Yule Be Dead Read online

  “I’m looking forward to walking with you tomorrow morning,” Sasha said.

  “I’m looking forward to having the company.”

  “Could we go on into the dining room please?” Sophie asked loudly.

  “Of course,” Ray said. Under his breath, he told Katie, “She worked hard on dinner, and she’s very proud.”

  “Sophie, you’ve outdone yourself,” Katie said, when she saw the dining room table.

  The rectangular table was covered with a white tablecloth, and then a long red and gold brocade runner had been placed down the center. White linen napkins folded in a bishop’s mitre stood in front of each place setting.

  The young woman had prepared bruschetta chicken, and each dish had been professionally plated with parsley and tomato garnishes. To the side of each red-floral rimmed white dinner plate, there was a matching salad plate with an assortment of greens, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and black olives.

  “Dessert is a surprise,” Sophie said.

  After everyone was seated, Sadie regaled them all with the story of Ray playing “Hail to the Chief” for Sophie on the piano.

  Ray did his best to look wounded. “I told you it was ‘Hail to the Chef.’”

  “I didn’t realize you played piano,” Katie said.

  “Ah, I bang around a little now and then.”

  “Don’t let him fool you,” Sasha said. “He’s terrific. He can show you after dinner.”

  “I don’t think—” Ray began.

  “You must,” Margo said. “I insist.”

  “Suit yourselves. Just remember, you asked for it.”

  After they’d polished off the delicious meal, Sophie enlisted the help of her sisters in the kitchen. They left the table and each girl emerged from the kitchen with a dessert tray. Sophie’s tray contained mini strawberry tarts topped with whipped cream. Sadie’s tray was filled with petit fours with delicate pink roses on the tops. And Sasha’s tray was full of individual dishes of tiramisu.

  “Katie, I want you to try one of each,” Sophie said.

  Katie looked at Sasha with her eyes wide. “Then I’ll have to walk from tomorrow morning until this time tomorrow night!”

  Sasha giggled. “That’s all right. I’ll still walk with you.”

  Katie tasted each dessert and declared them all to be fantastic. She had noticed that Sasha declined dessert and that she’d barely touched her dinner.

  “Which is your favorite?” Sophie asked, interrupting Katie’s thoughts.

  “I can’t choose!”

  The young woman smiled triumphantly. “Good.”

  Ray caught Katie’s eye and gave her a wink. Katie smiled, but she wasn’t just inflating Sophie’s ego. The girl was talented.

  Margo pushed her plate away and thanked Sophie for a delicious meal before turning to Ray. “I believe you promised us a song or two.”

  “You guys go ahead,” Katie said. “I’ll clear the dishes.”

  “You’ll do no such thing,” Ray said. “You’ll suffer through my playing just like everyone else. The girls and I will take care of cleaning up later.”

  Katie and Margo followed the rest of the family into the den. Though tidy, it was more lived-in than the living and dining rooms. An upright piano whose cabinet and bench seat had seen better days stood against one wall. An air hockey table was placed along the other wall. An entertainment center with a large television sitting on the top took up the wall directly across from the door. A navy sofa and matching chair that had likely begun life in the living room until they were too worn, along with a couple of beanbag chairs, completed the room.

  Ray took a seat on the piano bench, raised the keyboard cover, and fluttered his fingers over the keys with a flourish. He waggled his bushy brows at his amused audience. “Requests?”

  When no one answered right away, he began playing the Nat King Cole classic “When I Fall in Love.”

  Unsurprisingly, Margo knew the song. She moved to sit on the bench beside Ray and began to sing. It was all Katie could do not to roll her eyes. Of course, she sounded great. Katie should’ve known that she would. Margo didn’t do anything if she couldn’t do it well.

  Katie was stunned when Ray joined in on the chorus. Unbelievably, the man could also sing. And, of course, he and Margo harmonized beautifully. When they were finished, Katie joined the girls in applauding the couple.

  “Do another,” Sasha said.

  Ray played the bridge leading to the animated movie Toy Story song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”

  “I’m bowing out of this one,” Margo said. “I have no idea what you’re playing.”

  “We do,” Sadie said. “It’s our favorite.” She and her sisters began singing with their dad, who did Randy Newman proud.

  Katie enjoyed this song much more than she had the love song. It was obvious that Ray and his daughters had sung it together often, and they really hammed it up.

  After that song, Ray said, “Let’s do one where everyone can sing.” He played “Deck the Halls.”

  Katie joined in on this one, although she was self-conscious because the room was full of talented singers and she didn’t count herself one of them. Her phone vibrated, she looked at the caller ID, and then excused herself. She went into the kitchen to take the call.

  “Hello?” She hadn’t recognized the number and was afraid it might be important.

  “Yeah, is this Katie Bonner?”

  “It is.”

  “Yeah, I’m Carl, Nona’s nephew. She brought me this cup you broke.”

  “Cup I broke?”

  “Yeah, a teacup. I’ve got it fixed if you want to come and get it. I’m at The Pelican’s Roost.”

  “I’ll be there soon. Thank—” She realized he’d ended the call.

  “Okaaay,” she said aloud to no one.

