Picture Them Dead (20 page)

“I'd be more worried about his wife,” Jennifer said. “She's a wildcat and she's still convinced Claire was trying to steal Nash away from her. Like he's a hot prize.”

Denny pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something under his breath. “It's not a question of whether he learns about this, but when and under what circumstances. I think it's best to bring in all the parties tomorrow and talk to them and see if we can control the fallout,” he said, turning to Jennifer. “We need to get back out there, we've got a lot of ground to cover.”

As we moved out of the room, I watched Esme. There was very little animation in her face and she moved like her feet were made of lead. At the front door Denny turned and pointed a finger at me. “You remember what I said. No contact.” Then he reached over and touched Esme on the shoulder. “I'll call you later,” he said, giving her a wink.

“That's fine,” Esme said with about the same enthusiasm she might have offered a door-to-door vacuum-cleaner salesman.

The door closed and Esme shuffled off toward the kitchen to continue putzing around. It hurt me to the core to see her this way. I wanted grumpy Esme back. The only thing keeping me from breaking my pledge to Denny was the fact that Jennifer hadn't broken hers. If I blabbed to Esme now, I'd prove every bad thing Jennifer had ever thought about us.

Instead I went upstairs and started getting ready for my date with Jack. It was four thirty in the afternoon and he was picking me up at six. I've never taken more than a half hour to get ready for anything. I wasn't exactly sure what to do with all that prep time.

I was planning to wear the dress I'd bought for the wedding. I don't hold much with this idea that you can't be seen in society in the same dress twice in a season. For what I'd paid for this one, I planned to get all the use out of it I could. I might be mowing the lawn in the thing before all was said and done. I hung it in the bathroom to steam out the wrinkles.

I showered, then rubbed my hair nearly dry with a towel and left it to curl as it dried. I knew better than to try to bend it to my will. I put on a little blush, a smear of tinted lip ointment, and a couple of strokes of mascara. For me this was heavy-duty preening. I donned my new dress and slid my feet into my new shoes. I tried a few poses in front of the mirror. I felt a little weird, but I looked pretty freakin' good.

I came downstairs and had a flashback to prom night as I went into the workroom to show Esme. She clapped her hands and held them to her chest, grinning like a proud mama. “You look so pretty!” she exclaimed, walking a circle around me to get a view from every angle.

“You don't have to make it sound like a miracle,” I said with a pro forma harrumph. But I was secretly thrilled to see Esme smile, whatever the cause.

She was smiling, but when I looked closer, I saw there were tears brimming in her eyes. I would have pushed her then, and probably would've ended up breaking my oath to Denny, but Jack's voice in the front hall saved me.

“Hey, Soph! You ready?”

“Back here,” I called.

Jack had taken a little care tonight as well. He had on a pair of pressed khakis and a dress shirt, and he smelled of an aftershave I really liked.

“Wow,” he said when he caught sight of me. “You look really . . .” He paused, searching for a word. “­Really different,” he finally finished.

“Oh, you sweet-talkin' dawg, you,” Esme said with an exasperated sigh.

“You look beautiful,” Jack amended. “But we might want to take your car. I'm in the pickup, which seemed like a better choice than my motorcycle, but neither ­really works with that dress.”

On the way to Olivia's, neither of us could find anything to say, or we'd both start talking at once. Olivia's had been open only a short time, but it was clear it was going to be a smashing success. Though the trappings were fancy, it was a welcoming and comfortable place. Jack and I were greeted by the restaurant's owner, Daniel Clement. I'd gotten to know him well while researching his family history for his mother, and based on his grin, I had a hunch he was in the gossip loop about Jack and me. As he showed us to our table, he told us what he had planned for Marydale and Winston's reception, which would be his first big catering job. Daniel had been a dissatisfied lawyer in a former life and I admired how he'd had the courage to leave a career that was making him miserable to pursue something he loved. People can change if they have the will to do it and the support to sustain it.

