The Second Sister

by Dani Sinclair

  “Or parked out near the old barns where Bram’s been working. You don’t really think she’s stealing things, do you?”

  “Someone has been, Leigh. There’s a lot of money unaccounted for.”

  “But that was Marcus. Wasn’t it?”

  “Maybe. I’ve got people looking into his finances right now.”

  “Why didn’t Mr. Rosencroft pay the firms listed on the bogus bills directly?”

  “Marcus was a physician and your father. Ira had no reason to distrust him. Marcus lived here at the estate, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for Ira to get around. In retrospect, Ira’s decision to create an account for household expenses was a bad idea, but at the time it made sense. Want to bet Eden was given access to that account after she and Marcus were married?”

  Her eyes widened. Gavin stepped into the hall. Thanks to the paneling and lack of windows here, the corridor appeared far narrower than it actually was. He no longer questioned Leigh’s dislike of the back staircase. Gavin wanted them both out of this hall.

  “Which room belonged to Marcus?”

  Leigh pointed left. The closed door faced the hall. She approached it tentatively, twisting the knob as if she expected to find it locked. The door swung open.

  “Would you believe I’ve never been in here before?”

  “Never?”

  Leigh shook her head. Her hand automatically sought a light switch. Nothing happened when she flipped it because R.J. still had the main power switched off. Leigh offered him a sheepish smile. Gavin walked over and pulled back the heavy damask drapes covering the windows. The room was instantly flooded by what he suspected was unaccustomed daylight.

  The spacious room was comfortable despite the clutter of heavy, dark furniture. Flocked green wallpaper covered the walls. Not to Gavin’s taste, but at least it was a change from dark brown paneling.

  A worn green recliner sat against one wall facing a wide bookcase with a television perched on top. The shelves held books dealing with roses and gardening for the most part, but there were also medical books and professional magazines.

  “Not much for light reading, was he?”

  Leigh didn’t answer. Gavin didn’t think she’d even heard him. She wandered around the room, silently inspecting. A heavy sleigh bed sat at the far end. There was a matching nightstand and a dresser. There was also a rolltop desk and even a small refrigerator tucked beside it.

  “Looks like he spent a lot of time in here,” Gavin said.

  “Marcus wasn’t much for socializing,” she told him.

  He watched her move around, lightly skimming her fingers across the surface of the nightstand. Idly, she opened a dresser drawer.

  “That’s odd. It’s empty.”

  Gavin moved to her side. They quickly discovered that all the drawers were empty. So was the desk. Gavin began to swear as he opened the closet. Heavy cedar paneling lined the large space but the closet was empty. Even the hangers were gone.

  “Now we know what Eden was doing here,” Leigh said.

  “We should have changed the locks sooner.”

  “According to his will, she did inherit his entire estate. But why would she leave his books and the television?”

  “She probably didn’t have time to get them. She’ll be back. She doesn’t want to leave anything for us to find.”

  Leigh tossed her head. “That implies there was something in here for us to find.”

  “Maybe there was. She was thorough, wasn’t she?” Gavin’s scowl deepened. “I’ve got more than a few questions for Eden. Where’s her room?”

  “At the other end of the hall.”

  As he left the bedroom, he glanced in the direction of the construction area that had been roped off.

  “What about that door?” he asked, pointing down the hall.

  “That’s the spare bedroom I told you Jacob uses when he stays here. It’s one of the few rooms that has a private bathroom.”

  The room was bright, almost cheerful. The walls had been painted a light blue-gray, and while the furniture was similar to the heavy dark pieces in Marcus’s room, there was less of it, so the room appeared larger and more airy than the corner room had been. The dresser drawers were just as empty, however.

  “At least Jacob left the hangers.”

  “You don’t think Jacob had anything to do with the missing money. How could he?”

  Gavin could think of a few ways, but there was no point mentioning them now. He knew he should have anticipated this and taken steps sooner. He’d known someone was stealing from the estate.

