When she got to work the next day, Connor was already in the office. He came to the reception area when he heard her open the door.
“Good morning, Nicole. Have you heard what happened to Dora Hildebrand?”
“Yes. Wasn’t it awful?”
“It sure was.”
“Her daughter came by the house yesterday afternoon and told us about it. She said she’d call Lita if anything changed with Dora’s condition.”
“You must have known Dora pretty well.” He took off his glasses and stuck them in his shirt pocket.
“Not well, but I was getting to know her.” She was beginning to wonder why Connor was asking her all these questions. “Lita and I played gin with her and I talked to her in the mornings on my way to work. She was usually tending her flowers.”
“The Hildebrands were friends with my parents. Every time they got together there was a discussion about flowers.”
She didn’t respond. She didn’t know what he was driving at.
He cleared his throat and started to speak, but the telephone interrupted him.
She answered it and one of the clients wanted an explanation of his coverage if he let his cousin borrow his car. Nicole pulled up the policy and told him she’d be glad to send him a copy.
When she hung up, Connor said, “Since you need to be answering questions concerning policies, we ought to think about sending you to study for your insurance license. Would you be interested?”
“That’s a big step, but I’ll think about it.” She smiled at him and hoped she hid the nervousness she felt. Going to school would require documentation she didn’t have, but she couldn’t tell him this.
Connor looked as if he wanted to say something else, but a client came into the office and paid his insurance bill. When he left, Nicole said, “Connor, I’m not sure what I should do with all this money. I lock it in my desk, but I don’t really feel comfortable keeping it here.” She unlocked the middle drawer and took out the checks and cash she’d collected in the past couple of days. “I’ve been writing receipts and clipping the carbon to the payment. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s fine for now. You can just give the receipts and the payments to me when you get ready to leave each day. Later, I’ll discuss with you how we like the bank deposits done. I’m doing them now, but we may add that to your duties.”
She nodded and wished he wouldn’t stand so close to the desk. On the other hand, she wished he’d get closer. She could smell his manly cologne. It made her want to get up close and personal with him. Someday, maybe I’ll be able to buy an expensive fragrance which will turn him on.
Stunned at her own thought, she turned to the computer. “There was an email this morning. A gentleman wants you to write a policy on his place at Tybee Island.” She glanced at him. “Can you do that?” He nodded and she went on. “I sent a message back that I’d turn the request over to you or Paul.”
“That’s another reason we need to get you licensed. You’d be able to answer questions about policies and write up the simple ones yourself.”
She nodded and said nothing. She still felt there was something more he wanted to say, but before he could, a woman breezed into the office. At first she thought it was Paul’s wife, but then Connor said, “Well, hello Elsie. What are you up to today?”
“I’m on a special mission, and I hope you can help me with it.”
“I’ll try. What can I do?”
“Let’s go to your office and discuss it, darling.” She looped her arm in his and they walked down the hall to his office.
* * * *
“Bowie Detective Agency,” Jeff Bowie said into the phone as he leaned back in his black imitation leather swivel chair.
“Mr. Bowie, this is Janice Hildebrand. I’m returning your call. You left a message on my mother’s answering machine yesterday.”
“Yes, Ms. Hildebrand. I have a little information I want to share with your mother.”
“I’ll be happy to take the information for her. My mother is in the hospital.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think the disease would progress this quickly.”
“What disease?”
He could tell from Janice Hildebrand’s voice she was surprised. He wasn’t sure what to say. Skirting the issue, he asked, “What happened to your mother?”
“Someone broke into her house and attacked her. She’s hanging onto life, but she is critical.” She took a breath. “Now, what disease were you referring to?”
Used to thinking quickly he said, “Well, she told me the arthritis was getting so bad she sometimes thought she’d have to go into the hospital for treatment.” It sounded good to him because he knew most older people had arthritis in some form or another.
Her daughter must have swallowed his explanation. “Oh, that. Well, she has been complaining about it a lot lately. I thought it was because it always gets worse in the fall of the year.”
“I’m certainly sorry to hear about the break-in. I’ll keep Mrs. Hildebrand in my thoughts. She’s a lovely lady, and I don’t like to think of something like this happening to her.”
“Thank you. Of course I knew my mother had hired you and why. Now, if you’ll give the information I’ll be happy to give it to her if she recovers.”
There was something about her voice that sent a warning bell off in his head. Maybe it was the remark about if her mother recovered. Anyway, he knew he wasn’t going to tell Janice Hildebrand what he’d learned. Again he thought quickly, “It really wasn’t much, but I thought it’d give her a little hope. I was able to locate a nurse who worked at the hospital at the time your mother was there. Her memory is shaky and she didn’t recall your mother as a patient, but I plan to chat with her again. Maybe she’ll be clearer next time, but I’m not counting on it. She’s pretty old.” He took a breath. “Now that I think about it, maybe we shouldn’t even tell your mother. There’s no need to get her hopes up.”
