One Millhaven Lane (14 page)

Asia hobbled with Henrietta into the kitchen and sat her on a chair at the table. She appeared casual when she closed the doors and turned the skeleton keys in the locks.

"Why'd you shut the doors?"

Asia thought fast. "To keep in the heat. I wouldn't want you catching a chill. Now how about that tea?"

Asia took the kettle from the stove and emptied it in the sink.

"What did you do that for?" Henrietta asked. "Water's metered and expensive. Those clowns on the town council sit around thinking of ways to get more money from us. But I'm smarter than them." She tapped her temple. "I buy my water at the grocery store."

Asia hid her smile behind a cough.

"I don't know why I hooked up to municipal water. My well is fine. Seemed like a good idea, at the time, I suppose. Where's my tea?" She looked at the kettle in Asia's hand. "Water's not going to boil that way, girly."

Asia turned on the burner under the kettle, then propped Henrietta's leg on a chair. "More comfortable?"

Henrietta didn't seem impressed with Asia's nursing skills. She remembered her benefactor, and how she'd trusted Asia, placing herself in Asia's care heart and soul and never once questioning her.

Eileen was a generous and loving woman. Asia was fortunate to know the love of not one but two pure souls. Her mother and Eileen would have become fast friends, had they met. Unlike Henrietta, who seemed to revel in alienating those around her.

"Police, open the door."

Asia recognized Nate's voice.

"What are they doing here?" Henrietta asked. "Delivering more flyers, I suppose."

"I'll check." Asia opened the door leading into the hallway. Two seconds later, she was throwing herself at Nate. He wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

She shook her head and untied her hands from his neck.

Nate looked at Carter, keeping watch on the second floor. "I'll take lead."

Carter nodded.

With a flick of his finger, Nate indicated for Asia to go back to the kitchen.

"Be careful," she said.

Asia re-entered the kitchen with the whistle of the kettle.

"Water's ready," Henrietta said. "Where have you been?"

"Nate and Carter are here. I answered the door. Remember?"

"Of course, I remember. I'm not senile."

"No, you're not." Asia spotted the canister marked "Tea" on the counter.

Henrietta watched the door Asia had entered. "Where are they?"

"Who?"

"The police." Henrietta narrowed her eyes. "What's the matter with you, girl?"

"They're upstairs, investigating the noise we heard earlier."

"What noise? I didn't hear any noise. Since when do the police investigate noises in people's houses? I can't keep air in the tires of my car, but do they investigate that? Nooo. The last I saw of the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was when it was floating down the Jemseg River. It's those little hooligans over on Ocean Westway. But do the police investigate them? Nooo."

Minutes later a knock came at the inside door. "It's Nate. Open up."

Asia virtually flew to the door and led Nate inside. "Was it him?"

"Him who?" Henrietta asked. "There's something the matter with you people. You talk in riddles."

Nate said to Henrietta, "A bird found a way in through an air vent in your attic. We helped it find its way out."

Henrietta scoffed.

He peered at Asia, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain later."

"Are you ready to leave?"

She watched Henrietta sip tea. "In a few minutes. I want to get her settled back on the sofa, but before that I'd like to neaten the living room." Asia hadn't checked, but she wouldn't have been surprised to find mold in those take-out boxes.

"I'll give you a hand."

In the living room, Nate filled a trash bag with empty food containers and paper cups while Asia cleaned the coffee and end tables.

"Where's Carter?" Asia asked.

"He left, said I had everything under control."

"He's afraid of Henrietta, huh?"

"Oh yes." Nate grinned. "Aren't you?"

"I have you to protect me." It was her turn to grin.

Minutes later, Asia and Nate helped Henrietta onto the sofa. Asia covered the woman's legs with a throw and put the phone and television remote within her reach. "I'll come by in the morning to check on you," Asia said.

"If you feel you must."

Nate rolled his eyes.

Asia couldn't have put it better.

Outside on the sidewalk, Nate said, "I'll walk you home."

"It isn't necessary." She looked up at the unblemished sky. "It's a beautiful day. Nothing is going to happen to me today."

"How do you know?"

"The air. Can't you smell its purity?"

She looked at him. He didn't seem impressed with her theory.

"I'll take your word on that, but if you don't mind, I'd still like to see you home."

"If you feel you must." She laughed. "I sound like Henrietta."

"She's a pickle, isn't she?" Nate laughed.

"I guess."

"How did you end up there?"

"Your spies didn't tell you?" She bumped his hip.

"Spies?" he asked, innocent-like.

"Don't play dumb with me, mister. I saw Stacey cozying up to the telephone pole across the street from Mom's."

"Stacey, really?" He frowned. "She must have taken it upon herself to watch over you. It would be reckless of the GPD to engage non-trained personnel —"

"Yeah yeah yeah." She giggled. "She's not packing heat, is she?"

He threw back his head and laughed. "How'd you pick her up?"

