Chapter 28
In search of Francois,Walker encountered Sam emerging from the lodge looking pale and angry. His insides lurched dangerously in a way he should ignore but couldn’t. Since she wasn’t looking his way, he stepped in herpath.
Her fingers were clenched in balls, andshe stared at him blankly for half a second before visiblyrelaxing.
“Mariah is right. I should carry my staff everywhere.” She practically spat thewords.
“Want to talk about it or go find the stick and whop someone first?” he asked. Until she explained, he didn’t know whether he ought to be amused or angry. He knew better than to say she looked beautiful when she wasmad.
“Neither,” she decided. She shoved her recalcitrant hair back from her face and finally smiled up at him, nearly melting him on the spot. “I’ll carry the stick from now on. How’s your daygoing?”
“Valdis is looking good. Her Lucys practically threw me out of her room, but not without implicating Francois and maybe Carmel in any and all dastardly deeds. Since they’re Lucys, I take their warningswith blocks of salt. Xavier has been transferred to rehab, where he’s not currently accessible. And your day?” He leaned against her Subaru, crossed his arms, and waited. Communication was supposed to be a two-waystreet.
She didn’t answer immediately, as if deciding what to share. “I’ve been busy. You might want to talk to Lance, though. He claims Juan was in the habit of blackmailingpeople. So maybe Valdis was on to something when she channeled him—although again, she gave it a Lucy twist to implicate the Kennedys. I need to help Dinah with the lunch rush, but if you have time, stop by later, and I’ll try to catch you up.” She kissed his cheek and reached around him for her doorhandle.
The casual familiarity gave him a thrill, making him feel as if it might be possibleto more than exist someday. Walker caught Sam’s long hair, tilted her head back, and planted a more satisfactory kiss on her mouth. She responded with enough electricity to momentarily gratifyhim.
“See you after dinner, then. I can’t ignore Lucy warnings entirely, so I’m off to interrogate Francois. Wish meluck.”
“Carry a big stick,” she warned. “This place is infested withtermites.”
Wondering what that meant, Walker let her go. He wanted to believe that Sam was sane and could take care of herself, that he didn’t have to fight any battles for her or with her. He’d never realized how his love for mentally crippled Tess and his need to help her had been an anchor tying him down, despite doctors telling him there was nothing he coulddo.
Before he could figureout the rest of his life, he had to find out who had killed his father. He had the sneaking suspicion that Juan’s death was in some way related to the discovery of his father’s corpse, although that made sense more in his mind than onpaper.
Juan had been blackmailing people?Damn. That opened whole newavenues.
He’d already checked and knew the Kennedy Escalade was parked in thereserved spot. He’d never bothered to learn where Francois hung out when he wasn’t driving. Since the homicide team was here, he tracked them to a meetingroom.
“Have you interviewed the chauffeur yet today?” he asked after providing a report on what he’d learned from the Lucys about Francois being a snitch and possibly astoner.
“He’s on the list,” the detective in charge said.“But we have no motive. We were hoping something would turn up before we questionedhim.”
“Loyalty to an employer is weak. But if he likes easy money and drugs, there’s potential,” Walker said. “And if Juan was in the habit of blackmailing people, what are the chances he might have had something onFrancois?”
“Shooting someone in the back would be the MO of a slacker like Francois,”the detectiveadmitted.
But would Francois hit a man over the head with a shovel? Or could they have two murderers on the loose? Walker shifted his shoulders uneasily inside his shirt as hewaited.
Kurt returned with the officer sent to find Francois. He nodded at Walker but spoke to the detective in charge. “Francois had some kind of breakdown last night. We had him taken to thecity for evaluation. My secretary can give you the name and the number for the facility. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d need him for further questioning. He’s an old family retainer, and we treat him like one ofus.”
“What kind of breakdown?” the detective askedimpatiently.
Kurt looked uncomfortable. “The lodge has a reputation for being haunted. I’d rather you didn’t carry thisfurther than this room.” He waited expectantly. When no one responded, he continued, “Francois began screaming Juan’s ghost was haunting him. He grabbed the keys of the car, but I didn’t think he was in any condition to be driving. When I took the keys away, he had a... meltdown. He began babbling about ghosts and fires and then rambled about how he’d only wanted to help us. He wasn’tcoherent.”
“Does he do drugs?” the detective asked curtly, makingnotes.
Again, Kurt hesitated, before giving a brief nod. “I think so, although probably just pot and only when he isn’tdriving.”
Walker hid a grimace and accompanied Kurt out when he wasdone.
“That didn’t go well, did it?” Kurt muttered as he stalked back toward his office. “But that old man wouldn’t hurt asoul.”
“Even out of loyalty to your family?” Walkerasked.
“Shit.” Kurt halted and stared at one of the more modern artworks on the corridor wall. “But my mother isn’t here. He’s loyal to her, not any ofus.”
“But the lodge represents her. If he suspected someone was a danger to thelodge?”
