As always, this is a work in progress and there could be (will be) typos, plot holes, and other errors but those will be fixed before the book is published a couple of months from now.
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Chapter 12
If you want to learn more about my other books you can find links to them HERE
Chapter After the tense supper with her father, Gladwynn decided she’d stop by Brewed Awakening for a cup of coffee to get her through the rest of her shift. Abbie was behind the counter with a smile, which was exactly what she needed.
“Whoa. You okay?”
Leave it to Abbie to be able to see right through her. She’d made sure she was smiling when she walked in and she and Abbie had only been friends for a few months, but Abbie could already tell when something was off.
Gladwynn waved her hand as if to dismiss the concern. “I’m fine. Just family drama.”
Abbie reached for a cup. Gladwynn knew she was getting ready to prepare Gladwynn’s usual coffee with French vanilla creamer and a dollop of whip cream on top. “Your dad?”
“Of course.”
Abbie turned to the coffee machine. The liquid pouring into the cup soothed Gladwynn and she found herself staring at it longingly.
Abbie glanced over her shoulder. “Already? Didn’t he just get there?”
Gladwynn reached into her purse for her wallet. “He doesn’t like to wait to bring a person down. Might as well get it over with seems to be his motto.”
The whipped cream spiraled upward and a swirl of chocolate syrup was added on top. “What’s his issue? Your moving or your job?”
“Both.”
Abbie slid a lid on the coffee cup and handed it to her. “Hopefully he accepts soon that you’re a grown woman and living your own life. Maybe it’s just hard for him and your mom to let you go.”
Gladwynn laughed. “No. That’s definitely not it. More like it’s hard for them to accept that I’m going to live my life and not the life they mapped out for me.” She took a sip from the cup. “Hey, I have this theory I want to run by you.”
Abbie tapped the top of the counter. “Run it by me. I’m ready.”
Gladwynn leaned closer, her elbows on the counter. “I think Derek was Samantha’s father.”
Abbie leaned back, eyes wide. “Really? What makes you think that?”
“Grandma and I found a letter in Samantha’s apartment from her mom apologizing to her for not telling her who her father was earlier.”
Abbie tilted her head, a small smile pulling at one corner of her mouth. “You were snooping at her apartment?”
Gladwynn shook her head. “No. We were looking for the extra scripts she had with notes for the actors. The letter discovery was an accident. Or at least Grandma said it was.”
Abbie pulled a tray of cookies from under the counter and began to refill the display case. “I can’t believe you’re pulling your grandma into being a snoop.”
“I did no such thing. She invited herself along. I offered to go so Grandma or anyone else that was close to Samantha didn’t have to.”
Abbie lowered her voice. “Did the letter say that Derek was her father?”
“No, but I just have a gut feeling. I mean Derek moved here like three years ago, Samantha two. They spent a lot of time together and – I don’t know. The letter just makes me think that Samantha was trying to connect with him.”
“Do you think he knew she was his daughter?”
Gladwynn shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t even know if my theory is true or not.”
The front door opened and several people stepped inside. Gladwynn guessed they were all together, maybe visiting the local state park or family in town.
“Good luck,” she whispered to Abbie before stepping away from the counter. “I’ll let you know if I find out anything else.”
“You better,” Abbie whispered.
The group was blocking her exit so she waited to one side, sipping the coffee. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blur of color and blond hair.
“Gladwynn!”
She looked toward the sound of her name being called. Summer was walking toward her with a cup in one hand and a takeaway pastry bag in the other.
“Gladwynn! Oh my goodness! I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since you found Samantha.” The tall, blond threw her arms around Gladwynn and pulled her in for a brief, tight hug. She leaned back, her hands still on Gladwynn’s upper arms. “Are you okay? I mean you can’t be okay. Not after such a shock. It was a shock, wasn’t it? It’s all over town that you and Doris found her. I just can’t believe she’s gone. It’s like a total nightmare.” She let go and swept her long curls off her shoulder. “Do you think she was really murdered? Based on what you saw? I mean was there a knife or something?”
