Hollyhock Ridge (23 page)

“I’m not in love with him,” Claire said, and then felt her
face flush.

“You’re not very good at lying,” Sarah said.

“I’m not going to see him anymore,” Claire said. “I don’t
want to get involved with an alcoholic who’s not doing anything to get better.”

“I see,” Sarah said. “Well, thanks for the tip. I heard the
911 call you made about the meth lab at the storage unit facility; I recognized
your voice. Thanks for that tip, too. You’re single-handedly improving my
promotion prospects. If you’re interested in being a paid informant, maybe we
can work something out.”

“Sarah,” Claire said. “I’m sorry about Laurie.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sarah said, and
stood up.

“Hey, Fitzpatrick,” she yelled at Patrick. “Meet me out back
for ten minutes; I wanna strip-search you.”

“What are you looking for?” Patrick yelled back.

“A way to kill ten minutes,” she responded, and they all
laughed.

All but Claire. It dawned on her that Sarah’s sexually
predatory behavior was just another version of Laurie’s alcoholism, Kay’s
eating disorder, and her compulsive shopping. Evidently, all bitches not only
have sorrows, but self-destructive ways to battle them.

“See, the alarm’s not hard to set,” Claire explained to
Melissa, “and you know how to do everything else.”

“Are you sure Sean won’t mind me covering for you?”

“I think if he comes back and sees you already know how to
do everything, and you’re doing a good job, he’s more likely to leave things
the way they are. If it ain’t broke, you know?”

“If it isn’t broke,” Melissa said.

“Right,” Claire said. “Good catch.”

“Bonnie’s gonna skin me alive when she finds out,” Melissa
said.

“She’s not going to kill you and eat you,” Claire said.
“She’s all bark.”

“She’s gonna be my mother-in-law someday,” Melissa said. “I
hate to rile her up.”

“Has Patrick proposed?”

“Patrick done asked me to marry him the day I got home from
prison.”

“So?”

“I’ve known that man a long time,” Melissa said. “I wanna
make sure he can be true before I get yoked to him.”

“Don’t defer your happiness,” Claire said.

“That’s what your mama’s always saying.”

“That’s where I heard it.”

“Eve was in the bakery the other day,” Melissa said. “She
was downright rude to me just ’cause Ed wasn’t there to see her do it.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Ed and me weren’t right together,” Melissa said, “but he’s
a good man. I hate to see him get hornswaggled like that.”

“He’s a big boy.”

“They’re all big boys,” Melissa said. “That’s the problem.”

Claire was headed out the door when Pip arrived.

“Where’re you going?” he asked.

“Melissa and I switched jobs,” Claire said. “I’m working in
the bakery now and she’s working here.”

“How come?”

“She needs secretarial experience and I’m bored out of my
mind.”

“Hey, could you hook me up with some free food?”

“The leftovers go to the Pendleton City Mission.”

“I’m needy,” Pip said. “I’m hungry.”

“You’ve got twenty dollars and a job,” Claire said. “Count
yourself lucky.”

Claire turned to Melissa and said, “Don’t give him any money
no matter what he tells you.”

“Aw, Claire,” Pip said. “You didn’t have to go and say
that.”

“Don’t worry,” Melissa said. “I’m not fooled by the likes of
him.”

“Have fun,” Claire told them both, and left the office.

Professor Richmond was coming down the sidewalk from the
bookstore.

“Claire,” he called out to her. “So glad I caught you.”

“Hey,” Claire said. “Good news?”

“I’m afraid not,” he said. “I’m sorry to say they’ve decided
to hire a recent graduate, the unfortunately named Cressida Buttercombe.
Apparently our darling Cress failed to set Broadway on fire in the twelve months
Mummy and Daddy allowed her to try, so she’s coming back to Eldridge to teach.”

“So she’s barely got any acting experience and zero stage
and film hair and make-up experience,” Claire said. “I’m much more qualified
for the job.”

“I’m so sorry,” Professor Richmond said.

“Is this because of Gwyneth Eldridge?” Claire asked. “Or
because I can’t get Sloan to appear at the film festival?”

“No, not at all,” Professor Richmond said. “This is because
Cressida’s parents are paying to renovate and expand the theater arts facility
with ten million of darling daddy’s fertilizer export dollars. Imagine with me,
if you will, the horror that will be
The Buttercombe Center for the
Performing Arts
.”

“So it’s about money.”

“Fishes live in the sea, as men do a-land; the great ones
eat up the little ones,” he said. “In this case, I’m afraid, we are but little
fish compared to the great white Buttercombes.”

“Damn,” Claire said. “I really wanted that job.”

