Dream a Little Scream (13 page)

“I think we've covered everything,” Persia said. “Let's all get to work. We'll touch base with you in the morning.”

“Good idea,” Rose agreed. “Maybe we can have a conference call,” she said eagerly. “I've been doing that for some of my crowdfunding projects and it's been really effective.”
Crowdfunding?
I smiled. As an octogenarian, Rose is the oldest person in the Dream Club, but she has embraced technology in a way that would put younger members to shame.

14

“One thing I don't understand,” I said to Noah the next morning, “is why Sonia didn't make it a point to invite her niece Trudy to the book signing and the TV taping. She never said a word to Ali or me about her niece. You'd think she'd be glad to have family show up. I just don't get it.”

“Maybe Sonia was close to her niece but not to other members of the family,” Noah said mildly. “There could be jealousy on Trudy's side, or maybe some old family feud, who knows? Another possibility is that Sonia didn't want to share the limelight. Sometimes these celebrities are pretty self-centered.”

Noah passed me a cup of fresh-brewed coffee. I was touched that he remembered hazelnut was my favorite flavor, and he even added some fat-free half-and-half and a packet of sweetener. Noah is a stickler for details. “Families can be the key to understanding the victim,” he said wryly. “I hope I've taught you that much.”

I smiled at him. He was sitting behind his desk, the sunlight slanting in the window and dancing over his finely chiseled features, his smoky eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Now that he wasn't with the Bureau anymore, he was wearing his hair a little longer, and it suited him. He also seemed more relaxed, less tightly wired. Leaving the Bureau and all his friends behind was a gut-wrenching decision for him, but the right one.

“Yes, you've taught me well. And that's why I'm looking at family and employees right now. The case is complicated because Sonia's company is so vast and her entourage was enormous. The trouble is, I'm still trying to figure out who's who in the inner circle and who's on the fringes.”

“Start with the key players,” Noah advised.

“That's part of the problem. Sonia surrounded herself with so many people it's hard to know who was a friend and who was a foe. And who was just a hanger-on,” I added. “I called a meeting of the Dream Club yesterday to regroup. I figured it was time to decide what to do next.”

“What did your fellow dreamers come up with?” Noah always looked mildly amused when I mentioned the Dream Club, but he knew enough to keep an open mind—or at least the appearance of one. He'd started out as a complete skeptic, and now he'd warmed up to the idea that dreams can send powerful messages.

So much material is hidden in dreams. Sometimes a little nagging thought will unlock a fragment of a forgotten dream. That happens to me all the time. The message might be buried deep in symbolism, and our job is to dig it out and decipher it. I've been surprised at how many times my dreams have offered me insight on an issue I've been struggling with. Sometimes I don't see the connection immediately, but it's there.

Some of the more seasoned Dream Club members, like Sybil and Persia, will get to the meaning very quickly. I'm new at the game, but I'm making progress. It takes a lot of skill to interpret dreams, but I think I'm on the right track.

“We all agreed we need to start close to home. That's why I want to find out everything I can about Trudy Carpenter. She's Sonia's nearest relative, as far as I can tell. I figured I'd start there and expand the circle outward.”

Noah taught me the importance of learning everything you can about the victim when you begin an investigation. And leaving nothing to chance. This advice came in handy when the Dream Club solved the murder of Chico, the dance instructor who owned a studio right across the street from Oldies But Goodies. When you look at the family, you can discover new leads and the investigation can go off in a totally different direction.

“Do you want me to run a background check on her? I can do it right now.”

“Yes,” I said, surprised. “It wouldn't hurt to see what turns up.” I remembered that Lucinda had said that Trudy had fallen in with the wrong crowd, but that was years ago, when she was a schoolgirl. As far as I knew, she was now a respectable Southern matron, married with children, who happened to be related to a celebrity.

“Trudy Carpenter? From Savannah?”

“No, she's originally from Valdosta. And she may have moved to Brunswick, if that helps.” I remembered what Lucinda had told me. “But she attended the Academy, right here in Savannah, for high school.”

Noah spent a few minutes at the keyboard and looked up in surprise. “Well, if it's the same Trudy Carpenter, she's had a few arrests for DUIs, and she's living with a convicted felon in a run-down section of Brunswick. His name is Reggie
Knox. He's listed as being at the same address. He's out on parole. Does the name ring a bell?”

“Reggie Knox? No, I've never heard of him. Why was he in prison?” My mind leaped ahead and I wondered if Trudy could be living with a murderer.

“Drugs, possession and dealing. Robbery and assault.” Noah shook his head. “Domestic violence and a few bar fights. He sounds like a piece of work.”

“Wow.” I was stunned. “That could explain why Trudy didn't attend the book signing. No wonder Sonia wanted to distance herself from her niece and her lowlife boyfriend.” I gave a little shudder.

It would be interesting to see where all that money was going. I hoped Persia would get a copy of the will as soon as it went through probate. Wills are a matter of public record, and I knew Persia could get the details for us. Who stood to inherit Sonia's fortune? An interesting question!

“The truth is, we actually don't know much about Sonia's family,” I went on. “She had a longtime lover, Jeremy Watts, and that's all I know about her personal life.” I told Noah about our meeting with Jeremy at the Red Lion and my surprise at spotting Olivia having breakfast with him. “Sonia's never been married and has no kids. Her whole life was devoted to her career and building her brand.”

