Grave Delight (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 3) (5 page)

“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Marla screeched.

“Believe it,” Christy said. “Now get out.”

“That’s one conversation I never want to have again,” Nick said, keeping his head low as he moved toward his Ford Explorer.

“It’s never easy telling parents they’ve lost their child,” John agreed, opening the passenger side door and hopping in. “Those two seemed … stoic. It could’ve been worse.”

“I think they might’ve been in shock.”

“I think you’re probably right,” John said. “I’m sure there are some emotional breakdowns in their future, and the way the father headed straight for the whiskey was a tipoff that he’s going to deal with it by drinking his dinner tonight.”

Once both vehicle doors were shut, Nick turned to John with a serious expression on his face. “Are you bothered by the fact that the kid was missing for two weeks and the parents didn’t say anything about it?”

“I can’t decide,” John said. “From the sounds of it, the kid was kind of wild. The mother said she had a lot of boyfriends and she was known for doing whatever the hell she wanted whenever the hell she wanted to do it.”

“She was still only sixteen,” Nick pointed out.

“The parents say they thought she was staying with a friend.”

“Do you believe them?”

“Until we know more, I don’t see where we have a lot of choice in the matter,” John said. “I mean, she’s been missing for two weeks, but the coroner thinks she was killed before midnight yesterday. That’s a long time for them to have locked her away.” He glanced at the Explorer’s console. “How about we run down to the marina and ask a few questions and then get a bite to eat there? We can get a drink once we’re done. I’ve got plain clothes to change into in the back.”

Nick faltered. “I … kind of made plans with Maddie.”

John rolled his eyes. “Don’t you make plans with Maddie every night?”

“Yes … but … .”

“No buts,” John said. “You and I are going out together tonight. If you want to invite Maddie, go nuts. I’d kind of like to see her.”

“I … .”

“You can go one night without rolling around naked with your beloved blonde,” John said. “You’re going to have a whole lifetime to do that.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve always known you two would end up together,” John said. “Everyone knew that. One night away from her isn’t going to kill you.”

Nick wasn’t so sure, but there was no way he could tell his brother the real reason he was so desperate to spend the night with Maddie. “I’ll call her,” he said, resigned. “If she’s upset, though, you’re on your own.”

“Oh, suck it,” John said. “She’s an adult. I’m sure she can find a way to entertain herself for one night. I’m your brother. We need some bonding time.”

“Bonding time?”

“I’m just dying to hear how all of this happened,” John admitted. “I’m not sure Mom has all the gory details correct.”

“You might be surprised,” Nick said. “She seems up on all the town gossip. She even put money in the pool to see when we would get together.”

John snorted. “I lost. I was way off. I thought you guys would fight it for at least another two months. I forgot to take your desperation into consideration.”

Nick shot his brother a look. “You were in the pool?”

“We all have to entertain ourselves the best way we can,” John said. “Now … drive. Now that I’ve mentioned eating down by the marina all I can think about is crab legs.”

Unfortunately for Nick, all he could think about was something that he probably wasn’t going to get … at least not tonight.

BLACKSTONE BAY
is one of those small towns that has just about everything to offer – except progress. The storefronts are quaint, the side streets made out of cobblestone, and the water is expansive.

In addition to the huge lake, the hamlet also offered various rivers, ponds and other smaller lakes to entice the local population. The town was a coveted destination in the summer and a quiet place to snowmobile, ski, and ice skate in the winter.

It was a beautiful area, and one of the best spots to visit was Blackstone Marina. Most local denizens owned boats – even if they were small fishing boats – but a handful of the more affluent denizens rented slips at the marina for the summer months.

“I haven’t been here in almost two years,” John admitted, striding down the impressive fishing pier and scanning the regulars with a smile. “I used to love coming here when we were kids.”

“It’s nice,” Nick said, noncommittal. “I prefer the lake behind Maddie’s house, though. It’s more private.”

John arched an eyebrow. “What have you two been doing in the lake?”

Nick smiled. While sex had been off the menu, skinny-dipping had not. Nick had seen everything he was missing – on multiple occasions – and he was still annoyed it looked like he would be missing it again. He’d called Maddie, but she hadn’t picked up, so he’d been forced to leave a bittersweet message. He was hoping against hope she would go against her better nature and not understand. If she pitched a fit he’d have a reason to abandon his brother for the evening.

“That’s an absolutely adorable smile,” John said, studying his brother. “I’m guessing the lake has been serving as your personal playground – especially with it being so hot lately.”

Nick forced himself to return to the present. “We loved that lake long before we started dating.”

“I remember,” John said. “I kept sneaking down there in the hopes I would catch you two doing something. Even when I came back for summers when I was in college I was sure I would finally find you two … doing something. Usually, I just found you catching turtles and talking. You two were the most boring teenagers ever.”

“Thanks.”

“Poor, baby brother,” John said, reaching over and snagging Nick’s cheek. “You’re just so under appreciated.”

Nick jerked his cheek away. “I’ll have you know, we weren’t boring teenagers,” he said. “We had a great time together.”

“I know you did,” John said. “You were still geeks.”

“Don’t ever say anything bad about my Maddie,” Nick warned. “I don’t like it, and I’m going to have to beat you to a bloody pulp if you continue to do it.”

“You’re so happy it’s sickening,” John said, smiling. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” Nick said, averting his gaze. “I’m happy for me, too.”

“So, when are you going to propose?”

Nick shook his head, dumbfounded. “Seriously? We’ve been together for two weeks.”

“You’ve been in love with her for your entire life.”

Nick shrugged. “I’d propose right now,” he said. “She’s all I want. I don’t want to rush it, though. I want to be able to enjoy dating her. I want to enjoy moving in together. There’s no reason to hurry.”

