Half Past Mourning (25 page)

“I think the lady’s a mite ticked at both of us,” Sheriff Hayes commented as the sound of Nina’s footsteps faded.

Peter shoved his fingers into the pockets of his jacket. “Can’t say I blame her, Sheriff. She’s living with more torment than we can possibly imagine. Just when she thinks she’s found some answers, they disappear in a puff of smoke. Marigold Wilson’s carping doesn’t help.” Peter shifted in his chair, took his pen from his pocket and toyed with it. “Nina’s doing one thing that should please her mother-in-law. She’s contacting the Dallas lawyers to see what she has to do to end this farce of a marriage.”

Al Hayes sat up straight, his chair rolling with the force of his movement. “Is she now? Even though she thinks he’s dead? Givin’ up any claim to his estate if we somehow can prove Danny’s passed on?” His stern glance made Peter wish he’d not mentioned Nina’s plans. “You have anything to do with that?”

Peter shrugged. “I couldn’t say, Sheriff, but I most certainly hope so. I’m not suggesting or directing, but then I’m not going to tell her not to do it, either. I don’t think the money means as much to Nina as getting her life back. She’s not the mercenary sort.”

The sheriff nodded. “I sorta thought that was the way the wind was blowing.” A narrow grin creased his face. “Hope it works out for you, young fella. She’s a nice girl who’s had more than her share of trouble. Be good to see her take up with a decent man who’ll appreciate what he has. Danny Wilson never did.”

Before the conversation could get more personal, Peter took it in another direction. “This business about the car thefts, Sheriff. Seems like there’s been a rash of sports cars gone missing.”

“Got some ideas on that, all right. Not ready to talk about it, just looking at some of the reports from ’round about, seeing some things that bear a second glance.” The sheriff seemed ready to drop the subject, but Peter had a point to make.

“I guess you know Tinker Downs is working out at the Lassiter place now? Working as personal assistant to Nina’s uncle.”

The sheriff ran a slow finger along his upper lip. “You making a point here? Suggesting something specific?”

Peter hesitated, then went on. “Nina told me her uncle takes a special interest in youngsters who seem to be heading for trouble, and that Tinker was one of those. He’s got some mechanical ability and, from what Nina said, has a pretty hardscrabble background. I know he’s supposed to have just come back to town, but does anyone really know where he’s been all these months?”

Hayes looked up at the ceiling, his eyes on the lazy fan turning above, but his expression, one eyebrow raised and lips tightening, suggested he was weighing his answer.

“Tell you the truth, Shayne, I didn’t know Tinker was back. Knew he passed through, but I hadn’t heard he was staying. I’ve known the boy since he was a little shaver, and I
had my concerns. No-account family, not much in the way of raising, but bright, a really bright kid. Got crossways with the law, a little, when he was in grade school, because he’s always been able to do most anything mechanical. If it’s got an engine, Tinker can make it run. Got caught out with some older boys joyriding in a neighbor’s car. He wasn’t driving, you see, wasn’t more than nine years old, but he’d hot-wired it so the older kids could. Working his way toward being a juvenile delinquent like it was the highest ambition he had. But the kid had this genius for anything that’s got wheels and gears. So I took him out to Lassiter. And between us we kept the kid on the right path even if he did bail out the minute he finished high school. Couldn’t blame him, though. Figured he’d find his way.” Hayes shoved his chair away from the desk. “Wouldn’t want to think the boy’s taken up bad ways, got off on the wrong foot despite our efforts. But it can happen. Reckon I’ll take a drive out to the museum and see what’s what.” He looked back at Peter. “You coming along? Or maybe you’re planning to hang around town and see if you get a chance to drive Nina Kirkland home after all?”

Peter grinned. “I think I have some business here in town, Sheriff. And if Nina happens to cross my path, maybe I’ll talk her into dinner and a movie. At least I think I’ll give it a try.”

“Wish you luck there. Just convince her to let my office do the investigating and theorizing, will you?”

Peter shook hands with the sheriff and left the office wondering how he’d go about locating Nina and convincing her that dinner and a movie wouldn’t create all kinds of speculation and discussion by the good folks of Santa Rita. Two blocks from the courthouse, he noticed the drug store and the flow of people in and out.
A good place to make a plan, have a cool drink, and think about how I’m going to find Nina.

