“Is Gram around?” Morgan asked.
“She just went upstairs.”
“Do you think you could come up when you’re done? For a minute?”
“Sure.”
She went through the café—three tables of tea drinkers—and managed to smile at the counter server before she went into the back and up the stairs.
Giving in, she sat on them a moment, between kitchen and offices, steadying herself. Get it done, she told herself, and rose.
She heard her grandmother’s voice before she stepped into the office. Olivia sat behind the desk, studying her computer screen as she talked on the phone.
“If you can deliver next week, we’ll take two of each for a total of six. Don’t screw with me on the tonal quality, Al. The sound’s as important as the craftmanship. I’m going to trust you. Tuesday works. We’ll see you then. Bye.”
She hung up the phone. “Wind chimes. Half a dozen. And we’ve got hummingbird feeders, garden stakes, birdhouses, and what-all coming in next week. That’s a sure sign of spring.”
She reached for her tea and took a good look at Morgan’s face. “What’s wrong? Something’s wrong.”
“I just—”
She broke off as Audrey rushed in. “What happened? What’s wrong? I could see it in your eyes.”
“Everybody sit down,” Olivia ordered. “Take a breath, Morgan, then say it.”
“He killed somebody else, a woman in Tennessee. Oh God. God. The FBI agents came to the house to tell me.”
“Audrey, get your girl some water.”
“I’m okay, I’m okay.” After she reached for her mother’s hand to stop her, Morgan continued. “My locket—your locket, Gram—he put it on her. He replaced the pictures inside with one of me and one of him. They said that was a mistake, but…”
She told them what they’d said about the murder, the sister, the neighbor.
“What twists someone into a monster?” Olivia murmured. “Are they born that way, or is it a choice? I suppose it can be either or both.”
Rising, Audrey poured a glass of water from the bottle always on hand, gave it to Morgan. “Sip slow. You’re not leaving, not moving somewhere else. I can see that thought in your head.”
“If it’s in there, it better get out. The Nash women are sticking together this time. And that’s the end of that.” With a slice of her hand, Olivia cut off the discussion.
“He killed Nina because she was there. What if—”
“What if, what if.” Now Olivia threw up her hands. “What if he gets run over by a truck tomorrow? Listen to me. You’re not leaving your mother and me to worry about you, leaving us in that house worrying if you’re all right. We stick together, and that bastard’s not going to split us up. Be done with that, Morgan.
“We start using that damned alarm system.”
“I set it before I left. They said to do that, so I did. And I’m supposed to get a panic button. I want both of you to get one, too.”
“Then we will.” Audrey reached over to rub Morgan’s arm. “We’ll talk to the police chief. We’ll talk to Jake.”
“They already did. And they said you should have one of these pictures of him, and their cards.”
After studying the photo Morgan gave her, Olivia nodded. “We’ll post one of these right in the shop, and another in the café, where people can see his murdering face.”
“Oh, Gram.”
“We’ll make copies, Audrey, and the other merchants, they’ll post them. Let him show his face around Westridge. Let him try. Nobody fucks with my granddaughter.”
“Mom!”
“I save that word for when it’s most useful and appropriate. I expect they told you to give this to the resort.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what else they told you, but so far, it sounds like sense. Here’s what I’m telling you. You’re going to turn in that rattletrap you’re driving and buy a new car. A new, safe, dependable car. I’m going to finance it.”
“Gram.”
“Don’t interrupt your grandmother,” Audrey told her.
“I’m going to charge you interest, and you’ll make monthly payments to me just like you would a finance company. We’ll do an amortization schedule. Your mother and I get peace of mind, and you keep your pride. Both matter.”
“I’ve been looking at used cars—”