Clues of the Heart: Baytown Boys Series

by Maryann Jordan

  “So you and Carrie are seeing each other?”

  “Not seriously, if that’s what you mean. But yeah, we hang out. She’s certainly closer to my age than he was. And, I can tell you, she was never interested in him in that way!”

  Thanking Ed, Gareth rose and escorted Katelyn into the hall. Looking at her upturned face, he said, “Sandra next?”

  Leaning in to whisper, she admitted, “My head is spinning!”

  Grinning, Gareth nodded as they approached Sandra’s office. Knocking on the doorframe, they were invited in. Settling once more into chairs, they looked at the pale face of the younger accountant.

  “I didn’t realize you were coming in today,” she began, glancing down at a few files on her desk. “We closed the office for a few days and now, I’m afraid, it’s catch-up time.”

  “We won’t take up too much of your time,” Gareth said, his smile firmly in place once more. “We’ve come across some information that we are checking into. First, is that Walter was covering some of Carrie’s tuition and it appears to be from an account that neither Beth, nor William, knew about,”

  Sandra’s expression did not change, but Katelyn could see the wheels turning.

  “I see,” Sandra replied smoothly. “I did not know about that, but as a junior member of the firm, it’s not surprising for me to be left out of that sort of business. Beth, while office manager, is certainly not the boss around here, although she would like you to believe she is. So, if Walter was executing things the way he saw fit, then it’s hardly her place to complain.”

  Nodding politely, Gareth noted Sandra did not seem upset and was sure in her defense of Walter. “Did you ever see anything that caused you concern about the way Mr. Berry conducted himself in the office…or out of it?”

  “Not at all! He was a gentleman, through and through,” she defended. Barking out an unladylike snort, she added, “Carrie? Really, the idea is too absurd. She’s a child. He had no interest in her other than a very solicitous concern.”

  “Did you know Carrie and Ed are in a relationship, of sorts? “

  “It’s none of my business, but this is a small firm so, yes, I am aware that they spend time together. Everyone is aware—they don’t exactly hide it.”

  “Do you think that bothered Walter?”

  “Oh, please…Walter had more important things to deal with than a college office romance between those two!”

  “And the secret account—”

  “Mr. Harrison, I don’t know what the others have implied, but Mr. Berry ran a respectable accounting business. But the bottom line was it was his business, so if he had various accounts, there is nothing illegal, nor unethical, about that. Not wanting his busy-body office manager to know about all of them is more of an indication of what he thought of her, not anything to do with him.”

  A few minutes later, as Gareth assisted Katelyn up into his vehicle, she turned before he shut the door, and said, “I’m confused. Utterly and completely confused!”

  Sandra entered William’s office and closed the door softly. Turning, her professional face dropped and in its place, a snarl erupted.

  “What the hell are we going to do about this mess?”

  “Now, now, Sandra, if Eleanor hadn’t hired those two, things would not have gotten this far,” he replied.

  She leaned over his desk, her weight resting on her fists, knuckles pressed against the hard wood. “Yes, but she did. And now things are being discovered that you said would be left unfound. So, I repeat. What. The hell. Are we going to do?”

  “Mom, I just found out that with Walter gone, my college money will dry up. What am I going to do?” Carrie cried.

  Beth, just around the corner, listened carefully, a grin playing about her lips.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “So, any idea how the body was moved?”

  Gareth sat with Colt, his top detective, Mitch, and the rest of the Baytown police officers, reviewing their information.

  “Right now, we’ve got two lines of thought. One, he was transported near the golf course in a larger boat, which would not be hard to find living on this peninsula, and then transported via a small, flat-bottom boat up the inlet at the golf course and dumped there. Or, he was transported there entirely by a smaller craft, which is an important distinction because it means he couldn’t have been transferred as far,” Colt replied.

  “The ground disturbance and tracks near where his body was found would indicate the flat-bottom boat was the last point of transportation. The shoeprints around the area were disturbed when his body was dragged but, we’ve managed to gain impressions, and they don’t match the boots worn by the groundskeepers. Men's size 11,” Mitch added.

