3 Dime If I Know

by Maggie Toussaint

  “Don’t you worry. I’ll figure out who killed that woman. Britt made a mistake. Rafe’s a good person, even if he is a little stubborn about his family.”

  “That’s a bad sign.” Mama glanced up when the door opened and a vibrant brunette dressed in pickle green appeared. “Look what the wind blew in—Johnsy.”

  Jonette hurried over to hug us both. “Why didn’t you call me? I went by the house to play with the puppies between shifts at the Tavern and your puppysitters told me Rafe had been arrested. Unfortunately, Muriel and Francine didn’t have a single detail to relay.”

  “Because there aren’t any. Rafe wasn’t arrested. He’s being questioned about Starr’s homicide as a ‘person of interest.’ I’m glad you’re here. I could use the company.”

  “What am I?” Mama asked. “A broken record?”

  I covered Mama’s clasped hands. “You’re company, too. I’m glad you’re both here. Poor Rafe. I wish I could be in there with him.”

  “He has Bud,” Mama said, pride ringing in her voice. “Bud will get him out of there as soon as he can.”

  “What’s this I hear about Rafe’s secret baby?” Jonette asked as we all sat down.

  Mama cackled. I silenced her with a sharp look. “Rafe says it isn’t his child,” I said. “Starr Jeffries, the dead woman, is survived by a five-year-old daughter, which I learned about at Starr’s funeral, and which Starr’s neighbor told us about when we snooped around her mobile home park. What we didn’t know through all this, having never seen the kid, is that she strongly resembles Rafe. Given that coincidence, Britt is certain Rafe is a killing machine.”

  “Seriously? Rafe’s ex-girlfriend’s kid looks like him, Rafe denies fathering the kid, and you believe him?”

  “Starr had a kid.” I held her gaze. “Rafe says the child isn’t his.”

  “A kid. If Britt’s right about the paternity, Rafe could have a kid living with him in the next few days. Boy, how’d you like to wake up one day and find out you had a daughter you didn’t even know about? That would be a serious shocker.” Jonette stared at the bubblegum machine across the room. “The thing I don’t get is how Starr managed. By all accounts, she drank too much and couldn’t hold a job. How’d she support herself and a kid if she was a drunk?”

  I hugged myself to keep from shuddering. I couldn’t imagine what that cute kid had gone through in such an unstable home environment. I knew Rafe helped Starr financially, but I’d promised to keep that private. I tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. “What if the sister’s a drunk, too? What will happen to Kylie? How will her father, whoever he is, respond? Do you think one of Rafe’s male relatives is the father?”

  Before she could answer, the lobby doors opened again, and Rafe’s siblings swept in. Regina ignored us and marched straight to the plexiglass receptionist’s window. “Release my brother Rafe Golden at once, or I’ll sue everyone in this building.”

  Hill trailed behind her, a little pale around the gills. Regina’s assistant, Mary, looked efficient in a conservative brown business suit. She stood behind her boss, pen and note pad at the ready.

  The staffer behind the glass scowled. “Take a seat, miss. No need to sue anyone. He’ll be out when the detective is finished questioning him.”

  “How do I post his bond?” Regina continued as if the woman hadn’t spoken.

  “He hasn’t been arrested, so there’s no bond to post. If he is arrested, Mrs. Jones plans to post his bail. There’s nothing further you can do at the moment. Have a seat in the lobby.”

  Rafe’s sister growled and turned on me. “What business do you have posting my brother’s bail? Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I was with him when he was brought in for questioning. It seemed expedient to be prepared to take care of the matter myself.”

  “Where’d you get the dough?”

  How rude. I struggled to hold my temper. If she wasn’t Rafe’s sister, I’d be tempted to forget my manners. “I may not be a Golden, but I have resources. Besides, Rafe isn’t a flight risk.”

  “He isn’t going to jail, I can promise you that. My legal team is on the way from Bethesda. I’m throwing the weight of Golden Enterprises behind Rafe’s defense.”

  Last I heard Rafe didn’t want her legal eagles on his team, but maybe being here at the police station had changed his perspective.

