I agreed with the mayor’s decision. Greg needed to be a friend of the victim, not the cop investigating his friend’s death. Terrance Duskant had arrived on scene a few hours ago with Doc Ames and sent us all up to our rooms while the crime techs investigated the scene and they removed Levi’s body.
“You know that’s a bad idea. You are—I mean, were, too close. You need to let Terrance deal with the investigation. Anything you’d do would be suspect.” I sat on the edge of the bed, watching him pace back and forth. “Besides, you need to grieve.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just because you like to meddle in things that don’t concern you doesn’t mean I couldn’t be objective. I am trained in law enforcement, remember? Besides, sometimes doing something is better than just sitting.” I just stared up at him until he sank next to me on the bed. “I’m sorry. Levi was my first real friend in middle school. We rode our bikes everywhere. And when we stopped, Levi always had a story to tell about the rocks, or the area, or even the haunted house down the street.”
“You had a real haunted house?” Now I was intrigued. I’d never heard this story before. Maybe keeping him talking about their good days would keep his mind off Levi’s death.
Greg ran a piece of fabric from his shirt back and forth through his fingers. “Probably not. It was an old abandoned farmhouse. No one had lived in it for years. We told our folks we were staying at Butch’s house even though we knew they were out of town on a summer trip to the beach. Then we took our sleeping bags and sat in the living room and told ghost stories until we fell asleep.”
“Any ghosts show up to liven up the party?”
Greg grinned. “Not a one. And we even stole his sister’s Ouija board to call on the spirits. When Angelia found out we’d taken it, she was so pissed. She said we’d probably scared away all the spirits because we were just dumb boys.”
“Do his parents still live in Iowa?” I could see Greg growing up wild in a small town. No rules except everyone was watching and would report bad behavior back to parents, so kids stayed in line. “His sister?”
“His folks died a few years after Sherry and I broke up. One right after the other. Some sort of cancer, but I figured the one didn’t want to live in the world without the other. They were a super tight family. Their deaths hit Levi and Angelia hard.” He grabbed for his phone. “I should be the one to tell Angelia, not some stranger.”
I put a hand over the screen. “You know you can’t. Let Terrance do the hard part then you can call with support. I assume they’ll bury him in Iowa?”
Greg shrugged. “Not sure what plans he’d made, if any. Who plans for their death at thirty-seven? And Jessica. I don’t know if they will even consider her part of the family. What’s going to happen to her? They’ve been living together for years. Will she lose the house?”
The same questions had run through my head. Especially when they came to Greg and me. If something happened to him, at least I wouldn’t be left without a place to live. We hadn’t comingled any funds. But if there were medical decisions to be made, I wasn’t his next of kin. His brother was and that guy would do anything to keep me out of Greg’s life.
This is not about you, I reminded myself. We could have that conversation another day.
“I’m sure he protected her in case of his death. I mean, they just signed a prenup. Maybe that covered situations”—I paused, not wanting to say the words. I settled on a generic—“like this.”
“Could you do me a favor and reach out to Levi’s attorneys? I’d like to know if Jessica is taken care of. I mean, we can’t do much, but maybe we could run a fundraiser in town if she’s not.” He closed his eyes and lay back on the bed. “The number is in my notebook. Levi made me an appointment to go in and talk about my will. He said it was foolish not to plan ahead.”
“I’ll run downstairs and order us some room service for lunch and give him a call in the lobby. Are you going to try to sleep?” I ran a hand over his chest, hoping my touch would comfort him.
“I doubt if I’ll sleep or eat for a few days. I just feel numb.” Greg grabbed my hand and squeezed without opening his eyes. “Thanks for being here. With everything that’s going on, it helps knowing I can lean on you, on us.”
My heart warmed and my lips curved into a smile. “I’m glad I’m here too. No matter what, we’re a solid force against the storm.” Crap, now I was sounding like a greeting card. The one with the floating ship on a stormy sea on the outside. “I’ll be back soon. Try to sleep.”
The hallway was eerily quiet. I wondered where the other couples were. Terrance, the police chief from Bakerstown, had made it clear we were not to leave The Castle. At least not until he talked to each one of us. I felt like I was playing some part in an Agatha Christie movie. You know the ones where one guest after another dies, until they find the murderer was the butler who hated the world, especially if it came in the form of happy couples. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
When the elevator opened, the lobby was almost empty. I walked up to the check in desk where Brenda sat with another woman I didn’t recognize. Her eyes filled with sorrow as she watched me walk up. “Jill, how is Greg? What a stupid question, I bet he’s just stunned about this. I mean, I didn’t know the victim well, but he and Greg seemed to be close. They were always huddled up in some nook or cranny talking this weekend.”
“They were?” Where had I been during these talks? I wondered.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t come down here to gossip, what can I help you with?” Brenda turned on a small-business-owner smile. I’d worn it and seen it on the people who practiced customer service, even when they didn’t feel very welcoming.
“I’d like to order some food for Greg. Maybe a soup and sandwich? Nothing too much. I’m not sure he’s up to actually eating. And throw in a few Cokes. I don’t think he’s had anything to drink for hours.” I held my hand out for the menu Brenda had pulled out.
“We have a full kitchen on staff today and tomorrow for your group. Just tell me what you want and I’ll have it sent up.”
I ordered a bowl of clam chowder along with a chicken tortellini soup. I figured whatever Greg didn’t want, I’d eat. Then I ordered two sandwiches and to round out the tray, a cheesecake brownie and a stack of Sadie’s chocolate chip cookies. Then I added in iced tea and a carafe of coffee along with the sodas. There had to be something in the order he’d enjoy.
When that was done, I went and found one of those cubbies that Brenda must have been talking about. The small love seat was comfortable and I dialed the toll-free number on the piece of paper. When Jimmy Marcum answered, I almost squeaked. “You’re Levi’s attorney?”
A warm chuckle filled my ear. “You didn’t see that one coming did you? You probably thought it was some big shot in New York or something. What can I do for you Miss Gardner?”
“How did you know it was me?” The first time I’d met Jimmy was when he handled the paperwork for Miss Emily’s estate. Since I was the main heir, I worked closely with him during the probate process.
“Caller ID is a modern miracle, especially for someone in my line of business. You wouldn’t believe how many people call and hang up before they actually reach me. Tell me, what’s going on?”
I told him about Levi being found in the pool and about Greg wanting to know if Jessica was going to be taken care of in the will. “Anything you can say to ease his mind right now would be great. He’s ready to set up a South Cove fundraiser to keep Jessica from having to live on the streets.”
Jimmy sighed over the phone. “I’m not sure what I can tell you about Levi except for what you already know. Now that he’s passed, his business has a big say in what is actually going to be released to the public.”
“What about Jessica? Doesn’t she have any say so in Levi’s affairs?” To be truthful, I was