Gladwynn waited for a few seconds to be sure Summer was done speaking before answering. “Uh. No. I didn’t see a murder weapon. And yes, it is a shock. I have no idea if she was murdered or not based on what I saw but the police seem to think she was.”
Summer grasped Gladwynn gently by the elbow and ushered her toward a table. “Sit down. Take a load off. I’m sure you could use someone to talk to. I know I could.”
“Actually, I have to get back to –”
Summer sat at the table and patted the surface of it in front of the chair across from her. “Oh just sit for a few. You work so hard. Luke is always saying so.”
Gladwynn sat reluctantly, catching the eye of Abbie who looked at her with a questioning expression. “I can stay a few minutes, sure.”
Summer sipped her tea and broke off a piece of her cookie. “Samantha and I had the best conversation one night in her apartment a couple of months ago. She was helping me learn my lines and we started talking about our lives and where we grew up. I grew up here, of course, but she told me she’d grown up in a small town somewhere in Nebraska. Her father was a farmer and her mother was a teacher. I could relate, of course, because my mother was also a teacher. I guess that’s why I love to read so much. My mother read all the time and it inspired me and now here I am working at the library that I practically lived in when I was growing up.”
Interesting. Hadn’t Vince said Samantha told him she was from outside Chicago?
Summer reached inside her purse for a tissue. Her voice softened. “Sam was so full of life. She had such plans for her future. She wanted to get married and have lot of children because she said she’d been an only child and she didn’t want her children to have such a lonely upbringing.”
She wiped her eyes and then gently blew her nose. “You hadn’t had a chance to meet her, had you?”
Gladwynn took a sip of her coffee. “No. I was set to meet her the day she died.” She leaned back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other. “Did she ever tell you what brought her to Brookstone?”
Summer frowned. “Not that I recall.”
“She didn’t say if she had any connections here? I mean, Brookstone, Pennsylvania is a long way from Nebraska.”
Summer’s blond waves bounced as she shook her head. “I couldn’t tell you. Maybe? I guess she just liked the area or something and the job looked good to her.”
A car honked somewhere outside. The line at the front of the shop was getting smaller now and most of the people who had come in earlier had found tables to sit.
“I think it’s weird that Derek died the week before her,” Gladwynn said. “I heard they used to hang out a lot. Did anyone ever say anything to you about who found Derek or how he died?”
Summer’s eyes widened. “Gosh. I don’t know who found him. I do think it’s weird he died only a week before Sam, but I have no idea how he died.”
Gladwynn glanced at her watch. She really needed to get to work. She was already late. Still she wondered what other information she might be able to pull from Summer. “Will you be going to his funeral?”
“Oh, of course. I loved Derek. Everyone did.” She broke off another piece of her cookie and popped it in her mouth. “He was a sweet man and a huge supporter of the library and the theater. He made a huge donation for us to buy books last year. We were able to replace half of the children’s library inventory with it.”
“Wow. So Derek must have had some money then.”
“He must have, but I don’t know much about him or his background. All I know is that he was hilarious, full of life like Samantha, and absolutely loved old black and white movies. He and Samantha used to watch them together in the lounge or at his or her apartment and even invited me one night. We watched Monkey Business with Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers. Marilyn Monroe played a small part in it too. Have you seen it?”
Gladwynn sipped her coffee again. “I have actually. My grandma and I love to watch old movies together.”
Summer broke off another piece of cookie, eating it has daintily as she had the other pieces. “Luke loves old movies too. I can’t say I’m a huge fan but I watch them because he likes them. I’ve enjoyed a couple we’ve watched, but I’m more a fan of 80s chick flicks.”
There she went again, slyly dropping Luke’s name into the conversation. Gladwynn wondered if she was doing it on purpose or it was natural for him to talk about him because they were so close.
