Hiding From Death Read online

  Would they have to close the bookstore?

  ***

  For lunch, Darcy took herself out to the La Di Da Deli. A quick phone call to Jon let her know that he wasn’t going to be able to join her so she was on her own. He had been very rushed with her on the phone. “The town has been busy while we were gone, sweet baby,” he said, using her pet nickname for her. “I’ll talk to you later, okay? I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she said to him, and then he hung up. She grabbed her coat to leave feeling a little disappointed.

  She could have gone over to her friend Helen’s bakery, but the Bean There Bakery and Café was always so busy during the lunch hour. Helen was the mayor in town as well, and had hired some new help for her store. She was suddenly reminded that Helen had met a man, a baker who she’d hired for the store. Darcy could tell there was a lot more to it than that, though, and she promised herself to catch up with Helen soon to see how that was going for her.

  Helen Nelson was one of the people who had been caught up in the mysteries and secrets Misty Hollow had hidden so well for so long. Her husband Steve had been sent to jail for the murder of her friend Anna, and Darcy had been a big part of that. Helen didn’t like to talk about it anymore. She’d put that part of her life behind her, and Darcy couldn’t blame her one bit.

  Of course, that brought her thoughts back to the question of who was living in Anna’s house. She sighed as she walked through the town center. She supposed the easiest thing to do would be to just go up to the door of her new neighbor and knock. She’d have to ask Jon if he found anything out yet, of course, but saying hello was something neighbors did.

  Still arguing with herself she went inside the Deli and up to the counter. A young girl who Darcy recognized as one of the town’s young teenagers took her order. Victoria, she thought the girl’s name was. She smiled as she took Darcy’s money and made change, the transparent plastic braces on her teeth barely noticeable.

  She was burning with curiosity about what Jon had found out. It would just have to wait, though. Or maybe she could get Jon a sandwich and use it as an excuse to drop in on him? It was a sneaky thought. Not that she hadn’t ever done it before. He really had seemed busy, though.

  As she stood there pondering that idea she overheard a conversation between two other customers at a nearby table. There were a few round tables in the deli set out for customers to eat inside if they chose, even though most of the town got their food to go. Darcy recognized the two women sitting at this table. Cora Morton and Evelyn Casey were both members of her book club. They hadn’t met recently, what with everyone’s busy schedules, but Darcy knew these two had a handle on all the gossip in Misty Hollow.

  “Have you heard?” Cora was asking. “Someone moved into Anna’s house!”

  “Oh, yes,” Evelyn replied, taking a sip of her tea, “it’s nice to know that someone will be taking care of the place again.

  Both of the women were elderly, with very proper clothing and nearly matching pearl necklaces and gray hair done up in buns. Darcy took a few steps closer, trying to make it look like she was reading the menu board above the deli counter. She almost felt bad about eavesdropping. It had to do with Anna’s house, though, and Cora and Evelyn weren’t exactly being quiet about what they were saying.

  “Well that may be,” Cora said to Evelyn’s remark, “but she doesn’t have to be that rude about it, now does she?”

  “Oh, now how would you know that, you old coot?” Evelyn teased gently.

  “Well, I went to see her, now didn’t I?” Cora humphed. “Brought her a nice basket of muffins, too. She just slammed the door in my face.”

  “She did not!”

  Evelyn sounded horrified, and Darcy had to keep herself from giggling at the way the two women were carrying on about this bit of juicy gossip. She didn’t want to give herself away.

  “Oh yes she did!” Cora insisted. “I heard she did it to some other people in town, too.”

  “How terrible. I hope it was no one I know,” Evelyn said from behind her tea cup, making it perfectly plain that she actually hoped it was someone she knew.

  But Cora shook her head. “No. This woman is from out of town. I’m not sure where. Laura Lannis is her name.”

  “Lannis? Well, that’s certainly not a local name.” Evelyn sounded disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to spread gossip about anyone from town. “Who is her husband?”

