by Danger Cove
"Should I tell them about the blackmail note I received?"
"Yes." "No." Tanner and I answered simultaneously.
"Lilly, she needs to tell the truth."
He clearly hadn't been interrogated as many times as I had. In retrospect, that probably wasn't a bad thing. "I'm not suggesting she lie. You know how I feel about that. I just want her to hold off until we have more she can tell the police."
Agnes moved the cats to the arm of her chair. They were not pleased, if the look they gave her was any indication. She pacified them with scratching under the chin, and all seemed to be forgiven. Too bad it didn't work that way with humans. "What do you want me to do, Lilly?"
"I want you to go through with it. Pay the ransom."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Somehow I'd managed to convince Tanner to wait for me outside while I went over the details of my crazy plan with Agnes. After some debate and given my history with the police, we decided Agnes would take a copy of the blackmail note to them and suggest a sting operation to catch the bad guy. It mirrored my original plan, just with Agnes doing the convincing rather than me. I really hoped she'd be able to convince them to establish a perimeter to watch the drop site and move in when the perp—yeah, that word was definitely growing on me—moved in to claim the money. I remembered now why I didn't normally include Tan in this part of my investigations. Mandi was normally my accomplice. She was up for a little more adventure than my knight in white cotton. He would save us from our zany plan when things went wrong…which they always did. I reasoned that meant I was long overdue for one to go right. Not that I'd participated in a lot of investigations, two up to this point to be exact. Not a single one of them official, but I'd managed to help the police—despite what they thought—catch the bad guy both times.
Agnes had sent me home with a box of tea, a different variety from what she'd been drinking since I hadn't cared for the taste. She absently informed me that this had been a gift from Rico as well. Guess she really didn't mind parting with any past tokens of his alleged affection. She'd insisted on it as a way to thank me for my help. This blend was decaf and supposed to help me sleep. I'd accepted, if for no other reason than to get out of the house.
Of course, Tan was waiting to share with me his thoughts on the plan. "You've lost your mind."
"Hear me out. Whoever is blackmailing Agnes either knows enough about her history with Rico, along with what happened that afternoon, to believe he or she can convince the police she meant to kill her husband or…"
"Or what?" Tan demanded.
"Or that person is the killer."
"And you still think it's a good idea to invite this person into your backyard?"
The incredulous inflection in his question indicated he not only thought it wasn't a good idea, he thought my idea stunk to high heaven.
"You were right about one thing. Agnes is going to tell them about the note, and she'll do the convincing. At least that's the plan."
He shook his head. Couldn't say that I blamed him. "It's crazy. I know. It's just a gut feeling I have that this is what we need to do to fix all of this."
We slid into the front seat of the Mustang. Nice plush leather, minus the cat hair. I laid my head back waiting for the lecture I figured he was going to give me. Instead, the warmth of his lips touched my cheek. I turned to face him, certain I was dreaming. The glow from the dash lights heightened his angular jaw and made me forget all about blackmail and murder for a moment. The next time he learned forward was to bestow the same gentle kiss on my lips.
Warmth circulated throughout my body, a gentle rain shower of emotion slowly washing away the dirt and grime of the past few days. This. This was how it was supposed to be. Tan pulled away only enough to speak. I could feel the curve of his smile against my lips.
"I may not always agree with your methods, but you've proven that they work."
Tears threatened at the sweet words he spoke. Always before we'd end up fighting about what he believed were unnecessary risks I took from time to time. Had this change of heart come about because we'd grown and matured? Or was it because he knew he was leaving and didn't want to spend the last bit of our time together fighting a useless fight? He knew I wasn't going to change—at least not a three-sixty turnaround. I decided to play nice in the sandbox too. "Thank you, Tan. That means a lot."
"I'm here for you. Now should I take you home so that you can get some rest before the big day tomorrow?"
This would be a big test of the newfound faith in me he'd just expressed. "Actually, would you mind taking me to Ocean View first?"
