An Equation For Murder

by Jayne Nichols

  “I’m sorry, Lilly,” he said, uncertain whether he meant the apology for his actions or the interruption. Struggling to banish his thoughts of seduction, he reached for his cell phone. “It’s Ben.”

  When Lillian nodded, motioning that she would leave so he could speak in private, he shook his head. “Stay. Please.”

  His son rarely contacted him during school hours, so this call had Sam doubly anxious, and his tone reflected that concern. “Are you okay?”

  “Sure, Dad. I got a 92 on my History test!”

  Sam wasn’t sure what he felt most. Shock or relief. Maybe it was a combination of both. No blood or broken bones, no emergency—the only reasons Ben should be calling him during school hours. “That’s great news.”

  “You think that’s good enough for Mom?”

  “I’m sure your mother will be pleased, too.” He grinned at Lillian, waiting patiently while Ben continued to plead his case. “Yes, Ben, I agree it’s a great score, and yes, you may go to the school dance tonight.” While he listened, he turned away from Lillian, the smile on his face shifting into a frown. “I don’t think that’s possible.” He paused, lowered his voice to a rough whisper. “I know Kiesha helped you get that grade, and that you’d like to take her to the dance, but you know that I don’t have a car. Can’t she meet you at the school?”

  “Her dad’s out of town, and her mother doesn’t drive. You could borrow Mom’s. She’s got a date tonight, so she won’t need it. Please, Dad.”

  Ordinarily, Ben enjoyed riding on Sam’s Harley, but the bike wasn’t built to hold two passengers, and because Sam didn’t have a car, Ben wasn’t going to get to go on his first real date. Problem was, Sam would rather eat dirt than ask Rachel to loan him her car, even for Ben. He sensed Lillian standing behind him before she tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Sam.”

  “Hold on a minute, Ben.” He pressed the phone against his chest. “Don’t leave.”

  Lillian smiled. “You can use my car,” she said softly.

  He stared at her, then held up his hand and spoke into the phone. “Ben, don’t go anywhere. I’ll call you right back.” Pressing the disconnect button, he set his cell phone on the table and turned to face Lillian. “You need your car.”

  “I don’t if you can drive me to the airport.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “When does the dance start?”

  “Eight, I think.”

  “My flight leaves at 5:50 from Orange County. If we leave here by at least 3:30, I’ll still have plenty of time to check in, and if the traffic isn’t too bad, you can get back long before you need to chauffeur Ben and his date to the dance.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Sam, you saved my life. You fixed my car. You took me on my first real adventure, and now you’re helping me pass my Math 50 class. Of course, I’m sure.”

  Sam couldn’t stop the sigh of relief that whooshed from his lungs. “I really don’t want to disappoint him. I know he’s only twelve, but first dates can be hell on a man, no matter what his age, and he really likes this girl. Actually, if it hadn’t been for her, I doubt he’d ever have seen a 92 on a History test.”

  Lillian laughed. “And if it hadn’t been for you, I would never have gotten an A. So, do we have a bargain, Professor Weiss?” Her blue eyes held his gaze, the twinkle in them bold with just a hint of mischief. “You can keep the car all weekend, then pick me up from the airport on Sunday.”

  “Deal.” He held out his hand, and if they both hadn’t had to leave, he wasn’t sure he would have let go of it.

  * * *

  That was the second most outrageous thing she had ever done. Lillian drove out of the library parking lot, a smile on her face. If things kept on in this direction, one day she might actually think of herself as a woman of the world.

  Though her first thought had been to help Sam, she had spoken too soon. Made the offer without thinking. But at least she’d had the presence of mind to say she would pick him up at his home. Stopping for Jennifer with Sam behind the wheel of her car would be a mistake of monumental proportions. No amount of denial would keep Amanda from suspecting the worst, and Lillian was not ready to explain her relationship with Sam to her daughter. Not with Jennifer listening. And not when she wasn’t all that certain there was a relationship to explain.

