“At least take one of your guards.” West snapped his fingers, and a guard appeared at the passenger door. He opened it, and Katherine held up her hand. “Victoria will come with me.”
The guard moved back, and Victoria smirked as she held his gaze and climbed into the passenger seat. Victoria and West had history. They were both not only working for the crown, but Mya and Victoria were Mya’s best friends. That was why Victoria and West didn’t mix. She rightfully blamed him for her best friend’s death.
Chapter 11
I had my pie in the oven and two batches of cookies sitting on the counter. I glanced at my phone expecting the call from West demanding to know where I was. He was a smart guy. He’d eventually figure it out.
I’d had time to calm down from the hotel incident. I’d even had time to call and check in with Faraday and let Charlie know where he could find me for dinner. That was why I was cooking. I wanted something to take to the dinner party. An uninvited guest would be more tolerable if said guest came bearing sweets. Too bad I didn’t have access to a good truth serum to dribble in the recipe.
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced at my watch. It was too early for Charlie’s arrival. I wiped the flour from my hands onto the apron before I opened the door.
A redhead was standing on the stoop. I recognized her instantly as being West’s childhood friend Katherine from the snooping I’d done a few months ago. Behind her, a female version of a security guard, complete with earpiece, her hair pulled into a tight bun.
“You must be Cree.”
“And you’re Katherine.” I leaned my hip against the door. Just because she was royalty didn’t mean I was inviting her royal butt in.
She smiled politely, and when I didn’t move to open the door, she raised her brow. That might work in her country, but she was in America now. “West isn’t here.”
“I’m aware.” She gestured with her hand. “May I come in?”
I reluctantly moved out of her way and held the door open. “I have some time before my dinner plans.”
The woman behind Katherine walked in behind her. Her gaze went around the foyer and into the library as she passed.
“I would offer you a tour, but this isn’t my home.”
“Butler Spade owns it,” Ms. Bunhead announced.
“It smells divine in here,” Katherine said, walking to the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room.
“I cook when I’m upset. It’s a force of habit.”
“West has been known to bring out the best in people, but we love him anyway.” Katherine pulled her gloves off and sat her regal behind onto a bar stool just as the timer went off for me to pull my pie out of the oven.
“You can say that again,” Bunhead grumbled and remained standing as I put the pie on the counter.
“Did he send you over? Is that why you’re here?”
“No.” Katherine smiled in that way she probably smiled at the peasants in her country. The fake kind that didn’t reach her eyes. “Actually, he probably prefers that I hadn’t made this visit.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for the shoe to drop. It was coming. I knew it just like I knew the sun hung up in the sky, even if it was veiled on a cloudy day.
“This house hasn’t changed much.”
“You’ve been here before?” I asked, tilting my head.
“When Calinda owned it. I stopped by once to have a chat.”
“To warn her to stay away from Phillip, I’m guessing.”
She smiled again, only this time there was a twinkle in her eye. “You’re very blunt, Ms. Blue.”
“I’m sure that’s a nice change for you, princess.”
“It is.” She grinned. “West Archer has been my friend since childhood.”
“I’m aware. I saw a picture.”
“He has his flaws, as do most people, but he is an honest man, most of the time.”
Goosebumps. “Most of the time?”
“I’m sure you’re aware about his transgression with Calinda, as well as Phillip’s.”
If I hadn’t already known, I did now. I let her keep talking to find out what she was getting at.
“West hasn’t told you everything, and that was because we asked him not to, not because he chose to keep you in the dark. There is a distinction I’m sure you’re aware.”
“I’m aware he’s keeping secrets,” I announced and grabbed two plates and put some cookies on them for Katherine and her shadow. “And I know he isn’t telling me the truth.”
I passed out the plates and poured each woman a glass of milk to wash down my splendid sweets. Not that either woman would eat them. The princess was about a size two in my estimate, and unless a woman is in her twenties or has a freaky metabolism, no way was this woman chowing down on anything with sugar.
“A woman came before you about two years ago when we first started to try and find the diamond. She and West got close. Some might say he was falling for her, but West let his guard down.”
“The one he lost,” I whispered. He’d told me the truth. It wasn’t Calinda, but someone else entirely.
“The people that would like to see the monarchy fall have a very long reach and are determined that we don’t recover that stone.”
Goosebumps.
“They killed her to prove a point.”
West’s obsession with keeping me safe was starting to make more sense. “He’s worried the same thing will happen to me?”
“He’s falling for you, Ms. Blue. We can see the push and pull in the fire of his eyes when he’s talking about you. It’s the same passion that makes him so good at his job. That being said, he knows the potential outcome if he lets himself fall too far down that rabbit hole.”
“I understand the importance of solving this.”
She slid off her seat with a sad smile on her face. “I’m not sure you do. If we don’t recover the diamond, then Phillip’s family will lose the crown. Parliament is having a hard time placing their trust behind Phillip because of his youthful indiscretions.”
“It’s obvious you didn’t. You seemed to have forgiven and forgotten.”
