Evelyn David - Sullivan Investigations 01 - Murder Off the Books (18 page)

Chapter 26

“Thank God you’re here, Uncle Mac. Will you please remind my father that I’m an adult and can live with a man before I marry him.”

All eyes at the big mahogany table flashed to the dining room door.

Mac held up his hands to deflect the pleading glances of Jeff’s middle daughter. “Bridget, darlin’, I’m not getting in the middle of this argument. I’m just here for your mother’s Sunday dinner. Besides which I’m not about to tell a father that his baby girl can date, let alone share a bed, without taking some vows before God and her parents.”

“I thought you were on my side,” Bridget O’Herlihy pouted.

“I am. I always am.” He grinned, leaning over to kiss the fiery redhead. “But you’d have an easier time trying to get this big mutt to agree to homemade funeral pyres than your cohabiting with a man without the benefit of clergy. Why don’t you do what kids have done since the start of time?”

“What’s that?” Jeff’s middle child growled.

“Sneak around,” Mac answered in a perfect stage whisper.

“Thanks, Mac, I don’t need your help,” Jeff muttered, rising from his chair at the head of the table to offer his friend a warm hug and pat the Irish wolfhound as the dog headed for the kitchen.

“Sorry, I’m late. That new assistant you hired for me insisted I had to review the overdue invoices before I could head over here. What’s the point of having your own business if you can’t take off when you want?” Mac said, sitting in the chair next to Jeff.

“Sounds like she’s going to make your agency profitable whether you want to or not.”

Kathleen’s voice sounded from the kitchen. “Whiskey, stop eating the cat’s food! Mac, get your hairy hound out of my kitchen.”

“Come here girl,” Mac whistled. The dog appeared in the doorway with crumbs of kibble on her lips. After a moment’s hesitation, she ambled over to Sean, who immediately broke apart a dinner roll and put it down on the floor for her.

“Uncle Mac, what’s in the bag?” the eldest O’Herlihy offspring asked with a twinkle in her eyes. “Anything that combines chocolate and caramel?”

“Maura, would I dare come into your presence without a box of turtles?” Mac grinned reaching into his bag and extracting a pink box of chocolate treats.

Maura immediately ripped open the cellophane wrapping and popped one in her mouth.

“And for me?” Bridget giggled.

“Jelly beans, of course. And yes, I got extra very cherry, green apple, peanut butter, and caramel apple.”

“Yes!” Bridget pumped her fist in the air, and scarfed down a handful of the tiny confections.

“And for you, Ms. Mary Kathleen.”

“
Moi
?” Mary Kathleen batted her eyelashes at her favorite “uncle.”

“Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate,” he presented with a flourish.

“I’ve died and gone straight to hell and I don’t care,” the youngest O’Herlihy daughter mumbled, her lips betraying the delicious morsel she had just consumed.

“Mackenzie Sullivan, are you plying my kids with sweets before I get this meal on the table,” Kathleen accused as she walked into the dining room, carrying a large platter piled high with roast beef and potatoes.

“I confess I did,” Mac said solemnly.

“What did you bring me?” Kathleen demanded with a grin.

“Godiva Chocolates deluxe edition,” the detective said pulling out a gold box from his bag.

“Then you’re forgiven,” Kathleen said, smiling and sitting down at the table.

Sean put a huge salad bowl before his “uncle,” as well as a green bean casserole.

“
Psst
, Sean, move the healthy stuff to the other end,” Mac nudged the lanky teen. Reaching back into his sack, he offered the sole O’Herlihy male offspring, a bag filled with gummy worms, bears, and sharks.

“Thanks.”

“And how about me?” Jeff demanded with a stern look on his face. “Did you forget the guy who works 24/7 to provide you with an ever-ready source of wheels?”

“Ah, the head of transportation for the O’Herlihy clan speaks,” Mac answered. “I brought something that might wet the whistle and delight the taste buds as well.” He drew out two six packs of Guinness Irish stout.

