Games (Timeless Series) (12 page)

“I do and I intend to make full use of my time,” Colin stated, giving him a challenging stare.

Simon just shook his head and laughed at Colin’s jealous stance, having a good idea of what caused such foolish actions in his married male acquaintances. Thankfully he wasn’t one of them.

~~

Back in his hotel room some three hours later, Simon felt a little disappointed. His time had yielded nothing solid. After meeting with the bank president, it was obvious—at least according to the bank records—none of the eight on his list had a monetary motive. All eight were wealthy and the information Simon reviewed only verified this fact. With no other leads, Simon had wiped out greed as the main motivator in this case.

He paced the room, reflecting on all he had learned from the time he’d disembarked from the train, wondering what he was missing
. The many facets to this case bothered him. Nothing fit.

Whoever was behind this had covered his tracks well.

He was at a loss to speculate further unless Parker Davis came up with a new lead.

Simon climbed into
bed and wrapped an arm behind his head. He closed his eyes, letting the information swirl inside his brain, hoping that when he slept his subconscious would come up with a pattern.

As puzzling as it was, the case intrigued him as nothing had in a long while
. He was definitely working against a worthy adversary. Most criminals in his experience weren’t as devious or as calculating and made stupid mistakes pointing in their direction. When that time came, he and Parker would be ready.

Up early the next morning, Simon
met briefly with Colin Thorpe, who’d provided him with a mount as well as a missive to Gus, explaining his arrival at Twin Oaks.

Simon’s first stop, Hillier Meadows,
was located on the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky, not too far off the main road, the same one leading to Shelbyville. He’d spoken with Caroline Hillier the evening before, informing her of his visit, and had been surprised to learn she knew he was a US marshal. When he questioned her, she told him that Bentley had enlightened her of his status.

While riding, his thoughts
remained on the woman Thorpe described. He obviously didn’t care for her.

Simon had no feelings about Caroline one way or the other
. Even though the two met during his last trip, he barely remembered their introduction. He’d definitely noticed her yesterday. The widow was one beautiful woman. Maybe she could provide a pleasant diversion.

Eventually he turned off the main road. Minutes later
the house came into view, along with outbuildings. Simon glanced around while dismounting, noting the inactivity. He wondered if it was always this quiet for a bustling stud farm.

The door of the house opened just as Simon walked briskly up the steps.

Caroline Hillier, looking very fetching all done up in a stunning green gown, stepped out.

“It’s nice to know someone is taking our threats seriously
.” Her gaze took a small trip over his body as a provocative smile lit her face. She offered her hand. “Won’t you come in, Mr. Harrington?”

Simon took her outstretched hand
and brought it to his lips, finally releasing it a moment later. With genuine male interest, he let his gaze wander the same journey over her ripe figure. When his focus landed back at her eyes, his grin widened. “Please, call me Simon.”

Caroline gave a sultry laugh
. “Only if you call me Caroline.”

“Then, Caroline it is.”

She nodded, indicating for him to go ahead of her, which he did. While waiting for her to close the door, he took in the expensive furnishings. Obviously not in dire financial straits, Simon thought as he handed Caroline his hat, coat, and gloves.

She passed the items to a waiting servant and said, her tone curt, “Tell Peters I’ll be expecting coffee and tea along with something like scones in the library.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The servant bowed. “Right away.”

Caroline’s brusque manner caught Simon off guard, but she presented a totally different picture when she turned back around and indicated for him to follow her
.

“I think we’ll be more comfortable in here.”

Simon quickly dismissed her behavior, staying right behind her as they entered the library. Glancing furtively about, he noted the very inviting space. The fireplace was ablaze and the warmth took the chill out of the air. Like the foyer, the room was extravagantly furnished. Caroline led Simon to a seating arrangement consisting of two chairs and a sofa situated directly in front of the fireplace but a few feet back. He chose one of the chairs and she sat on the sofa.

Not long after there was a discreet knock
.

“About time
. Try not to drop it for once,” she said to the servant who entered, carrying a tray filled with a teapot, coffeepot, cups, saucers, and assorted baked goods.

He walked over and placed the tray on the tea
cart next to Caroline.

“That will be all, Peters
.” Her dismissal was just as curt as the other words had been.

He bowed and left the room.

She looked to Simon with brows lifted. “What would you like to drink—coffee or tea? Or would you rather have something stronger?”

“Coffee would be fine,” Simon murmured
. “Thank you.”

She poured a cup, handed it to him,
then poured one for herself. She sat back on the sofa, regarding Simon with a sly smile, reminding him of a sleek, predatory feline, a feminine one at that. But Simon shrugged this off and took a drink of coffee, meeting her gaze while she sipped. He was used to women on the prowl. Sometimes their antics proved a bit amusing, provided the entertainment was uncomplicated. The thought of seeing how far she would go if he decided to wander in that direction was uppermost on his mind. However, looking at her now, uncomplicated didn’t seem to describe her.

When her thoughtful gaze turned from speculative to knowing, a feeling of apprehension rolled over him.

Ignoring it, he said, “Shall we get right to business?”

“Of course,” Caroline replied with a wicked grin
. “As I always say, business before pleasure.”

“You’re so sure there will be pleasure after bu
siness?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“No, but I can tell you’re thinking about it
.” Her laughter bubbled up, amusement evident in her tone.

“I might be
.” Watching her, he brought the cup to his lips for another sip without changing his expression. “And if I am?”