“You know, it was weird,” Summer said thoughtfully. “That night when we watched the movie, Samantha kept getting up and taking phone calls. She seemed – I don’t know. Off somehow. I don’t know if it was the phone call or if something else was going on. I asked her if she was okay and she said she was a diabetic and hadn’t eaten right that day, but I felt like there was something more going on.”
Gladwynn spun the coffee cup in her hand. “When was this again?”
Summer touched a long finger to her chin and Gladwynn found herself staring at the dark red hue of her fingernail polish. “About five months ago. I think anyhow.” She stopped tapping her chin. “Oh, yes. That would have been about that long. It was when Luke and I were going to go to a renaissance festival but then he decided he didn’t want to go so Sam and Derek invited me to come over instead.”
She could stop mentioning Luke anytime now. That was the third time. In fact, to help her stop mentioning Luke, Gladwynn was going to excuse herself.
“I hate to cut this short, but I do need to get back to work.”
Summer brushed crumbs off her hand onto a napkin. “Oh, of course. I’ve taken up enough of your time.” She smiled, her eyes glistening. “Thank you for listening. It felt good to talk about Sam. She’s truly going to be missed.”
The sincerity in Summer’s voice was clear and Gladwynn agreed with her as she stood. She wished Summer a good day then quickly made her way to the front door before anyone else could stop her.
As she drove, she thought back to what Summer had said about Samantha seeming off that night. Maybe she’d simply been off because she hadn’t taken care of her health. Or could it have been because of whoever had been on the phone with her? Maybe someone was threatening her? Maybe Derek had told his children about her and it was one of them who she’d been on the phone with her that night.
***
Gladwynn couldn’t believe it but she’d finally caved under the pressure and given in to playing Diana in the Willowbrook production of Anne of Green Gables. Now here she was on a Saturday morning trying to learn her lines when she could have been at the lake relaxing,
She’d barely seen her father since their conversation two nights ago. She’d been at work and he’d been on conference calls or closed up in her grandfather’s office by the time she was up for the day.
This morning he was off for a jog. Gladwynn wondered what he would think when he arrived home and found Jacob and Brutus in the kitchen with Lucinda.
As far as she knew, Lucinda still hadn’t told him about her and Jacob “spending time together.” In some ways, Gladwynn wanted to be out of the room when William returned, but in other ways, she wanted to sit back for the show when he saw Jacob.
Lucinda was upstairs getting dressed for Derek’s funeral. Gladwynn had agreed to attend with her, partially to offer her support and partially because she wanted to get a look at Derek’s family.
She’d chosen a more conservative dress than she normally wore, color-wise at least The dark brown pencil skirt matched nicely with a white blouse without sleeves with a frilly neckline. She’d chosen her darker red lipstick and styled her hair into a 1940s style she’d seen online. She was actually quite pleased with how it came out.
Lucinda came down the stairs in a black skirt and white blouse with a black suit coat over it. “I’m going to grab myself some toast and tea. Have you had anything?”
“A little oatmeal and coffee,” Gladwynn answered, laying the script on the coffee table. “Jacob is in there reading the paper still. Have you said anything to dad about him?”
Lucinda adopted her best innocent expression.
“There simply hasn’t been any time. Your father has been working so much since he’s been here.”
Gladwynn followed Lucinda into the kitchen. Sunlight poured across the white and green flowered linoleum. “That’s no different from any other time.” She picked up her coffee mug and slid it into the microwave. “You’re going to have to explain at some point why there is a man in your kitchen.”
Jacob chuckled from behind the newspaper. “I told her I could make myself scarce but she expressed pretty much the same thing you have about him needing to know eventually.” He lowered the newspaper. “Which is why I’m still here.” He put the paper back up again. “Besides we are all adults here. I’m sure your father will be a lot calmer about things than you think.”
The front door opened as Gladwynn took her mug from the microwave. “Well, we are about to find out. Buckle up, Chief.”
