Blown Away (9 page)

“Was that something you used to tell Susan?”

Mike frowned. “I told you before, there wasn’t anything like that between us.” Then he added, “And just for the record, when I look at you, I don’t see Susan. I see Carolina.”

She shouldn’t have felt relieved. After all, the whole ruse she was trying to pull depended on people believing she was her cousin. But it was getting more and more difficult to ignore a growing attraction to this man. The last thing she wanted was to fall for someone whose first attraction to her hinged upon her resemblance to someone else.

“Ah…lunch is served,” he said, giving her a quick heads-up that the waitress was returning.

Cari leaned back in her chair and fiddled with the
napkin in her lap while Melanie unloaded her tray, serving Cari’s food, then Mike’s.

“Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked.

“We’re good for now,” Mike said. “However…if Maurice made his fabulous crème brûlée today, we might be ordering dessert.”

“You know he did,” Melanie said. “Enjoy your food. I’ll bring you a fresh pot of tea.”

Then the doorbell jingled as a group of six walked in, and Melanie shifted into higher gear.

Cari’s first spoonful of soup was tentative, making sure it wasn’t too hot to eat. It wasn’t. The creamy soup was smooth and rich, with bits of lobster in every bite.

“Good?” Mike asked.

“Amazing,” she said. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Entirely my pleasure,” Mike said softly.

And just for the rest of the meal, Cari let herself pretend that was the truth.

Mike coaxed and charmed her into eating the entire bowl of soup, even buttering a croissant for her from the bread basket. By the time she was finished, he’d already ordered them some of Maurice’s famous crème brûlée he’d mentioned earlier.

“I don’t think I can eat any more,” Cari said, as Melanie served the desserts.

“Just take a bite,” Mike urged.

So she did, breaking the sugar crust with the bowl
of her spoon, then scooping up a small bite. It didn’t take long for her reaction.

“Mmm,” she said, her eyes widening. “That’s amazing.”

“So you’re telling me there won’t be any leftovers for me to clean up?”

She just smiled and took another bite.

Pleased, Mike beamed as he dug into his own dessert and soon finished it off. By the time Cari was done, Melanie was bringing back Mike’s credit card and receipt.

Maurice stuck his head out of the kitchen long enough to call out, “Don’t be a stranger,” then wave as he went back to work.

A short while later, they were on their way home. With her stomach full and the worst of her pain momentarily abated from the pain pill she’d taken earlier, she leaned back and closed her eyes. She didn’t intend to sleep, but the Cadillac was such an elegant ride, and she was exhausted.

Mike knew the moment she went to sleep, because her lips parted softly and the tension in her body eased. He felt no guilt in looking his fill when he braked for a red light. She was in his car—staying in his house—momentarily living under his protection. Surely it was all right to check her welfare. Surely.

The light turned green, and he accelerated slowly, making sure not to rouse her. His heart hurt for all she’d lost, and he couldn’t help but be concerned for
her safety. Hopefully Aaron Lake would come up with some information on Lance Morgan that would lead to answers to help Cari’s situation.

By the time he reached home, Cari was sound asleep. He parked under the portico, then killed the engine. Almost immediately, he was struck by the near-silence of her breathing, followed by the thought of what it would be like to wake up to that sound every morning.

Startled that he’d actually toyed with the notion of Carolina North being a permanent fixture in his life, he yanked the keys out of the ignition and opened his door.

The jingle of keys, coupled with the click of the lock, woke Cari. She sat up with a jerk, then winced as sore muscles protested the sudden movement.

“Oh! We’re here! Why didn’t you wake me?”

Mike wasn’t about to tell her that he’d been playing “what-if” with their lives without her knowledge or permission.

“I was just about to,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” Cari said. “That nap wasn’t long, but it was refreshing. And again, I’m indebted to you for the shopping and the lunch.” Then her expression dimmed. “I am so dreading tomorrow.”

