A Clue in the Stew (A Soup Lover's Mystery) (27 page)

Chapter 62

L
UCKY LOCKED THE
front door and moved around the restaurant, turning off all the lamps but one. Horace, with Cicero at his feet, sat quietly at the large table. Sophie and Sage were in the kitchen clearing up for the night. Meg too was quiet as she moved around the front room, straightening chairs and wiping down the tables for the next morning.

“What’s taking them so long?” Meg called out.

Lucky grabbed her cup of tea from the hatch and carried it over to the table where Horace waited. “They’ll be here any minute.” Lucky pulled a napkin out of her pocket and slipped a large hunk of chicken to Cicero. He gobbled it down and licked her hand.

“What do you say, Cicero?” Horace asked. Cicero gave a small yelp.

“You’re welcome,” Lucky replied, absently scratching the top of the dog’s head.

“I’ll bring some beers out,” Sage said.

Meg finally joined them. “I’m so glad all those people have gone back to New York. Phoebe seemed kind of normal, but the rest of them . . .” Meg trailed off.

“Well, Phoebe and Audra are back in New York, but Derek and Sylvia won’t see the light of day for a long time, if ever,” Lucky remarked.

Sophie, carrying a tray loaded with several bottles of beer, joined them. Sage followed a moment later with chilled glasses and napkins.

Lucky turned to Meg. “I think you should do the honors tonight.”

Meg’s face lit up in a broad smile. She looked around at all of them. “Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” Sage asked.

“For letting me join in. For not shoving me out of the way. This is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened in my life.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again, Meg,” Sophie replied drily.

“Tonight’s important. This is the very last meeting of the Murder Investigation Club,” Meg announced.

“Here, here.” Sage raised his bottle of beer in a toast.

Lucky looked up when she heard a knock at the front door. She rushed over and unlocked it. Barry entered with Hank following on his heels. The group at the table erupted in applause. Lucky joined in.

Hank’s eyes were tearing. He cleared his throat. “Thank you. I owe all of you. I know I was an idiot to take off the way I did. But I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done in trying to clear me from any suspicion.”

“Grab a seat, you two,” Lucky said. “I honestly don’t think Nate truly suspected you, Hank. I think he was just mad that you were avoiding him.”

Hank sighed and sat in the chair that Horace pushed out for him. “Well, he did find my eyeglasses in Hilary’s room. I was there. I did have a loud argument with her . . .” Barry took a seat between Hank and Horace.

“And I saw you leaving the Drake House that night,” Horace remarked, “although I didn’t tell Nate, but I’m sure other people spotted you too.”

“Right.” Hank nodded, straightening his new pair of pince-nez glasses on his nose. He sighed. “I was so furious Hilary had come here. All these years I’ve been able to live a quiet life, able to put all that upset behind me, and what happens? She turns up again, like a bad penny.”

Sage rose and delivered two glasses and two bottles of beer to Hank and Barry. Barry nodded his thanks.

“Nobody can blame you for feeling that way,” Lucky offered.

“Well, it all came up again for me. The hurt, the anger, all these feelings I hadn’t had for years, but then to try to bribe me to write
another
book giving her the credit after what she had stolen. To be honest with all of you . . .” He looked around the table. “I have a horrible admission to make. I
felt
like killing her. I really did. She was a maddening woman, a complete narcissist. I let her have it in no uncertain terms. And you know what she did? She just sat there and looked at me as if she simply couldn’t understand why I would be so upset.” Hank fell silent for a moment, staring off into space. “That really brought me up short. I realized I might as well have been speaking Chinese to her. She just didn’t get it. Couldn’t get it. She wasn’t wired the way normal people are. That’s when my anger dissipated and I realized there was no point even talking to her and”—he looked up and smiled—“and no point in carrying around all that anger anymore. It was just a moment, but it was the most freeing moment in my life. I felt like a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. It doesn’t excuse my running off to Bournmouth, I know, but I just needed some peace and quiet and time to ruminate over what had happened.”

“So what do you plan to do now, Hank?” Lucky asked.

Hank smiled shyly. “I have a great idea for a new book. Something totally different. I’m going to start writing again.”

“That’s wonderful!” Sophie exclaimed.

“What’s it about?” Meg asked excitedly.

Hank shook his head, “Uh-uh. Can’t talk about it yet. I’m still working it out. But I’ll let you all know when it’s finished. Give me another year.”

Lucky tapped a spoon on her teacup. “Hank’s neglected to mention the most important thing of all.” She glanced at Hank and smiled.

“What’s that?” Sage asked.

“Wait just a minute, everyone,” Meg interrupted. “There’s something Hank and Barry don’t know yet.”

Barry raised his eyebrows. “What’s that?”

Meg smiled from ear to ear. “Lucky and Elias are getting married!”