Jacob chuckled again from behind the newspaper.
William walked briskly into the kitchen wiping his brow with a handkerchief. “Looks like it’s going to be hotter than the forecast said today. It’s already heating up out there.”
He didn’t seem to notice the newspaper propped up on the table or the hands holding it as he made his way to the cupboards for a glass. He had retrieved the pitcher of water, turned around, and was filling the glass when he looked up and his gaze fell on the newspaper.
Gladwynn sat herself at the seat at the end of the table, next to Jacob. Crossing one leg over the other, she sipped her coffee and watched her father over the rim of the mug.
William set the pitcher and glass down and cleared his throat. “Oh. You ladies didn’t tell me we had a visitor today.”
Again with the throat clearing, Gladwynn thought with a small, quiet laugh.
Jacob lowered the paper, folded it, and laid it on the kitchen table, then smiled.
For her part, Lucinda continued to make herself toast and heat up the water for her tea as if nothing unusual was occurring. “Hmmm? Oh, yes. William this is Jacob and his canine friend Brutus. They join us for breakfast and dinner from time to time.”
One of William’s eyebrows raised as he propped his hands on the counter behind him. “Jacob. Hello. You were a friend of my father’s weren’t you?”
Jacob stood and walked around the table, holding his hand out. “I was. Also a deacon at the church for years, but mainly after you left for college. Good to see you again.”
William looked at Jacob’s hand suspiciously for a few seconds before taking it and shaking it firmly, his expression unreadable. Gladwynn swallowed a laugh at her father’s awkwardness.
“Jacob. Yes. I remember you.” He let Jacob’s hand go. “Good to see you too. You used to be police chief, or maybe you still are?”
Jacob shook his head slowly. “Nope. Not chief anymore. Retired for a few years now.”
Gladwynn had to give her father credit for recovering quickly from the surprise. He tossed in a smile for good measure even if it was a smile tinted with a bit of confusion.
Jacob sat back down and lifted his coffee cup. “Your mother makes a mean cup of coffee.”
William looked at Lucinda, whose back was to him, keeping his eyes focused on her as he responded, the smile fading. “Yes. Yes, she does. I know my father always said so.”
Lucinda poured hot water into her teacup. “William, I think you remember that Gladwynn and I are going to the funeral of a friend of mine this morning. We’ll be home later and I’ll make sure to fix us all some supper. I hope you don’t mind if Jacob joins us.”
William looked back at Jacob and the smile returned. “Of course, I don’t mind. The more the merrier.” He turned back to the refrigerator and pulled a lemon out to cut slices for his water. “I’m sorry to hear about your friend. Anyone I know?”
“No,” Lucinda said. “Derek Murphy was his name – well, actually, I guess his name was Derek Thornton but he went by Murphy when I knew him.”
William began to cut the lemon into slices. “The Derek Thornton? The founder and owner of the Thornton Hotel company?”
Lucinda sat down at the table with her tea and toast. “Yes, from what I’m reading in the papers. He never told any of us that, though.”
William squeezed lemon into his water, then hooked one on the edge of the glass. “That’s strange. I heard he had retired but didn’t know he was living here. What in the world brought him to Brookstone?”
Lucinda shrugged. “No idea. We’re all wondering that now ourselves.”
William sat at the table with his glass of water. “My firm did some work for the Thornton family years ago when Derek was still in charge. Heard he was a good guy. I played a few rounds of golf with one of his sons. I think his name was Michael.”
Gladwynn and Lucinda gave each other a look, remembering the day outside Samantha’s condo.
“What did you make of Michael?” Gladwynn asked, drinking the last of her coffee.
“Didn’t have a lot of time to get an impression of him really,” William said. “He seemed like a take-charge guy. Didn’t like it when he didn’t make a put. Bit of a temper on him, but a lot of guys have a bit of temper when it comes to golf. He took a couple of calls during one round and used a few choice words. Beyond that, we didn’t really interact.” He took a long drink of the water and stood. “Anyhow, I’m sorry to hear about his father. Like I said, a good guy. Always fair and easy to talk to from what my colleagues said. I’m going to head up and get a shower and then do a few things in Dad’s office.” He tipped a nod at Jacob. “Jacob, have a good day, and see you for supper.”
