A Touch of Death Ch. 09

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After Ty warned me again not to leave the Lodge without him and left, I called the number Ginger had given me last night. I launched right into my spiel when she answered.

"Were you serious about wanting me to dig around the Inn?" I asked when she answered. "If you are, I'm inclined to go cause a scene and upset some people. If you aren't good with that, I'm still going but I'll keep your name out of it."

"I'm serious," she said in a grim voice. "I'm good with you asking all kinds of embarrassing questions and sticking your nose in all kinds of places in my name as long as it helps flush Steven's killer. What do you have in mind?"

"I heard some rumors that your brother was seeing a married woman. Dora Fletcher. I want to shake her and see if something falls out. Have you searched your brother's house yet?"

"I never heard of him fooling around with married women but at this point I'm not going to rule anything out. He could be very devious when it suited him. The idea of Steven sleeping with Dora gives me an upset stomach," she said, the distaste obvious in her voice. "To answer your question, I have and I did find some woman's stuff. None of it had any identifying information, though."

"This isn't the most likely scenario, but some things have happened since last night that make me want to stir up some mud. I think Jake Wallace shot at me last night. I want to get whoever it was thinking I'm off on a tangent while I keep digging."

"Someone shot at you?" she asked after a moment of shocked silence. "You're not hurt, are you? I don't want to see anyone else hurt."

"A friend was a little hurt," I admitted, "but I can't stop. I know just enough to have someone upset enough to kill me. There's no guarantee that they'll leave me alone if I just let things go. That, and it must mean I'm getting too close for comfort for the killer."

"Go to the police," she said firmly. "Tell them everything. Tell them about the gold. Tell them about the shooting. Let them either investigate or I'll sue the badges off them. Please don't take this kind of chances. I'd rather see my brother's murderer walk than see another innocent person hurt."

"Let me confront Dora," I pressed. "If I make a big enough scene, the killer will think I'm on the wrong track and will back off. I'll tell the police everything and they can pick up the ball. If they will."

"I'm not convinced this is the best plan," she said mulishly, "but I don't see that I have a lot of control at this point. I want to meet for lunch and hear everything in detail. There must be something I can do to take some of the heat."

"Call me when you're done with the Sheriff and we'll meet. I have to run. Be careful."

"I can't believe you're telling me to be careful! Don't get hurt. Promise me!"

"I promise. Gotta go. Bye."

I closed the cell phone and dropped it into my purse. Time to go spin up Dora. I really didn't care if she cheated with Steven Armstrong or not. While it would be poetic justice for Calvin to be cheated on by the woman that he cheated on me with, I didn't see either of them as the killer.

My intent to head straight for the Inn was dealt a blow when I got to the Lodge lobby. Standing at the desk talking with the day clerk was a frowning Senior Deputy Cooper. He spotted me before I could dodge out of sight and motioned for me to come over. Dammit.

"Miss Kane, you're a hard woman to catch," he said. "I'd like to talk with you privately."

I repressed a sigh. It was like being taken out to the woodshed for being bad. "Sure. I was just about to go to your office," I lied. "Let's go into my office."

He followed me into my office and closed the door behind him. I sat down on one of the chairs in front of my desk and gestured to the other. It was better to make this as informal as I could. He took in my office with an approving nod before he sat down.

"You keep a neat office. I like that. What I don't like is hearing someone took some shots at you last night. Especially after you've been poking your nose into a police investigation."

I raised my eyebrow. "Word on the street is that the police think Steven Armstrong had a tragic accident."

He flushed and scowled at me. "Let's not play that game. The investigation is still taking place and nothing has been ruled out. I'm only going to say this once but I want you to keep that perky little nose of yours out of this matter. We've already had complaints that I've been meaning to talk with you about."

"It seems to me," I said delicately, "that no matter what you're saying, you've already made up your mind. I think that last night should make you reconsider. If you investigated this matter like it deserved I wouldn't have to ask embarrassing questions and stick my pert little nose in places it doesn't belong."

Cooper leveled a finger at me. "This is an official warning. Keep that nose clean or I'll pick you up and show you the inside of a cell for interfering with an investigation. Don't think I won't."

I shrugged. "I hear you. Did you hear me?"

"There's no indication that whoever shot at you last night was connected with the death of Steven Armstrong."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, sure. Some whack job just unloaded on a random stranger on the beach. That happens all the time in the wild, wild west."