  Yet, there were moments. Moments when she could almost feel the crackle of electricity surrounding them. He had told her she was beautiful. Again. True, it was a backwards sort of compliment, but the memory of it had heat flowing through her body, stirring needs she hadn’t experienced in a lot of years. A whole lot of years.

  Turning into the driveway, Lillian shook the thoughts of her own rising sexual awareness from her mind, concentrating instead on Jen’s smile as the little girl threw open the front door and rushed through it, dragging her child-size, bright pink suitcase behind her. Lillian opened the trunk and placed Jen’s suitcase next to her own.

  “We’ll pick her up at your house Sunday night around 7:00,” Amanda said, opening the rear door behind the driver and buckling Jen into the booster seat. Handing Jen her bag of toys, they exchanged noisy kisses before she closed the car door.

  “Why don’t you let me keep her with me for the night? I can bring her home on my way to school Monday morning.” Lillian turned to give Amanda a reassuring smile and kiss on the cheek. “That will give the two of you an extra night alone.”

  “All right.” Amanda smiled tentatively, then extended a piece of pink notepaper. “Here’s where we’re staying if you need to reach us.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be just fine.” Lillian glanced at the prim handwriting, then tucked the paper into an outside pocket on her handbag and tossed it onto the passenger seat. “I hope you and Gregg have a wonderful weekend together.”

  “I’m sure we will. Please give Nona Marie and Mac a hug for me.” Amanda peeked into the back seat. “Mind your grandmother, Jen.”

  Jennifer pulled her baby doll from the bag. “Which one?”

  “Both of them.” Amanda’s sudden hug surprised Lillian. “Be careful, okay?”

  “Of course. I’m always careful.” Lillian smiled secretively. Except when I’m with Sam.

  “Let’s go, Grandma. I want to ride on the plane.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Lillian saluted her granddaughter smartly, then slid into the driver’s seat. She didn’t see Amanda’s face, but she heard the sharp intake of breath behind her and hoped that Gregg would be able to break through Rusty’s nearly impenetrable hold on her daughter’s heart.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Why are we stopping here, Grandma?”

  Lillian turned into the driveway. “This is where Professor Weiss lives. He’s going to drive us to the airport.”

  “Why can’t you drive?”

  Lillian sighed. Fielding Jennifer’s questions about Sam was not going to be an easy task. “I don’t want to leave the car at the airport all weekend, so Professor Weiss is going to take us and then babysit my car while we’re gone.” When Sam approached, she stepped out of the car. “Just like I babysit for you.” She brushed the concern from her mind and smiled at him. “Sam, I’d like you to meet my granddaughter, Jennifer.”

  “Hello, Jennifer.” He held out his hand, smiling when she eyed it cautiously before sliding her small hand into it. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “Are you going to come and get us?” Arms folded around her doll, she looked straight into his eyes, and though childlike, her accusatory tone was Amanda’s.

  Sam didn’t miss a beat, and Lillian wanted to hug him for his insight. “Not to worry,” he assured Jennifer. “I’ll be waiting at the airport on Sunday to escort both of you ladies home.”

  Seemingly content with that, Jennifer smiled at him, then held up her doll. “There are three of us. This is Kate, and she’s only four. Not for reals. Just pretend. But I’m really six, and I go to first grade. Are you Sam or Professor Weiss?”

  Lillian stru
ggled to keep a straight face as she and Sam exchanged silent looks of mutual apprehension. When his eyes asked her how he should play this, she simply shrugged. He was on his own.

  “Both, but how about you call me Sam?”

  “Okay.”

  Sam accompanied Lillian around the back of the car to the passenger door. “She looks just like you, but I still can’t believe she’s your granddaughter.”

  “Trust me. I was there when she was born.”

  He reached for the door handle. “She must get her non-stop talking ability from someone besides you.”

  Lillian laughed. “She’ll be asleep five minutes after we hit the freeway, I promise.”

  Jennifer watched eagerly while Sam returned to the driver’s seat. “Are you going to drive?”

