“Apology accepted,” Hope said. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, I don’t have time for that. There are things to do. It’s Christmastime, you know. And, just to be clear, I’m not sorry for what I said. I want you clear of Clive. You’re the kind that can turn his head. He believes anything a pretty woman tells him. I knew that when I married him, but I thought he would grow out of it. That doesn’t mean anything, except for you to steer clear of him. I’m just apologizing for yelling at you in front of everyone. Clear?”
“Clear,” Hope replied. “And, rest assured, I did not and will not approach your husband. I have absolutely no desire for a relationship. I don’t expect that to change any time soon.”
“Good. But I’ve heard that before. Clive has a way of getting to the pretty ones. God knows, I have no idea what they see in him. But he’s mine and I don’t intend to share.”
“Enough said,” Hope told her.
They stared at each other for a few more uncomfortable seconds before Carol turned and headed for the door. Hope was not sorry to see her go. She had rarely encountered such a disagreeable woman. Closing the door behind Carol, Hope thought Wanda Basset should have foregone the request for a personal apology. She should have known that the apology wouldn’t be sincere. That was too much to ask of Carol.
“That was weird,” Cori said.
Hope turned to find Cori munching on a raw carrot.
“Listening in on other people’s conversations?” Hope asked with a grin.
“I couldn’t help it. She was loud. I was here to help you, in case she hit you or something.”
“Mrs. Thomas is not in the hitting business, as far as I know,” Hope said. “But thank you anyway, for the backup.”
“Just doing my job. But who sent the elf, then?”
Hope thought a moment. “I don’t think it was Mrs. Thomas, do you?”
Cori shook her head. “She doesn’t sound like the elf-giving type.”
“Then, maybe it was Clive. But why he apologized is beyond me. He isn’t the one who caused a scene.”
“I can keep it, right?”
Hope nodded. “But you can’t say a word about it to anyone. Got that?”
“Lips are sealed.” Cori gestured locking her lips with a key.
“No pics on Facebook either,” Hope said. “No tweets, nothing on the Internet. All I need is for Carol Thomas to learn that her husband sent me a gift.”
“That is odd. Why would he do that?” Cori questioned.
“Maybe because he heard about his wife and me. Maybe he wanted to make amends?”
“Makes sense.” With that, Cori disappeared.
Hope ambled to the kitchen to check on dinner. Why had Clive sent her the elf? It must have been a peace offering, something to keep Hope from filing a charge with the police. She wasn’t sure what law Carol had broken, but there had to be one.
The people of Castle Park didn’t know Hope well enough. They might suppose she would cause trouble. Maybe Clive was trying to head off a day in court. It wasn’t a bad strategy. The elf was in keeping with the season. Hope had no desire to push the incident beyond what it was. Now, all she had to do was forget about it.
After dinner, Hope left Cori to watch some TV, as there was no homework to do. Cori had her tablet computer with her, and Hope noticed that she was surfing the Internet for “deals” in Myrtle Beach. That was a good sign.
Hope ended up in the attic office, doing final edits to her grade book. She needed to re-read the notes she had written. They had to set the right tone, or else, they would prove useless. She expected a visit from Max, and she wasn’t disappointed.
“That woman was most disagreeable,” Max said.
Hope turned and noted her live-in ghost. “She was indeed. I suppose she has her reasons. Clive Thomas must be a terrible flirt.”
“As was his forebearer. As I’ve said, it’s in the blood. I couldn’t help but hear about your plans for Myrtle Beach. I suppose the place has grown some since my day.”
“A great deal. We’ll only be gone for a few days.”
“Then, I shall be vigilant. My…your house will not suffer.”
“I’m sure you’ll protect it like it was your own.” Hope smiled.
Max laughed, a good laugh. “Some days, I think I should forsake it all together. Yet, as I have invested all these years, I wish to have some sort of return. I know that fools spend their lives in pursuit of what they cannot have, but I still believe I will discover the truth one day.”
Hope had had the same conversation with the ghost before. “As long as you remember that there is no guarantee.”
“I am well aware of that, but I have great faith in your sleuthing talents. If you cannot name the killer, then I may have to abandon the quest.”
“Max—”
He held up one hand. “I was never one to deny the truth of events. When you’re in the shipping business, you must accept what the sea gives you. So, I will accept the outcome of your investigations. That seems only fair.”
“Don’t decide anything until we’ve exhausted all paths to the truth.”
“Oh, I shan’t. Good luck with your work. Good night, Mrs. Herring.”
“Good night, Max.”
For a moment, Hope wondered how Max managed to turn every conversation back to his own desire for closure. She supposed that after all the time he spent searching, closure was much needed. Just as she needed to find the reason for her husband’s death, that one-car crash on a perfectly fine day.
She glanced at Doug’s laptop and knew she had neglected it. Guilt nagged at her. After Christmas, when she had more time, she was going to work on the encrypted files. That task was something for Myrtle Beach, a place where Max wasn’t hovering, making her feel guilty for not working on his murder.
Before bed, Hope went to Cori’s room. The porcelain elf was prominently displayed on the night table next to the bed.
“Have you named him?” Hope pointed to the elf.
“Not yet,” Cori answered. “I don’t know a lot of elf names.”
“You don’t have to give him an elf name. You can call him ‘Spot,’ if you want to.”
Cori giggled. “That would not be a proper name for an elf. I was thinking of something a bit more royal.”
“Royal? He looks like a Santa’s helper to me,” Hope said.
“He does, but he might be the head elf.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in Santa Claus.”
“I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe in the spirit of Santa Claus.”
Hope laughed. “Using someone’s own words against them is clever, but it will get you into trouble.”
“Not with you, Mom. You have a sense of humor.”
“Thank you. Did you plan out our trip?”
“Still hunting, but I should have a plan by tomorrow. I didn’t know Myrtle Beach had so many hotels. A lot of them are on the beach. It’ll be fun.”
“It will be. Good night, hon.”
In her bedroom, Hope wondered about the elf. Had she been right to give it to Cori? Should they even keep it? If Carol Thomas knew… Hope didn’t finish that thought. If Carol knew, there would be a continuation of the first horrible scene. Clive had probably given gifts to more than a few women, and every gift must have stung Carol like a hornet.