I told him I was already on it and understood there should be a recipe on the website. “It doesn’t have to come from Rory, does it?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“No, and she doesn’t have to claim to have baked it either, just eat a cookie and say it’s great.” I heard music starting and saw people moving to the dance floor.
“I’m glad you reassured me about Rory’s skills,” he said finally. “I don’t know what we’d do if it turned out she wasn’t what she’d said she was. It would be a shame to have to postpone or cancel everything because we found out that she couldn’t perform.”
I was relieved when Mason snagged me and said they were playing our song. Really? We had a song?
On the way home, I told Mason the truth about Rory.
“Oh, no,” he said. “Maybe you should have told him the truth. It will be a mess if she can’t deliver what she promised.”
“You seemed to know Michael pretty well,” I said.
“He was a client.” We’d gotten on the freeway and were heading toward the dark mountain section of the Sepulveda Pass.
“What naughty thing did he do?” I said in a teasing tone.
“It turns out, nothing,” Mason said. “I helped him at a rough time. Just met him once and didn’t even charge for my services.”
“Good, then he likes you. Promise you’ll help me if things hit the fan with Rory. Mrs. Shedd would be crushed if they didn’t do the show at the bookstore.”
Mason patted my hand. “It’s one of the benefits of being my woman—free legal help.”
“Your woman?” I said. “Please tell me you didn’t say that to any of the people we saw tonight.”
Mason sneaked a glance at me. “Of course not. I was just teasing you. You’re more like my gal.” This time we both laughed.
“You were the belle of the ball.” We’d reached the end of the looming mountains and begun the steep descent into the San Fernando Valley. The lights spread before us in a twinkling panorama. “How about a nightcap at my place and cappuccinos and croissants for breakfast?”
“I don’t know,” I started. “I wouldn’t have my car or clothes for the morning. I don’t know if Samuel’s coming home after his gig and can take care of the animals. And I have to go in early and deal with the whole Rory situation.”
I heard Mason chuckle. “I’m talking romance and you’re all about logistics.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I guess I’m guilty of being too responsible.”
Chapter Nine
Mason pulled into my driveway and cut the motor. “If you won’t come to the mountain, the mountain could come to you,” he said, touching my arm tenderly.
“No,” I said a little too abruptly. In the back of my mind, I was thinking that if Barry had come by earlier, there was a good chance he’d at least call later. If I didn’t answer the phone, Mason would wonder why, and if I did, he’d want to know who called. The worst imaginary scenario had Mason actual answering the phone. There was no anonymity anymore. Even if Barry hung up, all it took was pushing a few buttons on the phone and you could see who called.
I caught myself and softened my tone. “It’s just been a very long day, and there’s so much going on at the bookstore.”
He let out a disappointed sigh. “You shouldn’t work so hard. But then, I should talk.” His mouth curved into a grin. “And I’m sure Spike would thank you. He doesn’t like it when I stay out all night.” He turned toward me and stroked my hair. “How about a rain check for this weekend?”
“Perfect.” I opened the door to get out.
He insisted on walking me to the door. As we walked on the stone path across the front yard, I kept stealing a look at the street, worried that Barry might suddenly drive up.
“Well, then, I guess it’s good-night,” Mason said when I’d unlocked the front door. “This is kind of exciting, kissing good-night at the door.”
He took me in his arms and outdid himself showing me what I was missing. It almost worked, but then I pushed the door open with my foot and said good-night.
I let out my breath in relief when I shut the door. I’d managed to keep Barry and Mason apart. I looked down the hall and saw that the door to Samuel’s room was open and the lights were off, which meant he wasn’t home. I’d barely walked in the kitchen to open the door and let Cosmo and Felix out for a run when the phone rang.
“Greenberg,” he said when I’d barely gotten out a hello. “Is it okay to come in?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his insistence on being so official. “You could just say it was Barry.”
“I guess I could, but that makes it seem social, and this is all official police business.”
“Official? Really? Then your superiors know you’re using me as a source for information.”
I heard him make some uncomfortable noises. “How about we talk about it when I come in?”
I agreed, and when I opened the front door, he was standing on my porch, holding a box. I looked out past him to the street and saw that the curb was empty. “You parked down the street?”
“Yes,” he said without elaborating, so I did it for him.
“If this is so official, why try to hide that you’re coming here?” I teased.
He blew out his breath in consternation. “Okay, you’re right. It’s not really official police business. Are you happy?”
“Yes.” Before I could say more, the two dogs had pushed the kitchen door open and come inside. They ran to greet Barry while I rushed to shut the door before the cats figured out it was open.
Barry came into the kitchen with the two dogs in tow. “Is it okay to give them something?”
“Sure,” I said. In the light, I got a good look at what he was carrying. A pizza box. He saw me looking at it.
“You’re always feeding me. I thought it was the least I could do.” He set it on the counter and gave the dogs a treat.
The smell of the pizza wafted across the kitchen, and this time it was my stomach that gurgled in response to the scent.
He glanced at my outfit. “But then, I suppose you’ve already eaten.” He seemed surprised when he checked his watch. “I didn’t realize it was past eleven.” He looked at my dress again. “You must have been out somewhere fancy with Mason.”
