AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gary scowled. “Yes, dammit.”
Dan chuckled. “Mrs. Cain is something of a ninja, isn’t she? I didn’t even hear her come in.” He gazed at the room. “This place is amazing.”
Gary agreed. “There must be a pool somewhere on the grounds too.”
“I glimpsed that when we were in the summer dining room. The pool house too.”
The door opened and Senator Cain entered, carrying a tray. He set it down on the coffee table. “Help yourselves. I was trying to locate some of Mrs. Kent’s cookies, but I think my wife took them with her when we left here last month.” He sat in the winged armchair by the window.
“Thank you again for coming back to meet us,” Gary said as he poured tea into the cups.
“It was no bother, not if it helps you with your case.”
Dan couldn’t help thinking that was not Mrs. Cain’s view. He heard what sounded like a creaking floorboard. “Is this place haunted?”
Senator Cain laughed. “No, but it does have its share of noises, like any old house.”
“I can’t get over the size of this place,” Gary commented.
“And yet you haven’t seen all of it,” the senator remarked. “At the end of the driveway is the guest residence. I used to play there. For a child, it was a wonderful place, comprising quirky ceilings, curved windows, and so many nooks and crannies to hide in.” He chuckled. “I once offered it to Cheryl as a place to paint, but she took one look and told me it was too dark.”
Dan could understand that reaction. “We saw the studio in Jamaica Plain where she worked on the copies. So much light.”
“Then you found it.” Senator Cain’s face glowed. “I’m so glad. Did you learn anything useful?”
“We haven’t gone through all her stuff yet, but we did find information about the paintings.”
“Which is what led you back to me. I understand.” Senator Cain’s brow furrowed. “However… there is another lead you might want to investigate.” He waved his hand. “Except you’ve probably already gone down that route if you’ve studied the case notes.”
“And what route would that be?” Gary asked.
Dan leaned forward, intrigued.
“Before she transitioned, Cheryl was involved in a car accident. 1983, I think.”
Gary nodded. “We know about that. Connor Brightmore. And we also know about the death threats that stopped when she transitioned.”
Senator Cain relaxed into the chair. “Of course. You’ve seen her father. He would have told you.”
“We went to talk to Connor’s father,” Gary continued. “I don’t think he knew about Cheryl, but he did know Benjamin Raskin was dead. He said no one in his family had had anything to do with that, and that the death was the work of an ‘avenging angel.’”
The senator sipped his tea. “And in the course of this conversation, did he happen to mention the angel’s name?”
“No, he did not.” Dan blinked. “You know who it was?”
Senator Cain nodded. “I can think of one person who might want Cheryl dead—and who isnotone of the family.”
“Who?” Gary reached into his pocket for his notepad.
The senator set his cup down on the table. “Connor Brightmore may have been young—twenty, I believe, when he died—but he was in a relationship. It might be reasonable to assume the surviving partner would want revenge. If the family blamed Cheryl, then why not Connor’s partner too?”
Gary stared at him. “How do you know all this?”
Senator Cain shrugged. “I did some digging when Cheryl disappeared. I wasn’t going to leave any stone unturned.”
“Did you share your findings with Cheryl’s father?” Dan inquired.
“No. But I did inform Boston PD. Not that my theory was given a lot of credence by the detective I spoke with. He thought the length of time between Connor’s death and Cheryl’s disappearance was too long for the theory to be credible.”
