The Scrimshaw Set: Books 1 & 2

by Gayle Hayes

  "The TV was loud. I heard the local news in the background."

  "He could've been playing a recording to throw you off."

  "You've seen too many movies, detective. I think he's in New York. Unfortunately, when I asked his daughter's last name, he seemed to know I was fishing. He said he didn't tell me and wanted to know why I asked."

  "Sounds like you're making him nervous, Emma. We'll be watching your apartment. He might send somebody to look for the briefcase. I'll let you know what we find on the CD, if that's what it is. Take care of yourself. I hope you get good news about Eric."

  "Thanks. Bye," Emma said.

  It was nearly midnight before Eric woke up. A nurse arrived with his medication. She handed him a small, white paper cup. He dumped the contents into his mouth and sipped juice through a straw. The nurse left. Eric saw Emma at the foot of the bed. He squinted and raised his head slightly. "Emma?" he asked.

  Emma laughed. "You look as if you'd seen a ghost."

  "What are you doing here?" he asked.

  "I thought you'd be glad to see me," she teased.

  "I am. How did you know?"

  "Phyllis called me early today…well, yesterday, now. It sounded pretty serious. Looks like your arm is broken."

  "Yeah. At least it's the left one. Gosh, Emma, it's so good to see you. How'd you get away from the office so quick?"

  "I think I broke the sound barrier I was moving so fast. It's amazing what I can accomplish under pressure." She laughed.

  "How'd you get here?"

  "The last flight into Great Falls. About eight thirty."

  "No, I mean how'd you get to the hospital? Is Phyllis with you?"

  "I rented a car. It was a piece of cake compared to Denver. Great Falls only has one hospital and no traffic this time of night."

  "You shouldn't be out at night by yourself. Are you driving to Buffalo Jump tonight?"

  "No. I made a reservation close to the hospital. At least, until you're dismissed."

  "I'll be out by tomorrow. It's just the arm," Eric said.

  "They wouldn't keep you in for a broken arm. They must be monitoring something else."

  "I'm sorry, I can't stay awake. You should leave and get some sleep."

  Emma bent over Eric and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back in the morning. I love you."

  "I love you, too, Emma. I'm sorry I can't wrap my arms around you."

  "I'll be here a few days. It'll give you a goal to work on," she said.

  Eric was sleeping before he heard Emma say she'd be staying. She wondered if he'd remember she was there when he woke up again.

  Emma drove the short distance to the motel, packed her bags to the room, and undressed. She lay on her back in bed looking at the ceiling. "Thank you, God," she said. It was the second time she'd prayed in less than twenty-four hours. The first time was right after Phyllis called saying Eric was in the hospital. Emma stopped praying after John and Lynn Favager were killed in the auto accident. She didn't believe God was listening. Now, she drifted off to sleep wondering what was serious enough to keep Eric in the hospital.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  Emma poured milk over the hot oatmeal, added a packet of sugar, and stirred. Then she tucked the napkin into the top of Eric's hospital gown and watched as he dipped the spoon into the bowl, taking only small amounts of the cereal. She removed the lid from the glass of apple juice, and stirred milk into his coffee, tasted it, and told him it was not too hot to drink. Then she spread strawberry preserves on half of a slice of whole wheat toast. "I always wanted to be some rich man's nursemaid." She laughed.

  "I didn't appreciate having two hands," Eric said.

  "It's a miracle only your arm is broken. You'll be walking out of here today. The drunk's in the morgue."

  Emma sat near the bed reading emails on her phone. Eric stopped eating and watched her.

  "I still can't believe you're here. It was almost worth breaking my arm. How long can you stay?"

  "I told Tom to find someone else to cover the office next week. He said he'd look for someone to replace me permanently."

  "He fired you?"

  "I quit. I told him I was going to give him my notice in January, and he could consider himself notified."

  "Is that the truth?" Eric asked.

  "What? I quit before he could fire me, or I was going to quit in January?"

  "Why were you going to quit?"

