Blind Trust (25 page)

Kate's thoughts veered to the amendoso plant. What if Brian could somehow legally stop her from accessing it? She'd never figure out what made it so special, or why her father had risked everything to keep it from GPC.

She stole a glance at Tom. He wouldn't want her to go anywhere near the Nagy property after Brian's outburst. But what if Brian got it into his head to destroy the plants so she'd have no grounds to press for its protection?

“Okay?” Tom prodded. “Just forget about it.”

Kate let out a resigned sigh. “You're right. Of course.” But she couldn't forget. She wouldn't.

After delivering Brian Nagy to holding, Weller clapped Tom on the back. “You must be relieved for Kate.”

“Yeah.”

Weller's head cocked. “You don't sound relieved.”

Tom curled his fingers around the papers Nagy stole from Kate's place. Weller was kind of perceptive for a computer geek.

“She's out of danger, right?”

“Yeah.” He hoped. As long as she didn't get it into her head to do something with the plant. If GPC Pharmaceuticals was behind the offer to buy Verna Nagy's land, they wouldn't be happy if Brian lost the power to approve the sale. No telling what they might try next.

Weller chuckled. “What's the matter? You afraid you've run out of excuses to spend time with her now?”

Tom's thoughts veered to the dinner date she'd agreed to tonight, and he couldn't stop the grin that tugged his lips. “No, no problem there.” He glanced at the papers rolled in his hand and his expression sobered.
Until she asks again for these back.

Chief Brewster cut around the corner. “I just heard you don't think Nagy is our counterfeiter. What's your next move?”

“Uh.” Tom looked to Weller, who shot back a don't-look-at-me frown.

“What about the mother of that kid who passed bills in the coffee shop? Did you check her work computer?”

“No, just her home computer and printer.”

Brewster scowled. “She works for a newspaper for crying out loud. If anyone knows how to print stuff, she would.”

“We'll get right on it,” Tom said, before Brewster started fuming about the mayor breathing down his neck.

“Fits the pattern,” Weller said after Brewster strode off. “Your girlfriend said Lawton's husband worked for Verna Nagy, right?”

“Right.” The corner of Tom's mouth hitched up at the thought of Kate really being his girlfriend.

“So he might have passed phony bills to her, as change, instead of the other way around.”

“Would explain why the bills she passed were smaller denominations than typical. Let's get the warrant and get over there.”

An hour later, warrant in hand, they walked the block and a half to Main Street. As they neared the newspaper office, Tom slowed their pace.

The clock tower struck three, and a moment later, Herbert Harold III left the newspaper office and strolled toward A Cup or Two as he did every afternoon. Eavesdropping on the latest gossip was how the newspaperman scooped most of his stories.

“Okay.” Tom motioned Weller to follow. “This is one story I'd prefer Herbert not break before the evidence is secure.”

Mrs. Lawton glanced up from her L-shaped reception desk
in the center of the large, open room. Her eyes widened in what seemed like surprise, not distress. “Detective Parker, are you here to see Mr. Harold? Because you'll find—”

“I came to talk to you.”

“Oh.” She closed down the screen she'd been working in on her computer and swiveled her chair to face him. “How may I help you?”

“We need to do a routine elimination I neglected when your daughter was caught with the counterfeit bills.” He noted the large laser color printer at the far end of her desk.

“Elimination?”

Was that a shiver he'd seen? Of course, the air conditioning was cranked up in here. Could be an innocent shiver. “Yes, we checked your home computer, but not your work one. We—”

“Oh, say no more.” She rose and motioned him toward her chair. “Be my guest. I understand completely.”

Tom didn't know whether to be disappointed or suspicious at her zealous cooperation. Now that he thought about it, she had played it cool when her daughter was caught passing a counterfeit bill. Why hadn't he picked up on that at the time? As he recalled, she'd been in a hurry to get back to work too. To delete the evidence?

