Trent nodded. “I understand.”
Gary moved to the other side.
Trent politely waited for me to sit first.
“I need to be on the outside. I’ve been drinking a lot of Coke.”
After much effort, I finally ended up on the outside seat, facing the door.
Gary ordered a bottle of Chianti then made a big deal of sniffing the cork, swirling the sample poured by the waitress, sniffing again, and sipping before he proclaimed it, “Good.”
He did have a rather large nose. Perhaps that made his sense of smell more acute.
Yes, I was being snide. I didn’t like him simply because Kathleen had gone to his house. Any friend of hers was an enemy of mine.
Trent allowed the waitress to pour wine for him. That surprised me. He’s such a stickler for following the rules. If you drink, don’t drive.
As soon as the waitress left, Gary lifted his glass. “To Jeff, our friend. We had some good times. He will be missed.”
Trent joined in the toast but took only a small sip of wine. So did I. He was watching his alcohol intake so he could drive safely. I was watching mine so I could be coherent enough to take on Kathleen.
Gary took another drink. “Remember when we almost burned down Jeff’s house?”
Trent shifted slightly and grimaced. “I’d just as soon forget about that.”
“No, man, it’s a great story.” Gary turned to me. “We were playing in the snow in Jeff’s back yard. It was really cold, but we didn’t want to go inside. We were all in the Boy Scouts, and that summer we camped out and learned how to build fires. We decided instead of giving up our play time and going in, we’d make a fire to warm up.”
“A fire?” I asked. “In the snow?”
“They had three big pine trees, and the ground under them was sheltered from the snow. We thought that would be a good place to start.”
Trent focused his attention on twirling his wine glass, but a faint smile tilted his lips. “We were kids. Dumb kids. Gary took out his pocket knife and shaved some sticks into kindling. Do you remember that knife? It had a blade for everything. You loved that knife.”
Gary nodded. “My old man gave it to me. It came in handy for a lot of things, but it wasn’t much help that day.”
“Dumb kids,” Trent said again. “Not only was our kindling wet, we couldn’t get anything to spark. We twirled sticks and hit rocks together.”
Gary grinned. “But then Kathleen showed up with her mother’s cigarette lighter. Adam said that was cheating, but we got our fire started.”
Some things don’t change. Trent played by the rules and Kathleen caused problems.
Trent swirled the wine in his glass. “And the tree.”
“The tree?” I repeated.
Gary flinched and had another drink of wine. “Yeah, our fire got a little out of control. Some of the branches were drooping pretty low, and it seems pine needles burn very easily.”
Trent set his glass on the table. “Fortunately, the snow on the tree put out the fire but not before Jeff’s dad saw it and came rushing out of the house with a fire extinguisher. He was upset with all of us. And then I had to go home and hear about it all over again from my parents.”
Gary finished his wine and poured more in his glass. “Your folks and Jeff’s were pretty strict.”
“Not really.”
I waited for Trent to elaborate. Did that mean Gary’s parents were lenient? I had already figured out that Kathleen’s mother had no idea what she was doing and didn’t care. A cigarette lighter?
The waitress arrived with our salads. Gary ordered another bottle of wine.
He and Ransom had been drinking buddies. Apparently Gary had not quit.
I was eating the last bite of my Caesar salad when Kathleen walked through the door in her stiletto heels and tight, short black dress.
Yes!
She paused and looked around the room. Searching for us or just checking to see if all the men were ogling her?
I didn’t want to be obvious, but I didn’t want her to miss us. I lifted the hand holding my fork and waved it around. “This is just a wonderful place. I’m so happy we came here.”
Trent paused with a bite of salad halfway to his mouth. “I’m glad you like it.” His voice had that Have you been drinking too much wine? edge to it.
The hostess approached Kathleen. The two of them spoke for a moment then Kathleen headed straight toward us.
I braced myself. I had no idea what she was going to say, and I had no idea how Trent was going to react. Most importantly, I had no idea how long she’d stay, how much time I would have to put my plan into play.
Kathleen stopped at our booth. “What a coincidence we all decided to eat here tonight.”
We were off to a good start. She was going to play innocent and so was I.
Trent looked at her then at me.
He wasn’t buying the innocent thing.
“I’m here all by lonesome,” she said. “If nobody’s sitting here, can I join you?”
“Please do.” Gary patted the bench next to him. “We just finished our salads, but you can catch up.”
Kathleen slid into the booth and smiled at Gary then Trent. “Thank you.”
She was still smiling when her gaze landed on me, but by then it was more of a This better be good or I’m going to kill you expression.
Gary waved the waitress over to take Kathleen’s order. She selected one of the low calorie, low fat items. Skinny bitch.
I’d ordered lasagna. I intended to eat it in front of her and enjoy every cheesy, calorie-laden bite.
The waitress brought another wine glass. Kathleen took small sips of her wine. The level in the bottle was going down mostly through Gary’s efforts.
I folded my hands on the table and prepared to launch into my program. “Have you three worked out all the details of the memorial service?”
“Pretty much,” Trent said.
“Most of it,” Gary confirmed.
