“Scoot out of the way, Dee Dee. I need to go to the little ladies room.” Nana gave Dee Dee’s arm a little shove – as if her petite frame could move Dee Dee an inch.
“Sure thing, Nana.”
“Dee Dee, why don’t you go with Nana?” I gave her an exaggerated wink. I thought she could keep an eye on Nana and give us a few minutes to talk. Dee Dee missed my hint.
“I don’t need to go. Isn’t it wonderful?” In the past, Dee Dee couldn’t go an hour without having to tinkle. The new patches were nothing short of a miracle, but this was one time I needed her to go.
“Are you having that eye problem again, Trix?”
“No, I’m not. Are you sure you don’t need to go?” I winked again. This time she received my telepathic message.
“Come on, Nana.” She and Nana headed to the ladies’ room giggling like two teenagers.
“You’re blessed to have your grandmother around.”
“She’s my great-aunt. And yes, I’m blessed.” I looked upward. Please help me to remember how blessed I am. Sometimes life got in the way and stole the awareness of our blessings. This was something I needed to work on.
“Where were we? My train of thought derailed.” She laughed a little too loud at her own wit. A sure sign of tattered nerves.
“You were saying what happened to you when you left Ocean View.” I prompted, scraping the bottom of the bowl for another dab of that delicious pudding.
“Everything was great for a while. Deidra featured my dishes in the menu of her restaurant. Before long, the customers followed us over, and their traffic doubled.” Mary Sue refilled our coffee cups.
“We have a little television station that broadcasts local news and activities. Deidra wanted to get the word out about The Blue Dolphin, so she pitched the idea of a cooking show from our kitchen. They took her up on it.”
“Edna told us you hosted your own show.”
“It wasn’t long before I was a local celebrity. People recognized me right off and would ask me about my recipes. Between working on the show and at the restaurant, I made pretty good money. For once, I didn’t have to worry about paying bills. It was nice.”
I could relate to Mary Sue. When Wade left, there were many nights I laid awake wondering how I’d make it through the next month. It took a while before I bounced back on my feet.
Nana and Dee Dee sidled up to the table. “All done,” Nana announced. “What did we miss?”
“Mary Sue was just telling me about her cooking show.”
Nana leaned forward. “We heard Grace ruined that for ya.” So much for tact. I was worried how Mary Sue would react to Nana’s bluntness, but she calmly eyed Nana.
“You’re right, Nana. Grace ruined everything.” She sighed and rested her chin in her hands like someone resigned to disappointment. “She watched the show and claimed I’d used her recipes as the base for my dishes. She said the contract prohibited me from using them anyplace else but her restaurant. Some of them did have the same basic ingredients, and I changed them around, but that didn’t matter to Grace.” Mary Sue held up the coffee pot for a refill – we declined with a shake of our heads.
“What did Grace do?” Dee Dee stacked the bowls and shoved them to the side.
“She went crazy, that’s what she did.” Green eyes full of fire replaced the defeated look Mary Sue wore just minutes before. “She got herself a lawyer and stalked me everywhere I went, she even came to the show and disrupted taping. The studio got scared of a lawsuit and started looking for my replacement. Scared to death I’d never find another job, I quit The Blue Dolphin and lost the show, too. They wouldn’t even keep me on as a stage hand.” Her face flushed a deep pink. “Some of the kids at school even picked on my Sarah Joe. We were about to move away but it all settled down.”
I laid my hand on her arm. “I’m sorry, Mary Sue. It seems Grace spread her malice from one end of the island to the other. She had to be one unhappy person to feel the need to lash out at others.” Thoughts of how miserable she must have been almost made me feel sorry for her. Then I remembered all the people she’d hurt.
“Yeah.” Deep in thought, she visited a place we couldn’t follow. Then she spoke slowly and deliberately. “It was just a matter of time before someone put a stop to her meanness.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Looks like death decided it was time to knock on her door,” Nana said.
“Or somebody determined that for her.” I looked at Mary Sue and tried to imagine a killer. I failed to picture her as a murderer. But I’d learned the hard way that even the gentlest of humans could become angry over wrongs done to them and their families, and then justify retaliation. Everyone will face this challenge in life and ultimately have to make a choice on how to react. Thankfully, most people rise to the challenge and realize the hard knocks of life can make you stronger.
Dee Dee reached across the table and jiggled my arm. “Trixie! You’re staring.”
“Oh, my goodness. I’m so sorry. I took a trip and lost my way back.” I laughed, praying Dee Dee and Nana would join me. Their laughter was music to my ears. Even Mary Sue was gracious enough to laugh with me.
“Ladies, it’s time for me to go back to work. I can’t imagine how my sad story can be of any use to you, but I hope it helps Laura in some way.”
I covered her hand with mine. “Thank you. I’m sure it wasn’t easy dredging up old memories.” Her doleful eyes reflected the pain in her soul. I was familiar with the agonizing hurt remembrances could trigger. All I had to do was conjure up thoughts of Wade.
I was thankful, through Dee Dee’s companionship and her strong faith, I’d learned to let go of some of the past hurts. Friendship like ours was as sweet as the nectar of a honeysuckle on a summer’s day.
The bell on the door tinkled and Mary Sue yelled “have a seat,” breaking the mood. She grabbed a handful of dishes and left to return to a job Grace had forced her to take. Could the reminder day after day of what she had lost, of the added anguish of her child’s pain, drive her to seek revenge? I didn’t know, but I intended to find out.
“I don’t know about y’all, but I’m plum tuckered out. How about we go back to the bed and breakfast and rest up?” Dee Dee stood up and stretched.
“Sounds like a wonderful idea.” My knee ached a little and the respite would bring sweet relief.
“Times a’wastin’. I think we should move on to the next person on the list.” Nana was certainly a little fireball of energy. “And don’t even think about rolling your eyes, Missy.”
I wouldn’t dare. “Nana, I wouldn’t think of it.” I linked my arm with hers as we walked to the car.
“Humph.”
Dee Dee grabbed Nana’s other arm and we strolled along like the three Musketeers.
As we drove away from town, we left the crowd behind and headed to Seaside Cottage. I looked forward to a breather. Afterwards, Dee Dee and I could get together and regroup. Tomorrow we could drive to Savannah and interview Grace’s ex-husband, Bert, and get back in time to attend the Pirate Fest. And I wanted – no, needed – to call Beau. I realized how much I missed him.
“Do you think Laura would mind if George came over and ate with us tonight?” Nana had fallen head over heels for George. He was nice enough, but I wasn’t convinced he was on the up and up. If he came over tonight, I could pick his brain and maybe find out some personal information about him.
“I’m sure she won’t mind,” Dee Dee assured Nana. “Okay, who blocked the driveway with their Crown Vic?”
“Oh, no. That’s Detective Baker’s car. It can’t be a good sign he keeps showing up at Laura’s.” I pulled in behind him and parked.
When we entered, tension as thick as pea soup filled the room. Detective Baker and one of his cronies occupied the couch. Mama and Laura claimed the two wing back chairs. A coffee table laden with desserts and drinks sat between them. Laura, ever the gracious hostess, had made sure her nemesis was well cared for.