Christmas In Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries Book 4) (18 page)

“So the two of you weren’t romantically involved?” Tj asked.

“What?
Ew.
Of course we weren’t involved. The guy was a total toad. Why would you even suggest such a thing?”

“Don’t shoot the messenger
; you were seen going into his room at the Motor Inn.”

Rita’s mouth tightened.
“He came into the shop and ordered a very expensive bouquet to be delivered to his room the following day. He seemed very nice and sincerely seemed to want to impress his special girl. I did everything he asked for, even though I had to call around to find a couple of the types of flowers he specifically asked for. When it was delivered, he seemed happy with my effort. He complimented me and gave me a big tip. Then he called the next day and said the bouquet wasn’t to his liking and he wanted his money back. I went to his room to try to reason with him. I had a huge investment in the arrangement and the last thing I wanted to do was provide a refund.”

“
Then what happened?” Tj asked.

“When I got there
, he handed me the bouquet. The flowers were completely smashed. It looked like someone had tossed the whole thing on the floor and stomped on it. I told him that since the flowers were damaged I couldn’t give him a refund, but he pointed out that I advertised a money-back guarantee, and if I didn’t refund the cost of the flowers, he was going to turn me in to the Better Business Bureau. He seemed like a totally different guy from the sweet, somewhat insecure man who had ordered the flowers. In the end I decided it wasn’t worth the hassle and refunded his money. He totally killed my profit margin for the week, and yes, I most definitely wanted to kill him. But I didn’t, if that’s what you’re here to ask. Brandon and I were at a cousin’s in the valley for Thanksgiving if you want to check.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Tj
assured her. “I never thought you killed the man, but I’m trying to help Bonnie, so I’m talking to anyone who might have come into contact with him during either of his visits to town. Do you know who the flowers were for?”

“
The scumbag didn’t say, and he didn’t want to include a card. I got the impression he planned to deliver them personally. I’m assuming the recipient wasn’t impressed with his gesture. It really was a shame; I think that might have been one of my most beautiful arrangements. He specifically asked for Casa Blanca lilies to be included. They aren’t cheap, and I had to special order them and pay express shipping. What do you think?” Rita stood back, admiring the centerpiece she’d been working on.

“It’s beautiful. Do you think I could order some of these for the tables in
the Grill when it gets closer to the big day?”

“I can make a smaller version for each table with a single candle. I used carnations on this piece
, which is the most economical, but you can do it with roses as well.”

“Carnations are perfect.
I love the red and white with the greenery. Maybe do red candles for the single-candle pieces. I’ll need thirty. How long do they last?”

“At least a week, maybe more
, depending on how you care for them. The arrangements come in a tray that holds water so you can keep them moist.”

“Okay, then I’d like them to be delivered on the twenty-third. Send an invoice over to bookkeeping. I’ll tell my staff to watch for it. Oh
, and maybe do another larger arrangement for the dining table in the house with both red and white candles.”

“Are you planning another huge meal?” Rita asked.

“Not as large. I know Dad has asked Rosalie, and Grandpa always includes Doc and Bookman. We also have a friend of the family staying with us, so there will be at least nine, but it does seem like the numbers tend to grow as the date gets closer.”

“
I met that yummy Navy man you have staying out at the resort. He came into the Antiquery when I was having lunch the other day, so Jenna introduced us. What’s his deal anyway?”

“Deal?”

“Single? Married? Straight? Gay?”

“As far as I know he
’s single and straight, but he’s also only here for a couple more weeks and then he’s back to sea.”

“It’s a shame. The guy i
s a babe. I’ve been too busy to date much lately, but I wouldn’t mind waking up to him in my stocking.”

By the time Tj finished talking to Rita it was time to meet Jenna. Luckily, Tj had managed to get a lot of her shopping done online, so she didn’t have a lot of things to find, but it was tradition for her and Jenna to do a mall trip every Christmas. The mall was located in the valley and required a two-hour drive, but the selection of gift items was infinitely greater than what you could find in Serenity.

“I’m afraid there
’s going to be a slight change in plans,” Jenna informed Tj when she walked through the back door of the Antiquery. “Bonnie called in sick, so I can’t leave for another hour at least.”

“That’s too bad. What’s wrong with her?”

“Just a flu. If you ask me, all the stress has been really hard on her. Since we’re going to get a late start and we have the cookie exchange this evening, I was hoping we could just do our shopping locally this year and save the drive.”

Tj shrugged. “Fine by me. I don’t have a lot left to get anyway.”

“While I,” Jenna sighed, “have a ton.”

“Don’t worry
; I’ll help you find what you need.”

“I was counting on it. While you
’re waiting, do you think you can run over to the pharmacy to pick up Bonnie’s prescription and then drop it off at her house? It will save us having to do it later.”

“I’m happy to. I wanted to say hi to David anyway.”

Tj exited the door she had just come through, got back into her 4Runner, and headed back through town.

After buying
the pharmacy a few years earlier, David had completely remodeled the place, turning a functional but drab store into an inviting shop with old-fashioned appeal. Metal shelves had been replaced by large pine cabinets, neatly labeled but arranged to remind one of something that might be found in one’s home. The old black-and-white-speckled linoleum had been replaced with hardwood floors that made Tj think of a country store in a Norman Rockwell painting. The previously white walls had been papered with a mountainlike print in greens and browns, and swag curtains in similar colors were draped around the old white mini blinds, giving the place a warm, homey feeling.

“Hey
, Tj; long time no see,” David greeted her when she walked in.