“Will you have time for friends to speak?” I asked.
Gary nodded. “Sure.”
“Ransom—Jeff—gave me a key before he left my place.” I reached into my bag and pulled out the small tin, rattling it for effect. “He asked me to keep it for him. Said he’d come back the next day and get it. But if he didn’t come back, if anything happened to him, I was to retrieve what this key guards the morning of his memorial service and present it at the service.”
I was deliberately not looking at Trent, but in my peripheral vision, I could see his expression. Aghast.
Kathleen lifted her wine glass. “What a charming story. My husband decides to leave a key that unlocks a secret treasure for a total stranger to find and bring to his funeral. Have you ever thought about a career in writing? You’d probably be better at it than you are at making chocolate desserts.”
My jaw locked. I froze in place.
For trying to take my boyfriend, I was going to kill her. For insulting my chocolate, I was going to torture her with Fred’s cattle prods for several hours before killing her.
Trent cleared his throat. “Lindsay’s desserts are wonderful. Gary, have you tried her chocolate chip cookies?”
“No, I haven’t, but it’s on my list.”
Maybe Gary wasn’t so bad after all.
“We should meet there for lunch tomorrow,” Trent said.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Kathleen’s smile compressed into a smirk.
Great. That woman was coming back to my place to dine with my boyfriend.
“What time?” Gary asked.
Trent looked at me. “What would be the best time?”
Two hours after closing time when I’m long gone. “Things slow down around 1:00.”
Gary took out his cell phone and began tapping. He returned it to the inside pocket of his sports coat then looked around and grinned lopsidedly. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be rude. Habit. If I don’t put an appointment in my calendar immediately, I’ll
forget it. Am I the only one who can’t live without my cell phone?”
Kathleen opened her designer bag and extracted hers. “I wouldn’t want to be late.”
Trent shrugged and took his phone from his jacket pocket. “I think I can probably remember, but why take a chance?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be there without a reminder.” I lifted my glass for another drink of wine. Maybe Gary had the right idea.
The waitress arrived with our food.
Gary ordered another bottle.
That was probably a good decision. My glass was mysteriously empty.
I made a show of putting the tin back in my purse, took a bite of lasagna and considered how I could salvage the evening. Leaping across the table and plunging my fork into her heart was not a viable option. The tines weren’t long enough or sharp enough to pierce those implants.
“Ransom was in fear for his life when he came to me,” I said. “He didn’t know who to trust. We bonded. He loved my chocolate chip cookies.”
“Why do you keep calling him that strange name?” Kathleen asked.
“That’s what he said he liked to be called. You don’t know a lot about your past husbands, do you?”
Kathleen held a bite of chicken poised a few inches from her mouth. “More than you do.” Her lips tilted into a mean smile. She parted them, moved the chicken inside, and chewed slowly, her gaze never leaving mine.
I might be able to slit her throat with the bread knife.
“Why didn’t you use the key and bring this mysterious object tonight?” she asked.
This lying business was more complicated than I’d thought. I had another bite of lasagna to give me time to think. “My instructions are to retrieve it an hour before the service. Ransom said I’d understand everything when I saw it and that a lot of people would be very surprised.”
“Why wait? It’s not like Jeff’s going to find out you disobeyed his instructions and get mad at you.”
“He might. Are you saying you don’t believe the spirits of departed people can contact us?”
Kathleen leaned close to Gary and whispered something in his ear.
They both laughed.
I seethed.
“Gary, you think the Chiefs have a chance to make Super Bowl this year?” Trent asked.
Kathleen dissed my chocolate and my boyfriend wanted to talk about football.
The evening could not possibly get any worse.
By the time we walked out of the restaurant into the chilly night, Gary was staggering noticeably. He wrapped an arm around Kathleen. The gesture appeared to be more for the purpose of staying upright than affection. She was half his size and wearing those ridiculous heels. No good could come of this. She made a futile attempt to extricate herself.
Trent halted. “Gary—”
He looked at Trent then wavered briefly with one foot on the curb and the other in mid-air. The result was inevitable. Gary and Kathleen tumbled to the street together.
Gary grunted.
Kathleen screamed.
Trent swore. He leaned over the fallen couple, reaching for Kathleen’s shoulder.
Gary grabbed Trent’s arm and tried to stand. Well, I think that’s what he was attempting. What he accomplished was to pull Trent into the fray.
Kathleen screamed again, kicked and pummeled Gary, and called him some very unflattering names. I was amazed the woman had a good vocabulary of anything, even swear words.
Trent finally extricated himself, shoved Gary away and pulled Kathleen to her feet. “Are you okay?”
She stumbled. “I think my ankle’s broken!”
Served her right for wearing those stupid heels.
Gary struggled to his feet. “I’m sorry, Kathy. I’m so sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I think I had too much to drink.”
“You think?” Kathleen stood on one foot, using Trent to steady herself. Woman had terrible balance. She shouldn’t have had to wrap both arms around him.
Too bad it was her ankle that was broken. If anyone had asked for my input, I’d have voted for her neck.
Nobody asked me.
They never do.
