A perilous plot, p.17
A Perilous Plot, page 17
“What if she refuses to leave the Brookview?” Tricia asked.
“I’ll give her an ultimatum: Stonecreek Manor or under a bridge on Route 101. I think she’ll change her tune pretty darn quick.”
Tricia blinked at her sister.
“What?” Angelica asked.
“I’m just surprised at your attitude. I mean—in the past…”
“That’s just it. My loyalty to Mother changed that day in Bermuda.”
Angelica was referring to the vacation the sisters had taken on the Celtic Lady cruise ship and their only port of call. As a surprise—more like a shock—Angelica had invited Tricia to a special lunch, neglecting to tell her the other guests would be their parents. Sheila had said some pretty nasty things one time too many for Angelica’s taste. Still, she felt an obligation toward the woman—even if she didn’t like her very much.
“Do you need moral support?” Tricia asked.
Angelica’s expression darkened. “I don’t think so.”
“What about when you actually deliver her to the manor?”
“She’s going to get the same support as Bunny.”
Tricia frowned. “Ange, Bunny ended up dead.”
“Yes, and in my book, Mother is a viable suspect in her murder.”
“And she’s also an old lady,” Tricia pointed out. “And whether or not we want to accept how it happened—or by whom—she recently suffered a concussion.”
Angelica’s gaze softened. “You, dear Tricia, have a good heart. Mother treated you abominably your entire life and you still have sympathy for her.”
Sympathy was about all Tricia felt for her mother.
“Well, if you’re going to dump Sheila at the manor, someone needs to stay there with her. She shouldn’t be left rattling around alone in that big old house.”
Angelica shook her head. “I sure wish Mother hadn’t fired Pixie.”
“Likewise,” Tricia agreed. “Who else can we trust to babysit her—besides us? And who of our friends—or employees—do we want to put in danger?”
“Danger of what?” Angelica asked innocently.
“Being hurt or killed!” Tricia cried. “Unless Sheila bonked herself on the head, someone seems to have had it in for her.”
Angelica looked thoughtful. “I suppose I could ask Antonio—”
“No!” Tricia said forcefully. “Don’t you dare.”
“Why?”
Tricia wrestled with her conscience before answering. “Ginny confessed how abandoned Antonio feels when it comes to his extended family.”
“Not me!” Angelica protested.
“Don’t be so sure,” Tricia said, and then realized she’d said too much. “I’m just saying that were it me, I would not like to be relegated to employee status while being part-owner of NR Associations by birthright.”
Angelica chewed at her bottom lip. “I hear what you’re saying. But Antonio and I have an agreement—”
“Agreements can be amended,” Tricia blurted, but then thought better of it. “I’ve said too much. I’ve endangered my friendship with Ginny by repeating what she distinctly asked me not to.” A bubble of guilt rose within her until Tricia felt like she might choke.
Angelica reached out to touch her sister’s hand. “I won’t say a word about it—for a time,” she amended. Then her head dipped and she heaved a deep sigh. “But now that I know how Antonio feels, I’ll have to—”
“Do what?” Tricia asked.
Angelica shook her head. “Do something. Right at this minute, I have no clue. But when the opportunity to address the situation arises, I will talk to Antonio about it.”
A rush of relief coursed through Tricia. “Thank you. Our family has kept far too many secrets over the decades. I know the depth of my own unhappiness. I can only imagine the pain Antonio has felt for years from the same kind of rejection.”
“I never rejected him!” Angelica cried.
“Didn’t you? Letting him think—for his entire childhood and young adulthood—that his mother was another woman.”
“But I always made sure I was part of his life,” Angelica insisted.
“A part but not the center of his life when he was vulnerable and needed his mother the most.”
“Sofia—” Angelica countered, referring to Antonio’s dead father’s sister.
“Was a good substitute and she loved him, but she wasn’t his mother.”
Angelica’s eyes filled with tears. “Why are you torturing me?”
“I’m stating facts. You might want to ask yourself why you’ve tortured your son by not acknowledging him.”
Angelica swallowed hard, turned her gaze to the ceiling, but that couldn’t dispel the aura of guilt that seemed to hover over her. Angelica knew how Sheila would have treated her if she’d embarrassed her by having a child out of wedlock because she’d grown up aware of how the woman had treated Tricia.
Long seconds ticked by. Again Angelica swallowed multiple times before she spoke. “Antonio and I will talk about it, but it can’t be now. Not only because of your pact with Ginny, but mostly because of this whole situation with Bunny, Mother, and Daddy. That has to be resolved before I can deal with anything else.”
“I agree,” Tricia said sadly.
An aura of melancholy settled over the sisters like a smothering cloak.
Tricia broke the silence. “You wouldn’t really kick Sheila to the curb…would you?”
Angelica’s expression hardened, as did her tone. “I am sorely tempted…but no.” She scowled before remarking, “I’ll stay with her.”
“And what about Sarge?”
“Of course he’ll come with me. There’s no better intruder alert than a dog.”
