by Judi Lynn
“Nothing we can do about that.” Jazzi started work on the floorboard that joined his. “We didn’t expect to show it to anyone this soon.”
Forty-five minutes later, Jerod and the man returned. The man was excited. “My sister loved the third floor bedroom and bath,” he told them. “She’s thinking of making it into a dormitory for the three boys. Then they can put the master bedroom, their daughter’s room, and an office on the second floor. How’s the basement?”
“Solid. I’ll show you.” Jerod led him to the basement door and they disappeared again. The basement wasn’t finished, but it was dry and in good shape. The ceiling was high enough that Ansel didn’t have to stoop.
Ansel and Jazzi kept working. When Jerod led the man back again, he said, “My sister sent the pictures to her husband. Living in Chicago is so expensive, they can’t believe how cheap houses are around here. They haven’t liked anything else I’ve sent them, but they’d like to do a walk-through here tomorrow, if you can schedule it. If this works and they get it early enough, they can have some input on colors and stuff, can’t they?”
Jerod hesitated. “I’m going to Franny’s parents’ house tomorrow. I won’t be able to be here.”
“We can,” Ansel said. “What time will your sister want a tour?”
“Around one? Just after lunch.”
Ansel glanced at Jazzi and she nodded. “We can do that.”
Pleased, the man left.
“Can you believe that? We might already have a buyer.” Jerod shook his head. When he and Jazzi started flipping together, a finished house could sit for a few months before it sold. He looked at his watch. “It’s already later than usual. And you two have to come back tomorrow. Let’s call it a day.”
That sounded good to her. She gathered their things and Ansel grabbed George. They’d go home, take their showers, and go out to eat. It was surprising what a difference fifteen minutes made, though. Friday night traffic was always bad, but with stormy weather, it snarled to a crawl. March hadn’t improved yet. Instead of snow, it dumped rain in torrents. They finally made it to the highway that led to their turn-off when a guy on a side street tried to zip into their lane and the driver in front of them couldn’t brake fast enough. She crunched into the back door of his rusted SUV.
Ansel braked and waited to make sure both drivers were all right when the man in the SUV jumped out of his vehicle and stalked to the woman’s car as she rolled down her window.
“Where did you learn to drive?” he bellowed. “Didn’t you see me pull out?”
The woman’s face froze with fear. She tried to roll her window back up, but the man reached in to grab the collar of her coat. Jazzi called 911 while Ansel leapt from the van and hurried toward them.
“You stay here!” he told her.
The man whirled on him when he approached, looked at his size, but didn’t back down. Ansel glanced at the woman. “You’re scaring her. Leave her alone.”
“Keep out of this! If you want to be in one piece, get back in your van and drive away.”
“And let you terrorize her? I don’t think so. My wife just called the cops. Calm down. I’m staying to make sure they get the facts straight.”
“You saw her hit me?”
“I saw you pull in front of her.”
The man’s face mottled with temper. “She was going too fast. I had plenty of time to make my turn.”
“I was driving right behind her. We were both going under the speed limit.”
The man’s hands curled into fists, but Ansel had him by at least four inches. The arms of the guy’s hoodie pulled tight over hard biceps as if he worked out every day. But Ansel didn’t have a spare bit of fat on him. Every inch of him was muscle, and when he scowled like he was doing now, he looked intimidating. He planted his feet, ready for a fight.
The man looked him over again and took a step back. “Since you have to be a do-gooder, you can wait with the stupid woman. I’m going to sit in my car where it’s warm.”
He turned and stormed to his SUV, slammed it into reverse, and roared away. Jazzi took a photo of his license plate before he got too far.
When a police car finally came, Ansel and the woman explained what had happened. Jazzi showed him the cell phone picture, and the cop entered the license number in his car’s computer. “Probably doesn’t have any insurance.” When he read the man’s info, though, he shook his head. “You got lucky. If this guy calls either of you for any reason, don’t deal with him. I doubt he’ll risk it, but he just got out of prison a while ago.”
