Heather mulled over the last few days as she turned off Interstate 45 and pointed her SUV west to Mattherson on a sunny Friday afternoon. After the frustration of the weekend, the first two days of the week flew by in catching up on projects she’d let slide the last month. On Wednesday, she completed a proposal for Craig Palmer and had a long talk with Jack after his arrival home. Determined to make things right and turn over a new leaf, she rearranged her day Thursday to play golf with him, and that evening they enjoyed a quiet dinner at his place. Friday morning, she slept late to ensure she’d be fresh for meetings with the Matthersons and the Palmers, went to the office for a few hours, and picked Steve up mid-afternoon. Heather smiled. After catching up at the office and spending time with Jack, she could feel her world begin to right itself.
Lost in her thoughts and with most of the trip behind her, Heather belatedly realized she hadn’t inquired about Steve’s week. “Did you or Leo make any progress on the cold case?”
Steve snorted through his nose. “Leo’s ready to throw in the towel and I’m not far behind him. I acted like I had a hot lead in Mattherson, instead of a quasi-interview with Amanda Palmer, who may, or may not, have something more than third-hand gossip. If I don’t come up with a solid lead by Monday morning, he’s turning in his badge.”
Twenty-five of the remaining thirty miles to the Mattherson city limit sign passed without conversation. Then, Steve’s phone sounded an alert for an incoming call. A mechanical voice said, “Call from Leo Vega.”
He instructed his phone to engage the speaker option, which wasn’t unusual if they were working on a case. “What’s up, Leo?”
“Have you been listening to the news?”
“Not since early this morning.”
“Police found the body of a young woman in Hermann Park last night.”
Heather glanced to her right. Steve sat up straight. “Keep talking.”
“Details are sketchy. I got curious and made a couple of calls. The victim is Amanda Palmer. I remember you talking about her this week.”
Heather’s stomach did a back flip. Steve let out a soft moan and spoke in a soft, reverent tone. “Have they notified the family?”
“There’s a blackout. The most I could get out of anyone is her name and where they found her. A heavily wooded area of the park.”
“How long had she been there?”
“When I say there’s a blackout, that goes double for us has-beens in Cold Cases.”
Steve slapped his leg. “Keep on it, Leo. Let me know if you find out anything else.” The call ended without the usual banter.
They drove in silence for another mile before Heather broke the silence. “What do we do first?”
Steve stopped the rolling of his fingertips against his leg. “We wait and play dumb until they notify Craig and Mindi. All we can do now is keep our eyes and ears open.”
Heather slowed to the posted speed as they passed the city limit sign. “I was supposed to drop the proposal off at the Palmer’s on our way to check in. So much for my plans.”
Steve’s phone again announced Leo’s name. This time, he didn’t put it on speaker. The call might have lasted twenty seconds. He kept facing straight ahead as he slipped the phone in his shirt pocket. “HPD notified the press. That means the Palmers know. Let’s go to the Wells Mansion and check in. We’re far enough from Houston that they shouldn’t have heard about Amanda yet. Tell me how they react when I tell them about her.”
As Heather pulled into covered parking around the back of the house, her phone came to life. The caller’s number looked familiar, so she put the device on speaker.
“Hello.”
“Ms. McBlythe, this is Belinda Mattherson. I don’t want to go into detail over the phone, but something’s come up and we desperately need to talk to you. Leon told me you and Mr. Smiley are staying the weekend next door. I know our meeting isn’t until tomorrow, but it’s imperative you two come to our home the moment you get into town.”
Heather had to think fast. “We’re still on our way. I’ll need to check with Steve before I commit.” She crossed her fingers. “I’m afraid he didn’t sleep well last night, and he’s snoring like a hibernating bear.”
Undeterred, Belinda plowed on. “Stop in the moment you get to town. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you come without delay.”
The call ended without a commitment to answer the summons. Steve responded by saying, “Good excuse. I’ll remember to reverse roles with you sometime. You can be the snoring bear.”
Heather and Steve made it as far as the swimming pool before Leon jogged toward them to help with their bags. “Sara Jane is waiting for you in the kitchen with refreshments. She doesn’t do that for everyone. She took a real shine to you two last weekend.”
By the time Leon made it back from their rooms, Steve and Heather had settled at a small table, eating warm apple pie and drinking cold milk. It didn’t take Steve long to polish off his and Heather finished her half a slice soon after. Friendly chit-chat about the trip up I45 followed. With dishes taken away, it was time to break the news about Amanda.
Steve cleared his throat. “I’m afraid we come bearing bad news and there’s no easy way to put this. We found out on the way here that Amanda Palmer is dead. The police in Houston are investigating.”
Sara Jane covered her mouth with her hand, but that didn’t stop a gasp from escaping. Leon stiffened. “How did she die?”
“We don’t know details yet.”
Like a ship on heavy seas, Sara Jane listed from side to side. Then her legs buckled. If Leon hadn’t been observant, she might have suffered serious injury. As it was, he eased her to the floor. Her head lolled as she regained consciousness, while Leon encouraged her with soft words.
Wrapped in her husband’s arms on the kitchen floor, she muttered, “What happened?”
The muscles in Leon’s jaw flexed. “Let’s get you to a couch.”
With Heather on one side and Leon on the other, they brought Sara Jane to her feet and shuffled her to the nearest room with a couch, which turned out to be the library.
Once they had her settled, Leon turned. “I need to know what’s going on next door at the Matthersons. I saw the cop cars and I know who they belong to. Do the cops suspect Amanda was murdered?”
Steve answered. “From what I know, the death looks like a homicide. Belinda called us as we parked and wants to see us as soon as possible, but we don’t know what it’s in regard to.”
Leon’s head dipped and shook. “Traci did research on you and Heather. She says you two are private investigators. Is that right?”
Heather answered the question. “Steve was a Houston homicide detective before he lost his sight. I was a cop and detective for ten years before I could get to the trust fund my grandfather left me and start my business. We’re part-time private detectives who try to solve a few murders every year.”
“I guess that means you’ll be offering your services to Belinda.”
“What makes you say that?”
Leon ran a hand down his whisker-stubbled face. “The Matthersons are no strangers to rumors of murders. Are you going to work for Belinda?”
Steve continued in a calm voice. “We just learned about Amanda’s death on the way here, so we’ve made no commitment to investigate her death. No one has asked us to become involved, but that doesn’t mean we won’t look into it. We’re both financially secure, so money won’t affect our decision to take a case or not.”
“You work for free?”
“Sometimes.”
“I know how Belinda can be, and I want justice done for Amanda. She was like a second daughter to us. I can’t pay you much, but I’d like to hire you before Belinda does.”
Heather stood up a little straighter. “I’m not sure that will be possible.”
Steve added, “It’s not that we’re telling you no. We need to gather information first. There may not be any reason for us to proceed if the police have already solved the case. Also, Heather and I have to agree that we want to take up an investigation.”
Before Leon could respond, Steve added. “Given Sara Jane’s state, I think it best Heather and I accept Belinda’s invitation to go next door to hear what she has to say. We won’t commit to anything or anyone tonight. We’ll also want to talk to you and Sara Jane as soon as she’s up to it.”
Leon nodded and walked with them to the door. “There’s a path that connects our yard to the Matthersons’s. The families have used it for years. I’ll make a pot of coffee. We’ll be waiting for you.”