That done, she went through the papers scattered around the office. She discovered that most of them were lease agreements and sales records of recent transactions from the dealership. Joe must have brought them home with him to look over before he left for his hunting trip. As she piled them on the desk, she realized that Joe had been true to his word. There was no paperwork for the Jeep he insisted she take with her for the weekend. She shook her head; the man knew her well. He hadn’t done the paperwork because he was sure she would love the vehicle. He probably had a bill of sale in his briefcase.
“His briefcase,” she exclaimed loudly.
With a start, Megan realized that she hadn’t seen it at the office. And she didn’t remember him having it with him when he helped her move her stuff from her company car to the Jeep. Thinking that there might be something important in the brief case, she looked around for some sign of it. Finding none, she opened closet doors and looked behind the desk.
“Of course you’re not going to find it here. If it had been, the intruders would have found it and taken it with them,” she admonished herself.
Megan paused for a moment to think. She decided that it would be best to search throughout the house. She hoped that the attack on Lewis had rattled the men enough that they would have left without further searching. Deciding the most logical place to look would be Joe’s master suite, she hurried in that direction.
Megan paused when she entered Joe's bedroom, glancing around to get a feel for what she was walking into. As usual, his room was immaculate, everything was in place, and when she opened his closet door his shoes were lined up perfectly underneath his suits. He’d recently redecorated, adding a more masculine feel to it than when his wife was alive. Mrs. Stevens had died a few years ago, and Joe was taking steps to establish his life as a widower. The masculine touches to the master suite and the additions to his den were prime examples.
Wasting no time, Megan began with a cursory look around the room. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, she opened the drawers to the tall dresser and anywhere else that she thought he might have placed the briefcase. She didn't hesitate, Joe would understand why she was doing this. After a few moments of searching she realized the briefcase wasn't in this room either. She would not be satisfied until she had searched every room in an effort to find the briefcase. If she didn’t, she would question herself whether she had missed it in the room she didn't search.
The house was large, and it took about a half hour to go through every room. She even went out to the guest house and cabana to make sure the briefcase wasn't there either. Megan ended her search in the kitchen. Frustrated with her lack of progress, she opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. Twisting the cap off to open the water, she walked over and sat in a stool at the breakfast counter. She closed her eyes as she swallowed the water and just let her mind wander, hoping for an answer.
" He was going hunting trip, why would he take a briefcase with him?" she asked herself. Yet that was the only answer that made any sense. Joe had taken the briefcase with him and that is why she nor the intruders found it.
Walking over to the recycling bin she threw the empty bottle into it, holding back the urge to kick the container in her frustration.
"It's probably sitting in the trunk of his car at the airport," she mumbled to herself.
Megan heard the antique clock from living room chiming the hour and realized she had wasted more than enough time looking for the missing briefcase. She had done all she could here, and it was time to head over to Lucy's. There were plenty of pictures to study to refresh her memory. She would go them it later in the evening when she was back at her office. But for now it was time to find out what Lucy had been doing today and spend some time with her loved ones. Oh, and to answer the questions Charlotte was sure to have.
Chapter 16
By the time Megan finally made it to Lucy's, it was getting close to the dinner hour. Zoe was already there with Barney, and they were out back playing a game of catch with Toby and Sammy. Megan hadn't even gotten out of the car yet when Paul pulled in behind her. As if she had been watching for their arrival, Charlotte appeared shortly after. The adults all wandered outside to sit around the pool and watch the kids play while they discussed the day's events.
Megan was sad to find out Lewis's condition had not changed. But she was glad Alice was surrounded by so many people to support her. She told the others what she and Zoe found, both at the dealership and Joe's house before the kids came back up, demanding dinner. She had barely finished speaking when Toby and Sammy realized she was there, and came running up, ending their game abruptly. Barney raced ahead of them, happy to see his mistress.
While Megan spent time with the kids, Lucy and Zoe brought out dinner. They ate picnic style and for the next hour there was laughter and the sound of excited children's voices. All talk of murder and mayhem was put aside until later.
It was a question of homework broke the party up. Admitting that they had homework, both kids shuffled their way back into the house to get to work. Lucy shut down any offers of help, claiming that it was Paul's turn to clean up and do the dishes. With a laugh at the look of his face, Megan decided this was a good time for her to leave too. As she got up to leave, so did Charlotte. The two women walked out together, talking quietly.
"Megan, I want you to be careful with this, but I also want you to find out what's going on in our town. You're a smart girl. If you put your mind to it, you can figure this out quickly. Please, don’t take any unnecessary chances, and ask for help if you need it. You’d be surprised what your average citizen hears and sees without realizing what's going on."
"Thank you, Charlotte. I appreciate the vote of confidence. It's nice to hear that you're not wishing Aiden was here to help me through it."
