Aiden raised his eyebrows. Perhaps she wasn’t as taken in by Robert Rossington as he had feared.
She smiled. “It’s all right. Robert stole the necklace from me. It wasn’t worth quite as much as he took from Maggie, but it was still unforgiveable.”
Aiden stared at her. “You know?”
She took a sip of her drink, eyeing him thoughtfully. “Robert stole all Maggie’s money and got Cam Taylor to fabricate some story about being robbed.” She nodded slowly. “And now he’s stolen my necklace and is paying Deputy Taylor to cover that up, too.”
Aiden frowned. “Is that why you were in the sheriff’s office today?”
She nodded. “I’ve told the guy that there will be a large reward if he can get my necklace back. He seemed real interested, too.”
Aiden narrowed his eyes. “So you think Taylor’s got it?”
She shook her head, picking up her cup. “No. Robert’s still got it,” she told him matter-of-factly. “It’ll be interesting to see how Cam Taylor gets it off him, but I reckon he will.”
“So he can claim your reward?”
She nodded. “My guess is he won’t mention that part to Robert. He’ll just get it off him and return it to me. Taylor thinks I’m offering the reward because the necklace is of great sentimental value to me, something I won’t have admitted to Robert.”
Aiden took a slow sip of his coffee, eyeing her curiously. “And you’re sure it was Robert who took it?”
She nodded, a little sadly. “Yeah, he took it all right. He obviously didn’t notice the CCTV in my dressing room. I’ve got the tape under lock and key.”
“Unlike the necklace?” Aiden snickered.
Lorraine laughed. “Not exactly, though he did have to hunt for it,” she explained. “Well, it wouldn’t have been any fun if it had been too easy, would it?”
Aiden chortled. “I like the way you think,” he said.
“Funnily enough, your brother does too,” she confided with a salacious smile that made him laugh even more.
“I can see why Ben likes you,” he said, giving her an impressed nod. “You’re both pretty outrageous.”
“I can’t deny that,” she responded, taking another sip of her drink.
“So how come Robert’s not around?” Aiden looked around the diner, half-expecting her fiancé to suddenly turn up.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s out of town today. And I can guess where he’ll be tonight too, once Taylor calls him.”
“You reckon they’ll meet up tonight?” He frowned.
“Oh yeah.” She smiled confidently. “Taylor will want to get his hands on that necklace as soon as he can. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t called him already. Robert’s over in Springvale today, seeing who’ll offer him the best price for it.”
Aiden gaped. “How on earth did you find that out?”
She smirked. “You really were taken in by my ‘dumb blonde’ act the other night, weren’t you? Well, let me tell you…” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Not only am I not so dumb, but I’m not a natural blonde, either.” She giggled.
Aiden just stared at her.
“I had a boyfriend, Chuck, before I moved away,” she explained, taking another sip of her coffee. “I was totally besotted with him, but my daddy saw right through him. The guy started stealing my cash, and, when he couldn’t get that, he used to take whatever he could from the house. Daddy was doing some business over at Springvale when he saw a couple of Momma’s silver vases in a pawn shop over there. Didn’t take long to discover my beloved boyfriend had been making quite a bit of money selling our stuff that way. Luckily, Daddy had connections, so he was able to pull in a few favors.” She chewed her lip.
“That must have been awful for you,” Aiden replied softly, seeing the clouded look on her face.
She grimaced. “I didn’t believe it. Well… I didn’t want to believe it. I told Daddy he must have gotten it wrong. That’s when he took me over there to see for myself. It’s a strange feeling seeing something you just assumed was still back at home sitting there on the shelf of some musty, old second-hand shop. Daddy introduced me to the owners, and they each gave the same description of the guy who’d brought the stuff in to them. It was Chuck all right. Hadn’t even had the sense to cover the tattoo on his arm.”
“Ouch!” Aiden winced at the thought of finding all that out the hard way.
She smirked. “It was then I realized what a grade-A jerk the guy was. I vowed I’d never fall for a dipshit like that again. Then I met Robert.”
