Green Tea (10 page)

AJ smiled. “Maybe problems really are more complicated now, Nana.”

“It’s human nature to believe that yours is the most difficult time, or exciting time, or successful time, or depressed time. Each generation believes that. I will confirm for you that conveniences that your generation has, that mine didn’t dream of, have complicated your lives, but they have also enriched it. It always comes down to the same thing AJ, it always comes down to balance.”

I could have cried. Balance. Balance is so important to me, and I’d lost sight of it. Maybe AJ was attracted to me not because I am unlike his mom, but because I am like his grandma. I can live with that. I like his grandma.

Nana said, “Now, the two of you go home. I’m fine. I’ll be ready for release in the morning, you can come back tomorrow to drive me home.”

“I’m not leaving here, forget it. We can argue about it all night, or you can accept the fact that I’m a full-grown man and I make these decisions for myself. Ma’am.”

Nana took a deep breath. “Thank you AJ.”

AJ settled in front of the TV. I dug through my purse and found the cards I’d put there to play with Adeline. For some reason, I’d had a moment of thinking that I could ascertain her neurological problems by seeing if she could remember how to play a game of cards. I worry about myself sometimes.

Nana and I played a few rounds of Funny Rummy. She kicked my butt.

A nurse dragged another convertible chair in sometime around midnight, provided a couple of pillows and some really unwarm blankets, and we dozed the night away in the little room with Nana.

Just before the sun came up, the doctor came in, told Nana that she was fit for travel, and as soon as the paperwork was done, she was free to go.

A nurse came in to help Nana get dressed and get organized. Normally, I would have helped my family with things like that, but as a guy AJ is a little more limited. Nana shooed us both out.

We got Nana settled in at home, hit our apartment in full gonna-be-late-for-work mode, and got both of us ready and out the door in record time. We took separate cars, as I had my normal running around to do today, plus wedding stuff, most of which I hadn’t helped with, which is completely un-O’Flynn.

I still can’t decide if my feelings are hurt that O’Flynns are living their lives without my help or input. Maybe I’m not as indispensible as I always assumed I was.

Half way to the photography studio it dawned on me that I hadn’t turned my phone back on. When I got to the next stoplight, I grabbed that little sucker out of my purse, hit the appropriate button and waited, knowing full well that it would squawk and beep and boop all over the place because I’d have phone messages and email messages and missed call alerts.

Silence.

Hmm…

It was an off-site day for AJ. He packed up the equipment he would need and rushed off to parts unknown.

I went into the main area of the studio and boxed up some props, called the guy that transports them and asked for a quick pickup. He happened to be eating at the diner across the street and said he’d be over in a few.

When he mentioned the diner, it dawned on me that when I’d been meeting with Steph there, I’d noticed a change in the front window of the studio, and had never checked it out.

The best vantage point is the sidewalk. I went out front to take a peek. One of the sets used in the bridal shoot Morgan had done was blown up and sitting on the easel, but Morgan wasn’t in the shot. No bride was. It was just a naked background.

I hate when they do that on billboards. I’ll have to mention it to AJ. My guess is that it was a requirement of the designer.

I trudged back inside.

Without the bride, the picture doesn’t make sense. Without the victims, murders don’t make sense. Without any background, the secrets of the memory cards don’t make any sense. Nana was right. I need to track down the people in the journals, the journals I’d handed over to Steph, and at the very least, try to find the details on the Internet. Why hadn’t I done that? Seems like a pretty damn obvious thing to do.

I called, got Steph’s voicemail, left a message saying I wanted to borrow the journals back.

I chastised myself again for allowing my life to rule me, instead of me ruling my life.

My phone rang, frustrated and more than a little annoyed, I grabbed it and didn’t even bother looking to see who was calling me.

“Hello?”

“Cara, weren’t we supposed to meet at your apartment this morning?”

“Eddie? Oh, Eddie, I’m so sorry. Things were a little out of control yesterday, and then I spent the night at the hospital.”

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, I was staying with someone else, I’m fine. I’m so sorry I’m not there. I’m in Old Town. Can you get started and I’ll meet you there and pay and collect the new key?”

“I can do that cause I know you.”

We made sure he was at the right apartment. Just my luck I’d have him change the wrong lock and then some poor unsuspecting soul would come home from work, all tired and cranky, only to find themselves locked out of their apartment, and the front office wouldn’t even be able to let them in.

I left a note saying that I was done for the day at the photography studio, and if either AJ or Jovana needed me for anything, to give me a call on my cell.

