by Leona Karr
Ever since Mark had learned from her secretary that Kerri’d gone to Los Angeles, he’d rationalized that he needed to check on the Los Angeles office anyway. It was bad enough that he’d followed her, but instead of going to his usual hotel, he’d made a reservation at the Windhaven where Debbie said Kerri was staying, asking for a room on the same floor. Now he asked himself if he were some kind of idiot, chasing a woman who had made it clear he was only her client and nothing more.
“I’ll just stay a moment,” he promised, realizing he should make his apologies and leave before his firing hormones made it clear what was going through his mind as he looked at her in that skimpy robe. “I was just anxious to know if you’d made any progress,” he said lamely.
“I usually type up a daily report for my clients,” she replied as she straightened her back and her eyes met his. “I really prefer to get everything down on paper so I can see exactly what we have. Unfortunately, I decided to shower before booting up my laptop, so I don’t have one ready for you, but if you’ll give me a couple of hours…”
“Of course, but just this once couldn’t you make an oral report? Say, over dinner?”
She worked her mouth as if to make a caustic retort, and then, much to his surprise, she broke into a laugh. “You’re impossible! I don’t think you even realize how embarrassed I am at this moment, standing here, conducting this business conversation in near nudity.”
“Oh, I didn’t notice,” he lied. “But now that you mention it, I guess I should leave and let you get dressed. What time do you want to go to dinner?” He glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly six now. Say, an hour? We could have drinks here at the hotel and decide what we’re in the mood to eat.”
“I really had planned on room service and—”
“But that was before I showed up. Right? Now, you won’t have to eat in your room nor write a report that you can give me in person.” As she hesitated, his voice deepened. “Please, have dinner with me, Kerri. I admit I’m pushing you, but it would really mean a lot to me.”
“All right, you win. I really do have some things I need to talk over with you. Seven o’clock, it is. Where are you staying?”
“Down the hall.”
“You booked a room here?” A flare like a Roman candle sent a warning through Kerri. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was manipulating her and the whole situation. Certainly, creating this kind of cozy proximity was suspect. He was way off base if he thought she’d be delighted with this arrangement, and behave accordingly. “This isn’t your usual hotel, is it?”
“No, but I knew that you’d want a conference with me during your investigation here,” he said smoothly.
“And we couldn’t have done that at your office?”
He had the grace to color slightly. “I thought it might be more convenient if I stayed here. Don’t you agree?”
She shrugged as if it really didn’t matter one way or the other. “I really don’t plan to be here more than one more day.”
“Then you didn’t find out anything pertinent?”
“I’ll tell you at dinner. Now if you’ll let yourself out, I’ll get back to my shower.” She gave him a wave of her hand, went into the bathroom and shut the door.
WHEN HE RETURNED an hour later, Mark decided that the simple black sheath wasn’t nearly enough covering to dispel the kind of provocative vision the skimpy robe had provoked. She was one sexy woman.
They went downstairs to the lounge for drinks. The hotel bar was small, and tastefully cozy. The hostess seated them at a half-moon table set against one floral wall. After their drinks arrived, Kerri pulled a small notebook and a pen out of her clutch bag. “I need to ask you some questions.”
Mark’s eyebrows rose. “Now?” Surprise mingled with a flush of irritation. He put down his glass so quickly some of the liquid spilled over the side. He’d been appreciating the lovely contours of her face and neck, and the way the simple sheath enhanced her bustline. As she had lifted her glass and sipped her drink, his eyes had rested on the graceful curve of her arm and smooth, delicate fingers. So totally aware of her, her utter femininity had completely charmed him, and he’d been vain enough to think that she had been sexually aware of him at the same time. Now, he realized, her mind was centered on something more than his company. “Can’t we wait until after dinner?”
She gave him an infuriating smile that only made him more aware than ever of her pink-glossed lips. “We could, but now is a good time to tend to business, don’t you think?”
How deftly she had dispelled any idea he might have had that this was a romantic date. He was only a client. She was here to work on the case. He took a big slug of his Scotch before answering curtly. “Ask away.”
His strident tone took her back for a moment. Surely he wanted her to conduct the investigation as speedily as possible. She couldn’t understand his attitude—unless there were things that he didn’t want her to bring to light. Maybe he didn’t like this focus on his brother’s affairs. Was he reluctant to have her uncover something he would prefer to keep hidden?
She sighed as she opened her notebook to an empty page. The problem with delving into other peoples’ lives the way she did was that she often turned over some stones that her clients would have preferred left forgotten.
“What happened to Jason’s personal effects from the office and from his home? Address books, letters, personal papers, bills, receipts and the like?”
“I disposed of them.”
“All of them?”
“Why would I keep them?” He leaned back against the soft cushion of the booth. “I had no idea that anyone would ever want to go through the stuff.”
“Any photos or anything like that?”
“No. Don’t you think I would have told you? There wasn’t anything of value.”
“Except a gun?” You didn’t tell me about that.