  She looked around the kitchen. There were dishes stacked in the sink, and those were in addition to the dishes and silverware that sat on the dining room table. The Davenports had a dishwasher, but Katie was pretty sure Sophie had brought out their best china to entertain her and Margo.

  She checked to make sure the dishwasher was empty. It was, so she rinsed the pots, pans, mixing bowls, and spoons and placed them in the dishwasher. She then filled the sink with warm soapy water and went into the dining room to get her first batch of plates. She couldn’t possibly leave this work for the Davenport girls to do.

  From the den, the sound of “The Entertainer” wafted into the kitchen. She hummed along as she washed the first plate and put it in the dish drainer.

  “What are you doing?” Ray asked from the doorway.

  “If you’re here, who’s playing?”

  “Sadie. Answer my question.”

  “I’m playing hopscotch. What does it look like I’m doing?”

  “It looks like you’re washing dishes . . . dishes that I told you not to wash.”

  “Now, there’s the Ray Davenport I know and love. Curmudgeonly, pushy, do-what-I-say . . . not this thoughtful guy who plays piano and sings.”

  “I’m a man of many talents,” he deadpanned.

  “Obviously.”

  He located a dish towel and began drying the dishes. “Is everything all right?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “You looked down when you got here. Then you got a call, and you decided you’d rather wash dishes than come back into the den.”

  “The call was Nona Fiske’s nephew telling me he’d repaired my teacup . . . the teacup that belonged to Aunt Lizzie and that Nona Fiske broke,” Katie said. “I’m doing the dishes because I didn’t want you and the girls to have to do it.”

  “We don’t mind. We were happy to have guests.”

  “And I was happy to be a guest. You and Margo sang really well together.”

  “You think? Should we take our act on the road?”

  “I don’t know that I’d go that far. By the way, I noticed Sasha hardly touched her dinner.”

  Ray instantly sobered. “Yeah, I saw that, too. I’m going to ask Sophie to talk with her. Sasha really admires her big sister.”

  “After we talked earlier, I went online and researched anorexia. Sasha has a lot of the warning signs—she’s refusing to eat, she’s obsessed with her weight, you heard her throwing up . . .”

  “Like I said, I’m going to have Sophie talk with her. If anyone can help her, Sophie can.”

  “I don’t know if that’ll be enough,” Katie said. “I’m concerned that Sasha might need professional help.”

  “And I’ll consider bringing in a professional if Sophie can’t help. I know my girls. Don’t write Sophie off without giving her a chance.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I meant that—”

  “It’s all right.” Ray took the plates he’d dried and put them in the cabinet. “The house hasn’t been this lively in months. I’m enjoying it.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Good. You need to stop by more often.”

  Katie smiled.

  “Margo, too, of course.”

  Her smile faded. “Of course.”

  “How long is she staying?” he asked.

  “Not much longer.” Katie went back to the dining room for the rest of the dishes. When she returned, she asked Ray if he’d heard anything more about Vonne.

  “No. Have you?”

  “I’m afraid not. I wonder if they can find the father by testing the baby’s DNA.”

  “Not without having someone to compare it to,” Ray said.

  “It seems like Vonne made passes at several men in the weeks before her death, but no one knows who might’ve fathered her child. It’s weird, don’t you think?”

  “It certainly is.”

  * * *

  • • •

  As she backed the Focus out of the Davenports’ driveway, Katie asked Margo if she’d mind accompanying her to The Pelican’s Roost.

  “What’s that?”

  “A bar. The bartender there is Nona Fiske’s nephew.”

  “That awful woman who owns the quilting shop?” Margo asked.

  “That’s Nona. She broke a teacup I had sitting on my desk. She scooped it up and said she’d take it to her nephew to have him repair it.”

  “A bartender who repairs bone china?” Margo scoffed. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

  “I’m not. I mainly just want my cup back. But Nona did say that Carl had once worked in porcelain repair, so maybe he did fix the cup adequately.”

  Margo didn’t comment further on the cup, but it was clear she thought it was a lost cause. “It was nice of you to clean up the kitchen. I’d have helped had you asked.”

  “I just didn’t want Ray and the girls to have to deal with it, especially when Sophie had worked so hard on the meal,” Katie replied. “And then Ray ended up helping with it anyway.”

  “He’s an awfully nice man, isn’t he? He invited me to lunch tomorrow.”

  Katie’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “How nice. Where are you going?”

  “I don’t know. He said he’d pick me up at Artisans Alley around noon.”

  She knew she should be glad for Ray and Margo, but Katie wasn’t. She couldn’t put a finger on exactly why she wasn’t. Maybe it was because she knew that long-distance romances seldom worked out. Maybe it was because she didn’t want Margo taking her place with Ray and his daughters.

  What place? They were friends. They’d remain friends even if Ray and Margo got together. Wouldn’t they?

  Katie pulled into the parking lot at The Pelican’s Roost. It was crowded, but Katie managed to find a spot close to the door. The thumping music jarring the walls of the establishment could plainly be heard as soon as they got out of the car.

  “Do you want to stay here while I run in and get the cup?” Katie asked, wondering if maybe her former mother-in-law would prefer to pass on the whole Pelican’s Roost experience. “I’ll be right back.”

