“The DA has subpoenaed all the financial records for the Sherwood House Trust,” Higgins said. “What I suspect we’ll learn is that Angelica mismanaged or flat out stole your money. I want to apologize for your experience here, being arrested and all. We were going on the information we had.”
Sawyer digested the sheriff’s apology. “I guess your administration just inherited the lies that the previous sheriff had told.”
Higgins nodded. “That doesn’t make it right. I hope you can forgive us. That’s not what this town is all about.”
“Any idea why no one here seemed to recognize me?”
Sheriff Higgins shrugged. “You were a bit of a loner. From what I’ve heard, you spent most of your time renovating your house.”
Jordan chuckled. “That’s what he does for a living in Nocturne Falls.”
The sheriff grinned. “He didn’t need to work back then. I believe that your parents’estate left you financially independent.”
Jordan cleared her throat. “Sheriff, the woman who works in the gift shop at the Sherwood House—”
“Gladys?” Higgins interjected. “What about her?”
“She’s involved in this.” Jordan leveled a worried stare at Sawyer. “I mean, I suspect that she is.”
The sheriff’s smile faded. “Well, technically, Gladys works for Angelica.”
Jordan pursed her lips for several moments before speaking. “I overheard the two women talking. Angelica said that they had a bargain and that if Gladys kept her mouth shut, everything would be okay.”
Higgins scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’ll bring Gladys in for questioning.”
“Is she a friend of yours?” Sawyer asked.
“Not exactly. Gladys was my Sunday school teacher when I was a kid. I’ve always liked her.” He drew a long breath. “I’ll bring her in for questioning in the morning.”
Sunday school teacher or not, the woman was probably complicit in a crime. If she was, she had to be brought to justice.
Higgins stood. “If y’all need a place to stay tonight, the town keeps a suite available at The Breakers, over near the beach. We usually put up visiting dignitaries, but you’re welcome to use it.”
Jordan gave Sawyer a discreet thumbs up.
When they walked through the glass doors into the hotel’s lobby a little while later, Jordan gasped. “Nice!”
Sawyer had to agree. And their suite was just as opulent as the rest of the place, with a wide balcony overlooking the ocean, a huge living room with a full bar and a projection TV, and two bedrooms—each with a private bath and a whirlpool tub. But he was too exhausted to do anything but fall into the king-sized bed and shut his eyes.
He’d had one hell of a day. Tomorrow would truly be the first day of the rest of his life.
A knock at his bedroom door surprised him. “Come in,” he told Jordan.
She entered wearing those adorable cat and dog pajamas, looking like the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
He wouldn’t have to wait until morning to start living his life after all.
Chapter Thirteen
Jordan paced the sheriff’s outer office as she waited for Sheriff Higgins to finish questioning Gladys Peters. When the air conditioner kicked on, she rubbed her arms. “I didn’t see my sweater in the car,” she said.
Sawyer looked up at her from the vinyl couch. “Did you leave it at the hotel?”
“Maybe.” Her mind had been on other things this morning when they’d checked out, like how her muscles were a little sore from using her body in all sorts of delicious ways. Even though she’d been incredibly tired when they’d settled into their suite at The Breakers, somehow, she’d found the energy to show Sawyer just how much she liked him.
He stood up and attached his cat’s leash to her harness. “I’m going to take Kitty for a walk.”
But before he’d made it to the door, Gladys came out of the sheriff’s office. Her face was streaked with tears.
She approached Sawyer and hung her head. “I’m so sorry that I didn’t have the courage to speak up years ago.”
Lines fanned out from the corners of Sawyer’s eyes. “Why didn’t you?”
Gladys’s shoulders stooped. “I tried. I wrote you an anonymous note several years ago and left it in your mailbox. Did you get it?”
His eyes widened. “I might have.”
“The letter you had on you when you woke in the woods?” Jordan asked him.
He sat down and scratched his head. “Yes, that’s what it was. I remember now. It was handwritten but formal. It started with ‘Dear Mr. Harrison.’ Which is why I thought my name was Harry.”
