The Last Housekeeper

by Kari Shuey

  She looked up at him, wondering what he was so upset about. And then it came out. He was worried about her. Why, she wondered? What had him scared enough he came running over to Windsor for help? It was then he insisted she eat her meal in the main house – practically demanded she head that direction immediately. Curiosity begged her to be defiant and get the whole truth out of him, respect and concern prompted her to leave without a fight.

  She could tell Gavin had had a stressful afternoon, but beyond that, he seemed a little better than yesterday. She wasn’t going to let his rough afternoon affect the way she was feeling today. The future looked bright to her, she could feel it. The little moments of fear or anxiety could easily be washed away with each passing day that turned out better than she expected.

  Chapter 26

  The following week seemed bland on the surface, but to Abby it was just what the doctor ordered. Gavin went to work, came home, they ate dinner, and he would make little flirtatious comments to her. Specifically, the way she looked or how much he appreciated her.

  One evening after they had finished eating and she started to clean up. The evening air was cool and quiet outside the kitchen window. A breeze blew in, ruffling the stray strands of hair framing her face. Abby had assumed Gavin had left and was somewhat startled when he spoke behind her.

  “I bet you don’t realize just how beautiful you are.” The low vibrato of his voice sent chills racing down her spine.

  “Gavin, we’ve been over this. Right now isn’t the time for you and me.” She wanted to add that if they just gave it some time who knows where they could end up, but she didn’t want to give him false hope. Instead, she added a different excuse. “Besides, there’s more to a relationship than physical attraction.”

  Gavin scoffed. “Of course there are more important things. Like your work ethic, your willingness to forgive, and your sense of humor. I simply wanted to make sure you knew how hard it is for me… not to pull you into my arms and kiss you.” He winked at her.

  “Gavin,” her tone held a note of warning she had been using more frequently as she continued to ward off his advances. She found she needed to constantly remind him that they just wouldn’t work, and yet he would give the same rebuttal night after night.

  “I’m not giving up that easy.” He whispered

  It was this fun provocative tête-à-tête that only they shared… well, and Windsor.

  Abby took what Windsor said to heart and allowed herself to breathe a bit easier around Gavin. They could be friends. And if something more developed down the road after he opened up to her, well… then at least she hadn’t closed any doors.

  The phone on the table buzzed as Abby was wiping down the French doors. She approached it and was thrilled to see she got another message from Lori. She was getting ready to come home and would love someone to pick her up at the airport. The flight would land at the end of the week and it came in around eleven in the morning. A lunch date would be a perfect way to reunite a friendship that had taken much too long of a break. Lori had been gone for nearly six weeks. This was double the normal time she spent away chasing a story. It must have been a pretty good one.

  Abby messaged back that she would be there and to update her with any changes in her itinerary.

  Their friendship was over 10 years strong. It didn’t matter how long they spent apart. Every time they got back together it was like no time had passed at all. They had so much to catch up on and yet, Abby was still hesitant to fill Lori in on her employer turned romantic interest. She knew Lori would give her an earful about Abby getting involved with a billionaire. It would be tough to avoid a lecture, but maybe Lori would be willing to drop it if Abby assured her that the relationship was put on hold.

  The rest of the day went great. It was one of those days when one thing goes right, everything else falls into place. Abby had her friend back. The odd behavior between herself and Gavin was dissipating, and she felt comfortable about where she was in her career. Speaking of career, she had yet to discuss with Gavin whether she could go out on other calls. Making a mental note to ask him when he got home today, Abby finished folding the laundry she was working on and started to put it away.

  Once the housework was complete, Abby got started on the meal for the evening. A simple pasta dish would do the trick. While she prepared it, Gavin abruptly entered the house, home earlier than normal.

  Abby jumped and leaned over the island to watch him put a briefcase down, kick off his shoes and head straight to his office, as if on a mission. He opened his office door and allowed it to slam shut. Gavin must have had a bad day at the office. Abby settled back behind the counter, wondering what that was all about. Gavin usually took the time to say hello or let her know he was home if she wasn’t in the main living space. She considered going to the study door and knocking, inquiring if he was okay, but she thought better of it. If she knew him like she thought she did… he wouldn’t want to be bothered at the moment. She’d have to check in on him at dinner when they chatted about their day.

  ***

  Gavin sat at his desk, wrapping things up. He might be able to get out of here earlier than he thought. It would be nice to get home and have a break from all this. Shuffling a few papers together, he stacked them neatly and put them in a pile, ready to file them. He liked having duplicates of some of his more intricate customers. That way if he needed to look something up, he could do it at home or at work.

  His assistant walked into his office with the mail. She put it on his desk with a smile and left. Glancing down at the pile, there was a familiar manila envelope. One resembling another he had gotten a week ago. Berating himself, he hadn’t opened the first one, he studied the new envelope. For some reason things had gotten away from him last week, and as there wasn’t any indication on the piece of mail designating where it came from, he’d put it aside. Now as he examined the new piece of mail. He was curious if this was something more important… something important enough to receive a follow-up.

  Concern was the first emotion Gavin felt as he picked up the envelope and tore it open. He pulled out a single sheet of paper with typed words on it.

