The Begonia Bribe (16 page)

Yes. Petunia had a gift for storytelling, Cam thought, though at least she’d gotten the important detail: Jessica was pregnant. “Did she say who the baby daddy was?”

“Just that he was at the party and something about him was what set off the puking.”

Cam pretended to concentrate on the stuffed chicken breasts, though she was remembering Jessica running out after Judith had shrieked. So Jessica Benchly was pregnant by somebody at the party. And it couldn’t be Clancy Huggins, or she wouldn’t have accompanied him if seeing him would make her sick. Cam had been under the impression Jessica had refused Telly, but he really was the obvious answer when Judith had reacted like she did.

“Did she say how far along she was?”

Petunia frowned. “What do you care?”

Same old irritable Petunia
. “Just a hunch about something.”

Petunia opened her eyes wide and stared. Cam recognized the expression as meaning, “And?”

“And I think this baby daddy in question was murdered not long after.”

“She offed him?”

“I don’t know, Petunia. I doubt it. But the secret pregnancy certainly gives a couple people another motive if I’m right that he’s the baby daddy.”

“Who besides her?”

Cam looked to Nick for help, but he just winked. Petunia could be tenacious and he wasn’t willing to cross her.

“Well, anybody who cared about her, if Telly was treating her badly or refusing to acknowledge her. Or Telly’s wife, if Telly planned to leave her for Jessica . . .”

“Those rich people are all sick.”

That had been the response Cam had been waiting for. Petunia thought the rich were a bunch of undeserving, lazy, pampered wastes of space. This was amplified if the person in question was attractive or famous. At least this judgment ended what Petunia had to say on the matter.

Cam finished helping, and finally all the trays were stacked in the walk-in. They’d need to be baked that evening, but that was a straightforward task that Nick could handle.

“Thanks for helping out,” Nick said as she left.

Petunia just rolled her eyes, but Cam knew she was at least a little grateful. Being Petunia, though, Cam was certain her sister was annoyed to feel that way.

A
s Cam walked home, her cell phone buzzed. She looked at the screen and didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Cam, Mindy thought you might be able to help me.” Cam scrambled to recognize the caller, but the inexplicable kept coming back up. This was Barry Blankenship.

“Erm . . . no offense, but
why
would I help you? As far as I can tell, you’re a creep who’s been stalking one of my friends while cheating on another.”

“I know I deserve that. I’ve been lousy to Mindy—I’m a bad husband. But really . . . this is about protecting Mindy. I’m being stalked now, and I’m worried the woman will do something to Mindy because of her obsession with me.”

“Something besides framing her for murder, you mean?”

“Yeah. That was what clued me in.”

“Look, I don’t like you, Barry. And if you have a stalker, I think you deserve it. But I like Mindy and this might be related to the murders, which I’m looking into for other reasons, so I’ll talk to you. I want my friend Jake in on it, too, though.”

“He’s the cop?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know if we need the police involved.”

“Humor me.”

Barry agreed to meet Cam and Jake at Metro!, which was pretty chichi for a working lunch, but Barry had named the location and it sounded like he was buying. Honestly, eating there on Barry’s dime was sort of appealing. Heck, eating there on anybody’s dime was divine. She’d only been there a few times, and it was very nice. When they hung up, Cam gave Jake a call.

* * *

“I
’m sorry, Cam. We’ve got something going down and I can’t get involved in this supposed stalker thing. Olivia’s already being investigated by internal affairs.”

“But it’s connected to the murders!”

Jake gave a pained laugh. “No, Cam, it’s not. I think we have that one about wrapped up. I’ll tell you what: Stop by the station before you meet this guy. I’ll leave you a recorder and you and Rob can talk to him—a little investigative journalism. Then, if he says anything important, you have it on tape.”

Cam growled and told Jake that Rob had his own recorder and thanks for nothing, then clicked her phone shut.

Rob agreed to go with Cam, so at least something went right. When he got to her house, she told him what she’d learned that morning about Jessica as they drove.

“You really think it’s Telly’s baby?”

“I sure do.”

“You know they’re bringing someone in this afternoon. They think it’s the guy.”

“Who?”

“That Dylan guy.”

“No!”

“Why are you defending him?”

“I’ve talked to him. I know his story. I think they have the wrong guy.”

Rob shook his head, his expression disgruntled. Cam knew it was about the inexplicable attraction between her and Dylan more than anything else. She decided to drop it for the moment so they could concentrate on Barry.

* * *

D
owntown spaces didn’t always have plant life, but at least Metro! had a couple large planters out front, which looked well attended. There was some greenery Cam thought was permanent, but it was complemented by annuals. The space inside was open and light and the window front invited in the daylight. There was a modern elegance and clean lines, the space was spare on extra decorations, and Cam wished she could just enjoy it.

