Downton Tabby (21 page)

“That’s not very long.” I smiled encouragement. “You’ll have Cheeky before you know it.”

“Yeah.”

“You let me know if there’s anything I can do, okay.”

“Okay.” Wayne ambled on down the sidewalk to his van, and I turned in the other direction toward where I’d parked my car. As I walked I dialed Malone. He picked up right away.

“I have a license number for you.” I filled him in on seeing the intruder and recognizing both him and his car. I read off the number from my phone, and he said he would get someone to check it out right away.

“Oh, and one more thing. I just got through talking with Heidi Sussman, and she was at the house the day Jake was killed. She claims Jake was fine when she left, and I think she’s probably telling the truth, but maybe the timeline can help you.”

“I’ll talk to her.” His voice was serious as a heart attack. “And, Caro, please . . .”

“I know. Leave the investigating to you.”

Like I said, Malone and Heidi were in agreement on that.

I STOPPED BY HOME for lunch where the company was better. Or at least most of those present had no opinion about what I should or should not be doing.

My cell phone rang. Not Mama Kat’s ring. I glanced at the number. Not one I recognized.

I answered, “This is Caro.”

“Caro, listen. I’m terribly sorry to be a bother, but I can’t raise Jake.” Graham Cash didn’t sound as frantic as when he had called before. In fact, he sounded relatively calm. The reception was clear; I could hear him like he was right next door. I hoped he was as close as he sounded.

Wait a minute. “What did you say?”

“Jake. Like I said, I hate to bother you, but I rang him up yesterday and again today but couldn’t reach him,” he continued. “Does he happen to be in the office?”

“Cash—” I hesitated. How could he not know?

My mind flooded with thoughts. He had to know. Even if he were out of town it had been on the news. And I knew Malone had tried to call him. Why call me? Why not Malone? Why not his girlfriend, Heidi?

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s about Jake.”

“Yes, right. Is he there?”

“Cash, Jake is dead.”

There was absolute and total silence for a few minutes.

“What?” he choked out. If the guy was acting, he deserved an Academy Award for his performance. “What happened? A car accident? I can’t believe . . .” His voice trailed off.

“No, at the house,” I said quietly. “You need to call homicide detective, Judd Malone.”

“Homicide?” There was silence, and I could hear him take a deep breath and mutter an oath. “What happened?”

“The police have been trying to reach you.” I tried not to sound accusatory.

“I’ve been where there isn’t any cell-phone service.”

“Where is that, Cash?”

There was a pause. “I can’t say.”

“Wherever you are you must call Detective Malone at the Laguna Beach Police Department.” I gave him Malone’s cell-phone number.

“I shouldn’t even be calling at all, but I wanted to check on things with Toria. I called Jake. I never thought . . .”

“Can you think of anyone who’d want to kill Jake?”

“Jake? Not a one.” There was some background noise. “Caro, I’ve got to go.”

“When did you last see him?”

“He was alive and well when I left the house. Said he’d pick up Toria from you. Wait. Wait. If he didn’t pick up kitty, where is she? Is she okay?”

“I’ve got her and she’s doing fine. But, Cash, you really have to call Detective Malone.”

“Thanks for taking care of Toria.”

“Call Malone.”

“I’ll try, Caro. I really will.”

The phone went dead. I sat staring at it for a while wondering what on earth Graham Cash had gotten himself into.

I dialed Malone and waited for him to pick up. He wasn’t going to like this one bit.

Chapter Twenty-One

I SAT IN MY LIVING room surrounded by my dog and the three cats. I’d put on some soft jazz thinking it might relax me. It seemed to be working on the animals. Thelma and Louise were draped across the back of the couch. Thelma casually rested her paw on my shoulder, and Louise had decided my hair was a cat toy. Toria had claimed my lap, and Dogbert had tucked himself against my side. One of the crew was quietly snoring, and I suspected Dog.

I smiled to myself thinking maybe I was becoming more and more like my friend Diana. I have to be honest; I didn’t see the similarities as a bad thing.

I’d poured myself a glass of pinot, but had forgotten to drink it. My mind was like a pinball machine. Thoughts about all the events of the past few days and what they might mean bouncing off each other. I couldn’t seem to turn it off.

