Page 16 of Out of Time (Undaunted Courage #3)
“Yes, but he was more concerned about how it started. I think he came to the same conclusion the law enforcement and emergency crew did. That I put the potholder in there and don’t remember. He thinks I may be having lapses related to my dizzy spells.”
“You could always call your doctor, see what he thinks about that.”
“Excellent suggestion. I hope that’s not the case, because I’d prefer to live out my days here.
However, I’ve never been one to stick my head in the sand.
If I’m beginning to slip, I’ll have to consider relocating to St. Louis, like Steven suggested.
That would help him keep a closer eye on me. ” Her irises began to shimmer.
Throat tightening, Cara leaned forward and laid her hand on top of Natalie’s. “If it’s any consolation, I haven’t seen any indication of that. You’re sharper than many younger people I know.”
“Thank you, my dear.” Natalie offered her a tiny smile, patted her hand, and straightened her shoulders. “Let’s get back to Marie’s journals, shall we?”
Cara didn’t argue. They had work to do.
But it grew increasingly difficult to concentrate after noise began to emanate from the vicinity of the kitchen half an hour later.
“Micah must be on the job.” Natalie looked up from the journal and adjusted her glasses. “It sounds like he’s hammering and sawing. Why don’t you close the door and see if that muffles the noise?”
Cara did as she suggested, then retook her seat. “Do you want to continue, or should we wait until the repairs are finished?”
“I’m willing to proceed if you are.”
“I’m game. If the background noise gets too distracting or I’m having difficulty understanding you, I’ll let you know.”
They carried on until eleven, with nothing in Natalie’s manner suggesting she was in the least absent-minded or forgetful. On the contrary. Her concentration was intense, and her reasoning as she worked to interpret certain unclear phrases was astute.
The noise continued unabated until they wrapped up, and as Cara shut down her laptop, she motioned toward the front of the house. “I’ll leave through that door rather than disturb Micah. Dinner as usual at five thirty?”
“Assuming the kitchen isn’t in total disarray—but I expect Micah will clean up after he finishes for the day.
He’s always been neat and meticulous with the jobs I’ve asked him to do.
” Natalie stood, grasped her cane, and walked the journal over to the massive desk where she kept it.
“I must admit the noise is beginning to bother me, though. I doubt I’ll get much of a nap either, and that won’t help my concentration this afternoon. I may have to take a break from work.”
Another reference to work.
Why not ask about it? If she was involved in some sort of secret project, she wouldn’t keep mentioning it.
“May I ask what sort of work you do in the afternoons? I know about the baby afghans, but I have a feeling that’s not what you’re talking about.”
“No, although that’s important work too.
” She slid the journal into the desk drawer, closed it, and rested a hand atop the large monitor on the credenza behind the desk.
“I also do a different type of translation work. I have contacts with publishers from the friends I made while I was in Paris, and I’ve been doing French translations of English books for many years. ”
Cara’s jaw dropped. What other secrets did this remote estate contain? “I had no idea.”
“Few people do. Even my old boss at the law firm didn’t know I moonlighted.
But it’s enjoyable work, and it helps me maintain my language skills.
It’s important to keep the mind active as we age.
” A brief shadow passed over her features, but then she brightened.
“And I do think the work has kept my brain agile. I’m hopeful the sheriff will get to the bottom of the potholder caper.
I’m also hopeful that my dizzy spells are a thing of the past.”
“Me too.” Yet convinced as she was that Natalie’s mind was sharp, the odds that Brad Mitchell would come up with an explanation for the fire yesterday were minuscule. Whatever the cause, it would likely remain a mystery.
“If I can get access to the oven, I’ll bake zucchini bread for dessert.”
“Sounds delicious.” Lifting her hand in farewell, Cara exited into the hall and slipped out the front door. Why disturb a man who preferred to avoid people?
But her plan to steer clear backfired when he came out the rear door as she rounded the corner of the house.
It was hard to tell who was more surprised.
Cara jolted to a stop, but so did he as their gazes met.
