Prime Suspect Read online

  Darcie couldn’t stop a grin. She liked this woman already.

  Mrs. Gates’s head tilted as she looked up at her visitor. “Caleb, I’d forgotten how tall you are. My goodness, you should have taken up basketball. Well, don’t stand there on the porch. Come in. Duck your head, I don’t want to be responsible for a concussion.”

  She stepped back and gestured them inside. Caleb caught Darcie’s eye and smiled as he indicated that she should precede him into the house. That he felt comfortable in this woman’s presence was obvious. Darcie herself felt some of the tension seep out of her muscles as she entered the house.

  When the door closed, Mrs. Gates set the dog on the floor beside another one, both so like Percy that she would be hard put to tell the three apart if she saw them separately.

  “These are my babies.” Pride swelled the woman’s voice and her ample bosom. “Lancelot and Guinevere.”

  Darcie squatted down on her haunches and held a hand out for their inspection. Side by side as they were now, she saw that Lancelot stood a tad taller than Guinevere, who sniffed at Darcie’s hand experimentally, definitely the more cautious of the two. Lancelot had no reservations about how to greet a stranger. He leaped toward Darcie, but instead of stopping at her hand, hopped on his hind legs to bathe her face with an enthusiastic tongue.

  Mrs. Gates swooped him up in her arms again. “And yet another trait he shares with Paul. He loves the ladies.” She tucked the dog into the crook of one arm and thrust her hand toward Darcie. “Especially pretty ones like you, my dear. I am Cordelia Gates. And you are...”

  Caleb supplied the introduction. “This is my friend, Darcie Wiley.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Gates.” She took the proffered hand and found hers captured in a surprisingly firm grip.

  “Call me Cordelia. I don’t stand on ceremony.” Instead of releasing Darcie’s hand, Cordelia pulled her down a hallway. “When you called this morning, I asked my housekeeper if she would make us a snack to enjoy while you visit. It’s right in here.”

  “We can’t stay,” Caleb protested, falling in behind them. “We only wanted to take a look at your dogs.”

  “Oh, it’s not much. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you long.”

  They entered a cheerfully cluttered kitchen, and Darcie found herself tugged toward a sturdy round table laden with so much food the bowls and platters crowded the three place settings.

  “Not much food?” She eyed the table and then turned an incredulous look on Caleb. “Look at all this.”

  A variety of finger sandwiches filled a tiered serving tray beside a bowl filled with a colorful berry salad. An artistic arrangement of crackers surrounded a wedge of Brie on a platter next to a sectioned tray that boasted an assortment of fresh vegetables. In the center of the table stood a layer cake with sliced strawberries atop fluffy white icing.

  “We should have brought Mason,” Caleb said.

  Cordelia bent over to set Lancelot on the floor and then bustled toward the refrigerator. “My new housekeeper is something of an overachiever, which is one reason I love her. Now, have a seat while I pour the iced tea, and then we’ll talk.”

  Cordelia refused to let them ask a single question before they’d filled their plates. When Darcie took only one petite sandwich, she piled three more on her plate because, “They’re small, so it takes four to make one.”

  When she had offered a brief blessing, she picked up the cheese knife and sliced off a generous portion of Brie. “Now, which of you is getting a puppy?”

  Darcie’s gaze slid sideways to Caleb. How would he

  answer?

  He kept his eyes on his plate. “To be honest, I’m not sure I really want a dog. But I know Mrs. Fairmont has puppies that are almost ready to go. Darcie has one, and she’s been happy with him.” He speared a piece of melon with a fork, still avoiding the older woman’s eye. “If I were going to get a dog, that seems like a good breed to have.”

  A carefully worded answer.

  Cordelia beamed at Darcie. “You have a Maltipom? Oh, my dear, aren’t they delightful?” She turned an indulgent smile on her two furry babies, who were jumping on their hind legs beside her chair. She broke off two bits of sandwich and fed the beggars.

  “Yes, ma’am, they are. And smart, too.”

