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Could it be that Bryce Arsenault really was the killer? He certainly wasn’t from Globe, and he definitely had a reason to be angry with Jack Speros. I just couldn’t say for sure that Bryce’s anger rose to the level of cold-blooded murder, especially since there wasn’t any clear evidence that he’d left Vermont any time in the recent past. Ben Ironhorse should have located records of any flights Bryce had taken, and it wasn’t as though you could just jump in a car and drive from Burlington to our little corner of southeast Arizona in the blink of an eye. No, that sort of trip would require some planning, and as far as I could tell, there was no indication that he’d ever been anywhere except where he was supposed to be. Then again, if he’d paid cash for his gas and his motel rooms and had driven fast, he could have hidden the expedition from any online searches and still gotten here in a couple of days. I couldn’t discount his involvement, even if it seemed like a long shot to me.
Which made me feel as though I was farther from an answer to the mystery than when I’d started.
As best I could, I put my worries behind me as I changed into the pretty green dress that was the one nice piece I owned that still fit and managed to be halfway flattering. Calvin had noticed that I’d used my crystal ball — obviously, since I had to ask him to put it back for me — but he seemed to sense that I didn’t want to talk about what I’d seen, since he was quiet as he helped me into the Durango and we backed out of the garage.
Once we were on the road, though, he said, “This is supposed to be a celebration, you know.”
“I know,” I replied, and managed a wan smile. “And I promise I’ll be cheerful once we get to the restaurant. I just wish I had some good news to give Chloe.”
“She already got her good news for the day,” my husband said. “She doesn’t have to stand trial or worry about going to jail. I know you wanted to have Jack’s murderer wrapped up in a bow, but sometimes life doesn’t work that way.”
No, it didn’t. I did my best to remind myself that everyone had thought the murderer from Josie’s brewing competition was safely behind bars before the contest was even over, but I’d still believed the real killer was out there somewhere…and I hadn’t given up. I’d managed to ferret out the perpetrator — Sofia’s ex-boyfriend and ex-partner — although the competition was done by then.
There was no reason to believe I couldn’t pull off the same ninth-inning rebound here, to use a sports phrase. Then again, I’d had a lot more clues to go on last time.
Which didn’t necessarily mean anything.
We pulled into the parking lot of the Gold Dust, which was fairly crowded that Saturday night. I was kind of surprised the Fairfields had been able to get a reservation for five at such late notice, since the casino’s restaurant was the only place close by where you could have something resembling a fine dining experience and most people in town went there for their birthday and anniversary celebrations.
Well, maybe Chloe’s parents had just gotten lucky. Maybe there had been a cancellation or something.
Calvin helped me out of the Durango, and the two of us made our way over to the entrance. The Fairfields were already seated in the waiting area, although Jordan stood up as Calvin and I approached.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” he said. “We wanted to do something to show our appreciation for everything you’ve done.”
“Oh, it wasn’t that much,” I replied. Maybe it would have been better to accept my bio father’s praise without any kind of demurral, but I couldn’t help feeling I’d still been kind of a failure, considering I hadn’t been able to figure out who’d killed Jack Speros.
“But it was,” he said. His tone was firm, telling me he wasn’t going to accept any kind of self-deprecating talk when it came to my efforts to clear Chloe’s name. In his mind, I’d succeeded, since the charges had been dismissed and she no longer had to worry about legal retaliation connected to Jack’s death.
Luckily, the hostess called the Fairfields’ name right then, and we had to break off the conversation so she could lead us to our table. Calvin helped me into my seat, and everyone else sat down as well.
A few minutes passed as we all looked over the menu and decided on what we wanted — I almost always went for filet mignon and tonight was no different — but after we’d placed our orders, Heather folded her hands on the table and gave me a grateful look.
“What Jordan told you is how all of us are feeling,” she said. “I can’t tell you what a relief it is to know that Chloe has been cleared of all connection to Jack’s murder. It was a terrible thing, and we feel awful for the Speros family, but at least we can all start to move on.”
I managed a smile, even as Chloe sent the very smallest of sideways glances in my direction. That was about all we could allow ourselves, though, since it was obvious her parents were ready to put this mess behind them.
“That was always my hope for everyone,” I responded. “And I really am grateful to Chloe for staying here and helping with the shop.”
Judging by the way neither Jordan nor Heather said anything right away, I could tell they still weren’t all that thrilled about her decision to make a new life here in Globe. However, it also seemed they were trying to make their peace with the situation…and that they definitely didn’t want to get into an argument at a dinner that was supposed to be a celebration.
“It’s taken a load off both Selena’s and my minds,” Calvin put in. Trust my husband to do his best to be the peacemaker — his Libra nature asserting itself, I supposed.
But his words had done what he’d intended them to do — namely, reminding Chloe’s parents of how much their daughter was doing to help us during what was already a busy and stressful time.
Jordan nodded, and the corners of Heather’s mouth lifted slightly. Right then, the waitress came back with our drink orders, which in my case was plain water. I’d drunk sparkling water for a while to make the plain beverage feel a little more festive, but lately, the carbonation had been too much for my stomach to handle.
The Fairfields had cocktails, since obviously they hadn’t taken the same vow to abstain during my pregnancy that Calvin had. Chloe, although old enough to drink, had only asked for iced tea, although I didn’t know whether that was because she simply wasn’t in the mood or whether she was skipping it tonight out of deference to my condition.
“I like working at the shop,” she declared, clearly wanting to add her voice to the conversation. “It’s so peaceful, even when it’s full of customers. Good vibes, you know?”
I did know, just because I’d been very careful about the items I placed for sale in the store, making sure they all were able to contribute to the harmony of the place.
“Still, your housing situation isn’t exactly stable,” Heather said.
While I could understand her worry, I knew I needed to do what I could to reassure her that Chloe wouldn’t be homeless once her run at Hazel’s Airbnb was over. “My friend Josie has a friend who has lots of Airbnbs,” I replied. “I’m sure Chloe can move to one of Mavis’s homes when Hazel’s guests come to town later this month. And obviously, the whole time we’ll be looking for a permanent place for her.”
Although I didn’t say it out loud, I had to hope Heather would understand that I meant I would be there to support Chloe every step of the way, up to and including taking care of whatever security deposits she might need once we did find a forever place for her to stay.
