two of you think you're doing,” Jason said in a cool tone that did not even pretend to be polite. “But if it involves the mayor, you need to stop. He wants this property, and if I had inherited it, I would have handed it right over to him. He is only taking you to dinner to convince you to sell the property to him,” he paused a moment and looked directly into Suzie's eyes. “He is used to getting what he wants.”
“ Jason, did your father know Thomas well?” Suzie asked, ignoring his warning.
“ Actually my mother, Beverly, knew his wife, Samantha, well,” Jason reluctantly admitted. “My father and Thomas never really got along. My father was always busy,” he added and narrowed his eyes. “Too busy to be there for my mother, or me. Thomas is the one that taught me to play ball, to ride a bike,” he frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “He's not the easiest man, but at least he cares.”
Suzie had to bite her lip to keep from revealing the letter she had found. “Was your father always interested in photography?” she asked as she picked up the photo of the sunrise to show him. Jason barely looked at it.
“ After my mother died he started taking photographs,” Jason shrugged. “It was like he needed something to distract him from the truth.”
“ That she was gone?” Suzie coaxed him, trying to salvage a little more information from him.
“ That he wasn't there when she needed him,” Jason corrected sternly. “Before she died he was obsessed with this house. He wanted it to be perfect, wanted to restore it to its historical state. Of course Thomas wanted the town to move on, to get more progressive so he and my father were always arguing over it,” he glanced at his watch briefly. “I should go, I am covering someone's shift for the afternoon.”
“ Jason wait, stay for a little longer,” Suzie suggested.
“ How about a beer?” Mary offered. “There's still some in the fridge that your father must have left.”
“ Beer?” he raised an eyebrow. “My father didn't drink,” he said firmly. “If he did, it wasn't beer.”
“ Oh, well I guess someone else must have left it,” Mary said with a frown.
“ I need to get back to work,” Jason said firmly. “I only came here, because I thought it best to warn you. Thomas has influence all over this town, so if you try to restore this place you're going to be in for a real battle. I wasn't going to say anything about it, but I just didn't think it was fair to let the two of you work so hard, when he'll likely find a legal loophole to sweep it out from under you.”
“ Thank you for the warning, Jason,” Suzie said in a warmer tone. She didn't want to alienate him, but she could tell that he was troubled by going against what Thomas wanted. She could also see a little bit of fear in his expression when he spoke of Thomas. She wondered if he had some kind of influence over Jason as a police officer, as well.
“ So, I should cancel dinner?” Jason asked hopefully.
“ Oh no, we'll be there,” Suzie smiled sweetly. “Wouldn't miss it.”
Jason rolled his eyes as his shoulders drooped. He opened his mouth as if he might have something more to say, then he just shook his head and walked back out of the house.
“ He's awfully grumpy,” Mary muttered as she watched the door slam behind him.
“ I think it's time we unravelled just what kind of power Thomas has over Jason,” Suzie said as she placed her hands on her hips. “Enough is enough, it's time to put all of this to rest. Let's head to the library, we're going to find out who that woman is in the photograph, and why the photographs are important, oh and,” she snatched up the cufflink from the table, “this is coming to dinner with us tonight.”
Chapter Six
Once they got to town again it was late afternoon and many of the small shops and businesses in the town were already preparing to close. Luckily, the library was still open. When they stepped in they
“ Jason, did your father know Thomas well?” Suzie asked, ignoring his warning.
“ Actually my mother, Beverly, knew his wife, Samantha, well,” Jason reluctantly admitted. “My father and Thomas never really got along. My father was always busy,” he added and narrowed his eyes. “Too busy to be there for my mother, or me. Thomas is the one that taught me to play ball, to ride a bike,” he frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “He's not the easiest man, but at least he cares.”
Suzie had to bite her lip to keep from revealing the letter she had found. “Was your father always interested in photography?” she asked as she picked up the photo of the sunrise to show him. Jason barely looked at it.
“ After my mother died he started taking photographs,” Jason shrugged. “It was like he needed something to distract him from the truth.”
“ That she was gone?” Suzie coaxed him, trying to salvage a little more information from him.
“ That he wasn't there when she needed him,” Jason corrected sternly. “Before she died he was obsessed with this house. He wanted it to be perfect, wanted to restore it to its historical state. Of course Thomas wanted the town to move on, to get more progressive so he and my father were always arguing over it,” he glanced at his watch briefly. “I should go, I am covering someone's shift for the afternoon.”
“ Jason wait, stay for a little longer,” Suzie suggested.
“ How about a beer?” Mary offered. “There's still some in the fridge that your father must have left.”
“ Beer?” he raised an eyebrow. “My father didn't drink,” he said firmly. “If he did, it wasn't beer.”
“ Oh, well I guess someone else must have left it,” Mary said with a frown.
“ I need to get back to work,” Jason said firmly. “I only came here, because I thought it best to warn you. Thomas has influence all over this town, so if you try to restore this place you're going to be in for a real battle. I wasn't going to say anything about it, but I just didn't think it was fair to let the two of you work so hard, when he'll likely find a legal loophole to sweep it out from under you.”
“ Thank you for the warning, Jason,” Suzie said in a warmer tone. She didn't want to alienate him, but she could tell that he was troubled by going against what Thomas wanted. She could also see a little bit of fear in his expression when he spoke of Thomas. She wondered if he had some kind of influence over Jason as a police officer, as well.
“ So, I should cancel dinner?” Jason asked hopefully.
“ Oh no, we'll be there,” Suzie smiled sweetly. “Wouldn't miss it.”
Jason rolled his eyes as his shoulders drooped. He opened his mouth as if he might have something more to say, then he just shook his head and walked back out of the house.
“ He's awfully grumpy,” Mary muttered as she watched the door slam behind him.
“ I think it's time we unravelled just what kind of power Thomas has over Jason,” Suzie said as she placed her hands on her hips. “Enough is enough, it's time to put all of this to rest. Let's head to the library, we're going to find out who that woman is in the photograph, and why the photographs are important, oh and,” she snatched up the cufflink from the table, “this is coming to dinner with us tonight.”
Chapter Six
Once they got to town again it was late afternoon and many of the small shops and businesses in the town were already preparing to close. Luckily, the library was still open. When they stepped in they
Similar Books