“I agree, and I probably won’t tell her.” She sighed. “In fact, maybe it would be better if you put the investigation on hold until mother is well again. I don’t want to run up a needless bill for her.”
He lifted his eyebrow. “Would you not be interested in continuing the investigation on your own? Aren’t you interested in finding your sister?”
“Not at all. I’m happy with my family the way it is. I don’t see any need to shake things up with someone who has never been a part of our lives.”
“I can understand that. I’ll put the file away and when your mother is able, we’ll revisit it again.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bowie.”
When he hung up, Jeff sat back in his chair. So, you don’t want a sister coming into your life and messing things up for you, Ms. Janice Hildebrand? We’ll just see what your reaction is when I do find your relative.
He picked up the file. There was a copy of the generous check Dora Hildebrand had given him last week. And it had already cleared the bank. He had plenty to continue the investigation and that was just what he intended to do. Miss Janice Hildebrand might not want to find her sister, but Jeff Bowie certainly did
* * * *
It was after eleven when Connor and his friend, Elsie, appeared back in the office. She was saying, “But I wanted you to go to lunch with me, Connor.”
“I’m sorry, Elsie. I just can’t make it today.”
“Oh, you and your old business meetings. When are you going to let go of the past and start getting out and having fun?”
“I get out.”
“Yes. Like the night I insisted you attend that fundraiser with me. That doesn’t count because as soon as we ate you insisted on going home. You need to get out and do some fun things like dancing and attending movies and plays. You spend too much time alone.” She glanced at Nicole. “Does he give you a hard time, Ms...?”
“Lynch, Nicole Lynch.”
“Hi, I’m Elsie Franklin.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Thank you.” Elsie looked at Connor. “Why hadn’t you introduced me to your new secretary?”
“I would have, but I’m in a hurry.”
“You’re always in a hurry.”
He looked at his watch.
“Okay, okay. I’ll let you off this time, but I want a rain check for lunch. You need the guidance of a female in your life and believe you me I’m the one to get you out of your doldrums.”
He opened the door. “Good-bye, Elsie.”
“Toddle-do, love. I’ll see you soon.” She leaned up, slung her silky light brown hair back and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She then gave Nicole a quick wave and went out the door.
Connor closed it and turned around. His face turned a little pink when he saw Nicole glancing over her computer at him. He grinned. “Sorry you had to see that.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I do think the lady likes you.”
He shook his head. “The only person Elsie likes is Elsie.”
“She could pass for Paul’s wife.”
He laughed. “She should. They’re twins.” He came and stood at her desk. “I told her a flat out lie to get rid of her.” When Nicole just looked at him, he said, “I told her you and I had to meet a client and go over some important things at lunch, and it was something which had to be done today. I’m sorry I used you, but I didn’t want to get stuck taking her out to eat.”
“That’s what a secretary is for, I guess.” She eyed him.
“Well, in that case,” he hesitated then went on, “will you go to lunch with me? Elsie is the type to watch and make sure I wasn’t lying when I said we needed to go to lunch together.”
“Let me see.” She cocked her head at him. “You’re using me to get out of taking your girlfriend to lunch.”
He shook his head. “One, she’s not my girlfriend. Two, I admit I’m using you. Three, I’ll buy you a good lunch to make up for it.”
“Then how can I refuse? Let me give Lita a call so she won’t be expecting me.”
“Great. I’ll get my coat. If you will, please grab a few files to take with us. They can be empty or old files. It doesn’t matter what’s in them. I just want it to look like we’re taking work with us. Elsie may be parked outside somewhere watching.”
“She must be strange if she’d do that.” Nicole picked up the phone.
“She and her sister are both strange. Elsie is man crazy and Erline is a snob. I don’t see how my brother stands them, but he seems to get along fine with it.”
Nicole didn’t answer. Lita had answered the phone.
Connor walked toward his office.
“So, where are you going for lunch, dear?” Lita asked after Nicole explained she wouldn’t be home.
“I don’t know. Connor is taking me to lunch.”
“Oh, I see.” There was a strange tone in Lita’s voice.
“Is something wrong with that?’
“No, Nicole. Not at all. He must like you a lot because Connor doesn’t take many women out.”
Before Nicole could ask why, Connor came back into the front office. “Connor’s ready to go, so I’ll see you tonight, Lita.”