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“I’m sure a competent attorney will unravel the mystery,” Grace said.
Another pft. “Miles sucks. I wanted to hire someone with clout, a seasoned lawyer, experienced in criminal cases, but Fred won’t talk to me. I haven’t seen him since they took him in.” She sounded resigned, and a little defeated.
Grace couldn’t think of anything adequate to say except, “I’m sorry.”
“That’s all right. I can put up with that. All I want is for Fred to go free. And now for the first time in a little over a week there’s hope.” Her expression brightened. “Matt is on his way.”
“Matt?”
“Matt Baxter, Fred’s son. Lucy—that’s my stepdaughter—called him. Fred didn’t want to bother him. He kept saying that Josh would come to his senses soon enough. When it was obvious that he wouldn’t, Lucy called her brother. He should be arriving today.”
“Does he solve murders?”
“He’s an FBI agent,” she said as if that statement required no other explanation. “One of the best. He and Fred are a lot alike—tough, stubborn, short-tempered, but very smart. Good people.”
Grace smiled. “You sound as if you care for your husband very much.”
“I love my husband,” she said, meeting Grace’s eyes. “I know that sounds weird, considering what I did, but it’s the God’s truth.”
“May I ask a personal question?”
Denise shrugged. “You’ve earned it.”
“Knowing what you knew about Steven, and feeling as you do about your husband, why did you have an affair in the first place?”
“For the same reason every female in this town went a little dopey whenever Steven was around—his charm. He oozed it, as I’m sure you know. And he truly loved women. He loved being around them, complimenting them, remembering their birthdays, or some other special occasion. When he talked to a woman, he made her feel as if she was the only person in the room. And no matter how bad you looked, Steven Hatfield could make you feel like a beauty queen. I was no exception, even though I was happily married. But Fred was always busy, helping someone through a crisis. As a result, there wasn’t a lot of time for the two of us to do anything fun. When Steven started paying attention to me, it went to my head.”
“Even though you knew his reputation with the ladies?”
“I wasn’t thinking about that at the time.”
Once again, the comment seemed to make her uneasy, and this time, Grace chose not to push it. “How old is your stepdaughter?”
“Nineteen.”
“Her father’s arrest must have been hard on her.”
“Terrible, but she’s coping. Fortunately, she and I are very close. We comfort each other.”
Grace couldn’t hide her surprise. “She’s forgiven you?”
Denise gave a slow shake of her head. “No, and I’m not sure our relationship will ever be quite the same as it was, especially if her father is convicted, but right now, she realizes that we need each other.”
She waved her hand, causing the bangles around her wrist to jingle. “That’s enough of me. I want to hear all about you.”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to get back to work,” Grace said. “There’s an awful lot to do, much more than I expected. And I still have to go to the cottage to unpack.”
“Okay, I’ll get out of your hair, but how about lunch?”
“Actually, I was planning on skipping lunch.”
“You can’t work on an empty stomach. I’ll make us a couple of sandwiches and we can eat while I give you a tour of the town. Everyone is dying to meet you, or at least have a glimpse of you.”
“How do you know?”
“Lorraine told me. She owns the Everything Goes Café and is the only person in town, except for Father Donnelly, who still speaks to me.”
Oh, what the hell, Grace thought. She could work on Steven’s books after lunch. And Denise did look like she needed a friend, even if the friendship would only last a week.
Six
Matt always had mixed feelings when he came back to New Hope. Not that he didn’t like coming home. On the contrary, after several months’ absence, driving down Main Street and waving to his old neighbors never failed to lift his spirits.
The downside was Josh Nader. No matter how hard he tried not to run into him, Josh was always there, his sixth sense as sharp as a hound’s nose. They would talk for a while, pissing each other off, the way they used to when they were teenagers, then one of them would walk away, tired of the game.
It would be different this time. With Matt’s father in jail and Josh calling the shots, the police chief would take full advantage of the situation and enjoy every minute of it. He was probably sharpening his tongue right now, waiting for Matt to show up at the jail so he could bust his balls.
Matt reminded himself to play it cool. Losing his temper at the first taunt wouldn’t help the situation, or his father.