  "I've been unhappy there a long time, but it was familiar ground. The steady paycheck made up for a lot. I was on the brink, and Tom pushed me over the edge. I told him our receptionist, Tori, gave my address to the man who broke in and robbed me. He told her he had a perishable delivery and couldn't make out my address.

  "Tom hired her as a favor to her uncle. He can do good things for the firm. So, Tom told me to talk with Tori, because he says it's between us anyway. He should've fired her. At the very least, he should've shown a smidgeon of concern after what I'd been through. Instead, he lectured me about leaving my shade down when I wasn't with a client. When I told him I was going to Montana for an emergency, he didn't even ask what it was. He wasn't even listening to me. If I wasn't so upset about you, I might've told him where he could shove his job."

  "Woo-hoo! Note to self: Do not piss off Emma Favager." Eric laughed.

  "The real truth is I already made up my mind I wanted to be wherever you are," Emma said.

  "So, you're staying for Christmas?" Eric asked.

  "Not now. I would've stayed if you needed me here, but if I stay now, I'll ruin someone else's holiday. I don't care what Tom thinks at this point, but I owe it to the staff to do what I said I'd do. I've been thinking, though. We could do Christmas in Denver. You must have some leave coming after your accident. You could stay with me."

  "Look, Emma. We're not kids anymore. It isn't like we're waiting for Santa Claus or something. Let's make the most of this week. We'll do an early Christmas on Saturday, and you can fly back to Denver on Sunday. I don't think I'll feel like traveling any time soon."

  "Can we include Phyllis and Carole? They seem pretty down with this being the first holiday after losing my father."

  "I'll leave it up to you girls. Can you help me get dressed? I can't wait to get out of here. It's going to be a short week," Eric said.

  "I better call Ally and tell her not to empty my office."

  CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

  The week before Christmas went by quickly. Once Eric was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, Emma drove them to Buffalo Jump in her rental car. Then she helped Eric get settled in his apartment and drove the few blocks to her father's house. This time Harold's home felt more like it was hers. Wednesday Emma drove into Great Falls to get a Christmas gift for Carole and Phyllis. Eric was still working on her Christmas gift, so he was content to share her with Phyllis and Carole during the day but looked forward to her company and help in the evenings.

  Emma and Carole were busy making Christmas cookies Thursday afternoon when she received the call from Detective Dolan. She told Carole it was one of her clients and walked to the living room. The detective had removed a DVD from the hidden compartment of the briefcase. He told Emma the DVD appeared to be an amateur sex video. She was relieved when he told her the man in the video was not Jack Hennessey.

  "Did Jack ever mention anything like this to you?" Detective Dolan asked.

  "No. He was always very proper, even old fashioned. Are you sure this wasn't already in the case when he bought it?"

  "Emma, someone took great pains to hide this DVD. Nobody would do that to a briefcase headed for general distribution. We know Jack paid a visit to Henry McDonald. If you were trying this case, would you think there was a chance in hell Jack didn't know about this?"

  "No. I know what you're saying. But why would Jack hide the DVD? It's not him. Do you think he's protecting someone at the agency?" Emma asked.

  "Emma, I know you think too much of Jack to believe he's capable of anything shady, but I'm bet
ting Jack is using the DVD to blackmail someone. I think it's someone at the agency."

  "If he's using the DVD for blackmail, why would he hide it in my briefcase?"

  "I don't know. I'm catching a flight to New York in the morning. I'll be meeting with the agent in charge of the New York office. I'm counting on you to keep this confidential. You can't let your high regard for Jack get in the way of this investigation."

  "I'm getting used to the idea that Jack is not who I thought he was. You can be sure if I do hear from him, I won't give away the investigation."

  "Emma, you should be aware Jack doesn't have a daughter. He married his high school sweetheart. She died soon after they were married, and then he joined CIA."

  "Thanks. It's obvious he's been lying to me. Did you find a Katie Hennessey? I'm wondering if he remarried. He told me about her for some reason. Maybe he wanted to cover himself in case I called, and she answered the phone."

