A Killer Christmas Wish Page 6

  “Not that I know, but I had only one conversation with him and I was a little distracted,” Cat admitted. When her uncle looked up from his writing, she felt her cheeks warm. “Okay, Seth and I had just argued about me meeting with Dante that morning. I wasn’t thinking about the retreat or the writers when I checked them into the house.”

  “At least someone is thinking over at your place.” He held his hand up, warding off her comment. “Never mind, sorry, that was a cheap shot. I’ll look into this threat to Dante. But seriously, if this person really knew anything about Covington’s special status as you called it, the last thing he would do is threaten the head of the syndicate.”

  “Maybe she didn’t know he was the head? Maybe she was just looking for a reaction.” She finished the last of the sucker by crunching down on the candy coating to get to the chocolate nugget inside. “One more coincidence. Julie Smith, one of my guests, is writing a book about Aspen Hills. Dante came over this morning and said Julie wasn’t the person he talked to.”

  “Dante was in your house this morning? After your fight with Seth?” Her uncle shook his head sadly. “I’m never having grand nieces and nephews, am I?”

  She stood, laughing. “I’ll admit, Seth’s not happy about him being there. But Seth knew that Dante was coming over so we’re good. Seth just didn’t want me to hide things from him.”

  “Which I totally agree with. Unless I tell you to keep something secret. That order, I expect you to follow.” Her uncle leaned back in his chair. “I really don’t see how this Smith woman’s book could have anything to do with the victim’s death.”

  “It’s just odd. That’s all I’m saying.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to get home. I told the group I’d be available for word sprints this afternoon at three. I hate to be late to the first session.” She stood and grabbed another sucker. “One for the road.”

  “Get out of here before I lock you up for swiping that. I’m not in a very good mood you know.” He waved her off and went back to reading something in the file.

  As she walked home, she thought about Dan’s death. So, it hadn’t been an accident or from natural causes. Someone had murdered him. And on the first day of the retreat. Cat wondered if the house was cursed or haunted or something. She put her worries aside and thought about her new writer group. Tomorrow, Professor Turner would come and talk about Hemingway and the treatment of his papers once Covington got control of them. Since the writers were focused on non-fiction, they might just have something in common with the Covington professor.

  Wednesday would be the ask the author session. Which she might not be as useful for these writers than a group of fiction writers. And they had the reception. She’d have to see what the consensus was on going. Thursday would be a free day. Friday they’d do the bookseller session where Tammy Jones from The Written Word would come and talk about how authors could work with their local bookstore. Saturday would be the final get together to go over goals and last-minute questions. Then dinner on Saturday night at the upscale Mexican restaurant out on the highway.

  Before she knew it, it would be Sunday and Seth would be taking them back to the airport. She wondered if Uncle Pete had notified Dan’s next of kin. Would they come here or just ship his remains back to his hometown? So many questions.

  She was almost home when Dante stepped out of a gate and into her path. “Oh, well, wow.” She tried to catch her breath.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you, Catherine. I just wanted to talk to you about the writer woman.” He reached for her arm, but she pulled away.

  “I’m fine. You could announce yourself so you don’t scare someone half to death.” She leaned forward and took a few deep breaths. When she was sure her heart rate had slowed, she looked at him.

  “I called out your name several times. You must have been deep in thought.” He tapped her nose. “Dreaming of your next wedding day? Will you wear white again?”

  “None of your business.” Cat’s cheeks burned. “Look, I’ve got to get back to the house. The writers will be there anytime.”

  He shook his head. “They’re all still at the library. I have one of my best men watching the group. Right now, most of them are on the third-floor reading room. I’ve never met so many people who truly enjoy old books as your writer friends.”

  “It’s kind of a requirement of the job.”

  He nodded. “I guess you’re right. I am trying to make small talk and failing miserably. I enjoy talking to you, Catherine. I have missed this.”

