Dangerous Relations (13 page)

"Suziette loaned me money. I am expecting a windfall, as they say, so I can repay it to little
Leonie." Chocolate-brown eyes bore into hers. "Bill Presley tells me you look after her now, and you
are honest. I can see that you are."

Ardin folded the check and put it in her purse. "I'll open an account for Leonie."

"Good. Suziette would like that." He winked. "We both know she was not the most attentive
of mothers, but she did love her daughter."

A wise man, Ardin thought, despite his gigolo manner. "Tell me about Suziette," she said.
"The Suziette you knew."

There was sadness in his eyes when he spoke. "She was warm, impetuous, and
selfish--when she wasn't totally magnanimous. Also, she made the most of her opportunities." He chuckled,
amused. "Suziette was the woman version of Dimitri."

"Ah," Ardin said, understanding. "You were friends."

"Good friends after we stopped being lovers. I wept when I learned she was dead."

Ardin glanced around the park to make sure no one could overhear them. "Why did you
give the police a false alibi for Thursday night?"

He squeezed her shoulder, as if she'd just said something adorable. "Why do you think? To
protect the reputation of the woman I was with. I do adore married women. I find them
irresistible."

An appalling thought struck Ardin. She glared at him. "Don't tell me you were with
Vivie!"

Dimitri shook his head as he roared with laughter. "Not Vivie. Never, Vivie, I think. She is
true to her Bill."

Ardin edged away from him and sat up stiffly. "I should hope so."

"Suziette was not like Vivie. She flitted from man to man."

"Yes, I know," Ardin said, annoyed. "Like a butterfly."

Dimitri stared off into the trees, ignoring her fit of pique. "Because of her first true love. He
deceived her and she took revenge the only way she knew."

"She took lovers."

Dimitri opened his palms and shrugged as though asking what else could she have
done.

Ardin made no attempt to hide her growing excitement. "Who is this man, Dimitri? Maybe
he killed Suziette."

"She never said. Your cousin often shared the most intimate details of her life, yet she was
secretive about others."

Ardin felt a prickle in her bones. "Did she tell you who is Leonie's father?"

Dimitri gave her a dazzling smile. "That remained her secret."

He was lying.
She reached over and put her hand on his bulging bicep. "Please
tell me, Dimitri. He could have murdered her to keep his secret."

"Why now, after all this time? Leonie's almost four years old."

"I don't know. I don't know anything, really."

Dimitri stood. "If you permit me to say, I think you should keep it that way."

* * * *

Face it, you make a lousy detective,
Ardin told herself as she drove to the
hospital in her aunt's Cadillac.
The only information you get from Suziette's old lovers is
affidavits attesting to her feminine charms.

You're jealous,
an inner voice jeered.

No. Yes! I am jealous, damn it!

But Brett cares about you,
the voice persisted.

Ardin switched on a light rock station, and turned up the volume. Thinking about Brett
Waterstone was not on today's agenda.

In the parking area, she looked around for any car, SUV, or truck that looked familiar,
menacing, or stood out in any way. Yesterday's incident had left her suspicious and edgy. She
circled around until she found a spot near the hospital's entrance. It gave her goose bumps to think
the murderer might be trailing her. Maybe he'd seen her talking to Dimitri. Maybe he'd followed her
to the hospital again.

She stopped at the gift shop and bought a flowering plant. Aunt Julia might as well have
something pretty to look at. She'd be staying for at least another week.

Her aunt was sitting up in bed, sipping water through a straw.

"Ardin, how nice to see you!" Julia seemed stronger and in good spirits. When she noticed
the plant, she said, "Oh, dear, you shouldn't have bothered."

"Who else should I bother to get a plant for?" Ardin bent to kiss her cheek. "How did the
tests go this morning?"

"We won't know for days." Her glance went past Ardin to the doorway, and her cheeks
bloomed with color. "Oh, come in, come in," she invited, as if she were hosting a party. "Look who's
here, Ardin! Betty and Frank."

Ardin turned around to face her former in-laws. Inwardly she groaned. The MacAllisters
were among the last people she wanted to see.