  “So, was this a crime of passion, happening quickly, or a planned murder? While Gareth has given us a list of the women Walter worked with or was involved with professionally, one woman alone could not have taken his body out of the boat. Walter Berry was not a large man, but at the place where his body was found, there were no marks other than the one pair of boots.”

  Sam, the oldest member of the Baytown Police Department, said, “I keep coming back to where Walter said he was. He indicated to his co-workers that he was going away for the weekend and wouldn’t be back until Tuesday. None of them can remember him mentioning his wife going, but they all made that assumption. Eleanor states that he told her that he was going to be gone just for the weekend to meet with some clients and, according to her, she thought he was going to be in the Virginia Beach area but would be back on Sunday night. So, what the hell was Walter doing?”

  “And who was he with?” Burt added.

  Gareth leaned back in his seat, his mind going over the possible reasons for Walter’s death, but coming up empty. He caught the others staring at him and he shook his head. “I know we need to look close to Walter but his co-workers were women except for William and at his age, he’d never be able to haul Walter around, even if he had a motive. As far as his workplace goes, there’s a lot of jealousy and petty feelings, but nothing that would warrant murder and certainly not against Walter. The will was straightforward—Eleanor got most everything and the will had not been changed since she and Walter had it drawn up together years ago.”

  “Who else was mentioned in the will?” Ginny asked.

  “His mother, who he set aside a small trust for that the attorney’s office will administer, and then his brother, who he set a small amount for,” Gareth answered.

  “What about his brother? Was he listed as administer for their mother?” Burt asked.

  Shaking his head, Gareth replied, “No, but Eleanor didn’t seem surprised.”

  “He might be worth looking into,” Mitch said. “How about you and I go talk to him in about an hour?”

  With a nod, Gareth said goodbye and headed back to the office. Walking in, he saw Katelyn at the reception desk working at the computer, the office phone propped between her ear and shoulder. She grinned at him, holding up a finger while mouthing almost finished.

  He nodded and as he walked closer, his gaze moving around the room, smile widening as he took in the changes she had made. Jillian’s pictures and Jason’s wooden screen filled up empty space. The folding chairs he had used at first were now replaced with comfortable, padded, wooden chairs. The potted tree Tori had donated gave the room a homey feel. Katelyn’s desk, while slightly messy with work, was a hundred times more organized than his office.

  Just as his attention turned back to the beautiful woman at the desk, she hung up the phone. “I’ve got us ad space in the Baytown News, the North Heron Herald, and the Accawmacke news, as well sponsoring ad space with the Eastern Shore radio station.”

  “Damn, woman, you’re gonna put us on the map!” he joked as he walked around to her side of the desk.

  Standing, she grinned as his arms encircled her, pulling their bodies close. “I just want to be useful…I’d hate to think you’d fire me for not being productive.” Pressing her pelvis agains
t his, she felt his cock jump. Her giggle was cut short as he swooped in, his lips capturing hers.

  All thoughts jumped from her mind other than strong and soft. His lips are strong and soft. But as he plunged his tongue into her mouth, caressing her tongue, she had no thoughts at all as she gave into the tingling that zipped from her lips to her core. No longer aware of her surroundings, she pressed her hips against his jean-clad leg, giving in to the desire to ease the need for friction.

  He slipped his knee between her legs, the feel of her hot core on him causing his dick to ache, wanting to enter her warmth. Breaking away reluctantly, he nibbled for a moment as he willed his aching cock to behave. Finally pulling back, he said, “I hate to leave you, but Mitch and I are going to interview Walter’s brother to see what we can find out.”

  Cocking her head to the side, she said, “You want me to take a look at his finances also?”

  “That’d be great,” he admitted. Pausing, he added, “You’ve made a big difference, you know?”

  Smiling, she said, “I love working here with you.”

  “I don’t just mean the business, but with me. In my life.”

