“Maybe the questioning won’t go on for long and she’ll be back.”
“That’s possible, and I’m going to try to get someone to cover, just in case she doesn’t get back. But I’m completely in the dark and I don’t like it.”
How much could Caprice tell her, and what should she tell her? If she had a chat with her, however, maybe she’d find out if Lizbeth was seeing Sebastian and how that fit into the whole situation.
“I have to take care of my animals and then I’m going to Mass. I’ll stop in at Sunrise afterward and we can talk. All right?”
“All right,” Lizbeth said with a sigh. “Maybe by then I’ll hear something. I’ll see you around eleven?”
Mass was at ten and eleven should work. “Around eleven.”
Since Mass ran a little long, it was five after eleven when Caprice rang the buzzer at Sunrise Tomorrow. Lizbeth came to the door immediately to let her in. She nodded to the reception desk where a brunette sat working on a computer.
“Ariel came in to take Rena’s place. She said she can stay until four, so I’m good until then. I might just have to stay until midnight.”
The buzzer at the door buzzed again. Lizbeth checked the monitor on the receptionist’s desk.
“It’s Rena. She’s back.” Lizbeth rushed to answer the door.
When Rena came in, she looked anything but happy and ready to take her place at her desk. “I want to know what you two have to do with my being pulled into the police station.”
Caprice remained silent, but Lizbeth protested, “I had nothing to do with it. What did they want?”
Rena gave Caprice a long look, but Caprice didn’t flinch. She wasn’t going to admit to anything . . . or get Kevin into trouble.
“They treated me like a criminal. Me. I’ve been by Wendy’s side since the beginning.” Now Rena turned her wrath on Lizbeth. “But she gave you the assistant directorship.”
Now Lizbeth’s hackles rose, too, and she defensively stated, “Apparently I was the better candidate for the position. I deserved it.”
“Deserved it? I don’t think so. Half the time you run around here like a chicken with her head cut off. I needed that extra money from the position to live on.”
“So what happened at the police station?” Caprice asked, cutting off the argument before it turned nastier. “Did the police have something specific in mind to ask you?”
“Yes, they did. They had a search warrant for my bank records. My guess is, they’re going to come in here and take the computers too. So I might as well just pack up my things now.”
Some of Lizbeth’s defensiveness deflated and she looked puzzled. “I don’t understand. Why are you packing up your things?”
“For an assistant director and a director now, you’re pretty slow. As I said, I didn’t have enough money to live on. What do you think I did? That big foundation pot is just sitting there, doing nothing. When the Wyatt money came in, it was like a pot of gold. I needed some of that gold. Do you understand now?”
“So you’ve been embezzling from the foundation?” Caprice asked.
“What else was I supposed to do? I was going to stop when Wendy gave me the directorship of the new facility. But she found out about the money I was taking and she wouldn’t give me the position. She just wouldn’t understand.”
“She gave it to me because I deserved it,” Lizbeth muttered.
“That’s the problem, Lizbeth, you think you deserve it all, including Sebastian. Maybe the police should be pulling you in for questioning. I didn’t let it slip you’re seeing him. I know about the concept of loyalty, but it won’t take long till somebody tells them.”
Lizbeth had gone white.
From the state Rena was in, Caprice might get the truth out of her. Maybe. “So Wendy found out you embezzled funds? Were you angry enough to hurt her?”
“You sound like that Detective Jones. No, I didn’t hurt her. I did not kill Wendy Newcomb.” After that statement, Rena stalked over to the desk where Ariel was sitting, picked up a photograph of her and her sister, a small Buddha statue, and then made Ariel back up in her wheeled chair so she could fish in the top drawer. She pulled out a notebook and a gold pen, stuffing them into her purse.
“I hope that you people get what you all deserve, and the police make your life miserable like they just made mine.”
As she strode for the door, she suddenly stopped, turned, and shook her finger at Caprice. “And you’d better watch out. If you get people in trouble, they’re not going to like it one bit.”
After she went to the door, opened it, exited it, and let it slam behind her, Lizbeth faced Caprice, looking pale and shaken.
Caprice asked her, “Are you seeing Sebastian?”
Lizbeth gave a small nod.
“Did it start before Wendy died?”
Lizbeth gave another nod.
“The police will find out. Maybe you should tell them yourself.”
Lizbeth drew in a breath, went to her office, and slunk down into her desk chair, looking like a limp rag doll.
Unknowingly, Kevin might have just stepped up this whole investigation.
Rena’s words echoed in Caprice’s mind. You’d better watch out.
She was going to step back from this investigation now. That was the safest thing to do.
Chapter Sixteen
Caprice had two reasons to stop at her sister Bella’s on Monday. First, Bella wanted to see her engagement ring in person even though Caprice had taken a phone pic and texted it to her. And second, Caprice wanted to see how Sunnybud was getting along and if Bella wanted to keep him. If she didn’t, Caprice would have to find another home for him.
Not knowing what to expect when she walked into Bella’s house, she walked straight into the kitchen where Bella was cooking. “Something smells good.”
“Beef stew. Do you want to stay for supper? Or do you have a hot date?”
