by Alexa Verde
Ivan gestured for her to wait. “Julia, let me check the house first, please.”
She didn’t object as he walked inside. It felt good to be protected like this. Only… how long would he stay by her side? Until he found Seth’s killer? Would he leave her then, like other people in her life?
His parents had been against her, and that had been even before she’d been accused of causing Seth’s suicide.
Who do you think you are? You’re nothing compared to our son. Don’t even dream of being accepted in our family!
Even after all these years, Ivan’s father’s words were imprinted in her memory.
Ivan appeared in the doorframe and waved for Julia to enter. She did so and slipped inside her bedroom while he stayed in the living room. In her walk-in closet, she changed into a new set of clothes, a white T-shirt and jeans. Then she packed another overnight bag.
As Julia glanced around her bedroom with doilies crocheted by her grandmother and a chair made by her grandfather, she felt a twinge of regret. She hated being run out of her own home. Her gaze stopped at the row of porcelain figurines her grandmother had collected. Julia picked her favorite, of a girl reading a book, wrapped it in a beautiful crocheted doily, and slipped it in her bag. That way, at least she could feel she took a piece of home with her.
She’d miss her cottage, but not nearly as much as she missed her grandparents.
Julia traced with her fingertips the cold, smooth surface of the rest of the figurines. Then she drew a deep breath and stepped out of her bedroom.
“I’m ready.” As ready as she was ever going to be.
Ivan took the bag from her hands, and they headed to Gallagher’s widow.
Gallagher’s mansion was in the most prestigious neighborhood of Rios Azules. Stone lions, guarding the entrance, greeted Ivan and Julia. Ivan made a call, and the gates opened. A long road flanked by tall palm trees led to the house. Julia admired well-attended multicolored flower beds, a sparkling fountain in front of the mansion, and columns that decorated the entrance. Still, she preferred her modest cottage to all this opulence.
Seth had introduced her to Mr. and Mrs. Hank Gallagher at one of the few functions Julia had attended with him, but that was the extent of their acquaintance.
While Julia admired the architectural beauty, unlike her mother, she’d never been attracted to this kind of lifestyle.
A maid opened the door as soon as Ivan and Julia reached it and led them into a sitting room. Large paintings in gilded frames were most likely originals, and were complemented by a shiny chandelier and sconces. As soon as Ivan and Julia were seated near a carved cherry wood table, the soft sound of footsteps made Julia glance toward a marble staircase.
Mrs. Gallagher glided toward them. From Seth, Julia knew the lady was in her seventies. Mrs. Gallagher looked sophisticated in a snow-white suit with a long skirt, and her shoulder-length gray hair was styled skillfully around her face. A sandy-brown silk scarf was an elegant addition to her outfit. Her makeup was subtle and well done, and diamond earrings matched a bracelet on her wrinkled wrist. There was a lot of glitter in this house.
“Good morning, Ms. Morrison. Good morning, Mr. Vargas.” Mrs. Gallagher greeted them with a polite smile.
“Good morning, Mrs. Gallagher. Thank you for agreeing to see us.”
Mrs. Gallagher took a seat. “It’s my pleasure. I’ll be frank with you, Mr. Vargas. The reason I agreed was because you mentioned everything I say will be off the record. And…” She turned to Julia and studied her. An unreadable expression passed in the older woman’s eyes. “I wanted to see Ms. Morrison.”
Julia’s jaw dropped. “Me? Why?”
“All in its time. Would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee? Juice? Wine?”
“No, thank you,” Ivan and Julia answered simultaneously.
Mrs. Gallagher gestured to the maid, and the maid disappeared quietly down the hall. “So what questions do you have for me?”
“Did Mr. Gallagher receive any unusual calls before he died?” Ivan asked.
“Hmmm… I heard him talk on the phone a couple of times, sounding rather guilty.”
That wasn’t what Julia expected. “Guilty? What’s so unusual about that?”
“You see, dear, Hank had an extremely strong character. He very seldom regretted his decisions. It was unusual for him to sound guilty. Besides, Hank mentioned he’d try to drive to San Antonio. That was strange, too. At that time, Hank was hardly in any condition to travel.”
