Chapter 38
B
ernice and Jamie spent the next two hours at Publix, purchasing extras. Their list was lengthy. Batteries, candles, and water topped the list. From there, Bernice wiped out the store's entire supply of canned tuna, soup, and Spam. There was no bread at home, but she and Jamie planned to make a quick stop at The Sweetest Things on their way home. They'd take all the goodies, batten down the hatches there as much as they could, then head back to the house, where Wade and Robert had promised to help them unload the car, so Jamie could return to the airport to pick up Toots and the others.
By the time Toots was due to arrive, the forecasters had predicted that Charleston would begin to feel the effects of the outer bands. They'd been tuned to the Weather Channel. When they saw that Jim Cantore was stationed at Patriots Point in Charleston Harbor, aboard the USS
Yorktown,
they knew they were in trouble. The ship had survived hurricanes in the past, so odds were it would survive this one. Or at least they hoped it would.
Jamie made fast work of grabbing all the baked goods at the bakery, thankful that Lucy, her assistant, had baked a few loaves of bread for her own personal use. Lucy had left some behind, and now Jamie was glad that she had, because the shelves at Publix were wiped out. Too late to board up the front windows, Jamie could only hope that whatever happened, the insurance would take care of their losses. She raced back to the Range Rover, where Bernice waited with the side door opened.
“Dang, Jamie, what all did you bring? That looks like enough baked goods to feed a small country,” Bernice said as she helped to arrange the items in the backseat.
“No point in leaving it behind. Remember, we don't know how long we'll be without access to food. I know that Toots has generators, but we can't eat power,” Jamie teased. “But we can eat in the dark if we have to.” She made fast work of packing the SUV, then climbed again into the passenger seat. By the time they dropped off all the food, she would have just enough time to get to the airport. Toots had called right before leaving LAX, assuring her it was safe to fly, and since they were on a private aircraft, they wouldn't be going through security, where they could be delayed for who knew how long.
Jamie maneuvered the Range Rover down South Battery, took a left on East Battery, passing the old pastel-colored homes known as Rainbow Row. Most of the homes were over a hundred years old; they'd stood guard over Charleston Harbor since before the Civil War, or the War of Northern Aggression, as the locals liked to call it. Jamie wondered what kind of defense the old homes would put up against hurricane-force winds and the surging water. The area had survived in the past, and she could only hope the old places were still up for the battle.
Thirty minutes later, Wade and Robert helped Bernice put away the groceries.
“I'll be back in no time,” Jamie said. “Just stay inside, and if the cell phone rings, make sure to answer it.”
Though she knew the three aging adults were quite capable of taking care of themselves, and the house, it felt good to be useful and needed. Since Toots had found her failing bakery and taken her in, her life had been as close to perfect as she'd ever dreamed. She liked the feeling of being part of one big happy family. Being an only child raised by her grandmother, Jamie thanked heaven above every day that there were good people like Toots and the godmothers. They were all her fairy godmothers, and she told them this as often as she could without sounding too mushy.
Jamie arrived at South Aviation Avenue, parking the Range Rover at Landmark Aviation, where Toots's private plane was due to arrive any minute. Inside, it looked like a modern office instead of an airport terminal. Floor-to-ceiling windows faced the runway. Television sets were tuned to the Weather Channel. Several pilots were seated in the semicircle of plush leather chairs, glued to the television.
Jamie walked over to the reception desk and spoke to a young woman dressed in a navy skirt with a matching jacket. Her blond hair was pulled up tightly in a bun, and Jamie thought she looked very professional.
“Excuse me. I'm here to pick up Ms. Loudenberry. Is there somewhere I can check their arrival time?” Jamie asked. She had never been to a private airport and didn't know what the protocol was for incoming flights.
The young woman smiled and said, “Hang on, and I'll check FlightAware. They track all IFR flights.” She ran her fingers across the keyboard. “It says here they're less than ten minutes from landing. From the looks of it, they don't have a lot of time to spare, as the winds are gusting twenty to thirty knots already.”
“Thanks,” Jamie said to the young woman.
“Have a seat over there. We have complimentary coffee and soda if you'd like. I can get you something while you wait.”
No wonder Toots preferred flying privately. The treatment at this aviation center was first class. “No thanks,” Jamie said, then walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, where she stood next to a handsome pilot, who smiled when he saw her straining to peer at the jet that had just touched down on the runway.
“Are you here to pick up a friend?” he inquired as he scoped her out.
