On the Hunt

by SUE FINEMAN

  Dave opened his hands in a questioning gesture. “Then why in the hell did they live here? He’s supposedly retired, and from the looks of their house, they have enough money to live anywhere.”

  “Mrs. Edwards said Edwin had always wanted to live in the mountains. They moved here and rented a house while they had their home built. I asked her why they needed a hidden bedroom and bathroom, and she said it was the maid’s quarters.”

  “Yeah, right,” muttered Dave.

  Philadelphia. The answers had to be in Philadelphia.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The more he thought about it, the more Dave knew he’d met Edwards in Philadelphia. Stipes could handle the investigation in Clover Hills, Kowalski could work on the Assad angle, and Dave would do a little socializing in Philly.

  “Mia, how would you like to go to Philadelphia with me?”

  “Why are we going there?”

  “To dig into Edwin Edwards’ background.”

  “Okay. When?”

  “Tonight. We’ll stay overnight in Denver and go on to Philly tomorrow. I need to stop at home for clothes.” He’d been wearing casual clothes in Clover Hills, but the social scene in Philadelphia required something dressier.

  Mia had brought most of her clothes with her when she’d moved out of her apartment. “Pack some party clothes, Mia. We’re going to be socializing.”

  He needed to call his mother. Even though he’d be working on the case, they needed a place to stay, and his parents had a lot of social contacts.

  <>

  Mia and Dave arrived in Denver late at night. Dave walked into his apartment behind Mia, and realized how sterile it looked, as if no one lived there. “Not much of a home, is it?”

  She ran her hand over the back of his leather sofa. “Your furniture is nice.”

  He didn’t want to tell her a former girlfriend had helped him pick it out. “Sorry I don’t have time to show you around Denver. Maybe on the way back.”

  “I’d like that, Dave.”

  They slept at his apartment and made slow, sweet love in the same bed he’d shared with countless other women.

  The last woman he’d dated, blonde and beautiful, her body toned and sculpted to perfection, talked incessantly about eating right and exercising. He couldn’t convince her there was more to life than where to buy the freshest organic produce, which brand of soy had the best nutritional value, and which exercises toned and firmed your buns. He enjoyed their physical relationship, but she couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation unless it was about diet and exercise. It was all her tiny little brain would hold.

  Mia had everything he’d ever wanted in a woman—beauty, intelligence, compassion. She’d forgiven him for listening to Greg, and he wanted to be sure he didn’t mess things up again. Knowing what happened in Boston made him fearful about her reaction tomorrow, when she found out where they were staying.

  <>

  They flew first class from Denver to Philly, the only seats available on the flight. Dave didn’t mind going commercial, but he missed his own plane. They’d all been incredibly lucky the day he crash landed in the desert. A less experienced pilot could have lost his passengers along with the airplane.

  As they approached the airport in Philadelphia, Dave glanced at Mia’s face. He had to tell her before they got to the house. On a Saturday, his father should be home, unless he had a golf game or something going. His mother said they were having dinner at the club with friends that night, and Dave and his friend were welcome to come along. He’d brought Mia to help him investigate the social scene. Or so he tried to tell himself.

  They retrieved the rental car and Dave began the long drive through the heavy traffic to his family home. As he neared their destination, he couldn’t delay it any longer. “Mia, we’re not staying at a hotel.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because we need help getting into the social scene. I know the right people to get us into places we wouldn’t otherwise be admitted, so—”

  “We’re staying with people you know?”

  He pulled off the main road and into a neighborhood he now realized looked pretentious. “Mia, we’re staying with my parents.”

  All the air whooshed out of the car and Mia couldn’t breathe. How could he do this to her? He knew what happened with Ted, and he knew she wouldn’t have come if she’d known they were staying with his parents. “Why didn’t you tell me? For God’s sake, Dave, why in the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  He pulled through the black iron gates and around the circle drive to the front door. “Because you wouldn’t have come and I need you here.”