“Will Cleo allow it? I mean, the manor is supposed to be a child-free, pet-free establishment.”
“Nigela gets the final word on such matters and she’s on my side.”
Tricia nodded. “So, what time are you going to pick up Sheila?”
Angelica shrugged. “When I get around to it.”
“But wasn’t the Brookview’s checkout at eleven?”
“It doesn’t matter. I want her out of there tonight.”
“And when are you going to break the news to her?”
“I’ll tell her when I get there. That way she can’t complain—or refuse to leave.”
Tricia brightened. “So, we’re on for lunch tomorrow?”
“Of course. I must have some normalcy in my day.”
Tricia nodded.
Angelica’s lips curved downward into a frown. “Call me crazy, but at this point, I’d just as soon pour myself a couple of martinis and drink myself into oblivion.”
“You don’t mean that,” Tricia admonished her.
“Are you so sure?” Angelica asked pointedly.
Tricia had no answer.
Sixteen
It was after four and Tricia was putting on her coat, ready to leave her sister’s home, when her phone pinged. A message from David.
It’s been at least a century since I’ve seen you. Can I come over?
Don’t you have to work until five?
I’m taking off early.
I’ll be home in five minutes.
See you then.
Upon returning to her apartment, Tricia lavished attention on Miss Marple, giving her an extra snack and brushing her long fur, which sent the cat into purrs of ecstasy. Then, as usual, David let himself into Haven’t Got a Clue and made his way up to Tricia’s home above the store. She met him at the door, giving him a kiss she hoped had made his trip worthwhile. By the enthusiasm with which he responded, she guessed she was right.
“Come in, sit down,” she encouraged, once he’d taken off his jacket and hung it up. “Would you like something to drink?”
“I’ll take a beer if you’ve got one.”
She did. While he sat down on the couch, Tricia grabbed a bottle from the fridge and poured it into an appropriate glass, then handed it to him before taking her seat beside him. Miss Marple joined them, settling on David’s lap.
“Did you have a good day?” Tricia asked.
“Fantastic,” he said. But then he studied her face. “I take it you didn’t.”
“It wasn’t horrible,” Tricia said, and sighed. “But it just wasn’t good.” She thought again. “There were a couple of bright moments, but the rest of it was pure crap.”
“I’m sorry. Why don’t you tell me about it,” David said, resting a hand on hers.
She did.
David listened patiently, nodding more than speaking, letting her get everything out of her system.
“Wow,” was David’s reaction. “I’m so sorry you and Angelica are going through this.”
“No more than me,” Tricia commented. “But there is a possible bright side to the situation.”
“And?” David asked, intrigued.
Tricia told him about Ginny’s idea to go through the boxes that had been stored at Stonecreek Manor for decades—and possibly a century.
David grinned. “I’m more than willing to take a Sunday off from thrifting.”
Tricia smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.” Then she sobered. “It’s not a done deal for this weekend, but knowing Ginny, I’m pretty sure between her and Angelica they’ll get the ball rolling sooner rather than later.”
“Ginny’s a firecracker, all right,” David commented, sounding pleased. Then he said the words that cast a shadow over Tricia’s soul. “And what are you going to do about your mother?”
Tricia sighed. “She’s going to Stonecreek Manor.”
“But you said she fired Pixie as her overseer.”
Tricia nodded. “Angelica has volunteered to be her babysitter.”
David frowned. “You’ve both got so much on your plates. I’ve handed in the last of my schoolwork. I’m free as a bird. If you want, I volunteer to stay at the manor to make sure your mother is safe. We can go pick her up now.”
Tricia’s heart wrenched. “You’d do that?”
David looked surprised. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Tricia beamed. “There’s a reason I love you so much.”
David laughed. “I’ll always volunteer to be your knight in shining armor.”
“It would only be for a night, as Angelica has her most trusted Brookview Inn employees staying tomorrow night for the shakedown.”
“That’s okay. If Cleo needs me to launder the sheets in the morning, I’m more than capable. And as I’d only be leaving my betta fish alone, it won’t be a hardship.”
Tricia felt her throat constrict in gratitude. “Thank you for that. It would make me, and Angelica, feel better to know there’s a man on the premises.”
David held out a hand. “Whoa! I’m not a macho John Wayne kind of guy. But I can punch nine one one on my phone faster than an Olympic athlete.”
Tricia smiled. “Thanks. And we’ll take you up on that offer, although Angelica will be bringing Sheila to the manor.”
David threw an arm around Tricia’s shoulders, drawing her closer. “I can’t imagine what you and Angelica are going through.”
“You don’t have to.”
“But if I can do anything to make this situation easier on you, you know I will.”
Tricia’s heart swelled with gratitude. “We appreciate that.”
They sat in companionable silence for a long few moments before David spoke again, a gleam in his eyes. “What do you think we’re likely to find in Stonecreek’s attic boxes?”
“Ginny hopes to find the original garden plans.”
“That would be fantastic. And other than that?”
