Claws for Celebration by Linda Reilly

Author:Linda Reilly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-06-28T22:21:31+00:00

Chapter 21

By the time Lara arrived at Gideon’s office, darkness had fallen. The night sky was clustered with clouds, blotting out the stars.

The days are getting shorter, she thought gloomily, and my “to do” list is getting longer.

It wasn’t until after she dropped off Sherry at her home that she’d made the decision. She was going to do a “pop in” and surprise Gideon at his office. If he was too busy to talk to her, so be it. But something had been on her mind all day. She had to get it off her chest before her brain exploded.

Monday at dinner was the last time Gideon and she had seen each other, although they’d spoken a few times and texted dozens of times. The flatness in his words over the past few days gave Lara the sinking feeling something was wrong.

Gideon’s office was housed in one of the stately old homes within walking distance of the downtown block. His apartment was located one story up, making his commute to work a dream. One other tenant, a financial consultant, rented the office space opposite Gideon’s. The apartment above her office was occupied by an elderly woman, Mrs. Appleton, and her cat, Muffin. The same cat Gideon had offered to “borrow” if his company got too boring.

It was 4:45 when she rang the front buzzer. Lara knew Gideon didn’t have an assistant—he did all his work himself, including answering the phone and typing up documents. Clients had to ring to be let inside—a system that allowed him to keep unsolicited vendors at bay.

After a minute or so, Gideon opened the door. He looked surprised but thrilled to see her, as if he’d waited a long time for her. “Hey there, come on in.”

Her heart lodged in her throat, Lara stepped into the vestibule. The walls were paneled in a dark mahogany, giving the foyer a dreary feel. A small light hung from the ceiling—one of those art deco reproductions that attempted to imitate an earlier era. The combined scent of paper, furniture polish, and stale coffee hung closely in the air.

Gideon kissed her lightly on the lips, a strand of his straight black hair dipping slightly over his forehead. “I’m just finishing up with a couple signing a P and S for the new house they’re buying. Can you wait for ten minutes or so?”

“Of course I can,” she said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your work, Gid. Take your time, okay?”

He winked at her, touched her cheek lightly, then returned to the conference room adjacent to the foyer.

Tears pushed at the back of Lara’s eyes. Thinking about it in the car, she’d figured out what was bothering him. The problem was: how was she going to broach the subject?

She sat in one of the hard-backed chairs, then loosened her scarf. When she checked her phone for messages, she saw one from Kayla asking her if she’d done any more snooping about the obituaries.

No, because a ghost cat told me they weren’t the right ones, she thought bleakly.

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