Eighteen
As I closed and locked my door early the next morning, I found myself worrying about Gracie. She hadn't inhaled her food like she usually did. And through the front window, I saw that she was walking in circles. Maria promised to look after her, but I doubted the closeness of her watching. She was fast becoming addicted to TV. Everything from Regis and Kelly and the Young and the Restless, to Dr. Phil and Judge Judy.
My truck beeped as I unlocked it. I was running a little behind thanks to my early morning talk with Riley. "I hope you weren't too hard on him."
My sketch pad went flying as I covered my pounding heart with my hand. I turned to face Mr. Cabrera. "Jeez!"
"Sorry," he said, not looking the least bit contrite.
Once my heart settled down and I gathered up my sketch pad, I asked, "Weren't too hard on who?"
Today Mr. Cabrera wore a pair of black cargo shorts and a white button-down with yellow ducks on it, left open to reveal a plain white T-shirt beneath. "Riley. He really likes Katie."
I shaded my eyes against the sun. "You knew?" He nodded.
Silly me. I should've known. Mr. Cabrera knows everything. "You should have told me. I was worried about him."
"Us guys have to stick together."
"He's fifteen!"
"Exactly."
"Men," I muttered. Riley had explained to me that Katie's father didn't want her to date until she was sixteen—a little over six months away. A lifetime to a teenager. Riley hadn't liked me saying he had to abide by her father's rules.
The, er, conversation hadn't been pretty. Even Gracie hadn't stuck around.
"Did you hear that Mrs. Walker got broken into last night?"
"What?!" Mrs. Walker lived four doors down. I gasped. Right next door to Mr. Weatherbee.
"Guy broke in, but something apparently scared him off."
"What time?" I asked, feeling slightly sick.
" 'Bout one-thirty or so. Mrs. Walker heard the glass break in the front door and hid in her closet."
I frowned. "Who was on watch?"
He scratched his chin. "Flash had duty last night."
"Not Mr. Weatherbee?"
"No."
"Not the Colonel?"
"Not that I know of. And I'd know," he said, thumping his chest.
Hmmm. Mr. Weatherbee had told me he was on duty . . . The Colonel had merely said he'd heard commotion . . . From five doors down? My eyebrows started twitching. "Do you think it's a good idea to have Flash out alone?"
"His bones don't work so well, but his eyes are fine and so're his ears. That's all that really counts."
I remembered what Flash had said the night before: He'd seen someone go by and followed.
And what about the Colonel? He said he'd heard me scream, but honestly, I hadn't screamed that loud. It was more a squeal than anything, maybe even a squeak. He'd had to be really close by to hear it. Like at Mrs. Walker's front door. The Colonel, Mr. Weatherbee. They'd both lied to me. Why? I even had doubts about Flash's story. He could barely walk, never mind run. How did he get to Mr. Weatherbee's so fast after he heard my scream? "You're right, Miz Quinn."
Lost in thought, I jumped. I'd forgotten he was standing there. "Right? About what?"
"We need to beef up security, add more patrols."
Had I said that? Still, it was a good idea, and I had an even better one. "Let's call a meeting together," I suggested. "Here, around four or so, so we can all talk about it."
"Good idea, Miz Quinn. I'll set it up."
As I drove toward work, I couldn't help but wonder what Kevin would think of the plan I'd just hatched . . . and how it involved him.
As I was turning left onto Jaybird, my cell buzzed. After checking the caller ID, I flipped it open. "Hey."
"I think my mother's got a secret boyfriend," Ana said.
"Jealous?" I asked.
"Ha. Ha."
"What makes you think so?" I asked.
"You know how she's been on the computer a lot since she got here?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, I caught her instant messaging someone last night. When she saw me, she signed off real quick."
"That doesn't mean much. She could be talking to anyone."
"With the screen name 'hunkoburninglove'?" I let that one sit for a minute.
"Maybe she's got a friend who's an Elvis nut."
"You're not helping."
"So what if she does have a boyfriend? Good for her."
"She should tell me. I'm her daughter. I'm supposed to know these things. I mean, who is this guy? He could be any nut off the street? What if he's after her money?"
"Does she have money?"
"No, but that's not the point."
I sighed.
"I need to make sure she's safe, Nina."
I could understand that.
"I'm going to find out who this hunk o' burning love is. Run a background check. Before she signed off, I saw that they're meeting tonight at nine at Arello's."
I knew better than to try and talk her out of it. "So, are you gonna come or not?"
I smiled, not even bothering to mention that she hadn't asked me to come. "I'll be there," I said. "As long as you come dress shopping with me beforehand."
"Is the wedding back on?"
"Well, it's not off! What if Nate turns up and the wedding is still on? Then I'd be stuck in that . . . that . . . thing."
"Good point," she said. "I'll pick you up at seven. Gotta go, Mom's coming!"
She hung up before I could say good-bye.
