Clues of the Heart: Baytown Boys Series

by Maryann Jordan

  “Wow,” she said, turning to face him, an embarrassed half-smile on her face. “I was a million miles away.”

  “I know your mind is turning everything over…same as mine. But we also need to take a look at some of the other cases we’ve got going right now and let the police do their job.”

  Nodding, she started to open her door when he squeezed her hand, pulling her attention to him again. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry…with all of us working this case, we’ll find out what happened to Walter, and now to Beth.”

  “And to Eleanor,” Katelyn insisted, her stormy blue eyes holding his. “Because whoever is doing this, is doing it to her as well.”

  With a final squeeze, they alighted from the SUV and entered the office. Leaving her at her desk, he made his way into the back room, making two cups of strong coffee. Taking one to her, he took in her tired smile as she took the proffered steaming cup.

  “Shouldn’t I be doing this for you?” she joked, smiling her appreciation.

  “You looked like you needed this more than I did,” he joked in return. Looking over her shoulder, he asked, “What are you going to work on this afternoon?”

  Sighing, she replied, “I need to check emails, update the website, send out invoices on the two cases you just finished. And, to be honest, I need to get ready for the PI course that starts in two weeks. I’ll do the course and, since I’ve been shooting since I was a kid, I should pass the firearms registration with no problem.” She sucked in a deep cleansing breath and let it out slowly before continuing. “I’m ready, Gareth. I’m ready to move forward.”

  Smiling, his heart swelled with pride watching the light return to her eyes. Leaning down, he captured her lips, tasting the intoxicating mixture of coffee and the cinnamon gum she had been chewing.

  She leaned into his kiss, her hands clasping his forearms before sliding up, landing on his shoulders. With his easy acceptance, she realized just what the gift was that he had offered weeks earlier. The gift of a new life…the gift of a new beginning.

  Gareth sat in his office as guilt slid over him, but he pushed it away. He had told Katelyn to work on something other than Walter’s case, but he could not tear himself away from thinking about the connection between Walter and Beth.

  While Katelyn had been inside the house with Eleanor, he had been outside with the deputies processing the scene.

  Beth had been killed elsewhere and then brought to Eleanor’s yard. The gravel driveway offered no prints or forensic evidence. With no close neighbors or security lights, no one had seen anything. Why was Beth killed? The most obvious reason was she knew something about Walter’s death. So why didn’t she go to the police with her information? Because she wanted to get something out of it—probably money. So, if Beth was blackmailing the killer, what did she have on them?

  William certainly had the business, now that Walter was gone, but at his age he was planning on retiring soon and from what Katelyn had discerned, he had plenty of money for him and his wife to travel and live well. Sandra had hopes of moving up in the business. With Walter gone and William close to retirement, perhaps she planned on having it all to herself. There was certainly no love lost between her and Beth.

  Scribbling his notes down on a pad of paper, he wrote Carrie and Cindy’s names. Cindy thought Carrie would receive an inheritance from Walter and perhaps decided to hasten his demise to push up the timeframe. Beth did not know about Walter paying for Carrie’s education…I wonder what else she discovered when she started looking. Maybe Walter had more going on than just Carrie’s college payments.

  Leaning back in his chair, the hard wood dug into his back. New office furniture had been on his list of things to purchase, but hiring Katelyn had put that on hold. Thinking of her sent a smile across his face.

  “Katelyn!” he shouted, then regretted his tone when she skidded around the corner of his door her eyes wide.

  Seeing him sitting at his desk, her feet almost slipped out from under her as she came to a stop. “What the hell? I thought you were having a heart attack!”

  “Sorry, baby,” he laughed. “I was just thinking about the case and wanted to get you to help me out.”

  Cocking her hip, she tapped a fingernail on the doorframe. “I thought we weren’t going to work on this case today?”

  Grinning, he replied, “I only said I thought you should work on other things.” Sobering, he added, “I felt like you needed a break from thinking about Eleanor. But, I’ve been pondering some things and I thought you might like to help with some computer searches, if you’ve got time.”

