“No. He did offer to put up the money to invest in one of those new, expensive candy-making machines. Our equipment is so old, and I don’t really have any money,” Deena said. “He never said anything about owning part of the business, but I did overhear him say something odd this morning.”
“What?”
“Honestly, I’ve been in a tizzy about it all day. He was in the front room, talking on the phone, and I heard him say, ‘Deena must not find out about this.’”
“Find out about what?” Sam asked.
“That’s the thing. I have no idea. And I was too frazzled to confront him. In fact, I’ve been avoiding him ever since.”
She knew it. Chuck really had been up to no good, which meant that Cole was also up to no good. Well, if they thought they were going to put one over on Sam and her mother, they had another think coming.
CHAPTER24
Cole waited for the welcome-wagon ladies to leave then turned to Chuck.
“I saw Sam talking to that private investigator before.”
Chuck frowned. “So? Sam grew up here. They’re probably friends.”
“I don’t know. She was at the motel, and they were out on the back porch, and when I approached, they stopped talking as if they didn’t want me to hear what they were saying.” Cole glanced out the window to make sure that Deena wasn’t on her way back.“What if she’s having you investigated?”
A cloud of uncertainty settled on him. What if Sam and Ellie reallywerejust friends and the conversation had been innocent? Maybe they’d been gossiping or talking “girl talk,” and that’s why they stopped talking. He didn’t want to mess things up for his father, but he also didn’t want him to get taken advantage of, and he had to admit Sam and Deena had been acting very strange this morning.
However, when he’d had coffee with Sam, she’d been fine. Except when he’d first seen her at her car, she’d seemed a little nervous. And hadn’t he thought she was opening the car door and not closing it?
“I think you’re making something out of nothing,” Chuck said, though Cole could tell his father was thinking about it. Had his dad picked up on the strange vibe from Deena and Sam too?
“It’s not like Sam and Ellie would be good friends. There’s a big age difference between them. And the way they were talking on the porch… well…” Cole glanced down the hallway. “And what was up with that wallet business? Do you think it really could’ve gotten lodged beside the desk? It seems weird that Sam dropped her chocolate and came up with the wallet, doesn’t it?”
And why had Sam taken off right after she’d found it?
Chuck pressed his lips together. “Well, now that you mention it, that was rather odd. Deena was acting kind of strange when she came in this morning. Not her usual, affectionate self.”
“As if she knew something weird might be about to happen?” Cole asked.
“Maybe. But I don’t think so. I know her. She’s a good person.”
“Dad, plenty of good people do bad things. In my line of work, I’ve seen people who seem like the nicest people in the world end up being the biggest dirtbags. Now, I’m not saying Deena is up to something, but maybe we should be cautious.”
Cole glanced around the store. His father had made improvements to the store and the website. He’d been learning the business. “Has she asked you to invest into the business… you know… buy new shelves or software?”
“I can’t say as she asked outright, but she did mention something about a new chocolate tempering machine that is very expensive. She can’t afford it, and well…” He looked at Cole sheepishly. “I did kind of volunteer to buy it.”
Had he volunteered, or had she cleverly manipulated him into “volunteering”? Cole didn’t want to say that out loud and make his father feel worse.
“You know what? I think I might need to take the afternoon off.” Chuck pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to message Deena and let her know that I won’t be here after lunch.”
CHAPTER25
It was late afternoon by the time Gina got back to the storage room with sandwiches for Hugh. She couldn’t wait for the bank to open so she could get rid of him. This was all feeling a little too familiar, and she didn’t like waiting on him one bit.
“Tuna is my favorite.” Hugh beamed up at her. “You remembered.”
“They were the first sandwiches I came to in the grocery store.” Gina certainly hadn’t gotten his favorite on purpose. She didn’t want to do anything to encourage him as he’d been hinting there might be a future for them. There wouldn’t be, but she was hesitant to come right out and say it, lest her rejection make him think twice about transferring the money.
She was surprised to discover that she really was over Hugh and, even though he did look rather pathetic, she could muster only the smallest amount of sympathy for him.
“Look, you just need to stay in here and be quiet for one more day. Tomorrow, the bank will be open, and I can get that document. I’ll take pictures of it with my phone so you can verify that I have it, but I’m not handing it over until you transfer the money.” She wasn’t the naïve, trusting person she’d been when they were married.
