The Glitter End, page 19
“You really think of everything,” Delta said with a grin. Jonas disappeared into the kitchen area with the bottle and pan. Delta found some scented candles and lit them with a lighter from the mantelpiece. The scent of vanilla from the candles mixed with cinnamon and orange from the stovetop as Jonas carried glasses with the mulled wine into the room. “Smells delicious.” Delta sat down on the leather sofa and he came to sit beside her. He handed her a glass, and they toasted.
“To…” Jonas left it open, eyeing her with his blue gaze.
This would be the perfect moment to say it. One little word. Us.
To friendship that had become so much more.
“To…a great evening.” Delta smiled. “I wouldn’t have wanted to do it without you.” It didn’t come out exactly the way she wanted to say it, but the intention was clear.
Jonas kept looking at her, taking in all her features, it seemed. She waited for him to lean over to her and put his lips to hers. But he sipped his mulled wine and said, “You try.”
She tried, letting the spicy aroma roll over her tongue. “Very nice.”
Jonas put his glass on the low table and stretched his legs. “Basic but comfy.”
“I’m fine with that.” You know, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for some time. It’s that…
“There’s indeed nothing in the fridge, but luckily, I brought a few things to make us breakfast in the morning.”
“Great.” Isn’t it nice to be here together? You and I. We. I mean…
Spud made a low sound as he settled better on the floor. Jonas leaned down to him and patted his back. “Sleep tight, big boy.” Then he looked at Delta again. There was no sound from the outside, not even the splatter of rain. It was so quiet, as if everything was holding its breath, waiting for either of them to make a move.
He’d have to do it. She didn’t have the guts for it. She had promised herself, but her mouth didn’t want to say the words her head was coming up with.
“It said in the email there is bedding in the bedrooms,” Jonas said. “You do have to make your own bed. I hope you don’t mind at this hour.”
“Not at all.” Delta emptied her glass. “As a matter of fact, I might try and make it right now. I’m not too tired yet. I’ll be back soon.” She got up and went to her bedroom. Jonas had put her things beside the bed. She found the duvet and pillows in the cupboard and made the bed. Her heart was fluttering. If she didn’t take advantage of this situation to get a kiss, she’d be a total fool.
Okay. I’m going back in, sit down beside him, and then I’ll lean into him. If he puts his arm around me, I’ll take it from there.
She snuck back to the living room to watch him as he sat there with his dog. To gather courage to go over and do it. For real.
But Jonas wasn’t merely sitting there. He was on his phone. Smiling down at it.
It couldn’t be anything work-related so late at night. It had to be Paula texting him.
Delta cleared her throat. Jonas looked up. She said, “I’m really tired, so I’m turning in. Thanks for a wonderful evening.”
“Sure,” Jonas said. There was a moment’s confusion in his face, hesitation as if he wasn’t certain what to do next: ask her not to turn in right away yet, chat a bit…be together?
She turned away. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
Walking into her bedroom, she could just slap herself that she let this chance pass. But, if she made a move, and he didn’t share her feelings, it would mean more than just hurt pride. She’d lose their friendship, which meant the world to her. She didn’t want to wake up and realize that she no longer had Jonas to rely on, all because she had kissed him while he didn’t want her to.
No, it was better this way.
Safer.
Chapter Sixteen
The next morning, Delta woke with a fleeting sensation something was not quite as it normally was. It took her a few moments to realize she was not in her bed at Hazel’s cottage but in a strange place. Staring up at the ceiling with the light creeping over the curtains she recalled, bit by bit, what had happened the previous day. When she got to the part where she had walked out on Jonas texting Paula, she groaned. She could only hope the atmosphere was relaxed this morning and she could forget about her silly expectations. And focus on meeting Gran and her possibly dishonest beau. If Buckmore was after the gains from the pyramid scheme, he would be a serious adversary. They’d have to watch their step to lure him into coming clean, somehow.