Aiden really felt for the woman. She’d sure had her share of asshats.
She shook her head. “I was a bit savvier this time,” she told him. “I thought he was quite sweet when we first got together, but I could read the signs all right. I always seemed to be the one to pay when we went out, and he used to make up all sorts of excuses not to take me back to his place. He still doesn’t think I know where he lives.” She shrugged.
“So you’re not actually planning to marry him then?” Aiden felt a sense of relief.
She shook her head. “Of course not. He’s only after my money. I know that.”
Aiden narrowed his eyes. “So you’re planning to expose him?”
“I wasn’t going to at first. I thought I’d just stop seeing him and that would be that. But then he got drunk one night and bragged to some guy about how he’d swindled Maggie out of her money. I only found out by accident while I was checking some tapes. I’d had some cameras installed around the house when Mom started needing home help. I just wanted to make sure they were looking after her properly while I wasn’t there, you know? Anyhow, at first I was horrified that he’d do a thing like that, then I realized if he could do it once, he could do it again. It was like a red rag to a bull. I was so mad that I decided then and there I was going to make dang sure he didn’t get to do it to any other poor woman. I’ll see him go down for this. You see if I don’t.”
Aiden saw her jaw tense as she filled him in on a few more details, and he knew this girl meant business. He’d seen that look before on Maggie’s face not so long ago.
“Good for you,” he told her.
She finished her coffee. “Hey, we should let Maggie know we’re on to him.” Her eyes lit up.
Aiden felt his heart lift, and he grinned. “Well if Robert’s out of town, there’s nothing stopping us going over there right now, is there?” He was desperate to see Maggie again, to make sure she was all right.
“Going where?” Frank suddenly appeared, smiling.
“We thought we’d go over and tell Maggie about Lorraine’s plan to smoke out Rossington,” he murmured. “The guy won’t be around for a couple of hours, so it’s a golden opportunity, and it’ll make Maggie’s day to know there’s a plan in place.”
Frank’s face lit up. “I had an idea you were hatching something,” he said to Lorraine with a surreptitious smile.
“Now I remember you. I thought I recognized you in the sheriff’s office, but I wasn’t sure.” Lorraine pointed at Frank as she spoke.
“Did you unearth anything?” Aiden asked as Frank took the seat next to him.
The old man gave a satisfied nod. “Oh yeah. He’s on the take, all right. I told him I was moving into one of those big old houses down by the river and just wanted to know about security and stuff. He offered to keep a ‘special eye’ on the place for a small monthly fee.” He used air quotes to emphasize his meaning.
“Yeah, I can imagine his idea of ‘small’, too.” Aiden also used air quotes, and they all giggled at the implications.
“Well, I’d best get back to Sylvia,” Frank said. “You need a ride back?” He looked questioningly at them.
“I’m heading over to see Maggie now, if you wanna come?” Lorraine offered.
Aiden nodded. “That’d be great.”
* * * *
Maggie was just wiping down the last of the tables when the door swung open and Aiden walked in. She couldn’t h
ide the massive beam which spread across her face.
“What’re you doing here? I thought—” She gasped.
Aiden was dressed in a white shirt that was tight enough to show off his muscles and jeans tight enough to show something else!
Ignoring the last couple of customers, he scooped her into his arms, and she felt his hot body flush against hers as he took her lips in a sensual kiss that left her tingling for more.
“He’s out of town,” he whispered into her ear once he’d unlocked their mouths. “And I’ve got news.”
Her heart was pounding with hope as she gazed into his gorgeous face. He was obviously dying to tell her something and looked like he was going to burst if he didn’t let it out soon.
He managed to wait until the customers finally left and they were alone. Maggie momentarily wondered if they wouldn’t complain to her boss about her kissing in the café, but somehow she didn’t care about that right now.
She was about to go and lock the door but noticed a large car outside that she didn’t recognize.