  “I’ll stay in a hotel.”

  “You’ll stay right here, with me. I need your help with this investigation and I want you to meet my parents.”

  She looked through the side window at the house. The imposing gray stone structure looked more like a hotel than a home. “Nobody’s parents live in a place like this.”

  “Mine do. Here comes my mother.”

  Mia unfastened her seatbelt, her hands shaking with dread and anger. He should have found someone else to work on this case with him, because she didn’t want to be here. She really didn’t want to be here.

  Dave hugged a tall, slender woman with blond hair and blue eyes. She wore beige slacks and a dark blue sweater set. And pearls. Of course. They were probably real. Mia didn’t own any pearls and probably never would.

  Dave opened the car door and helped her out. Mia forced a smile. “Mrs. Montgomery, how nice to meet you.”

  “Please call me Margaret, and it’s nice to have you here, Mia. Dave tells me you’re a friend and business associate.” Margaret put her arm through Mia’s and they walked inside together. “The naughty boy never brings anyone home.”

  “I did in college,” came the deep voice from behind Mia. “I brought Greg home for spring break a couple times, remember?”

  “Oh, yes, the boy with the curly hair.”

  “Greg is Mia’s brother.”

  Margaret glanced at Mia. “You don’t look anything alike.”

  “We’re all adopted,” said Mia, “all four of us.”

  “Isn’t that wonderful. Victoria, David’s oldest sister, has an adopted child.”

  “When did that happen?” asked Dave.

  “Her husband was a widower, so she adopted his little girl. She’s a cutie, with big green eyes. Victoria has three children from her first husband, but they’re all grown, so she’s learning how to be a mother all over again.”

  “My brother Bo has two adopted children, his wife’s little boy and a stray my mother took in. Katie’s mother was a heroin addict who died of an overdose.” Mia didn’t know why she’d said that, except for the shock value.

  All the color left Margaret’s face. “Your mother takes in... strays?”

  “Kids who need someone to love them, kids who can’t stay at home for one reason or another. Right now, she’s just taking care of my grandmother, but I’m sure if another kid comes along who needs her, she’ll be there for them.”

  “What an incredibly unselfish thing to do,” said Margaret.

  Outside, the house had an imposing, old-world look about it, and it was even more beautiful inside. The entry had a gray slate floor, and the rooms Mia could see had beautiful hardwood floors polished to a shine and dotted with large area rugs. The furniture looked like priceless European antiques, and the subtle wallpaper was the perfect backdrop for the beautiful paintings in the living room. Everything she saw looked expensive. Mia didn’t want to touch anything for fear she’d break it and spend the rest of her life paying for it.

  Dave caught her eye and winked. He looked so smug and sure of himself, she could strangle him. He might feel at ease here, but she didn’t.

  “You must be tired from your trip,” said Margaret. “David, I had the maid make up the blue room for our guest. Why don’t you bring in your things while I see about refreshments?”

  Margaret disappeared,
leaving Mia alone with Dave.

  “What are you thinking about, Mia?”

  “Cleaning my gun.”

  She followed him outside to get her dress bag. As soon as they walked outside the door, he grabbed her and kissed her. She backed away. “No more of that or I’ll sue you for sexual harassment. You’re my boss, Dave.” Although she wasn’t on the FBI payroll, she was effectively working for him.

  He leaned close to whisper, “And your lover.”

  “Not in this house, you’re not.” She grabbed her bag from the trunk and walked back inside. Dave followed her through the door, and he did not look happy. She had a feeling this wouldn’t be an easy stay, but she couldn’t run away this time. Dave hadn’t introduced her as anything but a friend and business associate, and he wouldn’t get any more than friendship and work while they were here. His family didn’t have anything to worry about, because she didn’t plan a future with their son. She had no intention of muddying their family bloodline.

  Dave insisted on lugging everything upstairs by himself, and she let him have at it. The less time she spent with him, the better.

