‘Thanks, honey. Tell Gatsby he has my sympathy but to be a tough guy. Also, I’m sure the Sandersons will be happy with their skylights. After all, they’re dealing with the best interior design firm in the state. You’re coming home this weekend, aren’t you?’
Her father always referred to the March house as ‘home.’ ‘Yes, Dad. I’m looking forward to it.’
‘Good. I love you, Kelsey. See you this weekend.’
Half an hour later, Kelsey pulled out of the veterinary clinic’s parking lot. Gatsby had yowled loudly and continuously as she pulled the carrier from her back seat and trudged toward the clinic. ‘You feel like you weigh fifty pounds,’ she’d muttered. His yowling raised in volume once they were inside, until an assistant quickly took him to the back because he was upsetting a lively yapping beagle in the waiting room.
‘He’ll settle down in a few minutes,’ the sweet-faced girl at the reception desk told her.
‘Don’t count on it,’ Kelsey said gloomily.
As soon as she entered MG Interiors, Nina Evans rushed up to her. ‘Giles’s mother was scheduled for surgery tomorrow, but she took a turn for the worse and they decided to operate this morning. He called about ten minutes ago. I told Stuart and he talked to Giles. He won’t be in today.’
‘Of course not,’ Kelsey said. ‘We’ll send flowers. I hope she’ll be all right.’
‘Giles would fall apart if she dies, but I don’t think she’s as sick as he thinks.’ Nina was intelligent and creative but always blunt, which was why Kelsey rarely let her interact with clients. ‘I don’t think he has any friends besides us and we’re not really friends. I mean, we’re not close. He doesn’t have anyone else except for a crazy old great-aunt. I’ve met her. God she was awful! If Giles was left alone in the world with only her—’
‘We’ll all hope that his mother pulls through,’ Kelsey said patiently. ‘If not, Giles will manage to make more friends. He’s young, smart, personable and good-looking.’
‘He is but he’s so shy. I don’t think I’ve ever met a grown man as bashful as Giles Miller! Why, just last week—’
‘I know he’s shy. He’ll get over it. Thanks for telling me, Nina.’
Kelsey fled to her office and shut the door. She glanced at the coffee pot and immediately nixed the idea of making coffee. The last thing she needed was caffeine. Instead, she settled behind her desk, opened her laptop computer, and began working on a pink and white luxury closet with scores of shelves, a chandelier suspended from a high ceiling dotted with round flush LED lights, and a matching French country sofa and chair and antique French glass-topped tables, all of which would be reflected in a dizzying array of mirrors. The closet was far too ornate for the house, which Kelsey had pointed out to the haughty young new trophy wife, who was determined to have a closet like ones she’d seen on television. Her husband was still so enchanted with her that he didn’t balk at the cost or the clash of designs between the bedroom and the closet. Kelsey wasn’t enjoying the project, but the design needed to be completed by early next week so remodeling could begin immediately afterward. She would be happy to finish this job and decided if this particular young woman ever sought the services of MG Interiors again, she’d turn the work over to Nina.
At eleven-thirty, Kelsey stood up and stretched. She was slightly hungry but decided she didn’t want to go out for lunch. She’d order a sandwich and a drink. Maybe Eve would like the same. She hadn’t seen Eve all morning and hadn’t talked to her over the weekend. Eve didn’t even know about Olivia coming to her door on Sunday in search of her errant son.
Kelsey knocked on Eve’s closed office door. She heard a soft ‘Come in’ and opened the door. Eve sat behind her desk, her face pale and wet with tears. Without a word, Kelsey walked toward the desk and stood waiting for Eve to speak. Finally, Eve held up a piece of plain white paper with blue handwriting on it. ‘This letter from my mother came in the morning mail. My brother is dead,’ she said raggedly. ‘David. I loved him so much and now I’ll never see him again.’
‘Oh, my God,’ Kelsey gasped. ‘Eve, I’m so sorry. Of course you need to go home. You must leave right away.’
Eve looked at Kelsey bleakly. ‘David died four months ago.’
Kelsey stared at her, stunned. ‘Four months ago?’ Eve nodded. ‘And your mother has just let you know?’