Aside from the shabby way Betty had treated her while she and Corey were married,
Frank's wife was a boring, shallow snob. And Frank, when he wasn't making business deals, liked to
manage everyone's life. Right now he was handing a nurse the huge arrangement of flowers they'd
brought, telling her exactly the kind of vase that was needed.

"Yes, Mr. MacAllister."

The nurse all but curtsied, before dashing off.
And so she should,
Ardin told
herself cynically.
After all, Frank sits on the board of the hospital.

"Hello, Betty, Frank." She forced herself to peck each on the cheek. She suddenly
remembered her mother's insistence that she stop by to see her friend. "Why don't you visit with
Aunt Julia? I'll come back later."

"But where are you off to?" Aunt Julia said plaintively. "You just got here, Ardin."

"I know. I won't be long. I'm just going to say hello to someone."

"To whom?" Betty said.

Frank looked concerned. "Is there someone else we know who's been taken ill?"

He really has to know everything.
Ardin gave him a sly smile. "I imagine they'd
give you a list of everyone admitted to Halliday Hospital."

The color rose on Frank's face as he dropped into a chair in the corner.

"Oh, for pity's sake, whom are you going to visit, Ardin?" Julia said "You could tell us that
much at least."

Ardin already regretted having needled Frank, but she had no intention of apologizing, not
after all the aggravation he'd put her through. "It's Mother's friend, Renata Kellering. I promised I'd
stop by for a little chat."

"Goodness, is she still alive?" Betty said. "I used to see her at the county garden shows. First
prize mums five years in a row. But that was ages ago. I haven't seen her in years."

"An intelligent woman. I understand she'd not in the best of health," Frank said.

"She isn't." To make amends for her earlier comment, Ardin added, "I'll give her your
regards."

"No need to do that." When all three women stared at him, he cleared his throat. "I've only
met her in passing. I'm sure she won't remember me."

Julia chuckled. "Oh, Frankie. Tell me one person in Thornedale who wouldn't remember
you?"

Frankie?
"Well, see you later," Ardin said over her shoulder, and made a
beeline for the nurse's station.

Renata's room, she found out, was one floor below. Ardin took the stairs. The large corner
room was obviously reserved for VIPs. An enormous flower arrangement adorned a table midway
between two large windows. The TV was on, but the old woman, whose bed was tilted so she was
sitting upright, was staring at the wall.

Ardin knocked beside the open door.

"I'm fine. I don't need a thing." Renata's voice was clear, her tone commanding.

"I'm not a nurse. I'm Ardin Wesley, Vera's daughter."

Renata's smile showed both keen-eyed intelligence and a hint of the beautiful woman she'd
once been.

"Come in, my dear. I'm very pleased to see you. Please sit down."

Ardin chose the chair closest to the bed. "I'm here visiting my aunt, and Mom asked me to
look in on you. I hope you're feeling better."

Renata waved dismissively. "Much better. I had a bit of a spell, but it passed. Now the fools
insist on keeping me here for tests."

"My aunt is undergoing tests too."

"I suppose they have to make their money somehow." Her face lit up. "Your mother did say
you were a lawyer, didn't she?"

Reluctantly, Ardin nodded. Her intuition told her she didn't like where this was going. "I
work in Manhattan."

Renata beckoned to her. When Ardin stepped closer, a skinny hand darted from the covers
to grasp her wrist. The old woman's grip was surprisingly strong.

"Ardin, dear, I need a lawyer. Indeed, I have many lawyers, among them my
nephew, Marshall. But the scoundrel's taken advantage of my temporary condition and
convinced a judge to give him power of attorney, something I definitely do not want him to
have."

"I see." Ardin couldn't help but think how no good deed goes unpunished.

"What I would like you to do," Renata continued, "is to send my devious, underhanded
nephew a letter attesting to my sound mind, and insist that he relinquish this power of attorney
until I am indeed, a doddering old fool."

"Mrs. Kellering--"

"Renata."

"Renata, I'm not practicing law at this moment. I'm here in Thornedale looking after my
cousin's child because my Aunt Julia suffered a heart attack."

"Yes, and I'm sorry for your troubles, but, my dear, once a lawyer, always a lawyer. And I
believe Vera mentioned that you're licensed in New Jersey, yes?"

Reluctantly, Ardin nodded.

