VEILED MIRROR (18 page)

She put her head on his shoulder, trying to hide her tears.

His heart ached for her, but there was nothing he could do to soften her grief, so he turned his thoughts to the wake still to come. He wasn’t too happy about having a crowd of people he didn’t know milling about the house. The man who pushed Beth into the wash hadn’t been found yet, and neither of them had gotten a good look at him, anyway. He could waltz right in pretending to be an old friend of Chris’s, and they wouldn’t know until it was too late.

Suddenly Beth pulled free, fisted her hands and slammed them down on her thighs. “Aagh!” Her face was tear streaked.

“What is it?”

“I am so angry! Chris was a good man! He made Ellie so happy! They would have been great parents. And somebody stole that! Somebody decided that what they wanted was more important than their lives!”

He started to put his arm around her, but she jumped up. “Don’t comfort me! I want to be angry! I want to kill whoever did this and let the buzzards eat him!”

Sheriff Connor cleared his throat from the doorway of the chapel. They both looked around as he came into the room.

“I sympathize, but I’ll have to arrest you if you do,” he said with a wry smile.

Beth lifted one corner of her mouth. “You’ll have to catch me first.”

Connor snorted. “Listen, I wanted to let you know, we got a hit on the fingerprints we lifted from that SUV.”

“You got someone to run fingerprints on a Saturday?” Jason’s respect for the man went up another notch.

“I called in a favor,” Connor’s mouth quirked up at the edge. “The prints belong to Nyles Bickford, a paroled felon. He did wet-work for one of the Families back east.”

Holy shit.

“Wet-work?” Beth asked.

“He was an enforcer,” Jason interpreted for her. “When somebody crossed the line, he’d straighten them out. Forcefully.”

“Oh my God! You mean a hit man?”

“Not according to his sheet. He was just muscle, but he might have been looking to move up,” Connor said. “He just finished doing time for assault.”

“But why would he kill Chris? Assuming he was the same one who came after me?”

Connor shared a look with Jason.
No!
The logical suspicion would be that Chris was somehow connected to one of the Families, and that he’d pissed off the wrong person, but Jason couldn’t accept that. He opened his mouth to object, but Beth beat him to it.

“No way was Chris involved with the mob! Not here, and not back east. For God’s sake, Jason, tell him!”

“Keep your voice down,” Jason murmured. “She’s right, Sheriff. There has to be some other explanation.”

Connor shrugged. “Frankly, I agree. From what I know of Mr. Pontifore, that dog won’t hunt, but I still have to check it out. Meanwhile, I’m tracking down Bickford’s associates.”

“Do you have a picture of this guy, so we can keep an eye out for him?” Jason asked Connor.

“Not with me. I’ll email it to you.”

“Thanks. Let us know if you learn anything,” Jason asked.

“You bet.” Connor turned to Beth, his expression softened. “I’m sorry I won’t be at the wake. Please accept my sympathy.”

“Thank you. I—I appreciate all you’re doing,” Beth said.

Connor nodded, then he left.

Jason frowned.
The wake
. It wasn’t likely that Bickford would try anything in front of a crowd of people, but there was still only one way to deal with this situation.
I’m not going to let her out of my sight.

Beth forced a smile
as Bob Anderson offered his condolences. Jason hovered nearby. She met his eyes, then looked away. His protectiveness was kind of charming, but it reminded her too strongly that there was a killer out there. She rubbed her forehead. She was beginning to get a headache.

“Mr. Pontifore—Palmer—wanted to be here himself,” Anderson continued, “but he has so much to do before he leaves for Tanzania. All those lost and hungry souls are waiting, you know. I was happy to be able to come in his stead.” His face crinkled with embarrassment. “Well, not happy, this isn’t a happy occasion at all. What I mean is, I’m glad to meet you, even if this is a horrible circumstance. And to be able to offer my sympathies in person, of course. I only met Mr. Pontifore—Christopher, that is—on one occasion. That was before you married. He seemed like a fine man.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance, echoing Beth’s headache.

“Thank you. It was kind of you to fly all the way out here.” Beth smiled again, trying to put Anderson at ease. He was a nice enough looking man, with brown eyes and thinning brown hair. He was just a few pounds overweight and had a desk worker’s slump. He might be a babbler, but at least he didn’t know Ellie, so she didn’t have to worry as much about making a mistake with him. “Do you share Palmer’s interest in religion?”