  “Dante, I’m sorry, but I really have to go. I have a lot of things to get ready for this week. Look, we can’t be friends.” There, she’d blurted it out. Maybe he’d take the hint.

  “I don’t understand. I’m assuming your upcoming marriage vows won’t stop you from talking to anyone of my gender, so I guess it’s me? What is it that you find so troubling?” He moved closer to her.

  Ignoring her racing heart, she took a breath. “You know why. One, your job is, well, dangerous. And two, you were friends with my ex-husband. The man I married instead of Seth.”

  He waved the reasons away. “I don’t think that’s the real reason, is it, Catherine? Tell me you have no feelings for me and I’ll leave you alone.”

  “I love Seth,” Cat responded.

  He studied her carefully. “That wasn’t exactly the question I asked you, but I know when I’m pushing. Just know, I am here if you need to talk.”

  “I won’t need to talk.” She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. “Dante, you’re a handsome and powerful man, but we weren’t meant to be. Not in this lifetime.”

  He smiled, but she could see his heart wasn’t in it. “Well, then I will just hope for reincarnation to be true and I will find you in the next life before Seth or Michael. I will see you around.”

  She watched him retreat to his house and for the first time, she realized that there were two men on the corners of the lot, watching them. The men turned as he passed and followed him to the house. Dante didn’t usually have his bodyguards so visible. Had this threat actually worried him?

  She hurried home, her feet feeling the chill even through her new boots. Winter was serious here in Colorado. She had an oversized ski parka as well as a crocheted hat she wore anytime she left the house. But she walked into town most days she went unless she was doing some major shopping. She liked the chill on her face and the crisp air. Today, after her talk with Dante, she just felt cold.

  When she reached the house and slipped into the warm and cozy kitchen, her mood brightened. Something with tomatoes and cheese was baking in the oven. She could smell the basil in the sauce. She took off her outerwear and put on her house slippers. “Am I too late for lunch?”

  “Of course not. Seth’s already eaten. Are you sure the two of you are fine? He seems to be avoiding you today.” Shauna opened the oven and took out an individual pot of baked pasta. She put it on a plate and made Cat a salad to go with it. “Blue cheese?”

  “Please. Are you going to eat with me? Or did you eat with Seth?” The look on Shauna’s face told the story. “Traitor.”

  “You said there wasn’t a problem and I was hungry.” She poured herself a cup of coffee. “Where have you been? You look frozen to death.”

  “I went to see Uncle Pete after Miss Applebome surprised me with an invitation to the library reception for Michael’s collection. The man isn’t even alive and he’s messing with my head.” Cat took a bite of the pasta and almost groaned. Carbs, just what she needed today. Well, carb with a healthy side.

  “It’s a big honor. I got my invite last week. I wondered what was taking her so long with yours.” Shauna sipped on her coffee. “Are you going?”

  “It depends on the writers. They were invited too. Although, if I don’t go, then I’ll look like the evil ex-wife.” She sighed. “I guess I’m going to keep up appearances. Besides, maybe someone will be there from the city council and I can talk to them about your bakery license.”

  “Food prep license. I’m not opening a bakery. Just an online cookie business,” Shauna corrected.

  “Where are cookies made?”

  “Okay, I see your point. And I can fight my own battles with city hall. They will give me what I need.” Shauna laughed as she pointed her finger at Cat. “You just need to be friendly and talk about the retreat a lot. Maybe we need to do a summer writing session for local kids. We could either do it every Tuesday for a couple of months or two weeks on every weekday. I bet the local teachers would love to promote it.”

  Cat focused on her pasta. Then she pointed her fork at her friend. “You are a marketing machine. I swear you should do that instead of the cookie thing. You’re really good at this.”

  “So you think it’s a good idea?” Shauna waited for an answer.

  Cat nodded. “It’s a great idea. Can you draw up a plan and set us up some time to chat about it? We need to work around the wedding in June. And include Seth in the planning meeting. Maybe we could do a hiking trip for the kids too and use up some of those field guides he made in the fall.”

