“What ties do you have to Santino? Why do you owe him money?”
“I don’t,” Harvey said, his voice no louder than an indrawn breath.
“Harvey, for the love of—”
He turned to her, and she saw the look of a trapped animal in his eyes, the kind of animal with its paw caught in a trap, that snaps at anyone who tries to help. She reached out to touch him, and he pushed her away.
“Don’t,” Nora said softly. “I need you to be honest with me, Harvey.”
“I need you to believe me,” Harvey said. “But I guess we both just have to live disappointed lives, don’t we?”
“You’re desperate for help, underneath that façade of calm,” Nora said. “I wish you’d trust me enough, just this once, to—”
“I do trust you,” he said. “It’s just that I… I can’t…” He put his hands in his hair, and bent over, letting out a frustrated growl. “You should run,” he said,= finally.
“What?” Nora looked at him in disbelief.
He looked up at her, very serious. “Your life is in danger here in Milburn, and what’s holding you back anyway? You’ve got no family here, you can go anywhere you like. So leave. Don’t take the risk of staying here anymore. You’ve got more enemies than friends.”
“Is that concern for me?” Nora asked.
Harvey sighed. “It’s eating me inside, Nora. The fact that you’re in trouble. Everything else, I could have handled, the loss of my business even.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t care about the loss of your business.”
“Of course I care. Do you know what that feels like? When everything you’ve ever dreamed of… a dream that you’d just managed to clasp in your hands… is snatched away from you before you can taste it?”
“Do I?” Nora laughed. “Harvey, my diner is gone. My best friend is gone.”
“Your diner?” Harvey looked up, confused. “I thought you’d delay the opening a bit, but why is it gone?”
Briefly, Nora told him about how she had given the down payment and how the bank loans were supposed to be paid using Raquel’s money, which would probably fall in the hands of a cult that would never give it back.
“If I can’t make those payments, I can’t open it,” Nora said. “My dream will die out with Raquel.”
“I’m so sorry.” Harvey put a hand on hers, and squeezed. She shut her eyes, leaned back her head and savored the warmth of his hand on hers. From behind her eyes, two tears trickled down her cheeks. “I feel horrible really, that part of me even cares about the diner when all I should care about is Raquel.”
Harvey nodded, and squeezed her hands again. “It’s normal,” he said. “The dead leave us with all the bits of life that we shared with them. Your diner, Raquel would have wanted it to open. It’s a pity her parents gave that money away, it’s almost like giving her last wish away.”
“The funny thing is, I wouldn’t feel so bad if it were Davis who were using the money, even if all he did with it was waste it. But the thought of handing it over to Stanley, or Jolene, I can’t bear it!”
“Raquel wouldn’t have wanted that,” Harvey agreed.
“I wish she was still here,” Nora said. “But now that she’s not, all I want is to find out who killed her. And the thought, the suspicion, that it could be you, the one person in this town that I…” She silenced herself, and rubbed at her cheeks. “Sorry,” she said, sniffing. “I guess the day’s events just caught up with me.”
In response, he held her by the shoulders, leaned over, and delicately kissed the trail of tears on her cheeks. Finishing, he kissed her lips and then pressed his forehead against her.
“It’s been rough on you,” he said.
“I don’t care if it has,” Nora said fiercely. “Raquel told me when my parents died that grief can make you run to a dream or to destruction. That time, I ran towards a dream. This time, I’m going to run towards destruction, the destruction of whoever killed her.”
“Even if it were me?” Harvey asked.
“Even if it were you,” she said.
“It wasn’t,” Harvey said. “But I can see that unless I tell you more, you’ll never leave it alone. Do you want to know how I’m linked to Raquel, and Santino?”
“More than anything.”
“All right.” He took a breath. “When I first came into town, I came here with an idea that my biological father would recognize me, would treat me as his own son. Instead, the man threw me out of his house and threatened to throw me in jail.”
