Silence of the Lamps (14 page)

Caprice held Lady’s leash loosely as she watched everyone with interest. Lady trotted along beside her, nosing the ground around the food and craft stands.

Caprice, Bella, and Nana submitted their desserts to a tent for judging in the late afternoon. Bella’s raspberry trifle, Caprice’s raspberry bread, and Nana’s raspberry shortcake were given numbers. The judges would have no idea who had prepared the desserts. Winners would be announced right before the chicken barbecue stand began serving dinners.

As they were leaving the tent, Nikki ran up to them. “Sorry I’m late. I was doing cold calls, trying to line up more clients.”

“Did any pan out?” Caprice asked.

“One out of twenty,” Nikki admitted.

Bella patted her shoulder. “Ace Richland’s concert tomorrow might be good for all of us. Joe and I badly need a date night. And you need to forget about work and Drew Pierson’s murder.” She checked her watch. “I’m going to meet Joe at the playground so I can watch Benny while he and the kids can have a little fun,” Bella told her. “I’ll catch up to you later.” She waved to them and headed off toward the swings.

Nana squeezed Nikki’s hand. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine. Caprice and I are going to do a little sleuthing.”

Nana narrowed her eyes at them. “Nothing that will catch too much attention, I hope.”

“Caprice always attracts attention,” Nikki teased. “Look at her outfit.”

Juan had said the same thing! Was she that conspicuous? Today she’d worn a flowing, beaded paisley Bohemian-style top over white clamdiggers reminiscent of the fifties. She’d left her jeweled flip-flops at home and chosen a pair of white leather sandals instead. This was a fairly conservative outfit for her.

“You can see the lime green and fuchsia in that top coming and going,” Nana continued to joke.

“You’re all taking lessons from Bella, and I don’t like it,” Caprice complained.

Nana gave her a hug. “You know we’re just teasing. We love the way you dress. I suppose you’re just going to mingle and ask questions, and that’s fine. Nobody has to know you’re doing the detectives’ work.”

“We’re not doing the detectives’ work,” Nikki protested. “I’m sure Brett is doing a fine job on his own.”

Nana eyed Nikki thoughtfully. “Brett, is it?”

Nikki blushed. “We’re not on a first name basis, but I wouldn’t mind if we would be. The title
Detective Carstead
just seems so formal.”

Caprice dropped to a crouch to give Lady attention. The pup looked up at her adoringly. “Murder investigations are always formal.”

Nana gave Nikki a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you about this Detective Carstead when you’re no longer on his list of persons of interest to be questioned. I’m meeting Darla Watson over at her knitting stand. She makes these adorable little hats for babies. She’s going to show me how. See you in a while.”

Straightening up, Caprice watched Nana walk toward the knitters’ stand. “Where do you want to start?” Caprice asked Nikki after Nana had strolled away.

“Let’s just make the rounds. If we see anybody we know, we’ll stop and chat. The murder will probably crop up.”

They meandered from one stand to another slowly, appreciating the hanging baskets filled with geraniums, the craft stand with raspberry-patterned runners for tables, and another with shawls that had embroidered raspberries dotting the wool.

Caprice thought she recognized someone trying on a shawl. When the brunette with the pageboy turned around, Caprice smiled. “Hey, Helen. I haven’t seen you for a while.” Helen Parcelli had been in her high school class.

Helen twirled in the shawl and asked Caprice, “What do you think?”

“I think it’s pretty and would keep you warm on a cool night. How are you doing?” The last she’d heard, Helen was in charge of advertising at the
Kismet Crier
.

“My hours were cut again. I only want to work part-time because of the kids, but pretty soon I’m going to have to look for something else. Eight hours a week just isn’t enough.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Nikki said. “Could you get a job on the York newspaper?”

“It’s possible. But my salary isn’t that great, and I’m beginning to think maybe I’d like to try something else.”

“What kind of something else?” Caprice asked.

Lady nosed around Helen’s shoes and Helen dropped down to pet her. “Hey, girl.” Then she gave her attention back to Caprice. “Maybe marketing. It’s a whole new world out there now, incorporating social media into advertising. I was thinking of becoming a social media consultant for businesses. It’s not just celebrities who need them anymore.”

