Deadly Inheritance: A Romantic Suspense Read online

  She didn’t believe, did she?

  Chapter Six

  “I thought he was shot,” Gabe said, studying Candy. “In the library.”

  “W-while the d-doors were locked,” Mike stammered. “No one could have gotten in. Even the police can’t figure it out. They refuse to accept the obvious solution.”

  “Obvious?” Nora repeated in a confused voice.

  Mike nodded. “The p-paranormal. It’s the only reasonable explanation.”

  Gabe suppressed his impatience with the man seated at the head of the table. Mike clearly believed in the supernatural, unlike Candy, who just used the subject to probe for weak spots in the others and then deride them. Unfortunately, Gabe almost sympathized with Candy when Mike continued to argue in favor of the presence of ghosts.

  He could see now why Leonard wanted him to accompany Nora. The police didn’t have the manpower, or authority, to leave someone here to protect them. And “ghost busting” was as good an excuse as any to find out what was going on. He just hoped he could keep Nora out of trouble.

  Any more trouble. The thought was bitter with chagrin. He should have noticed the sabotage on the bridge, should have dragged her back and done something other than stand there drooling and watching her nearly drown.

  When their taste-free meal was over, the four cousins trailed out with Candy leading the way. Nora stood and watched them, before moving around the table to collect the last of the silverware.

  “Leave it,” Sarah said sharply as she came back into the dining room, after carrying away a load of dishes.

  Nora looked at her, a startled expression on her face. “I’m happy to help—”

  “I prefer to do it myself.” Sarah took the knives and forks out of Nora’s hand. “The others go to the den after lunch. Down the hall, on the left. They’ve got them computers and a television in there.”

  Nora glanced at Gabe. He shrugged. During lunch, he’d decided to take a trip to the hardware store and get some lumber to repair the bridge while it was still daylight. The ramp had been serviceable in an emergency, but he didn’t want to depend upon it. If they needed to leave, he was going to make sure they could.

  Maybe he should get a few metal plates and his welding gear and make the bridge a little more permanent, as well. A permanent bridge would be a lot less prone to sabotage.

  Either way, he needed to leave now in order to return before dark.

  He grabbed Nora’s arm when she headed for the door, a disgruntled look on her face. “I’ve got an errand to run. You want to come with me?”

  “How long will you be gone?” She studied the hallway in an abstracted way.

  “A few hours.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “The hardware store, and maybe to my place. To get a few things. I’m not sure I should leave you here alone.”

  “I’ll be fine. I want to talk to my cousins. It seems kind of weird that I never met any of them before, now that I think about it.” She looked at him with troubled eyes. Then she shrugged. “But neither of my parents were really into family, particularly my dad’s family. And I guess after my dad walked out, Mom didn’t want anything to do with his relatives.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go?”

  “Yes. Oh—I know!” She caught her breath and grabbed his forearm, her eyes shining. “As long as you’re going out, how about bringing back pizzas for dinner? I’ll let the others know. I’m pretty sure they’d be happy to have something different. Just get a variety, like one cheese, one pepperoni, and one with everything. Do you need any money?”

  A smile tugged at his mouth. So she’d been just as unimpressed with their last meal as he’d been. “No. I think I can handle that.”

  “And a cell phone. Mine drowned. Just one of those temporary phones would be fine.”

  “Anything else?”

  “No.” She grinned up at him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and stood on tiptoe to press a quick kiss on his cheek. “For luck.”

  She blushed furiously when he stared down at her. He felt…dumbfounded.

  He must have looked it, too, because her blush faded and she gave a low laugh as she shook her head. The knowing, mischievous twinkle in her brown eyes made him feel like he’d missed something important.

  Once again, the space between them crackled with life.

  He hated that feeling.

  “You’d better get going if you’re going to get back before dark,” she said before she winked. “Just in case Mike’s right. If some poor Southern lady is wandering around, I don’t want you to miss her.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” He examined the empty hallway. He shouldn’t leave her here. Not alone. Once more, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. They were being watched. “Maybe—”

  “What’s the worst that could happen?” Her mouth twisted. “Don’t answer that. Just get back as soon as you can.”

