Grace Among Thieves Part 22

WE ALL AGREED MY SHIFT AT AMETHYST cellars was over. Rodriguez and company accompanied me back to my home. Joy of joys-Flynn met us there. I was spared any scathing remarks this time because after a quick discussion, both detectives insisted on making a thorough search of the house to ensure no one was lying in wait for me. "You do have a reputation for getting into trouble, you know," Rodriguez said solemnly.

I went to unlock the back door for them, but it swung open at Rodriguez's touch. He eased his gun out of his holster and motioned Flynn and one of the other officers to join him. "The door doesn't always lock all the way," I whispered. "We've been meaning to get that fixed."

Flynn shot me a furious look as though I should have antic.i.p.ated being stalked by a murderous bald man. I pretended not to notice. "Don't let my cat get out, please."

I held my breath, worried for Bootsie while the cops took what felt like an interminably long time to get clearance. When the place was finally p.r.o.nounced safe, I was allowed back inside. The two detectives stood inside my kitchen. All the lights were on in the house and I felt a welcome sense of comfort as I scooped Bootsie into my arms.

Rodriguez said, "Nice cat. What's her name?"

I told him as I nuzzled her face. "I'm glad she's okay."

Flynn surprised me by reaching over to scratch under Bootsie's chin. She raised her little head in an effort to request even more attention. "You don't let her out?" he asked.

"She hasn't been spayed yet," I said. "Too young. But even once she is, I think I'd rather keep her indoors all the time. It's a dangerous world out there."

Flynn's face, which had relaxed slightly as he petted the cat, hardened again. "It would be smart if you remembered that yourself."

Rodriguez and I discussed the night's events a little longer, with Flynn interspersing commentary every so often. The younger detective was far less quick to snap today, I noticed, and both seemed genuinely concerned about my well-being.

Flynn surprised me again by saying, "I'll keep an eye on your place tonight. You have any problems, you call for help immediately. You got that?"

"You're going to stay?" I repeated disbelievingly. "Are you sure that's necessary?"

"Like my partner said: You do have a reputation. But this time, at least, you did the right thing by calling us before you got into trouble. I'll circle around and keep an eye on the place for as long as I can." As he and Rodriguez left for the night, he tapped my back-door lock. "Get that fixed first thing in the morning."

I promised I would.

Chapter 19.

I WOKE UP AT SEVEN WITH BOOTSIE STILL snuggled behind my knees. She stretched, then gave a giant yawn and started in on some serious mattress kneading while I dressed and brushed my teeth. It was too early to call Mark to ask about how his dinner with Bennett had gone. Truth be told, I was reluctant to tell him about what had happened last night. Especially over the phone.

Instead I went out to the driveway to pick up the morning newspaper, surprised to see a familiar car parked out front. I walked down to the sidewalk and leaned in through Flynn's open pa.s.senger-side window. "Were you here all night?"

He'd been hunched down in his seat, eyes closed, until I interrupted him. Blinking and sitting up, he rubbed his face. "A few hours last night and then a few more this morning," he said, his voice gravelly from lack of use.

"Thank you. I didn't expect you to do that."

"Something is wrong with this guy. The killer," he added as though I didn't understand who he'd meant. "He's brazen and c.o.c.ky. I wouldn't put it past him to come right up to your door and try to kill you in cold blood."

Wasn't that a pleasant thought to start a Sat.u.r.day with. "This is all because I might have seen him?"

"Seems like." Flynn faced me, one arm draped on his steering wheel. Wide awake now, he'd gone from zero to sixty in half that many seconds. "What I don't understand is why he hasn't attempted anything yet. He would have had ample opportunity yesterday when you left the wine shop. He could have even gotten you before you went in."

"Geez, Flynn, you sure know how to cheer a girl up."

He ignored that. "We're missing a part of the puzzle. That's my point."

He'd echoed Tooney's cogitations almost word for word. "How do we figure out what it is?"

He shook his head. "You got that lock fixed yet?"

"I called Larry this morning," I said, gesturing toward town where Larry Langdon the locksmith had a shop. His alliterative name and occupation made him very easy to remember. "He wasn't open yet, but I left a message."

Flynn scowled. "His answering service could rouse him. You should have said it was an emergency."

"I'll be home all morning. Shouldn't be a problem."

