She wrinkled her pert nose. “ ‘Boss’ is such a crass term. I much prefer ‘employer.’ ” She grabbed his arm again. “He signed the contract last night. He’s such a dear too. I was running late and forgot to call him until I was outside. Then I got my coat stuck in the car door, and he had to help me with it.” Her hand came up, lightly caressed the side of his cheek. “I think he’s going to work out splendidly, though, don’t you?”
So, he hadn’t lied—his meeting with Petra had been business, although I got the distinct impression Petra wouldn’t mind mixing business with pleasure where the handsome man was concerned. Then again, Petra felt that way about most men. I felt an odd sense of relief as I smiled and remarked, “Oh, yes. Just splendid.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, because you’ll be seeing him a lot. Who knows, I may eventually give him my spot on the shelter board. We’ll have to see.” She turned to Doug. “Our table is ready,” she said, pointing to the other end of the large room. “We still have a few more contracts to go over.” She turned back to me. “Do say hello to Kat for me. I’ll see you at next month’s meeting.” With that, she sashayed away. I noticed that several men turned to watch her as she wiggled past.
My eyes twinkled as I looked at Doug again. “So this is a working breakfast?”
He grinned. “Yes. Don’t tell my new employer, but she can be a bit of a tyrant.”
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me.” I smiled back. “Good luck in your new position.”
“Thanks. Don’t worry—we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.” He balanced his plate in one hand, leaned over, and hissed, “Remember, solve it before this coming Saturday and there’s a nice dinner in your future. You and your detective boyfriend, of course,” he added quickly. “We can make it a double date.” With a broad wink, he turned and moved off in the direction Petra had gone.
“Well, with an incentive like that, I guess I’d better get busy,” I murmured. Although I couldn’t help but wonder … who would Doug be bringing to this double date? Petra? Or had he met someone else already?
I added a small fruit cup and a large blueberry muffin to the pile of bacon and sausage on my plate and wended my way back to my table. Leila was already there, digging into a scrumptious-looking helping of eggs Benedict. “Ew ahs unk ah aw oo it.”
“Chew, swallow, repeat,” I advised.
Leila obediently chewed and swallowed, then said, “Who was the hunk I saw you with?”
I unfolded my napkin and spread it across my lap. “That is our new properties manager. Petra hired him yesterday. He’s also the guy I spilled coffee on at the event.”
“What?!”
I repeated the story of my faux pas from yesterday. When I’d finished, Leila picked up her water glass, took a long sip, then regarded me over its rim. “Have you got the hots for him?” she asked bluntly.
“What? Who? Doug? No!” I sputtered.
She shot me a mischievous grin. “But you think he’s cute.”
“One would have to be blind not to think he’s cute. I’m with Will, remember?”
“I remember. Does Will?”
I popped a slice of bacon in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “Your point?”
“You and Will haven’t seen that much of each other lately.”
“Because his partner up and left, and he’s been working overtime. Things will get back to normal.”
“Plus—and don’t deny this—he hasn’t kissed you yet. I mean really kissed you.”
I bit down hard on my lower lip. “Okay, the time just hasn’t been right yet. So?”
“Stop making excuses. I love Will, but he has always been a bit on the slow side when it comes to girls.” She leaned across the table so her nose was almost level with mine. “The point is, it never hurts to let your current boyfriend think he might have competition.”
I stared at her. “You want Will to think I’m interested in Doug?”
“It’s not that much of a stretch. I think you could be interested in Doug. Heck, I could be—but I’m not,” she added hastily. “The point I’m trying to make is, you were taken for granted once. Don’t let it happen again.”
“Will would never do that.”
“Sweetie, he’s a man. That’s what they do best.” Leila paused, fork halfway to her lips, eyes riveted on the doorway. “Not to change the subject, but one of our quarries has just entered the dining room.”
I turned my head slightly and glanced quickly over my shoulder. Sure enough, Ken Colgate stood in the entryway. I popped the last bite of muffin into my mouth and dabbed at my lips with my napkin. “Okay, it’s showtime. Got your speech ready?”
