Relationships. They were as bumpy as a road filled with land mines. Which made me go back to the first question. Who had Frank been married to and what had been the agreements in the divorces? Maybe he’d been widowed five times. He could just have been really unlucky in love. Either way, it was time to do some research.

  I keyed in my access to the law library at the local university and started working. Hours later, Emma nudged my leg and I looked up to see that it was already past six p.m. Greg hadn’t called or come home, which didn’t surprise me, but I thought maybe he might try to clear the air sooner rather than later. I studied the notes I’d made as I’d worked. I’d done a great job in tracking down three of Frank’s five marriages. Now I just needed to finish. But first we’d go for a run, then I’d get some real food into me. Again.

  I stood and let Emma outside, then ran upstairs to change. As I thought about my plans for the evening, I considered my sugar consumption, especially when I was emotional or stressed. The quart of ice cream had gone down without me even noticing how amazing it tasted. Today I’d run and have a healthy dinner. Even if my love life was rocky. And I would only eat one treat a day. And I needed to enjoy it, not be working on something else and not even notice I was eating.

  Pleased with my new resolutions, I finished tying my shoes and ran downstairs. But as I grabbed Emma’s leash and a bottle of water, someone knocked on the front door. I set the items down on the entry table and opened the door. A woman stood on my porch and stared at the house like she was measuring square footage. The professional dress and her attention to detail told me all I needed to know. She was a Realtor.

  “Good afternoon,” She put on a smile that could win a local beauty pageant, if not regionals. She held out a small hand with her nails recently manicured into a bright orange that somehow matched her suit. “I’m SaraBeth Marston and I’m looking for savvy homeowners like you who want to get out from under an older property and into a newer one, where you don’t have to worry about the hot water heater. Am I right?”

  “Actually, this house isn’t for sale.” I went to close the door. Now I’d have to wait for her to leave before I could take Emma running. And daylight was burning. Besides, the highway would get crazy crowded with commuter traffic if we didn’t leave soon.

  “Oh, I must have been informed incorrectly. Are you sure you’re not interested in an offer? I have a client who’d pay top money for a cute little cottage like this. And you wouldn’t even have to move until the start of next year. They want the deal finalized before next summer.” Her eyes gleamed with the potential of a commission, but I only knew of one type of buyer who wouldn’t care when I left. A developer. Aaron had sent out someone to do his dirty work for him.

  “Again, not for sale, so no, not interested in what the offer might be.” This time I met her eyes as I tried to close the door.

  “It’s really substantial. But I might have caught you at a bad time. May I buy you dinner and we can go over the contract then?”

  I shook my head. “You don’t listen, do you? I’ve already said the place wasn’t up for sale and you’ve ignored me every time.”

  “Think of what that money would do to keep your aunt safe in her golden years. You and Greg could travel the world with what my client is prepared to offer.” She made a step toward the door, thinking her talk of money would sway me to the dark side.

  I studied her. The girl had done her homework before showing up. But if I thought about it, all she’d have to do is ask a few people about me and my life at Diamond Lille’s and she’d probably have this information. Anyway, it didn’t matter; I wasn’t going to sell.

  “I’m going to say this politely one more time. Then I’m going to call the cops. I have two who live right here who’d probably love to talk to someone who’s connected with this project. Especially after that poor man was killed so quickly after the developer showed up in South Cove.”

  SaraBeth held out a card. “I never push. Here’s my card. Call me if anything comes up and you want to sell. I’m sure I’ll hear from you soon.”

  “I hope that wasn’t a threat.” I kept eye contact as I took the card.

  The smile came back. “Of course not. I’m just looking out for your best interests.” She tried to see inside the house over my shoulder. “People change their minds about selling all the time.”

  “I won’t.” I shut the door on her and set the card on the entry table as I picked up the water and Emma’s leash.

  Through the door, I heard her parting shot. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  Locking the door, I grabbed the card and went to boot up my laptop. I let Emma inside, then locked that door as well. While I was waiting for my computer to start up, I went out and watched as she pulled out of the drive in a black suburban. “SELL4U plates. Of course.”

  Emma whined as she watched me staring out the front window.

  I reached down and rubbed her head. “It’s okay, girl. Someone just pushed my buttons.”

  When we got back to the kitchen, I keyed her name into the search engine. Apparently, SaraBeth was a new associate with a small agency out of the city. Probably trying to make a name for herself in commercial real estate, especially if she was working with the developer I’d met earlier that day. Of course, that was just speculation, but it felt right. I reached for my phone to call Greg, but realized he was probably still mad at me. I’d do more research tonight and tell him all about it when we talked in the morning.

  He’d probably laugh about the misunderstanding. But something she’d said bothered me. My heart beat a little faster when I realized she’d mentioned my elderly aunt and Greg. She’d either researched me or someone had told her my pressure points. Who was behind SaraBeth’s visit? I didn’t think Aaron Presley actually knew that much about me, but I could be wrong.

  I headed outside for the second run of the day. I only hoped I’d be able to walk tomorrow.

