“I’m sure yours are just as good as your mom’s,” Carson said gallantly.
“Don’t let May hear you say that.” Skye winked. “She guards her saucepan brownie recipe with her life. She says I can have it when she dies or stops baking, but I have to promise never to share it.”
“And I thought southern women were fierce about their cooking secrets.” Carson chuckled, then asked, “When will my grandbabies be up? They better not sleep the whole time like my last visit.”
“They went down about a quarter to five, so I’d say around seven, but now that they’re getting older they’re sleeping less, so it could be even sooner.”
“I reckon that will have to do.” Carson leveled a finger at his son and squinted. “That is, if you and your pretty wife go have a nice long dinner after you take care of business. I made a reservation at the Prime Tomahawk Steakhouse in Laurel.”
“Thanks, Dad. You didn’t have to go to all that trouble.” Wally hugged his father, grabbed Skye’s hand, and asked, “Ready, darlin’?”
“Yep.” Skye waved goodbye to Carson. “Call us if you need us.”
Once Skye and Wally put on their coats and boots and got into the Hummer, she said, “You know, this might be a wasted trip. It just dawned on me that Nanette might have already notified Pru.”
“I doubt it.” Wally made a three-point turn, headed down the driveway, and turned onto the road. “Tavish said that Nanette didn’t get along with any of the vic’s extended family. Something about how she’d been the other woman when Wraige had divorced his first wife.”
“Then maybe Tavish called Pru.” Skye watched the scenery rush by as Wally headed toward town. “She’d be his cousin too.”
“I supposed he might.” Wally frowned. “But he didn’t strike me as a guy who would think to do that. I guess we’ll find out.”
“True.” Skye bit her lip, then shrugged. “It would be great to see Pru’s reaction to the news of her cousin’s death, but either way, I bet she’ll have some insight as to Dr. Wraige’s enemies.”
It felt like déjà vu when Wally turned into Pru’s street. They’d been there a couple of months ago to talk to the English teacher about another case. One where she’d been the suspect.
Thankfully, that interview had gone better than expected and Pru hadn’t been so upset with Skye that it had caused any awkwardness between them at school. Or at least, any more than usual.
The English teacher and Skye had polar opposite viewpoints on education and barely tolerated each other as colleagues. Friendship had always been out of the question.
Wally parked the Hummer by the curb in front of Pru’s house, and he and Skye walked up the sidewalk. The English teacher lived in a well-maintained beige brick ranch with an attached two-car garage. The driveway looked as if it had been recently plowed, the sidewalks were cleared of ice, and the yard was a pristine white, unmarred by a single footstep.
All of which Skye could have predicted from her knowledge of Pru’s personality. Before her previous visit, she would have been surprised at the extensive Valentine’s decorations, but during that encounter, she’d learned that Pru was an avid crafter and made ornaments for her home to commemorate every holiday.
Tonight, there was an elaborate red-and-pink wreath on the front door, a colorful cupid in the picture window, and foil hearts hung from the trees.
As Skye and Wally approached the front door, it swung open. Pru stood framed in the entryway with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face.
“Good evening, Pru,” Skye said. “I hope we’re not interrupting your supper.”
“We eat dinner.” Pru folded sticklike arms across her narrow chest. “Only the uneducated refer to the evening meal as supper.”
“Actually…” Skye started.
She was about to inform the infuriating English teacher that dinner was whichever meal was heaviest—midday or evening—but she caught herself and remained silent. There was no use alienating the woman they wanted to interrogate.
“Actually?” Pru’s expression was smug. “Would you care to complete your thought?”
“No.” Skye waved it away. “It wasn’t important.”
“That seems true of a lot of what you have to say.” Pru smirked.
“I highly doubt that.” Wally put his hand on Skye’s back and shot Pru a look that said I dare you to insult my wife.
“You would.” Pru’s thin lips tightened and she suddenly demanded, “To what do I owe your presence?”