He frowned as he his eyes squarely met hers. “Elsie told you, I suppose?”
She nodded.
“Well, if you’re going to ask me why my brother had a loaded gun in his desk, you can save your breath. I don’t know. Jason didn’t like guns,” he said flatly. “Never did. I went duck hunting a few times with our dad, but Jason refused to go with us. He was the last person I’d expect to own a gun.”
“Do you know if he had a permit for it?”
He shook his head. “I sold the damn thing, and then put it out of my mind. I suppose I could have asked Ardie about it at the funeral, but it never crossed my mind to quiz her about anything. I didn’t know she was going to waltz back into my life and dump her kids on me.”
“As Jason’s wife, why didn’t she see to Jason’s personal effects?”
“Don’t ask me. She told Jeff to take care of everything, and I ended up collecting Jason’s personal stuff at the office and his cottage. She never showed her face around here, as far as I know.”
“Do you think Jeff Elders might have some information he’s holding back? Maybe he knows more about Jason’s wife than he’s willing to admit. Your brother’s death was obviously a boost up for him.”
“Just in title. Jeff’s earnings have always been more than Jason’s, and my brother took directions from him. I guess Jeff’s glad that it’s now official that he’s in charge. I think he and Jason got along fine, but they weren’t close friends.”
“Did your brother have any close friends? Maybe we could find someone who knew Jason and Ardie socially. Do you have any idea where he might have spent his leisure time?”
“Besides the racetrack, you mean?” As if he might be tempted to say something more, he turned his attention to finishing his drink. Then, as he set down the empty glass, he said, “There was a pretty big unpaid tab at the Dolphin Club. Kind of a fancy country club, famous for its stuffed lobster and other things.”
“What other things?”
“I’m not sure. I guess we could have dinner there and find out.” Then he grinned and added, “All in the name of business, o
f course.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” she responded as evenly as she could. His devastating grin threatened to send all her defenses into limbo. How could she maintain the proper emotional distance between them when he seemed intent upon challenging her professionalism?
THE DOLPHIN CLUB overlooked the city, and its expansive facilities included a restaurant, lounge, game room, swimming pool and spa. Valet parking was required for all guests, and the exclusive, well-heeled clientele were carefully scrutinized as they made their way up broad steps under a columned portico.
“Will they let us in?” Kerri asked anxiously, grateful for Mark’s guiding hand on her arm as they approached the entrance.
“They damn well better. I’m the one who paid the membership fee.”
As they stepped into a brilliantly lighted foyer with white marble floors and alabaster statuary, an impeccably groomed man in evening attire stepped forward to greet them with a welcoming smile.
“Good evening,” he said with a slight bow. “Nice to see you, Mr—?” His pause was a very polite, unspoken demand, And who are you?
“Mark Richards. My firm has a membership here. You may remember my brother, Jason Richards. I believe he was a frequent guest of the club?”
“Of course, of course. My condolences on his passing. We have missed his company.”
Kerri sent Mark a satisfied glance. Good. His brother was known here. She was ready to ask the man whether or not Mrs. Richards had also enjoyed the pleasures of the club, but Mark guided her smoothly forward, forcing her to control her eagerness to start her interrogation.
The lighting in the dining room was more subdued and a maître d’ with a foreign accent quickly seated them near windows that gave a spectacular view of the valley below. Mark smoothly handled the rituals of ordering, selecting the proper wine to go with stuffed lobster tail. A pianist sat at a baby grand piano on a small elevated platform that moved slowly in a circle so that in time his offerings reached every corner of the room.
Kerri let out a breath that said Wow. The cost of membership in this club must be unbelievable. As she looked around at the opulent luxury, she was suddenly ill at ease, but not because she felt her appearance or conduct wasn’t as presentable as any of the other women. No, her sudden discomfort was something else entirely, she admitted to herself. Mark Richards must have money, plenty of it. If this club was any indication of the life-style he and his brother enjoyed, the world of the wealthy was commonplace in their lives. Usually the financial status of her clients didn’t register with her, but she was suddenly conscious of the old rambling house that she called home as a contrast to the kind of luxury that he obviously took for granted.
Well, no matter, she thought, as she gave herself a mental shake. Once this case was finished, it was unlikely that their paths would cross again. For the moment, she’d enjoy this peek into a pampered life-style she’d only viewed in movies and on television. She smiled as a favorite saying of her father came to mind, “’Tis a foolish soul who refuses a pint when someone else is laying his sixpence on the bar.”
“What are you smiling about? Your eyes give you away, you know,” he said as he studied them. “Right now they’re soft and misty, like an early morning sky, but when you’re angry, they deepen to a cold blue like Arctic ice.” His voice softened. “Sometimes I can see clearly into their depths, but other times they’re tightly shuttered against me, and I don’t know why.”
Kerri wasn’t quite certain how to respond to the invitation in his unspoken question. The conversation was veering off in a direction that was full of emotional hazards. Surely he must realize that even under these bizarre circumstances, she had to keep focused and avoid any distractions that might interfere with the job he’d hired her to do.