After we'd studied the menu and made our selections, Jack leaned across the table and whispered, “You really do look beautiful, Soph.”

“Thanks,” I said, “you're not so bad yourself. I feel a little strange. This is all very special, but next time let's just order in a pizza, okay?”

Jack laughed. “Sure, but this is our first real date and it should be special. Speaking of which, I got you a little something to mark the occasion.” He handed over a slender box.

I hesitated. It had never occurred to me to bring him a present. Jack read my mind. “It's not a big deal. I just wanted to get you something. Go on, open it.”

I tore off the paper and lifted the lid off the box, pulling out a delicate silver chain with a small round pendant disk etched with a branching tree, similar to the one on the locket Winston had gotten for Marydale.

“Not as romantic as a heart,” Jack said, “but it looks like the family trees you draw for people, so I thought it would suit you better.”

I put the necklace on and knew I'd never want to take it off. I'd had it for two seconds and already it was precious to me. Which made me think of Laney finding her bracelet at River's house. She'd been so happy to get it back. Though when I thought about it more, what she'd actually said was that James would be happy.

“Do you think it's possible for a couple to have an equal relationship?” I asked Jack.

“Yeah, sure,” he said, each word drawn out. “Is this because you didn't get me a present? Or you don't like the necklace?”

I smiled. “You know I love it,” I said. I told him how it had made me think of Laney and James. “She's such a strong, confident woman, and yet when I've seen her with him it seems like she sort of folds in her wings and turns everything over to him.”

Jack laughed. “Believe me, Soph, I have no expectations that you'll fold in your wings. Maybe it's the age difference with them, or something about their political careers; that's got to be touchy. Or maybe they weren't friends first, like us.”

Our food arrived and from there on out the evening was grand. We ate and chatted aimlessly about whatever crossed our minds, and all the things I'd always loved about our easy friendship came back, only with an extra bonus.

Jack insisted on walking me to my front door when we got back to my house. “You know,” he said, “if we ­really were coming home from the prom, your dad would probably be peeking out the window to see if I kiss you good night.”

“Don't worry, I'm sure Esme's got that duty covered,” I said, and we immediately heard footsteps shuffling around inside.

Jack kissed me. It was a very nice kiss, an extremely nice kiss.

“We said we'd take it slow, right?” he asked as he pulled back to look at me.

“Yes, we did,” I agreed.

“What the hell were we thinking?” He gave me a crooked smile. Then he kissed me again, lightly this time, and called out good night as he jogged to his truck.

*   *   *

Dee called me the next morning, rousting me from some very interesting dreams. “Can you come down to the police station?” she asked.

“Do I need to bring bail money?” I muttered. “What have you done, Dee?”

“Ha-ha,” she said. “I'm down here with Laney. Denton called her yesterday and asked her to come in this morning on an official matter. She's got no idea why she's here and she's a little ticked about it. I don't want to put you on the spot, but do you have any idea what this is about?”

“Don't put me on the spot, then, Dee,” I said. “It'll all be clear soon. It won't be particularly pretty and Laney's not going to be happy, but it may be a relief in the end.”

I debated whether my going down there would violate Denny's order. He said not to talk with Laney, but he didn't say I couldn't be there for her after this all came out. I told Dee I'd be there right away.

*   *   *

Dee was sitting with Laney on a bench in the tiny front lobby when I got to the station. She raised her eyebrows at me, but I shook my head.

Laney was checking her watch. “I've got a full day,” she said. “I hope this doesn't take much longer. I hate to keep people waiting. And because they're keeping me waiting, my schedule is going to get jammed. You really don't have to wait with me, Dee.” She looked up and saw me approaching. “Sophreena, what are you doing here?”

I glanced at Dee, who gave me a rueful smile. Apparently she hadn't told Laney she'd called me.

“I needed to see Denny about something,” I lied. “And you?”