Caroline bit into a powder-sugared scone
. When she finished chewing, her tongue grazed the white trail of powder surrounding her lips before licking a thumb and forefinger, sucking each digit carefully, leaving him with little doubt as to what she alluded to. Finally, her eyes locked on Simon’s and she almost purred when she said, “I’m just letting you know I’m available—if you decide to play.”

“I’ve already figured that out
.” Simon chuckled. Entertaining lady. He shook his head and countered, his voice just as suggestive, “And I’ll keep it in mind. I haven’t made a decision yet.”

“Oh
, such a fickle man.” She kept her eyes squarely on his, her eyelids moving to half-mast. “Don’t be coy, Simon. It isn’t a becoming trait in the male of the species. A simple no will suffice.”

Simon’s bark of laughter rang out
. “Well said, Mrs. Hillier. We understand each other now.”

“It’s Caroline
. I thought we’d already established the fact. You’re starting to disappoint me.”

“I truly doubt that, Caroline
.” He held his hands up in surrender. “I was just trying to back up a little to keep my fingers from getting burned.”

Caroline’s
shrill feminine laughter pealed in the air, grating on Simon’s nerves, causing a streak of trepidation to run through his system and putting him on alert.

“Oh
, Simon. I’m so glad you stopped by. I really needed such a handsome man to brighten my day. Diversions like this are so rare.”

“Glad to be of service,” he murmured, keeping his smile in place
. Simon sat back, eyeing her and wondering what the hell he was doing. Something about her repelled him, holding him back from accepting what she so readily offered. He took another sip, deciding to reserve judgment on whether or not he’d jump on her proposition to ride until later, not that he couldn’t handle her. After all she was just a woman—a beautiful one, at that.

Remembering his purpose, he cleared his throat, then steered their conversation to the business at hand
. “So, tell me about the death of your thoroughbred.
o
When did it happen?”

“You’re ruining my first impression of you,” Caroline said, sighing
. He remained silent, his focus on her. The seconds ticked by. Finally she snorted. “Oh, all right. If I must talk about that horrid experience, then I will. It happened about two months ago. One of my handlers found my best thoroughbred with a broken leg, out where he shouldn’t have been. I had no recourse but to end his suffering. I’m not sure how it happened, but it was no accident. Someone let him out of his stall. Of course, we have no idea who is responsible. Now that you’re here, maybe you can shed some light on the matter.”

“Is the man
who found the horse available? I’d like to question him.”

“Yes
, he should be around in the stables somewhere.”

“Good
. I’ll talk with him when we’re done. What about new workers? Have you hired any in the last six months?”

“No
. My husband was the breeder. I have no interest in it. As a matter of fact, I’ve scaled down the farm’s operation in order to sell. I’ve had to let a few good men go. I’m thankful for the other farms’ owners who have hired them because they’ve been faithful workers at Hillier Meadows for years.”

Simon’s eyebrows rose
. After witnessing Caroline’s callous treatment of the two servants earlier, he had trouble believing her claim. She didn’t seem the type to care what happened to loyal workers after their usefulness diminished. Looking at her now, she seemed so innocuous, a totally false notion, he reasoned. The woman definitely had two sides, reminding him of a spider trying to lure an unsuspecting bug into her web. He had no intention of being eaten alive by the woman, no matter how alluring she was, so he’d proceed cautiously.

“Did you notice any unusual activity on the day this happened?” he asked, getting back to the task at hand.

“Unusual in what way?”

Simon shrugged
. “Anything out of the ordinary. Were any workers acting strangely? Was anyone around you didn’t recognize?”

Caroline was quiet
before she cleared her throat. When she spoke, her voice was hesitant. “I’m not sure. I don’t know how to say this without making it seem like I’m oblivious to what’s going on around me, but I simply haven’t been concerned with anything other than how much money this place will bring in when I finally sell.” She fell silent again. Then, shaking her head, she smiled wryly. “I’m sorry I can’t be more help. My foreman might have more information. He’s away today. He should be back on Monday if you’d care to speak with him then.”

“Would there be anyone else I can talk with who was here at the time, besides the handler who found the horse?”

“I have two men left who were present, along with Jimmy, when the incident occurred. Would you like to speak to them?”

“Yes
. But before I do that can you give me some background information on the workers you let go?”

“I’m sorry, but again that would be Frank’s domain.”

“Frank?”

“Yes, Frank Miller, my foreman
. I can give you our records and you can at least get their names, length of service, and how much money they were paid. Frank is a stickler for details.”

He smiled
. “That would be helpful.”

They chatted until Simon decided he’d learn nothing more
.

After placing his cup with saucer on the table in front of him, he stood
. “If you’d be so kind to get your records for me while I talk with the three who were here on the day it happened, I’d be much obliged, ma’am.”

“Please
, Simon,” Caroline chided, offering a pouty smile. “You’ll make me feel old with this ma’am stuff. It’s Caroline. Remember?”

Simon chuckled. “I’d be much obliged, Caroline,” he corrected.

“Much better.” Standing, she laughed. “I’ll show you the way to the stables. While you’re meeting with my men, I’ll get those records.”

Simon met briefly with the three workers
. The hand who found the horse was fairly young, more boy than man. Obviously, according to the lad’s accounting, finding the horse had affected him.

The other hands weren’t much help, but they did provide Simon with
the name of the person who had been working in the stables on the day of the incident. They also provided him with his current place of employment—Thorpe’s Twin Oaks Farm.