by Kate Collins
“He’s a mutt, and I mean that in more ways than one. He’s a mixture of English, German, Scotch, Dutch, and total jerk. And I’m being kind when I use the term ‘jerk.’ ”
“I take it that’s why you’ve gone back to your maiden name.”
“Correct.”
“So what your son needs is to balance out all the Greekness with your dad’s heritage.” Case tapped his chin with his spoon. “Spencer. I’m guessing it’s English. Why don’t you take Nicholas to London next summer and introduce him to your father’s side?”
I smiled. “That’s a great idea.”
“So is this.” He took a bite of yogurt and smiled back at me, flashing his dimples. “Dark chocolate. My favorite flavor. And one other suggestion that you can leave or take. If you don’t like the name Niko and he doesn’t like Nicholas, call him Nick. It sounds more grown-up. If I were ten, I’d feel like a baby being called Nicholas.”
“That’s exactly what he said.” I sat in the chair across from him and dipped my spoon in the dessert, seeing Case in a different light. There was definitely more to him than met the eye, and that was saying a lot. “Thanks for the suggestion.”
“All right,” he said, “let’s figure out our strategy so you can get home.”
“First we need to get your cover story straight.”
“I’m doing research for my mystery novel, aren’t I?”
I took a bite of the yogurt, letting it melt on my tongue as I considered it. “The problem is that Sonny’s a savvy guy. I really doubt it would work with him when it barely worked with the coroner.”
“Then let’s keep it simple. I’m your cousin Dimitri here for a visit and you’re going to show me the town afterward.”
“If that were the case, then why wouldn’t I just pick you up after our meeting?” I took my bowl to the sink, thinking of the various versions I’d told. “Here’s another problem. I told Kevin you were a stranger I met and gave directions to.”
“Not realizing that we were distantly related and that I’d come to town to find my long-lost relatives, which you later learned you were.”
I pretended to be having a conversation with Kevin. “Imagine my surprise, Kevin, when I found out Dimitri and I were distant cousins.”
“There you go.”
“And for our meeting tomorrow I can tell Sonny that the reason you came with me is because we’re leaving immediately afterward to go to Holland, Michigan, for their Tulip Festival, something you’ve been wanting to see.”
“Then we’re back to the problem of why you wouldn’t just pick me up after the meeting.”
“Because”—I paused to take a bite and think—“Because we have lunch reservations at Boatwerks Waterfront Diner which is nearly impossible to get into during Tulip Festival.” I banged my spoon on the bowl. “That’s perfect. There’s no way Sonny would find anything questionable about that.”
“I seriously doubt he’d care.” Case finished his yogurt and leaned back with a satisfied sigh. “Now on to the questions.”
“Hold on. I just thought of something. When you spoke at the press conference, did Sonny or any of his assistants see you?”
“I made sure I stayed out of their line of sight.”
“Good. What about the TV camera?”
“I stood behind it and I never let the newspaper photographer capture me, either. Why?”
“Because if you were in town for a visit, you wouldn’t be at the press conference asking questions only a local would know.”
“Got it.” Case rubbed his hands together. “Then all our bases are covered. Let’s get on with this.”
I took my iPad out of my purse and we set to work, finishing in fifteen minutes. When I picked up his bowl to take it to the sink to wash it, he took it out of my hands.
“I’ll take care of these,” he said. “Go home to your son. It’s not that late. Besides, I’m feeling a little waterlogged.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll bet you are.”
I was still smiling as I headed for the door. How long had it been since I’d been around a man who made me laugh?
I slung my purse over my shoulder, then paused. “One more thing. I don’t want my SUV to be seen near here tomorrow, so you’ll have to meet me at a safe place. Walk up to Greene Street, go north to the first light, and then head east on Pine Avenue for four blocks until you get to the Manchester apartments. You’ll see my white Toyota SUV in the parking lot. Be there at nine thirty.”
As I opened the door Case said, “So what about this Tulip Festival? Are we going?”
