“Yeah, it was underneath him. He fell on top of it when you...when he...”
“It’s okay,” Gemma said with a half-smile and let him pull her into his arms. “I was just afraid someone...whoever...it was gone.”
“It was full of money,” Nick said, his voice muffled by her hair. “He was murdered, Gemma. I just talked to Ross, and that’s the theory.”
“Murdered?” Gemma blinked, sat back and looked at him, astonished. Her mind struggled to process his words. “For the money?”
“Don’t think so. It was handcuffed to his wrist and the key was in his pocket. When Ross opened it, he found it was full of money. He’s guessing maybe fifty thousand dollars.”
“Why would someone like him carry around that kind of money?” Gemma asked. “Drugs?”
“Possibly. It was obvious he was going to negotiate some kind of deal,” Nick said with a shrug. “Ross is looking at his personal calendar now.”
They were silent for a few moments. Nick caught her hands in his again and twined his fingers around hers. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but there is a little bit of bad news.”
“What?”
“He had your business card in his pocket with a phone number scrawled on the back,” Nick said quietly.
“He probably had lots of business cards. It’s a convention. According to him he was a businessman. I’m sure he was trying to network...”
Nick was shaking his head. “Only yours.”
“And that was my phone number on the back. I have a new phone remember...”
Nick was still shaking his head.
“It’s not your number, baby.”
“What? Yes it is. I wrote it myself.” Gemma sat bolt upright.
“Listen, we’ll know more once Ross talks to a few people. I just wanted to give you a heads up. He’s going to need to be able to convince the CID you had nothing to do with this.”
“CID? Army?”
“Criminal Investigation Department. Yeah, Army. Loden West was a retired four star general with the United States Army. He was murdered. I’m pretty sure the Army will insist on at least assisting with the investigation as soon as they get here,” Nick explained.
Gemma was too stunned to say a word.
“Listen, I gotta go back to work,” he said. “Ross will take good care of you. Trust him.”
Gemma nodded.
“Gemma, I love you,” Nick whispered, kissed her tenderly.
“I love you, too, Nick,” Gemma said softly. Why did she feel like they were saying good-bye to each other? That scared her and she realized what an important part of her life he was. He’d always been there. “Thank you,” she added, holding onto his big, strong hands for one more minute...
“I’ll check back in when I can,” he promised.
Gemma nodded and watched him walk away, her heart feeling as if it might break into a million pieces.
Chapter Five
The next time the door opened, Ross entered the room. Gemma was happy to see him, but at the same time, her body tensed. She knew she had to be careful to keep Nick’s information to herself, because Ross trusted him to keep quiet. If he thought Nick would spill his guts to her, he might stop talking.
Instead of coming to her side, he moved to the chairs that were facing the desk, turned one around and took a seat. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and looked into her eyes.
“I thought I told you to stay out of trouble,” he said quietly.
“I tried,” Gemma answered.
He shook his head, chuckled softly and finally took both of her hands in his. They were big and warm, strong and comforting.
They were quiet for a few moments.
“Gemma, this could get complicated,” Ross began, his fingers tightening around hers. “Because General West was retired military, I had to alert the CID.”
“What’s that?” she asked, looking away so that he couldn’t read deception in her eyes. She felt horrible, felt like she was lying, but she didn’t want to betray Nick.
“Criminal Investigation Department with the Army,” he explained.
“How does that work? Will they take over the case?”
“No. I’ll still be in charge of the investigation, but they do have to assist. It’s protocol. And they’ll be watching every move I make.”
“So we have to be careful,” Gemma added. “Ross, you know I had nothing to do with this.”
“Baby, I’m positive you had nothing to do with it. But the CID doesn’t know you like I do. They’ll be looking at everyone with a magnifying glass.”
“And that includes me, since I found the body,” she said.
“And the fact that your business card was in his pocket with a phone number written on the back in your handwriting,” Ross said.
“He stopped by our table. I gave him one of our cards and wrote my new cell number on the back,” Gemma told him. “It took me a moment, because my number is so new I don’t know it yet.
Ross was shaking his head. “I know – if it wasn’t programmed into my phone, I’d have to look it up every time. This wasn’t your number. They’re trying to run down that number right now,” he told her.
Ross tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. Gemma thought he already looked tired. “CID is going to look at everything twice. I have to make sure they don’t think that I overlooked your involvement because of our relationship...the way I feel about...”
Gemma put her fingertips to his lips, longing for him to pull her into his arms and kiss her like he had done so often since Christmas. “I understand.”
Ross took a deep breath. “We’re setting up a command post in one of the conference rooms. Everyone here has to be interviewed and we have to run background checks before anyone leaves the premises. I’ll have to do our official interview there.”
“I guess we won’t be having dinner together tonight like we planned,” Gemma said. It was a relief, actually. She loved spending time with Ross, but this entire day had become overwhelming.
“Afraid not, baby.”
“When will CID get here?”
