Lilac Avenue (24 page)

“And unless Constable Kibble says you can,” Hannah said.

“Thanks for reminding me,” Scott said. “You girls mind if I go back to work now?”

“Thanks for the lift,” Claire said as she got out.

Hannah tried but couldn’t get the back door open.

“Very funny,” she said. “No kidding, let me out. I’m starting to feel short of breath.”

Scott unlocked the doors and Hannah joined Claire on the sidewalk. He slid down his window and said,
“You two keep out of trouble, you hear?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Hannah said. “Where would you be without my investigative skills?”

Scott drove off, shaking his head.

“Let’s go have a meeting in the Inn,” Hannah said. “I need some coffee.”

“It’s full of people right now,” Claire said. “Get what you need in the kitchen and meet me in the basement.”

Claire went around the back side of the Inn and down through the hatch door into the basement. She was just in time to catch Jeremy and Courtenay getting their clothes back on.

“Nice,” Claire said. “Hello, Courtenay. Remember me?”

“I sure do,” Courtenay said with a grin. “You socked Knox in the jaw the day he locked Meredith in the office safe.”

“Excuse me ladies,” Jeremy said, and took the rest of his clothes with him through the door to the stairs that led to the upper level.

“How was he?” Claire asked Courtenay, who was wriggling back into her tight skirt.

“Meh,” Courtenay said. “About what you’d expect.”

“I know they’re paying you off,” Claire said. “As soon as the toxicology report comes back, if it says Mamie died of natural causes, then the insurance agents will deliver a check. If it says she was poisoned, there will be no check and no pay off.”

Courtenay shrugged.

“
Knox owes me money,” she said. “I don’t care how he gets it.”

“Did one of them kill Mamie?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Courtenay said. “I just want what’s owed me.”

“When was the last time you
saw Mamie?” Claire asked her.

“I’m not telling you anything,” Courtenay said. “You must think I’m really dumb.”

“These aren’t clueless, kind people you’re dealing with,” Claire said. “Aren’t you worried about what they might do to you?”

“Not really,” Courtenay said.

“Are you still seeing my ex-husband?”

“Maybe,” she said. “I don’t see how that’s any business of yours.”

“Does he know you told the feds where to find him when he went to Mexico?”

“I don’t know who told you that
, but it’s a lie,” Courtenay said. “You’re just jealous.”

“Oh, Courtenay, I’m really not,” Claire said. “And if you really love the guy, then good luck to you. You’ll need it.”

“Unlike you, I understand Pip,” Courtenay said. “He’s had a hard life; everyone he’s ever loved has let him down. Nobody believes in him like I do. I’m going to help him start his own business. He’s renovating Sloan’s house up in Glencora. You know which one it is, don’t you?”

“No,” said Claire. “But I’ll just look for the cloud of pot smoke and the line of teenage girls waiting to get in the bedroom.”

“You can’t blame a man for his nature,” Courtenay said. “Plus, he’s great in bed.”

“Meh,” Claire said. “I’ve had better.”

“Lucky you,” Courtenay said. “Well, see you round.”

Hannah came down the steps as Courtenay was leaving.

“Hey,” Hannah said. “I know you.”

“You sat on me once,” Courtenay said. “The day Knox locked Meredith up in his safe.”

“You bit me,” Hannah said. “I still have the scar.”

“See ya,” Courtenay said, and went on past Hannah.

“What was she doing down here?” Hannah asked.

“The usual,” Claire said. “That child had better watch her back.”

“Ceilings,” Hannah said. “She’s too busy looking at ceilings from on her back.”

“True,” Claire said. “What do you think of my salon?”

“Groovy,” Hannah said. “It looks like angel camp.”

“Good,” Claire said. “That’s what I was going for.”

The door to the basement opened and eight women with luggage entered the space.

“There’s my staff arriving,” Claire said. “We’ll have to meet later.”

The massage therapists and Reiki Master were very helpful in better arranging the spa treatment tents. Each one claimed a tent and set up the gear they brought with them. Claire left them to it, and went out the back way to her car. She had multiple errands to run for the wedding, and wanted to find Scott so she could tell him what Courtenay had told her.

It took her half an hour to get to the nearest shopping mall, where she might have a shot at getting decent black suits and ties for the wedding party. She drove around the mall to the “Men’s Barn,” and parked. Much to her surprise, as soon as she got inside she discovered Patrick, Sam
, and Ed inside, trying on suits.

“You guys!” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“Just following Hannah’s orders,” Sam said.

“It’s not every day your little sis gets married,” Patrick said.

“So you know,” Claire said.

“I’m big and handsome,” Patrick said. “But I’m not dumb.”

“This is great,” Claire said. “Let me help you.”

The staff at the Men’s Barn was glad to let Claire take over. Within the hour she had all three men in black suits, white shirts, and gray ties, and had talked Patrick and Ed into buying new shoes as well.

Scott arrived as they were paying, and Claire almost followed him into the dressing room before he turned and said, “I think I can do this myself.”

Patrick and Sam took off, but Ed stayed behind.

“How’d you talk Maggie into going through with the wedding?” he asked.

“Easy,” Claire said. “I found a way where nothing could be her fault.”

“Very smart,” Ed said. “I heard you lost your job.”

“What?” Claire said. “Oh, yeah, that. To tell you the truth I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to think about it.”

She told Ed about working for Anne Marie.

“I’d like to sit in on
one of those seminars,” Ed said, “just to see what it’s like.”

“I
f you were willing to sign a confidentiality form, she’d let you,” Claire said. “Of course, then you couldn’t report on what happened.”