  Cora frowned. “Well, that I don’t know. She’s living there by herself, at least for now. Oh, there’s a son. Someone told me his name is Max, I think.”

  “Older boy, is he? I have a niece who needs to settle down.”

  “No. Eight years old. Much too young for your niece,” Cora joked with a smile.

  “Oh, my dear,” Evelyn said with a wave of her hand, “where Kendra is concerned I’m not being choosy!”

  The two women laughed together and the conversation turned to the failed love life of Evelyn’s niece. Darcy wanted to sit down with them and ask more questions about this Laura Lannis who had moved into Anna’s house but she got the feeling Cora and Evelyn didn’t actually know anything else. The girl at the counter had her order ready then, anyway, all sealed up in a paper to-go bag with the Deli’s name on the front.

  “How strange,” Darcy thought to herself as she stepped out onto the sidewalk again. “Why would she be so rude to people just trying to welcome her to town?”

  She knew some people valued their privacy, but if this woman was going to make a home for her son here in Misty Hollow, she would need to meet the people here. Darcy found it very curious that anyone would come to a new town and not want to try to blend in and make new friends.

  She’d just have to wait and hear what Jon had found out.

  ***

  Back at the bookstore, Sue met her with an uncertain smile. “Are you sure you’re not mad at me?”

  Darcy had almost forgotten how upset Sue was over her news. “No, Sue, I’m certainly not mad at you. I’m happy for you that you’re going to have this opportunity. Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll have one of your books on these shelves.”

  Sue laughed at the thought of that and seemed to feel better, even more so after Darcy gave her a quick hug. “Why don’t you take your lunch break now, okay?” she told Sue. “When you come back you can give me all the details about when you’ll have to leave.”

  Sue nodded, grabbing her coat and promising not to be long as she swept out of the door, making the little bell ring.

  Darcy twisted the delicate antique ring on the finger of her right hand over and over. It was a habit she had whenever she was nervous or worried about something. As happy as she was for Sue, her leaving for more schooling had really brought the situation of her bookstore to the front of her mind. She actually owned the building, but the business license payment to the town was a monthly expense she was just making now.

  “Millie, what am I going to do?” she asked out loud. She knew her great aunt was here. She always was. She just didn’t always answer.

  From the office, Darcy heard a thump. She rolled her eyes. A book had fallen off the high shelf above the desk, by the sound of it. “You can’t just come out and tell me?” she asked with a hint of irritation.

  Marching to the office, she found one of the leather bound history books she had picked up at a rare bookstore fallen onto the desk. She and Jon had gotten those on one of their first trips together. She remembered wanting them for the histories they had of the local towns, including Misty Hollow.

  Sitting at the desk with the book now, she opened it to the section she had marked. “Misty Hollow,” it read, “Established 1853.” There was a rich history to this town, even if the modern day buildings and paved streets didn’t always show it.

  She turned through the pages, skimming through the paragraphs and glancing at the photographs of how life used to be. Horse drawn carriages, men holding double-handled saws to cut down trees, children in school using slate boards
and chalk to do their lessons. How different life was, she mused. Things change so quickly, and it’s hard sometimes to keep up with the changes…

  She sat bolt upright in the chair. That was it! That was the answer. It would be a big change for her little bookstore, but it felt like the right thing to do. She shook her head with a smile and looked around her at the empty room. “Thanks again, Millie,” she whispered.

  The bell over the door rang. Sue was back. “Darcy!” she called out. “I got a sandwich to go. I thought we could eat together, if you haven’t finished yours already.”

  Darcy had actually forgotten all about lunch. Excitedly she walked out of the office to meet Sue with a smile. “I have one last job for you to tackle for the store before I can let you go,” she said.

  ***

  That night on her walk home, Darcy couldn’t help but be in a good mood. She whistled as she went, watching the sun paint the clouds in different colors as it began sinking towards the horizon.