  "No Katie Hennessey, either," Dolan said.

  Emma was prepared to hear the worst about Jack Hennessey. She put him out of her mind and gave her attention to Carole and the Christmas cookies. Carole cut out the star and bell shapes and oversaw the baking and then Emma spread a small amount of white frosting on each one and added red and green sprinkles to make the stars twinkle and the bells ring. Carole's mother learned how to make the cookies from her mother, and then Carole learned how to make them. She'd not made them since her mother moved to the assisted living home. Carole liked to think Emma was the daughter she'd never had. Sharing this tradition with Emma helped to fill the void created by Harold's death.

  "Babe had a sweet tooth, you know. He'd eat these as fast as I decorated them. Then he'd complain I was the reason he was gaining weight. This is the first Christmas in thirty years we'll spend without him. I'm so glad you could be here, Emma. How's Eric getting along?"

  "Eric is doing well. He's right handed, so he can still paint. He gets annoyed because everything is difficult without two hands. I've been more conscious of needing two hands myself. I can't do anything with one. If I try, I drop something."

  "I suppose they'll give him a desk job until his arm is healed," Carole said.

  "He's not too happy about it, but he knows it could've been so much worse. He wants to go to the schools and show the kids his broken arm and the photos of the accident so they won't drink and drive. He's waiting for approval from the sheriff. I think it would be good for him. He needs to get out of the office for a while, anyway, and it would put a more positive spin on the experience. Fortunately, he sees this as an opportunity for something good instead of dwelling on the negative."

  "Have you thought anymore about moving to Buffalo Jump?"

  "Yes. I didn't tell you. I gave my notice at work before I left. I won't move before spring. I'm taking it one day at a time."

  "Oh, that's grand, Emma. I can't wait to tell Phyllis…unless you want to tell her yourself."

  Emma scraped the last bit of frosting from the bowl. "Not at all. You can tell her. Looks like the frosting ran out before the cookies did."

  Emma left Carole and drove to Eric's apartment. On the way, she thought about what Detective Dolan told her. Jack Hennessey did not have a daughter. She wondered what he would have done if she'd agreed to go to New York for Christmas. What excuse would he make for not spending the holiday with his daughter and granddaughter? Why mention them at all? Was it a ruse to get her away from Denver and alone with him in New York? She'd been suspicious of him at first, but after spending one evening with him in Denver, she began to trust him. If he did hide a sex video in the briefcase he gave her, he put her at risk. She wanted to hear his explanation, but she knew nothing he could say would restore her trust in him.

  When Emma parked in front of Eric's apartment, he was at the mailbox. Her Christmas gift had arrived. He was waving it while beaming a brilliant smile. He might not be as sophisticated as Jack, but Emma was sure she would never discover any dark secrets about Eric.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

  Phyllis and Carole were waiting at Billy's Balsamroot Café Saturday when Eric and Emma arrived. Phyllis waved them over to the booth by the window. It was Harold's favorite booth. She and Carole always asked for it when they dined at Billy's.

  Billy had decorated the foyer of the café with a blue spruce from a tree farm in Montana. Multicolored lights wrapped around the tree, and silver garland was draped loosely over the branches. Billy's ornaments were the same ones her parents always hung on the family tree when Billy was growing up. It never occurred to her that a customer might pilfer one of her precious ornaments. Instead, she bought a nice gift for her customers each year and displayed it above the counter. Then she allowed each customer to enter their tabs from meals at Billy's during the holiday season. She held a drawing for the winning tab on the Sunday before Christmas. This year the winner would receive a camping kit including a two-man tent, two folding chairs, a cooler, and a portable stove. She thought it would give people something to dream about during the long, Montana winter.

  Billy had stretched red and green crepe paper from the four corners of the dining room. A large, red and green crepe paper bell with Merry Christmas on it hung from the ceiling in the center of the room.

  A local artist had painted a Christmas scene on the windows. A black bear snoozed in its den hung with Christmas stockings. Deer wearing colorful sweaters and stocking caps feasted on scattered hay outside a cozy cabin. Santa lounged near the fireplace eating cookies.