He started the car, a low rumble that vibrated throughout my entire core. Goodness, I loved that feeling. Made a girl feel alive!
"It's really late, Lilly. After midnight. I don't think anyone will be up."
I pulled out my phone and texted Bree. You awake?
Less than thirty seconds later, she replied. Yep. What's up?
Has Allyson returned?
She's sitting alone on the glider on the back porch.
Okay if I pay her a visit?
Free country *grin*
Thx. See you soon.
I held the phone up to Tan to prove it was okay to stop by. "You can go home if you're tired after you drop me off. Ocean View isn't far from the tavern. I can get my bike and go home from there."
He pulled out onto Cliffside Drive, one of the main roads that ran through Danger Cove, and headed in the direction of the B&B. "Just because I'm trying to be supportive of your reckless behavior doesn't mean I'm going to let you go all Wild West on your own."
Now there was the man I'd come to…Was it the L word? Years of promising myself I wouldn't fall in love taunted me. I couldn't deny that I felt stronger about Tan than I had any other guy that I'd spent time with in the past, yet love struck an all-in chord that I wasn't sure I was ready to play. Ugh, this was all such a mess. Although I couldn't tell him yet, I could admit it to myself: Even if I hadn't officially fallen in love, I was definitely slipping in that direction. I opted for something much lighter yet still conveyed a little of the emotional hold he'd managed to secure me in. I grabbed his hand and squeezed. "The Wild West is more fun when you're there with me anyway. Thanks."
The warm night made it perfect for rolling the windows down. The breeze tossed my hair in disarray and cooled my skin. The moment was carefree and the silence companionable. I really did want to take a long drive with Tan someday. It didn't even matter where. Just the two of us, the open road, and the gentle breeze. Yeah, that would be nice.
Finally, Tanner spoke. "You don't really think Chef Jonathan was the one to blackmail Rico, do you?"
"I don't know for sure, and to be honest, the timing of everything doesn't really work out. He's the most probable suspect though. I witnessed Rico threatening Jonathan after the brunch. He told him he wasn't going to get a dime of Agnes's money."
I turned to face him. "Mentioning the brunch reminds me. Did you really like the food you ate at Agnes's tonight?"
He shrugged. "It wasn't the best, but filled the hole. Tasted a little off to me, but I've had worse. It was better than some of the meals Ashley has whipped up in the past couple years."
"Good to know. For the unofficial record, I won't be letting your little sister near the food, even if Tara does bail and take Chef Jonathan up on his offer. For the official record, you're entirely too good of a faker. I thought you really liked the food."
"I was starving! I'd barely eaten all day. It went down so fast, I could barely taste it. A detail for which I was very grateful."
"That's good to know should I ever cook you a meal."
This time his laughter bubbled all the way up and out of his body. "If you ever cooked me a meal, I would eat it with slow deliberation, savoring every bite, as it would certainly be my last."
Not cool. Not cool at all. "Tanner Montgomery! That's not very nice. Are you saying my cooking would kill you?"
We pulled into the parking l
ot at Ocean View, which allowed him to put the car in park and turn to face me. "Not at all. I only meant that if you actually cooked a meal, there could be no other explanation than the world was ending."
In reply to his snarky comment, he received a punch in the arm, and I stuck my tongue out at him. "Very funny, pretty boy. For that little confession, you can wait here while I talk to Allyson."
"Just Allyson, right?"
I nodded. "Just Allyson, promise."
The Ocean View Bed & Breakfast was a beautiful home with a porch that wrapped all the way around the structure. I'd spent a fair amount of time sitting on both the front and back porch. It was easy to see why Bree was so successful in running the place, even though she couldn't cook any better than me. The breakfast part of the bed and breakfast was essentially catered by the Cinnamon Sugar Bakery in town, which no one had ever complained about. There was a feeling she somehow managed to generate each time someone stepped onto the property. From the colors of the paint, to the comfy chairs on the porch, and finally to the warm hospitality she gave every guest, it was easy to see why people were happy to call Ocean View home for whatever time they stayed.
