She sighed. “Someone beat up Lou three nights ago.”
“Oh no! Is he all right?”
“He was in the hospital but he’s recovering at his mom’s now. There’s no broken bones, thank god, just cuts and bruises. He’ll be okay, hon.”
“I tried calling him yesterday.” She swallowed hard. “Who would do that?”
“No clue. The cops didn’t catch the guy. Lou came for dinner that night and he was hoping you’d call because he had news about the Marine Drive house. Anyway, just as he left, Lillian phoned.”
“What did she want?”
“To know how I was coping with the murder. While I was telling her to mind her own business, some guy grabbed Lou and dragged him into the garage.”
“Oh god.” Casey pictured the old garage at the back of Rhonda’s property, used for storing a cord of wood and gardening tools.
“After I hung up, I saw Lou’s truck was still here, so I went outside and found the garage door open.” Rhonda’s voice trembled. “He was half buried in the woodpile.”
Tears filled Casey’s eyes. “Why Lou?”
“That’s the other scary part. Lou said that the guy wanted to know who you were meeting in Europe, and he warned Lou to stay away from Marcus’s place or he’d kill his family and friends.”
The hair on Casey’s arm and neck stood up.
“Shit, Casey, what if the psycho finds out I was at the house too?”
Casey heard Darcy say, “Don’t worry. I’m here.”
She wiped the tear sliding down her cheek. “Did Lou get a look at the guy?”
“No, it was dark and the maniac wore a hooded jacket.”
Like the freak who’d jumped her. Casey studied the lobby’s gold and turquoise carpet.
“You said he had news about the house?”
“Someone stole everything and tore up a bunch of floorboards in the living room.”
“What! Where was the security I hired?”
“Apparently, the company had changed the locks but hadn’t installed the new alarm system before the thief struck. They did have a guard watching the place. Seems he was beaten worse than Lou. Anyway, Lou said the alarm’s being installed today.”
“Did you tell Detective Lalonde what happened?”
“I did when he came by to collect some of Marcus’s things for forensic testing. Jerk asked about Marcus and me, so I asked him how friendly he was with Lillian. Then he got all red-faced and changed the subject.” Rhonda groaned, “Oooh, that’s amazing.”
“Tell Lalonde that you’re worried about Summer’s safety and ask if he can have an officer watch your place.”
“I did. He said he’d see what he could do, like that’ll help.” Rhonda sighed. “I’m really worried about Summer, especially after what happened the day after Lou’s attack.”
Fear squeezed Casey’s ribs. “What else?”
“Lillian called again, but this time Summer answered while I was doing the laundry.” Rhonda’s voice cracked. “Apparently, Lillian said she’d soon tell Summer all about her mother, things she wouldn’t know because she was just a tiny baby.”
“I don’t understand. Mother was out of the picture when you adopted Summer.”
“Casey, she was referring to my sister, not me. Lillian and I stayed in touch, remember? Of course she knew I’d adopted, but I never told her the circumstances surrounding Summer’s birth. Well, it seems Lillian now knows not only the whole story but also that I never told Summer. She’s going to tell her, Casey, I know it.”
Casey leaned against the wall. “Why would Mother do that?”
“To damage my relationship with Summer.”
Was Mother really malicious enough to turn a child’s world upside down? “How did she find out?”
“Lillian told Summer that she’d seen my mom. Last night, I found out it’s true. Mom told her everything about Summer’s birth because she’s mad at me for not bringing Summer around more often. God, Casey, what am I going to do?”
Casey tried to curb the feeling that Mother was dropping a net over all three of them. “I’ll figure something out.”
“Darcy,” Rhonda said, “bring me my bathrobe, will you?”
Casey cringed.
“Listen, you won’t want to hear this, but I have to say it.” Rhonda cleared her throat. “I have a terrible feeling that Lillian killed Marcus. I know she didn’t want their marriage to end in the first place, but to lose him to me, well . . . I just don’t understand why she waited so long to do it.”
Casey did, if Gislinde had told the truth. “We’ll deal with this when I get back. Just make sure Summer doesn’t take any more calls from her. I’ll be home soon.”
After their conversation ended, Casey walked down the dimly lit corridor while she tried to process the real possibility that Mother could have killed Dad. She reached her room, inserted her key in the lock and opened the door. She’d barely taken a step inside when she realized someone was right behind her. Casey turned and saw Theo. Before she could move he’d blocked the doorway.
“You might as well let me in,” he said, “because I’m not leaving until we talk.”
Oh, hell. Staring at him, she decided to play it cool. Better to stay on friendly terms with him and learn as much as she could.
“You look a little damp,” she said, glancing at his wet hair. “I’d offer you a towel, but this place doesn’t have any.” She stepped back and let him enter. “Mother must have told you where I was.”
“She’s worried about your safety, and she’s furious with me for making her work when she really wanted to see you, but it couldn’t be helped.” Theo draped his wet raincoat over the room’s only chair. He surveyed the pink bedspread, pink curtains, and grungy pink walls. “This is terrible.”
“I know, it’s like living inside a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, but it was the only thing the travel agent could book on short notice.” Laughter erupted from the room above them. “The floors are pretty thin, too.”
“I wish you had let me escort you to Amsterdam or wherever else you went. I know plenty of hotel managers who would have given you a reduced rate.”
“Thanks, but I prefer not to rely on favors.”
Theo nodded. “So, have you learned anything useful?”
“Yeah, Daphne Reid’s alibi doesn’t check out. I went to the gallery he claimed to have been at on April twenty-fifth, and their opening actually took place a week earlier.”
“I’ll look into his activities.” Theo looked closer at her. “Why are your eyes so red?”
Stepping away from him, she repeated Rhonda’s news about Lou, the stolen furniture, and the ruined living room floor. “I think Lou was attacked by the same guy who went after me.”
“You never told me about that.”
“It happened the day after I heard about the murder.” Once she’d filled Theo in, he started to put his arm around her, but she moved away. Overhead, heavy footsteps crossed the room.
“I also learned that an employee who’d worked at the restaurant where Dad picked up the botulism committed suicide a few days after the poisoning. None of the staff had worked there back then and didn’t know his name.”
“I’ll look into that as well.”
“I appreciate it.” So, what was all this help about, and how far would Theo take the good guy routine? “I know someone who thinks Mother might have killed Dad. A woman was seen in his house less than an hour before he died, wearing the kind of flashy clothing Mother always liked.”
“What would Lillian’s motive be?”
“You tell me.” Casey folded her arms. “After all, she’s worked for you a long time and you’re lovers, aren’t you?”
“That must have come from Gislinde.” Theo shrugged. “Lillian and I had a brief affair three and a half years ago. She’s with someone else now, and I swear neither of us killed your father.”
Fine, she’d play along. “Could Gustaf Osterman have killed him? You said he left under bad terms. Since Dad
