“I’ll be down in just a second. I’m almost done cleaning up this stack.” Once she finished in the study, she went downstairs and found Max, Luke, and Sarah Jane waiting for her in the kitchen. “Hi guys,” Irene said as she walked into the room.
Luke and Sarah Jane each greeted her with a friendly hug. It was while the two women were talking that Luke muttered under his breath to Max, “I’m guessing by the look of envy on your face that you didn’t get as warm of a welcome as we did. Am I right?”
Max turned to look at his friend and shook his head in exasperation. “Has anyone ever told you that you have a talent for bringing up the most annoying things at the worst possible moments?”
Luke grinned mischievously in response. “Just one more reason why people find me so likeable!”
Max couldn’t help but smile at him but then sobered as he said quietly, “Trust me, the last thing I want to do is complicate things with Irene any more than they already are. She’s overwhelmed right now – and understandably so. I mean, look at all she’s been through.” He let out a sigh and looked over to where she and Sarah Jane were still talking. Max studied Irene for a few moments and then said quietly to Luke, “I don’t want her to have to deal with anything else right now. I’m worried about her.”
Luke nodded his understanding. “I know you are, but try not to worry. She’ll be okay – you’ll see. Everything will work out.”
“I hope so,” Max responded hurriedly when he saw that Irene and Sarah Jane were finishing their conversation.
“All right, who’s making lunch?” Luke questioned to the group. “I’m going to need some food if people expect me to be the genius that I am.”
“In that case, I’ll make lunch. I wouldn’t want a little thing like hunger to hinder your intellectual abilities Luke,” Irene teased. With that, she walked to the kitchen to see what she could make. Mrs. Lewis had fully stocked the fridge – yet Irene decided nothing sounded as good to her as a corned beef sandwich with plenty of pickles and mustard. When she finished preparing lunch, Irene set Max’s plate in front of him, and the others then sat down next to him. Max sat still for a moment just looking at the sandwich Irene had made for him. He recalled the many times in years past when she had made lunch for him. She always made him the same sandwich – because it was his favorite. It then occurred to him that he hadn’t eaten a corned beef sandwich in nearly six years – no one made it just as he liked it – no one except for Irene. At that moment, he recognized that the memories he and Irene had shared were harder to erase than he’d initially believed. This realization brought a subtle smile to his face.
Irene noticed that he hadn’t started eating and said in a confused voice, “Is everything okay?”
He looked directly at her and smiled as he said reassuringly, “Everything’s great.”
Chapter 36
“So, did you guys find out anything this morning?” Luke asked.
“No,” Max responded. “There’s nothing at this point that really stands out as being out of the ordinary.”
“There’s so much information,” Irene explained, “that it’s difficult to know exactly what to look for. We went through so many papers and photos that I really don’t know where we go from here.” She sighed heavily, “I’m starting to think that this is worse than finding a needle in a haystack. My father knew way too many people. It’s no wonder the police haven’t uncovered something. Without any leads, it seems impossible.”
Luke and Sarah Jane listened attentively to Irene’s explanation. Luke then said, “Well, just a few days ago Sarah and I had an interesting experience at work. It’s probably nothing, but it’s still kind of strange. We didn’t want to tell you guys until you’d had a chance to settle in.”
Max and Irene looked intently at them as Max questioned, “What happened?”
“Well,” Luke explained, “it all started in the hall outside of Duncan’s law clerks office when I nearly ran Sarah Jane over as she was eavesdropping outside their door.”
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Sarah Jane interjected, “but I can’t help but do it when people are screaming at each other.”
“What were they arguing about?” Max questioned.
“Did they talk about my father?” Irene asked.
Sarah Jane shook her head as she responded, “Not that I heard, but I didn’t hear the whole conversation, so I don’t know for sure. All I heard was one of them accusing the other of going through his stuff. It seemed weird to me that he’d be shouting at his colleague about confidentiality when they work on all the same cases. They really have no reason to keep secrets from one another.”
“So, what Sarah overheard,” Luke explained, “made us a little uneasy, but the really strange thing happened while we were in the hall.” The friends sat quietly as they waited for Luke to elaborate. “Since Sarah took me by surprise, I didn’t exactly greet her in a quiet voice. We were afraid that they’d heard us, and so we hurried around the corner just as the door to the office opened. We heard one of them say that he thought he’d heard something. We didn’t stick around to find out anything else. At that point, we hurried back to my office before getting caught.”
“I don’t know if it sounds that suspicious when you just hear it,” Sarah Jane said, “but it seemed out of the ordinary at the time. Ever since Judge Duncan’s death, the two of them have been acting kind of strange.”
Luke looked at Max who sat reflecting on the story. “What do you think?” Luke questioned.
Max sat deep in thought and then spoke his thoughts aloud. “It could be nothing like you said. It could just be one really uptight, paranoid little clerk who’s oversensitive about his stuff – but on the other hand – it could be something.” He looked from Irene to Luke to Sarah Jane and then continued, “The two of you were there, and it seemed weird to you, so we’re going to assume that it was.” He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts and then said to Luke and Sarah Jane, “Try to find out what you can about these clerks. What are their names?”
