by K E O'Connor
“It’s Michael! She’s dating the muscle.”
Helen peered through the bush. “How can you tell?”
“I saw him with a drink. And she’s talking to him. It makes sense now why he’s so protective of her. He’s not doing it because he’s getting paid. He’s doing it because he’s into her.”
“They could just be passing the time until her real date arrives.”
Elita stood from her seat, looked around, and then pressed a kiss to Michael’s cheek. “You don’t kiss someone you’re passing the time with.”
“Elita’s got herself a hot younger lover,” said Helen. “Good for her.”
“Not so much for Lonnie. Michael was perfectly placed to sneak into Lonnie’s private bathroom and kill him,” I said.
We’d not only discovered who Elita’s hot younger lover was but also a hot new suspect. Unfortunately, that suspect came with some serious muscles he wasn’t afraid to use and, most likely, a fair few deadly weapons. I was going to have to be careful dealing with Michael.
Chapter 14
I’d been waiting in the study for Elita to arrive for an hour. I’d done the few pieces of admin I could find, but needed her to tell me what to focus upon next.
I finished my mug of tea and was about to go in search of her when the study door opened and Elita wandered in, still in her silky nightie, which was covered by a long wine colored robe.
“Lorna! I’m sorry to have kept you.” Elita rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned. “I meant to say yesterday you can have this morning off. I was planning to have a late night.”
“Your date went well?”
Elita smiled. “It was lovely. He’s such a sweetie. You wouldn’t think it to look at him, but he has a heart of gold and always wants to make me happy.”
“How did the two of you meet?” I knew I was digging but wanted to see how open Elita would be when it came to her relationship with Michael.
Elita waved a hand in the air. “Through work connections.”
At least she was being honest about that. “Sounds like it’s serious.”
“I hope so.” Elita looked around the study. “It would be nice to be with a man I know isn’t doing things he shouldn’t behind my back.”
I was about to ask another question, but Elita raised her hand. “Enough chatter. I believe you have your own man. And it doesn’t pay to ignore them; their egos don’t like it. Why don’t you go play with him for the morning? I bet you’ve been missing him.”
“I have.” Although I trusted Zach and knew he’d never get a wandering eye because I hadn’t seen him for a couple of days. “If you’re sure there’s nothing you need me for, a morning off would be great.”
“There’s plenty of work to do, but nothing that can’t wait,” said Elita. “I’m grabbing the morning newspapers, a croissant, and heading back to bed, so you’re no use to me this morning. Go enjoy yourself.”
“Any chance I can have the car back?” I asked. “I need it to visit Zach.”
“Borrow the limo,” said Elita. “Frankie will be outside somewhere. He’ll take you where you need to go. Just tell him I said it was okay for you to use the car.”
It wasn’t quite the answer I’d hoped for, but the idea of a limo ride sounded fun, and I didn’t like to drive, preferring it when Helen took the wheel, even though she took corners like a Formula One racer.
After sending Zach a quick text message to let him know I was on my way to our new house, I hurried outside with Flipper and discovered Frankie polishing the bumper of a black limousine. “Hope you don’t mind giving me a lift.”
Frankie pushed his black cap back on his head. “Where are we going?”
I gave him the address of my new house.
“That’s quite some drive,” said Frankie. “It will take about an hour to get there.”
“Elita said it was okay for you to take me anywhere.”
“It’s not a problem,” said Frankie. “And the family hasn’t got me booked in for any collections. Give me five minutes, and I’m all yours.” He loped away across the driveway, leaving Flipper and me waiting by the limousine.
Frankie returned with a thermos flask and a lunchbox. “Might as well make the most of the journey.” He grinned at me. “I never know how long I’ll be waiting around, and I hate getting hungry.”
Frankie’s smile was warm enough, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Fine by me. It must get boring having to wait for people.”
“I’m used to it.” Frankie opened the back door for me, and I clambered in, along with Flipper. He walked around to the driver’s door and climbed in. “And I don’t mind. They pay well, and I often get a few perks thrown in, especially if I’ve had to wait around late at night.”
“What kind of perks?” I asked, as Frankie smoothly manoeuvred the limousine along the driveway and onto the main road.
“This and that,” said Frankie. His gaze met mine for a second in the rear-view mirror. “You know what business the Cornells are in?”
“I’m getting an idea,” I said.
“Best to keep that idea to yourself,” said Frankie. “The family doesn’t like people talking.”
I took that as a hint to keep my mouth shut, sat back in the expensive leather seat, and let Frankie concentrate on his driving.
As I watched the countryside roll past, I realized the suspects were piling up when it came to Lonnie and who’d killed him. I wasn’t ready to rule out Elita, even though she seemed to care for him. I didn’t know Chelsea well enough, but she had a great motive, and she was interested in information about the gold, which suggested she had plans for taking it. And then there was Michael and his relationship with Elita. If they’d gotten together when Lonnie was still on the scene, it wouldn’t have been approved of. Michael could have decided to get revenge on Elita’s behalf. I wasn’t sure how deep his loyalties ran and to which family members it extended.
