To Catch a Leaf by Kate Collins

Author:Kate Collins [Collins, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, Mystery
ISBN: 9781445824024
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2011-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Wait, what?” Reilly asked, scooting his chair back. “You didn’t mention any of this earlier.”

Seeing the alarm on Mrs. Dunbar’s face as he strode toward us, I turned to squint my eyes at him, telling him silently, Don’t scare her! “Mrs. Dunbar, by lust, are you saying someone in this house was sneaking out for a tryst?”

With Reilly and me gazing at her expectantly, Mrs. Dunbar turned red in the face and beads of sweat popped out on her upper lip. “I—I never should have said that. I don’t like to say anything bad about the family. It’s not my place. Can I please do the laundry now?”

“You need to answer the question first, Mrs. Dunbar,” Reilly said, reverting to formalities. “Who did you hear leave the house?”

“I don’t know who,” she said, wringing her apron. “All I know is that someone was using the back door early in the mornings.”

“How do you know that?” Reilly asked, flipping open his little notepad.

“M-my room is right next to the kitchen. I c-could hear the beeps when the alarm was turned off and the latch click when the door was opened.”

“Can you be certain it wasn’t someone removing paintings?” Reilly asked.

“N-no, sir, I can’t be certain,” she said nervously, still twisting her apron, “but sometimes a body just senses things.”

“I get that, Mrs. D.,” I said, “because I sense that you’re basing your conclusion on something tangible, like a voice, a familiar footstep, a smell . . .”

At the word smell, the housekeeper shut her eyes and shook her head, setting her chins to trembling. “I don’t remember.”

Reilly and I exchanged glances. Mrs. Dunbar knew who it was—and so did I.

“If you have any information that could help with this investigation,” Reilly said, “you need to let us know now. I mean, you need to let me know.” He frowned at me as though his blunder was my fault.

She picked up the dishcloth and began wiping the kitchen counter, making tight little wet circles with it, her lips pressed firmly together.

“If we find out you withheld information,” Reilly said, “you’ll be charged with hampering our investigation. You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

“Please, Mrs. D.,” I said, as Reilly’s young partner swaggered over to join us. “Work with us. The person you heard leaving the house could be involved with the art theft or the murder, or both. You’d be a big help if you could give us more information.”

“It’ll go much easier on you if you do,” Junior added.

“I smelled perfume!” she blurted, then covered her mouth, as though she couldn’t believe she’d let it out.

“Where?” Reilly asked, taking notes.

She shook her head.

“Mrs. Dunbar,” Reilly said with a frown, “where?”

“Right here,” she said. “When I came out of my room, I smelled perfume right here.”

“Whose perfume?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she said, and began wiping the counter again, her motions extremely agitated. “I didn’t want to know. It wasn’t my place.”

“You don’t have to protect anyone now, Mrs. Dunbar,” Reilly said.

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