“And we wanted you to have it,” he said. “Torby and Ned will
be devastated.”

“Oh well,” Claire said. “I guess that’s that.”

“Chin up,” he said. “Remember, the robbed that smiles steals
something from the thief.”

“And what goes around comes around,” Claire said.

“We’ll still see you for Scrabble, I trust,” he said. “And
down the pub, as they say.”

“Of course,” Claire said. “Thank you for coming to tell me
in person.”

“Fare thee well, sweet ladybird,” he said. “Don’t let the
bloody buggers get you down.”

Ruthie Postlethwaite had been helping out at the bakery
while the majority of the Fitzpatrick women were at the beach, and she was glad
to see Claire show up to relieve her.

“I’m getting too old for this,” she said as she left,
rubbing her lower back.

Claire spent the afternoon making sales and prepping for the
next morning. It was hot, hard work, and by four o’clock her back ached and her
arms were weak from lifting heavy trays. When the four-thirty rush commenced,
she raced around waiting on customers and filling phone orders. By six-thirty
it was quiet again, so she started the evening clean-up chores.

Claire was filling a box with leftover baked goods for the City
Mission when the bells on the front door jingled. She looked up to see Marigold
Lawson, her face bright red with anger.

Marigold was a tall woman with strong features and an
Amazonian figure. Unfortunately, she dressed herself in clothing more
appropriate to a much more petite and girlish young woman. The end result was
that she looked both uncomfortable and foolish.

Claire, as was her habit, mentally cut the woman’s hair into
a shorter style, dyed it dark red, and dressed her in jewel-toned, long,
flowing tunic separates, with bold, chunky jewelry and more subtle make-up.
There. That was better.

“Your husband had the temerity to come to my house and ask
me for money,” Marigold said. “I have half a mind to call the police and have
him arrested for extortion.”

Claire’s whole body sagged and she moaned.

“Pip?”

“He looks like a dirty hippie,” Marigold said. “He’s lucky
my husband wasn’t home.”

“First of all, he’s my ex-husband,” Claire said. “Second of
all, I’m sorry, but I can’t control what Pip does with his time, or what kind
of hare-brained schemes he comes up with to get money.”

“He insinuated that he could make things difficult for me
with the police,” she said.

“He doesn’t mean it,” Claire said. “Pip has smoked so much
marijuana he has brain damage. Just take a broom to his backside and chase him
off your porch. If he comes back, tell him you’re calling the police and he’ll
run away.”

“It’s bad enough that the police have been to my house,”
Marigold said. “A squad car parked right out in front, like I’m some kind of
criminal.”

“I guess you
were
one of the last people to see Knox
alive …”

“He was alive when I left his house,” Marigold said. “Not
that anyone seems to believe me.”

“Meredith was there after you,” Claire said. “I’m sure
she’ll clear things up when they talk to her.”

“Unless she killed him and blames me!”

Marigold’s face was so red Claire thought she might have a
stroke.

“Can I get you a cup of tea or something?” Claire asked her.
“I really am sorry about Pip.”

Marigold sniffed.

“You’re Kay’s friend,” she said. “You’ll probably call her
as soon as I leave. I’m sure she’s enjoying my predicament.”

“Kay’s a good person,” Claire said. “If you took the time to
get to know her, you would think so, too. She hasn’t said one unkind word about
you to the press, now, has she?”

Marigold looked as if she were about to cry.

“No,” she said. “She never has.”

Her chin trembled, her lower lip turned down, and the tears
fell.

“Come and sit down,” Claire said. “Have a cup of tea and eat
one of these leftover muffins while I clean up. We don’t even have to talk.
Just catch your breath. I promise you, Pip cannot hurt you, and Kay is not out
to get you.”

Marigold sat down, sniffed a few times, blew her nose, and
then peeled the paper off one of the muffins Claire had put in front of her.
Meanwhile, Claire made her a cup of strong hot tea with a generous spoonful of
sugar.

Claire filled three large bakery boxes and stacked them on a
table near the door, completely ignoring her guest, and eventually, after she
ate four muffins, Marigold regained her composure.

“I saw Stuart at Kay’s house,” Marigold said as she wiped
her mouth with a napkin. “He’s supposed to be on my side.”

“I wouldn’t want him anywhere near my side,” Claire said.
“That man’s one federal indictment away from a prison sentence.”

“He said Kay did most of the things he and Knox were accused
of.”

“Well, he would, wouldn’t he?” Claire said. “Fortunately for
Kay, she kept documentation that proves she had nothing to do with any of it.”

“Really?” Marigold said. “So she’s not under investigation?”

“Nope,” Claire said. “She’s helping the FBI with their
investigation.”

