No Filter

by Heather Day Gilbert

  "You're right; he should have. Macy, I've talked with your brother, Bo, if that helps put your mind at ease. I realize you've been through a lot these past few weeks." He glanced down at Coal, who had pushed his head out to stare at the agent. "I understand someone dognapped your beautiful dog here, as well. I'm glad you got him back." He offered me a smile that was serious, yet so earnest it was endearing.

  I took one more look at his badge for good measure, then, feeling fairly confident that Coal wouldn't try to attack the man, I opened the door wide and gestured to my couch. "Yes. Let me introduce you to my dog, Coal. You can come on in."

  Titan took a step inside, and surprisingly, Coal politely moved out of his way.

  I tried to be hospitable, even though I was feeling anything but after last night. "Please have a seat. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

  "I'd love one." He strode to the couch, not even hesitating as Coal picked up pace alongside him, sniffing at his pants. "The coffee smells amazing."

  I heated it a little in the microwave and added the cream he asked for. Then I joined him in the living room, where Coal had settled down—right on top of the man's leather shoes.

  I handed him his mug. "It would seem my dog likes you. So...is your name actually Titan, or is that a code name?"

  He grinned. "I wondered when that question was coming, because it always does. Let's just say my mom was deeply enthralled with Greek mythology. I'm just thankful she didn't wind up naming me Poseidon or Helios or something."

  "Or Zeus," I said. He seemed a little less intimidating now that we were both sitting and he wasn't towering over me. In fact, I was surprised at how easily I was conversing with him. "Although Zeus sounds more like a dog's name. Do you remember Zeus and Apollo on Magnum, P.I.?

  "They were Dobermans, right? I loved that show." He pulled out a small notebook before taking a sip of his coffee. "Wow, this is so rich."

  "My brother knows a lot about coffee beans and where to buy the best ones," I said. "But you probably already knew that."

  Titan nodded. "Bo and I have worked together in the past. Your brother's a natural in the field." It was a little unsettling to realize that this man had been part of my brother's DEA world when I had not.

  Titan took a longer drink before clearing his throat. "Okay, so I've read over your statement from last night—you said Isabella confessed to the murders of Gerard Fontaine and Alice Stevenson. Isabella attempted to frame her husband, Glen, for Alice's murder. I've been updated on the art treasures Alice fenced through Ivy Hill, as well. However, we are still interested in one particular treasure that's still unaccounted for. I wondered if you could shine some light on that?"

  "You're talking about the piece of the Amber room," I said. "Sure I'll share about it, and I'll do you one better. I dug up a metal box Gerard Fontaine buried on the grounds at Ivy Hill. Inside, there's an electronic safebox." My excitement was building as I realized I might actually get to see the historic panel. "I'm pretty sure I know the code that will open it. Gerard had some numbers engraved on a metal dog tag he hid on Coal, and I handed the tag over to the police. It started with the word Amber."

  Titan nodded and flipped through his notebook. "Yes, I have the numbers here. But you said you have the box?"

  I had a sudden flood of misgiving. I'd watched too many detective shows where someone showed up, posing as an FBI agent, and took stolen goods from some naive, trusting citizen.

  "Could I see your badge one more time?" I asked.

  Titan smiled and flipped open his black badge wallet. It had his photo card and signature on one side, and the iconic gold FBI badge on the other.

  It looked convincing, but those things could be forged, I imagined. "Uh...could you hang on a minute?" I asked. "I need to use the bathroom."

  "Sure." His slow smile indicated that he might know exactly what I was up to. I didn't care. I couldn't afford to trust the wrong person, like I'd done so many times in the past.

  I raced upstairs, trusting that Coal would stay in place on Titan's feet. I shut my bedroom door and gave Bo a call. "There's someone here named Titan McCoy, and he says he knows you. Is that right? Is he really FBI?"

  "Titan? Oh, yeah, he's a great guy. He's over at your place now?"

  "Yes. I just needed to make sure—"

  "I'll run right over. I'm on break now anyway, and I'd like to see Big T."

  I snickered as I hung up. So Titan was "Big T," was he?

