Trinity Harbor 3 - Along Came Trouble (33 page)

“Cash, of course,” Cynthia said, her smirk stil firmly in place. She handed Liz two twenties.

“I’m surprised to see you back in Trinity Harbor,” Liz said, managing to keep her tone mildly interested rather than confrontational.

“I’m here to see a client,” Cynthia volunteered.

“Oh?”

“Ken Wil is is planning to run for Larry’s seat in the legislature. He’s asked me to coordinate his campaign. I imagine we’l be seeing quite a lot of each other, Liz. Won’t that be fun?”

“As much fun as hives,” Liz muttered under her breath, recal ing the scene at Larry’s funeral when she’d spotted Ken with several political party bigwigs. The speculation had been right. He’d seen an opening and seized it, even if his timing bordered on bad taste.

Cynthia apparently heard enough of her comment to get the gist of it. She laughed. “It’s wonderful to see that you’ve managed to cling to your sense of humor. Few women would be able to after finding their husband murdered only a couple of months back.”

“And few former lovers would want to work for the man who’s intent on becoming his replacement,” Liz snapped back as she handed Cynthia her purchase and her change. “But then, you always make the expedient choice, don’t you?”

“Wel , wel , wel , Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes has a bite,” Cynthia retorted approvingly. “Maybe Larry didn’t make such a dreadful mistake marrying you after al .”

“Believe me, it was my mistake,” Liz retorted. “Now, if you’l excuse me, I have work to do in back.” She locked the register and walked away without so much as a glance at Cynthia. She could feel the dreadful woman’s considering gaze on her just the same. It was several minutes before the bel over the front door rang to signal her departure.

When Liz got to the café, Gail regarded her worriedly. “What on earth was that about? Who is that woman?”

“She was Larry’s campaign manager when he and I got married. She was also his lover, but I didn’t stumble on that fact until I walked into his hotel room one evening,” Liz explained.

“Oh, no,” Gail whispered sympathetical y. “I’m so sorry. What on earth is she doing here?”

“She says that Ken Wil is has hired her to help him campaign for Larry’s seat.”

“Now there’s a losing cause if ever I saw one,” Gail remarked. “The man doesn’t have two brain cel s to click together.”

Liz grinned at the blunt assessment. “But he is a charmer, just Cynthia’s type. She can do great things for him.”

“Do you suppose she’l go after him, the way she did your husband?” Gail asked.

“Oh, I’d bet on it,” Liz replied. “I wonder if I should clue Arlene in, so she can be prepared to defend her turf.”

“I’ve met Arlene Wil is,” Gail said. “Something tel s me she can take care of herself.”

Surprised by the hint of disdain she heard in Gail’s voice, Liz regarded her with curiosity. “You don’t like her much, do you?”

Gail hesitated, her expression thoughtful. “She just seems a little high-strung to me, a little unpredictable.”

It had been years since Liz had spent any time with Arlene, but Gail’s assessment didn’t match her recol ection. “Arlene was always a little on the quiet side in school. She stayed in the shadows.”

“Those are the ones you always have to watch out for,” Gail said.

“Those are the ones you always have to watch out for,” Gail said.

Before Liz could ask what she meant, the bel chimed and Tucker strode through the store, his expression grim.

“What’s wrong?” Liz asked at once.

“I just saw the Miles woman over at Earlene’s. Since she had a bag from here, I figured she’d been in. What did she want?” He scanned Liz worriedly. “You okay?”

“Bloodied but unbroken, figuratively speaking,” she assured him. “I handled her.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” he said heatedly. “I can find some way to run her off. I’l get Walker to turn up the pressure, make things so uncomfortable, she’l be delighted to get out of town.”

“Now there’s a scene I’d like to see—Walker going toe-to-toe with Cynthia,” Liz said. “But I think you should probably forget about it. She’s here on business. She’s working for Ken Wil is.”

“Son of a bitch!” Tucker said. “Now there’s a combination that strikes terror in my heart. Let me guess. He has renewed political aspirations, now that his biggest rival is dead.”

“Got it in one,” Liz confirmed.

“Which raises an interesting question,” Tucker said, his expression thoughtful. “Just when did Wil is develop these ambitions, and how anxious is he to see them fulfil ed?”

