Deadly Greetings Part 3

The last thing I wanted on earth was to be one of my sister's projects. "You know, I don't have that much stuff after all. I'm sure I can handle it by myself."

"Nonsense. When are you moving?"

I've long known that my sister has been a thorough planner since kindergarten, so if I was going to dodge her a.s.sistance, I knew just what I had to do. The best way to throw her off was to accelerate the time frame right on the spot. "I'm going to move right after work tonight. It's probably going to run pretty late, so I understand completely if you want to pa.s.s on it."

I thought I had her, but it just proved I didn't know my sister as well as I thought I did. "Tonight would be perfect. We'll make a party out of it." Lillian had been hovering in the background, no doubt afraid I was going to rat her out again. Sara Lynn turned to her and said, "You're helping too, aren't you?"

"Sorry, I'd love to, but I can't. I'm busy."

If my aunt was seeing anyone, she'd failed to mention it to me. I didn't doubt it was a date with Ben & Jerry, but I wasn't about to push it. I said, "That's fine."

She frowned, then said, "Jennifer, I'll be there to help, you know that."

"Don't cancel your plans on my account."

"Please," she said. "You know that my family always comes first."

"If you're sure." Lillian might have had something going on, but then again, she might not have. Either way, I knew I could count on her.

I hadn't packed a thing yet, hadn't even planned to move until the weekend in fact, so I was going to have to hustle to get ready on the new schedule. I hadn't given notice yet at my old apartment, but it was the kind of place where it wasn't really required, since folks had a tendency to move out in the middle of the night there. After my sister left, it suddenly hit me. Whether I was ready for it or not, I was moving into a haunted apartment in Whispering Oak.

Moving a residence is a real wake-up call. I must have thrown out more than I packed, shedding the remnants of an old life along with the apartment. My cats were taking the changes with their normal reactions. Nash was perched on the TV, watching with disdain as Sara Lynn and I worked, while Oggie had to investigate every box as we packed it. I was going through a stack of old bills, letters and cards when something caught my attention. It was a Hallmark greeting card, something as rare in my place as snow in Miami, and I wondered who'd sent it. I opened it and saw that it was from Greg Langston during one of our "on again" periods. "My Dearest Jen," it said in his clear and firm hand. "Being with you is all I ever want. I love you more than I can say, Greg." Evidently he wrote it a little prematurely, but the sentiment had been sincere at the time. What happened to us, Greg? I thought. Any rational person would think that two broken engagements would be enough to close that door forever, but there was something about that man, something magical when we were together. Maybe that was why I was so abrupt with him all the time. I knew that if I gave him the slightest sign of encouragement, he'd wedge himself back into my heart, and I doubted I could take another breakup with him.

Lillian's voice brought me abruptly back to reality. "Child, why ever are you crying?"

"I'm not crying," I said as I wiped the tears off my cheeks.

"Okay," Lillian said in an even tone, "then what's so mesmerizing about that card? You've been staring at it for the last five minutes."

"It's nothing," I said as I resolutely chucked the card into the growing pile of discards from my life now littering my living room floor. That was best, getting rid of all those old reminders, so maybe they'd stop haunting me.

Five minutes later, I scrambled through the pile, retrieved the card and tucked it safely inside one of my books. Maybe that made me a sentimental slob, but it comforted me knowing that at one time in my life, for however long it lasted, somebody had loved me that much. Sara Lynn had packed up my kitchen while I'd been sorting through my personal items. There was no doubt in my mind she was better at that particular salvage operation than I would have been.

"My goodness, you travel light in this world, don't you?" Lillian said as she surveyed the stack of boxes by the door.

"I'm not a big fan of knickknacks," I said. "I've got everything I need." She was right, though. I had a habit of discarding things the moment they lost their usefulness to me. It was more out of necessity than philosophy, as my apartments tended to be on the tiny side. One large box held my favorite books, and it was going to kill me getting it down the stairs into Sara Lynn's car. Studying the pile of boxes, I thought it didn't look like much to have acc.u.mulated in a lifetime, but it was still going to be a pain to move it all. Bailey had taken his truck out of town with him, and I wasn't sure how we were going to get what we needed to move without making several trips.

"The next question is, how are we going to get this all downstairs?"

At that moment, Bradford walked into my apartment through the unlocked door. Instead of his uniform, he wore blue jeans and a flannel shirt I loved. He grinned at me and said, "You really should keep this dead bolted, you know."

"Why, when there's a cop right around every corner? What are you doing here?"

He smiled, a gentle reminder of Bradford as a boy. He'd had the best disposition of any kid on the block. No doubt he'd needed it, growing up with Sara Lynn and me. "I'm here to help you move. Cindy took the kids to her mother's house for dinner, but I told her I needed to help you."

I laughed. "Now I know you'd do anything to avoid Clara. Bradford, I don't have anything to feed you. Sara Lynn and I ate before we got started."

