Sizzling Cold Case

by Rayna Morgan

  Nolan scowled. “I underestimated Cheryl. She’s been raking in twice the money I have.”

  “If it’s any consolation, greed will be her undoing the same as you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Lea arrived at Turner Pest Control the next day. Suzanne directed her to Rod’s office. Cheryl was nowhere to be seen.

  Rod summoned her in and closed the door. “I sent Cheryl to the print shop. While she was gone, I checked cash receipts and receivables as you requested.”

  “What did you find?”

  “Exactly as you predicted. Cash was short fifty dollars. The one-hundred dollar payment supposedly from the Browns was not credited to their account. Instead, fifty dollars was credited to the Anderson account. The Anderson account shows paid in full, but no payment was credited to the Browns.”

  Rod looked down at his folded hands and for a moment, they both remained silent.

  When he looked up, his face was drawn in a way that aged him. “I don’t know whether to feel sad or angry. I’ve been a fool to place such trust in Cheryl.”

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Cheryl proved unworthy, but that doesn’t mean other people don’t deserve your trust.”

  “People like Nolan?” he asked bitterly.

  “You’ve had a bad experience. Use the lesson constructively to move through it.”

  “Easier said than done, but I’ll try.”

  He placed the picture of Cheryl and his family in a drawer.

  “If you don’t mind, I prefer you confront Cheryl by yourself. I’ll deal with Nolan later.”

  “Of course. Keep in mind that Nolan has helped. He’s willing to tell the police which will make an air-tight case against Cheryl.”

  “I’ll remember, but it makes me no less forgiving.” He picked up his keys. “I’m leaving. You can use my office. I’ll tell Suzanne to send Cheryl in.”

  Lea removed a file from her briefcase. She spread copies of bogus invoices on Rod’s desk.

  The office manager entered the room.

  “Suzanne says you want to see me.” She looked around. “Where’s Rod?”

  “He chose not to be present. Have a seat.”

  Cheryl lowered herself onto the edge of a chair. Her eyes widened when she noticed the missing picture.

  Lea drew Cheryl’s attention to the invoices. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

  The office manager’s eyes remained glued on the sheets of paper. “Rod knows?” she asked cautiously.

  Lea nodded her head.

  The muscles around Cheryl’s eyes twitched.

  “It’s Nolan,” she blurted. “I wanted to be certain before I told Rod, but I’ve suspected Nolan for weeks. I haven’t had time to inspect the invoices, but I know he’s been padding his expense account.”

  “How quick you are to throw your partner under the bus.”

  “My partner!” Cheryl sputtered. “He’s not my partner. I can’t stand the man.”

  Lea held up a hand. “It’s too late for denial. Nolan confessed. He provided details on everything.”

  The office manager slumped in her chair. “What caused my undoing?”

  “Nolan helped us set a trap for you.”

  Cheryl’s face turned an ugly shade of purple. “That rat!”

  Lea didn’t hide her scorn. “You two are a mutual admiration society.”

  The comment produced a belly laugh from Cheryl.

  Lea looked closely at the woman. “Why did you do it?” she asked.

  “Rod treats his employees well. I can’t complain about that. But Rod promised to make me a partner. I finally realized that would never happen.” She snorted in disgust. “As if being godmother to his child takes the place of part ownership in the business.”

  “Is that when you began stealing from the company?”

  Cheryl nodded. “The first few months, I used the money for my mother’s medication. After she passed away, I should have stopped.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  The woman shrugged. “Besides being angry with Rod for breaking his promise, I felt I was worth more than he could afford to pay me. I didn’t want to leave for a higher paying job, but I got used to having the extra money.”

  “He thought of you as family,” Lea pointed out.

  “His idea of the company as a big, happy family is old-fashioned. He naively believes his treatment of the employees is as important to them as how much they are paid.”

  “How did you prevent your boss from finding out?”

