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“Did he say why?”
“The mayor is putting word around town that Kaden Vaughn is here to make a documentary.”
“What sort of documentary?”
Bailey lifted her hands to make an air quotes gesture. “‘Pike, Wisconsin, is the murder capital of the world. ’” She paused, wrinkling her nose. “Or maybe it’s the murder capital of America. Anyway, he claimed we’re all going to be portrayed as savage beasts who kill each other on a regular basis.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Not really. We’ve had more than our fair share of murders here.”
That was true enough, but Lia didn’t think for a minute that the mayor was worried about Kaden embarrassing the city of Pike. He was worried that Kaden was going to expose something from the past. Something that was a danger to him, or one of his cronies.
“Kaden isn’t here to do any documentary.” She sent her friend a stern frown. “Period.”
“Then why is he in Pike?”
“It’s personal.” It was quite likely that Kaden’s interest in the skeleton had already spread through town, but she wasn’t going to add to the rumors.
Bailey waggled her brows. “Personal with you?”
Lia parted her lips, but before she could chastise her friend, the door was pushed open by a small woman with golden hair that was ruthlessly styled in a knot at the back of her head and a curvaceous form outlined by a designer jacket. Lia blinked in shock at the sight of Jolene Erickson. She couldn’t remember the mayor’s wife ever shopping at Porter’s Grocery Store. Not even to grab a loaf of bread or a carton of eggs.
“Good morning, Jolene,” she managed to choke out.
“Lia. Bailey.” With a vague smile, Jolene drifted down the nearest aisle.
Bailey leaned toward Lia, whispering in her ear, “I have a feeling you’re going to have a lot of customers today, checking to see if you really are living in sin with Kaden Vaughn. I’ll see you later.”
With a finger wave, Bailey headed out of the store and down the street. Lia slowly turned, squaring her shoulders. Unlike her friend, she didn’t think Jolene Erickson was there to discover if she was sleeping with Kaden Vaughn.
Lia would bet money the mayor had sent his wife there to try to discover why Lia had allowed Kaden to stay in Pike. And, hopefully, find a way to convince her to get rid of him.
Slowly, she strolled down the aisle to where Jolene was pretending to study the loaves of bread.
“Is there something I can help you with?”
Jolene turned, flashing her deep dimples that gave the illusion she was half her age. “You have a lovely store, Lia. I’m sorry I haven’t visited before.”
Lia arched her brows. Lovely? It was functional. A few customers might consider it charming. In an old-fashioned, nostalgic way. But never lovely.
“It’s not fancy, but if you need a basic supply, we should have it.”
Jolene waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. “I’m not really here to buy anything. I prefer to order my groceries from shops that sell organic food. I have to be cautious of my health, you know.”
Shocker. Lia’s lips twitched. “Then I suppose you want to discuss the greased pig contest at the Fourth of July celebration?” she asked in overly sweet tones. “Don’t worry, I can guarantee you have my vote to get rid of it.”
Jolene’s smile tightened, but it never faltered. “Perhaps you haven’t heard, the planning meeting has been postponed.”
“Postponed?”
“After Judge Armstrong’s accident, I decided we needed a few weeks to adjust to his loss. He was such an important member of the committee. It won’t be the same without him.”
“Yes, such a tragedy.” Lia studied the woman’s expression. It was impossible to read. “If this visit isn’t connected to the greased pig contest, can I ask why you are here?”
“You’ve never been married, have you?”
Lia hesitated. The question had come out of the blue, reminding her that she wasn’t nearly as skilled as Jolene in manipulating others.
