And why couldn’t I stop asking dumb questions? Althea was here because Jane had invited her, duh! There was nothing nefarious about her presence here this afternoon.
Deliberately I turned back to Ian. We talked for another minute until someone behind me ordered a drink. I turned and bumped into Stephen Darby. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“No damage done,” he said, smiling as he extended his hand. “Hello. We met the other day. Stephen Darby. You’re . . . Sharon?”
“Shannon.”
He winced. “Sorry, Shannon. You were Jesse’s neighbor.”
“And you’re Ned’s son.”
“Right.” We smiled at each other. He turned to Ian and asked for two scotch and waters for Bob and Ned, and a glass of white wine for himself. I waited for him, sipping my wine as Ian worked.
“Here, let me help you,” I said, and took one of the cocktails Stephen had ordered. We delivered them to the two older men, who were involved in a stirring discussion with Mac about navy policies.
Mac winked at me by way of greeting before continuing his conversation with the two men. I turned back to Stephen. “I remember you said you were working at Tre Mondrian. How’s it going?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You have a good memory.”
“I love that restaurant,” I said brightly, “so naturally I remembered you talking about it. Is it working out okay?”
“It’s, uh, yeah, it’s going great. It’s part-time for a few months and then I’ll go full-time this summer.” His gaze flitted restlessly over the crowd and I wondered if I was boring him as well as the other way around. He clearly wasn’t interested in my charms, shocking as that was.
“That’s good to hear.” We strolled around the room and outside onto the deck while I tried to find something to talk about. Not usually an issue for me, but Jane was right. Stephen wasn’t exactly electrifying company. “And you’ve found a place to live?”
“Not yet,” he said, sounding sheepish. “I’m starting to look at houses in town, but meanwhile, I’m bunking with my dad.”
“You’ll find the right home.”
“I hope so.” He took a big gulp of wine, glancing around, looking desperate to find someone else. Jane, no doubt. “I’d like to get something near the beach.”
I wished I hadn’t vowed to stay close to him, because I was so ready to walk away. Would he even notice? I tried to think of a way to steer the conversation toward what I needed to know without being obvious about it. Such as, where was he the night of the murder? Did he know about the necklace?
Did he murder my friend Jesse?
“I don’t blame you,” I said. “The coastline is beautiful.”
“Especially around Lighthouse Cove,” he said. “I love this area. I think it’s the prettiest part of Northern California.”
“I think so.” I tried to smile, but it wasn’t easy. I didn’t believe a word he was saying. It was my own fault for striking up a conversation with someone whose name was number four on my suspect list. My judgment was already clouded by that, and now every little thing he said, the tone of his voice, his facial gestures, felt false.
“Are you looking to buy something or rent? I usually know which houses are on the market so I’d be happy to help.”
“Oh.” I must’ve caught him off guard with my offer, because he looked stymied. “I’ve actually been looking for a place similar to the one Jesse owned. Smaller, one story, but still in the Victorian style.”
I smiled tepidly. “Sad to say, Jesse’s home will be on the market eventually.”
“Of course. I didn’t mean to sound crass. I just remember visiting him once and really liking the feel of the place.”
Wasn’t that fascinating?
And also, it was the first time in all these minutes that I wasn’t bored by his presence. Maybe because it was the first time he seemed genuinely connected to what he was talking about instead of just muttering small talk. Before he had seemed so distracted. Not exactly flattering to the person he was with.
“How long ago did you visit him?” I asked.
“It’s been a few years.” He set his drink down. “Maybe I should ask my Realtor to contact Jane to ask what her plans are. I don’t want to pressure her by asking her directly.”
Oh, really? I thought. Ask Jane? Jesse’s place would be available when I said so. Meow!
I knew it wasn’t fair to be influenced by the fact that Stephen’s name was on my suspect list, but there it was. He bugged me. I managed to keep talking though, because I was on a mission of sorts.
“So, do you scuba dive like your father does?” I asked.
“I got certified a few years ago, but I’m not as gung ho about it as Dad is.” He chuckled. “If he could throw on a wet suit and jump in the water every weekend, he’d be a happy man.”
He looked almost animated again. Score another point for me.
“We have some great diving areas around here,” I said. “Did he tell you about our amazing shipwreck right in the middle of Lighthouse Bay?”