Blushing at his admiring glance, Jamie said, “Yes, I'm here to pick up my business partner and friend. She's been in Los Angeles, and I need to help her prepare for the hurricane. Her house is a historic landmark, so we decided she'd be better off here.” She couldn't believe she offered up so much personal information to a complete stranger, but she liked the looks of him as much as he seemed to like hers.
“Would it be too forward of me if I asked for your phone number? I work for Flexjet, and Charleston is my home base. I spend a lot of my time flying millionaires around the world, and I seldom get the chance to talk to a beautiful woman.”
Jamie was intrigued, but not enough to give a total stranger her phone number. “I'll tell you what, the next time you're in town, go to The Sweetest Things Bakery, and ask for Jamie. I'm the owner. I'll serve you one of the best pralines in the South, on the house.”
He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. “If you change your mind, I'm Mike. I'm here until Saturday. Then it's off to Switzerland.”
Jamie took the card, totally blown away. Never in a million years had she thought she'd meet a man, let alone a really good-looking man, when she headed out to the airport. But, you never knew. She smiled at Mike. “I'll keep your card.”
He watched the plane taxi up to the window. “Well, Jamie, it appears as though your business partner has arrived. It was nice.” With that, he turned and walked down a long hall that led to a pilots' lounge, according to the sign. Jamie was giddy.
Toots, Sophie, Goebel, Mavis, and Ida walked down the small set of stairs that unfolded onto a red carpet that had been placed there by a member of the staff. Again, Jamie was impressed. Toots stopped, spoke a few words to the pilot and copilot, then handed them what appeared to be a wad of cash. Knowing Toots, her tip was more than their weekly pay.
The automatic doors opened. Toots was the first inside. Jamie hurried to greet her.
“I'm glad you're back.” She gave her a quick hug. “I have to talk to you about something. It's sort of private.”
“Then follow me to the restroom,” Toots said.
Jamie handed the keys to Goebel. “I'm parked right in front of the exit. If you want, you can load up while we're in the ladies' room.”
Sophie waved to Jamie, then stepped outside to smoke. Ida and Mavis followed Goebel out to the car. They could talk on the ride home. Jamie didn't want to embarrass Toots in front of her friends, just in case the news she was about to tell her ticked her off, or whatever.
In the ladies' room, Toots quickly took care of things, then said to Jamie, “Is Bernice okay?”
“Yes, she's fine. I didn't mean to scare you, but while you were gone, we learned that the Patterson place had been sold. I don't know why the sign was still up before you left. Anyway, the new owners moved in the day after you left.”
“Don't tell me this has something to do with Bernice's near-death experience?” Toots said.
“No, not that. But it's a long story. The short version is this. The new owners are two single men, one about Bernice's age, and I'm guessing that the other . . . By the way, did I mention they were brothers? Anyway, the other is about your age. Wade came over the afternoon they arrived, to use the phone. Their power was off. Anyway, Bernice told them she owned the house, and I was her granddaughter, and you were her sister. In case they're still there when we arrive, I just thought I should give you a heads-up.”
Toots had expected anything but this, but the idea of Bernice playing lady of the manor presented numerous possibilities, and Toots was going to play it to the max.
“Thanks for telling me. I won't blow her cover, but just between the two of us, I plan to use this against her. In a good way. Now, let's go home, so I can meet my sister Bernice's new neighbors.”
Chapter 39
T
oots entered her house, with her entourage following closely at her heels. Since they had no luggage to carry in, she went to the kitchen, where she knew most of the action would be taking place.
If
you could call putting groceries away action. As soon as Toots spied Bernice instructing an older man who had to be Robert where to place a bag of canned goods and on which shelf, she went straight for the jugular, letting her know right off there was nothing to worry about.
“Hey, sis, how is it going? I came as quickly as I could, knowing you would need as many hands as possible to prepare
your
house. So, tell me, who is this fine-looking man?” Toots smiled and winked at Bernice.
In a shaky voice, Bernice said, “This is Robert, and his brother, Wade, is . . . somewhere around here. They bought the Patterson house.”
“Hello, Robert. I'm Toots, Bernice's younger sister. Did Bernice tell you about her near-death experience? She was allowed to live in order to make sure nothing sinister happens over there. You two aren't serial killers or wanted by the police or anything, are you?” Toots asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “Girls,” Toots called out as loud as she could, “come in the kitchen. There is someone Bernice wants you to meet.” Again, Toots winked at Bernice.
Robert had resumed stacking cans of tuna in the pantry. Wade had yet to make an appearance.
