Fortunate Harbor (12 page)

Wanda returned with a plastic container and handed it to Dana. “Better stick it in your fridge before you go.”

“Thanks.”

Lizzie was still muttering, but she trailed her mother out the door.

“Well, that was something,” Wanda said when they’d left.

With the door open, Tracy saw that CJ had finally arrived and was getting out of a black sports car in front of her house. And not just any sports car. This one had never seen a Detroit assembly line.

How had CJ come by an Aston Martin?

“The introductions aren’t over,” she said. “You’re about to meet my ex. Take your time and finish your pie, Pete. He can wait.” She edged out to the porch and beckoned.

“This is a whole lot of drama for one afternoon,” Wanda said. “Me, I think I’ll eat an extra slice, just to make sure I make it through to supper.”

An hour later Tracy left CJ and Pete to finish their discussion on the road and went back inside Alice’s house. Janya was gone, and Olivia was in her bedroom on the telephone. On the sofa, Alice was demonstrating a new crochet stitch to Wanda. Both women studiously ignored the fact they had finally made the acquaintance of the infamous CJ Craimer. Even though she had never given them much of a chance to question her, Tracy wondered if they were leaving her to squirm on purpose.

“I’m never going to get the hang of this,” Wanda complained. “My fingers don’t work right.”

“You will.” Alice put her hand over Wanda’s and guided the hook. “There. Try it again.”

“She’s a taskmaster,” Wanda told Tracy.

Tracy played along and didn’t mention CJ. “I thought you said you’d made enough granny squares to last a lifetime.”

Alice answered. “She…saw a pattern. A top.”

“For Janya,” Wanda said. “Let’s just say when she wears it, Rishi won’t know what hit him.”

“Like you don’t have enough to do?”

Wanda looked up. “Be smart here, Ms. Deloche. In a minute Alice is going to see this is beyond me, and she’s going to volunteer, seeing as the pineapple tablecloth is now drying on that floor in there and well and truly done.”

“This is a new low, even for you.”

Wanda was unperturbed. “I’m doing my part. I bought Janya sheets. Black satin. I told her it was a thank-you for all the work she’s done on that mural at the shop. Now I hope she uses them to good advantage.”

Tracy spoke without thinking. “You should have bought green.”

“Her walls are red. You want her bedroom to look like Christmas Land?”

Christmas Land was Palmetto Grove’s annual attempt to bring holiday spirit to a town with no prayer of a white Christmas. Every shrub and palm in a downtown park was smothered with lights, carols screeched from speakers, and Santa Claus promised toys no one could afford to suspicious children who tugged his beard for proof of identity.

“According to feng shui green is the correct color.” Now Tracy was embarrassed. “Green sheets enhance fertility.”

“And you know this why?”

“I just happened to ask my friend Sherrie. She’s up on all that New Age stuff.”

“So you’re meddling, too. Good thing. I can’t carry the burden alone. Alice here’s about to volunteer, aren’t you, Alice?”

Alice looked resigned. “I’ll make the top.”

“You’ll be glad you did when that baby comes along,” Wanda said. “We need a baby out here to spoil. So what else did your friend tell you about this feng shui stuff?”

Tracy was sorry she’d spoken. “It’s supposed to create positive energy flow in your life. And Sherrie mentioned a few other things.”

“In for a nickel, in for a dime.”

“Well, for one thing, there’s not supposed to be anything under their bed, so the energy can circulate. And she’s not supposed to dust or sweep under there, either. Disturbs the good vibes or something.”

“I’m not sure we can do much about that.”

Tracy certainly hoped Wanda didn’t go poking around under Janya’s bed. “Elephants are good. An elephant statue in the bedroom will—”

“She already has a bull.”

“Feng shui’s from China, not India. Elephants are in, bulls are out. Also, nothing’s supposed to block the entrance to the front door, and Janya’s got one of Herb’s potted trees on her stoop. I noticed it last time I was there. I had to step around it.”

Tracy had learned more, but even though she was from the New Age capital of the world, the whole thing sounded crazy to her. Besides this was Janya’s future they were plotting.

“I’ll complain about that tree,” Wanda said. “She’ll get Rishi to move it.”

“You’re not going to tell her why, are you?”

“Not unless I have to.”

