Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2) (17 page)

"I won't."

"When I graduated from high school, I didn't want to go to college right away. So I went to dental hygienist school and became a hygienist."

"No way!"

"Yep! I graduated with honors and paid for my college degree with my income."

"Wow! That's impressive. I never would've guessed. Why did you want to be a hygienist?"

"I thought it'd be cool to join an organization that went to impoverished areas of the country and even out of the country to do dental work for free."

Phil sat up and balanced himself on the float. "That's awesome, Kathryn. Did you ever get to do a trip?"

She shook her head and raised the left corner of her mouth. "No, I went straight to law school after college and the rest is—well, you know how it is."

"I'm sorry, but maybe you'll get to do something like that one day."

"Maybe. I don't know. When I become frustrated with law, I think about returning to the dental field."

"Why don't you?"

"Daddy would have a conniption." Kathryn rolled her eyes then Sadie jumped into the pool and paddled over to them. "Sadie! What are you doing, girl?" Kathryn grabbed her collar and pulled her onto the float with her.

"A conniption?" Phil lost his balance and tumbled off the float. When he surfaced, he laughed and questioned her meaning with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, a fit. You know?"

He tipped his chin. "I sure hope you're able to find the right path for your future when all of this is over. I'll pray you do."

Kathryn slipped off the float and swam with Sadie over to the steps. Sadie plodded up the steps to the stamped-concrete patio, and Kathryn returned to her float. "You're a big prayer person, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You pray before every meal, and your faith seems to be ingrained in you."

"I can't imagine living a day without the security of my faith."

Security? She hadn't felt secure in a long time. And when she had, it hadn't been true security. It'd been founded on fear of failure and rejection. Would she ever know the kind of security Phil knew? "I’ve never thought of religion as security. It always seemed to be confining. Lots of rules. But I'm beginning to see the benefit of having faith."

"You are? How so?"

"It offers protection from harm, from people like your cousins."

"Not always. Bad things still happen. But when they do, God is always there. That's where the true element of faith comes in, knowing He'll provide for you and protect you. Mainly, it’s about being certain of your future after your death. That’s the best aspect of faith."

Kathryn crinkled her eyebrows. It seemed contrary to what she'd known as a lawyer. Facts were something one could trust in. She swam to the steps and dried off then stretched out on the chaise. "So what's your theory about the gun? You know I need to head home tomorrow or Thursday. With or without further evidence."

Phil joined her on the patio, shook the water from his ears, and stretched out on his chaise. "I wish you didn't have to go."

She slipped on her sunglasses. "Phil, let's not make this complicated."

"Complicated? It's already complicated. Nothing we can do to change that."

She shook her head. "I have to go back."

Phil slid Kathryn’s sunglasses down onto the edge of her nose uncovering her eyes. "Oh I know. Believe me, I know. But I don't have to like it."

She smiled even though now was the time to end things before they started. That was the best way to avoid getting hurt. She tucked her sunglasses on top of her head. "Your theory?"

"Needle in a haystack."

She scrunched her face. "What?"

"It's a needle in a haystack. I don't know if anyone will ever know where that gun went."

"What about the honeymoon couple?"

Phil bent his neck forward. "You think there was one?"

"Maybe not a real one. But maybe two people posing as a couple on their honeymoon?"

"Maybe."

"Can you check your records to see if a couple rented one of your units?"

Phil gulped down the rest of his lemonade. "I can, but couples rent from me all the time. It's nothing unusual."

"Any right after the murders?"

"I'll check my records when I go home."

"Why don't you go home now and get your records while I grill the steaks and make a salad?"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope." Kathryn smiled and fluttered her eyelashes. Why did she feel the need to flirt?

Phil clawed the air with both hands like a grizzly, his lack of desire to leave her obvious. "I can't imagine how tenacious you are when you're actually assigned to a case."

"You have no idea." She giggled and pointed toward the house for him to leave on his assignment.

Chapter Seventeen

While Phil was gone, Kathryn grilled the steaks, made the salad, and replayed in her mind everything about the inside and outside of the tree house cottage. The fierce looks on Phil’s cousin's faces told her the gun was there. But where? There had to be a hidden clue somewhere. Where had she not looked?

Kathryn's phone vibrated on the counter. She washed her hands and answered without looking to see who the caller was.

"Kathryn."

"Hey, Mom. How's it going?"

"Well, things have been better."

"What's wrong?"

"I suppose since you're out of town you haven't seen the news?"

"No, I've been trying to vacation even though it was forced upon me. What's been on the news?"

"Your face."

"My face?" Kathryn stumbled back and caught herself on the counter. Why was she on the news?

"Yes, and your dad is extremely upset with you." Mom's stern schoolteacher voice shot verbal daggers at Kathryn.

"Why? What did I do to him? Wait, you talked to Dad?” Something must be severely wrong for Dad to call Mom. The two rarely spoke since the divorce.

“Yes, I did. I had no choice. He called me infuriated.”

“About what? Wait, why is my face on the news?"

