Shiny Things

by Samantha Price

The prayer was still going on and everyone else had their eyes closed and heads bowed except for Gretel and the man staring right back at her. He was heavily tanned with ice blue eyes and short dark hair. Did he know Cameron? Somehow he didn’t look like a lawyer—he looked like he spent all his time in the sun at resorts to get that tan. His suit was expensive and he had a chunky watch on his wrist, barely showing under his cuff. She had no interest in watches, but something told her this one was designer.

  She stared back at him refusing to be intimidated by the chill in his gaze.

  Did he recognize her from the newspapers?

  Or … could he be the man who was in the Welches' house that night? The one who tried to pull her off the hedge?

  He was roughly the same height and build, she remembered.

  Her blood ran cold.

  The thought of that made her break eye contact and lower her head.

  Looking back up to memorize his face, she was stunned. He was gone.

  Chapter 12

  She had to find him, and to do that she had to move away from Jack. “Excuse me,” she whispered and then took a step backward and bumped into someone. “I’m sorry,” she said to the middle-aged woman whose foot she’d stepped on. The woman gave no reply, merely scowled at her and grabbed the top of her leg.

  Gretel wove her way through the people and stood at the back of the crowd. She spotted him in the distance about to get into a car. As Gretel hurried toward him, she took out her cell phone, held it up and took a couple of snaps. He zoomed away and she ran the best she could in her five-inch heels to the road and snapped the plate number.

  Then he was gone.

  She turned around and saw the crowd dispersing and Jack marching toward her. What would she say to him about leaving so suddenly? She couldn’t tell him she had a feeling that this guy was the man she’d bumped into when she went back to rob the Welches' house.

  “Where did you go running off to?” he asked.

  “I saw someone I thought I knew from school. Then he took off fairly quickly. I’m not sure why. Did you see the man that left?”

  “No. I didn’t notice anyone leave except you. Old boyfriend was it?”

  “Of course not. You think everyone’s my boyfriend.”

  He grinned. “You can’t deny that I’ve been right fifty percent of the time.”

  “Past tense. And only one man you know of has been my ex-boyfriend—Ryan Castle.”

  “I’m going to talk with Josephine. Do you want to come along?”

  She shook her head. The woman knew her parents. “I can’t think of anything worse.”

  He blew out a deep breath as though she was frustrating him. Then he reached into his jacket pocket and took out his car keys. “Here.” He held them out to her. “Keep out of trouble.” He plonked them into the palm of her hand.

  “I’ll try.” Walking off toward his parked car, she was pleased the funeral was over. It hadn’t been too bad, as funerals went. At least she’d spent the day with Jack, which she was enjoying more and more.

  As soon as she was settled in the car, she emailed the photos of the man and the car to herself. In the description, she wrote a 'note-to-self' to find out who the man was and ID the car. Kent monitored her email and he’d see it and know what she meant. If they ever took her computer from her, there would be no emails to trace to Kent.

  Her own lawyer hadn’t recognized her, or he would’ve said hello. What if he knew something helpful about the case? She made a mental note to ask him.

  Seeing no one was anywhere near the car, she opened the glove box and looked through it. She’d half expected to see a gun, but all she found was paperwork to do with the car along with a receipt for a car service. Address? She’d always wondered where he lived but nothing there told her that information.

  To kill time, she had a better look at the photos she’d taken. It seemed a complete waste of time. She only got the back of him and one fuzzy frame of him driving away. The plate number too was out of focus. Still, if anyone could make something of it, it’d be Kent.

  Looking up, she saw Jack coming toward her talking with Josephine’s brother-in-law—the lawyer. If she didn’t know better she would’ve thought they were friends. But wasn’t he an enemy? He’d certainly stopped Josephine from answering a lot of their questions.

  The lawyer got in his car and Jack continued on toward her. As soon as he slid in beside her, she said, “Please tell me we’re not going to the wake.”

  “Free alcohol, and ritzy food? Are you going to pass it up?”

  “Yes. I’m not a drinker.”

  He smiled. “No, we’re not going. The wake is for the friends and family. I think we can give that a miss, don’t you?”

  “Most definitely.” She took off her hat.

  “Finally.” He stared at her. “Blonde suits you, but not as much as your natural dark hair.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  “I’ll take you home. You can have the rest of the day to yourself.” He looked over at her and grinned.

  Gretel was more than a little disappointed that he didn’t offer to take her out to dinner or at least coffee so they could debrief about the day’s events. They’d been getting on so well. It was a letdown.

  When she opened the door of her apartment feeling no better, she took off her wig, and tossed it and the large hat and coat on the coffee table. Then she flopped down on the couch. The day had been a complete waste. They’d learned nothing about the Welch case nor anything more about the Welch family. Although, it wouldn’t be a waste if Kent was able to ID the man who’d been staring at her.

  As far as Ryan was concerned, she didn’t see Jack doing anything to locate him. He kept saying he had people on it, but who were these people? Were there any people or was he just saying that to keep her on his side?

