Her mother grabbed Daisy’s hand. “You are a beautiful woman. You are strong, and you are a wonderful mother. I’ve watched you with Vi and Jazzi, and I know that in my soul. I’m proud that you and your aunt Iris started a business, and are making a success of it. Yes, I’ve always been jealous of your aunt Iris and her relationship with you. I probably still am. I’ll work on it.”
Daisy looked into her mom’s eyes and said honestly, “Your telling me about this will make things better between us. I know it will. Thank you for having the courage to talk to me about it.”
Her mother flipped her hand into the air. “It wasn’t courage, it was desperation. I was tired of hiding the secret, and I want to be close to you. I always have. Most of the time, I just didn’t know how. So I want to ask you something.”
Daisy held her breath, not knowing what was coming.
“Do you think you can confide in me?”
“I can try.”
Her mother nodded. “Let’s have that tea. Do you have any whiskey to spike it with?”
“Mom,” Daisy said with a laugh. “I think I do. I’ll go get it.”
There was suddenly a knock on the door. Jazzi called, “Mom, can I interrupt?”
Daisy quickly went to the door and opened it. “We’re coming out.”
“I have something so exciting to tell you.” Jazzi practically danced into the room. “You too, Gram. Listen to this. I got a phone call from Colton.”
“Colton?” Daisy asked, surprised. “Is something wrong with Portia or the kids?”
“No. He told me he’s been thinking a lot since my visit. He was sorry about how things happened at the mall.”
“Do you think Portia urged him to say that?” Rose asked.
“I don’t think so. Maybe I’m just hoping for the impossible, but he actually said that he’d been mistaken when he thought I could be pushed away or put into the past. On Thanksgiving Day, Portia seemed sad that I wasn’t there, and their kids even suggested that I should be there too because it was a family day. He made me want to cry, Mom.”
Daisy took a deep breath and waited for further explanation.
Jazzi went on. “He said he didn’t know it and Portia didn’t know it, but I’ve always held part of Portia’s heart. It took him a while to realize that I was what Portia needed to feel whole.”
Without hesitation, Daisy wrapped her arms around Jazzi and squeezed her tight. They stood that way for a few moments, and then Daisy remembered her mother was in the room. When she glanced at her, Rose had tears in her eyes.
“Did he say when he wants you to visit again?” Rose asked.
“Yes. He said he knows Christmas means a lot for me here, and what with Vi’s baby and all it will be a special Christmas for us. But he and Portia would like me to come up the week after Christmas and have a second Christmas with them. Isn’t that terrific, Mom?”
“That is terrific.”
Rose stood and crossed to Jazzi too. “I don’t think he would have said all that if Portia had put him up to it. With your visit and the holiday, he finally realized you’re a special girl, Jazzi, and they would be lucky to have you as a member of their family.”
Daisy couldn’t remember when she and her mother and Jazzi had stood in a circle like this, feeling strong bonds. This is what she wanted for her family. This is what she wanted Jonas to be part of someday too.
Chapter Twenty-one
On Saturday morning, Daisy had one thing on her mind. Maybe she was just trying to distract herself from Jonas’s situation weighing on her. Maybe figuring out who murdered Margaret would calm the anxiety she’d been feeling for a while now. She was certain of one thing. If she figured out who the other heirs to Conrad Eldridge’s estate were, she would possibly have the best clue as to who had murdered Margaret. Maybe it wouldn’t pan out at all, but she was going to give it a try as soon as she had a free moment.
A free moment came in the late afternoon. In her office at the tea garden, she went online. She had a few hit-and-misses because she wasn’t cueing in the right words. Instead of records of the deceased in New York State and other similar search phrases, she latched onto the word that mattered—probate. From there, it wasn’t difficult to find the Web site where she could access New York’s probate records.
Public records were public records. After fishing around in the Web site, she found Conrad Eldridge’s will. Most of his money had endowed various charities. However, she found the name of a second heir who’d been left less than Margaret. Examining everything she knew, and each clue that she’d found, she believed she knew who the killer was. Still she wasn’t positive and she needed to talk to Rowan.
Picking up the landline receiver in her office, she called Rowan’s house. She’d try there first.
Tamlyn answered with her usual greeting. “This is the Vaughn home. Tamlyn speaking.”
“Tamlyn, hi. This is Daisy. Can you tell me if Rowan’s there?”
“He’s not,” Tamlyn answered easily. “But I can tell you where he is. He went to the theater to make sure everything was ready for the evening performance.”
“I’ll try to catch up with him there,” Daisy responded. “Thank you.”
But Tamlyn wasn’t ready to hang up. “I saw Mr. Vaughn packing a couple of bags,” Tamlyn said. “I really think my time here is going to be over. Do you need another server at the tea garden?”
“I do. But I probably can’t match what you’re making now.”
“I’ve saved money from working here,” Tamlyn said. “And I need something to get me through until I decide whether I’m staying in Willow Creek or
