Kelly's eyes narrowed to reptilian slits. "Because of Evelyn. And why would the CIA send someone here over a crazy dead woman, just because she impersonated a mother on a Girl Scout trip?"
Did she already know and just wanted to hear it from my lips? Was she bluffing? I wasn't sure. But the penalty for continuing to snowball her was high. And I needed to keep her as a friend—especially since Soo Jin was shopping for a new best friend to go with her collection of the men and kittens in my life.
"Evelyn was really Vanessa Vanderhook. And she was a CIA assassin." I flinched and opened one eye, awaiting the pummeling I was going to get.
"And?" Kelly demanded. How did she know there was more?
"And, she'd gone rogue a while back and turned traitor." There. It was out.
Kelly leaned back and closed her eyes. Either she was having a stroke or charging her batteries to let me have it. Neither option was good.
We rocked for about ten minutes without speaking. Whatever was going on in Kelly's mind—I knew one thing for sure. I was totally screwed.
Finally, I broke. "I should go get us a couple of glasses of wine…or maybe a whole bottle."
Kelly finally lifted her head and opened her eyes. She looked scary.
"Two bottles?" I asked weakly.
Kelly nodded. Oh man. I went inside hoping to hell that I actually had two bottles of wine. Maybe I should send Riley out for one hundred proof grain alcohol. I heard Riley and Soo Jin talking and laughing in the living room, but didn't join them—even though there was safety in numbers. I carried one bottle and two glasses out to the back porch and poured a healthy dose for Kelly. We drained our glasses in silence, and I poured out two more.
"How could this happen?" Kelly's voice was quiet and even. The calm before the storm?
I shrugged. "No idea. And neither Maria nor Riley had recognized her in DC."
"I'm not mad at Maria or Riley." Kelly slammed the glass of wine and held out her empty glass for a refill—which I immediately did.
"You're mad at me," I said.
Kelly sighed heavily, "No. I'm not too mad at you. And it's partly my fault for not finding more out about Evelyn before you left."
I relaxed a little but was confused. "You wouldn't have found anything. The security clearance for this intel was way beyond my pay grade. Riley only knew when they sent him back here to steal the body."
Kelly's jaw dropped—which was weird because after all this time, she shouldn't find anything shocking. "Steal the body?"
I nodded. "Yup. He just showed up on my doorstep, moved in, and demanded that I help him snatch Evelyn's corpse."
"But you didn't…" Kelly probed.
"No." I shook my head. "I'd refused. I wasn't going to hide anything from Rex anymore. So we went to see Rex, and somebody stole the body anyway."
I filled her in on what had been happening up to this point.
"So that's why Seamus died." Kelly drank the last of her wine and poured another.
"That's why Seamus was murdered," I corrected.
"What? How? Because he saw the thieves leaving town?" Kelly was turning a little green around the gills.
"That's what we think." I wasn't really sure what to say to her. This whole murder mess was getting too close to home, and it was getting personal.
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.
This time, my jaw dropped. "What? No! You're on maternity leave, and my goddaughter needs you."
"I feel terrible." Kelly hung her head. "Poor Seamus. He didn't deserve that."
I shook my head. "No he didn't. But these are bad people. And they wanted the rest of us to know that snooping around would get us killed."
"I still want to help," Kelly insisted. "Who's There is my hometown. It's our Girl Scout troop's hometown and Finn's hometown. I don't want crap like this happening here."
"I agree with you. So would Rex and Riley. But I think the best thing you can do is stay out of it for now."
Kelly agreed, but I could see she wasn't convinced.
I changed the subject. "So, I'm going to put a depilatory in Riley's shampoo and conditioner tonight."
My best friend burst out laughing, "Why would you want that gorgeous hair to fall out?"
"I have my reasons…"
"Would one of those reasons be that stunning woman in your living room? Are you jealous that she'd go after Riley?"
I grimaced. "It's not that!" Was it? I shoved that thought aside. "It's him moving in here without even asking me and refusing to go when I demanded it. It's him giving away my pets and flirting with Dr. Body."
