Lying in bed, Tamar thought back on the day. She’d bypassed the Friday Night Movies to make sure she’d have a home to come back to because vigilance was necessary with her brother and his cubs around. Trent and Lily stopped by right after sunset. She shared what little she knew about the situation surrounding Mal, and their concern mirrored her own. Rocky’s call earlier about the locked-down computer added alarm to her ongoing worries, but that troublesome news was balanced by the rescue and return of the Herman children. She’d yet to hear the full details but knowing they were safe and sound and back with Gemma was a good thing. She turned on her side and burrowed deeper into the fresh sheets. In spite of her issues with her brother, she was glad they were there. Of course, come tomorrow they might do something to make her grab her shotgun and want to shoot the lot of them, but for the moment, as the drums outside continued to beat, she let the rhythms usher her into sleep.
Chapter 13
Bernadine surveyed Crystal’s new digs and hoped her smile covered her sense of sadness. It was official. Her daughter had moved out and they were no longer living under the same roof.
“Do you like it?” Crystal asked, excitedly indicating her newly decorated and furnished space.
“It’s you,” Bernadine replied. Crystal’s paintings graced the walls and there were small sculpted pieces from Eli accenting the end tables. Although her bedroom at home had been done mostly in shades of orange the apartment was a sophisticated mixture of grays and pale blue. “I like the color palette.”
“Thought about using orange again, but it was a little too girlish.”
“And you are no longer that.”
“You look sad, Mom.”
“It’s a happy sad, though. You’re grown up.”
“Thank goodness. Growing up takes so long you think you’re going to be a kid forever.”
“Well get ready. You’re going to be an adult for a very long time and it can get real old real quick.”
“Right now I’m enjoying it, though. And thank you for my car. Again.”
“You’re welcome.” It was used, but would serve her well for the next few years. Once she was ready to leave town and go out and make her mark on the world, Bernadine planned to purchase her a brand-new one, but Crystal didn’t need to know that for now. “Is there anything you forgot to get, but need?”
“Nope. Going to go over to Gary’s in a little bit and buy some groceries to fill up my fridge.” She rubbed her hands together. “So excited. Getting my own food for my own fridge in my own place.”
Bernadine chuckled.
“I’ve been saving a little money out of each check all summer so I can splurge and buy everything I want.”
“Good for you.” She was growing up and Bernadine couldn’t be more proud.
Crystal threw her arms around her. “Thanks for being the bestest mom ever.”
Bernadine held her tight, fought back her tears, and kissed her cheek. “Enjoy your first day.” When they parted, she said, “Now, let’s go downstairs and see how Kelly and Riley are doing with their move.”
Crystal grabbed her purse and bounced to the door. Bernadine exited first and Crystal closed the door behind them.
“You have your door key, right?” Bernadine asked.
Crystal paused as if thinking and then her eyes widened. “Dammit! It’s inside on the counter.”
Bernadine shook her head. “Call Trent. He has a master set.”
She looked so put out, Bernadine patted her on the back. “Welcome to the world of grown folks, Crys.”
Downstairs, Kelly, her husband, Bobby, and Riley were moving into their new salon. Bobby was doing most of the heavy lifting, while Kelly and Riley opened boxes and pointed where they wanted things placed.
Seeing Bernadine and Crystal, Kelly walked over and gave Bernadine a big hug. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. You’ve earned this new space.”
“And I plan to bring in lots of dollars.”
“Do you need anything?”
She shook her head. “We have everything under control.”
“Call me if you do. Riley, how’s my mansion?”
“Doing good. No issues.”
“Okay.” The mansion once owned by his ex-wife Eustacia Pennymaker had been abandoned and trashed. Bernadine purchased it for a dollar, rehabbed it, and let the then homeless Riley move in. He tended to be crazy as a bedbug, but so far, their agreement that he pay rent and not move in any hogs was holding.
Doc Reg would be taking one of the new spaces but he was waiting on a few pieces of equipment to arrive and would be moving in after they were shipped and delivered.
Since everything else was under control, she left Crystal to help Kelly and headed up the street to check on the Dog. The lunchtime rush was just about over so she hoped to be able to sit and talk to Rocky about how things were going.
She found her in Mal’s office along with a young African American woman dressed in jeans and a KU tee shirt. The woman was pecking away at the computer keyboard.
“Hey, Bernadine.”
“Rocky.”
“This is Barbie Weaver. Barb, this is the town’s owner, Bernadine Brown.”
The girl stood and shook Bernadine’s hand. “Great meeting you, Ms. Brown. Never knew anyone who owned a whole town before.”
Rocky explained the young woman’s presence. “Barbie runs a tech firm. She’s trying to get into the files we need.”
Barbie returned to the keyboard. “But as gifted as I am, I’ve been at this for over two hours and I’m having no success breaking this password. Who did the coding, IBM?”
Bernadine said, “No. A couple of our teens did it.”
Barbie stopped and looked up. “Teens?”
Bernadine nodded. Had the situation not been so serious she would’ve laughed at the stunned look on Ms. Weaver’s face.
“How old?”