“Aiden, are you sure the coast is clear?” She frowned, her heart now pounding for a totally different reason. She could hear someone talking outside and couldn’t be certain that Robert hadn’t sent someone to spy on them. “I know you hate having to stay apart as much as I do, and I’m sure Robert wouldn’t hurt me if you were with me, but…”
“But we won’t be able to nail the guy if he knows we’re together.” He nodded, though he didn’t seem very worried. “Then we wouldn’t be able to get him to return all the money he took from you.”
She shook her head, realizing for the umpteenth time how ludicrous it all sounded. “You really think we’ve got a chance of getting my money back? I mean, it’s been a couple of years, and I’m still no closer to proving anything. The longer it goes on, the worse my chances get. I’ll never be able to prove he did it. I really don’t know why you think you can just—” She broke off as someone walked in the door.
“Aiden may not be able to prove he stole your cash, Maggie,” the woman told her as she slowly strolled toward the counter, “but I can.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lorraine Parry gave a mischievous smile as she took a stool at the counter.
“Coffee?” Maggie eyed her curiously, already pouring her drink.
Lorraine nodded as Maggie placed the coffee in front of her. She stared at Maggie’s bruise and winced, horrified. “Robert did that?”
Maggie nodded. “It’s not the first time,” she shared.
Lorraine bit her beautifully painted lip. “I thought he was gonna hit me the other day,” she confided. “I had no idea he was capable of anything like that, though.”
“He’s capable of a lot more, believe me,” Maggie replied.
Lorraine swallowed hard.
“Is it a good idea for you to be seen with me?” Maggie suddenly realized that Lorraine might be putting herself in danger by being here.
“It’s okay. He’s over at Springvale. I’ve just had confirmation from his hotel that he’s arrived and found the bar, so he won’t be bothering anyone for a while.”
“Sounds about right.” Maggie nodded.
“She knows he stole your money,” Aiden explained to Maggie as he locked the door and pulled the blind down.
Maggie frowned.
“It didn’t take Miss Marple,” Lorraine told them, raising her eyebrows. “You know what Robert’s like with a few drinks in him. He was singing like a canary—boasting, actually.” She sniggered. “Luckily, I’d had the house wired up with cameras as soon as I realized I’d have to hire help to look after Mom. You hear such awful things these days. I couldn’t risk anything happening to her.”
“Is she okay?” Maggie asked softly.
“She’s got dementia. I didn’t know until I got back for Daddy’s funeral. I’ve got her the best help, though, and they really are looking after her.” Lorraine nodded.
“So you’ve actually recorded Rossington admitting to stealing Maggie’s cash?” Aiden smirked.
“Oh yeah. I’ve got the tape with the proof, but that’s just part of it.” Lorraine grinned conspiratorially. “I knew he’d still try to lie his way out of it,” Lorraine continued as they all sat around the counter. “So I had a good nosey around his computer and found some rather interesting emails that took place between Robert and Cam Taylor over at Almondine.”
Maggie frowned. “That’s the guy from the sheriff’s office. He was supposed to have investigated the theft of my money.”
“That’s him.” Lorraine nodded. “Seems he and Robert were as thick as…well, thieves.”
“So you can prove they stole my money?” Maggie felt hope well in her for the first time in ages. “Have you been to the sheriff?”
Lorraine sighed. “I spoke to Dyson Shearer about it, but he thinks it could be construed as circumstantial. There’s conversations about them both meeting up and dates when you’d be out of town, but the sheriff said that with a good lawyer, Robert could still get around it.”
“Then there’s no hope.” Maggie put her elbows on the counter and covered her face with her hands. “I should have known.”
“Not necessarily.” Lorraine smirked. “I’ve also got proof that Robert stole from me. It’s all on camera. And guess who’s investigating that theft?”
Maggie moved her hands from her face and stared at Lorraine incredulously. “Not Cam Taylor?”
“The very same,” Lorraine told her with a giggle. “And now that Deputy Taylor knows that I’d be so grateful for the return of my jewelry—and the size of the reward involved—I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t somehow materialize real soon.”
