Trinity Harbor 3 - Along Came Trouble (26 page)

When Mayberry was gone, he sat down to wait. It didn’t take long for Frances to return, her eyes red and puffy. She peeked into her office, spotted him and almost turned tail.

“Get in here, woman. Let me say my piece.”

“I think you’ve said quite enough for one morning,” she retorted, retreating to sit behind her desk.

“I’m sorry.”

She regarded him with suspicion. “For?”

“Bul dozing in here and making an ass of myself and embarrassing you.”

“Good start,” she said approvingly. “Why did you do it?”

“I saw Chauncey wooing you with those peaches and it made me crazy.”

“Jealous?” she asked, studying him with mild curiosity.

“Me? Jealous of a man like that? I don’t think so,” he snapped.

“King Spencer!”

“Okay,” he admitted, backing down from the blatant lie. “Maybe I was a little jealous. What’s going on between the two of you, anyway? You interested in him?”

“He’s a nice man. Unlike some I could name, he’s both thoughtful and considerate.”

King grated at the compliments. “That’s not what I asked,” he grumbled.

Frances sighed. “No, I am not interested in him. You’re the only man I care about, heaven help me.”

“Then let’s talk about the ring.”

“Let’s not,” she said, her expression grim and determined. “I think before you bring that up again, you ought to ask yourself why you want to marry me.”

“Didn’t you hear me say I love you?”

“I heard it, but under the circumstances, since you and Chauncey were engaged in some sort of male ritual for staking out turf, I didn’t exactly buy it.”

“I meant it, dammit! I had the ring with me, didn’t I?”

She stood up and rounded her desk. Before he realized her intention, she slid onto his lap and kissed him, pretty much taking his breath away. At his age, that was a risky business, but he had to admit he liked the sensation. He’d been waiting a long time for her to let her passion overrule her head.

Her breath was hitching and her cheeks were flushed again by the time she stopped.

“
That
is how you prove you love me,” she said, as she stood up and smoothed down her skirt, then went back to the safety of her seat across the room. “Words alone aren’t going to do the trick, not when I know you have such an easy way with them.”

King’s pulse began to pound. “I can do that, woman. Get back over here.”

“Not here and not now,” she said, suddenly prim as she folded her hands atop her desk like some prissy old schoolmarm.

“When?”

“Cal me. I’l see when I can fit you into my schedule.”

King crossed the room in two strides, leaned down across her desk and met her gaze. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement. “I’l pick you up tomorrow at six,” he said. “Wear something daring.”

She began to laugh, evidently delighted with herself. “You sure your heart can take it?”

“I suppose we’l have to see,” he said. “But trust me, Frances. I am definitely wil ing to take the risk.”

Tucker waited impatiently for Walker’s return from Richmond. Just when he was about to jump out of his skin from al the caffeine he’d consumed, he saw his deputy pul up in front of the sheriff’s office. He was waiting for him when he came inside.

“Wel ?” he demanded.

“Can’t you give me five minutes to get something to drink?” Walker grumbled.

“Here.” Tucker shoved his half-empty coffee cup into his brother-in-law’s hand. “Finish this. I’ve had too much anyway.”

Walker took a sip, shuddered and handed it back. “I’l have something that’s meant to be cold, thanks al the same. Settle down. I’l be right back.”

“Can’t you at least tel me if you think the woman’s guilty?” Tucker cal ed after him.

“No,” Walker replied as he disappeared around the corner.

Tucker took off after him. “No, what? No, you don’t think she’s guilty, or no, you can’t tel me?”

“Do we have to carry on this conversation out here where anyone can wander in and listen?”

Tucker glanced around. “There’s not a soul in sight.”

“But there are reporters lurking in the bushes outside,” Walker pointed out.

Tucker crossed to the window. Sure enough, there were brightly marked television vans on the street and strangers with cameras and microphones jockeying for position in front of the building and across the street on the courthouse lawn. “Geez-oh-flip,” he commented with disgust. “What did you do, lead them right on back to town like the Pied Piper?”

“Apparently so. Someone had Cynthia Miles’s house staked out. When I came out, there were half a dozen television satel ite trucks and reporters waiting. They didn’t seem to like my refusal to comment, so here they are, ever hopeful.” Walker retrieved his can of soda and headed back to his office, where Michele was waiting.