“That’s wonderful!” Hank beamed. “My congratulations. I couldn’t think of any better news.”

“Ditto that,” Barry said, smiling widely.

Meg shoved Lucky’s elbow. “Show them the ring!”

Lucky blushed furiously and laid her hand on the tabletop. The diamond sparkled in the low light.

Barry reached over and squeezed her hand. “Couldn’t wish for anything better, Lucky. Good luck to you both. When’s the happy day?”

“Oh, maybe next spring or maybe June. We haven’t quite decided yet.”

“Well, I’ll be there with bells on!” Barry exclaimed. “Did you know about this, Horace?”

Horace nodded. “Yes, Sophie told me yesterday. Isn’t that wonderful? I can’t think of two nicer people.”

“Thank you all,” Lucky replied sincerely. “But there’s even more good news.” She looked around at their faces. “Hank hasn’t had a chance to share the news. It turns out that Hilary’s husband is a very ethical man. When Nate told Derek Stone, Senior, that Hilary’s ex-husband, Hank, claimed the manuscript for
Murder Comes Calling
had been stolen, and stolen by his own wife, he was horrified. He instituted a search and found Hank’s original manuscript in Hilary’s safe. He’s promised to turn over all the royalties that would have been due to Hilary, to Hank, and he has dibs on Hank’s next book.”

“That’s fantastic!” Sophie exclaimed.

Meg’s brow was furrowed. “I don’t know about all that, that’s great, but I think you should get the credit for
Murder Comes Calling
,” she said to Hank.

Hank shook his head. “I don’t want it, Meg. It’s really not important to me anymore. What’s happened is water under the bridge. Mr. Stone might be afraid I could sue him and make this a public fight, but I have absolutely no intention. Besides, I really have no way to prove it
was
my book. Most of all, he did nothing wrong. I have no desire to embarrass him or his company. Think how bad that would make Lexington Avenue Publishing look.” Hank took a sip of his beer. “No. What he’s voluntarily offered is incredibly generous, and more importantly, he’ll give my next book a fair reading. That’s all I ask for.”

Chapter 63

J
ACK STARED AT
the contents of the tray in front of him. He had been moved out of the Coronary Care Unit and now occupied a private room. He shook his head. “Look at this. This is the saddest excuse for food I’ve ever seen.” He swirled a spoon around in a bowl filled with a viscous beige substance. “These people need to pay a visit to our restaurant. Maybe if they tasted some decent food, they wouldn’t try to foist this off on poor, unsuspecting sick people.”

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Sophie replied. “I should have been thinking. I could’ve asked Sage to pack something up for you. It’d be easy enough to sneak it in.”

Jack’s face brightened, “The good news is, they’re lettin’ me out tomorrow.” He turned to Lucky. “How soon can I leave?”

Lucky shrugged. “I’d guess four bells. I think the cardiologist will want to see you when he makes his rounds in the morning and I’ll come over early and get your paperwork all straightened out.”

“Good. I’ll be up and dressed and ready to go. Can’t see hanging around here another day. I’d lose my mind. And worst of all, I’ve missed all the excitement at home.”

“Hey, there.” Nate’s voice boomed from the doorway. “How ya doin’, Jack?” Sophie and Lucky turned and smiled. Lucky stood and pulled a chair close to Jack’s bed for Nate.

“Fit as a fiddle. I’m getting out of this joint first thing tomorrow.”

“That’s good news.” Nate stood at the foot of the bed. “Sorry I couldn’t stop by sooner, Jack. But I guess you know I’ve been busy.”

“And I’ve been a damn fool, so don’t feel too bad,” Jack replied.

“Some good news on that front.” Nate turned to Lucky. “We’ve retrieved the cash that was stolen. Nanette Simms—whose real name is Rita Magnus, by the way, and is anything but a Southern Belle—and her husband, Earl, are cooling their heels in a jail cell in Bournmouth.”

“Wow! You found them?”

“Yup. Turns out there were warrants for their arrest for similar crimes all over the state.”

“Where are they really from?” Lucky asked.

“Right here in Vermont. Both of them.”

“I knew it. I knew that accent was phony.” Lucky smiled.

“They’ve certainly conned a lot of people.” Nate turned to Jack, “I guess you’re not the only one. Mostly low-level stuff but enough people have sworn out complaints against those two and have been able to identify them, it wasn’t hard to locate them. The State Police caught them just as they were trying to cross the line into New York. They were thinking they’d leave Vermont and lay low for a while, but their luck ran out.”

“Good!” Sophie exclaimed. “I hope they get the book thrown at them.”

Nate smiled. “I think they will. They’ll be sent away at least for a few years, more I hope.” He turned to Lucky, “You’d be willing to testify?”

Lucky glanced at her grandfather. “What do you say, Jack? Maybe you should be the one.”