“You’re not Jake. You’re that reporter,” Barry said to Rob as they sat.

“And you’re not some idiotic jerk, you’re a jerk with some observation skills,” Rob said. He sat, like he’d never been more bored, and clicked on the recorder.

“Jake’s busy, but he asked us to record this in case it sheds any light on anything.” Cam knew Barry would not see this as a huge effort in making nice, but then, he was the one asking for a favor.

“So I didn’t know Olivia was . . . bad news until you told me about framing Mindy . . .”

“Why don’t we ask the questions?” Rob suggested. “That way we aren’t stuck with any more of your excuses than we want.”

Cam pinched Rob under the table, but he ignored her. She was worried being too harsh would scare Barry off, or worse, make
her
laugh. It hadn’t yet, though.

“I know I deserve your scorn. I’m a bad husband,” Barry repeated the mantra he’d told Cam earlier, and she felt like she might reach across the table and thunk him in the head. It was a good thing the restaurant was so elegant, or she might have done it.

“When did you meet this . . . Olivia?” Rob asked.

“When I was training for the position here.”

“What do you even do?” Cam asked. She knew he sold real estate, but Mindy had said he was successful, which didn’t seem to fit with the location change he’d made.

“I’m a regional sales manager—real estate. When I accepted my promotion and transfer, the company put together a training with representatives of several local resources . . .”

“Don’t tell me. S
he
was public safety,” Cam said.

“Well, yes . . .”

“And the most attractive female at the conference?” Rob asked, his voice rippled with disgust.

Barry had the decency not to meet his eyes. “I said, I know I’m a jerk.”

“Yeah, well, it would help if there was any evidence that you tried not to be,” Rob said. “So how long ago was this . . . training?”

“About fourteen months.”

“So she’s not the bimbo you left Mindy for?” Cam asked.

Barry clenched his jaw. “I didn’t leave Mindy for a bimbo. I never would have left Mindy for any bimbo. Mindy threw me out because I also couldn’t seem to
give up
the bimbos.”

Cam distinctly remembered Mindy saying Barry left
her
, so she chalked this up as proof he was a liar. She rolled her eyes and Rob scoffed. Rob’s feelings on infidelity were at least as strong as Cam’s. His mother had cheated, then left, and he and his sister been raised by his dad through high school.

“And you accepted the promotion for a fresh start?” Cam asked.

“I know it sounds bad, but Lynchburg isn’t that big . . . everybody was on Mindy’s side.”

“So how’d your lady friend turn psycho?” Rob asked.

“Because the video from Monday night looked like you were getting along just fine,” Cam added.

It was Rob’s turn to pinch
her
.

“Video?” Barry asked.

“Undressing each other on the way into the Arts Commission? They have cameras.”

“Why would you watch that?”

“We have had some vandalism and have been watching for suspicious activity.” Cam felt like a badass talking that way, though it was probably silly. “And then I recognized you. It’s how we were sure you were Evangeline’s stalker.”

“I wasn’t stalking her,” he said, but Cam ignored him.

“I suppose that night might have been when things got weird. I mean . . . she was clingy anyway, but since I don’t know anybody here, I didn’t mind. I said something that night about my daughters coming into town with their mother.”

“Okay,” Cam interrupted. “Explain this. You leave and don’t try to see the girls for nine months, and
then
tried to get custody, right?”

“I didn’t want full custody. I guess maybe I wanted Mindy to just make us a family again. I missed my family.”

“Brilliant, approaching that by suing for custody,” Cam said. “And what did you tell Olivia?”

“That I missed my daughters . . . and being part of a family.”

“You idiot. She couldn’t have you get your whole family back or she was out of the picture. This framing was to get Mindy out of the way so she could be the wife and you could have the girls together.”

“I guess.”

“So when did this little fantasy of hers start?”

“I don’t know. Maybe as early as her suggestion I try to get custody—months ago . . . I mean, I agreed because it woke up the family feelings, but she planted the idea. She just didn’t realize how I saw it.”

Rob slapped the table, causing a lot of stares from the high-class clientele. It also brought the waitress rushing over in alarm. They ordered as if nothing had happened. Cam chose the salmon cakes, wishing the prices were higher—she thought Barry really should be stuck with a bigger bill.

“So do you think she’d kill these people to frame Mindy?”

“Kill? No, I don’t think so! I think the case fell in her lap, so she thought of framing. I think if she was going to kill someone, it would be a person more obviously tied to Mindy.”

Barry clearly didn’t know about the agreement with Mindy that Telly had reneged on. Rob started to say something, but Cam pinched him again.

“Does Olivia
know
any of the potential suspects?”

“I don’t even know who they are, aside from Mindy.”

“Dylan Markham?” Rob said.

“Clancy Huggins? Jessica Benchly?” Cam added.

“Jessica? Jessica and Olivia are friends,” Barry said.