"It wasn't anything she did. If I hadn't known where to look, because of your superb coaching, I wouldn't have spotted her. Did you encourage her to surveil me?" Enjoying herself, she walked slow to stretch out this time she had with Nate.

He shook his head. "If you hadn't found her out, I probably would never have known. She has no experience with someone like Bobby and could become collateral damage. I'll have a word with her."

Asia nodded. "Don't be too harsh with her. She meant well."

"She wants to be a cop."

"It's a noble occupation. How's Carter feel about her career choice?"

"About how you'd expect. He's her father and doesn't want her hurt. Answering the telephone is safe."

"Is she seeing someone?" Asia wanted everyone to be as happy as she.

"From what I hear, every guy she brings home, Carter criticizes. He's a formidable presence."

"That he is. Yet, Henrietta intimidates him."

Nate looked at Asia. "She was hot for him a few years back."

She stopped short. "You're joking."

"No, ma'am. He gave her a drive home from an AA meeting one night and she put her hand on his thigh. He ran off the road and into a field, hit one of Kelly's prized Herefords. I guess there was a lot of screaming going on, mostly from Carter."

Asia envisioned Carter and Henrietta
together
and a shiver overtook her. She couldn't imagine Henrietta embroidering let alone cuddling with someone. Poor Carter.

"Did she give up on him after that?"

Nate shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "No, but Carter managed to avoid her until she took the hint."

"I can see what Henrietta saw in Carter. He's funny, courteous, kind and set for his retirement years. A good catch for some lucky woman. Is he seeing anyone?" Asia thought about Jewel and how fun it would be to match-make.

"There was one great love of Carter's life and she passed on."

"Adelaide's been gone for a decade. I'm not saying he should forget her, but he must get lonely at the ranch. That's a big old rambling house." A little company, a fine wine, a nice meal, petits fours...Jewel would be perfect for him!

"Asia."

She detected a note of reprimand in his tone. "What?"

"Don't go matchmaking. Carter won't like it."

"Only if it doesn't work out for him. I'll make sure it will."

"You've already got him paired with someone, haven't you?"

She pulled in her bottom lip and looked straight ahead, gazing at him peripherally. His startled expression made her laugh. "You look like somebody gave you a wedgie."

They arrived at her Mom's.

"Here we are," she said. "You don't need to see me inside."

His cell rang. "Damn things. Why does a telephone ring at the most inopportune time? If I didn't need one, I'd feed the thing to the hogs."

"Today's technology doesn't give us a moment to ourselves."

He answered the call, looking at her and holding a finger in the air. But Asia couldn't wait. Nature beckoned. So did her pot roast. She'd been longer at Henrietta's than intended.

Wasting no time, she sprinted toward the house.

"Wait for me, Asia," Nate said at her back.

 
"I can't." She took the steps two at a time.

At the door, she grabbed the key from her pocket, shoved it in the slot and turned. Nothing happened. "Don't go all temperamental on me now. Please-please-please. She looked toward Heaven as she danced from foot to foot, saying a silent prayer. She turned the key again. This time she was rewarded. She thanked God for the mercy.

Asia dashed inside, threw off her boots, let her backpack drop to the floor as she scurried through the hallway. Part way to the downstairs bathroom, she stopped abruptly, realizing something wasn't right.

She listened. The house was quiet; too quiet. There should be some noise. Just then the furnace started and water pipes rattled. She let out a deep breath and continued through the hallway, but the unease she'd felt clung to her. Something was off. What was it? It dawned on her then. The aroma of pot roast should be wafting through the house.

She ran into the kitchen, looked at the crock-pot sitting sedately on the counter, its electrical cord coiled rightly beside it.

"Damn." She rolled her eyes and shook her head at her stupidity, which put a kibosh on her home-prepared meal." She looked at the wall clock. If she plugged the crock-pot in now, they'd be eating at nine o'clock tonight. She sighed. "The best laid plans."

From the kitchen, she heard footsteps on the front veranda seconds before the front door squeaked open. "I'm in the kitchen." But she couldn't wait for Nate to come to her. Nature resumed its call and she made a mad dash for the bathroom.

She could hear Nate in the hallway. "I'll be right out," she said.

"Asia, that was my next door neighbor on the phone. She said she can hear water running in my house. Probably a burst pipe. I need to check it out. Will you be all right here alone?"

"I'm not alone, remember? Stacey's watching the house. Now go, before there's a flood."

"I'll only be gone long enough to shut off the water."

"Okay." Asia wasn't frightened to stay alone. Besides, Nate's shift was almost over and he would be back soon. Bobby wouldn't make a move with Nate there.

Thirty minutes later, Asia looked at the time and wondered what kept Nate. He'd said he wouldn't be long. Maybe he had trouble finding the water shut-off. She didn't know where hers was located in either house. Men knew those things, though. Since Nate would know the logical place to look for the valve, he should have been back by now. Maybe he got a call; he was still on duty. If that were the case, he wouldn't have taken time to let her know.

She picked up the phone and dialed the station.