“Happy to. I’ve come to my senses. To think that woman coulda led me down the garden path . . .”

Nate smiled broadly. “So I’ll see you tomorrow night at the Spoonful then, Jack?”

“You bet you will. I’ll be at my cash register before eight bells have rung.”

“Good to hear,” Nate called back as he left the room.

Lucky stood. “Sophie and I need to get back too, Jack. Sage and Meg are on their own today. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I’ve hired Miriam to help out.”

“Janie’s mother?”

“Yes. She was thrilled when I called her. She’ll be part-time, just for the busiest times for now, but it’ll take the weight off Meg’s shoulders.”

“Good decision, my girl.”

“Bye, Jack.” Sophie leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Jack smiled and patted Sophie’s hand.

Lucky and Sophie headed down the corridor to the elevator bank. Sophie stopped in her tracks. “Uh, Lucky, can you wait a minute?”

“Sure. You okay?”

Sophie’s complexion had blanched. “I’ll be right back.” She turned and hurried toward the restroom sign.

Lucky followed and hesitated outside the door. She gave Sophie a few minutes, then entered. Sophie stood at the sink splashing water on her face. Lucky crossed her arms and stared at her friend. “When were you planning to tell me?”

Sophie stood up straight, and wiped droplets of water off her face. She groaned, “How did you know?”

“Oh, maybe the fact that you didn’t touch your beer the other night at the Spoonful. Maybe the fact that Sage mentioned you weren’t feeling well one morning. Maybe that . . .” Lucky smiled.

Sophie burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. Lucky rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her friend.

“I’m so scared, Lucky!”

“It’s a big change.”

“I never thought about it. I never thought it would happen to me,” Sophie cried. “I can’t get my head around it.”

Lucky hugged her friend tighter and felt Sophie melt into her arms.

“When I think of Hilary Stone giving her daughter up for adoption, I can’t imagine anything like that. I feel like there’s a soul hovering around me, around me and Sage, learning to love us, waiting to be loved, waiting to be born.” Sophie pulled back. Her eyes were full of tears. “But I’m
so
scared.”

Lucky smiled widely, certain her eyes were full of tears as well. “You’ll be a great mom.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.” Lucky nodded. “I know so.” She reached for a tissue and wiped Sophie’s cheeks. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” Lucky held the door as they stepped out to the corridor. “Has it occurred to you how much things have changed in just a few short years? Time is such a strange thing, isn’t it? When we were kids, we felt as if it couldn’t pass fast enough and now it seems to fly. It wasn’t that long ago I had absolutely no thought of ever returning to Snowflake.”

Sophie took a deep breath and linked her arm through Lucky’s as they headed for the elevator. “And I was so mad at you for leaving for college in the first place.” She pushed the button for the lobby. “I didn’t even want to speak to you when you came back.”

“And never in a million years did I think I’d have a chance with Elias. Now we’re engaged and you and Sage are about to start a family.”

“It’s because of you that Sage is still here. He could have gone to jail for the rest of his life for a crime he didn’t commit. Both of us owe our lives to you for figuring out who murdered that winter tourist.”

“Don’t dwell on that,” Lucky said as they stepped into the elevator. “Everything’s wonderful now. Jack will be back on his feet soon and the Spoonful . . . well, we’ll keep on serving soup just as always. You and Sage are going to have a baby and Elias and I”—Lucky took a shaky breath—“will be getting married.”

Sophie smiled. “You’ll be Mrs. Letitia Scott.”

Lucky laughed. “Now
I’m
scared. It feels like a new identity. I don’t want to be different, I want to stay the same, I just want Elias and me to be together, for real.”

“But this is a good change. And I’m going to be your bridesmaid, right?” Sophie narrowed her eyes.

“Of course, who else? You’ll be my one and only.”

“Well, unlike you, I can’t sew, but promise me I can help pick out your wedding dress?” Sophie asked as they stepped out of the elevator.

“Yes, absolutely. I’ll definitely need help with that,” Lucky agreed. “Have you thought about any baby names?”

“Yikes! No! I’m still trying to get used to the idea I’ll be a mother! And you’ll be a godmother.” She hesitated. “But maybe . . . if it’s a girl, I’ll call her Letitia.”

“Oh,” Lucky groaned. “Don’t saddle the poor kid with that name.”

“Why not? It’s a beautiful name. It means happiness.”

The glass entrance doors released and they stepped out into the warm spring sunshine. “Why don’t you follow me back to the Spoonful and we can continue this argument there.”

“What argument? We’re not arguing. I’ve already decided.”

“Well, if I’m going to be a godmother, don’t I have a say?”

“I’ll think about that,” Sophie replied.

Lucky hugged her friend. “Let’s get back to the Spoonful. I know we’ll have some very hungry customers waiting for us.”