Valentines and Valkyries

by Amanda A. Allen

  Scarlett twined her fingers with Lex’s and gently said, “He’s gone. I’m so sorry.”

  Leanne’s gaze flicked from Lex to Scarlett and slammed into her face. “Who are you?”

  Lex leaned forward, blocking Scarlett from his mom as he said, “She’s my girlfriend, Mom.”

  “Still avoiding commitment? Whatever happened to that one your worked with? Or the blonde?”

  Scarlett flinched for him. His mother’s tone of voice was nasty. How could she attack him like that when he was here to tell her that her husband and his father was dead? Scarlett looked at Lex, but he was avoiding her gaze. She squeezed his hand and asked, “Why was your husband in Mystic Cove?”

  “Did you kill him, Lex?” Leanne demanded avoiding Scarlett’s question.

  By. The. Stars. Scarlett closed her eyes, threaded her arm though Lex’s and then asked, “Are you kidding me right now?” Her voice was a low, even slither, and her fury was as clear as day.

  “Lex hated his dad,” Leanne said. “Can you blame me for asking? Anyone would.”

  “No one would ask that of their kid. With good reason,” Scarlett shot back. “The miracle of your situation is that Lex turned out as well as he did.”

  “Lex is a deadbeat dad who barely works and doesn’t even answer calls from his own mother.” It was clear that the greatest crime that she’d listed was the last one.

  Scarlett’s jaw ticked, a habit she picked up from Lex while Lex was rubbing the back of his head, down his neck. She closed her eyes and shook her head before she dared to say anything. With a slow breath in, she let it whoosh out and then asked, “Lex has custody of Amelie, is the sheriff of Mystic Cove, and is a talented warlock in addition to being generally wonderful.”

  Leanne opened her mouth and Hilary cut in, “Leanne is hurting. She lost her husband. Not her live in.” The direction of Hilary’s gaze made it clear that Scarlett was the mere live in.”

  Scarlett took a deep breath and then glanced at Lex. He wasn’t just the son, he was the sheriff. He had to have answers to these questions.

  “Since when are you a sheriff? You barely avoided cycling in and out of prison? Now you’re in charge of the law? Are you a dirty cop?”

  Scarlett gasped but Lex shook his head, silently telling her to let it go.

  “What was Dad doing in Mystic Cove, Mom?” Lex sounded tired. He’d known what this would be like. No wonder he didn’t have contact with his parents. The true miracle was that he would have trusted them with their daughters when they were being harassed around Christmas.

  “How would I know what Al was doing in Mystic Cove? Probably trying to track down his deadbeat son since you weren’t answering calls.”

  “He should have called me before he came,” Lex shot back. “I wasn’t there. Maybe…” Lex stopped, but Scarlett could fill in the blank. Maybe his dad wouldn’t have died if Lex had been there.

  “Galivanting? Ignoring your dad’s calls?”

  Scarlett closed her eyes, waiting for Lex to explain that they’d had a doctor appointment That they were having twins. But he didn’t. She peeked at him and noted the red tinge on the end of his ears. He was furious with his mother, and Scarlett wouldn’t be announcing their babies if he wasn’t.

  “I was out of town, Mom. I wasn’t there. By the time I got back, he was gone.” Lex’s voice cracked again, but it didn’t seem that Leanne even noticed Lex’s sorrow.

  “Do you know why Al decided to come to Mystic Cove?” Scarlett asked once again this time directing her question to Hilary since Leanne was attacking Lex.

  “Of course she doesn’t,” Leanne said. She sniffed and then repeated with emphasis,“Of course she doesn’t. Why would she?”

  Scarlett flinched back and then she leaned forward, right into Leanne’s face and said, “You answer these questions. Lex is trying to find the person who killed your husband and his father. Making that harder doesn’t do anyone any good. Do you want them to come after you? For all you know, they will.”

  Leanne squeaked and Lex said, “Scarlett…”

  Scarlett held up her hand, leaning towards Leanne to seem more serious. Scarlett was scaring his mom on purpose and didn’t care one bit. Not after how she’d treated Lex. “Don’t soften it for her Lex. Unless you know why Al died, anyone connected to him could be the next victim.”

