“Maybe.”
“What, you don’t buy it?”
“Once Stewart Reese was dead, there was no way Vaughn could get the rest of the money.”
“Maybe he was making a point. You don’t pay me, you’re dead.”
“Maybe.”
Beau tipped his head back in frustration. “I still think he was involved.”
“If he was, we need to prove it.”
He sighed. “So I guess we keep digging.”
“We do, but not today. Now that my car is here, I need to go into my office. I want to change into something more casual, then I’ve got some business I need to take care of.”
“So do I. Linc has more than enough on his plate without trying to handle my job, too. Why don’t I pick you up later and take you out to supper? I know a place I think you’ll like.”
She tipped her head toward the front of the house. “What about your paparazzi?”
“I’ll take care of them.”
“All right, but I’d rather meet you there. That way I’ll have my car.”
Beau reluctantly agreed. He was getting used to having Cassidy around. He thought of her sweet curves and big green eyes and how much he enjoyed her company.
It bothered him to think that once this was over, they would go their separate ways. But he wasn’t good at long-term relationships. He’d been down that road and it was just too painful. Sooner or later, the inevitable was bound to happen. The thought depressed him.
He brightened a little, thinking about dinner and the place he intended to take her. And afterward he’d convince her to come home with him instead of going back to her apartment—after all, they still had a murder to solve.
He left the house first, driving the Ferrari, purposely drawing the media away so Cassidy could escape. He lost them a couple of miles down the road and continued on to the office.
It was late afternoon by the time he arrived at the Tex/Am building. He had plenty of catching up to do. He went over his schedule with Marty, agreed to a dinner with the CEO of the LEN Corp. and his wife. The sales team had pitched LEN’s manufacturing division on Tex/Am Transport’s taking over their freight contract. All Beau had to do was schmooze the big boss a little, give him a nudge in the right direction.
He’d need a date for the evening. With any luck he could convince Cassidy to go with him.
Two hours after he got to the office, a light knock sounded and Linc walked into the room. “Thought I’d drop by, see how you’re holding up.”
Sitting behind his black lacquer desk, Beau leaned back in his chair. “I’m hanging in, I guess you could say. You were right about Temple. He’s a good man. I just hope I won’t need him again.”
“Maybe the police will come up with something.”
“Yeah. Cassidy and I talked to Charlotte this morning.” He looked up at his friend, a man he would trust with his life. “You remember that big fire last fall in Pleasant Hill?”
“I remember. Apartment project Alamo was building.”
“That’s right, though I didn’t know about it at the time. Jess Milford was foreman. My dad let him go just a few days before the fire. We think the fire may be connected to the murders.”
“We?” Linc, who rarely missed a thing, picked up on the reference. “You and Cassidy?”
“That’s right. She’s a PI, remember? That’s why I hired her.”
“Beautiful girl. Apparently she’s smart, too. We both know she’s more than just your employee. I think you really like this girl.”
“Cassidy’s a lot of things and yeah, I like her. Won’t change the outcome.”
“Why not? Because you’re determined to grieve for the rest of your life?”
