Uncovering Secrets: The Third Novel in the Rosemont Series
Page 9
Gloria shook her head and held up the large canvas satchel she carried on her arm. “Not necessary. This will do fine.”
She placed the cat in her bag, and she and Glenn turned to leave. “We’ve got to run. We’re going to the dance at four,” Glenn said. “As I remember, you’re a very good dancer. Why don’t you and John join us?”
Maggie smiled. “Joan was just asking, too. Things have been a bit crazy lately,” she said, gesturing to the kittens. “How’s it going? Is attendance good?”
“Terrific,” Glenn replied. “Westbury West Coast Swing Society has renewed their lease for another year, and we even raised their rent.” He proceeded down the front steps to open Gloria’s door.
“Thank you for our cat, dear,” Gloria said, patting Maggie’s arm. “We’ll be a very happy family.”
Chapter 24
Maggie and John were both visibly relieved when Judy Young closed up her laptop and announced she had to get going. “I’ll tidy up this list tonight and email it to you. Give it to your insurance agent first thing tomorrow, before you go to Town Hall,” she said, peering at Maggie over her glasses.
“I promise,” Maggie assured her. “And I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work and expertise. I had no idea.”
“Believe me, the pleasure was all mine. Most fun I’ve had in I-can’t-remember-when.”
John and Maggie collapsed in the wing chairs flanking the living room fireplace as Judy’s car pulled away.
“You’ve hit pay dirt, my dear,” John reached over and took her hand.
“I know. I can hardly believe it.” She turned to him. “I almost forgot it was up there, what with all that’s been going on.”
John nodded.
“Great suggestion to get Judy over here. I would have eventually called my insurance agent, but who knows how long I would have left it all sitting out in plain sight. Makes me nervous, to be honest with you. Are you on call tonight?”
John shook his head. “I need to run by the emergency hospital to check on a patient I treated late last night, but that’s it. Why don’t I do that now and come back here to take you to dinner.”
“And leave this stash? No way,”
“Then I’ll pick up a pizza from Tomascino’s.”
“Nothing I’d like better,” Maggie replied, pulling him to his feet. “If we don’t get moving, we’ll never get up. You go check on your patient, and I’ll call Susan—after I set that silver chocolate pot aside to give to Judy. It was her favorite piece and will make the perfect thank-you gift.”
“You’re a class act, Maggie Martin. That’s one of the many reasons I’m so crazy about you.”
***
“Mom?” Susan answered on the fourth ring, sounding groggy.
“Oh, honey. Were you asleep?” Maggie asked.
“Taking a nap. What time is it?”
“It’s one-thirty, your time,” Maggie replied.
“I should get up; I’ve got stuff to do. What’s up?”
“We made the most amazing discovery here at Rosemont.”
“Do tell,” Susan demanded, and Maggie pictured her daughter sitting straight up in bed, now fully alert.
“Remember when I got locked in the attic?”
“Of course I remember, Mom.” Maggie imagined the eye roll that Susan would be giving her. “You were in that cold, creepy attic all afternoon and planned to tie old draperies together to climb out the window if no one found you. The thought of you doing that still gives me nightmares.”
“Thank goodness I heard Frank Haynes drive up and was able to get his attention. I know the police tell you never to hide a key outside your house, but I’m sure glad I had one hidden that day. I’ll always be grateful to him for rescuing me—no matter what else he’s done. Anyway, did I mention I found that old secretary full of vintage silver in the corner?”
“You mentioned it—and?”
“We brought the silver downstairs this weekend. I got David Wheeler to help me. Tons and tons of stuff. I was polishing it yesterday afternoon when John stopped by and suggested I ask Judy to take a look at it. Turns out she is quite an expert on antique silver.”
“That’s cool, Mom.” Maggie could tell Susan’s enthusiasm was starting to wane. These modern girls don’t want to fuss with anything that requires much upkeep. Who could blame them?