Mike reached for her hand, then threaded his fingers through hers. “I know,
cher.
Just remember, you won’t be there alone.”

The familiar endearment touched her more than she would have believed. “Yet one more way in which I’ve indebted myself.”

“You owe me nothing,” Mike said, then gave her fingers a quick squeeze. “Now we take your purchases inside. I still advise a longer rest, but if you’re not inclined to head up to your room, the veranda in back is wonderful this time of day.”

He got out, then helped her out of the car before gathering up their purchases and leading the way into the house. Songee met them in the foyer.

“So…I see your trip was a success. Give them to me. I’ll make sure everything is pressed for you.”

“Thank you,” Cari said, as Songee took the sacks and left them on their own. Cari eyed the French doors in the library, just visible from the foyer. “Can I go through there to get to the back of the house?”

“Absolutely,” Mike said. “Just don’t overdo it today, because tomorrow is going to be difficult, both physically and emotionally.”

“I know,” Cari said. “I just want to get some air…sit in the sunshine…maybe plot a new book while I’m at it.”

Mike eyed her curiously. “That’s right. You write mysteries, don’t you? I’d forgotten Susan mentioning that.”

“Yes, or at least I
did
. Lord knows what the news of my death is going to do to my readership,” she muttered, and then walked away.

Mike started to go after her, then thought better of it and let her go. Time would solve some of her problems, but not all of them. He headed for his office to check in with Aaron Lake, hoping he might have news about Lance Morgan.

A huge green parrot took flight from a trio of live oaks, shrieking his disapproval at Cari’s unexpected arrival as she walked out onto the veranda. She eyed him absently, too locked into her troubles to appreciate his presence or beauty. She paused for a moment to get her bearings, then headed for a grouping of white wicker chairs with green cushions, sitting around a small white wicker table. At least she could wallow in comfort.

She hadn’t been seated more than a few minutes before Songee came out with a pitcher of iced sweet tea and a pair of glasses.

“Just in case,” she said as she filled one glass for Cari, then left as quietly as she’d come.

Cari took a sip of the tea, then set it down. As generous as Mike and his housekeeper were to her, it wasn’t going to fix what was wrong. She leaned back in the chair, staring across the perfectly manicured lawn without actually seeing it. Her head was spinning with what-ifs and maybes, trying to think of where Lance would hide a dead man. He couldn’t have gone far before the tornado hit. But he could have taken cover and buried it afterward.

For all she knew, he’d loaded it back up in the car and driven it into the bayous. If he took it to where the gators could get at it…fat chance it would ever be found.

As she thought, it occurred to her that the car she’d seen in the woods had not belonged to Lance, which meant it most likely belonged to the dead man. She wished now that she’d seen the tag, or taken note of the make and model. But the only thing that had registered was that it was black and she thought it was a rental.

Even though she’d only gotten a glimpse of the dead man’s face, she was almost certain she’d never seen him before. She hadn’t been able to see much else because of the rug he’d been wrapped in. She knew the rug had come from the library in Morgan’s Reach, but unless they found both it and the body, she couldn’t think of a way to tie Lance to the death.

“Hi, lady! How come you gots bwuses on you face?”

Surprised she was no longer alone, Cari turned around. When she saw that a little redheaded boy had taken residence in a chair on the other side of the table, she smiled. He was leaning back with his feet crossed at the ankles and his arms resting on the arms of the chair as if he’d decided to hold court. There was a slight frown knitting his brow, and he didn’t appear as if he was in any hurry to leave. Then she remembered Mike mentioning that his neighbors had a three-year-old boy. Obviously one of the neighbors had come calling.

“I had an accident,” Cari said. “My name is…my name is Cari. What’s yours?”

“Daniel Elliot Miller the Twoed.”

Cari stifled a grin. “Oh, so your daddy’s name is Daniel, too?”

“No. Him’s Daniel One. I’s Daniel Two.”

Cari laughed out loud.

“Ah…there you are,” Mike said, as he came around the corner of the house. “Daniel, your momma is looking for you.”

