CnC 1 Ghost of a Chance

by Yasmine Galenorn

  She splashed some cold water on her cheeks and dabbed at her eyes, careful not to smear her mascara. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Em. I really don’t.”

  “Everything will be okay.” Even as I said it, I could see Harlow standing there, with a blond-haired chubby little girl beside her. They were laughing as a butterfly settled on the girl’s nose. The vision disappeared as quickly as it came. “Come on, let’s get back in there before they think something’s happened to us.” I squeezed her hand, and we headed back to the cafeteria.

  As we reentered the room, I caught sight of Walter Mitchell. He was easy to recognize, standing with the little group that had congregated around Andrew. Something about Walter’s demeanor—as if he owned the room—made me give him the once-over. So that was what Susan had seen in him. Though not a handsome man by traditional terms, he emanated power, and power was an aphrodisiac.

  I kept hold of Harlow’s arm as we sauntered over to meet and greet. I knew she didn’t feel like coping with Walter tonight. He glanced at us as we approached, and a flicker raced across his face bordering somewhere between a rattler coiling to strike and a stalking lion. I immediately thrust myself forward and held out my hand.

  “Mr. Mitchell, may I extend my regrets? Susan will be deeply missed.”

  He accepted my hand with a firm but reserved shake. “Thank you. I’m sorry. Have we met?”

  “Oh, yes, at some party last year.” I was surprised by how easy the lie came to my tongue. “I can’t remember which affair it was offhand, but I do remember you.” I let go of his hand and turned to Andrew. “I told you I’d be here by six-thirty.”

  I gave him a grin and waited for his cue. Some men were skittish about displaying affection in public, but he leaned down and planted a firm kiss on my cheek, avoiding my lipstick as he pulled me to his side. Walter stepped a little closer, crowding us while at the same time jostling Harlow out of the circle. A predator. He was a predator. I knew it as certain as I knew that Andrew was a protector. Walter leaned toward me. Bells rang—warning signals. I stood my ground, but took a step closer toward Andrew.

  “Tell me, what is it you do?” Walter’s tone was too friendly, his eyes too cold.

  “I own a shop.” I decided to divert his energy, throw him off guard if I could. “We’re also terribly sorry about your daughter. Coming on top of her mother’s death, it must be a great shock. I hope that Harlow and I were helpful to the police and that they catch the maniac who killed her.”

  If I hadn’t been able to feel his energy shift, I wouldn’t have known that my words had any impact at all. Harlow managed to keep herself still, but she stared at me like I’d lost my mind. Andrew gave me a tight squeeze that left me breathless.

  Walter straightened his tie. “Thank you. I’m only glad that Susan didn’t have to hear the news. How is it that you and Mrs. Rainmark knew the girl?”

  The girl? He referred to his daughter as the girl? Definitely a cold man. “Susan mentioned her. We wanted to give our condolences to Diana about her mother’s death and ended up walking in on the murder scene.” He was watching me too closely.

  “Diana chose to keep her life separate from ours,” he finally said. “Only recently did she reenter Susan’s life, and I suspect it was for selfish reasons. You have to understand, Diana was emotionally unstable. She had the bad habit of picking the wrong friends. My guess is that this time, she chose someone dangerous as well as unsavory.”

  Harlow cleared her throat. “Seattle seems like a dangerous city. I’d never move back to a big city. Would you, Emerald?”

  “No, no. I wouldn’t.” Uncomfortable with the awkward pause punctuating our conversation, I asked, “When is Diana’s funeral going to be held?”

  Walter pointed to a younger man across the room. “My assistant is taking care of that matter. I believe it’s being held next Tuesday. If you’re interested in attending, I suggest you call my office and ask for Toby Gilmore. He can give you the information. And now, if you will excuse me, I have other guests to talk to.”

  After Walter was out of earshot, both Harl and Andrew pounced.

  “What on earth… ?” Harlow leaned close so James wouldn’t hear.

  Andrew took hold of my elbow, jostling me. “That man is dangerous! He may not seem like it now, but I guarantee you, don’t mess with him. I don’t want you hurt.”

  I cautioned them to lower their voices. “I wanted to see how he would react.”

