“I think she’d be happy there,” he said gazing up at the painting. “She’s been here a long time. I haven’t been terribly interested in selling her.”
This will be expensive, Maggie thought. “What are you asking for it?”
The man quoted a figure that was near the top of the price range they’d set when they’d left the tea room. “If you include the tax and shipping with it, we’ll take it,” John replied.
The man nodded. Maggie threw her arms around John and hugged him hard before they headed to the counter to complete the paperwork. As John supplied the necessary details to the shop owner, Maggie turned back to look at their purchase. Was it her imagination or had the little girl with the basket on her arm waved at her?
Chapter 6
Loretta Nash pushed through the door of Haynes Enterprises shortly before eight o’clock. She hung her purse on the back of her chair and stepped into the doorway of Frank Haynes’ office. He was hunched over his computer monitor, and she was surprised to see that he wasn’t concentrating on a spreadsheet. She knocked lightly on the doorjamb.
“Good morning, sir.”
“It’s Frank. You don’t need to call me sir,” he said gruffly, but then looked up at her and smiled. “How’s Miss Nicole today?”
“She’s doing much better, sir … Frank. I was just going to make coffee. Would you like some?”
Haynes stretched. “That would be great. I need something.”
“What are you working on?” she asked tentatively, half expecting him to bite her head off for poking around in his business.
“I’m trying to get in touch with an attorney.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard,” she ventured.
“He retired and moved out of the country more than a decade ago.”
“That might be a different story,” she conceded. “Do you know if he’s still alive?”
“I don’t. I found his bar association records, and he retired at the very young age of forty-three, so it’s reasonable to think so.”
“Lucky him,” Loretta remarked. “Do you know where he moved to?”
“No. I’ve been searching on the Internet. I thought you could find anything on the Internet. But I’m coming up empty-handed.”
“Would you like me to help? I’m pretty good at Internet searches, and there are paid services that you can use to help, too. Genealogy and skip trace websites. Stuff like that, if you don’t mind spending the money.”
Frank Haynes beamed at her. “Loretta, you’re brilliant. That would be super.”
Loretta turned aside before he could see her blush. One thing was certain; she could never predict the moods of her boss.
***
Frank Haynes stood in front of Loretta’s desk as she bundled the day’s receipts for deposit at the bank. “Any luck finding Roger Spenser?” he asked.
Loretta shook her head. “Sorry. We’ve been so busy here. Once I get through posting last month’s expenses, I’ll have more time.”
Haynes frowned. “When will that be?”
“Not until next week, I’m afraid. Are you in a hurry to find him?”
“I might be.”
“I’ll work on it tonight, at home.”
“I’d appreciate it—very much.” He moved toward his office and turned back. “Keep track of your hours. I’ll pay you overtime.”
“You don’t need to do that. You were so understanding about my time out of the office when Nicole was sick. I’m happy to do this for you.”
Haynes nodded and a smile flickered on his lips. “Even so, I’m going to pay you. When do you think you can start?”
“Tonight. Sean and Marissa are away at church camp, and Nicole goes to bed early. I’ll work on it every night this week, if necessary.”
“Call me the minute you find anything, okay?”
“Sure. You really want to find this guy, don’t you?”
Haynes ignored her question and returned to his office.
***
Loretta tuned to a Disney movie on the television and opened her laptop while Nicole snuggled next to her, drowsily watching the tale of a prince and princess that she’d seen dozens of times before. Roger Spenser was a common name, and Loretta unearthed a lot of entries to sort through. Knowing his age and that he had been an attorney in Chicago helped narrow her search.
The movie was nearing its inevitable conclusion when one entry on the third page of results caught her attention. There was a Roger Spenser who had made a name for himself as a birdwatcher. As she scrolled through the links, she learned that he was referred to as a “birder” rather than a “birdwatcher” because of his more serious pursuit of the hobby. He’d even lead international excursions and written a blog on the topic.
Loretta brushed the hair off of Nicole’s forehead as the movie credits rolled on the screen. “Let’s get you to bed,” she whispered as she clicked the remote to turn off the TV.
Nicole slowly lowered one foot to the floor.
“Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?” Loretta asked, placing her hand under her daughter’s chin and raising her face to look at her carefully.
Nicole nodded.
“Just tired?”
Nicole nodded again.
Loretta put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders and steered her into the bathroom and then into bed. She tucked Nicole’s favorite blanket around her and watched as her youngest child fell quickly asleep. Loretta said a prayer of thanks that her little girl’s kidneys were responding to the medication and working properly. She never wanted to see Nicole hooked up to a dialysis machine again.
***
Despite staying up until after midnight researching noted birder Roger Spenser and making a record of her findings, Loretta was waiting at Haynes Enterprises when Frank Haynes arrived at seven thirty the next morning.
“Sorry to keep you standing out here,” he said as he hurried up the steps and inserted his key. “Why are you here so early?”
“I have some things to attend to,” she said cryptically.
“Find anything about Spenser last night?” he asked as he held the door open for her.
“Yes. That’s actually why I came in so early. I want to make a couple of calls before the phones start ringing off the hook around here.”