“Yes, of course, but, I uh, I’m not quite as fervent as he.” Anderson lifted his drink in evidence. “His faith is, uh, remarkable.” He looked a little cornered by her question, as if he were afraid she might rat him out to his employer, so she wasn’t surprised when he changed the subject. “Did you ever call that private investigator I told you about?”

So that’s where Elle got the referral.
“My sister and I were on the way to see him when we had the accident. I never got around to calling him again. I lost track of the information after that.”

“If you need the number again, I could send it to you when I get back to my office.”

“Thanks, but that won’t be necessary. The sheriff is taking this much more seriously now.”

“He is?” Anderson looked surprised. “What changed his mind?”

She spoke softly, so no one would overhear. She didn’t want to provide more grist for the gossip mongers. “Someone tried to kill me last night.”

“Oh my goodness!” Anderson lowered his voice too. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Jason saved me.”

“What happened?”

Beth hesitated, wondering how much she should say. Jason seemed to think it was important to keep every detail between themselves and the sheriff, but then she looked at Anderson, and laughed inwardly at her paranoia. Besides, even if he
was
the killer, she wouldn’t be telling him anything he didn’t already know.
She drew Bob further aside. “Someone pushed me into a flooded wash. I almost drowned. But at least now we have proof that something is going on.”

“Have they caught the man?”

“Not yet.”

Anderson looked around the room like he expected the killer to jump out from behind the curtains, then took another sip of his drink. “Do they know who it was?”

“Yeah. They’re looking for him.”

The telephone rang and they both jumped. Beth laughed. “I guess I’m still a little nervous.”

Anderson laughed too. “At least you have an excuse.” He cocked his head at the bar. “I think I’ll get a refill.”

Beth wasn’t sure if that was a good idea, but she let him go. When he came back, she changed the subject. “Are you heading back to Virginia right away?”

“Palmer asked me to stay a few days in case you needed any help with the trust.”

“As far as that goes, Mr. Jackson is taking care of everything. Where are you staying?”

“I haven’t got a place yet. Somebody mentioned the Starlite Motel. Could you give me directions?”

Beth grimaced. She’d heard Ellie say the Starlite was little better than a roach motel. Unfortunately, he’d have to drive to Sierra Vista or Tucson for something better. She watched Anderson take a big swallow of his drink.
I can’t let him drive in his condition. Damn
.

“Why don’t you stay here. We have plenty of room.”

Anderson blinked at her. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Beth looked out the window. Another storm was rolling in. “If Palmer had come, I’d expect him to stay with us. Please. We’d be happy to have you.” Which wasn’t quite true, but it was the right thing to do.

Anderson smiled. “Thank you.”

“Ellie?” Connie Arenosa spoke from behind her.

Beth turned to see Chris’s old girlfriend with a tall handsome Latino who wore an expensive suit despite the summer heat.

“This is my fiancé, Eduardo Montenegro.”

Beth felt as though all the blood had suddenly left her body. Was this Chris and Ellie’s killer standing right in front of her? “I, uh, it’s a pleasure.” Somewhere she found the manners to offer her hand.

Montenegro took it gently in both of his. They were warm and dry. “I am sorry I could not attend the funeral,
Señora
. I have only just this hour returned to the country.”

Beth scraped enough wit together to reply. “I’m sure Chris would understand.”

“He was a great man. It is a sad thing, his passing.”

A flash of anger brought Beth back to her senses. She withdrew her hand from Montenegro’s. “He didn’t ‘pass,’ he was pushed. Into a mine shaft.”

“
Sí,
Connie has told me you believe this to be a murder. Does Sheriff Connor agree?”

“He does. Now.”

“I see.”

“Ellie?” Jason appeared at her side, standing close but not touching. “How’re you holding up? Can I get you anything?”

“I’m fine. Jason, this is Eduardo Montenegro.
Señor
Montenegro, this is Jason Blackforth, Chris’s best friend from college. Oh! Where are my manners? This is Bob Anderson.” She drew Bob forward from where he’d faded into the background. “He works for Chris’s cousin, Palmer.”

