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“Only if he really was an outsider. He and the police chief are first cousins, and he grew up with Nita.” His black eyes twinkled. “It seems the police chief is rather desperate to save Nita Whatley from the clutches of the gigolo.”
“I hope we can do that,” Cody said. “I’ve taken a liking to Mr. Whatley. I’d hate to see him killed.”
“So would I,” Lassiter replied. “I’m going to check with my dad and see if he’s had any luck running down that diary of Violet Henry’s.”
“That would be a nice little piece of evidence, if it has anything to say about Bobby Grant and his obsession with Miss Henry’s fortune.”
“Her sister was only trying to protect her,” Lassiter said. “What a hell of a thing to have happen. I’d love to see the man pay for it.”
“So would I,” Cody said. “It’s not really my case, I’m just investigating Mr. Whatley’s charges, but if the Denver authorities could find a way to send Mr. Grant up for life, I’d be happy to help put him there.”
“Join the club!”
ABBYWASN’TTOLDwhy Mr. Whatley was still in jail, but she was an intelligent woman and she had an idea about it that she wasn’t sharing in public.
She and Lucy went ice-skating in the local rink later in the week. There was a teacher workday on Friday, so Abby took a couple of hours off and went skating with her niece.
As luck would have it, Mrs. Micah Torrence was out on the ice doing lazy loops and spins and laybacks while her stepdaughter watched with rapt fascination.
“One day, I’m going to be as good as you are!” Janey Torrence told her and hugged her warmly.
Karina Torrence laughed. “Yes, you are, my darling,” she agreed. “As long as you keep practicing!”
“Oh, there’s Lucy!” Janey exclaimed. “She’s new at our school. She’s got a new puppy and kittens!”
They skated over to be introduced.
“We’ve certainly heard of you,” Abby chuckled. “Our very own Wyoming legend. You’re the only Olympic gold medalist I’ve ever met in my life! I’m stagestruck!”
Karina laughed. “I’m just an ordinary woman these days,” she protested. “Our son is two years old. Janey and I fight over who gets to feed him,” she teased, drawing her stepdaughter close.
“But mostly we share him,” Janey said, all smiles.
“How do you like life in Catelow?” Karina asked.
“After living in Denver? It’s just great!” Abby replied. “We had a miserable little apartment and no social life at all.” She shook her head. “The schools here are great. Lucy loves her teacher.”
“All the teachers are nice,” Janey said with a big smile.
“Yes, and we get to live on a ranch!” Lucy exclaimed. “I have a kitty and a puppy...and Aunt Abby is going to teach me how to ride a horse!”
They all smiled at the child’s enthusiasm.
“It really is like home,” Abby said, without going into any detail about her past and the fact that she’d been brought up in Catelow, under tragic circumstances. That was in the past.
“I love to watch you skate. Both of you,” Lucy told them. She shook her head. “I’d never have enough nerve to try and do jumps. I just like sliding along,” she added with twinkling eyes.
“Different strokes,” Abby teased, and hugged her.
“It was nice to meet you,” Lucy said, a little shyly.
“Very nice,” Abby seconded.
“Nice to meet you, too. Oops, looks like somebody wants us to come home now,” Karina teased, indicating a big, husky man in a shepherd’s coat, jeans and boots who was standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips looking toward them.
“He’s just lonely,” Karina said. “But we’d better go. If he’s here, Burt’s babysitting our son, and Burt will have him spoiled rotten before we can get halfway home!”
Burt, the housekeeper, was something of a local legend himself. Karina and Micah bragged on him constantly. Not only a good babysitter, they enthused, he was a terrific cook.