  As she lay there looking up at the ceiling, she remembered going to a lake cabin with Ryan one night. He’d referred to it as his parents’ lake house. It was a few hours’ drive away. He drove there in the dark and they had stayed two nights. She had no idea of the address, but she was pretty sure she could drive there.

  Gretel bolted upright. What if he was hiding-out there? She pulled up maps on Google Earth and tried to find her way by following the roads. That led her to Lake George. She’d never heard him mention the name of the place. Maybe he thought she wouldn’t remember where it was.

  She raced to a cell phone and called Kent. “Two things. Firstly, were you able to get an ID on the man or the car from today?”

  “Nope. Still working on it.”

  “The other thing is, I need you to see if anyone by the last name of Castle owns anything in Lake George.”

  “Give me one minute.” She heard him tapping keys. “Nope. Nothing.”

  She looked back at her computer screen. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  She told him the story. “I’m pretty sure I have the exact location of it on Google Earth. I’m looking at it on the computer screen now.”

  “Give me an address.”

  Gretel zoomed in closer and gave him the address.

  “That is owned by a company.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course.” He gave her the name.

  "Means nothing to me, not familiar at all."

  “I can find out who the owner or owners are.”

  “Yes please.” Then she heard him yell. “What’s wrong?”

  “Power’s just gone out. Give me a minute; my backup’s not working either on the computer or the Internet. If I can’t fix it, I’ll have to start the generator.”

  “Oh, a generator.” She thought they only had those out in the country. “Fine. Call me when—”

  She heard a loud click and then nothing.

  Now she had something tangible, but how would she get there without Jack knowing? Or better yet, take him with her. She’d talk with Jack about this first thing tomorrow.

  Chapter 13

  G
retel was still in bed the next morning when she heard the knock at the door.

  “What now?” She grabbed her robe and answered the door while she was still tying it in the middle.

  It was Jack. She kind of thought it might be.

  He looked her up and down. “Did I wake you?”

  “I was awake.”

  He breezed through the open door as if he owned the place.

  “What time is it?”

  “Seven.”

  “Seven!”

  “Yes. I got a call last night from Doug Greeves. He wants to tell us something.”

  She rubbed her head, still fuzzy-brained and in much need of coffee. “Remind me who he is again?”

  “The lawyer partner of Glen Welch. He’ll be at my office at 7:45.”

  She couldn’t recall him at all. “7:45? That’s a very precise time.”

  “He has to work after he talks with us. He’s got a lot on his plate now that his partner has gone. He tells me people are leaving his firm left and right.”

  “How much time do I have before we have to leave?”

  “You get dressed, I’ll make you a cup of coffee.”

  “I’ll try to hurry.” She half turned to go to and then heard him making clanging sounds near her coffee machine. “Do you even know what you’re doing?”

  “Of course. I can make a cup of coffee. I made you one before.”

  “I usually don’t wake up before nine.” She hoped he’d make a note of that.

  He folded his arms across his chest. “What time did you wake up when you were incarcerated?”

  She got his point and it wasn’t just his words. It was the way his deep hazel eyes bore through her. The last thing she wanted was to end up back in the prison-orange jumpsuit. “Give me five minutes.”

  She headed to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Then she remembered about finding Ryan Castle’s lake house. She’d find the right moment and tell Jack about it. Now, while he was focused on Doug Greeves, it wasn’t the right time. She pulled on the first clothes she could find, a simple navy-blue dress with a high neck, short sleeves, and a hemline that ended just above the knees. After she ran a brush through her hair, she applied a lick of makeup. She pushed her feet into sandals and then opened the door. “I’m ready.” She had expected to see him in the kitchen with coffee, but he was sitting on the couch. “I’m ready except I do need my coffee.”

  “We can grab some on the way.”

  What had he been doing all that time? “What happened to you making coffee for me?”

  “I thought it’d take too much time. Easier to get some on the way.”

  Had he been searching her apartment? She saw her laptop computer on the coffee table. Had he looked in it? There wasn’t really anything interesting to see, so that was no real concern. Valuables were hidden in her apartment, but if an official search of her apartment had turned up with zero, she was sure he wouldn’t find anything.

  She closed the door behind them and headed out of the building with him.

  “Did you have someone in your apartment just now?” he asked suddenly.

  “No, why?”

  “I’m sorry, I just barged in without a second thought.”

  “It’s fine. No one was there. I don’t have many friends.”

  He frowned at her. “You’re acting a little odd. I thought you were worried I’d seen something I shouldn’t see.”

  That statement made her uneasy. He must’ve known she was hiding things, not a person. She laughed to cover up. “It’s too early in the morning without coffee and all that. I didn’t mean to seem strange, or odd or whatever you said. I guess I am a little different when I’m not allowed to take my time waking from a deep sleep.”

  He chuckled. “Sorry about that.”

  After he parked his car near his office, he bought her a take-out coffee. While they were going up in the elevator to his office, she asked, “Do you have any idea what this man is going to say?”

  “None. I have no idea, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be interesting.”

  “Can’t wait.” She took a cautious sip of her coffee. "Mmm, good. Hot."