“Why?” Ivan asked.
“He was sick. I don’t want to go into more detail at the moment.”
Ivan leaned forward. “Do you know who the caller was?”
“Hank called him Blake several times in the conversation.”
Ivan and Julia exchanged glances.
“What do you know about Rowena McDougal?” Julia leaned forward.
“She was Hank’s first love. He named the company after her. Later, she claimed that Hank stole recipes for gourmet chocolates from her. She also claimed that Hank’s company owed its success to those recipes.” Mrs. Gallagher’s gray eyes darkened, and she wasn’t smiling any longer.
Julia filed that information away in her mind. “What did Mr. Gallagher say?”
“That it was a lie, of course. That it was ridiculous. Ms. McDougal was probably trying to extort money. She had no proof whatsoever. After some time, she seemed to understand that she’d lost and left Hank alone. I haven’t heard about her in many years.” Mrs. Gallagher shrugged. “She wasn’t the only person trying to take advantage of Hank’s success. Several people did. Including your father, Mr. Vargas.”
Ivan’s eyebrows shot up. “My father?”
“Didn’t you know?” Mrs. Gallagher frowned. “Your father and Hank used to be business partners when Hank founded Rowena Gourmet Chocolates. I never liked that name, by the way. I don’t know why Hank never changed it, not even after Rowena’s accusations.”
Ivan narrowed his eyes. “Dad never mentioned it.”
“Long story short, Hank bought him out and became rich. Your father seemed to take it badly. He stormed in here several times, screaming that Hank deceived him. Then Hank threatened your father with the police, and Mr. Vargas gave up. This was decades ago. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised you don’t know this. You weren’t even born then.”
Not a muscle moved on Ivan’s face, and he didn’t utter a word.
Julia figured she’d better change the topic. “Why did you want to see me, Mrs. Gallagher?”
“When Hank became Seth’s mentor, I hoped we’d see more of you. That was the reason I encouraged Hank to help Seth in the first place.” A soft smile touched Mrs. Gallagher’s pale lips. “But we seldom saw you, no matter how often I asked Seth to bring you to our social gatherings. Seth said you didn’t like to be around people much.”
Indeed, with the exception of her friends, Julia preferred the company of numbers to the company of people. Spreadsheets never lied to her. And they couldn’t get up and leave.
There was a pause. Julia racked her brain, wondering about the sudden interest in her.
Mrs. Gallagher continued, “Ms. Morrison, your father and I used to be close friends. All these years, I missed him very much. I never forgot about him. I thought getting to know you would make me miss him less. For a long time, I didn’t want to approach you. I didn’t think Hank would approve, considering he’d once thought I’d been in love with your father. But I talked to Hank about it a month ago. Surprisingly, he agreed. Hank’s character changed a lot during the last year.”
Julia held her breath, not sure how to deal with this new information.
Mrs. Gallagher’s eyes brightened. “He was a wonderful man, your father. Smart, witty, and kind. There was so much joy in him, and so much happiness, especially after you were born. He loved you very much.”
Bitterness rose inside Julia, making it difficult to swallow. “If he loved me so much… If he was happy, then why did he commit suicide?�
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Mrs. Gallagher leaned against the back of her chair and looked past Julia at something in the distance. “That’s the thing, dear. I don’t think he did.”
Chapter Eleven
Startled, Ivan stared at Mrs. Gallagher.
A faraway look appeared in her eyes. “Ms. Morrison, your father was a Christian. And he loved your mother with all his heart and he adored you. He had a great job. He had no problems I knew of. And believe me, I knew him well. Shortly before the so-called suicide, he asked me for advice for an anniversary gift for your mother and what restaurant I’d recommend. Doesn’t seem like the behavior of a person about to take his own life.”
“Have you told anybody about this?” Ivan glanced at Julia, wishing he could avoid giving her more heartache. He didn’t want her to relive the memory of finding her father dead.