Delta bit her lip. Gran was still unsuspecting, and here was Delta, betraying her by keeping silent about her real reasons for being here, about her suspicions and her fears. She was doing that out of respect for Gran, she told herself, and because she had so few facts, but she knew she was mostly afraid that the grandmother she loved so much wouldn’t believe her, and Buckmore would come between them. That Gran would choose to side with someone she barely knew, against her own granddaughter.
Delta sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her face. She wasn’t looking forward to today, or, rather, to how this was all going to pan out. Perhaps she had better not interfere at all. But, if you loved someone, you didn’t let them walk into danger, right?
She got up, showered and dressed, and then followed the scent of something baking. In the kitchen area, Jonas was busy making orange juice, coffee, and whatever he had in the oven. She went over for a peek, but Jonas stopped her midway. “Uh-uh, no snooping.”
His aftershave whirled around her. Spud was sitting at the sink, glancing up with not much hope of a snack. Delta knew Jonas was very strict when it came to never feeding the dog people food, so she gave him a big hug instead. “We’ve already been out for a run,” Jonas told her. “I thought you’d like to sleep a little longer.”
“Yeah, sure.” She bit back the disappointment of having missed the early morning forest mist and the companionship with him. “I hope you didn’t feel like I bailed out too early last night?”
“Nah.” The half-hearted denial made her perk up and study him. “Had you wanted to chat about Buckmore?”
“It might have helped to have a strategy.”
“I see. What strategy?” She gave Spud another pat on the head and seated herself at the table. Jonas put a glass of juice and a mug with freshly brewed coffee before her. Then he turned to the oven and extracted the tray. “Ta-da!”
“Croissants!” Delta beamed at him. “I love those, especially when they’re warm.”
“Right now, they are piping hot, so mind your fingers.” He pointed at the dishes on the table. “Butter, jam, cheese.”
“You prepped this to perfection.”
“I like to be thorough.” Jonas picked up his own coffee and took a sip. “If Buckmore is an innocent old man with a penchant for history, I don’t want to ruin the friendship he built with your grandmother. But, if he’s a smart fraudster who’s possibly tied up in Weatherspoon’s murder, I want him exposed ASAP before he can do any harm. You don’t happen to know who those friends are that allegedly lost money to Weatherspoon?”
“No, Gran let it slip and then told me to keep it to myself. I shouldn’t have shared it with you at all.”
“So we can’t start a conversation about it and try to get more details about them.” Jonas pensively tapped a spoon on the edge of the sink. “I’d love to know if they really exist or are just his excuse for being interested in Weatherspoon’s fate.”
“I see. Why did you buy his book?” Delta asked.
“To get him to write something in it. I wanted his handwriting for analysis. I have a friend who can deduce a lot from handwriting. Not to mention, he knows the hand of well-known fraudsters.”
“So you’re now actively checking on the major?” Delta asked.
“Yes, I thought that was the plan. Especially now that he could be involved in the murder case as well. Am I wrong?”
He might have been messaging about that, last night, she thought. It wasn’t Paula at all. Silly me.
“Am I?” Jonas pressed.
“Well, to be honest, I’m not sure myself. I mean, I want to know what he is about, but, at the same time, I feel like checking on him is violating Gran’s life. I mean, she made friends with him. He’s her acquaintance, not mine. Do I have a right to do this? I feel like I should be protecting her, but what if she finds out and is mad about it? I would feel terrible.”
“You would feel terrible if she chose his side. Against you.”
As Jonas put it into words, Delta’s heart clenched. “Yes. It would feel like…I lost her. And I love her so much.”
Jonas put his glass on the table, came over, and hugged her. Delta leaned against him, feeling so safe and certain for just a few precious moments. He was there for her. He’d never let her down.
Jonas released her and smiled down on her. “I can’t stop your grandmother from getting mad at you if she does find out. But I will do my very best to make sure she doesn’t find out. And you do get to know whether Buckmore can be trusted or not.”
“Thanks.”
Jonas checked his watch. “We have to mind the time.”