  Off Main Street she turned, following the path that led her home. Her good mood faltered a little as she passed by Anna Louis’ old house. Now it belonged to Laura Lannis, she supposed. Darcy stopped and stared at the windows with their lights burning brightly behind them. She thought she saw shadows move inside a couple of times.

  What was Laura’s story? Why had she moved to Misty Hollow? Where had she come from, for that matter, and why was she being so unfriendly? There were any number of questions that burned in Darcy’s mind. That was the kind of person she was, after all. It had always gotten her into trouble, but even the trouble she got into ended up making good things happen. Usually.

  A chill went up Darcy’s spine as she stood there looking at the house. She shivered, but she knew it wasn’t from the cold. She knew the difference. There was something wrong with this situation. Her instincts always let her know. Clenching her teeth she decided to go over to meet Laura Lannis tomorrow morning. She felt a responsibility to know what was going on in there, since it had belonged to her friend.

  She was sure Jon wouldn’t approve her decision, but he had become accustomed to her following her instincts, or her gut feelings as he called it. He was still a little nervous about the way she could sense things or talk to people who had passed over. Even though he’d seen her do it any number of times, she knew it still made him a little uncomfortable.

  She huddled into her coat to ward off the cold tendrils that still lingered like icy fingers down her back and started walking toward her own house again. Like it or not, this was something she was determined to do.

  In the fading sunlight, mist rose from the ground along the path, collecting at the foot of the trees she passed, making the coming night seem even colder.

  Chapter Three

  Darcy spooned out balls of cookie dough onto the greased pan. The oven was set and she figured she’d have at least three dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies from this one batch.

  Smudge curled around her legs, meowing up at her. “Sorry, my friend,” Darcy said to him. “Chocolate isn’t good for cats. Be a good boy and I’ll give you a little milk before bed.”

  Smudge made a snorting sound that Darcy understood perfectly well.

  She was just setting the timer on the first batch of cookies when Jon came home, whisking through the door with a smile and humming some song that she thought might be Bon Jovi. “Hey, beautiful,” he said when he saw her, sweeping her into a spin and dancing with her as he hummed some more.

  Darcy smiled and squealed as he twirled her around and held her from behind. He kissed her ear and it sent shivers down her back. “Something smells good,” he said.

  “Is it me, or the cookies?” Darcy asked.

  “Definitely you.” He hugged her once more and then let her go. “So who are the cookies for?”

  “I wanted to bring them over to Laura tomorrow. Kind of a welcome to the neighborhood gift.” She stirred the rest of the cookie batter with a wooden spoon. “I heard Cora and Evelyn talking in the Deli today, though. Seems other people have tried to welcome her to Misty Hollow and she’s actually shut the door in their faces.”

  Jon took his jacket off and set it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “You know, I heard that today, too. The desk sergeant actually took three or four calls from people saying how they had tried to talk to this Laura Lannis and she wouldn’t give them the time of day. Can you believe people in this town? They want us to go investigate her because she’s acting suspicious.”

  He reached around Darcy to pick up a teaspoon and then tried to steal some of the batter. She slapped his hand. “Don’t you dare. So. What did you find out about Laura, anyway?”

  He shrugged and made another stab for the dough. “There’s not much to learn, apparently. Laura Lannis, age thirty-nine, moved into Anna’s house with her eight year old son Alex while you and I were away at the cabin. Apparently the sale was made in cash, which I have to admit is a little strange, but not unheard of.” He shrugged. “No criminal record that I could find. She’s just another neighbor.”

  “Another neighbor, in Anna’s house,” she added.

  “I know, Darcy, but Anna wouldn’t want her house to be empty forever. Right?” He kissed her cheek and as she was smiling at his little gesture he moved swiftly past her to scoop out a spoonful of the raw batter and pop it into his mouth.

  “Hey!” she laughed. “You’re as bad as Smudge.”