I turned into the TBS lot, full of energy to work. I'd never attempted to do a mini this quickly before. I had a zillion things to do to get ready for tomorrow's job at the Fryes'. For the first time in days, I actually felt like I could focus solely on work. Now that Kevin had those pictures, I could stop worrying so much.
My to-do list was a mile long. Near the top of the list was Leo Barker. I couldn't dismiss Tam's negative feelings toward him, and I still didn't know how he'd come to TBS. I needed to get some answers.
So preoccupied with how to deal with Leo, it took me a moment to realize that the alarm system wasn't set. Odder still, no lights were on either, and the coffeepot wasn't perking.
"Hello?" I called out. The hairs on the back of my neck rose. Chills swept down my spine. "Tam?"
I inched inside, holding the door open with my foot. "Hidey, er, ho?"
Early morning light filtered through the wooden blinds on the front windows. Dim sunbeams limned the couches, chairs, books. Tam's desk was neat and tidy, everything in its place, including Sassy, her African violet.
I swallowed, trying to ignore the goose bumps on my arms. It was entirely possible Tam had forgotten to set the alarm the night before.
Ah. I caught myself breaking a cardinal commandment. The delusion one.
Tam had never once forgotten to set the alarm.
But . . . she was freaked out over Leo Barker. There was always a first for everything.
I set my backpack down, dropped my keys onto it. Tiptoeing, I grabbed an umbrella from the stand by the door and set about searching the office.
Ten minutes later I'd found nothing that indicated TBS had been broken into. I couldn't shake the feeling, though, that someone had been inside. Looking for what? I wondered.
But I knew.
The pictures.
Thankfully, they were now Kevin's problem.
Grabbing a Dr Pepper, I headed into my office and called Verona Frye. It was early, but she'd insisted I call first thing. After the usual hellos, she said, "I don't think coming here this afternoon is a good idea. Roz is suspicious, and Colin said something about working at home this afternoon, getting ready for his trip."
Nothing about Claire. I wondered about a memorial service or funeral, and finally asked.
"Oh. That. Well, the medical examiner's office is holding her body until Monday. Something about the investigation. So, there will be no service until next week."
&n
bsp; "You didn't like her," I said, then thumped my forehead with the butt of my hand. Open mouth and all that. Inwardly, I groaned. I was even starting to think like my mother! I shuddered. Verona said, "I'm that obvious, am I?"
I winced. "Just a little." I was hoping she'd fill me in on why, but no such luck.
"I won't miss her, and I'm not going to lie about it. And if that makes me cold, then so be it." All-righty.
"I can scan the sketch and e-mail it to you for final approval. And I'll fax the contracts to you."
She gave me her fax number, and I asked her to electronically transfer the deposit I needed to the TBS account, since we were on a tight deadline. I couldn't get started without it, and it amazed me how often my wealthy clients tended to hem and haw about paying me.
"I'll do that now," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nina. Thanks so much."
I set the phone in its cradle and wondered what Claire had done to Verona. Immediately, my mind jumped to Claire and Colin and how closely they worked together. Maybe I was just projecting, because I'd been cheated on. But still, it made sense.
And had to hurt like hell. At least Ginger Barlow, Kevin's lover, wasn't my sister. I'd have probably killed Maria if that had been the case.
In shock, I sat back.
Verona obviously hated Claire. Now Claire was dead. What if she had been having a fling with Colin and Verona found out? That would explain why Verona hadn't seemed all that surprised to learn her sister had died.
And Roz too. I couldn't rule her out either. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have to work with the child conceived from your husband's affair. Did it drive her to murder, though?
Shaking my head, I decided not to go there. Let Kevin deal with it. He was a good detective. He'd find out who killed Claire, why, and lock him—or her—away. As I pulled an Almond Joy from my desk for breakfast, my gaze fell on the stack of message slips Tam had put on the desk. All from Robert MacKenna. All marked "Urgent" and "Call back ASAP."
Trying to ignore my guilty conscience, I crumpled them up and dropped them into the waste can. Thankfully, I didn't have time to dwell because my cell phone buzzed. My home number flashed on the ID screen. "Maria?"
"Nina, Gracie's acting crazy."
"More than usual?"
"She keeps barking like someone's here, but no one is. Unless you have ghosts?"
"No, no ghosts."
"Then she's acting crazy."
I'd known something wasn't quite right this morning. "Take her to the vet," I told Maria. "He's got an emergency entrance."
Great. This was just like Kit, to give me a defective dog.
"What? Me?" Maria cried.
"Yes. You."
"I don't want to miss The Price Is Right!"
"Kit won't like it if something happens to Gracie," I warned.
"All right," she muttered.
I gave her directions to the vet. Luckily, the office was next to a mall so she knew right where it was.
"Eww, Gracie!" I heard her say. "She just upchucked. Do I have to clean that up?"
"Yes."
"Nee-nah," she whined.
" 'Bye!"
I quickly hung up before I volunteered to come home. I had too much to do, and Maria was more than capable of taking care of a five-pound dog.