“I have no idea. Angelica hopes to find enough goods to help offset the cost of the renovation, but I’m not confident she’ll get back more than a modest amount compared to her investment.”
“From what she’s said, she had no such aspirations before this.”
Tricia had to agree with his assessment.
“If we intend to install your mother at the manor this evening, then there has to be some kind of evening meal to take care of her.”
“I’m sure between us, Angelica and I could come up with something.”
“It has to seem like it’s a part of the shakedown. But your mother met me back in October. How will you explain my presence?”
That was a good question.
“Maybe she won’t remember you. Or at least she’ll feign not knowing who you are.” Even worse—or better—because he’d been introduced as Tricia’s friend, perhaps Sheila hadn’t even registered his presence.
“I don’t think it matters. Especially as Sheila is supposed to have amnesia.”
“Do you think she’s faking it?” David asked.
“I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Wow,” David muttered. His mother was a lovely woman who had the capacity to welcome and embrace her son’s choice of companion—despite their age difference. Tricia got the feeling that although her ex-husband had had the greatest of credentials, her mother had never really liked him. In retrospect that wasn’t surprising, as Sheila had never really liked her daughter, either.
David leaned back and grinned. “I guess I’m going to be part of the shakedown crew after all.”
“Angelica was going to stay there with Sarge, using him as an intruder alert.”
“If she’d trust me with him, I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”
Sarge did know David, but Tricia wasn’t sure her sister would trust the safety of her dog to David. That she’d trust her mother to a casual acquaintance said something even more surprising.
That was ridiculous. David was not a mere acquaintance. But the whole scenario worried Tricia. What if someone was gunning for Sheila? David could be in danger, too. But then, there’d been no threat to her—so far—when staying at the Brookview Inn. Maybe Tricia was just feeling paranoid.
And maybe she had good reason to feel that way.
“If I’m going to play bodyguard, I’d better go pack my duffel for the night,” David said. He gave her a quick kiss before getting up and heading for the door. Tricia wasted no time in calling Angelica to tell her the good news. “Have you got a minute to talk?”
“Why not?” Angelica said morosely. “I’ve been ruminating on how we’re going to deal with Mother.”
“You seemed to have everything figured out earlier.”
“The logistics, yes. Dealing with Mother—no.”
“Well, I have some good news in that regard. David has agreed to stay the night at the manor as sort of a bodyguard.”
“Oh, we couldn’t ask him to do that.”
“He volunteered. But he did have a caveat: he wanted to borrow Sarge for the same reason you wanted him there overnight.”
“I would miss him terribly, as I’m sure you’d feel about being separated from Miss Marple, but if it’s only for a night…”
“That’s the thing. The shakedown tomorrow is only one night, too. Sunday night, we’re back in the same boat.”
“Oh, you are such a little ray of sunshine,” Angelica grumbled.
“I’ve been thinking…we could hire a bodyguard.”
“Now, why didn’t I think of that? I’ll get right on it,” Angelica said, perking up. Of course, that meant she’d have Antonio attend to the matter.
“As David pointed out, we still have to feed Mother dinner tonight.”
“I suppose so. And we should probably be there with her as well.”
“Yes, until bedtime.”
“Nine o’clock?” Angelica said hopefully.
Tricia frowned. “Until Sheila says she’s ready to turn in for the night.”
“As it is, Antonio will have to tell one of our Brookview people that they can’t participate in the shakedown due to Mother taking up a room. But don’t worry, that person will get a free night in the not-too-distant future to make up for the inconvenience.”
Much as she admired David’s assurance that he could take care of any situation that arose, Tricia still didn’t feel comfortable. “As David’s going to be staying at the manor, would you mind if I stayed there, too? I mean…Sheila is our mother—our responsibility. I don’t feel completely comfortable dumping that chore on David.”
“I get it,” Angelica said. “Would you still want Sarge?”
“Definitely. And he might feel better being left with me than just David.”
“You’re right. Of course, I know this isn’t something you really want to do. And that Mother has never appreciated the wonderful person you’ve always been.”
A lump rose in Tricia’s throat. “Thank you for that.”
“I’m only being honest,” Angelica said sincerely. “So, what kind of meal can I provide that would make David happy?”
Tricia nearly snorted. “Mac and cheese. Burgers. Fried chicken. His taste in food is evolving,” she said kindly. “But like most people, he thrives on simple comfort food.”
“I’m not sure Mother would feel the same way. I’ll figure out something that should please everyone—including us.”
“Thanks.”
“By the way, I decided to call Mother to tell her about our plan to relocate her.”
“I take it that didn’t go over well.”
“You’ve got that right. Luckily, I was prepared.”
“For what?”
“Her argument. She threatened to call Adult Protective Services and sic them on me.”
Tricia’s jaw dropped momentarily. “What did you tell her?”
“To go right ahead and do it. And that I hoped she’d enjoy having a roommate while living in a minuscule room in a Medicare-paid nursing home.”
Tricia cringed. “And what did she say?”