“It got wet,” Jordan explained to the older woman. “Most of the ink washed off.”
Gladys sat next to Sawyer. “I can’t apologize enough. I told you in the letter that Angelica had been skimming money from your share of the Sherwood House Trust for years. You see, I was the bookkeeper for the charity.”
Sheriff Higgins came over. “The DA’s office will be in touch with you soon, Gladys.”
She cringed. “I understand.”
Higgins touched the woman’s shoulder. “Try not to worry too much.”
After Gladys left, Sheriff Higgins told Sawyer and Jordan that the DA had offered Gladys immunity from prosecution if she testified against Angelica. She’d agreed.
“What about my dear old aunt?” Sawyer’s nostrils flared. “I hope they’ll throw the book at her.”
Higgins nodded. “That’s the plan. My deputies arrested her a little while ago. Anything you can recall will help.”
“My memories are returning in bits and pieces.”
The sheriff crouched to pet Kitty. “The DA suggested that we bring in a psychologist who specializes in trauma and memory loss. He’ll be arriving in town next week from New York. I hope you’ll stick around for that.”
Sawyer met Jordan’s stare. “We’ve got to get back to Nocturne Falls,” he said. “But I’ll come back for that.”
Jordan hated the idea of leaving Cat’s Paw Cove, but she had responsibilities back in Nocturne Falls. She couldn’t expect her sister to keep taking care of the Tuckers’ cats.
As they left the station, she shivered at the cool morning air. She opened the trunk of her car and rummaged through it in search of her sweater, but it wasn’t there. “I wish I knew where my sweater was.”
“When did you last wear it?” Sawyer asked.
She racked her brain to remember. “The cat café. I bet it’s there.”
Sawyer offered his hand. “Let’s go.”
Excitement bubbled inside Jordan. She’d been hoping for a chance to return to the café. She adored the atmosphere, and she really liked Luna, the barista. But walking hand in hand with Sawyer, she realized that it was more than the prospect of visiting the café again. She hadn’t been this happy in a very long time. And that was all on Sawyer. But what if he decided to return to Cat’s Paw Cove? Would their fledgling romance survive the difficulties of a long-distance relationship?
“I’ve been thinking,” Sawyer said.
“Yeah? About what?”
They waited for the traffic light to change before crossing the street.
“I’m remembering a lot of what happened to me here. My aunt locked me in that dark closet in her garage for days at a time. As soon as I was old enough to move out, I did. I bought my own house on the outskirts of town. And I was a hermit.”
Jordan’s chest constricted. “I understand that after all you’d suffered at your aunt’s hands.”
“My memory is still a lot like a piece of Swiss cheese, all full of holes and blank spaces.”
They turned into the courtyard toward the cat café. The calming sound of the water fountain and the sweet floral aromas surrounded Jordan like a cozy silk shawl. She wished that she could spend more time there.
“I’m also beginning to recall things from before my parents’ death, lots of great memories.”
Jordan gulped. “Do
es that mean you’re considering moving back here?” Not that she could blame him if he wanted to live there. If she could, she’d have made the same decision.
Sawyer exhaled. “I have my business back in Nocturne Falls, and you.” He stopped walking and faced her.
Her heart fluttered.
“Sawyer? Sawyer Harrison, is that you?” A tall woman with blue hair ran over and practically leaped into Sawyer’s arms.
Jordan backed away. Who was the beauty queen? His wife? Girlfriend? Tears stung behind Jordan’s eyes but she clenched her jaw to keep herself from crying.
The brunette kissed Sawyer’s cheeks in turn. “I’d almost given up hope of ever seeing you again.” She hooked her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest.
Jordan couldn’t take any more. She slipped inside the café and sank onto a chair.
Luna squealed as she approached her. “You’re back! I didn’t know how to reach you.”
Jordan managed a nod. “So you found my sweater?”
“Hmm?” Understanding registered in the barista’s expression. “Oh, yes. We did.”