"Well, of course I wish Aiden was here. There's no reason to be in the line of fire when there's somebody else to help. But since he's not, you go ahead and move forward. You've never needed somebody to help you before. Now I will say good night and head over to my house." Giving Megan a kiss on the cheek and patting Barney on the head, the older woman turned towards her own house waving as Megan called out good night.
"Okay Barney, let's head home, too." She opened the door to the car and waited for the dog to jump in. He hesitated before jumping to the front seat, lately he and Gypsy had been relegated to the backseat to make room for Aiden in the front. But he was thrilled to have his mistress to himself and settled next to the window to watch what was going on outside.
Megan felt a sense of relief when she arrived home, she hadn’t even realized how worn out and tense she was. Walking into the living room, she sank into her favorite chair and closed her eyes. Her reprieve was brief, the two house cats heard their arrival and were soon climbing up on to the chair with her, meowing for their share of attention. With her eyes still closed, she sat petting their silky fur and listening to their purrs. That only lasted a moment before they jumped down, looking for their dinner. Opening her eyes, she looked around the room filled with antiques and brightly-colored pillows.
The sight in front of her put a smile on her lips. She had spent hours searching for the right antiques to adorn her home. Most of the shopping adventures had been with Lucy and Emma when she was little. Megan didn’t think there was an antique shop in Florida that they had missed. Sometimes Paul joined them; they needed the brawn to transport her treasures home. And sometimes Megan wandered on her own, leaving Emma to spend time with her aunt and uncle. As she looked around, she noticed a package wrapped in beautiful gold paper with a large bow sitting by the hearth of the fireplace. Her attention caught, she got to her feet and walked across the room to inspect the box closer. There was no card attached, but she saw a short note from Janice and read: As instructed by Aiden, I opened the delivery box and this was inside for you. Thought you’d want to see it tonight. I want all the details about it in the morning. -Janice
Megan laughed out loud at Janic
e’s unabashed nosiness and knew that she would be questioned first thing in the morning. Janice would not be put off. Megan only hoped what was inside the box was something she could share with her friend. Her own curiosity couldn’t be put off either, and she pulled on the bow securing the box close. She opened the lid and peeled away a few layers of soft tissue paper to find her surprise. Reaching in, she pulled out a pale blue cashmere scarf. Underneath it was a pair of gloves and matching hat.
“What in the world? I know I complain if it gets colder than 70, but not that much,” she wondered to herself.
Puzzled, she looked inside for a card that might give her some clue what Aiden was up to. Not finding anything, she looked at the dog sitting at her feet, taking the activity in.
“Do you think he sent this to the wrong person, Barney? I know he has been trying to think of a birthday present for his mother.”
The beagle cocked his head to the side as if he was giving serious thought to her question. Then his attention was diverted by a cat stealing the bow and trying to sneak off. With a bark of warning, Barney gave chase to the cat and the peacefulness of the house was gone. Laughing at their antics as the second cat joined in the game, Megan wrapped the scarf around her neck and sighed at the feeling of softness against her cheek.
Letting her animals play, Megan wandered into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. While she waited for the water to come to a boil, she realized the room was cold. A quick glance around showed her the window over the sink was open. It must have been left open when she left that morning, and now the cool winds were picking up and blowing her curtains. Reaching over the sink to close the window, she had to move a couple of orchids. She finished putting the blooming plants back when the phone rang. Megan walked over to the phone, but let the answering machine click on so she could screen her call, a precautionary habit she’d developed. Hearing Aiden’s voice, she quickly grabbed the phone to talk to him.
“Hi there. How’s your trip going? Did Gypsy make out okay on the flight?”
Aiden assured her the little dog loved her first flying experience. They talked about general things before Megan brought up the package he had sent.
“Oh, good. It arrived on time. Did you like it?” he asked.
“It’s beautiful, Aiden. But are you sure you sent the right package? I mean--”
“Icy blue scarf, hat, and gloves. That’s what the sales clerk called the color. If that’s what you got, then it’s the right box,” he interrupted her, laughing.
“Yes… that’s what I found in the box. But why that gift, Aiden? It will never be that cold to wear them. I mean it’s a lovely gift.” Her voice trailed off as she tried to be polite, but really, she didn’t understand his thought process.
“You’ll wear them. Anyways, tell me about this trouble I hear you’ve gotten mixed up in.”
Megan drew her breath in before answering him.
“How in the world did you find out about what is going on back here so fast?”
“Let me see. Which phone call would you like to hear about first -- the one from Charlotte or the one from Paul? Or maybe I should read you the text I got from Sheriff Green. I’ll say one thing about Citrus Beach: you look after each other.”
They laughed together over his comment, and then Megan proceeded to fill him in on the activities since he had left. They talked about the case from every angle, but when Megan heard him try to hide a yawn, she decided it was time to say goodnight. With a promise to be careful, Megan said goodbye and then hung up the phone. Grimacing at the now-cold tea in her cup, she sighed and dumped it down the sink. As she made a second cup, she ran her fingers up and down the scarf still around her neck, enjoying the softness and wondering what Aiden was up to.
