shot herself," Nell said, and Gabe thought, Oh, Christ, this is going to be bad. "I'm not sure about the details," Nell went on, speeding up, "except that Margie was there and it was awful."
"Margie saw her shoot herself?" Gabe said, hope rising.
"No," Nell said. "I think she was in the next room. But she was there, and she found her mom. It must have been terrible."
"Yes it must have been," Gabe said automatically, sitting back.
Riley knocked and came in, and Gabe pushed the ledger toward him.
"Did you see this?"
Nell stood up. "I'll leave you alone," she said and left before Gabe could say anything.
"What's with her?" he said to Riley.
"She probably didn't want to get thrown out again," Riley said, taking the ledger. "What's this?" Gabe filled him in, and when he was done, Riley looked as lousy as he felt. "You think your dad helped Trevor cover up a murder?"
"I think we'd better start looking into the suicide," Gabe said. "I'm going to call Jack Dysart and see if this is what the blackmailer really hit Trevor for. You get the police report on Helena's suicide."
Riley looked at the clock. "Tomorrow. It's too late today. What about Lynnie? You think she has something that pins this on Trevor?"
"I don't know. I stopped by today and the landlady was there again. I think she lives in the other half of the duplex, and I think she doesn't have much to do. I'm going to have to stake out the place tonight. Which reminds me, what happened with Nell last night? If we're going to be sued for something, I want to know."
"She…misunderstood," Riley said.
Gabe closed his eyes. "How badly did she misunderstand?"
"She went upstairs with him. I got her out before anything happened."
"This woman has no brains," Gabe said. "Why the hell-"
"She has brains," Riley said. "You give up on women too fast. She's a great secretary and a nice person."
"I'm glad you like her. You've got her again tonight."
"Oh, no, I don't. I have a date." Riley looked at his watch. "Your turn."
"Nope," Gabe said. "I'm stalking Lynnie."
"So can't this thing with Nell wait?"
Gabe studied him. "Is there a reason you don't want to see Nell tonight?"
"No," Riley said. "However, there is a reason I want to see the hort major."
"I see. No, it can't wait. She's going to kidnap that dog in New Albany."
"You're kidding."
"No."
"You don't know that for sure," Riley said. "I got twenty says she goes for it."
Riley considered it. "No bet. I'll watch her." He put the ledger back on Gabe's desk. "Suicide, huh?"
"We certainly hope so," Gabe said and picked up the phone.
When Suze held the door to her yellow Beetle open for Margie that night at ten, Margie said, "So what are we doing?"
"Stealing a dog," Suze said, tugging up on her low-cut tank top, the only piece of black clothing she owned. Jack liked color.
"Okay," Margie said and climbed into the backseat, holding the skirt of her black halter dress around her. "When we get done, can we go unpack Nell's china?"
"Did you miss the stealing-the-dog part?" Nell said from the front passenger seat as Suze slid into the driver's seat.
"I don't care," Margie said. "I just wanted out of the house. Budge is mad at you. He says you shouldn't be dragging me out this late at night."
"Sorry," Nell said, and Suze thought, Budge needs a hobby. Besides Margie.
"Dog stealing," Margie said. "You have such an interesting job."
Suze headed for the highway, not at all sure this was a good idea. On the other hand, a dog was being abused, and she was against that. And since she'd gotten married the day after she'd graduated from high school, she'd never gotten to pull any college pranks. No tipping cows, no stealing mascots, no putting Volkswagens in dorm rooms. This was as close as she'd ever come to youthful indiscretion and she should be enjoying it. The problem was, there might be an age limit on pranks. She was thirty-two. "You're not young anymore, babe," Jack kept saying. "Get used to it."
"Why is that guy
"Margie saw her shoot herself?" Gabe said, hope rising.
"No," Nell said. "I think she was in the next room. But she was there, and she found her mom. It must have been terrible."
"Yes it must have been," Gabe said automatically, sitting back.
Riley knocked and came in, and Gabe pushed the ledger toward him.
"Did you see this?"
Nell stood up. "I'll leave you alone," she said and left before Gabe could say anything.
"What's with her?" he said to Riley.
"She probably didn't want to get thrown out again," Riley said, taking the ledger. "What's this?" Gabe filled him in, and when he was done, Riley looked as lousy as he felt. "You think your dad helped Trevor cover up a murder?"
"I think we'd better start looking into the suicide," Gabe said. "I'm going to call Jack Dysart and see if this is what the blackmailer really hit Trevor for. You get the police report on Helena's suicide."
Riley looked at the clock. "Tomorrow. It's too late today. What about Lynnie? You think she has something that pins this on Trevor?"
"I don't know. I stopped by today and the landlady was there again. I think she lives in the other half of the duplex, and I think she doesn't have much to do. I'm going to have to stake out the place tonight. Which reminds me, what happened with Nell last night? If we're going to be sued for something, I want to know."
"She…misunderstood," Riley said.
Gabe closed his eyes. "How badly did she misunderstand?"
"She went upstairs with him. I got her out before anything happened."
"This woman has no brains," Gabe said. "Why the hell-"
"She has brains," Riley said. "You give up on women too fast. She's a great secretary and a nice person."
"I'm glad you like her. You've got her again tonight."
"Oh, no, I don't. I have a date." Riley looked at his watch. "Your turn."
"Nope," Gabe said. "I'm stalking Lynnie."
"So can't this thing with Nell wait?"
Gabe studied him. "Is there a reason you don't want to see Nell tonight?"
"No," Riley said. "However, there is a reason I want to see the hort major."
"I see. No, it can't wait. She's going to kidnap that dog in New Albany."
"You're kidding."
"No."
"You don't know that for sure," Riley said. "I got twenty says she goes for it."
Riley considered it. "No bet. I'll watch her." He put the ledger back on Gabe's desk. "Suicide, huh?"
"We certainly hope so," Gabe said and picked up the phone.
When Suze held the door to her yellow Beetle open for Margie that night at ten, Margie said, "So what are we doing?"
"Stealing a dog," Suze said, tugging up on her low-cut tank top, the only piece of black clothing she owned. Jack liked color.
"Okay," Margie said and climbed into the backseat, holding the skirt of her black halter dress around her. "When we get done, can we go unpack Nell's china?"
"Did you miss the stealing-the-dog part?" Nell said from the front passenger seat as Suze slid into the driver's seat.
"I don't care," Margie said. "I just wanted out of the house. Budge is mad at you. He says you shouldn't be dragging me out this late at night."
"Sorry," Nell said, and Suze thought, Budge needs a hobby. Besides Margie.
"Dog stealing," Margie said. "You have such an interesting job."
Suze headed for the highway, not at all sure this was a good idea. On the other hand, a dog was being abused, and she was against that. And since she'd gotten married the day after she'd graduated from high school, she'd never gotten to pull any college pranks. No tipping cows, no stealing mascots, no putting Volkswagens in dorm rooms. This was as close as she'd ever come to youthful indiscretion and she should be enjoying it. The problem was, there might be an age limit on pranks. She was thirty-two. "You're not young anymore, babe," Jack kept saying. "Get used to it."
"Why is that guy
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