*
AMBULANCES SOON ARRIVED to transport both Zach and Cora to the hospital. They seemed fine, but the extra precaution seemed prudent in both cases. Olive was also being transported. By police cruiser, that was, straight to Bentley’s residence. I was the one to think of the idea. After all, the back of a police cruiser was designed to transport violent, hardened criminals to justice. It might just survive transporting Olive across town to Bentley’s condo. I’d recovered my purse and phone and called ahead to give Bentley a quick rundown on the events that had transpired. After hearing that not one, but two of her clients were murderers . . . well, let’s just say, if Franklin was right and dogs did lower blood pressure, then Bentley would be needing as much comfort as Olive could provide.
“I hope Cora won’t mind me parking my Vespa in here,” I told Sean, who was helping me push my scooter into the carriage house behind the inn. He’d given me a police-issue jacket from his vehicle to cover my bare arms. I plodded behind him, the high heels of my sandals catching in the cracks of the snow-covered cobblestone path that ran between the main house and the carriage house.
“I’m sure she won’t mind,” Sean replied. He reached up and pulled open the large wooden door and pushed my scooter inside. “It’ll at least stay dry in here. I’ll bring you back by tomorrow to pick it up.” Despite what must have been a rough ride over snow-covered roads, it didn’t seem to have sustained any damage. Thank goodness. Between saving for the wedding, and the extra demand on my grocery bill since Trey was home, there wasn’t much wiggle room in my budget for scooter repairs.
“I almost feel sorry for Lynn,” I said, as he lowered the kickstand. “It’s almost like she was under Dr. Meyers’s spell. You should have heard her tell about it. Dr. Meyers had convinced Lynn that she’d never be free of Chuck until she’d helped get rid of him. Like it was part of a therapy to get out of her depression. She was so in awe of the woman.”
“Still, she participated in murder. Premeditated murder. We have a full confession from Dr. Meyers.”
“But what a waste. She’d already broken away from Chuck’s abuse. Found a way to make her life count for something. She’d found her passion . . . writing. But now she’ll never get a chance to know where it could have taken her.” I shook my head again. “Such a terrible waste of talent. Of a life.”
We were back outside. Sean reached up and pulled the garage door shut. “Don’t worry, Lila. She’ll have a full psych workup. Her lawyer will make sure of it. Maybe she’ll finally get the help she needs.”
“I know; it’s just that—”
He had stopped and placed his hand under my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. Those intense blue eyes that never ceased to mesmerize me. He put his finger to my lips. “We can talk all about the case another time. I’m just glad you’re safe.” A snowflake landed on my nose and he brushed it away, and then his eyes rolled skyward. I followed his gaze to the full winter moon, which hung in the sky like a luminous pearl. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said.
I nodded. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The way the silver moonlight cast a bluish tinge to the sky, making the snowy white branches of a nearby tree seem to almost glow in the dark. All around us, big fluffy snowflakes fell, like glittery confetti. Cold, but beautiful. I shivered.
“Cold?” he asked.
“Well, this dress wasn’t exactly designed as outdoor wear.” I pulled the jacket he’d given me tighter around my body.
“Did I mention that you look beautiful in it?”
I shook my head and felt a grin tug at my lips. “No. You didn’t.”
His eyes crinkled. “I’m a lucky man. You’re both beautiful and smart, Lila. You never cease to amaze me.”
“Are you complimenting my sleuthing abilities, Detective?”
A slight shadow overcame his expression and he dropped his hand. But after pausing a half beat, he shrugged and smiled again. “I guess I am. Maybe there’s something to all that mystery reading you do, after all.”
I tilted my head back and laughed, really laughed. And it felt good. For the first time that week, I let go. I let go of my worries about Trey, work stress, the case, Mama, and . . . “Oh my goodness,” I said, snapping forward and looking into Sean’s amused expression. “My mother! I should go and give her a call.”
Sean reached out, placing his hands on my shoulders. “She’s fine. I just talked to her a little while ago.”
“You did?”
“Yes. Bentley became concerned when you left the Arts Center so quickly. She assumed it was something with Althea, so she called me. I called the hospital and just barely caught her before she checked out. She was doing fine, but of course my call put her on edge. So when she got to your house she did what she always does when she’s on edge.”