by Lynn Cahoon
“What’s your point? My foot had been stepped on by a horse. I was distraught.” Cat put the back of her hand on her forehead.
“You’re such a whiner.” Shauna smiled. “Well, if you think you’ll be okay by yourself, I’m going to tell Jake I’ll be there on Sunday night. I don’t know how long I’ll stay but I’ll plan on being there a week. Unless things go south and then I’ll come home.”
“He’s your brother; what could go wrong?”
Shauna stood and refilled her coffee cup. “I have a bad feeling that Mom told him about the money I inherited. I’m pretty sure he’s going to try to sell me on some investments.”
Cat hoped not. Shauna didn’t deserve to have a brother who only wanted to know her now that she had money. But it had happened before. She was trying to think of something encouraging to say when the back door burst open.
Uncle Pete stood in the doorway, his face red. Glancing around the kitchen, his gaze fell on Cat.
“What’s wrong?” Cat could see the distress in his face.
“I need to talk to Seth—where is he?”
Chapter Fifteen
Seth came in from the hallway. “I’m right here. What’s going on?”
Uncle Pete poured a cup of coffee and looked at Cat. “Okay if we use the study? I need to ask Seth a few questions.”
“About what?” Cat stood and put a hand up between her uncle and Seth. “You’re not taking him into a private room to talk. You can talk here.”
“Cat, that’s not possible. Seth, grab some coffee and meet me in the study.” Uncle Pete walked around the table on the other side from where Cat stood, frozen in place. “Cat, just relax. It’s not something for you to worry about.”
“If it’s not something for me to worry about . . .” Cat started to ask, but Uncle Pete had already left the kitchen. She turned to Seth as he was filling a travel mug with coffee. “What is going on with him? Why does he want to talk to you alone?”
“Actually, I think I know, but let me find out. Whatever he asks me, I promise, I’ll tell you after he leaves.” He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. “I love you, Cat.”
And with that he strolled out of the kitchen and toward the study. Cat started to follow but Shauna grabbed her arm. “Let them talk. You sit here and eat something. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”
Cat sank into a chair and sipped her coffee, ignoring the cinnamon roll Shauna set in front of her. “I’m going to Greyson’s funeral today at one. Do you want to come along?”
“Do you want me there as a friend?”
Cat finally broke her gaze from the unmoving kitchen door. “Yes. I think I need you there with me. Jessica, well, she can be difficult and demanding.”
“I take it she still thinks you can keep your uncle from charging her in Greyson’s murder.” Shauna pushed the roll closer to Cat and picked up her own fork. “Go on, eat. You’re going to need your strength.”
“Why? What do you know? There’s no way Seth’s involved in this. No freaking way.” Cat narrowed her eyes.
“I didn’t mean Seth. You have a seminar as well as this funeral. I know how much being around that many people drains you.” Shauna held up her fork. “So eat. You’re grumpy because you’re hungry.”
“I’m grumpy because my uncle is questioning my boyfriend about a murder that I know he didn’t commit.” Cat stared through the wall like she could see into the study. Then she broke off a piece of the roll and popped it into her mouth. “I thought Uncle Pete liked Seth. I know he never liked Michael, but I always thought it was because of Seth. He thought I’d chosen the wrong guy. And I guess he was right, in a way.”
“Cat, calm down. You don’t even know that the murder is what they are talking about. It could be something totally unrelated.”
Cat laughed but the sound held no humor. “You know that’s not true. If it wasn’t police business, they would have talked in here in front of us.”
“Okay, you’re right there, but there’s no use stewing over it. Seth said he’d tell you what he could.” Shauna glanced at the stove. “I should make you an omelet. The protein would be better for your nerves than all that sugar. I was just going to have the rolls for breakfast, but I could add some substance to the meal.”
Cat dropped her gaze away from the wall and looked at her friend. She seemed as upset as Cat felt. But she knew she was the one causing her friend’s distress. “Look, I’m sorry for going postal on you. I know it’s not your fault. But this investigation has me twisted up. Probably because of Jessica and her unreasonable demands. I’m beginning to think she did kill the guy—I can’t find anyone else who had motive.”