“Well, Denton called me yesterday and asked me to come down. They said they needed my help. I assume it's village business, though I wonder why it was Denton calling and not the chief. In any case, they're making me cool my heels. Sit down,” she said, patting the bench beside her.

I sat. I felt duplicitous, but at the same time I truly believed this would help Laney in the long run. It must have been a terrible secret to carry for all these years. But for the immediate future, it was going to be like taking nasty medicine in hopes of a cure. I wished I could brace her for what was to come, but I couldn't. I was already technically in violation of Denny's order.

We all turned as the door opened and Gavin stepped inside the lobby. He squinted to let his eyes adjust to the interior lighting. He spotted us and gave a quick nod, then checked in at the desk. The desk officer hit a button and the door buzzed open. Gavin disappeared into the business end of the station.

“Oh no,” Laney said, once the door closed behind him. “I hope he hasn't done something dumb again. Poor Gavin, he just can't seem to stay out of trouble. I worry about him.”

Next came Bryan Mason. He went through the same adjustment as he passed through the doorway out of the bright morning sunlight. He looked around and spotted us. Laney smiled and gave him a little wave. His expression was hard to read, but if somebody had forced me to label it, I'd have called it hurt, which wasn't an emotion I'd normally associate with cocky Bryan Mason. He went to the desk and was immediately ushered to the back.

“I wonder what's going on,” Laney said.

“So do I,” Dee said, looking across at me.

Just then the door opened again and Luke Mitchell came in. He nodded at me and was approaching the desk when the side door opened and Jennifer beckoned him to come through. She stepped out into the lobby, still holding the door open. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms. Easton. We'll be with you in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Laney answered, glancing at her watch again. “But do let me know if it's going to be much longer. I'll need to cancel some appointments.”

I longed to tell her she should go ahead and cancel everything for the rest of the day, maybe for the rest of the month. This was going to be such an embarrassment for her, even though she'd been only indirectly involved.

“Do you know that guy who just went in?” Laney asked.

I nodded. “Luke Mitchell, Sherry Burton's brother.”

“Oh, my God, do you think this has something to do with her murder?” Laney asked, wide-eyed.

“I don't know,” I answered, honestly this time. I'd thought it was about the prank call, but maybe the two things were related somehow.

The parade continued. A young woman came in, looking around nervously. She went to the desk and I heard her give her name—Francesca Creswell. So this was Gavin's date. She was petite, with a beautiful figure, long chestnut hair, and dark eyes. She was gorgeous. And she'd asked Gavin out?

Laney's frown deepened when she saw the woman. “Do you know her?” she asked. “She looks familiar, but I can't place her.”

“I don't know her,” I said, “but I think she works at the golf course.”

“Yes,” Laney said, “that's where I've seen her.” She went back to thumbing at her cell phone, texting her secretary to cancel her morning appointments.

The next person to enter was James Rowan. He spotted Laney and came over, bending to peck her cheek. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I'm here to see Denton,” she said. “Village business,” she added. “But something's come up for them and I've been moved to the back burner.”

“I think the something that's up is what I'm here for,” he said. “I'd best get on back and find out what it's about. See you tonight?”

“You bet,” Laney said, and I noticed her hand went instinctively to her bracelet. She was worrying it, twisting it around her wrist.

A few minutes later, Nash Simpson and his wife arrived. Both ignored us completely and went straight to the desk, complaining loudly about having been called in and demanding to know why. The desk officer buzzed them in and they disappeared into the black hole of the back offices.

“Wow, it must be getting crowded back there,” Dee said.

“It must,” Laney said with a forced laugh. The bracelet action had picked up, and I thought maybe she was finally catching on to what this was about. If not, the next visitor to the station should have tipped her. Quentin Calvert came in, his face stony. Given his life experience, police stations probably seemed like the gateway to hell. He was directed inside and I sincerely hoped they were going to put him in a different room from Nash Simpson, or else the cops might need to don riot gear.