Diva 03 _ Diva Paints the Town, The (16 page)

Read Diva 03 _ Diva Paints the Town, The Online

Authors: Krista Davis

Tags: #Murder, #Winston; Sophie (Fictitious Character), #Mystery & Detective, #Fiction, #Women Sleuths, #General, #Dwellings

BOOK: Diva 03 _ Diva Paints the Town, The
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I could only imagine that Mochie had heard the back gate open and click shut. He crouched, watching the person who came far too close for comfort. I scooped Mochie into my arms and rushed to the back door.
My pulse hammering, I made sure it was locked, and raced to the kitchen to turn out lights so they wouldn’t give away my whereabouts. Holding Mochie against my shoulder with one hand, I pawed in my purse for my cell phone with the other, and debated running out the front door and over to Nina’s.
But it was too late. The midnight visitor rapped lightly on the sunroom door. Mochie purred before springing from my arm and dashing into the sunroom. I sidled along the wall, calling him in a whisper. I inched closer, but I couldn’t see outside the door without showing myself.
I could hear the person at the door saying in a hushed voice, “Sophie? Soph!”
“Wolf ?”
I finally took the plunge and recognized his earnest face looking in. No wonder Mochie had purred. I unlocked the sunroom door and opened it. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.”
I had come to hate that phrase. I braced myself for bad news. He probably came to confess about dating Tara. “You scared me half to death, sneaking around like that. Couldn’t you have come to the front door, or at least called first?”
He ignored my complaint and locked the door behind him. That tiny action brought on thoughts that he’d killed his wife, and maybe Tara, too, and that I might have just made a huge mistake by letting him come in. But I shooed those ridiculous notions away. After all, it was Wolf, not some deranged killer.
“Your lights are off. Have you noticed someone watching your house?”
“Only you!”
He strode from the sunroom to the kitchen. “Don’t you have any drapes in here that you can close?”
“No, just valances. When did you get so paranoid?” He hadn’t minded the curtain-free windows the other night when we cooked together.
He kept going, through the foyer and into my dining room, where he carefully drew the curtains closed, then peered out.
“Okay, you’re scaring me now. What’s going on?”
He still didn’t answer. He walked through the living room, swung the drapes closed, and sat down on the sofa.
“May I turn on a light?” I asked.
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
I could make him out in the dark, but the uneasiness I felt kept me from sitting next to him. Was this how Mordecai had lived? Surely he had used lights.
“Would it be all right if I lit a candle?”
“Sure.” Wolf grunted in surprise, and I realized that Mochie had jumped into his lap. At least one of us wasn’t apprehensive. Didn’t they say that animals are great judges of character? I located matches in the dining room and lit a pillar candle on the living room coffee table. The feeble light cast an eerie glow.
“Soph, for right now, we probably shouldn’t be seen together. I’ve been relieved of duty for the time being.”
“Suspended?”
“Not exactly. They offered me a desk job while Tara’s death is under investigation. I chose to take vacation time instead. I’m not going to find out who killed Tara if I’m sitting behind a desk.”
“I’m sorry, Wolf. Is this because you were dating her?”
He stood up abruptly, and Mochie leaped for safety. “Where did you hear that?”
“From Humphrey. She told him you were her date for the banquet. And then I saw you two chatting in the Café Ole on King Street, so I thought . . .”
He walked over to me and cupped my face in his hands. “I would never do that to you.” He smelled faintly of sandalwood. When he bent his head close to mine and kissed me, I wanted to believe him. My hands brushed the fabric of his trousers, and I realized he hadn’t changed out of his wet clothes.
“You must be half-frozen. I’ll call Mars. He’ll bring you some dry sweats.”
“No! No one can know I’m here.”
He straightened up and paced the room, rubbing his face with his hands. “Tara and I never dated. Never discussed dating. I have no idea where she got that idea.”
“But I saw you at the coffee bar.”