  “And at what conclusion have you arrived?” Andrew folded his arms. He wasn’t smiling anymore, and I had the feeling that I was two seconds away from a lecture.

  “We can’t talk about this here. How long is this party supposed to last?”

  “Until nine. Since I organized it, several of the group’s other members volunteered to clean so we can be out of here by nine-fifteen.” He sighed. Loudly.

  I slid my arm around Harlow’s shoulders. “I got some information for both of you about Walter and about why Mr. B & U showed up in the first place. I’ll fill Andrew in tonight and tell you tomorrow.”

  She shrugged. “I could come over tonight—”

  “Don’t you have something to tell James?” I said pointedly.

  She frowned. “I guess. I don’t know if I’m brave enough, but I’m going to have to sooner or later.”

  I patted her arm. “Go on, go talk to him. If he flips, call me.”

  She swallowed, close to tears. “I’ll talk to you later. Night, Andy.” With a quick peck on our cheeks, she whisked herself off to where James was talking with a few of the theater people. She whispered into his ear, and a few moments later they were bundled up and bustling out of the door.

  Andrew frowned. “What was that all about?”

  I shook my head. Harl was one of my best friends and deserved my loyalty. “I can’t say anything right now. I promised.”

  “You sure?” I nodded. Andrew kissed me on the forehead and pointed to a group of people standing near Susan’s picture. “I’d better get ready to give the speech.”

  I waved him off. I needed to think, anyway. I’d been worrying about Harlow ever since finding Diana’s body. Since she was pregnant, I shouldn’t let her help me out. Bad enough with Mr. B & U on the loose, but Walter was a whole ‘nother category of dangerous. What kind of friend would I be if I let her get hurt? Let her take a chance that might put her at risk?

  Andrew was preparing for his speech when a strange man entered the auditorium. He caught my attention from all the way across the room; his energy was disturbing—chaotic, like a whirl of clouds and mist. His hair shimmered like white gold, and he wore a suede jacket, jeans, and a pair of motorcycle boots. He silently pushed his way through the mingling guests to where Walter stood. At his approach, Walter reared back, clenching his fists. I maneuvered close enough to hear what they were saying.

  “What the hell are you doing here? I told you never to come back to Chiqetaw.”

  The stranger eyed him, guarded and aloof. “Thought you could get away with it, did you? Thought you could kill your daughter and nobody would be the wiser?”

  “What?” Walter backed up, but a crowd had gathered, keeping them both from moving too far. “What the hell are you up to, Joshua?”

  “You killed her because she was going to tell the police you molested her when she was a teenager.” Walter let his fist fly and, with a triumphant grin, the man danced out of range, managing to evade the blow. Someone shouted for help, and I could see Andrew motioning to Gary, one of the cops Murray had mentioned was going to be at the service. They headed our way.

  The stranger continued. “Didn’t count on me, did you? She told me all about it, Walt, all about how you used to sneak in her room at night and make free with the fingers. She was going to write a letter to the pig boys in blue. By the way, do you still beat your wife?” Walter blanched. “Oh, so sorry—my mistake. Now that she’s dead, you don’t have to.” Walter lunged again, but the man had already backed away, heading
for the door. Andrew and Gary caught up to him and escorted him out of the room.

  Walter tried to shove through the throng. “Get out of my way. It’s time to put an end to this—”

  Another man, obviously a friend of Walter’s, stepped forward to calm him down. “Calm down, Walt. Come on, the guy must be out of his mind.”

  Eyes blazing, Walter pushed him away. “Keep out of this; it’s my fight. If he wants to rumble, then bring it on—there won’t be enough left to mop up the floor when I’m done with him.” He looked around at the crowd gawking at him. “What do you all think you’re looking at? Don’t you have lives of your own?” He stomped out of the room. Nobody made a move to stop him.

  The whispering started almost immediately. I slipped to the side of the room, unnoticed by the milling guests. What the hell had just happened? Who was that man? Joshua… the name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Whoever he was, he’d made some pretty ugly accusations against Walter. Great, I just thought Walter killed Susan. Now another specter had risen its head.