If she didn't know much about electronic footprints and she'd already deleted any incriminating files, she might think the search now would prove her to be squeaky-clean.

Except she eyed Weller warily when he took her seat instead of Tom. But maybe it was just the scar down Weller's jaw that put her a little on edge.

Scanning for a conversation starter, Tom picked up a “Hire a Handyman” business card from the corner of Mrs. Lawton's desk. “This your husband's business?”

“Yes, help yourself to a card. He does lawn cutting, painting, dump runs, anything you need.”

“Good to see a man with initiative.” Tom perused the shelf behind her desk, stacked with paper—basic 20-pound bright white copy paper, not the specialty paper forensics had identified in the fake bills. Then again, he wouldn't expect her to keep her stash out in the open. “Business going well?”

“Up and down.” She straightened the stack of cards, her gaze slanting toward her computer screen and Weller's fingers dancing across her keyboard.

“I imagine it's hard not having a regular paycheck to count on.” Tom poured a healthy dose of empathy into the observation.

She nodded. “The uncertainty gets to Vic. He used to be a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. Now he takes everything personally.”

“How do you mean?”

Color splashed across her cheeks. Clearly she hadn't meant to reveal something so personal. Her gaze flitted around the room, as if seeking a place to land. “Like when our neighbor rejected his offer to clean her windows and hired someone else instead.”

A vendetta could explain the attempt to cause Kate trouble with that letter to the editor. Vic had likely offered to mow her lawn, seeing as he was doing Verna's next door.

Tom casually hitched one hip on the edge of the desk and leaned forward, resting his forearm on his thigh. “I guess he'd be happy if GPC Pharmaceuticals moved here,” he fished. “Get a chance to be hired into a stable company?”

“Oh, yes. He was so upset when Miss Adams tried to kibosh that. Never took so much interest in my job as the day she sent that letter to the editor about the mayor.”

Tom straightened. “The forged letter, you mean?”

Mrs. Lawton ducked her head at the edge in his tone. “Well, yes.”

Hoping to set her at ease once again, Tom picked up the family photo perched on the corner of her desk. “VIP” had been carved into the frame—a nice reminder of the “very important people” in her life. “You have a lovely family.”

“Thank you.”

Officer Weller caught Tom's attention with a discreet hand gesture that meant he found their proof.

Unfortunately, Herbert chose that moment to return.

“Oh, Mr. Harold, I'm so glad you're back.” Mrs. Lawton grabbed her purse from her desk drawer, avoiding eye contact with Tom. “I didn't want to leave while these gentlemen are here, but I need to pick up my daughter from the library and drive her to the dentist.”

Pinning Tom with a glare, Weller jerked his head toward her as if to say, “You going to arrest her?”

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Tom said instead. He needed to see the evidence before making the arrest. The woman wasn't exactly a flight risk.

“What's going on?” Herbert bellowed.

“Oh.” Mrs. Lawton jumped and fluttered her hand toward the computer. “Uh, I'm sure they can explain better than me. I really need to go.”

Herbert waited for an explanation as Mrs. Lawton rushed out.

Weller handed him the search warrant. “We need to take this computer and that printer to the station for forensic evaluation.”

“Forensic evaluation?” Harold's eyes flared—half shock,
half the excitement of a bloodhound on a scent. “What's this about?”

Weller disconnected the printer. “Has anyone else used this computer recently?”

“No, there's only Izzy and me here, and I have my own. What's she done?”

“We can't comment at this time.” Tom glanced at the appointment book Izzy Lawton left lying open on her desk. Several personal appointments were penciled in for the week. But no notation of a dentist appointment. So where was Isabelle Lawton running to?

Kate threw her shovel and a five-gallon bucket into the trunk of her car. At the sound of a car door slamming, she shot a nervous glance to the street.

Just another neighbor getting home. She blew out a breath. Bail hearings took at least a day, didn't they? She shut the trunk and straightened her shoulders. Of course they did. If she had more time, she'd have preferred to find a comparable habitat to move the amendoso to before digging it up, but by then Brian might be out on bail.

