An Unfortunate Incident

by K T Brodland

  She finished her coffee, got a refill, then settled back in her chair. “FYI, we still don’t have any leads on who was behind that drive-by shooting. I checked out a couple of farms that weren’t too far from the scene. In both cases the homes are set far enough back from the road that they might not have heard what happened. One belonged to a Middle Eastern family that spoke little English and seemed quite relieved that I was only there to ask if they had heard anything unusual three weeks ago. The fellow on the other side of the road told me he barely remembered what he had for breakfast, never mind what happened that long ago. His wife is deaf as a post so she wasn’t much help either.”

  Cat shook her head. “Damn. What about casings left at the scene? Any clues there?”

  “Only that they were from AR-15s. No fingerprints on those either. Somebody was damn careful. So, how is your own investigation into the McIntyre’s shooting coming along?”

  Olivia added her two cents to the discussion. “It’s coming. Trish gave Steven’s cell phone to me and Cat and I were able to download all the files off it onto our respective computers. Found some interesting text messages between Steven and Sonny from the days prior to the shooting.”

  “Anything I should know about?”

  “Probably. I can forward copies to your office email.”

  “Thanks. Oh, and first thing tomorrow morning we will be putting up a notice on Global One asking for the public’s assistance in finding the Wilke’s brothers. We’ve drawn a blank so far, trying to locate them. We’ve checked all their known haunts, but no one has seen them. Or if they have, they aren’t saying. Still, keep your eye and ears open and let us know immediately if you hear anything.” She frowned. “By the way, I had those guns you turned in checked out. No great surprise, the numbers had all been filed off. There also doesn’t seem to be any record of them ever been used in any previous crimes.”

  There were nods all around, then Pat stood and stretched to ease her back. She nodded to Olivia. “If there’s nothing more at the moment, I think I’d like to go take a look at the mobile and then head home. It’s been a long week and I have an early shift tomorrow.”

  “Sure. I think the front door is still unlocked. I was there earlier today,” Olivia said, smiling up at the woman.

  Jean stood and excused herself, saying she should be heading off.

  Olivia followed both women outside, Cat close behind her. Jean took off in her cruiser, leaving them watching after her, before they made their way back to the porch. Pat disappeared inside the mobile, reappearing about ten minutes later. Grinning, she gave a thumbs-up, then took off in her truck.

  “Well, that was interesting,” Olivia murmured, after a few minutes of silence. She half-turned her head toward Cat. “I wonder if that little session means we are going to have to work more closely with Jean from now on?”

  “I can only speak for myself, but if it means keeping my license as well as my friendship with Jean, yes, it does.”

  Olivia churned that statement in her head for a second or two. “And if I choose not to?”

  “I trust that is a rhetorical question. If not, I have enough material on the Alphas that I can work on my own. I would prefer not to. You are quite talented at digging up dirt on the ungodly. Which is an appropriate name for them, by the way.”

  “And if it wasn’t a rhetorical question?”

  Cat massaged the back of her neck. “Then this is where we part company. Going behind the back of the police is one thing, especially when they deem our investigation to be a low priority. But cutting Jean out of the loop is where I draw the line.”

  “Glad to hear it. I like Jean and I have a hunch she could be a valuable ally in the weeks and months to come.”

  Cat chuckled. “I’m sure she would be pleased to hear that.”

  “Mmm. Sure. Hang on, I’ll be right back. I don’t know about you, but I need something to drink.”

  Getting a murmured reply, Olivia popped into the kitchen and retrieved glasses of lemonade. Out on the porch, she handed one to Cat, then parked in an adjoining chair. Her thirst quenched, she leaned back in the big wicker chair and propped her feet on the porch railing.

  Rolling her head sideways, she managed a smile when Cat asked if she was getting hungry. “Only if the food can make it here on its own. I’m not in the mood to cook and I haven’t the energy to get changed and drive to the nearest burger joint.”

