I caught Riley’s eye, and we shared a smile.
“I didn’t steal your necklace,” I told Ajay.
“I know. Bentley Allen set you up. He was desperate to get you out of here before you ruined all of his hard work.” Ajay extended his hand. “And, since we were talking about being lucky earlier, I must mention that I am so lucky that I had this woman,” he showcased Deanna, “save my life. Would you do me the honor of taking a carriage ride together?”
Deanna squealed before composing herself. “I’d love to.”
“Tomorrow evening, then. We have lots to wrap up tonight.”
“I’ll be ready,” Deanna whispered. “I’ll be ready.”
I smiled. I didn’t see the two of them having a forever relationship. But what did I know? I could see the two of them having a nice, cozy little date here at Allendale. It would probably be all Deanna talked about for months, and she’d smile dreamily every time she told the story. And that would be worth it.
They walked away, and Riley squeezed my hand. “You were wrong about your inheritance, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“Most of the guests here wouldn’t stand a chance at getting in good with the staff here. You reached out to the employees and related to them, and that made them want to help you. If you hadn’t made that connection with them, this case may have never been solved.”
His words sunk in. He was right. My heritage, for once in my life, had worked to my advantage.
All things did work together for the good of those in Christ. When would I ever fully learn that lesson?
CHAPTER 36
I looked in the mirror and adjusted the little black dress I was wearing. I’d gotten my suitcase back, but I’d decided to pay a visit to that little consignment shop to look for something new.
This was especially appealing now considering that the resort had decided to make my stay complimentary and to refund the money I’d already paid for my hotel room. They’d also offered to take us in the shuttle to the next town over so we could rent a car and get home.
Riley and I had talked about leaving but had decided to stay for the final gala that ended the Attorneys’ Conference. Maybe we’d finally get some time together—without a gun being pointed at us.
Someone knocked at my door. I yelled for them to come in. Riley stepped inside and let out a wolf whistle. “Beautiful!”
I soaked in his tux. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
We’d basically secluded ourselves from the rest of his friends today. It wasn’t entirely on purpose. The police had questioned us for hours. Other agencies had been called in as well, but there were so many different agencies that they all ran together in my head. Let’s just say that this bust was big.
By the time we’d gotten back to the hotel, we’d been exhausted—and dirty. The assistant manager had offered me a room of my own. I’d happily taken a long, hot shower and then passed out from exhaustion.
And now it was time for the gala. Riley extended his arm. “Ready?”
I grasped his arm. “As I’ll ever be.”
As we headed down the hallway, I reviewed everything that had happened. From what I’d gathered, Valet Bill was involved in this whole scheme, as well as a couple of the mechanics from the shop. It had all started because Buck’s Garage liked to make a killing off people who had accidents on that mountain road. They started as a chop shop, but then realized how much more they could make by stealing high-end cars and selling them overseas. Bentley had come to them with the idea and had been the mastermind behind it.
He’d recognized Jackie and Doug as the prosecutors from the case down in Georgia. Apparently, Jackie had recognized him also, and he was afraid that she would blow the whole case open.
Bentley was going away for a long time.
See? I didn’t have to work for the Medical Examiner to put the bad guys behind bars.
As soon as we walked into the Grand Ballroom, Riley’s friends surrounded us.
“Are you guys okay?” Lillian asked. “We heard what happened. I’m sure we can help you sue this establishment for all the mental anguish they’ve caused you.”
Riley shook his head. “No suing will be necessary. We’ll handle things just fine.”
I glanced around the room. “Where’s Derek? Does anyone know where he went?”
He stepped out from behind the rest of the gang, raising his hands in surrender. “I went into hiding. I admit it.”
“You were trying to get Jackie to come work for you,” I said. “That’s what that contract was for. But why?”
He shrugged. “I like Jackie. She was a fun girl, easy to work with. She wasn’t the most motivated person—not the most motivated to work, at least. But I thought she’d look great in my commercials.”
“So you went down to Georgia to try and convince her,” I said.
He nodded. “Yeah, I tried, but she said she wanted to be near Clint. She said things were going to turn around in her favor. I couldn’t convince her. Believe me, I planned on trying after we all got here as well.”
“Why did I find your business card at the scene where her body was?” I continued.
He let out a long sigh. “I gave it to Jackie when we got here. I was poised to convince her to reconsider my offer. The card must have been in her pocket and fallen out.”
I glanced at Lane. “And you. You kept calling Jackie from that courtesy phone. Why?”
He tensed. “I didn’t call Jackie from the courtesy phone.”
“I saw you using it in the hallway that day, and you clearly have a cell phone.”
“I forgot to charge it, and I had to call Veronica about lunch.”
Derek raised his hands. “That was me, too. I was trying to get with her to talk. I didn’t want Clint to see my number on her phone and think something was going on.”
I glanced back at Jack the Dipper. He shrugged and raised his plate of food in the air. “I just came here for the food and for the peace and quiet.”