The little boy frowned. “You tell her I’s fine, Uncle Mike. Me and the wady are havin’ a visit.”

Mike saw the grin on Cari’s face and realized this was better medicine than anything a doctor could prescribe.

“Okay. I’ll do that,” he said. “But don’t go anywhere else before coming in to tell your momma, okay?”

Daniel nodded. “All wight, Uncle Mike.”

Mike glanced at Cari. “Are you doing okay?”

She nodded.

But apparently her visitor wasn’t okay. He held up one little finger to get Mike’s attention. “Hey, Uncle Mike?”

Mike grinned. “Yeah?”

“Um, uh, would you pwease tell Miss Songee I’s here? I’s pwetty sure her’ll be wantin’ to bwing me some cookies.”

Cari laughed again, then looked at Mike. “Would you tell Songee to add a cookie for me?”

Mike’s grin kept getting bigger. “You got it,” he said, and left with a bounce in his step.

Daniel shifted his attention back to Cari. “Is you Uncle Mike’s gwul-fwend?”

Cari’s smile slipped a little. “No. He’s just helping take care of me until I get well.”

Daniel eyed the bruises on her face and arms again, then nodded.

“One time he gived me a SpongeBob Band-Aid for my knee.”

Cari couldn’t take her eyes off his little face. He was seriously adorable.

“Then I’m in the right place to get well, aren’t I?” she said.

Daniel nodded, then folded his legs up beneath him and proceeded to explain why his cat, Roger, couldn’t make babies.

By the time Songee came out carrying a plate with four round, fat gingerbread cookies sprinkled with sparkling sugar crystals, Cari was enchanted.

“There’s my little man,” Songee said.

Daniel threw back his head and cackled with laughter. “I’s not no wittle man, Songee. I’s only fwee.”

Songee saw the joy on Cari’s face and knew something wonderful was happening. Carolina didn’t know it yet, but this was the first day that would count toward healing her broken heart.

“He’s something, isn’t he, miss?”

“I think I’m in love,” Cari said softly.

Mike came out with Daniel’s parents just as the words left Cari’s mouth. There was a brief moment of shock, followed by a serious moment of jealousy before he realized how nuts it was, being jealous of a kid.

Fortunately Daniel’s father shifted the subject.

“Tell the nice lady goodbye, Daniel. We’re ready to go.”

“Her name is Cawi, and I hasn’t had my cookies yet.”

Mike had already explained a bit about Cari’s situation to his friends, but he was surprised she had used her real name. But then he realized how unlikely it was that a three-year-old living in another city would give her away.

“Cari, I want you to meet Dan and Nora Miller. Dan is a lawyer,” he added.

Cari stood up. “Your son is an absolute delight,” she said.

“Anybody wants a cookie?”

Cari looked down. Daniel had decided to slip into the role of host and was offering her a cookie.

“Why, thank you. I believe I will,” she said, and took one from the plate.

Daniel watched her every move, right down to the moment she took her first bite, but whatever he was thinking, he kept to himself. He chose a cookie, then set the plate aside, and began to eat.

“How about me?” Mike asked.

Daniel sighed as he eyed the plate. “You can have
one, Uncle Mike, but somebody betta tell Songee to bwing mo-uh, cause we’s gonna wun out.”

Cari laughed again, and at that moment Mike felt as if a door had just opened into another facet of his life. He didn’t know how it was going to pan out, or if she would even be willing, but he made a silent vow to himself that he was going to have a relationship with this woman or die trying.

D
aniel eyed the cookie still left on the plate as his parents said their goodbyes. Cari saw the wistful look on his face and quickly wrapped it up in a napkin and handed it to him.

“You can save it for later,” she said.

The smile on the little redhead’s face was more than rewarding, proving the power of a cookie as the perfect attitude adjuster.

“What do you say?” his mother coached.

“Good cookie?” Daniel said.

