“You know, I’ve got a big old house that’s gotten awfully lonely lately. I actually only use the downstairs. You could come stay with me, and I love cats. You’d have the entire upstairs to yourself. Although I imagine you’d probably only use the biggest bedroom and the bathroom,” Nora said thoughtfully.
“I couldn’t impose,” I said quickly and without thought. “I’m sorry. I know it’s rude to turn down hospitality around here, but I couldn’t just move into your house. I’d feel like a freeloader.”
“Well, you could pay a small rent and help me keep the place tidy. Would that ease your conscience?” Nora seemed hopeful, and I had to admit that her offer was appealing.
“I can do better than that. The agency I work for is paying for my room at the inn. I can just have them pay you for my room and board instead. You could collect a pretty good chunk of change, all courtesy of Mayor O’Malley,” I said impishly. “He’s footing the bill for my services.”
“Outstanding,” Nora said with a hearty laugh. “I wouldn’t feel right taking money from you, but from that guy? I wouldn’t feel a tiny bit bad.”
Chapter Eleven
Lara
After lunch, Nora and I went back upstairs to check on Officer Booth one more time before we left. Nora had taken a bus to get to the hospital, and I was more than happy to give her a ride back to Ash Road.
It didn’t take long to move into Nora’s house because I didn’t have much with me. Jinx loved it right away. He had a whole house to explore, and Nora even left the cellar door open so he could root around down in the dark depths for critters.
I sent Brody a message about my move to Nora White’s house, but the entire time I’d been driving home, I couldn’t stop obsessing over the fact that Gordon O’Malley was his father.
The next morning at work, I made the decision to get more information out of Brody. One way or another, he would talk.
I got into the office before him and started a pot of coffee. Usually, whoever showed up first got to pick what roast was brewed, but I made Brody’s favorite.
I’d also made breakfast for Nora and me that morning. I know that I’d promised Becca to keep eating at the inn but I didn’t want to ditch Nora on our first morning.
The bacon cheddar casserole I’d whipped up had been a hit with Nora. She told me that her standard breakfast was oatmeal and the delicious dish had been a nice change of pace.
There was a bag in my office with a container filled with the casserole for Brody. That was another reason I hadn’t wanted to eat at the inn. I figured Becca wouldn’t be too pleased if I took food with me for someone else.
I tried to think of anything else I could do to butter Brody up and loosen his lips. I needed him to feel comfortable and let his guard down.
My next thought made me feel terrible, but it was probably a better idea than coffee and breakfast. I looked down at my blouse and undid two buttons. It wasn’t really showing anything, but it did give the illusion that I’d bared some skin. That was what I was going for with my intentional wardrobe malfunction.
Doubt began to fill my mind. Was I showing off for Brody just to get him to talk? I tried to deny that I also wanted him to find me attractive. I was lying to myself.
“Is that my coffee I smell brewing,” Brody asked as he walked through the door.
“It is. I figured I’d be nice to you for a change,” I teased. Good. If I could banter with him, I could get Brody to let his guard down even more. It was just too bad I couldn’t get him drunk in the middle of the day. I made a note to myself to invite him to the tavern again soon.
“Well that will be a nice change of pace. Or are you waiting in my office to kill me?” he joked. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. That was terrible taste.” I could hear sincerity in his voice, and I figured the guilt would make him more likely to talk to me.
“It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean anything by it,” I said and met him in the hallway. “I brought you breakfast too. Although I’m not sure you deserve it now,” I joked.
“Hey, I’m really sorry,” he said and reached out to take my hand. “Please forgive me.”
“You’re forgiven. Well, that’s if you’ll have a real conversation with me while you eat your breakfast.”
“I guess I owe you that much,” Brody said and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“Great, I’ll warm it up,” I said as cheerfully as I could manage.
Brody and I sat at the small table in the break room. I’d used the microwave to heat up the casserole. He scooped up a bite, blew on it until the steam disappeared, and ate the mouthful.
“This is really good,” he said with a sincere smile. “You could have your own bed-and-breakfast or restaurant.”
“You can’t possibly know that after one bite of one dish.”
“Hey, lady,” Brody said playfully. “I know good food.”
I couldn’t help but laugh a little. It felt good to relax and have a light conversation with Brody. It was easy being with him. But it was too easy. I was supposed to be subtly interrogating him.
“I need you to level with me about the Horowitz estate,” I began. That was not subtle at all. “I know you know more than you’re letting on. Whatever you’re involved in, please just tell me.” That was even less subtle.
“There’s nothing I can tell you about that,” Brody said after he swallowed hard.
I crossed my arms and sighed.
“Look, Lara, if I could tell you more, I would,” he said, and he looked almost frightened.
“What are you afraid of?” I asked.
“I’m fine. I wish I could help,” he whispered. “Let’s talk about something else.”
I got up and left him sitting at the table. I wanted to hit something. I hadn’t known Brody for very long but it felt like I was tuned into him. He was withholding from me, but I needed to know if it was because he was guilty or because...
Was he in danger?