“I’m afraid we have some bad news,” Skye said gently. “May we come in?”
“What’s wrong?” Pru’s normally pale complexion went dead white.
“It would really be better if we came inside where you could sit down.” Skye took Pru’s arm and lightly steered her into the living room. Once she was seated on the sofa, Skye sat next to her and said, “I’m sorry to have to tell you that Dr. Wraige has passed away.”
“Shamus is gone.” Pru’s voice cracked. “What happened to him?”
Wally ignored her question, took the chair directly across from the couch, and explained, “I was called to Dr. Wraige’s house late this morning because he reported that someone had been trying to get inside but that they had left when they couldn’t open the door.”
“Another break-in?” Pru’s watery blue eyes were malicious. “It just goes to show you how inept the police department is in this town.”
Skye stole a glance at Wally and notice a muscle in his jaw was twitching. Giving him a chance to cool down, she said, “Wally went to Dr. Wraige’s house to take his report, only to have no one respond when he rang the bell or tried the superintendent’s cell.”
“At that point, I entered the premises through the unlocked sliding glass door off the deck.” Wally’s expression was impassive. “And I found your cousin dead in the master suite’s sitting room.”
“Was it his heart?” Pru clutched her own chest as if in sympathy.
“We won’t know for sure what caused his death until the autopsy is complete.” Wally paused, then added, “But we don’t believe it was natural causes.”
“Are you saying he was murdered?” Pru’s overplucked eyebrow rose.
“Sadly, we are.” Skye patted the woman’s skeleton-like hand. Skye shivered. Pru’s fingers were as cold as ice. “And we’re hoping that you might be able to give us a list of people who might want him dead.”
“You don’t need a list,” Pru chuckled nastily. “If someone killed Shamus, it was that witch of a wife of his. She only married him for his money.”
“His money?” Wally echoed.
Pru’s pointy nose twitched, making her look like a rabbit on the trail of a tasty carrot. “You aren’t the only one with a trust fund, Chief.”
Chapter 13
Doctor, Doctor
It was a little before seven when Wally and Skye finally left Pru and returned to their car. They’d stayed with the distraught woman until her housemate got home—both so she wouldn’t have to be alone and to continue questioning her about Dr. Wraige’s enemies.
Pru had maintained that her cousin’s wife was the only one who wished he was dead. Scoffing at the idea that Nanette and Shamus had really been trying to get pregnant, Pru had declared that at his age, her cousin wasn’t interested in having another child. She’d also sworn that he had reformed and no longer engaged in sexual activity outside of his marriage.
As Wally pulled the Hummer away from the curb and headed toward Laurel, Skye massaged her temples. An awful hunger headache throbbed behind her eyes. She should have nabbed one of her mother’s brownies before she went to get dressed and her husband and father-in-law scarfed them all down.
Evidently, Wally noticed her discomfort because he asked, “Are you okay?”
“My head hurts a little, but it’ll be fine once I eat.” Realizing she
had another problem, she squirmed in her seat. “And I need a bathroom sooner rather than later.”
“Why didn’t you ask Pru to use hers?” Wally shot a confused glance at her.
“I was afraid that she’d think I wanted to snoop,” Skye explained. “You know, on all those crime shows the cops always request either a glass of water or to use the bathroom to sneak around a suspect’s home.”
“You need to stop watching those programs,” Wally teased. “Stick to your romance novels. I like it a lot more when you get ideas from Nora Roberts’s latest book rather than when you use information from Law & Order.”
Skye ignored his exaggerated leer and said, “It just occurred to me that your dad said he made reservations for us at the Prime Tomahawk. How did he know what time we’d get there to eat?”
“He invested in the place.” Wally arched a brow. “I’m sure if he told them to hold a table all night, they’d be happy to do it for him.”
Skye frowned. “I feel bad if they’re turning people away to accommodate us.”
