“That’s really hard to believe about the bug. It’s the kind of stuff you read in spy novels. Are you absolutely sure?”
“I paid a lot for this gadget, and it’s telling me there’s a bug in my study and in our office. Your office is clear.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“I think we should leave the bugs in place for now,” Andrea said. “We might be able to use them to our advantage. I’m not sure how, but it might work out.”
Jordan nodded. “I think you’re right. We can always get rid of them later if we wish. Just be careful what you say.”
“I always wait till we get in the car to say anything important,” I said. Then I had a scary thought. “You don’t suppose your car’s bugged, too.”
Andrea laughed at this. “Now we really are getting paranoid. I have no idea whether it’s possible to bug a car. I didn’t think to check it, but I will when we leave.”
“Send me an email or text and let me know,” Jordan said. “But why do I have a strange feeling about those messages, too? I guess paranoia sets in in a case like this, but we can’t let it rule us.”
“You know what I’m wondering now?” I asked. “Do you suppose they can see us as well as hear us?”
“Hadn’t even thought of that,” Andrea said. “I’ll have to make sure I have plenty of clothes on when I’m in the study.”
We went to the car, and Andrea turned the bug detector on. It remained dark. Andrea sent Jordan a text—“All clear.”
“Now we have to go home and check your house,” she said.
“We’ll really have to be careful. I think you should carry the detector with you everywhere.”
“It’ll be in my purse permanently.”
“Changing the subject, but has Chad made any progress on Lea’s laptop?”
“He still hasn’t figured out the password. School will be out in a couple of weeks, and he plans to spend the summer in Pine Summit. I have a feeling he decided to skip summer school so he could help us. He’s thinking of branching out to have a double major in cyber security and criminology. We’ve got his attention.”
“I guess it’s a good thing, and we can use the help with computer problems. I hope he’s not planning on becoming a hacker.”
Andrea appeared to be giving this some thought. “That could be useful. Not all hackers are bad, you know.”
My sister tends to skirt the law sometimes in the interest of solving a case, and we haven’t run into trouble for this—yet. I think she recently acquired some tools that could be useful in opening locked doors, and she’s been practicing on the doors at her house…and probably mine, too, when I’m in Martindale shopping. This was a talent she was lacking in the past, and this has hindered our operations. Still, I’m dreading the day when she feels the need to use these implements, which are generally employed by criminals.
She pulled into my driveway. “Time to check your house.”
“About the only thing they’d hear is me chatting on the phone with my quilting buddies or listening to a TCM movie. We do all our talking about cases in your study.”
“I find it hard to believe the bugger would have known that, since none of the suspects in this case were acquaintances before we started. They must have thought the study was the most logical place for it since the computer’s in there.”
We went in and wandered all over the house with the detector turned on. I was almost insulted and yet relieved when we found nothing. “Why would they bug your house and not mine?”
“I have no idea, but at least we know we’re free to talk here.”
I did have an idea. I really didn’t even have to ask. It’s because Andrea is the primary crime-solver, and I’m the sidekick. I’m okay with this—I don’t have the personality to be a major force in solving these cases. Even so, it was a little irritating that I was ignored when it came to bugging.
Andrea’s phone pinged, and she read the text. “Jack’s inviting us to a party at the country club. It’s called the Spring Fling, apparently a yearly thing. I definitely think I should tell him yes.”
“When is it?”
“It’s this coming Saturday. It’s semi-formal.”
“I don’t know what semi-formal means these days.” We hadn’t dressed up recently, except for wearing our spring dresses for the wedding, and I wondered whether I had anything that would be right for the occasion.
“Something dressy will be fine.”
This from Andrea, who lives in jeans and doesn’t care a whit about fashion. “I’m sure we can come up with something appropriate,” I said.
“I’ll let him know. I’m also going to have a request of him, but I want to ask him in person.”
She sent the text, and I asked, “What’s the request going to be?”
“I need him to locate Stuart Kerr’s office and draw a map for me.”
“You’re surely not thinking of breaking into his office.”
“Don’t freak out. It’s just a thought at present.”
#
Just a thought with Andrea almost always turns into an action, so she decided we should invite Jack to lunch at the Garden Room in order to get a better feel for the layout of the country club. When we stopped by his jewelry store to ride to the restaurant with him, he held a swinging gate open for us and motioned us into the back room.
“Come on back. I want to show you something.” The sales clerk was busy with a customer at the front of the store.
He twirled the combination-finder on the front of a small safe. After opening it, he took out some jewelry bags and laid them on his desk. “Walter Stanley came in with these pieces yesterday, wanting to sell them back to me.” He took them out of the bags, and we saw a pearl necklace, a diamond pendant, and a ring with a blue stone.
“Isn’t that interesting,” I said. I’m wondering…”
“I was wondering, too. I asked him if these were the pieces that Ruth Freer slammed down on his table the other day. He turned red, grinned sheepishly, and said they were.”