  I smoothed my wayward hair as I descended the stairs. "I'm so sorry. I just needed to take a little breather. It's all been so much," I said.

  "You called your brother, didn't you?" he asked, his lips quirking into another grin.

  I dropped into a chair. "You can't just trust anyone these days." I couldn't resist a final jab. "Especially someone with the last name of McCoy. I'm a Hatfield by blood, you know?"

  Titan heaved a longsuffering sigh. "Really? And here I thought your brother had beaten that little pun into the ground. Yes, Hatfields can work with McCoys, I assure you."

  There was a rap on the interior connecting door and the lock turned. Bo charged in, directly toward the living room. Titan jumped to his feet—somehow managing to leave Coal in place—and greeted Bo with a vigorous, back-patting man hug.

  The men started rehashing stories of missions that were both terrifying and hilarious. I found myself feeling exceptionally grateful that my brother had lived long enough to become the mild-mannered barista and coffee shop owner he was today.

  My stomach had just started growling for some breakfast when Titan turned back to me. "So, you said you have the metal box, Macy?"

  I nodded and rose, setting my empty coffee cup on an end table. "Bo, could you help me get it from the trunk?"

  I opened the back door and paused to glance around the garden, where the dirt showed signs of the scuffle we'd had last night. "I can't believe she showed up at my house," I said finally.

  Bo draped a comforting arm around my shoulders, his red hair shining copper in the sunlight. "She was a desperate woman, Macy. She was willing to set her own husband up for a life prison sentence. I heard Glen Rhodes was released on bail today."

  I found myself hoping Glen would continue to donate to Ivy Hill, so Doctor Schneider could keep up his work there. Maybe he and Katie would find a way to keep the place financially viable.

  I opened the trunk and Bo took the metal box out as if it weighed nothing. We walked it back into the house and set it on the kitchen counter. Titan had the string of numbers from the metal tag at the ready, and he punched them in on the safebox keypad.

  The thing whirred and unlocked. I held my breath as Titan opened the lid.

  A warmly-hued slab the size of a large coffee bag practically glowed in the bottom of the safe. Its honey colors seemed lit from within and ornate patterns were inlaid in it. I knew from art history class that there was gold leaf backing the panel.

  We all stared at it, spellbound.

  "What'll happen to it?" I finally asked.

  "We'll be working with international agencies to determine if it's original to the Amber Room, then we'll start tracking where it came from."

  "Exactly," Bo said. "How did Gerard get his hands on it?"

  "You can guess how." Titan shot Bo a dark look. "We're looking for the where."

  "You mean Moreau? You think he knew about this?" Bo asked.

  Titan nodded. "We suspect Fontaine intercepted an art shipment he was supposed to deliver. He did some searching on the internet—we hacked into his computer—and he realized it was a real panel from the Amber Room. We think he made the very unwise choice of double-crossing Moreau. He probably lied and told Moreau he never got that shipment."

  I offered both men a granola bar, and when they refused, I ate a few bites myself to quell my growling stomach. "I have a theory—I think Gerard told Alice about what he'd done. They weren't getting along right before he died. He could've admitted he'd lied to Moreau. I'm betting Alice realized what a dea
dly stupid mistake Gerard had made."

  "Meanwhile, Isabella was circling, and she turned out to be the more immediate threat," Titan said. "We'll be grilling her and Glen, to see what they know about Moreau."

  Bo cracked his knuckles. "It always comes back to Moreau, doesn't it? Even in my hometown. I can't get away from that man."

  Titan slapped Bo's back. "Cheer up. We're on the case. You know I'm not going to let anything slide. I'll keep you posted with anything I find, and you know we're watching Leo. He's not going to sneak up on you, I promise."

  As Titan began to close the safebox lid, I put my hand over his large one. "Wait—could I just touch it?"

  He looked thoughtful.

  "I was the one who found the map and had to hike out into the woods to dig it up," I said.

  "You went out and did what?" Bo turned a fierce gaze on me.

  Apparently my brother hadn't heard the whole story yet.

  Titan opened the box wider. "Okay, but just one finger. I'll explain that you touched it in my presence. They'll definitely be dusting it for prints."