She grinned and took a cookie, contradicting what I believed about her and her metabolism. “I was raised to be Phillip’s wife, through the good and bad. This just happens to be some of the bad.”
I walked them both to the door and stood on the stoop while Katherine handed the keys to the bunhead. “Katherine, where were you when Calinda was killed?”
“I was on the plane with West. I’d been in town with both Phillip and West when Phillip broke things off. I’m the reason Calinda was so upset that she called West.” She winked. “You’re starting to sound more like a cop, Cree Blue.”
I shrugged. “You aren’t the first to tell me that.”
Katherine chuckled. “Cree, this is Victoria.”
Bunhead had a name.
“You’ll start to notice her in the background. She’s for your protection in the event West finds himself a bit preoccupied at times. I’d hate for anything to happen this time around.”
Did she expect me to thank her? My gaze went to Victoria, who just nodded as she held open the passenger door. “You won’t even notice me, Cree.”
“Sure I will,” I said, a little less enthusiastic than I should.
I walked back inside the house, showered, and was just zipping up my dress when I heard the doorbell ring. I glanced at my watch and hurried to open the door.
Charlie stood on the stoop, holding a bouquet of flowers. His black dress pants were ironed. His button-down pink shirt made me grin. He was such a pretty boy. Either that or he’d washed his whites with something red. He smiled as his gaze traveled down to my legs and eventually met my eyes. “You look great.”
“You must be a leg man,” I teased and took the flowers and headed back into the kitchen to find vase large enough to accommodate the flowers.
“So where is the Duke?”
&nb
sp; I smiled and grabbed the desserts. “Not sure who the Duke is, but the Lord of Secrets hasn’t shown up. If we hurry, we can leave before he does.”
Chapter 12
Charlie led me to his sports car. It was so him. The kind where the top could be put down with the push of a button. The silver Maserati made my Jeep look very southern hillbilly.
I slid into the leather seats and waited for him to get in on the other side. “This is nice.”
He shrugged. “It’s wheels.”
He pulled down the drive, and that was when I spotted her. Victoria sitting atop the motorcycle seat. I didn’t need to see her face to know it was her. I waved at the woman. Why? Because I was stubborn and wanted her to realize that she wasn’t as stealthy as she thought she was.
“Friend of yours?” Charlie asked.
“Nope,” I answered and started fiddling with his radio, looking for something to pass the time.
“You just wave at random strangers?”
I grinned. “It’s a southern thing. We’re nice to everyone even if we don’t mean it.” I found the switch that turned his radio on. Country music filled the air. “You’re a closet cowboy, aren’t you?”
“I own a ranch,” he said, catching me off guard.
“Do you own boots and a cowboy hat and everything? What do you raise on your ranch, bulls, chickens, cowgirls? Do you even know?”
He smiled as he looked at me. “I wasn’t born in Hollywood, ma’am.”
He said ma’am letting his southern flag swing in the wind complete with a drawl like I’d heard in the movies.
“Ma’am?” My eyes widened in surprise. “Well, I’ll be.” I chuckled. “Bet you were riding horses by the time you were three and you broke poor Sally Jo’s heart when you left to pursue your dreams of the silver screen.”
“You’ve got it all wrong. Sally Jo stole my horse and ditched me for Hank Harper.”
“He must’ve had a bigger…plow.”
“I’ll never understand you women. I mean I present the perfect package. I’m rich, decent looking, and as trainable as a hand-fed pup.”
“I’m sure you aren’t hurting for women.” I lolled my head in his direction. “Just make sure you hang on to those reins while she’s enjoying the ride.”
“You, Cree Blue, have a dirty mind.”
I shrugged. “Better than a dirty closet. I’m an open book.”
Charlie stopped at the security gate, and I glanced out the back window as the iron gates rolled open. I waved at Victoria just out of spite. Maybe I’d throw a cookie over the gate at her later. I mean…to her...later. Cookie target. Now maybe that was something Freddie and I could work on. He loved my sweets and not in that take-me-to-bed kind of way but more in a retired-mobster, gained-fifteen-pounds kind of deal.
We got out of the car and were headed for the door when it opened. William Durand stepped out on the stoop. He looked different in person, older with more wrinkles. He greeted me with a warm smile and offered his hand to Charlie. “Glad you could make it.”
“Will, this is Cree Blue, the friend I told you about.”
“It’s a pleasure, young lady.” He held out his hand. “There are a few people here that can’t wait to see you.”
I met Charlie’s confused gaze as Will turned and walked back into the house. “Who else is here?”
He shrugged and held out his hand for me to go in first. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
Please be lying, please be lying. I followed behind the actor into a large spacious living room. I paused at the entry. I’d been expecting white and shiny and contemporary with chandeliers more expensive than my Jeep. What I walked into was more like the Brady Bunch on steroids. Kids ran around the room and up the stairs. A couple of men were outside through the open French doors standing around a grill and drinking beer. A few women were in the open-style kitchen.
My mouth parted.
“Welcome to the family,” Charlie said. He rested his hand on my back and led me into the kitchen, where Will was kissing a woman, I assumed was his wife.