“Do some spying for me,” he said.

“If I get the chance I will.”

“I may have found you
a new job, by the way,” he said, “if you’re interested.”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Claire said. “What is it?”

“They need someone to teach makeup application in the theater department at Eldridge,” he said. “I was pretty sure you took classes in that.”

“I’ll have you know I earned a certificate from a professional cinema and theater arts hair and make-up school in Californ-i-ay,” Claire said. “I can make you look like a zombie in just under four hours.”

“Great,” Ed said. “Stop by the department next week and the dean will talk to you about it. He was really excited about maybe getting you.”

“Everybody loves a movie star,” Claire said. “It’s just the leftover stardust on my sleeve from Sloan that attracts them.”

“Or something,” Ed said, and smiled at Claire.

Claire felt a little shiver go up her spine.

“How’s this?” Scott said, and they both turned to look.

“No, no, no, no,” Claire said. “That’s navy blue, for one thing. Just wait here and I’ll find you something decent.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Scott said. “Whatever you say.”

“That’s good practice for marriage,” Ed said. “Just obey and be polite.”

“Maybe if your wife came around more often I’d be more willing to take your marriage advice,” Scott said.

“What wife?” Claire said, returning with a black suit in Scott’s size.

“Never mind,” Scott said

He quickly took the suit from Claire’s hand and raced back into the dressing room.

“What did he mean?” Claire asked Ed, who was turning pink in the face.

“You remember Eve?”

“Sure I do,” Claire said. “She called me a bubble-headed nincompoop at a New Year’s Eve party. Pip made a pass at her and she kicked him in the groin.”

“Sounds like Eve,” Ed said. “We haven’t lived together in a long time, but we also never got around to getting divorced.”

“Why?”

“Well, at first, it was because I didn’t want the divorce and I hoped we’d work it out, but eventually it was just lack of money. I certainly could never afford to hire a lawyer and she just didn’t care. It’s certainly never stopped her from shacking up with whomever she fancies. Plus she always puts me on her health insurance plan. That’s worth a lot to me.”

“I see,” Claire said.

“Sorry,” Ed said. “I know that all sounds really flimsy, but honestly, I just never had a reason to do anything about it.”

“That must have made Melissa feel really good about your relationship.”

“It was a factor in our break
up,” he said. “I won’t deny it.”

“Well, thanks for telling me about it,” Claire said. “It’s none of my business, of course.”

“I wouldn’t say that, Claire,” Ed said.

“Well, I would never date a married man,” Claire said. “Just so we’re clear on that.”

“Is it okay to come out?” Scott called from the dressing room.

“Perfectly fine,” Claire said.

“Claire,” Ed said. “I’m sorry. I thought everyone knew about it.”

“The jacket fits fine,” Claire said to Scott. “But I’d like to see you in a pair of pants one size smaller.”

“But my boys need to breathe,” Scott said.

“One size smaller,” Claire said. “Your boys will be fine.”

“Yes ma’am,” Scott said.

Ed sighed and sat down on a nearby chair.

“Health plan, huh?” Claire said.

“Yep,” Ed said. “They’re expensive.”

“And they don’t offer a health plan to their professors at Eldridge?”

“They probably do,” he said. “I hadn’t thought to ask and I haven’t signed my contract yet.”

“I think you should look into it,” Claire said.

“I will, Claire,” Ed said, with a smile. “I certainly will.”

Claire met Hannah at Maggie’s apartment at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday evening for her bachelorette party. Hannah brought all the junk food they used to love as kids, and Claire brought a VHS copy of
The Princess Bride
along with her parents’ old VCR.

“I hope this machine still works,” Claire said. “I still need to get their electronics upgraded into this century.”

“We’re old school here,” Maggie said. “I still think of DVDs as the new technology, and there Hannah is, living up the holler, getting all her movies through the Internet.”

“Only ‘cause I’m married to the Appalachian Iron Man,” Hannah said. “We’ll all be watching holograms pretty soon.”

“Did I tell you that Eugene O’Hare Jr. came to see me?” Claire asked.

“I’m surprised he can go out in the daylight,” Maggie said. “I figured he was allergic to sunlight and fresh air.”

“I hope you cut his hair,” Hannah said. “He looks like a serial killer.”

“His mother wants to fix us up,” Claire said.

“He lives in his mother’s basement,” Maggie said. “He still wears the same clothes he wore in high school.”

“If you marry him
, you’ll be Claire O’Hare,” Hannah said. “Has kind of a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Hair by Claire O’Hare.”

“He gave me some very pretty rocks,” Claire said.

“Engagement rocks,” Hannah said. “You’re betrothed now.”

“I’m surprised that mother of his would let him out of her sight,” Maggie said.

“I think she’s worried about what will happen to him after she dies,” Claire said.

“I can tell you exactly what will happen,” Hannah said. “Eugene is going to sell everything and
move to Brazil.”

“How do you know that?”

“I asked him,” Hannah said. “He helped me remove a bat that was stuck in their chimney, and the whole time his mother was nagging at him to ‘be careful,’ and ‘remember your asthma,’ and so on. When I was leaving, I said, ‘I don’t know how you can stand it,’ and he said he just reminds himself that someday she will pass away and he can finally go to Brazil.”

“Why Brazil?” Maggie asked.

“Evidently that’s the best place to find geodes,” Hannah said. “He’s always wanted to live there.”

Claire thought about the deep reservoir of dreams that existed in poor little Eugene
Jr., like a butterfly in a chrysalis. You just never knew about people. They could be deeper and more romantic than you ever imagined.