Tracy looked out the window and saw that Pete was walking CJ to his car. Apparently they had finished their tour.

“Am I imagining things,” she asked, “or was Dana rude to Pete? Did she seem upset he was here?”

“I don’t know what was eating her,” Wanda said. “But something got under her skin.”

“I read all his references and made a few calls. People seem to think highly of him. I don’t think Dana’s got any reason to worry about Pete being in our houses.”

“Maybe she had a bad experience somewhere along the line and doesn’t trust men.”

There was no time to wonder about Dana. Not when Tracy had CJ to consider. “He’s awfully dressed up to show Pete what needs to be done around here, isn’t he?”

Wanda could switch topics with the best of them. “Your ex? You mean he doesn’t usually tramp through weeds in a thousand-dollar suit?”

Tracy thought maybe CJ’s suit
had
cost that much. And having bought the man any number of shirts in her day, she knew the one he was wearing wasn’t a designer knockoff, nor was the Italian silk tie. Several questions had occurred to her when he stepped out of his car. Who was bankrolling CJ’s wardrobe? And why was he wearing it for a handyman tour?

She turned back to the two women. “Okay, you’ve been polite long enough. What
did
you think of CJ?”

There was a long moment of silence, then Alice, who was always kind, spoke first. “He put us right at ease.”

Tracy glanced outside. The two men were standing beside CJ’s car, still chatting. “He could lull the venom out of a cobra, right before he chopped off its head.”

“I can see why you married him,” Wanda said. “Easy enough to look at, charming and rich. Most of us settle for one of the three. But it’s amusing you think something good might come from letting him hang around.”

Tracy tried to explain what she didn’t understand herself. “I haven’t fallen for any of the lines CJ’s tossing my way. But I’d kind of like to keep him in sight, so I can watch and see what he’s up to. Besides, it’ll annoy Marsh no end, which is seriously okay with me right now. Maybe Marsh will think twice about rolling out the old red carpet for Sylvia.”

“So…why is your ex-husband here?” Alice asked. “Really why.”

Tracy had asked herself the same thing every waking hour. “A couple of things come to mind. One, that he couldn’t live without me.”

“Spoken like a true Beverly Hills princess,” Wanda said.

“How could he not love you?” Alice asked.

Tracy smiled wanly. “Truthfully, CJ knew he could count on me. No matter how much stuff he threw my way, I’d stay right there and wait for more. There are a lot of women who could take my place now, and probably will. CJ can be very appealing.”

“Appealing enough to convince you to go back to him?”

“I don’t have any real reason to think that’s what he wants, so I’m guessing it’s something else.”

“Is he…hiding from something?” Alice asked.

“Wow, a detective in our midst,” Wanda said. “Could she be right?”

“If so, he’s hiding in plain sight. He’d be easy to trace here.”

“Then maybe he wants Happiness Key.”

“That would explain his interest in fixing things up,” Tracy
said, “but I don’t think there’s any way he could legally get his hands on it. Besides the conservation easement’s in play now.”

“Could he be reformed?” Alice looked hopeful, as if she had no desire to believe something sinister might be happening to her friend.

Wanda clucked in disapproval. “Me, I’ve seen too many born-again liars in my time, and heard about a whole lot more from Kenny. Somebody like Tracy’s ex wouldn’t even notice the light on the road to Damascus. Or wherever it was Paul was going that day.”

“Paul?” Tracy asked.

“We got to get you to church. They don’t have churches out in California?”

Tracy peeked out the window again. The men were still deep in conversation. “CJ acted like he was telling the truth. The thing is, CJ always acts like he’s telling the truth.”

“And knowing that, you’re going to let him hang around?”

“I called some people, and they made some calls for me. So far, things are pretty much the way he says.”

“You’re keeping an…eye on him?” Alice asked.

“I have a life myself, more or less, and I also have a job.”

“We could…help.” Alice looked intrigued. “We should.”

Tracy managed a half smile. “If you’re going to play detective, go over to Marsh’s house and find out where Sylvia is sleeping.”

“No, Alice is right,” Wanda said. “Watching CJ’s a good idea. There would be ten eyes counting Olivia, maybe more if we enlist Dana and Lizzie.”

“So not a good idea!” Tracy shook her head. “Next you’ll be saying I ought to put an announcement in the paper, so everybody in town can get in on the fun.”