Wil is was a lowlife, Liz reflected, the kind of kid who’d cruised through school with barely passing grades, the kind who preferred Cliffs Notes to texts. He was stil taking shortcuts. He’d bought up a number of smal businesses, but rather than trying to build them into successes, he’d run them into the ground, bleeding them of every cent they made. He’d accumulated more money than sense over the years. But a kil er? Liz didn’t think he’d have the stomach for it.

“Surely you don’t think he could have kil ed Larry,” she said to Tucker.

“He’d certainly have a motive, wouldn’t he?” Gail asked, pouncing on the idea. “And he has quite a gun col ection from what I’ve heard.”

“You’re right,” Tucker said. “I’ve got the registration for al of them down at the station. I’d better get over there and fil Walker in. We can check that list and see if he has anything the right caliber, then try to get a search warrant to look for it.”

He grabbed Liz out of her chair and planted a hard kiss on her mouth that snatched her breath away.

“Thank you, darlin’.”

“Me? I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Wel , until we know one way or another, steer clear of Cynthia and Wil is. I’m going to try to get Walker to haul them both in for questioning.”

“And set yourself up for harassment charges,” Liz warned. “Tucker, be careful. Those are not two people you want for enemies, even if they had nothing at al to do with Larry’s death. Ken’s a mean, vindictive little thing, and Cynthia’s claws can be deadly. She knows how to manipulate the media.

You don’t want her to go after you in print and on TV. She’l destroy your career.”

“I can handle the likes of Cynthia Miles,” Tucker said confidently.

He was almost out the door when Gail cal ed out.

“Tucker, wait!” she shouted urgently. “I just remembered something. I knew I had seen that woman before, but I couldn’t think where. It just came to me. She was here the day of the murder.”

“In the store?”

“No, but she was here in town. I’d stake my life on it. I bumped into her, literal y, coming out of the bank as I was going in. I apologized, but she never even looked at me. She was counting a big wad of cash.”

Liz met Tucker’s gaze. “Blackmail money from Larry,” she said at once.

“Or the first instal ment on her pay for helping Ken Wil is,” Gail said. “Maybe he had reason to believe he’d be campaigning sooner than anyone else anticipated.”

“What time was this?” Tucker asked.

“Just before closing, I’d say. Maybe one forty-five,” Gail replied.

“And you’re sure it was the day of the murder?”

“Absolutely. I’d just picked up the
Weekly.
I always grab that on my way to the bank to make my deposit. That’s why I apologized, because I was glancing at the headlines and figured it was my fault that we’d bumped into each other.”

Tucker nodded. “Thanks, Gail. That puts her right where we need her, here in Trinity Harbor and not down in Richmond, where she claimed to be.”

Once again, he leveled a look at Liz. “Don’t go out to Swan Ridge alone tonight, okay? Wait til I can go with you.”

“Tucker, she’s gotten what she wanted,” Liz protested. “She apparently got money from Larry or Ken, and she’s got a job with Ken. She’s not going to do anything to me. What would be the point?”

“Revenge,” he suggested in a way designed to make her blood run cold.

“Okay,” she agreed, even though she wasn’t entirely sure she bought his theory. “I’l wait for you.”

He glanced at Gail. “See that she does, okay?”

“You’ve got it, Sheriff.”

Liz scowled at her friend. “Traitor.”

“No,” Gail replied. “I’m a desperate woman who’s final y found an employee who can help me run this place. I am not about to risk losing you.”

“Okay, okay, you two,” Liz relented. “I’l behave. Are you going to come back here, Tucker? Or should I meet you somewhere?”

“Meet me at Earlene’s at five-thirty. We can grab a quick bite before we drive out to Swan Ridge.”

Liz nodded. “Would that be like a date?” she inquired sweetly.

“If it gets you to stay put, you can cal it anything you want,” Tucker replied with a grin.

“Be stil my heart,” she said, putting her hand over her chest. “You are such a romantic, Tucker Spencer.”

He winked at her. “Glad you’re impressed, sweetheart. But just so you know, I’m saving my best stuff for later.”

“Oh, my,” Gail whispered as Tucker made a hasty exit. She grinned at Liz. “I think my eyelashes got singed from al the electricity racing around in here.”

“He’s al talk,” Liz said, even though her heart was pounding just a little harder from the promising hint of desire in his voice.

“Honey, sweet talk like that sooner or later explodes into something downright dangerous,” Gail pointed out. “If you’re not ready for it, get out of the way.”

