She moved closer to one painting. The crazy price tag had her slipping her hands into her pockets. You break it, you bought it ran through her mind. She’d have to sell her soul to buy one of these.
“The quality of work and price coincide. At least these do.” Logan said, coming to stand next to her. “This one is pretty.”
She nodded. The white and black lines crossed with shadows of grey. It was imperfect, like coloring outside the lines. It reminded her of herself. “It’s perfect.”
“You like art?” Logan asked.
She shook her head. “No, not art, but this…this is talking to me.”
“I see hope in it.”
“That’s one way to look at it. I’m not an art connoisseur, but I’m sure you are.”
He glanced at her and smiled. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Ryley St. James, but nothing a date wouldn’t fix once you agree to go out with me.”
The sharp click of heels on tile indicated someone was headed their way. When the woman stepped into view, Logan turned with a sexy smile plastered on his face.
The tall brunette wore wearing five-inch stilettos, adding height that made Ryley feel like she had to crane her neck. Her hair was styled in a low chignon. The skirt was snug and hit mid-thigh, showing off her mile-long toned legs. Jewels around her neck looked like the real deal. If Ryley owned them, they would probably pay for over a year’s worth of rent, maybe two.
The woman smiled and extended her hand. “Welcome to Creative Juices. I’m Melinda Johns.”
Logan shook her hand. “I’m Logan Bane, and this is Ryley St. James.”
“I noticed you were looking at Dawn. It’s a fabulous piece that represents the transition from day to night. We have more by this artist, unless you’re searching for a different art style? We have several types on display.”
“Actually, I’m a Private Investigator, and Ryley is my associate. We were hoping to ask you a few questions about Kitty Lynch.”
Melinda’s smile tightened a smidge. “I hope you’re looking into her death. No way do I believe Kitty committed suicide. Let’s take this conversation to my office. I’d be glad to help in any way I can.”
Ryley and Logan shared a look as they followed Melinda through the building. Melinda smiled at another associate helping a customer dressed in an expensive suit. She paused at the door with her name on it. She gestured them inside.
Ryley and Logan sat in the chairs opposite the desk while Melinda shut the door. Art decorated much of the wall space. The computer monitor was the size of a television. The pen holder and stuff on her desk looked like crystal and onyx. Even the pens looked like something found in a designer store. The knickknacks in Melinda’s office probably cost more than Ryley’s car.
“So, you don’t believe Kitty committed suicide,” Logan asked, pulling Ryley’s attention away from all the shiny stuff.
“No, I don’t,” Melinda said adamantly.
“Was there anything off about her in the days leading up to her death?” Ryley asked.
“Off?” Melinda frowned. “No. Her life was getting back on track. You see, Kitty may have appeared to be well put together, but most people don’t know that her personal life was a mess.”
“Her cheating?” Ryley asked, not wanting to waste any more time.
Melinda scowled. “You know about that?”
“Yes, and we talked to Jim Cantina. He suggested that she might have been having issues at work. He claimed she’d turned moodier and was arguing about everything.”
“That’s true, but that’s to be expected,” Melinda said.
“Why is that to be expected?” Logan asked.
“She quit smoking. She quit drinking. She stopped all of her vices cold turkey at once.”
“That would make me moody,” Logan offered, glancing at Ryley with a smile.
“That’s extreme to do all at once. Was she trying for a more Zen lifestyle? Or was there a different reason to warrant such a change?”
Melinda threw herself back in her chair and crossed her legs. “They didn’t tell you?”
“Who didn’t tell us what?” Logan asked.
“They both had to have known. I know for a fact Jim Cantina knew. I was in her office when she was on the phone and told him.”
“Told him what?” Ryley asked.
“She was leaving her husband.”
“We know that she’d wanted to, but Mr. Cantina didn’t want a serious relationship,” Ryley said.
“She was leaving her husband because she was pregnant.”
“With Jim’s baby?” Logan asked.
“Yes. She and her husband had been living separate lives for over two years. He was having affairs, and so was she. She just never had a reason to leave until she got pregnant.”
“How come no one told us?” Ryley asked.
“I haven’t seen the medical examiner’s report. Have you?” Logan asked.
Ryley shook her head. “Nope, but I’ll be sure to ask for it.”
“Jim Cantina suggested that she’d wanted a more serious relationship, and he didn’t want one. He claims he broke things off, and that he had no reason to kill her,” Logan said.
“He didn’t break up with her. She broke up with him. He was a bad influence and generous with her money. She caught him cheating, too. The baby was her fresh start. I helped her find an apartment and get it furnished. She was ready to leave her husband and take Phillip with her.”
“Did she ever tell her husband her plan?” Logan tipped his head. “I have to admit if I’d been her husband, that might be enough to push me over the edge if she threatened to take my kid, divorce me, and get alimony.”
Melinda shook her head and sat straighter. “You don’t understand their dynamics. They both had money and were independently wealthy. The only reason they stayed together was for Phillip.”
“The kid they sent off to boarding school,” Ryley whispered.
“The day she died was her first appointment with Dr. Linzmeyer. That was going to be her first ultrasound. She’d been happier than I’d ever seen her.”