Jacob lifted a hand. “You too, William.”
A few moments later Lucinda had finished her breakfast and had her purse over her shoulder. “Ready to go?” When they reached the front door, she picked up her purse and keys from the table next to the coat rack. “We’ll take my car. Yours is much too flashy. Jacob, you’re going to meet us there after you drop off Brutus?”
Jacob had followed them down the hallway, Brutus trotting along behind him. “Yes, ma’am. That’s the plan.”
Lucinda winced. “Don’t call me ma’am. It makes me feel like one of my former students is addressing me.”
Jacob kissed Lucinda’s cheek. “My dear, I am definitely not one of your former students so I will refrain from doing that again.”
Gladwynn was certain she saw a blush spread across Lucinda’s cheeks as a girlish smile crossed her lips and she patted Jacob’s cheek with her hand. “You’re too sweet. See you soon.”
Jacob’s eyes were focused on Lucinda’s now and they were twinkling. “See you soon too.”
It was Gladwynn’s turn to clear her throat. “Okay, you two. Let’s save this for later.”
Lucinda shot her granddaughter a quick scowl and then they all walked onto the porch, Jacob passing by them with Brutus on the way back to his house.
“There’s nothing wrong with flashy,” Gladwynn commented, referring to Lucinda’s earlier comment about her car.
“It attracts the attention of police.” Lucinda paused, looked over her shoulder, and winked. “Of course, you attract the attention of the police even out of that car.”
Gladwynn narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Lucinda continued down the driveway toward the garage. “Lindy Brown at the barracks said she sensed some ‘energy’ coming off you and Tanner when you stopped by the other day.”
Gladwynn scoffed. “Lucinda Grant. Come on. First, it was Luke and now you and your friends are trying to set me up with Tanner?” She stepped around Lucinda and down the front stairs. “Who is Lindy anyhow?”
“The receptionist you spoke with.”
“What is going on? Do you have spies everywhere?”
Lucinda reached into her purse and clicked the button on the remote to open the garage door. “Don’t be silly, sweetie. People just like to share information with me.” She smiled sweetly as the garage door rose. “And sometimes that information is related to you.”
Gladwynn eyed her grandmother warily as she walked to the passenger side and opened the door. “The only reason I went to the police station is because someone blabbed that I had that letter.”
“It was evidence.”
“I was going to give it to him.”
“I felt you needed a nudge.”
Gladwynn pulled the door of the large 1987 Lincoln closed behind her and reached for her seatbelt. “I’ll nudge you,” she mumbled under her breath.
Lucinda started the car with a grin. “What’s that, honey?”
“Nothing.”
“You might like to hear what else Lindy told me.”
Gladwynn folded her hands over her purse. “I’m listening.”
“She overheard another detective and Tanner talking and they said the coroner report said there was a small indentation in Samantha’s skin just by her collar bone. Barely noticeable.”
Lucinda paused as she backed the car out, but didn’t continue her story once she reached the end of the driveway.
“Well? What does that mean?” Gladwynn prodded.
“I don’t know. That’s all Lindy heard.”
“Could it mean she was poisoned with something?”
Lucinda shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine but I would say it sounds like it to me. I mean, she was a diabetic so it may have something to do with that, but I don’t think that’s a normal place to give an insulin shot and it was odd enough to the coroner for him to make a note of it.”
Who in Samantha’s life would want to kill her? Someone from the theater? Maybe Emerald, who had wanted her job. It seemed a bit much to kill someone simply to direct a retirement community play, though.
Gladwynn was still leaning toward someone from Derek’s family, especially if they thought Samantha might end up with some of the money they expected to inherit.