That would mean he didn’t trust me, though. Ash Road was as small town as they came, so that meant there was another way to get information. I just needed to find the right person. Somebody knew something, and they couldn’t wait to gossip.
Maybe Nora could help. I decided to call her and see if we could talk over dinner.
“I’ll make tacos,” I promised.
“Sure dear, we can talk over dinner. But I don’t have the things you need to make tacos. I need some other items at the store. Will you pick me up after work and take me grocery shopping?”
“Sure, I can do that. Do you think they’ll have what I need for tacos at the store? I like to use corn tortillas.”
“Probably not, but I like going to the Hyvee in Spark’s Hollow. It’s not a terribly long drive.”
“It’s a date.”
Ten minutes later, Brody stormed into my office red-faced and flustered. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it, turned around, and started to leave.
“Hey wait, what’s up?” I asked as I stood up.
He came around the desk, wrapped his arm around my waist, kissed me hard, and then left without a word.
What the heck was that all about?
Chapter Twelve
Lara
I didn’t see Brody again that day. I heard him moving around in the hallway a few times but by the time I left work to pick up Nora, he was gone.
After briefly wondering where he might have gone, I pushed the thoughts down before I could begin to internally whine about why he hadn’t said goodbye to me. Yuck. I didn’t want to be that chick.
When I got back to my new home, Nora was ready to go. The drive to Spark’s Hollow took less than a half hour, and on the way, I took some time to express to Nora my concerns about Brody being an O’Malley.
“There’s a lot about him you don’t know,” she said thoughtfully as we pulled into the Hyvee parking lot. “You’d feel differently about him if you knew more.”
“What don’t I know?” I asked as
I turned off the ignition. “Please tell me. I want to understand.”
“It’s not my story to tell, dear. I’m many things, but I’m not a gossip. I will talk to you later about Frankie, but if you want to know more about Brody, you’re going to have to find a way to get him to talk to you,” she said and got out of the SUV.
It was frustrating to me that she wouldn’t spill the beans, but I was more frustrated with myself for assuming that just because Nora lived in a small town, she would tell me everything she knew. I had presumed Nora had far less integrity than she actually did, and I felt like a jerk.
We got most of our shopping done quickly. My stomach had begun to protest again, and I wanted nothing more than to get home and fix supper.
As we rounded the corner to the bread aisle, I heard two familiar voices in the next aisle engaged in a heated conversation. I could swear it was Brody and Sylvie arguing right in the frozen food section. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, so I turned the cart around and attempted to head that way.
“We didn’t get our bread,” Nora protested.
“I think that’s Brody and Sylvie arguing in the next aisle. I can’t hear what they are saying. I’ve got to get closer,” I said without stopping.
Nora reached her hand out and gently grabbed my arm. “Dear one, you’ve got to get your raging feelings for that boy under control. Look at you ready to charge over there and start a scene in the grocery store.”
“I’m not jealous or anything. I’m worried it has something to do with Frankie’s estate or the murders.” But that was only a half truth. I was jealous. Only people who cared about one another argued like that. I thought Sylvie was sweet on Jimbo the bartender and bouncer. What was she doing having an argument with my man?
Oh jeez.
“Oh really?” Nora asked with her eyebrow raised.
“I’m just going to go over and say hi. It’s the neighborly thing to do,” I said.
Nora sighed loudly. “Fine. I’ll get the bread.”
The expressions on Brody and Sylvie’s faces as I rounded the corner was exactly what I’d expected. They looked busted. I wondered if they’d come to the Hyvee in another town to meet because they figured no one from Ash Road would see them here.
That didn’t make sense. I was sure that, just like Nora and I were doing, people from Ash Road shopped at this particular store all of the time. They’d met here because they didn’t figure they’d see me.
I had myself thoroughly convinced of it, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks with my temper. Still, I put on a sweet smile.
“Hey, you guys. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
Both of them stuttered and stumbled, and neither one issued a coherent sentence. Suddenly I felt self-conscious because I didn’t know what to say either.
“Hello, Brody and Sylvie,” Nora chirped cheerfully from behind me. “It’s a pleasure to see you both.”
“Brody, can I speak to you for a moment?” I asked stiffly.
He nodded solemnly, and I led him away from the frozen foods to the nearby yogurt section.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” Brody whispered even though we were out of earshot of Nora and Sylvie.
“Oh yeah? And what does it look like?” I asked sarcastically. I wanted to know exactly what he thought I’d caught him doing. I believed it was far better to let him tattle on himself.
“I mean...” He stuttered and rubbed the rough stubble that had formed on his chin. “Sylvie and I aren’t here together. I mean we aren’t together.”
“So you two just happened to run into each other in the frozen food aisle?”
“No, I mean...we met here. I have my reasons. Please trust me,” he said.
“Trust you?” I almost shouted. “You want me to believe you? After this?” I said and swept my arm around to indicate I meant the current situation. “You’ve got to be kidding.” My voice was shrill.
“Lara.” Nora’s stern voice cut through my hysteria. “Not here, dear,” she said and beckoned me.