  Her heart squeezed at his words, her smile beaming as she stood on her toes to capture his lips once more.

  The door opened and a giggle brought Katelyn jerking back, but finding Gareth’s arms not willing to let her go far.

  “Well, you two…is this a business or a bordello?” Jillian laughed.

  “Bordello? Who talks like that?” Katelyn quipped, shooting Gareth a sharp glance.

  “What are you giving me the stink-eye for?” he asked.

  Stepping back, smoothing her hand over her hair, she said, “Because you made me forget we are in the middle of the office!”

  Grinning, he puffed out his chest, saying, “I like that…it’s good for my ego!”

  Play-slapping him on the arm, Katelyn turned to Jillian, asking, “So did you need Harrison Investigations or did you just come to catch me not working?”

  Giggling again, she said, “I was wondering if you had any more items for the Cavalcade?”

  “Yes, I’ve got them at home and was going to work on it this weekend.” Waving goodbye as Gareth walked out the door, she turned to Jillian just as her best friend bounded over to offer a hug.

  “So, things seem to be going well,” Jillian said, smiling.

  Answering her smile with one of her own, Katelyn nodded. “He makes me feel…well, just feel again.”

  Tears sprang to Jillian’s eyes as she hugged Katelyn tightly, whispering in her ear, “No one deserves to be happy more than you.”

  Katelyn grinned over Jillian’s shoulder, watching Gareth’s SUV drive down the road, her heart lighter than it had been in years.

  Ringing the doorbell at the condo, Gareth admired the neatly trimmed lawns of the neighborhood. As the door opened, he recognized Ken Berry and introduced Mitch. Ken eyed them warily before inviting them in.

  “We’ll sit here,” he indicated the living room. “Mom’s sleeping in her chair in the back den and I’d rather her not hear us talking.”

  Taking a seat, Gareth allowed Mitch to take charge of the interview as he noted the many knick-knacks around the room. It appeared to be Sonya Berry’s home, at least in decorating.

  “Are you the main caregiver for your mother?” Mitch asked.

  Nodding, Ken replied, “Yes. I never married and after our father passed away about three years ago, I decided…well, Walter and I decided that I would move in with mom.”

  “It looks like a nice area,” Gareth said, but before he was able to say more, Ken interrupted with a snort.

  “I’m not the big-shot that my younger brother was, so this’ll have to do for me.”

  Mitch and Gareth shared a glance before Mitch asked, “What can you tell us about Walter? His habits? Anyone in particular you saw him hanging out with?”

  “My brother and I weren’t estranged, but we weren’t close either. I worked in our dad’s shop and kind of figured he would do the same. But he went to college instead and, well, after that, his life was different.”

  “Different?”

  “You know…dinner parties with clients, golfing at the clubs. Hell, he must have belonged to at least three golf clubs and those places aren’t cheap!”

  “Are you much older than he was?”

  Nodding, Ken sighed. “Yeah…I was ten years old when he was born. I was excited to get a baby brother, but my parents fell into the habit of giving him everything while I was raised with the work-hard ethic pounded into my head.”

  “Did you ever have any reason to think that he wasn't faithful to Eleanor?” Gareth asked.

  Ken’s face flushed as he looked down at his hands clasped in his lap. Pinching his lips, he lifted his head, saying, “Got no idea. But, then, I wasn’t around him a lot. We didn’t move in the same circles, if you know what I mean. But he and Eleanor would come over for Sunday lunches about twice a month and they seemed fine. He never gave any indication that they weren’t happy.”

  “And Eleanor?” Mitch prodded.

  Barking out a laugh, Ken replied, “She was over-the-moon for him. They both married late but she always had stars in her eyes when she looked at him. I know he made good money and she didn’t work. By all appearances to me, they were happy.”

  Gareth eyed a picture on the wall of a younger Ken and Walter with their mother and another one of Walter and Eleanor next to it. With a quick glance around the room, he noticed there did not appear to be any recent pictures displayed. His attention was immediately brought back to the interview as Ken’s voice rose slightly.