“It was one of those charity events. And I’m sure you’ve heard the term rubber chicken.” I opened the box and looked at the large cheese pizza. “I didn’t realize it, but I’m starving.”
“Welcome to the club.”
I was about to pull out some plates, but I asked for a short delay. I was starting to feel chilled in the thin dress. Now that it was spring, the days were warm, but the nights had a cold edge. He offered to set things up while I changed.
I came back a few minutes later feeling much more comfortable in leggings and a long sleeve T-shirt. Barry had set everything up on the coffee table in the living room and was sitting on one of the twin couches. I got some sparkling water for us and sat across from him. I served him a slice before putting one on my plate and then began struggling to cut it with a knife and fork while I balanced the plate on my knees. He had left his plate on the coffee table and simply picked up his piece and took a bite before setting it back down. “Well, we might as well get down to it.”
I stopped trying to cut my piece and looked up at him. Something had been on my mind. “I was wondering. Since you said that Heather is so sure what happened, why no arrest?”
Barry’s brow furrowed and his dark eyes flashed. “I thought we weren’t going to do that.”
“Weren’t going to do what?” I asked.
“There you go again. You know what I’m talking about. I’m supposed to ask the questions and you’re just supposed to give me information.”
“You’re being a little pigheaded,” I said. “I just thought it would help me to understand more if I knew why no one had been arrested, since Heather already decided what happened.”
Barry took another bite of his
pizza and chewed it thoughtfully. I knew he was stalling. When he set down the slice, he seemed a little uncomfortable.
“Is it because it could be accidental?” I asked.
“It’s really not your concern,” he said.
“How’d Connie get electrocuted?” I asked, and he looked up.
“Did Marianne Freeman tell you that’s what happened?”
I told him about the online story and that I had figured out it was about Connie Richards even though it didn’t mention her name. “The story mentioned the street, and Marianne’s house is the only one on it.” I asked him again how Connie had gotten electrocuted.
“That’s what I’m hoping you can help us find out.”
“But what was the means? You must know that,” I persisted.
Barry made a face. “You just can’t help it, can you? You have to keep making everything a question.”
I shrugged. “I learned it from you when we were together.”
“It’s too bad I was such a good teacher.” He finally cracked a smile. He looked at me with the knife and fork. “Why not make it easy on yourself.” He demonstrated by picking up his piece again and taking a bite.
Maybe he was right. I put down the silverware and followed suit. It was certainly a lot easier. When I’d demolished most of the piece, he nodded at me.
“So are you ready to tell me what you’ve found out?”
I smiled and simply said, “Yes.”
But telling him that I liked Marianne and how sad it had been when she said she used to be funny wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He perked up a little when I mentioned that she’d come back to the Hookers group on her own but her brother had shown up and insisted she leave. “I did get the impression that she doesn’t like taking all the meds. She had a temporary helper who had to insist that she take them.”
“She must have been upset about what happened. What did she say about the victim?”
“That’s the problem. She didn’t seem able to feel much of anything. I think the drugs keep her in kind of a stupor. Do you know why she’s on them?” I asked, then winced, thinking he was going to make a fuss about another question.
“Heather was following up on that,” he said, seeming not to notice that I had asked another question.
“I’ll have to find that out on my own.”
“I’m really hoping you can find out more about Connie Richards. Marianne was close with her. She must know something about her life.” He paused and stared at me directly. “I didn’t say this before, but I don’t want you to go sneaking around or anything. Nothing that would put you in danger, and absolutely don’t do anything illegal. I was hoping you could just pick up things in conversation. It’s good that she wants to come to your group. It gives you access.”
“I’m not so sure her brother is sold on it. I’m not sure if he was upset because she came alone or if he didn’t like her coming to the group at all.”
“See what you can do,” Barry said.
I smiled at Barry. “And you said you couldn’t do the friend thing when we broke up. Look at us, eating pizza and talking about your case like a couple of buds.”
“I wouldn’t quite call it that, but I do appreciate your help.”
We’d eaten our fill of pizza, but it seemed like it needed some kind of finish. I offered him some tea and cookies.
“I knew I forgot something. Dessert. And something hot would be good,” he said.
I went into the kitchen and made two mugs of green tea and put some oatmeal cookies on a plate. But when I walked into the living room, Barry was slumped on the couch asleep.
I considered what to do. I figured I should probably wake him, but he seemed so peaceful. So I got a blanket and draped it over him and took my tea in the kitchen.
I checked on him when I came through the living room on my way to bed. He hadn’t stirred, and Cosmo was cuddled next to him.
I was glad to finally fall into bed myself. It had been a long day for everybody.
Chapter Ten
The phone cut into my dreams, and it took a number of rings to clear the fog enough for me to reach over and grab the cordless. Mason’s cheerful voice startled me.
“We didn’t have our sleepover, but I did promise you breakfast. I’m in the driveway with cappuccinos and rolls from the French bakery.”