The blue eyes twinkled. "Well then, I'll pay handsomely. This simple letter will help me
enormously, and it will keep your mind off sadder topics--for a brief while, at least."

Ardin had to admire Renata's persuasive argument. She'd covered all bases and then
some.

"All right. I'll draw the letter up tonight so you can sign it before witnesses and have it
notarized tomorrow. I'll hand deliver it to your nephew, if you like."

Renata grinned. "I'd like that very much. And make two copies for me to sign. If Marshall
proves to be difficult, we'll send the second to the authorities."

"I see how you've made your millions."

Renata waved the compliment away. "You ain't seen nothing yet. Now sit down, my dear,
and tell me all about yourself."

A half hour later Ardin kissed Renata's cheek and promised to return the following
morning. When she arrived at her aunt's room, she was relieved to see that Betty and Frank had
gone.

"There you are, Ardin." Julia sounded tired. "I was beginning to wonder what had happened
to you."

"I'm sorry, Aunt Julia. Renata and I got to talking, and I forgot the time."

Julia yawned. "No matter. Thanks for coming and for the plant."

"Why don't I bring Leonie on Sunday? Saturday she's been invited to an overnight at the
Presleys."

"Give the little angel a kiss from her grannie, and tell her I'm thinking of her," Julia said. She
shut her eyes. A moment later a gentle snore escaped her lips.

* * * *

Vera was not at all pleased when Ardin told her she'd agreed to write a letter to Renata's
nephew. "He's as crooked as they come, and he's well-connected in this town."

"Don't worry, Mom," Ardin scoffed, "I write stronger letters than this all the time. It's part
of my job."

"In Manhattan, yes, where you're dealing with strangers. But this is Thornedale." Vera
clutched Ardin's hand. "Look what happened to Suziette."

Apprehension rippled down her spine. She considered the situation, and drew back her
shoulders. She refused to let fear govern her life. "Suziette must have provoked someone to kill
her."

"And that warning note, Ardin. Whom are you provoking?"

Ardin let out an exasperated sigh. "Maybe it's Corey, who simply wants me out of here. At
any rate, I didn't provoke Renata's nephew. I never even met the guy."

Clearly seeing she was getting nowhere, Vera changed the subject. "Don't forget everything
has to be cleared out of my apartment this weekend."

"I'm doing that on Saturday. Is there anything else you'd like me to bring here?"

"No."

Ardin glanced at her watch. "I'd better get going. I want to work on the letter to Marshall
and my own letter to the judge about adopting Leonie."

Vera accepted her kiss on the cheek. "You're still set on that, are you?"

"You bet. More than ever."

Ardin sat at her laptop, composing the letter to Marshall Crewe and sketching a rough
draft of her petition to the court until the school bus brought Leonie home. At the sound of the horn,
she rushed outside and greeted her with a hug.

"Have a good day, honey?" she said as they walked along the path to the front door. She felt
every bit the suburban mother, and found it exhilarating.

Leonie shrugged. "It was okay." She shrugged again. "Michelle sat next to Jennifer in music
instead of me."

"Oh," Ardin scoured her brain for the right thing to say. "I'm sure she'll sit next to you
tomorrow."

Leonie spun around on the top step and glared up at her. "How do you know?"

"Because she's your best friend."

To her relief, Leonie gave a wan smile. "I guess."

"Come into the kitchen for your snack." She told herself to stop at the bookstore and buy a
book or two on child psychology.

The late afternoon passed quickly. Leonie brought her paper and crayons, along with Mr.
Bonkers, to the kitchen table, where she drew and colored while Ardin prepared their dinner.

"What do you do when you're a lawyer in Manhattan?" Leonie said.

Ardin lowered the flame under the rice and smiled. "Let's see. I help people who have legal
problems. I go to court. I write briefs and letters. I talk on the phone."

"Do you make a lot of money?"

Ardin laughed. "I suppose. When I'm working."

"I'm going to be a lawyer, too, when I grow up."

Ardin hugged her.

"What's Manhattan like?" Leonie said.

Ardin sat down and pulled Leonie onto her lap. She rested her chin on the silky blonde hair.
"Manhattan's an island, which means it's surrounded by water. There are lots and lots of people and
cars and taxis. And really tall buildings called skyscrapers."