I raced back to the apartment. Eddie was already finished. He handed me three keys, “One for you, one for your boyfriend, and one for your mom.”

I laughed, “You know us so well. How is your lovely bride?”

“She’s great. Gettin’ rounder by the minute. I love me a pregnant woman, there’s just nothin’ more beautiful in this world.
We been
together a long time, since school, but she still makes me weak at the knees.”

“She’s a lucky woman.”

“I’m a lucky man.” He winked at me.

I love a great love story.

I paid in cash, stuck the bill on my desk, and headed back out the door.

My phone rang.

Teagan.

“Hey, did you get them?”

“Get who?”

“Your shoes, Dingleberry.”

“Oh, crap, I forgot.”

“How can you forget your shoes? I told you that they would sell out. You need to go over there right now. They’ll be open in about ten minutes, they might still have them in clodhopper size.”

“My feet aren’t that big, I only wear a nine and a half.”

“That’s pretty big.”

“No, your shoes are pretty small, I’m amazed you don’t fall forward, being top heavy and everything.”

“Me too.”

“So, how did it go with Jessie last night? Are you a happy woman again, or are you still jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“You said you were all upset about some other woman.”

“Cara, I don’t do jealous. I wasn’t worried that Jessie was attracted to some other woman, how stupid is that? If he wants some other woman, he’s welcome to her, just stay the hell away from me. I don’t play that game and you know it.”

“Then I’m confused, what were we talking about?”

“The stupid woman is from work. She wants him to relocate. She has offered him this great opportunity. I think he’s thinking about it. I can’t have a long distance life, Cara. What if he decides to take it? What if he decides not to take it and misses this huge opportunity because of me?”

“What does he say?”

“He says not to worry, we’ll work it out.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know!”

“This is a conversation that we have to have in person. Do you want to do lunch? Dinner?”

“What about AJ?”

“What about him?”

“Do you have plans?”

“Nope, as a matter of fact, he’s probably busy tonight, probably needs to check on Nana.”

“Nana?”

“Long story, tell you when I see you. When will that be?”

“Dinner. You want to go out?”

“I’d rather stay in, I don’t want to talk about all this stuff in public. Oh, and are we going to do something for Morgan? I know she cancelled the wedding shower, and I respect that, I know it was just too hard for her because her family wouldn’t come, but we should do something.”

“We’ll talk about it tonight.”

“See you then.”

“And Cara? Go get the shoes!”

“Yes Ma’am.”

I went straight to the shoe store. Got there as the woman was unlocking the front door. I think my rapid approach kind of scared her, but when I went straight to the shoes I wanted, didn’t even try them on, and headed for the cash register, she seemed to understand I was in a bit of a hurry. She looked less than thrilled when I asked what the return policy is.

“If you are concerned they won’t fit, or will be uncomfortable, you can try them on now.”

“I’d love to, but I don’t have time. The truth is
,
if they don’t make my feet bleed, I’ll keep them. They’re for a wedding. I’m only ever going to wear them once, so they really don’t have to be perfect. My sister says these are the ones I should wear.”

She looked at my credit card, “O’Flynn, you’re Teagan’s sister?”

“Yep.”

“She’s one of my favorite customers.”

“I’m sure she’s one of your best customers as well.”

We laughed.

“She has a pair of shoes on hold right now, she called and had me put them aside.”

“I’ll take them. I’m meeting her tonight, I’ll give them to her then.”

“Great.”

I almost had a heart attack when I saw the total, signed the slip anyway, took the shoes and ran for my car.

I texted Teagan, let her know I got my shoes, and her shoes, and that I’d see her later.

I texted AJ and let him know that the front door lock was changed, and I needed to know if he wanted me to drop a copy of the key off at the office, or did he want to meet somewhere, or I could just make sure I was home when he got home and let him in the front door.

I called Adeline to see if she needed me to drop by. She sounded great, said that she had a full day planned, she was going to do some painting, and that she’d see me in a few days.

I called Jovana and let her know about Adeline, asked if there was anything she needed from me, she said she’d need my help tomorrow, but for today, I was a free woman.

I called Steph back, hoping I could pick up the journals. Her assistant said that she’d gotten my voicemail and that the journals were waiting for me.

Back at the apartment, my day to myself, a slow cook roast in the oven for dinner, I sat down at the computer with the journals, determined to unlock their mystery.

I created a table in my word processor and started to enter all the information I found about each of the girls. Everybody thinks that the key to a crime is most often in the minutia, so the way to solve it, is to sift through the stuff and find where it matches. I’ve almost convinced myself that I can do this. Almost.