“Interesting from an inheritance point of view,” Noah offered.

“That it is,” I agreed. “There's a lot of money involved, a huge estate.”

“Speaking of money, how are things at the shop?” Noah said, topping off my coffee. “I've been worried about you and Ali. Has there been any fallout from Sonia's death?”

“I'm afraid so.” I bit back a little sigh. “Business is way down. It doesn't matter that Sonia died from an allergic
reaction; people seem to think we poisoned her. They're not interested in the facts, and you how gossip spreads down here. Like wildfire.”

“I was afraid this would happen,” Noah said. “Perception is everything. You're going to have to do a marketing blitz to get things back on track. Let the public know that Oldies But Goodies is safe and reliable.”

He was quiet for a moment, with his elbow on the desk and his chin cupped in his hand, staring out the window. I took the opportunity to look around his office. It's exactly what I thought Noah would choose. Sleek modern furniture in rich teak, a creamy Berber carpet, vintage drawings of old Savannah on the walls. Noah's taste ran to classic styles and subdued colors. The office inspired confidence, and it fit his personality. He'd rented a small suite with two offices and a reception area. I wondered if he might take on a partner if his business took off. At the moment, it was a one-man agency. No assistant, no secretary.

I stood up to inspect a lovely drawing of the Savannah Harbor when he asked, “Do you like my new digs?”

“I love them.” The only jarring note was that his desk was piled high with papers and he had to move a stack of file folders off the upholstered armchair for me to sit down. It was controlled chaos, as Ali would say, but I think the office would look better with some organization. “You're doing this all on your own?” I asked. “Isn't it hard being a one-man show?”

“It is, and I'm going to hire a secretary this week. Just part-time for now, and if it works out, we'll go to full-time. In fact, I'm interviewing a few people today.” He glanced at his watch and frowned. “The first one should be here in a couple of minutes. A lot of people replied to my ad”—he opened a desk drawer and pulled out a sheaf of papers—“but
I've narrowed it down to six candidates. I'd like to hire someone with a background in law enforcement or legal issues. Plus I need someone I can trust to keep things confidential. Whoever I choose will have to deal with a lot of sensitive material, so discretion is key.”

I nodded. “I think you'll find just the right person,” I told him. “I won't keep you.” I reached for my bag. “You have a lot on your plate right now, and I don't want to take up any more of your time.”

“I always have time for you, Taylor.” His voice was low and husky as he moved close and wrapped his hand around mine. I felt a delicious little thrill at his touch. “Try not to worry about the shop. Tell Ali we'll solve Sonia's murder and things will get back to normal. You'll see.” I smiled at his optimism. Noah always has a way of making me feel safe and secure. He leaned in closer and our faces were almost touching. It could have been a romantic moment, but it was ruined when we heard the door to the reception room open.

“Your interview,” I said softly.

“Awful timing,” he said, gathering me for a brief hug. His eyes were warm and dark and full of feeling.

“We can get together later,” I murmured.

“Count on it,” he promised. “I'll call you.”

•   •   •

When I got
back to the shop, I saw Dana and Ali huddled together at a small desk in the back where we do the accounts. Ali was riffling through a pile of brochures and looked up with a bright smile on her face. “Taylor, I'm so glad you're here. Dana has come up with an awesome idea to drum up business.”

Dana flushed. “Ali and I came up with it together,” she
said modestly. “You know what they say about great minds running on the same track.”

“Really? That's terrific.” I poured myself a cup of spicy gingerbread tea and pulled up a chair. It was one of our most popular flavors, and I made a mental note to place a bigger order next time. “So what's this project and how can I help?”

I was glad to see that Ali was taking action to turn things around instead of wallowing in despair. The truth is, I was worried that the business might not survive the sudden downturn after Sonia's death, but I couldn't seem to come up with a plan. Sometimes I wish I'd taken more marketing courses and fewer financial classes when I was doing my MBA.

Dana's a marketing major in college, and her nonstop energy and enthusiasm are two of her most important assets. As our intern, she gets credit for helping us at the shop; in return, we promise to give her a taste of what it's like to run a small business. We also send regular evaluations to her professors. So far, they have all been sterling. Dana's a gem, and I'll be sad when she graduates and leaves us.

“Well, here's what we came up with. See what you think.” She pushed a yellow legal pad across the desk to me. It looked like a sketch for a newspaper ad, and I was surprised. We have almost no advertising budget, and newspaper ads are pricey.

I read the headline and was stunned. “We're offering cooking classes?” And free ones, I noticed wryly. Not even income producing. What in the world was she thinking?

“Yes, isn't it wonderful?” she said happily.

“Cooking classes.” I tried to keep my voice neutral. “Ali, are you sure this is the right direction to take?” I ventured. I didn't want to rain on her parade, but seriously, cooking classes? We'd be paying not only for the ad but for the supplies.

“And this is the ad you want to run?”

Ali nodded. “Dana designed it. She's really talented, isn't she?” She grinned at our young intern, who was beaming with pleasure.

“But how will we pay for it?” I said, deciding it was better to just dive right in with my concerns.

“We hadn't really gotten that far yet,” Dana admitted. I glanced at Dana, trying to read her expression. Her sunny smile had been replaced by a wary expression as she realized a storm was brewing. Ali and I have had our share of disagreements over how to run the shop, and this might be the biggest one yet.