Poisoned Prose (A Books by the Bay Mystery) (20 page)

Squatting by the chair, Olivia noticed a plain white envelope weighted down by a large rock. Her name was written on the front in Rawlings’ hand.

Olivia felt a pang of anxiety as she opened the envelope and withdrew a small piece of paper from within. She read it softly to herself:

When I saw this I thought of you. The woman with the moonlit hair and eyes like the sea. Try it on, Olivia. You don’t have to answer me right now. All I ask is that you try it on and see what forever feels like.

I love you.

Always, Sawyer

She reread the note three times before turning her attention to the lump at the bottom of the envelope. Reaching inside, her fingers closed around a cool piece of metal. She drew forth a ring—a simple band of platinum embedded with a row of dark blue sapphires. It was understated yet sophisticated and exquisitely beautiful.

“Oh, Rawlings. What have you done?”

She pivoted the ring this way and that, admiring how the gemstones soaked in the morning light. It reminded her of moonlight on the ocean, of the path she’d seen as a girl from the lighthouse balcony. The ring felt old and carefully crafted and, to her surprise, absolutely perfect for her. As if it had been made just for her.

Sighing, she looked at the ocean as if an obvious answer might form in the waves, but the water did nothing but whisper on the shore. Glancing at the lighthouse, Olivia thought of how Flynn had never stopped loving Violetta and how his life lost its meaning once she was gone. Unlike Flynn, Olivia knew she could go on without Rawlings. She’d survive as she always had, but she didn’t want to merely survive. She wanted the rest of her days to be filled with his presence. The sound of his voice, the warmth of his body next to hers, the scent of his cologne, the sight of his paint-speckled fingers, the splinter of gold in his pond-green eyes, his tacky Hawaiian shirts—all of it. She needed all of him.

Olivia wanted Sawyer Rawlings to be a part of her story.

“All right.” She breathed. “All right. Let me just give it a try.”

Slipping the ring on the third finger of her left hand, she looked at it and smiled.

Afterword

A
week later, Olivia was on the floor of her nephew’s nursery, watching him kick and swat at the plush toys dangling from a padded arch over his belly.

“It’s called an infant gym,” Kim explained when she came into the room with a folded stack of Anders’ clothes.

“He seems to like the lion best,” Olivia said and laughed as Anders grabbed the lion’s brown mane in his pudgy hand and gave it a violent shake. “Either that or he really hates it.”

“The boy is a hair grabber,” Kim said. She arranged the clothes in a drawer and lowered herself into the rocking chair with a grateful sigh. “Why do you think I wear mine in a ponytail all the time? That poor lion will be bald by Labor Day.”

Olivia laughed again. It was a balm to be with her nephew. She’d stopped by to play with him more than usual this week, and Kim had welcomed her without peppering her with questions. Often, Kim would brew coffee and sit with Olivia while she fawned over the baby. Olivia spent time with Caitlyn after school too, but she preferred to drop by right after Anders had gotten up from his morning nap. Just seeing him helped renew her spirit. She loved the little noises he made and the way he seemed to stare right through her with his dolphin-grey eyes. She knew she was biased, but Olivia firmly believed that he was the most beautiful baby in the world.

“Are you sure you don’t want one of your own?” Kim asked as she rocked gently in the chair, a patchwork teddy bear on her lap.

“I’m positive. Why would I mess with this setup? I get to swoop in, bestow gifts and kisses, and then make a swift departure when he spits up or has a full diaper,” Olivia said with a wry grin.

Kim sniffed the air. “You’re probably safe for another thirty minutes.” She smiled indulgently at her son. “What about you and the chief? Everything going okay?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Olivia took off the long silver chain she had tucked under her shirt and held it out to Kim. At the bottom of the chain, the ring Rawlings had given her spun around and around. The gems embedded in the band of platinum caught the stray sunbeams coming through the window and glinted like tiny stars.

“Oh, wow.” Kim’s voice was a breathy whisper. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Yes, but I haven’t given him an answer yet,” Olivia said. “He told me to take the time I needed to think the whole thing over. To try it on for a few days.”

Kim snorted. “Honey, if you don’t accept him, then you are clean out of your mind. First of all, this is the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen, and second, you two are good together. Actually, you’re better than good. You’re perfect for each other.”

“I agree, but this is
big
. I’ve never been married. Never even came close. My longest relationship lasted six months, and that was over a decade ago.” Olivia put her palm on the baby’s warm belly. He squealed and kicked his legs in delight, and she gently tickled the bottom of his feet until he squealed again.

“I can help you decide,” Kim declared. “I’ll ask you a simple question, and if the answer is yes, then you should marry the chief. Are you ready?”

Olivia stared at the ring in her sister-in-law’s hand and said, “Really? You can make it that easy? Fine, fire away.”

“When you wake up in the morning, are you happier to have your man in bed beside you or are you happier to be alone?”