Haynes turned to her. “Tell me.”
Loretta arched a brow and smiled. “Not yet.”
“When?”
“I should be finished this afternoon.”
“I’ve got meetings out of the office from lunchtime on,” he said, frowning.
“It’ll keep until tomorrow.”
Haynes shook his head. “Can I call you at home, tonight?” His head came up. “Better yet, why don’t I take you and your daughter out to dinner and you can tell me then?”
Loretta stared. Frank Haynes never ceased to surprise her.
“Where would you like to go? What does Nicole like?”
“With Nicole in tow, we’ll need to go to a place with a play area. One of your restaurants would be fine.”
“Ahhh …” Frank rubbed his hand over his chin. “Can you get a babysitter? Would you like to go to The Mill?”
Did Frank Haynes just ask her on a date? No, get over yourself, Loretta. He just doesn’t want Nicole to interrupt. Haynes was looking at her, waiting for her reply. She cleared her throat. “I’d love to. Let me see what I can do.”
“Good, it’s settled. I’ll pick you up at six thirty. Can you make a reservation?” He tossed the office key on her desk. “And make yourself a copy of this key. It’s ridiculous that I have to always be here to open and lock up.”
Would wonders never cease? Loretta thought. Frank Haynes was taking her to the nicest place in town for dinner, and he was finally giving her a key to the office. Maybe she was making progress with him after all.
***
Loretta locked up Haynes Enterprises at four o’clock and attached her new key to her key chain. She wanted to have enough time to get Nicole f
ed and over to Mrs. Walters, the babysitter, so she’d be home by five thirty. She’d like to touch up her makeup and change her clothes before Frank picked her up. This isn’t a date, she reminded herself. She hadn’t been on a date in years—not since before Paul died. This was a business dinner, but she wanted to look her best.
When she stepped into her closet an hour and a half later, she pulled out the strapless red dress that had been Paul’s favorite. Loretta pulled it over her head and turned side to side, scrutinizing herself in her full-length mirror. It still fit perfectly, and she looked like a million bucks, if she did say so herself. But it didn’t suit her anymore. It was a dress for a carefree, fun-loving, seductive woman. Loretta wasn’t that person anymore. She pulled the dress down around her ankles and kicked it aside. It was time to put it in her donation box.
Loretta stepped to her closet and worked her way through the hangers, passing over the scores of expensive garments that Paul had bought for her. It was time to put all of this behind her. High time. Loretta swept the clothes onto her arm and carried them to her kitchen table. She’d bag them up when she got home and donate them on the way to work the next morning. Before she lost her nerve.
With a lightness that was palpable, she returned to her now much-depleted closet. Shoved into the far corner, one shoulder perilously close to slipping off the hanger, was a plain black sheath. She’d had the dress for more than a decade. It was the first “good” dress she’d ever bought herself. The fabric was lovely, with a soft sheen that glowed in candlelight. Loretta had balked at the price, but the saleslady had insisted that this was a dress that she could be proud to wear for the rest of her life. Loretta pulled it off the hanger. She was going to see about that, right now.
***
From the admiring look in Frank Haynes’ eyes when she opened her door to him precisely at six thirty, the saleslady had been right. Loretta looked beautiful, and she knew it. She was also sure that Frank thought so, too.
“We’d better get going,” he said after an awkward silence in her doorway.
They drove through the midsummer countryside to the old sawmill, now repurposed as an inn, restaurant, and spa, as the last rays of sun slanted through the thick canopy of trees lining the route. Frank expertly navigated the twists and turns of the country road while Loretta relaxed and enjoyed the unexpected treat of being a passenger and not a driver.
Not more than twenty minutes later, the courteous hostess ushered them to a table by the window. “As requested,” she said.
Loretta turned to the woman. “I didn’t request a window table when I made the reservation. This must be meant for someone else.”
“I called to arrange it,” Haynes said.
Loretta turned to him in surprise. “Thank you.”
“The sunset over the river should be spectacular tonight.” He pointed to the sky as he held her chair for her. “Clouds always magnify the colors of a setting sun.”
Loretta placed her purse on her lap and began removing a small stack of papers.
“I’m anxious to hear what you’ve found,” Haynes said as he sat down, “but let’s order, first.”
Loretta laid the papers aside and picked up her menu.
The waiter approached and offered to take their drink order. Loretta shook her head. “I’m fine with water.”
“You like red wine, don’t you? Malbec?”
“You’ve got a good memory,” she replied.
Haynes studied the extensive wine list and pointed to one of the offerings. “That’s an extremely nice choice, sir,” the waiter said. “You have very good taste. I’ll get it right out.”
“I remember your penchant for salads, but they’re known for their steaks. The fillet is superb.”
Loretta perused the menu. It was the most expensive thing listed.
“That’s what I’m having,” Frank said, folding his menu and putting it on the table.
“All right,” Loretta said. “Sounds good.”
“Why don’t you pick out the sides? You’re more interested in vegetables than I am.”
Loretta smiled. “What do you like?”
Haynes shrugged. “Whatever you pick will be fine.”
