CHAPTER 26
My head spun, and I felt dizzy. I leaned my head against the steering wheel. “How could I have been so wrong about Leroy? So much for trusting my gut.”
Baby leaned down and licked my neck, dripping drool down my shirt.
I wiped away the drool and sat up.
“Leroy seemed loyal and trustworthy, but he might have been spying on Aunt Octavia—and me.” I gave Baby’s ear a scratch. “He fooled you, too.”
Baby shook, flinging drool across the dashboard.
I wiped it off. “There’s no need to get in a mood. I mean, he fooled a lot of people.”
Woof.
I ignored him. “What am I going to do? I can’t run Baby Cakes by myself, but I can’t have someone I don’t trust working for me.” I snapped back and gazed out the window. “What am I saying? This isn’t just about trust. This is bigger than me and you and Baby Cakes. He might be in league with the enemy, but Leroy could also be a murderer.”
Woof, woof.
“You’re right. He would be a double murderer.”
I put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb. I drove until I saw the sign for Interstate 94. I didn’t care which direction, east or west. I just needed to think. I knew Chicago was west, so I chose east and headed toward Detroit. Driving always relaxed me. In LA, I spent a lot of time on the freeway—usually stopped in bumper-to-bumper traffic—but when The Admiral was stationed in Italy, I loved to drive the autostrada. I could think, and if you scream in your car, no one can hear you.
I set the cruise control for ten miles over the speed limit. Based on the way cars were passing me as if I were standing still, I could have easily increased my speed. But I wasn’t familiar with the local speed traps, so I decided to err on the side of caution. There wasn’t much to distract me, so I was able to let my mind drift while I drove.
“Why would Garrett Kelley call Leroy at eleven at night?”
Baby gazed out the passenger window.
“Maybe it was something completely innocent. Maybe he called Leroy to get my number.”
That suggestion didn’t even merit a glance in my direction. Baby looked out the window with his jowls dripping drool.
“If it was totally innocent, then why didn’t Leroy mention it? Why not come forward and say, Garrett Kelley’s dead? That’s strange. He just called me last night to thank me for saving his life. Or to get Maddy’s telephone number. Or . . . to borrow my bowling shoes. Right? He should have spoken up if there wasn’t anything sinister going on.”
Baby yawned.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t be asking you. I need to be asking Leroy these questions.”
Woof.
I got off at the next exit. After two short turns, I was back on Interstate 94. This time headed west and home. “I’ll ask him. I’ll just confront him with the evidence and see what he has to say.”
By the time I got home, Leroy was nowhere to be found. Had my earlier call alerted him to the fact that I was on to him? A note on the refrigerator said he had gone to dinner with his mom.
“Leroy has a mom?”
Baby turned his back and walked away.
“All right. Stupid question. Everybody has a mom, but you knew what I meant.”
I didn’t have a lot of time to search to see if Aunt Octavia had left me any more clues, but I did a quick search in the closet near where I’d found the other tape. Whoever said lightning never struck in the same place twice didn’t know my aunt Octavia. Behind a box labeled BABY’S STUFF was another recording.
“Eureka!” I waved the tape in the air as though I had just found the Holy Grail. I might have done a happy dance before I raced to the bedroom to play the tape and prayed it wasn’t a video of Baby playing.
Aunt Octavia’s face appeared on the screen. She looked as though she’d aged considerably since the previous tape, and I wondered how much time had passed.
“Maddy, I hope this is you. Of course it’s you. You’re a smart girl. I knew you’d find this.” She smiled and her eyes reflected how proud she was of me. I teared up at the idea that this great-aunt whom I’ve never met believed in me, while my own father didn’t. I’d never seen The Admiral look at me like this, anyway.
“I don’t know which tapes you’ve found, but I know I don’t have a lot of time.” She looked around like a frightened rabbit.
“Something’s not right in New Bison. The mayor and Abernathy are up to their eyeballs in it, along with that developer. But . . . there’s got to be someone else behind this. I don’t know who, but Jackson Abernathy and that fool Rivers don’t have the intelligence to pull off something like this.” She paused but shook her head and continued.
“I have my suspicions, but . . . I need to check on it. I don’t want to accuse the wrong person. I think Ellison is working for some dangerous people. He’s got the mayor and Abernathy under his thumb. They’ve changed zoning regulations to get those high-rise condominimums built.”
I smiled at “condo-minimums.”
“There’s no way that land is stable enough for all those buildings. That used to be a landfill. Plus, I’m positive there was toxic waste dumped there, but all the records seemed to have conveniently disappeared. I know that fool Rivers must have been involved, but he’s just not bright enough to come up with a scheme like this. No, there’s someone else behind this. I’ve been asking questions and digging through the records and . . . well, I think they might be on to me.” She glanced over her shoulder.
“I’m not worried for myself. I’m an old woman. I’ve had a good life, but I do worry about you. I probably shouldn’t have told you any of this. I don’t want them coming after you. I’ve made sure that the important papers will get into the right hands . . . if anything happens to me. But I want you to stay safe. You’re young and you have your entire life ahead of you. Plus, you need to take care of Baby.” She smiled.