“I gave my opinion to the chief of police, but he didn’t seem to take it into account. I tried to talk to your mother, but she avoided people at the time. Finally, I let it be.”
“Why do you tell us about this now?” Then it dawned on Ivan. “I think I know. Seth’s suicide, right?”
Mrs. Gallagher nodded. “Thanks to Hank, I got to know Seth Vargas rather well. He seemed to like to talk to me. No offense, Mr. Vargas, but your parents seemed rather… distant to both of you.”
That was putting it mildly.
Ivan swallowed a hard lump in his throat. He’d always thought that his parents had paid much more attention to his brother than they’d paid to him. Apparently, Seth had missed parental love and care as much as Ivan did. “They were just… busy.”
“Probably. But maybe that was the reason he spent so much time with Hank and me. Challenging upbringing or not, he seemed to be a happy young man. Seth told me he’d gone to church regularly with you, Ms. Morrison. We read the Bible together. His suicide didn’t make sense. And neither did the suicide note. Seth also told me he and Ms. Morrison were great friends but nothing more. When I learned about Seth’s suicide, I had a sense of déjà vu. Another man whom I knew well and considered happy and well-adjusted killed himself for no apparent reason. It felt wrong to me. So wrong. I talked to Chief Ronson. But he dismissed my opinion.” She held her head high, and it was clear the old lady wasn’t used to being dismissed.
“I have one more question,” Ivan said slowly. “Are you sure that your husband’s death was an accident?”
Mrs. Gallagher’s lips thinned. “I should be sure. Because if it was murder, I’d be the prime suspect, wouldn’t I? I had a motive and an opportunity.”
“You’re very frank, Mrs. Gallagher.” Deep down, Ivan couldn’t help admiring this woman. She seemed to be astute, honest, and not spoiled by her status. He hoped he was right in his assessment and she had nothing to do with her husband’s death.
A half smile touched her lips. “At my age, dear, I can afford to say what I want.”
“Did you? I mean, did you kill your husband?” Julia asked before Ivan could stop her.
“No. I loved him. You might think I’m lying because there’s no way to check my story. But here’s something you can check. You could talk to his doctors. I didn’t need to kill him. Hank was going to die soon, anyway.”
Ivan figured it would be worth it to check her story. “Do you suspect anybody?”
“There were about fifty people at the party. Anyone of them could do it. I can give you the list of the names if you’d like.”
“No, it’s okay. Thank you for your time.” Ivan was about ready to leave.
A shadow passed over her wrinkled face. She turned to Julia and took her hand with her bony fingers. “I might be wrong about all this. I hope I am. Ms. Morrison, please be careful. Something isn’t right.”
Ivan tensed. “What do you mean?”
“Rios Azules is a small town, and I pay attention to local rumors. One could say it’s because I have a lot of time on my hands. I heard about a break-in at your place, Ms. Morrison, your fall down the stairs, the allergic reaction, and of course about the fire at the Rios Azules Inn. I don’t want to hear about another suicide or accident, especially if that concerns you. Your father was kind to me, and I’d like to return that kindness any way I can. This is a large house, and I have servants. I can also hire a bodyguard if needed. Would you like to keep me company for some time?”
Julia’s eyes widened. “Are you inviting me to stay here?”
“Yes.” Mrs. Gallagher’s eyes sparkled, and the traces of her former beauty became more evident.
“Thank you, but…” Julia stopped, as if trying to find words.
“Servants didn’t help Mr. Gallagher, did they?” Ivan asked, his voice rather rough. “By the way, where were you on the twenty-seventh of December?”
That was the day Seth died, and by the way Mrs. Gallagher’s eyes narrowed, she realized it quickly. “Do you suspect me?”
“It’s just a formality.” Ivan made sure his voice sounded neutral this time.
“I was having a late lunch with my nephew, Ted Connor, at the Café. I’m sure Ted and several waiters can confirm my alibi. Then I drove to the main office of Rowena Gourmet Chocolates.” Mrs. Gallagher’s voice was carefully neutral, as well.
Julia cut in, as if trying to save the situation. “I really appreciate the offer. I’ll think about it. Thank you very much for your time.”