Delta looked as well. “I overslept.”
“Just have a croissant. I didn’t make them for nothing.” He kept standing as if he was suddenly restless. Spud circled him looking up with a whine. “Yes, I’d better, uh…get the car ready.” Jonas left the kitchen. Spud stared after him as if he couldn’t quite place his mood.
How odd that he made all these breakfast preparations for me, and now it’s like he doesn’t want to sit down to breakfast with me at all. Delta put generous jam on the croissant. It was deliciously light, almost perfect.
Too bad the meeting with Gran and Buckmore hung like a shadow over their day. Delta feared to see them together and sense how much her grandmother really liked this man. The thrill of falling in love was so special. Something she wanted her gran to have. But not with someone unreliable. Someone who might have befriended her for reasons that connected with criminal money and potentially murder.
***
Having left Spud at the cottage, they arrived at the Lakeview Hotel around ten and heard from a waiter that Major Buckmore and Mrs. Douglas were sitting on the terrace with their after-breakfast coffee. The waiter asked if they’d like coffee as well and went to get it for them.
The terrace was covered and had red lamps on the beams casting a warmth over the hotel guests seated there. “Clever, hey?” Buckmore said, pointing them out. “November, and, still, we are breathing the outside air.”
He shook their hands and enjoyed playing host, giving them seats. “Well, well,” he said as they were all around the table. “How did you like my lecture last night?”
“I heard a few things I’ve never heard before,” Jonas said, “and I know the local history pretty well.”
Buckmore studied him as if he wasn’t quite sure whether it was a compliment or not. Delta wondered if Jonas wanted to provoke the major into showing some more emotion than just this pleasant air he seemed to exude permanently.
“How did you dig up all this interesting information?” Jonas asked.
“I can’t tell. Professional secret.”
Gran touched his arm. “Jonas is a wildlife guide, so maybe he wants to liven up his tours with some gold rush facts? You could...”
“He bought my book, so he can read it all in there. If he has the time to read it.” Buckmore said it jokingly, but Delta had the impression there was a cold flash in his eyes. Did he suspect them of an ulterior motive in buying his book?
The waiter brought their coffee, and Buckmore turned charming again, telling an anecdote that hadn’t been in his lecture the previous evening. Gran couldn’t keep her eyes off him, smiling the entire time. Delta was glad for her but also slightly put off that Buckmore didn’t allow anyone any space to talk. He was completely centering the conversation on himself.
Then, as he was finishing talking, he said, “A wildlife guide, hey? A sort of ranger?”
“No, just telling people about deer,” Jonas said casually.
But Gran said, “Jonas did work for the police before he came to live in Tundish.”
Maybe Delta only imagined it, but Buckmore seemed to stiffen when he heard the word “police.”
Jonas said quickly, “I was a dog handler. I really love working with dogs.”
“Yes, you had a dog with you last night,” Buckmore said.
“That’s Spud, the dog Jonas uses for his current work.” Gran kept talking, not aware that this topic had been best avoided. “He helps K9s adjust to civilian life.”
“An important task,” Buckmore said and finished his coffee. He said to Gran, “We should be getting ready to leave for the museum.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Gran shot Delta an apologetic look. “I hope you don’t mind this was rather short, but we have so many plans for our stay here.”
“Not at all, I’m happy you’re enjoying yourself.” Delta hugged and kissed her. Gran went up to her room to change, and Buckmore accompanied Jonas and Delta to their car. In the parking lot he said, “I appreciate that you came to see your grandmother, Delta. But remember one thing: she’s a grown woman who doesn’t need a chaperone.”
Delta felt her cheeks catch fire. She struggled for something to say.
Jonas raised an eyebrow. “We were just interested in your lecture and…”
“Really?” Buckmore eyed him without blinking. “Or was there some other reason for turning up there, Officer? I’m telling you one thing. If you think you can smear my reputation, you’ll soon discover that you had better not.”
