26. Hattie

"Hattie!" Peyton calls out as I enter back into the realm of the Stars and Stripes Spectacular right here on the beach just below the country club. The sky still has a tangerine glow to it, but as soon as it gets dark, the fireworks are set to go off.

"What is it?" I ask just as Peyton runs up wearing an electric blue dress that clings to her body like a tube sock—a tube sock that has been in a frat house one too many times. The dress really does look that cheesy.

Oh, okay, fine. It looks fabulous and I'm jealous I didn't get to the tube sock first. I'd love for Killion to see me in that. Come to think of it, I'd love for Killion to see me in just about anything right about now. For some reason, it feels as if I've donned the cloak of invisibility when it comes to that man.

"I found this on the front desk." She holds up a small pink box with a white grosgrain ribbon tied around it and a small white envelope attached. Her hand is covering most of it. But I bet Killion could still land a decent fingerprint from it. "This is from your secret admirer, isn't it?" She laughs as she plucks the card from the envelope. "Let's see what he has to say now."

"Peyton." I swipe for it, but she pulls it out of my range. "You're getting your fingerprints all over it."

"Oh, who cares? Only club members are allowed on the grounds. And they might be eccentric, but they're hardly homicidal. It's probably some geezer trying to audition for the part of sugar daddy." And with the way my finances are going, I could sure use a sugar daddy right about now.

I make a face as she holds the plain white card between us. It's written with a red pen in bold writing, and once again the E's are comprised of three straight lines.

"My darling," Peyton reads out loud. "I have no intention of being your friend. We are something more. We were written in the stars long ago. True love burns bright forever." She inches back and grunts, "On second thought, your sugar daddy sounds a bit creepy." She hands me the note and works the lid off the box before revealing a thin gold chain with an opal rose pendant.

The opal necklace! This must be the necklace Missy was referencing—the one that Jeremy Goodwin bought off of her, along with the earrings and brooch.

"Peyton, do you know of a club member named Jeremy Goodwin?"

"Never heard of him," she says, plucking the necklace out of the box and quickly clasping it around my neck. "But then, I don't know every member." She steps back and takes a look at the opal rose as it hangs from my neck. "It's okay." She shrugs as she inspects it. "Try to do better next time you get a wannabe sugar daddy."

Peyton takes off and I gag in her wake.

Hattie,Cricket mewls before appearing before me and I quickly scoop her up. Quick! Let's hide before they find us.

"Who are they?" I ask just as Killion and Rookie show up on the scene.

"Hattie." Killion looks pained as he says my name and there's a cold distance about him.

"Killion, what's wrong?" I ask, taking a step forward and he flinches.

Oh wow, something is definitely wrong,Cricket says.

Rookie gives a soft woof.

He has Jolly strapped to his back and I'm both thrilled and relieved to see them.

Something is wrong,Hattie, Rookie barks. Killion won't talk about it.He's been on the phone and his laptop a lot. I've heard him mumbling something about this can't be so.

What can't be so?

"Hattie," Killion expels my name lower than a whisper as he takes in my features.

Oh no, he's going to break up with me. My heart thumps into my ears at the thought.

I couldn't take a breakup from Killion. Especially not here in front of everyone in Brambleberry Bay. Not even if we were the only people on the planet.

I need to change the subject and fast.

"I got another gift," I say, touching the pendant before handing the note to him. "Whoever sent this says they don't want to be friends." And now I'm wondering if that's all Killion wants. I clear my throat. "I spoke with Missy Livingston, even though that's not her real name and she basically said that she sold this jewelry to a man named Jeremy Goodwin."

Killion's eyes look up from the pendant as he meets my gaze.

He's donned jeans and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His cologne permeates me like an old friend, and it takes everything in me not to inhale hard like an idiot.

He's so shockingly handsome with his hair slicked back, that stone-cold look on his face—my heart breaks just looking at him.

Did Missy say something or did Hattie read my—his mind flits to white noise.

The funny thing about white noise is that it's usually nature's way of cutting me off from prying into naughty thoughts. Although at the moment, I seriously doubt Killion is having naughty thoughts about me—more like he's purposefully trying to scramble his brain.

"Jeremy Goodwin," he says, inputting the name into his phone. "Got it. I'll take it from here. Just so you know, I reviewed the security footage and there was no way to trace whoever sent these packages. They came in with the mail carrier, so whoever handed them off must have caught the mailman at the gate. I'll head to the post office later this week and see if I can question anyone. You enjoy the party, Hattie. I'll catch up with you before the night ends." He takes off before I can stop him but Rookie stays behind.

What was that about?Cricket screeches down at her furry friend. And don't tell me that you have no idea why he's gone from a puddle of goo to a cold fish around Hattie.

I'm sort of hoping Rookie knows the answer to this myself.

Rookie gives a quick bark. I don't know what's happened, Hattie, but it started the night we left your cabin! He was worried about something all the way home.

That night? I try to rack my brain to figure it out, but before I can, my mother and Nora stride by.

"Hattie!" My mother nearly strangles me with a herculean hug. "Oh, the party is fantastic! You did such a good job." Her vanilla locks are pinned back, and she's wearing a stylish blue shift dress. Nora is in a matching red one, and now I'm wondering if this is a result of a joint shopping trip. These two seem to be inseparable these days.