  “Sure is a lot of squawking going on in here,” Mama said. “Who let the birds out?”

  My jaw dropped. This was no time for Mama to speak her mind. “Mama.”

  “I’m stating the truth. It sets us free, remember?”

  “Let’s try to cooperate here.” I made the introductions. Mama and Jonette sized up the Goldens in glittering silence. I turned to Rafe’s brother. “You doing all right, Hill?”

  “Police stations bring back bad memories for me,” he said.

  “Nonsense.” Regina flicked her slender, jeweled wrist. “That was all years ago, and this isn’t even the same cop shop.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Hill said, digging his hands deep in his pockets. “They all have an air of sameness. Would Rafe mind if I waited outside?”

  “Of course he’d mind,” Regina snapped.

  “It won’t matter to him,” I answered at the same time. “He’ll be touched you came.”

  Hill shot me a grateful smile, turned, and left the building. Regina glared at me. “He’ll never grow up if you make it easy for him,” she said. “Hill needs to get past those childhood fears.”

  “Not everyone has an iron will.” Or an iron bra, I thought to myself. “Or the courage to face their fear on a moment’s notice. I give him credit for walking in here when he knew it would be uncomfortable.”

  My comment earned me another glare. I concluded Regina liked having the last word. She was rude and domineering. A real head case with a bee in her tiara.

  “No wonder Rafe doesn’t want to be around his family,” Mama whispered to Jonette loud enough for everyone to hear. “His sister’s an Amazon on crack.”

  “I don’t do drugs,” Regina hurled at Mama. “And I eat white-haired ladies like you for breakfast.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Mama shot to her feet and pushed forward into Regina.

  I caught my friend’s eye. “Jonette, would you escort Mama outside for some fresh air? Please?”

  My friend shot me a pained look but rose to her feet. “Come on, Delilah. Let’s step outside.”

  “Forget that,” Mama said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  I couldn’t referee a cat fight in here. My best chance at containing this volcano was to keep Mama occupied. “I would consider it a personal favor if you and Jonette would get me a chocolate bar from the vending machine by the door.”

  Bless her, Jonette took pity on me. “Of course we will. Anything you want.” With a deadly glare at Regina, Jonette cupped Mama’s arm and dragged her away. My temples throbbed with the strain of holding onto my composure. I turned to Mary and summoned a smile. “How have you been?”

  Her eyes grew wide, as if in fear. There was a barely discernible head nod in Regina’s direction along with a microscopic headshake. “Busy.”

  I got the message. Mary didn’t speak freely in front of her boss. Great. Fresh out of ideas, I stared at my hands clasped in my lap. The door opened and closed with two uniforms entering the lobby. My hopes soared as they neared, hoping they were coming to ask me to step behind the locked doors for my own personal security, but no such luck. They continued through the lobby as if we were furniture in the room.

  God, I hated waiting. I’d much rather be doing something. My brain needed to be active or my feet needed to move. One or the other needed to happen, or I would explode from pent-up energy.

  “If I give you fifty thousand dollars in cash, will you bow out of my brother’s life?” Regina asked.

  Did Regina say that? I glanced over at Rafe’s sister and replayed her words in my head. Yes, she did offer me money. How rude. How degrading
. How impossible. “No.”

  Like a veteran poker player holding a winning hand, she didn’t flinch. “I’ll double the amount. A hundred thousand. Will you leave him alone for that much?”

  Of all the nerve. I lurched into a fighter’s posture, my weight balanced on the pads of my feet, my arms ready to swing. “Why are you trying to get rid of me?”

  Regina leaned down and got in my face. “You’re nosy and pushy, and I want better for my brother.”

  The door opened behind me, but I didn’t bother to look. I couldn’t. This woman didn’t intimidate me. “Nosy is who I am, pushy is how I am. If you don’t like it, lump it.”

  Bud Flook cleared his throat. “Ladies?”

  CHAPTER 24

  * * *

  Rafe hurried to my side. “Cleo?”

  I hugged him close, relieved to breathe in his familiar scent, so very thankful he hadn’t been arrested after all. “I’m happy to see you.” His heart raced beneath my ear. I blinked back tears. “I’m sorry you walked into that ugly scene. I was provoked.”

