Part 15 (2/2)

”I was driving your”-Roma gestured wildly with her hands-”creation around. And now people think I'm having a fling with the real Eddie. I'm old enough to be his”-she paused-”older sister, for heaven's sake.”

”Since when do you care what people think?” I asked, wiping mustard from my chin.

”Since always,” she retorted.

Maggie lips were twitching. Trouble. ”Tell you what,” she said. ”When Winterfest is over, I'll give you Eddie. Then you really will be a couple.”

Roma picked up her fork. She was trying to look mad, but I didn't think she really was. I kept looking at her until she looked at me.

”Every time I let you two in my car, things end up going south,” she said. ”Every single time.”

I realized she was thinking about the time Maggie sort of hijacked Roma and her SUV because we were trying to follow someone.

At the end of the table, beyond Officer Craig and his girlfriend, was a family I had seen in the library a few times, lots of Dr. Seuss and Max and Ruby books. Dad and the four-year-old were doing patty-cake, the girl's blond curls bouncing.

”Patty-cake, patty-cake,” the little one chanted, her high, clear voice carrying down the table. But instead of saying, ”bake me a man,” she said, ”make me a man.”

Maggie looked at Roma and said, ”I did.” Then she put her head on the table and collapsed in laughter. Roma whacked her with a paper napkin and went back to eating.

I decided this would be a great time to go in search of coffee, even though I knew it would make me restless this late in the day. ”I'll be right back,” I said.

The coffee and tea table was over by the kitchen. I wound my way around tables, smiling and saying h.e.l.lo to everyone I knew. Rebecca and Mary, both in the same long white ap.r.o.ns that all the servers seemed to be wearing, were deep in conversation at the tea table.

I picked up a mug, added sugar and reached for the stainless-steel coffee carafe.

Mary noticed me then. ”I'll get that for you,” she said, taking the cup from my hand. ”Would you like regular, decaf or chocolate hazelnut?”

I wasn't much of a fan of flavored coffee, but maybe just this once.

”Chocolate hazelnut,” I said. ”Please.”

Rebecca lightly touched my arm. ”Kathleen, is Justin Anders the young man Ruby's been seeing?”

”Yes, he is,” I said, taking my cup back from Mary. ”Why?”

”You haven't heard?” Mary asked. ”Turns out it wasn't a rumor after all.”

”What?” I asked, wondering what new piece of town news they had.

Mary shrugged. ”Agatha left Ruby's boyfriend half a million dollars.”

11.

I glanced from Rebecca, who looked apologetic, to Mary, who could be described only as smug. I set the coffee on the edge of the table. I was afraid I was going to drop it.

”Agatha left money to Ruby's boyfriend?”

”Yes.” Mary grabbed the carafe to pour a cup of coffee for one of the servers.

I was dumbfounded. Then I thought about the rumor going around that Roma was seeing an NHL hockey player ten years her junior. ”You certain?” I asked. ”I didn't realize he even knew her.”

Mary handed the cup over to the young server. ”Yes, I am.”

Rebecca brushed the front of her ap.r.o.n. ”The information came from Bridget,” she said.

I had forgotten that Mary's daughter, Bridget, was the publisher of the Mayville Heights Chronicle. ”But half a million dollars? Where would Agatha get half a million dollars?” I remembered the tiny, spare house.

”Agatha was very frugal,” Mary said, smiling at another server on her way to the kitchen.

”What about her son? Why would she leave money to someone she didn't know instead of him?”

Mary shrugged. ”All I know is some lawyer from Red Wing did a new will for Agatha. She signed it the day before she died.”

I shook my head slowly. ”That doesn't make any sense. Peter Lundgren was Agatha's lawyer.”

”Apparently not anymore.” Mary swept a few crumbs off the table.

It couldn't be true. But it was going to hurt Ruby. ”This is getting messy,” I said to Rebecca.

She patted my arm. ”I know.”

I picked up my coffee and wound my way back to the table. Maggie glanced over at me as she sc.r.a.ped the last few baked beans from her plate. Something in my face made her take a second look. ”What is it?” she asked.

Roma turned to look at me, as well. I pointed toward the tea table.

”According to Rebecca and Mary, Agatha left half a million dollars to Justin.”

”Of course she did,” Roma said. ”And I'm dating Eddie Sweeney.” She shot a quick look at Maggie, who blushed just a little. ”First of all, Agatha didn't have half a million dollars. She had a teacher's pension and from her day that wasn't a lot of money. And second, if she did have a little money she wouldn't leave it to someone she hardly knew.”

”It doesn't make a lot of sense,” Maggie agreed.

”The story came from Bridget.”

Roma waved her hand like she was chasing away a bug. ”Well, Bridget got it wrong or Mary did. Agatha didn't have that much money. She didn't have any money.” She pushed her plate away. ”It's just a rumor and it's wrong.”

”It has to be,” Maggie said. ”You saw her. Did Agatha look like someone who had a lot of money?”

Actually she had looked like someone who didn't spend a lot of money. She wasn't buying clothes or things for her house. Maybe she'd ama.s.sed a small fortune and no one knew about it. Luckily I didn't have to answer because the Kings were back to collect our plates and deliver slices of apple pie.

I picked up my fork. The pie was better than promised. There was a hint of tartness to the apples, and I could taste the cinnamon and nutmeg. I actually made little groaning sounds as I took a second bite.

Maggie grinned at me over her plate. ”I told you it was good,” she said.

<script>