Before anyone else could catch her, Bernice quickly gave Toots the finger. Toots returned fire with both hands.
“How is Abby?” Bernice asked, apparently dying to change the subject.
This changed the tone of their conversation to a much more serious note. “Considering what she went through, she's doing remarkably well. She was going back to the paper today. I think she might take a leave of absence and come to Charleston for a visit. Would you mind if she stayed here for a while? I promise she won't be any trouble.” Toots couldn't help herself.
Sophie chose that moment to make her grand entrance. “Did you just ask Bernice if Abby could stay here?” Her tone puzzled, she went on, “Because if you did, then I know Bernice has fallen into an extreme case of dementia since we left two days ago.” Sophie saw the older man in the pantry. “Who's that?” Sophie blurted, always a picture of decorum.
Bernice looked like she wanted to strangle Sophie. “This is Robert.”
The older man stepped out of the pantry and held his hand out to Sophie. “Pleased to meet you,” he said, then went back to stacking his cans.
“WTF is going on here, Toots?”
“Bernice has invited the new neighbors over to help prepare
her
house for the hurricane, and being her little sister, well, I came home as soon as she called,” Toots said and winked at Sophie, who caught on immediately.
Toots spoke to Bernice, her tone serious. “Shouldn't we close the shutters now? I hear this hurricane is a monster. I would have thought closing the shutters would be one of the first things you'd want us to do. Goebel is here, so he can check my, I mean
your,
generator in the basement. Unless Robert has done that already.”
The words were no sooner out of Toots's mouth when a man came upstairs from the basement. “All seems to be in order,” he said as he wiped his hands on a rag. “You must be Bernice's sister. I'm Wade Powell. That old guy in there is my older brother, in case you haven't met.”
“We've met, thanks. Bernice didn't tell me you were so handsome, but then again, my big sister always was one for keeping the cute guys for herself.”
Toots glanced across the room. Bernice's face was the color of the red cabinets in the kitchen. Mavis appeared out of nowhere, and when she saw Wade, she stood as still as a statue. God, things were happening too fast for Toots, and normally she was one for change.
“Mavis, this is Wade. He and his brother, Robert, who is obsessed with canned goods, bought the house next door.”
Wade wiped his hand on his slacks, then held it out to Mavis. “I don't believe I've seen such beauty since . . . ever.”
Mavis took his hand in her own, gazing into his eyes like a lovesick teenager.
And the shit just kept right on coming, Toots thought as she observed the two. Odd, though. They all seemed to be pairing off with new men. Maybe this was the reason Bernice had been given a second chance, Toots thought, if you believed in her near-death experience. Maybe it was in the cards that Bernice wasn't going to leave this world without one last roll in the hay, one last chance with a real man. The image brought a huge grin to her face.
Sophie and Bernice watched the couple, too. They didn't say anything for a few more seconds; then Mavis yanked her hand away as though she'd just touched fire.
“It's . . . uh, a pleasure to meet you, Wade. I dress dead people.”
“Mavis! Holy shit, you're gonna scare the guy off before he has a chance to ask you to his place!” Sophie said, giggling.
“Isn't that a coincidence? I owned a chain of funeral parlors before I retired,” Wade said, his eyes all aglitter.
“Have you heard of Good Mourning?” Mavis asked, excitement causing her cheeks to color.
“Yes, I have. I think it's a wonderful line of clothing. I always said it was such a waste to buy something to wear that a dead person would never see, anyway. Why not buy something you can wear again and again? Whoever thought of this is a true genius.”
Mavis's face was so red, Toots feared she was about to suffer a stroke.
“You've really heard of it?” Mavis asked again, apparently needing confirmation.
“Sure. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I'm the person who came up with that idea. And also, I'veâ”
“You're the lady who designed those half clothes for dressing the dead, too, aren't you?”
“Yes, yes, that, too,” Mavis replied.
“I think I've just died and gone to heaven,” Wade Powell said.
Sophie being Sophie offered her two cents' worth, even though it was unasked. “Mr. Powell, you will find we all share many unique talents. Right, Toots?”
Wondering how in the hell she'd get out of this mess of lies, Toots replied, “Yes, and after we know you a little bit better, we'll share those talents with you. Until then, we all need to do what needs to be done before this hurricane hits. Then, when we're finished with our preparations, we're going to have one of the best hurricane parties to ever hit Charleston,” Toots announced. She thought about calling Phil but decided to wait.
At least for an hour.