  “What did I walk into?” he asked, his concerned eyes for me alone.

  “Nothing, really. A misunderstanding.”

  He kept an arm around my shoulder and glared at the group around us. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?”

  “Your sister tried to buy Cleo off, that’s what,” Mama crowed as Bud joined her. “She insulted me and Cleo, and I’m sure she would have lit into Johnsy if she’d had enough time.”

  He made no outward sign the news affected him, but I felt his spine stiffen. I saw the micro-tick in his cheek. “You will apologize right now, Regina,” he said.

  “Honestly, Rafe, I don’t understand why you want to slum with these people,” his sister said. “They don’t matter. They don’t care about you. Mom and Dad sent me up here to bring you home.”

  “Regina!”

  “Oh, all right. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

  “You may be in charge of operating Golden Enterprises, but you’re not in charge of my life,” he said. “Your interference isn’t necessary or wanted. Go home, please.”

  “I’m supposed to bring you back with me.”

  “Forget it. My home is here in Hogan’s Glen.”

  What would Rafe do next? Would he throw his sister out of the police station? Would he storm off on his own?

  I knew about his low estimation of his family, but the mediator in me sensed an opportunity. If he turned his back on them now, he’d burn a valuable bridge. I didn’t want him to feel he had to choose between his family and me. I wanted him to reconcile with his parents and siblings. They didn’t have to be best buddies, but surely they could be civil.

  There was nothing quite like the feeling that your family had your back. Rafe’s estrangement from his relatives denied him of that source of comfort and encouragment. I couldn’t have made it without my parents and that was a fact.

  “We could drive to Potomac and reassure your parents that you’re all right,” I offered.

  “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it’s a lost cause,” Rafe said.

  “Listen to Cleo,” Mama said. “Family is important.” She nudged Bud. “Tell him.”

  “Family is important,” Bud parroted, a goofy smile on his weathered face.

  “Nice to see your lawyer’s got a flexible spine and an independent mind,” Regina said.

  Rafe tucked me closer under his side. “Play nice, or you aren’t welcome here.”

  “Mary and I will wait in the car. When you decide what you’re going to do, let me know ASAP.”

  Mary shot us an apologetic look before trailing after her boss. I drew a full breath for the first time since his sister stormed into the lobby. “She sure broadcasts her feelings.”

  “I thought she’d never leave,” Jonette said. “What was it like growing up with a ninja assassin as a sister?”

  “My sister is a complicated person,” Rafe said in a flat voice. “We all are, but I won’t make excuses for her rude behavior today. She was wrong to be so hurtful. I apologize for her callous remarks.”

  I blinked back more tears.

  He smoothed my hair. “Bud told me of your plan to bail me out. I can’t believe you were willing to put up your house as collateral. I’m touched by your faith in me, but I’ve been in a tight spot before. The way to survive is to keep your head down and stay off the radar screen.”

  I stepped back, appalled at his inertia. My gut kinked. “Maybe that worked for another situation, but you need more for this one. Britt is a freight train when it comes to a murder investigation. He muscles over everything and everyone. We have to be proactive. Sitting back on your heels will earn you an orange jumpsuit and a life behind bars.”

  He looked away, sighed heavily, and met my gaze head-on. “You’re exaggerating to scare me.”

  “To see you standing here in the police station so calmly, I’m not sure anything scares you. If I were in your shoes, I’d be climbing the walls right about now.”

  “We’re different people. I am concerned about the investigation, but justice will prevail. I have right on my side. I didn’t do it.”

  I shook my head and pressed my hand against my writhing stomach. “You can’t leave your fate in the detective’s hands. Britt is wrong about who killed Starr, and I’m going to prove it.”

  He closed the gap between us and took my hand. “I appreciate your insight, but the potential danger worries me. You’ve had close calls before, and you can only cheat death so many times. Let the professionals handle this.”

  Jonette snorted. “The professionals in Hogan’s Glen couldn’t find a killer in a haystack. Or at least, they couldn’t find him or her in time. Cleo’s your best shot at clearing your name.”