“Add me to the list,” Seth muttered as he came into the kitchen with Uncle Pete following him. “Apparently I owed the guy money.”
“You owe money to Greyson Finn?” Cat felt broadsided. She hadn’t seen that one coming.
“Well, his records show I owe him money. I borrowed a few thousand from him to buy tools when I first started up the handyman business. I paid him back, every cent, either in cash or work on his brother’s house. I guess I should have gotten a paid-in-full receipt since the accountant is now saying I didn’t pay it off.” Seth went over and refilled his cup. “I guess I better go through my records and find what I can to prove I don’t still owe the debt. Do you mind if I spend some time at my apartment this afternoon?”
“Sure, anything you need.” Cat glanced at her uncle. “So you thought Seth would have killed this guy over a few thousand dollars?”
“No, I didn’t think Seth killed him, but I had to clear up the issue so we could cross his name off the list. I was just surprised when his name came up in the investigation.” Uncle Pete nodded to the cinnamon rolls. “Any chance I could get one of those?”
“I should say no,” Cat responded.
“You’re not the chef.” Shauna pointed to the table. “Go sit down and eat. You need to be back to your happy and sparkling self before your session later this morning.”
Seth set his coffee near hers and then went back for a roll. “It’s Thursday. Why do you have a session on Thursday?”
“Because they still wanted to talk.” Cat took another bite of the roll. She had to admit, at least to herself, that eating was making her calm down a little. She looked at Seth. “Do you need help going through your records?”
“You’re kidding, right?” He grinned at her. “Don’t give me that look. I see the box you throw your receipts into until tax time. I have a system and I don’t need you messing it up.”
“She never could keep her room clean.” Uncle Pete sat and Shauna handed him a roll. “Thank you. This is the best thing that’s happened today.”
“This isn’t pick on Cat day.” Cat took a deep breath and focused on eating. She needed to figure out what this new information meant, if anything. “Uncle Pete? You said you talked to the accountant? Is he the guy who handles the family foundation?”
“What family foundation?” Her uncle set the fork on the plate.
Cat sighed. “I told you last night. It’s the holding company that they bought the bakery building with. I just wondered who was in charge of it.”
“That’s right, you did say something. Sorry, it slipped my mind.” He pulled out his notebook. “And to answer your question, the accountant didn’t mention the foundation at all. He said he handled Greyson’s financial affairs.”
“So he should have known about the family foundation. Why wouldn’t he at least mention it?” Cat pressed the point.
“I don’t know, but I’ll be talking to him again.” He finished his roll and stood, taking the plate to the sink. “Seth, let me know when you find that documentation and I’ll take it with me to reinterview this guy. Seems like the guy is only telling me what he wants me to know.”
After Seth and Uncle Pete had left, Cat felt drained. She glanced at the clock and groaned. “How is it already nine?”
“We’ve been chatting
here in the kitchen for several hours. And then Pete stopped by. . . .”
Cat held up her hand. “Stop, I know what happened. I’m just so drained after all the excitement this morning.”
“I don’t think Pete’s even close to figuring out who murdered Greyson.” Shauna grabbed a jar of peanut butter and spread a thick smear on a slice of bread. Then she repeated the action with some strawberry preserves she’d put up earlier that summer. She handed the completed sandwich on a paper towel to Cat. “Here, you need the protein. You should have let me cook you an omelet earlier.”
Cat sighed. “This will work perfectly. Tell me you’re going with me to the memorial service.”
Shauna sank into a chair. “I had hoped I wouldn’t have to go to another one so soon after Kevin’s, but if you need me, I’ll pull out my little black dress.”
“I’m sorry. If this is too hard, I can do it myself.” Cat felt like a heel. She should have realized what she was asking. Especially since Shauna had evaded the question when she first brought it up.