  “By convincing him an accounting service was an unnecessary expense we couldn’t afford.”

  “All the while, you were pocketing every penny you could.”

  Rod appeared at the door, but stepped back quickly. “Sorry, I thought you were finished.”

  Lea jerked her head toward Cheryl. “She’s finished, all right. I’ll call the police.”

  Rod stared as the women left the room.

  Cheryl brushed past without meeting his eyes.

  Neither of them spoke.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Paul was cleaning the grill and Lea was in the kitchen when Warren and Barbara arrived.

  Jon ran from his room to greet them. “Congratulations, Grandpa. Mom says you solved the missing dog case.”

  Warren slapped his grandson’s hand in a high-five gesture.

  “There’s a more important reason for this celebration. Your mother solved the embezzlement case.”

  “Mom says she couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Warren beamed. “I would like to think that’s true.”

  “Is your mother in the kitchen?” Barbara asked.

  “Yep.”

  “I’ll go help. You have time to challenge your grandfather to a game of chess before dinner.”

  “C’mon, Gramps. The board’s in my room.”

  Maddy arrived a few minutes later carrying a bowl of pasta salad.

  “I’ll chill this until we’re ready to eat.” She opened the door of the refrigerator. “Is that a pitcher of sangria, Sis?”

  “Get the chips from the cupboard, and I’ll get glasses.” Lea said. “Let’s get this party started.”

  After applying finishing touches to a tray of raw vegetables, Barbara accepted a drink from Maddy and made a toast. “Here’s to the recent success of the Conley and Austin Detective Agency.”

  Paul walked in from the patio. “I’ll drink to that.”

  He hugged Lea. “I’m proud of you, babe.”

  Barbara and Maddy munched on chips and veggies as they sipped their drinks.

  “I’m glad of a chance to talk before Tom arrives,” Maddy said.

  Barbara turned toward her daughter, a worried look on her face. “I hope you two aren’t having problems.”

  “Not at all. In fact, he nearly proposed at dinner the other night.”

  “How exciting! What did you say?”

  “I’m not ready yet. You know that.”

  “I thought you put your unhappy experience with Eric behind you.”

  “It has nothing to do with Eric. I don’t like change, that’s all. I’m happy the way things are.”

  Barbara studied her daughter’s face. “You’re not telling me something. What is it?”

  Giving in to the scrutiny, Maddy expressed concerns.

  “All those years when Dad was a cop, I never understood how difficult it was. Parents of our friends got divorced, but you two survived. How did you do it?”

  “Your father and I worked hard to give you and Lea a normal childhood in spite of his being gone much of the time. He missed birthdays, baseball games, and teacher conferences. Never by choice, of course.”

  “Did you worry constantly that Dad might not come home?”

  “I got some comfort knowing the dangers of law enforcement can be overstated. A commercial fisherman or a construction worker is more likely to die on the job. Or a cab driver in an accident. However, police work is undeniably one of the most emotion
ally hazardous jobs on earth.”

  Paul nodded. “With most people, their profession is what they do, not who they are. That’s not true with police officers. Their experiences color their world differently.”

  Barbara placed a hand on Maddy’s arm. “The job of a policeman’s wife is to keep their life as normal as possible. Officers tend to be internal creatures who never stop processing things in their head. Don’t let Tom retreat into his world. Let him know that you’re in this together.”

  “Policemen have emotional boxes where they compartmentalize things. How can I stop him from locking up his feelings?”

  “You’ll find your own way, but I’ll tell you what worked for us. Your father and I enjoy playing cards before dinner. When he was on the force, I asked this question before we began. Where are you in your box? The top half of his box was happy, the bottom half was sad. If he was in a place other than the top, I put down my cards and made him talk to me.

  “I know from living with your father that Tom encounters things most people never do. He confronts domestic violence and drug addiction. He’s a first responder at accident scenes and he sees the anguish caused by suicide. Worst of all, he deals with terrible people.”

