The feeling of dread grew, but I remained silent.
“I asked her what happened and it all came spilling out.” Grandpa’s expression turned dark. “She said Roy pressured her for sex if she wanted to keep her job. She didn’t have any other options so she gave in. Then, after all that, Vera became suspicious, so he fired her anyway.”
I thought back to the story Bobby had told while drunk at the party. “She’s the reason Vera was talking to a divorce attorney. Roy was paying her off, draining the retirement fund he’d set up with Vera. There had to be a reason. Did she threaten to sue?”
Grandpa’s face was blank. “I don’t know. I didn’t even know Roy was paying her off. That’s not the way Tina made it sound.”
“I’m still confused about why you were hiding from Hunter,” I said. “Helping a young woman get a job is not illegal.”
“No, but I figured if I talked to him I would let it slip that Tina had a motive to kill Roy. I didn’t want to make things worse for her. We both know I can’t keep my mouth shut, no matter how hard I try.”
That was the truth ... and it kind of made sense. Still, there was a hint of doubt playing through my mind. “You didn’t go out of your way to help Tina because you were doing anything with her, did you?”
Grandpa looked scandalized. “I’m a married man!”
“So was Roy. That didn’t stop him from cheating.”
“Maybe not, but I’m not Roy.”
There was something he wasn’t telling me. I knew from studying the obstinate tilt of his chin that he was done opening up. If I wanted more information, I was going to have to find it myself.
“Just out of curiosity, what did Roy say when you called him on his actions?” I asked as I grabbed the coffee pot so I could make my rounds.
“He said that his needs were more important than hers, that she should’ve thought better about sleeping with her boss if she wanted to keep her job. He insinuated she chased him, but we all know that wasn’t true.”
My stomach twisted. “Yeah. He was the sort of guy who bragged, even if there was nothing to brag about.”
“Exactly.” Grandpa’s eyes narrowed as he regarded me. “What are you going to do with this information?”
“Probably pass it on to Hunter. Don’t worry. I won’t tell him where I heard it.”
“I appreciate it.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
HUNTER WAS KNEE-DEEP IN A NEW security system when I bolted upstairs to change clothes after my shift. He barely looked up as he sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor and paged through a thick instruction manual. The kitten was nestled on his lap and seemed intrigued by the action.
“How was work?” he asked absently.
I briefly wondered if I should tell him about the scene Monica made. It would be an uncomfortable conversation and I didn’t want to get into it when I had a lead to track down. “It was work. I’m going to change clothes and then I’ll help.”
That was enough to get him to look at me. “No offense, Stormy, but I don’t need your help.”
I dubiously regarded the various pieces of the security system strewn about the floor. “Are you sure? I’ve grown to be pretty good with electronics.”
He looked haughty. “I’ve got it.”
I watched him a long moment and then nodded. “Okay. I’m going to change my clothes and run out. I have a few errands.”
Hunter didn’t look interested in my errands. Instead he waved off the statement and went back to the instructions. Apparently he planned to sit there until he climbed that particular mountain and beat it into submission. That was so like him.
“Good luck,” I called out before dashing into the bedroom. I was out of clean clothes, so I had to dig something out of the hamper. I now had no choice but to go to the laundromat or I was going to have to spring for more clothes. I wasn’t sure which was worse.
Once I exited the restaurant and hopped in my car, I plugged Tina’s name into Google. After a couple of clicks, I found what I thought was probably her house, and drove in that direction. It was on the outskirts of Shadow Hills, in a not unpleasant neighborhood. In fact, the closer I drew to her street, the more impressed I became. Compared to the rest of the town, which contained rundown homes and overgrown lawns in certain areas, everything here was neat and tidy. I wasn’t an expert on real estate, but the houses looked more expensive, too.
It took me three times around the block to find the house I was looking for because some of them weren’t properly marked. When I did, I was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty redbrick ranch with an abundance of flowers in the front garden. If Tina was hurting for money, I couldn’t see how she could afford this house. Perhaps she’d managed to find another job after all and was thriving.
I parked on the street and exited my car, giving the house a long once-over before starting up the sidewalk. I wasn’t sure how I was going to approach Tina — it would be difficult no matter what tack I chose — and my mind was already on what I was going to say when I noticed a hint of movement out of the corner of my eye.
“Can I help you?”
I widened my eyes when I saw Tina. She was dressed in ratty shorts and a T-shirt and looked to have a small garden hoe clutched in her hand. She appeared as surprised to see me as I was her.
“Hey, Tina.” As far as greetings go, it was the lamest of the lame. Still, I’d been caught off guard and it was going to take me a moment to recover.
“Hello.” Tina looked wary, furrowing her brow as she looked me up and down. “I don’t want to buy anything.”
“I’m not selling anything,” I reassured her quickly. “I just ... um ... .”
She narrowed her eyes. “Stormy Morgan?”
Relief washed over me. That was one less problem. “Yeah. It’s me. I’m back in town.”
“I guess so.” The mistrust that had been on her face only moments before evaporated as she smiled. “What’s going on? When did you get back?”