‘She says my father didn’t want me told at all – he doesn’t consider me part of the family – but she felt a little bit guilty about not letting me know. Although if I hadn’t left home, I could have been a comfort to David when he was dying of pneumonia and a help to his wife and children! That’s a cross I have to bear, she says. However, I’m not to come home even now. In fact, if I do, I won’t be welcomed by her or Papa or David’s wife, and I won’t be allowed near my niece and nephew. I made my bed years ago and now I must lie in it.’ Eve looked down at the letter and then crumpled it in her shaking hand. ‘I don’t even know the names of my brother’s children!’
Kelsey went to Eve’s chair, knelt, and put her arms around her friend. ‘I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. It’s hard to believe that your family can be so cruel. I’m so, so sorry, Evie.’
‘You’ve never called me “Evie” before. Only Stuart does.’ She drew a deep breath, then sobbed against Kelsey’s shoulder. ‘David was only thirty. He was so smart, so kind, so selfless. He shouldn’t have died, Kelsey. He shouldn’t have died!’
‘I know, honey,’ Kelsey crooned, holding Eve and beginning to rock her gently. ‘Life isn’t fair sometimes.’
‘No … no it isn’t! To take David away—’
Suddenly Eve pulled away from Kelsey, her eyes widening. ‘Lorelei! Oh, Kelsey, I’m sorry. You know how I feel. I shouldn’t be going on and on …’
‘It’s all right. I do know how you feel! But that doesn’t change anything. You need to go home for the day.’
Eve seemed to think about it for a moment. ‘No, I don’t. Being alone at home would only make things worse. I’d rather stay here.’
‘Do you want me to get Stuart?’
‘No.’ Eve’s voice was sharp and her face reddened.
‘Is everything all right between you two?’ Kelsey asked hesitantly.
‘He’s preparing for a one o’clock lunch meeting with Mr Albrecht. After lunch, they’re going to look at the store – or rather, the shell of the store. The interior is almost completely empty.’
‘Well, yes, but—’
‘Really. There’s plenty of time for me to tell Stuart later. This store is important, Kelsey.’
Against advice that a retail store was not a wise investment at this time, Edmund Albrecht remained determined to build the best luxury men’s store in the city. Kelsey had been elated when he chose MG Interiors to design the large, tastefully lavish two-story interior, and Stuart had immediately won Albrecht’s confidence. They’d been working closely for three months and now that the exterior of the store was finished, the real work would begin for Stuart. He seemed devoted to the project and Kelsey had complete confidence in his ability to both please Edmund Albrecht and create a jewel in the crown of MG Interiors.
Even in the midst of her shock and grief, Eve was concerned about Stuart’s needs. It was obvious how deeply Eve loved Stuart. Once again Kelsey’s thoughts flew to the accusations Declan Adair had made about Stuart, and she fiercely hoped he was wrong. Kelsey didn’t want either danger or more hurt to touch Eve, but she wasn’t entirely unselfish. She realized that if Declan’s conjectures about Stuart and his ‘connections’ and his relationship with Delphina Harrington were right, then she could be facing a threat not only to MG Interiors but to her own life. No! She pushed the thought aside.
‘I was going to order some sandwiches and drinks to be delivered at noon,’ Kelsey told her. ‘Do you want something?’
Eve shook her head. ‘I can’t eat. Maybe I’ll get something later. Right now I just need to be alone.’ She smiled. ‘Do you understand?’
/> ‘Sure, but if there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.’ Kelsey leaned forward and kissed Eve on the forehead. ‘I love you like a sister.’
‘Oh, thank you, Kelsey,’ Eve quavered, her eyes filling with tears again. ‘I love you, too. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
The afternoon dragged for Kelsey. She tried to do more work on the opulent closet, but thought she’d added just about every embellishment the over-decorated room could handle. She’d call her customer and make arrangements to show her plan by the end of the week. Around two o’clock, someone tapped on her office door. When she called ‘Come in,’ Nina opened the door and stood beaming at Kelsey, her gray eyes even livelier than usual.
‘Let me guess. Declan Adair is here?’ Kelsey said. Nina nodded vigorously like an excited little girl. Kelsey decided pregnancy hormones were getting to her. ‘Please show him in.’