Chapter 13
The parking lot of the Brookstone Methodist Church was packed by the time they arrived. Lucinda had said Derek was a popular man but Gladwynn hadn’t realized how popular. Of course, it may also have been because those who knew him in his previous life had now learned of his passing and were curious why he’d passed away so far from home. A small collection of television news vans reminded her that Derek had been a very rich and powerful man when he was alive and members of his family still were very rich and powerful.
She and Lucinda passed a few cameramen on their way into the church, ignoring a reporter who asked how they had known Derek and if they’d been shocked to know who he really was.
A reporter holding a microphone and speaking into a camera asked the same question Gladwynn had in her mind as they walked up the sidewalk toward the front stairs of the church. “Derek Thornton moved to this quaint, rural community two years ago, but what would make the former CEO of a multi-million-dollar hotel chain leave his company and move 600 miles away, changing his name and assuming a quiet life in a retirement community?”
“Why indeed,” Lucinda whispered as they stepped into the lobby of the church, which was filled to the brim with residents – some looking to say goodbye to Derek and some possibly there just to see the drama that might unfold. She leaned close to Gladwynn. “We might not even be able to find a seat.”
A hand waving at the back of the church caught Gladwynn’s attention as they entered the sanctuary. She nodded toward the hand. “It looks like Doris saved us seats.”
The seats weren’t close enough to the front to get as good of a look at the family as Gladwynn would have liked but she could see several people sitting up front, most wearing black. A couple of the women were wearing large black and white hats like she’d see the royals wearing at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Michael Thornton sat at the front of the church next to one of the women in the hats. The entire family looked out of place in the small church with its white walls, tall stained glass windows, and dark wood pews.
The woman next to Michael looked like a model on the front of Vogue. Her jet-black hair was pulled back tight and tucked up under the hat, where Gladwynn imagined it was held together in a bun. The woman’s chin and pert nose were pointed upward, her lips pressed into a thin line. Dark eyelashes, very possibly fake, draped over narrowed eyes. Everything about her body language screamed her discomfort with being there. Very little about her showed any grief.
Next to the woman that Gladwynn had guessed was Michael’s wife was another woman with red hair. She looked at her gold watch and pushed a strand of her hair back from her face. As Gladwynn glanced down the row she could only see the backs of heads until she came to the end of the row where a woman with short dark hair dabbed a tissue at the corner of her eye, her shoulders drooping.
A dark wooden casket with gold trim sat at the front of the church open with Derek barely visible. Gladwynn didn’t mind not having a better view. She’d never liked the idea of an open casket at a funeral. The body inside was merely a shell and for her it was hard to see the person she loved not moving, their spirit gone. At least in her grandfather’s case, she’d known where his spirit was residing.
Several moments passed before the pastor stepped up to the podium. He delivered a brief introduction, sharing a story about Derek donating the money needed to fix the roof of the church, and then opened the floor for anyone who wanted to share memories of Derek. No one from the family stood but several members of the community did, including Doris, Lucinda, and other residents at Willowbrook. A couple of the speakers expressed shock at learning who Derek was.
“He was down to earth, never showed airs as the saying goes,” Floyd Simpson said. “He played a dang good game of gin rummy too. Old fool owed me $20 and never let on he had plenty to pay me back with.” He laughed good-naturedly and then the smile faded. “I’m going to miss him. A lot of people are going to miss him. He brought a lot of good into a hurting world. I hope we all can remember to live like he did and pass the good on to others.”
As Louise stood Gladwynn noticed Eileen sitting behind her, head bowed, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. She lifted the sunglasses briefly and rubbed a tissue under her eyes. Another person spoke and then the pastor drew the service to a close. Still, no one from the family stood to speak. Gladwynn was surprised the patriarch of a wealthy family had died and absolutely no one from his immediate family stood to say something nice or good about him.
