Part 14 (1/2)
”Mom, who was close enough to Dad that might have given information to the FBI?”
”No one.”
Sarah ignored the stony coldness of the answer. ”Just give me a chance. I don't want to scare you, but people have been following me. There's been some trouble with some of my food. It isn't that I want to pry into the past, I have to do this. And I need your help.”
”Come home, Sarah.”
”I can't.” Sarah's smile was sad. ”It isn't in my blood to run. And I'm going to solve this thing. It would sure be a lot easier if you'd tell me a little about what happened.”
Mora's sigh spoke of her capitulation. ”No one was closer to your father than Graham Estis.”
”The deputy?”
”Cal's right-hand man. I haven't seen him in ten years, but he's living down in Ocean Springs. He's working as a deputy in the Jackson County sheriff's office.” There was a pause. ”Graham loved your father. He would never have done anything to hurt him.”
”Maybe not intentionally.”
”Well, if you're going to poke around in this, Graham is a good place to start. He can at least put you on the right track.”
”Thanks, Mom.” Sarah gripped the phone tighter. ”I love you, you know.”
”I love you, too, Sarah. You just be careful. And bring that man down here for me to inspect.
If you say he's helping you, I have to try and take it on faith. But I'd like a good look at him.”
”We'll be down, maybe before you know it.”
”'Bye, honey.”
Sarah replaced the receiver and wiped the tears from her cheeks. How had so much time and distance gotten between her and her mother? It had always been the past, there between them, pus.h.i.+ng them apart. And today, they'd taken a big step in moving a lot closer together.
”Sarah?” Daniel stood in the doorway. ”Sarah, I'm sorry about that scene with... Is something wrong?”
Her anger had been washed away by her tears. The scene at the boat house was forgotten as she looked at Daniel and remembered how supportive he'd been. How much he'd risked on her behalf. She gave him a tentative smile. ”I'll talk to Jean-Claude later. He's as much to blame as you. Maybe more.”
”He made it sound like you just-”
”I can defend my own honor, but thanks. It's odd to me that Jean-Claude would be so upset.” She motioned him to sit beside her. ”But I'll deal with him later. I spoke with Mom. She told me something that may help us.”
He smiled back, catching the hint of excitement from her. ”What?”
”Graham Estis, my father's deputy. He was always up at the sheriff's office and helping Dad with things. They were close, and if there was anything to tell, Dad might have told him.”
”Maybe we should take a little trip down South.” ”I checked the flights. We can book one out of Was.h.i.+ngton tonight.” ”Let's pack up and head that way.”
THANK GOODNESS we're getting out of here. There's something about this place that gives me a bad feeling. And a few questions that need solid answers. Like, who would break into a boat house, leave all kinds of expensive tools and equipment, and steal an old hat?
It looked like Jean-Claude out on the porch, but I couldn't be certain. Why would Jean-Claude come out here to sit on the porch and then attack Daniel? That's no way to win a lady's heart. This entire case doesn't add up.
I keep going back to Socks and his reasons for hiring me. He wanted to prove that Sarah was not involved in anything. Correct me if I'm wrong, but national security is the province of the Secret Service. So Socks calls me in, and the Secret Service calls in Daniel Dubonet.
I've never worked with the feds before, but I know how jealous they are of their turf. Why would the Secret Service call in an agent from the FBI to watch a chef?
I've begun to believe that maybe it's Daniel who's being set up, and that Sarah is a p.a.w.n in the game. To be completely honest, I'm stumped on this case. Maybe when we get back to D. C. I can sneak over to the White House and see what the First Cat has gleaned. I also need to make an appearance at home. Magdelene has probably called the kitty pound looking for me. She'll be frantic and completely unreasonable. Oh, well, it's a small price to pay to be so loved.
IT WAS ONLY two o'clock, but Sarah felt as if each minute that ticked by was an opportunity lost. They were almost home, with Daniel following right behind them in his car. Familiar sat beside her on the front seat, and even he was tense. Disdaining any attempts Sarah made to comfort him, Familiar sat with his paws on either the seatback or the window and perused the traffic. He acted as if he were looking for something, or someone.
”You're not making this any easier, cat,” she offered.
”Meow.” Familiar continued to stare out the winds.h.i.+eld, head moving slowly as he took in all oncoming traffic as they made the turn onto the street that led to Sarah's.
”Good grief.” Sarah slapped her forehead. ”I've got Lucinda's big party to cater. I can't go to Mississippi!”
Familiar turned his green gaze on her as if to say that he knew that already. His intense eyes watched her a moment before he returned to his vigil.
Pulling into the alley, Sarah silently cursed her forgetfulness and her stupidity. Daniel would be determined to go to Biloxi alone. And that was the worst thing he could do. Mora would be terrified of another agent-even a fired one-prying into the past. She had to convince him to stay in Was.h.i.+ngton. Until she was free to travel with him. She could cancel the party, but that would be a real slap in Uncle Vince's face. No, she had to cater the event, and she had to convince Daniel to wait for her.
Inside the shop she put on a pot of coffee and pulled out her cookbooks. She was about to broach the subject of Lucinda's party when the telephone rang. Picking it up on the second ring, she was surprised by the deep voice that asked for Daniel Dubonet. With eyebrows raised, she pa.s.sed the telephone to Daniel.
”What do you want?”
Sarah was surprised by the anger in Daniel's voice, and the way he half turned from her to hide his scowl.
”I'm not exactly feeling that I owe the Bureau anything,” Daniel said carefully, ”but I'll think about it. Maybe we could trade. The information you want for some facts about Cody's murder.” A tight smile touched his features. ”Think about it, Gottard. I'll be in touch.” He replaced the receiver and turned back to Sarah.
She saw the anger burning in his eyes, and she knew him well enough now to let him take his time. Opening one of the cookbooks, she blindly scanned the page.
”That was Paul Gottard, my superior in the Bureau. He wanted me to come in and talk with him.”
”About what?” Sarah knew, but she wanted to give Daniel a chance to talk about it.
”He wants to know about you. What I've discovered about you. Who your friends are. How you snagged such high-profile political contracts with your business. Those kinds of things.”
”Things he could easily obtain by asking me,” Sarah noted.
”Don't think I haven't thought of that.”
”What are you going to do?”
Daniel sat down at the table, his hand going automatically to his thick hair and tugging gently. ”This is something we should talk about.”
Sarah got two cups and poured the coffee before she took a seat beside him. She reached out and touched his arm, stroking the skin with a gentle pressure. ”The fact that you want to talk about it with me tells me a lot I needed to know.”
”You said it last night. We're in this together. Now everyone else is a suspect. We have only ourselves to rely on.” He looked around the room. ”And that blasted cat, wherever he got off to. At any rate, we have to decide what to do.”
”Talk to him. I have nothing to hide. Every job I've ever gotten has been one I've worked for. There's nothing in my past I'm ashamed of. So talk to him. See what he believes is the truth.”
Daniel lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the palm. ”You trust me enough to let me do that?”
”I do.” She curled her fingers inside the strength of his. ”And I have something I need to do.” She quickly explained about Lucinda's party.