I wore my rust-colored jacket and Althea spotted it immediately. “You. You’re the customer who came in the other day while I was at lunch, aren’t you?”
I modeled the jacket. “I am. I was down there on business and took a chance on stopping by. I’m sorry I missed you, but I did manage to snag a few fabulous items.” I pulled my hair back and flicked my new earrings.
“And you bought the earrings, too. Aren’t those great? Margot told me she sold the jacket to someone who knew me and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out who it was.” Althea studied me for another moment before nodding in approval. “That color was created for you.”
“I think so, too.” I spun around. “I really love it. And your shop is so adorable. I could’ve spent another hour in there.”
“You should both come down sometime to shop. We’ll do lunch on the pier.”
“I’d love that,” Jane said. “I’m terribly jealous of Shannon’s new jacket.”
We ordered lunch: a salad for Jane, an omelet for Althea, and a burger and french fries for me. “I’ll split the fries with you both,” I said.
“You’d better,” Althea said, laughing as we handed our menus to the waitress.
“Your salesclerk was so charming,” I said. “And she had lots of great things to say about you. And need I mention, she is one heck of a saleswoman.”
Althea laughed. “Don’t I know it? I have no idea what I would do without Margot. I feel so lucky to have her working there.”
“That’s how I feel about my chef,” Jane said. “It’s so important to work with good people.”
Our lunches arrived and the conversation never stopped. It was as if we’d known Althea forever. She grew up in Southern California but moved north to open a vintage clothing shop after visiting Blue Point just once. She had a feeling in her bones that it would be the right move. She gushed about her shop, explaining that she’d always had a love of fine fabrics and clothing from when she was a little girl and played dress-up with her mother’s high heels and slinky dresses. She admitted she loved life in general.
“I think that’s why Jesse and I hit it off so well. We both enjoyed doing so many different things. Boating and yoga and traveling and golf. We had plans to travel and . . . well . . .” She tried to swallow but had a difficult time as tears gathered in her eyes.
Jane reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I know. It’s hard.”
Althea blotted her tears with a small white handkerchief. “Jesse always said he wanted us to be friends, Jane. I would love that, and I know it would make him happy, too.”
I discreetly lifted my napkin to dab my own tears. If this wasn’t real, then Althea deserved the Best Actress of the Year award.
Althea turned and patted my hand. “And you, too, Shannon. I know you were close to Jesse and I’d love to get to know you better, too.”
“I’d like that,” I said, sniffling delicately. “And not just because I intend to keep shopping in your store.”
We all laughed and Althea called for the check, insisting on buying us lunch. I left the restaurant feeling much more inclined to be friends with Althea than when we’d come in.
*
That night, I was getting into bed when I caught another dim flash of light over at Jesse’s place. I was surprised that the intruder was back because Jane had changed the locks and the guy knew it. Plus, the police had been driving by on a regular basis lately. That was obviously Eric’s doing, and I was happy he’d thought of it. But none of those precautions had scared off the crook, apparently.
This time I wasn’t going to let whoever it was get away. I put on my sweats and sneakers and grabbed my heaviest flashlight. Robbie must’ve been getting used to my late-night sojourns because he barely stirred in his bed. He just lifted his head, gave me a “You’re crazy, lady” look, and went back to sleep. Tiger ignored me as well. Downstairs, I called the police to report the breakin and then left the house as quietly as I could. When I reached the gate, I saw Mac jogging down the garage stairs.
“You saw the light?” he whispered.
“Yes, and this time I intend to nab him.”
“Did you call the cops?”
“Yes. But I’m sick of someone breaking into Jesse’s house. Jane even changed the locks. How did they get inside?”
“Pure determination,” Mac said. “Or else they stole the new keys somehow. Come on.”
We tiptoed silently down my driveway and snuck up Jesse’s front walk before Mac spoke again. “How about if you wait by the front door and I go around to the back?”
I hated the idea of splitting up, for all the reasons I’d come up with before, but we’d lost the guy several times when he ran out the back way, so I agreed.
After a ten-minute wait on the front porch, I didn’t see another flash of light or hear any sounds, so I jogged around to the back door to find Mac. “Did anyone come out?”
“No.”
“I can’t believe we came up empty again.”
“Does Jesse have a secret side entrance somewhere?”