“Come on,” she said. “We still need to get home and feed Snoop.”
They wove between pots of succulent desert plants placed every so often along the walk. Two larger pots with huge aloe veras stood on either side of the door. Brette answered on the first ring.
“Oh, great! You’re here. It’s beginning to get a little dark inside with all those clouds overhead. Is it me or are they looking like rain?”
“Probably.”
Brette’s long hair was pulled into a braid, and her capris were coated with dust. She slapped at the dust without result. “I’m still going through my mother’s things in the garage. It’s amazing what you collect in a lifetime.” She frowned. “Even though hers was far too short.”
“I’m sorry.”
Brette shrugged. “My mother was a beautiful person, and I loved her very much, but she was also sad much of the time. I think it had something to do with my father, but she would never talk about it. Maybe they’re together now. I like to think so.” She opened the door. “Sorry for keeping you out there while I blab. Come on in. I can’t wait to show you the guest room. Oh, and I wanted you to know that you were right. Those papers I showed you at Lily’s were bank statements from a foreign country. Portugal, to be exact. I’m having a guy look at them soon to translate.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
The house smelled faintly of flowers, though there were none in sight as Brette showed them the guest room that held a big bed and a dresser. “It’s a little small, but one of you can move into my room once I transfer over to my mother’s.”
“Are you kidding?” Makay laughed. “This is bigger than our room now. And Nate sleeps with me anyway. For now.”
Nate ran to the bed. “It’s a real bed. It’s not on the floor!”
Makay flushed and was relieved when Brette only said, “I know you probably have furniture, and there is room in the garage to store some things, but the house is all furnished. I hope that’s okay.”
“More than okay.”
“You’ll have your own bathroom,” Brette added. “I’ve already moved my stuff to the master bath.”
The house was simple, but to Makay it felt like a home. Despite what Brette had said about her mother, there had been love and happiness within these walls, she was sure of it. The best part for Makay was the bathtub, but the large pantry in the kitchen and the lack of knife marks on the countertop came in a close second and third. Nate raved about the yard where he and Snoop could play whenever they wanted.
“Do you think we could have a swing set?” he asked Brette.
Brette glanced at Makay and said, “If you guys want. I had one out there a long time ago, but it got too old and we had to tear it down.”
The partially covered porch Brette had referred to held the washer and dryer, and that half was enclosed on all sides but one. “We had a couch out here, and sometimes we’d sit and sip lemonade or something,” Brette recalled. “We used it as a sitting room at night, especially when it wasn’t too hot. But the couch got old and we threw it out, and now there’s just this rocker.”
Makay grinned. “I have a couch we could put here.”
After a little searching, Makay discovered the house breaker box in the guest room closet and located the tripped switch. “Sometimes they just trip,” she said, “but if it keeps happening, you’ll have to call someone in to figure out why.”
Brette shook her head. “All the years I lived here, and I never knew it was there.”
Makay wished she and Nate could move in right now and never look back at the old apartment, but she had to be cautious. She hadn’t even talked to him about changing schools. That would be hard for him, but with eight months to go in the school year, they’d have to switch him over. For now, until they were sure Brette’s place would work out, Makay would drive him to the same school.
There goes more gas.
She clamped down on the worry. Her job at least was in Phoenix and a bit closer. “Thanks,” she said to Brette, trying to remain impassive, which was difficult to do at the moment. All the emotion of the past few days had left her unbalanced. Hopeful one minute, scraping bottom the next.
“You’re welcome, but can I ask you if you really are as good at grocery shopping as Lily says? I love to cook, but I hate shopping. She says you know where all the deals are.”
Makay laughed. “I really do. Don’t worry. I’ll show you.” With all the time she’d spent with Harrison and worrying about Lenny, she’d have to start cracking down on herself and map out her buying strategy for next week. She couldn’t afford to begin paying for items she could easily get for free. Good thing her cupboards had an ample supply of the most necessary staples.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told Brette, palming the key Brette gave her. Outside, the clouds were darker now, definitely threatening rain, and she hurried Nate to the Sebring.
