“Of course. I just hate to see a child suffer.”
“So do I.” I turned to Mason. “Are you making headway with the case?”
“That’s a hard call. I do have some news. Do you want it now or after dinner?”
“Good or bad?”
“Mixed.”
“I think I’d better hear it now.”
“We found Billy Joe and his truck late this morning,” Mason said.
“So you brought him in for questioning? What does he have to say for himself?”
“It’s not quite that simple. It seems he missed a sharp curve and ended up in a ravine near Kennesaw. He’s dead.”
“Oh.” It took me a minute to register the fact that Billy Joe would no longer be a threat to us. “Was anyone with him?”
“No one else was in the car,” Mason said. “My captain seems convinced it was an accident, but I’m not so sure. There were skid marks that suggest another car might have been involved. That’s all I’ve got right now. I didn’t get there in time to see the body.”
“I don’t know whether to feel relieved or scared,” I said. “If it was an accident, then maybe this is finished. But if it was murder, the children could be in even more danger.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Mason said. “Billy Joe may have been in charge of whatever was going on, but he wasn’t acting alone. And if he was murdered, we have a ruthless killer on the loose. We have to figure out what to do about that.”
I didn’t say anything and neither did Mason. He was a quiet, thoughtful man. He’d tell me what was on his mind when he was ready.
Dinner came first. Lucie and Jason ran in from outside. We waited while they scurried to the bathroom and washed their hands. Then Lurleen ushered all of us into the dining room, where the smell of sautéed onion and garlic from the kitchen blotted out my worries. The table was set elegantly with fine china, crystal glasses, and small bowls of white roses. Even Jason’s place had the same fine china and a small crystal goblet filled with milk. On his chair was a very fat Larousse Gastronomique. I helped him up. “So you can see better, like the booster seat,” I said as he started to protest.
I looked over at Lurleen. “The table is beautiful. You sure about this?” I pointed to Jason’s goblet.
She smiled back at me. “Naturellement. Beautiful things are meant to be used, n’est-ce pas? If they break, ca ne fait rien. They’re just objects. Not like people. That’s where you want to be careful, if you know what I mean.”
When Lurleen talked like that, I knew why she was my best friend. Why she’d always be my best friend.
“I forgot something,” she said. She ran to the kitchen and brought back the yellow rose, placing it in front of me along with the note.
“What’s this?” Mason asked, glancing at the card.
“You didn’t send this to Ditie?” Lurleen asked. “Ooh la la,” she said under her breath.
Mason shook his head and color rose to his cheeks. He looked at me.
“I assumed it was from you,” I said. “It’s not signed.” Now my color rose. “I can’t imagine who sent this to me. I have no secret admirers, I promise you.”
Mason remained silent. He held my chair for me and then sat down stiffly beside me.
Dan held Lurleen’s. “I’ll serve,” he said to break the tension. “Y’all get comfortable.”
It was an amazing dinner—beginning with an apple and walnut endive salad with blue cheese dressing and ending with authentic chocolate mousse. In between was a boeuf bourguignonne Julia Child would have been happy to call her own. It even thawed Mason’s cool demeanor. The kids dined mainly on sourdough bread while I savored every morsel and asked for seconds. Mason had brought the wine. White for me and a pinot noir for everyone else. Mine was a Pouilly Fouisse 2005. I’m not a wine connoisseur, but I know what I like. And this I liked.
After dinner, Dan and Lurleen insisted on cleaning up. I got the kids ready for bed, tucked them in, and then settled down in the living room with Mason. We could hear Dan and Lurleen giggling in the kitchen. It’s quite an amazing sound to hear a big guy laugh like a two-year-old.
“I’m sorry for how I behaved at dinner. I just thought you said you weren’t involved with anyone,” Mason said.
“I’m not. I haven’t been serious about anyone in years. I’ve only been serious about one man in my adult life.” Finally, the bells went off. One man. Phil Brockton. He knew I loved yellow roses. His letter said he’d be in town in a few days. I was quiet and Mason noticed.
