by Diana Miller
“I’m getting drunk. My usual, Walt,” Dylan said, then returned his attention to Lexie. “I’m entitled, considering my grandfather’s dead and they arrested the only decent member of my family besides my sister.”
“You don’t think Ben did it?’
“Of course he didn’t do it,” Dylan said. “He got along with Grandfather better than the rest of us did. Plus he’s got money of his own. Nowhere near as much as he’d get from Grandfather, but how much do you need in a podunk place like this?”
“What about the guy you owe money to?” Lexie wasn’t about to take J.P.’s word for his innocence. “Have you heard from him?”
Dylan shook his head. “Not since you gave me that message. Maybe Jeremy and Olivia did it.”
“Together? Why would you think that?”
“Olivia showed up because Jeremy told her about Grandfather being shot and Ben being a suspect.”
“I thought she heard about it on the news.”
“Jeremy’s news network. I overheard him call her right after the police took Ben in for questioning. Another, Walt.”
Lexie’s forehead creased. “I thought Olivia hated Jeremy for dumping her after she left Ben.”
“If she did, she got over it,” Dylan said. “A few months ago I was in Manhattan visiting a friend. We were at Gramercy Tavern, and I spotted Jeremy and Olivia leaving, although they didn’t see me. I didn’t talk to them because they seemed to be in a hurry to get away. They looked pretty friendly, if you get my meaning.”
“When was that?” Lexie asked.
“Right before Easter. We were all at Nevermore for Easter, and I kept waiting for Jeremy to needle Ben about being back with Olivia. But he never did.”
Lexie walked out of Walt’s a few minutes later, slipping on her sunglasses against the bright sunlight. Maybe Jeremy and Olivia’s lunch had been professional, and Dylan had misread the situation. Maybe it had nothing to do with Max’s murder.
Except the first attempt on Max’s life had been made at Easter dinner, just after Dylan claimed to have seen Jeremy and Olivia together.
She opened her purse and pulled out her cell phone.
CHAPTER 17
Ben was the first to arrive at sherry hour that evening. He poured himself a large Scotch from the bottle in the parlor’s liquor cabinet, adding only a single cube from the ice bucket. Usually he preferred a few more rocks, but he was counting on alcohol to make him feel better.
He’d spent the day at work hoping it would distract him. He’d also been hoping that while he was fixing a leaky carburetor on a Yamaha Blaster, his subconscious might come up with a few ideas how to find Grandfather’s killer. Unfortunately his subconscious hadn’t had any better luck than his conscious brain had, maybe because work hadn’t distracted him from grief and worry. He took a bracing sip of Scotch.
“Is Olivia gone yet?” Cecilia asked as she strode into the parlor. From her tone, more than three years’ absence hadn’t made her any fonder of his ex-wife.
Ben shook his head. “She’s planning to stick around for a while.”
“Can’t you get rid of her?”
“She did post my bail,” Ben said. Although he’d already paid her back. The truth was that at the moment, he couldn’t handle the drama trying to convince Olivia to leave would undoubtedly entail. It was easier to let her stay.
“Could you two tell everyone I won’t be at dinner tonight?” Jeremy was standing in the parlor doorway. “I’m taking Lexie to Cleo’s.” He grinned. “I told her I didn’t appreciate that she’d lied to me about who she really is and especially that she’d pretended to be Ben’s girlfriend when she wasn’t. She’s promised to make it up to me. I’ll be back at Nevermore by one, although it’s going to be a sacrifice.”
“I thought Lexie went back to Philadelphia,” Ben said when Jeremy had left.
“Dylan said she’s staying at the Lakeview Inn,” Cecilia said. “Haven’t you talked to her?”
“No. You look beautiful tonight, Olivia,” Ben told his ex-wife as she paused in the parlor doorway before making her entrance.
“I’m feeling exceptionally well,” Olivia said, walking over to him. “It must be getting out of the city.” She flashed a cover-girl smile, resting her hand on Ben’s sleeve. “Or maybe it’s something else.”
