by Mary Ellis
‘What happened next, Kate?’
‘He drove away and left me standing on the sidewalk.’
‘Weren’t you scared then?’
‘Maybe a little. I was afraid he would tell Mom. But then he’d get in trouble too.’
‘Were you wondering how to get home?’
‘No. I knew he’d come back once he cooled off.’
‘Did you wait in that spot?’
‘No. I saw his truck stuck behind a red light. So I ran after him and hid behind a telephone pole.’
‘Very smart. Could you keep up with him when the light turned green?’
Kate nodded. ‘Yes. I run fast. He only went three more blocks.’
‘Tell me the rest of the story,’ Faraday prodded. ‘Did Liam see you behind the pole and blow his stack again?’
A negative head-shake. ‘He parked by the curb and walked over to his pals. They were in the street, yelling at each other.’
‘What are his friends’ names?’
A shrug. ‘Don’t know. Liam never told me.’
‘Look around, Kate. What do you see?’
‘Bunch of dark buildings. No lights on.’
‘Are these shops or houses that people live in?’
Another shrug. ‘Just dark buildings.’
‘What else do you see?’
‘A shiny black van and a red car. A car accident. The black van has blinkers on and the front of the red car is smashed.’ Kate’s agitation escalated.
‘Take a deep breath and calm down. You’re perfectly safe with me. Can you hear what the loud voices are saying?’
‘No.’
‘Why are Liam’s friends in the street?’
‘They’re looking at something on the ground.’
‘What’s on the ground?’
‘I don’t know. It’s dark.’
‘If there are sidewalks, there must be streetlights. Remember, nothing from the past can hurt you. Please look at what’s lying in the street.’
‘It’s a man in a white shirt. He’s not moving.’
‘What did Liam do when he walked up to his friends in the middle of the street?’
‘He started yelling too.’
‘Then what happened?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Try to remember, Kate. What happened next?’
Her agitation reached a critical threshold. ‘Don’t know,’ she cried. ‘I ran away. I want to stop.’
‘Listen to the sound of my voice, Kate, as I count backwards from five. We’re coming up the steps two at a time. Four. You’re feeling safe and warm. Three. As we approach the top of the stairs we waken from our slumber. Two. You feel the warm sun on your face from my office window. One. You are fully awake in my office at Sweet Dreams Bed and Breakfast.’
When Kate awoke she stumbled off the couch into the arms of Mrs Faraday. Tears were streaming down her face.
‘Everything is fine, Kate. You’re in my office in Gulf Breeze and the sun is shining. Let’s go to the window so you can see for yourself.’
Kate sucked air into her aching lungs. ‘Liam didn’t shoot that man. That man was already lying in the street when Liam got there.’ She pressed her fingertips to her eyes and then staggered to where she’d left her purse. ‘Here’s your check, Mrs Faraday. Thanks.’ She thrust the check at the woman.
‘We still have more time. Don’t you wish to continue?’
‘No. I want to get out of here.’ Kate started for the door on shaky legs.
‘Wait, here’s an audio copy of our session. You can download to your computer and listen at your convenience.’ Faraday had to chase Kate down the hallway to give her the audio. ‘Call me if you need a second appointment.’
Kate grabbed the memory stick and bolted out the front door of the bed and breakfast, startling the tourists eating breakfast on the porch. Once inside her car, she pounded the steering wheel. Liam didn’t shoot anyone. He wasn’t even there when the guard was shot. So why did he confess? became her new, million-dollar question.
With visiting at the prison not until Saturday, Kate headed to the only other person in the world who could shed light on that day – her foster mother, hoping all the way there that she still lived at the same address.
FIVE
Kate had wanted to leave their hotel suite as quietly as possible, but her eagle-eyed roommate curtailed her well-laid plans.
Beth cornered Kate in the kitchen. ‘Where are you off to so early two mornings in a row?’
‘For normal people, nine o’clock isn’t remotely early. And I’m on my way to see Detective Julian Buckley. He said he’d be in his office all morning. But after your little stunt on the Dancing Fool, he doesn’t want to see you.’
‘You weren’t even going to tell me?’