The poor woman looked like she felt faint. Jazzi made a mental note to call Gaff. The only friend of Gil’s she hadn’t met was his cellmate, Gavin. And this guy fit the description Gaff had given her. Violent with a quick temper. Luckily, he hadn’t gotten her or Ansel’s names.
Once everything was settled, and Ansel was pulling back into traffic, he sighed. “Do you mind if we grab something on the way home and just call it a night?”
She nodded. “I’ve lost the mood, too. Let’s keep it simple. I’m all for a quick supper and renting a movie.”
So that’s what they did, and it made all of them happy—George and the cats, too. It wasn’t until they went up to bed that she thought of the accident again. If the driver who caused it was Gavin, as she suspected, she was glad she’d never met him. Hoped she never would.
Chapter 24
Jazzi hustled to clean the house before they had to leave to show the old Victorian in New Haven. While she scrubbed and dusted, Ansel damp mopped the wooden floors. The cats went back and forth, attacking the mop or chasing her dust rag. George, as usual, supervised.
It was a typical start to a Saturday, so all three pets glared at them when they finished lunch and went for their coats. George trotted after them, but Ansel shook his head. “Sorry, bud, but we’re going to the store afterward, and we’d have to leave you in the pickup way too long.”
George whined, offended. Ansel bent to pet him, giving him a quick pat before heading to the door. Inky jumped on the sink counter and swung his paw at the flowers by the window. He couldn’t knock the heavy crockery container over, but the flowers were a few days old, and petals scattered across the stainless steel. He turned to gauge her reaction.
“Do your best, fur ball. I’m buying new ones today.”
He could tell by her tone he hadn’t upset her, so jumped down and stalked away. Jazzi slipped on her warm gloves and pulled the back door shut behind her.
They got to the fixer-upper fifteen minutes ahead of the man and his sister and her husband. Enough time to turn up the heat. When they left each night, they lowered the temperature. The paint had turned slightly lighter as it completely dried, and Jazzi was happy with the way it complemented the wood floor.
They put down a rag rug for when the potential buyers arrived for them to wipe their feet. The woman entered first and gave a slow smile as her eyes scanned the house. “We’d have so much room here.”
Her husband, following her, nodded. “I like the layout and the colors.”
The brother rubbed his hands, smiling from ear to ear.
Jazzi trailed them as Ansel gave them the full tour and explained what he, Jerod, and Jazzi still meant to do with each space. There wasn’t much the couple wanted to change. They liked the idea of knocking out walls on the second floor to make two big bedrooms with two baths and an office rather than keeping the current four small rooms. The floors were decent, but not wonderful. Ansel explained that they meant to sand and refinish them, but the wife shook her head.
“We’d rather have carpet up here. It’s warmer and quieter.”
Ansel smiled. “Easier for us. The bathrooms?”
“Tile that’s easy to clean.”
Jazzi chuckled. With four kids, the woman preferred functional over decorative.
When they reache
d the basement, the husband wondered if they could make part of it into a playroom and asked for a small wine cellar to be walled off. When Ansel assured them neither would be a problem, the husband turned to his wife. When she nodded, he said, “We want it.”
The wife quickly explained, “But we don’t want to move in until the kids are out of school this year. We don’t want to pull them out with only a few more months to the end of their classes.”
Ansel looked relieved. “Good, then we won’t be rushed trying to finish things up. We can’t work on the exterior until the weather’s better anyway.”
They didn’t quibble about the price, so by the time Ansel turned the thermostat back down, and he and Jazzi locked up, the house was sold.
They waved the buyers off, then started to the grocery. Jazzi called Jerod on the way to tell him the news.
“We should start looking for a new place right away.” She knew he’d say that. “It’ll take us at least another two months to finish the projects the owners want and rehab the exterior, but while we work there, we can draw up plans for the next project.”
