An Embarrassment of Itches Read online

  I took a step back. “I’m not sure what those last wishes are,” I snapped. “And I certainly will not be pressured into making a decision at this very moment.”

  Wainwright wasn’t used to hearing the word no. Though ostensibly still smiling, his lips retracted to show teeth. When I refused to accept his card, he flipped it back into his wallet. “No one is asking you to decide right now. Merely to extend me the courtesy of a meeting. Riverside has a lot invested in this deal. I personally want very much to see it go through. I’m willing to offer whatever it takes to get you on board. The price I named before? Add another hundred thousand. Perhaps we could discuss it tomorrow?”

  The mayor flinched slightly and skewed her head around to look at Wainwright as though she couldn’t believe her ears.

  There was no easy way to put it. “I’m happy to speak with you, but I feel it would be premature. The will must be probated first before I can make any decisions regarding the property.”

  “Of course. We understand.” His shrug was very Gallic in nature. He lifted his shoulders with his arms open wide and his palms turned up. “When you’re in the construction business, you get used to experiencing delays. Waiting a few months for the right piece of property is no big deal. However, a verbal commitment to the sale when possible would go a long way toward—”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t want to give you a false impression here. I don’t know how long it will take to probate. You see, Amanda’s brother intends to contest the will, and I’m told what should be a straightforward process might take years as a result.”

  “What?” Mayor Austin didn’t quite screech.

  Wainwright’s expression turned thunderous. His nice-guy veneer cracked and revealed the ruthless man beneath. “I think you’ll find I’ve been more than generous with you. If this is some hillbilly move in order to hold out for a better offer—”

  Mayor Austin looked like an angler who thought his catch might break the line. “I’m sure this is just a temporary setback, Mr. Wainwright. Isn’t that so, Dr. Reese?”

  She pleaded at me with her penciled-in eyebrows, and I took pity on her. “The lawyer who wrote up the will assures me that Mr. Taylor doesn’t have a case.”

  “There, you see?” The mayor spoke in a painfully cheerful voice, but it seemed to have a placating effect on Wainwright, who smoothed his tie and nodded.

  “Judging from his reaction at the reading of the will, it might take Mr. Taylor some time to accept this fact.” Laney spoke with bland unconcern. I glanced at her suspiciously. Nothing but innocence was writ on her face.

  “Yes, well, we must be off. Nice meeting you, Mr. Wainwright. Laney, are you ready?”

  “Quite,” she said with a wicked smile.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Are you really going to sell Amanda’s place to that developer?”

  We’d just taken our seats in the bar, and Laney hit me with the hard question right off the bat. With a sigh, I put my phone on the table between us and pulled up the maps my mother had sent me.

  “See this?” I tapped on the image of Amanda’s property. “That’s a huge section of the proposed development. It’s the best piece of property in the lot. How can I not sell it? Everyone in town will hate me if I don’t.”

  The bar was crowded. It looked like most of the people at the meeting had decided to grab a drink before heading home. I spied the rest of the suits seated at a table near the window, and hoped Wainwright wasn’t planning to join them.

  “Who cares what everyone thinks?” Laney caught the attention of Ricky, the bartender, and he indicated someone would be over in a moment.

  “I care. I can’t run a business if everyone refuses to see me because I let the town drown in stagnation while I make out like a bandit with the inheritance.”

  “They’ll get over it.” Laney snagged a couple of pretzels out of the dish on the table and popped one in her mouth. “And if they don’t, honey, you’ve got the money to go somewhere else, start over. Do whatever you want. Unless there’s something keeping you here.”

  “My mom’s here. She’s getting on up there in age. Someone should keep an eye on her.”

  “Don’t you have family? Are you the only one who can help her out?” Laney’s arch look sliced through my objections.

  She was right. I’d put in my time taking care of my dad when he needed it. Hopefully, it would be years before my mom would need that same level of care. In the meantime, I could get on with my life. Travel. Have fun. Meet someone. My days didn’t have to be a constant battle to make ends meet, leaving me with no time or energy for anything else.