Peter pushed back the tall, glass-paneled doors. Across the shop, sitting in one of the red-and-white striped booths sat a slight, dark-haired fellow, his black eyes bright and intent on his companion.
Tinker Downs again.
Peter stepped behind the magazine rack to watch the couple for a moment. The girl, young, pink, and blonde, sat opposite, laughing at something Tinker had said. She was the original of every idealized cheerleader, homecoming queen, or prom princess to ever dance through any young man’s fantasy. Her ponytail swayed with the motion of her head. Her delicate hands fluttered to punctuate her words, and her crisp sundress and frilled petticoats completed a pretty picture. If this girl was the reason Tinker Downs was staying in Santa Rita, he didn’t need a stronger one. What he might need was the ready money to keep her interested. A girl like that had to have a string of beaus that wrapped around the block. Peter backed out of the shop before he attracted attention, but he continued to speculate. If Tinker had an eye on a girl like that, he’d need more than a grease monkey job to keep the romance afloat. To all appearances the girl was interested, so Tinker had funds enough to hold her for the moment. Would another car go missing to keep Tinker in her focus? Peter was still imagining the temptations and frustrations a young man with no family and little income would incur in pursuit of the pretty blonde in the drug store, but as he turned to cross the courthouse green, he caught sight of Nina coming toward him. The romantic intrigue of any other party left his mind as he adjusted his path to meet the slender girl with her short curls blowing in the breeze.

“Still mad at me?” he asked when they met under the sprawling pecan tree at the corner.

“Not mad, Peter, just exasperated that you and the sheriff can’t seem to see what’s so obvious to me.”

He held up both hands in surrender. “Can we just say that two people looking at the same thing can see different views? Can we leave it at that for now?”

Some of the tension that tightened her lips and shadowed her eyes faded. A small smile lit her face. “Let’s leave it alone for now. We could both be wrong, and until there’s something to show what actually happened, I can’t see much reason to wrangle about it.”

Peter released the breath he’d been holding. “Good. And just to prove I’m willing to put the question of Danny Wilson aside and that you’re truly looking at things from all sides, let me take you to dinner and a movie. I don’t care what’s showing, even if it’s a singing, dancing, full-blown Technicolor musical.”

A line of doubt marred her smile. “I don’t know, Peter. People will notice if we’re out together in Santa Rita. They’ll ask questions.”

Unable to resist, Peter tilted her face up to his. “Married or not married, Nina? A married woman goes home to a cat and waits for the man who should be living there with her. An unmarried woman is free to have dinner with a man, join him for a movie, and not be shackled by the questions her neighbors might ask. Married or not, Nina?”

He saw the apprehension in her narrowed eyes. He felt the hesitation in her rigid shoulders. At first he was certain she was going to refuse. Then the tension eased, a bit of sparkle glowed in her honey-brown eyes, and Nina stood taller.

“Not married, Peter. Definitely not married. And I’d love to have dinner with you. It should be worth any gossip just to see you sit through a singing, dancing musical with minimal plot to hold the story together. If it gets too much for you, just remember you asked for it.”

“You’re on, lady. I can take anything you can hand out. Just let me have a decent steak first. Where are we going?”

****

The movie, a breezy, highly improbable comedy, eased any remaining strain, and by the time Peter took Nina back to her orchid house and accepted her offer of coffee, he was just a man out with a pretty girl who stirred his hopes and made dreams seem possible. The ragged cat met them at the door and made himself comfortable in the chair Peter would have chosen.

“Cream only, right?” Nina asked from the door of the kitchen.

“Correct,” he answered, trying to encourage the glaring feline to move. The cat rolled over on his back and waved all four feet in a pose of utter indifference to Peter’s preferences.

Nina brought coffee and, seeing Sinbad had taken the armchair, casually heaved the monster to the floor. “Sorry.” She gestured to the chair. “His manners are as ragged as his coat, but he’s not used to company.”

Peter drew the chair a little closer, so he sat next to her. “This has been a good evening, Nina. I’m glad you agreed to spend it with me.”