Although he didn’t use any harsh words, Delta sensed the implied malice in his phrasing. She shivered as she watched Buckmore walk away.
“He didn’t seem to respond very well to the revelation that I worked for the police.” Jonas spoke quietly. “That could be telling. Why mind it if he’s a law-abiding citizen?”
“I’d like to go inside and get Gran and take her away from this man.” Delta bit her lip. “But she sees no bad in him and won’t listen to me if I try to tell her.”
“You should try to tell her,” Jonas said. “But not now. Come.” He ushered her to the car door. “We’re leaving.”
***
While they drove back to Tundish, Delta’s head was so full of thoughts she didn’t know how to feel. Coming on this trip, she had only wanted to know if she was losing Gran to a con man. Now she wondered what the smart and observant Buckmore was really about. Had he taken it upon himself to look into Weatherspoon upon his release? Had the two of them ever met?
To divert attention, she pulled up her phone. “Oh, I forgot to turn it on this morning.” She studied the screen. “Hazel tried to call me several times. I hope there’s no bad news.” Her heart pounded fast as she pushed the callback button to contact her friend. “What if something happened to Wanted?”
When Hazel answered, however, she sounded cheerful. “I didn’t want to disturb your time away, but I have some good news. Excellent news, in fact. Tilly has been released by the police. I’m not sure whether it means they’re no longer suspecting her or if it was just because they had no more reason to hold her right now, but she’s out and about. Mrs. Cassidy picked her up and took her home to be reunited with Buddy. I bet they are both ecstatic to see each other.”
“How sweet,” Delta said. “Maybe we can drop by to see Tilly.”
“Don’t rush home. You ought to make the most of your stay.” Hazel sounded a little suggestive.
Delta said, “We’re already on our way to Tundish. We had a chance to hear Buckmore speak, and we had coffee with Gran and him. Everything looked rather uh…normal.” She could tell Hazel in person about Jonas’s suggestion Buckmore might be involved in the murder case.
“Oh.” Hazel sounded overtaken. “Does that mean you suddenly trust him?”
“Not exactly, but there’s little we can do right now. Does the fact that Tilly was released mean that the DNA found under the victim’s fingernails wasn’t hers?”
“No, not hers. They don’t know whose it is, but the deputy mentioned it was male DNA.”
Delta couldn’t help thinking of Buckmore. “We’re coming over to Mrs. Cassidy’s. I can’t wait to see Buddy and Tilly, of course.”
As she lowered the phone Jonas said, “So Tilly has been released. Only logical when you consider what West has against her.”
“The DNA found under the victim’s fingernails is male. So the killer could have been male.”
“With an emphasis on could have been. We don’t know if the DNA got there during the murder. Remember that the victim was stabbed in the back? That doesn’t feel like a fight to me.”
“Maybe there was a fight, and then Weatherspoon turned and walked away and the killer lashed out at him with the knife.” Delta took a deep breath. “It could have been Buckmore.”
“Just because your grandmother shared that he knew victims of the fraud? There were hundreds of victims, so there must be thousands of people who are friends or relations of them. Still, it was strange, his hostile reaction there at the end… I’ll try my best to get more on Buckmore, and on the pyramid scheme victims—most of all, Adam Baker and Cheryl Remington.”
Yes, of course the male DNA could also be Baker’s, Delta supposed. She added the two victims to her case file, making notes of what they had told them last night. The fact that Cheryl Remington’s PI had traced Weatherspoon to Tundish could be super relevant. They had known Weatherspoon was here before he had died. They could have met him and gotten into an argument with him. An argument gone wrong?
Delta let her gaze wander the case file’s many suspects and events that still didn’t form a logical sequence. She focused on the shadowy figure she had drawn to represent the man they had met in the forest. If he was Weatherspoon’s accomplice, then how did Buckmore fit in? Had the pyramid scheme been run by several people? After all, Weatherspoon’s cons had never been very successful, so it made sense to assume that, for the pyramid scheme, he had joined forces with someone with more criminal savvy than he had.