  “Absolutely,” she enthused, ready to get back on the case. “I sent out the invoices, checked our email and other than another business wanting some info on a former employee, we don’t have anything new.”

  He shook his head, wondering how he ever got along without her, but then she smiled and he wondered how he ever got so lucky as to have her in his life.

  Gareth looked at the screen, but his attention was on Katelyn’s presence as she leaned over with her chin on his shoulder and her breasts pressed against his back. Her soft scent filled his nostrils and he blinked twice to bring the words on the screen into focus. Now, he wondered how he would ever get any work done with her in such close proximity.

  “Look,” she called out, her breath washing against his ear. Pointing to bank-recorded transactions, it appeared Walter’s brother, Ken, had moved money around recently. “Do you think that’s significant?”

  “Hard to tell from this. He handles their mother’s affairs and it looks like he combined her accounts with his after Walter died, probably to make things easier. It doesn’t look like he is trying to defraud her.”

  “Ugh!” she exclaimed. “I’m sick of staring at the computer screen. It’s almost dinner, let’s close and head on to Mom and Dad’s place.”

  Lifting his eyebrow, he quipped, “And did I know about dinner at your parents?”

  Katelyn had already turned to head toward the door to lock it. Shrugging, she called back, “It’s just my family—you already know them.” Whirling around, she exclaimed, “Oh, but I did forget to tell you that my grandfather will be there also.”

  Sighing, Gareth closed his eyes for a moment, expecting the familiar sensation of nerves combined with irritation at the idea of a family gathering. But thinking about the MacFarlane clan, all he felt was…ease. Surprised, he called out, “Coming!” and closed his laptop for the night.

  “Pirates? Seriously?”

  “Of course! I always dress up as a serving wench on Pirates Day in Baytown,” Katelyn declared.

  Gareth first eyed her emphatic stare before sliding his gaze over to a smiling Aiden and brooding Brogan. Nothing unusual there.

  “It’s good for business,” Aiden quipped. “Throw out a few ‘aarrghs’ and wear a pirate costume and the business booms. The families bring in the kids for lunch and then we have an Irish band come in at night and really crank up the level!”

  “Arrrgh, my ass,” Brogan growled. “It’s the rum that’ll bring in the crowd this weekend. Might be a tradition, but wearing a costume, forget it.”

  “Oh, come on, bro,” Aiden grinned. “Last year you put in a gold hoop in your ear and drove the ladies wild.”

  At that, the family burst into laughter as Gareth watched the easy camaraderie amongst the family members. While it was nothing like what he remembered families doing, he appreciated the way they accepted him as one of their own. Watching Katelyn walk back over to the fire pit, carrying a tray of dessert with her mom, his heart leaped at the sight of her dark hair glistening in the firelight. As she turned her deep blue eyes toward him her smile lit her face, shooting straight to his heart.

  “You’ve got it bad, my man,” Aiden said, drawing Gareth’s attention away from Katelyn for a moment.

  Meeting Aiden’s grin, he said, “So where do I get a pirate’s costume at this late date?”

  Laughing, Katelyn said, “Oh
, don’t worry…I’ll take care of you!”

  The conversation lulled for a few minutes as the gathering settled in for dessert.

  Finn MacFarlane, Katelyn’s grandfather, looked over at Gareth and, waving his fork toward him, said, “Tell me about your family, son. Did they all come from West Virginia?”

  Katelyn’s gaze shot toward Gareth as her hand reached out to find his, knowing he hated talking about his family.

  Corrine rolled her eyes and said, “Papa Finn, not everyone has to be Irish, you know?” She turned toward Gareth, saying, “My background is English. I thought Finn was going to have a fit when Eric proposed. But then, he found out that I knew how to make a Guinness stew that would put his mama to shame!”

  “Oh, blasphemy, girl!” Finn cackled. “To be truthful, I was born here, but my grandfather came over from Ireland and worked on the railroads that made Baytown great. Then, when the bay bridge was being built, he worked in the cement factory. My father bought out the old building in town and started the pub.”