Kelly laughed again. "I understand. But I still think it's a little more to it than that."
I stood up, bringing my hands up to my chest. "Are you serious? I'm not into Riley. I'm into Rex. Rex and I have a future together."
"I know, but you told me when you came back from the trip that your breakup with Riley, years back, was a total misunderstanding. And I have a sneaking suspicion that's part of why he came back here."
I thought about that. It was the same sneaking suspicion I'd been having since he arrived. Was Riley trying to get me back? Ridiculous.
"He's too busy throwing himself at Soo Jin." I motioned to the house. "He's pulling out all the stops and using his best panty-melting charms."
Kelly shook her head. "He's trying to make you jealous. Duh."
"Even if that's the case…and it isn't…it won't work. So why try?"
"Because he thinks he has a chance."
"Well, if he thinks that by giving away my kittens that I'll throw myself into his arms, he can forget about it," I grumbled.
"And I like Dr. Body. You should give her a chance." Kelly stood up, and I followed her back into the house.
But I didn't want to give that woman a chance.
"Are you going so soon?" Riley stood as we walked into the living room and gave Kelly a kiss on the cheek.
Kelly nodded. "I can't be away from the baby too much."
Dr. Body held out her hand and Kelly shook it. "It's so nice to meet you. Merry has been so great—inviting me to have lunch with her, giving me her kitties. This place really is a friendly town."
I felt a little guilt twisting in my gut. Why did she have to be so nice?
Kelly raised her eyebrows at me before turning back to Soo. "She's been my best friend since we were little. I don't know what I'd do without her." And with that, she left.
Soo picked up her purse. "I should go too. I only have the one day off, and there's still so much to do." Then, to my absolute surprise, the woman hugged me. "Thanks for lunch! And thanks for the kittens!"
I watched as she walked out the door. Moneypenny and Bond ran to the door and started pawing frantically at it. Then they jumped up and climbed the curtains, and when they saw Soo get in her car, started meowing. I guess they liked her. The traitors.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I filled Riley in on the reason for Kelly's visit.
"That's great of her to volunteer to help," Riley said. "But you're right to tell her she can't. These people are dangerous. And my goddaughter needs her mother."
"That's what I said," I grumbled. It sounded so much better coming from Riley.
"Hey, thanks for giving away my animals…" I grouched.
Riley looked surprised. "What? You were actually going to keep all four?"
"I don't know! I hadn't thought about it! But it was my decision to make. Not yours. And not just because some drop-dead gorgeous medical examiner bats her eyelash extensions at you."
He studied me for a moment. "Sorry about that. But I do think it's the right thing. Not only are two cats far more manageable, but it gets us into the doctor's good graces."
"That was about leverage?" I couldn't believe it.
"Half of it was. Remember, Soo Jin is the only person still living who's seen our killer couple."
A wash of cold fear flushed over me. "You think she's next on their list."
He nodded. "I tal
ked to Rex about this. He's going to keep an eye on her."
"When did you talk to Rex?" I sputtered.
"While you were outside with Kelly. I told Soo Jin that she should keep on her guard and gave her my number. Then I called Rex and he agreed to post an officer outside her house. Ted Dooley at the hospital is going to put one of his security guys on her when she's at work."
I stared at him as if he'd sprouted two heads. "You did all that while I was outside with Kelly."
Riley looked surprised. "It's standard operating procedure, Wrath."
He was right. And grudgingly, I had to admit he did the right thing.
"Do you think they'll really go after Dr. Body?" I asked.
"I don't know for sure, but it seems pretty likely."
"Was Soo Jin worried when you told her?" She was a civilian after all—not really used to the situations Riley and I were.
"Not too much. Did you know she has a black belt in Aikido?" Riley walked into the kitchen, and seeing the empty wine bottle on the counter, gave me a questioning look.
"That makes me feel a little better…" I said as I washed out the wine glasses. "I guess we should let Rex do his thing. Then we can do our thing."
