Best Kept Secrets

by Sandra Brown

  “Fuck that. Is Lupe in the kitchen? I’m gonna try and sweet-talk her out of some breakfast.” Giving no regard to Sarah Jo’s floors, he tramped toward the back of the house as though he still lived there.

  Alex watched him disappear through a doorway. “Did he say sweet talk?” she asked caustically.

  “Oh, he’s in a sunny mood today,” Junior remarked negligently. “You ought to see him when he’s really pissed. Leave Reede to Lupe. She knows how he likes his eggs. He’ll feel better once he eats.”

  Alex let him help her off with her coat. “I hope this isn’t too much of an intrusion.”

  “Hell, no. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m glad you’re here.” He threw his arm across her shoulders. “Let’s—”

  “Actually,” Alex said, shrugging off his arm, “this isn’t a social call.”

  “Business, huh?”

  “Yes, and extremely important. Is Angus here?”

  “He’s in his den.” His smile was still in place, but it had stiffened.

  “Is he busy?”

  “I don’t think so. Come on, I’ll take you back.”

  “I hate to tear you away from your novel.”

  He glanced dubiously at the torrid cover. “Doesn’t matter. It was getting monotonous.”

  “What’s it about?”

  “A legendary cock’s sojourn through most of the bedrooms in Hollywood, both male and female.”

  “Oh, really?” Alex inquired, feigning interest. “Can I borrow it when you’re finished?”

  “Shame on you,” he exclaimed. “I’d be corrupting the morals of a minor, wouldn’t I?”

  “You’re not that much older than I am.”

  “Compared to Reede and me, you’re a baby,” he told her as he opened the door to the den. “Dad, we’ve got company.”

  Angus glanced up from his newspaper. In the span of several seconds his face registered surprise, irritation, then a smile.

  “Hello, Angus. I hate to disturb you on a sleep-in morning like today.”

  “No problem. There’s not much going on. We can’t exercise racehorses outdoors when the ground’s frozen.” He left his red leather recliner and crossed the room to welcome her. “You’re a bright spot on a gloomy day, that’s for damn sure, hey, Junior?”

  “I’ve already told her as much.”

  “But as I’ve told Junior,” she hastened to say, “this isn’t a social visit.”

  “Oh? Sit down, sit down.” Angus waved her toward a tufted leather love seat.

  “I’ll just—”

  “No, Junior, I’d like for you to stay,” Alex said before he could withdraw. “This concerns all of us.”

  “Okay, shoot.” Junior straddled the overstuffed arm of the love seat as though it were a saddle.

  “I spoke to Judge Wallace again yesterday.” Alex thought she saw both men tense, but it was so fleeting, she could have imagined it.

  “Any particular reason why?” Angus asked.

  “I wanted to have my mother’s body exhumed.”

  There was no mistaking their reaction this time. “Jesus, girl, why in hell would you want to do something like that?” Angus shuddered.

  “Alex.” Junior reached for her hand, laid it on his thigh, and massaged the back of it. “Isn’t this getting a little out of hand? That’s… that’s gruesome.”

  “The case is gruesome,” she reminded him as she eased her hand off his thigh. “Anyway, as I’m sure you know, what I asked for is impossible. My mother’s body was cremated.”

  “That’s right,” Angus said.

  “Why?” Her eyes were bright and intensely blue in the dim room. They reflected the fire burning in the fireplace, making them appear accusatory.

  Angus resettled in his chair and hunched his shoulders defensively. “It seemed the best way to handle things.”

  “I fail to see how.”

  “Your grandmother planned to leave town with you as soon as everything was tidied up. She made no secret of it. So I decided to have Celina’s body cremated, thinking that Merle might want to take the, uh, remains with her.”

  “You decided? By what right, Angus? Under whose authority? Why was it left to you to decide what would happen to Celina’s body?”

  His brows beetled with displeasure. “You think I had her body cremated to destroy evidence, is that it?”

  “I don’t know!” she exclaimed, rising from the love seat.

