Scones and Scofflaws Page 16

  “No, I see no reason to.” Catherine also switched to a whisper. “Christ teaches that I must forgive you for what you did, and I do.” She sniffed again, suggesting she hadn’t completely accepted Christ’s teaching. “But whether by accident or not, my husband is dead. Because of his visit to your cheap, unclean residence.”

  “Cheap? Unclean?” Anna felt her voice rising again but didn’t care. “Climbing Rose Cottage is exceptionally clean and well run. And I do not appreciate you spreading rumors about it like this.”

  “It is not a rumor that my husband died at your establishment. It is not a rumor that you have unfinished rooms in your house, a broken down shed in your yard and… and…” Catherine seemed to be searching for a final cruel insult to hurl at Anna. “And cheap, seagull art in your bedrooms.”

  Anna bit her lip and her chin jutted out. “You have no right to insult me, Mrs. Hedley. But this is a house of God, so I will let it go. But I will prove that I had nothing to do with George’s death.”

  She felt a light touch on her arm and turned to see Wendy at her side.

  “Come on, Anna. We’re ready to start. Come sit with me,” Wendy said kindly, ignoring Catherine. “Come on.” She tugged at Anna’s arm, almost dragging her up the aisle toward the pew where she sat.

  Anna glared back at Catherine as she walked. That woman had no shame. She simply narrowed her eyes, nodded at Anna, and moved to a seat on the other side of the church.

  Anna sat next to Wendy, seething. She hadn’t meant to insist that she would find the truth about George’s death, it had just come out. But now that she’d said it, she knew she had to do it.

  36

  Anna followed Wendy down the narrow, carpeted stairs after the service, thoughts of faith and love still echoing in her head. Wendy led her to a white-walled basement room that encompassed about half of the footprint of the church upstairs. Other women were already gathered near the table set against one wall. Anna could see a large silver coffee urn and two boxes of donuts set up next to the coffee supplies. Not a bad way to finish a Sunday morning. She wondered why the men didn’t join in.

  Smiling and greeting everyone by name, Wendy guided Anna to get their refreshments, then to a low bookshelf across the room where they could rest their cups while they ate.

  “You do this every Sunday?” Anna asked after finishing a bite of donut.

  “Mm-hmm.” Wendy nodded, her mouth still full.

  Anna laughed. “Sorry, bad timing.”

  Wendy swallowed and laughed. “Yes, it helps foster a sense of community among the women. Sometimes we need that, you know?” The look she gave Anna carried a similar message to her words. “Ah, Thea.” Wendy turned from Anna to give a quick hug to a woman who approached. “Thea, this is my friend, Anna McGregor.”

  “Anna.” Thea nodded, her hands full of coffee and donuts. “You’re Louise Gannet’s niece, aren’t you? You’re running Climbing Rose Cottage now?”

  “Yes,” Anna responded, surprised but pleased that Thea knew who she was.

  “Don’t look so surprised.” Thea smiled, correctly reading Anna’s expression. “This is a small town. We like to know who’s moving in and out and doing what.”

  “Yes, I’m finally beginning to understand that,” Anna said, thinking of her call yesterday from Richard Gormley.

  More women approached and Wendy introduced Anna around. The talk among the group ranged from comments on the minister’s words that morning to weather predictions to good deals at the local supermarket. Anna joined in easily, happy to have a group of women to talk with about something other than secrets and death.

  “Front loaders, definitely,” Anna said when the topic turned to washing machines and doing laundry. She had plenty of opinions to share on this topic.

  “Certainly for me,” added a petite brunette, laughing. “You can imagine the trouble I used to have reaching the bottom of the top loader to dig out the last few socks.”

  Everyone laughed, picturing the short woman hanging over the edge of the washing machine.

  “But what about the mustiness?” Another woman chimed in. “Don’t they tend to get that musty smell.”

  Anna nodded. “It’s true. You have to clean them regularly. And leave the door ajar when you’re not using it.”

  “Oh.”

  “Aha.”

  “Of course.”