Loretta looked at him over the top of her menu. Frank Hayes actually had “game,” as Loretta and her girlfriends in Arizona used to say about the men they dated who knew how to flirt. That was such a long time ago, she thought.
The waiter approached and made a dignified show of displaying the bottle to Frank, uncorking it, and waiting for him to approve the sample. He poured them each a glass and took their orders.
“Garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus to your liking?” Loretta asked as the waiter retreated.
“The potatoes, yes. I’m sorry to say I’ve never tried asparagus.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?” She turned in her chair to summon the waiter back to them.
Frank leaned toward her. “It’s fine. High time I tried new things. And if I don’t like it, I don’t think they’ll make me clean my plate.” He smiled at her and she smiled back.
He leaned back into his chair and Loretta felt an invisible curtain fall between them. “So. Tell me. What did you find?”
Loretta drew a deep breath and gathered her notes. “Roger Spenser is a fairly common name, so this took a bit of time. And I’m not certain I’ve found the one you want.”
Haynes nodded, impatient for her to proceed.
“I found a Roger Spenser who was an attorney in Chicago. The Illinois bar records show he retired from the practice in 2001. So the timing of that is good. He’s an avid birdwatcher and moved to the Lake District in England to pursue his hobby. His wife was even more serious about it than he was.” She looked up at him. “Did you know that if you just like to look at birds, you’re a birdwatcher, if you’re really serious about it, you’re known as a birder, and if you’re studying them for scientific purposes, you’re called an ornithologist? Who knew …”
Haynes shifted in his chair and resisted the urge to make a rolling motion with his finger, telling her to move her story along.
“Anyway, both of the Spensers were considered birders. They went bird-watching all over the globe for the next ten years, and his wife even led birding expeditions. When she died in 2011, he took over and continued to lead at least two trips a year. He even wrote a monthly blog called On a Wing and a Prayer.”
“He’s still in the Lake District, leading folks with huge binoculars slung around their necks through field and forest and writing about it?” Haynes could hardly believe his good luck.
“Not really. That’s what I found last night, but his blog abruptly stopped six months ago, and the website where his tours were booked doesn’t list any to be led by him. The trail came to a screeching halt.”
Haynes shoulders sank. “So that’s the end of the line?”
“No. That’s why I came in early today. I called the tour company.”
“And?”
“They were reluctant to give me any information at first—kept trying to sell me on one of their other tours. I made up a story about being particularly interested in one type of bird that I knew, from his blog, he was obsessed with. I insisted that there would be no point in my going out with another guide.” Loretta beamed, pleased with her resourcefulness.
“Well done,” Haynes supplied, willing her to continue.
“They finally told me that Spenser had fallen ill and moved back to the States to be near his sister’s family. Apparently he and his wife had no kids of their own. The last time anyone talked to Spenser, he was in chemotherapy and holding his own. The prognosis wasn’t very good, however.”
Haynes leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Did you find out where the sister lives?”
Loretta looked triumphant. “She lives in Richmond, Indiana, and her married name is Gina Gallagher.”
Frank Haynes reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “Perfect. Thank you so much for all of thi
s. Good work,” he said, releasing her hand. “Extraordinary.”
“Glad I could help. You’re pleased?”
“Very pleased,” he replied.
They finished the evening with small talk about Loretta’s children and Frank’s plans to expand his restaurant empire.
“This was a real treat, Frank. Thank you very much. And the wine was superb. You must not have liked it, though. You only had one glass.”
“I’m driving, remember?” he replied as he signed the credit card receipt, folded it carefully, and placed it in his wallet.
She nodded and pointed to the bottle. “In that case, I’m afraid I’ve consumed the rest of it. Boy, it was smooth and went down easy.” She attempted to stand but quickly sat back down.
Haynes looked at her questioningly.
“Oh my gosh, Frank. I think I’m tipsy. I’m definitely a little unsteady on my feet.” She turned to him and tears rimmed her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I know this is a business dinner. I never meant to do this.”
Haynes moved quickly to her side. “Nonsense, my dear. This was my fault. If I hadn’t been driving, I’d be in the same boat. That wine is irresistible.” He pulled back her chair and extended his arm.
Loretta looped her arm through his and took a few tentative steps, conscious of the other restaurant patrons’ eyes on them. “I think I’ll need your arm around my waist, sir,” she said in a whisper.
Frank Haynes found he was delighted to oblige.
***
They stopped for coffee at the drive-thru window of the first fast-food restaurant they passed on the way home. Loretta was marginally steadier on her feet when they got out of his car in the parking lot of her apartment complex. “Do we need to go get Nicole?” Haynes asked.
Loretta shook her head. “She’s spending the night at the sitter’s.”
“Let me help you get up the stairs and into your apartment,” Haynes said.
Loretta steeled herself for what she assumed, from experience, would come next. He’d get her inside, offer to help her make her way to her bed, get her shoes off, and proceed from there. And, truth be told, she didn’t think she was interested in fighting him off. She was surprised, then, when he took her key, opened the door, and remained on the threshold as she stepped across it. Loretta turned to face him.
Drawing Close: The Fourth Novel in the Rosemont Series Page 3