Natalie circled the desk. Opened the top drawer, where the journals were stored. Ran her finger down the spines of the stack.
“They’re all here, exactly as I left them. I don’t know why Lydia would have an interest in these, anyway, since no one but me can read them.” She closed that drawer and leaned farther down to pull out the one below. “Hmm.”
“What’s wrong?” Cara edged closer and peeked into the drawer. It contained what appeared to be albums of some sort. Two of them.
“These have been disturbed.”
“What are they?”
“My father’s stamp collection. He was an avid philatelist. Made quite a study of the subject. Through the years he amassed an enviable collection. I never had much interest in the hobby, but since his stamps meant a great deal to him, I’ve left them in his desk all these years. On occasion, when I’m missing him, I take one out and page through it. I always feel as if he’s watching over my shoulder when I do that.” She stroked a gentle hand across the cover of the first one, where the name Robert Boyer was embossed in gold.
“How do you know they’ve been disturbed?”
“The stamp tongs and magnifying glass are out of position. They’ve fallen down beside the albums. I always leave them on top, as Papa did.” She removed the albums one by one and set them on the desk. “I’ll look through these. I’m not suspicious by nature, but I also don’t believe in turning a blind eye to behavior that raises red flags. Thank you for alerting me to this, Cara.”
“I hope it comes to nothing.”
“I do too. Lydia’s been a reliable housekeeper for several years.”
“What did you think about her brother, if I may ask?”
Natalie shrugged. “I wasn’t impressed. He may be a hard worker, but he didn’t strike me as a go-getter, or the sort of person I’d want to call a friend. An interim fix at best, I’d say.” She rested a hand on the albums. “I do hope I don’t find anything amiss inside.”
“Me too.” Cara lifted her tablet. “Now it’s back to work for me.”
“I’ll see you at dinner, my dear.” The woman settled behind the desk.
When Cara looked back from the doorway, Natalie’s head was bent over the first album.
She continued down the hall and out the door, locking it behind her.
It was Natalie’s decision, of course, but in her benefactor’s shoes she’d be nervous about keeping someone around who snooped into private areas.
And despite Lydia’s excuse, shehadbeen snooping. Cara knew that as surely as she knew the cold days of winter would soon follow this lingering interlude of fall warmth.
Strange how she’d initially been concerned about Micah, who’d turned out to be a gentle soul with a soft spot for animals, when someone who’d seemed far more innocuous might end up being much less trustworthy.
Or not.
Depending on what Natalie found—or didn’t find—in the albums.
“I THOUGHT IT WENT WELL.What do you think?”
As her brother maneuvered his truck down the long gravel drive from Natalie’s house back to the road, Lydia curled her fingers into a ball on her lap.
No, it had not gone well.
Just the opposite.
In fact, unless Lady Luck decided to smile on her, all of her plans may just have gone up in smoke.
Why, oh why, had the professor forgotten her tablet today of all days? And why had she come into the study at the exact wrong moment?
Lydia mashed her lips together.
Half a minute later, the drawer would have been shut and she’d have been sitting on the couch, the stamp tucked in her purse, no one the wiser.
Instead, Cara Tucker had shown up seconds after she’d stashed the prize and was putting the album back.
