“Surely she has designated a guardian in case…”
“In case she got shot? Unlikely.” Kateri was Rainbow’s emergency contact, but she felt no need to tell a sister who would view that as an open invitation. “Her parents are currently in Nepal. We’re unable to reach them.” That, at least, was the truth.
“Unfortunate.” Lilith tapped her well-manicured nails on the arm of her chair. “Yet I don’t see what harm would come of searching her closets…”
“The main harm would be that I’d have to arrest my own sister. I am the sheriff, you know.” It was amazing how the thought of putting handcuffs on Lilith revived Kateri.
“Yes. I’m aware. Naturally, I wouldn’t do it.”
Foolish Kateri, thinking Lilith would do physical labor. “Nor would I.”
“I suppose not. You do have a staff.”
“A staff.” Kateri glanced at the stick near at hand, then with a start comprehended Lilith’s meaning. “Ah. The Virtue Falls law enforcement team. They’re also opposed to breaking and entering. On principle.”
“I suppose it’s required. They seemed unaware that you have a sister and a family in Baltimore.”
“My sister always seemed surprised that she had a sister. And no, I don’t brag about my time in Baltimore with your family.”
“Your family, too. I would have thought it would lend you credibility to have our family in your background.”
Kateri’s hackles went up. “My family is here. On the reservation. In town. Up and down the coast. My family looks like me, not you.”
“I don’t understand your attitude. You achieved your success in the Coast Guard due to our father’s influence.”
Kateri’s hackles got hedgehog high. “I got into the Coast Guard Academy due to your … our … father’s influence. I succeeded because of my own efforts.”
Lilith smiled that tight-ass smile that caused wrinkles in her upper lip. “Father liked you, you know.”
Kateri blinked. Of all the things she expected to hear today, that was at the bottom of the list. “I can’t imagine that’s true. Especially after the tsunami when I was court-martialed and discharged from the Coast Guard. Being the town librarian seems nothing that would excite his admiration.”
“At that point, he did stop unfavorably comparing me to you. That was a relief. I was tired of that.” Lilith stood. “Where is your home? The trip was exhausting and I need to rest.”
Kateri’s jaw dropped. She knew it was unattractive and gave too much away. But … “You can’t stay with me. I’ve got a one-bedroom apartment. With a single bed.” No. She was not contaminating her house with this woman’s presence.
“I had assumed you—”
“No! Not unless you want to sleep on the couch.”
“You could—”
“I’m wounded.” Inspiration struck. “Also, yesterday there was a breakin.”
“A breakin? Why? Surely you have nothing anyone would want.”
True. Kateri had nothing anyone would want. “Maybe the raven?”
“Yes. You do have that. Somewhere.”
“We believe it’s the criminal who is currently at large and causing havoc in the county. You simply cannot stay at my house. It isn’t safe.”
“Where should I go?”
Kateri noted that it never occurred to Lilith to wonder if Kateri’s home was safe for Kateri. But not to cavil; at least she had easily abandoned her intention to freeload off Kateri. “It’s summer. This is a tourist town.” She experienced a flutter of panic. “You mean you showed up here without making reservations?”
“I had hoped to finish our business and leave within the hour.”
Of course you did. Kateri used a tissue to blot her suddenly hot forehead. “No reservations…”
“Perhaps one of your friends…”
My poor, unsuspecting friends. No. “A new bed-and-breakfast opened in town. Good Knight Manor Bed and Breakfast. Nice old mansion. I’ve heard their meals are superior. Maybe you can get a room there.”
“A bed-and-breakfast?” Lilith made it sound like a brothel. “Is there no other hotel? A Four Seasons or a Hyatt?”
“In Seattle.” Go!
Lilith opened her Ferragamo purse, fished out a small leather notebook embossed with her initials, removed the affixed Tiffany’s pen and clicked it officiously. “What’s the name of the bed-and-breakfast again?”
“The Good Knight Manor Bed and Breakfast.”
Lilith pulled out the smallest cell phone on the market, found the number, called the proprietor, asked for a room and said that she needed it tonight, asked for a room and said that she needed it tonight, asked for a room and said that she needed it tonight … and somehow, through the process of sheer nagging, she got her way.
Kateri reflected that she should feel guilty for siccing Lilith on the inexperienced and unsuspecting proprietress, and maybe she did. But not enough to share her apartment.
Lilith held up her hand. “Don’t get up on my account. I can find my way out and around your little town.”
“You do that. I need to do some paperwork.” Actually Kateri needed to think. She watched her sister leave, then leaned back in her chair and tapped her pencil on the desk. And waited.
As expected, Bergen showed up. “Who was that?”
“My sister.”
In tones of doubt, Bergen admitted, “That’s what she said.”
“Then it’s unanimous.”
“I didn’t know that you … I thought you were … What does she…?” Kateri watched him struggle to think of an appropriate tactful response. He must have decided discretion was the better part of valor, for he sank down in the chair Lilith had just vacated. “No fingerprints for your apartment. Nothing unexpected. You. Rainbow. Stag. Someone came in and searched the place. Someone who was smart enough to wear gloves.”
“John Terrance is smart enough.”
“But why would he care? Seems as if he’d want us to know he’d been there.”
She and Bergen had arrived at similar conclusions. Which meant there was a pretty good chance it was a solid conclusion. “I’ll tell you what. Today we’ll get someone in there to clean up my place and I’ll move back in.”
“Not a good idea.”
“I think it might be.”
“Who do you think…?” He glanced out the door. “Your sister?”
“It’s just a suspicion.”
“Why?”
Kateri tapped the pencil again. “Family heirloom.”
“You’ve got a family heirloom? How did you get it?”
“Our father sent it to me.”
“Ooh. You share a father. Makes sense.” Bergen stared into Kateri’s face, trying to see a hint of Anglo-Saxon.
“I’m tall,” she said. “I’ve got long arms. That’s what I got from him. My father. Neill Palmer. Hopefully that’s all I got from him.”
“And the family heirloom,” Bergen said helpfully. “Miss Palmer doesn’t seem the type to go in for breaking and entering.”