The cigarette butt gave one last smoulder and then petered out.
"Are you ready for me?"
Rob looked up and smiled at Gina. She stood at the door of the room, looking tentative and lovely.
"Come in. Sit down, " he said.
"How are you, Rob?" Gina walked over to the guest chair and gracefully sat. Everything about Gina was graceful, just as he remembered. And he remembered a lot.
"I 'm well, " he said. "And you?"
She looked uncomfortable. What a stupid thing to say, he told himself. This was a murder investigation and she had seen the body.
He cleared his throat. "Tell me what you know about this."
"It isn 't much, " she said. "I went for a morning run and came back to find…well, you know. Tony and A unt Mandy were already there. I d on 't ever remember seeing the woman before. And I didn 't encounter anyone on my run."
"And last night?"
"I went to my room at nine and read for a while. Went to bed. Got up about six to run. I 'm used to getting up early for the studio."
"There 's nothing you can think of?"
She frowned and shook her head. "Nothing you wouldn 't already have heard. You know about Grandmother. I 'm sure Tony told you about being suspicious about her death. There was a lot of money at stake."
Rob nodded. "Yes, he said that."
"I just can 't imagine who that woman was and why she was here. Nobody seems to have seen her before and this isn 't exactly a town that attracts a lot of exotic strangers. It 's mystifying."
"You think she 's exotic?"
Gina looked up with a jerk. "Of course. That was an Armani she was wearing. And the bag was genuine Gucci. It must have cost three thousand dollars."
Three thousand dollars for a handbag? No ID inside? Rob couldn 't believe it.
"So she certainly wasn 't local, " Gina was saying.
Rob looked across at her. He wanted to keep her in the room just so he could continue looking at her, but there didn 't seem to be anything else he could think to ask.
"It 's good to see you again, " Rob said. "You 're still close to Tony, I see."
Gina blushed. It made her look fifteen again.
"I wish you and me were still close, " he said . Good God, did he say that out loud?
Gina started. "I think you blew that chance several years ago."
Rob went red. "I looked for you every evening for a week. They had already taken you home."
Gina looked down. "Mom figured it out immediately. She had me packing the next day and sent me to cousins in Vancouver."
Rob thought miserably about that last time they were together. He had been crazy about her—insanely, recklessly crazy. It had been so special in the forest by the oak tree…Gina so breathtakingly beautiful and innocent that he pressed her into something that went way too far…
"You could have phoned, " Gina said. "You could have written." She sounded as hurt as if it had been yesterday.
The air in the room was suddenly stifling.
"I was afraid of what Tony would do, " he said finally. He had been afraid too . You didn 't mess around with a friend 's cousin and come out of it with no consequences. Not back in those days. Not if it were Tony.
Gina's look softened. "Yes, there is that, " she admitted. "We were awfully young."
"I don 't think it would be any different now, " he said. "I mean about Tony."
Gina smiled. "You seem to know him pretty well."
Rob smiled back. He loved to look at her. Every night he tuned to the Weather Network just to watch her on the screen. She was even lovelier in person. What a fool he 'd been back then.
"He was always a tough guy. And a dare-devil. You 're okay with what he 's doing now?" Rob wondered about that. Gina didn 't seem like the sort of girl who would tolerate rough stuff in her life.
"What do you mean?" Her face was puzzled.
"His work, " Rob said. "His other work. You know."
"I don 't know. What are you talking about?" Gina 's eyes were troubled.
Good God, Rob thought. She doesn 't know. What do I do now?
"Ask him, " Rob said finally.
Gina would definitely ask him, but there was something else she was determined to do first. She went to the porch, palmed her cellphone and speed-dialled Holts.
"Lola, it 's Gina from the Weather Network…Fine, how about you…? Good. Look, you know that gold Gucci handbag with the gold buckle—yes, that 's the one—is it still available? No? Do you happen to know who purchased it…?"
Chapter 14
"Anyone feel claustrophobic like me?" Becki asked at lunch. "Gotta get out of here this afternoon." Her sanity depended on it.
