Susan reached into an overhead cupboard and passed him a large crystal bowl. “No, but it’s hard to resist a bargain sometimes. Dump them in here. That way everyone can pick out their favorite color.” Brett did as she suggested while she ground coffee beans. When the water was dripping through the grounds, she joined him at the table. “Why are you all here?” she asked, selecting one bean of each color, and popping a green one in her mouth.
“Sorry, I should have explained right away. I was driving by your house. We’re patrolling this neighborhood more than usual since the first murder. Some of your neighbors are a little nervous. Anyway, I was driving by and Chrissy and Shannon were putting the babies in the back of the car. I stopped to say hello and see if I could help out in any way when a call came into the station that there had been another body found next door to you.”
“What?”
“Blaine Baines was found in her son’s house,” he explained, popping a handful of mixed jelly beans in his mouth.
“Where?”
“In the kitchen.”
“How was she killed?”
“She was stabbed.”
“Just like Nadine.”
Brett nodded.
“And Donald found her.”
“Yes. He obviously couldn’t stay in the house, and Chrissy said she was going out and offered your home as a… a refuge for him.”
Susan sat down at the table and grabbed a handful of candy. “I don’t know what to say. It seems, I don’t know, impossible.”
“That’s pretty much what Donald has been saying. It’s almost as though he’s in shock-or thinking hard about something else. That’s one of the reasons I suggested the coffee.”
“What’s the other reason?”
“I wanted to talk to you for a minute, to let you know what’s going on.”
Susan began collecting cups and saucers and placing them on a tray. “And?”
“To ask you if Donald could stay here while we’re working next door. We’ll get the job done as quickly as possible, but it will be at least an hour before we get his mother’s body out of there.”
Susan considered his request. She didn’t want Donald to run into Shannon again, but how could she turn Brett down? She was still trying to figure that one out when the other police officer entered the room.
“Mr. Baines wants to go to his mother’s office and tell her staff what has happened. I didn’t know what to say,” the young officer explained.
“We need to ask him some questions…” Brett began.
“I could drive him to his mother’s office,” Susan said, seeing a way out of her problem. “He probably shouldn’t be driving-or alone. And I could take him down to the police station when he’s done there.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Brett said slowly. “I can understand if you want your house free of this when Chrissy comes home with her babies,” he said to Susan. Then he turned to the officer. “Tell Mr. Baines that Mrs. Henshaw will drive him to the office and then to the police station. And that he is not to speak to anyone on his mother’s staff-or anyone else-alone. If he agrees with that, we’ll let him go.
“Keep an eye on him,” he continued to Susan when they were alone again. “I don’t want him running off and talking privately to God-knows-who unless I know about it.”
“I’ll try to keep track, but-”
“Just do the best you can. And keep in touch. Let me give you my cell phone number. If anything unusual happens, if you even feel uncomfortable about anything he does, call me immediately.”
“I will, but he might not even want to go with me…” she was starting to say when the officer returned.
“Mr. Baines says fine, but can you leave immediately.”
Susan looked at Brett. “Isn’t this urge to dash down to his mother’s office a little unusual?”
Brett frowned. “I can’t say I disagree. Susan, maybe you shouldn’t do this. One of my officers can take him down to the station and he can wait until we’re done.”
Susan saw a possible opportunity to learn something begin to slip through her fingers. “I really don’t mind doing this, Brett.”
He looked over at her and frowned. “Okay. But you and I had better spend a little time together soon. At this point, an exchange of information might be beneficial.”
“Great.” Susan got up. She didn’t want to tell Brett about Shannon or Perry Island, and she realized he was going to find out for himself if she didn’t get him out of here before Chrissy and the twins returned. As much as she admired Chrissy’s determination to start her children’s education early, she doubted if the babies would find art enthralling and suspected they could be home any time now. “I’ll just collect Donald and we’ll be on our way.”
“And you’ll call if-”
“I’ll call if anything at all happens, is unusual, or… or anything,” she promised him.
Donald’s entrance prevented more conversation on this particular subject. After assuring Brett that they would let him know when they arrived at the police station, Susan led her neighbor through the connecting door to the garage.
“I’m very sorry about all this,” she said, realizing the inadequacy of her words as soon as they were out of her mouth.
“I was very close to my mother. She brought me up alone, you know.”
They were settled in the car and Susan pressed the garage door opener and backed out. The scene had changed since she arrived less than half an hour before. Police cars lined the street, lights flashing. Vans from the local television station were in the process of setting up. Susan glanced over at Donald. He was scrunched down in his seat, collar up, staring straight ahead. She accelerated and they managed to make their escape without attracting undue attention.
Donald remained silent until Susan was turning into the parking lot behind his mother’s office. “You don’t have to go in with me, you know.”
No way, Susan thought. Not only had she promised Brett that she would keep an eye on him, but she had every intention of finding out exactly why he had insisted on coming here. “But I do,” she answered without thinking. “I… I have to use the bathroom.” She settled on a reason she knew he couldn’t refuse.
“Oh. Well, then I’ll show you where to go,” he offered rather ungraciously as he got out of the car and slammed the door behind him.
Susan reminded herself that this man had just lost his mother-surely a time when she shouldn’t be critical of his manners, or lack thereof. She hurried after him into the building.
Donald’s appearance in his mother’s office in the middle of the afternoon didn’t seem to be considered unusual. The well-groomed, well-dressed women sitting at their desks greeted him with smiling faces. Donald’s grim response caused a few raised eyebrows, but no comments. “The bathrooms are down that hallway,” he said to Susan, pointing, and continuing to the rear of the room without breaking his stride.
Susan had no choice but to start down the short corridor, but she had no intention of letting him out of her sight for long. She turned around almost immediately and, leaning against the wall, watched him walk to a desk at the back of the large room. He fiddled with some papers, moving a pile to the left and then to the right, straightened out a few silver-framed photos, then picked up a pen and gently tapped on the desktop. “I need everyone’s attention up here.”
He had had everyone’s attention since his arrival, but now the women looked up at him with bright attentive expressions on their faces. Donald glanced at the front door. “Is anyone due back here with clients in the next fifteen minutes or so?”
“Millie is out showing the Abbot property, but she won’t be back for at least an hour,” a perky blond replied.
Donald nodded. “Good. I have some tragic news. My mother is dead. She was killed. This afternoon.” He didn’t look at his audience, but fiddled with items on the desktop. “I don’t know much more. The police are, of course, involved and I think we can depend on them to figure out what is going on… and to find the killer. This does not concern Blaine Baines Executive Homes and Estates. We have an obligation to our clients to provide them with continuing service of the high standard everyone has come to expect from us. When the time and date of the funeral is known, I will disseminate the information via e-mail-of course you all have your BlackBerries with you at all times-and the offices will be closed during that time out of respect for Mother. Naturally, all staff members are welcome to attend.” Donald paused and looked up at his audience for the first time. Susan was surprised to see the hint of a smile on his face. “Mother was always proud of the business she created and I am determined to see that it continues… and even thrives. And I am depending on each and every one of you so see that this happens.”