Nina pointed at her eyes then at Kelsey, who got the hint and took off her reading glasses. In a moment, Declan strode into Kelsey’s office carrying a paper bag that he set on her desk. ‘Chocolate chip cookies fresh from Nord’s Bakery!’
Kelsey laughed. ‘Why do men keep trying to feed me? First Stuart and now you!’
‘Because you’re not one of those women who claims to have a dainty appetite.’
‘Is that a compliment?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘I just made a fresh pot of coffee. Why don’t we both indulge in coffee and cookies?’
‘Sounds great. I skipped lunch.’
As Kelsey poured coffee, she realized how happy she was to see Declan. Some of the darkness that had hovered over the day lifted when she looked at his smile. Stop being a fool, she told herself sternly. You don’t even know him. Wordlessly, she gave him a mug and sat down behind her desk.
‘What’s wrong?’ Declan asked.
‘Why do you think something’s wrong?’
‘I have ESP,’ he answered lightly. ‘I can see the sadness behind the smile.’
Kelsey pulled a cookie from the bag and took a small bite. ‘It’s good.’
‘What’s wrong?’
She swallowed. ‘Oh, OK. This morning Eve found out her brother died. Her mother wrote a letter. His name was David, he was thirty, he had two children, and he died four months ago. Four months ago. Eve is estranged from her family. They’re—’
‘I know all about them.’
‘You do?’ Kelsey looked at him levelly. ‘Of course you do. You know everything about everyone who works here, don’t you?’
‘Just about everything. It’s my business to know who works for the sister of the woman Cole loved.’
‘The woman who was murdered by a hired killer who almost murdered her sister too.’
Declan nodded, gazing back at Kelsey with no shame in his eyes. ‘I don’t apologize for being thorough. Unfortunately I don’t have any answers yet, although I’ve gathered a lot of information.’ He paused long enough to eat half a cookie. ‘Has Eve gone home for the day?’
‘No. She didn’t tell me about her brother until nearly noon and she didn’t want Stuart to know at all. He had a one o’clock lunch meeting with a client and then they were going to look at a building site. She didn’t even go out for lunch. I hope she’ll be OK.’
‘Were she and her brother close?’
‘Not after she came to Louisville. He married a woman who sounds to me like Eve’s parents’ dream – narrow-minded, selfish and cold. Eve just learned that she has a niece and nephew but not their names. Also, she’s forbidden to come back to Pennsylvania to see them.’
‘That’s a damned shame. I think having a close family is one the greatest gifts anyone could ever hope to have. Just throwing one away is unfathomable to me!’
He’d lost his light, often cheeky, tone. He sounded completely sincere and a bit angry. And hurt, Kelsey thought suddenly. He’s talking about the life he wishes he’d had instead of the one Grant Harrington provided. He valued family. If he’d had one like hers—
‘Did I say something wrong again?’ Declan asked.
‘What? No, not at all. I was just thinking about … uh, Eve’s situation.’ Which wasn’t true, although Eve’s tragic loss had been at the back of her mind for hours. ‘She’s told me how much she loved her brother, although to please his parents and his wife he’d cut off communication with her when she left home. I don’t believe he was as strong as she is.’
‘I suppose there’s nothing you can do for her except be a good friend.’ Abruptly Declan’s demeanor changed and his brilliant blue eyes sparkled. ‘Your other good friend, Bradley Fairbourne, Esquire, has returned home.’
‘When?’
‘Last night. I drove by his house around nine and it was dark. I took another look at midnight and just about every light in the house had been turned on. I thought it might have been his mother searching for him again, but I’m fairly sure I saw Brad walk past the front window.’
‘What do you mean by “fairly sure”?’
‘Brad has those translucent blinds like yours. The one at the front window was closed, but there was a light behind it and I could see the silhouette of a man the same build as Brad.’
‘Then it might not have been him.’
‘If you’re so curious about him, why don’t you call him?’
‘Because my name would show on his Caller ID and he wouldn’t answer.’
‘Maybe his mother knows whether he’s home. You could call her and the two of you could have a nice, long chat.’