  After Dave came downstairs, Margaret served tea and cookies in the family room, which looked nearly as formal as the living room. Mia couldn’t picture kids in this house.

  Mia chatted with Dave’s mother and finished a cup of tea before saying, “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to unpack.”

  Margaret stood. “I’ll show you to your room.”

  “No, please. Just point me in the right direction. I’m a cop. I can find almost anything.” Except the right man. “You stay and talk with David.”

  “Top of the stairs and to the right, second room on the left. The room is decorated in blue.”

  Mia thanked her hostess and escaped from the too-perfect room. Her mother furnished her house with castoffs, hand-me-downs, and children’s art. It wasn’t pretty like this, but it was a comfortable place to be, a place where someone could put their feet on the coffee table. If the kids spilled a drink, they wiped it up and forgot about it. A spilled drink on one of the antique rugs in this house could be disastrous.

  She walked up the stairs and down the hall, glancing in the open doors. Margaret had decorated each room in a different color. The yellow room with matching canopy beds looked like a little girl’s room, only it was too perfect, right down to the toys neatly placed on the shelves in the corner.

  Dave had left her suitcase on the bed and hung her dress bag in the closet. She unpacked her clothes, wondering how long he planned to stay in Philly. Mia knew without asking that Dave hadn’t told his mother he’d brought his lover to her home.

  A big man with Dave’s dark hair and bright blue eyes poked his head in the door. A touch of gray at the temples and deep wrinkles around his eyes gave away his age. He had to be Dave’s father. He had lipstick on his collar, and it wasn’t the same shade his wife wore.

  “I’m Stan Montgomery. You must be...” He snapped his fingers. “It’s right on the tip of my tongue.”

  She smiled. “Mia Gregory, your son’s friend and business associate.”

  Without moving his head, his eyes scanned her body. “Welcome, Mia Gregory. Where’s David?”

  “Downstairs with his mother.”

  He nodded. “Need some help unpacking?”

  “No, thanks. I’m finished.”

  “I guess I’ll mosey on downstairs then.” He turned toward the door.

  “Stan?” He turned back to her. “If that’s not your wife’s lipstick on your collar, I suggest you change your shirt first.”

  A sheepish grin told her she’d guessed right. Dave’s father had a lover, probably a woman a little less perfect than his wife.

  A minute or two later, he returned to her room and sat on the corner of her bed. He wore a different shirt. “You’re a beautiful woman, Mia. Are you and Dave... ?” He waved his hand and she knew what he meant.

  She cocked her head. “Would you approve if we were?”

  “I most definitely would. Do you like to dance?”

  She almost laughed. “I love to dance.”

  “So do I. Save at least one for me tonight. Margaret would rather gossip than dance.”

  She sat beside him on the bed. “Stan, I’m not accustomed to this kind of socializing. Help me out here. How dressed up do I need to be tonight?”

  “Show me what you brought with you.”

  Pulling one dress after another out of the closet, she showed him the four dresses she’d brought with her. The only other dresses she owned were dance costumes, and if she wore one of those in Philadelphia, she’d embarrass Dave. She might embarrass him anyway.

  “I like the red one,” he said. “Do you have a cape or something to wear with it?”

  “No, I don’t own a dressy coat.”

  “Victoria left one here somewhere.” He left the room and returned carrying a black velvet cape with a satin lining. “Victoria wore it once and decided she didn’t like it, so she left it here.”

  “What a shame. It’s beautiful.”

  Mia liked Dave’s father even if he was having an affair with another woman. She liked his mother, too. If only they lived in a real house instead of a museum.

  <>

  Dave talked with his parents for a few minutes before going upstairs to get ready for their dinner at the club. He put on his dark gray wool suit with a pale blue cashmere sweater. It was a little informal for the club, but it brought out the blue in his eyes, and Mia loved it when he wore anything blue.