  An image of Remy’s forlorn face peering through the chain-link fence of a kennel sprang to mind. I couldn’t just slam him and Ming into a boarding facility and walk away. Not for more than a vacation.

  Not to mention Joe was back in town.

  I made a noise of frustration and rubbed my hands over my face. “This would be a lot easier if I were a selfish witch who didn’t give a rat’s ass about anything except what I wanted. Or if I knew what I wanted. I love Amanda’s place. It’s ten thousand times nicer than the dump I live in and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t envy her that lovely property. But It will always be Amanda’s place in my head, you know?”

  Laney twitched her lips to one side in sympathy. “Yeah, I hear you. But you could redecorate. Make it your own.”

  “It would be nice to have all my animals in one place for a change,” I agreed. “Horses, cats, dog all under one roof. No more running all over the county to take care of critters.”

  “The mayor’s wrong, you know. The development won’t save the town. It will kill it off. The town will become something else, but it won’t be Greenbrier. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.” Laney rested one elbow on the table, her fingers eloquent as they shrugged for her. “But most of the people here are looking at the short-term.”

  “What else can they do? Most of the townspeople are desperate.” I could sympathize. If it weren’t for Amanda’s wealth, I’d be in the same boat.

  “We’re talking about you, though. The thing about money is it gives you options. Maybe this little burg wouldn’t seem as much of a ball and chain now.” She tapped the table in front of me with one long, blue nail. “Your problem is you’re a caregiver. It’s hard-wired into you.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  “Being a caregiver is bad if you never take time for yourself to recharge or if you try to carry the entire world on your shoulders. When the plane is going down, you have to put the oxygen mask on your own face first before you can help the others around you.”

  “Huh.” I grabbed a couple of pretzels for myself. “How do you have me pegged so well, anyway?”

  “It’s no secret around here you came back here to nurse your dad through his last illness. Everyone knows you’re a soft touch for stray cats or a hard-luck story.” Laney ate another pretzel and lifted an eyebrow as if she dared me to argue.

  I picked up my phone and adjusted the image before holding it out to Laney. “See that? My property abuts up to the planned subdivision. They even approached me about letting run-off from the division go through my land. If they’d made me an offer, I’d have snapped it up in a heartbeat.” I explained the zoning issue that had made it impossible to open my planned practice there. “But once I realized I couldn’t run a business there, I couldn’t sell the place because after I bought my house, they changed the housing laws and my home doesn’t meet the new criteria. It just missed getting grandfathered in, and I can’t afford to upgrade it to pass. That would have been a moot point if the developers had offered to buy it. They would have bulldozed the house down, anyway.”

  “But the development didn’t want it?” Laney craned her neck to look at the satellite map. “From the looks of this, your property is much better suited to building. You don’t have the spectacular view, but you’ve got lots of flat land and most of it’s already been cleared. Why on ea
rth didn’t Riverside want it?”

  “Zoning.” I sighed. “It’s zoned agricultural. And believe me, I’ve tried jumping through the hoops in the county. The ordinances are a bear.”

  “Yeah, but you’d think with enough money...”

  She was right. Riverside’s deep pockets probably would allow them to get the zoning they desired. I shook my head. “I guess they really wanted land with a view.”

  Wainwright entered the bar. He paused at the entrance long enough to shoot a burning glare in my direction and then spotted his party. I hoped they’d stay put at their table.

  One of the wait staff came to take our orders.

  “I’ll have a Cosmo,” Laney said to the server. “What about you, Ginny?”

  Normally a red wine kind of gal, I decided the day called for something stronger. “Whiskey sour.”

  “Jack, Beam, or Crown?” The server asked.

  “Crown Royal, please.” I preferred the smoother taste. As the server turned to leave, I called out, “Know what? Make it a double.”

  “Rough day.” Laney’s smile was sympathetic.

  “You said it.”

  “Tell me about the threatening letter.”