Riley gave me a slightly slutty smile. "And what's our thing?"
Huh. Maybe Kelly was right. A little.
"Our thing is to find these bastards before they kill anyone else in my town," I answered.
Was I mistaken, or did Riley look a little disappointed? "I'm going to call the Agency and see if they've found out anything more." He walked down the hall to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.
That man was so frustrating! He confused me in every way possible. I needed some air. Grabbing my keys, I picked up Philby and headed to my car.
When I was worked up or upset, I drove around town. One time a month ago, I took Philby. She loved it. Maybe she needed a break from her kittens. Maybe she had a thing for cars. Whatever the reason, I backed out of the driveway with my cat sticking her head out of the passenger window.
Don't worry—I'd devised a little safety harness so she couldn't jump out. Philby acted like a dog with the wind whipping across her face. Her tail switched back and forth violently as we went. It looked like she had the right idea, so I opened my window too and felt the late afternoon breezes wash over me.
We started out driving on Main Street. Normally, I loved driving around, feeling invisible. But too late I forgot that would be impossible on this trip. Why? Because I had a neon pink cat hanging out of the window.
People stopped what they were doing and stood staring, jaws on the ground, at the bright pink Hitler cat hanging out of my window. What was I thinking? I'd just wanted to get away from it all, but "it all" was staring nonstop at me. I guess I'd gotten so used to my cat this color that I just assumed no one would notice.
I was wrong. No…scratch that…I was the wrongest wrong that I could be. Things got worse when I passed a bunch of teenagers and they immediately took out their cell phones and started snapping pictures. I could just imagine the caption on Facebook or Instagram: Crazy Cat Hoarder Dyes Cats Pink. Or, if we were lucky, we'd probably make the National Enquirer with some trumped up story about alien cats living in small-town Iowa.
I tried to pull Philby back down onto the seat, but she was having none of it. This was her "me" time, and how dare I try to take that away from her. Instead, I veered off of Main onto a quiet side street, making my way to the outer limits of town. When your pink cat parade doesn't work, try country roads.
When I turned sixteen and got my driver's license, I did what all other teenagers do. I drove from one end of town to the other. That took about ten minutes, so I'd do a circuit loop which added about twenty. Mom hated sending me to the store for something because I'd get it, and then drive around for half an hour, making dinner late.
That's when I'd discovered country roads. Sure, they were mostly gravel, which led to some pretty hair-raising fishtailing. But it was quiet. Peaceful. And beautiful. Yes, you heard me right. Beautiful.
There was nothing like driving alone on a road where you could see for fifteen miles in all directions. A green sea of corn stalks swayed in the breezes, and the ditches were full of bright orange lilies. Redwing blackbirds sat on fence posts every fifty feet or so, guarding their territory, and now and then you could spot a hawk circling lazily in the sky. If no one needed me home, I'd drive for hours, learning every back road around Who's There.
So that's where I headed. Out there, no one would notice my cat. Well, except for a hawk or two who'd probably think they'd hit the jackpot since their food practically glowed in the dark. Dusk was settling in, so we might come upon a deer or two.
As the tires hit gravel, my whole being relaxed. I hadn't done this in years. I wondered why. I've been here for almost two years and hadn't even thought of doing it.
Philby seemed a little less thrilled. Maybe she preferred the snapchatting kids or she loved the attention. And then, she spotted the blackbirds. This was better because her food wasn't moving. Of course, she had no access to it, but still, she could give the stink eye to a different bird every minute. And there'd always be another one and another one and another one.
I switched on the headlights and drove slowly, randomly turning right and left onto deserted roads. It was heaven. Pure heaven. Philby's tail switched violently as she started chattering at the birds we passed. I'm pretty sure they weren't intimidated.
About three miles outside of town, I turned right to find an old, decaying farmhouse with a crumbling barn. This was the old Philips' place, even though it was abandoned long before I was born. Rumor was, when I was in high school, this was where most underage kegger parties were held. I say '"rumor" because I wasn't popular enough to be invited to said parties. Not that I minded. Okay, I minded. A little.
