Danger in Plain Sight (17 page)

“You didn’t ask him about what happened to the vehicle?”

“He said that someone hit his car in a parking lot, that’s all.” The manager turned away as a customer approached the counter, obviously eager to have this conversation over.

“Did he say what parking lot?”

The manager shook his head, pausing in the act of ringing up a two-liter bottle of soda. “He did mention that they had been staying at the inn. Maybe they’ll be able to help.”

Adam’s energy soared. The inn’s management would have to know more about the couple, if not about the damage to the vehicle. Finally the tedious routine had paid off. With a quick expression of thanks, he headed back to the patrol car.

Five minutes of driving, and Adam pulled into the parking lot of the inn. Owen Barclay would be cooperative. Adam didn’t doubt that. Barclay was as careful of the inn’s reputation as of his own. He wouldn’t want a police car at the front door for a minute longer than necessary.

The lobby was relatively empty at this hour on a weekday, and a glance into the restaurant showed that the staff was setting up for lunch. Lifting his hand to the woman at the front desk, Adam went down the corridor to Barclay’s office, knocking on frosted glass and opening the door at the same time. “Owen?”

But Owen Barclay wasn’t alone. Libby sat across the desk from him, and all the memories Adam had been holding safely at bay flooded back in a surge of longing that nearly pulled him under.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He focused on Barclay, not sure it was safe to meet Libby’s gaze at the moment.

“Not a problem.” Owen waved him in. “I was just giving Libby some good news.”

Libby lifted the camera she held in her hands. “You can call off the search. Owen found my camera.”

“Is that right?” Obviously he was the only one made uncomfortable by that kiss. Libby looked and sounded perfectly normal. “Where did it turn up?”

“That’s the problem.” Owen frowned at the camera, as if it were to blame. “One of the servers found it on the coatroom shelf this morning. But we searched that room thoroughly when Libby reported the camera missing, and I’m sure it wasn’t there at the time.”

“That is odd.” Yet another odd thing happening to Libby, and Adam didn’t like it. “Is there any reason to think one of the staff took it and then got cold feet and returned it?”

Owen stiffened, pressing his hands against the polished mahogany of his desk. “I can’t believe that of any of my staff.”

His staff, just as the office, indeed the entire inn, was Owen’s in his view, he’d managed it for so long.

“Sometimes an otherwise reliable person can give in to a sudden impulse.” He eyed Owen, wondering if he’d admit it if any of the staff had given him cause to wonder. The staff reflected Owen’s taste, just as the elegant lobby did.

“Well, I don’t care what happened to it, as long as I have it back in working order.” Libby raised the camera, focusing it on Owen, and then lowered it again, frowning.

“Is something wrong?” Owen was quick off the mark. “It’s not broken, is it?”

Libby clicked something on the side of the camera. She looked up, not at Owen but at Adam. “The memory card is gone.”

He took a step toward her, fixing his gaze on the camera, not on her face. “What was on it? Do you remember?”

“I had just put a new one in partway through the reception. So probably not more than a dozen shots or so. Most of the wedding photos were on another card.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Owen said. “At least you didn’t lose the important pictures. And we’ll be happy to reimburse you for the cost of the card.”

She waved the offer away, her gaze still on Adam. “No need for that. Still, it’s strange.”

He knew what she was thinking. That somehow all these oddities added up to something, if only they could figure out what.

Their gazes clung too long, because all of a sudden he was seeing her face as it had been in the dimly lit parking lot the moment he’d kissed her. The color came up in her cheeks, and he knew she was thinking the same thing.

This time it was Libby who turned away. “I’m sure you didn’t come in about my camera.” She rose, as if to leave.

“I just had a question for Owen about a couple from Canada who were staying here the night of Esther’s accident.”

“You’ve learned something about the driver?” Her gaze sharpened on his face.

“A couple from…” Owen frowned. “You mean the Bradburns?”

“I don’t know the name, but they were seen leaving in a damaged black van the next day, and they were apparently staying here.”

“Yes, they were. But the damage to their vehicle couldn’t have anything to do with the accident. Their van was hit in the parking lot.”

That was a blow. “You’re sure of that?”

Owen paused. “Well, as sure as I can be. That’s how it was reported to me. It was discovered when the valet went to bring the vehicle up when they checked out. Mr. Bradburn was upset, naturally, but we can’t guarantee a vehicle’s safety in the parking lot, even with valet parking.”

“It wasn’t damaged when they came in? Or if they took it out again?”

“Certainly not. The valet attendants have strict instructions to check each car for damages each time it comes in.”

“Bradburn couldn’t have parked it himself?”

“I suppose it might happen, but it’s unlikely. We did check up on the possibilities, since it would affect our insurance,” Owen said.

“So an insurance claim was filed?” This was beginning to look less and less promising, but it still had to be investigated.

“Well, as it turned out, no.” Owen’s gaze evaded his. “We’re not particularly eager to make a claim against the insurance unless we have to. And since the Bradburns wanted to get on the road to Canada before the weather turned bad again, they agreed to accept a cash settlement.”

“You often do that?”