“Bed time,” she called out as she finished making the tea. Grabbing a book off the stack she was reading, she picked her cup of tea up in the other hand and headed to her bedroom, with a parade of animals following.
Chapter 17
Wednesday
Megan woke Wednesday morning, wondering where the first part of her week had gone. Wednesdays were what most people would call hump day. For Megan it was like getting a second wind, and she was ready to take on the rest of the week without hesitation. Once her morning routine was finished and Barney had gotten an extra-long run around the airstrip, Megan entered her private office to work on coordinating the items she’d bought from the garden center in Palm Beach into her client’s garden. Janice knew where to find her if she needed, but there was a mutual understanding between the two been woman that Wednesdays were Megan's creative day. This was the day she normally spent working on designs or the community work she had signed up for. Unless she found herself involved in an investigation, like today.
She left the screen door to the office open, allowing the cool breeze to come through. Barney, worn out from his run, curled up in the dog bed she had by her desk. Walking through the main office, with its harbor blue wicker furniture and love seats, she made her way into the oversize conference room where she had her current project laid out on the conference table. In a matter of minutes, she was lost in her work.
"Hey Megan, are you in here?"
It was the sound of Paul's voice coming from the office door, and she looked over at the clock surprised at how much time had gone by.
"Back here."
She heard the screen door opening and Paul's voice as he talked to the dog. Giving him a big smile as he entered the conference room, she asked how the day had been going for him.
"Busy, as usual. But there was a specific reason I came over here. I needed to ask you about something I found in the barn. Something with four wheels and no company logo. Know anything about it?"
Megan could tell from his tone he was teasing, and she realized with a start she had forgotten to tell him about the new Jeep. And she was sure that was what he was referring to
"Guilty. That's my new toy, courtesy of Joe Stevens. He insisted that I needed something that wasn't a company vehicle; something that would let me drive around incognito, so I could enjoy some time to myself. I have to admit I was against the idea, but after having it for the whole weekend I fell in love with it. And Barney thinks it's great to."
Megan told Paul how she had been talked into taking the Jeep for the weekend. But after the attack on Lewis and everything that followed she’d forgotten to tell him about it.
"It looks like a great car and it is perfect for you. Course it’s no antique or classic, but it'll be a good play toy for you," he teased his cousin affectionately.
"No, I'll leave the antiques and classics to you, Aiden, and it looks like Toby too. I just need a run-around car I can depend on, and I think this fits the bill."
They spent a few more minutes talking about her weekend, and Paul took a look at the design she was working on, asking intelligent questions about where she was planning on putting her newest acquisitions. Paul knew his cousin was the creative one, and he admired her talents. He could build anything you designed, but he wasn't as comfortable as she was in creating something from nothing.
"Listen, my schedule is tight today, were you planning on going up to the hospital?"
"Yes, I’m going after lunch. By that time, I should have everything finished up here. I need to check in on Lewis and then find out how Zoe is making out cleaning up the mess in Joe's office. Why?"
“I won’t be able to get up there. I was hoping that you would check in with Alice and see if there's anything she needs me to do for her. And Lucy will be tied up with the kids, they both have music lessons today."
"Of course, Paul. Does Lucy need any help or do you guys have it all covered”?
"She seems to have everything organized and running on schedule. Gotta tell you, I can appreciate all you went through raising Emma on your own."
"I really didn't, Paul. You and Lucy were there for me every step of the way. And I'll be there for the two of you. Now, if you’ve got so much you want to do -- get started. Once
I finish this, I can head up to the hospital. I'll check in with you later on this evening." With a hug, she shooed her cousin out the door so they could both get moving on the tasks ahead of them.
It didn't take long for Megan to finish what she was doing and soon she too was getting ready to leave. Deciding to drop off a few of the things she had picked up for clients while she was in Palm Beach, she loaded up one of the company vans, planning to stop along the way to the hospital.
As she had expected, her customers were thrilled with her purchases for them and gave her the go-ahead to continue with her design work. Satisfied she'd accomplished a reasonable amount of work for the day, Megan left her last customer and drove to the hospital. Unlike yesterday, when she arrived today Alice was alone in the waiting room. Giving the younger woman a tired smile as she walked in the door, Alice explained that everybody had been coming in shifts, checking on her and Lewis. Megan just happened to show up in between shifts.
"Everybody has been so wonderful. Yet I think nobody can help the way you and the sheriff can, Megan. I know you've worked on cases with the sheriff before. Promise me you'll do everything you can to find out who did this to my Lewis. It's not right for a man who worked so hard to be knocked down and left for dead. Promise me you'll do everything you can, Megan. I want whoever did this to pay for it."
A Tank Full of Trouble: A Citrus Beach Mystery (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 5) Page 8