  She moved to the window and stared out at the empty paddocks. Lights shone through the doors of various stables, where horses were being groomed, fed, and exercised. She had thoroughly researched Minton Enterprises. Angus had millions invested in this facility. Was he reticent because he had so much to lose if she won an indictment, or because he was guilty, or both?

  Eventually, she turned to face the men. “You’ve got to admit, in retrospect, that it seems an odd thing for you to have done.”

  “I only wanted to relieve Merle Graham of that responsibility. I felt I should because her daughter had been killed on my property. Merle was out of her mind with grief and had you to take care of. If what I did seems suspicious now, that’s just too damn bad, young lady. I’d make the same decision if I had to do it again today.”

  “I’m sure Grandma Graham appreciated what you did. It was an unselfish thing to do.”

  Shrewdly, Angus looked at her and said, “But you wish you could believe it was entirely unselfish.”

  She looked him straight in the eye. “Yes, I do.”

  “I respect your honesty.”

  For a moment there was no sound in the room other than the friendly, crackling noise of burning firewood. Alex broke the awkward silence. “I wonder why Grandma didn’t take the remains.”

  “I wondered about that myself when I offered them to her. I think it was because she couldn’t face the fact that Celina was dead. An urn of ashes was tangible proof of something she couldn’t accept.”

  Knowing how obsessed her grandmother had been with Celina’s life, his explanation was feasible. Besides, unless Merle came out of her coma and Alex posed the question to her, she had no alternative but to accept as truth what Angus told her.

  He was absently massaging his big toe through his sock. “I couldn’t see storing her ashes in a mausoleum. I never could stand vaults and tombs. Goddamn spooky things. The very thought of them gives me the creeps. Went to New Orleans once. All those cement graves sitting on top of the ground… ugh.”

  He shook his head in repugnance. “I’m not afraid of dying, but when I go, I want to become part of the living again. Dust to dust. That’s the natural cycle.

  “So it seemed fitting to buy a cemetery plot and have Celina’s ashes buried in the soil she grew up on. Guess you figure I’m a crazy old man, Alex, but that’s how I felt about it then, and that’s how I feel about it now. I didn’t tell anybody because I was embarrassed. It was so sentimental, you see.”

  “Why not just scatter the ashes somewhere?”

  He pulled on his earlobe as he pondered the question. “I thought about it, but I reckoned you might turn up one day and want to see where your mama was laid.”

  Alex felt her spirit slump, along with her posture. Lowering her head, she studied the toes of her suede boots, which were still damp from walking through the sleet. “I guess you think I’m a ghoul for wanting to open her grave. Reede did.”

  Angus made a dismissive gesture. “Reede’s trigger-happy when it comes to forming opinions. Sometimes he’s wrong.”

  She drew a shaky breath. “This time he is. Believe me, it wasn’t an easy thing to even consider, much less ask for. I just thought that an extensive forensic investigation might shed some light…”

  Her voice trailed off. She lacked the will and conviction to continue. Yesterday she had thought that an exhumation might provide the physical evidence she needed. As it had turned out, she was no closer to learning the truth, and all she had to show for her efforts was the traumatic upheaval she’d put herself and e
veryone else through.

  Angus’s explanation sounded so damned plausible and guileless. Paying all the funeral expenses, making all the arrangements, had been an act of charity to alleviate her grandmother’s grim responsibility and financial burden.

  Alex earnestly wanted to believe that. As Celina’s daughter, it made her feel good inside. As a prosecutor, however, it left her empty-handed and frustrated and more suspicious than ever that something had been swept under the rug.

  “You ready to go back to town, or what?”

  Reede was standing in the doorway with his shoulder propped against the frame, insolently maneuvering a toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. He might have eaten breakfast, but his tone of voice let her know that his foul disposition remained intact.

  “Yes, I’m ready, if you’d be so kind as to drive me.”

  “Good. The sooner I get back to work the better. Somebody’s got to ride herd on the crazy sons of bitches out driving in this.”