Mom sighed. "They're saying that you've compromised the investigation by consorting with one of Louie Ezzo's relatives. The news station showed a picture of you at a restaurant with some young man."

Kathryn's mouth fell open. The ramifications for her connection with Phil were just beginning. "Oh."

"Oh? Is that all you have to say for yourself? How could you do this to your dad, and how could you screw up this case?"

"Mom, why do you care how Dad feels after everything he’s put you through?”

“Kathryn, that’s not the point. Our family has a reputation to uphold.”

“Mom, I’ve been trying to outlive that reputation ever since Dad left you.”

“Kathryn…”

“Mom, please listen. I'm not sure how any of this affects Dad directly, but..."

"Because you've made a fool of yourself. Of him. And of me."

"A fool? If I did, I’m just following in his lead. You're obviously making that call based off what the media is saying. Don't you want to hear my side of the story?"

"Only if it will change things."

Kathryn paced the house until she ended up on the balcony off the master bedroom. "I hope it'll change the terrible opinion of me that you obviously have. I came down here to find the murder weapon because none of the investigators had been able to find it. The first evening I was here, Friday, I met a guy on the pier who was fishing. He looked familiar to me, but I couldn’t place him, so I didn't think much of it. The next day while eating lunch, he came in the restaurant and asked to sit with me. His name is Phil, and it turns out, he's Maria's ex-fiancé."

"Oh."

"Exactly. But it gets worse. Phil is also Louie Ezzo's nephew, and the family is trying to force him to defend him."

"Yes, he's the one they showed on the news."

"He's no longer practicing law. He lives here and runs a condo rental company. I told him what I was here for long before I knew who he was. I let Louie Ezzo's name slip, and he confessed that Louie was his uncle. He's been trying to help me find the gun because I've been receiving threats since I've been down here. He's been with me so much to try to protect me because his two goon cousins are down here trying to find the weapon too. And they want to make sure I don't prosecute their uncle. Phil told them I'm not on the case anymore, but they don't believe him."

Maybe now Mom and Dad would stop thinking of themselves for one tiny moment and realize that she'd done nothing shameful or selfish. She may have ruined her chances of becoming Senior A.D.A., but that was okay with her.

"How do you know he's not with them? It doesn't seem like a coincidence that you'd meet him when you're down there to find the evidence."

"That's what I thought at first too. But he's really a good guy. He doesn't want anything to do with them. He's a member of a local church here and seems to be well-respected in the community. I've come to trust him with my life." Had she really just said that? She trusts him?

For at least ten seconds, Mom was silent. Then with softness in her voice Kathryn had never heard before, Mom said, "You never trust anyone."

Kathryn nodded, although Mom couldn't see her. "I know, but I trust him. Now do you see what kind of predicament I'm in? I'm not consorting with the defense. Phil isn't defending his uncle, even though his cousins are threatening to hurt him if he doesn't."

"I'm speechless. I'm so sorry for assuming the worst."

Kathryn rubbed her face with the pad of her hand and blinked away the tears that threatened to consume her. "It's okay, Mom. Please tell Dad what's happening if you talk to him again. I wanted to call him, but I knew he'd think the worst and that we'd only get into an argument. I know this makes him look like a failure, in his eyes. But it's really not about him. Not everything is."

"I know, honey. I know. I'll tell him. Just be careful. If your face is on the news with this Phil person, then his cousins are likely to see that you know each other."

"Thanks for the warning."

Kathryn ended the call, exhausted, and noticed a text from Phil in her inbox.

I'll be a little while longer. Got held up.

She texted him back saying she had a bit of news from home she couldn't wait to fill him in on when he returned. He didn't return a text.

Kathryn fed Sadie her dinner and walked her along the side of the house, careful to watch for a surprise attack from Drew and Barney. If they figured out who she was, then she didn't have much time. She had to find the gun and get it to the D.A. before they got to her. She should call Phil and tell him what Mom had said, but there wasn't enough time, and she shouldn’t disturb him.

She walked Sadie back into the house, wrapped the steaks in foil, stuck the salad in the fridge, and grabbed her phone and keys. "I'll be back, Sadie. I've got to check something out."

She drove back to the tree house cottage, barely putting her car into park and turning off the engine, and ran up the steps, checking behind her to make sure the cousins weren't after her. She still had the key, so she went in and locked the door behind her. Her gaze raked over every surface in the living area as if it were the first time she'd seen them and finally landed on a spiral-bound notebook on the end table by the hallway. A guest book! Why hadn't she noticed it before?

Panting, she ran to the table, grabbed the book and plopped on to the sofa. She opened the book to reveal page after lined page of guests and their notes of pleasure about their visits. She flipped to the back of the book to the last entry, which happened to be on the day after the murder.

Thanks for letting us stay here on such “short notice”. We love this little "hideaway". Everything about it, including the old fashioned well in the backyard, was perfect for our "honeymoon".