“Maybe Christopher Lynch found out, and in a fit of rage, he killed her.”
“I highly doubt Christopher Lynch is capable of that much passion. If he’d shown Kitty any, she might not have ventured elsewhere. You know, both Jim and Christopher called her the day of her appointment. I think she had plans to see them both that day.”
“Are her things still at her new apartment?”
“Yes. I’d been debating on what to tell Christopher. I wasn’t sure how much he knew.”
“Can we see it?”
She glanced between them both. “I don’t know you two at all except that you’re trying to find answers to Kitty’s death. She has some expensive items in her apartment. I’d rather give the key to Christopher or the cops.”
“We understand, and you’re right, you don’t know us,” Ryley said and rose from her seat. “I’ll have Detective Jake Crews stop by and show you his badge to give him the key. That’s smart, not taking any undue chances. Thank you for your time.”
Ryley and Logan left the office and walked through the studio.
“Sounds like they both had a motive,” Logan said.
“We need to get into that apartment to see if she left anything behind. And even though they both had a motive, only one of them lied to me.”
“Aren’t you curious about how her appointment went?” Logan wiggled his brows.
“The doctor isn’t going to tell us anything,” Ryley said.
“Not us, but you can go with Crews. He can flash his shiny badge,” Logan offered.
Ryley pulled Logan to a stop just outside the building. “Last night, Crews was calling to tell on me, and today there’s disdain in your voice. Your bromance is giving me whiplash.”
“We currently share the same goal. We need to keep you safe, even if it's for different reasons.”
“Right. He needs me to get rid of the ghost,
and my brother is paying you.”
“I told you, I would have done it for free.” Logan glanced around the parking lot and frowned. “It’s better if you’re with him or me for the time being.”
“What time being?” Ryley asked.
“Until your bodyguard shows up.”
“I’m going to kill Tucker,” Ryley said, yanking the car door open and climbing in.
Chapter 36
Ryley dropped Logan off and pulled up outside of Jake Crews brick style home. His mother’s car was parked in the driveway next to Jake’s SUV. The thick green grass had recently been cut. The bushes in the front of the house were equally trimmed across the top. She got out of the car.
Kids’ laughter carried on the wind from a house two doors down. Bikes were lying discarded in the yard and on the sidewalks. In the other direction, a man was washing his car while his wife watered azaleas in her garden. Ryley had always dreamt of growing up in a place like this, surrounded by people like these. The American dream, as her mother would call it. In Ryley’s version, she’d be married with kids along with a dog. Some of her dreams were already coming true, yet she hadn’t met Ringwald. She was a bad dog owner, not even calling to check in on him. Or was the dog a her? She made a mental note to buy a steak for the dog that had lost his master.
Her phone rang, and she answered without checking the caller ID.
“Yeah,” she answered.
“Ms. St. James. This is Frank Delgado. We met in the diner.”
“The land developer, right?” she said, turning her back on the front door. “How exactly did you get my cell number, Mr. Delgado?”
“I’m sure it took a lot of effort on the part of my secretary. The first two numbers she gave me were disconnected.”
She wasn’t about to explain why. “What do you want, Mr. Delgado?”
“Please call me, Frank. I just wanted to assure you that I had nothing to do with the news article. I was just as shocked as you were by Mr. Wilson's actions.”
He had no clue the damage that Felix had caused. “Well, Frank, I’m still not selling the land, and after that little stunt Felix pulled, it’ll be a cold day in hell before he ever gets his hands on the property.”
“I see. I’m sorry to hear that, but thank you for your time, Ryley. You didn’t deserve the news article, and I wish you the best,” Frank said.
“Thanks, Frank. I appreciate that.
The opening door had her spinning around. “Listen, I appreciate the call, but I’ve got to go.”
“Enjoy your evening, Ryley.”
“Thanks. You too,” she answered and hung up.
Jake stepped out on the porch. “It looks like you survived the night.”
“You have a big mouth, Detective.” Ryley popped her car trunk. The scent of sage drifted to her nose. She hefted the bag over her shoulder. Crews was drinking coffee and dressed for work. He smiled at her as she approached.
“You can be mad all you want. You’re still alive.” Jake grinned.
“Where’s your mom?” Ryley asked, trying to step around him.
He moved and blocked her path. “I needed you to be okay. You’re the only psychic my mother trusts.”
She sighed and stared up at him. “You can make it up to me.”
“Yeah, and how’s that?” he asked.
“I need you to flash your badge and go check out a place with me after I get your mom situated.”
He stepped out of the way. “That’s very level headed of you.”
She glanced over her shoulder and grinned, “Kitty had an apartment no one knows about. She was leaving her husband, and she was pregnant.”
The look on Crews’s face was worth blurting out what she’d already uncovered that the cops hadn’t yet found. “Where did you hear that?”
She smirked. “The question you should be asking is why hasn’t the ME put it in his report.” The detectives probably still thought it was a suicide, and she was building a case that would destroy their easy out. Ryley no longer believed that, and she would prove it.