“For later,” Kathleen warned.

***

“Oh, for heavens sake….” Rachel made her stand near the sofa, crossed her arms and gave her son the same glare she’d given him when he and Ray had arrived home after cutting school to attend a Jerry Garcia-less Grateful Dead concert.

“Surprise.” Sam gave his mother a weak smile and moved to hug her.

Rachel allowed the hug but didn’t respond. She’d barely managed to hide Dan and his half-eaten lunch in the pantry after hearing the front door open. With any luck, she’d be able to get rid of the kids before they discovered she wasn’t alone in the house.

Undeterred, Sam leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Did you miss me?”

“When you called me yesterday what part of, ‘Sam, stay at school. Don’t come home,’ didn’t you understand?”

“Yeah. I figured this was coming.” He plopped down on the sofa and looked towards the front door where Ray and Carrie were standing.

Rachel turned her gaze on his accomplices. “Sam and I need to have a serious discussion before I drive him down to the train station. I’d appreciate it if you two would visit another time. Oh, and next weekend’s trip is off. Sam will be celebrating his birthday in the Penn library.”

Ray tugged on Carrie’s elbow. “Let’s go. Sorry, Mrs. Brenner.”

Carrie glared at Ray, but reluctantly turned to leave.

“Wait,” Rachel suddenly ordered. “Get back in here and sit down.” Rachel pointed to the sofa and waited while the two teens obeyed her.

“It’s got to stop.” Rachel said forcefully, her eyes trained on the three friends who refused to meet her look. “You’re not the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. This isn’t some police show on television where you’re going to solve the mystery in the last five minutes. Two people are dead. Do you understand that?”

“Mom, you’re over-reacting,” Sam angrily shouted. “Just like you always do.”

“I’m over-reacting? I saw a woman with her brains splattered all over the parking lot and I’m over-reacting? What, are you crazy?” Rachel gestured wildly, knocking a picture frame off the mantel. The glass splintered on the floor and the three teens momentarily froze in stunned silence.

Carrie started to rise.

Rachel’s head whipped around and she glared at the girl. “I told you to sit down!”

The young woman instantly shrank back, scooting a little closer to Ray.

Rachel took a deep breath and tried to clear the memory of blood and death from her mind. Her hands were trembling as she picked up the fractured frame, and the largest shards of glass.

“This is my decision to make, not yours. I’m not going back to school until I know Uncle Dan is safe,” Sam angrily declared. “I owe him.”

“Sam, you don’t understand–”

“Mom!” His voice grew quieter as he added, “I can stay here with you or I’ll bunk with Carrie. Your choice.”

Rachel hesitated. She heard a creak in the kitchen.

She gripped the glass too tightly and felt the blood coating her fingers. She opened her hand and let the glass fall to her feet. “Come with me to the funeral home.”

“You’re going to work now? On a Sunday?” Sam shook his head in disbelief. “What about Uncle–”

“There was a break-in last night at the funeral home. I need to start an inventory today and relocate a cat. I could use your help.”

“Mom–”

“Sam, no matter what’s going on with your uncle, I need to keep my job. We’ll talk about Dan at the funeral home.”

Over on the sofa Carrie frowned and whispered to Ray. “Cat? Did she say cat? As in cat burglar?”

***

“So am I allowed to ask what you’re planning to do after graduation?” Jeff speared another slice of roast beef from the platter and plunked it down on his plate. He looked expectantly at his youngest daughter.

“No, you may not,” Mary Kathleen responded. “I’ve got lots of options none of which I’m ready to discuss. And no, I don’t want you to buy me a riding lawn mower.”

“I gather I can’t talk about this Romeo who’s planning on moving into my daughter’s apartment,” Jeff growled, viciously cutting up his meat into small pieces and turning his attention to his middle daughter.

“Nope.” Bridget smiled, reaching for another roll. “And just to be clear, I’m moving into his apartment because it’s four times the size of mine.”

“I don’t think you should give up….”