“Oh, I’m way past ready,” Liz declared, her gaze fol owing Tucker as he crossed Beach Drive and met Walker on the opposite side, where he’d just pul ed into a parking space. The two men huddled for barely a minute before Tucker climbed in and the two took off toward Montross, lights flashing.

Liz’s heart skipped uneasily. She might not take Tucker’s theory entirely seriously, but it was apparent that Walker did. She exchanged a look with Gail. “I suppose it would be a bad idea to lock the door and make the customers knock,” she said wistful y.

“I’l cal Andy,” Gail said decisively. “He can work security detail around here til it’s time to close. He’l be ecstatic at having something to do that requires a weapon.”

As it turned out, though, Andy was on his way to Montross to consult with Walker and Tucker, he told Gail when she caught up with him on his cel phone.

“Go,” Gail said, after reporting what he’d said to Liz. “We’l be fine.”

She hung up slowly. “He says he’l get someone over here. He doesn’t think there’s real y anything to worry about, though. He’s confident both Wil is and the Miles woman are going to be tied up with a whole lot of questions for the rest of the day.”

Liz wished she felt as certain about that.

“It’s going to be okay,” Gail assured her. “If Andy said he’d have someone come by to keep an eye on things, he wil .”

Not fifteen minutes later, a car screeched to a halt outside. Liz eyed the luxury sedan with astonishment, which only increased when King lunged out of the front seat and barreled inside toting a hunting rifle.

“What on earth?” she demanded, staring at him with alarm. “King, why are you here?”

“Andy cal ed and said he was worried about some crazy person being on the loose. He asked me to come.” His gaze narrowed. “Are you the crazy person?”

“No, of course not,” Gail said, interceding. “Liz is working here. Tucker and Andy think there’s been a break in the case. They’re just being cautious, in case the people they suspect decide to make Liz a target.”

Liz watched the range of emotions that crossed King’s face—from disbelief to worry to outrage. She stood silent, waiting for him to say he didn’t give two hoots whether she got herself kil ed or not.

Instead, he sank down in one of the chairs in the café, his gun resting across his knees. “As long as I’m here, I might as wel have a cup of that fancy coffee I hear you brew in here,” he grumbled, the comment directed at Gail.

“I’l get you a cup right away,” she said.

While she was behind the counter pouring it, Liz stood her ground. King final y met her gaze. “Look, I may not be crazy about you or the way you treated my son, but I’m not about to let you get hurt and have
that
on my conscience for the rest of my days.”

Liz bit back a grin at his grudging offer of protection. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I’d do the same for anyone in Trinity Harbor.”

“I know that,” Liz said. “I’m stil grateful. And, King, just so you know, I did not kil my husband.”

“So everyone seems to believe,” he conceded.

“What do
you
believe?” she asked point-blank.

He held his tongue for so long, she thought for sure he was going to condemn her, but he final y stared straight into her eyes, his expression enigmatic. “The Mary Elizabeth I once knew could never have done such a thing.”

Liz felt the salty sting of tears in her eyes. “I’m stil that same girl,” she whispered. “A little older. A little wiser.” She met his gaze as the tears slid down her cheeks. “And stil very much in love with your son.”

After what seemed an eternity, a deep, shuddering sigh rumbled through him and he held out his arms. “Come here, girl.”

Liz let the sobs come as she was enfolded in King’s solid embrace. It was like being held by her grandfather again. No, she thought, it was better, because not once did King tel her that her tears were wrong. He simply let her cry herself out, then handed her a clean, white handkerchief.

“I don’t suppose you have any of those lemon drops you used to keep in your pockets?” she asked with a sniff.

King chuckled. “You stil remember those?”

“You used to sneak them to me when my grandfather wasn’t looking,” she recal ed. “He didn’t approve of candy. He thought it was bad for my teeth.”

“Oh, he was an old fool when it came to some things. Way too set in his ways,” King declared, pul ing a bag of candies from his pocket and offering it to her. “The best friend a man could have, but a hard man for a little girl who’d just lost her folks.”

“I loved him, though,” Liz said. “I stil miss him.”

“So do I,” King told her. “He and I shared some good times together. We disagreed about most everything, but the man knew just where to go to catch fish.”

Liz sucked on the tart lemon candy in silence, thinking about this rare moment of peace between her and Tucker’s father. Eventual y, she risked a look into his eyes.