“You know who sent you the rose?”
“I might know.”
Mason hesitated and then said, “I’d like to hear about my competition.”
“He’s hardly competition. Just a man who broke my heart years ago.”
Mason didn’t ask for more information, but I found myself getting prickly just the same. I didn’t need pressure from two men when I had the children to worry about. It wasn’t the right time to get involved with either one of them. Besides, the news Phil might want to impart was likely to be that he’d had some children who needed a good pediatrician. As for Mason, he and I had agreed to do nothing until the case was resolved. Even then it was a plan to have dinner, nothing more. I looked over at him. He seemed lost in thought, his brow furrowed.
“What is it?” I asked. “More bad news?”
“In a way. I’m thinking you should move again. I know it’s hard on the kids but if this was murder, there’s a dangerous person still out there. Maybe more than one.”
I sighed. I wasn’t surprised by what he said. Just discouraged. “I can call my brother, Tommy. In a pinch I think he’d put us up. He lives in Buckhead in a high-rise apartment with a person at the front desk twenty-four seven. That’s about as safe as we can get. But I hate to do this to the kids again.”
“It won’t be for long, I promise. We’re following up on leads. And we’re getting some cooperation at Sandler’s.”
“So you do think all this is connected with Sandler’s Sodas.”
Lurleen came into the living room in time to hear my last remark. She looked at Mason. “Did you talk to my friend Marie?”
“Yes. She’s been very helpful. No one seems to know where Charlie Flack is now, but he did work for Sandler’s several years ago in their new products division. He’s a biochemist. Your friend Marie tracked down his employment file. He was dismissed for a ‘lack of loyalty to the company.’ That was about three years ago.”
“Told you,” Lurleen said. “Lack of loyalty will get you fired in about five minutes. And never reinstated. The old man just hates that.”
“What does lack of loyalty mean?” I asked. “Was he selling secrets to his competitors?”
“Funny you should say that,” Mason said. “Marie thinks he tried to carry out classified information on his computer. His dismissal was hushed up. No charges were filed, but he was blackballed from the company. He wanted to get reinstated. Marie thinks that’s where Eleanor came in. She was pleading his case to anyone who would listen. Wrongly accused, etc. Apparently, it did no good. He never got his job back.”
I stood up to offer Mason more wine, but he shook his head. “So is that the cooperation you’re talking about?” I asked. “Is Marie your inside person?”
“Marie is one of them. The whole place is pretty shaken up by the death of Billy Joe,” Mason said, “or at least they claim to be. After all, he was the grandson of the CEO. I haven’t gotten a chance to talk with the senior Mr. Sandler yet.”
“Well, good luck with old-man William Sandler the Third,” Lurleen said. “‘WS3’ to us. Stuffy and arrogant. He’ll never tell you anything. If it’s family, it stays private.”
Mason nodded. At this point Dan entered the living room with a dish towel over his arm. “All done in the kitchen. What’s next?” He looked at our solemn faces
and dropped into a chair beside Lurleen. “What did I miss?”
“You know most of it,” Mason said. He turned toward me. “Right now, we have to decide what’s best for everyone. We have one or more assailants on the loose. And I think they believe you or the kids have something they want. We have to talk about where you’ll be safe.”
“You don’t think they’re safe here?” Lurleen said in a voice that was both hurt and frightened.
“Do you?”
“Dan’s been great,” Lurleen said.
“He’s the best there is,” Mason said. “That’s why he’s here. But he’s one man and this house is not Fort Knox.”
That settled it for me. “I couldn’t stand it if I put you or the children in danger,” I said to Lurleen. “I’m calling my brother. He owes me, and in his own way I know he loves me.”
While I basically believed that statement, I wasn’t at all sure how he’d react to a live-in sister with two kids. I made the phone call in the kitchen. Surprisingly he answered on the first ring.