“Two weeks ago, but I was moving back and forth between Harsens Island and here, so I’ve only been back at the restaurant full time for a few days.”
“You’re back at the restaurant?” Tina looked surprised. “I thought you were writing books.”
It took monumental effort to keep my smile in place. “Yeah, well, that’s a work in progress. So ... um ... I hear you used to work for my grandfather.”
She nodded. “It didn’t work out because I have bad circulation and my feet always swelled after a shift. Your grandfather was helpful, though, and went out of his way to help me find another job.”
“He might’ve mentioned it. In fact ... .” Whatever I was going to say died on my lips as a toddler moved from a spot behind Tina and plopped on the ground. The little boy had a clump of grass in his hand. He looked to be having a grand time with it, barely noticing me.
“Mommy, look. Look!”
Tina smiled fondly at the boy. “Yes. Grass.”
That’s when things coalesced for me, the thing Grandpa didn’t want to spread around becoming clear. “Oh, geez,” I muttered. “That’s Roy’s kid, isn’t it?”
Her lips curved down. “How did you know that?”
“It makes sense.”
She looked as if she wanted to bolt. I didn’t blame her.
“We need to talk.”
She didn’t look convinced. “What if I don’t want to talk?”
“You’re either talking to me or the cops. Which do you prefer?”
She sighed. “I guess I prefer you, but that’s not saying much.”
In her position, I’d feel the same way.
25
Twenty-Five
Tina blanked her face. “I don’t know what you mean.” She refused to make eye contact.
“Roy is his father.” I gestured toward the toddler. “That’s why my grandfather was going out of his way to protect you. He didn’t want news getting out.”
Tina hesitated and then nodded. “Your grandfa
ther is one of the few people who know.”
“This is a small town,” I pointed out. “People had to ask where you got him.”
“Dakota.” Tina smiled fondly at the boy, who offered her a wide grin as he grabbed more grass in his grubby hands. “That’s his name.”
“Obviously his last name isn’t Axe.”
“No.” She turned solemn. “He has my last name.”
“And nobody ever asked about him?”
“People asked. I just said it was a guy I met at a bar in Gaylord. People accepted that. We have a lot of unexpected pregnancies here. I’m hardly the first single woman to show up with a baby in Shadow Hills.”
I remembered that well from high school. “I think twenty people in our graduating class were pregnant before the commencement speech.”
“Which is why so many people are desperate to get out of here.” The look she gave me was long. “You got out, but you came back. That has to be a first.”
“The story is long and boring. You don’t want to hear it.”
“I could say the same about my story.”
“Except Dakota’s father was found dead behind the restaurant several days ago,” I pointed out. “There are no dead bodies in my story ... at least none that aren’t fictional.”
“Yeah.” She exhaled heavily and then pointed toward a pair of lawn chairs in the shade of a large maple tree. “I’ll tell you the story, but I don’t want it getting out. It’s not about me. It’s about Dakota. People would treat him differently if they knew.”
“Because Roy is somehow worse than some random bar hookup?”
“You met him. Of course he was.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
She grabbed Dakota around the waist and carried him to the shade. Once there, he seemed perfectly content playing with the grass and leaves, occasionally lifting his treasures to show his mother. Tina made a big deal out of each thing he showed her, making me believe she was a good mother. I wanted to protect her.
“In a nutshell, your grandfather helped me get the job with Roy, and I was really grateful. It was the perfect job for me — until he started making suggestions.”
My lip curled. I could just imagine the suggestions Roy made. “Everyone in town knows he was a dirty pervert. There’s nothing you could say that would surprise me.”
“But I didn’t know that,” Tina admitted ruefully. “I guess I was just out of the loop. I thought he was a nice old man because your grandfather is a nice old man.”
I had to bite back a laugh. If my grandfather heard himself being referred to as “old” he would have a meltdown. “Yeah, I’ve never heard anyone refer to Roy as nice.”
“I just didn’t realize. He started pressuring me within weeks of me taking the job. The money was good and the workload was tolerable. I didn’t want to lose the opportunity.”
“You also didn’t want to disappoint Grandpa,” I surmised. “In your mind, he’d gone out of his way for you.”
“He did.”
“Except Roy was so desperate to be seen as an equal where Grandpa was concerned he would’ve done it regardless.” I rubbed my forehead. “How long before he threatened your job if you didn’t sleep with him?”
“Six weeks.”
I felt sick to my stomach. “What an Axehole. You should’ve reported him to the police. That’s sexual harassment. Hunter would’ve helped you.”
“I didn’t want anyone to know. I was embarrassed.”
I couldn’t blame her. It was doubtful I would’ve acted differently in her situation, no matter how much I wanted to believe I was above it all. “What did he do when he found out you were pregnant?”
“He freaked out. He was desperate that Vera not find out. He wanted me to have an abortion, which I flatly refused.”
“Did you shake him down for money?”
“Why would I do that? He didn’t want Dakota, but I did. I didn’t expect anything from him.”
I was surprised. “Wait ... are you saying that you didn’t get child support from Roy?” It was bad enough that the guy was a lecherous old goat, but to not take care of his child was a new low.
