The Busy Woman's Guide to Murder (18 page)

Hannah laughed. “I do actually. I bake like a madwoman the first week of November and freeze it all for the holidays. After that, I’m too busy until January.”

“But I see lots of baking supplies in prime spots. Make a list of what you do every day and what you do on the weekends and when you entertain. Think about how you work in the kitchen and how your husband does. When we come back we’ll sort out the extra cookware as we did the utensils and we’ll find a way to keep your daily tools at your fingertips.”

“Fun,” Lilith said.

“It will be.” I’m not sure if Hannah was reassured, but I knew she’d do the homework and she was well on the way to solving her problem. Of course, by now I had to dash.

Truffle and Sweet Marie were a bit surprised to be bundled into their coats for the second time that morning. They’d been dogs of leisure for a bit too long. Time to get to work. I tied on their therapy-dog scarves, collected Jack, and we spun off in a cloud of snow.

Once we were at Riverview Manor, Jack smiled and shook hands with every resident he could. He bent over to make eye contact with them, repeated their names, and laughed at his own jokes, which seemed to go over well with everyone. He had Sweet Marie with him, although he didn’t seem to need the cart. I used the cart for Truffle. Truffle was on his best behavior too and loved having his ears stroked. When I grow up, I sure hope I can be relaxed like Jack. He managed to have a chat with the chaplain and most of the staff, as well as a pair of round-faced and pleasant volunteers wearing large yellow smiley buttons. We each got a button too. Jack took time to make sure each resident could focus on Sweet Marie’s face. I had to admit, Sweet Marie’s glossy tan coat stood out next to Jack’s Hawaiian shirt, the one with the red hibiscus against a yellow background. It was a bit harder for people to see Truffle’s shiny black fur against my charcoal-gray cashmere sweater. I made a mental note to wear a contrasting sweater next visit. Or let Jack carry Truffle. Jack doesn’t own any dark clothing.

As I paraded Truffle around to some new arrivals, Jack took a minute to chat with two of the visiting wives as well. I watched him bend down to engage with everyone he met. It takes more than blank stares and noncomprehension to stop Jack when he wants to interest you in a dog. As I know all too well, having resisted Truffle and Sweet Marie at first.

Wherever he went there followed smiles and even laughter. Sweet Marie was truly on her best behavior, letting her ears be stroked and her head be scratched. She was much more relaxed on this second visit. I was too. Truffle made me proud, managing to convey great dignity—which isn’t all that easy when you’re a wiener dog. He also seemed happy to meet everyone and be patted and stroked. I’m not funny like Jack, but people seemed happy enough to see me, and, what was more important, to share a happy moment with my cuddly little dog.

Bella and Candy were thrilled with the visit. Once we were back in the foyer, they shook our hands (well, mostly Jack’s) and said how wonderful our visit had been and how this was going to work out beautifully.

Jack grinned his lopsided grin and said he was keen to keep coming. He was still wearing his yellow smiley-face volunteer button. Knowing Jack, he’d rustle up interest in volunteering back at CYCotics. His customers wouldn’t know what hit them.

I didn’t say much, but I knew he made the whole experience better. He helped me to relax and the dogs as well. I wasn’t sure why I’d been so worried about this, but Jack had helped alleviate those worries. As usual.

As we exited, he said, “You know something weird?”

“No,” I said. “What is weird?”

“You’ll never guess who I saw there.”

There’s no point in trying to guess, especially as he’d said I never would, but also because Jack knew so many people in Woodbridge, but before I could say, “Just tell me,” the dogs set off a storm of barking on spotting a Bernese mountain dog. We scuttled away hoping our new reputations hadn’t been ruined by the little monsters showing their true colors. Once the beasties settled down in the Miata, we chatted about our visit and I forgot to ask who it was that I never would have guessed. I was more interested in discussing our new experience.

I said, “That was nice, seeing those couples together. It was beautiful. Even though the spouses were now in Riverview and that must have been so hard on them, they are still so close and affectionate.”

Jack turned and stared at me. “Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?”

“Not in my world. My mother had four husbands, remember? And we’re not counting the many near misses. She couldn’t make a go of it when all she had was love, glamour, and money, so I can’t imagine her spending her days holding any of their hands in a dementia unit.”

Jack shook his head, “Maybe that’s the problem.”

“What’s the problem?”

