No Escape Claws by Sofie Ryan

Author:Sofie Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2019-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Liam and I were loading an antique pie safe into a customer’s SUV the next morning when Liz pulled into the parking lot. He had the top of the cupboard and was leaning in the back passenger door trying to maneuver the padded piece into place while I held the legs.

“You need to go about an inch to your left,” he said.

The pie safe—made of oak with the original hardware and punched tin doors was heavier than it looked. With a fair amount of grunts from me and a couple of muttered swear words from Liam, we managed to get the piece of furniture secured.

I was sweaty and rumpled and my hair had come loose from the ponytail I’d pulled it into. I blew my bangs back out of my face. “Thank you,” I said to Liam. “I don’t know how I would have done that without you.”

“Anytime,” he said with a smile. “I’ll put it on your tab.” He headed back to the sunporch, where he and Nick had already replaced a second window. I had a feeling my tab was getting pretty high.

I walked over to Liz, pulling loose the elastic that had been sort of holding my hair. “Hi,” I said. “What did Avery forget? Her phone? Her lunch? Her eyeliner?”

“I’m not here because of Avery,” Liz said. “Alfred called me. He’s found Wilson’s former assistant at the foundation. Remember I told you about her? Marie Heard.”

“I remember,” I said. “So where is she?”

Liz shook her head. “I don’t know. Alfred said he’d explain when I got here.”

“Let’s go find out then,” I said.

We found Mr. P. at his temporary desk. “Hello, Elizabeth,” he said, getting to his feet and setting his coffee cup on the end of the workbench.

“Hello, Alfred,” Liz said. “So tell me. Where’s Marie? Is she still in Arizona? Is she in Florida?”

Mr. P. shook his head. “No. It turned out she was in Arizona.”

I caught his use of the past tense. “Was?”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Mrs. Heard is dead.”

Liz closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “Dead? When did it happen?”

Alfred glanced down at the notepad next to his laptop. “About six months ago. I do have the contact information for her son, if you’d like it.”

She nodded. “I would. Thank you, Alfred, very much.”

He tore the top page off the pad and handed it to her. “If there’s anything else you need, let me know.”

“I will,” Liz said. “I appreciate this.” She folded the paper and stuck it in her purse.

We started for the shop. “I can’t believe Marie is dead,” Liz said. “I can’t believe Wilson didn’t stay in touch with her. We should have sent flowers or made a donation in her name or something.”

I gestured at her purse. “You have her son’s address and phone number. You can still make a donation and you can send a note to her son.”

“I think I’ll do that,” she said. She made a face. “I know this is selfish of me, but this doesn’t help us figure out what was going on at the foundation.

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