Read Online Walking on Her Grave (Rogue River Novella, Book 4) by Melinda Leigh - Free Book Online
Authors: Melinda Leigh
Ads: Link
her skirt. “Apparently he wasn’t upset enough to drop his largest customer.”
Or he couldn’t afford to , thought Seth. “Were either of you at the site when the fire started?”
“No.” Faye shook her head. “I was at home. I wasn’t feeling well yesterday.”
“I was here,” Katelyn said. “Except at lunchtime when I ran out to the house to check on Mama.”
Seth pulled a small notebook and pen from his pocket. “What’s the damage to the resort?”
Faye paled until her skin was the same color as the strand of pearls around her neck. “We’re insured, but we’ll definitely lose time. My projections are dependent on getting the resort open by spring. Now I don’t know if we’ll make it. The delay is a cost we can’t recoup. It’ll be some time before I have a dollar estimate.”
“You don’t have any emergency funds or property to sell?” Seth asked. At one time the O’Rourkes had owned a large chunk of the land around Solitude.
“Besides the resort, the only land I have left is my house. I sold off all my extra acreage, including the old campground, to the state last year for the startup funds for the resort.” The older woman twisted the pearls at her neck. “This is it. If the resort doesn’t open in the spring, O’Rourke Properties will be bankrupt by next summer.”
“Have you seen Mike Bell lately?”
“Last week, I think, but I’ll get Katelyn to check for sure. Mike inspected the supports for the new boathouse.” Faye rubbed her arm. “I really thought we’d gotten past the major problems when Walt was arrested. I replaced a few subs, like Alex Rollins. The work was going smoothly. Oh my.” Faye pressed a hand to her chest.
Seth moved forward. “Faye?”
“Mama.” Katelyn slid off her perch.
“I’ll be all right,” Faye wheezed. “I just need my medicine. It’s in my purse.”
Katelyn rushed out of the office, returning in a few seconds with an orange prescription bottle. She opened it and gave her mother a pill.
Faye put it under her tongue.
“Nitroglycerin?” Seth asked. Years ago his father had taken the drug for his heart.
She nodded. “I guess I can only put off that bypass for so long. I had a minor heart attack last winter.”
“How did you ever keep that a secret?” he asked.
Faye laughed. The color slowly returned to her face. “It wasn’t easy. My cardiologist is over an hour away.”
“Don’t put it off too long.” Seth exhaled. Depending on their location, it could take the EMTs fifteen to thirty minutes to respond to a call, and the ambulance ride to the nearest hospital was forty-five minutes long. “I have no desire to test the portable defibrillator in my trunk.”
“And I have no desire to be your first test subject.” Faye patted his hand. “But thank you for your concern. Please keep this to yourself. I’m having enough trouble with the resort. As soon as it’s up and running, I can tend to my health.”
“No problem.” Seth stood.
“Thank you,” she said.
Katelyn tapped Seth on the shoulder. “I’ll walk you out.”
For once she looked sincere and worried.
He followed her down the hall toward the empty reception area. “Your mom is tough.”
She nodded.
“When was the last time you saw Mike Bell?” Seth asked.
“Last week.” Her gaze faltered.
“Where did you see him?”
She scanned his face. “Why do you ask?”
“I have a witness who saw you coming out of Mike’s house before dawn last Friday morning.”
Katelyn crossed her arms and rubbed her biceps. “Mike and I were seeing each other, but we didn’t want our relationship to be public knowledge.”
“Why is that?”
“We were afraid it would look like I was sleeping with him for favors.”
Which is exactly what Seth had thought when he heard the news. “Were you?”
Anger colored her cheeks. “Of course not.”
“I wouldn’t think of Mike as your type,” Seth pointed out.
Katelyn lifted her chin. Her lips compressed, the
Or he couldn’t afford to , thought Seth. “Were either of you at the site when the fire started?”
“No.” Faye shook her head. “I was at home. I wasn’t feeling well yesterday.”
“I was here,” Katelyn said. “Except at lunchtime when I ran out to the house to check on Mama.”
Seth pulled a small notebook and pen from his pocket. “What’s the damage to the resort?”
Faye paled until her skin was the same color as the strand of pearls around her neck. “We’re insured, but we’ll definitely lose time. My projections are dependent on getting the resort open by spring. Now I don’t know if we’ll make it. The delay is a cost we can’t recoup. It’ll be some time before I have a dollar estimate.”
“You don’t have any emergency funds or property to sell?” Seth asked. At one time the O’Rourkes had owned a large chunk of the land around Solitude.
“Besides the resort, the only land I have left is my house. I sold off all my extra acreage, including the old campground, to the state last year for the startup funds for the resort.” The older woman twisted the pearls at her neck. “This is it. If the resort doesn’t open in the spring, O’Rourke Properties will be bankrupt by next summer.”
“Have you seen Mike Bell lately?”
“Last week, I think, but I’ll get Katelyn to check for sure. Mike inspected the supports for the new boathouse.” Faye rubbed her arm. “I really thought we’d gotten past the major problems when Walt was arrested. I replaced a few subs, like Alex Rollins. The work was going smoothly. Oh my.” Faye pressed a hand to her chest.
Seth moved forward. “Faye?”
“Mama.” Katelyn slid off her perch.
“I’ll be all right,” Faye wheezed. “I just need my medicine. It’s in my purse.”
Katelyn rushed out of the office, returning in a few seconds with an orange prescription bottle. She opened it and gave her mother a pill.
Faye put it under her tongue.
“Nitroglycerin?” Seth asked. Years ago his father had taken the drug for his heart.
She nodded. “I guess I can only put off that bypass for so long. I had a minor heart attack last winter.”
“How did you ever keep that a secret?” he asked.
Faye laughed. The color slowly returned to her face. “It wasn’t easy. My cardiologist is over an hour away.”
“Don’t put it off too long.” Seth exhaled. Depending on their location, it could take the EMTs fifteen to thirty minutes to respond to a call, and the ambulance ride to the nearest hospital was forty-five minutes long. “I have no desire to test the portable defibrillator in my trunk.”
“And I have no desire to be your first test subject.” Faye patted his hand. “But thank you for your concern. Please keep this to yourself. I’m having enough trouble with the resort. As soon as it’s up and running, I can tend to my health.”
“No problem.” Seth stood.
“Thank you,” she said.
Katelyn tapped Seth on the shoulder. “I’ll walk you out.”
For once she looked sincere and worried.
He followed her down the hall toward the empty reception area. “Your mom is tough.”
She nodded.
“When was the last time you saw Mike Bell?” Seth asked.
“Last week.” Her gaze faltered.
“Where did you see him?”
She scanned his face. “Why do you ask?”
“I have a witness who saw you coming out of Mike’s house before dawn last Friday morning.”
Katelyn crossed her arms and rubbed her biceps. “Mike and I were seeing each other, but we didn’t want our relationship to be public knowledge.”
“Why is that?”
“We were afraid it would look like I was sleeping with him for favors.”
Which is exactly what Seth had thought when he heard the news. “Were you?”
Anger colored her cheeks. “Of course not.”
“I wouldn’t think of Mike as your type,” Seth pointed out.
Katelyn lifted her chin. Her lips compressed, the
Similar Books
