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Authors: Wendy Meadows
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remembered Amelia Tennon?”
“Exactly,” he says, unmoved.
Alexis turns and strides towards the door. Maxwell catches up to her easily and puts a hand on the door over her head before she can open it.
“What, no more ghost stories? What is your game, Ms. Cole?”
This close up she can see his pain and doubt, and feel the heat of their attraction. She shoves at his chest in frustration.
“This isn’t a game. I may be hearing and seeing things you don’t believe in. You may not believe in me, Maxwell, but I will find the evidence I need with or without your help.”
She yanks open the door and steps into the hallway.
“The least you can see is that Delia’s death and my mother’s disappearance happened at the same time and the same location. The same time and place that a notorious thief made his last appearances in public.”
Maxwell lets his shoulders fall. “Fine, at least tell me your theory.”
“Delia was helping Fenton hide his stash; my mother witnessed their meeting. She made the mistake of telling Otto. Either Otto killed Delia out of jealousy or Fenton killed Delia to keep his secret. And my mother ran.”
“Alright, now how are you going to prove that?”
“Gotta run,” Alexis tells him, “your grandfather is expecting me.”
Chapter Sixteen
“ C OME ON IN ,” OTTO CHARLES yells before he reaches the door.
Alexis steps inside and immediately turns to lock the door behind her. “Sorry, I think we might get interrupted soon.”
She backs against the door, fumbling to unlock it when a German Shepherd comes around the corner, lowering its head and locking eyes with her.
“He likes you,” Otto chuckles before calling off his dog. “Come on, Johnny.”
Otto waves a hand for her to follow and shuffles back to his armchair in the living room. “Let me guess, my grandson. Not much of a talker but the ladies tell me he’s handsome.”
She joins him in the living room, sitting on the edge of the worn leather sofa.
“And you’re quite lovely,” he whistles. “The drugs haven’t done a number on you. Rehab must really be working, huh?”
Alexis pauses and swallows her angry retort. Otto’s eyes are twinkling without malice. She can’t reconcile her suspicions with his clear blue gaze and quiet charm. He reminds her of Maxwell, except he is sharper, chiseled by the sense of purpose that has driven his well-known career.
“I can’t wait for fake rehab to redeem me from problems I never had.”
Otto glances at his watch, pops open a pill bottle on the tray next to him, and knocks back two pills with the rest of the bottled beer he is drinking. “Look, sweetheart, I can understand you wanting to clear your name and all but you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m old, addled, and not about to open up the can of worms you’re pawing at.”
Alexis stands up and pulls the delicate envelope from her purse. “I just need you to look at a few pictures.”
He pulls back his hand as she approaches. “Is that a rose imprint?”
She notices the stamped mark on the flap of the envelope for the first time. A rose wrapped, thorns and all, around the capital letter ‘D’.
“Where did you get those?” Otto folds his hands on his lap, refusing to take the envelope.
“At Blackvine Manor.”
“Where?”
“The compartment in the window seat of the penthouse apartment. You used to live there so I thought there was a good chance these are yours. Even an alleged drug addict could figure that out.”
Otto scowls slightly and reaches for the photographs. “How exactly did you get in there?”
“I know the guy with the keys, remember?”
There is a pounding knock on the door and Maxwell calls out, “Otto, I know you’re both in there. Open up.”
Johnny barks wildly until Otto drops a hand and snaps. The German Shepherd growls once in defiance before settling back onto his bed, eyes riveted on the door.
“Let him bruise his knuckles,” Otto tells her as he gently pulls out of
“Exactly,” he says, unmoved.
Alexis turns and strides towards the door. Maxwell catches up to her easily and puts a hand on the door over her head before she can open it.
“What, no more ghost stories? What is your game, Ms. Cole?”
This close up she can see his pain and doubt, and feel the heat of their attraction. She shoves at his chest in frustration.
“This isn’t a game. I may be hearing and seeing things you don’t believe in. You may not believe in me, Maxwell, but I will find the evidence I need with or without your help.”
She yanks open the door and steps into the hallway.
“The least you can see is that Delia’s death and my mother’s disappearance happened at the same time and the same location. The same time and place that a notorious thief made his last appearances in public.”
Maxwell lets his shoulders fall. “Fine, at least tell me your theory.”
“Delia was helping Fenton hide his stash; my mother witnessed their meeting. She made the mistake of telling Otto. Either Otto killed Delia out of jealousy or Fenton killed Delia to keep his secret. And my mother ran.”
“Alright, now how are you going to prove that?”
“Gotta run,” Alexis tells him, “your grandfather is expecting me.”
Chapter Sixteen
“ C OME ON IN ,” OTTO CHARLES yells before he reaches the door.
Alexis steps inside and immediately turns to lock the door behind her. “Sorry, I think we might get interrupted soon.”
She backs against the door, fumbling to unlock it when a German Shepherd comes around the corner, lowering its head and locking eyes with her.
“He likes you,” Otto chuckles before calling off his dog. “Come on, Johnny.”
Otto waves a hand for her to follow and shuffles back to his armchair in the living room. “Let me guess, my grandson. Not much of a talker but the ladies tell me he’s handsome.”
She joins him in the living room, sitting on the edge of the worn leather sofa.
“And you’re quite lovely,” he whistles. “The drugs haven’t done a number on you. Rehab must really be working, huh?”
Alexis pauses and swallows her angry retort. Otto’s eyes are twinkling without malice. She can’t reconcile her suspicions with his clear blue gaze and quiet charm. He reminds her of Maxwell, except he is sharper, chiseled by the sense of purpose that has driven his well-known career.
“I can’t wait for fake rehab to redeem me from problems I never had.”
Otto glances at his watch, pops open a pill bottle on the tray next to him, and knocks back two pills with the rest of the bottled beer he is drinking. “Look, sweetheart, I can understand you wanting to clear your name and all but you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m old, addled, and not about to open up the can of worms you’re pawing at.”
Alexis stands up and pulls the delicate envelope from her purse. “I just need you to look at a few pictures.”
He pulls back his hand as she approaches. “Is that a rose imprint?”
She notices the stamped mark on the flap of the envelope for the first time. A rose wrapped, thorns and all, around the capital letter ‘D’.
“Where did you get those?” Otto folds his hands on his lap, refusing to take the envelope.
“At Blackvine Manor.”
“Where?”
“The compartment in the window seat of the penthouse apartment. You used to live there so I thought there was a good chance these are yours. Even an alleged drug addict could figure that out.”
Otto scowls slightly and reaches for the photographs. “How exactly did you get in there?”
“I know the guy with the keys, remember?”
There is a pounding knock on the door and Maxwell calls out, “Otto, I know you’re both in there. Open up.”
Johnny barks wildly until Otto drops a hand and snaps. The German Shepherd growls once in defiance before settling back onto his bed, eyes riveted on the door.
“Let him bruise his knuckles,” Otto tells her as he gently pulls out of
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