“Yeah, like two minutes after we got our cones,” Carrie said. “And he totally looked around, like he was checking to see if we were still there. He didn't see us. And he didn't have any groceries.”
“So then you waited to see where he went?”
They both nodded.
“And where was that?”
“To Mr. Ellington's office,” Carrie said. “We had to drive slow and be tricky so he wouldn't see us.”
“Davis Ellington?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Mary said.
“Why would he go there?” I asked. I glanced at Jake but he looked like wasn't following or wasn't listening. Or both.
“I dunno,” Mary said. “We saw him go in there and then we waited and then we got bored so we came back here. We figured he was just gonna be mad if he saw us there, waiting on him.”
“We didn't want him saying any of those bad words to us,” Carrie said.
I leaned back in my chair, my brain working overtime. I immediately wondered if Harvey was mad about the joint account he'd set up with Delilah or if he was upset over another account. And I was curious why he wanted to go right to Davis Ellington after visiting the bank. What did one have to do with the other?
“I'm burning,” Mary said. “I need more sunscreen.”
“Me, too,” Carrie said. “I'll spray you first.”
“You're the best,” Mary said.
I watched the weird twins swim away toward the other end of the pool.
“Just stop,” Jake said, as they ducked under the rope into the shallow end.
“Stop what?”
“Thinking,” he said. “Or hypothesizing. Or whatever it is you're doing in your head right now.”
“I didn't think you were paying attention.”
“I wasn't,” he said. “But their words just ate away at my brain, anyway. Like zombies.”
I ignored his wisecrack. “Why would he have been so mad?”
“Daisy.”
“And why would he have gone to Davis Ellington's?”
“Daisy.”
“Aren't you the least bit curious?”
“No.”
“Liar. You have to be.”
“It's not for us to fix,” he said. “Or solve.”
“But she needs help. Delilah, I mean.”
“Not from us.” He was adamant.
“Then from who?”
He sighed and folded his arms across his chest.
“I think we should go talk to Ellington,” I said.
“We don't even know him.”
“Um...well, that's not entirely true.”
“What?”
I looked away from him. “I might've met him.”
“Met him? How?”
“Remember when I went to the store? And I was gone too long?”
“I knew I was right. I knew it.”
“I might've gone to his office and told him we were looking to buy property,” I said, ignoring his need to remind me he'd been correct at guessing I'd gone somewhere besides the store. “Which, in theory, could be true.”
“Daisy,” he said, his voice taking that tone it usually did when he was very, very irritated. “You need to explain. Right now.”
I sighed and told him about my excursion into town and our conversation.
When I finished, he was shaking his head. I'd seen that before.
“Daisy,” he said. “Daisy.”
“What? I was just trying to...help.”
“I think your definition of help is a lot different than the one most people use.”
“Probably. I'm very helpful,” I said. I stood up. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To help.”
“Daisy.”
I tried to lighten the mood. “That's my name, don't wear it out,” I said, smiling at him. “And you can either come with me or stay here. It's up to you.”
“Daisy...”
“You're wearing it out.”
He mumbled something, a dark frown on his face, but he pushed himself out of the chair and stood.
Which was his way of conceding I'd won.
Yay for winning!
THIRTY TWO
“It's nice to see you again, Ms. Savage,” Davis Ellington said from behind his desk. “And I see you brought your husband along this time.”
We'd walked back to the cabin, with Jake trying to talk me out of doing anything other than packing as we walked. I smiled at him the entire time, walked into the cabin, grabbed the car keys to the rental and sat patiently in the driver's seat, waiting for him to get in.
He finally did and we'd driven to Ellington's office in silence.
“Yes,” I said. “This is my husband, Jake.”
Ellington stood and they shook hands. Ellington patted him on the back, congratulating him on all of his kids. Jake forced a smile onto his lips but he shot me a look.
Ellington gestured at the chairs in front of his desk as he sat back down. “Have a seat, have a seat.”
I had a momentary pang of guilt when it dawned on me that he thought we were there to discuss real estate.
“So,” he said, looked expectantly at each of us before settling his gaze on Jake. “Have you all been taking a look around the area? Find something you like?”
Jake turned to me so that I could answer. He leaned back in his chair, a small smile on his lips as he waited for me to talk my way through everything. I'm sure he took some small pleasure in watching me squirm a little.
“Well, not exactly,” I said.
“No?” Ellington said, eyebrows raised. He cleared his throat. “Well, that's okay because I've had several things come on the market in just the past day or two. I think several might interest you, based on what we discussed previously.”
He wasn't going to make it easy.
“Actually, we're here for a different reason,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “I have a question for you.”
He looked again expectantly at Jake, like he might somehow clue him in as to why we were there, but Jake just kept forcing the same smile. “A question?”
“Yes,” I said. “About why Harvey might've come here a few days ago. Before he died.”
His smile faded, but more out of confusion than anything else. “I'm not sure I follow.”
Jake gave me a look that said, “You're on your own.”
I shifted in my chair. “I understand that Harvey came to see you a few days ago. And that he wasn't very happy when he got here.”
He blinked several times, then frowned. “That's correct. But why are you asking me?”
I had to think for a moment. I didn't want to lie, but I didn't feel like it was my place to blurt out everything that was going on with Windy Vista. That was for Delilah to share with people if she wanted.
“I've just been trying to figure out what happened to Harvey,” I said. “Since I was the one that found him, I feel like I have some sort of responsibility to him. And I know that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but sometimes I don't make a whole lot of sense.” I smiled at him. “So I'm just trying to get a picture of what was going on with him before...whatever happened to him, happened to him. If that makes sense.”
Ellington nodded slowly. “Ah, well, yes, I suppose it makes some sense. Harvey was...frustrated.”
I didn't say anything. In my short time as an amateur sleuth, I'd found that if I shut my big mouth once in awhile, people would feel the need to keep talking. Something about finding the silence awkward.
Ellington cleared his throat again and I wondered if he was a closet smoker. “I'd been trying to help Harvey. With some investing. And he was upset that the investments weren't coming along as he'd hoped.”
“Were the investments for him?” I asked.
Ellington pursed his lips. “Yes and no. It was his money, but he was willing to give it to Windy Vista. He was hoping that enough money would be generated in order to help bail out the resort.” He smiled weakly at me. “You saw me the other day with Delilah and probably, unfortunately, heard some of our conversation, too. She was upset and I understand why. But you're obviously aware now of the campground's financial struggles.”