“We have plenty of time before they move in. Is it the end of May when kids get out of school?”
“Around here it is,” he said. “Not sure about Chicago. They might go longer. Did the buyers have any specific colors they wanted inside or out?”
“They asked for dove gray in the master and soft rose for their daughter’s room. They wanted taupe for the boys’ attic.”
“What the heck is taupe?”
She grinned. Her cousin wasn’t too into the subtleties of shades. “Sort of light brown with gray undertones.”
Jerod grunted. “What about the exterior?”
“Peach with white trim and rose details.”
“Peach?”
“It will look pretty. It’ll fit the house.”
“If you say so. Are they going to give me a call later so I can do the paperwork?”
“Yup, I gave them your number.” Jerod took care of the banking and she was in charge of lunches. It evened out.
They were almost to the store by the time Jazzi finished her call and returned her phone to her pocket. Ansel grinned. “Let me guess. He’s ready to look for the next house.”
“You know Jerod.”
Ansel found a parking space three rows from the store’s door, and they grabbed their list and slogged through the puddles to go inside. Bad weather put shoppers in stock up mode, so the aisles were full of carts to negotiate around.
“So, what’s on the agenda for the Sunday meal tomorrow?” Ansel asked.
“I’m hungry for Mexican. Thought I’d make chicken tamale casseroles.”
His blue eyes lit up. “Make extra so we have leftovers.”
She knew he’d say that. She put three rotisserie chickens in their cart. It would take three casseroles to feed her family tomorrow and still have enough for them to eat later. “I want to make something quick for Jerod and Franny to take home, too. I’ll cross them off my list once the baby sleeps through the night.” Her family had been slipping extra money in the glass jar on Sundays to help her pay for the extra food—their way of supporting him.
Ansel grinned, and a woman with messy hair who looked half asleep, woke up to stare at him. She looked like she needed a bright spot in her day. Seeing Ansel would perk up any female. “What about stew? Then you can make some for us.”
Why not? She tossed two packages of stew meat in the cart. When she made Jerod’s, she’d make theirs, and then she could just reheat it some night for supper. Not much made Ansel happier than meat and potatoes.
Ansel tossed in things to make salads. They ate a fresh salad almost every night. They’d make big bowls of greens to go with the casserole tomorrow. “What about dessert?”
Before she could answer, his cell phone rang. It was Radley. “Hey, this is short notice, but I’m just asking. If it’s too much, just tell me.”
Ansel quirked an eyebrow, clearly curious. “What is it?”
“Could I invite Elspeth to the Sunday meal tomorrow?”
Ansel’s shoulders relaxed. “Sure, we’ll have plenty.”
“See you then!” Radley clicked off.
Jazzi let out a long breath. “Maybe we should buy another folding table.”
Ansel put three cartons of eggs into their cart. “We have room for two more people before we have to add another one.”
“You set the table, so you’d know.”
“Now, back to the important stuff. What’s for dessert?”
“Bread pudding with whiskey sauce.” It was one of Olivia’s favorites.
They grabbed what they needed and checked out. The cats came running when they heard paper grocery bags in the kitchen. They loved playing in them once they were empty. George was always happy to see food enter the house, so they all settled in for a relaxing night, cooking together and chilling out.
She and Ansel were watching TV when her cell buzzed. She didn’t recognize the number, but recognized Chad’s voice the minute he started talking.
“Hilda told me about Ronnie,” he said. “I feel bad that he couldn’t find anyone to take his place, but I’m glad my buddy stayed out of this. I saw Tim today and when we started talking, he let a name slip. Ray. He didn’t know if that would help you or not, but we both want whoever killed Ronnie to get caught.”
“It will help,” Jazzi told him. “I’ll pass it on to my detective friend. And thanks for telling me. But don’t do any more. Don’t try to call Ray or ask questions.”
“We almost didn’t call you,” Chad admitted. “But telling you this much shouldn’t get us in trouble. That’s all we can help you with.”
