The Glitter End, page 14
“Next time ask them, before you set out, whether they have a raincoat or something, and, if they don’t, hand out those plastic poncho-style things.”
“I’m not their mother, am I?” Jonas sighed. “These are grown men who run companies that make billions worldwide. If they can organize their agenda, they can also organize this walk in the forest.”
Delta wanted to say that actually they didn’t organize their agendas—their assistants did. But, before she could suggest this, Jonas asked with a worried frown, “Do you know if Mrs. Cassidy intended to really do something about that alarm she wanted to get?”
“Huh?” Delta had to refocus a moment.
Jonas gestured as he explained quickly, “She had a prowler around her house, remember, and then she said that she wanted to get an alarm and she already had a card from some guy who offered her an alarm. I thought about it, and it struck me as rather suspicious he offered to install an alarm and then she suddenly had a prowler.”
Delta widened her eyes. “You think the two are connected?”
“That’s possible.”
“She did mention wanting to do something about it today.”
Jonas nodded. “Then I’m going over to see her and tell her my suspicions. I’d rather do it face-to-face.”
“I’m coming with you, to see Buddy. Tilly’s lawyer told me that the only thing cheering up Tilly was good news about her dog. I’ll snap some more photos for her.”
Saying it, she cringed. It was a very bad excuse as Mrs. Cassidy could easily do this. But Delta felt like she urgently needed to spend some time with Jonas, both to gauge his feelings for Paula and to invite him to the dinner with Gran and Major Buckmore.
The mere idea made her stomach tighten. Gran really liked her new friend. It would be such a blow to her if he were found to be a con man. She’d rather forget about the whole trap idea and let Jonas do some quiet inquiries instead.
Delta told Hazel she was going with Jonas to see Buddy and would do their grocery shopping on the way home. “I’ll also cook dinner to make up for running out on you all day long.”
“Great. I’ll have a soak in the tub while you’re out. Gives me a chance to finish the book I started ages ago. Just give me your key so I can lock up. Despite Sheriff West’s promises, I still haven’t heard anything about getting mine back.”
Delta handed over the key and waved goodbye. Jonas let her into the Jeep’s passenger seat and got in himself, buckling up. Delta said, “Do you really think Mrs. Cassidy wouldn’t see through this man’s intentions? She’s usually very sharp.”
“I want to warn her, and then it’s off my back. Whether she believes me or not is her business.” It sounded curt.
Delta said, “You really didn’t like the CEO thing. You sound seriously out of sorts.”
Jonas waved a hand. “Just personal stuff.”
Delta bit her lip. A real friend would probably ask more questions and find out what was wrong then, but she asked herself whether she even wanted to know. What if Jonas started to explain to her that he was in love with Paula or that Paula was in love with him and…
No, she could never talk about that without giving something away of her own feelings. Sitting beside him in the comfort of the Jeep, with the rain pattering on the roof, she felt so at ease, so at home with him that the thought of losing that confidentiality hurt like crazy. Even if they’d still meet, it would never be the same once she knew he was in love with someone else.
Jonas said, “How is the Tilly Tay thing unfolding? Any new leads?”
“Maybe. Have you heard about the sheriff looking into safety deposit boxes at banks? To find the missing money from the pyramid scheme?”
Jonas seemed uncomfortable a moment. “Yes, I heard it in passing. How come?”
Delta kept her gaze on his profile as she asked, “Is he looking into boxes that belonged to Weatherspoon or also to Tilly?”
Jonas’s expression showed the smallest slip, but Delta still noticed. “He is,” she concluded. “So he wonders whether Tilly was involved in Weatherspoon’s cons.”
“West put two and two together. Why ransack the van of an elderly lady who owns nothing worth stealing? Yes, her models are valuable because of the time and effort she put into them, but they can’t be readily sold for cash like jewelry or a laptop. It was no ordinary theft. That person was looking for something specific.”
“Like the key to a deposit box?” Delta asked.
“For instance,” he nodded.
“I have an idea who the intruder might have been.” Delta told Jonas about the information the friendly waitress at Mine Forever had given her that morning, concerning the man Weatherspoon had argued with at the motel before he had died.
Jonas huffed. “That is a very vague statement. The police can’t find the man in question based on that little information.”
“Still, it’s a lead. I also wanted to share something else. Tilly’s sister showed up. Tabitha Tay. She is married to some wealthy man called VanderHurst and has horses. Keen rider too. She claims to be staying at the Lodge, with her horse. I guess she exercises him in the woods. Have you seen her there? She’s a rather tall commanding type…” She described the woman better but still felt it was rather vague.
No wonder Jonas shrugged. “I don’t have a lot of business with the guests who come for horseback riding. There is an instructor who accompanies the less-experienced riders. Why? Do you think the sister is somehow important?”
“I don’t know. I was wondering why she showed up at the police station wanting to talk to Tilly.”
“Maybe she is the protective sister who wants to get Tilly out of trouble. Or maybe she sees it as a chance to tell her to change her lifestyle. Often relatives use the brush another has with the police to point out what could be done better. Sad but true.”
“Sad?” Delta queried. “Isn’t it good if someone cares?”