  He smiled at her with the spoon in his mouth, humming and dancing around the kitchen again. Darcy rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, for Pete’s sake. I give up. Go upstairs and change, Detective Tinker. I’ll make you a snack if you promise not to eat any more of my cookie dough!”

  ***

  After Jon had left for work the next morning Darcy put all of the cookies into a yellow plastic container with a lid. Jon had offered to wait and drive her into town as well but she had told him she didn’t know how long she would be and there was no sense in the both of them being late. He’d kissed her, taking his time, and then wished her luck.

  The temperature had gone back down again overnight. Putting her winter jacket on over her heavy sweater and stepping into her insulated boots Darcy took the cookies with her and walked across the meadow between her house and Anna’s.

  She frowned. It was Laura’s house now. She guessed she’d have to get used to that. Right.

  The grass was covered with frost and crunched under her boots with each step. It wasn’t a long walk between houses. As she got closer to her new neighbors, she could see lights on in the windows and thought she could even hear a woman’s voice calling to someone.

  The other thing she noticed was the mist that trailed along the ground at her feet.

  Walking up the steps to the front door, she took a deep breath. Raising her hand she knocked three times, and then waited. The door was suddenly pulled wide open in front of her and a woman with long, jet black hair stood there in a purple robe, a scowl on her face.

  “You must be Laura,” Darcy said cheerfully, lifting the container of cookies up as if to explain why she was disturbing them. “Hi. I’m Darcy Sweet. I live in the next house over. I wanted to bring you something to welcome you to town.”

  “That’s very nice of you,” the woman said quickly, already shutting the door, “but this isn’t a good time. I’m sorry.”

  “Wait,” Darcy said, hoping to draw this woman out somehow. “At least take these. They’re homemade chocolate chip.”

  Just then, a child that must be Laura’s son Alex came up to Laura, attaching himself to her side and looking up at the container of cookies the way that every eight year old looks at chocolate. He had a pixie face and short, straight brown hair that went down just to the top of his ears. His pajamas had pictures of sharks all over them.

  Laura put a protective hand around her son and practically glared at Darcy. It was less intimidating than it should have been because of the way the woman slouched, hunching her shoulders. It was then that Darcy noticed how
much makeup Laura wore, far too much to be pretty. Her hair was unnaturally dark, too, and was probably dyed. Laura couldn’t help but wonder who the woman was trying to impress.

  “We have things to do,” Laura snapped. “Please leave. Alex, get inside.”

  “Mama?” Laura’s son asked, his eyes pleading. “I like chocolate chip.”

  Laura’s face softened as she looked down at him. When she turned back to Darcy there was less hostility in her voice, but just as much caution. “Thank you,” she said. She took the cookie container from her. “I’ll get it back to you. Now, please just go.”

  Without letting Darcy say another word, Laura shut the door. Darcy had just enough time to see a smile on Alex’s face before she did.

  “Well,” Darcy muttered as she went back down the steps, “that could have gone better.” Maybe Cora and Evelyn and the other people in town were right. Maybe Laura was just an unfriendly person. She’d have a hard time making it in Misty Hollow if this was the way she was going to treat everyone. At least she had accepted the cookies. Darcy supposed that was a start.

  ***

  Darcy made it to work just after Sue had opened the shop. When she came inside and took her jacket off, Sue was helping a mother pick out a book for her little daughter. “Something with fairies?” the mother asked hopefully. “Sophie won’t read anything else.”

  Sue nodded with a smile. “Those used to be some of my favorite books, too. Let’s see. I remember there was a series I used to love…”

  Darcy left them to it and went into the office instead. She was still upset over her encounter with Laura Lannis. There had to be some way to draw the woman out, didn’t there? She sighed and sat down at the desk. Maybe it was none of her concern whether Laura wanted to be part of the neighborhood. It bothered her, though, and she couldn’t decide why.