Part 10 (2/2)
Lauren clamped down firmly, but Willow pulled hard and continued to do so. Lauren became afraid that the necklace was going to break, so she released her grip.
Willow looked up at her victoriously. ”Now, why don't you run on back to your little freeloader's shack and leave us alone.”
”Just make sure she gets it.” Lauren walked off the front porch, feeling very uneasy about leaving the necklace with Willow.
She went home and sent a text to Kendall, hoping even as she did that it wasn't a mistake.
What do you know about Willow Montgomery?
The call came before Lauren was even certain her text had gone through. Kendall's voice was high-pitched and excited. ”Willow Montgomery? What makes you ask about her?”
”She is visiting her aunt right now. Something about her just doesn't seem right to me.” And I really, really dislike her, too, but maybe I shouldn't go there.
”Wait, she's visiting her aunt?” Kendall's voice squeaked with excitement on the last word. She paused for a second, as if trying to collect herself. In truth, when she spoke next, her voice had gained a measure of control and sounded very professional and businesslike. ”And you know that how?”
”I just saw her. I went to . . .” Lauren stopped herself before she blurted out more than she'd intended. ”I went to return something to them, and Willow was there. I've seen her there before, and something about her bothers me.”
”I'd say you're a good judge of character, then. Something about her bothers a lot of people. Her father was Collin Montgomery's one legitimate heir. He had-still has, actually-quite the reputation as a playboy. He's burned through a pile of his daddy's money, from what I can tell, on wine, women, and song. There are five kids, all by different wives and girlfriends. Willow is the youngest of his children. Her mother was an Italian supermodel. He's been through a couple of wives since then but has managed to avoid producing any more offspring, which is a good thing, because he can't afford them anymore.
”Willow is known for being a socialite party girl, as are most of Eduardo's sp.a.w.n. Rumor is, he cut every single one of them out of the will a few years back. They all have an allowance from the trust fund that he's not allowed to touch, but rumor has it, that fund is dwindling at a fairly rapid rate. Supposedly he declared his offspring and their mothers a bunch of ingrates. He set up his will so that anything he has left when he dies goes directly to charity. Needless to say, there have been lawyers working full-time on both sides of this issue since the first announcement of Eduardo Montgomery's intentions.”
”There is something to be said about coming from a family that is flat broke. At least I've never had to deal with this kind of drama.”
”True enough.” Kendall paused a moment. ”So, what was it you were returning to Miss Montgomery's house?”
”It was . . . I did some gardening for her, and I found a couple of misplaced items in her potting shed. I just returned them so they could be put in the right place.”
”That's a dreadfully dull answer. Next time, look for something a bit more exciting. Okay?” Kendall laughed as she said it.
You have no idea. ”Yes, I sure will.”
Charlotte had hurried through the house and out back the moment they'd arrived home. All day long she had been thinking about that necklace, wondering what Lauren might decide to do with it. When they'd pulled up tonight and she'd seen that the sage had indeed been planted, she knew that Lauren had been there.
Without bothering to explain to anyone where she was going, she had grabbed a flashlight and rushed out the side door toward the potting shed. Once inside, she flipped on the light and hurried over to where she had so carefully dropped the necklace. She felt her heart begin to race when she saw that it was indeed gone.
Lauren's true nature was about to be revealed, and there would be no second-guessing it. She couldn't wait to see the results. She hurried back into the house. ”Frances? Frances?”
”Yes, ma'am.” Frances appeared at the top of the steps. She had been turning down the bed in Charlotte's room.
”Were there any messages when we arrived home? On the phone, I mean? Or at the door?”
”No, ma'am. I did hear Willow speaking to someone, though. You might want to check with her.”
Willow came around the corner just then. ”That girl from next door stopped by. She wanted to make sure that you saw that she'd planted the sage out front. It seemed important to her that you know that she was the one who did it.”
”Well of course I know she did it. Who else would have? Did she say anything else?”
”Nope, not a thing.” Willow started up the stairs. ”By the way, I think I'm going to head back to LA tonight. I've got a job interview in the morning.”