“Hi, Mabel. I was going to call you. Got worried when I heard about Billy Joe Sandler. You all right?”
“For now. How did you hear about Billy Joe? How do you even know who he is?”
“Everyone in Atlanta knows Billy Joe.”
“How did you connect him with us? Did we talk about that?”
“Must have. So anyway, are you and the kids okay?”
“I’m not sure. That’s why I’m calling. Mason—Detective Garrett—thinks we need to move. Whoever did this may be desperate to get at the kids, thinking they have something he wants.”
“Garrett doesn’t think Billy Joe’s death was an accident?”
“No.”
“He thinks his death might be connected with Ellie’s?”
“That’s what he thinks.”
“Does he know what the murderer is looking for?”
“You’re full of questions, Tommy. We don’t know what they want. It may be something to do with Sandler’s. Why are you so interested in the case?”
“I’m just worried about you and the kids. I’m your brother, remember?”
“That’s actually why I’m calling. We need a place to stay. Mason doesn’t think we’re safe where we are. Can you put us up for a while?”
Tommy went quiet, and I could feel my throat constrict. Once again, he might let me down. Like he had so many times in the past. All I ever wanted from Tommy was a brother who cared about me, came through for me. All I seemed to get was someone too involved in his own life to give me the time of day. Unless he wanted something from me—like the deed to the farm. I got ready to blast him.
“Look, Tommy,” I started.
“Hang on, sis. Don’t light into me. I’m thinking it over. How to make it work. It’s a small place but you know that. Two bedrooms. The kids could have one. Can you sleep on the couch in the den? I’d give you my bedroom but all my stuff is in there. I’d just be in and out all the time disturbing you.”
“Oh, Tommy. Thank you. I wouldn’t dream of kicking you out of your bedroom. And the kids are wonderful. You’ll see.”
“Slow down, Mabel. You always move so fast. Let me think this through.”
Damn him. Could he ever just say yes when I needed help? “We don’t really have time for you to weigh the pros and cons about this. The kids might be in danger. We have to come over soon, like tomorrow.”
I waited through five seconds of silence. “Sure. Fine,” he said at last.
That was the end of the conversation. For once, Tommy was actually willing to help me. Maybe, just maybe, Tommy and I could find some common ground, and perhaps I could find the brother I’d lost when he went away to boarding school and cut me out of his life.
I rushed into the living room, phone in hand. Apparently, Mason had also been on the phone. He was just putting his away and he looked ashen.
Chapter Eleven
Mason didn’t wait for me to sit down. “They’ve taken me off the case,” he said.
“What are you talking about?” Dan asked before I could.
“They say they have a more pressing homicide. The coroner’s report concluded Billy Joe was drunk, with a BAC of point two five. He also had traces of Vicodin in his system. My captain’s designated it an accident and wants me to handle a shooting in Alpharetta. That’s about as far as I could get from Atlanta. The Alpharetta police asked for help apparently, and he agreed to send me.”
“Why would he agree to do that?” Dan asked. “There are plenty of people they could have sent. You’re in the middle of a high-profile case. It’s the kind of case they assign you to. Why would they take you off it now?” Dan was pacing as he spoke.
I was sitting next to Mason. Every muscle in his body looked tense. He was straining to keep his voice steady. I’d never seen Mason angry before.
“I have no idea. Whether or not Billy Joe was murdered, Eleanor Winston was. That’s a certainty. Along with Schmiddy, who just happened to be working on a cybercrimes issue connected with Sandler’s. I’ve never been yanked from a homicide before. You get Sandler’s involved and you have publicity and strings being pulled. This came from someone higher up than my captain. Had to be the chief of police or the deputy chief of criminal investigations.”
“I take it they’re your big bosses,” I said.
“Right.”
“What’s going on?” Danny asked. “You get the job done and you never make waves. Why would they want you out of the picture?”