“I know Dad, I know what you think.” Bridget sighed, carefully slathering butter on the steaming bread and avoiding eye contact with her irate father.

“Well, I assume I can ask about your work, Maura,” Jeff grumbled. “Or is that off-limits too?”

“No, no, let me tell you about the compound fracture that came into the ER yesterday.” Maura grinned devilishly. “The bone was almost at right angles to the thigh and the blood was shooting out of the femoral artery like
….”

“Mom,” Sean pleaded, as he pushed aside the remains of his rare roast beef.

“Maura, give your brother a break,” Kathleen said patiently. “You know he has a weak stomach.”

“Big baby.” Maura winked.

“I know an interesting topic,” Kathleen said with a sly grin. “Why doesn’t Mac tell us about the new woman in his life?”

All eyes moved as one to the face of the private detective who was mopping up the gravy on his plate with a roll.

Mac looked up guiltily, popping the last remnant of bread into his mouth. He swallowed, reminded of a horror movie where a staked-out goat was surrounded by a herd of raptors. He suddenly knew how the goat felt and decided to stall for time.

“You mean JJ? Ask your husband, he hired her.”

“I’m talking about Rachel Brenner, the woman you’ve been spending most of your time with.” Kathleen stared pointedly at the blushing Mac. “I figure Rachel must be the reason you’re at the funeral home all hours of the day and night. Or maybe you’re having an affair with Myrna Bird?”

***

“And Dan just gave you the disk?” Sam asked his mother as she filled a bowl with dry cat food and set it to one side to take downstairs. “I can’t believe that–especially after all the trouble Ray went through to get it to him in the first place.”

“Believe it.” She glanced at the trio sitting at the table in the employee lounge. Hamburger wrappers and stray French-fries littered the surface.

Ray shifted uneasily in his chair. “It’s okay, Sam. I mean it’s not like I was arrested or anything. And Mr. O’Herlihy is still bringing in his cars to the garage for me to work on, so I don’t think he was too mad about me disrupting the Malwick funeral. Of course Mac Sullivan wasn’t too–”

Sam interrupted the teen. “Like anyone cares what that detective wannabe thinks.”

“Sam!” Rachel shushed him. “Dan wanted me to put it in a safe place. And I did.”

“What a minute!” Carrie awoke from a semi-doze. “He gave you the disk!”

Sam glared at her. “Try and keep up.”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night.” Carrie paused and frowned at Sam. “My point is that your mother must have seen him in person. He didn’t mail it to her and she didn’t just talk to him on the phone. She saw him.”

Sam rose and stood near his mother. “When did Uncle Dan give you the disk and where did you put it?”

Rachel shook her head and handed him the cat bowl. “When isn’t important and I won’t tell you where I hid it. No one but me is ever going to find it until I decide the time is right to give it to the police.”

Sam stared into his mother’s face. “Mom, where is Uncle Dan right now?”

Rachel walked towards the hallway leading to the front offices. “I can honestly say that I don’t know exactly where he is at this moment.”

“Damn it!” Sam slapped the bowl down on the table, spilling kibble everywhere. “He was there–at the house. Wasn’t he? That’s why you didn’t want me coming home this weekend. I can’t believe–”

Rachel kept walking. “You’re repeating yourself, honey. Let’s go to my office and I’ll run a printout of the office equipment and chemical supplies. We can check to see if any of those are missing. I’ll save the caskets and urns for next week.”

“Mom! I’m going back to the house. He’s probably still….”

“Don’t bother. He left last night,” Rachel said quickly. “Bring the cat food with you, Sam, and I’ll tell you what else he said. Carrie, you and Ray can look for the mother cat and her kittens. Start in that storeroom by the stairs.”

***

“Uncle Mac’s got a girlfriend?” Bridget snickered and then yelped when one of her sisters’ feet found her shin.

“The girlfriend is kind of old,” Sean volunteered. “But he’s got a really hot college girl working for him.”