“Turns out some of it may be incredibly valuable. Maybe even priceless,” she expounded, feeling guilty if she was exaggerating to seize her daughter’s attention.
Her words had their desired effect. “No way! That’s incredible.” Maggie could hear Susan settle down for a prolonged chat. “Tell me everything.”
Maggie slipped into the laundry room and, with one hand, removed a load of dry socks and towels from the dryer while she held her phone to her ear and launched into the story. She transferred a load of clothes from the washer into the dryer and never noticed the trio of bright green eyes following her every move. Before she’d closed the door behind her, one of the kittens abandoned her perch to investigate.
Maggie and Susan spent the next forty-five minutes discussing the silver and speculating on its origins before Susan inquired about the status of things at Town Hall.
Maggie sighed.
“That good, huh?” Susan remarked. “Has anything happened?”
“No. And that’s the problem. We can’t seem to make progress on any of the investigations. We’re running into road blocks everywhere we turn.”
“These things take time, Mom. Especially financial fraud on the grand scale that you’re dealing with. You know that.”
“I do. But Chief Thomas and Alex are feuding, which makes it all so much harder. And they’re coming to me to take sides. No matter what I do, I can’t win.”
“What are their gripes?”
“Alex is frustrated that there’s no progress on the investigations into the arson fires or his accident. Chief Thomas is mad at Alex because he’s interfering in the arson investigations. The chief is taking his time, hoping to catch bigger fish than the guys who set the fires. He thinks the mob is involved, and he wants to make arrests at the top of the food chain.”
“Makes sense. And Alex can’t be part of an investigation where he’s the victim. He knows better.”
“There’s more. Chief Thomas is frustrated that he hasn’t received any of the documents from the offshore banks Alex subpoenaed months ago. Now that William Wheeler is dead, the chief has no one to turn state’s evidence. He’s at a standstill and needs those documents to get going again.”
“What does Alex say to that?”
“That he’s working on it and that enforcing a subpoena internationally is very complex.”
“He’s right. Does he have anyone helping him?”
“His paralegal. She’s wonderful, but every time I see her, she looks like she hasn’t slept for a week. And the town’s in a hiring freeze.”
Susan was silent, thinking. “You’ve got too much work for too few people.”
“That’s obvious,” Maggie snapped and instantly regretted it.
“Don’t go getting testy, Mom. I have a suggestion.”
“Sorry, honey. Let’s hear it.”
“You’ve still got the law firm on retainer, don’t you? Stetson & Graham? I’ll bet they haven’t done much to earn that retainer since you appointed Alex as special counsel. Time for them to earn their keep.”
“You think so?” Maggie asked, intrigued by the idea.
“I know so. Not Bill Stetson. He’d try to take over and would irritate Alex. You need an associate with experience. Someone who can take over the research and motions that Alex has to contend with. That’ll help clear this log jam.”
“Brilliant idea. Thank you, honey. How did you get to be so smart?”
“I must take after my mom,” Susan said. “And one more thing. While we’ve been talking, I figured out what you should name your three kittens.”
“You have?”
“I
hope they’re all girls, but even if they’re boys, you should call them Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.”
“Those are sweet names. Why do they sound vaguely familiar?”
“Remember the PowerPuff Girls on Cartoon Network? They’re the names of those big-eyed little girls with superpowers that zoomed around protecting the mayor of Townsville, USA,” Susan stated proudly.
“That’s it. You used to babysit for kids that loved that show.” Maggie laughed. “You’re right—those names are perfect. I could use someone with superpowers to help me.”
“So it’s settled?”
“It’s settled. And the three kittens I’m keeping are all girls, so it’ll be fine. Once again, Susan to the rescue.”
“Aaron’s picking me up in twenty minutes, and I haven’t showered yet. Gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Maggie picked up her laundry basket and entered the laundry room. She was greeted by a duo of bright-green eyes and no clean laundry anywhere. She blinked. Where in the world was the laundry I placed on top of the dryer? And where is that third cat?