“The natives are getting restless,” she pointed out, sounding decidedly cheerful about the prospect of being involved in another confrontation.

“They’re cal ing every five seconds requesting a comment. A few have ventured inside, but I had Deputy Wil iams escort ’em right back outside. And Richard is right in the thick of it. He looks like he’s about to burst a blood vessel, which would probably upset Anna-Louise.”

“What do you expect me to do about that?” Walker grumbled.

“Ever heard of a pool reporter?” she asked. “Invite Richard in. Tel him what you want the hordes to know, then send him back out.”

“Bril iant idea,” Walker said. “Except I don’t think the TV guys are going to be happy without film of an actual sheriff’s department spokesman.”

Michele looked disappointed. “You’re probably right. You’ve got to give ’em something, though, or they’l hang around out there al night. Not that I would mind. That guy from the CBS station is awful y handsome, and he’s the first guy I’ve met in ages I actual y have to look up to. Better yet, I think we real y hit it off the last time he was here.”

Tucker shook his head. “Sweetheart, I don’t think this is the time for you to be making friends with a member of the media. At some point, you might be forced to question his motives.”

She regarded Tucker with disdain. “Don’t you think I know that? It doesn’t mean I can’t admire the view and practice my flirting. There aren’t a lot of guys around town who can help me improve my technique.”

Walker merely shook his head. “Go, keep ’em at bay,” he advised. “Tel them I’l make a statement as soon as Tucker and I have talked. As for Richard, tel him he can come inside. We can use his input on spinning this.”

Tucker winced. “I don’t think Richard’s going to be thril ed at being used to spin a story.”

“He wil be if he gets first crack at the information, with a few little exclusive tidbits thrown in,” Walker said confidently.

“I suppose that would provide motivation,” Tucker agreed.

Richard joined them then, regarding the two of them with wariness. “Okay, why am I in here, while everyone else is outside?”

“I need your help,” Walker said.

“I can’t help you,” Richard protested.

“Just a little advice,” Walker coaxed. “And in return you get a bit more information you can use. Is the promise of a scoop sufficient to gain your cooperation?”

“That depends,” Richard said cautiously. “Start talking.”

Walker nodded. “Okay, but from this moment on, we are off the record until such time as we hammer out what we want released.”

Richard squirmed uncomfortably. “I don’t know if I can go along with that.”

“Would you rather wait outside with everybody else?” Walker asked. “You’re not working for the
Washington Post
anymore. This is Trinity Harbor.

You’re a part of this community, not just editor of the
Trinity Harbor Weekly.
”

“There are stil ethical considerations,” Richard said. “I’m a journalist first and foremost. You’re a source, who at the moment is withholding public information.”

“And I’m asking you to do this as a favor to a friend,” Walker said, “
because
you are a journalist and know the ropes better than I do.”

Richard continued to look doubtful, but he final y nodded. “Okay, but if I start getting real y bad vibes about this, I’l stop you and the deal’s off.”

“But you won’t use anything you’ve heard up to that point, correct?” Walker said to clarify the point.

“Correct,” Richard said tightly, stil obviously unhappy about the deal.

“Okay, then, I interviewed Cynthia Miles today in Richmond,” Walker told him. “She admitted to having had a relationship with Chandler before and during the first months of his marriage. She also admitted having threatened to blackmail him, but swears that she never fol owed through and that he never gave in to the attempt. She says it was a ploy to try to force him to start seeing her again.”

“And did he?” Tucker asked.

“She says no. She says by then he was involved with someone else, someone serious, someone who real y was a threat to the Chandler marriage

—and a whole lot more, because she knew too much.”

Tucker stared at Walker. “Too much about what? His personal shenanigans?”

“No. There were plenty of women, alright, but this was about his business dealings. Cynthia claimed she didn’t know al the specifics, just that Chandler had played a little fast and loose with his SEC filings. Cynthia said if the information had come out, it would have destroyed not only his company, but also his political future.”

“If she knew al this and wanted ammunition to use against Chandler, why didn’t Cynthia pursue al this herself?” Tucker asked, not buying a word of what she’d said. “Are you sure she wasn’t making this up just to throw suspicion off herself?”