Kathryn reread the note, and the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. What was with all the quotation marks?
Honeymooners
here on
short notice
? That was unlikely. They loved the
hideaway
? Of course they did if they were hiding a weapon. These people, if there were two of them, had to be who had hidden the gun. But where would they have hidden it? It wasn't in the old honeymoon shack out in the bayou. It wasn't in a crab trap here on the property. It wasn’t in the cemetery. So where then?

Kathryn placed the book back on the table then picked it up again. She'd need it for evidence. She sprinted to the kitchen window and peered out to the backyard. The well! She hadn't noticed it out there when she'd been here before, but there it was. A stacked-stone well, about five feet in diameter, with a shingled roof, hidden amongst a cluster of cedar trees. Could it be? Would they have hidden it in there?

She yanked open the pine cabinet underneath the sink and grabbed a plastic grocery bag; she'd seen them in there on her hunt earlier. In the storage closet, she snatched a flashlight then bolted out the backdoor and down the stairs to the well. She stopped in her tracks, checked for signs of Drew or Barney, and clicked on the flashlight. She directed its beam down into the well and searched for the gun.

In the late afternoon sunlight and with the aid of the flashlight, the gun showed itself. On a ledge just below the surface, it rested. Adrenaline shot through her body. She slipped her hand into the bag, leaned over the edge, and reached with all her might.

#

Where was Kathryn? Sadie barked inside the house, but Kathryn didn't answer the door when Phil knocked. He shifted his weight to his right leg, knocked a second time, and still she didn't answer. He squeezed the back of his neck and sighed. What could he do but wait? He couldn't use his key. To go in and find her in the shower or otherwise indisposed would startle and anger the independent and guarded woman.

With the aroma of the grill lingering in the air, he went around to the back of the house to see if she was at the pool or possibly still grilling the steaks. True to his suspicions, Kathryn's car was gone. He paced the backyard and tapped his knuckles on his temples. Where was she? Why did she leave when she knew he was coming back? There was only one place she could be. She'd gone back to the tree house.

Phil groaned and ran toward the front yard, but his buzzing phone halted him. He dug it out of his pocket and unlocked the screen. Pops. Why did he have to call now? He'd call him back later. He ran to his SUV while shoving the phone into his pocket and jumped in. As he cranked it, he began his prayer.

"God, please protect her. I should've never let her out of my sight. I should've known a strong-willed woman like her would never leave this case alone. Please protect her despite her carelessness."

Phil pulled the phone out of his pocket and dialed Kathryn's number. After five rings, it went to her voicemail. Why wasn't she picking up? Phil pressed the pedal to the floor, not caring if the police caught him for speeding. He had to get to her. Hopefully, Drew and Barney were not with her now. He dialed her number again and after five more rings, it went to voicemail again.

"God, please!" His phone rang. Pops again. "Hello!"

"Son? You okay?"

"Not really, Pops. I've got a situation over here with one of my renters. Do you need something now, or can I call you back?"

"I believe your renter is going to have to wait. We need to talk."

The tone in his voice was more serious than usual, and Phil applied the brakes and pulled over onto the side of Whiddon Avenue. "Okay."

"In the paper today, there was an article about your uncle."

Phil squeezed his eyes shut. Not now. "Pops, I already told you I'm not going to defend him."

"I know you told me that. That's not why I'm calling you. Will ya listen, you bonehead? The article mentioned that they dismissed the Assistant District Attorney assigned to the case for fraternizing with one of Louie's relatives. She was spotted in Cedar Key for an undetermined reason with an unidentified male, who later turned out to be Louie's nephew. Phil, speak the truth to me. Have you been with the A.D.A.?"

Phil opened his eyes and squeezed the back of his neck. His worst nightmare had just happened. If it was in the newspapers, then his cousins were about to find out who Kathryn was and that he knew her. Their lives were in danger.

"Phil?"

"Pops, listen to me. I met the Assistant D.A. down here Friday night. She came here to find the weapon because witnesses said it was here, and her investigators hadn't been able to find it."

"A bulldog of an attorney. I like that."

"You have no idea." Kathryn's sparkling ebony eyes found their way to Phil's memory, and his chest warmed with longing to see her again. And to see her safe and unharmed.

"But why did she want to meet with you?"

"No, you don't understand. She didn't schedule a meeting with me. We met each other for the first time by pure coincidence."

"Are you sure about that?"

Phil ran his fingers through his hair. Was he sure? It was possible that Kathryn knew all along who he was and that she came down and located him on purpose. Phil shook the thought out of his head. Kathryn wouldn't do something so calculated. She couldn't pull off a charade like that for this long.

"Yes, Pops, I am. Anyway, she told me what she was looking for, but I didn't know she was prosecuting Uncle Louie until she let his name slip. That's when I called you to find out if he was guilty or innocent."

"Forget his guilt or innocence for a minute. If your cousins find out she's there, you know what'll happen."

"They already know she’s been here. They just don’t know I know her. I told them to go home. I said I'd found out she was off the case. I feel terrible because they took the case that could've made her career away from her all because of me."

"Is she with you now?"

"No, sir. She won't answer her phone either. I'm scared she's gone back to look for the gun without me."