The Ideal Man (21 page)

“Sweetheart, you don’t make the decision. I do. And where I go, you go.”

He excused himself and went into the living room to read his text and respond.

Ellie decided to clean the kitchen while her mother went in search of her good Irish linens. She’d packed them away in the attic when the hardwood floors were being refinished.

Ellie had just started the dishwasher when she got a call from Carlos Garcia’s wife, Jennifer. The woman was hesitant and sounded fearful over the phone.

“We met at the police station, and my husband, Carlos, had a mole on his neck . . .”

“I remember, Jennifer. How is everything?”

“We have a problem, and you told me to call.”

“Yes, I did. What’s the problem?”

“We’re in the doctor’s building next to the hospital, but the doctor’s reception lady says we don’t have insurance.”

“Is the doctor in the office now?”

“Yes. I heard him talk to a patient.”

“Okay, good. Could you give me the number for that office?”

A minute later Ellie had the number written down. “Sit tight for a few minutes, and I promise you Carlos will see the doctor today.”

“Thank you, Dr. Sullivan.”

“You’re welcome, Jennifer, and please call me if there are any other problems.”

Then Ellie dialed the doctor’s office. Max walked into the kitchen just as she ripped into the receptionist, who had identified herself as Michelle.

“This is Dr. Sullivan. You knew that Carlos Garcia was scheduled to see Dr. Shultz today. I set that up before I left town.”

“But you didn’t tell us he didn’t have insurance.” Michelle sounded snippy.

“Dr. Shultz is doing the surgery free of charge,” she explained. “He must not have remembered.”

“He doesn’t do free surgeries.”

Ellie’s voice turned to steel. “You get him on the phone, and if he’s too busy, tell him I’m going to get Dr. Westfield on the line, and Shultz can explain the little surgery he did on his girlfriend three months ago. Oh, wait. You’re the girlfriend, aren’t you, Michelle? Why don’t we get Shultz’s wife on the line, too. We’ll do a nice little conference call.”

“I’m getting him. I’m getting him.”

Shultz was on the phone a minute later, and he was hopping mad. “I’m swamped today. I don’t have time for any charity cases. You don’t even know this man. Didn’t you tell me you met him at the police station?”

“Yes, I did meet Carlos at the police station, and that’s when I noticed the mole. You gave me your word you’d do the surgery.”

“I don’t have time . . .”

“Okay, that’s it. I’m going to the hospital board, and I swear to you your privileges will be revoked by the end of next week. That’s when I get back.”

“I didn’t think you were coming back.”

“Then I’m going to the state board and file a complaint,” she continued. “And, of course, I’m going to have a nice chat with your wife—”

“Wait a minute. I know I promised . . .”

“You are required by the hospital to do a certain number of surgeries without compensation, and I know for a fact you haven’t done any. I’ll be sure to mention that to Westfield, too. When I’m done with you—”

“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point. I’ll see your patient as soon as I get off the phone.”

“Listen up,” she said. “You treat him and his family like they’re my closest friends. I better not hear you screwed up.”

Max had heard the entire conversation. He remembered that Ben had told him how she had talked to a man at the police station but had refused to explain what it was all about. Now he knew what she was doing for him.

Ellie ended the call muttering, “Big jerk.” Then she noticed Max watching her. He was smiling.

“What?”

He didn’t answer. He walked over and lifted her chin to give her a kiss.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“Just because,” he answered. He took a seat next to her. “I’ve got some news from Ben,” he said.

“Yes?”

“Cal and Erika Landry just walked into the FBI office with their attorneys.”

“Where?”

“Honolulu.”

E
llie was going stir-crazy, desperate to get out of the house for a little while. Max had disappeared into William’s home office and was making calls on his cell phone, so she tried to keep busy and not interrupt him. She came across her father, who was searching through the kitchen and hearth room for his car keys.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Lipton,” he answered. “The only thermostat available for the new air conditioner is at Waid’s Hardware Store.”

