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TWENTY-FIVE

It was the last day of the festival and I was busy helping my sister set up for the banquet in the church that was to take place that evening. It would be a final goodbye, as it was the last dinner for the attendees.

“Is it terrible that I’m ecstatic it’s almost over?” Lizzie said. “I’m exhausted.”

“You’ve been going ninety miles an hour for ten days straight, I think it’s okay for you to need a break.”

She laughed. “I may close the store for a few days so Caro and I can catch up on our rest.”

“That’s not such a bad idea.” I’d been worried that she was throwing herself a bit too much into the festival to keep her mind off the past. It had been a little over a year since her fiancé and his daughter had been killed, and she was still mourning.

“Were you able to give Kieran everything you found yesterday about the chef and the mayor?” she asked. “I really hope it isn’t one of them. We’ve been eating Chef Patrick’s food all week. Makes me feel queasy to think he would have used poison.”

“Or hired someone to use it.”

She stopped putting the small pots of flowers in the middle of the tablecloth. “Who do you mean?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, the professor maybe. Who else would know about those kinds of poisons or how to use them? Maybe it’s been Finneas all along.”

She shivered. “I just wish Kieran would hurry and find whoever it is. My nerves can’t take much more.”

A door slammed, and I realized someone had been listening to us.

Lizzie’s eyes went wide. “What if it was one of them?”

Darn. I should have been more careful .

I took off toward the door to the kitchen and she followed.

“Maybe, you should call Kieran first.”

“I’m just going to peek and see if anyone is in here.”

She stood right behind me as the door squeaked open.

“So much for not announcing our arrival.”

Two men from the catering company were counting the glassware.

“Did you see anyone come through? We heard a door shut.”

They glanced at me like I was crazy. “We’re the only ones here right now. Are the tables ready to be set? The boss wanted them done early so we could focus on food prep.”

Lizzie cleared her throat. “Yes.”

“And was your boss in here just now?”

“Can’t see how that’s any business of yours, but no,” one of the guys said. He wore a white T-shirt and black and white chef pants. He didn’t seem to like us being in his kitchen. “It’s just us.”

I let go of a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. And I sensed Lizzie relaxing behind me.

“Sorry we bothered you,” Lizzie said as she pulled me back.

“The church is huge,” I said. “We were in the middle of the banquet room and the sound could have come from anywhere. It was probably someone who works here.”

“I’m sure you’re right. Still, I’d feel better if you had a chance to talk to Kieran.”

“I will.” In truth, I’d been waiting for him to come back from Dublin. He’d gone there to rush the postmortem reports. We—well, he—needed all the information he could get.

He’d hoped the Dublin lab would rush it since he’d lose one of his suspects once the festival was over as Chef Patrick spent most of his time at his restaurant in the city. I was anxious to share what I’d learned in my deep dive into the three men, but I wanted to do so in person.

After we finished setting up, I headed home, and Lizzie went back to the store for some signings. I’d tried to get out of going to the banquet, as I was all peopled out, but Lizzie had begged me to announce the speaker for the evening. It was impossible for me to say no to her.

I gathered all the information I had on the suspects and put them in a file. Were the three men working together? Or was one of them knocking off witnesses to his crime? Those were questions I couldn’t yet answer. But even though Kieran would need more evidence, my gut seldom lied in these situations. It was one of those men.

Well, I’d sort of ruled out the professor since real tire tracks had been found near the cliff, but he still might have been unknowingly protecting the killer.

Feeling anxious, I couldn’t just sit down and work. I texted Kieran to ask when he’d be back and to let him know I had information. He sent a message that he’d be home later in the evening. He was still waiting for two sets of reports.

I couldn’t quite settle, so I went to the store to see how things were going. They’d just finished the last signing of the day, and the crowd had thinned in the store.

Caro and my sister were behind the counter checking out the last of the customers.

“Is everything okay?” Lizzie asked.

I nodded. “I thought Mr. Poe might like a stroll.”

At the mention of his name, he sat up in his bed behind the counter, and then cocked his head. He stared at my sister and then his leash, which was on a brass hook above his bed.

We laughed.

“I think that’s a yes,” she said. Then her eyes narrowed. “It really is just a walk, right?”

“Yes. I’m just restless and thought I’d see if he wanted to join me.”

“Okay,” she said hesitantly. “Just be careful.”

I smiled. “Always.”

She snorted.

A few minutes later, Mr. Poe and I were headed down the hill toward the sea. He loved to chase the waves, and I enjoyed watching him do it. We were just passing the pub when Mr. Poe stopped and growled.

I turned quickly to see who was around us, but there were only a few people, and I didn’t recognize any of them. A shiver slithered down my spine.

“Come on, boy, waves are waiting for you.”

He let out a small bark, but then headed toward the beach.

“Don’t freak me out like that,” I said. “There’s a killer running around town.”