Maggie searched high and low, to no avail. The kitten must have escaped when I left the room and is now wandering all over Rosemont, getting into heaven-knows-what. Maggie was closing the door when she heard a soft mewing coming from somewhere below her feet. She stood still and listened. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the sound again.
Maggie stepped back into the laundry room. “Where’s your sister?” she asked the less adventuresome pair, peering at her over the side of their box. Maggie got down on her hands and knees and waited. This time, she was able to trace the sound to an old grate in the wall positioned just above the floor. One of the bars of the grate was bent, creating an opening just large enough for a kitten to slip through. She was definitely in the ductwork behind that grate.
Maggie quickly retrieved a flashlight from the kitchen and shone it into the grate. She was able to make out a string of socks—her recently laundered socks—leading back and out of sight. The kitten was nowhere to be seen, but she could hear her meowing unhappily.
Procuring a slice of cheese from the kitchen, Maggie tore off a small chunk and placed it inside the grate. She didn’t have long to wait for the kitten to follow her nose to the treat. She reached two fingers through the grate and stroked her fur while the kitten ate the snack. Maggie placed a piece of cheese outside the grate but the kitten wasn’t able to go back through it. Maggie tried to pull her to safety until the kitten squirmed free of her grasp. “Stay right here,” Maggie admonished sternly. She secured the other kittens in their box and went in search of a screwdriver and a letter opener.
When she returned, the wayward kitten was nowhere to be seen. Maggie unscrewed the grate and used the letter opener to pry it loose from the wall. She placed a piece of cheese on the floor outside the opening to the vent but the kitten didn’t approach. She sat quietly and listened. She was sure she could hear her, crying faintly, somewhere along the long, dark pipe. Maggie rolled onto her stomach and shone the flashlight into the duct. She could see the kitten, almost ten feet away. Beyond that was another grate that opened to the breakfast room. Maggie cooed to the kitten and tore off pieces of cheese and flung them in her direction. Wary and scared, the kitten wouldn’t budge.
Maggie rocked back on her heels to think. If she couldn’t coax her out, maybe she could force her from the other direction. “I’m coming back for you; don’t be afraid,” she whispered as she pushed herself to her feet and headed off to her bathroom. Grabbing her hairdryer, she ran to the breakfast room and found the grate that lay at the other end of the duct. She positioned her hairdryer on the floor, setting it upright between a large can of beans and a bottle of olive oil that she’d snatched from the pantry. She set the hairdryer at the coolest temperature and aimed the airstream into the duct.
Maggie raced into the laundry room just in time to see a very disgruntled kitten scamper from the duct. “Success!” she cried as she scooped her up, delighted that her plan had worked. She deposited the kitten in the box with her sisters and took them into the kitchen.
“You’ll have to stay here until Sam Torres fixes that grate. In the meantime,” she said to the three earnest faces staring at her, “don’t get into any trouble.”
Chapter 25
Maggie stole a glance at her cell phone, propped inconspicuously against the base of the microphone in front of her. Seven fifteen. They had another forty-five minutes to go.
She was presiding over a citizen’s forum to solicit public input on budget cuts. So far, every suggestion—whether to shorten the library’s hours or restrict the bus schedule—had been met with vehement opposition. She’d directed one man to sit down when he started ranting about abolishing the government entirely. Several times she’d reminded the townspeople that they were asking for suggestions and each would be thoroughly investigated before any change was adopted. They’d have to hold more public meetings before any services were reduced—the idea of another of these meetings made Maggie’s head spin.
She glanced at the empty seats. Councilmembers Frank Haynes and Chuck Delgado had both come up with last-minute excuses to be absent tonight, leaving Maggie and Councilmembers Tonya Holmes and Russell Isaac to suffer through this interminable evening. She looked to Isaac, who glared at her in return. She could hardly blame him. After the disastrous public meeting when a riot had broken out over proposed pay cuts, she wanted to make sure that the public had an opportunity to comment before they brought anything to a vote. Hadn’t her trustworthy advisor Professor Lyndon Upton suggested this approach? Except that now she didn’t believe he was trustworthy at all.