”A job interview? Well, good for you, then.” Charlotte was proud that her niece was taking the initiative to improve her life.
twenty-one.
Charlotte watched out her window as Lauren made her usual morning trek down to the beach. She stopped to speak with Frances through the backyard fence, but Frances didn't go near her. She clearly didn't hand her anything. Charlotte's heart squeezed within her. Why had she allowed herself to get her hopes up? She made her way down the stairs. ”Frances? Frances.”
She went to the back door, where she found her maid sweeping the porch. ”What did Lauren want?”
”Oh nothing, she just said good morning. I was asking her how the play was coming along.”
”She didn't give you anything? Or mention the necklace?”
”No. Not at all.”
”That's what I thought.” Charlotte turned toward the front of the house, her legs feeling extra heavy with the exertion. Of course that girl would not return the necklace-what would have made her think differently? By now, she should know better than to hope for such things. Anger rose up to help her drown the pain. She welcomed the relief.
She made her way out the front door and through the gate, then looked at the recently planted sage. The work of a fake and a conniver. She wouldn't have it near her house. She knelt down and ripped one out. Then another. And another. She didn't stop until the entire two rows were pulled out and lying in a pile. Her back and fingers ached from the exertion. To her horror, she realized that she did not have enough strength left to push herself back up to stand. What was she going to do? It would certainly ruin the effect if Lauren came back up and found her sprawled and helpless on the sidewalk.
She crawled closer to the fence. By gripping the rungs she could manage enough leverage to pull herself upward. With a huge amount of effort, she finally got her right foot flat on the ground and then her left. She managed one last pull and was finally upright again. Rage always seemed to strengthen her, and, as usual, that seemed to work in her favor.
Her face was covered in sweat from the exertion, and it was difficult to breathe deeply enough. Finally, after a moment, she felt quite improved. She leaned down, still holding the fence with her right hand, and used her left to dust the dirt off her crepe de chine robe and gown. Likely they were ruined, as was her manicure, but it had been worth it. She looked up just in time to see Lauren round the corner and witness the destruction. The look on her face was as if she'd just been slapped. Hard.
”Frances said if I used your materials it would be okay for me to plant these out here.” There were tears pooling in her eyes, the little faker.
Charlotte wanted to tell her that liars were not welcome here, and neither were their fake acts of kindness. What she said instead was, ”I a.s.sumed that it would be understood that it would need to be planted properly.” Charlotte gestured toward the pile of dirt and plant roots. ”Those things were much too close together. It looked like a cluttered mess.” She turned and walked back inside the gate without looking to see if her words had found their mark. She concentrated very hard on walking, not hobbling. She wanted to project the right image.
Now to make some calls and make certain that little thief was punished for her crime.
Lauren walked back into her cottage, dropped onto the sofa, and burst into tears. ”G.o.d, I don't get it. I've gone out of my way to be nice to that woman. I've tried to be the Good Samaritan, even though she seems to neither want nor deserve such treatment. I've done everything she's ever asked, and yet she is still nasty to me. I just don't get it.”
She thought about Rhonda's words, but this wasn't the same. Zacchaeus came down from the tree when called. He accepted Jesus' invitation and changed his life. The wounded man accepted the Good Samaritan's help. He didn't treat him badly in exchange for his consideration.
Maybe Miss Montgomery truly was just a bad person. Maybe she was a murderer, come to think of it. Maybe Kendall was right, and maybe the person who needed a Good Samaritan in her life was the reporter trying to get to the bottom of a man's murder.
Lauren walked over and picked up her cell phone. She started a text to Kendall and attached the pictures of the necklace, front and back. She let her finger rest over the Send b.u.t.ton. She wanted so badly to press it, but her insides screamed against it. Finally, in frustration, she tossed her phone onto the sofa.
A couple of hours later, Lauren saw Frances out cleaning up the mess from the planting. She walked over and began to help her pick up the pieces. ”I don't understand. I thought this would make her happy.”
Frances shrugged. ”She's just so upset this week.” She looked at Lauren, a disapproving expression crossing her face.
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