Nora nodded. He tried to say it lightly, but she could see the hurt still in his eyes, as if the wound would never quite close. She felt a pang of sorrow for the boy he had been, lonely, and unwanted.
“I didn’t tell you how that ate at my soul, the one man whose approval I wanted more than anything, told me that I was a worthless stain that would never amount to much,” Harvey said. “I was determined to prove him wrong. It’s like you said, in grief, you run to a dream or destruction. I ran towards what I thought was a dream, and I was wrong.”
“What happened?”
“Santino… Santino makes a lot of money,” Harvey said, “A lot of very illegal money that he needs to launder. He offered me some as a loan, to start my business off with. At the time, I thought he was genuinely impressed with how hard I worked and that he was a legitimate businessman.”
“So you took the money?”
“I did. As did my partner, Donovan. It was all very legal though, I made sure of it. Santino earns quite well through the ranch, after all. I was naive, to be honest. Knowing what I do now, I would never make such a deal. But back then, we were young and ambitious, and I was… willing to look the other way if it meant I got the money to follow my dreams.”
“So what happened?”
“We worked very hard, we repaid the loan, and business was good. Then Santino came up to us with an offer. I won’t tell you the details because, well, if I get arrested, I don’t want you to be caught too. Suffice to say that it was illegal, but it would make us a lot of money.” Harvey laughed. “Santino actually made it sound like he was doing us a favor, can you believe it? I suppose in his eyes, he was. But me, I wanted my business to be clean.”
“What then?”
“Donovan was eager to take the money. I refused,” Harvey said. “So Santino started trying to pressure me by claiming that I’d never paid back his original loan. According to him, I now owed him a lot of money.” Harvey shook his head. “Raquel knew that I’d repaid the loan since she was my accountant, and she had proof of it. Maybe that’s the reason Santino silenced her.”
“You aren’t telling me everything,” Nora said. “Why would Donovan disappear? Why would Santino make a bogus claim?”
“I’m still trying to figure that out,” Harvey said. “Nora, believe me, I had nothing to do with Raquel’s death. I… I’m not a good man, I guess, but I’m no murderer.”
“I don’t know,” Nora said. “When you pointed that gun at Santino today, it was plain you had no qualms about killing him.”
Harvey put a hand through her hair, gripped it tight. “He threatened you,” Harvey said. “I’ll see him dead or in jail for it.”
A flutter went through Nora’s heart. “Even if it costs you your life?”
“Even if it costs me my life,” Harvey said. “I’m a mild man, Nora. I don’t get angry easily. But if I’m pushed too far…”
He let the sentence trail off, as he stared into her eyes. For a moment, the two stayed like that, hearts beating in sync, breaths mingling together.
“The town doesn’t like me much right now, you know,” Nora mused. “I just about angered everyone when I implied it wasn’t a hitch hiker who killed Raquel.”
“It might still turn out to be,” Harvey said. “We’re just playing guesswork, and Sean isn’t going to tell us anything the police have uncovered.”
“I wish there were a way to make him talk,” Nora said.
“You might,�
� Harvey said, a tinge of jealousy creeping into his voice. “He likes you, you know.”
Nora shook her head. “I don’t think so. Not after what I said to him today.”
“What did you say?”
“Just… that he shouldn’t start a witch hunt, not for his step brother,” Nora said.
Harvey looked away from her, out at the river babbling beside the road. “I suppose someone in town told you?” he asked.
“No. I just always wondered why Sean seemed to irrationally dislike you when everyone else in town loved you. When you told me the story about the rich rancher who refused to call you his son, I suppose my mind just put the two facts together.”
“Did he…” There was a note of longing in Harvey’s voice. “What did he say?”
“That I shouldn’t start spreading rumors about his father, unless I wanted to deal with him,” Nora said. “I’m sorry, Harvey.”
Harvey shook his head, mute. “Never mind. That’s how it is, isn’t it? I wouldn’t expect anything less from that family.” He turned away from her, trying to hide the longing in his eyes. “It’s so stupid, but part of me always hoped that if not brothers, Sean and I could at least be friends. Guess that’s never going to happen. Sean’s a stubborn man.”