“I think if my parents hadn’t been killed, they would have always been there for each other no matter what life brought them.”

Jack’s roly-poly happy mom and dad flashed through my memory. It was such a tragedy that they had been killed in a head-on collision when Jack was in the first year of his PhD program. I said, “You’re right. They would have been there for each other.”

“That’s the way it’s supposed to be, Charlotte.”

I said, “Mmm.”

Jack was strangely silent for the rest of the drive.

I had plenty of ordinary business to take care of that day. I needed to check the evaluation forms from the session the night before to see if I needed to adjust my workshop in any way. I had some invoices to do up, a few bills to pay, and it was time to take stock of my own office supplies. Hours flew by. It was only when I dropped into CYCotics with Jack’s afternoon coffee that I remembered to ask, “Who was it you saw at Riverview Manor, Jack?”

“What?”

I sighed. “The person you said I’d never guess. Who was it?”

“Right. That was a shocker.”

“Quit teasing and just say it.”

“It was that Serena.”

My jaw dropped. “Serena Redding? The beauty queen of mean?”

“Yup.”

“But that’s awful. What was she doing there?”

“I don’t know. I just caught a glimpse and I didn’t see her with anyone else.”

“Oh well, it probably wasn’t even Serena.”

“Pretty sure it was. And she was wearing a volunteer happy-face button and smiling her big lipsticky smile.”

“Hard to imagine.”

“Yup. That’s why I mentioned it.”

“But it’s a bit troubling. The people in Riverview Manor are so very vulnerable and we know how cruel Serena was. I have to find out what’s going on.”

Bella was more than happy to meet me during her coffee break in the small sunny cafeteria of Riverview Manor. She was waiting with coffee for both of us and a pair of yummy Danishes with apricot glaze. “We have an excellent bakery for the facility,” she said as she waved me to my seat. “But you have to act fast or everything’s gone in a flash.”

We chatted casually while I used my ploy of finding out more about the patients and unit. I said I was worried about making the wrong kinds of comments. “Yesterday I asked someone if they remembered Sweet Marie. I felt foolish about that. I hope I am going to catch on.”

“If anyone noticed at all, they’d just think you’re being conversational. You’re doing great,” Bella said, squeezing my hand. “And your friend is also a natural.”

I didn’t want to get sidetracked onto a Jack conversation, because that happens very easily. “I noticed plenty of volunteers, but not many our age,” I said.

“Most are retired, but we have everyone from high school kids to older seniors coming in here. We can use lots of different age groups. We want Riverview to feel like a regular community.”

I’d been hoping she’d say that Serena Redding was a volunteer, but that didn’t pan out.

“I thought I saw someone I went to high school with yesterday. Probably just a mistake on my part. People change so much.”

“Oh. I wonder who that would be.”

I said innocently, “I think her name is Serena.”

“Of course, Serena Zeitz.”

Jackpot. “Must be her married name. I knew her as Serena Redding.”

“It is. She’s married to Jerome Zeitz of
InZeitz.­com
.” She looked at me expectantly.

That took me by surprise. “The ethical investment guru?”

Bella lowered her voice. “The same. He made a huge fortune and retired young. He concentrates on good works now. Anyway, he’s originally from this area and they just moved back to Woodbridge. Well, they live in this fabulous estate outside of town.”

“Huh.” How unfair was that?

“Yes. Jerome Zeitz is very passionate about helping the community. He endowed our new wing here. His grandmother died of Alzheimer’s and it’s something he cares deeply about.”

I smiled and hoped she didn’t read my mind. “So, Serena is now volunteering here?”

A shadow passed over Bella’s face. “That’s right.”

Now I was in a situation. Could I say something to Bella about Serena? Should I? Was it worse to say something or not to? What if Serena had changed? Of course, from what I knew about her conversations with Mona and Haley, she could still create unhappiness and even panic. And I had no evidence that Serena was doing anything wrong at all. If Tiffanee could change, why couldn’t Serena? I couldn’t do anything about Mona, but I had to speak up about this. I guess I must have been biting my lip, because Bella touched my arm and said, “Is something wrong?”

I gave a guilty start. “No, no, no. I was just surprised to see her after—”

Bella said, “The harm she did as a teenager?”

“Oh. I was going to say—after all these years, but, yes, to tell the truth, that’s what I meant. Did you know about the bullying?”