"I'll admit it as well." Nora's lips expand in what I'm guessing is a smile. "It's a job well done."

A compliment from Nora? Hell must be freezing over—and just in time to end this heatwave.

Mom pulls back. "We were just on our way over to say hello to Dr. Draper and his wife."

"You know him?" I ask, almost amused. Of course, she does. My mother knows everyone.

"Oh yes," she says. "He's been my dentist for over a year now. In fact, I've got a prescription right here in my purse that I keep forgetting to get filled. I'm due to get a root canal in two days, and he's giving me something to calm me down before I head in. I'm terrified of getting it done. Last time I had this procedure I ended up with a staph infection that almost took me out."

"I remember that," I say. "You really need to get on those antibiotics posthaste after the procedure. An infection can make that root canal look like a trip to the candy shop."

"Well, I'm afraid a trip to a candy shop is probably what got the root canal party started," she quips. "Which reminds me, have you talked to Henry lately? He said he wants to speak with your father and me, and he sounded about as serious as a root canal."

"Oh wow, I'd love to know what's going on. But no, I haven't spoken with him."

Cricket chirps, I bet this has something to do with the news that's going to detonate your family!

I nod her way.

I'm not sure detonate was the word Henry used, but it might as well have been.

"Mom, if you don't mind, I'd like to be present when you speak with him." I have a feeling my parents will need me for moral support.

She nods. "I'll make sure your sisters are there, too." She cranes her neck past me.

I glance over at Nora.

Hey? Maybe the reason Killion is acting so strange is because he knows that Nora is the killer!

"Nora," I practically hiss her name. "Has Killion mentioned anything to you about who killed Jane Jordan?" Usually I would have finessed the conversation a whole lot better, but let's face it, Nora is the last person I want to beat around the homicidal bush with.

"Jane?" She inches back. "She wasn't murdered. She was electrocuted. The woman stumbled into a tragedy." Hattie is lucky Jane doesn't have any family around to sue her into oblivion. Everyone knows Hattie is to blame for the accident. Even her own mother testified to the fact. Of course, thanks to nepotism and my son's blindness to any of the woman's flaws, she lives to stumble through another day like an elephant on roller skates.

I can't help but frown at the woman.

Okay, so she's not the killer. But that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to kill a good time. Something tells me she'll be homicidal in that department for a good long while.

Mom cranes her neck past me. "Oh poo, it looks as if Dr. Draper and his wife have disappeared out of sight."

Nora shrugs. "But that shrimp buffet isn't going anywhere. Let's load up before the shrimp does a disappearing act, too."

"And let's not forget the Holiday lobster," Mom says, pulling Nora along as they make their way to the buffet.

Quick, Hattie,Cricket mewls. We'd better join them. Peggy and Clarabelle abandoned the lobster for a couple of kooks. Sure, they said they were Tom cats, but by the way those men were acting, they had more in common with an octopus than any respectable feline.

"Sounds like Peggy and Clarabelle know exactly what those men are thinking," I muse as I pull out my phone. "I wish I knew what Killion was thinking. But since that's not happening, I may as well do a little digging—in the direction of Jeremy Goodwin."

I quickly do a rudimentary internet search and all sorts of articles pop up.

"Jeremy Goodwin is a suspect in a double homicide? A couple of slayings that took place in Vermont about five years ago?" I say below a whisper as I try to inhale as many of the articles as I can.

I wonder how Missy knew him?

I bet he's hiding out here in Maine!

My fingers float to the pendant around my neck. I'd better take the jewelry off. There's no way I want to attract this lunatic any more than I already have.

I scroll through a few more articles until one hints at his occupation and I freeze solid.

My blood runs cold.

What is it, Hattie?Cricket yowls as she leaps from my arms. You've got that look on your face. You know who the killer is, don't you?

I bet it's that Jeremy guy! Rookie woofs and Jolly Beary nods by proxy.

"I have an inkling of who it might be," I say as I make a beeline to where my mother and Nora are loading up their plates with enough seafood to turn their stomachs into bona fide aquariums. "Mom," I pant, nearly ripping her purse away from her. "I need to see something."

"Hattie," Mom says, quickly detangling herself from her leather satchel. "She probably needs a breath mint," she says to Nora. "This used to happen all the time in church. In fact, I carried an extra roll of mints just for my girls. They get the halitosis from Henry's side of the family."

I quickly come up with the prescription, and to my horror find exactly what I'm looking for. Not only is it a prescription for Methaqualone, but the handwriting—it's all block capital letters and the E's are formed with three straight lines.

I snap a quick picture of it with my phone and shoot it to Killion.

"Thank you," I say, shoving the prescription back into her purse and placing her bag on her shoulder, right where I found it. "Stay by the buffet, would you?"

I dart off just as my phone pings like mad, but I bury it in my pocket as I thread my way through the crowd.

Hattie, where are we going?Rookie barks as he struggles to keep up with me.

Don't you know anything, you big fur coat? Cricket yowls. We're going to catch a killer.

Catch a killer indeed.