"Me too , " Linda said. "Five days and the only other place I 've been outside this house is the cemetery."
"With all the rain we 've had, " Jerry said, "the courses have been too wet to golf."
"I got out jogging this morning. But look what happened ."
Ian chimed in, "I should never have come in the first place."
"You got what you came for, " Reggie grumbled.
"Maybe, but if it wasn 't for the stupid interview with the detective this afternoon, I 'd be on my way back to Toronto in a flash ."
"And a whiff of perfume."
"For God 's sake, Reggie!" Mandy said.
"Anyway, " said Becki, "I 've got to get out of here. Even if it 's only temporarily. And on my drive into Langdon Hills, I saw this nifty-looking antique store. Anybody want to check it out with me? We could have an ice cream after ."
She looked around. Nellie, at least, seemed to have perked her ears.
"Can Nellie come, Carla?"
"I 'm taking her back to school this afternoon. She 's missed enough classes already, right kiddo?"
Nellie pushed her plate away and slumped dramatically over the table.
"I 'll see if I can find some little thing to bring back for you, Nellie, " Becki said by way of consolation.
Nellie was sitting in the car already. Up in their suite, Carla said goodbye to Reggie. Gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Good luck this afternoon ."
"Just need to get in there and get it done."
"Be careful, " she said.
"What 's there to be careful about?"
"It 's a murder investigation, Reggie. Cops want to pin it on somebody. Don 't make yourself into a suspect."
"As if!"
"Dammit, you don 't look like the sweet and innocent type . Take me seriously for once ."
"Baby, would you love me if I was the sweet, innocent type?"
"I 'm just saying. And …"
"Spit it out ."
"There 's a chance you 'll recognize the victim."
"What?"
"Nellie claimed she came to the house."
"Who? The woman that died?"
Did his face drain of all colour? Or was it her imagination?
"Apparently, she came when we were gone and Nellie didn 't answer the door."
"Well, if she didn 't answer the g oddamn door, how does she know who was there?"
"Shhh! No need to have a conniption. She peeked out the window."
"Who 'd she see?"
"The woman in the picture Dumont showed us."
"And who was that?"
"Nellie doesn 't know. And since I 've never seen her before, neither do I. But maybe you 've met her. Maybe she 's come here before. Some saleswoman or something."
He scrunch ed his face. "Hmm…doubt it."
"Just warning you. Be on your toes. And on your best behaviour too . Don 't want Dumont taking a dislike to you."
"Why the hell not?"
"Don 't tell me you 're that dense, Reggie ."
He jutted his chin forward, splayed his large hands in the air . "What 's not to like?"
Becki parked her car across the street from the antique store on the two-lane highway out of town. She climbed out. The sunshine on her skin felt glorious. Gina popped out of the passenger seat. Mandy and Linda
climbed out the back.
In all likelihood, the building they were about to enter had once been a general store. It was painted red and white. It boasted a bay window and double glass doors with transoms above—all detailed with gingerbreading. On the wide, covered porch, Becki noted a Coca Cola cooler, a foot-pedalled sewing machine and a mannequin in vintage clothing. Out front sat a sandwich board that read: Welcome to Gemma 's Antiques & Old-fashioned Ice-cream Shop—Shakes, Sundaes, Cones.
"Looking for anything in particular?" Gina asked. "Anything for Beautiful Things?"
"What could she possibly find here?" Linda peered through her sunglasses . "This place looks like a thrift shop, not a fine antiques establishment."
"Well, there 's this trend to simplify, " Becki said . "A return to basics. I bet I could pick up a gilt mirror or a wrought-iron bed. That kind of primitive element appeals to my clients in Black Currant Bay. The cottagers, at least."
"Shabby chic, " said Mandy, nodding in agreement.
Linda nearly spit up. "Never put shabby and chic in the same sentence."
