“Someone yes, but not Max,” I agreed. “Someone else traced his signature to make it look like he authorized the transfers. If you’ll check the letters between the town and the corporation building the store, you’ll find the same thing. Someone else tried to make it look like Max was dealing with them. When he discovered what was happening, he tried to undo what had been done. That might be when the transfers were made. Someone was trying to frame Max.”
“They did a damn good job of it, too.” He gave me a quick hug. “Thank you. If you hadn’t kept poking at me, I wouldn’t have brought this out here to prove my point.”
“Poking at you, huh? You mean like this?” I poked him in the chest with my finger.
“Yeah, like that.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me against him as he fell back on the couch. I giggled when he started tickling me. Giving him a shove, we were in a full out wrestling match that quickly changed from playful to passionate. Somehow we’d rolled off the couch onto the floor without noticing. He was holding me down with his body, his dark eyes even darker as he looked down at me.
My breath caught in my throat as I waited for him to kiss me. But he didn’t move. He stared at me with an expression I couldn’t decipher. When it became too painful to wait any longer, I grabbed the front of his shirt pulling him to me. With his lips on mine, I felt like I was melting into him. He rolled over until I was on top of him, his strong arms locked around me.
Finally coming up for air, he rested his forehead against mine. “What am I going to do with you?”
“What do you want to do?” I wasn’t sure what I expected him to say.
He gave a bark of laughter. “Maybe I’ll show you someday. Until then…” His voice trailed off as he pulled me down until his lips rested against mine again. It was some time later when he finally pulled away from me. “I think that’s enough for now.” His voice was hoarse like he hadn’t used it in a long time. “Dad would skin me alive if he thought I was playing fast and loose with you.” He sat up.
“Are you?” I held my breath waiting for his answer.
“You should know better than that, Holly.” He gave me another heart-stopping kiss. “It’s taken you a long time to make your way back home. You have to know I’m not going to let you leave again.” For several more minutes all was quiet in my little house.
Finally, he pulled back, clearing his throat. “Maybe I’d better leave.”
“What? Aren’t you even going to finish your glass of wine?” I held out his glass to him.
“You little tease.” He chuckled, taking the glass, emptying it in one gulp. Gathering up his papers, he stood up. “Thanks again, Holly. I wouldn’t have thought to compare the signatures with one I knew Max had written.”
“Do you think that’s why Max and Fred were killed?” I still had a lot of questions, least of all about us. Where was this going, whatever this was?
“I don’t know anything for certain, but I’m going to keep digging.” He was all business again. “Before I can do anything I have to get more than these signatures as proof Max was innocent. I’m not going to say anything to Dad right away, so you’re going to need to keep this just between us.”
I frowned at him. “Why don’t you want to tell your dad? He needs to know Max wasn’t a thief.” Maybe he hadn’t been talking about the case. That wasn’t a comforting thought either. Why wouldn’t he want his dad to know there might be something between us?
“If the guilty party thinks I’ve accepted the evidence he planted, he’ll relax and mess up. When he does, I’ll be right there to nab him. But you need to stop digging. Okay?” Assuming I would agree, he gave me one last kiss, and disappeared into the night.
CHAPTER NINE
I flopped back on the couch. My head was spinning with everything that had happened in a short time. I no longer had any doubts about my feelings for Drake. I was whole-heartedly in love with him. Picking up the glass of wine still on the table, I took a sip. He hadn’t said as much, but if his actions were to be believed, he was also in love with me.
Bowing my head, I said a prayer. Let this be real, Father God. I love him like life itself.
One topic we failed to mention tonight was the gun found beside Fred Brewster’s body. It belonged to Jim. How did it get beside the body? I didn’t believe for a moment that Jim had killed anyone. He wouldn’t have left a body behind my house either.
Drake said any number of people would know where the key to the gun cabinet was kept. If there hadn’t been any visitors to the ranch since Hannah was born, that left Jane. What did that mean? I didn’t care for the woman. Was that clouding my thoughts on the matter? Why would she kill someone and try to frame her husband?
It came back to money. Drake said she’d tried to get Jim to sell the ranch. If she didn’t like living on a ranch or in a small town, why had she married him? Once again, it was the money. Jim wasn’t wealthy, but he was far from destitute. After talking to June and Jill, I was convinced she was having an affair. Had her lover taken the gun, hoping to frame Jim? How did the missing money and the big store fit in with Jane having an affair?
I had thought about looking up Fred on social media, but forgot about doing it until now. If he and Jane were both from Denver, maybe I’d find something to connect them. But what good would that do? He was gone. What difference did it make now? My mind was spinning with all of these questions. I needed something to distract my thoughts.
Taking my Kindle, I headed for my bedroom. It was too early to go to sleep, but maybe I could get wrapped up in the latest cozy mystery I was reading. After reading the same paragraph for the third time, I set it aside. The questions kept swirling around in my mind.
Drake said the assistant treasurer had discovered the missing money when Max didn’t come to work that morning. Why would he start looking into the accounts simply because Max didn’t show up for work? If he’d been worried about Max, why not call the police or Jim instead of looking at the accounts?
