Hatteras Girl (Heart of Carolina Book #3) (29 page)

This is not how I planned to tell them about Davis Erickson, but sometimes I surprise myself.

Disbelief fills every pore of Minnie’s face as she stares at me over the counter. She was in the middle of calling someone but lets the phone find its way to the cradle.

Sheerly’s hand with the large metal hairbrush is suspended from her side like a raised sword.

My words crawl at first, and then tumble and leap all over themselves.

I must be making sense, for there are looks of understanding and disgust.

“Davis Erickson?” Sheep Wool and Sheerly’s eyes lock through their reflections in the mirror.

Slowly, I say, “Yeah, he’s been covering up all that damage at the Bailey House.”

Sheep Wool presses her lips tightly. “Oh, mercy! He’s our landlord. We weren’t supposed to talk about it. We love the location, don’t want to move.”

Lona is no longer interested in her hunger and a burger. She plops down in a chair beside me; her purse swings onto her lap.

Minnie says, “This is where I heard the first rumors, Jackie. Remember, Sheerly, the other day when that couple came in and said something about reading about Davis in
Lighthouse Views
?”

Sheerly shrugs her shoulders, looks at me as if she should have told me what she’d heard the other day, shows guilt that she didn’t.

Minnie sees her guilt. “At least Jackie knows now,” she says. “The couple knew that Buck and his dad were contracted to repair the Bailey House. As more and more information came out, I realized I had to talk to Buck to see if it was true. That’s when I knew you had to hear it from him.” Minnie is looking at me now.

I sigh. “Well, I let everyone in the Grille know that Davis is a liar.”

The baby starts to fuss and the mother turns away from us to nurse her. After her baby is soothed, she says, “We rent from Rexy Properties, too.” She stops herself, toys with the collar of her daughter’s dress, and then continues, her eyes on her child. “The owner just keeps painting over a water leak in our apartment. He won’t fix it, although we’ve asked him to.”

She seems hesitant to say more, so Mavey Marie prods, “Where does your husband have his business?”

“In Salvo. It’s called Ocean Floral.”

Sheerly says, “This is not good at all.”

“Ocean Floral?” Now I recall where I’ve seen this woman before. “I was supposed to talk to you about who you rent from. I went to your shop.” She looks different without her white floppy hat.

“I know.” She keeps her gaze on her child, as though studying her head. When she raises her eyes to meet mine, she asks, “You’re friends with Buck, right?”

“Yeah.”

“He told me you might be stopping by. But when you did, I realized you write for
Lighthouse Views
.” She shifts her eyes toward the floor. “I was afraid.”

“Afraid?” Mavey Marie repeats.

“Yes.”

“Well, honey, you can tell us. We don’t bite.”

Kelly nods, as though she now has the courage to share. “My husband wouldn’t want me to jeopardize anything by speaking badly of Davis.” She sighs. “We argue all the time about what to do. I want to move, but my husband says we can’t afford it. This recession hasn’t helped.” Her baby starts to cry, and she pauses to comfort her.

Lona shakes her head. “I never liked that Rexy man. Now I know why.”

“But what makes you afraid?” Sheerly steps closer to Kelly.

“Well.” The young woman chews on her lower lip. This action seems to give her confidence because when she speaks, her voice is bolder. “Davis threatens to raise our rent. He reminds us all the time how he didn’t make us give him a security deposit. We were strapped for money when we first opened the shop and he said he’d make it easy for us. That was then. Now he holds that over us.”

Sheerly clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Beatrice Lou follows; the two of them sounding like hens who just got their feathers ruffled the wrong way.

With her child resting quietly against her, Kelly continues. “The lady next to us told us that a woman fell when Rexy Properties didn’t fix the railing for her duplex. She broke her leg.”

“She should have sued.” Lona shifts in her chair.

“Mrs. Dupree was advised not to sue by Davis. I heard he threatened her.” Kelly stops, perhaps thinking that she’s talked enough.

“Mrs. Dupree?” I say. “Did you say Mrs. Dupree?”

Kelly winces. “Yes . . .”

And in spite of all the confusion of this day, I laugh.

The women are surprised; puzzlement lines their faces.

“Irvy!” I say to Minnie. “She told me at my birthday party to remember Mrs. Dupree.”

Sheerly clicks her tongue once more.

“I thought Mrs. Dupree was a brand name for spices,” Minnie confesses. “You know, like McCormick. Weeks before she died, she started bringing that name up. I thought she was talking about nutmeg and sage.”

“And now you know what she really meant,” says Sheerly. “Bless her heart. Your poor mama was trying her hardest to help you out.”

When the cuckoo clock clucks two, I realize it’s much later than I thought. Even with my flexible schedule, I need to get back to the office. I stand to leave the salon. Sheerly’s embrace is tight as she tells me she’s proud of me for confronting Davis.

Minnie says she’ll pick up Zane from Ropey’s and then some barbecue for our dinner on her way home. “So don’t worry about cooking tonight, okay?”

I’d forgotten what it was like to be taken care of by Minnie. Before Lawrence died, she was freely motherly toward me, helping me through life’s bumps and detours. Seeing the old Minnie makes me hug her twice.

42

I pull into the Lighthouse Views
parking lot and note that it’s empty except for Selena’s convertible.

Shakespeare wags his tail as I enter the office. He’s looking healthy once again thanks to some pills that took care of a parasite the poor canine picked up. Of course, Selena was horrified to think that her beloved pooch would get something as nasty as a parasite.