My a.s.sertion didn't help Flynn's mood, but then again, nothing much did. "I have to shove off," he said. "I don't think he's going to bug you. Not just because it's daylight, but because I think we're dealing with something bigger here. I wish I knew what it was. Either way, you keep us updated. You see anything, hear anything, you let us know, p.r.o.nto."

"Got it," I said. "By the way, do you know if that photo I sent Detective Rodriguez has gotten any hits?"

"What, you think there's some Bat-computer out there where we can slide in a photo and the criminal's ident.i.ty pops out?"

"I was just asking."

After he'd vented further about my lack of forensic expertise, he said, "Rodriguez is getting in touch with John Kitts, the tour guide, to see if he recognizes the man, but even if he does, so what? We're already pretty sure the guy is the killer. If Kitts and the other victim, Ellroy, recognize him, that will help when we make the case. What we need is to find out who he is, and-more important-where he is right now."

I was about to ask him a question, but he antic.i.p.ated and answered before I could get one word out. "Yes, Miss Nosy. We've gotten all we can from the Oak Tree Hotel. If he was staying there, he's long gone."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"We got a photo from your security staff, though."

"Of the killer?"

"The guy with the briefcase. Remember him?"

I did. He'd claimed to have been at Marshfield on business but Bennett hadn't invited him. "What did you find out?"

"We talked again to the guard who'd stopped him and he verified it was the same guy. We're sending that picture to Kitts, too, but I don't think it will amount to anything."

"Why not?"

"Murderers don't walk around with gift-wrapped bottles of wine."

"Come again?"

Flynn shifted. "That's one of the things he had in his briefcase. The picture that security captured of him was when he'd pulled his stuff out for the guard. One of the items he was carrying was a fancy bottle of wine."

"Hillary," I said.

He looked confused.

"I don't think he's your killer, either. I have a feeling he was at Marshfield to visit Hillary."

"The stepdaughter?"

I nodded. "It's just a hunch. Let me check with her and get back to you."

"You and your hunches."

I patted the top of the pa.s.senger-side door with both hands. "Thank you very much, Detective. I really appreciate all you're doing."

With a nod of acknowledgment, he started the car and pulled away.

LARRY THE LOCKSMITH SHOWED UP AT MY front door about thirty minutes later. An affable man of about sixty, he told me he'd made my visit a priority this morning because of all the business Marshfield had provided over the years.

He and I made our way through the house, with him commenting about how pretty the inside was. He sounded surprised and I couldn't blame him. Although the boys and I, with Bennett's help, had grandiose plans for renovation, we hadn't had the chance to really get started yet. "My son has a big house like this in Georgia," he said. "Not exactly like yours, mind you, but roomy and good for the kids. I've got three grandkids, you know." He proceeded to pull out his wallet and show me pictures of the little ones. "Look like their dad. And everybody says he looks like me. But look at these cuties. I don't think there's any resemblance, do you?"

I oohed and ahhed and a.s.sured him that all three cherubs looked just like their grandpa. They did have his chubby cheeks and turned-up nose. Larry beamed.

I made sure to lock Bootsie in the bas.e.m.e.nt so that she couldn't escape during the repair.

"So what have we got here?" Larry said when I showed him the back door.

"The lock doesn't always catch," I said. "We can jiggle to make sure, but sometimes . . ."

He'd tuned me out, already crouching to view the mechanism at eye level. He played with it at length, while Bootsie meowed pitifully from behind the bas.e.m.e.nt door. "She wants out where all the action is, huh?" Larry asked.

So deep was the man's concentration, I hadn't realized he'd even noticed. "She's a real people cat."

He began to disa.s.semble the lock onto the floor. "Give me a few minutes here."

I did. First things first, I called Mark. I wasn't disappointed when his phone went to voicemail. I was still considering how to broach the subject of last night's excitement. "Hey, Mark," I said at the tone. "I've got a few things going this morning, but I'd love to get together later, like we talked about. Let me know what's up."

I frowned as I hung up thinking that was an awkward message, but he would understand. After that, I wandered around the house, taking care of small tasks that I'd let pile up. I sorted through old magazines, cleared the dishes from the sink, and even traipsed upstairs to make my bed. When I returned, the lock was put back together.

"Fixed already?" I asked.