I didn’t know if he was a local, or a transplant like Fred Brewster and me. Had he been hoping for the job of treasurer when Jim gave the job to Max? Maybe it was time to check out Jack Johnston. Max had gotten the job of Treasurer instead of Jack. Was he the kind to hold a grudge, like Wally had for years? Did he even want the job?
Why had Fred Brewster been killed right after I talked to him? Had he been involved with the embezzlement? I was certain he’d known Jane, but how well did he know her?
These were all questions to ask Drake, but for now I needed to keep a low profile. If he thought I was interfering in his case, he’d lock me up and throw away the key.
Picking up my tablet from the bedside table, I signed onto the internet. I’d searched the town’s website looking for something, anything, to help me figure out who had taken the money. I’d come up blank every time. It had been a while since I logged onto Facebook. Maybe I would find something there.
If Fred Brewster had an account, someone had already deleted it. Another dead end, I thought, frustration eating at me. Next I tried Jack Johnston only to come up blank. Either he didn’t have a Facebook page, or I couldn’t match his profile with a man I didn’t know.
Logging out of my account, I set the tablet back on the night stand. It was time to get some sleep. Only two more days before the Thanksgiving break. The kids and teachers alike were anxious for the four-day-break. The library would be the last place any of them would go. Maybe during the lull, I could do a little more checking. Something had to click soon.
~~~
As expected, the following day was uneventful. Considering all that had been going on, I looked on that as a blessing. I even managed to do a little snooping on the computer but without any success. I hadn’t seen Drake, but I was hoping he would come over again.
It was after five-thirty when I pulled into the driveway at my house. Daylight had turned to dusk. For once I’d remembered to turn on the porch light before I left home that morning. Reaching out to put my key in th
e lock, the door swung open. Someone had been in my house, or they were still in there.
Anger overrode common sense. Grabbing the only thing at hand I could use as a weapon, I headed inside. Swinging the broomstick like a sword, I hit everything hard enough to make noise without breaking it. I wanted to make as much noise as possible. If the burglar was still inside, he’d know I was coming.
Halfway through the house, I realized what a stupid move this was. I should have called Drake immediately instead of going in. Giving a mental shrug, I continued down the hall. Since I was this far through the house, I might as well keep going. The closet door in my bedroom was open a crack.
As I stepped into the room, the closet door exploded open. Dressed in a black hoodie with the hood pulled low enough so I couldn’t see his face, the intruder knocked me down. I got one good whack in with the broomstick. He gave a grunt of pain, but didn’t stop. The back door slammed and he was gone.
“That’ll show you not to mess with me,” I shouted. “I hope I gave you a good bruise. Too bad something isn’t broken.” As the adrenalin seeped out of my blood stream, I began to shake hard enough that it was difficult to hit the numbers on my cell phone.
“Hey there, beautiful.”
“Someone was in my house.” I cut in, not giving him a chance to say anything else.
“Don’t go in there. I’m on my way.” Before he disconnected, I heard his big SUV roar to life. He must have been outside when I called.
“Too late,” I said, but he didn’t hear me. He was going to be mad at me when he got here.
I was waiting outside minutes later when he pulled in behind my car. Pulling me into his arms, he simply held me for several minutes. I could feel his heart was pounding against mine.
Drawing back, he looked down at me. “Are you okay?”
Here goes, I thought. “Yes, but someone is going to have a sore leg for a few days.” I waited for the explosion that didn’t come.
“You were in the house when you called me.” It wasn’t a question. I nodded my head, and he sighed.
“Why did you go in if there was the chance someone was still in there?”
I bristled at his tone. “Haven’t you ever done something only to realize later it was a stupid move? I was angry that someone broke into my house.” I sighed. “I was also angry at myself. When Max came here, he told me I needed to get new locks. Anyone could get in with a credit card. I kept forgetting to ask your dad. I won’t forget again,” I muttered.
“You’re sure no one is in there now?”
I nodded. “He’s gone. He was hiding in my closet. I did manage to hit him before he got away.”
“With what?” He didn’t release me as we headed for the back door. I pointed at the broom I’d propped beside the door. He shook his head. “You’re a feisty one, that’s for sure.” He chuckled, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d weathered that storm.
We did a walkthrough to see if anything was missing. My television was still in the living room where it belonged. The few pieces of jewelry that were precious to me were still in their hiding place. I kept a small amount of cash for emergencies, but it was still in the drawer. My laptop was propped up beside the couch. I didn’t know if it had been touched. Even my tablet was where I’d left it the night before.
“Nothing is missing. What was he looking for?” I was puzzled. “Is this connected to the murders?”
“Maybe you got home before he could take anything.” He pulled me against his hard chest, looking down at me. “Don’t ever go in a building when the thief might still be there. He could have killed you.” A shudder shook him at those words.
“Did you get a look at the intruder?” he asked. I’d started a pot of coffee, and was peering into the refrigerator to find something I could fix for dinner.
“No,” I spoke without looking up. “He had on a hoodie. It happened so fast that’s all I saw.”