  “Oh yes.” She nodded, then flashed a dimple across the table. “My two have me perfectly trained to spoil them rotten.” As if to prove her point, she fed them each a cracker spread with Brie.

  “How did you settle on this kind of dog?” Caleb asked. “Do you know Mrs. Fairmont?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t run in the same circles as Olivia. She’s a very nice person and I admire her for her charity patronage, but her lifestyle is far too lofty for my blood. Or my pocketbook. No, I chose my darlings for their size and temperament.” A twinkle sparked in her eyes. “And for the collars, of course.”

  “Have you ever put the collars on them?” Darcie asked.

  “Those hideous things? Of course not. Lance and Gwen would think I was cross with them if I strapped those heavy things around their necks. No, I keep them on display in the living room so my bridge club ladies can enjoy them when they come.” A smirk hovered around her lips.

  Caleb leaned forward over his plate. “Could we see them?”

  “Of course.” She left the table, both dogs trotting after her, and returned with two jeweled collars. “This is Guenivere’s.” She handed one to Darcie and the other to Caleb. “And this is Lancelot’s.”

  Darcie turned the collar over in her hand. It was the same bulky size as Percy’s, but instead of green stones this one had pink. The pattern of the silver settings was a little different, too, and the charm that swung from the clasp was in the shape of a rhinestone-covered heart. While Cordelia returned to her chair, Darcie traded with Caleb. Lance’s collar bore imitation blue sapphires, and, instead of a dangling charm, a jewel-encrusted bow tie was attached to the center.

  Darcie handed the blue one across the table. “Percy’s is similar, but the stones are green and the charm is bulkier. It’s in the shape of one of those Saint Bernard barrels.”

  “Oh, every Fairmont collar is unique.” Caleb handed her the pink one, and she held them up to one another. “That’s what makes them special.” She beamed down at her babies and continued in the baby talk used by overly indulgent dog owners. “Just wike you are special, isn’t that wight, widdle ones?”

  Caleb’s eyes rolled upward, and Darcie turned her head to hide a smile. Mama had used the same baby talk with Percy.

  Cordelia took another sandwich from the tray and divided it into two. As far as Darcie could tell, she had yet to put a bite in her own mouth, but the dogs were certainly enjoying the “snack.”

  “Regardless of the collars,” the woman told Caleb, “Maltipoms are perfectly delightful dogs. Smart, and they don’t shed as much as other dogs. And the Fairmont dogs have such wonderful personalities. If you are serious about adding a puppy to your family, I highly recommend them.” She reached across the table and patted his arm, affection shining in her eyes. “And you would be such a good dog parent, dear. Someone as sweet as you deserves a puppy to brighten your life.”

  A guilty flush crept up Caleb’s neck. He stole a quick glance at Darcie, who refused to feel sorry for him.

  He should feel guilty for deceiving a sweet lady like her.

  He surprised her by hanging his head, his shoulders slumped. “Mrs. Gates, I have a confession. I’m not planning to buy a puppy.”

  Well, what do you know? He couldn’t keep up the deception. For some reason, his commitment to honesty made her feel better.

  “You’re not?” Cordelia’s voice displayed dismay. But then she looked across the table and winked privately at Darcie. “Then why did you want to visit my babies, Caleb?”

 
Darcie scooped up her napkin and made a show of wiping her mouth so Caleb wouldn’t see her smile. Cordelia hadn’t been fooled for a second.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not say, ma’am,” he told her miserably.

  She lifted her tea glass and brought it to her lips. “Would the reason have anything to do with the death of that poor man at the kennel the other day and then Richard Fairmont’s so soon after?”

  Caleb’s head jerked toward her.

  She sipped her tea and then calmly returned the glass to the table. “My dear, just because I’m old doesn’t mean I’m naive. I watch the news. And besides, you and I talked quite a bit while you were remodeling my upstairs bathroom. I remember how you dislike dogs.” She shook her head sadly in Darcie’s direction. “A flaw in an otherwise admirable character, if you ask me.”

