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After a quick internet search, she placed an order with expedited shipping, despite the added cost. Why not try one and get herself in Ana’s headspace for a bit?
With that done, other questions formed. Why had Ana carried around bagged underwear? Evidence of some sort? And what about the little golden shovel? It had a jagged edge, as if it were a... key? Oh, oh yes! A key! That made sense. But what did it unlock? A secret safe deposit box? A room for a secret lover’s tryst?
The words etched on the side echoed through her mind. Digging for gold. Wait. Hold up. Hadn’t she seen the same phrase on the large billboard that advertised the weekly speed dating events in town?
Finally! A connection! Jane’s back shot straight. The nicknames and their numbers corresponded with speed dating, Ana’s big break, which must correspond with the key.
Well, well, well. Looked like Jane needed to take this investigation out in the world and hit the dating market.
Trembling, she popped to her feet and rushed to the office in the back of the cottage. An addition built by her beloved Pops, the best grandad ever to live, and a place even quirkier than the rest of the property. Corners set at odd angles. Filing cabinets stood in a subtle but zagged line. Framed photos of her favorite people covered the walls. Grandma Lily and Pops, of course. Fiona and Rolex, too. There was even a picture of Jane’s mother and father from high school graduation. It hung next to the gilt-framed cross-stitched display of Henry Cavill’s perfect face. A garage sale purchase worth far more than the twenty bucks Jane had forked over.
She should probably, maybe, perhaps consider thinking about probably, maybe, perhaps putting up a photo of Conrad and Beau. They were a big part of her life. For now. Really, what would it hurt?
Something to consider later. At the slightly messy antique desk, she threw open her laptop and opened the website for the speed dating venue. Yes! Tickets were still available for the event on Saturday. Which meant Jane would attend, along with Beau and Fiona.
Go Team Truth!
CHAPTER FOUR
“Get ‘em while they’re hot!”
Happyland, Oklahoma - Catch A Mate Night
101 Matches Made!
“Welcome to our Strike it Hitched extravaganza, where you pan for a gold star match. Or two! How can we help you help yourself tonight?”
Jane slapped on a smile and stepped forward. She’d forced herself to attend the event without a hat, even though she’d chosen to wear her flirtiest dress. A knee-length polka dot fit and flare with a lacy collar and hem. The polka dots were little hearts, none the same color.
Fiona and Beau flanked her sides. Both of her friends had taken a different approach with their wardrobe. The sixty-two-year-young grandmother of four had highlighted her curves with a tight black number. On the other hand, Beau had chosen a plain white T-shirt and swim trunks.
Swim trunks.
Oh, whatever. This was too great a day to fuss about her friend’s lack of undercover investigative skills. Jane was about to launch her first sting operation. And she adored being inside the Manor on Prospect Street, the fanciest property in town. Seriously. No wonder Ana had carried their pen everywhere she ventured. Once a private home of the richest man in Aurelian Hills, now a glamorous bed-and-breakfast regularly featured on the top ten list of places to visit in Georgia, the Manor boasted luxury at every angle.
The elegant lobby dazzled with a domed ceiling and a massive crystal chandelier, stealing her breath every time she glimpsed it. Murals of gold mines and miners demanded a second and third look. At her feet, gold veined marble gleamed.
Blocking off the entrance to the ballroom was a long, rectangular table, where two forty-something sisters perched, seemingly out of place in T-shirts, jeans, and the brightest lipstick Jane had ever seen. Beyond the pair was a ballroom filled with an array of small, round tables covered in light pink bunting. Rose bouquets acted as centerpieces, saturating the air with sweetness. Heart-shaped candles crackled, all but screaming romance.
“Jane.” Fiona elbowed her in the side. “Respond to the nice ladies, hon.”
Oh. Right. “I’m Jane Ladling,” she told the hosts, Charlotte and Audrey Berdize, as brightly as she was able. “I purchased three tickets for tonight’s speed dating to love event. Please and thank you.”
Fiona, dear woman that she was, had gotten on board Jane’s speed dating plan a hundred percent. To catch Ana’s killer, they must follow her footsteps. That meant participating in a fake search for love. Or semi-fake. Beau still needed a date. He’d gotten on board with the plan too, though...after only an hour and a half of non-stop persuasion. And a promise to prepare him a home-cooked meal once a week for six months. The entire time she’d outlined the method to her maddening brilliance, his eyes had gleamed with excitement—definitely not horror.