  “I think that’s why delivery was invented.” Cat pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “What’s your pleasure, babe?”

  “Surprise me.”

  Babe, eh? That certainly signaled a warming in Cat’s attitude toward her. Not that Cat was cold or unfriendly toward her. Far from it. It was almost as though she’d made a conscious choice to be more open with her. She’d known for a while that Cat was attracted to her but was keeping it low-key.

  Under different circumstances she would have welcomed the change. She liked Cat, perhaps more than she should, but being in a relationship with someone wasn’t in the cards right now. Maybe that time would never come. She blinked her eyes rapidly to conceal the tears that suddenly blurred her vision. She put it down to being overtired.

  “Thank goodness. Pizza doesn’t require any major effort to eat it,” she said, when the pizza delivery car showed up.

  Once they polished off their impromptu meal, she finally got around to asking Cat how it went with Anne that morning.

  “What can I say? We were both a bit teary-eyed by the time she got in her car, but I suppose that’s to be expected. We’ve known one another for more than a decade. It was her husband who approached me and offered me a job as his assistant. I suspect that Jean had a hand in that. She and Lee were both pretty worried about me during the first year after Elena died. I climbed into a bottle and stayed there for quite a while trying to drown my sorrows. And the guilt I felt about my wife’s death. Couldn’t prove it by me, though. I don’t really remember much of the first couple of months.”

  “Why would you feel guilty about your wife’s death?”

  Cat gazed off into the distance for several minutes before replying. “The day Elena died we’d had another row. Hard angry words were tossed around like hand grenades. She’d grown to hate my job, said I spent more time with my colleagues than I did with her. She was just an afterthought. There was more, but you get the general idea. I always blamed myself for her death. The coroner ruled it an accidental death, but I knew better. Elena was too good a driver to miss the curve where her car went over an embankment.”

  Olivia laid a hand on Cat’s arm. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how painful that must have been for you.”

  Cat covered Olivia’s hand with her own and managed a smile. “Thanks, babe.”

  “Why are you calling me babe?”

  “Did I? Sorry, I guess it just slipped out. Does it bother you?”

  “No, not really. Just not used to being called anything other than Olivia or Livvy.”

  Cat was silent for a moment, then sighed. “I’m beginning to sag a bit myself. What say we call it a day? In fact, why don’t you come back to my place? And, if you’re up to it, maybe we could spend tomorrow together. I could use some downtime after the past couple of weeks. I might even be persuaded to fix waffles for our breakfast.”

  “Did I hear you mention waffles?”

  “Yup.”

  “With strawberries and bananas?”

  “I think we might be able to manage that.”

  “You’re on then.”

  “Good. Go pack up and we’ll blow this pop stand.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  O livia gathered up their dishes and put them in the dishwasher, then sat down again across from Cat. “I can’t believe I just put away four waffles, two scrambled eggs and three strips of bacon! It’s a good thing I have a metabolism that can deal with that much food or I’d be letting out my waistband before long.”

  “Well, we can’t have that. In the meantime, if you
’re interested, I thought maybe we could take a drive up to the lake country. It’s pretty there at this time of the year when the trees are just starting to leaf out. There are a few nice walking trails that you might also enjoy.” Cat grinned. “A good way to walk off those calories.”

  “Hm. That’s a lovely idea, but I really planned on doing some furniture shopping today. That old couch of mine has seen better days and so has that area rug in the living room. If that’s not your cup of tea, I can always go by myself.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind tagging along. I even know of a couple of places you might like. Especially if you are into older styles.”

  “That sums it up. I like pieces with character, although I’m not above more modern stuff if it catches my eye.” There was a twinkle in Olivia’s eye. “One condition, though. We drive with the top down.”

  Cat laughed. “I think we can arrange that.” She reached and undid the clip that held Olivia’s hair back. “And don’t forget about letting the wind blow through your hair.”