Mrs. Gallagher’s eyes softened.
Ivan and Julia said good-bye to the older lady, and he held the door for Julia.
She looked at his bandaged hands. “Maybe I should drive?”
Ivan shook his head. “I’ll drive. The blisters are healing.”
“Sometimes, you need to stop being a hero and let other people help,” she muttered under her breath but climbed into the passenger’s seat nonetheless.
“I realize it’s a lot to take in. But what do you think of Mrs. Gallagher’s story?” Ivan turned on the engine and took off.
“There’s no proof. Just suggestions.” Julia rubbed her forehead, as if attempting to clear her thoughts.
Ivan took a turn that led to the highway and swallowed hard. He had to touch on the topic that was painful to him. “I should talk to my father. But even if he had a reason to wish ill upon Hank Gallagher or you, there’s no way he’d kill Seth.”
Julia kept silent. She’d probably noticed a long time ago Seth was his parents’ favorite. If anything had changed, if there had been any fights between Seth and his father, most likely, Seth would’ve told her or Ivan. Wouldn’t he?
“I understand. Right now, I’m trying to wrap my mind around a totally different issue.” She paused.
Ivan could guess what that issue was. Her father’s death. Ivan glanced at her, wishing he could spare her the pain.
Julia’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I never doubted Dad’s death was suicide. Sometimes I even blamed my mom for it. I haven’t told her anything, but she probably felt it.”
“You were just a child when it happened. Please don’t blame yourself.”
A sign showed they were leaving the city limits of Rios Azules. He sped up along the highway.
“My father’s note said that he killed himself because my mother was going to leave him for another man. My mother denied that. Nobody believed her. I didn’t believe her, either. But now, after what happened to me, I know I should’ve believed her. We really shouldn’t judge other people.”
He frowned. “Julia, there’s no proof yet that your father’s death wasn’t suicide. Don’t torture yourself.”
She shivered.
“I’ll turn off the AC,” he offered.
“No. I’m not shivering because of the AC. I have a strange premonition.”
He wanted to wrap his arms around her fragile shoulders and tell her everything would be all right. But he couldn’t. “What kind of premonition, Julia?”
Maybe she was just rattled by Mrs. Gallagher’s words about Julia’s father.
“The last several days, I was attacked on a regular
basis. But nothing happened today.”
“Are you complaining?” Ivan said. But he’d noted it, too, and was on guard. He paid close attention to the rearview mirror.
“No, of course not. But… it makes me more scared. What if the next attack is the worst one of them all?”
“I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe,” he said. “No attacks today doesn’t mean one is going to happen soon. We’re going to be on the road for a while. How about you try to get some rest?”
“You’re right. After I text the Danger Girls that I left for San Antonio, I’ll see if I can get some sleep. And then I’ll drive so you can take a nap. And”—her voice warmed—“thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
“Yes, I need to thank you. Even if you help me because it’s your duty.” She gave a barely perceptible sigh.
Then she got busy with her cell phone, probably sending a group text to the Danger Girls.
Hadn’t Julia realized he protected her not only because it was his duty but because he cared about her, far more than he should? He’d protect her with his life if he needed to.
Ivan threw her a quick glance. Her eyelids were drooping. She closed her eyes, and her breathing slowed down.
He shouldn’t stare at her while driving, so he concentrated his attention on the road.
Ivan wanted to pray, to ask God for a chance to be with Julia. Ivan ached to ask for forgiveness for the failure to save his brother and his friend, for redemption, for healing.
Dear Lord, please forgive me.
The words didn’t come easily. Was Ivan even worthy of forgiveness? Was it because of Ivan’s oversight, because of him being late, that Seth had died? His own father seemed to blame him.
Maybe one day he and Julia could pray together again. Julia would know what to say. She was an amazing woman.
For several hours, Ivan gazed at the lane ahead. He drove, listening to the growl of the motor and running different versions of what had happened to Seth in his head.
“No!” Julia cried out unexpectedly, causing him to look in her direction. Her body shook violently.
