The picnic table was equally neglected. Once, it had been painted a rich green. Some spots of that colour had yet to peel off the grey of the weathered wood.
Karl threw himself down on the far bench. Tony more carefully slipped onto the bench on the other side. Again, Karl smiled to himself.
“What’s up?” he said.
“I wanted to talk to you about the phone call.”
“What phone call?” Karl could see the other man start.
“About the jewelry. Becki didn’t tell you?”
Karl pulled himself straight. “Tell me what?”
An hour later, Tony had started back to the city.
Karl drove along the coast road to home. He was still angry. Thing was, he couldn’t figure out who he was angrier with. The knobs in the Toronto force who hadn’t bothered to pass on news about the phone call threat? It had a direct bearing on his case, dammit!
Or his beloved wife who usually told him everything? She hadn’t even mentioned it on the phone last night!
Oh right. They didn’t talk last night, because he had been out at the softball game.
At the stop light in the centre of town, he slammed his hand on the wheel. He hated to be taken by surprise by things like this. Especially by people like Tony.
Yeah, he liked the guy, which was a good thing since Gina was marrying him. And yeah, the man had been good at his spook job, no question about that. But it rankled to be out-maneuvered by a non-cop, no matter what his background.
But Tony had a good plan, he reflected. The chance was too good to be missed. Yes, they were both a little nervous about having the girls there. But everything revolved around the church wedding, and it would be kind of hard to make that happen without the bride and the matron of honour.
Which brought him back to the thing that really pissed him off. Why hadn’t Becki called him?
Something chirped. Tinny sound, not like a bird. It took him a moment to remember that it was his cellphone, so rarely did he think to use it. He pulled over to the side to look at it. Six unanswered calls and two texts. Shit, he thought. I hate cellphones.
“Couldn’t we at least stay at a nice place in Toronto?” Cathy looked around the dismal motel room with despair. Drab colours of dull burgundy and muted green were repeated everywhere on the floor, window coverings and bedclothes.
The suburbs were nice, she imagined, if you could buy a big house on the lakefront and belong to the yacht club. But being stuck in a chain motel next to a gas station and some fast food joints was no thrill.
“Can’t risk it,” Garry said. “No one would ever think of looking for me here.”
Cathy frowned. That was true. No one she knew would be caught dead in such a place. So why exactly were they here? Who was he afraid of?
Yesterday had been a whirlwind. Garry had shown up at the bridal store with a suitcase already packed for her. All the wrong clothes she had found out later, when she opened the case. She had actually laughed out loud and received a rueful smile in return. Why a man would pack two evening dresses and yet no shoes or pantyhose to go with it. Not to mention, a strapless bra…
And apparently, the bathroom didn’t even cross his mind. She always had the basics in her purse—lipstick, mascara, powder—but she would have to stop at a makeup counter for sure.
Obviously he had been greatly distressed and packed in a hurry. Since then, he had been strangely closed-mouth, although delightfully amorous.
They had had room service last night and this morning. And lots of loving in between.
Hard to complain, when the love of your life whisks you off in a modern day chariot. But she worried. Somehow she had to get Garry to talk.
Cathy watched him work at the small desk, pounding the laptop with two fingers.
“This place will be okay for now,” he said, not even turning his head. “Oakville has some nice shops downtown. Why don’t you take the car? You said you had some essentials to get.”
Again, that absentminded voice…talking the words, and yet it’s clear he doesn’t give a hoot what he’s saying. How does he do that?
“Will you come too?” she ventured.
He obviously hadn’t heard her. “It won’t be long. Just until Saturday. Then we can go wherever you like, as long as it’s outside of the country.”
Saturday…something was happening Saturday. Oh right—that was Gina’s wedding day.
But her mind latched on to another phrase.
Outside of the country? That was cool.
“Are you ordering tickets to somewhere?”
His hands paused over the keyboard. He turned now, and surveyed her face for a moment. He seemed to be drinking her in, like his soul needed sustenance. It was the kind of look every woman dreamed about, and Cathy was no exception. She sat on the bed, with her hands demurely in her lap, and felt the love wash over her. Bliss.
Then his rugged face broke into a smile.
“Not yet. But I can. Where would you like to go?”
Now her mind was on honeymoon spots. Finally, the man of her dreams was going to take her to someplace romantic. They could get married there. Thank God she had already taken the one dress from the bridal store.
Everything else, she could get in downtown Oakville, or abroad.
Abroad! A wedding abroad!
“Rome,” she said happily. “I’d like to go to Rome.”
Chapter 29
Becki and Gina sat side by side in leather swivel chairs in Douglas Spellman’s office located in the rear of the Douglas Spellman Corporation building. The company’s main office structure was clean and contemporary and it occupied a generous lot in a well-tended industrial park in the Steeles Avenue West and Keele Street area of North Toronto. Still, Becki smelled skunk.
She’d disliked Spellman from the moment she spotted him slinking around Louisa’s property. Furthermore, his attitude when they met at her store had surely not endeared him to her and this afternoon he irritated further as he strutted behind his desk and expounded on his accomplishments.