“To have him there,” Olivia replied instantly. “Absolutely. Even when I know he’s not going to be there, I reach for him. I reach for him while I’m still dreaming.”

Kim threw her hands in the air. “There you go. Marry him.”

“That’s it?” Olivia laughed. “That
was
easy.”

Handing back the ring, Kim said, “Seriously. Try to imagine morning after morning without him.” When Olivia frowned, Kim gave a triumphant clap. “See? You don’t like the thought. You want to be with him. You two are way past the overnight-bag stage. There’s no going back now. It’s scary, I know. It’s a huge change, I know. But isn’t it worth the risk? To never be lonely again? To have the person who makes you laugh and pushes your buttons and holds you when you cry and leaves the toilet seat up—it’s all worth it when you open your eyes first thing each morning and he’s there. He’ll always be there. That’s true love. Not the stuff we see on TV or in the movies. But that familiar lump in the bed. That’s the real thing.”

Olivia was astonished by the emotion behind Kim’s speech. She had no idea her sister-in-law was so insightful. “You should write that down.”

Kim waved off the notion. “Go on, let me see how it looks.”

Taking the ring off the chain, Olivia slid it on to her finger.

“It looks right at home on your hand.” Kim’s eyes grew moist. “Oh, Olivia. Don’t take it off again. Not ever.”

Saying nothing, Olivia scooped Anders into her arms and blew raspberries on his neck and cheeks. He smelled like sunshine and promises of days to come. His wordless coos and iron grip on her fingers made her believe that anything was possible. Even the kind of love that she’d always longed for. The forever kind.

The next day, Olivia met Laurel and Millay for lunch at Grumpy’s where Dixie was hosting a farewell lunch for Lowell. Her cousin’s testimony had been instrumental in convincing Amabel and Greg to admit to their crimes. Subsequently, he’d become something of a local hero.

Considering how Lowell had spoken of gaining respect with such longing the last time she’d seen him, sitting in
The Phantom of the Opera
booth in his stolen lab coat, Olivia found it strange that he was leaving Oyster Bay. He didn’t have a job lined up, and Olivia suspected that his police record would make it difficult to obtain one. However, Lowell told Dixie that he was leaving because he felt compelled to bring Violetta’s ashes home to the mountains.

“I’m going to bury her with her brother,” he’d told Olivia several mornings ago as they shared a pot of Dixie’s fabulous coffee.

“Isn’t that illegal?” she’d asked.

Lowell had raised an eyebrow. “What if it is? She belongs with him.”

Olivia couldn’t agree more. “And you? Don’t you belong with Dixie and her family? What will you do once you’ve laid Violetta to rest?”

“I’ve got a few notions,” had been his cryptic reply.

Seeing that Dixie was busy chatting with the customers in the
Evita
booth, Olivia had leaned forward and said, “I don’t care what you do with the diamonds, Lowell. Just don’t let Dixie find out. Not ever. She’s really proud of you. Don’t break her heart by sending her a wad of cash or stopping by to visit in a modified Ferrari.” When Lowell opened his mouth to protest, Olivia silenced him with a withering stare. “If you must lead that kind of life, then go ahead and lead it, but don’t let her know about it. Deceive her if need be. Let her believe that you’ve truly turned a corner. She needs to hold on to that hope.”

When Lowell said nothing, Olivia slid a piece of paper across the table and tapped on it. “There’s a price for my silence. It’s a small one compared to how much you’ll make selling those stones, but it’ll change a young man’s life. I also believe that you’ll derive some satisfaction from investing in him. To be an anonymous benefactor is very rewarding.”

Lowell read the name and frowned. “I met Captain Fergusson the other day. I liked him. Didn’t know he had a kid.” He kept reading the instructions Olivia had written. “The kid wants to go to college I take it.”

“That’s right. Toby’s a bright boy, and his parents have struggled all of their lives just to get by. They’ve done honest work, Lowell. Hard work. But they could never swing his tuition. They’re also too proud to accept charity, but they’d take a scholarship or grant in a second. It has to sound bona fide, so I’ve written down how to word the letter to Toby’s parents and how to send annual payments to the school. Toby Fergusson should be in college studying to be a meteorologist instead of pulling shrimp nets out of the ocean.”

“Assuming I have what you think I have,” Lowell had said cagily. “This is all you want? You’re not asking for anything for yourself?”

Olivia had touched the back of her neck where a silver chain rested against her skin. “I’m pretty sure I have everything I need.”

Now, as she watched Lowell shake hands with Dixie’s regulars, Olivia wondered for the twentieth time where he’d stashed the heart-shaped padlock. She knew that Dixie had chosen to believe Lowell when he swore that he didn’t have the lock, but neither Grumpy nor Olivia were convinced. At the moment, however, Olivia realized that what she thought didn’t matter. Dixie’s raucous laugh and vibrant smile were all that mattered.