  “As long as you’re out here, why don’t you spend the day by the fireplace?” Junior suggested to Alex. “We could pop popcorn. Celina used to love that. Maybe we could talk Lupe out of a batch of pralines. I could drive you back later when the roads have cleared.”

  “It sounds wonderful, Junior, thank you, but I’ve got work to do.”

  He wheedled charmingly, but she remained adamant. The Mintons walked her and Reede to the door. She didn’t see Sarah Jo. If she were even aware that she had guests in the house, she made no effort to present herself.

  Angus looped Alex’s arm through his as they made their way down the hall. He spoke softly. “I know this is difficult for you, girl.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Heard anything about your grandma?”

  “I phone the nursing home every day, but there’s been no change.”

  “Well, holler if you need anything, you hear?”

  Alex gazed at him with genuine puzzlement. “Angus, why are you being so nice to me?”

  “Because of your mama, because I like you, and mainly, because we’ve got nothing to hide.”

  When he smiled at her, Alex realized that it was easy to see where Junior had come by his charm. He and Reede were engaged in their own conversation. Alex overheard Reede say, “Ran into one of your old girlfriends last night at the Last Chance.”

  Her ears picked up at the mention of the tavern where she had an appointment later that day.

  “Oh, yeah?” Junior was saying. “Who was that?”

  “Gloria something. Forgot her married name. Curly black hair, dark eyes, bit tits.”

  “Gloria Tolbert. How’d she look?”

  “Horny.”

  Junior gave a dirty and masculine laugh. “That’s Gloria. Takes a strong man to keep her satisfied.”

  “You ought to know,” Reede said drolly.

  “Well, what happened last night, you lucky bastard? Did you leave a contented smile on Gloria’s pretty face?”

  “You know I never discuss my love life.”

  “That’s just one of your traits that irritates the hell out of me.”

  Alex turned around in time to see Junior playfully sock Reede in the gut. His fist bounced back like he’d struck a drum.

  “Is that the best you can do, ol’ man?” Reede taunted. “Admit it, Minton, you’re losing it.”

  “Like hell I am.” Junior took a swipe at Reede’s head. The blow was dodged just in time. Reede tried to catch Junior behind the knee with his boot. They fell against the hall table, almost toppling a ceramic vase.

  “Okay, boys, cut it out before you break something,” Angus said indulgently, speaking to them as though they were still in grade school.

  Alex and Reede pulled on their coats and he opened the door. The frigid wind swirled inside. Junior said, “Sure you can’t stay here where it’s cozy?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Alex replied.

  “Shoot. Well, good-bye then.” He pressed her hand between his and kissed her cheek.

  Father and son watched as Reede assisted Alex over the icy stone walkway to where his Blazer was parked. He helped her up into the truck, then went around to the driver’s side and vaulted in.

  “Brrr,” Junior said, shutting the door. “Ready for a hot toddy, Dad?”

  “Not yet,” Angus answered with a scowl. “It’s too early in the day to be drinking hard liquor.”

  “Since when have you taken into consideration the time of day when you wanted a drink?”

  “Get in here. I want to talk to you.” Limping to favor his toe, he led his son back into his den. “Stoke up that fire, will ya?”

  When the flames were licking fresh logs, Junior faced his father. “What is it? Not business, I hope. I’m taking an official day off,” he said around a yawn, stretching like a sleek cat.

  “Alex Gaither.”

  Junior pulled down his arms and frowned. “She was all fired up about that burial business when she came in, wasn’t she? But you brought her around.”

  “I only told her the truth.”

  “You made it sound as convincing as a good lie.”

  “Will you be serious for once?” Angus barked.

  Junior looked baffled. “I thought I was.”

  “You listen to me,” Angus said sternly, aiming a finger at his son. “Only a damn fool would laugh off her determination to get to the bottom of this thing. Even if she is a good-looking woman, she means business. She looks soft, but she isn’t. She’s tough as boot leather when it comes to this murder case.”