“Sixteen, I believe.”
“Goodness. Are they looking for jobs?”
Rocky answered, “Not with computers. They’re physics geeks.”
Barbie shook her head as though amazed and went back to work.
Leaving her in the office, Rocky led Bernadine to a booth in the back. There were only a few diners inside, and the staff was clearing tables to get ready for the dinner rush.
“Do you want something to eat?” Rocky asked. “Kitchen is still open.”
“No, but maybe some water. It’s hot out there and I walked from the hotel.”
When Rocky returned with the ice-filled glass, Bernadine took a sip and asked, “You haven’t heard from Mal, I take it?”
“No. I spoke with Tamar this morning and she hasn’t, either.”
Bernadine spoke with Trent last evening. His texts and phone calls to his father had gone into a black hole, too. She was at a loss as to how to proceed. “Should we bring in another tech company?”
Rocky shrugged. “Your call.”
“Let’s give Ms. Barbie until the end of the day.”
“She’s costing us about two-fifty an hour.”
“If she succeeds it’ll be worth it. Either way, we get to write it off.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
She had no idea. A thought occurred to her, though. “Maybe Sandy Langster has time to run down to Vegas and snoop around.”
“The lady private detective that worked on the Astrid Wiggins mess?”
“Yes, because at this point, we don’t know if he’s really in Vegas or not.”
“True.”
“This is so frustrating.”
“It really is.”
“How are things here?”
“Okay. Some of the administrative stuff is going unattended, like bank runs, and some of the vendors have been late in getting paid, but they say they’re willing to work with me if the invoices aren’t left open too long.”
“Good. Let me see if Lily has time to help out, and I can make the bank runs.”
“That would be great.”
> “You aren’t letting this impact your wedding planning, are you?”
“Trying not to. Between Mal, the wedding, and Siz relocating to Miami I should be a basket case, but I’m surprisingly mellow. I have Jack to thank for that. Who knew love could keep you from jumping off a roof.”
“Your guy’s a good man.”
“You have a good man, too.”
“I know.” Stubborn and maddening, but good.
Rocky turned toward the entrance to the dining room and said, “Lord, what is she doing here?”
“Who is she?”
“Jack’s cousin Helen.”
“A problem?”
“Ms. Snooty Booty of the Month. Let me get her seated. Be right back.”
But when Rocky escorted the woman to the booth where they’d been sitting, Bernadine was surprised.
Rocky began, “Bernadine—”
Helen waved her off. “That’s okay, Rochelle. No need to introduce me, I can take it from here.” And without a word, she sat down.
A Rude Ms. Snooty Booty, Bernadine thought to herself.
“Can you get me a menu, Rochelle. Thank you,” she added dismissively.
Bernadine and Rocky shared a look. Bernadine hoped Rock would let the ill-mannered chick live long enough for her to find out what this unexpected visit was about.
“Kitchen’s closed,” Rocky told her. “We open again at four for dinner.”
“Surely you can make an exception for someone in Jack’s family.”
Rocky ignored her. “Bernadine, we’ll talk later.”
Bernadine nodded.
Helen glared at Rocky’s retreat. “Not sure what Jack sees in her but if he wants to marry her it’s none of my business.”
“No, it isn’t. And she’s a very good friend of mine, just so you know.”
Helen blinked.
“So, what can I do for you?”
“You’re a hard person to track down. I went to your office, no one was there. Just happened to see some people moving into that hotel office building, and they told me you might be here.”
Bernadine sipped her water and waited.
Apparently realizing she needed to get on with it, she said, “I’m Helen Simon, and I’m working with Lyman Proctor and his people over in Franklin. I’d like to discuss something with you.”
“And that is?”
“Have you ever considered combining Henry Adams with Franklin?”
Bernadine sat back. She knew where this was leading. “No.”
“It might be something to think about.”
“There’s no advantage in a merger for Henry Adams. Franklin is barely solvent.”
“But in a few years, they will be. Their town is larger and they’ll have a larger tax base.”
“And who would oversee this larger town?”
“Franklin, of course, since they’d be bringing more to the table.”
“Then why do they need us, or, specifically, me?”
“Because they could use your investment power. Think how much you’d stand to gain financially.”
Bernadine wondered sarcastically if Jack’s cousin knew Riley Curry? During his tenure as mayor he’d tried to float a similar nonsensical scheme that would have given him a substantial monetary kickback. “Who do you work for?”
“Bantam Enterprise. We specialize in turning around communities.”
“I’ve heard of Bantam.”
“Really? Then you know our reputation.”
“I do. Your CEO Pete Denton is being investigated for tax evasion, manipulating the company’s stock prices, and is scheduled to testify before a New Jersey grand jury next month.”
Helen froze.
Bernadine gave her a crocodile smile. “I know his first wife, Terry. Talked to her on the phone just last week, which is how I know Pete’s probably going to jail.” Bernadine loved the astonishment on her face. “So, no, I won’t be doing any business with you.”