The rain had stopped but the wind coming off the water was still chilly. We had the beach to ourselves, so I took off his lead and let him run after the water. He was so funny as he chased the water as it receded, but was quick enough to avoid the waves when they came in. He made quite the game of it and I couldn’t stop laughing.

After the stress of the last week, it felt good to relax. My shoulders dropped, and I took a deep breath of the salty air.

By the time we made it back up the hill, Lizzie had closed the shop. So, we headed home.

The water was running upstairs, so I assumed she was in the shower. After making sure Mr. Poe had food and water, I headed to my room to change. I wore a navy suit with a white silk blouse underneath, and my black boots. It was cocktail attire, so I added the diamond stud earrings my mom had given me, and a tennis bracelet I’d bought at Tiffany when I sold my second book.

While the gifts weren’t always so fancy, I tried to reward myself every time I finished a novel.

I met my sister at the front door, and Mr. Poe sat blocking it.

“I believe we’re headed to a pup-free zone,” I said to him.

He yipped.

“He’s been anxious off and on all day,” she said. “If we take you, you have to sit under the table and be a very good boy.”

He yipped again.

I shook my head. “You spoil him.”

“He’s not spoiled—he’s our protector. This is his way of keeping us safe. If he thinks his presence is necessary, we should listen. Besides, no one will even know he’s there. Also, I’ve been waiting for a chance for him to wear his new bow tie.”

“Well, I guess the worst that could happen is the committee sends us home, which I wouldn’t mind at all.”

She laughed. “You really aren’t a people person.”

“You know me so well.”

“Since it is Lolly who heads the committee and her Bernard will most likely be sitting on the floor beside her, I think it will be fine.”

She had a point. Our neighbor Lolly had narcolepsy and her Irish Wolfhound went everywhere with her. If she fell asleep, he’d protect her until she woke up.

Bernard and Mr. Poe had become unlikely friends. They looked like Mutt and Jeff when they were together. Bernard was the size of a small pony and Mr. Poe weighed ten pounds, though you’d never know it from his attitude.

When we arrived at the banquet hall in the church, there were only a few committee members there. Our neighbors, Rob, Scott, Brenna and Lolly were among them, as was Bernard.

He and Mr. Poe sniffed one another and wagged their tails at each other. No one said a word about us bringing our dog to the banquet. This was definitely not New York.

“You did a fantastic job,” Lolly said. “Everything looks so lovely. We showed up early thinking that there would be work to be done, but the staff said you’d been here earlier and had taken care of everything.”

“I know how tired everyone is,” Lizzie said. “Mercy and I decided to make this a fun night for you all, and a lot less work.”

I had no idea that had been her plan, but I nodded.

“Well, it was kind of you,” Rob interjected. “Hello, young man,” he said to Mr. Poe. He and Scott knelt to pet our pup. They’d all fallen in love with him. It was impossible not to.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Lizzie said. “He was anxious when we tried to leave the house, so I brought him along.”

“Not to worry,” Lolly said. “He’s your emotional support animal and is always welcome.”

She wasn’t wrong. Even though that wasn’t an official title, Mr. Poe was a great comfort to my sister. She’d had far fewer panic attacks since he’d arrived in our lives.

The doors opened to the waiting crowd outside, and we made our way to the front table. Mr. Poe sat by Lizzie’s chair as our neighbors gathered to sit down. I was grateful to my sister for putting me at a table where I already knew everyone, and I didn’t have to be “on” all night for strangers.

I noticed she’d done that more than once during the festival.

She hadn’t been wrong when she mentioned I was all peopled out.

Lolly went to the podium. “I want to thank all of you for making this event so wonderful. It has been one of our more successful festivals, and as I said the other night, we’ve raised a record amount for our literacy charity.”

Everyone clapped.

“Before we introduce our final speaker, dinner will be served. We hope you enjoy this evening, and again, I give you my sincerest thanks for helping us exceed our financial goals for the charity.”

As she left the stage, the waitstaff came out with the food.

About forty-five minutes later, my sister nudged me with her elbow. It was time for me to give my introduction. I pulled up my Notes app on my phone and then made my way to the stage.

“We are so lucky to have tonight’s speaker join us for our festival,” I said. “Her books on recovering from trauma have helped so many, myself included.”

I glanced up to find Finneas and the mayor arguing in the corner of the banquet hall. Then the mayor headed through the side door into the kitchen. The professor quickly followed.

What is all that about ?

I cleared my throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Doctor LePerla.”

Everyone stood and gave her a standing ovation. I totally understood. She really had helped give Lizzie and me perspective after our tragic losses. All through the books she had written.

But as much as I wanted to listen to what she had to say, I was pulled toward that kitchen door by instinct.

When I pushed it open, my heart jumped into my throat.

I should have gone back to my table .