“What about the Waid’s Hardware Store here?”

“They’re out, which is why I’m driving all the way to Lipton now. They won’t be charging me for the new thermostat, since the first one was faulty, but if you and Max want air-conditioning tonight, I’ve got to get over there and back lickety-split.”

“Max and I will go,” she offered.

Shaking his head, he said, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go out. Besides, Max has done enough. If he hadn’t talked to the owner of the appliance store, I wouldn’t have gotten a new air conditioner. I think he scared them into doing the right thing. Eighty percent off broken is still broken, right? It isn’t legal to sell something you know doesn’t work.”

“Did he say that?”

“No, I did.”

Ellie was pleased with Max. She hadn’t known that he had done that for her father.

“It would be a big help if someone could go to Lipton for me,” William admitted. He thought for a few seconds and said, “And I wouldn’t need the thermostat until four. That would give us time to install it.”

“But you said you had to get back lickety-split.”

“Because the air conditioner is going to be delivered, and I’ve got to sign for the fountain and all the rest of the things your sister ordered for the garden party. Someone has to be here to direct where everything goes, and your mother is going to get her hair done and her nails and God knows what else. Pots today, more plantings tomorrow, and fresh flowers Saturday morning.”

“Can’t Ava and Annie help while Max and I go pick up the thermostat?”

“Ava can’t leave her store . . . oops, I mean her boutique. She hates it when I call it a store. And Annie won’t get in until late afternoon. Besides, there’s no reason for anyone to help me. All I have to do is sign and point to where I want the pots.” He smiled as he added, “Ava drew me a diagram. And while I’m waiting, I’ll get some paperwork done.”

“All right. I’ll go get Max now, and we’ll leave right away.”

“Eleanor, you’re jumping the gun. Max agreed to let you stay here if he could get extra protection, remember? Are you sure he’s going to let you remain in Winston Falls?”

“I’ll go ask him now.”

She went down the hall to her father’s office. Max was sitting at the desk talking on the phone. She stood in the doorway waiting for him to notice her. When he motioned to her, she walked over and leaned against the desk facing him.

“Okay then, and thanks. I really appreciate this,” he said and disconnected the call. He looked up at Ellie. “I’ve got two agents until Saturday. Both of them are coming from Columbia. They’ll be here tomorrow.”

“Who are they?”

“Agents Clark and Hershey.”

“Aren’t those candy bars?”

Grinning, he said, “Don’t let them hear you say that.”

“Then we can stay here.”

“Until your yard-party thing is over.”

“Garden party,” she corrected.

He noticed a frown cross her face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m concerned about two agents showing up suddenly. Won’t they be hard to explain? Everyone at the party will wonder who they are.”

“They know how to blend in,” Max assured her. “But I’ll meet with them ahead of time, and we’ll work out a game plan.”

Her frown had eased a little, but Max could tell she was still thinking about possible problems. He tilted his head toward the desk. “See that new book?”

“Which one?”

“The big one. It’s your dad’s new math book. He can’t wait for you to work the problems.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I hate math,” she whispered.

He laughed. “I know.”

“How do you know?” she asked.

He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. “I saw how you grimaced when he was telling the story about the visiting professor. Why didn’t you tell him?”

“He loved doing math with me, and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.”

He slipped his arm around her waist. She pushed his hand away as she stood. “My father is in the next room,” she whispered. “Tell me what Ben said.”

“Ben is going to sit in on the interview with Cal Landry. When he’s finished with him, he’ll tackle his wife, Erika.”

“Which one is the weak link?” she asked.

“Neither one,” he answered. “They’re both hard as”—he started to say a crude word but substituted—“nails.”

“Have they said where they’ve been? Or did they admit they were there at the park?”

“No,” he answered. “They insisted they’ve been on their yacht, cruising from island to island. They have several witnesses who will vouch for them.”

“Do they know about the eyewitness? Greg . . .”