“Obviously, but let’s be honest. If you were in the cell, and suddenly your brother turned up telling you that he had always known running a stationery shop in a small town was a bad idea and hopefully you’d see that too, now, and change your ways, would you think he cared?”
“Not really. I would be annoyed and feel attacked.”
“Exactly.” Jonas turned the wheel to let the Jeep run smoothly through a bend in the road. “But, if you want me to look into the sister further, I might find out a thing or two.”
Delta stared ahead. “Can you look into anyone you want? Suppose I met someone and I want to know if he’s reliable? I mean, you’re not a policeman, so you need not have a concrete suspicion to do some quiet research, right?”
“Wow, wait a minute.” Jonas raised a hand. “If you met a guy and want to know if you can safely date him, I’m not going to check him out.”
“No? I thought we were friends.” Delta pretended to pout. In truth, her heart was racing at the idea that Jonas thought about her possibly dating and even sounded a little…jealous? “Don’t you care at all for my safety?”
Jonas glanced at her. “Is there some guy you want to date?”
Delta held his gaze in that brief moment before he focused on the road again. What did those eyes tell her? Was he worried? Surprised?
Envious?
She couldn’t quite tell. She fidgeted with her hands. “There’s more to life than work, you know.”
“Maybe.” It sounded dismissive. Jonas took his time to look in the rearview mirror at some car coming up behind them at high speed. He let him overtake them, muttering, “Idiot.” before saying to Delta, “I don’t want to tap into my contacts too often. For a good cause, of course, I mean, Tilly Tay’s case now and all, but…” He held the wheel tighter, judging by the tension in his knuckles. “Still, if you feel unsafe and it would help… This raises the question of why you’d even date a guy you don’t trust. Just because he’s good-looking?”
“It’s not about me,” Delta admitted with a sigh. “It’s Gran. She met this charming gentleman who sweeps her off her feet with dates, flowers, and exciting stories about local history. They seem to share so many interests it’s almost too perfect. I like him, I honestly do. But some woman showed up at the shop today claiming she cleans for old ladies and has heard stories about this man wooing several women with bad intentions. She came explicitly to warn me about the danger to Gran.”
“Do you know that woman?”
“No.”
“Odd, then, don’t you think? Why her concern?”
“She’s mainly concerned for her own clients, I gathered. And the police aren’t doing a thing, as they claim nothing criminal has happened yet.”
“Which is true. If there had been any charges, they’d look into it, I’m sure.”
“Of course.” Delta nodded. “But Hazel, who talked to the woman while I was away to look into Tilly’s case, is now certain we have to do something to find out more about the intentions of Major George Buckmore, and she is setting up a trap.”
“Trap?” Jonas echoed with a worried look at Delta.
“It’s a dinner. For Gran and the major, Hazel and Ray…and you and me.” She didn’t dare look at him as she said it. “Hazel thinks that if there’s a hundred bucks around, he will steal it, and you can catch him red-handed.”
“That’s not how it works. Con men like that don’t typically act when there are others around.”
“I told her that, but she says it will work. I think she feels somehow guilty about lending the key to Tilly Tay that gave her and the killer access to the shop, and now she wants to make up by exposing this supposed threat to Gran. She means well, and I do want to know what he’s about. But I’m not too sure about this particular plan.”
“I’d say don’t do it,” Jonas said. He drove into Mrs. Cassidy’s driveway and parked the Jeep behind an unobtrusive beige car. “Know whose that is?” he asked Delta.
She shook her head. “Not a clue.”
“Let’s have a look.” Jonas got out, and Delta followed him around the house. At the back door, which stood ajar, they heard voices inside.
Mrs. Cassidy said, “I do appreciate you can do it on such short notice.”
“I hope it will make you sleep better,” a male voice said.
Jonas looked at Delta, then knocked, pushed the door open, and stepped in. In the kitchen they found Mrs. Cassidy and a man attaching a small black device to her kitchen window. “Hello,” Mrs. Cassidy said, startled by the sudden intrusion. “I didn’t hear you until you were already inside.”
“We wanted to tell you some good news,” Delta enthused to explain for their rather rude behavior. “But you have company, so it can wait.” She kept smiling widely.
Mrs. Cassidy gave her a curious once-over and said to the man, “You can take care of this, Mr. Criggs? I will take my visitors into the living room then.” She led the way, Buddy coming to jump at them and bark. Nugget sat in her basket looking too dignified to join in this overexcited greeting ritual. Mrs. Cassidy clapped her hands together and said, “What is it?”
Jonas lowered his voice and asked, “Is this the man who left you a card in case you wanted an alarm?”
“Yes. I feel quite silly now. I told him explicitly when he was here first that I don’t need it or want it.” Mrs. Cassidy flushed. “But now I asked him to come, and he made space in his schedule especially for me. I do feel that I should pay him extra for his service.”
“Not necessarily.” Jonas informed her, still speaking low, of his suspicions. Mrs. Cassidy’s eyes went wide. “You mean that he urges people to get an alarm, and then, after they decline he breaks in… No, that can’t be right. The intruder here was after Buddy.”
