Shifting Sands

Chapter Fifteen

It was after seven before Lee stirred and sat up. He looked at his watch as usual and got up, careful not to disturb Kala. He went to the bathroom and then took a quick shower and got out and shaved. Kala came in and said, "Good morning."

"Good morning beautiful. I'm glad you were able to sleep."

"I feel better. Not great but better." Lee made no effort to cover himself and she made no effort not to look at his nakedness. "You're running late this morning, will Grace come looking for you?"

Lee laughed and said, "No, she may comment but that's all, and if I don't greet the guests just once the world won't fall apart." Kala slipped between Lee and the sink and put her arms around him. "I don't know what I would do without you."

He kissed her softly then and said, "I don't want you to do without me. I wish I could make you addicted to me in fact."

"I'm not far from it. Now are we going out and face Grace again?"

He looked down at his nakedness and said, "Maybe not just yet. Give me a second to dress."

When Grace saw the two of them with Kala still in her robe, she smiled and kept silent. Kala went over to her and said, "Grace, Gil was murdered last night."

Grace's face fell and she said, "No."

Kala had tears in her eyes as she nodded her head and said, "They found him early this morning."

"What the hell...heck is going on?"

"We don't know and the police will tell us almost nothing."

"I'm so sorry, Kala."

"Thank you."

"What happens now?"

"That's the big question, but maybe I'll have at least one or two answers later this morning." Kala enjoyed her coffee, but picked at her breakfast before excusing herself to go get dressed.

Once she was gone, Grace asked Lee, "What is going to happen, Lee?" Once again Grace was watching him start to lose control of his emotions.

"Her lawyer is going to tell her to pack up and come back to Chicago." Grace in a rare show of emotion herself bent over him and gave him a hug and said, "Lee, this might only be temporary. She has to go through a grieving no matter what has happened between her and Gil. Plus she needs time to figure out how she feels about you. I mean the relationship the two of you have built is wonderful, but Gil has always been a contributing factor good or bad."

"Maybe she is turning to me because she was so unhappy with him."

"I don't believe that for a minute, Lee, but she has to work through all of that."

"So she needs time away from me."

"That's only how I see it so take it for what it's worth."

"What if they don't solve Gil's murder and answer all of the other questions about affairs and so forth."

"I have to say, that might interfere with things a little. She needs to clear her mind of guilt and of uncertainty."

"I don't want to believe you, but I have to. You're making too much sense."

"Lee, do you suppose the police are looking into business associates and enemies?"

"I'm sure they are and I have no doubt that Gil made a few enemies."

"Well, I better get on with my day. Grace, if you or Kala need me I'll have my cell phone with me."

"Okay." It wasn't long before Kala came back to the kitchen and Grace was in the dining room seeing to her duties. With coffee poured Kala sat down and before long Grace returned. As she loaded the dishwasher Kala said, "Woman to woman Grace, is it awful that I'm not grieving more over Gil?"

"That is something that has no rules. You feel what you feel. I had an uncle that almost hated his wife so when he died, she signed up for a cruise and did her mourning in the Caribbean."

"You're making that up."

"No, I'm not. I'm sure you don't feel much like a cruise or even dancing, but it just doesn't matter. It's you that you have to look at in the mirror every morning, so take it one day at a time."

"I worry about Lee so much."

"Leave your email with me and I'll keep you up to date from my point of view."

"Would you?"

"Of course. He cried this morning about you leaving."

"He did, really?"

"Yes he did, but I didn't tell you about it."

"I've put that guy through so much hell, I'm surprised he isn't looking forward to me being gone."

"I'm dreading having to deal with him when you're gone to tell the truth. I take it you are going home."

"I haven't heard from my lawyer but I'm pretty sure I am."

Kala talked to her lawyer about an hour later and was soon packed. She found Grace and said, "I'm going home. I should be in Chicago by about mid afternoon tomorrow."