“I just got word that they’ve been held up by a huge snow storm that’s completely shut down I-95. Nothing is moving in DC. I’m in constant contact with them, though, sharing any reports and information I gather. It would be nice to wrap this whole thing up before they get here.”
“Did you find his briefcase?” Gemma asked. Maybe Ross would have a different take on that.
He laughed. “Yeah, we found it alright. It was underneath the body.”
“Oh, that’s why I didn’t see it. I just knew every time I’d seen him today he’d been clinging to it for dear life,” she prompted.
“He should have been hanging onto it. It was full of money. I’m thinking about fifty thousand dollars.”
“Why would he be carrying around that kind of money in a briefcase?” Gemma asked.
Ross shrugged his broad shoulders. “Beats me. We’re working on that as well. I checked his calendar. The only thing written on it was a circle around today’s date and Northlake Manor.”
“Do you know how he died?” Gemma asked.
Ross shook his head. “It looked like a small caliber bullet wound to me. A small, clean round hole near his armpit. My guess is a gunshot wound.”
“I didn’t see any blood,” Gemma told him.
“There was blood on the floor underneath him. Hidden under his arm, I guess,” Ross explained. “The coroner will find the slug and we can try to match it up with any weapons we might find.
“There’s a guy with a cane,” Gemma said, quickly. “It looked like it did magical kinds of stuff. Perhaps...”
“A cane?”
“Yeah, he’s with the sci-fi convention. He has a top hat and a long coat with tails,” she explained.
“Steampunk?” Ross asked.
Gemma shrugged. “I guess. That’s how Nick described him, too.”
>
Ross pulled out a little notebook that seemed tiny in his big hands.
“Victorian. That’s the feeling I got from his outfit,” Gemma added.
“Okay.”
“There’s a guy here with books. I saw him and the general arguing,” Gemma said quickly.
Ross nodded. “Conrad Bilker. He’s been all over the place hawking some book he’s written and self-published about our corrupt military. He’s been hateful with everyone, including poor old Mrs. Northlake.”
“You’re kidding. Sweet Mrs. Northlake,” Gemma said.
“Yeah, he’s a very outspoken man. Her husband, Winter Northlake, was career military, and I think she took offense to Bilker’s theories.”
Gemma nodded, remembering how familiar Mrs. Northlake and the general seemed when they met behind her. He had even called her by her first name. Perhaps there was a connection between Mr. Northlake and the general.
“We haven’t interviewed Bilker yet but there might be something there. The Army might have something on him as well,” Ross said.
“Can I go back out and help Holly?” Gemma asked.
“Of course you can. Just don’t leave the building.”
“I promise.”
“You promised to stay out of trouble, too, but so far you haven’t been able to do that,” he laughed, pulled her to her feet and, finally, into his arms.
His kiss was tender and demanding, gentle and passionate all at the same time. It sent Gemma’s senses reeling every time, made her knees weak and turned her world upside down.
The kiss ended and he held her as if he would never let go. “As soon as all of this is over...” he began.
“You mean, if I don’t go to jail?”
“You’re not going to jail,” he assured her. “I’ll find out who did this.”
Just then Ross’s cell chimed softly. Reluctantly he pulled out of her arms and answered his phone. “Ross.”
Gemma knew from the tone of his voice that he was already back at work.
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
He ended the call abruptly.
“What?” Gemma asked.
“They tracked down the phone number that you wrote on the back of your business card,” Ross said, his gaze meeting hers.
Chapter Six
“Ross, I swear I thought I was writing down my new cell number,” Gemma told him.
“Well, this number is attached to a throw-away phone that was last used in Washington DC.”
Gemma was stunned.
“How...?”
“I don’t know. You go back out and help Holly if you want. I’ll send someone to get you when I’m ready to do the interview,” he said.
And with a quick, reassuring smile, Ross was gone.
Gemma stepped back out into the hall. It was quieter, somewhat subdued. Yellow crime scene tape partitioned off the small portion of the lobby where the body had fallen and guests gave it a wide berth just like they had earlier. Even the EEMA convention seemed quieter now as guests wandered away for supper after an exhausting first day. The people who were still hanging around seemed tired.
Holly and her mother were at the table, their dark heads together talking quietly. “Gemma,” Holly said when she saw her.
“Are you okay?” Holly’s mother Brenda asked. An older version of Holly, Brenda was sleek and sophisticated, her black hair as shiny as silk, her eyes as bright and inquisitive as her daughter’s. These two women were the only thing she had left to call family. They loved her unconditionally but God, how she missed her parents, especially now.
“Yes, ma’am. I think so,” Gemma told her.
“We were just talking about getting something to eat,” Brenda said. “Let me get you something, too.”
“Okay, whatever you guys are having would be fine,” Gemma said.
“I’ll be right back,” Brenda said and headed toward the main door that led out into the lobby.
“You’re so lucky you have your mom,” Gemma said to Holly.
Holly put an arm around her, giving her a little squeeze. “I tell her every day that I love her.”