  “I’m aware of that,” Junior said sulkily.

  “Ask Joe Wallace if you don’t believe it.”

  “I do. I just find it hard to take her seriously when she looks as good as she does.”

  “You do, huh? Well, I don’t see you doing anything about that, either.”

  “I asked her out here for drinks, and she came.”

  “What have you done since then?”

  “What do you want me to do? Court her like some snotnosed kid? Go the flowers and chocolates route?”

  “Yes, goddammit!”

  “She’d never fall for that,” Junior snorted, “even if I could do it with a straight face.”

  “You listen to me, boy. You’ve got life good. You drive a new Jag every year, wear a big, diamond-studded Rolex, go skiing, deep-sea fishing, and to the horse races whenever you feel like it, and you gamble big.

  “But if this little lady has her way, she’ll bust us. Yeah,” he said, reading his son’s frown correctly, “you might have to go out and get a job for once in your life.”

  Angus reined in his temper and continued in a more conciliatory tone. “She hasn’t got a prayer of turning up any evidence. I think she knows that. She’s throwing darts into the dark and hoping to hit one of us in the ass. Sooner or later, hopefully, her arm’ll get tired.”

  Junior chewed on his lip and said glumly, “She probably wants a court trial as much as we want a racetrack. That’d be a real coup for her. It’d launch her career.”

  “Damn,” Angus grumbled. “You know how I feel about that. I don’t like all this career bullshit. Women don’t belong in courtrooms.”

  “Where would you keep them? In bedrooms?”

  “Nothing wrong with that.”

  Junior laughed shortly. You won’t get an argument from me, but I imagine you would from millions of working women.”

  “Alex might not be working for long. It wouldn’t surprise me if her career was riding on the outcome of this investigation.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I know all about Greg Harper. He’s ambitious, sees himself in the attorney general’s seat. He likes his people to win convictions. Now, if I’ve got him figured right, he’s letting Alex do this because he smells blood, our blood. If we got our tails in a crack over this murder business, he’d get his name in the headlines and gloat every step of the way because there’s no love lost between him and the governor. The governor’s nose would be ru
bbed in shit and so would the racing commission’s.

  “On the other hand, if Alex fails to smoke out any skeletons in our closet, Harper’ll have to eat crow. Rather than do that, he’ll boot Alex out. And we’ll be there with open arms to catch her when she falls,” he said, jabbing the air for emphasis.

  “I see you’ve got it all worked out,” Junior remarked dryly.

  Angus made a grunting sound. “Damn right I do. One of us better be concentrating on more than the fine way she fills out a sweater.”

  “I thought that’s what you wanted me to do.”

  “You gotta do more than gawk and lust from afar. A love affair would be the best thing that could happen to Alex.”

  “How do you know she’s not involved in one?”

  “Because unlike you, I don’t leave things to chance. I made it my business to find out. I’ve had her checked out.”

  “You cagey old bastard,” Junior whispered with grudging admiration.

  “Humph. You gotta know what cards the other guy’s holding, son, or it does you no good to have a winning hand.”

  While the fire in the grate popped cheerfully, Junior contemplated all that Angus had said. Then, focusing a narrow gaze on his father, he asked, “Where would you have this love affair lead? To marriage?”

  Angus slapped Junior’s knee and chortled. “Would that be so bad?”

  “Would you approve?”

  “Why not?”

  Junior wasn’t sharing the laugh. He moved to the fire, away from his father’s touch and conniving smile. Absently, he poked at the burning logs.

  “I’m surprised,” he said softly. “You didn’t think Celina would make a suitable wife for me. I remember the ruckus you raised when I told you I wanted to marry her.”

  “You were eighteen then, boy!” Angus shouted. “Celina was a widow with a baby.”

  “Yes. Alex. And look how fine she turned out. She could have been my stepdaughter.”

  Angus’s brows drew together over the bridge of his nose. They were a dependable gauge of his temper. The steeper the vee, the angrier he was. “There were other considerations.”