  “No, I wasn’t jealous of my brother, but I admit I wish he’d helped with our mom a little more.” Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and said, “He’d give money, which was appreciated, but I know she wished he would visit more often considering how close we live. And, well hell, I could’ve used the time off. Sometimes it seems like I’m always stuck here.”

  A few minutes later, Gareth and Mitch said goodbye and drove back over the bridge.

  “I can’t see Ken wanting to kill his brother…there might be some money with the estate but most goes to Eleanor and he indicated he wanted more time off. With Walter dead, the care of their mother falls to him entirely,” Gareth surmised.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Mitch agreed. “And he says he has no idea who might want Walter dead. It seems no one really profits from his death…not really. Not his co-workers, and his wife certainly got his insurance, but would have had more had he stayed alive and continued to make money and have social standing.”

  “So, crime of passion?”

  “If we knew who he was having an affair with, then we might be closer to finding his murderer.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The fire blazed high as more wood was added, warming the cool evening. The sun hung low in the sky, painting the evening in an array of ever-changing colors. The constant breeze off the bay skimmed over the gathering. Mitch’s grandfather’s old fishing cabin had been the sight of many beach parties for the Baytown Boys and their friends over the years.

  Gareth sat in the sand with his knees bent, Katelyn between them, her back pressed to his front. Wrapping his arms around her, he placed his chin on her shoulder as they watched the sun dip. Her large-neck sweatshirt had slipped to the side and he bent to nibble on the soft skin exposed on her neck and shoulder.

  Giggling, she playfully complained, “That tickles.” As his movements halted, she quickly added, “But don’t stop.”

  The bonfire was roaring, already casting shadows and light over the faces of those sitting around its warmth. Katelyn, with Gareth’s arms around her, smiled at the large gathering. “You warm enough, babe?” he asked. With the fire ablaze, she nodded against his shoulder, unsure which was warmer—the fire or her back pressed against his body.

  Jillian leaned against a large log, Grant tucking her in close to his side. Callan, Jason, and some
guys from the Coast Guard played volleyball on the beach. Jade and Belle shared a blanket on the sand. Ginny sat in a beach chair, her legs stretched out in front of her.

  Mitch walked from the deck with Tori, trays of snacks in their hands that they set on another blanket near the group.

  “Got more beer!” Aiden called out, carrying a beer-filled cooler with Brogan toward the bonfire. Setting the cooler on the sand, they opened the top and grabbed a few to pass around.

  Brogan walked by and offered a beer to Ginny who glanced up in surprise. Taking it, she nodded her thanks and her eyes followed him as he moved around the group offering more beer.

  Katelyn observed Ginny’s gaze on Brogan but as soon as he turned around, Ginny jerked her head toward the sunset. Brogan made his way back over, sitting on the sand next to the pretty police officer. Neither spoke to each other but Katelyn smiled at the way they both spared glances at each other and wondered if they would ever get together.

  Zac came walking over, a young blonde on his arm. He looked over the gathering and said, “Hell, this looks just like old times.”

  A pang shot through Katelyn as she realized she thought the same thing…only now she was with Gareth and not Philip. Gareth’s arms tightened around her and his warm breath tickled her ear as he asked if she was all right.

  Twisting her head so that she was a whisper away from him, she smiled. “Yeah…I’m great,” she replied, and realized she truly meant it.

  Gareth’s heart felt lighter as her words settled into him. He wondered if he would feel like Philip’s replacement when with their friends, but was slowly beginning to accept that his place was solidified with the group…and in her heart.

  “So, I hear Silas is all pissy about the golf tournament being cancelled,” Jillian stated, bringing everyone’s attention to her.

  “Hell, Silas gets pissy about anything that doesn’t go his way,” Aiden quipped.

  “We probably lost some money that would have come in from the golfers eating in town, but I don’t think they really shop in town much when they come in for a tournament,” Katelyn added.