“You know, I can’t face another family dinner,” he said. “Why don’t we go to Cleo’s? The owner’s a friend, so I know we can get a table.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Olivia said. “I’ll get my purse.”
“What’s that about?” Cecilia asked when Olivia had left the parlor.
To be honest, Ben was hoping that seeing Lexie at the restaurant might break the ice, that she’d tell him she didn’t believe he was guilty and was willing to discuss things with him. But he wasn’t about to share that with Cecilia, if only because it might end up being wishful thinking. “As I said, I’m not up to a family dinner.”
Cecilia narrowed her eyes at him. “There are other restaurants.”
“Not that meet Olivia’s standards.”
“So take me. You don’t want to go with Olivia.”
Ben actually would have preferred Cecilia’s company. However, pride wouldn’t let him show up with his cousin when Jeremy had a date with Lexie. “Please don’t tell me how to run my personal life.”
Cecilia waved her hand. “Why not? I’m an expert at screwing up my own. I want you to benefit from my mistakes. I won’t let you get back with Olivia in a moment of weakness. Especially not when you can have someone like Lexie.”
“Lexie and I had a one-night stand. My only interest in her now is that she’s the attorney for Grandfather’s trust and wants to identify his killer. That’s why I hate it that she thinks I’m guilty.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t,” Cecilia said. “If you won’t call her, I will.”
“Don’t,” Ben said firmly. “I don’t want you putting her in a difficult situation. I’ve done enough already.”
“And you think showing up at Cleo’s with Olivia will make things easier for her?” Cecilia shook her head. “Enjoy your dinner.”
# # #
After talking to Dylan, Lexie had called Jeremy, claiming the trustee wanted her to meet with each beneficiary. Jeremy had suggested meeting over dinner at Cleo’s, and she’d had no reason to turn him down. She had to eat, and two fast food meals in one day probably wasn’t a good idea. Although she doubted a Lakeview restaurant would be much of a step up.
Cleo’s surprised her. The décor was simple—cedar-paneled walls covered with framed photos of area scenery, surrounding wooden tables and chairs that were more sturdy than decorative. However, one wall was virtually all windows and provided a spectacular view of Lake Superior. The menu was inventive and the wine list interesting. The restaurant was less than half full tonight, but Jeremy said on weekends it was packed, people driving from Duluth and Thunder Bay just to eat there despite hours-long waits and a no-reservations policy.
Lexie had stuck to small talk since Jeremy had picked her up at her motel. Now that they’d ordered and their wine had been served, it was time to get to the point of this dinner.
“Who do you think killed your grandfather?” she asked. The real point was to confirm what Dylan had told her about Jeremy and Olivia, but Lexie didn’t want to open with that. Besides, Jeremy was intelligent and knew the players better than she did, so he might be able to help her find the real killer.
“Probably Ben, since the gun and note can be traced to him and he’s the only person who knew Grandfather was alive.”
Assuming she could shake Jeremy’s knee-jerk prejudice against Ben, that is. “Why would Ben have waited to kill Max if he wanted him dead?” Lexie asked. “Doesn’t it make more sense that the murderer was someone who’d just found out Max was alive?”
“Maybe Ben and Grandfather had a falling out,” Jeremy said. “To be honest, it’s hard for me to believe Ben’s capable of murder, but the evidence poin
ts to him. And I don’t know who else would have done it.”
“Did you have a clue that Max was alive?” she asked, watching him intently. “Was I the only one in the dark?”
Jeremy shook his head, his eyes wide. “God, no. I couldn’t believe it when I saw him lying on the ground.”
Lexie took a sip of the excellent pinot noir Jeremy had ordered. His claim to have been shocked had sounded and even looked truthful, but he might be an exceptionally good liar. God knows she’d seen some lawyers convincingly spouting positions that should have had their noses hanging down to their knees.
“Look who’s here,” Jeremy said.
Lexie followed Jeremy’s gaze and choked on her wine. Ben and Olivia were walking into the restaurant. What an unpleasant coincidence.
“I mentioned to Ben that we were having dinner here. He’s obviously showing me that Olivia now prefers him.”