“What is it about me that you don’t like?” he asked, deliberately holding her eyes with a probing gaze of his own.
Her hand tightened on her wine goblet. If he could read her eyes so well, he ought to know that she liked him more than was prudent. Admitting that she was attracted to him would only invite the intimacy that she was trying to avoid. She managed a light laugh. “Would you like a list now, or later?”
He didn’t smile back, and she was grateful that the waiter arrived at that moment. Turning the conversation to an appreciation of the beautifully prepared food, the disquieting moment passed as Mark slipped into his role as the congenial host.
I could get used to this, she mused, as she enjoyed the luxurious dining opulence, but the thought was fleeting, because to be honest, she’d never trade the warm bustle of her mother’s kitchen for this kind of fancy culinary artistry.
“I called home to see how the kids were doing,” she said, trying to keep the conversation general as they ate. “Both mom and my grandmother are spoiling them in good fashion. Ardie may have three rotten kids on her hands when she gets them back.”
“I can’t thank you and your family enough. I honestly don’t know what I would have done with them.”
She waved away his thanks. “Things aren’t moving as fast as I’d like.” Then she lifted her chin in a determined fashion. “Once we have Ardie’s full name we’ll be able to track her past movements and have some chance of determining where she might be now. If Jason brought her here, someone might remember her. At this point in the investigation, I’d be happy with any personal data we might turn up, like a mutual friend of Jason and Ardie’s. Can you give me the names of people he saw outside the office?”
“I’m afraid I can’t. Jason didn’t like his big brother knowing too much about his private affairs. The only time he let me in on what was happening was when he needed my help to get out of another mess. He knew that I loved him and would always be there for him.” Mark’s jaw tightened. “Jason must have said as much to Ardie and that’s why she saddled me with her kids.”
Kerri nodded. “She knew they’d be safe with you.”
“Safe from what? And from whom?”
She wasn’t ready to venture an opinion. Not yet Some suspicions were building, but she wasn’t ready to share them. She’d learned that Jason gambled, kept a revolver, and had a history of getting into trouble. There was even a possibility that someone had deliberately forced him off the road, but until she had some supportive evidence, she’d keep her suspicions to herself. Where the missing Ardie fitted in with all of this was another missing piece of the puzzle.
“I think it’s time to chat with some of the staff, and even some of the club members,” she said, putting down her napkin after coffee and some sinful chocolate dessert. “I’ll start with the ladies’ room, and see if the attendant remembers a Mrs. Jason Richards. There’s always a chance that the maid eavesdropped on a conversation that might prove helpful. Why don’t you take the maître d’ and any of the waiters that might remember your brother?”
“What about the guy at the door?”
“I’d like to question him myself. I think I might be able to get a little more out of him than you can.” She smiled to soften her frankness. “This is my turf, remember?”
“No argument.” He spread out his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’d much rather handle a volatile stock market than try to do your job.” He nodded toward open French doors. “Shall we meet on the patio later? I think I hear dance music coming from that direction.”
“Good idea. We’ll have an opportunity to mingle, and talk with some of the guests.”
He got the message—they were sticking to business, and dancing with him under the stars wasn’t part of the agenda. We’ll see about that, he thought as they left the table and went their separate ways. If luck was with them, maybe they’d have something to celebrate.
Thirty minutes later, they met on the patio with nothing to share but frustration. Kerri had struck out with the ladies’ attendant. The older woman was obviously hard-of-hearing and paid little attention to the parade of women in and out of the ultramodern restroom.
Kerri had a little better luck
with the doorman. He admitted that Jason Richards had brought several women to the club, one of them could have been slender and fair-haired, but no names were exchanged.
“I didn’t know that he had gotten married.” He gave Kerri a conspirator’s wink. “But then, our members don’t always show up with their wives, you know.”
Kerri ignored the wink. “Was Mr. Richards ever a member of a party that came to the club in a group?” She hoped for a name that she might contact for more information about Jason and his bride.
He thought for a moment. “No, Mr. Richards was always alone or with a lady.”
Mark had the same kind of information to share as they sat at the far end of the patio near a fragrant planting of roses and trailing vines. He reported to Kerri that several of the staff remembered his brother, but no one recalled him introducing any woman as his wife.
Kerri stared at Mark for a long moment. “Maybe he never married her.”
This took Mark back for a bit. “Of course, he married her. Jason called and told me so.”
Kerri spoke slowly, thinking aloud. “Maybe your brother was just testing the ground. You know, trying to find out what your reaction would be before the act. Maybe they hadn’t tied the knot yet when he called. Is that possible?”
Mark was silent. For a long moment, he stared unseeing into the flickering lights of the city below. Then he nodded. “That would be just like Jason. He always wanted to share a bad decision with someone.”
“Your reaction to the news might have made him decide not to go through with the marriage.” And maybe that’s the reason Debbie has been unsuccessful in finding a record of the ceremony.
“But the woman came to the funeral as his wife,” Mark protested.