Leila was already sliding out of the booth. “Watch and learn, my friend.”
The hostess showed Ken to a table off in the far corner. I wondered if he’d requested that one on purpose. It was set back, out of the line of fire, so to speak, perfect for someone who didn’t want to be seen. I wondered briefly if anyone would be joining him. I got my answer as the hostess handed Ken a green, velvet-covered menu and placed one on the seat next to him. She moved off, and a busboy appeared on her heels, filled Ken’s glass with water, then withdrew. Leila, who was about ten paces ahead of me, marched right up to the table as soon as he departed.
“Mr. Colgate,” she said, flashing a wide smile, “fancy meeting you here.”
Ken Colgate lowered the menu he’d been studying, and his eyes narrowed a bit as he saw Leila. “I’m afraid I don’t recall …” he began hesitantly.
Leila, never one to waste time, slid into the seat opposite him. “Leila Addams, from the Deer Park Herald. I covered the signing event yesterday at Crowden’s.” She rushed on before Colgate could answer. “Such a tragedy! I can still hardly believe it happened.”
“Nor can I. I will never forget the doctor’s face when he told us the news.” He stopped, dabbed at his eyes. “It was a distinct shock to all of us. Ulla was a rare talent, one that can never be replaced.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Oh, please.
“Yes, she was truly one of a kind. I consider myself fortunate to have had that one-on-one interview with her, however brief.” She glanced over her shoulder, saw me, and motioned me to come forward. “You remember my friend, Sydney McCall? Syd is the director of publicity for the Friendly Paws Animal Shelter.”
Ken gave me a perfunctory nod. “Yes, of course.” He fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair. “I know why you’re here.”
Leila and I exchanged a glance. “You do?” I asked.
“Yes. You’re concerned about the money. Well, let me assure you, Ms. McCall, that you do not have to worry. I’ll personally see to it that either Ulla’s publisher or her estate makes good on the revenue the shelter would have gotten had the event been completed.”
“That’s so kind of you,” I said, “but are you in a position to make such a guarantee? I mean, we do need the funds, but I wouldn’t want to put you on the spot.”
“Not at all, not at all. As the executor of Ulla’s estate, it will be my pleasure.”
I nearly fell out of my chair. “I’m sorry? Did you say you were the executor of her estate?”
“Ulla put that in her will a few years ago. Her attorney and I are co-executors. It’s a rather large estate.”
“I can imagine.” And what was the rule? That executors usually got five percent of the total value of the estate? Ulla’s had to be worth millions, surely. Add that to the twenty-five million he was going to get for Savannah’s movie deal, plus fifteen percent for the book deal … and you had a few million motives for murder.
Chapter Seventeen
Ken Colgate cleared his throat and shot me a smile I imagined was supposed to be disarming. “As I said, the estate is rather a large one, and complicated. Ulla had many varied assets and investments, but I promise to be in touch with you and your sister shortly regarding the details,” he said. “So, ladies, if that’s all …”
“Um, actually, I have some questi
ons,” Leila piped up. She whipped a notebook and a pen out of her bag and set them on the table in front of her.
Ken held up his hand. “I’m really not authorized to give any interviews,” he said.
“Oh, but this isn’t a formal interview,” Leila said quickly. “I just thought I might write a human-interest piece as a follow-up, about Ulla and how the public loved her. And since you and she were so close … you did work with her for a long time, correct?”
“Since the beginning of her career with CNC,” he said with a faint smile. “We started out colleagues and became”—here he paused to swipe at one eye—“very dear friends.”
“Then you must have some wonderful stories about Ulla that you’d like to share.” Leila gave him a wide, guileless smile that I knew meant she didn’t believe one word of his tearful admission. Ken took another sip of water and glanced at his watch.
“Perhaps I could spare a few minutes,” he said at last. “What is it you wanted to know?”