It hadn’t always been so tense between him and Josh. In fact, there was a time when they had been close friends. In the first grade, Matt, Josh and George Renchaw had formed a bond that had lasted for years. They had called their little trio the Three Musketeers, not a very original name, but they were little kids and they looked up to anyone with a sword and a plumed hat. Together they had done their share of pranks and mischief. George kept them straight. Studious and levelheaded, he was the one who made sure his two buddies never went too far.
Then in eighth grade, everything changed. A new girl moved next door to Josh’s house and all three boys fell head over heels in love with her. When Mary Ellen Sanders chose Matt, George gracefully accepted defeat, but Josh declared war on Matt.
Long after Mary Ellen had left their lives, Josh’s animosity toward Matt kept on growing. Matt and George graduated from college at the same time Josh got his army discharge. That summer, another incident had pulled Matt and Josh even further apart. Matt’s former girlfriend, nineteen-year-old Felicia Newman, disappeared. When foul play was suspected and several young men were interrogated, Josh was quick to point the finger at Matt, claiming he had heard the couple argue. Fred Baxter, the chief of police at the time, had no choice but to bring his son in for questioning. A few days later, Dusty Colburn, a mentally retarded man with a crush on Felicia, was arrested, and Matt was cleared.
The unfortunate incident had left the town bewildered and unsettled, with a handful of people not completely convinced that the right man had been arrested. And while no one believed that the chief’s son was the culprit, Josh’s unfounded accusations had taught Matt one important lesson: New Hope wasn’t big enough for the two of them. When Josh announced that he was planning to join the New Hope police force, Matt decided he should be the one to leave. Two months later, he was entering the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
After his graduation from the FBI Academy, the news that a hometown boy was now a federal agent kept the town abuzz for weeks. Jealous of the attention Matt was getting, Josh, by then a rookie with the New Hope PD, applied for a job with Interpol, the international police force that specialized in global crimes. But although Police Chief Baxter gave the young officer a good report, it wasn’t good enough to be accepted into that elite organization.
Angry and bitter, Josh had nonetheless put up a good front, but Matt knew that deep down, he blamed Fred for ruining this unique opportunity. His animosity may have tapered off when Fred recommended him for the position of chief a year ago, but with Josh, it was hard to say.
George Renchaw had done equally well. A corporate attorney with a large New York City firm for many years, he had left his job and returned to New Hope, where he still practiced law while serving a second term as mayor. There were rumors that he was being considered for a higher office, but nothing had been officially announced. As for Matt, after twenty-one years with the bureau, he was now a special agent based in Philadelphia, where he headed the antiterrorism task force.
Flashing lights in Matt’s rearview mirror ended his trip down memory lane. He pulled to the side, slowing just enough to let the police cruiser pass, but the car slid behind him, lights still flashing.
Matt brought his Jeep Durango to a stop and glanced in the rearview mirror. Josh, looking fit in his dark-blue pants and shirt, got out of the car and walked toward the Jeep, taking his time.
“Great,” Matt muttered under his breath. And immediately reminded himself to be civil.
“Hello, Matt. Welcome home.” Josh tilted his hat back and smiled, bracing his big hands on the window’s edge. He looked the same as he had a year ago, when he had attended Fred’s retirement party—tall, fit and in control.
“Is this a personal welcome, Chief?” Matt said casually. “Or was I going over the speed limit?” Surely that was civil enough.
“Actually I’m tempted to ticket you for going under the speed limit. What’s the matter? The signs aren’t written big enough for you?”
Matt kept his smile pasted on. “I was just taking in the scenery. A year is a long time to be away.”
“Well, like I said, you’re always welcome here.”
Matt refrained from telling him that welcome or not, he didn’t need his permission to visit. “I’d like to stay and chat,” he said instead. “But I’m anxious to see my father. So if you don’t mind—”
“What makes you think that I’m going to let you see him?”
Matt took a breath and counted to five. “It’s his right to have visitors. Or haven’t you read that part of the manual yet?” He probably shouldn’t have said that, but dammit, the bastard had it coming.
“He’s been charged with murder one,” Josh said. “Which significantly alters his rights, but since I’m a good guy, I’m going to let you come and go as you please. For old time’s sake. And while you’re visiting your dad, tell him to do himself a favor and take a guilty plea. It’ll save the taxpayers money and get him a lighter sentence.”