They crossed the road and entered the shop. Once inside, they all flipped their sunglasses to the tops of their heads. And in her characteristically disdainful way, Linda remarked the store 's interior smelled dank. Her language was colourful. Becki hoped the proprietor was out of earshot. Thing was, Linda was right, except when passing by west-facing windows, where they caught streams of fresh air and shafts of light that set silver teapots, fancy stemware and lamps hung with crystal pendants gleaming.
They separated paths through the sprawl, sometimes browsing alone, sometimes together. Their groupings changed from time to time. But no matter how much time they spent looking, only the one person who poked in, around and behind everything, came out of the store with something besides an ice-cream cone.
"Don 't you love it?" Becki enthused. She turned a bone china teacup painted with pink roses in the sunlight.
"A steal for eight dollars , " she said. "You 'd pay forty-five to fifty in Toronto. Amazing what you can find when you dig."
A faint sound of crickets chirped.
Gina reached into her purse. "Hello ?" She turned away from the group and walked a few paces. "Yes…yes…that 's great. Oh, thank you. No, but I 'll be in next week to look for evening wear, so put something by for me. The opera gala, so maybe something retro, over-the-top. Thanks a mil, Leslie. Bye."
She reached into her purse for a pen and small pad, then quickly wrote two words.
"Something important?" Linda asked.
"Actually, yes. I 've got to get back to the house. You girls stay here. I 'll catch a cab."
"What 's up? Can you talk about it?" Becki was curious. Was this about Tony, or about the murder?
"Tell you all at dinner." Her hand flew up to catch the attention of the black and yellow cab across the street. It made a U-turn and stopped. She entered the back seat gracefully.
"What was that all about?" Linda stared after her.
"God knows." Carla shook her head. "Television people are all nuts."
"At least they have killer shoes, " Linda said with approval.
When Gina arrived back at the house, Tony was pacing the front porch.
"Where did you go?" He seemed upset.
"Shopping with the girls. Is Rob about?"
"In the study. Look, you shouldn 't go off like that without letting me know." He followed her into the house.
She stopped and turned. "Why ever not?"
Their eyes met and Gina reddened.
Tony looked uncomfortable. He glanced away. "It 's not safe. There 's a murderer about . A nd who knows what his motive is. At least let me know where you are."
So you can climb on your big white horse and rescue me, she thought to herself . In spite of everything, she smiled.
"I need to see Rob. Come with me—I have some news."
They found Dumont doing paperwork at the desk in the study. He was scowling. Obviously paperwork wasn 't a huge favourite on his work hit parade.
"Can we come in?" Gina asked from the door.
"Sure." He brightened at the interruption. "Have a seat."
She sat down and leaned forward. Tony stood behind her.
"Hilary Best, " she said with triumph.
"Who?"
"That 's your mystery woman. Hilary Best."
Rob's mouth flew open. "How do you know?"
Gina leaned back in her chair and smiled. "The Gucci purse. Only two places in Toronto carry them and they only get one-of-a-kind each. I phoned Holt Renfrew first, but that one was purchased by Lainy Andrews. I know her. I t couldn 't be her. So I phoned the Gucci store next. They checked their records and just got back to me. Hilary Best bought it two weeks ago."
Rob muttered a curse. "Did she, now? You know her?"
"I know of her. Never been introduced to her, but she was pointed out to me from a distance. One of two socialite sisters. Canada 's version of Nicky and Paris Hilton, but Hilary and Andrea spat like cat and dog. She 's also the ex of that guy who made all the money in diamonds up north. She 's got this reputation for being somewhat of a…" Gina wondered if she could say the word out loud. "…cougar."
Tony snorted behind her.
Rob's mouth flew open. Then it shut. He flushed . "Didn 't look old enough for that."
Well, well. Rob was familiar with the club scene lingo. After all, he was single. Still, it made her wonder about the women he dated.
Gina looked at him directly and tried hard to keep her mind on topic. "She 'd had a recent facelift. Couldn 't you tell?"
Rob shook his head. "You found this out because of a handbag ?"