I guess that cleared up most of my questions. I turned toward Riley. We still had a lot to talk about. I hoped to steal a few minutes while we were here tonight. He took my hand and began leading me to our table.
Just as we stepped away, Veronica called to me. “Could I have a moment with you, Gabby?”
I glanced at Riley quickly before nodding. We stepped away from the rest of the crowd. I could tell by the way Veronica frowned that something was on her mind.
“I was wrong about you,” she started. “And I wanted to say that I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t ready to let her off the hook that easily. I didn’t trust this woman as far as I could throw her, as the saying went. Now that I thought about it, that saying sounded awfully violent. “Sorry about what?”
She frowned. “About trying to ruin things between you and Riley. I actually think you two are really good together.”
“Why would you want to ruin things between us? You have Lane.”
“Lane bores me to tears. I’ll probably marry him anyway. I mean, he’s got a good job and my family likes him. But he’s not Riley.”
“Why were you waiting for him in the hotel room that night?”
She grimaced. “Because I still have quite a bit of growing up to do. I’m sorry. I know I’ve acted horribly. I was trying to collect dirt against you so that Riley would break things off. It was really brave what you did here, though.”
“Thanks.”
She reached out her hand. “Here.”
I glanced at her palm and gasped. “My ring!” I snatched it away before it disappeared again. “How . . . ?”
“You left it on the sink when you were cleaning up after your tumble in the woods when you found Jackie.” She glanced at the ground before pulling her gaze back up. “I’m sorry.”
I slid the ring back on my finger. I’d missed wearing it and everything it stood for.
After Veronica walked away, I found Riley. His fingers laced with mine, and he
pulled me onto the dance floor. I held up my hand.
His eyes widened. “You found it? How?”
I made a split second decision not to rat out his ex. “It’s a long story. The important thing is that I have it back now.”
“Let’s talk,” he started.
“Let’s.”
“I’d really like to start this week over. What do you say?”
“Absolutely.” I was tempted to put my head on his chest as we swayed back and forth, but I really needed to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry I wasn’t open with you, Riley. It was selfish and immature.”
“And I’m sorry that I gave you the impression that I wanted you to be someone you’re not. That’s definitely not what I want for you. I love you because you’re your own person. Maybe subconsciously I did want to put my best foot forward this weekend and not rock the boat too much.”
“I’m a boat rocker.”
He smiled. “Yes, you are. Through and through. And that’s okay.”
I bit down on the inside of my lip as reality washed over me. “I’m continually afraid that I’m not long-term relationship material. I can’t shake it. Riley, I’m constantly waiting for the day I mess up and you won’t forgive me.”
His thumb brushed over my cheek. “First of all, I think you are long-term relationship material. Every couple has arguments and doesn’t see eye to eye sometimes. You and I are no different.”
I nodded, knowing his words were true.
“Second, you have to embrace forgiveness if you love someone. Everyone’s going to mess up. Everyone’s going to need grace. It works both ways.”
I paused for a moment as the song switched to “How Can I Be Sure.” Was God a heavenly deejay who constantly ordained the music in the soundtrack of my life? “There’s one more thing I need to tell you, Riley.”
His gaze was intense on me. “Okay.”
“I got a job offer this week.” The rest of the people on the dance floor seemed to disappear. I felt like it was just Riley and I.
“A job offer? That’s great.”
I sucked on my bottom lip for a moment. “It’s in Kansas.”
His grip around me loosened. “Kansas? Really?”
I nodded. “Yeah, really.”
“What are you going to do?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Oh.” He squeezed my hand again. “If that’s what you want to do, Gabby, then you should. You’ve worked hard. Those budget cuts at the state level really messed with your career.”
“It would be kind of hard to get married if I lived in Kansas and you lived in Norfolk.”
“We could figure out something.” I heard the doubt in his voice.
I nodded anyway. “Of course we will.”
My cell phone buzzed in my little black purse. I was tempted to ignore it until I saw the number was Sierra’s. Maybe a break from this conversation would be nice. I held up a finger, as if to say “Just one minute” and then answered. I stepped off the dance floor, pulling Riley with me.
“Gabby? You’ll never believe this.”
“Believe what?” I raised my eyebrows at Riley and shrugged.
“Chad and I just got married.”
“Married? I thought you’d broken up!”
“It’s a long story. But we decided to elope. I’m sorry you guys couldn’t be here. It was kind of last minute, though.”
“Married?” I still couldn’t believe it.
“Yeah, we want to go on our honeymoon. Are you still coming back this weekend? Because we can’t leave Trauma Care without any employees.”
“Married?” I had to stop asking that question.
She giggled on the other end. And Sierra hardly ever giggled. “Yes, married. I know it’s crazy, but it just felt right. Why waste any more time?”
I glanced at Riley. That was right. Why should people waste any time if they loved each other? But what if their jobs were taking them thousands of miles apart?
“Congrats, Sierra. I’m really happy for you. And yes, we’re leaving tomorrow, so you two can take your honeymoon. Where are you going?”
“Cancun. For two weeks. I know, it’s kind of a long time. But five people in the area were shot last night, so I think it’s going to get busy here in a few days.”