“It’s just our cover story. Why? Did you want to go?”
He rubbed the back of his ear, almost as though he was the one now embarrassed. “I was just thinking it would be a good idea to get out of town after our meeting with Talbot so we can discuss the meeting. The boat doesn’t feel safe anymore.”
“Don’t worry about the Páme. It’s safer now that the police have checked it.”
“True, but why not go to the festival anyway?”
“Why do you want to go to a Tulip Festival?”
He shrugged and sat back in his chair. “It’s a festival, isn’t it? It could be fun, and we’re allowed to have a little fun, right? You can bring Nick and I might be able to charm our way into the Boatwerks. I’ll even pay . . . you back when I can get to my money again.”
I was confused for a moment, and it wasn’t about money. In the middle of a manhunt, a murder investigation, and a phony identity, Case was thinking about having fun? But even more confusing—was he asking me out on a date? With my son?
“I’m not sure how much fun it will be, honestly, because of the crowds and the heat, but if you’d like to see what it’s like, we can stop to pick up Nicholas—Nick—after the meeting and head north. I haven’t been there in ten years, but I know we’ll blend right into the throng of thousands of people.”
“Great. Then it’s a da—” He stopped abruptly.
“It’s a what?”
He rubbed the dark scruff around his mouth and smiled. “It’s a day away. See you in the morning.”
Halfway back to my apartment, I heard a beep signaling an incoming text. I waited until I’d pulled into the driveway of my parents’ home, then took out my phone to read it.
Dimitri: Thought you might need my cell number. And BTW, thanks again for everything.
Athena: How did you get my number?
Dimitri: Wouldn’t you like to know? Kalinýchta, Athena.
Athena: You’re speaking Greek now, too?
Dimitri: Kidding. Looked it up on a translation website. How about I leave you with some Shakespeare?
Athena: Sure.
Dimitri: “I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience.”
I sat there staring at the text. It was beautiful. I couldn’t imagine Kevin or my ex ever sending anything like that.
Athena: Thank you. That was lovely.
I was about to put away my phone when it dinged again.
Dimitri: Good night, Athena.
Athena: Kalinýchta, Dimitri.
Despite all the day’s frights, flights, and nervous flutters, I got out of the Toyota with a smile, a feeling of hope for tomorrow, and a quote for tomorrow’s blog.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Saturday
At ten o’clock on the nose, I leaned out the window of my SUV, pressed the buzzer mounted to one side of the Talbot gates, and announced my name. I was a bundle of nerves, while Case was casually reading through our list of questions as though we were headed to a ball game instead of a meeting with a potential killer.
I turned to study Case one last time. In his crisp red, blue, and white plaid shirt and blue jeans with his new boat shoes, he even looked like he was going to a ball game. It was a respectable enough look for every day, but in this instance, a pair of dress pants and a solid-colored shirt would have been the better choice for meeting with a Talbot.
But
at least his thick beard was filling in nicely and his hair was perfectly scrunched so that it was almost curly. His tan wasn’t quite as dark as I’d hoped, but he definitely didn’t look anything like the man on the WANTED posters.
Moments later the massive wrought-iron gates with their gold T insignias began to creak open.
“Ready?” he asked.
I gave myself a quick once-over. Black blazer over a red and black print top, with black pants, shiny black flats, and my hair fastened into a loose bun. I pulled down the visor to check my lipstick, flipped it back up again, and took a deep breath. “Ready.”
I drove through the gates and up a long, curving drive lined with beautiful old Sequoia trees, making the grand reveal of the mansion even more impressive. As I pulled up to the portico, with its thick white columns, a young man in a gray zip-front jacket and white pants stepped forward and held out a hand to help me from the vehicle. “Your keys, please, miss,” he said.
“Wow, a valet even,” Case said, as we watched the Toyota disappear around the back of the mansion.
Another man dressed in a slim-fitting black suit admitted us into the grand foyer, a two-story entrance with a black marble floor, winding marble staircase, and the largest crystal chandelier I’d ever seen hanging from a domed ceiling far above us.