  Caleb’s breath heaved. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to involve you in what might be a dangerous situation.”

  “Dangerous? Oh, dear.” Spots of pink appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Whatever have you two gotten yourselves into?” She leaned eagerly over her plate, waiting for an answer.

  “We don’t know,” Darcie answered honestly. “But we’re beginning to wonder if those murders have something to do with the Fairmont dogs.”

  “A natural assumption, since the first victim was found at the kennel.” She plucked a grape off of her plate and popped it into her mouth. “I met that Mr. Lewis, you know. He took my application for my darlings and, when I was approved, let me spend as much time as I wanted selecting them from among their littermates. It wasn’t until I arrived to pick them up weeks later that I finally met Olivia.”

  “What was he like?” Caleb asked.

  Her lips pursed into a prim bow. “I know one shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but I wasn’t fond of him. Oh, he knew his business about dogs, mind you. Still, something about him reminded me of my husband’s brother Lionel. Secretive. I always suspected Lionel of hiding something. Paul used to tell me I was imagining things, until the police showed up at Lionel’s house and arrested him for theft. They found an entire dresser drawer full of stolen wristwatches. There were even two of Paul’s.” She clucked her tongue and then reached for a grape. “I wonder if the police searched Mr. Lewis’s dresser drawers.”

  “Did you know Mr. Fairmont?” asked Caleb.

  She shook her head. “I never had the opportunity to meet him. But Olivia is a lovely woman, don’t you think?”

  Darcie held her tongue while Caleb mumbled something noncommittal.

  The rest of the meal passed pleasantly enough. Darcie let Cordelia’s chatter lull her into believing, if only for a few minutes, that this was a perfectly normal meal with a charming and talkative host and a pair of spoiled dogs. All too soon it was time to go. As she followed Caleb out of the cheerful clutter of Cordelia’s home, Darcie felt like she was being thrown out of a shelter and back into a raging storm.

  Almost literally. The clouds overhead had darkened even further, and the air held the heavy scent of impending rain.

  Cordelia walked them to the edge of the porch and leaned over to cast an apprehensive look up at the sky. “Oh, dear. This might be a bad one. Still, we need the rain.” She hugged Guinevere close. “Be careful, you two.”

  “We will,” Darcie promised as Caleb opened the truck door.

  The older woman’s solemn expression deepened. “I don’t mean with the weather, dear.”

  A weight sank in the pit of Darcie’s stomach as she nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I know.”

  She climbed into the truck as the first fat raindrops splattered against the windshield. Caleb hurried around the front and slid into his seat.

  “Thank you,” he called out the window, then turned the ignition key. The engine thrummed to life.

  As the truck backed down the driveway Cordelia lifted one of Guinevere’s fuzzy paws and waved goodbye. With another upward glance, she quick-stepped up the walk toward the house. She had barely reached the shelter of her porch when the heavens opened.

  Darcie quickly rolled the window up. Within seconds the woman and her dog were lost to sight behind a gray curtain of water.

  The truck plunged forward, headlights slicing through the rain. “I’d forgotten what a sharp cookie she is,” Caleb said.

  “I like her a lot.” Darcie tilted her head to look at his profile. “What made you decide to be honest with her?”

  His lungs deflated with a breath. “I couldn’t keep on twisting words and look her in the face. I like her, too. I just hope we haven’t gotten her into any trouble.”

  “I don’t see how. She didn’t tell us anything.”

  Caleb agreed. “I don’t know what I was hoping to find, but that was a dead end for sure. I think she enjoyed our visit, though. And her dogs enjoyed themselves, what with all the sandwiches and cheese.”

  “I did find out something I’ve wondered about.” She leaned over and lifted the shoe box at her feet to the bench between them, then took out Percy’s collar. “All the collars are just as gaudy as this one. In the back of my mind I’d kind of wondered if ours was the only ugly one.” She looked at the collar. “Although I liked that little bow tie much better than this bulky barrel.”

