by Diana Miller
Ben grimaced. “I wasn’t trying to embarrass you,” he said. “The cocktail waitress girlfriend thing was actually Grandfather’s inspiration, and I couldn’t talk him out of it.”
“Because he thought people would be less likely to suspect I was really his lawyer?”
“So he claimed. I think it was more because he was trying to manipulate both of us. He thought pretending to be a cocktail waitress would force you to be more laid back, and he was hoping you’d like it. The girlfriend part was to force me into close contact with someone intelligent, which he hoped would make me realize I missed using my brain and decide to go back to Wall Street.”
That sounded exactly like Max, thinking he could mold real lives the way he did fictional ones. “You left New York and your job because of your divorce, right?” Lexie hadn’t even left the country club Neil and Deidre also belonged to. Maybe Melissa was right that she hadn’t loved Neil enough.
“It’s more complicated than that,” Ben said. “A close friend dropped dead of a heart attack. He was only thirty-eight, and it freaked me out so much that I reevaluated my life. I realized I was burned out, sick of working long hours making money for people who didn’t need or deserve it. I wanted to do something that might pay less but would be more rewarding in other ways. And would give me time to spend with a family. Unfortunately Olivia wasn’t thrilled with the idea.”
“About your changing jobs?”
“Or having a family.” He picked a pen off the desk, gripping it like a knife and stabbing the blotter as he spoke. “When we got married, I assumed she wanted kids someday. I’d either read her wrong or she’d changed her mind, because she didn’t want kids or anything else that would alter our lifestyle. We argued about it a lot, although I was sure we’d work it out. Then she left me for Jeremy, and I snapped. I’d worked as a mechanic in high school and college summers and liked it. So I decided I was going to change my whole life, starting by moving back to Lakeview and becoming the world’s most fair and honest auto mechanic.”
He dropped the pen. “Grandfather’s murder must be related to whatever he wanted to talk to me about that night.”
Lexie accepted Ben’s abrupt change of subject. Memory Lane wasn’t her favorite street, either. Although now she understood his refusal to date any woman who might want a career. From his history with his father and his ex-wife, he assumed that someone career-driven wouldn’t be able to focus on both him and having a family. He was wrong, but she could understand it now.
“If so, wouldn’t Max have given me a hint when he appeared to me?” she asked.
“Not if he wasn’t positive he was right and planned to meet me a couple of hours later to discuss it,” Ben said. “He might have intended to confront the person he thought was guilty and invited that person to the meeting, too, thinking I’d be there to protect him if necessary.” His features clenched, as if he were fighting a cramp. “When I didn’t show up, Grandfather confronted the killer alone and ended up dead.”
“Maybe he just wanted to tell you that he’d appeared to me so I wouldn’t catch you off-guard,” Lexie said. “When he went outside to wait for you, someone saw him, panicked, and killed him.”
Ben shot her an I-don’t-buy-it look. “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate it.” At least he didn’t appear quite so pained. “Let’s assume Grandfather learned something important, probably related to the previous attempts on his life. You should check out the secret passages and the room he stayed in for clues. The cops have done it and so have I, but maybe you’ll notice something I missed.”
“We should also check his laptop.”
“The police have it now, but I checked it out first,” Ben said. “The only things on it are letters to his agent and publishers and his newest work in progress. A great premise, but no clues there. You said you’ve learned something?”
Lexie told him what she’d learned about Muriel. “And Dylan told me something, but I’m not sure it’s true.”
“What?”
“He claims he overheard Jeremy call Olivia and tell her about Max’s murder and your arrest.”
“Jeremy probably did call her, figuring it would cause problems between you and me.”
“The thing is, Dylan also claims he saw Jeremy and Olivia lunching together in New York, just before Easter.”
“After Dylan’s had a winning streak, he spends a lot of time in Manhattan, so he could have seen them.”