Tj hugged
him. “I know; I’m sorry. It’s been a busy few months. I’m here for Bonnie’s prescription.”

David walked behind the counter
, removed a key from his pocket, and opened the cabinet where he kept filled prescriptions waiting to be picked up. “How’s Bonnie doing? I heard what happened.”

“She’s hanging in
, but it’s been hard. I’m sure she hasn’t been eating or sleeping like she should, which is most likely why she’s sick.”

“Stress can be hard on the body,” David agreed.

“I understand you met with Bob King when he was in town last summer under the name Rupert Kingston.”

“I delivered a prescription to his motel room,” David verified. “I suppose you
’re looking into things on Bonnie’s behalf?”

“I’m trying to do what I can. I just feel so ba
d for the entire Elston family. I was wondering if you could tell me anything that might help me figure out who might have killed him.”

“I really didn’t speak to
him. I received a call from his doctor authorizing a refill on a prescription he’d already been taking. I filled the prescription, but he never came to pick it up, so I decided to deliver it on my way home. I knocked on his motel room door and handed it to him and that was it.”

“Can you tell me what kind of medicine
you delivered?”

David hesitated.
“You know I can’t tell you that.”

Tj shrugged. “You can’t blame a girl for trying.”

“Your
tree looks beautiful,” Tj told Helen later that evening. She and Jenna had decided to arrive at the cookie exchange early to help Helen in case she had any last-minute chores that needed to be attended to. While Tj’s tree was a hodgepodge of homemade and store-bought ornaments in every color of the rainbow, Helen’s tree was covered entirely in ornaments in white, pink, and gold.

“Thank you. I do love the holiday season. The house always feels so cozy and inviting with all the lights and the bright colors.”

“Your home is always cozy and inviting,” Tj added. Helen lived in town, in a two-story house that was more modern than many of the others in the area. As with every aspect of Helen’s life, her home was immaculate. She’d taken care to combine the antiques she loved with modern pieces that created an elegant Christmas setting with a Norman Rockwell feel.

“I’m glad you girls came by early. I really could use the help. I took some soup over to Bonnie and ended up staying later than I’d planned.”

“How is she feeling?” Tj asked.

“Not great. I think the stress is getting to her. She hasn’t been able to sleep since this whole thing happened
, and I know she isn’t eating the way she should. I’m really worried about her.”

“Dennis went by her house earlier in the day to take care of a few chores Bonnie had asked him to
handle before Thanksgiving, and he said she just sat staring at the wall the entire time he was there,” Jenna added. “He said it was almost like she was in a trance. It really freaked him out. He tried to talk to her about everything, but she refused.”

“You don’t think Bonnie thinks Dennis
. . .” Tj left the thought unfinished.

Jenna frowned. “I wouldn’t think so
, but if she thinks Dennis did kill Bob, I can see how that would add to her stress level. We really need to figure out who did this so the entire family can get on with our lives.”

“We’ll
get to the bottom of this,” Tj promised, “though right now I seem to be hitting dead end after dead end. Still, it’s too bad Bonnie won’t be able to be here tonight. She always really enjoys the cookie exchange.”

“It
’s a shame,” Helen agreed. “She’s been working on her cookie for months. But enough about things we can’t control: how did you girls do on your shopping trip today?”

“I got almost everything on my list
.” Jenna beamed. “You haven’t already replaced that old blender, have you?”

Helen rolled her eyes. “No
, dear. A blender would be a nice surprise.”

Tj tried not to smile. She knew Jenna had gotten Helen a beautiful antique quilt that would go perfectly in her house.

“And did you get everything on your list as well?” Helen asked Tj.

“Almost. I just need to find a stocking for Jordan, and something to put into it.”

“He
’s such a nice young man, and so polite. And talk about a rock. He was so kind to the girls and me on the day of the murder. I was on the verge of dissolving into a big puddly mess, but he held everything together.”

Tj sincerely doubted Helen was anywhere near a
“puddly mess,” but it
had
been nice of Jordan to step in and handle things during a time of extreme stress.

“
I’d like to get him something as well,” Helen said. She furrowed her brow. “How exactly do you know this man? The girls call him Uncle Jordan, but I’ve never heard of an Uncle Jordan before this visit.”

“He was a friend of my mom
’s.” Tj decided to leave it at that. Helen would assume they were good friends and the girls knew him well because he used to visit when she was alive and they were living with her.

“It’s nice he could come
to visit over the holidays. I’m sure a life at sea gets lonely at times.”

“He’s on a boat with hundreds of other men and women,” Tj
said. “I doubt he’s ever alone.”

“That’s not the kind of lonely I meant.”

Helen had a point. Jordan had mentioned that he didn’t have any family. Maybe he was lonely in spite of his choice of lifestyle. Tj hated to think of anyone being alone in the world. One advantage of having such a large family was that there was always someone there when she needed a shoulder to lean on or a sympathetic ear to listen to her concerns.

“It looks like Harriet just pulled up with Frannie and Hazel,” Jenna announced. “I’m anxious to hear how the town meeting
went. People have been talking about it all day.”

“I
t was a private meeting,” Helen said. “I’m sure Harriet doesn’t know how it went.”

Jenna laughed. “Yeah
right.”

Helen s
miled. “I guess you’re right. She does seem to find a way to know everything there is to know about what goes on in this town.”

After Harriet, Frannie, and Hazel had displayed the cookies they’d brought on the dining
room table with the others, they settled onto the sofa with cups of eggnog.