by Roslyn Woods
Gus gave her a rather odd look, but he acquiesced. “Okay,” he replied slowly. Then he added, “It is a bit warm.”
“I’m afraid your dog has taken a dislike to me,” Vincent said stiffly.
“Really?” Gus asked. “That’s rare for her. Perhaps she dislikes your perfume.”
The words seemed an insult to Tavy, and it made her stifle a smile. Vincent was certainly carefully put together, and his cologne was noticeable. Even in casual clothes she could see he was the kind of man who spent time in front of a mirror. Gus was his opposite, completely unconcerned. Tavy guessed he had probably used the same brand of shaving lather since his youth and never bothered with cologne—though whatever soap he used smelled of woods and ginger. If she stood right next to him, though the fragrance was subtle, she found it to be slightly heady. Of that, she was sure, he was wholly unaware.
Gus squatted down and talked softly to the dog for a few moments, gently taking the leash from Tavy’s hand without looking up. “It’s okay, girl. You know I’ll take care of Tavy, don’t you?” he asked. Then he looked up at Vincent and explained, “She’s very protective of Tavy for some reason.”
“Hmm,” was all the younger man said. “Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”
Gus stood up beside Tavy, allowing the dog to remain between himself and Vincent.
“Yes,” Gus replied.
“Does it have to be right next to me?” Vincent asked.
“It?” Gus asked. It was clear to Tavy that he was feigning confusion. “Oh, you mean Blue! She won’t pounce if you don’t make any sudden moves,” he said.
“Well, that’s not very reassuring,” Tavy’s stepbrother replied.
“It should be,” Gus argued. “She’s very dependable that way.”
“I was really just stopping by to say hello anyway,” Vincent continued, stepping further away. “I’ve got an errand to run, Octavia. How about I come by another time?”
“Sure,” Tavy answered. “But give me a call first, won’t you? I’d hate you to go to all the trouble of coming by only to find me absent.”
“I will, but I don’t have your number.”
“Dad’s number will do,” Tavy said, calling her father “Dad” for the very first time. “I actually prefer the landline.”
“Will do,” Vincent said. “I’d give you a hug, Sis, but I’m afraid your friend’s dog would take my head off!” He was smiling now, more confident as he moved further from the dog. Tavy gave a slight wave, noticing that he didn’t even offer a nod in Gus’s direction before he turned and headed for the red car.
They heard the engine start and had walked nearly a half block and turned the corner onto Oak Tree Hill before Blue’s master spoke again.
“Do I still get tea?” he asked. The house was less than a block away now.
“Yes, if you’d like. I also have orange juice if you prefer.”
“I prefer tea.”
They continued to walk in silence for a while.
“I thought you were picking vegetables today,” Tavy said.
“I picked my own garden this morning. I’ll go across town in a bit to get the other three.”
“That’s a lot.”
“Yes, I guess it is.”
He seemed a bit cryptic. What was wrong with him, anyway? “Thanks for agreeing to come over,” she said, realizing her feelings about Vincent must be apparent.
“You made cookies for him?” he asked, finally.
“For who?”
“For your stepbrother.”
“What do you think?”
“I think he’s attracted to you and I think you should tell me straight out.”
“I think that would be a little weird, don’t you?”
“If you told me?”
“If he were—”
“If he were attracted to you? No. You’re not really relatives. It would be—understandable.”
“It would be weird,” she argued.
“And it would encourage him. You should know that.”
“What would encourage him?”
“Making him cookies.”
“I didn’t. I don’t like him.”
“Why not?” he asked, giving her a doubtful look.
“Why would I make cookies for someone I don’t like?” she asked, hedging.
“Why don’t you like him?” he clarified.
Tavy paused and bit her lip before she answered. “I suppose I’m jealous of him,” she answered seriously.
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He and his mother stole my father from me.”
Gus nodded. “Well, I don’t like him much myself.”
“I can tell.”
“How?”
“The perfume remark was a dead giveaway.”
“Then, I suppose the cookies are for Rand Miller?”
“Rand Miller? Is he coming by, too?” she asked, climbing the steps to the front door.
Gus said nothing, and she could feel his eyes on the back of her head as she turned the key in the lock. Blue had begun to whine.
“Then you must be expecting company from Portland,” he pressed.
“If you must know,” she answered, looking over her shoulder, “I am expecting a dinner guest later on.”
“Oh,” he said, sounding deflated as he followed her through the living room. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
If Tavy hadn’t seen him biting his lip as she glanced back, she wouldn’t have answered. “I invited Shell Hodge over. But I didn’t make the cookies for her.”
She wasn’t looking at him now. She was taking glasses down from the cupboard beside the kitchen sink, keeping busy with getting the tea from the fridge, filling the glasses with ice.
“You didn’t?” he asked.
She poured the tea and handed the two glasses to Gus, enjoying his confusion. It felt good to be controlling the timing of her revelation, insignificant as it was. She took five cookies from a dish on the counter, put them on a smaller plate, and carried them into the living room before seating herself in one of the brocade chairs. Gus sat near her on the sofa and placed the glasses on the dragonfly coasters on the coffee table.