“Greg Roper,” he reminded her. “And no, not yet. We’re keeping quiet about him.”

“Ellie, can you go?” Her father poked his head into the library.

“Go where?” Max asked.

She quickly explained she’d offered to pick up the new thermostat. “It’s a beautiful day, and I really would like to get out.”

Max didn’t have any problem leaving as long as she didn’t take any chances and listened to what he said.

They were on their way minutes later. Ellie grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator on the way out the door, tossed her purse on the floor of Max’s SUV, and put her cell phone next to his in the cup holder.

Her father knocked on her window, and when she rolled it down, he said, “You remember how to get to 26, don’t you? If you pass the exit for Mays Hill, you’ve gone too far. You might want to cut over on 223, then turn back on 168. That will take you right into the north side of Lipton. It shouldn’t take you more than an hour to get there. Stop at the Goose for lunch,” he added. “Great food.”

Max drove down the street, turned left, and then said, “Did you get any of that?”

“Directions?”

“Yes, directions,” he said.

“No. Did you?”

“I wouldn’t have asked . . .”

“I know where Highway 26 is,” she said cheerfully. “I can get you that far.”

Max programmed the GPS to locate Lipton, and they were on their way. It was a pretty day, but the heat was rising. Ellie wished she could roll all the windows down, but she knew the humidity would make her miserable in no time at all.

She checked the weather app on her phone. “It’s supposed to be in the mid-eighties,” she said. “Seems hotter to me.”

A half hour into the trip, the GPS indicated that they should turn off at the next exit and that Lipton was just twelve miles ahead. Max took the turn and said, “Why did your dad make it so complicated?”

“Maybe he didn’t know about this exit.”

They drove for a couple of miles on a two-lane road, and the GPS gave them another order to take a left at the next intersection. Fifteen minutes later, they were bumping along a dirt road with few signs of habitation in view. The GPS announced that it was recalculating the route, and Max looked as though he wanted to empty his gun into it.

“Maybe we should have paid attention to Dad,” Ellie said. She could have sworn she saw Max’s jaw flinch as he turned the SUV around on the narrow road and headed back in the direction from which they had just come.

Several miles and several turns later, they ended up on a road lined with construction signs but no construction equipment or workers.

“Is anyone following us?” she asked with a straight face.

They hadn’t seen a single car or person in the past half hour.

Max was trying to turn the car around without sinking a tire in one of the multitude of holes.

“Not funny,” he said. “We’re out in the middle of nowhere.”

He picked up her bottle of water, took a swig, and handed it over to her. He finally got the SUV turned around, and they backtracked to a somewhat decent two-lane road. It took another half hour before they found 168. Ellie wanted to laugh, but she didn’t dare, so she rode in silence the rest of the way.

As they finally passed the sign proclaiming they had arrived in Lipton, Max grumbled, “Damn GPS.”

Ellie couldn’t help herself. She burst into peals of laughter.

Other than giving her a vexed look, Max didn’t respond.

He slowed the car as they pulled into the town, which was tiny and quaint. There was a main street two blocks long with shops lined up on both sides. Cars were parked in front of most of them. Toward one end of the street was the hardware store, and at the other end was the Goose restaurant. Max noticed the first storefront they passed had SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT etched on the glass above the door.

He stopped the car in front of Waid’s Hardware Store, and they walked inside. Odors of leather and wood shavings and paint and engine oil greeted them. The old hardwood floors creaked when they stepped on them. A man wearing a carpenter’s apron stood behind the counter waiting on two young men. As Max and Ellie entered, they all turned toward the door, raising their eyebrows when they saw the strangers.

Ellie assumed they had noticed the gun at Max’s side. Max knew they were all noticing her.

After finishing his transaction with the two men, the clerk addressed them. “I know what you’re here for,” he said as he pulled the thermostat from a shelf behind the counter. He dropped it in a paper bag and handed it to Ellie.

Back outside, Max locked it in the car, and they headed down the street to the restaurant.