‘I thought I’d let you sleep in and text you later.’ Kate pulled out the cereal and a bowl.
With hands on hips, Beth blocked her path to the refrigerator. ‘What part of “you could be in danger” do you not understand?’
Kate began eating her cereal dry. ‘I have my firearm, which I’ll lock in my trunk when I get to the Sheriff’s Department. Nobody will jump in my car between here and there.’
‘You don’t know that. Now sit down and eat like a civilized person.’ Beth took the milk from the fridge. ‘Before you leave I want to hear about the visit to your foster mother. Last night, you only talked about the hypnotist appointment before falling dead asleep. Frankly, I don’t know why I couldn’t come along. Your mom hasn’t taken out a restraining order against me.’
Kate sat and poured milk over her cereal. ‘Next time you can come. Since Dolores and I have been out of touch, I didn’t know how she would react. Or if I’d even find her.’
‘Why haven’t you kept in contact? Not even Christmas or birthday cards?’ Beth poured herself a bowl of cereal.
Kate pushed the milk across the counter. ‘I’m not good with cards and letters. And Dolores has taken in so many foster kids over the years she can’t stay in touch with all of them.’
‘So, how did the visit go? Did she remember you?’
‘She not only remembered, she gave me a big hug. They still live in the same house, but since I moved out, her husband added two more bedrooms and another bath. Now they can accommodate six kids. Plus, they hired a tutor for three afternoons per week.’
‘Dolores must have tons of patience.’
‘She does. I took her and two of her kids to lunch. Everyone seems happy.’
‘Except that you don’t sound happy.’
Beth … always picking up subtle nuances. ‘As much as I enjoyed the walk down memory lane, Mom wasn’t much help with the night Liam got into trouble. She never knew I sneaked out and hid in Liam’s truck. I got back before she came home from work—’
‘You walked all the way from downtown Pensacola?’ Beth interrupted.
‘Hitchhiked. I tried to wait up for Liam but I fell asleep. When I woke up, Mom was making breakfast and we found out later Liam had been arrested. Dolores never knew the name of his cronies, so she wasn’t much help with my missing pieces.’ Kate finished eating and drank the milk from the bowl. ‘But it was really nice seeing her again. Okay, that’s the story. I’m off to see that detective.’
‘Hang on there, missy. I’m coming too, even if you make me sit in the car.’
Kate turned on her heel. ‘That’s ridiculous. Why don’t you stay here and swim? Just think how much scheming you and Eric can do behind my back.’
‘First of all, it’s raining. Secondly, the boss isn’t covering my expenses just so I can work on my tan. Nate is worried about you. We all are. Someone tried to kill your boyfriend in Charleston.’
Kate stared at her. Nate was paying for Beth’s expenses? ‘I want you to listen very carefully. Eric is not my boyfriend. And nobody tried to kill him. They were trying to send me a message. That’s why you, Michael, Nate, and Eric should stay away from me.’
‘Eric is busy looking at r
estaurants, while I’m supposed to be on my final fling as a single woman. So that means I’m coming too.’ The volume of Beth’s voice increased dramatically as she strapped on her shoulder holster, covering it with a lightweight sweater.
‘Fine, but you’re staying in the parking lot. Nothing will happen inside the sheriff’s department.’
Life with a personal bodyguard was downright complicated. Now Kate knew how the British monarchy and TV reality stars felt. At the station, she gave her name at the desk and waited on a folding chair for ninety minutes for Detective Buckley to finally appear.
‘Good morning, Miss Weller. I hope this won’t take long. I need to be somewhere by eleven.’
‘I’ll be brief. Thanks for making time.’ Kate followed him to a small conference room.
‘Please have a seat. You said you had information for me.’ Buckley straightened his tie.
‘I do, but I’m hoping for quid pro quo regarding information.’
Buckley’s brows drew together over the bridge of his nose. ‘That depends on what you have.’
‘For starters, Mrs Westin and her daughter didn’t get along. Mrs Westin had threatened several times to write Lainey out of her will.’
He huffed out a breath. ‘Anyone who spends five minutes with Lainey finds out there was no love lost between those two. Hopefully you didn’t drive all the way to Milton to tell me that.’