Montenegro shook hands briefly with Anderson, and just as quickly dismissed him to turn his attention to Jason. The two men shook hands, clearly sizing each other up. After a fraction of a second Montenegro inclined his head in an elegant, almost European, manner. “It is a pleasure to meet another of Chris’s friends. Please, call me Eduardo. I would be honored if you would call me friend as well.”

Jason nodded. “Eduardo.”

The tension between the two men made Beth nervous. “Eduardo has just returned to the States. Where were you? Mexico?”

Eduardo turned his warm chocolate eyes to her, and the tension seemed to evaporate. If he had tried to have her killed last night, he hid it well. “
Sí,
and before that, Spain and Portugal. I had business to attend to there, as well as making arrangements for our honeymoon.”

Beth forced a smile. “It sounds wonderful.”

“You went there, too, on your honeymoon, didn’t you?” Connie asked. “Which did you prefer, Madrid or Lisbon?”

Beth frowned and looked down, trying to remember if Maria had said anything about Chris and Ellie visiting Portugal.

“Consuela,” Eduardo chided softly in a rich baritone. “It is perhaps not an easy thing for her to speak of now.”

Connie made a sympathetic noise. “Of course. Please forgive me. I wasn’t thinking.”

“We must go now,” Eduardo said. He took Beth’s hand again and looked directly into her eyes. “I held Christopher in high esteem. If you need anything, anything at all, please call me. If I am not in town, Consuela will see to it. We are at your disposal.”

The offer seemed so genuine, the sentiment so real, that Beth found it easy to return a smile. “Thank you.”

Connie and Eduardo made their way through the room to the door, stopping occasionally to speak to a person here and there. Jason watched them carefully. Beth had the feeling that he was memorizing each person they spoke to.

Anderson reemerged from wherever he’d faded away to. “He, uh, has a lot of presence, doesn’t he?”

“He has balls, I’ll give him that,” Jason muttered.

“I beg your pardon?” the accountant asked.

“Nothing,” Jason answered. Then his focus sharpened. Beth followed his gaze.

Near the door, Maria was hugging Eduardo and Connie.

“Maybe she knows him because of Connie,” Beth said. “Maybe Maria kept in touch after Connie and Chris broke up.”

“Maybe,” Jason said, still watching. The three of them talked easily, with smiles and touches for a few more minutes, then Connie and her fiancé left. Jason waited for Maria to work her way back across the room, before he intercepted her. “I didn’t know you knew Montenegro.”

Maria shrugged. “
Sí.
He is my mother’s cousin. I introduced him to Consuela.”

Maria is related to him! Is she in on the murder? Has she told him I’m not Ellie?
Beth stiffened in alarm. But no, nothing in his behavior suggested that. Somehow she managed to speak in a normal tone. “I thought they met at a charity event.”

“
Sí.
But it was I who made sure they would both be there.” She smiled. “And you see how well it has worked out.”

“But he’s—” Beth started, but Jason cut her off.

“He’s a fine catch, and a lucky man. Consuela and Eduardo are lucky to have you as a friend, Maria.”

Beth’s mind circled around.
Maria is related to Eduardo?
What had she told him? The sheriff seemed to think highly of Maria. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. Beth tried to think: had they said anything about Montenegro in front of her?

Beth hated the path her thoughts were taking. But Maria didn’t have to be in on the murder. She could have said something innocently to Eduardo at a family gathering. Something that made Montenegro decide that Chris had to die.

But Eduardo seemed so genuine when he’d offered his help.
He didn’t seem like someone who would plan another man’s death.

Beth rubbed her forehead. Her headache was getting worse.

“You invited him to
stay?” Jason didn’t even try to keep the dismay out of his voice.
What was she thinking?

The last of the guests had left, and Anderson was unpacking his bag in one of the guest rooms. Jason and Beth were sitting on the couch in the library. Ollie was lying at their feet.

“There are only two motels in Jimson Weed and both of them are awful.”

“I know, it’s just …” He bit back what he wanted to say. He hadn’t expected to have to maintain the pretense of mere friendship with “Ellie” during the next few days, or sneak down the hall at night. It had been awful today, wanting to touch her and not being able to. Going undercover with the Russian mafia had been easier.

“I know,” she said, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. “But it’s only for a couple of days.”