  Mia had put her hair up in a figure eight twist. She’d worn a red dress, and she looked awesome in it, but he knew nearly every other woman in the room would wear black. “Mia, didn’t you bring a black dress?”

  “Yes, but your father said he liked this one. Don’t you like it?”

  “I love it. You’d look beautiful in anything, and red is definitely your color. It’s just—”

  “David,” his mother called from downstairs. “We’re ready to leave.”

  “Just what?” said Mia.

  “Nothing.” He kissed her lightly and helped her with her wrap, and they walked downstairs together.

  The elegant club overlooked a pretty little lake. A huge crystal chandelier hung over the dance floor, and the dance band in the corner played songs Mia had heard on the oldies station back home. As she glanced around the room, she noticed most of the people there were oldies, and she stifled a laugh.

  Stan took her wrap and Margaret’s coat while Dave escorted them to the table. Margaret scanned Mia’s dress, but she didn’t say anything. Mia noticed every woman in the room wore black or dark, muted colors. Mistake or not, she couldn’t change her dress now. Mia held up her head. They’d come here on business, not pleasure, and she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted by the color of her dress. Besides, she loved this dress and knew she looked good in it.

  The elderly couple they sat with smiled, and as soon as they’d ordered drinks and exchanged pleasantries, Stan grabbed Mia’s hand and took her to the dance floor. “Let’s show these old fogies how it’s done.” He spun her around and bent her back over his arm, and gave it his best. Dave and his mother danced together, but they watched Stan and Mia.

  As soon as the dance ended and another began, they changed partners. This time, Dave didn’t hold anything back and neither did Mia. Stan and Margaret stood back, eyes wide. Mia wondered how inappropriate it was to show off in Dave’s parents’ club, but Dave didn’t seem worried. They didn’t do any fancy lifts or anything wild, but they danced well together. From the smile on Dave’s face, she knew he enjoyed himself.

  Scattered applause when the dance ended said others had watched them dance. Stan clapped his son on the back and kissed Mia on the cheek. “You brought a ringer.”

  “She has two boxes of trophies from ballroom dance contests,” said Dave. “She’s a better dancer than all the rest of us put together.”

  They table-hopped on the way back to their own table, and
Stan introduced Mia and David to so many people, she lost count. This was why they’d come here, to be introduced around and given a reason to contact people during the course of the investigation.

  As the evening progressed, several men asked Mia to dance, and she happily accommodated every one of them. She danced with Stan again, showing him some fancy steps of her own, and he joked with her much like Dave always did. And then Stan turned the conversation to a more serious topic.

  “I’d always hoped David would get tired of his work and come home to take over my business, but I know now it won’t happen. Business isn’t as exciting as the work he does with the FBI. Are you with the FBI, too?”

  “No, I had just quit my job—I was a police officer—and stumbled into Dave’s investigation. We’d met before, when my brother, Greg, brought him home for Christmas one year.”

  “I remember Greg.”

  “They’re still good friends. Greg spent several years in the DEA, and now he’s a sheriff in Texas. Our father was a police officer, too.” She didn’t tell him how her father died. It would only make him worry about his son’s safety, a burden she didn’t want to put on his shoulders.

  “You said you quit your job. What do you plan to do?”

  “I’m thinking about opening a dance studio and teaching, but I don’t know.”

  He put his hand over hers. “My son is a damn fool if he lets you go. You are the best thing that could happen to him. Anyone can see he’s crazy about you.”

  “Oh, we don’t... I mean we haven’t talked about...”

  “You will, and I hope you’ll say yes when he asks.”

  It was the last thing she’d expected to hear from Dave’s father, although this didn’t mean his mother felt the same way. She was such a perfectionist, Mia doubted any woman would be good enough for her son.

  The old couple they’d had dinner with went home, and Dave sat alone with his mother. They watched his father and Mia on the dance floor.

  “He’s in heaven,” she said. “Your father loves to dance.”