Kate smiled. ‘No, sir, that’s just my opener. I also talked with Robert and Kim Westin. Robert and Agnes’s divorce was especially hostile. Agnes hated the new Mrs Westin, even though Kim had nothing to do with the divorce. Plus, Robert hated Agnes for turning Lainey against him.’
Buckley sighed. ‘Truly one big made-for-television mess. What else?’
‘Mrs Westin asked the judge to spread out the divorce settlement over twenty years, even though she could afford to pay Robert his share. And the judge agreed.’
‘Some women know how to make a man miserable long after a split.’ He glanced at his watch.
‘That particular clause in the divorce settlement bothered wife-number-two more than it did Robert. He insisted he doesn’t need the money and is quite content with his life. Kim, however, dreams of a villa in France. And I saved the best part for last.’ Kate paused to up the drama. ‘Upon Mrs Westin’s death, Robert’s settlement must be paid in full from her estate.’ Kate waited until the cop met her gaze, then wiggled her eyebrows.
‘Well, well, Miss Weller. Not bad.’ Buckley leaned forward in his chair. ‘What would you like to know?’
‘Tell me about the handgun found on the boat.’
‘It hadn’t been fired recently, so definitely not the murder weapon.’
‘Had Agnes been shot with a different gun?’
‘The medical examiner hasn’t finished the autopsy yet, but I saw no gunshot wounds, no signs of blunt-force trauma, and no indication of strangulation. So what supposition would you make?’
Kate didn’t answer immediately. ‘I’m betting against drug overdose or suicide. So most likely Mrs Westin ingested something that proved fatal, either accidentally or by someone else’s hand. As in murder,’ she added needlessly.
‘Look at you … drawing conclusions like the big dogs.’ Buckley laughed.
‘Thanks, I think.’ Kate felt color flood into her cheeks. ‘I wonder if Mrs Westin was allergic to anything.’
‘No medic-alert medallion around her neck or wrist, so it looks like you have work to do.’
‘What about fingerprints on the boat?’
‘Tons of them, mostly the victim’s, the captain’s, and members of the crew.’
‘Were any of them Robert Westin’s?’
‘Maybe, I’ll know soon enough.’ Buckley glanced at his watch a second time. ‘I’ll throw you one more bone, Miss PI. Three wine glasses were found at the scene with three different sets of prints. One set belonged to the victim, but the other two aren’t in the system. Two of the wine glasses had lipstick, one glass did not.’
‘So one of the unknown sets belongs to a female,’ Kate mused.
‘Your time is up, Miss Weller. I gotta go.’ Buckley jumped up and headed for the door.
Kate followed close to his heels. ‘If I bring you DNA samples of possible suspects, could you check them against the lipstick?’
The detective turned on a dime. ‘What good would that do me? You’re not a cop. Without a proper chain of evidence, anything we uncover wouldn’t be admissible in court.’
‘True, but it could point you in the right direction and save valuable time.’
Buckley kept walking, right out of the station house. ‘If ordinary citizens wish to help the police,’ he said over his shoulder, ‘who am I to say no? Just don’t interfere with my investigation.’
‘You have my word.’ Kate practically skipped to her car. She found Beth filing her nails in the passenger seat with the windows rolled down.
‘Good news, I take it?’ Beth asked.
‘Not yet, but it will be as soon as we pay the lovely Kim Westin a second visit.’
‘We can’t now. I’m starving and buying lunch, remember? Then I need to get back to the hotel. Something has run off-track for our wedding.’
Kate lifted an eyebrow. ‘What ran off-track?’
‘Something with the caterer. Michael texted while you were inside. He said I should check my email and then call him.’
‘Check from your phone on the way to Gulf Breeze.’
‘No, he sent photos to my work email. Let’s go see Kim tomorrow. She’s probably out shopping anyway.’
Kate argued with Beth the entire time they sat in the drive-thru lane and halfway back to the hotel. But soon the true reason for Beth’s excuses became clear. Eric Manfredi was waiting for them in the lobby, looking like a million bucks as usual.