  Smiling, Gareth squeezed Katelyn’s hand, and replied, “I envy your family…all of your family.” Knowing he had all eyes on him, he continued, “I’ve shared my background with Katelyn, but it’s not very happy, so I tend not to talk about it much. My dad had a factory job and died in a work-related accident when I was ten. Mom started drinking and then kept trying to find someone to take care of her. Her new husband turned out to be only good for supplying her with more alcohol and using us for…well, let’s just say he took his frustrations out on us.”

  “Oh, Gareth!” Corrine exclaimed. “I’m so sorry!”

  He caught Aiden and Brogan’s contemplative stares and wondered what they thought. Do they think I’ll be the same? Well, they might as well get the whole story now. Plowing ahead, he continued, “My sister was fifteen when Dad died and she married her high school boyfriend as soon as she turned eighteen. I think it was probably because she wanted out of the house, but it turns out she chose well. He’s a good man with a good job and they have two children.”

  “Gareth, honey, you don’t—” Katelyn began.

  Cutting her off, he gave a little tug on her hand and as she leaned into him, he placed a sweet kiss on her lips. “Baby, I’ve got no reason to not be honest with your family. This is about where I came from.”

  Turning back, he said, “Mom drank a lot and made excuses when my stepfather took out his frustrations on both of us. At twelve, I wasn’t big enough to do anything, but by the time I was sixteen, I was a pretty good size. I’d been boxing, weight lifting, and running for several years. An older man lived in our trailer park and he’d served in the Vietnam War. He took me under his wing and taught me how to defend myself. So, I did.” His blue eyes turned dark at the memory, but he saw no recrimination in the eyes of anyone around the fire pit. “It was the last time he ever tried to punch me and I didn’t see him abuse my mom anymore either. But he kept her in alcohol, so I guess his revenge worked.”

  Leaning back, pulling Katelyn’s hand over to his thigh, where he linked his fingers with hers, he smiled. “Got out, moved around a bit, then joined the service, did my tours, and found this place. I keep in contact with my sister, but my mother died of alcohol poisoning about three years ago. As to my stepfather? Got no idea where he is, nor do I care.” Letting out a huge sigh, he shifted his gaze between Katelyn’s parents and grandfather. “I guess we’d better get it out in the open, if my background bothers you.”

  “Son, I admired you before, but I admire you even more now,” Eric stated. “You did what you had to do to survive and prosper and looks to me like you did a damned good job!”

  Finn shifted in his seat, a grimace set on his face. Looking around the patio at his family, his eyes settled on Gareth. “I told you my grandfather came from Ireland to work on the railroads, but what I never told you is that I remember him as being a man with a mighty temper…who tippled too much to boot.”

  “Tippled?” Katelyn asked, head cocked to the side.

  “Drank too much,” Brogan grunted.

  Finn eyed his oldest grandson, nodding slowly. “Yeah…he drank. Got into fights. I remember my dad telling me that he had to go down to the bar to drag his father back from too many long nights of drinking. And when he drank, he started out as a happy drunk, but then became an angry drunk as time went on. I never saw this side of him growing up, and back then, people kept hold of their family secrets.” Sighing heavily, he said, “I remember going over one day after mass ‘cause my grandmother hadn’t come and when she opened the door, she had a huge bruise on her cheek. Told me she fell on the stairs. Grandpa came down the stairs from the bedroom and looked at her face. He walked over and lifted his hand, gingerly touching her bruise. ‘Oh, Molly, darlin’, what happened?’ he asked.” Finn shook his head once more and said, “He never even remembered what he had done. When I was much older and my grandfather had passed, I overheard my parents talking about my grandparents. I walked into the room and told them I wanted to know the truth.”

  Katelyn, tears in her eyes, stared at her grandfather as he shared his story, knowing he could have easily kept quiet. But, in Finn’s tale, he opened the door wide for Gareth. She twisted her head around to his, seeing his smile directed at her.

  “Sir,” Gareth said, now facing Finn. “I appreciate you telling me your story.”

