Holding the door open, I groaned. “Seriously? You spend a night in jail and that’s all you got?”
Aunt Jackie strode past me. “I didn’t spend a night in jail. You need to get your facts straight. I’ve only been in the big house for”—she looked down to check her watch—“five hours. It would have been less if they would have let Mary bail me out.”
I herded her toward my car. “Why were you arrested anyway? What about your girls’ night out with Mary?”
We’d reached Mary and Amy by then, and Mary flew out of the car to hug my aunt. “I was so worried. I can’t believe you did all of this for me. You’re an amazing friend.”
“Wait, what did she do for you?” My Spidey sense was tickling.
Aunt Jackie shrugged and handed Amy her keys. “I’ll tell you on the way home. I seriously need a shower and a change of clothes after sitting on that awful cot for so long. And a bathroom. Did you know they have metal toilets in your cell? With absolutely no privacy? No way was I going to give the guards a peep show.” She stopped Mary. “Do you still have the notebook?”
Mary nodded and took a brown leather-covered notebook out of her purse and handed it to Aunt Jackie.
“This is going to fix everything, you’ll see.” Aunt Jackie hugged Mary and sent her off with Amy in the direction of her car.
When we got into the Jeep, I turned down the stereo. “You want to tell me what’s going on now?”
“Of course. We had to get evidence that Mary was swindled, and it’s all right here. That travel agency takes money up front, then refuses to book the trips without additional funds. More than a trip to the moon would cost.” She tapped the book. “The proof’s all right here.”
“Wait, you broke into a travel agency and stole their records?” I glanced in horror at the book in my aunt’s hands. The verification that could land her in jail for her breaking-and-entering charge. “Throw that out the window.”
“Now, Jill, don’t be silly. They aren’t going to charge me with B&E, because if they do, I’m going to prove they are crooks. This book”—she held it up for emphasis—“proves that they were scamming a lot more people than just poor Mary.”
“Why didn’t she use their regular agent? I don’t understand why she went with someone like this.” I kept my eyes on the narrow highway, wanting to stop at the beach and run some negative energy off, but I drove past the parking entrance and toward South Cove.
“Mary was trying to surprise Bill for their anniversary. Nice sentiment, but poor execution. She really does have a good heart.” Aunt Jackie turned and stared out the window. “Your uncle Ted gave me a cruise for our tenth anniversary, then one for every five years after. He called it our marital checkup time.”
“You still miss him.” I hadn’t really known Uncle Ted. He worked a lot of hours and wasn’t home the times I visited.
“Every day.” Aunt Jackie patted my leg. “Thanks for coming to save me. I suspect your boyfriend is a little miffed at me.”
“You and me both today.” I turned the Jeep onto Main Street and drove past my house. I’d turned a light on before I left, and the house glowed a friendly welcome. “He wants to talk to you before you head back to the apartment.”
“I figured. You don’t have to wait, my dear. I’ll have Amy leave my car at the station and I can drive it back to the apartment. Thanks for covering for me today.”
I should have walked her inside, but a part of me felt relief when she refused my company. “This is one conversation I need to have alone with our local detective.”
Waving to Amy, I drove back to the house, parked my Jeep, and unlocked my door. Emma was outside the back door, waiting for me. I let her in and went to the sink to get a glass of water.
My aunt had put herself in danger to help a friend. Was my playing investigator making her reckless, as well? Was I being reckless? I sat and stared at my list of suspects for Kent’s murder. I crossed off Evelyn Baker. After talking to her that morning, I knew she couldn’t hurt a fly. Maybe I should leave this investigation to Greg. He was a detective, after all.
I finished the water, locked up the house, and took a book upstairs with me to read myself to sleep. But sleep came late, long after I’d turned off the lamp near my bed.
The next morning, sunshine streamed into my bedroom window, waking me and letting me know I’d slept way too long. I needed to talk to Aunt Jackie. I needed to call Greg and let him know I wouldn’t be doing anything stupid ever again. I’d been on the other side of finding out someone you loved was taking risks with their life. I needed to go cold turkey from now on.