by Judi Lynn
“Does your wife know?” Gaff asked.
“No, I never worked up the courage to tell her. Lynda and I were a thing before I met Gina. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about Lynda having a baby after my wife’s second stillbirth. I just couldn’t. And to be honest, part of me suspected Lynda just said it to hurt me. I didn’t completely believe her.”
“But you checked?” Gaff asked.
“I called agencies in New York. They wouldn’t tell me anything.”
Jazzi raised an eyebrow at Gaff. Maury sure didn’t sound like a man who’d kill Noah. He’d probably run to him and embrace him. He was going to take this news hard.
Maury looked at Noah’s father. “Does Noah have a good life?”
Alan flinched, but reached across Maury’s desk and shook his hand. “You have no idea how much you blessed us. We’d given up hope of ever having a baby, and then we got Noah. He was such a funny, wonderful child. A delight.”
Maury scrubbed his fingers through his tight curls. “Does he want to see me? Or does he hate me for not finding him, for not being there?”
Gaff turned to Jazzi and motioned for her to join the conversation. She’d told Maury about Cal hiring a detective to find Noah, how Cal flew to New York to visit him, and how Noah had driven to River Bluffs to see Cal. “Noah disappeared, remember?”
Before she could say more, Maury leaped to his feet. “Alan’s here. So did Noah come, too? When can I meet him?”
Gaff pressed his lips in a tight line and nodded to Jazzi. “Tell him. He deserves to know.”
Maury sank back onto his chair, alarmed. He frowned at Jazzi. She took a deep breath. “We found Noah’s body buried in Cal’s backyard.”
“What? No! Impossible.” Maury shook his head, denying the news. “Who’d hurt him in River Bluffs?”
Alan lowered his head. He folded his hands together, as though in prayer, in his lap.
Maury stared. “What sense does this make? Who’d want him dead?”
Gaff grimaced. “We don’t know, but Jazzi insisted we tell you.”
Maury’s face went blank. He looked at Jazzi. “Who’d do this? I wanted to meet him. What would that matter?”
“Someone must have felt threatened by him,” she said. “Why else would someone kill him? No one even knew him here.”
“Threatened? How?” Maury turned to Gaff.
Gaff hesitated a moment, then said, “Do you have a will?”
Jazzi frowned. Where was Gaff going with this?
“Sure, I do. I left everything to my wife. If she dies, too, then my sons inherit . . .” Maury stopped abruptly and shook his head. “Even if my property and holdings were divided into thirds, my sons would be fine.”
Alan spoke. “Noah didn’t need anyone else’s money. We have more than enough.”
“But no one knew that, did they?” Gaff turned to Maury again. “Did your sons know Noah was coming to River Bluffs?”
“How could they? I didn’t even know.” Maury’s hands started shaking and he couldn’t stop them. He finally sat on them.
Noah’s dad drew in a long breath. “I’m so sorry for all of us. This should have been a grand celebration instead of an investigation. Our families could have joined together. We’d have liked that.”
“Us, too.” Maury finally put his elbows on his desk and lowered his head into his hands. “This is too much.”
An understatement. There was a lot of pain in this room. Jazzi was glad when Gaff drove her back to Cal’s house.
Chapter 19
When Jazzi got out of Gaff’s unmarked car, she leaned close to his window and said, “I have something to tell you if you can call me later this evening.”
“I’m driving Alan to the airport at four. What if I stop by here later?”
“I’ll wait.” She watched Gaff’s car pull away and then turned to go back into the house.
Jerod and Ansel were waiting for her. Ansel studied her. “Are you okay?”
“That was the pits.”
Jerod patted her shoulder. “Do you want to stop work early today? It’s Friday. We can have an early weekend.”
Jazzi grimaced. “Gaff’s coming back here after he drops Noah’s dad at the airport. I want to tell him about Thomas Sorrell.”