  “I’ve got plenty of time,” Rafe said. “Plus, I’ve got a great lawyer. I don’t see the problem.”

  “The problem is that time is critical.” I jabbed my finger in his unyielding chest. Jonette and Mama flanked my other side. I could see their heads nodding in agreement. Everyone seemed to be on board except Rafe. How could I make him understand? “Evidence gets washed away. Memories fade. People move or die. If you want a fair shake at clearing your name, we need to be proactive about this.”

  Rafe shrugged his shoulders almost up to his ears. “I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t have the same sense of urgency.”

  Lord, save me from dense men. “I have enough urgency for both of us. I’ve been to this rodeo before, and it ain’t pretty.”

  “What rodeo?”

  “Britt’s wild bull express. It’ll brand you as a marked man, and you’ll be writing your memoirs in prison.”

  “I didn’t do it,” Rafe said.

  My hands shot up in the air, and I groaned. How could he totally miss the point? I don’t know how I could state my concerns any clearer. Was he being totally thickheaded, or was I speaking a foreign language? I glared at my boyfriend. All along I’d thought his laid-back personality was a plus, but now I saw it as a giant handicap. This was no time to sit on the sidelines. It was time to get in the game.

  Jonette tapped on my shoulder. “Enough already. Can we leave?”

  “I need ice cream and pie,” Mama said. “All this stress is doing a number on me. Comfort food is exactly what I need.”

  “The pie shop it is, my treat,” Bud said. “Who’s in?”

  Jonette and Mama chimed in. Rafe said nothing. My whirling thoughts strayed to his ballbusting sister out in the parking lot. I bet she’d never set foot in a pie shop.

  “Cleo? You want pie?” Bud asked.

  Rafe needed our help. If he wouldn’t cooperate with my investigation, maybe he’d listen about his support system. “I do. But there’s something more important to consider. An opportunity to mend fences.”

  “Are we still talking about the rodeo?” Rafe asked.

  “We’re talking about your family,” I said.

  Rafe paled.

  Mama nodde
d her encouragement. “You’re right. Nothing like a spot of trouble to bring out the best or worst in a family. You guys should hop in the car and go see his folks. If this doesn’t bring them up to scratch, nothing will.”

  “Bad idea.” Rafe backed up, his hands held high. “You’ve seen my sister. My family doesn’t draw together in times of crisis. We scatter to the four corners of the earth.”

  Finally! A reaction. I could work with a reaction. “You need to rebuild this bridge to your relatives,” I said. “We need to give them this opportunity to step up and support you emotionally.”

  At that, Rafe laughed. “Your heart’s in the right place, but my family throws money at a problem. They don’t dirty their hands.”

  “They will this time. Your reputation and your freedom are at stake.”

  People ebbed and swirled around us in the police station. I hoped Rafe would yield on this point. I couldn’t carry the entire load here. We needed his family to be on board with my “free-Rafe” strategy.

  He studied my face. “You’re determined to do this?”

  He hadn’t said no. I clung to that fact. He might take this important step. “Absolutely. Family is important, and if yours doesn’t come around, at least we tried.”

  “Then we take my car, and we come home when I say. Are we agreed?”

  I smiled. “Agreed.”

  CHAPTER 25

  * * *

  “Sure, Bud can stay in my room tonight, Mama. No problem.” I tried not to gasp into the phone at the sumptuous estates outside my car window. It wouldn’t surprise me if each home had stables, airplanes, yachts, and a golf course or two in its backyard.

  Rafe slowed to turn into a paved drive flanked by towering ivy-covered brick pillars. Ornamental pear trees arched over the winding drive. Every blade of grass looked as if it had been groomed to perfection. The lawn seemed to go on forever. Holy cow. I’d entered the land of the rich and famous.

  Belatedly, I realized Mama had been asking about dinner for the kids, and I hadn’t heard a word she said. “Whatever you’d like to do is fine with me,” I said, hoping Mama’s suggestion had been reasonable. “You’re in charge until I get back tomorrow. I need to go because we’ve arrived at the Golden residence. Thanks for watching the girls for me.”