Maybe everyone was right and it was time for me to find a place I could call home. It was also possible that Tan's kisses had made me wax all sentimental and I wasn't thinking clearly. Truly hard to tell when under the influence of warm fuzzies.
Using the flashlight app on my phone, I made my way around to the back. Just as Bree indicated, Allyson was sitting on the glider, slowly moving back and forth. The sound of the waves crashing in the distance engendered a sense of calm to anyone who took the time to hear the steady rhythms. "Peaceful, isn't it?"
"Mmmm, very much so. San Francisco is much busier, noisier. Hard to hear the whispers of the waves."
Maybe she wasn't a complete witch. She understood the dichotomy of the power and peace of the ocean. "Okay if I sit?"
"Of course. What can I do for you, Lilly?" She stared off into the distance.
Though her words had been polite, she'd yet to look in my direction. It was dark—maybe she felt eye contact was unnecessary.
"I'm working on a theory. I think Rico was being blackmailed prior to his death."
Because of the distinct lack of lighting, I could see no outward reaction to my statement, but I could feel one. Tension seeped into her body like a coiling snake. I needed to tread lightly to avoid a potential bite.
After several seconds, she replied, "And?"
"And do you think Chef Jonathan had a motive for blackmailing Rico?" I wanted to mention Agnes but still couldn't figure any plausible motive, since she'd already indicated her intent to invest.
My question earned a heartfelt chuckle from Allyson. I hadn't meant the inquiry to be amusing, but I guess each person had different pressure points for the funny bone.
"Does Jonathan look like a blackmailer to you?"
"Ummm, well, to be honest, I didn't realize there were physical requirements to fit into that category of criminal." At that moment, I preferred the peace of the crashing waves to her judgmental tone.
She turned to look at me—finally. Even in the dim light, I could see loss in her eyes rather than laughter. "It's not so much a physical appearance, but a presence they have. They are smooth, often sexy, and have a driving desire to find the weaknesses in others and exploit them. If Jonathan were a blackmailer, he would have approached you privately and threatened to go to the tabloids or any interested newspaper about the sordid details of your personal life unless you gave him the money he wanted."
I didn't like the direction this conversation had taken. I preferred offense as opposed to defense in these situations. "What do you mean, sordid details?"
Allyson waved her hand as if the sordid details of my life—whatever they might be—were insignificant. "Oh, please, mommy runs off with rebel rocker, gets pregnant, drops baby at grandmother's doorstep, and never looks back. That is until twenty some years later…"
I stood up and started to pace. "You made your point. You can stop now."
"My point is, Lilly, he didn't do that. He approached you in a very public place and shared an opportunity for you to consider. That is not how a blackmailer operates."
After pacing the length of the porch a few more times for emphasis, I returned to my seat next to her. "You sure know a lot about this particular kind of crime and the people that perpetrate them. Anything you want to share? Personal experience maybe?" It was true. My nose had a problem. It stuck itself into other people's business—despite not liking others sticking their nose into mine. The double standard lived loud and proud in this area of my life, I admit. Not something I was particularly proud of, but the truth.
"You want to know what a blackmailer looks like? Take a good, long look at Agnes's wedding photos. Her husband was among the best."
"Rico?" I'd pegged him for a money-grubbing con artist, but the blackmailer theory was really just a shot-in-the-dark guess. I hadn't held much conviction for that theory. "Why would he blackmail Agnes? He had access, for the most part, to her fortune." There were limits, I'd learned, but still…
She turned to stare back into the distance and initiate the gentle rocking motion of the glider again. "He didn't blackmail Agnes—at least not that I'm aware of. He blackmailed me."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Her word bomb exploded on me, destroying every preconceived notion I'd developed about her in one decisive burst. "I don't suppose you'd care to elaborate?" It was a long shot, but one I felt compelled to take.