“She was always asking questions about moving to homicide. I agreed to meet with her to help her career-wise. Tara wasn’t satisfied being a patrol officer. She had a lot of plans for moving up.” He spun on his heel and faced me. “Sophie, what would I ever have wanted with someone that much younger than me?”
“Oh, please, Wolf. Men love going out with younger women.”
“Not my style. She didn’t interest me in the slightest. But it appears she spread word far and wide that we were an item. Now I’m in a rotten position.”
I could understand that, especially considering the rumors about his wife. “But what’s with the darkness, the curtains?”
“It’s Kenner. I know how he operates. He’s going to try to implicate both of us.”
“I know he hates me, but I thought you had a good working relationship.”
“Hates you?” Wolf let out a bitter laugh. “More like lusts after you. He was madder than I’ve ever seen him when he learned we were going out.”
“That can’t be right. He’s always been horrible to me.”
“He’ll be worse than you ever imagined if he gets the chance. He’s a devious little worm.”
I’d never heard Wolf say anything so disparaging about anyone. Was I finally seeing the real Wolf ? Or was he just reacting to the extreme stress of Tara’s murder and the terrible implication that he might be involved? I didn’t care for Kenner myself, but Wolf had always been neutral about him.
“I still don’t understand. Even if he’s jealous, he already knows about our relationship, so why can’t we be seen together?”
Wolf perched on the sofa and leaned toward me. “Don’t you see, Sophie? He’s going to say that one of us killed her. Either that I killed her to hide my relationship with her, or that you killed her out of jealousy.”
“He might say that, but it’s not true. He’s reaching. We don’t have anything to worry about. Besides, the cops already know Tara had a stalker. Don’t you think he probably killed her?”
Wolf snorted. “I don’t know how you manage to pick up police information so fast. We can only hope that was the case. Kenner doesn’t think so.”
Something Wolf had said earlier was bothering me. “What, exactly, is a patrol officer?”
“They’re on the street, out in the neighborhoods. They’re the first responders when someone needs help.”
That was why she’d shown up when I called about seeing Kurt in the window seat. “Would a patrol officer interview people about a missing person?”
“Unlikely.” He frowned at me. “What are you getting at?”
“You don’t know about Kurt, do you?”
“Kurt?”
Oh boy. We had some serious talking to do. “Would you mind if I fetched some wine or made some tea? I think you’re going to be here a while.”
“Sure. Would it be too much trouble to make coffee? With Kenner salivating at the thought of nailing me, I need to be alert. And while you’re in the kitchen, take a look at the street, will you?”
I started the coffee and retrieved a velour bathrobe that my dad had left at my house. It wasn’t much, but it was dry. I brought it to Wolf, and slipped away while he changed.
When I returned with a tray of coffee, fresh strawberries, and the Black Forest cherry cake, a small fire blazed in the living room fireplace. Wolf stood with his back to me, peering at the street through a slit in the curtains.
“I didn’t see anyone. Did you?” I asked.
“No. But I don’t trust Kenner.”
We settled in front of the fire. I cut the cake, handed him a plate with a slice on it, and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day. I wish it were under better circumstances.”
“You made it for me?” Even though Wolf usually tried to keep his emotions in check, I could see that he was pleased. He tasted it and raved. “You’ve been promising to make this. It’s absolutely decadent. Thank you.” He glanced around, his brow furrowed. “Did you get my flowers?”
“Flowers? No.”
“That stinks. I’m really sorry. I’ll go by the florist’s tomorrow. He must have made a mistake of some sort.”
I leaned toward him. The firelight cast a romantic glow and I basked in the moment, in spite of the horrible situation. “I’m just glad you’re here, and that I know the truth about you and Tara.”
And then I spilled the story about Nina and Kurt.
“He still hasn’t shown up?”
“It’s been two days, and as far as I know, I’m the last person who saw him.”
Wolf held out a strawberry for me to bite into. “What could Tara have been thinking? Who knows what other matters she might have been investigating on her own?” He sipped his coffee, then lightly touched my fingers. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