“I’ll drive you back to your hotel room, Kathy, then take Gary home. I don’t think you ought to be driving tonight, buddy. We’ll come back tomorrow for your car.”
Gary straightened. “I’m okay.” He swayed from side to side though there was no wind. “I’ll take Kathy home.”
“You’ve done enough for one night.” Kathleen put her injured foot on the ground, winced, and lifted it again. “Adam’s taking me to the emergency room, and you can sleep it off in the gutter.”
Gary’s arms fell limply to his sides. “Don’t be that way, Kathy.”
Yeah, don’t be that way. Don’t volunteer my boyfriend to take you to the hospital.
Trent looked at me, his expression somewhere between apologetic and accusatory. “Lindsay has to get up early in the morning. I’ll take her home first, drop you off at your house, Gary, and take Kathy to the emergency room.”
I was wrong. Things could and did get worse. I’d set out to prove Kathleen’s guilt and convince Trent she was a murderer. I’d succeeded in upsetting him, being insulted by Kathleen, and would end the evening in my bed alone while Trent waited at the emergency room with Kathleen.
Good job, Lindsay.
Chapter Fifteen
The drive to my house was short in miles but long in duration. Trent stared straight ahead into the darkness of the night and spoke not a word. I did the same.
In the back seat Kathleen gave an occasional whimper when we hit a bump. Gary snored.
I got out as soon as the car rolled to a stop in front of my house.
“Wait,” Trent said. “Let me walk you to your door.”
I didn’t want him to do that. He was probably going to get on my case about inviting Kathleen to dinner or taunting her with the key or the entire dinner debacle. Justifiably, perhaps, but I still didn’t want to hear it, didn’t want him to be angry with me.
“I know the way.”
He strode around the car toward me. “So do the local drug dealers.”
Would I rather face the dangerous drug dealers or my angry boyfriend?
Henry trotted out of the night, across Fred’s yard to mine.
I live under the protective auspices of a vicious feline and a neighbor who has super powers.
I’d rather face the dangerous drug dealers.
Trent caught up to me and took my hand.
Neither Henry nor Fred could help me now.
We walked to the front door. Trent used the key I’d given him. “Wait here while I check things out.”
He and Henry went inside. I could have told Trent no evil waited within. Henry would not be calm if an unknown person lurked. But I let him do his cop thing while I stood on the porch shivering.
He returned shortly. “Looks okay. I’ll get back here as quick as I can. In the meantime, put chairs under the door knobs of your front and back doors. Don’t let anyone in but me. If you hear or see anyone else, call Fred, me, and 911, in that order.”
I don’t like anybody telling me what to do, but it was sweet that he cared. Really sweet that he was only concerned about my safety and not the events at dinner.
We shared a kiss, a sweet, sexy kiss.
He placed a hand on my chin and gazed into my eyes. “When I get back, we’ll talk about what happened at dinner.”
Of course he wasn’t going to let me off so easily.
He left, not exactly on a romantic note.
I closed the door behind him then brought in a chair to put under the door knob and went to the kitchen to do likewise for the back door.
Henry watched my actions with a bored gaze. As soon as I secured the chair in the kitchen, he darted to the drawer where I kept the catnip.
I thought about it. If I had a return visit from the guy in the mask, I needed Henry awake and alert. But Trent would be back soon. He’d be able
to take care of the masked man.
I would have to be awake to move the chair and let him in so he could yell at me. Henry didn’t need to hear any of that.
I gave him some catnip in a saucer, sat down at the kitchen table to watch him devour it, and called Fred.
“I’ve been waiting to hear from you,” he said. “How did the evening go?”
“Not well.” I gave him the details.
“If Kathleen has a broken ankle, she probably won’t be coming after you to get that key.”
“I don’t think it’s broken. I think she just used that as a way to get Trent all to herself.”
“That’s possible.”
I set my elbow on the table, put my head on my hand, and sighed.
Henry looked up at the sound then returned to inhaling his kitty weed.
“This wasn’t one of my better ideas. I didn’t learn anything new, and Kathleen insulted me and walked away with my guy. The only good thing about the evening was the food.”
“Maybe not. You may have stirred up more than you realize. If Kathleen’s involved, she’s managed to get you home alone with no protection.”
I looked at Henry. He purred loudly and rolled his face in the empty saucer.
No protection? How did he know Henry was stoned? “I have an iron skillet and a marble rolling pin and you next door.”
“Someone may decide to take the opportunity to retrieve that key before you have a chance to unlock the mystery.”
“That was the plan, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
“If you see or hear anything suspicious, call me no matter what time it is.”
“I’ll keep my skillet and rolling pin close.”
“And your cell phone.”
I sighed again. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I already got that same order from Trent. I’m not helpless, you know.”
“I didn’t say you were. However, I’ve provided information and assistance in this matter. I don’t want to be left out of the final chapter.”
“That makes sense. I’ll call you immediately if I have the slightest hint something’s coming down.”
He hung up.
I looked at Henry. “Yes, I know Fred only said that to save my pride, and it worked. Just don’t tell anybody, okay?”
Deadly Chocolate Addiction (Death by Chocolate Book 6) Page 14