Cari bit her lip to keep from laughing as his mother tried again.

“No. Thank you very much.”

“You welcome,” he countered.

All the adults burst into laughter, which prompted Daniel to follow suit. He wasn’t sure what was so funny, but it was easy to be happy with a cookie in your hand.

Cari was still smiling as she watched them walk away.

“He’s something else, isn’t he?” Mike said.

“He made me laugh,” Cari said.

“He makes everyone laugh,” Mike added, then slid his arm around her shoulders. “Laughter is healing,
cher,
” he said softly.

It took all her willpower not to turn around and hide her face against his chest. It would be too easy to quit and let everything fall on Mike’s shoulders, but she couldn’t. She owed it to her family to see this through.

“I think I’ll go in and call the funeral home…make sure everything is all set for tomorrow,” she said.

“Want me to call?” Mike asked.

Cari hesitated, then shook her head. “I want to say yes, but I can’t keep letting you solve all my problems. I can do it, but thank you for asking.”

As he watched her walk away, Mike felt like calling her back—to tell her he
wanted
to solve her problems. But that would only lead to her asking why, which would lead to more questions for which he did not have answers.

Yet.

His cell phone rang just as he started into the house. He stopped, glanced at the caller ID, saw it was Aaron, then quickly answered.

“Tell me you have news,” Mike said.

Aaron was used to his boss’s impatience. “I have
information, and I think you’re going to like it. Well, not like it, but—”

“Tell me,” Mike demanded.

“A few days ago, Lance Morgan was basically bankrupt. Today, he’s suddenly solvent. He has a brother named Joe who just liquidated a butt load of stocks and bonds to the tune of more than two hundred thousand dollars, but it didn’t go into his bank account.”

“So he bankrolled his brother. That’s not an answer.”

“That’s just it,” Aaron said. “He didn’t give it to his brother. At least, not the bulk of it. It took some digging, but it seems Joe Morgan sent it to a shady guy up in Chicago named Dominic Martinelli—on his brother’s behalf.”

“Lance Morgan owed this man money?”

“Yes. Martinelli has quite a reputation. Among other things, he’s something of a loan shark.”

Mike began to pace the veranda as he absorbed the news.

“So…Lance owed a Chicago loan shark a bunch of money, but his brother came through for him. I still don’t—”

“Lance had mortgaged the family estate, worth more than a million dollars, and which has been in the family about two hundred years. I’d say the possibility of losing that might cause a man to do something drastic.”

“I guess,” Mike said. “But it still doesn’t make
sense. It doesn’t explain why Lance had a reason to commit murder. If he needed money, all he had to do was ask the brother…what’s his name again?”

“Joe.”

“Right, Joe. But it doesn’t matter—Lance didn’t kill Martinelli.”

“But what if Martinelli sent someone out to see Lance and
that’s
who Lance killed?”

“But why would he kill someone connected to Martinelli when that wouldn’t do anything to stop the property from being seized?”

“I can’t say exactly what went on in the man’s mind,” Aaron answered. “But I do know Lance isn’t exactly a knight in shining armor. It didn’t take a lot of digging to find out his family has been buying him out of trouble for years. A serious drunk driving incident in his younger days that somehow went away. In high school, a pregnant girlfriend whose family suddenly came into a lot of money and moved away. You get the picture.”

“Okay, I see where you’re going with this. Lance Morgan doesn’t think before he acts. So let’s find out if someone connected to Martinelli has gone missing. If not, then we can rule out that angle and look elsewhere.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Aaron said and disconnected.

Mike dropped his cell phone back into his pocket, then went to find Cari. He wanted to know how much she knew about Lance Morgan’s life and lifestyle. He
found her in the library, still on the phone. He could tell by the look on her face, she was struggling to control her emotions.

Cari had dreaded making the call for so many reasons, not the least of which was that Sarah Beth Spellman was an old friend. She couldn’t help but wonder what had gone through Sarah Beth’s mind when “Cari’s” body had been brought in to be embalmed, then seeing the facial damage and being in on the decision to have a closed casket. It was all too gruesome to consider, and yet consider it she must.