“I wish I knew. Boy, I wish I knew.” He turned to me. “This doesn’t change your plans. Your brother agreed to take you in?” I nodded. He stood up. “I’m not convinced Billy Joe died accidentally,” he said. “In fact, I’m pretty sure he didn’t. I have to check out the Alpharetta situation, but I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He looked at Dan. “You’ll hold down the fort?”
“You know I will. I’ll get them moved tomorrow. First thing.”
“Watch your back.”
“You know me, boss. No one will follow us.”
“Walk with me, Dan.”
Mason took my hand before he left. “You’ll be okay. I’ll get this straightened out as fast as I can.”
I nodded. I got the feeling there was a lot Mason wasn’t telling me. Lurleen hadn’t said a word or stirred from her perch by the fireplace. Now she got up, walked over to me, and put an arm around me. She led me into the kitchen and made me a cup of tea.
“What do you think happened, Lurleen?” I asked.
Lurleen shrugged and shook her head.
“Do you think Mason got pulled from the case because he was spending time off duty with us? I was afraid that could get him in trouble.”
“Take it easy, Ditie. Mason is a grown man. He knows what he’s doing, but mon Dieu, did he look angry!”
“Yeah. Now he’s telling Dan everything he didn’t want to tell us.”
“Don’t give me that look. I’ll do my best to get information out of Dan, but you and I both know he’s incorruptible. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
That made me smile.
Lurleen and I sat at the kitchen table waiting for Dan to come back. It took me a few moments to realize what I was feeling. I was scared. Chilled in a place Lurleen’s tea couldn’t reach. If Mason was off the case, how would I know what was going on? How would I ever feel safe? How could I protect the children? And how long was I supposed to keep them out of school and hidden away?
As if she were reading my mind, Lurleen jumped in. “I’ll home school them,” she said.
“Really?”
“What else do I have to do with my time? I was a teacher once, briefly. I bet you didn’t know that.”
I shook my head. “French?”
“No, no.” Lurleen laughed. “Math. It wasn’t a bad job, just too many st
udents running around disinterested in the subject. Actually I substituted for a friend, who was out for minor surgery. It convinced me it wasn’t my calling. But your two—that’s a different story.”
Lurleen’s lovely face lit up with a smile that I returned. My two—the adjective that gripped my heart.
“You’ll do a great job,” I said, “but how will you get there every day? You could so easily be followed.”
“Really chérie, have I not told you about my days as a race car driver?”
I never knew when Lurleen was telling me the truth or part of her more interesting fictionalized past. I sat back and enjoyed the story. Dan walked in as she was wrapping up.
“So once Pierre and I were finished, that was the end of my twenty-four hours at Le Mans.”
“You were at Le Mans?” Dan asked. “I’ve always wanted to see that. And who’s Pierre?”
“Pierre is no one,” Lurleen said, “and I only made it through twenty-two hours. Wine anyone?”
“Coffee,” Dan said. “I’m on duty, remember.”
Lurleen poured him the last of the coffee and offered to make another pot.
“No, no, I’m good.” He joined us at the table and looked at our expectant faces. “Mason doesn’t know what’s going on. Hopefully he’ll be back on the case in a couple of days. In the meantime I’ll keep up with the investigation. I’ve still got contacts in the division from the years I worked there.”
“Dan, is Mason in trouble for spending time with us, with me?” I asked. “After all, I could be a suspect.”
“He told me you’d worry about that. You’re not a suspect and you’re not the one causing him grief.”
“Who is causing him grief?” Lurleen asked.
“That’s the million-dollar question. No million-dollar answer yet.” Dan drank the last of the coffee and put the mug in the dishwasher. “I think y’all should make this an early night. We’ve got a lot to do tomorrow morning, and the earlier we leave here, the better.”
He insisted on spending the night in the car. Lurleen promised to bring him a thermos of fresh coffee and returned to the kitchen with a look on her face that said she was ready for action. It was something about the firm set of her well-defined chin, the slight upturn in her lips, and the way she arched a single eyebrow.
Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot Page 9