“That’s not what Stuart said,” Marigold said. “He said it
was just a matter of time before she was in jail and he was exonerated.”

“Stuart Machalvie is lying to you,” Claire said. “He’s lying
to everyone. It’s what he does.”

Marigold was quiet for a few moments, as if considering this
new information.

“So you don’t think Kay is going to use Knox’s death to
discredit me?”

“What’s to use?” Claire asked. “You went to visit a neighbor
for some reason and he died after you left.”

“There’s more to it,” Marigold said. “It’ll all come out
eventually.”

“So tell Kay your side of the story, and ask her to fight a
fair fight.”

“Fat lot of good that’ll do,” Marigold said. “She’ll
probably laugh in my face.”

“You really don’t know her at all, do you? Kay Templeton has
the most well-developed conscience of anyone I know. It’s like there’s a
flippin’ cricket on her shoulder. I’ve known her my whole life and I’m telling
you she’s a decent person.”

“Except my son spray-painted her house. It was just youthful
high jinx that got out of hand, of course, but nonetheless, I’m sure she holds
me responsible.”

“She doesn’t,” Claire said. “She holds your son responsible,
and she wants him to get counseling, not jail time.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my son,” Marigold said, drawing
her shoulders up in a huff.

“We’re being honest here, Marigold,” Claire said. “Your son
is a mean bully and pretty soon he’s going to seriously hurt someone.”

“What have you heard?”

“You can kid yourself about him, but not me,” Claire said.
“I saw what he wrote on those houses. That kid needs an anger intervention.”

“I took him to our minister,” Marigold said, as her
shoulders collapsed. “I’ve sent him to a private Christian school; I don’t know
what else to do.”

“I don’t know, either,” Claire said. “But Kay is not your
enemy. Go see her. Be honest with her and she will be fair with you.”

“It’s probably pointless,” Marigold said.

“Here’s something you can do,” Claire said. “Take these
boxes of leftovers to the Pendleton City Mission and make sure someone from the
paper is there to photograph you doing it. It’ll save me a trip and be good
P.R. for you.”

“Thank you,” Marigold said. “Why are you being so nice to
me?”

“Just something I’m learning,” Claire said. “You know the
saying: be kind, for everyone is fighting some kind of battle.”

“Well, I’m touched,” Marigold said. “I think after I drop
these off I will go and see Kay, and have a heart-to-heart talk with her.”

“Maybe you two could go to the mission together,” Claire
said. “Show the public you’re willing to put politics aside to help those in
need.”

“I won’t bother her,” Marigold said. “No need to muddy the
message.”

Claire wanted to laugh but held it in until Marigold left.

Even bitches have sorrows.

Gwyneth Eldridge came in right as Claire was closing up for
the night.

“We’re closing,” Claire told her.

“I didn’t come to buy anything,” Gwyneth said. “I want to
talk to you.”

Claire sighed, flipped the lights back on, and sat down.

“I’m so tired, Gwyneth,” Claire said. “Could you go ahead
and say whatever it is you came to say so I can disagree with you or tell you ‘no’
and then we can both go home?”

“There’s no need to be so rude,” Gwyneth said. “I’m offering
to do you a favor.”

“Do
me
a favor?” Claire said. “And why would you do
that?”

“Because I need your help,” Gwyneth said. “My back’s against
the wall on this spa issue, and I’ve come here, checkbook in hand, to beg you
to help me.”

“I don’t need the money,” Claire said, even though visions
of online shopping expeditions were dancing in her head.

“But you do need to get rid of Pip.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Nothing like that,” Gwyneth said. “Although he did only
half-build some bookshelves for me after I paid him for the whole job, and I
think he may have stolen an antique silver letter opener off of my desk.”

“Cut to the chase, Gwyneth.”

“My sister Caroline is living in Hawaii, where she’s
building a sort of ashram for her spiritual community.”

“I heard something about that.”

“She needs someone who can do all sorts of handyman work, not
only building the place, but to reside there afterward as a sort of jack-of-all-trades.”

“I’m sure there are people in Hawaii who can do that sort of
work.”

“Unfortunately, Caroline has made some social gaffs which
have alienated the locals. Something about wanting to barter for work using
spiritual lessons instead of money. Although she can afford to pay, she doesn’t
have her non-profit status yet, so she’d prefer not to hire someone. Pip would
ostensibly be a volunteer, but she’d take care of him under the table.”

“Which would suit him to a tee.”

“I’m willing to pay for a one-way ticket, and vouch for him
with whatever parole officer is unlucky enough to be in charge of him, so that
he can help Caroline with her project.”