“Dylan said that the way they were acting, he assumed they’d gotten back together,” Lexie said. “But Jeremy told me that he hadn’t talked to Olivia since they broke up, so Dylan could have made the whole thing up, trying to deflect suspicion from himself.” If they were going to find Max’s murderer, she needed to be straight with Ben, but he was down enough without thinking he’d lost Olivia once again.
Ben rocked back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “Maybe Jeremy and Olivia are together but keeping it secret. Maybe Jeremy killed Grandfather, and she’s trying to stay close enough to me to make sure I’m convicted.”
“I can’t believe that,” Lexie said. Ben sounded remarkably complacent about his theory, but pride naturally had him hiding how much the possibility hurt. “When I ran into Olivia at the jail, she told me she’d changed and realized she wanted you enough to compromise.”
Ben righted his chair. “I have a feeling that learning I’m about to inherit a fortune has a lot to do with Olivia’s renewed interest in me. She called the day after everyone thought Grandfather had been killed in a car accident, which was the first time I’d talked to her since our divorce. She claimed she’d wanted to get back together for a while, but hadn’t proposed it to me because she knew Grandfather wouldn’t approve after her affair with Jeremy. That doesn’t sound like Olivia, though. She’d have assumed she could convince me to defy Grandfather.”
“You’re willing to take her back even though you believe she’s only after your money?” That Ben loved Olivia that much made Lexie’s chest ache, but it was just from hurt pride. “Sorry, that’s none of my business,” she quickly added.
Ben was looking at her as if she’d spoken in tongues, not just tactlessly. “Who said I’m willing to take her back?”
“Olivia said you’re getting back together. She’s also staying at Nevermore with you.”
“Not in my room. She’s only at Nevermore because I didn’t think I could refuse her request to stay there after she loaned me bail money when I was having trouble getting the cash.” He picked up the pen again, turning it over in his fingers. “The truth is, I’ve realized Jeremy did me a favor breaking up our marriage. Olivia and I really don’t have that much in common.”
Lexie nodded slowly. “Because she’s a smart, ambitious professional woman, and you’re done with that kind of life.”
“No, because Olivia cares more about money than people,” Ben said. “Plus she’s a little too bitchy for my taste.” He was flicking the pen against his thigh now. “Against all my convictions, I’ve discovered I’m attracted to another smart, ambitious professional woman. Which shows what a masochist I am, since she clearly prefers Jeremy.”
Lexie’s eyes widened. “I only went to dinner with Jeremy to ask about his relationship with Olivia. As I told you before, he isn’t my type.”
Ben stood, then took her hand and pulled her to her feet. The smile he gave her made desire coil in her stomach. “I want to show you something.”
She followed him out of the office to a red convertible with a tan interior parked in the back of the garage. “Nice car,” she said. “Although I don’t know much about cars.”
“This is a beauty. It’s a 1967 Corvette, to my mind one of the hottest Corvettes ever made, with great performance features. This one has been completely rebuilt with a close-ratio four-speed transmission and a three-fifty-horsepower engine.” Ben patted the hood, then released her hand and circled the car as he continued. “It’s got nineteen factory options, including power eve
rything, a speed-warning dashboard, and headrest seats. It might not be a trailer queen—”
“A what?”
“A car that’s rarely driven and usually transported by trailer,” Ben said. “But it’s been perfectly maintained. It’s a hell of a car.” He stopped walking when he was directly in front of her. “Now I have a question for you.”
“About the car?” Her heart was hammering, and she was a little breathless.
“Sort of.” He moved toward her, backing her against the passenger door. She could feel him already hard against her, and her body heated in response.
“Here’s the question.” His voice was low and a little rough. “Have you ever done it in a ’67 Corvette?”
# # #
So now she could add sneaking around to her list of sins, Lexie thought as she pulled out of Ben’s garage a couple of hours later. Not that she had any real reason to sneak around, since she and Ben were both single, but it still was undoubtedly something a proper Barrington didn’t do, so obvious her mother hadn’t considered a specific rule necessary. She could guarantee that having sex with a suspected murderer fell into the obvious category, no matter how convinced she was of Ben’s innocence.
