by Diane Darcy
“Ye are Christina Tuckerman’s best friend?”
She chuckled. “I was, until everything came out day before yesterday.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I’m guessing you already know.”
“Tell me, anyway.”
She took a breath, and as she released it, started swinging her leg. “Fine, here’s what happened. I slept with Creighton Cameron the night before the wedding, just before the wedding rehearsal.”
“Ye slept with him.” William emphasized the word slept as if mocking her.
She shot him an irritated glance. “We were intimate. So what?” She studied her nails as if the entire proceedings were a complete bore. “The photographer, Marcus, had a case of unfortunate timing and walked in on us. He snapped a few pictures before Creighton could do anything about it.”
“What did he do about it?”
“What do you think? He’s a wolf. Old school, from Scotland, like you. He chased after the guy to threaten his life. Much good it did him. He was long gone by then.”
“What else happened?”
“Apparently, the photographer sold the picture to Mrs. Tuckerman, my former BFF’s mother. Shortly thereafter, I was uninvited to the wedding.”
“Interesting, I heard ye were the one who staged the little photo shoot, and ye were the one who wanted the picture sold to Claire Tuckerman.”
The girl stopped swinging her leg. “Did Marcus tell you that?”
William simply stared.
“Well, it’s not true.”
“We’ll see. In the meantime, I understand my men picked ye up at the airport. Where were ye going?”
With a long-suffering sigh, she said, “Home, where else?”
“Ms. Edgington, did ye kill Creighton Cameron?”
“No.”
“Let me be very clear, ye are to stay in town until all of this is resolved, do ye understand? If ye make me come after ye, ye’re no’ going to enjoy it.”
She grinned widely. “I might like being chased.”
“I assure ye, ye willnae.”
Just then Lena’s phone rang. Startled, she grabbed it from her purse and shut the ringer off as she noted who was calling.
“I have to take this,” she whispered to William. “Sorry.” Lena rose to leave the room, and William caught her elbow.
“It’s all right, lass, take yer call here. We’re finished anyway. Ms. Edgington, ye are excused, and as I said, ye’re no’ to leave town. If I call yer phone number and ye doonae answer, we’ll have a problem.”
With a shake of her head Lindsay pushed past Lena just as she answered the call.
“Hello?”
“Is this Lena DeVille?”
“It is.”
“Hey, babe, this is Mike over at Mike’s Auto calling about your truck. Again.”
With trepidation she asked, “What can you tell me?”
He sighed. “I’m afraid I don’t have good news.”
Her heart sank. “What’s the damage?”
“The reason you broke down is because you were overheating. And also your transmission is shot. And the cost of that’s going to be …” He named a price that made her wince. “Also, your insurance only pays for a tow up to forty dollars, so the tow truck is going to cost you another sixty.”
Lena was appalled. “Are you kidding me?”
“What do you want to do? Because if you’re not gonna fix it, you could let me have it for the cost of the tow and the inspection and I’ll sell it for scrap and make back a little money.”
“I’m not giving you my truck!”
William reached for her phone, and she looked up, startled. His expression was pure anger.
She shot him a glare and jerked away from his reach.
He took a step back, but his expression didn’t change.
“What are you gonna do?” Mike asked. “If it just sits here on my lot, I’m going to charge you forty dollars a day.”
“I’ll pay the bill. Just fix it,” she said tightly.
She was going to have to drum up a lot of business to pay that bill. She should have been working this morning instead of hanging out with William.
Why was she so involved in this investigation, anyway?
“I’m gonna need a down payment on that.” Mike wasn’t Lena’s favorite person at the moment.
She’d have to borrow money from her mother again, which she didn’t want to do. She’d just finished paying her back for the last time something like this happened.
“All right, I’ll come by this afternoon,” Lena said. Silently fuming, she stabbed the off button with her fingertip.
“I couldn’t help overhearing. Ye’re having troubles with yer truck?”
“I am.”
“Is it something I can help with?”
“Only if you know how to fix trucks.”
“I do, actually.”
She froze for a moment, and considered. Was he telling the truth, or was this more of his infatuation? She wouldn’t put it past the man to take possession of her vehicle, go get it fixed somewhere, and then claim the credit. That would put her in his debt quite nicely.
“Mike will do a good job, I’m sure.” Lena wasn’t so sure, but she wasn’t willing to let William take care of any such thing a day after they’d met.
“I could buy ye a new one.” William acted as if he’d offered to buy her lunch instead of a vehicle.
Exasperated, Lena shook her head. “You’re pretty much the devil, you know that, right?”
William grinned. “Does that mean ye accept?”
“Not on your life.” She checked the time on her phone before stuffing it into her bag. “I’ve got to take off. It looks like I need to earn some money.”
“May I drive ye somewhere?” William offered.
“You could take me home, please. I’ll change into my work clothes, and then I’ll probably head over to Fremont Street.”
“Reading fortunes?”
“Yes.”
“Perhaps I’ll have ye read mine.”
“Maybe I will.”
“I’ll hold ye to that, lass.”