  Andrew entered the room again and launched into damage control. There wasn’t much he could say. “Thank you for attending. Due to… uh… unforeseen circumstances, we’ll have a moment of silence for Susan and then fold up the reception early.”

  Thank heaven we didn’t have to be on cleanup duty, too. While I waited for him to find his notes and jacket, I mulled over everything that had happened. One thing I knew for sure: Walter had dark secrets locked behind those steel-shot eyes, and I wasn’t sure just how many of them I wanted to know.

  Chapter Seventeen

  By the time Andrew and I made it through the front door, I was so sore and tired that I didn’t even bother to go upstairs; I just grabbed a spare robe that I kept hanging in the guest bedroom and disappeared into the bathroom. I belted the terrycloth robe around my waist.

  As I scrubbed off my makeup and brushed out my hair, I fingered the gray strands that were firmly entrenched amid the darker brunette. Thirty-six and already turning silver. Should I break down and dye my hair? Maybe Andrew would like it? With a quick laugh, I decided that if he wanted me to, he could pay for it to be professionally done. He hadn’t complained about my looks yet.

  He had taken off his shoes and tie and was sprawled on my sofa. I grinned. “Nice to see you so comfy.” And it was… nice to see a man on my sofa. I wasn’t sure how we’d handle this when the kids came back, but for tonight I was going to enjoy myself. He patted the sofa, and I dropped into the seat next to him. He reached down and gently lifted my feet, rubbing my aching toes with the gentlest of fingers. “Mmm…” I leaned back against the arm of the sofa and closed my eyes, enjoying the pampering. “Now, talk. Who was that man? Why was he accusing Walter of killing Diana?”

  Andrew snorted. “That was quite a scene, wasn’t it? That man happens to be Joshua Addison, Walter’s stepbrother. As to where his accusations came from, I have no idea. Gary took him down to the station before I got a chance to talk to him.”

  “So, we’re not the only ones who suspect Walt of foul play. I have to say, though,” I said, remembering Joshua’s ice-filled eyes, “there’s something a little out of whack with Joshua. I don’t know what it is, but he’s kind of scary.”

  “I think they’re both warped. I’d like to forget that this whole night ever happened, everything got so out of control. Next time you try to talk me into anything like that again, remind me to hit the streets before I let you convince me to play along.” He tickled my arch, and I playfully kicked at him. “Can you imagine the rumors circulating through the phone lines right about now?”

  I couldn’t help it, I had to laugh. “Oh, God, too bad Harl wasn’t there. She would have given anything to see that little scene. Walt hit on her sometime back, you know—tried to spread rumors about her when she refused him.”

  “That sounds about right.” Andrew stroked my leg. “On another subject, I’d like to ask you a question, and I hope I’m not being forward. If I am, just tell me to shut up.”

  “I always reserve the right not to answer.” I yawned. “But please, don’t stop with the foot rub. That feels so good.”

  He laughed and began to knead the pads behind my toes. Ooo… I opened one eye and gave him an appreciative wink. “This is as good as sex. At least right at this moment it is.”

  “We’ll see about that later.” His grin was devilish and, not for the first time, those wolflike eyes captivated me. “Okay, now for the question. Please don’t take this the wrong way. I just want to understand you better.”

  “Ask away.”

  “Why don’t you keep any alcohol in the house?”

  How to answer? I didn’t have anything against drinking, but sometimes I was afraid of how easy it was to down a glass of wine whenever there was a problem. “My taste for booze started to grow right after the divorce; I got scared, so I quit keeping it around except for special occasions. I’ll have a glass of wine when I go out to dinner, but that’s about it. And… Roy drank a lot; he was a jerk when he was drunk.”

  Andrew leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I understand. Okay, I was just curious.”

  The doorbell rang. I glanced at the clock. “Who could that be? It’s ten o’clock.” Andrew answered the door and came back, trailing a bemused Harlow. She glanced at his loose tie and at my bare legs.

  “Did I interrupt?” Her eyes darted from Andrew to me and back again.

  What was she doing here? She was supposed to be home with James, celebrating the baby. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight. Did you tell him yet?”

  She curled up in the overstuffed chair and stabbed a finger at Andrew. “I suppose he knows?” She glared at me.