  Slowly and near-reverently, I used my pinkie to reach into the box and touch the smooth, cool piece of amber. This discovery would go down in history, and I had been the one to make sure the panel wasn't hidden forever in a leaf-strewn grave.

  "You're practically glowing, too," Titan said. "I think your hair's the exact same color as that amber, Macy."

  Bo shot Titan a big brotherly look, and the FBI agent immediately turned brusque. "I'm going to load it up now. Thanks so much for finding this and handing it over." He closed both lids and turned to Bo. "Good to see you, man. I'll be in touch."

  As agent Titan McCoy strode out my doorway—not an easy feat, given that Coal had taken to sniffing his shoes—I found myself hoping he'd show up in Lewisburg again someday.

  But only if his visit had nothing whatsoever to do with tracking Leo Moreau.

  30

  Once the chicken soup was made and I was sure I'd put enough salt in it (my chronic soup failing), I called Summer to see where she lived. Turned out, she rented an apartment over an older couple's garage.

  When I knocked on her door, soup and homemade bread in hand, she seemed delighted to see me.

  "I've just cleaned the entire place with Pine-Sol," she said. "Stay well away from me and you shouldn't get this nasty bug."

  "Thanks," I said, placing the soup and bread on the cabinet. I was surprised when a fluffy gray cat slunk up by my side. "You have a cat?"

  She nodded. "Three cats, to be exact, and one kitten I'm fostering for a while. Didn't you realize I'm a cat person?"

  "I guess I assumed you were into dogs, like me." I sat on an overstuffed chair, where the gray cat jumped onto my lap and began lightly kneading at my jeans.

  "Ella, knock that off," Summer commanded. "I'm okay with dogs—I mean they don't scare me, but cats are a lot more manageable. In fact, I was thinking your brother might like a cat...maybe even the kitten I'm taking care of." She gave a quirky little whistle, and the kitten came running. It was a beautiful long-haired calico.

  Summer swept it up and cradled it close. "I haven't named her yet, but she potty trained fast. She doesn't miss the litterbox and actually comes when I call her. She can be a little frisky, but that's normal for a kitten."

  "I did notice how quickly she came to you," I said. "You know, it's worth a try. I'll tell Bo about her."

  Summer grabbed a tissue and sneezed into it three times. "I'm so sorry. My head is still drying up." She cleared her throat and shot me an inscrutable look. Was she blushing? "Anyway, I wondered if I could meet up with Bo sometime...you know, outside work hours."

  Yes, she was definitely blushing. I clapped my hands in excitement and Ella leapt to the floor. "Are you saying you want to date Bo? I can totally set that up!"

  Summer placed the kitten she was holding on the carpet and chuckled. "I'm glad you're so enthusiastic, but I don't know if he'd think of it as a date. I saw the way Tara looked at him. Didn't she fly in all the way in from California to see him?"

  I waved a dismissive hand. "He's not into her anymore," I said firmly.

  Summer's eyes lit up and an impish grin tugged at her lips. "You don't say. Tell me more."

  On the way home from Summer's, I started feeling guilty for suspecting Dylan of being in the art fencing ring. Sure, he hadn't told me everything, but he hadn't maliciously lied, either. The least I could do was call him up and apologize.

  He picked up on the first ring. "Macy! I'm glad to hear from you. How's it going?"

  I gave him a brief rundown of my showdown with Isabella Rhodes, and he seemed horrified. "She acted so...normal, you know? Posh, but normal. She took one of my flyers at the oyster roast and said she wanted to come to the art show."

  "Be glad she didn't—she might've robbed you blind," I joked. "But I know what you mean. She was sort of a regular at Barks & Beans. In fact, the very first time I saw her, she was talking loudly about Gerard and what a great golf instructor he was. She also brought up that rhino horn in Alice's office. It's like she didn't even care that she was pointing people to her close connection with Gerard or the art fencing operation. I guess she never dreamed she'd get caught."

  "Hiding in plain sight," Dylan murmured thoughtfully. "So..." He drew out the word and I smiled, guessing what was coming next. "I know you've been through some trauma. How about unwinding with, say, a fantastic art show featuring some Hudson River School paintings?"