“Adam Higgs and Bryson Walker,” Sarah Jane responded.
Max nodded, “Yeah, keep on eye on Adam and Bryson in addition to anyone else hanging around the courthouse who seems to be acting suspicious. Try to be as subtle as possible. I don’t want them to think anybody’s watching them.”
They nodded their agreement, and Luke said, “Got it. We’ll try to be a little more discreet than we were the last time.” With that, he looked at Sarah Jane and winked.
“Since you guys have the courthouse covered,” Max explained to the group, “I think the best place for Irene and me to start is by going to her father’s country club. It’s the same one my Uncle Blake belongs to, and I know they have most of the same social acquaintances. I don’t think you should join us there, at least not right now. I don’t want anyone more aware than they already are that we’re friends.”
“Sounds good,” Luke responded.
“Just remember guys that in all our situations we can’t seem like we’re prying too deeply. We don’t have to have this case solved by tomorrow. Duncan’s murderer has the advantage here. He knows who to watch out for. Eventually he’ll slip and make a wrong move. We just have to be there to catch him when he does.”
Chapter 37
“This isn’t going to work,” Irene said apprehensively to Max as they got out of his car at the country club where her father had been a member for years. She and Max had decided the best place to start investigating her father’s acquaintances was at his country club, but now that she was there, she didn’t think it was such a good idea after all. “People are going to think we’re up to something.”
“Why?” Max questioned as he walked around to where Irene was standing by the car.
“Because,” she explained, “when’s the last time I showed up at my dad’s country club to shoot the breeze with his friends?”
He nodded. “I see you
r point, but the main reason we’re here is so that your dad’s friends get used to us hanging around. We’re not here to find anything out today unless something comes up. We don’t even have to talk to anyone if it doesn’t seem like the right time. For all they know, we’re just here together to enjoy the day.”
“All right.”
When she still didn’t move away from the car, he began to understand just how nervous she was to go digging, and he said, “It’ll be okay, Irene.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded. She then looked up at him and smiled in an attempt to reassure him and to mask her own uneasiness.
He smiled back at her, took her hand, and proceeded to lead her away from the car and up the walkway to the doors of the clubhouse. She hesitated just outside the leaded glass doors, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. There would be no one in there that she could trust. Despite their rocky past, Irene knew that when she walked through those doors – possibly to face her father’s killer – that she could count on Max every step of the way. She regained her composure and said, “Well then, shall we?”
Chapter 38
As Irene walked into the country club’s grandiose dining room where a number of members were enjoying a fine lunch, she quickly surveyed her surroundings. She made eye contact with Max’s uncle, Christopher Blake, who was seated at a crowded table with several affluent looking men and women. Blake stood up and gestured for them to join him. Max followed Irene over to the crowded table where Blake was still standing. Blake gave Irene a warm, fatherly hug. When he drew back, he held her beautiful face between his hands. “I’m so glad to see you. When Max told me the good news about your coming home, I was delighted. We’ve missed you.”
“Thank you Blake,” she responded sweetly. “I’ve missed you too.” Blake gave Max a swift hug as well, after which he turned to the group and said apologetically, “Please excuse my rudeness. You all know my nephew, Max, of course, and this stunning creature is William and Seville Duncan’s daughter, Irene.”
The individuals at the table exchanged the appropriate pleasantries with Irene, but she still sensed that at the mention of her parents, the tone at the table had grown tense and uncomfortable. Max sensed the change in atmosphere as well and said hurriedly, “It’s nice to see all of you again.” With that, Max pulled out a chair for Irene and then sat down next to her.
“It has been ages since we last saw you. How are you, Maxwell?” Dr. Steven Archibald questioned. “Is The Post everything that you had hoped it would be? Are you feeling overwhelmed?”
“You have no idea!” Max joked. The only one at the table who understood the double meaning was Irene, who had to stifle her laughter behind her linen napkin. It was then that she suddenly remembered where she had heard the name Dr. Archibald before. Dr. Archibald, a debonair psychologist in his mid-forties, had seen her father for some time following her mother’s death, yet he had greeted her just now as though they were perfect strangers. Irene suddenly felt very uneasy. Max sensed her discomfort but couldn’t account for what had happened to change her mood. He put his arm on the back of her chair to offer his unspoken support.
A moment later, Irene’s feelings of anxiety escalated to even greater heights – Tweed Richards and her parents had just entered the dining room.
***
Irene tried to mask her surprise when she saw Tweed. Although it had been six years, it felt like she had seen her just days ago. After the initial shock, Irene quickly composed herself. She reflected on her past encounters with Tweed – and looking at her – suddenly wondered how it was that Tweed had ever managed to intimidate her. Irene was confused – she could have sworn that Tweed had been taller and considerably more attractive than she was now. Irene observed her arrogance – and how hard she tried to sell herself – that certainly hadn’t changed. Irene shook her head, her long, silky hair falling over the shoulders of her winter-white, cashmere sweater. She finally realized just how pathetic Tweed Richards really was. Irene sat up a little straighter, crossed her legs, and folded her arms. One eyebrow arched challengingly. Tweed had tormented her for years, and she had allowed it – but she wasn’t a little girl anymore. Today would be the day Tweed Richards would meet the woman Irene Duncan had become.
