smothered a giggle, noting that she didn't want to comp us another penny by bringing more beer or soda to the table. She set them down with a flourish. “I'll take care of your ticket,” she said. “If you need anything else, my name is Kat.”
I froze in mid-bite and looked at her. She did, indeed, have a name badge pinned to her chest. And it said Kat.
“Your name is Kat?” I asked.
Her face expressed both puzzlement and annoyance. So did Jake's.
“Yes,” she said slowly. “Have we met?”
I set the slice of pizza down and wiped my mouth with the paper napkin. “Um, no. I'm sorry, we haven't. But...are you Kat Fremont?”
She was still puzzled, but then she nodded. “Yes.”
I glanced at Jake, then back at her. “You're Harvey's mother.”
Something flashed through her eyes. She stood up a little straighter and swallowed hard.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I am.”
SIXTEEN
“We're staying at Windy Vista,” I said. “I was the one...that found him.” It sounded lame and terrible but I didn't know how else to introduce myself.
Kat Fremont set her hands on the table. Her knuckles were white. “I see.”
“I'm sorry,” I said quickly. “I didn't mean to catch you off-guard. I just...I recognized your name.”
“How did you know my name?
I hesitated for a moment. “Delilah mentioned it.”
Jake's eyes widened and he opened his mouth, then closed it. I knew what he was thinking: why on earth was I bringing this up?
She stiffened and the expression on her face soured. “I'll bet she did.”
“It wasn't in a bad way,” I said quickly. “I just didn't know anything about your son and—”
“She kept him there,” Kat said, seething. “She kept him at Windy Vista.”
Jake stared into his empty beer, almost as if he'd been hypnotized.
“I specifically asked her to help me get him out of this place.” Kat's jaw quivered. “So he wouldn't be stuck here like the rest of us. But she wouldn't listen to me. She hired him and he never left. And look where it got him.” Tears bloomed in her eyes. “Look where it got him.”
I caught Jake's almost imperceptible nod and nudged him under the table. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything.”
If she heard me, she didn't indicate it. A rush of words escaped her, like a dam that had burst. “I hadn't spoken to my son in a couple of years,” she said, wiping hard at her eyes. “Sure, I saw him at the gas station and around town, but we never talked.” She stifled a sob. “He wouldn't talk to me anymore.”
Jake was still staring into his empty glass, but his expression had changed. He was probably wishing we were anywhere else. Or maybe he was just wishing he was somewhere else. Maybe he'd be content to leave me behind.
“And it was all her fault,” she said, tears streaming freely down her face. “All Delilah's fault. She wouldn't listen to me and she just used him for her stupid resort.”
“Did he want to be there?” I asked, remembering what Delilah had told me.
Jake shot me a look over the glass, like he was wondering why I was encouraging her. Or sticking my nose where it didn't belong. Or a combination of those two things.
I chose to ignore him and focused on Kat.
“Of course he wanted to be there,” she snapped. “She paid him well. She let him act like he ran the place. My God, he was trying to save her from going under.” She shook her head. “He did everything there for her. Everything.” She paused, took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I always knew that if he had a job here, he'd never leave. And end up just like me.” She glanced at the table. “I should probably have brought you a couple more beers instead of water.”
Before we could object, she left the table and headed for the bar.
“Here's where I remind you that you are not a private eye,” Jake said pointedly.
“Here's where I remind you that I'm well aware of that.”
“Then why are you questioning her?” he asked. The
I froze in mid-bite and looked at her. She did, indeed, have a name badge pinned to her chest. And it said Kat.
“Your name is Kat?” I asked.
Her face expressed both puzzlement and annoyance. So did Jake's.
“Yes,” she said slowly. “Have we met?”
I set the slice of pizza down and wiped my mouth with the paper napkin. “Um, no. I'm sorry, we haven't. But...are you Kat Fremont?”
She was still puzzled, but then she nodded. “Yes.”
I glanced at Jake, then back at her. “You're Harvey's mother.”
Something flashed through her eyes. She stood up a little straighter and swallowed hard.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I am.”
SIXTEEN
“We're staying at Windy Vista,” I said. “I was the one...that found him.” It sounded lame and terrible but I didn't know how else to introduce myself.
Kat Fremont set her hands on the table. Her knuckles were white. “I see.”
“I'm sorry,” I said quickly. “I didn't mean to catch you off-guard. I just...I recognized your name.”
“How did you know my name?
I hesitated for a moment. “Delilah mentioned it.”
Jake's eyes widened and he opened his mouth, then closed it. I knew what he was thinking: why on earth was I bringing this up?
She stiffened and the expression on her face soured. “I'll bet she did.”
“It wasn't in a bad way,” I said quickly. “I just didn't know anything about your son and—”
“She kept him there,” Kat said, seething. “She kept him at Windy Vista.”
Jake stared into his empty beer, almost as if he'd been hypnotized.
“I specifically asked her to help me get him out of this place.” Kat's jaw quivered. “So he wouldn't be stuck here like the rest of us. But she wouldn't listen to me. She hired him and he never left. And look where it got him.” Tears bloomed in her eyes. “Look where it got him.”
I caught Jake's almost imperceptible nod and nudged him under the table. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything.”
If she heard me, she didn't indicate it. A rush of words escaped her, like a dam that had burst. “I hadn't spoken to my son in a couple of years,” she said, wiping hard at her eyes. “Sure, I saw him at the gas station and around town, but we never talked.” She stifled a sob. “He wouldn't talk to me anymore.”
Jake was still staring into his empty glass, but his expression had changed. He was probably wishing we were anywhere else. Or maybe he was just wishing he was somewhere else. Maybe he'd be content to leave me behind.
“And it was all her fault,” she said, tears streaming freely down her face. “All Delilah's fault. She wouldn't listen to me and she just used him for her stupid resort.”
“Did he want to be there?” I asked, remembering what Delilah had told me.
Jake shot me a look over the glass, like he was wondering why I was encouraging her. Or sticking my nose where it didn't belong. Or a combination of those two things.
I chose to ignore him and focused on Kat.
“Of course he wanted to be there,” she snapped. “She paid him well. She let him act like he ran the place. My God, he was trying to save her from going under.” She shook her head. “He did everything there for her. Everything.” She paused, took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I always knew that if he had a job here, he'd never leave. And end up just like me.” She glanced at the table. “I should probably have brought you a couple more beers instead of water.”
Before we could object, she left the table and headed for the bar.
“Here's where I remind you that you are not a private eye,” Jake said pointedly.
“Here's where I remind you that I'm well aware of that.”
“Then why are you questioning her?” he asked. The
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