“Are you afraid she’s going to run again?”

It was a serious question, and Nick had silently asked it more than once. The truth was, though, he wasn’t scared of that. He knew why Maddie ran the first time, and however misguided, she’d never wanted to leave him. “No. She’s home. We’re home.”

“Okay, if you’re not going to propose right away, when are you two going to move in together?”

“Soon,” Nick said, thinking back on his conversation with Maude. “That brings up an interesting topic, though.”

“Can I have your house?”

Nick grinned. His house was on the Blackstone River, and everyone in the family had been crestfallen when his grandfather left it to him after passing. It was a coveted house, and even though Nick loved it he knew his future with Maddie wouldn’t be spent there. “I’ll sell it to you.”

John was taken aback. “You will? Aren’t you two going to move out there? I was just joking when I asked for it.”

“No,” Nick said. “Maddie’s business is in her house. Maude is in that house, although she’s building a separate apartment in the garage. The lake is right behind Maddie’s house, and the woods that she loves are right there. We’ll be living there.”

“You’ve already thought this out,” John said, impressed.

“When you’ve been dreaming about something as long as I have, you figure things out quickly,” Nick said. “When I picture my future with Maddie it’s in her house. I’d like to keep my house in our family, so if you’re interested in buying it, I’m sure there’s something we can work out.”

“I love that house,” John said. “I definitely want to buy it. It might take me a few months to unload my house, though.”

“That’s fine,” Nick said. “Maude’s apartment isn’t going to be ready for another five or six weeks.”

“Are you going to ask her or are you just going to move all of your stuff in when she’s not looking?” John teased.

“We have to have a talk about it,” Nick said, serious. “She’s still sleeping in her bedroom.”

“And that’s a problem?”

“It’s tiny,” Nick explained. “There’s not enough room for her stuff in there, let alone mine.”

“Ah,” John said, realization dawning. “You want her to move into Olivia’s old bedroom.”

“I’d like to upgrade the bathroom first,” Nick said. “I’d also like to have the hardwood floors buffed and the room painted, but I’d at least like a firm commitment from Maddie where that room is concerned.”

“Have you talked about it?”

“Not about us moving into it,” Nick said. “I have brought up her moving a few times.”

“And?”

“She feels like she’s … displacing … her mother.”

“Olivia is dead, though.”

Nick couldn’t tell his brother that even though Olivia was dead, that didn’t mean she still wasn’t hanging around. He would never understand. “I know,” Nick said. “It hasn’t been that long. I’m going to talk to her.”

“Maddie wants to make you happy just as much as you want to make her happy,” John said. “You’re adults now. I think you’re going to find planning a life together to be a lot easier than you think it’s going to be.”

“I don’t care how easy it is,” Nick said. “I want it. We’ll make it work.” He tilted his chin toward the far end of the pier. “Let’s go talk to them. They’re regulars. If anyone saw something I’m going to bet it’s them.”

“Let’s go, Romeo,” John said, smiling. “See if you can charm them as easily as you charmed Miss Maddie.”

“YOU KNOW
who you want to talk to? Raymond Jacob Kingston.”

Mildred Donahue was a regular fixture on the Blackstone pier. In addition to being one of Maude’s Pink Ladies, she was also the one woman in town who could keep up with the local Knights of Columbus chapter when they decided to tap a keg. Unlike Maude, though, she liked to spend her afternoons fishing instead of stirring up trouble.

“Who is that?” John asked.

“He’s a local fisherman,” Nick replied. “He moved here about three years ago. He lives out on Cunningham Road.”

“He’s a pervert,” Mildred said. “If something bad happened to a young girl, he’s the one who did it. Mark my words.”

Nick frowned. “Define … pervert.”

“He has sexual inclinations that make me sick to my stomach,” Mildred replied. “He also has roaming fingers.”

“I understand what a pervert is,” Nick said, choosing his words carefully. “I want to know why you think Ray is one.”

“Whenever the young girls are on the pier he hits on them,” Mildred said. “He says stuff about wanting to bait their hooks. He’s also friendly with the butt pats.”

Nick made a face.

“How old is this Raymond Jacob Kingston?” John asked.

“He’s in his seventies,” Nick said. “He’s too old to be patting the butts of teenage girls.”

“Oh, he doesn’t pat
their
butts,” Mildred said. “Don’t get me wrong, if he was quick enough to catch one of them he would probably try. They always manage to evade him, though. He’s built up quite the reputation down here.”

“I don’t understand,” Nick said. “Whose butt is he patting?”

“He’s always trying to pat my butt and … trust me … no one wants that. It’s not even as high up as it used to be.”

John pursed his lips to keep from laughing out loud. “Where can we find Raymond?”

Mildred tilted her head to the side, considering. “It’s interesting that you ask,” she said. “I haven’t seen him in a few days now.”

“How many days?” Nick asked, interested.

“It’s been at least two,” Mildred said. “The only reason I even noticed is because he’s always here.”

John and Nick exchanged a look.

“Do me a favor, Mildred,” Nick said, pulling a business card out of his back pocket. “If you see Raymond, don’t say anything to him. Just call me.”

“You’ve got it,” Mildred said, pocketing the card. “I am sad to hear about that girl. I didn’t know her other than recognizing her from afar, but that’s a horrible way to die.”

“It is,” Nick agreed.

“Oh, before you go, I’m just desperate to know when you plan on finally going all the way with the Graves girl,” Mildred said. “I’ve got Sunday in the pool, so if you can hold off until then, that would be great. I’ve got my eye on a custom fishing pole, and the money will just about cover it.”

Nick’s neck burned under John’s studied gaze. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said stiffly. “Have a nice day.”