  “Yes, I am.” He winked at Lillian. “I need the practice.”

  “Daddy never lets Mommy drive. When I get big I’m going to drive all the time. What are you doing?”

  Sam held up his iPhone so she could see it. “I’m programming my G.P.S.”

  “What’s that? What does it do?”

  “It’s an app on my phone which will tell me exactly how to get to the airport from this very spot.”

  “Wow. Can I see it?”

  Before Lillian could object, Sam turned to face her though the opening between the seats. “Sure. Cup your hands together.” Jennifer set her doll on the seat, then when she’d done as he asked, he placed the phone in her outstretched hands. “Now, hold it carefully and touch just the tip of one finger to the center of the screen.” He helped her hold the iPhone while she moved the map slowly north along Interstate 5, her blue eyes bright with excitement.

  “This is really cool. Do you have one, Grandma?”

  Cool? Had this come from the mouth of a six-year-old?

  “No, sweetheart. I’m technologically illiterate, so I just use the paper maps. However, I’m very good at refolding them.”

  “What’s a map?”

  “A map is a picture of all the roads in a specific area, like Southern California where we are now,” Sam explained. The man had the patience of a saint, Lillian thought. “The map on my phone is called an electronic map. Your grandmother prefers a more antiquated version.”

  “What’s anti…”

  “Never mind.” Scowling, Lillian retrieved Sam’s cell phone from Jennifer and returned it to him.

  Sam grinned in return, then tucked the phone in the center cup holder. She gave in and smiled back. With just a little patience, he’d won her granddaughter’s heart. He had such an amazing gift. The four years he had spent working for his father-in-law had certainly been a waste of his incredible teaching talent.

  Jennifer’s chatter lasted all the way to the entrance to Interstate 5. After several minutes of silence, Sam glanced into the rearview mirror, then tapped Lillian’s arm. True to her promise, the little girl was sound asleep, her doll, Kate, cuddled tight against her chest.

  “If she’s like that in school, she must exhaust her teacher.”

  “I imagine so. I’m afraid she takes after her great-grandmother, Marie,” Lillian admitted. “Neither of Jen’s parents are such open communicators. On the other hand, my Italian mother can talk each and every one of her customers under the table.” She laughed. “Make that under the dryer.”

  Sam’s brow creased. “Your mother’s Italian?”

  “Hard to believe, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, a little.” He glanced at her, then back to the road. “You’re a blue-eyed blonde with fair skin.”

  “My blonde, blue-eyed, fair-skinned father is Norwegian. His name is Peter Thornton, and as the story goes, he met my mother after a vicious Thanksgiving Day storm downed a power pole onto the roof of her parents’ delicatessen. Cal Edison responded to the call, and my dad still says that was the luckiest day of his life. They were married the following January, and I was born that October.” She grinned secretively, emphasizing her next words. “My little brother—dark-haired, brown-eyed, olive-skinned Gustav—came three years later.” She couldn’t hide the pride in her voice.

  “So, you look like your dad, and your brother took after your mom.”

  “Not entirely. I don’t know a thing about electricity except how to turn on a light, and Gus couldn’t cook a meal if his life depended on it.”

  “But you can?”

  She smiled smugly. “Remember the lasagna I had in the cafeteria that first day of class?”

  Sam nodded. “You told me you could make better.”

  He had actually remembered. “Yes, I can. I’m actually a very good cook. But my mother’s lasagna…” She gathered the tips of her fingers and thumb of her left hand together and kissed them for emphasis. “…is to absolutely die for. I can tell you honestly that no one makes Italian better than she does.”

  Sam licked his lips. “Does she make any Norwegian dishes?”

  Lillian wrinkled her nose, then shook her head. “My dad says Norwegian food is too pale. He likes Mama’s Italian better.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Lots of spice.”

  “Your parents sound like really good people.”

  “They are. Last January, we celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.”