I turned off my lights and pulled over on the shoulder. The house was a Victorian with lots of embellishments. It must've been beautiful at one time. But now the paint had peeled off down to the natural wood. Windows were broken long ago, and the roof sagged. It wasn't creepy. It was sad to see the house in such disrepair.
Word was the Philips family had moved into town in the 1970s. They still owned the land out here and farmed a great deal of it, but the original buildings were allowed to fall apart. I unbuckled my seat belt to move closer to the passenger window for a better view. The sky's color ranged to one matching my cat and faded into a deep violet.
For a moment, I entertained the idea of buying this lot and fixing up the place. Bring it back to its original glory. But then, what would I do with it? I guess I could farm Riley out here when he showed up, maybe turn it into a bed and breakfast for the CIA.
Riley. Kelly thought he came here to see me, more than to steal a body. We had a past. A very romantic one—that was shattered when I caught him holding another woman. I dumped him immediately. But recently it turned out that I'd been mistaken. The whole thing had been a mistake. A mistake Riley seriously regretted.
Was he back here to woo me? Did I want him to woo me?
Oh for crying out loud, Wrath! You have Rex now. And Rex lives here—he's not in the CIA and won't ever disappear for months at a time. Riley is over. We're just friends. Just because he keeps barging into my life doesn't mean I have to be with him.
Ugh! Why does everything have to be so complicated? Maybe Riley flirting with Soo Jin wasn't a bad thing. Maybe it's just what I need. Yes! That's the answer! I'll encourage the two of them. And then I don't have to worry about her and Rex.
Rex. That man was amazing. Handsome, funny, sexy, smart—he was everything a woman could ever want. And I loved him. And he loved me. He also loved my cats. The man made my stomach flutter, and sometimes being around him made me feel like I was gasping for air.
I leaned back in my seat, feeling much better. It's amazing what some fresh air, a pink cat, and a drive in the country can do. Now it was time to go back. Maybe I'd pick up some fried chicken. Riley had n
ever had Whitey's Chicken. It was the best in the whole state. And it was made and sold in a gas station.
With a new sense of purpose, I reached to turn the key in the ignition. And that's when I saw it.
A couple of average height and brown hair appeared in the doorway of the house and walked to the dilapidated barn. I heard an engine rev before a white pickup truck drove out of the barn. I started the engine but kept the lights off, backing down the road as fast as I could. In the dim light, they wouldn't notice the plume of dust that usually telegraphed the presence of another car.
Backing up instead of going forward would hide me for a moment, but that's about all. Backing up on a dark road with no lights and turning left at the same time was quite a challenge, and I managed it just as the nose of the truck came into view.
My heart was pounding as I spotted a culvert over a ditch that led into a cornfield. These were little driveways for farmers who wanted to check their crops. I backed in over the culvert and as far into the field as I could without destroying the corn stalks. Once I was enclosed on three sides, I turned the car off and, grabbing an irritated Philby, dove for the floor.
The rumbling engine was getting closer. Damn. I'd hoped they'd turn right onto the road and I'd avoid them completely. Maybe they wouldn't see us. It was very dark now, and their headlights wouldn't sweep my car. I hunkered down and waited.
The truck engine moved past my position so slowly I thought my heart would stop. I thought about defending myself, but all I had readily at hand was a grumpy pink cat and my cell phone. I'd only grabbed my wallet when I fled the house earlier.
In any other instance, I could take them. But there were two people. And if they were who I thought they were, they were well armed. I'd have to rely on either running them over or escaping through the field.
The engine told me the truck was right in front of my car. I held my breath. Philby didn't even fidget. She seemed to know this wasn't a good time. Smart cat. At last, the engine noise faded away, and I exhaled. I still waited a few more minutes, just to make sure, before sitting back up.
Movie Night Murder Page 13