AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not true, ma’am,” Goddard said. “There was a magazine article written about the coins. Mr. Dreyfus’s name is used, along with his father’s name.”
Sam stared at him. “Then anyone could have stolen them.”
Goddard shook his head. “No, not just anyone. The article says they’re kept in the vault at the family’s bank. The average person would never dream that the collection resided in a retirement home. All it would take would be one staff member to ask Mr. Dreyfus. And if he was having a bad day, was mentally weak and tired? He could have spilled it.”
“Then why are you asking me, young man?” Georgia snapped.
“He’s forty-one, Georgia, not a young man,” Sam snapped back, then bit his own tongue. The man looked ten years younger than Sam. When he’s five years older than me. Probably Kit’s type, too.
Stop it.
“Sam?” Georgia asked, staring at him. “Are you okay?”
“Sorry,” Sam said, shamefaced. “I was out of line.”
Goddard was grinning again. He leaned toward Georgia conspiratorially. “He’s still mad that I said that I’d be interested in asking Kit McKittrick to go out with me.” He shot Sam an amused look. “I said I’d keep my distance, Doc. I’m no liar or usurper.”
Georgia met Sam’s gaze. “She likes you, Sam.”
“Stop,” he said softly. Because it hurt to know it might never be true. “Please?”
“I’m sorry.” Her regret was genuine. She turned to Goddard. “So, Detective Babyface, where do we begin?” She straightened in the chair. “I’m game to investigate.”
Goddard’s cheeks dimpled, damn him. “You’re going to sit in your easy chair and let me do the investigating. If you hear anything, though, please pass it on. It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Miss Shearer. And someday, I’d love to hear about Leggett v. California.”
Georgia’s jaw dropped. “What? How did you—?”
“I do my homework, ma’am. Well, I’ve got a kick-ass clerk who does my homework. She’s working to get her PI’s license, so I throw her difficult searches every now and then.”
“What is Leggett v. California?” Sam asked, torn between curiosity and annoyance that Goddard knew something about Georgia that Sam didn’t.
Georgia blushed, and Sam stared because he’d never seen her blush before.
“A case I worked on years ago,” she said.
“Forty-five years ago, to be precise,” Goddard said. “She helped her boss at a very prestigious law firm get an innocent verdict for a very famous client who’d been accused of murder—John Leggett, who was an attorney himself. Georgia’s boss was urging Leggett to take a plea, but Georgia put all the puzzle pieces together, doing a little investigating of her own. Leggett hired her after he was acquitted. Which is, I suspect, how you were able to buy your house when the market was good?”
Georgia ducked her head, looking more girlish than Sam had ever seen her. “It was.”
“Aaaand,” Goddard went on teasingly, “my clerk read a rumor that you and Mr. Leggett were…” He wiggled his fingers and Georgia giggled.
The woman giggled.
Sam’s lips curved at the sound. He wanted to be jealous of Goddard for making Georgia so happy, but he was too grateful. “Georgia! You never told me.”
“Long time ago, Sam.”
“Well, we will talk about this. At length. Once I’m done helping Detective Babyface, I’m going home to pack a bag and get Siggy. Siggy and I are going to spend the night on your sofa.”
Georgia’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because I won’t let anyone hurt you. McKittrick will find out who killed Frankie and we can all sleep again.”
Georgia’s eyes filled. “Thank you, Sammy. You’re a good boy. Even though you’re no babyface.”
Goddard laughed out loud and Sam couldn’t blame him. Sam kissed Georgia’s cheek. “I’ll see you later. You take another nap, okay? Call if you need me.”
“I think I’m rested up.” She did look better, rejuvenated compared to how she’d looked when she’d opened her door. “I’m going to work on Frankie’s eulogy.”