And what about Ignatius, the older brother? He had an evil side to him, and I wouldn’t put it past him to think it acceptable to get rid of his younger brother and remove an obstacle.
And then there was Carson, the sneaky right-hand man. Now Lonnie was gone, who was he loyal to? Had he started looking out for himself now his boss had gone or didn’t he care who he reported to so long as the money kept coming in?
I mulled over the suspects as we drove through the Nottinghamshire countryside, heading towards the Peak District and my new house. Frankie made the occasional comment as we passed by certain landmarks, but other than that, he was happy to entertain himself by listening to the radio and humming under his breath.
The limo slowed, and I looked out the window to see we were almost there. “Just keep going, and you’ll see a new house on the left-hand side. It won’t show up on your sat nav yet.”
Frankie nodded and did as instructed. He stopped the limousine and hopped out to open my door. “Any idea what time you’ll be finished?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll be a good few hours.”
“I’ll go and find myself a nice spot then,” said Frankie. “I can eat and have a nap, unless you want me to keep watch for any reason.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You don’t need to keep watch over me. I’ll be safe here.”
Frankie shrugged as he shut the door and returned to his own seat. He leaned over and handed me a card. “Give this number a call when you’re done, and I’ll collect you.”
I gave him a wave as the limousine pulled away. Frankie was polite enough, but I’d begun to get paranoid towards the end of the ride that he was watching me. I couldn’t figure out why, though, unless I needed to add him to the suspect list, as well! The chauffeur did it. Sounded like something out of an Agatha Christie plot.
I shook my head. I needed to focus on the family, first. If none of them proved fruitful, I’d move onto members of staff.
Flipper gave a happy sounding bark and bounded away from me. I turned and saw his object of affection. Jessie was running towar
ds him with equal speed, letting out her own happy barks as they almost collided and then danced around each other, their tails up as they sniffed a greeting.
Zach emerged from around the side of the house a few seconds later, a smile spreading across his face as he spotted me.
I took a step back, admiring the way Zach so easily pulled off the dusty builder look. I was used to seeing him in grass stained trousers with dirt under his nails, but the rugged builder look was a good fit for him as well.
He grabbed hold of me and gave me a kiss. “This is a lovely surprise.”
“A boss with a hangover has its advantages,” I said. “Plus, she let me borrow the limousine for the morning, so I’m all yours.”
“Sounds perfect,” said Zach. He took hold of my hand and led me towards the house. “Don’t be disappointed that all the fixtures and fittings aren’t where they need to be. But it’s getting there.”
“I already love it,” I said. Zach had been sending pictures and updates on the progress of the house ever since he got started. And although I’d only gotten to visit a few times in the last month, I was so proud of what he was achieving and how beautiful our home was going to be when finished.
“The kitchen units arrived yesterday,” said Zach. “I’m focusing on that for the next couple of weeks. But after that’s in and the bathrooms are done, all that’s left is the painting and papering.”
“And then we can move in.” I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “It’s going to be such an amazing home.”
“It is.” Zach grinned down at me. “And it’s all ours.”
“Well, ours, the dogs, and Helen’s, and Gunner’s.”
“Speaking of which, Gunner’s out on a wood run,” said Zach. “We’ve run out of timbers. But he’ll be back soon, and he wants to talk to you about how things are going at the Cornell house.”
I pretended to admire the new front door, tapping my fingers against the wood and inspecting the brass fittings.
Zach’s hand tightened on my waist. “And how is it going?”
“The ghost isn’t causing any problems,” I said.
“And the rest of the family?” asked Zach. “The ones who are alive? The ones who are criminals?”
“Most of them are behaving themselves.” I kept my gaze on the door. I was never a good liar.
“And which ones aren’t behaving themselves?”
“Stop worrying about me,” I said. “As you can see, I’m here and I’m fine. And I’d let you know if anything serious was happening.” The fact I knew where several gold bars were hidden played on my mind, but I couldn’t tell Zach. He wouldn’t let me keep that information a secret so I could help a ghost.
“Just don’t go taking any foolish risks,” said Zach.
“As if I would.”
“As if you wouldn’t.”
“Come on, show me around our gorgeous house.”
Zach grumbled under his breath for a few seconds before guiding me around the side of the house. All the windows were installed, and I could see how beautiful the finished house would look.
“This is the temporary entrance into the kitchen. It will be bricked in soon.” Zach opened the door, and I walked through in front of him. There wasn’t much to see, other than cables hanging out of the wall and a concrete floor. But I was drawn to the large double doors. The views were stunning. All I could see for miles were trees, fields, and the occasional herd of cows. I could feel the tension leaving my shoulders as I admired the view.
“Just think, every morning, we can wake up and look at that.” Zach stood behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders.
“I can’t think of anything I’d like more,” I said.
“Wait until you see the view from the bathroom,” said Zach. “You’re never going to want to get out of the bath.”
The dogs ran through the kitchen, play chasing each other, and we followed them as Zach showed me our new dining room, the two living rooms, and a games room.
“I thought we hadn’t decided what this was going to be.” I looked around the empty shell of the room that was being called a games room.