Maggie hadn’t been paying attention and was pulled back into the present when Councilmember Holmes answered a question into her microphone. She shot Tonya a grateful smile.
As she returned her attention to the bullet points on the agenda in front of her, she noticed that she’d missed a text from John. Maggie pretended to adjust the position of the microphone and pushed the button to read his message.
In a booth at Pete’s. Tonight’s special is your favorite. He’s saving some for you. Join me when you’re done. We’ve got something big to discuss.
Maggie’s brow creased. There was nowhere she’d rather be right now than with John, but what did “something big to discuss” mean? Maggie looked up to find all eyes on her.
Tonya Holmes cleared her throat. “As Mayor Martin has said repeatedly, these discussions are only preliminary.”
Maggie leaned forward and spoke into her microphone. “I understand—the entire council understands—that budget cuts create hardships. We’ve already made deep cuts. The only things left will negatively impact a lot of people.” Maggie paused and scanned the crowd. “We’ve got some hard choices to make, and we want to be as well informed as possible when we make our decisions. That’s why we’re holding these forums.” She consulted her watch. “We have time for two more comments from the floor before we adjourn.”
***
Maggie exited the council chamber by the rear exit. She was in no mood to get pigeonholed by a disgruntled constituent. Russell Isaac and Tonya Holmes followed closely on her heels.
“Another wasted evening, Mayor,” Isaac remarked.
Maggie spun on him. “Then you come up with something, Russ. It’s easy to sit back and take pot shots at people, harder to come up with useful ideas. You ran for this seat. You must have something to suggest.”
Isaac smirked. “I’ll save it for when I defeat you in the next election,” he said. “Right now, I’m enjoying watching you twist in the wind.”
“For God’s sake, Russ!” Tonya cried. “The town is on the brink of bankruptcy. This isn’t the time to be licking old political wounds and acting like a sore loser. If you’ve got ideas to help, you should put them forward. That’s leadership,” she said, staring pointedly at him.
Isaac delivered a rude gesture to both of them and strode out the exit.
“I’m relieved that Haynes and Delgado weren’t here tonight. They’d side with Isaac, and we’d never hear the end of it.” Tonya turned to Maggie. “I’m awfully glad you’re here. If I didn’t have someone on my side—the townspeople’s side—I don’t think I could carry on.”
Maggie flushed from her shoulders to the top of her head. To think that I almost resigned my position as mayor on New Year’s Eve.
“Maggie,” Tonya said, taking her arm. “Are you okay? You looked like you were a million miles away in there. And where’s Professor Upton? I thought he was supposed to be here.”
“Something came up and he’s not going to be assisting us anymore.”
“When did this happen? I didn’t particularly like the guy—he was pompous and condescending—but he knew his stuff.”
“I talked to him after the first of the year. We’ll be fine without him. We can implement the necessary changes without his help.” She swiftly changed the subject. “Did you hear about the kittens I’m fostering? In fact, would the Holmes like a cat?”
Tonya held up her hands and backed away. “Oh no, you don’t. I’ve got my hands full with George, the kids, two dogs, three fish, and a hamster. If you try to foist one of those kittens off on me, I’ll resign and leave you all alone with these creeps.”
“Understood.” Maggie laughed. Although, that might be just what I deserve, since I almost did that to you, she thought as they headed to their cars.
***
Maggie waved to Pete as she sailed through the door of his restaurant at eight fifteen. She found John in a booth in the corner, deeply engrossed in a medical journal.
“I hope you went ahead and ate,” Maggie said, sliding onto the bench next to him and planting a kiss on his cheek. “I’m sorry that I’m so late. It was really nice of you to ask Pete to save me a serving of the special.”