“Cree, this is my wife, Peggy, and my daughters, Gloria and Jana.”
“Welcome to our home,” Peggy said.
I handed her the desserts I’d made and smiled as she took a peek inside the containers. “These smell wonderful.”
“They should. Cree is a sought-after dessert chef.”
“Among other things,” Gloria said, resting her hand on her hip. “You’re the psychic who talked Charlie out of the role.”
Heat claimed my cheeks as I glanced from Charlie back to Gloria. “Guilty.”
“Gloria, we don’t talk shop during Sunday dinner,” William scolded his grown daughter.
“I was just going to thank her, Dad,” Gloria said, pouring a glass of wine and handing it to me. “It’s about time he chose a role with substance.”
Charlie leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Gloria wrote the book based on the movie I picked.”
A smile split my lips. “You’re an author.”
“New York Times number one bestselling author,” William boosted.
“Congratulations,” I said taking a sip of the red wine.
“Ignore my father; he’s biased.”
“I’m sure it’s well earned,” I added.
Dinner went off without a hitch. My face was sore from all the smiling and laughing that I did watching how this family interacted with each other. I could feel nothing but love in the room. My heart ached from missing my own family dinners.
After dinner adjourned, Will and Peggy led me into the library and shut the door.
“We hear you have questions for us,” William started and poured himself a brandy.
“About Calinda,” Peggy added.
“I’m trying to help solve her murder and recover a gem that belongs to the Wellington family.”
“Those were dark days for our family.” Peggy cleared her throat. “William and I had drifted apart.”
William sat on the arm of the chair where Peggy sat and rested his hand on her back. “It was my fault.”
Peggy looked up at him with love in her eyes. “It was both of our faults.” She turned her gaze back to me. “I was busy with the girls and didn’t pay enough attention, and William was never home.”
I gave a slow understanding nod.
“I found comfort in the arms of another woman.”
“She was your co-star, right?”
He nodded. “She was the love interest in the movie I was working on at that time. She was a brilliant actress, very convincing. She could have gone far if she hadn’t been killed.”
I sat taller in my chair, wishing I’d brought something to write with. “I understand you two sought therapy that included Calinda.”
“Dr. Temple at Destined Rehab saved our marriage,” Peggy answered.
“That had to have been awkward for everyone involved.”
“Admitting to feelings is never easy, for anyone. Especially the women I’ve hurt.”
“Can you tell me more about that experience? If it’s not too much to ask.”
“There was a ton of arguing, a lot of tears and pointing the finger for blame, but both Peggy and I walked out like newlyweds. It was the best thing we ever did.”
I slowly nodded. “And Calinda?”
“She stayed,” Peggy answered. “She was so moved by releasing all the anger that she wanted to address other areas of her life.”
“She craved what Peggy and I had and was going about getting it all wrong. She even admitted it in our therapy. She confused sex with love, and I think she’d gotten to the point where she wanted the real thing,” William said, his gaze turning more sorrowful than anything else. “She wanted more out of life than what was given to her, and not just on the screen. I think she was lost and searching for where she fit in.”
Goosebumps. They believed wholeheartedly what they were telling me.
“I understand she made some major changes after coming out of
rehab. Did either of you ever discuss that with her?”
“We didn’t speak to her after rehab,” Peggy said.
“I saw her once,” William added, glancing at his wife. “It was in public. We were at the same restaurant. She was crying. I couldn’t just walk by without asking if she was okay.”
“You didn’t tell me that.” Peggy looked like her heart was about to break.
“We only talked for a few minutes. I asked her if she was okay, and she said getting her life together was harder than she’d imagined. She wiped the tears from her eyes and left the restaurant without ever looking back.”
“Poor girl,” Peggy added, dropping her gaze. “I really wish she’d found the kind of happiness that we have.”
“Was she with anyone that you noticed?”
“No,” William answered. “But I did notice red wine on the table and thought it odd.”
“Why would that be odd?”
“Calinda was allergic to red wine.”
“So there had probably been someone else with her before you saw her.”
“Let me put it this way. I drank red wine during our ‘fling,’ and she wouldn’t even kiss me. She said that even getting it on her lips or skin would make her swell up.”
“Wow, that’s some allergy.” I tilted my head. “When you two were ‘flinging’”—I raised my brows—“did she ever mention her extra affairs?”
“Sure,” he said. “It was understood that we weren’t exclusive. I had a wife.”
The joy from Peggy’s face had vanished about three questions ago. I leaned across the table and put my hand on hers. “I’m sorry if this is hard for you.”
“It’s fine. Anything we can do to help.”
“Did she ever mention the gifts she got from other men?”
“She got flowers daily from her fans and guys who liked her.”
“What about diamonds? One specifically, the one the prince gave her?”
“Calinda wasn’t a shallow person. These men bought her things trying to win her affection when what she really craved was something much more deep and lasting. The prince rode in on a horse and promised her the world, and then once she believed him, he rescinded his affection and went back to his fiancée.”
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