Okay, so it wasn’t a coincidence. And what Ben really intended to demonstrate was that things were over between them. “It doesn’t bother you to see him with her?” Ben and Olivia’s arrival did provide the perfect segue to quiz Jeremy about his relationship with Olivia.
“Not a bit,” Jeremy said. “Once I got to know her, I discovered I was much more attracted to her looks than to her personality. Ben’s welcome to her.”
“You’ve kept in touch with her, though.”
“Nope. I haven’t seen or even talked to Olivia since we broke things off.” He took Lexie’s hand. “I much prefer sexy Philadelphia lawyers.”
“Especially since I slept with Ben.”
Jeremy had the grace to look embarrassed. “Okay, I’ll admit that in the past I was a little competitive with Ben, but I’ve outgrown that. My interest in you has nothing to do with Ben.”
Maybe Jeremy’s interest was because he thought he’d be able to convince her of Ben’s guilt as a way of covering up his own. He’d lied about his contacts with Olivia.
Assuming Dylan hadn’t lied about seeing Jeremy and Olivia together in Manhattan to cover his own guilt.
Lexie glanced toward Ben and Olivia just in time to see them being seated at a corner table, obviously anxious for privacy. She returned her attention to Jeremy. “I think we’ve talked enough about Ben. Tell me about your new business venture.”
# # #
By the time they’d finished dinner, Lexie knew enough about Jeremy’s new business venture to check it out. Even without checking, it sounded viable to her. He also was traveling to London to watch Wimbledon at the end of the month—he was an avid tennis player—and was waiting for a Porsche he’d special-ordered nine weeks ago. He’d insisted on paying for dinner and used a platinum Visa that was accepted without a problem. Combined with what she’d learned the afternoon they’d spent on the speedboat, Jeremy didn’t sound at all hurting for money.
On the other hand, appearances could be deceiving. Jeremy also clearly had expensive tastes. He could have been willing to kill for the chance to be filthy rich, as opposed to simply extremely well off.
“Before we leave, we should stop by and acknowledge Ben and Olivia,” Jeremy said after he’d signed the credit card receipt.
That was the last thing Lexie wanted to do, but she couldn’t object. She certainly didn’t want Ben thinking she was crushed about his reconciliation with his wife.
“I was surprised to see you here tonight, Ben,” Jeremy said when he and Lexie had reached the cozy corner table. Ben was sitting on one side with Olivia directly to his left.
Ben set down his fork. He’d nearly finished his steak and scallops, but Olivia appeared to have only taken a couple of bites of her lemongrass-crusted salmon with watercress ginger sauce. Either she was a slow eater or one of those annoying women who only pretended to eat, even when the food was fantastic—as Lexie knew it was since she’d ordered the same thing and wolfed it down.
“When you mentioned eating out, I realized that for once you had a good idea,” Ben told Jeremy, and then he met Lexie’s eyes. “How are you, Catherine?”
“Everyone’s still calling me Lexie,” she said. “It’s easier.”
“Lexie, then. How long are you going to be around?”
“That’s up in the air right now.”
“It’s nice to see the two of you together again,” Jeremy said.
Ben snorted. “Right.”
“I’m serious,” Jeremy said. “I regret the part I played in the breakup of your marriage. I hope you can work things out.”
Olivia rested a possessive hand on Ben’s arm. “We intend to.”
Lexie had to admit she was disappointed as she accompanied Jeremy out of the restaurant. She’d hoped Ben would have suggested getting together to discuss the murder, since she could use his help. He not only hadn’t, but he hadn’t even acted as if they were friends. Now that he was back with his wife, he probably considered any contact with his one-night stand awkward. Or maybe he didn’t think she’d be any help finding Max’s murderer. After all, she hadn’t been able to do it in time to save Max’s life.
In either case, she could take a hint. If she was going to find Max’s murderer, she was on her own.
# # #
The next morning, Lexie headed to Nevermore.