"I'll call Lee." In minutes Lee was there and after Kala gave Grace a warm hug left with him. There was one couple in the solarium so Lee and Kala walked out to her car to say their goodbyes. For the next ten minutes they talked and held each other. Before she got into her car she started to cry and managed to say again, "I'll call you, Lee" and quickly got into her car. Lee wiped his eyes and waved at her as she pulled out and left.

For the next few days Lee was an emotional wreck, but Grace kept working on him and at least got him back to pretending to be happy for the guests. Then he got a call asking him to come down for a polygraph test. That didn't worry Lee, but it did make him mad. That meant that they were getting nowhere with the investigation as far as Lee was concerned. The only way he could even be considered the murderer was because he didn't have a rock solid alibi. The test didn't take all that long and of course one of the detectives tried to tell him that he was being deceptive. To that Lee just said, "Bullshit, I know I told the truth." Before he headed home he went to see Candy. When she saw him he said, "If you have time I'll buy you that lunch."

"Oh no, it was dinner remember? You're not getting off that cheap."

"Oh okay, then lunch is still on me."

"That's more like it. We both know that you're just here to pump me for information anyway."

"And to gaze into your sparkling eyes."

"You've been talking to Roy again."

"I haven't seen your husband in months."

They settled on O'Malley's a couple of miles from the station and Candy asked him, "What's new with the investigation?"

"Damn, that was going to be my question to you."

"Nothing I take it."

"Well they had me take a polygraph test today."

"You're kidding."

"Hell no, does that tell you how desperate they are for a suspect?"

"There has to be something going on behind the scenes."

"Then why waste my time?"

"I don't know, I'm trained to ask questions not give answers."

"Why doesn't that smart ass part of your personality show up on the television."

"Makeup, I use a lot of makeup. So what happened to Gilbert's, what's his names wife?"

"She went back to Chicago."

"That's got to be tough on her."

"I'd tell you about that, but you can't use it for anything."

"Is it juicy?"

"Not by your standards."

"Now what was that crack supposed to mean?"

"I mean you see and hear about so many juicy things that normal everyday juicy things would seem pretty bland in comparison."

"Okay you're forgiven for the remark. So what's the scoop."

"I don't know if it's safe to tell you."

"Lee, I promise to keep your secret."

"Both Kala and I are pretty sure that Gil was having an affair, if not more than one."

"Really?"

"When that woman was killed, Kala caught Gil in some lies that just grew when he tried to cover them up."

"Interesting what else?"

"I'm in love with, Kala."

"Oh, is that right. When did this happen?"

"It's been coming for a long time."

"How does she feel about that?"

"She doesn't know."

"Why not?"

"Not until things settle down for her."

"Does she love you?"

"I don't know but I hope so."

"Okay, so the cops think that you offed Gil so you could have his wife."

"I think that's it but they don't say, of course. She was going to divorce him anyway."

"Damn it Lee, and I can't use any of this?"

"Not a word. If she found out about this, Kala would never talk to me again."

"So back to the affairs, what do the cops say about the affairs."

"You know they won't tell me or Kala anything."

"How sure is she of them?"

"She seems pretty sure. She didn't share any real details, but Gil couldn't account for his actions almost from the time they arrived at The Sand Castle, explaining it away as work emergencies, even though he's on vacation and she caught him in more lies in that area."

"So if I could prove indiscretions on my own that would be okay."

"Hell yes."

"Well you don't give me much, but maybe I can come up with something."

"If you hear anything let me know okay?"

"I will but the same goes for you."

"About the only thing you'd hear from me is that I was arrested."

"If you are, call me and I'll hook you up with the best defense attorney in the area."

"Don't think I won't take you up on that either."

Chapter Sixteen

It was almost a month later and Lee and Kala had talked frequently, but with Gil's murder still unsolved and the details of Gil's secret life still a mystery, Kala was still struggling with things. Then Candy called Lee. "Okay lover boy, we have to negotiate. About how long you'll be my slave in return for this information."

"I make a lousy slave that's why I have a housekeeper. Now talk to me pretty please."