“What do you want for dinner?” she asked as they drove back to Mesa. “I need to stop at Walmart for a few things, but then we’ll go right home.”
“Chili?” he suggested. “We could invite Sally.” They both laughed.
Makay’s laughter died as she spied the photograph of Harrison and his mother on the dash and all her fears came rushing back. She’d make a copy for herself at Walmart before she turned it over to Harrison.
She had to begin making real progress on her case against Lenny, even if she had to tail him all over town after their meeting tonight.
And I have to tell Harrison,
she thought. Something inside her broke at the thought.
Chapter Fifteen
H
arrison knew he should call Makay first, but he didn’t want her to say no. After all, she’d gone to work and school and had to take care of Nate—plus she’d been sick. Besides, if she’d somehow found time to work in a little sleuthing, his showing up with dinner would only pay her back for her time. He told himself that he wouldn’t stay if she didn’t seem happy to see him.
He made only one detour on his way home, a drive by his apartment to see if another note had appeared on his mother’s Beetle. But there was nothing. Did that mean whoever it was had a day job? Or did they know he usually worked late and were unwilling to risk anyone else finding the note? He simply didn’t know. Maybe Makay had better luck with her research. He glanced at the time on his phone. He’d left work earlier than he’d intended, planning to make up the time tomorrow, but if he didn’t hurry, she might eat before he got there.
He chose Chinese food, and then, when he recalled one of his coworkers complaining about how her kids never wanted to eat anything she slaved over, he stopped and bought a hamburger just in case. While he waited for the burger, his phone rang.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi.” She paused and said a little breathlessly, “Any word?”
“Not yet. I’ll let you know.”
“I’ve got the money.” Her voice was so low he almost didn’t understand, but when he did, he felt angry all over again. “I’ll go to your work tomorrow to give it to you,” she added. “Would that be okay?”
“No, hang onto it for a bit.” What else could he say? He didn’t want to tell her he was trying to stall in an effort to find out more about who was behind the blackmail. Absolutely no way was he going to put fifty thousand dollars on a windshield. No, the blackmailers would have to come and get it from him personally. He’d insist on that at the very least. If they refused, he’d threaten to bring in the police. Hopefully, they wouldn’t call his bluff.
“Okay, let me know when. I have to go. Love you, son.” The line went dead.
Harrison drove to Makay’s, and his worry returned tenfold. Her car was in the parking lot, so that meant she was probably home. He ran up the stairs, his nose stinging at the fetid smell inside the stairwell.
How does she stand to live here?
Shame washed over him at the thought. He had no right to even think that way. She was doing well by Nate and that was the important thing.
He rang her bell, but there was no answer, and the only sound inside was Snoop growling and pawing at the door. Harrison was heading back to the stairs when Nate came running up them, stopping when he spied Harrison.
“Hey!” he said. “You’re here! I was hoping to see you. Makay said I’d probably be in bed if you came over. Janice is coming to tend me, but I’ll be asleep so I won’t know.”
“Where is your sister?”
He shrugged and waved a key toward the stairs. “Down there. I’m going to see Snoop. I have to tell him all about the backyard!” With that, he ran down the hallway toward the apartment.
Harrison grinned. Nothing like the one-sided world of a child. Descending the stairs, he saw Makay in the first floor hallway talking to an older, spot-faced lady with quarterback shoulders.
Janice,
he presumed. Makay held several bags of groceries and two backpacks, one with a white cartoon cat on it that was probably Nate’s, and a black one he’d seen her use before in lieu of a purse, the one with the furry, blue monster keychain attached. Janice also had a grocery bag in one hand while her free arm cuddled a ginger-colored cat.
“I’ll get you the rest later,” Makay was saying.
“Thanks, dear,” said the old woman. “And don’t worry about tonight. You just concentrate on learning that stuff. You don’t want to end up here forever like Ted and me.”
“It wouldn’t be so bad if everyone cleaned up after their animals.” Makay reached out to pet the cat. “Like we do.”
“Don’t I know it. But I have to confess, if it weren’t for all that carpet stuff you find on sale, my place wouldn’t smell nearly so nice.”