  Chet Atkins still strummed his guitar in the background, but this time of year the songs were from his Christmas albums. His rendition of White Christmas provided mellow background for brunch.

  After brunch at Billy's, the foursome headed to Phyllis' inn for gifts. No one had reserved rooms for the holidays, and she'd sent members of her staff home to be with their families. Carole and Eric sat on the sofa. Phyllis added a log to the fire. Emma selected gifts from under the tree. Once everyone had a gift, they took turns opening them.

  Phyllis gave everyone Made in Montana huckleberry chocolate and gift cards. Carole filled decorative tins with cookies, peanut brittle, and fudge. Eric gave everyone a package of the all-occasion cards he'd created and was marketing online. Emma gave Carole and Phyllis gift certificates for the Missouri Queen, the riverboat restaurant in Great Falls. Eric opened the book featuring the background and art of Monte Dolack. While the others were enjoying the Dolack book, Phyllis slipped away and returned with Eric's gift for Emma. She unfolded his easel and then carefully set the gift on it.

  "What's this?" Emma asked.

  "I've been working on something for you. It's not finished yet, but it's close enough. I wanted you to have it for Christmas," Eric said.

  Emma removed the paper. She felt as if she was looking at the mirror image of herself.

  "Oh, Eric. It's beautiful. I mean, not me, but your work. I didn't know you did portraits."

  "I've only done two. I never showed the first one to anybody."

  Emma kissed Eric's cheek and gave him a gentle hug. "This is the best Christmas in a long time," she said.

  They passed the afternoon looking at Phyllis' Christmas albums and videos. She'd recorded every Christmas with Carole and Harold.

  After a few games of Monopoly and Clue, they watched It's A Wonderful Life while eating pizza Phyllis baked in the restaurant kitchen.

  It was late by the time everyone agreed to call it a Christmas.

  "I hope this is the last time we'll say goodbye, Emma," Carole said.

  "At least we know you're coming back to stay this time. That makes it so much easier," Phyllis said.

  Once Emma helped Eric into the car, she turned and waved to Phyllis and Carole. "Merry Christmas! I'll see you next year," she promised.

  Sunday morning Emma placed her bags on Harold's front porch while she took one last look around the house to make sure it would be all right over the winter. Then she locked the door and loaded her luggage into the rental car.
She'd not planned to leave so soon when she made the reservation. There were fewer options for departure times two days before Christmas. She thought it was probably best that she was leaving early in the day. A visit always feels different once someone is leaving. It is easier to get it over with than to endure the few remaining hours, knowing one will again be living life solo.

  Eric was already painting when Emma stopped to say goodbye. She gently hugged him. "I wish I was going to be here to look after you while your arm mends," she said.

  "I do, too. It's been great having you here this week. You've made it easier for me to function with one hand. What would I do without you?" Eric asked.

  "Keep thinking you can't live without me. I like that," Emma teased.

  Eric kissed her and then drew her closer. He kissed Emma a long time. "Please come back as soon as you can," he said.

  "I will. Maybe even sooner." She laughed.

  CHAPTER SIXTY

  It was the Thursday after Christmas before Emma talked to Detective Dolan again. She'd made a court appearance for an attorney who was in Maine to spend the holiday with his parents. The detective was on his way out of the building when Emma stepped into the revolving door. He continued through the door and emerged in the lobby of the office building.

  "That was a close call." Dolan laughed.

  "How was your Christmas?" Emma asked.

  "Christmas was fantastic. My ex and her new boyfriend are in Hawaii. I've had the two kids all to myself for the first year since we divorced. It's been great."

  "I didn't know you had kids. How long were you married?" Emma asked.

  "Too long." Dolan laughed. "Ten years. She got tired of me never being home or leaving in the middle of the night. This job takes a toll on a marriage. How was Montana?"

  "Great. We did an early Christmas. I don't think I told you I gave Tom Davidson my notice last week. I'll be leaving the firm in January."