For the next few minutes, Leila peppered him with questions about how he and Ulla met, her ambitions, her rise on the cable channel from a virtual nobody to one of their most popular hosts. As I expected, Ken pretty much took credit for mentoring Ulla’s rise to fame.
“And her book, what about that?” Leila asked. “What will happen now?”
He shot her a surprised look. “Why, the book will continue to sell, of course. The presale figures were through the roof, and I’ve no doubt they’ll continue to grow. All the money will be funneled into her estate.”
Leila widened her eyes. “I’m sorry I should have been more specific. I meant the second book.”
“Second book?” His gaze traveled to a point just past my shoulder. I turned my head slightly and realized he was looking at the entrance, probably wishing that whoever was supposed to be joining him would hurry up. “I’m not certain what you mean,” he said at last. “Ulla wasn’t working on another book.”
“Are you certain of that? I was informed she was. A fiction piece this time. Also, that a major movie studio had already expressed interest in it.”
I watched Ken’s face carefully as Leila spoke. Aside from a muscle twitching in his lower jaw, his face was a blank slate, his expression bland. From looking at him one would never guess that he’d been in the process of double-crossing his “dear client, colleague and friend.”
“I don’t know who told you that, but your source is incorrect,” he said at last. His tone was flat, with an air of finality. “Ulla was advising someone who was writing a book—mentoring, if you will. But she wasn’t the author.”
Leila’s eyebrows rose. “No? Then who was? Will you be representing this person?”
He shifted in his chair. “I’ve been approached,” he said shortly. “I’m sorry, that’s all I can say now.”
“Of course,” Leila murmured. She made a show of closing her notebook and capping her pen, and just as she was about to slide them back into her bag, she paused and looked straight at Ken. “What about the cosmetics deal that Ulla was talking about at the event? Have you any idea what will happen to that now?”
Again, I saw him glance toward the entrance, and this time I saw something more furtive in his glance. “I really couldn’t say.”
“Couldn’t you?” Leila leaned forward, and jabbed at the air under Ken’s nose. “Isn’t it true that the Glow people turned Ulla down in favor of Candy Carmichael?”
His eyes flickered in surprise, but his expression remained impassive. “If I were you, Ms. Addams, I’d get another source,” he said. “Candy was being considered right along with Ulla, but no deal for either was finalized. I will say this, though. Candy’s got the looks and the personality to make Glow a stunning success.”
“And Ulla’s death puts her right at the top of the heap, doesn’t it?” Leila persisted. “As a matter of fact, it might even cinch the deal.”
His eyes narrowed down to slits, and he barked out a nervous laugh. “What are you implying? That Candy Carmichael came to the event with malice aforethought?”
Leila leaned back in her chair and shrugged. “I’m not implying anything. But the police might, once they find out that the studio didn’t send Candy down here to do promos, that she came entirely on her own.” She paused. “They might even wonder if she had help—possibly from someone else who might also benefit.”
His fingers, which had been drumming on the tabletop, paused in mid-air. “That is a ridiculous assumption,” he sputtered. “And if I were you, I’d refrain from mentioning it to anyone else.”
I reached out and laid my hand on his arm. “I’m curious about something, Mr. Colgate. How did your wife take the news of Ulla’s death? I’d heard a rumor they were pretty close.”
He turned toward me, the affable smile back on his face. “I’m afraid that’s a question you’ll have to ask Cathy yourself. Unfortunately, I was served with divorce papers yesterday, so we’re not on speaking terms now.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” I said, trying to inject a note of sympathy into my tone.
“Yes, well, it is difficult. We were married for fifteen wonderful years—or so I thought. Anyway …” He glanced again at the doorway, and this time his eyes widened a bit, and he inclined his head to one side. I glanced toward the entrance as well, but there was no one there. Ken raised his wrist and made a show of looking at his watch. “I just remembered another appointment I must get to. If you need more information for your article, Ms. Addams, you may contact me.” He pulled a business card out of his pocket and threw it down on the table.
“One last question,” I blurted as he rose. “Did you tell Savannah Blade she could have Ulla’s necklace?”