“Seems to me it’s just what he does when he’s around
you
that matters. That part we can take care of.”

Alice was clearly determined to make CJ a pet project. “Where is he living?”

Tracy told them the little she knew. “With somebody named Edward Statler. I checked. He’s the president and CEO of a business called Creative Development and Investment. Ever heard of him?”

Alice pressed her lips together, and the lines between her eyes deepened in concentration. “The name…” She shrugged.

“I don’t exactly run in CEO circles,” Wanda said. “Kenny could check them both out, only he’s not around that much right now.”

“I guess we should look into it, at least a little,” Tracy agreed reluctantly. “CJ said Statler was going to help him develop Happiness Key, so why didn’t he come to me when I moved in and suggest I sell the land to him?”

Wanda sniffed. “Maybe he’s a CEO without
C.A.S.H.
”

Tracy checked out the men once more. “So why
do
you think he’s all dressed up?”

“He was late, wasn’t he? Maybe he was at some event that got out later than he’d expected, and he didn’t have time to change.”

“On a Saturday afternoon? More likely he’s on his way to something, and he realized he’d have to go from here, so he’d better dress for it. I want to know.”

“You could follow him,” Wanda said.

“He’d catch on right away. My car stands out.”

“Mine doesn’t. The key’s…” Alice made a turning motion with her hand to demonstrate. “In the ignition.”

“That’s a
bad
idea,” Wanda scolded. “The key in the ignition, not Tracy driving your car. That’s a good one. I’ll go with her.”

Tracy hated that she was even considering the offer. She directed her question to Alice. “You really don’t mind?”

“Just…tell me what you learn.”

Tracy couldn’t believe she was going to tail CJ. Of course, maybe if she’d tailed him a time or two in California, she would have been better prepared when the Feds lowered the boom. “I’ll fill the gas tank.”

“No need.”

“I can keep an eye on him while you drive.” Wanda got to her feet. “We’d better head out the moment he does, or we’ll lose him.”

Tracy looked outside once more and saw Pete walking back to his SUV. That meant CJ was leaving. She didn’t have time to reconsider. “Thanks, Alice. We’ll let you know.”

Wanda followed her to the door, and they both paused. Pete was turning around in the road. Then CJ got in his car and did the same thing. He took off like a shot, passing Pete on the left.

“We’re out of here.” Tracy threw the door open and ran for the side of the house where Alice’s Hyundai sat. It was as old as Olivia, but Alice had driven it so rarely that except for the inevitable Florida rust, she’d had few problems with it.

“I’d offer to drive, only I’ve seen you behind the wheel,” Wanda said as she threw herself into the passenger seat.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Before Wanda could even reach for her seat belt, Tracy backed the Hyundai out of the driveway.

Wanda buckled up quickly. “So, you got any guesses where he’s headed?”

“I don’t have a clue. And I don’t have a clue about that car he’s driving, either. His share of what was left when the Feds got finished went into a savings account, so he’d have spending
money in prison. But it wouldn’t have stretched to a daily pack of cigarettes, much less an Aston Martin.”

“
That’s
what he’s driving?”

“The lower end of the line. Still costs a fortune.”

“That’s a James Bond car.”

“Well, let’s see if he’s got a James Bond girl stashed somewhere.”

“You think that’s what the suit’s all about? Are you jealous?”

“No! I just want to keep tabs on him.” Tracy drove faster. She could see Pete’s car ahead, but not CJ’s.

“I’m glad I had that extra piece of pie. It settled my nerves. Now I’m just going to pray you don’t burn out Alice’s engine before we get to the bridge.”

Pete turned off at Randall’s, and without his SUV blocking most of her view, Tracy could see CJ’s car far ahead. There was a stop sign before the turn to the bridge into Palmetto Grove. She hoped he observed it. Then there was a light just before the bridge. She prayed for red.

Luck was with her. By the time she got to the light it was green, but she could see CJ just ahead on the bridge. “Okay, now keep an eye out, and I’ll slow down so I don’t get right on top of him.”

“I got my eye on the car. Just drive.”

Tracy concentrated on traffic, which thickened the moment they got on the bridge. It was a beautiful Saturday, and late enough that people were heading home from the beach or going out for an early dinner. CJ was caught up in the crowd, and she was able to stay several cars behind.