Larry had gotten to his feet and shut the door. "Not yet, but you can let the cat out." The kitten scampered into the kitchen and hugged the far wall, watching Larry with sharp suspicion. "This is one old mechanism," he said. "You can put a brand-new lock in, easy, but this door looks like an antique-a real beauty-and I don't think you want to mess with drilling new holes into it. Your decision, of course."

I tried to pick Bootsie up, but she wouldn't have anything to do with that. "I worry about her getting out if the lock doesn't catch."

He made coaxing noises, but Bootsie arched her back and hissed at him. Larry laughed. "Cats don't like me," he said, then sobered. "Does she try to get out?"

I thought about it. "Not really. She seems curious about the outdoors though. She loves to sit in the window and stare out the screen." I thought about it. "So, what are my options?"

"I can order replacement parts. They'll be expensive, but not much more than doing a full install. You've got a good lock, well made. Problem is you have a lot of wear and tear on it right now. If I were you, I'd try to maintain the door's integrity and repair the lock you've got instead of replacing it with one that's substandard."

I thought about how happy Flynn would be at this turn of events. "How long will it take to get the parts?"

He made a so-so motion with his head. "I've got a supplier I've worked with for years, mostly for Marshfield's locks. He's good at rush orders. If I need it fast, they do their best. I can probably have it within a couple of days."

"That's not bad."

"Business days, I mean," he said. "I'll get in touch with them first thing Monday morning. I bet I'll have it in hand by Wednesday at the latest."

I wasn't thrilled. "Is there anything we can do to keep the back secure until then?"

"Keep doing what you've been doing. Wiggle it a little until it takes. Once the lock's engaged, you're good."

I thanked him and told him to let me know the minute the new parts arrived.

I called Bennett to see if he had time to meet. He seemed less surprised than I'd expected to hear that I'd be coming in on a Sat.u.r.day. He also sounded concerned. "I'll have Theo set lunch for two, is that all right?"

Bennett often invited me to dine with him. I supposed it got boring, having every meal to yourself with only a few butlers for company. Most people envied his wealth and longed for his lifestyle. Over time, I'd come to realize how lonely he really was. "I would love that."

"Excellent. I'll see you shortly."

"YOU LIKE THIS ROOM SO MUCH, I DECIDED we'd eat in here today," Bennett said when I met him in the Sword Room. Theo had set up a linen-covered table for two right in front of the fireplace between the two tall columns of crisscrossed swords. "I have to tell you that neither of my wives cared overmuch for the decor in here, so I'm surprised to find that you do."

With the faint memory of cigar smoke, burled wood furnishings, and reminders of wars gone by, this was a room that didn't get much traffic. "I know this place is special to you," I said. "That's why I like it here."

He chuckled. "The best part is that Hillary thinks of it much the way her mother did-boring, old, and devoid of treasures." He glanced at the cherry wood chest across the room. "Little does she know."

"It bothers me that you keep an item of such great value out in the open like that," I said.

"The only people in this wing are employees I trust with my life. You. Frances." He said her name with a trace of amus.e.m.e.nt. "Lois and the rest of the administrative staff. Most everyone has been with me for decades. You're the new girl on the block." He sat back. "Should I start suspecting you'll break in here and steal the tiara? You do have access afterhours."

I laughed.

He tapped a finger to his lips and squinted at me. "It would look good on you." Sitting up again, he rang a bell to let the butler know we were ready to eat. "Let's let Theo feed us before he has a coronary about the food getting cold. I have a great deal to discuss with you, my dear, and it will all be better on a full stomach."

I had a lot to discuss with Bennett as well, but I decided to hold my tongue until after Theo had served lunch, poured coffee to enjoy along with our raspberry sorbet, and excused himself from the room.

Bennett took a final sip from his rose-covered coffee cup and returned it to its saucer with a delicate clink. "So, my girl, it seems you've been busy."

I didn't understand.

"Do you think word doesn't reach the old man? I heard all about the killer visiting your friends' store last night." His silver brows came together, deep vertical creases running between them. Bennett rarely raised his voice to me, but his concern this time was tinged with anger. "You could have been killed. Have we not had this conversation before?"

"I haven't gone looking for trouble, I swear," I said. "This time it seems to have come looking for me."

His expression softened ever so slightly. "That's what has me worried most of all. It's as though you're a magnet. Worse, you're always caught in the crosshairs while doing your best to protect me."

"The police are on top of this."