"Don't worry about me," Bradford said as he patted his stomach. "I grabbed a bite at The Lunch Box on the way over."

"And you didn't bring me anything? I can't believe Savannah let you out of there without at least a piece of pie for me."

Bradford wiped a phantom crumb off his chin. "That's right; I was supposed to give that to you, wasn't I? If it's any consolation, it was delicious."

Sara Lynn came out of the bedroom. "Glad you could finally make it. Did you bring your truck?"

"You'd better believe it. It would take forever to move with those d.i.n.ky cars you two have. Where should I get started?"

Sara Lynn instantly pointed to the box of books. "Why don't you take that one?"

Bradford started to pick the box up, and I could see the strain on his face.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Should I break that up into two or three boxes?"

"No, I'll manage it, but dinner with Clara is looking better by the second."

Sara Lynn said, "Pooh, you need a little more real exercise, Bradford; sitting at that desk is making you pudgy."

If Bradford had gained three pounds since he'd become sheriff, you couldn't prove it by me. He protested, "I work out at the gym three days a week."

"And you eat all seven," she said.

Bradford raised his eyes to the ceiling. "I've got a question for you. Did I really need two sisters?"

I laughed. "You love us both. Admit it."

He shrugged. "True, but my favorite changes by the minute." He grabbed the box and took it downstairs as Sara Lynn and I started stuffing my castoffs into trash bags. "Are you certain you wouldn't like to go through this again?" Sara Lynn asked.

"I'm sure. I've got everything I need." As I walked through the apartment one last time, I felt the emptiness, though there was still furniture and appliances there. It was suddenly generic, devoid of my touch and ready for its next occupant.

Sara Lynn said, "After we unpack, we should come back here and clean this place from top to bottom." Sara Lynn was a clean freak, whereas I put things off until I was forced to straighten up so I could clear a path to walk.

"We'll see how long it takes to set up my new place," I said.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Sara Lynn asked me.

"I'm probably up to fifth thoughts by now, but I'm moving anyway. Maybe we will come back tonight." Suddenly I wanted to put this address behind me once and for all. If Sara Lynn was still up for it, I was going to take her up on her offer.

Oggie and Nash were sitting quietly on the couch, side by side and as still as statues. "How about you two? Are you ready to see your new place?"

I swear it had to be coincidence, but Oggie shook his head, as if denying it.

I looked over at Sara Lynn, who had the most quizzical expression on her face. I asked her, "Did you just see that?"

She said, "When it comes to your cats, I'll believe just about anything."

I waited until the last possible second to put them into the cat carriers. Bradford's truck was loaded, and the kitchen items were in Sara Lynn's car. All I had to contend with was moving my roommates. I clucked softly to them as I put them in their carriers, and as we walked out, I spoke to them both, trying to ease some of their anxiety about moving. Okay, maybe I was the one with the anxiety, but it seemed to help all three of us.

A light glared from the front porch as we drove up. Was that a courtesy for me, or was it on a timer? I grabbed the carriers and told Bradford and Sara Lynn, "Give me a few minutes to get the cats settled, okay?"

Bradford said, "Fine by me. I never say no to a break."

Sara Lynn ignored his comment. "We'll be up in three minutes, Jennifer. After all, we don't have all night, and there's still a great deal of cleaning to do back at your old apartment if you have any hope of getting your security deposit back."

I refrained from reminding her that she'd volunteered for tonight's duty, and grabbed Oggie and Nash. I was at the top landing before I realized that I didn't have a key to the place. Had Lillian put it back under the mat? Yes, there it was. I opened the door and slid the key into my purse. The second I carried the cats inside, Oggie was eager to get out and explore. After I freed him, I opened Nash's carrier, but instead of leaping out like his roommate had, he stared at me as if I'd lost my mind.

"Not you, too. I'm getting enough of that from my siblings. Come on, you'll like it here. Trust me."

He sneezed twice, then stared disdainfully at me as I pulled him out. I swear, cats are crazier than people. Nash's expression probably reflected that exact sentiment in reverse, but I chose to ignore it. While Oggie explored, Nash leaped onto the top of an armoire, wedging himself in a place where he could see just about everything going on inside the apartment with barely a twitch of his neck.

"They repainted the place," Bradford said as he carried the first box upstairs. "It looks good."

Sara Lynn followed closely behind him with the remnants of my refrigerator. "Where do I put these? This apartment does have a kitchen, doesn't it?"

"Of course it does," I said as I pointed to the corner where a scaled-down stove, refrigerator and sink stood.

Sara Lynn snorted. "I can't imagine you actually cooking anything there more complicated than toast."

"Yeah, but I'm really good at that, if I say so myself."

Bradford looked at Sara Lynn and said, "Take it easy, Sis. The deed is done, so let's make the best of it."