“I can stay for supper. I’m meeting Dulcina for a yoga class at seven-thirty, but that gives us plenty of time.”
Glancing around, wondering if Sunnybud was hiding somewhere, she peered into the family room. To her surprise, Sunnybud was sitting on Joe’s recliner, his paws tucked under him. As she watched, he rolled over, stretched out, front paws reaching for one arm, back paws reaching for the other, his belly exposed. That was the picture of a contented cat.
“I haven’t made beef stew for a while,” Bella confessed. “With the weather getting colder, it might be a meal Grant would like.”
“He would. I see Sunnybud is taking over Joe’s chair. You’re allowing him on the furniture?”
Bella gave Caprice a sideways glance as she tore up lettuce for the salad. “It seems we have a pet. He actually drapes himself over Joe’s arm when Joe sits there. And the kids? When the kids pet him, they seem to calm down. It’s not like when they play with Lady and get all excited. I think he’s good for them.”
Caprice was finding it hard not to smile. “And what about you? Are you going to mind yellow and white cat hair on your black slacks?”
Bella chose a carrot to scrape. “It’s like this. When I had Benny, who I didn’t expect, I had to accept the fact that the house wasn’t going to be as clean as I’d like, and baby drool and spit-up were going to stain my blouses. The world didn’t cave in. I don’t know how to explain it, but Sunnybud just seems to go with this house. He wanders upstairs after the kids into their rooms. He sleeps on the foot of Joe’s and my bed. It’s like he became part of the family overnight. When I look into those green eyes of his, I can’t give him up.”
“Pets are good for people,” Caprice said without an I-told-you-so attitude.
“I guess I can see that now. I’m not saying I want a dog to go along with the cat, or that I want any more cats, but this one—he just seems special.”
“He needed a home.”
“I suppose. We have an appointment to get him snipped this week. I’ll make sure I don’t have to work the next day so I can t
ake care of him. Now, enough talk about our new furry member of the family. Let me see your ring.”
Caprice held up her hand.
Bella squealed. “It’s beautiful. Now tell me all about it again. Did he really get down on one knee?”
“He did. And he made me feel so special, arranging all that at Ace’s, having the fire going, bringing me flowers. I’ll never forget it, Bella. Never.”
“That’s the way the memories of a loved one should be.”
Caprice picked up a cucumber, washed it, and began peeling it for the salad. “Is there a secret to making a marriage work? You were married young, so were Mom and Nana. Grant and I . . . I guess we’re more set in our ways.”
“That shouldn’t have anything to do with it.” Bella sliced her carrot into the salad. “Sure, when you’re young you kind of grow up together. But when you’re young, you also don’t know what the world and its problems hold for you. Experience is a good teacher, and you and Grant will be bringing experience to your marriage.”
“You and Joe have changed.”
“Yes, we have. Counseling did a lot of that. We learned to communicate better, and I learned to say exactly what I need. Men really aren’t mind readers, not even after years of marriage.”
“I didn’t think a man could change.”
“You mean you didn’t think Joe could change? And really, he didn’t change. He always had a good heart. I’m not sure he knew how to show it. I’m not sure he understood how I felt about everything, or if I knew how he felt about everything. Getting pregnant with Benny really changed us both. By the way, he’s napping.” She nodded to the monitor on the counter. “He should be waking up any time.”
Bella went on. “For what’s it worth, I think Grant has a good heart too.”
Caprice liked the fact that her family thought Grant was right for her. That was important.
One thing Bella was—always bluntly honest. So Caprice had a question for her. “Do you think we’re doing the right thing, waiting for the annulment to come through? Grant already spoke to Naomi about it. He talked to Father Gregory, too, and the whole process is in the works.”
“Do you want to get married in the church for Mom and Dad or Nana, or do you want to get married in the church for yourself?”
Caprice knew what Bella meant. Her family had a deep faith, and they would want Caprice to be able to partake in everything the Catholic Church had to offer. But this was about more than family approval. It was about Caprice and Grant, and the promise of faith they wanted for their lives. If their marriage was rooted in their faith, that would carry over for their children too.
“I want to do it for me,” she answered Bella. “Grant and I both feel it’s the right thing to do. But it’s going to be hard to wait to . . . you know.”
Bella gave her a wicked grin. “Oh, yes, I know. But I think you’re making a smart choice.”
“Grant’s parents are flying in tomorrow. They got a really good price on last-minute seating so they decided not to wait to come. I’m nervous.”
“Why?”
“Because Grant seems anxious. He’s warned me that they’re not outgoing like Mom and Dad.”
“And the rest of the De Lucas,” Bella said with a grin. “Just go with the flow like you always do. You’ll be fine.”
They finished with the salad and Bella covered it with plastic wrap to set it inside the refrigerator. “There’s something else we need to talk about,” Bella said.
“What?”
“Nana’s birthday’s coming up. We have to figure out what to give her. Do we want to plan a party?”
“I found table scarves at the Harvest Festival she should like. Do you think she’d want a party?”
“Maybe not a surprise party. I don’t think she’d be too keen on that. But we can plan a get-together, tell her we’re giving her a party and the date. Then we can invite whoever she’d like to be there. How does that sound?”
