“Where are you staying?” Megan asked.
“Seaglass Inn,” Sully said. “She said it’s right on the beach.”
“It is. That’s a very cute place. You’re right on the ocean there.”
“Good.” Sully nodded at Val. “Bikini.”
“I know!” Val rolled her eyes. “I already told you I brought two.”
Megan winced. “You do know how cold the ocean is here, right?”
“Don’t care,” Sully muttered. “Promises were made. Promises will be kept.”
Megan hooked her arm with Val’s as they walked to her car. “Did you find him at a charm competition?”
Val snickered. “Yeah. He was working security at the door, and I never made it past him.”
Megan stood in the doorway with Sully as Val walked step by step through the greenhouse, carefully running her fingers over every surface she could find. She worked methodically, stopping occasionally to write in a small notebook before she continued.
Megan spoke quietly to Sully. “How often does she do this?”
“It depends,” he replied in a murmur. “People kind of know around the lake now. Especially after she and Robin and Monica helped during the fires. But people keep it quiet, you know? So it’s usually little things. A missing sentimental item or photograph. She helps out, but mostly people she knows. Robin is probably the most active of the three of them.”
“Being a medium?”
“It’s not something she can turn off or cover up like Val can with her gloves. She handles it pretty well, but I know Mark says there are times she has to hide in the house to escape it.”
“That’s rough. Makes me feel grateful that my stuff is so controllable. Well, now anyway.”
“You’re a telekinetic?”
“Yep. Good for big stuff, kind of useless for things like this. Toni’s the investigative genius in this neighborhood, but she’s super pregnant right now.”
“She’s the empath?”
“Yeah. Like a human lie detector. Once we have a suspect, she could make them spill their guts. But first…”
Sully nodded. “You gotta narrow it down a little.”
“Exactly.”
Val had worked her way around the greenhouse, focusing on the areas where the vines had been cared for, then the area near the door where the break-in had happened. By the time she finished, she’d taken quite a few notes.
“Okay.” She took a deep breath and slid her gloves on. “Where does a girl get a drink around here?”
Sully was watching her with wary eyes. “Headache?”
“Not too bad.” She slid her hand in his and squeezed. “I need some water though.”
“Come with me.” Megan waved them toward the main office and tasting room, which was still fairly casual. “I’ll get you some water, and then how about a bottle of chilled white and some snacks?”
Sully nodded. “Snacks are good. She needs a shot of protein in her system. Some cheese or lunch meat or anything like that will work. Sushi’s the best.”
“Really?” Megan had never even thought about that. “My ability doesn’t take anything out of me. I feel lucky now.”
“You should. Robin’s is the worst,” Sully said. “If she talks with a spirit for too long, she can be out of it for hours.”
Megan led Sully and Val toward the main office and into the conference room by Nico’s office. She poked her head in as they passed and waved at him. He was on the phone, but he gave her a nod.
“Nico will come in to say hi when he’s off the phone.” Megan situated Val in a padded office chair and handed her a bottle of water. “Do you want to wait to go over your notes until he gets here?”
“Unless you think there might be something that would be better for you to kind of preview,” Val said. “Any touchy subjects there?”
Megan thought about Nico’s reaction to hearing her question his family members. “On second thought, why don’t you just give me a rundown? Let me see if Toni is around first.” She got on her phone and texted Toni, who texted back immediately that she’d have Henry drive her up to the farm.
Within ten minutes, Val had better color in her face and Toni was waddling into the office.
“Wow!” Val said. “So you’re super preggo.”
“You did this twice?” Toni lowered herself into a chair.
“Yeah, but not with forty-year-old knees. I do not envy you.”
“Never again.” She looked at Sully. “You’re the boyfriend, right?”
Sully frowned. “Yeah.”
“You got your own kids?”
“No. Hers are enough for me.”
Toni pointed at him. “I like him. That’s a good answer.”
Sully cracked a smile. “So your husband is the winery guy?”
“I don’t have a husband, so you’re gonna need to specify.” She adjusted her legs and reached for the bottle of water Megan handed her. “My cousin grows the grapes. My significant other turns them into wine.”
Val nodded. “Kind of like Jesus.”
Toni blinked. “Well, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but he is a very nice person, so yes. Like Jesus. Just please don’t let my very Catholic mother hear you say that; she’d be horrified.”
“As long as you don’t tell my own very Catholic mother I said it, we’re good.”
Toni pointed at Sully. “We haven’t been officially introduced.”
“I’m not Jesus and I don’t grow grapes,” Sully said. “I’m the sheriff in Glimmer Lake. And I’m attached to this one here.” He patted Val’s knee. “The other one who has issues with marriage.”
Val glared at him. “Can we not do this here?”
Toni and Megan exchanged a glance.
“Oh yes,” Megan said. “Please do this here; I love the drama. Anything you want to tell us, Val?”
“I don’t know, Toni. Anything you and your baby daddy want to tell us?”
“Oh, it’s widely known that I’m skittish about walking down the aisle. My mother has given up.” Toni was nearly laughing. “I’m all ears about you though.”
Within minutes, the mood in the room had shifted from serious to ridiculous, and Megan realized just how tense she’d let herself get. She needed this. Needed to tease her friends and laugh a little. She drew in a deep breath and let it out again.
As she did, the table in front of them shuddered.
Everyone froze.
Toni looked at her. “Was that you?”
Megan cocked her head and looked at the table. “I think I’ve been a little tense.”
“Really?” Toni said. “I never would have guessed. If you’re looking for suggestions on how to relax, may I offer—”
“Okay, I’m off my call.” Nico picked that exact moment to poke his head in the conference room. “No one told me there was a party.”
Toni still had her hand out, so she just pointed at her cousin. “I’m just saying, he’s right there.”
Megan looked at Nico, then back to Toni. “That doesn’t feel weird to you? Just… offering your cousin? For that?”