“I’m surprised he’d admit it,” Andrea said.
“I guess his desire for privacy was overcome by his desire to appear macho, the man-about-town who makes out with all the ladies.”
“They’re beautiful pieces,” I said, “but where is his wife in all this?”
“She doesn’t seem to get out much. I suspect she knows what goes on, though.”
Andrea picked up the ring. “I hope you got these back at a bargain.”
“Definitely. I gave him half of what he was asking. Would you like the ring?”
“I probably couldn’t afford it.”
Jack took it from her and put it on her left ring finger. “It’s a gift.”
Andrea looked stunned. “I couldn’t possibly accept it.” She took it off and put it back in the bag.
Jack looked crestfallen. “It’s not that big a deal. It’s just that I wanted…oh, well…” He put all three bags back in the safe. “Shall we go to lunch?”
There are times when I can understand why my sister has remained a spinster. Accepting gifts graciously has never been her strong suit. Let someone offer me a ring like that, and I’d show them gracious!
Jack had regained his good humor by the time we got in the car. He was amiable, good-looking, and undoubtedly had a decent income. I kept hoping Andrea would find romance with a man such as Jack, but it didn’t seem to be in the cards.
“I mentioned a request in my text,” Andrea said when we were on the way in Jack’s car. “I want you to draw a map so that I can find Stuart Kerr’s office—if you know where it is, that is.”
“When we’re through with lunch, we’ll all go to the restrooms through the hallway that takes off on the north side of the restaurant. I’ll be able to point out the direction to his office from in front of the restrooms if no one’s around. If anyone’s around, we can be waiting on Kathleen till they disappear, and then I can show you.”
Jack was getting adept a
t our cloak and dagger game. He’d turned out to be an excellent resource for us.
“I’m not going to ask you what you’re planning to do in there,” he said. “You know that if there’s anything else I can do to help you, all you need to do is ask.”
“We truly appreciate your help,” I said.
“Martindale is my town and has been all my life. I hate the idea of crime happening here. You two were a godsend…just what I needed to give me a purpose.” He grinned. “And to give me some excitement.”
We ate lunch amid the lush greenery growing all over on trellises. The string quartet wasn’t present—I imagined they came only on occasional weekends—but soft music was playing from somewhere. This was getting to be a habit. Maybe Andrea and I should consider pooling our resources so one of us could join the club, and then we could both come here as member and guest. We’d bring Chad, too, as a reward for his help.
We’d just finished when Tony came out of the kitchen with a tray. To my delight, it contained three pieces of coconut cake, which he placed in front of us. “Just a little thank-you for coming to our wedding. We appreciated it.”
“We wouldn’t have missed it,” I said. “Thanks so much. I love your desserts.”
He signaled the waiter for refills of our coffee and sat down with us. “We were lucky to have such great weather for the ceremony.”
“It was a lovely wedding,” Andrea said. “The reception was a pure pleasure, too.”
“Ruth would love to get to know you ladies better,” Tony said. “She hasn’t had much opportunity to make friends in this area. I’d appreciate it if you’d call the house some Tuesday and invite her to lunch. That’s her day off.”
Ruth wanted to get to know us better? This was contrary to everything I’d seen out of her. Tony had been so nice to us, though, that I felt we should make the effort. “We’d be glad to. We’ll call her next week. We can meet at the Courthouse Café, or if she’d enjoy the drive out to Pine Summit, at Nell Flanagan’s restaurant.”
“That would be perfect. I know she’ll enjoy meeting with you.”
We finished the cake and coffee, and Tony went back to the kitchen. “Shall we go to the restroom before we leave?” Jack asked.
We went down the hallway he’d pointed out earlier and entered the restrooms. A woman was coming toward us with a folder in her hand. When we came out, two men were standing nearby, talking. I went back into the restroom, where I’d wait till Andrea came back for me.
This didn’t take long. Andrea came in and said, “We’re ready now.”
“Where’s the Spring Fling held?” I asked Jack when we got back to the restaurant.
“Here, in this area. Some of the tables are moved to the wall for serving, and chairs line the walls. The rest of the tables are moved out somewhere.”
“Is there music?”
“Yes, and dancing. There’s a local group called the Downtown Boys. Have you ever heard of them?”
“No, but I’ll look forward to their music.” I hadn’t danced in years and didn’t particularly want to, but when on a case, we must attempt whatever we’re called on to do.
#
I’d been feeling frustrated with Andrea since she refused the ring Jack tried to give her, but I didn’t say anything till we were in the car on our way to Pine Summit. “I think you made a mistake when you didn’t accept the ring Jack wanted to give you. Aren’t you the least bit interested in him?”
She sighed. “He’s attractive in several ways, but I feel that I’d be making a mistake getting involved with someone at this stage in my life. I’ve been single for so long, I’m probably too set in my ways to adapt to a relationship.”
I was amazed that Andrea divulged this much about her thoughts and feelings concerning relationships. I didn’t know what to say, but I felt I should say something. “He seems flexible. Maybe he’d accept you as you are and adapt to your way of life.”
