And yet she held the flowers away from her as she opened her office door and, after putting them in a glass vase with water, she set them in the front window away from her desk, away from her sight, anxious to e-mail Ross a thank-you, anxious to find out for sure if hed left them for her. Or if it had been someone else. Her mystery date?
She checked her messages, not surprised to find one from the insurance company asking her to sign off on Bud Lawsons recent vandalism at his curio shop. Bud was anxious to have it settled so he could get reimbursed for repairs before the start of tourist seasonwhich was only days away.
Since shed started Ridgemont Detective Agency two years ago, insurance investigations and workmens comp made up the bulk of her work, with a few skip traces and domestic-problem cases thrown in. But she loved the work, the slow, methodical plodding that led to a logical conclusion.
She called Bud and set up an appointment for after lunch, then went through the rest of her messages. Her friend Elizabeth had called to remind Kat about her fitting this afternoon at Threads for her dress. She was to be Elizabeths maid of honor at her upcoming wedding.
Kat couldnt be more happy about Elizabeths wedding. Dr. Elizabeth Douglas, a criminology professor at the local college, was about to marry a man shed secretly had a crush on since high school: Cullen Ryan, a detective with the Moriahs Landing Police Department. Kat glanced toward the window, thinking about Elizabeth and the fun theyd had at college. The daisies caught her eye. She felt a flicker of memory and frowned. What was it? Something about daisies. Something unpleasant.
Shaking her head, she checked her e-mail again. Nothing from Ross yet. Her gaze went to the street, as it had so often done all morning. She watched the pedestrians wander by, mostly early tourists.
She realized she was looking again for only one face in the passersby, and after a few moments of not seeing that face, she opened the Lawson case file and reviewed the list of either stolen or vandalized items Bud had sent her. She thumbed through those, making notes, wondering if there wasnt a pattern to the recent rash of vandalisms and robberies in town.
Hi, a womans voice said, making Kat jump.
Kat hadnt even heard anyone come in. She looked up from her desk to find her friend Claire standing over her. Hi, sweetie. She got up to give Claire a hug. You look great. A lie. Claire looked pale and thin. All those years in the hospital. Just the sight of her made Kat hurt.
But her friend was smiling and she had put on a few much needed pounds.
I hope Im not bothering you, Claire said, appearing more anxious than usual and yet obviously trying to hide it. Claire, with her long straight blond hair and large blue eyes, had been so beautiful and carefree before their freshman
year at Heathrow College, before one tragic night changed her life forever.
While still beautiful, there was something about Claire now that seemed too brittle, too fragile, as if anything could make her break into a million pieces.
I thought maybe we could have an early lunch. Claire flashed her a smile, but it seemed a little too bright, as if her friend was trying too hard. There is something I needed to talk to you about.
Kat glanced at the clock, surprised it was almost eleven-thirty. Thats a great idea. She closed the Lawson file and picked up her purse, curious and yet concerned what that something Claire wanted to discuss might be. Im starved.
Do you mind going to the diner since its close? Claire asked.
Maybe Bries working and she can join us for a moment if its not too busy, Kat said.
Claire nodded, but didnt seem enthused about the idea of seeing their friend. Kat wondered what was up. Something.
Can you believe Elizabeth is getting married in less than two weeks? Kat said as they started across the street toward the diner. It still surprised her. Of Kats friends, Elizabeth had always been the serious one, the smart one, the one whod been more interested in her profession than men compared to the rest of them. She and Elizabeth had drifted apart after college. Only recently had they gotten close again. Kat hadnt realized how much shed missed her friend and envied Elizabeth finding a man like Cullen. Who would have thought Elizabeth would ever marry a cop though?
Kat stopped, realizing that Claire was no longer walking beside her. She turned to see that the woman at Madam Fleurys fortune-telling booth had motioned Claire over.
Kat had seen the dark-haired seer a few times around town and heard through the grapevine that her name was Cassandra Quintana, a fortune-teller hired for the season. While Yvette Castor owned the fortune-telling booth along Waterfront Avenue, it appeared Cassandra had been hired for the upcoming tourist season. No one seemed to know much about the womannot even Yvette. Protectively, Kat worked her way through the traffic and tourists, unable to imagine what the fortune-teller would want with Claireexcept to take advantage of her.