“It should be fine. I doubt if Tuesday is one of their busier nights.” Wally patted her hand. “Don’t worry. Dad makes sure people are well compensated for any favors he requests.”
“I just hate for people to think that we expect special treatment because we have money.” She chewed her bottom lip. “I’m doing better, but it’s hard to get used to this lifestyle.”
“That’s because you’re the most caring, kindhearted person that I’ve ever met.”
“Aw.” Skye squirmed again. She really should have asked to use Pru’s bathroom.
“Can you hold it until we get to Laurel?”
Crossing her legs, Skye said, “I think I can make it, but it will be close.”
“I can always use the sirens,” Wally said with a lopsided grin. “Good thing when Dad gave me this vehicle, I had it modified.”
“I’ll let you know if you need to do that.” Skye settled back into the comfy seat, determined to forget about her full bladder. “While I’m thrilled that we’re getting some alone time, I hope your father’s okay with the twins. CJ’s been cranky. I think he’s teething, and you know if he’s out of sorts, Eva is too.”
“I mentioned that when I called him, and he’s fully prepared. He bought this new baby teething mitten while he was in Texas and is anxious to try it out.” At Skye’s inquisitive glance, Wally added, “It’s a tiny glove that CJ can wear and chew on.”
“Your dad is so cute,” Skye giggled. “Mom just uses a frozen bag of veggies.”
“Of course she does,” Wally chuckled, then changed the subject. “Have you heard much about the Prime Tomahawk? All I know is that Dad arranged a deal for them to get fresh farm-raised Wagyu and Black Angus beef from one of the ranches he owns in East Texas.”
Skye’s mouth watered. “Everyone who has been there says it’s awesome.”
They discussed food for a while, then Wally said, “I asked the city attorney to get a warrant to search the superintendent’s office. Any idea how bent out of shape the board will be about that?”
“I doubt they’ll be upset.” Skye relayed Charlie’s comments about Dr. Wraige, assuring Wally that she had not told her godfather the superintendent was dead. Then she added, “And Uncle Charlie has an alibi, so don’t go there.”
Wally sped up to pass a slow-moving tractor, then said, “Nope. Never. Did Charlie say how things stood with the state police? I never did get a chance to call the lead detective today.”
“He was on the phone with Loretta when I got to Mom’s, and it looks as if he’s in the clear.” Skye’s stomach growled and she put her hand on her midriff. “He’s still not officially released, but they admitted to Loretta that there was no evidence to link him to the drugs or weapons, or the people selling them, who were staying at his motel.”
“That’s terrific.” Wally beamed. “I’ll try to contact the investigator tomorrow and see what I can find out about the case.”
“How long do you think it will it take them to return Uncle Charlie’s car and allow him to reopen up the motor court?” Skye asked.
“If they’ve really cleared him, they’ll release his personal vehicle soon.” Wally glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and tensed, as if aware what he was about to say would upset her. “But the motel will depend on whether the perps they arrested make a deal.”
“You mean they could keep it closed until the trial!” Skye screeched, then regretted it when her head throbbed even more than before.
“Yep.” Wally lifted a brow. “Although they probably won’t keep it that long, they might if they’re concerned that they may need additional evidence for a conviction.”
“That could drive him out of business.” She hadn’t been prepared for that answer and her chest tightened, but then she smiled. “No way will Loretta allow that. She’d sue the state police if they try to pull that stunt.”
Wally turned the car onto the road leading into Laurel. “I’m sure she’s informed them of that intention, so Charlie is probably good.”
“Loretta would definitely do that.” Skye nodded vigorously. “I remember when she was president of our Alpha Sigma Alpha chapter. It was the year after I joined, and the university administration found some nitpicking issue with our house and tried to move us off campus. Loretta pulled up every single little legal loophole she could find, and we were able to stay in it. The sorority was really grateful to her and she even got an award.”