As they drove back into town, Nora remembered that note of longing, and the hurt look in his eyes, and her dislike of Sean increased.
*****
Chapter 22
Gossip
They stopped for lunch at a small sandwich shop off Main Street. Famous for its fresh baked bread, Adam’s Sammies was a fairly new shop that had earned itself rave reviews, and always had a line that stretched to the street during lunch hour. The place itself was a tiny room, with a single counter dividing the cashier and sandwich makers from the hungry public. The menu had only five daily sandwiches, and the only option was take out. Not that people minded, what with the park right down the street, with its shady oak trees and its view of the Tetons.
“Pastrami, Olive bread, with extra lettuce,” Harvey said, putting a bottle of local beer on the counter. He looked at the long line behind him, spotted Ashley, and said, “Also, I’d like one of your mint cookies please. What will you have, Nora?”
“I’ll have the cream cheese and cucumber with French bread, thanks,” Nora said.
She kept her voice low, conscious of the glares others were giving her. She heard a brief hiss behind her, and wondered if she was only being paranoid, or if it really was directed at her.
Harvey grabbed the paper bags, put a dollar in the tip jar, and put his sunglasses on. “Good weather to eat out.” He smiled. He stepped to the back of the line, and handed the mint cookie to Ashley, who was frowning at the chalkboard menu.
“Ashley.” He smiled. “Aren’t pregnant women supposed to skip the line?”
“Oh, I’m still undecided between the barbeque chicken sandwich and the corn cutlet sandwich.” Ashley sighed.
“Why not both?” Harvey smiled. “Now go quickly and don’t be on your feet too long. I got you the mint cookie because I’m always seeing you snack on these.”
“They’re divine,” Ashley said. “I’m addicted to them. As for the sammies, I suppose I’ll just get both and give Jeremy whatever I can’t finish.”
“Harvey dear, we’ve all been so worried.” May Almand, who was standing next to Ashley, stepped out of the line to talk to them.
“May.” Harvey looked surprised, then nodded pleasantly. “How’s the Mayor doing? Ready to campaign soon? Not that he needs to.”
“Brett is good.” May’s smile broadened. “I heard Sheriff wanted to see you about a dead body that’s been found on the highway? He heard a rumor you’d skipped town, but I told him that’s just impossible. You love us all too much, don’t you?”
“Some more than others.” Harvey smiled, his eyes twinkling.
Good lord, he’s smooth, Nora thought. May was blushing like a kindergartener getting an A+ from her favorite teacher. He had to be charming, of course, for a virtual stranger like him to be adopted and loved by the town. Nora wished she had a smidgen of his charm as well, but her awkward, solitary nature and her last meeting with May in the pancake house were not easily overcome, she supposed.
“Sheriff seems to be focusing his attention in all the wrong places anyway,” May said with a sniff. “It’s bound to be a hitchhiker who’s done it.”
“I’ll let the sheriff decide.” Harvey shrugged. “He’s a smart man, despite his flaws.”
“I heard the body was unidentified,” May said. “A teenager, this time!”
“No, it’s a middle aged man.” Tina, who was standing next to May, spoke up. “One of the deputies told Sam he’s only been dead three months.”
Ashley shuddered. “That’s horrible to think about. Poor thing.”
May nodded. “It is horrible. We’ve passed by that road and never imagined a body could be buried there!” she said. “A real spate of bad luck for the town.”
Nora, irritated at the look May had given her when claiming it had to be a hitchhiker’s crime, chimed in. “Of course, two bodies, found in such a short span of time, that’s somewhat suspicious isn’t it? They’ve got to be linked. If it helps catch the murderer, that’s good luck for the town.”
“Oh, you’ve got a mind for conspiracy theories.” May smiled in a superior way.
“Sheriff said the person has been dead a few months,” Ashley said. “So I don’t think the crimes could be linked.”