  “It’s probably pointless, but let’s go have a look at Eden’s bedroom.”

  The four-poster bed, like the rest of the furniture in her room, was white and undeniably feminine. The walls were papered in a delicate print of yellow and blue flowers.

  “Not what I expected,” he muttered. The more massive furniture he’d seen in the other rooms seemed more suited to her taste.

  “This used to be my mother’s room,” Leigh explained. “Eden took it over after she married Marcus.”

  No need to ask if Leigh resented that action. The lack of emotion in her words was self-explanatory. Like the other two rooms they’d investigated, the drawers and cedar-lined closet were empty.

  “Are all the closets lined with cedar?”

  “All the bedroom ones are. What do we do now?”

  Gavin hesitated. “Let me see the rest of the upstairs, then we’ll decide what action to take.”

  “You mean, like legal action? Gavin, I don’t think I want to go there. At least not over clothing and personal items.”

  “Let’s argue about that later.”

  “Fine. Hayley’s room is down here on the right.”

  As they started down the other dark hallway Gavin paused at a door on his right and turned the handle, surprised to find it locked. “The attic, right?”

  “Right.”

  “You’ve been up there?”

  She gave a tiny shudder. “Once, when I was little. I’m not real fond of attics and basements.”

  “How come?”

  Leigh eyed him strangely. “That’s where the bogeyman lives.”

  She said it with a straight face, otherwise he might have been tempted to tease her.

  “Did you believe that when you were growing up?”

  Her eyes slid away from his.

  “It’s just an attic, Gavin. Hot, stuffy, filled with dust and cobwebs. Like I told the police the other night, Grandpa stored old furniture and stuff up there.”

  “Might be worth exploring when we get hold of the keys. Remind me to have R.J.’s locksmith unlock these doors. Some of that ‘old stuff’ they stored up there may be valuable antiques by now.”

  “Be my guest. You can let me know what you find.”

  She walked down the hall and opened the door to Hayley’s room. The room was a jumble of color and femininity. Posters decorated the light blue walls. The furniture was of dark cherry and scattered with signs of occupancy. Gavin could easily see Hayley in this room as a teenager.

  “Closet?” he asked, indicating a door to the right.

  “No, the other door is the closet. That’s the connecting bathroom. My room’s on the other side.”

  “Okay to take a look?”

  “Sure.”

  But she looked away again, obviously a little uncomfortable at the idea. The bathroom was clean and neat, retaining several light, feminine scents. The furniture in the room beyond was identical to Hayley’s, but that was where the sameness ended. The two rooms were very different, reflecting the very individual personalities of the two women. He would have known this was Leigh’s room without being told.

  No teenage posters hung from the walls in here. Leigh wouldn’t have wasted time dreaming of unattainable rock stars. Two soft watercolors graced the cream-colored walls. Several photographs sat on her dresser. He lifted one and studied it. Leigh and Hayley were about twelve in the picture, standing with a
lovely woman who could only be their mother.

  “You look like your mother,” he said, picking up another picture of the girls with their grandfather. The three were carving pumpkins and laughing together.

  “We were ten,” Leigh told him. “Grandpa was telling us about a Halloween party where everything went wrong. He was a marvelous storyteller.”

  “You miss him.”

  “Every day,” she agreed. “Don’t you miss your family?”

  Reluctantly, he summoned up a memory of his mother and father and his older brother. “I don’t think about them much.”

  “Why not?”

  He considered that. “I was angry for a long time.”

  Leigh nodded in understanding.

  “My brother was an athlete who never did anything wrong. Good grades, tons of friends, helpful around the house. I was the one always getting into some sort of trouble. I got good grades when I bothered, but school bored me, so I was usually in danger of failing because I ignored things like homework.