“Nice digs,” Stretch said, appearing beside Ryley. “I never had anything this nice. But I wouldn’t go in there.” Before Ryley could ask why, Stretch dematerialized.
Ryley raised a brow but didn’t have time to answer when Jake beckoned her into the house. “Mom is out on the patio drinking her tea.”
The faint scent of tobacco was there and then gone in a split second. “Okay, I have to ask. Do you smoke cigars? I smelled it at your mother’s house, and I just got a faint sniff of it here.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Never smoked cigars.”
“What about a deceased relative? Any of them smoke?”
“My grandfather had a cigar every night with two fingers of bourbon.”
“That explains it.”
Most people weren’t appreciative of the stench that comes from burning white sage. To some people, it smelled of incense, and for others, they associated it with the smell of pot. To Ryley, it smelled like safety.
The hardwood floors gleamed in the sunlight coming in through the windows, giving Ryley a glimpse of Rosalind on the back patio. She wasn’t dressed in one of her perfect suits. Her hair rested in waves down to her shoulders. This was the relaxed version of the psychiatrist never shown to patients.
Jake opened the French doors and followed Ryley outside.
Rosalind turned and smiled. A black and blue smudge was visible beneath her makeup. A small cut was on her cheek and her lip.
“Oh my,” Ryley dropped her bag on the table. “I hope the other person looks worse?”
“I have no idea how the other person looks. Please have a seat.” Rosalind turned her gaze to her son. “Can you give us a few minutes, please?”
He met Ryley’s gaze with an edge of concern. “I’ll be right inside if you need me, Mom.”
“Thanks, honey.” Rosalind touched her cheek and winced where the bruise was forming. “I fell down my porch stairs.”
“The way your son tells it, you were shoved off the stairs, and the video showed you fighting an invisible enemy
Rosalind blushed. “I was on the phone with Christopher giving him a suggestion for a psychiatrist for Phillip and finalizing our dinner plans when I felt the pressure on my back. Not hands per se, but there was a pressure behind it. Next thing I know, I was flying down the stairs. And then it felt like I was being attacked. Had I not been on the phone, I might have died, but Christopher arrived seconds before an ambulance.”
Anger stirred in Ryley’s gut. Kitty wasn’t just trying to frighten her anymore. She was trying to kill her. It didn’t make sense, not knowing what Ryley knew now. Kitty was pregnant. She was leaving her husband and her lover. Why in the world was she taking this rage out on Rosalind?
“Does she blame you for the breakup of her marriage?”
“We never discussed it. I wasn’t even aware she knew.” Rosalind turned a slight pink. “Christopher and I fell in love. Neither of us set out to hurt Kitty.”
“What?” Jake said from the doorway. A look of disappointment settled on his face. “You were having an affair with her husband? Mother, do you even realize what this means? You’re going to be a suspect if they deem it a homicide, and if people find out, you’ll lose everything. Your reputation, not to mention your clients and probably your license. Why would you do that?”
“And that’s my cue,” Ryley said, standing from her seat. She grabbed her bag before resting her hand on Rosalind’s shoulder. “I’m going to go sage. I already did your house, so maybe it’s better if you cancel your appointments for a few days.”
Rosalind patted Ryley’s hand even though she was staring at her son. “Thanks for your help, Ryley.”
Ryley slid her hand free and stepped in front of Jake. “Can I see you inside for a minute to explain what I’m about to do, then you and your mom can talk while I’m doing my work.”
Jake’s shoulders were deflated as if he couldn’t understand his mo
m’s choice. Why would she make such a mistake? Ryley realized the bleak expression on his face was an indication he’d lost respect for his mother. He trudged after Ryley and shut the door behind him.
“She’s a grown woman, Jake. Respect that. What I’ve already uncovered was that both Christopher and Kitty were miserable. Kitty’s affair started long before your mom started seeing Christopher. Go easy on her. She’s dealing with a lot.”
“I don’t need you to tell me how to handle my mother,” Jake growled.
She shrugged in the face of his glare. “No, but I will tell you that this ghost wants her dead, so if the last thing you want your mother to remember is that she had a fight with her grown-ass son, then be my guest. I’m about to go stink up your house and drive whatever spirits are here out, and then I’m going to salt your property before you take me to get the key so we can clear your mother’s name and find out who really killed Kitty Lynch.”
“You don’t think it was suicide.”
She wished it was. It would be so much easier. But there was too much anger from this spirit. She didn’t want to depart. Unfinished business like this almost always took a bad turn before she could fix it. That fact had her worrying as much about this situation as she was about her father stalking her. She didn’t have a clue which shoe would drop or when.
She shook her head. “I’m certain it wasn’t. So if you want to help me keep your mom out of jail, I’d appreciate it.”
Ryley didn’t wait around for his reply. She dropped her bag on the kitchen counter and rooted around for her bundle of sage and a lighter.
She walked down the hall to the last room and stepped inside. The master bedroom was larger than the rest. The bedspread was still crumpled and unmade. A pair of jeans lay over the chair in the corner. She inhaled the scent of his clean, fresh aftershave—a smell that wasn’t about to last.
Grave Wrong (Lost Souls Society Book 1) Page 17