“That sounds like you’ve given it some thought. We can run it by Nikki and Vince.”
Sounds began to come from the monitor.
Caprice gestured toward it. “Good, I’ll have playtime with my nephew.”
“The kids will be home any minute, and Joe not long after that. Maybe while you’re playing with Benny, we can come up with some ideas for presents for Nana.”
After Bella got Benny up, Caprice held him, walked him, and played with him in his activity saucer. At nine months, he was developing his own personality. He was a happy baby, gurgling and laughing a lot.
Supper was noisy and fun, and Caprice watched Joe and Bella interact, trying to study the aspects of their marriage. Joe kept Benny occupied in his high chair while Bella went to the refrigerator for the chocolate cream pie she’d made for dessert.
“It’s only a graham cracker crust,” she claimed. “I didn’t have time to roll pie shells.”
Joe looked at the pie and the spritz can of whipped cream. “It will taste delicious, honey. This is a great meal.”
As Caprice appreciated the fact that there were good marriages in the world, as well as abusive ones, her cell phone played.
Bella waved at her pocket. “Go ahead and take it. I’ll make coffee.”
Caprice saw it was Isaac’s number. That was unusual. He didn’t have much cause to call her. Maybe he’d unearthed great finds at a public sale.
She rose from her chair and walked into the living room where Sunnybud blinked at her and crossed one paw over the other. She went to him and petted him around the ears. He purred.
“Hi, Isaac,” she said.
“I’ve got news. Did you hear about the break-in?”
“What break-in?”
“You really need a police scanner.”
“It would only distract me. What break-in?”
“Sebastian Thompson’s house was broken into.”
“Is everyone okay? Were they there when it happened?”
“Only the police were called to the scene, not the rescue unit. My guess is that Thompson came home and found it. But I thought you’d want to know.”
She did want to know. And because she did, tomorrow she was going to visit Sebastian and his boys and find out what happened.
* * *
The following morning, Caprice was driving to Sebastian’s house when Grant called her. Putting her phone on speaker, she said, “Good morning.”
“I hope it’s going to be a good morning,” he said.
“What about the afternoon?” She knew he’d be picking up his parents. Their flight got in at three.
“We’ll see how that goes after Mom and Dad arrive.”
“I should come along with you to pick them up.”
“No, we’re going to do this as we discussed. I’m going to pick them up alone.”
“Do you want me to cook dinner?”
“No, I booked them a room at the Purple Iris. Can you meet us there for dinner? I’ll text you when I’m on the way back from the airport. I imagine it will be around five.”
“We shouldn’t need reservations midweek,” she decided.
“How did dinner go at Bella’s?”
“I had a good time, but Isaac called to tell me that Sebastian Thompson’s place was broken into. I’m on my way there now.”
Grant went quiet.
“I’m just going to see if he’s home. My guess is he and the boys might have stayed somewhere else last night if the police considered it a crime scene and attempted to lift prints. If he’s not there, I have a lot to do to finish a house for staging.”
“And the theme?”
“Tuscan Dreams.”
“I’ve always wanted to go to Tuscany. That could be a destination for a terrific honeymoon.”
“We’ll have to talk about it.”
“Yes, we will. Stay safe. I’ll see you tonight.”
After Caprice returned with, “See you tonight,” she ended the call. A few minutes later she was glad to spot Sebastian’s SUV sitting in the
carport at his house. She also took note that there wasn’t any crime scene tape wrapped around the property. She did see a forgotten stake in the ground, however, that told her it might have just recently been taken down.
After she exited her car, she went up the drive to the kitchen door instead of to the front and rang the bell.
A disheveled-looking Sebastian answered the door. He had beard stubble, a rumpled shirt, and looked as if he’d been up all night.
“I heard what happened,” she said, not standing on pretense.
“The police left about a half hour ago. I’m trying to figure out what to do for cleanup.”
“Fingerprint dust?” she asked.
He nodded. “Nothing gets that stuff up.”
“There’s a special cleaner that cuts right through it.”
“One of the officers told me to sweep up as much of it dry as I can. He said a tile cleaner can work too.”
“The hardware store carries a couple of products. But there’s a professional cleaning service you might want to call.” She pulled a card from her wallet and gave it to him. “They sell the best products because they know they work.”
“It’s not just the fingerprint dust,” he grumbled. “You should see the place. I want to right as much of it as I can before the boys get home from school.”
“Do you need help?”
“Are you serious?”
“Sure.”
“Then come on in. I haven’t even started. Penny came over when the police were here last night. She said she’d help. But I hated to ask.”
“I thought this neighborhood was all about helping each other? Why do you hesitate to ask?”
Sebastian looked embarrassed. “Because she’s a single mom, and she’s looking at me as if . . . as if she might be interested. She’s brought so many casseroles we can’t eat them all.”
“And you’re not interested in her.”
“No, not that way. She was a friend to me and Wendy. That’s it.”
Caprice wondered if Penny was bitter because Sebastian wasn’t interested and that was why she’d revealed the gossip she’d heard to Caprice.
“And how about Lizbeth?”
Shades of Wrath Page 21
