AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The sister squirmed in her seat. “He likes to play video games.”
“Who does he play with?”
“A lot of people, like, online.”
“Anyone local?”
“Yeah. He hangs out with Don Guesser. They rigged up some WiFi in an old garage, like near Guesser’s father’s auto-body shop.”
In the other room, Luna popped out a quiet, “Bingo.”
A few minutes later, the sister was spilling her guts to Hunt about her brother’s transgressions and possible whereabouts. The sister knew exactly where her brother was and why. He was hiding out in the garage everyone presumed abandoned. Only he and Guesser knew about the secret gaming shack, and Guesser hadn’t yet been officially questioned. He was conveniently out of town visiting relatives. Then thewhycame out in a flood. Her brother owed another kid money for drugs.
Gaines was standing behind where Luna was sitting. He put his hands on both her shoulders and gave them a gentle shake. “Bravo. Excellent work.”
Luna spun around in the chair. For a nanosecond it felt like they were going to kiss each other with delight. “Case closed!” But it was an awkward moment. And there were other people in the room. Gaines was relieved he wasn’t alone with her. It was obvious that both of them felt a little clumsy, but the electricity between them was undeniable. It was the jolt. He finally recognized the feeling.
Once the police retrieved the kid from the abandoned garage, they informed the parents that he was safe and they should pick him up at the police station. They were relieved he was OK but furious when they knew why he had disappeared. Gaines and Luna agreed that there would be fireworks at that house later that night, and not the enjoyable kind.
“How does a fifteen-year-old kid from a nice family get into debt with a local bully?” Luna asked.
“Haven’t you noticed? We are becoming a culture in which there are few if any consequences for our actions.”
“People forget about karma.” Luna sighed, then smiled.
Gaines had finally realized that he was quite taken with Luna, but he would never admit it. He knew it wasn’t good policy to fraternize with coworkers even though she was technically a subcontractor. A consultant. Still.
After the interview was over, Gaines invited Luna and two others from the office to grab a bite for dinner. Luna was happy to be spending more time with Gaines but disappointed she would have to share his company. But it was better than nothing.
Over the next two years, they shared a few meals when they were working on a case, but it never led to anything. Gaines usually invited others to join them. He felt safer that way. Not that he thought Luna would do something to make him uncomfortable, but he wanted to avoid those tricky moments of sexual tension he felt when they were alone together.
There was one night when he almost kissed her. Then he put on the brakes. They had a nice friendship and a good working relationship. He didn’t want to mess that up by coming on to her.Wouldn’t she have dropped a hint by now if she was interested?Then, much to his pleasant surprise, the mail arrived with a very artsy invitation to the grand opening of the Stillwell Art Center. He had heard about it from a number of sources, including Luna when he had seen her earlier in the year. It was an unexpected pleasure when he opened the invitation. He would definitely work it into his schedule. He was certain that he could figure out a number of excuses to bein the neighborhood.
Gaines wanted to bring something to wish her luck and remembered that she adored sunflowers. He drove to three different florists until he could find some. He knew that if he didn’t hustle, he might miss the opening entirely.
Chapter Seven
The Stillwell Art Center
Opening night gala
Ellie stepped into the large walk-in closet of her bedroom. She didn’t have the kind of wardrobe one would expect from a multimillionaire, but Ellie had never lived extravagantly. She was often seen wearing the same dress at more than one event. Not necessarily in the same year, but she couldn’t see the point in spending a lot of money on a dress if you were only going to wear it once. Ellie wasn’t cheap, but she was practical.So what if I look the same in different photos at different events?The only two things that would change would be her hairstyle and her jewelry. She was comfortable in her own skin and her own choice of clothes.
But tonight was special. In the theme of artistry, she had had a local seamstress make something for her. It was similar to the first little black dress designed by Coco Chanel in 1926. The length was midcalf, with long sleeves and a low-belted waist. The deep V-neck was trimmed in silver brocade instead of the original one in gold. She wore a pair of black kitten-heel pumps by Stuart Weitzman, and her bag was a vintage Chanel she had purchased from Forever Fashion, the vintage handbag vendor who was opening her shop at the art center. Her pure white hair was cut in a chin-length bob with bangs, and she had added a silver metallic streak about two inches wide on one side. The hairdresser matched it to the silver on her dress. Tonight, she pulled one side of her hair behind one ear, and the silver streak was on the other. Diamond studs and a diamond tennis bracelet completed her simple yet elegant outfit. She puckered her lips for a coat of gloss over the cherry-red lipstick.
Ellie stood in front of her mirror and sighed. How she wished Richard could be with her. He would be so proud of her. She could almost feel his presence, looking over her shoulder as the two would check themselves in the mirror before a night out. She stiffened for a moment. She could have sworn she smelled his cologne. Kiehl’s Musk. She had loved burying her nose in his neck. It was masculine without being overpowering. And she loved how it blended with his own natural scent. If there were such a thing. Ellie thought itwasa thing. After all, people had body odor, right? The trick was to catch it before it went afoul. She was confident cologne was invented for that very reason. Odoriferous camouflage. It was common knowledge that was why women had carried posies or nosegays since the fifteenth century. Personal hygiene was a luxury for most people. She chuckled to herself.Now there’s a spray for every part of the human body.
Ellie turned quickly as she thought she saw something move from the corner of her eye. “Take it easy,” she said aloud. She had to admit she was more than a bit nervous. The project had been an enormous undertaking. Aside from the actual construction, she had done almost all the heavy lifting herself. The planning, the meetings, the negotiations, the interviews. She also wanted it to stay under wraps. No one was to get a preview or sneak peek. That night would be the Great Reveal. It would only be fair, to the artists, the media, and the community. Everyone gets to see it for the first time at the same time.
The press had been hounding her for weeks. She was glad she had hired one of the local college students to help her with the arrangements for the event. Working on the project didn’t seem half as stressful as balancing caterers, getting tenants settled, fielding questions, and managing those much-sought-after invitations.
She indulged herself by renting a limo for the evening. Just a town car. Not a stretch. That would have been ostentatious. The groomer had dropped Ziggy and Marley off an hour before, both dogs wearing bow ties and berets. Ellie had the clever idea to cut holes in the berets to fit over their ears. Neither seemed to mind. Ellie wondered how long their getups would last.
As Ellie left the house, she was taken aback by the clear, late-summer sky. The stars shone brightly. The air was dry and crisp. Just enough to make it a perfect evening.
“Come on, guys.” The driver opened the rear passenger door, letting the dogs in, then went to the other side to open the door for Ellie.
The dogs were extremely well behaved but took up much of the rear. Ellie wiggled herself in next to Marley. Thank goodness it was only a few minutes away. During the day, she and the dogs walked to the center, but tonight was different. She was wearing her good shoes.