  Nora helped him unfold the ramp and get it into position across the moat. When she stood up, she stared at her hands and then brushed them against her sweat pants. Then she studied her palms again and picked one long hair off her right hand. She held it up for a minute before letting it go to drift slowly down into the silent green water below them.

  "So, you know I kind of got the impression that you thought I was crazy to be so obsessed with starting a no-kill shelter. Kind of like I’m a ‘bunny hugger’ or something. Crazy,” she said out of nowhere. She paused and eyed him, giving him the opportunity to defend himself.

  Nothing leapt to mind.

  “Isn’t that kind of rich coming from a man who carries around a dog ramp in the back of his truck?” She touched the ramp with the toe of her slipper.

  “It’s a ramp. Not necessarily a dog ramp.”

  “Right.” She nodded, hands on hips. “And that explains the dog hairs that were clinging to it and balled up in the corners of your truck.”

  His mouth tightened. Although he controlled his emotions well enough to avoid blushing, he could feel the tips of his ears burning. “That hair—”

  “Was definitely dog hair. I’m a vet. I know my dog hair. Just how many dogs do you have?”

  “Dogs? Plural?” How the heck could she possibly know?

  “Dogs. Plural. There was more than one kind of dog hair on both the ramp and in your vehicle.”

  “Three,” he admitted.

  “Strays, or what?”

  He cleared his throat and fought an internal battle with himself. She didn’t need to know, and just because he had dogs didn’t mean he was some kind of soft-headed, metrosexual pajama boy.

  “They just showed up, one at a time. Over the years.” What was he supposed to do? Kick them to the curb? “I really need to get going.”

  “A lab, a poodle, and some kind of white terrier.”

  “How did you—never mind. They aren’t pure breeds—they’re just dogs. Mutts.”

  “Of course they are. A man like you would never deliberately adopt a poodle, would he?”

  This time, he felt his face turn a hot crimson. “Poodles were bred to be hunting dogs. They’re smart. And tough.”

  “Of course they are.” She tilted her head to one side, studying him. “I didn’t hear or see your dogs when I went to your house. Where were they?”

  “My sister’s. I’d just gotten back from a job when you showed up. She keeps them when I’m away.” His embarrassment eased. He wasn’t the only one with pets. He grinned. “She’s got a couple of dogs of her own. And a cat.”

  “Just one big happy, hairy family. But you get my point, right? I’m no more sappy and sentimental than you are. I have a goal, and I’m going to achieve it, no matter what. So quit trying to talk me out of it.”

  “There is no doubt in my mind that you will succeed.” He set one foot on the dog ramp and felt it start to bow under his weight. A metal plate or wooden planks—definitely. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

  “Take your time. Visit your pets.
Just be back before dark.” Despite her bravura, a flicker of anxiety darkened her eyes.

  He crossed the ramp as quickly as possible, but even so, it almost gave out beneath him. When he got to his vehicle, he gave Nora a final wave. The tall double-doors dwarfed her. She looked so small and forlorn, like one of those little brown birds fluttering between the paws of a huge, gray cat.

  She was tougher than she looked, however, and he wouldn’t be long. His gaze lingered on her until she shut the door.

  “Hey, cool truck,” Don Bain strolled up, hands in his pockets. “If I could drive, I’d get a monster like that one. Say, you must be one of them cousins. I’m Don.” He jerked his right hand out and shook Gabe’s hand.

  “No,” Gabe said. “I’m not one of the family. Just a friend.”

  “I work the grounds.” He frowned at the house. “Ain’t you afraid of that place? Strikes me as kind of spooky. Never wanted to go inside, even if the old man let me.” He stared at Gabe, “Say, what’s it like inside, anyway?”

  Gabe shrugged. “It’s a house. You’ve never been in there?”