“I just bet you will.”
Chapter 19
William waited next to the passenger door for Lena to enter her family’s shop. She stood on the sidewalk and waved at him before going inside.
He circled back to the driver’s seat and climbed in.
He didn’t wish to leave her. And it bothered him that with all of the wealth he’d accumulated over the years, he couldn’t spend it on Lena, make her life easier, and most importantly keep her with him.
After all, she was the one he’d made the money for.
But he was afraid to push, could sense a reserve in her, a distance that she kept between them, and sensed that if he didn’t take things slowly, he could lose her altogether.
That was not going to happen.
He started the car and pulled away from the curb. He needed to get back to The Hemlock to help his staff with the investigation. He wanted it over with so he could focus all his attention on Lena.
He had Quinn and Caleb digging into backgrounds and overseeing forensics, things he would normally do himself, but he was a bit distracted, and they completely understood.
He was having a hard time caring about the case. The only reason he’d taken the time to interview the maid of honor was because of Lena’s interest in the woman as a suspect.
He’d head back to the hotel and help them until he could reasonably head over to Fremont Street without causing Lena undue stress.
Or looking like a stalker. Which he could turn in to, in her case.
As he was intending to play it cool, he’d have to time things just right. He couldn’t say, show up in an hour, but maybe later tonight?
He paused at an intersection, debating whether to turn right toward The Hemlock.
He looked up Mike’s Auto on his phone, and decided to pay the man a visit, instead.
No one spoke to his lady like that.
And no one ripped her off.
Chapter 20
Lena darted upstairs before her mother or grandmother could question her. She changed, added a red scarf to her hair, and decided her modern gypsy look would do.
Sometimes she went for black slacks and a white blouse, with pearls; in her mind it was the classy Romany look. But more often than not, she actually enjoyed dressing up and being part of the spectacle that was Fremont Street.
Within ten minutes, she’d brightened her makeup, teased her hair up a bit, and then was on her way.
She checked her phone, saw Olivia had called several times, but a glance at her watch told her she only had twenty minutes to catch The Deuce at the corner. She’d call later if business was slow.
She grabbed an apple and a water bottle, stuffed them in a small purse, and slung the long strap over her body before she finally went downstairs to face the music.
They already had a few customers waiting in line. Her grandmother was talking to a plump woman in a velour track suit, while her mother manned the counter, helping a younger girl pick out a set of Tarot cards.
She helped a couple of tourists looking for gifts, and when her grandmother sat down to read the lady’s cards, Lena finally had a chance to walk over to the counter. “Hi, Mom.”
“Oooh, darling! You look nice!”
Lena glanced down at her black Tee-shirt, knee-length black lace skirt, and strappy sandals. She had good skin so she didn’t always wear make-up to work, but today she’d added extra eyeliner and lipstick so she wasn’t exactly fooling herself. She was hoping to see William again today. “You do, too.”
Her mother, still young-looking at fifty, was, as per usual, dressed like a stereotypical gypsy. Long, black curling hair, fake eyelashes, lots of blusher, lipstick, and eyeshadow, and she even had a mole on one cheek. Despite the heat outside, it was cool indoors and she wore layers of flowing blouses, and a long, patterned skirt. Necklaces, long earrings, and bracelets completed the outfit.
“Thank you.” Mom lifted her arms in the air, bracelets tinkling, and beckoned her forward. “Come closer. Don’t think you’ll slink past me. I demand answers! Where have you been? With whom? How much fun did you have? Will the police be visiting us soon?” That last was said hopefully, with eyebrows lifted.
“You don’t already know?” Lena glanced pointedly at the crystal ball on the counter between them. She met her mother’s gaze and they grinned.
“Perhaps I’m respecting my daughter’s privacy.”
Lena laughed. “As if that’s ever happened.”
“Stop being difficult, darling. Tell Mama everything.”
Lena sighed. She wasn’t going to get very far until she gave her mother something, and she placed both elbows on the counter, and leaned in. No need for the tourists to overhear everything about her love life. She was supposed to be telling them about theirs.
“You know I went out on a date last night.”
“And came in very late from the sound of things.”
“You were still awake?”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “Of course, I was. Did you think I’d sleep when my dear child was out on a date with a man I’ve never met before?”
Lena read between the lines. What her mother meant was that her daughter was out on a date. Period.
“You probably already know everything, because I’m sure Olivia squealed.” Any attempt at privacy in this family was pointless.
Her mother waved a hand in the air as if to discount such a thing, but Lena knew better.
“I met the guy on a dating website. Apparently, he’s my soulmate.”
Mom clapped at that but kept quiet. Lena recognized her mother’s silence as encouragement to keep Lena talking about herself. It was a technique they all used in their fortune telling.
“We ate at The Eiffel Tower restaurant.”
This elicited another squeal and a clap from her mother.
“His name is William Murray. He’s in charge of security at The Hemlock. Oh, and I got involved in a murder investigation after dinner.”
At that, Mom’s eyes went wide. “Murder?”