I’d set my cell phone within reach. I didn’t expect Cash would call again, but you never know. Sam was up north at a business meeting and had hinted of bringing me a surprise. With Sam, a surprise could be the perfect cup of coffee, or the perfect emerald earrings. You just never knew. He had the unique talent of choosing exactly what I would’ve picked myself. Regardless of whether it was a thing or an experience, I could use a “good” surprise to wipe out all the bad ones I’d encountered lately.

I patted Dogbert and shifted Toria on my lap so I could scratch her head.

I had repeated my phone conversation with Graham Cash to Malone. I could tell he was still skeptical about Cash’s involvement, but I had hopes Cash would call him and we’d finally be able to fill in some big gaps of information.

It felt like I had pieces of the puzzle, but they didn’t fit together.

There was the hostile neighbor and his anger issues. The videos with only shadowy figures.

How did someone walk into a house in a quiet neighborhood and murder a guy and then walk right back out and no one noticed?

Then the lawsuit involving the dog app. I’m sure it made Jake and Cash a ton of money, but they’d created lots of other apps. WoofWalker was just one of many. Why in this case would they steal another web developer’s idea? Or why would someone think they had?

And the secret room full of computers, the intruder, and then the bare shelves.

Not to mention, Cash’s girlfriend Heidi. Her lack of interest in what had happened to the man who was supposedly someone she cared about. And what was the deal with the information she’d been holding back from the police.

Pieces. But how did they fit together?

My doorbell rang. I had to untangle myself from my blanket of pets in order to get up. I turned the music down and went to the door.

“Who is it?” Though I now knew the SUV that had been following me had just been my ex, it didn’t change the fact that a killer was still on the loose.

“Malone,” came the short reply.

I got a glimpse of myself in the entryway mirror. Not my best look. Cat-styled hair, scattered tufts of fur on the front of my dark-teal silk T-shirt, and makeup that had disappeared hours ago. Mama’s be-aware-and-be-prepared admonition flashed through my mind.

Sorry, Mama, I’ve let you down.

I opened the door.

“Ms. Lamont.”

“Detective, please come in.”

He followed me to the living room.

“Please have a seat. Can I get you something? Coffee, tea, coke?” I asked. I’d let my mama down in the fashion department, but I wasn’t so far gone I’d forgotten my upbringing in the hostess sector.

Malone’s mouth quirked in an almost smile. “No, thanks.”

He seated himself on the couch.

“So, what’s up?” I perched on the arm of the easy chair.

“I spoke with Heidi Sussman, and she confirmed what you’d told me about being at the house the day of the murder.” He shifted on the couch, and Thelma stretched and gave him a sidelong glance. How dare he disturb her?

“I’m glad she didn’t deny it.” I hadn’t been sure she wouldn’t.

“How did you know she’d been there?” His sharp blue eyes held mine.

“The energy drink on the patio. The day Jake was killed, when I was waiting for you to talk to me, I accidently knocked it over. It spilled, and when I mopped it up I noticed it was cold. It was a warm sunny day so it couldn’t have been outside long. She always has this one particular brand with her. I’d never seen the guys drink it, only her.”

“Good observations, Detective Lamont.”

I took the good-natured dig as an attempt at a peace offering. “Maybe, but not worth much if it doesn’t help you.”

“Here’s another strange development.” He rubbed his chin. “I just got the info on the license plate you gave me earlier today, and the car is registered to Heidi’s brother.”

“Wait, so it was Heidi’s brother who was inside the secret room?”

“She never mentioned a brother?” It was a question, but his expression told me he already knew the answer.

“Never.” I shook my head. I couldn’t remember her mentioning any family, but she hadn’t stopped by the office on a regular basis, and when she did, she didn’t stay long.

“There’s more.” Malone leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees, which garnered another disgusted look from Thelma.

“I’m all ears.”

“Heidi’s brother’s name is Brody Patton.” He waited for the significance to sink in.

It took me a few minutes to remember where I’d heard the name, but I finally did. “Which means not only is Brody the intruder I saw pop out of the secret room, he’s also the guy who is suing Jake and Cash for a portion of their WoofWalker.”