I started to smile at his thoughtfulness, but then I remembered Barry was on the couch and freaked. I looked around the room frantically, as if some answer would pop up. Meanwhile, Mason was asking if he should come in the front or kitchen door.
“Front door,” I said. “But could you give me a minute to pull myself together?”
“You don’t have to fuss for me. It isn’t like I haven’t seen you looking bleary-eyed.”
“No, no, this is worse,” I said, getting up as I spoke. “We’re talking smeared mascara, hair askew. If you saw me now, you’d probably want to rethink our whole relationship.” By now I was in the living room. Barry was still asleep, and I had to give him a nudge to wake him up. He looked up at me with a puzzled smile, and then reality began to kick in as he sat forward.
“Yes, Mason, it’s so thoughtful that you brought over breakfast. Just give me a few minutes to freshen up, and then you can come in the front door.” I was doing my best to keep my voice natural, but I was afraid it sounded forced.
Barry nodded with recognition, and I led him to the kitchen door. He was a detective, so I was sure he’d figure out that he needed to give it a few minutes for Mason to come in before he went down the driveway. He mouthed a thank you and went out the door.
I hadn’t looked in the mirror, and I hoped that I didn’t look as bad as I’d described, since there was no time to fix it before I opened the door for Mason.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” he said brightly as he came in the door. He looked over my face. “I don’t know what you did, but you look great to me. We can have breakfast in the living room.” He walked right to the couch and sat in the spot Barry had vacated. His gaze stopped on the pizza box on the table.
“You had a pizza party?” he asked with a puzzled look.
“Me? A party? No way,” I said. It wasn’t a lie. It hadn’t been a party—more of a meeting. I was relieved when Mason drew his own conclusions.
“It must have been Samuel. You ought to make him clean up after himself.”
Mason was dressed for work, and we drank our cappuccinos and ate the rolls and then he was on his way to the door.
I picked everything up after he left and put it in the trash. I looked down the hall to Samuel’s room. The door was shut now, which meant he’d come home during the night and was still asleep. I felt a little twinge of guilt that I’d let him take the rap for the pizza box.
The chill of the morning had softened, and the angle of the sun was moving back up in the sky as a reminder that winter was past. The light jacket I’d tossed over my work clothes was enough. As I crossed the stone patio, I looked out at the yard. The last of the orange blossoms clung to the trees, but most of the petals were sprinkled on the ground now. I caught the scent of a lavender hyacinth flower that had appeared in the middle of the flower bed.
I was ready to face my day.
* * *
The first order of business was dealing with Adele. And as soon as I walked in the bookstore, I went looking for her in the kids’ department. She was settled at one of the small round tables with a cup of coffee and a stack of books. When she saw me, she held up three of them fanned in her hand. “Which one do you think I should do next?”
I didn’t have much time to study them, other than to see that the one in the middle had a picture of somebody in a cape. Adele always dressed for story time, and she favored the dramatic. Before I could point to it, Adele had chosen it herself.
“I’m assuming you came in here for a reason,” she said.
“It’s about Rory. I have to know. How’s it going with her lessons?”
Adele got a smug smile. “She�
��s going to need me to be at her side.”
“You don’t understand,” I said. “She passed herself off as an expert. She has to be able to hold her own with a hook. If they find out she misrepresented herself, they could pull the plug on the show until they find someone else. Mrs. Shedd would be crushed if that happened.”
“It wouldn’t be a problem. I could step in,” Adele said.
“No, you couldn’t. They want a name. Somebody who will draw viewers.”
Adele seemed stunned at this news, and I saw her lip quiver.
“I know that you’re a great teacher, so use all your skills to bring her up to speed. Okay?”
Adele was caught between the compliment to her teaching ability and the fact that she wasn’t a name. But then it began to sink in that it would be her fault if the show fell apart. She suddenly stood up taller and did a fake salute. “General Adele on the case. Rory won’t be faking it.”
I asked that Adele keep all of this to herself. As I walked away, I heard her say that she was really going to be Rory’s crochet companion now. I hadn’t even dealt with my concern that CeeCee still needed to try out the Make-and Take bracelet, and we needed a recipe.
Rachel, one of our new hires, waved me over as I walked toward the information cubicle. She was holding out the phone and gestured that the call was for me.
I was surprised to hear Marianne on the other end of the line. “I’m sorry about my brother,” she said. “I’m afraid he overreacted. I really want to come to the group. I hope I’m still welcome.”
I immediately thought about what Barry had said about talking to her, and her coming to the group would definitely give me an opportunity. “Of course you’re welcome, but it seemed like your brother was concerned about you coming alone.”
“I have it worked out. For tonight, at least,” she said.
“Then I’ll see you later.” It was certainly going to be an interesting happy hour.
* * *
Adele was already at the back table, looking toward the bookstore entrance anticipating Rory’s arrival, when I came into the yarn department that afternoon. Dinah came in behind me, gave me a hug, and whispered that we had to talk, before she sat down. I’d tried to call her earlier but only gotten her voicemail. I knew she wanted details about the event with Mason. I wasn’t sure how I could tell her the rest while keeping Barry’s secret a secret.
Hooks Can Be Deceiving Page 8