“Yep. A groom was stabbed just before his wedding at The Hemlock. We don’t know who did it yet.”
Mom was gaping now. “We?”
“William, his security team, and me. Anyway, after that, I came home, got some sleep, and then he picked me up for some fast-food this morning.
Mom’s nose wrinkled. “From The Eiffel Tower to fast food? Ugh.”
“And then, we went to check out a new murder, and then Mike called about my truck, and it’s going to cost a fortune to fix it, and so I realized that I needed to get to work.”
“A new murder? What?”
Lena loved that she’d managed to shock her mother. “We think it’s related to the other one.”
Her mother placed both palms to her chest, one over the other. “My goodness. And what was that you said about your truck? Do you need a loan?”
“I might. But if I do, I’m good for it. I’m going to see what I can drum up today.” With that, she pushed off the counter, waggled her fingers in farewell and turned toward the front doors.
“Wait! Give me your hand! I don’t like this, Lena. Tell me more about this investigation.”
Lena kept going. “I really have to work, Mom.”
“Fine, but I expect to hear more about it at the first opportunity.”
“I promise,” Lena said with a breezy wave.
She received a mock glare in return. “I want to know everything!”
Lena nodded as she pushed open the door, held it for some tourists, and hurried to the corner to where the bright red double-decker bus was parked.
She was pretty much a regular on The Deuce even though she only needed to go four blocks or so. It kept her on schedule, and out of the sun for a while. Joe Keen was working today and when he saw her coming, his young face lit.
“Hey, Lena! I haven’t seen you for a few days.”
She climbed the steps to the bus and swung around into the seat beside the stairs. “Probably because you were off work.”
He grinned, his dark hair flopping over his brow. “That’s right. You’re good. I was having fun with the new wife.”
Lena grinned at him. “And how are the newlyweds these days?”
“Really good, Lena. You know, I didn’t believe you when you read my fortune and told me I’d be getting married this year. I didn’t believe you at all. But you’re the real deal, you know that?”
Lena really couldn’t take the credit, but she would anyway. “Thanks, Joe. Always glad to do a friend a favor.”
After one last passenger got on the bus in the back, Joe yelled out, “Fremont Street!”
When nobody protested, he closed the doors and put the bus in gear, and away they went.
“Anything new going on?”
Lena considered telling Joe about William. Her friend would be happy for her, but if it didn’t work out, then he’d want to know all about that. “Same old, same old.”
“Don’t you worry. Any girl who looks like you is sure to have your choice of guys. You’ll find someone, and then you’ll be as happy as me and the missus. It’s too bad you can’t tell your own fortune.”
Joe asked her about that once, and she’d assured him that she and her relatives were not able to see things for family members. They were just too close.
“I live in hope.”
“You seem happy enough, anyway.”
“Thanks, Joe. I am happy.” Especially today. As she’d been getting ready earlier, she’d caught herself, several times, grinning in the mirror like a fool. She just hoped she wasn’t heading for a crash, though she suspected it was inevitable. Her pessimistic nature where men were concerned.
Joe soon stopped at Fremont Street. He called out to the other passengers as they exited the shuttle.
“If you want your fortune told, Lena here’s th
e real deal! She’s working right down the street in the gypsy wagon, can’t miss it. If you’re smart, you’ll give her a shot.”
With a smile and a wave at Joe for the recommendation, she headed down to her tiny workspace. As she walked up to it, she admired the sleek lines of the caravan, the red, black and gold colors that stood out, and the wooden steps that led into her workshop.
If she did say so herself, it was the cutest thing on Fremont Street. The lovely paint job was unlike anything else in the vicinity and was something to be proud of.
The window boxes were full of fake flowers they frequently had to replace as they got ripped off all the time.
She didn’t mind though, as she’d placed bad karma spells on each one before planting it in a layer of beans. If anyone dared to steal them, she liked to think the perpetrators got theirs, and let it go at that.
At the caravan, Lena opened the door, put away her purse, and hung the sign. She stood on the pavement, enjoying the warm April air. With her olive skin tone she never had to worry about sunburn. She considered getting the chair out that she sometimes relaxed in while she waited for customers.
Not today. She was too antsy to sit still and was glad to wander around and smile at tourists as she waited for a bite. It gave her time to think about William, and wonder if this wild and crazy relationship could actually go somewhere.
She doubted it. But then, she always doubted men.
She’d been betrayed, her mother had been betrayed, and her grandmother had been betrayed. It was like a DeVille family curse. She’d accepted long ago that it was her destiny.
She wasn’t sure why Olivia had escaped. She’d married her perfectly nice, high school boyfriend, who adored her. Lena couldn’t see him straying. Only time would tell, but out of every man she’d ever met, she definitely gave her brother-in-law the benefit of the doubt.
And then there was William. She wondered if she was destined to spend the entire day mooning over him. She decided it was okay with her if she did.
She might as well enjoy it while it lasted.
He was certainly a good boost for her ego, the way he looked at her, the way he touched her, the way he handed her into the car as if she might break if he didn’t get it just right — all of it was going to her head.