  “Naw. Rules, man. Not allowed.” Bain cocked his head to one side. “Say, I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything? About me? I just got this job a couple of months ago, and then the old man just up and killed himself. Couldn’t believe it. Just crazy. Now, I don’t know what’s gonna happen to me. Have they said anything?”

  “No one has said anything to me. You might try asking Frank Leonard. He’s the attorney handling the estate.”

  Bain chuckled and took a step back, raising his hands. “Lawyers cost money, man. Hell, they’ll charge you just for breathing. Are you sure you haven’t heard anything? About my job? I don’t know if I can find another one, not without a car.” He ran a hand through his lanky hair. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do if they fire me.”

  “Ask Leonard,” Gabe replied, annoyed for no good reason other than he didn’t particularly like the man.

  He seemed like the kind of lazy guy who wouldn’t do any real work unless someone was watching him. In fact, it looked like he hadn’t done any maintenance at all. The unkempt grounds made Autumn Hill look deserted. Where clumps of grass managed to survive, long seed-heads waved in the breeze, and brown drifts of leaves from scraggly maples fluttered and rattled across the patchy ground.

  Bain shrugged. “Going to town?”

  “Yes. Do you need anything?”

  “Naw.” He shoved his grimy hands back into his pockets. “Guess I ought to get the grass mowed. What grass there is. Wouldn’t think it’d need mowing this time of year, would you? But what with the rain and all, it’s still growing.”

  “Great.” Gabe turned away and climbed into his truck. He watched Bain wander away in the rearview mirror until he disappeared from view around the back of the house.

  Twenty miles to the hardware store, another ten to his house. Two to his sister’s house, if he wanted to check on his pets and see if Moira needed anything. So an hour each way for travel time, and it was already one-thirty. It was November so sunset was around five-fifteen. Four hours. Easy. He’d be back long before the light faded.

  The road from Autumn Hill wound through long stretches of salt marshes, small clusters of homes, empty fields, and raggedy woods, and without much traffic, he relaxed behind the wheel. It was a relief to be outside and free of the oppressive atmosphere of the house. But then a twinge of concern about Nora made his grip on the steering wheel tighten. He should have insisted she come with him.

  Even though it was daytime and she had her four cousins to keep her company, he couldn’t forget that sensation of being under observation and the possibility that one of them might be a killer. Why was she so stubborn and unwilling to listen to reason?

  He just hoped she’d stick with her cousins and stay out of trouble. While he didn’t trust any of them, Mike and Kirsty seemed harmless enough. Unfortunately, Drew and Candy were sharks, smiling as they swam around, sniffing for weakness and blood in the water.

  The more he thought about it, the more dangerous it seemed to leave Nora alone for any length of time.

  He accelerated. Forget about Moira and the dogs. Just get the phone for Nora, the supplies for the drawbridge, and get back to Autumn Hill.

  A long, curved bridge rose into view, spanning a narrow inlet and wide stretches of reedy saltwater marshes. He shifted down and tapped his brake. The pedal went all the way to the floor without any resistance. Cold washed over him. He gripped the wheel tighter and straightened as he pumped the brake. Nothing. His heavy vehicle swung around the bend, wheels squealing and picking up speed. He shifted down, the gears shrieking as he yanked at the emergency brake. No resistance—the lever jiggled in his hand as if completely disconnected.

  Sabotage. He wrenched the steering wheel to stay on the asphalt. The truck fish-tailed. The back wheels kicked up a spray of gravel from the verge, before rattling as he drove onto the bridge. He scanned the road, desperate for inspiration—something to slow him down.

  Nora was alone. He had to survive.

  The guardrails flashed by, ending abruptly at a straight stretch of road bounded on both sides by saltwater canals and marshes. Beyond that, the black asphalt curved to the left and vanished from view into a small patch of woods. The heavy vehicle picked up speed and swept through the straight stretch.

  The sharp curve was coming up. Danger, Speed Limit 30 MPH signs flashed by. Curve in road.

  He shut the engine off. The sound of his heart thudding within the cage of his chest deafened him.

  His speedometer showed 50MPH. The wheels shrieked from the momentum.