Despite Harris’s absence, Laurel and Millay were in high spirits, and Olivia did her best to enjoy the party. Haviland was having a fine time. He maneuvered around the guests, accepting bites of food and affectionate pets, his tail wagging feverishly. He received a big hug from Leona Fairchild, and Olivia was overjoyed to see how healthy the head librarian looked.

“Did you read Harris’s text?” Laurel asked. She rubbed her hands together with glee. “Doesn’t sound like he’s loving Texas, does it?”

“He misses the water,” Millay said.

Laurel waved a forkful of salad at her. “And us.”

“I just hope he finds time to polish his book. I’d love to see what happens with it.” Olivia dipped a French fry into a puddle of ranch dressing and popped it in her mouth. She’d decided to indulge in a bacon double cheeseburger with a side of fries for lunch. After all, they were celebrating. “Any word from your agent?” she asked Millay.

“Actually, yeah. I was going to tell you before we left.” She paused to spread mayo on her club sandwich. “There’s been some interest.”

Laurel gaped. “From a publishing house?”

Millay tried to stifle her grin but was unsuccessful. “Yeah. The editor loves it. She’s got to check with her boss before making an offer, but we should hear something within the next couple of days.”

“I can’t believe it!” Laurel shrieked. “This is so exciting! What are we going to do to celebrate?”

“Please don’t say Snickertinis at Decadence,” Olivia begged.

“I won’t,” Millay assured her. “How about dirty martinis at The Bayside Crab House?”

Olivia gave her a thumbs-up. “You’re on.” She dipped another fry into the dressing, swirling it around and around. “Are you going to take the first offer you get or see if you can use it to get other editors to offer on your book?”

Millay shrugged. “I don’t know. My agent thinks we should do what you just suggested. She’s pretty sure more than one publishing house will want my book.”

“Did you ever imagine you’d be sitting here talking about this scenario?” Laurel asked. “Okay, my soon-to-be-famous friend, you need to promise me one thing here and now.”

“Depends what it is.” Millay’s tone was leery.

“I get to be the first reporter to interview you. The
Gazette
will follow your career as you become the next J. K. Rowling.”

Millay pulled a face. “Seriously? Does Tessa remind you of Harry Potter in any way?”

Laurel tried again. “Suzanne Collins? Stephanie Meier?”

While Laurel rattled off the names of every YA author she could think of, Olivia finished her burger and then rested against the vinyl booth back. She was too full to eat another bite. Looking around the room, she sipped her iced tea and realized that the town was already healing. Like her, people were remembering what it felt like to be relaxed and content again. Hearing Captain Fergusson’s gravelly laugh, she saw that he was being entertained by Lowell. When the dwarf caught Olivia’s eye, he winked and then turned his attention back to Fergusson.

Olivia wondered if the wink had something to do with the favor she’d asked of him the last time they’d met. Though she suspected it did, she’d have no proof until Toby packed his bags to return to college in August.

If he ends up going back to school, Dixie will eventually tell me
. Olivia was reassured by the thought that very little went on in Oyster Bay without her friend catching wind of it. When Dixie skated over to check on the food, Olivia congratulated her on hosting the best party of the summer.

Blushing with pleasure, Dixie performed a little curtsy and then twirled on the toe of her skates, causing her rainbow tutu to flutter. The Dixie Olivia knew and loved was back. Her eyelids were covered with a sparkling gold shadow, her hair was in pigtails, and she wore neon-pink tights with matching arm warmers. Straightening her My Little Pony T-shirt, she listened to Millay’s news with delight and insisted on bringing the three women a banana split to share.

“No ice cream for me. I’m stuffed,” Olivia said.

“We’ll eat yours,” Laurel promised. “After that, we’ll have to tie a rope around Haviland so he can pull us out of the booth.”

Laughing, Olivia excused herself and mingled with the other guests for a little while. She then wished Lowell good luck, told her contented poodle to heel, and left the diner.

Back at her house, she tossed her keys on the kitchen counter and noticed the blinking light on her answering machine. After examining the caller ID, she pressed the button to play her new voicemail.

“Ms. Limoges, this is Millicent Banks.” Olivia felt a thrill of expectation at the sound of the Realtor’s voice. “I’m sorry to inform you that there’s been a complication regarding the building Flynn McNulty owned. Mr. McNulty took out a loan against his house to make improvements on the bookstore, but he also took out a second loan from a third-party lender to cover additional operating expenses. The bank will put his house up for short sale, and the third-party lender, a company called West Park Management, has paid off the remainder of his mortgage on the bookstore property. They now own the building. When I called and asked if it was available for purchase, I was told quite firmly that it was not for sale. Please call me if you have further questions. Perhaps we can find another property to suit your needs.”

Olivia was disappointed by the news. She immediately conducted an Internet search on West Park Management and found it to be a small but reputable firm based in Manhattan. Suddenly, she felt a twinge of alarm. She examined on the company’s website until she found a link leading to the profiles of the management team. The moment the page loaded, a familiar face appeared under the Partner heading.