I dropped Mom at Aunt Ellen’s and then took Ricky (and Fluffy) to search the bars of Nags Head.
“It wasn’t too far from the restaurant,” Ricky said. “I walked there. I had to cross a busy road.”
“Big place? Small? Nice or a dive?”
“I’m not entirely sure. Not the sort of establishment you’d find my mother frequenting, in any event.”
I drove slowly down Grouse Street and turned right on Highway 12 while Ricky peered out the window and munched on his bacon sandwich and Fluffy bounced around the back seat. “You should get the dog’s harness out of the rental car,” I said.
“Yeah, I guess. You and this guy, Connor. Are you going to be okay?”
“Whatever that means, yes, we’re going to be okay.”
“Mom said he’s the mayor.”
“That’s right.”
“Mom says you can never trust a politician.”
“Your mother is not a neutral observer.”
“Got that one right. There! That’s it. I think.”
“You think?”
“It’s the right one for sure. I think.”
I did a U-turn and pulled onto the cracked and broken pavement next to an establishment that you would definitely never find Ricky’s mother in. Only one car was in the lot, parked next to the back door. Blue and red lights flickered in the windows, advertising brands of beer, along with an open sign. Ricky studied the door and finally said, “Yeah, this is it. I hope they put my stuff away someplace safe. Wait here.”
“Happy to,” I said.
Ricky got out of the car, and I twisted around and held out my hand to Fluffy, bracing myself for another bite. “How are you enjoying your vacation in the Outer Banks so far?” She studied me warily, then gave my fingers a quick lick in response.
“Do you like to go for long walks on the beach?” I eyed her carefully groomed pure-white fur and the pink collar studded with rhinestones. “Probably not.”
The passenger door opened, and Ricky hopped into the car. He was not, I noticed, carrying his blazer. “Right place, but the guy I spoke to last night isn’t in, and they wouldn’t give me his number. I have to come back at five if I want to talk to him. I can only hope he hasn’t sold my phone and used my credit card for a flight to Brazil. It’s almost noon. How about lunch?”
“You just finished a sandwich five minutes ago.”
“Still hungry. Still hungover, truth be told. I need some hair of the dog.”
“Well, I don’t. I’m going back to work. I’ll drop you at the hotel.” I switched on the car’s engine and pulled into traffic. “You can get me the dog harness. I don’t like the way she’s bouncing around back there.”
As long as the little creature had been forced on me, I might as well try to look after her properly.
“What are you going to do now, Ricky?” I asked. “Are you going back to Boston today as planned?”
He said nothing for a long time, and then he let out a sigh. “I’m not sure. I should probably stay with my mom, give her moral support and all that, but your mom’s doing that. I should go back to the office, assure everyone the firm is in good hands, a steady hand on the tiller, that sort of rubbish. But it doesn’t really matter. I don’t do much there, and everyone knows it. Your dad’ll do a better job of reassuring them than I ever could. Not that they need reassuring. They’ll be glad Dad’s gone. He can’t do any more damage.”
“Surely you don’t mean that, Ricky.”
“I do. Unfortunately. He’d been making a lot of bad decisions lately, taking on bad clients. People on the lower floors are always whispering in corners about overheard shouting matches coming from the partners’ meetings. They stop whispering when I walk in, but I’ve heard enough to know they’re whispering about me too.”
I arrived at the Ocean Side. I drove past. Ricky needed to talk.
“Thing is, Lucy, Dad was a drain on the firm, and I’m in way over my head. I should have articled in another firm, got my feet wet somewhere I wasn’t the boss’s son. I should be doing smaller cases, less important ones, but Dad’s been shoving the biggest and most high-profile cases onto my desk, and then he never follows up to see how things are going, and some of the partners are ensuring I don’t get what support I need.”
“Some of the partners? You mean my dad?”
“No. Never him. Your dad’s not my biggest fan, but he’d never do anything to damage the reputation of the firm.”
“But others would?”
“Your dad’s never forgotten that Richardson Lewiston was started by his father and my grandfather. That history’s important to him. Important enough that he’s not on the side of those who want to push my father—and thus me—out. Guess that’s all a moot point now.”
I took a left turn onto a side street. “I had no idea. Ricky, the police think your dad was murdered. Is it at all possible that one of the partners or someone else at the firm decided to speed his departure along?”
“You mean by bumping him off? No, Lucy. This isn’t the movies. Members of respectable law firms don’t do that sort of thing. I’m not being sarcastic. The knives were out for Dad, and it was only a matter of time before he was pushed overboard, if I may mix my metaphors. Dad wasn’t helping matters any, and he scarcely seemed to realize what was going on. Even your father couldn’t do anything about it. Your dad was always loyal to my dad. I’m sorry to say it, but my dad didn’t return the favor; all he cared about was saving his own bacon.”
I took another left. “Someone killed him, according to the police. If it wasn’t a random attack, then he had at least one enemy prepared to go to extremes.”
“I don’t know anything about Dad’s private life, if he had one. We didn’t spend much time together outside of the office—or even in it, lately. There were disgruntled clients, like that guy who showed up at the restaurant last night.”