  Leanne gasped, pressing her hand to her chest. She leaned back and a tear rolled down her face. Lex took her hand again and said, “Mom, I need your help to find who killed Dad. He needs you.”

  Leanne nodded, and said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out. I…”

  “It’s ok, Mom.” Lex said gently. Scarlett kept her mouth shut before she alienated Leanne again.

  “I don’t know…” Leanne said, but she wasn’t meeting Lex’s gaze and Scarlett didn’t like that a bit. “I’m not sure why he’d decided to track you down like that.”

  Scarlett let her gaze stray to Hilary and saw that her face was too expressionless. Hilary, Scarlett thought, knew exactly why Lex’s dad felt the need to track Lex down. Scarlett leaned back and watched as Leanne hedged, avoiding answering while Lex tried pressing his mother from different sides. He cajoled. He pleaded with her. He even tried guilt tripping her, but whenever he was getting too effective, Leanne started to cry and Lex backed off.

  Scarlett took the first chance she could to press Hilary into getting a drink for Leanne and Lex. Hilary led the way into the kitchen and Scarlett followed. The kitchen was something from the seventies with orange patterned linoleum, a tan fridge, and an ancient sink that looked to have yellowed.

  “How can I help?” Scarlett asked. She found a plate under Hilary’s direction and loaded it with a few fudge cookies while Hilary made a pot of coffee. Scarlett avoided the coffee and took a glass of water. Scarlett’s shirt was loose, but Hilary stared at Scarlett’s belly just long enough that she was sure the woman was debating whether Scarlett was fat or pregnant. She wouldn’t have even been showing except there were two little munchkins in there, but Scarlett wasn’t going to say a word. Their babies were Lex’s story to tell when they were talking about his mother.

  Before they went back into the living room, Scarlett said, “Why did Al go to Mystic Cove?”

  Hilary stammered and Scarlett said, “Do you want to lose Leanne too?”

  Lex’s aunt flinched and then she said, “I…it’s…”

  “Lex will find out. I can see that his mom still sees her little boy. But Lex is an excellent investigator, and he will uncover everything about this murder.”

  Hilary glanced away and then turned slowly back and said, “I..”

  “Tell me and I’ll tell Lex when Leanne isn’t around. She doesn’t need to know the information came from you.”

  Hilary nodded once and then under her breath, in a rush, she said, “Leanne has a boyfriend. He was an online boyfriend, and she…she sent him some money. I don’t know, but Al found out about it. He was trying to find out what was happening and get the money back. He was furious.”

  Scarlett didn’t let herself react even though her mind was running a mile a minute as she digested what Hilary had said.

  Lex’s aunt leaned forward and hissed, “Do you really think that Leanne and I are in danger?”

  Scarlett nodded and then said, “Yeah. Yeah I do. If Al’s death has anything to do with the money…and that does seem likely, then her boyfriend moved to the front of the suspect list. The thing is…he already killed once for that money. And he isn’t one of those long distance other country things. This is a person who was close enough to follow Al to Mystic Cove.”

  Hilary paled and then said, “But conmen aren’t usually murderers…”

  “We don’t know what happened,” Scarlett said. “The best thing you can do for yourself and for your sister is to get us whatever information that you have about the boyfriend.”

  “Ok. Ok, I can do that.” Hilary nodded over and over, muttering under her breath.
>
  Scarlett didn’t bother to pay attention, returning to the living room. She tugged her shirt forward to ensure that the baggiest part of the sweater was covering her baby bump.

  She paused in the doorway seeing Leanne crying into Lex’s shoulder. His gaze met Scarlett’s and she stepped towards the kitchen again. As she did, she said, “Do you think I could use Leanne’s computer while they reconnect? I need to email my mom some things. We left so suddenly.”

  Hilary didn’t ask Scarlett why she wasn’t using her smart phone. Scarlett followed Hilary to a little desk off of the kitchen where an old PC was chugging away.

  “Do you think we could do anything to help her? Perhaps make her bed or do her dishes?”