“That’s right.”

“Different fathers?” None of us would have made the connection because of the different last names.

“Strangely, the same birth parents, but separated by divorce, and the mother remarried. Heidi took the new dad’s name. Thus, Heidi Sussman.”

“So I’m guessing you see Brody Patton as a suspect.”

“Right now, I see him as my number-one suspect.” He wiped a hand across his face, the stress of the past week apparent in his fatigue.

Here I’d been thinking I’d had a lousy few days, but they probably didn’t even touch the kind of days Detective Malone had been having lately.

“I just came from his condo and he’s not there, but we’ll pick him up.”

“Then what?”

“We’ll bring him in for questioning. You might have to come down to the police station and identify him. I may bring Heidi Sussman in as well.”

“Sounds like she might have been withholding information to protect her brother.” Which would explain quite a bit of her odd behavior.

“Could be.”

“No problem. Let me know when you need me and I’ll be there.”

“Great.” He stood. “Just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“I appreciate that.”

He opened the door to leave and tapped the dead bolt. “Make sure you lock up.”

“I will.”

I locked up as Malone had ordered. I would have anyway. Then I pulled on my softest T-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms. Mama’s distinct ring tone summoned me from the bathroom where I was getting ready for bed.

“Hi, Mama.” I patted my face with a towel. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Carolina.” Uh-oh. She sounded serious. “The question is how are you?”

“I’m okay. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I heard from Barbara, who heard from Melinda, that Geoffrey Carlisle is there in California. He stopped by to see Melinda at her little shop and told her you threatened him in front of a whole crowd of people.”

“I did.” Aunt Barbara, aka Mel’s mama, had got that one right.

“Good.”

“What?” I couldn’t believe what I’d heard.

“I said, good. That low-life has no business coming out there and interfering in your life. I hope you told him to get out of town.”

“I can’t believe he’d be dumb enough to go talk to Melinda.” Was the man stupid as well as arrogant? Or had he gone to Melinda hoping word would get back to me? Probably the latter.

I pictured Mama Kat pacing as she talked. “I know you two girls have had your differences, but you know, bless her heart, Melinda would stand up for you.”

“I know she would, Mama.”

We talked a little bit more about her big summer barbecue plans, and at one point she offered to make a trip to Laguna if I needed reinforcements. I told her I thought I could handle things with Geoffrey just fine.

After we hung up, I went to the safe where I’d had the brooch locked up and got it out. Warm feelings about Grandma Tillie washed over me.

Matilda “Tillie” Montgomery had been quite a lady, and I had good memories of long summer days spent at the ranch. Mel and I used to play in Grandma Tillie’s jewelry, trying on various pieces, pretending to be British royalty. Or Egyptian princesses. Or Mary Kay ladies. We had some fun times.

Then we’d ditch the baubles for outdoor play, chasing around with the dogs, climbing trees, riding horses until we were grimy and dead dog-tired. Then we’d head back to the house where Grandma Tillie always had a big pitcher of lemonade ready as if somehow she’d known the timing.

I opened the musical jewelry box on my dresser and the delicate sounds of
The Yellow Rose of Texas
began to play. I’d had the music box since I was thirteen. A gift from Mel because I was a teenager before she was and she was worried I was going all “girly” on her.

We were driving our families crazy with our fight over Grandma Tillie’s brooch. We were denying ourselves the shared memories that were a big part of what made us the proud and prickly Texas roses we were.

It was time to figure this out. I placed the brooch inside the old jewelry box and added “Call Melinda” to my list for the next day. (It might take me a few days, or maybe even weeks, to cross that task off my list, but at least by putting it on the list I was committing to doing it.)

“Dogbert, Toria,” I called my two snugglers and headed to bed for the best sleep I’d had in days.

AS I PULLED OUT of my garage the next morning and paused to hit the garage door closer, I noticed my next-door neighbor’s car. Apparently she was home from her Alaskan cruise. I’ll admit I was reassured to think someone was close by, though I didn’t think the diminutive Freda Bauer would be much help fighting off a killer. Still she could call 911, right?

Maybe I was just being paranoid.