“Sorrell?” Jerod looked confused. “No one’s seen him for years. He still comes to River Bluffs for business once in a while, but he doesn’t want anything to do with us.”
Jazzi told them what Isabelle told her.
Jerod let out a low whistle. “The guy sounds like a candidate for a violent stalker.”
The air-conditioning men had left. Jazzi had hoped to see Thane, but she’d missed him. She comforted herself by remembering that she’d see him on Sunday. The house was still warm and sticky. It would take a while to cool it off. “Is the central air working?”
Jerod waved her farther into the house. “Enjoy the luxury of seventy-two degrees.”
It hadn’t reached that yet, but Jazzi exhaled a breath of relief. The front rooms didn’t feel like a sweat house. “Nice. What have you guys been up to while I was gone?”
Ansel beamed. “I drove to Lima Road and bought paint for the bedrooms and bathroom. Want to see it?”
“Sure do.”
Ansel picked up George, and she and Jerod followed him upstairs. He had a drop cloth on the wooden floor, along with blue painter’s tape, rollers, and paintbrushes. He lifted the lids on three cans.
“This is the blue for the bathroom.” It was darker than she’d expected, but she liked it. He pointed to a caramel color. “This is for one bedroom. The dusty amethyst’s for the other one.”
She liked them all. “You done good.”
He grinned at her deliberate bad grammar. “If you’d like something else, I can take them back.”
“They’re perfect choices. I can hardly wait to see how they look.”
“Want to paint a room now?” Ansel was excited. He clearly wanted to see how his colors looked on the walls. “Emily works tonight. I don’t have to be home at any certain time.”
She thought about it. “Why not?” She didn’t have any exciting plans for the night.
“Count me out,” Jerod said. “I have a wife and two kids to hang out with.”
Jazzi loved how crazy Jerod was about his family. “Why don’t you take off early, and we’ll paint?”
“Sounds like a plan.” He tapped the top of her head. “Hang in there, cuz. Don’t let Gaff rattle you tonight. And cook me something wonderful on Sunday. Why don’t you move your dining room table over here for the family meal? You’d have a lot more room.”
“The cupboards and appliances haven’t come yet.”
“You’d better get on that then. In the meantime, you could buy a mini fridge and use the cooler. The sinks work.”
“I’ve ordered everything,” Jazzi told him. “Stainless steel and a farmer’s sink. They’re coming on Wednesday. We need to install the tin ceiling and paint the walls so we’re ready.”
“Piece of cake.” He was enjoying himself, taunting her. But he had a point about having the family meals here. “If you decide to have everyone here, Ansel and I will each bring our coolers for the drinks. They’re big ones. We use them when we go fishing.”
“Will you be here on Sunday, Ansel?” Jazzi had lost track of Emily’s work hours.
“No, Emily has the day off, but you can use my cooler anyway. Emily doesn’t like picnics. I won’t need it.” He looked disappointed, and she realized that he’d like to be here for the first meal in the house.
She shook her head. “I can’t get everything moved and done in time. But for the meal after that? I’ll be ready.”
“Thank the heavens!” Jerod did a small two-step happy dance. “I’ll finally be able to stretch my legs at a Sunday meal. It’s so c
rowded in your apartment, we’re all jammed together.”
“You never complained about that before.”
“Down, Jasmine. Your cooking makes it worth it, but it will be nice to eat and stretch. We’re moving up in the world.” He dodged her smack and hurried down the steps to the door. He called up, “Have fun, you two!”
Ansel picked up a paintbrush. “Which room first?”
The man was ready to go. Jazzi chose the caramel bedroom, and they got started. They had three walls done when Gaff knocked and yelled up to them.
“Give us a minute. We’re coming down!”
“You go,” Ansel said. “I’ll finish painting.”
Lord, the man was determined.
Jazzi went down to see Gaff alone.
Chapter 20
Gaff walked into the kitchen and took a deep breath. “It feels good in here.”