  “We could charge a set fee but have scholarships for teachers to give to the kids who can’t afford it but need the stimulation.” Shauna giggled. “This is going to be fun.”

  “I love having something to look forward to.” Cat focused on finishing her lunch, but when Shauna didn’t say anything, she set down her fork. “Okay, tell me the bad news. I already know Dan was murdered.”

  Shauna squirmed in her chair. “It’s not really bad news, I don’t think. Not as bad as a murder. Anyway, I got a strange call. They said they were from the local paper and were doing a piece on the retreat. Then she started asking me questions about the house and you and Michael. I told her she’d need to talk to you an
d asked for a phone number.”

  “Let me guess, she said she’d call back.”

  “Exactly.” Cat worried her bottom lip. “Do you think it’s the same person who reached out to Dante?”

  “If not, it’s an odd coincidence.” Shauna slid a piece of paper over the table. “I wrote down her number. When I called back, someone picked up the call, then hung up on me. Three times.”

  “I need to give this to Uncle Pete.” Cat started to stand but Shauna waved her back down.

  “I already took care of it. He’s looking into the number.” Shauna stood and took her cup to the sink. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

  Cat nodded and then pushed her plate away. “Me too. I hope Uncle Pete finds out that she’s just a scattered reporter.”

  “One can only hope.” Shauna glanced out the window as she rinsed her cup. “Your writers are on their way back from the library.”

  7

  The writers had taken Cat up on a sprint writing session, but they’d asked for it to happen after dinner. Cat had the rest of the afternoon to herself. She wandered to her office and scanned through her emails. She was excited when she saw one from Edith, her agent.

  As she opened it, she at first wondered why Edith hadn’t just called, but then Cat assumed she probably knew it was a retreat week. Cat was wrong. A knock on the door pulled her out of reading the bad news.

  “Hey, I was just wondering if you wanted dinner. Seth called and said he’d be eating in town.” Shauna stood by the doorway. “I still think the two of you are fighting.”

  “If we are, I don’t know about it.” Cat sighed and pointed to the email that was still on her computer screen. “Bad news from my agent. My editor wants to move the deadline on this book up a full month. They want to have this one out before the next series starts.”

  “The book you haven’t finished?” Shauna sank into the couch.

  “Yep. Although I think it would be more accurate to say the book I have barely started. Good thing the writers want to do word sprints. I’m going to have to double my word count this week and next week to even think about meeting this deadline.” Cat stared at the calendar. “I just talked to Edith last week and she didn’t mention a change.”

  “She probably didn’t want to give you bad news. I feel like my editor won’t even answer a question if she thinks I’m not going to like the answer. They think authors are sensitive.” She pointed to the computer. “Can you even do it?”

  “I don’t know. I like having a certain period of time carved out to write a book. It lets my brain think about what I’ve written and make changes as I’m going. Writing that fast, I might miss something.” Cat rubbed her hands over her face and tried to focus on what . “Wait, why is Seth eating in town? He knows he needs to be close to the retreat just in case we need him.”

  “That’s a conversation the two of you need to have. Like I said, I thought you were fighting.” Shauna raised her hands and stood. “All I need to know is how hungry are you? I’m thinking about just putting a pot of soup on and warming up some of those potato rolls I froze last week. But if you want something different, I can cook.”

  “Soup sounds perfect. I still feel cold from my walk home.” And after my talk to Dante, she added silently. “When do you want to eat?”

  “Sorry, I’m going to take Snow over to the Murphys’s arena tonight. I won’t actually be here to eat dinner with you either.” Shauna dropped her gaze and focused on a non-spot on the carpet. “I’m sorry for the short notice and I know it’s retreat week, but I got lucky to get this slot. They were booked until the end of the month, so I have weird off hours for my sessions each week for a while. But I’m not going to complain. It seems like forever since I’ve been able to ride.”

