Honeymoon

Chapter 75

I LAY IN BED, staring up at the ceiling, holding the thought, as it were. This was probably a maid’s or nanny’s bedroom, and it was still a lot nicer than mine. I finally began plotting out the rest of the day, like where Nora and I might go. More important, how I’d navigate our budding relationship, or whatever was going on between us.

She certainly knew how to get what she wanted. The question remained: Was it me she wanted? And what did I want out of this? To prove Nora innocent?

I told myself to snap the hell out of it. The only question that really mattered was whether she had anything to do with the death of Connor Brown—and the disappearance of his money. That was my job, getting the answer.

I closed my eyes. Seconds later they popped open.

I jumped out of bed and ran to my suit hanging over a chair. I grabbed the ringing phone out of my pants pocket and checked the number to see what I already knew. It was Susan!

I couldn’t blow her off twice, could I? She knew that I always kept the phone with me and that I would never be out of range.

Be yourself, O’Hara.

“Hello?”

“Why are you whispering?” she asked.

“I’m at a golf tournament.”

“Ha-ha. Where are you really?”

“The Briarcliff Manor library.”

“I believe that even less.”

“Except it happens to be true,” I said. “I’m brushing up on my life insurance jargon.”

“Why?”

“Nora’s been asking a lot of questions. She’s very sharp. I don’t know if she’s testing me or just curious. Either way, I need to know what I’m talking about.”

“When’s the last time you had contact with her?”

Something told me “all night long” wasn’t the best answer to that question.

“Yesterday,” I said. “Craig Reynolds took her to lunch to apologize for all the hassles John O’Hara put her through.”

“Good move, slick. You obviously told her about the payout coming, right?”

“Yes, and she seemed relieved. That’s when she started to ask some of the questions, though.”

“You think she suspects you?”

“It’s hard to tell with her.”

“You’ve got to get her to open up to you.”

I swallowed hard on that one. “Here’s a thought: what if Craig Reynolds follows up on the lunch by asking her out to dinner?”

“You mean, like a date?”

“I wouldn’t pose it quite that way. Her fiancé just died. But, yes, like a date. You said you wanted her to open up more.”

“I don’t know,” said Susan.

“Right, neither do I. I’m running out of options, though, not to mention time.”

“What if she says no?”

I laughed. “You underestimate the O’Hara charm.”

“Hardly. It’s why you’re working this case, pal. But as you said yourself, Nora doesn’t seem like the type to fall for an insurance man.”

I bit my tongue. “Personally, I’d thought you’d be more concerned about Nora saying yes.”

“Trust me, I am,” she said. “But I think you have a point. It’s probably our best shot.”

I was about to agree when outside the bedroom I could hear voices. Nora and Harriet coming up the stairs, talking.

“Damn.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve got to hang up,” I said. “I’m getting the evil eye from a librarian.”

“All right, get going. But listen—be careful, O’Hara.”

“You’re right. This looks like a really bad-ass librarian.”

“Very funny.”

I hung up, got back into bed, and resumed staring at the ceiling. I hated having to lie to Susan, but I hardly had a choice. She wanted to know if I thought Nora suspected something. Now I was wondering the same thing about her. Could she tell I was lying?

Susan was one of the least gullible people I’d ever known. That’s why she was the boss.