Beth certainly had plenty of time for scheming behind her back.
‘Good afternoon, ladies,’ Eric drawled, exaggerating his low-country accent. ‘You both look exceptionally pretty today.’
Beth grinned like a beauty pageant contestant. ‘Thanks, Eric. You look downright presentable yourself.’
‘What a surprise seeing you so soon, Mr Manfredi,’ Kate said wryly. ‘What can we do for you?’
‘I was wondering if you two could look at properties with me in Gulf Breeze and out by the National Seashore. I’ve exhausted the possibilities in Pensacola in terms of restaurants for sale, and I don’t want to build from the ground up. Lunch will be my treat.’
Kate answered for both of them. ‘Sorry, but we just ate lunch. Beth got hungry early. And now I’ve got work to do.’
‘Then let me buy dinner tonight, somewhere along the ocean. Please?’ he begged, peering from one to the other. ‘I could really use another perspective. Maybe I’m being too picky with the places I’ve rejected.’
‘I would love to join you,’ said Beth. ‘But I’ve got wedding problems. Apparently the caterer is balking at gluten-free selections on the buffet, after several guests indicated “no gluten” on their RSVP cards. Gluten free – what nonsense!’
‘It’s not nonsense,’ said Kate. ‘Plenty of Americans have developed gluten sensitivity or full-blown celiac disease.’
Beth put her arm around Kate’s shoulder. ‘You’re absolutely right. So while I explain this to my boorish caterer, you can go with Eric and provide some objectivity. I promise we’ll call on Kim Westin tomorrow, early, before she runs off somewhere.’ She hurried toward the elevator.
‘Beth just played me like a hand of poker.’ Kate peered up at him. ‘Looks like I’m your voice of reason.’
Eric tried not to laugh. ‘It’s my good fortune, since you’re far more reasonable than Beth. She’d talk me into a houseboat for a floating Italian trattoria. Do you need to get some work done first? I can wait.’
‘No. If I go upstairs something bad might happen to Beth. And I don’t need Michael after me too.’
Eric held the door as they walked out into the humid afte
rnoon. ‘Why don’t I drive? You haven’t seen my new set of wheels.’ He pointed at a shiny Expedition in the back row of the parking lot, the sight of his old car exploding into a fireball of shattered glass and twisted metal a distant memory.
Kate stared where he pointed. ‘I see you went with red this time. I love the high-metallic shine. Did you have any trouble with the police or your insurance agent?’
‘Some trouble with the police. They couldn’t believe I had no clue who rigged the bomb. But finally they took my word for it. The insurance adjuster declared the vehicle a total loss due to an explosion of undetermined origin. I had the replacement check within a week.’
She met his eye when he opened her door. ‘Aren’t you worried about me in your new car? I still don’t know who’s targeting me.’
‘Not worried a bit.’ He climbed in beside her. ‘I’m happy you’re willing to look at real estate.’
‘Not worried, my foot. I noticed that you started the engine while still twenty feet away.’ Kate buckled her seatbelt. ‘Where are these for-sale restaurants?’
Eric pulled onto the side street. ‘Two locations are in Gulf Breeze along the Parkway, but I don’t have much hope for either. One is a sandwich/ice-cream shop that’s bound to be too small with limited parking. The other, according to their defunct website, won’t be much bigger. After we check out those, we’ll take the toll bridge over to Pensacola Beach. I was surprised how many restaurants are along the coast. I was picturing the Gulf Islands National Seashore as a pristine wilderness for backpackers and birdwatchers.’
‘The barrier islands might protect the rest of Florida, but tourists love to eat, as do the local folk. I’ve been to the beach lots of times but, by the end of this case, I should know Gulf Breeze like the back of my hand too.’ Kate smiled.
It was the first one he’d seen in a long time. Eric sat back and relaxed, heading off the mainland in no particular hurry. The longer it took them to drive by every restaurant in the area, the happier he would be. In the meantime, he kept Kate talking about events that had transpired since their break-up in Charleston. Although he often had to prod her with specific questions, eventually he heard about her first visit to her brother in sixteen years, along with details on her current PI case.