Yet she had absolutely no qualms about what she’d done, which worried her. She was supposed to feel at least a little guilty about her improper behavior. She was starting to think maybe she wasn’t a Barrington at all, that her parents had brought the wrong baby home from the hospital. Or maybe she’d really been born to her Aunt Jessica, who’d decided she didn’t want a child. Although it was hard to imagine Jessica consenting to have her biological daughter named Catherine Alexandra, let alone raised by her stuffy sister.
Lexie smiled faintly. She was still very glad she’d been born years before Jessica had taken up with Max. Discovering she was Max’s long-lost daughter while having a fling with his grandson was a complication this already convoluted adventure did not need.
CHAPTER 20
Trey called at eight the next morning. “I hope I didn’t wake you,” he said. “I need to talk to you.”
That was convenient, since Lexie had planned to call him. Even though she was now working with Ben, she still intended to ask Trey for help. According to Ben, Max had recommended it. “Should I meet you at Nevermore?” she asked.
“Could you come to my house? I don’t want to risk anyone overhearing us.”
The tension underlying his tone kicked Lexie’s pulse up a notch. She’d assumed Trey had a question related to the trust. But why would he worry about that being overheard? “Is this about Max’s murder?” she asked.
“It might be.”
# # #
A half hour later Lexie was inside a large Victorian house perched on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior. “This is beautiful,” she said as she walked into a living room that could have been featured in a decorating magazine. Enormous windows on one side let in sunlight and a stunning lake view. A sofa the same sapphire as the lake and two scarlet chairs were atop a Persian carpet featuring the same colors; dark wood coffee and end tables sported needlework cloths and flower-filled vases. “Elegant, yet homey.”
“All thanks to my late wife,” Trey said. “She was a talented decorator.”
“Several people mentioned what a wonderful woman she was, all the work she did for the hospital,” Lexie said.
“And First Baptist Church, the garden club, the Girl Scouts, and a dozen other groups.” Pride warmed Trey’s voice. “Maria was a very giving woman. We weren’t able to have children, so she gave all her energy to projects. She died four years ago.”
“I’m very sorry.”
“Thanks. She had a heart attack, so at least she didn’t suffer. Although I certainly did.” Pain flickered across his features. “Max was a big help, since he understood how hard it is to lose the woman you love.” Trey gestured to the sofa. “Please sit down.”
“You said you might know something relevant?” Lexie asked when they were both seated.
Trey was silent for a moment, studying the Persian carpet as if seeing it for the first time. “Something that could be damaging to Ben.” His gaze was still on the carpet. “I’m not sure whether I should tell the police about it. I’m not sure I should tell you, either, since it won’t be protected by attorney-client privilege.”
“If you know something, you should tell the police.” Much as she hated the idea of more evidence against Ben, she felt obligated to say that. It was probably nothing, anyway, and Trey was just being an overcautious accountant. If any major evidence against Ben were out there, Ben would certainly have mentioned it to her.
Trey finally looked up. “I like Ben a lot.” There was weariness in his face, in his tone. “I’ve known him since he was a kid, and we’ve always had a good relationship. He’s as close as I’ve got to a son. I guess that’s why I discounted this before and didn’t mention it when you asked about everyone’s motives, especially since Max had chosen Ben to work with you. But now that Max has been murdered and Ben’s the prime suspect …”
“What do you know?”
Trey was quiet for a moment longer, then let out a long breath. “Ben and Max had a huge argument a couple of months ago. I normally would have been gone by then, but I’d stuck around late because I wanted to finish Max’s taxes. I doubt either of them knew I was still in my office, since I had the door and blinds closed.” He gave her a rueful half smile. “To be honest, I didn’t want Max to know I was around because he’d come in and want to talk, and I wanted to finish his damn taxes.”