After she’d gotten back to the motel and rid herself of Jeremy—which had proven a bigger challenge than she’d anticipated—she’d realized that even without Ben, she didn’t have to do this alone. Trey would want his best friend’s murderer punished, and Cecilia would want to help Ben. Assuming Cecilia wasn’t guilty, but Lexie couldn’t believe she was, and not just because she liked her. If Cecilia had done it, she wouldn’t have framed Ben.
Lexie sped up when she got out of town. A sparkling Lake Superior filled her rearview mirror, and thick pines and birch trees surrounded the hilly road with green velvet and touches of silver. She’d disliked this road, but that’s when she’d thought it was where Max had died. Now she could appreciate its beauty. She pushed the brake to take a curve.
The car didn’t slow.
She pushed the pedal down again and again. Nothing happened. The car kept careening forward, rounding the curve, and then speeding up as she descended a steep hill.
Lexie’s heart was pounding, pumping cold panic through her body. A yellow warning sign announced a winding road and recommended a speed of thirty. She was going seventy. She fumbled for the emergency brake and pulled it, bracing herself for a fast stop.
The car continued speeding downhill.
She should downshift, but the car was already entering a curve. She needed both hands on the wheel to stay on the road, didn’t dare take one off for even a second. Her hammering heart was pummeling her lungs, making it hard to breathe. She was going so fast she could barely read the sign warning this wasn’t a single curve but several.
The other lane was blessedly empty, so Lexie muscled the steering wheel around the first curve, going wide. The car was traveling even faster as she jerked the steering wheel as hard as she could the other way, trying to make the next curve.
She didn’t.
Max might not have died this way, but she was about to.
That was her last thought before the car split the wire cord barrier and plunged into the ravine.
EPISODE 6
CHAPTER 18
“Catherine Barrington’s been in a car accident.”
Ben’s gut had clenched when Mike showed up at the garage wearing his police uniform, but his words twisted it inside out. “Is she okay?” Ben asked.
“Just a little bruised,” Mike said. “She’s damn lucky. She hit one of the few trees that would have stopped her car, and the airbag kept her from getting hurt worse.”
Thank God. Ben’s conscience couldn’t handle another death or even serious injury, and this one would have definitely been on his conscience. If he’d talked Grandfather out of his stupid plan in the first place, Lexie would never have been involved. “What happened?”
Mike leaned against the wall beneath one
of the dozen posters that decorated the garage, this one an old ad featuring the Michelin Man. “That’s what I need to ask you,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“A couple of hours ago when Catherine was driving up to Nevermore, her brakes went out. The emergency brake didn’t work, either. That all seems a little unlikely when she’s driving a new rental car, not unless they had some help. Did you give them that help?”
This time it was Ben’s fist that clenched. “You think I tampered with Lexie’s brakes? Why the hell would I do that?”
Mike crossed his arms, accentuating his stomach rolls. With all the weight he’d gained since high school, he looked a little like the Michelin Man himself, stuffed into a cop uniform. “Everyone in town knows she’s trying to find out who killed Max.”
“Since I didn’t kill Grandfather, I want her to find the truth,” Ben said. “Besides, you guys already think I did it. Why would I be concerned about Lexie?”
“You know we might not have enough evidence to convict you, not with that slick New York City lawyer you got defending you. But Ms. Barrington’s a big-city lawyer herself, so she could probably find enough new evidence to put you away.”
Ben pressed his fists against his sides, resisting the urge to beat some sense into Mike. He couldn’t believe that the cops actually thought he’d ever hurt Lexie. “Were Lexie’s brakes tampered with last night?” he asked, managing to keep his tone level. “Because I had dinner at Cleo’s, then went back to Nevermore. I’ve got witnesses.”
“We don’t rightly know when it was done,” Mike said. “Ms. Barrington hasn’t driven her car since two days ago, and it’s been sitting in the lot behind the Lakeview Inn.”
“So anyone could have done it,” Ben pointed out.
“Assuming someone else knew what to do, which I doubt.”
“I’m sure there are Internet sites that explain how to drain brake fluid or cut the brake line.” Ben’s voice had an edge—he was losing his battle to control his temper.