  There wasn’t much to tell. I showed her the scan I’d made of the letter, and she commiserated with me over the fact that anyone with access to a printer could have produced it. “Anyone who wants to see this development go through could have sent it,” she pointed out. “Your inheritance was common knowledge at the diner this afternoon.”

  Our server returned with our drinks in record time.

  “Who do you think was behind the break-in?” Laney removed the lime wedge from the brim of her glass and took a sip of her pinkish drink. “Someone looking for drugs?”

  I knocked back a slug of my whiskey sour and appreciated the warmth it sent through me. Perhaps ordering a double had been a bad idea. It was stronger than I was used to. “I make it a point to keep as few controlled drugs in my inventory as possible and most people know that. As far as I can tell, none of my supplies were taken, just spoiled. The only thing I know is missing is some cash and the letter from Amanda.”

  “What letter?”

  “Oh, that’s right. Mr. Carter gave it to me after everyone else left. Amanda left me a letter explaining why she’d chosen me as her heir.”

  Laney looked expectant, so I gave her the highlights. Embarrassed when I finished, I took a big gulp of my drink and hurried on. “Anyway, no one but Mr. Carter knew about that letter, so it had to have been a theft of opportunity, but why take it? Who’d want it?”

  Laney nodded. “Exactly. It wouldn’t have meant anything to most people. There’s also the extent of the damage. That was more than a break-in. There’s a lot of hostility behind that kind of destruction.”

  “Which is why Brad or Derek get my vote for the perpetrators. What’s the situation at Mossy Creek, anyway? Do they lock the doors at a certain time?”

  Laney didn’t quite make the leap. Confusion furrowed her brow as she answered my question. “The back door has a keypad for anyone who needs to come in after they lock the doors for the night. They change the code after anyone checks out. But what does that have to do with your break-in?”

  “Nothing. I was thinking more along the lines of the night Amanda was murdered.”

  “Ah.” Comprehension dawned. “Well, like I said, I didn’t see Brad until the morning after I checked in. He could have been out or in his room, and I wouldn’t have known the difference. I was beat, and after a glass of wine I fell asleep over a book in bed.”

  My mother’s voice in my head added, “Or so she says...” but I ignored it. “What about sales of Amanda’s artwork? Did you find anything out of the ordinary going on there?”

  “It seems Brad attempted to sell one of Amanda’s early works a few weeks ago. Under her real name, so probably something she’d painted for the family and left behind. He couldn’t get nearly the amount of money he wanted without branding it as a ‘primitive Amanda Kelly’, and I know she would have blown a gasket over that.”

  “Hah. Maybe that’s why he came to town. Maybe she demanded to see him.” Another thought occurred to me. “Crap. If Brad forced the public connection, it’s possible Derek found out about it, and he did know where Amanda was.”

  “Speak of the devil.” Laney sipped her drink and nodded toward the door. “Look who just walked in.”

  Turning around to stare was probably stupid, but I did so anyway. Derek Ellis stood at the entrance to the bar, surveying the room like a lion on the veldt. We made eye contact, and his gaze bristled with hostility. I turned away to nurse my drink.

  “Look out. He’s coming over.”

  Laney’s warning sent my blood pressure up, but there was nothing I could do but see what would happen.

  “Well, well.” Derek came to a stop at our table. “Two ... ladies ... out for a drink together. Guess Brad was right about you two.”

  I looked at Laney. “Does anyone really say, ‘well, well’ anymore? Who writes his dialog?”

  Laney snorted into her drink.

  “Heard there was break-in at your place. Hope nothing was damaged.”

  The malignant glee in his voice was impossible to ignore. He did it, all right.

  I drained the rest of my glass in a long, single pull and leaned back in my chair. “Funny, that’s not public knowledge. Which begs the question, how do you know about it?”

  A lock of dark hair fell over his forehead. At any other time, with any other man, I’d have found it attractive. The only emotion I felt for Derek right now was a simmering anger combined with a need to get as far away from him as possible. Laney and I still had to get back to our cars, and this man posed an enormous threat to both of us.