So she’d dialed the number, bracing herself to hear her friend’s familiar voice.

“Sumner’s Funeral Home. Sarah Beth Spellman speaking.”

“Ms. Spellman, this is Susan Blackwell.”

“Oh. Yes, Ms. Blackwell. Please call me Sarah Beth, will you?”

“Yes, thank you,” Cari said. “I called to tell you that I will be attending the services tomorrow. I’m healing more quickly than expected.”

“That is certainly good news,” Sarah Beth said. “Will you be needing any special assistance? We can have a wheelchair available. It won’t be a problem at all.”

“I won’t be needing any special assistance, but thank you for asking.”

“You’re very welcome.” Then she added, “Susan, please know that you have our sympathies.”

Cari shuddered, then swallowed back tears. “Thank you.”

“Oh. I almost forgot,” Sarah Beth said. “The Ladies Aid has organized a dinner at the church after the services. As you know, your loved ones had so many friends in the area. Everyone has been invited to come, and I hope you will, too. People will want to make sure you don’t feel alone.”

Cari’s voice broke. “That’s so very kind.”

“So we’ll see you at the church tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. And…just so you know. If you want some private time in the viewing room, we won’t be moving the caskets until about 10:30,” Sarah Beth said.

Cari was rattled by the thought of having to see her parents’ bodies. It would be the ultimate demonstration of facing the truth of what happened. She didn’t know Sarah Beth had disconnected or that Mike had come into the room until she looked up and caught him watching her. Startled, she heard the dial tone for the first time, then hung up the phone and stood to face him.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Not really.”

“If you have some time, I want to talk to you.”

“Right now, time is about all I do have.”

“Good. Let’s go back outside, okay? I think there’s still some iced tea.”

He opened the door for her, then followed her out. As soon as she sat back down, he joined her.

“What’s up?” Cari asked.

“I’ve had my security chief, Aaron Lake, doing a little investigating into Lance Morgan’s affairs. Thought it might help us figure out who got murdered.”

Cari scooted to the edge of the chair. “What did you find out?”

“Nothing definite but something pretty indicative,” Mike said. “That’s what I want to talk to you about. How much do you know about his business?”

“He lives on a place called Morgan’s Reach and raises soybeans and peanuts, which are pretty big cash crops in the South, on about six hundred acres of bottom land. They used to raise horses on the other five hundred acres, but they got rid of the last ones soon after his parents died. The horses were his father’s pet project, but after he was gone, neither of the boys wanted anything to do with them.”

“So if you had to make a guess, how stable would you say he was financially?”

“Why…I guess I would think they were pretty well-set. It was certainly the case when his parents were alive. Why?”

“Up until a day or so ago, Lance Morgan has been teetering on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Cari sat all the way back in her chair. Her shock was evident. “You’re kidding me.”

“No.”

“How? And what changed?” she asked.

“It seems his brother liquidated a lot of stocks and bonds to the tune of two hundred thousand dollars plus, and bought him out of trouble.”

Cari’s shoulders slumped. “Poor Joe,” she muttered. “Still picking up after little brother’s messes. At least Joe must have made Lance’s banker happy.”

“Oh…Lance didn’t owe the bank.”

Cari frowned. “Then who in the world would he borrow money from?”

“A loan shark in Chicago.”

“Why would someone like that advance money on a crop?”

“It gets better,” Mike said. “He didn’t borrow against his crop. He mortgaged Morgan’s Reach.”

Cari gasped. “Oh. My. God.” Suddenly she was out of the chair and on her feet. “All of a sudden things are beginning to make sense. Now that I know what was at stake, I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

“You’re saying he would kill to make sure he didn’t lose the family home?”

Cari turned, her eyes afire with emotion. “Without hesitation. That place has belonged to the Morgans for…I don’t know…something like two hundred years or more. So…do we know where the loan shark is?”