“That’s an interesting concept,” Caprice responded, meaning it. “Nikki and I are trying to grow her business, and we’ve tapped into the social media world. But it’s rough getting a foothold.”

“You have to know the right outlets to push the word out. Do you want me to try to secure a couple of well-placed ads for your catering business?” Helen asked Nikki.

“I don’t have much of a budget,” Nikki warned her.

“Let me see what I can find out.” After Helen and Nikki exchanged numbers, Helen studied the shawl again that she’d thrown around her shoulders. “This might be nice topping a sundress for the reunion. Are you going?” she asked Caprice.

“I’m on the development committee, so yes, I’ll be there.” Originally she’d expected the reunion to be a happy occasion, that she’d take Grant as her guest. But now, Grant might not be accompanying her.

“You know the gossip will be all over the reunion about Drew Pierson,” Helen said. “Isn’t it just awful? Killed in his grandmother’s house.”

“It is terrible,” Caprice agreed. “Did you know him?”

“He went to school with my sister. She had a crush on his friend Bronson Chronister, but he only dated girls who came from well-to-do families like his own.”

“I understand Bronson is successful in his own right now,” Caprice prompted, hoping to learn more.

“That’s true,” Helen admitted. “He’s on several boards including the hospital in York, the school board in Kismet, and Kismet’s new Chamber of Commerce tourism board. He thinks his business influence can pull businesses into the area.”

“He did expand his RV centers,” Nikki said. “And think about his client base. They come from far and wide, and they go far and wide.”

“Each one of those customers could be a voter,” Helen explained. “I heard he might be stepping into politics soon. Since he’s a bachelor, my sister still has her eye on him. She even got a part-time job at the pro shop at the Country Squire Golf and Recreation Club hoping to chat him up. He plays a lot of tennis.”

Caprice’s mind started spinning. She knew Bronson had invited her to Happy Camper to tour the property and the recreational vehicles, but she’d really like a conversation on turf other than his. Maybe it was time she used her own contacts. Roz had a membership at Country Squire. They could both play tennis if Caprice went as her guest.

“Would you vote for Bronson?” Caprice asked Helen.

“I might. He has a lot going for him. He’s intelligent, he has connections, and he’s traveled around the world. With family money backing him, he could be good.” Helen turned to Caprice. “Since you’re on the development committee, is this going to be a dressy reunion? It’s at the high school, so I kinda figured it wouldn’t be.”

“If you want to go glitzy, you’re free to go glitzy. We’re old enough to be and dress the way we want to, don’t you think? We haven’t defined a wardrobe code. Nikki’s catering it, so the food will be exceptional. One of the guys is springing for bottles of champagne, and someone else’s family owns a winery, so he’s bringing wine. We have a DJ who can play anything from the forties to now. I am hoping the guys wear suits, and I’ll push that if anybody asks.”

“That sundress I mentioned might be just right,” Helen said thoughtfully. “It has a cute sequined top. I can sparkle that night.”

They all laughed. After a few more exchanged pleasantries and talk about the July Fourth fireworks over the reservoir that night, Helen took the shawl she’d thrown over her shoulders to the cashier and paid for it.

After she walked away, Caprice turned to her sister. “So Bronson wants to run for something.”

Nikki shrugged. “He probably has aspirations that will take him beyond Kismet.”

As Caprice glanced toward the judging tent, she suddenly froze. Something odd must have shone in her expression, because Nikki grabbed her elbow. “What’s wrong?”

“Look,” Caprice said morosely.

Her sister looked in the same direction. Grant stood at one of the baked goods stands holding Patches’s leash . . . and next to him was a very attractive blonde.

“Do you think that’s his ex?” Nikki asked with compassion in her voice.

“I don’t know who else it would be.”

Caprice took a step forward to get a better look.

As she did, both Grant and the woman turned around and headed in their direction.

Caprice wanted to duck behind one of the stands, or at least behind Nikki. But that would be a coward’s way out.

Nikki leaned close to her and said, “They’re just walking beside each other, not arm in arm, or holding hands, or anything like that.”