"I don't suppose it matters now anyway. He's dead, and I have Jonathan back."
Her explanation was sounding more and more like motive for murder to me, but I decided to keep quiet—for once—and let her continue. I didn't have to wait long.
"I'm sure you saw in the tabloids that Jonathan left me because I cheated on him."
"I heard."
"What the tabloids didn't mention is that it wasn't like Jonathan discovered me in bed with another man. I told him about the affair."
"So you did cheat."
"I did. Remember our conversation from the other day when I told you that sometimes things are so good that we sabotage them ourselves before nature takes its course?"
How could I forget? She'd shed some unwanted insight on my situation with Tan. "I remember."
"Things were so beautiful between Jonathan and me I couldn't believe my luck. He was smart, successful, sexy, and the man could cook. He took an interest in me—a nobody from the suburbs of Seattle."
It never ceased to amaze me how negatively we, as women, viewed ourselves. We truly were our own worst critics. "It's not like you don't have anything to offer. You're smart, beautiful, and possess a fierce determination." She'd certainly come across fierce that morning at Charlie's.
She patted my leg. "That's sweet of you to say, Lilly. You don't understand how the rules change the higher up the power ladder you climb."
She was right. I didn't. Other than bucking for a promotion at Smugglers' Tavern, and that was more financial than power related, I'd been content to sit on whatever power rung that life guided me to rest. No climbing necessary. "Since I'm a bartender, the struggle for power hasn't been something I've had to contend with. I'm sure the higher the stakes, the heavier the hammer that gets dropped on you."
Allyson let her head drop back as though the weight of her confession was more than she could bear. "You're right. Jonathan wasn't just climbing—he was taking an elevator to the top. People were either jealous of him or they wanted to be him. Constant whispers in his direction about what he should be doing or who he could trust. While I was happy for him, I missed there being time for the two of us to relax together, just to be. Does that make sense?"
I thought about all the times Tan and I would go for a walk or grab an ice cream cone and sit on the end of the pier, our feet dangling over the edge. Not a care in the world. Just him and me. "It does."
"Rico came along and gave me t
he one thing Jonathan wasn't giving me at the time—attention."
"Did you try to talk to Jonathan? Share with him how much you missed him?" I felt like Tan and I had at least kept a somewhat open line of communication, even if the busy signal did create interference from time to time.
She shook her head. "Not as hard as I should have. He was focused on his career. People were clamoring for his time and attention. I couldn't, didn't, compete."
"But Rico listened."
"Oh, he listened and talked—said all the right things. See, that's the thing about blackmailers and con artists. They know just what you want to hear and feed it to you with the sweetest of spoons. I ate it up like a starving infant. By the time I realized what he was up to, it was too late."
The waves crashed three or four times before I felt compelled to fill the silence. "He threatened to tell Jonathan if you didn't pay?"
"Ten thousand dollars." The bitterness of her voice crackled in the night air. "I don't know why he thought I had access to that kind of money."
The irony that there was ten thousand dollars in the envelope I found at Agnes's house wasn't lost on me. Of course, I still didn't know if Rico was being blackmailed or if he was the blackmailer. Now that I knew Allyson had been blackmailed, maybe she'd tried to turn the tables on Rico as payback for ruining her relationship with Jonathan. Though what sordid details about Rico's life she might possess, I couldn't be sure. "You dress like you have money. Maybe that, along with being Jonathan's girlfriend, made him think you were rolling in the dough? He might have thought you were higher up the ladder than you really were."
"Whatever his thought process, it was wrong. I have an aunt who designs clothes for a boutique in Los Angeles. The label isn't as posh or recognizable as some of the bigger designers, but the clothes are stylish and well made. I happen to be her favorite niece, and my size and body shape fit nicely into her designs. She keeps me in style. I provide word of mouth advertising."