Makay looked over at that moment and saw Harrison. He hoped he wasn’t imagining the way her face brightened.
So beautiful,
he thought.
Almost at once, another emotion filled her face, but it was one he couldn’t decipher and that made him uneasy. Well, there was only one thing to do. He lifted the bags of takeout. “I brought dinner, if you haven’t eaten.”
To his surprise, she laughed. “We haven’t eaten, and if that’s Chinese food, you’re going to be Nate’s favorite person in the whole world. That is, unless you forgot the fortune cookies. He has every fortune he’s ever opened.”
There she was, his Makay, shining through whatever undecipherable emotion had filled her earlier. Harrison laughed. “Guess I’m really going to be the favorite because I got two for him. Or three if he takes mine.”
Makay said something to Janice and moved toward him. He watched her greedily, taking in every line of her body. Fire rushed through him. Had anyone in the world ever felt this way about a woman? Everything about her fascinated him. It made him want to write songs or poetry, and he had no talent in either.
As they climbed the stairs, Makay wrinkled her nose. “It really does smell here. Sorry about that.”
“Next time we can eat at my place.” He grimaced before the words were even out of his mouth. “Wait, that didn’t come out right. I’d like to have you over, though. I do owe you a dinner.”
“Isn’t this it?”
“Nope. It was a homemade dinner we were betting on. If I’d beaten you at pool yesterday, that’s what I would have expected.”
“Well, that would have been easy enough. You love ramen noodles.”
He grinned. “No way. Ramen noodles isn’t cooking. And I plan to practice my shooting so I’ll beat you the next time we play pool.” Privately, he admitted he could never be that good, not unless he practiced every day for the next year. But he had time to catch up to her level, right? “I do know how to cook, believe it or not. And there’s a swimming pool at the apartment building. Nate will like that.”
Makay nodded but didn’t speak. Again there was something odd in her expression. Was it because he’d mentioned “next time” or had it been the mention of a swimming pool? He wanted to dump all their bags, take her into his arms, and tell her how much he’d been thinking about her and how much he wanted to make her happy, but that seemed rather dramatic.
Later,
he told himself.
Once they were in the apartment, the dog went crazy, and Makay once more locked him on the balcony. “It’ll be great once he can go outside all the time,” Nate said, peering inside the takeout bags as he stood on tiptoe near the counter.
“Why don’t we eat in the living room?” Makay rubbed her left wrist as though it pained her. “Around the coffee table. There’s not much room at the counter unless someone sits by the stove.”
That’s right, they didn’t have a table or space for an extra body. “Good idea.” He picked up the bags and began moving in that direction. “But what’s this Nate said about Snoop going outside all the time?”
“At a friend’s house,” Makay said from the kitchen. “We’re thinking about moving. It would be a temporary place, though. Well, just as much as any apartment is.”
“Oh.” For some reason the statement made him uneasy, as though he was the last to be let in on an important secret. But it wasn’t as if she needed his permission to move, and he would definitely prefer to see her and Nate living in a better place.
Harrison set the food on the coffee table’s scratched surface. The manila folder was missing today, and he found himself wondering about it. He and Nate had accidentally knocked it off the coffee table on Saturday night, and one of the papers had slipped out—something about a hospital and a baby’s birth. He’d had to stifle his curiosity to pry. Fortunately, Nate had attracted his attention, and he’d forgotten about it until now.
Makay set down three plates and the silverware she’d brought from the kitchen. “Do you use chopsticks? Because I can’t.”
“Me either. Love the food; hate the chopsticks.” He opened the cartons. “Take whatever you want. I got a variety.”
“I want one with cashews!” Nate said. “Did you get fortune cookies?” His grin widened when Harrison put three in his hands.
They ate for a few minutes in silence. Harrison tried to catch Makay’s eyes, but she stared at her plate, looking as if she were a million miles away. Finally, she stood and crossed to the backpack she’d left on the counter and pulled out a notebook with a manila folder sticking out. She opened the notebook, took something from inside, and put the notebook back, taking the time to zip up the backpack. The blue monster keychain swung madly with the movement.