"And I confirmed her description. It 's her . I 'd bet my last cannoli."
"Why did they even give you this information? Isn 't that breaking privacy rules or something?"
Gina smiled. "They break the rules, as you put it, all the time. See, if I 'm going to a gala or media night, I need to know what I 'm wearing is exclusive , so I don 't run into anyone else with the same thing on. We get to know the sales clerks pretty well. They 'll tell us who buys what so we don 't get embarrassed in public."
She could hear Tony chuckling quietly behind her. "It 's important." Gina turned and scowled at him.
"For someone only half Italian, you sure got all the fashion genes." Tony shook his head. "You women are kooky. Catch some guy caring whether another dude is wearing the same shit."
Rob laughed. "Catch some guy even noticing."
"Stop being nasty." Gina wouldn 't look at them now. Of all the stupid male egos. She had solved the puzzle. They were miffed at that, for sure.
Rob reached for the phone. "I 'll check it out just the same. Any idea where she lives?"
"Toronto, " Gina said. "Probably a condo in Yorkville or Harbourfront. Most of the ex-wives live there."
Again, Rob shook his head. "Thanks, Gina. This should speed things up."
They turned to leave. Rob started punching numbers into his phone.
Out in the hall, Tony said, "Let 's go for a walk. I need to get out of here."
"When I feel that way, I go shopping. Just like today." She smiled sweetly. God, she could be a bitch at times. Tony didn 't seem to notice. He appeared deep in thought. They walked off the property and along the tree-lined sidewalk.
"Rob interviewed Mom this morning. She couldn 't help him much, of course."
"Was she okay about it?"
Tony laughed. "Oh yeah. She loves all this attention. At one point, she told Rob how he should try Internet dating sites to find someone special. But he really needed to buy new clothes first."
Gina whooped. "I 'll bet he loved that. The big detective lectured on his love life by a suspect."
"It 's pretty hard to keep Mom on topic, " Tony said.
They walked in silence for several minutes. The neighbourhood had the shabby look of old gentility. Bushes were overgrown and the sidewalk was cracked and shifting. Gina had to watch her heels, even though
these Ferragamo 's were pretty flat for her.
"Look, I need to talk to you about this cousin thing, " Tony said out of the blue.
Gina nearly tripped. Tony caught her arm just in time.
"I know this isn 't the best time, with this investigation going on and all, but I need to let you know how I feel about it all."
Her heart skipped. "You mean about being adopted?"
He nodded. "That and other things. I thought about it, and I don 't really mind about being adopted. Mom and Dad raised me well, and I never felt unloved or anything. No, I 'm actually happy about it, which is perhaps unusual." He paused.
Unusual perhaps, but not unexpected, given the circumstances, Gina thought . He 's going to bring it out in the open now. What am I going to do? What am I going to say?
What he said next was unexpected. "We 're not ortho-cousins. Did you ever take anthropology at university?"
Gina shook her head.
"Ortho-cousins are cousins whose mothers were sisters, or whose fathers were brothers. In other words, their related parents share the same gender. Cross-cousins are cousins where the related parents are brother and sister." Tony paused to let that sink in. "I 've been doing some research lately. In many cultures cross-cousins are allowed to marry but ortho-cousins aren 't."
"That 's crazy, " Gina said. "Surely there 's no genetic difference."
"True, but they didn 't know that back when they made the rules. Genetics wasn 't a science then."
Tony stopped to pick a dandelion from between the sidewalk crack.
"Look, Gina, I 'm crazy about you. I always have been. I couldn 't ever dare tell you because it wasn 't right. My God, it even seemed like incest. Can you imagine how I felt about that? Me, your older cousin who was supposed to protect you from all the other guys? And all this time I…well, I was just as bad in what I was thinking and feeling. Hiding it from you. Hiding it from everyone like I was some kind of monster."
Gina stopped walking, h er heart in her throat.
"But I 'm not your cousin now , " he said . "At least, we 're not related by blood. And I need to know…"
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