spine.
“I was thinking, why don’t you spend today at home?” he said. “We can turn around. I’ll make a few calls and —”
“I’ll keep an eye on Gramps,” Gran said. “Won’t let him out of my sight.”
“My point is you shouldn’t have to.”
“The man who made money is too smart to return.”
He swung around to see the lift of her chin. Oh, he recognized her stubborn stance. “Your safety is my number one priority.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s secure and —”
“We’re going on a picnic today.” Gramps unfastened his seat belt.
Daniel would not challenge him. “With your lovely wife?”
Gramps hoisted his backpack, which held a journal and a framed picture of Gran on her eighteenth birthday. “She’s not my wife yet. But I’m fixin’ to pop the question today.”
“Gee, thanks, Earl,” Gran said. “Who am I? Or does it really matter?” She laughed, but her response didn’t ease Daniel’s stress. She faked it, and he knew it.
“Gran, I’m serious,” Daniel said.
“I am too.” She opened the truck door. “You do your job, and I’ll handle Earl.”
“Does Miss Leonard have a clue you carry an S&W in your purse?”
Gran frowned. “It’s none of her business. We old people aren’t frisked. Right now, I need to get Earl inside. Are you coming?”
“I’m right with you.”
“Good,” Gramps said. “I don’t want to miss a minute of today.”
“I’ll be texting,” Daniel said.
“I’ll respond if I have time and the subject is important,” she said. “Oh, here are your flowers.” She handed him a bouquet of red roses that he planned to give to Marsha Leonard. The woman was a little odd —he never seemed to know if she was in a good mood. Charm and flowers should help his cause.
When his grandparents had settled into the multipurpose area to greet their friends, Daniel waited at the front desk to talk to Miss Leonard before leaving for work. She looked like she’d soon be eligible for a retirement center herself. He gave her his most dazzling smile and handed her the roses. “Are we friends again?”
She inhaled the roses. “I suppose, but you can be impossible sometimes. I was really angry last night.”
“I’m sorry to have upset you.” And he was.
“The roses cover a multitude of sins,” she said.
“That makes me irresistible.”
She pursed her mouth for a less-than-friendly look, then sighed. “Okay, Officer Irresistible, how can I help you?”
He showed her the brochure from Lifestyle Insurance. “Have you seen this before?”
She read it and handed it back to him. “I’ve never seen or heard of the company. There’s no contact information.”
Daniel nodded. “Gramps said a man gave it to him.”
“While here?”
“Yes.”
“The mysterious salesman who took their money and ran?”
“I’m simply trying to put what my grandparents have said in the right perspective. Learn the truth.”
“I’d like that too. But I’m no help.” She glanced at the security cameras. “These don’t lie, and neither do our visitor ledgers.”
No point in bringing up possible computer access to security cameras or the half-staff mode during the afternoon. “I would hate to find another center.”
She paled, no doubt thinking about the wing his grandparents were funding. “That won’t be necessary. The FBI’s visit this afternoon has shaken our board of directors, and one of our staff members quit, probably because of your interview. I’d hate to lose more trained people when they fear for their jobs.”
“People are nervous when they have something to hide. Lawenforcement are professionals who know how to be respectful. Did anyone complain about my questions?”
“No.”
“My point, Miss Leonard. Who left?”
“Liz Austin.”
Not much of a loss in his opinion. “Did she give a reason?”
Marsha shook her head. “Said she found a better position.”
8:30 A.M. FRIDAY
Abby Hilton closed her Kindle case
“I was thinking, why don’t you spend today at home?” he said. “We can turn around. I’ll make a few calls and —”
“I’ll keep an eye on Gramps,” Gran said. “Won’t let him out of my sight.”
“My point is you shouldn’t have to.”
“The man who made money is too smart to return.”
He swung around to see the lift of her chin. Oh, he recognized her stubborn stance. “Your safety is my number one priority.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s secure and —”
“We’re going on a picnic today.” Gramps unfastened his seat belt.
Daniel would not challenge him. “With your lovely wife?”
Gramps hoisted his backpack, which held a journal and a framed picture of Gran on her eighteenth birthday. “She’s not my wife yet. But I’m fixin’ to pop the question today.”
“Gee, thanks, Earl,” Gran said. “Who am I? Or does it really matter?” She laughed, but her response didn’t ease Daniel’s stress. She faked it, and he knew it.
“Gran, I’m serious,” Daniel said.
“I am too.” She opened the truck door. “You do your job, and I’ll handle Earl.”
“Does Miss Leonard have a clue you carry an S&W in your purse?”
Gran frowned. “It’s none of her business. We old people aren’t frisked. Right now, I need to get Earl inside. Are you coming?”
“I’m right with you.”
“Good,” Gramps said. “I don’t want to miss a minute of today.”
“I’ll be texting,” Daniel said.
“I’ll respond if I have time and the subject is important,” she said. “Oh, here are your flowers.” She handed him a bouquet of red roses that he planned to give to Marsha Leonard. The woman was a little odd —he never seemed to know if she was in a good mood. Charm and flowers should help his cause.
When his grandparents had settled into the multipurpose area to greet their friends, Daniel waited at the front desk to talk to Miss Leonard before leaving for work. She looked like she’d soon be eligible for a retirement center herself. He gave her his most dazzling smile and handed her the roses. “Are we friends again?”
She inhaled the roses. “I suppose, but you can be impossible sometimes. I was really angry last night.”
“I’m sorry to have upset you.” And he was.
“The roses cover a multitude of sins,” she said.
“That makes me irresistible.”
She pursed her mouth for a less-than-friendly look, then sighed. “Okay, Officer Irresistible, how can I help you?”
He showed her the brochure from Lifestyle Insurance. “Have you seen this before?”
She read it and handed it back to him. “I’ve never seen or heard of the company. There’s no contact information.”
Daniel nodded. “Gramps said a man gave it to him.”
“While here?”
“Yes.”
“The mysterious salesman who took their money and ran?”
“I’m simply trying to put what my grandparents have said in the right perspective. Learn the truth.”
“I’d like that too. But I’m no help.” She glanced at the security cameras. “These don’t lie, and neither do our visitor ledgers.”
No point in bringing up possible computer access to security cameras or the half-staff mode during the afternoon. “I would hate to find another center.”
She paled, no doubt thinking about the wing his grandparents were funding. “That won’t be necessary. The FBI’s visit this afternoon has shaken our board of directors, and one of our staff members quit, probably because of your interview. I’d hate to lose more trained people when they fear for their jobs.”
“People are nervous when they have something to hide. Lawenforcement are professionals who know how to be respectful. Did anyone complain about my questions?”
“No.”
“My point, Miss Leonard. Who left?”
“Liz Austin.”
Not much of a loss in his opinion. “Did she give a reason?”
Marsha shook her head. “Said she found a better position.”
8:30 A.M. FRIDAY
Abby Hilton closed her Kindle case
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