“Gunner pestered me so much I gave in,” said Zach. “He said he’d need somewhere to get away from all the girly stuff that’s bound to fill the house.”
“That girly stuff won’t be mine,” I said.
“He wasn’t referring to you.” Zach grinned at me. “Don’t suppose Helen has revealed she’s madly in love with my brother, has she?”
“The last time I spoke to her about him she went all red and got flustered, so I see that as a positive sign.”
“Those two need to sort themselves out,” said Zach.
I turned as I caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of one eye. I could hear the dogs close by and assumed it must be them still playing. Whenever they were together, they ended up getting into mischief and making a lot of noise doing it.
The sound of a vehicle reversing into the driveway caught my attention.
“That must be Gunner.” Zach walked through the house and out the front door, and I followed him.
Gunner hopped out of the cab of a white van, looking equally as dusty as Zach. He grinned when he spotted me. “I heard you were paying us a visit. What do you think of the place?”
“It’s looking great,” I said to him.
He dropped a quick kiss on my cheek. “Your boyfriend’s been working me like a dog whenever he gets the opportunity. This is supposed to be my day off from my real job, but as soon as Zach heard I had some free time, that was it. I had to get over here and start hammering walls and running around like his skivvy.”
“He volunteered to come here,” said Zach.
“I promise you, Zach’s got me here under pain of torture.” Gunner grinned at me again.
As much as he protested, I got the impression Gunner loved being here. He’d been without a permanent home for years, flitting from bedsit to bedsit as his job took him around the country. But a recent promotion meant he had a permanent base with the police and could put down roots. And he’d decided to do that with us. I didn’t mind; Gunner was fun to be around, and the brothers got on well. How he handled Helen was another matter, but I’d leave them to figure that out themselves.
“So, how’s the undercover work going with the Cornells?” Although Gunner’s grin remained, his eyes grew serious.
“Not much to report, so far.” I kicked a loose stone along the ground.
“Lorna’s only been there five minutes,” said Zach. “And you don’t want her getting spotted snooping.”
Gunner raised a hand. “The Cornells are a big deal. If we take them down, it will be incredible. There’s a list of crimes linked to this family longer than both my arms.”
“Lorna said she would help you, and she will,” said Zach. “But give her a chance to earn their trust before you put a wire on her and get her to interrogate the entire household.”
I placed a hand on Zach’s arm. “It’s fine. And I am having a look around to see if I can find anything useful. But like Zach said, it is early days. I won’t uncover their deep dark secrets right away.” I ignored the image of a gold bar that flashed through my thoughts. I would tell Gunner about the gold as soon as I’d helped Lonnie.
“We’re still interested in the gold robbery the Cornells are implicated in,” said Gunner.
I swallowed my nerves. It was as if he’d read my mind. “I imagine you are. How much did they steal again?”
“Twenty-five million,” said Gunner. “And none of it has ever been discovered. We assumed they were shipping the gold to another country or had an agent here, who was slowly melting the gold and selling it off under our noses.”
“I don’t think the family will leave gold bars lying around for me to find,” I said, hoping my lie wasn’t too easy to see through. “But if I hear any useful information, I’ll pass it on.”
“Look through their paperwork,” said Gunner. “A paper trail is
the best we can hope for if the gold has gone. There must be something to stick this crime to the family. And see if you can find anything about dodgy businesses they’re running.”
“What would I need to find to make me think the business is dodgy?”
“Strange tax returns or large injections of cash that aren’t easy to explain.”
“I haven’t seen anything like that,” I said. “I’ve been working on getting the admin sorted after Lonnie’s funeral.”
“And as I keep saying,” muttered Zach, “Lorna doesn’t want to take any unnecessary risks by pushing too hard.”
“But it’s important we have this information.” Gunner’s grin faded.
“I’ll get you what I can,” I said. I looked at the glower on Zach’s face. “While keeping myself super safe.”
Gunner ran a hand through his dusty hair. “Anything you can get will be good. To put this family behind bars would mean lots of officers’ frustrations coming to an end. The Cornell family is still active in the criminal underworld and well-connected. If we remove them from the equation, it will bring down other networks. A lot of innocent people will be spared intimidation by these criminals, with the Cornells out of the picture.”
I gritted my teeth. It was as if Gunner was trying to guilt me into declaring what I knew.
“Enough talk of criminals,” said Zach. “I was going to show Lorna what we’ve been doing upstairs.”
Gunner’s grin returned, and his shoulders sank. “You don’t want me interfering if you’re taking your lady upstairs.”
I smacked his arm. “Looking at empty bedrooms is not my idea of a romantic time.”
“I don’t know; the place has a certain charm to it.” Gunner followed us into the house. “And how’s the lovely Helen? I hope she’s not being too irritating around the family, or she might discover they want to take her for a long walk along a short pier.”
“Helen’s being her usual charming self,” I said. “The family adores her.”
“Is she seeing anyone?” Gunner scuffed his work boot along the ground. “I know she likes the posh types, so I imagine the Cornells aren’t for her. But there is money in that family, so I just wondered...”