  Anna was surrounded by nods and smiling faces. She realized with surprise she was really enjoying herself. She hadn’t expected coffee and donuts after church to be so much fun.

  “So you’ve re-opened Climbing Rose Cottage?” A woman behind her asked.

  Anna turned to her, a smile on her face. “That’s right. I inherited it from my Great Aunt Louise. I’ve had to put a bit of work in to get it up and running again, but it’s gorgeous now.”

  The woman scoffed. “I’m sure it took quite a lot of work. I’m Coral, by the way.” Coral smirked as she introduced herself, her lips forming a pout that looked like she’d sucked on a few lemons in her day.

  “Coral, nice to meet you,” Anna replied with hesitation. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Oh, just that the house was rather falling apart at the end, wasn’t it? Couldn’t keep it up, could she? Too busy running around getting involved in other people’s lives.” Coral put a coffee mug to her lips for a quick sip and it came away with a thick layer of peach lipstick at the rim. Definitely not the right shade for a woman with Coral’s mousy hair and pale eyes, but it did match the silk shirt and skirt she wore. She looked like she’d wrapped herself in a papaya.

  Anna couldn’t decide if she should laugh or be offended. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Ah, Coral, I see you’ve met Anna McGregor, Louise Gannet’s niece.” Wendy said as she joined their conversation. “Anna, Coral and your Aunt Louise worked together on a number of committees for the township.”

  She spoke with a smile, but when she reached behind Anna, ostensibly to grab her coffee mug from the shelf behind her, she whispered. “Long story. Fill you in later. Her real name is Carole.”

  Anna failed to completely smother her laugh and Coral — Carole — glared at her. “That’s right, we both served on the Environmental Commission and Shade Tree Commission at various times. Appointed by the mayor.” She smirked again, apparently feeling pretty good about her mayoral connections.

  “Now, if I recall, Louise also served on the Library Advisory Committee and… what was the other one?” Wendy asked, tapping a finger against her mouth. She gave the perfect appearance of trying to remember something, but when Anna looked at her she winked.

  “Yes.” Coral frowned, deep lines etching themselves into her lipstick. “You know very well she was part of the Pet Advisory Committee who refused my request.”

  “Ah yes, your request to have your neighbor put down his dog because it barked too much for your liking.”

  “That dog was a menace.” Coral’s eyes narrowed. “And everyone knew it. They just denied the request out of spite. Never mind.” She waved a hand and opened her eyes wide. Her copious application of mascara caused some of her top lashes to cling to the bottom lashes and she blinked a few times until they were clear. “It’s all over now, isn’t it?” She smirked again.

  Anna struggled for words to respond that wouldn’t be as rude as the words in her head. Then she overheard the last few words of another conversation going on at the side of the group.

  “…waiting for her husband’s body to be released.”

  Anna turned toward the women who were speaking in hushed tones. “Are you talking about Mrs. Hedley?” She might be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, but she had to get away from Carole — that is, Coral — and really did want to know what these other women thought about Catherine Hedley.

  Chatter in the room faded away as other faces turned in Anna’s direction. She felt herself blushing, but had to know.

  “Yes, dear,” an older woman answered her. “We met her this morning.”


  “Interesting woman,” another added.

  “I’m sure she’s distraught over her husband’s death,” the older woman replied.

  “Of course, of course,” the first woman replied, but her tone suggested she didn’t quite believe it.

  “She’s not a fan of mine,” Anna said, figuring it would be best if she brought it up first.

  “Well of course she’s not,” Wendy said. “But we can’t blame her for that. As you said, Mary, she’s distraught.”

  The older woman nodded as Wendy said her name, but then stopped, frowning. “I do think, though, that she’s a bit …. well … stringent in her beliefs?”

  A few women giggled, and Anna felt the tension in her shoulders release. She laughed out loud when a woman in a silky dress to her right added. “She’s downright puritan. She suggested my dress would be better worn by a high school student. Said it wasn’t proper for me to be wearing it.”

  “She sniffed at my purse because it’s a little worn down and inappropriate for church,” someone added.