“Yes. He’s safe and sound in Chicago.”

“Drat,” Cari muttered. “I was thinking he might have been the dead man I saw.”

“Aaron is still checking on some things.”

Cari started pacing again. “Wait. You said Lance was bankrupt up until a day or so ago.”

“Yes.”

“And now he’s not.”

“Right.”

“So Joe coughed up some operating money, as well as paying off the loan. But do we know when the loan was going to be called in?”

Mike frowned. “I didn’t ask. But that’s definitely a good point. Wait a minute. I’ll call Aaron.” As soon as Aaron answered, he said, “Hey, Aaron. Cari had a good question. Do we know when Lance Morgan’s loan came due?”

“Yes. It was actually six months
over
due.”

“Hang on,” Mike said, and then turned to Cari. “It was six months overdue.”

Cari nodded. “So the loan shark was most likely planning to take Morgan’s Reach.”

Mike started grinning. “I like the way your mind works,” he said, and then put the phone back to his ear. “Aaron. Check and see if foreclosure papers had been filed, will you? And while you’re at it, find out the name of Martinelli’s lawyer.”

“You got it,” Aaron said. “Anything else?”

“Not at this time,” Mike said, and disconnected, then turned to Cari. “You have a good head for business.”

Cari smiled wryly. “It’s not so much business sense as it is methodical nitpicking. I think that’s
why I can do mysteries. I like the way a mystery unfolds. You know…foreshadowing…laying false clues…more than one suspect. The truths that are revealed in subtle increments.”

Mike watched the life come back in her eyes as she talked about her writing. It was obvious how much she loved it. And since he’d checked and found out she was regularly on all the bestseller lists, it was also obvious she was good at it. He made a mental note to pick up one of her books. Then it dawned on him that her own personal library must have been destroyed in the tornado. In fact, everything she would have used to work with must be gone. He couldn’t imagine losing his office: the records, the open files. It would be devastating.

As soon as they got past the funeral, he would contact her publisher and see what he could do to replace the copies of her published works. Then he caught himself. He couldn’t do that without giving away the fact that she wasn’t dead after all. Still, it was something he could do down the road.

“So we’re agreed Lance Morgan isn’t exactly a candidate for man of the year,” he said.

Cari rolled her eyes. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s not even worth calling a man. He’s a big spoiled brat who doesn’t know the meaning of responsibility. I feel sorry for Joe. He’s a good man. Conscientious to a fault, but like his parents, he has this bad habit of bailing Lance out of one mess after the other.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Mike said. “I promise.”

A wave of exhaustion swept through Cari as she nodded. “I know, and again, you can’t know how much I appreciate you honoring Susan by helping me.”

“It isn’t all for Susan. You’re pretty worthwhile yourself, you know.” Then, before she could argue, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Just between friends…okay?”

If he hadn’t added that last bit, she might have backed out of his arms, but now she was caught. If she moved, she came across as making a big to-do out of a simple hug, and he was definitely strong enough to lean on. She made herself relax, then hesitantly wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back.

Oh God…this feels better than good
, Cari thought, then closed her eyes, inhaling the subtle scent of his aftershave.

As she did, the steady, rock-hard thump of his heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was as affected by the hug as she was, then immediately told herself she was crazy. They hadn’t known each other a week. She was just suffering from the aftereffects of traumatic loss and wanted to be consoled. That was all this was.

All it
could
be.

Ill at ease from her jumbled emotions, Cari let go of him and stepped back.

“Thank you,” she said, primly, as if he’d just served her a slice of turkey, not taken her in his arms.

Mike felt the chill of her withdrawal and wished things could be different. So she didn’t want him touching her. He understood.

Sort of.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Hope I didn’t offend you.”

“I’m not offended. I think I’m just tired. Maybe I’ll go take that nap after all.” And before Mike could comment, she flashed him a brief smile and walked into the house.