“Maybe so. I’ll give the situation some thought…when I find time, that is.”
I supposed his could be considered progress. I decided I’d said enough on the subject—anything more would probably cause her to clam up. I chatted about the beauty of the drive with the trees showing off their spring green.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jack insisted on coming out to Pine Summit to pick us up for the Spring Fling, but Andrea insisted just as forcefully that we’d drive in and park at his house. Andrea won out in the end, so we were on our way to Martindale, hoping we were dressed appropriately.
Jack looked fine in a dark suit and conservative tie. “You both look lovely,” he said as he held the doors of his black Lincoln for us. That made me think we were okay, fashion-wise. Now I could forget about how I looked and concentrate on our plan.
The parking lot was filling up when we arrived, and there were a lot of partiers in the Garden Room when we got inside. The musicians had started playing, and a few people were dancing. I’d worn more comfortable shoes this time—black patent with moderate heels—so I was ready for anything.
We went to a table bedecked with spring flowers and helped ourselves from a vast array of finger foods and soft drinks. I didn’t know about the other two, but I didn’t plan on drinking any alcohol that night. I needed to keep my wits about me. We took our plates to the row of chairs and found three together.
I noticed that Stuart Kerr and his wife were on the dance floor. “What’s Mrs. Kerr’s name?”
“It’s Faith, isn’t it?” Andrea asked, looking at Jack.
“That’s right…Faith,” he said.
We finished eating, and Andrea took out her cell phone. “Drat, there’s no signal in here.”
Our plan had been for Andrea to disappear down the hallway where Kerr’s office was located, and Jack and I would keep an eye on Kerr. If he started down the hall, we’d text her, and she could get out before he arrived. His office was in an offshoot from the main hallway, and we hoped he wouldn’t see her coming out the door. She would pretend to be looking for the restroom.
Jack and I took out our phones and confirmed that we couldn’t get a signal either. We were just about to come up with Plan B, when I looked up and saw Stuart Kerr coming toward me. He asked me to dance.
“I’m not much of a dancer, but…”
He took my hand and pulled me up. “You’ll do fine.”
We were on the floor in seconds, and he was twirling me around forcefully. He was an excellent dancer, easy to follow, and I thought maybe I was going to do all right. That is, until he opened his mouth.
“You and your sister have undertaken a dangerous job, volunteering for the sheriff.”
“Oh, I don’t think it’s so dangerous. We haven’t had any problems.”
“That doesn’t mean you won’t in the future.”
This conversation was beginning to send chills up my spine and cause me to lose my concentration. I stepped on his toe. “Oops! Sorry.”
“No problem. I’m just trying to make you aware of the risks involved in looking into Lea Logan’s murder.”
I made up my mind that I’d refuse to be frightened by this man. “Are you trying to warn me about something, Mr. Kerr? Or is it possible you’re threatening me?”
“No, no, not at all. I’m just concerned for your welfare.”
“That’s most considerate of you, but you don’t need to worry. We’re very adept at taking care of ourselves.”
We finished the dance in silence, and he walked me back to my seat. Andrea and Jack were on the dance floor now, so I sat and sipped my soft drink. When they came back, I whispered to Andrea, “I think we’ve been threatened.”
“Let’s go to the restroom.” And when we got there and checked that all the stalls were empty, “What did he say?”
I repeated my conversation with Kerr. “He made me nervous, and I stepped on his toe.”
“Good. He doesn’t realize he’s going out of his way to make himself seem guilty. Not the smartest thing he could do.”
I didn’t like this at all. “And what if you can’t?”
“I’ll be caught by Kerr and have to go on the offensive.”
Well, she was good at that, I’d admit, but I still didn’t like what I was hearing. “I think we should scrap the whole plan right now. We can come up with something safer, I’m sure.”
“No, we’re going to do it now. Let’s get back out there and sit down.”
We hadn’t been sitting long when Andrea excused herself and started toward the restroom. My eyes were glued on Kerr, who was dancing with a woman I didn’t recognize. The song ended, and he started toward the hallway.
I got up and tried to intercept him, but he walked around and right past me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jack leaving the area. We were in the hallway now, and I was practically trotting to keep up with him. “Mr. Kerr, I’m interested in joining the country club. Can you tell me what I need to do?”
He kept striding right along. “Come in during business hours and ask for Dora. She’ll take care of you.” He wasn’t slowing down at all.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, someone said. I pirouetted around till I was facing him, and he tried to go around me. I threw my arms around his neck. “Mr. Kerr! Our dance! It was so romantic!”
He tried to pry my hands away from his neck, and I pulled his head over and started kissing him. He struggled even more and finally managed to raise his head. “My wife! She’s in the restroom! She’ll be coming out any minute!”
“I don’t care!” I was still holding onto him.
Evil Under the Moon (Moon Mystery Series Book 5) Page 12