  “She scoffed when I tried to show her pictures of my grandchild,” someone else responded.

  “Ladies,” Mary chimed in. “We must not speak ill of her. We all have our own impression, I’m sure. But she is a member of our faith, and we must show her respect. She is a new widow and that must affect her character, at least for a while.”

  Sufficiently chastened, the women all nodded. But Mary wasn’t done.

  “That said, Anna, you should know that she tried to say something to me about you being responsible for her husband’s death.”

  Anna gasped. She wasn’t the only one as she heard a few sharp intakes around her.

  “That’s absurd,” Wendy said. “How could she say such a thing? We know it wasn’t Anna.”

  Mary held up a hand. “Of course we do. Anna is our neighbor and our friend.” She smiled warmly at Anna and Anna felt tears come to her eyes. “And I told Mrs. Hedley the same thing, in no uncertain terms. We will not speak badly of her and we certainly won’t let her speak badly of one of our own.”

  Anna was at a loss for words, so she simply nodded, then looked around the group smiling.

  The sharply dressed woman put a hand on Anna’s arm. “We all loved your Aunt Louise, you know. She was an amazing woman.”

  The petite brunette nodded vigorously. “So active in the community, always willing to chip in and help. Even after she couldn’t keep up Climbing Rose Cottage anymore, she was still out and about, doing things for others.”

  Anna felt the tears return to her eyes and raised a hand to wipe them away. “Thank you, that is so kind. So good to hear. I miss her. I only wish I had spent more time down here with her recently.”

  “That’s always the way, dear,” Mary said kindly. “We always wish we’d spent more time with loved ones.”

  Other women nodded their agreement. All except Coral, who used the opportunity to inspect her fingernails. Anna thought of the dark doorway that led to Great Aunt Louise’s rooms. She needed to open those doors, let the light in and enjoy the memories instead of running from them.

  “Susan Gormley is doing it the right way, I’m sure,” Wendy said.

  “Oh yes,” Mary replied. “Living with her children but visiting friends here often. That’s certainly the best way.”

  “Susan Gormley? That’s Richard’s Gormley’s wife?” Anna asked.

  The women nodded. “Of course,” one answered. “They stayed with you, didn’t they? Oh—” she cut herself off. “I mean…”

  “Yes, that’s all right,” Anna said. “They stayed at Climbing Rose Cottage the night that George Hedley died.”

  A redhead who had been fairly quiet up to now spoke up. “I hear you and Richard may have had some words.”

  “My goodness news does travel in this town, doesn’t it?” Anna tried to laugh it off. “Yes, we did. But I believe everything is better now. Unless you know something I don’t?”

  The woman shook her head, her eyebrows raised. “Not at all. I did hear that he’d said his piece. My nephew saw him and Susan yesterday evening, out for a walk, and they filled him in.”

  “How is Jason?” Mary asked. “Getting ready for the summer season, I’m sure.”

  The redhead laughed and launched into a story about Jason and the exercises he and his colleagues had been doing to prepare for their work as lifeguards this summer.

  Anna only half listened. It must be the same Jason, mustn’t it? Were there many lifeguards in Cape May named Jason?

  Listening to the woman talk, the pride evident in her voice as she described his various feats in the boating and swimming competitions the guards all participated in, Anna wondered how well this woman really knew her nephew.

  Probably not as well as she thought. It might be a small town; everyone knew everyone else. Yet some people still managed to keep secrets. And one of those secrets must have cost George Hedley his life.

  37

  Anna jumped up when she heard the car on her driveway. Eoin, who’d been sitting next to her, jumped up when she did. He didn’t recognize the car, but as soon as Sammy got out, his eyes lit up.

  “Sammy,” Anna called to her friend from the front porch. “You got here fast.”

  “You caught me at a good time. I was just closing shop after the Sunday morning rush.”

  After her morning of coffee and donuts, Anna better understood what her friend had always said about the Sunday morning rush. Apparently everyone in Wildwood, of all denominations, headed over to the Wild West Bakery after church on Sunday morning. Sammy was usually sold out by 1 p.m. and closed up early.