“Possibly.” He glanced at Richard. “And here’s where I need your help. Do I release anything at al about having a new lead to fol ow up, and if so, how much?”

“You honestly think this lead is credible?” Richard said.

“We know there was a woman there the night he was kil ed,” Walker said, then held up his hand to prevent the question that was clearly on the tip of Richard’s tongue. “I won’t say how, but we have forensic evidence.”

“And it’s not tied to Mrs. Chandler?” Richard asked, looking at Tucker.

“We’re waiting for confirmation one way or the other on that, but according to the preliminary reports, probably not,” Walker said.

Tucker regretted that his deputy didn’t sound more convincing, but at least Walker was beginning to accept the possibility of Mary Elizabeth’s innocence. He glanced at Richard. “What are your thoughts about revealing this new lead? How far should Walker go?”

“That depends,” Richard said. “If you think this woman is a solid suspect, that’s one thing, but if you’re just hoping to worry her, maybe get her to make a mistake, that’s another thing entirely. I’d be real cautious, if I were you, especial y without any concrete evidence.”

“Cautious how?”

“No name, no specifics beyond the fact that you’ve been given a promising new lead, a woman with ties to Chandler. That’s vague enough to keep it legal and specific enough to make a guilty person nervous.”

Tucker nodded.

“Makes sense to me. Does it work for you, Walker?”

“I can do that.” He glanced pointedly at Richard. “Especial y if I have a prepared statement to read and don’t al ow any fol ow-up.”

Richard groaned. “I don’t suppose there’s any question about who is supposed to draft this prepared statement.”

Walker grinned. “Think of it as getting a jump-start on your story for this week.”

“You guys are too good to me,” Richard said. “Get up. If I’m going to do this, I need your computer for a minute.”

“By al means,” Walker said, moving out of his way.

“Tel me again what my exclusive is,” Richard said as he began to type.

Walker’s gaze met Tucker’s. “That we’ve al but cleared Mrs. Chandler of suspicion.”

That Walker would say such a thing on the record startled Tucker. “Why would you say that without the lab report? Do you honestly believe it?”

“You do, don’t you?” Walker asked.

“Of course, but you wanted solid proof.”

“And if you’re right, I should have it when that lab report comes in,” Walker said. “Besides, the real kil er is obviously hoping that al suspicion points to Mrs. Chandler. Once we’ve ruled her out, it wil add to that person’s panic, don’t you think?”

“In that case, why not make that part of your statement, get the word out far and wide, instead of just here in the county?” Richard asked.

“Because he doesn’t want to be too embarrassed if he’s wrong,” Tucker guessed, watching Walker’s reaction. The faint tightening of the deputy’s jaw suggested Tucker was right.

“Okay, yes,” Walker admitted grudgingly. “I should know for sure in a day or two at most. That’s about when that little bombshel wil begin to drift down to Richmond. By then our new suspect wil already be getting antsy. It could be just the thing to push her right on over the edge.”

“If she’s guilty,” Richard cautioned.

“Yeah, wel , there is that,” Tucker agreed wryly. “Mind if I run al of this by Mary Elizabeth? Maybe she can provide a name so we can start staking this woman out.”

“I already have a name,” Walker said quietly. “And before you ask, no, I’m not giving it to either one of you.”

“Why the hel not?” Tucker demanded.

“Because I don’t want you charging down to check her out and because I don’t want any leaks that wil stir up media scrutiny of this woman. I want her to get jumpy and make a mistake. I don’t want her to panic and run.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“Nope, but I have people keeping an eye on her. We’l know if she so much as sneezes over the next few days.”

Tucker muttered an oath under his breath.

“You have something you want to say?” Walker inquired, leveling a look straight at him.

“Not a thing,” Tucker said at once. “You’re doing this exactly right, even if being left out of the loop does annoy the hel out of me.”

“Thank you.” Walker frowned at Richard. “You?”

“Not me,” Richard said with forced cheer. “I’m happy as a clam.”

“Good,” Walker said with obvious satisfaction. “Then let’s go outside and stir things up. I want to get home in time for dinner just once this week.”