Waiting a moment to let that sink in, Bernadine further admonished her in a calm tone. “You should’ve done more homework on me and my town, Helen. If you had, you would’ve known better than to waltz in here treating Rocky like the help, or think I’d be so financially ignorant I’d entertain such an ill-thought-out, one-sided proposal.”
Helen’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.
“A brief background search may have also shown that Franklin’s matriarch and ours have been best friends since grade school. Guess who I’ll be calling to suggest Bantam be replaced by a more honest firm?”
“You can’t do that!”
“Sure I can.” She enjoyed watching her try and search for a comeback, and when she couldn’t, Bernadine ended the gutting with, “It’s been nice chatting with you.”
After Helen stormed out, Bernadine got up from the booth and walked into the Dog’s office. Rocky was there watching Barbie still pecking away at the keyboard.
“What did Helen want?”
“Nothing really.”
“Is she gone?”
“Probably permanently.”
“You don’t say.”
“Yes. Pretty sure she’s on her way back to her hotel to pack. I hope she isn’t on your guest list.”
“So, what happened?” Rocky asked, laughing.
“Can I steal you away for a minute?”
“For this, I have all the time in the world.” But before they exited, Rocky turned to Barbie. “Do you need anything?”
“No, but I have a question. Are you sure teens created this?”
Rocky and Bernadine hid their smiles and left her working.
Gemma’s shift started midmorning, but she went in a bit early to check out the posting for the assistant manager’s job. Just as Gary promised, it was pinned to the notice board inside the employee lounge next to notes from people wanting subs for their shifts, and offers of items for sale like used cars, pit bull puppies, and a cracked flat-screen TV. She read the job’s requirements: at least one year of grocery store experience, the ability to use a computer, and some college. Realizing she met the minimum, she smiled.
“You won’t get the job,” Alma said behind her.
Gemma turned. “And why not?”
“Because there are a lot of people better qualified.”
“Like who, Sybil?” she tossed back. “Gary already said no one has the inside track, so I’m applying.”
Alma looked her up and down disapprovingly. “You really think you’re hot stuff, don’t you?” Her eyes were hard with hate.
Gemma was so tired of her. “I’m just me, Alma. A single woman trying to make a life for me and my kids.”
“And before that, a fast piece of tail who didn’t care who she slept with.”
Gemma froze. When she could speak again, she replied softly, “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know you got yourself pregnant by a man you had no business messing with. A man who was happily married until you showed him your tits and spread your legs.”
Gemma’s jaw dropped.
“His wife was my baby sister, you whore!”
Gemma wanted to shout back that she’d been sixteen, Owen Welke had come on to her first and had promised to marry her, but she knew whatever she said in defense of herself wouldn’t matter. Instead, she angrily snatched down one of the blank applications for the job and fled.
In the restroom, after a good cry, she put cold water on her face and studied herself in the mirror. How long will my past dog me? At least now she knew why Alma was so hateful. The sister of Owen’s wife. Gemma couldn’t recall the wife’s name or even remember if she’d ever even known it. Goodness.
“Honey, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?”
She turned to see a concerned Edith standing behind her. “No reason. I’m okay.”
“Those red eyes say you’re lying, so if you want to talk about it, I have a couple of minutes.”
Gemma mulled over the request for a moment then asked sincerely, “How long
do the mistakes you make in life follow you?”
Edith paused and searched her face. “I don’t know. It depends, I guess. Why?”
Gemma gathered her courage and told her the story of her past and about the confrontation with Alma a few moments ago.
“That’s why she’s so nasty to you.”
“Yes.”
Edith let out a sigh. “That’s hard on everyone involved. Except the man who caused it all of course.”
“Of course, lay the blame at my naïve sixteen-year-old feet,” Gemma said bitterly.
“So sorry you’re having to deal with this.”
“Me too, but now that I know what I’m up against, I can deal with it. I’m not going to be shamed into quitting my job. I’ve worked too hard to make something out of my life, and Alma or no Alma, I’m applying to be assistant manager.”
“You go, girl. Alma better ask somebody, as the kids say.”
“Amen!”
Buoyed by Edith’s support and her own inner determination, Gemma grabbed her cash drawer from the office where they were kept. On her way down the hallway, as she passed the store’s security offices, Barrett Payne stepped out. Taking a deep breath and hoping her eyes weren’t still red, she faked a cheery voice, “Hey, Barrett.”
“Hey, Gem. How are you?”
“I’m fine.” The retired Marine’s face was set so seriously, she wondered if she was about to be called on the carpet for something.
He said quietly to her, “Every inch of this store is wired for camera and sound, and I saw what happened with you and Alma.”
Embarrassment burned her cheeks. “Oh.”
“The past is the past. Don’t allow that harpy to run you off, and you’d better apply for the job.”
That caught her so off guard, she began laughing before she realized she was. Tears filled her eyes again.
“You got that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now, carry on.” And he went back into his office and closed the door.
Floating on air, Gemma logged into her register. Sgt. Ma’am could kick rocks.
Gemma was good for the rest of her shift, and things got even brighter when Professor LeForge came through her line. With so few items, he could have easily gone to one of the express lanes, but she was pleased that he hadn’t.