I hurry toward my desk and turn on my computer, an attempt to busy myself with work and take a break from thinking about Davis and the Bailey House.

After I give Selena a weak “Hi,” she immediately asks, “What’s the matter?”

I shake my head.

From her desk she says, “Everyone went to see the sandcastle art in Buxton. Did you not get the memo?”

This sounds vaguely familiar.

“Bert said he sent it to all of you. One man has created a whole village out of sand, including dragons and mermaids. Sandy Catering is selling hot dogs and drinks. Sure you don’t want to go?”

I wait for the computer screen to light up.

“Want lunch?” She walks to my desk and stands in front of it. “I can pick up some salads from The Happy Fisherman.”

“I ate.” I know I did; I just can’t recall what it was.

Selena looks me up and down, like Betty Lynn used to look at my dates. “What’s going on? What is it?” She waves her pen around.

I can’t pretend any longer. I give her a quick glance. Standing, I walk over to the couch and hear her footsteps follow me. Shakespeare nuzzles my leg as I sit down. “What do you know about Davis Erickson?”

“Davis? You interviewed him. You wrote the article.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Oh … well, he’s good-looking. Owns Rexy Properties. House needs paint. What do you want to know?”

“Did you know that he owns the Bailey House Bed and Breakfast?”

“Well,” says Selena. “Well.” Her pen waves in front of her face. “Is that it?”

I gently pet Shakespeare, my mind going a thousand different directions. “It has problems he’s tried to cover up.”

Selena sits beside me on the sofa. “Tell me what you are trying to say.”

My words only come out in partial sentences. “Water damage. Rotting wood. Things not visible to the naked eye.”

“Who told you this?” Selena has always been keen on wanting to know our sources of information.

“I’m the new renter of the house.”

Selena hasn’t petted her dog the whole time I’ve been talking.

I take a moment to ask, “Do you want to know the real story?”

When she says that she does, I summarize what Buck shared with me, throwing in the extra bits and pieces I heard at Sheerly’s today and explaining how unmoved Davis was when I accused him earlier at the Grille.

Selena stands. Her hands are like anchors against her hips. “Okay. Listen. If he—if Mr. Deceitful—ever tries to ignore problems again— No, no. Let me put it this way.” She clears her throat. “If he ever denies any of what you have just told me, or tries to stray from the straight and narrow ever again, then I will become his worst enemy.”

My eyes grow wide, like Zane’s do when I tell him if he doesn’t brush his teeth, he’ll grow fangs.

“I will use my powers.”

“Powers?”

“The magazine! He will be front-page bad-businessman news. You make sure he fixes all the problems at the bed and breakfast ASAP. On his dime.” She snaps her fingers, and Shakespeare jumps. “Or he will be sorry.”

I have a deep feeling that he will be.

“We gave him a great story months ago when you interviewed him. Should he not change his ways, we can do another story. This one will not make him look good. Could put him out of business.”

I believe her. Selena will put on her boxing gloves should the need arise. Personally, I think that she has hit a man before.

Moving to her computer, she brings up the North Carolina General Assembly’s Web site. “Aha!” Her cry vibrates throughout the office. “It states here that the landlord is to comply with the current building and housing codes.”

Standing in front of her computer screen, I read the section from the North Carolina statutes under the heading: “Landlord to provide fit premises.”

“You say he just keeps painting over leaks and ignoring structural damage? Hmmm. Doubt a housing inspector would label that safe and look the other way.” She turns to me and adds, “Go to the Rolodex and find the card for that inspector.”

“Inspector?”

“Peace of Home.”

“Peace of Home?”

“I know it sounds like a silly name for a housing inspector, but that’s what he goes by.”

When Cassidy and Bert return from the sandcastle show, Bert begins to tell about an idea he has for an interview. Selena’s hand motions him to go no further. I don’t think she’s ever told him to hold his tongue before. Quickly, she fills him and Cassidy in on the news about Davis.

Cassidy shakes her head, but Bert turns to me. “When he called to ask you out that one time, I was about to tell you to be careful.”

“What do you mean, Bert?” Selena asks.

“My cousin works for Vanessa. Her name’s Donna. She’s always telling me how Davis is trying to get Vanessa to get back together with him.”

“So he was dating Jackie and her at the same time?” Cassidy’s tone is one of shock, like when she found out how many calories coconut milk has.

Selena snorts. “Despicable!”

“He gets rid of people when they don’t cooperate,” says Bert. “That’s why he and his secretary are the only people who still work for Rexy Properties.”

I bite my lip. Perhaps Selena is right; Bert does seem to know everything.

“Where I come from,” Cassidy says, “we’d call a man like him ‘sleazy.’ ”

Selena, still perched over her computer, reads the statutes. She gets our attention by saying, “All landlords are to make sure the electrical and plumbing in the rental property is in good and safe working order.” Leaning back in her chair she gives us an assignment. “Let’s put together an article on Davis and his despicable ways.”

“To print in the magazine?” My voice is hoarse.

“To use as a teaching tool. We’ll be sure to send him a copy.” Selena’s grin dances across her face. “If he doesn’t agree to make some changes, then we take the next step.”

“What’s the next step?” I know I must ask, even though I’m pretty certain of the answer.

“We’ll print it! We’ll put in there everything that he’s done in the past. I bet with your interview skills, we could uncover a lot more than we already know. And when we do, no one will ever rent from him again.” She clasps her hands together as if she’d like to wrap her fingers around someone’s neck.