“I appreciate your sharing. Thanks again.”
After she told Ansel, she called Gaff. Plates and silverware mingled with voices in the background. He’d obviously taken his Ann out to eat tonight. “Sorry to bother you,” she said before telling him her news.
“Thanks for the tip. I’ll stop by to see Ray again on Monday,” he said. “But this time, I’m going alone. If Ray’s involved with whoever killed Donovan, Gil, and Ronnie, I don’t want him to get any ideas about you.”
“After meeting Jarrett and Gavin, I’d rather not meet them again.”
There was a pause. “You met Gavin?”
She’d forgotten to tell him about the accident the night before. When she finished, Gaff’s tone was even sharper. “Now you know what I meant when I said you should keep your distance from him.”
“Works for me, but I’m interrupting your supper. Enjoy yourself and tell Ann hi from us.” Jazzi hung up and snuggled deeper on her sofa, glancing at Ansel lying across from her. After having so much company for so long, it was a treat to have the house to themselves. For a while, if she could, she’d like to go to work every day, then come home and hibernate. With their house’s security system and Ansel, she felt safe but would not run into surprises when she was out and about.
Chapter 25
Sunday morning, Ansel brought her coffee in bed. He loved to fuss over her, and she had to admit, it made her feel special. She scooched up to rest her back against her pillow and sipped while they talked. Ansel carefully lowered himself to the end of the bed so that he wouldn’t jostle her.
“Morning, babe.” He reached to push some of her loose, wild hair away from her face. “You look gorgeous with bedhead.”
Yeah, right. Her teeth felt gritty and she didn’t have any makeup on. She probably looked like she’d crawled out of a cave in some jungle. Her Norseman still wore his flannel pajama bottoms and a loose white T-shirt. His hair was mussed and his chin stubbly. Okay, he might be right. Rumpled could look delicious.
Inky came to rub his head against Ansel’s arm. Ansel ran a big hand over the cat’s back. “Thought we could enjoy a slow start this morning. All we have to do is r
eheat the tamale casserole and make the salad for the meal.” Jealous, Marmalade came to sit on Jazzi’s lap for attention. Ansel grinned. “Your cats are spoiled.”
She glanced at George, snoring in his dog bed. “And your pug isn’t?”
“You’ve got me there. Want me to run to buy a New York Times? We could spend the morning reading newspapers.”
She shook her head. “The Journal Gazette’s enough for me. Maybe we can watch Face The Nation, too.” She wasn’t one of those people who listened to the news twenty four hours a day, but she and Ansel liked to keep up on what was happening.
She drained her coffee mug and Ansel stood to offer her an arm to walk her downstairs. She tugged on her robe, deciding to get dressed later. Draped on the sofa with her second cup of coffee in her hand, she felt totally pampered.
They didn’t get moving until noon, and then she zipped upstairs to pull on her good jeans and a lightweight sweater before going to the kitchen to heat the casseroles. Ansel was already tearing greens for the salad, and she made a quick dressing for it. The bread puddings and whiskey sauce were already made. She and Ansel even had time to take another quick break before Jerod and his family arrived. While Franny removed Gunther and Lizzie’s coats and unwrapped little Peter, her cousin went straight to the kitchen island for the cheese ball and crackers. He immediately noticed the extra place setting at the table.
“Who else is coming?”
Ansel handed him a cold beer. “Radley’s bringing Elspeth, Donovan’s girlfriend. They’ve been hanging out a little, crying on each other’s shoulders.”
“Sure they have.” Jerod reached to spread more cheese on another half dozen crackers. “It has to be more than that or he’d let her family deal with her on weekends.”
“Jerod!” Franny gave his arm a soft punch. “Some men are more sensitive than you are.”
“Bull pucky.” He was unrepentant. “When I wanted to be nice to a girl I wasn’t interested in, I caulked around her windows or brought her takeout for supper.”