  His hands clenched the steering wheel, white-knuckled.

  Trees were coming up. Fast. Thick pines, oaks, and maples. The tires smoked and roared. Through the woods he caught a glimpse of gunmetal gray—another saltwater flat and beyond that, another bridge. The truck bucked and swerved, resisting his efforts to keep it on the road.

  No other cars appeared on the road—no one to see what was happening.

  Trees or water? Crushed or drowned?

  He had to stop the truck. The vehicle—his baby—would be destroyed. Nausea rose up his throat.

  As the bend in the road came into view, he made a decision. He wrestled the wheel to the left. The tires shrieked and spewed clouds of smoke. He tightened his grip. The rear end began to swing around as the tires lost traction. The vehicle tilted to the side, threatening to roll over, but the width and low center of gravity held it to the road. Pine trunks flashed by, the rough bark filling his windshield. The truck slewed to the right, screeching into a sliding circle.

  Glass and metal exploded. Airbags slammed into him and shoved him back in his seat. Lights sparkled and then dimmed into nothingness.

  Chapter Seven

  By five o’clock, Nora knew more than she wanted to know about her cousins and was surreptitiously watching the clock, wishing Gabe would return soon. Her cousins kept talking, sharing details about their families that no one but the narrator found interesting.

  Mike was married and had twin boys, Daniel and Donald, in middle school. His face glowing with pride, Mike couldn’t seem to stop grinning as he spoke about his boys. Danny wanted to go to medical school, which was why Mike was at Autumn Hill, despite its unsavory reputation. Donny hadn’t decided what he wanted to do, yet. Mike hoped he would consider engineering, but didn’t want to pressure him. Mike insisted on giving Nora a tour through his online photo album on the computer, and she only managed to escape by promising to look at all the photos after she caught up with her urgent email.

  When she got up from the computer to stretch, Kirsty was standing nearby with a glass of sweet tea and her life story. Her dark hair covered half her face as she spoke in a hurried voice, clearly afraid Nora would stop her if she halted more than a second to catch her breath. Kirsty was single, ran the business side of a tattoo shop, thought tats weren’t all that interesting, and had wanted to be a vet until organic chemi
stry killed her grade point average. She’d just moved out of her parent’s home into an apartment she shared with one other girl and a man who thought rent was only due when he happened to have a little extra money. Which was why she was here, hoping if she remained quiet and respectful, the evil spirits would overlook her.

  After maneuvering herself between Kirsty and Nora, Candy took center stage. She was married, owned a trendy dress shop, and promised with a condescending smile to give Nora a discount on a new wardrobe because she so obviously needed one. Not everyone had the money to dress well, she stated generously. Nora nodded, secretly pitying Candy’s husband, and managed not to say so without biting her tongue completely off.

  Finally, when Candy wound down, there was Drew. After two minutes, Nora found she preferred the more formal name, Andrew, because it gave her the illusion that she was keeping him at arm’s length. He was divorced, twice. Candy butted in briefly to elaborate on his life’s history in a richly sarcastic voice. According to her, by the time he’d parted with his rich wives, the prenuptial agreements were moot since he’d generously given up his own careers in each case to support his wife-of-the-moment. Both women were now working long hours in Candy’s dress shop in order to supply him with the pittance their lawyers called alimony.

  After Uncle Archie had died, the two ex-wives had invited Andrew to lunch, plied him with liquor, and convinced him to go to Autumn Hill. Perhaps with the desperate hope that he’d finally get enough money to break his tick-like hold on their bank accounts. Or that the ghosts would put him out of their misery.

  Nora was rooting for the ghosts and wishing fervently that she’d gone with Gabe.

  Where was he?

  Unable to stand it any longer, she escaped from the den and went to the front door. Outside, the surrounding trees rustled, already black with night. She frowned. He’d promised to return before nightfall. He didn’t have much time. A thin line of ruby-red sky hung just above the treetops, and a single star had already appeared.

  Had he forgotten her? Decided not to come back?