“Was he tall, short, thin, fat?” he pressed.
“From my vantage point on the floor, he looked pretty tall. But he could have been average height.”
“What were you doing on the floor?” He turned me around so I was facing him. “Did he hit you?” His hands moved up and down my arms looking for any injuries.
“He knocked me down when he burst out of the closet. It knocked the breath out of me, that’s all. That’s when I managed to swing the broom at him. I caught him on the ankle. He’s going to have a pretty good bruise on his leg.” I was proud that I’d been able to do that much.
“You keep saying him. Are you sure it was a man?”
I thought about that for a few minutes, finally nodding my head. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was a man. I think,” I added softly, not so sure all of a sudden.
“What are you looking for? Do you keep money in there? That’s the first place a burglar will look.”
I was looking in the refrigerator again. “No money, just food, and not much of that either.” I sighed. “I haven’t been to the grocery store since that night I fixed steaks for us. Cooking for one is harder than cooking for a big party.” Dinner for one usually consisted of a sandwich, or a cup of soup. Breakfast was yogurt with fruit and granola.
“Why didn’t you say so? Put some clothes in a suitcase and let’s get out of here. We’ll go to the diner.”
“Why do I need to put clothes in a suitcase to go to the diner?” I frowned at him.
“I’ll put new locks on the doors tomorrow. Until then, you can’t stay here.”
“And where do you think I’m going to stay?” I braced my hands on my hips.
“You can stay at my place.”
“Oh, the gossips would have a field day with that.” I immediately thought of Beth Ann. She’d have us married with two kids by the end of next week with that piece of gossip.
“I don’t care what the gossips say. You can’t stay here without better locks on the doors. You need window locks as well. Come on, I’m hungry.” He headed for my bedroom. I guess he was going to help me pack.
“Not so fast.” I grabbed his arm. “I’m not going anywhere, especially not your place. This is my home, and some punk isn’t going to chase me out of it.”
“Come on, Holly, be reasonable. There have been two murders in town.”
“And neither of them involved burglary.”
“You don’t know whether this break-in was the run-of-the-mill burglary, or if it was somehow tied in with what’s going on in town. I’m not taking chances with your life.”
My stomach churned uncomfortably, but I stubbornly stood my ground. “I’m not staying at your place, Drake. This is a small town. Everyone would know about it before daybreak.”
“As long as we know we haven’t done anything wrong, what other people think doesn’t matter.”
“That’s just like a man,” I snapped, standing my ground. “No one cares if a man sleeps around, but a woman’s reputation is ruined by the same actions.”
Seeing that he wasn’t getting anywhere with his argument, he gave a frustrated sigh. “Okay, if you won’t stay at my place, I’ll take you out to the ranch. You can stay there until…” He stopped talking when I shook my head.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Sitting down on the couch, he gave a little bounce. “Well, this doesn’t feel too bad. I guess I can bunk here for one night.” He continued when I started to object. “Your closest neighbor is too far away to know or care whether you have company all night or not. I’m not leaving you alone tonight.”
Frustrated, but also happy, I turned back to the refrigerator to hide my smile. He cared enough about me to not sully my reputation. Pulling out bread, cheese, butter and milk, I spoke with my back to him. “I’m going to have a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. If that sounds good to you, I’m willing to share.”
“Feisty and stubborn,” he grumbled. He didn’t have any room to complain, I thought. He was just as stubborn.
Coming up behind me, he wrapped his arms aro
und my waist. “Just the qualities I love in my woman,” he whispered as he nuzzled my neck. Goosebumps moved up my arms as a shiver shook me.
“If you think this is going to make me change my mind, you’re wrong.” There was no heat in my voice now.
He chuckled, but continued to nibble at my neck, moving to my earlobe before turning me in his arms. His lips claimed mine. For a long while, we forgot all about food.
~~~
He’d gotten out of her place by the skin of his teeth. He held a cold compress to the bruise just above his ankle. It was already turning purple. It hurt to put weight on that leg. Maybe she cracked a bone. Going to the doctor was out of the question though. He couldn’t very well explain how he got the bruise. For a small gal she sure could pack a wallop?
There hadn’t been time to find anything before she showed up. He couldn’t decide if it was a good thing he’d left the door unlocked or not. It made for a fast getaway, but he hadn’t known she was in the house with him until she started making enough noise to wake the dead.
Max had warned him that he wasn’t going to get away with this, that he’d left evidence of what he’d been doing. “He taunted me,” he said in the empty room. “He said this was his last con. What the hell is that even supposed to mean?”
Those had been the last things Max said before he pulled the trigger. He hadn’t even realized he’d pulled it until Max dropped to the ground. He’d probably given whatever evidence he claimed to have to that stupid librarian. If that wasn’t the case, where was it? If he’d given it to his brother or nephew, the money would be back in the town’s accounts, and they would be in jail. He had to find it, and soon, or his own life might be in jeopardy.
CHAPTER TEN
Never Con A Con Man (An Arizona High Country Mystery Book 1) Page 11