Lara stepped back slightly and watched him. Dressed in a navy jacket over beige chinos, he wore a nervous expression as he moved farther into the room. All at once, his face froze.
He was looking directly at Deanna.
Wiping his hands on his jacket, he edged through the guests toward the actress. Something about his demeanor made Lara uncomfortable. Not that he looked dangerous or anything. More like jittery or anxious.
Deanna stood in front of the middle table, her hands clasped at her waist. She chatted amiably with an elderly woman and her much younger companion, a man with a brush cut and a freakishly wide smile. Behind the table, Joy Renfield fussed with the teapots. As guests strolled up to her, she poured cups of steaming tea into china mugs.
The newcomer approached Deanna, but before he reached her Evelyn bustled over and touched the elbow of his jacket. “Sir, I’m afraid this is a private event. Are you here with one of the members?”
The man’s face turned a mottled red. “Members? Uh, no—sorry, I’m not, but I was told it was okay for me to be here. I just wanted to say hi to Deen…um, Deanna.”
“As does the rest of the world,” Evelyn said, her smile pleasant but firm. “I’m sorry, but this event is sponsored by the Ladies’ Association, and it’s by invitation only. You need to—”
“It’s all right, Evelyn. I know this person.” Deanna’s voice was silky soft. “How are you, Don? It’s been a long time.”
Evelyn’s mouth opened. “I see. Well, then, I apologize. Please help yourself to refreshments,” she told the man and then hurried off to chat up another guest.
The man’s eyes filled with tears, and he shook his head. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
“It’s been a long time,” Deanna repeated, her smile cautious.
At that point, Lara felt like an eavesdropper. Whatever was going on between the two, the man’s tone made it clear that it was intensely private. She moved closer to Joy. “May I sample one of the teas?” she asked.
Joy nodded and lifted a teapot adorned with tiny yellow daisies. She poured some into a china mug and handed it to Lara. “This one’s blueberry with a hint of lemon.”
Lara sipped carefully from the steaming mug. The tea was the perfect temperature—not too hot, not too cold. The fruity flavor lingered on her tongue. “Wow, Joy, this is delicious. Just right for a summer day.”
Joy’s eyes lit up, then flickered sideways. “Thank you. In my experience, not many people appreciate specialty teas.”
“There’s nothing more to say, Don,” Lara heard Deanna say in a rising voice. “I think it’s best if you leave.”
“But—”
“Please, Don. You need to go. We’ll talk about this another time, okay? I promise.” Deanna’s voice sounded shaky, sending a wave of unease through Lara.
By then the man had attracted some attention. Evelyn, never far from the actress, had apparently heard Deanna’s plea. She stormed over and hooked one pudgy hand around the interloper’s elbow. “I’ll see you out through the back,” she said, her tone making it clear it would be pointless to argue.
The man’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Red-faced, he allowed Evelyn to escort him out through a rear exit, but not before attempting to press a business card into Deanna’s hand. It fluttered to the floor, landing under the center table.
Murmurs rose through the room like the buzz of a beehive. “Who was that? Is he famous?” Lara heard someone say.
Joy, teapot in hand, exchanged concerned frowns with Lara. She set down the pot, then bent and retrieved the business card. She stared at it for a moment, then came around the side of the table and gave it to Deanna. “Miss Daltry, are you all right? You look a little pale.” She rubbed her beringed hand over the actress’s arm in a soothing gesture. “How about some nice blueberry-lemon tea?”
Trembling, Deanna clutched the business card tightly in her fingers. “Thank you. That would be lovely...Joy, is it?”
Joy beamed. “Yes, that’s right. Would you like your tea sweetened with a touch of local honey?”
“Thank you, that sounds heavenly,” Deanna said. “But first you’ll need to excuse me for a moment, okay?” She touched Joy’s hand lightly, then turned to Lara. “Lara, may I trouble you for a favor?”
“Of course you can,” Lara said.
She followed Deanna through a rear doorway. When they reached a back room that served as the historical society’s small kitchen, Deanna made a beeline for one of the wooden cupboards above the chipped porcelain sink. “Evelyn said my purse would be safe here, but with all these people milling about I’d feel better if it were locked in my car. Would you mind taking it out to my car for me?” She reached up and opened the cupboard door. An elegant lavender clutch sat on a top shelf. Deanna reached for it but her fingertips couldn’t quite grab onto it.
“Let me help,” Lara said. “I’m a few inches taller.”
She retrieved the purse and gave it to Deanna. Deanna opened the latch. She pulled out her keychain, a dainty square of burnished brass engraved with a lavender rose. In the next instant she cried out sharply. The purse flew from her hands. Two fat earthworms tumbled out and plopped, wriggling, onto the floor.
Lara grabbed a paper towel from the holder on the counter. She scooped up the squirming creatures, opened the back door, and hurried out into the parking lot. She found a grassy area adjacent to the blacktop and dumped out the worms. A mild shiver skimmed down her arms. Normally worms didn’t bother Lara—she knew they were beneficial to the environment.
But someone had intended to frighten Deanna.
She went back inside, threw the paper towel in the waste can, and washed her hands in the sink. Deanna stood gawking at her, her face pale. The keychain rested on the counter next to the sink. “Did you get rid of them?”
“Yes, I found a grassy spot and dumped them.”
Deanna shuddered. She was still clutching the business card she’d intended to shove inside her purse. Lara tried to read the name on the card, but all she saw was “Donald” and something that began with W-A. She thought she spied the image of a car in the lower corner.
“Deanna, are you all right?” Lara asked. “Do you want some water?”
Deanna shook her head, then forced out a laugh. “Lara, do you remember the old seventies horror movie about the giant earthworms that ravaged a seaside town?”
“Sorry, I don’t,” Lara admitted. It had to be way, way before her time.
A bit of color had returned to Deanna’s face. “It was one of my first movie roles. I played the sheriff’s niece. In the end, a giant worm devoured me whole.” She shook her head. “I was so young when I made that silly movie. When you’re a newbie in show biz, you take any parts you can get, even if they’re horrible.”
Lara smiled. Where was she going with this?
“All I’m saying is that whoever put those worms in my purse obviously remembered the film and thought it would be funny. It was a prank, nothing more. Believe me, it’s not the first time something like this has happened.”
“Yeah, but it was a mean thing to do.” Lara wasn’t willing to dismiss it so easily. “Do you think that man could’ve done it?” She slid her gaze toward the card Deanna was still holding.
Deanna flashed her trademark smile, but her eyes held a touch of worry. “You mean my uninvited guest? No,