  “How could I possibly forget? I believe it’s a tradition for the woman in the passenger seat of a convertible to have her hair blowing all over the place.” Olivia proceeded to give her head a good shake, sending her hair flying about her shoulders. “There, that should get us off to a good start.”

  Cat clapped her on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”

  Shortly afterward they were zipping along the highway, the top down, with Olivia laughing as she unsuccessfully tried to keep her hair out of her face. She finally gave it up as a bad job and just let the wind play havoc with it.

  When they passed an antique and collectable shop, part of an assortment of similar roadside shops, Olivia half-turned in her seat and raised her eyebrows in a silent question. Cat found a driveway a little farther on, turned in, and headed back.

  Olivia was two steps ahead of Cat as she entered the store. She gasped in delight at the selection of vintage furnishings. She prowled the aisles, exclaiming about polished end tables, cabinets, elegant wing chairs, sideboards loaded with china and tea sets. Halfway to the rear of the store she came to a halt in front of a bedroom set. She walked around the queen size bed, admiring the curved headboard, ran her fingers along the edges of the matching dressers. She found the price tag and decided then and there that she just had to have the set. She went looking for the proprietor and found him sipping tea at a desk set between a dining table that would have seated a dozen people and a huge sideboard that would have held the service for the same number of people. The elderly gent set his cup aside and smiled up at her.

  “How can I help you, ma’am?”

  “Do you deliver?”

  “Yes, we do. Was there something in particular you would like?”

  “Yes, there’s a bedroom set I have my heart set on.”

  The proprietor slowly stood and followed Olivia. When she paused in front of the set he nodded and smiled. “Excellent choice, my dear. Did you have anything else in mind?”

  Olivia thought for a moment and then pointed out a large cream area rug that would go nicely in her living room. A large, brown leather drop down couch caught her eye. She cast casual glance in Cat’s direction, taking the measure of the other woman’s height, then nodded and added the couch to her list of purchases. She motioned Cat to her at one point. “At the rate I’m going I may need the services of you and Pat and Tracy again.”

  Cat chuckled. “I don’t think there’s any maybe about it.”

  Olivia’s face fell as she considered that she may have overstepped the boundaries of their friendship. “If that’s too much I can always hire a crew to come out and move the new stuff into place.” She’d do no such thing of course. She could easily shift it all by herself without breaking a sweat, but she suspected Cat and company would be hurt if she didn’t at least ask for their help.

  “You’ll do no such thing. I know damn well those two would be delighted to come out and give you a hand. I would too for that matter. So, don’t even go there.”

  Shaking her head, smiling, Olivia wandered back to the sideboard and inspected the place settings laid out on its shelves. Cat joined her. “Anne told me that you can have her Royal Albert china if you like. It would go nice with what you already have.”

  Olivia nodded. The silver tea set Anne had given her already had a place of honor on the sideboard. She was keeping the big oak kitchen table with its eclectic mix of chairs. She’d shared many a meal with Alison at it and couldn’t bring herself to part with it.

  She was about to turn away when she spotted two matching recliners. Both were upholstered in a bold blue and green plaid fabric. Cat was casting an admiring glance at them. That settled it for Olivia and she added the recliners to her list.

  “So,” the proprietor said. “When and where would you like all this to be delivered?”

  “How does Wednesday afternoon sound? Say around one o’clock?”

  “That would be perfect. My son has a three-ton truck so he’ll have no problem with those large pieces.”

  Olivia gave him her address and cell phone number in case the son had difficulty finding the place. With that taken care of, she paid the bill, shook his hand, and told him what a pleasure it had been doing business with him. He smiled and said the pleasure was all his.

  As they were leaving, Olivia glanced up at Cat. “I never thought to ask. Did you see anything in there that you would like?”

  “I certainly did, but somebody beat me to them.”

  “Oh, you mean the recliners?” Olivia grinned. “I saw you admiring them. That’s why I bought them. They’ll look nice in my living room and you’ll have someplace comfortable to sit when you are at the house.”