  “Fifty years. That’s pretty amazing.” He was quiet while he guided the car around a large truck. “My parents, Jacob Weiss and Rebecca Goldman, stayed married for eighteen miserable years. For my sake, they said, when they told me they were getting a divorce.”

  “Oh, Sam.” She didn’t know what else to say, so when he reached for her hand, she gave it to him. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Actually, it was better between them afterwards. Certainly a lot easier for me. They told me they should never have gotten married in the first place. Dad had two more years of medical school at Harvard. Mom had studied violin all her life and had finally been accepted to the Juliard School of Music.” He glanced at her before returning his gaze to the highway. “They were married in January, too; however, I came along in July.”

  Lillian was capable of doing the math, too, but she kept silent and simply squeezed his hand. He lifted her hand to his cheek, and when she felt the light brush of his lips across her fingers, her heart nearly stopped.

  He smiled. “There is a happy ending. Sort of.”

  “I love happy endings.”

  “My father is a highly respected cardiac surgeon, and at sixty-three, he’s still practicing. Mother was a concert violinist with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra for thirty years. She retired several years ago, but still plays for the occasional benefit dinner, and refuses to reveal her age to anyone. We see each other on holidays, and while not exactly friendly, they are at least civil to each other. They love Ben, and that’s important.”

  “Did they love you?”

  “Yes, in their fashion. They just didn’t love each other.”

  Lillian gazed out the window. They passed the road sign indicating the turnoff to Orange County’s John Wayne Airport. “My parents have always been crazy about each other. Growing up, my brother and I never doubted that for a moment. There was love between them even when they argued… and there was plenty that.”

  “I’d like to meet them.”

  She wanted to introduce him to them, too. They would like Sam. She was sure of that. He was so totally different from Rusty, and neither her mother nor her father had been fond of her choice of a husband. Though her father had joined the Navy right out of high school and had served four reasonably happy years learning to be an electrician in its service, he would never have chosen a Navy officer for his son-in-law. He had seen too much misery.

  But Lillian had been so sure of her heart back then, and her father had wanted only her happiness, so putting aside his misgivings, he’d walked her proudly down the aisle. She had wanted a union filled with the same kind of love her parents had felt for each other, but it hadn’t happened with Rusty. The failure of her marriage still tormented her.

  Yet, when Sam squeezed her h
and, and she looked into his dark eyes…

  “Are we almost there, Sam?”

  “Soon.” Sam winked at Lillian, grinning from ear to ear as he turned into the airport and stopped in front of the doorway leading to United Airlines. “We are here.” He showed Jennifer the red flashing light on his iPhone.

  “I want one of those, Grandma. Will you teach me how to do that, Sam?” Jennifer put her doll in the bag. “I learn really quick. Mrs. Wade says so. She’s my first grade teacher, and I really like her.”

  Lillian lifted Jennifer out of the booster seat, then held tight to her hand while they waited for Sam to retrieve their bags from the trunk. He set them on the sidewalk next to her and hailed a skycap.

  “Lilly, would you like me to go park and come in?”

  Yes. “If you stay, you might not get back in time for the dance.”

  “Grandma, he called you Lilly. Sam, are you going to a dance? I can dance hip hop. Want to see?”

  While Sam chuckled softly, Lillian pulled out the handles on both suitcases. “Say good-bye to Sam.”

  Jennifer held out her right hand. “Bye, Sam. Thanks for driving and for showing me your G.P.S. I think you’re nice.”

  “Thank you, Jennifer.” Sam shook her outstretched hand. “I think you’re wide awake.”

  “Of course, I’m awake. My eyes are open.”

  “Take care of your grandmother for me.” He tugged gently on the doll’s yellow ponytail. “And Kate, too.”

  “I will.” Jennifer slipped her free hand through the straps on her toy bag, then clutched her suitcase handle. “Don’t forget to come pick us up.”

  Sam’s gaze drifted from Jennifer to linger for a long moment on Lillian’s face. “I won’t.” Reaching for Lillian’s hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t forget to study chapter seven,” he whispered next to her ear, then touched his lips to her cheek.