“You can’t ask an innocent man to plead guilty.”
“He did it, Matt. You’ve got to accept that.”
Matt’s fists tightened around the wheel. “Are we done here?”
Josh moved away from the SUV. “For now. Just don’t abuse my kindness.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Chief.”
Seven
Although Matt had prepared himself, seeing his father behind bars hit him harder than he had expected. The only comfort was Fred himself. At sixty-three, the police veteran had never looked better. He was leaner and more muscular, probably because now that he was retired, he had time to work out. And in spite of the confinement, he seemed totally relaxed as he sat on his bunk, his back against the dingy wall, one ankle propped on his knee and reading the Bucks County Courier Times.
“What’s the matter, Pop? You couldn’t stay away from your old stomping grounds, so you got yourself arrested?”
Fred looked up, his blue eyes lighting up instantly. He tossed the paper aside and stood up. “Hello, son.” He took in Matt’s tall, lean shape. “You’re looking good. And tanned. Been skiing?”
“You could say that.” Matt never discussed his assignments and his father knew better than to ask for more details.
The two men reached through the bars and clasped hands. “How come they haven’t transferred you to the county jail where you wouldn’t have to put up with Josh?” Matt asked.
“Haven’t you heard? Last month’s floods badly damaged the building. It looks like I’m going to be here for quite a while.”
“Not if I can help it, Pop.”
“Josh isn’t going to make it easy for you.”
“Josh is an ass. Why you recommended him for the job of chief, I’ll never know.”
“Nobody’s better qualified. He’s dedicated, fair—”
“You want to rethink the fair part, Pop?”
Fred shrugged. “He’s just doing his job, Matty. And he’s got to do it under extreme pressure—from the town, who wants me out of jail, and from the D.A. who wants to make sure I stay in.”
“Not if your new attorney has anything to say about it.”
“What new attorney?”
“Lucy wasn’t happy with Miles Stewart, so I contacted a friend of mine who used to be with the bureau and now practices in New York City. He’s one of the best criminal lawyers in the country. Unfortunately, he’s wrapping up a case and can’t be here until November twentieth.”
“I don’t need a fancy attorney, son.” He grinned. “I have a lot of faith in your abilities, even if I don’t approve of Lucy calling you.”
“I’m glad she did.”
As an afterthought, Fred asked, “You’re staying at the house, aren’t you?”
“Not this time, Pop. I checked into the Centre Bridge Inn.”
“Lucy will be disappointed.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Okay, but remember, my house is your house. Nothing will ever change that.”
“I appreciate that.” He leaned against the wall. “Now, how about you give me your version of what happened?”
Fred was silent for a long time. Matt folded his arms and just waited.
“You were right, you know,” Fred said at last.
“About what?”
“Denise. I shouldn’t have married her. She was too young, too energetic, too unpredictable.” He paused. “Neither one of us had any luck with the Newman sisters, did we? You were the smart one, though. You had enough sense to break up with Felicia before things got too far. I, on the other hand, allowed my infatuation with Denise to turn into something so powerful, I couldn’t have walked away if I had wanted to.”
“We don’t have to talk about that now.”
“Yes, we do. Your disapproval of Denise changed our relationship, and I hated that. The truth is, I was too blind to see her for what she was.”
“She made you happy.”
“That she did. Until I heard about her affair with Steven Hatfield. It’s true what they say, the husband is always the last to know.”
“Lucy said that you didn’t find out about Hatfield until last week. Is that right?”
Fred ran a hand through his gray hair. “Yeah. I had been visiting some friends in Doylestown, and on the way back I decided to stop at Pat’s for a beer. The Badger brothers were already there, drinking and telling dirty jokes. That’s when I heard Denise’s name being mentioned.”
“What did they say?”
“Something about knowing all along that she’d be a good lay, and maybe they’d have to ask Steven Hatfield just how good she was.”
“They happened to say that just as you walked in?”
“Yeah. I was too steamed at the time to think much about the timing. Later, I wondered the same thing.”
“What happened after you heard that remark?”
“I should have ignored them, but I didn’t. I was pissed off.”
“You picked a fight with them.” It wasn’t a question. Lucy had already told him about their sweet old dad trying to take on two men the size of Texas.