This way if she left enough of the plants behind, Brian need never know that she took some. She hoped. Her insides twisted nervously. She prayed that Tom was right that with Verna feeling better, Brian wouldn't get a chance to sell the property. And since she'd already taken today as a vacation day, it was the perfect day to go. No one would expect to see her until Tom arrived at 8:00 to take her to dinner.

Her heart fluttered at the memory of the look he'd given
her in the police station. She pressed her fingertips to her lips. He'd be so upset if he knew what she planned to do. But as long as Brian was still in custody, there really was no danger.

It wasn't as if GPC knew about the plant. If they did, they would have dug it up themselves long before now.

Her pulse jittered unevenly. Okay, maybe she should at least tell someone where she was going.

Remembering the muffins Julie had been expecting, Kate hurried back into the house to grab them. Julie was the perfect confidante since she already knew all about the plant.

A few minutes later, Kate parked in front of the library.

“Hey, are those my muffins?” Julie called as Kate stepped out of the car.

The DVD slid across the lid of the muffin container, and when Kate overcorrected to keep it from falling as she shut the car door, the DVD skidded the other direction.

Julie lunged to its rescue. “Good timing. I was just heading to the park for a late lunch.”

“Great, I'll join you.”

Julie looked Kate up and down. “What are you doing in that getup?” She motioned to the grass-stained jeans and “grow where you're planted” T-shirt. “Didn't you have to work today?”

Kate started toward a park bench. “Long story. The director walked in as I was testing Verna's tea, which I proved contained nutmeg, by the way.”

“That's great!” Julie sat down and pried open the muffin container. “Did they arrest Brian Nagy?”

“Yes, and I ended up booking the day off as vacation to appease the director.”

“Smart.” Julie brought a muffin to her mouth, then abruptly
pulled it back and eyed it warily. “Are you sure there's not too much nutmeg in this?”

Kate laughed. “It's loaded!”

“Right,” Julie said wryly and took a big bite. “Mmm, I don't care if they kill me, they're too good to pass up. Thanks for bringing them by.” She savored a second bite as Kate wavered over what to tell her about her little rescue mission.

“Was Brian behind that threat on your computer too? Is that why Tom's let you out without your bodyguard?”

In the light of day, with no rumbling thunder or pelting rain, she could scarcely conjure up the fear that had dogged her last night and that had compelled Tom to commission Reed to watch out for her. “That was more of a prank, courtesy of Brian's son. So yeah, we're not worried about anyone lying in wait to attack me.” She shivered. No one might be lying in wait, but that wouldn't stop the fire nightmares.

“What a relief.” Julie popped the last piece of her muffin into her mouth and picked out a second. “Mmm. You know, if you baked these for Tom, he'd be begging you to go out with him.”

“Who says he hasn't?”

“Are you serious?” Julie squealed, almost dropping her muffin. “And it's taken you this long to tell me? And you're sitting there in that getup when you should be getting your hair done?” She grabbed Kate's hands and examined them. “And your nails.”

“What's wrong with my nails?” Kate snatched back her hands. “Tom likes me just the way I am.” Her mind drifted back to the hug they'd shared earlier.

Julie turned sideways on the bench, bumping her knee into Kate's. “I want details.”

“We hugged, that's all. It was nothing.”
Nothing?
Then why did her heart stir just at the thought of the tenderness in Tom's touch?

Julie wasn't buying it either. She grinned knowingly at Kate. “Uh-huh. Didn't I tell you he liked you? I knew from the day you came home from the police station with his cell phone number scrawled on the back of his business card. I guess you're over your hangup about cops, huh?”

“This cop, anyway.” Although come to think of it, she hadn't gotten the heebie-jeebies at the police station today. Tom made her feel safe.

“He's great with kids too.” Julie put her muffin down like it was getting in the way and rushed on. “You've seen him with his nephews after church. They adore him.”