  Hilary took Scarlett’s suggestion just as Scarlett had hoped and started the dishes in the sink. While Hilary was distracted Scarlett brought up Facebook and found that Leanne was logged in. It took only moments to find Leanne’s messenger conversation with her boyfriend and send screen shot after screen shot to her email address.

  The history of the facebook profile for “Niles Bennett” was too short. He had only been on Facebook for 6 months. The pictures and links didn’t quite add up to anyone normal, and his friends list was scarce even for someone barely new to the program.

  Scarlett worked as fast as she could, finding Leanne’s email and then forwarding all the ones from Niles to Scarlett’s personal box. Seeing as how the passwords were saved on the computer, it wasn’t hard to get the information. The last thing Scarlett did was find the banking website that Leanne used. Scarlett deliberately took more screen shots, emailed them, and then locked Leanne out of her banking information. Hopefully it took Leanne a few days to get back in.

  Even if it didn’t, maybe the banker who helped Leanne reset things would notice that she had some shady transactions on her account and prevent future ones. Scarlett rose and helped with the dishes by the time that Leanne and Lex came looking for them.

  “Mom,” Lex said, “I’ll be back tomorrow to talk some more. Did you want to go with us to Mystic Cove? Or…”

  “I want your dad back here, Alexander. I want to bury him where he belongs with his family.”

  Lex nodded. He didn’t bother to say that it wouldn’t be happening until after the investigation was completed, but Scarlett could see it in his face. Lex said his goodbyes, filling his travel mug with coffee before they went back to the car.

  “Mom, I need to get back to work. But we can stop by in the morning?”

  “You find your Dad’s killer, Lex. I don’t want to see you again before that happens.”

  Scarlett hid her expression from Leanne and simply said, “It was nice meeting you. I hope…”

  “Don’t bother,” Leanne said, holding up a hand. “I know my boy. And he’s no angel. He’ll leave you sooner or later, and you’ll just be another ex in his long string of broken hearts. I don’t have time to waste on your kind.”

  Scarlett snapped her mouth shut as Lex said, “Mom…enough.”

  “Don’t Lex,” Scarlett interrupted, “It’s ok.”

  Once they got back to the car, Scarlett said, “Your mom has a boyfriend. He’s a con who got money from her.”

  Lex choked and then breathed out a curse. He cursed again and then kicked the tire of the SUV. Once, twice, three times. Scarlett waited while Lex pulled his thoughts together.

  Scarlett rushed ahead, “Your dad was chasing the money. I got screen shots and stuff. Check your email.”

  Lex nodded and took the passenger seat while Scarlett followed his directions to a hotel.

  “He must have called Cam,” Lex said as he was reading the email. “I had told him once that Cam was a good investigator, and I wasn’t answering his calls. He turned to her when I wouldn’t help.”

  Scarlett took a deep breath and said, “It isn’t your fault. What happened to him. None of this is your fault.”

  Lex cursed again and then muttered, “I know that. But I still feel bad. I feel like I should have answered his calls.”

  “How many times has he called you in the last…five years?”

  Lex just shook his head. The answer, Scarlett guess, was zero. Even if Lex didn’t want to say it.

  “So it makes sense then that answering his calls wouldn’t have been the first thing you’d want to do. It’s not your fault that your relationship with your Dad was messed up. Not yours alone.”

  “They tried to bridge things with me. They reached out after he was finally clean. But I wouldn’t,” Lex said. He slammed his head against the headrest. “You’re right. It isn’t my fault. But my fault or not…he’s dead.”

  “I need you to divorce the fact that he’s your dad from this.”

  The look he gave her was mocking. “How can I do that?”

  “You’re letting your guilt handicap you,” Scarlett said as gently as possible as she pulled into Portland Harbor Hotel and turned Lex’s SUV over to the valet while he grabbed the bag she packed.

  “So what do I do then?”

  “You investigate and we’ll deal with the fact that this was your dad later. Do what you’re good at. Investigate. Find the killer. Deal with the personal fallout later.”