“I told you I was going, and I will.” Shauna opened her laptop. “I better get busy working on the cookbook. I’d like to have a first draft done before I head to New York next week to see Jake.”
“I’d be glad to read through it if you want.” Cat wasn’t much of a cookbook expert, but she could edit or wordsmith if Shauna needed her.
“Actually, I have someone beta reading it and testing out the recipes. If it passes through that test, I’ll let you read for typos and stuff.”
“Who’s your beta reader?”
Shauna glanced up at the clock. “Your seminar is about to start.”
Cat jumped out of her seat and refilled her coffee. She was already in the living room and waiting for the writers to show up when she realized that Shauna hadn’t answered her question.
Anne was the first to arrive, notebook in hand and chatting with Molly. Then came Rick and Colleen. Finally, just a few seconds before ten o’clock, Bren hurried into the room and quickly took a seat.
Cat turned from the conversation she’d been having with Molly about her experience and looked at Bren. It was obvious she’d been crying. Cat caught her gaze but Bren shook her head. Whatever it was, she didn’t want to talk about it. Cat looked around the room.
“Well, we’re all back. Do we want to make a list of what we need to cover? I want to make sure I answer all your questions.” She turned to the flip chart and started writing down the points she’d remembered from yesterday. When she was done, she turned around. “So what else?”
The group called out so many items and questions, Cat didn’t know if they’d finish the ask-the-author session today either. But they had one more get-together planned on Friday night after dinner to talk about the retreat, so she could squeeze some of these answers into that time frame if she needed to.
Taking the first item and crossing it off the list along with one farther down, she started talking.
When noon came she’d crossed off all but five items on the list. She glanced at the clock on the living room wall. “We did better than I thought we would. Why don’t you all go eat and we can finish this up Friday night. Remember the owner of the Written Word is going to be here tomorrow to talk about the author/bookseller relationship. You’ll love listening to Tammy.”
“We could delay lunch if you wanted to keep going.” Colleen glanced up from her notebook. “I could bring in some cookies.”
Cat shook her head at the suggestion. “I’m sorry. I’m attending Mr. Finn’s memorial service later this afternoon so I need to start getting ready.”
“Are you scoping out the mourners for suspects?” Rick closed his notebook. “You know, they say it’s always the spouse or someone close. Was this guy married?”
“Nope. I guess he was one of Denver’s most eligible bachelors.” Cat ripped the page off the flip chart and folded it, then put it in her folder.
“That doesn’t mean he wasn’t seeing someone.” Anne stood, her notebook tucked under her arm. “Sometimes famous people keep their relationships secret because they want to look available.”
Or they’re seeing someone who isn’t available. Cat hated the thought, but it was logical. As they moved out of the room, she pulled Bren aside. “Are you okay?”
“I was stupid and answered my phone this morning. I thought maybe he’d calmed down and we could have a rational conversation. Instead, I got a verbal beat down. I finally just hung up on him. I had to turn off my cell because he kept calling back.” Bren leaned back against the doorway looking drained. “I don’t know what I ever saw in that guy.”
“They can be charming at first.” Anne spoke so softly, Cat wasn’t sure she had heard her. She patted Bren’s arm. “You’re doing the right thing. No one should make you feel less of a person. Our relationships are supposed to bring us up, not tear us down.”
Bren bit her lip. “I know, but . . .”
“There are no buts in this situation, dear. You need to make a clean break of the man.” Anne took her by the shoulder. “Let’s go grab some food and we can make a plan for when we get back to Chicago. We’ll come over with a bunch of movers and we’ll get you out of there.”
“You’d do that?” Bren seemed to brighten at the thought, then deflated again. “But I have nowhere to go.”
“That’s not true. You can stay with me until you get your own place. I have a lovely two-bedroom condo just off the lake. You’ll love it.”
Cat watched the two women walk toward the rest of the group, who enveloped them and their conversation like a family. She was still standing in the foyer when Shauna came out of the kitchen.