  “Fine, I’ll eat alone. Again. You two are beginning to give me a hang up about no one wanting to be around me.” Cat turned back to the computer. “Seriously, I’m not upset. Go ride. I’ve decided that I’m going to wait to answer this email for a few days and see what my actual count turns into this week. I hate to promise something I can’t deliver.”

  “I could cancel my ride tonight.”

  Cat turned back and looked at her friend. “Why? So I won’t eat alone? Shauna, I’m a big girl. I can handle being alone for a few hours. Besides, I’m working with the group once they get back from dinner. I’ll be fine.”

  “Good, I was hoping you’d say that.” She stood, smiling. “But if you need me, you know where to find me.”

  “There is no way I’m going to interrupt your ride.” Cat waved her away. “Go get ready. I need to get some words in before my free time turns into a pumpkin.”

  “Is that even possible?”

  Cat spun back around and opened her Word document. “I liked the seasonal flair it gave the saying.”

  After Shauna left the room, Cat set her alarm. If she was going to eat before the writers got back, she needed to finish writing by six or six-thirty. Then she could eat and get everything set up and ready for the evening of sprints. Once she’d set the alarm, she read the last paragraph she’d written that morning and then started writing. The words and scenes fell out of her head into her fingers and then onto the page.

  The process of writing was magic. She might be writing about a teenage witch, but she knew the true magic came every time someone sat down at a desk and started telling a story.

  She didn’t stop until her alarm went off. As she finished the thought on the last line, she blinked, trying to re-orient herself to the real world. One where the high school prom didn’t involve trying to keep your ferret familiar from following you to the dance. Her character Tori didn’t want much, except for one normal night at school. Where the magic came from the music, the dancing, and the crepe paper decorations. Cat wrote her word count and saved the document. Then she made sure it was in an online file that she could access with her laptop. “Oh, Tori, I feel your pain.”

  Cat felt the emptiness of the house as she made her way downstairs. She turned on lights as she reached the main floor since night had fallen early on the winter night. This was weird. She was never alone on a retreat week. Either Shauna or Seth would be with her or one of the guests would be holed up in their room or in a cubby trying to reach a word count. Tonight, she was completely alone.

  Angelica brushed up against her leg, letting out a little meow. Cat reached down and stroked the older cat’s coat. All of the cats had been fixed when they were old enough so Shauna wouldn’t have to give away another litter. The kittens usually hung out in the yard, the barn, or the cellar. Angelica had been a house cat before she’d come to live with Cat, and seemed to enjoy hanging out with humans from time to time.

  “Hey, girl, want to go help me get my dinner ready?” She rubbed the cat under her chin.

  The answer must have been yes because Angelica padded after Cat into the kitchen. She found the pet bed that Shauna had set up in the corner and after making three circles, laid down to watch Cat eat.

  Cat turned on Shauna’s radio and smiled when a Christmas carol filled the kitchen. The tree still sat, unadorned in the living room. She needed to make time to decorate. Maybe tomorrow after a good day of words.

  After she’d dished up a bowl of the soup and warmed a piece of bread in the microwave, she sat down at the table. She had just taken a bite when she saw Shauna’s note. She read it aloud to the cat. “Dan’s wife is coming into town later this week and wants to rent a room here for a night. What do you think?”

  Angelica seemed to consider the question, then she started cleaning herself. The cat wasn’t going to be any help in making this decision. There was a high-end hotel near the mountain side of town, but that was about all that was available in Aspen Hills for rental lodging. Cat should offer to rent her a room, but it felt intrusive with the ongoing retreat. She shook off her initial feelings and picked up a piece of chalk. She spoke as she wrote the words. “Sounds good, let me know when she’s arriving.”

  To Cat’s ear, it sounded friendly, upbeat. And that’s the perception she wanted to give on this. No need to let the fact that Dan’s wife was going to be in the house freak her out any more than it should. Besides, Uncle Pete would probably ask her to do let her stay here if she said no. Then she’d look mean. Or unfriendly.