What Nikki said was true, but Caprice could see how their elbows brushed, and the body language said they’d done this before. There was a certain familiarity there that exes have. As she watched them come nearer, she saw her dreams going up in smoke. To think, only two weeks before, she’d been contemplating scouting vintage wedding gowns online.

Scanning the area in front of him with Patches nosing ahead, Grant suddenly spied her.

Patches spotted Lady and pulled on his leash. Lady, recognizing her doggie friend, did the same. Caprice had no choice but to walk forward and let the two dogs meet.

Could any situation be more awkward?

Grant crouched down with Lady and Patches, maybe to calm them a bit. Caprice felt she needed to be calmed too, but that wasn’t going to happen.

Caprice noticed the look Naomi gave the dogs. It wasn’t an I-want-to-pet-them-too look. It was an I-wish-they-weren’t-here look. Possibly she wasn’t an animal lover.

After Grant rose to his feet, he said to Naomi, “These are the De Luca sisters. Caprice and Nikki, this is my ex-wife, Naomi. She just flew in today. I thought the Raspberry Festival was a good way to introduce her to Kismet.”

The De Luca sisters? That was how he was going to introduce her? Of course, what could he say? “I’ve been dating Caprice, but now you’ve interrupted our relationship. Caprice was getting serious about me, but I don’t know what I’m feeling about her.”

She told herself to get a grip. This was awkward for everybody, because she had the feeling that Naomi did know who she was from the look and assessment the blonde gave her. From Naomi’s well-tailored slacks and her fashion-forward blouse, Caprice suspected she didn’t appreciate Bohemian chic.

Trying to be polite as well as civil, Caprice forced herself to make conversation. “How do you like the raspberry desserts?”

Nikki gave her a
can-you-think-of-anything-lamer?
look. Oh well.

Naomi sent her a practiced smile. “Those dessert stands are a dieter’s nightmare.”

Grant interjected, “But the raspberries look really luscious, don’t you think?”

All Caprice could think of was sharing a bowl of fresh raspberries topped with whipped cream with him. This wasn’t going well.

“Bella, Joe, and the kids are over at the swings,” she mentioned. “I’m sure they’d love to see Patches. I’m going to take Lady over there in a little while, after the dessert judging announcements.”

“Did you enter?” His attention was all on Caprice, and she could feel his regret and longing.

“I did, but so did Nana and Bella, and about thirty other people.”

Patches and Lady somehow got tangled around Naomi’s legs. She did a little two-step to extricate herself and frowned. “They must be quite rambunctious when they’re together.”

Grant answered before Caprice could. “After their first burst of excitement, they get along really well and calm each other down. But neither of them is crazy about football. They snooze when it’s on.”

Caprice knew he was trying to stay connected to her by referring to the time when he pup-sat Lady with Patches and they’d joked about what TV show they should be watching.

But Naomi had her own ammunition. “Seems to me
you
used to snooze through football too.”

Oh, yes, get that history in
, Caprice thought.

Nikki’s shoulder bumped Caprice’s. “Everyone’s gathering over at the dessert judging tent. We’d better get over there in case you won.”

Caprice saw the expression on Grant’s face. He looked as if he wanted to stop her from leaving. Yet there was no point in her staying.

“Have a good time at the festival,” she told the couple. Then she patted her hip and called to Lady to follow her. But Lady was reluctant to leave Patches.

Caprice took a treat from her fanny pack and patted her hip again. When Lady went to her, she gave her the treat.

Before she could move away, Grant said, “Good luck. I hope your dessert wins.”

Caprice threw a “thank you” his way and a “nice to have met you” over her shoulder to Naomi. Then she hurried off with Lady to find out if she’d won the dessert competition.

But she couldn’t help taking a last glance over her shoulder to see Naomi and Grant walking away. She already felt as if she’d lost him.

“She doesn’t like dogs.” Nikki sounded sure of that as they approached the dessert tent.

“She just didn’t want to get those pretty slacks slobbered on.”

“Me-ow,” Nikki said, giving her a
you’re-not-usually-catty
look.

Caprice shook her head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”