"Well, there's no concrete connection," he said defensively. "In any case, we're providing all possible assistance to the investigating officers. They tell me you think it might be Jake Wallace. I'd like to hear why you think that."

I don't care what everyone else said, I couldn't just tell him I'd boosted a gold nugget worth thousands of dollars. He'd lock me up in a heartbeat just to get me off the streets. I had to be careful because no matter what I said it was going to come out in the end and I needed to live in the same town as this man.

"I went to talk with him and he freaked out when I mentioned that you might be asking him some questions about the night Armstrong died," I said. "He took off like a wild man. He also was following me around just before I drove up north."

"Not that doing so proves squat," Cooper snorted, "but what the hell were you thinking going to see him anyway? Hello? Police investigation."

"I expected you'd have already spoken with someone that caused a scene like he did before I got there," I said blandly. "How was I to know you hadn't gotten around to interviewing him yet?"

"That doesn't answer my question, Miss Kane. If you thought Steven Armstrong was murdered, why are you harassing the two people most likely to have killed him? I know you're not stupid, so why?"

"I just wanted to hear what happened that night from his perspective. I didn't think-"

"You certainly didn't," he interrupted. "Never mind. I really don't need to know what the hell you were thinking. I never did catch up with him but I will. I have every officer on the lookout for him and the car you described to the officer you talked to last night. By the way, they recovered a slug from one of the beach chairs so they'll have a good chance to identify the gun, if we can find it."

He leaned forward. "Listen to me carefully. He's considered armed and dangerous. If I hear even one whisper that you're looking for him I'll lock you up in protective custody."

"You can't do that!"

He glared at me. "I can and I will. Push me and see if I don't. I'm going to look back over everything we've collected about Steven Armstrong's death again. I'm going to pick Wallace up and grill the hell out him. Then I'll turn him over to Crystal Bay and let them grill him. What you are going to do is mind your own business."

I ground my teeth in silent frustration. At least he was going to treat Armstrong's murder the way it needed to be treated. "Fine. As long as you're open minded I don't need to be nosy, do I?"

He stood up abruptly. "Whether I'm open minded or not, you are out of this affair. Remember that." Without waiting for my answer, he stomped out of my office.

I took a few minutes to get my breathing back under control and followed him out. All I needed to do at this point was have a big scene with Dora Fletcher and I could actually let him investigate in peace. I had no idea how I could turn him on to the gold but I'd come up with something. I climbed into my car and called Ty's cell. I realize that was bending the rules he'd laid down but too bad.

"Hey," he said. "Damien wants to have me make an exploratory dive on the Tahoe this afternoon. That gives me an opportunity to check it out for any extra ballast, if you know what I mean. It also lets me get you out of sight while the cops tear up the town looking for you-know-who. Can you be ready at the dock in twenty minutes?"

"That's a good idea. Deputy Cooper just ripped a strip off me and threatened to lock me up so a low profile might be a good thing." At least it would be after Dora and I had a nice public screaming match.

"That's the police for you," Ty commiserated. "A day late and a dollar short. Twenty minutes?"

"Give me thirty and pick me up at the dock by the Inn. I think a little public display with Dora will go a long way to cooling off whoever is shooting at me."

"How?" The frown in his voice made me smile. Men.

"Misdirection. Trust me. I'll be safe in public for half an hour."

"Unless Dora shoots you," he said resignedly. "Thirty minutes. If you're one second late I'll be coming in for you. Unless you want everyone to see me carry you off like a caveman you'll be prompt."

The thought of him carrying me anywhere made me lick my lips. "I'm not a kid to be dragged wherever you want," I said sternly. "You behave or there'll be no dessert for you."

"I'm not a kid, either. I'm the guy that wears leather and rides a Harley." His voice dropped into a lower register. "I'm the man your Mom warned you about. I'll misbehave and have dessert, Pudding."

I laughed. "I'll see you in thirty minutes at the dock by the Inn. If you're late I may have to spank you."

"Ditto," he said and hung up. I wasn't even into those kind of games but the thought excited me. I fanned my red face like an idiot. I had it bad.

I took a deep breath and started my car. There wasn't time for sexual fantasies. I had twenty-nine minutes to get Dora screaming and make it out to the dock or someone would get spanked. Maybe I could be just a few minutes late. No pain, no gain.