“Unless the murderer is someone in town,” Nora said. “Unless they’ve waited patiently to strike again.”
Ashley paled again. “It scares me when you say things like that, Nora. It’s terrifying to think of. I’ve taken to locking my doors at night.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” May said, putting a protective hand around Ashley’s shoulders. “Stop it with your theories, Nora. This town is a safe space. We’re neighbors, we’ve known each other all our lives. It would be impossible for a murderer to live among us.”
“Would it?” Nora asked. “I loved my uncles, I thought I knew them, and when the time came, they sold my house and left me homeless without a second thought. The people we think we know can hide their inner natures surprisingly well, at times.”
“I think I know you,” May said. “So tell me, Nora, what hidden nature are you keeping from me?”
“What do you mean?” Nora asked, taken aback.
“Just that you’ve been in town only a few months, and suddenly we have two deaths on our hands,” May said. “Slightly suspicious, wouldn’t you say?”
“Now May,” Harvey said, still polite but with a warning note in his voice. “Be nice.”
“I am being nice.” May sniffed. “But if Nora insists on continuing with these theories of hers—”
“Whoever killed Raquel had to have known her,” Nora said. “She wouldn’t have let them into the diner otherwise. There’s people who had motive too, people who benefited from her death.”
“Oh, yes,” May said. “It’s the first rule of being a detective, isn’t it? Your strongest suspect must be the person who’d profit the most from a death. The husband, the kids, any love rival…” May gave Nora a pointed look. “The business partner.”
Ashley swayed a little. “I… I think I…”
Harvey was immediately by her side, leading her to a chair. “That’s it, you’re taking another week off work, Ashley,” he said.
The line of people had halted, and a crowd formed around Ashley. May however, stayed on the edge of the crowd, and harshly said to Nora. “You did profit, didn’t you? With Raquel gone, you’re sole owner of the diner, and I heard you’ve been named the sole trustee in her will. A good position to be in.”
“I’m sole owner of the loan,” Nora said. “As for the money, it’s all going to go to Davis.”
“Oh, yes, the loan, the loan you went to ask her parents to pay for,” May said scornfully.
“How did—”
>
“There’s not much I don’t know,” May said, her words biting. “I know you went to the cult’s ranch. I know you went to see Santino, and, my dear, so does the sheriff.”
“May,” Harvey’s voice was cold this time. “I think you should leave her alone now. Stay out of this.”
“Oh, I’ll leave her alone, no problem.” May smirked. “But what about Sean?”
“What about him?” Harvey asked.
May nodded towards the door, and Harvey turned around.
Nora looked up, and Sean stepped into the restaurant, hands tucked into his pockets, badge flashing on his chest. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as he walked toward them.
“Nora,” he said. “We need to talk.”
*****
Chapter 23
Sean’s Suspicions
“Sean.” Nora stepped outside with him, a little confused. “What is it?”
“I got a call from the cult of the supreme truth,” Sean said. “They wanted me to arrest you for trespassing and threatening their lives.”
“That’s a total lie!” Nora said. “If anything, you should be arresting Stanley!”
“Oh, I know it is a lie, believe me,” Sean said. “I’m just annoyed you went there without asking me.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know I needed official permission,” Nora said angrily.
“Oh, for… Nora, don’t do this. You could have been in danger. You sure enough were afterward, when you went to Santino’s. I’ve told you not to mess around with the likes of Harvey or the cult. Is it so hard to understand?” Sean’s voice, always so controlled, was rising like an eagle’s cry.
“Sheriff.” Harvey stepped out too, the paper bags with the sandwiches still in his hands. “Working hard at solving your cases, I see.”
“Butt out, Harvey,” Sean snapped. “I’m talking to Nora.”
“Is she being detained?” Harvey asked.
“Of course not. I—”
“Great.” Harvey hooked his arm over Nora’s shoulders. “You want to go, sweetheart?” Deliberately, he bent down and grazed his lips over hers.
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