  “Nope, didn’t say a word.”

  She looked surprised but grateful. “Truth is, I chickened out.”

  Andrew gave her an inquisitive look. She sighed. “Andy, I need you to keep quiet about this. I appreciate that Em didn’t tell you, but it’s going to come out sooner or later. I’m pregnant. I’m just waiting for the right moment to tell James.”

  “Wow!” Andrew gave her the thumbs-up sign. “Jamesy will be proud as peaches! You guys will make fantastic parents.”

  “I hope so,” she said, shrugging. “Anyway, I promise, Em—I’ll tell him tomorrow. I just—too much emotion tonight, with Susan’s memorial and all.”

  I let a short burst of air whistle through my teeth. “Okay, but it better be tomorrow. You’re going to start showing soon, and you have to tell him something.”

  She gave me a brittle smile. “No problem. How did the rest of the service go?”

  We filled her in, and halfway through, her jaw had dropped lower than my boobs. “So… you know a lot about the goings-on. What do you know about Walter and Joshua’s relationship?”

  She nodded, still gape-mouthed. “Trust me, that’s a real case of bad blood. Walter inherited Joshua’s share of the estate from Josh’s father. That had to hurt. Joshua left town during high school, he was a real troublemaker, and one day he just took off. He didn’t come back for years, I understand, and then he only stayed for a little while and was gone again. I have no idea what he was doing or where he went. I don’t know if anybody does, except maybe Walter himself. But if he’s back in town, he’s probably here to stir up trouble. The two hate each other.”

  “Do you think Walter would molest his own daughter?”

  “Even though he’s a sleaze, I don’t think he’d resort to that. But what if she was going to tell the police that he did? What if he found out? Would he kill her?” Harl leaned back in the rocking chair. “True or not, an accusation of child abuse would destroy his reputation.”

  Andrew leaned forward. “Walt hit Susan, or so she said. Joshua seemed to know about that.”

  “That’s still rumor—nobody ever saw the bruises. I believe Walt hit her,” I said slowly, realizing that I firmly believed Walter capable of violence. “You heard him screaming at her like she was dirt. And tonight he threatene
d Joshua. But molesting a child’s far worse than hitting an adult. Harl’s right. Joshua could destroy Walt’s life just by making an accusation.”

  “So,” Harl said, “what’s next on the list of things to do?”

  I licked my lips. This was going to be harder than I thought; I didn’t want to tell Harlow she couldn’t play. Part of my reluctance stemmed from the desire to keep her help, but I couldn’t let her put herself in danger. “Harl, I’ve been thinking about this all evening. I don’t want to throw a damper on you, but since you’re pregnant, maybe you shouldn’t be involved. I don’t want you getting hurt. The ghosts have proved dangerous. Walter already caused trouble for you in the past. Now look at the charges against him—he might be involved in two murders.”

  Harlow regarded me solemnly. “Walter is dangerous,” she said. “He did his best to destroy my reputation. Everybody knew his rumors were lies, but they were willing to accept them until they figured out that I have more money stashed away than he does and I’m more willing to contribute to community causes. But I still can help.”

  I was torn. I wanted her input; she was a ticket into parts of society that I couldn’t enter without a guest pass. “I don’t know—”

  “Hold it,” Andrew interrupted, stopping me before I crumbled. “Em’s right—there’s no way we can let you endanger yourself. However, you can help by feeding us information you might know. Other than that, I think you should steer clear of this whole situation.”

  “Aren’t you the take-charge man. I guess I have to start thinking about somebody besides myself now, huh?” She sniffed. “I hate being left out of things, and you really do need my help. But I’ll back off.” She patted her stomach. “Hard to believe that there’s somebody growing inside, huh? Kind of freaky. Speaking of Walter, did you see that near stumble when you mentioned Diana?”

  “I noticed that, all right. There’s more. Murray told me that Walter isn’t going to inherit a single cent from Susan. She cut him out of her will before she filed for divorce. What it boils down to, folks, is that since Walter knew about both the divorce and the change in her will, two of his main motives are gone. He wouldn’t inherit if Susan died, and since she was leaving, he had no reason to get rid of her.”