Cheyenne started whimpering at the door.
“I’ll take Cheyenne out first.”
“All right, I’ll meet you upstairs.”
After they left, Casey leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. The headache could become a migraine. She didn’t get them often; only when under major stress or after too much chocolate and wine. She’d take something for it now. There was too much to do to end up in bed for the rest of the day. On the upside, a chat with the gorgeous Noel Merryweather would be a welcome break from homework and endless chores.
Casey opened her eyes and stood up straight. Had she agreed to meet the guy because she was attracted to him? Was she that shallow?
“I should be off,” Lou said, approaching her. “Is everything okay? Your cheeks are a bit flushed.”
Oh, good lord; she’d been thinking about another man while her boyfriend was here. How tacky was that? “I’m all right. Summer had an argument with Winifred, but she’s fine now. We’re going to do homework together.”
Lou kissed her. “Sounds like you’ve got everything under control.”
She didn’t know how to tell him that sounds could be deceiving, so she returned his kiss and said nothing.
NINE
THE MOMENT CASEY PARKED IN the driveway of Noel Merryweather’s single-story, sandstone home, the street became hidden behind a tall, evergreen hedge. The greenery stretched along the front of his property and down both sides. Privacy was a double-edged sword. No one knew your business, even when you needed them to. A wheelchair-bound person living alone, even one with Noel’s upper body strength, could be vulnerable to danger. Judging by the intercom and the sign stating that this house was protected by a security system, Noel thought so too. The system hadn’t kept him out of trouble, though.
Casey checked her makeup in the mirror, and then adjusted the pale blue chiffon scarf around her neck. She felt a little guilty for dressing up to see him, if one could call a scarf and a pair of silver earrings dressing up. At least she hadn’t gone all out. Her navy pants and jacket were old.
She had to admit that part of her looked forward to this visit. Not in a swooning, Jello-legs way, but in a sexist, eye-candy way. If Noel wasn’t a murder suspect, he’d qualify as one of life’s guilty pleasures. She’d met great-looking, charismatic guys before and had even been attracted to some of them. Never in a million years, though, would she let herself fall for a man she didn’t trust. Besides, she had a man, and Lou was the best.
Casey stepped out of her car and strolled along the cement walkway past a neatly trimmed lawn. She’d reached the ramp leading to the door when it opened and Noel appeared. Oh lord, he must have been watching her. Had he seen her check her makeup?
Her cheeks grew warm. “Hi.”
Thanks to the black T-shirt hugging his biceps, Noel looked even more appealing than he had at the funeral. Today, his hair was tied back in a ponytail. A white husky stood next to his wheelchair.
“Thanks for being on time.” He moved his chair back from the door. “Not many people even try these days.”
“It’s a thing with me.” As the husky ambled up to her, Casey reached out her hand so the dog could sniff her. “Who’s this?”
“This is Sam. Come on, buddy, let’s give her some room.”
As they backed up, Casey stepped over the threshold, shutting the door behind her.
“I really appreciate you coming by.” He rolled toward the back of the house. “Marie said you’re busy these days.”
“No problem.” Especially when she was with the poster boy for charming, ruggedly handsome studs. “You wouldn’t be interested in owning one of Jasmine’s pets, would you? The gerbils and hamsters are pretty cute, and the guinea pigs seem to have personalities.”
“I’m not sure how Sam would take to them, but I’ll think about it.”
In the living room, floor-to-ceiling windows provided a wide view of a small lake and surrounding parkland.
“Wow,” Casey said. “Who knew you’d find waterfront property thirty minutes east of Vancouver?”
“Como Lake’s man-made. I always wanted to live near water and this place was more affordable than Vancouver waterfront.”
Still, a property this size wouldn’t be cheap. A pair of swans floated near tall reeds. Ample green space separated Noel’s windows from a walking trail around the lake.
“Can I get you some coffee?”
“I’ve had my quota for the day, but you go ahead.”
She didn’t want to trigger another migraine. Yesterday’s pain hadn’t been severe, but one migraine usually made her vulnerable to more if diet and stress weren’t monitored.
“I’m pretty wired myself,” Noel said. “Make yourself at home.”
Casey sat on a black leather sofa against the wall while Noel stayed on the other side of a rectangular, smoked-glass coffee table. She noticed the notepad on the table. Someone had drawn a cute goggle-wearing dolphin leaping out of the water. A mug and nearly empty coffee pot stood beside the notepad. Noel was angling his chair, presumably so he could see her and the lake. Sam lay down beside him. When Noel stared at her, her cheeks heated up again.
“I’m sorry,” he said, glancing at Sam, “but you have the most gorgeous violet eyes I’ve ever seen.”
“Thanks.” His eyes were pretty great, too.
“Would you like to hear about my relationship with Jasmine first, or my alibi?”
“Let’s start with your relationship.”
“Jasmine and I were great friends more than anything.”
“You knew each other well?”
“I guess that depends on what you mean by well.” He paused. “I knew she was adopted and that her family situation was tough.”
“In what way?”
He paused. “I’m not sure her family problems are relevant. Then again, how will you know unless I tell you?” Noel looked down. “Jasmine was molested by her grandfather when she was six. Jasmine’s mother literally caught her father-in-law with his pants down in Jasmine’s bedroom.”
Casey took a quick intake of breath. “Oh, god.”
“The father was afraid of scandal, so they sent the old man to live with a relative whose kids had grown and moved out.”
“Unbelievable.”
“Jasmine only talked about it once. We were watching the news and a story came on about the same type of thing. She got upset and, well . . .”
“Did she get any counseling?”
“No, and that’s the other sick part. Some of the relatives decided Jasmine made it up. Said she wasn’t real family and began questioning her gene pool. The rift in the family never healed and after her parents died, the relatives disowned her.”
“That’s friggin’ awful.”
“Yeah well, the twenty-first century hasn’t banished ignorance.” Noel looked out the window.
The bitterness in his voice made Casey wonder if he was referring to more than Jasmine’s abuse. How many times had his disability forced him to confront ignorance?
“Jasmine must have built up a lot of anger.”
“She tried not to let it get to her, but sometimes . . . Anyway, here’s something relevant.” Noel shifted in his chair. “The night before Jasmine’s murder, she and I had a fight.”
“Oh.”
Given the nastiness between Jasmine and herself the day before she died, plus Jasmine’s altercation with the
