where it supplies a motive for trying to kidnap Maddy from her father’s home. Sam Cooper is open to Norah seeing more of Maddy, so why break the law when she could accomplish the same thing through normal, legal means?”
“So we mark her off the list?”
With a sigh, Kristen nodded. “Probably.”
Foley chuckled. “Don’t sound so disappointed.”
“I’m not.” She had to smile. “Well, not much. But if that woman looks at me like I’m some inbred hick idiot one more time-”
The phone rang, keeping Foley from saying whatever he was clearly itching to say. His wry grin faded immediately. He listened to whoever was on the other line for over a minute, jotting notes on the pad in front of him. Finally, he put down his pen and looked up at Kristen. “Thanks, Rick. I’ll tell her what you found.”
Kristen’s gut tightened as he hung up the phone. “Was that your brother? Does he know something about Enrique Calderon?”
Foley nodded. “He found out where Calderon was the night of the attack on Sam Cooper’s niece and daughter.”
“SAM COOPER, A GOURMET CHEF. Who’d have believed it?” Norah lifted the lid and sniffed the savory aroma rising from the stew pot. She’d arrived at the guesthouse a half hour earlier, driving a shiny red Mercedes convertible with a Limbaugh Motors sticker and dealer plates. Sam suspected Mike Limbaugh had rented Norah his personal car, since the small dealership wasn’t known for its luxury vehicles.
“It’s just chicken-vegetable soup,” he said aloud, mildly amused by Norah’s hyperbole. “You chop a few vegetables, add some chunk chicken, water and seasonings and let it all simmer together. You should try it. It’ll knock Junior’s socks off.”
She made a face at him. “I’m just surprised you turned out to be such a good hausfrau. You were always a take-out menu sort of man back in the day.”
“Perhaps because you were always a take-out menu sort of woman.” Sam stirred the soup. “I’m working fewer hours these days, and I have a child to feed.”
As he reached for the pepper mill, he heard footsteps on the stairs outside. Automatically he went tense, reaching for the knife lying on the chopping board nearby and wishing his Glock 9 mm wasn’t hidden in a box at the top of his closet.
Norah looked up with alarm. “Sam?”
A knock on the door eased his tension only marginally. Keeping the knife in his right hand, he crossed to the door and looked out. It was Kristen Tandy. He relaxed, reaching for the door handle.
Behind him, Norah’s cell phone rang. He heard her answer as he opened the door and greeted Kristen.
“I have news,” she said tersely, not waiting to be invited inside.
Sam closed the door behind her and followed Kristen into the room. Norah joined them, her eyes bright.
In unison, both women blurted, “Enrique Calderon is dead.”
The twinge of disappointment Sam felt upon hearing the news that one of their best leads had dried up gave way to amusement as Norah and Kristen stared at each other in disbelief.
“How the hell did you know that?” Norah asked Kristen. “My contact at State called me the second he found out.”
Kristen smiled placidly. “My contact called a half hour ago with the news.”
“When did he die?” Sam asked.
Both women turned to look at him as if suddenly realizing they weren’t alone in the room. Kristen answered first. “The last time anyone saw him alive was five days ago. The FBI’s source within the cartel confirmed Calderon’s been dead at least four of those days-he saw the leader’s body himself. The cartel’s inner sanctum has been keeping things mum while they jockey for position in the leadership stakes.”
Sam glanced at Norah to see if she had anything else to add. She looked annoyed but didn’t contradict anything Kristen had said.
“Well,” he said, before the tension in the room blew up in his face, “I guess we can mark Calderon off the list, then.”
Kristen nodded. “But I think your case history is probably a good place to keep looking,” she added. “There are bound to be others like Calderon in your past.”
“Does this mean you’re taking me off the suspect list, Detective?” Norah asked drily.
Kristen turned to Norah, her gaze narrowed. “I can’t see where you’d have any motive to try to harm Maddy or Sam. They’ve made it clear that you’re welcome to have a part in their lives, so you’d have no reason to take extreme measures to be with your child.”
“Well, hallelujah. The Gossamer Ridge Constabulary takes me off the most-wanted list.” Norah feigned relief.
“Perhaps you’d prefer we skip steps and leave stones unturned in our quest to protect your daughter,” Kristen responded quietly.
Norah’s expression went serious. “No. I would not prefer that, Detective.”
“I think I hear Maddy stirring from her nap,” Sam interjected. “We didn’t discuss dinner, Detective Tandy, but there’s plenty for everyone. Unless you have other plans?”
Norah spoke before Kristen could answer. “Actually, Sam, would you mind terribly if I took Maddy out for dinner tonight? The Sycamore Inn has a lovely little French cafe on the first floor. I thought Maddy and I could eat there and get a little better acquainted. Just the two of us.”
Sam’s gut twisted at the request, catching him by surprise. He had thought he would be happy to see Norah take an interest in their daughter, but the idea of handing Maddy over to the mother she barely knew suddenly held no appeal for him.
“I’m not sure it’s safe, given what’s been happening,” Kristen interjected. Sam flashed her a grateful look.
“Oh, please. We won’t be walking down Main Street flashing a ‘come and get us’ sign,” Norah scoffed. “I just want a little alone time with my daughter at a perfectly safe little inn in downtown Gossamer Ridge.” She put her hand on Sam’s arm. “You always say I can see Maddy whenever I want, no conditions. I want to take her to dinner. Please trust me to do that.”
Sam glanced at Kristen, wondering if she’d come up with another argument. “I don’t think someone will go after her in a public place,” Kristen said, her watchful gaze batting the ball back into his court.
With a sigh, he turned back to Norah. “Her bedtime is eight-thirty. I’ll go see if she’s up from her nap.”
Sam moved reluctantly toward the bedroom door, half expecting a fight to break out the second his back was turned. But both Norah and Kristen remained silent as he opened the door and slipped into the darkened bedroom.
He crossed to the bed and turned on the small bedside lamp. Pale gold light illuminated his daughter’s sleepy face. “Is it time for my surprise?” she asked, her voice hoarse from the nap.
Trust his little girl to have a sharp memory when it came to promised treats. The surprise he’d promised was the batch of peanut butter fudge his mom had made the night before and packed up for him earlier when they were at his parents’ house, but now he had a different surprise. “How would you like to go to dinner with just your mommy tonight?”
“Mommy?” Maddy sounded a little doubtful, as if she had expected to wake to find Norah already gone.
Sam’s heart spasmed. “Your mother wants to take you to the inn where she’s staying to have dinner. Just the two of you. Wouldn’t you like that? A girls’ night out?”
Maddy’s forehead wrinkled. “Just Mommy and me?”
Sam nodded. “It’ll be fun. I bet she’ll even buy you some chocolate ice cream for dessert.” He made a mental note to make sure Norah did just that.
“Well, okay,” Maddy said after a moment. “Can I wear my purple dress?”
He smiled, relieved he’d thought to pack it. “You betcha.” He went to the closet and pulled down her favorite purple sundress, the one with the bright yellow sash and the enormous sunflower right in the middle. Maddy loved to wear it for special occasions like birthdays and parties. Maybe it was a good sign that she was excited enough about dinner with her mother to think of the purple dress.
As he helped her into the dress and brushed her hair, he found his mind wandering away from the idea of Norah and Maddy out on the town together and into the dangerous territory of dinner alone with Kristen Tandy. Would she