“Friends? Not rivals?” Cam asked.

“No. Friends. I’ve met Jessica a few times. She lives in Lynchburg.”

“Did Olivia know Judith Towers-Stevens?”

“Not that I know.”

“But you’re sure Olivia and Jessica are friends?” Cam said.

Cam was trying to work out what this might mean, but it seemed important in any case.

“I’ve seen them together—they’re friends. I also know that the handful of times I’ve tried to make plans with Olivia and she wasn’t available, it was because she had plans with Jessica.”

“So back to Olivia getting strange,” Cam said.

Barry shrugged.

“Strange like she feels you don’t take her seriously,” Rob elaborated, an eyebrow raised.

Cam knew what he was getting at. Barry really was a jerk who probably wouldn’t commit. Any woman wanted evidence she was special, but Olivia thought the relationship was serious, or, at least, she had at one point.

“And did she know where to find Mindy and the girls?” Cam added.

“She helped me track them down—traced the GPS on Mindy’s car. I had wondered if the girls would have time to see us.” Barry paused. “. . . and then I changed my mind. That was when I said it wasn’t a good idea—that the girls probably weren’t used to the separation yet and I should see them alone. She acted like it was okay . . . suggested Mindy must be seeing someone, too, by now.”

“And?” Cam asked.

“I denied it—told her Mindy would put our daughters first and not rush in . . . I might have sounded jealous.”

“You basically maximized your mistress’s jealousy. Nice move,” Rob said.

Barry put his face in his hands.

“Barry?” Cam said. Something had just occurred to her. “The girls have been staying with you. But Olivia hasn’t, has she?”

“Of course not.”

“I think Mindy might be in danger—if Olivia is trying to make some delusional happy family, she might think getting rid of Mindy is the fastest route.”

“That was why I wanted to talk to you—I’m worried.”

At least they agreed on that much. Cam agreed to keep an eye out, then she and Rob left Barry with the bill. Cam deadheaded a sticky petunia in the planter on the way out, though, so she felt like she was ahead, as karma went.

* * *

R
ob and Cam agreed to let Mindy spend the afternoon at Rob’s. Barry had pleaded not to leave her at the hotel. They didn’t think it was safe to put her at Cam’s or Annie’s, as Olivia might think of those, and Cam thought Annie was as likely to wring Mindy’s neck as Olivia was.

Cam went to her office and called Mindy to make arrangements for Rob to pick her up. She meant to get a little work done but couldn’t concentrate.

Instead she felt she had a list of follow-up questions for Clancy Huggins. Was Jessica’s baby his? Did he know Olivia Quinn? And what did he have to say about the friendship?

She dialed his cell but got no answer, so she decided to head to the Hotel Roanoke to see if she could find him in person.

On her way out, she saw Barry Blankenship and Nell Norton sitting in the Patrick Henry bar. Barry seemed to be a busy boy. He wore his earnest salesman face and Cam wondered what he was up to. She felt she’d only get an honest answer if she asked for it from Nell later, so she headed to the Hotel Roanoke where she thought her chances of finding Clancy were higher.

* * *

W
hen Cam finally ran into Clancy, she’d almost forgotten he was the person she’d come to see. He looked a little alarmed to see her, but only briefly. His Southern politeness kicked in and he greeted her warmly.

“Mr. Huggins, how are you? I had an interesting morning and wondered if I could ask you a few more questions?”

“I answered questions already, didn’t I? Part of that interesting morning?”

“Of course you did. Can I buy you a tea?” She gestured toward the bar and he looked momentarily panicked, but nodded.

“Jessica will be meeting me shortly,” he said.

“Oh, good. I have some questions for her, too.”

“And we’re on a tight schedule . . .” he reminded her.

“I’m on the same one. I’ll be brief.”

He finally appeared resigned to having a drink with her, and they went into the bar and sat down.

Cam ordered a sweet tea for both of them, and Clancy ordered a Scotch as backup for himself.

“So who is the father of Jessica’s baby?”

Clancy sputtered and stared, but then answered, “Well, I am, of course.”

“I thought you weren’t romantically involved.”

“Well, if I gave you that impression, I’m sure I misspoke.”

Cam was sure he was lying, though she knew his earlier answers had been intentionally vague. She wasn’t sure, though, how to get him to tell the real story, so she pretended to believe him.

His phone buzzed.

“Jessica, darling! I’m sure you’re busy, and I can just meet you later . . . you’re sure . . . yes, well . . . I’m in the bar with Cam Harris, then . . .”

It was a nice attempt to protect Jessica, but Cam was glad it hadn’t worked. She definitely had some questions for the woman and, thus far, had barely exchanged a greeting with her.

When Clancy closed his phone, he looked at Cam with pleading eyes. “Please don’t ask her about the pregnancy.”

“Why not?”