  In the next moment the truck lurched sideways. The back tires swerved as Caleb executed a quick right turn onto the interstate on-ramp.

  Alarmed, she grabbed on to the door handle and looked at Caleb. “What was that?”

  “Sorry.” His lips pressed into a tight line, both hands gripping the steering wheel. “I was checking something.”

  Irritation made her voice snap. “What, like how much I can take before I lose my supper?”

  “No, like whether or not that car back there is following us.” He glanced into the rearview mirror, and his expression turned grim. “Looks like our friends from the other night have caught up with us again.”

  SEVENTEEN

  The onslaught of this much rain would have made visibility difficult in the best of circumstances. Caleb clutched the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip and strained his eyes for the white lines that defined the road. A line of red taillights from cars that had pulled off the interstate to wait for a lull in the storm sped by in a blurry glare. In the rearview mirror twin circles of light told him their tail was riding close. If he tapped his brakes, the car might even kiss his bumper. In weather like this, that could end in disaster.

  Darcie twisted around in her seat to look through the back window. “What are they doing? Are they trying to cause a wreck?”

  Caleb didn’t answer. The same thought had occurred to him, and he didn’t like the implication.

  They hit a deep puddle in the road, and water slammed into the pickup’s frame with a sound like an explosion. The pickup’s rear end fishtailed. A frightened scream came from Darcie’s side of the cab, but Caleb barely had time to notice. He took his foot off the accelerator and counter-steered. With a jolt the rear tires caught traction and righted. The truck jumped forward.

  The car stayed its course, barely two feet behind him.

  “Any sign of a police car?” Darcie’s voice trembled as she stared forward through eyes round as hubcaps.

  “Not yet.”

  He didn’t say so, but he doubted the same ploy would work on this stretch of interstate. They’d be fortunate to pass a cruiser pulled off to wait out the storm. But if those were the same guys as before, they’d be wise to that trick. Besides, they were acting differently this time. No attempt to mask their presence. Instead, they were in open and aggressive pursuit.

  Which could only mean one thing.

  “Darcie, I want you to do something for me.” He spoke as calmly as he could, but his insides were as taut as guitar strings. “Bend over and bury your face in your knees. Put both hands o
ver your head.”

  A frightened sob answered him, but in his peripheral vision he watched her obey. Not a moment too soon.

  He’d traveled this part of the interstate often when he had worked on Mrs. Gates house last year. They were quickly approaching a left curve with a steep embankment on the right. If he was correct, the car behind them would—

  The truck jerked as the car’s bumper slammed into them. A muffled cry came from Darcie’s doubled-over body. Caleb fought to keep the steering wheel steady. The car rammed them again, and the rear end skidded sideways. He jerked the wheel to steer into the skid, but this time the tires found no purchase on the wet road. The front of the truck swung around and—

  “Hang on,” he shouted. “We’re going over.”

  The next few seconds were a blur. He was thrown sideways and his head connected with the window. Instinct kicked in and his hands left the wheel to cover his face. Darcie’s screams echoed inside the cab and were abruptly cut off. He barely had time to worry about that when he felt cold water pelting his upper body. All the while the world rocked and jerked and whirled.

  And then came to an abrupt halt.

  Dazed, Caleb didn’t move for a moment. His brain struggled to throw off a numbing shock. Pain throbbed in his left thigh. Not broken-bone pain, thank the Lord, more like someone had whopped him with a two-by-four. His neck ached and his elbow burned. Gingerly, he flexed his toes, moved his knees slightly, shrugged his shoulders. Everything appeared to be in working order.

  A noise punched through his mental inventory and it took him a second to place it. Someone crying. He jerked upright and ignored the stab of pain in his thigh the sudden movement caused.

  “Darcie!”

  His vision blurred, and for a panicked moment he thought he’d been blinded. Then he realized rain was pouring onto his face through the empty place where the windshield had been, and he wiped his eyes with his hand.