I looked over at Baby, who was sitting up and staring at the television.
“Now, you promise me that you’ll just keep out of this. I need you to stay safe.” She sniffed. “Your mama would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you. She loved you so much. You and your daddy were her sunshine. Now, I hope you are liking life in New Bison. It’ll be a shock from what you’re accustomed to, but if you give it a chance, I think you’ll like the people. There’s even some nice-looking young men around. Hannah’s grandson, Michael, is a nice, well-mannered young man. I tell you if I were forty years younger . . .” She laughed. She had a deep laugh, and her eyes crinkled at the corners. “Ha. You might laugh, but when I was younger, I could turn a head or two. Just like you do. It runs in the family, just like baking.” She took a deep breath. “Well, I can’t stay here jawing all day. I got work to do. You do like I said. You take care of yourself and Baby. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
There was a click, and Aunt Octavia looked around. Then she stopped the recording.
I sat staring at the black screen until I heard a howl.
Baby stared at the screen as though he were trying to command his old mistress to come back.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Octavia. I know you told me to stay out of it, but I can’t. However, I will be careful, and I will take care of Baby.” I turned off the television and gave Baby a hug.
After a few moments, he settled down. I’m not sure how long we sat that way, but eventually, I glanced at the time. It was later than I thought. “I know you miss her, and even though I don’t remember her, I miss her, too. She must have been a very special lady.”
I hurried downstairs and got Baby’s dinner, then I rushed to take a shower and get dressed.
I took extra care on my hair and makeup and put on an expensive designer dress that I’d picked up in Paris. It seemed like overkill for New Bison, but I really loved it. It was an Oscar de la Renta, and it reminded me of Grace Kelly. It floated over my hips and made me want to swirl around so I could feel the feathery light fabric caress my skin.
“What do you think?” I asked Baby.
He was lying across the bed. He lifted one ear and then jumped off the bed and headed downstairs. Two seconds later, the doorbell rang.
I assumed it was Brad and took Baby to the garage. If I’d been paying attention, I would have noted that Baby wasn’t barking and trying to beat down the door.
I opened the door and was surprised to see Michael Portman. “Oh . . . I wasn’t expecting . . . I’m sorry, please come in.” I stepped aside.
“You look amazing.” He glanced around. “Obviously, you’re going out. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He turned to leave.
“Wait. You’re not interrupting.”
“Clearly, I should have called before coming over. I thought maybe you wanted to talk about . . . things.”
“I do want to talk, but I promised Brad—”
“Ellison. I understand.”
I started to explain, but he held up a hand. “No need to explain. You don’t owe me an explanation. I should have called. Have a nice evening.” He turned and walked out.
“Michael.”
He climbed into his pickup truck and pulled away.
I stared after him until he was out of sight. I considered texting him, but I wasn’t sure he’d respond. I still had his Tesla. I closed the door.
I let Baby back inside, and we went back upstairs so I could finish dressing. Funny, but this time when I looked at myself in the mirror, I didn’t have the same feeling. I didn’t have time to analyze my feelings, but I knew I couldn’t wear my beautiful dress on a date with Bradley Ellison. I took it off.
I looked through the clothes I’d brought and stopped at a white Alaïa gown. It was white knit with long sleeves. The sleeves and the skirt had laser cutouts, while the waist had a black leather belt design that resembled a corset. Where the de la Renta dress was old-fashioned, feminine, and flirtatious, the Alaïa was edgy and futuristic. When the dress was featured in Vogue, the model wore combat boots. I didn’t think La Petite Maison and New Bison were quite ready for that type of fashion statement. Instead, I put on a pair of thigh-high Jimmy Choo boots, which had cost a fortune but were as soft as butter. The boots also hid my legs, so the modesty police would be pleased.
I grabbed my purse, turned on the television for Baby, closed the door, and went downstairs. This time, when the doorbell rang, I was ready.
“Wow. You look . . . lovely,” Brad said. “Is that Alaïa?”
“I didn’t know you were into fashion?”
He helped me on with my coat. “I read Vogue and try to stay up on the latest fashion trends. Just because I’m here in this backwater doesn’t mean I have to dress like the local yokels.” He chuckled.
I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. And he called me an airhead.
He drove to the restaurant and escorted me to our table, like a peacock. His face held an arrogant smile like that of a sovereign looking down on his subjects.
He grinned. “I knew you’d like this place as much as I do.”
“The food is delicious,” I said grudgingly. “What’s not to like?”
He made a production of the wine presentation. He examined the cork. Swirled the wine in the glass. He held the glass up to the light, sniffed, sipped, and swished it around in his mouth. I’d spent a lot of time around wine connoisseurs and I recognized their reasons for doing it, but in Brad Ellison, the gesture seemed contrived. I was sure if someone slapped a ribbon and an expensive price tag on a five-dollar bottle of salad dressing, he wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.
“Why don’t you order for both of us?” he said.
He’d apparently learned something since our last date.