“Gordon Frankland. He recognized your mom, but your mom says she never had anything to do with the firm.”
“They would have met at some charity do or another. My mom’s big on charity dos. Gives her a chance to buy a new dress, wear her diamonds, and show off. Dad and I know we’re expected to invite clients to her things. They’re expected to put in an appearance, if they know what’s good for them. Mom wasn’t at all happy to see Frankland yesterday.”
“To put it mildly,” I said.
“Dad might have told her the man was causing trouble. My dad talked about business with Mom more than she let on. On the other hand, Dad had debts, gambling debts, and he made one bad investment decision after another. Probably a lot Mom and I didn’t know about.”
“What do you want now, Ricky? Are you going to stay on at Richardson Lewiston?”
“I don’t know, Lucy. I really don’t know. I do know, however, that you’re driving in circles. I’ve seen that house before.”
“Get my phone out of my purse and call your mom. Ask her where she is and where the dog’s car harness is.”
I told Ricky the password to my phone as I made another left turn and headed for the Ocean Side. He made the call, and his mother answered. They spoke briefly and he hung up. “She’s still at the hotel. Says she decided to go shopping after lunch. She coulda told me that before I dragged you all over town, Lucy. Sorry.”
“Not a problem.”
Fluffy jumped up and down in the back seat, eager to be let out of the car. The sun was high in the sky and the temperatures in the eighties. I couldn’t leave the dog locked in the car when we went in search of Evangeline.
Ricky seemed to read my mind. “I’ll take the demon beast for a stroll around the property while you go in. I’d just as soon avoid Mom for a while longer. She’s in the restaurant, and she has the valet slip with her. They’ll get the harness for you.”
“Thanks,” I said.
I left Ricky and Fluffy glaring at each other and went inside in search of Evangeline. I found her in the restaurant, comfortably seated at a table for two with views over the garden, a glass of wine in front of her, but to my surprise she was not alone. A man leapt to his feet as I approached.
“I was telling Leon that I’m in town to congratulate you on your engagement, Lucy, and here you are in person.” Evangeline laughed lightly. She’d reapplied her makeup, and all trace of tears and sorrow had been covered up.
Her companion thrust out his hand. “Leon Lions. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Dear Lucy is the daughter of my oldest and dearest friend in all the world,” Evangeline cooed. For a moment I thought she’d mistaken me for someone else. “Leon and I go a long way back, don’t we, Leon?”
“So far back,” he said, chuckling, “I don’t dare try to remember how many years.” He was a pleasant-looking man around the age of Evangeline and my parents, with a deep—probably permanent—tan, a round, completely bald head, cheerful gray eyes, and a big belly and equally big smile. He was casually dressed in pressed slacks and a golf shirt. A heavy gold signet ring marked with an ornate letter L graced the index finger of his right hand. “Won’t you join us?” he said politely. “We haven’t ordered our lunches yet.”
Evangeline’s narrow eyes and tight smile said, Don’t you dare.
I almost accepted, just to see her reaction, but I shook my head. “Thank you, but no. I have to get back to work.”
“Did Ricky find his blazer?” she asked me.
“The night staff wasn’t there, so he has to go back later.” I was pretty sure the police wouldn’t be quite so patient. They’d be wanting to have a look at this missing white jacket. I didn’t tell Evangeline so. “Uh, the valet ticket?”
Evangeline turned to Leon. “I love my son dearly, but he is such a scatterbrain sometimes. He certainly doesn’t get that from me.”
Leon smiled fondly at her. “I’m looking forward to getting to know him.”
Okay.
“Do you live locally, Mr. Lions?” I asked.
“Please, call me Leon. Yes, yes I do. In Kill Devil Hills. Lived there all my life except for a few years spent in Boston in my youth, which is where I met this charming lady.”
Evangeline actually tittered.
Okay.
“And you’ve kept in touch all these years,” I said. “Isn’t that nice?”
“Not as much in touch as I would have liked,” Leon said. “Life gets ahead of us, doesn’t it, as the years pass before we realize. We still have mutual acquaintances, and I was informed this morning about Rich’s death. Naturally, I immediately contacted my old friend to offer any assistance she might require.” He smiled at Evangeline.
“What do you want, Lucy?” Evangeline snapped.
“Fluffy’s harness.”
“Oh, right. The reason you’re here.” She dug in her Kate Spade bag. “Here you go, dear; mustn’t keep you.”
“Nice meeting you,” Leon said.
“And you,” I replied.
Back outside, I handed the ticket to the valet and told him what I wanted. When I had it in hand, I found Ricky watching Fluffy sniff around under a perfectly manicured bush. He handed me the leash. Fluffy sniffed my shoes.
“What are you going to do for the rest of the day?” I asked.
“I have to start making phone calls. I have some clients I need to reassure. Firm hand on the tiller and all that. I’ll find out what I have scheduled for the rest of the week and then decide if I’m going to stay with Mom until … until we can take Dad home.”
“If you need anything …”
He reached out and touched my cheek, ever so lightly. His eyes were very wet. “Lucy. My Lucy. What a fool I’ve been.”
I turned and fled, dragging Fluffy behind me.