  Mr. Saxe,

  This is your second warning for the things you have done. You have ruined more than one life, and now you must accept the consequences. Relieve your security team, fire your staff, and admit guilt for Miss Sanchez’s death or more people you care about will be hurt. You don’t want to allow them to suffer for your wrongdoings. You have precisely two weeks to comply.

  Gavin’s hand clenched into a fist. His assumptions had been correct. Someone was out to get him. But what wrongdoings? He was a model citizen here. There was nothing he was doing that could be construed as bad. What lives had he hurt? Could this stem from something in his past– to before he relocated? That would lengthen the list of suspects – the further he delved into his former life, the longer the list of people he could have offended. He racked his brain but couldn’t think of anyone who would have been so insulted they’d kill to get even.

  Gavin shot up out of his seat. The first envelope! Maybe it had more information on it that would clue him in. He grabbed all the papers he needed to take home and put them in his briefcase. Snatching the keys off of the table near the door to his office, he hurried to the elevator.

  The drive home felt like it took forever. The traffic, even though it hadn’t reached peak rush hour, was congested – thwarting his need to return quickly. Once home, Gavin ran into the house and headed straight to his office. The folder was still there, buried slightly under additional mail. Tearing it open, he scanned the document.

  Mr. Saxe,

  You are a disgusting human being who needs to be reminded of his place in the world. Actions have consequences and now it’s your turn to pay up. You have had your fun, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that fate has caught up to you. Don’t let Miss Sanchez’s death have been in vain. Admit to her murder and no one else gets hurt.

  There was n
o signature, and no details as to what he could have done to make someone so upset with him. Gavin sat in his chair, shock and anger washing over him like a tumultuous storm at sea… the waves beating him again and again until he didn’t feel anything but rage. Someone was threatening his life and those around him because of some ridiculous interaction? He wouldn’t stand for it.

  Picking up both letters, he stalked out of his office and went straight to the guest house. So overwhelmed by the problem at hand, he didn’t notice Abby in the kitchen. He couldn’t even acknowledge the smell of food being prepared.

  Gavin didn’t knock. He stormed into Windsor’s place and threw the documents in front of him. “We have a problem. A big one. Did you get very far with what you were working on?”

  Windsor, jumping initially, then turning to the papers in front of him, looked up at Gavin. “No progress, sir. Scott hasn’t left the state of California since his release, Miss Tye… she can’t be reached. She’s not in her usual places. I have a tail on him and will put one on her when we locate her. I don’t think either of them would have killed Amara though.”

  “And Mr. Wilkens? Any information as to why he’s been around Miss Russell so often?”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary, sir. I assume he has a romantic interest in her… there could be more, but he is keeping his nose clean as far as we can tell.” Windsor picked up the two letters and read through both of them. Gavin watched him to gauge his reaction, but Windsor was better at hiding his thoughts. Putting the papers back down, Windsor looked back up at Gavin. “Yes, it would appear you have a very big problem. Do you want to take this to the police? Perhaps put a restraining order on Mr. Wilkens?”

  “You know why we can’t do any of that. Any information we give the police could lead them to finding out about… And if it is Wilkens, any additional attention we give him could force his hand.” Gavin shook his head and started pacing. “No, we need to fix this on our own. It may be proof that I had nothing to do with the murder of Amara, but it would open not only me but you up for additional scrutiny. We can’t have that.” He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about his next move. “Is there any way to trace where the letters came from? The delivery guy or the ink or something?”

  Windsor’s smug expression made Gavin feel foolish. “Sir, we aren’t exactly the crime scene specialists you would need to find that out. We don’t have access to testing facilities. The best we can do is try to trace the security footage back to when they were delivered and talk to the messenger. The kid might know who gave it to him or maybe his company would… but at this point it could be from anywhere. My suggestion is to increase security, get a team out here to case the property, maybe let Abby go so she isn’t in harm’s way-”

  “No,” Gavin interjected vehemently. “If this person has been watching me closely at all, they will know that I have feelings for her. You and Abby would be targets to get to me at this point. She is probably safest here. Don’t alarm her or anything, but we need to keep someone on her at all times. I won’t have another woman hurt or killed while in my care. No, she stays,” he repeated.

  “But sir, we could give her a guard and allow her to live away from ground zero. That would probably be a better bet. This person, whoever he or she is, would notice you were willing to let her go. They’d focus on you instead.”

  Shaking his head, Gavin disagreed again. “No. If you could tell there was something between us, this person would have too. If the killer was able to get to Amara – on my secure property… it would be that much easier to get to Abby anywhere else. Abby stays. End of discussion. What else can we do? I have a deadline. We need to figure this out within two weeks, or they said more people would be hurt. I’m guessing they will focus on people here, close to me, then start to focus on my family. They want to see me suffering, and the easiest way is on the home front. Think, Windsor! You have to have something!”

  Windsor looked back at the papers. “I will get some guys on the footage, and track down the messenger company. We will get reinforcements hired, but they probably won’t be here until next week. You had them on a job in Texas, but I don’t think they’re needed there currently. You should tell Abby something is up, or she will get suspicious and reach her own conclusion…”

  Gavin shook his head again. He wasn’t about to make her fear for her life when they were finally getting back into a good place.