We had a different waiter, and I ordered Brad’s favorite, and this time I ordered Sole meunière.
“Sole meunière sounds exotic.” Brad grinned.
“Not really, it’s just fish in a butter sauce.”
“No nuts, right?” Brad reminded me of his nut allergy.
“No nuts,” I reassured him.
He droned on for several minutes about some local idiot who’d refused his excessively generous offer to buy his fishing cabin. “He has a strip of land on some of the best property in the county and what does he do? He builds a fishing shack.”
When he stopped for a breath, I asked, “Are you sure New Bison is the best place to consider expanding your real estate business?”
“Absolutely, it’s right on the pristine shores of Lake Michigan. It’s underdeveloped and a gold mine. Why? Don’t tell me you’re fed up with small-town life already?”
“I’m just wondering if it’s safe. I’ve only been here two weeks, and already both the mayor and a local business owner have been murdered.” I shivered. “It’s scary. My dad thinks I should get on the first flight back to California and, well . . . I’m not sure.”
He leaned forward. “If you decide to leave, I can make you a great offer on your house. You’ll be able to go back to California with a substantial increase in your bank account and forget that New Bison even exists.” He reached across and took my hand. “Although, I hope you won’t forget everything about New Bison.”
I took a sip of my wine and choked down the response that came to my lips. “I don’t know. New Bison has some really nice people, and I was hoping things might . . . develop.”
Brad smiled, and his teeth reminded me of the wolf’s in “Little Red Riding Hood”—All the better to eat you with. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I was starting to think you weren’t attracted to me. You’ve been resistant to my charm.”
“How could any woman resist your charm?” I wondered what Father Calloway would say about lying for a good cause. I definitely would have a lot to confess the next time we met.
“But, seriously, what do you think about all of these murders? Who could possibly be behind them?”
He looked slightly confused by my quick change of subject. “I think there must be some stranger passing through the town. I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“But I do worry. I worry about you.”
“Me?” He released my hand and leaned back. “Why would you worry about me?”
“Will your investors want to continue investing in a town where the business owners are dropping like flies? I mean, who will want to buy a lakefront condo if they have to worry about getting killed by a maniac?”
“I’m sure it’s just a fluke. In fact, I’m confident the murderer has already been stopped.”
“What do you mean?”
“Garrett Kelley. He killed Mayor Rivers and then committed suicide.”
“But I don’t think—”
“Trust me. The sheriff is going to find that Kelley left a note confessing to everything. It was probably just some personal dispute between the two of them. And now that they’re both dead, that’ll be the end of it.”
The waiter arrived with our food. I took a picture and posted it online. #BestFrenchCuisineInNewBison #LaPetite-Maison #Yum
Brad changed the subject, and there wasn’t a good opportunity to get him back into talking about the murders.
We finished our meal and left the restaurant. It was too cold to walk on the beach, so we got in the car and he drove to a point where we could look out at the waves. It should have been a romantic scene, but whenever Brad got too cozy, I managed to get him talking about something I knew he valued a lot more than making out with me—money. I even implied that I would sell him my house.
Now, that got his juices going. His eyes flashed, and he started talking ninety miles an hour. “Excellent. That’s a great move. I knew you weren’t just a pretty face. You’ve got brains, too. You won’t regret it. Holy guacamole, when you combine your half million from the insurance with the millions you’ll get for selling the house, you should be set for life. You’ll be able to travel the world and live just about anywhere you want.”
A chill ran up my spine. I’d heard, “holy guacamole” before and in an instant I remembered where. My mind drifted back to the conversation I had overheard in Abernathy’s office. Abernathy’s the one who could have told him about my insurance money and he was the only one I’d heard use that phrase. Brad Ellison was supposed to convince me to sell. I forced myself not to shudder. It was Brad Ellison. He’d been in the room with Abernathy. My heart raced. I forced a smile and prayed it didn’t look as phony as it felt.
Brad rambled on for several moments, but my silence alerted him that something wasn’t right. He stopped and stared at me. Then he smacked his forehead. “I can’t believe you tricked me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pretended that I had no clue what he was talking about.
“Don’t play dumb.”
“Brad, honestly I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I slowly reached a hand into my pocket and made sure my phone was in silent mode. Then, I tapped the side button five times. I immediately started tapping my fingernail on the glass using the tap code my dad had taught me as a child and prayed the emergency operator would recognize it.
“I’ve said too much. Darn it.”
For the first time since I had met Bradley Ellison, instead of the arrogant gaze that normally met me, his eyes held intelligence and something else . . . something dark and sinister.
“Here I thought you were just a dumb airhead, and all this time you were playing me for the fool.”
“I don’t know—”
He beat his hand on the steering wheel. “Don’t lie to me.”
My blood chilled.
He frowned. “What was it? What gave me away?”
“Nothing. I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.” I reached for the door, but he reached across and pried my hand off the handle. He forced me back against the seat. With his face just inches from mine, he stared into my eyes. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said through clenched teeth. He pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at my head. “One false move and you’ll be as dead as that crazy aunt of yours.”