Kelsey finally relented, tilted her head and grinned. ‘That’s a horrible suggestion! I’d rather never talk to her again.’ She paused. ‘Are you going to keep an eye on Brad?’
‘Sure. He’s on my list of suspects. Which reminds me that I’d better be going.’ He stood. ‘It’s been a pleasure, Miss March.’
‘Do you want to take some of the cookies with you?’
‘No. They’re all yours.’
‘Good! They’ll be gone before quitting time!’
Declan Adair was laughing as he left Kelsey’s office.
Kelsey had been dimly aware of the light flowing through the light-filtering blind on her office window, but it took a loud clap of thunder to pull her from work. She hadn’t checked the weather report today or gone out for lunch. Often, when she went out at lunchtime she found that the weather prediction for the day had been wrong. She glanced at the wall clock. Three-twenty. Damn. If rain was coming, work would slow on the Sandersons’ skylight installations.
By four-thirty, sheets of rain were battering the streets of Louisville. Kelsey went to her window and watched water fall relentlessly, drenching the parking lot and bouncing off the hoods and roofs of employee cars as thunder rolled ominously. The afternoon had turned dark as twilight. She groaned, thinking of having to stop by the veterinary clinic to pick up Gatsby. He feared storms and would no doubt be on his worst behavior, yowling and hissing as if he could scare away the storm.
Twenty minutes later, Kelsey told Isaac Baum and Nina to leave early. Stuart hadn’t returned from his one o’clock meeting with Edmund Albrecht, which didn’t surprise Kelsey. Albrecht, politely known as an eccentric, talked more than anyone Kelsey had ever met and had probably turned lunch into a two-hour affair followed by a stop at the site where his men’s store was being built. A little rain wouldn’t deter him. Kelsey had tapped on Eve’s door, and when Eve didn’t answer glanced into the office to find it empty. She looked out a window and saw that Eve’s car was gone. No doubt she’d left without a word, exiting by the back door so she wouldn’t have to talk to anyone.
Kelsey locked the front door and put up her red umbrella as soon as she stepped out of the rear door. She hurried across the parking lot, splattering rain on her three-inch-heeled beige leather pumps, glad she hadn’t worn her new linen-covered heels, which would have got stained. Closing the umbrella, Kelsey clambered into her blue BMW convertible. She’d kept the top closed since Lori’s death. She too had almo
st been killed, and she didn’t want to drive around feeling exposed. Being shut in the sturdy car gave her a sense of safety.
‘Oh, Miss March, you’re here!’ the receptionist at the vet’s office exclaimed when Kelsey darted into the waiting room. ‘Gatsby’s anxious to go home!’
‘You mean he’s been hell on wheels today,’ Kelsey said dryly.
The girl’s smile faltered slightly. ‘Well, he hasn’t been happy.’ At that moment, Kelsey heard a familiar caterwaul coming from the back area. ‘Not happy at all.’
The girl retrieved notes made by the veterinarian, who was busy doing an emergency surgery on a dog. She assured Kelsey that Gatsby had gotten his yearly vaccinations and passed his check-up with flying colors, with the exception of an extra four pounds he could lose. Kelsey paid the bill and the girl hurried to the back. Kelsey heard her squeal once and say ‘Bad cat!’ Then she returned with Gatsby in his carrier.
‘Did he scratch you?’ Kelsey asked.
‘Not really. I only got a little nick.’ She held up her wrist. ‘He’s very … spirited.’
‘That’s putting it mildly. When a friend had to collect him for me, she put on a pair of thick oven mitts I have before trying to stuff him into his carrier.’
The girl laughed. ‘I’ll ask the doctor if we can get some oven mitts. That’s a great idea!’
‘Shame on you!’ Kelsey said as she lugged Gatsby’s carrier to the car. ‘I don’t know why you make such a big deal over a couple of little shots. It’s not like you’re a scared kitten.’ She opened the passenger door and placed the carrier on the front seat. When she got in the other side, she looked at Gatsby through the carrier’s aluminum grill door. He glared, indignant. She knew he’d be glaring for at least the next twenty-four hours. Maybe more.
Just as she was putting the key in the ignition, her cell phone rang. Kelsey sighed and fished in her purse for the phone. She was surprised to be getting a call from Eve.
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