  Lex didn’t answer, and Scarlett wasn’t even sure it was a good idea. She just wanted him to stop beating himself up. Maybe with enough time, he could let it go. It wasn’t his fault that someone killed his dad. He probably wouldn’t have been able to stop the death. Taking responsibility for it wasn’t something she wanted him to burden himself with. She knew, though, that saying that wouldn’t change a thing. Maybe she and their daughters would be able to wrap him up in enough love that it would heal his heart some.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Is there any chance,” Scarlett asked the next morning as they prepared to check out of the hotel, “That Cameron could have anything to do with your Dad’s death?”

  Lex still hadn’t told Scarlett why his officers had interviewed Cameron before they’d returned to Mystic Cove from their late Valentine’s Day date.

  “No,” Lex said flatly. He set aside their room service tray and then lifted their bag. “Are you ready?”

  Scarlett tucked her phone into her pocket, so she didn’t throw it at him and asked, “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I am,” Lex snapped. “I made an appointment with my dad’s friend, Ron. We need to go meet him for coffee and see what he knows. Unless you want to stay here.”

  She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and narrowed her eyes at him. The punk didn’t even notice.

  “I want to checkout of the hotel and get back to Mystic Cove today,” Scarlett said. She knew too well that he was just saying that to irritate her and distract her from her questions about Cameron. Did he think that she was jealous? Surely he could see that Cameron had to be one of the suspects. Of course, the boyfriend was a suspect. But did they even know if he was in Mystic Cove? If he had been…he’d have followed Cameron and Al to Mystic Cove.

  They weren’t even sure that Al and Cameron had arrived together in Mystic Cove. They didn’t know anything about what had happened. How had Al died? Had he drowned? Was it something else? Was he dumped in the water after he was dead? Was he dumped in injured? Did someone intend to kill him? Was it an accident that they’d covered up.

  She messaged Gus while Lex drove to the coffee shop to meet his dad’s best friend. The shop, Speckled Ax, was a unique little place, but Ron wasn’t what Scarlett expected at all. He was a grizzled, tattooed man who’d staked out a table near the window. When they approached, he scowled at them both before flicking his gaze over Scarlett.

  “New girlfriend?” His tone said that he’d met so many of Lex’s girlfriends they were all interchangeable and disposable.

  “She’s the one, Ron,” Lex said. He dropped into the seat across from the man and then said, “What the hell, man?”

  Ron shook his head, his gaze had warmed up to Scarlett after Lex’s pronouncement. Lex pulled out a chair for Scarlett. She
was drinking her third cup of the nausea tea while Lex took the coffee that Ron had gotten for Lex. His coffee came on a little tray with a white mug and something that looked like a lab container holding the brew. Lex didn’t seem to mind the quirkiness of the coffee. He was so distracted he might not have noticed it at all.

  “Did you know about…” Lex trailed off struggling to answer and then said, “about Mom?”

  “You mean about her beaux?” Ron laughed but he didn’t sound all that amused. “I heard. Your Dad was…well…you can imagine.”

  Lex nodded and took another sip of his coffee while Ron considered. “She sent a lot of money, Lex. Your Dad ended up emptying their accounts and moving it all into a single account so she couldn’t send anymore. Then, she took the account negative. He paid it off two times before he tried to call you.”

  Lex cleared his throat but didn’t explain not answering his Dad’s calls.

  Ron seemed to understand because he said, “Lex, man…he didn’t blame you for not answering him. He told me more than once that he deserved how you felt.”

  Lex shifted but he didn’t say anything.

  “Your Dad loved you Lex.”

  Lex shrugged that enigmatic shrug.

  “He was proud of you too.”

  Lex took a drink of his coffee and Scarlett didn’t move or say a word. She felt utterly helpless to help him in anyway.

  “So,” Lex finally said, “What do you know about the boyfriend?”

  “Your Dad met him. Told him he was going to press charges.”

  Scarlett was about one shred of self control from having her jaw drop onto the table. She joined Lex in drinking from her cup to prevent from saying a word.

  “What did the guy say?”

  “Laughed right in your dad’s face. Al was…” Ron darted a look at Scarlett and then cut off whatever curse word he was about to drop and said, “real mad. Real, real mad. That was when your Dad started to call you. Eventually he called that old girlfriend of yours. She suggested they go right to you.”

  Scarlett froze at that. Cameron wanted Al to come see Lex? Or Cameron was using Al as a reason to get back into Lex’s life?