank had been. He was very subdued. I think Frank’s death hit him really hard.”
“It would have. The two of them were best friends from the start, even though they had very different temperaments and interests.” Holly gave us a rueful look. “Did Paul mention the way I tried to tag along with them when we were growing up?”
I grinned at her. “I got the impression they couldn’t really escape you.”
“They always seemed like they were having more fun than anybody I knew. My mom would try to set me up with playdates with kids my age, but all I wanted to do was try to play with them. I guess I don’t mind rejection much. Or maybe I’m just stubborn.” Holly gave a yawn. “Okay, well, thanks again for tonight. I’m going to try to turn in early. I didn’t sleep well last night. See you both tomorrow.”