She winked. “I guess you’ll have to wait until tonight to find out.”
“I suspect that Gabe is the one for Gabby. I should have realized that those long stares when he comes in to get the newspapers were more than a simple appreciation for his rather fine butt.”
Nora chuckled. “The man does have some perfectly formed parts, that’s for certain. I was glad when you decided to have Gabby apply as research for your series. It gave me the chance to open that girl’s eyes and allow her to see what has actually been right in front of her all along.”
“Gabby doesn’t know about the bowling alley. She thinks Gabe is a slacker.”
“Exactly. She’s been attracted to him for months, but during all that time, she never took the chance to get to really know the guy.”
“Do you have reason to believe that Gabe is attracted to Gabby as well?” I asked.
“I do. I think the two will be very happy once Gabby puts her preconceptions aside.”
I lifted a corner of my mouth. “I think so as well. Cass and I are going bowling this evening so we can have a front-row seat for the date.”
“Now, there’s a pair that should be matched.”
I frowned. “Gabe and Gabby?”
“You and Cass. I know it, you know it, he knows it. Sometimes you have to set aside what you think you know and open your heart to what could be.”
Chapter 17
I had Nora’s words on my mind as I headed to Cass’s office with our lunch. Open your heart to what could be. Sounded nice, but a dead husband in the prime of his life, wasn’t a risk I was willing to take no matter how perfect Cass might be for me.
“I have ham and cheese sandwiches, coleslaw, and potato chips.” I held up a bag.
“Sounds good. I’m starving. Extra mayo?”
“Yes.”
“Hot mustard?”
“Yes.”
“One slice of Swiss and one slice of cheddar?”
“Yes. I’ve known you long enough to know how you take your sandwiches. I asked for pickles on the side and shredded lettuce.” I looked around the room. “The problem I see is that your desk is covered in paperwork, as is the table in the conference room. Where do we eat?”
“I’ll clear a section of the table in the conference room. Grab a couple of colas out of the machine while I clear a space to eat.”
Perhaps, I thought to myself as I headed toward the vending machine, we should have just eaten at the deli. It hadn’t been crowded when I’d stopped by to pick up the food, and the tables weren’t covered in paperwork.
By the time I returned with the drinks, Cass had cleared one end of the long table. I took everything out of the to-go bag and distributed it. “So, how is your day going so far?” I asked conversationally.
“It’s going fine. Even though I have a suspect in jail who has confessed to both murders, I’m still not buying it, so I’m unofficially continuing my investigation into the deaths of both men. The tech guys were finally able to get into Dale’s laptop, although at this point, I’m not sure that doing so is even necessary. I’ve spent much of the morning going over Mayor White’s calendar and phone records. It appears as if the man had been busy in the weeks and months preceding his death. Not only was he actively working with investors, developers, and large hotel and resort chains, but he’d conducted an internal audit of every town employee, subcontractor, and vendor. In my opinion, it looked as if he planned to clean house and bring his own people in.”
“It sounds like the guy angered a lot of people. If Lissa is innocent as you suspect, how are you going to narrow it down?”
Cass took a bite of his sandwich. “I’m not sure. At least not yet. We discussed the fact that Gavin Hildebrandt had reason to hate the guy after he destroyed the business that had been in Gavin’s family for generations. I spoke to Gavin, and while he is about as teed off as I have ever seen him, I didn’t get the sense that he shot the guy, and I see no reason for Lissa to protect him.”
“And Walter Bowman? It sounds like White messed up his deal to sell the pharmacy.”
“He’s angry,” Cass admitted. “And Lissa does know and like the man. Walter told me she sometimes comes in and chats with him, and he also told me he spoke to an attorney about a possible lawsuit. By the end of the conversation, I really felt that, while he wanted payback, he had a plan to get his due using the legal system. I really don’t think he’s our guy either. I also spoke to the man who holds the contract for the local garbage removal. Apparently, White was looking at ways to terminate his contract as well, but he has a long-term agreement that won’t be up for renewal for years.”
“Any other vendors or subcontractors affected by the guy’s housecleaning plan?” I asked. I could see how White must have upset the apple cart big time by looking to replace the men and women whose businesses had served the town for years.
“Several. My plan is to work through everyone and see if I can figure out who was affected by White’s policies and has the personality to actually shoot the guy. Of course, it’s possible that the person who shot Frank wasn’t a vendor or subcontractor. He made the town council member’s lives pretty miserable, and I hear the town’s staff was threatening to quit in mass if the guy wasn’t leashed.”
“How many people work directly for the town?” I asked.
“Actually, just a handful. Margo, as you know, is the town clerk and is on the town’s payroll. There are a few others, such as the public works director, but this is a small town, so the staff is minimal, and most positions are contracted.”
It really did seem as if Cass had a big job ahead of him. It was going to be hard to figure out who, in a town full of individuals who wanted the guy dead, actually killed him.
Once we’d finished eating, I headed toward the elementary school to pick up Paisley. I usually picked her up Mondays and Wednesdays since her friend, Anna, had after school activities on those days, and it wasn’t convenient for Anna’s mother to give her a ride.
“So, how was school?” I asked as soon as she climbed in the car.
“Fine.”
“Fine? Your tone says otherwise. Did you have trouble with your math test?”
She huffed out a breath. “No. The test was fine. I didn’t get my grade yet, but I think I got an A. I felt like I knew all the answers.”
I pulled out of the drive and onto the road. “Well, that’s good. I know how hard you studied. Is there something else giving you problems? You just don’t seem your usual cheery self.”
“It’s just that my friend, Giovanna Thorndike, is moving at the end of the week. Sometimes Anna helps Ms. Wendover in the classroom during lunch recess, and when she does, I hang out with Giovanna. If she moves, I’ll have to eat alone on the days Anna is busy.”
“Thorndike? Do you know if Giovanna’s mom works as a bookkeeper?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know she works in an office in her home, and I know she uses math to do her work because Giovanna is always telling me how her mother tells her how important math is and that we should pay close attention in class. Math is my worst subject, but I’m getting better with your help.”
“Do you know Giovanna’s mother’s name?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. I don’t think she ever said. Can we get some ice cream? I didn’t like the hot lunch again, so I’m kind of hungry.”
“If you didn’t eat lunch, then you don’t need ice cream. I’ll make you something to eat once we get to the house. Something nutritional.”
Once we arrived at the house, I put some of Gracie’s leftover chili in the microwave, and then I called Cass. I remembered that the name of the woman who did the books for the town was Polly Thorndike. I wondered if Polly was Giovanna’s mother, and if she was, I had to wonder if the timing of her move from the area was more than coincidental.