“Douglas Spellman Corporation is committed to building homes of the highest quality. Over the last ten years, Spellman has built more than 10,000 new homes, working diligently to earn its reputation as one of Canada’s top builders of luxury communities.”
Nothing wrong with being proud of what you do but pompousness is so unnecessary.
Because he was on a roll and thus giving her plenty of time to observe, she spent a few more moments speculating. No wedding ring tying him down so I bet he enjoys making a splash with the ladies, who probably go for his vivid blue eyes…and his millions.
The man’s 40 years old or thereabouts, likely too young to have built all this from scratch himself. Daddy had a hand in it, at least financially. Let’s see, plenty of degrees on the wall so he’s a smart guy, but smarmy in a way that reveals that should he find an easier-than-kosher method to accomplish a goal, he’ll jump on it.
“Does that help you at all, Ms. Green?”
Becki nearly leaped out of her seat at being addressed. His whole speech up until now had basically been for Gina’s benefit. Another behaviour Becki couldn’t stand—the way some people ignore those they consider less relevant. Like female waiters who play up to the male diner when serving a couple.
“Yes, thank you, Mr. Spellman.”
In Black Currant Bay she had requested they cut to first names, but here she figured they might as well stick to what he obviously preferred, formal address. This was a pseudo business meeting after all. Her pretext for being here was to verify a few points with regard to the decoration of the sales centre/model home soon to be built in Black Currant Bay.
“As I mentioned on the phone,” she’d begun when they first sat down, “I happen to be in Toronto for Gina’s wedding,” here she’d smiled genuinely at her friend, “and I thought I should take advantage of the opportunity to meet with you one more time and get a direct feel for your company and what you represent.”
&
nbsp; Now it was time to ease into what she and Gina were really fishing for, having done some initial research online. Here goes.
“The Spellman name has been around a long time in Toronto,” she prompted.
Douglas opened his mouth and looked dying to jump in here but she embellished. “I’d include it among prominent Toronto families like the Mitchells and the Davenports. If I may be so bold, are you one of the Spellmans?”
“Proud of it,” he said, smirking. “I’m gratified by the contribution our family made to this city over the years. Thrilled to be continuing in my father’s and grandfather’s footsteps.”
Falling into their unique version of bad cop/good cop, it was Gina’s turn to pipe up.
Gina was stunning on TV but in the flesh she could lead a man into confessing just about anything. The poor sop would never for a minute question motive. He would just fall all over himself trying to please.
“My mother is on the edge of that crowd,” Gina began. She crossed a lovely bare leg over the other. No Basic Instinct shenanigans. Gina was classy. Relaxed. Just offering idle conversation. And a dazzling smile. “You must remember the scandal when Garry Davenport and his wife broke up and he was ultimately sent to jail!”
“The media ate that up, didn’t they?” Douglas sat down at his desk and leaned toward Gina conspiratorially.
Obviously not deterred by the earlier mention of Gina’s impending nuptials.
“You must have been in a position to hear the inside scoop.” Gina was practically whispering.
“Oh yes. Linda Davenport disappearing, rumours of mob interests, missing jewels—” His cerulean eyes flashed. They darted between the two friends.
He pulled back in his chair. “I’m sure you didn’t come here to talk about ancient gossip.”
Time to kick this pop stand, thought Becki.
“Mr. Spellman,” she said, “I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to speak about your company and its ambitions in Black Currant Bay. I’m sure you’ll be pleased with what Beautiful Things comes up with for the model.”
“I’m sure I will.” He rose, officially signalling the end of the meeting. “Thanks for coming in.”
Surprisingly, he didn’t offer his hand and neither did they as he led them to the doorway, where Gina did blast him with one more grin. It seemed to leave him flustered. He half-waved as the friends shuffled through the doorframe and then he shut his heavy office door behind them.
Still, Becki and Gina didn’t say a thing to each other until they were safely back in Gina’s car. In these days of security cameras everywhere, the walls have eyes and ears.
“What do you think?” Becki asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.
“He didn’t look at all nervous when we walked in, did he? Not like someone who had just threatened me, my family and my friends.”
“Could he be that good an actor?”
“In my opinion, business execs are all sales guys and all very good actors. The more successful the exec, the bigger the camouflaged load of shit. The same for politicians.”
“How cynical you are!” Becki teased.
“Just being realistic.”
“I, on the other hand, like to think there are plenty of exceptions. Execs and salespeople who are genuinely excited about their product. And politicians who really want to make a difference.”
“Do we see Douglas Spellman as an exception?”
Together they shouted, “No!”
“He knows the story of the Davenports,” stated Gina.
“More intimately than most,” Becki agreed.
“Could he have made the connection to Louisa while researching the development in Black Currant Bay? We’ve got to remember that this all started when someone sent Louisa flying down her basement stairs.”
“Maybe Douglas Spellman met with Louisa to try and convince her to sell her house and recognized her as Linda Davenport at that time. What happened next? Did she not only refuse to sell her home but…but also to be blackmailed into handing over valuables from her former life?”