“We thought so,” Delta said, “because of Tilly’s van and all, and you happening to be the one who accepted the dog into your home. But the two things might not be related. He” she gestured in the direction of the kitchen, “could be the very person who…”
Mrs. Cassidy shook her head. “I would never have thought of it. Especially because I’m so distracted by Buddy’s presence, Nugget feeling ignored and all the talk in town about the shop…”
“The shop?” Delta pounced. “You mean, our shop, Wanted?”
“I’m so sorry.” Mrs. Cassidy looked dejected. “I hadn’t meant to tell you.”
“What is it?” Delta urged her with a hand on her arm. “Come on, you can tell me.”
“You might as well; she’ll hear it anyway through the grapevine,” Jonas supported her.
Mrs. Cassidy took a deep breath. “The shopkeepers aren’t happy I advised them strongly to give shopkeeper of the season to you and Hazel. They feel like it’s now a stain on their group and the town. With the murder having happened and being connected to Wanted. I tried to explain to them how silly that is, but they aren’t easily swayed.”
“I can give it back,” Delta offered, but Jonas held up a hand. “Not so quickly. If Tilly turns out to be innocent, it was just false suspicions. You shouldn’t have to hand back an honor you fully earned.”
Delta blushed under his praise.
Mrs. Cassidy nodded firmly. “My ideas exactly. But this unpleasantness does gnaw at my nerves.”
“You’re right.” Delta rubbed her palms together. “To be honest, I’m worried that we are so focused on finding criminals we might be seeing them where there aren’t any.” She glanced at Jonas. Were they making a mistake setting up a trap for Major Buckmore? Would it only hurt her bond with Gran if it got out?
Jonas wrapped his arm around her shoulder a moment and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, Delta. We’ll protect your gran together. I promise.”
She looked up into his eyes, seeing the warmth there and the determination to stick to that promise. For a brief moment she felt totally protected, safe, in place.
“Excuse me…” The man popped his head around the entry. “I can’t back up. There’s a Jeep behind my vehicle.”
“I’ll move it,” Jonas said. He left the room. Mrs. Cassidy leaned over to Delta and said, “When you told me you had some exciting news to share, I thought for a moment you were going to tell me you were in love. I know it’s fast, as you’ve only lived her for two months, but still… There’s been a strong connection between the two of you from the beginning.”
Delta flushed. “We’re just very good friends.”
Mrs. Cassidy said, “Feelings are nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I’m not ashamed of what I…” Delta bit back the rest. She didn’t feel like explaining how complicated all of this was. “Like you just said, I’ve only lived here for two months. You can’t really know someone in so short a while.”
“And you can’t fall in love?” Mrs. Cassidy asked with a tilted head. “I’ve heard people say it can happen at first sight.”
“Not for me. I need to know that I can trust someone.”
“I don’t think that’s an issue with Jonas.”
“Car moved.” Jonas appeared in the entry. “I took the liberty of mentioning to him that I hadn’t seen him around before, and he assured me he’s been working this area for years. Now I will check up on that statement as soon as I can and let you know. Just an extra precaution, free of charge.” He said to Delta, “Ready to leave?”
“Yes, we must be going. I have my shopping to do.”
“I can drop you off at the supermarket, if you want.” Jonas leaned back on his heels. “I mean, I can wait while you do the shopping and then take you home.”
Delta smiled at him. “Thanks, that would be great.”
Once in the Jeep, she wondered why he was being so nice to her. Did he feel guilty because he knew he was in love with Paula and didn’t want to tell her?
She looked for a way to start chatting about the pretty brunette, but nothing came to mind. In fact, her thoughts didn’t want to focus on anything but an intense sense of loss at the idea Jonas was marrying someone else. They could still be friends, of course, but it wouldn’t be the same.
Which said enough about her so-called friendship with him. It was more. Much more that she wanted to keep.
***
At the supermarket Jonas said he might as well do some shopping for himself, and they went inside together. Picking lettuce and tomatoes and even arguing about what the best orange juice was, Delta felt they were just like a couple. What would it be like to be some place with Jonas and look at him and know he was hers?
She had never before felt so possessive of a man. It was exciting and intimidating at the same time. His opinion mattered to her, a lot, like when he had said she should really take action about Zach. But she didn’t really dare to allow herself to feel it. People you cared for could hurt you. By their actions, like Zach had done, or when they got into trouble, like Gran was in now with the loss of her home and the possible threat coming from the charming Major George Buckmore. No, Delta didn’t want to add more people to the list she had to worry about.
Chapter Thirteen
Over the quick but delicious pasta meal Delta prepped for Hazel and herself, they talked about Tilly Tay’s case. Delta told Hazel about the teen working at the motel who had allegedly seen the victim argue with a younger man. “We should really find out who that was,” she said. “Maybe he killed the victim?”
“If he did, he will be long gone. Why stick around?” Hazel dug her fork into the grilled cheese on top of her spaghetti. “This is great, thanks for cooking.”
“I owed you, for being away all day. I do feel like I’m doing too little for the shop.”
“You got shopkeeper of the season. That’s a real honor.”