No one said a word about the suicide, though I noticed that Sara Lynn detoured away from the bathroom whenever she was within a yard of it. Bradford, who had every reason in the world to avoid it, had no qualms about storing my towels and extra sheets in the closet inside it. It would have taken me hours to make the move myself, but with my brother and sister helping, we had all the boxes upstairs in hardly any time at all. Like I said, sometimes it was nice having family so close.

Bradford started to open one of the boxes. "Let's get this stuff put away. It's my turn to tuck the kids in tonight." My brother was a devoted father, one of the things I admired most about him.

"Leave them. I'll take care of unpacking later. You've already done the hard part."

"I don't mind hanging around. I've got a little time before I need to get home," he said.

"Nonsense, you've done more than enough. Sara Lynn and I aren't staying, either. We're going back to the old apartment in a few minutes." I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Bradford, and not just for the strong back."

I didn't have to tell him my added thanks were for not mentioning his thoughts on my apartment choice, given the circ.u.mstances. "Hey, you'll be fine." He leaned in closer and whispered, "I'd get that lock changed, though. Would you like me to call my guy? He can come by tonight if I ask him."

"I'm sure he would, but I'll be fine. I'll call him myself when I get the chance."

Bradford raised one eyebrow. "Jennifer, I'm serious. You don't have any idea how many copies of that key are floating around."

"Come on, I've got my two trained attack cats with me. What could happen?"

Sara Lynn said, "What are you two mumbling about?"

Bradford winked at me, then said, "The ears are the first to go. Next thing you know, we'll have to shout at her."

Sara Lynn swatted him smartly. "Just because you're the sheriff doesn't mean you're safe from me, little brother."

"Hey, if that's the way you're going to be, I'm getting out of here." Bradford hugged me, then tickled Sara Lynn until she laughed. It felt good being with them in my new place.

"We'll walk you out," I said. At the door, I saw that Nash was still at his post, while Oggie had wormed his way inside one of my boxes. At least it wasn't one holding food. I silently thanked Sara Lynn for putting all of that away. "See you soon. Try to stay out of trouble."

They both ignored me completely, so at least that was back to the status quo.

It took us until nearly midnight before Sara Lynn p.r.o.nounced my old apartment fit for its new tenant. I would have left at ten and taken the hit on the deposit just so I could take a long hot bath and go to bed, but my sister wouldn't hear of it. I knew I'd thank her when I got the check, but at the moment I was tired, dirty and in no mood for company. As we carried the last two bags to the Dumpster, she said, "Aren't you going to miss this place?"

"I'm not the sentimental type-you know that-at least not when it comes to apartments. Do you want to know the truth? I enjoy moving around every now and then. It keeps things fresh."

"Jennifer, if I had to move everything I own, I swear I'd be tempted to take a match to it all and start over with the insurance check."

My sister had to be at least as tired as I was to say something like that. "Shh, somebody might hear you."

"So? I wouldn't deny the sentiment."

"Sara Lynn, with your luck, there will be an electrical fire and Bradford will have to lock you up for arson."

She scoffed at the idea. "I'd like to see him try to put handcuffs on me."

"You know what? I'd pay for a front-row seat for that myself."

After we tossed the last bags, I knocked on the super's door. No surprise, he wasn't there, so I scrawled a note explaining my departure; then I stuffed it in an envelope with the keys and slipped it all into the super's mail slot. We walked back to our cars and I hugged my sister fiercely.

"Jennifer, I can't breathe."

"Sorry," I said as I eased off a notch. "Sara Lynn, you were a lifesaver tonight. I mean it; you were golden."

My sister is not one to suffer compliments well. "It wasn't that much trouble. After all, I didn't have anything else to do."

I kept hugging her as I said, "I'm not letting go until you say 'You're welcome.'"

She struggled briefly, but I was a lot stronger than she was, and besides, I had a better grip.

"You're welcome," she finally said, and I released her.

Sara Lynn looked up at me and said, "Are you going to be all right at your new place? I could stay with you a few days if you'd like."

"You're welcome to visit, but why don't you wait until I get everything put away first?" Before she could offer more help, I said, "If you help me get settled, I'll never be able to find anything. Good night, Sis."

It was a miracle, but she didn't fight me on it. Sara Lynn must have been every bit as exhausted as I was. "Good night, Jennifer."

I watched her drive away, then got into my car and headed to my new place. I didn't even look back at the old apartment. It had been just another place to stay, no better or worse than any of my other homes. As long as I had Oggie and Nash with me, I could stay just about anywhere. I wondered what my roommates were up to, and drove a little faster than I should have getting back. My cats, regardless of their brave fronts, needed time to get acclimated, and I knew the transition for them would be easier if I was right there with them. I parked, walked in and started up the stairs when I saw a stranger standing at my door with something in his hands. He had a scowl on his face, and I wondered what kind of trouble I'd gotten myself into this time.

HANDCRAFTED CARD TIP.