"I hate it when a man grovels. Okay. I know that you are so out of touch out there that I feel sorry for you so here goes." Candy was in a hurry so she talked fast and gave Lee the latest news.

"So has this been released to the public?"

"Not until later this afternoon so keep your mouth shut."

"Oh I will, but I'm catching a plane to Chicago this afternoon anyway."

"Go get her lover and good luck."

"Thanks to you, I might not need a lot of luck. Tell your husband that I'm in love with you."

"You have a girlfriend."

"I have a lot of love to give."

"I've heard that one before. Call me some time Lee and I want to meet this woman."

"You got it. I gotta run love and thank you."

Lee raced around until he found Grace and asked her, "Can you get your sister to come help you for a few days?"

"I can try, what's going on."

"I'm going to Chicago to tell Kala that I love her."

"Whoa, what are you talking about."

"I'm in a hurry."

"Oh no, you don't, not until you at least give me the quick version," Lee took a breath and related the facts to her and watched as her face changed expressions as the story unfolded.

"Oh, what a mess, so now you're going to Chicago?"

"Yes."

"Then get packing. If I can't get sis I'll find somebody. If I can't find somebody, I'll do it myself." Lee was packed in half an hour and with a kiss to Grace's cheek he made the long drive to the airport. All together it took Lee seven hours just to get to Chicago from the Sand Castle. Then it was a long taxi ride to Kala's house. Lee paid the driver, grabbed his bags and headed to her door. It was getting late, but the sky still held on to a shred of light as he rang her bell. It took a minute but the door burst open and she ran into his arms and they kissed. "Oh my God Lee, what are you doing here?"

"I have news that I wanted to give to you in person."

"News what kind of news?"

"Are you going to make me stay outside?"

"No, I'm sorry come in." Lee dropped his bags as they entered the living room and he looked around.

"Very nice."

"Thank you, now what news?"

"I like my view a lot better, but this is nice."

"Damn it Lee, the news?"

He smiled then and said, "Come sit next to me on the couch, honey." With her hip touching his and her hand holding his in a firm grip he kissed her and said,

"First things first, I have been dying to tell you that I love you. I love you more than life, Kala."

She almost cried and said, "I love you too, Lee. I've waited so long to hear those words."

He paused just a second and then using the same pattern that Candy had used he said, "They arrested the person that murdered Rae Ann."

"Oh finally, that's wonderful."

"But wait there's more. They also arrested the person responsible for Gil's death."

That one stopped her for a minute but then she asked, 'Who was it?"

"There's quite a story Kala and it doesn't make Gil look very good."

"I can probably guess what it is; he was having an affair with her."

"Rae Ann was nine weeks pregnant."

"Oh no."

"Kala, they're almost certain it was Gil's baby." Her eyes searched his in case she had heard it wrong but she knew she hadn't.

"Damn him."

"I thought about it all the way up here. Remember when he took that call in the solarium and he said something like, it can't be, and are you sure and so forth?"

"I remember."

"I think that was Rae Ann telling him she was pregnant."

"He said later it was a dissatisfied customer that might cause trouble."

"That fits, because I'll bet she could have caused trouble. Her being pregnant was about the last thing Gil would have wanted, and I'm betting he was going to try to get her to abort."

"That would fit too. So, who killed them?"

Rae Ann's father."

"Oh my God, that's sick."

"I guess he was something of a religious zealot or something. He tried to make it look like Gil had killed her, but when that didn't work he killed Gil himself."

"What a mess. Gil and Rae Ann were both so very wrong, but they didn't deserve to die."

"I know. There may be more details, but that's the most important part. Candy, from the news department called me earlier today to let me know."

"I'm so glad she did." She said that if you agree to marry me, and come back to the Sand Castle she'd like to meet you."

"Yes, of course...did you just say marry you?"

"I believe I did, yes."

"Lee, are you sure? I mean really sure?"

"Oh I'm sure. I don't ever want to be without you again."

"Then you better let Candy know I'm looking forward to meeting her too, and very soon."

The End.