BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

“Didn’t you stay at that house way back when?” Regan asked.

“Way back when?” Nora repeated with a chuckle. “Thanks, Regan. The answer is yes.”

“I didn’t mean it was that long ago,” Regan protested.

“Anyway,” Nora continued, “Edna is having a big garage sale today. She rented a plane to fly over the beach touting the sale and has a full-page ad in the local paper. Everything the actress Cleo Paradise left behind when she rented the house last month is up for grabs. Karen’s afraid everything from her childhood will be gone. She’s getting on a plane but won’t be in until tonight. She asked me to go over there and see what’s going on. I’d love for you to come with me.”

“I’ll check the train schedule,” Regan said as she walked back into her office. “Karen’s mother sounds like a character.”

“She is. I remember her well. With Edna Frawley you can always expect the unexpected.”

Like Scott, Regan thought, picturing in her mind the scene at the Chinese restaurant. His proposal to that girl certainly was unexpected. And now Hayley was intent on revenge.

Regan suddenly felt anxious. If Hayley crosses him, who knows what else “unexpected” he’s capable of?

2

Twenty-seven minutes earlier

I can’t believe my ears!” Karen Fulton wailed.

Edna Frawley held the phone at arm’s length, her daughter’s noisy hysteria a jarring contrast to the peaceful stillness of the morning air. My little baby sounds as if she’s right here by my side instead of three thousand miles away in California, Edna mused as she patted her coiffed strawberry blond hair. Seventy-eight-year-old Edna was ready for action. Fully made up, dressed in a jumpsuit she’d worn in the sixties, she was relaxing in her backyard gazebo, counting the minutes until the arrival of her garage sale guests. Hopefully a camera crew or two as well.

“It’s time, darling,” Edna said cheerily as she reached for her coffee. “When opportunity knocks, I answer.”

“But you answered the door to a total stranger!”

“The total stranger rang the bell at the gate. The total stranger wants to pay me a respectable sum for this house. At a time when no one is buying.”

“But you weren’t selling!”

“Which is even more perfect because I don’t have to pay a Realtor’s commission.”

“But that’s our shore house,” Karen protested. “It’s where I spent my summers since childhood. It’s where you retired … all those priceless memories.”

“You were always complaining we were in too ritzy a section. Not close enough to the boardwalk with the bumper cars, not close enough to—”

“I know, but I was a kid,” Karen interrupted. “We were lucky to have such a beautiful house like that, even though it’s not right on the beach.”