  “Hell, son,” Finn said, his hand slapping down on his knee. “None of us are perfect and we don’t have perfect families. But my dad learned from his dad’s mistakes and I vowed to be the kind of man my father was. Proud to say that Eric has also taken up that mantle. And same goes for my two grandsons, although God only knows when they’ll settle down with wives!”

  The heaviness of the conversion lifted at Finn’s jab at Aiden and Brogan. Aiden leaned back in his seat and quipped, “I’ve got too much awesomeness for just one woman to handle!”

  Brogan cuffed his brother on the back of the head as he rolled his eyes. “You are one cocky bastard,” he complained, but Katelyn saw the twinkle in his eyes.

  Leaning her head onto Gareth’s shoulder, his breath washed across her ear as he said, “You got good people in your life, darlin’.”

  Squeezing his hand once more, she turned to hold his gaze and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Yeah, I do. You are good people.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Everywhere he turned, he ran into a pirate.

  Gareth walked down Main Street, glad it had been closed to through traffic, considering the number of children running all around. If he did not know better, he would have thought it was Halloween with all the costumes everyone was wearing, most of which were pirate outfits. Screams of “Arghhh” and “Ahoy, maties” were heard from every shopkeeper standing outside their store.

  “Gareth!”

  He turned and saw Jillian coming out of her coffee shop with a tall, iced drink in a plastic cup held out to him. She was dressed in a wench’s costume and he raised an eyebrow. “Has Grant seen you like that?”

  Grinning, she laughed as she quipped, “Oh, don’t worry about me. This is tame compared to some, as you’ll find out. Here—have an iced coffee on the house.”

  Accepting the proffered drink, he silently preferred a cold beer, but found the coffee to be refreshing. Nodding his thanks, he continued down the street. He noted all five officers of the BPD as well as some of the North Hampton County deputies on hand to patrol the town. Tourists flooded the streets, but the crowd appeared easy to manage. Waving to those he knew, warmth passed through him as he realized how many people he recognized, and who greeted him in return. Several of his fellow American Legion members stopped to chat and introduce their families.

  Anxious to meet up with Katelyn, he hastened down the street. She had left early in the morning to help set up the Finn’s tent to sell beer at the Pirates Festival. Gareth had offered to come, but she insisted he wait until she was free for them to walk around and enjoy the festivities.

  Cross
ing the street, he walked over the unused railroad tracks toward the town’s harbor, glancing at the many vendors’ tents along the way, where food, drinks, souvenirs, local artwork, and beach items were being sold. Spying a large crowd around the biggest tent, he recognized Brogan’s bark and Aiden’s laugh. Rounding the corner, he was easing toward the counter when he stopped in his tracks, his jaw dropping at the sight in front of him.

  Katelyn, in full pirate wench regalia, her long, dark curls hanging down her back, was grinning at the crowd of men as they waited in line for their beer. Dressed in a scoop neck blouse and tight, lace-up corset showcasing an impressive cleavage, paired with a long skirt, she continued to check IDs as Gareth stood rooted to the spot. Fucking hell!

  Two young men began pushing each other, jostling in the line, but before Gareth or her brothers could react, she reached down and grabbed a long, wooden sword from under the counter, swinging it above her head. “Maties, stand in line like good, little pirates, or I’ll carve you up and serve you to the fishes.” The crowd laughed and the pushing ceased.

  Brogan groused, “If you weren’t wearin’ that fuckin’ costume, we wouldn’t have this problem!”

  “Yes, and if I wasn’t wearing this fuckin’ costume, we wouldn’t be selling as much beer!” she retorted, hands on her hips as she glared at her brother.

  “Yeah, well, maybe he’ll talk some sense into you!” Brogan growled back, nodding toward the edge of the crowd where Gareth was standing, his eyes narrowed on her.

  “Hey, sailor!” she called out as soon as her eyes locked onto his. “You want to take a poor wench out on the town, now that her shift is over?” She rounded the counter and ran straight into his arms.

  Capturing her plump, red lips, he fought to keep from pressing her too closely, knowing he was already in a losing battle with his cock reacting to the sight of her. Pulling back slightly, his gaze dropped to her cleavage and he scolded, “You’ve been in that costume all morning and didn’t tell me?”