“I don’t know,” mumbled Charlotte watching Todd take a massive helping of chicken salad from a glass bowl. He caught her watching and winked at her.
At a funeral? Ugh.
Gemma hovered nearby, handing Todd a napkin once he’d filled his plate. She wasn’t hiding her crush like Lyndsey was. But then, as Lyndsey stood talking to an older gentleman, Charlotte spotted her use a moment of laughter to cast a furtive glance in Todd’s direction.
Hm. Charlotte wasn’t sure if the look was purposeful or happenstance.
Lyndsey was an unmarried woman living alone on a farm. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility she’d fallen for the strapping, horn-dog of a farmhand. People wrote steamy books about relationships like that all the time.
“I feel bad I didn’t cook, but I just couldn’t find the energy,” said Mina at Charlotte’s elbow.
Charlotte looked down at her. She’d almost forgotten they’d been talking, so enthralled she’d been with the romantic suspense unfolding by the chicken salad.
“Does Lyndsey have a boyfriend?” she asked.
Mina scanned the room until she locked on Lyndsey. “She was recently dumped by a boat salesman if I’m keeping them straight in my head. Flashy with his cash and a roving eye from what I remember. She has a tendency to make poor choices when it comes to men. Sets herself up to fail. I tell her these things but she never listens to me.”
So maybe Todd’s story is true. He’d certainly be a poor choice.
Mina sighed and turned to Gemma, still slavering at Todd’s elbow. “None of them listen to me. But all three of them were good girls. Are good girls. It hasn’t been easy for any of them.”
“I know the twins are Mr. Miller’s nieces, but how did Lyndsey come to be here exactly?”
Mina smiled. “That’s my fault. A woman who worked for Kimber went to jail. I heard through the grapevine her five year-old daughter was on her way to state custody and I insisted we take her in.” Mina chuckled to herself. “I wouldn’t let it go. Kimber finally went along with it to shut me up.”
“So it wasn’t his idea.”
Mina laughed. “Oh no, no. He never wanted kids. But he wanted me to be happy. And—”
“And?”
“Oh, it seems like a horrible thing to say, especially today, but I think he thought if I had a kid to keep me busy it would keep me here with him. Keep me from dating and wandering off to create a family of my own.”
“So it wasn’t his idea to adopt any of the girls?”
“No. The nieces…I mean what can you do when your brother and his wife are killed. You can’t just throw their girls to the wolves.”
“And he had you to watch over them, too.”
Mina nodded.
Charlotte’s attention drew back to the bright yellow circles of whipped yolk calling to her from the deviled eggs and reminded herself about the relish.
Ruined.
She scrutinized the crowd, but found things unfolding the way anyone would imagine. The landscapers had clumped in one corner to talk in Spanish. Payne sat in a large stuffed chair tapping away at her phone. Gemma talked to Todd. And Lyndsey—
“Who’s that man with Lyndsey? I don’t recognize him from the service.”
Mina took a bite of a tuna fish sandwich, trimmed of its crust. “That’s Kimber’s lawyer. I don’t think he was at the service. He’s here to read the will.”
Charlotte had been thinking about leaving, but changed her mind.
“Do you mind if I stay for the reading?”
Mina shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Charlotte decided to make chit-chat with the rest of the people in the room. The yard crew had little to share. Only one of them spoke English, the oldest of the three, and the only one who brought his wife. He assured her they’d all been as shocked and saddened to hear of Miller’s death as anyone.
Charlotte moved on to retrieve her glass of wine from the side table. Mina had left that spot and wandered over to talk to the lawyer with Lyndsey. Out of people to interview, Charlotte checked her watch, wondering when they’d read the will. The same disappointment she’d felt in the church washed over her. If she were the P.I. in a movie, she’d lean against the wall until some shifty-eyed character did something to catch her attention. But all she saw was people eating chicken salad and pretending to like relish in deviled eggs. No one was laughing too hard or too little. No one sneaked off at an inappropriate time. Other than Todd and one of the landscapers locking themselves in a battle to see who could polish off the room temperature shrimp cocktail, there was very little excitement. No one even drank too much, with the exception of Payne who sneaked several glasses of white wine when Mina wasn’t watching. She looked less sulky than usual.
When the food had been thoroughly picked over, the smattering of guests left Mina, Lyndsey, the twins, the lawyer and Charlotte in the great room. The lawyer whispered something to Mina and she nodded.
“Everyone, take a seat. This is William Josef, Kimber’s lawyer. He’s going to read Kimber’s will and he’s asked that we all be here.”
Charlotte tucked herself against the wall hoping no one would notice her and object to her being there. No one seemed to care. They only had eyes for the lawyer, no doubt hoping he was about to say their name next to a number ending in a lot of zeros.
The lawyer took his place at the front of the room and pulled a blue-covered, folded collection of papers from his breast pocket.
He cleared his throat. “I, Kimber Miller, being