  “Well I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Hi there, Eoin.” Sammy said the name tentatively.

  “Eoin,” he corrected her.

  “Right, sorry.” She gave him a quick hug, which he seemed to want to prolong. As she pushed him gently away, she looked at Anna. “What are you wearing? A cat-hair skirt? Did that cat attack you or something?”

  Anna laughed and swiped at her skirt as she led Sammy into the kitchen. “Oh no, it’s not that bad, is it? I was wearing this all morning.”

  “Right. So you went to church? At the Methodist church?” Sammy asked as she took a seat at the kitchen bar, Eoin hopping up on the stool next to hers. “What’s that all about?”

  Anna poured out tea for all of them, adding a healthy dollop of milk to Eoin’s. “I went because Minister Woodley invited me, and I thought it would be comforting. But it was more than that… it was, I don’t know… enlightening?”

  Sammy half nodded, half shrugged. “Sure, I’ve heard religion described like that.”

  “No, not the religion”—Anna wagged her finger at her friend—“the gossip. With the women after the service.”

  “Aha, now that could be enlightening.” Sammy took a sip of her tea and grabbed a cookie Anna had set out. Eyeballing the cookie, she said. “Almond?” She took a nibble. “With a hint of ginger?”

  Eoin mimicked her actions, nibbling on the cookie, then examining it, then taking another bite.

  Anna swallowed a laugh. “You know your baking. Yep, that’s a new recipe I’m playing around with. I thought I could serve cookies and tea in the afternoons to my guests—” She let out a breath and looked down into her mug.

  “Don’t worry, honey.” Sammy patted her leg. “You’ll have guests again, I promise. Now, what did you learn this morning? Anything helpful?”

  “No. In fact, the opposite. There are so many secrets,” Anna said, hitting the table with her hand.

  “Right? And?” Sammy looked confused.

  “Look, in this town, everyone seems to know everyone else’s business, right? Gossip runs rampant.”

  “Janet Turner has a new boyfriend.” Eoin spoke so quietly, Anna wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.

  “What was that, Eoin?”

  He pulled his notebook out of his pocket and flipped through the pages as he explained. “The ladies go
ssiped in the church where I was, too. I heard them say that Janet Turner has a new boyfriend.” He turned another page in his notebook then looked up. “And Alicia Muldoon should be ashamed of herself for the way she behaved on Saturday night.”

  Sammy and Anna shared an amused look. “We should put you to work, Eoin. You’re good at this,” Sammy said.

  Eoin sat up tall, grinning. “People talk in front of us kids. Sometimes they don’t even notice we’re about.”

  “I will definitely keep that in mind,” Anna told him. “So Richard Gormley heard immediately when I’d been asking questions about him.”

  “When you were joining in the gossip, you mean?” Sammy asked dryly.

  Anna grimaced at her friend. “Okay, yes, but the thing is, everyone knew about it. Even the Ahavas who run Bric-N-Brac.”

  “Not the Ahavas!” Sammy said in mock dismay, then laughed. “So, what’s your point?”

  “Well, everyone thinks they know everything that’s going on. But I’d bet dollars to donuts that Jason’s aunt has no idea about his… pastime. Remember how angry he got when I told Evan Burley?”

  Sammy shivered and put her mug down. “How could I forget. So… there are secrets. Even in a small town.”

  “Right. And I bet—”

  “Please don’t say dollars to donuts again,” Sammy cut her off.

  “Okay, fine, but the point is, everyone has secrets. Even though they think they know everything, they don’t.”

  “Right. And?” Sammy asked, confused.

  Anna stared down into her mug again where her tea was slowly growing cold. “How am I supposed to break through that wall? How can I figure out someone’s secret when the whole town’s gossip system hasn’t?”

  “Oh, I see.” Sammy nodded slowly then downed the rest of her tea. “You think George Hedley found out someone else’s secret and that’s what got him killed?”

  “Murdered, you mean. Sure, why not? Depending what the secret is, someone might kill to keep it.” Anna said, thinking about how angry Jason had been.