“So this is what a mogul’s home looks like,” Case said quietly.
“When you enter through the front door.”
“Ha. Very funny.”
A set of French doors on our right opened and a stocky, forty-something blond-haired man dressed in a navy blazer and tan pants stepped out and came to meet us. Looking like he’d be more comfortable with a surfboard under his arm, he informed us that Mr. Talbot would see me in a few minutes. Then, with a scowl, he gave Case a thorough once-over. “You’ll have to wait outside. We were expecting Miss Spencer to come alone.”
“Seems rather presumptuous of you to expect a young woman to enter a strange home unaccompanied,” Case said.
“And you are?” he asked.
“Dimitrius Costas,” Case said, giving him a hearty handshake. “Who are you?”
“Thaddeus Eastgate, one of Mr. Talbot’s attorneys,” he said, as though this were a magical title, “and you needn’t worry about Miss Spencer. We’ll take good care of her. In the meantime”—he pointed to a wide opening on the left side of the foyer, where I could see a curved, white leather bar with matching white leather stools—“I think you’ll find the bar a very comfortable place to wait.”
“Would you explain why he can’t come with me?” I asked, standing close beside Case.
“Because this is a private meeting,” Thaddeus said stiffly.
“But you’ll be there, right?” Case asked.
“Of course. I’m Mr. Talbot’s legal advisor.”
“And I’m Miss Spencer’s legal advisor.”
I caught myself before I gave Case a surprised glance. There went the story we’d crafted.
“Then I’m assuming you have a law degree,” Thaddeus said with a smug smile.
“I’m assuming you have one, too,” Case said.
Thaddeus’s gaze swept down Case’s casual outfit. “May I see your State Bar Association card, please?”
“You show me yours and I’ll show you mine.”
Thaddeus immediately retrieved his wallet from his back pocket, slipped out a card, and showed it to us.
Case patted his jean pockets, and said, “I seem to have left my wallet at home.”
“Isn’t that convenient?” Thaddeus said sarcastically. “Well, Mr. Costas, unless you can prove you have the credentials to represent her, you’ll have to remain outside. So please have a seat at the bar.”
I glanced at Case in dismay.
“Okay, look,” Case said, an angry note in his voice I hadn’t heard before, “I’m here to support my cousin because she doesn’t feel comfortable walking into that meeting alone against Mr. Talbot and his legal team. So you tell your boss that if he wants to have this meeting, he’s going to have it with both of us. And I suggest you let him know right now that we’re ready to see him or we are walking out of here and heading straight for the local newspaper office.”
I gazed at Case with new appreciation and stood up straighter beside him.
“Well, hello,” I heard, and glanced over my right shoulder to see Lila Talbot descending the spiral staircase, her blond ponytail swinging girlishly, showing off enormous black diamond teardrop earrings. A former Miss Sequoia beauty pageant winner, the forty-year-old had on a black yoga top that barely covered her lacy black bra, tight-fitting leopard-print stretch pants that showed off her toned curves, and gold thong sandals that glittered under the light of the chandelier.
She walked up to us and held out her hand to Case. “I’m Lila Talbot. And you are?”
“Dimitrius Costas,” he said, flashing his dimpled smile as he took her hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dimitri,” she said in a sultry voice, putting her other hand on top of his almost as though she were claiming him.
“I’m Athena Spencer, by the way,” I said, and held out my hand so she’d have to let go of Case’s.
She did let go but she didn’t shake mine. “Oh, right, you’re the yoga instructor’s sister.” With a dismissive glance she turned back to Case and practically purred, “So what brings you here on a Saturday?”
“Athena has a meeting with your husband.”
I glanced at Case in surprise. Athena has a meeting? Hello?
Lila’s catlike eyes lit up. “And that leaves you with nothing to do but come have a cocktail with me.”
I smelled a setup. “Actually, Lila,” I said, “that meeting is with both of us. And don’t you think it’s a little early to be drinking?”