“I made them for Maddie,” she said.
“Oh,” he said again.
“She said she would come by, but I haven’t asked her father if he minds that I’m making sweets for her.”
Gus smiled a little sheepishly. “You should probably ask him,” he said.
“Do you mind?”
“I don’t. I never make sweets, and her mother never makes anything at all, so it’s a reasonable indulgence.”
“That’s good. You can have some, too. Maddie won’t be able to eat the whole batch.”
“I’ll do what I can to help,” he said.
Chapter 55
Thursday, August 13, 8 a.m.—Shell
Shell wasn’t entirely calm about Dean’s trip to California. They hadn’t been apart since the kidnapping, and she didn’t like the idea of being alone even though she assured her fiancé, as she drove him toward the airport, that he had nothing to be worried about. She would be fine. She would stay with Tavy till Saturday afternoon, Sadie would go with her, and Bitsy would stay with Billie and Leo.
“You know, Tavy could come over and stay with you at our place,” he said. “I’m not sure I feel comfortable about you being over there after all that’s happened.”
“I think she has to pick veggies tomorrow morning, so I think it’s her place or no place. Don’t worry. There’s a brand new alarm, new locks, and two great watchdogs. We’ll sit up talking and watch a movie or something. Plus, your friend Gus is just a few yards away through her back gate.”
“I added his number to your contacts this morning. Just in case.”
“Thanks, but I won’t need to contact him.”
“Just in case you do, you have it.”
“Okay.”
“What about your appointment with Dr. Shapiro on Saturday mornin
g?” he asked.
“She had to cancel. I’ll have my forty-five minute session with her today at two, and then I won’t see her till next Thursday.”
“And you’ll call me and message me and keep me posted?” he asked, his jaw clenching.
“I will. Tavy’s been alone a lot lately, and she suggested I come stay with her. I haven’t been alone in two months, Dean, and this way I won’t be so lonesome while you’re gone.”
“A little lonesomeness might be a good thing,” he said with a smile.
“I’ll be a little lonesome anyway.”
“Only a few days ago you were upset about me getting to the gallery late.”
“I’m getting better,” she insisted. “Every day and in every way! Yesterday, Dr. Shapiro said it was time to start doing normal things.”
“Now I’m the one who has to learn to be brave,” he said.
The sky was darkening as they approached the exit to the airport. “It looks like rain. You’ll call me when you get there.”
“You know I will, but I know I’ll be worrying about you.”
“You won’t! You’ll be fine, won’t you?” Shell asked. “We’ll be in constant contact. You can text or call me at any moment.”
“Right,” he said. “It’s probably not possible to be in constant contact.”
“I’m not making you go. I don’t think selling the program to Apple is all that—”
“It is. It will mean you can hire your replacement at the gallery and still maintain your partnership. You can work when you feel like it and stay home and paint when you want to. And we can plan our wedding.”
“I haven’t painted in a while, it’s true,” she said, avoiding the conversation about their wedding.
“Because you need more time,” he answered, allowing it to pass.
“Yes,” she said, but she knew there was more to it than that. All desire to paint had left her two months earlier, and she still wasn’t ready to set a wedding date.
“Come here you precious girl!” Billie said to Bitsy when Shell arrived at work with the little dog in her arms. “Aren’t you a pretty girl?”
“She is,” Shell answered, putting the chihuahua mix down on the tile floor. She immediately went to Billie who was already offering her a treat. “You’re prepared!” Shell commented.
“I aim to please!” he replied. “As soon as you said she was coming to visit Penny, I grabbed a few soft chews!”
“She loves those things. You think she’ll be fine in the office till you guys go home this evening?”
“Oh, she would be, but I’ll take her home at noon so she and Penny can play. I hate leaving Penny alone all day anyway. It’s really why I go home at lunch so often—just to check on her and give her a little attention.”
“You should bring her here,” Shell said.
“Leo thinks it would be unprofessional to bring our dog every day.”
“Well, you should at least get another dog so she has a companion. Two are better than one.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that,” he answered. “By the way, you’re looking beautiful today. As always!” He was being obsequious with Shell since their little argument two days earlier, afraid she was still annoyed with him.
“You too,” she answered with an eye roll that was meant to tell him he was as transparent as the acrylic overlay on the pastel Leo was bringing into the entry just then.
“Get over it,” Leo said to Billie. “Shell has already forgiven you! And help me hang this.”
“She says she has,” Billie answered as he hurried over to help lift the large piece, “but she hasn’t completely let it go. She keeps giving me those I see through you looks—those I know you’ll never believe in me again looks.”
“Because she does see through you. And maybe you’re going to have to earn back her trust.”
“And,” Shell added, picking up the dog to keep her from getting underfoot, “you’re both going to have to learn that I’m often right here when you’re talking about me.”
“Sorry,” Leo said. “I’m just glad we’re all able to say what we think again. By the way, Dr. Moreno called and is sending three possible interns for you to interview this morning. If we take them—any of them—and they can start this afternoon, you won’t need to work past one.”