  * * * *

  Waking the next morning, I was surprisingly free of stiffness. But, I realized, my alarm either hadn’t gone off or Greg had turned it off. I didn’t have time for a run, so I counted yesterday’s second run as my exercise for the day. I wasn’t sure it worked that way, but a girl could hope. I showered and got dressed, then hurried downstairs to have a quick breakfast with Greg. I knew exactly how to deal with this. I’d tell him I’d been overanalyzing the situation and he’d totally get it.

  But the kitchen was empty when I got there.

  I picked up the note and read it aloud as I let Emma out the back. “‘Sorry, I had too much on my mind to sleep. I’ll call you and we can make plans to talk. Just remember that I love you, no matter what happens. Greg.’”

  I set down the note and picked up my phone. We needed to talk, now. The phone rang and Greg’s voice came on the speaker. I waited for his voice mail to kick in and started talking. “Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but really, it’s not all that bad. I’m just overanalyzing things. You know I do that. And a Realtor came to the door last night about me selling the house. It’s got me kind of creeped out. So if you have a minute, call me. I need to hear your voice. Anyway, I, well, I ...” The beep cut off what I was going to say. I debated calling back and finishing the message, but I’d let him make the next move. If he didn’t call by lunch, I was going to the station right after my shift and confronting him.

  With that part of my day planned, I tucked my notebook and laptop into my tote. Then I let a travel mug of coffee brew while I watched Emma hunting rabbits in the backyard. I liked to leave her out as long as possible on the mornings we didn’t run so she didn’t go hunting sofa pillows when I left for work. That dog had an addiction.

  By the time I got to Coffee, Books, and More, I had expected a few customers waiting outside. Instead, there was a note saying the shop was closed due to extremely high pricing. I ripped off the notice from the door and unlocked it. Steaming, I went directly to the security cameras and replayed the video since the shop closed last night. Greg had insisted I upgrade my security system, and for the first time, I was happy I had.

  When I saw the woman come up to the door and tape the notice, I paused the video. It was the artist, Tia. The one who’d patiently explained to me yesterday that she understood my side of the story. “Of all the crappy tricks.”

  I dialed Greg’s number. Voice mail again. So I dialed the nonemergency line to the police station. A man picked up the phone. “South Cove Police, how may I help you?”

  “Tim? This is Jill. Look, something happened at the shop, but I don’t know if it’s a crime or not.”

  “Jill? What happened? Are you all right? Do I need to come over?” Tim’s voice turned from polite to worry. He was a good man.

  “Could you? It’s kind of hard to explain over the phone, but I don’t want to drag you away from anything important.”

  He laughed. “It’s been kind of dead here. I’ll lock up the place because I’m alone and be over in a few minutes. Maybe I can snag a cup of coffee when I get there? These night shifts are kicking my butt.”

  “Of course. I’ll have the coffee on when you get here.” I hung up the phone before I comprehended what he’d said. He was alone at the station. So wherever Greg had gone last night when he couldn’t sleep, it wasn’t his office. Had this minor skirmish turned into a full-on battle? I needed to talk to him today before things got totally out of hand.

  I went back out front, leaving the video player on the spot showing the culprit. Then I went about my morning routine. I started serving the regulars, and I could pick the ones who hadn’t shown this morning. Luckily, from my memory, it looked like I probably had lost only two or three customers today. If they didn’t come tomorrow, I’d see if I could reach them to explain the confusion.

  One more problem to add to my list of worries. The day wasn’t even started and it was turning out to be horrible. I pushed away the negative thoughts. Deek would say I needed to change my aura to bright blue to banish the bad away. I closed my eyes and imagined a circle of bright blue all around me.

  “Jill? Are you okay?” Tim’s voice interrupted my meditation.

  I felt heat bloom on my cheeks. “I’m fine. Just trying to push away the negative energy. You caught me trying out the woo-woo.”

  “My fiancée does yoga. She’s always telling me I need to breathe and find my center.” He patted his stomach. “I tell her it’s always here. And I haven’t lost it yet.”

  His joke made me laugh, really laugh, and I felt a little of the stress ease away. “Thanks, I needed that.”

  “So, what happened that you needed some help with?” He glanced around the room. “Doesn’t look like vandals. Unless they’re the cleaning type.”

  “Ha, ha.” I pushed the paper toward him. “This was on the door when I got here. I’m sure I lost at least three customers this morning.”

  “Retail warfare? Do you think someone from Lille’s is trying to steal your customers?” He took the paper and put it into a plastic evidence bag.

  “No. I mean, I don’t think so. I think it has to do with the increase in the Business-to-Business dues.” When he blinked at me, I realized he didn’t know what I was talking about. “Look, the City Council raised the dues the businesses pay to be part of the Business-to-Business group. Well, someone did. Bill is out of town, and he usually is the guy who deals with that area, but while he’s out of town, someone’s trying to do an end run.”

  Tim kept nodding. When I stopped talking, he inclined his head toward me. “And…”

  “And what?” Now I really wished Greg had picked up his phone.

  “I don’t get how this would cause someone to be mad at you.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you that the Council blamed the increase in fees on the high prices we’re charging for meeting here and refreshments.”

  Now he wrote something in his notebook. “Okay, that makes sense. Any idea who did it?”