  Shrugging, Windsor handed the papers back to Gavin. “Well, then we will do what we can. Worst case scenario, you can always go to the police. Sure, they might figure out more than you want them to… but there’s a statute of limitations on some things, and… well a lot of it took place in California. Who knows, they might not care as long as they catch the piece of garbage who killed Amara.”

  Taking the papers, Gavin crumpled them up in his fist. He threw them in the garbage can nearby and left the guest house. It would be time for dinner soon. He didn’t want Abby to think something was wrong. Gavin took a deep breath. Count to ten he told himself. Then make sure she can’t tell anything is wrong.

  Chapter 27

  Abby watched Gavin storm out of the house and march straight over to where Windsor worked. While she observed his strange behavior, she hoped it was something Windsor could help him with. Windsor was a great calming presence for Gavin when things were not going according to plan. Granted, Gavin didn’t need a calming presence often, he had a good head on his shoulders. She’d witnessed his ability to take a step back and tackle a problem by looking for the bigger picture… but this didn’t seem like that kind of situation.

  Gavin exited the small building and calmly walked back up to the house. She could tell he was trying to cool off. The big thing that was bothering him still was… but Windsor had likely promised to handle it. That was a relief.

  Abby placed the dishes on the table and brought the pot of spaghetti over. She returned to the stove and pulled out the garlic bread, taking a deep breath of the buttery aroma. Gavin opened the door behind her and entered the house. He almost looked surprised to find her almost done with dinner. She wanted to teasingly chastise him about ignoring her when he got home but chose not to. He needed a break from whatever it was that he was dealing with. He didn’t need to be reminded about his problems after Windsor had helped him relax, even if it was only a small amount.

  Abby brought the bread to the table and took a seat. She felt unnerved, with Gavin staring at her from the doorway. He stood, unmoving and deep in thought. She broke the silence. “Are you going to come eat before it gets cold?”

  Her words seemed to pull him to the present. Gavin cautiously approached the table and sat across from her. “Smells good. Thank you.”

  Abby nodded and served herself some of the pasta. Offering the serving spoon to Gavin, she held it out awkwardly as he blankly stared at it. After waiting longer than necessary, she scooped out some spaghetti for Gavin and put a piece of bread on his plate. “Rough day? You seem to have a lot of those.”

  Gavin nodded absentmindedly. “Perks of running a company, I guess,” he said with sarcasm.

  Abby peered at him over the table. Something was eating at him and he didn’t want to share it. She knew that look. And if she offered any kind of help or advice, she’d be shot down. She could go over to see Windsor after dinner but would likely get the same kind of treatment. “Well, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I get it.”

  That got Gavin’s attention. He must have realized he was doing something he didn’t want to do. He plastered a smile on his face and picked up his fork. “Everything is fine. I assure you. Just work stuff.”

  Abby didn’t believe it for a second. That look told more than he ever would. It may be work-related, but everything was not fine. It didn’t matter. She didn’t have to pry it out of him. They weren’t dating anymore. If he didn’t want to share his personal issues with her, she wasn’t going to make him.

  “So I had something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Abby started. “Remember last week when I went out to see my old boss? I got to thinking it would be nice if I could do some cleaning for him on the side. Your house stays clean far too easily. I feel like you could go a week between cleanings. Honestly, it gets kind of boring after a while. I feel like you’re paying me to hunt for the last speck of dust in your home. I mean, I’m good. But that kind of work is a bit obsessive. And I do it already… and I still have free time to sit and twiddle my thumbs.”

  Gavin was looking at her like he’d seen a ghost. His face had paled. Yep, this was not purely work-related. And it wasn’t fine. It had something to do with her or something to do with him and his fear of losing her. If she could, Abby would pat herself on the back for being able to decipher an expression so well. But as it was, she was more worried about why Gavin looked so sick to his stomach all of a sudden.

  “Look, it wouldn’t mean that I wouldn’t be your housekeeper. I’d still live here, I would just help out Mr. Perkins a little on the jobs he has lined up. It would be a great help.”

  Gavin’s color slowly returned but he was still short on words. “Hmm, yeah… I seem to remember getting a message from him about that last week. Sorry I didn’t get back to him. I thought about it, and I don’t know that it would be a very good idea.”

  Abby looked across the table at Gavin, astonished. “You can’t be serious! You’re not, are you?”

  He had the decency to meet her eyes before elaborating. “I hired you to be on-site for more than just cleaning. I like having someone constantly available if someone delivers something or to make the house appear lived in. You are technically being paid to sit and read a book every so often. It shouldn’t bother you to feel like you aren’t doing anything productive. It’s part of the job description.” He took a few more bites of his pasta.

  “But it isn’t just because I feel like I’m being paid for nothing. It is making me go crazy!” She took note of his incredulous expression. “Cleaning gives me purpose. When I don’t have purpose I get antsy. I need to stay busy most of the time. Yes, there will be days when I will appreciate some time off… but most of the time, I need to challenge myself.”