They stood there in silence for a few moments. The weight machines clanged in the background. People huffed and puffed while trying out various hand weights. There was an electronic beeping from one of the other machines and the low murmur of conversation.
Finally Holly broke the silence. “Rumor has it that the briefcase he was carrying was full of money.”
“It was,” Gemma confirmed, not sure how much she should say.
“Why would someone carry around that kind of money in this day and age?” Holly mused.
“No one has a clue. He was obviously planning on meeting with someone that he either owed the money to or was purchasing something from. And obviously it was something he planned on doing without leaving a paper trail.”
“He had a calendar?”
“Yes. Today’s date was circled and Northlake Manor written on it.”
“That’s not much help,” Holly said.
“I know. That and the fact that one of our business cards was in his pocket with a strange phone number written on the back.”
Holly snapped to attention. “What?”
Gemma told her about giving him one of their cards and writing her new cell on the back. “Except it wasn’t my cell.”
“Do they know who the number belongs to?” Holly asked.
“It’s a throw-away phone. Last used in Washington, DC. That’s all I know. Since he was a retired general it looks kind of suspicious,” Gemma explained.
“I can see that,” Holly said. “Will the military get involved in the investigation?”
Gemma nodded. “Something called CID.”
Holly seemed to know what that meant and Gemma was glad. She was suddenly too tired to explain one more thing.
“How has traffic been?” Gemma asked, changing the subject.
“Pretty good. Lots of interest and a few sales as well as some special orders,” Holly said. She seemed glad for the subject change as well.
“Holly, we would never sell out, would we? Especially to someone like Loden West?”
Holly shook her head, her sleek short hair shimmering in the lights. “Never.”
“Good,” Holly said, then turned to greet a woman who had come up to their booth. She had to work hard to keep her voice steady. It was shaking with tension and exhaustion.
“I think this thing wraps up around seven o’clock,” Holly said, turning back to them after the woman walked away.
“Okay,”
“I thought you were having dinner with Ross so Mitch said he wanted to come out and have dinner with me,” Holly explained. “You’re welcome to join us if you want,” she offered.
Gemma knew that with Mitch’s busy schedule as the new partner in the law firm where he worked, the couple rarely had alone time. She didn’t want to interfere with that.
“I don’t think so. I’m whipped,” Gemma told her best friend. “As soon as they interview me, I’m going to take a hot shower and go straight to bed.
“If you’re sure,” Holly said.
“I’m sure. You guys probably have lots to talk about with the wedding just a few months away,” Gemma added.
“June will be here before we know it,” Holly said, her eyes lighting up at the mention of her wedding.
Gemma noted that she touched her engagement ring lovingly and realized that Holly’s excitement buoyed her own feelings. One of these days she was going to be able to make a choice between Ross and Nick. They’d made it clear that they would give her all the time in the world. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if Ross wanted something permanent. Nick certainly did, even reminded her from time to time that he still had the ring he’d given her when he’d proposed before.
Then her parents had died in that awful car wreck and Gemma’s life as she knew it was over. She didn’t know what she wanted, so she’d called off the wedding. Nick understood, or at least he
agreed that Gemma just needed some time. And then she’d met Ross Ferguson and that put a whole new spin on things.
Both Ross and Nick were gentlemen, giving her all the space and time she needed to make up her mind. Whether they knew it or not, both of them were making that decision more difficult every day. She had always cared deeply for Nick but Ross was tugging at her heartstrings as well.
“Gemma, are you okay?” Holly’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts and Gemma’s tummy growled when she saw the chips and drinks Holly’s mother was bringing toward them.
“Yeah, I was just thinking,” Gemma assured her.
She had just put the first salty chip into her mouth and took a sip of Diet Coke when a young police officer approached the table.
“Ms. Stone?” he asked, nodding at Gemma.
“Yes.”
“Detective Ferguson would like to talk with you now,” he said, looking a little apologetic.
“Alright. Lead the way,” Gemma said, her snack and her hunger suddenly forgotten. She snatched up her drink at the last moment and followed him.
Ross wasn’t joking when he said they had turned one of the conference rooms into a command post. Several landline phones were set up on one end of a long highly polished table with several police officers talking at once. Two other police officers were working on a computer and what looked like a makeshift whiteboard had been set up on an easel nearby. General West’s name was in the center with a circle around it. It looked like he was the center of a wheel with spokes shooting out in varying directions. She saw Conrad Bilker’s name in one of the circles with ‘threats’ and ‘corrupt military’ written underneath. There was a question mark in one with the word steampunk written underneath that. There were two or three blank ones in between and Gemma’s name was written in the last one.
“So I am a suspect,” Gemma said, when Ross came into the room behind her. He placed both hands on her shoulders and rested his chin on top of her head.
“Not really. This kind of set up just helps me think. I add details as I find them and...” he ended the sentence by gently squeezing her shoulders. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
If Gemma hadn’t been so frightened, she would have found getting a glimpse of the handsome detective in his natural element exciting and sexy. Now, all she felt was dread.
Mansions Can Be Murder: A Cozy Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 4