  Maddy glanced at Lea. “Since becoming involved in my sister’s adventures, I’m familiar with dealing with bad people.”

  Lea moved around the counter to wrap an arm around her sister. “We don’t always express how we feel about those people, even to each other. Am I right?”

  Maddy acknowledged the question. “It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the evil men are capable of doing.”

  “Sadly, in recent years, everyone shares those feelings,” Barbara said.

  “How do you suggest I handle my relationship with Tom?”

  “You have a right to demand your relationship comes first, but understand that sometimes his hands will be tied. Tom will get called to work unexpectedly or need to stay longer than he anticipates.”

  Maddy smiled. “Due to our sleuthing, I’ve done the same to him.”

  “Make sure you schedule date nights regularly,” Barbara continued. “It’s important, too, that Tom stays close to friends not in police work.”

  “She means me,” Paul chimed in. “I don’t always know what Tom deals with, but I keep him in touch with the real world.”

  “It’s a terrific career, but it shouldn’t be self-defining,” Barbara finished. “Find things to do together which have nothing to do with the job. The day will come when Tom has to hang it up whether that comes in a year or thirty years. There needs to be something remaining beneath the badge.”

  Tom walked in the front door. “Should my ears be burning?”

  • • •

  Maddy stood up to embrace him. “Hooray. You made it.”

  He held out a pastry box. “I brought cheesecake. Enough for seven and an extra slice for Jon.”

  “Actually, there will be eight,” Lea informed him.

  “Is Jon bringing a date?” he joked.

  “Jack’s coming,” Lea said.

  Tom stiffened. “You invited my brother?”

  Maddy put a hand on his arm. “Don’t get mad at Lea. It was my idea.”

  “He’s involved in a case I’m working. He shouldn’t be here.”

  Maddy removed her hand. “He has as much right to be here as you. Perhaps you’re the one who should excuse yourself and leave.”

  Lea intervened. “It doesn’t matter. There will be no business discussed this evening. If getting along is a problem…”

  “It’s no problem for me, but you should check with him. He’s the hothead.”

  Lea looked to Paul for help.

  Paul hollered up the stairs. “Hey, Jon. How about you and I challenge Tom and his brother to a game of pickup?”

  Jon appeared from his room and stared over the banister. “Sure thing. Gramps can officiate.”

  Warren stood beside Jon. “I get enough refereeing at the office. I’ll stay and start the grill.”

  “I’ll team up with Jon,” Tom said, as the boy clamored down the stairs.

  “What’s the matter?” Jon asked. “You and your brother won’t play on the same team?”

  “It’s not that.” Tom poked the boy affectionately. “I don’t want to overpower you and your old man.”

  At that moment, Jack appeared.

  “The life of the party has arrived,” he announced, holding a bottle of wine in each hand. “Let the festivities begin.”

  Tom groaned.

  • • •

  After the game, Paul and Jon walked toward the house ahead of the brothers. Jon chatted a mile a minute, but Paul barely listened. His ear was tuned to the conversation behind him.

  “Looks like you and Pat are getting friendly,” Tom said.

  “I like her,” Jack replied. “She’s easy to talk to and she’s got a head on her shoulders. Not like some women I date.”

  “Does that mean you’re thinking of dating?”

  Jack stopped walking. “If there’s something you want to say, spit it out.”

  Tom turned to face his brother. “I would hate to see her get hurt, that’s all.”

  “You’re not her protector.”

  “I know you, Jack. Love ‘em and leave ‘em.”

  “Pat can take care of herself. Stay out of my personal life.”

  “Make me.”

  Paul looked at his son and rolled his eyes. “That’s the kind of dare you kids use to taunt each other. Go to the house. Let your mother know we’re coming back for dinner.”

  The dogs started to run with the boy.

  “Gracie, stay,” Paul ordered. “I may need your help.”