“Of course I’ll be there.” How could I say no to Sierra? She’d been there for me countless times before.
Riley was staring at me with raised eyebrows when I hung up. “Did I just understand that correctly? Chad and Sierra eloped?”
I nodded. “I can’t believe it.” Riley and I were supposed to get married first. I mean, Chad and Sierra had only been dating for a couple of months. How could this have happened?
“Good for them. I hope they have a lifetime of happiness.”
I glanced at Riley. A lifetime of happiness. That’s what I was meant to have with him. So just how were we going to figure all of this out?
Riley stepped closer and lowered his lips over mine, softly and tenderly while humming, “The Street Where You Live.” We swayed back and forth.
“My Fair Lady?”
He grinned. “You don’t think I missed all of your references all week, did you?”
I shrugged. I definitely hadn’t given him enough credit.
“You’re no Eliza Doolittle, Gabby, but you do make me feel giddy whenever you’re near. Like I’m several stories high, for that matter. And you’re definitely a fair lady.”
“That’s just about the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me, Henry Higgins—I mean, Riley Thomas.” I grinned. “I’ve got to say, despite everything, I’ve really had the time of my life.”
“Dirty Dancing. I picked up on those references, too.”
I twisted my head as I looked up at him in admiration. “You’re good.”
“You wouldn’t settle for anything less, would you?”
“Not on your life.”
He grinned. “That might be a poor word choice considering how many times our lives have been on the line.”
“Point taken.”
“I love you, Gabby.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I love you, too, Riley.”
And I did.
Whatever the future held.
Don’t Miss These Other Books in the Squeaky Clean Mystery Series:
Hazardous Duty
ISBN: 0825420164
She always wanted to be a forensic pathologist. But when circumstances force her to drop out of school, Gabby St. Claire starts a crime-scene cleaning business. Suddenly a routine job turns up a murder weapon, and Gabby and her neighbor Riley realize that the wrong man is behind bars! Will they catch the real killer?
Suspicious Minds
ISBN: 0825425409
Rock and roll may never die, but the King is definitely dead . . . again.
In this smart and suspenseful sequel to Hazardous Duty, crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire finds herself stuck doing mold remediation to pay the bills. But her first day on the job, she uncovers a surprise in the crawlspace of a dilapidated home: Elvis, dead as a doornail and still wearing his blue suede shoes. How could she possibly keep her nose out of a case like this?
It Came Upon a Midnight Crime
ISBN: 1481247492
Someone is intent on destroying the true meaning of Christmas—at least, destroying anything that hints of it. All around crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire’s hometown, anything pointing to Jesus as the “reason for the season” is being sabotaged. The crimes become more twisted as dismembered body parts are found at the vandalisms. Who would go to such great lengths to dampen the joy and hope of Christ’s birthday? Someone’s determined to destroy Christmas . . . but Gabby St. Claire is just as determined to find the Grinch and let peace on earth and goodwill to men prevail.
Organized Grime
ISBN: 146648019X
Gabby St. Claire knows how to clean up scum. She can get blood out of carpet, pick shattered bones from plaster, and clean up ot
her less-than-enticing fluids from nearly any surface. St. Claire also knows how to clean up another kind of scum— the scum of the earth. Crime scene cleaner and wannabe forensic investigator Gabby St. Claire knows her best friend, Sierra, isn’t guilty of killing three people in what appears to be an ecoterrorist attack. But Sierra has disappeared, her only contact a frantic phone call. Crime scene evidence Gabby discovers while cleaning tie seemingly random murders together—and point to Sierra as the guilty party. Just what has her animal-loving friend gotten herself into? If that’s not disturbing enough, who’s the person following Gabby? A federal agent who hopes Gabby will lead him to Sierra? Or someone with more sinister plans? To find Sierra and prove her innocence, Gabby will have to rely on all of her training and abilities, plus the help of a man she loves and the protection of a God she’s only recently begun to believe in.
Coming 2013: The Scum of All Fears
“I’ll get out, and I’ll get even.”
Gabby St. Claire is back to crime-scene cleaning, at least temporarily. With her business partner on his honeymoon, she needs help after a weekend killing spree fills up her work docket. She quickly realizes she has bigger problems than finding temporary help.
A serial killer her fiancé, a former prosecutor, put behind bars has escaped. His last words to Riley were: I’ll get out, and I’ll get even. Pictures of Gabby are found in the man’s prison cell, and Riley fears the sadistic madman has Gabby in his sights.
Gabby tells herself there’s no way the Scum River Killer will make it across the country from California to Virginia without being caught. But then messages are left for Gabby at crime scenes, and someone keeps slipping in and out of her apartment.
When Gabby’s temporary assistant disappears, Gabby must figure out who’s behind these crimes. The search for answers becomes darker when Gabby realizes she’s dealing with a criminal who’s more than evil. He’s truly the scum of the earth, and he’ll do anything to make Gabby and Riley’s lives a living nightmare.
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