  “Yes. And I can also count the number of customers I lost and add that up with their regular order. So I can monetize the damages. You’ll need that, right?”

  He shrugged. “I guess if the DA decides to file charges, we will. But right now, tell me who you think did this and I can go talk to them.”

  I pointed to the back room. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll show you.”

  After he’d reviewed the tape a few times, he used the keyboard to make and send a digital file to his email, along with Greg’s. As he watched, I made a list of the customers I needed to call and what they typically ordered. I made a copy of the list and handed it to Tim. We went back into the main room, where I could watch for any customers.

  He put away his notebook.. “I’m going to go down and talk to this Tia. I’m going to tell her to knock it off. If something else happens, let me know, and I’ll file charges against her.”

  “Wait, she gets a hand slap? That’s all?”

  Tim shrugged. “Honestly, Jill, it looks like a prank to me, and if you put this in front of a jury, they’re going to think the same thing. Besides, what did you lose? Nothing except about thirty dollars’ worth of coffee sales?”

  I sighed. That was really close to the figure I’d determined. Besides, did I really want her to go to jail? “This will stop after you talk to her?”

  “This should stop after I talk to her. Like I said, if something else happens, call me. Or tell Greg. Either way, we should have it nipped in the bud here.” His phone buzzed and he picked up the call. He looked at me. “Hey, boss.”

  Greg was on the phone. I took a deep breath. This was going to be over and everything was going to be okay. Greg would see to that. I felt stupid, but I whispered, “Tell him that I said hi.”

  Tim nodded, but he was listening to Greg. “Okay, I’ll be right back. Hey, Jill says hi.” He paused, listening.

  “What did he say?” I sounded like a desperate girlfriend. And I hated that.

  Tim squirmed just a bit before he put on a poker face, but I’d seen it. He put away his phone. “He says he’ll fill you in later.”

  I saw the blush as he spoke the words and I realized: Tim was lying to me. If he had to lie to keep my feelings from being hurt, what in the world had Greg said? Keeping up the pretense, I nodded. “I’m sure I’ll hear all about it at the dinner table.”

  Tim pushed out a very relieved-sounding breath. “Great. Well, I’ve got to go talk to Tia and then get back to the station. I think it’s going to be a busy afternoon.”

  I stared after him for a while, then picked up the phone and called all the customers who’d been stopped by the note. I got answering machines on all the calls, which was just as well. If I’d have to have a real conversation, I might just do what I’d wanted to do for the last few hours. Cry.

  Chapter 8

  Toby sat waiting at the house when I got home. Sitting outside on the porch with Emma at his side. He waved as I walked up the sidewalk toward him. “What are you doing here? I thought Greg had you on day shift for the duration while he solved this murder?”

  He held out a Coke and offered it to me. “I saw you coming, so I ran in to get one. I heard from Tim you had a bad morning.”

  “Sometimes people can be jerks.” I took the soda and popped open the can. Then I took a long swig of the magical concoction. “There’s a reason God put sugar on the earth. It’s for days like this. I might just eat a quart of ice cream for dinner, unless Greg’s planning on being here.”

  Toby shifted uncomfortably. “He told me to tell you he’s going to be working late again. He’ll order food delivered to the station.”

  There were so many answers to that message, but I was going to be an adult and not use my employees as go-betweens. If Greg wanted to, that was his option. I would be the better person. “Okay then, message delivered. You can go back to work.”

  “Actually, I’m here to talk to you about the real estate woman. Greg asked me to look into her because he said you felt threatened by her.” Toby stroked Emma’s back, and I swear she was smiling. My dog loved the men in her life.

  “Maybe I’m overreacting. She told me I was going to sell the house and she was going to be the one who would list it. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “It’s been a crappy week.”

  Toby pulled me into a hug and patted my back. And the tears fell. “I can’t believe I’m crying on your shoulder. I mean, I’m a strong, independent woman. I shouldn’t be crying over a pushy salesperson.”

  “I think you’ve got more going on in your life than just an in-your-face salesperson. Jackie told me about the Business-to-Business trouble. Tim didn’t want to call her. I think he’s a little afraid of your aunt. Then Frank died in front of you. And of course, you and Greg…” He took out a handkerchief from his uniform pocket. “Sorry, that was prying. I don’t want to know anything about my bosses’ fights. It feels like I’m the kid in between two parents.”

  I took the white handkerchief and wiped my eyes. He hadn’t even mentioned the back and forth about the Mission Wall. That had been totally stressful. “I guess it has been a lot. Did Tim talk to this Tia? Did she admit to putting up the sign?”

  “She didn’t until he threatened to charge her because you had video of her. Then she broke down and said it wasn’t her fault. That they made her do the dirty work. Then she promised to leave you and the shop alone.”

  “‘They’? Did she say who ‘they’ were? If this is a gang, it doesn’t matter that she promised; someone else will just take up the gauntlet.” I folded the handkerchief. “I’ll wash this and get it back to you. Now, I’m going to go take Emma for a run. Unless you have more good news for me.”

  “This Realtor, do you have her card? I’d like to have Esmeralda run a check on her.” He stood to follow me to the door.