“It just happened yesterday. I’ve been a little busy. Besides, I thought Tara was telling you about it when I saw you at Café Ole with her. I didn’t know she had no business going to Nina’s and asking her questions.”
“She might have found this Kurt guy, for all we know.” Wolf slugged back his coffee and poured himself more.
He fed me another strawberry, and I couldn’t help thinking it had been a romantic Valentine’s evening after all.
But then Wolf said, “For now, don’t call me, okay? Kenner will be checking our phone records. I wouldn’t put it past him to get a warrant for a roving bug so he can listen to our cell phone conversations. I’ll swing by at night if I think I’m not being followed. Or I’ll see you in a public place. Where are you working this week?”
I hadn’t given it any thought. “If the convention hall is closed and the exhibitors can’t move anything out, I guess I’ll be at Mordecai’s house. But Kenner already knows about us. I don’t see why we have to sneak around.”
He slid a gentle finger along the contours of my face. “I’m trying to protect you, Sophie. The closer he thinks we are, the more jealous and irrational he’ll be.”
Whoa. That was a scary thought. “Are you saying he could be dangerous?”
“I don’t think he’s that unhinged, but he would be thrilled to be in my shoes, the one who rescues the fair damsel from her distress.”
“You mean he covets what you have? Like Natasha, who wants everything I have?”
Wolf grinned. “I, for one, am glad she managed to steal Mars from you.”
That led to a passionate kiss. But shortly thereafter, Wolf donned his damp clothes, checked the street for signs of Kenner, and crept into the dark of night.
I slept in late the next morning. There was no point in rising early to rush to the hotel. Yellow tape probably sealed the entire exhibit hall by now, and no exhibitors would be allowed to move anything.
In spite of the horror of Tara’s death, Wolf’s nighttime visit left me with a warm glow. No matter what Detective Kenner did or said, I had a feeling that he wouldn’t be keeping Wolf and me apart. In fact, his behavior might just throw us closer together.
I decided I might as well take advantage of my unexpected vacation to get started on the piles of papers in Mordecai’s family room. I ate blueberry yogurt for breakfast, patting myself on the back for my restraint—I would surely weigh pounds less tomorrow. After feeding Mochie, I filled a carafe with coffee to take with me.
I pulled on jeans that were tight in spite of my yogurt breakfast. Mindful that Wolf might stop by, I added a fancy long-sleeved T-shirt that would be easy to wash. Armed with trash bags, I headed to Mordecai’s.
The elegant front porch of Mordecai’s house teemed with people moving furniture. Natasha’s camera crew dodged around them, shooting the beehive of activity.
Beth, Natasha’s new assistant, stood on the sidewalk, watching with a terrified expression. I stopped next to her. “Guess all the designers chose today to get to work.”
“It’s a madhouse all right.” She glanced at me with a worried expression. “I don’t think I can work here.”
“But you were doing great at Rooms and Blooms.”
She nodded. “Oh, I liked that. I just thought I would be working at a TV studio. I thought the job would be totally different. I need the money, but I don’t think I can do this. Tell Natasha I’m sorry, but I can’t handle this job.” She mashed her eyes closed briefly, as though she were in pain, opened them, turned, and walked away.
SIXTEEN
From “THE GOOD LIFE” :
Dear Sophie,
 
We moved into our home a few months ago and I’ve had a ball fixing it up. My in-laws are coming for a visit to see it, so I’ve been after my dear husband to paint the garage doors. They’re peeling and look just horrible. He says he can’t paint them until it warms up. I suspect this is a convenient dodge on his part so he won’t have to turn off the TV and get off the couch.
 
—Impatient Wife in Painted Post
 
Dear Impatient,
 
This time hubby is right. It’s not advisable to paint if the temperature will drop below fifty degrees. While there are some specialty paints for cold applications, most paints won’t adhere properly in the cold. They bubble, blister, and peel if it’s too cold or too humid. Wait for warmer weather to do your outdoor painting.
 
—Sophie

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