“So, with all that, as well as the evidence about my money, they’ve got to accept it’s the truth.” Maggie felt ready to explode with relief.
“I’d best get back to my mom,” Lorraine said. “You take care, Maggie.”
“I will, and thanks for stopping by.” Maggie couldn’t resist going over and giving her a hug. Although Lorraine Parry was stick-thin, she sure gave good hugs, and Maggie relished her warmth.
Maggie quickly stacked the washer and wiped down the counter while Aiden saw Lorraine out. She was already putting her coat on when he came back inside.
“Lorraine offered us a ride as I haven’t brought my car, but I said we’d enjoy a stroll home. Is that okay with you?” he asked as he slung an arm around her and led her to the door. “I thought we could pick up a carry-out on the way?”
His words were music to her ears. “Home as in my home?” She tried to keep the tremble of excitement from her voice. “You want to come back to my place?”
He chuckled as they began to walk. “If that’s all right with you? I mean, we could grab a cab and go back to mine if you’d prefer?”
“No, no, it’s fine,” she assured him.
She was thrilled that he had referred to her tiny apartment as ‘home’. The last time he had been there, she had been convinced that he would be horrified with where she lived, and after throwing him out, she really didn’t think he’d want to return.
“As that bastard’s out for the night, I thought we may as well make hay while the sun shines—or, rather, the moon, in our case.” He was smiling wickedly down at her.
She smiled. “I like that idea.”
Not only did they fetch a Chinese carry-out, but they also popped into the supermarket for a large tub of Ben and Jerry’s.
“I fancy dessert tonight,” he said, giving her a salacious wink.
Maggie felt her face flush as her heart beat a little faster.
She quickly locked the door behind them once they got back to her apartment. She turned around to see he had already put the food down before swooping her into his warm arms. She had missed him more than she’d realized, and Maggie clung onto him tightly as his heady scent surrounded her.
“How long’s Robert out of town for?” she asked, hopefully, when he finally freed her mouth.
&
nbsp; “Just tonight, Lorraine reckons. We think he’s gone to meet up with Cam Taylor.”
Maggie felt a jolt in her stomach. “Why?”
Aiden sighed, leading her into the kitchen where he snagged a couple of forks and spoons from a china utensil jar on the counter. “Lorraine told you how she went to see Taylor today to tell him she was prepared to give a hefty reward for the safe return of her necklace?”
Maggie nodded as she curled up next to him on the old sofa and tucked into her chicken chow mein.
“She reckons Rossington’s still got it. He was probably planning to get rid of it today. It’s worth quite a bit. Trouble is, now Taylor wants it, so it’s a whole new ball game.”
Maggie popped some chicken into her mouth, then moaned.
Aiden chuckled.
“Do you think Robert will give it to him?” she asked thoughtfully.
“Maybe. For a price.”
“But they could claim the reward if Taylor gives it back to Lorraine. Surely that’s a win-win?”
Aiden shook his head as he ate his meal. “Not gonna happen. Rossington doesn’t know about the reward. When Taylor returns the necklace to Lorraine, he’ll claim it for himself.”
Maggie thought for a while as they ate. “But won’t Robert know when Lorraine hands over the money?” she asked at last.
“She won’t tell him, and Taylor knows it. As far as Cam Taylor knows, the necklace was bought for her by someone special—a fact that Rossington doesn’t realize. She couldn’t explain away her need to get it back without admitting that it’s got sentimental value. And don’t forget, Rossington thinks they’re going to marry. He won’t be too pleased with the thought of her hanging on to something from some ex-lover.”
Maggie gasped. Lorraine really seemed to have this all worked out. Maggie stacked up the empty plates then snuggled back into Aiden’s side when he opened the Ben and Jerry’s.
“There’s no honor among thieves,” Aiden pointed out, feeding her a scoop of ice cream.
“So what will happen?” Maggie frowned, staring up at him.
Maggie’s Man (The Cowboys of Cavern County Book 2) Page 10