Jordan wiped a tear from her face. “Great, thanks.”
“But that’s not why I wanted to talk to you.” Luna sat at the table with her and called over her shoulder at the dark-haired young man behind the counter. “Leo, I’m taking my break now.”
He gave her a thumbs up as he poured coffee into a blender.
Luna turned back around. “So I wanted to tell you that Tiger does have an issue with his tooth, an abscess. He’s at the vet’s now.”
Jordan tried to banish the image of that woman kissing Sawyer. She shut her eyes for a moment then focused on Luna. “Who?”
“The cat, Tiger. You told me that he wasn’t eating because there was a problem with his tooth. And there is.” Luna clasped her hands on the table and leaned in closer. “What I don’t understand is how you knew that.”
Jordan sat up taller in her seat. “Well, I…like I told you yesterday, it was a lucky guess.”
Luna’s lips bunched to one side. She lowered her voice. “Or perhaps, Tiger told you.”
She looked into Luna’s deep brown eyes. If only Jordan’s telepathic gifts worked on humans. “I…um…”
“You read his mind?” Luna raised an eyebrow. “I’ve heard of people who have that power. And I’m very interested.”
“Interested?”
The other woman smiled. “What’s wrong with me? You don’t know me from Adam’s house cat, do you?” She offered her hand. “I’m Luna Halpern. My brother Leo and I own this place.” Glancing over her shoulder again, she yelled, “Leo, say hi.”
“Hi.” He rolled his eyes and laughed.
Jordan shook with her. “Jordan Vaughn.”
“Nice to meet you, Jordan. I’ll cut to the chase. We just lost our rescue manager, the person who ran the cat rescue side of things. Leo and I know the coffee house business, but neither of us is an expert in feline stuff.”
“Well, I don’t know if I’d call myself an expert,” Jordan said. “I mean, I don’t have any formal education or training.”
“But you can communicate with them.”
Jordan’s head buzzed. So much had happened in the past few days. How was she supposed to think when Sawyer was probably right outside canoodling with that woman? “Do you have my sweater?”
“Huh?” Luna frowned. “If you left it here, it’ll be in the lost and found box. Over there.” She pointed to the far corner.
Jordan headed over there and plucked her sweater from the box.
“Would you at least think about it?” Luna asked.
“About what?”
“A job. I’d like you to manage the café rescue part of this place.” Luna grinned, and Jordan noticed that she and Leo had the exact same smile, and their eyes were the identical shade of brown. She closed the distance between them and handed Jordan a business card. “Best way to reach me is a Facebook message. Promise me you’ll let me know.”
Jordan stashed the card in her purse. “Um, yeah. Sure.”
“Yay!” Luna pulled her into a hug. “Sorry, I’m a total space invader, but only when I like someone.” She backed away. “Can I get you a latte? On the house, of course.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Sawyer near the fountain in the courtyard. “No thanks. I’ll be in touch.” When she left the café, she realized that Sawyer was talking on the phone. The woman he’d been playing kissy-face with was nowhere in sight. Good.
“Thanks, Sheriff,” Sawyer said into the phone. “I appreciate it.” He disconnected then met Jordan’s stare. “I guess you found your sweater.”
“And what did you find? Or rather, who found you?” She regretted the question the instant it left her mouth. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
Sawyer pulled her to a wrought iron bistro table and sat down with her. He set Kitty on the ground. “Of course it’s your business.” He started to speak, but stopped and averted his gaze. Was he nervous to tell her that the woman had meant something to him in the past? That she still did?”
Jordan braced herself for another letdown. Wasn’t as if she hadn’t had her heart broken before. She’d survive. “Just say it, Sawyer. I’m a big girl.”
His brow creased. “It’s difficult to say.”
She swallowed hard.
“Her name is Martine,” he finally said. “She told me a lot of things, answered many questions for me.”
“Were the two of you…close?” Jordan didn’t really want him to answer that. It was going to hurt too much.
“Very.”
Her insides twisted.
“She works at the salon in town, Claws-N-Coifs. I think she said that she does nails.”