They hadn’t turned off the window air conditioner, and it had actually made the room comfortable since it didn’t have to cool the entire downstairs. “The central air’s hooked up. Life’s going to be better.”
He smiled, sank onto a lawn chair, and looked around. “The place is starting to come together.”
“The bathrooms are done upstairs and Ansel and I are painting the bedrooms. The floors are good. The biggest project is going to be this kitchen.”
“The heart of the home.” He tilted his head, thinking. “Since the kids have grown up, my wife and I carry in food or go out more than we used to.”
Jazzi laughed. “You probably have more money.”
“There’s that, for sure. Kids are expensive.” He glanced at the cooler, and Jazzi took the hint.
“Want something cold to drink?”
“Wouldn’t mind. I can sip while you tell me about Thomas Sorrell.”
She handed him a soda and sat across from him. She shared everything Isabelle had told her, and Gaff raised his eyebrows. “This Sorrell wanted to meet Noah, and Isabelle thinks it was just to annoy Cal?”
Jazzi put her elbows on her knees, leaning forward. “You know, I’ve been thinking, and Cal’s nephews inherited his house and money, but what happened to Cal’s businesses? Will’s a plumber. Wade’s an electrician. They don’t know squat about finances. Who runs Cal’s companies now? He even had some overseas, didn’t he?”
Gaff nodded. “I talked to his lawyers. He left them all to Isabelle.”
“Isabelle?”
Gaff looked at her, surprised. “She was his assistant, even invested in a lot of his projects, and owned shares in most of his companies. She’ll run the businesses as well as he did. You didn’t know?”
“Why would I?”
Gaff gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry, that was my fault. You’ve shared everything with me, and I didn’t return the favor.”
“I’m surprised Isabelle didn’t tell me.”
“She probably thought you knew.”
Jazzi considered that and decided Gaff was right. Isabelle assumed Jazzi knew she and Cal were more than friends. They were business partners, too. “Did Cal and Isabelle work together when Cal met Lynda?”
Gaff’s lip quirked up on one side. “Yes, they did, but Isabelle swears they were just partners back then. They didn’t grow close until after Lynda disappeared and Cal struggled with his grief.”
“Still, Lynda would be a threat to Isabelle. Lynda was smart and ambitious. I could see her wanting to get involved in Cal’s work.”
“Isabelle wasn’t in River Bluffs the day Lynda disappeared. Four hours after Cal left for Europe, she was in New York, covering a conference for him.”
Jazzi grinned. “You checked.”
“I’m a detective.”
A knot of worry unraveled in Jazzi’s chest. She was glad Isabelle couldn’t have killed Lynda. She liked Isabelle.
Gaff waited a minute so that Jazzi could sort her thoughts, then said, “Guess who was in town when Lynda died.”
Jazzi’s eyes went wide. “Thomas Sorrell?”
“On business.”
“What made you look into that?”
“I went through every person you named who was involved with Lynda. I like knowing who’s where at the time of a murder.”
Jazzi bit her bottom lip, frowning. “Isabelle made it sound as if Thomas was in River Bluffs when Noah arrived, too.”
“I’ll check into that.”
“Where does he live? Is it easy for him to pop in and out of our city?”
“His home base is Cleveland, Ohio. Within driving distance. And he travels a lot.”
“Does he come here often?”
Gaff drained the last drops from his soda can and got up to throw it away. “Only once or twice a year. That’s why I haven’t paid much attention to him. He’s got my attention now.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s Friday. I still have paperwork to do. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“Thanks.” She walked him to the door, then went upstairs to check on Ansel. He’d almost finished the last wall. The paint still needed to dry, but Jazzi could tell that she was going to love the color. “It’s gorgeous.”
He gave it the last strokes it needed, then stepped back to admire his work. “It’s even better than I pictured it. If I ever get a house, do you mind if I use this color, too?”
“It was your idea. Go for it.”
A quick look of frustration passed over his face. “Emily probably won’t like it.”