  “Oh, there are plenty of ways I could have found out. Maybe I have a police scanner. Or maybe I’m banging the dispatcher at the sheriff’s office.”

  “Joan?” Incredulity cranked the pitch of my voice and I had to stifle a guffaw. “She’s happily married with three grandchildren.”

  Amusement was the wrong tack to take with Derek. He wanted me cowering in my chair, and I wasn’t sticking to the script. He placed one hand on the table and leaned in to growl at me.

  “Or maybe I know who did it. Did you ever think about that?”

  “Leave her alone.” Laney’s voice came out flat and angry, and when I flicked a glance at her, I saw she was videoing the interaction. To my dismay, she wasn’t the only one. Several people had their cell phones pointed in my direction.

  “Stay out of this if you know what’s good for you.” Derek didn’t even spare her a glance.

  “I have thought about it.” My voice cracked when I spoke. Darn it, the last thing I wanted was for him to know his intimidation tactics were working. I cleared my throat and added, “I’ve shared my opinion with the Sheriff.”

  “Sheriff Donegan won’t always be around to protect you.” He brushed the side of my face with his free hand, smiling at the way I flinched.

  “Hey!” Ricky called out from behind the counter. “You okay, Doc? Shall I throw the bum out?”

  The hand that had just brushed my face sported a set of fresh scratches across the back of it. I recognized the pattern: four angry parallel lines that typified your average cat attack. He’d been in my house. He’d been scratched by Ming.

  Before I could respond, Derek levied another bolt at me. “Unlike Brad, I’m not afraid of your dog, either.”

  What did he just say?

  I lifted my eyes to meet his gaze full on. My heart thundered in my chest. “Are you threatening my dog?”

  “Dog. Cat. Whatever.” His smile said it all. I could almost hear the snap of Ming’s jaw and realized the Siamese had a damn good reason for being standoffish and aggressive. “You’d better keep your mutt out of my way.”

  For a moment, I couldn’t quite understand what he’d said over the booming in my head. His words became clear. I realized I was hearing my he
artbeat.

  Boom. Boom. Boom.

  Derek sneered at me, his expression cocky and disdainful. He reveled in this moment, the one where I understood his intent and knew he’d found my weak spot and meant to exploit it.

  You wanted my attention? Well, now you have it.

  My hand shot out. My fingers connected with Derek’s crotch and closed through his jeans with a vise-like grip. I stood, lifting him by his privates at the same time he pinwheeled his arms for balance and let out an unmanly screech.

  “You’re threatening my dog? You’re threatening my dog?” The voice that came out of my mouth sounded more like Mark Ruffalo’s Incredible Hulk than my own.

  Derek fell backward on the nearest table as I continued to hoist him by his own petard, so to speak. Empty glasses careened to the floor in a shattering crash. He made a high-pitched keening cry as his arms flailed about.

  “Get this straight. Don’t you ever threaten me or my dog again, Derek Ellis,” I snarled. “I can castrate a bull calf in under nine seconds, and I don’t use anesthesia.”

  I might have imagined it, but I thought there was a collective wince and groan from the various onlookers, most of whom were now on their feet as well. At least one by-stander protectively dropped his hand to his groin. The three suits stood with their mouths open. I couldn’t help it. I stared at Wainwright and curled a lip with a little tilt of my head.

  I gave Derek a last squeeze for good measure, forcing another squeal from him before I let him go. My fingers were cramping anyway.

  Derek lay sprawled on the table, gasping for air. Ricky had come out from behind the bar and stood next to me.

  “What do I owe you?” I was proud of how calm I sounded.

  Ricky cast me a glance, equal parts wariness and respect. “It’s on the house.”

  “But—”

  Laney took me by the arm. “He said it’s on the house, Ginny. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  I made it halfway down the block before I had to bend over, hands on knees, and gulp several deep breaths of cool night air.