Good for her.
Sawyer slid his chair closer. “Apparently, some people who lived here back when my parents died suspected that the boating accident that took their lives wasn’t an accident at all.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll speak to Sheriff Higgins about that, but it’s probably too long ago to prove anything.”
“You think your aunt had something to with it?” she asked.
“That would be my guess. Maybe Angelica’s late husband.” Sawyer shrugged. “I wonder if Gladys knows more than she’s saying.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Martine also told me that my uncle, Sheriff Jespers, had a gambling problem. That was well known around town.” Tiny muscles around his jaw ticked. “Martine said that I told her things about my childhood, the time after my parents died when I lived with the Jespers. I told her that they used to lock me in that closet in the garage. So my memory of that is true.”
Jordan clenched her jaw to keep from crying. She squeezed Sawyer’s hand. “That’s so awful.”
“Yeah. Martine never believed Angelica’s claim that I’d run off with almost a million dollars that I’d stolen from the Sherwood House Trust. But at the time, with the sheriff being Angelica’s husband, she had no recourse.”
Jordan had to know what Sawyer’s relationship had been with Martine. “So you two were…dating?”
Sawyer widened his eyes. “Martine and I?” He shook his head and smiled. “Martine Harrison? She’s my cousin.”
All the tension in Jordan’s neck and shoulders eased. “Your cousin.” That was a relief. She smiled. “You’ll never believe this. Luna—the woman who owns the cat café—she offered me a job there.”
“Wow, you’re kidding!”
“I mean, I doubt I’ll accept, but I’m flattered.” She glanced at the café window. “We didn’t discuss a salary or anything. It’s probably silly for me to even consider her offer. I’ve got a business in Nocturne Falls and my sister.” A business that barely makes me enough to eat.
“I hope you’ll take this. It’s perfect for you.”
She laughed. “That’s exactly what Luna said. Speaking of Nocturne Falls, I should really get back there today. I can’t expect my twin to keep
doing my job.”
Sawyer stood up. “Let’s go. We can be back before nightfall.”
With a final glance at the café and a wave to the two cats in the window, she took Sawyer’s hand and along with his cat, headed to her car for the trip back to Nocturne Falls.
She was going to miss Cat’s Paw Cove.
Sawyer finished packing his toolbox after his first day back at the Tuckers’ house. Glancing out the window at Jordan as she clipped lavender blooms and stuck them in a basket, he smiled. In a yellow dress and a big sunhat, she was lovely. He was falling in love.
His cell buzzed in his pocket. When he checked it and saw Sheriff Higgins’s number on the display, he immediately answered. “Afternoon, Sheriff.”
“How are you, Mr. Harrison?” the sheriff asked.
“I’d be better if you’d call me Sawyer.” Although he was still getting used to the name, he liked it better than Harry.
“Deal. And you can call me RJ. I wanted to update you on the investigation.”
Sawyer sat on the wingback chair. “Okay.”
“Boris Komisky was transferred to the county jail. The DA interviewed him there. He admitted to being in Nocturne Falls last week. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t own up to breaking into your house or truck there, or the one where Jordan was staying. But we’ve got him on several other charges, including assault and aggravated battery. Suffice it to say that Mr. Komisky will be a guest of the state for many years.”
“Glad to hear it, Sheriff. What about my dear old aunt?”
“Thanks to Gladys, we’re charging Angelica with attempted murder and embezzlement. She’ll be locked away even longer than Komisky. If Parnell Jespers were still alive, he’d be locked up, too.”
Relief coursed through him. He was finally free to go on with his life.
“Can I suggest something?” the sheriff asked.
“Sure.”
“You’ve been through a lot. But you’ll have control of all your assets back very soon. Take some time off to process and heal.”
The idea of an extended vacation appealed to him. But if he couldn’t talk Jordan into joining him, it wouldn’t be very enjoyable. “Thanks for the advice, Sheriff.”
Courting The Cat Whisperer: A Nocturne Falls Universe story Page 13