  • • •

  Jon ran in the house behind Spirit.

  “Where are the others?” Barbara asked. “We’re ready to eat.”

  Jon gulped to catch his breath. “Jack and Tom are almost in a fight. They’re going to knock each other’s brains out.”

  Warren got up from the couch.

  “For crying out loud. First, it’s Lea and Maddy at the office. Now, it’s Tom and Jack. Can’t we all just get along?”

  • • •

  Paul turned toward the brothers. They could have been bookends with similar looks and builds.

  Tom reached out and swiped his brother’s shoulder.

  Jack pushed back.

  Paul pointed in their direction.

  “Get ‘em, girl.”

  The collie ran back and forth, barking loudly.

  Paul positioned himself between the men. “Hey, guys. Break it up.”

  Tom retreated. “I’m warning you, Jack.”

  “And, I’m warning you. Stay out of my affairs.”

  Paul threw up his arms. “When will you two grow up?”

  He left them glaring at each other.

  • • •

  A few minutes later, Paul walked in the house. All eyes turned toward him.

  “What’s happening?” Maddy demanded.

  Paul shrugged. “I tried to talk some sense into them. They were still shouting when I left.”

  Warren sighed. “I’ll go over.”

  Maddy stood in her father’s way. “Leave them to it. It’s time they worked this out, one way or another.”

  Jon and his grandfather resumed their chess game and the women returned to the kitchen.

  Moments later, the brothers returned.

  Paul walked over to inspect them. “No black eyes or bloody noses. Did you two decide to take my advice to grow up?”

  The brothers looked at each other, grinning.

  Tom ruffled Jack’s hair. “What fun would that be?”

  • • •

  After the meal, everyone adjourned to the patio for cheesecake and coffee.

  Jack leaned toward Barbara who was sitting beside him. “Tell me, Mrs. Conley—”

  “You hurt my feelings if you don’t call me Barbara.”

  He flashed a winsome smile. “Okay, Barbara. Tell me what
your daughters were like growing up.”

  Like any parents, she gladly talked about her children. “Neither of the girls cared for girlie things. At Christmas, my friends shopped for dolls and cooking sets. Lea’s list to Santa included Nancy Drew books, detective games, or spy sets. Maddy’s requests were for skateboards, baseball mitts, and boxing gloves.”

  Tom held up a hand. “I can vouch that a baking set would not have been on Maddy’s list.”

  Maddy punched him playfully on the arm.

  “What other girlie things did you miss out on?” Jack asked.

  “Must we have this conversation?” Maddy moaned.

  Barbara ignored her daughter’s complaint and continued. “I never experienced the joy of planning a big wedding. Maddy got married on the beach. Instead of helping her pick out a wedding gown, we shopped for a sarong. We drank rum instead of champagne and were entertained by ukuleles instead of an orchestra.

  “Lea’s marriage was a back-yard affair with a small group of family and friends. Instead of walking down an aisle, one daughter walked through sand, the other walked on grass.”

  “Did you mind terribly, Mom?” Lea asked.

  “Not as long as you were happy. But I had hoped to watch your father walk one of you down the aisle in front of a large gathering of near and dear.”

  All heads turned toward Maddy and Tom.

  Maddy threw up her hands. “I’m past the age for an all-out affair. Especially since it would be my second.”

  “Don’t be silly, you’re never too old,” Barbara said. “There will come a day when your father can no longer walk you down the aisle.”

  “For crying out loud!” Warren groaned.

  The sisters looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

  • • •

  Lea and Paul went to the kitchen to prepare the dessert.

  “Do you think Mom truly minded that we had a small wedding?” Lea asked.

  “She meant what she said. Your happiness is her only concern.”

  “It’s true that Dad may never walk a daughter down the aisle.”

  “We could renew our vows.”

  She stared at him, too surprised to respond immediately.

  “Honestly, Paul, you would be willing to do that?”

  “I would be honored.”