And I hated that I worried about Gracie. She was starting to grow on me in a moldy kind of way. I called the vet we used for Riley's snake Xena and warned him that Gracie and Maria would be in, and then I went to work on the supply list I'd need for the Frye job.
Tam was due any minute now, and the office would jump to life. Kit and I would need to make a run to the garden center—probably more than one. I'd let Deanna and Leo hit the Frontgate Outlet. I really hoped they'd find a wroughtiron lounge chair and a matching table. I planned to send Jean-Claude out in search of a pad for the chair. He had the best eye for fabrics.
I added lantern lights to my list, which already included pond supplies like liner, submersible pump and waterfall attachment, and I tried to think of everything from field stone to the type of aquatic plants that would work best for this job.
As I worked, part of me couldn't dismiss the alarm not being set. I couldn't help but look for things that might have been out of place or even missing around my office. But like I'd told Tam the other day, I didn't think I'd notice. My desk seemed the same, nothing missing, at least. My stash of Almond Joys was still in the bottom drawer, which reminded me that I couldn't avoid Robert MacKenna forever. My conscience wouldn't allow it. Unfortunately.
I dealt much easier with avoidance. Confrontation? Ugh. He was married. Married. No matter how cute he was, or how his odd quirks were growing on me, there could never be anything between us.
The cowbell jangled, and I jumped up, spooked. "Who's there?" I called out.
No one answered.
Unable to shake the heebies, I grabbed the umbrella just in case. Swallowing hard, I tiptoed to my open office door. The little hairs on the back of my neck told me someone was out there. Well, okay, that and the cowbell. Those things just didn't ring on their own.
Keeping tight hold of the umbrella, I poked my head out to look around.
"Eeee!" I screamed when I saw someone standing outside my door.
A hand shot out, grabbed the umbrella. "Hello, Nina."
Nineteen
I tugged on the umbrella, but he wouldn't let it go. Probably a good thing, because I was planning on stabbing him with its sharp tip when he did.
"Why didn't you say anything when I called out?" I asked.
"Didn't hear you," Kevin said.
"Why'd you grab the umbrella like that?"
He arched an eyebrow. "I didn't want to get hit with it. I know how you are." One incident with a hockey stick! Jeez!
Kevin pulled the umbrella out of my hands, leaned it against the wall.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, noticing how good he looked. Too good. Ugh. I needed to get over him. Kevin tucked his hands in his pockets. "A couple things, actually."
Reluctantly, I motioned him in, went around my desk. It was safer back here. That kiss yesterday had really knocked me for a loop.
He sat, leaned forward. "About yesterday . . ."
"What about it?" I knew exactly where he was going with this, and I didn't want to make it easy for him.
"That kiss," he said.
"Kiss?" I feigned cluelessness. I did it quite well, if I say so myself. "Oh! That. I'd forgotten."
His face hardened. "Well. I just wanted to be sure we were clear that it was a mistake. Since you seemed to enjoy it so much."
"Me?" I said innocently. "You were the first one in with tongue."
"To keep up the act," he said.
I shrugged. "If that's what you want to tell yourself."
"Nina, seriously, we should talk about—"
"Why else did you come by?" I asked, cutting him off. Talking about it was the last thing I wanted to do. There was no need. I'd already stuffed those feelings it had dredged up into the Do Not Go There corner of my brain.
Looking like he wanted to argue, he leaned back in the chair. I held my breath.
"Nate's car was found this morning."
"Where?"
"A tugboat operator spotted it in the Ohio River, in Lawrenceburg. Looks like it went over an embankment."
Oh no. I swallowed hard, spoke over the lump in my throat. "Near the Kalypso?"
He nodded. "You should probably know the FBI is handling the case now. They've been nice about it, though, and are actually sharing info."
Kevin hated losing a case to the FBI. "I'm sorry." When he didn't say anything more, I found the courage to ask. "Did they find Nate?"
"No." His eyebrows dipped as he frowned. "But, Nina, there were bloodstains all over the car. And bullet holes too. Preliminary tests say it's Nate's blood. Of course, that won't be definite for weeks. It doesn't look good."
I swallowed hard. "Has anyone talked to Maria?"
&
nbsp; "No. Not yet."
"I'll do it."
He nodded. "Soon, Nina. The media has gotten wind of it. It will be on the news tonight."
I groaned. "All right."
He stood up, stretched his arms overhead. "I better go." My cell phone buzzed. I reached for it, but stopped when I noticed Kevin staring at me from the doorway. "What?"
"Nothing," he said.
The phone rang again. Still staring after Kevin, I answered it. "Hello?"
Noisy static filled the line.
"Hello?" I said again. Damn, I'd forgotten to check the caller ID. I needed to add "Thou shalt always check your caller ID display before answering the phone" to my list of commandments, but I was afraid I'd continuously break it. I tended to only make commandments I could keep.
Trouble In Spades Page 16