Skye crossed her legs. They were still a few minutes from the restaurant and she hoped she could last that long. She really had to go.
“Why am I not surprised?” Wally traced a finger gently down Skye’s cheek. “I bet you were right there helping her do the research.”
“Maybe.” Skye grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. She was silent until she remembered what she’d wanted to do at home before Wally sidetracked her. “Shoot! I forgot to look to see if the dresses I ordered for the Valentine’s Dinner Dance arrived.”
“Dresses? Plural?” Wally turned into the Prime Tomahawk’s lot, parked the car, and got out to open Skye’s door. “How many of these shindigs are we attending? Or are you changing halfway through?”
“Don’t be silly. I ordered two of the same dress, just in different sizes. I’ll return the one that doesn’t fit right.” Skye kissed his cheeks, then swiftly walked toward the restaurant’s front door and entered before Wally could hold open the door. Once he joined her, she said, “You go ahead and sit down. I’ll meet you at our table.”
She looked around for the restroom and when she spotted it, she took off at a jog. She could only pray that there wasn’t a line of women waiting for a free stall.
After she took care of business, Skye exited the bathroom with a sigh of relief. She located Wally in a corner booth and quickly headed toward him. With that pressing issue gone, her hunger headache felt that much worse.
Since Wally was in uniform, he was sipping a glass of iced tea and there was a Diet Coke with a lime wedge waiting for her. She slid onto the bench and took a long drink, then, her stomach growling, she grabbed the menu sitting on the tabletop and scanned the selections.
A few minutes later, a server came to take their orders, and once he was gone, Skye finally had a chance to really look around the restaurant. It had a sleek feel with granite top tables, stylish black leather seating, and muted lighting provided by low-hanging pendant lamps suspended from a wooden-slat ceiling.
White stacked stone panels alternated with reclaimed wood on an accent wall and the other three were painted a soft gray. Several strategically placed large steel-framed mirrors made the space look bigger.
The bar area was also decorated in wood and metal elements with LED light boxes used to display the restaurant’s wine inventory. A bright red sofa in the lounge provided a pop of color.
Skye sighed in
satisfaction. The air was redolent with grilled meat and caramelized onions, and she was about to enjoy a yummy supper with her handsome husband. This was true contentment.
Gazing at Wally, she could tell that he was itching to talk over the case. He probably didn’t want to bring it up, afraid he’d ruin their evening. But even if she wasn’t a fan of the superintendent, he did deserve justice.
Hoping they could get that discussion over with before their entrée arrived, or at least before dessert, she said, “I wonder how much of what Pru claimed about Nanette and Dr. Wraige we can believe. From my experience dealing with parents and students, I’ve become very aware that folks often kept secrets from their closest family, and those same people often chose to ignore their loved ones’ flaws.”
“It’ll be difficult to check out what Pru said about the trust fund”—Wally took out his memo pad and made a note—“but the city attorney should be able to get me a look at the vic’s will.”
“If Wraige was still playing around, someone must know something about it,” Skye mused. “Although, after all the gossip when he and his secretary were involved, he was probably smart enough to do his cheating out of town this time.”
Wally nodded. “Keep your ears open. News of his death might stir up the rumor mill.”
“I’ll try to hang around the faculty lounge a bit more than usual.” Skye looked around, hoping their food was coming soon, then asked, “Have you heard if the crime scene techs or Doris Ann found anything interesting?”
“Wraige had a locked armoire full of some pretty intense fetish gear.” Wally tilted his head and quirked his lips. “But as Nanette indicated to you, it seemed as if it hadn’t been used in a long time. They said it was covered with dust and smelled moldy.”
“That’s interesting.” Skye’s cheeks warmed. She might be a psychologist, but it was still a little embarrassing discussing someone else’s sex life. She chose her words carefully, then said, “According to that class on human sexuality that I took in graduate school, a person who needs that type of stimulation would have a difficult time finding satisfaction in more conventional ways.”
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