She threaded her arm through Case’s and led him toward the bar, calling back, “It’s never too early for a mimosa, darling. Come, Dimitrius, I’ll show you what I have to offer.”
I stood there with my mouth open as they walked away.
“Miss Spencer,” I heard, and turned to see Thaddeus standing in the office doorway. “Mr. Talbot will see you now.”
As I looked back at Case in shock, I could hear Lila say, “Dimitrius sounds so formal. Do you go by anything else?”
“Why don’t you just call me Dimitri?”
That rat! He had deserted me without so much as a backward glance in my direction. Now what was I going to do? Our whole plan revolved around him handling the tough questions.
“Miss Spencer?” Thaddeus said again.
I drew in a deep breath and let it out. I couldn’t very well leave now.
And with that the French doors closed behind me.
* * *
I found myself in a big conference room with walls covered in cherry paneling and framed opera posters. A long cherry table sat on a black, burgundy, and tan oriental carpet in the middle of the room, surrounded by at least a dozen burgundy-colored leather chairs.
Sonny, seated at the head of the table, stood up to greet me, making me come to him instead of the other way around, no doubt his way of taking the upper hand. He was wearing a gray plaid vest over a white shirt adorned with gold and diamond cufflinks, and gray pants, looking every inch the slick multimillionaire he had become. His brown hair had some gray at the temples, but otherwise the fifty-nine-year-old could easily have passed for forty-five. He was trim, tanned, and freshly shaved, his skin as smooth as mine.
“Miss Spencer,” he said, shaking my hand. “A pleasure to see you again.”
“Mr. Talbot,” I said.
“Just Grayson, please,” he replied with a smile. He was being extremely gracious, more so than he had been at the press conference.
He turned to Thaddeus on his right and placed his hand on his shoulder. “You’ve met Thad already, so I’ll skip the introductions there.” He turned to a twenty-something, skinny, brown-haired, twitchy sort of man on his left. “This is my assistant, Dale Pinkus, who’ll be taking n
otes. He can provide you with a transcript if you’d like.”
“Thanks, but I’ve brought my own notepad,” I said.
Sonny indicated the chair to his left. “Please have a seat.”
I was surprised he didn’t have his other attorney there to make it three against one. But perhaps Sonny didn’t consider this meeting a threat, which was a benefit to me because I was already starting to feel my insides shake, especially without Case there to back me up.
Buck up, Athena. You’ve handled interviews for a major Chicago newspaper. You can do this, too.
“Can I offer you anything to drink?” Pinkus asked. “Coffee, tea, a cocktail?”
“I’ll have a glass of water, please.”
As I took out my iPad, Pinkus hurried to a low cherry console that served as a bar, opened a built-in fridge, filled a crystal glass from a water bottle, and placed it in front of me. “Mr. Talbot, sir?”
“Nothing for me, Dale. Thank you.” Sonny waited until his assistant was seated beside Thad, at Sonny’s right, then said to me, “Let me begin by stating why I invited you here. Certainly, we have our differences of opinion on the downtown condominium complex, but after you hear what I have planned, we can work through them in a way that will benefit both of us.”
“Both of us? I’m here to represent the shop owners, not myself.”
“Please let me finish,” he said. “The Downtown Merchants Association is a pivotal and powerful force in this community, so when one of its members tosses out derogatory comments about a project designed to—”
“Excuse me?” I said, my back stiffening in anger. “Are you referring to my comment?”
Sonny made a temple of his fingers. “Yes, Miss Spencer, I was, and I hadn’t finished speaking.”
“First of all, Mr. Talbot, I represent the Greek Merchants Association, which is an off-shoot of the Downtown Merchants Association. Secondly, the Downtown Merchants are in complete agreement with our position, and thirdly, there was nothing derogatory about me reminding everyone about the agreement your father and the GMA reached to cancel the project.”
“Please let me finish, Miss Spencer, then you may have your say.”