He broke eye contact first, snatched a roll of drywall tape from the galérie railing, and bolted back inside.
As the door closed behind him, Cara shook her head.
The man was as skittish as the deer she’d run into on the path from the house to the cottage on occasion.
Suggesting that everyone’s take on him was accurate.
He was harmless, and more prone to run from people than to cause them trouble.
Picking up her pace, she continued down the path to the cottage and let herself in.
Locked the door behind her. Set the laptop on the desk and changed into her sport shoes.
With Micah occupied in the house, this would be an excellent opportunity to take a brisk hike around the lake on the trail Steven had shown her yesterday without having to risk running into the reclusive groundskeeper.
Not that she should worry about such a chance encounter, anyway. Everyone considered him safe.
So the best plan was to trust the opinions of people who knew him far better than she did, focus on her work with Natalie and the academic paper she was in the early stages of writing ... and remain vigilant.
Just in case the strange vibes she’d been picking up on occasion here in the hinterland morphed into something more dangerous.
“NATALIE’S BEEN HAVING MORE than her share of problems lately, hasn’t she?” Becky turned from the fridge and held out a bowl of potato salad.
Paul took it. “Yes.”
“She’s lucky that fire wasn’t any worse.”
“I know.” He set the bowl on the table. “What made you bring that up?”
“I saw Micah in town today ... from a distance.” Becky crossed back to the stove. “He was going into the hardware store. I assume he was getting supplies to do repairs at the house.”
“There must not have been much damage if he could handle it.”
No point in telling Becky that Brad had called him this morning at work with questions about his visit yesterday.
Questions that suggested the sheriff might be buying Natalie’s claim that she wasn’t the one who’d put the potholder in the trash.
But the odds of him pinning the fire on anything more than an accident were negligible. At Natalie’s age, and taking into account her recent dizzy spells, her memory could be unreliable.
“Paul?” Becky stopped stirring the sloppy joe mixture and angled toward him. “Are you listening?”
“Of course.” Sort of. “I expect you’re right.
If the damage was too extensive, she’d have to hire a carpenter or builder to do the repairs.
” He filled two glasses with water from the dispenser in the fridge.
“Sorry if I seem distracted. I’m thinking about the interview tomorrow with the St. Louis paper. ”
“Me too.” She began dishing up the sloppy joes. “I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Me neither. But we should be fine. Dan gave us an excellent briefing.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
“All we have to do is tell them what a wonderful son he is and brag on all his accomplishments. Talk about how civic-minded he’s always been, back to his Eagle Scout days.”
“Bragging, I can manage—but what if they ask hard questions?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Like ... what if they dug deep and found out about that fender bender he had when he was seventeen, or the two speeding tickets he got as a teenager?”
“If that’s all they can come up with to discredit him, he has an easy ride to victory.
The media’s been full of stories about how his opponent tried to buy alcohol with a fake ID on more than one occasion before he was legal age, not to mention the more recent rumors of an affair he had with an intern. Dan will be fine.”
Especially if the later journals Natalie hadn’t yet parted with, which could resurrect a ghost or two best left in the dust of history, were out of the picture.
Another reason to get them in his hands ASAP.
“I hope so.” Becky carried their plates to the table and sat beside him. “But I’ll be glad when this election is over.”
“You’ll also be proud when we stand in the audience and watch our son be sworn in as a congressman, though.” He took her hand. Gave it a squeeze.
“True. And he’ll do a wonderful job for the people of his district. Assuming all goes well with the rest of the campaign.”
“It will.”
There was only one thing that could potentially derail his trajectory to victory.
A family scandal.
While the sins of a father—or in this case, a great-grandfather—shouldn’t be visited on subsequent generations nor used to besmirch another family member’s character, politics was an ugly, dirty business.
That’s why he had to convince Natalie to relinquish those journals.
And if she didn’t agree soon?
He’d have to build on yesterday’s kitchen fire and come up with a few more persuasive strategies to convince her that the home she loved might not be as safe as she’d always thought.