“In the end, Spellman would know, wouldn’t he, that exposing Louisa would in fact get him no closer to her loot? If anything, her hidden assets would fall into the government’s hands because of the Davenport’s earlier bankruptcy. Is it possible, then, that to satisfy a twofold objective—develop her land and grab some jewels while he’s at it—Spellman killed her?”
“Her property in Black Currant Bay would thus become available to him and be easily searchable. Here’s something else,” Becki said, turning toward Gina who was concentrating on the road as they approached a busy intersection. “Why would Douglas Spellman himself spend the amount of time he did in Black Currant Bay? Speaking strictly in terms of business, you’d think an underling would be sent all the way up north from Toronto to work the details of the project. Since when does an owner himself do that kind of legwork solitarily?”
“I didn’t recognize him as the voice on the phone.”
“You wouldn’t.”
Gina’s eyes continued to stare confidently through the windshield at the traffic ahead but her sparkling white teeth worried her bottom lip.
“You don’t think whoever called me would really hurt me and my family, do you? I mean, this can’t be serious. He’s just trying to scare me into giving up the jewels, which he thinks I have. Right?”
“I wonder if that’s how Louisa looked at it.” Becki hated the way her answer echoed in the interior of Gina’s Camaro.
She searched quickly for another topic of conversation. Something to lighten the mood.
“Can you believe your rehearsal supper is in just two days?” she said.
“It’s going fast now, isn’t it?” Gina replied.
“You bet. By Saturday night you, my friend, will be a married woman.”
Chapter 30
When Gina got home, a surprise awaited her.
Tony. He was standing in the kitchen, leaning against the granite counter, reading a newspaper. As always, her heart rate sped up to a ridiculous number when she saw him.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted.
Crap. That was the wrong thing to say. It even sounded like she was guilty of something. She placed her purse on the bench beside the door, and deliberately avoided his eyes.
“Waiting for you. Obviously.” His voice sounded grimly amused.
Gina paused. “That didn’t come out right. I mean, it’s good that you’re here. I just wasn’t expecting you tonight.”
Tony pushed up from the counter. “I thought we better talk. It’s becoming pretty clear that you and Becki aren’t leaving this murder alone. So I’ve decided to help.”
Gina hesitated. Damn Tony! He put things in such a way that she had to admit to it, or at least address it.
“How do you know we aren’t leaving it alone?”
“That visit to Spellman today, for one.” He crossed his arms in a deliberate power move.
Her jaw dropped. “How did you know about that?”
“Gina, are you nuts? That guy is dangerous. He’s a crooked developer, and you know the links they have. What did you think you were doing, forcing him into a corner with questions? If he’s the killer, you’ve just alerted him that you’re a threat.”
Gina stared at him. He was right, of course. What they had done today was foolhardy. She had worried about it all the way home in the car.
“How did you know?” she repeated, unable to think of anything else to say.
“How do you think?” Tony said. “It’s my business to know things.”
“Not any more, it isn’t supposed to be,” Gina shot back.
There was an awkward silence.
Finally, Tony spoke. “Don’t be naïve. A tiger doesn’t lose his hunting ability just because he’s in a cage.”
Cage. That word hit Gina like a strike to the face.
“You feel like you’re in a cage?”
Tony shook his head. “Don’t twis
t this into something it isn’t. I didn’t mean getting married. I meant, I’ve been trained to observe and investigate. Those skills don’t go away just because I’ve chosen a new line of work.”
But Gina was still back on the word cage. It was the one thing—the only thing—that could really shake her up. The fear that Tony would feel trapped after they were married.
“It’s clear to me that you two aren’t going to let this alone, Gina. God help me, I wish you would. It’s also clear I can’t stop you. So don’t shut me out. Let me help. Tell me what you and Becki are planning to do, and I’ll do my best to help you do it safely.” Tony came around the island and leaned back on it.
Gina felt relief wash over her. “Really?”
It seemed incredible. Garry actually wanted to go to Gina Monroe’s wedding on Saturday! Cathy could hardly believe it. Her face must have reflected this mild astonishment.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to take me as your guest?” Garry frowned at her.
“It’s not that,” Cathy rushed to reassure him. “I just never thought you’d want to go. It never occurred to me to ask you.”
Indeed, it hadn’t. She had completely forgotten about Gina’s wedding.
“Is she expecting you to go?” Garry’s voice brought her back to the shabby motel room. He was sitting in the hotel room’s only easy chair, leaning back with his legs crossed in that masculine way, with one ankle resting on the other knee.
“Well that’s the embarrassing thing.” Cathy giggled. “Certainly, I had intended to go. But since you whisked me off here, I hadn’t even thought about it. Probably, I would have forgotten completely if you hadn’t mentioned it.”
That would have been embarrassing, all right. Not showing up because you forgot? What an insult to the family! Especially since the entire women’s committee at the hospital, and heck, the whole of Toronto society was going to be there.
A Killer Necklace Page 14