  I didn't even hesitate. I was certainly due for some down time. "You know what? That sounds like the perfect way to relax. I'll see you Monday night."

  Just as I was polishing off a bowl of chicken noodle soup for a late lunch, Katie Givens called.

  "Would you be able to drop by Ivy Hill tonight?" she asked.

  Bo hadn't told me it was safe to return to the spiritual center yet, even though the FBI had completely shut down the art fencing ring, effectively releasing Moreau's grip on the place. Still, I planned to stay well enough away until Bo gave me his final go-ahead.

  "Maybe you could come by my place?" I suggested. "What did you want to talk about?"

  She sounded excited. "Doctor Schneider and I have been talking, and guess what? He wants me to be the director of Ivy Hill. I wanted to run an idea past you, one that has to do with Barks & Beans."

  "Okay, but I can't make any final decisions without my brother, since he's co-owner. Should he come over and join us tonight?"

  She gave a prolonged hm. "I'd say not at this point. It's kind of a hypothetical idea I just wanted to get your take on."

  "Sounds interesting. How about you drop by at eight?"

  Katie agreed. As I hung up, I realized that even though Katie would've stolen my dog and sold him for money, I had to admit the entrepreneurial masseuse had a whole lot of pluck.

  Katie came bubbling in at eight. I offered her a chai latte, which she immediately accepted. We sat down at the table and Coal sat on his pillow, eyeing Katie warily.

  She cupped the glazed pastel mug in her hands. "Remember how I mentioned that I wanted to modernize Ivy Hill? Well, Doctor Schneider does too. He's seen in counseling what a mess drugs are making of our county, and Jedi's public breakdown just brought it home. We're thinking we'd have enough room to open a drug rehab facility at Ivy Hill."

  I set my cup on the table. "That's exactly what I heard Gerard wanted to do, too. How ironic."

  Katie's lips quirked downward. "I should've paid more attention to him, but he was such a stalker, you know?"

  "It's okay—trust me, Gerard was no saint. So how does Barks & Beans play into your plans?"

  She rapped her nails on the table. "Dog therapy...or coffee therapy, I'm not sure which. All I know is that it's uplifting to visit your cafe. You and your brother are bringing all sorts of joy to this town, and I'd love it if we could work out a way to share that with Ivy Hill. I'll bet you've already been a huge boon to the shelter."

  Summer had told me a
s much, so I nodded, distracted as I pondered ways to work dogs into a rehab program at Ivy Hill. "Okay. I'll tell you what. I'll think about it and brainstorm with my brother and see what we can come up with. You do have a beautiful place up there, and I'd like to see it succeed in really helping our community."

  Katie nodded. "We'll return to the original vision for Ivy Hill—a place where people can come to lighten their burdens."

  It had grown late by the time Katie and I said goodnight and she headed home. It hit me that despite all the danger I'd run into lately, I'd also felt some of my own burdens lighten since I'd moved home. I'd kept busy with the dogs and the cafe, so I was no longer spending every spare moment fixating on Jake's betrayal. Plus, I'd gotten caught up on Bo's life, even discovering that he'd been a DEA agent for years.

  And it felt like I was making friends. Summer, Katie, and Dylan seemed to genuinely enjoy getting to know me. I hadn't felt so interesting in a long time.

  I sat on my bed and stroked Coal's head. Although Gerard's death was tragic, it had brought this wonderful dog into my life. And Coal had subsequently saved my life when he charged Isabella in the garden.

  I glanced around my room, with its worn wooden floorboards and blue-striped wallpaper. This used to be Auntie A's room—the place I'd run to when my feelings were in a jumble, or when I felt life was treating me unfairly. She'd always drop everything to listen to me.

  There was no way I could've ever thanked her for all she was to me, but I still had Bo, and we were a team. Auntie A would be so proud that her Hatfield kids had once again joined forces.

  As I stood to turn off the overhead light, my phone buzzed. I walked back and picked it up, but the number was unfamiliar, so I let it go to voicemail. Turning on my lamp, I picked up my psychological thriller novel again. My phone dinged with a message.