  As soon as they got out of the elevator, someone met them and told them in which room Doug Greeves was waiting.

  “You can come in the room too,” Jack told her in a way that was a command.

  Gretel nodded in agreement. Doug wouldn’t know who she was, she hoped. She certainly didn’t know him.

  When they walked into the room, Gretel stopped and stared. Was this the man with the ice-blue eyes, the guy from the funeral? When she got closer, she saw that it wasn’t.

  Jack introduced Gretel as his associate, and then they both sat in front of Doug.

  “What is it you have to tell us?” Jack asked.

  “I suppose by now you know that Glen Welch’s firm is in financial difficulties.”

  “Yes I did hear that. Mind you, I was quite surprised,” Jack commented.

  “His death hasn’t helped us. We're losing more clients. No one wants to be associated with us now, it seems.”

  “Sorry to hear it.” Jack waited for him to say more. The silence continued longer than was comfortable before Doug uttered his next words.

  “The bright light is the insurance money he left to the firm in the event of his death. That will pay off our debts, and we can close our doors solvent. It’ll be hard for us to walk away, but I think it’s best all the partners go their separate ways. Anyway, all that aside, what I need to tell you is that Josephine approached me in a confidential capacity to inquire about a divorce.”

  “That is interesting.”

  Gretel asked, “Do you know why she asked you and not another lawyer, one that wasn’t connected with her husband or the firm?”

  “Because we were friends.”

  Jack raised his eyebrows. “Friends?”

  “No, not like that. Genuine friends.”

  “What did she say exactly?” Jack asked.

  “She just … she just asked me what she’d get out of it. She knew the firm was in financial trouble and her husband wouldn’t stop spending. I had to tell her half of nothing was nothing. She’d probably end up in debt and might have to bankrupt herself. As we all would unless …”

  “Unless?”

  “Unless he died first.” He looked at Jack. "Before she filed for divorce."

  “We’re in touch daily with the insurance company and if there’s been any wrongdoing there won’t be a payout. Naturally they’re holding off until the investigation is complete.”

  “I know. You see, Josephine is in a good solid financial situation thanks to his death, and all this for a woman who was considering divorce.” He stared at Jack as though driving his point home.

  “I get what you’re saying.”

  Gretel imagined Doug Greeves in a court of law. He was good, but definitely not subtle.

  “So you’re telling me—all things considered—Josephine makes a pretty good suspect.”

  Doug nodded.

  “I’m sorry, but didn’t you say you were a good friend of Josephine’s? It’s surprising that you’re not keeping quiet.”

  “I take the law seriously.” His mouth turned down at the corners and he looked at Jack before he continued, “I can’t say whether she knew about the firm’s financial problems. I doubt Glen would’ve told her. He was a high flyer, too used to splashing money around. Me, I’m more careful. I didn’t come from money and I know what it is to live without it. I’m not so reckless. All that said, I did my best to convince Josephine to stay with Glen. She thanked me for my thoughts and I never heard anything, but now he’s been killed and I have to wonder.”

  “What is it you’re wondering?” Jack asked.

  “I don’t want to point the finger, but Glen’s death solves a lot of problems for Josephine.” He sat back and his mouth twitched with a self-satisfied smirk.

  “She’s not the only one who benefited as you just pointed out,” Jack told him.
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  “That’s true, but without Glen, we don’t have a firm. I wouldn’t have wanted him gone. There’s no point continuing the firm. Without him we’re just another law firm.”

  “The money has cleared your debts.”

  “Yes. Yes, it has done that.”

  “You think she killed him for the money?” Jack asked point-blank.

  “I’d rather not say what I think. I just wanted you to know that she was considering divorce.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got a nine o’clock.”

  “Thanks for coming in.” The two men stood and shook hands. When Gretel stood, she didn’t offer her hand and he gave her a nod before he walked away.

  When he was at the door, Jack said, “Just a minute.”

  He turned around.

  “Where did the conversation take place regarding her asking about divorce?”

  “At some fundraiser or other. I can’t tell you the date or exactly where the conversation took place. It was months ago. Maybe as much as six months ago.”

  “Is there anything else you can tell us?”

  “No, that’s all.”

  “And did you want out as well? Did you want out of the firm?”

  “Never. And he was my friend. That’s why I encouraged Josephine to stay with him. That’s what he would’ve wanted. He spent money to keep her happy. That was his focus.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “I really should go.”

  “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It’s helpful to know she was considering getting out of the marriage. We’re working with the insurance assessors to get to the truth of the matter.”

  “Good.”

  As soon as he left, Gretel stared at Jack. “With friends like him, who needs enemies, right? Why did he tell us all that about Josephine, even if it’s true? And how do we know it is true? I’m guessing you asked him about where the conversation took place because you could try to get some surveillance of her going into his office or them meeting somewhere. Convenient he doesn’t remember where or when.”

  “Yes, but she’s not likely to make an appointment with him at the same law firm as her husband. She might’ve been better served to talk to an outside law firm. It doesn’t ring true and if he was that good of a friend to Glen, what was to stop him telling Glen his wife was so unhappy?”