“This isn’t over,” I said to Brody.
“Please trust me, honey.”
“Honey?” I hissed.
“Lara, let’s go. You can find a better place to discuss these matters with Mr. O’Malley.”
“Fine,” I said, and in retrospect, I admit that I stomped off like a petulant child.
While I cooked the meat for the tacos, Nora chopped up a head of lettuce and a couple of tomatoes. She was behind me at the white wood kitchen table, and I stood at the stove.
“Do you think there is something romantic between Sylvie and Brody?” I asked without turning around.
“I think you’re mistaken about their connection,” she said cryptically.
“What does that mean?”
“I really don’t feel comfortable telling you about Sylvie and Brody’s lives. You should talk to them,” she said.
“I’ve tried. Well, I’ve tried talking to Brody. He clams up every time. I don’t get it,” I said. “You know, I’ll just level with you. I’ve found evidence that someone has tampered with Frankie Horowitz’s records. I think Brody and the mayor are in cahoots to get at her estate.”
“You’re wrong about Brody. You should trust me on that.”
“Are you sure?” I turned around to face her. I was still skeptical.
“Lara, I’ve lived in Ash Road all my life. Brody is not who you think. He’s got his reasons for doing anything he’s doing. I assure you of that. Now that Sylvie on the other hand...I won’t gossip, but you shouldn’t trust her,” Nora said seriously.
“Really? She seems so sweet. She saved Jinx.” Right on cue, the cat walked in and laid down at Nora’s feet.
“She’s definitely not who you think she is,” Nora said.
“Really? People seem to not like her because she’s an exotic dancer on the weekends. Is that why you don’t like her?” I asked in as non-judgmental of a tone as I could muster.
“Heavens, no. I don’t care about stuff like that. I don’t think as many people in Ash Road care as you think, either. That’s a convenient excuse so that Sylvie doesn’t have to take responsibility for her poor reputation,” Nora said as she put diced-up tomato into a bowl.
“There was the arrest for passing bad checks,” I said, remembering the arrest.
“That’s bad enough, but there’s reason to believe there’s more,” she said.
“You’re not going to tell me, though. Are you?” I stated with a chuckle.
“I don’t want to distract you from what matters,” she said with a warm smile. “About Frankie’s estate. You said that you didn’t know how big her estate is. I don’t have any exact numbers for you, but it’s millions, sugar. Probably tens of millions.”
“How is there no record of her estate?” I murmured to myself.
“There are records somewhere. I can’t tell you what happened to them, but there has to be a paper trail. I know she had to have a will. Frankie was a smart cookie. There’s no way that she would leave anything to chance. Frankie would have wanted her money to go to building something good and not fall into the hands of whoever was greedy enough to take it.”
“You know, that knowledge only makes me more suspicious about Brody and his father. That’s a lot of money. That’s the kind of money people kill for.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lara
After dinner, I decided that I wanted to hear what Sylvie and Brody’s connection was from Sylvie. I was curious about what she’d have to say. Nora didn’t like her, so instead of inviting her over to the house, I asked her to meet me at the tavern. After learning that the Horowitz estate was potentially worth tens of millions of dollars, I needed a stiff drink.
When I got to the tavern, I ordered two margaritas. Jimbo was tending bar and he gave me a look.
“I’ll have to go to the back and get those margarita glasses, and I don’t have a blender,” he said flatly.
“Do you have sal
t?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got a container back here somewhere,” he said and began rooting around in a cabinet.
“Don’t worry about finding margarita glasses. Just use two highball glasses instead,” I said.
“As you wish.” He bowed and set to making the drinks.
By the time Sylvie arrived, Jimbo was setting the two margaritas on the rocks on the bar in front of me. I smiled and gave him a five-dollar tip. He’d even managed to find little umbrellas under the bar, and that lifted my spirits a bit.
“Oh, margaritas,” Sylvie cooed as she sat on the stool next to me. “So, how’s the cat? What did you name him?”
“I’m calling him Jinx,” I said and took a sip of my drink. “I thought it sounded cute.”
“That is sweet,” Sylvie said and waved at Jimbo. “Hey, baby, can you get me a shot of tequila to go with this?” she asked and pointed to the margarita.
Jimbo brought her the shot and she immediately downed it. I waited while she chased the Jose Cuervo with a big gulp of her margarita.
“Sylvie, I asked you to meet me so that we could talk about you and Brody,” I said.
“What about us?” she asked innocently. Sylvie batted her eyelashes at me and did her best to impersonate someone who had nothing to hide, but it didn’t fool me.
That was the first time I’d seen the cracks in Sylvie’s persona. I didn’t see a murderous sociopath hidden behind her smile, but I could smell a con. I’d been caught off guard by her when I first got to town because I didn’t know anyone, but it was apparent that she was as fake as a ten-dollar Rolex.
“Are you guys involved?” I asked after another big gulp of my margarita. “Like, with each other.”
“It’s nothing like that,” Sylvie said with a wave of her hand.
The Rake and the Researcher Page 7