Obsession Falls by Christina Dodd Page A

back at her.
    Taylor could tell they’d gone over this ground multiple times, and their fight was nothing more than affectionate sparring. She started backing away. “I should go back to work, too, before Georg fires me.”
    “If he tries, tell him to speak to me,” the old man said gruffly. “Anyway, it looks like they’re hailing me to do my little song and dance, and start the auction.” He straightened his coat.
    Lorena straightened his tie.
    He walked toward the stage to increasing applause.
    Of course. He was Joshua Brothers, the host of the party and the owner of the house. All the clues had been there. Taylor had simply become so socially inept she hadn’t recognized them.
    Mrs. Brothers patted her arm. “When the party’s over, come and find me and we’ll trim that hair of yours. It’ll improve your chances to find steady work.”
    Mr. Brothers took the microphone and announced Lorena’s name in proud tones.
    “There’s my cue,” Mrs. Brothers said.
    Taylor watched her walk toward the stage. Keep a steady job. Is that what she should be doing? Tonight, no one had recognized her. Instead of skulking in the mountains with no plan and no future, should she go into Ketchum and see about becoming a … a waitress?
    Yes. She could continue to work. Because no one ever looked at the servers. But for any kind of work, she needed a first and last name and a Social Security number. Not everyone was going to look at her and assume she was registered with an employment agency, nor would they be willing to hire her with no documentation. Georg had been reluctant, and Taylor had no guarantee she would receive money for her stint tonight. On the other hand, she’d had a hot meal and a shower, so it was worth taking the chance.
    At the party, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and the auction gave way to dancing, and then a generous buffet and circulating trays of dessert. Summer carried the bite-sized lime cheesecake in a chocolate cup, and found herself very popular. She was serving two women, smiling and saying, “I’m sorry, if you’re lactose intolerant I’m afraid the cheesecake is not your best choice. But the cotton candy cups are not far behind, and—”
    Behind her she heard a man say, “You know the Renners had a false alarm on their security system, right? Now Dick Harbo insists his place got broken into.”

 
     
    CHAPTER NINETEEN
     
    Taylor froze like a statue, tray balanced, expression fixed. “—and I tested them myself,” she finished in a hurry, and turned to offer the cheesecake bites to the three couples behind her. “Lime cheesecake bites,” she said, and willed the man to keep talking.
    “How would Harbo know? Since his divorce, that place is a junkheap.” The female speaker could not have been more disdainful of Dick Harbo, or more enthusiastic about the cheesecake. She took two.
    “Maybe so.” The man spoke; Taylor recognized his voice. “But he knows everything he has and where it is. He’s missing a one-man tent, a survival guide, some dried rations, his ex’s backpack, some other stuff.” He waved off Taylor and her tray.
    Now Taylor knew the name of the guy she’d stolen the tent from, that he was obsessive-compulsive about his possessions, and her suspicions of his divorce were confirmed. Great.
    “Did the burglar destroy anything?” another man asked.
    “How could you tell?” the first woman asked.
    Everybody laughed.
    Everyone except Taylor, who hoped she didn’t have that deer-in-the-headlights expression.
    A third man said to Taylor, “Sure, honey. I’ll take one of those.” Then, “Was anything messed up?”
    “Clean as a whistle,” the first guy said.
    “What kind of burglar breaks in and cleans up after himself?” the third guy asked. “Sounds to me like Harbo is drinking too much.”
    Another woman came from behind and joined the group. “Yes, but we’re missing our pistol.”
    With a jolt, Taylor realized that everybody here knew each other.