  Cat stopped dead in her tracks and stared down at Olivia. “You little scamp. You didn’t need to do that. Thanks anyway.”

  With that she hooked her arm through Olivia’s and steered her in the direction of the car.

  “You know, I’m actually getting hungry and a favorite place of mine is only a few miles from here. Are you up for it? Or have you had enough of my company for one day?”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. “Oh, I think I could force myself to endure another hour or two of your company.”

  Cat put the car into drive. “Glad to hear it,” she said as she headed out onto the main road again.

  Twenty minutes later she pulled into the parking lot of a roadside diner and managed to find a slot between two pickup trucks. Little more than a slung-together clapboard shack, the restaurant looked for all the world as though it might collapse at any minute. Entering the place was like stepping back to the fifties, with linoleum flooring, ruffles across the top of the windows, red and white Formica topped tables, and wooden chairs, none of which matched. The menu was written on a blackboard behind a long counter where servers in jeans and red checked shirts scurried back and forth, collecting orders from their customers.

  They were soon ushered to a window table overlooking the parking lot. They ordered coffee, spent several minutes reading the menu before deciding on chili and cornbread.

  “Brace yourself,” Cat said once the server had bustled off. “The portions are designed for people with big appetites.”

  She wasn’t joking, either. Ten minutes later their server returned with two huge bowls of chili. Even the mini loaves of cornbread were each large enough to cover an entire bread plate. Olivia took one look and giggled. “I could live for a week off this much food. After the huge breakfast I had I have a hunch that most of it is going to end up in a doggy bag.”

  Cat grinned. “You and me both.”

  An hour later, the meal topped off with enormous slices of apple pie, Olivia breathed a happy sigh. “What are you finding so amusing?” she asked, as she caught a glimmer of a smile on Cat’s face.

  “You. In a good way, though. I was just thinking that it’s too bad I hadn’t been able to take a picture of you earlier. I just loved the way you looked with your hair blowing wild and free a
nd the huge grin on your face. Unfortunately, I had to concentrate on my driving.”

  Olivia patted her hair. “I’ll keep that in mind when I am trying to get the tangles out later.”

  “I’ll be more than happy to help,” Cat said, grinning.

  “Yeah, I just bet you would. Some other time maybe.”

  “Spoilsport.”

  “Yup, that’s me.”

  Cat summoned their server and asked to have the remains of their meal boxed up. The young woman grinned. “Sure, hon.”

  Olivia almost got into an argument with Cat as to who was going to pay the bill, but Cat had the last word. “Hey, when I invite you to go somewhere with me, I pick up the tab.”

  Olivia waited for the server to hand Cat her receipt, then leave to go about taking care of her other customers before meeting Cat’s level gaze. “Given how much you’ve done for me during the past few weeks, I feel as though I should be treating you, not the other way around.” A slow smile appeared, tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I have the perfect solution. In fact, I have a garden full of solutions. Any time you want fresh veggies, just let me know what you’d like. How does that sound to you?”

  “That sounds great, except for one thing.”

  “What would that be?”

  “I asked you out because I enjoy your company, not because I hope to get fresh vegetables in exchange.”

  “Oh. Well…What can I say? I seem to be hopeless at this sort of thing.”

  “And what sort of thing would this be?”

  Olivia squirmed in her chair, at a loss for words. She met Cat’s level gaze. “I think it’s my turn to plead the Fifth.”

  She gathered up the doggy bags before heading outside with Cat close behind her.

  Cat settled behind the wheel before turning to Olivia. “When was the last time you dated anyone?”

  Taken off guard by the question, Olivia gaped at Cat, then slowly shook her head.

  “I’ve never dated anyone.”

  “Never?”

  “No.”

  “How on earth have you managed to do that? You’re attractive. You must have had women lining up to ask you out,” Cat said, a look of disbelief crossing her face.