Irene wasn’t the only one who had noticed Tweed – Max had as well and looked over to find Irene watching the Richards family with amused interest. He was pleased to see that their arrival hadn’t affected her in the slightest.
Max and Irene’s gaze moved from the Richards to one another. They looked intently at each other for a moment, but neither of them had a chance to say anything because it was at that instant that Tweed caught sight of them. She weaved her way toward them as quickly and seductively as possible. “My, my, Max, I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought that you were too busy for this sort of thing since all you do is work.”
“It’s nice to see you too, Tweed,” Max said as he stood up. “Hello, Bob, Karen,” he said as he shook hands with both of Tweed’s parents.
“How are you, Max?” Karen Richards asked eagerly, her skin now weathered from years of sunbathing and her face unnaturally taut from what appeared to be recent cosmetic surgery. “We sure miss seeing you around,” she said as she pressed herself up against him. “We would love it if you would drop by sometime. Wouldn’t we, Bob? Tweed?”
“We certainly would,” Bob responded. It was evident from Tweed’s behavior toward Max, as well as her parents, that the Richards still had hopes of securing Max as a member of their family. Within the first few moments of seeing them, Irene easily deduced that Tweed’s parents, Bob and Karen, were every bit as disingenuous and shameless as Tweed herself.
At last, the Richards noticed that Max wasn’t alone. They looked to where Irene was still seated – their faces drawing a complete blank. Irene realized from their empty expressions that they didn’t recognize her. Just then, Tweed spoke, “Well Max, aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?”
Before Max could speak, Irene stood up and said confidently, “We’ve already met. How nice to see you again, Tweed. It’s been a long time.”
Recognition finally dawned on Tweed, and she couldn’t control the shocked and uncertain tone in her voice. “Irene? Irene Duncan?” Tweed tried to steady herself as she hid the loathing she had for Irene behind a practiced smile. “I’m afraid I didn’t recognize you, even though you’ve been all over the news lately. My, my, you’ve certainly changed haven’t you?”
“And you’re exactly the same – aren’t you?” Irene asked. Tweed wanted to scratch Irene Duncan’s eyes out. How had the awkward, adolescent girl she’d terrorized become so sophisticated and self-assured? She couldn’t believe this. She was in a state of panic. Not only did Irene seem confident in the extreme, but Tweed also had to admit to herself that she had become the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had disliked Irene all those years ago, but now she despised her. She knew now that Max would never change his mind about their broken engagement – despite all of her family’s efforts over the past years. Tweed couldn’t believe it. She’d made it her mission to sabotage Irene – when they were growing up – yet somehow she had become the casualty.
Chapter 39
Irene could sense Tweed and her parents’ hostility and thought it wise to leave the room before things got out of hand. She smiled at the Richards and then said to Max, “Would you please excuse me for a moment?”
“Certainly,” Max replied.
Irene had just made it out of the room when a petite, blonde, middle-aged woman detained her. “Excuse me my dear, but I couldn’t help but overhear that you are William Duncan’s daughter.”
Irene smiled politely. “Yes, that’s right.”
The woman’s face lit up, and she grabbed both of Irene’s hands so exuberantly that Irene was startled. “I’m Mallory Grant. I was so sorry to hear the news about your father. H
e was a great friend of mine.”
“Was he really? Well, how nice.” Irene tried to seem interested, but the truth of the matter was that she had no idea who this overexcited woman was, and she was anxious to end their conversation and make her way to the ladies room before getting detained by anyone else.
Ms. Grant seemed unaware of Irene’s desire to end the conversation and continued animatedly, “This is so fantastic – our meeting like this. Did you know that I’ve known your father for years? We met long before you were ever born and have stayed extremely close ever since.” That bit of news surprised Irene. She thought she knew all of her father’s “close” friends, but that appeared not to have been the case. Before she could respond, Ms. Grant rambled on without stopping for breath. “Yes, we were great friends. Well, more than friends really. We were involved when Duncan met your mother.”
“I beg your pardon?” Irene questioned in disbelief.
Ms. Grant could sense Irene’s obvious discomfort, and she tried to cover up her blunder. “Well, that was a long time ago wasn’t it? After your father met your mother, it seemed like he fell off the face of the earth. We weren’t in contact much.”
Irene couldn’t wipe the puzzled expression from her face, and she wondered if Ms. Grant realized how she had contradicted her earlier statement. Irene opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Ms. Grant again – she was ruffled, her tone not quite matching her words. “Well, you’ll excuse me won’t you my dear. It really was such a delightful pleasure to meet you.”
Without waiting for any response from Irene, Ms. Grant walked hurriedly away from her and into another room. Irene stood there in a daze – she wondered how much more she was going to find out about her father before this whole affair was over.
Chapter 40
Irene had had enough surprises for one day. She walked swiftly back into the dining room where she had left Max. He was seated once again at the long table. The Richards were no longer accosting him and had found another table across the room. Irene tried to act calm as she walked up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. She smiled at him for the benefit of everyone watching and then whispered in his ear. “I need to talk to you.”
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