  “No. I’ll go in,” Margo said. “As a matter of fact, I’d rather like a glass of wine.”

  “Come to think of it, so would I.”

  The place was decorated with garlands and multicolored lights on top of its regular beach decor. The two women threaded their way through small groups and around couples either standing or sitting around tall tables to get to the bar. As they approached, the bartender—a lanky young man with shoulder-length straight brown hair—was serving a cocktail to a young woman. He winked at her and placed a finger to his lips.

  Katie took another look at the cocktail recipient. She couldn’t have been much older than Sasha. “How old are you?” she shouted above the din.

  The young woman twisted her lips. “What’s it to you?”

  “Are you twenty-one?” Katie asked.

  “Hey, don’t be like that other broad that used to come in here,” the bartender said. “She was always busting my chops.”

  “If you’re serving drinks to minors, you deserve to have your chops busted,” Margo said.

  He rolled his eyes. “She looks legal to me. Now, what can I get you?”

  “I’m looking for Carl,” Katie said.

  “Yeah, you found him.”

  Katie bristled. So this was Nona’s nephew? It must be a family trait to flout the rules. “I’m Katie Bonner.”

  “Yeah.” He took about two steps to his left and retrieved a bag from beneath the counter. He brought it back and set it in front of Katie.

  The cup and saucer were both surrounded with bubble wrap, which she removed, then picked up the cup and examined it closely. Granted, the light was dim in the bar, but the cup repair looked exceptional. In fact, he’d repaired the previous break that Vance had bungled. It looked like new.

  “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “What do I owe you?”

  “Nothing. Aunt Nona took care of it already. Anything else I can do for you?”

  “Uh, I’d like a glass of white wine please.”

  “Make that two,” Margo said.

  “Yeah. Coming up.”

  Before Carl could get their wine, Godfrey Foster came up behind them.

  “What luck,” he said. “Finding myself here alone when two pretty, unaccompanied women come walking into the bar.”

  Both Katie and Margo murmured unenthusiastic hellos.

  “Let me buy you a drink,” he said.

  “No, thank you,” Katie said, rewrapping her precious set. “We couldn’t possibly impose on you like that.”

  Carl set the glasses in front of them, gave them a total, and Godfrey handed him a credit card. “I’m too quick for you.”

  “We appreciate your thoughtfulness, Godfrey,” Margo said. “Thank you. I can’t get over the kindness of men in McKinlay Mill. You, Ray Davenport . . .”

  “Ray?” Godfrey huffed, taking the card back from Carl. “You think Ray Davenport is kind?”

  “I do,” Margo said. “In fact, he’s taking me to lunch tomorrow.”

  Godfrey shook his head ruefully. “Well, have fun.” He looked out into the crowd. “Excuse me. I see someone I need to speak with.”

  “Maybe he’ll leave me alone now,” Margo said, once Godfrey had disappeared into the throng.

  “Maybe so . . . now that he knows you prefer Ray.”

  “Ray’s a good guy.”

  “He is,” Katie said.

  “You could do worse.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’m just throwing that out there,” Margo said. “That family obviously thinks the world of you—Ray included.”

  Katie didn’t know quite what to say to that. Fortunately, she was saved from commenting when she noticed another seemingly underage girl receiving a drink from Carl.

  “He didn’t card her,” Katie said.

  As they watched, another girl approached. This one wasn’t as pretty as the other two had been. Carl asked to see this girl’s identification and refused her a drink.

  “That rat,” Margo muttered.

  “Wait, that’s the only time he did the right thing!”

  “But for the wrong reason.”

  “True.” Katie had to agree with her there. “I wonder how the owner of The Pelican’s Roost would feel about what Carl is doing. He could get this place shut down for serving drinks to underage girls.”

  “You’re worried about the bar owner? What about the police? The owner of this bar could only fire him. The police could charge him with contributing to the delinquency of minors.”

  “He mentioned ‘that other chick.’ I wonder who he was talking about,” Katie said.

  Margo shrugged. “Want me to ask him?”

  Katie was about to say no when Margo waved Carl over.

  “Hey, handsome. Top this glass off, and I’ll keep my lips sealed about seeing you serve that cute teenybopper a beer.”

  Carl rolled his eyes as Katie felt hers nearly pop out of her head. Who knew Margo could be so brash?

  The bartender took Margo’s glass and added more wine. “Don’t think you can try to shake me down like that other old chick. This is a onetime favor.”

  “What other chick?” Katie asked.

  “That one who had the car wreck. They say she was drunk as a skunk . . . but she didn’t get that way here. I cut people off when they’ve had too much.”

  Somehow Katie doubted that. Was Carl merely covering? Did he believe he could be held responsible if someone left The Pelican’s Roost intoxicated and then had an accident?

  A group of young men approached the bar a few feet down from where Katie and Margo were sitting. Carl threw up both arms. “Dudes!”

  After he’d gone to meet his friends, Katie quietly told Margo that to those not in law enforcement, the story was that Vonne had died in a car accident.

  “Then either this young man doesn’t know any better, or he wants everyone to think he does.”