“So Ben doesn’t know you overheard them?”
“I doubt it,” Trey said. “Max told Ben that he wanted him to quit working at the garage and get a job where he used his brains and God-given talents. Max thought it was unforgivable for anyone to waste those things. Guess he didn’t think Ben’s mechanical talents were in the same category. They’d argued about that before, but this time was different.”
“Why?”
“Max had just found out that Ben planned to expand the garage. Max was furious because he’d assumed Ben was just taking a few years off from finance, but expanding the garage made it look like he wasn’t planning to go back ever. Max told Ben if he didn’t get a more appropriate job, he’d be disinherited. As far as I know, he’d never made that threat before.”
“When did Max and Ben have this conversation?” Although Lexie had a feeling she knew what was coming. The income tax part had given it away.
“A couple of days before Easter. I remember thinking that I hoped it didn’t make the holiday any more unpleasant than family gatherings usually were.”
“This past Easter?”
“Yep. The Easter when Max was poisoned.”
# # #
After leaving Trey’s house, Lexie sat in her idling car for a moment, her muscles so tight even her scalp hurt. When she’d played pool with Ben’s lawyer, he’d mentioned Ben had given up his plan to expand the garage. That made it sound as if Ben had taken Max’s threat seriously. Had it also upset him enough to kill his grandfather? If the incident hadn’t been a big deal, why hadn’t Ben mentioned it?
Maybe she’d been wrong when she’d concluded Ben was innocent. Maybe he’d fooled Max and was now playing her, making it appear so obvious he was being framed that she’d conclude he was innocent. Maybe he’d made love to her to manipulate her so she wouldn’t believe anything incriminating she heard about him.
Lexie shook her head. She still couldn’t believe Ben was guilty. If she were lucky, at least one of the items on today’s To Do list would prove she was right.
When she reached Nevermore, all but one of the rental cars usually parked around the circular driveway were gone. She drove around back and parked beside the carriage house. According to Ben, her car would be visible only if someone happened to look out the entertainment room window, but that room was rarely used during the day. If she were lucky, no one would know she was here.
Grabbing the flashlight she’d d
iscovered in the glove compartment of her new rental, Lexie got out of the car and headed to Nevermore’s back door. She used the key she’d gotten from Ben, hoping to avoid alerting anyone she was there. Once inside the house, she tiptoed to the library.
Lexie had never been inside the library before. The west wall was entirely glass that would showcase a stunning view of the sun setting over the woods. Floor-to-ceiling shelves jam-packed with books covered the remaining walls. She headed to the bookshelf on the north wall.
Ben had told her that the lever to get into the secret passages was located—appropriately enough—behind Max’s book Deadly Passages. Lexie found the book, pulled the lever, and the bookshelf opened, exposing a dark passage. She grinned. She felt as if she’d stepped back into an old Nancy Drew mystery, since she’d never have believed anything like this existed in real life. One more unique experience she could thank Max for.
She switched on her flashlight, took a deep breath, and walked into the passage. She shone her light to the right of the door until she found the red button, and then pushed it. The wall reclosed.
A wave of cold panic engulfed her, the dark making her claustrophobic. Lexie punched the button again. The wall swung open, exposing the library. She took a couple of deep breaths and reclosed the wall. Then she followed Ben’s instructions to Max’s secret room.
If she’d had any doubts, the room Max had stayed in would have convinced Lexie that he really had feared someone was trying to kill him. It was gloomy and depressing, windowless with bare cream walls and a plywood floor. She dug through a pile of magazines on the nightstand beside the bed, smiling faintly when she reached a couple of financial statements that Max had been bored enough to open. They were hiding something Max claimed to have even less use for—two books by his rival, Stephen King, one with a bookmark showing he’d been more than halfway through it. She shook her head. Even a best-selling author couldn’t write around the clock. The hauntings had probably been the highlights of the last week of Max’s life.