“There you are. I made us some sandwiches to eat before we go to this thing. I know I’ll need something in my stomach.” Shauna glanced around the empty foyer. “Are you waiting on someone?”
“No, I was just thinking.” Cat moved toward her friend. “Let’s eat so we can get ready. The church is only a few blocks away. Do you want to walk?”
* * *
When they got to the church, they joined the group of mourners flowing up the stone steps to the entrance. News crews were stationed behind barriers the town usually used for lining the streets for a parade route. This was probably the first time they’d been pulled out for a funeral.
Shauna stepped closer to Cat. “You don’t think they’re filming this, do you?”
“Actually, I know they are filming it. But don’t worry. I don’t think we’re high end enough to get on the evening news.” Cat glanced around at the others entering with them. “I just saw the mayor and his wife going into the church. And the president of the college wasn’t far behind. It’s kind of a who’s who in Aspen Hills.”
Professor Turner hurried up the stairs to walk with them. “I’m so glad I saw you. All of the department is supposed to be here, but I guess I’m late. I haven’t seen one professor . . . well, besides you.”
“I’m not really a professor.” Cat brushed a leaf off his coat.
“Nonsense, once a member of our family, always a member. Besides, you’re part of the college as your late husband’s widow as well. So I guess you have two seats at the table. Or one really close to the dean.” He took his fedora off as they walked inside and handed it and his coat to a college student who was manning the coatroom. Then he helped Cat off with her jacket. Shauna had chosen to go without a coat since her dress had long sleeves. “Shall we enter the chapel?”
Professor Turner held the door open and Cat wondered how many more people could fit inside the huge cathedral. There didn’t seem to be room for two more people, let alone three. As she made her way closer to the front, she noticed a striking blonde sitting with the family, dressed in black, a black veil pushed back so she could wipe away the tears on her cheeks. Cat was just about to ask Shauna if she knew who the woman was, when Professor Turner grabbed her arm and pushed her into a row.
“You too, Miss Shauna,” he said. Cat heard his words but before she could
react, she was sitting in the pew with Shauna beside her and Professor Turner squeezing onto the edge. She could feel him pushing for more room.
Cat pressed against the man sitting next to her. She lost her balance when he moved over and she almost fell into him. Grabbing his arm to keep herself upright, she finally looked into his face. Dante Cornelio smiled back at her.
“Catherine, I should have known you’d be here.” He leaned over her. “Miss Clodagh, so nice to see you again, even under such sad circumstances.”
Shauna mumbled something that sounded like an acknowledgment to Dante’s welcome, but Cat wasn’t sure.
“Dante, I didn’t realize you were in town,” Cat stammered, not sure what to say. Dante Cornelio was one of the heads of a mob family that Michael had gotten messed up with. And it had gotten Michael killed. Of course, that hadn’t been Dante’s fault. The men had been friends, but Cat had been trying to stay away from the mob-connected, too handsome guy who sometimes lived down the street. She’d promised as much to both Seth and Uncle Pete. Now, Professor Turner had squeezed her into a too small seat right next to the man.
As if he’d read her mind, he leaned over and whispered something to the man sitting next to him. The man nodded, then pointed to the side of the church. He spoke directly to Dante before he left his seat. “I’ll be right over there when you’re ready.”
As soon as he’d stood, Dante moved over in the pew giving Cat room to breathe. “There, that’s much better. I hate being packed in like sardines, don’t you?”
“Your friend didn’t need to leave. I was okay.” Cat moved half over into where Dante had been sitting to give Shauna some room. She turned back to look at her friend, who was glaring at her. She leaned closer and hissed, “What?”
“Don’t talk him into having the guy come back and sit. I’ve finally got blood flow back in my legs.” Shauna rubbed her leg through the black dress.
A chuckle on the other side of Cat made her realize that Dante had heard their conversation. If she was going to be in trouble anyway, she should find out how Dante knew Greyson. But first she wanted to know who the woman at the front of the church was.