  “My folks had gone to Bryce’s high-school football game that afternoon. I was supposed to stay home and work on a book report that was due. Instead, I went out with some friends who came by. My dad was stopped at a traffic light when a speeding truck lost control. The truck was carrying a load of bricks. They crushed their car like a toy.”

  “You saw it happen?”

  He nodded. “I was on my way home.”

  “I am so sorry, Gavin.”

  He covered the hand she placed on his arm. Her fingers felt fragile, almost delicate under his palm. He brushed at the silvery thread of her tears with the back of his finger.

  “Don’t cry. It was a long time ago.”

  “Maybe so, but that isn’t something you ever forget.”

  “No,” he agreed. “I’ll never forget.”

  And the pain would never heal completely. If he’d been a better person, he’d have been there with them that day. If he’d obeyed them, he wouldn’t have to live with the memories.

  “They’d be very proud of you,” she said quietly, brushing at more tears.

  “Think so?” He shook his head and tried for a smile. It failed, but she squeezed his fingers. “Maybe they would at that.”

  Stepping back, he looked around the room seeking a new focus. His gaze fell on her bookcase, filled to overflowing with brightly colored paperbacks. The topics ranged from classics to mysteries, romance, biographies, and even some old science-fiction titles.

  “Eclectic taste,” he said, relieved to see she was under control again.

  “I like to read.”

  “Me, too. No rock stars or movie idols on your walls?”

  “Mooning over the unattainable always seemed foolish to me.”

  It was what he’d expected, yet according to Hayley, Leigh had had a crush on him the size of California. That wasn’t something he wanted to think about right now, either. Not when she was standing so close, looking so vulnerable.

  Gavin headed for the door. “There’s just one more room on this corridor, right?” he asked briskly.

  Leigh nodded. He suspected she was relieved as well. He wondered why he’d told her what had happened to his family when he’d never told anyone else.

  “This was my mother’s room when she was a girl, but it’s been a guest bedroom ever since I can remember.”

  Gavin gave the room a cursory look and stepped back out into the hall. Across from them, R.J.’s men were hard at work, tearing apart the remains of her grandfather’s suite.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. “It’s after four already and I didn’t get lunch again. What do you say we go into town and grab an early dinner?”

  Leigh hesitated. “I, uh, need to check with Emily.”

  “No problem. I’ll let R.J. know we’re leaving and have him lock up. I can meet you at the Walken estate.”

  “You don’t need to buy me dinner, Gavin,” she said, stalling.

  “Actually, I do.” He found himself strangely reluctant to let her go. “We need to discuss how we’re going to proceed.”

  “With Eden?”

  “And the missing money, and a new security system, and a few dozen other items.” Like the way she’d crept under his skin, keeping him hovering on the ragged edge of desire without doing a single thing beyond looking at him. Lots of women had looked at him over the years, but only Leigh had disturbed him like this.

  “Oh.”

  Tension crackled between them. R.J.’s crew ceased to exist. Even the noise of their radio faded away. Leigh slid her gaze from his. She tossed back her hair and stared fixedly at the top button on his shirt. He allowed himself a brief second to imagine her reaching out and undoing that button.

  The tip of her tongue flashed across her lips. The impact was as strong as it was heady. He knew exactly how sweet she tasted and he suddenly wanted another taste badly.

  He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had left him feeling uncertain.

  “You don’t have to worry, you know. I don’t plan to jump your bones as soon as I get you alone.”

  As expected, up came that pointed chin. A spark ignited the blue of her eyes.

  “You certainly won’t.”

  “No, but it will give you something to worry about while you drive to the Walkens’ and work on an excuse for not having dinner with me again.”

  Chapter Seven

  Leigh was craftier than Gavin had expected. As he sat across from her at the Walkens’ dinner table, he was reassured by the knowledge that she wasn’t immune to the electricity between them. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have arranged for them to be eating here with his foster parents instead of going out to eat like he’d planned.

  She didn’t have to worry, though. If Leigh had been any other woman, he knew exactly how he’d handle this unfortunate craving he’d developed where she was concerned.

