Remember, I called you. It’s my fault,” I remarked. “But you should have left when I wanted you to.”
“You all figure this out,” muttered Shaneika, rising from the couch. “I’ve got to get to Baltimore for the next race in the Triple Crown. Let me know how this works out.”
“Thanks for letting us hold the bag!” shouted Asa after her.
“That reminds me,” June said to Liam. “We need to be in Baltimore too.”
Liam rose and helped June out of her chair. “All arrangements have been made, my Lady. Charles and Amelia are ready whenever you are.”
June turned to Asa and me. “You two lock up when you finish here. See you in a couple of days, Josiah. Asa, I hope you’re in London when I get back. Get that dreadful man out of your life once and for all.”
Asa rose and went across the room. Kissing June on the cheek, she said, “Thank you, Lady Elsmere. That’s sound advice.”
I sputtered, “I’ve been telling you that. How come June gets a kiss and I get the kiss-off?”
June laughed. “Oh, Josiah, it’s so easy to push your buttons. Stay well, my darlings. I love you both.”
Asa saw them to the door where Charles, Amelia, and the Bentley waited for them. She watched until the car went down the driveway and out of sight.
She found me in the kitchen with Bess, packing food in a basket. “Mom, what are you doing?”
“Bess is closing the kitchen while June is gone and we both are taking perishables out of the fridge, so they won’t go to waste.”
“Do you really need two pies?”
“I don’t have two pies. I have slices from two pies.”
Asa looked in the basket. “Look at all this ham. You’ve got country ham and city ham both.”
“No one said you had to eat any of this,” I replied while spooning broccoli casserole into Tupperware. “You’re just creating a fuss to avoid seeing Minor.”
“Minor?” said Bess sharply. “Is that rat in town?”
“You’re behind on your gossip, Bess,” I said.
“Must be. No one told me about Minor.”
Asa grabbed several oatmeal cookies as she went out the door. “I’m going. I’m going. I’ll get this settled with him for once and for all.”
Bess watched out the window as Asa left. “I hope she doesn’t end up shooting him.”
It just slipped out of my mouth. “Some rats deserve to die.”
It was then that I knew I needed to see Goetz again.
I needed to set things straight.
33
G oetz opened the door to his apartment. “This is a surprise.”
“May I come in?” I asked.
“Sure,” he replied, stepping out of the way.
I entered his apartment and sat in a chair.
“Can I take your coat?” he asked.
“No, thanks. I’m not staying.”
“Oh, I see. Are you going to tell me to get lost?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you told me and I wanted to assure you that is one secret I’ll carry to my grave.”
“That’s nice,” replied Goetz, taking a chair across from mine. “It would be hard to go to prison at my age . . . and a cop at that.”
Goetz’ face remained stoic, making it hard to read him. I continued, “I wanted to thank you for saving me. I am truly grateful.”
Goetz nodded. “It sounds like there is a ‘but’ coming somewhere in this.”
“You said that when Minor married Asa, you checked us out. Brannon and I were already in a rocky place then. I think that is when he started hiding money from me. Would you know where he put it?”
Goetz hesitated for a moment and then answered, “I might.”
I rubbed my hands together from sheer nervousness. “Brannon sold his share of his architectural firm and received five hundred thousand dollars. I never saw a penny of that money.”
“Is this what you came here to discuss? Money? What about us?”
“There is no ‘us’. There never was an ‘us’.”
“So what were we doing?”
“Two lonely people spending some quality time together. It was never more than friendship.”
“Maybe on your part.”
“I told you that I
“You all figure this out,” muttered Shaneika, rising from the couch. “I’ve got to get to Baltimore for the next race in the Triple Crown. Let me know how this works out.”
“Thanks for letting us hold the bag!” shouted Asa after her.
“That reminds me,” June said to Liam. “We need to be in Baltimore too.”
Liam rose and helped June out of her chair. “All arrangements have been made, my Lady. Charles and Amelia are ready whenever you are.”
June turned to Asa and me. “You two lock up when you finish here. See you in a couple of days, Josiah. Asa, I hope you’re in London when I get back. Get that dreadful man out of your life once and for all.”
Asa rose and went across the room. Kissing June on the cheek, she said, “Thank you, Lady Elsmere. That’s sound advice.”
I sputtered, “I’ve been telling you that. How come June gets a kiss and I get the kiss-off?”
June laughed. “Oh, Josiah, it’s so easy to push your buttons. Stay well, my darlings. I love you both.”
Asa saw them to the door where Charles, Amelia, and the Bentley waited for them. She watched until the car went down the driveway and out of sight.
She found me in the kitchen with Bess, packing food in a basket. “Mom, what are you doing?”
“Bess is closing the kitchen while June is gone and we both are taking perishables out of the fridge, so they won’t go to waste.”
“Do you really need two pies?”
“I don’t have two pies. I have slices from two pies.”
Asa looked in the basket. “Look at all this ham. You’ve got country ham and city ham both.”
“No one said you had to eat any of this,” I replied while spooning broccoli casserole into Tupperware. “You’re just creating a fuss to avoid seeing Minor.”
“Minor?” said Bess sharply. “Is that rat in town?”
“You’re behind on your gossip, Bess,” I said.
“Must be. No one told me about Minor.”
Asa grabbed several oatmeal cookies as she went out the door. “I’m going. I’m going. I’ll get this settled with him for once and for all.”
Bess watched out the window as Asa left. “I hope she doesn’t end up shooting him.”
It just slipped out of my mouth. “Some rats deserve to die.”
It was then that I knew I needed to see Goetz again.
I needed to set things straight.
33
G oetz opened the door to his apartment. “This is a surprise.”
“May I come in?” I asked.
“Sure,” he replied, stepping out of the way.
I entered his apartment and sat in a chair.
“Can I take your coat?” he asked.
“No, thanks. I’m not staying.”
“Oh, I see. Are you going to tell me to get lost?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you told me and I wanted to assure you that is one secret I’ll carry to my grave.”
“That’s nice,” replied Goetz, taking a chair across from mine. “It would be hard to go to prison at my age . . . and a cop at that.”
Goetz’ face remained stoic, making it hard to read him. I continued, “I wanted to thank you for saving me. I am truly grateful.”
Goetz nodded. “It sounds like there is a ‘but’ coming somewhere in this.”
“You said that when Minor married Asa, you checked us out. Brannon and I were already in a rocky place then. I think that is when he started hiding money from me. Would you know where he put it?”
Goetz hesitated for a moment and then answered, “I might.”
I rubbed my hands together from sheer nervousness. “Brannon sold his share of his architectural firm and received five hundred thousand dollars. I never saw a penny of that money.”
“Is this what you came here to discuss? Money? What about us?”
“There is no ‘us’. There never was an ‘us’.”
“So what were we doing?”
“Two lonely people spending some quality time together. It was never more than friendship.”
“Maybe on your part.”
“I told you that I
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