He stared at me. “What?”
“Ulla’s silver necklace, the one the Glow people gave her. Savannah called me yesterday. It wasn’t in Ulla’s tote, and she thought it might have gotten mixed in with the shelter supplies. She said that Ulla mentioned she could have it as a keepsake if anything ever happened to her.”
Ken pressed his lips together, and he rubbed absently at the back of his neck with one hand. “That necklace wasn’t Ulla’s to give away. It was on loan for her to use in her publicity photos.”
“Have you any idea why she might have promised it to her assistant?”
“None,” he said shortly. “Ulla and Savannah … clashed a bit at times, and Savannah is rather a materialistic person. No doubt Ulla noted her interest in the necklace and was needling her. I’ll be sure to set her straight.” He paused and then added, “That necklace is worth a good deal of money. The bullet-shaped charm is solid silver. If you do find it, Ms. McCall, I’d appreciate it if you’d give it directly to me. It must be given back to the Glow people.”
And passed onto Candy Carmichael, no doubt, I thought but didn’t voice. Instead I just murmured, “Of course” in as sympathetic a tone as I could muster.
Ken turned and strode away, head held high. I watched him disappear out the doorway, then looked at my friend. “He flat out lied about that book. Makes you wonder what else he’s not being forthcoming about.”
“He did seem to be a tad on the nervous side,” Leila said. She scooted over into the seat Ken had vacated. “He especially didn’t like my insinuating Candy might have murdered Ulla with his help. That tidbit about the necklace was enlightening too. Sounds like Savannah was trying to pull a fast one. She probably knew Ulla was pulling her leg about the necklace and when she saw a chance, she just took it.”
“She did seem to want it pretty badly. Or else she knew all along the necklace went to the Glow spokesperson, and since Ken seems to be involved with both her and Candy, maybe she just didn’t want Candy to have it.” I tapped the edge of my phone against my chin. “Or maybe Ulla’s killer took the necklace.”
“Why? As a trophy, you mean? Or—” Leila abruptly stopped mid-sentence, dug her nails into my forearm, and ducked her head down. “Don’t look now, but Charlie Callahan’s here.”
�
��Oh, swell.” I cast a furtive glance toward the front of the dining room. Callahan stood in the doorway, hands on hips, his gaze roving slowly over the room. I shrank down lower in my seat, wishing with all my heart that I could be wearing Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak right now.
Another figure appeared in the doorway beside Callahan, and I relaxed slightly as I recognized Will. The two conversed in low tones for a few moments, then turned and left. I lightly disengaged Leila’s death grip from my arm. “Wow, that was a close one. I wouldn’t mind talking to Will, but I absolutely do not want to run into Charlie Callahan, and especially not here.”
“He’d think we were horning in on the investigation for certain,” Leila agreed. Then she chuckled. “Which we are. So—what do we do now?”
“Let’s go to the shelter,” I said. “I’ve got an idea.”
We went back to our original table and found the check sitting there in a leather holder, square in the middle of the table. I put enough money in to cover the tab plus a twenty percent tip, even though the waiter had done little more than bring us water. Then we walked out of the dining room and right into Will, who’d been standing just outside the entryway. He raised two fingers to his forehead in a casual salute. “Ladies.”
“Why, Will,” I cried. “What a nice surprise. Did you come here for brunch?”
“Did you?” he countered. “Or did you have another purpose in mind, like interrogating Ken Colgate, perhaps? Don’t bother to deny it. I saw you sitting with him earlier.”
“Okay, I won’t,” I said. “I’m surprised that your—er—partner, Charlie, didn’t march right over and arrest us for interfering in his investigation.”
“He might, if he’d seen you. Fortunately, I managed to distract him. He’s upstairs with Colgate now.”
“Is Ken an official suspect or still just a person of interest?” At his look, I threw up both hands. “Okay, fine. I know. You don’t have to share any details of an ongoing investigation with a civilian. This time, however, it might be to your benefit.”
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