She put her cup aside and favored him with a smile that was echoed by the light in her eyes. “It felt a little strange to be out like that, like anyone going to dinner and then to see a show. I guess I haven’t done that in forever. But it was nice, a pleasant evening, and I’m glad you convinced me to go.”

“I saw your friend Tinker at the drug store today. Looks like he has a girl, a very pretty one.”

Nina’s cocked head and quick smile told him she was intrigued. “Tinker’s found a girlfriend? That’s good. Maybe he’ll stay with Uncle Eldon longer if he has some outside interests here.” She put her cup aside. “Wonder who she is? A local girl, you think?”

“Looked like they knew each other pretty well. She’s blonde, ponytail about halfway down her back, dressed up in a frilly pink dress. Waves her hands when she talks like she’s pretty excited. And hanging on every word he said.”

Nina chuckled. “Could be the Michaels girl. She’d be home from college for the summer, I suppose. Sweet girl, and Tinker could do a lot worse. If he stays with Uncle Eldon, I think he’ll find a pretty decent career waiting for him at the museum. Unc says Tinker has a talent for working on the restorations and can make a long-term thing out of working with him if Tinker wants to do it.”

Peter could see the situation from several points of view, some not to Tinker’s credit. He kept his suspicions to himself. No point in upsetting Nina without knowing he had a reason to do so. He reached for Nina’s hand and drew her closer.

“Now that we’ve been seen in public, do you think we can do this again? Go out together, let the town begin to see you as a single woman who might find a man in her life a nice thing?”

She turned her head away as if to deny his suggestion, then looked up, too honest to duck the question. “I like being with you, Peter, but I don’t know if it’s fair to you to make a habit of it.”

Not certain he understood her concern, Peter took possession of both her hands. “What’s going on in that curly head of yours, sweetheart? You’re not still concerned about gossip getting back to Marigold, are you?”

A slight smile pulled at the dimple in the corner of her mouth. “Oh, it’s gone back to her with embellishment by now,” she answered. “It’s just that...Peter...I don’t know if it’s right, or fair, for me to...to encourage you...” She tried to pull away, but Peter stilled her hands by putting his over them.

“You don’t have feelings for me? Is that it?”

Nina shook her head like a confused child. “I just don’t know, Peter. How can I trust myself to know what I feel? I loved Danny with all my heart. I truly did. But the Danny I loved didn’t exist. My judgment was so flawed, my understanding of his character was all wrong. I can’t gauge what I feel right now. Maybe I’ve just been alone for so long I’m leaping at the first person who makes me feel alive again. Or my emotions are too shallow to be real. Maybe I’m like Sinbad and just take up with anybody who shows me a little affection.” Her darkened eyes were clouded by doubts. “I don’t know where I am in all this, Peter. And the fact remains that until I get some legal advice or we know what happened to Danny, I am mired in contradiction. It’s not fair to you if I can’t tell you what’s real in my life and what’s not.”

Touched by her concern but exasperated as well, Peter leaned forward to leave a casual kiss on her lips. “Nina, I’m a big boy. If you can live with this mess, I can. I do believe you love me, my girl. I think you’re afraid to let it happen, to trust your heart, but you’ll get there. The clouds will clear, the doubts will fade, and one day you’ll look at me and know that what we have is real. Meanwhile, I want to be here to help you get through this. And I want to know, as much as you do, what happened to Danny. You need to know so you can leave the past in the past. I want to see you free of it so we can look to the future. If you decide your future doesn’t include me, it’s going to hurt, but I’d rather try, and be disappointed, than to live with not having made the attempt.” He brushed back the short tumbled curls that fell across her forehead. “Now, what are we doing next? Another dinner and a movie? Take a canoe out on the river? You name it.”

“You’re serious, Peter? You want people here in Santa Rita to think of us as...as a couple? Even if everybody still thinks of me as a married woman?”

Peter stood and pulled her up beside him. “They need to think of you as Nina, the pretty schoolteacher, the girl who drives in car rallies, the tomboy on the pitcher’s mound. They need to see the person, not the label, Nina. And I think they need to start seeing you out with a man, a man who frankly finds you adorable. So yes, I want to go out with you, be seen with you, and be regarded as seriously interested. So what are we doing next?”