That was for sure. The more Ansel wanted it, the less likely he’d ever get it. The week was catching up with Jazzi. “I’m beginning to drag. Let’s clean up our gear and then order in some food.”
“It’s only five thirty. We could finish the second room.”
“We could, but we’re not going to. I’m starving. I vote for food.”
“Crap. I forgot. You didn’t eat lunch. Gaff came with Noah’s dad. You’ve had a terrible day, and I pushed you to help me paint. I’ve been selfish.”
She shook her head. “You’re never selfish. I’m glad we painted the room. I could have said no. But now, I’m hungry.”
He laughed, and the rumble resonated through his chest. It was a wonderful sound. “What do you want?”
You. But she couldn’t say that. She was going to have to be careful until he and Emily left. “I know fried chicken isn’t healthy, but I’d love a bucket of it with coleslaw and mashed potatoes and gravy.”
“We Norwegians never trust someone who doesn’t love fried chicken.”
Yeah, right. She’d guess they never saw the stuff. “Then fried chicken it is! I’ll grab some. Do you want to meet at my apartment and watch a movie together?”
“If I get to pick.”
She stared at him. “You picked the last movie. You’re getting a little full of yourself.”
“That’s true, but there’s one I really want to see.”
Uh-oh. “It’s not gloomy like some of the Swedish mysteries you like so much, is it?”
He grinned. “It’s older. I bought the CD. The Thirteenth Warrior with Antonio Banderas and Vikings.”
“Vikings?” Like him? Tall, blond, and beautiful?
“You’ll love it. The bad guys dress like bears and rip off heads.”
Okay, he had her. The movie sounded like it was right up her alley. She loved English movies like Pride and Prejudice and Sherlock, and she loved offbeat thrillers like Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp and every single Harry Potter. “You win this time, but you owe me. Remember that.”
“You won’t let me forget. I’ll see you at your place.”
They went their separate ways, and she stopped for food, but when she got to her apartment, his pickup wasn’t there. He pulled up behind her a minute later and opened his truck door with a smile. “I stopped at George’s bakery and bought your favorite cake—the torte filled with k
iwi and strawberries with whipped cream.”
When he heard his name, George’s ears perked up and he panted happily.
The torte? From George’s? That was only a zillion calories a bite? “I love you!”
She reached for her food bags, and he reached for the cake, but not before she caught the grimace that flickered over his handsome features.
Why had she blurted that out? In the dining room, sitting across from him, she hurried to say, “I shouldn’t have said that. I love you like a brother, and I’ll miss you when you move to California, but I understand about Emily’s job. She’ll make a lot more money as a traveling nurse and have a lot more learning experiences.”
He looked even more miserable. “Yes, she will, but I’ll have to start over. I’m not sure I want to.”
Jazzi stared. “But Emily—”
“Can’t always get what she wants. I’m willing to concede on small points, but this is major. I get a vote, too.”
Would Emily cave? Would she stay in River Bluffs and choose Ansel over California? Jazzi doubted Emily had ever compromised before.
Ansel tore off a piece of white chicken meat to give to George. “Let’s forget about Emily right now.”
They dropped the subject and chose to enjoy their meal and their time together. Jazzi loved The Thirteenth Warrior as much as Ansel did, and they finished the night in better moods than they’d started it.
At eleven, Jazzi waved Ansel off and plopped onto her couch to watch a half hour of mindless TV before going to bed. Tomorrow, she’d clean the apartment and go to the grocery store like she always did. But after Sunday’s meal, it was time to start packing things up. When the kitchen was finished at Cal’s house, she wanted to move all of her cookware and dinnerware there. Her dining room table, too. That way, Ansel could be there for the first meal in her new home.
Chapter 21
Gaff called her before noon. Three lemon meringue pies were already cooling on the countertops. Potato salad and a watermelon salsa waited in the refrigerator. She was ahead of schedule. A good thing.
“Guess who’s in town this weekend?” Gaff asked.