“Trust me, if your insurance premiums were as high as ours, you wouldn’t want to push them any higher. If it had been a matter of personal injury…” Owen shrugged. “Since it wasn’t, the matter was fairly straightforward, so we settled.”

It looked as if his promising lead might be settled, as well. “You’ll let me have their contact information.”

“Of course, of course. I’ll print it out for you.” Owen swung to his computer. “It’ll just take a few minutes.”

Libby moved swiftly toward the door. “I’ll be on my way. Thanks again, Owen.” She was out even before Owen could respond.

But it wasn’t Owen she was running away from. It was him, and Adam knew it. But there didn’t seem to be any way of smoothing things out with Libby that wouldn’t dig him in any deeper with her.

* * *

LIBBY KNEW WHEN she rushed out of Owen’s office that it was a stupid thing to do, but realizing that didn’t slow her steps as she scurried through the lobby toward the front door. She’d known when she saw Adam that she wasn’t ready to be with him yet. The memory of that kiss was just too fresh in her mind, to say nothing of her heart.

She stepped outside, the cold wind slapping her in the face. Good, that was what she needed—a wake-up call.

The threat to Esther was the crucial thing to deal with now. Next to that, her own problems faded into insignificance. Her job, her future, even Adam, didn’t amount to anything next to Esther’s safety.

Libby followed the cleared walk to the parking lot.The night of the reception the valets had been rushing back and forth constantly. An accident could easily have happened.

If she hadn’t let her emotions get the better of her, she might have found out what Adam thought. Something must have led him to inquire about that particular vehicle. Who had seen the damage?

Libby unlocked the car door and slid inside. Still, there wasn’t anything she could do about a tourist who’d returned to Canada. That was obviously a police job. Glancing toward the inn, she saw Adam coming out, saw him look toward her car.

Instinct took over, and she pulled out of the parking lot without looking back. She had an appointment with Tom Sylvester at his office. That was as good a reason as any to evade Adam. He’d just tell her to stop snooping if he knew about it.

A few minutes later she pulled to the curb in front of the construction office. The lights were on, and through the plate glass she spotted Tom at his desk.

She slid out and headed for the door. Too bad she hadn’t come up with a plan of attack. She’d just have to wing it.

Tom had suggested they meet at his office, so he could show her the plans for his new motel. Afterward, if she wanted, they could drive out to the site. His tone had made it clear he didn’t expect to do that.

Tom must have been watching for her, because he had the door open when she reached it.

“Libby, come in out of the cold. It’s raw today. Let me take your jacket.”

She hugged it a little closer. “I’ll keep it, thanks. I’m not used to Pennsylvania winters, I’m afraid.”

“No, I guess you wouldn’t be.” He returned to his desk, gesturing her to the folding chair. “I bet your mom is glad to have you home for a while. And taking an interest in the community development, too. Your father would be proud of that.”

Libby felt her lips tighten, but she managed to produce a smile. “Dad always cared what became of the land. He never wanted to see careless development.”

Did Tom react to that? She thought so, but he bent quickly to spread a detailed drawing on the desk, anchoring the corners with a stapler and a roll of tape.

Interesting. From what she’d seen peering through the window the other day, there’d been nothing at all on the desk. Now it actually looked as if some work was done here.

“Development has to be planned, that’s for sure.” He waved a hand at the drawing. “I wanted a building that blends in with the surroundings. No sense putting up something that sticks out like a sore thumb.” He put one hand down on the plan as she bent over it. “Kind of surprises me, you taking so much interest in it.”

And there was the comment she should have prepared an answer to. “Well, coming back after being away, I was struck by how things changed. It seemed to me it would make an interesting article, focusing on the township’s growth. Since I’ll be here for a while, I’d like to be working on something.”

“You sound like me.” Tom leaned back, seeming to relax. “That’s how I felt about retirement. Two weeks of doing nothing, and I thought I’d go crazy.”

“Still, you must have enjoyed the Florida sunshine, didn’t you?” She nodded toward the street, where snow had changed to slush, ready to freeze again at the first drop in temperature.

“Tell you the truth, I like the change of seasons, and I just had to get back to work. This little project, now—” he patted the drawing “—I’ve had this in the back of my mind for a long time. When the opportunity came up, I just grabbed it.”

Libby took the camera from her bag, slipping a new memory card in it. She lifted the camera, taking a step back so she could frame Tom and the plans. She took several shots. He smiled, looking a little forced.

“Just relax. This is your dream project, I gather. You said you’d been planning it for a long time.”

“Sure thing. Just daydreaming, you know.”

She snapped a few more shots from a different angle. “You like the idea of building something that’s yours here in the community where you’ve lived for so long.”

“Well, yeah. I hadn’t thought about it like that, exactly, but I’ve lived in Spring Township all my life. This is sort of giving something back.” He gestured expansively. “We all want to have a chance to do that, right?”

“Not many people have the determination and the drive to make that happen,” she said. He was relaxing, forgetting her as she seemed to disappear behind the camera. She’d seen that happen often—people sometimes told a photographer all sorts of things they’d never say to a stranger.

“If there’s one thing I have, it’s determination.” Ted didn’t seem averse to patting himself on the back.