“I see my counselor at two,” Shell answered, “but I can come back afterwards if you need me.”
“We’ll be fine. We won’t plan to see you till tomorrow. And maybe,” Billie added, “you can talk Tavy into letting us do her dad’s show as soon as the police figure out whodunit.”
“If they figure it out,” Shell said, putting her handbag in a cupboard under the marble counter and locking it. “And I won’t approach asking her about a show, Billie. At best, I’ll be there it she ever suggests we do one. That’s it.”
“I consider your visit a working dinner!” he answered with a smile, but Shell let the comment go by without another response. “Any leads?” he wanted to know.
“Tavy called last night.”
“And?” Leo asked.
“She says she’d like me to look at some letters and things. We’re going to try to figure out whatever we can.”
“And Armen?” Leo wanted to know.
“Tavy thinks the cops scared him off. She’s pretty sure he was following her.”
“What about Harris Melburn?” Billie asked.
“I’ve been trying to reach him since Tuesday when Dean found that list. The receptionist still says Harris is out of town, but I’m going to keep trying,” Shell said. “If I can’t get him by phone, we’ll drive up to Dallas next week.”
“We?” Billie asked.
“Dean and I.”
“Dean’s willing to help with the sleuthing?” Billie asked.
“He doesn’t really want me investigating without him!”
“He thinks you’re safe if he’s with you. That’s good.”
“Well, after what we went through, it kinda makes sense that he’s concerned,” Shell conceded, “but somehow, I don’t think a person who poisons someone is likely to do something openly aggressive. Poisoning seems like a cautious, even cowardly approach.”
“Yes, but you could be wrong,” Leo argued. “I think Dean’s right about being careful. Especially while he’s out of town. Anyone crazy enough to kill someone may be kind of desperate and unpredictable.”
“I’m just going to help Tavy look through some letters and things. We’re not planning to go out after dark!”
“That sounds pretty safe,” Leo admitted. “We’re close by in Travis Heights. Just a few minutes away. We’d come in a jiffy if you needed us. You know that.”
“I do, Leo. Thanks.”
The interviewees came in at ten, and Shell was pleased with all three of the applicants. Marla, a sculpture student, said she could start after lunch. The other two, Jerry and Ava, were both willing to work Friday through the weekend.
Shell walked the three grad students through the gallery to catch them up on Evelyn Jameson’s show and the other work on display while she explained some of the things they would need to know about running the gallery.
“As long as either of you is here,” Shell said to Billie and Leo that afternoon, “they should be fine, don’t you think?”
“They’re a godsend!” Billie agreed. “We need to get them fully trained so we can all have a little more free time. I’d like to keep the gallery open on Sundays. We’re losing a lot of business by closing.”
“I agree,” said Leo. “Billie and I can continue with the training today, you’ll be back tomorrow, and maybe—if all goes well—we can agree to try staying open on Sunday.”
“Time for me to head out,” Shell said. “Thanks for keeping Bitsy for me.”
“Don’t forget what I said,” Leo reminded her. “We’re close by. We’ll get home by seven-fifteen tonight.”
“I’ll be fine! I’m going to see Dr. Shapiro, then home to pack an overnight bag and get Sad
ie.”
“Well, give us some affection!” Billie said, still trying to reassure himself that all was well between Shell and himself. “You’re not mad anymore, are you sweetheart?”
“I’m not. How could I stay mad at you?” she said as she gave Billie a hug. “Besides, I know you were trying to take care of me. Margie even told me so.”
“Thank God for our Margie!” Leo said with a chuckle. “And remember, call us if you need us!”
Chapter 56
Thursday, August 13, 7:30 p.m.—Shell
“Sergeant Gonzalez called me this afternoon,” Tavy said as she was filling cups with after dinner coffee in the living room, and the dogs lay calmly on the cool floor in front of fireplace. “The autopsy is complete. My father had pancreatic cancer, but it was the arsenic that killed him. He should have lived another year, perhaps, or so the doctor told the police. Gus thinks my father was planning to see me—planning to explain everything.”
“Why does he think that?” Shell asked.
“I guess he talked about what we would do together when I came to visit Austin. Of course, in spite of Gus’s conviction about that, I’m still doubtful. I think it’s possible my dad was planning for his death—planning for me to find things as he left them.”
“I think Gus may be right. When I saw your father, Tavy, he seemed desperate for you to know that he loved you! He made me promise to tell you.”
“I want to believe that you and Gus are right. I do. But it’s hard after a lifetime of being ignored by him. Why wait till I’m nearly forty and he’s nearly dead to give me his worldly goods? I think of the years Tio and Mia helped support me while I went to school, then after while I got on my feet! They insisted on paying off bills for me, working to make it easy for me when my father was a wealthy man!”
“I imagine it made them happy to do that. You were their daughter, too.”
“Yes, I know, but still.”
“And look at this lovely house your father left for you! How can you think he was ignoring you when he was busy creating this? Isn’t there some kind of revelation for you in finding this place?”