“I took money. I wish I could say it wasn’t necessary. He wanted to pay me in one lump sum, because it would be easier to explain to his wife. I agreed, with the stipulation that he help with Dakota’s college education when it was time.”
I pursed my lips. “How did you know he would survive that long?”
“I didn’t, but I had no interest in upending lives. I just wanted to be able to live my life away from gossip and prying eyes. It’s worked out well so far. I found a job doing medical transcriptions online, and with the money Roy gave me I’m doing pretty well.”
She was doing better than me. I couldn’t very well afford to throw stones. “So, you had no motive to kill Roy.”
She arched an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Did you think I did?”
I shrugged. “I guess maybe I was hoping it was you ... not on a personal level or anything,” I added hurriedly. “The idea that there’s a killer running around out there has me unnerved.” As did the fact that I’d managed to burn a woman’s eyebrows off with my mind and my ex-boyfriend slept on my couch the previous evening. “Can you think of anyone who would’ve wanted to kill Roy?”
She shook her head. “It’s possible multiple people wanted to kill Roy. I didn’t harbor any ill will toward him. He wasn’t exactly my favorite person, but he gave me what he could for Dakota. He stayed out of our lives. He’s worth nothing to me dead. I don’t gain anything.”
She was better off if he’d lived long enough to see Dakota go to college. “So ... I guess it’s back to square one for me.”
“Sorry I couldn’t be more help.” She seemed genuine. “I’m pretty sure this has nothing to do with me.”
“Unless it was Vera and she was angry over the money that went missing from their accounts,” I muttered, causing her to widen her eyes. “That still wouldn’t be your fault, though,” I reassured her. “You’re clean in this.”
“I don’t feel clean where Roy is concerned. He makes it worth it, though.” She grinned at Dakota, who handed a rock to me. The small Petoskey stone made me smile.
“Thank you.” I beamed at him. “I’ll cherish it for life.”
I WAS STILL ANTSY FOR ANSWERS, SO MY next stop was Barry Buttons. I wanted to know if Vera’s attorney had any insight.
Barry’s secretary seemed confused when I said I merely wanted to talk to her boss, not enlist his services. She stalled, but when I refused to leave she finally placed a call to his office. If her expression was any indication, she was surprised when Barry readily agreed to see me.
He was the smarmy sort. I could tell that the second I invaded his personal space. He was a big guy, gut hanging over the belt of his pants, and there were photos of him and various women splashed all over his office. There were also trophies declaring him the “World’s Best Divorce Attorney,” which I found tacky and unnecessary.
“Stormy Morgan.” He grinned at me as if we were old friends. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” I agreed, forcing a smile for his benefit. “I saw you in the restaurant the other day.”
“The restaurant?” His forehead wrinkled. “You will have to be more specific.”
That was weird. Shadow Hills had exactly one full restaurant, one lunch cafe and one pizza shop. “Two Broomsticks.”
“Oh, right.” He bobbed his head. “Duh. I forgot Charlie was your grandfather. Were you in there eating lunch?”
“No. I filled your coffee.”
“Oh.” He seemed perplexed. “I didn’t know you were back and working for your grandfather.”
“I’m back, at least for the foreseeable future.”
“That’s so sad.” He made a clucking sound. “I’m sorry things have gone so poorly for you.”
I was fairly certain I hadn’t mentioned anything going poorly. He was just being a condescending jerk. I bit bac
k a series of uncomfortable words to tell him exactly what I thought about his false sympathy and remained on task — though it took monumental effort. He definitely wouldn’t answer my questions if I started with a verbal attack.
“I’m a work in progress,” I said blandly. “I’m actually here about Roy Axe. Did you know I was the one who found his body?”
“I knew one of Charlie’s grandchildren found him. I didn’t know it was you. That’s a terrible business. You must be traumatized.”
He looked as if he wanted to console me. “I’ve managed to muddle through,” I said dryly. “I’m more interested in who would want to kill him ... and why he was dumped behind the restaurant.”
“I don’t know the who, but the why is relatively easy. He parked in that back lot a good hour before your grandfather opened every day.”
That was news to me. “Why did he do that?”
“Because he wanted to hang out with your grandfather.”
“But ... why?”
“Even though it defies reason, people love Charlie. He has a way about him. He’s rude and he likes messing with people, but he does it in a charming manner. Roy desperately wanted to be liked by everyone, yet very few people could tolerate him. He wasn’t the most observant sort, but he picked up on things like that.”
In a weird way, that made sense. Everything I knew about Roy indicated that he was desperate for affection. It was obvious that Vera didn’t much care for him — not that she had reason to — and he was hungry for approval. I’d seen people like that in the book world. Validation, no matter what form, was more important than anything else to some authors. I’d been one of them at the start. Now I knew better. There were more important things than being thought of as a big shot.
“So, you’re saying that his regular routine included parking in the lot behind the restaurant every morning. Did everyone know that, or was it something only a few people were aware of?”
He shrugged, noncommittal. “It’s a small town. Almost all the information you could possibly want is readily available if you care enough to look.”
“Did Vera know?”
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