She excused herself to the bathroom as soon as the service ended, hoping to beat the rush. The outside door opened as soon as she locked the stall door. A soft growl from the other side of the stall startled her.
“That was so tedious,” a woman’s voice complained, the click of heels against the floor mixing in with her words.
A second female voice, this one with a thick New York City accent, spoke. “I can’t even believe we had to have his funeral in this stupid little town.”
Then a third woman. “Marjorie don’t be awful. It’s what Derek wanted. It was in his will and I, for one, am glad that Michael respected your father’s wishes.”
The first woman spoke again. “You would be, Beatrice. You’re such a good girl, aren’t you? What’s it like to walk around with a halo over your head? The only reason Michael agreed to it was because that country-bumpkin lawyer said they had to have the funeral here before the will can be read.”
The second woman snorted. “Exactly. I bet Derek had that thing read here because he thought that woman was going to be here. I can’t even believe he was going to give her part of the money. She did nothing to earn that money.”
Beatrice spoke again, this time from the stall next to Gladwynn. “If she really was his daughter then she deserved that money.”
The second woman: “The key word there is if she was his daughter. I get that Derek believed her and her mother but, come on, the old man should have ordered a blood test. She was probably just some money grubbing gold digger. Oh. Is that your pink lipstick? Can I borrow some?”
The first: “It is. The one I got at Macy’s. Go ahead and use it. And you’re right. I think she was just after Derek’s money. It doesn’t matter now, though, of course. She’s dead and she won’t be getting any of it. Too bad.”
Her “too bad” was definitely flippant and it was clear she didn’t really think Samantha’s death was a bad thing at all.
A soft whoosh was followed by the sweet smell of perfume. Gladwynn pressed herself against the back of the stall, hoping they wouldn’t notice her feet under the door.
The door to the stall next to her opened and then closed again. The faucet turned on, almost drowning out Beatrice’s words. “You’re both being awful. That poor young woman was murdered.”
The first woman laughed. “We’re not awful, Bea. We’re honest. I mean even you, Saint Beatrice, don’t want to lose your money, do you?” Her tone dripped with sarcastic mocking. “How else would you donate all that money to that church of yours?”
The door opened and closed again, a sound that Gladwynn imagined was Beatrice choosing to take the high road and leave the bathroom instead of responding to the other women – possibly her sister-in-law’s.
The second woman spoke. “She makes me want to throw up. I don’t know what John was thinking marrying her.”
“She makes John weak if you ask me,” the first woman said. “John is nothing like Michael. He has no ambition. If she wasn’t around, John would be more focused on business and less on religion. That’s why Michael and I make such a good team. We both have an ambition.”
The other woman laughed. “That’s right. The ambition to make money and lots of it. Who cares where John and Beatrice spend their money. All I care about is that that woman is out of the picture.”
“Exactly.”
The door opened again and the click of heels signaled the two women had left. Gladwynn let out a long breath and relaxed.
So two of the Thornton women were very glad that Samantha was out of the picture. Their conversation had also confirmed that Samantha had been – or claimed to be – Derek’s daughter.
She couldn’t help wonder if one of the women had murdered Samantha? Or maybe they’d murdered her together. Or hired someone.
She left the bathroom a few minutes later, deep in thought, looking at the floor instead of where she was going.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she slammed hard into another person. When she looked up her gaze met a pair of sharp blue eyes. It didn’t seem it could be possible that she had, once again, not been looking where she was going and slammed right into Luke Callahan, but she had. The same thing had happened several months ago outside of the Covenant Church kitchen shortly after she’d met him.
Luke placed his hands on her upper arms to steady her and grinned. “This seems to be a regular thing with us, doesn’t it? Bumping into each other.”
Warmth spread across her cheeks. “Look like it. I’m sorry I was –”
“Deep in thought it looked like.”