  But Leigh wasn’t any other woman. Not only did they have a past, she presented an ethical dilemma for him. Getting personally involved with a female client was a short road to disaster. He’d already violated his own rules by initiating that kiss, and yet he kept thinking how much he wanted to do it all over again.

  Gavin groaned. Three pairs of eyes swung in his direction.

  “What’s wrong?” Emily asked in concern.

  Embarrassed, he said the first thing that came to mind. “Bit my tongue.”

  Emily and George commiserated, but he’d swear Leigh saw right through the fib. Her gaze slid from his and her color brightened. She was twenty-four. He could attest to the fact that she’d had at least one lover—not that he was particularly proud of that performance—yet Leigh somehow projected a beguiling aura of untouched innocence.

  You had a crush on that guy the size of California.

  Hayley’s words still haunted him. Was it possible Leigh still felt that way despite what had happened between them?

  He watched her take a sip of water. She was careful not to look at him. A simmering swirl of anticipation built inside him. He was almost certain she wasn’t trying to provoke him, yet he found himself seriously tempted to test her control right along with his own.

  “Have you heard any unofficial scuttlebutt on the Pepperton murder?” George asked.

  Leigh turned to him with a puzzled expression. “What Pepperton murder?”

  “You haven’t been keeping up with the news lately, dear,” Emily told her. “Martin Pepperton was trampled to death by one of his racehorses.”

  Leigh’s features paled.

  “No, that’s what they thought at first,” George corrected. “Well, I guess, the horse did actually trample him to death, but only after he was shot.”

  Leigh looked to Gavin for confirmation. He knew she was remembering the party seven years ago. Martin Pepperton had been the host.

  “The police think there was some sort of a fight inside the horse’s stall,” Gavin told her. “The horse caused so much external damage trying to get away that no one realized Pepperton had bee
n shot until they ran an autopsy.”

  Emily set down her coffee cup. “What took them so long? Don’t they perform autopsies right away?”

  “Normally,” Gavin agreed. “Only they were backed up because the chief medical examiner and his aide were involved in that nasty car wreck out on the interstate last Friday. When the autopsy finally did get performed, there was a major screwup. The report never got to where it was supposed to go. Someone will probably lose their job over it, but the bottom line is that the investigators didn’t realize he’d been shot until the other day.”

  “Good grief.”

  “What happened to the horse?” Leigh asked.

  Gavin wasn’t the least bit surprised that Leigh’s immediate thought had been for the more valuable animal.

  “That was my first question, too,” he admitted. “Wyatt told me it was returned to the Pepperton stables.”

  “Who’s Wyatt?”

  “Wyatt Crossley,” he supplied. “You probably wouldn’t know him.”

  “He’s Chief Crossley’s nephew,” George explained. “He moved here from Connecticut, I think it was, wasn’t it, dear?”

  “I believe so.”

  “I’ve run into him a few times around town. Seems like a nice young man.”

  Leigh pursed her lips. “A police officer?”

  “Afraid so, dear,” Emily confirmed, “but he’s not at all like his uncle.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Emily’s right,” Gavin told her. “Wyatt’s actually a good guy. I know you aren’t fond of our local officials…”

  “Neither were you once, as I recall.”

  His lips curved. “I got over it.”

  “By joining the team?” she mocked with raised eyebrows.

  “Hey, I’m just a lawyer, remember?”

  “Do the police have any suspects?” Emily intervened in an effort to play peacemaker.

  “Not really,” he told her. “The Saratoga police are trying to locate anyone who was at the track that morning but you can imagine their frustration. With all the time that’s elapsed, even if someone did see something useful, their memories are apt to be faulty at best by now.”

  And privately, Gavin didn’t figure too many people were going to mourn Martin Pepperton. He still suspected Pepperton was the one who had supplied Ducort with the date-rape drug all those years ago.