She immediately registered that he was clean-shaven again and donning his more formal attire, unlike the day at his house. He was wearing a light gray suit coat, unbuttoned, with a light blue dress shirt and black tie. She couldn’t help taking it all in as she took a step back, trying not to admire how well he cleaned up. This was how she was used to seeing him every Sunday and for the few lunches he’d attended with her and Lucinda after church.
He dropped his hands from her arms and as he did so, she caught sight of half a missing button near the edge of the suit coat sleeve. A lump formed in her throat as she briefly studied the other buttons of the coat, realizing they were the same style of the button she’d found in Samantha’s carpet.
A cold chill rushed through her and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“Yes,” she said, her voice sounding strange and high pitched to her. “I was deep in thought. Again, I apologize.”
“It’s fine. You okay? You went a little pale there. Can I walk you to the fellowship hall for the dinner?”
“No, that’s okay.” She looked down, keeping her gaze focused on the tips of her shoes. “I’m not going to the dinner. I’m going back to work.”
“You have the weekend shift then?”
“Hmm?” Her mind raced and she struggled to focus on what he was saying. “Oh. No. I don’t usually work weekends. I guess I forgot it was Saturday. I actually have to rehearse for a play I’m in.”
He grinned and folded his arms over his chest, giving her even more of a view of the half button on the cuff of the coat. “You? In a play? I didn’t peg you as the theater type. Which play?”
She wanted to turn and run to her car to try to make sense of what she was seeing, tell herself there was no way Luke’s missing button was the same button in an evidence bag at the state police barracks. “Anne of Green Gables. The residents at Willowbrook roped me into playing Diana.”
His smile faded briefly, so briefly Gladwynn almost didn’t catch it. “Oh, of course. Summer is playing Anne. She did tell me that. I should have thought that’s the play you’d be in.”
Of course Summer told you because of course, according to Summer, you spend so much time together. How could you forget? She wanted to say all of that but instead she said, “There’s Grandma. I’d better catch up with her. She’s probably looking for me.” She stepped around him, ducking her head. She glanced over her shoulder, knowing she didn’t need to offer more explanation but doing so anyhow. “We came together so I need to ride back with her.”
“Okay then. See you Sunday?”
She tried to answer but her voice seemed stuck somehow. She merely nodded then quickly turned away, making her way through the crowd of people to Lucinda.
“There you are. I’m headed over to the fellowship hall. Are you coming?”
She shook her head slowly and laid a hand on her stomach. “You know, I don’t think that smoothie you made for me this morning is agreeing with me. I think I’ll head back to the house.”
Her stomach really was upset, but she knew it wasn’t the smoothie. She hated lying, but she couldn’t tell her grandmother that their pastor might be involved in a crime.
Concern immediately furrowed Lucinda’s brow. “Oh dear.” She dug into her purse and pulled out the car keys. “Well, here, take the car back. Doris will drive me home. There are some antacids in the medicine cabinet in the second bathroom upstairs.” She patted Gladwynn’s back. “Are you sure that’s all that’s bothering you? You’re very pale. Maybe I should drive you.”
Gladwynn took the keys. “No. I’m fine. You go visit with your friends. You all need each other right now.”
Lucinda gave her a quick hug and cast her a look that said she didn’t believe Gladwynn and they would talk about it later.
In the car, trying to remember how to drive such a big beast of a vehicle, Gladwynn’s throat tightened and tears stung her eyes.
Why had she found a button belonging to Luke in Samantha’s bedroom? Surely there was a simple explanation. Her imagination was running wild, though.
Had Luke and Samantha been having an affair of some kind? That idea was much easier for her to accept than the other possibility, which she didn’t want to think about at all.
She backed out of the parking space and noticed Luke’s bright red pickup parked near the front of the church. Thinking back to that day at his house, at the beautiful cottage, the flowers, the animals, and the way he’d told her to be careful getting involved in this case, her mind raced with panicked thoughts of the worst possible reason for his button being in Samantha’s condo. Could Luke really have murdered Samantha? And if so, why? None of it made sense and the mere thought of it made her feel like she might throw up.
